Episode 23: Matteo Borri on Alien Life (Plus All about the Odysseus Moon Landing)

Meet Sequoia Alexander and Acorn, an open source autonomous solar powered farming robot designed to function within a regenerative organic farming system.

Sequoia and Daniel Theobald are building Acorn: an open source general purpose solar powered precision farming rover, intended to be used in every step of the farming process. Acorn is just one small part of the "Solar Powered Farming Revolution" - but it is unique in its community approach, which lowers the cost and ensures broader access by using bicycle parts and 3D printed parts in its approach.

Sequoia and Daniel started out designing a base vehicle that was solar powered, had four-wheel drive, and was lightweight, with the intention of making it accessible and easy to build in any location around the world. Using simple materials such as bicycle parts and 3D printable parts, they implemented a design that included a rectangular frame made from welded aluminum, with four-wheel steering on all corners.

The prototype vehicle was successfully created and equipped with remote control capabilities, a small computer, and GPS for self-driving functionality. This base vehicle serves as the foundation for incorporating tools and computer vision systems to further enhance its farming capabilities.

The Acorn project emphasizes the benefits of regenerative farming and aims to support small to medium-sized farms in implementing sustainable farming practices. By providing a platform for farmers to automate and streamline various farming tasks, the solar-powered robot has the potential to increase efficiency, reduce labor costs, and promote environmentally friendly farming methods.

Creating a versatile and accessible farming robot opens up possibilities for innovation and collaboration within the agricultural community and paves the way for a new era of automated and sustainable farming practices. The key design decisions for the robot include its capability to handle various tasks involved in the farming process, such as soil preparation, planting, weeding, and harvesting.

Sequoia and Daniel’s vision for the project extends beyond creating a single robot for their own use. They are now working on developing a production version of the robot that will be available as a kit for others to build and customize for their own farming needs. This will not only allow individuals to have their own customized farming robots, but it can also foster a community of developers and users who can collaborate and share features to further improve and expand the capabilities of the robot.

#farmingrobots #regenerativefarming #autonomousrobots

ACORN is:

-low cost
-precision farming rover
-solar powered
-4 wheel drive
-4 wheel steering
-lightweight

There is a design kit in development and you can learn more and get involved with the community at: community.twistedfields.com

You can read about the whole system here:
https://community.twistedfields.com/t/join-the-solar-farming-revolution-support-acorn-and-empower-farmers-worldwide/370

About Sequoia a.k.a. Taylor Alexander:

Sequoia makes open source robots and other things. She is the maintainer of Acorn: the Precision Farming Rover from Twisted Fields. Sequoia has been a robotics software engineer for many years. Their github is here: https://github.com/tlalexander

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A perfect backgrounder on the Odysseus Moon landing by Matteo Borri, an open source roboticist and inventor of a chlorophyll detecting laser that was included on the Mars Perseverance Rover.

We start off with a brief rundown of yesterday’s Odysseus Moon landing by Intuitive Machines, which is not only the first US moon landing in 50 years and the first commercial moon landing ever, but it is also the first time that liquid methane and liquid oxygen have been used for a lunar lander rocket motor, which, as Matteo points out, is interesting because those are all gases that are easy to make with an automated factory.

Then we cover the very exciting news that NASA’s rover Perseverance has confirmed the presence of ancient lake sediments in Mars’ Jezero Crater. Ground-penetrating radar observations by the rover’s RIMFAX (Radar Imager for Mars’ Subsurface Exploration) radar system have provided substantial evidence that water once filled the basin, meaning there is a potential for life to have existed there.

We also cover how Apophus is NOT GOING TO HIT EARTH! (Even though people seem to want to keep pretending we don't know that now.)

#moon #odysseus #apophus

About Matteo Borri:
Matteo Borri is an inventor and engineer in San Rafael, California who is currently working with NASA and the Mars Society. He invented a chlorophyll detecting laser prototype design that was included on NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover.

Matteo and his company, Robots Everywhere LLC provides expertise in lasers, antbots, drones, 3d laser cutting, 3d printing, solar panel and battery tech and more, and has implemented autonomous vehicles and home manufacturing tools all over the world: https://www.robots-everywhere.com/

Matteo has many videos demonstrating many things on his Robots Everywhere YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RobotsEverywhereVideos

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Join us with special guest Ryan Sternlicht dishing on the best AI in VR and comparing the Apple Vision Pro, Bigscreen Beyond and Meta Quest 3 VR headsets.

