Custoprothetik Leading climate change economist assesses chances of a singularity, concludes it is "not near" In Brief A new research paper by Yale economist William Nordhaus takes a sober but serious look at the Singularity hypothesis. What It Is Many economists believe in a theory called stagnation, which posits that economic growth will slow because of resource depletion and declining productivity. But Nordhaus believes that the opposite idea — the singularity — is worth study, because if artificial intelligence ever crosses “some boundary” it could have serious implications for the economy. Therefore Nordhaus has written one of the first academic papers to seriously look at economic implications for the singularity. The Implications If the rapid advance of artificial intelligence is starting to attract mainstream economists, we can only expect the amount and quality of singularity research to improve. From the paper: “So the conclusion as of today is that the Singularity is not near.
New RAND Research System Gathers, Analyzes Expert Opinions TuesdayJune 14, 2011 Researchers have developed a new method of eliciting and analyzing opinions from a large group of experts and laypeople to aid complex decisionmaking, adapting online and social media technologies to lower the cost of such activities while expanding the types of people who can be queried. The system, called ExpertLens, incorporates elements of such well-known approaches as the Delphi method, the Nominal Group Technique and crowdsourcing that are used to collect opinions about problems or to create forecasts. The online system and the associated methodology have performed well during early tests, according to findings published online by researchers from the RAND Corporation in the journal Technological Forecasting & Social Change. Developers say ExpertLens could have wide application across such areas as public policy, health care, finance and marketing, where expert panels are frequently used to help solve problems or predict an unknown future.
Idea: Clustering Clustering is the phenomenon whereby firms from the same industry gather together in close proximity. It is particularly evident in industries like banking. Banking centres in cities such as London and New York have thrived for centuries. Economists explain clustering as a means for small companies to enjoy some of the economies of scale (see article) usually reserved for large ones. By sticking together, firms are able to benefit from such things as the neighbourhood's pool of expertise and skilled workers; its easy access to component suppliers (Toyota's suppliers generally cluster round the mother company's factories, wherever they may be); and its information channels (both formal ones like trade magazines and informal ones like everyday gossip in neighbourhood bars). Modern high-tech clusters often gather round prestigious universities on whose research they can piggyback. One of the most famous clusters is that of the Hollywood film industry. Further reading More management ideas
Your internet may be hurting your brain The brain is a wonderful creation and the internet is often used to enhance or complement the capacity and recall within our most important organ. Unfortunately, technology has made it possible for us to actually overload our brains through the speed and volume through which we’re able to multitask online. How many tabs are open on your computer right now? How many screens are you using? Is your iPad or smartphone close and do they have other things happening on them at the same time that you’re reading this? We live in a multitasking world where productivity and enjoyment are often gauged by how much we’re doing at once. Via: OnlineUniversities.com Man Chooses to Cut Off His Hand – And Get a Bionic One (video For the second time in a calendar year, a patient has chosen to cut off his own hand so that he could be fitted with a bionic one. It is a testament to the progress of bionics that patients are beginning to favor the technological alternative over ineffective biological treatments. Milo In 2001, while on vacation in his native Serbia, the patient called “Milo” was severely injured in a motorcycle accident. The bionic hand, manufactured by the German prosthetics company Otto Bock, is equipped with six sensors that overly the skin and detect neuronal signals in the forearm. Milo just woke from surgery earlier this week and hasn’t had time yet to verify the operation’s success. Patrick Last year a 24-year old Austrian man named Patrick became one of the first patients ever to undergo ‘elective amputation’ surgery. Now, Patrick can tie his shoes again, and he can fill a glass with water without dropping or breaking it. As you can see, the Otto Bock hand is very versatile. [image credit: BBC]
8 Reasons Why We're About to See an Explosion in Robot Intelligence We are approaching a transformative expansion in robotics. Around half a billion years ago, life forms on Earth suddenly became significantly more diverse, creating most of the general classes of fauna and flora we know today. This period is known as the Cambrian explosion, and the leading theory to explain it is that certain traits, like vision, became advanced enough to help multiple species thrive. The field of robotics might be poised for a Cambrian explosion of its own, according to Gill Pratt, a DARPA program manager. 1) Computing Performance Consider Moore’s Law, the estimation that doubling the amount of mechanisms you can fit in a computer chip improves its computing power. 2) Electromechanical Design and Numerically Controlled Manufacturing (CAD and 3D printing) Spacial perception can be programmed as well as the ability to accurately produce tools by way of 3D printers. 3) Electrical Energy Storage Robots need to last reasonable amounts of time between charges. 7) Data Storage
Convergence of Expert Consensus Through Feedback A discussion of studies directed toward the improved use of expert opinions in operations research. The Delphi method as applied to consensus research is discussed and the results of experiments directed toward convergence of expert opinions presented. This report is part of the RAND Corporation paper series. The paper was a product of the RAND Corporation from 1948 to 2003 that captured speeches, memorials, and derivative research, usually prepared on authors' own time and meant to be the scholarly or scientific contribution of individual authors to their professional fields. Permission is given to duplicate this electronic document for personal use only, as long as it is unaltered and complete. The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.
Key Findings from U.S. Digital Marketing Spending Survey, 2013 Following years of accelerated digital spend, marketing’s allocations to digital channels have leveled off. In 2022, digital channels accounted for 56% of total marketing channel spend, little changed from last year. Multichannel marketing spend is an essential component of any marketing budget. CMOs must be very strategic to align the right channel, be it digital or traditional, to the right journey point in an effort to deliver a customer experience that changes the customer in some way and makes them feel more confident about their choices. The burning question: Is this the right allocation?
Ray Kurzweil’s Tech Predictions Have Been Eerily Accurate The Wall Street Journal called him “the restless genius.” Forbes said he was “the ultimate thinking machine.” by Forbes magazine. Inc. Magazine proclaimed him the “rightful heir to Thomas Edison.” Author. Inventor. If you don’t know Ray Kurzweil, you should definitely read up on his Wikipedia page. At that point, you should be giving yourself a pep talk about how you can be as geeky cool as this guy.
Custom Fit Bionic Fingers Work Like The Real Thing (Video Touch Bionics is moving forward with its prosthetic fingers. They have much of the same capability as the i-Limb, but customized to each amputee's unique physiology. In the world of prosthetics, there’s really no such thing as “one size fits all.” Back when we discussed the i-Limb from Touch Bionics, we mentioned that the Scottish company’s next big development would be bionic fingers. Well they’ve arrived. There’s been a ton of really exciting news about prosthetics this year. Typically a mechanized prosthesis can handle one kind of input: pressure sensitive pads, electrical signals measured from the skin, or wires directly connected to nerves. As each prosthesis is different, and each patient has a different amputation, getting Pro-Digits to respond to myo-electric control can take some calibration. One of the really remarkable features of Pro-Digits is that they can be cosmetically matched to the rest of your body. It took me a few seconds to recognize the i-Limb on the right.