The Miracle Naked Mole Rat

Posted: 4/21/2017

Trigger

Just read Naked mole-rats turn into plants when oxygen is low.

The Miracles Of Live & Nature

Would you not like to be like a mole rat or have some of its benefits?

The miracles of mole rates are:

1. Extreme longevity. A mole rat lives up to 30 years or about 10 times longer than comparable rodents
2. They are highly resistant to cancer
3. They lack pain sensitivity in its skin
4. They have very low metabolic and respiratory rates
5. The only known mammal to use suspended animation to survive periods of oxygen deprivation (subject of the above article). Their brain cells start burning fructose, which produces energy anaerobically through a metabolic pathway that is only used by plants. The fructose was transported into brain cells by molecular fructose pumps that in all other mammals are found only on cells of the intestine

On The Decashing Hysteria

Posted: 4/16/2017

Trigger

The irrational fear of decashing is spreading around the globe, seen as a serious threat to individual liberty and other arguments. Leviathan government and businesses are trying to gain control and monitor all our lives and every of our moves. Leviathan businesses are trying to commercialize everything by knowing everything.

E.g. India banned all large denomination bills. Similar measures have been discussed in the European Union, and so on. Politicians claim this will reduce corruption or crime, and tax evasion.

The IMF published a working paper captioned The Macroeconomics of De-Cashing in March of 2017 extolling the virtues of it.

The Benefits

Humanity has used metal coins for over 2700 years or so. Time for a change! Time to adjust to the Internet & digital age! Furthermore, money has also evolved over the centuries from e.g. knife money or agrarian implements, shells etc. to metal coins.

One of the major functions of money is the convenience of use. What is more convenient and easy than to pay everything with your smartphone or a chip containing card?

When I think of the heavy and clunky metal coins that the European Union introduced with the Euro in the early 2000s, I could not believe this was happening.

The Dangers

The citizens of the world would need to unite and get government out of their exclusive power and control over money, which governments have carefully guarded and vigorously exerted since time immemorial.

Money needs to be more privatized again! There are plenty of examples in human history that private citizens can manage money very well without extensive government interference and oversight.

Perhaps, new privately created, electronic currencies like Bitcoin are a step in the right direction! And let’s make sure, government does not take over again!

Post Scriptum

Decashing simply defined here for the purposes of this blog post as the abolishment of conventional, traditional cash (metal coins & paper bills) and its replacement by electronic, digital money.

Medieval Global Warming Period

Posted: 4/6/2017

Ever wondered why Greenland is called Greenland?

Because of the Medieval Global Warming Period from 900 - 1300 AD, this island was lush with plants and not covered by an ice sheet as it has been for centuries past. This is why the vikings choose to settle there for about 400 years after Erik the Red returned with settlers to this island in 985 AD.

Here is an article describing the latest findings why the vikings ultimately disappeared from Greenland.

Closing In On The Fountain Of Youth

Posted: 4/1/2017  Updated: 11/16/2017, 4/16/2017

Update Of 11/16/2017

Just read Scientists decipher mechanisms underlying the biology of aging Multi-pronged approach reveals a delicate balance required for longevity:

“Cells periodically switch between "on" and "off" in their chromatin state during aging. Aged cells lose this switching capability, resulting in cell death. These findings uncover a potential cause of cellular aging and suggest new ways to promote longevity.” (emphasis added)

Update Of 4/16/2017

The quest continues and yields new scientifically based discoveries: A fishy way to longevity: young poo. If we are told to eat more insects to save the planet, why not eat young fish feces for longevity? :-) And this was published by Science News of the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE .

The Myth Is Old

Humans have been dreaming about a fountain of youth for millennia. “My kingdom for a [longer life]” not a horse as Shakespeare would have it in the Richard III play! Many things have been tried, like the first emperor of China and his believe in mercury as the elixir of immortality.

Constantly, we learn about new findings regarding this myth. Lately, it was a substance found in red wine, i.e. resveratrol. Then there was caloric restriction diet or the shortening of telomeres with ageing. Or how about replacing your old blood with the blood of a younger person?

Trigger

At least three recent articles that I read lead me to believe that it would be possible within the next 10-20 years to dramatically slow down the biological ageing process in humans. Myth becomes reality or so it seems.

