Jeff Stibel's Blog, page 8
June 21, 2013
Tech Can Make Immortality a Reality
Who comes to mind when you think of farming? Most likely you thought of humans, but did you know that humans were actually the 4th species to discover farming. Humans figured it out after some of the smaller creatures discovered it tens of thousands of years ago. And little did you know the first to discover farming was the ant! Check out what they grew and what other creepy crawlers farmed before humans.
Did you know that farming began about ten thousand years ago? Actually, before humans, there were other species that deliberately grew their own food. Learn more on this Moment of Science.
Tech Can Make Immortality a Reality, Says Head Google Engineer
Google engineers predict that somewhere in the next 10 to 20 years, science will experience huge growth. Within the next 15 years science will hit a breakpoint with the amount of time they add onto a persons life because of such substantial growth. See what Ray Kurzweil, Head Google Engineer, has to say about the scientific progress and see how immortality may in fact become some sort of a reality.
Rapidly evolving technology is making immortality more realistic, Google’s engineering director told the Global Future 2045 World Conference.
It’s Not All Miss Utah’s Fault That Her Response Was So Ridiculous – Some of it is Biology
Can you really believe that biology could cause such a silly response in the Miss USA pageant? Well you should. Scientists point out that when under pressure, stress can cause your brain to enter into “fight or flight” mode at the worst possible times. So maybe it’s not fully Miss Utah’s fault she came up with such an unlucky answer, blame the brain.
I caught just enough of the Miss USA pageant this weekend to be weirded out by Nick Jonas and Mo Rocca existing in the same space, but not enough to see the unfortunate answer that Miss Utah …
Here are your top 20 U.S. cities for venture capital investment
Starting up a new small business and in need of venture capital? Well here is your very own list of top cities that rank the highest with venture capital investment. Check it out, maybe some of the cities will pleasantly surprise you.
San Francisco and San Jose, sure. Boston, New York and Austin? Certainly. But technology startups shouldn’t ignore Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Atlanta.
Using crowdsourcing technology to change the way we save lives
Crowd sourcing technology is the new innovative way of helping people get through disasters. By using texts, maps, and live-feed donor lists, people and cities will be even more prepared for disasters, thanks to crowd sourcing.
One scroll through your Facebook or Twitter news feed and you’d think the world was going crazy. People share their addresses, their heated political commentaries, and strange pictures of cats [...]
Lumosity launches new web-based data methodology for conducting human cognitive performance research
Lumosity has just announced the starting of the Human Cognition Project! A new web-based data methodology for running cognitive performance research. By doing this on the web, researchers gain speed, scale, efficiency and more range of topics in studying human cognition. Check out what the project entails and what scientists hope to gain from it…
Lumosity, the leading brain training company, today announced a new web-based, big data methodology for conducting human cognitive performance research. Lumosity’s research platform, the Human …
Scientists use new ‘computational cell biology’ to kill cancer cells by making them sick
Scientists from Ottawa, Ontario are beating cancer by engineering viruses to contaminate and kill cancer cells. By using mathematical models these scientists are finding ways to kill cancerous cells without harming normal cells and eventually could be the next great way to cure cancer.
From The Raw Story 16 June 2013 – Scientists use new ‘computational cell biology’ to kill cancer cells by making them sick. One doesn’t often think of cancer cells themselves being vulnerable to …
Technology makes Europe accessible
There is no sense in denying that travel has changed with technology. Rick Steves reminisces on his backpacking through Europe days and talks about how technology has changed the backpacking experience. It helps with budgeting, communication and so much more. Check out the different ways technology has changed the way you travel.
Internet is a quick and easy way to find economic options for overseas trip
What is Responsive Web Design?
A web design that can tell whether the customer is on a smart phone, computer or tablet is a responsive web design. There are multiple compelling reasons why small businesses should format their websites with a responsive web designs, one of which is the fact that it’s cost effective. Check out more reasons and how to make the switch in this article.
Websites built with responsive Web design can better serve customers by adapting to different screens on different devices.
