AS WE HEAD INTO A NEW YEAR, WHAT’S ON THE RESEARCH HORIZON?

  • An unsupervised machine-learning algorithm theoretically capable of “deriving the physical laws of the universe. Developed by M.I.T. physicists based on “fundamental strategies – Divide & Conquer, Occam’s Razor, Unification, and Lifelong Learning – the system has so far successfully solved for over 90% of physical laws across 40 ‘constructed worlds’ (i.e. ‘imagined’ universes).
  • Over 70% of the earth is Ocean. A full-ocean-depth submersible vehicle which is now certified to carry researchers pursuing “largely unexplored and unknown oceans for biological, ecological, geological and oceanographic advancements at any depth” will now be studying nearly half of this territory for the first time.
  • Hybrid electric-powered aircraft now under development are predicted to support over 80% of air travel within 15 years. Globally, aviation fuel is currently the seventh-largest carbon dioxide emitting source, but researchers at Carnegie Mellon and M.I.T. are developing a lithium ion battery to soon power a 12-passenger plane with 400-mile range.

THOUGHTS FOR THE NEW YEAR:

  • “DEMOCRACY IS FOUNDED ON THE IDEA THAT THE VOTER KNOWS BEST, and that liberal education teaches students to ‘think’ for themselves. It is a mistake however to put so much trust in the rational individual, because of the ‘knowledge illusion’… that we think we know a lot because we treat knowledge in the minds of others as if it were our own… But as the world is becoming ever more complex, people fail to realize just how ignorant they are of what’s going on… because they lock themselves inside an echo chamber of like-minded friends and self-confirming news feeds, where personal beliefs are constantly reinforced and seldom challenged… Most of our views are shaped by communal groupthink rather than individual rationality, and held on due to group loyalty… The power of groupthink is so persuasive that it’s difficult to break – even when views are seen to be arbitrary… But most ‘knowledge’ is full of uninformed guesses, debunked models, superstitious dogmas, and ridiculous conspiracy theories… As global processes have become too complicated for any single person to understand, our challenge is to avoid falling victim to propaganda and misinformation. [HARARI – 21 LESSONS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY] 
  • AN IMMEDIATE AND CRITICAL IMPACT OF THIS IS THAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARE ON THE WAY TO “UNRAVELING THE VERY FABRIC OF AMERICA.” The rising and unsustainable costs of supporting illegal immigration now exceed $116 billion annually for social services and enforcement – over $8,000 per immigrant per year – according to the latest study by Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). “The statistics are shocking, yet Americans are expected to remain silent about this, or else be unilaterally deemed as a racist… While having a porous border to the south is just an ideological nicety for some in power…citizens are lowering their own standards of living to support those who enter our country illegally, with no say in whether spending such tax dollars might better serve aiding wounded veterans, assisting homeless, or feeding a hungry family.” We cannot help everyone. Beyond some $1 billion daily interest being paid on Federal government debt, this is a fiscal issue, not a racial question; why shouldn’t immigration be looked at in economic versus emotional terms, with citizens who work & sacrifice to fund government spending having some input, versus decisions based solely on the emotional hype & hysteria by career politicians and media talking heads? [FOX NEWS – 12/2/18]
  • MIGRATION IS THE MANNER IN WHICH ALL CULTURES OF OUR PLANET EVOLVED. For 2½ centuries, territories have changed dramatically while nations & empires evolved with populations continuously growing and migrating. A video history of Europe’s evolution presents a fascinating picture of the likely continuum: https://youtu.be/UY9P0QSxlnI But America is the ONLY country on the planet today without realistic immigration strategy and border control. Enough is enough.