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Category: biotech/medical – Page 4

Cow D lived on a dairy farm in New Zealand. The animal looked like the typical black-and-white cow farmers raise for milk, except for one thing: Researchers had outfitted Cow D with an artificial fistula—a hole offering them a way to reach the microbes inhabiting the animal’s bathtub-size stomach. But it’s what happened next that offers a porthole into the global debate over the use of genetic data.

In the spring of 2009, Samantha Noel, then a doctoral researcher at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand, reached into Cow D’s rumen and plucked out a strain of Lachnospiraceae bacterium, later dubbed ND2006. Another team of geneticists sequenced the microbe’s complete set of genes, or genome, and uploaded the information, which was then shared with GenBank, a public database run by the US National Institutes of Health. If genes are the book of life, then this process was like adding a digital copy to an online library. In policy circles, these lines of code go by another name: digital sequence information, or DSI.

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The future of warfare starts in your mind. Understand how Neuroscience, Technology/AI and the OODA loop affects your flow. The world is changing, and cognitive warfare is at the forefront. In our latest podcast episode, we sit down with James Giordano, PhD, a Navy veteran and an expert in neurocognitive science, to delve into the world of cognitive warfare.
Stay in the Loop: https://www.aglx.com/newsletter-signup-north-america.
From the impact of emotions on decision-making to the integration of artificial intelligence and human cognition, this episode challenges your perspective on the battlefield. Join us as we explore the ethical implications of genetic modifications, the transformative effects of psychedelics, and the complexities of data usage in the digital age. Get ready to reimagine the relationship between technology, culture, and language. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gain valuable insights from our thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Giordano. Tune in now to stay ahead of the curve on the evolving landscape of warfare!

00:00 — Understanding the OODA loop: A Neuroscience Perspective.
09:11 — Exploring Fifth Generation Warfare and Liminal Warfare.
16:06 — The Long Game: China’s Strategic Plan.
22:19 — Understanding Cognitive Warfare and Human-Machine Teaming.
25:52 — The Evolution of Human-Machine Teaming.
29:11 — Human Involvement in AI Decision Making.
36:01 — The Ethics of Paternalistic AI Systems.
40:43 — Technology’s Impact on Cognitive Engagement.
45:13 — Exploring Technologies for Human Performance Enhancement.
55:59 — Diving Into Attacking Mode and Ethics.
56:24 — Hacking the Human Genome.
59:37 — Epigenetic Modification and Phenotypic Shift.
1:04:54 — The Psychedelic Revolution.
1:11:18 — Revisiting Alcohol and Caffeine: Benefits and Burdens.
1:19:18 — Impact of Technology on Cognitive Capacity.
1:23:33 — Information Overload and Burdens.
1:27:02 — Ownership and Security of Personal Data.
1:31:56 — Identifying Predispositional Traits.
1:33:49 — Data Manipulation and Biometrics.
1:40:13 — Cultural Impact of Technology.
1:48:55 — The Role of Education in Integrating Science, Technology, Ethics, and Policy.
1:54:30 — Major Threats and Concerns in Today’s World.

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Summary: A new brain-computer interface (BCI) has enabled a paralyzed man to control a robotic arm by simply imagining movements. Unlike previous BCIs, which lasted only a few days, this AI-enhanced device worked reliably for seven months. The AI model adapts to natural shifts in brain activity, maintaining accuracy over time.

After training with a virtual arm, the participant successfully grasped, moved, and manipulated real-world objects. The technology represents a major step toward restoring movement for people with paralysis. Researchers are now refining the system for smoother operation and testing its use in home settings.

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In IDB, macrophages, a type of immune cell begins producing excessive levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These proteins then stick to macrophage receptors which triggers them to produce even more of this inflammatory protein. But UC San Diego researchers can break that cycle with a microrobot.

In previous experiments, UC San Diego researchers delivered drugs with microrobots, most notably in the lungs, and succeeded in minimizing the drug’s side effects. For the IBD study, however, they didn’t even need to use a drug.

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Scientists have long been racking their brains for ways to treat Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia.

Turns out that the answer may lie within our own brains. Researchers from Northwestern University suggest that enhancing the brain’s immune cells may better equip them to clear out harmful clumps of the toxic protein amyloid beta, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.

“Our study is highly novel because we had the rare opportunity to analyze one of the largest post-mortem brain cohorts of Alzheimer’s patients treated with amyloid-targeting drugs — similar to those now approved by the FDA for Alzheimer’s disease,” lead author Lynn van Olst said.

