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Jun 24, 2018

Using Coffee to Treat Diabetes

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, robotics/AI

This is the Freethink Dispatch, our rundown of the stories that mattered from the frontiers of a changing world. This week, engineers created brain-surgery robots that can work inside an MRI, scientists found a way to use coffee to treat diabetes, and a startup is making fresh produce that lasts twice as long. All that and more, plus a new episode of Freethink’s original hit series Superhuman about how doctors are reprogramming the immune system to kill untreatable cancers.

These stories made us think and got us inspired. We hope they’ll do the same for you.

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Jun 24, 2018

This artificial intelligence can see through walls

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

There’s no place to hide.

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Jun 24, 2018

Tasmanian Tiger Could Come Back From Extinction

Posted by in category: existential risks

The Tasmanian Tiger could come back from extinction thanks to new technology (yes, really)! 🐅

#sun7 | yahoo7.com.au/sunrise

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Jun 24, 2018

Want to Breathe on Mars? A Sea-Dwelling Bacteria Could Make That Possible

Posted by in categories: space, sustainability

They seem perfectly suited to the harsh conditions of the Red Planet.


Cyanobacteria can convert CO2 into oxygen in some of the most inhospitable conditions on Earth, meaning they might be able to do so on Mars, too.

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Jun 24, 2018

IT’S OFFICIAL: General Relativity Was Just Tested on Galactic Scales, Proving Einstein Right Again

Posted by in category: space

Einstein’s theory was validated on a galactic scale.


The curvature of empty space caused by an entire galaxy has now been pinned down with unprecedented precision, demonstrating Einstein’s theory of general relativity still rules on a super-sized scale.

Not that anybody is seriously surprised. But on the off chance the results had failed to meet expectations, they might have provided insight into some of the Universe’s biggest mysteries. It can be so boring being right in science.

Continue reading “IT’S OFFICIAL: General Relativity Was Just Tested on Galactic Scales, Proving Einstein Right Again” »

Jun 24, 2018

A Plea for AI That Serves Humanity Instead of Replacing It

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

A new group formed by MIT’s Media Lab and IEEE thinks artificial intelligence should complement human endeavors, not just serve the corporate bottom line.

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Jun 24, 2018

Why Do Our Brains Have Folds?

Posted by in category: neuroscience

Why do our brains — and the brains of other animals — have so many folds?

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Jun 24, 2018

Futuristic ‘sensory deprivation tanks’ make you feel like you’re floating in space

Posted by in categories: futurism, space

Floating in a sensory deprivation tanks allows you to feel completely weightless.

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Jun 24, 2018

This virtual reality headset runs at human-eye resolution

Posted by in categories: entertainment, virtual reality

Varjo’s VR headset lets you see virtual objects in much greater detail, and could be used for training, design or entertainment.

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Jun 24, 2018

Is your brain an analog or digital device? New research surprises

Posted by in category: neuroscience

Compare an analog and a digital audio recording medium. VHS video tape — an analog medium — stores a continuous curve of modulated audio/visual information. In a digital CD continuous audio is sliced into 44,100 frames a second, and represented by discrete numbers.

On playback the sounds are presented as continuous, much as the individual still frames of a motion picture appear continuous when played back fast enough. Most people can’t hear the difference between digital and analog recordings, me included, but those who say they do may spend thousands on turntables and tube amps to get the full analog experience.

From measurements, we know that neuron currents are continuous, not step functions. The important question is how is the information represented by these signals? Most psychological research assumes continuous or analog representation, but in the lengthy paper Is Information in the Brain Represented in Continuous or Discrete Form? James Tee and Desmond Taylor of the University of Canterbury make a strong theoretical and experimental case for digital data.

Continue reading “Is your brain an analog or digital device? New research surprises” »