Author: Denise Ricketts

Are We Close to Being Superhuman?Are We Close to Being Superhuman?

Since long time ago, people have flirted with the ideas of immortality and invincibility. Humanity has described such capacities belonged only to the Gods and other divine beings. But believe it or not, we are no very close to becoming what we have been imagining.

Technological breakthroughs have multiplied since more and more nations have dedicated themselves to science. As a result, people’s life expectancy and quality have also been improving. But today, we are all looking for innovations that can lead us to be more than just a human. Let us learn some of those inventions below.

Exoskeleton Suits

exo suit exampleModifying the organic body that we have already had is impractical and nearly impossible. But engineers have found a smart way to trick that limitation. They study how exoskeleton suits can enhance our strength and act as external support to our bones and muscles.

The idea of utilizing exoskeleton suit has been around for a while. The first development was in the 1960s, and it was funded by the military. Today, exoskeleton suits provide strength supports for labor workers. Ford’s assembly plant in Michigan has encouraged the use of the suit to help the workers to lift the car’s heavy parts.

Not only the suit improves the capability of the worker, but it also protects the user from injuries like a joint dislocation and torn muscles. In the future, exoskeleton suits are expected to be widely available for heavy labor professions, such as firefighters, construction workers, and factory officers.

Wound-Sealing Gel

stitching needlesWhenever we cut ourselves, stitches are the most frequently applied treatment for the slash wounds. But the method has been deemed ineffective when the injury occurs on vital organs, such as heart, liver, and brains. Stitching also cannot manage major bleeding efficiently.

Luckily, scientists have worked on the matter and been developing wound-sealing gel.

The start-up that focuses on the innovation has demonstrated that their invention can seal a severe bleeding wound only in seconds. The gel is named VetiGel, and the company who invented the substance claims that 20 seconds is the maximum time for the gel to close an open flesh wound.

CRISPR, the Genes-Editing Tool

crispr gene editing

Our DNA determines who we are. It serves as a blueprint of how our cells are going to grow, regenerate, and heal themselves. But some people are not as lucky as the healthy ones. They are born with defected genes, which make them suffer from diseases and deformities that no medicines can cure.

CRISPR is a gene editing tool that can facilitate us to edit the genetic codes in an embryo.

The tool alters the gene arrangement by eliminating potentially harmful genes. At its most ideal use, we can expect no one is born with down syndrome anymore in the future. Cancers are also possible to be detected and eliminated prematurely.

But the ability for the tool to make a certain type of human more preferable than the others raises the eugenics issue. It is feared that if the tool falls to the wrong hand, it can facilitate the deranged master-race fantasy that once was piously held by Hitler and the likes.…

How Technology Makes Epic ConcertsHow Technology Makes Epic Concerts

When we attend a music concert, we take all the technological marvels for granted. Mega sound system, spectacular lighting and lasers, and some pyro-works are the things that can make a concert epic. Without them, the show will be just a so-so.

Now, wouldn’t it be interesting to discuss the technology behind those high-tech concerts?

Motion Graphic Technology

backdrop graphic designIn most concerts, we can see that a motion picture is displayed on the stage backdrop. It shows either the concert’s name or the performing band.

Sometimes, the backdrop motion graphic also mesmerizes the audience with a themed animation and visual effect.

What we see there is a combination of animation design and high-resolution projector technology.

Events as big as Download Music Festival, Glastonbury, and Fuji Rock all utilize the most advanced technology of motion graphic to herd the audience into the concert’s nuance. Usually, the animation on the screen will match with the performer’s music. It heightens the trance effects on anyone who witnesses it.

gorillaz on stage

Virtual bands, like Gorillaz and the Vocaloid Hatsune Miku, have brought the motion graphics in concert into another level.

Gorillaz’ performance in 2017 did not showcase the instrument players at all, but the animated versions of them.

Gorillaz has made their fame by the video Feel Good Inc., and the band seems to embrace their virtual status even more.

Hatsune Miku, on the other hand, is purely a human-made character. Vocaloid generates voice through sampling, and the anime character makes use of hologram technology in her live performance.

Mega Audio System

mega audio systemRock concerts mostly use a 50,000 volts sound system. It can cover an area as big as a baseball stadium. The focus of rock concert is to deliver balance level of high, mid, and low frequency to the audience. But for EDM music, the standards might be slightly different.

With the rise of Trap, Dubstep, and the other New Waves, bass frequency has become more exaggerated than ever. In such case, the concerts may require extra subwoofers, which also demands a higher voltage than regular concerts.

When arranging the sound system, audio engineering is vital to understand the proper setup for all the speakers. If misplaced, the desired attack of the sound will not be achieved. That bass punch on the heart will not be successfully delivered to the moshpit.

Pyrotechnic Works

What can be more fun than thundery sound, large and heavily decorated stage? Fireworks! Without it, there will be no thrill to the audience.

Among all performers, Rammstein from Germany always brings astonishing pyro-works to their live concert. Some MTV concerts also realize the same principle, but pyro-works are only best to go with rock and industrial music, not pop.…