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Blog – Page 28

“Our data shows that Oropouche virus is massively under-diagnosed in Latin America,” says Drexler, who also conducts research at the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF). “In some areas, at least one person in ten has experienced a prior infection with the pathogen.”

More widespread than thought – but still insufficiently investigated

Oropouche virus causes nonspecific symptoms such as fever, chills, headache, pain in the limbs, and, in some cases, nausea and skin rashes. For a long time, the disease was considered to be predominantly mild, and reports of more severe bouts, including meningitis, were rare.

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Scientists at UC Berkeley have developed a new platform called “Oz” that can simultaneously control up to 1,000 photoreceptors in the eye, offering new insights into the mechanisms of human vision and the causes of vision loss. In Frank Baum’s original novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Emeral

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This could also have a negative impact on research since patients with PSP may be misdiagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and be included in a trial that targets the wrong protein, influencing the results.

The research that led to the PSP breakthrough has roots in an earlier study. In previous research, Martinez-Valbuena and his colleagues developed a test that could detect misfolded alpha synuclein protein in the skin in patients with Parkinson’s.

Researchers have since validated that assay and hope it can be used in clinical trials, although the test is not yet available for clinical diagnoses.

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Extract from “Evolution, Basal Cognition and Regenerative Medicine”, kindly contributed by Michael Levin in SEMF’s 2023 Interdisciplinary Summer School (https://semf.org.es/school2023/). Full talk: • Michael Levin | Evolution, Basal Cogn… TALK ABSTRACT Each of us has made the remarkable journey from a single cell (a quiescent oocyte) to a complex embodied mind. How do cells, which were once independent organisms, work together to pursue the anatomical and physiological goals that enable form and function to reliably self-assemble? In this talk, I will tell the story of the collective intelligence of cellular swarms that embodies William James’ definition of intelligence: same ends by different means. I will describe the amazing competencies of the morphogenetic process that builds bodies and minds, and our discoveries on bioelectricity — the cognitive glue that implements embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer suppression. I will end with a perspective on how biophysical, informational, and behavioral sciences are coming together to redefine the boundaries of the possible in biomedicine and beyond. MICHAEL LEVIN Department of Biology, Tufts University: https://as.tufts.edu/biology Tufts University profile: https://ase.tufts.edu/biology/labs/le… Institute profile: https://wyss.harvard.edu/team/associa… Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael… ) Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?… Twitter: / drmichaellevin LinkedIn: / michael-levin-b0983a6 SEMF NETWORKS Website: https://semf.org.es Twitter: / semf_nexus LinkedIn: / semf-nexus Instagram: / semf.nexus Facebook: / semf.nexus

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AI is slated to disrupt traditional jobs, but could also give all people previously unthinkable leverage.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms, has shared some compelling thoughts on the future of artificial intelligence. On a podcast, he posited that AI will eventually surpass individual human intelligence, but, interestingly, argued that this is already happening in a certain sense. His core idea revolves around the combined intelligence of large organizations already functioning as a form of “superintelligence” that individuals can tap into, a power he believes AI will democratize.

“I think that we’re going to get general intelligence,” Zuckerberg stated. “We’re going to have systems that are smarter than any individual, and I think it’s mostly going to be very empowering for people.”

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