<p><b></b>As technology advances, we are finding newer and cheaper ways to manufacture goods and offer services.</p>
<figure id="attachment_72656" style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://goo.gl/1SvfPV"><img class="wp-image-72656" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/UBI-home_v1.png" alt="CLICK TO VIEW FULL INFOGRAPHIC" width="360" height="240" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><a href="https://goo.gl/1SvfPV">CLICK TO VIEW FULL INFOGRAPHIC</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>This has come in the form of <a href="https://futurism.com/2-evergreen-blame-displacement-of-jobs-on-automation-not-offshoring-and-immigration/" target="_blank">job automation and artificial intelligence (AI)</a>, where the value of human labor decreases resulting in massive losses of jobs. Approximately <a href="http://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf" target="_blank">47 percent</a> of the entire US work force is predicted to phase out with the progression of automation and AI.</p>
<p>Before Obama left the White House, he left a strong message for Americans stating that strong measures need to be taken in order to prevent millions of job losses. So far, there have been two major proposed solutions to these concerns: Universal Basic Income (UBI) and robot taxes.</p>
<h2>Taxing Robots</h2>
<p>It sounds strange that we&#8217;d be forcing a non sentient object to pay taxes, but many people including Bill Gates have sided with this option. Gates stated that if you tax robots, you&#8217;ll prevent the loss of income tax revenue normally made by human laborers. The total taxed amount could then be used to retrain and prepare displaced human workers for employment again.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nccryZOcrUg?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>But how much would you know to tax robots? Would the amount be the same across all robots? It all sounds like a logistical nightmare. But companies who opt for automation and AI in their labor force would pay tremendous up-front costs on top of the potentially hefty tax amount. It could possibly deter companies from even moving towards using robots in the first place.</p>
<h2>Getting Paid to Breathe</h2>
<p>Got a pulse? Well you&#8217;re in luck. <a href="https://futurism.com/images/universal-basic-income-ubi-pilot-programs-around-the-world/" target="_blank">Universal Basic Income (UBI)</a> is making waves as another popular alternative.</p>
<p>The basic idea of UBI is that every citizen of a country receives a monthly stipend that they can use to cover living expenses. This amount requires no fine print, you pretty much just have to be alive.</p>
<p><a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-automation-will-force-governments-to-introduce-universal-basic-income/" target="_blank">Elon Musk</a> swears by UBI, but economists are still debating on whether or not the practice is cost effective. The cost of the welfare program could exceed the overall benefit. It&#8217;s also necessary to mention the biggest concern for UBI, which is the question of motivation. If a person is handed a check every month for doing nothing, what incentive would they have for trying to find employment?</p>
<h2>Our Solution?</h2>
<p>Finland recently launched its UBI program for 2,000 lucky Finnish citizens, with a couple success stories already floating around.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/finnish-guy-gets-basic-income-2017-1" target="_blank">Juha Jarvinen</a> was one of the 2,000 recipients of UBI, and he stated that the checks would greatly motivate him to restart his previously failed business. The practice was also tested in India by several different NGOs, who found that workers who received cash handouts doubled production rates.</p>
<p>For the generation of millenials, the shift to job automation might not be as bad. Considered the generation to hop through jobs, millenials have been shown to place more emphasis on personal fulfillment rather than income.</p>
<p>For the others who rely on a consistent job and have found employment with the same company for many years, we need to take quick action in developing new occupations and industries. Whether it be UBI or robot taxes, we are still going to face mass job automation and artificial intelligence looming over the labor force in the coming years. It&#8217;s important<span style="line-height: 1.42857"> to prevent the problem rather than creating a solution once it happens.</span></p>


Future Society

Many experts see the proliferation of autonomous machines throughout a variety of fields, taking over countless human jobs.
Humans will have to find a way to persist without those jobs. Some have suggested Universal Basic Income and taxing robots to pay for it.

Taxing Robots and “Free Money” in a Future of Job Automation

The job landscape of the future is going to look much different.

