<h2>Clearance Sale</h2>
Savvy eBay bidders may have noticed a one-of-a-kind item up for auction: the fossil of a baby tyrannosaurus rex that died about 68 million years ago is <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/YOUNG-BABY-T-REX-TYRANNOSAURUS-DINOSAUR-FOSSIL-HELLS-CREEK-MAYBE-ONLY-1-TREX-/292983172236">up for sale</a> for the low, low price of $2.95 million.
The fossil, discovered in 2013 by a Montanan named Alan Detrich, has been on display at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum since 2017. But now, in a move that The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/apr/16/baby-t-rex-for-sale-ebay-paleontology-outcry">says has</a> incensed paleontologists, Detrich has decided to sell it off.
<h2>Tyrannosaurus Flex</h2>
The listing, which as of press time is <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/YOUNG-BABY-T-REX-TYRANNOSAURUS-DINOSAUR-FOSSIL-HELLS-CREEK-MAYBE-ONLY-1-TREX-/292983172236?autorefresh=true">still live on eBay</a>, reads like someone trying to unload their old, beat-up car:
<blockquote>Most Likely the Only BABY T-Rex in the World! It has a 15 FOOT long Body and a 21&#8243; SKULL with Serrated Teeth!  This Rex was very a very dangerous meat eater.  It&#8217;s a RARE opportunity indeed to ever see a baby REX, if they did not grow quickly they could not catch prey and would die. Histology shows the specimen to be approximately 4 years old upon death. Reconstruction of the skull has been done by Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology (from Natural History Museum in FL).
Many of the bones are waiting to be identified, but everyday more and more are being tagged.
The T-REX’ has only 12 teeth in Lower jaw and several other “claimed to be young T-Rex” are actually Nano’s. This is the case even at the Museum in L.A. Now, many Paleo’s think this maybe The “ONLY” T-REX Youth in the World!&#8221;</blockquote>
<h2>Oww My Bones</h2>
The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology <a href="http://vertpaleo.org/Society-News/SVP-Paleo-News/SVP-responds-to-sale-of-a-privately-owned-juvenile.aspx">published a statement</a> expressing disappointment that the fossil will be sold before it could be properly studied by experts in the field.
&#8220;Only casts and other replicas of vertebrate fossils should be traded, not the fossils themselves. Scientifically important fossils like the juvenile tyrannosaur are clues to our collective natural heritage and deserve to be held in public trust,&#8221; the statement reads. &#8220;That fossils like this are evidence of Earth’s deep past is what makes them valuable, unlike art objects or other items of trade whose value comes from human creativity and artistry. Because vertebrate fossils are rare, most of them contribute uniquely to our knowledge of the history of life. Each one that is lost from the public trust, is part of that already fragmentary history that we will never collectively recover.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/apr/16/baby-t-rex-for-sale-ebay-paleontology-outcry">Baby T rex goes on sale on eBay, sparking paleontologists&#8217; outcry</a> [The Guardian]
More on eBay: <a href="https://futurism.com/ebay%E2%80%8B-has-launched-the-worlds-first-virtual-reality-department-store">eBay​ Has Launched the World’s First Virtual Reality Department Store</a>

If my bid doesn't win I'll be so angry I just might wade into a pool of tar and get stuck for 68 million years!

Someone listed a t-rex on eBay, and paleontologists are furious

Bidding War

Alan Detrich, the man who found a baby t-rex fossil on his property, decided that he wants to sell it off. The fossil is currently up for auction on eBay.

Someone Listed a T-Rex on eBay, and Paleontologists Are Furious

Bidding starts just under $3 million.

<h2>AI-Generated Music</h2>
If you train a music-generating artificial intelligence exclusively on tracks by Beyoncé, do you owe the pop star a cut of any resulting songs&#8217; profits? And is it even legal to use copyrighted songs to train an AI in the first place?
Those are just a couple of the questions The Verge poses in a fascinating <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/17/18299563/ai-algorithm-music-law-copyright-human">new story</a> about AI-generated music published Wednesday. And while the publication consulted numerous experts from the music, tech, and legal industries for the story, the input of one person in particular — Jonathan Bailey, CTO of audio tech company iZotope — seemed to most concisely sum up the issue.
&#8220;I won’t mince words,&#8221; he told The Verge. &#8220;This is a total legal clusterfuck.&#8221;
<h2>Imitation Game</h2>
Despite the U.S. Copyright Office bringing up the potential problems that could arise from computer songwriters <a href="https://www.copyright.gov/reports/annual/archive/ar-1965.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">way back in 1965</a>, U.S. copyright law has yet to nail down exactly who owns what when a computer is involved in the creative process, according to The Verge.
As it stands, the Beyoncé-trained AI could crank out an entire album of &#8220;Lemonade&#8221;-esque tracks, and as long as none of them sounded too much like any specific Beyoncé song, the AI-generated music wouldn&#8217;t be infringing on her copyrights — and the AI&#8217;s creator wouldn&#8217;t legally owe the artist a penny, lawyer Meredith Rose told The Verge.
Less clear is the use of copyrighted songs to train an AI. Several of The Verge&#8217;s sources said there isn&#8217;t a straightforward answer as to whether buying a song grants a person the right to then use it to train a machine learning system.
<h2>Clock&#8217;s Ticking</h2>
Of course, programmers <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/qvq54v/why-is-ai-generated-music-still-so-bad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have yet to come anywhere near</a> creating AIs capable of autonomously churning out hit songs in the key of Bey — or anyone else for that matter — but that doesn&#8217;t mean they won&#8217;t be able to one day.
&#8220;It’s like the future of self-driving cars,&#8221; media-focused venture capitalist Leonard Brody <a href="http://fortune.com/2018/10/25/artificial-intelligence-music/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Fortune in October</a>. &#8220;Level 1 is an artist using a machine to assist them. Level 2 is where the music is crafted by a machine but performed by a human. Level 3 is where the whole thing is machines.&#8221;
We&#8217;ve already seen several examples of those first two levels — tech-forward songstress Taryn Southern shared songwriting credits with AI on her <a href="https://www.prweb.com/releases/taryn_southern_is_first_artist_to_compose_pop_album_with_ai/prweb15792349.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;I AM AI&#8221; album</a>, released in September, and that same month, Iranian composer Ash Koosha <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/musician-ai-songs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released an album</a> on which he sang songs composed by AI-powered software.
If Brody&#8217;s prediction is correct, the next step will be AIs creating music by themselves — and if we&#8217;re already in the midst of a &#8220;legal clusterfuck,&#8221; who knows what sort of legislative nightmare that will be?
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/17/18299563/ai-algorithm-music-law-copyright-human" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WE’VE BEEN WARNED ABOUT AI AND MUSIC FOR OVER 50 YEARS, BUT NO ONE’S PREPARED</a> [The Verge]
More on AI songwriters: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/musician-ai-songs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This Musician Created an AI to Write Songs for Him, and They’re Pretty Strange</a>

Time is running out for the laws to catch up with the tech.

Expert: AI-generated music is a "total legal clusterf*ck"

Hot Mess

The legal industry isn't ready for AI-generated music, leading to all sorts of new questions about copyrights in the age of creative machines.

Expert: AI-Generated Music Is A “Total Legal Clusterf*ck”

What happens when an AI is trained to mimic just one artist's style?

