Elon Musk Is Not Alone In His Belief That Robots Will Eventually Want To Kill Us All

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Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

For months, billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has been warning the world that developments in artificial intelligence could cause robots to become hostile to humans.

It all started in June when Musk explained why he invested in artificial intelligence company DeepMind. He said that he likes to "keep an eye on what's going on with artificial intelligence" because he believes there could be a "dangerous outcome" there."There have been movies about this, you know, like Terminator," Musk said.

But Musk's warnings didn't end there. He's gone on to suggest that robots could delete humans like spam, and even said in a since-deleted comment that killer robots could arrive within five years.

But is Musk right about the threat of AI? We asked Louis Del Monte who has written about AI and is a former employee of IBM and Honeywell's microelectronics units whether robots really will kill us all.

"Musk is correct," Del Monte said, "killer robots are already a reality and will proliferate over the next five or ten years."

Del Monte explained that artificial intelligence is developing at a rapid pace, and that could pose a threat to humanity if it comes to believe that humans are simply "junk code" that gets in the way:

"The power of computers doubles about every 18 months. If you use today as a starting point, we will have computers equivalent to human brains by approximately 2025. In addition, computers in 2025 will have the ability to learn from experience and improve their performance, similar to how humans learn from experience and improve their performance. The difference is that computers in 2025 will have most relevant facts in their memory banks. For example, they would be able to download everything that is in Wikipedia. If they are able to connect to the Internet, then they would be able to learn from other computers. Sharing enormous banks of knowledge could be done in micro-seconds, versus years for humans. The end result is that the average computer in 2025 would be typically smarter that the average human and able to learn new information at astonishing rates."

While it's certainly unsettling to think that machines could learn information quicker than us, that's not the real danger. Instead, we're rapidly approaching an event know as the Singularity:

"[There will be]a point in time when intelligent machines exceed the cognitive intelligence of all humans combined, [and that] will occur between 2040-2045. This projection is based on extrapolating Moores law, as well as reading the opinions of my colleagues in AI research. Respected futurists like Ray Kurzweil and James Martin both project the singularity to occur around 2045."

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Elon Musk Is Not Alone In His Belief That Robots Will Eventually Want To Kill Us All

XCOR Aerospace Announces Latest Milestone in ULA Program

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XCOR Aerospace today announced it has completed the latest test series for the liquid hydrogen engine it is developing for United Launch Alliance (ULA). This is an important milestone in the long-running LH2 (liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen) program. It is also a step toward running the engine in a fully closed cycle mode.

In its most recent milestone, XCOR successfully performed hot fire testing of the XR-5H25 engine's regeneratively cooled thrust chamber,with both liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellants supplied inpump-fed mode, using XCOR's proprietary piston pump technology.

"This test marks the first time liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen have been supplied to a rocket engine with a piston pump," says XCOR Chief Executive Officer Jeff Greason. "It is also the first time an American LH2 engine of this size has successfully fired liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen together in pump-fed mode. We are happy to be making solid progress on the engines. This will also bring us to a new phase in our plans for orbital flight.

"ULA has an ongoing effort to develop rocket engines for our next generation upper stage, and we are thrilled to see that progress continuing with XCOR," added ULA Vice President George Sowers.

Upcoming test series will fully integrate the nozzle with the engine and piston pumps. Fully closed cycle testing will follow soon afterwards and will complete the sub-scale demonstration engine program.

The XR-5H25 engines are being developed under contract to ULA as potential successors to the Delta and Atlas series upper stage engines currently used. These engines will also help power orbital launches.

About XCOR Aerospace: XCOR Aerospace is based in Mojave, California. It is currently starting to create a new Research and Development Center in Midland, Texas, and an operational and manufacturing site at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. XCOR builds safe, reliable and reusable rocket-powered vehicles, propulsion systems, advanced non-flammable composites and rocket piston pumps. XCOR works with aerospace prime contractors and government customers on major propulsion systems, while also building Lynx. Lynx is a piloted, two-seat, fully reusable liquid rocket-powered vehicle that takes-off and lands horizontally. The Lynx-family of vehicles serves three primary missions depending on their specific type including: research & scientific missions, private spaceflight, and micro satellite launch (only on Lynx Mark III). Lynx production models (designated Lynx Mark II) are designed to be robust, multi-mission (research / scientific or private spaceflight) commercial vehicles capable of flying to 100+ km in altitude up to four times per day. Lynx vehicles are available to customers in the free world on a wet lease basis to start their own manned space flight program. For more information on XCOR Aerospace, visit http://www.xcor.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram as XCOR.

