Cyborgs – scientists create biological tissue with embedded wiring Under its human skin, James Cameron’s Terminator was a fully-armored cyborg built out of a strong, easy-to-spot hyperalloy combat chassis – but judging from recent developments, it looks like Philip K. Dick and his hard-to-recognize replicants actually got it right. In a collaboration between Harvard, MIT and Boston Children's Hospital, researchers have figured out how to grow three-dimensional samples of artificial tissue that are very intimately embedded within nanometer-scale electronics, to such an extent that it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. It could lead to a breakthrough approach to studying biological tissues on the nanoscale, and may one day be used as an efficient, real-time drug delivery system – and perhaps, why not, even to build next-generation androids. So far, our attempts at creating an intimate blend of lab-grown tissues and nanoscale electronics have led to mediocre results at best. Source: Boston Children's Hospital Share
Snowflakes Up Close: A Small, Fragile World If you’re one of those people who likes to ponder things while looking out a frosty window on a cold winter day, these pictures will clear up one of those long standing wonders: each snowflake really IS unique. Some look like roman columns, others circuit boards or spaceships. Taken under high magnification using a microscope, these images bring a fragile and beautiful world into view. See Also HARMFUL VIRUSES MADE OF BEAUTIFUL GLASS They say that every snowflake is different. Source: akirathedon.com Known in some circles as the most amazing man in the universe, he once saved an entire family of muskrats from a sinking, fire engulfed steamboat while recovering from two broken arms relating to a botched no-chute wingsuit landing in North Korea.
Google X labs confirms augmented reality glasses project, releases video demo Google's Project Glass hopes to deliver an augmented reality heads-up display Google X (Google's futuristic technology development lab) has pulled back the curtain on Project Glass, its program to develop truly useful augmented reality "Google glasses." Project Glass aims to design and refine augmented reality technology to help a user explore and share their world armed with a wealth of relevant information - not at their fingertips, but rather at the end of their nose. Augmented reality describes a view of the real world that includes superimposed graphics. Instead of interrupting your activities to use a smartphone to search for information - get directions, remain in touch, find out if an item is on sale, translate a tourist's note evaluating a restaurant, and the like - Google's Project Glass intends to provide glasses with real-time heads-up displays and intelligent personal assistant software to enable a seamless user experience. Source: Google X About the Author
Interview: Bruce Sterling on the Convergence of Humans and Machines Bruce Sterling is a prominent science fiction writer and a pioneer of the cyberpunk genre. His cyberpunk novels Heavy Weather (1994), Islands in the Net (1988), Schismatrix (1985), The Artificial Kid (1980) earned him the nickname “Chairman Bruce”. Apart from his writings, Bruce Sterling is also a professor of internet studies and science fiction at the European Graduate School. In the interview below, we had the honor of hosting Bruce Sterling in our Next Nature Network headquarters to talk to him about the concept of the convergence of humans and machines. Lots of people are actually talking about and also investing a lot of money in this idea of convergence of the machine and humans. The result is the unbundling of those metaphysical ideas and their replacement by actual products and services That convergence will not happen, because the ambition is basically metaphysical. This is the history of artificial intelligence. You do not want Siri to be more like Alan Turing.
Line Block Cable by Junbeom So, Lee Ji Eun, Yi-Seo Hyeon, Heo-Hyeoksu & Jeong Minhui Line Up The Tangles The problem addressed in the Line Block Cable is so true to home, it’s the one most of us face when we hook up too many gadgets in one area. Not that we can help it, it’s ideal to have the TV, CD player and the music housed together. As a result, their cables leading up to the socket can get messy and unsightly. Designers: Junbeom So, Lee Ji Eun, Yi-Seo Hyeon, Heo-Hyeoksu & Jeong Minhui The 5 Creepiest Unsolved Crimes Nobody Can Explain The Glico Morinaga Case aka the Monster With 21 Faces In the 1980s, the Japanese food giant Ezaki Glico was blackmailed by a mysterious group of apparent super villains, calling itself the Monster with 21 faces. It started with two armed men who broke into the home of the president of Glico, kidnapping him in front of his family. The men held the executive in a warehouse, calling the company and demanding 100 million Yen and 100 kilos of gold bullion. The victim escaped the warehouse before he could find out whether or not his company was willing to pay to ransom his ass. None of the bad guys were caught and that's too bad, because the "Monster" wasn't through. Artist's rendition. A couple of weeks later, several cars in the company parking lot were set on fire. "Dear Glico, How have you been? In the first letter (sent in a plastic container along with hydrochloric acid because why the hell not?) "We forgive you!" It Gets Weirder: Warning: Contains Bomb. We are bad guys. P.S.
