Mind as body

Craig Venter - Advancing the Genomic Revolution (1h26min, iTunes). I'm starting to like Venter more and more, here he's describing the sequencing of the human genome a few years ago. Did NOT know he was on the Celera team.

Chris Phoenix - Molecular Manufacturing (1h2min). Interesting talk, interesting speaker, interesting haircut. Overoptimistic? He says molecular manufacturing is ca 10 years away with singularitarian spinoffs to be expected. One quote in particular stood out: "If we get into an arms race with this technology I'm not at all sure that we'll get out of it. I do not know how to avoid it. This is a serious problem. And.. I don't know how to say it pessimistically enough: there is no known solution to keep us out of an arms race that would lead to devastating war."

Phoenix's presentation includes this 4min demonstration of what molecular manufacturing is aiming for. Science fiction? Sure. Damn cool? Oh yea.


Here's a short example of how to live a green life (solar panels and goats included) and still be a funky person with an internet connection. From BoingBoing TV. The dude also has a blog.


Finally... There is a very good interview on BBC Hard Talk running today, with Chinese writer and human rights defender Liao Yiwu. Liao is censored all over China, spent four years in prison for his books and has been translated to many major languages. The interview is available here but it's in stupid RealPlayer format. For a good analysis of this very salient topic, search for Human Rights and Political Reform in Contemporary China (1h2min, iTunes) with our own Börje Ljunggren (whooo).