FringeFM - Exploring the Edges of Human Understanding | Future Tech | Longevity | Singularity | AI | Cryptocurrencies & Blockchain | Space Technology | Venture Capital | Startups

Travis Scher (@travisscher) leads venture capital and new cryptoasset investing at Digital Currency Group (DCG), a blockchain investment firm with a mission is to accelerate the development of a better financial system. DCG is world’s the most prolific investor in blockchain startups. They have invested in over 100 companies in 30 different countries, including market leaders like Coinbase, Blockchain, Ledger, and Ripple and they have also invested directly in crypto-assets, including Bitcoin, Decentraland, Ethereum Classic, and Zcash. Digital Currency Group is not a traditional venture capital fund, instead they also build and buy companies. DCG has three wholly owned subsidiaries: CoinDesk, the leading independent source of blockchain news, research, and events, Genesis Trading, a full-service institutional trading firm focused on digital currencies, and Grayscale Investments, the world’s largest digital currency asset manager. You can listen right here on iTunes In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * The future of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies * Why blockchain builds perfectly upon VR * How non-governmental money will impact society * The big problem with custody and control of money * Why we’re still a few years off from widespread crypto adoption * The importance of AI in cryptocurrency * How Travis thinks we can rewrite democracy * The effects of utility tokens on internet monopolies * Travis’ thoughts on user experience and product adoption * The reason Travis is still bullish on Bitcoin * The effects of ICOs on venture capital ecosystem * Why our banking system is totally broken — Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.    

Interested in biotech, CRISPR, genetic engineering and human longevity? If so this is the episode for you. Be sure to tune in every Wednesday at 12:30pm EST for our Tech Talk livestreams where we also do live Q&As We’ll discuss: – Gene drives and the societal implications – How and when we’ll start genetically engineering ourselves – Promising life extension technologies – The ethics of superhuman enhancement And much much more…           — Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.

Thomas Frey (@thomasfrey) is Google’s top rated futurist, a celebrity/accomplished keynote speaker and the co-founder and executive director of the DaVinci Institute, a Colorado based tech startup incubator ecosystem, before which he spent 15 years at IBM. At the Institute, Thomas works to develop original research studies in areas not normally addressed by futurists and has predicted the end of traditional colleges and printed books, but not of libraries. As a highly accomplished/sought after speaker, Thomas has shared the stage with the likes of Rudy Giuliani, Tom Peters and Jack Welch, though most of his work is speaking to audiences of high-level government or Fortune 500 leaders like NASA, IBM, AT&T, First Data, Boeing, Capital One, Visa, Ford and more. Thomas has been interviewed in numerous publications including the New York Times, Huffington Post, Times of India, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, The Futurist Magazine and a dozen or more smaller publications. In addition to his accomplishments as a speaker and forecast, Thomas is also the author of: Communicating with the Future: How Re-engineering Intentions Will Alter the Master Code of Our Future and Epiphany Z: Eight Radical Visions for Transforming Your Future.   You can listen right here on iTunes In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * How the education system is undergoing enormous change * Why college will soon be irrelevant * Why Thomas believes we will have too many jobs for everyone * Which careers have the most promise for the future * How to use the future to think about the present * Why driverless cars will be the most impactful invention ever * The reason automation is additive rather than destructive to jobs * What happens after peak oil * How to avoid killing creativity by being productive * The reason the healthcare system is so screwed up * What are the real biggest problems Thomas sees * Why fixing toilets is a surefire skill for the future * Why micro-colleges are the future of eduction * The future of the gig/freelance economy Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.  

3D printing has the ability to transform our world, well beyond the obvious implications. From trade to transport, innovation to product adoption, 3D printers are poised to propel humanity forward, possibly even to space. But there are big challenges, way too much hype and other factors to consider. Interested in the future and how manufacturing and jobs evolve? If so, this is the episode for you.   In today’s episode we discuss: – The future of the global supply chain – How personalized medicine is poised to change society – Why 3D printing has taken so long to mature – When 3D printers will become a big thing and much much more… Or watch the Youtube version         — Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.

Are you interested in VR and future of mixed reality computing (AR/VR)? If so you’ll love this discussion where we dive deep in the economic, societal and technological implications of virtual reality, including Ready Player One, the military, adult entertainment, Second Life and much much more. Or watch the Youtube version         — Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.

