Lifeboat Foundation

With all the movies and TV shows currently streaming online, who has time to learn a new language or some other cognitive skill anymore? DARPA (the U.S government’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) has been working on the ultimate cheat code for brains that would cut down the time needed to acquire knowledge and complete skill training. The program was not named after any of the characters from The Matrix, but it probably should have been.

According to Futurism, DARPA announced the Targeted Neuroplasticity Training (TNT) program back in 2016. In theory, DARPA would develop technology that would stimulate peripheral nerves to release more neuromodulators (brain chemicals) including acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. The chemicals would activate synaptic plasticity and the brain would be trained to process information for cognitive skills more quickly. The stated goal of TNT is to speed up training processes for military personnel and in turn reduce costs and improve results. “DARPA is approaching the study of synaptic plasticity from multiple angles to determine whether there are safe and responsible ways to enhance learning and accelerate training for skills relevant to national security missions,” said TNT Program Manager Doug Webe, in a press release. But the technology could be used for much cooler applications, like teaching me Jiu-jitsu or how to fly a helicopter in a matter of seconds.

Continue reading “Could DARPA’s Brain Uploads Lead To ‘Matrix’ Military Training?” »

There’s no doubt that Dr. Ilia Stambler’s Longevity promotion: multidisciplinary perspective is a great book for the advocate and keen supporter of healthy life extension. Check out our review by Nicola Bagalà.

There’s no doubt that Dr. Ilia Stambler’s Longevity promotion: multidisciplinary perspective is a thorough book that all kinds of advocates of healthy longevity may find very useful. The book reads pretty much like a collection of academics papers, each dealing with a different aspect of the matter, including science, history, social and moral implications, legislation, and advocacy. Just like you would expect from an academic work, each section of this book is complete with exhaustive sources that will indubitably prove helpful should you wish to dig deeper into the topic being discussed.

The first section of the book focuses on advocacy, discussing typical concerns raised in the context of life extension, outreach material, and initiatives, and it offers suggestions for effective policies to promote aging and longevity research. The latter part of this section was one of the hardest for me to read since policies and legislation are not at all my strongest suit, but I do believe that professional lobbyists and advocates who have legal and regulatory backgrounds and wish to take action will find numerous ideas in it.

Continue reading “Book Review: Longevity Promotion a Multidisciplinary Perspective” »

Summary: Funding bias is junk science used by industry to hoodwink consumers. This report shows you how to protect yourself against the problem.

The funding bias scandal made headlines recently when the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) broke the news that the sugar industry had paid-off Harvard scientists to down-play sugars role in heart disease. JAMA reported that the sugar industry trade group called the Sugar Research Foundation instructed Harvard researchers to publish reports that down-played sugar’s connection to heart disease, and instead cast doubts on saturated fat.

And in another study, after examining over 200 research studies paid for by a food or beverage organization, researchers from Children’s Hospital Boston found that industry-funded studies were four to eight times more likely to report positive health benefits from consuming those products.

1 in 3 American adults has prediabetes and 90% don’t know it. Prediabetes treatment adds years to your life and prevents type 2 diabetes.

A growing body of evidence shows that coffee prevents type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is a massive health problem that’s about to get worse. A recent study concluded that 40% of Americans alive today are expected to get the disease. Left untreated, the soaring blood sugar caused by type 2 diabetes creates serious health problems throughout the body, including heart disease, stroke, loss of limbs, kidney failure, blindness, and double the risk of death.

Research has shown that drinking coffee is a way to prevent type 2 diabetes.

From flying taxis to Batman-style surveillance motorcycles, Dubai’s GITEX expo this week showcased innovations that were symbols of the city-state’s ambitions to be a metropolis of the future.

Known for its futuristic skyline and artificial islands, Gulf emirate Dubai has carved out a place alongside cities like Singapore as a hub for innovative ideas.

Continue reading “From flying taxis to robocops, Dubai reveals its future technologies” »

NASA’s acting chief technologist, Dr Douglas Terrier, made the comments ahead of an appearance at the Codex innovation summit, held in London.

One of the techniques currently under development that it is following is NMN, a compound expected to enter clinical trials after it was shown to rejuvenate elderly mice in laboratory tests.

Continue reading “NASA may alter the DNA of astronauts who journey to Mars” »

I don’t feel any different being 77 years old, though I know I’m not going to be here forever. On a day-to-day basis, I still write papers, solve physics problems and interact with other physicists. I may be the only one in the world that doesn’t know that I’m senile, but I continue to contribute to physics. The principle thing is that I am still having fun.

The next act: Life stories | A taste for life.

Ever since the EM drive first made headlines, science lovers have puzzled over how the propulsion system seems to produce thrust, despite the fact it’s ‘impossible’ according to one of the most fundamental laws of physics — Newton’s third law of motion.

Now a team of physicists have put forward an alternative explanation — it turns out the EM drive could actually work without breaking any scientific laws, if we factor in a weird and often overlooked idea in quantum physics — pilot wave theory.

For those who need a refresher, the crux of the problem here is that the EM, or electromagnetic, drive appears to produce thrust without any fuel or propellant.

Continue reading “This Overlooked Theory Could Be The Missing Piece That Explains How The EM Drive Works” »