This is just the wurst robot.

AI and Quality Control in Genome data are made for each other.
A new study published in The Plant Journal helps to shed light on the transcriptomic differences between different tissues in Arabidopsis, an important model organism, by creating a standardized “atlas” that can automatically annotate samples to include lost metadata such as tissue type. By combining data from over 7000 samples and 200 labs, this work represents a way to leverage the increasing amounts of publically available ‘omics data while improving quality control, to allow for large scale studies and data reuse.
“As more and more ‘omics data are hosted in the public databases, it become increasingly difficult to leverage those data. One big obstacle is the lack of consistent metadata,” says first author and Brookhaven National Laboratory research associate Fei He. “Our study shows that metadata might be detected based on the data itself, opening the door for automatic metadata re-annotation.”
The study focuses on data from microarray analyses, an early high-throughput genetic analysis technique that remains in common use. Such data are often made publically available through tools such as the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), which over time accumulates vast amounts of information from thousands of studies.
Why Plants? Part III – Rise of The Plant Machines by Orlando de Lange.
Everyone talks about the rise of the robots. What about the rise of the “Vegetation/ Plant Machines?”
In part 3 of our series on plant synthetic biology, Orlando de Lange (@SeaGreenODL) of The New Leaf blog introduces how synbio approaches are being used to develop novel disease resistant crops, overcoming some of the challenges faced by monoculture farming.
The King’s man
In 1970 an unassuming American man with greying hair and large spectacles stood before the King of Norway and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. This prize of international renown is set aside for individuals who have made the greatest possible contribution to peace among nations. Who was the king’s man in 1970? A president, a diplomat, a great writer, perhaps? No, he was crop scientist and plant breeder Norman Borlaug, founding father of the Green Revolution.
With the need for smaller more cost effective living spaces in mind, Ori Systems has developed a line of modular furniture that makes the most of the space that is becoming more and more of a premium. And, though not yet applied outside the residential market, the technology has clear applications for maximizing precious office space as well.
The Ori in Ori Systems comes from the Japanese word origami, which makes a lot of sense when you see the furniture as it transforms a room with just the push of a button. And in so doing it can quickly transform a small living space with a variety of possible configurations. See the video below.
I was at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland yesterday representing transhumanism with Transhumanist Party supporters. So were many protesters. This is a humurous write up in one of Florida’s largest papers by a well known comedy writer.
Dave Barry is in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention, and he has met a presidential candidate from the Transhumanist Party named Zoltan Istvan, who wants to put robotic bits in our bodies.
Horizon Robotics, led by Yu Kai, Baidu’s former deep learning head, is developing AI chips and software to mimic how the human brain solves abstract tasks, such as voice and image recognition. The company believes that this will provide more consistent and reliable services than cloud based systems.
The goal is to enable fast and intelligent responses to user commands, with out an internet connection, to control appliances, cars, and other objects. Health applications are a logical next step, although not yet discussed.
Wearable Tech + Digital Health San Francisco – April 5, 2016 @ the Mission Bay Conference Center.
The role of technology within our personal and professional lives continues evolving at an exceptionally fast pace. From utility-based mobile apps and wearable devices, to the emergence of augmented and virtual reality, the digital revolution is expanding to cover every aspect of the human experience.
In an era of entrepreneurship, founders rely heavily on advancements in technology to develop cutting edge products, platforms and experiences that meet the growing demands of a global consumer base. As content remains essential to building a brand or launching a business, it’s also critical that companies have the capability to swiftly adapt in changing markets. Being able to successfully scale a business, amidst the inevitable pivots and unexpected turns, requires having access to the tools and solution-based software needed to create, modify and fix things on-demand.
For companies dependent on manpower to manage these responsibilities, efficiency becomes contingent upon talent and training, guided by sharp instincts and relentlessly working around the clock to assure tasks are not only completed effectively, but to further offset the likelihood of human error. For software developers, who have an extremely detailed and meticulous role, being such an invaluable piece to the puzzle can prove to be very risky, time-consuming and equally as expensive; especially as testing, predicting and automating becomes increasingly paramount. As companies aim to cut costs without sacrificing quality, while understanding the core function of technology is to provide streamline solutions to complex problems, what arises is the notorious battle of man versus machine, and also where a company like Dev9 steps in.