Journalist Douglas Mulhall and 'historian of the future,' Charles Ostman addressed ways in which nanotechnology and other cutting edge approaches can be used to protect and evolve human existence. Mulhall, who appeared first, noted that the St. Louis area (where the New Madrid fault is located) is possibly due for a huge quake, and that buildings aren't prepared for it. New nanotech applications in aerogel products could be placed in walls and windows, allowing them to withstand a powerful quake or tornado, he detailed.

Dangers from space, such as life-killing gamma rays also need to considered, said Mulhall, who advocated developing space programs with the eventual goal of propagating our species off world, so its continuance could be assured in the event of such a cataclysm. Ostman, who appeared during the last two hours, enthused over new brain research. He is particularly interested in developments occurring at the boundary between biophysics, quantum physics and consciousness. In this new frontier, the "quantum artifacts" of consciousness might be harnessed for both personal and planetary enhancement, he said.

In terms of economical energy sources, Ostman outlined how we could genetically modify microbes that produce methane in the ocean in order to harvest vast amounts of hydrogen. Mulhall shared a different method towards energy self sufficiency-- laying out a huge array of next-generation photovoltaic cells across Nevada.

Bumper Music

Bumper music from Monday February 27, 2006