The Singularity is Coming

New antibiotic could eliminate the global threat of antibiotic-resistant infections http://bit.ly/2rmDmFg Modified vancomycin antibiotic (credit: Akinori Okano et al./PNAS) Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered a way to structurally modify the antibiotic called vancomycin to make an already-powerful version of the antibiotic even more potent — an advance that could eliminate the threat of antibiotic-resistant infections for years to come. “Doctors could use this modified form of vancomycin without fear of resistance emerging,” said Dale Boger , co-chair of TSRI’s Department of Chemistry, whose team announced the finding Monday (May 29, 2016) in the journal  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . “The death of a hospitalized patient in Reno Nevada for whom no available antibiotics worked highlights what World Health Organization and other public-health experts have been  warning : antibiotic resistance is a serious threat and h...

IEET Fellow Prof. Dr. Stefan Lorenz Sorgner Becomes Visiting Professor http://bit.ly/2qCQnxv IEET Fellow Prof. Dr. Stefan Lorenz Sorgner has just been a Visiting Professor at the University of Lower Silesia in Poland where he gave several talks and directed workshop: http://bit.ly/2rmYTxT While in Poland, he also gave a talk in Cracow to the Polish Transhumanist Society at the Jagiellonian University. Singularity via Ethical Technology http://bit.ly/2qukZg2 May 31, 2017 at 05:25PM

New antibiotic could eliminate the global threat of antibiotic-resistant infections http://bit.ly/2rmDmFg Modified vancomycin antibiotic (credit: Akinori Okano et al./PNAS) Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered a way to structurally modify the antibiotic called vancomycin to make an already-powerful version of the antibiotic even more potent — an advance that could eliminate the threat of antibiotic-resistant infections for years to come. “Doctors could use this modified form of vancomycin without fear of resistance emerging,” said Dale Boger , co-chair of TSRI’s Department of Chemistry, whose team announced the finding Monday (May 29, 2016) in the journal  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . “The death of a hospitalized patient in Reno Nevada for whom no available antibiotics worked highlights what World Health Organization and other public-health experts have been  warning : antibiotic resistance is a serious threat and...

In atomic propellers, quantum phenomena can mimic everyday physics http://bit.ly/2qCTrJW In molecules there are certain groups of atoms that are able to rotate. This movement is not continuous but occurs in jumps. It is generally believed that such jumps are classical, i.e. similar to the motion of a roulette ball. Chemists from Warsaw have, however, observed rotations that follow the non-intuitive rules of the quantum world. It turns out that under the appropriate conditions, quantum rotations can mimic normal, classical rotation. Singularity via http://bit.ly/2pNoqCk May 31, 2017 at 04:23PM

HIV status may affect the progression of HPV infection to cervical pre-cancer http://bit.ly/2rmoiI0 A study of Senegalese women showed that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection was more likely to develop into cervical pre-cancer in women living with human immunodeficiency virus. Singularity via http://bit.ly/2pNoqCk May 31, 2017 at 04:23PM

Imaging technique for treating heart condition should be more widely used to minimize radiation exposure http://bit.ly/2qD4Lpi A technique to treat an irregular heartbeat that limits or eliminates patients' exposure to radiation should be more widely adopted by physicians, NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine cardiologists argue in a new review article in Heart Rhythm, published in the June print issue and previously published online. They posit that the primary obstacle to the procedure's widespread use -- physicians' discomfort with a different visual tool -- can be overcome with training and experience. Singularity via http://bit.ly/2pNoqCk May 31, 2017 at 04:23PM

New teen drivers 3 times as likely to be involved in a deadly crash http://bit.ly/2qCIN61 WASHINGTON (June 1, 2017) - New teen drivers ages 16-17 years old are three times as likely as adults to be involved in a deadly crash, according to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. This alarming finding comes as the "100 Deadliest Days" begin, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when the average number of deadly teen driver crashes climbs 15 percent compared to the rest of the year. Over the past five years, more than 1,600 people were killed in crashes involving inexperienced teen drivers during this deadly period. "Statistics show that teen crashes spike during the summer months because teens are out of school and on the road," said Dr. David Yang, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety executive director. "The Foundation's research found that inexperience paired with greater exposure on the road could create a deadly combination...

