The Digital Frontier

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The Digital Frontier

Advancements in 20th century medicine reshaped society and made good health an expectation, not an exception. Now, 21st century breakthroughs may end disease, reverse aging, and restore sight and hearing — perhaps sooner than we think.
Featured
The West needs more water. This Nobel winner may have the answer.
Paul Migrom has an Emmy, a Nobel, and a successful company. There’s one more big problem on the to-do list.
Police spend 40% of their time on paperwork. Can AI help?
Axon’s AI innovations promise to free officers from desks, but not without questions of ethics. CEO Rick Smith addresses concerns and community trust:
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5 revolutionary cosmic ideas that turned out to be wrong
These ideas could have revolutionized our concept of the Universe, but since evidence paves the road to reality, we’ve had to abandon them.
Breakthrough creates stem cells without any “memories”
A new method for creating induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells includes a memory reset that puts the cells in a more embryonic-like state.
“Light sculpting” chip can rapidly test for thousands of diseases
Stanford researchers have developed a new type of molecular test that works without a cumbersome amplification step.
Scientists discover a gel that whitens teeth and kills 94% of bacteria
Scientists have found that light-activated oxidizing nanoparticles can whiten teeth without causing damage.
A pig kidney is still working in a person after 32 days
A gene-edited pig kidney has been functioning in a person for a record-breaking 32 days and still shows no signs of failure.
Can you manipulate your brain to stop your food cravings?
Research suggests it may be possible to “switch off” the pleasure we experience from eating certain foods, which could curb cravings.
Brain scans reveal the mystery of “hidden consciousness”
Newly identified patterns of injury linked to “hidden consciousness” could lead to better outcomes for people in comas or vegetative states.
Hackers get AI to share credit card info and endorse hate speech
At DEFCON 2023, ethical hackers targeted generative AIs by OpenAI, Google, and other tech leaders to aid responsible AI development.
New physics? Ultra-precise measurement in particle physics confounds scientists
For electrons, the predictions of the Standard Model agree with measurements. But this isn’t the case for the muon, the electron’s cousin.
Extreme treatment for alcoholism slashes drinking by 90% in monkeys
An in-development treatment for alcoholism dramatically reduced consumption in monkeys that previously drank heavily.
Mental illnesses affect brain structure, but in surprisingly different ways
A new brain mapping study identified commonalities in the brains of people with mental illnesses, and it could lead to better treatments.
Time has some fundamental differences from every other dimension
While spacetime itself is four dimensional, it can be decomposed into three spatial dimensions and one time dimension.
Replacing the immune system can boost cancer survival
Mixing stem cell transplantation with immunotherapy significantly improves survival rates for a deadly childhood cancer.
Hard Reset Podcast: Theme Parks | Episode #5
From virtual reality to real life — VR is reimagining how we build theme parks.
Scientists see metal heal itself for the first time
The first example of metal healing itself, repairing tiny cracks caused by metal fatigue, could lead to an engineering revolution.
“I’ve been here before”: DMT study explores a strange memory phenomenon
DMT can induce a sense of profound familiarity, making users feel as if they have entered an alternate reality they have visited before.
Termite mounds inspire climate-friendly air conditioning
The intricate designs of termite mounds show how to maintain a comfortable climate, without using any power.
Brain stimulation helps people with Parkinson’s walk
A noninvasive form of brain stimulation developed by Japanese researchers improved the symptoms of Parkinsonian gait in a small trial.
Autonomous construction robots are coming to a site near you
Built Robotics has introduced an upgrade to construction equipment that converts regular excavators into near-autonomous digging robots.
Too much body fat isn’t the problem — malfunctioning body fat is
When fat cells are overloaded with excess nutrients, they become too big and don’t receive enough oxygen, causing them to die.
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