Facebook is finally ready to talk about its blockchain plans. Following numerous reports unraveling its upcoming announcement in detail, the company today said that its in-development global cryptocurrency, called Libra, will launch next year alongside the underlying blockchain-based network that will support it.
The trilogy’s success has been credited with establishing sci-fi, once marginalized in China, as a mainstream taste. Liu believes that this trend signals a deeper shift in the Chinese mind-set—that technological advances have spurred a new excitement about the possibilities of cosmic exploration. The trilogy commands a huge following among aerospace engineers and cosmologists; one scientist wrote an explanatory guide, “The Physics of Three Body.” Some years ago, China’s aerospace agency asked Liu, whose first career was as a computer engineer in the hydropower industry, to address technicians and engineers about ways that “sci-fi thinking” could be harnessed to produce more imaginative approaches to scientific problems.
A leading sci-fi writer takes stock of China’s global rise.
WHERE’S THE BEEF? You won’t find it here. This new plant-based “ground beef” is supposed to marbleize and tenderize just like the real thing.
(CNN) — It looks like beef and it’s made to taste like beef, but it’s made from something else.
A company called Beyond Meat says it’s working to make products that are indistinguishable from beef, pork and poultry for folks who like meat but want to be a little more healthy and more environmentally conscious.
Continue reading “Beyond Meat will start making plant-based ‘ground beef’” »
New technique can rapidly turn genes on and off, helping scientists better understand their function.
This could be used to also heal organs in a portable device.
Engineers show that near-infrared light can trigger the release of CRISPR-Cas9 to slow tumor growth.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=TWthRz-0T18
CRISPR genome editing is one of the most significant, world-changing technologies of our era, allowing scientists to make incredibly precise cut n’ paste edits to the DNA of living organisms. Now, one synthetic biologist from NASA plans to make it as accessible as a home science kit, so you can bio-hack yeast and bacteria on your kitchen bench.
George Church is a Harvard scientist that is famed for his plan to bring the woolly mammoth back to life. This genius scientist has also been involved in another project and has been assembling a list of genetic mutations and alterations that could give people longer lives and superhuman powers. We could be on the brink of real-life superheroes!
While some people may think this is just a passing thought, it really isn’t. In fact, Church has even created a spreadsheet which lists the known pros and cons of each gene and what “superpower” they would give. One example would be a specific mutation to the LRP5 gene, which would give the patient extra-strong bones. However, such a power would also decrease buoyancy in water. Other weird and wonderful changes could offer patients resistance to radiation or incredible skills at holding their breath underwater.
We live an average of 71 years—a drop in the bucket compared with some of nature’s life spans.
UK scientists have taken the first steps towards creating new vaccine treatments in pill form.
The Cardiff team has made a prototype oral flu vaccine, which unlike standard inoculations does not need to be stored in a fridge or freezer.
They hope it could pave the way for needle-free inoculations for lots of different diseases that would be easier to use in developing countries.
