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Jan 31, 2018

Revolutionary stealth virus holds promise for cancer therapy

Posted by in categories: bioengineering, biotech/medical, genetics, life extension

Researchers solved a problem that has been holding back the use of viral vectors for cancer therapy. They re-engineered viruses with a novel stealth technique that enables them to be used to treat cancer.


Up until now, viral vectors couldn’t be used widely in cancer therapy. Researchers just announced that they re-engineered an adenovirus with a novel stealth technique that enables it to be used to fight tumors. [This article first appeared on the website LongevityFacts.com. Author: Brady Hartman. ]

Viral vectors are well-developed tools used by scientists to deliver genetic material into cells. Unfortunately, they haven’t worked well to treat cancer until a group of researchers in Switzerland re-engineered them to enable them to be used in cancer therapy.

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Jan 31, 2018

Developing a Science-based Personal Longevity Strategy

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

When developing any personal health and longevity strategy it is essential to apply the scientific method.


There is one common public reaction to my talks that bothers me quite a bit. I am worried that after each of my lectures, people will just start taking lots of anti-aging pills without regard for dosage or effectiveness, potentially hurting themselves in the process.

This is because one of the most common reactions to me mentioning any currently available interventions is to search for each and every component and order them all right away. Whatever I say about safety and the need to test before people make any changes in their lifestyles seems ineffective.

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Jan 31, 2018

Researchers Cure Lung Fibrosis in Mice With a Single Gene Therapy

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, life extension

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a disease associated with critically short telomeres, and it currently lacks a reliable and effective treatment. Researchers at the Telomere and Telomerase Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have cured the disease in mice using telomerase therapy to lengthen short telomeres.

A proof of concept for an effective treatment against pulmonary fibrosis

The authors of this study have stated that this is a “proof of concept that telomerase activation represents an effective treatment against pulmonary fibrosis” in their publication[1].

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Jan 31, 2018

A Chinese satellite just used quantum cryptography to make an unhackable video call between Beijing and Vienna

Posted by in categories: cybercrime/malcode, encryption, quantum physics, space

The Chinese “Micius” satellite has successfully set up the world’s most secure video conference, using quantum cryptography to connect scientists in Europe and China for an unhackable, intercontinental chat.

The feat marks another milestone for the satellite, officially called Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QESS), which only last year was making headlines for transmitting an “unbreakable” quantum code to the Earth’s surface.

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Jan 31, 2018

The future of war

Posted by in categories: military, robotics/AI

At least the world knows what it is like to live in the shadow of nuclear weapons. There are much bigger question-marks over how the rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning will affect the way wars are fought, and perhaps even the way people think of war. The big concern is that these technologies may create autonomous weapons systems that can make choices about killing humans independently of those who created or deployed them.


War is still a contest of wills, but technology and geopolitical competition are changing its character, argues Matthew Symonds.

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Jan 30, 2018

Ford patents driverless police car that ambushes lawbreakers using artificial intelligence

Posted by in categories: government, robotics/AI, surveillance, transportation

Imagine a police car that issues tickets without even pulling you over.

What if the same car could use artificial intelligence to find good hiding spots to catch traffic violators and identify drivers by scanning license plates, tapping into surveillance cameras and wirelessly accessing government records?

What if a police officer tapping on your car window asking for your license and registration became a relic of transportation’s past?

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Jan 30, 2018

Engineers design artificial synapse for “brain-on-a-chip” hardware

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

A significant hangup on the way to portable artificial intelligence has been the neural synapse, which has been particularly tricky to reproduce in hardware. Until now.

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Jan 30, 2018

This incredible map shows the undersea cables that keep the internet alive — and security services are worried Russia could cut them

Posted by in categories: internet, military

US and UK military personnel, a think tank and a former GCHQ director have warned that the world’s intricate web of undersea internet cables is at risk.

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Jan 30, 2018

An electric Harley-Davidson is coming in 2019

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

The new electric motorcycle, based on the Project Livewire concept, should be ready to go on sale in the next 18 months, Harley-Davidson said.

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Jan 30, 2018

China Wants to Create the Chips to Power the Future of AI

Posted by in categories: futurism, robotics/AI

China is hoping to ride the wave of the AI development boom to increase the country’s role in building the chips that will power future AI devices.

China’s increasingly vested interest in developing artificial intelligence (AI) is breathing new life into the country’s semiconductor industry. A new report from MIT Technology Review explains how China’s dedication to becoming a global leader in AI development is giving Chinese chipmakers a new opportunity to reclaim territory in the burgeoning field of hardware development.

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