Silk Road founder will get life in prison after losing court appeal http://bit.ly/2qCuQVM Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht is set to serve life in prison after he lost his court appeal this week . Ulbricht earned seven convictions — including money laundering and narcotics conspiracy — for operating the drug marketplace in 2015, filing his appeal later that same year , and arguing it in court in 2016. Ulbricht’s appeal claimed that the court should not have seen documents obtained in alleged breach of Fourth Amendment rights, and that it made mistakes during his trial process that should have led to a mistrial. Ulbricht — also known as “Dread Pirate Roberts” online — also contended that the lifetime sentence handed down by the judge was unreasonable, forcing him to spend longer in prison than others convicted of similar charges. In this case, his sentence is unusually long due to a “kingpin” charge prosecutors were able to make stick — a conviction usually reserved for major ...

Most foods labeled ‘gluten free’ are indeed free of gluten, FDA announces http://bit.ly/2rWDoGC “Gluten free” labels are mostly reliable, the Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday . That sounds like a no-brainer — of course foods labeled as gluten free shouldn’t have any gluten in them, right? But that hasn’t always been the case; I can tell you, as a person with celiac disease, that it’s a relief to find out the labels are actually meaningful these days. Before 2014, a “gluten free” label was more a decoration than a promise. Since 2014, the FDA has required that anything labeled “gluten free” contain no more than 20 molecules of gluten in every million molecules of foodstuff. And to back up that requirement, it actually goes out and checks. Of the 250 different cereals, flours, baking mixes, and granola bars it tested from 2015 through 2016, only one product contained more gluten than allowed, according to the results that the FDA released this week. The sole gl...

Tim Cook reportedly urged Trump not to withdraw US from Paris climate deal http://bit.ly/2soIB6X President Donald Trump has yet to make a formal announcement on whether the US will remain part of the world’s largest climate commitment, but Apple CEO Tim Cook today joined the growing list of executives calling Trump to ask him not to back out. According to Bloomberg , Cook placed a call to the White House yesterday to try and convince the president that the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to lower greenhouse gases and mitigate the risks of climate change, was in the best interest of the country’s economic sector. News of Trump privately coming to the decision to withdraw the US from the agreement was first reported by Axios early this morning . Cook’s plea aligns with that of more than 25 major companies’ executives who have all signed a letter in favor of the climate pact to be published as a full-page ad tomorrow in both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal . Thou...

Ditching the Paris Agreement Risks the Economy Even As It Harms the Planet http://ift.tt/2rGgEea After months of delays, many expect President Donald Trump to follow through with his campaign promise to pull the US out of the 2015 Paris climate agreement (the imminent announcement is practically a  done deal , according to reported leaks ). While many establishment Republicans have pushed for the … let’s say, Parexit , a surprising number of US businesses opposed the decision, on grounds that it will weaken the US’s global competitiveness. Among the most surprising combatants are oil giants like Exxon and Shell. Exxon’s new CEO, Darren Woods, even wrote Trump a personal letter urging him to stay in the agreement. It’s not that Woods and the other big oil magnates suddenly saw some polar bears and had their hearts grow three sizes; they are worried about a change in the global economic climate. See, most of the world has promised to transition to low carbon, and ...

Tourists risk animal bites by misreading wild monkey facial expressions as 'kisses' http://ift.tt/2rGir3h Wildlife tourists frequently fail to identify aggressive and distressed emotional states in wild monkeys - mistaking animals' warnings of aggression for 'smiles' and 'kisses' - and this can lead to welfare problems for primates and risk of injury for people, according to new research published today. A new study by a team of behavioural ecologists and psychologists examined whether educational tools intended to help tourists recognise different facial expressions in monkeys - such as 2D images and information signs like those found in zoos or animal parks - were effective in reducing harm to humans and distress to primates in destinations where wild macaques freely interact with humans. The researchers found that tourists made significant mistakes in interpreting macaques' emotions - such as believing a monkey was 'smiling' or 'b...

