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Feb 9, 2016

Brain Preservation Breakthrough Could Usher in a New Era in Cryonics

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, cryonics, life extension, neuroscience

Researchers from 21st Century Medicine have developed a new technique to allow long term storage of a near-perfect mammalian brain. It’s a breakthrough that could have serious implications for cryonics, and the futuristic prospect of bringing the frozen dead back to life.

By using a chemical compound to turn a rabbit’s brain into a near glass-like state, and then cooling it to −211 degrees Fahrenheit (−135 degrees Celsius), a research team from California-based 21st Century Medicine (21CM) showed that it’s possible to enable near-perfect, long-term structural preservation of an intact mammalian brain. The achievement has earned not just accolades from the scientific community, but a prestigious award as well; the 21CM researchers are today being awarded the $26,735 Small Mammal Brain Preservation Prize, which is run by the Brain Preservation Foundation (BPF).

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Feb 9, 2016

The Small Mammal Brain Preservation Prize Has Been Won

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, cryonics, life extension, neuroscience

The Brain Preservation Foundation (BPF) announced that the Small Mammal Brain Preservation Prize has officially been won. The spectacular result achieved by 21st Century Medicine researchers provides the first demonstration that near-perfect, long-term structural preservation of an intact mammalian brain is achievable.

A team from 21st Century Medicine, spearheaded by recent MIT graduate Robert McIntyre, has discovered a way to preserve the delicate neural circuits of an intact rabbit brain for very long-term storage using a combination of chemical fixation and cryogenic cooling. Proof of this accomplishment, and the full “Aldehyde-Stabilized Cryopreservation” (ASC) protocol, was recently published in the journal Cryobiology and has been independently verified by the BPF through extensive electron microscopic examination conducted by the two official judges of the prize: BPF President Ken Hayworth and Princeton neuroscience professor Sebastian Seung, author of “Connectome: How the Brain’s Wiring Makes Us Who We Are.”

“Every neuron and synapse looks beautifully preserved across the entire brain,” said Hayworth. “Simply amazing given that I held in my hand this very same brain when it was frozen solid… This is not your father’s cryonics.”

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Feb 9, 2016

NASA engineers to build first integrated-photonics modem

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, computing, space

NASA laser expert Mike Krainak and his team plan to replace portions of this fiber-optic receiver with an integrated-photonic circuit (its size will be similar to the chip he is holding) and will test the advanced modem on the International Space Station. (credit: W. Hrybyk/NASA)

A NASA team plans to build the first integrated-photonics modem, using an emerging, potentially revolutionary technology that could transform everything from telecommunications, medical imaging, advanced manufacturing to national defense.

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Feb 9, 2016

Android Founder Andy Rubin Wants To Monopolize AI With A Dash Cam And Your Data

Posted by in categories: business, mobile phones, robotics/AI

When is industry finally going to finally understand that the gap all along has been the lack of women leading NextGen Innovation especially around AI?

Here we go again trying to make AI more enriched. This time it is using a “dashcam” which again is a technique that is like living in a bubble looking at the world; meaning no true human experience or empathy programmed within AI. We must develop AI with an inside-out approach along with the outside-in approach; and not just an outside-in approach. And, it can be done because women understand this piece extremely well and can build AI to include this perspective because of how we interact and see the world.


Former Google exec and Android co-founder Andy Rubin has announced his latest designs for the tech industry — and his plans to take over what he considers the most important technological frontier of the decade: artificial intelligence.

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Feb 9, 2016

Inside the surprisingly sexist world of artificial intelligence

Posted by in categories: futurism, robotics/AI

AI designed badly will indeed have detrimental impact for decades to come. We do have a crisis in AI world. Where are the women? With AI today, we’re developing the underlying foundation for AI in the future. And, without women in a large half of that development; we run a huge risk of failure by designing a foundation that only connects with maybe 40% of the world. That means 60% of missed opportunity is left on the table plus lets face it women totally understands how (better than anyone else) to incorporate feelings & thoughts together.


This post has been updated.

There’s no doubt Stephen Hawking is a smart guy. But the world-famous theoretical physicist recently declared that women leave him stumped.

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Feb 9, 2016

NASA’s Next Great Telescope Will Settle This Alien Megastructure Mystery For Good

Posted by in category: alien life

The James Webb Space Telescope will finally crack the mystery of Tabby’s Star. We think.

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Feb 9, 2016

Tesla’s next car will be a lot cheaper than expected

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, sustainability, transportation

Tesla’s next car will be a lot cheaper than previously expected.

In fact, it could cost as little as $25,000.

CEO Elon Musk confirmed last year that its first mass market car, the Model 3, would price at about $35,000.

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Feb 9, 2016

Scientists create synthetic biopathway to turn agriculture waste into ‘green’ products

Posted by in category: food

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have engineered a new synthetic biopathway that can more efficiently and cost-effectively turn agricultural waste, like corn stover and orange peels, into a variety of useful products ranging from spandex to chicken feed.

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Feb 9, 2016

Researchers Just Discovered Hundreds of Galaxies Hidden Behind the Milky Way

Posted by in category: space

The Xeelee had to build their damned ring SOMEWHERE…

The “Xeelee Sequence” novels. by Stephen Baxter, are some of the best hard science fiction ever written. If you haven’t read them, do so. Immediately. In the meantime (even if you’ve already read the entire Xeelee series) check out this atmospheric musical composition by Oliver Lugg, inspired by the above mentioned science fiction series. It’s quite beautiful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiYxHpGmPwQ

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Feb 9, 2016

Researchers resolve longstanding issue of components needed to regenerate muscle

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, life extension

Researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Research Institute (SBP) have conclusively identified the protein complex that controls the genes needed to repair skeletal muscle. The discovery clears up deep-rooted conflicting data and will now help streamline efforts towards boosting stem cell-mediated muscle regeneration. Such strategies could treat muscle degenerative diseases such as muscular dystrophies, and those associated with aging and cancer.

The research, published today in eLife, describes the essential role of a TBP-containing TFIID-protein complex in activating genes that regenerate muscle tissue, and shows that an alternative protein called TBP2 is not involved in this task in adult muscles.

“Our discovery clarifies the identity of the ‘molecular switches’ that control the activation of muscle genes in (MuSCs),” said Barbora Malecova, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Pier Lorenzo Puri, M.D., professor in the Development, Aging and Regeneration Program at SBP, and first author of the article. “Understanding what drives muscle gene expression gives us insights into molecular targets for regenerative medicine-based interventions (drugs) to treat muscle degenerative disorders.”

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