Sunday, October 11, 2015

Fwd: ray’s wildest prediction




-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: ray's wildest prediction
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2015 10:04:36 -0700
From: Peter Diamandis <peter@diamandis.com>
Reply-To: peter@diamandis.com
To: STeve <stevescott@techacq.com>


I consider Ray Kurzweil a very close friend and a very smart person.

Ray is a brilliant technologist, futurist, and director of engineering at Google focused on AI and language processing.

He has also made more correct (and documented) technology predictions about the future than anyone:

As reported, "of the 147 predictions that Kurzweil has made since the 1990's, fully 115 of them have turned out to be correct, and another 12 have turned out to be "essentially correct" (off by a year or two), giving his predictions a stunning 86% accuracy rate."

Two weeks ago, Ray and I held an hour-long webinar with my Abundance 360 CEOs about predicting the future.

During our session, there was one of Ray's specific prediction that really blew my mind.

"In the 2030s," said Ray, "we are going to send nano-robots into the brain (via capillaries) that will provide full immersion virtual reality from within the nervous system and will connect our neocortex to the cloud. Just like how we can wirelessly expand the power of our smartphones 10,000-fold in the cloud today, we'll be able to expand our neocortex in the cloud."

Let's digest that for a moment.

2030 is only 15 years away…

Directly plugging your brain into the internet? Upgrading your intelligence and memory capacity by orders of magnitude?

This is a blog about the staggering (and fun) implications of that future.

[ Click to Tweet about this (you can edit before sending): http://ctt.ec/KWYB9 ]

The Basics

The implications of a connected neocortex are quite literally unfathomable. As such, any list I can come up with will pale in comparison to reality… But here are a few thoughts to get the ball rolling.

Brain-to-Brain Communication

This will deliver a new level of human intimacy, where you can truly know what your lover, friend or child is feeling. Intimacy far beyond what we experience today by mere human conversation. Forget email, texting, phone calls, and so on – you'll be able to send your thoughts to someone simply by thinking them.

Google on the Brain

You'll have the ability to "know" anything you desire, at the moment you want to know it. You'll have access to the world's information at the tip of your neurons. You'll be able to calculate complex math equations in seconds. You'll be able to navigate the streets of any cities, intuitively. You'll be able to hop into a fighter jet and fly it perfectly. You'll be able to speak and translate any language effortlessly.

Scalable Intelligence

Just imagine that you're in a bind and you need to solve a problem (quickly). In this future world, you'll be able to scale up the computational power of your brain on demand, 10x or 1,000x… in much the same way that algorithms today can spool up 1,000 processor cores on Amazon Web Servers.

Living in the Virtual World

If our brains can truly connect at high bandwidth, you will be able to bypass our current sensory organs (eyes, ears, touch) to the point where brain's perception of reality can be driven completely by a gaming engine – a virtual world. Likewise, the connections would exist in the motor cortex of your brain as well. When you move your limbs, imagine a corresponding set of virtual limbs (your avatar) moving perfectly in the virtual world. This is about creation of The Matrix x 1,000.

Extended Immune System

In my webinar discussion with Ray, he outlined how we already have intelligent biological devices, the size of blood cells, that kill disease. They are called T-cells. They can recognize an enemy and attack it, but they don't work on cancer, retroviruses, et cetera. In the future, nanorobots will be able to communicate wirelessly, download software when new pathogens arrives, and attack cancer, cancer stem cells, bacteria, viruses, and all the disease agents. They can also work on metabolic diseases like diabetes. They could also maintain healthy levels of everything you need in the blood, including nutrients, and basically repair and eventually replace damaged organs.

Downloadable Expertise

Remember the scene in The Matrix where Trinity needs to learn how to fly a helicopter, and Tank downloads a program teaching her how to do it? We'll be able to do this. Need to perform emergency surgery? Just download the ER doctor program. Need to learn a new language? Download it. Want to cook the perfect meal? Download the chef module. In fact, you probably won't even need to download it (which takes up memory), you'll probably just "stream" expertise from the cloud.

