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By Sebastian Blanco - AutoBlogGreen

Local Motors Rally Fighter

We’ve heard of EV kit cars that can take a week (or an hour) to build, but how long do you think it would take to build an EV from scratch, using this new-fangled 3D-printing technology? If the technology from Local Motors works as advertised, it should take no more than the five days. The public will get to see for ourselves during this year’s International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago, IL in September. Two years ago, at the 2012 International Manufacturing Technology Show, Local Motors built its Rally Fighter (pictured) on the grounds during the six-day event.

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By Richard Waters — Financial Times


If Daniel Nadler is right, a generation of college graduates with well-paid positions as junior researchers and analysts in the banking industry should be worried about their jobs. Very worried.

Mr Nadler’s start-up, staffed with ex–Google engineers and backed partly by money from Google’s venture capital arm, is trying to put them out of work.

Its algorithms assess how different securities are likely to react after the release of a market-moving piece of information, such as a monthly employment report. That is the kind of work usually done by well-educated junior analysts, who pull data from terminals, fill in spreadsheets and crunch numbers. “There are several hundred thousand people employed in that capacity. We do it with machines,” says Mr Nadler. “We’re not competing with other [tech] providers. We’re competing with people.”

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By - GigaOM

Coin image adapted from Flickr user Antana

One of the reason bitcoins get so much attention is because people keep stealing them. Every week it seems that another “secure” wallet service gets plundered by tech-savvy thieves.

That’s one of the appeals of Xapo, a startup that just received a $20 million investment to build out its secure, insured “vault” for bitcoins.

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By Evan Ackerman — IEEE Spectrum

Really, Kuka? You got us all excited for this match between one of your cool new robots and a world champion table tennis player. We were thinking to ourselves, “Wow, Kuka wouldn’t have set this whole thing up unless it was actually going to be a good match! Maybe we’ll see some amazing feats of high speed robot arms, vision systems, and motion tracking!”

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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Ford Prefect and Arthur Dent in the BBC's adaptation
Though the idea of the “Babelfish” — a thing able to translate between any two languages on the fly — was created by the author Douglas Adams as a handy solution to the question of how intergalactic travellers could understand each other, it could be reality within 25 years. At least, that is, for human language.

Prof Nigel Shadbolt, a close associate of the web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, says that the idea of automatic machine translation “on the fly” is achievable before the world wide web turns 50.

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By Hotelier Middle East Staff

Virgin Galactic — backed by the Abu Dhabi government’s Aabar Investments — is expected to launch its first space flight within three months, marking the first commercial trip into outer space in history.

Branson, who also spoke about his plans to launch commercial space flights between London and Australia during a recent trip to Dubai, said if the flights are commercially successful there were numerous plans for space-related enterprises.

“If we can get enough people wanting to fly [to space] we can start building Virgin hotels in space, we can start doing trips to Mars, we can colonise Mars, we can start pulling asteroids back to Earth to see what minerals they have got in them,” he said during an interview on The Jonathan Ross show in the UK on Saturday.

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Beyond and Above Dr. Strangelove and Royal Dutch Shell: The Future of Omniscient Scenario-Planning Methodology, Today! By Mr. Andres Agostini.

This is a personal yet summarized and copyrighted P.O.V. that is professional, thorough and complete. This independent exploration is based on 30 years of practical experience and pragmatic expertise.

When I was 25 I was fully introduced and indoctrinated on worldwide Royal Dutch Shell’s scenario-planning methodology by Shell’s nationalized company Maraven. That introduction and indoctrination came through the kind deeds and executive decision of and by Maraven President, Dr. Carlos Castillo and the high-ranking strategic planners under his command.

The view and application of scenario-planning methodology by Maraven, as well as the inherent several-weeks training to me and others, also included all theoretical and practical quality-assurance and continuous-improvement prescriptions as posited by: Dr. W. Edwards Deming, Dr. Joseph Juran, Mr. Bill Conway, U.S. Navy, Kaisen and Hitachi.

With serious quality assurance and continuous improvement, one must exercise (like in scenario-planning contexts) great foresight and learning in advance in order to eliminate forthcoming “defects” or “flaws,” leaving leeway to countermeasure unknonwables.

All of my Maraven training included all of the preceding. Maraven was a created and an acculturated full-scope petroleum company by Shell and then under the absolute tutelage and management control of state-owned PDVSA (Citgo’s parent company).

Maraven was affluently thriving in worldwide markets while applying scenario-planning methodology as it was exactly conceived, designed and executed by Pierre Wack (an unconventional French oil executive who was the first to develop the use of scenario planning in the private sector, at Royal Dutch Shell’s London headquarters in the 1970s.)

Wack is the father of scenario planning in the private sector. For more details on this noted Guru, go to the Economist at http://www.economist.com/node/12000502 .

Wack’s public writings are meager and kept under the intellectual ownership of Shell. Wack’s methodological heir was Honorable Mr. Peter Schwartz, a previous Shell executive, the former Chairman of Global Business Network (www.gbn.com) and author of the groundbreaking book on scenario planning: “…The Art of the Long View: Planning for the Future in an Uncertain World…” (ISBN-13: 978–1863160995).

Wack and Schwartz are the greatest proponents of 3-scenario analysis. In my case, I institute “…hazard scenario planning…” and the number of plausible and implausible outputted thought-through “outlooks” (scenarios) are only limited by the designated budget by the Client.

