Category Archives: Futurist

It'll be a sight for sore eyes (if you have a telescope handy). Heads Up

Were about to have a close call with a huge asteroid but dont worry, its not gonna turn out like in the recent satirical science fiction movie Dont Look Up.

AsLive Science reports, astronomers are categorizing this one kilometer long asteroid thats double the length of the Empire State building as potentially hazardous due to its hefty size and troubling trajectory.

And though it wont hit Earth, the asteroid is coming so close it will become visible with a small telescope. And thats pretty cool.

On January 18 at 4:51 pm Eastern time, the asteroid, known officially as (7482) 1994 PC1, will hurdle within 1.2 million miles of Earth, making it a Near-Earth Object (NEO).

While thats still very far away, NASAs Asteroid Watch notes that the potentially hazardous moniker is placed on any asteroid thats more than about 460 feet (140 meters) in size with orbits that bring them as close as within 4.6 million miles (7.5 million kilometers) of Earths orbit around the Sun.

According to NASAs NEO Observation Program, there are roughly 28,000 known NEOs that are at least 460 feet wide, with 3,000 new sightings being made each year, Live Science notes.

This isnt the first time this particular asteroid has screamed past our planet. It came within 700,000 miles away from Earth in 1933, according to NASAs Jet Propulsion Lab and will pay us another visit in 2105 as well.

Though interest in asteroids and any potential collision with Earth is always a spicy meatball, NASA says we should be safe and soundat least for the next 100 years or so.

READ MORE:Watch an Asteroid Race Across the Sky [Sky and Telescope]

More roid rage:SpaceX Launches NASA Battering Ram to Crash into Giant Asteroid

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A Giant Asteroid Is Careening So Close That You'll Be Able to See It From Earth - Futurism

An options trader-turned-economic philosopher is slamming Bitcoin, calling it a disease.

In a series of tweets this week, Nasim Nicholas Taleb, NYU risk engineering professor and author of the 2007 bookThe Black Swan, called Bitcoin a contagious disease built on bringing in suckers to build up a fragile speculative bubble thats nowset to burst.

Given that Bitcoin is expected to reach historic lows, chances are his prediction could come true.

Before last summer, the author was a Bitcoin believer. In 2017, Taleb went so far as to write the foreword to The Bitcoin Standard, written by fellow Lebanese countryman and economist Saifedean Ammous. In the book, both Taleb and Ammous championed the cryptocurrency as a way out of repeated financial crises caused by traditional banking.

Taleb has since had a huge change of heart and reversed his stance on Bitcoin. Last summer, he self-published a black paper in which he explained why he no longer bought into the hype of Bitcoin and why he now considers it worthless and dangerous.

Since coming out swinging against the cryptocurrency, thewriter hasnt backed down, calling BTC proponents imbeciles, and the currency itself an awkward, clunky, and already obsolete product of low interest rates.

The proposition of cryptocurrencies at large acting as an insurance policy against governments controlling financial markets has failed tremendously, Taleb argued in his paper.

It is indeed desirable to have at least one real currency without a government, Taleb argued in the paper. But the new currency just needs to be more appealing as a store of value by tracking a weighted basket of goods and services with minimum error.

Indeed, Taleb argues that Bitcoin is no real currency at all, but people confuse it for one due to its speculative worthand its prominent volatility.

Few assets in financial history have been more fragile than Bitcoin, he wrote in the paper.

On his Twitter feed, Taleb has repeatedly been far harsher than he was in the paper, likening Bitcoin speculation to a less-aesthetic iteration of the infamous 17th century Dutch tulip bubble which ended in disaster.

While hes not the first former crypto stan to change his tune, Taleb provides academic explanations for his evolving opinions.

With the crypto world becoming more and more mainstream, such rigor is pretty refreshing regardless of whether you agree or not.

READ MORE:Black Swan author warns bitcoin is a worthless, speculative bubble [Business Insider]

More bolstering this take: Bitcoin Crashes as Major Crypto Country Shuts Down Entire Internet

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Ex-Crypto Backer: Bitcoin Is a "Contagious Disease" and It's About to Get Nasty - Futurism

NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a world where more and more people are not only working remotely but making life-changing choices, what will the future of work look like? According to futurist Ayelet Baron, "The organizational structures created in 1911 still serve as the foundation of many global companies. And, as they no longer serve where we are headed, people are questioning what work truly means in this century and making different life choices."