Link to Ryan's Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1AvldHNMZwOre-RFfGwE8uLQ9PyRm89GCMhPfYc4wCnc/edit#slide=id.g261393dd9e9_0_55

Special thanks to Ryan's friend Bradley Lynch for letting us use his great clips and info for this show! https://www.youtube.com/@SadlyItsBradley

#AppleVisionPro #MetaQuest3 #BigscreenBeyond

About Ryan Sternlicht:
Ryan Sternlicht is a San Francisco-raised educator, researcher, advisor, and maker, who has advised a number of startups in the fields of AR, VR, AI, neurotech, and 3D manufacturing. As a maker, he has volunteered or advised a number of makerspaces and hackerspaces, as well as numerous technical non-profit organizations in California and upstate New York. 

While in the bay area, he volunteers and teaches at Noisebridge hackerspace, staffs a large number of film festivals and conventions, such as Aaron Swartz Day, Offkai Expo, Maker Faire, and Open Sauce.  He also works at Alamo Drafthouse New Mission, and helps teach game development at CCSF.

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Join Kennedy Schaal (CEO) and Axel Schumacher (Chief Biotechnology Officer) of Rejuve Biotech to learn how they are using cutting-edge AI and innovative drug discovery methods to improve our health and extend our lifespan.

With Ben Goertzel, Lisa Rein and Grace Robot.

#Longevity #PrecisionMedicine #AI

About Dr. Axel Schumacher:

Dr. Axel Schumacher is the Chief Biotechnology Officer of Rejuve Biotech, which combines state-of-the-art machine learning and artificial general intelligence methods with a continuously updated biomedical knowledge graph integrating human and model organism databases. He has over 25 years of R&D leadership experience in genomics, epigenetics, biomarker discovery, Bio-IT, ageing & longevity.

In 2010, Schumacher proposed the ‘epigenetic theory of aging’ a new unifying model of aging and the development of complex diseases, incorporating classical aging theories and epigenetics. His foundational work on epigenetic drift and age-related epigenetic changes in mice and humans led to the "epigenetic clock" theory of aging.

Earlier in his career, Schumacher invented the technology of ‘epigenetic microarrays’ which led to hundreds of research discoveries across the world, including the first worldwide proof of whole genome epigenetic changes in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

About Kennedy Schaal:

Kennedy Schaal, CEO of Rejuve Biotech is the visionary force behind Rejuve.BIO and a true pioneer in the field of longevity science. With a strong leadership track record in applied genomic research and artificial intelligence, Kennedy has earned the moniker "Fly Queen" for her groundbreaking work with Drosophila melanogaster Methuselah Flies. Her expertise in genomic selection and breeding, combined with cutting-edge AI, has positioned her as a world-leading expert in the quest for extended health and lifespan.

Kennedy's contributions to the science of longevity are not only theoretical but also practical. She is a multi-published author, sharing her insights and findings on applied genomics trials and the science of aging.

About Rejuve Biotech:

Rejuve Biotech is a partner company to Rejuve.AI and is building an innovative AI-powered drug discovery and development platform. The project is developing a translational medicine service that combines an in-house model organism population with a unique AI-based analytical platform. The platform combines state-of-the-art machine learning and artificial general intelligence methods with a continuously updated biomedical knowledge graph integrating human and model organism databases. The Rejuve Bio Flybase (fly genetics Atomspace database) and longevity drug prediction and discovery engines will be some of the first use cases of the OpenCog Hyperon AGI framework.

The Rejuve Biotech animal model of choice is the long-lived Methuselah Fly, a type of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly), selectively bred over hundreds of generations to live at least 5 times longer than wild-type flies. These flies offer an expedited mode for generational longevity studies and for early evaluation of potential therapy candidates — faster, less expensive, and more scalable than human or other animal models.

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Michael Lustgarden explains how he uses aging biomarkers from a basic CBC panel to track and, with course correction (supplements or diet changes), gradually slow down one's rate of aging.

