Your Old DVD Player Can Now Test For HIV
DVDs are becoming all but obsolete, thanks to the likes of Blu Ray and online streaming. But their cheap optics may find new life, as scientists have turned a commercial DVD player into a laser scanning microscope, capable of testing for HIV on-the-spot.
Cambridge University Centre To Study "Extinction-Level" Threat To Humans From Technology
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have formed a new centre to explore the threat advances in technology may pose on the human species. The Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), they will investigate developments in biotechnology, nanotechnology and artificial intelligence, figuring out how these areas could become a threat to humanity.
The first line of defence against Skynet is now in place.
Genetically Engineered Muscle Cells Could Be Used To Build Organic Robots
Researchers have created a set of lab-grown muscle cells, that can be remotely controlled by a set of laser pulses. This opens the door to "bio-integrated" robots in the future, which are constructed out of organic material.