From: Max M (maxmcorp@worldonline.dk)
Date: Wed Feb 05 2003 - 13:58:15 MST
http://www.futureport.dk/news - 2003-02-05 (33 articles)
oops ... it's been a few days I can see.
[Aging]
Extending bits of DNA may prolong lives, scientists claim
=========================================================
http://www.msnbc.com/news/866910.asp
MSNBC - Researchers who discovered that elderly people with longer
telomeres lived five to six years longer than people with shorter ones
think increasing the length of telomeres could be a possible key to a
longer life. Research into telomeres is still in its early phases but
scientists believe that increased understanding about telomeres and
telomerase, an enzyme that strengthens and lengthens them, will improve
understanding of age-related diseases and the aging process itself....
[Aging]
Shorter telomeres mean shorter life
===================================
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993337
New Scientist - Old people can expect to die sooner if they have shorter
telomeres, pieces of DNA that protect the ends of chromosomes.
Researchers have long suspected that telomeres act as molecular clocks
governing the process of ageing in cells, but until now nobody has
proven the link.
[Health]
Computer Scientist Locates More Than 1,000 Novel Genes In Mouse And Human
=========================================================================
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/02/030205073051.htm
Science Daily - Using both the mouse and human genomes, a computer
scientist at Washington University in St. Louis and international
collaborators have developed a method for predicting novel genes in both
genomes. With the method the scientists have discovered 1,019 novel
genes that are found in both man and mouse. The breakthrough is expected
to speed up discovery of genes in both genomes as well as those of other
mammals. Because it is efficient and cost-effective, laboratories are
likely to use it and pursue genetic studies on a number of major fronts.
[Health]
End in sight for reading glasses
================================
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2712547.stm
BBC - Millions of middle-aged Britons could soon be able to throw away
their reading glasses. A new treatment, which reverses the damage caused
to the eyes by ageing, has now become available in this country. The
painless procedure, called conductive keratoplasty (CK), uses radio
waves to reshape the eye without surgery. The treatment lasts just five
minutes and costs between £1,000 and £1,500.
[Health]
Fruit flies unlock Methuselah's secrets
============================================
http://genomebiology.com/pressreleases/pressrelease30jan03.asp
Genome Biology - New research published in Genome Biology investigates
genes that increase the life span of fruit flies in an effort to gain a
greater understanding of the ageing process. The researchers from the
University of Southern California and Harvard Medical School screened
10,000 fruit fly populations that were mutated. Their results revealed
that six populations of mutant flies lived 5-17% longer than normal.
Furthermore, analysis of these long-lived flies showed that the extended
life span was caused by the overexpression of six different genes.
[Health]
Genetic Switch Discovery Offers New Cancer Hope
===============================================
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/5077738.htm
Silyconvalley.com - Scientists have discovered how a genetic switch that
allows cancerous cells to divide and spread works, in a finding that
could open up a new avenue to treat many of the most common cancers...
[Health]
Nature - DNA repair: DNA damage limitation
==========================================
http://www.nature.com/nature/links/030130/030130-5.html
ATM, the gene mutated in the hereditary disease ataxia-telangiectasia,
codes for a protein kinase that acts as a master regulator of cellular
responses to DNA double-strand breaks. ATM is normally inactive and the
question of how it is activated in the event of DNA damage (due to
ionizing radiation for instance) is central to understanding its function...
[Health]
New discovery to help switch off diseases
=========================================
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030203-012117-5350r
UPI - In a landmark discovery, a team of Australian scientists said
Monday they have created a three-dimensional map of a protein that seems
to be involved in the development of several serious diseases such as
cancer, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis. The discovery, the
scientists said, could lead to new drugs to help "switch off" these and
other diseases, bringing relief to millions of sufferers worldwide...
