Category Archives: Transhuman News

A New Age in Human Evolution

By now, most of usknow what CRISPR gene editing is. At the very least, we have heard of this revolutionary technology that allows us to alter DNAthe source code of life itself. One day, CRISPR could allow us to delete genes in order to eradicate genetic diseases, add in new genes in order to vastly improve various biological functions, or even genetically modify human embryos in order to create an entirely new class of humansof super humans.

But first, we have a lot of research to do.

And that brings us to today.Reports from MIT were just released which assert that the very first attempt at creating genetically modified human embryos in the United States has been carried out by a team of researchers in Portland, Oregon.

So far as I know this will be the first study reported in the U.S., Jun Wu, who played a role in the project and is a collaborator at the Salk Institute, said to MIT.

According to MIT, the work was led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov, who comes from the Oregon Health and Science University. Although details are scarce at this point, sources familiar with the work assert that the research involved changing the DNA of one-cell embryos using CRISPR gene-editing. Further,Mitalipov is believed to have broken records in two notable ways:

This is notable because, despite the fact that it has been around for several years now, CRISPR is still an incredibly new toolone that could have unintended consequences. As previous work published in the journal Nature Methods revealed, CRISPR-Cas9 could lead to unintended mutations in a genome. However, the work was laterreviewed by researchers at another institutionand the findings were brought into question. It remains to be seen whether the original study will be corrected or retracted, but this development highlights the importance of peer review in science.

In this regard, Mitalipovs work brings us further down the path to understanding exactly how CRISPR works in humans, and reveals that is it possible to avoid both mosaicism (changes that are taken up not by only some of the cells of an embryo, as opposed to all of them) and off-target effects.

It is important to note that none of the embryos were allowed to develop for more than a few days, and that the team never had any intention of implanting them into a womb. However, it seems that this is largelydue to ongoing regulatory issues, as opposed to issues with the technology itself.

In the United States, allefforts to turn edited embryos into a babyto bring the embryo to full termhave been blocked by Congress, which added language to the Department of Health and Human Services funding bill that forbids it from approving any such clinical trials.

Yet, the potential of the CRISPR-Cas9 system as a gene editing technology is undeniable. As previously mentioned, it has seen success in developing possible cancer treatments, in making animals disease-resistant, and ithas even shown promise in replacing antibiotics altogether.

This new work adds to the promise of CRISPR, and stands as an important step toward the birth of the first genetically modified humans.

Originally posted here:
Scientists Just Successfully Edited the First Human Embryo Ever in The US - Futurism

In BriefNew research reveals that ultracold molecules could be thevehicles through which the qubits needed for quantum computers arecreated. A team from the MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms(CUA) was able to store information hundreds of times longer thanever before using these molecules, and an array of 1,000 of themcould carry out calculations far beyond the capabilities ofexisting computers. Ultracold Molecules Qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers, are, for the most part, still a work in progress. Researchers have many different theories as to how they can be created, and theyve attempted to do so using various kinds of molecules, individual neutral atoms, ions held in ion traps, and superconducting materials all with varying degrees of success.

Now, a team from the MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms (CUA)has just brought the world one step closer to quantum computing by creating qubits that are able to retain the information they store hundreds of times longer than anyone has previously achieved.

The CUA teams research utilizes very simple two-atom molecules made of potassium and sodium, which were cooled to temperatures just a few ten-millionths of a degree above absolute zero. The team was able to perfectly control the molecules, achieving the lowest possible state of rotation, vibration, and nuclear spin alignment. This control, combined with the chemical stability of the molecules, helped make a second-long period of coherence possible.

We have strong hopes that we can do one so-called gate thats an operation between two of these qubits, like addition, subtraction, or that sort of equivalent in a fraction of a millisecond, MIT professor of physics Martin Zwierlein said in anMIT News brief. If you look at the ratio, you could hope to do 10,000 to 100,000 gate operations in the time that we have the coherence in the sample. That has been stated as one of the requirements for a quantum computer, to have that sort of ratio of gate operations to coherence times.

The most amazing thing is that [these] molecules are a system which may allow realizing both storage and processing of quantum information, using the very same physical system, added Columbia University assistant professor Sebastian Will.That is actually a pretty rare feature that is not typical at all among the qubit systems that are mostly considered today.

