Category Archives: science fiction

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#68–Mindstock: An Apocalyptic View of Our AI Future: with Richard Yonck

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“We are living in a science fiction world.”–George Takei

Writing a book is not easy. And transitioning to an impactful Sci-Fi novel after decades of writing only non-fiction–who would do that? The first name that comes to mind is Carl Sagan . After years of writing non-fiction he wrote his amazing only novel, Contact. But here is another name to think of, and you will know the name if your are a longtime listener to Seeking Delphi: Richard Yonck.

Richard has previously visited with me to discuss his two non-fiction titles, Heart of the Machine, and Future Minds. Now he has taken his years of experience as a futurist, and his research for those previous books to create, in Mindstock, a vision of a post cyber-apocalyptic world set 35 years in the future. The attention to detail and the believability of this world make for a work worthy of a seasoned and successful writer of the genre. It is also eerily plausible based on where we find the world going today. It’s the first of a 4-book series. I’m eagerly anticipating book #2.

You can subscribe to Seeking Delphi on Apple Podcasts, I Heart Radio, Podchaser and many other podcast outlets, and follow us on  Facebook. Now available from TuneIn!

Episode #68–Mindstock: An Apocalyptic View of our AI Future, with Richard Yonck

Mindstock on Amazon

Seeking Delphi #12: Emotional AI with Richard Yonck (May 2017)

Seeking Delphi #50: Future Minds with Richard Yonck (August 2020)

Richard Yonck

Subscribe to Seeking Delphi on Apple Podcasts, I Heart Radio, Podchaser, TuneIn and many other podcast outlets.

Unknown's avatar

#68–Mindstock: A Sci-Fi View of Our AI Future: with Richard Yonck

by

“We are living in a science fiction world.”–George Takei

Writing a book is not easy. I’ve felt like the guy in this cartoon every time I’ve even contemplated the possibility of writing one. And transitioning to an impactful Sci-Fi novel after decades of writing only non-fiction–who would do that? The first name that comes to mind is Carl Sagan . After years of writing non-fiction he wrote his amazing only novel, Contact. But here is another name to think of, and you will know the name if your are a longtime listener to Seeking Delphi: Richard Yonck.

Richard has previously visited with me to discuss his two non-fiction titles, Heart of the Machine, and Future Minds. Now he has taken his years of experience as a futurist, and his research for those previous books to create, in Mindstock, a vision of a post cyber-apocalyptic world set 35 years in the future. The attention to detail and the believability of this world make for a work worthy of a seasoned and successful writer of the genre. It is also eerily plausible based on where we find the world going today. It’s the first of a 4-book series. I’m eagerly anticipating book #2.

You can subscribe to Seeking Delphi on Apple Podcasts, I Heart Radio, Podchaser and many other podcast outlets, and follow us on  Facebook. Now available from TuneIn!

Episode #68–Mindstock: A Si-Fi View of our AI Future, with Richard Yonck

Mindstock on Amazon

Seeking Delphi #12: Emotional AI with Richard Yonck (May 2017)

Seeking Delphi #50: Future Minds with Richard Yonck (August 2020)

Richard Yonck

Subscribe to Seeking Delphi on Apple Podcasts, I Heart Radio, Podchaser, TuneIn and many other podcast outlets.

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Podcast #23(redux): A Conversation With Joanne Pransky, Robot Psychiatrist

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This podcast originally ran in June of 2018. Seeking Delphi(tm)will return from hiatus with new material next month.

 “I can’t imagine a future without robots.”–Nolan Bushnell

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In the popular HBO series Westworld, robotic hosts are depicted as being placed into a kind of psychiatric analysis by their creators.  Could this actually happen one day?  Joanne Pransky thinks it will.  She bills herself as the World’s First Robotic Psychiatrist® (yes, she even registered that title!).  She was dubbed the real life Susan Calvin by Isaac Asimov, after the robot psychologist he created in his classic 1950 short story anthology, I, Robot.  In this episode of the Seeking Delphi™ podcast, host Mark Sackler talks to her about this and other significant issues in the man/machine relationships to come.

All Seeking Delphi™  podcasts are available on iTunes, PlayerFM, and  YouTube.  You can also follow us on Facebook and on twitter @MarkSackler

 

Asimov with Pransky c.1989

Pransky and friend.

 

 

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Podcast #23 A Conversation With Joanne Pransky, Robot Psychiatrist

YouTube slide show of podcast #23 with Joanne Pransky

Cover of a 1950’s edition of Asimov’s I, Robot

Sofia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joanne Pransky bio

 

SXSW 2018 Minicast #2 Redux: Can We Create Consciousness In A Machine?

