<![CDATA[io9: Universal Translator]]> http://cache.io9.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/io9.com.png <![CDATA[io9: Universal Translator]]> http://io9.com/tag/universal translator http://io9.com/tag/universal translator <![CDATA[Check out the first step to a Star Trek-style universal translator]]> War-zones such as Afghanistan never have enough interpreters, often forcing soldiers to rely on nonverbal communication that's easily misunderstood. Three new devices solve that by automatically translating one language to another - and you can see it in action! More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5601783&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[In The Future, Your iPhone Will Be A Universal Translator]]> Google recently unveiled a smart-phone app that can translate German text into English just by scanning it. And even though we're a long way from Hitchhiker-like Babelfish, the universal translator of Star Trek lore is closer than you think. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5482217&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[What Are the Unlikeliest Futures for the Human Species?]]> Welcome to Ask a Biogeek, a column where you ask UC Berkeley researcher Terry Johnson any question you want - no matter how weird. Reader Matthew asks:
This is an odd question, but is there anything we're certain isn't coming? Most of my friends are all starry-eyed optimistic sci-fi readers, and they continually bombard me with what will be the "future of the human species" . . . from "meat vats" for growing cruelty free meat to clone armies. Anyway, is there anything that is solidly stymied at this point? Any futurist direction we know is blocked?
"Blocked" is perhaps too rigorous a standard, but there are certainly some futures far less likely than others. I can't prove a negative, but perhaps I can convince you that a few common science fiction or futurist tropes are, shall we say, favored poorly by probability. More »
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