I am going to explain what an “ouput” means in Systems Engineering. You have the Systems Transformational “Box,” throughputting (marshaling) from “known inputs” into “desirable outputs” (from sustainable successful outcomes into fiscally sound and continuous growth).

BUT, FOR A LONG TIME UNTIL YEAR 1999, I HAD A REVOLVING QUESTION: WHERE DOES THE EXACT AND MOST UNDERLYING GENESIS OF SCENARIO PLANNING REALLY COME FROM? EXACTLY, WHAT IS THE OUTRIGHT ORIGIN? When I study contemporary authors I always wonder if I can find the actual “root” philosopher, scientist and thought leader that first and originally brought about an idea, notion, maxim, theory, approach or breakthrough.

For instance, former U.S. Secretary of State and conspicuous American self-help author Napoleon Hill got his first name and success tenets after and from (respectively) Napoleon Bonaparte. I research the works by the original ones first and then I might check out the works by the contemporary versions afterward.

COMING BACK TO THE MAIN SUBJECT MATTER, I finally founded out that scenario planning was developed by the U.S. during the 1950’s and while this nation was encountering great existential challenges, threatening the country’s National Security doctrine as a direct result of the Cold War (1947–1991).

In consequence, I knew the exact and primordial, in-all-truth root and understood that DoD (1789 — present), DARPA (1958 — present), NASA (1958 — present) and Military-Industrial Complex (1961 — present) and other agencies and private contractors (including Skunkworks ones) were the founding fathers of advanced scenario-planning methodology.

Many scientists and engineers worked extremely hard at it, including NASA’s Dr. Wernher von Braun[1] and a plethora of elitist scientists (chiefly into Applied Physicists and Aerospace Engineers) collaborating with him. Elites can sometimes serve the public interest at large handsomely. But the gravest inflection point came by the Sputnik Crisis (also known as the “Sputnik Moment,” that is: a large Geo-strategic surprise). Many companies go under because of the strategic surprises inflicted by them either by smarter competitors or novel technologies in the hands of contrarian business enterprises.

From this point onward, one finds the salient research by RAND Corporation’s polymath futurist Herman Kahn (February 15, 1922 – July 7, 1983), also known as “…Dr. Strangelove…” To give you an idea on Kahn’s intellectual mind-set style, please check these clear-eyed assertions by him: “…I’m against ignorance… I am against the whole cliché of the moment… I’m against fashionable thinking… I’m against sloppy, emotional thinking…” [2] .

Comparatively and interestingly enough, the United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld argued, “…Reports that say that something hasn’t happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns; that is to say, there are things that we now know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns – there are things we do not know we don’t know…”

But many years before the “… unknown unknowns…” conjecture by Rumsfeld, Khan was the ultimate pioneer in superseding “…the unthinkable…” This by Khan is one of the pillars of Transformative and Integrative Risk Management and The Future of Scientific Management, Today!

He did offer a theoretical body and practical and downright mode of approaching its theory. The most important global institutions of the world, into profit or not, are into rigorous “…the unthinkable…” discerning, beginning with those of us into advanced beyond-insurance risk management and strategy.

Let’s explore Khan’s background now. Wikipedia’s citation [3] on “…the unthinkable…” polymath futurist is extremely educational. An excerpt of this citation indicates:

“…Herman Kahn (February 15, 1922 – July 7, 1983) was a founder of the Hudson Institute and one of the preeminent futurists of the latter part of the twentieth century. He originally come to prominence as a military strategist and systems theorist while employed at the RAND Corporation. He became known for analyzing the likely consequences of nuclear war and recommending ways to improve survivability, making him an inspiration for the title character of Stanley Kubrick’s classic black comedy film satire Dr. Strangelove.…Kahn’s major contributions were the several strategies he developed during the Cold War to contemplate ‘the unthinkable’ – namely, nuclear warfare – by using applications of game theory. …Most notably, KAHN IS OFTEN CITED AS THE FATHER OF SCENARIO PLANNING…”

CONCLUSIONS:

Given all of the prior, I understand and summon the following:

1.- Scenario planning, also called scenario thinking or scenario analysis, is a strategic planning method that some organizations use to make flexible long-term plans. It is in large part an adaptation and generalization of classic methods used by military intelligence, government agencies and entities, NGOs, business enterprises and supranationals. Nonetheless, scenario planning as per Wack and Khan is breathtaking but in itself does not suffice in contemporary times.

2.- Along with item “1.-” before, there is also the concomitant application of 2.1.- Systems Theory, 2.2.- Game Theory, 2.3.- Wargaming Theory and 2.4.- Many other modes of practical strategic thinking and strategic execution. By example, Game Theory and Wargaming Theory ─ both under the Systems Thinking Approach ─ are extremely well addressed by Dr. Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, PhD.

You may wish to explored his book: “The Predictioneer’s Game: Using the Logic of Brazen Self-Interest to See and Shape the Future” (ISBN-13: 978–0812979770).

To me Napoleon Bonaparte is the greatest Systems Thinker ever beyond any epic military campaign. If you are hesitant about it, please ask systems engineers, physicists and other scholars and managers, as well as prominent historians. 80% of the teachings by Bonaparte are re-taught in all U.S. Military Academies. In my case and as per my own experience, NASA-beloved Leonado Da Vinci’s publications can be an over-learning devices for the radiant prepared-mind crafting lucid scenarios irradiantly.

