9/30/2008 PERMALINK
Pain is not just a symptom, pain causes arthritis Pain is more than a symptom of osteoarthritis, it is an inherent and damaging part of the disease itself. Researchers have revealed that pain signals originating in arthritic joints, and the biochemical processing of those signals as they reach the spinal cord, worsen and expand arthritis. "Our study results confirm that joints can export inflammation in the form of higher IL-1beta," said Stephanos Kyrkanides, Ph.D. Interleukin 1-beta is a pro-inflammatory signaling chemical associated with higher calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP) production ... University of Rochester Medical Center

9/30/2008 PERMALINK
Most net users consult Dr. Google for 2nd opinion Reliance on the net has become so prevalent that 'Google is the de facto second opinion' for patients seeking further information after a diagnosis, according to Susannah Fox the author of a recent survey report ... Pew Internet and American Life Project (pdf)

9/29/2008 PERMALINK
Learning from amphibians how to regrow a lost limb Urodele amphibians such as the axolotl are the champions of tissue regeneration amongst vertebrates. These animals have mastered the ability to repair and replace most of their tissues following damage or amputation even well into adulthood. In fact it seems that the ability of these organisms to regenerate perfectly is not affected by their age. Efforts are underway to learn how they do this and to port this ability over to humans ... more

9/29/2008 PERMALINK
MIT lab mass-produce smell receptors for 'artificial noses' Biological engineers have found a way to mass-produce smell receptors in the laboratory, an advance that paves the way for "artificial noses" to be created and used ... MIT

9/29/2008 PERMALINK
Congratulations to Elon Musk and all the engineers at SpaceX A historic day, the first privately developed rocket to make it into orbit flew today. Observed the jubilant CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, 'The data shows we achieved a super precise orbit insertion - middle of the bull's-eye - and then went on to coast and restart the second stage, which was icing on the cake.' Space must be transformed from an enormous government boondoggle into a paying economic enterprise as quickly as possible if humans are to avoid extinction ... watch

9/29/2008 PERMALINK
How cholesterol improves the function of your brain cells Twenty-five percent of cholesterol within the body is found in brain cells, where it seems to perform many important roles. Most of the theories for how cholesterol improves the function of brain cells have focused on its effect on the membranes that enclose these cells, but this work suggests that cholesterol may play a much more direct role by burying itself within some of the proteins that are necessary for cells to communicate. Image shows Cholesterol in orange, buried within the transparent protein, interacting with a lipid in the membrane ... University of Pennsylvania

9/28/2008 PERMALINK
Lab identifies mechanism for regulation of gene expression In a breakthrough in learning how to make genes turn on and off, scientists have demonstrated that an enzyme called Uch37 is a 'deubiquitinating enzyme' that can remove protein tags (called ubiquitin) from other proteins. The presence of one kind of ubiquitin tag on a protein can mark it for destruction, but others serve as marks to affect the activity of a protein. INO80 is a chromatin remodeling complex that is believed to function in both gene regulation and DNA repair by "unpacking" DNA from nucleosomes to allow access to chromosomal DNA ... Stowers Institute's Conaway Lab

9/28/2008 PERMALINK
Advance in gene therapy for eliminating tumors Gene therapy inducing mouse brain cells to secrete human interferon-beta was able to suppress growth of human cancer cells implanted nearby ... Massachusetts General Hospital

9/27/2008 PERMALINK
Photonic crystal biosensors detect protein-DNA interactions
In order to implement anti-aging cellular repair technologies, much better understanding of protein-DNA interactions are necessary. Scientists have developed a new class of disposable, microplate-based optical biosensors capable of detecting protein-DNA interactions. "Protein-DNA interactions are essential for fundamental cellular processes such as transcription, DNA damage repair and apoptosis," said Paul Hergenrother, of the university's Institute for Genomic Biology ... University of Illinois

9/27/2008 PERMALINK
Implants give you the vision of a 20 year old for life "As you get older, the lens of your eye hardens and is no longer able to change its shape and focus," said Professor James Wolffsohn of the Ophthalmic Research Group at Aston University. The goal is to create implantable, extremely flexible 'super lenses' that could be squeezed by the eye's muscles into the shapes needed to focus on both near and distant objects - and all points in between. This would give aging eyes the permanent vision of a 20 year old and also prevent the development of cataracts ... more

9/26/2008 PERMALINK
Brain cell 'master switch' regulates over 200 genes
Neuroscientists led by Michael Greenberg, PhD have identified the first known "master switch" in brain cells to orchestrate the formation and maintenance of inhibitory synapses, essential for proper brain function. The factor, called Npas4, regulates more than 200 genes that act in various ways to calm down over-excited cells, restoring a balance that is thought to go askew in some neurologic disorders ... Children's Hospital Boston

9/26/2008 PERMALINK
Nano encapsulation for effective gene delivery Gene delivery into human cells has posed major challenges for gene therapy. A series of gelatin-siloxane nanoparticles (GS NPs) with controlled size and surface charge were synthesized through a two-step sol-gel process. In order to increase the efficiency of cellular uptake, HIV-derived Tat peptide was further grafted to GS NPs ... more

9/26/2008 PERMALINK
Nano encapsulation for effective gene delivery Gene delivery into human cells has posed major challenges for gene therapy. A series of gelatin-siloxane nanoparticles (GS NPs) with controlled size and surface charge were synthesized through a two-step sol-gel process. In order to increase the efficiency of cellular uptake, HIV-derived Tat peptide was further grafted to GS NPs ... more

9/26/2008 PERMALINK
Nano encapsulation for effective gene delivery Gene delivery into human cells has posed major challenges for gene therapy. A series of gelatin-siloxane nanoparticles (GS NPs) with controlled size and surface charge were synthesized through a two-step sol-gel process. In order to increase the efficiency of cellular uptake, HIV-derived Tat peptide was further grafted to GS NPs ... more

9/25/2008 PERMALINK
Texas graduate student creates x-ray vision


Ph.D. candidate Shobha Ram and her professor Hao Ling are perfecting doppler radar systems that can detect human activities through walls and convert the signals to virtual human images. The radar signals are turned into the animation of a person walking. The torso with less movement shows as the orange color in the signal, while higher motion arms and legs show up as yellow ... University of Texas ... more

9/25/2008 PERMALINK
Better vision implants that can stay implanted for years Boston Retinal Implant Project have developed an implant that can stay in the eye for years without declining in performance or causing inflammation, connected to retinas to restore some normal vision to the vision impaired ... Technology Review

9/25/2008 PERMALINK
Calorie restriction works less in humans than in animals "Protein in the diet seemed to correlate with the lower levels of IGF-1. The strict vegans took in about 10 percent of their total calories from protein, whereas those on calorie restriction tended to get about 23 or 24 percent of calories from protein." said Luigi Fontana, M.D., Ph.D. "If our research is on the right track, maybe humans don't need to be so calorie restricted. Limiting protein intake to .7 or .8 grams per kilogram per day might be more effective" [at extending lifespans] ... Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

9/24/2008 PERMALINK
Homeland Security has 'pre-crime' 'hostile thoughts' detector Dubbed the Future Attribute Screening Technologies (FAST) program, Homeland Security says that their system designed to detect "hostile thoughts" in people walking through border posts, airports and public places has been proven to work in recent tests. Deployment is coming soon. It seems the frightening world Philip K. Dick warned us about in stories like The Minority Report and We Can Remember It for You Wholesale has now arrived ... more