Confidence Comes With Knowledge

Here are the three articles, excerpts and comments (emphasis added):

1. Critical step found in DNA repair, cellular aging  Experiments in mice suggest way to thwart DNA damage from aging, radiation
   “.... The findings, to be published March 24 in Science, offer a critical insight into how and why the body’s ability to fix DNA dwindles over time and point to a previously unknown role for the signaling molecule NAD as a key regulator of protein-to-protein interactions in DNA repair. … Additionally, experiments conducted in mice show that treatment with the NAD precursor NMN mitigates age-related DNA damage and wards off DNA damage from radiation exposure. … the team homed in on a region of DBC1 known as NHD, a pocket-like structure found in some 80,000 proteins across life forms and species whose function has eluded scientists. The team’s experiments showed that NHD is an NAD binding site and that in DBC1, NAD blocks this specific region to prevent DBC1 from locking in with PARP1 and interfering with DNA repair. … that since NHD is so common across species, the finding suggests that by binding to it, NAD may play a similar role averting harmful protein interactions across many species to control DNA repair and other cell survival processes. … After receiving NMN with their drinking water for a week, however, old mice showed marked differences both in NAD levels and PARP1 activity. NAD levels in the livers of old mice shot up to levels similar to those seen in younger mice. The cells of mice treated with NMN also showed increased PARP1 activity and fewer PARP1 and DBC1 molecules binding together. The animals also showed a decline in molecular markers that signal DNA damage. ”
   [This sounds very promising! If we can find ways to improve DNA repair in our bodies, then this should be a huge advance!]
2. Molecule kills elderly cells, reduces signs of aging in mice
   “... frail and damaged cells that age us and promote disease. Now, researchers have developed a molecule that selectively destroys these so-called senescent cells. … Senescent cells carry the type of DNA damage that should spur a protective protein, called p53, to put them down. Instead, the researchers found that a different protein, FOXO4, latches onto p53 and prevents it from doing its duty. To counteract this effect, … designed a molecule, known as a peptide, that carries a shortened version of the segment of FOXO4 that attaches to p53. In a petri dish, this peptide prevented FOXO4 and p53 from hooking up, prompting senescent cells to commit suicide. But it spared healthy cells. The researchers then injected the molecule into mutant mice that age rapidly. ... However, the peptide boosted the density of their fur, reversed the kidney damage, and increased the amount of time they could scurry in a running wheel … When the researchers tested the molecule in normal, elderly mice, they saw a similar picture: In addition to helping their kidneys and fur, the molecule also increased their willingness to explore their surroundings. …  however, that [such] peptides … have their own limitations. The digestive system destroys them, so they can only be delivered through inhalation or an injection–you can’t just swallow a pill ...”
   [Getting rid of senescent cells could be very promising as well!]
3. Protein Hints at a Fountain of Youth in Blood  It’s another tantalizing finding in an area of anti-aging research that has had mixed results.
   “... The compound makes old mice act and appear more youthful … that older mice had low levels of a protein called osteopontin, and that stem cells injected into the mice quickly aged. The reverse—putting old stem cells into a dish filled with osteopontin—appeared to rejuvenate them. …”
   [There is almost always more than one way to achieve a goal!]

If we can combine those discoveries, then the fountain of youth

Perfect And Legal Cover Up For A Car License Plate!

Posted: 3/27/2017

Today, I saw the perfect and legal (perhaps debatable) cover up for a license plate on a pickup truck in front of me at the traffic light. Truly a bane for those annoying traffic cameras that have mushroomed everywhere in the Phoenix area.

Unfortunately, my photo shot is quite amateurish!

I have argued here, why I think that speed limits in the U.S. are unconstitutional and should be abolished or replaced by speed recommendations!

Can Smartphones Beat Adolescent Drug Addiction?

Posted: 3/27/2017

Just read this article from Harvard University Medical School:

Teen drug use is down: Better parenting, or more smartphones?

Is it indeed possible that the ubiquitous and enormously versatile smartphones can distract or captivate many of our children and teenagers so much that they refrain from trying addictive drugs?

This might indeed be a distinct possibility!

The GOP ObamaCare Disaster

Posted: 3/24/2017

First, I did not follow the reports about the twists and turns of the RyanCare act (American Health Care Act to replace and repeal ObamaCare) and defeat in the U.S. Congress very closely.

Some takeaways:

1. Paul Ryan seems seems more and more to be an inept leader of the Republicans in the U.S. Congress. He should be replaced as soon as possible
2. Perhaps the GOP should have chosen first only to repeal ObamaCare instead of attempting to replace and repeal
3. Instead of attempting a rather comprehensive repeal for which apparently there were not enough votes, the House Republicans should have tried to implement a couple of sensible replace reforms of health care such as the same tax benefits for individuals buying health insurance as employers; the free sale of health insurance across state borders; telemedicine and so forth to get started

One can only hope that the Republicans will do much better the second time around! Let’s pray!

