Monthly Archives: August 2017

In Brief Bitcoin software company Blockstream announced that its Blockstream Satellite network will transmit the cryptocurrency down from space, enabling people in places with little support for the blockchain network to access bitcoin. Blockstream Satellite Network

On August 15, Blockstream, a Bitcoin software company, announced the launch of its Blockstream Satellite network that broadcasts bitcoin to people just about anywhere in the world irrespective of their internet connection for free. This will make the cryptocurrency more accessible to almost anyone, even in places where data costs are high and living standards and incomes are low.

The Blockstream Satellite network will transmit the cryptocurrency down from space, enabling people in places where few people are supporting a blockchain network with their computers to access bitcoin anyway. And, because Bitcoin is decentralized, it works as users run full nodes on their computers all over the world. These nodes contribute to community decisions about the blockchain, keep the network safe, and confirm transactions.

While running a full node is easy where the internet is fairly cheap and accessible, it does demand that you have a complete version of the Bitcoin blockchain, with all records of each bitcoin transaction since 2009 on your machine constantly. This task becomes very costly, or even impossible in some areas, either because the internet is too difficult to access, or because the people local to the area do not have 100$ every month so spend on running bitcoin nodes.

With the help of Blockstreams satellite network, it is now possible to receive this cryptocurrency directly from space for free, but only after investing in some fairly expensive hardware. The projects GitHub documentation indicates that to run a bitcoinnode, youll need a computer, a receiver, a TV satellite dish, and a USB stick that allows your computer to pick up radio frequencies.

According to Blockstream, current satellite coverage by the network includes much of the US, Africa, Latin America, and parts of Europe. Blockstream CEO Adam Back told Motherboard Vice that the company plans to extend that coverage to envelope most of the world within a year, although he joked, I guess there might be some research scientists in Antarctica who wont be able to use bitcoin.

Several members of the Futurism team are personal investors in a number of cryptocurrency markets. Their personal investment perspectives have no impact on editorial content.

Excerpt from:
Bitcoin Now Comes From Satellites in Space. Welcome to the Future. - Futurism

In BriefRetired astrophysicist Daniel Whitmire re-examined the FermiParadox, and why the universe is silent if there is alien life outthere. He believes that it's possible that humanity was the firstto have become technologically advanced. The Sound of Silence

For retired astrophysicist Daniel Whitmire, currently a mathematics professor at the University of Arkansas (UARK), humanity is typical. Not exactly in the sense that were ordinary; were typical in a statistical sense, following a concept in modern cosmology called the principle of mediocrity. This principle suggests that in the absence of evidence to the contrary, we should consider humanity to be a typical member of a certain reference class.

This was Whitmires conclusion, in a study published in the International Journal of Astrobiology, when he revisited his thoughts on the Fermi Paradox that we havent encountered alien life, despite the high probability of it existing and again asked if theres alien life out there. With all the billions of stars in billions of galaxies, chances are theres bound to be other intelligent life in the cosmos. So, where are they?

I used to tell my students that by statistics, we have to be the dumbest guys in the galaxy,Whitmire said in a UARK press release. After all, we have only been technological for about 100 years, while other civilizations could be more technologically advanced than us by millions or billions of years.

But Whitmire changed his mind on this concept based on two observations: Firstly, that humanity was the first technologically advanced civilization that evolvedon Earth, and were currently in our early technological development. (Technological, here, is to be understood as biological species that developed electronic devices and are capable of significantly changing the planet.)

On the surface, this may seem like an obvious observation. However, based on the Earths habitable time span from around 5 billion years ago, and for an estimated billion years in the future it would have been possible for other technological civilizations to precede us on this planet. The thing is, theres no geologic record that shows someone else came before us. Wed leave a heck of a fingerprint if we disappeared overnight, Whitmire said.

But what about life outside of the Earth? Following the same principle of mediocrity, technological civilizations that lasts millions of years or longer are atypical, Whitmire says. If one considers a bell curve of all supposedly extant technological civilizations in the universe, humanity would fall in the middle 95 percent.