Expanded and Searchable Memories

We'll be able to remember everything that ever happened to us (because we'll store our memories in the cloud), and we'll be able to search that memory database for useful information. When our memories will become searchable, we'll also be able to make them contextual by cross-referencing our calendars, GPS coordinates, health data, stock market, current news, weather conditions, and anything else that might be relevant to that particular moment in time.

A Higher-Order Existence

Ray talks about how a connected neocortex will bring humanity to a higher order of existence and complexity – expanding our palate for emotion, art, humor, creativity, expression, and uniqueness. He says, "We're going to be funnier. We're going to be sexier. We're going to be better at expressing loving sentiment. We're going to add more levels to the hierarchy of brain modules and create deeper levels of expression. People will be able to very deeply explore some particular type of music in far greater degree than we can today. It'll lead to far greater individuality, not less."

Join Me

While this future may sound fanciful to many, let's remember that exponential technologies are initially deceptive, before they become disruptive.

And today, there are many labs around the world working on molecular machinery, CRISPR/Cas9 systems that allow us to edit our own genome, and brain-computer interfaces (through cortical implants and the field of optogenetics).

So what if these fields of technological progress double every 18 months? In 15 years (2015 - 2030), we will have a 1,000-fold improvement over today. What does a future one thousand times better look like? Perhaps it's what Ray describes…

If this future becomes reality, connected humans are going to change everything…

We need to discuss the implications in order to make the right decisions now so that we are prepared for the future.

This is the sort of conversation we explore at my 250-person executive mastermind group called Abundance 360.

The program is highly selective and currently full. If you'd like to be considered for the waitlist, we are looking for a few last CEOs and entrepreneurs who want to change the world. We imagine a few spots will open up over the next few months. You can apply here.

Share this with your friends, especially if they are interested in any of the areas outlined above.

P.S. Every week I send out a "Tech Blog" like this one. If you want to sign up, go to Diamandis.com and sign up for this and Abundance Insider.

P.P.S. I've just released a podcast with my dear friend Dan Sullivan called Exponential Wisdom. Our conversations focus on the exponential technologies creating abundance, the human-technology collaboration, and entrepreneurship. Head here to listen and subscribe: a360.com/podcast


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Saturday, October 10, 2015

Fwd: 14 Cold Emailing Principles




-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 14 Cold Emailing Principles
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2015 07:17:02 -0400 (EDT)
From: Bryan Kreuzberger <bryan.kreuzberger@breakthroughemail.com>
To: stevescott@techacq.com


Steve,

 

Most sales blogs and articles are full of tactics. It is great to know what to do, but it is more important to know why they do it. To learn you need to understand the principles behind the tactic. Here are 14 principles on cold emailing.

 

And if you have questions, just email me.

 

1. Fish in the right lake. Find companies that are already motivated to buy from you. To find motivated companies identify the trigger events and scenarios that will lead them to purchase. One of the seven methods in our training is to contact the competitors of your best customers. They fit the same profile as your customer and are much more likely to buy from you.

 

2. Contact buyers. Don't contact someone who doesn't have the authority to make a decision. Make sure you are only contacting the buyer, or the people above the buyer.

 

3. Target top down. When contacting people in an organization start at the top and work your way down to the buyer. Owners delegate and employees want to look good for their boss. Use this leverage and social pressure to your advantage.

 

4. Have empathy. Place yourself in the customer's shoes and think what they are feeling. The customer doesn't care about you. When sales people write emails, they write from their perspective too often. Don't do this. Write from the perspective of your customer.

 

5. Establish credibility. Since you don't know the customer you are contacting and they don't know your company, establish credibility. They may not know you, but they will know companies you have worked with. Include names of your clients or broad credibility statements. And be specific. An example of a credibility statement for us would be Breakthrough Email has helped 25,246 sales people generate $85 million in sales.

 

6. Build trust. Don't be deceitful or manipulative. Make sure your subject line reflects or describes the content of the email. For example: "14 Cold Email Principles."

 

7. Write a personalized email to a single human. Don't spam the same template to hundreds of people. (I've tested it. It doesn't work.)

 

8. Make it easy to read. When you write, be clear and make it easy to read for the other person. Read the email out loud, and listen to your voice. If it sounds funny, edit it.

