Blogs

Interview at Singularity Hub

Submitted by Federico Pistono on Tue, 08/14/2012 - 23:18

Singularity Hub features in their home page an interview with me. Go check it out ;)

Here's a 5 minute excerpt of the 1 hour long Google hangout.

Perestroika interview at Singularity University

Submitted by Federico Pistono on Tue, 07/17/2012 - 23:53

My good friend Tiago Mattos of Perestroika interviewed me on my book "Robots will steal your job, but that's OK", the future of jobs and society, art, creativity, passion, and the technological singularity. The interview took place at NASA Ames research center, during the Graduate Study Program at Singularity University.

Original post on Perestroika (Portuguese) http://www.perestroika.com.br/?p=2905

Interview at Singularity 1 on 1

Submitted by Federico Pistono on Tue, 06/12/2012 - 15:06

"Federico Pistono is perhaps the youngest guest I have ever had on Singularity 1 on 1. Despite that Federico is already a scientific educator, social activist, blogger and aspiring filmmaker. More recently, he is the author of a book called Robots Will Steal Your Job, But That's OK and an incoming student to Singularity University."

Thanks to Socrates for the interview:
http://www.singularityweblog.com/federico-pistono-robots-will-steal-your...

Book cover contest winner

Submitted by Federico Pistono on Wed, 06/06/2012 - 12:32

I like people. I like communities, I like the interactive process, I like the wisdom of crowds, and I love collaborations. You might have figured that out when I financed the book through a crowdfunding campaign, back in January 2012.

It should come as no surprise that for the book cover I decided to go with crowdsourcing. 99designs is pretty neat, and very simple. You set up a contest, describe what you want and how you want it, and designers from all around the world join in a friendly competition/collaboration, where they improve upon each others' ideas to create the best design, one that really fits you.

In just 7 days of contest I received 74 designs from 25 designers. The prize was set at $299, and it was won by a talented Mexican designer, who worked on 8 version before arriving at the final design, thus making him the winner.

As if that wasn't enough, I also relied on my facebook and twitter followers to decide upon the final two contestants, receiving more than 500 votes on the poll.

Another chapter of this collaborative experiment is finished, and there are more to come, before the final release of the book on November 5.

Thank you for helping out again, I hope you like the book cover!

I finished the book!

Submitted by Federico Pistono on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 11:25

It doesn't seem real, but it is it. I finally finished the book.

It's been quite a ride. Eight months of researching, studying, discussing, and writing. During this time I read hundreds of articles, scientific papers, dozens of books, and spoke with innumerable more people. As my first attempt, I know that in retrospect it will feel like a rough edit. Every time I wrote something, waited a bit, then went back reading it, I wanted to change, subtract, transform. Eventually I realised I had to stop and be content with what I had done.

Since I gave my resignation from my old job back in April, I moved to the Renewable Energy Park (PeR) in Umbria, a quiet off-the-grid place in the middle of the Umbrian forest, where was able to work on the book full time. I would split my days between working on the book and taking walks in the woods, thinking. I worked really hard to finish it on time, before leaving for Singularity University. I regularly worked 12 or more hours per day, non-stop, for weeks. I really felt in a state of flow, captivated by it. It's been a truly amazing experience.

I want to thank all of those who participated in this collaborative project. To my fans and followers on facebook and twitter, who inundated me with links from every corner. To my friends who gave me invaluable advices, helping me along the way. To all those who believed in me, and gave me the strength and confidence to endure, until the end. Thank you.

When will the book come out?

The book is now in the proofreading phase, after that I will take care of the formatting and printing. The first copies will be delivered to my IndieGoGo supporters as promised, possibly before the end of June.

The book will go on sale on November 5 2012. To keep up to date with the latest news, subscribe via twitter, facebook, or email.

As promised, it will be released under a Creative Commons License, specifically BY-NC-SA 3.0. For those waiting for the free version, I have a special surprise... stay tuned!