9/24/2008 PERMALINK
European researchers band together to create better bots EURON "EUropean RObotics research Network" is a community of people with a common purpose. To bring together the best groups and resources in research, industry and education in Europe to work together towards creating the next generation of robots ... EURON

9/24/2008 PERMALINK
Military bot humor video ~ funny or not funny? Does this military bot humor video come a little bit too close to the truth to be funny, or is it just me? ... watch

9/24/2008 PERMALINK
America's top nano conference Nov. 12 & 13 in Boston The National Nano Engineering Conference 2008 (NNEC), the premier national conference on current and future developments in engineering innovations at the nanoscale, takes place November 12 & 13 at the Colonnade Hotel in Boston ... more

9/24/2008 PERMALINK
As your brain ages, achievements bring less dopamine reward The dopamine system, which plays a crucial role in your brain's reward processing mechanism, is particularly vulnerable to aging. New research into midbrain dopamine synthesis and reward-related prefrontal activity in humans shows that aging significantly impairs your brain's reward system, turning the correlation between midbrain dopamine synthesis and prefrontal activity from a positive to a negative ... National Academy of Sciences

9/24/2008 PERMALINK
Add to resveratrol many anti-aging effects, radiation protection Resveratrol, the natural antioxidant commonly found in red wine and many plants, may offer protection against radiation exposure, according to a study by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. When altered with acetyl, resveratrol administered before radiation exposure proved to protect cells from radiation in mouse models ... more

9/24/2008 PERMALINK
Inhibiting Lp-PLA2 protein prevents blockage of your arteries Elevated levels of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) in your blood predict an increased risk of heart disease events and are related to the development of plaques. Darapladib specifically inhibits Lp-PLA2. "The results are exciting," says Robert L. Wilensky, MD. "First, darapladib reduced the overall amount and size of plaques that block the coronary arteries of animals in the study. More importantly, it reduced the number and size of the type of advanced plaques that cause heart attacks and strokes." ... University of Pennsylvania Health System

9/24/2008 PERMALINK
A faster, better way to ID a protein inside your cells A new technology, expected to lead to the development of a powerful new tool for analyzing the inner workings of a single one of your cells, uses an ultra short pulse of infra-red laser light to cause a vibration in one part of a protein molecule. The researchers then track the movement of energy from this vibration as it moves through the protein, building up an energy flow map of the protein which enables them to identify what kind of protein it is ... Imperial College London

9/24/2008 PERMALINK
A 'vegan' diet may be an effective life-extension strategy Recent studies confirm that dietary methionine restriction increases both mean and maximal lifespan in rats and mice, achieving 'aging retardant' effects very similar to those of caloric restriction, including a suppression of mitochondrial superoxide generation ... ouroboros

9/24/2008 PERMALINK
Crowd tagging your reality so it displays in HiRES In addition to extending our lifespans and enhancing our minds internally, an important element of our humods future is the tagging of reality to create a Heuristic Informational Reality Enhancement System (HiRES or just RES for short). Eventually, we will all carry a smart bot to pickup and filter these tags, feeding us relevant intel about our immediate environment. TonchiDot is developing such a system, check out their demo ... watch

9/23/2008 PERMALINK
Huge beakthrough in organ replacement research Dr. Doris Taylor, Ph.D. and colleagues appear to have made an enormous advance in organ replacement that she calls "whole organ decellularization." By scrubbing out all the genetic material from an animal heart, leaving only a wax-paper like framework of material behind. Then repopulating that framework with an individual's own cells. Dr. Taylor appears to have found a technique for creating a totally compatible heart for transplantation in just days. Dr. Taylor believe the technique will work for other organs as well. "It opens the notion that we can make any organ," said Dr. Taylor. "Our hope is if you need it, we can make it." Click for a movie showing the process ... University of Minnesota

9/23/2008 PERMALINK
The genetic pluses and minuses of sun exposure Research shows that vitamin D in the body significant protects against the development of cancer by regulating cell growth, cell differentiation and cell death. This is supported by evidence that sun exposure, which helps in the production of vitamin D, can have anticancer effects. However, individuals with certain variants in a vitamin D-related gene, called BsmI, appear to be at an increased risk of developing melanoma ... more

9/23/2008 PERMALINK
Researchers discover how to genetically control aging in plants Researches have shown that certain small sections of genes, microRNAs, coordinate growth and aging processes in plants. These microRNAs inhibit certain regulators, known as TCP transcription factors that in turn influence the production of jasmonic acid, a plant hormone. The higher the number of microRNAs present, the lower the number of transcription factors that are active, and the smaller the amount of jasmonic acid, which is produced by the plant ... Max Planck Institute

9/23/2008 PERMALINK
A bot for your cell phone that improves sleep & reduces stress Sleep researchers have developed a smart alarm clock for mobile phones called HappyWakeUp that gives an alarm signal in the morning just before the ultimate alarm time, if the sleeping subject is awake or "almost awake" due to the natural sleep rhythms. During these moments, the body and brain are already awake and waking up is natural and easy. "The alarm signal during deep sleep is stressful," says sleep specialist Tapani Salmi, MD, PhD. "But with the smart alarm clock this is avoided." ... more

9/23/2008 PERMALINK
A new X-ray imaging technique can capture your cells in action Molecules of haemoglobin in your red blood cells give up oxygen to keep your body alive. A new X-ray imaging technique can capture that 3-microsecond process in action, freezing frames just nanoseconds apart. The new method offers a way to image proteins in their natural, fast-moving state. They are master shape shifters, changing their 3D molecular structure as often as once every picosecond – a millionth of millionth of a second – to tune their properties and perform their functions ... more

9/23/2008 PERMALINK
Adult stem cells found able to regenerate many other tissues In a promising finding for the field of regenerative medicine, stem cell researchers have identified a source of adult stem cells found on the walls of blood vessels with the unlimited potential to differentiate into human tissues such as bone, cartilage and muscle. Led by Bruno Péault, PhD, deputy director of the Stem Cell Research Center, the team identified cells known as pericytes that are multipotent, meaning they have broad developmental potential ... Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

9/23/2008 PERMALINK
Bots make their move at taking over the art world Watch Salvador DaBot, the renowned bot portraitist at work ... watch

9/23/2008 PERMALINK
Iron-moving malfunction underlies neurodegeneration & aging A glitch in the ability to move iron around in cells may underlie a disease known as Type IV mucolipidosis (ML4) and the suite of symptoms---mental retardation, poor vision and diminished motor abilities---that accompany it, new research at the University of Michigan shows. The same deficit also may be involved in aging and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, says lead author Haoxing Xu, an assistant professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology ... more

9/23/2008 PERMALINK
How your immune system attacks your own infected cells Your body is almost constantly being threatened by pathogens and cancerous cells that appear out of the blue. But your body puts up a fight: specialized cells in the immune system smuggle small molecules (granzymes) into cancer cells and those body cells that have fallen prey to viruses. The molecules then trigger off the diseased cells' built-in suicide program ... Max Planck

9/23/2008 PERMALINK
Spatial Memory Loss due to aging restored by immune activation Aging is associated with decline in hippocampus-dependent spatial memory. Hippocampal gene expression analysis suggested that immune-dependent spatial memory performance is associated with the expression of insulin-like growth factor (Igf1) and of genes encoding proteins related to presynaptic activity (Syt10, Cplx2) ... more

