БЛОГ

Archive for the ‘computing’ category: Page 833

Aug 26, 2015

Can We Reprogram Cancer Cells Back To Normal?

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, computing, health

Most cancer-busting strategies focus on removing cancerous cells. While this approach has proved extremely effective on many patients, most treatments have unpleasant side effects and there are many strains which prove extremely challenging to remove. An alternative model to this is to alter instead of remove — fixing cancerous behaviour by ‘reprogramming’ cells that go rogue; essentially swiss finishing school for cellular miscreants. A study published in Nature Cell Biology now provides hope that this tactic could in fact work in many cancers.

Researchers from Mayo Clinic’s Florida campus have found that adhesion proteins, which act like a glue sticking cells together, actually interact with a cell’s ‘microprocessor’. This processor creates molecules called miRNAs, which regulate multiple genes and essentially activate or de-activate different behavioural programs (like commands in computer programming). When healthy cells bump into a neighbour and begin to glue together, these adhesion proteins normally influence both cells — tuning down growth pathways. In cancer, the lab found this adhesion is perturbed; de-regulating miRNA production and enabling rampant growth. When scientists corrected these miRNA levels, the growth was arrested.

Continue reading “Can We Reprogram Cancer Cells Back To Normal?” »

Aug 25, 2015

New Camera Chip Provides Superfine 3-D Resolution

Posted by in category: computing

New imaging technology fits on a tiny chip and, from a distance, can form a high-resolution three-dimensional image of an object on the scale of micrometers.

Read more

Aug 24, 2015

A little light interaction leaves quantum physicists beaming

Posted by in categories: computing, physics, quantum physics

A team of physicists has taken a step toward making the essential building block of quantum computers out of pure light. Their advance has to do with logic gates that perform operations on input data to create new outputs.

Read more

Aug 23, 2015

IBM Scientists Advance Toward Brain-Like Computing, Develop ‘Digital Mouse Brain’

Posted by in categories: computing, engineering, information science, neuroscience, robotics/AI

https://youtube.com/watch?v=c_YV_omTtAg

But the ultimate goals of the project are nothing short of amazing: “The best possible outcome is to map the entirety of existing cache of neural network algorithms and applications to this energy-efficient substrate,” said Modha. “And, to invent entirely new algorithms that were hereto before impossible to imagine.”


IBM scientists are advancing toward “neuromorphic” computing — digital systems that process information like the brain — and launching a complete ecosystem for brain-like computing, with important near-term applications and visionary long-term prospects.

Continue reading “IBM Scientists Advance Toward Brain-Like Computing, Develop 'Digital Mouse Brain'” »

Aug 23, 2015

Computer scientists have found that robots evolve more quickly and efficiently after a virtual mass extinction modeled after real-life disasters such as the one that killed off the dinosaurs

Posted by in categories: computing, evolution, existential risks, robotics/AI

Computer scientists have found that robots evolve more quickly and efficiently after a virtual mass extinction modeled after real-life disasters such as the one that killed off the dinosaurs. Beyond implications for artificial intelligence, the research supports the idea that mass extinctions actually speed up evolution by unleashing new creativity in adaptations.

Photo credit: Joel Lehman.

Read more

Aug 22, 2015

The_Singularity_trailer

Posted by in categories: computing, entertainment, neuroscience, singularity

Within the coming decades we’ll have the ability to create computers with greater than human intelligence, bio-engineer our species and redesign matter through nanotechnology, what will it mean to be human? Acclaimed as “a large-scale achievement in its documentation of futurist and counter-futurist ideas” and “the best documentary on the Singularity to date,” THE SINGULARITY is rich with insight, while remaining accessible to mainstream audiences. Some of the world’s leading thinkers, futurists and counter-futurists are interviewed, including Ray Kurzweil, Leon Panetta, Bill McKibben and Richard A. Clarke. THE SINGULARITY is an engaging tool for critical thinking about future technologies.

Read more

Aug 21, 2015

Quantum computer firm D-Wave claims massive performance boost

Posted by in categories: computing, quantum physics

The world only quantum computer maker says its upgraded chip is 15 times faster than ordinary computers, but experts doubt the comparison is a fair test.

Read more

Aug 21, 2015

Physicists Unveil First Quantum Interconnect

Posted by in categories: computing, electronics, physics, quantum physics

One of the unsung workhorses of modern technology is the humble interconnect. This is essentially a wire or set of wires that link one part of an electronic system to another. In ordinary silicon chips, interconnect can take up most of the area of a chip; and the speed and efficiency with which information can travel along these interconnects, is a major limiting factor in computing performance.

So it’s no wonder that physicists and engineers are creating new generations of interconnect that will become the backbone of information processing machines of the future.

Read more

Aug 19, 2015

Intel boosts SSD performance up to 7x with new Optane family

Posted by in categories: computing, electronics

Intel unveiled its new Optane line of SSDs at IDF this week, with a focus on high performance and endurance. The drives should be shipping to the consumer market in 2016.

Read more

Aug 18, 2015

Cryptographers Develop Encryption Method Resistant to Future Quantum Attacks

Posted by in categories: computing, encryption, internet, quantum physics

Cryptographers are working on new encryption methods able to protect today’s Internet communications from future quantum computers that can be able to break today’s cryptography techniques. The researchers have developed upgrades to the Internet’s core encryption protocol that will prevent quantum computer users from intercepting Internet communications.

Read more