Innovation & Tech Today Spring 2018

NEW YORK’S CAPITAL REGION RISES UP

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FIGHTING FOR FOOD SUSTAINABILITY

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TOMB RAIDER REBOOT

S U O I R O NOT N.P.H. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

H C E T S K L A T IS R R A H NEIL PATRICK STEM REIGNS SUPREME! NCE RAY J’S TECH RENAISSA SNOPES VS. FAKE NEWS AT A WELL-ROUNDED LOOK Y THE FLAT EARTH SOCIET WITH D W O R C O ) G O G IE D IN ( E H T T CEO DAVID MANDELBRO

Spring 2018 • Display until July 3, 2018

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Charles Warner, Publisher/ Editor-in-Chief

“ Most of us can agree that science is important to help influence our leaders to make informed decisions, yet there is a strange absence of department heads and cabinet appointees within the current administration who have a background or degree in the sciences.”

STEM Leaders of the Future, Unite!

In a culture that’s increasingly skeptical about the merits of science, STEM education is more essential than ever. For this reason, I am honored to present you with the spring edition of Innovation & Tech Today, featuring Genius Junior host and STEM advocate Neil Patrick Harris. But this landmark issue doesn’t stop there, as it also includes a businessfocused interview with R&B star Ray J, an insightful discussion on sustainability with actress AnnaSophia Robb, and an in-depth look at the world of comic book creation.

While this is the tip of the iceberg in terms of the diverse articles featured in the issue, it is this blend of voices that helps us expand our viewpoints in the noble pursuit of truth and celebration of education.

It is with this celebration of innovation and science in mind that we are jumping for joy for the upcoming USA Science & Engineering Festival that takes place in our nation’s capital.

With an estimated 350,000 parents, kids, and teachers in attendance, the event is truly a celebration of all things STEM and an opportunity to excite the minds of our nation’s youth. These future problem solvers will be called upon to continue the great traditions of the United States as leaders in all areas related to science. Space travel, medicine, cybersecurity, engineering, agriculture, and communication are increasingly important in today’s world.

So, as we prepare to celebrate the biggest STEM festival in the world (and as you read the best tech magazine in the world), I would ask you to take a moment to look at the “other” thing in Washington D.C., our government. Most of us can agree that science is important to help influence our leaders to

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

make informed decisions, yet there is a strange absence of department heads and cabinet appointees within the current administration who have a background or degree in science. In fact, I would like to list a few statistics that showcase the decline in scientifically-focused employees currently working in the White House: • Under President Obama, the Office of Science and Technology Policy had 135 staffers. Under President Trump, the Office only has 45.

• The number of political appointees with a doctorate or medical degree has dropped 21 percent since the Obama administration.

• Trump’s current scientific advisor doesn’t have a traditional scientific background, but instead has a degree in political science.

• The current head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, argues that climate change might actually be a good thing.

That’s a pretty pathetic representation of the brightest minds who should be leading agencies and departments that need sciencebased leadership and NOT political yes-men.

If you agree or disagree, please feel free to email me or join the conversation online.

Let’s fight for science because it makes us better as a nation.

And now, I proudly present the spring issue of Innovation & Tech Today. Enjoy!

Develop STEM in your Schools through Virtual Coding and Robotics

The Cyber Robotics Coding Competition (CRCC) is a fun, low-barrier, scalable—checks all the boxes in STEM—online education program that blends computer science and robotics through fun, interactive, gamified missions that help youth to gain skills and confidence in STEM. Teachers and student teams (primarily middle school) learn how robots work, build coding-robotics skills of 3D simulated robots during an online exciting competition supported by the CoderZ Platform.

See the CoderZ Platform in action on Saturday, April 7 at the 2018 USA Science & Engineering Festival as we host the Finals for the Greater DC Cyber Robotics Competition.

• Watch student teams representing more than 50 DC, MD, and VA middle schools move 3D virtual simulated robots • Test the CoderZ platform and try your hand coding virtual robots • Learn how to bring CRCC to your school

Booth #3829 – Department of Defense Pavilion

Participants gain knowledge and earn points by completing a series of thematic missions during and after school. Those with the most completed missions are invited to a Finals Codeathon and Awards Ceremony. More than 18,000 students in New Hampshire, Nevada, and Israel have competed in CRCC to date.

No Robots Required, No Programming Experience Required. CRCC Bootcamp and competition prepares beginners and advanced levels alike.

Students Gain the Following Skills:

Computational Thinking • Self-Directed Learning • Creative Problem Solving Teamwork • Digital Literacy • Physical Computing • Time-Management

CRCC is designed to support schools with no previous competition or robotics programs, and by encouraging entire-school participation, helps them cultivate STEM enrichment opportunities for all students. Teachers can utilize a 9-week coding curriculum by CoderZ to build on the momentum following the competition.

Visit us online: www.iscefoundation.org The Intelitek STEM and CTE Foundation invites state or district level partnerships to bring Cyber Robotic Coding Competitions to all youth nationwide. Where should CRCC go next? info@iscefoundation.org The Cyber Robotics Coding Competition is a sponsored program of the Intelitek STEM and CTE Education Foundation and proud partner of the USA Science & Engineering Festival, Intelitek, and CoderZ.

CHECK IT OUT…

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Charles Warner cwarner@goipw.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Shane Brisson shane@goipw.com

Best-selling author John Grisham poses with the winter 2017 issue of Innovation & Tech Today at CES 2018!

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Anthony Elio Alex Moersen

John Gaudiosi

AUTOMOTIVE EDITOR

Michael Coates

HEALTH TECH EDITOR

Paul Sonnier

SENIOR VIDEO EDITOR

Adam Saldaña

VIDEO EDITORS

Stephen Carse Evan Kelley

SENIOR WRITERS

Everin Draper Louie Fox

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Robert Alexander

Jayme Cellitioci

Damita Chambers

Lars Eidnes

P.K. French

Scott Jung

Patricia Miller

Andrew L. Rossow, Esq.

Ronny Sage

Jen Sanford

James Schlett

Rachel Wolfson

FOUNDING EDITOR

Robert Yehling

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Jason Riggs jriggs@innotechtoday.com

We clearly have an eye for the next big thing when it comes to tech products. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, make sure to check out the Innovation & Tech Today store, featuring the latest must-haves from the world of technology.

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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

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SPECIAL THANKS TO: The USA Science & Engineering Festival, Sustainable Brands, David Marble, Monique Nancarrow, Dudu Mimran, Tina Marshall, Dezmon Gilmore, Cyndee Ellefson, Jim Davis, Stan Sakai, Brian Michael Bendis, Ray J, David Mandelbrot, Michele Husak, Melissa Schilling, Julie Merin, Nigel Stanford, David Mikkelson, David Helfenbein, Allison Potter Howell, Haley Dunn

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This publication is dedicated to the dreamers, the innovators, the collaborators, and the doers – who can’t be bothered by those saying it can’t be done. Nicholas and Aria, the future is yours!

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

contents

SPRING 2018

80 Becoming Black Lightning

66 Nonstop Neil Patrick Harris

By Anthony Elio Photo Jim Wright/CPi Syndication

Departments 12 Since Last Issue 16 By the Numbers 18 Event Wrap-Ups 20 Quick Bytes 26 Women in Tech 28 S ocial Impact Spotlight

30 Social Media 32 Robotics 156 Product Revolution 164 Events 166 Coming Next Issue 168 Lighter Side

34 Innovator Profile Snopes Founder Takes on Fake News

36 Connected Car Big Trucks Go Electric 38 T he Automotive Cybersecurity Dilemma

42 Security Israel’s Cybersecurity Powerhouse 46 A Legal Look at Social Media Bots

50 Outdoor+Adventure Tech Inside the UFC’s New Performance Institute 52 The 360 Degrees of Tiger Woods 58 Gear Guide

62 Health Tech Assistive Tech: Regain Your Senses 66 W here Integrative Health & Preventative Medicine Intersect 70 Creating a Cure at Bowie State University

72 Gaming+Entertainment 78 Walton Goggins Talks Tomb Raider 80 Becoming Black Lightning 82 Comic Creators Assemble!

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

contents

SPRING2018 86 Tech Zone

The New York Capital Region

138 Astronaut Abby Reaches for the Stars

88 The Heartbeat of Tech Valley 92 Building the Workforce of 2025 94 CEG’s Capital Mission

96 Connected Life Wrapping Up CES 2018 98 Best of CES 2018 102 How AI Will Save (Or Ruin) the World 108 Figuring Out the Flat Earth Phenomenon

112 Business Innovations Ray J Talks Entrepreneurship 116 Crowdfunding with the CEO of Indiegogo 118 The State of Cryptocurrency

124 STEM Today

Produced in Partnership with the USA Science & Engineering Festival

How to Be A Genius with the Author of Quirky 128 Lockheed Martin at the USASEF 132 Preview of USASEF 2018 136 The Story of STEMified 138 Astronaut Abby Reaches for the Stars

144 Sustainability Today Produced in Partnership with Sustainable Brands

AnnaSophia Robb Takes On Food Waste 148 Giving the Environment A Voice 152 Rolland’s Sustainable Revolution

154 Art & Tech Nigel Stanford and His Robot Band

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

Since Last Issue

Mr. Wonderful Spreads The Word

An Inspiring Letter

Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary graced the cover of our winter issue, discussing his innovative business practices and hands-on approach to entrepreneurship. “Mr. Wonderful” shared the news of his cover feature as well as our exclusive CES interview with his over 250,000 Facebook followers.

While most of our fans will give us feedback through our social channels or comment sections, a Connecticut teacher sent us a heartfelt email expressing their appreciation for our publication and thanking us for inspiring thoughtful conversations in the classroom.

So Much Action at CES 2018

Checking Out Daymond John at Dent

CES 2018 was more exciting and star-studded than ever before, with amazing tech and major personalities all over the Las Vegas Convention Center. While covering the event, we were lucky enough to meet actor Neil Patrick Harris as well as participate in a roundtable discussion with Kevin O’Leary, Benjilock CEO Robbie Cabral, and Hampton Products International CEO Kim Kelley.

Located in beautiful Napa Valley, CA, Dent 2018 was a fantastic celebration of entrepreneurship and innovation. At the event, Shark Tank judge and winter 2014 Innovation & Tech Today cover star Daymond John discussed his new book Rise and Grind with event co-host Steve Broback. At the event, VP of Sales Jason Riggs and Editor-in-Chief Chuck Warner had the opportunity to meet the business-savvy Shark face-to-face.

Check out Innovation & Tech Today on social media!

@innovationandtechtoday 12

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

innotechtoday

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Natural gas and oil are integral to innovations that safely and efficiently supply our daily energy needs, as well as the modern products that make our lives safer, healthier and more convenient. Natural gas and oil also boost innovation in manufacturing and various other fields that support growth, prosperity, discovery and human advancement. The future belongs to innovators. The natural gas and oil industry is committed to cultivating a more diverse workforce, which will be critical to fostering the innovation, collaboration and ideas needed to propel society forward. Through 2035, there will be hundreds of thousands of job opportunities for women, minorities and millennials throughout the industry. A robust workforce will make the industry stronger, equipping us to serve the families, businesses and communities who rely on affordable, reliable natural gas and oil every day. Because diversity powers innovation.

Visit us at PowerPastImpossible.org.

Š Copyright 2018, all rights reserved. Digital Media | DM2018-011 |PDF

e NUMB RS

by the

A look at the metrics shaping the technology market — and our lives

Cryptocurrency has become an increasingly hot topic over the past year, with companies such as Bitcoin and Ripple going from online unknowns to mainstream investment powerhouses. Let’s take a look at the essential stats you need to know about the current state of cryptocurrency.

Americans using Bitcoin

Average transactions per Hour As Of 2/2/18:

2%

25% Bitcoin ATMs worldwide as of 2/2/2018 2,008

53,447

40,956

9,757 2,772

1,043

$10,162.78

feb. 2018

$13,889.99

dec. 2017 oct. 2017

$4,353.05 $2,873.83

july 2017

$1,349.19

apr. 2017 jan. 2017 OCT. 2016

$697.37

july 2016

$625.88

$14,021.00

APR. 2016

$449.33

$2,848.71

Jan. 2016

$367.13

402

Most Expensive Global Virtual Currency (as of January 2018)

Americans that believe crypto is the future of online spending

$967.67

0

3000

Price Of Bitcoin (25 month snapshot)

6000

9000

$1,156.74 $891.08

Number of BitcoinS In Circulation In Millions (Q4) $785.58 $615.23 $392.79 SOURCES: Statista, bitinfocharts.com

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Infographics images: Vecteezy.com and freepik.com

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

2011 – 8 2012 – 10.61

2013 – 12.2 2014 – 13.67

2017 – 16.78

2015 – 15.03 2016 – 16.08

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[ Event Wrap-Ups ]

Dent 2018

Inspired by a Steve Jobs quote, the tagline of Dent 2018 was to “put a dent in the universe,” something the event definitely encourages with its focus on innovation and creativity. Located in Napa Valley, California, the event featured a keynote speech by Shark Tank’s Daymond John as well as appearances by Olympic Gold Medalist Brian Boitano, Actress Zoë Bell, and Grammy-winning Singer Grace Weber.

Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show

Making its first appearance in Denver, Colorado, the Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show was the place to go for the outdoor recreation enthusiast. The largest trade show in the country for the winter and outdoor sports business, the January event saw over 29,000 attendees checking out the next big gear from over 1,000 different brands. And, to highlight the event’s debut in Denver, the Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show included a Backcountry Film Festival event as well as the “Whole Mountain” Fashion Show at the beautiful Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

IoT Evolution Expo

Taking place in Orlando, Florida, the IoT Evolution Expo was a celebration of the Internet of Things and how it is changing the world of business. The 2018 event kicked off with a workshop by Verizon, Nokia, and Renesas to teach special techniques in cellular technology aimed at developers and engineers in the IoT space. Throughout the event, attendees were treated to keynotes by tech personalities such as Intel Strategy and Solutions Engineering Division General Manager Dipti Vachani and McAfee Chief Consumer Security Evangelist Gary Davis.

(Top) VP of Sales Jason Riggs with former I&T Today cover star Daymond John. (Left) Editor-inChief Charles Warner with actress Zoë Bell.

Photos: Riggs/Warner | I&T Today

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

Images courtesy Outdoor Retailer

Images courtesy IoT Evolution Expo

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Jurassic Park: The Prequel In the film Jurassic Park, dinosaurs are revived from mosquitoes trapped in amber, eventually breaking free and causing massive destruction. Since the movie’s release, critics have been quick to point out that this could never happen in real life. Well, we may be on our way to a Jurassic situation as scientists have discovered bugs trapped in amber that drank dinosaur blood, which may very well lead to reviving dinosaurs that will escape and eat many people.

Trapped in amber for 99 million years, newly discovered ticks (which were named Deinocroton draculi by scientists) were discovered in part by the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Interestingly, this is the very first discovery that dinosaurs had their blood sucked by ticks.

The discovery was even named a “paleontologist’s dream” by paleontologist Ricardo Pérez-de la Fuente. However, if they begin following the path of Jurassic Park, a paleontologist’s dream could be humanity’s nightmare. Hey, that would be a great tagline for the movie poster.

Photo Nature Communications; Peñalver et al.

LEGO My Brain-O In 1796, Dr. Edward Jenner came up with the idea of vaccinations in order to cure smallpox. In 1967, scientist Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the very first heart transplant. Finally, culminating centuries of scientific achievement, scientists have successfully transplanted a worm brain into a LEGO robot.

Using the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, scientists successfully replicated the worm’s brain and transplanted it into a LEGO robot. Despite no instruction being input into the brain, it began acting normally and even moving around on its own. So now, instead of having to worry about our robot overlords, we have to worry about our future robo-worm overlords.

Now that we know these types of LEGO brain transplants are a reality, is it possible we’ll be able to input our own brain into the LEGO Mindstorm EV3? If not, these decades of innovation have meant nothing.

Photo: Courtesy of LEGO

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

Miles Per Growler

When you’re low on beer, you’ll generally make your way to the liquor store. And when you’re low on fuel, you’ll generally find your way to the gas station. But what if we told you there was a way you only had to make one stop in your quest for beer and fuel? And we don’t mean selling beer in gas stations. That would just be silly.

Scientists from the University of Bristol School of Chemistry may have found the next wave of sustainable fuel: beer.

Working for several years, the scientists have been developing tech that will have the ability to change ethanol (an essential part of your everyday beer) into butanol.

According to Professor Duncan Wass, “The alcohol in alcoholic drinks is actually an ethanol – exactly the same molecule that we want to convert into butanol as a petrol replacement.” One can only imagine that, as the technology continues to develop, we’ll have our favorite brand names at the pump.

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At the ripe age of about 56 to 60 million years old, the Kumimanu biceae, as it has now been named, looks to be the largest penguin species to date. The largest living species is the emperor penguin in Antarctica, which stands at about 120 centimeters tall. A possibly larger penguin is only known to scientists from a small piece of leg bone, making precise size estimates difficult. However, there has been no word yet on the giant penguin’s NHL debut.

180cm

Fossils have long provided a lens into the ancient world and the fascinating animals that have been long gone. Recently, a newly discovered fossil in New Zealand has revealed the largest penguin known to man. The giant penguin was as big as an adult male.

Coincidentally, it is nearly the same size and weight as Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby. This giant penguin was measured at about 178 centimeters tall, only two centimeters shorter than Crosby and nine kilograms heavier than the hockey star.

178cm

Prehistoric Portly Penguin

SELENBP1 Breath It’s happened to all of us: you’re in the middle of a conversation, you open up your mouth to say something witty, and immediately regret it as your friend recoils upon contact with your rancid breath.

Well, as it turns out, the blame doesn’t completely fall on that onion-and-garlic dip you had for lunch, as genetics may also be responsible. However, you probably shouldn’t have eaten that anyway.

According to a study published in Nature Genetics, your genes may be the reason you have to pop an unhealthy amount of Tic Tacs throughout the day.

In fact, the international researchers that made the discovery linked the protein SELENBP1 to foul breath, a result of the parent gene mutating.

So, the next time someone accuses you of sour cream and anchovy breath, make sure to pull them in close and let them know that it’s SELENBP1 to blame.

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

Ready, Set, Pod Race Sebulba and Anakin Skywalker better get to training because we may be seeing real-life Podracers soon. An Australian startup called Alauda announced their plan to host the world’s first flying car race in 2019. As this is written, the company hopes to begin testing their Alauda Mark 1 Airspeeder in 2018 and has turned to Kickstarter to raise the necessary funds. While other startups and major car companies are focusing on sustainability and practicality in flying cars, Alauda is pursuing speed and sport. In their own words, their goal is to build “the Ferrari of the sky.”

“Since there’s been cars, there’s been motorsport,” said Alauda CEO Matt Pearson in Alauda’s Kickstarter video. Alauda has been working stealthily for the past couple of years and is now ready to make their work more public. Alauda’s work is an exciting development in the automobile world, and one that may bring us a little closer to a galaxy far, far away.

I N N O V A T I V E M O S Q U I TO R E P E L L E N T N ATU R A L E S S E N T I A L O I L S

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QUICK BYTES 001001100100110010010011001

Beetles and Catheters, Oh My!

Many of humanity’s greatest inventions have been inspired by the natural world.

Now, nature is here again to help improve a medical device that does not spend too much time in the spotlight: the medical catheter. Companies that develop catheters have long struggled to perfect the device. Engineers have had difficulties developing a tube thin and flexible enough to snake into hard-toreach places but sturdy enough to withstand insertion and crimping.

Enter the penis of the thistle tortoise beetle. Its relevance comes in its length and sturdiness, as well as its ability to contort and trace the coiled sexual organ of the female beetle. In a new study published in the journal of Science Advances, researchers study both the strength and flexibility of the beetle’s penis to see if a similar structure could be applied to improve modern catheters. And now you have something to discuss with your in-laws at your next dinner party.

Photo: pixabay/Kanenori

Photo: Katerynakon | Dreamstime.com

Photo: Ben Sale | via wikimedia

Tiny Treadmills for Tiny Turtles In the first 24 hours of hatching, a baby sea turtle must navigate its way to the ocean. In ideal situations, this journey should only take a few minutes, as the baby sea turtles use the light on the horizon to guide them towards the ocean. However, urban settings with artificial lighting add confusion to the mix. In these urban settings, newlyhatched turtles have only a 50 percent chance of making it to the ocean, and those that do arrive are exhausted due to disorientation extending their journey.

In order to understand hatchling stamina and disorientation, researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Science conducted the first study on the subject. Using enclosed (and very tiny) treadmills, researchers found that the hatchlings’ incredible physical prowess allowed them to crawl for hours without tiring themselves out, allowing them to swim efficiently afterward. It goes to show that a little cardio can go a long way.

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

An Elderly Embryo After 24 years frozen solid, Emma Gibson was finally given life in November 2017. Conceived in 1992, Gibson’s embryo had been preserved in a clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee that specializes in embryo donation and adoption. Due to fertility clinic records being private, there is no official database of the ages of embryos when they are transferred to a woman’s uterus, making it difficult to establish if Gibson is in fact the oldest embryo yet. In the case of the Knoxville clinic, no older embryo was found in their records. So, while it’s hard to say if Gibson is in fact the oldest, it’s safe to say she is among the most elderly of embryos.

In fact, Emma Gibson’s embryo was so old that she and her mother were actually conceived around the same time.

Her mother, Tina Gibson, was born only a year before Emma was frozen as an embryo. However, Emma Gibson is at a bit of a disadvantage, as she only has two more years to free-ride under her parents’ insurance.

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DEPARTMENTS / Women in Tech

The Investor’s Guide to Equal Pay Tsvibrav | Dreamstime.com

By Alex Moersen

Natasha Lamb explains the importance of social capital and her mission to close the gender pay gap Amazon. Google. Intel. Natasha Lamb has taken them all on. Her goal? Close the gender pay gap. In 2013, Lamb co-founded Arjuna Capital, an activist arm of the Boston investment firm Baldwin Brothers Inc. Her work has resulted in such successes as convincing Exxon to publish their first climate change report in 2014 and assisting companies like Intel in closing their pay gaps. Armed with the philosophy that natural and human capital are as vital as investor capital, Lamb has been able to leverage major tech companies into improving their internal practices. And her work has not gone unnoticed, as she was considered one of Bloomberg’s “Most Influential People of 2017.”

Innovation & Tech Today: How do you go about convincing companies that disclosing and reducing their gender pay gap is the right move?

Natasha Lamb: In the case of a typical engagement, we would file a shareholder proposal and we would start a dialog with the company. Sometimes companies don’t want to

26

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

talk, and they don’t want the proposal put on their ballots, and they go to the FDC, and they try to fight it. Then there’s a legal argument that goes back and forth. And, for the most part, at least luckily in our case, proposals go forward.

The first year that we filed a gender pay gap proposal, we filed with eBay. They went to a vote that year and only got an eight percent vote. It was the first time one of these proposals had been filed, the first time it went to a vote.

The vote was low, but it was a start. Then the next year we went back to eBay, and we also filed with Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook, and all the others. The first company we engaged with was Intel, and they said, “Yeah, we’re going to do that.” They published their gender pay gap, showed that they actually closed it, and, after that, company after company worked with us, and said, “Okay, our peers are doing this, we’re going to do it.”

I&T Today: How often are you faced with pushback from companies?

NL: I think defensiveness is a natural response. Nobody wants to admit that they have

a gender pay gap. For one thing, there isn’t supposed to be one. So I think the initial response with all companies is, “God, don’t look under the hood.” And initially the companies aren’t looking under the hood themselves. Of course, like anything, if you’re not measuring it, you’re not able to manage it.

What we’re saying is, “Wait a second, take a look at this. Do the analysis, see where you are, make adjustments, and be transparent about that journey.”

I&T Today: Are we seeing women’s place in tech improving?

NL: I think when it comes to the gender pay gap, there’s a night and day difference between what we saw two years ago and what we’re seeing today. Companies are being proactive and they’re being transparent in terms of what their gaps are and their work to close the gaps.

On that score, I think there’s immense progress.

The pay gap is only one of the structural barriers that’s keeping women from moving up the corporate ladder, so there’s a lot of work to be done. ■

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DEPARTMENTS / Social Impact Spotlight

Holiday Heroes

By Ronny Sage & Jen Sanford In each issue, The Social Impact Spotlight will feature one non-profit organization that is moving the needle in the world of tech and innovation.

overhead costs and long turnaround times between initial contact and donations being made.

Not all heroes wear masks and capes. In the case of Holiday Heroes, though, sometimes the party requires it. Holiday Heroes is a Chicagobased nonprofit that works to bring smiles to the faces of ill children. They’ve partnered with hospitals, businesses, and celebrities to help patients escape from their typical days of being treated for critical and chronic illnesses. Their events range from parties with superheroes and visits from celebrities to more hands-on events, such as holiday parties, arts and crafts events, and other fun activities.

Through the use of social media, email campaigns, and new fundraising tools like ShoppingGives, Holiday Heroes has elevated their fundraising efforts and seen great return.

Through ShoppingGives, Holiday Heroes was able to set up an online fundraiser, allowing supporters to both shop and donate back with every purchase they made and make direct, taxdeductible donations right to the cause.

They attribute at least part of their success to having brought technology into the forefront of their fundraising strategy. Traditional fundraising methods like direct mail campaigns and placing calls to past donors have big

This modern form of fundraising is ideal for the times. According to a 2016 study by NP Tech For Good, 72 percent of millennials prefer to give online. Gen X and the Baby Boomers weren’t far behind in the study, with 66 percent and 54 percent, respectively.

Through their online fundraiser, Holiday Heroes supporters were not only able to make

convenient donations, but they were able to give in more ways. For example, by selecting a toy to purchase and donate, a percentage of that sale was also donated in cash to Holiday Heroes.

For Bridgette Ferraro, executive director of Holiday Heroes, this technological addition has influenced not only their efforts, but made it easier for the donors as well.

“We are able to use it to enhance in-person fundraising efforts to make them more efficient for donors as well as increase the amount of times we can interact with donors through multiple online sources,” said Ferraro. For everyday supporters, Ferraro thinks the change is clear: “I believe it has made it easier for supporters to give and to give more often.” ■ Ronny Sage is CEO of ShoppingGives. Jen Sanford is the Director of Community Engagement & Strategy.

Chicago Bears Jordan Morgan and Chris Prosinski (top right) are among NFL players who give joy and entertainment to ailing children with Holiday Heroes. The kids’ big days include visits from superheroes, receiving gifts, making crafts, and discussing with Santa Claus what’s going to be under the tree.

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

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DEPARTMENTS / Social Media

From Posting to Protesting

By Alex Moersen

A look at how activism has changed in the age of social media In December 2010, a wave of both violent and non-violent protests spread across North Africa and the Middle East. Beginning in Tunisia with the Tunisian Revolution, the protests and coups strongly spread to five other countries (Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain) and caused sustained protests in a bevy of other countries in the region. But how did the Arab Spring revolution spread so fervently? A major factor was social media. The Arab Spring showed how social media could facilitate communication and interaction among protesters and activists.

Participants used social platforms to organize demonstrations, share information, and raise both local and global Photo: Michael awareness of ongoing Thompson via Flickr causes. While the effects of social media ranged from country to country, for some, While online activism isn’t necessarily a new it was critical to the cause. trend, it is a growing one. And it is a trend that Aria Finger, CEO of Dosomething.org, is quite More recently, social media has played a vital familiar with. Hitting its 25th anniversary this role in some of the largest movements of the year, DoSomething is a website dedicated to past year. The Women’s March of 2017 is likely connecting young people with social causes. the most famous example. What started as a According to Finger, one of the key changes to simple Facebook post by a grandmother in activism that the internet has brought is a Hawaii turned into the largest single-day protest diversity of voice: “30 years ago, there were five in U.S. history. On the night after the 2016 megaphones and they were ABC, CBS, NBC, Presidential election, Teresa Shook organized a FOX, and CW … So now there are way more Facebook event for a women’s march on megaphones and some of those are individuals, Washington. She went to bed with about 40 some of those are companies, some of those are responses. She woke up to around 10,000. non-profits. You get to have a much greater On the other side of the country, Bob Bland diversity of voices, which is great and it also gives made a call for action on November 10, asking the diversity of issues.” people to organize their own local communities.

Fortune estimated the number of U.S. marchers However, Finger makes the point that online between 3,336,865 and 4,633,725. It all started activism is only effective if accompanied by offline action. “Online-only activation can on social media.

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

Photo: Mobilus In Mobili via wikimedia commons

certainly make a difference,” she explains, “but I think the vast majority of campaigns are strong with an offline component. I say for probably 80 percent plus of our campaigns, the end in itself is offline action. So we use social media as a means to that end.”

The important role that social media plays, as seen in the Arab Spring revolutions and the Women’s March, is how it connects people and assists them in organizing and spreading their cause. While social media is extremely helpful with connection and awareness, it can even contribute to offline activation through event planning. And, while there is debate about the benefits of social media in general, there is no denying the potential power of a single Facebook post, when just one was able to lead to the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. ■

DEPARTMENTS / Robotics

Robots In The Unemployment Line

By Anthony Elio

Courtesy of Knightscope

Courtesy of Softbank

We’ve heard for years now that the robot uprising is imminent. Suddenly, occupations such as food service, babysitting, and even surgery find themselves threatened by automation. A 2017 study by Mckinsey Global Institute found that, by the year 2030, approximately 800 million jobs will possibly become automated. But, just because experts are essentially predicting the collapse of human economy and self-worth, does this mean that a cold, emotionless piece of machinery is always superior to its fleshy, incompetent alternative? Not exactly. In addition to the recent string of robot hirings, we’ve seen a brand new trend: robots finding their way to the unemployment line.

In late January, Scottish grocery store Margiotta Food & Wine handed a pink slip to Pepper, a robot aimed at helping customers with their inquiries around the store. The robot was created by SoftBank, a Japanese

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

telecommunication company, and was on a trial run with the Edinburgh store. However, Pepper was not as effective as the staff had hoped, as it would only give vague responses to basic questions about where items such as wine and milk are located. Which is pretty telling, considering even a teenager can hold a grocery store job.

However, Pepper isn’t the only robot currently perusing the want ads. Created by Knightscope, the K5 security robot caused a stir while working with the San Francisco SPCA animal shelter. While the robot was initially enlisted to reduce crime in the surrounding area, the robot’s effect on the surrounding homeless population resulted in a massive public backlash, including threats of violence and vandalism against the shelter.

