Category Archives: Futurism

No Brain-Damaging Blood Loss

Okay, so its not every day you hear about a real life head transplant, but there is such a thing. In fact, research into transplanting heads has been around for a while now, with the first known two-headed animal experiments dating as far back as the 1900s and the 1950s.

Now, scientists from China have made a remarkable breakthrough intransplanting the head of one organism onto that of another.

For their work, they took the head of a smaller ratand attached it to abigger one, creating what is effectively a two-headed rat. It is important to note that the rat did not survive long-term, but that was never the goal. The teamknew the rat would not live long, as there are still a lot of technical and scientific issues that need to be resolved before we can successfully perform head transplants on living organisms and have them survive.

However, this is an astonishing step forward in performing viable head transplants in that the doctorswere able toavoid any brain-damaging blood loss while the donors head was being attached.

The goal of this particular experiment was simple: the scientists wanted to know if they could successfully transplant a head without damaging the brain due to excessive blood loss. And they did. To do this, they had to keep the blood circulation going during the transplant by attaching the donorrats blood vessels to the other rat.

We developed a bicephalic model of head transplantation to study these aspects, the scientists report inthe paperthat they published in the journal CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics.

While the idea is a real head turner and maybe a head shaker, for some scientists assert that head transplants areworth exploring, as it could help millions of people worldwide who are suffering from muscle or nerve problems. It could also allow us to take the head of a person suffering from fatal cancer and transplant it onto a healthy human body.

Understandably, there are a number of issues that have to be resolved before it would be possible to transplant human heads. For example, apart from making sure the brain isnt damaged by blood loss during the transplant process, there are a number of other concerns, such as rejection by the immune system.

Still, grafting a head onto another while keeping the brain safe from the damage associated with blood loss is certainly a positive step forward as far asdeveloping a viable means of conductinghuman head transplants.

However, some experts assert that the problems associated with transplanting human heads extend beyond scientific and technical concerns and touch upon the fundamental nature of human psychology.

Arthur Caplan, founding director of NYULMCs Division of Medical Ethics, previously told Futurism that, in such a procedure, a person could suffer from unprecedented levels of insanity. He ultimately stated that this would likely result from things such as novel chemistry flooding the brain, unfamiliar input coming in from the nervous system of the body, etc.

While some claim to have already successfully performed the procedure, theres no clear evidence to supportsuch claims.

In any case, if we are to ever successfully completesuch a procedure in the future, this most recent study provides an important piece of the puzzle. As the researchers note in their abstract, The application of vascular grafting can also provide the possibility of long-term survival of the model.

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Scientists Transplanted A Rat's Head Onto Another Rat, Hoping to ... - Futurism

In Brief A drug developed in the 1960s is making a much-needed comeback. Clinical trials of the inexpensive drug tranexamic acid have shown it is able to help save the lives of women who suffer from hemorrhages after childbirth. Drug of the Past

Although it seems like a problem of the past, women are still dying in childbirth across all areas of the world. In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), roughly 830 women die in childbirth each day. Many ofthe causes are preventable, and of these, blood loss is the biggest contributor, killing roughly 100,000 women after they give birth every year.

The thing is, it neednt be the case. In the 1960s,a Japanese doctor named Utako Okamoto developed a powerful drug, tranexamic acid,that prevents hemorrhage after childbirth. It was Okamotos dream to save women, Haleema Shakur told NPR. But she couldnt convince doctors to test the drug on postpartum hemorrhaging.

That is, until now.

Shakur headed up clinical trials at the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygienefor the tranexamic acid that Okamoto developed. The trials involved 20,000 women from about 200 hospitals across 21 countries. After each woman was diagnosed with postpartum hemorrhaging (heavy bleeding after childbirth), she was given either the drug or a placebo.

Roughly 1.2 percent of the women who received tranexamic acid within three hours of hemorrhaging died, according to the study, which waspublished in the journal The Lancet. Meanwhile, 1.7 percent died after receiving just a placebo.

I think the study is exciting, said Felicia Lester, an OB-GYN at the University of California, San Francisco, who does work in Uganda and Kenya. Im usually cautious in saying that. But it looks like tranexamic acid has the potential to save lives.

According to the WHO, 99 percent of all maternal deaths take place in developing countries,and women in rural areas or poorer communities are more likely to fall victim than those in cities or wealthier areas. Because tranexamic isnt costly to produce only about $3 in the U.K. and just a quarter of that in places like Pakistanits potential could easilyextend to these remote areas and poorer communities.