In theory, using solar energy in private homes has always been a no brainer. Why pay the electric company an arm and a leg every month when sunlight is free? Unfortunately, putting theory into practice hasn’t always been that simple. In the past, high installation costs meant very few people could actually afford to make the switch. And the ones who could afford what solar cost still had to ask themselves, &#8220;<a href="https://futurism.com/solar-power-worth" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is solar worth it</a>?&#8221;
Luckily, that’s not the case anymore. The average cost of installing a solar energy system has plummeted by 70 percent over the last 10 years, from about $40,000 in 2010 to roughly $18,000 today. And that doesn’t even include the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), which, as of 2019, knocks an additional 30 percent of the cost. So the question today isn’t &#8220;how much money does solar cost?&#8221; but rather, &#8220;<a href="https://lp.understandsolar.com/ro/core/?lead_source=231&amp;tracking_code=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how much money am I going to lose if I don’t go solar</a>?&#8221;
<h2><a href="https://lp.understandsolar.com/ro/core/?lead_source=231&amp;tracking_code=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Solar Cost vs. Benefit Analysis</a></h2>
<figure id="attachment_157479" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://lp.understandsolar.com/ro/core/?lead_source=231&amp;amp;tracking_code=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="wp-image-157479 size-large" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2019/04/mariana-proenca-1235961-unsplash-1200x800.jpg" alt="This free solar cost estimator will tell you if going solar is worth it for your home." width="1200" height="800" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Unsplash &#8211; @marianaproenca</figcaption></figure>
The good news is that you don’t have to navigate the solar marketplace on your own. There are a lot of resources out there for people trying to figure it all out. And one of the best is <a href="https://lp.understandsolar.com/ro/core/?lead_source=231&amp;tracking_code=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UnderstandSolar.com</a>.
<a href="https://lp.understandsolar.com/ro/core/?lead_source=231&amp;tracking_code=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UnderstandSolar.com</a> is a free, third-party advocate for solar power. They don&#8217;t sell solar equipment, and they don’t install it. Their goal is to get more homes using solar energy by educating consumers and putting them in contact with solar industry professionals.
<h2><a href="https://lp.understandsolar.com/ro/core/?lead_source=231&amp;tracking_code=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click Here For UnderstandSolar.com&#8217;s Quick and Easy Personalized Solar Cost Estimates</a></h2>
<figure id="attachment_157298" style="width: 696px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://lp.understandsolar.com/ro/core/?lead_source=231&amp;amp;tracking_code=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="wp-image-157298 size-full" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2019/04/understand-solar-quick-easy-personalized-solar-estimates.jpg" alt="This free solar cost estimator will tell you if going solar is worth it for your home." width="696" height="350" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">UnderstandSolar.com</figcaption></figure>
If you’re new to solar energy, <a href="https://lp.understandsolar.com/ro/core/?lead_source=231&amp;tracking_code=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UnderstandSolar.com</a> will teach you everything you need to know, from how solar energy systems work and how they interact with the public grid, to how much solar panels cost and how long you can expect them to last. They have overviews of all the equipment you’ll need, as well as a comprehensive guide to all the different financing and leasing options. They even have reviews of all the latest solar equipment, from panels and lights to generators and battery systems. And they can explain all the legal and financial incentives offered by the government, including the Solar Investment Tax Credit, as well as Renewable Portfolio Standards and Solar Renewable Energy Certificates.
Once you’re fully informed, the next step is to get a personalized assessment of all your options. And <a href="https://lp.understandsolar.com/ro/core/?lead_source=231&amp;tracking_code=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UnderstandSolar.com</a> makes this incredibly easy. All you have to do is fill out their online form, providing a few details about your home and your community, and UnderstandSolar will provide you with a free solar cost assessment over the phone and answer any questions you may have. After that, if you are ready to take the plunge, Understand Solar will put you in touch with top-rated installers in your area and help you arrange in-home estimates so you have as many options to choose from as possible.
In short, <a href="https://lp.understandsolar.com/ro/core/?lead_source=231&amp;tracking_code=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UnderstandSolar.com</a> takes a complicated process and makes it fast and easy. If you’re ready to find out how much money you’re losing by not going solar, why wait any longer? <a href="https://lp.understandsolar.com/ro/core/?lead_source=231&amp;tracking_code=article" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit UnderstandSolar.com get your free solar cost vs benefit analysis today.</a>
Futurism fans: To create this content, a non-editorial team worked with an affiliate partner. We may collect a small commission on items purchased through this page. This post does not necessarily reflect the views or the endorsement of the Futurism.com editorial staff.

The average cost of installing a solar energy system has plummeted by 70% over the last 10 years.

Is going solar worth it for your home? Use this solar cost calculator to find out

Brands We Love

Wondering if going solar is worth it for your home? Get a free solar cost vs. benefit analysis from UnderstandSolar.com and find out.

Is Going Solar Worth It for Your Home? Use This Solar Cost Calculator to Find Out

You might be leaving money on the table by not going solar.

<h2>Retro Rewind</h2>
Your favorite classic video games are getting a killer makeover. But it&#8217;s not big-name game developers making the improvements: it&#8217;s independent modders.
Most game updates require teams of designers and coders working for months or even years, according to a <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/18/18311287/ai-upscaling-algorithms-video-games-mods-modding-esrgan-gigapixel">fascinating new feature</a> in The Verge, but now many are using machine learning to expedite the process — allowing a single highly-motivated modder to refurbish a game in just a few weeks.
<h2>Pixel Perfect</h2>
One extraordinary example: In March, Reddit user <a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/BearborgOne">BearborgOne</a> used a program called <a href="https://github.com/xinntao/ESRGAN">ESRGAN</a> (which stands for Enhanced Super-Resolution Generative Adversarial Networks) to retexture the beloved GameCube classic Metroid Prime 2 into a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39xrl9z2ZZs">4k masterpiece.</a>
ESRGAN plucks the textures from the original base game, analyzes them, and fills the gaps in the low resolution graphics, effectively smoothing and sharpening the game while preserving the original design. After applying AI upscaling, blurry clouds of pixels become detailed buildings or trees — much like an art restorationist reviving the lost faces of a neglected painting.
<h2>Takes a Village</h2>
It might sound like the AI does all the work, but it&#8217;s not that simple. According to The Verge, some games can take hundreds of hours to tweak the algorithm and clean the final images by hand. Just one monster could take between five and 15 hours, depending on the complexity game&#8217;s animation.
Still, AI is a powerful tool. Daniel Trolie, a teacher and student from Norway, <a href="https://www.nexusmods.com/morrowind/mods/46221">updated</a> The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, an RPG classic from 2002.
&#8220;It was like witchcraft,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/18/18311287/ai-upscaling-algorithms-video-games-mods-modding-esrgan-gigapixel">told The Verge</a>. &#8220;It looked like I just downloaded a hi-res texture pack from Bethesda themselves.&#8221;
<h2>DIY Attitude</h2>
Communities of modders gather on the <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/GameUpscale/">r/GameUpscale reddit</a> and <a href="https://discordapp.com/invite/jkFHzGD">Discord channel</a> to share technique and technology if you want to revive your favorite out of date classic yourself.
Still, it&#8217;s understandable if you&#8217;re a pixel purist. Nostalgia for old games might be fueling the movement, but there&#8217;s something wonderful about enjoying vintage graphics. Anyone who played Ocarina of Time on Gamecube, after all, knows that the scare of a giant spider dropping on your head wouldn&#8217;t be the same without the gangly pixelated legs.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/18/18311287/ai-upscaling-algorithms-video-games-mods-modding-esrgan-gigapixel">Artificial Intelligence is Helping Old Video Games Look Like New</a> [The Verge]
More on video games: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/schools-varsity-video-game-teams">Schools in Eight States Now Have Varsity Video Game Teams.</a>

The AI works "like witchcraft" to revitalize old games.

Machine learning is giving retro games cutting-edge graphics

Game On

By using machine learning technology, video game modders are reviving classic old games by giving their graphics a major update.

Machine Learning Is Giving Retro Games Cutting-Edge Graphics

Your favorite classic video game is getting a makeover.

