Category Archives: Futurism

In BriefA heated debate has sparked between two groups of physicistsvia an exchange of published articles and letters. One groupasserts that the cosmic inflation theory doesn't hold up, while theother argues that it does. An Inflated Discussion

The players: 36 of the worlds top physicists. The arena: the entire cosmos, sort of. For physicists and cosmologists, the origin of the universe is proving to be a battle worth fighting over or, more accurately, writing an angry letter about.

Back in February,three physicistssparked a debate within the scientific community by writing acontroversial article criticizing the cosmic inflation theory.Now, 33 other physicists, including Stephen Hawking, Lisa Randall, Reiner Weiss, Frank Wilczek, and cosmologist Alan Guth the author of the theory himself have writtenan (angry) letter in defense of the theory.Both the original article and the response werepublished in Scientific American.

A quick refresher onthe cosmic inflation theory.First proposed in 1980 by Guth, the theory describes how the universe quickly expanded after the Big Bang, producing galaxies from quantum fluctuations. Most people are familiar with the theory as its whats taught in schools when discussing the origin of the universe.

In their article, Princeton physicist Anna Ijjas, Harvard astronomer Abraham Loeb, and physicist Paul Steinhardt who is actually a former colleague of Guth criticized some assumptions about the inflation theory, including recent studies on cosmic microwave background that dont support cosmic inflation. They also pointed out that such an inflation should have generated primordial gravitational waves, but these are yet to be found.

We should not just accept the assumption that inflation happened, especially because it does not offer a simple explanation of the observed features of the universe, the trio wrote.

Testing theories over and over is a normal part of science,and no credible scientist would argue that questioning and scrutinizing assumptions is important. It was another part of the trios article that turned out to be highly debatable:

That last bit was the kicker. Guth and the other 32 physicists heartily disagreed with the idea that the inflation theory couldnt be tested with evidenceand decided tovoice their opinion on the trios accusations:

We have no idea what scientists they are referring to.

Indeed, the ability to test a theory is anessential aspect of science. No real science is done by just wildly making and sticking by assumptions without testing them. Guth, Hawking, and the 31 other experts explain in their letter that the inflation theory hasnt been blindly accepted by the scientific community. On the contrary, more evidence has come to light that tests the theory.

Thats is to be expected as our current understanding of the universe is limited. However, Guth and the other the authors assert that those limitationsshouldnt prevent us from exploring possibilities: The fact that our knowledge of the universe is still incomplete is absolutely no reason to ignore the impressive empirical success of the standard inflationary models.

[A]s time passes, the successful [theories] become better and better established by improved experimental tests and theoretical advances. This has happened with inflation, they argue. Progress continues, supported by the enthusiastic efforts of many scientists who have chosen to participate in this vibrant branch of cosmology.

This debate clearly shows one thing, though. As Guth and his 32 colleagues concluded: Empirical science is alive and well!

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Stephen Hawking Responds to Colleagues' Critical Article on the Origins of the Universe - Futurism

Aging and the Brain

One of agings most obvious signs is a decrease in cognitive function and learning ability. Usually, these issues express themselves in the form of memory deficiency. While this decrease in memory retention and recallis considered normal, it is often associatedwith more serious disorders, such as Alzheimers or dementia. Now,a team of scientists from the University of Bonn and their colleagues from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem discovered a potential treatment to reverse aging in the brain.

In their research, which waspublished in the journal Nature Medicine, the team showed how that a cannabis-based treatment successfully reversed the biological state of the brains of mice 12 months and 18 months old. This is notable, as mice age remarkably fast and serve as a viable animal model when research potential treatments in humans.

The team used two-month-old mice as a control group. The older mice were given an active ingredient in hemp called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for a period of four weeks in non-intoxicating doses. Their tests revealed that mice who received THC displayed cognitive abilities as good as the control group mice.

Meanwhile, those older mice who received a placebo displayed the usual learning capacity and memory performance appropriate to older mice. The findings that stem from this are simply remarkable. The treatment completely reversed the loss of performance in the old animals, said researcher Andreas Zimmer, from the University of Bonns Institute of Molecular Psychiatry [emphasis added].

This age-reversing effects of cannabis occur as THC imitates the effect of naturally produced cannabinoids in the body, which are crucial for some of the brains important functions. With increasing age, the quantity of the cannabinoids naturally formed in the brain reduces, Zimmer explained. When the activity of the cannabinoid system declines, we find rapid aging in the brain.

Furthermore, the researchers realized that cannabis reverses aging by making the brain cells in the mice younger. To this end, they saw that links between nerve cells increased and their molecular signature resembled those of young animals. It looked as though the THC treatment turned back the molecular clock, Zimmer added.

The treatment, once tested and proven to be effective in humans, could help improve the conditions of people suffering from dementia. This disease, which affects more than 47 million people worldwide, often leads to cognitive disabilities memory loss and behavioral disorders that hinder a patient from performing day-to-day tasks.