 

9. Write like your customer talks. Meet the customer in their mind. Use the language and phrases your customer says. To find the right phrases, interview your clients.

 

Don't use acronyms, abbreviations or jargon that are common to your profession. You make it difficult for the other person to understand.

 

10. Say something. After reading your email the customer should understand what you do, how it works and how you can help them. Above all else explain the ways you might be able to help.

 

People who say "keep it short" don't always know what to say. If the customer is asking for more information, you weren't clear.

 

11. Fall in love your customer, not your process. They don't care about what you do, they care how you can help them. What fears, frustrations and desires do you typically solve for your customers?

 

12. Make a clear ask. Whatever you are asking the customer to do, make sure they know what to do, and make sure the request is simple. Don't ask them to go to your website, download an attachment and reply. Make one request.

 

13. Be in the top 2%. To get a response from the customer, aim to be in the top 2% of all emails they receive that month. Set a higher standard for yourself. It doesn't take much to be noticed.

 

14. Follow up. If you don't get a response, follow up. 60-70% of the responses happen when you follow up. Be persistent, but respectful.

 

Finally, when writing a cold email, think of it like dating. A person won't be interested in you if you talk all about yourself and then pressure them to make a "sale."

 

Best,

Bryan Kreuzberger


And if you have any questions, just email me.
 
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Fwd: Abundance Insider: October 9 Edition




-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Abundance Insider: October 9 Edition
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 2015 12:04:45 -0700
From: Peter Diamandis <peter@diamandis.com>
Reply-To: peter@diamandis.com
To: STeve <stevescott@techacq.com>


In this week's Abundance Insider: Huggable robots, artificial arteries and auto-retuning prosthetics.

Cheers,
Peter, Marissa, Cody, Maxx, Kelley and Greg

P.S. Send any tips to data@diamandis.com, and send your friends and family to this link to subscribe to Abundance Insider.

Disney App Renders Coloring Book Pages As 3D Images

disney 3D coloring book

What it is: Disney Research has developed an app that transforms your colored-in pages into 3D animations, using an iPad with a camera. The augmented reality project has a "virtual spring system" that guesses what an incomplete 2D drawing would look like in 3D.

Why it's important: Last week, we covered Disney's investment in Jaunt VR. With this augmented reality coloring book, it's clear that the House of Mouse is focusing intensely on how tech can enhance a variety of in-person experiences with its brand.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield

IBM Engineers Carbon Nanotube Transistors to Replace Silicon in Computing

ibm carbon nanotube

What it is: IBM recently announced a breakthrough in creating transistors out of carbon nanotubes, enabling the development of a highly efficient carbon nanotube chip within the decade. Such a technology would not only uphold Moore's Law, it would also supercharge high-performance computers and mobile devices, increasing power, battery life and performance all around.

Why it's important: As an alternative to silicon-based chips, IBM's carbon nanotube breakthrough makes cloud data centers to deliver their services more economically and efficiently, powers the Internet of Everything, and accelerates Big Data analysis.

Spotted by Peter Diamandis

Cheaper and Smarter: Blowing Up College With Nanodegrees

university of pennsylvania            graduation

What it is: Massively open online course (MOOC) company Udacity has partnered with Google to provide what it calls "nanodegrees" -- smaller courses of study focused on a specific subject, like iOS coding. Unlike traditional four-year degrees, a nanodegree will take a just few months and about $1,000 to complete. In India, Udacity has partnered with Tata to recognize Udacity nanodegrees when hiring.

Why it's important: Nanodegrees are an alternative to higher education -- one that dematerializes the standard degree in favor of custom-created bundles of topical knowledge. As the nature of work and in-demand capabilities change, we'll need to constantly evolve our skills and upgrade our knowledge -- and nanodegrees offer an efficient, cost-effective way to do so.

Spotted by Gary Monroe

Scientists Develop Algorithm That Lets Artificial Legs Re-Tune Themselves on the Fly

retune artificial legs

What it is: Bioengineers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a software algorithm that automatically tunes powered artificial limbs as the limb-wearer walks throughout the day. The algorithm enables prosthetic limbs to compensate for short-term changes in gait (carrying a suitcase through an airport, balancing a baby on a hip) in real time, and then revert to normal.

