Lifeboat Foundation

That was five decades ago. Catapult yourself to today and ask this question: What’s the U.S. Navy’s Gerald R. Ford nuclear aircraft carrier got to do with the moon?

Late last year, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems filed a final report to the Air Force Office of Scientific Research’s (AFOSR). That report was titled “Lunar Electromagnetic Launch for Resource Exploitation to Enhance National Security and Economic Growth.”

The author of that appraisal is Robert Peterkin, director of operations for the organization’s Albuquerque, New Mexico office.

(NewsNation) — Researchers have found a significant source of geothermal energy underneath the U.S.-Mexico border along the Rio Grande, which could lead to promising clean energy development in the rural region.

The findings came after a monthslong study conducted by the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin, which discovered that the region of Presidio County in Texas, which shares a border with Mexico, has the conditions necessary for geothermal development.

“There’s a thin, 10-to 15-mile-wide region that runs parallel or along the Rio Grande that has very high heat by at least by most standards, and even in the interior part of the county, which is probably two-thirds of the county,” Ken Wisian, head of the research team, told NewsNation.

Dr. Ben Murnane has published an Opinion piece in FEE, the Foundation for Economic Education, a major US think thank. The essay covers #transhumanism and the new biography Transhuman Citizen, out in 10 days.

It’s telling that with the rise of AI the first instinct of many politicians is to regulate it.

From the article:

Longtermism asks fundamental questions and promotes the kind of consequentialism that should guide public policy.

Based on a talk delivered at the conference on Existential Threats and Other Disasters: How Should We Address Them? May 30–31, 2024 – Budva, Montenegro – sponsored by the Center for the Study of Bioethics, The Hastings Center, and The Oxford Uehiro Center for Practical Ethics.

Continue reading “Are Children The Future?: Longtermism, Pronatalism, and Epistemic Discounting” »

In 2024, extensive flooding in southern Brazil caused significant damage, particularly in Rio Grande do Sul. Maps showing floodwater depths were vital for disaster response and economic damage assessments, supported by data from NASA and other scientific sources.

Storms and torrential rain battered southern Brazil beginning in late April 2024, causing deadly, destructive flooding that persisted through much of May. Toward the end of the month, parts of Rio Grande do Sul state remained underwater, and the scope of the damage became increasingly evident.

Maps of floodwater extent are one way to assess a flooding event. But information about the depth of that water is also useful, potentially aiding rescue and relief operations, informing decisions about road closures and accessibility, and contributing to analyses of damage and flood risk.

AI and crypto combined could add a total of $20 trillion to the global economy by 2030, the report said. Bitwise notes that bitcoin miners have all the resources that AI firms need. Crypto and AI have the potential to intersect in other areas other than mining such as information validation and virtual assistants.

The two industries could add a collective $20 trillion to global GDP by 2030, the report said.

When it comes to quantum computing, that chilling effect on research and development would enormously jeopardize U.S. national security. Our projects received ample funding from defense and intelligence agencies for good reason. Quantum computing may soon become the https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com/quantum-security-is-nat...at%20allow, codebreaking%20attacks%20against%20traditional%20encryption" rel="noopener" class="">gold standard technology for codebreaking and defending large computer networks against cyberattacks.

Adopting the proposed march-in framework would also have major implications for our future economic stability. While still a nascent technology today, quantum computing’s ability to rapidly process huge volumes of data is set to revolutionize business in the coming decades. It may be the only way to capture the complexity needed for future AI and machine learning in, say, self-driving vehicles. It may enable companies to hone their supply chains and other logistical operations, such as manufacturing, with unprecedented precision. It may also transform finance by allowing portfolio managers to create new, superior investment algorithms and strategies.

Given the technology’s immense potential, it’s no mystery why China committed what is believed to be more than https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/sustainable-inclu…n-quantum” rel=“noopener” class=””>$15 billion in 2022 to develop its quantum computing capacity–more than double the budget for quantum computing of EU countries and eight times what the U.S. government plans to spend.

Memphis may get most powerful super computer yet.

Memphis, Tennessee, may host the world’s largest supercomputer, the “Gigafactory of Compute.”:

The Memphis Shelby County Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and governing authorities hold the key to finalizing the project. If approved, it would be the largest investment in Memphis history.

Continue reading “Elon Musk plans ‘world’s most powerful’ supercomputer’ in Memphis” »

The big question is whether the wealth boom of the past decade, initially fueled by low interest rates and liquidity, and more recently by Covid-19 pandemic stimulus and artificial intelligence, can continue. Global conflicts, elections, interest rates and a potential economic slowdown could all slow the pace of wealth creation, said Elias Ghanem, global head of the Capgemini Research Institute for Financial Services.

“The last 10 years were exceptional,” Ghanem said. “We now have inflation, a potential recession and geopolitical problems and elections. The environment is completely different.”

Indeed, globally, the wealth picture looks more mixed than in the U.S. The number of millionaires worldwide grew 5.1% last year, to 22.8 million, according to the report. Their combined fortunes grew to a record $86.8 trillion.