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Scientists ‘Inject’ Information Into Monkeys’ Brains

. . .Imagine that you had a device implanted in your brain that could shortcut the pathway and “inject” information straight into your premotor cortex.

That may sound like an outtake from “The Matrix.” But now two neuroscientists at the University of Rochester say they have managed to introduce information directly into the premotor cortex of monkeys. The researchers published the results of the experiment on Thursday in the journal Neuron.

Although the research is preliminary, carried out in just two monkeys, the researchers speculated that further research might lead to brain implants for people with strokes . . .

The monkeys sat in front of a panel equipped with a button, a sphere-shaped knob, a cylindrical knob, and a T-shaped handle. Each object was ringed by LED lights. If the lights around an object switched on, the monkeys had to reach out their hand to it to get a reward — in this case, a refreshing squirt of water.
(Read more from “Scientists ‘Inject’ Information Into Monkeys’ Brains” HERE)

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US Scientists Try 1st Gene Editing in the Body

Scientists for the first time have tried editing a gene inside the body in a bold attempt to permanently change a person’s DNA to cure a disease.

The experiment was done Monday in California on 44-year-old Brian Madeux. Through an IV, he received billions of copies of a corrective gene and a genetic tool to cut his DNA in a precise spot.

“It’s kind of humbling” to be the first to test this, said Madeux, who has a metabolic disease called Hunter syndrome. “I’m willing to take that risk. Hopefully it will help me and other people.” (Read more from “US Scientists Try 1st Gene Editing in the Body” HERE)

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Critics: Scientists Blowing Smoke on ‘Chemtrail’ Study

New scientific data claiming to prove once and for all that “chemtrails” left in the sky by commercial jetliners are mere water vapor is not convincing those who believe something more nefarious is at work in the skies overhead.

Nearly 17 percent of people in an international survey said they believed the existence of a secret government program to spray harmful contaminants into the atmosphere from airplanes. They call them “chemtrails” or ‘”covert geoengineering,” and many websites show purported evidence of widespread chemical spraying linked to harmful impacts on human health and the environment.

The charges led to the first peer-reviewed study published on the subject, and a panel of 77 scientists found they are not the result of governments covertly conducting experiments on the public, WND reported earlier this week . . .

Rather than “chemtrails,” say the researchers, they are actually “contrails,” which is short for condensation that produces water vapor that freezes around aerosols in the aircraft exhaust.

The scientists said they didn’t expect their research to convince the “diehards” who believe in government “conspiracies” but rather sought to provide data for those who hadn’t formed an opinion on the issue. (Read more from “Critics: Scientists Blowing Smoke on ‘Chemtrail’ Study” HERE)

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Scientists and Insurers Develop ‘Death Clock’ to Predict When Customers Will Die

Insurance premiums could rise after scientists teamed up with the insurance industry to create an algorithm which will predict when customers will die.

The University of East Anglia is launching a four year study using huge databases of medical data to determine life expectancy and long-term illness.

The four-year project is being funded by a £800,000 grant from the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) and is using experts from insurance giant Aviva.

“People around the world are living longer,” said lead researcher Prof Elena Kulinskaya from UEA’s School of Computing Sciences.

“We want to develop software tools that use Big Data routinely collected by healthcare providers to forecast longevity. (Read more from “Scientists and Insurers Develop ‘Death Clock’ to Predict When Customers Will Die” HERE)

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