Interview with Jim Funaro on Anthropological Perspectives of Today's World and the Upcoming Contact Conference

Listen Now to Jim Funaro

Since 1983 Jim Funaro has hosted what is known as The Contact Conference, an interdisciplinary conference Anthropologist JIm Funarowhich brings together some of the foremost international social and space scientists, science fiction writers and artists to exchange ideas stimulate new perspectives and encourage serious creative speculation about humanity future, both onworld and offworld.

It has become a highly creative gathering of future thinkers on this planet.  We talk to Jim about some of the highlights of pastContact Conference April 1-3 2016 Domain Hotel Sunnyvale, CA conferences, and his thoughts on how our current worldly issues, like terrorism and cultural assimilation, might be evolved from he has learned..and oh yes, and just for fun we talk about alien sex, drugs, and technology.  Enjoy!

Future News - Conversation with Col Terry on Terrorism after Brussels, Taylor Barcroft on the latest from Apple, including the iPhone SE and the smaller iPad Pro.

Listen Now to Future News 3.22.2016

It’s a sad day when more innocents are maimed and killed by senseless violence.  As we broadcast on a talk radio station, KSCO, it is our responsibility to discuss what is on the public’s mind today, so this is it..Hopefully we have added something meaningful to the evolving dialogue on this core issue of Islamic terrorism we are facing today.

Meanwhile, life goes on, and Apple has announced some juicy new tech worth lusting after.  Even here, however, Apple CEO Tim Cook began their new product announcements with his thoughts on Apple vs FBI terrorism case we have often discussed of late. For our Apple segment we bring on Taylor Barcroft, our correspondent on all things Apple..hmmm..maybe we’ll be able to record, edit, and post this show all on the latest iPad Pro..could be good!

Apple CEO Tim Cook, announcing the latest products, with their new campus as background.

Experimental, living T-cell therapy shows promise, making immunotherapy a ‘pillar’ of cancer care. We speak to Norm Lundell, currently undergoing such treatment.

Listen Now to Norm Lundell

When I read  a recent press release from the Hutch that twenty-seven out of 29 patients with an advanced blood cancer who received an experimental, “living” immunotherapy were experiencing sustained remissions, I took it personally as great news!  You see, my youngest brother, Norm, was one of those 27 patients, benefitting from this radical new treatment of cancer. 

Some of the patients in the trial, which began in 2013, were originally not expected to survive for more than a few months because their disease had previously relapsed or was resistant to other treatments.  So, our family was very worried about Norm.  He had just taken early retirement from Cisco and was looking forward to exploring life in new ways, then ‘wham!’ - time to think about cancer now! And he was not responding well to chemo.. 

In this segment, Norm shares with us his experiences with this new approach to cancer, a little about how it works, how he feels, and what the future of cancer therapy might be..

Future News - Our DC Download FBI/Apple Security Issues Heat Up Lyft and GM Take an Autonomous Step Euphonia and Her 1846 Robotic Head Mini Organs Follow Mini Brains Growing Eye Lenses

Listen Now to Future News 3.15.2016

We are back from DC and have some great stories to share!  We also update you on the FBI Apple Story and take you back to the mid-1800’s, when a key invention, The Euphonia, a failure of the time, influenced the future in ways we can truly appreciate!  And in the world of regenerative medicine, we have a replacement for lab rats that some would say is Frankensteinian, others truly amazing!  We tend to reflect the later viewpoint, enjoy!

The original Euphonia, the first text-to-speech synthesizer, in 1846.

The Futures go to Washington

Listen now to the Futures (Al&Sun) in Washington D.C.

This month we were invited to participate in the DC Independent Film Festival, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.. The official theme was “Virtual Rights and Avatars,” but naturally we included drones as well, some historical motion capture and a great moment with Walter Cronkite.

We spoke about emerging trends in technology and entertainment in the Canon Building, one of the offical Congressional office buildings, right next to the Capitol.  It’s been quite a hoot!  Also, curiously enough, our regular guests, filmmakers Brett and Shannon Leonard, also happened to be in DC at the same time, but meeting with govenment agencies about Virtual Reality and it’s future..interesting times. 

For a fuller experience of our talk, check out the video version here. Enjoy!