About United Launch Alliance: With more than a century of combined heritage, United Launch Alliance is the nation's most experienced and reliable launch service provider. ULA has successfully delivered more than 85 satellites to orbit that provide critical capabilities for troops in the field, aid meteorologists in tracking severe weather, enable personal device-based GPS navigation and unlock the mysteries of our solar system. For more information on ULA, visit the ULA website at http://www.ulalaunch.com, or call the ULA Launch Hotline at 1-877-ULA-4321 (852-4321). Join the conversation at http://www.facebook.com/ulalaunch, twitter.com/ulalaunch and instagram.com/ulalaunch.

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Agnosticism for Beginners & Agnostics – Basic Facts About …

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There are a lot of agnosticism resources on this site for beginners. There are articles on what agnosticism is, what agnosticism is not, and refutations of many popular myths about agnosticism.

Because people's knowledge, needs, and misunderstandings will change over time, the information presented here will also evolve over time. If you don't see something here that you think should be included because more beginners need to know about it, just let me know.

Agnosticism is the Absence of Knowledge of Gods: Although sometimes used metaphorically to denote a lack of commitment with respect to any given issue, agnosticism strictly taken means not claiming to know for sure if any gods exist. This is the definition for agnosticism in standard, unabridged dictionaries. Because of the use for "lack of commitment" other areas, many attribute that back to the question of gods' existence as well and conclude that agnostics are "uncommitted" to any position on whether any gods exist. This is a mistake.

Weak Agnosticism vs. Strong Agnosticism: Sometimes a distinction is made between weak agnosticism and strong agnosticism, an analogy to the distinction between weak atheism and strong atheism. A weak agnostic refuses to make any knowledge claim for themselves; a strong agnostic denies that any human could possibly know. So a weak agnostic says "I don't know if any gods exist or not." A strong agnostic says "no one can possibly know if any gods exist or not."

Agnosticism should be Philosophical: A person who is self-consciously agnostic is (or should be) agnostic for philosophical reasons derived from their epistemology and their ethics. Technically, though, a person doesn't have to have thought about the issues very much to be agnostic. They don't even have to care whether any gods exist or not they can be completely apathetic about the question. The definition of agnosticism doesn't depend upon a person's reasons for their agnosticism

Agnosticism is Compatible with Religion: Being an agnostic doesn't necessarily mean that a person can't be religious. To the degree that a religion's dogmas include claiming to know that a god exists it will be difficult for an agnostic to be part of that religion. That's common to western religions, which may be part of why most agnostics in America don't attend religious services. In some religions, though, agnosticism can play an important role. That said, though, agnosticism itself is not a religion and cannot be a religion, just as atheism and theism are not themselves religions and cannot be religions.

Agnosticism is not a "third way" between atheism and theism because it is not mutually exclusive from atheism and theism. Agnosticism is about knowledge which is a separate issue belief. Agnosticism is thus compatible with atheism and theism you can be an agnostic atheist or an agnostic theist.

Agnosticism is not just sitting on the fence or a failure to commit to something and it's not a suspension of belief. It is also not, contrary to what some might tell you, the only possible rational option. Agnosticism is not inherently undogmatic or rational; agnosticism may be held dogmatically and for irrational reasons. There is nothing in agnosticism that is inherently superior to atheism or theism.

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Caffeine counters cocaine’s effects on women’s estrus cycles

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

20-Nov-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ryan kryan@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News @LiebertOnline

New Rochelle, NY, November 20, 2014-Women are more sensitive to the effects of cocaine and more susceptible to cocaine abuse than men. Cocaine's ability to disrupt a woman's estrus cycle may explain the sex differences in cocaine addiction, and new evidence that caffeine may be neuroprotective and able to block cocaine's direct effects on the estrus cycle reveals novel treatment possibilities, according to an article published in Journal of Caffeine Research: The International Multidisciplinary Journal of Caffeine Science, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Caffeine Research website at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/jcr.2014.0015 until December 20, 2014.

