Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
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In 2016, combined venture investments in VR, AR, and mixed reality (MR) exceeded $1.25 billion. In 2019, that number increased more than 3X to $4.1 billion. And today, major players are bringing new, second-generation VR headsets to market that have the power to revolutionize the VR industry, as well as countless others. Already, VR headset sales volumes are expected to reach 30 million per year by 2022. For example, Facebook’s new Oculus Quest 2 headset has outsold its predecessor by 5X in the initial weeks of the product launch. With the FAANG tech giants pouring billions into improving VR hardware, the VR space is massively heating up. In this blog, we will dive into a brief history of VR, recent investment surges, and the future of this revolutionary technology.

“Virtual reality is not a media experience,” explains Bailenson. “When it’s done well, it’s an actual experience. In general our findings show that VR causes more behavior changes, causes more engagement, causes more influence than other types of traditional media.”

Nor is empathy the only emotion VR appears capable of training. In research conducted at USC, psychologist Skip Rizzo has had considerable success using virtual reality to treat PTSD in soldiers. Other scientists have extended this to the full range of anxiety disorders.

VR, especially when combined with AI, has the potential to facilitate a top shelf traditional education, plus all the empathy and emotional skills that traditional education has long been lacking.

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While Jupiter and Saturn have been stealing the headlines lately, this week on “The Cosmic Controversy Podcast,” I’m pleased to welcome planetary astronomer Heidi Hammel to talk about the ice giants Uranus and Neptune. They remain the largely forgotten gatekeepers to our outer solar system.

Renowned planetary astronomer Heidi Hammel and I chat about our solar system’s mysterious ice giant planets, Uranus and Neptune. There’s only been one flyby of these giant planets by NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft back in the late 1980s. Hammel, who was part of the Voyager 2 science team, explains what that mission taught us about these objects and why we need to go back.

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Nice lecture with both technical info and analogy.

Latest study from David Sinclair’s lab have used cellular reprogramming to restore vision in aged mice & more! Suggests reversing aging *may* be possible.

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TIMESTAMPS;
Intro — 00:00
Aging is loss of information — 00:45
Correction device & epigenetics — 02:49
Yamanaka factors & OSKM — 04:45
Study results from Sinclair lab — 07:25
Aging reversed? — 10:29
Working model — 12:00
Cellular reprogramming in humans? — 12:36.

REFERENCES;
Lu, Y., Brommer, B., Tian, X. et al. Reprogramming to recover youthful epigenetic information and restore vision. Nature 588, 124–129 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2975-4
In Vivo Amelioration… — https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2016.11.052
Yamanaka — https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2006.07.024
News & Views article — https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03403-0

Icons in intro; “https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/background“Background vector created by freepik — www.freepik.com

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This week, I had some amazing discussions with Navajo Nation Math Circle leaders — Dave Auckly and Henry Fowler. The idea of starting a math circle on Navajo land was initially brought up by a wonderful math educator and mathematician raised in Kazakhstan, Tatiana Shubin. Here is a small tribute to their efforts:

Project activities were launched in the Fall of 2012. A team of distinguished mathematicians from all over the US, as well as local teachers and community members, work together to run the outreach. Navajo Nation Math Circles present math in the context of Navajo culture, helping students develop their identity as true Navajo mathematicians. “We want to find kids who would not have discovered their talents without our project, to help them realize that they can change the world,” says Fowler. Having introduced Navajo children to the joy of mathematics, the project also yielded a book, Inspiring Mathematics: Lessons from the Navajo Nation Math Circles, which contain lesson plans, puzzles and activities, and other insights for parents and teachers to embrace.

An extension of Navajo Nation Math Circles is an annual two-week Baa Hózhó summer math camp at Navajo Technical University. “Baa Hózhó” means “balance and harmony,” tying together the ideas of mathematical equilibrium with the way of life embraced by Navajo people. The summer camp is widely popular with parents and children; the older students come back as counselors, making everyone feel like one big family. It is preceded by an annual student-run math festival in local schools across the Navajo Nation, where students share their passion for mathematics with families and friends.

