The Income-ing Revolution

In the earlier days of this blog, I have written an article that talks about how robots will become way more cost efficient than humans in the future. A question that might come to mind after reading that sentence is: How will we generate revenue in the future if more and more jobs are being automated? One of the solutions that seems to really stand out these days is called Basic Income. 

Similar ideas have been discussed as early as 1795, but the basic income, as it is presented today, only appeared during the 60s when a negative income tax was suggested to simplify welfare and help people get back into the workforce. Today, it is possible that a universal basic income might be the solution to the job loss problem. This income gives the same amount of money (equal to the calculated amount needed for survival) to everyone without conditions or discrimination. 

Why is this a good idea? Since the 1970's, wages have declined or stayed the same, jobs have become scarce and many people require public assistance to top off what they already earn each month. And the future, thanks to robots, does not look brighter. Finally, welfare is not as useful and efficient anymore as it was in the 90s (in America at least). Basic Income creates a floor revenue on which people can build, develop personally and enjoy life without fear of complete loss of income. Finally, it also helps us embrace change in the society (such as automation) without fearing its consequences on human jobs.

Why is it not a good idea? Well, it has not yet been proven to work on a big scale. Basic Income might cut welfare payments, reduce health care and tax credits to avoid raising taxes too much. But even then, basic income could only be affordable with around 45% taxes (2012 estimate from Ireland). There were trials in the 70s in the US that concluded that a basic income reduced poverty but also reduced the number of hours each person worked. So will it make people lazier?

Testing has taken place in Sweden, India, Germany, America, etc. The results are not unanimously positive, but in some places, basic income has generated some pretty good results. Crime rates have gone down, high school completion rates have gone up, but is this something that will be maintained in the long run? Wouldn't people try to abuse of this system or use the money for alcohol or drugs? There is still much testing to do and, if this idea is implemented, it will drastically change things on economic, politic and social levels. 

We are approaching an era where there will simply be less things to do. Maybe one day we will have to implement such a system. Let's hope that, until then, we would have understand the advantages and the consequences of such a drastic change to our society. This might be a solution that seems to solve no problem but it will definitely change the way we live our lives for the better or for the worst. Since both sides of the political distribution (left and right) seem to like the idea, why not give it a try on a bigger level and see what happens. It might even teach us something about ourselves.

P.S. I want to know what people from different places think of this. If you feel like sharing your opinion, go ahead and leave a comment. I'll read it with great pleasure!

For a bit more drops of future, visit:

-http://www.fastcoexist.com/3040832/world-changing-ideas/a-universal-basic-income-is-the-bipartisan-solution-to-poverty-weve-bee

-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m_k14dEcAI

-http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-germany-basic-income-20151227-story.html

-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3jUtZvWLCM

-http://www.vice.com/read/something-for-everyone-0000546-v22n1

The Unconventional Way to the Top

I've been wanting to write about this subject for a while now since it has got a lot of media attention in the past few months. Let's go back a few years to the start-up region often called Silicon Valley. In 2009, an idea hatched inside the head of two entrepreneurs that would make a ton of noise and cause a lot of trouble. Uber was born. And two years later, the company went from operating from the coast of California to New York City. Today, calling a Uber car takes 2x less waiting time than the median response time for an ambulance. Sounds good? Well, let's take a look at all the commotion this application has caused.

If you've heard of Uber before, you probably did not only hear good things about it. Uber is what I like to call an aggressively competitive company. It's main role is to promote commuting by cars where the driver actually gets paid. This encourages people to use the app since it is easier and simpler than paying for an actual taxi (the passenger is charged directly on his credit card via the application). Obviously, the success of Uber has been making taxi drivers mad since their industry now make much less money. A lot of taxi companies have protested against Uber. Cities have tried to label it as illegal and have pressed charges. But still, Uber holds its grounds. How come?

To become a Uber Driver, you don't really need to do much. You need a 4 inspected door car, a good record, a permit and... That's it? Oh, and you also need to sign up on the app itself. How easy was that? Taxi drivers actually have to get trained before doing their job. Uber skips all that. This is why, in New-York City for example, Uber has a lot more cars than there are taxis. The towns have been imposing a tax on all the driver's profits, but that has not stopped the company from greatly expanding all over the world and acquiring profits of more than 50 Billion $.

Uber has been brought to court over the problem that its drivers are actually employees and not independent contractors. If the latter case was proven correct, employees of Uber would be subject to new rules. Uber has only been criticized for its aggressive ways in dealing with the competition. Its employees have acted as fake pedestrians, scheduling and cancelling rides from a competitor. Furthermore, Uber aims to make taxis obsolete. The industries have been trying to modernize their approach but customers always seem to prefer Uber. It has become a modern part of our lives even if its services remain  controversial.

