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Feb 7, 2016

Science: ‘Light: A Radiant History From Creation to the Quantum Age,’

Posted by in categories: quantum physics, science

I wake up today, and do my normal routine which is coffee and toast in bed, etc. Then I started screening through the news and wham! Quantum seems to be discussed everywhere today. Did a lightbulb just turned on for folks.


An exploration of the science and philosophy of something as old as the universe and as fresh as this moment.

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Feb 7, 2016

Neuroscientist Discusses the Idea of Consciousness Transfer From the New Movie Self/less

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, business, entertainment, neuroscience

https://youtube.com/watch?v=evbPZlUoNXA

A new thriller starring Ben Kingsley and Ryan Reynolds explores the idea of transferring consciousness from one body to another. Unlike Freaky Friday, or the myriad of other family movies and comedies that have explored the idea, this one actually explores the science of the process.

In the movie Self/less, a rich business man (Kingsley) is dying of cancer. However, he is able to prolong his “self” by transferring his consciousness from one body to another using a medical procedure called “shedding.”

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Feb 7, 2016

Macroscopic quantum entanglement achieved at room temperature

Posted by in categories: computing, particle physics, quantum physics

In quantum physics, the creation of a state of entanglement in particles any larger and more complex than photons usually requires temperatures close to absolute zero and the application of enormously powerful magnetic fields to achieve. Now scientists working at the University of Chicago (UChicago) and the Argonne National Laboratory claim to have created this entangled state at room temperature on a semiconductor chip, using atomic nuclei and the application of relatively small magnetic fields.

When two particles, such as photons, are entangled – that is, when they interact physically and are then forcibly separated – the spin direction imparted to each is directly opposite to the other. However, when one of the entangled particles has its spin direction measured, the other particle will immediately display the reverse spin direction, no matter how great a distance they are apart. This is the “spooky action at a distance” phenomenon (as Albert Einstein put it) that has already seen the rise of applications once considered science fiction, such as ultra-safe cryptography and a new realm of quantum computing.

Ordinarily, quantum entanglement is a rarely observed occurence in the natural world, as particles coupled in this way first need to be in a highly ordered state before they can be entangled. In essence, this is because thermodynamic entropy dictates that a general chaos of particles is the standard state of things at the atomic level and makes such alignments exceedingly rare. Going up a scale to the macro level, and the sheer number of particles involved makes entanglement an exceptionally difficult state to achieve.

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Feb 7, 2016

DARPA’s New ‘Neural’ Microchip Could Let Drones Think Like a Human

Posted by in categories: computing, drones, military, neuroscience, robotics/AI

“Full exploitation of this information is a major challenge,” officials with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) wrote in a 2009 brief on “deep learning.”

“Human observation and analysis of [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] assets is essential, but the training of humans is both expensive and time-consuming. Human performance also varies due to individuals’ capabilities and training, fatigue, boredom, and human attentional capacity.”

Working with a team of researchers at MIT, DARPA is hoping to take all of that human know-how and shrink it down into processing unit no bigger than your cellphone, using a microchip known as “Eyeriss.” The concept relies on “neural networks;” computerized memory networks based on the workings of the human brain.

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Feb 7, 2016

Eyeriss is MIT’s 168-Core Chip That Brinngs Powerful AI to Mobiles

Posted by in categories: computing, robotics/AI

MIT researchers have presented the Eyeriss chips that have 10 times more power than mobile GPUs and use deep learning for local AI functions.

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Feb 6, 2016

Animated GIF — Find & Share on GIPHY

Posted by in category: futurism

Self balanced surface using PID Controller.


Discover & Share this Animated GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

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Feb 6, 2016

A Cellular Atlas: This Algorithm Can Predict How To Grow Virtually Any Cell Type

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, information science

Researchers at the University of Bristol have created ‘Mogrify’ — an algorithm that can predict how to reprogram virtually any type of cell

One way of creating new cells is with stem cells. The most famous of these are embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells, the latter made from your own cells. While these cells have immense potential, the process of creating them is complicated and not without error. Coaxing these cells into a new type once you’ve made them is also easier said than done.

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Feb 6, 2016

2016: The Year of “More Than Moore”

Posted by in category: futurism

When people say “More Than Moore,” they are referring to ways to increase the density and decrease the size of their designs via methods other than simply scaling the transistors.

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Feb 6, 2016

Don’t trust this lipstick-applying robot with your face

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

We can safely say that the position as a make up artist is safe from AI for now.


A mini factory-style robot arm tries its mechanical hand at applying makeup. The results aren’t pretty.

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Feb 6, 2016

Scientists are racing to successfully preserve and reanimate a human brain

Posted by in category: neuroscience

Just when you believe things cannot get more stranger; a “Frankenstein” fund is created for a competition in the UK to bring a brain back to life.


The Brain Preservation Foundation is offerings a cash prize of $100,000 to anyone who can successfully develop a way to preserve and reanimate a human brain.

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