Monthly Archives: July 2017

In Brief Swiss blockchain startup Ambrosus wants to revolutionize the food supply chain by introducing smart contracts to track produce. This new blockchain ecosystem, built on the Ethereum network, was launched on Wednesday.

The food industry is warming up to blockchain, thanks to the likes of Ambrosus. The Swiss startup was founded last year, but officially launched yesterday. An Initial Coin Offering (ICO)will begin in September.

According to Ambrosus website, the companyaims to use cutting-edge technology to improve the food supply chain: Combining high-tech sensors, blockchain protocol, and smart contracts, we are building the worlds first publicly verifiable, community-driven ecosystem to assure [sic] the quality, safety, and origins of food.

The idea is to keep track of produce as it moves from farm to fork, with the blockchain ensuring the integrity of the data. Russias ITcoin is doing something similar for the nations beef products.

Ambrosus is built on the Ethereum blockchain,and Ethereum co-founder Gavin Woods Parity Technologiesis its core technology partner. Paritys co-founder Jutta Steiner joins Wood as a technical advisor for Ambrosus.

Its worth noting that Parity has been in the news itselfrecently. Just yesterday,the company reported a breach that compromised its crypto wallet, leading to the theft of $30 million in ether. The news threatens to cast a shadow on the supposed security of blockchains.

Despite the bad timing of this Parity news, Ambrosus co-founder Angel Versetti appears optimistic about the potential for his companys technology to push Ethereum into a largely untouched industry: The combination of the maturity of the technology and the brainpower and creativity of participating actors provides a unique and clear opportunity to build a bridge between Ethereum and the food sector.

Disclosure: Several members of the Futurism team, including the editors of this piece, are personal investors in a number of cryptocurrency markets. Their personal investment perspectives have no impact on editorial content.

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Ethereum Co-Founder Helps Launch New Blockchain Startup - Futurism

In Brief Elon Musk has announced on Twitter that he has verbal permission to build a Hyperloop connecting New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington - and that in the future he plans to bring the technology to Texas.

Elon Musk has announced via Twitter that he received verbal approval for this planto build an underground Hyperloop between New York and Washington which would also stop at Philadelphia and Baltimore. As a result, one could get from New York to D.C. in just 29 minutes.

Its worth noting that the approval is only verbal at this point. Which means that it isnt set in stone. Musk will likely still have to deal with regulatory concerns, and some red tape. He did note, however, that support would be much appreciated, in the meantime.

Musk also did not reveal who the permission came from or give any details concerning when the project will start and finish although he didlater reveal that he also plans to build a Hyperloop in Texas and the west coast.

Longer term, Musk has expressed a desire to introduce Hyperloop routes worldwide, with projects as large and far-ranging as connecting multiple European citiesand helping to ease Dubais current congestion crisis. Recently, Musks Boring Company completed the first segment of the Hyperloop system in Los Angeles,marking a major milestone in the projects development. This may be a partial reason why the project is now gaining traction in other states.

The Hyperloop seems to already be disrupting the transportation industry due to the incredibly short journey times, positive environmental consequences, and comparatively low cost of the project. As long as governmental support continues, this can only be a good thing.

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Elon Musk Just Announced He Has Approval to Build a 29-Minute Hyperloop From NY to DC - Futurism

In Brief There has been a major breach in the Parity Ethereum client that may have given access to user's digital wallets. An official statement regarding the extent of the security threat is forthcoming.

Parity the worlds fastest ethereum client just posted an alert on their blog warning of a vulnerability in version 1.5 or later in its wallet software.The alert advises users to immediately move their funds to a secure address.

Users are scrambling to learn the extent of the breach and if their funds were made vulnerable.Coindeskreportsthat, so far, 150,000 ether (worth $30 million) have been reported to the company as stolen.

Parity claims to be the most secure way of interacting with the Ethereum network. The project was originally devised by a co-founder of Ethereum,Gavin Wood.

Decentralized technologies are rapidly emerging as cryptocurrency is increasing in visibility and popularity. Regardless of how much currency was stolen, the optics of such a breach are not good for these emerging technologies. It will be difficult for themto become a new standard if adopters cannot rely on the highly-touted security of the platforms.

Disclosure: Several members of the Futurism team, including the editors of this piece, are personal investors in a number of cryptocurrency markets. Their personal investment perspectives have no impact on editorial content.

Excerpt from:
This Crypto Wallet, Devised by a Co-Founder of Ether, Has a Major Breach - Futurism

In BriefAt today's ISS R&D conference, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk sharedan update on the company's Falcon Heavy rocket, crewed missionplans, and hopes for building a base on the Moon. The Falcon Heavy

At the ISS R&D conference today, Elon Musk provided some much-anticipated updates on SpaceXs upcoming manned mission to the Red Planet, explaining that the trip hinges on the success of the companysFalcon Heavy.

Once it launches this year, the Falcon Heavywill be the most powerful operational rocket in the world. It will be able to lift more than 54 metric tons (119,000 lbs), which is twice the payload of the Delta IV Heavy at one-third the cost.

Developing the rocket wasnteasy. In fact, Musk says it was way, way more difficult than SpaceX originally anticipated.