Small dam construction to reduce greenhouse emissions is causing ecosystem disruption
Small dams help the environment, but they also hurt it. See how a small dam construction that helps reduce greenhouse emissions, also hurts the ecosystems surrounding it. Researchers point out that with main dams more people pay attention to ecosystems and take care of them, however with smaller dams, like this, less people notice the harm it brings to the biodiversity and the ecosystem.
Researchers conclude in a new report that a global push for small hydropower projects, supported by various nations and also the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, may cause unanticipated and potentially significant losses of habitat and biodiversity.
June 18, 2013
Hold Your IQ Close as Computers Transcend Human Knowledge
Last year, Google completed what was then the world’s largest neural network, advancing technology so far as to give computers human capabilities: The robots they created were able to recognize cats in YouTube videos (a slight slap in the face to our intelligence? I do love my cat videos though…).
But today, Stanford announced the completion of a neural network 6.5 times the size of Google’s impressive network. I’m no neuroscientist, but even I know 11 billion neural connections is a huge advancement. Though robots are still quite a ways from approaching the amount of neural connections in a our brains, their intelligence is increasing rapidly.
For those of us who can’t quite grasp the implications of neural networks, this powerful video of 17-year old Google Science fair winner Brittany Wenger, who created a neural network in her bedroom by watching YouTube videos, is a perfect example. Her completed network, Cloud4Cancer, detects the severity of breast cancer with a success rate of 99.11 percent:
[CC photo by epsos.de]
Control a Cockroach’s Brain
Trying to teach kids about neuroscience and neurotechnology? What better way to engage a class then by taking over a cockroach’s brain! The RoboRoach allows a class to perform brain surgery on a cockroach and after the brief surgery, they can control its every move through bluetooth on a smartphone. Definitely a thrilling, new way to excite students about science.
For $100 — and a little bit of surgery — the RoboRoach can control a cockroach’s brain patterns to make it move via smartphone app. It’s aimed at helping kids understand neuroscience and neurotechnology in a more hands-on way.
‘Tawny crazy ants’ invade Fla. by millions
We all know how irritating ants can be, but nothing tops the infuriation of technology killing, livestock attacking ants. Now spread in over 20 counties in Florida and extending into Texas, millions of “Twany Crazy Ants” are slowly, but surely spreading around the States.
Insects called “Tawny Crazy Ants” have invaded 20 Florida counties by the millions.
Researchers said these ants can reach densities 100 times greater than all other ants in the area combined.
Wow, A Lot Of Stuff Just Happened In SEO
SEO news skyrocketed in the past week. Between Apple, Google, Yelp, and Facebook all incorporating new products and features, companies are demonstrating how fast search engines are growing. Take a further look to see exactly what happened in the past week with SEO…
It’s been a pretty big week for search and SEO news. There have been a lot of announcements, not only from Google, but from Google competitors. Let’s recap, and discuss in the comments. Which of the latest announcements do you
Wearable technology: This time it’s a $2,000 helmet
Wouldn’t it be handy for a motorcyclist with no sense of direction to safely navigate while riding? Well LiveMap, a Russian startup, created a helmet that will do just that. Using augmented-reality LiveMap devised a way for cyclists to navigate with ease through their very own helmet.
Russian startup LiveMap is working on a state-of-art motorbike helmet with a built-in navigation system that can take voice commands.
Google Fiber Helped a Sick Boy Throw a Baseball Pitch with Robots
Nick LeGrande is a 14 year old who loves baseball. But unlike most 14 year olds he suffers from a life-threatening blood disease called Aplastic Anemia, which makes it impossible for him to go to his favorite sports games. After Nick was diagnosed, Google Fiber went to Kansas City looking for ways high speed internet could impact peoples lives. They connected with Nick and found a way for him to participate in a baseball game 1,800 miles away. Check out how Google Fiber helped Nick LeGrande throw out the first ever telerobotic pitch at the Oakland A’s v New York Yankee’s game all the way from Kansas City.