In the article "Cocaine Shifts the Estrus Cycle Out of Phase and Caffeine Restores It", Patricia Broderick, PhD and Lauren Malave, City College of New York, City University of New York Graduate Center, City University of New York, and NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, show that cocaine shifts the estrus cycle, thereby changing a woman's estrogen levels. Caffeine can block these changes, suggesting that antagonists of the adenosine system may have a role in treating cocaine addiction.

"This is cutting-edge work that has never been shown before. It is critical knowledge relevant to women's reproductive health," says Patricia A. Broderick, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Caffeine Research and Medical Professor in Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, The City College of New York, The City University of New York, and Adjunct Professor in Neurology, New York University Langone Medical Center and Comprehensive Epilepsy Center.

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About the Journal

Journal of Caffeine Research: The International Multidisciplinary Journal of Caffeine Science is a quarterly journal published in print and online. The Journal covers the effects of caffeine on a wide range of diseases and conditions, including mood disorders, neurological disorders, cognitive performance, cardiovascular disease, and sports performance. Journal of Caffeine Research explores all aspects of caffeine science including the biochemistry of caffeine; its actions on the human body; benefits, dangers, and contraindications; and caffeine addiction and withdrawal, across all stages of the human life span from prenatal exposure to end-of-life. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Journal of Caffeine Research website at http://www.liebertpub.com/jcr.

About the Publisher

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Caffeine counters cocaine's effects on women's estrus cycles

Progressive Medical Center Hires New Clinical Director for Peachtree City Office

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Peachtree City, GA (PRWEB) November 20, 2014

Progressive Medical Center, an integrative medical clinic in Peachtree City, GA, is pleased to announce the recent hiring of Dr. Tanya Lawson, BA, ND as the new Clinic Director.

Dr. Lawson, a board certified, licensed Doctor of Natural Medicine, brings years of experience to the field of integrative medicine, including a prestigious academic and research record. She has recently been selected to present her research in integrative oncology at the 2015 National Oncology Conference. As Clinic Director, Dr. Lawson will also focus her efforts toward improving patient treatment protocols, including managing caseloads, monitoring patients' results, training, and providing supervision of staff and patients within a clinical setting.

Originally from Canada, after graduating magna cum laude from the University of Ottawa, she completed her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto. Here she received the Womens Health Award for excellence in womens health promotion.

In post-graduate studies, Dr. Lawson also completed research and training in positive psychology and mind-body medicine at Harvard. Upon starting her practice in 2006, she founded two integrative medical centers in Canada, and was awarded the 2011 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for her region.

Dr. Lawson is a current member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, the Georgia Association of Naturopathic Physicians, and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. She has spoken at national conventions in Canada and has written for professional magazines.

All of these qualifications give Dr. Lawson a unique set of skills and experience that will provide substantial value to the Peachtree City community. Her integrative medical experience will en-able the Peachtree City clinic to provide a wide variety of unique services that can help identify and treat chronic conditions. Her expertise in diagnosing problems that are often difficult to solve using traditional medicine methods will help bring relief to many people in the community.

For more information on the conditions that Dr. Lawson and Progressive Medical Center treat with integrative medicine, visit this page: http://www.progressivemedicalcenter.com/conditions-treated/

Open House at Progressive Medical Center

On December 2nd from 5-8pm, Progressive Medical Center will host an open house event at their Peachtree City, GA location.

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Progressive Medical Center Hires New Clinical Director for Peachtree City Office

New Miami Integrative Medicine and Anti-Aging Experts to Bring The Art Of Being Well Event to Art Basel Miami Beach …

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Miami Beach, FL (PRWEB) November 20, 2014

To highlight a new partnership with Philip Battiade, creator of The Infusio Concept, Miami-based Dr. Michael Hall, founder of Hall Longevity Clinic, and Battiade will host a champagne & hors doeuvres reception with informational seminar and complimentary consultations to invited guests and press during Art Basel Miami Beach at the clinic on December 4th, 2014 from 6-9pm.

To RSVP for the limited availability event, please contact Ms. Yanet Pando at 305-672-4733. For press and media inquiries, contact Kathy at 310-425-9566 or email kathymarymcdevitt(at)gmail(dot)com.