3.- With “1.-” and “2.-” in place, there is also the application of Compound Forecasting without the ruling out of the vast computing calculation and transformation from narrative data into numerical data.

I have many professional reasons to state that I use 70% of Qualitative Analytics and 30% of Quantitative Analytics. Algorithms don’t outsmart the biological brain yet. By year 2000, before the Dawn of Strong Big Data, the Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) CEO, Mr. Roger Brown and me were experimenting with seizing an optimal computerized reading pertaining to the “…success-likelihood ratio…” of a major business initiative to be jointly launched by our respective interests. This was another way of “futuring” that resulted exceedingly interesting and educational back then.

4.- In addition to all posited in “1.-”, “2.-” and “3.-” above, it is, too, highly advisable the concurrent implementation of other practical methodologies of and by 4.1.- Futures Studies and 4.2.- Foresight Research. There are several proprietary approaches that cannot be disclosed here.

5.- All numbered items above and in a rogue yet subtle search and recursive exploration of the totality of the whole (by holistic means), everything there must be seamlessly coalesced, integrated and instituted in accordance with Systems Thinking with the Systemic and Systematic Applied Omniscience Perspective as it is understood both by Applied Engineers and Physicists. Said “Omniscience” as it is chiefly understood by “Exact Science” Scientists.

All stakeholders always institute all the approaches hereby in order to avoid disruption potentials and to bring problems under optimal control. One of the world’s best and more authoritative examples is NASA and everything by it. For decades, NASA has been developing beyond-insurance risk management technologies and services for its own initiatives, projects and missions, as well as for august global corporations.

In the Summer of 2013, an American group of oil-and-gas corporations that operate globally asked NASA for a “…Space-Age Risk Management…” service to them as it was made official in a NASA own Press Release at http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/news/releases/2013/J13-014.html

Kindly please remember that Risk Management is neither taking calculated risks in Wall Street’s (or any stock market), nor managing “challenges” by insurance and reinsurance companies only. Beyond-Insurance Risk Management is, in all actuality, OPTIMAL MANAGEMENT PER SE to greatly exploit upsides and downsides before they happen in a sustained mode.

Ergo, Transformative and Integrative Risk Management is a proprietary methodology to practically solved complicated and complex problems by the targeted organization. Beyond-Insurance Risk Management or “…Transformative and Integrative Risk Management…” is, by far and by way of example, much more than Beyond-”…Sarbanes–Oxley Act…” Risk Management.

You see, “…reinsurance…” is a fancy term that equates to amount of sums of “…insurance purchased by and for insurance companies…” If a tiny or gargantuan insurance company instituted Transformative and Integrative Risk Management, said insurance company would not need at all to buy any reinsurance “protection” or so-called “cover.”

6.- There are many leading government agencies and entities, NGOs, global corporations and supranationals that, since many years now, apply everything above in parallel (simultaneously, cohesively and congruently). This is, for instance, under universal application by agencies and business enterprises into Aerospace and Defense.

Institutions ─ that I have worked with that make forceful efforts towards avant-garde “scenario planning” and Transformative and Integrative Risk Management ─ encompass: Toyota, Mitsubishi, World Bank, Shell, Statoil, Total, Exxon, Mobil, PDVSA/Citgo, GE, GMAC, TNT Express, AT&T, GTE, Amoco, BP, Abbot Laboratories, World Health Organization, Ernst Young Consulting, SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation), Pak Mail, Wilpro Energy Services, Phillips Petroleum Company, Dupont, Conoco, ENI (Italy’s petroleum state-owned firm), Chevron, and LDG Management (HCC Benefits).

7.- MANY PROFESSIONAL FUTURISTS AND OTHER SCIENTISTS AND ENTREPRENEURS HAVE FORMIDABLE NOTIONS AND FORESIGHTED IDEAS BUT GRAVELY LACK THE DIRECT EXPERIENCE AND EMPIRIC YET PROVEN WOMB-TO-TOMB METHODS IN PRAGMATICALLY MANAGING A DANGEROUS CORPORATE THEATER OF OPERATIONS (FRAMEWORK).

To find out more about relentless Scenario-Planning Methodology and Transformative and Integrative Risk Management, you are most welcome to consider the (republished by the Lifeboat Foundation and Forward Metrics) interview at http://lnkd.in/bYP2nDC .

REFERENCES:

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wernher_von_Braun

[2] http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/herman_kahn.html

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Kahn

Regards,

Mr. Andres Agostini

Risk-Management Professional Futurist and Entrepreneurial Success Consultant

http://lnkd.in/bYP2nDC

LIST OF UPDATES (MARCH 17 THROUGH MARCH 24/2014). By Mr. Andres Agostini at The Future of Scientific Management, Today!

