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Author Archives: jrenstro
Because Titanium Lacks Flexibility (and it’s so 2010)
The first time I ever watched Transformers, my first thought was that the Decepticons were far cooler than the Autobots and my second thought was how amazing it would be to be able to change shape. Since the days of … Continue reading
Posted in Could this Happen?
Tagged autobot, camouflage, cephalopods, color, cuttlefish, DARPA, decepticon, harvard, maximum mobility and manipulation, microfluid, octopus, optimus prime, robot, sam malone, shape, shape shifter, silicon, size, squid, temperature, terminator, transformers, true blood
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Steak Only a Mother Could Love
A few months ago Could This Happen explored the potential of Star Trekian replicators and 3-D printers. In addition to printing solid objects, like busts of Arthur C. Clarke, projects are underway to print skin and cartilage, as well as
Posted in Could this Happen?
Tagged 3-D printer, conservation, emissions, environmentalism, greenhouse gas, in-vitro, laboratory, livestock industry, meat, meat production, modern meadow, Paypal, peter thiel, petri dish, replicate, singularity institute
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You Remember Total Recall…Or DO YOU?
Could I spice up my life by having artificial memories of taming lions, driving race cars, or racing flying dragons implanted into my brain? Find out by reading the latest could this happen? post on Slate.
Posted in Could this Happen?
Tagged Alzheimer's, amnesia, artificial memories, brain waves, dementia, encoding memories, erasing memories, forget, gerber, hippocampus, memory, memory enhancement, memory implants, microship, mind control, rats, remember, southern california, total recall, wake forest
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Slow and Unsteady Kills the Race
Could the earth’s rotation really slow down like it does in the new novel The Age of Miracles? Find out by reading my “could this happen” post on Slate .
Posted in Could this Happen?
Tagged " karen walker, "age of miracles, deceleration, earth's rotation, future tense, gravity, karen thompson walker, leap second, mass, post glacial rebound, radiation, slate, tidal bulges
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A Head of Its Time
Battlestar Galactica, the Terminator, Star Trek: TNG, and works by Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, and Isaac Asimov, among many others, feature humanoid robots that are indistinguishable from humans. Such robots are discussed in more detail here. This post explores … Continue reading
Mind the Gap
Futurama’s Tube Transport system, available in every city except Los Angeles, uses electromagnets and air pressure to propel passengers to their destinations. The Jetsons had a similar transportation system, as do worlds in sci-fi written by Robert Heinlein, Arthur Clarke, … Continue reading
Posted in Could this Happen?
Tagged aeromovel, atmospheric railways, bounce tube, bradbury, bullet train, clarke, electromagnets, et3, ETT, futurama, heinlein, Japan, jetsons, maglev, magnetic levitation, medhurst, pneumatic tube, transportation, tube, tube transport, vacutube
7 Comments
Forget the Red Pill
Tomorrow, I’ll be lounging in a hammock on a Thai beach drinking Mekhong whiskey, resting up for a Full Moon Party. On Wednesday, I’m scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef. On Saturday, I’ll be on Mars, peering up at Olympus … Continue reading
Posted in Could this Happen?
Tagged 3-d, afghanistan, avatar, battle school, BIE, body immersion environment, brain simulated environment, BSE, cave, Cave Automatic Virtual Environments, computer model, ender's game, environment, goggles, holodeck, immersion, immersion therapy, interactive, iraq, lab, matrix, modify, neuroscience, PTSD, star trek, therapy, vritual reality
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From Replicant to Replican
Given that it might be awhile before we have functioning nanofactories and molecular assemblers, what are we supposed to do if we simply can’t wait to replicate things? The answer involves an object most of you probably already own–a computer … Continue reading
Posted in Could this Happen?
Tagged 3-d, 3d, 3D printer, archiving, arthur clarke, blade runner, build box, CAD, Cornell University, file, Frankenstein, french culinary institute, harrison ford, laser sintering, plastic, polymer, power, printer head, printing, rapid prototyping, replicant, replicator, star trek, wired.com
2 Comments
Monkey See, Monkey Make
In 1964, Arthur C. Clarke called the replicator “the invention to end all inventions.” Just a few years later, the replicator became a staple on Star Trek, providing the crew with food, water, spare parts, and later on, breathable air. … Continue reading
Posted in Could this Happen?
Tagged arthur clarke, diamondoids, eric drexler, mechanosynthesis, molecular assembler, molecular position fabrication, molecules, nanofactory, nanotechnology, parallel positional assembly, picard, programmable positional assembly, ralph merkle, replicator, self-replicating, star trek, subatomic particles, tribbles
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