For a limited time during the first week of December, patients suffering from chronic disease and illnesses, ranging from fatigue to cancer, will have the opportunity to book an exclusive, complimentary and non-invasive Global Diagnostics evaluation with Phil. Media outlets are also invited to schedule an appointment to test out the cutting-edge non-invasive diagnostic equipment.

With a combined 40 years of experience across general, integrative, and cosmetic medical practices and procedures, Hall and Battiade make the perfect team to bring the latest in longevity, holistic healing, and anti-aging techniques to the well-heeled residents of the American Riviera during one of the art worlds most prestigious and celebrated yearly events.

Philip Battiade founded Infusio in Germany in 2009. With the motto Innovation Through Integration, The Infusio Concept offers comprehensive, multi-level treatment options and symptom relief for patients suffering from cancer, lyme disease, fatigue, and a range of chronic and debilitating illnesses.

The Infusio Concept is based on Battiades Five Steps To Health:

The Infusio Concept in Beverly Hills also offers a wide range of rejuvenation and spa services, from aromatherapy to intravenous vitamin and mineral infusions.

The new venture between Dr. Hall and Philip Battiade is a natural progression in the field of integrative medicine and next generation non-invasive cosmetic procedures. Said Dr. Hall of the partnership: I believe Infusio is the future of anti-aging medicine.

Capitalizing on his internal and cosmetic medical background and his interest in the best of integrative medical practices from around the globe, Dr. Hall founded the Hall Longevity Clinic in Miami to offer patients a range of traditional and holistic treatment and healing options.

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NATO Secretary General and Prime Minister of Georgia – Joint Press Point – 17 NOV 2014 – Video

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NATO Secretary General and Prime Minister of Georgia - Joint Press Point - 17 NOV 2014
Joint press point with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvil. Held at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, 17 November 2014.

By: NATO

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Russia: ‘NATO eastward expansion a geopolitical game changer’ – Putin – Video

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Russia: #39;NATO eastward expansion a geopolitical game changer #39; - Putin
W/S Vladimir Putin talking to Hubert Seipel [CUTAWAY] SOT, Vladimir Putin, Russian President (Russian): "The bank that I mentioned is Gazprom bank, which only this year, this calendar year,...

By: net news

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Russia: 'NATO eastward expansion a geopolitical game changer' - Putin - Video

Russian Military Build-Up in Ukraine: NATO confirms Russian troops on Ukrainian border – Video

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Russian Military Build-Up in Ukraine: NATO confirms Russian troops on Ukrainian border
NATO #39;s secretary general says there has been a serious Russian military build-up in east Ukraine and on the Ukrainian-Russian border. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has said that...

By: UKRAINE TODAY

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Russian Military Build-Up in Ukraine: NATO confirms Russian troops on Ukrainian border - Video

NATO Intercept Russian Planes Over Baltic for Third Day

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NATO dispatched fighter jets to intercept a Russian IL-20 military surveillance plane over the Baltic Sea today, the third such incident this week.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organizations CF-18 Hornet fighters, Canadian jets based in Lithuania, confronted the Russian aircraft over international waters near Latvias border, the Latvian army said on Twitter. A Russian navy tanker ship was also observed 11.6 nautical miles from Latvian waters yesterday, the army said in a separate Twitter post, the vessels second sighting near the maritime border in the past three days.

Related: Russia Denies Ukraine Blame After Germans Push for Talks

The encounters have added to growing strains between Russia and the military alliance over the conflict in Ukraine. Russian warplanes and ships have increased their activity across the Baltic Sea from St. Petersburg to the Kaliningrad exclave that borders NATO members Poland and Lithuania.

The alliance pledged in September to bolster the defenses of frontline states in eastern Europe in response to what it said was Russian involvement in Ukraine. NATO interceptions of Russian military planes over the Baltic more than doubled in 2014 from last year, rising to 112 before yesterday, the news service BNS reported, citing Lithuanias Defense Ministry. That compares with 47 such incidents in 2013 and 44 in 2012.

NATO jets also intercepted a Russian IL-20 yesterday and a Su-27 fighter plane on Nov. 17 after four similar incidents last week.

President Vladimir Putin said in a TV interview with German broadcaster ARD on Nov. 16 that Russian planes and ships dont violate European borders and that military exercises take place exclusively in international waters and over international airspace.