Three-part nanoparticles for biomedicine eliminate biocompatibilty, storage problems
http://www.kurzweilai.net/three-part-nanoparticles-for-biomedicine-eliminate-biocompatibilty-storage-problems

Robotic prosthesis turns drummer into a three-armed cyborg
http://www.kurzweilai.net/robotic-prosthesis-turns-drummer-into-a-three-armed-cyborg

NASA tests new robotic refueling technologies
http://www.kurzweilai.net/nasa-tests-new-robotic-refueling-technologies

A small step toward seeing habitable planets
http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-small-step-toward-seeing-habitable-planets

Society and Politics – Part 4: The Empowerment of Individuals and Social Groups

Society and Politics – Part 4: The Empowerment of Individuals and Social Groups

CONTROVERSY BREWS OVER ROLE OF ‘KILLER ROBOTS’ IN THEATER OF WAR

Controversy Brews Over Role Of ‘Killer Robots’ In Theater of War

Virtual Reality Startups Look Back to the Future
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/525301/virtual-reality-startups-look-back-to-the-future/

New Material May Lead to Faster Oil Spill Cleanups

Headlines: New Material May Lead to Faster Oil Spill Cleanups

Two New Space Announcements Concerning Exoplanets

Headlines: Two New Space Announcements Concerning Exoplanets

Nanomaterial May Be Future of Hard Drives
http://news.sciencemag.org/physics/2014/03/nanomaterial-may-be-future-hard-drives

Artificial Organs May Finally Get a Blood Supply
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/525161/artificial-organs-may-finally-get-a-blood-supply/

Netflix and Google Books Are Blurring the Line Between Past and Present
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2014/02/history/

12 Reasons 2020 Will Be An AWESOME Year
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43015182/ns/technology_and_science-innovation/t/reasons-will-be-awesome-year#%2EUx1PjjiPKUk

Blood test predicts Alzheimer’s disease
http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/09/health/alzheimers-blood-test/?iref=obinsite

Conductive fibres: From lighter aircraft to electric knickers, flexible filaments raise a wide range of interesting possibilities
http://www.economist.com/news/technology-quarterly/21598328-conductive-fibres-lighter-aircraft-electric-knickers-flexible-filaments?fsrc=scn/fb/wl/pe/anuncommonthread

Behind the News: Why a High-Protein Diet in Middle Age May Increase Risk of Death
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140308-high-protein-diet-low-protein-cancer-meat-health-food-science/

The Top 5 Cyber Security Threats That Could Affect Your Life
http://blog.devry.edu/2014/02/top-5-cyber-security-threats-that-could-affect-your-life.html

BAE report says Ukraine has faced cyberattacks
http://news.msn.com/science-technology/bae-report-says-ukraine-has-faced-cyberattacks

Are Cloud Data Security Fears Overblown? A Sensible View.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/netapp/2012/12/12/cloud-security-1/

David Cameron stung by Angela Merkel’s broadband jibe
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron/10688763/David-Cameron-stung-by-Angela-Merkels-broadband-jibe.html

Policy uncertainty drives renewable energy investors overseas

Policy uncertainty drives renewable energy investors overseas

Rolls-Royce to repay £1.8m to Indian government
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/industry/10688684/Rolls-Royce-to-repay-1.8m-to-Indian-goverment.html

Google readies Android push into wearable devices
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/437374f8-a7cc-11e3-9c7d-00144feab7de.html

22 Incredible Images Show What the Future Looked Like 100 Years Ago
http://gizmodo.com/22-incredible-images-show-what-the-future-looked-like-1-1538688261

Darpa’s Tiny Lasers Will Soon Hunt for Biochemical Weapons
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2014/03/darpa-lasers/

The Origin of Intelligence
http://bigthink.com/big-think-tv/the-origin-of-intelligence?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bigthink%2Fmain+%28Big+Think+Main%29

Assessing corporate risk in Ukraine
http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140310103450-60894986-assessing-corporate-risk-in-ukraine?trk=tod-home-art-list-small_2

Snowden: “We Need A Watchdog That Watches Congress”

Snowden: “We Need A Watchdog That Watches Congress”

Why sensationalizing drone proliferation is going to kill our ability to control them.
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/03/10/drone_invasion_greatly_exaggerated_us_exports

Can big data crunching help feed the world?
http://www.bbc.com/news/business-26424338

Michael Dell on the Dirty Little Secret About Big Data
http://www.inc.com/tom-foster/why-michael-dell-sees-more-opportunity-as-a-private-company.html

The new battleground for tech companies: Your car
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101479771

MasterCard and Visa to accelerate payment security
http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=16494

Dinosaur-Killing Asteroid Triggered Lethal Acid Rain, New Study Suggests
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/10/dinosaur-killing-asteroid-acid-rain_n_4933735.html?&ir=Technology&ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000046

Yuan Declines In Face Of Weak Chinese Data
http://www.forbes.com/sites/deanpopplewell/2014/03/10/yuan-declines-in-face-of-weak-chinese-data/?utm_campaign=forbestwittersf&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Super-resolution atom-by-atom laser machining method allows for making nanoscale devices
http://www.kurzweilai.net/super-resolution-atom-by-atom-laser-machining-method-allows-for-making-nanoscale-devices

Leon Panetta Warns of Cyber Pearl Harbor: and a CTO gives him a polite earful
http://www.ctovision.com/2014/03/leon-panetta-warns-cyber-pearl-harbor-cto-gives-polite-earful/

Leaked NSA document confirms online covert deception involves UFOs
http://www.examiner.com/article/leaked-nsa-document-confirms-online-covert-deception-involves-ufos

A telescope bigger than a galaxy
http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-telescope-bigger-than-a-galaxy

Disney Bets $1 Billion on Technology to Track Theme-Park Visitors
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-03-07/disney-bets-1-billion-on-technology-to-track-theme-park-visitors?utm_content=buffer74b81&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Computers in Your Underwear: Where Wearable Tech Must Go to Succeed
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/232094

