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There’s a difference between editing genes in a person’s somatic cells and germline cells.

Editing somatic cells, which are differentiated (e.g., skin cells) and non-reproductive, impacts them alone. In contrast, editing germline DNA means changes are passed along to the next generation during reproduction. It’s no minor distinction.

Right now, the cautious consensus around gene editing in the US and parts of Europe is that it is okay to do therapeutic gene editing in a patient’s somatic DNA, meaning DNA that only exists in that individual and does not get passed on. But some believe the cautious consensus may be too cautious.

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The fifth observation of gravitational waves (GW) marks the beginning of a new era in astronomy. On August 17, 2017, the LIGO and VIRGO collaborations detected neutron stars merging for the first time and immediately alerted observatories around the world. In a matter of minutes the event had been located, another first for GW astronomy, and telescopes around the world begun studying it almost immediately.

The event observed, called GW170817, was produced in galaxy NGC 4993, located 130 million light-years from Earth. The gravitational signal was the strongest ever observed, lasting over 100 seconds, and it emitted a gamma-ray burst (GRBs), providing the first piece of evidence that GRBs are produced by neutron star collisions. It also provided the strongest evidence yet that neutron star mergers are responsible for the creation of the heaviest elements in the universe, like gold and platinum.

The importance of this observation cannot be understated. We are witnessing Galileo pointing the telescope up, or Henrietta Swann Leavitt working out the relation that will be used to measure cosmic distances. This observation brings a completely new dimension to astronomy. The seven papers published in Nature, Nature Astronomy, and Astrophysical Journal Letter are also record-breakers. They have over 45,000 authors – around 35 percent of all active astronomers in the world – who worked at the over 70 observatories that helped to make this discovery.

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Are AI aliens watching Earth? An immortal machine civilization could already exist and may be BILLIONS of years old, leading expert claims…

Artificial intelligence could already exist elsewhere in the universe and may have been around for billions of years, according to a leading expert.

Susan Schneider of the University of Connecticut believes other civilisations could rely on forms of alien super-intelligence we haven’t yet created on Earth.

Continue reading “‘Postbiological’ alien civilisation that survives using AI could exist” | >

AI machines injected into our bodies could give us superhuman strength and let us control gadgets using the power of THOUGHT within 20 years…

Humans could be ‘melded’ to machines, giving us huge advancements in brain power, experts told peers at the House of Lords Artificial Intelligence Committee (pictured, stock)

Growing the Artificial Intelligence Industry in the UK, an independent review of artificial intelligence recommended information about people’s health and lifestyles should be opened up to allow major advances to be made in developing artificial intelligence (AI).

Continue reading “AI nano-machines could be injected into our brains within 20 years” | >

WOODS HOLE, Mass.—For the octopus and cuttlefish, instantaneously changing their skin color and pattern to disappear into the environment is just part of their camouflage prowess. These animals can also swiftly and reversibly morph their skin into a textured, 3D surface, giving the animal a ragged outline that mimics seaweed, coral, or other objects it detects and uses for camouflage.

This week, engineers at Cornell University report on their invention of stretchable surfaces with programmable 3D texture morphing, a synthetic “camouflaging skin” inspired by studying and modeling the real thing in octopus and cuttlefish. The engineers, along with collaborator and cephalopod biologist Roger Hanlon of the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Woods Hole, report on their controllable soft actuator in the October 13 issue of Science.

Led by James Pikul and Rob Shepherd, the team’s pneumatically activated material takes a cue from the 3D bumps, or papillae, that cephalopods can express in one-fifth of a second for camouflage, and then retract to swim away with minimal hydrodynamic drag. (See video below of live Octopus rebescens expressing its skin papillae.)

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The four drivers received specialist training, including a new virtual reality mode…

Lincolnshire police officers have been receiving extra lessons in high-speed car chases — by playing a video game.

PlayStation has partnered up with Lincolnshire Police in order to provide extra tuition to specialist drivers using Gran Turismo Sport.

Continue reading “Game on! Police play Gran Turismo Sport to improve driving skills” | >

In his new book, The Four: The Hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google, Galloway, an entrepreneur and professor at NYU Stern, provides a perceptive analysis of the four-horse race to become the first trillion-dollar company. In a casually incisive style, he uncovers how each of these companies have deployed iconic leadership, technology, storytelling, fearless innovation, lightning execution — and blatant plagiarism- to devastating effect.

From 2013 to 2017, the combined market capitalisation of Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google increased in size by the GDP of Russia – $1.4 trillion. And the power of The Four keeps on growing.

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Military applications of gene-altering technology must also be considered (Op-Ed by Tomasz Pierscionek)

Recent developments in the field of biotechnology have shown that mutations can be edited out of the human genome. What are the future implications of this research and will it be used to the benefit or detriment of society?

Last month, UK scientists performed gene-editing experiments for the first time in order to gain a greater understanding of how embryos develop, and it is likely researchers in other countries will soon follow suit.

UK law permits experiments to be performed on embryos that are no more than 14 days old and prohibits their implantation into a human host.

Continue reading “Where’d you get those genes? The answer may shock you” | >

Interesting article on how Google’s mismanagement took a wrecking ball to the robotics industry. Most notably almost ruining Boston Dynamics that thankfully managed to get away to Soft Banks.

Its scattered, ambiguous, frequently abandoned objectives for its string of big acquisitions have hurt the whole field.

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