When you hear the words &#8220;air pollution,&#8221; what image springs to mind? Do you think of trucks spewing exhaust on the highway, or a factory emitting god-knows-what into the atmosphere? One thing you probably don&#8217;t associate with air pollution is the air in your own house or apartment. But given the staggering levels of <a href="https://futurism.com/air-purifier-home-sponsored-wynd-halo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indoor air pollution</a> found in most homes, maybe you should.
<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/08/the-hidden-air-pollution-in-our-homes">A recent study</a> conducted at the University of Texas, Austin, found that the indoor air pollution in a home where a Thanksgiving meal had just been prepared was worse than that of air samples from New Delhi. To put this into perspective, the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/5/8/17316978/india-pollution-levels-air-delhi-health">World Health Organization says India’s capital</a> has air quality that’s worse than any other major city on Earth. And indoor air quality reports <a href="https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/inside-story-guide-indoor-air-quality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">put out by the Environmental Protection Agency EPA</a> came to a similar conclusion about the sorry state of the indoor air we breathe. 

Considering most people spend around 90 percent of their lives indoors, indoor air pollution may have serious health implications. Luckily, instead of waiting to see if these potential health problems materialize, there are steps that can be taken to asses the air quality in your home and make the necessary changes. 

<h2><a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=345931&#038;u=1363912&#038;m=36929&#038;urllink=homeaircheck%2Ecom%2Fproducts%2F&#038;afftrack=" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Home Air Check</a></h2>
<figure id="attachment_157360" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=345931&amp;u=1363912&amp;m=36929&amp;urllink=homeaircheck%2Ecom%2Fproducts%2F&amp;afftrack="><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2019/04/natalia-figueredo-350529-unsplash-1200x800.jpg" alt="indoor air pollution " width="1200" height="800" class="size-large wp-image-157360" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Unsplash &#8211; @nataliafigueredo</figcaption></figure>
For example, a company called <a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=345931&#038;u=1363912&#038;m=36929&#038;urllink=homeaircheck%2Ecom%2Fproducts%2F&#038;afftrack=">Prism Analytical Technologies</a> has developed consumer testing kits that provide a detailed analysis of indoor air pollution levels in your home. Sold under the name <a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=345931&#038;u=1363912&#038;m=36929&#038;urllink=homeaircheck%2Ecom%2Fproducts%2F&#038;afftrack=">Home Air Check</a>, the tests allow consumers the ability to utilize the leading consultative air testing laboratory in the United States. It&#8217;s like inviting a team of highly trained analytical Chemists into your home to check your air quality.
Each test comes complete with an air sample collector, instructions, and a per-paid shipping label for easy return. Not only that, data from each test is synthesized in Prism’s state of the art <a href="https://homeaircheck.com/products/#AIHA">AIHA accredited lab</a> for accurate results. This information is then reported and e-mailed to you within five business days of its arrival at the lab. Additionally, you will receive a document on how to deal with the indoor air pollution levels of your home based on these results. And if you have any questions, comments or concerns, Prism provides both e-mail and phone support to help you find the answers you’re looking for.
Test options include:
<h2><a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=345931&amp;u=1774966&amp;m=36929&amp;urllink=homeaircheck%2Ecom%2Fproduct%2Fvolatile%2Dorganic%2Dcompound%2Dvoc%2Dtest%2F&amp;afftrack=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Volatile Organic Compound Test</a></h2>
<figure id="attachment_156609" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=345931&amp;u=1774966&amp;m=36929&amp;urllink=homeaircheck%2Ecom%2Fproduct%2Fvolatile%2Dorganic%2Dcompound%2Dvoc%2Dtest%2F&amp;afftrack=" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="wp-image-156609 size-large" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2019/04/Screen-Shot-2019-04-09-at-3.52.40-PM-1200x800.jpg" alt="Indoor Air Pollution testing kit" width="1200" height="800" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Home Air Check</figcaption></figure>
The <a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=345931&amp;u=1774966&amp;m=36929&amp;urllink=homeaircheck%2Ecom%2Fproduct%2Fvolatile%2Dorganic%2Dcompound%2Dvoc%2Dtest%2F&amp;afftrack=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Volatile Organic Compound Test</a> measures the level of VOCs and active growing mold in your home to give you an accurate reading of your home’s indoor air pollution levels. VOCs are chemicals that are emitted as gases from solids or liquids which easily evaporate into the air at room temperature. Concentrations of these chemicals can be up to 100 times higher indoors than outdoors. Additionally, this test measures Total Mold Volatile Organic Compounds (MVOCs). When mold is in its active growth phase, it releases MVOCs that can’t be detected by the human nose, but can be detected by this test. 

<h2><a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=345931&amp;u=1774966&amp;m=36929&amp;urllink=homeaircheck%2Ecom%2Fproduct%2Fformaldehyde%2Dtest%2F&amp;afftrack=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Formaldehyde Test</a></h2>
<a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=345931&amp;u=1774966&amp;m=36929&amp;urllink=homeaircheck%2Ecom%2Fproduct%2Fformaldehyde%2Dtest%2F&amp;afftrack=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Home Air Check&#8217;s Formaldehyde Test</a> measures levels of toxic formaldehyde in your home. Formaldehyde is a chemical commonly used in the manufacture of building materials and numerous household products. At room temperature, formaldehyde vaporizes into the air, potentially causing serious health problems. Since formaldehyde is present in so many building materials and household products, every home should be tested for the presence of this toxic chemical. This is especially true of new or newly remodeled homes. 

<h2><a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=345931&amp;u=1774966&amp;m=36929&amp;urllink=homeaircheck%2Ecom%2Fproduct%2Fvolatile%2Dorganic%2Dcompound%2Dvocand%2Dformaldehydetest%2F&amp;afftrack=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) and Formaldehyde Test</a></h2>
If you’re looking to cover all your bases, the <a href="https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=345931&amp;u=1774966&amp;m=36929&amp;urllink=homeaircheck%2Ecom%2Fproduct%2Fvolatile%2Dorganic%2Dcompound%2Dvocand%2Dformaldehydetest%2F&amp;afftrack=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) and Formaldehyde Test</a> combo test is your best option. Not only does it measure and report the total levels of VOCs, but also measures actively growing mold and toxic formaldehyde lingering in the air. It’s a convenient and fairly affordable way to find out if the air you and your family are breathing is safe.
<h2>Air Filtration For Indoor Air Pollution</h2>
Depending on the results of your test, you may need to take action to improve the air quality in your home. While it&#8217;s important to do your own research based on the specific results of your test, the following filter option is a good place to start.
<h2 id="title" class="a-size-large a-spacing-none"><a href="https://amzn.to/2CRDSUu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">White Rabbit Air MinusA2 Air Purifier</a></h2>
<figure id="attachment_140100" style="width: 1200px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://amzn.to/2CRDSUu" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="wp-image-140100 size-full" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2018/10/white-rabbit.jpg" alt="Indoor Air Pollution air filter" width="1200" height="800" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Amazon</figcaption></figure>
<a href="https://amzn.to/2CRDSUu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Rabbit Air MinusA2 Ultra Quiet HEPA SPA-780N </a>can filter up to 815 sq. ft. It features a BioGS HEPA filtration system with six different stages of purification and deodorization. It easily traps and reduces offensive odors from pets, cigarettes, mildew, and countless other sources.
While it’s common knowledge pollutants permeate the air around us, how can you know you’re safe unless you’ve tested your living space. Conducting any of these tests will allow you to take action if needed, and to sleep soundly knowing you’ve done everything in your power to breathe easy.
Futurism fans: To create this content, a non-editorial team worked with an affiliate partner. We may collect a small commission on items purchased through this page. This post does not necessarily reflect the views or the endorsement of the Futurism.com editorial staff.

Indoor air pollution can have serious health implications.

Indoor air pollution is 'worse than New Delhi.' How does your home stack up?

Studies claim indoor air pollution in the average home can be worse than the most polluted cities. This air test will let you know where your home stands.

Indoor Air Pollution Is ‘Worse Than New Delhi.’ How Does Your Home Stack Up?

It's time to make some changes. 