9/23/2008 PERMALINK
Understanding how proteins enable genes to express themselves Researchers have succeeded in tracing intricate biochemical networks involving a class of proteins that enable genes to express themselves in specific tissues at particular moments in development. These regulatory networks, which are surprisingly extensive and highly conserved by evolution, help scientists gain insights into gene regulation in different cells—in these experiments, brain and muscle cells ... Cold Spring Harbor Lab

9/23/2008 PERMALINK
Are your nervous system and immune system genetically linked? Researchers have discovered genetic links between the nervous system and the immune system. "This is the first time that a genetic approach has been used to demonstrate that specific neurons in the nervous system are capable of regulating immune response in distant cells," said Alejandro Aballay PhD ... Duke University

9/22/2008 PERMALINK
The ARES self-assembling nanobot repair kit for your body A collaboration of European researchers called ARES is developing nanobots able to self assemble inside your body to do medical scans or perform surgery. Their goal is the development of a bot repair kit for your body. Surgical procedures of the future are expected to move towards very small precision-guided tools traveling through the natural vessels and tubes of the human body. Such nanobots will minimize the trauma and damage associated with surgery by enabling more effective and targeted treatment and shorter recovery times ... ARES (pdf)

9/22/2008 PERMALINK
Proposed AMPK-based "workout pill" might cause skin cancer AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) agonists mimic the effects of exercise, raising the possibility of a workout pill that could simulate the effects of vigorous activity. However, AMPK plays important roles in UV-induced signal transduction ultimately leading to skin photo-aging and even skin cancer ... more

9/22/2008 PERMALINK
Bio-SPICE open source modeling & simulation of cell processes Bio-SPICE is an open source framework and software toolset for Systems Biology, intended to assist biological researchers in the modeling and simulation of spatio-temporal processes in living cells. It is a user community committed to using, extending, and exploiting these tools to further our knowledge of biological processes ... more

9/22/2008 PERMALINK
Making EVERYTHING smart and net connected A group of leading technology vendors including Cisco and Sun Microsystems and end users have formed the IP for Smart Objects (IPSO) Alliance, whose goal is to promote the Internet Protocol (IP) as the networking technology best suited for connecting sensor- and actuator-equipped or "smart" objects and delivering information gathered by those objects. Smart objects are objects in the physical world that - typically with the help of embedded devices - transmit information about their condition or environment (e.g., temperature, light, motion, health status) to locations where the information can be analyzed, correlated with other data and acted upon ... more

9/22/2008 PERMALINK
Synthetic Biology 4.0 conference Oct. 10-12 Hong Kong This annual conference brings together researchers who are working to design and build biological parts, devices and integrated biological systems ... more

9/22/2008 PERMALINK
How the microbes inside you help extend your life For each human cell in your body, there are ten microbes, and lately researchers have been discovering the critical roll these microbes play in maintaining your health. In another dramatic example of this, researchers have found that exposure to a common stomach bacteria protects mice against the development of Type I diabetes. Keeping the right mix of microbes inside you would appear to be an essential element of any lifespan extension regime ... Yale University

9/21/2008 PERMALINK
New Bluetooth Reality Enhancement System (RES) developed A new Bluetooth RES system called "Talking Points" places a layer of information technology over the real world to tell pedestrians about points of interest along their path as they pass them. "The idea behind Talking Points is to enhance the journey," said James Knox, one of the system's developers. "If it caught on, this would be an effective way to tag the whole world," said Jason Stewart, a master's student in the School of Information who is involved in the project. "Anyone with a reader could use it to find out more information about where they are." ... University of Michigan

9/21/2008 PERMALINK
Hand-held "lab on a chip" DNA testing device
Using new "lab on a chip" technology the size of a microscope slide, University of Virginia researchers are developing a hand-held device to allow inexpensively DNA tests to be conducted quickly, anywhere by physicians, crime scene investigators, pharmacists, or even the general public. "We can now do lab work in volumes that are thousands of times smaller than would normally be used in a regular lab setup, and can do it up to 100 times faster," said UVA professor James Landers ... Univ. of Virginia

9/21/2008 PERMALINK
Can a single compound fix the cause of 1,800 genetic disorders? PTC124 is a novel, orally administered small-molecule compound that targets a particular genetic alteration known as a nonsense mutation. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Rare Diseases estimates that at least 1,800 distinct genetic disorders can have a nonsense mutation in an individual’s DNA as the underlying cause of the disease. Nonsense mutations are single-point alterations in the DNA that when transcribed into mRNA introduce a premature translation termination codon. This halts the ribosomal translation process at an earlier site than normal, producing a truncated, non-functional protein. PTC124 is designed to prevent this occurrence ... PTC Therapeutics

9/20/2008 PERMALINK
Wheelchair bot that can find its own way around
Researchers are developing a new kind of autonomous wheelchair that can learn locations in a building, and then take its occupant to a given place in response to a verbal command. Say "take me to the cafeteria" or "go to my room," sit back and relax as the chair takes you there based on a map stored in its memory. "It's a system that can learn and adapt to the user," says Nicholas Roy, MIT assistant professor and co-developer of the wheelchair ... MIT

9/20/2008 PERMALINK
We knew calorie restriction extends life, now we may know why Our work with C. elegans reveals that TOR depends on a second gene called pha4/FoxA to control the aging process," says study co-author Susan Mango, a professor in the University of Utah Dept of Oncological Sciences. "When there's lots of food, TOR gets active, which decreases the action of pha4/FoxA down the line, and that in turn shortens the lifespan. When there's little food, there's little TOR and more pha4/FoxA, and that results in a longer lifespan." ... Univeristy of Utah

9/19/2008 PERMALINK
As synthetic biology becomes affordable, amateur labs thrive Mackenzie Cowell is talking about the tools he and like-minded young colleagues are using to fuel what they hope will be the next big thing in biology. The list includes a cut-up Charlie Card, ingredients bought on eBay to make a kind of scientific Jell-O, and a refrigerator, just scored on Craigslist.com, that chills to 80 degrees below zero. Cowell is part of an effort called DIYbio -- short for do-it-yourself biology -- that aims to move science into the hands of hobbyists. It is starting by holding sessions where amateurs extract DNA, and attempt genetic fingerprinting using common household items ... The Tech

9/19/2008 PERMALINK
A gene may determine your choice of political parties Researchers find that people more startled by things like sudden noises and threatening images tend to be much more supportive of higher defense spending, capital punishment, torture and the Iraq War. While those who are less prone to jump out of their skins when someone yells boo are less eager to bomb, torture, imprison or execute. Research indicates this difference in reaction may be genetic. Future commercial: "Our gene therapy can make you more relaxed, less paranoid, greatly lower your startle response, lower your blood pressure and your chance for heart disease, but see your doctor immediately should you feel a sudden desire to vote for a Democrat" ... University of Nebraska

9/19/2008 PERMALINK
GRP cells offer spinal nerve regeneration breakthrough Transplantation of embryonic-derived glial-restricted precursor cells (GRP cells) causes pain syndromes and no spinal nerve regeneration. However, when Dr. Stephen Davies at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine used signal molecules, known to be involved in the generation of embryonic astrocytes during spinal cord development, to make pure cultures of two different types of astrocytes from the GRP cells. One type of astrocyte called GDAsBMP was remarkably effective at promoting nerve regeneration and recovery of limb motion without pain. While the other, called GDAsCNTF, promoted no nerve fiber regeneration and caused neuropathic pain ... more