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Dr Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes is a Philosopher of Mind and Metaphysics who specializes in the thought of Whitehead, Nietzsche, Bergson, and Spinoza—and in fields pertaining to panpsychism, pantheism, mental causation, and altered states of consciousness. He is a lecturer at The University of Exeter. Peter is the author of Noumenautics (2015), Modes of Sentience (2021), co-editor and contributor of Bloomsbury’s Philosophy and Psychedelics (2022), the TEDx Talker on ‘psychedelics and consciousness’, and he is inspiration to the recreation of inhuman philosopher Marvel Superhero, Karnak.

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 — Introduction.
1:00 — The Mind-Body Problem.
4:00 — Idealism vs Panpsychism.
6:45 — Defining Consciousness.
15:30 — Spinozism & Whiteheadian Panpsychism.
19:30 — Kastrup’s Analytic Idealism.
24:07 — Naïve Realism.
29:30 — Huxley, James, Whitehead, Nietzsche, Spinoza, Schopenhauer, Bergson & Kant.
35:15 — What is the Philosophy of Psychedelics?
41:38 — Evidence of Psychedelic Research.
45:35 — Psychedelics & Consciousness.
53:10 — Defining Psychedelics.
59:50 — Metaphysical Shifts & Consensus Reality.
1:04:30 — Peter’s most Psychoactive Experience.
1:09:40 — Psychedelic Research Criticism.
1:13:14 — From Therapeutics to Metaphysics.
1:16:18 — Mind At Large & Exogenous Mind Theory.
1:23:08 — Free Will.
1:27:40 — Panpsychisms.
1:35:40 — Peter’s Philosophical Heroes.
1:40:02 — Final Thoughts.
1:41:10 — Conclusion.

EPISODE LINKS:
Peter’s Lecture: • A Synopsis of Spinoza’s Metaphysics |…
Peter’s Website: https://www.philosopher.eu/
Peter’s X: / petersjostedth.
Peter’s Instagram: / petersjostedth.
Peter’s LinkedIn: / dr-peter-sjöstedt-hughes-2b7a2927
Peter’s BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/petersjosted…
Peter’s YouTube: / @ontologistics.
Peter’s Analytic Idealism Critique: https://www.feedyourhead.blog/p/fligh…

CONNECT:

Continue reading “Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes: What is Exogenous Mind Theory? Metaphysics, Psychedelics, & Mind At Large” | >

We thought we knew the human body — but a new organ has been officially discovered.

In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have officially classified the mesentery—a structure in the digestive system—as a distinct human organ.

Previously thought to be a fragmented and insignificant part of the abdominal cavity, new research reveals that the mesentery is actually a continuous structure that plays a crucial role in holding the intestines in place.

This reclassification, led by J Calvin Coffey from the University Hospital Limerick in Ireland, has been recognized in medical textbooks like Gray’s Anatomy and is now being taught to medical students. While its precise function remains unclear, studying this newly recognized organ could lead to breakthroughs in understanding and treating abdominal and digestive diseases.

The mesentery’s discovery marks the beginning of a new medical field—mesenteric science—which aims to uncover its role in human health. Researchers believe that a deeper understanding of its functions will help identify diseases linked to abnormal mesenteric activity. This revelation reminds us that, despite advances in science, there is still much to learn about our own bodies. With further research, the mesentery could hold key insights into improving gastrointestinal health and developing innovative treatments for abdominal disorders.

Continue reading “The mesentery: structure, function, and role in disease” | >

A new structural blueprint paves the way for improved targeting of cancer cells, particularly those with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. DNA repair proteins function as the body’s molecular editors, continuously identifying and correcting damage to our genetic code. A longstanding challenge in cancer research has been understanding how cancer cells exploit one such protein—polymerase theta (Pol-theta)—to support their survival. Now, scientists at Scripps Research have captured the first high-resolution images of Pol-theta in action, shedding light on its role in cancer development.

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Superlongevity via epigenetic reprogramming. 🏆

Life Biosciences:

“If the FDA approves its application, the company will repeat the methods from the mouse and monkey experiments, Rosenzweig-Lipson said. Scientists will inject volunteers’ eyes with Yamanaka factors that can be turned off or on with the antibiotic doxycycline, Rosenzweig-Lipson said. The hope is that the cells in people’s damaged optic nerves will grow more youthful at an epigenetic level, and their vision will improve.”

Can reprogramming our genes make us young again? A breakthrough in longevity research may be nearing its first human trials.

Continue reading “Inside the scientific quest to reverse human aging” | >