Monica Anderson of Syntience Why are so many things that are so easy for humans so difficult for computers ? Computers use models Science use models people don’t So AGI should not Split things into reasoning and understanding Reasoning -conscious, logic based deliberation Understanding – subconscious intuition Conscious reasoning has been overemphasized. People receive 10 …
IEEE Spectrum is selecting technology winners and losers again Spectrum predicted winners* Google’s Chrome operating system * Pixel Qi’s dual-mode screen provides both e-paper readability and full-color video. * Intrinsity’s hot-rodded processor gives cellphones PC smarts.* IBM helps Russian Railways reinvent the railroad’s data infrastructure. * NanoGaN’s gallium nitride substrates will help manufacturers make better …
Ultradense Deuterium (21 page pdf) by Winterberg An attempt is made to explain the recently reported occurrence of ultradense deuterium as an isothermal transition of Rydberg matter into a high density phase by quantum mechanical exchange forces. It is conjectured that the transition is made possible by the formation of vortices in a Cooper pair …
Robin Hanson at Overcoming Bias looked at nuclear winter again. Robin looks at the Scientific American article that attempts to make the case that a regional nuclear war in India and Pakistan would be sufficient to trigger a nuclear winter. UPDATE : Nextbigfuture has an updated article describing why the nuclear winter theory is wrong. …
Some comments on Vasimr by Paul March on the Nasa Forum Vasimr has different quoted exhaust velocity ranges for different propellants – * argon has a limit of around 50,000 m/s * 300,000 m/s is possible with hydrogen. The 39 day mission to Mars using VASIMR propulsion takes 200 Megawatts total input power driving 4-to-8 …
Here is an interview with Peter Voss by Sander Olson. Mr. Voss is an artificial general intelligence researcher who is confident that AGI can be created within the next decade given sufficient funding. He has created a company, called Adaptive AI, Inc., which produces call-center software but which has the express purpose of developing and …
Helion Energy Researchers proposing two intermediate systems that last one could be useful for fusion/fission hybrid on the way to full fusion energy Development of a High Fluence Fusion Neutron Source and Component Test Facility Based on the Magneto-kinetic Compression of FRCs by John Slough who is working on developing a Fusion Reactor This was …
Superconducting magnets have been built with 33.8 Tesla fields and 45-70 Tesla superconducting magnets appear likely to be developed over the next two years. Magnets at 60 Tesla field strength will enable testing of gravitational field propulsion. The so-called “hyperdrive” concept won the 2005 American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics award for the best nuclear …
There will Definitely Be a Lot of CO2 Generated for Energy Production for Decades There will be plenty of natural gas and coal for many decades to centuries. Unconventional natural gas and underground coal gasification are likely to provide affordable fossil fuel for a long time. The THAI (Toe Heel Air Injection) oil recovery process …
Superpower Inc a subsidiary of Philips talked about a potential 70 Tesla Superconducting magnet based on REBCO. they built a 26.5 Tesla magnet but the REBCO has 70 Tesla critical field. (17 page pdf) Aug 2009 Superpower presentation indicates a 33.8 Tesla superconducting magnet was created and 35 Tesla is “within their grasp” REBCO: melt-processed …
Physicists Lev Levitin and Tommaso Toffoli at Boston University in Massachusetts, have calculated a quantum speed limit on computing. In a paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, Levitin and Toffoli present an equation for the minimum sliver of time it takes for an elementary quantum operation to occur. This establishes the speed limit …