Active Censorship And Punishment By Facebook

Posted: 3/13/2017

This morning, I was logged out of my Facebook account. After I logged in again, I was told by Facebook that I violated some terms of usage regarding one of  my comments. I have posted hundreds if not thousands of comments on Facebook. This is the first time, I was censored by Facebook!

My account has been blocked for 24 hours. I was given no opportunity to have my side of the story heard.

The content of my comment was neither violence provoking, hatred, nor any anti minority insults etc.

I almost have to suspect that someone felt offended or wanted to get even with me and had my comment reported!

I think, this is pretty nasty! Facebook stop this nonsense!

Why Was I Not Taught Memory Enhancing Techniques In School?

Posted: 3/11/2017

Trigger

Just read Don't Forget: You, Too, Can Acquire a Super Memory Learning a memorization technique used by elite memory athletes leads to widespread changes in brain wiring and Ancient Brain Training Technique Can Boost Memory  Participants who practiced the Memory Palace method for 40 days showed changes in brain activity and improved memory months later

Memory Palace Or Method Of Loci

In the second article we learn that one of the oldest techniques of memorization (a system of mnemonics) is referred to as memory palace or method of loci dating back to the  the Greek poet Simonides of Ceos (556 – 468 BC).

Chinese And Indians

I have noticed that Indians as well as Chinese people seem to have quite a capability to deal with or memorize intricate details with ease.

In the case of Chinese, I wonder whether this characteristic is somewhat related to their complicated written language of glyphs. Like one word in Chinese can be represented by dozens of glyphs.

On Government Run Public Education

Throughout my life I have noticed on my own various tricks and techniques how to increase your memorization capabilities by reading or hearing about it. However, it escaped me that it can be trained quite well and successfully, even fairly fast within weeks as the above article suggests.

We need to privatize public schooling of our children! Urgently! More school choice please!

Of course in government run public education the ruling elites do not want future adults to remember to well how awful our politicians are and what many foolish mistakes they make. Creeping and expanding socialism in Western democracies would not be possible and much more!

Mammal Brain Much More Active Than Previously Measured

Posted: 3/11/2017

Just read Brain is 10 times more active than previously measured, researchers find

This discovery is truly stunning after decades of intense brain research, scientists only now discover that neuron dendrites are much more active than was previously accepted for a long time as fact.

To quote from the article (emphasis added): “But the UCLA team discovered that dendrites are not just passive conduits. … But the new study demonstrated that dendrites generate their own spikes 10 times more often than the somas. … The researchers also found that dendrites generate large fluctuations in voltage in addition to the spikes; the spikes are binary, all-or-nothing events. The somas generated only all-or-nothing spikes, much like digital computers do. In addition to producing similar spikes, the dendrites also generated large, slowly varying voltages that were even bigger than the spikes, which suggests that the dendrites execute analog computation.”

This belated discovery could have huge implications!

Post Scriptum

This sort of confirms my belief:

Global Warming (a.k.a. Climate change) is a hoax and a pseudo science! Relying on climate models that project climate in 100 years, when we cannot even predict weather accurately for more than 24 hours

Hot Recent Science & Technology Articles (33)

Posted: 2/20/2017

Labels: science & technology, exponential technological progress, natural science