If that is the case, the lack of communication from similar civilizations around us does not bode well. Whitmire explains the silence of the cosmosas a product of how typical technological civilizations work: They usually go extinct after attaining technological knowledge. This is the same explanation held by other scientists, and one even suggests that we should look for traces of alien technology instead of alien life.

The Great Filter hypothesis is another possible explanation. It suggests that before any life in the universe becomes technological or before technological life goes beyond the bounds of its own planet, it had to overcome some extremely difficult evolutionary threshold. Some even think that climate change is humanitys great filter.

For resident Science Guy Bill Nye, the Fermi Paradox should push humanity to explore further. The reason why we havent found intelligent extraterrestrial life or even simple alien life is because we havent been looking hard enough. Theres still a big chance that theyre somewhere out there.

Yet these theories assume that were not a typical representative of life in the cosmos. If were not typical then my initial observation would be correct, Whitmire said. We would be the dumbest guys in the galaxy by the numbers.

See original here:
A New Theory Suggests We May be the Only Technologically Advanced Civilization Still Around - Futurism

In Brief Australian company Euclideon has created the first real multi-user hologram table in the world, and it's going to change gaming, business, and so much more. This new tech solves previous problems with holographic images using motion-tracking glasses. Interactive Holographic Images

A working prototype of what will be the first real multi-user hologram table in the world has been created by theAustralian company Euclideon. Wearing only a small pair of glasses, up to four people can interact with the tables holographic images and each other, making this a major advancement from the experience provided by current AR technology. The company estimates that in 2018, the table will be up for sale for $60,000 Australian.

The concept of the hologram table in film and science fiction is hardly new, but because of the many technical difficulties inherent to executing the concept, the idea has yet to be realized. This difficulty originates from the fact that holograms are computer-generated stereo images, dependent on the perspective of the viewer. When a group of people in different positions look at a hologram, the illusion breaks as they dont get the same perspective on it and it doesnt change as they move. Computer-generated holograms work by tracking the viewer but which viewer does the computer track when theres more than one?

Euclideon has solved this riddle in a worlds first without a gigantic helmet that no one wants to wear, which is the fatal flaw of many multi-user VR/AR systems. After all, its hard to interact with your friends if youre all inside helmets.

The Unlimited Detail (UD) 3D graphics processing engine is what first brought Euclideon renown in the gaming community. The UD engine made it possible for users to be immersed in huge, amazingly detailed, 3D virtual environments, without special graphics cards or high-end computers. And while it didnt excel with the dynamic motion of objects or physics, its strength in geospatial imaging forms the basis for the new table.

Euclideons table requires that users wear only a small, light pair of motion-trackable glasses, which look and feel a lot like 3D glasses. These are much more practical for meetings and social events than huge VR/AR helmets, not to mention more comfortable. As users wear the glasses, the table tracks their eye positions, building a custom image for a potential total of eight user eyes. The table itself is a screen, and the device is made up of projectors that rest beneath a unique film which is sandwiched between two pieces of glass. The result is a mass of mixed up, colored images that the glasses separate out for users, enabling them to see binocular stereo holograms specific to their location.

The glasses themselves have special crystal film layers over them, which can change the frequencies of light waves. When users wear the glasses, the computer can tell which light waves belong to which users. The glasses have small boxes at the temples which contain tiny microcomputers and microchips similar to the VR headsets tracking jiggers, signaling the users position to the table.

Euclideon is currently about to begin the manufacturing process and expects their tables to be ready in February of 2018.

Continue reading here:
The First Truly Applicable Hologram Tech is Here - Futurism

In Brief Toyota is developing a device that would allow objects to turn invisible, or at least transparent. The Japanese car maker recently received a patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a device meant to improve the visibility of drivers. For Better (In)Visibility

From cloaking devices that conceal spaceships, to Harry Potters hand-me-down disappearing blanket, or even the One Ring and its power to conceal its wearer, invisibility is a staple in science fiction and fiction in general. Scientists have been hard at work, however, to bring such a technology into reality. Joining the research and development of cloaking technology is Japanese car manufacturer Toyota.