Part Human, Part Machine, Cyborgs Are Becoming A Reality Meeting a cyborg for the first time is a nerve-wracking experience. We had arranged to meet in an area of London known as Silicon Roundabout. Near Old Street, the district is home to high-tech start-up firms, giving birth to Britain’s recent software industry boom. In its coffee bars, internet entrepreneurs and programmers share hot drinks and electronic dreams. Neil Harbisson walked into the cafe wearing a bright orange blazer and a 12-inch metal antenna curved over his head. “For me, a cyborg is someone who feels their technology is a part of their biology,” he says. Newsweek Magazine is Back In Print In Harbisson’s case, his is an antenna. The implant was not sanctioned by the medical profession. “My antenna allows me to detect not only colour visible to the human eye, but also beyond,” he adds. Harbisson became known for being the first “officially” recognised cyborg when his passport photograph showing his antenna was accepted by the British Passport Office.
11 cheap gifts guaranteed to impress science geeks Science comes up with a lot of awesome stuff, and you don't need a Ph.D, a secret lab, or government funding to get your hands on some of the coolest discoveries. We've got a list of 11 mostly affordable gifts that are guaranteed to blow your mind, whether or not you're a science geek. Click on any image to see it enlarged. 1. Aerogel Also known as frozen smoke, Aerogel is the world's lowest density solid, clocking in at 96% air. Aerogel isn't just neat, it's useful. Price: $35 2. Inside these sealed glass balls live shrimp, algae, and bacteria, all swimming around in filtered seawater. EcoSpheres came out of research looking at ways to develop self-contained ecosystems for long duration space travel. Price: $80 3. NASA has been trying to figure out how to get a sample of rock back from Mars for a while now. Every once in a while, a meteorite smashes into Mars hard enough to eject some rocks out into orbit around the sun. Price: $70+ 4. Price: $150 5. Price: $110 6. Price: $80 7. Price: $15 8.
Treasure hunter claims to have found $3 billion wreck - US news - Life PORTLAND, Maine — A treasure hunter said Wednesday he has located the wreck of a British merchant ship that was torpedoed by a German U-boat off Cape Cod during World War II while carrying what he claims was a load of platinum bars now worth more than $3 billion. If the claim proves true, it could be one of the richest sunken treasures ever discovered. But an attorney for the British government expressed doubt the vessel was carrying platinum. And if it was, in fact, laden with precious metals, who owns the hoard could become a matter of international dispute. Treasure hunter Greg Brooks of Sub Sea Research in Gorham, Maine, announced that a wreck found sitting in 700 feet of water 50 miles offshore is that of the S.S. He said he and his crew identified it via the hull number using an underwater camera, and he hopes to begin raising the treasure later this month or in early March with the help of a remotely operated underwater vessel. "Every wreck that is lost is the richest wreck lost.
Forget Robots. We’ll Soon Be Fusing Technology With Living Matter | Business Bot & Dolly's Iris was responsible for the zero-g camera work in Gravity, which won this year's Oscar for best cinematography. Josh Valcarcel/WIRED A prototype of the sensor BlueCity hopes to mount on the lids of trash cans everywhere to detect garbage levels and make waste collection less wasteful in the process. Boston Dynamics' Wildcat robot wowed the internet with a demo video that showed the dog-like creature navigating forest and ice. It's also nearly impossible to knock down. Otherlabs' Pneubotics inflatable robot arm uses air rather than motors and metal to move, making it safer around human workers. Fl.UI is a prototype of a fluid-based touchscreen built by Berkeley computer science grad students Cesar Torres and Tim Campbell to make tactile interfaces easy to customize. The Makani wing is an airborne wind turbine that generates electricity while aloft. SAN FRANCISCO — The future has a funny way of sneaking up on you. Joi Ito.