JOB OPENING: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HUMANITY+
I am on the board of H+ and we are currently looking for a new ED. If you’re interested in science, technology, and its impact on human beings, this would be a good position for you. More details can be
Living in Andorra is good for your health
Here’s an interesting story at CNN on why Andorrans live longer than anyone else in the world. It’s basically what you’d expect: exercise, low stress, lots of friends, healthy food. The piece didn’t mention the elevation, but anyone who has
Precision medicine vs personalized medicine
This is an interesting piece in the Economist about the upcoming personalized medicine revolution. Some people are skeptical that medicine really will be personalized, so Clayton Christensen of Harvard Business School has come up with a term that means “customization”,
Attention Greens and Geeks: Time for an Energy Revolution
I’m currently working on the environmental chapter of my book, which is reflected here in my bi-weekly column. It’s amazing how much potential is waiting to be released on the clean(er) energy front. Here are the first few lines from
Oprah gets petition for promoting RealAge.com
My colleague Jim Harper over at the Technology Liberation Front discusses the RealAge.com controversy and why the current petition to Oprah is a better way of dealing with the issue than running to the FTC for privacy help. In March,
Baby born 22 years after sperm frozen
This is yet another success story from the fertility sector. The interesting thing is that when the man froze his sperm, the technique used for creating his baby had not yet been invented. His faith that one day it might
Two new technologies that will make health care cheaper
There are two stories in the headlines today that both look poised to cut health costs. First, is the announcement of a technique to see if someone has cancer just by testing his or her blood. This new research comes
Transcendent Man — movie
This new movie based on Ray Kurzweil’s work opens in NYC April 28th. Really looking forward to seeing it!
Girl sues sperm bank for defective product
From NewScientist: “SPERM should be subject to the same product liability laws as car brakes, according to a US judge who has given a teenager with severe learning disabilities the go-ahead to sue the sperm bank that provided her with
Replacing humans with machines for cervical test
The NYT reports today that “A new DNA test for the virus that causes cervical cancer does so much better than current methods that some gynecologists hope it will eventually replace the Pap smear in wealthy countries and cruder tests
Robot creates scientific knowledge independent of humans
This is one more step on the way towards strong AI. From the FT: “A laboratory robot called Adam has been hailed as the first machine in history to have discovered new scientific knowledge independently of its human creators. Adam
‘Sexting’: Zooming Out to See the Bigger Picture
This week, a federal judge blocked a prosecutor from filing child pornography charges against three teenage girls in northeastern Pennsylvania over risque cell phone pictures they took of themselves. This respite from the bizarre “sexting” scandal allows time for a
Yeast-powered fuel cell feeds on human blood
From the New Scientist: “Yeast cells feeding on the glucose in human blood might one day power implants such as pacemakers. A living source of power that is able to regenerate itself would eliminate the need for regular operations to
Men’s biological clock — ticking
Most men I know think they don’t have an “expiry date” when it comes to having children, but the evidence is starting to point out that they do. Given that most of the research in turning back biological clocks is
The future of auto manufacturing
Cnet reports that “Detroit Electric, an auto brand once favored by Thomas Edison, is mounting a 21st century comeback with electric cars aimed at U.S. soccer moms and Chinese city dwellers. ” But the biggest news is actually buried later
DARPA making progress on regrowing limbs
And of course, once we can re-grow solidier’s limbs, we will also be able to do it for everyone. From Wired: “The first phase of the Pentagon’s plan to regrow soldiers’ limbs is complete; scientists managed to turn human skin
Artificial muscles
From rdmag: Researchers at the UT Dallas Alan G. MacDiarmid NanoTech Institute have demonstrated a fundamentally new type of artificial muscle, which can operate at extreme temperatures where no other artificial muscle can be used—from below the temperature of liquid
House passes nanotech safety bill
According to cleanrooms online: “The U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 554, the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2009, by voice vote. The bill is intended to strengthen and provide transparency in federal research efforts to understand the
Longevity on Oprah and in WSJ
Oprah’s Dr. Oz just did a segment on longevity and caloric restriction where he said that “There’s one man in Oprah’s audience who may become the first man in history to live to be 150 years old.” Caloric restriction is
H+ Magazine website now live — check it out
My friend RU Sirius is the editor for this new magazine, and the website just went live. It’s a great collection of tech, science, and cultural trends that are changing humans and the world. And, if you are interested, you