H+ Weekly - Issue #304
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This week - Boston Dynamics new robot and sneak-peek into their workshop; the current state of artificial wombs; how AI can help run governments; and more!
MORE THAN A HUMAN
The Ultimate Incubator: The Brave New World of Bionic Babies
This article describes the current state and efforts in creating artificial wombs. Right now, this technology was proven to support sheep but the field is rapidly evolving. Researchers are looking into how artificial wombs could improve the odds of survival for premature infants but maybe soon we will see the first human born out of a machine.
Gene Therapy Injected Into Eyeball Restores Blind Patient’s Vision
A blind patient regained their vision for over a year after getting a single injection of an experimental gene therapy directly into their eye. That patient was in a group receiving experimental therapy but they withdraw after getting the first injection. Later studies on that patient showed that the therapy worked and the restored eyesight actually peaked two full months after the injection and lasted for over 15 months.
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
► AI Run Government (30:51)
In this video, Isaac Arthur builds a case of how automating government can be beneficial for society. And he does not propose here a one big artificial mind controlling everything. Isaac shows how putting computers in charge of small things can improve efficiency and take billions of small decisions out of human minds, leaving us to decide on big things.
ROBOTICS
► Introducing Stretch (2:00)
Boston Dynamics showed a new robot this week - Stretch - a prototype robot designed to automate box moving tasks in warehouses and distribution centres.
Boston Dynamics: Inside the workshop where robots of the future are being built
Anderson Cooper from CBS 60 Minutes got a chance to see how Boston Dynamics builds their robots. We also get a story of Boston Dynamics, the philosophy and engineering behind their robots. a look into their workshop and even a sneak-peek into Atlas' brain.
Can we be friends with robots? Research says yes
Tony Prescott shares result from his study into human-robot interactions which concluded that yes, humans can indeed create bonds with robots.
BIOTECHNOLOGY
Cells Form Into ‘Xenobots’ on Their Own
Researchers who created xenobots almost a year ago were still working on the idea of biorobots. Their efforts resulted in a new generation of xenobots — ones that took shape on their own, entirely without human guidance or assistance.
Scientists Create Simple Synthetic Cell That Grows and Divides Normally
Scientists have created a synthetic cell with what seems to be a minimal set of genes needed for the cell not only to live (which was done about five years ago) but also to grow and divide like a normal cell. It is a great achievement in synthetic biology that will help us better understand how exactly cells work.
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Conrad Gray (@conradthegray)
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