May 6, 2023
Alzheimers game changer. Alzheimers was slowed up to 35 percent in volunteers of a 1,700-person study on the efficaciousness of the drug Donanemab, manufactured by the company Eli Lilly. "We're now on the cusp of a first generation of treatments for Alzheimer's disease, something that many thought impossible only a decade ago," Dr. Susan Kolhaas, from Alzheimer's Research UK, told the BBC. Importantly, the new drug can produce serious side effects, with two volunteers dying due to brain swelling caused by taking the drug. But that Donanemab — and Lecanemab, another recently FDA-approved Alzheimers treatment — targets amyloid in the brain and succeeds in treating Alzheimers has “convinced scientists they are on the right track after decades of misery and failure.” Excellent news. (BBC)
Longevity breakthrough. In a blockbuster development nearly seven years in the making, scientists were able to increase the lifespan of yeast cells by up to 82 percent. Targeting a process by which cells’ “fates” are decided, the team tricked cells into delaying their “commitment” to deterioration — a non-trivial mechanism in aging — using synthetic “oscillators.” “I don’t see why it cannot be applied to more complex organisms,” Nan Hao, senior author of the study, told Motherboard. “If it is to be introduced to humans, then it will be a certain form of gene therapy.” Excellent news. (Motherboard)
kimmel's brief cancellation revealed a deeper problem: the 80-plus-year-old design of public broadcast tv is outdated. free the airwaves and put them to use for the future.
massive early funding rounds inflate startup valuations and outpace the market, usually ending in disaster. there's no law against leaving money on the table.
an mit study allegedly claimed using chatgpt damages your brain. it was uncritically accepted by almost everyone but only proved american universities are broken.