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In the third episode of the Healthy Longevity webinar series, we hear from Dr Aubrey de Grey, Chief Science Officer of the SENS Research Foundation as he joins Prof Brian Kennedy for a science-backed and inspirational conversation on regenerative medicine and the implications of a population that lives longer and in good health.

Register for upcoming webinar episodes here: https://bit.ly/3jhe0SB.

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Disclaimer: The opinions and advice expressed in this webinar are those of the speakers and do not represent the views and opinions of the organizers and National University of Singapore or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. The information provided in this webinar is for general information purposes only as part of a general discussion on public health. The information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnoses or treatment; and cannot be relied on in place of consultation with your licensed healthcare provider.

A landmark study shows this age-old tech is the key.


The cure for aging has long been the Holy Grail of medicine. Emerging technologies, like the gene editing tool CRISPR, have opened the floodgates to what may be possible for the future of medical science. The key to slowing down aging, however, may lie in a simple and age-old technique.

Dive deeper. ➡ Read best-in-class health, tech, and science features, and get unlimited access to Pop Mech.

Its taking a bit more time for soldiers to adjust to their new drones.


  • Land Warfare, Networks / Cyber

Let Your Robots Off The Leash – Or Lose: AI Experts.

In DARPA-Army experiments, soldiers tried to micromanage their drones and ground robots, slowing their reaction times and restricting their tactics. Can AIs earn troops’ trust?

Senescence in cancer cells

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Sometimes, too much of a good thing can turn out to be bad. This is certainly the case for the excessive cell growth found in cancer. But when cancers try to grow too fast, this excessive speed can cause a type of cellular aging that actually results in arrested growth. Scientists at Duke-NUS Medical School have now discovered that a well-known signaling pathway helps cancers grow by blocking the pro-growth signals from a second major cancer pathway.

Inhibiting Wnt signaling with ETC-159 reactivates the hyperactive RAS-MAPK , causing cells to led undergo senescence. Many cancers are driven by activating mutations in the RAS-MAPK signaling pathway which triggers a cascade of proteins that directs cells to grow, divide and migrate. Mutations in proteins involved in this cascade can turn on genes that make this process go into overdrive, causing cells to grow out of control and aggressively invade other parts of the body. However, too much RAS-MAPK signaling causes cancer cells to prematurely age, and eventually stop growing—a process called cellular senescence.

In the near future, large vessels carrying vehicles or other cargo across the ocean could be powered by wind, thanks to innovative sail technology.

Oceanbird, designed by Swedish engineering company, Wallenius Marine, is a futuristic concept for a PCTC (Pure Car and Truck Carrier) with capacity to carry 7,000 cars on long-distance ocean journeys. The project aims to prove that the global shipping community can transport goods in a sustainable way, and that low or zero-emission shipping is possible by using wind as the main energy source.

“We are proud to present our third iteration of our design, which we have worked with for several years,” said Per Tunell, COO of Wallenius Marine. “Shipping is a central function in global trade and stands for 90% of all transported goods, but it also contributes to emissions. It is critical that shipping becomes sustainable. Our studies show that wind is the most interesting energy source for ocean transports and with the 80-metre-high wing sails on Oceanbird, we are developing the ocean-going freighters of the future.”

In 2019, Switzerland-based Flyability had a mystery to solve at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Was nuclear waste still present in one of the plant’s decommissioned reactors?

“At the time of the disaster, the fifth block of the Chernobyl Plant was under construction and nearing completion,” a Flyability spokesperson said. “Given the rush to leave, there was no record of whether the holding pools in Reactor Five had ever received the depleted uranium fuel bars for which they had been made.”

Fast forward 33 years – Chernobyl’s decommissioning team needed to know whether any nuclear waste remained in the reactor. Like a flying Sherlock Holmes, Flyability drones took the case.