Elon Predicts One Million Humans Will Be Augmented By Neuralink By 2030
Tech investor Apoorv Agrawal has described Neuralink as the “most important company of the decade.” The bold claim on X has sparked widespread attention, but it was Elon Musk’s repost that elevated the conversation to a new level: “Bit rate and patient number will increase hyperexponentially over the next 5+ years. My guess is combined I/O bit rate > 1Mbs and augmented humans >1M by 2030.” This statement is a vision for a future where the boundary between humans and machines dissolves at a scale that could redefine humanity itself. Are education systems ready for what’s coming and how might they need to adapt? The Promise of Neuralink Neuralink’s work in 2024 has already reshaped what we think is possible. The company moved its technology out of the lab and into the real world, successfully implanting its N1 device in human patients. For people with severe disabilities, this implant represents independence. By translating neural signals into digital commands, the N1 enables users to interact with computers and other devices using only their thoughts. Thanks to the N1, Neuralink’s first patient, Noland Arbaugh, can now use his computer, play video games, and connect with friends, all without physical movement. Using a Star Wars reference, he likened using the Neuralink to using the force on a cursor. The second participant is designing intricate 3D objects using CAD software through thought alone. These stories are inspiring, but they’re only the beginning. Neuralink’s technology is poised to augment human potential. Musk’s comments emphasize the potential of Neuralink in breathtaking terms. A…
Swedish firm aims for 100x plasma confinement boost in new fusion reactor
The success of fusion power plants hinges on the quality of energy confinement. Sweden-based firm has launched a plasma confinement project to achieve commercially viable fusion energy. The TauEB project by Novatron Fusion Group aims to revolutionize plasma confinement and energy containment in fusion reactors. Novatron’s project will introduce a first-of-its-kind integration of three physical confinement techniques, which will include Magnetic Confinement, Ambipolar Plugging, and Ponderomotive Confinement. Novatron’s unique magnetic mirror design The company claims that the Magnetic Confinement will be achieved through Novatron’s unique magnetic mirror design. Meanwhile, Ambipolar Plugging is electrostatic plugging at the magnetic mirrors, achieved by creating an electric potential within the plasma. In Ponderomotive Confinement, the plasma is confined by an external electric RF-field, using the ponderomotive force. The company claims that the combination of the three techniques is expected to not only drastically improve confinement but also to make fusion power economically attractive by generating energy at a competitive Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). Read Full Article Here!
As Trust in Health Care Craters, Pharmacist Reveals 5 Biggest ‘Scam’ Medications to Watch Out For
More Americans than ever are skeptical of the health-care system — and with good reason. According to data published last month by public health researcher Preeti Vankar at Statista, only 60 percent of Americans had trust in their health-care system — lower than Indonesia, Mexico and Thailand — in 2022. And this doesn’t just extend to health-care conglomerates or hospitals, either. There are also pharmaceutical companies — including those who sell over-the-counter medications. One pharmacist has said you have every reason to be skeptical — and in a viral video, he shared the five biggest “scam” medications that consumers should watch out for on shelves. The video by Grant Harting, a pharmacist licensed in three states, was released a month ago — and has received 6.5 million views on YouTube alone. In it, he went inside a CVS and pointed out the five biggest over-the-counter rip-offs he says consumers should be on the lookout for. Now, of course, this isn’t medical advice, so make sure to ask your doctor — but if you’re looking at these five products, maybe you should have another look. First off is a medication that works, just at a hefty price: ZzzQuil, the version of NyQuil that doesn’t have the cough and cold ingredients. Read The full Article Here
Mayor Brandon Johnson abandoning $68.5 million property tax hike in latest bid for budget deal!