[Health]
New technique destroys inoperable kidney tumors
===============================================
http://www.cancerfacts.com/Home_News.asp?CancerTypeId=4&NewsId=1495
Cancerfacts - A non-surgical technique is proving successful in
destroying cancerous kidney tumors while patients recover faster with
less pain than conventional surgery, according to a new study. The
experimental treatment uses a technique called radiofrequency ablation
(RFA) to destroy all kidney tumors less than 3 cm (1.2 in.) in size and
some larger tumors, depending on location...
[Health]
Science Blog - Newly discovered cellular process helps cells respond to
DNA damage
==================================================================================
http://www.scienceblog.com/community/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=872
Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered a
novel biochemical process that plays a critical role in helping cells in
the body respond to DNA damage, such as that caused by exposure to
radiation, environmental toxins or free radicals. The findings could
lead to new approaches to prevent cancer, better ways to treat cancer
and to the development of sensitive methods determining whether people
have been exposed to radiation or environmental toxins, according to the
researchers...
[Health]
Scientists unlock secrets of cancer's eternal youth
========================================================
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/press/pressreleases/eternalyouth
CANCER Research UK - scientists have found a switch that flicks cancer
cells into a Peter Pan mode where they never grow old and can live
forever. The discovery could lead to new treatments to restore mortality
to many common cancers, according to a study published today (Friday).
All normal cells eventually stop dividing when they reach a certain age
as part of a natural process to keep the number of cells in our body in
balance. But cancer cells refuse to grow-up and continue to divide
indefinitely...
[Health]
Short Telomeres Linked to Heart Disease in Mice
===============================================
http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2003-02-04-1
Betterhumans - Mice engineered to have short telomeres have displayed
symptoms consistent with heart disease. The finding suggests that
shortening of telomeres
which cap chromosomes and get smaller with cell division,
eventually leading to cell death -- contributes to heart disease in the
elderly. It also suggests that therapies aimed at lengthening telomeres
could be effective in treating heart disease, and supports the theory
that the therapies could address other diseases of aging.
[Health]
Skin cancer prevention: slip, slop slap, ouch
=============================================
http://www.transhumanism.com/news.php#90258047
A twice-yearly injection that gives a tan without sunshine is being
tested on 80 Australian volunteers to see if it protects them against
skin cancer. The first group of volunteers received shots of the drug,
called Melanotan, at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the Royal
Adelaide Hospital yesterday. The remaining volunteers are scheduled to
follow shortly, with the trial expected to end in July or August. Wayne
Millen, managing director of the Melbourne company that is developing
Melanotan, said it should be available by 2005. Dr Millen said Melanotan
produced a tan without exposure to potentially harmful ultraviolet
light. (The Age)
[Health]
Sleep May Improve Memory
========================
http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20030203/memory.html
Discovery - Sleep is not just for resting, according to new research
that suggests the brain uses this apparent down time to process
information obtained during the day into more permanent memories. The
discovery adds to the evidence that sleep is productive and necessary to
brain health and function for all creatures that snooze.
[Health]
The Age - Skin cancer prevention: slip, slop slap, ouch
=======================================================
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/01/30/1043804464295.html
A twice-yearly injection that gives a tan without sunshine is being
tested on 80 Australian volunteers to see if it protects them against
skin cancer. The first group of volunteers received shots of the drug,
called Melanotan, at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and the Royal
Adelaide Hospital yesterday. The remaining volunteers are scheduled to
follow shortly, with the trial expected to end in July or August. Wayne
Millen, managing director of the Melbourne company that is developing
Melanotan, said it should be available by 2005. Dr Millen said Melanotan
produced a tan without exposure to potentially harmful ultraviolet light.
[Health]
Working out what genes do
=========================
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/2723609.stm
Scientists have launched a major international initiative to
systematically uncover the function of each of our genes. They hope it
will provide vital information about how cancer disrupts the normal
functioning of our cells - and lead to new drug treatments to stop this
happening. The Human Genome Project has enabled scientists to identify
all the genes that make up mankind. But the next stage is work out what
each of these genes do.