The company recently acquired a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for Apparatuses and methods for making an object appear transparent, which Toyota filed last June 17. Seems exciting, especially since its a car maker working on an invisibility tech or cloaking device. It actually is interesting, but not because its meant to turn Toyotas cars invisible well, at least not all of them.

The patent describes a cloaking device designed to turn vehicles A-pillars to the left and right of the cars dashboard invisible, improving road visibility for the driver. Seems ironic that a cloaking technology would improve visibility, right? Toyota thinks that its the way to go, especially since A-pillars have become rather large following crash-safety standards. The wider they are, the more they end up obscuring a drivers vision.

According to Toyota, such a technology is already possible like the Rochester Cloakbut it would require video cameras and other expensive equipment for it to work in cars. This cloaking device, on the other hand, would be a less expensive solution. It would use mirrors to bend visible light around the A-pillars to allow the driver to see through them. This would give drivers a wider view of the road and their surroundings. It also benefits pedestrians, as drivers would see them better.

Light from an object on an object-side of the cloaking device [i.e., facing the road] is directed around an article [the A-pillars] ]within the cloaking region and forms an image on an image-side of the cloaking device [i.e., facing the drivers seat] such the article appears transparent to an observer looking towards the object, according to a description of the device in the patent.

Making things invisible is all about manipulating light. The other invisibility technologies currently being developed do the same thing, albeit using different methods or materials. For instance, researchers from the Max Planck Institute are working on mimicking the biology of moths eyes to turn lenses and glass invisible. Meanwhile, a group from the University of California, San Diego is controlling how light reflects on objects using a thin carpet cloak made form Teflon and ceramic particles.

All of these studies bring us closer to a working invisibility cloak, or at least a technology which allows us to see through objects by making them bend light like Toyotas device. We will have to wait and see.

Read more:
Toyota Just Patented a Cloaking Device - Futurism

In Brief Vincross hopes to bring advanced robotics to the masses with HEXA, a spider-like robot small enough to fit in a backpack. The robot is sold with a software developer kit that owners can use to program new capabilities for it, which they can then share with other owners via a Skills Store. Six Legs Can Be Better Than Two

Consumer robotics company Vincross has introduced a new bot to the world, and people with entomophobia might want to steer clear of it.

HEXA is a small, six-legged robot that resembles a crab or a spider to the point that it even moves at the same deliberate pace. The bot is just under 12 centimeters (4.72 inches) tall and 50.8 centimeters (20 inches) in diameter, which makes itcompact enough to fit in your backpack, according to the Vincross website.

While moving around on itssix legs, HEXAuses a range of sensors to see. These include a 720p camera with night vision, a 3-axis accelerometer, a distance-measuring sensor, and an infrared transmitter. Vincross claims the device has a high degree of maneuverability and can nimbly handle different environments and terrains. Again, much like a spider.

HEXA doesnt compare to therealness of some humanoid robotsor match the complexity ofrobots like ANYmal or the ostrich-like Cassie, but thats not Vincross goal. Instead, the company is hoping to use HEXA to help bring robotics to the masses.

Advanced robotics are costlyand building them can require access to expensive equipment and advanced engineering knowledge. Those barriers are enough to make the field intimidating, and they limit the number of people who can contribute to the robotics industrys growth.

Vincross is circumventing those complexities by providing consumers with not just HEXA, but also MIND, the bots operating system and software developer kit.

Based on Linux, MIND will let people create new movements and applications (or Skills), thereby expanding the robots capabilities. A Skills Store willhost these programs, making it easy for HEXA owners to share and test new programs and ideas. The store can be accessed via the HEXA app, which is also used to control HEXAs movements.

A Kickstarter is up now to help fund the projects development, and $499 will get you a HEXA, the complete software developer kit, a cable charger, and a few other bonus gifts. Theyve already raised more than$82,000 with 28 days left in the campaign, so the odds that Vincross reaches their goal of $100,000are looking good.

