Three Things You Need to Know Today
A $100 Million Quest to Link Brains to Computers
Silicon Valley big shots want to become one with technology. The likes of Elon Musk have often grumbled about the paltry rate at which humans can relay information to computers—a maximum of about 40 bits per second while talking. Last year, though, entrepreneur Bryan Johnson put his money where his disappointingly slow data transmitter was and offered up $100 million to develop brain implants capable of linking people’s thoughts to computers. Our own Antonio Regalado finds out why it’s proving harder work than expected.
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Finger-Lickin’ Lab-Grown Chicken
Who’s for (almost) guilt-free fried chicken? Memphis Meats has announced that it’s created the first animal-free, lab-grown pieces of chicken and duck, made by culturing animal cells. The alterna-flesh, which has been fashioned into chicken strips and duck à l’orange, is said to be spongier than the real deal but almost as tasty—and it could overcome animal welfare and CO2 emissions concerns related to eating meat. Sadly a pound of the stuff currently costs $9,000 but the price should yet fall dramatically.
New Stem Cell Treatment Puts Cures in Sight
A woman has become the first person successfully treated with induced pluripotent stem cells. Researchers took cells from her skin, turned them into stem cells, then coaxed them into becoming retinal cells, which were used to replace tissue damaged by age-related macular degeneration. The treatment didn’t improve her vision, but did stop the condition from deteriorating. It’s a milestone for the technique, but reservations remain about stem cell treatments: they’re expensive, may introduce cancer-causing mutations, and are plagued by clinics offering unproven therapies.
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