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Recent developments in the field of Virtual Reality, where a user puts on a special headset to immerse himself in a totally computer generated world. The episode includes footage from the 2016 Silicon Valley Virtual Reality (SVVR) Expo, as well as two studio guests. Karl Krantz is the founder of the SVVR Expo, and Dustin Wish is a VR Evangelist at Samsung, a leading maker of VR headsets. The discussion includes the latest advances in VR, the practical uses of this technology, and the potential pitfalls of it.
The 2016 Innovation for Jobs (I4J) Summit. While computers and robots have brought us many benefits, they also threaten the jobs of millions of workers who may ultimately be replaced by machines. The purpose of the Summit was to find ways to generate new types of work that can't easily be done by machines. There are three studio guests. David Nordfors is co-founder and CEO of the I4J Summit, Robin Farmanfarmaian is President of the Summit and author of the book, "The Patient as CEO," and Allen Blue is co-founder of LinkedIn, the world's largest professional networking service. Interviews done at the Summit itself include Internet pioneer and Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist Vint Cerf.
An interview with American sociobiologist Rebecca Costa, host of the syndicated radio program “The Costa Report” and author of the highly acclaimed book “The Watchman’s Rattle.” The discussion centers on whether the urgent problems facing humanity today can be explained in terms of human genetics and human biological imperatives, and whether these imperatives can also be used to solve the problems.
Interview with Kara Platoni, journalism teacher at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, who has written a book called “We Have the Technology: How Biohackers, Foodies, Physicians, and Scientists are Transforming Human Perception, One Sense at a Time.” Kara discusses topics ranging from new methods of fixing sensory impairments, to people who implant electronic devices in their bodies that communicate directly with the central nervous system. We also talk about the nature of perception.
Recent progress in brain science, especially the new field of brain plasticity, which holds that the brain can be “rewired” at any age, with huge implications for human behavior as well as traits such as cognition and memory. The guest is Dr. Michael Merzenich, Professor Emeritus of Neuroscience at UCSF, pioneer in brain research for almost five decades, and a leading figure in brain plasticity. Prof. Merzenich has made numerous contributions to the field of brain science and holds about 100 patents. He’s also the founder and chief scientific officer of the Posit Science Corporation, which uses brain plasticity concepts to develop new behavioral therapies. He’s the author of the recent book, “Soft-Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life.”
An interview with Jerry Kaplan, serial entrepreneur, artificial intelligence expert, and author of the new book “Humans Need Not Apply: A Guide to Wealth and Work in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” He discusses what artificial intelligence is, what it can accomplish, what dangers it might pose, and how those dangers can be mitigated.
Interview with John Markoff, Pulitzer Prize-winning science reporter for the New York Times, and author of the book, “Machines of Loving Grace: The Quest for Common Ground Between Humans and Robots.” He says there are two main tracks to robotic development. In the first track, robots augment human capabilities by doing things that humans can’t, but always under human control and supervision. In the second track, robots, once programmed, can act on their own without further human supervision. He examines the implications of both of these tracks, including the possibility of developing robots that are too powerful to control.
Biometric technology is the technology of measuring a wide variety of human physical traits, including voice, and using that information for a wide variety of purposes, ranging from establishing positive identification of a person for security reasons, to helping with medical diagnoses. The guest is Todd Mozer, founder and CEO of Sensory, Inc., a leading biometrics firm. The discussion focuses on how the technology works, the many different uses for it, and possible risks of abuse.
The different types of cyberthreats confronting Internet users, from private citizens concerned about identity theft, to large corporations worried about theft of financial information, to government agencies fearful of leakage of classified defense secrets. Our two guests discuss what’s being done to counter these threats. Chris Porter is CEO of Training Camp, which provides subsidized training and certification programs for IT professionals, many of whom become cybersecurity experts in the government or defense sectors. David Shefter is Chief Technology Officer at Ziften Technologies, which makes cybersecurity software for commercial companies. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Innovation and Emerging Technology at Citigroup.
Artificial intelligence, robots and drones can create enormous benefits but also pose huge risks. The guest is Steve Omohundro, scientist, author and entrepreneur who has long studied the interface between mind and matter. He cofounded the Center for Complex Systems Research at the University of Illinois, published the book “Geometric Perturbation Theory in Physics”, and is president of Self-Aware Systems , a think tank that works to ensure that intelligent technology is used for positive purposes only. He also serves on the advisory boards of the Cryptocurrency Research Group and the Institute for Blockchain Studies.