If you can save a life for approximately $3, then I believe thats worth doing, said Shakur. Now, we just need to make sure the drug actually gets to the women who need it the most.

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A Remarkably Cheap Drug Could Eliminate the Leading Cause of Maternal Mortality - Futurism

In Brief Tesla's employing a huge number of Kuko robots to build its Model 3 electric vehicle. These robots, which have also been part of the production lines for the Model S and Model X, would help bring Tesla's cheapest EV to more people. Alien Robots

Tesla hired its first robots back in 2014to beused as part of a dedicated production center for the Model S. These robots, developed by German industrial manufacturerKuka Robotics, are also responsible for the Model X and Teslas energy product line. Now, photos leaked by someonewho claims they work as aField Service Engineer atKuka Robotics posted bya user inSoutheastTradersforumshow an army of Kuka robots ready to be shipped out.

These new Kuka robotsquirkily named after X-Men superheroes will be responsible for several Model 3 production line duties, including: spot welding, laser welding, handling, and loading materials, and various other tasks. The Kuka robots are part of what CEO Elon Musk previously called an alien dreadnought that will be tasked with building theModel 3. According to the person who posted the photos, the robots will be at the Tesla factory for the next 7 weeks to help set up and commission 467 robots and 21 KL slides.

Tesla users who toured the factory confirmed sightings of these alien robots. [T]here is an enormous area of the factory where the Model 3 assembly line is being built, said an owner from the Tesla Motors Club (Engle). There are Kuka robots all over the place waiting to be installed.

Tesla and Musk have long seen the value of automation in its factory production lines. As Teslas highly-anticipated Model 3 electric vehicle is slated to begin low volume production by July, these robots which cost between $50,000 to $500,000 will be essential. Supposedly, Tesla spent more than $50million on them and the additional $1.4B capital raised in March certainly helped cover the cost.

The Model 3 will be Teslas cheapest EV yet, priced at $35,000. Its expected to have the latest Autopilot software, an entirely unique display system, Teslas solar roof technology, as well as a number of featuresfound inpreexisting Tesla models.

As a less costly EV, the Model 3 is Teslas attempt to bring autonomous and green vehicles within the reach of more people. Research has indicated that autonomous vehicles are alreadysaving lives, andhelping the environment. Now its just a matter of getting them on the road.

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Leaked Photos From Tesla Show the Alien Robots That Will Build Model 3s - Futurism

In Brief Another Google founder apparently has plans of building an aircraft. According to sources, the vehicle closely resembles a zeppelin and is currently housed at NASA's Ames Research Center.

While Larry Page was busy bringing his flying car to reality, another Google co-founder, Sergey Brin, was apparentlyon a similar path, trying to create a vehicle that will take to the skies as well.

However, unlike Pages land/air hybrid vehicle, the Kitty Hawk Flyer, which could be introduced into the market as early as this year, Brins project is a giant airship resembling a zeppelin thats currently housed at the NASA Ames Research Center. According to a report by Bloomberg, the project was spurred after Brin saw old photos of the USS Macon, an old airship built by the US Navy.

This particular prototype could have beencreated as part of a potential business venture which would be timely, given that were at the cusp of airborne vehicles and flying taxi fleets becoming a reality. Or, it could be simply a passion project for Brin, who apparently has a long-standing fascination with airships. We just dont know yet.

News of this project has piqued the curiosity of many. New airship technology could potentially help cut delivery and transport costs, given that it can accommodate massive amounts of cargo and be more fuel efficient. But whatever his intentions are for this project,Brin certainly has a few experienced friends he can tap for advice.

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Another Google Co-Founder Is Building a Secret Aircraft - Futurism

A New Internet

From the birth of language to the dawn of the Internet, the technologies that push humanity forward allow us to collaborate at new scales. We agree on a common purpose, and work together in groups of increasing size and power.

Today, with so many of us connected online, the goal of 3.5 billion people frictionlessly sharing knowledge and collaborating is, in theory, an achievable one.

So why hasnt the Internet united us? Why is our trust in institutions government, media, and business eroding? Why is it so hard for us to make compromises to achieve the ends we desire?

There are, of course, many answers, but heres a simple one: the Internet is broken.

The Internet democratized access to information in a way previously the realm of science fiction. Texts, videos, and ideas became widely available, and transmittable, and our ability to communicate with each other, organize groups, and choreograph our activities, exploded.

But just when it seemed like the world had opened up, we identified a new type of information, more valuable than any before, and stashed a lot of it away in private vaults. The Internet allowed us to generate, strategically collect, and deploy, rich data about people, programs, companies, markets, and societies. A small, exclusive group of users siphoned this data off, to store in guarded silos and leverage for private gain.

