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How economic growth has become anti-life

November 3, 2013

"Economic growth begins when seeds are genetically modified and patented, leading to farmers having to buy seeds every season" (credit: Raminder Pal Singh/EPA)

“An obsession with growth has eclipsed our concern for sustainability, justice and human dignity. But people are not disposable — the value of life lies outside economic development,” writes philosopher, environmental activist, and author Vandana Shiva at The Guardian.

“Limitless growth is the fantasy of economists, businesses and politicians,” she says. “It is seen as a measure of progress. As a result, gross domestic product (GDP), which is supposed… read more

Topics: Biotech | Social/Ethical/Legal

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Hangout on Air: Which technologies will have the biggest impact by 2025?

November 2, 2013

London Futurists

Which five futuristic technologies are likely to have the biggest impact by 2025? And what can people start doing, from today, to prepare for the changes and to ensure positive outcomes?

This London Futurists Hngout on Air featured a live discussion between futurists Kevin Russell,Peter Rothman, Riva-Melissa Tez, Clyde DeSouza, and José Luis Cordeiro.

When: 7 pm to 8.30 pm London time (2 pm to 3:30 pm EST) on… read more

Topics: Singularity/Futures

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Study with totally blind people shows how light helps activate the brain

November 1, 2013

Photoreceptive ganglion cell (credit: David Berson's lab/Brown University)

Light stimulates brain activity during a cognitive task even in some people who are totally blind, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Montreal and Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

“We were stunned to discover  that the brain still responds to light in these rare three completely blind patients  despite having absolutely no conscious vision at all,” said senior co-author Steven… read more

Topics: Cognitive Science/Neuroscience

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Neurocam wearable camera reads your brainwaves and records what interests you

November 1, 2013

neurocam

The neurocam is the world’s first wearable camera system that automatically records what interests you, based on brainwaves, DigInfo TV reports.

It consists of a headset with a brain-wave sensor and uses the iPhone’s camera to record a 5-second GIF animation. It could also be useful for life-logging.

The algorithm for quantifying brain waves was co-developed by Associate Professor Mitsukura at Keio University.

The… read more

Topics: Cognitive Science/Neuroscience

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Video game playing found beneficial for the brain

November 1, 2013

Super Mario 64 (credit: Nintendo)

Playing the Super Mario 64 video game causes increased size in brain regions responsible for spatial orientation, memory formation and strategic planning as well as fine motor skills, a new study conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Charité University Medicine St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus has found.

The positive effects of video gaming may also be useful in therapeutic interventions targeting psychiatric disorders.

To investigate… read more

Topics: Cognitive Science/Neuroscience

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How Google Glass will usher in an era of superhuman vision

November 1, 2013

augmented realilty

Stanford professor Marc Levoy sees a combination of computational imaging and new-form-factor camera-equipped devices that will allow for a set of what he described as “superhero vision” capabilities, Extreme Tech reports.

Rapidly increasing processor power will help fuel this new world of powerful new photographic tools. Levoy, a pioneer in both computer graphics and computational imaging, noted that GPU power is growing by roughly 80% per year,… read more

Topics: VR/Augmented Reality/Computer Graphics

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An Earth-like exoplanet in mass and size discovered

October 31, 2013

Gliese436b

MIT researchers have found that Kepler 78b, a small, intensely hot planet 400 light-years from Earth discovered by the researchers in August, shares Earth’s mass.

By analyzing the movement of its host star, Kepler 78, the scientists determined that the exoplanet is about 1.7 times as massive as the Earth.

From the same measurements, they calculated that the planet’s density is 5.3 grams… read more

Topics: Physics/Cosmology

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Drive wearing Glass, get a ticket

... and Glass updates
October 31, 2013

Google-Glass-photo_610x306

In a possible first, Cecilia Abadie received a traffic ticket Tuesday for wearing Google Glass while driving in San Diego, she noted on Google+:

According to CNN, the California law cited in Abadie’s case, V C 27602, prohibits televisions and similar monitors from being turned on and facing the driver. “There are exceptions for GPS and mapping tools and… read more

Topics: VR/Augmented Reality/Computer Graphics

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A multifunctional nano carrier to detect, diagnose, and deliver drugs to cancer cells

October 31, 2013

uc_nano_carrier

A unique nanostructure developed by a team of international researchers* promises improved all-in-one detection, diagnoses, and drug-delivery treatment of cancer cells.

