Menu

Blog

Page 4715

Jan 1, 2022

First sickle cell patient treated with CRISPR gene-editing still thriving

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, genetics

More than fine, actually. Much more, she says.

“This is major for me and my family,” she says. “Two years without me being in the hospital? Wow. We just can’t believe it. But we’re so grateful.”

She’s doing so well for so long that she’s officially no longer in the landmark study she volunteered for. That involved doctors taking cells out of her bone marrow, and editing a gene in the cells in their lab, using the revolutionary gene-editing technique known as CRISPR. CRISPR allows scientists to make very precise changes in DNA much more easily than ever before. Many think it will revolutionize medicine.

Jan 1, 2022

Nanoracks’ spinoff wants to grow food in Earth’s deserts and orbital space

Posted by in categories: food, space

Nanoracks is using space to improve life on Earth.

Jan 1, 2022

The World’s Brightest X-Ray Laser Is Nearing Completion

Posted by in category: particle physics

LCLS-II will be able to produce images of atoms a million times a second.

Scientists at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are putting the finishing touches on what will become the world’s brightest laser. Called the Linac Coherent Light Source II (LCLS-II), it will be 10,000 times brighter than the brightest laser before itself, once it becomes operational.

Currently, under construction about 30 feet (9 meters) underground close to Stanford University, the laser promises to help physicists unlock some of the fundamental unknowns about our universe. The laser apparatus extends for about 2 miles (3.2 km) in a specially excavated tunnel.

Continue reading “The World’s Brightest X-Ray Laser Is Nearing Completion” »

Jan 1, 2022

Alphabet CEO Ordered To Testify About Private Browsing Confusion On Google Chrome

Posted by in categories: law, privacy

A lawsuit filed in a California federal court in June 2020 claims that Google Chrome’s “Incognito Mode” is not as private as people think.

Now, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai will need to answer questions over whether Google continues to track users even when they’ve activated the browser’s private browsing mode, as first reported by Bloomberg Law.

The case, Brown et al v. Google LLC, was filed on June 2, 2020, assigned to Judge Lucy H. Koh in a U.S. District Court in San Jose, California.

Continue reading “Alphabet CEO Ordered To Testify About Private Browsing Confusion On Google Chrome” »

Jan 1, 2022

2022: A Look Ahead

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, economics

As we close out 2021 and ring in what we hope to be a bright and fulfilling year, it’s time to reflect on the trends that will likely shape the months that lie ahead of us. We live in a world experiencing major transformations and exponential trends, and we’re likely to see significant developments in the new year.

So what might those changes be? Here are a few of my predictions:

COVID slides into the background.

Continue reading “2022: A Look Ahead” »

Jan 1, 2022

5 Space Tourism Experiences You Can Book In 2022

Posted by in category: space travel

As we approach the new year, there’s always talk of new trends. One such trend that finally kicked off in 2021 and will undoubtedly gain momentum in 2022 is space tourism. By mid-2021, two private companies — Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin — launched paying customers to space.

While we haven’t yet gotten commercial space stations or moon vacations, space tourism is definitely here to stay — and will have some exciting developments in 2022.

One of the great criticisms of space tourism is its cost; it’s prohibitively expensive for most people and thus feels inaccessible. In fact, there are ways to bring space into your life in 2022 — even if you’re not taking yourself to space (or the edge of it). Here are five ways to experience space tourism in the coming year, from budget-friendly to budget blow-out.

Continue reading “5 Space Tourism Experiences You Can Book In 2022” »

Jan 1, 2022

NASA Bids to Extend the Life of ISS Through 2030

Posted by in categories: education, life extension

And calls out to collaborating agencies to do their part.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson revealed on Friday that the Biden administration has committed to extend the operations of the International Space Station (ISS) through 2030, and to continue cooperating with international partners in Europe (ESA, European Space Agency), Japan (JAXA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), Canada (CSA, Canadian Space Agency), and Russia (State Space Corporation Roscosmos) for research endeavors.

“The International Space Station is a beacon of peaceful international scientific collaboration and for more than 20 years has returned enormous scientific, educational, and technological developments to benefit humanity. I’m pleased that the Biden-Harris Administration has committed to continuing station operations through 2030,” Nelson said.

Continue reading “NASA Bids to Extend the Life of ISS Through 2030” »

Jan 1, 2022

Inside the machine that saved Moore’s Law

Posted by in category: computing

The Dutch firm ASML spent $9 billion and 17 years developing a way to keep making denser computer chips.

Jan 1, 2022

China to cut new energy vehicle subsidies

Posted by in categories: energy, finance, sustainability, transportation

China has cheap labour and huge market so still EV companies will invest in China.


BEIJING, Jan 1 (Reuters) — China will cut subsidies on new energy vehicles (NEVs), such as electric cars, by 30% in 2022 and withdraw them altogether at the end of the year, the Finance Ministry said on its website on Friday.

The ministry had said in April 2020 that NEV subsidies would be cut from 2020 to 2022 by 10%, 20% and 30%, respectively.

Continue reading “China to cut new energy vehicle subsidies” »

Jan 1, 2022

A 238-year-old invention could help us survive Venus’ hellish atmosphere

Posted by in categories: evolution, space

The study of Venus presents an opportunity to model the evolution of planetary environments, which can serve as a reference for what could happen in the future.