Moreover, Uber seems to be wanting to play in the automated car industry. When Tesla announced it will be selling autonomous cars by 2020, Uber proposed to buy half of million of them. Such an impressive amount brings questions to mind. Why? What would Uber do with all of those cars? Of course, replacing existing taxi drivers seems to be part of the answer. Safety might be the other part. Such an investment might make Uber the owner of the most autonomous cars in the world. This shows how much power Uber has and how much it can still achieve in the business.

That being said, the problems Uber has had in past have been playing in its favor the whole time. Even if no one is sure if the service is within the boundaries of the laws, it has not stopped millions of people from using the service. This proves that sometimes, a bad reputation can greatly work in favor of companies. If Uber had kept things less controversial, it surely would not have become the company we know today. Even if a review is bad, it's a review. And the more people talk about it, the more Uber gets known. I wouldn't agree with their methods, but it is stunning how fast they revolutionized an old, firmly established industry in so little time. For that, I think they deserve the success they have today. Would I use their services? I do still prefer buses; but, out of curiosity, maybe once.

For a bit more drops of future, visit: 

- https://medium.com/invisible-balloons/uber-911-5d28d7428de6#.o0qugvz0o 

- http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2015/11/uber_won_new_york_city_it_only_took_five_years.html

- http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2015/11/18/the_9th_circuit_just_dealt_uber_another_blow_in_its_class_action_driver.html

- http://valleywag.gawker.com/ubers-dirty-trick-campaign-against-nyc-competition-cam-1508280668

- http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/taxi-review-offers-city-of-ottawa-advice-on-dealing-with-uber-1.3324983

The Wireless Spacecraft

In 2003, NASA flew the very first aircraft power solely powered by the energy provided by a laser beam. Of course, the technology for running such an interesting experiment has been around for quite some time now. At the beginning of the 20th century, Tesla was building a tower that was suppose to transmit wireless power worldwide. Even if the tower and the technology were unsuccessful, the idea behind such a concept was not lost.

The first real transmission happened after World War 2 after the microwave technology was discovered. Wireless Power Transmission then became possible and led to new ideas such as a satellite that sends energy collected from the sun back to earth. This type of energy transfer was mainly used for drones and satellites. 

What is interesting with such a technology is the fact that, with our current technologies, it is efficient at 76%. But of course, creating one of theses systems is extremely expensive. That is the reason why it has only been deployed in space or aircraft projects (like in satellites, drones or in the idea of the space elevator) and not for powering your car when you run out of battery. Closer to us, NASA was the first to power an aircraft with a laser for a flight in 2003. This opened the door for a lot of applications.

Today, a young start-up named Escape Dynamics is looking for a new way to send rockets into space. They plan on removing the costly and inefficient fuel that each spacecraft carries into space and replace it with a microwave-absorbing heat exchanger. As the electromagnetically-powered spaceship rises, it gets powered by a microwave beam that will provide energy to heat up the hydrogen in a fuel tank and power the rocket until it reaches orbit. All of the energy that will power the spacecraft comes from the electricity grid.

So what makes this new thing so powerful? Reduced risk, increased efficiency, reduced costs (from 5000$/Kg to about 150$/Kg), completely reusable spacecrafts and great use of renewable energy to power the whole thing. This looks awesome. On paper. But as with any big technological advantages, it comes with a cost. The R&D costs around 200 millions and the whole thing would cost around 1 billion dollars to implement. And all of the advantages are only expectations. Who knows what the real outcome will be?

But I think it's an amazing idea and that it could be a big step in helping us explore more of the universe. No one said such a dream would come at a low cost and if we are to discover and colonize our entire Solar System one day, then steps like theses are necessary. I look forward to seeing what they come up with in 10 years.

For a bit more drops of future, visit: 

- http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2015/07/17/this-company-aims-to-launch-rockets-with-beams-of-power/

- http://escapedynamics.com/technology/hpm-2/

- http://web.pdx.edu/~larosaa/Applied_Optics_464-564/Projects_Presented/Projects-2006/Andrew_Bomber_Report_Wireless_Power_Transmission_PH464.pdf

A Productivity Dilemma

The working week. For most of us, it's five days in a row where we work like hell before achieving the relaxing two-day weekend we so desperately want. This traditional way of working was shaped progressively across the ages by multiple factors like religion for example. Sundays are supposed to be the rest days for Christians and Saturday is important in Judaism during Sabbath. In modern times, working 5 days a week is considered normal mainly because it is a good way to accommodate the majority of the many religious views.

Closer to us now (talking about time here), in 1908, the five-day working week was introduced in the United States to accommodate the Sabbath's rules. Henry Ford was actually one of the first to close his factories during the weekend in 1926. The rest of America slowly followed after 1940 when a reform forced workers to never work more than 40 hours a week. The Arab World also had an influence over its surroundings during multiple workweek reforms.