Largest study to date finds autism alone does not increase risk of violent offending http://ift.tt/2sfsGIN A diagnosis of autism alone does not increase the risk of violent offending suggests a study published in the June 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP). Singularity via http://ift.tt/orfraw May 31, 2017 at 11:25AM

Cane toads have a salty secret to protect themselves when shedding skin http://ift.tt/2rVDSNo What happens to a cane toad's internal chemistry when it has to shed its skin to replace worn out skin cells? A new University of Queensland study has revealed that these tough and poisonous amphibians have developed a secret technique to protect their vital internal balances of salt and water when they are moulting. Singularity via http://ift.tt/orfraw May 31, 2017 at 10:28AM

Are you ready for pop-up, shape-shifting food? Just add water. http://ift.tt/2soxISm Fun with food: These pasta shapes were generated by immersing a 2D flat gelatin film into water. (credit: Michael Indresano Photography) Researchers at MIT’s Tangible Media Group are exploring ways to make your dining experience interactive and fun, with food that can transform its shape by just adding water. Think of it as edible origami or culinary performance art — flat sheets of gelatin and starch that instantly sprout into three-dimensional structures, such as macaroni and rotini, or the shape of a flower. But the researchers suggest it’s also a practical way to reduce food-shipping costs. Edible films could be stacked together, IKEA-style, and shipped to consumers, then morph into their final shape later when immersed in water. “We did some simple calculations, such as for macaroni pasta, and even if you pack it perfectly, you still will end up with 67 percent of the volume as air,” sa...

Are you ready for pop-up, shape-shifting food? Just add water. http://ift.tt/2soxISm Fun with food: These pasta shapes were generated by immersing a 2D flat gelatin film into water. (credit: Michael Indresano Photography) Researchers at MIT’s Tangible Media Group are exploring ways to make your dining experience interactive and fun, with food that can transform its shape by just adding water. Think of it as edible origami or culinary performance art — flat sheets of gelatin and starch that instantly sprout into three-dimensional structures, such as macaroni and rotini, or the shape of a flower. But the researchers suggest it’s also a practical way to reduce food-shipping costs. Edible films could be stacked together, IKEA-style, and shipped to consumers, then morph into their final shape later when immersed in water. “We did some simple calculations, such as for macaroni pasta, and even if you pack it perfectly, you still will end up with 67 percent of the volume as air,” ...

The role of science in combatting the opioid crisis http://ift.tt/2sflNaq Opioid misuse and addiction is an ongoing and rapidly evolving public health crisis, requiring innovative scientific solutions. Singularity via http://ift.tt/orfraw May 31, 2017 at 09:25AM

I'm Eric O'Neill, National Security Strategist and Former Counterterrorism Operative, and This Is How I Work  http://ift.tt/2so9Qyj Eric O’Neill was once a counterterrorism operative for the FBI, where he played a major role in capturing the spy Robert Hanssen (his boss at the FBI, whom he was hired to spy on—for more on that, check out his Wikipedia page ). His role in capturing Hanssen became the subject of the movie Breach ( 2007), starring Ryan Philippe as O’Neill. Now Eric is the national security strategist at Carbon Black , as well as a renowned thought leader on counterintelligence, cybersecurity vulnerability assessments, and espionage. He frequently appears on national broadcast shows across CNN, Bloomberg, Fox Business, and others to weigh in on breaking national security news. Here’s how he works. Location: Washington, D.C. Current gig: National Security Strategist for Carbon Black; Founder, The Georgetown Group; public speaker, spy hunter, proud Dad. ...

