This ‘folding car’ from MIT Media Lab could change the way we travel in cities.

BMW announced their ConnectedDrive Connect (CDC) semi-autonomous driving system in August. This clip is in German, but it shows relaxed engineers taking their hands off the steering wheel and letting the car drive itself. CDC works on pre-mapped highways by pinpointing the car’s position and the location of surrounding objects. Once everything has been determined, CDC controls the braking and acceleration like an advanced cruise control system.

When the car senses it is behind a slowpoke, it looks for an open lane where it can safely merge at speeds up to 130 km/h (81 mph). If an opening is found, the system will steer the vehicle into that lane, pass the slower vehicle and return to its original lane.
As Dr. Nico Kaempchen explains, “Our main challenge was to develop algorithms that can handle entirely new situations. In principal, the system works on all freeways that we have mapped out beforehand with [a] centimeter accuracy.” He goes on to say CDC ensures the car “adheres to all traffic laws” and sticks to the speed limit.

In his new book, “Freedom of Religion and the Secular State”, Russell Blackford argues that religious freedom is more than a crude quid pro quo arrangement - “We won’t persecute you if you don’t persecute us.” Instead, it goes to the heart of what we think state power is really for. Do we think it’s to give citizens spiritual guidance, or is the state an essentially secular institution? That question lies at the heart of many intransigent
hot-button issues that cause so much angst in current societies. What, if anything, should we do about the burqa? Should anti-religious satire be allowed? Should our laws enforce religious notions of morality - as with abortion restrictions, attacks on gay rights, and opposition to stem-cell research? Dr. Blackford proposes a way ahead that should be acceptable to most religious people, as well as to non-believers.

LUCID NYC is like TED at a Bar… Jason Silva speaking at LUCID NYC, which he describes as “like TED at a bar” - he talks about inspiration, techno-rapture, the mind-expanding aspects of technology and rapturous AWE.

A longer, healthier life is positive for the whole society, and a catalyst for non-violence. This speech by Didier Coeurnelle gives a quick description of positive political, economical and sociological aspects of a world with a largely delayed senescence: lower health costs, lower level of violence, higher level of happiness.

Best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell discusses America’s dramatically changing notions of wealth and income inequality since the mid-20th century.

Rick Falkvinge, Founder of Pirate Party movement, honored as Top Global Thinker / IT entrepreneur, is interviewed about the Swedish Pirate Party and its influence in other European countries and the SOPA legislation.

Naomi Wolf says third wave feminism is far more pluralistic about sexuality and personal expression.

Current TV’s Jason Silva, the director of the documentary - “Turning into Gods” -  interviewed by Reason’s Zach Weissmueller.  Silva looks at how technological progress allows humans to direct their own evolution.

We’ve looked into the future, and it’s dark. Increasingly, we’ve lost a progressive view of our future. Instead of seeing promise and lives made better by technology, we’re seeing lives filled with cyborgs and an uninhabitable society. Should we be afraid? Or are we being unnecessarily pessimistic? TVO’s The Agenda invited science fiction authors Robert Sawyer and Madeline Ashby, internet critic Jesse Hirsh, and the IEET’s James Hughes to address these topics.