And the wave of robot firings doesn’t stop in the U.S. In early 2016, three different restaurants in Guangzhou (a city located in

Getty Images/iStockphoto

southern China) found themselves laying off their entire non-carbon-based staffs due to the previously human characteristic of incompetence. In fact, according to the website Shanghaiist, a manager from one of the restaurants didn’t exactly give a ringing endorsement: “Their skills are somewhat limited. They couldn’t pour water for customers, nor could they take orders.”

In fact, the sheer amount of blunders caused by the robots forced two of the restaurants to close completely.

Considering the recent firings of robots across the retail, security, and food service industries, we at the very least know our automated counterparts aren’t completely immune to unemployment. While this type of technology will obviously continue to improve, it’s safe to say that certain sectors of labor will, for the time being, continue to be occupied by humans. ■

innovator profile

Seeking Truth In The Era Of Fake News

By Anthony Elio

How Snopes Founder David Mikkelson went from writing about urban legends to keeping the news media accountable.

Ingesting Coca-Cola and Pop Rocks at the same time will kill you. Gas station patrons are being pricked by HIV-infected needles at the pump. Applying lip balm to a Scantron test will give you a perfect score. There’s a good chance that, at one time or another, you have heard and possibly even believed some of these urban legends. Popular in email chains and everyday conversation alike, these are the types of rumors that grow for years without being properly dispelled. This is where Snopes comes in.

Launched in 1994, Snopes.com has been the renowned online hub for separating fact from fiction. And, despite being nearly 25 years old, the website is more relevant than ever, investigating the validity of stories in our current political climate. We spoke with the website’s founder David Mikkelson about the website’s early beginnings, how the site has evolved over time in the era of “fake news,” and his personal favorite story that turned out to be true.

Innovation & Tech Today: Snopes started all the way back in 1994. Could you tell me a bit about how the website started?

David Mikkelson: I used to participate in some of the text-based newsgroups on the internet, one of which was about urban legends.

I actually started going out and going to libraries and digging up old material to actually look into and write about various rumors. When the first graphical browser came out from Mozilla, I kind

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

of created this little corner where I started writing up initially Disney-related legends.

It kind of quickly became the go-to place where people on the internet sent anything they encountered that was questionable, so we ended up doing a lot of hoaxes and scams and crime warnings, like the needles on the gas pumps. Eventually, politics caught up with the internet. They figured out how to use that to their advantage, so that’s kind of a lot of what occupies us at the moment.

I&T Today: What have been the biggest changes since the website launched?

DM: Well, I think the most recent big change that’s affected things is that individual partisans started using the internet for politics. People arguing about supporting their side or another, and then eventually political campaigns caught on to using the internet and particularly social media. But, with the last election cycle, we added the “politics as profit,” where you have these Macedonian teenagers and “fake news” purveyors, and everybody figuring out that they could actually make money by spreading mostly fake political stuff, or just hyper partisan or highly slanted political stuff, which kind of really skewed the sum of the information that’s out there.

And so, that’s led to the whole “fake news” phenomenon that’s obsessed everybody over

the last year or so. I mean, initially, before the election, we were using “fake news” pretty narrowly just to describe the sites that were putting up the stuff that was outrageously fake that didn’t have anything to do with politics, like “Woman Gives Birth To Litter of Puppies in David Mikkelson (opposite page) has been sifting out fake news for almost 25 years. His website Snopes looks at serious and silly alike, including the rumor that mixing Coke and Pop Rocks will kill you.

“ So, it kind of created problems where the audience’s perception of an urban legend was very different than what it actually had been.”

Elevator” or something. And it’s taken a very political and profit-driven turn since then.

When we started, we were writing about urban legends, which are a particular type of folklore and have a particular structure and format. But people just started using that term to mean basically, “Oh, that didn’t happen.

That’s an urban legend.” So, it kind of created problems where the audience’s perception of an urban legend was very different than what it actually had been. And it’s kind of the same thing with “fake news,” where it was originally applied to this kind of narrow niche. And now, it’s expanded to basically anything that anyone up to and including the President of the United States doesn’t believe or want to believe.

I&T Today: How do you feel about the current state of distrust when it comes to news media?

DM: A lot of people seem to be under the illusion that there was a golden age of

journalism where reporters offered nothing but facts and that was it. And that isn’t really true. I mean, our history is full of yellow journalism and planted reporting and people not thoroughly investigating stories because it would make them actually less interesting than the truth. So, there never was such a golden age.

I&T Today: Was there anything on the site that you were amazed to find out was true?

DM: Years ago, there was a really humorous narrative about a group of FBI agents who had supposedly taken over a psychiatric hospital for some sort of investigation and were trying to order pizza delivery and were trying to convince an incredulous pizza restaurant that, “We need eight pizzas delivered to the psychiatric hospital, and we’re all FBI agents here, really, and none of us have cash. Will you take a check?” The kind of thing that was very funny but had no source or origin attached to it, and you think somebody just made this up. But in that particular case, there was enough context in it to figure out that

if it had happened, it was something that would have happened in the San Diego area based off the name of the hospital.

So, I just sent a routine inquiry to the FBI office in San Diego expecting I’m not going to hear back because they have more important things to do. And actually, several weeks later, long after I’d forgotten about it, I got a letter in the mail, not email, an actual letter, from an agent who had been with the San Diego office and had since been transferred elsewhere who was the agent in charge of that investigation. And [he] said, “Yes, it was all true.” That they had shut down the hospital, or taken it over to do a forensic accounting based on a Medicare fraud investigation.

But they did eventually get their pizza. ■ Volodymyrkrasyuk | Dreamstime.com

SPRING 2018 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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CONNECTED CAR

BIG TRUCKS GO ELECTRIC Electric Trucks Move Closer to Reality

By Michael Coates

While some might say the trucking industry is experiencing a watershed (where the direction of an industry changes), others would describe it more like a dam break, where suddenly we see a flood. In this case, the flood is medium- and heavy-duty trucks moving to zero-emission technology. As late as early 2017, conventional wisdom held that, while some trucks at the lower end of the medium-duty segment might be electrified, big over-the-road rigs would power on with diesel for the foreseeable future.

Then things changed. The longtime producer of diesel engines (and some natural gas ones), Cummins, rolled out an electric Class 7 truck and announced that they would supply any powertrain their customers wanted, including those producing zero emissions.

Then Elon Musk unveiled his electric semi with his trademark high production, rivaling something from an auto show or CES. And the orders began coming in, topping 400 as of January 2018. First deliveries are due by the end of 2019, though most in the industry note that Tesla has yet to hit any of its announced delivery dates and hasn’t even released complete details on the truck or indicated where it might be produced. What Musk has promised is a $150,000, 330-mile range truck and a $180,000, 500-mile range model. Unless you want one of the early Founder’s Series models, which is “expected” to set you back a $200,000 deposit.

Another Path to Zero Then another path was forged when Toyota drove into a press event with its fuel cell Class 8

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

truck hauling a full-length trailer. The truck featured two fuel cell stacks from a Mirai passenger car stuffed into a modified Kenworth truck (since Toyota doesn’t make heavy-duty trucks—currently). The truck puts out 670 horsepower, more than enough for typical heavy-duty operations, such as towing around 80,000 pounds of freight for more than 200 miles between fill-ups.

This truck fulfilled the dream of the state of California (where almost all of these new vehicle events took place). California’s stated goals are to see the transition of all transportation to zero emissions over the next few decades. Sooner rather than later, of course.

The public-private California Fuel Cell Partnership even drew up an action plan to spur this move.

Toyota has since been joined by Kenworth, with its own hydrogen fuel cell truck, which made an appearance at CES. It was preceded by a one-off fuel cell delivery van for UPS and a fuel cell truck built by technology company US Fuel Cell. There has also been a wave of publicity about a range-extender fuel truck from another startup, Nikola Motor Company. It has some wild claims (a 1,200-mile range), but has yet to be tested or driven by any third party.

Infrastructure remains the Achilles heel for hydrogen fuel cells. While hydrogen is the most abundant element in the world, capturing it and turning it into transportation fuel is still an expensive process and is only being done in a limited way. California was hoping to have 100

public hydrogen stations by 2020, but lately has indicated that goal may not be met.

The Electric Slide The electric truck scene has gone from zero-to-100 faster than a Tesla in Ludicrous Mode. What was an eco-dream a year ago is now a full-fledged movement. In addition to the Cummins and Tesla announcements mentioned above, two of the big boys in the big truck industry have made it clear they are not leaving this segment to upstarts or component makers.

Daimler led the way, putting its Class 5 eCanter model on sale in Europe, Japan, and the U.S. in late 2017. It packs a 115 kW electric motor and a 82.8 kWh battery pack (for comparison, a Tesla Model X 100D has two motors that equal about 386 kW and uses a 100 kWh battery) and a 62-mile range. Fuso also showed the E-Fuso Vision One Class 8 concept truck. Daimler has made it clear that the real big rig is planned for production as well.

Volvo Group’s Volvo Truck followed up in January with a statement that it would have a medium-duty all-electric truck on the market in 2019, although the first models were due to be delivered to early customers this year. The company also said the trucks would be coming to the U.S. at some point, with more details likely coming soon.

The significance of the two major OEMs— Daimler and Volvo—entering this electric parade is huge. Unlike Tesla, Nikola, and other smaller startups, these major players know truck customers. They know a medium or heavy-duty

truck is not a fashion statement, but a bottom-line purchase. While some big companies buy one or a dozen for their PR value, most of the sales will need to pay their own way.

Batteries are still the key and a reliable charging network is equally critical for the heavy-duty market.

Since an agreed-upon charging format for these trucks is still up in the air (two systems are currently competing with companies like Tesla, adding a third proprietary network), it will not be surprising to see the OEMs initial forays to be limited.

Batteries have advanced greatly in the past decade, dropping costs while increasing power density, but they’re still pretty heavy. The issue in the commercial market remains: given a choice between hauling freight or batteries, you can be sure most customers will opt for the former. The almost 24-hour duty cycle for many trucks also doesn’t allow much time to recharge batteries. But the gauntlet has been thrown down by Tesla and others.

You can rest assured that your future Amazon Prime delivery may not involve internal combustion engines. ■ Get ready for the new fleet of electric and alternative fuel source trucks, triggered by Cummins’ zero-emission plans and Elon Musk’s electric semi design. (Top to bottom) Toyota, Nikola, Tesla, Volvo, and Cummins are major drivers of trucking’s new electric approach.

SPRING 2018 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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Getty Images/iStockphoto

CONNECTED CAR

THE AUTOMOTIVE CYBERSECURITY DILEMMA

By Michael Coates

Everything We Want Out of Automotive Vehicles Makes Us More Vulnerable

It’s a given that the modern automobile is becoming a computer on wheels. The 100 million lines of code found in the various computer systems within a modern vehicle validate that assessment. That means, like a computer, they are vulnerable to hacks from malicious outsiders. Of course, rebooting a computer is just annoying. Losing control of your car while driving down the freeway is another issue entirely.

The accelerated development of autonomous cars, which by definition are filled with more connected technology than a dozen iPads, has upped the ante. The vulnerable systems, which include sensors, processors, various communications applications, and control systems, open multiple entry points for hackers.

On top of this, the connections with other vehicles, the roadway, infrastructure, and mapping systems that are critical to self-driving cars add to the points of entry. Finally, once a hacker gains access to the control systems, he can affect the vehicle’s speed, steering, and braking.

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

These are cars that must be connected to the environment around them and to the cloud that aids their attempt to replicate a human driver’s brain. They have to transmit terabytes of data through the delicate nervous system of wired and wireless connections to make everything work seamlessly. Every connection, even those that may not leave the car, creates a potential point of vulnerability.

This is further complicated as each new generation of software is introduced (remember, these vehicles are working on a Silicon Valley development timeline measured in weeks as opposed to the traditional automotive cycles that run into years.)

All of these are known problems and the automotive and technology industries have spent millions trying to deal with these security issues. It’s an open question whether they’re getting ahead of the problem.

The Bad News: Hackers Are Good So here we are in 2018—automotive hacking has become more ubiquitous. The cars are more

complex, which seems to present more of a challenge to the hacker community.

It’s been more than two years since some white hat (good guy) hackers took over control of a Jeep cruising down the road at 70 mph to demonstrate the vulnerability of that car’s system. More than a million cars were recalled to install a new security patch after that. Hacks to the sophisticated Tesla system (which employs over-the-air updates or OTA) have included a relatively simple demonstration of stealing the vehicle by hacking into the owner’s cellphone. The pitch was simple— download this software to get a free hamburger at your favorite drive-through. However, now along for the ride is malware that allows external access to your cell phone and your car.

The features dangled by Tesla and other cars for their owners, such as Autopilot, Wi-Fi, and LTE internet connectivity (and OTA), are creating more connections within and without the car. Love your SiriusXM connection?

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CONNECTED CAR One of the companies focusing on helping plug these potential leaks sums it up: “Connected and autonomous vehicles require some of the most complex software ever developed, creating a significant challenge for automakers, who must ensure the code complies with industry and manufacturer-specific standards while simultaneously battle-hardening a very large and tempting attack surface for cybercriminals,” said BlackBerry Executive Chairman and CEO John Chen.

a comprehensive cybersecurity solution,” said Olivier Rabiller, Honeywell Transportation Systems president and CEO.

sharing information with the Department of Homeland Security. The philosophy is “one company’s detection is another’s prevention.”

The Problem is Well-Defined.

The Solution? A Work in Progress.

Clearly, they have to step up because of what they see in the field:

Defining the problem is relatively easy for an array of companies now aligned as the good guys riding to the rescue:

The auto industry’s point person/organization is Auto-ISAC (Information Sharing and Analysis Centers), a group formed with government support to share information about cyber and physical threats and ways to combat them. The group has set up a 24/7 warning system and protocols for sharing information and best practices for dealing with intrusions.

“There are more than a dozen clearly defined attack surfaces that can provide points of entry for hacking into a passenger vehicle, and the number is growing fast. We are supporting our OEM customers with our differentiated software platform to address the cybersecurity challenge inherent to connected and autonomous vehicle development. We are developing a network of partners and collaborating specifically with LGE to ease the integration work for our customers and provide

The situation is pretty clear. Automotive connected system developers work in “bestcase” scenarios, which allows them to build the most interesting and useful applications for the modern car. That leaves industry to clean up.

The broader goal of the group is to develop a “cybersecurity culture” at auto companies and suppliers, one where cybersecurity becomes part of the life cycle of vehicle development and testing. They’re two years into a program using a secure portal to report and discuss threats,

■M obile apps used to control car features (like remote start) are proliferating and can expose data and vehicle functions if they’re not properly secured.

■A pps can now be downloaded to your car’s infotainment system, potentially including embedded malware.

■O n-Board Diagnostic (OBD) dongles are harder to get to (typically, you have to be in the car), but they provide access to the critical CAN bus that controls the car’s operating functions.

■K ey fobs that use a signal to open car doors are vulnerable to hacking, giving access to the vehicle.

These attacks are coming from a variety of sources—nation-states, criminals, and malicious “hacktivists.” The goals range from stealing

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Along with new fuel sources for our trucking fleet come newer, smarter onboard diagnostics and mobile apps — which, unfortunately, are attracting hackers. Honda’s Hackathon presentation at the 2017 LA Auto Show called direct attention to the threat — and how to secure our fleet.

objects in a car to car theft to holding the vehicle hostage for ransom. Another potential is absconding with personal information that might be loaded into your car’s advanced systems, such as credit card information or other personal data.

Look a short distance into the future and you could imagine criminals redirecting self-driving cars to a local chop-shop or sending a ransom note to the owner, asking “if they ever want to see their car again.”

thank this army of diligent stewards trying to build a system that not only works to give you the great features you expect, but protects the privacy of your data and isolates you from intruders.

Stop This—I Want to Get Off

Companies like Argus, an Israeli-based tech security company, make it clear that there are no 100 percent secure guarantees. That said, their products are being used by a variety of auto companies and suppliers around the globe. The different elements of the system defend the infotainment and/or telematics systems from

This all sounds pretty bleak, but there are methods of prevention—and they are working.

Like many operations in the broader security field, you only hear about failures while the successes are happening silently in the background. If you or your friends haven’t had your car hacked, you can

As LG and Honeywell outlined, they’re focused on “next generation” cybersecurity solutions that combine “gateway” protection along with threat monitoring that secures hardware from external attacks.

malware, protect the electronic control units (ECUs) from inside or outside attacks, and secure the in-vehicle network.

One positive glimpse of the future took place during the media preview of the Los Angeles Auto Show last year. A room full of more than one hundred 20- and 30-somethings sat around tables in teams of six or eight. It was the Hackathon, sponsored by Honda, challenging the teams to build mobility apps to help modern drivers navigate the city of Los Angeles. Those same coding skills are going to help some of the folks in that room join industry efforts to build more secure networks inside and outside of the car.

These coders know what they want and they know how to protect it. That’s our hope for the future. ■

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Brick by Brick Israel’s Cybersecurity Powerhouse “ Israel is blessed with many opponents, and as such it developed core competencies mostly in the defense sector in order to be able to protect itself” – Dudu Mimran, CTO of the Cyber Security Research Center at Ben-Gurion University

By Alex Moersen

After months of burrowing through various channels, the computer worm, codename “Olympic Games,” finally began to fulfill its goal: disrupt Iran’s nuclear development by shutting down uranium centrifuges. In July 2009, a computer engineer from Neda, which designed and installed control systems for the energy industries of Iran, complained on a Siemens online forum that his workers were having trouble with their machines. When they would attempt to run the Windows-based Siemens program that controlled their centrifuges, the computers would produce an error message. The engineer suspected a virus spread via USB but was unable to find any malware in their system.

His suspicions, however, were spot on. He had just discovered the initial evidence of the world’s first cyber weapon.

In the month that followed, 328 centrifuges went offline in Iran, rising to 984 by November.

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INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

By the beginning of 2010, centrifuges were failing at an unprecedented rate, resulting in a 30 percent loss. The cause was a complete mystery until June 2010, when the cybersecurity firm Belarus was recruited to investigate a seemingly unrelated incident: computer crashes at a variety of Iranian industrial companies.

After some investigation, researchers found a handful of malicious files that were interfering with the Siemens program. Stuxnet, as the 500-kilobyte worm was eventually named, has been shrouded in mystery as its sophistication points to high-level organization and funding.

But no nation-state has taken credit for the attack. One of the primary suspects, however, is Israel.

While Israel has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to cybersecurity, the Stuxnet attack brought cyber weapons to the forefront of international concern. Other nations began to

update their defenses for the cyber age, while Israel simply continued maintaining and improving upon their already sturdy cyber defense sector. Since the 1990s, Israel has been building their powerhouse, one that has changed the way the world views warfare.

History Dmitry Adamsky, in his 2017 report “The Israeli Odyssey toward its National Cyber Security Strategy,” cites two major events that brought cybersecurity into the spotlight: the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (1995) and the terror attacks on 9/11 (2001).

Although neither event was related to IT specifically, both events were colossal intelligence blunders, forcing Israeli intelligence to begin expecting the unexpected. These efforts motivated the government to take seriously potential cyber risks and accelerate the tempo of their cyber defense industry.

Dreamstime.com

In 2002, the first landmark in Israel’s cyber odyssey came in the form of the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) arrangement.

According to Adamsky, the government tasked the National Security Council to outline strategies for emerging risks, resulting in Special Resolution B/84 focused on the protection of computerized systems. This became one of the first national cybersecurity policies in the world.

While the state was bolstering its cyber defense for the new millennium, entrepreneurs saw an emerging market. Dudu Mimran, CTO of the Cyber Security Research Center at Ben-Gurion University, describes the 1990s and 2000s entrepreneurial engagement into cybersecurity.

“Back then, companies like Check Point were the pioneers of the field and in a way presented a dream to entrepreneurs in Israel,” Mimran explains. “Once taking into account the entrepreneurial gene that most Israelis share, the

emergence of Israel as a cyber powerhouse was inevitable.” This new national interest in cybersecurity not only led to increased governmental focus on national defense, but it also acted as an incubator for startups.

Eventually, in an effort to expand cybersecurity policy into the realms of education, R&D, security, and economic development, the state created the Israel National Cyber Bureau (INCB) in 2011. The goal of the INCB was to maintain Israel as a global cyber-power, while also achieving economic, technological, and diplomatic benefits. In 2015, the newly created National Cyber Security Authority was charged with publishing a National Cyber Security Strategy.

Israel’s Current Cybersecurity Strategy One of the easiest ways to understand the three layers of Israel’s strategy is by imagining its

cyber organizations as parts of a human body defending against disease and injury and the state as healthcare providers. The first layer of the strategy is “robustness,” referring to the defense sector’s capacity to perform efficiently and contain national cyber threats. This layer is highly preventative, acting as the state’s immune system. In order to ensure that the immune system is running at peak performance, vaccinations and a healthy lifestyle are necessary, meaning that organizations must maintain cyber immunity by constantly updating their technologies and bureaucratic procedures.

The second layer is “resilience,” referring to the state’s capacity to both deal with attacks as they come and regain normal function after the fact.

Per the analogy, this layer can be viewed as what happens when a person breaks a bone. Whether the injury was avoidable or not, the body must work to heal the bone, regain normal function,

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“ The field of cybersecurity has dynamics similar to other confrontational playgrounds, where basically people fight other people and in order to tackle the sophistication of attackers, sophistication on the defenders’ side is required.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) shakes hands with President Reuven Rivlin (right) during his visit to Israel to discuss cybersecurity tactics.

Mark Nayman / GPO Israel

and put in preventative measures to avoid reinjury. The role of the state increases in this layer as a sort of healthcare system for cybersecurity.

The state’s role is to assist in threat detection, mitigate the effects, and prevent recurrence. The final layer, “defense,” prepares the nation for high-end cyber threats. In an effort to manage a large-scale incident, countermeasures are tailored toward specific attacks. Although this layer is referred to as “defense,” it is highly proactive and offensive. This can be viewed as

doctors administering strong medication in order to ward off aggressive diseases. In this layer, the state is in complete control in order to protect from potential cyber enemies.

attacks and develop preventative tools and

Building Human Capital

explained that “the field of cybersecurity has

In order to enact those three layers, Israel has worked diligently to build a strong base of human capital, which, as Mimran emphasized, “is the only thing that matters in cyber security.”

The industry needs people to defend against

systems. Although different in many ways from traditional warfare, the importance of human power is still prevalent. Mimran dynamics similar to other confrontational playgrounds, where basically people fight other people and in order to tackle the sophistication of attackers, sophistication on the defenders’ side is required.”

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Courtesy of Government Press Office Israel

To build human capital, Israel has largely depended on education. According to an article published in Forbes, cybersecurity education in Israel can start as early as middle school and it is the only country in the world in which cybersecurity is offered as an elective in high school. Additionally, Israel was the first country in which one could receive a PhD in cybersecurity. Per the article, there are a total of six university research centers dedicated to cybersecurity. For comparison, only one of the top 36 U.S. computer science programs requires a security course for graduation, according to U.S. cloud security firm CloudPassage.

The Role of the State The government of Israel has been the main catalyst in developing their cybersecurity industry. According to a press release from the Prime Minister’s office, the 2011 National Cyber Bureau’s goal was to establish Israel in the top five countries leading the cybersecurity field. What began to happen, as Mimran explains, was “a serious talent flow from the state into the private sector.” Entrepreneurs who gained knowledge and skills in the defense sector saw an opportunity to create cybersecurity-focused startups.

Due to Israel’s mandatory service policy, as well as their focus on cybersecurity, the Israeli military became a startup incubator and accelerator.

Those who worked in cyber defense units were able to take the tools they gained and apply them to the private sector. Young entrepreneurs serving in these defense units face real-life cybersecurity challenges and solutions. They experience teamwork, leadership, significant decisionmaking, and failure. All act as inadvertent preparation for the entrepreneurial life. So, many people leaving their cybersecurity units immediately enter the private sector by founding their own startups. Two such examples are

Aorato and Adallom, both of which were acquired by Microsoft in 2014 and 2015. As a serendipitous byproduct, Israel’s increased focus on cybersecurity to bolster their defense also resulted in a large economic boost.

International Consequence In December 1953, President Eisenhower, in the face of the nuclear age, presented his “Atoms for Peace” speech to the U.N. Now, over 50 years later, Israel is beginning to promote and emphasize cyber cooperation in the face of the new dangers presented by the age of cyber warfare.

Because of this, Israel has been able to leverage its expertise to create new relationships and advance the state of worldwide cybersecurity. In mid-2017, Narendra Modi visited Israel (the first Indian Prime Minister to do so) and established a cybersecurity partnership. In a joint statement following the visit, both Prime Ministers emphasized the importance of increased dialogue between their national cyber authorities and expressed their commitment to accelerate their cooperation in this sphere. In a similar vein, in 2016 the U.S. signed the Israel Cybersecurity Cooperation Act, establishing a joint United States-Israel Cybersecurity Center of Excellence with bases in both the U.S. and Israel. The Center promotes joint research and development and shares best practices in the cybersecurity realm.

According to Prime Minister Netanyahu, Israel is committed to cooperation. At Israel’s 2016 CyberTech Summit, the Prime Minister said, “I recognize that in this field, unless we cooperate, there cannot be growth… and I believe in this growth.” Given international incidents like WannaCry and Petya, and the numerous leaks of consumer information that have become commonplace in 2017, this cooperation is more vital than ever. ■

JOIN THE ARMY INNOVATION TEAM The U.S. Army continues to be one of the most innovative research organizations in the world earning more than 300 Army technology patents in less than three years. Whether it’s creating enhanced body armor, combating traumatic brain injury or creating a vaccine to guard against the Ebola virus, the Army continues to be at the forefront of innovation and technology.

To find out more, visit us at the Army booth at the 2018 Science and Engineering Festival on April 7-8, or visit goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/ about-army-stem

©2018. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved.

A Legal Look At Social Media Bots

By Andrew L. Rossow, Esq.

Examining the world of social media bots through a legal lens In the world of social media, having a large number of followers or subscribers is everything. But what happens when the accounts you follow are actually purchasing these followers, and not truly earning them?

What happens when quantity starts to diminish the quality of the content being shared?

Companies like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have been experiencing the effects of a new social media weapon that allows users to grow their following base to the thousands within minutes.

Is Social Media Becoming a “Pay to Play” Battlefield?

Devumi, a company that offers services to help increase one’s social media reach, has been accused of selling social media “bots,” specifically as it pertains to the Twitter platform, to businesses, celebrities, politicians, and other influencers to help increase their following and popularity. The company is under investigation by the New York Attorney General for identity theft of real-time accounts.

Bots are fake social media accounts, designed to help the user perform actions such as liking, commenting, and following other accounts through automation. The bot is able to autolike, auto-follow, and even auto-comment on posts that fit within its specified parameters, based off the use of hashtags or content filtering posts. And this happens instantaneously.

While Devumi isn’t the only company providing such services, social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram are aware of the issue, catching 6.4 million bots a week, coming out to be almost half a million bots a day. “[These] tactics used by [companies like]

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Devumi’s emphasis on producing social media bots to create fake accounts has landed it in the New York Attorney General’s investigatory doghouse. (Getty Images/iStockphoto / Screenshot I&T Today )

Devumi on our platform and others…violate our policies and are unacceptable to us,” announced the Twitter PR team.

In an attempt to grow a larger following, many developing social media users purchase fake followers from a variety of bot makers across the world, hence the strange usernames, pictures, and information (or lack thereof).

These accounts, however, are copies of real-life accounts, only slightly altered in image, name, and content. Once acquired, they are marketed to users worldwide seeking to increase their reach.

Is This the New Digital “Lemon Law?” But is purchasing popularity online against the law? It depends. This is a new type of cybercrime that’s marketed towards millennial users and a younger audience. There are arguments on both sides. There are three parties here: the bot makers, the companies purchasing the bots, and lastly, the consumer.

This is a gray area because, technically, there isn’t an actual victim to this activity. From the seller’s perspective (bot makers and businesses), they are entering into a contract to purchase accounts with the understanding they

“ It can replicate a message [an infinite] number of times, the more times you see it, the more likely you are to believe it.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

aren’t necessarily legitimate accounts, and are getting what they paid for.

In contrast, from the consumer’s perspective, you have the purchaser who wants to increase their social media reach instantaneously and is willing to pay for it. On the other end, you have real-life followers who are loyal to brands, products, and services, including certain public figures and celebrities, and believe their following is legitimate. It makes it look like the individual is at the top of their game when, in reality, it’s the exact opposite.

What Do Social Media Platforms Have to Say? Many platforms are coming out with statements and amending their policies to include the prohibition of using these bots.

Instagram, for example, provides that the use of bots violates the API Terms of its platform. In the past year, Twitter has pledged to crack down on how it enforces its policies as it pertains to hate, violence, harassment, and now, bots.

Some states, like New York, criminalize and codify behavior like this. Under New York law,

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both the company selling the bots and the person purchasing the bots may be subject to deceptive trade practices, which is prohibited.

What you have here is a public figure or a business with some reputation presenting themselves in such a manner that the consumer, customer, or fan finds attractive. The reliance on the veracity and reputation of that product, service, or personality is what drives that particular account to grow in popularity.

with the purpose of influencing the 2016 Election and other campaign activities.

“They can create accounts that look like you and talk like you, which makes you more likely to believe it,” says Clint Watts with the Foreign Policy Research Institute. “It can replicate a message [an infinite] number of times, the more times you see it, the more likely you are to believe it. [Consequently], it can create false worlds in the social media space.”

A Follow Earned is a Follow Kept Popularity across the board comes at a cost.

There is no shortcut when it comes to quality.

Success in social media is driven by your reputation and your product/service—you can’t put a price tag on a valid customer base. Each real customer, patron, and follower is valuable for their own specific reason.

It’s a slick tactic capitalizing on a bot customer’s desire to make a name for themselves.

It’s enticing to criminals because of the difficulty of getting caught. Over the past two years, these bots have made political headlines with claims that countries like Russia have utilized them

In the digital world, utilizing these bots could cost you more than your reputation. Your privacy, identity, and wallet may also be compromised. It takes a lifetime of hard work to build up a reputation, but only a moment to destroy your identity. You choose. ■

This year, celebrities such as Clay Aiken, Baroness Martha Lane-Fox, Lisa Rinna, and even Paul Hollywood were all revealed to have purchased fake followers through these bots.

