Category Archives: Technology

How SpaceX’s Starship Will Become The Most Powerful Rocket In The World | Countdown To Launch

Above: How SpaceX’s Starship Will Become The Most Powerful Rocket In The World | Countdown To Launch.

“When SpaceX was founded, its goal was to establish a human colony on Mars, and Starship might be the way to get there…”

In September 2019, Elon Musk unveiled the first iteration of his next-generation vehicle, Starship.

While SpaceX continues to push the limits, this next endeavor might be its most ambitious yet. SpaceX was founded with the intention of one day creating a human colony on Mars, and Elon Musk hopes that Starship and the Super Heavy rocket will be the way to get there.

Starship was built to carry 100 passengers and will serve as the spacecraft to shuttle both people and cargo to Earth’s orbit and beyond.

Starship has its six Raptors, but the real power behind this transportation system comes from the Super Heavy rocket, which has thirty-seven Raptor engines.

In its final form, the Starship and Super Heavy combination will result in the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, and SpaceX is working fast to bring this super project to life.

Find out more about SpaceX’s latest space transportation and exploration endeavor on this episode of Countdown to Launch.

What If My Neighbor’s Child Was Genetically Modified Using Genetic Engineering?

Above: What If My Neighbor’s Child Was Genetically Modified Using Genetic Engineering?

Having genetically modified children is no longer a science fictional fantasy, but a very likely future scenario. Genetic engineering labs are on the edge of being able to create modified human beings, but what does that imply for humanity? Should we all first be pre-selected before deemed worthy to live on earth? While science has already answered this question, society as the ethical body of life still needs to have that conversation.

“Improving our way of life has always been a goal of science. Improving the human condition via gene editing is something many people strongly support and want to push forward. Just because I won’t be a designer human, doesn’t mean no one else should be a genetically modified human. Just because your feelings or your kids feelings are hurt due to someone else being better than you or being better than your child in every single way doesn’t mean that they should have to be subject to disease and weakness like the rest of us – like you, like me, like every other person on this planet. Plus, there are already people who are better than you and me in many different ways, maybe in almost every single way. No, that should not be an excuse against gene modification and human evolution.”

Saudi Arabia Gives Citizenship To A Robot Named Sophia

Above: Saudi Arabia Gives Citizenship To A Robot Named Sophia.

Saudi Arabia just made a non-human woman a citizen, making it the first country to grant a robot the right to citizenship, at least as far as we know. Why Saudi Arabia did so isn’t immediately clear, but the irony of a nation known for denying basic human rights to its female citizens while giving human rights to a female robot is not lost on us. The robot, known as Sophia, appeared onstage without an abaya, a head covering and cloak normally required of women by the Saudi government.

“I am very honored and proud for this unique distinction,” the robot said onstage. “This is historical to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with a citizenship.”

We are not sure exactly what Sophia’s rights will afford her in Saudi Arabia (one of the most oppressive countries for women on the planet), but if she sticks around until June 2018 when women will finally be allowed to drive, she will at least be able to purchase her own car in order to get out of the country as fast as possible.

What Is Ether? What Is Ethereum? Can I Become Rich Investing In Ether? Can I Invest In Ethereum? What Are Cryptocurrencies?

As we explored in “What is Ethereum?”, Ethereum aims to function both as a kind of decentralized Internet and a decentralized app store, supporting a new type of application (a “dapp”) in the process.

But while no one owns Ethereum, the system that supports this functionality isn’t free. Rather, the network needs “Ether”, a unique piece of code that can be used to pay for the computational resources needed to run an application or program.

Like Bitcoin, Ether is a digital bearer asset (similar to a security, like a stock or a bond, issued in physical form). Just like cash, Ether doesn’t require a third party to process or approve a transaction.

But instead of operating as a digital currency or payment, Ether seeks to provide “fuel” for the decentralized apps on the network.

Above: What is Ether?

Humans Are Already Cyborgs

Above: Humans Are Already Cyborgs.

“Our destiny is to become what we think, to have our thoughts become our bodies and our bodies become our thoughts” – Terence McKenna.