<h2>The VX Scare</h2>
<p><b></b>On February 13th, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was hospitalized after being attacked at the Kuala Lumpur airport in Malaysia. Kim Jong-nam was confronted by two female suspects that sprayed a chemical in his face. Later that day, he was pronounced dead.</p>
<p>After analyzing the chemical that was used in the attack, it was found to be a nerve agent called VX. The U.N. has classified it as a weapon of mass destruction. Seoul&#8217;s foreign ministry acknowledges its strict ban, regardless of reason or place.</p>
<p>So what exactly is VX nerve agent and what considers it to be a weapon of mass destruction?</p>
<p>A nerve agent directly affects the nervous system of someone, inhibiting their muscle&#8217;s ability to function properly. Those who come in contact with a nerve agent face seizures and extreme muscle tension with the inability to relax. Other symptoms include blurred vision, rapid breathing, watery eyes, and diarrhea. Depending on the amount the person comes in contact with (primarily through inhalation), the person could stop breathing altogether.</p>
<p>Normally, VX is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. It&#8217;s slightly oily and doesn&#8217;t evaporate quickly. VX can be delivered in &#8220;binary form,&#8221; in which two harmless compounds can be combined to create the lethal concoction. This method is what was believed to have been used against Kim Jong-nam.</p>
<figure style="width: 768px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="" style="width: 500px" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/vx.jpg" width="768" height="341" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Chuck Robinson/Associated Press</figcaption></figure>
<p>VX was created in the 1950s in pesticide research but was later found to be much too dangerous. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention describes it as being the <a href="https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/vx/basics/facts.asp">most potent out of all nerve agents</a>. It&#8217;s lethal when it comes in contact with skin unless washed off immediately and thoroughly.</p>
<p>VX was created in the 1950s in pesticide research, but was later found to be much too dangerous. Since its creation, it&#8217;s never been used in combat but has been used in unrelated incidents against civilians. Large stockpiles of the nerve agent were previously found in the U.S. but were removed after the Chemical Weapons Convention.</p>
<h2>The Antidote</h2>
<p>Most of the ingredients used in making the VX nerve agent are easy to come by, such as sulfur. Along with the proper equipment, it&#8217;s not that difficult to create.</p>
<p>For those that make the substance, a single drop on their skin could place their life at risk. The only antidote that&#8217;s known to succeed in counteracting the effects of VX is a drug called &#8216;<a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/a9388/how-it-works-atropine-the-nerve-gas-antidote-15859092/">Atropine</a>.&#8217;</p>
<p>In 2013 when citizens in Damascus were hit by <a href="https://futurism.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-sarin-one-of-the-worlds-deadliest-nerve-agents-2/">Sarin</a>, another lethal nerve agent, they fled to nearby hospitals where they were given Atropine.</p>
<p>You might know what Atropine through a procedure you may have undergone during an eye test. Ophthalmologists use it to dilate pupils to check. It can also be used to dry nasal and tear-duct secretions.</p>
<p>With the amount of VX nerve agent that King Jong-nam came in contact with, along with the time it took him to arrive at the hospital, perhaps the Atropine antidote wouldn&#8217;t have worked. But in protecting ourselves from the possibility of future chemical warfare, it&#8217;s always important to know how to protect ourselves from the possibility.</p>
<p>While this incident was clearly a planned assassination, the ease in which it can be used to kill shows the importance of heavily regulating theses substances. The ease in which dangerous chemicals can be weaponized should be a great concern to all of us. While international agreements and regulations may a hindrance for terrorists, it is important that they not be used militarily as well.</p>


VX, a deadly nerve agent was used in the recent murder of Kim Jong-nam. The agent could easily be weaponized for use against large groups of people.

The Deadly Toxin That Killed  Kim Jong Nam Takes A Single Drop to Kill

Make sure to never come in contact with it.

<h2>Harvesting the Ocean</h2>
<p>Let&#8217;s face it. <a href="https://futurism.com/scientists-plan-to-replace-fossil-fuels-with-nuclear-fusion-by-2030/" target="_blank">Nuclear power isn&#8217;t going away any time soon</a>. <a href="https://www.iaea.org/" target="_blank">The International Atomic Energy Agency</a> even predicts that overall nuclear power production will <a href="https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/iaea-sees-global-nuclear-power-capacity-expanding-in-decades-to-come" target="_blank">increase by 68 percent</a> within the next 15 years. Setting aside the debate as to whether or not nuclear itself is a good alternative to fossil fuels, the process of securing its main ingredient is far from environmentally friendly.</p>
<figure id="attachment_72489" style="width: 400px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://goo.gl/lje3XH" target="_blank"><img class="wp-image-72489" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/Alt-Energy-Sources.jpg" alt="Alt Energy Sources" width="400" height="267" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><a href="https://goo.gl/lje3XH" target="_blank">CLICK TO VIEW FULL INFOGRAPHIC</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>That ingredient is uranium, a highly-radioactive isotope that can be used to boil water to create steam that can be used to generate electricity. Globally, around 450 nuclear power plants use uranium, going through roughly 60,000 tons of the heavy metal annually. It&#8217;s a fairly common element, but the main issue is that uranium is typically retrieved by blasting a giant hole in the Earth&#8217;s crust and then extracting it from the surrounding waste.</p>
<p>To avoid that, a team of researchers from Stanford University in California went to work on a better solution. The group was adamant about finding a much more environmentally friendly alternative to collecting raw uranium, so they developed a method to extract supplies directly from the ocean. Their findings are published in the journal <i><a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/nenergy20177" target="_blank">Nature</a>.</i></p>
<p>Believe it or not, the Earth&#8217;s oceans contain a <i>lot</i> of uranium. But the problem is that the concentration levels are very, very low. &#8220;Concentrations are tiny, on the order of a single grain of salt dissolved in a liter of water,&#8221; Yi Cui, a participant researcher in the study, <a href="http://news.stanford.edu/2017/02/17/uranium-seawater-factors-nuclear-power/" target="_blank">told Stanford</a>. &#8220;But the oceans are so vast that if we can extract these trace amounts cost effectively, the supply would be endless.&#8221;</p>
<p>As the uranium comes in contact with the oxygen from the ocean, it forms the compound uranyl. The researchers plan to collect the vast supplies by using amidoxime, a compound that would pull only uranyl from the water. The amidoxine coats a pair of carbon electrodes, which are able to accumulate large amounts of the uranyl that could then be sent off for processing.</p>
<p>The team put their method to the test and found they were able to extract three times as much uranyl in an 11-hour period compared to their previous method of using only an amidoxine-coated brush. The new method also sustained the electrodes for future uses.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-72488" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/uranium_in_the_ocean_1024.jpg" alt="uranium_in_the_ocean_1024" width="1024" height="707" /></p>
<h2>Nuclear Viability</h2>
<p>Although this study shows how feasible uranium collecting can be, much research still needs to be conducted in order for these methods to be enacted en masse. Unfortunately, it&#8217;s also currently much easier to gather uranium from the ground compared to the ocean.</p>
<p>And the debate on whether or not nuclear is a good alternative to fossil fuels still remains. Although the process is carbon-free, converting uranium to electricity creates a lot of hazardous waste that&#8217;s difficult to dispose of. Nuclear accidents aren&#8217;t unheard of, and we definitely don&#8217;t want another Fukushima disaster to happen.</p>
<p>If we&#8217;re looking strictly at carbon-free alternatives of energy production, nuclear doesn&#8217;t seem like such a bad choice at all if we can mitigate its downsides. At least we know that research to move us away from harmful fossil fuels once and for all is making progress.</p>