9/18/2008 PERMALINK
Less stress, better diet found to increase cell restoring enzyme
Telomerase has been hailed as an "immortalizing enzyme." The telomere proteins protecting the ends of chromosomes in your cells shorten naturally and ultimately die unless the telomerase enzyme increases their length. Image shows cell with mutant telomeres trying to divide. A new study by UCSF biochemist Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn shows that healthier lifestyles results in increased levels of telomerase ... more

9/18/2008 PERMALINK
Google's top scientists predict the future of the net Computer systems will have greater opportunity to learn from the collective behavior of billions of humans. They will get smarter, gleaning relationships between objects, nuances, intentions, meanings, and other deep conceptual information ... more

9/18/2008 PERMALINK
Convergence08 conference on world-changing technologies On November 15-16, 2008, the world's most dangerous ideas will collide in Mountain View, California. Convergence08 examines the world-changing nanotech, biotech, cognotech and infotech revolutions. Convergence08 is an innovative, lively unconference, the first and only forum dedicated to NBIC (Nano-Bio-Info-Cogno) technologies ... more

9/18/2008 PERMALINK
Building bots that actually understand your language Cognition's Semantic Natural Language Processing (NLP) Web 3.0 technologies add word and phrase meaning and understanding to computer applications for much higher precision recall of salient data from the universe of possible results. As applications become more human-like in their understanding of language, they become far more satisfying for humans to use ... more

9/18/2008 PERMALINK
Extending human cell life without increasing the risk of tumors Telomerase add to a cell's DNA so the cell can continue to reproduce for longer. In larger and longer lived mammals telomerase must be suppressed to avoid tumor growth. But some longer lived and larger mammals can maintain active telomerase without developing tumors. Researchers have now discovered that these mammals seem to have cells that are hypersensitive to cues from the surrounding tissue. If the cells sense that conditions are inappropriate for growth, they slow down cell division to arrest tumor growth and prevent metastases ... more

9/17/2008 PERMALINK
Get that cheap super computer you've always wanted
Supercomputer leader Cray Inc. and Microsoft Corporation have introduced the new Cray CX1 supercomputer pre-installed with Windows HPC Server 2008. With U.S. list prices starting at $25,000 to over $60,000, the CX1 is the most affordable supercomputer ever offered by Cray and is designed to be easy to purchase, deploy, operate and upgrade. Perfect for offices, laboratories and university departments, the Cray CX1 is the world's highest-performing computer that uses standard office power ... more

9/17/2008 PERMALINK
Your cells decline with age due to a 'garbage catastrophe' As cells age, they accumulate junk: cross-linked proteins, oxidized lipids, dysfunctional membrane-bound organelles, and other detritus. Autophagy, an important garbage-disposal function, slows with age, making turnover of damaged components even less efficient, leading to a downward death spiral. This has been termed the “garbage catastrophe” hypothesis, and is a prime contender for explaining age-related decline in cellular function ... more

9/17/2008 PERMALINK
Effort to design humanoid service robot demos latest prototype
REEM-B, Pal Technology latest effort to create a humanoid service robot that will be able to help humans in the future with sophisticated tasks is demoed in this movie. The company says their robot can walk dynamically, recognize and grasp objects, lift heavy weights and go around by itself inside any building complex, avoiding obstacles ... watch

9/17/2008 PERMALINK
Scientists turn human skin cells into insulin-producing cells
Researchers have transformed cells from human skin into cells that produce insulin, the hormone used to treat diabetes, a breakthrough that could bring new treatments or even a cure for the millions of people affected by the disease, researchers say ... Chapel Hill School of Medicine

9/17/2008 PERMALINK
Viruses can make collective descisions about when to kill Viruses – called phages – can make collective decisions about whether to kill host cells immediately after infection or enter a latent state to remain within the host cell ... Georgia Tech

9/17/2008 PERMALINK
Protein mechanism allowing your memory to function found A protein critical for memory formation, is made instantly after nerve stimulation. Paradoxically, its manufacture involves two other proteins — including one linked to mental retardation — that typically prevent proteins from being made ... Johns Hopkins

9/17/2008 PERMALINK
In Orwellian twist, India starts using brain scans in court trials Some scientists are predicting the end of lying as we know it ... NY Times (reg req)

9/16/2008 PERMALINK
Dragon Runner is one tough little surveillance bot
Dragon Runner is an all wheel drive small, portable, invertible, reconnaissance robot for military and homeland security use from Automatika Products. The bot weighs just 21 pounds and measures only 12.2" x 16.6" x 6". The robot can survive being thrown through doors, windows, up and down stairs, and drops greater than 10 feet. Highly agile in both urban environments and desert sands. Deployment takes just a few seconds and the bot is currently deployed in Iraq ... more (pdf) ... watch

9/16/2008 PERMALINK
Embryonic stem cells appear to prevent transplant rejection Researchers at the University of Iowa and the Iowa City Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center have shown that immune-defense cells influenced by embryonic stem cell-derived cells can help prevent the rejection of hearts transplanted into mice, all without the use of immunosuppressive drugs. "The idea behind the study is to 'prep' a recipient's immune system to make it receptive to the eventual organ or bone marrow donor's genetic make-up," said Nicholas Zavazava, M.D., Ph.D. a professor at UI and a researcher and staff physician with the Iowa City VA Medical Center. "When we then transplanted into the recipient mouse a donor mouse heart that had the same genetic make-up as the previously injected stem cells, the T-cells didn't reject the heart because they recognized it as compatible." ... more

9/16/2008 PERMALINK
Gene therapy for chronic pain goes into human testing A gene transfer vector is an agent used to carry genes into cells. In this groundbreaking clinical trial, the investigators will use a vector created from herpes simplex virus (HSV) - the virus that causes cold sores - to deliver the gene for enkephalin, one of the body's own natural pain relievers. The gene transfer vector (left image) is injected into the skin in the area of pain (red line, right image). From the skin, the vector is carried into sensory nerves and releases the inhibitory neurotransmitter locally in the spinal cord (red oval). "In pre-clinical studies, we have found that HSV-mediated transfer of enkephalin can reduce chronic pain," says David Fink, M.D., Robert Brear Professor and chair of the department of neurology at the University of Michigan Medical School ... more

9/16/2008 PERMALINK
Using artificial intelligence to find the genes that can slow aging We know that calorie restriction substantially extends the lifespan of many organisms, and recent high-throughput mRNA studies have started to catalog the extensive genetic changes that occur in response to calorie restriction. But which of these many genetic changes are the crucial ones that slow the aging process? ... more

9/16/2008 PERMALINK
Genetic mutation found that may predict organ rejection Using a novel combination of cutting-edge technologies to scan the human genome, researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC have identified a genetic mutation that identifies transplant recipients who experience rejection. Known as a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), the genetic mutation validates the effectiveness of the system the researchers developed to search the human genome, according to principal investigator Rakesh Sindhi, MD, director of Pediatric Transplant Research in the Hillman Center for Pediatric Transplantation at Children's Hospital ... more