The global pandemic not only disrupted how we work, it also forced business leaders and employees to face a new reality. Many industries, including travel and healthcare, also dramatically changed the way they did business. While some crave going back to normal, we are at a unique point in human history where we face a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to imagine a healthier world of work where regenerative and sustainable practices set the foundation for businesses for generations to come.

The Great Questioning

Over the next few years, our relationship with life, and work, will change dramatically. We are experiencing The Great Questioning, not just the Great Resignation. There is an increasing number of people evaluating how valued they are from fair pay to working conditions to benefits and most importantly, quality of life. No longer waiting for someone to pick them, millions of people are choosing their wellbeing and questioning everything.

People, Planet and Impact

The most impactful shifts will come from small and medium businesses that have a shared purpose, operate with conscious leadership, and practice self-management. As more people seek meaning in their lives, they will look to align with organizations that focus on people, planet, and impact, or start their own. We will see an increase in entrepreneurs who will set the stage for what is next when it comes to work and life.

Dialogue and Connection Unlock the Future

The undercurrents of these shifts require business leaders to introduce timeless practices like listening and open dialogue as ways to build the trust that has been broken. 2022 is the year when walking the talk and closing the gap between words and actions will be what leaders will be asked to face. The art of conversation and connection builds trusted relationships and community, which are at the heart of authentic and conscious leadership and the key to future success.

Listening to People is Key

Many young people are choosing the freedom to navigate life; there is no interest in setting annual goals with an employer and checking in with a supervisor who tells them how they are progressing. And it's not just young people, the perks no longer outweigh the desire for choice when it comes to having a balanced, fulfilling life, which includes a career.

Ayelet Baron's predictions were included in the Thinkers360 2022 Future of Work series.

Learn more about Ayelet Baron, the award-winning F*ck The Bucket List book trilogy, and her vision of the future on her website.

Media Contact:Donna Cravotta914-663-5266[emailprotected]

SOURCE Ayelet Baron

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Futurist Ayelet Baron Predicts the Future of Work and Life in 2022 and Beyond - PRNewswire

"Imagery captured the first clear view of the new island structure..."New Lands

Following a massive undersea volcanic eruption near the Pacific island nation of Tonga, authorities are trying to establish contact with residents and assess how badly homes and property were damaged. The world is holding its breath as authorities say theyre not sure whether there will be any casualties, but the blast also draws attention to a fascinating geological drama: the volcano is actively adding new land mass to a small and newly formed island.In other words, were seeing the growth of a new island in real time.

In 2015, the same undersea volcano erupted and formed a new island, although according to satellite imagery company Planet Labs, scientists thought it would erode away within months. Seven years later, however, the opposite is true. That same island has been growing and almost certainly got bigger during the weekends recent eruption. In fact, just last month a smaller eruption increased the size of the island by what experts believe to be nearly 50 percent.

Imagery captured the first clear view of the new island structure on 2 January 2022, Dan Slayback, a research scientist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, told Planet Labs. Comparing PlanetScope imagery from mid-December, before the most recent eruption began, the surface area of the island appears to have expanded by nearly 45 percent due to ashfall.

In 2015, the Sydney Morning Heraldreported that surprisingly, life was abundant on the newborn island. Gulls and other seabirds floated in the air and padded around the volcanic shore, which has since been named Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Haapai.

Its mind-blowing to think about a baby island being born and growing in real time, but a lack of internet and satellite connections also mean it may be harder to study it and check on the wellbeing of nearby island residents for some time. WaPo reports that in 2019, Tonga lost internet connection for two weeks after its underwater fiber optic cable that delivers internet service was severed, possibly by a ship dragging an anchor across it. Residents couldnt even make international calls.

Were sure to learn more about the new island in the coming weeks, but were just as concerned about Tonga and its people. Lets hope people arent distracted by the geological news and forget the humans affected most by the disaster.

More on the undersea volcano: Hey Kids, Wanna See Satellite Footage of a Volcano Violently Erupting?

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A Huge Volcano Is Creating a New Island in the Pacific Ocean in Real Time - Futurism

CEO OF THE YEAR 2021: Dan Pathomvanich wants to feed the world and save the planet

Dan Pathomvanich is not just a CEO. He's also a climate change activist and a plant-based advocate committed to enabling the world to transition to a lower-carbon future through food system transformation.