<h2>Public Enemy</h2>
Long-shot U.S. presidential candidate Andrew Yang isn&#8217;t hopeful about the imminent future of humanity — that much become instantly clear in a <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/17/18408685/andrew-yang-2020-president-democrat-candidate-policies-universal-basic-income-reddit-twitter">bleak profile</a> published today by The Verge.
Public enemy number one: automation, which Yang sees as a destructive result of a rapidly globalizing market-obsessed future. The risk is millions of jobs lost and a host of undesirable side effects like financial insecurity and a decline in mental health — a joyless, dystopian future in which humans have been replaced by the machines they built.
<h2>A Long Way Up</h2>
Yang&#8217;s core promise is to provide every U.S. citizen with $1,000 every month. That&#8217;d usually be called <a href="https://futurism.com/tag/universal-basic-income/">basic income</a>. Yang, however, prefers to call it a &#8220;freedom dividend&#8221; — perhaps to make the idea more digestible to center-leaning voters.
&#8220;Even now, we have an epidemic not just of drug overdoses, but of anxiety, depression, and mental health problems,&#8221; he told The Verge. &#8220;If you load pervasive financial insecurity and scarcity on top, you will have a population that starts dying younger, is less rational, does not know what to do.&#8221;
<h2>&#8220;Meaningful Solutions&#8221;</h2>
The idea isn&#8217;t as far fetched as you might think. A city in California recently <a href="https://futurism.com/california-city-just-launched-basic-income-trial">started an experimental basic income program</a> providing 130 residents with monthly payments over 18 months.
But Yang has a long road ahead. Polls put him at around <a href="https://twitter.com/PhilipWegmann/status/1117754264439414784">three percent</a>.
&#8220;The path from here to figuring it out is fraught with a lot of misery and suffering,&#8221; Yang said. But that&#8217;s not the end of the story. &#8220;I thought to myself, realistically, my choices are to watch the society come apart or try and galvanize energy around meaningful solutions,&#8221; he added later.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/17/18408685/andrew-yang-2020-president-democrat-candidate-policies-universal-basic-income-reddit-twitter">Andrew Yang is the Candidate for the End of the World</a> [The Verge]
More on Yang: <a href="https://futurism.com/andrew-yang-campaign-hologram">Presidential Hopeful Andrew Yang Plans to Campaign Via Hologram</a>

"The path from here to figuring it out is fraught with a lot of misery and suffering."

Andrew Yang's goal: steer us away from a bleakly dystopian future

Yang Gang

In a bleak profile by The Verge, 2020 presidential hopeful Andrew Yang lays out his grim vision of the future — if automation remains unchecked.

Andrew Yang’s Goal: Steer Us Away From a Bleakly Dystopian Future

Is the presidential hopeful the answer to a rapid decline in financial security and mental health?

<h2>Diversity Crisis</h2>
If you can think of a problem, there&#8217;s likely a researcher somewhere trying to develop an <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/02/5-global-problems-that-ai-could-help-us-solve/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">artificial intelligence to solve it</a>. But while AIs themselves have grown more diverse in recent years, the researchers creating the systems haven&#8217;t.
According to a new <a href="https://ainowinstitute.org/discriminatingsystems.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> out of New York University&#8217;s AI Now Institute, the AI industry is still dominated by white men — and this &#8220;diversity crisis&#8221; is partially to blame for the biased AIs we&#8217;re <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/biased-self-driving-cars-darker-skin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seeing</a> <a href="https://futurism.com/human-rights-discriminatory-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crop up</a> <a href="https://futurism.com/amazons-face-rekognition-race-gender" target="_blank" rel="noopener">around the globe</a>.
&#8220;To date, the diversity problems of the AI industry and the issues of bias in the systems it builds have tended to be considered separately,&#8221; the researchers wrote. &#8220;But we suggest that these are two versions of the same problem: issues of discrimination in the workforce and in system building are deeply intertwined.&#8221;
<h2>By the Numbers</h2>
The AI Now team found that men comprise 82 percent of the authors at leading AI conferences and more than 80 percent of AI professors. The numbers don&#8217;t get better when you leave academia, either: women make up just 15 and 10 percent of Facebook and Google&#8217;s AI research staffs, respectively.
Black people appear to be even less represented in the AI industry — machine vision researcher Timnit Gebru told the AI Now team she was one of just six black people at a 2016 machine learning conference attended by 8,500 people.
That lack of gender and racial diversity isn&#8217;t just a problem for those trying to work in the AI industry, either — it&#8217;s also a problem for society as a whole.
&#8220;The urgency behind this issue is increasing as AI becomes increasingly integrated into society,&#8221; Stanford researcher Danaë Metaxa, who wasn&#8217;t involved with the report, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/apr/16/artificial-intelligence-lack-diversity-new-york-university-study" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Guardian</a>. &#8220;Essentially, the lack of diversity in AI is concentrating an increasingly large amount of power and capital in the hands of a select subset of people.&#8221;
<h2>Shifting Gears</h2>
The AI Now team&#8217;s report includes several suggestions for how AI companies can improve workplace diversity. These include the creation of incentives for hiring underrepresented groups and the publication of detailed compensation reports broken down by race and gender.
The team also shared recommendations for addressing biased AIs themselves, such as having the systems audited by independent parties and increasing transparency as to where the AIs are used.
&#8220;Every day that goes by it gets more difficult to solve the problem,&#8221; Tess Posner, CEO of AI4ALL, a nonprofit focused on AI diversity, told The Guardian. &#8220;Right now we are in an exciting moment where we can make a difference before we see how much more complicated it can get later.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/apr/16/artificial-intelligence-lack-diversity-new-york-university-study" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8216;Disastrous&#8217; lack of diversity in AI industry perpetuates bias, study finds</a> [The Guardian]
More on AI: <a href="https://futurism.com/human-rights-discriminatory-artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stop Using Discriminatory AI, Human Rights Groups Say</a>

It seems if you aren't white or male, the AI industry doesn't want you right now.

Experts: To Solve AI’s Bias Problem, Hire Fewer White Men

AI-firmative Action

The creation of biased AIs is linked to the tech industry's overwhelmingly white, male workforce, according to a new report.

The industry's "diversity crisis" is partially to blame for its racist, sexist AIs.

<h2>Dog Squad</h2>
Step aside, reindeer — robot dogs are hauling this load.
In an ominous video titled &#8220;Mush, Spot Mush!&#8221; posted on YouTube Tuesday, robot maker Boston Dynamics showed off the sheer strength of its SpotMini quadripedal robot dog. The clip shows 10 specialized Spotmini derivatives called Spotpower hauling a box truck across a parking lot — and at a one degree incline.
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OnWolLQSZic?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The robot maker <a href="https://futurism.com/its-all-fun-and-games-until-private-security-turns-a-spotmini-into-a-killing-machine">announced in 2018</a> that it will start selling SpotMini robot dogs to the public this year. The 66 pound robot can climb stairs, cross a wide variety of different terrain and carry 31 pounds.
<h2>Spot, the Red-Nosed Reindog</h2>
Potential applications range from home use to private security. The caption of today&#8217;s video announced that the Spotpower model will be sold to the public for a &#8220;range of applications soon.&#8221;
What exactly those applications will look like and how much a Spotpower will go for is still unclear. But it&#8217;s an incredible feat of strength and agility that sets the bar for future commercial robots.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/see-a-pack-of-spotmini-robot-dogs-pull-a-truck-in-creepy-feat-of-strength/">See a pack of SpotMini robot dogs pull a truck in creepy feat of strength</a> [CNET] 

More on Boston Dynamics: <a href="https://futurism.com/boston-dynamics-atlas-jogging">Boston Dynamic&#8217;s Robot Atlas Just Went Jogging</a>

Watch a pack of Boston Dynamics' creepy robot dogs pull a truck

Red-Nosed Reindog

In an ominous video titled "Mush, Spot Mush!" posted on YouTube today, robot maker Boston Dynamics showed off ten of its robot dogs hauling a truck.

