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Jun 17, 2015

The mTOR Story Part 1 — What Makes This Important Pro-Aging Molecule Active?

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, life extension

I have mentioned mTOR as one of the main aging genes on multiple occasions. It’s about time I tell you what it is, what it does and why it is so important in aging.

mTOR has a little m in front of TOR, which means I am speaking about mammals. It technically means «mechanistic» TOR, but think of it as the molecule that mice and all of us have, whereas in worms is it just TOR.

mTOR gene produces one mTOR protein that can act in two pretty different ways. mTOR does so, because it forms two complexes with other molecules. These complexes are called mTORC1 and mTORC2. Yeah, I know, it’s a lot of letters, but C1 and C2 stand for «complex 1» and «complex 2», so it kinda makes sense.

Continue reading “The mTOR Story Part 1 — What Makes This Important Pro-Aging Molecule Active?” »

Jun 17, 2015

Does a black hole create a hologram copy of anything that touches it?

Posted by in category: cosmology

Simulated view of a black hole (credit: Alain Riazuelo of the French National Research Agency, via Wikipedia)

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Jun 17, 2015

The Math That Shows Humans Could Live Ten Times Longer — Brian Merchant | Motherboard

Posted by in categories: health, life extension

“When resources are scarce, a species as a whole has a better shot at surviving if its populations are organizing themselves to promote long term survival with shorter individual lifespans. They are evolving to combat overpopulation and overconsumption, basically…humans could be living a lot longer than they do now—we have, after all, inherited a lifespan from times when our forebears were eking out an existence as scrappy hunter gatherers” Read more

Jun 17, 2015

DARPA wants to engineer fake bacteria to patrol the human gut

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

By building synthetic bacteria that can be taken in pill form, DARPA-funded researchers seek to keep our digestive systems in fighting form.

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Jun 17, 2015

New Milky Way Galaxy Map Is The Most Accurate Ever Created By Jacqueline Howard | Huffington Post

Posted by in categories: astronomy, science, space

Like early explorers mapping the continents of our globe, astronomers are busy charting the spiral structure of our galaxy, the Milky Way. Using infrared images from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists have discovered that the Milky Way's elegant sp


“[W]ith the help of a new mapping method, scientists have created what they’re calling the most accurate map of the Milky Way. It confirms our galaxy is a four-armed spiral and shows in unprecedented detail a series of star clusters at the galaxy’s edge.”

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Jun 17, 2015

What sins of the future are you committing right now? — By David J. Hill SingularityHub

Posted by in categories: ethics, robotics/AI, time travel

Odds are you’re a decent, upstanding person. You abide by the laws, pay taxes, and don’t rock the boat. You value security but not at the expense of privacy. Like the majority of people around you, you’re driven by self interest but not to the detriment of others. And if someone is clearly in need, you’ll try to help them, if you feel you can make a difference.

In other words, you’re a moral human being…or so you think. Read more

Jun 16, 2015

Elon Musk: The World’s Raddest Man By Tim Urban | Wait But Why

Posted by in categories: business, energy, engineering, solar power, space travel, sustainability, transportation

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Tim Urban, of Wait But Why, recently received a phone call from Elon Musk’s staff asking if he would like to write about the automotive, aerospace, and solar power industries through personal interviews with Elon Musk and his teams. Tim Urban said yes, and the first three of essays / articles are already posted on his site.

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Jun 16, 2015

Drone 360

Posted by in category: drones

A very positive use for video drones.

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Jun 16, 2015

The Pentagon’s gamble on brain implants, bionic limbs and combat exoskeletons — Sara Reardon | Nature

Posted by in categories: bionic, biotech/medical, cyborgs, defense, engineering, government, health, military, transhumanism

“The Biological Technologies Office (BTO), which opened in April 2014, aims to support extremely ambitious — some say fantastical — technologies ranging from powered exoskeletons for soldiers to brain implants that can control mental disorders. DARPA’s plan for tackling such projects is being carried out in the same frenetic style that has defined the agency’s research in other fields.” Read more

Jun 16, 2015

Never Sleep Again, Using This Drug

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, futurism, neuroscience

If there was a drug that meant you never had to sleep again, would you take it? Would those who didn’t need to sleep have special advantages over those who did? All that and a side of zombies, in this week’s episode of Meanwhile in the Future.

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