Hot on the trail of consciousness in brain and machine
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22129590.900-hot-on-the-trail-of-consciousness-in-brain-and-machine.html?full=true#%2EUx9HtPldWmQ

Humanoid Robots: The User Interface for the Internet of Things?
http://www.bookofthefuture.co.uk/2014/03/humanoid-robots-the-user-interface-for-the-internet-of-things/?utm_content=bufferda0ad&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

DURACELL HELPS COLD COMMUTERS GET WARM BY HOLDING HANDS
http://www.fastcocreate.com/3027483/duracell-helps-cold-commuters-get-warm-by-holding-hands

Is Entitlement Among Millennials Overblown?
http://www.fastcodesign.com/3026733/evidence/is-entitlement-among-millennials-overblown

Your Startup Is More Likely To Get Funding If You’re A Man
http://www.fastcodesign.com/3027458/your-startup-is-more-likely-to-get-funding-if-youre-a-man

THE INTERNET OF EVERYTHING: 2014
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-internet-of-everything-2014-slide-deck-sai-2014-2

IBM’s Watson Made Me A Kebab

IBM’s Watson Made Me A Kebab

Predicting the future on the Web’s 25th anniversary
http://www.elon.edu/e-net/Article/89854

Awesome tech you can’t buy yet, for the week of March 9, 2014
http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/awesome-tech-cant-buy-yet-week/#ixzz2vgrVvaW8

Tiny bladder pressure sensor could provide life-saving information
http://www.gizmag.com/bladder-pressure-sensor-sintef/31153/

Rolls Royce Robot Ships Coming Soon
http://www.electronicproducts.com//Electromechanical_Components/Motors_and_Controllers/Rolls_Royce_Robot_Ships_Coming_Soon.aspx

Stanford bioengineer develops a 50-cent paper microscope

Stanford bioengineer develops a 50-cent paper microscope

SXSW: Edward Snowden Has No Regrets About NSA Leaks
http://time.com/18691/edward-snowden-talks-privacy-and-security-at-sxsw-interactive/

NASA’s Project Morpheus completes Free Flight 8
http://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/DesignerEdgeArticles/ArticleID/7295/NASAs-Project-Morpheus-completes-Free-Flight-8.aspx

Long-term warming likely to be significant despite recent slowdown
http://phys.org/news/2014-03-long-term-significant-slowdown.html

Computer Genius Builds Language That Lets Anyone Calculate Anything
http://www.businessinsider.com/wolfram-language-demo-2014-3

Tiny Drums Turn Faint Radio Signals Into Light
http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/optoelectronics/tiny-drums-turn-faint-radio-signals-into-light?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IeeeSpectrum+%28IEEE+Spectrum%29

London launches hi-tech trial for pedestrian safety
http://phys.org/news/2014-03-london-hi-tech-trial-pedestrian-safety.html

CIOs preach the power of resilience
http://fcw.com/articles/2014/03/11/disaster-recovery-practice-practice-practice.aspx?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

“It can happen here”: Three years after Fukushima, U.S. vulnerable to nuclear disaster
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/power-players-abc-news/it-can-happen-here-three-years-after-fukushima-us-vulnerable-to-nuclear-disaster-223443355.html?vp=1

Shocked to learn how data brokers are watching you?
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/shocked-to-learn-how-data-brokers-are-watching-you/

The White House needs to shut up on Ukraine
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2014/03/10/obama_putin_ukraine_russia

The Truth about Drones
http://deloitte.wsj.com/cio/2014/03/11/live-from-sxsw-the-truth-about-drones/

Barack Obama, the world’s most famous social media editor
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/03/11/barack-obama-the-worlds-most-famous-social-media-editor/

Obama Could Use New U.S. Natural Gas, Oil Riches As Tools Against Putin
http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelkrancer/2014/03/10/experts-obama-could-use-new-u-s-natural-gas-oil-riches-as-tools-against-putin/

Nasa seeks coders to hunt asteroids
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-26528516?utm_content=buffer50801&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

3,000 Americans ditch their passports
http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/17/pf/taxes/citizenship-taxes/index.html

The Industrial Revolution produced machines that required human input. But is the digital revolution rendering labor obsolete?
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/pure-genius/qa-andrew-mcafee-erik-brynjolfsson-co-authors-of-the-second-machine-age/?tag=nl.e660&s_cid=e660&ttag=e660&ftag=TRE4eb29b5

The next tech revolution: Busting bureaucracy
http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2014/03/10/bureaucracy-revolution-tech/

No, U.S. Drones Weren’t Shot Down Over Crimea

No, U.S. Drones Weren’t Shot Down Over Crimea

China on Course to Exceed 2015 Shale Gas Target With Fuling Find
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-11/china-on-course-to-exceed-2015-shale-gas-target-with-fuling-find.html

Ray Kurzweil Keynotes Conference on Transforming Big Data into Fast Data and Smart Data
http://www.bizjournals.com/prnewswire/press_releases/2013/09/23/NY84309

Kurzweil: Computers Will Enable People To Live Forever
http://www.informationweek.com/kurzweil-computers-will-enable-people-to-live-forever/d/d-id/1049093?

