future science » the constant skeptic

17th May 2008

Rocket Man a Reality - Be Skeptical No More of Humans Flying

I know it may sound like science fiction, but humans are flying, and once this comes to walmart, blue-collar types can strap on their jetpack and take off to the skies. They will probably be able to even exchange their rocket fuel tanks just like we all exchange our propane tanks for gas grills right now.

So who and what is the harbinger of this brave new world?

Yves ‘Fusionman’ Rossy.
He flies with only a wing at jet propelled speeds over the backdrop of the Swiss alps.

Here is a lengthy (9:00 minutes) video of him being dropped out of a plane and set free to cruise the skies over the alps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dST-a5IU_h4

Details of rocket boots:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fLOgMQon7c

I want one. Period. Look for it at a Walmart / Target / Shopping Center near you in five years time. Be prepared to sign a lengthy liability agreement as well as taking a lengthy training course to make you certified in rocket powered human flight. So on your drivers license you will have a little rocket sticker embedded to show you are certified.

Ready to take flight?

(see jet-man.com , it is in French, sorry)

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posted in future science, techno-stuff, video footage, world view |

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16th April 2008

Skeptical of the “superfast internet” that is allegedly coming

Did you hear about this?

Jonathan Leake, the Science Editor for the Times Online (a great online news source by the way) penned an article titled “coming soon, superfast internet“. The article can be summed up in the first stanza:

THE internet could soon be made obsolete. The scientists who pioneered it have now built a lightning-fast replacement capable of downloading entire feature films within seconds.

Hmm. Sounds delicious and enticing, much like a Whopper Meal at Burger King, or those damn Sonic ads that run here in Maryland, even though there are no Sonics in Maryland.

Much like the lack of Sonics in Maryland, I doubt that this newfangled superfast internet will show up any time soon. Some users commenting on another syndicated source of this article (Neowin.net’s article) tend to agree with my skepticism as well.

Either way, this new internet is going to be called THE GRID, and it has been developed at CERN, which makes total sense if you know the true history of the internet (as opposed to Al Gore’s statements about the internet). I say let’s just go ahead and call it THE MATRIX and get it over with. Now all we have to do is find Morpheus stationed within CERN to figure out how to break out of our alien human feeding bags and unplug the back of our skulls from this messy VR we call EARTH.

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31st March 2008

Weaponizing Cyborg Insects

Cyborg insects

The future will be covered in spy insects that can monitor, kill, and cure all in as fast as it takes to buzz across the room. Or at least that is what the Pentagon would have you think. According to a great post by Intelligence Daily,

Right now, researchers are already growing insects with electronics inside them. They’re creating cyborg moths and flying beetles that can be remotely controlled. One day, the U.S. military may field squadrons of winged insect/machine hybrids with on-board audio, video or chemical sensors. These cyborg insects could conduct surveillance and reconnaissance missions on distant battlefields, in far-off caves, or maybe even in cities closer to home, and transmit detailed data back to their handlers at U.S. military bases.

Sounds scary? You might as well get used to it because it is only going to get weirder from here.

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posted in future science, modern madness |

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21st March 2008

I want free wifi

Marketers agree, the consumer will be king in the 21st century. Thus, the consumer should get what he/she/it wants.

So, I want free wifi. So give it to me already. I have free wifi where I am at now. But that is not the point.

According to OpenWifiSpot.com:

“There are 24,647 free WiFi hotspots in the US (120 new hotspots added in the last 7 days)”

I wonder how long it will take for all the major fast food and drink chains to offer free wifi. Some of the heavy hitters that do offer wifi already are:

McDonalds

Caribou Coffee

Panera Bread

I am predicting that Chipotle will join the ranks soon, as well as Noodles & Company.

I know you probably could care less, but it is important for me to be able to go out of my house and my wifi network and then proceed to eat, drink, and browse the internet on someone else’s wifi network. I guess I could always walk down the street with my little wifi finder in hand and hope for a signal.

I read promising news from Intel today via ZDnet about their breakthrough in wifi technology to be able to extend the range between routers to up to sixty miles or one hundred kilometers for you other than US types.

BTW, Some great tools to find wifi spots near you:

JiWire: http://www.jiwire.com/

WifiFinder: http://www.wififinder.com/

Someday in the near future, you will be able to connect to the internet anywhere via your brain augmentation device. For now, I guess we will have to settle with a 2.5g EDGE network IPHONE sans Adobe Flash.

Technorati Tags: flash,iphone,jiwire,wififinder,find wifi,wifi finder,panera,caribou,mcdonalds,adobe flash,intel,sixty miles

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13th March 2008

Video of the Day, First Voiceless Phone Call

this is definitely filed under wtf!

I am skeptical that it was his live transmission, all of it could have been pre-recorded as a canned demo to wow the crowd.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyN4ViZ21N0

Here is the company behind this emerging technology: Ambient

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20th February 2008

Laser Harp Video - I Want That!

original youtube link

what do you think? apparently the lasers can be dangerous.. one user likened it to fire eating.

Tags: laserharp, video, neat, musical, instrument, electronics

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26th January 2008

RFID Powder, the MU-CHIP - so small it can be attached to anything to track anything

Hitachi has recently developed the tiniest RFID chip yet…

This chip is the harbinger of a brave new era where almost anything can be discreetly tagged and read by a scanner that it only has to be near to read. I say in five years there will be no need for cashiers…. you account will simply be charged on the way out of the store via scanners in the door ways.

Here is a pretty crappy video about the new smallness of these chips:

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

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