Fowler’s ultimate goal is to create a Mathematical Research institute on Navajo land, where local and international researchers could exchange math ideas and study the best ways of teaching mathematics to Indigenous people, enriching worldwide mathematical sciences. Hopefully, the great strides in the Navajo Nation math education will encourage leading high-tech companies to support the rise of a new generation of diverse, talented and passionate Native American STEM professionals.

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As we sit here in 2020, in the middle of a major viral pandemic, we can’t forget the fact that a century after the first antibiotics were created, drug resistant bacterial infections have become a major threat around the globe, exactly at the same time that the antibiotic pipelines of pharma companies have either dried up, or they have gotten out of the business.

In the U.S. alone, Centers For Disease Control (CDC) estimates that antibiotic resistance causes more than 2 million infections, several million hospital stay days, and over 35, 000 deaths per year. Worldwide, such infections cause 750, 000 deaths every year. And a recent United Nations (UN) report concluded that by 2050, “super bugs” could kill 10 million people globally every year, if no action is taken to combat the problem.

A solution to this emerging threat lies in the area of bacteriophage therapy (or “phage” for short), which is a type of virus that infects, replicates within, and are very good at killing bacteria.

Interestingly, phages have been used for over 90 years as an alternative to antibiotics in the former Soviet Union and Central Europe as well as in France. They are seen as a possible therapy against multi-drug-resistant strains of many bacteria and have been shown to interfere not just with bacteria life cycles, but also with biofilm production and quorum sensing involved bacterial colonization processes.

Dr. Robert Schooley, MD, is a Professor of Medicine, in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, at UC San Diego, the Co-Director of their Center for Innovative Phage Applications and Therapeutics (IPATH), as well as Interim Faculty Director, Global Education and Senior Director, International Initiatives.

Dr. Schooley is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed an internal medicine residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and infectious disease fellowships at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Massachusetts General Hospital.

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Voicebots, humanoids and other tools capture memories for future generations.

What happens after we die—digitally, that is? In this documentary, WSJ’s Joanna Stern explores how technology can tell our stories for generations to come.

Old photos, letters and tapes. Tech has long allowed us to preserve memories of people long after they have died. But with new tools there are now interactive solutions, including memorialized online accounts, voice bots and even humanoid robots. WSJ’s Joanna Stern journeys across the world to test some of those for a young woman who is living on borrowed time. Photo illustration: Adele Morgan/The Wall Street Journal.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYvvid3jWRs

In this important conversation on health, David Gornoski sits down with Jim O’Neill, CEO of the SENS Research Foundation and former managing director of Thiel Capital. How do we effectively fight viruses such as COVID-19? O’Neill brings attention to the urgency of strengthening our immune systems. Why should we look into anti-aging? Anti-aging research, O’Neill says, looks into the possibility of targeting senescent cells where many diseases take hold. How soon can we see the results of this research? Given our societal norms, is overcoming death through scientific means something that we should look into? How does Christian teaching relate to the idea of overcoming death in time and space?

Visit SENS Research Foundation here:

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Visit A Neighbor’s Choice website at https://www.aneighborschoice.com/

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I just read an incredible post about Transhumanism by Francesco Neo Amati, CM of Transhumanism: The Future of Humanity.

What an excellent representation of how pragmatic and collaborative our community can be. People like Francesco Neo Amati are the reason why I call myself a Transhumanist…

“Community Announcement:

The following will address the purpose of our community as outlined in the Pinned Post and to dispel common misconceptions of Transhumanism by clarifying what it is and what it isn’t.

I have no desire in being a ‘leader’ in the Transhumanism community. I merely hope to be and remain a credible educator/resource, passionate advocate, and a voice of reason for the movement.

