References on Ryan Kelln

The New American Aristocracy

Sun, 22 Jul 2018 15:20:47 -0400

One of the best recent articles on the new economic classes developing in the Us and other Western countries to a lesser degree.

“In The Great Leveler, the historian Walter Scheidel makes a disturbingly good case that inequality has reliably ended only in catastrophic violence: wars, revolutions, the collapse of states, or plagues and other disasters… The defining challenge of our time is to renew the promise of American democracy by reversing the calcifying effects of accelerating inequality… We should be fighting for opportunities for other people’s children as if the future of our own children depended on it.”

What Is Ethereum

Sun, 22 Jul 2018 14:56:49 -0400

A good summary of Ethereum. Assumes some familiarity with cryptocurrencies, but goes over all the aspects without going into too much detail.

Brain Controlled Bionic Legs Are Here

Sat, 20 Jan 2018 15:30:42 -0500

Now, at age 48, Olafsson can move his right ankle by thinking about it. When the electrical impulse from his brain reaches the base of his leg, a pair of sensors embedded in his muscle tissue connect the neural dots, and wirelessly transmit that signal to the Proprio Foot. Since the command reaches the foot before the wearer’s residual muscles actually contract, there’s no unnatural lag between intention and action.

Unfit for the Future: The Urgent Need for Moral Bioenhancement

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 22:08:23 -0500

Why we need a secular moral education for our children to survive the accelerating technological and societal change. We need to fund the systematic study of human moral limitations and find ways of living with ourselves or changing ourselves.

A Brief History of Intellectual Discussion of Accelerating Change

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 10:55:40 -0500

A history of the ideas of progress and accelerating change.

How to Build a Self-Conscious AI Machine

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 20:35:19 -0500

Long, but well written article on the development and future of self-aware machines.

We're building a dystopia just to make people click on ads

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 20:03:18 -0500

Inspiring and terrifying TED talk by Zeynep Tufekci about the crisis of building AI to maximize profit from advertising.

3D Printer for Small Molecules Opens Access to Customized Chemistry

Tue, 28 Nov 2017 10:30:06 -0500

HHMI scientists have designed a revolutionary “3D printer” for small molecules that could open the power of customized chemistry to many.

Harvard and MIT scientists have built robot muscles that can lift 1,000 times their own weight

Mon, 27 Nov 2017 22:37:56 -0500

Origami inspired vacuum-based muscles that are cheap to make (out of a compressible skeleton of metal or plastic and air or fluid encased in a flexible skin) and capable of lifting 1000x their own weight.

Inside the Weird World of 3D Printed Body Parts

Sat, 04 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Developing the technology for a “bioprinting” industry where printers lay down layers of living cells.

First All Digital Radio Transmitter

Fri, 03 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Technology innovation firm Cambridge Consultants has successfully completed initial trials of the world’s first fully digital radio transmitter – a turning point in wireless design and a real enabler for the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) and 5G technology. It’s a radio built purely from computing power.

It May Not Feel Like Anything to Be an Alien

Mon, 16 Jan 2017 10:14:18 -0500

Humans may have one thing that advanced aliens don’t: consciousness. Super intelligence may only be ethical without consciousness and may not need it.

Other references 2013-2015

Thu, 31 Dec 2015 10:05:54 -0500

Interesting links and articles I read but didn’t make specific posts about.

Other references 2014-2015

Thu, 31 Dec 2015 10:05:54 -0500

Interesting links and articles I read but didn’t make specific posts about.

AI Anxiety

Sun, 27 Dec 2015 21:10:08 -0500

Big-name scientists worry that runaway artificial intelligence could pose a threat to humanity. Beyond the speculation is a simple question: Are we fully in control of our technology?

A Tricky Path to Quantum-Safe Encryption

Mon, 21 Sep 2015 15:50:08 -0500

It is now clear that current Internet security measures and the cryptography behind them will not withstand the new computational capabilities that quantum computers will bring.

What Searchable Speech Will Do to You

Mon, 21 Sep 2015 14:55:15 -0500

We are going to start recording and automatically transcribing most of what we say. Instead of evaporating into memory, words spoken aloud will calcify as text, into a Record that will be referenced, searched, and mined. It will happen by our standard combination of willing and allowing. It will happen because it can.

New ‘deep learning’ technique enables robot mastery of skills via trial and error

Thu, 21 May 2015 12:43:08 -0500

UC Berkeley researchers have developed algorithms that enable robots to learn motor tasks through trial and error using a process that more closely approximates the way humans learn, marking a major milestone in the field of artificial intelligence.

Scarce Skills Not Scarce Jobs

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 11:04:04 -0500

The “real” challenge technology presents isn’t that it replaces workers, but rather displaces them.