Why it's important: Intelligent prosthetics are more comfortable, lifelike and useful for the wearer. Exoskeletons equipped with this algorithm would similarly supercharge workers and help them adapt to challenging, ever-changing conditions.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield

World Bank Forecasts Global Poverty to Fall Below 10% for First Time

poverty in colombia

What it is: World Bank has just released projections that the number of people living in extreme poverty around the world will fall to under 10 percent of the global population in 2015. Using an updated international poverty line of $1.90 US per day, as well as new country-level data on living standards, global poverty will have fallen from 902 million people (12.8 percent of the 2012 global population) to 702 million people (9.6 percent of the global population) this year.

Why it's important: These findings support Peter's Abundance thesis that by 2030, we will be able to end poverty and ultimately provide the basic needs of every man, woman and child on the planet.

Spotted by Sarah Black

Elon Musk and SolarCity Unveil 'World's Most Efficient' Solar Panel

solarcity

What it is: Elon Musk and SolarCity have introduced a new rooftop solar panel that achieves a peak efficiency of 22.04 percent -- making it the world's most efficient solar panel. The panels are the same size as traditional solar panels, but produce 30 to 40 percent more power, and with better performance in high temperatures. Next year, SolarCity expects to produce as many as 10,000 solar panels a day out of its 1 gigawatt factory in Buffalo.

Why it's important: Evidence that solar energy is continuing its exponential power performance growth as costs continue to plummet.

Spotted by Eli Call

Disney's New 3D Printed Skin Makes Robots Softer and Safer for Children

disney 3d printed skin

What it is: Disney Research has developed a 3D printed soft "skin" and touch system for toy robots that gives them a sort of airbag system protecting the robot's internal frame. Pressure feedback-equipped robots can instantly detect airbag pressure increases and adjust torque accordingly -- making such robots more damage-resistant and, of course, huggable for children.

Why it's important: This development enables soft yet durable educational toy robots -- a boon for fans of Disney films like Big Hero 6, Wall-E and Star Wars. This is also a developing case study on how big companies innovate: We're increasingly seeing the results of Disney's heavy investment into exponential technologies like robotics, 3D printing and virtual reality.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield

How Robots Can Learn New Tasks by Observing

robot bartender

What it is: University of Maryland researchers have created a "robot training academy" that turns industrial robots into attentive students. "We ask an expert to show the robot a task, and let the robot figure out most parts of sequences of things it needs to do, and then fine-tune things to make it work," explained Yezhou Yang. The same researchers previously showed that a robot can learn how to perform tasks by watching thousands of YouTube videos.

Why it's important: Yang says that at many companies, it takes six or more weeks to reprogram a robot. Converging advancements in AI and computing accelerate, simplify and scale industrial robot training; accordingly, it won't be long before we can train our own home robots using natural language.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield

Elon Musk claims a Tesla with a 600-mile Range Will Be Available by 2017

tesla

What it is: In a recent interview with Danish media, Elon Musk made a bold prediction: by 2017, Tesla will have the right powertrain and battery technology to offer a model with an electric range of 1,000 km (over 600 miles), and that a range of 745 miles is possible by 2020. Another fun nugget: by the end of this year, an automated passing function could make it into Tesla vehicles.

Why it's important: As battery technology continues to improve, we'll see vast mileage improvements in electric cars; soon, the idea of "range anxiety" will be a distant memory. We're also watching Tesla help consumers navigate the gradual transition to fully autonomous vehicles.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield

Mini Brains for Testing Drugs Cost Just 25 Cents

mini brain

What it is: Want a miniature, working brain to experiment with stem cells or test drugs? It'll cost you a quarter, thanks to Brown University researchers. They turned a small sample of living tissue from a single rodent into thousands of mini-brains, each one-third of a millimeter in diameter. While these mini-brains can't "think," per se, they do produce electrical signals and form synapses -- perfect for neuroscience research.