Watch a Pack of Boston Dynamics’ Creepy Robot Dogs Pull a Truck

Spotmini isn't just nimble, it's super powerful, too.

<h2>New Pilot</h2>
Stockton, California, recently started an <a href="https://futurism.com/next-year-a-californian-city-will-launch-the-first-basic-income-experiment-in-the-u-s">experimental basic income program</a>. The concept is simple: 130 residents will receive monthly payments, no strings attached, over the course of 18 months. The first payment was delivered in February.
When the experiment is complete, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-pol-ca-basic-income-stockton-reparations-20190415-story.html">according to The Los Angeles Times</a>, city authorities will pore over how people spent the money and how it changed their lives — resulting in a study that could provide crucial insight into the economics of basic income.
<h2>Basic Income</h2>
Participants aren&#8217;t exactly getting lifted out of poverty — the city is paying each person $500 each month. It&#8217;s not enough to change anyone&#8217;s tax bracket, but Stockton mayor Michael Tubbs argues that it could grant security to people who are struggling to make ends meet or working several jobs.
&#8220;I know what it&#8217;s like to be hungry or to see your mom struggling. Everyone in my neighborhood was always outside playing because their parents were working. And they weren’t at home waiting for the government to save them,&#8221; Tubbs told the LA Times. &#8220;I think I have a special responsibility to elevate policy and solutions that can deal with these issues, but also to change these caricatures we have of people who are no different than anyone else. Who happen to work in jobs that don’t pay well.&#8221;
<h2>Paywalled Study</h2>
The pilot program&#8217;s data won&#8217;t be available for a few years, and the organizers are acting secretive, the LA Times reports.
But in coming months, some participants are expected to share stories about how they&#8217;re using the money and what it&#8217;s meant to them. Actual research into the basic income program will be more data intensive, but these so-called &#8220;Storyteller&#8221; participants can give people an idea of how basic income works in the meantime.
&#8220;We have a real opportunity to rethink how we talk about the safety net, what it means to get by, and we want to take advantage of that,&#8221; University of Pennsylvania-affiliated researcher Amy Castro Baker told the LA Times. &#8220;I would argue that research is always informed by something that you would like to see happen or not happen in the world, and we are owning that.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-pol-ca-basic-income-stockton-reparations-20190415-story.html">What would a universal basic income mean for America? Stockton thinks it has the answer</a> [The Los Angeles Times]
More on universal basic income: <a href="https://futurism.com/california-city-test-universal-basic-income">A California City Is Gearing Up To Test Universal Basic Income</a>

"I think I have a special responsibility to elevate policy and solutions that can deal with these issues, but also to change these caricatures we have of people who are no different than anyone else."

A California city just launched a basic income trial

One For All

Stockton, California, is in the early stages of its experimental trial of a universal basic income trial. A small group of people is getting $500 per month.

A California City Just Launched a Basic Income Trial

Stockton, California will pay 130 residents for 18 months.

<h2>Fizzing-Out</h2>
Recall the Pepsi slogan of yore: &#8220;<a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/517ca144e4b065cfbf618485/5191e946e4b0576d48b62550/5191e948e4b0fc2bec6e9f4a/1368516938471/Pepsi_Working_0007_OOH_Joy1.jpg">Refresh Everything</a>.&#8221; Apparently, that also includes the truth!
On Saturday, Futurism <a href="https://futurism.com/pepsi-orbital-billboard-night-sky/">broke a story</a> about Pepsi&#8217;s plans to use a space billboard sponsored by one of its energy drinks to protest against what it claimed were stereotypes unfair to gamers. But by Monday, after an outpouring of anger about the project on social media, PepsiCo — which owns brands ranging from Frito-Lay to Tropicana — had changed its tune about the project, saying the plans would go no further than a stratospheric test it recently carried out to try out the technology.
&#8220;This was a one-time event; we have no further plans to test or commercially use this technology at this time,&#8221; a PepsiCo spokesperson <a href="https://gizmodo.com/pepsi-mercifully-spares-humanity-from-its-space-billboa-1834057634">told Gizmodo</a>.
Except, here&#8217;s the thing:
They did.
<h2>The Pepsi Difference</h2>
A press release sent to Futurism last week by Russian space company StartRocket tells a different story than the one Pepsi&#8217;s pouring today. In it, StartRocket claimed the stratospheric test with a balloon was just a prelude to an ambitious space billboard — on which its first advertising client would be PepsiCo&#8217;s Adrenaline Rush energy drink.
&#8220;Adrenaline Rush (owned by PepsiCo Russia) became the test launch partner,&#8221; it read. &#8220;The Adrenaline GameChangers logo — a newly created movement whose goal is to campaign against stereotypes and unjustified prejudices against gamers — will be the first branded image on the StartRocket orbital display after its launch.&#8221;
And on Friday, when a Futurism reporter asked Russian PepsiCo spokesperson Olga Mangova whether it was accurate that the company was working with StartRocket to advertise Adrenaline Rush on StartRocket&#8217;s orbital billboard, the response was unambiguous.
&#8220;Nice to meet you!&#8221; Mangova wrote in an email. &#8220;Yes, that’s true.&#8221;
<h2>Pepsi Free</h2>
Asked about its apparent flip flop on the space billboard collaboration with StartRocket, PepsiCo spokesperson Nicole Tronolone said there&#8217;d been a miscommunication, speculating that there had been a &#8220;language issue&#8221; with Russian PepsiCo employees.
&#8220;The PepsiCo position has not reversed; it was inaccurately communicated,&#8221; Tronolone told Futurism in an email.
Tronolone declined to comment on why the press release from StartRocket said the display would be in orbit and why it referred to the space billboard in the future tense.
Mangova said that the press release had been written before the stratospheric test with the balloon, but sent to media afterward. Mangova declined to say why part of the press release was written in the past tense and another part was written in the future tense, and also declined to say why it would call a balloon test an &#8220;orbital display.&#8221;
Asked whether it was true that PepsiCo had never planned to launch the orbital billboard, StartRocket spokesperson Nikita Belov seemed puzzled by PepsiCo&#8217;s evolving stance.
&#8220;Unfortunately, I can’t prove or disprove it because of lack of information,&#8221; she wrote in an email to Futurism.
When it comes to advertising, Pepsi hasn&#8217;t exactly piloted the last few years with any kind of finesse. You may recall that time they made an ad with one of the biggest celebrities on Earth, implying that social unrest and police-state violence can be resolved with a cold can of Pepsi? If you don&#8217;t, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_for_Now_(Pepsi)">here&#8217;s the Wikipedia page</a> on what&#8217;s been referred to as &#8220;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/pepsi-ad-advert-commercial-kendall-jenner-police-protest-black-lives-matter-review-a7667486.html">possibly the worst commercial of all time</a>.&#8221;
So, yeah: this tracks.
<h2>Recovering the Satellites</h2>
Futurism first reported on the existence of StartRocket back in January. Its collaboration with Pepsi wasn&#8217;t yet public, but the story launched a wave of backlash against the concept on social media — and in media outlets ranging from <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/space-billboards-are-just-the-latest-orbital-stunt/">Wired</a> to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/startup-wants-put-huge-ads-space-not-everyone-board-idea-ncna960296">NBC News</a>.
As Futurism readers pointed out on social media, futuristic ads that appear among the stars of the night sky have been suggested by science fiction authors including Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark, and Doug Naylor.
It was even tried in real life once before, in 1993, when a Georgia company called Space Marketing proposed launching a similar project that would be visible to billions of people as it cruised across the night sky — prompting cosmologist Carl Sagan to call the idea an &#8220;abomination.&#8221;
In the end, perhaps nothing can stop the relentless force of marketing. In <a href="https://astronomy.com/news/2019/04/pepsi-partners-with-russian-start-up-to-test-orbiting-billboards">an interview</a> with the magazine Astronomy about Pepsi&#8217;s flip flop on space billboards, director of conservation for the International Dark-Sky Association John Barentine argued that some form of orbital advertising is probably unavoidable.
&#8220;I think it is inevitable that someone will do this,&#8221; Barentine said. &#8220;They will take the gamble that even a negative public reaction will still benefit the bottom line.&#8221;
&#8220;There’s not a lot that can be done,&#8221; he added, &#8220;other than heaping scorn upon the companies that might advertise with the satellite owners.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://astronomy.com/news/2019/04/pepsi-partners-with-russian-start-up-to-test-orbiting-billboards">PepsiCo partnered with a Russian start-up to test orbiting billboards</a> [Astronomy]
More on orbital billboards: <a href="https://futurism.com/pepsi-orbital-billboard-night-sky">Pepsi Plans to Project a Giant Ad in the Night Sky Using Cubesats</a>

After backlash, Pepsi says it never planned a space billboard

Space Disgrace

After an outpouring of anger about the project on social media, PepsiCo no longer says it plans to launch a space billboard.

