We are entering a new era when the interests of the environment and the economy become aligned. The one fly in the ointment is energy storage.
If new research is correct, this could be the best it’s going to get for humanity in terms of physical fitness.
Equality Neutrality
Here is how tech companies are responding to the repeal of net neutrality. “Google is a proponent of net neutrality and has repeatedly voiced its support of it in the past. In a statement released to news organizations after the vote, Google pledges to continue to follow the policies of net neutrality. Facebook is another company that voice support for strong net neutrality regulations. Many fear that with the repeal of net neutrality, world-changing companies like Facebook may never be able to sprout up. Facebook’s COO released the following statement after the vote (more) …” androidauthority.com
AI Learning Machines
5 Key Artificial Intelligence Predictions For 2018: How Machine Learning Will Change Everything. “All the indicators show that investment into the development and integration of AI and, in particular machine learning, technology is continuing to increase in scale. And importantly, results are starting to appear beyond computers learning to beat humans at board games and TV game shows. I expect 2018 to provide a continuous stream of small but sure steps forward, as machine learning and neural network technology takes on more routine tasks.” forbes.com
Inflection Point
2018: The Year to Shift to a New Era of Innovation. “Today we are at an inflection point. Costs for renewables have been dropping an an incredible rate and will become considerable cheaper than fossil fuels over the next decade. At the same time, electric cars are on pace to become cheaper to use than gas powered ones by 2022. We are entering a new era when the interests of the environment and the economy become aligned. The one fly in the ointment is energy storage. The current technology, much like Moore’s law, is nearing theoretical limits and advancement will likely slow to a crawl in the next ten years. So it is essential that we come up with at least two new battery chemistries — one for transportation and one for the grid — in the near future.” inc.com / Getty Images
Neural Magicians
To Harness Creativity, You Need to First Understand Its Neural Magic. “Anthony Brandt is a composer who with leading neuroscientist David Eagleman has done a deep dive study into how human creativity happens. They’ve collected their thoughts into a new book The Runaway Species: How Human Creativity Remakes the World, which unravels the interplay of art, neuroscience and evolution, while celebrating the special thing that is human innovation.” entrepreneur.com
Cell Adoption
Potential “master switch” could help immune system fight cancer. One way scientists are manipulating the body’s natural defenses is called adoptive cell transfer, which involves extracting a patient’s own T-cells, genetically modifying them to target the specific proteins that mark cancer cells, and then injecting them back into the patient. This kind of therapy is proving promising against some specific cancers, such as blood and bone marrow, but not as effective in targeting cancers with solid tumors. One of the key mysteries in this regard that scientists haven’t been able to uncover is exactly what mechanism directs the T-cells from home base to specific compromised tissues. newatlas.com
Infection to Immunity
We Finally Know How Our Immune Cells Remember Diseases For So Long. A new study has filled in missing details on the steps our body takes to remember pathogens, finally revealing the steps our immune cells take to preserve a reference library of past battles. Scientists from the University of California, Berkeley, used a hydrogen isotope to label white blood cells inside volunteers, and tracked a specially selected virus from infection to immunity in order to record significant steps in the immune process. The big picture of adaptive immunity and our ability to remember and eliminate specific pathogens has gradually built up over the past century. sciencealert.com
Genetic Plateau
Humans probably won’t ever live forever — and new genetic discoveries might explain why. There’s a limit to the human lifespan and physical abilities, and a multidisciplinary team of researchers say that we may have already reached this threshold. Sadly, it’s one that we may not be able to exceed. Indeed, signs point to a plateau in maximum genetic and biological limits for a person’s age, height, and physical capabilities. This first-of-its-kind study, that covers over 120 years worth of historical information, was published recently in the journal Frontiers in Physiology. businessinsider.com
Biological Limits
Humanity Has Peaked And It’s All Downhill From Here, Says Study. Sorry, folks. This is it. If new research is correct, this could be the best it’s going to get for humanity in terms of physical fitness. According to the paper, humans have biological limitations – and there may be no more improvements for the species. And it’s partially our own fault. Our effect on the environment, including pollution and climate change, is having a negative impact on our biological limits. What the review has concluded is that lifespan, physical performance, and height – which were steadily rising throughout the 20th century – have plateaued over the last three decades, since around 1980. sciencealert.com
Limits to Success
Decade Since Recession: Thriving Cities Leave Others Behind. That said, for all the economic might the top-flight cities have gained in the past decade, many city officials and business leaders have become concerned that their success is running up against limits. Surging home prices and rents have made housing unaffordable for many. With cities like Seattle and San Francisco choked with traffic, engulfed by homeless people and requiring ever-larger incomes to live comfortably, quality of life may be at risk. In the Western United States, inflation reached nearly 3 percent in October compared with a year earlier, according to government data. By contrast, inflation rose just 1.5 percent in the Midwest and New England. realclearmarkets.com
Steps:
(19) Anticipate the growing shifts in life and business. Nobody wants to swim upstream if the current is moving everything in the opposite direction.