The Crazy Tiny Next Generation of Computers

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 14:52:49 -0500

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are also called “smart dust,” and are now a reality.

Research Priorities for Robust and Beneficial Artificial Intelligence

Wed, 11 Mar 2015 21:43:50 -0500

How to maximize the benefits of AI while avoiding potential pitfalls. This article gives numerous examples of such worthwhile research aimed at ensuring that AI remains robust and beneficial.

The Democratization of Cyberattack

Mon, 02 Mar 2015 11:02:35 -0500

We can’t choose a world where the US gets to spy but China doesn’t, or even a world where governments get to spy and criminals don’t. We need to choose, as a matter of policy, communications systems that are secure for all users, or ones that are vulnerable to all attackers. It’s security or surveillance.

AI masters Atari games

Thu, 26 Feb 2015 10:00:50 -0500

Using a bio-inspired system architecture, Deep Mind scientists have created a single algorithm (Deep Q-network: “deep convolutional network”) that is actually able to develop problem-solving skills and is able to understand spatial relationships between different objects in an image, such as distance from one another, in such a sophisticated way that it can actually re-envision the scene from a different viewpoint. This type of system was inspired by early work done on the visual cortex. And then they immediately put it to use learning a set of classic Atari video games.

Facebook AI Director Yann LeCun on His Quest to Unleash Deep Learning and Make Machines Smarter

Wed, 25 Feb 2015 23:09:01 -0500

Q&A with one of the people behind deep learning. Good details about machine learning.

How Uber’s Autonomous Cars Will Destroy 10 Million Jobs And Reshape The Economy by 2025

Wed, 25 Feb 2015 22:42:19 -0500

Autonomous cars will be commonplace by 2025 resulting in unprecedented job loss, solving environmental problems, preventing tens of thousands of deaths per year, saving millions of hours with increased productivity, and creating entire new industries.

The Internet Shaming of Lindsey Stone

Sat, 21 Feb 2015 17:41:40 -0500

When a friend posted a photograph of charity worker Lindsey Stone on Facebook, she never dreamed she would lose her job and her reputation. Two years on, could she get her life back?

Someone called @jon_ronson was tweeting 20 times a day about his whirlwind of social engagements, soirées and friends. Jon was at war with a robot version of himself.

Universal Basic Income as Social Vaccine

Sat, 21 Feb 2015 10:55:02 -0500

We can keep spending trillions every year to treat poverty and its many symptoms, or we can choose to eradicate it as we did smallpox through a mass social vaccination program known as basic income.

Subliminal Cues From Smart Glasses Boost Athletic Performance

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 23:04:23 -0500

Subliminal cues shown on smart glasses can give a significant boost to human performance during endurance exercises

Robots Learn by Watching Videos

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 22:47:27 -0500

Robots are able to learn the intricate grasping and manipulation movements required for cooking by watching online cooking videos.

Virtual reality took me inside the mind of a schizophrenic

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 22:37:35 -0500

Using VR experiences to simulation perception of the world with a mental illness.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Our Big Bet For The Future

Sun, 15 Feb 2015 22:55:01 -0500

Bill & Melinda’s “notes” for their vision of 2030: improved health, farming, mobile banking, and improved software for learning will improve the lives of the poor faster than ever.

The coming digital anarchy

Mon, 09 Feb 2015 21:52:42 -0500

Long article on discussing blockchain technology which threatens centralized currencies, social networks, stock markets, even national governments. Are we heading towards an anarchic future where centralized power of any kind will dissolve?

Andrew McAfee: What will future jobs look like?

Sat, 07 Feb 2015 17:29:24 -0500

The best economic news: more tech and fewer jobs. But what do the lower middle class do?

The Next Technology Revolution Will Drive Abundance And Income Disparity

Sat, 07 Feb 2015 12:41:52 -0500

Machine learning impact on the economy will be increased productivity and abundance, but far less human labour and judgement. We may need a system focused on more than just efficient production that places greater prioritization on the less desirable side effects of capitalism.

Smart Neural Stimulators Listen to the Body

Fri, 06 Feb 2015 17:44:46 -0500

Implanted devices sense vital statistics to deliver precisely tailored therapy. Engineered systems composed of chips, wires, and batteries can replace or supplement biological systems that malfunction.

The AI Revolution: The Road to Superintelligence

Wed, 04 Feb 2015 22:34:39 -0500

An incredible, in-depth overview of the thinking around the development and rise of ASI (Artificial Superintelligece).