Svenja Schulze, science minister of North Rhine-Westphalia,outlines exactly how helpful this study could be for future treatment in the elderly. The promotion of knowledge-led research is indispensable, as it is the breeding ground for all matters relating to application,he stated in the press release. Although there is a long path from mice to humans, I feel extremely positive about the prospect that THC could be used to treat dementia, for instance. To that end,Zimmer and his team are now preparing for human clinical trials.

The study adds to the number of potential benefits cannabis seems tohave, particularly in treating neurological disorders. That said, as has been previously noted, much of this is still early work, and more peer review research is needed onthe medical effects and uses of cannabis-based treatmentsbefore they can be deployed. Moreover, these studies use carefully controlled conditions, and as a result, similar benefits are not seen in individuals who use the drugrecreationally.

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Research Shows Cannabis Restores Memory and Could Reverse The Aging Process - Futurism

In Brief

Early adopters of Bitcoin, the novel currency sweeping the globe, have plenty to celebrate this year. The cryptocurrency has grown in value by 85 percent in 2017. It has enjoyed steady growth, topping $1,700 for the first time ever today. This is the latest milestone for the digital currency, however back in March, Bitcoin surpassed the value of gold for the first time in its history. And, there are no indications of it slowing down.

The previous success of the currency has been tied to the uncertainty in markets after the results of the 2016 US elections. However, that explanation cant continue its potency for thatlong. Even more, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) still has to rule on whether or not they will reverse a previous decision to reject a high profile exchange-traded fund (ETF), so the reasons behind the currencys burgeoning strength remain unclear.

Last month, Japanese policymakers made Bitcoin a legal method of payment. This was followed closely by an announcement that Russia would consider adopting Bitcoin (among other cryptocurrencies) in 2018. However, not all countries are readily willing to consider legitimizing Bitcoin. China, for example, has recently decided to restrict its trade.

Even with some minor hiccups, Bitcoin is set to revolutionize the way that we pay. Its footing keeps getting stronger as it continues to be the top-performing currency since the start of the decade, save for 2014.

The Japanese adoption of the currency could be a considerable boon toward it hitting the mainstream. Experts are expecting retailers in more than 260,000 stores across the country tobe accepting Bitcoin. The ease afforded by the currency being international could make it a favorite for travelers as well.

The future of Bitcoin may not be entirely clear. But, if this upward trend continues, it will be difficult for policymakers to deny its rightful place in the pantheon of finance.

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Bitcoin Prices Continue to Surge, Regularly Breaking Records - Futurism

In Brief SpaceX is planning to re-launch a Falcon 9 rocket into space for its second trip in the space of five months. Reusable rockets are another step along the route to cheaper, faster, easier space travel that's accessible to everyone.

SpaceX has plans to re-launch a used Falcon 9 rocket booster. This will be the Falcon 9s second trip since its launch five months ago, on January 14. The re-launch will also signify the transition of reusable rockets from the realm of the historically notable into the routine business of space exploration.

SpaceX has re-launched a rocket before, but the previous re-launch took place about 12 months after the initial launch. The agency has since cut down the time it requires to re-launch and reassemble its rockets. Ultimately, SpaceX plans to re-launch within a 24-hour period.

More than speed is on the table here; the ability to reuse Falcon 9 rockets saves the company about 75 percent of the total costs of the rocket, $46.5 million of the $62 million total. The end goal will be faster, cheaper, easier space travel thats accessible to consumers and space agencies alike.

After the March re-launch, Elon Musk remarked at a news briefing, I hope people will start to think about it as a real goal to establish a civilization on Mars. Each successful re-launch gets us closer to this aim.

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SpaceX Is Cutting Its Turnaround Time for a Rocket Re-Launch in Half - Futurism

The Power of Thought

Meditation,in its most basic sense, is clearing your mind of all thoughtor at least, trying to. The practice is used in cultures around the globe for both religious and secular purposes. While it may be best known for its spiritual uses, it is this latter purpose that has recently ignited a firestorm of interest, as scientific research seems to indicate that meditation changes your brain on a fundamental, biological level.

Dr. Robert Puff, a licensed clinical psychologist, notes in Psychology Todaythatdescriptions of meditation techniques date back at least some 3,000 years, to Indian scriptures written inapproximately 1000 BCE. However, the practice itself appears to be far, far older. Some evidence suggests that individuals were describing the practice as long as 5,000 years ago. Unfortunately, the exact date of its inception is lost to the annals of time, but we do know that it wasnt until the 6th century BCE that it truly started its global spread. And it wasnt until the 20th century that mainstream scientists started researching the impact that it has on the human bodyspecifically, the impact it has on the human brain.

To date, a host of medical uses have been found for meditation. The most obvious use is,perhaps, stress management and reduction, which is supported by a plethora of scientific evidence. Ina study published in Clinical Psychology Review,researchers at Boston University and Harvard Medical School found that the technique helps alleviateanxiety and allows individuals to better cope with stressfulsituations.