To resist the privatization of data, the open source community has existed as long as computing, beginning with cypherpunks and basement hackers. Their movement produced Linux, Wikipedia, and countless more platforms, tools, and projects that succeeded. But it lost the battle for control of the Web 1.0 and 2.0. The winners were personal data collectors, repackagers, and vendors like Facebook and Google.

Finally, though, the tide is turning. Today we have a chance at a new Internet, enabled by decentralizing technologies such as Ethereum, the world computer. Big players are recognizing the benefits of open source, and exploring the community-driven business models they bring. Creators and developers can take power again if we come together in time. We can build a new Internet that puts us, the users, first.

Theres an uncomfortable tension online today. Contributors of songs, ideas, art, code, and stories want to enrich the public sphere, but they need to sustain themselves and get paid for their work. That work adds enormous value to our lives, makes them vibrant, and sometimes even saves them.

The problem is that the way we exchange money captures value in only two dimensions. In truth, value is being created everywhere. Let your eyes linger on an ad in the subway, and value has been created. Tweet a popular hashtag. Turn on the lights. Sign in using Facebook. Report traffic on Waze. Tell someone your secret.

There is a shift coming in the way we use the Internet, from an Internet of information to an Internet of value, where we frictionlessly exchange and communicate with no intermediaries.

In this new world, our value is something we carry around with us, that belongs to us and us alone (unless we opt to trade it). Value is captured in as many dimensions as reality. The representation of value that exists on the virtual plane becomes so rich with data that virtual becomes flush with real.

Without trust, there is no love. Myth of Eros and Psyche

Why dont we trust each other? Maybe we did when we lived in tribes. In a small group, its possible to remember everyone from birth and the characteristics that make up their identities. Theres no, Shes warm-hearted. He exaggerates. She prefers to sleep all day.

Today, we empower institutions to guard the trust. We pay them royally for that service, because without trust, there is no business deal, no stamp on a passport, no line of credit, and no peace treaty.

But what happens when we create universal identity a common and accepted baseline of trust, that exists without need for authority? What if we build a system that is inherently logical, programmable, and safe? What if everyone could share it, access it, and help grow it, all at the exact same time?

Given a large enough beta-tester and co-developer base, almost every problem will be characterized quickly and the fix obvious to someone. Eric S. Raymond, The Cathedral & The Bazaar

There is a new Internet coming, and with it, a new reality.

The architects of the future are already building these systems. But those systems are open source, which means if you help build them, they will be even better and stronger. Join some of the worlds most innovative technologists, entrepreneurs, and humanitarians at Ethereal Summit on May 19th in Brooklyn.

We can use technology to make the world better.

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Blockchain Technology Has The Power to Let Us Build An Entirely New Internet - Futurism

In BriefA researcher has created an affordable synthetic material thatmimics the natural process of photosynthesis, absorbing visiblelight to trigger a chemical reaction that cleans the air whileconverting CO2 into solar fuel. Blue Light, Clean Air

Scientists around the world have been tryingto trigger photosynthesis the natural process by which a plant converts carbon dioxide into fuel using sunlight in a synthetic material in a way that could have practical uses, but with limited success. Now, scientists have announced a breakthrough in the field that revolutionizes the power industry.

Researchers had always hit a wall when looking for a way to trigger the necessary chemical transformation using visible light. The materials they found that could absorb those wavelengths of light were either rare orexpensive, making the process financially impractical to pursue. Cheaper materials worked with ultraviolet rays, but those account for only four percent of sunlight.

In their researchrecently published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A,University of Central Floridas (UCF)Fernando Uribe-Romo and his team reveal how they got around this using a type of synthetic material called a metal-organic framework (MOF). It was created by combining the common metal titanium with organic molecules that were programmed to absorb blue light.

When they tested the MOF within a blue LED photoreactor a cylinder lined with strips of blue LED lights the hoped-for chemical reaction occurred. The air was cleaned and the CO2 was converted into two types of solar fuel: formate and formamides.

This work is a breakthrough, said Uribe-Romo in a UCF news release. Tailoring materials that will absorb a specific color of light is very difficult from the scientific point of view, but from the societal point of view we are contributing to the development of a technology that can help reduce greenhouse gases.

The Earth is rapidly heading toward the worst CO2 levels its seen in more than 200 million years. In fact, in just the 150 years since the Industrial Revolution, the planets atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased from 280 ppm to nearly 405 ppm. If the current trend continues, we could hit 2,000 ppm by 2250.

