The need to quash outbreaks, quickly create medicines, stress-proof crops and fend off other 21st century threats is providing a lucrative arena for biotech companies to sell their services.
Why it matters: But the infrastructure to support such ambitions is increasingly recognized by the U.S., China and other countries as a linchpin of national security and economic strategy, putting it at the center of geopolitics.
In the animal kingdom, there are many grand examples of species that make sense of their world by expertly deciphering even weak signals from their surroundings.
An eagle soaring above the ground spies a river fish down below, about to swallow a bug; a hungry black bear smells a morsel of food two miles away in a dense thicket; a duck-billed platypus, swimming in a freshwater creek, closes its eyes and detects the electric impulses of a tasty tadpole nearby.
Then there are the pit vipers.
Researchers have overcome a major challenge in biomimetic robotics by developing a sensor that, assisted by AI, can slide over braille text, accurately reading it at twice human speed. The tech could be incorporated into robot hands and prosthetics, providing fingertip sensitivity comparable to humans.
Human fingertips are incredibly sensitive. They can communicate details of an object as small as about half the width of a human hair, discern subtle differences in surface textures, and apply the right amount of force to grip an egg or a 20-lb (9 kg) bag of dog food without slipping.
As cutting-edge electronic skins begin to incorporate more and more biomimetic functionalities, the need for human-like dynamic interactions like sliding becomes more essential. However, reproducing the human fingertip’s sensitivity in a robotic equivalent has proven difficult despite advances in soft robotics.
The Telangana state government in South India, in collaboration with various agricultural aid organizations and technology companies, launched a groundbreaking project known as “Saagu Baagu.” This initiative focused on assisting 7,000 chilli farmers with AI-powered tools, marking a significant step…
Saagu Baagu shows AI’s growing role in agriculture, helping developing-world farmers achieve sustainable and profitable practices.
SpaceX is teaming up with Northrop Grumman today to deliver more than 8,000 pounds of cargo, fresh food and scientific experiments to astronauts on the International Space Station.
The NG-20 resupply mission will take off from the Space Force’s Cape Canaveral in Florida on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at around 12:07 p.m. EST. Northrop’s Cygnus cargo capsule will arrive at the International Space Station on February 1.
Northrop has been launching Cygnus to the ISS for resupply missions using its own Antares rocket since 2013, with the exception of just two missions that used a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5. But Northrop retired that version of Antares last year, and the next version — an all-American launch vehicle called Antares 330, which it is developing with Firefly Aerospace — will not be ready to fly until around mid-2025.
Would come in handy! More room for payloads too!
British researchers have tested a prototype self-eating rocket that could pave the way for cheaper launches of small satellites and would leave no debris behind.
The concept rocket engine, called Ouroborous-3 after the ancient mythical creature that eats its own tail, was developed by a team of researchers at the University of Glasgow in the U.K.
A genetic marker linked to premature aging was reversed in children with obesity during a six-month diet and exercise program, according to a recent study led by the Stanford School of Medicine.
Children’s telomeres—protective molecular “caps” on the chromosomes—were longer during the weight management program, then were shorter again in the year after the program ended, the study found. The research was published last month in Pediatric Obesity.
Like the solid segment at the end of a shoelace, telomeres protect the ends of chromosomes from fraying. In all people, telomeres gradually shorten with aging. Various conditions, including obesity, cause premature shortening of the telomeres.
Mainly this is about vertical farming.
In this eye-opening video, we explore the complex Environmental Impacts of an Aging Cure, delving into how extending Human Lifespan and pursuing Longevity could reshape our planet. We investigate the potential for increased Population Growth, the challenges of Sustainability, and the implications for Resource Consumption. Our analysis covers the Ecological Footprint of a world where aging is a thing of the past, addressing both the ethical dilemmas and the potential for Biomedical Advances in Age-Related Research. As concerns about Overpopulation and the need for Renewable Resources come to the forefront, we examine Eco-friendly Technologies and their role in supporting an age-extended society. Join us in this critical discussion about the intersection of Environmental Ethics and the quest for Age Extension.
Don’t forget to subscribe for more thought-provoking content on the cutting-edge topics of our time. #AgingCure #EnvironmentalImpact #Sustainability.
Make a tax deductible Donation to support Longevity Advocacy and Research at:
LIKE WHAT WE DO?