What would be the Turing Test for Life Itself?

The 'Turing Test' is an idea for a way to test a machine to see if it is indistinguishable from a truly intelligent being. What would be a way to test for autonomous life? (Are virus' living?) This seems to be the question that is asked in this new NPR article about my favorite kinetic sculpture, Theo Jansen. http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2013/08/08/210130502/beach-beasts-on-the-m...

New Structures for a 3D Printed Commercial Airline Plane

Anyone who knows me well has heard me rant about how the technological revolution of the last 20 years has brought us endlessly amazing new innovations that we have never even imagined before, yet it has somehow passed a blind eye over airline travel. Aside from having WIFI and low-res video screens on the backs of chairs, the airplanes of today might as well be the jets of the 1970's - that's 40 years ago!) I blame part of this on NASA. The agency...

MorpHex: Sculptural Sphere that Transforms into a Hexapod

MorpHex is described by it's inventor, a Norwegian engineer named Kåre halvorsen, as a "piece of art that is a remotely controlled robot." MorpHex is a modification of a hexapod. Is morphs into an omni directional sphere as well as a six legged walker. There are some impressive, quick moving and agile hexapods out there. This one does not skitter about, but is very elegant in it's movements. This iteration of MorpHex rolls in a slight arc, but...

A One Trillion Dollar Story

Columbia University offers a Master of Science in Narrative Medicine. Yale Medical School has a required class where students learn to observe art. Corporate CEO's are attending Hollywood scriptwriting seminars. What gives? A few years ago I reluctantly agreed to be the MC for the school's Student Film Festival. Reluctant because I suffer from serious performance anxiety when I'm in front of a large audience. In my introduction...