Stanford affiliates are invited to express interest in joining Xapiens’s student organization at Stanford.
Xapiens launched a podcast. Follow the link in the beginning or end of this page to listen or watch it.
From NEO.LIFE POST
“From ephemeral tattoos to vagus nerve oil to a grape-waste backpack, these biotech-inspired gifts will be sure to delight and inspire.
Let’s face it—nerds are hard to shop for. Bio nerds are even harder to shop for. But biologically inspired gifts are cool for nerds and for everyone, especially now with so many smart, novel, and beautifully designed products hitting the market. Nature is the ultimate designer and evolution is the process. Tapping into nature’s complex systems and harnessing its power to create new solutions is inherently inspiring to anyone who believes in progress. And these gifts can be positively life transforming. Our Oura smart sleep tracking ring, for instance, has given us insights into how to get more rest and better quality sleep. And now they’ve released the third generation ring (from $299), which promises to track daytime activity as well. Maybe someday we won’t need a phone, and a ring, and a patch, and a band, and a watch… And when that day comes, you’ll read about it here first!
We at NEO.LIFE are all fascinated and encouraged by the therapeutic potential of placebo pills. Gifting a placebo could inspire a lively Christmas morning conversation about the placebo effect. Or take it to your next white elephant party. It’s $24.95 direct, or $19.95 on Amazon.
And you could always delight a biofuturist friend, or an aficionado of great design, with a copy of our time capsule book, Neo.Life: 25 Visions for the Future of Our Species. In fact, readers can use code HOLIDAY15 for a 15% discount between now and December 10th.
We’re always curious what smart people are finding among the latest bio- and tech-inspired offerings for health, wellness, fashion, and home. So in what is shaping up to be an annual tradition, we asked a few of the people whose opinions and perspectives we respect to help us compile the 2021 NEO.LIFE Biologically Inspired Gift Guide. Check it out.”
Press here to continue reading…
A virtual long conversation celebrating startling and positive visions for humanity through the lens of NEO.LIFE’s experts. This is an interactive event led by the Boston innovators from bioengineering, neuroscience, design and venture capital, who contributed to our book, Neo.Life: 25 Visions for the Future of Our Species. As we transition from a 20th century shaped by physics to a 21st century shaped by biology, come listen to some of the people at the forefront of this transformation.
Xapiens had the honor to contribute to NEO.LIFE: 25 Visions for the Future of Our Species, which will spark the discussions that move our species toward a future we'll want to live in. Make sure to register and get alert about the launch in January to read the article by Xapiens co-Founder, Siranush Babakhanova. Follow the link to do so here.
We now have the tools to transform ourselves and our species. Greater health and longevity, enhanced brains, and engineered fertility are in the works. What’s just over the horizon is even more astonishing. We call this the neobiological frontier.
Think of this book as a time capsule for future generations so they’ll understand what we were hoping for and dreaming about in the year 2020.
NEO.LIFE features original reporting and analysis by journalists who have worked for or contribute to The Atlantic, MIT Technology Review, Science, Nature, The New Yorker, The New York Times, etc. The founder is Jane Metcalfe, the former president and cofounder of Wired magazine, the legendary media company that wrote the first draft of the history of the digital revolution, and captured its spirit as well.
Follow and subscribe to NEO.LIFE.
Images and description by NEO.LIFE.
Join us for a mid-summer eve's robo-fete as we launch "Talking to Robots: Tales from Our Human Robot Futures," by David Ewing Duncan (Dutton) - We'll start with a reception and a discussion with George Church, David Sinclair, Rodrigo Martinez, Siranush Babakhanova and others about our human-robot future, followed by a party with a DJ and dancing. Human food and AI-inspired cocktails provided! Dress up like your favorite robot or AI system, or wear your favorite robo-t-shirt! If you're a robot, dress up like a human! Books will be available, sponsored by Arc Fusion and MIT's Xapiens. Invite your friends and share this! More on the book here and to place a pre-order: http://www.davidewingduncan.com/books/talking-to-robots (the book is out on July 19).