9/15/2008 PERMALINK
DNA microarrays revolutionize research, personalize medicine
A team led by genome scientist Evan Eichler at the University of Washington in Seattle linked deletions and duplications in a region of chromosome 1 that is 1.35 million DNA bases long to the abnormalities and cases of autism and learning difficulties. Two studies published in July linked the same genomic region to schizophrenia. These findings are just the latest in a spate of studies using microarrays, which measure genetic make-up and activity, to identify small DNA defects in patients with complex disorders ... more

9/15/2008 PERMALINK
Nanoparticles can stop formation of plaque in your blood vessels Gregory Lanza, M.D., Ph.D. and colleagues at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that drug-laced nanoparticles plus a statin can stop the growth of tiny blood vessels that feed arterial plaques. Their results suggest that the dual treatment also prevents the vessels from restarting their growth, which could shrink or stabilize plaques. The nanoparticles, spheres about 20,000 times smaller than the diameter of a straight pin, were coated with a substance that made them stick in growing blood vessels and with fumagillin, a potent compound that stops blood vessel growth. The results suggest that one or possibly two injections of nanoparticles in patients who are already on statins could lead to a long-term reduction in plaque activity ... more

9/15/2008 PERMALINK
Stathmin 'fear gene' controls your levels of anxiety
Rutgers geneticist Gleb Shumyatsky has shown that the gene stathmin or oncoprotein 18 controls innate fear in animals and motivates female animals to engage in "helicopter mom" behavior to protect newborn pups and interact cautiously with unknown peers. This "fear gene" is highly concentrated in the amygdala, a key region of the brain that deals with fear and anxiety in humans ... more ... more

9/15/2008 PERMALINK
Are bots the real reason for the drop in violence in Iraq?
Claims are starting to surface that it isn't the troop surge that has brought down daily violence in that Iraq. This is actually more attributable to the amazing ability of specially trained teams of our troops to track down and assassinate the leadership of our opponents in Iraq, using devices like this versatile little aerial bot. Completely autonomous, Voyeur UAVs can fly alone or in coordinated swarms to provide on-demand, real-time information about the tactical environment, target tracking and contact for accurately planting sensors or transmitters (or maybe a grenade?) on moving or non-moving targets. Is the real lesson from Iraq that armed, aerial, autonomous warrior bots are the key to successful urban pacification in the future? ... more

9/15/2008 PERMALINK
International Stem Cell Registry (ISCR) launched
The ISCR provides an online resource of information on human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to the academic and private sector biomedical research community and to the public. Envisioned as a “one stop shop” for hESC information, the site details the properties and potential applications of specific hESC lines and includes information about obtaining the cells and a catalog of references related to each hESC line. While researchers can use the information to inform their scientific studies, patients can use the website to gain information about stem cell advances that may benefit them, and doctors can stay current on information relevant to their patients. The website will provide information at varying levels of complexity for each group of users ... more

9/15/2008 PERMALINK
FOXO3A gene found to be associated with lifespan extension After mutations in genes involved in the insulin/IGF-1 signaling pathway (IIS) were found to improve longevity in animals, a study was initiated to seek evidence of similar effects in humans. Five genes, ADIPOQ, FOXO1A, FOXO3A, SIRT1, and COQ7 were selected as candidates, and three SNPs were analyzed per gene. Despite the small number of genes and SNPs analyzed, the researchers identified FOXO3A as being significantly associated with the long-lived phenotype ... more

9/15/2008 PERMALINK
Military surveillance bots put to work as medical couriers Military reconnaissance bots are being turned to the saving of lives. Engineers have converted bot surveillance system into a robotic carrier pigeons to ferry medical samples from remote clinics to labs for testing, or deliver urgently needed drugs such as snake anti-venom to doctors for treatment of stricken victims ... more ... watch

9/14/2008 PERMALINK
Universe sends us stark warning, get a lot smarter or die!
Our first warning came when Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 smashed into Jupiter in 1994 with a force equal to 6,000,000 megatons of TNT (600 times the power of humankind's entire nuclear arsenal). Then on March 19, 2008 came the ultimate warning, a gamma ray burst from a black hole scored a direct hit on our Earth. A hit that would have scorched away all human life had that black hole been closer to us. Add these two remarkable events to the dinosaur fossils we find scattered all around our planet's surface and the true nature of our Universe becomes apparent. Our Universe is an engine of extinction for all life-forms that fails to develop the technologies necessary to expand their minds and extend their lifespans sufficiently to allow them to spread outward across numerous star systems. Either we make ourselves capable of finding and neutralizing threats as formidable as a black hole able to fry our world from hundreds of light years away or else our Universe's engine of extinction will see to it that one of those threats finds and neutralizes us ... more

9/14/2008 PERMALINK
New vaccine works for all types of flu and lasts for many years
Existing flu vaccines work by inducing protective antibodies to proteins on the outer surface of the influenza virus, so they are only effective against certain strains of flu and new formulations must be developed every year. Dr Sarah Gilbert of the Jenner Institute, University of Oxford is taking a new approach. She has developed a novel vaccine that targets internal proteins essential to the flu virus that change very little over time or between strains. 'By targeting the internal proteins of the virus, we can come up with a universal flu jab (injection),' explains Dr Gilbert. 'The same vaccine would work against all seasonal flu and protect against bird flu.' Such a universal vaccine would not change from year to year, removing the need for annual immunizations ... more

9/13/2008 PERMALINK
New cannabis-like substance blocks pain without affecting brain
Cannabinoid receptors called CB2, which can be activated by cannabis use, are present in human sensory nerves in the peripheral nervous system, but are not present in a normal human brain. Drugs which activate the CB2 receptors are able to block pain by stopping pain signals being transmitted in human sensory nerves, according to the study. "Our new study is very promising because it suggests that we could alleviate pain by targeting the cannabinoid receptor CB2 without causing the kinds of side-effects we associate with people using cannabis itself," said Praveen Anand, Professor of Clinical Neurology and Principal Investigator of the study from the Division of Neurosciences and Mental Health at Imperial College London ... more

9/13/2008 PERMALINK
Visual input can alter your brain so it can no longer tell objects apart MIT neuroscientists have tricked the visual brain into confusing one object with another. Human eyes never see the same image twice. Every time our eyes move, the pattern of neural activity changes, yet our perception of an object remains stable. "This stability, which is called 'invariance,' is fundamental to our ability to recognize objects -- it feels effortless, but it is a central challenge for computational neuroscience," explained James DiCarlo of the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT. "We want to understand how our brains acquire invariance and how we might incorporate it into computer vision systems." By creating an altered visual world in which an object would appear in peripheral vision, but as the eyes moved to examine it, the object would be swapped for a different object. Scientist found that the subjects did not perceive the change, but soon began to confuse the two objects ... more

9/12/2008 PERMALINK
Cargo bots that cruise your blood stream to precisely target drugs
"The idea involves encapsulating imaging agents and drugs into a protective 'mother ship' that evades the natural processes that normally would remove these payloads if they were unprotected," said Michael Sailor, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UCSD who headed the team that turned the concept into reality. "These mother ships are only 50 nanometers in diameter, or 1,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair, and are equipped with an array of molecules on their surfaces that enable them to find and penetrate tumor cells in the body." ... more

9/12/2008 PERMALINK
Quantum entagled sensors a million times better than today's radar
A peculiar quantum-physics property called entanglement can be harnessed to make detectors--similar in principle to radar systems used to track airplanes in flight or ships at sea--that are as much as a million times more efficient than existing systems. In addition, beams of entangled light could be swept across a scene to reconstruct a detailed image, with a similar improvement in efficiency. "It should be possible to have at least a proof-of-principle demonstration within six months to a year," said Seth Lloyd, Director of the W. M. Keck Foundation Center for Extreme Quantum Information Theory (xQIT) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ... more ... more