There is a trend in America where working as much as possible is considered a good thing from a career point of view. The American Dream mentality is usually blamed because it promotes the idea that if you want to succeed in life, have a house and a car, you have to work hard. People usually associate working hard with working long hours.

So here is an idea that has gained a lot of attention in the last year: a new 4 day workweek reform that seems promising. But will it be? 

If you look at Germany, the Netherlands or Denmark, you realize that they work less hours, are more happy and have more robust economies than countries like Japan or the UK. So what can we actually learn from that? And is it sufficient proof that the 4-day workweek is an amazing idea for everyone?

Lets see: working less hours leaves more free time for yourself, people have more opportunities to relax, enjoy life, spend time with their kids and train to become better at their job or to seek better ones. From a productivity point of view, having one less day to worry about work seems to make people more productive, more efficient and less wasteful of time than in their full five days of work. From a company point of view, it seems to make recruitment easier, it helps save money and helps with the moral of the people.

For now, everything seems great. But let's not forget what having a job is all about; it's not about being with your family, it's not about relaxing, it's about making money. And if a 4-day workweek is imposed, the number of hours per day might climb a lot. For example, if you used to work 40 hours per week, doing the same amount of hours will result in working 10 hours per day, instead of 8. Now, if there is a limit on the number of hours worked, then the annual salary of each person is going to suffer drastically; without mentioning the fact that work will be more intense and won't accept any slow-downs. Some people might want to find another job, which would mean losing the benefits of the 4-day system. All of this without mentioning the problems it might bring to essential services like healthcare, government or educational institutions.

So those are the main problems and the expected advantages such a change might bring if it was implemented. From my point of view, something this big should not happen over-night and companies should think twice before implementing such a system. The best way to go, in my opinion, would be to dedicate a period of time to this new way of doing things, get feedback and see if it's a good idea in the end. Something like this might reduce the income of the company or boost it if it is well implemented. Creating a huge reform out of this is not a good idea. In the end, it should just require a bit of testing and tweaking. Nothing more.

For a bit more drops of future, visit:

- http://i.imgur.com/UAMeBef.jpg
- https://lissanne.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/4-day-work-week-au.jpg
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=580VyI6hFmo&feature=youtu.be
- http://money.cnn.com/2014/10/08/investing/carlos-slim-3-day-work-week-will-happen/index.html
- http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/real-money-with-alivelshi/articles/2014/6/30/inside-the-life-ofacompanythatworksa4workweek.html
- http://simplicity.laserfiche.com/is-a-four-day-work-week-right-for-your-company/

A Loop in Modern Transportation

One might be impressed with the technological advancements that have been made in the transportation category in the last few years: cars have become safer, more powerful, faster and much more economical. The same thing goes for airplanes, trains, boats, trucks and buses. Well, if you really think about it, transportation has not really changed in the last 100 years. We still move around the same way. Only much faster...Right?

Faster? Yes. But how much faster? Let's compare a train during the 1930's to a modern high-speed train. And lets set this comparison in Germany. Just for fun. So in 1930, you could hop on a train called the Flying Hamburger that easily went at an average speed of 124 km/h from Berlin to Hamburg. Today, if I left Berlin tomorrow, I would arrive in Hamburg after 1 hour and 38 minutes at an average speed of about 173 km/h. So +50 km/h in 85 years? Not that much faster.

Of course that was just an example; yet, it still shows that transportation has not really changed in the last century all that much. Why? We are still stuck with the same old options as before. We are limited only by our budget and by the inventions of another time.

And this is where the new Hyperloop, Elon Musk's invention, comes in. It's basically a pod that travels above ground in a pressurized tube. But it has lots of perks, from being charged by solar and wind energy to virtual reality experience instead of windows. But what is important for us is the speed and cost of this new method of transportation.

San Francisco to Los Angeles in 35 minutes. Los Angeles to New York in 155 minutes (compared to around 7 hours of normal flight). The Hyperloop could reach speeds of about 760 mph. On paper at least. So this new technology claims to be faster than air travel. If it becomes a reality, the tickets would only cost around 20$; a lot less than traveling by air.

Yet, I have my doubts about this new idea. The idea is being taken by an architecture studio and a start-up based in downtown LA because Elon Musk is busy with other projects (mainly Space X and Tesla Motors). A Hyperloop of 400 miles would cost around 6-10 billion dollars. But the real problem in my opinion comes from the fact that one of these tracks would take a lot of time to build. The test track (5 miles) will be open in 2018. Essentially, the future predicts that this new way of getting around will cover the entire USA. But who knows how much time that will take. If everything goes according to plan, this might revolutionize transportation one day.