Read more here:
HEXA Is an Agile, Spider-Like Robot That You Can Program Yourself - Futurism

In BriefPhysicist have learned how to use light to create quantumstates that flow from one point to another. This puts us one stepcloser to living in a world with quantum computers. From Light to Super-Proton

Five years ago, Martin Weitz and his team accomplished what other physicists had thought impossible: they created a photonic Bose-Einstein condensate, a completely new source of light.

A photonic Bose-Einstein condensate is when individual photons are collected together in a single location, cooled, and brought together to create what is known as a super-photon. Recently,Weitz of theInstitute of Applied Physics at Germanys University of Bonn set out to conduct an experiment with a newly made one.

In this new experiment, Weitz and his team were able to create wells that allowed super-photons toflow from one well to the next, an achievement that could one day lead to much-anticipated quantum computing.

The team accomplished this task by bouncing a laser between two mirrors, moving the light through a pigment between the mirrors thatcooled the light and turned it into a super-photon.Before introducing the laser light, a polymer was mixed in with the cooling pigment used to cool the light.Using this polymer allowed Weitz to influence the experiments refractive index using heat; increasing the temperature would let longer light wavelengths travel back and forth between the two mirrors.

By inducing different temperature patterns, Weitzs team was able to induce apseudo-warping effect in the polymer, creatingwells at certain points that had a different refractive index than the polymer as a whole. The team then found that the super-photon would flow into the wells, just as a liquid might flow into a hollow space.

The special thing is that we have built a kind of optical well in various forms, into which the Bose-Einstein condensate was able to flow, Weitz said in a press release. With the help of various temperature patterns, we were able to create different optical dents.

Following the creation of the photonic Bose-Einstein condensate, Weitz team of researchers observed the behavior of two adjacent optical wells. By adjusting the temperatures of the polymer, the light in both wells came to have similar energy levels, thereby allowing the created super-photon to move from one to the other.

According to Weitz, thisinnovation could be the precursor for quantum circuits, which are expected to play a large role in the future of quantum computers and communication.

The work done by Weitz and his group could also lead to better developed lasers, such as ones used for welding or drilling.

Computing applications of this technology arent expected for quite a while, but some believe the first true quantum computers may debut as early as next year. It was only in July that two Swedish PhD studentsbroke a quantum computing record, nudging use slightly closer to such a reality.

Its currently a race to see who gets us to that point first, but its only a matter of time before we figure out how to create the right machines capable of handling quantum circuits. When we do, whole new aspects of our universe may become open to us, as our computer systems inevitably become faster and more powerful.

Read more:
Physicists Have Made Exotic Quantum States From Light - Futurism

In Brief A bitcoin trader with a reputation for accurate predictions now claims the cryptocurrency will be worth $15,000 before the end of 2017. Masterluc expects the value to continue to increase until 2019, at which point it will top out somewhere between $40,000 and $110,000.

Late last week, the price of bitcoin rose beyond $3,500, and it currently sits slightly above$4,200. While some are skeptical of this steady increase in value, according to an expert observer,itwont be endingany time soon.

Veteran trader masterluc predicts that bitcoin will be worth $15,000 before the end of the year. He believe the cryptocurrencys current bull run will then continue into 2019, at which point its price will top out somewhere between $40,000 and $110,000.

Masterluc has historically been adept at predicting bitcoins future value. He was able to accurately predict in March 2013 that the crypto would enter into a bear market in November 2013, and then in May 2015, he made a prediction that proved to be just slightly off point,missing the start of the cryptos current surge by just two months.

Masterluc isnt the only pundit expectingbitcoin to go from strength to strength. Earlier this month, Goldman Sachs analyst Sheba Jafari predicted that the currency could reach $4,800, having previously forecast a highof $3,691 as recently as July.

Bitcoin is on a roll at the moment, and predicting when this run will start to drop off is no easy task. Masterluc has a history of being right in his predictions, and many experts agree that the uptick will continue for at least a little while longer, which could have some major ramifications for traditional currency.

Disclosure: Several members of the Futurism team, including the editors of this piece, are personal investors in a number of cryptocurrency markets. Their personal investment perspectives have no impact on editorial content.

View post:
Get Ready. Renowned Bitcoin Trader Says the Currency Will Hit $15000 in 2017. - Futurism