The Future And You
Ideas and opinion about the future based on verifiable facts of today.
 
The Future And You--July 30, 2014

Topic: The Past Twelve Months in Science. What new inventions, innovations, developments, and discoveries have changed things for human civilization in little ways and in big?

Today's speakers: Paula S. Jordan, Jim Craig, James Maxey, Drew Myer, myself, and the moderator is Micki Knop.

Paula S. Jordan is a former orbit analyst for NASA and NOAA, and more recently a science fiction author. Jim Craig is the director of the James H. Lynn Planetarium at the Schiele Museum in Gastonia NC; he is an outspoken activist for science education, critical thinking, skepticism and free thought. James Maxey is an author of science fiction and fantasy novels, and often introduces himself as "a big science geek." Drew Myer is a librarian and science educator. And Micki Knop is an organizer with the Charlotte Geeks.

Hosted by Stephen Euin Cobb, this is the July 30, 2014 episode of The Future And You. [Running time: 58 minutes] This panel was recorded on May 31, 2014 in Charlotte NC at the SF&F convention ConCarolinas.

Stephen Euin Cobb is an author, futurist, magazine writer and host of the award-winning podcast The Future And You. A contributing editor for Space and Time Magazine; he has also been a regular contributor for Robot, H+, Grim Couture and Port Iris magazines; and he spent three years as a columnist and contributing editor for Jim Baen's Universe Magazine. He is an artist, essayist, game designer, transhumanist, and is on the Advisory Board of The Lifeboat Foundation. Stephen is the author of Indistinguishable from Magic: Predictions of Revolutionary Future Science as well as A Brief History of Predicting the Future.

Direct download: TFAY_2014_7_30.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:16pm EDT

The Future And You--July 23, 2014

Topic: AntiMatter. How do we make it, store it, and use it--today, and in the future.

Antimatter may ultimately become a means of storing vast amounts of energy in a very compact form. Utilizing it in practical ways may take decades, maybe a century or more. Our speakers will describe what we have done already, what engineering difficulties lie ahead, and what the benefits may be if we succeed. Our speakers are: Jim Beall, David L. Burkhead, and Dr. Charles E. Gannon.

Jim Beall has been a nuclear engineer for over 40 years. His experience in engineering and power systems began as a naval officer. After the USN he worked in design, construction, inspection, and assessment at a nuclear utility and at an architectural engineering firm before joining the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC).

David L. Burkhead is a physicist working in surface science and Atomic Force Microscopy, which is a field of study within Nanotechnology. He has published a number of technical and popular science articles as well as a number of SF&F stories.

Dr. Charles E. Gannon was a Distinguished Professor of English at St. Bonaventure University and a Fulbright Senior Specialist (2004-2009). As a member of the think-tank SIGMA, he has advised the Pentagon, Air Force, Army, NATO, DARPA, DHS, NASA, and other agencies. His earlier credits include film and TV writing & production in NYC. These days he is principally known as a New York Times bestselling author.

Hosted by Stephen Euin Cobb, this is the July 23, 2014 episode of The Future And You. [Running time: 60 minutes] This panel was recorded in front of an audience on June 28, 2014 in Chattanooga TN at the SF&F convention LibertyCon.

Stephen Euin Cobb is an author, futurist, magazine writer and host of the award-winning podcast The Future And You. A contributing editor for Space and Time Magazine; he has also been a regular contributor for Robot, H+, Grim Couture and Port Iris magazines; and he spent three years as a columnist and contributing editor for Jim Baen's Universe Magazine. He is an artist, essayist, game designer, transhumanist, and is on the Advisory Board of The Lifeboat Foundation. Stephen is the author of Indistinguishable from Magic: Predictions of Revolutionary Future Science as well as A Brief History of Predicting the Future.

Direct download: TFAY_2014_7_23.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:35am EDT

The Future And You--July 16, 2014

Topic: Space Exploration--Where should we explore next? And where have we explored so far?

Subtopics: mining the asteroids (the billionaire Peter Diamondis has announced the he will do it); nuclear propulsion systems (including one that uses a series of small nuclear warheads exploding against a giant pusher plate); looking for life in the ocean which sits under the ice on Europa; successful landings on Venus; colonizing the moon (the Chinese are going even if no one else will); colonizing Mars (including reasons to wait and not do it for many decades); manned missions verses unmanned missions--the pros and cons of each; looking for life on Titan; and the fact that we have verified to everyone's satisfaction that there is indeed water on earth's moon--frozen in valleys at the lunar south pole.

Today's speakers: Jim Craig, Paula S. Jordan, Dr. Ben Davis, James Maxey and myself as moderator. Jim Craig is the director of the James H. Lynn Planetarium at the Schiele Museum in Gastonia NC. Paula S. Jordan is a former orbit analyst for NASA and NOAA, and more recently a science fiction author. Dr. Ben Davis has a doctorate in Nuclear Physics, and is an IT professional. James Maxey is an author of science fiction and fantasy novels, and often introduces himself as "a big science geek."