Plants are our allies in the pursuit of clean air as they naturally convert CO2 into oxygen. Being able to recreate their natural process on a large, more directed scale could prove invaluable in the fight against climate change.

The idea would be to set up stations that capture large amounts of CO2, like next to a power plant, explains Uribe-Romo in the press release. The gas would be sucked into the station, go through the process and recycle the greenhouse gases while producing energy that would be put back into the power plant.

That ability to not only eliminate pollutantsin the air but also produce clean energy opens up additional potential uses for the new material. Perhaps it could be used to power cars while also cleaning the air along freeways, or in solar roofs that keep the lights on inside and the air outside free of CO2. Once the seemingly impossible has been accomplished, everything else sounds pretty simple.

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New Breakthrough Work Finally Lets Us Trigger Artificial Photosynthesis - Futurism

In BriefNASA and the ESA are planning to launch a joint mission toJupiter's moon Europa. This icy satellite hosts a subterraneanocean larger than those on Earth, and it could hostextraterrestrial life. Exploring Together

Recent discoveries in space have made the search for life beyond Earth easier and more difficult at the same time. As more exoplanets and moons with the potential to support extraterrestrial life turn up, the probability of finding one that actually does increases. However, sending missions to explore all these potentially inhabited worlds has also become more difficult.

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA)have come up with a rather practical solution: The two space agencies willpool their resources for one of these exploration missions. The target is Europa, one of Jupiters moons, and it is consideredone of the best candidates for alien life.

The proposal, dubbed the Joint Europa Mission (JEM), was unveiled Sunday in Vienna, Austria, at the annual meeting of the European Geosciences Union. The whole idea is that if we think exploring Europa for life is important, it should be an international adventure, Michel Blanc from the Research Institute in Astrophysics and Planetology in Toulouse, France, told New Scientist. The ultimate goal is to get to the surface and look for biosignatures of life.

The prospect of life on Europa increased when the moon was discovered to have a vast ocean hidden beneath its icy crust. This discovery wasreinforced by the observationof water plumes escaping to the surface. Researchers estimate thatEuropa boasts twice as much wateras our planet, so theres plenty to explore, and the ocean even seems to be more similar to Earths than previously thought.

The plan is for JEM to launch by the mid-2020s, and it would run for about six-and-a-half years. The first five of those would be used simply to reach Jupiter, then a few more days would be needed to reach Europa.

Upon reaching Europas orbit, a lander would be launched to explore the surface for 35 days, scanning material samples for traces of life. Meanwhile, the orbiter craft would spend three months taking various measurements to reveal Europas basic structure, focusing on the oceans composition. After that, the lander could crash into Europa while taking and transmitting data about the moons atmosphere.

While both NASA and the ESA have existing plans to explore Europa and the other icy-watery moons in the solar system, the planned combined effort would offer a unique advantage for both space agencies. Pooling their resources might make it easier to figure out solutions to key problems, such as Jupiters intense radiation and the need to make sure Europa wont be contaminated by organisms from Earth.

Theres great enthusiasm for this on both sides, Jakob van Zyl, director for solar system exploration at NASA JPL, told New Scientist. The budget request is now with the president.

Europa is just thefirst goal for collaborative space exploration. Potential missions to Jupiters other moons, as well as those of Saturn, could well be developed in the future. Perhaps alien life is justan Earth-formed partnership away.

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It's Official. In 2025, NASA and the ESA Will Land on Europa to Look For Alien Life - Futurism

In Brief Waymo is testing its self-driving cars in Phoenix, and it's looking for hundreds of riders. The trial is the next step toward getting autonomous cars on the road and making that road safer for everyone. Getting Road Ready

If youre waiting for your chance to own a self-driving car, youre going to have to keep waiting. However, if you live in the Phoenix area, you might at least get the chance to try one out.

Waymo, the self-driving car branch of Alphabet, is coming to Phoenix for trials, and its looking for hundreds of riders. The company has already logged millions of miles in autonomous car testing in different cities, but now it wants to hit the road with ordinary people on board.

Interested residents of Phoenix, Tempe, Chandler, Gilbert, and Mesa can apply viaa simple formonthe Waymo website. If theyre accepted, theyll be able to call a car using an app any time of day or night the hours arent limited in an effort to make the trial more realistic. Trips will be limited to the Phoenix area, though, so an autonomous cross-country jaunt isnt happening.

Accepted applicants wont be charged for their rides, and Waymo tells The New York Times it is looking to find a wide range of people with different lifestyles so they can get a fuller picture of how their autonomous cars would be used in practice.

