2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal

Ray Kurzweil, a successful inventor and highly progressive thinker, believes that we are nearing a point where computers will be much more intelligent than humans. During this shift, Kurzweil also says that machines will be so smart, they will be able to learn on their own and fix their own problems. He calls this: Singularity.

Does anyone remember at the football game against Nebraska when the brand new big screens weren't working? Well, it took the athletic department well into the second half of the game to get them working like they're supposed to. Kurzweil thinks that in the near future, these monitors will know that there is a problem and fix it on its own. It will be like a doctor, diagnosing the issue, and a repairman, replacing it to normal functionality.

His ideas are pretty amazing and surely revolutionary, but I can definitely imagine a day when the things he says are true.

Click here to read more about singularity: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2048299,00.html

And here to watch a video: http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,784887564001_2048332,00.html

Superhero Pop Culture

I saw this online and just thought, man superheroes are everywhere. It also is the most gender specific representation of superheroes I have seen in a long time. Enjoy gender norms!

Unusual jetpack enables pilots to swim and leap like a dolphin

French jet-ski racer Franky Zapata has invented a water-jet propulsion device that enables pilots to zoom through the water in a manner similar, in appearance, to the way dolphins swim and leap. Zapata says the "Flyboards" are easy to use, but it looks as though the learning curve might be painful. (They're definitely cool to watch with an expert at the helm: see the ITN News video report below.) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=h-7RlL3YtiQ

Zapata, who has been referred to as "Dolphinman," "Aquaman" and "Jetman," recently posted on the Zapata Racing website a French-language promotional video of the Flyboards, which sell for about $6,500. They are connected via a long hose to a personal watercraft with an engine of 100 horsepower or greater, and controlled with hand-held throttles.

Meanwhile, video footage has been very popular on the Internet and bloggers have been having fun with the story. Reads the caption beneath an image of an airborne Zapata, on a CNET report: "Bonus points if you can catch a fish with your mouth."

The future of instruments?

This may cause you to laugh, cry, or both. It may also serve as a cruel form of torture for nervous pets.

Happy Holidays everyone.

Dark Knight Rises & Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Starting today, certain IMAX theaters that are showing Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol will also be showing the prologue of Dark Knight Rises during the previews. Moviegoers will get a glimpse of Bane, who is shaping up to be a daunting and exciting villain in this newest installment.

For those of you who are looking to see this in theaters, the closest one is the Henry Ford IMAX in Detroit.

Click here for additional information.

Doctor's and Technology

After hearing one of the presentations on Tuesday talk about society becoming more like cyborgs with the development of prosthetics, pacemakers, and other technology in humans, I came across an interesting article from the New York Times. It talks about the how the medical field invested in computers, tablets, and other devices to provide instant access to information and monitoring to provide better care for patients. Now, some say that the overwhelming amount of gadgets pose a threat of being a big distraction for doctor's and preventing them from paying proper attention to their patients. It's pretty interesting and relates to society becoming more and more reliant on technology. Here's the link if you'd like to read more about it.

The Avengers

I just watched the trailer for the upcoming film The Avengers, and I could not be more excited.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zatgnqdIefs

They even have Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, in which this is an All-Star cast with amazing superheroes and cyborgs.  My favorite part is Tony Stark saying "Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist" in response to what he is without his suit, which shows how well Robert Downey Jr. IS Iron Man.  He fits the characteristics and personality so well, I could not see anyone else as an actor portraying Iron Man other than Robert Downey Jr.