Lifeboat Foundation

A new publication released today in The EMBO Journal identified a key protein in the molecular mechanism triggering neurogenesis in the hippocampus. They found that tight regulation of Yap1 activity is essential as dysregulation can cause tissue disruption seen in the early stages of brain cancer.

Neurogenesis is the process by which new neurons are produced by neural stem cells (NSCs) in the brain. Neurogenesis is a crucial process in embryo development, but it also continues in some brain regions after birth and all throughout adulthood. In adulthood, neurogenesis is mainly responsible for brain plasticity.

In the adult hippocampus, a brain area responsible for memory and learning, most stem cells are held at quiescence. This reversible pause protects stem cells against damage and controls the rate of neurogenesis. When necessary, the stem cells can be taken off this pause to undergo activation. The mechanisms controlling quiescence and activation are still not fully understood.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an experimental treatment strategy which uses an implanted device to help patients with severe depression who have reached a point where no other treatment works.

But despite her involvement in the DBS collaboration, which involves neuroscientists, neurosurgeons, electrophysiologists, engineers and computer scientists, neurologist Helen Mayberg does not see it as a long-term solution.

“I hope I live long enough to see that people won’t require a hole in their brain and a device implanted in this way,” she says. “I often have a nightmare with my tombstone that kind of reads like, what did she think she was doing?”

The traditional diagram showed brain regions linked to specific body parts, but we might also have areas connected to whole-body control.

In a resort in Jamaica, athletes are finding solutions that Western medicine has missed.

A new report published Friday on ESPN

The mushrooms and therapy sessions are provided in Jamaica in the Good Hope Estate, a sugar plantation turned exclusive resort that claims to help those that prescription medication cannot.

Researchers discover a mechanism used by neurons to repair damage that occurs during neuronal activity.

Donald Hoffman interview on spacetime, consciousness, and how biological fitness conceals reality. We discuss Nima Arkani-Hamed’s Amplituhedron, decorated permutations, evolution, and the unlimited intelligence.

The Amplituhedron is a static, monolithic, geometric object with many dimensions. Its volume codes for amplitudes of particle interactions & its structure codes for locality and unitarity. Decorated permutations are the deepest core from which the Amplituhedron gets its structure. There are no dynamics, they are monoliths as in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Continue reading “Exposing the Strange Blueprint Behind ‘Reality’ (Donald Hoffman Interview)” »

After a few weeks of hard work and dedication, Cyberlife is now completely available to the public. This new webzine will be primarily focused on showcasing the culture of transhumanism, a philosophical and scientific movement that has been gaining momentum over the past few years. Here, you can turn your brain off for an hour at a time to read about the newest trends, listen to music, and admire the artistic talent of our staff members. We are still looking for more people to contribute, so here is a short list of what we are looking for:

Literature: Cyberlife does support the literary arts and this is how we do it. If you have some random short stories lying around that you have never published, submit them to us. We would love to read some short fiction that relates to transhumanism in some way. We do ask that you limit the piece to 10 pages so it doesn’t break the site. We will accept works that are explicit, but keep the eroticism to a minimum. Once again, make it tasteful.

Articles: We are still looking for authors that focus on articles and op-ed pieces. We are looking for people that have knowledge on these subjects:

The brain’s processing of reading is fascinating.

Reading is a fascinating process that engages many regions of our brain. We all know it’s an essential skill, but did you know that reading is like weightlifting for our minds? The more we read, the stronger our neural connections become, and the better we get at it. But what happens in our brains when we read? Scientists have been trying to answer this question for years, and a new study has finally shed some light on the matter.

A groundbreaking study led by neuroscientist Oscar Woolnough from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston shed new light on how our brains process language. According to the research, two distinct brain networks get activated while reading.

Among the biggest environmental problems of our time, micro-and nanoplastic particles (MNPs) can enter the body in various ways, including through food. And now for the first time, research conducted at MedUni Vienna has shown how these minute particles manage to breach the blood-brain barrier and as a consequence penetrate the brain. The newly discovered mechanism provides the basis for further research to protect humans and the environment.

Published in the journal Nanomaterials, the study was carried out in an animal model with oral administration of MNPs, in this case polystyrene, a widely-used plastic which is also found in food packaging. Led by Lukas Kenner (Department of Pathology at MedUni Vienna and Department of Laboratory Animal Pathology at Vetmeduni) and Oldamur Hollóczki (Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Debrecen, Hungary) the research team was able to determine that tiny polystyrene particles could be detected in the brain just two hours after ingestion.

The mechanism that enabled them to breach the blood-brain barrier was previously unknown to medical science. “With the help of computer models, we discovered that a certain surface structure (biomolecular corona) was crucial in enabling plastic particles to pass into the brain,” Oldamur Hollóczki explained.