Lifeboat Foundation

Fans of science fiction movies that depict weird, speculative or dystopian futures have plenty to look forward to in 2017. Here are our picks of the movies you should put on your radar if you enjoy cinematic depictions of future technology, from a couple of space station thrillers to a story that turns our current social media exhibitionist tendencies into an Orwellian take on the importance of privacy in a digital age.

Some research suggests macrophages might be the best target for senescent cell therapies. Here is Mantas from cell age answering a reader question “Are senescent macrophages the problem of other cell types?”

Mantas from CellAge answers a question from one of our readers who asked if senescent macrophages (the cleaner cells of the body) should be the focus of senescent cell removal. Some research this year by Gudkov et al. suggests that macrophages become tainted by senescent cell signals and become dysfunctional and that removing them could be beneficial as they could be replaced with macrophages that do work properly.

Continue reading “CellAge Campaign Q&A: Are Senescent Macrophages The Problem Or Other Cell Types?” »

Some technological trends fizzle out while others overturn everything. Author Amy Webb explains how she discerns which ones will go in which direction.

KITCHENER — Just a few days are left to see Themuseum’s quantum exhibit before it packs up to tour the country.

Quantum: The Exhibition is at the downtown Kitchener museum until Jan. 1.

“It’s a really cool exhibit,” said David Marskell, Themuseum’s chief executive officer.

Continue reading “Quantum exhibit soon leaves Kitchener for nationwide tour” »

China’s push for technology partnership with Pakistan.

LAHORE: Pak-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Wang Zihai said that the Chinese model of indulging academics and technocrats in production facilities should be adopted in Pakistan to create more competitive and research-backed products.

This was said during a meeting with five-member Chinese delegation from Jinan technology University China.

Continue reading “PCJCCI president stresses involvement of technology” »

This thing was not imagination,” he says, jabbing his index finger into the tablecloth. By Cuarón’s estimation, anyone surprised at the accuracy of his movie’s predictions was either uninformed or willfully ignorant about the way the world already was by 2006.’

Revisiting the overlooked 2006 masterpiece with director Alfonso Cuarón.

Is our technology bringing us closer to the “Star Trek” vision of a world that isn’t driven by wealth?

David Brin: “Stephen Hawking writes that rising inequality makes this the most dangerous time for our planet. Why? In America and the West, inequality has only been rising (at accelerating rates) for a few decades, from its lowest levels in human history. 99% of our ancestors lived in far steeper hierarchies. So, in a sense, what’s the fuss?”

“Simple. The vast creativity of a middle class society made us so productive we could avoid a Malthusian collapse. But if we return to feudalism — as our New Oligarchs intend — then all of that will collapse. But seven billions won’t go down quietly. A billion of them have vast technological tools and skills that would make Robspierre, Lenin, Mao or Osama gulp with envy. You do NOT want to see the technical castes radicalize…”

“… yet that is exactly what the Murdoch-Koch + foreign oligarchs seem to have in mind. And that is why rising inequality is an existential threat to all humanity. Because we are led by conniving oligarchs who are clearly way, way less smart than they think they are. “.

Continue reading “This is the most dangerous time for our planet” »