Earth & Energy

A new method for uranium extraction has arrived.

Nuclear Fuel From the Ocean Would Provide Thousands of Years Worth of Energy

That's a lot of energy.

<h2><b></b>And the Winner Is&#8230;</h2>
<p>Life expectancy has shown increases over the centuries. But, for the first time ever, it will soon exceed 90 years. The country with the most promise? South Korea. A new study has found that women born here in 2030 are projected to live until 90.8 on average  – 6.6 years longer than women born in 2010. Many other countries are following right behind, with life expectancies falling just short of 90.</p>
<p>Despite external factors, such as natural disasters and disease pandemics that should be accounted for in predicting life expectancy, scientists are seeing a significant rise in the 35 developed countries involved in the study. The findings, which come from an international team of scientists funded by the UK Medical Research Council and the US Environmental Protection Agency, are published in the journal <i><a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2816%2932381-9/fulltext" target="_blank">The Lancet</a>. </i></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<figure style="width: 798px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/life-expectancy-1200x839.jpg" width="798" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credit: The Lancet/Kontis et al.</figcaption></figure>
<p>The table above shows the change in life expectancy between men and women born in 2030. In most cases, women are typically expected to live longer than men. But surprisingly, the only country in the study that doesn&#8217;t seem to have the same significant rise as the other countries is the U.S.</p>
<p>&#8220;Not only does the US have high and rising health inequalities, but also life expectancy has stagnated or even declined in some population subgroups,&#8221; <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/feb/21/south-korean-womens-life-expectancy-exceed-90-years-2020-study" target="_blank">stated the authors of the study</a>. So wouldn&#8217;t it be common sense to tackle our stagnant life expectancy rate by modeling our practices based off of countries such as South Korea?</p>
<h2>Increasing Longevity Through Other Means</h2>
<figure id="attachment_72327" style="width: 361px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://goo.gl/AdpibH" target="_blank"><img class="wp-image-72327" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/Screen-Shot-2017-02-23-at-11.01.44-AM.png" alt="Screen Shot 2017-02-23 at 11.01.44 AM" width="361" height="222" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><a href="https://goo.gl/AdpibH">CLICK TO VIEW FULL INFOGRAPHIC</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>For many years, researchers have been trying to find answers to our longevity question. How do we achieve the famed 120 years of age? Scientists have set to find out through numerous studies. For example, <a href="http://www.livescience.com/10468-extending-human-life-progress-promises.html" target="_blank">one study</a> released in 2006 by Linda Waite from the University of Chicago, showed that happily married couples typically lived longer than single individuals. Her findings showed that married men lived 10 years longer, on average, than single men. The same goes for women, with a four year gap difference.</p>
<p>For a while, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-brooks/calorie-restricted-diet_b_1708510.html" target="_blank">calorie-restricted diets</a> were believed to increase longevity and slow down the aging process. Cutting out 20 to 40 percent of the recommended energy content would help to maintain a healthy body mass. Less obesity, less risk of health complications. Dietary restrictions were even shown to significantly increase life expectancy across 145 different studies.</p>
<p>For men in particular, <a href="https://futurism.com/testosterone-replacement-therapy-increases-longevity-in-men/" target="_blank">testosterone therapy</a> is believed to help with lowering risks of stroke and heart disease, although how it precisely affects one&#8217;s survival rate is still unknown. And yet, perhaps the answer to increased longevity lies in <a href="gene editing" target="_blank">gene editing</a>, where humans now have the power to personalize their own health.</p>
<p>But also, perhaps the answer has always been simple. Care more for the countries&#8217; people by providing greater access to health care – stop smoking, eat healthy, stress less, and exercise. If you&#8217;re healthy, you&#8217;re bound to get sick less if you have a normal immune system. Maybe the South Koreans have had the answer all along, and Americans must look to them to solve the issue of being the slowest developed country to increase their population&#8217;s life expectancy rate.</p>