Investigations into the social media black market revealed that these celebrities and public figures are among the 200,000 customers who have signed up for similar services.

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The Octagon Gets an Upgrade Going Inside the UFC’s Performance Institute “It’s like what Drago did in Rocky IV.” I’m surprised he makes the reference – not that it isn’t relevant. What James Kimball is describing is a device called the PowerKube, a small black pad that measures an athlete’s striking power. A few months back, UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou set a record on the machine with a score of 129,161, a force which UFC President Dana White equated to “getting hit by a Ford Escort.”

As its vice president of operations, Kimball oversees the UFC’s new Performance Institute in Las Vegas. This sprawling 30,000-square-foot facility – recently hallowed by its measurement of the world’s hardest punch – also happens to be where we’re having lunch and discussing Rocky IV. What gets me is that he’s alluding to scenes centering on the film’s antagonist, the stiff-lipped Soviet caricature Ivan Drago, who uses high-tech training methods to get an edge over his opponents. While our hero lifts stones, pulls sleds, and climbs mountains in a leather jacket, Drago exercises on steel contraptions surrounded by blinking switchboards and notejotting scientists. It’s a classic John Henry vs. The Machine storyline, with science and technology depicted as the enemy of the true sport. Just so, in the end our heroic Luddite eventually wins out against the techies. However, after years of evolution in athletic training and equipment, it appears that, in spite of all the narrative romance, Rocky was wrong; Drago’s camp knew exactly what they were doing.

The UFC is convinced that technologically informed training is the future of combat sports

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By P.K. French

and has spared no expense to that end, investing $14 million to construct the institute (also called the PI). The site evinces a marriage of technology and what A.J. Liebling dubbed “the sweet science,” with everything from hypoxic labs to cryotherapy chambers on full display.

“We want to put objectivity in the sport of MMA,” Duncan French tells me after Kimball introduces him as the PI’s vice president of performance. “It takes away the guesswork …

We can really guide our athletes through their performance.” Together, French and Kimball escort me to a pair of frosted glass doors that look like they’re fifteen feet tall. It feels like I’m entering a laboratory, and that’s not too far from the truth.

Lasers and Liquid Nitrogen The first thing we come to is a small room filled with machines that look like they belong in Alien. The tall black cylinder in front of me is a cryotherapy pod, French explains. Using liquid nitrogen, the pod applies intense cold to an athlete’s entire body, with temperatures potentially reaching -320 degrees F. “Cryotherapy is a regenerative strategy,” French says, “basically resetting the brain and some of the muscle tissues – using extreme cold to offset sensations around pain and tissue damage.”

It sounds outlandish, but French is quick to remind me that people have been using cryotherapy for ages. There’s evidence, for instance, that the ancient Egyptians were using cold to treat inflammation and pain as far back as 2500 BCE. And many are familiar with frozen peas as the homespun analgesic for a black eye.

However, only recently whole body cryotherapy has begun to take off in America, with numerous athletes swearing by the procedure. “Just a three-

The UFC’s new emphasis on technologically enhanced training has resulted in the creation of the $14 million UFC Performance Institute, or PI.

minute exposure in something like this can be really valuable in terms of recovery,” French insists. He adds that much of the new tech the UFC is deploying in the PI focuses on recovery and healing, crucial fixtures for a sport where you’re almost guaranteed to get hurt each time you compete. He segues, turning to what appears to be a fancy tanning bed.

“Unfortunately, it’s not,” he says, opening the top door of the device and filling the room with red light. “It’s a low-level laser light therapy pod.

This uses infrared light to penetrate deep into

The UFC Performance Institute is a top-rate training facility as evidenced by its equipment and fetching exterior design.

the muscle tissue, where muscle damage is, and that promotes circulation.”

at me and with a wry grin responds, “As you should be.”

As with whole body cryotherapy, infrared has recently been trending as a high-tech means to treat injury, with many citing the laser light’s capacity for increasing nitric oxide levels, which can positively affect an athlete’s blood flow.

“This is the first unit on the market, in terms of whole body laser light therapy, so this is very new technology,” French says proudly, before we make our way down the hall to where one of the UFC’s greatest brawlers of all time is waiting for us.

The PI wouldn’t be complete without a gym.

Though “gym” doesn’t really seem to cut it. The second floor of the institute consists of wrestling mats, sled tracks, reinforced padded walls, and punching bags of every shape and size, along with a full-size ring and Octagon. And all of these items are accompanied by some sort of technological enhancement, whether it’s motion analysis cameras or sensors in the floor that measure the impact of your feet when you jump.

There’s even a hypoxic room that can simulate the conditions of altitude training, mimicking oxygen levels of up to 22,000 feet above sea level. “That’s the equivalent of Everest base camp,” French notes.

Scales of Power “I’m suddenly terrified,” I say, looking at UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin as he stands in front of the PI’s Octagon. I’m only half-joking.

I knew Griffin was a big guy – six foot three, with an extensive record as a light heavyweight.

But there’s a kind of boyishness about him (accentuated by his flared ears and constant sarcasm) that distracts from his stature – until he’s right next to the cage, that is. He looks

Of course, there’s also the PowerKube Kimball and I were talking about earlier – fixed on an adjustable rack against a wall opposite the Octagon. I think of the Rocky scenes and just have to try it out for myself. I put on some trunks and square myself to the pad as Griffin adjusts it. “You look like a dork,” he says.

I hit the pad for a while and start to work up a sweat. It’s occurred to me that I’m probably getting a glimpse of the gym of the future. After all, many of the techniques and equipment of today’s average Joes were once considered cutting edge, right there in the domain of Drago.

Millions of people are already wearing little exercise scientists on their wrists. Furthermore, as I strike the pad and watch the data pour in, it doesn’t feel like I’m losing anything; there’s no spiritual loss from exercising in a laboratory. It feels perfect for the sport, in fact. If anything, I’m probably trying harder, working on my score as if I were in a video game.

Eventually, I surprise myself by scoring a 79,000 with a roundhouse kick. Hardly makes up for all the money I’ve spent on 10 years of karate lessons, but I’ll take it. I joke around with Griffin and the others as we head out of the gym, passing recovery machines and scanners.

Smiling, Griffin turns to me: “You still look like a dork.”

■

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The 360 Degrees of Tiger Woods

By Robert Yehling

Tiger Woods is arguably the greatest athlete of the past 50 years. Since famously hitting balls on The Mike Douglas Show at age 2, and then winning all 33 junior golf tournaments he entered as a six-year-old, he has won 79 PGA Tour titles and more than 100 events worldwide, including 14 majors.

Tiger Woods / / By Jeff Benedict & Armen Keteyian / /(Simon & Schuster: $30.00-hardcover)

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PRESENTED BY

Jeffrey Shaw

Tiger Woods in the grasses at Muirfield Golf Course in Gullane, Scotland before the 2013 British Open. Karen Foley | Dreamstime.com

John P. Filo/CBS

Jeff Benedict

Armen Keteyian

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His impact stretches far beyond a golf course. Since Woods turned pro in 1995, TV ratings, fan bases, and corporate interest have skyrocketed. PGA Tour annual purses have risen from $67 million to $363 million, with the average event purse jumping from $1.5 million to $7.4 million.

Likewise, corporate investment in the sport has quintupled, and the once lily-white PGA Tour now features dozens of golfers of color and a program celebrating cultural diversity. There are now more than 400 multimillionaire touring pros, up from approximately 75 in 1995. Michael Jordan may have boosted the NBA, but Tiger made golf what it is today.

Woods also experienced the greatest fall from the highest height in recent sports history. His problems with womanizing, prescription drugs and serious back and leg injuries led to a “tragedy befitting a Shakespearean character,” noted Armen Keteyian, co-author of Tiger Woods. “He was falling into the same rabbit hole as

other child prodigies who didn’t make it out — Prince, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley. But he’s pulled out of it.”

Now, he is mounting a comeback few thought possible, after several surgeries that included a spinal fusion, usually the kiss of death for an athlete — especially a golfer who torques his back like Woods does with his ferocious swing. No one imagined in January that Woods would come into The Masters as a favorite, but guess what? Tiger is back.

So is his story — all of it.

Such is the basis for Tiger Woods, the blockbuster biography of the world’s most famous and enigmatic athlete. Keteyian, the longtime 60 Minutes contributing correspondent, joined his co-author from the bestselling college football expose The System, Jeff Benedict, to write a definitive, meticulously crafted 360-degree profile of a man who has taken great measures to zealously guard his image and private life.

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Tiger Woods is top-of-the-line reading that stretches well beyond sports.

Keteyian and Benedict took three years to research, construct, and write the life a boy groomed from birth to be a golf champion by his father, Earl. Through more than 400 interviews and after reviewing 320 press conferences and hundreds of hours of footage, the authors show how Tiger’s intense shyness, social isolation, and singular focus on golf resulted in his later challenges. Every sentence is a deeper dive into a life we might say we want, because of the massive success, but one lived inside a fish bowl. In this book, we see what drove, motivated, and troubled the most laser-focused, competitive shotmaker on the planet.

Keteyian and Benedict also dive into the sordid details of Woods’ fall from grace — which, they write, was rooted in an insular, anti-social upbringing constructed by his parents.

By the time Tiger was five, Earl Woods saw him as the future not only of golf, but the hope of African American youth everywhere. Rather than allow Tiger to engage in typical after-school activities, or even play youth soccer, Earl and his wife, Kutilda, drove him to the golf course every day to whack balls, practice putting, and play rounds.

Tiger Woods, 2002. Jerry Coli | Dreamstime.com The authors alluded to the collective practice time when they used the author Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers theory that 10,000 hours of continual practice makes one masterful at his or her craft. By doing the math, they estimated Woods hit that mark when he was 12.

Another of many startling treasures in this book: Woods’ obsession with passing Jack Nicklaus to become the all-time leader in career majors won. “That never was the case,” Keteyian said. “He wanted to be the youngest to win the U.S. Amateur, The Masters, the U.S. Open. He kept a chart on his bedroom wall, and since Nicklaus held most of those marks, that’s what he wanted to beat Jack at. Being the youngest.” Fans and

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sportswriters worldwide will be reviewing their long-held beliefs after reading this passage.

Tiger Woods is more than the story of a champion golfer. It is a necessary look into the challenges of gifted children, the impact of overbearing parents, societal expectations of our sports champions, how we treat and what we expect from our heroes and idols, and the devastating impact of sex addiction and prescription painkillers. “We constructed a 70,000-word timeline going back to the birth of Tiger’s parents,” Keteyian said.

“When we matched his achievements with events from his personal life, we found some compelling patterns.” One was his seemingly ability to play at his best while his personal troubles escalated. “You see that sometimes with creative geniuses,” Keteyian explained.

That’s the beauty of this 500page masterpiece. You will find many Tiger Woods stories you’ve never heard before. You’ll see facets to his character you never knew about. More importantly, you will step inside the complex inner and outer world “of a true, albeit reluctant, American idol,” Benedict and Keteyian write.

Few would take on the challenge of writing a Tiger Woods biography, knowing access for such purposes from Tiger and his entourage is impossible. In fact, the authors continued to reach out repeatedly until the date the final revised chapter was due.

Nonetheless, Benedict and Keteyian come through. Big time. Like the man himself, Tiger Woods will thrill you, sadden you, and give you a gripping perspective on the beauty and the beast of genius itself — and how far one can fall when it all goes awry. Ultimately, the authors leave us feeling hopeful and appreciative for Tiger’s legacy, once-in-a-lifetime talent, ridiculously obsessive work ethic, and presence on our TV screens the past 20 years of Sundays.

Just like the hero’s journey itself.

■

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Unplugged Spotlight:

Henderson County

Small Mountain Town Features Nationally-Known Craft Spirits Hendersonville, a Blue Ridge Mountain town in North Carolina, is home to two of the nation’s largest producers of craft spirits. Bold Rock Hard Cider, a leader in the craft cider industry, has its largest production facility in Hendersonville, capitalizing on the ready supply of apples in the area.

Henderson County is the nation’s seventh-largest apple-producing county.

Bold Rock welcomes visitors with tours and tastings daily, as well as regular live music in the cider garden and a food truck serving North Carolina barbecue.

Meanwhile, craft beer aficionados flock to the East Coast headquarters of Sierra Nevada for tours of the expansive brewhouse, followed by flights and tapas in the beer garden. Sierra Nevada spared little expense when creating this Taj Mahal for beer lovers in 2015.

Both Sierra Nevada and Bold Rock Hard Cider are located on the Hendersonville Cheers! Trail, which includes six breweries, three cideries, and two wineries. Flat Rock Ciderworks serves small-batch cider in the heart of downtown Hendersonville, and Appalachian Ridge Artisan Cider pours crisp European-style cider from a restored barn in the middle of an orchard.

Southern Appalachian Brewery in Hendersonville’s historic Depot District names its brews after local wildlife, such as the Black Bear Stout and Copperhead Amber Ale. Burntshirt Vineyards also pays homage to the area’s apple heritage by producing an apple wine, along with a variety of awardwinning dry and semi-sweet vintages. ■ To request a free guide to all the stops on the Hendersonville Cheers! Trail, go to www.VisitHendersonvilleNC.org or call (800) 828-4244.

With 24/7 streaming, High Tech Hunts allows users to check in on their nature compound at any time.

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The Nature Connection

Why nature live streams are the perfect midday pick-me-up For some, with the proper transportation and gear, the great outdoors has never been closer. However, for others, work schedules and inexperience can act as prominent and valid deterrents. But, even for those who feel trapped at work, nature has never been more accessible. While it’s long been known that even a brief nature walk can reduce stress, it’s recently been found that just watching outdoor-related content on your computer can boost emotions. A joint study between the University of California, Berkeley, and the BBC Worldwide Global Insights Team found that watching nature-themed content “inspired significant increases in feelings of awe, contentedness, joy, amusement, and curiosity,” and reduced “feelings of tiredness, anger and stress.”

For this reason, High-Tech Hunts has worked hard to make the outdoors as accessible as possible. The outdoor company, which organizes hunting trips for all ages and abilities, allows users to watch live streams of their compound. Not only does High-Tech Hunts assist people in getting outdoors, but they also bring the outdoors directly to you through their live streams. Their streams operate 24/7, with both night vision and regular cameras, and allow users to follow deer throughout the compound. So, whether you have a hankering for the outdoors or you’re just feeling overwhelmed at work, finding a nature live stream might be the exact medicine you need. ■ To watch High-Tech Hunts’ Live Streams, visit http://hightechhunts.com/stream.php

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Atlanta’s new Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host hundreds of leaders and executives from well-recognized sports teams, venues, leagues, brands and NGOs. Find out more and register today at www.greensportssummit.org Use the discount code ‘INNOVATION2018’ to save $50 on Summit tickets.

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Pau Hana Bimini SUP – Designed to be the ultimate board for photographers, support crew, and fisherman, this large SUP is as portable as it is powerful. The SUP can be easily deflated and rolled up as well as handle a four-stroke outboard motor. For conditions rough and clear, day trips or multi-day journeys, the Bimini is perfect for your next aquatic adventure. $2,599

The Barnacle+ by Speaqua Sound – The world’s first functionally waterproof, floatable speaker with 4GB of built-in memory, the Barnacle+ was designed with outdoor enthusiasts in mind. Now, you can store up to 1,000 songs directly onto the device, allowing you to take your tunes on any aquatic adventure while leaving your phone behind. $64

Samuel Hubbard Uptown Maverick – Comfort and practicality merge perfectly in the Uptown Maverick. With glove-leather lining and custom Vibram soles, these boots are stylish, durable, and, most importantly, comfortable.

With a triple-density memory foam insole, these boots will keep you moving around town. $265

StarkBoard – The first of its kind, this skateboard comes with intelligent weight and motion sensors, propelling you forward with just the slightest tilt of your body. A speed control monitoring system tracks all body movements and continuously assists while riding. With a top speed of 20mph, the StarkBoard is one of the coolest (and most convenient) ways around town. $599

SureCan – Designed with patented technology, the SureCan offers users the best experience they’ve ever had with a gas can. The flexible spout fits conveniently into any machine and a simple pull of the trigger releases fuel automatically. Say goodbye to bending over or holding the gas can in awkward positions! $39 for the 2+ Gallon and $49 for the 5-Gallon SPRING 2018 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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Regain Your Senses We look at how new technologies are changing the lives of people with disabilities

Technology has had a long and notable history in assisting people with disabilities. In fact, one of the oldest known medical devices was a 3,000-year-old prosthetic toe found on the mummy of an Egyptian woman who used it to help her walk. Today, assistive technologies are built into nearly all smartphones to allow hearing and visually impaired users to operate them. And medical technology is reaching a point where patients can actually have restored vision, hearing, and movement. Thanks to advanced implantable devices called neuroprosthetics, what was once thought to be a miracle of biblical proportions is starting to become a reality. In this feature, we’ll be looking at some of the amazing technologies that are helping the 53 million Americans with disabilities live more comfortably. We’ll also reveal some of the cutting-edge neuroprosthetic devices that are restoring sight, hearing, and mobility to a select few.

Hearing One of the most common medical devices for the hearing impaired are, of course, hearing aids.

Though they have been around for over 70 years, hearing aids are still continually upgraded with innovative features. One of these is wireless Bluetooth integration into smartphones, computers, and other devices, which allows users to enjoy music and identify sounds with better clarity, as well as adjust the hearing aid’s settings using a smartphone app. And, while most hearing aids are basically a small sound amplifier, Earlens has developed a hearing aid that stimulates the eardrum using pulses of light instead of soundwaves. The result, the company claims, is a superior sound than what traditional hearing aids can achieve.

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MotionSavvy via Medgadget

By Scott Jung, Senior Editor of Medgadget

Technology has assisted people living with disabilities since the first prosthetics appeared 3,000 years ago. Today’s hottest aid is assistive technology, which utilizes smartphones and tablets to expand what is possible — sometimes overcoming the disabilities themselves.

For the hard of hearing who need to communicate over the phone or require video captioning, speech-to-text has improved dramatically over the years, thanks to advanced machine-learning technology similar to what you would find in Siri, Alexa, and other voiceactivated assistants. Automated, real-time voice recognition and transcription features are now built into many mobile devices, computers, and telephones. One company called MotionSavvy has developed a tablet computer that can interpret both speech and American Sign Language, allowing users who are both deaf and mute to communicate with one another.

One of the most advanced hearing devices is a neuroprosthetic called a cochlear implant. The cochlear implant is a surgically embedded electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is significantly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing in both ears. In many of these patients, the eardrum is irreversibly damaged, and hearing aids consequently can provide little benefit since they are directed at the eardrum. A cochlear implant, on the other hand, bypasses the damaged part of the ear entirely by converting sound into electrical pulses that stimulate cells in the cochlea, a tiny, snail-shaped portion of the inner ear responsible for sending

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Regain Your Senses

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sound signals to the brain. While cochlear implants are not yet able to restore hearing to levels where patients can appreciate fine music, they can help with identifying speech and everyday sounds, which is especially crucial for children who rely on cochlear implants to help with speech and language development.

Seeing

Right now, the Argus II is only for patients with the eye disease retinitis pigmentosa and agerelated macular degeneration, but the company’s next version, Orion, bypasses the eye and stimulates the visual cortex of the brain directly, which could potentially bring sight to those who are blind from just about any condition.

The white cane is commonly Moving accepted as a symbol of blindness and has long been used as a tool to Mobility impairments are allow the visually impaired to be a broad and complex independent. Assistive seeing spectrum of conditions. They technology, however, has progressed have numerous causes, such significantly in recent years. Cameras as an accident or a have become miniaturized to the disease, and various point where they can be worn on the levels of severity – body, and when the wearer is ranging from difficulty approaching an obstacle, they can bending a finger to alert him or her with a sound or a quadriplegia. However, cellphone-like vibration. Often, this has made assistive these assistive devices can create a mobility devices one of the Courtesy of Second Sight unique sound or vibration pattern for hottest areas of medical technology. different obstacles or objects that users can Among the more cutting-edge forms of assistive learn to interpret. Combined with mobile mobility devices are limb replacement technology, GPS, and artificial intelligence, prosthetics and full-body exoskeletons that assistive devices can provide additional combine new, lightweight materials with smarter environmental and contextual information, electronics to help users regain some sense of much like an augmented reality headset. Some mobility and limb function. These devices companies have incorporated these technologies directly into white canes for users with an affinity for the familiar.

For people with visual impairments who hope to one day have their sight restored, several companies have developed an implantable “bionic eye” capable of restoring a rough sense of sight in select patients. One of the earliest and most notable devices is the “Argus II,” developed

by Second Sight Medical. The Argus system works by converting video captured by a camera worn on a pair of glasses into a digital signal.

The signal is translated into electrical pulses in a tiny device implanted in the back of the eye. The electrical pulses stimulate the retina, responsible for sending visual information to the eye. While patients will not yet be able to see in 4K Ultra HD (the current version can only generate a black-and-white 6-by-10 pixel image), it is sufficient enough that, with training, users have been able to identify everyday household items.

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typically work by detecting self-initiated motion or electrical activity in the muscles and amplifying it with motors and actuators, somewhat like a real-life Iron Man. Some prosthetic hands have sensors built in that can add a sense of touch to know how tightly to grasp an object. One company called SynTouch has developed a sensor that can even detect the texture and temperature of an object being touched. Full-body, powered exoskeletons are wearable machines that were initially developed

by DARPA in the 1960s to help soldiers carry heavy loads. While they are still somewhat unwieldy and can’t turn the wearer into a superhero, they have shown much promise in assisting people with paraplegia confined to a wheelchair to stand up and walk.

The next version of bionic implants will allow paralyzed people to move their limbs with just their thoughts. Using a cutting-edge technology called “brain-computer interfaces”, sensors implanted in the brain will detect signals associated with muscle movement, which will, in turn, activate electrical muscle stimulators.

Muscle stimulators work by sending electrical impulses into muscle tissue, causing them to contract. Stimulate the right sets of muscles in concert, and you can cause limbs to bend and move, and one day even allow a person to walk on their own. ■

DARPA

Not your grandparents’ prosthetics! Today’s devices help the disabled with everything from competing in sports to developing the most meticulous drawings, architectural renderings, and other complex works.

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Where Integrative Health Preventative Medicine

&

By Robert Yehling

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Imagine feeling overweight and unwell, and lacking energy and motivation. You can’t get started to do something about it, but the frustration of not feeling well and being out of shape mounts to the point where you need to act.

Such was the dilemma facing Ian Gillman, who wanted a way to change his lifestyle while also removing the synthetic medicines and food preservatives from his system. He thought

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Intersect

that by getting into shape, eating wholesome foods, and treating his various health concerns through preventative medicine, he could not only slow the aging process, but make it a more enjoyable one.

Gillman came across the Synergy Integrative Health and Medical Spa in Hallandale Beach, FL, a part of the Optimal Health MD Medical Center chain. Optimal Health is deeply rooted and firmly based in integrative, preventative, and functional medicine, focusing on optimizing overall health. They provide a variety of programs that include Naturopathic Medicine, IV Fusion Therapy, Fitness, Nutrition, and Weight Loss — all designed to

reduce the impact of premature aging, as well as help us live the fullest, healthiest lives possible.

The approach draws from healthcare methods known for millennia the world over, but often brushed aside in today’s allopathic medicine rush to prescription medicines. It also focuses heavily on our food and environmental choices, two other major contributors to obesity, disease, and illness due to food preservatives, released chemicals, and other contributors.

Over some time, Gillman worked with the Synergy Integrative Health and Medical Spa

staff to completely change his lifestyle. They started from the inside out, assessing his health status and lifestyle through lab testing. The lab tests, part and parcel of functional and preventative medicine, determine overall health condition, metabolic type, nutrition profile, food and chemical intolerances, hormone balance, and lifestyle condition. They pinpointed all of the contributing factors to Gillman’s unhealthiness, either removing or replacing each with a healthy alternative.

The Synergy physicians treated Gillman by looking at his body as a whole, rather than focusing strictly on the symptoms. Their focus on reducing the effects of premature aging takes

them through all 360 degrees of the body’s life experience. Gillman was so taken by the benefits in his life that he became a spokesman for Synergy.

Their approach not only addresses physical health, but also personal well-being. Stress, anxiety, hormonal balance, family history, and lifestyle are all evaluated, with changes made throughout to optimize our inner, spiritual, and emotional lives for greater joy and social harmony.

Such programs as Healthy Aging, Longevity and Life Extension, Menopause and Andropause therapy, and various stress reduction techniques are used, including the highly touted Enhanced External Counter Pulsation Treatment, which

lowers the number and intensity of angina episodes.

Spending time with functional and preventative medicine specialists is far different than a day at the doctor’s office. It can create a way of caring for ourselves that reduces healthcare costs, decreases our environmental footprint, greatly enhances our diet and fitness, and improves our often stressful lives.

■

I&T Today Founding Editor Robert Yehling wrote about functional and preventative medicine in Beyond ADHD (Rowman Littlefield: 2017), co-authored with Jeff Emmerson.

SPRING 2018 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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Sleep Sherpa For some, the thought of getting a good night’s sleep can be equally as daunting as the thought of climbing Mount Everest. Unfortunately, the feeling of anxiety around sleep can send the mind into a spiraling pit of worry and stop you from getting enough of what you need, what you are actually there to do… sleep!

Continuing with the analogy of climbing that mountain, you wouldn’t get up one morning and simply grab your crampons and decide to “just do it.” You would consider the risks, the dangers, and your ultimate goal, taking a measured approach. Most importantly, you would need to be supported throughout the training and then the journey, being guided along in every step up to the summit.

This is exactly what SOMNUVA does. It acts as your personal bedroom Sherpa, getting you from laying there in bed (at base camp if you will), and guiding you up the foothills to phase two rapid eye movement (REM), eventually reaching a point of mind relaxation where you dream and recall memories.

The next transition is the most difficult and indeed very similar to the physically demanding stages of Everest. As if going through the Valley of Silence and Lhotse Wall to the peak, sleep also needs expert guidance to traverse the three stages of non-REM (NREM). SOMNUVA is the first and only device that is able to take users through those cycles or ranges for a full night’s sleep.

SOMNUVA uses sound technology and a patented algorithm, which intelligently motivates the brain to follow a defined pattern of healthy sleep. By using tones and frequencies that match a set blueprint, over a short period of time, it improves slumber, getting you to Everest’s summit and back home again before your morning alarm. ■ For more information, visit www.somnuva.com

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Staying Well in the Workplace According to the American Institute of Stress (AIS), in the U.S., an estimated one million workers are absent every day due to stress. Each year, around 550 million working days are lost, with over half of those absences being stress related. According to the same study, this unanticipated absenteeism is estimated to cost American companies $602 per worker per year.

Not only is stress a business issue, but it’s a health issue as well. The AIS reports that 30 percent of workers suffer from stress-related back pain. Additionally, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), 40 percent of U.S. workers experience persistent stress in their daily lives. Thirty percent with daily stress have taken medication; 28 percent have had an anxiety or panic attack.

So, how can the workplace be revitalized? Human Touch, a leading provider of massage chairs and innovative wellness products, believes the answer is implementing a wellness program that not only helps keep employees healthy, but also improves the bottom line of any business. In fact, Human Touch put massage chairs in the conference rooms of the Washington DC WeWork, a collaborative work space that is home to a wide variety of businesses, and tracked workplace improvement. They found that the previously underutilized conference rooms saw a 75 percent increase in usage. They also found that companies with effective health and productivity programs achieved 11 percent more revenue per employee and 28 percent higher shareholder return. The study shows how vital a healthy workplace truly is to both employee and company health. ■

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Creating A Cure

By Damita Chambers & Everin Draper

Shutterstock via Bowie State University

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Just outside of Washington, DC, in Bowie, Maryland, Bowie State University is beginning to make major strides in drug discovery research.

Not only is this raising the profile of Bowie State, but it is also helping Maryland continue to become a national player in the biotechnology industry. The faculty’s work ranges from pancreatic cancer intervention to researching cures for rare genetic diseases.

With over 20 years of experience in synthetic medicinal chemistry, Dr. Eric Bonsu has now partnered with Dr. Anton Dormer from PepVax Inc., an early-stage biotech company, to apply its patented DNA immunotherapy SMARTmid to the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer.

With the clear goal of reducing cancer and the likelihood of recurrence, SMARTmid is designed to boost the immune system and drive it to recognize tumors and destroy cancer cells.

The urgency here is vital. According to the Hirshberg Foundation of Pancreatic Cancer Research, an estimated 55,440 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2018, potentially killing 91 percent of diagnosed patients within five years. On top of that, it is expected that pancreatic cancer will become the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in the U.S. by 2020, making Dr. Bonsu’s work critical to many patients’ futures.

“It is significant that this revolutionary work on pancreatic cancer therapies is taking place at a university of our size,” said Dr. Bonsu. “Our students have access to scientists who are innovators in their fields and work on solutions to real-world challenges. The implications of what we are doing with Dr. Dormer and Pepvax, Inc. could provide hope to many through the development of novel cancer drug therapies.”

Another Bowie State scientist is revolutionizing drug delivery by utilizing computer modeling to make predictions about which parts of the virus make good drug targets.

Dr. Kari Debbink is working to identify vaccine

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Bowie State University’s work in areas from pancreatic cancer to researching cures for rare genetic diseases involves chemogenomics, molecular structure analysis, bioinformatics, new genetic markers, and a state-of-theart facility.

targets for noroviruses, which cause vomiting and diarrhea. Specifically, she is launching further study at Bowie State involving both modeling and testing predictions for the GII.17 norovirus, attempting to find the most efficient places to target the virus with protective antibodies. Additionally, she is collaborating with Dr. Vineet Menachery from the University of Texas-Medical Branch to identify important receptor binding sites for coronaviruses, including MERS and SARS. This work may be relevant in predicting which coronaviruses in animals might be able to infect humans.