After Backlash, Pepsi Says It Never Planned a Space Billboard

PepsiCo keeps changing its story about its plans for a space billboard.

<h2>From Bits to Atoms</h2>
The world watched in horror Monday night while flames tore through the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. As fire consumed the roof and toppled its iconic central spire, it seemed as though the historic church could be lost forever — but it&#8217;s possible, thanks to cutting-edge imagining technology, that all hope may not be lost.
Thanks to the meticulous work of Vassar art historian Andrew Tallon, every exquisite detail and mysterious clue to the building&#8217;s 13th-century construction was recorded in a <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/06/150622-andrew-tallon-notre-dame-cathedral-laser-scan-art-history-medieval-gothic/">digital archive</a> in 2015 using laser imaging. These records have revolutionized our understanding of how the spectacular building was built — and could providea template for how Paris could rebuild.
According <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-notre-dame-fire-and-the-future-of-history/">to Wired</a>, &#8220;architects now hope that Tallon’s scans may provide a map for keeping on track whatever rebuilding will have to take place.&#8221;
<h2>One Billion Data Points</h2>
In 2015, National Geographic <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/06/150622-andrew-tallon-notre-dame-cathedral-laser-scan-art-history-medieval-gothic/">profiled Tallon</a> and his unique scanning process, highlighting his digital imaging of the Notre Dame Cathedral. For centuries, the only tools we had to measure medieval buildings and structures were primitive — strings and rulers, pencils and plumb bobs — but by turning to 21st-century technology, Tallon was able to tease out the secrets of this miraculous structure.
&#8220;If I had texts at every point, I could look in the texts and try to get back into the heads of the builders,&#8221; Tallon said to Nat Geo. &#8220;I don&#8217;t have it, so it&#8217;s detective work for me.&#8221;
For his scans of Notre Dame, Tallon recorded data from more than 50 locations in and around the cathedral, resulting in a staggering one billion points of data.
Each scan begins by mounting the laser onto a tripod and placing in the center of the structure. The laser sweeps around the area in every direction, and as it hits a surface, the beam bounces back, recording the exact placement and surface of whatever buttress or column it landed on by measuring the time it took the beam to return. Every measurement is recorded as a colored dot, combining together into a detailed picture, like the color pixels of a digital photograph.
Eventually those millions of dots form a three-dimensional snapshot of the cathedral, and the resulting images are meticulously precise; if the scan is done properly, Tallon told Nat Geo, it should be accurate within 5 millimeters.
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jAi29udFMKw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>What Needs to be Rebuilt</h2>
According to The New York Times, it <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/15/world/europe/paris-notre-dame-fire.html">took less than an hour</a> for the fire to spread from the attic of the cathedral and engulf the roof, toppling the central spire. Construction on the cathedral began in the year 1163 and finished in 1345, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/world/europe/notre-dame-cathedral-facts.html">according to an NYT piece about the history of the cathedral</a>, and the wooden roof contained historic beams from the year 1220, all of which were destroyed by the blaze.
Support for the recovery efforts have begun pouring in, with wealthy Parisians and companies pledging more than $450 million in donations to Notre Dame&#8217;s restoration.
Despite the extensive damage, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/15/world/europe/crown-of-thorns-notre-dame.html">NYT reports</a> that most of the priceless artifacts and the stone structure of the cathedral remain intact — though only time will tell how long it&#8217;ll take to restore the beloved structure to a semblance of its former glory.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/the-notre-dame-fire-and-the-future-of-history/">The Notre Dame Fire and the Future of History</a> [Wired]
More on 3D scans: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/medical-scanner-explorer">See the 3D Images Produced by the First Full-Body Medical Scanner</a>

The Notre Dame fire was devastating, but these 3d scans offer hope for its restoration.

Fortunately, there are incredible 3D scans of Notre Dame

Notre Dame Fire

By using 3D-laser scanning technology, there may still be hope for the full recovery and rebuild of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

Fortunately, There Are Incredible 3D Scans of Notre Dame

The good news: we have a highly-detailed digital template for how to rebuild. 

<h2>Wake Up, Neo</h2>
In an interview with MIT researcher Lex Fridman, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reiterated his belief that we&#8217;re all living inside a simulation.
When Fridman <a href="https://youtu.be/dEv99vxKjVI">asked him</a> what his first question would be for the first-ever artificial general intelligence system, Musk replied: &#8220;What&#8217;s outside the simulation?&#8221;
<h2>Pong of my People</h2>
Musk has floated the possibility that we&#8217;re all living in a &#8220;The Matrix&#8221; style simulation for several years. During a 2016 interview at a tech conference, <a href="https://futurism.com/are-we-living-in-a-computer-simulation-elon-musk-thinks-so">Musk asserted that</a> there&#8217;s &#8220;a one in billions chance we’re in base reality.&#8221;
The argument: video games have evolved from a &#8220;Pong, two rectangles and a dot&#8221; he told audiences at the 2016 conference, to &#8220;photorealistic 3D simulations with millions of people playing simultaneously.&#8221; Given enough time, those games would become &#8220;indistinguishable from reality.&#8221;
<h2>Next Level</h2>
For Musk, human reality amounts to a computer simulation created by greater forces — the extent to which he actually prescribes to this theory is hard to tell. But he has voiced concern about all-powerful AI. He has even <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/elon-musk-at-sxsw-a-i-is-more-dangerous-than-nuclear-weapons.html">argued</a> that AI is &#8220;far more dangerous than nukes&#8221; at a different tech conference in 2018.
&#8220;The singularity for this level of the simulation is coming soon,&#8221; Musk replied to a tweet by the official Twitter account of the television show <a href="http://www.adultswim.com/videos/rick-and-morty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rick and Morty</a> in 2017. &#8220;I wonder what the levels above us look like.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/54900-elon-musk-reveals-the-one-question-he-would-ask-a-human-level-a-i">Elon Musk Reveals the One Question He Would Ask a Human-Level A.I.</a> [Inverse] 

More on the simulation hypothesis: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/mit-living-simulation-hypothesis">MIT Prof: It&#8217;s More Likely We&#8217;re Living in a Simulation Than Not</a>

"I wonder what the levels above us look like."

Elon Musk's question for super-smart AI: what’s outside the simulation?

I'm In

In an interview with MIT researchers Lex Fridman, Tesla CEO and visionary Elon Musk reiterated his belief that we're all living inside a simulation.

Elon Musk’s Question for Super-Smart AI: What’s Outside the Simulation?

Elon Musk chooses the red pill.

Scientifically speaking, here’s how we might prepare for the end of the world and steps we could be taking to protect humanity.

Scientifically speaking, here's how we could protect our future.

Existential Risks: How might the world end?

Future Society

Scientifically speaking, here are some potential existential risks and steps we could be taking to protect humanity and safeguard our future.

