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Scientists who watched nerve cells connect inside the eyes of growing squid have uncovered a remarkable secret — the cephalopods’ brains independently evolved to develop in the same way ours do.

.The discovery, made using high-resolution cameras focused on the retinas of longfin squid (Doryteuthis pealeii) embryos, reveals that, in spite of 500 million years of divergent evolution, the basic blueprint for how complex brains and nervous systems evolve may be the same across a wide range of species.

The intelligence of cephalopods — a class of marine animals that includes octopuses, squid and cuttlefish — has long been a subject of fascination among biologists. Unlike most invertebrates, these animals possess remarkable memories; use tools to solve problems; excel at camouflage; react with curiosity, boredom or even playful malevolence to their surroundings; and can dream, if the ripples of colors that flash across their skin as they sleep are any indication.

It seems that the blueprint for complex brain development remains the same, despite 500 million years of divergent evolution.

Continue reading “Squid and human brains develop the same way despite diverging 500 million years ago” | >

OpenAI cofounder and CEO Sam Altman sat down for a wide-ranging interview with us late last week, answering questions about some of his most ambitious personal investments, as well as about the future of OpenAI.

This second clip is focused exclusively on artificial intelligence, including how much of what OpenAI is developing Altman thinks should be regulated, whether he’s worried about the commodification of AI, his thoughts about Alphabet’s reluctance to release its own powerful AI, and worst-and best-case scenarios as we move toward a future where AI is ever-more central to our lives.

There was much to discuss (and he was generous to stay and talk about it).

You can find the first part our sit-down — focused in part on Helion Energy, a nuclear fusion company that has become Altman’s second-biggest project — here: https://youtu.be/57OU18cogJI

Continue reading “StrictlyVC in conversation with Sam Altman, part two (OpenAI)” | >

The inside of a person’s mouth can say a lot about their overall health. Studies have established links between poor oral health and conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and pneumonia. Now, a new study shows there’s a connection to the brain. Researchers in the U.K. found certain bacteria in the mouth may cause deadly brain abscesses.

Read more | >

This shapeshifting controls the biological processes of living things—for example, opening the protein tunnels dotted along neurons or driving cancerous growth. But it also makes understanding protein behavior and developing drugs that interact with proteins a challenge.

While recent AI breakthroughs in the prediction (and even generation) of protein structures are a huge advance 50 years in the making, they still only offer snapshots of proteins. To capture whole biological processes—and identify which lead to diseases—we need predictions of protein structures in multiple “poses” and, more importantly, how each of these poses changes a cell’s inner functions. And if we’re to rely on AI to solve the challenge, we need more data.

Thanks to a new protein atlas published this month in Nature, we now have a great start.

Read more | >