Two Bowie State researchers are combining the power of chemistry and genetics as they work to find cures to rare conditions that affect over 300 million people worldwide. Drs. Lucia Santacruz and Bradford Braden are working in collaboration with Bowie State Visiting Professor Raul Cachau from the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research and Dr. Marc Nicklaus from the National Cancer Institute. They are exploring novel approaches

to tackle rare diseases using chemogenomics, which uses chemical data, molecular structure analysis, bioinformatics, and machine learning tools to infer the occurrence of potential new genetic markers. Their initial work focuses on creatine transporter deficiency (CTD), which causes intellectual disabilities and some developing behavioral disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autistic behaviors. Drs. Santacruz and Braden use advanced chemogenomics to characterize fluorescent compounds that would easily and selectively bind the defective molecules responsible for CTD. Proper detection of CTD could help expand researchers’ knowledge of the condition and lead to the development of a cure.

“With the help of our partners and visiting faculty, Bowie State is positioned to become a leader in drug discovery in the state of Maryland,” said Dr. Santacruz. “The potential for new breakthroughs is great. Our work could lay the foundation for finding therapies for CTD and other diseases caused by gene mutations.” ■

Nonstop Neil Patrick Harris

By Anthony Elio

Photo NBC

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THE MULTIFACETED NEIL PATRICK HARRIS TALKS TECH, SUSTAINABILITY, STEM EDUCATION, AND HIS NUMEROUS PROJECTS.

James Brown notoriously earned himself the title of “The Hardest Working Man in Show Business.” However, actor, producer, Broadway star, author, social media icon, and host of game shows and awards ceremonies Neil Patrick Harris may be giving him a run for his money. In 2018 alone, Harris looks to host Genius Junior on NBC, star in the second season of Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, create content for his exclusive channel, and release the second novel in his Magic Misfits series.

Harris is likely best known for his roles as Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother, the titular protagonist of Doogie Howser, M.D., and even himself in self-deprecating appearances in the Harold & Kumar film series.

We were lucky enough to meet the hardworking Harris at CES 2018, where he discussed the debut of the IAm Neil Patrick Harris app on smart TVs thanks to a collaboration with Samba TV. During his panel, he touched on everything from autonomous vehicles to the pretentiousness of using the word “bifurcate.” In this exclusive interview, we discuss Harris’ unique approach to social media, his recent obsession with VR tech, and embracing his villainous side on camera.

Innovation & Tech Today: With millions of followers, you’ve pretty much mastered the art of social media. What makes your approach unique?

Neil Patrick Harris: I’ve always felt with social media, at least from my perspective, it is more about authenticity than it is about gaining followers. I have always posted my own content, and not had my management team handle things that I reach out and say. That’s kind of allowed me to just be more frank and candid. I think that comes across when I’m looking at other people’s – when I’m scrolling through Instagram and I see someone, say, Chris Pratt. He’s just super authentic in what he does and it makes me more interested in the rest of his world, professional and personal, just because he seems like a regular person.

That said, I think there is an element of responsibility that comes with it, because, at least as far as I’m concerned, I wanted people to be looking at my Instagram feed and be able to relate to it in some way. So, if I’m super political, or super opinionated in one way, I don’t want to drive away people that would otherwise maybe watch something that I’m in, simply because I’m posting my aggressive opinions about someone else.

I quickly learned that it’s probably best, not to be centrist about it, but make sure you’re wording yourself in a way that speaks to your opinions and honors that people have different ones. I found that there’s a bit of a tipping point when you end up with a lot of followers. You have to be a little more cautious about what it is you say and how you say it.

I&T Today: On the topic of social media, can you tell me a bit about your collaboration with the IAm app?

Joe Lederer / Netflix

NPH: Consolidating all of [social media] into one simple place just made a lot of sense, because if I’m interested in someone, say, Nick Jonas, I don’t have to go to Twitter, look at it, track him down, see what he said, and then go somewhere else to Instagram and do the same thing. I can just go to the one app, see it all, or even be notified when he sends stuff my way.

Which is nice, for someone to have that opportunity if they want, if they’re interested in what I have to offer.

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On his new show Genius Junior, Neil Patrick Harris can be seen cheering on and championing the power of youthful minds.

Evans Vestal Ward/NBC

And then, [they’ve] added live-streaming, which I’ve done a fair amount of, and it’s great!

So I can take questions, and if I do, whoever is asking the question appears live and I can see them, and they can ask questions and we can shoot the breeze, and that’s great. For me, it’s a way to have an actual legitimate, authentic engagement whenever and wherever it seems appropriate.

I&T Today: Speaking of the app, I know it’s on smart TVs now, so we basically have our own NPH channel. What can we expect to see on that?

NPH: It can be whatever we see fit. I think it will be a great place where I can either provide content that I make exclusively for the channel: videos, or updates, or maybe things that I’ve been in, performances that I’ve done, any numbers of things. Or even opportunities to show people things that I think are cool, that are sort of in my wheelhouse. But actually, what’s more impressive, the technology exists now where on a smart TV, there will be a channel that feels like a regular network TV channel, and I’m

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sort of the content provider. I never imagined in my life I would find myself in that position. It will be eclectic, that’s for sure.

I&T Today: We have all this amazing technology these days. Is there anything that’s captured your attention lately?

NPH: I’ll tell you, my new thing right now that I’m so into is VR. Oh my God! I’m a games and puzzles dude, so I’m also simultaneously very into escape rooms. And I found my sweet spot because there’s a multitude of VR escape rooms.

So I’m just pretty much walking around the same square in my basement, but it feels like I’m in a horror mansion, a murder mystery, stopping the apocalypse. I’m picking up flashlights, and finding keys, and being startled by zombies. I love it.

I&T Today: Do you get into horror VR games at all?

NPH: A little bit. I get scared easily (laughs). I don’t like when things just pop out at me and startle me for no reason. I really got freaked out by that. What was the one with the stuffed animals in the warehouse? Freddy Got Fingered?

No that was a movie. [Editor’s note: he’s discussing the horror game Five Nights at Freddy’s.] The very first time I had no idea what was happening, and all of a sudden I got attacked by some giant stuffed mascot bear, and I never did it again. So I’m better in the niche worlds where I can take my time and appreciate the landscapes, and marvel at the technology, but not feel like I’m about to get my throat slit.

I&T Today: You’re going to be hosting the upcoming Genius Junior show. How do you believe the show will promote youth education?

NPH: Well, that’s what I’m most excited about.

We searched the country and we got these kids, and they can do the most impressive, almost freakish, things: spelling a very difficult word, but spelling it backwards, recalling which subway stop was missing on a map of the entire New York subway system, and which part of an airplane is incorrectly labeled. And it’s so gobsmackingly crazy exciting and entertaining to watch them do that, but then also value in celebrating what they do. And you watch it, like,

Genius Junior: Evans Vestal Ward/NBC Count Olaf: Joe Lederer / Netflix

After bursting onto the scene with Doogie Howser M.D., Harris has kept himself busy with a variety of roles, including the host of Genius Junior and the villainous Count Olaf in Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events..

“Holy Toledo,” feeling inspired to want to learn more.

But, it’s a game show where people do unbelievable things. And these are actually things in the STEM conversation that you learn and get better at. I find it really celebratory and inspirational. And, I think that kids will respond to it, and parents as well, so it works in two ways for me. It’s really exciting to watch them do it. It’s remarkable that they can do it so quickly and so well, and yet it’s also something that, if you put your mind to it, you could actually do yourself.

I&T Today: A Series of Unfortunate Events is back for another season. What did you originally do to prepare for the role of Count Olaf?

NPH: Well, I read all of the books, the 13 books that Daniel Handler as Lemony Snicket himself wrote, because I knew we were digging into a series really true to that material. And then, in order to look like him, I have to do a lot of prosthetic makeup and change my appearance. I’ve been trying to keep as thin as possible. And, that’s been it: kind of embracing my inner awful. Which not many of us get to do and get paid for. Normally that’s one of those things you try to repress, right? I actually get to do it, so I’ve been having a blast.

I&T Today: The series, I believe you have said, will conclude after season three. What are you going to miss most about playing that character?

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NPH: I always enjoy taking on the roles that are nothing like me. Because, I’m obviously not a villain in a hyper-fictionalized story, so my thought process is more complicated. I try to be conscientious as much as possible. I try to be considerate of others, but when you get to play someone that doesn’t do any of that, and with such joy, I think I’ll miss that. I’ll miss my inner “id” being able to act out.

I&T Today: When we met at CES earlier this year, we briefly discussed the importance of being environmentally conscious. What is your advice on living sustainably?

NPH: Well, I think it’s important to just be conscious of it all. We do what we can within the community. And you should recognize how much stuff you use and you go through, so you can try to be conscious of it. So I think just having an appreciation is the best step. Because then, once you start recognizing how much waste you use, or how much glass that you use, or how much a single person can consume, it will likely encourage you to bike more, and turn off lights. And respect that, although the world isn’t a small one, what happens in this 80 to 110 years will last a lot longer. And we all need to do our part to keep it thriving, right?

I&T Today: You’ve hosted award shows, starred in television and movies, performed on Broadway, become an author. What other entertainment avenues would you like to explore?

NPH: Well, the biggest thing that I’m looking to do is start directing things. I really enjoy, and am appreciative that I get to, and have gotten to do, so many different random things. I have color on a palette, especially as an actor, and I think that, as I’m getting older, that I’m more interested in being a painter. And taking on longer lead jobs, of which I get to have my vision be kind of paramount. And so, I’m very much looking forward to that, to not be in a trailer waiting for someone to knock and tell me it’s time to shoot, but to actually be the guy saying what the shot should be, and what it should look like. Looking at the crew and then following something to its completion, as opposed to just acting.

I&T Today: You’ve played so many iconic characters throughout the years. Which one do you most get recognized as in public?

NPH: It’s almost always Barney Stinson, and that couldn’t make me happier. He’s the life of the party. He’s a sharp dresser. He’s delusional and voracious in his desire to have extraordinary adventures, and he’s always good for a round of drinks. He won’t pay for the drinks, but he certainly knows how to drink them.

And yeah, people are drawn to him. And people say really nice things about the show and that character specifically, so it’s certainly better than someone recognizing you by laughing and pointing a finger at you. No one wants that. ■

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Taking on Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider star Walton Goggins discusses how he connected to the story and tried to keep up with co-star Alicia Vikander.

By John Gaudiosi Actor Walton Goggins is about add to his already impressive pop culture resume. The Justified and Sons of Anarchy TV alum follows up his comedic stint on The Big Bang Theory and his heroic appearance in The Maze Runner: The Death Cure with a pair of villainous roles as Sonny Burch in Marvel’s Ant Man and the Wasp and, more recently, as Matthias Vogel in Warner Bros.’ Tomb Raider reboot.

In the film, Goggins plays the antagonist to Alicia Vikander’s Lara Croft in her big screen origin story, which is based on Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics’ 2013 reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise. The story follows the much younger Croft’s first adventure, which centers on a mysterious lost island. In this exclusive interview, Goggins talks about exploring the real world while globetrotting for this film, and explains why Tomb Raider and Lara Croft have stood the test of time and succeeded across mediums.

Innovation & Tech Today: How familiar were you with the Tomb Raider video games before signing on for this project?

Graham Bartholomew / Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

Walton Goggins: Like everyone else on the planet, I know the title Tomb Raider. It’s in the pantheon of pop culture certainly for my generation. But to be quite honest, I’ve never played the game. My gaming experience stopped with Galaga, but I’m still really good at that game. And I’ve never seen Angelina’s versions of Tomb Raider, so I believe that my perspective is one of truth and authenticity about the merits of the story itself. I provided an outsider’s perspective for this experience, and I think that’s needed. There were enough people at this table that deeply understood the mythology of the

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Graham Bartholomew / Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

Walton Goggins as Matthias Vogel goes head-to-head against Alicia Vikander’s Lara Croft.

game, and that wasn’t my role. My role was a little different, and I think it was a really nice balance.

I&T Today: Do you approach a character that has inspiration from a video game any differently than you usually would?

WG: No. I think it’s all the same as long as you love the person that you’re playing, and you’re motivated by finding the three-dimensional quality of this person and how this person fits into the world. If it’s any different, then you’re doing a disservice to the audience.

I&T Today: What do you like about Vogel?

WG: Well, moreover to answer your question in a larger sense, I think it’s, “What do I like about this world?” The script that I read and the movie that we made is reminiscent of some of the greatest [stories] that I enjoy –– Victory: an Island Tale, Raiders of the Lost Ark, or some of these other adventure experiences. With Tomb Raider, the endeavor was to do something a little different to take this franchise and bring it into 2018. And, more importantly, my participation in this story through the character of Vogel was an opportunity to make the stakes of this Lara Croft world grounded in truth and reality. There’s a real visceral danger, one that is not augmented by super powers, but in the threat of physical violence. I think that is really interesting. I love action and adventure, but this is something that I

suppose I really love because it’s action and adventure that I can really relate to because of the human quality of it.

I&T Today: When it comes to actionadventure, can you talk about some of the more challenging stunts you personally were involved with on this film?

WG: God, you know it was the stamina required first and foremost just to keep up with Alicia. I mean, she’s just an extraordinarily gifted athlete.

There’s a climax in the movie where I almost had to check myself into a hospital for exhaustion because we both took this confrontation so seriously. Throughout the course of the movie, there were sequences that you’ll see that were really challenging for myself. But the real hero is Alicia and what she did with Lara Croft. She really took the brunt of the physical exposure on this movie and it’s really something to behold.

I&T Today: What was it like filming in South Africa and on these giant sets that were created for the film?

WG: Our production designer Gary [Freeman] had like a universal response to his work, which was a slack jaw. You walk into a room and you can’t believe that you’re filming here. It was as if these things really did exist 2,000 years ago. All of us really took full advantage of the opportunity of being in this part of the world for so long. I spent

a little of my time traveling all over Namibia and spent five days with a tribe on the Kunene River on the Angolan border and made my way over to Mozambique and did some scuba diving. We really felt like we were removed from outside influences in a way and turned off technology and just got into the mythology of this story and this world. And being in that place really allowed all of us to disconnect and to go there.

I&T Today: It’s interesting you disconnected from technology because, even though this is a story based on a video game, the weapons – like Lara’s bow and arrow – are all very old school.

WG: That speaks to the mystique of Lara Croft in a world where superpowers seem to rule the day, nothing against that whatsoever. It’s nice to have a little analog weaponry and wit to celebrate one’s intellect. And Lara Croft is a very smart heroine. This is at the nascent stage of her journey. This is really a coming-of-age story for a young woman. And I think it’s appropriate that it’s explored the way that we explored it.

I&T Today: Why do you think Tomb Raider has had success not only with all of the video games, but also with the first two film adaptations starring Angelina Jolie?

WG: The archeological aspect of the game and this world is just appealing. It’s discovery. It’s [Continues on pg. 162] SPRING 2018 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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Becoming Black Lightning

By Anthony Elio

Actor Cress Williams discusses preparing for his role as superhero Black Lightning.

Throughout his career, Cress Williams has played an Alabama mayor, the father of a budding football star, and a professional assassin. But there was one role that he has been wanting for quite some time: a superhero. After many years of waiting, Williams got his opportunity at the start of 2018, debuting as the titular hero in the CW’s Black Lightning. One of the first African American superheroes in DC Comics history, Black Lightning’s original comics tackled issues beyond your typical good vs. evil superhero adventure. These themes of social commentary can be found in the new Black Lightning show, setting it apart from fellow DC programming such as The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow. We spoke to Williams about portraying the character of Jefferson Pierce (aka Black Lightning), the show’s unique approach to the superhero genre, and the connection he feels to the electrifying hero.

Innovation & Tech Today: What originally drew you to the role of Black Lightning?

Cress Williams: Originally it was just my own dreams, really. I’m a huge superhero fan. I have been since I was a kid watching the Super Friends and X-Men and anything I could find on television. Once film and television started making superhero shows and it became an actual legitimate genre, it just kind of shot up to the top of my wish list. I was already intrigued just based on the fact that they were doing a superhero show that was an African American superhero. I thought that I could have a shot at it.

Then once I read the script, it was a whole other level. I was really excited by the fact that it was rooted in much more of a real place.

Actually, I think very few people know the original script was set in Watts. Even though they made it a fictional city, it still felt very much

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Bob Mahoney/The CW

alive. Very real, very much like a real character. I loved that. I loved the fact that it was rooted in real issues.

That first early scene when Jefferson gets pulled over by the cops just had me on the edge of my seat as I was reading it. I felt like we hadn’t seen that in this genre before. I’m a father and a husband. The fact that he had those ties. That he had a, well, exwife. But he had two daughters that he was raising, that really excited me. It was something I could identify with. I recognized the fact that we had never seen that. Really, the whole setting really got me excited.

I&T Today: The original Black Lightning comic came out over 40 years ago. Do you believe it’s difficult to adapt a character so many years after they’re created?

CW: When I read one of the issues of the 1970s, there was an issue that kind of dealt with immigration. I think it was a guy who was luring immigrants, illegal immigrants, with the promise that he was going to pay them. They were going to get great work and he was going to pay them great money. Then he lures them in and he puts them to work and then doesn’t pay them at all. This was a subject matter in one of the 1970s issues. I was really struck. I was reading it on a plane and I’m like, “Wow. This could be literally, with no change other than changing the costume, this could be translatable into today.” I think because of the way that Black Lightning was originally written, it lends itself to an easy translation. I think the root of it and the heart of it was always socially conscious and always kind of set in a real world. Fortunately or unfortunately, the issues that were in that world in the 1970s are still some of the issues we’re facing today.

I&T Today: Superheroes have had a massive resurgence in popular culture in the past few years. Why do you think that is?

CW: I think practically one thing is that technology, film technology, has come such a long way. What we see in the twodimensional page and what we imagine in our minds can be done.

With CGI and all the effects, you can really do it well and see it

Photo: Marc Hom/The CW

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Comic Creators Assemble!

By Anthony Elio & Alex Moersen

We speak to three major comic creators about how they got their start, changes in the industry throughout the years, and their personal advice for the next generation of writers and artists.

JIM DAVIS

Best Known For: Garfield

Origin Story I started playing around with drawing when I was a kid. I was asthmatic as a child and we lived on a farm, so consequently I spent a lot of time in bed. My mom used to shove a pencil and a pad of paper in my hands and tell me to “keep busy.”

The drawings were so bad at first, I had to label them. But I got better in time and did some cartoon illustrations in my high school yearbook.

In college, I majored in art and business (I took the business classes to appease my parents) and shortly after college I got a job in advertising.

Then, I heard about a cartoonist in my hometown who needed an assistant. I went to work for T.K. Ryan (Tumbleweeds) and from that point on, making a comic strip was imprinted on my DNA. Inspiration Everywhere. TV, movies, books, stories people tell me. And yes, the occasional cat video on social media.

Evolution of Comics The internet has affected the biggest change in the comics since the very inception of the comic strip. Thirty years ago, there were around 300 syndicated cartoonists. There are only so many newspapers and only so much space on the comics page.

Today, anyone can draw a comic strip, put it online, and be a cartoonist. So the ranks of cartoonists have swelled from 300 to, probably, 30 million! And, as cable TV heralded the end of heavily-censored programming content, the internet has freed cartoonists to address edgier and more mature subject matter. The fact of the matter is that a lot of these young cartoonists are very good, and that’s a motivator for our generation of cartoonists.

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Favorite Project I don’t think I can boil it down to one strip. Garfield is nearly 40 now so that’s over 14,000 comic strips. I still have not written the one strip that makes everyone in the world laugh.

That would be my dream come true.

Advice Find your voice.

Don’t try to copy another cartoonist’s style. Stay true to what you know.

BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS

Best Known For: Ultimate Spider-Man, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Avengers

Long time Marvel Comics veteran, Brian Michael Bendis, will soon be transitioning over to DC with his first installments of the Man of Steel series Courtesy of DC Entertainment

Inspiration Dig deep into yourself to find out what you have to offer that is special and unique or honest. That’s a big through line for me when you talk about what inspired me. Looking for honesty, looking for truth in my work and in people. You rarely find it in real life so you dig for it deeply in your work. Just to try to figure out the world and figure out what our place in it is.

Courtesy of Marvel Entertainment

Challenges When you’re a writer, every day it feels like you’re wrestling an alligator or a bear to the ground. I just wrote what might be my 380th issue of Spider-Man. It was my last issue and it was as hard to write as the first one. It never gets easier.

Everything is a struggle of choices and truth and honesty. Every page turn you’re faced with dozens, if not hundreds, of choices. Also, my name is on this. On top of it being really important to me and important to other people and being a shared experience, you may die tomorrow and this will be the last thing you ever did, so don’t suck. So many reasons to be inspired to do well. You’re part of a legacy. The legacy is filled with excellence. You want to at least attempt to achieve that. At the same time you realize it’s your legacy and you want to do well.

Courtesy of Marvel Entertainment

Evolution of Comics It’s the advent of digital media. When I first broke into Marvel, and all through my time in the 90s, people would write you letters. Not even emails, but old fashioned tiny letters, telling you, “My goodness, I wish I could find your comic book.” They want it so badly that they’re writing the author whose name they got off a website to tell them how badly they want to buy their comic because it’s not available to them wherever they live. “I live in Bulgaria, we don’t get comics,” we constantly hear from people.

Slowly over the course of those early 2000s, you would hear that less and less because with Amazon, and then Comixology and all kinds of digital platforms, everyone has a comic book store in their pocket. If you really want that comic book, you can get that comic book without any push and pull from us. It’s nice that you can just point to a link and go, “Here, it’s yours,” to just about anybody in the world.

Courtesy of Marvel Entertainment

Origin Story I discovered comics at a very early age and the minute I figured out it was someone’s job, I was like, “that’s a job I would like.” You don’t find out until decades later that the feeling you get reading a really good comic book, giving that feeling to someone is a million times more powerful and I didn’t know that at the time. All I knew was I wanted to do that. I started pursuing it at a very early age. I never wavered or was distracted. I announced it very early and I kept going. No matter what I found out about the world and the industry.

Advice I see people get lost in the, “I want to be rich and famous. I want to create the Walking Dead.” That’s kind of a fool’s errand and you can’t achieve that goal by going after that goal. It’s a very unique thing. You can’t find success in comics by eagerly pursuing success. You can find success by eagerly pursuing truth. I’m going to write something that I really believe in, that I really love, and hopefully there will be enough of an audience that believes in me.

Peter Gabriel had this great quote about success being a fickle mistress. If you run after her, she’ll run away. But if you ignore her, she may start hanging around. Really you find out that, if you keep your head screwed on straight, the pursuit of truth keeps you successful.

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STAN SAKAI

Best Known For: Usagi Yojimbo Origin I grew up reading comics—both Western and Japanese comics— and, with an art degree in drawing and painting, it was natural that I got into the field. I did freelance artwork in Hawaii and when I moved up to California. It was through friends in the industry that I heard of someone in Seattle, Washington that wanted to publish a comic and was looking for short stories. I submitted a Nilson Groundthumper story which was published in Albedo #1. The next issue cover featured the first Usagi Yojimbo story. This was in 1984.

Inspiration The inspiration for Usagi Yojimbo was a real life samurai, Miyamoto Musashi. He’s quite famous in Japan with books, cinema, and manga detailing his life and legend. I had wanted to do a story on Miyamoto Musashi and, while I was playing with character designs, I drew a rabbit with his ears tied up in a chonmage (samurai topknot). The aesthetic was striking and I’ve worked with Usagi ever since.

Process I visualize the story in my head. Pretty much like a movie. I consider the perspectives, the pacing, the dialogue, the setting, and play it all out in my mind. Once I’m satisfied with the general flow, I write it in my journal. I travel a lot, so I use this time to conceptualize and write out my story outline. I tend to write a lot on planes.

Then, I sketch them out in thumbnail format.

This also acts as my final script. Then I move onto penciling where I sketch out the comics in each panel, including the word balloons. I still do hand lettering, with pens, on the original art.

Finally, I ink it using various pens and a brush.

As you can see, none of Usagi is digitally created. I love the craft of making comics the traditional way. The real secret is that I don’t know how to use Photoshop (just kidding).

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Favorite Project I’m particularly fond of Kite Story that is currently included in Usagi Yojimbo Book 5: Lone Goat and Kid published by Fantagraphics Books. It required extensive research into the art of kite making. I suppose as someone who has spent years honing my skills, it was fun to examine another artisan. Perhaps I sensed a kindred spirit among the kite makers and the way they honed their craft.

Advice Learn how to draw from life. Many aspiring creators start off mimicking and drawing their favorite manga or comic characters. This skips all of the steps that those creators honed throughout their years before they started drawing comics or manga. Take art classes, do life drawings. You have to know how a body really moves before you can put it down on paper.

tech zone

NEW YORK’S CAPITAL REGION

Region When most think of upstate New York and the capital city,

nearly 7,000 workers were employed in R&D of the

piles of winter snow, and resplendent drives through autumn

engineering and life sciences industries — the 10th highest

foliage. They might not think of the Capital Region, or Tech

ranking in the U.S. The region is the nation’s number two

Valley, as one of the nation’s most innovative and fastest

creator of wind energy patents and number 14 in solar. Local

growing technology centers.

institutions spent nearly $563 million on R&D, 80 percent of it

Think again. Tech Valley has come a long way since Thomas Edison began a company in Schenectady in 1887 that would

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become GE — the largest employer in the region. In 2016,

Albany, they picture scenic getaway resorts and locations,

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

dedicated to engineering. Former Gov. Mario Cuomo’s commitment to introduce the semiconductor industry to the

Rise

on the

By Robert Yehling

area in 1988 led to four great companies — GlobalFoundries,

retinal disease to enjoy improved vision. The company has spent

Regeneron, Velon Ventures, and Vicarious Visions. GlobalFoundries

more than $2 billion alone in the past decade, in which its

is currently the nation’s number two holder of semiconductor

employment has increased ten-fold.

process patents. The latter two companies are the brainchildren of

It’s no wonder why Tech Valley has enjoyed a 25 percent

brothers Karthik and Guha Bala, whose game launches include

jump in manufacturing employment this decade, or why

entries in the Guitar Hero and Crash Bandicoot franchises. They

businesses are looking to the region for far more than its

have made the Capital Region city of Troy into a major gaming and

spectacular scenery. Let’s take a look at this truly vibrant

video hub. Regeneron is making it possible for people with serious

tech zone.

■

Getty Images/iStockphoto

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NEW YORK’S CAPITAL REGION

New York’s Capital Region, the Heartbeat of Tech Valley

By James Schlett

I

t’s the region that brought regularly chartered commerce to America and that later helped open the Midwest to trade via the Erie Canal. Now, it’s looking to top these milestones, as investments in research and development – dating back to the late 1980s – begin to transform the semiconductor, biotech, and video game development industries.

It’s New York’s Capital Region, which is centered around Albany and, in the late 1990s, branded itself “Tech Valley.” Since then, that moniker has attracted its share of doubters. Last fall, when Albany joined 237 other metros in bidding for Amazon’s second headquarters, the satirical newspaper The Onion poked fun at that effort with an article headlined, “Jeff Bezos’ Heart Breaks A Little Reading Albany’s Amazon Headquarters Pitch.”

THINK AGAIN While Albany’s bid did not make Amazon’s shortlist, Tech Valley is getting the last laugh.

Earlier this year, Forbes declared, “The U.S. Already Has Bleeding Edge Technology Manufacturing with GlobalFoundries Fab 8 in Malta, NY.” The magazine’s reporter, who received a rare tour of the chip factory just north of Albany, said, “I can safely say the company’s claim of ‘the most advanced pure-play semiconductor factory campus in the U.S.’ is accurate.”

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Back in 2011, GlobalFoundries began moving equipment into its Fab 8 factory, and by 2015 it was shifting to full production. During that time, the Capital Region went from generating the 12th most semiconductor device manufacturing process patents in the nation to the second, trailing only the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro area (aka “Silicon Valley”). When the region’s major newspaper learned about these U.S. Patent and Trademark Office statistics, it said, “If you ever wonder if Tech Valley is just a marketing theme, think again.”

All eyes are now on Fab 8 – nestled in the bucolic area, a stone’s throw from the historic Saratoga Racetrack – as GlobalFoundries shifts production from 14-nm to 7-nm chips. That changeup will revolutionize the electronics industry by delivering a 40 percent performance boost. However, this Tech Valley-driven revolution will not end there – not with a research alliance based at the SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany, made up of GlobalFoundries, Samsung, and IBM. Last year, this group defied industry norms (and almost physics) by being the first to make 5-nm chips. (Think the diameter of two spiral DNA strands.)

A NORTHEAST MANUFACTURING ANOMALY The achievements at Fab 8 have helped turn Tech Valley into an anomaly in the Northeast,

where manufacturing has generally been dwindling for decades. But in the Albany metro area, manufacturing employment over the past five years was up 22 percent by 2016, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Last year, Forbes ranked Albany as the nation’s seventh most thriving manufacturing metro – the only one in the Northeast to make the list.

However, it was a feat for which GlobalFoundries alone cannot claim credit. Its rise has run parallel with that of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, the biopharma company that makes the blockbuster retinal disease drug Eylea and that Forbes has consistently ranked as one of the top 10 most innovative companies since 2013. Since the Food and Drug Administration approved Regeneron’s first drug (Arcalyst) in 2008, the company’s East Greenbush facility has gone from employing 170 to about 2,000. It now has six FDA-approved medicines and is expanding in the region. The company has emerged as one of the industry’s biggest spenders on R&D, with expenditures more than tripling since 2012 to $2.05 billion. Regeneron is just one of several leading biotech tenants at the University at Albany’s (UAlbany) Health Sciences Campus across the Hudson River in East Greenbush, which houses the University’s School of Public Health and Center for Cancer Research with a Center for Functional Genomics. Other tenants include Albany Molecular Research Inc. (AMRI) and Taconic Biosciences.

New York’s Capital Region

Where innovation thrives

ALBANY

World-class R&D centers set up at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, RPI, GE Global Research, GLOBALFOUNDRIES and countless others give us the edge we need to run smart and strong. Our highly skilled workforce of over half a million and student population of 90,000 are leading the way for innovation. We’re making great strides in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, pharmaceutical development and digital gaming.

Take the next step to make the Capital Region your home by talking to the professional staff at the Center for Economic Growth.

39 North Pearl St., Ste. 100 Albany, NY 12207 www.ceg.org | ceg@ceg.org | 518.465.8975

supported by:

tech zone

NEW YORK’S CAPITAL REGION

New York’s Capital Region has become a major national tech center in the last 20 years. The marriage of science, technology, innovation, business, and community includes a Regeneron Pharmaceuticals East Greenbush manufacturing and distribution facility (top left), GlobalFoundries’ Fab 8 chip fab in Malta (above left), and the innovative video game developer Velan Studios.