Mayor Brandon Johnson on Sunday was briefing members of the Chicago City Council on his latest ideas to get his 2025 budget approved by year’s end. Local News Mayor Brandon Johnson abandoning $68.5 million property tax hike in latest bid for budget deal By Chris Tye, Todd Feurer Updated on: December 15, 2024 / 11:19 PM CST / CBS Chicago CHICAGO (CBS) — Seeking to get a budget deal done on Monday, Mayor Brandon Johnson has dropped plans to seek a $68.5 million property tax hike, sources have told CBS News Chicago, though it remains unclear if his latest proposal will win him enough votes from the City Council. The move comes as the mayor and aldermen have been spending the weekend working to negotiate a possible deal to end the budget impasse in time for a vote on Monday afternoon. The mayor’s team was holding briefings with alders on Sunday to discuss his latest plan. Sources said one new element of the effort to pass a budget deal on Monday includes the city cracking down on major sports teams and other venues in Chicago to reimburse the city for police overtime costs for special events. That would bring in an estimated $10 million for the city. The city spent $22.6 million on police overtime for special events this year but has only been reimbursed $2 million, leaving taxpayers to cover the remaining costs. City law requires special event producers to pay for police services beyond 12 shifts. However, an investigation by Block Club Chicago and CBS Chicago revealed…
The first water-powered car smashes all existing fuels: Unprecedented power and futuristic engine
Your car can be hydrogen-powered today: You don’t need a new engine with this invention America ready to unveil its first hydrogen car: This has never been seen before Goodbye hydrogen fuel cell, this one runs on a fuel never seen before – Experts are shocked The automotive industry is increasingly shifting towards hydrogen-powered vehicles as part of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability. Alpine, a performance car brand traditionally known for its sports cars, is now embracing this trend by exploring hydrogen technology in its future models. By joining the movement towards hydrogen, Alpine aims to combine its commitment to innovation and high-performance engineering with eco-friendly solutions, positioning itself as a key player in the evolving automotive landscape. Alpine joins the hydrogen train As part of Renault’s (Alpine’s parent company) ongoing efforts to advance future mobility technologies, Alpine unveiled the Alpenglow concept car at the 2022 Paris Motor Show, proudly dubbing it the “mother of all future Alpines.” This innovative model highlighted the brand’s research into hydrogen-powered heat engines and their integration into sports cars, marking a significant step toward decarbonization in the automotive industry. The first opportunity to witness the Alpine Alpenglow Hy4 in action came on May 11, 2024, at the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. In front of an audience of over 70,000 motorsport fans, the event was intended to showcase how hydrogen-powered internal combustion technology can uphold the excitement and performance of a true racing car. Read more here!
Energy company claims its new fusion technology can power a major US city — using just ‘three soda cans’ worth of fuel
A San Francisco-based energy company is super focused on its task of providing clean, laser-based energy to Americans, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Focused Energy, a German-American company that arrived in the California Bay Area by way of Austin, Texas, has announced plans to build a $65 million facility. Inside the facility, the company will get to work on building lasers that can burn as hot as the sun in order to create power for people’s homes. Focused is one of the small number of companies working on laser fusion technology. Nuclear fission technology, which has existed for decades, is when energy is generated by splitting atoms apart. Nuclear fusion, on the other hand, creates power by slamming atoms together. This mimics the same process that powers the sun. Scientists have long thought of nuclear fusion as the “holy grail” of clean energy, theorizing that if they get it to work right, it could supply virtually unlimited, clean, renewable energy. Unlike fission, fusion technology could also work without creating radioactive waste. Focused, for its part, said that once fully operational, its facility would be capable of powering the entire city of San Francisco on “three soda cans” worth of fusion fuel per day. Read More Here
Google says its new quantum chip indicates that multiple universes exist
Google on Monday announced Willow, its latest, greatest quantum computing chip. The speed and reliability performance claims Google’s made about this chip were newsworthy in themselves, but what really caught the tech industry’s attention was an even wilder claim tucked into the blog post about the chip. Google Quantum AI founder Hartmut Neven wrote in his blog post that this chip was so mind-boggling fast that it must have borrowed computational power from other universes. Ergo the chip’s performance indicates that parallel universes exist and “we live in a multiverse.” Here’s the passage: Willow’s performance on this benchmark is astonishing: It performed a computation in under five minutes that would take one of today’s fastest supercomputers 1025 or 10 septillion years. If you want to write it out, it’s 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 years. This mind-boggling number exceeds known timescales in physics and vastly exceeds the age of the universe. It lends credence to the notion that quantum computation occurs in many parallel universes, in line with the idea that we live in a multiverse, a prediction first made by David Deutsch. Read More at TechCrunch