9/12/2008 PERMALINK
Amazing little Fitbit fit bot tracks your daily exercise and sleep
Clip on a Fitbit fit bot and all your daily activity is tracked. Walk within 25-50ft of the provided basestation and your data will be automatically uploaded to the Fitbit website. The auto-sync software runs on both Macs and PC's. View calories, steps and distance on the Fitbit Tracker itself. You can login to the Fitbit website to see even more detailed data and also participate in collaborative fitness goals with friends, family and co-workers. The Fitbit can even tell you how well you are sleeping. When you get into bed, you slide the Fitbit Tracker onto a wristband that is provided with the Tracker. As you fall in and out of REM sleep, your wrist experiences tiny tremors. The Tracker detects and records these tremors and can tell you how long it took you to fall asleep, how many times you woke up throughout the night and the actual time you were asleep vs the time you were in bed ... more

9/12/2008 PERMALINK
Protein that regulates your brain's dopamine-releasing cells found Researchers have identified a protein they say appears to be a primary player in maintaining normal functioning of an important class of neurons – those brain cells that produce, excrete and then reabsorb dopamine neurotransmitters. Dopamine molecules command numerous body functions, ranging from management of behavior and mood to control of movement ... more

9/12/2008 PERMALINK
Vitamin B12 can prevent brain shrinkage as you age
People who have higher vitamin B12 levels were six times less likely to experience brain shrinkage compared with those who had lower levels of the vitamin in their blood. None of the people in the study had vitamin B12 deficiency. This study suggests that simply adjusting our diets to consume more vitamin B12 through eating meat, fish, fortified cereals or milk may be something we can easily adjust to prevent brain shrinkage and so perhaps save our memory," said study author Anna Vogiatzoglou, MSc, with the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Image shows the brain scans of those with high B12 levels (right) and those with low B12 levels (left) ... more

9/11/2008 PERMALINK
Your brain's own internal navigation system
Our brains contain their own navigation system much like satellite navigation ("sat-nav"), with in-built maps, grids and compasses, neuroscientist Dr Hugo Spiers told the BA Festival of Science at the University of Liverpool today. The brain's navigation mechanism resides in an area know as the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory and famously shown to be different in London taxi drivers in a Wellcome Trust-funded study carried out by Professor Eleanor Maguire at UCL (University College London) ... more

9/11/2008 PERMALINK
Stem cell regeneration can repair inherited heart defects Mayo Clinic investigators have demonstrated that stem cells can be used to regenerate heart tissue. The study expands on the use of embryonic stem cells to regenerate tissue and repair damage after heart attacks and demonstrates that stem cells also can repair the inherited causes of heart failure. "We've shown in this transgenic animal model that embryonic stem cells may offer an option in repairing genetic heart problems," says Satsuki Yamada, M.D., Ph.D., cardiovascular researcher and first author of the study. "Close evaluation of genetic variations among individuals to identify optimal disease targets and customize stem cells for therapy opens a new era of personalized regenerative medicine," adds Andre Terzic, M.D., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic cardiologist and senior author and principal investigator ... more

9/10/2008 PERMALINK
Designing nanobots to transmit signals from us to our neurons
A research team led by Rudy Diaz, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and the Center for Nanophotonics at Arizona State is working to develop a nano device that can permit "direct interaction with cells at the local level." That would be achieved with a nanoscale structure that could be injected into the body, targeted to attach itself to certain clusters of cells and then controlled by chemical reactions triggered by light delivered either through the skin or via microscopic optical fibers ... more

9/10/2008 PERMALINK
It had to happen, Blackberry finally flips out
The last holdout surrenders: The new BlackBerry Pearl Flip provides flip phone fans with all the power of a BlackBerry smartphone in a fun and familiar design. One quick flip of the handset opens up a world of possibilities with the industry’s leading mobile messaging solution and a wide range of impressive Internet and multimedia capabilities, all in one powerful yet approachable smartphone. You can send a message to your friends or family, make a call, browse the web, snap a picture, watch a video or listen to your favorite song. It’s all in your control with a simple flip ... more

9/10/2008 PERMALINK
Protein regulating long term memory formation discovered
A research team led by Prof. Kobi Rosenblum at the University of Haifa identified a specific protein essential for the process of long term memory consolidation. This is the latest of several discoveries that are leading us towards a better understanding of one of the most complex processes in nature - the process of memory creation and consolidation in the human brain. The researchers used two different groups of mice who had undergone the same tests for taste learning. Using genetic engineering, the researchers halted the process of PSD-95 protein production in the nerve cells of the taste center in the cortex. The group whose PSD-95 production was stopped had no memory of new tastes the day after being introduced to them ... more

9/10/2008 PERMALINK
Hobbyists contribute to making bots seem more human-like
The French company Aldebaran Robotics is offering an interesting humanoid bot with mechanical, electronic, and cognitive features to hobbyists. The Nao bot is based on a Linux platform and scripted with Urbi, an easy-to-learn programming language, with the option of a graphic interface for beginners or code commands for experts offers hobbyists a great platform for coding more human-like bot behaviors. Putting bots like this one into the hands of lots of hobbyists is a great way to get open source behavioral code developed that can make bots more acceptable to humans ... more

9/10/2008 PERMALINK
It's alive ~ the quest to create artificial life in the lab In Jack Szostak's Lab at Harvard Medical School molecular biologists and chemists are closing in on transforming non-living matter into life. Protocells able to trap bits of nucleic acids containing the source code for replication are being constructed that could form into a self-replicating, evolving and entirely original system of life, unlike any other found on earth ... more ... watch

9/10/2008 PERMALINK
Memory capacity much bigger than previously thought
In recent years, demonstrations of memory's failures have convinced many scientists that human memory does not store the details of our experiences. However, a new study from MIT cognitive neuroscientists may overturn this widespread belief. They have shown that given the right setting, the human brain can record an amazing amount of information. In the study, the results of which could have implications for artificial intelligence and for understanding memory disorders, people viewed thousands of objects over five hours. Remarkably, afterward they were able to remember each object in great detail. "Visual long-term memory capacity is much higher than previously believed and shown," said Aude Oliva, associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences ... more

9/10/2008 PERMALINK
Price for having your genes scanned for abnormalities drops to $399
23andMe, Inc., the industry leader in personal genetics, has announced a substantial reduction in price for its Personal Genome Service. Effective immediately, 23andMe is offering its service for $399. "By taking advantage of continuing innovation we are able to introduce a new chip that will give people more relevant data at a lower price," said Anne Wojcicki, co-founder of 23andMe. "We are excited that we are opening doors for more people to learn about their health and ancestry and for more people to be able to participate in advancing research. It is important to democratize personal genetics and make it more accessible." ... more

9/10/2008 PERMALINK
Stem cell secretions can cut tissue death by 60% after surgery Application of secretions from stem cells after surgery reduces tissue death by 60%. "Using secretion instead of cells allows us to circumvent many highly intractable problems such as tumour formation, immune compatibility, cell viability, delivery, costs and timeliness," said IMB'S Dr Lim Sai Kiang, who leads the Singapore-Netherlands research collaboration ... more