A reminder that this and all Seeking Delphi ™podcasts are available on iTunes, PlayerFM, and  YouTube.  You can also follow us on Facebook and on twitter @MarkSackler

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Podcast #50: Future Minds, with Richard Yonck

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“I believe alien life is quite common in the universe, although intelligent life is less so. Some say it has yet to appear on planet Earth.”–Stephen Hawking

For Seeking Delphi’s™ fiftieth** episode, we return to visit with one of our earliest guests, professional futurist and author Richard Yonck.  Three years ago, he joined me to discuss his first book, Heart of the Machine.  He returns now for a conversation about his second book, Future Minds.  In it, he has taken a broad look at intelligence–human and otherwise.   It’s a sweeping review of how  intelligence evolved since the start of the universe, and a preview of where it may be going as we tweak both our biology and our intelligent machines.

You can subscribe to Seeking Delphi™ on Apple podcasts , PlayerFM, MyTuner,  Listen Notes, and YouTube.    You can also follow us on twitter @Seeking_Delphi and Facebook 

 **Actually, including un-numbered special editions, there have been over 60.  But who’s counting?

 

 

 

 

Click image for bio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Episode #50:  Future Minds, with Richard Yonck

YouTube slide show of episode #50

 

Future Minds, on Amazon.Com

Future Minds, on Barnes and Noble.com

 

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Podcast #38: Science Fiction, The Evolutionary Mythology of The Future, with Tom Lombardo

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“Politicians should read science fiction, not westerns and detective stories.”– Arthur C. Clarke

“I’m leaving my body to science fiction.”–Steven Wright

 

Science fiction pervades our culture.  Movies, television, books, even stage productions.  It’s rich history, and its significance in shaping our views of the future–or for that matter, inspiring us to invent the future–is the subject of this wide ranging discussion with author Tom Lombardo.   Among the subjects we cover:

  • Science Fiction as a pervasive view of the future; all aspects of human experience, not just technology and science.
  • Parallels between mythology and science fiction
  • Science Fiction as social satire and even humor (think Kurt Vonnegut and Douglas Adams, for instance).
  • The danger of Hollywood’s apocalyptic future visions becoming self-fullfilling prophecies
  • Some of the best future predictions from scifi.

You can subscribe to Seeking Delphi™ on Apple podcasts , PlayerFM, MyTuner,  Listen Notes, and YouTube

 

Tom Lombardo, click image for bio

Science Fiction, The Evolutionary Mythology of The Future. Click for Amazon link.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Episode #38, Science Fiction, The Evolutionary Mythology of The Future

YouTube slide show of episode #38

 

Center for Future Consciousness (Tom’s web site)

Books by Tom Lombardo

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News of The Future This Week: July 1, 2018

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“I would love to have a robot at home.”–Hugh Jackman

“I think I’d take a human butler over a robot one.”–Tom Felton

 

Robot butler? Maybe.  Robot sommelier? No thanks.

But right on cue with last weeks podcast #23, with robot psychiatrist Joanne Pransky, this week’s news is full up with robots.  (See a YouTube link to the Pransky interview at the bottom of this page).

While you’re reading about all this week’s future-related  news, don’t forget that you can subscribe to Seeking Delphi™ podcasts on iTunes, PlayerFM, or YouTube (audio with slide show) and you can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook 

Robots/Voice Assistants–A new survey by the Brookings institute finds that even while many Americans are OK with Alexa and Siri, 61% are uncomfortable with robots in the home.  The afore-mentioned Joanne Pransky takes issue with the survey’s methodology, even while she attempts to explain the problem.

—An AI-equipped robot named CIMON has been launched to join the international space station aboard the SpaceX Dragon Cargo Capsule.   It’s the first Ai-equipped machine ever to be launched into space.

Bye bye ASIMO

—Honda has announced the retirement of their famed robot, ASIMO.  They’re shutting him (her? it?) down to focus their robotic technology on more practical uses such as elder care and disaster relief.

Cybersecurity—The future of security in the digital world might lie in the realm of a quantum random number generator.   According to IEEE Spectrum, it may be the only was to generate truly random numbers.

Energy– UK-based Tokamak Energy has heated plasma in a  to a record 15 million degrees Celsius (27 million Farenheit).  They say this could lead to commercial nuclear fusion by 2030.  Let me know if you see Bigfoot or a unicorn first.

Space/NASA–NASA has again delayed the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, now scheduling the launch for 2021.  Cost overruns–bringing the total expenditure estimate to $9.7 billion–may threaten the continuation of the project.

Bioprinting/Biotechnology–3D printed implantable organs may be getting closer to reality. Tech crunch reports that a startup company in a San Francisco biotech incubator is leading the way.

Seeking Delphi Podcast #23–A Conversation with Joanne Pransky, The World’s First Robotic Psychiatrist®

You can subscribe to Seeking Delphi™ podcasts on iTunes, PlayerFM, or YouTube (audio with slide show) and you can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook