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Fri Apr 4 16:33:56 UTC 2008

KURZWEILAI.NET NEWSLETTER

NEWS
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Why the demise of civilisation may
be inevitable
New Scientist April 2, 2008
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Recent insights from fields such as
complexity theory suggest that the
very nature of civilization means
that ours, like previous
civilizations, is destined to
collapse sooner or later. It appears
that once a society develops beyond
a certain level of complexity it
becomes increasingly fragile.
Eventually, the tipping point is
reached when all...
http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=8341&m=37981

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Hybrid computer materials may lead
to faster, cheaper technology
nanowerk April 3, 2008
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University of Missouri researchers
are exploring new ways to achieve
seamless integration of memory and
logical functions, with the goal of
enabling the design of devices that
operate at much higher speeds and
use considerably less power than
current electronic devices. Funded
by a $6.5 million grant from the
Department of Defense, they are...
http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=8340&m=37981

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Graphene gazing gives glimpse of
foundations of universe
PhysOrg.com April 3, 2008
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University of Manchester
researchers have found that
graphene, the world's thinnest
material (a one-atom-thick gauze of
carbon atoms), absorbs a
well-defined fraction of visible
light, which allows the direct
determination of the fine structure
constant (approximately 1/137),
which defines the interaction
between very fast moving electrical...
http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=8339&m=37981

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Eyedrops that Probe the Brain
Technology Review April 4, 2008
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By dosing mice with eyedrops
containing gene probes that then
travel to the brain, Harvard
researchers are using magnetic
resonance imaging to observe the
brains of living animals. The method
could allow doctors to directly
diagnose problems such as tumors,
viral infections, and head injury,
without the need for a brain biopsy.
It could also...
http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=8338&m=37981

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Snakelike Robots for Heart Surgery
Technology Review April 4, 2008
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CardioArm, a snakelike surgical
robot from Carnegie Mellon
University, could let a surgeon
performing a critical heart
operation make just one incision.
(Amir Degani) The curved robot has a
series of joints that automatically
adjust to follow the course plotted
by the robot's head, operated using
a computer and joystick. This
provides...
http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=8337&m=37981

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Matrix-style virtual worlds 'a few
years away'
New Scientist news service April 3, 2008
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Are supercomputers on the verge of
creating Matrix-style simulated
realities? Michael McGuigan at
Brookhaven National Laboratory
thinks so, and has used the Lab's
Blue Gene/L supercomputer to
generate a photorealistic, real-time
artificial world. He found that
conventional ray-tracing software
could run 822 times faster on the
Blue Gene/L than...
http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=8336&m=37981

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Sweat ducts may act as giveaway
'antennae'
New Scientist news service April 4, 2008
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Our skin contains millions of
microscopic helical sweat ducts that
may act as antennas that reveal a
person's physical and emotional
state from a distance, Hebrew
University researches have
discovered. Treating the skin as an
array of helical antennas could open
up a new method of measuring
physiological changes. The
researchers beamed...
http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=8335&m=37981

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Viruses to treat Staph infections
KurzweilAI.net April 4, 2008
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University of Strathclyde
researchers have chemically bonded
MRSA (Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus)-attacking
bacteriophages (viruses that attack
bacteria) to polymers, creating an
antibacterial material that can be
used for wound dressings, sutures,
and hospital cleaning products. The
immobilized viruses are active for
three weeks...
http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=8334&m=37981

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Antioxidants may help avoid heat
stroke
KurzweilAI.net April 4, 2008
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University of Rochester researchers
and colleagues have discovered that
antioxidants may protect against
some forms of heat stroke. When mice
with the malignant hyperthermia (MH)
mutation were given the antioxidant
N-acetylcysteine (NAC), they had a
marked reduction in sensitivity to
heat stress. MH reactions occur in
one in 10,000 adult...
http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=8333&m=37981

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Soil 'ultra-bugs' thrive on a diet
of antibiotics
NewScientist.com news service April 3, 2008
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Harvard University researchers have
found that some soil bacteria can
survive on a diet of antibiotics.
They are concerned the bacteria
might pass drug resistance to
pathogenic relatives....
http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=8332&m=37981

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Stem cell breakthrough for
producing pancreatic tissue
KurzweilAI.net April 4, 2008
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University of Manchester and
University of Sheffield researchers
have discovered a new technique to
turn embryonic stem cells (ESCs)
into insulin-producing pancreatic
tissue through genetic manipulation.
By making the ESC produce
transcription factor PAX4, 20%
became pancreatic beta cells.
Scientists have had difficulty
turning stem cells...
http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=8331&m=37981

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Sequencing single molecules of DNA
Nature News April 3, 2008
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Helicos BioSciences has developed
the first single-molecule DNA
sequencer out on the market. Its
machine reads individual letters
from single molecules of DNA without
requiring it to be "amplified"
(copied into multiple, identical
strands). The amplification step can
introduce errors into the sequence
and does not work well for some DNA...
http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=8330&m=37981

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