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Do we live in a computer simulation? UW researchers say idea can be tested. News releases | Research | Science December 10, 2012 A decade ago, a British philosopher put forth the notion that the universe we live in might in fact be a computer simulation run by our descendants. While that seems far-fetched, perhaps even incomprehensible, a team of physicists at the University of Washington has come up with a potential test to see if the idea holds water. The concept that current humanity could possibly be living in a computer simulation comes from a 2003 paper published in Philosophical Quarterly by Nick Bostrom, a philosophy professor at the University of Oxford.

The human species is likely to go extinct before reaching a “posthuman” stage.Any posthuman civilization is very unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of its evolutionary history.We are almost certainly living in a computer simulation. With current limitations and trends in computing, it will be decades before researchers will be able to run even primitive simulations of the universe.

10 Interesting Futuristic Materials. 1. Aerogel Aerogel holds 15 entries in the Guinness Book of Records, including "best insulator", and "lowest-density solid". Sometimes called "frozen smoke", aerogel is made by the supercritical drying of liquid gels of alumina, chromia, tin oxide, or carbon. It's 99.8% empty space, which makes it look semi-transparent.

Aerogel is a fantastic insulator -- if you had a shield of aerogel, you could easily defend yourself from a flamethrower. 2. Carbon nanotubes are chains of carbon held together by the strongest bond in all chemistry, the sacred sp2 bond, even stronger than the sp3 bonds that hold together diamond. 3. "Metamaterial" refers to any material that gains its properties from its microscopic structure rather than bulk composition. 4. We're starting to lay down thick layers of diamond in CVD machines, hinting towards a future of bulk diamond machinery. 5. Diamonds may be strong, but aggregated diamond nanorods (ADNRs) are stronger. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Blink and you'll miss it: Eye-control TV arrives which lets couch potatoes change the channel without lifting a finger. By Eddie Wrenn Published: 10:17 GMT, 31 August 2012 | Updated: 17:05 GMT, 31 August 2012 Couch potatoes just found another excuse not to get off the sofa - a TV which can monitor your eyes and change the channel if you give it the nod. The Eye Control TV, by Chinese manufacturer Haier, comes with an admittedly bulky device that you place in front of your TV, and with a determined blink of your eyes you can change channels, change the volume, or power your television off. The eye-sensing technology relies on a Kinect-style sensor sat on your table, and Haier says your standard blinks will not interrupt your scheduled viewing.

Scroll down for video No more lost remotes: The prototype sensor sits in front of the television, responding to blinks from the couch potato Blinks can bring up a menu bar, with a slide of your head allowing you to adjust the volume After that, long blinks activate the sensor, bringing up an on-screen display. VIDEO: Control the TV with with just your eyes. Need Cheap Drugs? One Man Says You Can Print Them - Lee Cronin wants to revolutionize the drug market with new device.

Computer Simulates Full Organism for 1st Time - Single-cell Mycoplasma genitalium, now available by hard drive.