Cory Doctorow: The Coming Civil War of General-purpose Computing

Mon, 02 Feb 2015 23:37:41 -0500

Hour long talk by Cory outlining the struggle over trust of our computers - that we put our bodies into and increasingly will put into our bodies.

Andrew Ng: Deep Learning, Self-Taught Learning and Unsupervised Feature Learning

Mon, 02 Feb 2015 23:08:12 -0500

45 min in-depth talk about “deep”, self-taught and unsupervised machine learning.

Technology at Work: The Future of Innovation and Employment

Sun, 01 Feb 2015 11:23:08 -0500

Substantial wealth is being created with only a few workers, and with the exception of a small fraction of highly skilled workers, wages may not rise over their lifetime. Building on a widely discussed paper entitled The Future of Employment: How Susceptible are Jobs to Computerisation?, this report examines how the changing nature of innovation, stemming from the digital revolution, is transforming the world of work and the challenges it brings.

The Future of Employment

Sat, 31 Jan 2015 22:31:53 -0500

Paper examining how susceptible jobs are to computerisation. 47% of total US employment at risk, with wages and educational attainment predicting lowest probability of computerisation.

Are We Ready for Companies That Run Themselves

Mon, 26 Jan 2015 17:35:20 -0500

Get ready for companies that run themselves. But will the autonomous economy set us all free, or just make the rich richer?

Big data is better data

Sat, 24 Jan 2015 23:09:27 -0500

Machine learning and big data will shape our lives in the near future.

How to upgrade democracy for the Internet era

Sat, 24 Jan 2015 22:30:36 -0500

Building software that connects people to their representatives.

The future of early cancer detection?

Sat, 24 Jan 2015 22:01:05 -0500

A talk about a simple, noninvasive, open-source test that looks for early signs of multiple forms of cancer.

Welcome to Life

Sat, 24 Jan 2015 17:08:00 -0500

Hilarious 3 min video of a 1st person perspective of your afterlife after brain scanning under a corporate regime.

2030: Privacy is Dead

Sat, 24 Jan 2015 16:36:26 -0500

23 min video of a talk decribing 2030 and the “engines” that allow teens to feel telepathic and share everything about themselves.

Equation for Intelligence

Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:04:13 -0500

A single equation of intelligence: F = T ∇ Sτ. Intelligence is a force that acts to maximize future freedom of action.

The Future of the Mind

Sat, 24 Jan 2015 12:02:08 -0500

Hour long video of a talk about his book “The Future of the Mind”.

What New Power Looks Like

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 23:54:28 -0500

A good overview of new power (decentralized, cooperative, DIY, transparent), versus old.

Ethereum

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 23:46:42 -0500

Ethereum is a platform and a programming language that makes it possible to build and publish next-generation distributed applications using crytocurrency tech like decentralized blockchains.

Stellar

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 23:39:25 -0500

Stellar is a decentralized protocol for sending and receiving money in any pair of currencies.

OpenBazaar

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 23:36:23 -0500

Decentralized marketplace for instantly trading with anyone using Bitcoin.

Rapture of the Nerds

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 23:27:53 -0500

Post-singularity human forced to deal with the computronium-based mind cloud where the inner planets used to reside.

Robo Hub

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 23:09:19 -0500

Daily news about AI and robotics.

The Road to VR Blog

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 23:01:57 -0500

Daily news about VR.

Why Privacy Matters

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 22:49:15 -0500

One of better summaries of why privacy is critical to free societies.

Rap News: The Singularity

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 22:33:01 -0500

An amazing musical commentary in 7 minutes. Featuring Ray Kurzweil and Alex Jones, Rap news investigates the Singularity and those who worship and fear it.

The Singularity Is Further Than It Appears

Wed, 21 Jan 2015 18:16:18 -0500

Are we headed for a Singularity? Is AI a Threat? Not anytime soon. Lack of incentives means very little strong AI work is happening. And even if we did develop one, it’s unlikely to have a hard takeoff.

Bubble Propelled Microbots

Wed, 21 Jan 2015 11:14:36 -0500

Researchers fed mice a small drop of a liquid. Inside the drops, invisible to the naked eye, were thousands of tube-shaped, microscopic motors. The motors made their way to the mice’s stomachs, embedded in their stomach linings, and released their tiny payloads: nano-size flakes of gold. The research represented a major step toward putting microbots to work in human medicine, where they could one day ferry drugs efficiently into specific organs or even specific cells.

When Will We Worry About the Well Being of Robots

Sat, 17 Jan 2015 19:57:37 -0500

Do you worry about your vacuum? Not in the way where you’re concerned about breaking a valuable object - but in an emotional, empathetic concern for its being? If so, then you’re primed for today’s discussion about the wellbeing of robots! We can personify objects, assigning them human qualities, but will technology get to a point where it DESERVES these moral concerns? Can you imagine a day when you will empathize with your computer or care if it lives or dies?