When you combine Google Fiber, a robot and a boy 1,800 miles away from a baseball game, you already know it’s going to be a good story. Like most boys, Nick LeGrande wanted to play ball when he …
Mozilla launches Science Lab to help researchers transform scientific practice through the open Web
Mozilla draws attention to the fact that scientists created the web. They also draw attention to the fact that science researchers have yet to fully use the web in order benefit the science community and furthermore, society. Mozilla’s Science Lab hopes to bring scientists together by starting a dialogue about ongoing projects that may better society. Check out what Mozilla’s hopes are for this project and their plan to make this website a successful one.
Mozilla today announced the Mozilla Science Lab, a new initiative to help researchers around the world use the open Web to shape science’s future, taking it out of the analog… Keep reading
Restaurant Industry Embraces Apps and Mobile Technology to Enhance Customer Service and Operational Efficiency
With the Age of Apps upon us, it’s not surprising that companies have begun creating apps to simplify the functionality of restaurants. Restaurants now have the option to download apps that help with seating, management, serving, and more. This innovation will most definitely serve as a victory for both the restaurant and the customer.
Restaurants Using Apps, Like the New Suite from HME Wireless, to Enhance Customer Service (PRWeb June 14, 2013)
Nuclear bomb tests reveal brain regeneration in humans
Nuclear bomb tests throughout the cold war prove beneficial to science. Scientists found that throughout adulthood a specific set of genes called dentate gyrus recreate themselves, staying forever youthful. Check out more about the idea of brain regeneration in News Scientist….
Carbon dating brain cells provides conclusive evidence that part of the adult human brain constantly renews itself – and that this neurogenesis persists in old age.
Google Glass Gets A Teardown, Revealing It Can Be Hacked To Prescription Glasses
The Google Glass has been broken down to see exactly how it pieces together, and may have some people wanting it more. See some of the key features of Google Glass and what it takes to make up this brand new product…
Google Glass isn’t in the hands of consumers yet, but a pair of intrepid Glass explorers didn’t let that stop them from taking the thing apart to see what makes it tick. This teardown is also …
Most Insurance Agencies Say Technology Helped Fiscal Growth: Survey
Insurance agencies are linking their use of technology to their bump in revenues. An astounding 92% of the medium sized firms grew in 2012. However are insurance companies also linking their successes to mobile technology or are they finding it to be a hinderance?
The majority of insurance agencies (77 percent) directly attribute their fiscal growth during 2012-2013 to the use of technology, according to a new industry survey. The survey, conducted by …
June 17, 2013
Welcome to The Even-More-Modern Era
Remote controls? Traffic? So yesterday.The Modern Era is becoming even more modern.
We published a post last week about new, unimaginable technology that allows you to control a robot with your brain–a technology with widespread implications in neuroscience, medical, and technology fields alike. The need for a remote control, let alone the ability to control one, is becoming more and more old fashioned.
And today the world announces its first flying bicycle. Researchers from three Czech firms teamed together to invent the first flying bike, taking flight yesterday for nearly five minutes. With current technology, the batteries of these bikes only last a few minutes but imagine the implications these bikes could have as battery life extends.
Will traffic, a commuter’s worst enemy, finally be defeated? Is traffic soon to be a battle of the past?
[CC Mike Rubbo]
June 13, 2013
Yoga Is Going To Save Your Brain
Each of our brains are unique due to a multitude of different experiences we undergo. And although we understand parts of the brain there is so much that we cannot even begin to fathom of how it works and what is in it. The black box contains information that we wouldn’t even know about ourselves individually and it’s something we may never understand. Scientists cannot even begin to comprehend how the brain fully functions and yearn for a theory on how it all works. President Obama has initiated BRAIN, a research effort to fully understand how a healthy brain works and functions over an organisms life.
The human brain is the most complex biological structure on Earth. It has about 100 billion neurons-each of which has thousands of connections to other neurons.