Still, if everything turns out just fine, I agree it will make getting from point A to point B faster, making flying obsolete (except for when you want to go from one continent to another). Who knows, maybe this technology could one day cross the oceans and connect us to anywhere. All we can do is wait, and hope it stays inexpensive, fast, eco-efficient and of course, safe.

For a bit more drops of future, visit:

- https://transportevolved.com/2015/06/08/elon-musks-hyperloop-becomes-reality-as-agreements-secured-for-5-mile-track-in-california/
- http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1095990_engineers-continue-work-on-elon-musks-hyperloop?km
- http://gizmodo.com/heres-a-glimpse-at-what-the-hyperloop-might-actually-be-1710274900

Impressive Wireless Technology

You can't live without it, I can't live without it, we can't live without it. OK. That being said, a big percentage of the world's population surprisingly does not have access to Wi-Fi. So yes, they can live without it. But I guess they won't be living without it for long.

Let's start from the beginning. Wi-Fi began 2 years after the first moon landing of 1969 in the Hawaiian Islands. From there, the technology was popularized in the United-States under the not very well known name of WaveLAN. Wi-Fi was then (and today) just a transmission of information by radio frequencies. 

But today, things have changed. And our way of looking at Wi-Fi will too. Google, like Facebook, is looking for a way to bring Wi-Fi to the rest of the world that has yet to be illuminated by the magical attraction that the internet.

So the plan, called Project Loon by Google, is to create a network of high altitude balloons that spread the internet to the entire world. The balloons float in the Stratosphere and connect to the cellular spectrum (provided by the cell-phone companies in place) of the people to share the internet via high speed links.

That  seems awesome, but why would Google want to do that? Well, it is pretty obvious that, with Facebook, all Google wants is to access more costumers with their products.What is Google's main product? Google Chrome and their Search Engine. What is Facebook? A social network. Both of these companies rely on the internet to reach their customers. So if everyone had internet, they'll obviously have a lot more costumers.

But I can't blame Google and Facebook; in doing so, they help the rest of the world access vast amounts of knowledge and an incredible way to communicate. I think this is a fantastic idea, but also a dangerous one. Now that the entire world will have access to the internet, anyone can connect with anyone or steal from anyone. "Private" is not really a word that can be used when referring to the internet; everything that is in there is shared. 

Finally, I would also like to mention an emerging new technology that uses sensors to harvest emitted radio-frequencies and turn it into a DC current. In other words, those sensors can use the Wi-Fi without damaging the signal to charge any electrical device without touching it. For now, this can charge your phone from 20 feet away; but it will get better and better. Imagine charging all of your house using only your Wi-Fi. Combine the balloons and this technology, and, who knows? Maybe everything will be able to get charged from thin air one day.

So are theses new Wi-Fi technologies all that great? I think so. But we'll always need to be careful of how we use it. You never know who is out there.... Every person in the whole world will have the possibility to stalk your profile on Facebook without you ever knowing! Careful what you put out there.

For a bit more drops of future, visit: 

- https://www.google.com/loon/how/

- http://www.wired.com/2015/06/power-over-wi-fi/

- http://www.theverge.com/2015/3/2/8129543/google-x-internet-balloon-project-loon-interview

Living Off the Grid

Who never dreamed of running away far from society and living in a tree-house or in anything we would happen to find on the way to freedom? Who never dreamed of living another life, one where stress and work could not exist and the only goal was to explore as much of the world as we can? Maybe we imagined we could live life in society for a certain period of time, building our empire, learning, teaching and, when the time is right, leave everything behind to open a private vineyard with a honey farm somewhere in the South of Italy.

For some, this is an amazing dream that is inaccessible due to financial or personal constraints. Yet, there is a new product out there that looks like a rounded shipping container that might bring this dream closer to reality.

This interesting-looking little capsule is called the Ecocapsule, is made by the Slovakia-based Nice Architects and is more affordable than you think. The interior has an 86 square-foot living area and the whole thing is designed to sustain your lifestyle for a long period of time (up to a year!) without exterior help. As you can see, you can bring your phone charger as electricity is stored and produced by the solar panels and the little wind turbine. The whole thing can easily be towed to the desired location, has an exterior that is made out of plastic, is insulated, harvests rain water and removes bacteria all by itself. The battery can also charge electric cars. 

The interior is design for two people at a time. It is exactly like a little self-sustainable house due to the fact that it has two windows that can be opened on both sides, a folding bed for two, external and internal storage, a toilet and shower, a kitchenette and a working/dining place. This little capsule packs everything you need.

The pods are right now in pre-production and should become available around 2016. The pod can easily be inserted in shipping containers and therefore can be shipped around the world for a couple thousand dollars. It is designed for tourism (you can take it and literally live anywhere) or for helping in places that need housing as fast as possible. 