Health & Medicine

South Korea is likely to see the largest increase in life expectancy, with women born in 2030 averaging 90.8 years of age.

We’re Entering a New Age, One Where the Life Expectancy Is 90+

Chances are, you will have close to a century of life.

<h2>The Powerwall</h2>
<p>Imagine living in a four-bedroom house with a large array of appliances that are driven by a whole lot of electricity. After adding up the costs to power your home in previous years, you find that you&#8217;d been spending approximately $2,289 annually. But a year ago you installed one of <a href="https://www.tesla.com/" target="_blank">Tesla&#8217;s</a> new Powerwalls, a rechargeable lithium ion battery that you&#8217;ve combined with a 5kWp solar array, <a href="https://www.solaredge.com/us/products/pv-inverter#/" target="_blank">SolarEdge inverter</a>, and <a href="http://www.repositpower.com/" target="_blank">Reposit</a> monitoring system. When totaling the electricity consumption costs for this year, you see that the bill dropped to a mere $178.71.</p>
<figure id="attachment_72250" style="width: 400px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://goo.gl/WeysZh" target="_blank"><img class="wp-image-72250" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/The-Tesla-Revolution_home_v1-2.jpg" alt="The-Tesla-Revolution_home_v1" width="400" height="267" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><a href="https://goo.gl/WeysZh" target="_blank">CLICK TO VIEW FULL INFOGRAPHIC</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>This story belongs to Nick Pfitzner, the first Australian to install a Tesla Powerwall in his home. A year after installation, he was able to see a 92 percent annual savings, with his quarterly bill decreasing from $572 in 2015 to $45 in 2016. He even received a $50 credit one quarter as the system&#8217;s unused electricity can be sold back to the grid.</p>
<p>&#8220;The system will power whatever the house needs first as a priority, then it will fill the battery as a second priority and then anything over it will export,&#8221; <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/home-improvement/energy-saving/solar/articles/living-with-the-tesla-powerwall-for-a-year" target="_blank">Pfitzner explained in an interview with <em>Choice</em></a>. &#8220;The aim is to try and export about three times of what I import because my electricity cost is about three times [as much].&#8221;</p>
<p>The entirety of Pfitzner&#8217;s solar system cost him $16,790 up front, which he believes he can pay off within eight years.</p>
<h2>Tesla&#8217;s Grip on the World</h2>
<p>Tesla has a vision for future powered by clean energy, and the <a href="https://futurism.com/tesla-will-make-new-powerwall-available-year/" target="_blank">Powerwall</a> is just part of that vision. <a href="https://futurism.com/massive-scale-production-begins-at-teslas-gigafactory-1/" target="_blank">Tesla&#8217;s Gigafactory 1</a>, which manufactures the Powerwall as well as Tesla&#8217;s battery cells and Powerpacks, is a major part of that vision and a driving force behind the company&#8217;s progress in making sustainable energy technologies cheaper and more widely available to the public.</p>
<p>But Tesla&#8217;s other initiatives can&#8217;t go unnoticed. Last year, Tesla partnered with SolarCity to produce their <a href="https://www.tesla.com/solar" target="_blank">Solar Roof Tiles</a>, which should be completed within the year. These solar tiles convert sunlight into energy that can be used immediately or stored within the Powerwall. Tesla CEO Elon Musk <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-says-tesla-to-offer-solar-roof-on-cars-2016-11" target="_blank">has suggested</a> that the tech could be used in the development of solar-powered cars.</p>
<figure style="width: 798px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/tesla-powerwall-1200x470.jpg" width="798" height="470" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Credit: Tesla</figcaption></figure>
<p>Musk has also begun a project that he half-jokingly named &#8220;The Boring Company,&#8221; the goal of which is to reduce traffic congestion by boring underground tunnels in densely populated cities. These tunnels could be used as a secondary route for transportation, and <a href="https://futurism.com/elon-musk-has-officially-started-building-a-tunnel-under-los-angeles/" target="_blank">as Musk said</a>, &#8220;better tunneling tech improves everything: road, subway, Hyperloop.&#8221;</p>
<p>But you really can&#8217;t talk about Tesla without mentioning the company&#8217;s roots: electric cars. Tesla&#8217;s Model S plans to reach a range of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) per single charge sometime this year, and by 2020, the range could increase to 1,199 kilometers (745 miles).</p>
<p>Given all of the projects Tesla has in the works, it almost seems farfetched to imagine that the company could accomplish them all. But Elon Musk&#8217;s vision for the future is shared by many, and this support will only serve to help the company. Globally, <span style="line-height: 1.42857">our consumption of fossil fuels won&#8217;t slow down until we speed up the production of renewable energy technologies, so with Tesla and other like-minded companies leading the way, we can forge a path to a future of clean energy.</span></p>


Tesla's Powerwalls make it cheaper to power your home.