Why it's important: This relatively easy, affordable in vitro brain model could dramatically reduce animal use in testing. It also demonetizes and democratizes access to neural tissue, which in turn empowers smaller research labs.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield

Quantum Computing: First Two-Qubit Logic Gate in Silicon

quantum computing

What it is: Researchers at the University of New South Wales have revealed the first two-qubit logic gate in silicon, thus clearing the way for silicon quantum computers. The UNSW researchers reconfigured the transistors in silicon chips into qubits, using the same basic manufacturing technology used in today's computer industry. "We believe [this process] will [make it] much easier to manufacture a full-scale processor chip than for any of the leading designs, which rely on more exotic technologies," says Andrew Dzurak.

Why it's important: Quantum computers will dramatically accelerate artificial intelligence and Big Data analysis. For context on qubits, MIT professor Seth Lloyd said earlier this year that a machine of just 300 qubits could be used to map the entire universe -- every piece of information that's existed since the Big Bang.

Spotted by Ian Pitchford

Forget Driverless Cars, China Just Put a Massive Self-Driving Bus on the Road

self driving bus

What it is: Yutong, a leading Chinese bus manufacturer, recently sent a self-driving city bus on a 20-mile ride through Zhengzhou. The prototype bus passed other cars, changed lanes and responded to lights at a top speed of 42 miles per hour -- without incident.

Why it's important: This is the world's first successful trial of a self-driving bus -- and it didn't happen in North America. A promising glimpse into the future of autonomous mass transit.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield

NASA study: Flying Air Taxis Could Be as Cheap as an Uber Ride, and Faster

flying air taxis

What it is: A new NASA study indicates that a flying air taxi could one day be as inexpensive as an Uber ride -- and get you to your destination three times faster. Mark Moore, chief technologist for on-demand mobility at NASA's Langley Research Center, presented a scenario for an area of Silicon Valley where air taxis could travel for about $1.50 per mile and achieve a ground-speed travel rate of 63 mph to 122 mph.

Why it's important: Moore specifically cites the Uber model as a door-to-door system for air taxis, saying, "It's hard to beat that economic model." Converging technologies (batteries, materials science), as well as a number of companies working on distributed electric propulsion aircraft, make this "crazy idea" feasible.

Spotted by Peter Diamandis

Self-Assembling Material Could Lead to Artificial Arteries

artificial arteries

What it is: Queen Mary University of London researchers have developed self-assembling organic molecules that form a dynamic tissue, which they can guide to grow into complex shapes -- without 3D printing or molds. KurzweilAI reports that this finding allows scientists to "...study Alzheimer's with a high level of similarity to the real tissue and create better implants, complex tissues and more effective drug-screening methods."

Why it's important: This is a major development in synthetic tissue creation, with tremendous implications on medical research. Imagine being able to grow tissues from scratch that mimic synthetic arteries, veins or the blood-brain barrier -- either for study or treatment.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield

What is Abundance Insider?

This email is a briefing of the week's most compelling, abundance-enabling tech developments, curated by Marissa Brassfield in preparation for Abundance 360. Read more about A360 below.

Want more conversations like this?

At Abundance 360, Peter's 250-person executive mastermind, we teach the metatrends, implications and unfair advantages for entrepreneurs enabled by breakthroughs like those featured above. The program is highly selective and we're almost full, but we're still looking for a few final CEOs and entrepreneurs who want to change the world. You can apply here.

Know someone who would benefit from getting Abundance Insider? Send them to this link to sign up.


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PHD Ventures , 800 Corporate Pointe, Culver City, CA 90230






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Friday, October 2, 2015

Fwd: Abundance Insider: October 2 Edition




-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: Abundance Insider: October 2 Edition
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2015 12:04:50 -0700
From: Peter Diamandis <peter@diamandis.com>
Reply-To: peter@diamandis.com
To: STeve <stevescott@techacq.com>


In this week's Abundance Insider: Tactile virtual reality, Styrofoam-munching mealworms and an unbeatable Rock Paper Scissors robot.

Cheers,
Peter, Marissa, Cody, Maxx, Kelley and Greg

P.S. Send any tips to data@diamandis.com, and send your friends and family to this link to subscribe to Abundance Insider.

