Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog – Page 1,008

Recently, two independent research groups have shown that the brain codes for zero much as it does for other numbers, on a mental number line. But, one of the studies found, zero also holds a special status in the brain.

In recent years, research started to uncover how the human brain represents numbers, but no one examined how it handles zero. Now two independent studies, led by Nieder and Barnett, respectively, have shown that the brain codes for zero much as it does for other numbers, on a mental number line. But, one of the studies found, zero also holds a special status in the brain.

“The fact that [zero] represents nothing is a contradiction in itself,” said Carlo Semenza, a professor emeritus of neuroscience at the University of Padua in Italy who wasn’t involved in either study. “It looks like it is concrete because people put it on the number line — but then it doesn’t exist. … That is fascinating, absolutely fascinating.”

The new studies are the first to reveal what goes on in the brain when a person thinks about zero, and they bring up broader questions about how the mind handles absence — a pursuit that would have pleased Jean-Paul Sartre, the 20th-century existentialist who claimed that “nothingness carries being in its heart.”

Read more | >

Actin, a family of proteins that help give cells their shape, are abundant throughout the body.

Humans aren’t the only ones who grow forgetful as they age—fruit flies do, too. But because fruit flies have a lifespan of only about two months, they can be a useful model for understanding the cognitive decline that comes with aging.

A new study published in Nature Communications shows that when a common cell structural protein called filamentous actin, or F-actin, builds up in the brain, it inhibits a key process that removes unnecessary or dysfunctional components within cells, including DNA, lipids, proteins and organelles.

The resulting accumulation of waste diminishes neuronal functions and contributes to . By tweaking a few in aging fruit flies’ neurons, the researchers prevented F-actin buildup, maintained cellular recycling and extended the healthy lifespan of fruit flies by approximately 30%.

Read more | >

There are rare cells in the gut called enteroendocrine cells (EECs) that could be manipulated in a variety of ways to detect or treat disease.

The trillions of microbes in our gastrointestinal tract, known as the gut microbiome, are crucial to the body; the gut microbiome aids in digestion, nutrient absorption, and influences our health in different ways. But the body also has to be protected from all of those microbes, which are kept behind a tight barrier. But if the intestinal barrier is dysfunctional, or leaky, serious problems can arise.

There are cells in the gut called enteroendocrine cells (EECs) that can generate hormones, which may have a variety of effects on the body. EECs release hormones in response to cues like food intake and stomach stretching. The hormones can then influence physiological processes related to digestion or appetite. Scientists have now found receptors on EECs that control hormone release. It may one day be possible to alter these receptors to treat disease. The research has been reported in Science.

Read more | >

Organization runs deep in our family tree, if we use the literal definition of “organize”: to be furnished with organs. Eukaryotes emerged billions of years ago, bringing with them the copious benefits of compartmentalization.

All modern multicellular life — all life that any of us regularly see — is made of cells with a knack for compartmentalization. Recent discoveries are revealing how the first eukaryote got its start.

Read more | >

At 81, however, Scott maintains that he does not have time to wait for the FDA to approve the age-reversal treatments needed to achieve his goal of immorality.

“My concern is me, not the regulations which have been created,” he said.

Kenneth Scott travels internationally for experimental treatments, doesn’t use soap, and spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on his quest for immortality.

Read more | >

The AI system is dubbed a “quantum-tunneling deep neural network” and combines neural networks with quantum tunneling. A deep neural network is a collection of machine learning algorithms inspired by the structure and function of the brain — with multiple layers of nodes between the input and output. It can model complex non-linear relationships and, unlike conventional neural networks (which include a single layer between input and output) deep neural networks include many hidden layers.

Quantum tunneling, meanwhile, occurs when a subatomic particle, such as an electron or photon (particle of light), effectively passes through an impenetrable barrier. Because a subatomic particle like light can also behave as a wave — when it is not directly observed it is not in any fixed location — it has a small but finite probability of being on the other side of the barrier. When sufficient subatomic particles are present, some will “tunnel” through the barrier.

After the data representing the optical illusion passes through the quantum tunneling stage, the slightly altered image is processed by a deep neural network.

Read more | >