Singularity University believes that leveraging the convergence of exponential technologies will set us on the path to solve our Global Grand Challenges and shift from an era of scarcity to abundance. There are twelve global grand challenges (GGCs). Each GGC includes three perspectives: ensuring basic needs are met for all people, sustaining and improving quality …
Geroscience researchers studying the biology of aging briefly treated middle-aged mice with the drug rapamycin to gauge the long-term effects of short-term therapy on health and longevity. The most-senior mouse in the study was Ike, the namesake of a relative of one of the researchers. The mouse Ike lived 1400 days. For a person, that …
China has launched a program to develop hybrid spacecraft. The vehicle is expected to make space travel much cheaper if it proves successful. According to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the new vehicle will be powered by multiple engines in different phases of the flight into orbit. It seems like it will be spaceplane …
Telomerase, an enzyme naturally found in the human organism, is the closest of all known substances to a “cellular elixir of youth.” In a recent study, Brazilian and US researchers show that sex hormones can stimulate production of this enzyme. The strategy was tested in patients with genetic diseases associated with mutations in the gene …
China has completed the world’s largest seaplane that is currently operating. The amphibious AG600 is about the size of a Boeing 737 and will be used to fight forest fires and perform marine rescue operations, state-run news agency Xinhua said. The spruce goose made by Howard Hughes was a larger seaplane. It weighed 180 tons …
When you’re traveling abroad, your phone is an essential tool – for finding a great restaurant, posting pics of your trip online, or translating a sign. But the data we have access to when traveling abroad often isn’t fast or affordable enough to let us do the tasks that matter most. Which could be why …
China, Japan and South Korea will be bidding next year to build the 350 km Malaysia-Singapore high speed rail line. In January 2016, China reached a total of 19,000km of high speed rail track. China plans to build at least 11,000 more kilometers of high speed rail by 2020. The Singapore Straits Times said in …
Aggressive chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant can halt the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS), a small study has suggested. The research, published in The Lancet, looked at 24 patients aged between 18 and 50 from three hospitals in Canada. For 23 patients the treatment greatly reduced the onset of the disease, but in …
A method to produce significant amounts of semiconducting nanoparticles for light-emitting displays, sensors, solar panels and biomedical applications has gained momentum with a demonstration by researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. While zinc sulfide nanoparticles – a type of quantum dot that is a semiconductor – have many potential applications, high …
Researchers are using computer modeling and machine-learning techniques to generate libraries of candidate materials by the tens of thousands. Even data from failed experiments can provide useful input1. Many of these candidates are completely hypothetical, but engineers are already beginning to shortlist those that are worth synthesizing and testing for specific applications by searching through …
General Motors and Lyft will test a fleet of autonomous cars that may include the Chevrolet Bolt EV within a year in a step toward eliminating the major cost of operating ride-sharing fleets — the human driver. The plan is still a work in progress, according to Taggart Matthiesen, Lyft director of product. The two …