This Unobtrusive Arm Band Will Let You Feel Virtual Reality

unlimited hand

What it is: H2L has just announced the UnlimitedHand, a VR armband packed with haptic sensors and multi-channel electronic muscle stimulators. While exploring a virtual environment, the armband sends electronic pulses through your muscles to simulate touching, pinching, grabbing, stroking and even minor pain.

Why it's important: The convergence of sensors and virtual worlds enables increasingly lifelike experiences. This armband digitizes a very physical experience: human touch.

Spotted by Peter Diamandis

Hulu Dives Into Virtual Reality

hulu virtual reality

What it is: Hulu has announced an upcoming virtual reality application that enables users to experience its 2D and 3D content in a unique viewing environment optimized for VR. Starting this fall, viewers can transport directly to the blue couch in Jerry Seinfeld's apartment to watch Seinfeld, or another living room setting to watch Difficult People.

Why it's important: Hulu has already digitized and dematerialized physical rental stores like Blockbuster with its online platform, as well as traditional cable subscriptions and boxes. With this entry into VR, it's dematerializing the living room. As Julian Eggebrecht, Hulu's VP of Device Platforms, explains, "Providing viewers with dynamic environments of their choice and themed around their favorite shows provides a whole new level of engagement."

Spotted by Cody Rapp

On the Edge of Automation

automation

What it is: Venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson discusses the future of automation. Among his prognostications is that 90 percent of people will be unemployed in 500 years, thanks to automation; instead of doing busy work or a "physically repetitive thing for a living," we'll be involved in information or entertainment. "We'll live off the production of robots, free to be the next Aristotle or Plato or Newton," he explained. "Unless we're miserable without doing busy work."

Why it's important: A well-informed, abundance-focused approach to the effects of increasing automation and the future of work. Jurvetson also underscores the importance of finding and funding entrepreneurs who are thinking big and solving global problems -- despite their inherent risk.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield

Brain-Computer Interface Enables Paralyzed Man to Walk Without Robotic Support

brain computer interface

What it is: University of California at Irvine researchers have created a brain-computer interface technology that enabled a paraplegic man to walk completely unaided for a short distance. The EEG brain-computer-interface system enables the brain to bypass the spinal cord and send messages directly to the legs.

Why it's important: This paraplegic man was initially trained to control an avatar in a virtual reality environment, which in turn generated data for a custom computer algorithm. As computers, virtual reality and machine learning continue to advance and converge, we'll soon have the tools to solve nearly every condition.

Spotted by Peter Diamandis

Plastic-Eating Worms May Offer Solution to Mounting Waste

plastic eating worms

What it is: Stanford researchers have confirmed that the humble mealworm can subsist on a diet of Styrofoam and other types of polystyrene, thanks to microorganisms in its guts that break down the plastic. Not only can the mealworms biodegrade plastic that we previously thought was non-biodegradable, but the Styrofoam-munching mealworms were as healthy as those that ate a normal diet, and their waste is even safe enough to use as crop soil.

Why it's important: We discard 33 million tons of plastic every year in the U.S. alone, less than 10 percent of which gets recycled. Mealworms could take care of a significant chunk of that non-recycled plastic. The researchers will next focus on whether the mealworms can digest other waste like polypropylene, microbeads and bioplastics.

Spotted by Ian Pitchford

Rock Paper Scissors Robot Wins 100% of the Time

rock paper scissors robot

What it is: Japanese researchers have created a robot that can play Rock Paper Scissors better than any human, every time. Technically, the robot doesn't play by the rules: it uses a high-speed camera and electronic reflexes that are faster than a human's to identify the opponent's hand shape and then play the corresponding winning move.

Why it's important: This robot's technology has tremendous implications for natural human interfaces. Imagine the handshake -- easy for humans, but difficult for robots. Future robots using this technology, including military and industrial exoskeletons, could have real-time, lifelike responses.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield

Why Quirky Went Bankrupt

quirky

What it is: Earlier this week, Quirky filed for bankruptcy. In this article, Bolt founder and partner Ben Einstein analyzes the crucial misstep that led to Quirky's downfall: too-lofty ambitions combined with a lack of iteration and lack of branding.