THANK YOU, THOMAS EDISON Tech Valley has managed to stay ahead of the curve in multiple tech industries because it’s been cultivating talent for a longer period than almost anyone else. It is home to the nation’s first school of science and civil engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the first liberal arts college to offer engineering, Union College. When Thomas Edison moved his company to Schenectady in 1887 (a company which later became General Electric), he planted the seeds for an R&Ddriven region. GE currently has thousands of employees spread throughout the region, including its original manufacturing campus, its Global Research headquarters, and a medical imaging facility.

The combination of these operations put a premium on scientific talent and laid the foundation for one of the nation’s most concentrated R&D workforces. In 2016, the Capital Region had 6,838 workers in the R&D of physical, engineering, and life sciences industries. That gave it a location quotient of 3.55 – the 10th highest in the nation, according to the Bureau of Land Statistics. Those GE workers also played a major role in Brookings Institution’s ranking of the region as the

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nation’s number two generator of wind patents and number 14 of solar patents.

Enhancing this well-educated workforce is a vast university R&D infrastructure formed by SUNY Poly, RPI, Albany Medical College, and several other institutions. In 2016, these institutions spent $562.4 million in R&D, with four-fifths of it dedicated to engineering. At $312.2 million, SUNY Poly was the nation’s fourth-biggest academic engineering R&D spender, trailing only Johns Hopkins University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Regionwide, there were 711,000 square feet of university engineering R&D space – the seventh-greatest amount in the nation, according to data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.

I WANT YOU, GAMERS These successes have been decades in the making. In 1988, New York Governor Mario Cuomo began establishing an advanced semiconductor program at UAlbany. That same year, Leonard S. Schleifer, a Cornell University Medical College neurologist and assistant professor, founded Regeneron. Three years later came another development, when

two brothers in high school founded the video game studio that became Vicarious Visions.

Vicarious was acquired by Activision in 2005 and worked on Guitar Hero III, which was released two years later. This was later followed by other entries in popular series such as Destiny, Skylanders, and Crash Bandicoot.

In 2016, those brothers, Karthik and Guha Bala, announced their departure and went on to launch a new studio, Velan Ventures, in Troy, a hip Hudson River waterfront city and home of Uncle Sam (“I want YOU!”). Capitalizing on Troy’s emerging reputation as “Upstate’s Brooklyn,” the Balas and other entrepreneurs are transforming Troy into a gaming and technology hub. It has already lured Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, which acquired the local startup Agora Games, now WB Games NY. Supporting this burgeoning gaming hub are RPI’s Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences program (GSAS) – ranked the nation’s 10th best video game design program by Animation Career Review – and the UAlbany-managed Innovate 518, a collaboration of incubators, accelerators, and entrepreneurial service providers throughout the region.

For Tech Valley, it’s game on. ■

STEM@SU Seeking a career in aerospace, biotechnology, bioinformatics, biomedicine, computational science, cybersecurity, environmental science, green technologies, geosciences, mechanical engineering, science and mathematics teaching, technology entrepreneurship, and more?

Salisbury University provides engaging and rigorous opportunities for students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Maryland and the surrounding region have the second largest concentration of STEM workers in the country. STEM graduates are critically needed to keep the U.S. labor force innovative and competitive. Job growth in science and tech-related fields is expected to be nearly double non-STEM occupations. SU produces highly skilled and knowledgeable STEM majors and outstanding science and math educators.

Located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, between Atlantic beaches and the Chesapeake Bay, SU is home to some 8,700 students and is nationally recognized for excellence in public higher education.

Visit SU at the USA Science and Engineering Festival (Booth C6) www.salisbury.edu/henson/stem • Email: stem@salisbury.edu

SU’s Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology offers: n Majors in biology, chemistry, computer science, Earth science, geography, mathematics, physics, and urban and regional planning n Graduate programs in applied biology, GIS management, and mathematics education and teaching n Chemistry/pharmacy partnership and engineering transfer program n National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates sites n Undergraduate Research Endowment and Fellowships n Henson Scholars Program n Science and Mathematics Honors Program n New high-performance computing laboratory

tech zone

NEW YORK’S CAPITAL REGION

Building the Workforce of 2025

By Robert Yehling

KC Kratt/ Wikipedia

BioTech Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute RPICC-BY-SA-3.0/Matt H. Wade at Wikipedia

In early February, the Capital Region hosted Workforce 2025, a gathering of business leaders, entrepreneurs, regional experts, educators, and social scientists to explore the quickly changing workplace environment. Among other things, they focused heavily on the makeup of our workforce in 2025 and how STEM education prepares today’s students for their careers. The region’s leading position in biotech, green tech, IT, semiconductors, and new business development make it a huge future hotspot for young professionals, especially millennials.

According to Brookings, about 75 percent of the 2025 workforce will consist of millennials, 83 percent of whom believe that too much power is concentrated in a few large companies.

This will likely result in a stream of smaller, more vibrant, disruptive businesses. On top of

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that, according to New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, 65 percent of middle school-age students will someday be employed in jobs that currently don’t exist. Beneath the bluster of Wall Street, the economy is reshaping itself for a truly new expression.

At the Workforce 2025 conference in Saratoga Springs, Lt. Gov Hochul spoke about the state’s efforts to invest in STEM. “We need to convince people not to be afraid of technology, because this is the future,” she told attendees. “We want to find ways to stimulate an excitement so young people will pursue this — particularly young women.”

The Capital Region has been huge in promoting STEM, particularly among women.

According to the Center for Economic Growth, from 2014 to 2016 two academic institutions in

“ WE NEED TO CONVINCE PEOPLE NOT TO BE AFRAID OF TECHNOLOGY, BECAUSE THIS IS THE FUTURE.” Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul

the region — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and The University at Albany — awarded 2,000 STEM degrees to women. Additionally, overall science and engineering enrollment has shot up by 9 percent since 2015. CEG President and CEO Andrew Kennedy told the Daily Gazette, “This region has what it takes to allow companies to grow, but we don’t want to get to the place where our STEM talent pipeline is so thin that we can’t continue to meet the business community needs.”

Lt. Gov. Hochul closed her talk by noting that she and Gov. Andrew Cuomo would “continue to create jobs and improve education in our state, and a lot of it circles around investments in STEM education.” With this focus and a booming area, there looks to be a great future for the Capital Region workforce of 2025. ■

What has financed more than 300 small businesses, created more than 2,350 jobs and leveraged more than $200 million in community development projects over the past 32 years?

Your local community development financial institution.

Photo courtesy of the Sanctuary for Independent Media

Strengthening Communities. Changing Lives.

255 Orange St., Albany, NY 12210 920 Albany St., Schenectady, NY 12307 (518) 436-8586 x806 mycommunityloanfund.org

tech zone

NEW YORK’S CAPITAL REGION

Boosting the Capital Community

Most businesses in the 11 counties comprising the Capital Region are filled with forward thinkers who team their capital and material development with socially and environmentally responsible practices. To that, the Community Loan Fund brings together socially responsible investors and non-profit organizations — something it has done since 1985, when the first echoes of sustainability began to be heard.

The CEG’s Capital Mission

By Robert Yehling

If there is a quiet heart at the center of the Capital Region, it is the Center for Economic Growth (CEG). As supportive organizations for tech zones go, it is ideally suited, facilitating industryfocused networks to enable companies to share regional resources and ideas. It also publishes impact reports and case studies to further inform businesses inside and outside the region.

The goal? Prosperity for all businesses in the region, and continual growth that includes the hottest aspect of the region, Tech Valley.

The CEG works with six primary networks, capturing and expanding the industrial foundation of the Capital Region: •B ioconnex — Dedicated to the growth and improvement of the biotech community and strengthening the Capital Region’s allure as a premier biotech research, education, and industry location.

• CEN Manufacturing — Provides a forum for members to discuss issues, draw from the knowledge of small- and mid-sized business owners, and create initiatives to grow together.

•T echconnex — Similar to Bioconnex, this network focuses on technology development and manufacturing in the region, supporting a broad-based IT community and providing resources.

•N Y Loves Nanotech — This global marketing and industry network centers on the semiconductor and nanoelectronics industries where the Capital Region is a long-time national leader.

•N Y Loves Cleantech — A proponent of clean technology since the event that sparked our environmental movement and formation of the EPA – the cleanup of Lake Erie in the 1970s – the Capital Region continues to champion cleantech businesses among its ranks.

•T ech Valley Global Business Network — This group assists Capital Region business owners with learning about and developing global initiatives and relationships.

In addition, the CEG supports three direct industry networks: Accelerate 518, Innovate 518, and Startup Tech Valley, all three providing additional resources, expertise, and assistance to businesses in the region. ■

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The fund provides community development efforts for economically underserved people and communities. The Community Loan Fund also assists micro enterprises, startups, and business expansions. This includes technical, business planning, and training assistance programs, focused on continually improving skill sets and opportunities so that the businesses can become tomorrow’s anchors in the region. Loans are focused on real property acquisition and/or improvement, equipment, inventory, cash flow, working capital, energy efficiency, and green tech initiatives and improvements.

The Community Loan Fund sponsors or participates in a number of events each year, including 2017’s highly touted InnovateHer, featuring top female entrepreneurs and corporate leaders from throughout the Capital Region and beyond. They also hold regular small business planning and IT workshops.

Upstate New York is known for the way in which its residents and businesses work together.

The atmosphere is very businesslike but also more relaxed than the city. To that end, the Community Loan Fund has created enduring partnerships throughout its 33-year history, including important alliances with the Albany Center for Economic Success, Community Development Alliance of the Capital District, Capital District Homeownership Collaborative, and more. The guiding principles are improving community well-being, social justice, advocacy, focus on long-term solutions, ground-up development with an emphasis on ownership, responsible use and conservation of resources, sustainability, and highest ethical standards.

Decades of working with tools in manufacturing and at home led Robbox inventor, Andy Matei, to seek out a solution to all the issues he had with power tools over his career. As an engineer, he was trained in problem solving, and as an entrepreneur he realized that he was in the favorable position of being capable of addressing add his own pain points.Andy’s vision is to create a safer, less wasteful world, by putting robotic tools in every home and business.

“We want the tool to become part of you.”

- Andy Matei

I have never been excited about power tools, until now. This is Industry 4.0 for the age of the augmented artisan. As an entrepreneur and advocate of anything disrupting complacent, wasteful industries, I was thrilled to find out that a robotic tool platform has been developed in my local region, Vancouver, Canada. Robbox is not just an incremental improvement on the tools available at big box stores today. This is a great example of what going from Zero to One looks like. f The digital nature of Robbox, means that it can do for hand tools, what digital twinning has done for industrial machinery and jet engines. The ability to record the data trail produced by a fleet of Robbox’s across an assembly line can be used to monitor and optimize the workflow of machinery and human operators in industrial settings.

If you were we lucky, a professional would have trained you on how and how not to use tools for various applications. After a decade of home renovation and house flip TV shows, we know that the DIY spirit is stronger than ever. Robbox is designed to enable the craftsman in all of us, by bringing magic akin to the smart watch user interface, to your thumb.

Their proprietary micro controller and digital motor control systems significantly reduce the possibility of unsafe and incorrect operation. The built-in laser guide helps reduce the time needed to measure, allowing for better workflow.

When a tool can know more than you, and give you feedback, it provides a new opportunity to accelerate your way up the learning curve.

If you own a smart phone, you have probably experienced this; perhaps accidentally discovering an app or new operating system feature that will save you significant time over hundreds of interactions. Tools have always been extensions of ourselves, and when we add intelligence we start to unlock what would once be considered superhuman ability.

We currently sit in the midst of multiple technological breakthroughs that together will create change far beyond the c sum of their individual worth.

Seems someone at Robbox is privy to this.

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CES Shines In 2018 CES 2018 provided attendees in and out of the tech industry with a week to remember. The event was a massive success, hot on the heels of its 50th anniversary the previous year. One quick walk through the Las Vegas Convention Center proved that the event looks to be continually growing.

As you may imagine, CES 2018 had no shortage of big personalities present. Just looking at the keynote speakers, you can see why CES is regarded as the biggest tech event in the world. In addition to a keynote speech by CTA President and CEO Gary Shapiro, we were treated to addresses by Ford CEO Jim Hackett, Baidu COO Qi Lu, and MediaLink Vice Chairman Wenda Harris Millard, each delivering speeches that amazed and inspired attendees.

Additionally, there was plenty of starpower seen at the event. In a collaboration with IAm App, spring cover star Neil Patrick Harris and former NFL superstar Terrell Owens made special appearances. Additionally, R&B artist and entrepreneur Ray J made an appearance at the event to show off Raycon’s Scoot-E Electric Bike. And, last but not least, the Gibson tent saw a special appearance by rock n’ roll legend Slash along with Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt.

One of the most exciting technologies making an appearance at CES 2018?

Robots, of course! From the babysitting iPal by AvatarMind to Sony’s Aibo robotic dog, 2018 definitely looks to be the year of the robot.

Innovation & Tech Today made the most of CES 2018. We provide many highlights and content on our official YouTube channel, including a number of interviews with prominent tech, business and cultural leaders. We chatted with

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Indiegogo CEO David Mandelbrot about the world of crowdfunding and his personal favorite projects on the website. Additionally, we recorded an exclusive interview with author John Grisham to discuss his new book The Tumor.

And that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

During a roundtable discussion, we got a chance to catch up with winter issue cover feature and Shark Tank star Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary about the importance of the event and the projects being showcased that have his attention. Joining “Mr. Wonderful” were Benjilock CEO Robbie Cabral, who was actually backed by O’Leary on Shark Tank, and Kim Kelley, CEO of Hampton Products.

Our own Editor-in-Chief, Charles Warner, participated in a media roundtable discussing the best of CES and the latest trends in tech. Between checking out the mind-controlled bed being shown off by Reverie, the futuristic sunglasses showcased by AVIwear, and Electra Meccanica’s innovative new vehicle, we had no shortage of opportunities to see the tech of the future. And, of course, we had our “Man vs. Robot” series premiere. Our own Alex Moersen squared off against some artificial intelligence in a game of Scrabble, in which he lost in spectacular fashion.

Additionally, Assistant Editor Anthony Elio played ping pong against a robot designed by Omron, not faring much better than his colleague. Looks like the robots won this battle.

CES 2018 brought together some major influencers, including a keynote speech by CTA CEO Gary Shapiro (top left), Hollywood star Neil Patrick Harris (top), and Shark Tank judge Kevin O’Leary (top right).

CES 2018 kept all the momentum from the event’s 50th anniversary last year. In fact, it seemed like there were even more big personalities, enthralling innovations, and groundbreaking reveals than last year. And, looking forward to CES 2019, you can definitely expect more jaw-dropping announcements, major influencers, and futuristic tech to come. See you next year! ■ SPRING 2018 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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10 Things THAT WOWED US AT

2018

This year’s CES had no shortage of innovative companies showing off breathtaking technology. The conference saw huge steps forward in everything from artificial intelligence and automation to charging and vehicular tech. But what was the absolute best of the best? Let’s take a look at the 10 CES exhibitors that stood out in the most important tech event of the year.

Limitless Innovations Gets Supercharged Showing off their inventive new products, Limitless Innovations wowed at CES with their impressive charging technology. In addition to showcasing the original ChargeHub, which allows for multiple devices to be charged at once, the company showcased the JumpSmart, which combines a flashlight, power bank, and jumper cables into one convenient device. The ideal piece of tech for a vehicular emergency, the JumpSmart is just one of the many unique innovations we experienced at CES. AVIwear And Their Cool Commander 5100 Featuring Bluetooth capability that allows you to listen to music and utilize voice controls, the Commander 5100 is definitely not your standard pair of sunglasses. Shown off by AVIwear throughout CES 2018, the Commander 5100 video sunglasses offer some impressive tech that you don’t need your hands to control. Additionally, you can easily change out the lenses in order to adapt to different settings and lightings. Best of all, you can record directly from the Commander 5100 sunglasses for up to two and a half hours, meaning you won’t have to watch the world through your phone to record the unforgettable moments in life.

Reverie’s Bed Fit For a Jedi The bed of the future is here! CES 2018 saw Reverie showcasing their innovative sleep technology in the form of a concept bed. Reverie’s integrated sleep system features a pressure map in order to show the ideal firmness for your sleeping needs. But possibly the most innovative part of Reverie’s offerings was the sensor that reads your brain’s alpha, beta, and delta waves. This was shown off in Reverie’s CES booth by allowing for literal mind control over the bed’s movements.

By simply focusing, the system allowed attendees to control and adjust the head of the bed. With their offerings at CES, Reverie showcased better sleep and futuristic features all in one bed.

SmartenIt Shows Mastery of IoT SmartenIt stayed true to their name at CES 2018, showing off their inventive technologies.

Masters of the Internet of Things (IoT), the company showed off how they deliver IoT solutions for everything from smart energy to smart home tech. One big focus of the company is the connected home, specifically when it comes to disaster prevention and efficient utility management. Additionally, SmartenIt highlighted their recent collaboration with Google Assistant at the show, with official members of the Google team on-hand.

The Electric, Efficient EMV Solo Showcased by Electra Meccanica, the SOLO is one sleek ride. With a top speed of 85 miles per hour and 54 horsepower, this electric vehicle packs quite a punch. Additionally, the SOLO can power up very quickly, able to fully charge within a mere three to six hours, depending on the battery. Able to go from zero to 60 in only eight seconds, the SOLO is ideal navigating through traffic and taking a quick road trip alike.

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10 Things THAT WOWED US AT

2018

Human Touch Promotes Wellness After so many days of walking around at CES, a massage chair was more than welcome. Luckily, Human Touch was present at the event, showing off their Novo XT Massage Chair. The chair itself is the result of a collaboration with Human Touch’s Wellness Council, which helped the company make the Novo XT experience ideal for the user. Complete with a foot and calf massager, the Novo XT is the ideal tool for getting a full-body therapeutic massage without even having to leave the home.

Safella Strengthens Sleep Las Vegas, the city in which CES is held each year, is not commonly known as the best place to get some sleep. However, Safella looked to change all of that with their strong showing at the tech event. The company showcased their SOMNUVA technology, which uses non-intrusive, noninvasive audio tech to improve sleep. The technology has been very effective so far, with an independent trial showing a 92 percent success rate with subjects afflicted with insomnia.

Needless to say, SOMNUVA brought some much-needed rest to the fast-paced CES showfloor. If you’re looking to catch some additional Zs, check out their official Indiegogo campaign, which launched in March.

The Magnificent MotherBox While mobile technology has evolved greatly over the years, the one thing that has definitely held it back is battery life. Luckily, Yank Tech is there to save us from that dreaded “low battery” notification. The MotherBox, which the company showcased at CES, can charge multiple devices within a 20-inch range. Available on Indiegogo, the MotherBox will definitely help you clean up the tangled mess of cords that tends to make up a device charging area.

Go Shredding On The StarkBoard Funded on Indiegogo, the StarkBoard isn’t what you’ll find at your typical skatepark. Completely hands-free, this smart electric skateboard rides smoothly and looks great doing it. Able to cruise up to 20 miles per hour, the StarkBoard is ideal for the casual city commuter and hardcore skateboard enthusiast alike.

Benjilock’s Breakthrough With all the incredible innovations being showcased at CES this year, it’s easy to forget how a simple concept can be revolutionized. Enter Benjilock, the company that completely reinvented the classic padlock and added fingerprint tech as well as rechargeability. Founder, CEO, and Inventor of Benjilock, Robbie Cabral, was also present at the event, taking place in a special Innovation & Tech Today roundtable discussion featuring Kevin O’Leary (who funded Benjilock on Shark Tank) and CEO Kim Kelley of Hampton Products (who has a licensing partnership with Benjilock) for an in-depth discussion on tech and entrepreneurship.

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MAKE YOUR BIKE

ELECTRIC

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How AI Will Save (Or Ruin) the World Getty Images/iStockphoto

By Lars Eidnes

An overview of the incredible possibilities and harsh realities of the future of artificial intelligence Vladimir Putin recently stated, “Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world.” He was speaking of artificial intelligence. Much has been said about the recent rise of AI technology. The emotions expressed regarding this innovation span anywhere from fear to hope.

Last summer, researchers at Facebook tried to get programs to communicate by sending messages to each other in human language. This mundane experiment was made more so by the fact that it didn’t work: the messages sent were gibberish. Yet, it was sensationalized in the press. One headline read: “Facebook engineers panic, pull plug on AI after bots develop their own language.” Such ill-informed calls for alarm have caused some researchers to instinctually refuse to consider that anything problematic could arise from AI. There is a polarization happening that seems to intellectually disengage everyone involved. Can any sense be made of this?

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The boom in attention towards AI technology in the last five years has happened because of practical breakthroughs in the field of machine learning. Here, the approach is to have a computer program learn to solve a particular problem by seeing instances of the problem and the associated solution. For example, if you want to train a computer program to classify an image, you need to collect a million images and annotate each of them with their contents.

You then go through them one by one and ask the program to tell you what each image portrays. It will initially produce nonsense answers. But, by following the rules of statistics and calculus, you can tweak the millions of parameters of the program such that it moves closer to a correct solution for every example it sees. If you iterate this process several hundred thousand times, it may eventually converge to something that can solve the problem. You may even discover that it solves the problem better than you can yourself.

This look behind the curtain should ease some fears about what such systems can do. The image recognizer is not a conscious robot like we know from science fiction. Rather, it is a series of matrix multiplications.

Such a learning process is limited by the availability of data and computational power.

There are some indications that each of these quantities are growing at an exponential rate. For many practitioners in the field, this is a source of great optimism. In the last few years, hard problems like image recognition, speech recognition, and machine translation have yielded to this approach of having machines learn to solve problems themselves. In the case of image recognition, computers have achieved excellent performance and, since 2015, even surpassed human-level accuracies in certain benchmarks. In the case of speech recognition, which is increasingly prevalent in our lives, machine translation between different languages has now reached a level that is surprisingly passable.

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Ten years ago, artificial intelligence was a concept fit for science fiction. Today, AI is a reality, spreading across all corners of business and technology. Uses include interactive multiplayer games, self-automated cars, and ultra-sensitive and intelligent traffic control centers.

The researchers at DeepMind recently made headlines when their program AlphaGo competed against the world’s best players in the game of Go and beat them. While this rightly achieved much attention in the media, it has since been surpassed by an even more spectacular result that has received much less attention. DeepMind’s latest learning agent, named AlphaZero, has achieved super-human performance in both the game of Go and the game of Chess. It learned to play these games by playing against itself, with no input about strategy from its creators. The most impressive part is that the same program solved both these games, which indicates that the problem-solving capacity of this program is very general. The success of AlphaZero raises a relevant question: What problems in our society can be formulated as a game to be learned through self-play? These problems are likely candidates to be revolutionized by AI in the coming years.

These successes leave many people feeling hopeful. There are reasons to believe that increasingly hard problems will continue to be solved by increasingly sophisticated instances of

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machine intelligence. It’s likely that future applications of AI are going to reduce energy consumption, discover new drugs and materials, improve medical diagnostics, and cure diseases.

The potential problem-solving capacity of this technology is so great that it seems unethical not to push it forward.

Another problem that machines soon will solve for us is that of driving cars. Car manufacturers BMW, Ford, Nissan, Volvo, Waymo (owned by Google), and Tesla all aim to bring autonomous cars to market by 2022 that can drive themselves fully without human intervention in a wide variety of settings, achieving what is called level 4 autonomy. In fact, Tesla aims to have such cars on sale as soon as 2018. For someone who wants to nap while commuting to work, this sounds great.

For the approximate 2.85 million people in the U.S. who drive for a living, not so much. If such cars can drive themselves more safely and cheaply than a human, and at every hour of the day, it stands to reason that the practice of employing humans to drive cars will go away.

One person who ponders these types of questions is professor Andrew Ng. Formerly the director of the AI lab at Stanford University, he is now working on a self-driving car startup himself. In July, Professor Ng got an email from a medical doctor three years into his specialization as a radiologist. The email asked, “Should I quit and do something else? i.e. how close are radiologists to being replaced?” With permission, Ng posted the question to his Facebook profile, asking fellow AI researchers how they would respond. While responses were mixed, most agreed that radiology would change greatly in the coming years. The argument for this is clear: since 2015, deep neural networks, a machine learning technique, have been outperforming humans in the task of classifying images. While this is a narrow definition of vision, it is very much like the kind of task a radiologist performs when determining if an X-ray scan shows signs of a tumor.

While there is a clear trend that certain jobs are going away, one can disagree about the overall impact this will have on the job market. After all, automation has been happening in many

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industries for years without causing mass unemployment. For example, 77 percent of the U.S. workforce did farm work in 1840 while less than two percent do so today. A counterargument is that the pace of change has increased. While U.S. agriculture was automated over centuries, it seems this time entire job categories stand to disappear in a period of months. Fundamentally, the rate of unemployment will depend on the extent to which new jobs pop up to replace those that are obsolete and whether those laid off will have the necessary skills to take those jobs.

There is a way to think about this that sidesteps this speculation about the near-term labor market.

Whatever one believes about the effects of AI on the near-term labor market, in a long-term perspective, it is worth considering what AI is fundamentally about. Intelligence research is essentially the science of how to solve problems in a general way. At DeepMind, the stated goal is to “solve intelligence, then use that to solve everything else.” While this may seem like a lofty goal, it is a reasonable formulation of the direction AI research wants to go.

Sensing the Future In the world of growing connectedness and with the prevalence of the Internet of Things, collaboration is vital if manufacturing is going to keep up with the acceleration of innovation. For this reason, in Central Florida, one can find BRIDG operating one of the world’s most versatile microelectronics development and research lab/fab facilities, enabling companies and researchers to push the limits of advanced sensors, photonic technologies, and advanced system miniaturization. As an industry-led

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A recent study by the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University asked 352 AI researchers to give their predictions on what year “unaided machines can accomplish every task better and more cheaply than human workers.”

While predictions varied greatly, pooling all responses into an aggregate forecast gave a 50 percent probability of this occurring in 45 years, and a 10 percent probability of it occurring within nine years.

AI research is moving in a direction where it can solve the world’s problems. There is no consensus that it will necessarily ever get there, but there seem to be no fundamental limits dictating that it will not. Thinking about this extreme end state provides a useful mental framework for how to think about the social problems that may lie ahead of us. If we can expect the number of jobs for humans to go to zero over the next “X” years, that is something we can think about, without arguing about what “X” is.

In a possible society where production is no longer done by humans, many believe that it will become strictly necessary to redistribute wealth.

public-private partnership, BRIDG runs a stateof-the-art 109,000-square-foot facility focused on semiconductor-based processes critical to technological development with space to accommodate a variety of partner-funded activities. With investments of over $200 million to date, BRIDG’s partners consist of visionary stakeholders Osceola County, the University of Central Florida, and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, as well as the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the State of Florida, Harris Corporation, Siemens, the University of Florida, and many others.

While smart sensors may not typically make front page news, they are absolutely critical to

After all, if all profit goes to those who own the machines, what will feed those who do not?

Another problem is that of finding meaning.

The human species has been comprised of goaldriven problem-solvers for hundreds of thousands of years. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has found that the amount of time people spend in a flow state, absorbed working on a task, is a strong predictor of people’s overall happiness and life satisfaction. If the obligatory tasks are going away, we will need to find other ways to keep ourselves occupied if we are to stay happy.

Pontificating about such a future may seem like fanciful thinking, not rooted in reality. But it can give us some ideas on what we need to do if we’re faced with a high unemployment rate due to emerging technologies, even if that rate turns out to be 15 percent rather than 100 percent. While we should be fundamentally optimistic about a technology that promises to solve our problems, it will demand some changes to how we organize our society, and it is essential to prepare for this possible future before it arrives. ■

IoT. For example, the average smartphone contains at least 14 different sensors. Sensors are utilized in every portable and wearable device from smartphones to fitness products to medical data collection equipment. They enable geolocation services and collision avoidance features. Simply put, they are the backbone of IoT. As IoT grows, so will the role of smart sensors. And that is where BRIDG comes in.

Located in NeoCity, a 500-acre technology district less than 20 minutes from the Orlando International Airport, BRIDG provides the physical infrastructure and collaborative processes needed to test ideas – Bridging the Innovation Development Gap, making commercialization possible. ■ Photos courtesy of Skanska

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FIGURING OUT THE

FLAT EARTH PHENOMENON

By Robert Alexander

A deeper look into what drives the sudden growth of Flat Earth Theory Getty Images/iStockphoto

In late 2017, a number of professional athletes, including NFL wide receiver Sammy Watkins and NBA star Kyrie Irving, shook up the sports world by making their support for Flat Earth Theory publicly known. For those out of the loop of popular conspiracy theories, Flat Earth Theory (or just Flat Earth) is exactly what the name implies it to be: a proposition that the Earth is not a three-dimensional sphere as scientific claims have led us to believe, but in fact a flat plane as was thought by the majority of ancient cultures. Emerging first as a fringe theory in the late 19th century (and later again in the 1950s), Flat Earth has once more gained the attention of the public following the theory’s newfound popularity on the internet. Although it is unknown as to how many authentic Flat Earth believers there are, the increased celebrity attention indicates that the theory has a wide base of support from people of all kinds.

Celebrities outside of professional sports have also endorsed the theory, one of the most vocal of which is former reality TV star Tila Tequila.

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To give some background, Flat Earth, at least as it has been proposed in the modern world, took off with the formation of the International Flat Earth Research Society (IFERS) in 1956 by Samuel Shenton, an amateur British cosmologist who fervently propelled the theory in the years leading up to the space race. Inspired by Samuel Rowbotham’s 1849 work Zetetic Astronomy (which is one of the oldest-known postColumbian works to claim the Earth is flat), Shenton spent most of his life dedicated to the proliferation of the International Flat Earth Research Society, later renamed to the more simple Flat Earth Society or FES. Following Shenton’s death in 1971, a small, yet dedicated, sect of Flat Earth Society members kept the organization alive through the distribution of periodic newsletters related to developments in the Flat Earth Theory. After a few decades of surviving in obscurity, the internet would finally give Flat Earth a platform to spread at a previously unprecedented rate. In 2004, the Flat Earth Society was unofficially relaunched as an online forum, and from there would begin gaining the attention of the rest of the connected world, gradually becoming more and more popular among conspiracy theorists and new age communities. At last in 2009, over 50 years after the foundation of the IFERS, the Flat Earth Society was formally reorganized with the

opening of a proper informational website, which continues to host the largest collection of Flat Earth-related materials available today.