Tesla Has Reduced Electricity Costs for Homeowners by 92%

Tesla is taking over your house, and it's a great thing.

<h2>Surrogate Mother Hens</h2>
<p>Genetically modifying (GM) animals to ensure the survival of a species is not a new concept. Last year, a biotech company announced their plans to edit certain genes in cattle that would <a href="https://futurism.com/biotech-company-genetically-engineers-cows-to-combat-disease-outbreaks/" target="_blank">enable them to produce plasma</a>. The plasma would be used in humans to fight disease, which could potentially prevent outbreaks.</p>
<p>Now, a group of researchers wants to genetically modify chicks to support the survival of <i>several</i> different subspecies. These GM chicks would act as surrogates, laying an assortment of eggs that contain rare varieties of chicken species from all over the world.</p>
<figure id="attachment_71882" style="width: 361px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://goo.gl/YIvjQy"><img class=" wp-image-71882" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/crispr_home-600x400-300x200.png" alt="CLICK TO VIEW FULL INFOGRAPHIC" width="361" height="240" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><a href="https://goo.gl/YIvjQy">CLICK TO VIEW FULL INFOGRAPHIC</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>The team responsible for this feat includes scientists working at the University of Edinburgh&#8217;s Roslin Institute. They&#8217;ve stated that in order for this all to work, the GM chicks have to be sterilized, meaning they will never be able to hatch eggs that are biologically their own. Sterilization in these chicks occurs through the deletion of a gene called DDX4, which is necessary to produce primordial follicles (the very beginnings of fetus formation). Their findings are published in the journal <i><a href="http://dev.biologists.org/content/develop/early/2017/02/06/dev.145367.full.pdf" target="_blank">Development</a>.</i></p>
<p>In 2016, a group of sterile GM chicks hatched at the Roslin Institute, making this the first time anyone has ever genetically engineered birds in Europe. In their next step, they will transplant follicles of the rare chicken species into the surrogate before they are even born.</p>
<h2>Why Does This Matter?</h2>
<p>The team has concluded that their ultimate goal is to create a complete gene bank of rare chicken breeds. One important reason for this involves the diversity that they&#8217;d bring into the gene pool. This genetic variation could potentially lead scientists to uncover a variant that is resistant to new forms of avian flu. &#8220;It&#8217;s not what we&#8217;re protecting in the breeds that&#8217;s important, it&#8217;s what those breeds represent in their genes,&#8221; <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/feb/17/sterile-genetically-modified-chickens-protect-rare-breeds-scientists-say" target="_blank">stated Richard Broad</a>, a field officer for the <a href="https://www.rbst.org.uk/" target="_blank">Rare Breeds Survival Trust</a>.</p>
<p>This gene bank, dubbed the &#8216;Frozen Aviary,&#8217; will contain the frozen primordial follicles of rare birds that are readily available and could easily be inseminated into GM eggs. With this gene bank, scientists could bring extinct subspecies back to life, or even provide insurance for the survival of commercial breeds that are so quickly consumed by humans.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re interested in chicken because that is the animal which is the most consumed animal on the planet and we want to protect all the different breeds of chickens that we have,&#8221; said Michael McGrew, an author of the study.</p>
<p>The Frozen Aviary currently contains the preserved genetic material of 25 different breeds and over 500 samples from individual chickens. The team hopes to expand their work in the future to involve different breeds of ducks, geese, quail, and possibly the endangered golden eagle. Unfortunately, their GM chicks cannot lay eggs containing a completely different species, so they would all have to find their own suitable surrogates. However, the basic principles of this study could, theoretically, be used with all of these different species.</p>


Chicken leg GMO

Hard Science

Researchers at the Roslin Institute have genetically modified chickens who act as surrogates to lay the eggs of rare chicken species.

Genetically Modified “Surrogate” Hens Could Save an Entire Species

Lab-created chickens might be the future of birds. 