If the team is right, an array of 1,000 of these molecules could carry out calculations so complex, no computer existing today could verify them. In theory, such a computer could factor massive numbers very rapidly, the difficulty of which provides the foundation for theencryption systems that protect todays financial transactions.

The researchers emphasize that their discovery is an early step on the path to quantum systems and that creating actual quantum computers using this technology could take a decade or more of development. However, theyre already looking ahead to the next milestones in the process.

The next great goal will be to talk to individual molecules. Then we are really talking quantum information, Will said in the brief. If we can trap one molecule, we can trap two. And then we can think about implementing a quantum gate operation an elementary calculation between two molecular qubits that sit next to each other.

Excerpt from:
Researchers Just Achieved One of the Major Requirements for Quantum Computing - Futurism

In Brief Irish startup Bitcart just announced the creation of Festy, the world's first wristband capable of facilitating Dash cryptocurrency payments. The wearable could help bring crypto payments into the mainstream by making the process of using them more attractive for both customers and merchants. Wearing Your Wallet Cryptocurrencies are enjoying a groundbreaking year.The market is growing in popularity, attracting investors and sending crypto values to ever new heights. However, the market currently lacks the technology necessary for everyday use in real-world scenarios.

Bitcartislooking to rectify this.

The Irish startup has developed the worlds first Dash cryptocurrency payment wristband. NamedFesty, the device allows the wearer to pay for products with the Dash cryptocurrency. Users can add funds to their wrist-mounted wallet at a Festy-branded ATM or using an online transfer service.

Although Dash is a cryptocurrency, Festy is compatible with any point-of-sale system that accept Visa contactless payments. It can also be used to make payments on any phone or computer using near field communication (NFC) tags or offline payments via quick response (QR) codes. The wristband isdesigned primarily for bar and festival hoppers andcan also be used to store tickets, which could play a role in eliminating fraud or verifying ages of compliance at events.

For customers, Festy offers several advantages over traditional credit cards. Payments made via the wearable are nearly immediate and acard number or private key is never displayed.

Vendors benefit from the system, too. Our partnership with Dash makes the perfect payment solution for everyday transactions, Bitcart CEOGraham de Barratold Bankless Times.Unlike existing traditional bank payments that take a two to five percent fee, there is no cost on receiving Dash for merchants.

Cryptocurrencies are built on blockchain technology that has the potential to revolutionize transactions worldwide. They boast increased transparency and security, but they are unlikely to go mainstream without easy to use tech like Festy.

Thankfully, Bitcart is just one company working hard to help cryptocurrencies break into the mainstream. A number ofBitcoin debit cards are making it easier to make payments via the currency, and in nations likeJapan, bitcoin is on track to become a commonly accepted form of payment.

Disclosure: Several members of the Futurism team, including the editors of this piece, are personal investors in a number of cryptocurrency markets. Their personal investment perspectives have no impact on editorial content.

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A Tech Startup Is Releasing a Wearable Cryptocurrency Payment Device - Futurism

In Brief 2017 has been a stellar year for cryptocurrencies as a whole, but Bitcoin is still the de facto leader in terms of popularity and market cap. However, several characteristics inherent to Litecoin could give it the ability to challenge Bitcoin's domination in the crypto market.

While Bitcoincurrently leads the cryptocurrency market in terms of adoption and market cap, some argue that other, newer cryptos are actually a better investment. Once proposed alternative isLitecoin. Sometimes referred to as the silver Bitcoin, this altcoin could prove superior based on four factors.

First, Litecoins algorithm is far simpler than Bitcoins, which makes it easier to run on graphics processing units (GPUs). This results in a lower barrier to entry for Litecoin miners in comparison to Bitcoin.

Second, Litecoin has a faster block generation speed. Processing a Litecoin block takes two-and-a-half minutes as opposed to Bitcoins 10. This decreases transaction fees, making the Litecoin cryptocurrency more attractive to investors.

Third, Litecoin is about to launch a lightning network that will improve its already superior ability to adapt to changes. This network will make it easier for Litecoin to scale as it gains more traction.

Fourth, Litecoins lifetime cap is higher than Bitcoins (84 million coins as opposed to 24 million).Once this cap is reached, miners will no longer be a part of the process, and this could decrease the security and stability of the blockchain supporting each currency.