So is it worth it? I think we still need to figure out how much  it costs before answering that question as the creators have not yet talked about the price. But, from my point of view, this is almost a dream come true as I imagine all the possibilities, the experiences and the places you can visit with this little pod. Its an interesting concept, and I think it deserves some recognition. Whether this opens up new possibilities in world exploration and visiting or creates a new way of planning vacations, this is a bright idea that should be made affordable and accessible to all.

For a bit more drops of future, visit: 

- http://www.fastcodesign.com/3046968/live-off-the-grid-with-this-crazy-self-powered-pod

- http://www.boredpanda.com/ecocapsules-off-the-grid-nice-architects/

- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/26/tiny-house_n_7443744.html

- http://www.ecocapsule.sk/ecocapsule

Inside an Avant-Garde Company

My first article on this blog talked about the new PowerWall Tesla unveiled weeks ago at a conference and the amazing things it could do for our society. But I can't talk about Tesla without obviously mentioning the electric cars and the elaborate plan this company has established to change the way we look at energy consumption worldwide.

So, why Tesla? Well, Tesla has been growing and growing non-stop on the global market from its very start. With the release of the Tesla Roadster, the company entered the automobile market and became the first modern electrical vehicle company to beat other companies that have been around for a long time.

As Tesla is getting bigger and bigger, it is getting pretty obvious that in the next few years, it will become an important company, not only on the market, but also in the eyes of the consumer due to the technological advances and innovations the company promises. 

I talked in other articles about how electrical energy can and will become the leading source of renewable energy in the future along with wind energy. This means that, for a modern company, Tesla is way ahead of its time. No other company has had such a success selling electronic cars especially in the US for years. When Tesla came along, they also brought so much more than just an electric car; they brought the idea and dream that by using electricity, and making it affordable for anyone, we can depend only on renewable energy.

Besides the PowerWall, Tesla obviously have their innovative electronic cars. The newest version of the Model S is even equipped with autopilot. The cars are fully electric, very fast (0 to 60 in 3.1 seconds), have all-wheel drive and one of the best safety rating for a car out there. That makes them very competitive when compared to other luxury cars out there.

Besides the luxury Model S, Tesla is also working on an SUV called Model X and a more affordable electric car named Model 3 that will cost around 35 000$. This last car will fulfill Elon Musk's dream of creating an affordable electrical car for the normal public.

Besides the cars, Tesla is also providing free fast charging stations where each user can quickly charge their car. Until now, these stations cover a good part of the US and Europe. But after 2016, they will be positioned so the Tesla car user won't have to pay for electricity when traveling long distances in America or in Europe. These stations will start to be implemented everywhere in the world and, one day, they might make transportation completely electric as Tesla will build more cars (and even Trucks). Further more, knowing the PowerWall might also make homes completely electric, we can easily see where this is going.

Most polluting sectors: Electricity Production, Transportation and Industry

Apart from all those awesome things, Tesla is planning on building a Gigafactory powered by solar and wind energy in the state of Nevada, USA. The factory will produce about 500 000 Lithium-ion Batteries per year as well as employ about 6500 people. This idea will create both jobs and new car parts but some say it might become obsolete before the building is even finished (around 2017). This is due to the fact that new batteries that are a lot more powerful than the ones that will be in production have appeared (like the aluminum-air battery developed by Fuji Pigment Co.).

So is Tesla what we might call an "Avant-Garde" Company? I believe so. They have managed to change an industry that has been doing things the same way for the past 150 years and this is a step in the right direction. As batteries become cheaper and more powerful, so will Tesla's cars. How far can Tesla go? As far as electricity can go and as far as the public's appreciation will go. Tesla is now more than a CEO's dream, its an electric reality that is now rolling faster than ever.

For a bit more drops of future, visit:

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UziAXis9yg
- http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-tesla-most-important-automaker-20140620-story.html
- http://www.teslamotors.com/supercharger
- http://www.thestar.com/business/2015/06/02/tesla-trucks-sort-of-co-founder-in-ambitious-electric-truck-start-up.html
- http://www.teslamotors.com/sites/default/files/blog_attachments/gigafactory.pdf
- http://fortune.com/2015/04/27/gigafactory-obsolete/

Technology's New Milestone

From the first autonomous car to the first optical wearable tech, Google has consistently revolutionized the technological market by not only developing new gadgets that have proven useful to millions of people, but by also coming up with never before seen technologies.

Touchscreens, a technology that is used in everything these days (watches, computers, tablets, cell phones, etc.), dates back to the 1980's, but became popular only around 2004. Today, it is still a very interesting and useful technology to have because it makes everything accessible to the human touch. Like babies discovering things with their hands, the touchscreen enables us to discover and access the world within our devices with our fingers. 

