Lifeboat Foundation

In a step towards creating a new class of electronics that look and feel like soft, natural organisms, mechanical engineers at Carnegie Mellon University are developing a fluidic transistor out of a metal alloy of indium and gallium that is liquid at room temperature. From biocompatible disease monitors to shape-shifting robots, the potential applications for such squishy computers are intriguing.

Until recently, the only example of liquid electronics were microswitches made up of tiny glass tubes with a bead of mercury inside that closes the switch when it rolls between two wires. Essentially, the fluidic transistor is a much more sophisticated switch that’s made of a liquid metal alloy that is non-toxic, so it can be infused into rubber to create soft, stretchable circuits.

Unlike the mercury switch, where tilting the vial closes the circuit, the fluidic transistor works by opening and closing the connection between metal droplets using the direction of the voltage. When it flows in one direction, the droplets combine and the circuit closes. If it flows the other way, the droplet splits and the circuit opens.

Continue reading “Transistor breakthrough brings liquid computers closer to reality” »

Tech folks are a little antsy about the whole death thing. They’re putting money behind DNA ‘hacking,’ organ printing and tiny robots that might kill what ails you.

“The humanoid robot market will grow from $320.3 million this year to $3.9 billion in 2023,”

The consumer market is definitely there, but you have to deliver a robot that can do practical things. For people working on robots out there. Right Now, I would just sit and focus on a robot that can move around an average kitchen, and make the most basic of meals; show that it can be done, and be sold for a reasonable price, that would be Phase 1. Phase 2 would be rigging up the cooking robot to be able to at least clean an kitchen and a bathroom, eventually an entire house. Phase 3 would be rigging up the cooking/cleaning robot to be able to do basic landscaping tasks. At that point i believe every household in America would want one. Phase 4 would be rigging it with niche entertainment features, and rigging it with the human level AI that turns up around 2029.

Greater interest from manufacturing, medicine, and retail will drive robotics growth for the next five years.

Continue reading “Humanoid robot market to double by 2023, industrial robotics to hit $72B” »

Dr. Aubrey de Grey is in the news again, this time he appears on CBS talking about the recent interest in blood plasma as a possible way to combat age-related diseases. To find out more about the work he and the SENS Research Foundation are doing check out www.sens.org

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Blood has always been known as “the Gift of Life” and a growing number of Bay Area researchers are currently trying to isolate a factor in blood that may turn back the hands of time.

“We don’t know how soon we’re going to defeat aging,” proclaimed Aubrey de Grey. “We should be able to keep people truly in a youthful state of health, no matter how long they live and that means the risk of death will not rise.”

Continue reading “Could Blood Plasma Be The Fountain Of Youth?” »

One concern some people have about bringing aging under medical control is that it might create an immortal Gerontocracy controlling society.

As I discussed in another article, rejuvenation biotechnology would allow older adults to continue working and producing wealth for much longer than they can today, thus benefiting society in many ways.

However, some people are concerned that this might do more harm than good; imagine all those rejuvenated old farts holding onto their jobs forever, preventing the young from getting jobs themselves! Not to mention the risk of a gerontocratic world, where powerful older people get a touch too attached to their chairs, never allowing younger people a chance!

Changes to the microbiome in the gut may explain why related conditions are linked to different risk levels and types of gastric tumors, according to a new study.

What are the microbiota and microbiome?

The microbiota is an “ecological community of commensal, symbiotic and pathogenic microorganisms” found in and on all multicellular organisms. A microbiota includes various bacteria, archaea, protists, fungi, and viruses. The microbiota has been found to be crucial for the immunologic, hormonal and metabolic balance (homeostasis) of its host.

“Scientists are hopeful that the approach could offer new ways to understand – and even one day tackle – certain human genetic diseases by correcting mutations in a patient’s body.”

Fresh DNA base editing breakthrough brings hope of potential treatment for huge number of diseases that arise as a result of a single genetic ‘misspelling’.

Manipulating mitochondrial networks inside cells may increase lifespan and promote health, according to a new study.

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This film “Cyborgs Among Us” that has a segment on my #transhumanism work (as well as many others in our community) has its #Dutch premier on Nov 10 in a major international science film festival. Go see it if you can!

Imagine having a sixth sense! These are the first cyborgs that transcend the boundaries of human possibility and spark the debate about the technological evolution of mankind. Cyborgs Among Us offers insight into how technology can become part of us and the social and ethical implications associated with it.

Continue reading “Cyborgs Among Us” »