9/09/2008 PERMALINK
Got $350,000 to spare, get your entire genome sequenced Until now, only a handful of people have had their genomes sequenced, including genomics pioneers Craig Venter and James Watson. But thanks to Knome, a startup based in Cambridge, MA, genome sequencing is no longer just a research tool. Anyone with $350,000 to spare can now have his or her own genome sequenced. ... more

9/09/2008 PERMALINK
Sug-V, the military Wall-E look-alike, leads men into battle In an early morning live combat exercise in the Texas desert, soldiers test the latest and greatest in military bots -- SUGV, UUGS and TUGS, UAS and B-kits, as bots become a key technology for the Army's Future Combat Systems ... watch

9/09/2008 PERMALINK
Cyborg performance artist creates artificial arms & exoskeletons
Australian performance artist Stelarc creates some amazing cyborg devices and exoskeletons for use in his work. He has performed with a THIRD HAND, a VIRTUAL ARM, various EXOSKELETONS, and a VIRTUAL BODY. Check out his web site ... more

9/09/2008 PERMALINK
Open source project to create capable personal bots
The PR2 is the hardware platform currently under development at Willow Garage. It is designed to be the ultimate platform for research on and development of component technologies (algorithmic, software, controls, sensors...) and applications in mobile manipulation. PR2 has a mobile base, two human-scale 7-dof force-controlled arms, stereo and laser sensors, and integrated power, computation, and communications ... more

9/09/2008 PERMALINK
Scientists May Have Found Brain's Center For Self-Control "How do you juggle what you desperately want to do right now versus what you know to be best for yourself long term? Its not easy for anyone," said Jeremy Gray, assistant professor of psychology at Yale University. "We found that a part of prefrontal cortex that helps integrate goals and values appears to contribute to both self-control and to performance on tests of abstract reasoning and problem solving, helping to explain why self-control and intelligence are related." This is a critical area for brain research, because the loss of self-control can lead to violent or self-destructive behaviors such as addiction ... more

9/09/2008 PERMALINK
Protein "Switch" can suppress skin cancer development
The protein IKKalpha (IKKa) regulates the cell cycle of keratinocytes and plays a key role in keeping these specialized skin cells from becoming malignant. "We have shown that IKKa acts as a sentry, monitoring and, when necessary, halting proliferation of these important cells," said senior author Yinling Hu, Ph.D., assistant professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of Carcinogenesis at the Science Park - Research Division in Smithville, Texas. "These results provide new therapeutic targets for prevention of skin cancer." ... more

9/09/2008 PERMALINK
Pool playing smart bots get their own web site robotpool.org The Deep Green pool shark smart bot is ready to eliminate human domination over yet another game of skill ... more ... watch

9/09/2008 PERMALINK
Highly effective lifespan extension technique ~ brush your teeth Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and in recent years doctors have noticed a link between heart disease and gum disease. Now scientists have discovered the nature of this link. "We found white blood cells called T cells in the lesions of arteries in patients affected by atherosclerosis. These T cells were able to bind to host heat shock proteins as well as those from bacteria that cause gum disease. This suggests that the similarity between the proteins could be the link between oral infection and atherosclerosis," said Professor Greg Seymour from the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand ... more

9/09/2008 PERMALINK
Athletic doping drug erythropoietin proven to enhance memory
A drug used to increase blood production in both medical treatments and athletic doping scandals seems also to improve memory in those using it. New research published in the open access journal BMC Biology shows that the memory enhancing effects of erythropoietin (EPO) are not related to its effects on blood production but due to direct influences on neurons in the brain. "Young mice systematically treated with EPO for three weeks have improved memory, similar to the dramatic improvements observed in endurance and muscular performance athletes who use EPO to boost performance", explains Dr. Hannelore Ehrenreich of the Max Planck Institute ... more

9/09/2008 PERMALINK
Gene therapy proves safe and cures incurable form of blindness
All three people who received gene therapy at the University of Florida to treat a rare, incurable form of blindness have regained some of their vision. "The safety study itself is a milestone, but when we see a benefit to the subject -- that is a truly a welcome bonus," said Dr. Barry J. Byrne, a professor of molecular genetics and microbiology and director of UF's Powell Gene Therapy Center, which manufactured the viral vectors used in the study ... more

9/08/2008 PERMALINK
Programing DNA to self-assembly into anything you want This 16:24 runtime video of a presentation at TED by Paul Rothemund is a must see. It puts in perfect perspective just how awesome the future of molecular level self-assembly will be by showing how Rothemund has designed DNA shapes and patterns that will automatically self assemble into tiny machines of any shape or size that he wants. A few more tweaks to his techniques and this technology is going to rock our world ... watch

9/08/2008 PERMALINK
A Meme Set for Avoiding Extinction in the Era of Super-Empowering Technologies. What are HUMODS? Beings able to proactively modify and enhance their own designs : the step beyond homo sapiens on the phylogenetic tree : homo novo [ homo = man ] [ sapiens = wise, rational ] [ novo = to make anew, refresh, revive, change, alter, invent ]

Meme 1: Our Cosmos generates an endless abundance of unique lifeforms and subjects them to survival of the fittest challenges to promote the evolution of increasing levels of adaptability and resilience. It further function as an Intelligence Generation Engine by periodically creating mega-challenges for which intelligence and capabilities, well beyond those currently possessed by humans, are required for the continued survival of a species.

Rogue asteroids, comets and black holes, ice age causing super volcanoes, species-ending plagues, atmosphere stripping cosmic dust clouds, planet scorching mega solar flares and gamma ray burst -- all serve to insure the extinction of any species that fails to quickly enough develop sufficient intelligence to anticipate and successfully counter all such threats. It is suicidal for a species to keep all its eggs in one basket for a moment longer than is absolutely necessary.

Meme 2: In our Cosmos, extropy is life. Open, inquisitive minds using open science to determine as rapidly as we can the nature of every aspect of the Cosmos all around us is the key to maximizing the longevity of our kind. Those that constantly rethink, refine and adjust techniques to better meet the opportunities and challenges ahead are rewarded with knowledge that cures diseases, lengthens lifespans, creates better tools that make toils less burdensome and life more rewarding.

Meme 3: Dogmas are death, the destroyer of extropy. Struggles over superfluous idealogical and religious dogmas have claimed hundreds of millions of innocent lives, plunged entire civilizations into superstition, famine, chaos and even dark ages lasting for centuries. Regard nothing as sacrosanct.

Meme 4: Fostering and embracing rapid innovation and change is essential to developing the resilience necessary for you to thrive as an individual and for our kind to avoid extinction. Pursue most avidly the new technologies that can extend your own cognition, lifespan and capabilities.

Meme 5: Oppose the development and utilization of WOMO (Weapons of Mass Oppression) capable of allowing small elites to exert dictatorial surveillance and control over a city. It is the path to species self-destruction.

Meme 6: The best predictors of a social order's success is how well it encourages the production of new economic utility by and for its members and how well it prevents wealthy elites from exploiting their control of existing wealth to stifle and inhibit the creation of new economic utility by others. A social order that grants monopolies of any kind (even so-called "intellectual property" monopolies often sold as promoting innovation), retards the creation of new utility and fosters dangerous concentrations of power and corruption that will ultimately bring on stagnation and decline.

