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posted by takyon on Wednesday May 06 2015, @02:33PM   Printer-friendly
from the but-not-as-squishy-as-meatbags dept.

Phys.org reports on a new synthetic gel able to produce movement using its own internal chemical reactions.

For decades, robots have advanced the efficiency of human activity. Typically, however, robots are formed from bulky, stiff materials and require connections to external power sources; these features limit their dexterity and mobility. But what if a new material would allow for development of a "soft robot" that could reconfigure its own shape and move using its own internally generated power?

By developing a new computational model, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering have designed a synthetic polymer gel that can utilize internally generated chemical energy to undergo shape-shifting and self-sustained propulsion.

With other recent gel developments that Phys.org has reported, along with the advancement of AI, one must wonder if we are approaching sci-fi tech similar to the T-1000 from the Terminator series.

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What If One Country Achieves the Singularity First? 79 comments

What If One Country Achieves the Singularity First ?
WRITTEN BY ZOLTAN ISTVAN

The concept of a technological singu​larity ( http://www.singularitysymposium.com/definition-of-singularity.html ) is tough to wrap your mind around. Even experts have differing definitions. Vernor Vinge, responsible for spreading the idea in the 1990s, believes it's a moment when growing superintelligence renders our human models of understanding obsolete. Google's Ray Kurzweil says it's "a future period during which the pace of technological change will be so rapid, its impact so deep, that human life will be irreversibly transformed." Kevin Kelly, founding editor of Wired, says, "Singularity is the point at which all the change in the last million years will be superseded by the change in the next five minutes." Even Christian theologians have chimed in, sometimes referring to it as "the rapture of the nerds."

My own definition of the singularity is: the point where a fully functioning human mind radically and exponentially increases its intelligence and possibilities via physically merging with technology.

All these definitions share one basic premise—that technology will speed up the acceleration of intelligence to a point when biological human understanding simply isn’t enough to comprehend what’s happening anymore.

If an AI exclusively belonged to one nation (which is likely to happen), and the technology of merging human brains and machines grows sufficiently (which is also likely to happen), then you could possibly end up with one nation controlling the pathways into the singularity.

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/what-if-one-country-achieves-the-singularity-first

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  • (Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday May 06 2015, @02:53PM

    by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday May 06 2015, @02:53PM (#179538)

    About a quarter century ago I was subject to too many engineering presentations about magnetic gels that were basically powdered iron suspended in a dense fluid that would solidify (ish) under strong magnetic fields or if the electromagnet were off it would be a fluid suspension, more or less. So you can trivially put a hose next to a 3phase linear induction motor and you now got a pump. And a big solonoid makes a valve. And various balloon or inflatable tube thingies make kind of a non-hydraulic cylinder apply-alike semi-compatible mover or a tank on a lever or whatever.

    The problem was they were useless in the real world. Not because the tech didn't work, but because every other existing tech was cheaper lighter simpler faster more reliable, often all at the same time (LOL). They made moderately interesting science fair projects, that's about it.

    This appears to be a different scientific principle and different chemistry and different control method to implement the same completely non-useful applications.

    Some day someone will find an actual use for this, and controllable viscosity fluids will be very interesting... someday.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2015, @04:56PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2015, @04:56PM (#179579)

      Two words: biomechanoid replicants.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2015, @08:05PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2015, @08:05PM (#179647)

      Lord Corporation (or someone else?) figured out the magnetic fluid thing and it's been used in dampers (shock absorbers) in a number of high end cars, Corvette, Cadillac/Buick and I think licensed to Ferrari in one case. Marketed by Delphi (former Delco) as "MagneRide" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MagneRide [wikipedia.org]

      This article talks a bit about the different types of fluids that are available,
          http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetorheological_fluid [wikipedia.org]

      While I have don't have a reference, I heard someone mention that the nano-sized particles of iron can be incorporated in an organic molecule -- vaguely similar to the iron atoms in hemoglobin (in red blood cells).

  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by M. Baranczak on Wednesday May 06 2015, @03:06PM

    by M. Baranczak (1673) on Wednesday May 06 2015, @03:06PM (#179544)

    The dexterity of today's robots is limited by software, not hardware. Making a jointed arm that has the same range of motion as a human arm? Easy, and doesn't require any exotic materials. The hard part is writing the software that processes sensor input and makes the arm do something useful.

    • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Rich on Wednesday May 06 2015, @04:47PM

      by Rich (945) on Wednesday May 06 2015, @04:47PM (#179575) Journal

      Less T-1000, more Cherry 2000, I'd say, if it's squishy.

      But seriously, the physical properties would be of interest, because this "artificial muscle" topic seems to have quite lot space for innovations. I once read up that the human efficency is around 25% from food calories (*) to work Joules with the ATP/ADP processing, so it would be interesting to have the numbers in the article.

      (*) obviously, the proper unit is Joule here, as well.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2015, @04:23PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2015, @04:23PM (#179568)

    ...and I shall call him squishy, and he shall be mine...

    • (Score: 2) by Alfred on Thursday May 07 2015, @01:22PM

      by Alfred (4006) on Thursday May 07 2015, @01:22PM (#179882) Journal
      What is the feminine version of "squishy?" No preconceived ideas, just asking, for a friend.
  • (Score: 2) by e_armadillo on Wednesday May 06 2015, @04:48PM

    by e_armadillo (3695) on Wednesday May 06 2015, @04:48PM (#179576)

    the Robin Williams Flubber, not the Fred McMurray version :-)

    --
    "How are we gonna get out of here?" ... "We'll dig our way out!" ... "No, no, dig UP stupid!"
  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by rts008 on Wednesday May 06 2015, @05:54PM

    by rts008 (3001) on Wednesday May 06 2015, @05:54PM (#179604)

    Look for major advancements in 'special effects' featured in Japanese tentacle porn. ;-)

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2015, @07:47PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2015, @07:47PM (#179639)

    44DD

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2015, @10:23PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 06 2015, @10:23PM (#179690)

    ...I'll be able to retire my blow up doll.