Existential Risks: How the World Might End and Steps to Secure Our Future

<h2>Explosive Demonstration</h2>
Last month, India demonstrated its capabilities as a spacefaring nation and drew international criticism when it <a href="https://futurism.com/india-just-shot-down-a-live-satellite">used a missile</a> to blew up one of its own satellites.
The launch happened to coincide with Lockheed Martin&#8217;s test run of a new space monitoring technology called the Space Fence, which can detect and track any unregistered objects orbiting the Earth. <a href="https://spacenews.com/indian-anti-satellite-test-proves-early-test-for-space-fence/">According to Space News</a>, that was a stroke of luck that could mitigate damage to people and equipment in space.
<h2>Picket Fence</h2>
The satellite explosion essentially turned the satellite into a <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-indias-satellite-endangered-astronauts">cloud of space debris</a>, which could in the future collide with other satellites, scientific instruments, or astronauts in orbit around the Earth — remember &#8220;Gravity&#8221;?
&#8220;We happened to be up during an endurance test and we were very excited to see that the system performed nominally,&#8221; Matthew Hughes, Lockheed Martin business development manager, told Space News. &#8220;Space fence is all about the ability to identify break ups, maneuvers, closely spaced objects, proximity operations, new foreign launches.&#8221;
While Space Fence isn&#8217;t an actual blockade in space, it can at least help officials prepare for and plan around collisions.
READ MORE: <a href="https://spacenews.com/indian-anti-satellite-test-proves-early-test-for-space-fence/">Indian anti-satellite test proves early test for Space Fence</a> [Space News]
More on India&#8217;s Satellite: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-indias-satellite-endangered-astronauts">NASA: When India Blew up a Satellite, it Endangered Astronauts</a>

"We happened to be up during an endurance test and we were very excited to see that the system performed nominally."

India blew up a satellite. Now a "space fence" is tracking its debris

Not A Real Fence

When India blew up a satellite, it introduced a lot of debris into orbit. Lockheed Martin's experimental Space Fence is keeping an eye on it.

India Blew up a Satellite. Now A “Space Fence” Is Tracking Its Debris

Lockheed Martin's experimental tech is monitoring the satellite fragments.

<h2>Harm to Ongoing Matter</h2>
When the Justice Department released a heavily-redacted <a href="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2019/images/04/18/mueller-report-searchable.pdf">version of the Mueller Report</a> Thursday, the conversation quickly devolved into partisan bickering.
Only time will tell what the report means for the Trump administration. But what&#8217;s immediately clear is that concepts that were once restricted to fictional cyberpunk dystopias — from government hackers to botnet propaganda networks — are now mainstream enough to influence international politics.
<h2>Black Boxes</h2>
The readable text of the report details how Russia used social media, hackers, and other sophisticated techniques to try and sway the 2016 U.S. Presidential election in favor of Trump — efforts that reached millions of Americans and recruited others to actively spread their propaganda before and after the election.
Russians working for an organization called the Internet Research Agency created accounts on Twitter and Facebook, through which they reached millions — including many members of the Trump Administration, Trump&#8217;s sons, and Trump himself — while sharing pro-Trump and anti-Clinton messages, memes, and images.
<h2>Personal Privacy</h2>
Meanwhile, other Russian operatives were taking a more direct approach — by hacking into Democratic Party servers, releasing sensitive information though sock puppet personas like &#8220;DCLeaks&#8221; and &#8220;Guccifer&#8221; and giving stolen data to WikiLeaks. Just to make the whole thing a little more &#8220;Shadowrun,&#8221; they funded the operation by mining Bitcoin.
In the long view, the report might be less memorable for its specific claims than as a blueprint for the future of information warfare — and the strange ways technology can be used to manipulate and control populations.
READ MORE: <a href="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2019/images/04/18/mueller-report-searchable.pdf">Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election</a> [CNN]
More on Mueller: <a href="https://futurism.com/mark-zuckerberg-testified-congress-day-1">Everything You Need to Know From Mark Zuckerberg’s Congressional Testimony: Day 1</a>

International politics fell pray to information warfare.

The Mueller report confirms we're living in a cyberpunk dystopia

REDACTED

The Mueller Report, heavily redacted, describes a number of high-tech Russian operations designed to undermine and sway the 2016 Presidential election.

The Mueller Report Confirms We’re Living in a Cyberpunk Dystopia

Forget partisan politics. This is a dark vision of the future of digital espionage.

<h2>Eyes Peeled</h2>
When the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) turns back on and starts smashing particles again sometime in 2021, it may also point us in the direction of dark matter.
For years, scientists have been <a href="https://futurism.com/dark-matter-conflicting-results">trying and failing</a> to spot the invisible stuff that makes up the majority of matter in the universe. But now researchers have a new target: a comparatively heavy and long-lived particle that may be produced by the high-energy collisions at the LHC.
The particle is thought by some physicists to occasionally interact with dark matter — giving scientists a new lead toward spotting the elusive material.
<h2>Dangling Particle</h2>
Research <a href="https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.131801">published this month</a> in Physical Review Letters describes how systems that have already been put in place at the LHC could detect these long-lived particles, which are named as such because they travel slower and last longer than other particles generated by LHC experiments.
The time difference is on the scale of nanoseconds, according to a University of Chicago <a href="https://phys.org/news/2019-04-scientists-mysterious-dark-world-particle.html">press release</a> — something that the LHC was already able to detect and will be even better at once upgrades are completed.
&#8220;If the particle is there, we just have to find a way to dig it out,&#8221; University of Chicago physicist LianTao Wang said in the press release. &#8220;Usually, the key is finding the question to ask.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://phys.org/news/2019-04-scientists-mysterious-dark-world-particle.html">Scientists invent way to trap mysterious &#8216;dark world&#8217; particle at Large Hadron Collider</a> [University of Chicago newsroom via Phys.org]
More on dark matter: <a href="https://futurism.com/oxford-scientist-may-have-solved-mystery-dark-matter">An Oxford Scientist May Have Solved the Mystery of Dark Matter</a>

"Usually, the key is finding the question to ask."

When the Large Hadron Collider turns on, it may trap dark matter

Spotted

Scientists have a new plan to try and spot dark matter by searching for particular particles once the Large Hadron Collider's upgrades are complete.

When the Large Hadron Collider Turns on, It May Trap Dark Matter

Physicists are getting ready to look for a new, slow-moving particle.

<h2>Blaze-Battling Bot</h2>
When soaring temperatures and a roof on the brink of collapse made it too dangerous for humans to continue battling the Notre Dame blaze on Monday, the Paris Fire Brigade called in a firefighting robot named <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/04/17/firefighters-had-secret-weapon-when-notre-dame-caught-fire-robot-named-colossus/?utm_term=.6545579f2e10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Colossus</a> — a stunning demonstration of how <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/autonomous-firefighting-robots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-tech robots</a> are helping emergency responders stay safe on the job.
&#8220;It was a terrible situation, but it’s really amazing to see them put that robot to work and protect firefighters,&#8221; Michael Howe, president of a company that manufactures another type of firefighting robot, <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/robots/a27183452/robot-firefighter-notre-dame-colossus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Popular Mechanics</a>, later adding that the tech is &#8220;100 percent the future.&#8221;
<iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RMWL1ysaYFg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<h2>Colossal Help</h2>
French robotics manufacturer Shark Robotics created the 1,100-pound <a href="https://www.shark-robotics.com/en/robot/colossus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Colossus robot</a>, which is waterproof, fireproof, and resistant to thermal radiation.
Firefighters can equip the robot with a variety of tools, including the water canon that the French firefighters used to blast the Notre Dame fire with more than 660 gallons of water per minute. It&#8217;s operated via a joystick, which can function up to 1,000 feet away from the robot.
<h2>Robot Co-Worker</h2>
Despite Colossus&#8217; advantages over human firefighters, Shark Robotics&#8217; co-founder Cyril Kabbara doesn&#8217;t envision the bot ever operating fully autonomously.
&#8220;This is a robot that is designed to remove humans from danger,&#8221; Kabbara <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/04/17/firefighters-had-secret-weapon-when-notre-dame-caught-fire-robot-named-colossus/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_source=reddit.com&amp;utm_term=.935198eb544d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Washington Post</a>. &#8220;Not to replace (humans) but to act as operational support for firefighters.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/04/17/firefighters-had-secret-weapon-when-notre-dame-caught-fire-robot-named-colossus/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_source=reddit.com&amp;utm_term=.935198eb544d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Firefighters had a secret weapon when Notre Dame caught fire: A robot named ‘Colossus’</a> [The Washington Post]
More on robot firefighters: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/autonomous-firefighting-robots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">These Autonomous Bots Battle Blazes Too Dangerous for Firefighters</a>

See the "Colossus" firefighting robot that helped save Notre Dame

Robot Relief

When the Notre Dame blaze got too dangerous for humans to continue battling, the Paris Fire Brigade called in a firefighting robot named Colossus.

