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Apr 1, 2020

Boston Dynamics’ Atlas can now do an impressive gymnastics routine

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

Alongside the news that Boston Dynamics is going to let its robot dog, Spot, out of its laboratory for the first time, the company has released a new video of Atlas, its spectacular bipedal robot that’s previously been seen doing everything from parkour to backflips. In this latest video, Atlas does a small gymnastics routine, consisting of a number of somersaults, a short handstand, a 360-degree spinning jump, and even a balletic split leap.

What’s most impressive is seeing Atlas tie all these moves together into one pretty cohesive routine. In the video’s description, Boston Dynamics says that it’s using a “model predictive controller” to blend from one maneuver to the next. Presumably each somersault gives the robot a fair amount of forward momentum, but at no point in the video does it seem to lose its balance as a result. Amazingly, Atlas is able to roll gracefully along its back without any of its machinery getting squashed or tangled.

Apr 1, 2020

The COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Please click the button below to report on a cancer patient with COVID-19. See below for eligibility.

Access the survey.

Apr 1, 2020

Stanford researchers develop potential method to reuse N95 respirators

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

A team of Stanford researchers may have found a way to use heat to disinfect N95 respirators, potentially enabling reuse of the single-use masks that are running dangerously low nationwide as the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. continues to grow.

The team’s research, based on experiments on a type of fabric commonly used in respirators and industrial-grade respirators, found that a 30-minute exposure to 75 °C could be used up to 20 times to disinfect N95 respirators without a loss of filtration efficiency and mechanical deformation.

These findings could be game-changing for both hospitals and individuals due to the method’s ease of use, said materials science and engineering professor Yi Cui, who led the research at 4C Air along with physics and molecular biology professor Steven Chu.

Apr 1, 2020

China ‘finds new coronavirus strain that lasts for 49 days’ in infected patient

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Granted it’s a Mirror article, but interesting with potentially bad ramifications if true.


Researchers found a middle-aged man who had mild symptoms but a prolonged version of the potentially deadly illness, according to reports.

Apr 1, 2020

Israel’s MDA to treat coronavirus patients with new ‘passive vaccine’

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, cybercrime/malcode

The first patient who recovered from coronavirus donated plasma on Wednesday that will be used to create a “passive vaccine” to treat Israelis who are severely ill with COVID-19.


This assumes that those who have recovered from COVID-19 have developed special anti-virus proteins or antibodies in their plasma, which could therefore help sick patients cope with the disease.

Apr 1, 2020

Ben Hammersley Futurist, Defines our New Normal in the Age of Coronavirus

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, food, health, media & arts, space

Defining our “New Normal” in the Age of Coronavirus — Amanda Christensen, ideaXme (http://radioideaxme.com/) guest interviewer, interviews Ben Hammersley, one of the world’s leading futurists to answer questions about how we are going to work, live, thrive, and innovate in the coming years — #Ideaxme #BenHammersley #Innovation #Futurist #Futurism #Covid19 #Coronavirus #Science #Longevity #Health #Medicine #Environment #Space #Oceans #Literature #Music #Food #Future #Entertainment #Sports #Fashion Awesome Foundation European University Institute United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) UNAOC Fellowship Program Goldsmiths, University of London WIRED UK The Brookings Institution European Commission.


Amanda Christensen, ideaXme guest interviewer, interviews Ben Hammersley, one of the world’s leading futurists and founder of international Strategic Foresight agency Hammersley Futures.

Continue reading “Ben Hammersley Futurist, Defines our New Normal in the Age of Coronavirus” »

Apr 1, 2020

Turkmenistan bans the word ‘coronavirus’ and wearing of masks

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Citizens discussing pandemic could reportedly find themselves detained by police.

Apr 1, 2020

Aubrey de Grey talks about longevity for rich and poor people

Posted by in categories: futurism, life extension

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqtEn605bpA

#longevity

#overpopulation

Continue reading “Aubrey de Grey talks about longevity for rich and poor people” »

Apr 1, 2020

New test can detect COVID-19 in just five minutes

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

In yet another demonstration of how rapidly technology can advance, biotech firm Abbott Laboratories has developed a new molecular test for the detection of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which delivers results in just five minutes.

Abbott Laboratories, headquartered in Illinois, United States, has been granted Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adapting COVID-19 tests to its ID NOW platform.

Continue reading “New test can detect COVID-19 in just five minutes” »

Apr 1, 2020

Israel tests coronavirus vaccine prototype on rodents at defense lab

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

JERUSALEM (Reuters) — Israel has begun testing a COVID-19 vaccine prototype on rodents at its bio-chemical defense laboratory, a source said on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR), in rural Ness Ziona, to join the fight against the coronavirus pandemic on Feb. 1, prompting an easing of its secrecy as it cooperates with civilian scientists and private firms.

In a statement, Netanyahu’s office said IIBR director Shmuel Shapira had informed him of “significant progress” in designing a vaccine prototype and that the institute “is now preparing a model for commencing an animal trial”.