This critical next step in getting autonomous cars on the roadputs us closer to saferrides for everyone.

Human error causes 95 percent of all traffic fatalities, and of those, 41 percent are the result of recognition errors thats Department of Transportation code for failing to pay enough attention or getting distracted. Those are problems self-driving cars just dont have.

Were probably still 15 or so years away from a time whenself-driving cars comprisethe majority of the vehicles on the road, but when they do, we can expect to see 32,000 lives saved each year and a drastic reduction in the number of motorcycle fatalities.

If youve ever driven in Phoenix traffic, youre probably already on the Waymo site right now. Maybe youll be one of the lucky ones who gets chosen to participate in this potentially life-savingtrial.

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You Can Now Apply to Get Free Rides in Self-Driving Cars - Futurism

In BriefScientists may have found two drugs that could prevent memoryloss and effectively treat neurodegenerative brain diseases,including dementia. Clinical trials should start soon and becompleted within 2 to 3 years. A Global Problem

Neurodegenerative diseases producethe symptoms of dementia by causing cells in the spinal cord and brain to die. Loss of these cells and their functions mean a reduced ability to control movement, make decisions effectively, and recall memories. Neurodegeneration is devastating because there is no simple way to regenerate these kinds of cells.

Neurodegenerative diseases include Alzheimers disease, Huntingtons disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinsons disease. In 2015, 46.8 million people around the world suffered from dementia. If current trends continue, by 2030 that number will be 74.7 million, and by 2050 it will reach 131.5 million. In other words, the problem is massive, and it is set to get even bigger.

Now, scientists may have found two drugs that can make all neurodegenerative brain diseases, including dementia, part of humanitys past.

Dementia can be caused by anatural defense mechanism that brain cells have against against viruses and their proteins: a shutdown response that stops protein protection and keeps the virus from spreading. Many neurodegenerative diseases cause neurons to produce faulty proteins, so that shutdown response is observed in brain cells. However, the diseased brain cells stay in shutdown mode too long, and they starve themselves until they die.

In 2013, researchers found a compound that stopped brain cells in animals from dying by halting the protein shutdown mode, but later discovered that it caused organ damage in people. Now, in their search for other drugs that produce the same effects, they have found two drugs already used by people that have the same protective effect on brain cells. The researchers published their results in the journal Brain.

The more widely known drug is trazodone, which is commonly taken for depression. The lesser known drug is dibenzoylmethane, which is being tested in cancer patients. Since trazodone is already know to be safe for human use, if the team is successful in showing it works for this new application, the time it takes to reach the market should be relatively short.

They are hoping to begin clinical trials soon and have confirmation of their theory within two or three years. The studys lead, Giovanna Mallucci of the UK Medical Research Council, told the BBC that the two drugs have so far been shown to bevery highly protective and prevented memory deficits, paralysis, and dysfunction of brain cells.

Mallucci commentedin the interview that these drugs had the potential to help many people with neurodegenerative diseases. Were very unlikely to cure them completely, but if you arrest the progression you change Alzheimers disease into something completely different so it becomes livable, Mallucci said.

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We May Already Have the Pills We Need to End Memory Loss - Futurism

In Brief Chevrolet's affordable electric vehicle, the Bolt EV, saw a limited release in December, and it has already clocked in impressive all-electric miles convertible to over 175,000 gallons of fuel.

Chevrolet Bolt EV, the brands affordable, battery-powered electric vehicle (EV), has clocked in serious mileage since its release in December, 2016. According to the company, in just four months owners have driven a collective 7.2 million km (4.5 million miles)as of April 2nd, 2017.

Image Credit: GM

This impressive milestone illustrates how relevant the adoption of EVs are to the worlds effort to protect the environment. The Bolt EVs all-electric miles are equivalent to saving 175,000 gallons of fuel, following the average EPA estimate of 42 km per gallon (26 mpg) for 2017 vehicles in the US.

The average Bolt owner can drive around 85 km (53 miles) per day, but reports of the vehicle setting record miles on a single charge continue to surface.

Our early Bolt EV customers are proving the crossovers functionality, flexibility, and long-range capabilities on a daily basis, said Steve Majoros, director of marketing for Chevrolet, in a press announcement. Chevrolet committed to delivering a game-changing vehicle, and weve done just that.

Given that the vehicle has yet to be released nationwide, these figures are indeed impressive. And it certainly looks like these numbers will continue to climb as the Bolt sees a nationwide release by summer 2017.

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Here's All the Proof You Need That Electric Vehicles Are Taking ... - Futurism