It’s called “transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS),” haven’t you heard about it? The process involves zapping your brain through subtle electrical stimulation on the outside of the head - and though research has been going on in this field for decades, the mechanisms for it’s effects on mood, memory, and more, are still mostly unknown. Dr. Brent Williams  is the director of the iTeach Center at KSU, and he landed in WIRED magazine for some of his work on tDCS. In this episode, he talks about the potential future of tCDS to enhance normal human function and potentially allow us more control over our emotional state and mental performance, as the technology progresses. It’s enough to make you want to go to Radio Shack and build one yourself.

Dr. James McLurkin works with swarm robots at Rice University, and his unique work on robot communication has landed him on PBS’s “Nova,” in addition to speaking engagements at events like TED and Singularity Summit. In this episode, Dr. McLurkin discusses how swarm robots have been inspired by insect behavior - and exactly swamp robots are best suited for. In many cases, argues McLurkin, a group of smaller, inexpensive robots can perform a job much better than a single, more capable robot. Dr. James also sheds light on when and how swarm robots might become a part of everyday life and industry in the coming decades.

David Brin is recognized as one of the most iconic futurist fiction writers of our time. With huge bestsellers like “The Postman” (later turned into a movie starring Kevin Costner), David’s work explores the ramifications of human choices of our collective future.   In this interview, David talks about fiction’s unique role in helping humanity find a beneficial future - a job done in large part by pointing out what we want to avoid most, says David. If you’re an entrepreneur, researcher, or writer yourself, David’s insights into “imagination” as a force for good are important to listen closely to.

Regis Kopper runs the Duke Immersive Virtual Environment, or “DiVE.” His research focuses on the interactions of virtual and real humans. In this interview, he discusses his predictions for the non-gaming applications of virtual reality - and the surprising evidence that virtual reality humans might “relate” to us in much the way that real humans do. What happens when we can’t tell the difference? For More Information, Visit the HUB of Startups / Business in Emerging Technology. From Robotic Limbs to Getting Angel Investment, from Biotech to Intellectual Property: http://www.TechEmergence.com Interested in the Future of Humanity and the Ramifications of Emerging Tech? Sentient Potential Covers the Ethical Considerations and Future Projections at the Crossroads of Technology and Consciousness:  

Sean Ellis is recognized as the originator of the term “growth hacking,” and is widely recognized as one of the world’s best startup and technology marketers. Heading up growth at companies like DropBox and LogMeIn, Sean has gone on to found Qualaroo, a qualitative data collection startup. In this interview, Sean discusses the proper use of qualitative data, polling questions, and customer interviews in order to discover a true picture of the customer’s needs in order to deliver a killer product and soaring sales. If you’re involved in a tech startup - or plan to “feel out” an idea for a company or technology of your own - you won’t want to miss this interview. For More Information, Visit the HUB of Startups / Business in Emerging Technology. From Robotic Limbs to Getting Angel Investment, from Biotech to Intellectual Property: http://www.TechEmergence.com Interested in the Future of Humanity and the Ramifications of Emerging Tech? Sentient Potential Covers the Ethical Considerations and Future Projections at the Crossroads of Technology and Consciousness:

Tool creates cool digital experiences for big companies all over the world (including UX work for online giants like Google and Facebook), and when they created a virtual reality experience of South Park - they couldn't have imagined how fast it would catch on.    After tremendous coverage on sites like TechCrunch and WIRED (and many lessons learned), Matt speaks to us about how to create a unique virtual reality experience that people will enjoy as not just novel, but fun and worth revisiting again and again. For More Information, Visit the HUB of Startups / Business in Emerging Technology. From Robotic Limbs to Getting Angel Investment, from Biotech to Intellectual Property: http://www.TechEmergence.com Interested in the Future of Humanity and the Ramifications of Emerging Tech? Sentient Potential Covers the Ethical Considerations and Future Projections at the Crossroads of Technology and Consciousness: http://www.SentientPotential.com

Current brain-machine interface technologies like MUSE or Mellon detect your mental activity with a headband, and represent it in unique apps. Thync is aiming to actively stimulate your mental activity, creating a more excited or tranquil mental state at your discretion.   In this episode, we explore the possibilities of cranial stimulation, and the bigger trend of how technology and psychology are beginning to integrate and what it might imply for consumers and humanity. For More Information, Visit the HUB of Startups / Business in Emerging Technology. From Robotic Limbs to Getting Angel Investment, from Biotech to Intellectual Property: http://www.TechEmergence.com Interested in the Future of Humanity and the Ramifications of Emerging Tech? Sentient Potential Covers the Ethical Considerations and Future Projections at the Crossroads of Technology and Consciousness: http://www.SentientPotential.com

Our podcast frequently covers the business and research sides of emerging technology, but in this episode we talk about some of it’s direct applications. Alisa Brownlee of the ALS Association has been working with assistive technologies for decades, and she explains what truly works best to help weakening ALS patients communicate and live full lives and what kind of developments she’d love to see from the tech and maker communities to help more ALS patients worldwide. For More Information, Visit the HUB of Startups / Business in Emerging Technology. From Robotic Limbs to Getting Angel Investment, from Biotech to Intellectual Property: http://www.TechEmergence.com Interested in the Future of Humanity and the Ramifications of Emerging Tech? Sentient Potential Covers the Ethical Considerations and Future Projections at the Crossroads of Technology and Consciousness: http://www.SentientPotential.com  

Ketan Joshi and Vishal Shah of Atheer Labs share their ideas about the immediate future of augmented reality, and how interactive computing can be facilitated though an augmented experience. We explore use-cases of the near future, as well as applications underway now. For More Information, Visit the HUB of Startups / Business in Emerging Technology. From Robotic Limbs to Getting Angel Investment, from Biotech to Intellectual Property: http://www.TechEmergence.com Interested in the Future of Humanity and the Ramifications of Emerging Tech? Sentient Potential Covers the Ethical Considerations and Future Projections at the Crossroads of Technology and Consciousness: http://www.SentientPotential.com

Dan Ostrower gets to work with some amazing and innovative companies at Altitude (a creative consultancy), and has a keen eye for for the future. A writer for WIRED and a myriad of other publications, Dan shares his thoughts about the pros and cons of our increasingly digital future, and how companies can keep relationships and interaction alive with technology that doesn’t make us lose what’s “human.” For More Information, Visit the HUB of Startups / Business in Emerging Technology. From Robotic Limbs to Getting Angel Investment, from Biotech to Intellectual Property: http://www.TechEmergence.com Interested in the Future of Humanity and the Ramifications of Emerging Tech? Sentient Potential Covers the Ethical Considerations and Future Projections at the Crossroads of Technology and Consciousness: http://www.SentientPotential.com