“If human history is the story of a creature who molts from ape to
angel – or, as Nietzsche claimed, from beast to Superman – then
somewhere along the way it seems that we must become machines” – Erik Davis.

What Is Computer Science? Is Computer Science The Same As Computer Programming? What Is The Difference Between Computer Science And Computer Programming?

Contrary to what you may think, these two subjects are about as different as Latin is to linear algebra.

What Is Computer Science?

It’s math. As a computer science major myself, I can tell you first hand that computer science involves writing very little code — especially at the higher levels. If I had to arbitrarily assign a percentage to “math v. programming”, I would say that computer science is at least 80% math and at most 20% programming. Continue reading

How BIG Is Apple?

Above: How BIG Is Apple?

In 1969, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were working as Alice in Wonderland characters at their local shopping mall for $3 an hour. Little did Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak know that they would soon start the most profitable company in human history. Find out how Apple became the most valuable company in the world, and discover the true size of Apple.

How BIG Is The Walt Disney Company?

Above: How BIG Is The Walt Disney Company?

The Walt Disney Company is one of the most well known brands today, but how did it all begin and how big is The Walt Disney Company today? The answer may surprise you.

About The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney, is an American multinational media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Southern California. It is one of the world’s largest media conglomerates in terms of revenue. The Walt Disney Company was founded on October 16, 1923 by Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, and established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into live-action film production, television, and theme parks. The company also operated under the names The Walt Disney Studio, then Walt Disney Productions. Taking on its current name in 1986, it expanded its existing operations and also started divisions focused on theater, radio, music, publishing, and online media.

In addition, The Walt Disney Company has since created corporate divisions in order to market more mature content than is typically associated with its flagship family oriented brands. The Walt Disney Company is best known for the products of its film studio, Walt Disney Studios, which is today one of the largest and best known movie studios in American cinema. The Walt Disney Company’s other three main divisions are Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Disney Media Networks, and Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media.

The Walt Disney Company also owns and operates the ABC broadcast television network, cable television networks such as Disney Channel, ESPN, A+E Networks, and Freeform (formerly ABC Family) in addition to having publishing, merchandising, music, and theatre divisions. The Walt Disney Company also owns and licenses 14 theme parks around the world with Mickey Mouse, an early and well known cartoon creation of the company, being its primary symbol and mascot.

The Walt Disney Company has been a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since May 6, 1991 and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol DIS. The Walt Disney Company has a market value of approximately $160 billion United States dollars (this is how much money it would cost you if you wanted to purchase the entire Walt Disney Company).

How BIG is Samsung?

Above: How BIG is Samsung?

So how big is Samsung? The answer may surprise you.

About Samsung

Samsung is a South Korean multinational conglomerate headquartered in South Korea. Samsung comprises numerous subsidiaries and affiliated businesses, most of them united under the Samsung brand, and is the largest South Korean chaebol (business conglomerate).

Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-chul in 1938 as a trading company. Over the next three decades, the group diversified into areas including food processing, textiles, insurance, securities, and retail. Samsung entered the electronics industry in the late 1960’s and the construction and ship building industries in the mid-1970’s; these areas would drive its subsequent growth. Following the death of Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul in 1987, Samsung has increasingly globalized its activities and dominance in electronics, particularly mobile phones and semiconductors, which have become its most important source of income.

Notable Samsung industrial subsidiaries include Samsung Electronics (one of the world’s largest information technology companies measured by revenues and market value), Samsung Heavy Industries (one of the world’s largest ship builders measured by revenues), and Samsung Engineering and Samsung C&T (two of the world’s largest construction companies). Other notable Samsung subsidiaries include Samsung Life Insurance (one of the world’s largest life insurance companies), Samsung Everland (operator of Everland Resort, the oldest theme park in South Korea), and Cheil Worldwide (one of the world’s largest advertising agencies measured by revenues).

Samsung has a powerful influence on South Korea’s economic development, politics, media, and culture and has been a major driving force behind the “Miracle on the Han River”. Samsung affiliate companies produce around a fifth of South Korea’s total exports, and Samsung’s revenue was equal to 17% of South Korea’s $1,000+ billion GDP.