This relaunch would mark the beginning of the contemporary and controversial “Flat Earth movement.”

In order to get a better and more personalized idea of how the community works, Innovation & Tech Today sat down with Tila Tequila to discuss Flat Earth theory and the people involved with it. Like many others, she first came across the concept of Flat Earth while casually surfing the internet. “My mind or gut feeling led me to a one-hour documentary on YouTube. At first, I felt incredibly silly myself even reading the title, ‘The earth is flat!’ Just like many people do! But again, my intuition told me to give it a chance and watch it,” she relayed to us. Seeing as mainstream news outlets have seemingly little interest in giving exposure to the theory of Flat Earth, the spread of the movement is thus left up to the community itself. Said community operates mysteriously and with no apparent structure through independently produced documentaries on YouTube, dedicated Facebook pages, Tweets, Reddit posts, etc. Flat Earth’s selfguided format has proved to be surprisingly effective, as many of the aforementioned documentaries have over 500,000 views, and

Keith Allison via Flickr

Keith Allison via Flickr

© Glenn Francis, www.PacificProDigital.com

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(Left to Right) TV and social media personality Tila Tequila, NBA superstar Kyrie Irving, and NFL wide receiver Sammy Watkins are among the more (in)famous members of the Flat Earth Society.

several Facebook pages relating to Flat Earth have over 20,000 likes, the most popular having over 150,000, as this is written. The reach of Flat Earth has also begun to spread beyond the internet and into the real world in the form of both small, localized Flat Earth think tanks, and the 2017 launch of the Flat Earth International Conference, a convention meant to unite the growing global community of Flat Earthers.

Popular networking app Meetup currently has over 30 active Flat Earth groups around the world, ten of them having at least 50 members who actively organize with each other and exchange ideas relating to the theory. Needless to say, the spread of Flat Earth in the 21st century stands as a monumental testament to the influence of social media. However, social media alone would likely not have been sufficient in giving rise to a theory like Flat Earth had it not been for the cultural circumstances surrounding it.

Alongside the development of the internet, Flat Earth owes much of its success to the growing disdain many individuals now have for mainstream media. Tequila made her views on the subject clear by stating, “I definitely think alternative media is way better than the [mainstream media]. I don’t really think there will be a future left for the main stream [sic] as this world is rapidly changing!” The recent controversies surrounding “fake news” have led many, such as Tequila, to seek out alternative news sources. Often looking for any opportunity to challenge the mainstream, alternative news organizations (of which the FES may be included) are much more likely to publish information about Flat Earth that may encourage readers to continue investigating the

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theory. Flat Earth doesn’t just rebel against media however — the theory also imposes a complete rejection of modern science. Although Flat Earth is unique in how radical its principles are, the greater phenomenon of rebelling against the fundamentals of science has been occurring for generations, particularly in the form of the debate over the effects of climate change. While there is no evidence to link Flat Earth to climate change denial, it may be possible that the skepticism of science brought about by global warming critics allowed for a more extreme form of skepticism such as Flat Earth to emerge.

As much as the current Flat Earth movement is a product of the internet, it may also have roots in how people of the modern age are beginning to express old religious sentiments. Tequila’s position on Flat Earth helps illustrate this idea in that her views are not only a result of a distrust of mainstream media, but a product of her faith as well. When asked about the connection, Tequila explicitly stated that Flat Earth is taught by the Bible, and that any other claim is unorthodox: “Well, there is so much evidence if you do the correct research, but most importantly it sealed the deal in the bible [sic]!

The bible [sic] does in fact describe the flat earth as well as the glass firmament above!” While there is no official connection between Flat Earth and any particular religious outlook, which the FES notes in the FAQ section of their website, the majority of those regarded as authorities in the Flat Earth community tend to also relate their belief in the theory to their own spiritual persuasions. Samuel Shenton, for instance, believed that scientific astronomy was an insult to God, and interpreted the 3D model of Earth as sacrilegious in that it seemingly

directly defied the word of the Bible.

Interestingly enough, Islamic extremist group Boko Haram also advocates for a flat perception of the world, though the group is not known to have any connection to the Flat Earth Society or recent Flat Earth movement. It may perhaps be the case that Flat Earth is a new form of fundamentalism similar to the arguments concerning the accuracy of carbon dating and the theory of evolution that have been posed by religious groups in the recent past.

After first making a stand as an objection to science in the heat of the Space Race, Flat Earth has stayed true to its roots in the 21st century as the theory continues to encourage followers to trust its doctrine rather than the scientific notion of a spherical world. Much of the success of the theory seems to relate to how the internet and its far-reaching effects on communication are beginning to shape how we as humans receive and interpret both information and the concept of truth. With so much distrust for the news and scientific sources that were once thought of as being the most accurate means of education, it may be natural for a theory such as Flat Earth to arise as the ultimate challenge to the established understanding of human reality. On the other hand, Flat Earth may also be only the latest installment in the age-old debate of theology vs science that has been at the forefront of our culture for decades. Though the future of Flat Earth is unclear, the community and controversy around the theory still stands as a testament to both the authority of the internet and the emerging attitudes that such advancements in technology have brought about. ■

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BUSINESS INNOVATIONS

Ray J’s Renaissance R&B star Ray J discusses his journey from behind the mic to behind the desk

By Anthony Elio

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Whether you know him as the soothing voice behind “One Wish”, the star of Love & Hip Hop Hollywood, or the Chief Marketing Officer for Raycon, the name Ray J likely rings a few bells.

The R&B singer, who is quickly establishing himself in the business world, proved his position as a “renaissance man” with the launch of Raycon in November of 2017. The result of a partnership with Cowboy Wholesale, Raycon offers everything from headphones and speakers to the Scoot-E-Bike, a completely electric bicycle Ray J himself showed off at CES earlier this year. In this exclusive interview, we discuss Ray J’s transition into the business world, the dynamic tech of CES, and lessons he’s learned since entering the world of entrepreneurship.

Innovation & Tech Today: What initially inspired your transition into entrepreneurship?

Ray J: When I started to search for a dope electric product, I found a device similar to the Scoot-E-Bike, and that’s what I fell in love with.

It was still in its prototype phase. We tried to find the best style of bike, and, once we got it perfect, that’s when I just knew I had something unique. When I brought it to the States, it was a hit, and that’s what really inspired me to take it all the way to the next level. I’ve always liked to beat traffic. I’ve always liked to get from A to B really fast, so this bike was helping me achieve all of that while listening to my music, and kind of being the coolest person out like Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future.

RJ: Saving the environment is something we all should be into. There’s so much gas and oil and pollution. I stay in L.A., so it’s real cloudy out here. I think, eventually, we’ll all have to shift our focus on saving the environment so we can all survive. We’re just so early on it, and I think if we put more awareness to it by coming out with products that don’t need gas, that don’t need stuff that pollutes the environment, I think that’s when people will understand that it’s time for a change. And we can do it in a real cool way.

I&T Today: You’ve said the company wants to be ahead of the curve in terms of renewable energy. Why is this such a priority for you?

RJ: I think that everybody’s starting to do it. It takes the world a minute to adapt to what’s about to change. I think we need a lot more power sources to charge our cars if we’re going

I&T Today: Why do you think it’s taking other companies so long to make renewable energy a priority?

SPRING 2018 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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BUSINESS INNOVATIONS

to change everybody’s cars to electric. We need to make sure we have the roads right so, when everybody’s ready, not only are we ready with the products, but also we’re ready with the roads, and everybody’s educated on how to use them.

RJ: What I enjoyed the most was just the high energy we had at our booth, and how much attention we were able to create and so much excitement we were able to create around just our new marketing skill that we have.

So, it’s going to take a little bit of time, but eventually things change. As we see now, things are starting to evolve, and we’re happy to be one of the first. Just like the dinosaur ages of it, I would say. It’s cool that we’re into it so fast because, when it does explode, we’ll have so much education, and so many different relationships, to where we can expand our empire even more.

It’s something that I don’t think anybody else can duplicate, because it’s in the way we’re excited about our products, and the way we spend our day-to-day on just making sure it’s cool. And we make sure, when we go out, everybody’s smiling and having fun when they’re buying the product. That’s what it’s all about.

People can buy headphones anywhere, but if you get headphones that are exciting, and you’ve experienced something with the tastemaker or with the person selling the product, and you can connect with them, I think it’s cooler when you buy that product. You can feel it more.

I&T Today: Your company offers everything from speakers and smartwatches to the Scoot-E-Bike itself. What would you like Raycon to create next?

RJ: Right now, we have all of these products that we’re selling. What we’re trying to do is get more innovative in adding on different television components and music components to each of our devices, and then attaching them onto a popular tastemakers, influencers, and celebrities to continue to create more awareness to what’s out there. A lot of people are buying Samsung and Apple, and those are great products, but there’s so much more cool stuff out there, and we have that at Raycon Global. It’s not as much as it costs to get an Apple Smartwatch, or a Samsung Watch, but to me, it’s better. It sounds cooler.

I&T Today: Tell me a little bit about your CES experience. Was there any new type of tech that really wowed you?

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I&T Today: What have you learned the most since launching the company?

RJ: I’ve learned that, again, I believe in this company so much. I know with a lot of hard work, we’ll be successful. There’s so much more we have to put into our company as far as time, as far as financing, as far as building our team globally. So, for us, we’re excited about the experience. But now, I realize we even have a longer way to go. Looking at Elon Musk, shooting off rockets into space and doing all of these amazing, unbelievable things for us, just as a smart company. That’s where we want to be.

But to get there, that’s sleepless nights, and sleepless months of putting together the

components and teams. For me, I know it’s not a five-year process, it’s a lifetime achievement that we have to go through to get where we want to go. And so that’s what I realize now.

I&T Today: What advice would you give to anyone looking to make the transition into the business world?

RJ: For us, we want to show them a way where they can continue to be themselves. There’s a lot of creative minds, there’s so many different cool people that are trying to get their point across and get their creativity out. But they just might not know how to say it right. They might not have the right team to help them build, so we want to build a blueprint for people to create their own path and still be able to go out and change the world if they want to.

I&T Today: You’ve tackled acting, music, and entrepreneurship throughout your career. Are there any other ventures that you have planned?

RJ: My main focus is to bring the music, the acting, and the television into my technology. I want to make it a one-stop shop where you can turn on your watch and get everything you need, even on your speaker system, that you’re getting on television, or even on the radio. Again, hard work, dedication, sometimes sleepless nights.

But I’m having a baby in a couple months, so I have to make sure I balance that. Because the baby’s definitely going to come first when it happens. It’s a lot to juggle. ■

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BUSINESS INNOVATIONS

Falling in with the Right Crowd

By Alex Moersen

Indiegogo CEO David Mandelbrot discusses the modern era of online entrepreneurship and his favorite crowdfunding success story.

In recent years, crowdfunding platforms have completely changed the framework of entrepreneurship and investing. Now more than ever, it is easier for entrepreneurs to publicize their ideas while gaining capital. In January 2018 alone, 385,335 projects were launched on Kickstarter with $3.46 billion pledged, according to Statista. From 2012 to 2015, crowdfunding grew exponentially. In 2012, according to Statista, crowdfunding only had a volume of about $2.7 billion. By 2015, that figure reached $34.4 billion.

However, before crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and GoFundMe stepped onto the scene, Indiegogo was already there. In 2008, Indiegogo was founded by Danae Ringelmann, Slava Rubin, and Eric Schell as one of the first pioneers in the crowdfunding realm. Since its inception, Indiegogo has expanded to benefit entrepreneurs and today has partnerships with large-scale companies such as MicroVentures, General Electric, Arrow Electronics, and Brookstone. In recent years, Indiegogo has gone beyond just crowdfunding, allowing investors to purchase actual stake in companies and assisting entrepreneurs in bringing their product to market. In this interview, CEO of Indiegogo David Mandelbrot talks about the evolution of crowdfunding and his favorite Indiegogo product.

Innovation & Tech Today: How have Indiegogo and crowdfunding changed the landscape of entrepreneurship and investing?

David Mandelbrot: The primary way that Indiegogo has changed both entrepreneurship

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and investing is that Indiegogo has created a situation where entrepreneurs are able to get market validation much earlier in the process than they were ever able to before.

Ten years ago, Indiegogo entered on the scene.

What Indiegogo offered was the ability for an entrepreneur to share their idea with the market not only before the product was ready to be in the stores, but in some cases, even before the product was being manufactured.

Raising money became easier, but it was on Indiegogo or through venture capitalists after a successful Indiegogo campaign. Manufacturing became easier because you knew how many of the product you needed to manufacture the initial run, and you didn’t risk overextending yourself on manufacturing. Distribution became easier, again, because you knew how many products you were manufacturing.

Retail was easier, because you had already proven that people would buy that product if it actually existed.

I&T Today: Could you tell me about how you’ve seen Indiegogo change and update since its inception?

DM: When Indiegogo came on the scene ten years ago, there was no Kickstarter, there was no GoFundMe. This idea that you could create a website to enable people to contribute money to any type of fundraiser was very novel. For the first five, six years of Indiegogo, Indiegogo was really a platform for raising money for anything.

Then, in the last three or four years, Indiegogo started looking closer at our customers and what they needed. We decided that we were going to

do two things. One was we were going to focus on the entrepreneurs and innovators that were using our platform. Rather than trying to be a platform for raising money for anybody, we found that we could really have our strongest impact by focusing on the entrepreneurial segment of the market. Three years ago, we started divesting from non-profit fundraising and from personal-cause fundraising. We really focused our energy on entrepreneurs, people who were trying to use Indiegogo to launch a business or bring a product to market.

Then, two years ago, we launched equity crowdfunding. If you wanted to actually get investors that would have the opportunity to share in your success, you could do that too.

Then last year we launched our Marketplace, that once you had a product that was ready to be sold, you could do that on Indiegogo.

I&T Today: Looking into the future, how do you see the platform continuing to update and improve upon itself?

DM: One is, we will continue to go deeper in meeting the needs of entrepreneurs. Right now, it’s still largely up to the entrepreneur to figure it out. Indiegogo will go further in helping entrepreneurs navigate the manufacturing world. We just announced a partnership last year with Ingram Micro to help [entrepreneurs] with distribution. I know that we’ll be developing solutions to help them more with marketing and other things that entrepreneurs need early in their life cycle to be successful.

We always think of entrepreneurs as one or two people in a garage. Now that we’ve been working

Crowdfunding has become a $34.4 billion phenomenon in the ten years since the launch of Indiegogo. Today, crowdfunding stretches the full gamut of money-raising, from individual projects to Indiegogo’s work with some of America’s largest companies.

for awhile with larger enterprises – companies like Procter & Gamble and Bose and Honeywell – we’re seeing that those companies need a way to foster entrepreneurship within their company. I think you can expect to see crowd-funding and reaching an audience directly on a platform like Indiegogo to be more of a standard way that enterprises bring their products to market.

I&T Today: Could you go into more detail about some of Indiegogo’s collaborations with other large companies?

DM: One of my favorite examples is General Electric … They had a lab within their consumer electronics division called FirstBuild. FirstBuild would develop new innovative appliances for General Electric. One of the problems FirstBuild had was that they would develop these innovative products that they thought would be really attractive to consumers, but then the marketing people at General Electric might not be as high on the product as the innovators.

What General Electric decided to do, or what the FirstBuild division decided to do, is they said, “Okay, to prove to our own internal team that there is a market for this product, we will run a crowd-funding campaign on Indiegogo.” One of the first products was a nugget ice maker. They said, “We’ll prove on Indiegogo that people will buy this product. Then, based on the success of our crowd-funding campaign, we’ll go back to our marketing team and show them the data that this is an attractive product to people.” What did they do? They did exactly that. They ran a crowdfunding campaign for their ice maker. They sold over two million dollars worth of ice makers for an ice maker that wasn’t going to be manufactured still for a year. Then they were able to get General Electric to pick up that product and make it part of their product line. Since then, they’ve run three additional crowdfunding campaigns for other consumer electronics products that they’re developing.

I&T Today: Has there been a product that

went through Indiegogo that you thought was exceptionally cool?

DM: [There] was a product a few years ago called the Flow Hive, which was developed by a fatherand-son team in Australia that came up with a concept for a better beehive. People all over the world are now starting to harvest their own honey and maintain beehives, in part because the bee community has been dwindling for a variety of reasons. They ran their campaign on Indiegogo two years ago. They thought if they could raise $50,000, they would be able to actually manufacture these beehives. They actually raised over $13 million.

There’s so much that I love about their story.

Largely, I love that it’s a father-and-son team. I love that they developed it from Australia, and yet they were able to reach a huge market here in the U.S. I love that they were doing something that I think was overall good for our environment. There’s just so much to really love in that story, so that one always stands out to me. ■ SPRING 2018 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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The State of The Cryptocurrency Ecosystem:

Bitcoin vs. The Blockchain

By Rachel Wolfson

N

ews circulating around the cryptocurrency market and blockchain technology continues to make headlines daily. From the highs and lows of Bitcoin prices to innovative ways blockchain technology is being used to transform industries, the cryptocurrency ecosystem is seeing a clear divide between two decentralized worlds.

One of these worlds believes that digital currencies, like Bitcoin, will eventually replace traditional financial models and eliminate the need for central authorities such as banks. The other world views blockchain technology to be the next wave of digital transformation. Yet, while these groups are different, they are also very closely related.

For instance, someone recently asked if I think “blockchain” payments will become more common in the future. I responded by saying that blockchain is the technology that enables digital payments, such as Bitcoin, yet the blockchain itself is not a form of payment. Indeed, Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency to introduce the application of blockchain technology, but the two remain separate elements.

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The creation of Bitcoin allowed for digital payments to be sent between users without passing through a third party. Bitcoin transactions are connected to a user’s Bitcoin address, which is stored on its general ledger, known as the blockchain.

Blockchain technology ensures secure transactions when digital payments are processed. The blockchain is one of the most powerful innovations associated with Bitcoin, yet it can also be applied to a number of other industries. This technology enables transferring money, shares, and almost anything of value in a fully transparent manner, making the uses for it very broad when applied correctly.

Two Worlds Collide While cryptocurrency and blockchain technology are closely related, the state of the cryptocurrency ecosystem is witnessing a clear divide between the two. This divide has also led some to wonder which world will survive in the future.

Let’s first consider the state of cryptocurrency. The idea of a digital currency came into being during the 2007-08 financial crisis,

resulting in today’s cryptocurrency enthusiast losing trust in central banks and fiat money (i.e. USD).

The financial crisis of 2007-08 sparked interest for the need of a limited-supply, digital currency that could be implemented worldwide.

These digital currencies would be supported on blockchain-based networks to ensure security, trust, and transparency.

Following the financial crisis, Bitcoin was created in 2009 by a man, or a group of people, known as Satoshi Nakamoto, whose true identity remains a mystery to this day. Since the creation of Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency market has captured the interest of the entire world and has also given rise to blockchain technology.

Bitcoin gained Wall Street’s attention last year when investors saw a 2,000 percent surge over 12 months. Bitcoin prices finally hit a peak in December 2017, when the digital currency reached nearly $19,000 on CoinBase.

Other digital currencies, such as Ethereum and Ripple, also saw major leaps. While Bitcoin jumped more that 1,200 percent in 2017, Ripple surged by 35,000 percent in the same period. This means that

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BUSINESS INNOVATIONS $100 invested in Ripple in January 2017 would have been valued around $35,000 at the start of this year.

compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 81.2 percent, reaching a total spending of $9.2 billion in 2021.

Yet with success also comes loss.

Bitcoin plunged more than 30 percent in mid-January, reaching below $10,000. Ethereum has also dropped more than 20 percent to below $1,000, and Ripple has fallen more than 30 percent to below $1, according to CoinMarketCap.

“Interest and investment in blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) is accelerating as enterprises aggregate data into secure, sequential, and immutable blockchain ledgers, transforming their businesses and operations,” said Bill Fearnley, Jr., research director, Worldwide Blockchain Strategies.

Additionally, Bitcoin and other digital currencies are now being viewed as “digital assets” rather than usable currency. This is due to the fact that many Bitcoin investors and holders are unable to use their shares to make everyday purchases or even to earn profits. The crypto market is also seeing a trend where people are buying cryptocurrencies simply because other people are investing in them, which is driving the price up and fueling the current investor frenzy.

While it’s hard to predict whether cryptocurrencies will become more widely adopted in the future, or if the market will even survive (many financial experts view the cryptocurrency market to be a bubble that will burst soon), blockchain technology appears to have great potential.

According to IDC’s inaugural “Worldwide Semiannual Blockchain Spending Guide,” $945 million was spent on blockchain solutions in 2017. The report notes that this amount is expected to reach $2.1 billion during 2018. IDC expects blockchain spending to grow at a robust pace over the 20162021 forecast period with a five-year

The hype around blockchain technology started gaining traction when financial service sectors started applying blockchain-based solutions for real-world use. The banking industry’s growing interest in blockchain for fintech (financial technology) has now encouraged many bank-backed blockchain projects.

this technology to create more efficient and faster digital business processes.

For instance, blockchain technology is being used in the healthcare industry to create ledgers for healthcare treatments on electronic health records. A project created by the MIT Media Lab known as MedRec has developed a solution to use blockchain smart contracts to create a decentralized content management system for healthcare data across providers.

MedRec uses smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain to aggregate medical records into patient-provider relationships.

For example, The Hyperledger Fabric Project is one of the latest blockchain-based fintech projects.

The Hyperledger Fabric Project is backed by IBM and serves as a trade finance platform aimed at international payments on the blockchain. The platform will run through the IBM Cloud, providing interconnectivity between all parties involved in a specific secure transaction. This project is designed to be highly scalable, allowing for multiple participants to easily integrate into the entire financial supply chain process through the blockchain.

The gaming sector is also using blockchain technology to redefine its billion-dollar industry. The blockchain can help gamers easily interact and quickly transfer payments. Game Chain System (GCS) is a China-based gaming distribution platform that is using a blockchain-based network to inspire developers and reward gamers. GCS is the first of its kind and has seen unparalleled growth since implementing blockchain technology. The company recently launched their own GCS token that can be used as a means of exchange between other tokens and as an incentive within games. “Third party developers are rejoicing at the opportunity to grow their user base on the GCS blockchain-based platform,” said Lianwei Ling, founder and CEO of GCS.

While blockchain technology for fintech use cases are becoming more common, a number of different industries are also applying

Survival of The Fittest When all is said and done, the current state of the cryptocurrency ecosystem appears rather divided Getty Images/iStockphoto

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BUSINESS INNOVATIONS between an entirely new financial system and technological innovation.

Unfortunately, the cryptocurrency market remains unstable, leaving some experts and investors to believe that the market is a bubble on the verge of bursting.

Howard Wang of New York-based Convoy Investments LLC and Jeremy Grantham of GMO LLC have analyzed Bitcoin’s advance relative to past frenzies. The two concluded that it’s unsustainable. In a letter to investors sent out on January 3rd, Grantham expressed his concerns, saying, “Having no clear fundamental value and largely unregulated markets, coupled with a storyline conducive to delusions of grandeur, makes this, more than anything we can find in the history books, the very essence of a bubble.”

Yet other crypto enthusiasts believe Bitcoin to be the next best thing since gold, even if the digital currency functions more as an asset and less as “money.”

David Drake, an early-stage equity expert, founder and chairman of LDJ Capital, and

blockchain technology and cryptocurrency evangelist, said, “Bitcoin is considered to be the gold version of cryptocurrency and, as its volatility settles, it will be less of a transactional tool like it was used in the early days when Satoshi created it in 2009. Rather, Bitcoin will behave like a gold standard. You will see it as a safe haven for capital preservation. Its value will increase as the limitation on the volume of Bitcoin available is limited to 21 million. I expect market prices to range around $30,000 per Bitcoin by the end of this year.”

However, while the cryptocurrency market continues to fluctuate, blockchain technology is clearly on the rise and will most likely drive digital transformation for a number of industries.

This is already becoming clear as more companies and technologists are investing heavily in blockchain-based technologies.

Chief Scientist and Co-Founder of the CyberMiles Foundation Dr. Michael Yuan is the author of the upcoming book Building Blockchain Apps. From a technology perspective, Dr. Yuan

believes blockchain technology has great potential. During an exclusive interview he said, “As a result of the current cryptocurrency bubble, I believe that blockchain technology will gain traction and any technological problems associated with it be resolved within 6-12 months. After that, the next major challenge is beyond software engineering, but rather the design and implementation of new economic systems. Experimentation with economic design is something that caused major consequences in human society before (think the communism experiment). But with blockchain ecosystems, we can now all become economic system designers and let the best design win.”

Considering this information, we are left to wonder which area of the cryptocurrency ecosystem will continue to survive and evolve. If I were to take a guess, I would say it’s safe to say that blockchain technology will reign supreme in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. However, only time will tell, as the state of the cryptocurrency ecosystem will continue to develop in one way or another. ■

How to Choose a Cryptocurrency Exchange

Getty Images/iStockphoto

Although Bitcoin was first created nearly 10 years ago, cryptocurrency is a relatively new concept for most people. Because of this, it can be a difficult industry to understand. However, maybe the recent cryptocurrency hype has caught your attention and you’re hoping to break into this growing market.

While Coinbase is one of the more popular crypto exchange platforms, it isn’t your only option.

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One thing that people often forget to consider when looking for a trading platform is customer service. These exchanges are only as new as the coin itself, meaning they can struggle with technical difficulties and confusion as they are being perfected. So, finding an exchange that has efficient, 24/7 support is ideal for somebody new to cryptocurrency.

INNOVATION & TECH TODAY | SPRING 2018

Additionally, especially for new users, it’s vital that exchanges make information readily available.

Cryptocurrency can be confusing, so it is helpful when the website has all the information and saves you a trip to Google. For example, Apollo, a cryptocurrency exchange debuting in April, plans to include print and audio information, as well as video tutorials, to answer the most common questions about crypto.

The main key when choosing a platform is minimizing your risk. New users are often at a disadvantage due to misinformation and inexperience, so finding a platform that is readily available to help and provide necessary information is critical. But, it’s also important to understand that the cryptocurrency platform is still being perfected. So keep an eye out for upcoming exchanges like Apollo that are dedicated, first and foremost, to the customer. ■

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Quirky: Inside the Genius of Breakthrough Innovators

Quirky author Dr. Melissa Schilling Photo Andrew Steinman

By Charles Warner & Robert Yehling

Author Melissa Schilling breaks down what it takes to be a genius.

How do geniuses become innovators? Are all innovators geniuses? Or vice versa? What creates genius within us? And how do we convert those gifts to groundbreaking innovations that can change our communities, businesses, or the world?

Melissa Schilling was driven by these questions as she researched the eight men and women whose stories form Quirky: The Remarkable Story of the Traits, Foibles, and Genius of Breakthrough Innovators Who Changed the World. Dr. Schilling, the John Herzog Family Professor of Management and Organizations at New York University’s Stern School of Business, is one of the world’s leading researchers in the innovation strategy of industries like smartphones, computers, software, video games, biotech-nology, renewable technology, and electric vehicles. She’s written a pair of leading strategic management textbooks, and contributed to many leading journals, as well as the Harvard Business Review.

In Quirky, Dr. Schilling studies the minds, characteristics, innovations, and learning

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processes of eight women and men who represent cornerstones in American and global innovation over the past 250 years: Albert Einstein, Elon Musk, Nikola Tesla, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Marie Curie, Steve Jobs, and Dean Kamen. In so doing, she opens up the larger relationship between innovation and genius, while also pointing out some of the challenges in society and education today that might impact our future innovators. We caught up with the outgoing, energetic Dr. Schilling for an exclusive interview.

Innovation & Tech Today: First and foremost, what was the inspiration for writing this book?

Melissa Schilling: I have been in innovation for a long time. I wrote the number one innovation strategy text in the field that I revise every couple of years; it’s in its fifth edition. I felt like I knew the innovation literature pretty well, because every time you revise a textbook, you have to go survey everything that’s out there. I’m also

personally interested in creativity. I stay pretty up on the research and psychology on creativity and the research on innovation.

In 2010, Steve Jobs wasn’t looking that great. I had a lot of students coming up to me and asking, “What’s going to happen? Is that innovativeness really him, or is it something that’s in the routines and processes at Apple?

Can it be handed down to a successor? How much of that is magic we can replicate?”

Fundamentally what they were asking was, “How can I be like that?” I went back to the research on innovation and creativity thinking and couldn’t find good answers to these questions. I was very disillusioned and disappointed in how little we knew about genius innovators.

I&T Today: What was your next step?

MS: I started studying Steve Jobs. I thought, “I want to understand what this man is like as a person. I want to understand what his biases are,

Nikola Tesla Photo via Wikipedia

Albert Einstein Photo via Wikipedia

Benjamin Franklin

Steve Jobs

The National Library of Medicine

and what his beliefs are, and what his childhood experiences are.” I just really wanted to know everything I could know about him. I already knew a lot about Apple, because I had been writing and teaching about Apple most of my career. This time, I set out to really understand the man. I absorbed, full-depth immersion in Steve Jobs for almost a year. During that process, I noticed that he had these really strange commonalities with someone I had already written a case on a couple years before, Dean Kamen. If you’re in STEM, you know who Dean Kamen is, right?

I&T Today: We’re very familiar with Dean through our STEM Today publication and association with the U.S.A. Science and Engineering Festival.

MS: Dean’s a prolific and profound innovator, but he manages to keep a pretty low profile compared to someone like Elon Musk. However, Dean Kamen and Steve Jobs have some weird things in common. That’s when it hit me. At

Matthew Yohe /wikipedia

first, they were things I thought couldn’t possibly be related to innovation, so I thought, “What a strange coincidence.”

Because the only laws we really know are…”

And then he lays out three laws, including the periodic table.

I&T Today: It makes sense, then, why you named the book Quirky.

I&T Today: Maybe he wouldn’t be the biggest fan of the way we’re educating our youth.