That explains why his company, NR Instant Produce Public Company Limited (NRF), is focusing on the global production of low-carbon foods and on transforming into the world's leading co-manufacturer of alternative protein ingredients and foods.

His business journey started when he established Hatton Capital in 2009.

Since then he has completed more than US$1 billion (33.5 billion baht) in acquisitions primarily focused on the consumer and food industry.

He went on to co-found Hatton Equity Partners (Thailand) in 2015, a fund with over $40 million in assets under management.

A new and more challenging chapter of life began when Hatton acquired NRF in April 2017.

A leading specialty food exporter based in Thailand, NRF was established in 1991 and with over two decades of experience developed into a leading food co-packer for supermarkets around the world with beloved brands such as Por Kwan that dominate ethnic supermarkets in North America.

In 2017, Mr Dan laid out a roadmap for the company over the next three years to become a global platform for the future of food in seeking to find solutions on how to feed 10 billion people by 2050 and decarbonise the world in doing so.

Central to this mission was to transform NRF's small plant-based business into a global co-manufacturer for alternative protein ingredients and foods which would enable the global economy to shift to a lower-carbon system.

Dan Pathomvanich.

The goal is by 2024 to have key production facilities around the world to co-manufacture plant-based foods, alternative protein ingredients and retail outlets selling plant-based products.

In order to achieve such a goal, Mr Dan in 2017 committed to the United Nations Global Compact by integrating the UN sustainable development goals into NRF core operations.

As a pro-active partner of the Global Compact Network Thailand, he was named to the committee on environment. NRF today is the first and only carbon neutral certified food factory in Thailand.

Within three years, Mr Dan led NRF to an initial public offering in October 2020 and had the second-best IPO opening of the year that was more than nine times oversubscribed by institutions.

Today NRF is the only public company to commit to the 1.5C climate pledge and the race to net zero.

Mr Dan was recognised by Time magazine, Bloomberg, Forbes, CNN and many international media publications for NRF's global vision to transform the world through food system transformation.

Besides serving as CEO of NR Instant Produce, Mr Dan also wears many different hats as chairman of Nove Foods, chairman of the Path Foundation, executive adviser to Proterra Partners, adviser to Foodshot Global while he is on the environmental sub-committee of Global Compact Network Thailand for the United Nations.

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Here comes the food futurist - Bangkok Post

A recent investigation that resurfaced damning evidence that famed physicist Erwin Schrdinger was a pedophile is continuing to make waves in the academic community.

Schrdinger, widely cited as the father of quantum physics and perhaps best remembered for his 1935 thought experiment Schrdingers Cat, was widely revealed to be a pedophile by The Irish Times after the newspaper published a report detailing his record as a sexual predator and serial abuser.

Its a stomach-churning revelation about a researcher whose work revolutionized the study of the natural world and even led directly to todays international research frenzy into quantum computing and which shows, once again, that even the powerful and brilliant can be monsters.

The Irish Times identified young girls who Schrdinger became infatuated with, including a 14-year-old girl whom the physicist groomed after he became her math tutor.

Schrdinger, who died in 1961, later admitted to impregnating the girl when she was 17 and he was in his mid-forties. Horrifyingly, she then had a botched abortion that left her permanently sterile, according to the newspaper.

Perhaps most diabolically, the physicist kept a record of his abuse in his diaries, even justifying his actions by claiming he had a right to the girls due to his genius.

Walter Moore, author of the biography Schrdinger, Life and Thought published in 1989, said that the physicists attitudes towards women was essentially that of a male supremacist. Disgustingly, the biography seemed to downplay and even romanticize his abusive habits, and describes him as having a Lolita complex.

Schrdinger also attempted a relationship with a different 12-year-old girl, disgustingly writing in his journal that she was among the unrequited loves of his life. However, he decided not to pursue her after a family member voiced their concerns that the physicist was a, you know, unrepentant abusive predator.

In response, a petition has been launched to change the title of a lecture hall at Dublins Trinity University thats named after him.

We can acknowledge the great mark Schrdinger has left on science through our study, and this petition does not wish to diminish the impact his lectures or ideas had on physics, the petition says. However, it seems in bad taste that a modern college such as Trinity would honor this man with an entire building.