Meme 7: We need to become a space faring species and should first colonize the asteroid belt, which contains the wealth to allow us to push beyond and inhabit other star systems.

When planets form they go through a molten stage, when most of the valuable metals sink into the core and become unrecoverable. Scientists tell us that most of the metal deposits in the Earth's crust were seeded there by asteroid impacts after the Earth cooled and the crust formed. The heavy metals with which we have built our tools and power our reactors came from the asteroid belt and a thousand times more recoverable mineral wealth exists there than is available on Earth and Mars combined.

Meme 8: The right meme set is the key to the survival and progress of our kind. Spreading these memes to as many capable minds as possible is the best way to insure that they can be refined to achieve our highest possibly destiny.

CLICK HERE to forward a link to these memes to your crowd.

9/08/2008 PERMALINK
Dogmatic old science geezers holding back open science future Many young scientists and older scientists that are less concerned with protecting their own prerogatives and more concerned with advancing science are fed up with the dogmatic old, net-clueless, geezers that are delaying the move to open science. Kudos to those that value the acceleration of scientific progress enough to risk the ire of the geezers to speak out.

Despite the value - and the impact - that blogging can have in communicating science to the public or in engaging the community to discuss ideas, university hiring committees and others who evaluate scientists are more likely than not to have a negative view of it. Time spent not researching is considered time wasted ... more

And even more kudos to those that are simply bypassing the old farts and their ossified institutions by creating the open science tools of tomorrow, see: Open source science is the wave of the future and The wikiomics movement is the future of science ~ open

9/08/2008 PERMALINK
Intel research project developing personal robotic servants
Intel Research's Personal Robotics project aims to develop useful robotic assistants for indoor, populated environments. To transition robots from structured, assembly line scenarios to more natural, unstructured environments requires advances in perception, reasoning under uncertainty, and human-robot interaction. We are currently pursuing research in all these areas ... more

9/07/2008 PERMALINK
Could 'ambient awareness' put scientific progress on fast forward? History records that the Manhattan Project achieved so much, so fast, because it had all the greatest minds in a single field living and working together in one lab complex, exchanging ideas in real time. No waiting months to have their ideas published in a journal or to be able to present them at a scientific symposium. Always on real time exchange of data, ideas and theories with the best minds in the field. Now read through the previous item, 'Ambient awareness' cloud bots altering the nature of friendship and think about what could happen if the top fifty researchers in a field were to create a twitter group to ping each other in real time with their research data, intuitions, discoveries and theories. Could science progress suddenly start to seem like someone must be leaning on the fast forward button?

9/07/2008 PERMALINK
'Ambient awareness' cloud bots altering the nature of friendship
Still can't grok the wild popularity of cloud communication bots like Facebook and Twitter, this article by Clive Thompson can help:

This is the paradox of ambient awareness. Each little update -- each individual bit of social information -- is insignificant on its own, even supremely mundane. But taken together, over time, the little snippets coalesce into a surprisingly sophisticated portrait of your friends' and family members' lives, like thousands of dots making a pointillist painting. This was never before possible, because in the real world, no friend would bother to call you up and detail the sandwiches she was eating. The ambient information becomes like "a type of E.S.P.," as Haley described it to me, an invisible dimension floating over everyday life. "It's like I can distantly read everyone's mind," Haley went on to say. "I love that. I feel like I'm getting to something raw about my friends. It's like I've got this heads-up display for them." ... more (reg req)

9/07/2008 PERMALINK
Tiny flying bot remote sends back real-time vid feed
DelFly Micro, created by the DelFly project at Delft University of Technology, weighs just 3 grams and measures just 10 cm from wing tip to wing tip, making it the smallest flying ornithopter camera-carrying remote in the world. The experiment is intended to use the camera of the DelFly for improving the autonomy of small flying robots. allows experimentation with new ideas from fields such as computer vision and artificial intelligence. The final goal of such experiments is to achieve flight without the intervention of a pilot ... more ... more

9/07/2008 PERMALINK
Human fetal stem cell therapy finally goes commercial
Medra's Medical Director William C. Rader, MD. has treated over 1,000 patients with Human Fetal Stem Cells, both children and adults suffering from many of mankind's most devastating diseases. In the procedure stem cells are transplanted into a patient. These cellular building blocks are usually administered intravenously and subcutaneously (under the skin). It is a painless procedure that takes about one hour and has no negative side effects. The stem cells automatically seek, detect and work to repair any damage or deficiency they find, while also releasing growth factors to stimulate the body's own repair mechanisms ... more

9/06/2008 PERMALINK
Gene may be key to more effective cell reprogramming Retroviruses have a unique ability to insert new segments of DNA into living cells inside your body to reprogram or rejuvenate them. Unfortunately, often antibodies attack retroviruses, making retroviral therapies difficult. Now a new finding by researchers studying HIV suggests that the Apobec3 gene may control the creation of the antibodies that go after the HIV retrovirus, and this might lead to techniques for switching off the antibody response, to allow development of consistently effective retroviral cellular reprogramming therapies ... more

9/06/2008 PERMALINK
Smart radio can give you an always solid wireless connection
Researchers at Virginia Tech have developed wireless connection technology that performs like a living creature, maintaining a constant awareness of spectrum, understand system capabilities, and jumping across bands to avoid interference. "We are very optimistic that this technology will begin to show up in products within the next five years," says Jeff Reed, director of the Wireless@VT project. Smart radios and open spectrum could revolutionize our connectivity, but our telco, cable and broadcast companies are paying for golf junkets and giving the wives and kids of our politicos high paying jobs to keep it from ever arriving. America's checkbook democracy has allowed other countries to leave us in their connectivity dust ... more

9/06/2008 PERMALINK
National Academies issue amended guidelines for stem cell research The National Academies have updated their 'guidelines' for the responsible conduct of research using human embryonic stem cells. These 'guidelines' aren't on their web site, no, you must buy an $18.90 book in order to see them. What better proof that these obsolete institutions aren't about rapid scientific progress through open science, but rather seek to prop up their old prerogatives at the expense of stagnating innovation. Hopeful researchers won't encourage these Luddite lunkheads by buying their silly little over-price paperback. We certainly don't want to encourage them with a link to their web site, so here's one to an organization that is actually trying to push science forward, the open science Structural Genomics Consortium

9/05/2008 PERMALINK
'Junk DNA' not so junkie, lets you walk upright and use tools
Recently, scientists have discovered that non-gene regions of the genome, formerly called 'junk DNA', actually contain thousands of regulatory elements that act as genetic "switches" to turn genes on or off. By inserting some of these segments into mice, Yale researchers have identified the segments that enable humans to manipulate tools and walk upright (image shows thumb formation in mouse). "The long-term goal is to find many sequences like this and use the mouse to model their effects on the evolution of human development," said James Noonan, Assistant Professor of Genetics in the Yale University School of Medicine and the senior author of the study ... more

9/05/2008 PERMALINK
Can a protein analyzing bot trace evolution back to life's origin?
Scientists at Penn State have developed a new computational method that they say will help them to understand how life began on Earth. The team's method has the potential to trace the evolutionary histories of proteins all the way back to either cells or viruses, thus settling the debate once and for all over which of these life forms came first. "We have just begun to tap the potential power of this method," said Randen Patterson, a Penn State assistant professor of biology and one of the project's leaders. "We believe, if it is possible at all, that it is within our grasp to determine whether viruses evolved from cells or vice-versa." ... more