Hosted by Stephen Euin Cobb, this is the July 16, 2014 episode of The Future And You. [Running time: 64 minutes] This panel was recorded on May 31, 2014 in Charlotte NC at the SF&F convention ConCarolinas.

Stephen Euin Cobb is an author, futurist, magazine writer and host of the award-winning podcast The Future And You. A contributing editor for Space and Time Magazine; he has also been a regular contributor for Robot, H+, Grim Couture and Port Iris magazines; and he spent three years as a columnist and contributing editor for Jim Baen's Universe Magazine. He is an artist, essayist, game designer, transhumanist, and is on the Advisory Board of The Lifeboat Foundation. Stephen is the author of Indistinguishable from Magic: Predictions of Revolutionary Future Science as well as A Brief History of Predicting the Future.

Direct download: TFAY_2014_7_16.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:24pm EDT

The Future And You--July 9, 2014

Topic: Memories can be Inherited. Shocking, yes, but the research seems solid. The mechanism by which this is done involves the rapidly expanding scientific field called Epigenetics.

The entire field of epigenetics will radically improve our understanding in many different areas of biology and medical science over the next few decades. In today's show we focus mostly on only one impact which it is having already. In January of this year a new research paper showed that fear-based memories can be inherited. This was a highly controversial result; especially in light of the longstanding rejection by the scientific community of the now infamous, and discredited, planarian memory experiments of the 1950s and 60s. For fifty years we have known absolutely that memories can not be inherited. In January we learned that we were wrong. To discuss this reversal of established fact, I am joined by two experts:

Robert A. Hoyt is a freshly graduated biologist and chemist (dual-major).  He is also an author and member of SFWA.

Dr. Tedd Roberts is a neuroscientist, writer and public speaker. His research includes the study of nerve cell function; behavioral mechanisms; and detection of the patterns of neural activity which underly learning and memory. He is also part of a multi-university team working to develop a "neural prosthetic" capable of restoring memory by connecting between different regions within the brain.

BTW: Dr. Tedd Roberts has been on the show before. He was in three consecutive episodes in the summer of 2013 describing many facets of our growing understanding of how the brain works. Those episodes (like all past episodes of this show) are still available for your listening pleasure. His episodes are: May 29, 2013; June 5, 2013, and June 12, 2013.

Hosted by Stephen Euin Cobb, this is the July 9, 2014 episode of The Future And You. [Running time: 56 minutes] This panel was recorded in front of an audience on June 28, 2014 in Chattanooga TN at the SF&F convention LibertyCon.

Stephen Euin Cobb is an author, futurist, magazine writer and host of the award-winning podcast The Future And You. A contributing editor for Space and Time Magazine; he has also been a regular contributor for Robot, H+, Grim Couture and Port Iris magazines; and he spent three years as a columnist and contributing editor for Jim Baen's Universe Magazine. He is an artist, essayist, game designer, transhumanist, and is on the Advisory Board of The Lifeboat Foundation. Stephen is the author of Indistinguishable from Magic: Predictions of Revolutionary Future Science as well as A Brief History of Predicting the Future.

Direct download: TFAY_2014_7_9.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:29am EDT

The Future And You--July 2, 2014

Dr. Travis S. Taylor (scientist, author and TV personality) is our featured guest.

Dr. Travis Taylor is an aerospace engineer, optical scientist, science fiction author, and star of National Geographic Channel's Rocket City Rednecks. He has written more than 25 technical papers, 14 science fiction novels and two textbooks, and has appeared in multiple television documentaries, including the recent highly-rated special When Aliens Attack. He has consulted for NASA and DOD; has been awarded numerous patents; and has detected two exoplanets. He has three master degrees and two doctorates.

Hosted by Stephen Euin Cobb, this is the July 2, 2014 episode of The Future And You. [Running time: 57 minutes] This interview was recorded in front of an audience on June 27, 2014 in Chattanooga TN at the SF&F convention LibertyCon.

Stephen Euin Cobb is an author, futurist, magazine writer and host of the award-winning podcast The Future And You. A contributing editor for Space and Time Magazine; he has also been a regular contributor for Robot, H+, Grim Couture and Port Iris magazines; and he spent three years as a columnist and contributing editor for Jim Baen's Universe Magazine. He is an artist, essayist, game designer, transhumanist, and is on the Advisory Board of The Lifeboat Foundation. Stephen is the author of Indistinguishable from Magic: Predictions of Revolutionary Future Science as well as A Brief History of Predicting the Future.

Direct download: TFAY_2014_7_2.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:41am EDT