'Artificial life' breakthrough announced by scientists 20 May 2010Last updated at 23:51 By Victoria Gill Science reporter, BBC News The synthetic cell looks identical to the 'wild type' Scientists in the US have succeeded in developing the first living cell to be controlled entirely by synthetic DNA. The researchers constructed a bacterium's "genetic software" and transplanted it into a host cell. The resulting microbe then looked and behaved like the species "dictated" by the synthetic DNA. The advance, published in Science, has been hailed as a scientific landmark, but critics say there are dangers posed by synthetic organisms. Some also suggest that the potential benefits of the technology have been over-stated. But the researchers hope eventually to design bacterial cells that will produce medicines and fuels and even absorb greenhouse gases. The team was led by Dr Craig Venter of the J Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) in Maryland and California. Craig Venter defends the synthetic living cell The researchers copied an existing bacterial genome.
Scientists have recorded the first experimental evidence that elephants experience "eureka!" moments Did you read the article? Yes, and it's that description that makes it seem like trial and error. If this were indeed trial and error, the elephant would of repeated those steps more times until he got the branch. I think what you're seeing above is the elephant going through different scenarios, taking a break, then coming back with a better idea of how to achieve his goal. Similar to playing a video game and trying to beat a level. tl;dr: the elephant is actually smart. "He moved the cube in two of the first six sessions (sessions 1 & 4), but never towards the food." "Four minutes into the session, he obtained the fruit but was unable to pull down the entire branch. Sounds like he got it the first time he used the cube in that manner...
Algenol Biofuels - Harnessing the Sun to Fuel the World New Brain Machine Improves Musical Creativity September 12, 2003 by Matt Brennan The Dominion - Yes, you read the headline correctly, and no, I can't believe it either, but apparently scientists have invented a brain machine that dramatically enhances musical performance, thus paving the way for a new race of highly skilled super-musicians. The brain machine was tested on 97 students at the Royal College of Music in London, UK, and the percentage scores refer to examinations conducted by professional adjudicators. Most musicians feel that their best performances are the ones where the music just pours out naturally, and such moments of effortless vitality are usually rooted in a clear state of mind. The brain activity of a healthy human being can be understood as a collection of brain waves which scientists have learned to identify and isolate. And so it is that machines have become far more effective than traditional human teachers in helping us to clear our minds and enhance our creative side.
125 Great Science Videos: From Astronomy to Physics & Psychology Astronomy & Space Travel A Brief, Wondrous Tour of Earth (From Outer Space) - Video - Recorded from August to October, 2011 at the International Space Station, this HD footage offers a brilliant tour of our planet and stunning views of the aurora borealis.A Universe from Nothing - Video - In 53 minutes, theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss answers some big enchilada questions, including how the universe came from nothing.A Year of the Moon in 2.5 Minutes - Video - The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has been orbiting the moon for over a year. The footage gets compressed into 2 slick minutes.A Day on Earth (as Seen From Space) - Video - Astronaut Don Pettit trained his camera on planet Earth, took a photo once every 15 seconds, and then created a brilliant time-lapse film.Atlantis's Final Landing at Kennedy Space Center - Video - After more than 30 years, the space shuttle era comes to a close. Physics Biology & Chemistry Environment, Geology and & Ecology Psychology & Neuroscience
Lab-Grown Lungs - The 50 Best Inventions of 2010 Growing new body parts has always been more science fiction than science reality, but that balance may quickly be shifting, at least in the lab. Relying on more sophisticated biosimulators that can better mimic body conditions, researchers have re-created the delicate architecture of a rat lung accurately enough for it to assume 95% of a normal lung's inhaling and exhaling functions. The key to their respiratory success was starting with a skeletal rat-lung template, including a matrix of blood vessels and collagen and other connective tissue, then seeding it with stem cells and nutrients to generate lifelike tissue that exchanged oxygen and carbon dioxide just like normal lung tissue. The ultimate goal is to replicate the feat on a larger scale: to replace enough human lung tissue to aid patients with emphysema or lung cancer. Next 3-D Bioprinter