To contact the reporters on this story: Ott Ummelas in Tallinn at oummelas@bloomberg.net; Milda Seputyte in Vilnius at mseputyte@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Balazs Penz at bpenz@bloomberg.net Paul Abelsky, James Kraus

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NATO Intercept Russian Planes Over Baltic for Third Day

Russia Wants a 100% Guarantee That Ukraine Wont Join NATO

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TIME World Ukraine Russia Wants a 100% Guarantee That Ukraine Wont Join NATO Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with members of the All-Russia Popular Front in Moscow on Nov. 18, 2014 Alexei DruzhininAP Comment's come as NATO's secretary-general accuses Kremlin of "destabilizing" Ukraine

A top adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that the Kremlin wants a 100% guarantee that Ukraine will be prevented from joining NATO.

Dmitri Peskov told the BBC that NATOs eastward expansion continued to make Russia nervous. His comments echoed similar tough talk coming from President Putin, who promised a crowd attending a forum in Moscow on Tuesday that Russia would never be subdued by Washington.

Throughout history no one has ever managed to do so toward Russia and no one ever will, RT quoted Putin as saying.

Putins remarks came as NATOs Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg accused the Russian leadership of destabilizing Ukraine and breaking a two-month-old truce by continuing to support separatist forces fighting in the countrys southeast.

We see the movement of troops, of equipment, of tanks, of artillery, of advance air-defense systems, and this is in violation of the cease-fire agreements, said Stoltenberg, after arriving at the European Union headquarters in Brussels. We call on Russia to pull back its forces from eastern Ukraine and to respect the Minsk Agreements.

The alliance, along with independent monitors, has issued numerous reports during the past two weeks claiming that the Russian military is moving armored columns across the border into Ukraine, where rebel militias have been shelling strategic locations in the war-torn Donbass region on a daily basis.

In Moscow on Tuesday, Germanys Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned during a press conference that there was no end in sight to the conflict in Ukraine unless all parties to the Minsk accord stuck to the cease-fire.

There are no grounds for optimism in the current situation, Steinmeier told reporters, according to Agence France-Presse.

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel struck an even harsher tone labeling Russias incursions into Ukraine as dangerous and irresponsible.

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Russia Wants a 100% Guarantee That Ukraine Wont Join NATO

Senate Republicans block bill: NSA will continue monitoring your calls (+video)

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WASHINGTON The Senate on Tuesday blocked a bill to end bulk collection of Americans' phone records by the National Security Agency, dealing a blow to President Barack Obama's primary proposal to rein in domestic surveillance.

The 58-42 vote was two short of the 60 needed to proceed with debate under Senate procedural rules. Voting was largely along party lines, with most Democrats supporting the bill and most Republicans voting against it. The Republican-controlled House had previously passed its ownNSAbill.

The legislation would have ended theNSA'scollection of domestic calling records, instead requiring the agency to obtain a court order each time it wanted to analyze the records in terrorism cases, and query records held by the telephone companies. In many cases the companies store the records for 18 months.

The revelation that the spying agency had been collecting and storing domestic phone records since shortly after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, was among the most significant by Edward Snowden, a former agency network administrator who turned over secretNSAdocuments to journalists. The agency collects only so-called metadata numbers called, not names and not the content of conversations. But the specter of the intelligence agency holding domestic calling records was deeply disquieting to many Americans.

The bill had drawn support from technology companies and civil liberties activists. Its failure means there has been little in the way of policy changes as a result of Snowden's disclosures.

Pressured to act, Obama in January proposed curbing theNSA's authority and the House in May passed a bill to do so. While the measure was pending, theNSAcontinued to collect American landline calling records, though the program does not cover most mobile phone records.

The law authorizing the bulk collection, a provision of the post-9/11 USA Patriot Act, will expire at the end of 2015. That means Congress would have to pass legislation re-authorizing the program for it to continue.

For that reason, Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, abandoned her previous opposition to the bill. "If we do not pass the bill, we will lose this program," Feinstein said on the Senate floor.

"This bill increases trust and confidence and credibility of our intelligence system," said Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

But Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the ranking Republican on the Intelligence Committee, called the bill "totally flawed" and said theNSAneeds the ability to sift through domestic calling records and hold the records. "We have under surveillance any number of Americans who are committed to jihad," Chambliss said.

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Senate Republicans block bill: NSA will continue monitoring your calls (+video)

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