Why it's important: Dreaming big isn't a guarantee for startup success -- customer-centrism and experimentation are absolutely essential to navigate today's world of exponential change.

Spotted by Peter Diamandis

Virtual Reality Put Me Face-to-Face With Bill Clinton In His Office

virtual reality bill clinton

What it is: Thanks to a new experience created for the Clinton Foundation by Matter Unlimited and Felix & Paul Studios, you can interact face-to-face with former U.S. president Bill Clinton in his office. In the eight-minute experience, Clinton discusses his foundation's work in East Africa and introduces you to local entrepreneurs.

Why it's important: Virtual reality's immersive nature brings communication to life. This experience humanizes Clinton far more than any standard news update or highly produced video -- and is a powerful glimpse into the future of how we'll connect..

Spotted by Cody Rapp

By 2050, Human-On-Robot Sex Will Be More Common Than Human-On-Human Sex, Says Report

love robot

What it is: Futurologist Dr. Ian Pearson has just announced some surprising predictions on human behavior. In the next 35 years, human-on-robot sex will be more common than human-on-human sex; what's more, in the next 30 years, most people will have some form of virtual sex as casually as they browse porn today.

Why it's important: As robotics and virtual reality become mainstream, we'll see more diverse consumer offerings, accommodating nearly every interest.

Spotted by Peter Diamandis

Solar Cells Will be Made Obsolete by 3D Rectenna

solar rectennas

What it is: Researchers at Georgia Tech have created a nanoscale rectenna -- half antenna, half rectifier -- that transforms infrared and solar light into electricity. This rectenna can achieve 40 percent broad spectrum efficiency at one-tenth the cost of conventional solar cells, and the researchers forecast up to a 90 percent efficiency.

Why it's important: Optical rectennas were first proposed over 40 years ago, but fabrication challenges barred their production at the time. Today, as sensors, chips, and materials science have continued to exponentially grow, researchers are able to make the impossible possible. This particular innovation could make solar energy significantly cheaper and more efficient.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield

What Water on Mars Means for the Future of Space Exploration

water on mars

What it is: This week, NASA confirmed the presence of saltwater on Mars. In this Singularity Hub article, Sarah Scoles analyzes the four game-changers from this discovery.

Why it's important: This discovery enables future space exploration. The ingredients in saltwater are the same as those in rocket fuel, and desalination can transform water into a resource for future travelers.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield

Work in Transition

future of work

What it is: As machine learning continues to improve, where do humans fit in? A recent automation study from the University of Oxford indicates, among other insights, that work will likely migrate toward the tasks that humans are uniquely skilled at -- innovative thinking, social skills, flexibility and creativity -- while all rules-based, predictable work will be done by machines.

Why it's important: As Peter often says, the road to abundance will be bumpy. Technology will displace some jobs, but it'll also create new ones. This study aligns with the notion of human-technology teamwork that Peter and Dan Sullivan discuss on their Exponential Wisdom podcast.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield

These Self-Propelled Microscopic Carbon-Capturing Motors May Reduce Carbon-Dioxide Levels in Oceans

carbon removing micromotor

What it is: University of California, San Diego nanoengineers have created enzyme-functionalized micromotors that can navigate through water, remove carbon dioxide and convert it into a usable solid. The micromotors are six micrometers long, about the size of red blood cells. In experiments, they were able to remove 90 percent of carbon dioxide from a deionized water solution, and 88 percent from seawater -- in just five minutes of work.

Why it's important: These nanorobots may be microscopic, but they have the might to take on super-sized problems like the buildup of carbon dioxide in our oceans. The researchers also envision using these micromotors in water treatment systems.

Spotted by Peter Diamandis

First All-Optical Chip Memory

optical chip memory

What it is: An international team of scientists has developed the world's first all-optical chip memory, boasting the ability to write data to memory at speeds of over a gigahertz. It's able to store data even when the power is removed, and uses a phase change material called Ge2Sb2Te5, or GST.

Why it's important: Until now, we haven't been able to store large quantities of optical data on integrated chips, as KurzweilAI points out. This all-optical chip memory enables faster, more energy-efficient computers.

Spotted by Marissa Brassfield

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