And as time has gone by, there really didn't seem like anything could become more powerful or more useful than a touchscreen. Until Google decided to show off new technologies last Friday and unveiled their Project Soli.

Google has been working on something that could make the touchscreen obsolete: manipulating technology without actually touching it. Google showcased an early prototype of this using a small chip.

The idea is fascinatingly simple but this may very well be the future of household devices and even of technology itself. By using radar waves, the chip senses the movements of the user's hand and can detect and distinguish various movements. Each movement or action is then translated into commands that can be interpreted like rubbing your fingers to reduce the volume or to scroll. 

The technology is still in its early stages but still represents a good leap forward in manipulating objects in virtual realities. But how will this new technology affect us? It is pretty obvious that it will have an impact on how we perceive and interact with the technological world but I guess it will counter-intuitively make us less dependent of the machines we use. Imagine if we could do anything without having to touch the screen. By using hand gestures or vocal commands, we might become more connected with the real world because we don't have to always focus on one object at a time. With one command, we might, from our bed, stop the oven, reduce the volume of our music, position an image on our PowerPoint and call a friend to dinner. All of this, quicker than ever, from the comfort of your bed. 

Yet, the opposite might happen too. We might lose track of our surroundings because we are too busy gesticulating. Also, this might open up new applications in virtual reality that will make it more and more realistic. I think people will have to get use to it too; gesticulating over a cellphone seems more like something a magician would do and an obvious question is: "Are you trying to levitate it?".

Finally, is this such a good idea after all? I think it all depends on how far this new technology is implemented and how it will be used. It might help distance us from being technological zombies, or it might make us even more addicted to what we already have. I guess only time will answer this question. Until then, we can only wait and be amazed at the numerous applications this new technology can and will probably have. 

For a little more drops of future, visit:

- http://uk.businessinsider.com/google-soli-finger-control-technology-2015-5
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QNiZfSsPc0
- http://www.roadtovr.com/googles-project-soli-radar-hand-tracking-and-how-vr-and-ar-input-might-use-it/

A Vegetarian's Nightmare

In 2013, something very interesting happened; Mark Post, a researcher from the Netherlands, assembled the first fully lab-grown burger form 20 000 strips of muscle tissue. Sadly, buying this burger would cost around the same as buying a new Ferrari.

Luckily, in only 2 years, the price has dropped from 325 000$ to only about 11$ for a lab-grown burger. Although that might seem like a huge drop, the burger is not commercially viable and we would have to wait at least another 20 years before tasting it. And, according to those who tried it, the labs still have a long way to go before creating something tasteful.

All of this to get to our main point: population is increasing, but the amount of land we have to raise animals and feed the population is staying the same. If we don't start expanding the land by creating farm buildings and building upwards, we are going to run into a problem: How do you feed a rapidly growing population with the same resources?

This is why this new technology is so interesting; the price dropped considerably. Today, it is much simpler, more economical, less destructive for the environment and morally good to recreate muscle tissues in the lab. If this process becomes simpler and simpler (as I'm sure it will), creating food for everyone will be a piece of cake.

So, is it happening? Well, not quite. The meat growing is not as efficient as it could be and there is a need for a new way to grow the cells that does not involve fetal calf blood. But innovations and new ways of doing things will solve these problems in due time. The price will also fall below the 65 to 70$ per kg of meat produced that Mark Post and his team of scientists have set.

From my point of view, the biggest problem with this new diet is this: how will they convince people to buy meat that has been produced in a lab? Of course, as it gets tastier and tastier, we won't have any way of telling it apart from the real thing, And because it is such an efficient way of producing meat, it might put conventional animal farms out of business. Also, this new meat may attract more people than the original kind as it seems vegetarians and vegans will want to eat this.

I found some interesting discussions on Reddit which I have posted in the reference links that talk about the reasons a vegetarian or a vegan would eat this new kind of meat. I think the main reasons people choose those diets is because of health, environmental, financial and moral issues. We talked about the greatly reduced environmental effects, the cost that is getting lower and lower (lab grown meat might even become cheaper than normal meat) and the fact that the animals are not harmed or killed in any way. This takes care of everything except the health issues. For that, it is worth mentioning that because the meat is grown in the lab, the nutriments, microbes and vitamins it contains are very well controlled and inspected.

For all these reasons, I don't see why this new kind of meat would not be accepted by the vegan and vegetarian community, as well as by the other types of diets out there. Who knows, it might even replace normal meat someday. Lab-grow meat is therefore an important part of the future of our diets and, along with building-integrated agriculture, might solve the big food problem of tomorrow.  