See the “Colossus” Firefighting Robot That Helped Save Notre Dame

When the fire got too dangerous for humans to battle alone, the Paris Fire Brigade called in Colossus.

<h2>Splinter Cell</h2>
Scientists say they&#8217;ve gene-hacked a human cell, using CRISPR tech to turn it into a tiny biological computer complete with the cellular analog of dual core processors.
The squishy little CPUs could eventually lead to powerful computers housed entirely within a cell, <a href="https://newatlas.com/crispr-cell-computer/59336/">according to New Atlas</a>, that would detect and treat diseases.
<h2>Logic Gates</h2>
The cellular computers, <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/116/15/7214#abstract-2">described in research</a> published in the journal PNAS this month, mimic the normal process by which organisms turn genetic information into the proteins that carry out specific tasks within a cell.
The computer is programmed to take in specific genetic codes and perform computations that result in the production of a particular protein. Except instead of simply following the DNA&#8217;s genetic code as a cell does, the computer receives two inputs and combines them, calculating the correct protein to churn out.
<h2>Targeted Medicine</h2>
The researchers behind the cellular computers say that they could be programmed to scan for certain biomarkers signifying the <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/new-crispr-tech-cure-herpes">presence of a disease</a> and, if all the right conditions are met, mass produce molecules or proteins that could help treat it, according to New Atlas.
&#8220;Imagine a microtissue with billions of cells, each equipped with its own dual-core processor,&#8221; MIT researcher Martin Fussenegger told New Atlas. &#8220;Such &#8216;computational organs&#8217; could theoretically attain computing power that far outstrips that of a digital supercomputer — and using just a fraction of the energy.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://newatlas.com/crispr-cell-computer/59336/">CRISPR used to build dual-core computers inside human cells</a> [New Atlas]
More on CRISPR: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/new-crispr-tech-cure-herpes">New CRISPR Tech Could Cure Herpes</a>

Welcome to the world of 'computational organs.'

Scientists used CRISPR to turn a cell into a biological computer

Cell Out

Using CRISPR gene editing tools, MIT scientists turned a human cell into a tiny computer that could be used to detect diseases and churn out treatments.

Scientists Used CRISPR to Turn a Cell Into a Biological Computer

"Imagine a microtissue with billions of cells, each equipped with its own dual-core processor."

<h2>PR Disaster?</h2>
Korean tech giant Samsung has a PR disaster on its hands.
The Verge just published a worrying report of its Samsung Galaxy Fold review unit showing a small bulge on the crease of the smartphone&#8217;s bending seven inch screen. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/17/samsung-galaxy-fold-screen-breaking-and-flickering.html">CNBC noted</a> similar problems with its review unit.
&#8220;A review unit given to CNBC by Samsung is also completely unusable after just two days of use,&#8221; wrote Todd Haselton.
And the evidence keeps rolling in. YouTube tech reviewer Marques Brownlee, better known by the handle MKBHD, <a href="https://twitter.com/mkbhd/status/1118580472576118787?s=21">tweeted</a> earlier today to warn other early testers to not peel away a thin layer covering the screen — in his own attempt to remove the layer, he rendered the display useless.
&#8220;I thought I was dumb for messing with it, but turns out Mark Gurman [Bloomberg], Dieter Bohn [The Verge] and Steve Kovach [CNBC] all also have broken Folds too because of how delicate this layer is,&#8221; Brownlee added.
<h2>Distressing Evidence</h2>
&#8220;It’s a distressing thing to discover just two days after receiving my review unit,&#8221; Bohn wrote for The Verge. &#8220;More distressing is that the bulge eventually pressed sharply enough into the screen to break it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
After one day of use&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/VjDlJI45C9">pic.twitter.com/VjDlJI45C9</a>
&mdash; Steve Kovach (@stevekovach) <a href="https://twitter.com/stevekovach/status/1118571414934753280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Bohn also ruled out any unusually rough behavior that could&#8217;ve broken the screen.
&#8220;I’ve done normal phone stuff, like opening and closing the hinge and putting it in my pocket,&#8221; he wrote.
Samsung has shipped out replacement review units to both The Verge and Brownlee so far, but hasn&#8217;t officially commented on the issue so far. Futurism has reached out for comment.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/17/18411510/samsung-galaxy-fold-broken-screen-debris-dust-hinge-flexible-bulge">My Samsung Galaxy Fold screen broke after just a day</a> [The Verge]
More on the Samsung Galaxy Fold: <a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/samsung-galaxy-fold">Samsung Just Revealed a $1980 Folding Smartphone</a>

"I’ve done normal phone stuff, like opening and closing the hinge and putting it in my pocket."

Review units of Samsung's folding phone are breaking almost immediately

$1,980 Paperweight

Worrying reports of Samsung Galaxy Fold review units are coming in, complaining of small bulges in the screens and broken displays.

Review Units of Samsung’s Folding Phone Are Breaking Almost Immediately

Things are not looking good for the $1980 smartphone.

<h2>True Story</h2>
In March 2018, Yale neuroscientist Nenad Sestan shared a remarkable bit of news with his peers at a National Institutes of Health (NIH) meeting: he was able to keep pigs&#8217; brains &#8220;alive&#8221; outside their bodies for up to 36 hours.
The news quickly made its way from that meeting to the <a href="https://futurism.com/pig-brains-alive-outside-body" target="_blank" rel="noopener">media</a>. And now, more than a year later, the details of the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1099-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">radical study</a> have finally been published in the highly respected journal Nature, confirming that what sounded initially like science-fiction was actually sound science — and raising startling questions about what it really means to be &#8220;dead.&#8221;
<h2>Brain Chambers</h2>
As reported previously, Sestan&#8217;s team started the experiment by removing the brains from the severed heads of 32 pigs sourced from a local slaughterhouse.
Then they placed the brains into specially designed chambers and attached catheters that allowed them to pump a solution containing preservatives and other chemicals through the organs&#8217; veins and arteries.
They found that this system, which they dubbed BrainEx, restored some of the brain&#8217;s crucial functions and helped maintain its internal structures.
<h2>Life and Death</h2>
Ultimately, the team was able to keep some of the brains alive in this way for 36 hours, raising new questions about the nature of death.
&#8220;For most of human history, death was very simple,&#8221; neuroscientist Christof Koch, who wasn&#8217;t involved in the study, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01216-4#ref-CR1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Nature</a>. &#8220;Now, we have to question what is irreversible.&#8221;
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01216-4#ref-CR1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pig brains kept alive outside body for hours after death</a> [Nature]
More on pig brains: <a href="https://futurism.com/pig-brains-alive-outside-body" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pig Brains Can Be Kept Alive Outside the Body. Human Brains Might Be Next.</a>

We need to rethink what it means to be "dead."

Yale scientists kept decapitated pigs' brains alive for 36 hours

Zombie Pigs

A team from Yale created a system that let them breathe new life into pig brains that had been removed from the animals' skulls.

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