An Open Letter To Everyone Tricked Into Fearing Artificial Intelligence

Sat, 17 Jan 2015 17:43:07 -0500

If time is money, then the endlessly recycled quotes from Musk and Hawking are a goldmine for harried reporters and editors. What more context do you need, than a pair of geniuses publicly fretting about the fall of humankind?

Google Search Will Be Your Next Brain

Sat, 17 Jan 2015 16:58:50 -0500

Indeed, as of 2015, all Google’s deep learning work has yet to make a big mark on Google search or other products. But that’s about to change.

Computer-based personality judgments are more accurate than those made by humans

Sat, 17 Jan 2015 16:14:03 -0500

This study compares the accuracy of personality judgment—a ubiquitous and important social-cognitive activity—between computer models and humans. Using several criteria, we show that computers’ judgments of people’s personalities based on their digital footprints are more accurate and valid than judgments made by their close others or acquaintances (friends, family, spouse, colleagues, etc.). Our findings highlight that people’s personalities can be predicted automatically and without involving human social-cognitive skills.

Beyond a Jobless Recovery

Sat, 17 Jan 2015 12:41:36 -0500

This article explores the issue of a “Jobless Recovery” mainly from a heterodox economic perspective. It emphasizes the implications of ideas by Marshall Brain and others that improvements in robotics, automation, design, and voluntary social networks are fundamentally changing the structure of the economic landscape. It outlines towards the end four major alternatives to mainstream economic practice (a basic income, a gift economy, stronger local subsistence economies, and resource-based planning).

The World Is Not Falling Apart

Sat, 17 Jan 2015 11:22:26 -0500

Too much of our impression of the world comes from a misleading formula of journalistic narration. An evidence-based mindset on the state of the world would bring many benefits. The world is not falling apart. The kinds of violence to which most people are vulnerable—homicide, rape, battering, child abuse—have been in steady decline in most of the world. Autocracy is giving way to democracy. Wars between states—by far the most destructive of all conflicts—are all but obsolete.

Deep Neural Networks Are Easily Fooled

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 17:19:00 -0500

It is easy to produce images that are completely unrecognizable to humans, but that state-of-the-art DNNs believe to be recognizable objects with 99.99% confidence (e.g. labeling with certainty that white noise static is a lion)

How Smart, Connected Products Are Transforming Competition

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 16:49:19 -0500

Once composed solely of mechanical and electrical parts, products have become complex systems that combine hardware, sensors, data storage, microprocessors, software, and connectivity in myriad ways. These “smart, connected products”—made possible by vast improvements in processing power and device miniaturization and by the network benefits of ubiquitous wireless connectivity—have unleashed a new era of competition.

Jonathan Haidt on the Moral Mind

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 16:19:58 -0500

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt studies the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices, whether we’re left, right or center. In this eye-opening talk, he pinpoints the moral values that liberals and conservatives tend to honor most and the goal of moral humility to step outside our own values.

Synthetic Biology New Letters for Lifes Alphabet

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 13:19:19 -0500

The five bases found in nucleic acids define the ‘alphabet’ used to encode life on Earth. The construction of an organism that stably propagates an unnatural DNA base pair redefines this fundamental feature of life.

Live for ever: Scientists say they’ll soon extend life ‘well beyond 120’

Sun, 11 Jan 2015 12:09:54 -0500

Fixing the ‘problem’ of ageing is the mission of Silicon Valley, where billions is pouring into biotech firms working to ‘hack the code’ of life – despite concerns about the social implications.

Neural Turing Machines

Sat, 10 Jan 2015 10:37:02 -0500

We extend the capabilities of neural networks by coupling them to external memory resources, which they can interact with by attentional processes. The combined system is analogous to a Turing Machine or Von Neumann architecture but is differentiable end-to-end, allowing it to be efficiently trained with gradient descent. Preliminary results demonstrate that Neural Turing Machines can infer simple algorithms such as copying, sorting, and associative recall from input and output examples.

Ground Robot

Sun, 16 Nov 2014 02:41:35 -0500

Ground Drone is a highly mobile robotic platform capable of stair-climbing abailable at a lower cost for hobbyists.

Humans Need Not Apply

Sat, 15 Nov 2014 14:08:48 -0500

15 minute video by C. G. P. Grey that gives a great overview of the issues and current state of robotic/software replacements for human labour.

Manna

Sat, 15 Nov 2014 14:02:59 -0500

A 2003 science fiction essay that explores several issues in modern information technology and user interfaces, including some around transhumanism.