In the first half, aerospace and defense systems developer Sir Charles Shults shared updates on the latest advances in robotics, artificial intelligence, and brain implants. Interfaces that plug into the human brain have already been demonstrated, but on the horizon is the ability to copy the contents of the human brain, he reported. This potentially could be used to upload, modify or erase memories on demand and provide interfaces to world systems, he said. "You could learn skills in a matter of hours instead of studying for weeks or years," he marveled. Further, it's been suggested "that you could be put into a neural interface system and you could experience something 20 times faster than you would in reality," he added.
These techniques have the potential to make lives better. For instance, workers could avoid dangerous environments by donning avatar suits that meld the wearer with a machine, or surgeons might go through a patient's bloodstream at a microscopic level. But one of the dark sides to this technology is how criminals might employ it if they gain access. "What happens if they can put on a virtual body and commit physical crimes and not be identified or traced?" he pondered. Regarding developments in AI, we may become overly dependent on them, as we have with past advancements, but it will be up to individuals to maintain their freedom, he suggested. By combining AI with biological robots, we'll have whole new worlds to explore of complexity and possibilities, he added.
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Susan Slaughter is a paranormal investigator whose work can be seen on series like Syfy's Ghost Hunters International, and Dark Zone TV. For the past 16 years, she has investigated supernatural phenomena in over 30 countries, and through her research, she has developed a keen understanding of the spirit realm. In the latter half, she talked about her paranormal experiences and investigations and her work with spiritualism and magick. "The majority of the ghosts we encounter in haunted locations, I believe to be recordings of sorts within the atmosphere," she explained. Such phenomena hold a bit of intelligence and seem to be sparked by a memory playing over and over again, she continued, but she doesn't consider it to be the equivalent of an intelligent human spirit.
There are also non-human entities out there, who are sentient and intelligent, but don't necessarily exist within a physical form but live within the electromagnetic spectrum and can travel with light, she reported. Tangible evidence has come from video and audio recordings of such things as apparitions and voices, and to Slaughter, this validates various types of phenomena. She also talked about her work conducting seances and how sometimes her body has served as a channel for spirits to come through. One of her favorite rituals involves creating bundles made up of her desired intentions written on pages along with offerings like frankincense and myrrh. She then sets fire to the bundle over a cauldron to alchemize and release the intentions.
News segment guests: Christian Wilde, Jeff Nelken