Boddie Smartwatch: Polish start-up Rearden Technology launches a social media solution via crowd-funding site Indiegogo
Can’t seem to be away from your smart phones for an extended period of time? The Polish start-up, Rearden Technology, launched a crowd-funding campaign via Indiegogo to fund the production of the Boddie Smartwatch. This innovative invention allows you to stay connected without your phones using gesture technology and this wearable technology even allows you to locate your stolen/lost mobile devices. The future is here.
As we continue to grow more and more attached to technology, the weight of social relationships and ever-connectedness builds with it. While we all seem to subconsciously know the downside of this lopsided relationship, few of us do anything to address it. But…
Getting A College Degree Or Self-Learning?
Is it really important to have a college degree when entering the tech world? Some believe that in order to get a good job degrees aren’t important anymore, but that’s not completely true. Depending on what you plan on doing shows if you need a degree or not. Although degree’s don’t assure success, they can act as a very helpful tool when getting started or applying for jobs.
Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates are some of the biggest names in the tech industry and they were also dropouts. Using them as examples, it’s been going around on the Internet that you can still make it big and earn billions even if you don’t have a college … Continue reading “
Dad’s life stress exposure can affect offspring brain development
Are you a stressed out father or father-to-be? You may forget about all the stresses you have experienced in your lifetime, but your sperm certainly will not. According to new research conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, a father’s exposure to life stresses may pass stress-related mental disorders from father to child.
Stress felt by dad — whether as a preadolescent or adult — leaves a lasting impression on his sperm that gives sons and daughters a blunted reaction to stress, according to a new preclinical …
What your brain won’t let you see
At some point we all make fun of someone for being selective hearing or thinking. Ulric Neisser experimented with that idea. He proved that as humans our brains are extremely selective with what we see and think. Hundreds of studies have now proved that we tend to over look things that are right in front of us.
New research reaffirms our minds are riddled with unconscious biases and stereotypes
Hands-free technology causing driver ‘inattention blindness’
People are surprisingly blind to the things in the periphery of their vision even if that “thing” is so clear and obvious. In a famous study by Simons and Chabris (1999), they found that people are only able to perceive things that they consciously focus their attention on can only notice an unexpected object when it is similar to the object that they are attending and depending on how difficult it is to monitor the visual field. This phenomenon is called “inattention blindness.” It is clear how this phenomenon can affect our driving abilities, but new research suggests that these hand-free devices which are supposed to be making driving safer may actually have a counterproductive effect.
Voice control and voice interaction with gadgets is particularly distracting.
5 Types of Social Media Content Your Audience Really Wants
Social Media and branding has moved from a one-sided information sharing system to a complete interactive phenomenon and consumers are loving it. With the attention absorbing social media content it is imperative that brands make sure that their information is exciting and valuable to consumers, otherwise the attention will dissolve allowing consumers to move onto something else. But no need to worry, capturing consumers attention can be simple just by adding a few features into your social media content.
There’s no single reason we follow brands, but it’s certainly rooted in the idea that we as consumers, supporters and fans want to have a deeper relationship with them. But just because a fan wants to follow your brand doesn’t mean you’re entitled to provide them with any content you wish.
Dunkin’ Donuts flap proves the power of social media and a cool head
There are always an abundance of examples of how not to use social media. Dunkin’ Donuts provides a spectacular example of how social media can help avoid corporate blunders when dealing with disgruntled customers.
Picture this: You own a small retail shop. An angry woman comes into your store and begins complaining-loudly and profanely-about bad service she says she received the prior day.
#FML Facebook Introduces Hashtags
#MoreHashtags. The hashtag obsession has now moved into one of the only sources of social media left that did not contain clickable hashtags. Facebook has added the clickable hashtags into the mix in order to boost searches and conversations around the Facebook domain.
There’s no #stopping hashtags. Facebook is confirming it will officially support the maddeningly ubiquitous categorization tool starting today, allowing users to #hashtag posts and making those hashtags #clickable. Clicking a hashtag will bring up a list of posts from friends …
How Your Brain Perceives Time (And How to Use it to Your Advantage)
By understanding how your brain views time, you can easily get the edge on those difficult or time consuming projects. By mastering why things take longer than planned, how to increase or decrease the urgency of projects, why it’s okay to move quickly and make mistakes, and how to change the value of time you can fully take advantage of your time, simply by knowing the brains ways of looking at time.
