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Copyright: © Richard Jacobs
The search for a drug that can effectively treat Alzheimer's disease remains ongoing and has been difficult to say the least—about 150 different drug trials for Alzheimer's have already failed. But why? And what can be done about it? Erik Gunther, Ph.D. is an associate research scientist at Yale University who is asking the same questions.
He joins the podcast to give his opinion on why the search for an effective drug has failed up to this point, which leads to a discussion that touches on a host of other topics, including the beta-amyloid or plaque buildup hypothesis for what causes Alzheimer's, what happens as the disease progresses, the role of glial cells in the clearance of plaque, the distinctly unique nature of the brain's immune system, how the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier leads to hemorrhage and death in the late stages of Alzheimer's, the role of sleep in the clearance of plaque in the brain, the way in which Alzheimer's disturbs sleep patterns, and diabetes as a risk factor for Alzheimer's.
Dr. Gunther also discusses his current research, which has led to the identification of a neuron receptor on which the beta-amyloid protein binds, allowing for the eventual build-up of the plaque that's hypothesized to cause Alzheimer's. By developing a drug that also binds to this receptor, his team has found a way to block the interaction between the brain's neurons and these toxic proteins, thereby preventing the buildup of plaque. It's a novel approach to a long-standing problem, and he discusses how and why it could change things moving forward.
Tune in for all the details and visit https://medicine.yale.edu/lab/strittmatter/ to learn more.
Should we program machines to intentionally cause someone to die? "No, of course not," would be most people's immediate response. But what if doing so prevented a greater number of people from dying?
The answer to the second question may be a bit more difficult to answer, which is the essence of the trolley problem in philosophy, and just one of the ethical issues that's commonly brought up in discussions about autonomous vehicles, an emergent form of technology generating excitement from some and concerns for many.
Dr. Nicholas G. Evans is an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Massachusetts who focuses the majority of his research on national security and the ethics of emergent technologies. He joins the podcast today to discuss a variety of intriguing topics, including the susceptibility of programmed cars to hacking, the challenges of accounting for novel behaviors and the dangers of not doing so, corporate surveillance, and how the longer average lifetime of vehicles could drive the next big innovation in sensor and automated vehicle technologies.
Interested in learning more about Dr. Evans' work? Visit nicholasgevans.com and reach out to him via Nicholas_evans@uml.edu.
In just over one year on July 26, 2020, the launch window for the European Space Agency's Mars rover (recently named Rosalind Franklin) will open. Once the mission lands on Mars, the public will have access to daily images and information about the precise location of the rover,
Jorge Vago, PhD is a project scientist on the Rosalind Franklin rover mission, and he joins the podcast to provide a glimpse into what they hope to discover, how they hope to discover it, and how this mission will be unlike any other.
Dr. Vago explains that, unlike previous missions to Mars, this one will not only explore over a half billion years further into the past, but will also drill significantly deeper than ever before—up to two meters as opposed to five to ten centimeters.
By positioning themselves in a place to study Mars in its infancy and by employing the novel strategy of digging deeper to reach samples which have been protected from cosmic radiation, they hope to collect samples which will later--after exhaustive analyses and scrutiny--allow them to announce the existence of organic molecules and the possibility of life on Mars.
Catch all the details by tuning in, and visit exploration.esa.int to learn more.
Frank Holmes, Interim Executive Chairman of HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd.'s board of directors, provides an analysis of blockchain, bitcoin, and the future of finance. Holmes is a seasoned investor and financial strategist. Throughout his illustrious career, he has helmed many financial entities, and is currently the chief executive and chief investment officer at U.S. Global Investors, a forward-thinking mutual fund and asset management firm.
Holmes talks about his background in finance. As a young analyst, he transitioned into corporate finance and pushed forward until he took his first company public. He became well known in the gold funds market and eventually discovered bitcoin and that was the beginning of his passion for the new currency. His excitement over the processing of these transactions led him to launch a company in the space.