<h2>Andy&#8217;s Story</h2>
<p>In 2006, a 21-year old Andy Sandness unsuccessfully attempted suicide. He had aimed a bullet at his chin, which ended up destroying the lower half of his face. He was rushed to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota where doctors finally stabilized him, but nothing could be done about his missing jaw, teeth, and nose.</p>
<figure style="width: 798px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img style="width: 50%" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/before-andy-1200x900.jpg" width="798" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image Credit: Mayo Clinic</figcaption></figure>
<p>Sandness went back to his home and job in Wyoming, but six years later, the Mayo Clinic delivered some hopeful news. In 2012, the hospital proposed the idea of a face transplant, a procedure with many risks and possible complications following the final surgery. But, Sandness accepted the dangers, staying hopeful, and agreed to the operation.</p>
<p>&#8220;When you look like I looked and you function like I functioned, every little bit of hope that you have, you just jump on it,&#8221; <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/face-transplant-photos-mayo-clinic-first-2017-2/#sandness-eventually-went-home-to-wyoming-where-he-kept-busy-at-his-job-but-in-2012-the-mayo-clinic-brought-up-the-idea-of-a-face-transplant-the-procedure-would-be-complicated-and-there-would-be-many-risks-involved-2" target="_blank">Sandness said</a>. &#8220;This was the surgery that was going to take me back to normal.&#8221;</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_2acdLASjjM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Preparations for Andy&#8217;s facial reconstruction surgery took three years, while doctors trained for the procedure over 50 Saturdays.</p>
<p>In 2016, he was added to the organ donor list. Just five months later, he received notice of a donor whose wife consented to the face transplant.</p>
<p>The procedure stretched across 56 hours and featured 60 different staff members. The doctors were able to successfully transplant Sandness&#8217; nose, cheeks, mouth, jaw, lips, teeth, and chin.</p>
<h2>Saving Lives</h2>
<p>Since the operation, Andy has noticed that people haven&#8217;t been staring at him nearly as much as before he underwent reconstructive surgery. He&#8217;s also regained his sense of smell, taste, and his ability to breathe efficiently.</p>
<figure style="width: 798px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img style="width: 50%" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/after-andy-1200x900.jpg" width="798" height="380" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Image Credit: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall</figcaption></figure>
<p>Andy&#8217;s story might involve a fairly uncommon transplant surgery, but his operation is one of many transplant procedures that are changing, and in some cases saving, lives.</p>
<p>Last month, researchers were able to use <a href="https://futurism.com/new-transplant-technique-partially-restores-vision-in-blind-mice/" target="_blank">retinal transplants</a> to partially restore sight in a group of mice. This success could lead to clinical trials in humans within the near future. Last year, doctors performed <a href="https://futurism.com/doctors-perform-first-successful-womb-transplant-in-the-us/" target="_blank">four uterus transplants,</a> allowing women to choose whether or not they want children when they previously had no choice. In late 2016, doctors at the Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust announced that they&#8217;re beginning to offer <a href="https://futurism.com/world-first-country-offer-free-hand-transplants/" target="_blank">hand transplants</a> — the first hospital in the world to do so.</p>
<p>With further advances in transplant surgery, doctors will be able to significantly improve the quality of life in patients who thought they&#8217;d never experience a normal life.</p>


Enhanced Humans

The Mayo Clinic performed their first-ever facial transplant for a deserving young man. There have been many new developments in transplant technology.

Doctors Gave This Man a New Face

The procedure took 56 hours and required the help of 60 doctors and nurses.

<h2><b></b>Jupiter&#8217;s Icy Moon</h2>
<p>To the naked eye, Europa, one of Jupiter&#8217;s moons, might just look like a great big ball of rock and ice. But to NASA, this moon represents much more. It could contain what scientists have long been searching for – lifeforms that exist outside of our home planet. Through the <a href="http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/details.php?id=6002" target="_blank">Europa Mission</a>, NASA plans to send a <a href="https://explorist.futurism.com/lander-going-europa-try-find-alien-life/" target="_blank">lander to Jupiter&#8217;s moon</a>, which is believed to hold a vast ocean beneath it&#8217;s frozen crust. And where there is water, life is almost sure to follow.</p>
<figure id="attachment_71878" style="width: 361px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://goo.gl/UgSGl4" target="_blank"><img class="wp-image-71878" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/Screen-Shot-2017-02-20-at-10.28.47-AM.png" alt="Screen Shot 2017-02-20 at 10.28.47 AM" width="361" height="239" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><a href="https://goo.gl/UgSGl4">CLICK TO VIEW FULL INFOGRAPHIC</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>The project is due to launch in either 2024 or 2025, when the lander would begin searching for lifeforms on the moon&#8217;s surface. If organisms are found, plans would develop for a more sophisticated craft to be sent to Europa in search of its underground ocean. <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/nasa-extra-terrestrial-life-et-exists-outside-planet-earth-20-years-a7586736.html" target="_blank">Dr. Kevin Hand</a>, one of NASA&#8217;s leading officials with the Europa Mission, explains the program&#8217;s investment towards these advancements:</p>
<blockquote><p>For the first time in human history, we can actually build missions and design the instruments that could go out and answer this fundamental question of whether or not biology works beyond Earth. If we commit to getting these missions done, we could potentially find life in our own solar system&#8217;s backyard within the next 20 years. Technologically it is entirely possible, but it requires public support, excitement about this, so we look to you to help communicate and spread the word.</p></blockquote>
<h2>Possible Contamination</h2>
<p>In order to prevent bacteria from hitching a ride to Europa, the lander would be fitted with a special device to protect from any contaminants. Bacteria would affect test results and could even damage indigenous lifeforms if they are found to exist. As Dr. John Rummel from the Seti Institute in California says, we should &#8220;protect Europa for the Europans&#8230;not the Europeans.&#8221;</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GqTaDCt_F1Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Bacteria could survive the journey to Europa, only if they were protected from the Sun&#8217;s ultraviolet radiation. Once they reach the icy moon, most would die off within a few days. But if they were shielded within the spacecraft, they&#8217;d have a better chance of surviving. The reverse is also a concern, as extra-terrestrial life could be brought back to Earth, further contaminating the process.</p>
<p>But Dr. Rummel is confident that none of this will happen, and that scientists will be able to contain samples until hazard testing gets underway. With the necessary precautions taken, we might be able to retrieve massive amounts of data that will take us one giant step closer to understanding where life exists in our vast universe.</p>