The military’s new Google Glass streams TONS of futuristic battle data
http://dailycaller.com/2014/03/11/the-militarys-new-google-glass-streams-tons-of-futuristic-battle-data/

Stem Cell Researcher Calls for Retraction of His Own Work
http://time.com/20082/stem-cell-researcher-calls-for-retraction-of-his-own-work/

5 predictions for the Web that were WAY off
http://money.cnn.com/2014/03/11/technology/web-predictions/index.html

Work at China IBM Factory Resumes as Many Strikers Return
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304704504579432983318960394?mod=rss_Technology&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304704504579432983318960394.html%3Fmod%3Drss_Technology

FDA Approves Migraine Treatment Device
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304020104579433921861863030?mod=rss_Technology&mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052702304020104579433921861863030.html%3Fmod%3Drss_Technology

An Achievement: Israeli Intelligence & Navy Intercepted Missiles on Ship — But It’s Bad that Iran Closely Stands with Hamas in Gaza
http://israelspy.com/great-achievement-israeli-intelligence-and-navy-intercepted-missiles-bound-for-sinai-or-gaza-but-is-it-bad-that-iran-closely-stands-with-hamas-in-gaza/

Ukraine in Crisis: Putin and the Power of Gas
http://socialinarlington.com/ukraine-in-crisis-putin-and-the-power-of-gas/

Will millennials kill Costco?
http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2014/03/11/will-millennials-kill-costco/?iid=SF_F_River&utm_content=buffer314ed&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

European IT firms seize opportunity from spy scandal

European IT firms seize opportunity from spy scandal

Exxon’s Russia ties still strong amid crisis
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/exxon-russia-oil-104556.html

Inspiration Is Divine, But Totally Insufficient
http://www.inc.com/ilan-mochari/business-inspiration-entrepreneurs.html?cid=sf01001

Did CIA search senate committee’s computers?
http://www.msnbc.com/ronan-farrow/watch/did-cia-search-senate-committees-computers-191703107569?cid=sm_twitter_video

Rice bioengineers invent systems for ‘genetic circuit analysis’
http://www.kurzweilai.net/rice-bioengineers-invent-systems-for-genetic-circuit-analysis

New research could help make ‘roll-up’ digital screens a reality
http://www.kurzweilai.net/new-research-could-help-make-roll-up-digital-screens-a-reality

Watch scientists ‘herd’ cells with electric fields for controlled tissue engineering
http://www.kurzweilai.net/watch-scientists-herd-cells-with-electric-fields-for-controlled-tissue-engineering

Digital Health And The Transition To Nothing
http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnnosta/2014/03/11/digital-health-and-the-transition-to-nothing/

Tech brands steer consumers towards in-car technology

Tech brands steer consumers towards in-car technology

Ozone Layer Under Threat Yet Again

Headlines: Ozone Layer Under Threat Yet Again

What the Internet of 2025 Might Look Like
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/03/11/what-the-internet-of-2025-might-look-like/

My great bitcoin adventure: 6 months, 5 exchanges
http://www.infoworld.com/d/open-source-software/my-great-bitcoin-adventure-6-months-5-exchanges-237859

A Global Education Conference for a Global Crisis
http://bigthink.com/think-tank/gesf-a-global-education-conference-for-a-global

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Two Main Philosophies
http://bigthink.com/words-of-wisdom/neil-degrasse-tysons-two-main-philosophies?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bigthink%2Fmain+%28Big+Think+Main%29

17 areas to benefit from big data analytics in next 10 years
http://www.datasciencecentral.com/profiles/blogs/17-areas-to-benefit-from-big-data-analytics-in-next-10-years

The 17 Equations That Changed The Course Of History
http://www.businessinsider.com/17-equations-that-changed-the-world-2014-3

THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY: BIG DATA IS GREAT, BUT WE CAN’T FIND ENOUGH TALENT
http://www.fastcompany.com/3022909/fast-feed/the-healthcare-industry-big-data-is-great-but-we-cant-find-enough-talent

Hate to be a Nag About Climate Change But Here Goes

Hate to be a Nag About Climate Change But Here Goes

The Dozen Regional Powerhouses Driving the U.S. Economy
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2014/03/dozen-regional-powerhouses-driving-us-economy/8575/

Protein key to cell motility has implications for stopping cancer metastasis
http://phys.org/news/2014-03-protein-key-cell-motility-implications.html

Iran and Russia discuss new nuclear deal
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/03/iran-russia-discuss-new-nuclear-deal-2014312175752273103.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Quantum chaos in ultracold gas discovered
http://phys.org/news/2014-03-quantum-chaos-ultracold-gas.html

Data Centers and the Internet of Things to Come

Data Centers and the Internet of Things to Come

Google is encrypting search globally. That’s bad for the NSA and China’s censors.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/03/12/google-is-encrypting-search-worldwide-thats-bad-for-the-nsa-and-china/?Post+generic=%3Ftid%3Dsm_twitter_washingtonpost

NATO Poised to Ramp Up Nuclear-Arms Security Spending
http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/analyst-us-poised-ramp-spending-guard-nuclear-arms-europe/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

New contender for ‘fat gene’ found
http://www.nature.com/news/new-contender-for-fat-gene-found-1.14863

Inside China’s Market for Mobile Cybercrime
http://www.securityweek.com/inside-chinas-market-mobile-cybercrime

US House seeks alternatives to Internet sales tax bill
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2107520/us-house-considers-alternatives-to-internet-sales-tax-bill.html