It can carry a variety of cancer-fighting materials on its double-sided (Janus) surface and within its porous interior and can:

  •  Transport cancer-specific detection nanoparticles and biomarkers to a site within the body, e.g., the breast or the prostate. This promises earlier diagnosis than is

… read more

Topics: Biomed/Longevity | Nanotech/Materials Science

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NSA hacks Yahoo, Google data-center cables worldwide

October 30, 2013

NSA-Google

The NSA has secretly broken into fiber-optic cables that connect Yahoo and Google data centers around the world — positioning itself to collect at will from hundreds of millions of user accounts, many of them belonging to Americans, according to documents obtained from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and interviews with knowledgeable officials, the Washington Post reported today.

According to a top-secret accounting dated… read more

Topics: Internet/Telecom | Social/Ethical/Legal

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Compound blocks neurodegeneration in mice

October 30, 2013

neurodegeneration

An orally administered compound that prevents neurodegeneration in mice has been developed by researchers at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit at the University of Leicester.

The team had found previously (Nature) that the build up of misfolded proteins in the brains of mice with prion disease over-activates a natural defense mechanism in cells, which switches off the production of new proteins.… read more

Topics: Cognitive Science/Neuroscience

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Controlled atomic-layer crystal growth is ‘breakthrough’ for solar-cell efficiency

October 30, 2013

InGaN-GaN

Arizona State University and Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have developed a new approach to growing indium gallium nitride (InGaN) crystals, promising “record-breaking” photovoltaic solar cell efficiencies.

Researchers previously found that the atomic separation of the crystal layers of the InGaN alloy varies, which can lead to high levels of strain, breakdowns in growth, and fluctuations in the alloy’s chemical composition.

“Being able to ease… read more

Topics: Electronics | Energy

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The Titan Arm helps you lift 40 more pounds

But there no plans to sell it as a product yet.
October 30, 2013

titan_arm

Out of shape and can’t lift something? No prob,  just strap on an external bicep — the Titan Arm, a new invention from a group of engineering students at the University of Pennsylvania.

That’s if it’s ever available commercially (co-inventor Nick McGill told KurzweilAI they’re working on it, no date yet). If so, the Titan Arm will help lift 40 pounds more than you normally can.… read more

Topics: Human Enhancement

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Diagnostic devices the size of a credit card

Shrinking laboratory-scale processes to automated chip-sized systems would revolutionize biotechnology and medicine
October 29, 2013

A microfluidic bioreactors consists of two chambers separated by a nanoporous silicon membrane. It allows for flow-based assays using minimal amounts of reagent. The ultra-thin silicon membrane provides an excellent mimic of biological barrier properties. NOTE: This image combines two exposures in order to capture the brighter and darker parts of the scene, which exceed the dynamic range of the camera sensor. The resulting composite is truer to what the eye actually sees.<br /> Credit: Photo by Adam Fenster/University of Rochester.

A silicon nanomembrane developed at the University of Rochester could drastically shrink the  power source needed with electroosmotic pumps (EOPs) to move solutions through micro-channels — paving the way for ultra-thin ”lab-on-a-chip” diagnostic devices the size of a credit card.

“Until now, electroosmotic pumps have had to operate at a very high voltage — about 10 kilovolts,” said James McGrath, associate professor of biomedical… read more

Topics: Biomed/Longevity | Electronics | Nanotech/Materials Science

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Is invisible dark matter detectable?

October 29, 2013

dark-matter detector

Scientists at MIT and elsewhere have developed a tool that could test to see if dark matter is detectable.

That will be a challenge: dark matter, believed by physicists to outweigh all the normal matter in the universe by more than five to one, is by definition invisible.

However, the MIT researchers have come up with a workaround, described in a paper in the journal Physical… read more

Topics: Physics/Cosmology

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