Biotech/medical – Lifeboat News: The Blog

Jul 13
2015

Interconnected Rat Brains Create Organic Computer

Scientists have been experimenting with brain-to-brain interfaces for years. Miguel Nicolelis, a neurobiologist at Duke University Medical Center, has created a “Brainet” or a network of interconnected brains with four rats. With electrodes implanted directly in the cortex rodents exchange information to create an organic computing device. Collectively, they were able to solve computational problems including image processing, storing and recalling information and even predicting precipitation.

Read the full story by Mona Lalwani at Engadget

Jul 12
2015

What’s Involved In World’s First Head Transplant?

A patient’s set to undergo the world’s first head transplant. Here’s what’s involved. Read more: http://bit.ly/1FYP4Ep.

Jul 10
2015

How Microsoft will radically transform the medical industry

VIDEO: This will change the medical industry.

Jul 9
2015

Google Ventures and the Search for Immortality

Bill Maris has $425 million to invest this year, and the freedom to invest it however he wants. He’s looking for companies that will slow aging, reverse disease, and extend life.

Jul 6
2015

Construction Project of the Day: Dubai is 3D-Printing an Entire Building

We’ve seen 3D-printed cars and even 3D-printed body organs, but now the city of Dubai plans to use the technology to create an entire office building. Because they are always trying to one-up themselves. Dubai is known around the world for its over-the-top architecture, extreme stunts and attention-grabbing New Year’s Eve light shows.

Jul 2
2015

Bioengineers develop highly elastic biomaterial for better wound healing

A team of bioengineers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), led by Ali Khademhosseini, PhD, and Nasim Annabi, PhD, of the Biomedical Engineering Division, has developed a new protein-based gel that, when exposed to light, mimics many of the properties of elastic tissue, such as skin and blood vessels. …

Jul 2
2015

World’s first ‘feeling’ prosthetic leg revealed

Austrian researchers develop artificial limb which can solve problem of phantom pain.

Jun 30
2015

‘Microswimmer’ robots to drill through blocked arteries within four years

Drexel’s microswimmer robots (bottom) are modeled, in form and motion, after spiral-shaped Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria (top), which cause Lyme Disease (credit: Drexel University)

Jun 29
2015

The Crazy Science Behind Self/less’ Consciousness Transfer

In the new movie Self/Less, Ben Kingsley is dying of cancer, so he gets his mind placed into a younger body—that of Ryan Reynolds. You’ve seen this kind of “re-sleeving” before in novels like Altered Carbon, but is it scientifically possible? Here’s a brand new exclusive featurette that says… maybe.

Jun 29
2015

Africa Is Going To Be Polio-Free Soon

After years of frustrating pushback, Africa may soon be able to declare itself polio-free.

The disease that affects mostly children under 5 and can lead to irreversible paralysis, has been all but wiped out in Africa — except for in Nigeria. There, religious leaders often interfered with vaccination campaigns, but thanks to increased efforts, the country hasnât seen a new polio case since July of last year, NPRâs Goats and Soda reported.