Off World

NASA is planning to send a lander to Jupiter's moon Europa, which is believed to hold a vast ocean beneath it's frozen crust.
We could retrieve massive amounts of data that would take us one giant step closer to understanding where life exists in our vast universe.

NASA Is Sending a Lander to Discover Whether Life Exists on Europa

Where there is water, there might be life.

<h2>Uncovering Autism</h2>
<p>Some parents first notice that their child could be on the autism spectrum when certain symptoms arise at around 12 to 18 months of age. Perhaps the children don&#8217;t make eye contact with others or aren&#8217;t smiling when their parent walks through the door. Their social interactions aren&#8217;t considered &#8220;normal,&#8221; and some children show challenges in communication.</p>
<p>Now, a new study suggests that we might be able to detect autism even before its visible onset. Researchers took magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 150 children three times: the first at six months, the second at one year, and the last at two years of age. Around 100 of the children imaged had siblings that were previously diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, placing them at a higher risk of being susceptible.</p>
<figure id="attachment_71781" style="width: 630px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="wp-image-71781 size-full" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/autism.jpg" alt="autism autism spectrum genetics mri children with autism developmental disorder" width="630" height="450" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">(The colored regions show the parts of the brain that enlarged more quickly in children later diagnosed with autism). Credit: Hazlett et al., Nature 2017; 10.1038/nature21369</figcaption></figure>
<p>What the researchers found was that the enlargement of a child&#8217;s brain correlated with the future onset of symptoms. In fact, a faster growth rate of the brain&#8217;s surface areas predicted the arrival of symptoms in 8 out of 10 of the high-risk children tested.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re learning that there are biological changes that occur at [the time] or before the symptoms start to emerge,&#8221; Geraldine Dawson, a clinical psychologist and autism researcher at <a href="https://www.duke.edu/" target="_blank">Duke University</a>, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/autism-starts-months-before-symptoms-appear-study-shows/" target="_blank">told <em>Scientific American</em></a>. &#8220;It&#8217;s the ability to detect autism at its very early stages that&#8217;s going to allow us to intervene before the full syndrome is manifest.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study is published in the journal <i><a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/nature21369.epdf?referrer_access_token=6yDjlfscvtBWvc1mwBi9GNRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0OeH44xPhiK31x0qkFEsW5dNUhMtOMTTBJ05yJiCF3A5mVr52fr5u8ayxqKWsOTFYFClFL4FkPjpOKtI0dIn2ZjA_xyu5yC6nIAtL6LcR3dWzKgW5I7s2RR57VePTq4x_TVRJFikwwB8mqu9fg68FpwUxQlJa-9TXxiSkAI7y6oY2YxigHEos--8a7oKEv6LWHSmtlZTESTyc7yz6IEWU6Ex1pVQFmSix7ZKzrucL6uDQ%3D%3D&amp;tracking_referrer=www.scientificamerican.com" target="_blank">Nature</a>.</i></p>
<h2>One (Slight) Step Closer to Understanding</h2>
<p>Although the study sounds promising, the sample size was deemed too small to have external validity for use in other research. Also, the scientists aren&#8217;t sure whether or not autism is different in families that already have a child with the condition and those with no known genetic link.</p>
<figure id="attachment_71768" style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://goo.gl/2TAi1a" target="_blank"><img class="wp-image-71768" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/human-evolution.jpg" alt="human evolution" width="360" height="240" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><a href="https://goo.gl/2TAi1a" target="_blank">CLICK TO VIEW FULL INFOGRAPHIC</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>The younger siblings of children with autism, &#8220;baby sibs,&#8221; are more likely to develop the condition, but researchers aren&#8217;t sure it they are categorically different from others with autism, which confuses the validity of the study even further.</p>
<p>Regardless, the ability for scientists to see just how the brain develops prior to diagnosis could help in demonstrating autism&#8217;s <a href="https://futurism.com/genetics-of-autism-scientists-find-new-link/" target="_blank">relation to genetics</a>. This study can be used to spark future research, allowing researchers to develop plans on when treatment would be most effective for children with autism spectrum disorder.</p>
<p>With autism being one of the <a href="https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/facts-about-autism" target="_blank">fastest-growing developmental disorders</a> in the U.S. and one with no proven detection method or treatment, this study gives us much needed extra insight into its manifestation. Since brain development is so critical during a child&#8217;s first year of life, early detection of symptoms could be our window into developing future treatments.</p>


MRIs of young children revealed early signs of autism.

