Future of Science & Technology Q&A (June 16, 2023)
Feb 16, 2024
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Stephen Wolfram answers viewer questions on neural nets, biotechnology, organ regeneration, cosmology, and more in an engaging unscripted livestream. Topics include the future of neural nets, crowdsourcing dynamics, biotechnology advancements, and using asteroids for shielding on space voyages.
Future of neural nets involves engineering details and task integration.
Challenges in understanding complex biology require a coherent theoretical framework.
AI-based teaching systems show promise in optimizing personalized education.
Deep dives
The history and development of neural nets
Neural nets originated in 1943 and have undergone innovations in organizing connections, like convolutional neural nets and transformers. Training techniques and activation functions have improved over the years. The future of neural nets will involve further engineering details and integration with specific tasks.
Complexity of understanding biology
Biology continues to be complex, but the belief is that there is potential for a theoretical framework to better understand it. Previous theories like natural selection and genomics have simplified our understanding. The challenge lies in organizing the complexity of molecular biology into a coherent and foundational theory.
Application of AI in education
AI-based teaching systems show promise in providing personalized education and optimizing learning for individual students. AI has the potential to become optimal teachers, helping learners understand new concepts and facilitating faster learning. The economics and effectiveness of AI-based education systems are still being explored.
The future of biomaterials and tissue engineering
The future of biomaterials and tissue engineering holds potential for 3D printed organs and self-regeneration. The cost of these technologies will depend on factors like governance and regulatory compliance. Accessible and affordable biotechnology hinges on the development of methods for mass production and efficient installation of created organs.
Shielding in space travel
Shielding in space travel is essential due to the absence of Earth's protective environment. Borrowing into an asteroid as a shielding approach poses challenges. Alternative ideas involve using materials like water or creating shielding sheaths using lunar regolith or other resources.
Stephen Wolfram answers questions from his viewers about the history science and technology as part of an unscripted livestream series, also available on YouTube here: https://wolfr.am/youtube-sw-qa
Questions include: What's there to say about the future of neural nets? - Neural nets could evolve to be able to be trainers? What are the limits? - It seems like every decade I've been alive scientists keep saying "We just realized that brains/DNA are actually a lot more complicated than we realized, but now we're close to understanding them." Do you anticipate this continuing? - The dynamics behind crowdsourcing have interested me for a long time. We can start seeing the potential it has when using the same principles in neural networking. - How do you anticipate biotechnology shaping the future of biomaterials and tissue engineering? What are your thoughts on the accessibility and affordability of biotechnology advancements, and how can we ensure equitable distribution of benefits? - It may be better to prompt the body to regenerate its own organs instead of 3D printing them (again, given Michael Levin's work). - Is burrowing into an asteroid the logical way to shield people and equipment on voyages to, say, Mars or even out of the solar system?
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