Lifeboat Foundation

Implanting false memories could cure Alzheimer’s, PTSD, and depression. It could also make scapegoating easier, allow for witness tampering, or give those under a brutal dictatorship false patriotism.

In Brief:

• Computing pioneer, Vinod Khosla, envisions a future where Artificial Intelligence will take over 80 percent of IT jobs.
• IT guys are not the only white collar professionals who Khosla sees as replaceable by VR they also join doctors, lawyers, and accountants on the growing list.

Let’s be honest, we have our fair share of problems on planet Earth: war, floods, disease, poverty, environmental destruction, Justin Bieber (the list goes on and on, really). But we also have a lot of things going for us: the Alcubierre Warp Drive, invisibility cloaks, the Mars rover missions, the discovery of the Higgs (the list goes on and on, really).

How can we weigh all the exciting and inspiring scientific discoveries against all the destruction and chaos? We have an ever expanding list of catastrophes that is coupled with (indeed, that parallels) our unrelenting march towards technological perfection. With such a coupling of unimaginable horrors and magnificent advancements, how can we possibly measure our status as a civilization?

One of the easiest ways to answer this question is to form a scale that will allow us to scientifically measure our technological *abilities* against the technological *possibilities.* Or in layman’s terms, something that will allow us to measure our awesomeness against the total possible awesomeness. Fortunately, there are several ways of conducting such measurements.

A world where DNA can be rewritten to fix deadly diseases has moved a step closer after scientists announced they had genetically-edited the cells of a human for the first time using a groundbreaking technique.

A man in China was injected with modified immune cells which had been engineered to fight his lung cancer. Larger trials are scheduled to take place next year in the US and Beijing, which scientists say could open up a new era of genetic medicine.

The technique used is called Crispr, which works like tiny molecular scissors snipping away genetic code and replacing it with new instructions to build better cells.

Continue reading “New era of ‘cut and paste’ humans close as man injected with genetically-edited blood” »

The subject of Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) has been in the new a lot lately but is all the hype justified? Find out in this scientific article on Longecity by researcher Sven Bulterijs.

Researcher Sven Bulterijs has published a scientific article about nicotinamide riboside, how it works and looking at the data behind this recently popular supplement. So does it live up to the hype? Why not check it out and decide yourself.

“The first article in my new science column takes a look at a special vitamin B3 derivative called nicotinamide riboside that was shown to slightly extend mouse lifespan.”

Continue reading “Nicotinamide riboside” »

Progress in real science is steady, follows proper methodology and respects engineering safety. We live in an amazing world where medical progress is advancing rapidly, sadly we also have those willing to jump the gun hawking unproven experimental therapies without sufficient data.

Unproven therapies and people jumping the gun to make a quick buck are a plague in the aging research field. Real science is slow and methodical but ultimately gets results that ensure safe therapies can be deployed in the healthcare arena. At Lifespan.io we are passionate about supporting the progress of science that is conducted properly.

“The life science community should embrace the discrediting of unproven therapies promoted without data for economic gain, and instead focus on the promise of research held to the highest standards.”

Continue reading “Reviving optimism for regenerative medicine” »

Chinese researchers, looking for a cure to lung cancer, inject the first ever Crispr-edited cells into a human being.

Harsh environment, less rain, and lack of infrastructure are among the many problems African countries face. Water scarcity and the lack of drinkable water, however, is a grave problem among all. It makes people use water from contaminated bodies which is the sole reason of water borne diseases like, diarrhea and typhoid.

Hundreds of organizations around the globe have taken this issue head-on. And Google, one of the most innovative companies of the planet, is in the league, too.

Google has launched multiple projects including Project Makani and Project Loon to resolve the power outages and connectivity issues in areas where they are most needed. Since the power and connectivity issues are already being worked upon, Google took another step to help these countries fight the water scarcity problem.

Continue reading “Google’s Water Harvesting Rafts Could Save Water Scarcity In Africa” »

In Brief:

• A drug already in use to treat chronic diseases like Multiple Sclerosis has been discovered to also effectively restore nerve function.
• The Department of Defense also has shown confidence in the drug by giving a million dollars to help fund research.

A new study led by the University of Rochester Medical Center suggests that a currently available drug may have properties that allow it to be used for the treatment of traumatic nerve injuries sustained in car accidents, sports injuries, or in combat.