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Oct 18, 2017

Cities compete to become Japan’s Silicon Valley

Posted by in categories: economics, electronics

Every modern economy wants its own version of Silicon Valley and in Japan the urge to find or create one is just as strong. Although the country’s pedigree as an innovator is not in doubt, rapidly adapting to the digital age has proven challenging for its once-mighty consumer electronics companies.


Fukuoka, Kyoto and Tokyo’s Shibuya district are all staking their claim.

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Oct 18, 2017

Mathematics, rejuvenation, and immortality walk into a bar…

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, life extension, mathematics

I often hear the claim that death is a statistical certainty. This is my mathematical take at why this is not true, assuming the defeat of ageing, and no, being immortal is not required.


If a fully rejuvenated person was hit by a train at full speed, I can promise you they would stand the same pathetically low chances of ever being reassembled into a single, barely functional piece as any non-rejuvenated person of any age. Keeping that in mind, if anyone tried to sell me rejuvenation as ‘immortality’, rest assured I would demand to see the manager right away.

On a different yet unexpectedly related note, if I had a nickel for every time I heard or read something along the lines of ‘death is inevitable because probability’, I could donate so much money to LEAF the IRS would start thinking they’re a bit too well off for a charity.

Continue reading “Mathematics, rejuvenation, and immortality walk into a bar…” »

Oct 17, 2017

Blockchain #ecosystem

Posted by in category: bitcoin

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Oct 17, 2017

If AI is going to take over the world, it will need to learn to train itself

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

Automating machine learning will make the technology more accessible to non–AI experts.

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Oct 17, 2017

Whenever the topic of increasing human lifespan is discussed the concern is sometimes raised that a longer life would mean a life spent frail and decrepit

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, life extension

Whenever the topic of increasing human lifespan is discussed the concern is sometimes raised that a longer life would mean a life spent frail and decrepit. This is sometimes known as the Tithonus error and shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the aims of rejuvenation biotechnology. The concern is based on the ancient Greek myth of Tithonus which might be thought of as a cautionary tale warning seekers of an eternal life of its alleged inherent dangers.

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Oct 17, 2017

Don’t doubt Elon Musk, says astronaut who spent a year in space

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, space travel

Elon Musk is racing to land SpaceX on Mars in five years, a vision he unveiled late last month at the 2017 International Astronautical Congress.

One man not among Musk’s critics is Scott Kelly, a retired astronaut who set the record in 2015 for total accumulated days in space, during the single longest mission by an American.

“When Elon Musk said he was going to launch his rocket and then land the first stage on a barge, I thought he was crazy,” Kelly told “Squawk Box” on Tuesday. “And then he did it. I’m not going to ever doubt what he says, ever again.”

Continue reading “Don’t doubt Elon Musk, says astronaut who spent a year in space” »

Oct 17, 2017

US immigration population hits all-time high in 2016

Posted by in category: law

The immigration population in the United States jumped to a record 43million people in 2016, according to a new report.

And when adding in the children of those individuals, the number jumps to over 60million people.

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Oct 17, 2017

Syria warns of ‘serious repercussions’ following Israeli airstrike

Posted by in category: military

Israeli jets destroyed Assad regime SA-5 anti-aircraft battery after it fired on Israeli reconnaissance planes.

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Oct 17, 2017

How Facebook Outs Sex Workers

Posted by in category: sex

Leila has two identities, but Facebook is only supposed to know about one of them.

Leila is a sex worker. She goes to great lengths to keep separate identities for ordinary life and for sex work, to avoid stigma, arrest, professional blowback, or clients who might be stalkers (or worse).

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Oct 17, 2017

A Brain Built From Atomic Switches Can Learn

Posted by in category: computing

A tiny self-organized mesh full of artificial synapses recalls its experiences and can solve simple problems. Its inventors hope it points the way to devices that match the brain’s energy-efficient computing prowess.

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