4 Billionaires on How to Profit From Failure
http://www.inc.com/erik-sherman/4-billionaires-on-how-to-profit-from-failure.html?cid=sf01001

Google’s Schmidt: We were attacked by the Chinese and the NSA
http://rt.com/usa/google-schmidt-speech-sxsw-546/

Snowden leak: NSA plans to infect ‘millions’ of computers
http://rt.com/usa/nsa-greenwald-malware-infect-382/

Public investors get no say in new Google
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/columnist/krantz/2014/03/11/google-stock-split-affect-investors/5789895/

Why Nothing Is Truly Alive

How NASA Sold Us The Moon
http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucedorminey/2014/03/12/how-nasa-sold-us-the-moon/?utm_campaign=techtwittersf&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Drones will cause an upheaval of society like we haven’t seen in 700 years
http://qz.com/185945/drones-are-about-to-upheave-society-in-a-way-we-havent-seen-in-700-years/?utm_content=buffer2a3b1&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin.com&utm_campaign=

Climate change is already affecting the American people

Hate to be a Nag About Climate Change But Here Goes

Test may some day predict 5-year risk of death

Test may some day predict 5-year risk of death

Bacteria & Batteries: Five Hot Energy Tech Trends
http://www.csrwire.com/blog/posts/1247-bacteria-batteries-five-hot-energy-tech-trends

Cancer Research Breakthrough Using Bacteria
http://www.inquisitr.com/1168390/cancer-research-breakthrough-using-bacteria/

Australia Takes Lead in Cleaning Up Space Junk

Space Update: Australia Takes Lead in Cleaning Up Space Junk

Physicist proposes a new type of computing at SXSW. Check out orbital computing
http://gigaom.com/2014/03/10/physicist-proposes-a-new-type-of-computing-at-sxsw-check-out-orbital-computing/?utm_content=buffer6f5b7&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

NSA’s plan to inject malware into ‘millions’ of computers revealed
http://bgr.com/2014/03/12/nsa-hacking-malware-infections/

EU moves toward sanctions on Russians; Obama meets Ukraine PM
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/13/us-ukraine-crisis-idUSBREA1Q1E820140313?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=992637

International Astronomical Union Labelled ‘Boring’ As It Warns Space Is Not For Sale
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jasperhamill/2014/03/12/international-astronomical-union-labelled-boring-as-it-warns-space-is-not-for-sale/?utm_campaign=techtwittersf&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Why Is Google Building A Robot Army?

Why Is Google Building A Robot Army?

Beyond BRAC: Global Defense Infrastructure for the 21st Century
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/05/beyond-brac-global-defense-infrastructure-for-the-21st-century

NSA Director nominee wants every branch of the military to have a dedicated cyber attack force
http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/12/presidential-nominee-for-nsa-director-wants-every-branch-of-the/

Ukraine crisis makes people in the Baltic states very very nervous.…
http://on.ft.com/1kME07U

PUTIN MOVES AGAINST THE PRESS
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2014/03/vladimir-putin-press-censorship-galina-timchenko.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Feinstein excoriates CIA for spying on Senate committee
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57620193-83/feinstein-excoriates-cia-for-spying-on-senate-committee/

Target hackers showed intimate knowledge of firm’s network, suggests McAfee
http://news.techworld.com/security/3505877/target-hackers-showed-intimate-knowledge-of-firms-network-suggests-mcafee/

Disneyland for Law Enforcement
http://www.afcea.org/content/?q=node/12488

Web founder Berners-Lee calls for online ‘Magna Carta’ to protect users
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/12/us-internet-bernerslee-idUSBREA2B0PC20140312

NSA ‘hijacked’ criminal botnets to install spyware
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/12/us-usa-security-nsa-botnets-idUSBREA2B21420140312

Smart nanofibers to treat kidney failure
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140306132809.htm

Silk-based surgical implants could offer a better way to repair broken bones
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140304141946.htm

Squeezing light into metals: Engineers control conductivity with inkjet printer
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140307083701.htm

Taking a Look at Emerging Technologies
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/blogs/2014/03/taking-look-emerging-technologies

Business Insider | The Silicon Valley 100: The coolest people in tech right now
http://www.kurzweilai.net/business-insider-the-silicon-valley-100-the-coolest-people-in-tech-right-now

Here’s What The Internet Could Look Like In 2025
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/11/heres-what-the-internet-c_n_4943051.html?ir=Technology

New research could help make ‘roll-up’ digital screens a reality
http://www.kurzweilai.net/new-research-could-help-make-roll-up-digital-screens-a-reality

Canadian makers of ‘world’s lowest cost tablet’ aim for $20 device
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/canadian-makers-of-worlds-lowest-cost-tablet-aim-for-20-device/article17461367/

What’s Driving the Hospital of the Future?
http://www.aethon.com/whats-driving-hospital-future/

Brilliant Blunders: From Darwin to Einstein

Brilliant Blunders: Mario Livio’s Book is Well Worth a Read

Police departments begin testing and training with Google Glass
http://www.envisagenow.com/police-departments-begin-testing-and-training-with-google-glass/

7 Real Cybersecurity Threats
http://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/2014/03/13/real-cybersecurity-threats/

The political science of cybersecurity IV: How Edward Snowden helps U.S. deterrence
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2014/03/12/the-political-science-of-cybersecurity-iv-how-edward-snowden-helps-u-s-deterrence/