About the Book: Talking to Robots: Tales From Our Human-Robot Futures (Dutton) features 24 robots and AI systems that are being built or dreamed about in the present – including Teddy Bot, Doc Bot, Warrior Bot, Facebook Bot, Politician Bot, Sex Bot, Matrix Bot, Immortal Me Bot, and God Bot. What’s different is that each bot is described by a narrator who is living in the future. He or she (or it?) knows how things turn out for each bot, with some of these future scenarios turning out great, others not so much. The book is a mix of nonfiction reporting and fictional plots and stories (an experiment in storytelling). Most bots include interviews with fascinating, real-life thinkers, including Kevin Kelly, Brian Greene, Tiffany Shlain, Juan Enriquez, Sunny Bates, George Church, Emily Morse, Steve Petranek, Adam Gazzaley Tim O’Reilly, Eric Topol, Rodrigo Martinez, and David Baldacci. David also has invented a new tense for the book, the present near-future. Look for the TV series that’s in the works!
Schedule · Friday, July 19, 2019
6:00 PM Reception: A.I.-inspired Cocktails
7:30 PM Discussion with guests - George Church, David Sinclair, Rodrigo Martinez, Siranush Babakhanova and others
8:00 PM Party! Dancing!
It was an incredible start! Xapiens grew from nothing into an established team and community influencing people in Cambridge and beyond to question, challenge and dream in transhumanism.
Everything good sometimes has to end to continue the cycle of life — two of our Board members will be leaving MIT to follow their passions and multiply their knowledge and networks elsewhere.
Logan Ford, Xapiens Co-Founder and Co-Director | MIT’18 CS, Spoken Language Systems group at CSAIL — ended his Masters of Engineering and will be moving to West Coast.
Mathias Backsaether, Xapiens Co-Director | MIT ASP, Peter Diamandis Strike Force Fellow — successfully graduated from MIT Advanced Study Program and will be working on science experiments for the ISS in summer 2019, and then will launch his studies in Masters Degree in Neuroscience.
Here are the photos from one of the last meetings. Photo credit: Lillie Paquette.
This is the first symposium of Xapiens at MIT - "The Future of Homo Sapiens" The future of our species will be majorly influenced by the technical advancements and ethical paradigm shifts over the next several decades. Artificial intelligence, neural enhancement, gene editing, solutions for aging and interplanetary travel, and other emerging technologies are bringing sci-fi’s greatest ideas to reality. Sponsored by the MIT Media Lab and the MIT McGovern Institute of Brain Research.
Full Agenda: - Openings remarks from Joe Paradiso - https://youtu.be/9bG40ySgE8I A.W Dreyfoos Professor and Associate Academic Head of Media Arts and Sciences at MIT Director of the Responsive Environments Group - Pattie Maes - https://youtu.be/b-16PW9RvJc Professor of Media Arts & Sciences at MIT, Director of Media Lab's Fluid Interfaces group, TED speaker, Co-Founder of MIT spinoffs including Firefly Networks (Microsoft) and Tulip Interfaces - Max Tegmark - https://youtu.be/IGOuV6UyQ1Q Professor of Physics at MIT, Scientific director of the Foundational Questions Institute, Co-founder of the Future of Life Institute, Director of the Tegmark Lab at MIT - David Sinclair - https://youtu.be/wYfo_9X-UaI Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School & Co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging, Co-Founder of Sirtris, and Life Biosciences, Director of the Sinclair Lab at Harvard - George Church - https://youtu.be/oQV_1b_sC_g Professor of Genetics at Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School (HMS), Director of HMS NHGRI-Center of Excellence in Genomic Science & Personal Genome Project, Broad Institute & Wyss Harvard Institute of biologically Inspired Engineering - Ed Boyden - https://youtu.be/L6ShA0OQfXs Y.Eva Tan Professor in Neurotechnology at MIT Media Lab and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Co-director of MIT Center of Neurobiological engineering, Leader of Synthetic Neurobiology Group - Panel w/ Joe Paradiso, Pattie Maes, Max Tegmark, David Sinclair, George Church, & Ed Boyden. https://youtu.be/6fPl6s7Us6c
Xapiens is MIT’s first interdisciplinary collective seeking to explore the technical and ethical issues surrounding the use of technology to overcome the limitations of the human mind & body. Like our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/xapiensatMIT/
Jesse Wheeler will be giving a talk on his work in neurotechnology at MIT. Jesse has worked as the Neurotechnology Business Lead at Draper Laboratory for Five and a half years. He has lead efforts in advanced closed-loop medical implants include a 320-channel brain implant to treat neuropsychiatric disorders, a 128-channel peripheral nerve implant to restore sensorimotor function to amputees, and a 128-ch wirelessly networked system consisting of multiple 1cc implants for distributed therapies.