MS: Yes. The first few commonalities between these people are odd. For instance, one of the things that everybody had in common, with the exception of Benjamin Franklin, was strong social disconnectedness, a sense of separateness.

It’s not the same thing as introversion, because sometimes, they had rather domineering personalities. Like you wouldn’t call Steve Jobs an introvert, but his characteristics often felt socially detached, or like the rules didn’t apply to him. If you were to study both Dean Kamen and Steve Jobs, you would say, “These are both pretty weird guys.” They’re also people who very strongly decided, “The rules all the rest of you are playing by don’t apply to me.” There is a great quote Dean has in Esquire: “Don’t tell me it’s impossible, tell me you can’t do it.

MS: No, actually he was adamantly opposed.

He thought that conformity-based learning was completely damaging to both creativity and the soul. Another thing that a lot of these innovators had in common is that they didn’t do well in school, or didn’t like school, or didn’t spend much time in school. Thomas Edison had almost no schooling. Benjamin Franklin, the same. Albert Einstein went to school but had poor attendance and his teachers kind of hated him. He would sometimes score the highest in his class and sometimes the lowest. Steve Jobs and Dean Kamen both dropped out of undergrad. Elon Musk and Sergei Brin just showed up to take the tests.

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Thomas Edison Library of Congress

Marie Curie The National Library of Medicine

Dean Kamen Courtesy of FIRST

They were self-taught. It’s not that they didn’t like education. They were all extremely avid consumers of education. They loved to read extensively, sophisticated stuff, on their own terms. Elon Musk notoriously read every book in the library at the town where he grew up. He told Rolling Stone, “I was raised by books, books, and then my parents.” Then he started on the encyclopedia. Einstein was very much selftaught. He would read math texts the way other people would read adventure novels. Nikola Tesla, too. I guess the lesson there is that these people had this incredible appetite for knowledge.

I&T Today: What is the threshold for a genius?

MS: I’m not going to be the arbiter of what we call a genius, but every person I wrote about has been deemed a genius by many others, with various forms of evidence. Of all the people I studied, probably the one that people would least consider a genius is Steve Jobs. When he was in fourth grade, Jobs was given a test that put him at a 10th grade level, and they said, “Oh yeah, he’s got a genius IQ absolutely.” Everybody else, it was so clear-cut. Nikola Tesla might have been the smartest, but also the craziest; he had some serious psychopathology going on. Elon Musk has a lot of characteristics in common with Nikola Tesla in terms of the way their brains work.

visualization takes over their mind; they see only what they’re thinking about. They had this enormous capacity to do advanced calculus and physics equations in their heads, because they could keep activated in their minds in real time.

All the innovators I studied had or have exceptional memories. As a child, Marie Curie famously memorized long poems after only hearing them a couple of times. Edison would meet someone casually and then, a decade later, remember their name, birthday, and spouse’s name. I talk quite a bit about intelligence and memory in one of the chapters of my book.

I&T Today: It sounds like these people, and others, have a keen ability to access different parts of the brain.

MS: Being crazy won’t make you a genius, and not all geniuses are crazy. Innovative capacity is not a linear relationship of intelligence, either.

You can be a genius without being innovative, but most of your serial breakthrough innovators are going to be pretty darn smart, we can put it that way.

channel their inner genius and improve their businesses, careers, or innovations?

MS: The first that comes through loud and clear from studying these people, and the science of creativity more generally, is that you need to spend some time in solitude. You need to do some thinking, and reading, and writing alone. If you are doing everything in teams, you are really thwarting a lot of your ability to come up with big ideas because teams have a tendency to bring us to compromises. While somebody else is talking, they’re not only keeping you from talking, they’re keeping you from thinking.

They’re changing your thought patterns and hijacking your thoughts. You won’t come up with your most original ideas when somebody else is talking to you.

I&T Today: What made Tesla so brilliant — and crazy?

It’s a huge advantage to be very intelligent and able to manipulate things in your mind quickly.

To quickly follow lots of paths down more steps of association is a huge advantage in innovation.

That’s where you see the relationship between intelligence and creativity. We don’t want to give people the idea that you have to have a genius IQ to be innovative, and you certainly don’t have to be crazy.

Also, all the innovators except Edison were extremely idealistic. They were all working toward a noble goal intrinsically valuable to them, more important than their health, family, leisure, or comfort. It was an incredible motivator and caused them to think very, very big. Nikola Tesla wanted to create free energy to relieve humankind from any form of burdensome toils. Dean Kamen wants to eliminate disease and suffering for humankind.

Elon Musk wants to get us to Mars so that we are an interplanetary species, which he thinks is important for avoiding extinction. He also wants to get us onto renewable energies. These goals kept them focused and driven. ■

MS: Nikola Tesla had eidetic memory. Elon Musk, too. When they visualize, that

I&T Today: What are a couple of practical things that our readers can do to better

You can find this interview in complete form on the Innovation & Tech Today website.

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Locked On STEM

By Louie Fox

Dr. Charles Johnson-Bey of Lockheed Martin celebrates the power of STEM education at this year’s USASEF Featuring established speakers, fun activities, and incredible events, the USA Science and Engineering Festival (USASEF) is known as the largest STEM event in the world for a reason.

Taking place from April 16-17, the event looks to entertain and inspire hundreds of thousands of attendees. However, the show would most likely not be possible without Lockheed Martin.

The founding and presenting host of this year’s Festival, Lockheed Martin looks to do much more than just have their name associated with the event. We spoke with Dr. Charles JohnsonBey, Director of Engineering & Technology at Lockheed Martin’s Cyber Center of Excellence, to discuss the company’s plan for the Festival, the importance of STEM education, and what attendees will gain at the event.

Innovation & Tech Today: What are your expectations for the USA Science & Engineering Festival this year?

Dr. Charles Johnson-Bey: We’re excited about joining thousands of students as they experience the festival and explore their passions. Our hope is that these young attendees will become inspired to further their educations – and pursue a career path – in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

I&T Today: What presence will Lockheed Martin have at the event?

CJB: We will have an interactive exhibit showcasing the latest technology from our labs, which we’ve coined the “Rad Labs” experience.

The innovations being showcased may look like what you see on TV and in the movies.

However, everything that attendees will engage with will all be real. In our labs, Lockheed

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Martin is making the impossible possible – and we can’t wait to share that experience with USA Science & Engineering Festival-goers. We’ll also have a “Future Career Predictor” that will allow students to find which STEM careers suit their interests. As Lockheed Martin’s Director of the Cyber Center of Excellence, I am looking forward to seeing all of the budding cyber experts stop by! Generally speaking, our hope is that, by offering a sneak peek at the type of work we do at Lockheed Martin, we can inspire the next generation of innovators to pursue their STEM dreams.

I&T Today: Tell me a bit about the Generation Beyond Mars Experience Bus. CJB: Generation Beyond is Lockheed Martin’s initiative to inspire, excite, and educate students

Lockheed Martin Director of Engineering and Technology Dr. Charles Johnson-Bey wants people to walk away from the USA Science & Engineering Festival “inspired to explore STEM as an educational field and career.”

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about STEM careers and deep space exploration.

The Mars Experience Bus is a virtual reality experience in a modified school bus. When you’re inside the bus, you feel like you’re actually travelling on the surface of the red planet thanks to some incredible video game technology. Riders will get to see a Mars rover at work, experience a Martian dust storm, and even see a Martian basecamp. My favorite part about this experience is that it helps students recognize that missions to Mars aren’t as far away as they might think.

“ My favorite part about this experience is that it helps students recognize that missions to Mars aren’t as far away as they might think.”

I&T Today: How do you believe Lockheed Martin’s involvement will continue the growth of STEM education at the event?

CJB: Lockheed Martin is proud to play a role at USA Science & Engineering Festival because we know engaging students at an early age gets them interested in STEM. Events like this one help show these kids that the sky is no longer the limit when they pursue a career in these fields.

There are so many professional jobs that require science and math education – not just space exploration – and we’re glad to provide students opportunities to explore.

I&T Today: Along those lines, how will Lockheed Martin’s approach encourage STEM education after the event?

CJB: The USA Science & Engineering Festival is just one of the ways in which we’re working to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals. We support a broad array of programs that strengthen the pipeline of STEM talent by regularly engaging K-12 students through our programs such as Engineers in the Classroom, First Robotics Challenge, and

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partnerships with Girls Inc., Great Minds in Stem, and National 4-H Council. For example, our TIE3 team – which stands for Teamwork, Innovation, Enthusiasm, Experience, and Exposure – comprises cybersecurity professionals who visit local schools, primarily in the Baltimore region, and work with kids to show them how their academics ultimately tie to careers. As a company, Lockheed Martin employees personally volunteer their time to mentor and engage students on STEM, having logged more than 12.5 million volunteer hours over the past decade. We also reach out to underrepresented populations through sponsorships of multicultural events like BEYA and HENAAC. I&T Today: What do you believe people will most take away from the event?

CJB: We hope that people will walk away inspired to explore STEM as an education field and career. Our aim is to also reach parents and teachers and provide them the resources needed to continue engagement on topics like space exploration and keep this positive momentum going.

I&T Today: What do you believe will be the biggest change for Lockheed Martin between this USASEF event and next year’s?

CJB: Each event, Lockheed Martin tries to go bigger and better than the previous one. It will be pretty difficult to top this year’s experience, but we’re already thinking of ways to get kids excited about solving real-world problems using cybersecurity, robotics, and advanced energy technologies. Our next experience will likely include some of these exciting fields. ■

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What Not To Miss At USASEF 2018

By Louie Fox

The largest science and engineering festival in the world is here once again! The USA Science & Engineering Festival (USASEF) is back for their fifth Festival Expo, presented by Lockheed Martin, and it looks to be the best event yet. Taking place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., 2018’s USASEF event looks to feature no shortage of fun things to do, inspiring speakers to see, and interesting booths to check out. The free two-day event clearly has quite a following, as there will be an expected 350,000 celebrators of STEM in attendance.

The theme of this year’s event is “Where Can STEM Take You?” And, just looking at everything the Festival has to offer, you’ll learn that STEM can take you anywhere from the ocean floor to the deepest reaches of space. With over 3,000 activities to explore at the event and over 30 enthralling stage shows to check out, the event looks to seamlessly combine entertainment and education for thousands of STEM enthusiasts. As Director of Engineering & Technology at Lockheed Martin’s Cyber Center of Excellence Dr. Charles JohnsonBey told us in an exclusive interview, “Our hope is that these young attendees will become inspired to further their educations – and pursue a career path – in science, technology, engineering and math.”

You’re going to want to make sure you’re properly prepared for the large event (which will span across approximately 2 million square feet), as there is a ton to do in only so much time. Let’s break down all the amazing things happening at USASEF this year.

Get Excited For X-Stem (April 5th 9:30-3pm) If you’re looking for evidence that STEM education is on the rise, look no further than the X-STEM Symposium.

Taking place on April 5th to kick off the Festival, X-STEM is an inspiring celebration of the journey STEM education can lead you on. The event, which is presented by NCR and PwC, features such established speakers as Astrophysicist Dr. Natalie Batalha, Science TV Host and Astronautics Expert Emily Callandrelli, and Neurobiologist Dr. Erich Jarvis, providing a diverse array of inspiring words.

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The USA Science & Engineering Festival, held at Washington D.C.’s Walter E. Washington Convention Center, looks to show the innovators of the future the wonders of STEM education in a fun and approachable way.

Start Things Off With Sneak Peek Friday (April 6th

awareness of the exciting opportunities we have across our organization.”

9-3pm)

Check Out Can’t-Miss Booths

Get Inspired By Danni Washington

With a total number of 3,000 exhibits and exhibitors present at the event, you can definitely expect to experience some unforgettable moments. Lockheed Martin’s “This Science Isn’t Fiction” Pavilion looks to be an inspirational experience for the STEM leaders of the future. The Chevron STEM Zone will also combine sports and science in order to discover the STEM side of athletics. For an outof-this world experience, you can check out the Space Pavilion featuring NASA, CASIS, and Space X.

Presented by Chevron, Sneak Peek Friday looks to welcome over 50,000 students to experience the best that the USASEF has to offer before the rest of the general public. While online registration is required, keep in mind that the event is open specifically to schools, military families, and homeschoolers. As Chevron Manager of Corporate and Education Programs Blair Blackwell said, “We hope this experience fosters a life-long love of STEM and encourages many students to consider future careers in science and engineering.”

Stop By The STEM Career Fair (April 6th 3-8pm) With the Festival’s large focus on the importance of STEM education, it makes perfect sense to show the next generation of innovators what they can do with their skills in science and engineering. Completely new to the Festival, the STEM Career Fair presents recent college graduates the opportunity to connect with companies in order to plan out their STEM career. Sponsored by EY, the Career Fair will showcase companies such as Fannie Mae, Abbott, Intel Corporation, 23&Me, United States Air Force Recruiting, Leidos, and the U.S. Department of State. According to EY Americas Campus Recruiting Leader Natasha Stough, “We know that in order to have a robust pipeline of talent with the future-focused skills to tackle our clients’ ever-changing challenges, we need to broaden our reach and create more

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An established television host, rising marine biologist, ocean advocate, and science communicator, Danni Washington is the perfect person to represent at this year’s Festival.

Washington, who is also the co-founder of the non-profit organization Big Blue & You, may be best known for her role as the host of Xploration Nature Knows Best. The program, which is available on both traditional television and streaming services, celebrates STEM education and scientific advancements in a fun and approachable way, especially thanks to the show’s talented host. Make sure to check out Washington on stage to learn from a true STEM success story and stay tuned as she will take viewers on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Expo and will interview key Festival performers on social media.

See Unforgettable Shows And Programs There will also be some amazing programs such as “Meet The Scientist & Engineer” in the Career Pavilion, which is the ideal place to get answers about STEM-related questions and learn about careers in the field. Additionally, stimulating stage shows like “Explosive Science” with Dr. Kate Biberdorf, World Champion of Magic Jason Latimer, NASA Astronauts, and “America’s Science Teacher” Steve Spangler look to amaze and inspire attendees.

Additionally, Danni Washington’s non-profit organization Big Blue & You will be located in the Festival’s brand new Ocean Pavilion. Stanley Black & Decker’s “MakerFest” and Steer Digital’s “STEM Can Take You To Virtual Reality” booths also look to provide attendees with constructive fun. And definitely make sure not to miss out on the National Institutes of Health booth, the National Science Foundation booth, and the DoD STEM & National Security booth. With so much to experience, this year’s theme of “Stem Can Take You Anywhere” rings true. ■ To catch a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Festival planning with Danni Washington and find out about the newest activities and performers, follow the Festival on social media. Use the hashtag #SciFest to follow along. @USASCIENCEFEST @USASCIENCEFESTIVAL

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The Story of STEMified

How STEMified brings technology education to underserved communities

The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that STEM job opportunities are growing at a rate of 17 percent while other occupations are growing at under 10 percent. STEM jobs also offer higher income than other careers. With an increasingly globalized economy and reliance on technology, the STEM fields are now more critical than ever. Unfortunately, many children are not exposed to these fields until much later in their education, and many schools and parents do not have the resources to provide educational tools and materials in these vital subjects.

Thankfully, non-profit organizations like STEMified have stepped up to the plate to help provide children with learning tools to spark interest and increase exposure to STEM fields.

Understanding the Need In 2016, STEMified began as “My Apple To Share, Inc.” Their goal was to donate new and used computers to schools in underserved areas. They realized that children need to be exposed to technology early to keep up with our tech-driven society and economy, but many children were not getting the type of exposure necessary to succeed.

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When “My Apple” began, parents and teachers immediately started asking if the My Apple team provided STEM programs for students. To meet this demand, My Apple changed its name to STEMified, Inc. in mid-2017 and began focusing its efforts on offering online STEM camps to students across the country, in addition to providing technology to classrooms.

STEMified’s programs include: •A pple2Share: Provides new and used laptops, tablets, and other electronics to classrooms throughout the United States.

•G irlcode: Targets female children in particular to encourage involvement in

The Mission

coding, one of the fastest-growing sectors

When children become exposed to STEM subjects at an early age, they are much more likely to pursue those fields. STEMified’s goal is to provide a means for children to do just that.

They want to increase opportunities, inclusion, diversity, and life-long learning in STEM subject areas. They strive to inspire curiosity, sparking interest in subjects that some children may not have even realized existed.

that is notoriously male-dominated.

STEMified accomplishes this goal by partnering with volunteers, donors, schools, and programs.

They have donated computers and tablets to schools, created STEM-inspired virtual camps, and developed an online store for parents and teachers to purchase supplies to encourage STEM learning.

•R obotics: Includes a six-week Build-A-Bot Tech Camp that combines the related skills of coding and engineering.

One of the many goals of STEMified is to ensure that 25 percent of the spots in each STEM camp are offered entirely free of charge to students who have financial need. This goal allows underserved communities to participate in STEM camps and increases diversity while encouraging inclusion.

■

To learn more about STEMified and to get involved yourself, feel free to visit https://www.stemified.org.

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Ground Control to Astronaut Abby

By Alex Moersen

Astronaut Abby talks STEM education and what it takes to reach for the stars.

Like many children, Abigail Harrison wanted to be an astronaut. In fact, she wanted to be the first astronaut to land on Mars. However, unlike other children, Abigail (known as Astronaut Abby) began working to make her dream a reality early on. At the age of 13, she began speaking publicly about her aspirations, all while interviewing and building relationships with astronauts. Eventually, at the age of 18, Abby founded The Mars Generation, a nonprofit supported by an advisory board of astronauts, engineers, and scientists. The goal of the organization is to educate and inspire both children and adults about space exploration and STEM education.

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Since the inception of The Mars Generation, Abby has given TED Talks and has worked hard to inspire a younger generation to dream big.

In this interview, we talk with Abby about her own inspirations, the steps she’s taken to get closer to her dream, and the importance of STEM education.

As I started to learn more about space exploration– about what we had done in the past and what our current technologies were – and started to think about what we needed to do in the future, it became very apparent to me that the next necessary step in human space exploration was to put humans on Mars.

Innovation & Tech Today: What first inspired your dream of being the first astronaut on Mars?

I&T Today: Since then until now, what steps have you taken? What does this process look like for you to achieve your goal?

Abigail Harrison: As a kid, I knew that I wanted to be an astronaut, wanting to go to Mars didn’t come until a couple of years after I remember that first desire to go to space.

One of the things that inspired wanting to go to Mars was that Mars is a celestial object that, as an amateur astronomer, is very easy to find … a dramatic object to look at and to think about. So it captured my interest right away as a five-, six-, seven-year-old who was looking at the night sky.

AH: So right now, I am a student at Wellesley College. The most important part of becoming an astronaut is truly focusing on a strong educational background and so I’m pursuing an undergraduate degree, a double major in Astrobiology and Russian.

I’ve also studied Mandarin Chinese and hope to pursue a handful of other languages that I think will be important in the future of space exploration. I also am a scuba diver with

Panoramic courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/Arizona State Univ.

advanced certifications and am continuing to train in that, because that’s a very common way for astronauts to train for microgravity missions. I’m currently working towards earning my pilot’s license, which is, once again, another thing that’s important. It’s not necessary to apply to be an astronaut, but it’s definitely a positive.

And then the final piece that I think is important is honing the ability to do science communication. So utilizing things such as public speaking, writing, and even using social media to excite people about what is happening in the world of science or space and to truly be able to communicate to the public about things that they may not have a background in ... The most important thing that we can do with not only science, but especially space travel, is make sure that it makes its way back to everyone.

I&T Today: Why do you think that space exploration is so important?

AH: I would break it down into three primary reasons … And the first one is that it’s who we are. Part of what makes us human is our desire to explore, our need to look around the next corner, to peak over the next hill, to cross oceans, and to continue to just push our boundaries and look farther. That is an integral part of what humanity is.

But if you want a more concrete answer, there is nothing that drives the advancement of technology, science, and engineering more than space exploration. We see it not only in the technologies that we directly produce as a result of space exploration, but also in the fact that we produce technicians and engineers and mathematicians and physicists because of space exploration. Space exploration has this ability to excite and inspire people to want to follow those fields and want to look for answers to problems humans face on and off of Earth as well. So space exploration is a huge technology driver. It’s a huge revenue driver. Honestly, it’s one of the most important things, I think, for the economy that we can do.

I&T Today: A lot of the work you do revolves around inspiring younger generations to think and dream big. Who

are some of the people who inspired you and allowed you to dream big?

AH: When I was probably 13, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, who was a shuttle astronaut, sent me a photo in the mail because someone had reached out to her and said, “You know, there’s this girl who’s interested in space and wants to be an astronaut.” And so, she sent me a photo where she’d written some really kind words about continuing to pursue my dreams. And although it was a dream that I fully believed in, it’s still hard to pursue something like that until it becomes a reality and seeing women in that field was really important to me.

I&T Today: You’re an advocate of incorporating art education into STEM. Why is that so important?

AH: The reason that I think that arts are so important in STEM is because you can never really separate the two, and you shouldn’t strive to. All good science, when you look at it, has insane amounts of creativity involved. The jumps between ideas that you make and the ways that you facilitate research by creating new things and methods that have never been done before, that all directly ties back to arts. Because art is what allows you to grow those abilities and really hone that skill, which is vitally important not just in science, but in math and engineering, and really every part of that field that you can imagine.

It’s a really important thing to be a wellrounded person in my opinion, especially if you’re going after a very niche goal, a very big goal. And so ... advice that I give to other students who ask me about going after a dream like being an astronaut is … you have to make sure to develop yourself as a whole person so that you don’t burn out at any point along the way. And arts are a vital part of doing that, because if you’re only, for 20 years, focused on science or math, that will take its toll, and it will wear you out versus if you’re dividing your attention, focusing mostly on how this will impact your future and what you can do for that, but also spending time to connect with what it means to be human through the arts, that’s equally as important and a long-term goal. ■

Astronaut Abby, founder of The Mars Generation, works diligently to achieve her goal of being the first astronaut on Mars. She’s a full-time student studying multiple disciplines, has advanced certifications in scuba diving, and is currently working her way towards a pilot’s license.

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Nintendo Levels Up STEM From the original days of the Donkey Kong arcade machines to the nostalgic N64 and beyond, Nintendo has generated countless video gaming memories. However, while the very mention of the company’s name generally evokes thoughts of classic series such as Super Mario or The Legend of Zelda, 2018 sees them trying a new approach at creating childhood impressions: moving into the STEM market.

And, much like their innovative experiences such as the motion-controlled Wii, the graphically

intuitive 3DS, and the hybrid Nintendo Switch, Nintendo’s new Labo kits show that the company is not done experimenting. Utilizing cardboard DIY kits in conjunction with a Nintendo Switch console, users can customize cardboard objects, discover innovative new ways to play games, and even create functional pianos and RC cars.

Combining classic Nintendo fun with newer innovations in learning and creativity looks to be a major boon for young STEM enthusiasts. While many toys may take a fairly streamlined attempt at

introducing these concepts to kids, Labo looks to take a more subtle approach, attracting young gamers and attempting to pique their creativity in an organic way. Considering the kits allow you to do everything from manufacture a fishing rod to assemble a cardboard robotic suit, it’s safe to say that Nintendo’s latest (and zaniest) idea will be a mainstay in many living rooms this year. Available on April 20th, Nintendo Labo will definitely help budding STEM enthusiasts level up. ■

Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators

By Jayme Cellitioci We can adjust our home’s temperature from the grocery store. We can smell the scent of fresh coffee coming from the kitchen before we even get out of bed. And we can see who is at our front door while we are at the office from our smartphones. Some tech on the market still seems like science fiction, even as you see it with your own eyes.

Many people learn about the latest innovations, including smart home devices, at the world’s largest gathering of consumer technology—the Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The National Inventors Hall of Fame annually sends a team to CES to harness inspiration for new curricula and every year there is a plethora of new devices that have joined the fleet of innovations designed to make our lives more efficient, streamlined, and interconnected.

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But, while it may be many years away, who will be manning the booths at CES 2035? We must start to think about how we are preparing the next generation of smart tech innovators.

Research tells us that bringing inventor role models and innovation into children’s lives early increases their chances of innovating and prevents the epidemic of “Lost Edisons.”

build smart home prototypes. They even receive personal video messages from inductees Federico Faggin (known for designing the first commercial microprocessor) and Radia Perlman (inventor of the spanning-tree protocol) to inspire their designs. What may be a small, ducttaped LED model today could be drawing crowds at the CES booth of tomorrow! ■

This year’s Camp Invention “Mod My Mini Mansion” curriculum empowers children to

For more information about inventors and STEM education, visit www.invent.org.

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Immersion Beyond The Stratosphere Educators and parents continue to tackle the challenge of our times: how to keep kids engaged in learning when their technology is oh-so-near to distract them.

How about putting the two together and immersing them into the ultimate adventure in creative learning and adventure — outer space?

The solution isn’t rocket science. ePlanetarium offers We Choose Space, a 24-minute immersive presentation that provides a virtual experience of manned missions post-Shuttle. The idea is that, by giving students a captivating subject with both a direct planetarium and immersive (VR) environment, they will retain information and insights better.

In the study, “Comparison of Student Learning About Space in Immersive and Computer Environments,” researchers concluded that “there was a statistically significant increase in test scores after viewing We Choose Space in the portable Discovery Dome … those students who viewed the show in the dome also had statistically significant test scores, but those students who only viewed it on the computer did not have statistically significant increases… the Dome is a way to not only spark interest, but to

promote learning retention.” The key here is that this immersion leads to greater retention.

The study cited reasons for these results: A closed-dome environment shuts off outside distractions and promotes focused learning; a direct immersive experience triggers better learning than rote computer study; and the combination of direct vision and peripheral vision (i.e. VR glasses) viewing promotes higher memory storage.

With new software allowing 360VR movies to be played inside a planetarium dome, VR finally becomes a learning experience. The dome fully immerses students (as opposed to a limited VR headset), and the operator can pause, rotate the view, ask questions, and make VR a truly group experience. ePlanetarium says “Share the VR!” Through immersive planetarium and VR experiences, ePlanetarium is delivering a wonderfully enhanced experience that’s helping student performance as well. ■

Space Tech Expo Launches Its Seventh Year Can you afford to miss the Space Tech Expo? As the space technology industry grows at an unprecedented rate, so too does the competition.

This is the seventh year for Space Tech Expo USA (Pasadena, CA, May 22-24) and this is going to be the biggest and boldest yet. Providing a platform to 3,500 industry professionals including primes, systems integrators, technical engineers, and buyers, the free-to-attend expo is your gateway to the expanding space tech market.

Last year saw the event grow exponentially and, building on an extremely successful 2017, this year’s expo is set to grow further with a strong portfolio of specialist suppliers from across the supply chain.

Running alongside the expo is a powerful three-day agenda from the Space Tech Conference hosting speakers from Virgin Orbit, Intelsat, SpaceX, Blue Origin, ESA, Rocket Labs, and Moon Express.

With the exhibition drawing attendance from thousands of industry leaders, decision makers, engineers, specifiers, and buyers, the expo is the place to do business. With B2B Matchmaking customer meetings exclusive for exhibitors, a co-located JPL Business Opportunity Fair, 45+ free sessions available on the show floor, product demonstrations, and new engineer-targeted networking events, nothing is off limits.

Over 150+ exhibitors have already booked to participate in the Space Tech Expo including: JPL, BAE Systems, Element Materials Technology, Boeing Technology Services, Hioki USA Corp., ENPULSION, and Motiv Space Systems. ■ To view the full exhibitor list and to register for your free expo hall pass, please visit www.spacetechexpo.com.

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Feeding the Future with

AnnaSophia Robb Produced in partnership with

By Alex Moersen

Actress AnnaSophia Robb tackles food waste with the Feeding Better Futures campaign Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption goes to waste every year. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), that is approximately 1.3 billion tons of food annually. The problem is especially prevalent in the developed world, where per capita waste by consumers is between 95-115 kg/year in Europe and North America, compared to only 6-11 kg/year in sub-Saharan Africa and south and south-eastern Asia. And, to top it off, the FAO estimates that the direct economic consequence of food wastage (excluding fish and seafood) is about $750 billion annually.

For this reason, actress AnnaSophia Robb teamed up with General Mills and DoSomething to combat food waste through Feeding Better Futures. The goal of the program is to not only spread awareness, but also specifically engage young people in the cause. Through

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Feeding Better Futures, participants had the opportunity to submit their own ideas on how to improve food management in their own communities. In this exclusive interview, AnnaSophia Robb discusses food waste, the importance of engaging young people in environmental causes, and some of her favorite ways to combat food waste.

Innovation & Tech Today: Could you give some background on Feeding Better Futures?

AnnaSophia Robb: General Mills and DoSomething have come together and are providing a platform for young people, because they see that there are about 13 million kids in the U.S. who have food insecurities. Food is being wasted and it’s not going to the right places.

And so, rather than have governments or big corporations or think-tanks think through these problems, they are offering kids who have first-hand relationships to food insecurity to think about these problems and solve them in their own community. So it’s basically taking small steps and giving power back to kids, and then the resources to make those changes possible.

Photo Chris Alfonso

[Participants] take a picture of the problem that they see in their community and then they take a picture of a way to solve it, or what they’ve done to solve it. So maybe they decide to start composting, or … There was one science club, I think it was in Kentucky, and they bought a food dehydrator, and so they ended up dehydrating all the food in their cafeteria, and then they had clean water.

Whoever the winner is, they can get a $5,000 scholarship, and then they’re also invited to apply at the General Mills Feeding Better Futures scholars program, and are given a chance to win $50,000.

And they’re using that money to implement their solution. It’s harnessing the creativity of young people and giving them a voice, because they know what’s going on, and they think it’s also raising awareness. Because we’re not necessarily taught that. I think my generation is starting to become a lot more aware, but food scarcity is a real thing. We have to think about the way that we look at food and our relationship to food, and where food is first, and where is there healthy food, and where is there not such healthy food.

SPRING 2018 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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Produced in partnership with

AnnaSophia Robb’s prolific movie career and her long adherence to sustainability and health provides a great personal platform for promoting Feeding Better Futures.

I&T Today: Why is it so important to engage young people in environmental and social issues like these?

I&T Today: What are some of the more creative ways that you found to combat food waste in your own life?

