Insights March 18th, 2019

The EXPONENTIAL MINDS Executive Briefing on Time Travel, Robotic Airports and Living in VR articles aim to provide a broad reference on the ‘signals of change’ we can see that have the potential to change the world. This week we see quantum computing scientists turn back time, airport robot valets, and what happens when you live in VR for a week.

Russian Scientists Used a Quantum Computer to Turn Back Time

Russian scientists have apparently reversed the flow of time in an experiment they conducted on a quantum computer.
The finding is unlikely to lead to a time machine that would work on people. But the team of physicists managed to restore IBM’s public quantum computer to the state it had been in just a moment earlier, according to research published Wednesday in the journal Nature Scientific Reports — a nuanced result, but one that could have striking implications for the future of computing, quantum physics, and our understanding of time itself.
“We have artificially created a state that evolves in a direction opposite to that of the thermodynamic arrow of time,” Gordey Lesovik, a quantum physicist from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology who led the research project, said in a university-published press release.

Read more at Futurism
Nikolas’ thoughts – QC is the wild west of computing. Take any media-fuelled claims of progress with a grain of salt and watch from the sidelines on the R&D that’s being undertaken. Listen to what academics are saying.

Robot valets are now parking cars in one of France’s busiest airports

Next time you head to the airport in France there might be a robot waiting to pick up your car. French firm Stanley Robotics has been trialling its self-driving robot valets for a few years, and this week started its first full-time service at France’s Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport.

The system works like this. Customers park their cars in special hangars where the vehicles are scanned to confirm their make and model. Then, one of Stanley’s robots — which are essentially self-driving forklifts named “Stan” — drives in, slides a platform underneath the vehicle, lifts it up, and carries it away and parks it.

Read more at The Verge
Nikolas’ thoughts – I had the pleasure to work with Vancouver International Airport on their YVR 2037 initiative a couple of years ago. This is the kind of innovation I spoke of when considering innovation in the Airport business.

I spent a week in a VR headset, here’s what happened

On February 20th, 2019 we put a guy in a headset for 168 hours.

Nikolas’ thoughts – We are already seeing many people use smart phones and gaming systems for many hours each day so it’s very likely some will choose to live their lives a la Ready Player One. The likely side affects will be physical – eye strain and burnout – and mental – a complete dislocation from the real world, digital dementia, and potentially PTSD from harrowing moments experienced and isolation. We should advise our children carefully. Do read Nikolas’ primer on VR in ‘From Rectangles to Reality’.

Read some of Nikolas’ other briefings and posts below below:

Executive Briefing on Waymo, Flying Cars, and Psychedelics

Climate Briefing – Creating Artificial Climates

3 Futurist Keynotes for Canada

Executive Briefing on Time Travel, Robotic Airports and Living in VR

Russian Scientists Used a Quantum Computer to Turn Back Time

Robot valets are now parking cars in one of France’s busiest airports

I spent a week in a VR headset, here’s what happened

Nikolas Badminton

Facing Our Futures selected as JP Morgan’s 2023 “Next Gen Pick”

Of Snake Oil Salesmen and New Tech Evangelists