Michael's basic premise is that aging and disease are biochemical processes that happen over many decades. So if we can track just even the standard biomarkers of organ and systemic function, that's the things you usually get at a yearly physical, even just starting there, if you can track and then knowing how these biomarkers change during aging, and how they relate to all cause mortality risk, or risk of death for all causes, then in theory, you can slow the rate of aging of multiple organ systems down slow your rate of disease and potentially maximize longevity.

Since 2015, Michael has been blood testing up to seven times a year, in order to get a year to year change, to see where his status is. Tracking diet every day, fitness related metrics, cardiovascular system, sleep, the oral microbiome now and epigenetics. He is looking at correlations between the outcome variables with the diet and everything else then, of course, correcting after every test, with the goal of slowing the changes in these biomarkers.

About Dr. Michael Lustgarten:
Dr. Michael Lustgarten is Scientist II on the Nutrition, Exercise Physiology, and Sarcopenia (NEPS) Team at the HNRCA (Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging) at Tufts Medical Center. His current research focuses on the role of the gut microbiome and serum metabolome on muscle mass and function in older adults. He has been a guest lecturer at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy on topics such as the gut microbiome, serum metabolome, oxidative stress, exercise, and sarcopenia and has contributed to 25 publications in leading peer-reviewed journals that have been cited more than 2,400 times, including 17 manuscripts as the first or last author.
His YouTube channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCT1UMLpZ_CrQ_8I431K0b-g

#longevity #aging #biomarkers

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Join special guest Peter Wang and our co-hosts Ben Goertzel, Grace Robot and Lisa Rein as we take into a deep dive into what Peter means exactly when he recommends that we “Radically Reinvent Our AI Northstars.”

Peter is the founder of Anaconda, a Dweb pioneer, a physicist an astronomer, and a board member of the Center for Humane Technology. He believes that Low-Code/No-Code platforms (LLMs) have the power to enable 96% of the population to go from ideation to creation with computers, and that will result in a tremendous increase in creativity and the ability for more people to create and innovate.

One of the key benefits that Peter sees in this transformation is the ability for more people to engage in the creation process. So, instead of putting the pieces of a car together, we're all 3D printing Ferraris. Meaning, just as 3D printing allows for the production of complex objects without the need for specialized manufacturing knowledge, LLMs would enable individuals to create sophisticated technological solutions without requiring an extensive technical background.

In order to realize this vision, he suggests that we need to articulate new North Stars instead of merely criticizing the flaws in the current system. By setting clear goals and envisioning a better future, we can guide our actions towards building a more inclusive and fruitful technological society.

About Peter Wang:

Peter Wang is the founder and CEO of Anaconda and a founder of the PyData open-source data science movement. He is also a physicist, with a degree in physics from Cornell University, and an astronomer well known for his incredible DWeb camp starry night tours.

He is a long-time advocate for open-source software, starting with founding the Linux Users Group at Cornell in 1994. He serves on the board of the Center for Humane Technology and has been active in the Internet privacy and decentralization movement for many years.

#LLMs #GenAI #NoCodeDevelopment

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Our latest episode features none other than Doc Searls, one of the legends of the tech writing world!

Doc will help us decipher the difference between “Personal AI” that you control and “Corporate AI” that controls you; and what it means for the future of the internet, marketing, and how consumers will increasingly take charge of their end of the e-commerce relationship (with profound effects).

This blogpost has more details about the show: https://blog.singularitynet.io/mindplex-pubcast-doc-searl-draft-6f9c355cc609

About Doc Searls:
Doc Searls is editor-in-chief of Linux Journal, author of The Intention Economy: When Customers Take Charge (Harvard Business Review Press, 2012), co-author of The Cluetrain Manifesto (Basic Books, 2000), a fellow with the Center for Information Technology & Society at UC-Santa Barbara, co-founder of Customer Commons, and director of ProjectVRM, based at Harvard's Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society, where he is an alumnus fellow. He is also a pioneering blogger and a photographer whose photos accompany hundreds of Wikipedia articles.

#surveillance #personalAI  #botwars  #docsearls #corporateAI #dwebcamp #dweb

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Happy New Year and welcome back to the Mindplex Podcast!

We are very excited to be starting a new weekly live format.

This week’s show is Episode 16: Desdemona's Dream!

