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May 25, 2020

Applying physics to understanding the mystery of consciousness

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

“An international study involving Monash physicists has cornered a new approach to measure consciousness, potentially changing our understanding of complex neurological problems.

The study published today in Physical Review Research describes how tools from physics and complexity theory were used to determine the level of consciousness in fruit flies.

“This is a major problem in neuroscience, where it is crucial to differentiate between unresponsive vegetative patients and those suffering from a condition in which a patient is aware but cannot move or communicate verbally because of complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles in the body,” said study author Dr. Kavan Modi, from the Monash University School of Physics and Astronomy.”

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May 25, 2020

Sir Julian Huxley

Posted by in categories: biological, evolution, transhumanism

Transhumanism is a form of “Humanism” (atheism or naturalism). The word and concept was coined by Julian Huxley back in the day. I was a student of A.J. Ayer who suceeded Huxley as head of British Humanism. https://humanism.org.uk/humanism/the-humanist-tradition/20th…an-huxley/ We must nowadays include “Christian Transhumanism” and tolerate all religions and superstitions (however daft), without right to criticise such “Holy” sanctified cows. And so the posthuman goddesses and gods 😉 have decreed it is a good idea to make MVT, FM-2030 and post/ “humanist” ideas available tor current religious self-IDers, I have kicked things off with Posthuman Buddhism https://www.facebook.com/groups/posthumanbuddhism/ and Posthuman Christianity https://www.facebook.com/groups/2164360640528843/

Perhaps we can update and reform such bastions of anachronism and conventionalism with the light of (actual, not gospel) truth?


Julian Huxley was the grandson of T H Huxley (staunch supporter of Charles Darwin and creator of the term “agnostic”). He continued his grandfather’s valuable work – in 1927, he joined H G Wells and his son in producing a comprehensive book called The Science of Life, which helped to spread a general understanding of evolution and to promote Biology in the school curriculum. He believed that the study of evolution could help us to understand our own nature and behaviour. He was a professor at King’s College, London, and a pioneer in the study of animal behaviour (ethology) and conservation.

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May 25, 2020

Covi-Pass™ | Health Authenticated

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health

Covi-Pass™️ can manage the end-to-end (including product tagging) process from test to secure Digital Health Passport. COVI-PASS™️ is agnostic to any Covid-19 test brand or source, and can integrate with all global COVID test manufacturers.

During this global Covid-19 pandemic, the world is searching for a secure solution, to hold test, immunoresponse information, and vaccination details for now and into the future. COVI-PASS™️ has been developed to be the world’s most secure Digital Health Passport solution.

May 25, 2020

China’s new killer robot ship goes through its first sea trial

Posted by in categories: military, robotics/AI

Buckle up, Buttercup.

The robotics arms race has been in progress awhile.


Unmanned surface vessel is said to be world’s first with multiple roles – anti-submarine, air defence and surface combat – and powerful weaponry.

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May 25, 2020

A return to the wild for better immune health

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health

Wise — A research team led by the University of Adelaide has found that revegetation of green spaces within cities can improve soil microbiota diversity towards a more natural, biodiverse state, which has been linked to human health benefits. In the study, published in the journal Restoration Ecology, researchers compared the composition of a variety of urban green space vegetation types of varying levels of vegetation diversity, including lawns, vacant lots, parklands, revegetated woodlands and remnant woodlands within the City of Playford Council area in South Australia.

The purpose of the research was to understand whether it is possible to restore the microbiome of urban green spaces, a process known as microbiome rewilding. It is believed this process could expose us to a greater variety and number of microbiota (organisms living within a specific environment) and provide a form of immune system training and regulation.

Lead author of the journal paper, PhD Candidate Jacob Mills from the University of Adelaide’s School of Biological Sciences and Environment Institute, says historically humans lived in more rural and wild landscapes, and children spent more of their childhood outdoors, allowing exposure to more microbes.

May 25, 2020

Doubts greet $1.2 billion bet

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Operation Warp Speed’s funding of AstraZeneca is intended to deliver a COVID-19 vaccine by October, although some call that timeline unrealistic.

May 25, 2020

Alpha Blockers to Ease Severe COVID-19 Symptoms

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

For some COVID-19 patients, the body’s immune response may be as destructive as the virus that causes the disease. The persistent high fevers, severe respiratory distress, and lung damage seen in some critically ill patients are all signs of an immune system in overdrive.

Now, a new clinical trial will test a treatment that targets this overactive immune response, says Howard Hughes Medical Investigator Bert Vogelstein. He and his team at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine are currently recruiting individuals for the trial, which includes patients ages 45 to 85 at the Johns Hopkins Hospital who have COVID-19 but who aren’t on a ventilator or in the ICU.

Their treatment, a common type of prescription drug called an alpha blocker, might break a cycle of hyperinflammation before it ramps up, their findings from mouse studies and a recent analysis of medical claims data suggest.

May 25, 2020

Compelling Evidence Shows Electroceutical Fabric Eradicates Coronaviruses on Contact

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, health

With the number of novel coronavirus infections over 5 million and growing as of May 24, use of personal protective equipment, or PPE, has become essential to safeguard health care providers against COVID-19. Coronavirus particles that attach to PPE surfaces pose a significant threat to the spread of the virus.

A team of researchers at Indiana University has published significant research findings via pre-print in ChemRxiv demonstrating for the first time that coronaviruses are killed upon exposure to an electroceutical fabric.

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May 25, 2020

How Touching Is Perceived in the Brain – Investigated With Two-Person MRI Scans on Couples

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

An MRI in each other’s arms shows how physical contact alters the brains of couples.

Researchers at Aalto University and Turku PET Centre have developed a new method for simultaneous imaging brain activity from two people, allowing them to study social interaction.

In a recent study, the researchers scanned brain activity from 10 couples. Each couple spent 45 minutes inside the MRI scanner in physical contact with each other. The objective of the study was to examine how social contact activates the brain. The results were published in the theme issue Social Interaction in Neuropsychiatry of the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.

May 25, 2020

Gap is rushing more robots into its warehouses to handle coronavirus disruption

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, robotics/AI

U.S. apparel chain Gap is speeding up its rollout of warehouse robots for assembling online orders so it can limit human contact during the coronavirus pandemic, the company told Reuters.

Gap reached a deal early this year to more than triple the number of item-picking robots it uses to 106 by the fall. Then the pandemic struck North America, forcing the company to close all its stores in the region, including those of Banana Republic, Old Navy and other brands. Meanwhile, its warehouses faced more web orders and fewer staff to fulfill them because of social distancing rules Gap had put in place.

“We could not get as many people in our distribution centers safely,” said Kevin Kuntz, Gap’s senior vice president of global logistics fulfillment. So he called up Kindred AI, the vendor that sells the machines, to ask: “Can you get them here earlier?”