How Many More Women Will Suffer at the Hands of New York's Outdated Abortion Law? http://ift.tt/2smRoGo Two weeks into May, on a record-breaking 91-degree day, a handful of men and women gathered in a windowless conference room in a Planned Parenthood center in lower Manhattan; they were there to learn about a little-known state abortion law that forces women in New York to give birth to babies who will die in their… Read more... Singularity via http://lifehacker.com May 31, 2017 at 09:12AM

Health care process a roadblock for adolescents with autism and their caregivers http://ift.tt/2sfgF64 Nancy Cheak-Zamora, assistant professor of health sciences at MU, says that as more children with autism enter adulthood, improved communication between providers, adolescents and caregivers is needed to help those with autism make adult health care decisions. Singularity via http://ift.tt/orfraw May 31, 2017 at 09:04AM

Dojo is another oddly shaped solution to securing your home network http://ift.tt/2so8bZB One of my favorite gadgets at CES this January was the Norton Core . Not exactly for what it claims to accomplish — securing a home network filled with vulnerable IoT devices — but because it looks so weird while doing it. BullGuard, the antivirus company, is now on the scene with Dojo, its own network security hardware , which offers an even stranger form factor. The core idea is the same: Dojo sits in between your modem and Wi-Fi router — or jacks straight into your ISP's router if you use that — and takes over network management and firewall duties. With the accompanying app, you can check on the security status of your network, approve new devices asking to join the Wi-Fi, and adjust other settings. What makes Dojo weird is the included Dojo Pebble, which takes four AA batteries and communicates wirelessly with the base station. The Pebble lights up green if your network is good, ...

Artist accuses Snapchat of ripping off her design for a filter http://ift.tt/2rFMisx Sara M. Lyons, a California-based illustrator and designer , has accused Snapchat of ripping off her design for one of its filters. The design in question, a pair of hands making the “whatever” sign, was a filter available to some users last night and this morning. Lyons points out on Twitter that although her original design is fairly simple, the finger placement in Snapchat’s filter (above) and her own illustration (below) is very similar. Lyons says Snapchat’s filter looks like a traced and flipped version of her illustration. before it was anything else it was just a drawing i did in february 2013. i coined the phrase, i hold the copyright, IT'S MINE. http://pic.twitter.com/oJbPL3iIiF — SARA M. LYONS (@saramlyons) May 31, 2017 “I had about a dozen DMs about it on my Instagram when I woke up this morning,” Lyons told The Verge via email. “I might not have noticed it on my own beca...

Nest’s New Security Cam Keeps a Sharp Eye on Your Smart Home http://ift.tt/2sf3ke4 Few smart home gadgets command the popularity of the Nest Cam, an all-seeing, all-knowing in-home camera system. People used it to spy on their babysitters and house cleaners, capture unexpected moments like a baby’s first steps, or watch over their homes while out of town. Today, the original Nest Cam gets a long-awaited update with Nest Cam IQ , available now for pre-order at $300. The new model comes with enhanced visual quality, better audio pick-up, and new machine learning tools to recognize what’s captured on film. Plus, it’s damn pretty. With a white polycarbonate shell and glossy lens, the Nest Cam IQ wouldn’t look out of place on a Swedish design blog. Inside that shell, Nest ramped up the video quality with a 4K HDR image sensor. Flip it into “night vision mode” with two infrared LEDs that make it easier to monitor movement when it’s dark, a feature borrowed from the Nest Outdoor Camera...

Hillary Clinton says ‘Jeff Bezos saved The Washington Post’ http://ift.tt/2qBQSUm Hillary Clinton says that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos “saved” The Washington Post by buying it in 2013 , setting an example that more tech moguls should follow. “I think Jeff Bezos saved The Washington Post ,” she said, during an interview with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at Recode ’s Code Conference. “I think a lot of people, a lot of his peers and friends, thought — why would you buy this ancient medium called a newspaper? But newspapers like the Post , the Journal , the Times , a few others, still drive news. It drives news online, drives news on TV.” “I think it was a very good use of his financial resources,” Clinton continued. “Because now we have a very good newspaper again operating in Washington, and driving news elsewhere.” The topic came up during a discussion of how Democrats can compete with Republicans’ strong local television and radio presence. “You would be a great advisor to one ...

