A group of American researchers has created 25 000 individual “invisibility” cloaks. They are just 30 micrometres in diameter and are laid out together on a 25 millimetre gold sheet. We report the first experimental realization of an array of broadband invisibility cloaks that operates in the visible frequency range. Such an array is capable …
Ben Goertzel and Joel Pitt of Novamente LLC have written Nine Ways to Bias Open-Source AGI Toward Friendliness While it seems unlikely that any method of guaranteeing human-friendliness (“Friendliness”) on the part of advanced Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) systems will be possible, this doesn’t mean the only alternatives are throttling AGI development to safeguard humanity, …
Eurekalert – University of Michigan researchers have proven that a special surface, free of biological contaminants, allows adult-derived stem cells to thrive and transform into multiple cell types. Their success brings stem cell therapies another step closer. To prove the cells’ regenerative powers, bone cells grown on this surface were then transplanted into holes in …
Salk scientists say their findings may lead to strategies to treat age-related diseases and improve regenerative medicine. Stem cells are essential building blocks for all organisms, from plants to humans. They can divide and renew themselves throughout life, differentiating into the specialized tissues needed during development, as well as cells necessary to repair adult tissue. …
Spectrum IEEE – Bioengineers looking to turn microbes into manufacturers have longed for a kit of components as regular and predictable as those used by electrical engineers. But biology is a lot messier. Now a group of engineers at Stanford University say they’ve managed to make one such component—the genetic equivalent of a reliable memory …
In 2013, Blueseed, will be the first-ever sea-based tech incubator. After struggling with visa issues to come to Silicon Valley and start his own company, Dascalescu said he was inspired by the notion of creating ocean communities in international waters, so that entrepreneurs wouldn’t need a visa to essentially startup 12 miles off the California …
A recent report by the African Development Bank projected that, by 2030, much of Africa will attain lower-middle- and middle-class majorities, and that consumer spending will explode from $680 billion in 2008 to $2.2 trillion. Bank estimates suggest that Africa’s GDP could increase to over US$15.7 trillion in 2060, from a base of US$1.7 trillion …
China signaled on Wednesday it wanted to ramp up private investment in its energy sector, in line with recently unveiled government plans to fast-track infrastructure investment to help combat a protracted economic slowdown. That followed the announced plan to allow private investment into the vast railway sector, which is struggling with mounting debts and a …
Aging Cell – Rapamycin Slows Aging in Mice. Rapamycin increases lifespan in mice, but whether this represents merely inhibition of lethal neoplastic diseases, or an overall slowing in multiple aspects of aging is currently unclear. We report here that many forms of age-dependent change, including alterations in heart, liver, adrenal glands, endometrium, and tendon, as …
Graphene and carbon nanotubes could improve the electronics used in computers and mobile phones, reveals new research from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Carbon nanotubes and graphene are both made up of carbon and have unique properties. Graphene comprises an atom-thick layer of carbon atoms, while carbon nanotubes can be likened to a graphene sheet …
Technology Review – Retinal implants powered by light could reverse some vision loss with simple surgery. The new implant, which works like a combination digital imaging chip and photovoltaic array, requires much less bulky hardware than previous designs. The devices have yet to be tested in live animals or human patients, but the implants are …