We May Have Found a Way to Detect Autism Before Symptoms Show

Researchers could predict the arrival of symptoms in 8 out of 10 of the high-risk children tested.

<h2>The Mysterious Black Hole</h2>
<p>Believe it or not, we&#8217;ve never actually been able to catch a glimpse of a black hole. All those images featuring a starry sky with a perfectly circular dark blob in the middle? Simply an artist&#8217;s rendition.</p>
<p>Although scientists believe that <a href="https://futurism.com/research-reveals-that-hundreds-of-black-holes-may-be-hiding-in-our-galaxy/" target="_blank">there are hundreds</a>, even thousands, of black holes that might be hiding in our own galaxy, it&#8217;s extremely difficult to prove their existence. They cannot be observed from a telescope because light is completely consumed once it passes the event horizon. To make matters more confusing, <a href="https://futurism.com/4-nasa-is-set-to-learn-about-the-universe-in-its-infancy-from-ancient-black-holes/" target="_blank">we aren&#8217;t even sure how black holes form</a>, but we could be getting some answers very soon.</p>
<p><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v9gPAj7lXU0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><a href="https://futurism.com/going-take-first-photo-black-holes-event-horizon/" target="_blank">Last year</a>, scientists announced the creation of the Event Horizon Telescope. This powerful telescope would be able to photograph black holes, and now, scientists are saying they believe the device will be operable as soon as April. If it can successfully capture an image of this mysterious entity, we&#8217;d retrieve a tremendous deal of evidence that would bring us several steps closer to understanding these unanswered questions.</p>
<p>The Event Horizon Telescope will operate through a network of radio receivers erected across the planet. Between April 5 and 14, it will utilize a technique called very-long baseline interferometry (VLBI) in which the receivers collect radio signals emitted by a precise point in space. Once effective, sights are being set on our own galaxy&#8217;s black hole, Sagittarius A*, which is located 26,000 light-years from Earth with an event horizon stretching 20 million kilometers (12.4 million miles) in diameter.</p>
<h2>The Search Continues</h2>
<p>Even though scientists have never been able to directly observe a black hole, there is pretty substantial evidence that points towards their existence.</p>
<figure id="attachment_71784" style="width: 360px" class="wp-caption alignright"><a href="https://goo.gl/BhEUca" target="_blank"><img class="wp-image-71784" src="https://wp-assets.futurism.com/2017/02/An-Exoplanetary-Bestiary__home_v1.jpg" alt="An-Exoplanetary-Bestiary__home_v1" width="360" height="240" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><a href="https://goo.gl/BhEUca" target="_blank">CLICK TO VIEW FULL INFOGRAPHIC</a></figcaption></figure>
<p>For one, the influence that the proposed Sagittarius A* has on surrounding stars proves to us that something strange is affecting their orbit. The same is observed for several other black holes we&#8217;ve theorized to exist in our Universe.</p>
<p>Scientists are also able to detect the presence of a black hole by the amount of radiation being emitted from an area. The extremely hot x-rays we&#8217;ve detected are thought to come from the <a href="http://hub.jhu.edu/2013/06/14/black-holes-x-ray-light/" target="_blank">incredibly fast-moving disk of particles</a> surrounding the hole.</p>
<p>The Event Horizon Telescope hopes to uncover this long-awaited evidence of a black hole&#8217;s existence. The images will mark a new milestone in humanity&#8217;s understanding of the Universe. But given the amount of data and the time it&#8217;ll take to process it, images won&#8217;t likely be ready until late 2017 or the beginning of 2018.</p>


This telescope could produce the first image of a black hole.

/Author

Kathleen Riley

Teacher

Future Society

Taxing Robots and “Free Money” in a Future of Job Automation

Future Society

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Earth & Energy

Nuclear Fuel From the Ocean Would Provide Thousands of Years Worth of Energy

Health & Medicine

We’re Entering a New Age, One Where the Life Expectancy Is 90+

Earth & Energy

Tesla Has Reduced Electricity Costs for Homeowners by 92%

Hard Science

Genetically Modified “Surrogate” Hens Could Save an Entire Species

Enhanced Humans

Doctors Gave This Man a New Face

Off World

NASA Is Sending a Lander to Discover Whether Life Exists on Europa

Health & Medicine

We May Have Found a Way to Detect Autism Before Symptoms Show

Hard Science

We May Finally Get a Picture of a Black Hole

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