Lifeboat Foundation

A Korean company hopes to build a floating city Oceanix Busan. Seasteading is seen as a means to address climate-change-induced sea-level rise, as well as a sociology experiment.

But libertarian ideas are not the sole reasoning behind seasteading and floating cities. A prototype floating community is planned on the water next to Busan, South Korea. For the company that is creating it, Oceanix, it is about addressing the coastal community climate challenge of rising sea levels. Rather than building dikes and sea walls to hold back the ocean, Oceanix is offering a city that floats. So instead of increased sunshine day flooding along the US eastern seaboard that inundates Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Charleston, Norfolk, Hampton Roads and other Chesapeake Bay communities quite regularly these days, there would be cities that ride the surface of the ocean rather than be flooded by it.

It’s not like people haven’t been living in floating accommodation for decades. Houseboat communities here in Toronto have been around for a number of years. I visited one of these homes a few years ago and was surprised to see the quality of accommodation and the lifestyle it supported. Today, there are people living permanently on cruise ships that travel the globe. And in The Netherlands, boats and retired ships moored along its many canals have been turned into permanent homes often featured in HGTV’s House Hunters International. But it is in low-lying coastal areas like Bangladesh, The Maldives, and many Pacific island nations where the floating city is seen as a climate change solution for encroaching seas.

Continue reading “Oceanix Busan in South Korea Could Be The World’s First Floating City” »

Many criticisms have been leveled against Elon Musk—that he’s part of the elite, that Tesla has been the beneficiary of government handouts and exemptions, that his transhumanist Neuralink is a brain-data-mining operation. Yet his planned purchase of Twitter, his supposed free-speech absolutism, and his subsequent renunciation of the Democratic Party as “the party of hate” have put Musk squarely in the crosshairs of the woke cartel.

Vitriolic Twitter storms, a New York Times-Financial Times biographical exposé, a slew of hit pieces and scaremongering segments in the legacy media, and allegations of sexual harassment have dogged the automobile magnate ever since his Twitter bid. In response, Musk announced on Twitter that he’s assembling a legal crew to sue defamers and defend Tesla (and likely himself) against lawsuits.

But the best indication that the woke cartel has really gone berserk is its removal of Tesla from the S&P 500’s ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Index. This last rebuff proves that “ESG is a scam.”

In the last part of this interview, Ian talks about the lack of a global legal / governance framework to deal with accelerating technologies.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos today, the president of Switzerland warned of a world in the throes of multiple crises. This also is the subject of a new book by political scientist Ian Bremmer. In “The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats – and Our Response – Will Change the World,” Bremmer looks at how we can better prepare for the global challenges ahead, as he explains to Walter Isaacson.

Continue reading “Ian Bremmer on NATO Expansion and the Opportunity for American Unity | Amanpour and Company” »

Showcasing my finalist entry in the Future of Life Institute’s AI worldbuilding competition.

The SENS Research Foundation Board of Directors has a singular focus – to help the Foundation develop, promote, and ensure widespread access to therapies that cure and prevent the diseases and disabilities of aging. As the body responsible for ensuring the organization’s alignment with its mission, it is important our Board comprise leaders within the longevity field – visionaries dedicated to defeating the effects of aging permanently.

Many supporters have followed with interest our recent separation from our co-Founder Dr. Aubrey de Grey, and some have expressed concern regarding the possibility of our mission focus drifting off course. We remain firmly on-mission and continue to make real progress in our field, however, we acknowledge that we are the foundation we are today because of Dr. de Grey’s vision and leadership within the longevity movement. With this in mind, we have formally offered Dr. de Grey a Directorship within the Board of Directors.

His installment as a Director will be effective immediately upon the successful completion of the recommendations made by the accredited professional he has personally engaged, with a subsequent letter of recommendation to the Board of Directors supporting Dr. de Grey’s ability to fulfill the duties of Directorship. In this capacity, Dr. de Grey would lend his expertise to help steer the vision of the Foundation. Consistent with good governance and past practices, Dr. de Grey and the other members of the Board will approve the annual budget, review the annual audit, interview and hire executives, act as advocates for SRF, and largely ensure that the mission is being adhered to by the organization.

CSIS will host a public event on responsible AI in a global context, featuring a moderated discussion with Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture, and Brad Smith, President and Vice Chair of the Microsoft Corporation, on the business perspective, followed by a conversation among a panel of experts on the best way forward for AI regulation. Dr. John J. Hamre, President and CEO of CSIS, will provide welcoming remarks.

Keynote Speakers:
Brad Smith, President and Vice Chair, Microsoft Corporation.
Julie Sweet, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Accenture.

Continue reading “Responsible AI in a Global Context” »

New governance models and new ways for us to interact are needed to help address existential challenges like climate change.

Fujitsu said it will establish an AI ethics and governance office to ensure the safe and secure deployment of AI technologies.

To be headed by Junichi Arahori, the new office will focus on implementing ethical measures related to the research, development, and implementation of AI and other machine learning applications.

“This marks the next step in Fujitsu’s ongoing efforts to strengthen and enforce comprehensive, company-wide measures to achieve robust AI ethics governance based on international best-practices, policies, and legal frameworks,” the company stated.