Virtual Genetic Code

YouTube Artifacts

Latest AR exhibition from MoMAR (who ran a guerilla show earlier this year) returns to the Pollock Room at MoMA New York featuring works by David Kraftsow, responsible for the YouTube Artififacts bot that regularly generates animated images from distorted videos:

Welcome to The Age of the Algorithm. A world in which automated processes are no longer simply tools at our disposal, but the single greatest omnipresent force currently shaping our world. For the most part, they remain unseen. Going about their business, mimicking human behavior and making decisions based on statistical analysis of what they ‘think’ is right. If the role of art in society is to incite reflection and ask questions about the state of our world, can algorithms be a part of determining and defining people’s artistic and cultural values? MoMAR presents a series of eight pieces created by David Kraftsow’s YouTube Artifact Bot.

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How does cashless society work?

If there is one post to this tumblr I want to see reblogged like crazy, it’s this one.

So how would a cashless society work? This is, IMHO, one of the most important questions to ask when discussing Star Trek in general. 

Roddenberry had a vision which continues to motivate and inspire people today, because it envisioned humanity so far beyond its time. It allowed the show to craft an ideal. Something that may never be completely achieved, but that should be strived for continually. Providing not a roadmap, but a light to follow. 

Social issues are incredibly important, and are not to be understated when discussing this specific topic- they are the fundamental ideals within the Star Trek universe. But close behind this is the concept of economic enlightenment. In fact, I would argue they are fundamentally one in the same. In order for us to find love among all of us, without any hate or envy or fear, we need to find means of providing for everyone, so that everyone can be given the same opportunities to choose how they live their lives. 

One aspect of this Roddenberry version of a fair and enlightened global society would be one with no cash. 

But How Does That Work?

How, can anything work without cash? Or to clarify, money? I don’t believe it could right now, but in the future, if certain issues were solved, we could be well on our way. Here are three aspects of our society that will need to be addressed or achieved before we would even be close:

1. There needs to be a movement to Post-Scarcity

People need to have easy access to homes, health, and the basic comforts that money currently is required to attain. 

There’s a lot of talk about a “post-scarcity” economy. With 3d-printers, efficient production, and global access to information we are already moving towards this. But one big hurdle in this issue is energy. Until we find a means of providing nearly limitless energy to the entire planet, a post-scarcity society will be very hard to maintain. (Cold fusion is an exciting potential leap forward)

2. Automation for the dangerous jobs and Universal Basic Income

We need robots to do the repetitive and dangerous jobs people shouldn’t do or just don’t want to do. The more these jobs are taken up by robots, the more there will be a need for a Universal Basic Income. The general concept is this: companies that produce goods while removing jobs from the market will need to pay tax on the robots that were once paying jobs. The money will then be given to the citizens as a dividend. This will eventually be the foundation for providing a universal live-able distribution of resources to everyone. 

3. Debt needs to be reversed 

The final issue is debt will need to be removed from society. This is arguably the hardest to understand and I imagine even harder to implement. Our current understanding of economics runs on debt. Person A gives money to Person B so that person B can make more money and give back that money (plus interest) to person A. The problem is this seems to allow the money to be consolidated into large pools. Currently the top 8 richest people in the world hold more wealth than the bottom half. 

We need a way to believe in a society that can work in reverse. A society where we pay it forward, rather than pay it back. This is where I haven’t fully understood the ideas being proposed. But one thing is certain, those in the top 1% will need to provide for those in need for this to ever work. There needs to be a rational, if not spiritual enlightenment among the richest in the world that we need to all have a place in society. A place unburdened by overwhelming fiscal obligation. When people don’t owe money, they can make the choices that benefit themselves and the rest of us at the same time. Rather than the choice that just makes them money.

I honestly think this is the biggest hurdle out of all of them. Because while the other issues can be solved with technological and political progress, this one truly requires a global enlightenment. Yes things like bitcoin and ethereum might help, but this is a bigger problem than just banking access and credit.

*Takes Deep Breath*

So that’s one take on Roddenberry’s vision of a cashless society. It’s something I truly hope comes to fruition.  A world where people are secure in knowing they have access to healthcare, a home, and the ability to pursue their passion. A world where all its people are freed to be their best self. Where creativity and science and kindness have priority. Orchestras could play in the park for free. Artists could make paintings of anything for anyone they wish. Scientists can spend their time inventing what they believe will help the planet the most. And we can finally get to the business of exploring the stars. 

Polish priest blessing a newly opened “Bitcoin embassy.” Warsaw, 2014.

PewDiePie, YouTube’s biggest star, is leaning into his new, far-right following

When Felix “PewDiePie” Kjellberg, YouTube’s most lucrative, popular superstar, uploaded a video featuring a banner with the words “Death to all Jews,” along with a man dressed as Jesus saying, “Hitler did absolutely nothing wrong,” he insisted it was jokes made in bad taste. 

After losing his partnership with Disney, Kjellberg apologized, saying he was just poking fun at the “modern world.”

But attempts to distance himself from his message didn’t deter the so-called “alt-right” from accepting him as one of their own, nor did Kjellberg’s insistence that he wanted nothing to do with them.

Kjellberg may not support them, but in the few short months since his anti-Semitism scandal, far-right celebrities have become Kjellberg’s favorite new bedfellows. Read more (7/26/17)

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ArenaFPV

Indiegogo campaign to set up the first arcade to race remote controlled vehicles such as cars and drones, to be played over an internet connection via PCs and smart mobile platforms:

First live VR gaming platform in the world: In ArenaFPV you play in real world with your phone or PC. In our special tracks and arenas you control real mini cars, drones and robots and challenge other online players. Our machines have  ultra fast cameras mounted on them with just 30ms latency. You will get 1080p high quality video stream that will make you feel as if you are in the machine. We also offer special VR kit for maximum reality.

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😂

3D Printing A Fabulous Lion [x]

This skeleton robot salamander just wiggled its way into my heart.

Vimeo pitch of the founders of Ethereum, who want to use the Bitcoin architecture to reinvent the rest of our political economy—smart contracts, distributed corporations, and even decentralized political parties

5RNP (5 Robots Named Paul) is a group of robots that will draw people!

Really, you sit down in front of them, pose, and they’ll try to copy your face on their paper!

The best part is; each robot acts differently! And i swear, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Some of them pay more attention to details, some of them are more likely to slack off, some of them use smaller lines, etc… it’s almost like they have their own personality! It was really fun to watch them.

Protanopia

Digital comic by Andre Bergs features animated frames which you can change the angle by tilting the device, and created using the Unity engine:

A post shared by André Bergs (@andre.bergs) on Oct 3, 2017 at 8:19am PDT

A post shared by André Bergs (@andre.bergs) on Sep 15, 2017 at 9:06pm PDT

Protanopia is a digital comic for Ipad and Iphone. Created as an experiment into the possibilities of digital comics. Using elements from 3D and 2D animation in a realtime game engine, it creates an unique visual style, whilst still having a familiar feeling. 

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