A new finding by Harvard stem cell biologists turns one of the basics of neurobiology on its head — demonstrating that it is possible to turn one type of already differentiated (formed from a stem cell) neuron into another within the brain.
The discovery by Paola Arlotta and Caroline Rouaux indicates that “maybe the brain is not as immutable as we… read more
Cambridge University researchers have published a paper that they say proves that four-stranded “quadruple helix” DNA structures (G-quadruplexes) exist within the human genome.
They form in regions of DNA that are rich in the DNA building block guanine (G).
The findings mark the culmination of over 10 years investigation by scientists to show these complex structures in vivo (in living human cells) using computational… read more
Akamai, the Web optimization company whose servers deliver up to 30 percent of Web traffic, is setting its sights on creating a TV technology that can detect what a person is watching and stream secondary content to a smartphone or tablet in near real-time, MIT Technology Review reports.
The aim, the company says, is to take today’s fast-growing but chaotic landscape of TV “companion” apps… read more
In a SPIEGEL interview, synthetic biology expert and Harvard University professor of genetics George Church explains how DNA will become the building material of the future — one that can help create virus-resistant human beings and possibly bring back lost species like the Neanderthal.
In his new book, “Regenesis: How Synthetic Biology Will Reinvent Nature and Ourselves,” which he has also… read more
A new petascale supercomputer built to study the universe is one of the fastest calculating machines in the world, and certainly the fastest of its kind.
The supercomputer is part of ALMA, a new radio telescope that is claimed to be “largest ground-based astronomical project in existence,” HPC Wire reports.
The ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and “soul” in Spanish) radio telescope is a… read more
Deep Space Industries (DSI) announced Monday night that it will send a fleet of asteroid-prospecting spacecraft out into the solar system to hunt for resources to accelerate space development to benefit Earth.
These “FireFly” spacecraft utilize low-cost cubesat components and get discounted delivery to space by ride-sharing on the launch of larger communications satellites.
“This is the first commercial campaign to explore the small… read more
Belgium is planning to build a doughnut-shaped island in the North Sea that will store wind energy by pumping water out of a hollow in the middle, as it looks for ways to lessen its reliance on nuclear power, Reuters reports.
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Filabot promises to help turn your plastic junk into 3-D printed objects, Wired reports.
Most contemporary printers use plastic filament, available in spools from various suppliers. With Filabo, you can grind up several types of household plastics or even past projects to make new filament lines.
People who’ve lost sight in one eye can still see with the other, but they lack binocular depth perception.
A pair of augmented reality glasses being built at the University of Yamanashi in Japan artificially introduces a feeling of depth in a person’s healthy eye, MIT Technology Review reports.
The researchers created software that makes use of the twin cameras in a Vuzix Wrap… read more
Intel is developing communication technology that can quickly process and respond to signals Stephen Hawking sends from the few muscles in his body that he can still control, Scientific American reports.
Intel chief technology officer Justin Rattner noted that Hawking can make a number of facial expressions that might be used to speed up the rate at which the physicist conveys his thoughts. Even providing Hawking with… read more
University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers have developed a strain of mice that turns on a gene from fireflies to provide a visual indication of aging and tumor growth in mice. The mice light up whenever another mouse gene, p16INK4a (p16) is is activated (in cells undergoing senescence, the p16 gene is switched on).
The researchers followed p16 activation by simply tracking the… read more
A Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) Associate Professor David Harrich has developed a way to use HIV to beat HIV in the laboratory.
He has determined how to modify a protein in the virus, creating the the “Nullbasic” protein, which provides strong, lasting protection from infection by stopping the virus from replicating in a lab environment. Animal trials are due to start this year.
“If this… read more
Scientists at Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, have developed thin-film solar cells on flexible polymer foils with a new record efficiency of 20.4%.
The cells are based on CIGS (copper indium gallium (di)selenide) semiconducting material.
Thin-film, lightweight, flexible high-performance solar modules are attractive for solar farms, roofs and facades of buildings, automobiles, and portable electronics and can be produced using… read more
On Tuesday at 10 AM PT, Deep Space Industries Inc. will announce plans to create “the world’s first fleet of commercial asteroid-prospecting spacecraft,” according to an email press release.
The announcement will be broadcast live at http://www.spacevidcast.com. A video of the announcement will be available at www.deepspaceindustries.com.
“Deep Space is pursuing an aggressive schedule and plans on prospecting, harvesting and processing asteroids for use… read more
Kim Suozzi, diagnosed at age 21 with brain cancer while studying neuroscience at college, passed away Thursday, January 17, 2013 at age 23.
The Society for Venturism, a cryonics advocacy and support group, started a charity fund for her cryonic suspension in August of 2012 and through an overwhelming amount of support from the extreme life extension community, enough funds were raised for her to be cryopreserved with Alcor.… read more