Category Archives: Transhuman News

It was an awkward moment.

As soon as famed Star Trek actor William Shatner clambered out of Blue Origins New Shepard capsule, as seen on Blue Origins live stream today, he was clearly overcome, visibly shaken by the experience of seeing the Earth whip by.

Shatner, alongside three other passengers, reached an apogee of over 66 miles during todays launch,narrowly crossing the boundary of space, at least depending on who you ask.

But when he tried to tell the companys co-founder, Jeff Bezos, about the profound experience, things got weird.

As Shatner tried to wax poetic about the experience, Bezos listened for a few moments, but then turned away from a displeased-looking Shatner to focus on something more pressing: champagne.

Give me a champagne bottle, Bezos said, gesturing to nearby staff and interrupting Shatner. I want one.

Here, the billionaire continued, popping the bottle and spraying Blue Origin employees with it as Shatner looked on, appearing nonplussed. You want a little of this?

Shatner,in contrast, seemed profoundly affected by the once-in-a-lifetime experience, and refused a swig from Bezos bottle.

It was a brief and bizarre clash of wavelengths and priorities that encapsulated what Bezos seems to be after: building a profitable space empire, with more emphasis on glitz and glamor than the philosophical implications of space travel.

To Bezos credit, he did take a couple of minutes to listen to Shatner wax poetic about life and death after hosing down his lackeys with bubbly.

It was so moving, a shaken Shatner told Bezos. This experience is something unbelievable, adding that every human on Earth should be able to have the same.

To see the blue color go whip by, he added. This comforter of blue we have around us Then youre looking into black ugliness. Theres mother of Earth and comfort, and then there is death. Is that what death is?

Bezos stared at him almost incredulously. At one point, he muttered: Its so beautiful.

No, I mean your words, he clarified.

Shatner seemed genuinely moved by the experience, even if Bezos was in party mode.

I hope I never recover from this, he told Bezos. I dont want to lose it. Its so much larger than me and life.

More on the launch: William Shatner Takes Blue Origin Joyride, as Scandals Plague Company

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William Shatner Tried to Tell Jeff Bezos About the Glory of Spaceflight, But Bezos Interrupted Him to Spray Staff With Champagne - Futurism

"Can we get away from breathing as a way to keep our brains going?"Deep Breath

Thanks to some biological tinkering, a team of scientists found a way to keep tadpoles alive, even after taking away their ability to breathe.

The Ludwig Maximilians University researchers injected photosynthetic algae into the tadpoles, creating a symbiotic relationship between amphibian and microbe that keeps the amphibians alive without any environmental oxygen, The Scientist reports. Its an odd experiment that could have important medical value keeping someone alive when a stroke cuts off their brains oxygen supply, for example but its also a fascinating step forward in biological experimentation in its own right.

In order to test their new hybrid, the researchers starved the tadpoles of oxygen until their brains shut down completely. Then, they shined a light onto the water tank, activating the algae and causing it to produce oxygen. Once they did so, the tadpoles brains became active again, indicating that the algae were successfully keeping their new host alive, according to research published in the journal iScience on Wednesday.

Gettysburg College biologist Ryan Kerney, who didnt contribute to the new study, told The Scientist that researchers, himself included, have been trying to create artificial symbiotic relationships with algae, with the goal of changing or improving animal physiology, for about a decade.

He added that there are still many unknowns, a troubling lack of regulations over the niche scientific field, and risks associated with harmful algae.

But the potential implications are also just fascinating to speculate about, Kerney added. Can we get away from breathing as a way to keep our brains going?

READ MORE: Scientists Use Photosynthesis to Power an Animals Brain [The Scientist]

More on oxygen: In the Distant Future, All Earths Creatures May Asphyxiate From Lack of Oxygen

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Scientists Create Creature That Doesn't Need to Breathe - Futurism

In the endless battle to improve productivity, instead of trying to move faster, consider slowing down.

The relentless pace of work received some attention pre-pandemic, mainly among younger workers, but nearing two years of remote employment during Covid, the discussion is now a major one within leadership circles and across the labor force.

A record number of workers left their jobs in August, 4.3 million people, according to the Labor Department. The number of job openings remains at a record high level as employers struggle to find enough job seekers to meet demand.

Burnout and exhaustion have risen among workers and corporate leadership is concerned about it.

"People are dropping out of the workforce and they are changing the nature of their jobs. You can see that adaptation," billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio said at this week's CNBC @Work Summit.

"Our people after 18 months are fatigued," said Bank of America global strategy leader Cathy Bessant.

ridvan_celik | E+ | Getty Images

Futurist April Rinne, author of "Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change" says the fast-paced sprint mentality is part of the problem and it should be thought of in terms of the risks it introduces in decision making and innovation.

"The biggest risk we run here is that when you're running ever faster, you run the risk of running straight past life," Rinne told CNBC's Jane Wells at the CNBC@Work Summit. "We need to learn how to slow down our pace," she said, not be lazy, "but run at a pace that is sustainable for life."