Holmes' passion for emerging financial markets is perfectly matched to his current role directing the board of directors at HIVE Blockchain Technologies Ltd., and he is leading the company forward evidenced by their significant innovation in the market. HIVE is a growth-oriented, TSX.V-listed company that has built a bridge from the blockchain sector to traditional capital markets. HIVE's team seeks to create significant long-term shareholder value. HIVE has formed a solid partnership with Genesis Mining Ltd. to create the next wave of blockchain infrastructure.
HIVE even owns the actual GPU-based digital currency mining facilities in Iceland and Sweden that produce these new digital currencies like Ethereum. Holmes discusses HIVE's place in the market as a proxy, and he explains the interconnectedness of HIVE to the market, in terms of flow. He discusses the enthusiasm globally for blockchain, and he outlines the arrival of the JP Morgan coin that is backed by US dollars. Holmes goes on to explain regulations and speculation as they relate to investor interests. And he talks about the benefits of cash trades in the market and the future of emerging financial markets. Holmes discusses the mobile gaming industry and the astronomical revenue that is pushing that industry. Wrapping up, Holmes discusses volatility in the markets and how to steer in the right direction to financial stability as technology changes everything in our world.
Holmes is a regular keynote speaker at various international investment conferences and his popular "Frank Talk" CEO blog is one of the most read in the financial industry.
Human beings enjoy a level of dexterity superior to most other species by virtue of what's called the corticospinal tract, which is a projection that reaches from the motor cortex in the brain, down to the brain stem and spinal cord, and connects directly to the muscles. As beneficial as this special pathway in humans can be, it comes at a cost: even a small amount of damage can have devastating results. When someone suffers from a stroke, it is this pathway that gets damaged and leads to many possible symptoms, including weakness, loss of dexterity, clumsiness, and the inability to isolate joint movements. The key to the best recovery from stroke is very early, very intense rehab, but it can be challenging to motivate people into maintaining such intense work.
Dr. John W. Krakauer works in the Brain, Learning, Animation, and Movement (BLAM) Lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he's not only studying the differences between movement in health and movement in disease, but also exploring and testing ways of engaging post-stroke patients in the intense rehab routines necessary in order to help them regain as much movement and control over their bodies as possible. He explains how important it is to create emotionally gratifying and motivating experiences for people early on in their recovery in order to engage them in ways that will best amplify the abilities they do have—the abilities they did not lose as a result of stroke. The same idea applies to all types of neurological diseases and injuries, including traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, cerebellar ataxia, and multiple sclerosis.
At the BLAM lab, they are developing interactive, exciting, and engaging games specifically geared toward patients with neurodegenerative issues, encouraging them to perform miles' worth of movement without even noticing it. They are also working on forming cohorts of people who have suffered from stroke and who could benefit from working together in multi-player games. The idea is that this would build a sense of competition, thereby making it easier for people to sustain the level of rehabilitative intensity needed. Furthermore, by isolating problems with particular body parts to particular characters in games, each individual's specific problem area could be addressed in the most effective way possible. Interested in learning more? Tune in for all the details and visit www.blam-lab.org.
If you've ever ridden a motorcycle, you might understand all too well the drawbacks of the helmet—it makes it hard to see, hard to hear, and feels very insulating. The team at Jarvish set out to improve this while keeping safety as their top priority. They've used traditional motorcycle helmets as their starting point, adding a high-resolution front camera for greater visibility in foggy or rainy weather, a sensor and alert system for detecting accidents and contacting an ambulance and next of kin, biosensors to detect the rider's heart rate and other vitals which may indicate an impending medical emergency, and a crystal-clear sound system. The team at Jarvish has trained their AI to analyze videos and identify objects or vehicles obscured from the rider's line of sight, as well as remove raindrops from videos and penetrate foggy conditions. All of this data is then analyzed and sent back to the rider warning them of dangers on the road ahead. It's the world's first truly smart motorcycle helmet, and it has the ability to save lives.