For a bit more drops of future, visit:

- http://bigthink.com/ideafeed/the-main-obstacle-for-lab-grown-meat-could-soon-disappear
- http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1jrupo/vegans_of_reddit_would_meat_grown_in_a_lab_change/
- http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/i5i8d/vegansvegatarians_would_you_eat_lab_grown_meat/
- http://www.fastcoexist.com/3044572/the-325000-lab-grown-hamburger-now-costs-less-than-12

Rise of the Unreal Reality

As all major piece of engineering and innovative work that has gained popularity in the last few years, it all started on Kickstarter around mid-2012; an idea that would change our perception of reality and bring us a lot closer to what we saw in The Matrix.

I'm talking about the Oculus Rift. Yes. It's been almost 4 years and finally, the company is releasing a consumer version of its very famous headset.

Now, lets talk about the implications of this new-ish type of product. Companies such as Sony, Canon, HTC, etc. all have their own virtual reality headset. These are normally popularized as gaming platforms, but they are also used as training, engineering, medical or military tools.

The most sophisticated of these devices can easily track your head, eye and hand movements to recreate the environment around the user as accurately as possible.

All of this comes from the need people have of deforming the reality that surrounds them. The dream is a lot older than technology itself. People love to dream. Everyone would love to build, do or create anything they like and these godly powers are obtainable when using a virtual reality headset. Do you dream of flying? Of living in the biggest mansion ever built? Of running on the Everest? Of visiting places you see in movies? Of being inside a video game? Look no further. 

BUT, we still have a good way to go before things are perfectly the way you imagine it. The headsets are not perfect, and people still get motion sickness, lag or not so good synchronization but that will go away eventually. 

In addition to the headset, new gear is being developed to add to the experience. For example, full body virtual reality suits will let you feel the game and better control a character or an avatar. The suit allows the user to feel the atmosphere around him or her and will produce sensations using electrical nodes.

The rest already exists. You want to play a shooting game? Here is the headset that will recreate the reality of the game. Here is a pad of which you can run without really covering distance. Here is a gun that is connected to the virtual reality and here is a suit that helps the avatar mimic your movements and shows you where you get injured. What else could you want?

As much as this sounds exciting, it might be tempting to embrace virtual reality and completely forget about the real world around you. That is the problem when you can be God in a virtual world that happens inside a world where you are only human.

I introduced this topic by mentioning The Matrix. And, in a way, we are getting closer and closer to mimicking our reality perfectly. When that happens, let's hope that robots won't be controlling the headsets and that we will still be able to recognize the Real from the Unreal.

For a bit more drops of future, visit:

- http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/future-tech/hands-on-with-the-htc-vive-virtual-reality-just-got-real-11363981379328

- http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/virtual-reality-suit-to-be-on-the-market-this-year/

- http://www.wired.com/2014/12/oculus-doesnt-need-killer-app/

Forced Inclination towards Automation

OK, enough with the small technologies that solve problems that have been around for decades. The pressing matter at hand is finding possible solutions to an even bigger problem that is not very apparent to the majority of the population.

In 1996 and 1997, 2 six-game chess matches took place between Chess Champion Gary Kasparov and the IBM supercomputer called Deep Blue. The 1997 match was the first defeat of a reigning world chess champion to a computer under tournament conditions. Sadly, this defeat anticipated a problem that no one thought of at that time.

I need to recommend the video "Humans need not apply" (First link inserted at the end) that clearly describes the growing problem that has almost every person that reads the news worried. 

Here is a quick summary of the video and the problem it explains: As we stopped using horses because cars were better, employers will stop using humans because robots will get better. Here are some jobs that can be replaced with their respective Automation Counterpart: 

• Taxi, truck and airplane drivers - Self-driving cars or airplanes
• Baristas, servers, bartenders - Baxter and Robot Chef
• Lawyers, Researchers or doctors - Paperwork bots and Watson
• Artists and Creative jobs - Emily Howell, Watercolor Bot

If you think your job is safe from automation, there is probably an in-development bot out there that is coming for you too. Robots are cheaper, more reliable, more powerful and much more efficient than human can ever be. Seeing how technology advances today, we should bump into problems by 2025.

So, problems will arise. Now, what can we do to help protect our income? One interesting idea is to simply forget about work, focus on what we should do with our free time and follow the Basic Income Movement. This movement wants the government to give every person money so they can satisfy their basic necessities and focus on what they want.

This brings up a problem as everyone will only have the strict minimum if they become jobless. Although this can be a problem, this will give them the opportunity to learn about new things that could bring them more money and that has not been taken over by robots.

Here is another idea that may work: To stop the growing unemployment rates that these new technologies will bring, it is essential to prevent companies from owning all the robots and acquiring all the profits. People who lose their jobs to robots should own the robot that replaces them and earn money from that robot's work. With that income, it is then possible to buy/sell other robots to keep growing but there has to be a law where each person that has lost his/her job to a robot has to own at least one robot. This idea is an interesting way of indirectly giving jobs to people who lost their.