[Nanotech]
Data stored in live cells
=========================
http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2003/012903/Data_stored_in_live_cells_012903.html
TRN - Researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are tapping
forces of nature to store information more permanently. The researchers
used artificial DNA sequences to encode portions of the text of the
children's song It's a Small World, added the sequences to bacteria DNA,
allowed the bacteria to multiply, then extracted the message part of a
DNA strand and retrieved the encoded information...
[Nanotech]
New battery design could be the answer to powering the worldâ??s
smallest devices
=================================================================================
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-02/uoc--nbd020303.php
EurekAlert - Though many people have never heard of them, the emerging
realm of micro-scale devices
called microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS -- could completely
change the medical, automotive and aerospace industries, except for one
thing. No battery yet exists that will provide long-lasting power and
still fit inside devices smaller than the width of a human hair.
[Nanotech]
Space Daily - Nanodevice Breaks 1-GHz Barrier
=============================================
http://www.spacedaily.com/news/nanotech-03e.html
Nanoscientists have achieved a milestone in their burgeoning field by
creating a device that vibrates a billion times per second, or at one
gigahertz (1 GHz). The accomplishment further increases the likelihood
that tiny mechanical devices working at the quantum level can someday
supplement electronic devices for new products.
[Nanotech]
The color of cancer: nanoparticles offer new detection method
=============================================================
http://nique.net/issues/spring2003/2003-01-31/19.html
Quantum dots glow and act as markers on cells and genes, thereby
allowing scientists to rapidly analyze biopsy tissue from cancer
patients. Through early detection, doctors will be able to provide more
effective therapies for cancer patients...
[Science]
Advanced Imaging Shows Memory Formation
=======================================
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/01/030127075244.htm
Science Daily - Using newly developed imaging techniques, UCLA
neuroscientists for the first time have "unfolded" the brain's
sea-horse-shaped hippocampus to reveal how dynamic activity within the
brain structure's complex architecture orchestrates memory formation...
The researchers used extremely high-resolution functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) and software developed at UCLA's
Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center to study blood flow within the
hippocampus as 10 human volunteers learned to associate names with faces...
[Science]
Quantum computers go digital
============================
http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2003/012903/Quantum_computers_go_digital_012903.html
TRN - The key to quantum computers' potential is that quantum bits, the
basic building blocks of quantum computing logic circuits, can represent
a mix of 1 and 0 at the same time, allowing a string of qubits to
represent every possible answer to a problem at the same time. This
means a quantum computer could check every possible answer using a
single set of operations. Classical computers, in contrast, check each
answer one at a time...
[Science]
The Future of Life
==================
http://www.thefutureoflife.com/
Time magazine invites you to participate in a groundbreaking dialogue
celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the discovery of the DNA double
helix. Join the architects of the genomic revolution as they chart the
future of biotech and its ramifications on mankind. Participation will
be limited to 300 guests, creating an environment for personal
interaction with the leaders of science, academia and business.
Legendary Nobel Laureate James Watson, one of the three co-discoverers
of the DNA double helix, will highlight the list of luminaries...
[Self transformation]
Comic Book Wisdom
=================
http://www.techcentralstation.com/1051/techwrapper.jsp?PID=1051-250&CID=1051-020403Bz š2
TCS - X-Men fans were outraged that the courts would define their heroes
as anything other than human. In an attempt at damage control, Marvel
issued this statement: "Don't fret, Marvel fans, our heroes are living,
breathing human beings - but humans who have extraordinary abilities."
They look different and their DNA might deviate from the norm, but they
have the same hopes, fears and dreams that "normal" human beings do. Why
should the law view them any differently? More importantly, why should
anyone outside the cloistered world of comic book fandom care? Simple:
the X-Men, for all their spandex excess, represent the future of the
human race.
