Information theory, which was developed by Claude Shannon starting in the late 1940s, deals with questions such as how quickly information can be sent over a noisy communications channel. Both the information carriers (e.g., photons) and the channel (e.g., optical fiber cable) are assumed to be clas…
Posted in cryonics, life extension
In a recent study, researchers have explored senescence-related proteins and protein interactions in cataracts, a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness in older adults.
Cataracts are characterized by the clouding of the lens in the eye, which leads to impaired vision. Cataracts generally develop slowly and can affect either one or both eyes at the same time. Cataract symptoms typically include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble with bright lights, and difficulty seeing at night.
By analyzing proteins and their interactions, these researchers aim for a full understanding of this condition, showing that multiple biomarkers associated with aging rise during the formation of cataracts. Typically, p53, a well-known biomarker for the presence of senescent cells, is seen to rise along with transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-β1), another biomarker commonly associated with inflammation when encountered in high amounts. During the development of cataracts, the number of senescent cells rises, as this research shows.
Posted in space
Posted in space
Sen has successfully demonstrated the world’s most powerful ever video streaming platform to operate in space, and the world’s first 4K video from a satellite: https://sen.com/press/press-release
Posted in futurism
Nature asked nine leading Europeans to pick their top priority for science at this pivotal point. Love, money, and trust got most votes.
Autonomous vehicles might someday be able to navigate bustling city streets to deliver groceries, pizzas, and other packages without a human behind the wheel. But that doesn’t solve what Ford Motor CTO Ken Washington describes as the last 50-foot problem.
Ford and startup Agility Robotics are partnering in a research project that will test how two-legged robots and self-driving vehicles can work together to solve that curb-to-door problem. Agility’s Digit, a two-legged robot that has a lidar where its head should be, will be used in the project. The robot, which is capable of lifting 40 pounds, can ride along in a self-driving vehicle and be deployed when needed to delivery packages.
“We’re looking at the opportunity of autonomous vehicles through the lens of the consumer and we know from some early experimentation that there are challenges with the last 50 feet,” Washington told TechCrunch in a recent interview. Finding a solution could be an important differentiator for Ford’s commercial robotaxi service, which it plans to launch in 2021.
A new University of Colorado Boulder study, published in the journal Experimental Physiology, helps explain why.
It found that people who sleep fewer than 7 hours per night have lower blood levels of three physiological regulators, or microRNAs, which influence gene expression and play a key role in maintaining vascular health.
The findings could potentially lead to new, non-invasive tests for sleep deprived patients concerned about their health, the authors said.