Thats true, of course. You can recognize the contributions someone has had in their field while also acknowledging that they were an absolute scumbag.

Buthonoring them by naming a lecture hall or a giant space telescope is completely unnecessary.

READ MORE: How Erwin Schrdinger insulted his Lolita complex in Ireland [The Irish Times]

More on horrible men: James Webb Hated Gay People. Why Are We Naming a Telescope After Him?

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Turns Out Schrdinger, the Father of Quantum Physics, Was a Pedophile - Futurism

Podcaster Joe Rogan is once again in the news for being an anti-science dimwit and even a quick perusal of his past statements shows that this isnt exactly the first time.

This week, hundreds of medical experts signed an open letter condemning Rogan and Spotify, the streaming company that owns exclusive rights to his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, for spreading misinformation on his uber-popular show since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rogan has insisted on inviting problematic guests on his show and spewing his own vile rhetoric long before 2020,the year he inked a deal with Spotify reportedly worth more than $100 million.

Many see Rogan as a well-intentioned psychedelics enthusiast whos simply too invested in the concept of free speech to recognize that many of his guests hold dangerous ideas.

A recently-resurfaced clip of Rogan absolutely losing it on a primatologist, however, throws water on that theory in much the same way scientific facts tend to quash the misguided nonsense he and his guests often spout on the show.

After spending roughly five minutes going off about a now-debunked pseudoscientific theory of the Bondo ape a purported Congolese super-ape that supposedly could walk upright like a human and was hyper-aggressive Rogan took a call from a Floridian primatologist who identified herself only as Allison.

She countered that theres no such thing as a Bondo ape but before she could even finish her sentence, the host was jumping down her throat, calling her a fucking idiot and telling the PhD scientist that she should go online and look it up. No, were not making this up.

Back in reality, of course, the Bondo or Bili ape theory was debunked in the early 2000s when scientists discovered via DNA tests that the species actually belonged to the common chimpanzee. The credibility of the Bondo ape, in other words, lies somewhere between Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster.

To her credit, the primatologist fought valiantly in the face of Rogans childish derision as he repeatedly called her stupid and suggested she was simply behind the times, citing dubious research to back up his claims.

At the end of the segment, after the primatologist was disconnected, Rogan continued to make fun of her, including mocking her for having a vagina a preposterously sexist barb that should give anybody listening to his show pause.

Though its unclear when this clip actually aired, it likely dates back to around the time period when Rogan was gaining popularity with his podcast around ten years ago.

Excusing ridiculous beliefs in the interest of hearing both sides is nothing new but this clip is truly jarring.

READ MORE:Joe Rogans Fans are Shredding Him for Being a Moron About Covid

Literally though:Joe Rogan Explains Anti-Vax Comments: Im Not a Doctor, Im a F*cking Moron

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If You Think Joe Rogan Is Credible, This Bizarre Clip of Him Yelling at a Scientist Will Probably Change Your Mind - Futurism

london-based bellwether industries has revealed footage from the first untethered flight of its volar eVTOL today (january 12th, 2022). described by the company as a new category of flying vehicle, the aircraft has a sleek, aerodynamic form thats more akin to a supercar than other eVTOLs currently in development.

images and video courtesy of bellwether industries

the UK company hasnt yet released the full spec for the first volar prototypenamed antelopebut we do know its designed for private use and features a compact profile for agile intracity travel. we also know that the propulsion system that powers the vertical take-off & landing is hidden underneath the aircrafts sci-fi-esque body. and from the renders, it looks like the eVTOL seats just one passenger.

so far, bellwether industries has showcased its antelope prototype at dubai airshow 2021, the droneX tradeshow in london, and the AIRTAXI world congress, but this new test flight footage gives us a closer glimpse at how the eVTOL will actually fly.

the company says, we believe that people commuting in the sky is inevitable within the next 10 years. therefore, we create a volar for anyone to fly anytime and anywhere to any point. the ultimate goal of bellwether industries is to build a brand new 3-dimensional lifestyle and to lead the world toward a more comprehensive urban mobility.

antelopethe first volar prototypein dubai

the design features a compact profile

the propulsion system is hidden underneath the aircrafts sleek body

the eVTOL is designed for private use

urban air transport is closer than you might expect says bellwether industries

project info:

name: volar

company: bellwether industries

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futuristic 'volar' eVTOL by bellwether takes to the skies in first flight test - Designboom

Smart guns pulled straight from a James Bond movie will soon hit the shelves in the US and its raising the hackles of Second Amendment activists.