[Falcon Heavy] requires the simultaneous ignition of 27 orbit class rockets, he explained. Because of this, Musk says there is a lot of risk associated with Falcon Heavy, which is why he is setting the bar for success rather low for initial launches: Theres a real good chance that it does not make it to orbit. I hope it gets far enough away from the launch pad that it does not cause pad damage I would consider that a win.

Problems with initial launches wont be due to any inherent flaws with the rocket itself, however; theyre just part of the process. Falcon Heavys going to be a great vehicle. [There] just isnt a lot you can test on the ground, Musk noted.

SpaceX has experienced a fair share of (fiery) failuresin the past, and the potential for problems with early Falcon Heavy launches had the SpaceX CEO joking about the characterof the crew members aboard the first manned missions:No question, whoevers on the first flight brave. Brave.

Other brave SpaceX explorers will eventually be able to enjoy a trip aboard the companysCrew Dragon, also known as Dragon 2. Thus far, the Dragon spacecraft has only been used to transport cargo, but the design is being modified to support crewed mission. In fact, the Dragon 2 could even eventually carry Musk, who replied, I would like to at some point. Assuming things work out, yeah, maybe in three or four years, when asked whether hed like to take a ride to the International Space Station (ISS) and back aboard the craft.

Also in the works for the Crew Dragon are orbital launches and testing of its automatic docking abilities. Currently, in order for the Dragon to attach to the ISS, the space stations robotic arm has to be used. Not of much importance, according to a comment by Musk, is refining the Dragons 2 purposive landing capability (i.e., descending using retrorockets vs. a parachute) as he claims its no longer a requirement for landing on Mars.

The real public excitement lies beyond the ISS and Mars missions, though, according to Musk. If you want to get the public real fired up, we gotta have a base on the Moon. Having some permanent presence on another heavenly body, he said. Thats the continuance of the dream of Apollo.

Some of the biggest players already in the race to build a Moon base hail from China and Europe, and their respective space agencies have announced that they are engaging in international collaboration to realize a Moon Village vision. Whether Musk will beat them to it remains to be seen.

This trickle of small updates will do little to pacify those eager for more details on Musks mission to Mars. That information is likely to arrive in September in the form of a revision to his detailed plan for making humanity a multi-planetary species. The efforts of SpaceX are now more vital than ever, given NASAs recent admissionthatthey wont be the ones to get us to the Red Planet,but perhaps the plan will include the announcement of a NASA/SpaceX collaboration?

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Elon Musk Just Shared an Update on SpaceX's Upcoming Manned Mars Mission - Futurism

In BriefBrain damage caused by drowning and cardiac arrest wasreversed in a toddler who received hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT)and normobaric oxygen (sea level oxygen). These treatments activategenes, promoting cell survival and reducing inflammation. Brain Damage Reversed

Doctors recently reported the reversal of brain volume loss in an unresponsive two-year-old cold water drowning victim who had experienced cardiac arrest. After treating the child with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and normobaric oxygen (oxygen at sea level), she experienced marked improvement and reversal of many symptoms.

After resuscitation, an MRI showed that the child experienced cerebral atrophy with white and gray matter loss and deep gray matter injury. At the time she was discharged from the hospital, she was unable to speak, unresponsive to commands, and she exhibited constant head shaking and squirming.

To prevent permanent degeneration of tissue, Dr. Paul Harch, Director of Hyperbaric Medicine at LSUs School of Medicine, began partial treatment. Fifty-five days post-drowning, the patient began daily short-duration treatment under Dr. Harchs care with 100% normobaric oxygen.

With treatment, the child became more awake and alert and even stopped squirming. She experienced ongoing neurological improvement throughout her treatment period, characterized by laughing, eye tracking, increased movement of arms, grasp with the left hand, movement of hands, partial oral feeding, and short-sequenced speech at pre-drowning levels, albeit with diminished vocabulary.

78 days post-drowning, eight weeks/40 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy began. At the beginning of every session, the childs neurological improvement was visually apparent. The childs mother said that, except for her coordination, the child was near normal after 10 HBOT sessions, at which point the team re-instituted physical therapy. 162 days post-drowning, following her last HBOT session, the child exhibited near-complete reversal of white matter and cortical atrophy.

The growing brain of a young child is a hormone-rich setting, thriving in an oxygen-rich environment. Both normobaric and hyperbaric oxygen-rich environments activate genes that promote cell survival and reduce inflammation. Increased oxygen with pressure is consistent with the synergy that takes place in the presence of growth hormones and hyperbaric oxygen.

The startling regrowth of tissue in this case occurred because we were able to intervene early in a growing child, before long-term tissue degeneration, Harch stated in press materials. Although its impossible to conclude from this single case if the sequential application of normobaric oxygen then HBOT would be more effective than HBOT alone, in the absence of HBOT therapy, short duration, repetitive normobaric oxygen therapy may be an option until HBOT is available. Such low-risk medical treatment may have a profound effect on recovery of function in similar patients who are neurologically devastated by drowning.

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Medical Researchers Reverse Brain Damage in Drowning Victim - Futurism