FastForward Radio
Phil Bowermaster and Stephen Gordon interviewed special guest Brian Wang. In addition to his many other accomplishments, Brian has been a Foresight Nanotechnology Institute senior associate since 1997.
We spoke with Brian about the crappy beta versions of human enhancement that some people are experimenting with today, often to their detriment. When will better enhancements be available?
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The topics:
- LSU over Ole Miss 41-24
- The Beowulf movie. Are we crossing the uncanny valley? Is it's plot actually better than the original poem?
- We introduced our new "Tales of the Paranormal" segment. Phil has a surprising Martian connection... if you buy into this kind of stuff.
- Our interview of Brian Wang
- 11 million (in USA) choose cosmetic surgery despite results that are sub-optimal.
- Dietary supplements are a $22+ billion industry.
- Students are using drugs like Modafinil to improve academic performance. More stories:
- Apparently our bodies use Myostatin to control our level of muscular development. Inhibiting myostatin could be an effective treatment for muscle wasting diseases and for the muscle loss that the elderly experience. But it could also make the rest of us buff.
- Make sure to check out Brian's blog Advanced Nanotechnology
- Last week we discussed Star Trek transporter technology - specifically the quantum resolution that is supposedly used in the Next Generation era series. Stephen thinks that quantum resolution is an oxymoron. We guess that's why you'd need a Heisenberg compensator.
- What's the largest object in the solar system? It's probably not what you think.
Our front bumper is a sample of Marginal Prophets' "The Difficult Song."
Our exit music this week is from Five Star Fall's album Automatic Ordinary. The song is "What Planet are We On."
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Comments
The audio for this mp3 file is very skippy. Can you supply a better version?
Posted by: Jonathan![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.blog.speculist.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 19, 2007 03:50 PM
Unfortunately, the skippiness is entirely my fault. I was trying to save a few books by using my Vonage phone...a mistake I promise not to repeat.
Posted by: Phil Bowermaster![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.blog.speculist.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 19, 2007 04:00 PM
The comet bigger than the sun- a little creepy, but reassuring because at least it proves the existence of God.
Posted by: MDarling![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.blog.speculist.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 23, 2007 06:57 PM
MDarling:
This may be a case of the writer's sarcasm not coming through in a comment, but how does a big comet prove the existence of God?
I'm not an athesist but...I don't get it.
Posted by: Stephen Gordon![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.blog.speculist.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 24, 2007 04:22 PM
Stephen-
I agree. And it doesn't - at least not any better than anything else.
Posted by: MDarling![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.blog.speculist.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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November 26, 2007 09:52 PM