Because the world, according to the futurist, is not going to slow down. "The pace of change today is faster than it's ever been, and yet it's likely to never be this slow again," Rinne said. "However fast you are running today, the faster you will be running tomorrow, and next week, and next year."

The linear script we have been taught for life is study, work, retire, but it is a mistake to think that always equal success, Rinne says. It is a one-way mentality that often leads to quick, and not necessarily wise, decisions. "When you slow down, you learn to see more and identify some blind spots, you see things that you couldn't see when you were constantly going ever faster," she said.

Adjusting to new work practices goes beyond the flexibility, and the hybrid model, now being embraced by organizational leaders. It involves facing the reality of change and adapting to it, a flux mindset, as Rinne defines it: "A flux mindset is the ability to see all change as an opportunity to learn, grow and improve."

The pace of change today is faster than it's ever been, and yet it's likely to never be this slow again.

April Rinne, Author of Flux: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change

Over the last 19 months, nothing has seemed normal and as a society we have had to adapt to many types of change, and Rinne says changes will continue to surge as we adapt to new routines and ways of living.

"The future holds more change, including more of the kinds of changes that we don't control," she said.

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Why you will need to slow down to succeed in a world about to move even faster: Futurist April Rinne - CNBC

Scientists seem to have found a pleasant side effect of taking psychedelic drugs: a reduced risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

A team of scientists identified the unexpected trend after poring over ten years worth of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, finding that respondents who said theyve tried psychedelics at least once in their lives had a reduced risk of developing either condition over the previous year, according to a study published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.

Specifically, the team looked at the records of 375,000 survey respondents and found that only 2.3 percent of those whod ever taken DMT, ayahuasca, LSD, mescaline, peyote, or psilocybin were diagnosed with heart disease or diabetes in the previous year. Thats drastically lower than the 4.5 percent diagnosis rate among people whod never taken any of those drugs.

The findings suggest that lifetime classic psychedelic use is associated with lower odds of having had heart disease or diabetes in the past year, lead study author and Oxford sociologist Otto Simonsson told PsyPost.

One possibility: since moderate psychedelic use is associated with a long-term sense of increased peace and well-being, maybe some people who have dabbled in it experience less heart stress during the years and decades afterward.

None of that t necessarily means that you should go and gobble up some shrooms in the name of your cardiometabolic health,but it does hint at an interesting correlation between psychedelics and medicine that ought to be teased out with further study.

The direction of causality remains unknown, Simonsson told PsyPost. Future trials with double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled designs are needed to establish whether classic psychedelic use may reduce the risk of cardiometabolic diseases and, if so, through which mechanisms.

Still, its an encouraging finding that can be thrown on top of the pile of other therapeutic benefits associated with psychedelics use that scientists seem to have uncovered. And with this seeming correlation in hand, scientists may now be able to conduct more clinical research to see if the drugs actually do improve heart health.

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LSD and Shrooms Linked to Lower Heart Disease and Diabetes Risk - Futurism

Even if they launch it just a few months before impact.Last Hurrah

Nuking an incoming asteroid as a last-ditch effort to save the planet has long captivated the imaginations of real-life experts and filmmakers alike. But many astronomers have maintained that it would never work, saying we should come up with other ideas instead.

But new research may show that those naysayers are wrong, Gizmodo reports, because computer simulations indicate that a last-minute nuclear strike actually has a good chance at saving the planet after all. Thats good news, as most other viable strategies require years, or perhaps even decades, of planning.

Previous research and simulations suggested that in order for the nuclear option to work, the missile would need to strike and shatter an incoming asteroid decades in advance. Otherwise, the fragments might still continue on their trajectory to Earth, turning one cataclysmic impact into myriad slightly-less-cataclysmic impacts. But that may not be the case, according to new research published in the journal Acta Astronautica that suggests detonating an asteroid even mere months before impact would keep nearly all the fragments from hitting us.

Simply stated, for a 100-meter object thats projected to hit Earth, if we employ a robust nuclear disruption technique by at least one month before impact, we can prevent 99 percent or more of the impacting mass from hitting the Earth, Johns Hopkins University physicist Patrick King, who completed the study as his PhD thesis at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, told Gizmodo.

A 100-meter asteroid would only need to be nuked two months before impact, though that number would climb as the asteroid gets bigger. Still, thats a huge improvement over past projections, giving us a glimmer of hope in the event that we spot a killer asteroid a little bit later than wed like.

READ MORE: A Last-Minute Nuke to Shatter an Incoming Asteroid Could Actually Work, Study Suggests [Gizmodo]

More on asteroid defense: Scientist: If Asteroids Threaten Earth, We Should Blow Them Up With Missiles

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Scientists Admit That Yeah, Nuking an Asteroid Might Actually Work - Futurism

"You're sound asleep, safe, you think, in your bed, and you can get taken out by a meteorite, apparently."Meteorite Hit

Golden, British Columbia native Ruth Hamilton was woken up by her dog barking and seconds later, she says, a roughly two-pound rock smashed through her roof, landing inches from where she was sleeping.

And as it turns out, it wasnt some dangerous prank. The rock was a chunk of actual meteorite, Canadian broadcaster Global News reports, which had lit up the night sky earlier that night.

