A universe of self-replicating code
What we’re missing now, on another level, is not just biology, but cosmology. People treat the digital universe as some sort of metaphor, just a cute word for all these products. The universe of Apple, the universe of Google, the universe of Facebook, that these collectively constitute the digital universe, and we can only see [...]
Categories: Biotech, Computers/Infotech/UI, Internet/Telecom, Social/Ethical/Legal Tags: blog
A super-memory smart drug?
Could this be the “Limitless” breakthrough we’ve been looking for? Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) have discovered that when the activity of PKR — a molecule normally elevated during viral infections — is inhibited in the brain, mice learn and remember dramatically better. “The molecule PKR (the double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase) was originally [...]
Categories: Biomed/Longevity, Biotech, Cognitive Science/Neuroscience, Social Networking/Web/Education Tags: blog
Changes in bioelectric signals trigger formation of new organs; regenerative medicine implications
In a major discovery, biologists at Tufts University were able to cause tissue to grow a new organ by simply altering the membrane voltage gradients of cells: they caused tadpoles to grow eyes outside of the head area. These findings break new ground in the field of biomedicine because they identify an entirely new control [...]
Categories: Biomed/Longevity, Biotech Tags: blog
random | Bots gone wild
Introducing random — a new, occasional blog category for stuff that’s way too weird for our regular weird posts. Like these wacky robot stories: Wanna take a ride on a 15-foot-long inflatable walking robot named Ant-Roach (as in anteater-cockroach)? Um, maybe not, but hey, “human safe” bots are not a bad idea, especially if you [...]
Categories: AI/Robotics, Biotech, Physics/Cosmology, random, Social/Ethical/Legal, Survival/Defense Tags: blog
Let’s tell everyone how to make a virus that could kill millions!
Here’s an idea: why don’t we just tell everybody in the world how to make an airborne H5N1 influenza virus strain (“bird flu”) that has been genetically altered to be easily transmissible (between ferrets, which mostly closely mimic the human response to flu), and which if released, could trigger an influenza pandemic, quite possibly with [...]
Categories: Biotech, Social/Ethical/Legal, Survival/Defense Tags: blog
How to synthesize a new kind of yeast cell — or person
Scientists, in theory, could one day create whole new lifeforms, going way beyond simple cloning, new research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine suggests. The scientists have now replaced the DNA in a yeast chromosome with computer-designed, synthetically produced DNA (structurally distinct from its original DNA), producing a healthy yeast cell. So perhaps one [...]
Tiny bugs are controlling your mind!
Before you take another probiotic cap, you may want to read this. Yet another study at McMaster University in Canada suggests that gut bacteria might be able to alter your brain chemistry and change your mood and behavior, reports Science NOW. We reported on earlier research on gut bacteria at McMaster University and at Ohio State [...]
Categories: Biotech, Cognitive Science/Neuroscience Tags: blog
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
At last, a potential worthy successor to Limitless. Rise of the Planet of the Apes, opening Friday August 5, is a prequel to Planet of the Apes — a reality-based cautionary tale and science fiction/science fact blend. Genetic engineering experiments lead to the development of intelligence in apes and the onset of a war for [...]
Categories: Biotech, Cognitive Science/Neuroscience, In The News Tags: blog
Molecular cut and paste
A combination of cheap DNA synthesis, freely accessible databases, and our ever-expanding knowledge of protein science is conspiring to permit a revolution in creating powerful molecular tools, suggests William McEwan, Ph.D., a virologist at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, U.K., in this excerpt from the new book Future Science: Essays From The Cutting Edge, edited [...]
Categories: Biotech, In The News, Synthetic Biology Tags: blog
The Singularity is Far: A Neuroscientist’s View
David J. Linden is the author of a new book, The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good. He is a Professor of Neuroscience at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Chief Editor of the Journal of Neurophysiology. It should [...]
Categories: AI/Robotics, Biotech, Cognitive Science/Neuroscience, Nanotech/Materials Science, Singularity/Futures, VR/Augmented Reality/Computer Graphics Tags: blog