Welcome to the 2nd ever Tech Talk Livestream, where serial entrepreneur, angel investor, futurist and host of Fringe.FM podcast Matt Ward discusses one specific industry or technology, weighing in with his opinions and sharing overviews and predictions of where the world is headed. In today’s video, Matt discusses biotech and the clean meat revolution, something he’s incredibly excited and passionate about as an investor and ex-vegetarian Specifically we talk about: – The clean meat industry and hurdles it has to overcome – Why and when clean meat will become inevitable – How lab grown meat has potential to drastically reduce emissions and climate change – The unintended and possibly scary consequences of switching away from animal agriculture And much much more. We hope you enjoy this 2nd experimental episode of Tech Talks on all things ecommerce. If you do, please leave a comment and subscribe to our channel. It let’s us know to continue to produce these weekly livestreams, which as we grow will feature listener Q&A, interactions and discussions and a whole lot more – in addition to the regular Fringe.FM podcast. Or watch the Youtube version         — Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.

Eric Ward(@AeroSigma) is the co-founder and CEO of both Odyne Space and Aten Engineering, two space tech startups with a ton of promise for the future. Eric is an experienced systems architect who sees growing the space industry as the next step to progressing humanity beyond the planet. At Odyne, Eric and the team are working on phase one: launch, and run a large scale nano and micro satellite launch program to allow more satellite tech companies easier access to space. Aten Engineering on the other hand deals with what to do once we get there and is an asteroid mining company to provide humanity with inexpensive access to the materials we need to become a space-faring civilization. Eric recently received a Master’s degree in Systems Design and Management from MIT, has published multiple technical documents on Systems Architecture and the Space Industry, has been featured in Fast Company, and co-founded the MIT New Space Age Conference. You can listen right here on iTunes In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * The main hurdles holding humanity back from becoming space faring civilization * Why now is the time for space tech startups * How politics and economics must evolve to suit space * The reason holds the key to space travel * Why we’re still a few years off from a moon or Mars colony * The big problem with propulsion for space sustainability * How economics will drive our current space race * The reason governments won’t play much of a role in space exploration * Eric’s thoughts on the ethics of space * The unique challenges space tech startups face * Political challenges associate with space travel * Why the pace of innovation is constantly accelerating * How AI will create a new breed of human — Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.        

Isabel Arjmand is a research analyst at GiveWell (@givewell), a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the effectiveness of charity worldwide, ie Effective Altruism. GiveWell is focused on finding the most impactful giving opportunities and publish the full details to help donors decide where best to give. Unlike charity evaluators that focus solely on financials, assessing administrative or fundraising costs, we conduct in-depth research aiming to determine how much good a given program accomplishes (in terms of lives saved, lives improved, etc.) per dollar spent. Rather than try to rate as many charities as possible, we focus on the few charities that stand out most (by their criteria: 1) evidence of effectiveness, 2) cost-effectiveness, 3) room for more funding and 4) transparency) in order to find and confidently recommend high-impact giving opportunities. Their top ranking charities include: * Against Malaria Foundation * Malaria Consortium (SEASONAL MALARIA CHEMOPREVENTION PROGRAM ONLY) * Schistosomiasis Control Initiative * Evidence Action’s Deworm the World Initiative * END Fund (DEWORMING PROGRAM ONLY) * Sightsavers (DEWORMING PROGRAM ONLY) * Helen Keller International (VITAMIN A SUPPLEMENTATION PROGRAM ONLY) * Evidence Action’s No Lean Season * GiveDirectly   You can listen right here on iTunes In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * How GiveWell quantifies different charities world impact * The importance of economics and statistical analysis on decision making * Analyzing complex problems * Why the way we think about charities is all wrong and how to fix it * How the nonprofit world works and what you should know * Why things that get measured get managed * Where we are when it comes to solving the world’s biggest problems * How to think about low-hanging fruit vs long term change * The analogies between startup and nonprofit fundraising * Why doers don’t have time to focus on technology * The economists view of the world and ways to improve it — Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.    

Welcome to the 1st ever Tech Talk Livestream, where serial entrepreneur, angel investor, futurist and host of Fringe.FM Matt Ward discusses one specific industry or technology, weighing in with his opinions and sharing overviews and predictions of where the world is headed. In today’s video, Matt discusses ecommerce, something near and dear to his heart as an ex-ecommerce seller. In today’s livestream we discuss: – How Amazon is transforming ecommerce & shopping experience – Why Alexa and voice technology will destroy retail – The death of brand as a differentiating factor for most products – Where the opportunities exist to make money in ecomm And much much more. We hope you enjoy this first experimental episode of Tech Talks on all things ecommerce. If you do, please leave a comment and subscribe to our channel. It let’s us know to continue to produce these weekly livestreams, which as we grow will feature listener Q&A, interactions and discussions and a whole lot more – in addition to the regular Fringe.FM podcast. Or watch the Youtube version       — Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.