Jeremy Lu is the CEO of Jarvish and he joins the podcast to discuss all the details of this technology, how they are allowing for comfort customization of their helmets, what's in store for them over the next year, and how their technology could be implemented in all types of helmets—bicycle, industrial, police, military, and even space helmets.
Previous press kit with most of the content, and below is the most updated crowdfunding prices and new updates:
- a NASA iTech Finalist (2019)
- Partnering with Qualcomm for its X-AR helmet.
- JARVISH Tron Electric Helmet:
The brand just launched an awesome helmet design for the X and X-AR range. The JARVISH Tron Electric Helmet with LED strips, will certainly make riders stand out on the road. Current backers have the option to upgrade their pledges to this design. The LED light could be controlled by voice command or app.
- secured over $420K in funding on Kickstarter and have continued their funding on Indiegogo.
-Discounted prices on Indiegogo campaign:
JARVISH X - USD 499
JARVISH X-AR - USD 1099
JARVISH Tron X USD 599
JARVISH Tron X-AR USD 1199
The X-AR and X models have been designed with a range of technology integrations, such as voice control, noise cancellation, built-in memory to give riders a safer, more enjoyable on-road experience. The X-AR also includes an AR-powered head-up display (HUD) for riders who prefer visual instructions.
Press play for more information, reach out with questions via jeremy@jarvish.com, and visit www.jarvish.com.
"If you don't track it you can't improve it… and you can't pay enough people to go through the data fast enough to get a handle on it…but every other industry in the world…has switched over to sensors that drive software…which produces ten times the results you could ever get out of humans in the blink of an eye," says Brett Chell, founder of Cold Bore Technology.
The company began as a manufacturer of drilling tools, and it was through that line of work that the team at Cold Bore Technology made a realization which would completely change the focus of their efforts: frack locations were missing the operating systems and IOT software that drilling locations—and really every industry in the world—rely upon for efficient, accurate data collection and operations.
Instead, they've been relying upon the manual collection of data with the use of notebooks and Excel sheets—an inefficient method with tons of room for errors which could end up costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Fracking operations are complex and involve several service companies acting independently but simultaneously; this creates a constant flow of important data which must be accurately captured and organized in order for mistakes and inefficiencies to be identified and corrected.
Cold Bore Technology is offering a solution that will allow for exactly this. Despite being just a small to mid-sized company, they are now working with some of the largest oil companies in the world, delivering a sensor-based software solution and level of automation never before seen in the field.
The results? Greater operational visibility, the ability to identify important and costly errors that would otherwise continue to happen, less expensive and more efficient operations, and the ability to move data through businesses seamlessly and without anyone touching it.
Learn more by visiting coldboretechnology.com
Kevin Houston is head of execution at REM-Fit, a company that was founded about five years ago with the goal of harnessing the power of technology to improve one of the most important aspects of life: sleep. At REM-Fit, sleep is considered the most important factor in recovery, whether you're recovering from a stressful day at work or an intense workout. The team at REM-Fit is passionate about sleep, and for the past several years they've poured that passion into the design, development, and continual improvement of a product which actively participates in your sleep: the ZEEQ smart pillow.
It's Alexa-integrated and able to connect with other smart devices in your home, which means it can get your coffee brewing before you wake up, draw the shades back when you need to get up, change the humidity in your environment based on your sleep patterns, and heat your bathroom floor just a few minutes before you need to get ready for your day. The pillow is wrapped in a unique textile that's antimicrobial-resistant, moisture-wicking, and cool to the touch. Perhaps the most popular feature is its ability to stream music, white noise, guided meditations, or whatever else it is you might want to hear in your own private ecosystem. With a compartment located on both the top and bottom of the pillow, you decide how much filling you want and where you want it—a feature which truly makes it infinitely adjustable.
The team at REM-Fit takes a personal approach with every customer and wants to hear feedback, whether it's good or bad. They are constantly looking for ways to improve their product and working on the release of a new mattress line in the fall of 2019.