"Imagine if nobody had to work for living, how many would do useful things for others, how many would create something amazing." Federico Pistono

We are accelerating toward a Machine Revolution, that, like its younger sister The industrial Revolution, will change things for the better or for the worst of humanity. Remember The Matrix? Even if we learn how to deal with this problem in the next decades, who knows what the increasing intelligence of robots will mean for us. As Steven Hawkins has put it: 

"Artificial Intelligence could spell the end of the human race" - Stephen Hawkins

For a bit more drops of future, visit:

- Humans need not apply: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pq-S557XQU
- http://www.businessinsider.com/experts-predict-that-one-third-of-jobs-will-be-replaced-by-robots-2015-5
- http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/05/what-if-everybody-didnt-have-to-work-to-get-paid/393428/
- http://mic.com/articles/119896/after-robots-take-our-jobs-basic-income-is-the-best-solution

Turbines without the twist

Even if the first wind turbine is older than you think (the first electrical turbine was created in 1888 by a Scottish academic named James Blyth), there is always space for innovation and new ideas on the market. 

I'm talking about a new Bladeless Turbine that, instead of transforming rotational movement in energy, uses vibrations and electromagnetic induction to create electricity. It basically uses friction as a more effective way of producing energy.

What is interesting about these new turbines, is that, for the same amount of produced energy, when compared with the old ones, they cost 40% less  to set up and maintain and they obviously us a lot less space. Sadly, they capture 30% less energy than normal turbines (for now), but they are completely silent. So why am I wondering if this is a good idea or not?

Well, first of all, they honestly look awful compared to the old wind turbines. Maybe its just me, but I'm picturing a field of these odd looking, vibrating structures where they are all very close together due to the fact that they use much less space than a normal turbine and its not very pretty...

Remember driving down a field of massively tall wind turbines that turn slowly and look very majestic? Now, replace all of those turbines with this new one and bring them all a lot closer together; they look futuristic, but they also just look like a social grouping of industrial chimneys.

And then there is the question of wind energy vs solar energy. Which one should we invest in? Well, from what the market looks like today, and from what is expected in the next 25 years, we can easily see that solar energy is going to generate more than our turbines. This is primarily due to the numerous innovations and the demands in the fields of energy storage and solar panels.

Electrical energy is set to grow fast due to new, high-performance and cheap batteries that will be accessible to everyone. For wind electricity, innovation seems slow, and all we can do for now is plant more and more turbines.

But don't get me wrong, I can't imagine the future without wind turbines and I think that a good electrical economy needs both Wind and Solar Energy to get the most out of what we can harvest. It simply seems to me that Solar Energy has a brighter future ahead.

For a bit more drops of future, visit: 

- http://techdrive.co/Bladeless-Turbine
- http://www.theverge.com/2015/5/16/8615089/vortex-bladeless-wind-turbines-shake-to-generate-     electricity 
- http://www.vortexbladeless.com/home.php 

The Dawn of the Powerwall

I've been wanting to write about this for a while now because it generated a lot of excitement in the futurology community. 

The Tesla PowerWall may look like the perfect new thing to stop global warming and revolutionize the future of power usage by making it completely dependent on electricity.

Hey, that looks like an awesome idea; but is it going to work?

Tesla seems to follow in the footsteps of the great Nikola Tesla (famous person that obviously inspired the name of the company) by imagining a world that relies only on electrical energy to function properly.

Tesla's dream was to provide the world with free electricity. He was, of course, well ahead of his time and that caused his ideas to get rejected because they could not generate profit.

And here we are, more than a century later, with this new product that seems to completely predict the future of humanity as to its energy usage. But is it anything new?

The PowerWall is simply a battery that is installed inside a house and that, being connected to the solar panels, stores energy for when the occupants really need it (at night or in the morning). So far, nothing new. But the thing with the PowerWall is that, following the constantly lowering prices of solar panels and innovative batteries, this technology is extremely affordable. It costs around 3000$ for the cheapest model and combined with the option of having solar panels, they are extremely efficient and can lower your electricity bill to 0$ if you are not careful.

The idea behind this is simple: by making the PowerWall affordable, Tesla hopes to transform every house into a solar panel energy user. And this may come as a surprise, but do you know how many solar panels are needed to power the entire world?

That small red square is the amount of solar panels needed to power the world today.

If we are going to leave fossil fuels behind (and I think we must, as soon as possible), then solar energy seems to be the best alternative and by making it affordable, Tesla has taken us a step closer to this noble goal. Nikola Tesla would be proud.

For a bit more drops of future, visit: 

- http://www.engadget.com/2015/05/06/tesla-powerwall-earnings/

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKORsrlN-2k&feature=youtu.be

- http://www.teslamotors.com/powerwall