A Normal Person's Guide To Golf http://ift.tt/2qBaOuP Illustration by Sam Woolley After a decade off, I decided that I needed to start golfing again. My girlfriend thought I was having a midlife crisis. “You’re having a midlife crisis,” she said. She’s probably not wrong, which doesn’t augur well for my lifespan (I’m 32), but I think my real reason was that golf was something I knew I could still, even with my advancing age and my general bad habits, be potentially great at. The evidence was all there, mainly in the form of the old retired (white) men one finds on any golf course in America, many with healthy guts, who nonetheless maintain a five handicap, and never let you, the schlub with used Pings and a decent-but-still-needs-work swing, forget it. Golf doesn’t depend on your health or waist size. It’s about your ability to consistently deliver the same body motion, swing after swing, round after round, following years of searching and failing to find that correct b...

Clinton says the Russians had to be “guided by Americans” in how they weaponized information http://ift.tt/2snUOII Hillary Clinton, in an interview at Recode ’s Code Conference earlier today, said she believes that Russia was “guided by Americans” in the way that it weaponized information during the final days of her presidential campaign against Donald Trump. “Seventeen agencies, all in agreement, concluded with high confidence that the Russians ran an extensive information war campaign against my campaign to influence voters in the election,” Clinton said. She went on to say that, in her opinion and based on intelligence, Russia could not have known how to weaponize that information “unless they had been guided by Americans.” Clinton said that within one hour of the leak of the infamous Access Hollywood tapes — in which now-president Donald Trump spoke crudely about his nonconsensual sexual assault against women — “the Russians or say Wikileaks -- same thing -- dumped the Jo...

Sling TV simplifies its confusing interface with a traditional channel guide http://ift.tt/2rcxe47 Sling TV has updated its live, streaming TV app with a straightforward grid of channel listings in an attempt to simplify the viewing experience for users. “Believe it or not, following DVR , the grid guide has consistently been our most requested feature from Sling TV customers,” the company said in a blog post announcing the new feature, which it readily admits is far from revolution. But in all honesty, it’s pretty easy to believe that customers have been asking for a traditional electronic programming guide (EPG) that’s similar to what you’d find on a basic cable box. Sling TV’s interface has always been under-developed and somewhat befuddling to subscribers. The Dish-owned company tried to address this with an overhauled user experience at CES 2016 , but bringing over the tried-and-true guide — a request second only to DVR in popularity — shows that Sling’s own approach wasn...

Apple’s ‘Siri speaker’ reportedly enters manufacturing as announcement nears http://ift.tt/2qCecBs Apple’s answer to the Amazon Echo lineup and Google Home has advanced to the manufacturing stage, according to Bloomberg . The report says that a WWDC unveiling for the product remains possible, but Apple won’t be shipping the device until later in the year. Aside from what we’ve heard about the “Siri speaker” before (such as deep HomeKit integration and the ability to control smart home gadgets), today’s Bloomberg report says that Apple is placing a heavy emphasis on sound quality. The unannounced produced will supposedly include “virtual surround sound technology” and “more advanced acoustics” than its chief competitors made by Amazon and Google. That suggests Apple Music will also play a key role alongside the product’s Siri and HomeKit features. Apple has “considered including sensors that measure a room’s acoustics and automatically adjust audio levels during use,” the repo...

Bikers stole 150 Jeeps with hacked keys http://ift.tt/2qHk0c8 Members of a Tijuana motorcycle club have spent the last few years stealing 150 Jeep Wranglers in and around the San Diego, California, area. But it’s only just this week that federal and state authorities have shed light on the particularly high-tech methods the bikers used to thieve all those cars. The thefts date back to 2014, and each one involved a multiple-step process. First, the bikers would scout for the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of Jeeps they wanted to steal. Then, they turned to a database maintained by the manufacturer. It’s unclear how they gained access to the database, according to the San Diego Union Tribune , which mentions that a dealership in Cabo San Lucas “appears to be involved.” However they got it, though, it’s that access that made the thefts possible. Armed with a car’s VIN number, the thieves were able match both the pattern of the physical key as well as a code used to access (a...