Interested in learning how to get a ZEEQ pillow for yourself? Visit remfit.com
Dennis van der Wiel, co-founder at Polariks (polariks.com/en/home), provides an overview of their groundbreaking technology that can help farmers assess their agriculture and improve their production.
Polariks is all about precision agriculture and remote sensing. Polariks has developed a precision agriculture analysis method that is directly based on Hyperspectral Imaging. Their innovative technology enables better harvest planning with increased efficiency in resources, as well as early detection of diseases. And, importantly, it significantly reduces overall inspection costs.
Dennis discusses the premise of his company, Polariks, that uses reflected light to determine properties. By using their technique of light they can determine whether a plant is sick or healthy, which ultimately helps farmers to make better decisions. Dennis explains how their technology can be integrated with drone and aerial tech to make the assessments regarding agriculture.
From strawberries to grapes, Dennis discusses how their robotic and stationary systems-implemented technology can help improve agriculture and prevent outbreaks. He states that humans can easily detect coloring and other issues that could be indicative of a plant's ailing health, but the real test comes from looking deeper, beyond what the naked eye can reveal. He outlines the infrared analysis that can assess photosynthetic activity.
The tech guru explains some of the overall goals that Polariks has in the works. He talks about the differences between outside farming and greenhouse growing. He states that greenhouses promote very homogeneous qualities and plant disease can spread quickly in a greenhouse environment. He explains that two plants side by side may both appear green and healthy, but one could already be well into a deep stage of sickness.
This is why the Polariks technology is so useful, because the Polariks technology can identify problems with plant health several weeks before even the most trained human eye can. He explains the advanced principles of their technology and how it generates much more information that can be utilized to understand plant health.
Dennis discusses modern farming techniques and he talks about the importance of regular monitoring over time, in regard to plant disease or plant health conditions, including the effects of drought. Finally, the farming technology expert provides some thoughts on predictive modeling and other advances that Polariks expects to promote as they develop their innovative technology and platform further.
John Tucker, DMD, founder of Tucker Educational Excellence LLC (tuckereducationalexcellence.com), discusses sleep apnea and treatment.
Tucker is an experienced medical professional who has treated many patients over his long career, as well as educated countless dentists on dental sleep medicine. Tucker Educational Excellence provides intensive educational programs that focus on the successful implementation of dental sleep medicine practices within the dental industry. Tucker is a respected dentist and Diplomate of The American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine.
Tucker explains that dental sleep medicine focuses on treating patients who have obstructive sleep apnea and are intolerant of their traditional CPAP therapy. Tucker describes CPAP, which stands for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure, as a vacuum cleaner in reverse.
CPAP provides a continuous flow of airway pressure to your throat to keep your airway open during sleep, which is generally successful as a means to treat the spontaneous pauses in your breath that are so often connected with sleep apnea.
Tucker describes their process for diagnosing, which must come from a board certified sleep physician. He discusses home sleep testing, which is becoming more and more popular as it offers users the opportunity to stay within the comfort of their own home and bed.
Tucker talks about his experiences as a child, watching his father have snoring problems and extended periods without breathing. Tucker states that remarkably, some people they have seen, go up to a minute and a half without breathing when they are experiencing sleep apnea.
The sleep expert talks about strategies to prevent various diseases; and he stresses the importance of early intervention, accessible care that is cost effective, and the family members need to be engaged. He talks about the costs of untreated sleep apnea, and the correlation with diabetes, sexual dysfunction, stroke, and GERD.
Tucker states that 1 out of 4 Americans are undiagnosed. Tucker goes on to explain his practice and how they discover airway issues. He explains how they look into the mouth and search for what he refers to as a high-vaulted palate, as well as tongue issues, and gum issues.
Tucker Educational Excellence offers intensive learning experiences for all levels of knowledge. Their courses cover basic dental sleep medicine implementation, individualized onsite programs, as well as guided learning experiences working directly with Tucker for extended periods.
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