Along these same lines, a 2011 study by Dr. Fadel Zeidan, assistant professor of neurobiology and anatomy at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, found that meditation helps individuals cope with, and better tolerate, physical pain. This work was published in theJournal of Neuroscience.But this is just the start of the research that has been conducted in relation tomeditation.

In a 2015 study published inFrontiers in Psychology, researchers from UCLA found that individuals who meditate over extended periods have more gray matter volume in their brains than those that do not. The work looked at individuals who been meditating for an average of 20 years, and the impact was pronounced. As study author Florian Kurth notes:

We expected rather small and distinct effects located in some of the regions that had previously been associated with meditating. Instead, what we actually observed was a widespread effect of meditation that encompassed regions throughout the entire brain.

Other studies support these findings. A 2011study inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which was conducted by Yale University, discovered that meditation decreases activity in the default mode network (DMN) in the brain. In the paper, the team noted that this reveals the actual biological impact of meditation and helps bring to light a unique understanding of possible neural mechanisms of meditation.

And still, the evidence does not end.

Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, recently conducted work which found that individuals who meditate ultimately have more gray matter in the frontal cortex and, most notably, that this gray matter is preserved in spite of aging. The significance is overwhelming. As Lazar asserts in an interview with the Washington Post, Its well-documented that our cortex shrinks as we get older its harder to figure things out and remember things. But in this one region of the prefrontal cortex, 50-year-old meditators had the same amount of gray matter as 25-year-olds.

In other words, as a result of transformations in the brain, individual who meditate have a better chance of retaining their memory function in old age. And it doesnt take much for individuals to reap the benefits. Lazarstates that, in her study, the average meditation time was just 27 minutes a day and results were obtained just 8 weeks after the individuals started the practice. So, how can you reap the benefits?

Scientists assert that using proprioceptive input (also know asdeep touch pressure (DTP))to ground your body is helpful when attempting to reach a meditative state. Research has shown that this kind of pressure results in a reduction in cortisol levels and an increase in serotonin production, decreasing yourheart rate and blood pressure.

Thus, the relaxed physical state that comes from peroprioceptive input can make it easier to achieve a calm mental state thats conducive to meditation, and one of the most effective ways to get this proprioceptive input isby using a weighted blanket.

As Amber Martin, an occupational therapistfrom Utica College, notes, peroprioceptive input is good for pretty much everyone and anyone. It can be very calming and organizing. By helping youreach a state of peaceful relaxation more quickly, Gravity Blanket makes it easier for you totake advantage of every valuable moment of meditation before you have to return to the busy world outside your mind.

Theres little debate in the science regarding the benefits of meditation. According to research published in theJournal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,meditation has beenlinked to reduced feelings of depression, anxiety, and physical pain.

Other studies have explored connections betweenmeditation andimproved focus, lowered blood pressure, strengthened memory, reduced fatigue, andwell, the list goes on and on. Yet, reaching a meditative state generally takes a lot of work, and truly clearing your mind is far from easy. A weighted blanket is just one thing that can help you get there.

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Harvard Neuroscientist: Meditation Reduces Stress and Literally Changes Your Brain - Futurism

In Brief Instead of just being regional, why not go international? That's the idea behind ET3's tube transportation concept, which it calls the "mag-lev limo." It would be capable of traveling from New York to Beijing in 2 hours. International and Global

Transportation of the future is being developedtoday: autonomous electric vehicles, flying cars, and thefuturistic pods that make up the Hyperloop are just a few notable examples. Theres another ideavying to be the next generation of public transportation, and while it might look something like the Hyperloop,this tube transport companys CEO Daryl Oster explains why its different:

ET3: we call it a mag-lev limo, where its a car-sized vehicle that operates in a network of tubes much [like] cars on a freeway, Oster told TechRepublic at the 2017 Smart Cincy Summit. But, it would be international and global in scope.

Our vision is being able to travel from, say, here in Cincinnati to the Taj Mahal in under three hours for 50 bucks, Oster added. Essentially, its a network of tubes that serve as a freeway whichcan be accessed viavarious points along its many routes.

While the ET3 is still in the concept phase, the Hyperloop has already moved further along the innovation highway. Since the idea was first pitched by serial entrepreneur and innovator Elon Musk in 2012, there are now two notable companies developing their own Hyperloop in the United States to Dubai.

One of these is Hyperloop One, which hasalready finished its test track in Nevada, as well as established plans for its future transport system in the U.S. Hyperloop One also hopes to develop a Hyperloop network in Dubai, with pods capable of traveling on roads. Meanwhile, Hyperloop Technologies Inc. (HTI) plans to connect all of Europeby way of a tube transportation network.

All of these move us closer to what Transit X CEO Mike Stanley calledthe impossible dream of making car-free cities within five years, as he toldTechRepublic.Maybe not exactly car-free: itll be more like a future with flying cars, autonomous cars, and tube cars but thats still pretty cool.

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A New Tube Transport System Could Get You From New York to Beijing in 2 Hours - Futurism