He is also a leader on the famous DragonFleye project, using a combination of MEMS and optogentics to manipulate nervous system of a live dragonfly. These cybernetic implants allow an outside observer to steer the dragonfly, in hopes that it may one day be used for observation and reconnaissance.
Draper Laboratory is hiring! Come to learn more about their exciting projects and technical capabilities!
Food will be provided!
First-come, first-serve. RSVP here: https://bit.ly/2Ime1HI
Map for 26-100: http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=26
Second room 54-100 where we will be streaming: https://whereis.mit.edu/?go=54
The content will be streamed on Xapiens Facebook and Twitter pages and here: http://web.mit.edu/webcast/xapiens/1910/
Post factum, the video will be uploaded to our Youtube channel.
The future of our species will be majorly influenced by the technical advancements and ethical paradigm shifts over the next several decades. Artificial intelligence, neural enhancement, gene editing, solutions for aging and interplanetary travel, and other emerging technologies are bringing sci-fi’s greatest ideas to reality.
We invite you to join us at MIT on March 7th, 2019 where Xapiens, MIT's first initiative for human augmentation brings together titans of science, innovation and engineering, intellectuals and industry leaders to imagine, envision and discuss the future of Homo sapiens.
Sponsored by Media Lab and McGovern Institute of Brain Research.
Event Schedule
16:00 - 16:15 Registration
16:15 - 16:20 Welcome + What is Xapiens, Our Vision and Mission
16:20 - 16:30 Welcoming Remarks by Joe Paradiso
16:30 - 17:00 Pattie Maes talk
17:00 - 17:30 Max Tegmark talk
17:30 - 18:00 David Sinclair talk
18:00 - 18:15 Intermission
18:15 - 18:45 George Church talk
18:45 - 19:15 Ed Boyden talk
19:15 - 19:50 Panel (5 speakers + moderated by Joe Paradiso)
19:50 - 19:55 Closing remarks
Poster design by Siranush Babakhanova.
Photography by Lillie Paquette (MIT School of Engineering), Mathias Backaether and Elahe Ahmadi.
Siranush Babakhanova is a Junior at MIT Majoring in Physics & CS, SuperUROP in Edward Boyden's Synthetic Neurobiology Group at MIT Media Lab, and Co-Founder & Co-Director of Xapiens, the first human enhancement and brain-machine interface club at MIT. She completed software engineering at GSFC NASA her sophomore summer, won numerous International Olympiads in Astrophysics and Biology, and has been recognized as the Best Student of the Year and granted Presidential Awards. She's passionate about pushing the boundaries of humankind & solving the most important socio-economic questions.
Siranush's LinkedIn ► https://linkedin.com/in/siranushb
Siranush's Instagram ► https://instagram.com/siranushb
Siranush's Twitter ► https://twitter.com/siranushbb
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Nataliya Kosmyna is a post-doc associate at the Fluid Interfaces Group in the MIT Media Lab. She is passionate about the idea of creating a partnership between AI and human intelligence, the fusing of a machine and the human brain.
She obtained her Ph.D in Computer Science as a part of the EHCI team of Université Grenoble-Alpes, France in 2015. Most of her projects are focused around Brain-Computer Interfaces in the context of consumer grade applications. Nataliya was previously a post-doc at Hybrid team, Inria Rennes, France. She has published and served as a program committee member in conferences and journals such as CHI, Ubicomp, INTERACT, TOCHI, MobileHCI, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, and more. She has given 2 TEDx talks. Nataliya is the author of such project as “piloting a drone with your brain” and several others. These projects were presented to the general public and were tested by more than 3000 people in 2015-2018.
