Lifeboat Foundation

Summary: Recent studies have explored the use of psychedelics for the treatment of a range of mental health disorders. A new study reveals more insightful and mystical “trips” while exposed to psychedelics may be linked to an enduring reduction of symptoms for those with anxiety and depression.

Source: Ohio State University.

A more mystical and insightful psychedelic drug experience may be linked to an enduring reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms, according to a new study.

Optogenetic control of neural activity in the deep brain is achieved without intracranial surgery using ChRmine.

Ben Goertzel in response to some common objections covered in an article on io9 by George Dvorsky ‘You’ll Probably Never Upload Your Mind Into A Computer’: http://io9.com/you-ll-probably-never-upload-your-mind-into-a-computer-474941498

Objections are covered in order as they appear in the article:
1. Brain functions are not computable.
2. We’ll never solve the hard problem of consciousness.
3. We’ll never solve the binding problem.
4. Panpsychism is true.
5. Mind-body dualism is true.
6. It would be unethical to develop.
7. We can never be sure it works.
8. Uploaded minds would be vulnerable to hacking and abuse.

Continue reading “Ben Goertzel — Countering Objections to Mind Uploading” »

Blurring lines between man and machine.

A breakthrough has made way for a new paradigm in bioelectronics. Earlier, it took the implantation of physical objects to initiate electronic processes in the body. Humans have incorporated technology to enhance the human experience and take charge of their evolution. They’ve also integrated devices within them that could alternately function as organs when biological tissues fail.

Scientists have now developed a viscous gel that will be enough in the future.

Continue reading “Scientists grow electrodes in brain, thanks to a simple viscous gel” »

Microsoft’s ChatGPT-powered Bing search engine is sending “unhinged” messages to users, telling lies, sulking, gaslighting, questioning why it exists, and more. Martin Ciupa discusses ChatGPT, large language models, and artificial intelligence research.

Martin Ciupa is a subject matter expert on artificial intelligence, communications and information technology. Martin is the CEO of Remoscope Inc, an AI-based Telehealth startup, and an advisor & consultant to Mindmaze, a Unicorn Neurotech company focuses on applying advanced neuroscience to everyday life.

Continue reading “Martin Ciupa — Bing, ChatGPT & Artificial Intelligence” »

How the Big Bang gave us time, explained by theoretical physicist Sean Carroll.

Up next, The Universe in 90 minutes: Time, free will, God, & more ► https://youtu.be/tM4sLmt1Ui8

Continue reading “The mind-bending physics of time | Sean Carroll” »

In a recent study published in Cell, researchers presented eight hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), their in vivo biomarkers, and interactions to help categorize NDDs and specify patients within a specific NDD.

Despite being linked to rare genetic forms, all eight NDD hallmarks (cellular/molecular processes) also contribute to sporadic NDDs. In addition, they contribute to neuronal loss in preclinical (animal) models and NDD patients, manifesting as an altered molecular (hallmark) biomarker.

An NDD patient could have defects in multiple NDD hallmarks. However, the primary NDD hallmark depends on the NDD insult and the neuronal susceptibility and resilience, i.e., one’s ability to handle insults in the affected brain region.

Scientists have identified the exact point at which healthy brain proteins are shocked into the tangled mess that is commonly associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) are h opeful that the new laboratory technique behind the discovery can be used to directly study the ‘never-before-seen’ early stages of many neurodegenerative diseases.

Tau proteins are abundant in the human brain. At first, these proteins look like tiny pieces of string inside neurons. As they fold and bind together with structural elements called microtubules, however, they create a sort of skeleton for brain cells that helps them function properly.

Glioblastomas are the most common malignant tumors of the adult brain. They resist conventional treatment, including surgery, followed by radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Despite this armamentarium, glioblastomas inexorably recur.

In a new study published in Nature Communications, Isabelle Le Roux (CNRS) and her colleagues from the “Genetics and development of brain tumors” team at Paris Brain Institute have shown that the elimination of senescent cells, i.e., cells that have stopped dividing, can modify the tumor ecosystem and slow its progression. These results open up new avenues for treatment.

Glioblastoma, the most common adult brain cancer, affects 2 to 5 in 100,000 individuals. While the incidence of the disease is highest in those between 55 and 85 years old, it is increasing in all age groups. This effect can’t be attributed to improved diagnostic techniques alone, suggesting the influence of environmental factors hitherto unidentified.