[Self transformation]
Study: Exercise Keeps the Brain Sharp
=====================================
http://sci.newsfactor.com/perl/story/20627.html
NewsFactor - Gray matter is home to the neurons that govern learning and
memory. White matter is sort of the brain's Internet. Scientists have
known for years that these tissues begin to shrink at about the age of
30, but new research shows exercise can minimize the decline. New
research shows that physical fitness can actually affect the structure
of the human brain, and exercise may be our best friend when it comes to
keeping the old noggin tuned up while we age.
[Space]
Freedom and Survival
====================
http://www.techcentralstation.com/1051/defensewrapper.jsp?PID=1051-350&CID=1051-020403A
TCS - In the wake of the Columbia tragedy, the arguments of the
pro-space constituency are strong, but not strong enough. If space
advocates can't bring themselves to make the most powerful arguments of
all?that space is vital to human freedom, even to human survival?then
their cause will falter as the soaring spirit of heroism and martyrdom
fades, and as the counter-arguments of the cost-benefiting,
bean-counting critics gain footing.
[Technology]
Big Funding Increase for Hydrogen Power Research under Proposed US Budget
=========================================================================
http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2003-02-04-3
Betterhumans - Sent to Congress yesterday, President Bush's proposed
2004 budget backs up his stated commitment to develop a hydrogen
economy. "Tonight I am proposing $1.2 billion in research funding so
that America can lead the world in developing clean, hydrogen-powered
automobiles," Bush said in his recent State of the Union address.
[Technology]
Faster quantum crypto demoed
============================
http://www.trnmag.com/Stories/2003/012903/Faster_quantum_crypto_demoed_012903.html
TRN - There has been tremendous progress in quantum cryptography in
recent years, and one system is already available commercially. But
there's a long way to go before the technology matches its promise, and
one of the biggest issues is coming up with devices that reliably
generate and detect single photons at high speeds...
[Technology]
Random chat solves distributed problem
======================================
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993335
New Scientist - Distributed computing may finally become a useful tool
in complex problem solving thanks to research in the US that appears to
overcome its biggest drawback - how to distribute the problem in the
first place. The idea of distributed, or "grid" computing is to replace
the need for supercomputers by dividing up very complex tasks and
distributing the parts to large numbers of cheaper processors, such as
desktop PCs.
[Technology]
Solar Power Going Mass Market
=============================
http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2003-02-04-7
Betterhumans - Offering yet another sign that solar power has matured, a
division of one of the world's biggest energy companies has announced
the launch of a complete home solar kit. BP Solar, a division of BP, is
marketing the kit to California homeowners as a way for power consumers
to reduce or eliminate electricity bills while opting for cleaner energy.
[Technology]
Tiny Whiskers Make Huge Memory Storage
======================================
http://sci.newsfactor.com/perl/story/20650.html
Newsfactor - New, tiny magnetic sensors could help break a technical
barrier to ushering in the next generation of computer disk storage
capacity, researchers reported Friday. The sensors, filaments of nickel
thinner than a wavelength of visible light, are capable of detecting
extremely weak magnetic fields. Although it is already possible to
increase hard drive storage capacity many times, the process has lagged
because technology has not existed to read the data signals, researcher
Harsh Chopra, a materials scientist at the State University of New York
in Buffalo, told United Press International.
[Transhumanism]
Cryonicists know they face uncertain odds, but put faith in science
===================================================================
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/nation/5093874.htm
Ledger-Enquirer - Freitas envisions a day when tiny nanorobots will
function as vigorous new blood cells or even repair DNA damaged in the
normal course of aging, a process he has dubbed chromosome-replacement
therapy. Such technology would constitute the Fountain of Youth...
[Transhumanism]
The Future Needs Us!
====================
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/16053
The New York Review Of Books - Freeman J. Dyson gives his spin on the
book "Prey" by Michael Crichton. A novel about nanotech run amok. He
also comments on Bill Joys article 'Why the Future Doesn't Need Us'.
Made in corporation with Transhumanity at:
http://transhumanism.com/news.shtml
-- hilsen/regards Max M Rasmussen, Denmark http://www.futureport.dk/ Fremtiden, videnskab, skeptiscisme og transhumanisme
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