ICYDK:

I’m the founder and CM of our community. I started it in 2014 after being interested in Transhumanism since 2010, which complemented my passion for the philosophy of Self-Actualization/Transcendence (i.e. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Bruce Lee’s Self-Actualization, Nietzsche’s Ubermensch, Plato’s Realm of Forms, Aristotle’s Metaphysics on Being/Becoming, Emerson’s Transcendentalism, etc.).

I have my BA in Philosophy with a minor in Psychology. I was inspired by Deus Ex: Human Revolution, my favorite game of all-time, to do a presentation on the Philosophy of Transhumanism in my Philosophy of Science class in 2011. I’ve also written articles covering Transhumanism for Gray Scott’s archived techno-philosophical site, Serious Wonder:

https://seriouswonder.com/author/francescoamati/

My intention and motivation for creating this community was and still is to have a place, like an extension of my philosophy class, where people of all different backgrounds and beliefs (atheists, agnostics, religious, spiritual, etc.) could come together to learn, grow, and discuss (through civilized communication and intelligent discourse) the philosophy of Transhumanism, address its challenges and concerns, share the latest advancements in AI and tech, and to ultimately represent an advanced community who, despite our differences, share a common interest and goal in improving the human condition.

We’ve grown to 15+ thousand members, making us the second largest Transhumanism community on Facebook behind Scientific Transhumanism’s 19+ k. While that may seem like a noteworthy accomplishment for our community, those numbers actually reflect a general lack of mainstream appeal, education, exposure, and support for the movement.

According to the Kardashev scale, we’re still a type 0 civilization. We have a long way to go, but a paradigm shift in consciousness, awareness and perspective, similarly to what astronauts have reported to experience in space (Overview Effect), on a global scale can pave way for Transhumanism. Just look at what The Queen’s Gambit phenomenon accomplished with the surge in popularity of Chess (image is attached to this post). Now imagine something coming along that has that kind of universal impact and influence, but for Transhumanism. It’s not a matter of if, but when.

However, Transhumanism isn’t going to fulfill its purpose or go anywhere it intends to go if its core philosophy and goals aren’t emphasized or understood. It can’t remain a niche and secular ‘club’.

Its been ‘hijacked’ by several ‘leaders’ and parties, misconstrued and misrepresented to push and support ulterior agendas, narratives, biases and ideologies. What is even more off-putting is the conservativism that is still normal amongst so-called Transhumanists. There’s prejudice towards feminists, lgbtq, namely transgender people, racism, etc. It’s a truly disturbing trend that needs to be removed for the better of our movement, humanity, and the world.

Furthermore, Transhumanism isn’t intrinsically religious, but it’s also not anti-religion or exclusive to atheists, despite common backlash, condemnation, and rhetoric from the latter. Extremists come in many forms. I’m not here to defend or support any of them, regardless of their convictions.

Make no mistake, we’re not here to endorse or proselytize any religion, nor do we care what you believe or practice, as long as none of it is a threat to anyone in our community and doesn’t violate our rules.

That being said, a Transhumanist can also be religious as long as their views don’t prevent the core stance of Transhumanism. Are a doctor’s credibility, skills, or ability to care for patients contingent upon their political views or religious beliefs? No. The same applies in this circumstance and in our community.

On the other hand, if their religious views clash with Transhumanism, how severe is the conflict? Are they disruptive, are they threatening, are they trying to convert? If the answer to these are no, I see little issue with creating a welcoming place for religious and non-religious alike, just like a classroom or workplace. The majority of the world is religious in one way or another. Will we dismiss all of them over the fact they have faith? If some or all religions cease to exist one day, it won’t be because Transhumanism, but because they didn’t adapt/evolve the way Buddhism is equipped to (i.e. Spiritual Atheists/Transhumanists like Sam Harris) or no longer served a logical or fulfilling purpose to an advanced civilization.

If the goal is to remove dogmatic thinking, is the best approach to really attack and belittle them? I don’t think so. We need to be better than the most warm religious people we have ever met. We need to reverse the role and show them what we stand for as free-thinkers, what is the most logical and progressive for humanity, by being the example and collaborating, not by mere discourse, force, or alienation.