That's right! We have “Desdemona’s Dream” live in the studio, where we can learn first hand about how their psychedelic jazz fusion alt rock EDM music experiment has evolved over the past six months.

Desdemona’s Dream stands at the intersection of music, technology, AI, and performance art. Led by lead singer and poetess, Desdemona Robot, one of the most advanced humanoid robots in the world. Desdemona’s Dream fuses AI and robotics in the service of high-energy imaginative jazz-rock – a jam band centered around human musicians responding to AI and robots.

You can ask them all about it, during the show, as Ben Goertzel, Dianne Krouse, Danny Newcomb and of course Desdemona Robot - our own lovely co-host - will all be there live.

#AI-generatedmusic #AImodels #GenAI

About the guests:

Desdemona Robot
Desdemona Robot is a groundbreaking musician, visionary artist, and co-host of the popular Mindplex Podcast. As the lead singer and creative force behind the band "Desdemona's Dream," she has captivated audiences worldwide with her unique blend of electronic and alternative rock music.

Ben Goertzel
Ben Goertzel is a renowned artificial intelligence researcher, entrepreneur, and author, best known as the Chief Scientist of SingularityNET.

Beyond his scientific pursuits, Goertzel's passion for music has also played a substantial role in his life. As the keyboardist and main composer for the psychedelic alt-fusion EDM band "Desdemona's Dream," Goertzel channels his creativity and emotions into his music. Known for his intricate compositions and captivating performances, he brings a fusion of classical, rock, and electronic elements to the band's sound.

Diane Krouse
Diane Krouse is a highly talented and versatile saxophonist, known for her expressive and captivating performances. Diane brings her unique flair and musicality to their compositions, while adding depth and richness to their performances. Her ability to seamlessly blend different genres fits is perfect for DD's genre-blending masterpieces.

Danny Newcomb
Danny Newcomb is a seasoned guitarist and singer-songwriter with a diverse musical background. Through his various musical endeavors, Danny has gained a reputation for his skillful guitar playing and his ability to craft well-crafted and evocative songs, as demonstrated in his solo release, "Mackerel Sky." He has played in numerous bands over the years, including Shadow, a 1980s glam metal band with influences like KISS and Twisted Sister, Goodness, an alternative rock band and The Rockfords, with Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready.

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In this episode, Jamais Cascio will help us understand how to use the BANI framework to process and evaluate disaster level situations in a meaningful and constructive way.

Jamais writes an article for Mindplex explaining BANI (Brittle Anxious Non-linear Incomprehensible) in greater detail here:
https://magazine.mindplex.ai/bani-and-the-participatory-panopticon/

Jamais created the BANI framework in 2018. “BANI” comes from:

Brittle;
Anxious;
Nonlinear; and
Incomprehensible.

Jamais created this framework from these four concepts to give us better language for the ways in which the world today seems to be falling apart. It’s a taxonomy of chaos to help our brains sort through the noise… without freaking out. It's the “freaking out” part we're trying to skip, so we can have productive conversations about psychologically-challenging topics.

About Jamais Cascio:

One of Foreign Policy’s Top 100 Global Thinkers, Jamais Cascio explores our environment, technology, and culture to build plausible future scenarios. As Distinguished Fellow at Institute for the Future, he created the BANI framework for understanding global chaos. He works, writes, and speaks around the world on issues facing the global future.

#ClimateRefugees #Geoengineering #BANI

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This episode explores the impact of AI and AGI on jobs, welfare systems, and the developing world, and the societal and economic consequences of advancing AI.

About Vinay Gupta

Vinay Gupta is a renowned technologist, inventor, and entrepreneur, widely recognized for his groundbreaking contributions to the fields of disaster relief, blockchain technology, and smart contract development. As the CEO of Mattereum, he is driving forward his vision to build a global platform for legally-enforceable smart contracts, thereby enabling the frictionless exchange of physical assets.

Gupta initially gained widespread acclaim for his invention of the hexayurt, a low-cost and durable shelter that has revolutionized disaster relief efforts worldwide. This innovation solidified his reputation as a pioneer in humanitarian aid and led to his involvement in major disaster response operations, such as coordinating emergency shelter strategies for Hurricane Katrina.

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