ASR: I think it’s important because, obviously, young people are the future of our country. And I think it’s important to give power to young people. I think too often we rely on, I can only speak for myself but, sort of waiting for an authority figure to tell you what to do. I think kids and young people are just inherently more creative. There’s the youthful spirit where it’s innovative, and you don’t really take no for an answer, and there’s a constant question of “why does this work this way?”

ASR: I tend to overbuy greens, because I think, “I’m going to be healthy.” And then I end up eating the peanut butter pretzels from Trader Joe’s. Sometimes it’s hard to gauge … How often am I going to be out? How much am I going to be home?

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Produced in partnership with

I think rather than suppressing that, let’s encourage that natural tendency to question and look at things that seem unjust or unfair, and try to solve those problems. With this program giving them the resources, [they] say, “Hey, if you work together with ten more of you, you can actually do something about this, you don’t just have to wait for it to get better.”

I&T Today: Why look at food waste specifically?

ASR: We eat every single day. For a lot of us, multiple times a day. And I think putting it in your brain, or creating a filter where you think, “This food is valuable, this food is precious. There are people who aren’t able to sustain themselves or get the right nutrients.”

And thinking, “How am I buying my groceries?”

I know I’m guilty of definitely wasting food, so we’re thinking, “How much am I buying?”

If I have vegetables and they’re starting to turn, rather than throw them away, why don’t I cut them up and freeze them? I think turning your brain onto just a higher level of awareness, because you’d be surprised, there are little things that you can do that can make a big difference.

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properly recycle, compost, and all of that sort of thing…

Maybe just think about if you see something in your community and you don’t understand it.

Like, I always wonder, “Where does all this wasted food go in my grocery store?” Do they compost it? Do they throw it out? Do they give it to a homeless shelter? Where does it go? Maybe just go to the manager and ask them.

My mom always makes soup, and then she just freezes it. That’s a really great solution and you can just heat it up … Or, look at all the different ways you can use bananas. So you don’t just have to eat them or put them in smoothies, you can also shine silverware, and they help get splinters out, and they help with bruising. You can make face masks with them, you can whiten your teeth. I tried that; it worked out well.

There’s an Einstein Bagels near where I went to high school. They give away all of their bagels at the end of the day, so we would take them. They would literally be in the trash can, but you could take them right before closing, and we would take them to track meets, or to cross country …

You can do a lot of different things, you just have to ask the questions, and be available to fix them up.

So just different, natural ways to use food. I haven’t really done it with a lot of other different foods, but if you have old almonds you can make almond milk. It’s not that hard, you’d be surprised. Like taking coffee grounds, you can make a body scrub out of that. I just think becoming a little bit more creative, you’d think, “Oh, that takes more time,” but it really doesn’t.

ASR: I would say your own garden. My friend is doing aquaponics, which is pretty intense…

I&T Today: What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start reducing their own food waste and live more sustainably but didn’t really know where to start?

ASR: I think I’m in that same boat. I’m learning and I’m trying to learn more about what to do. I would say go to DoSomething.org.

There’s an amazing community there too. They cover so many different issues and there are so many different causes that need to be tackled.

There’s a community right there and you can ask for tips and build relationships. And then, also, Recycle Across America is a great organization.

And that’s about recycling clothes and how to

I&T Today: Since we’re talking about food, I was wondering if you have an ideal sustainable dish?

I think it would be great in schools, actually, to do an aquaponics system. They don’t have to be super big, either, and it’s like a mini, perfect ecosystem. So you have a barrel, and then you have a bunch of fish that live in that barrel, and then on top there’s another sort of contraption where you can grow vegetables. So, the droppings from the fish go and feed the vegetables and the greens.

Basically, what the fish will release is exactly what the vegetables need and what the vegetables release, the fish need. Then you harvest the fish and then you can harvest the vegetables, and they feed off each other so you don’t really need to add anything. That would be a great thing to have in schools, and you can build it yourself. ■

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Giving the Environment a Voice Produced in partnership with

By Alex Moersen

Documentary Producer Nico Ibargüen on how to make environmental issues approachable

W

hen it comes to environmentalism, Nicolás “Nico” Ibargüen does it all. He’s the force behind Project Earth, a global digital platform, for which he produces hundreds of hours of documentary content per year. His work has spanned myriad topics. In 2017, Ibargüen won an Emmy Award for producing Amazon: A Paradise for Sale, which took a detailed look at wildlife trafficking in the Amazon. Just before that, he hosted and produced an investigative piece, Off the Shelf, which eventually led to a nationwide ban of certain shark cartilage products at CVS and Walgreens stores.

In 2015, Ibargüen investigated the first instances of black bear hunting in Florida. Only a few months later, The Florida Fishing and Wildlife Conservation Commission reversed their decision and black bear hunting is once again illegal in the state.

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Produced in partnership with

Ibargüen’s wide range of knowledge, in addition to his work with environmental influencers like Former Vice President Al Gore and ocean conservationist Sylvia Earle, have made him a leader in the environmental and conservation fields.

His most recent project, When Lambs Become Lions, explores the long-reaching effects of the ivory trade. We had the opportunity to speak with Ibargüen about some of his projects, the horrors of ivory trade, and how to engage more people in environmental issues.

Innovation & Tech Today: Could you describe what Project Earth is?

Nicolás “Nico” Ibargüen: We launched it a couple years ago as an environment unit for Fusion TV with the idea to produce content that inspired different audiences. Not only do they have the Spanish-speaking audience but they also reach out to millennials and to young people.

From the moment they are waking up, they brush their teeth, they have breakfast, they ride their cars, they go to the supermarket, they buy stuff, they go to lunch, and all of that.

In every single thing and every single activity that they do, they’re having a big impact on their environment. [We] do content that helps them understand, for example, how coffee is going to be affected by environmental issues, in particular climate change. Or wine, or cheese, or the next vacation people want to take, if it includes the ocean or snow or things

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Thanks to co-creator and director Nico Ibargüen and others, Project Earth, part of Fusion TV, has become must-watch television for anyone concerned with climate change, the environment, and stewarding our future sustainably. Ibargüen tackles companies and ecological issues in his award-winning works, and also works with people such as former Vice President Al Gore.

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like that. So we’re trying to make a connection to people’s daily lives and activities to the environment in a way that they can actually understand and feel inspired and empowered.

We do so by telling different stories in very different ways, different formats. From very short digital series and short content and animations to long, informative documentaries.

I&T Today: Could you talk about your upcoming project, When Lambs Become Lions, and how Project Earth got involved?

NI: Someone was pitching the idea and as soon as I heard that they were pitching a documentary about ivory trade from a very different perspective, immediately I got interested in that. As well as the people involved, two Oscar-nominated guys. One is Tom Yellin, he’s involved as a producer, and the other one is Marcus Hammond who is involved as the assistant producer.

I thought they were very good storytellers and I thought they were perfectly aligned with our mission of trying to bring the big issues. The issue of illegal ivory trafficking, as you know, is the third largest illegal traffic after, I think, guns and drugs.

So, by focusing of course on elephants, at least most people can feel empathy about this amazing animal that has been roaming the Earth

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for more than 50 million years. Now we’re killing one elephant every 50 minutes or something like that. It’s not only about the elephants, it’s also about the people and how all of this illegal trafficking is affecting society … and how it’s sparking and funding wars and terrorism.

I&T Today: It seems as if, when you look at mainstream environmental issues, the ivory trade sometimes gets left behind a little bit. I know it’s something I personally do not know a lot about.

NI: It’s absolutely crazy. It’s basically decimating the population of elephants and rhinos. We’re killing about 25-26,000 elephants annually, and it’s not going down, it’s actually going up. So in a time where we’re saying, “Yeah, we have these under control,” it’s actually completely the opposite. It’s a huge issue and we’re just decimating this population. And if we don’t do something about it, we’re just going to drive the elephants in the world to extinction in the next 10 to 15 years. That’s absolutely crazy.

I&T Today: How can we get more people to look at, understand, and care about these environmental issues?

NI: Every story that we do, we try to tell it from a perspective of “how does this relate to everyone’s lives?” Why should people care about sharks disappearing, or elephants disappearing,

or the issue of extinction, or climate change?

We’re living through a time that, more now than ever, people are so disconnected from nature, from the environment, from our planet.

So we’re just trying to bring the concept of, “Hey everything that you care about, whatever it is … if we don’t care for the planet ... that activity that you love so much, you’re going to have problems or you’re not going to be able to continue to do that.”

So, that’s what we’re trying to focus on and bring the impacts that are affecting the planet into people’s lives. Through what they eat or what they care about or what they like. But sometimes this issue is so big that it’s easy for people to disconnect just because people are like, “Yeah I know. I care about it, but what can I do? It’s bigger than me.”

So we’re just trying to bring it to people and say, “Hey, you know there’s a lot that you can do about it.” Just so many things that you can do about this issue that you didn’t know. That by watching our content you can actually become more educated and learn about it. Just by educating yourself, by the way you vote, by the way you spend your dollars, by the way you eat.

So many things ... And having people understand the impact that they have on the environment is big and it’s actually having an effect. And they can actually be part of the change. ■

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In a paper-reliant world, Rolland seeks to reduce their impact on the Earth Produced in partnership with

Rolland’s Sustainable Paper Revolution

By Everin Draper

“It’s unrealistic to think our modern business world will ever be entirely ‘paperless,’” notes Rolland President Philip Rundle. However, for Rundle, it doesn’t mean that paper can’t be improved, by focusing instead on production and the supply chain. In addition to manufacturing recycled paper, Rolland has worked diligently to reduce its environmental footprint even more.

This effort has resulted in their paper mills being 93 percent powered by biogas. Additionally, they’ve conducted Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and have even created an Eco Calculator that allows clients to understand how Rolland’s manufacturing process compares to other standard processes. In this interview, President Philip Rundle explains Rolland’s commitment to sustainability.

Innovation & Tech Today: How did sustainability become tied to Rolland’s brand?

Philip Rundle: It’s in our DNA as a company.

Sustainability has always been at the heart of our core business, and it continues to flourish within the company today. Rolland is committed to being an ecological leader in the pulp and paper industry. The very nature of our product — recycled paper made using post-consumer fiber — is sustainable. It’s unrealistic to think our modern business world will ever be entirely “paperless.” However, focusing on production, consumption, and the supply chain connecting all stakeholders can lead to a more sustainable society.

I&T Today: What steps have you taken to make paper production more sustainable?

PR: Rolland is one of the most sustainably-run manufacturers of high-quality recycled papers.

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Rolland’s fine uncoated papers contain up to 100 percent post-consumer fiber and are manufactured so as to reduce their environmental footprint by de-inking without chlorine and using water as efficiently as possible. For example, our de-inking facility recirculates every drop of water 17 times, and our paper mill recirculates its water more than 30 times. All of this minimizes our impact on climate change, water availability, water quality, human health, ecosystems, and biodiversity.

Rolland has also conducted two full lifecycle assessments (LCA), which analyzed the environmental footprint of Rolland papers.

We believe transparency is the currency of sustainability.

I&T Today: Can you explain how biogas is involved in the process?

PR: While Rolland has been manufacturing recycled paper since 1989, we pioneered the use of biogas in 2004 and remain the only paper mill in North America to use this energy. This is why we call it our best kept secret.

We invested in using biogas from a local landfill site for 93 percent of our paper mill’s energy needs. Biogas comes from decomposing waste that’s been captured to prevent its release into the air. It is then transported by an eight-mile pipeline to Rolland and used as thermal energy to produce paper instead of using traditional fossil fuels. It is mainly carbon dioxide and methane, which is 21 times less harmful to the atmosphere. We’ve used biogas as a creative way to reduce our CO2 footprint by 70,000 tons a year – or the equivalent of taking 23,400 compact cars off the road for one year. ■

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Nigel Stanford and His Robot Band

By Alex Moersen

Nigel Stanford explains how he programmed robotic bandmates to perform his music

As robots become more prevalent in the world, their skills gain more and more variety. While robots have proven apt at performing more technical tasks, there has been some debate over their creativity. “Can a robot write a symphony?” is the question posed in the film I, Robot. While it may be some time before an A.I.-written song tops the charts, Nigel Stanford has shown that while robots may not be able to write music, they can definitely play.

In his 2017 project, Automatica, Stanford programmed a band of robots to perform the title track of the album.

Inspired by a music video from the 1990s, Stanford set out to program robots to play drums, bass, and a piano.

And he did it all with nearly zero experience in robotics. In this interview, we discuss his inspiration for the

Robotics expert Nigel Stanford has shown that our mechanical counterparts can certain play music — if not write it. In order to showcase this, Stanford and his team programmed and positioned the robots to play drums, piano, and bass guitar which robot was the worst to work with. — and even work a two-turntable DJ set-up.

project, how he put it all together, and

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Innovation & Tech Today: What originally inspired this project?

Nigel Stanford: Well, many years ago, I think it was in the 90s, there was a video for the band Chemical Brothers which had a robot, and I always just liked the look of that orange robot. It was in a car factory. Then, I was looking for something visual where I could have something on-screen and really connect the thing you’re looking at with the sound that it’s making, and I just wondered if those kinds of robots could actually play instruments in real life. I did some research, and I found videos of robots like that doing cool things and contacted the robot company. They were very generous and loaned me some robots for the shoot.

I&T Today: Did you have any prior experience in robotics?

NS: No. Not at all. I’d never seen a robot.

I just had decided that I wanted to do this project. I always go into these things thinking, “Oh. How hard can it be?” Which is good, because, if I knew how hard it was, maybe I wouldn’t necessarily start them.

I got the robot and I had a guy introduce me to this new software he’d written which could allow you to program the robots in a 3D graphics package called Maya. I’d done a little bit of work with Maya before in my life, so I knew the basics of how to operate that software.

He came over to my house and stayed for a couple days, and we got the robots up and running with the software and then I just went for it. We had two or three weeks to program all the moves for the video and then another week to shoot it.

I&T Today: So you said, “How hard could it be?” I’m curious, how hard was it to bring this all together?

NS: Well, you know, there’s a lot of moving parts to it. If I hadn’t had the software from this guy, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do it, because it would have been basically learning a whole new programming language for robots. It would not have been something I could just pick up in a day like I did. Then, we went and did the shoot, and there were a lot of logistical challenges, because we only had three robots.

But in the video, there’s all sorts of different robots playing all the instruments. Any shot where we wanted to show more than one instrument at a time, we had to shoot twice. We would shoot it in two passes -- shoot the robots on the drum kit and then move the robots to the piano and shoot them on the piano. Then, you have two pieces of footage, and you chop the background out of one and foreground out of the other and put them together. So there was a lot of work just dealing with the fact that we didn’t have 20 robots on set.

I&T Today: In the video, you have a ton of different instruments: drums, a bass, piano, a turntable. Was there a particular instrument that was more difficult than the others for the robots to play?

NS: They’re all about the same. The piano was probably the easiest, the piano and the synth, because the keys are where they are, and they’re never going to change width or anything like that. Once you’ve set that up, it’s just going to do it, and as long as the keyboard is at the right height, put in the right place, it’s pretty easy. Drums are a bit harder, because you could tip them up on different angles and in different places, so when it came time to actually put it on set and have that set up, it took a lot longer.

The other thing with the drums was it’s easy to just have a robot arm go up and down and hit it, but that would look pretty boring. So I

studied footage of human drummers and saw [their] styles ... All that kind of movement, I tried to copy as best I could.

I&T Today: How do you see technology and music coming together in the future? Do you think we’ll ever have a chart-topping album written by artificial intelligence and performed by robots?

NS: You know, maybe, but probably only once. I’ve even experimented a little bit with software that can write music as a kind of fun thing. I’ve always had an idea. I’m pretty confident that in 10-15 years someone will be able to have some artificial intelligence system write some music that is really good. But do I think it will be number one? Probably the first time, for novelty.

[But], there’s two things you got to do. You got to make a great song and you got to record it really well. Then, you’ve got to somehow have people discover it and hear it.

If all this artificial intelligence software was writing music out there, who’s going to promote that? Who’s going to be the person who’s making it an interesting thing and having an artist in front of it that you care about or want to know more about? What’s intriguing about it? I don’t think anything’s intriguing about it except for the first time someone does it. After that point, it’s still like there’s plenty of good pop artists out there, and the ones at the top of the charts have something else. You know, they’ve got their promotion, and they’ve maybe got their image and their personality and all that kind of stuff. I just think that the robots are going to struggle unless they can come up with that kind of stuff too. ■ To see more of Nigel Stanford’s work, visit nigelstanford.com SPRING 2018 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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That’s why Mighty has developed a new type of mini-MP3 that connects straight to your Spotify. Now, you can conveniently enjoy all the music you love to stream without having to carry around your smartphone. $85

Waterfield Cityslicker Nintendo Switch Case – Combining a sleek appearance with a functional design, the Cityslicker Nintendo Switch Case is perfect for the gamer on the go. Able to carry all the essentials for taking your Switch mobile, your Mario Kart match can go uninterrupted. $80

Breville Smart Oven Air – When you’re super busy, cooking can seem like an inconvenience. But, with this oven, it doesn’t have to be. Compact, yet still big enough to cook a 14 lb. turkey, this oven’s efficiency can reduce cooking time by 30 percent. Enhance your meals with 13 different settings, each creating a precise and evenly-cooked meal. $400

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RCA 10 Viking Pro – With 32GB of internal memory built in and a detachable keyboard included, the RCA 10 Viking Pro is the ideal way to work and play on the go.

Weighing in at a little over two pounds, the Viking Pro guarantees you won’t have to lug around your heavy laptop on your next trip to the coffee shop. $150

OmniCharge Omni 20 – With an intuitive design allowing for multiple types of devices to recharge, the Omni 20 by Omnicharge is the ultimate power bank. Compact enough to take on the go, this device is ideal for remote freelancers and office workers alike. $250

Polaroid SnapTouch – The old and the new blend harmoniously with the Polaroid SnapTouch.

With this camera, users can capture photos with 13 megapixels, store up to 128GB, and choose to instantly print any photo straight from the camera. $179

Sleepace Nox – For some, one of the hardest parts of the day is waking up. But that’s all about to change with the Sleepace Nox. Fall asleep easily with soothing lights and sounds; wake up naturally with a smart alarm and a simulated sunrise. $149

Circle Home with Disney – Allowing you to manage your family’s device activity, Circle Home is ideal for any family in the internet age. Pairing with Wi-Fi, Circle Home lets you set time limits for your family’s website and app usage as well as filter out inappropriate content. $99 SPRING 2018 | INNOVATION & TECH TODAY

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FlexYah Stools – Perfect for quick extra seating, the FlexYah folding stools are a must-have for anyone who loves hosting. These stools are extremely compact at only 1.5 inches deep, but can fold out into a seat capable of holding 400 lbs. These stools by Expand Furniture are easy to use and even easier to store. $99 for 2

GE mySelectSmart Wireless Lighting Control – Revolutionize your home’s lighting with the GE mySelectSmart Wireless Lighting Control.

These remote switches are a perfect addition to any smart home, allowing users to wirelessly control their lights without a hub or Wi-Fi connection. It works right out of the box, making it perfect for those looking for a simple solution for smarter lighting control. And sensor activation will know when to turn lights on or off, helping curb energy costs. $19

StemBox – For the scientist-in-training, StemBox delivers monthly experiments straight to your home. With all the necessary tools and instructions, including authentic lab wear and video tutorials, the StemBox is the perfect way to learn about the sciences – and have fun while doing it. $87 for three months, $300 for one year

EZVIZ Mini Trooper – Completely wireless and showcasing HD video, the EZVIZ Mini Trooper is the ultimate security camera for your home. With a battery life of up to nine months, you need not worry about leaving your home empty while you’re on vacation or at work. $150

Arkon Tripod – Whether you’re recording mobile video or streaming Netflix at home, the Arkon Tripod is ideal for smartphones large and small. Lightweight, flexible, and portable, the Arkon fits most models, bringing out the smartphone videographer in you. $20

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DELIVERING AI FOR A SMARTER FUTURE

18-19 APRIL 2018 OLYMPIA, LONDON

AI for Developers

27-28 JUNE 2018 RAI, AMSTERDAM

AI in the Enterprise

GET INVOLVED +44 (0) 117 980 9020 | enquiries@ai-expo.net

www.ai-expo.net

28-29 NOVEMBER 2018 SANTA CLARA CC, SILICON VALLEY

Bot & VA Development

Co-hosted events

AI - Consumer & Digital Transformation

CloviFi – Maybe you find it difficult to listen to the television with your kids running around the house. Maybe you want to watch TV before bed but don’t want to disturb your sleeping spouse or child. Well, CloviFi allows users to listen to any muted TV over Wi-Fi using their own headphones. No more disturbances and no more spotty Bluetooth headphones. Just you, television, and relaxation.

$129

Mantel Mount MM540 – The MM450 Enhanced Mount allows you to find the perfect angle for your TV. With a built-in sound bar attachment, patented heat sensing pull down handles, 29-inch vertical travel distance, and a 35-degree swivel distance each way (or 60 degrees one way), the MM450 is the ideal TV mount for any living room. $399

Naxa Sound Bar – With the Naxa Sound Bar, you don’t have to sacrifice quality for convenience. This hands-free, Alexaenabled sound bar delivers crisp sound with two 10-watt drivers and two 10-watt subwoofers. And it even comes with a free-to-download app for further integrated user control. $119

Scoot-E Electric Bike by RayCon - Coming in a variety of different colors, the Scoot-E Electric Bike will definitely turn some heads. Able to go 30 miles on a single charge with the capability to reach a top speed of 20 mph, the completely electric Scoot-E Bike lets you ride sustainably in style. $1,200

MAKERbuino – Gaming and education have never been so

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closely integrated. With the MAKERbuino DIY Gaming Console, gamers of all ages can learn what goes into building an actual game console. It’s the perfect activity for the aspiring engineer, the gamer, and the hobbyist alike. $56

Taking on Tomb Raider Continued from pg.79 something new. It celebrates curiosity and overcoming obstacles by using one’s wit. It’s a story for the ages. And when they come along, we’re all very excited about them and for them because we want to see ourselves in that way. It is about discovery in a world where very, very little is left to be discovered. It’s nice to turn yourself over to the possibilities of uncovering a secret that no one else knows about.

I&T Today: How did you connect with this story?

WG: The thing about this story and about stories like it from Raiders of the Lost Ark on down is that it connects us to our history as a species. We are looking at people that walked this earth before we did, and it’s like a continuum. It’s a thread that allows us to feel connected to our forefathers or our foremothers, and that resonates on a very deep level for most human beings. ■

Ilze Kitshoff / Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc

Becoming Black Lightning Continued from pg.81

Annette Brown/The CW

brought to life. I think that’s part of it. But I just think we desperately want heroes. Comic books and superheroes have been around for a long time. As far as America goes, they’re kind of our mythology. Comic book fans have been around for decades. I think just in our present day climate, we want heroes. We need heroes. They kind of take us out of feeling powerless. I think a lot of times in life we feel powerless. Politically.

Economically. They give us that escape.

dreams about flying like Superman. I think about the Green Lantern; he’s a black superhero who actually flies. I think the special effects would be amazing with all the powers. It’s just however limited your imagination is what can be done.

I&T Today: You had said earlier you’ve been wanting to play a superhero for years. If you did have to choose somebody other than Black Lightning, who would you choose?

I&T Today: What do you really want your portrayal of the character to be remembered as?

CW: Prior to really being exposed to Black Lightning, I was really hoping [to portray] John Stewart in Green Lantern. Part of it is just, I think his powers are amazing. As a kid I was always fascinated by flight. I used to love when I had

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I was also drawn to Martian Manhunter as well. I loved that idea of being an outsider, and a shape shifter but choosing to be in the skin of an African American. That’s really interesting to me. I think those two.

CW: My first job as an actor, and desire as an actor, is to always be truthful and real. That people won’t see Cress, but they would see the character. But I hope that the portrayal just rides successfully, because I think he’s a really positive character. The fact that he really believes in

Richard Ducree/The CW

education and champions education. The fact that he has his daughters in his life, actively in his life. They’re not on the outside. He’s actively pursuing raising them. He’s still fighting to try to get his wife back. I’d say that family is first for him. Those are things, education and putting family first, that are very important in my life. I hope those positive attributes are really what stand out.

I know it’s a superhero show, and I guess even if we didn’t have the kind of grounded human things that we have in our show, if it was just kind of like, “We’re saving the world,” the type of actor that I am, I’ve got to find the human touchstone. I don’t like playing somebody just straight two-dimensional. That kind of, at the root of it, drama and behavior and human aspect of things is something that always excites me as an actor. That’s always my hook. ■

BUILDING SCIENCES can take you …

from Landscapes to Skyscrapers from Virtual Design to Hands-On Construction from Sustainability to Resilience from Vision to Reality

Join us in building the future.

Visit: www.wbdg.org/BuildingSciencesCareerCenter

Events

Missing your technology fix between issues of Innovation & Tech Today? We don’t blame you. Luckily, it’s not hard to find a gathering of innovative people in a city near you. Have an event you’d like us to include? Email submit@innotechtoday.com

APRIL 6-8

Silicon Valley Comic-Con Silicon Valley, CA

18-19

IoT Tech Expo Global 2018 London

24-27

NAVITECH 2018 Moscow

7-8

18-19

20

24-25

STEMCON, Rosemont, IL

International Navigation Forum Moscow

30-May 3

30-May 4

9-11

14-17

USASEF Washington, D.C.

HOW Design Live Boston, MA

AI Expo-Global London

INTEROP ITX Las Vegas, NV

MAY 6-9

HLTH - The Future of Healthcare Las Vegas, NV

14- 16

5G North America/ Big Comm. Event Austin, TX

MJBizConNEXT New Orleans, LA

IoT World (KNECT 365 Series)

Santa Clara, CA

15-16

22-24

(Internet of Business)

Premier Connected Home Conference

Internet of Supply Chain Berlin, Germany

CONNECTIONS: San Franciso, CA

24-28

Space Tech Expo Pasadena, CA

JUNE 4-7

Sustainable Brands Vancouver, CAN

10-12

Women in Technology Summit San Jose, CA

26-27

Green Sports Alliance Summit Atlanta, GA

6-7

TU Automotive Show Detroit, MI

12-14

E3 Los Angeles, CA

6-7

Internet of Manufacturing Midwest (Internet of Business)

Chicago, IL

19-22

San Diego Comic-Con San Diego, CA

26-27

Internet of Health USA (Internet of Business)

Boston, MA

JULY 23-26

Outdoor Retailer Summer Market

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You can’t be everywhere and we understand that. If you feel like you’re missing out, stay tuned to our website and social channels for premier event coverage.

And make sure to look for us at USASEF, Sustainable Brands, and E3.

SPRING GIFT GUIDE INSPIRING ACTIVE PLAY

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Lighting & Irrigation Solutions by: ®

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coming next issue

Summer 2018 Tech Zone: California - In the tech world, California is most famously known for Silicon Valley. However, what if we told you that California as a whole had a booming tech community? In collaboration with California GoBiz, we’ll be looking at what makes the Golden State so perfect for the tech industry.

Gaming & Entertainment - In honor of E3 2018, we’ll be taking a look at the latest in gaming, including the recent boom of eSports and game streaming over the last few years. We’ll be featuring the latest news in the entertainment industry, including, of course, some exclusive interviews.

Outdoor Tech Takeover There’s no better time than summer to dive into all the latest outdoor tech. With Outdoor Retailer 2018 just around the corner, we’ll be bringing you the latest and greatest in outdoor gear. And you’re not going to want to miss athletes like Boston Celtics’ Gordon Hayward talking about the latest in sports and fitness tech.

Sustainability Today - With Sustainable Brands ‘18 heading to Vancouver this summer, we’ll be diving deep into the realm of sustainability, looking at how both businesses and individuals can work to be more environmentally friendly.

Section editor Alex Moersen will bring exclusive content from both experts and celebrities engaged in the hot topic of sustainability.

STEM Today - In a post-fact era, science education has never been more vital.

For this reason, STEM editor Anthony Elio will provide you with the latest in STEM education, including those celebrities you might not have known were involved in the sciences. Pick up the summer issue to learn more about the growing world of STEM.

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Getty Images/iStockphoto

© Entertainment Software Association

The Lighter Side

My Tech Obituaries

By Anthony Elio Throughout my life, I have ruined birthday parties, endings of movies, weddings, retirement parties, bar mitzvahs, awards ceremonies, bat mitzvahs, and personal relationships. However, I’ve also ruined a whole lot of technology. In this overly personal and somewhat superfluous piece, we take a look at the ever-expanding graveyard of technology that I have contributed to.

Laptop #1 (2009-2011)

Game Boy (1997-1999) I love two things in this world: playing Pokémon games and taking baths. Well, at the simple age of eight, the two happened to combine in disastrous fashion. I was finally on the verge of completing my Pokémon journey, cementing my place as the very best, like no one ever was. I even decided to draw myself a victory bath to prematurely celebrate my imminent championship. This turned disastrous, as the Game Boy subsequently slipped out of my hand, destroying the console and teaching me never to try accomplishing anything ever again.

iPod Mini (2005-2006) Ahh, my very first iPod. While it had a good run, my first piece of Apple tech met its tragic end when I dropped it in the rain, clearly with the foresight that standalone music players would become a dying industry in the future. Now, keep in mind that the year was 2006, so the device was likely filled to the brim with such major hits as “Laffy Taffy” by D4L, “Dirty Little Secret” by The AllAmerican Rejects, and Bubba Sparxxx’s “Ms. New Booty”. Maybe this one was a blessing in disguise.

A few years ago, while walking home from my daily charity work, I noticed something strange out of the corner of my eye: a group of criminals harassing an elderly woman. Before they could get away with their dastardly deeds, I showed the hooligans a lesson, battling them off with my Toshiba laptop. While I had saved the woman (who was also holding three babies), my laptop was no match for the crowbar-wielding thugs, and was rendered unusable.

Well, at least that’s the story I’ve been telling people … I actually dropped this one in the bath too.

Photo: Usuario:House via wikimedia

Laptop #3 (2018)

Laptop #2 (2012-2017) Pretty sure I put a slice of bologna in the CD drive on a dare.

Getty Images/iStockphoto

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Getty Images/iStockphoto

One day, while no doubt composing another one of my thought-provoking and transcendentally contemplative articles, I took a hearty drink and spilled all over my keyboard. While the computer works fine, it does have ^^^^^ a few minor ^^^ glitch6es that just take+++a little getting used to+