John Lettow is the co-founder and President of Vorbeck (@vorbeck), a high tech graphene materials startup that’s raised over $20.7M to bring the promising future of graphene to today. Today they have several product lines focused on antennas, RFIDs, wearables, conductive ink and of course composites. NOTE: Vorbeck’s proprietary graphene material Vor-x® was developed in the Chemical Engineering Laboratories of Princeton University. The Princeton team’s pioneering work enables large-scale production of graphene, of which Vorbeck owns an exclusive license on the patented graphene technology. Prior to Vorbeck, John was a cofounder and manager of core technology development for H2Gen Innovations. John has also performed extensive research on nano-materials and materials process development while doing his PhD at MIT, Masters at Cambridge and undergrad at Princeton. You can listen right here on iTunes In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * How graphene is poised to transform numerous industries * Why graphene has taken awhile to come to market and where science fails * The exciting advances in meta-materials and material science and what it means for society * Why better tires trumps better batteries for fuel efficiency * How to commercialize university research * The future of wearable tech clothing and when it will happen * Why John is tired of today’s consumer waste economy, and how to fix it * How lifecycle design can decrease waste and increase function * Why John is a bit worried about privacy in today’s social media era — Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.    

Steve Burgess (@steveburgess01) is the president of Foresight Institute, a nonprofit think tank that researches technologies of important to the future of humanity, focusing on nanotechnology, cybersecurity, and AI and rewards grants to lead scientists and safety initia tives. Steve is a nanotechnology activist, tech writer & speaker, startup mentor, and an internationally recognized computer forensics consultant. Steve helped found the data recovery industry in the 80s, is a pioneer in today’s growing computer forensics and electronic  industry and is active as a digital forensic specialist who oftens testifies as an expert witness in the field. Steve has reported on Japan’s space programs, contributed various Nanotech Glossaries, is the author of “The (Needed) New Economics of Abundance,” contributor to the text, “Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases,” and regularly writes on topics surrounding his passions and expertise at burgessforensics.com You can listen right here on iTunes In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * The science of nanotechnology and progress to date * How the boom and bust cycle in nanotech play out * Why Steve is passionate about exponential hope * How AI will impact the future of jobs and economy, beyond the obvious answers * The problem with existential risk and inspiring action * Why Foresight Institute focuses on converging exponential technologies * The implications of biotech and self enhancement * What manufacturing will mean in an era of abundance * The wealth divide and what happens next * How technological innovation will impact our evolution * The reason capitalist incentive structures drive many of our most pressing problems * Why changing policy and law is challenging and grass roots movements matter — Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.

Are you interested in space travel, genetic engineering and other futurist tech trends transforming our world/society? If so you will love this.  Our Expert Panelists: Aubrey de Grey is a Cambridge researcher and Chief Science Officer of SENS Research Foundation focused on aging and extending human longevity. He proposes that the first human beings who will live to 1,000 years old have already been born. In addition to his research, Aubrey is editor-in-chief of the academic journal Rejuvenation Research, author of The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging (1999) and co-author of Ending Aging(2007). De Grey’s research focuses on whether regenerative medicine can prevent the aging process. He works on the development of what he calls “Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence” (SENS), a collection of proposed techniques to rejuvenate the human body and stop aging. To this end, he has identified seven types of molecular and cellular damage caused by essential metabolic processes. SENS is a proposed panel of therapies designed to repair this damage. Mike Selden is co-founder and CEO of Finless Foods, a food startup that uses cutting-edge cellular-agriculture technologies to grow marine-animal cells, creating fish and seafood products enjoyed around the world. They are working toward a sci-fi, soon-here world where everyone has access to healthy, delectable seafood, without the environmental devastation or the health hazards of traditional fishing and aquatic farming. Jenny Rooke is the founder and managing partner or Genoa Ventures (formerly 5 Prime Ventures) where she funds & builds companies that change the way science gets done with new tools and technologies. She has a PhD in Genetics, a Bachelors in physics, and a background in computer science and works closely with early-stage life science start-ups on issues of fundraising, market & product strategy, and business development. We cover a wide range of topics from genetic engineering and human longevity to personalized medicine, pharma, manufactured meats and much more… You can listen right here on iTunes — Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.  