Monkeys 'feel' texture of virtual objects - life - 05 October 2011 Video: Monkey brainwaves control avatar Monkeys have feelings too. In a mind-meld between monkey and computer, rhesus macaques have learned to "feel" the texture of virtual objects without physically touching a thing. In the future, prosthetic limbs modelled on similar technology could return a sense of touch to people with amputations. Using two-way communication between brain and machine, the monkeys manoeuvred a cursor with their minds and identified virtual objects by texture, based on electrical feedback from the computer. Miguel Nicolelis of Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, and his colleagues implanted electrodes into the brains of two monkeys. The team then assigned a unique texture to each of three identical circles on the screen. Random circles When the circles were randomly moved on the screen, the monkeys were able to identify the circle associated with the reward with around 90 per cent accuracy. Journal reference: Nature, DOI: 10.1038/nature10489
Artificial blood vessels created on a 3D printer 16 September 2011Last updated at 11:49 By Katia Moskvitch Technology reporter, BBC News Artificial blood vessels could help those in urgent need of an organ transplant Artificial blood vessels made on a 3D printer may soon be used for transplants of lab-created organs. Until now, the stumbling block in tissue engineering has been supplying artificial tissue with nutrients that have to arrive via capillary vessels. A team at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany has solved that problem using 3D printing and a technique called multiphoton polymerisation. The findings will be shown at the Biotechnica Fair in Germany in October. Out of thousands of patients in desperate need of an organ transplant there are inevitably some who do not get it in time. In Germany, for instance, more than 11,000 people have been put on an organ transplant waiting list in 2011 alone. Continue reading the main story “Start Quote End QuoteDr Gunter TovarFraunhofer Institute, Germany Elastic biomaterials
Must Watch: Bill Nye, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Pamela Gay, and Lawrence Krauss discuss our future in space Just need to rebut that very last point Mr Tyson made before the video ended. Yes, deflecting asteroids probably takes less energy and effort than traveling to another solar system, or terraforming mars. However, those methods of colonization are not the logical first step to take. The logical first step towards colonizing other worlds and other solar systems, is to build orbital colonies. Additionally, you kinda have to take this route eventually. And before anybody says it. IBM Chip ‘Senses’ Events to React Like Brain International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) has developed a computer chip inspired by the human brain that may predict tsunamis and highlight risks in financial markets. The technology, called cognitive computing, is programmed to recognize patterns, make predictions and learn from mistakes, human-like capabilities not possible using today’s best computers. It’s a sharp departure from traditional chip design concepts, IBM said in a statement today. Systems built with the new chip can synthesize events currently occurring and make decisions in real time, the Armonk, New York-based company said. “We’re inventing a new system, changing the game,” Dharmendra Modha, the project’s leader, said in an interview. While current computers handle commands individually on a linear if/then basis, Modha said machines equipped with the new chips will “rewire themselves on the fly.” Reacting to Surroundings Potential Uses “The impact of this is inevitable, but the timing is unpredictable,” Modha said.
Evolution machine: Genetic engineering on fast forward - life - 27 June 2011 Read full article Continue reading page |1|2|3|4 Automated genetic tinkering is just the start – this machine could be used to rewrite the language of life and create new species of humans IT IS a strange combination of clumsiness and beauty. Say hello to the evolution machine. These days everything from your food and clothes to the medicines you take may well come from genetically modified plants or bacteria. Grand ambitions Yet changing even a handful of genes takes huge amounts of time and money. The task is so difficult and time-consuming because biological systems are so complex. Many biologists think the answer is to try to eliminate the guesswork. The basic idea is hardly original; various forms of directed evolution are already used to design things as diverse as proteins and boats. Of course, there are already plenty of ways to generate mutations in cells, from zapping them with radiation to exposing them to dangerous chemicals. New Scientist Not just a website! More from the web