More fun from the Near Future

Rocketeers: How a Visionary Band of Business Leaders, Engineers, and Pilots is Boldy Privatizing Space

Michael Belfiore
In the ‘second space age’, human spaceflight is no longer the domain of governments. Dream-chasing entrepreneurs and clever engineers are aggressively blazing new trails into the heavens and preparing the world for an era of space tourism, ultra fast point-to-point earth travel and even orbiting hotels. Having gained inside access into the top private space programs, science journalist Michael Belfiore will share his many insights on the history-making flights, the failures and fatalities, as well as the enduring passion and dreams of the real estate tycoons, dot-com billionaires, a video game programmer and other business mavericks for whom the sky is no longer the limit. They are fueling the highest-flying private rockets ever built, testing ‘vertical dragsters’, and preparing to launch an inflatable space station – with the mock-up already in earth orbit. Can your ticket to ride be that far behind?

Stories from the Near Future

The New Yorker Conference, “Stories from the Near Future,” took place on May 8 and 9, 2008. Here are a couple of good videos from the event:


23 and You
Linda Avey and Anne Wojcicki talk with Michael Specter on genetics.


Neurobotics
Yoky Matsuoka, the director of the neurobotics laboratory at the University of Washington, discusses how brain signals can control prosthetic limbs, and other advances in the hybrid field of neuroscience and robotics.

Burma Campaign

My friend's at Fanista just launched an important campaign about Burma. You can see several short videos of celebrities like Jennifer Aniston and Will Ferrell talking about Burma. Some funny. Some sobering. Watch them at http://burmaitcantwait.org/burmaitcantwait/

Hat's off the Dan Adler, Prudence Fenton and the whole Fanista Team for making this happen!