The finding was later confirmed by a team of experts from Western University in Ontario, Canada.

Everything about the story was consistent with a meteorite fall, and the fact that this bright fireball had occurred basically right at the same time made it a pretty overwhelming case, Western astronomy professor Peter Brown told the CBC.

Ive never been so scared in my life, Hamilton told the broadcaster. I wasnt sure what to do so I called 911 and, when I was speaking with the operator, I flipped over my pillow and saw that a rock had slipped between two pillows.

The first known person to actually get hit directly by a meteorite was Ann Hodgens, a woman from Alabama. In 1954, a 8.5-pound meteorite crashed through her roof and struck her on the side of her hip, according to Insider, which she survived with heavy bruising.

Hamilton is planning to keep the rock after Brown and his team have a thorough look a keepsake of a very strange and unique night.

I was shaking like a leaf, Hamilton told the CBC. Youre sound asleep, safe, you think, in your bed, and you can get taken out by a meteorite, apparently.

READ MORE: Ive never been so scared in my life: Golden, B.C. woman nearly hit by meteorite [Global News]

More on meteor showers: NASA Puzzled by Five Fireballs Over America in One Night

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Woman Almost Smashed by Meteorite That Crashed Through Ceiling and Landed on Her Bed - Futurism

In 2013, Wang Yaping became the country's second female astronaut. Tomorrow, she's going back.Crewed Up

China has unveiled the crew for its Shenzou 13 mission to the countrys brand new Tiangong space station, including the first female astronaut to venture to the outpost, the South China Morning Post reports.

Wang Yaping will spend six months on board the space station the countrys longest crewed mission to date alongside astronauts Zhai Zhigang and Ye Guangfu. She could also become the first female Chinese astronaut to complete a spacewalk.

After eight years of relentless effort, I am going back to space again, Wang told reporters on Thursday, as quoted by SCMP. Students, let me know what you want to learn this time. I will prepare a great lecture for you in orbit.

Yaping became Chinas second female astronaut to go to space during her stay on board the Shenzhou 10 spacecraft. The small capsule orbited the Earth in 2013 and docked with the Tiangong-1, an early prototype space station.

The countrys first female astronaut was Liu Yang, who traveled to space as part of the Shenzhou 9 mission in 2012, eight and a half years after Chinas first-ever crewed mission.

Zhai trained with the European Space Agency and is fluent in English. That makes him an important part of the countrys efforts to host other countries on the Tiangong space station, SCMP reports.

The crew will be tasked with working on other modules of the space station and carrying out scientific experiments.

China has big plans to finish the construction of its Tiangong space station. Next year, the countrys space agency is planning to complete six missions, including two crewed missions and the addition of two new modules housing laboratories.

The team will also have a reason to celebrate. The astronauts on the upcoming missionwill be the first Chinese astronauts to celebrate Lunar New Year in space, according to SCMP.

READ MORE: China unveils Shenzhou 13 crew for next mission to Tiangong space station [South China Morning Post]

More on Chinas space program: The Bunks in the Chinese Space Station Are Absolutely Enormous

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China Is Sending the First Woman Astronaut to Its Brand New Space Station - Futurism

Meteorologists may have finally found a culprit.Whodunnit

The sound of an earth-shattering boom rocked New Hampshire while the ground shook on Sunday morning, in a statewide incident that left both state residents and experts baffled.

Now, meteorologists think they finally know what caused the boom, The New York Times reports. Satellite imagery suggests that a meteor could have sailed over New Hampshire before exploding, causing the loud blast that rattled eardrums and shook the earth across the state. If thats the case, then it would finally provide an answer to a mystery thats caused rampant online speculation among confused New Hampshirites.

As Futurism previously noted, the U.S. Geological Survey didnt find any evidence of an earthquake in the area within the seven days leading up to the event. And while its possible that an earthquake happened and simply didnt get picked up, that seemed to rule out the most obvious explanation.

But an exploding meteor also makes sense. Both the Orionids and Draconids meteor showers are ongoing at the moment, the NYTnotes, making this a busy time of year for flybys. So meteorologists at the National Weather Service (NWS) started to look for bolides, which are the fireballs that are caused by a meteor exploding and fragmenting in the air.

Sure enough, there was a little blip there right around the time that folks started calling and reporting about the sound, NWS meteorologist Greg Cornwell told the NYT.

Of course, just like the possibility of a phantom earthquake, the meteor hypothesis isnt a sure thing. The satellite that picked up on the explosion may have made an error, or it could have been a coincidence. But for now, it seems to be the best explanation experts have.

Now there have been cases where these sort of exploding fireballs or bolides will cause a false positive, Cornwell told the NYT. It showed up in the data, and its kind of a hunch.

READ MORE: Did a meteor explode over New Hampshire? That may explain the boom [The New York Times]

More on New Hampshire: Residents Heard an Earth-Shattering Explosion and Experts Have No Idea What it Was

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Meteor May Have Caused Huge Explosion Over New Hampshire, Scientists Say - Futurism