While cryptocurrencies in general areincreasing in popularity, the individual variants are constantly vying for market dominance. Perhaps Litecoin will come out on top, or perhaps it wont the primarycharacteristic shared by all cryptocurrencies right nowis volatility, and only time will tell how the crypto market ultimately plays out.

Disclosure: Several members of the Futurism team, including the editors of this piece, are personal investors in a number of cryptocurrency markets. Their personal investment perspectives have no impact on editorial content.

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This Altcoin Is Ready to Challenge Bitcoin's Domination of the Crypto Market - Futurism

Net Neutrality

Americans are slowly realizing the significance of the potential consequences of the FCCs current net neutrality regulations being repealed. These regulations once protected small businesses and content providers from intrusion by private, monopolistic internet service providers (ISPs), such as Verizon and Comcast. Before net neutrality, ISPs could disrupt, slow, and even censor content on the internet without any liability. This controversy reached its climax in 2007 when Verizon was exposed for blocking group chat conversations coming from a large pro-choice abortion group. However, many defenders of net neutrality are currently overlooking the political dynamic between net neutrality and the development of cryptocurrencies.

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have greatly benefited from past net neutrality regulations. Bitcoins price has increased 300 percent since Obamas regulations were put in place in February 2015. This growth has been attributed to many factors, including the governments of Japan and China becoming more tolerant of cryptocurrency use. Not to mention countless initial coin offerings (ICOs) also hitting the worldwide market. The last two years have been the most profitable and evolutionary period for cryptocurrencies since their inception. However, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have been in the middle of a financial bubble, and a series of interventions from ISPs could force that bubble to implode which may not be a bad thing. Without net neutrality regulations, ISPs can function without any accountability. What that will mean for cryptocurrencies remains yet unknown.

Its no secret that many American corporations lean staunchly conservative, and would happily wipe out a disruptive technology that works against their interests something like cryptocurrencies. ISPs and the U.S. government maintain close ties, something which has become increasingly obvious in the past few months. The appointment of former Verizon lawyers such as Ajit Pai, as the head of the FCC is just one example, and state policies continue to keep 60 percent of Americans confined to just a single internet provider option.

The concentration of power amongst ISPs allows the government to more effectively regulate and influence the internets evolution. When and if cryptocurrencies are viewed as a problem by the U.S. government, the internet service provider will be looked at to find the solution. Under the current status quo, Bitcoin will not be considered as an alternative monetary system because it is too difficult to control and tax. Not to mention that Congress position on virtual currencies is still unclear, and interpretations of the Stamp Payments Act of 1862 may provide Congress with the legal footing to leverage against cryptocurrencies.

The Act states that:

Whoever makes, issues, circulates, or pays out any note, check, memorandum, token, or other obligation for a less sum than $1, intended to circulate as money or to be received or issued in lieu of lawful money of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

A simple way in which an ISP can affect the attractiveness of cryptocurrency investment is by slowing down broadband speeds of blockchain sites, which would in turn slow down transaction speeds. Yet, the speed (or lack thereof) of transactions has seemingly had zero effect on investment. Thus, cryptocurrencies themselves arent necessarily at risk unless ISPs conduct structural attacks on blockchain servers. By nature, blockchains are immune to human intervention. However, the internet provider holds the ability to implement a partition or delay attack. These attacks could effectively create a blackhole, where all bitcoin transactions are lost and made impossible to track. This could lead to wasted processing power and doubled spending for miners. However, these concerns are coming from the lawyers and businessmen, not the engineers.

Engineers see this problem as a perfect example of why blockchain was designed the way it was. To them, repealing net neutrality regulations would invite the possibility of having to reposition themselves back onto an I2P network, like Kovri.

Net neutrality while it does embody the decentralization mantra of blockchainis far from a requirement for the functionality of blockchain. The future of the monetary system is a global currency free from human intervention. If Bitcoin fails to survive the coming storm, it would be because of structural errors not ISP intervention. In addition, if the ISPs start a war against blockchain and cryptocurrencies, the internet may experience an accelerated evolution of decentralization. In the context of blockchain and cryptocurrencies, net neutrality may be a blessing in disguise, forcing further development in the industry.

Excerpt from:
What Does Net Neutrality Mean for the Future of Cryptocurrency? - Futurism