The legitimate threats to Transhumanism are not necessarily from religious faith or the idea/worship of a God. They’re from religious/cultural/social extremists/ignorance, anti-science, a lack of compassion and empathetic intelligence (EQ), antiquated politics, and an unsustainable economic system that inhibit its endeavors and progress, and pose a threat to humanity and the world. In addition, monkeys in machines, cyborgs, and terminators aren’t what we’re striving for from Transhumanism, either.

The only prerequisites to being a Transhumanist is to support its ambitions to improve the human condition, environment, education, economy, automation, life styles, etc. through ethical science and technology, on and beyond Earth (i.e. Star Trek).

The most important changes and progress begin within each of us through self-awareness, reflection, and actualization. Buddhists achieve this through Buddhism, also known as ‘Enlightenment’, but it can also be attained through practicing mindfulness and meditation, such as Transcendental and Total Embodiment Meditation.

As Transhumanists, it’s not just about hacking our biology, augmentations and gadgets, indefinite life extension, or about only looking and feeling technologically advanced — it’s about ‘being’ advanced, which permeates through our actions, demeanor, communication, perspectives, compassion, wisdom and values.

It’s about overcoming the debilitating and detrimental aspects of ourselves; beyond bias, ego, and ignorance — being better, more optimized human beings — like Nietzsche’s Ubermensch, or from man to Superman.

It’s about knowing how to communicate and understand one another through logic and empathy; Maintaining composure, focus, and perspective — reflecting before reacting.

A reflection of an advanced civilization is one of a unified community that leads through guidance, collaboration, compassion and inspiration, emphasizing science, humanitarianism, and progress — our universal and common denominator as a species — rather than through control, competition, and indoctrination.

Failure to adhere to these fundamental principles will only continue to be a monumental disservice to Transhumanism, humanity, and the world.

Transform and transcend.

This is why we’re here.

Thank you.”

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The history of the Universe thus far has certainly been eventful, marked by the primordial forging of the light elements, the birth of the first stars and their violent deaths, and the improbable origin of life on Earth. But will the excitement continue, or are we headed toward the ultimate mundanity of equilibrium in a so-called heat death? In The Janus Point, Julian Barbour takes on this and other fundamental questions, offering the reader a new perspective—illustrated with lucid examples and poetically constructed prose—on how the Universe started (or more precisely, how it did not start) and where it may be headed. This book is an engaging read, which both taught me something new about meat-and-potatoes physics and reminded me why asking fundamental questions can be so fun.

Barbour argues that there is no beginning of time. The Big Bang, he maintains, was just a very special configuration of the Universe’s fundamental building blocks, a shape he calls the Janus point. As we move away from this point, the shape changes, marking the passage of time. The “future,” he argues, lies in both directions, hence the reference to Janus, the two-faced Roman god of beginnings and transitions.

Barbour illustrates his main points with a deceptively simple model known as the three-body problem, wherein three masses are subject to mutual gravitational attraction. In this context, the Janus point occurs when all three masses momentarily occupy the same point, in what is called a total collision. The special shape at the Janus point, explains Barbour, is an equilateral triangle, which is his model’s version of the Big Bang. I found this imagery helpful when trying to understand the more abstract, and necessarily less technical, application of this concept to general relativity.

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To the moon — from dream to reality | space documentary.

Between 1969 and 1972 twelve men walked on the surface of the moon. It was seen as the first chapter in an ambitious program of space exploration. But what started with NASA’s Apollo missions ended with the Apollo missions. Humanity’s boldest venture is now 50 years in the past. To The Moon — From Dream To Reality looks back at the people and the technology of the Apollo era.

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Free Documentary is dedicated to bringing high-class documentaries to you on YouTube for free. With the latest camera equipment used by well-known filmmakers working for famous production studios. You will see fascinating shots from the deep seas and up in the air, capturing great stories and pictures from everything our beautiful and interesting planet has to offer.

Enjoy stories about nature, wildlife, culture, people, history and more to come.

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