1. Carbon Monoxide Is Toxic, but Could It Treat Tissue Damage?  A few early-stage clinical trials are underway (“... researching a protein called heme oxygenase, or HO-1. It’s an enzyme that converts heme, a central element of hemoglobin, into a slew of chemicals: iron, a pigment called biliverdin that’s responsible for the greenish color of bruises, and — last but not least — carbon monoxide. Every day our bodies naturally generate about 10 milliliters of carbon monoxide through this process. … a Phase I clinical trial that aims to investigate the safety of low-dose carbon monoxide on approximately 48 patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome, a life threatening lung condition. The protocol calls for exposing patients to the gas through a respirator for 90 minutes daily for five days. … One such study, which wrapped up in May of 2015, assessed the safety of low-dose carbon monoxide in patients with the terminal lung condition idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The results suggested that low doses of the gas are indeed safe for these patients. This study will progress later this year to a Phase II trial, meant to determine whether exposure to carbon monoxide actually helps the patients”)
2. Human Cells Eat Nanowires (“... It appears that the cell’s outer membrane folds itself like a pocket, grabs the [silicon] nanowire, and envelops it in a membrane-lined bubble. The process is called phagocytosis; ...  Once the nanowire is inside, the cell’s machinery then shuttles it through its system with sudden bursts of speed—up to 99.4 nanometers per second—and deposits it just outside the cell’s nucleus. … The specialized tool they designed to observe the cells, called a scatter-enhanced phase contrast, or SEPC, enabled them to simultaneously see not only the cellular components, but also the inorganic nanowires. … It uses phase contrast imaging for observing the cell and dark-field imaging for observing the nanowires. … That brings hope that pharmaceutical molecules that normally couldn’t get into endothelial cells will now have a new route: on the backs of silicon nanowires. … The tool also gives researchers a way to electrically stimulate inside a cell in precise ways ”)
3. Fat tissue can ‘talk’ to other organs, paving way for possible treatments for diabetes, obesity (“Scientists have identified hormones made by fat that signal the brain to regulate eating, but this new study ... takes a fresh look at another possible messenger: small snippets of genetic material called microRNAs, or miRNAs. ... But [miRNAs] tumble freely through the bloodstream, bundled into tiny packets called exomes. There, high levels of some miRNAs have been associated with obesity, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. ... So they decided to investigate whether fat uses miRNAs to communicate with other tissues, ... They developed a method to measure cross-talk using a human miRNA. In one group of mice, they engineered brown fat cells to produce the human miRNA and package it in exosomes; in another, they engineered liver cells to produce a fluorescent molecular target for the miRNA. Injecting exosomes from the first group of mice into mice from the second group caused a drastic drop in liver cell fluorescence, because the miRNA bound to the fluorescent target and suppressed its production. This confirmed that fat tissue, through exosomes, can communicate with the liver and regulate gene expression. Exosomal miRNAs from brown fat were also found to regulate expression of an important metabolism gene, Fgf21, in liver cells.”)
4. Yeast in the gut boosts asthma risk (“So far, genetic sequencing of the microbiome has largely focused on bacteria, ….  But fungal cells have been estimated to be orders of magnitude more abundant in the human body. ”)
5. Simpler, safer treatment hailed as ‘breakthrough’ against drug-resistant TB (A new cocktail is borne! “Called Nix-TB, the trial has had 34 people in South Africa with XDR [extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis] on three antibiotics that have never been combined before to treat TB: bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid. Bedaquiline, which was designed for TB but has not been used much, came to market in 2012. Pretomanid is also designed for TB but is still experimental. Linezolid is mainly used for skin infections and pneumonia. After 6 months, the TB bacillus could not be cultured from anyone’s sputum, … ”)
6. Researchers are first to see DNA 'blink' (Nanoscopy supplants microscopy? “The Northwestern tool features six-nanometer resolution and is the first to break the 10-nanometer resolution threshold. It can image DNA, chromatin and proteins in cells in their native states, without the need for labels. ...  "With our super-resolution imaging, we found that DNA and other biomolecules do fluoresce, but only for a very short time. Then they rest for a very long time, in a 'dark' state. ... "Insights into the workings of the chromatin folding code, which regulates patterns of gene expression, will help us better understand cancer and its ability to adapt to changing environments," ... In contrast, the Northwestern technique, called spectroscopic intrinsic-contrast photon-localization optical nanoscopy (SICLON), allows researchers to study biomolecules in their natural environment, without the need for these fluorescent labels.  ... When excited with the right wavelength, the biomolecules even light up better than they would with the best, most powerful fluorescent labels.”)
7. How to stop brain cancer—with rabies (Cancer is history!)
8. Could this pollinating drone replace butterflies and bees? (This could be huge! “... researchers ordered a small drone online and souped it up with a strip of fuzz made from a horsehair paintbrush covered in a sticky gel. The device is about the size of a hummingbird, and has four spinning blades to keep it soaring. With enough practice, the scientists were able to maneuver the remote-controlled bot so that only the bristles ... brushed gently against a flower’s stamen to collect pollen—in this case, a wild lily (Lilium japonicum), they report today …  To ensure the hairs collect pollen efficiently, the researchers covered them with ionic liquid gel (ILG), a sticky substance with a long-lasting “lift-and-stick-again” adhesive quality—perfect for taking pollen from one flower to the next.  ...”)
