Lifeboat Foundation

If it becomes possible to make dozens of changes to DNA, future generations could live much longer before they succumb to diseases of old age such as cancer.

By Yvaine Ye

The cleaner wrasse is only the size of a human finger but it has become the first fish ever to pass the mirror test – a classic experiment used to gauge self-awareness in animals.

Until now, only relatively intelligent animals – including apes, dolphins, elephants and magpies – have passed the test, which demonstrates whether an individual can recognise itself. But in 2016, two manta rays were filmed checking out their reflections in a mirror in a fish tank, suggesting that fish may be able to …

Continue reading “A species of fish has passed the mirror test for the first time” »

Are we human?

This video is part of the online course in the Philosophy of “The Posthuman”, Lesson n. 1, by Dr. Francesca Ferrando (NYU)

Continue reading “What does ‘POSTHUMAN’ mean? Dr. Ferrando (NYU) — Course ‘The Posthuman’ Lesson n. 1” »

What does all this mean? How can one company do all that?

I recently spoke with Ginkgo Bioworks co-founders Tom Knight and Jason Kelly about the future of manufacturing and how the secrets of biology will be the secrets to unlocking the next Industrial Revolution.

Arctic sea ice isn’t just threatened by the melting of ice around its edges, a new study has found: Warmer water that originated hundreds of miles away has penetrated deep into the interior of the Arctic.

That “archived” heat, currently trapped below the surface, has the potential to melt the region’s entire sea-ice pack if it reaches the surface, researchers say.

The study appears online Aug. 29 in the journal Science Advances.

Stars don’t stay the same throughout their life, and the Sun is no exception. Here’s what’s going on.

“It’s the first time that humans have ever had the ability to send money around the world globally without anyone being able to stop it,” he said. “You can argue that it’s the first time in our history that we have real censorship resistance.”

Gladstein feels we’re at a crossroads as a society—we’ll either go down a centralized path where our interactions are surveilled and censored, or we’ll go down a decentralized one that preserves our essential freedoms and rights.

Technology’s role is somewhat paradoxical in this crossroads; some forms can serve as a tool of control for governments or companies, while other forms put more power in the hands of citizens.

Continue reading “How Cryptocurrencies Can Influence the Future of Freedom” »

A team of young Japanese engineers is developing a flying car with the goal of launching it in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The futuristic vehicle – dubbed Skydrive – is fitted with three wheels, a motor and four rotors, enabling it to take off and land vertically from public roads without the need of a runway.

Measuring only 9.5 feet by 4.3 feet, Skydrive claims to be the world’s smallest flying car, with a target top flight speed of 62 mph, while travelling up to 32 feet above the ground.

Continue reading “Japanese engineers say their flying cars will be in the air by the Tokyo Olympics” »

Researchers have discovered how to snap spaghetti sticks without sending bits of pasta flying.