Cybersecurity Spending Up At DoD And DHS In FY15 Budget Requests

Cybersecurity Spending Up At DoD And DHS In FY15 Budget Requests

Military: 80 Percent of Colombian Drugs Gets to U.S.
http://time.com/world/

The Most Secure Buildings in the World
https://exploreb2b.com/articles/the-most-secure-buildings-in-the-world

NIST launches effort to improve disaster resilience of communities
http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20140313-nist-launches-effort-to-improve-disaster-resilience-of-communities

The Russia-Ukraine Cyber War
http://i-hls.com/2014/03/russia-ukraine-cyber-war/

The Coming Human-Machine Forecasting Revolution in Foreign Policy?
http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Articles/Detail/?lng=en&id=177471

AMERICAN EXPRESS SPOTLIGHTS THE ISSUE OF FINANCIAL EXCLUSION IN DAVIS GUGGENHEIM DOC “SPENT“
http://www.fastcocreate.com/3027508/american-express-spotlights-the-issue-of-financial-exclusion-in-davis-guggenheim-doc-spent

Russia announces start of military exercises near Ukrainian border
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/13/russia-political-economic-damage-ukraine-merkel

Merkel: Russia to face massive damage if no progress made on Ukraine
http://rt.com/news/germany-russia-massive-sanctions-590/

A step towards ‘programmable materials’ “Could change the world of mechanics forever“
http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-step-towards-programmable-materials

A new quantum-cryptography scheme to secure anonymous transactions
http://www.kurzweilai.net/a-new-quantum-cryptography-scheme-to-secure-anonymous-transactions

3D acoustic cloaking device makes objects undetectable with sound
http://www.kurzweilai.net/3d-acoustic-cloaking-device-makes-objects-undetectable-with-sound

Soon You’ll Be Able to Order Anything, Exactly How You Want It

Soon You’ll Be Able to Order Anything, Exactly How You Want It

Three Ideas Wearable Designers Should Steal From This Smart Medical Device
http://www.wired.com/design/2014/03/3-insights-wearable-design-smart-concept-epileptics/

Rolls-Royce Considers Building a … Plug-in Hybrid?
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2014/03/rolls-royce-plug-in-hybrid/

Ukraine crisis will make Iran’s mullahs more interested in nuclear weapons
http://washingtonexaminer.com/article/2545346

Bill Nye Sees An Intimate Connection Between Startups And Science

Bill Nye Sees An Intimate Connection Between Startups And Science

Tech professor believes to have discovered origin of life
http://www.dailytoreador.com/news/article_a68e7dae-a7df-11e3-848b-001a4bcf6878.html

STANFORD RESEARCHERS CREATE A NEW TECHNIQUE TO STUDY HOW WE INHERIT DISEASE
http://engineering.stanford.edu/news/stanford-researchers-create-new-technique-study-how-we-inherit-disease

Behind the News: Why a High-Protein Diet in Middle Age May Increase Risk of Death
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140308-high-protein-diet-low-protein-cancer-meat-health-food-science/

The White House Is Looking For More Innovation Fellows

The White House Is Looking For More Innovation Fellows

Promising news for producing fuels through artificial photosynthesis
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140307133631.htm

World Wide Web 25th Anniversary Marks Sir Tim Berners-Lee’s Life-Changing Invention
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/03/09/internets-25th-anniversary-sir-tim-berners-lee-world-wide-web-proposition_n_4930150.html?utm_hp_ref=uk

Coming Breakthroughs That Will Change Life As We Know It
http://www.businessinsider.com/michio-kaku-talks-about-coming-breakthroughs-2014-3

Russia Turns The Screws On Ukraine With Gas Supply Threat
http://time.com/16915/russia-turns-the-screws-on-ukraine-with-gas-supply-threat/

It’s Not Just Big Data, It’s The Right Big Data That Matters Most
https://exploreb2b.com/articles/its-not-just-big-data-its-the-right-big-data-that-matters-most

Three Reasons Why The UK Can Never Join The Euro
http://www.forbes.com/sites/francescoppola/2014/03/07/three-reasons-why-the-uk-can-never-join-the-euro/?utm_campaign=forbestwittersf&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

James Lovelock: ‘enjoy life while you can: in 20 years global warming will hit the fan’
http://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2008/mar/01/scienceofclimatechange.climatechange

The app controlled smart security drone with a STUN GUN built in to zap intruders with an 80,000 volt dart
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2576091/The-smart-security-drone-STUN-GUN-built-attack-intruders.html

Your Body Can Kill Cancer. It Just Needs Better Instructions.

Your Body Can Kill Cancer. It Just Needs Better Instructions.

Mathematical Patterns in Sea Ice Reveal Melt Dynamics
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2014/03/13/mathematical-patterns-in-sea-ice-reveal-melt-dynamics/

Nanoscale optical switch breaks miniaturization barrier
http://phys.org/news/2014-03-nanoscale-optical-miniaturization-barrier.html

Regards,

Mr. Andres Agostini
Risk-Management Professional Futurist and Success Consultant
http://lnkd.in/bYP2nDC

— CNET

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Bitcoin foe.

A US senator is asking the federal government to take this remarkable step: completely ban Bitcoin.

Joe Manchin, a Democratic senator representing West Virginia, sent a letter Wednesday to the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve, and other regulators characterizing the virtual currency as encouraging “illicit activity” as well as being “highly unstable and disruptive to our economy.”

Read more