World first after scientists create artificial cells that react to their environment
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As humanity’s understanding of nature and the code of life, DNA, improves we’re closing in on being able to create synthetic lifeforms with amazing properties. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Cells are the basic unit of life,...
A revolutionary new type of Covid-19 vaccine is being developed
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Today there are no vaccines for Covid-19 and complete vaccines will take at least 12 to 18 months to materialise, so scientists are turning to alternative approaches. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. As the coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19,...
Sweat sensor for wearables opens up a treasure trove of healthcare data
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Sweat sensors aren’t sexy but they can open up a treasure trove of health information that can help keep you feeling at the top of your game. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Sweat might make you smell...
German scientists just created the world’s first self-replicating synthetic cells
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As our ability to make fully synthetic DNA and genomes accelerates inevitably scientists will want to cross the next step – making living, alien organisms that replicate. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. The creation of life is...
Scientists unveil a brand new smart contact lens that tracks health and detects disease
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Smart contact lenses are seen as the next must have gadgets, and now more and more of them are starting to appear. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. All of a sudden the number of smart contact lenses...
Stanford developed a gene editing tool that identifies and de-bugs faulty genes
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As the technology of the future increasingly looks like it will be biological based we’ll need more “biological debuggers” like this one that can debug it. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. This is a good example of...
Brain implant helps a blind woman regain her sight and play computer games
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As our knowledge of the human brain improves in the future we might not need eyes to see, as well as having new ways to “cure” blindness. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Historically if you were blind...
Genetically engineered male moths programmed to kill off females released into the wild
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Genetic engineering is the ultimate Pandora’s Box, and the lid’s coming off as companies discover new ways to control and kill pests in the wild. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Let’s play a game… what’s the most...
Next gen wearable monitors your blood and the environment to improve your health
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Today’s wearables don’t monitor many of your vital signs or the environment, and now researchers have found a way to close that gap. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Let’s face it, you’re wearable sucks. If it’s anything...
Scientists have created artificial memories in mice for the first time
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As your understanding of the brain and neuroscience improves memory is increasingly looking as editable as a Microsoft Word document. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Over the past number of years I’ve reported on a wide variety...
Scientists get closer to creating synthetic cells that can replicate themselves
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As our grasp of synthetic biology improves we’re nearing the point where we can create completely synthetic, unnatural cells not found anywhere in nature, and get them to replicate. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. It’s one thing...
Scientists just put human livers into suspended animation for the first time
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF The longer it takes for human transplant organs to be transported to the hospital the higher the chance the transplant will fail, this would solve that problem. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. A little while ago I...
Scientists taught birds to sing songs by implanting false memories
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As we unlock more mysteries of the mind this is yet another stunning example of how in the future we’ll be able to manipulate the mind to learn new things. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. You might be...
A brain controlled exoskeleton just let a quadraplegic man walk again
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As brain machine interfaces improve it’s giving researchers the ability to build new revolutionary, life changing products. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. A little while ago a quadriplegic man learned how to drive a car, and now...
Artificial human wombs get closer after Dutch university scoops grant
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF In the short term this technology will help save premature babies lives, and in the long term it could hasten the end of mom and dad, and accelerate the development of the first truly synthetic humans. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book,...
DARPA wants to genetically engineer soldiers to protect them from biological and chemical weapons
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As our understanding of how to manipulate the genetic code improves we’re slowing unlocking a whole new world of possible use cases. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. The US Pentagon’s bleeding edge research arm DARPA, whose crazy...
Scientists use CRISPR to alter the genomes of fruit flies so they can eat poison
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As your understanding of genetics improves we have now reached the point at which we can cause mass extinctions, and change the ecology of the planet in one stroke. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Nature is a...
Magnetic human skin breakthrough could lead to new types of wearables
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF Technology is getting closer to the human body but we’re still culturally not ready to “merge” with it yet, so artificial skins could be an interesting middle ground until that happens. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Recently...
A new artificial human skin gives people spiderman like superpowers
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF As sensors and flexible electronics start to combine it opens up new amazing possibilities. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog. Researchers at the University of Connecticut and University of Toronto have developed artificial skin that gives its wearer, whether they’re robots...
Cellular recorders help treat cancer by capturing the story of cells
WHY THIS MATTERS IN BRIEF A lot happens in our cells and when things go wrong and turn cancerous we have no way to know what happened, but cellular recorders will now give us a perfect history. Interested in the Exponential Future? Connect, download a free E-Book, watch a keynote, or browse my blog....
