A next-generation neuroprosthetic hand that restores a sense of touch is moving into a pivotal home-use clinical trial.
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Tiny gold quantum needles with astonishing powers discovered
Scientists at the University of Tokyo have unveiled “gold quantum needles,” a newly discovered nanocluster structure formed under unusual synthesis conditions. Unlike typical spherical clusters, these elongated, pencil-shaped formations display unique quantum behaviors and respond to near-infrared light, making them promising tools for biomedical imaging and energy applications.
Heterochronic myeloid cell replacement reveals the local brain environment as key driver of microglia aging
Aging, the key risk factor for cognitive decline, impacts the brain in a region-specific manner, with microglia among the most affected cell types. However, it remains unclear whether this is intrinsically mediated or driven by age-related changes in neighboring cells. Here, we describe a scalable, genetically modifiable system for in vivo heterochronic myeloid cell replacement. We find reconstituted myeloid cells adopt region-specific transcriptional, morphological and tiling profiles characteristic of resident microglia. Young donor cells in aged brains rapidly acquired aging phenotypes, particularly in the cerebellum, while old cells in young brains adopted youthful profiles. We identified STAT1-mediated signaling as one axis controlling microglia aging, as STAT1-loss prevented aging trajectories in reconstituted cells. Spatial transcriptomics combined with cell ablation models identified rare natural killer cells as necessary drivers of interferon signaling in aged microglia. These findings establish the local environment, rather than cell-autonomous programming, as a primary driver of microglia aging phenotypes.
Claire Gizowski, Galina Popova, Heather Shin, Wendy Craft, Wenjun Kong, Bernd J Wranik, Yuheng C Fu, Tzuhua D Lin, Baby Martin-McNulty, Po-Han Tai, Kayla Leung, Nicole Fong, Devyani Jogran, Agnieszka Wendorff, David Hendrickson, Astrid Gillich, Andy Chang, Oliver Hahn are current or former employees of Calico Life Sciences LLC. The remaining authors declare no competing interest.
How Simple Rules Shatter Scientific Intuition | Stephen Wolfram
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In this episode, I speak with Stephen Wolfram—creator of Mathematica and Wolfram Language—about a “new kind of science” that treats the universe as computation. We explore computational irreducibility, discrete space, multi-way systems, and how the observer shapes the laws we perceive—from the second law of thermodynamics to quantum mechanics. Wolfram reframes Feynman diagrams as causal structures, connects evolution and modern AI through coarse fitness and assembled “lumps” of computation, and sketches a nascent theory of biology as bulk orchestration. We also discuss what makes science good: new tools, ruthless visualization, respect for history, and a field he calls “ruliology”—the study of simple rules, where anyone can still make real contributions. This is basically a documentary akin to The Life and Times of Stephen Wolfram. I hope you enjoy it.
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Timestamps:
363 ‒ A new frontier in neurosurgery: brain-computer interfaces, new hope for brain diseases, & more
Edward Chang is a neurosurgeon, scientist, and a pioneering leader in functional neurosurgery and brain-computer interface technology, whose work spans the operating room, the research lab, and the engineering bench to restore speech and movement for patients who have lost these capabilities. In this episode, Edward explains the evolution of modern neurosurgery and its dramatic reduction in collateral damage, the experience of awake brain surgery, real-time mapping to protect critical functions, and the split-second decisions surgeons make. He also discusses breakthroughs in brain-computer interfaces and functional electrical stimulation systems, strategies for improving outcomes in glioblastoma, and his vision for slimmer, safer implants that could turn devastating conditions like ALS, spinal cord injury, and aggressive brain tumors into more manageable chronic illnesses.
View show notes here: https://bit.ly/46uJXlh.
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We discuss:
0:00:00 — Intro.
0:01:17 — The evolution of neurosurgery and the shift toward minimally invasive techniques.
0:10:58 — Glioblastomas: biology, current treatments, and emerging strategies to overcome its challenges.
0:17:39 — How brain mapping has advanced from preserving function during surgery to revealing how neurons encode language and cognition.
0:24:22 — How awake brain surgery is performed.
0:29:02 — How brain redundancy and plasticity allow some regions to be safely resected, the role of the corpus callosum in epilepsy surgery, and the clinical and philosophical implications of disconnecting the hemispheres.
0:43:46 — How neural engineering may restore lost functions in neurodegenerative disease, how thought mapping varies across individuals, and how sensory decline contributes to cognitive aging.
0:54:40 — Brain–computer interfaces explained: EEG vs. ECoG vs. single-cell electrodes and their trade-offs.
1:09:02 — Edward’s clinical trial using ECoG to restore speech to a stroke patient.
1:20:41 — How a stroke patient regained speech through brain–computer interfaces: training, AI decoding, and the path to scalable technology.
1:41:10 — Using brain-computer interfaces to restore breathing, movement, and broader function in ALS patients.
1:47:56 — The 2030 outlook for brain–computer interfaces.
1:52:35 — The potential of stem cell and cell-based therapies for regenerating lost brain function.
1:57:54 — Edward’s vision for how neurosurgery and treatments for glioblastoma, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease may evolve by 2040
2:00:43 — The rare but dangerous risk of vertebral artery dissections from chiropractic neck adjustments and high-velocity movements.
2:02:31 — How Harvey Cushing might view modern neurosurgery, and how the field has shifted from damage avoidance to unlocking the brain’s functions.
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About:
The Peter Attia Drive is a deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing longevity, and all that goes into that from physical to cognitive to emotional health. With over 90 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including exercise, nutritional biochemistry, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more.
Peter Attia is the founder of Early Medical, a medical practice that applies the principles of Medicine 3.0 to patients with the goal of lengthening their lifespan and simultaneously improving their healthspan.
5 Ways Hackers Target Facebook Comments (And How to Stop Them)
Your Facebook business page serves as your digital storefront. It’s where you connect with customers, share company news, and build your brand. But lurking within those seemingly innocent comment sections are cybercriminals waiting to strike.
Facebook comments present a perfect opportunity for hackers. They use these spaces to distribute malware, gather personal information, and create targeted attacks against your business and followers. Many organizations focus on securing their main accounts while overlooking the vulnerabilities in their comment sections.
In this post, we’ll cover five common tactics hackers use in Facebook comments and provide an actionable strategy to protect your business from these threats.
Is your business one Facebook comment away from disaster? See how cybercriminals weaponize social media and get the protection your brand deserves.