Firearms companies LodeStar Works and SmartGunz LLC have unveiled 9mm handguns that can only be fired by verified users, Reuters reports. The companies plan to launch the futuristic guns commercially this year.

Gareth Glaser, cofounder of LodeStar, told Reuters that he wanted to create the weapon after hearing stories of children being shot when playing with guns. In theory, the smart gun could prevent some of these tragic incidents by requiring a user to be authenticated before firing.

After years of research and testing, Glaser said that the microelectronic technology embedded in the guns are finally sophisticated enough for a commercial launch.

We finally feel like were at the point where lets go public, Glaser told Reuters. Were there.

Lodestars smart gun employs a fingerprint reader along with user activation via a phone app and pin pad. It can reportedly unlock the gun with just a fingerprint in a fraction of a second.

Meanwhile, SmartGunz is launching a similar product that they say is currently being beta tested by anonymous law enforcement agencies. It plans to release two models for law enforcement and public use. Both companies hope that the guns can reduce instances of negligent deaths as well as suicides due to unattended guns.

However, not everyone is thrilled. In fact, some gun rights advocates worry that smart guns will usher in a wave of increased government regulation.

For example, a 2019 New Jersey law that requires gun stores to offer smart guns when they become available would kick in. This law replaced a 2002 law that would have banned all gun sales except for smart guns.

The other side tipped their hand because they used smart guns to ban everything thats not a smart gun, Scott Bach, executive director of the Association of New Jersey Rifleand Pistol Clubs, told the news site. It woke gun owners up.

Now, with smart guns scheduled at finally hit shelves, it might result in a wave of increased regulation about what firearms can and cannot be sold.

Theres been a lot of research and hype about smart guns for ages now with very few actual results. However, it seems like it might actually come to fruition this year. Well have to see whether it does become the slippery slope that 2A activists say it could, though.

READ MORE: Exclusive: Smart guns finally arriving in US, seeking to shake up firearms market [Reuters]

More on futuristic guns: A Gun Company Is Now Selling a Handheld Semi-Automatic Railgun

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9mm Handguns That Can Only Be Fired by Owners Hitting Stores in US - Futurism

Cancer mortality rates have dropped precipitously in the past three decades, in a bit of hopeful health news even amidst the global pandemic.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) published its annual report on cancer data on Wednesday, which revealed that overall cancer death rates dropped 32 percent from its peak in 1991 to 2019.

The decline seems to stem primarily from a drop in lung cancer deaths. The report found that people are living longer after their diagnosis from lung cancer because more people are being diagnosed at an early stage of the disease, the organization said in a press release.

Accelerating declines in the cancer death rate show the power of prevention, screening, early diagnosis, treatment, and our overall potential to move closer to a world without cancer, the ACS added.

Another reason behind the decline is undoubtedly due to the drop in smoking in the US. Smoking-related cancer is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the country so it makes sense that the fewer smokers there are, the fewer deaths from cancer there will be.

However, its worth mentioning that the report didnt take into account the impact the COVID-19 pandemic,which has led to many people delaying medical visits,has likely had on cancer diagnosis and deaths. Instead, the projections are based on cases through 2018 and deaths through 2019.

The cancer death rate also varied depending on race and socioeconomic status. For example, Black cancer patients have a lower five-year survival rate than white patients. Women also suffer from the highest cancer mortality rate across all races.

The ACS is quick to remind readers that cancer is still one of the leading causes of death in the US behind heart disease. Regardless, though, the figures are promising.

Im an oncologist, so Im an inveterate optimist, Deb Schrag, chair of the medical department of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, told CNN. But I think the key message for the public is that theres room for optimism across all types of cancer.

The report is a bright spot in an often bleak landscape of health news. And its also a solid reminder of some basic actions all of us can take to better ourselves: get regular checkups with your doctors and please, for the love of God, stop smoking.

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Good News: Cancer Deaths Have Dramatically Fallen in the Past 30 Years - Futurism