We might not be able to create more time when we need it most-like when a deadline is approaching-but we can use the understanding of how we perceive time to our advantage. Why Things Always Take …
What Instagram Taught A Photographer About Life
The social media app Instagram has drastically increased its popularity since it was introduced to the world. This rapid increase in users and exposure was only heightened with the Facebook’s billion dollar acquisition of Instagram. See what the photo sharing and filter app has taught a photographer about life.
Dirk Dallas, a graphic designer currently residing in southern California, downloaded the photo-sharing and -filtering app Instagram the day it came out on October 6, 2010. “It didn’t make sense …
Amazon Creates A 3D Printing Store, Vaulting The Technology Into The Mainstream
Amazon just opened a 3D printing store. What is 3D printing? What exactly does this mean? What are the implications that such store will have on the industry? Answers here!
If you thought you and your RepRap were safe from posers, you’re sunk: Amazon has just opened a store for 3D printers and printer accessories that seems to, at the very least, allow smaller manufacturers to get a foothold in an increasingly tight market.
Yoga Is Going To Save Your Brain
Ever thought Yoga could improve your test scores and increase your brain function? Well it’s true! After a study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, it proves that doing yoga will boost your scores.
Do you vaguely dislike yoga. Well, that’s too bad, because it’s either that or fail every test you’re ever exposed to, because yoga is going to save your brain.
Facebook Hashtags Allow 1.1 Billion Users to Communicate Further
With hashtags becoming all the craze with both consumers and advertisers, it was hard for facebook not to add in the option of searchable hashtags. In order to keep up with other social media services such as instagram and twitter, Facebook had to do something to stay competitive with the other sites.
Facebook Hashtags Allow 1.1 Billion Users to Communicate Further
Facebook, as announced on Wednesday, will soon be mimicking Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest’s hashtag – but only better …
LOOK: Facebook Reunites Mother And Son After 22 Years
Facebook becomes a hero by bringing together a mother and son after 22 years. Mother, Cherie Alvis, used Facebook to post a photo explaining how she was trying to find her son she put up for adoption 22 years ago. 4 days later her son wrote on her timeline, “Here I am, Mom”. By using technology to her advantage Cherie has found her son, an option that would not have even been available to anyone even 10 years ago.
On June 3, Cherie Alvis posted pictures to Facebook of her infant son — a baby she’d given up for adoption 22 years ago. The…
Communication: from early man’s grunts to languages and Facebook, Twitter and Smartphones!
Sigmund Freud had it right when he said, “The first human who hurled an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization.”
Currently the internet attempts to make sense of 8,512 computer languages, dozens of HTML-based web languages, and nearly 6,500 active spoken human languages.
Communication originates from the brain. We communicate within our minds using electricity electrical neuronal spikes. This is the starting point of any forms of communication. We know what it sounds like: neuronal spikes sound like static crackling. This is the fundamental building block of language. If we can take this and map it to the fundamental building block for how the internet and computers communicate, we’d have the foundations to make translations at the root level of thought. Computers and transistors communicate using the same electrical currents that neurons do.
Language tends to form before the breakpoint and this is a primary reason why so many companies are rushing to hire linguists: they see the opportunity but they also know it may slip away.
Here’s a really cool article and infographic that traces communication right from 6000 B.C -early drum beats, the postal system, telephones to communication as we know it today:
Will the internet become conscious?
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20121...
The internet is a new life form that shows the first signs of intelligence. So says brain scientist and serial entrepreneur Jeff Stibel.
He argues that the physical wiring of the internet is much like a rudimentary brain and some of the actions and interactions that take place on it are similar to the processes that we see in the brain.
At the same time, he says, it is forcing us as humans to interact and think in new and different ways.
But, he tells BBC Future, this is just the beginning. The internet is only going to become more and more intelligent, changing humans and society in ways which we are not yet able to understand.