9. Finding a synthetic nanoparticle in a haystack (Will help to dampen the hysteria about nanoparticles “Scientists from Austria and Switzerland have developed a new way to distinguish engineered nanoparticles from naturally occurring nanoscale particles in soil samples. The method works even at concentrations orders of magnitude below natural background levels. … ”)
10. Up, up and away: Chemists say 'yes,' helium can form compounds (Helium, a noble gas no more!)
11. Water evaporation generates electrical energy
12. Decaying atoms feel a tiny frictional force, say physicists (Wilhelm Roentgen revived!)
13. Researchers investigate the potential of metal grids for future electronic components (Next generation computer design? “ ... have shown how a cobalt grid can be reliably programmed at room temperature. In addition, they have discovered that for every hole ("antidot"), three magnetic states can be configured in a nanometer-scale magnetic perforated grid.  … designed a special grid structure in a thin layer of cobalt in order to program its magnetic properties. … produced the grid using a photolithographic process … Approximately 250 nanometer-sized holes, so-called antidots, were created at regular intervals with interspaces of only 150 nanometers in the cobalt layer. In order to be able to stably program it, … which specified a metal layer thickness of approximately 50 nanometers. … discovered that with the aid of an externally applied magnetic field, three distinct magnetic states around each hole could be configured. The scientists called these states "G", "C" and "Q." … has potential use in computers that would work with spin-waves instead of the electric current. … would use far less power than today's processors … Many magnetic states can be realized in the perforated grid so that the spin-waves can, for example, be assigned specific directions. This could allow for a higher processing speed …”)
14. Tuberculosis-resistant cows developed for the first time using CRISPR technology (China - a giant awakens! When will India catch up? “The researchers, from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University in Shaanxi, China, used a modified version of the CRISPR gene-editing technology to insert a new gene into the cow genome with no detected off target effects on the animal's genetics (a common problem when creating transgenic animals using CRISPR). … CRISPR/Cas9n to successfully insert a tuberculosis resistance gene, called NRAMP1, into the cow genome. We were then able to successfully develop live cows carrying increased resistance to tuberculosis.”)
15. Quantum phase transition observed for the first time (“One example of a phase transition at the quantum level is the photon-blockade breakdown, which was only discovered two years ago. … First-order phase transitions are characterized by a coexistence of the two stable phases when the control parameter is within a certain range close to the critical value.  … The experimental results … give insight into the quantum mechanical basis of this effect in a microscopic, zero-dimensional system. Their setup consisted of a microchip with a superconducting microwave resonator acting as the cavity and a few superconducting qubits acting as the atoms. The chip was cooled to a temperature astoundingly close to absolute zero—0.01 Kelvin—so that thermal fluctuations did not play a role. To produce a flux of photons, the researchers then sent a continuous microwave tone to the input of the resonator on the chip. On the output side, they amplified and measured the transmitted microwave flux. For certain input powers, they detected a signal flipping stochastically between zero transmission and full transmission, proving the expected coexistence of both phases had occurred. "We have observed this random switching between opaque and transparent for the first time and in agreement with theoretical predictions," says lead author Johannes Fink from IST Austria.”)
16. Neutrons identify critical details in bacterial enzyme implicated in gastric cancer (“... Neutron crystallography at HFIR's IMAGINE instrument allowed researchers to accurately visualize the positions and predict the movements of hydrogen atoms in HpMTAN [H. pylori 5'-methylthioadenosine nucleosidase], especially those involved in the critical stages when the enzyme binds to its substrate and then proceeds with the catalytic reaction. ...”)
17. Edgar Allan Poe--Cosmologist? The treatise Eureka, which he published the year before his death in 1849, anticipates a surprising amount of modern science (Fascinating blog post! Never read or really hears about Eureka)
18. Low level of oxygen in Earth's middle ages delayed evolution for two billion years (“The model suggests atmospheric oxygen was likely at around 10% of present day levels during the two billion years following the Great Oxidation Event, and no lower than 1% of the oxygen levels we know today.”)
19. Ancient DNA reveals 'continuity' between Stone Age and modern populations in East Asia (“The findings indicate that there was no major migratory interruption, or "population turnover", for well over seven millennia. Consequently, some contemporary ethnic groups share a remarkable genetic similarity to Stone Age hunters that once roamed the same region. The high "genetic continuity" in East Asia is in stark contrast to most of Western Europe, where sustained migrations of early farmers from the Levant overwhelmed hunter-gatherer populations. This was followed by a wave of horse riders from Central Asia during the Bronze Age.”)
20. Study reveals substantial evidence of holographic universe (“”)
21. Viral protein transforms as it measures out DNA (“”)