Daniel Schmachtenberger (@theneurohacker) is the co-founder and director of Research and Development at the Neurohacker Collective, where he is focused on developing processes and technologies for advancing medicine and human optimization and hosts a podcast exploring those topics. Daniel is particularly focused on personalized medicine, adequate approaches to complex illness, and deepening our knowledge of how the human regulatory systems function, how they break down, and how they can be supported to function with greater resilience and blogs at civilizationemerging.com Growing up home-schooled, Daniel had early exposure to design science (Buckminster Fuller, Jacques Fresco, Permaculture, etc.), systems science and complexity (Fritjof Capra, Stuart Kauffman, etc.), philosophy and psychology (eastern and western approaches), and activism (animal rights, environmental issues, social justice, etc.) His passion has always been at the intersection of these topics – specifically, facilitating the emergence into a mature civilization – that can prevent otherwise impending catastrophes, remediate existing damage, make possible a radically higher quality of life for all sustainably, and support greater realization of our individual and collective potential. NOTE: Daniel’s company Neurohacker Collective produces Qualia, a top-notch nootropic mental/physical enhancement supplement. You can get 10% off your 1st order of 15% off subscription using code FRINGEFM   You can listen right here on iTunes In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * How Daniel thinks about civilization design and fixing current political and economic problems * The importance of systems thinking in an age of interconnectedness * Why humanity is destined to destroy itself if we can’t fix our incentive structures * How exponential technology impacts existential risks of our species * Why the governments of today are not set up to handle the challenges of tomorrow * The Uber-ification of society and how it could save us * How to achieve abundance for all by rewriting our society * Why scarcity is such a destructive force * The problems with profits and ways to change capitalism * Why Daniel is worried about exponential technology * How functional medicine and nutrient-based therapies have transformed Daniel’s life — Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.  

Joe Haldeman is a famed American science fiction author best known for his novel The Forever War (1974). That novel, and other of his works, including The Hemingway Hoax (1991) and Forever Peace (1997), have won major science fiction awards, including the Hugo Award and Nebula Award.[2] Joe was awarded the SFWA Grand Master for career achievements and in 2012 he was inducted as a member of the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. He’s a member of Author’s Guild, Writer’s Guild, Science Fiction Writers of America, National Space Society (on Board of Advisors), Space Studies Institute and was President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America from 1992-1994. Many of Haldeman’s works, including his debut novel War Year and his second novel The Forever War, were inspired by his experiences related to serving in the Vietnam War. Wounded in combat, he struggled to adjust to civilian life after returning home. During Joe’s prolific career, he’s authored 30 books, 7 short fiction novels a set of comics and even a poem. You can grab a copy of The Forever War here or a free audiobook download here. ​ You can listen right here on iTunes In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * The evolution of science fiction * How author’s like Joe research, describe and often help create technology * Routines for increasing creativity * How astronomy and a curiosity for space pushed Joe into his passion * What goes into creating a compelling story * Why many authors and creatives resort to alcohol and hard drugs to create masterpieces * How exercises inspires creativity * Why Joe is optimistic about extraterrestrial life * The reason Joe writes and importance of obsession * How to stay humble in face of success * The reason Joe’s worried about starvation and the incentive structures of society * When to be a kid and when it is time to be an adult * How the shift from public to private space companies is transforming industry * Why sci fi is the lifeblood of technologists and creativity * How to hone your craft and becoming worldclass * Which industries Joe’s most excited about — Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.      

Fraser Cain (@fcain) is the founder of Universe Today, one of the most popular space and astronomy sites on online with over 3 million space focused visitors a month. In addition to Universe Today, Fraser co-hosts Astronomy Cast, a fact-based weekly journey through the cosmos which offers discussions about astronomical topics ranging from planets to cosmology Fraser has been working in the software/Internet industry for the more than 15 years, and was a partner in two software companies that are now traded publicly. He studied engineering at the University of British Columbia, and has a degree in computer science. Visit Fraser’s site at Universe Today. You can listen right here on iTunes In our wide-ranging conversation, we cover many things, including: * What’s been happening in space since the space race * How advances in reusable rockets, materials science and hardware have revolutionized the future of space * Why Fraser thinks Earth is far and away the best place in solar system to live * How the new space race may unfold and the political implications * The health problems associated with living in space and living in low gravity * Why asteroid mining and space manufacturing may hold humanity’s key to the stars * The changes in space technology since the space race * How space exploration may impact our evolution * Why Earth should be focused as only our home * Why space is a possible answer to our climate change and pollution problems * The reason economics of space are starting to become viable * What is really the future for life in space * Why space is key to overcoming existential risk — Make a Tax-Deductible Donation to Support FringeFM FringeFM is supported by the generosity of its readers and listeners. If you find our work valuable, please consider supporting us on Patreon, via Paypal or with DonorBox powered by Stripe.