There was a very exciting announcement recently that synthetic life had been created in a laboratory through the wonderful applications of scientific advancement. Rather than my usual commentary on the ethics of this situation, I thought I would try something different and provide a spiritual parable of sorts about synthetic life. I hope that you enjoy it.
What do we want to be?
Category Archives: Science & Environment
Site of the Week: Big Think
First of all, let me apologise for the small delay in posting – I’ve been rather ill recently and that has reflected in my ability to think too clearly or sit in front of a computer screen for too long! As such, today I wanted to bring back something I did here on Future Conscience for a little while: which is the introduce a new Site of the Week. This week – Big Think.
Radio Free Albemuth: Into the Mind of Philip K Dick
You could call Philip K Dick one of the main reasons why this blog even exists; not only because he is my most beloved author, but also due to the fact that his thoughts about technology and social progress were so ahead of their time that the level of foreshadowing they present is just remarkable. Tonight I was granted the wonderful opportunity to see a ’sneak preview’ screening of the most recent adaptation of a Philip K Dick novel, Radio Free Albemuth, at the Sci-Fi London film festival.
Future Conscience: Taking a slightly different direction
It’s always interesting looking back at work that you have done, trying to gauge whether or not it should be considered successful or worth continuing with. Recently I’ve been going through this process with Future Conscience, wondering just how it will continue into the future and whether or not any changes should be made to the writing style and content.
Should homeopathic treatments be state funded?
There’s been some recent controversy in the UK these past couple of days over whether or not homeopathic treatments should be eligible for payment through the National Health Service (NHS). As it currently stands, the government does acknowledge that there is no evidence backing the validity of such treatments; however at the same time allowing for them to be paid for through the state-backed NHS system.
500 followers! A thank you and an update
Well, the Future Conscience Twitter stream has just passed 500 followers today so I wanted to take a moment to say thanks to those who are following us and give you a brief update as to the direction that Future Conscience will be taking over the coming months.
Nanotechnology Education Act put to U.S. Congress
An interesting news update courtesy of Nanowerk News – House representative David Wu has introduced a Nanotechnology Education Act to US Congress that seeks to encourage U.S. students into the field of nanotechnology research and engineering.
Aircruise: the future of luxury travel?
London-based design group Seymourpowell, in conjunction with Samsung Construction and Trading (C&T), have released some very interesting and original design plans for the ‘Aircruise’ project – a new mode of transportation which is essentially a floating apartment block. The designs are causing some interesting reactions, and certainly gaining the kind of press that they were seeking, if only because the concept is a highly original one when we consider our current modes of transportation.
Shell and Cosan form new $7bn biofuel venture
Multinational petroleum company Royal Dutch Shell, has just signed a new agreement with Brazilian company Cosan – promising $2bn of the petroleum giant’s cash to merge with $5bn worth of assets already in place.
Robot maids and the human-tech future?
As with most things of a robotic nature, it seems that Japan and Korea are the places to watch for any significant advancements – particularly when concerned with consumer products. The latest announcement coming out of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology continues this trend with their latest demo of a pair of domestic robots that are capable of autonomous movement and activity within the household.