Nataliya won multiple awards for her work: a prize for best Ph.D dissertation from Université Grenoble Alpes community; a fellowship from L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women and Science in 2016; a fellowship from Dassault Systems US Foundation in 2018. She was also named as Top French Talent 2017 from MIT Innovators Under 35.
Martina Velichkovska is a third-year undergraduate from Macedonia, majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Miami. Having dedicated herself to research since high-school, she was excited to diversify her training when she came to the US as undergraduate. As a freshman she joined a lab focusing on the molecular neuroscience of the brain, where she worked on several projects and became a co-author on papers investigating the mechanistic pathways for glucose and mitochondria uptake in pericytes as well as methamphetamine influence on HIV-infectivity of neural progenitor cells.
She became excited about aging-related research while working on her undergraduate thesis which focused on the underlying pathway of HIV-dependent aging. This past summer she worked with the MitoSENS team at SENS research center.
Even though she is passionate about the underlying molecular mechanisms of health and disease in general, she perceives aging-related diseases as one of the greatest biomedical puzzles of our time; hence, she feels excited to possibly continue her career in this field.
Watch the talk on our youtube page.
Deblina Sarkar will start as an Assistant Professor at MIT in 2019. She is currently an MIT Translational Fellow and NIH K99 postdoctoral fellow. Her work has led to more than 40 publications till date (citations: 2546, h-index: 21, i-10 index: 27 according to Google Scholar), which have appeared in the popular press worldwide
Personal Website: https://deblina-sarkar.mit.edu/
Lab Website (HIRING): https://www.media.mit.edu/groups/nano-cybernetic-biotrek/overview/
Her Ph.D. dissertation was honored as one of the top 3 dissertations throughout USA and Canada in the field of Mathematics, Physical sciences and all departments of Engineering by the Council of Graduate Schools in the period 2014-2016. She was UCSB’s nominee for this nationwide contest, after winning the Lancaster Award for the best Ph.D. dissertation at UCSB in 2016. She is the recipient of numerous other awards and recognitions, including the U.S. Presidential Fellowship (2008), Outstanding Doctoral Candidate Fellowship (2008), one of three researchers worldwide to win the prestigious IEEE EDS PhD Fellowship Award (2011), a “Bright Mind” invited speaker at the KAUST-NSF conference (2015), Falling Walls Lab Young Innovator’s Award at San Diego (2015), “Materials Research Society’s Graduate Student Award” (2015), named a “Rising Star” in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (2015), invited speaker at TEDx (2016), MIT Translational Fellowship (2017) and Technology Review’s one of the Top 10 Innovators Under 35 from India (2018). She has also received the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award.
Discussion: How to Control the Brains (+ Pizza) by Alexi Choueiri and Dan Estandian
Discussion led by: Alexi Choueiri and Daniel Estandian, Ed Boyden's Synthetic Neurobiology Group in the Media Lab and McGovern Inst of Brain Research
Topics discussed: How to Control the Brain 🧠: interspecific brain control mechanisms, (molecular biological) technology overview, and Q/A (Prepare interesting questions!)
Alexi Choueiri is Pursing his PhD at MIT in the Synthetic Neurobiology Group with interests at the intersection of neuroscience, synthetic biology, and nanotechnology. His goal is to develop neurotechnologies and associated ventures in an attempt to advance humanity and scientific knowledge of the brain.
Daniel Estandian completed a BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. Currently, he is a PhD student in the MIT Brain and Cognitive Science program pursuing new methods that can more rapidly aid in our understanding of the brain.
Adam Marblestone - We are honored to host him at Xapiens on October 14th @ 3 pm. Come chat with Adam and Xapiens crew + :pizza
Adam’s webpage: http://www.adammarblestone.org/
Adam is a research scientist at Google DeepMind studying connections between neuroscience and artificial intelligence.
Previously, he was Chief Strategy Officer of the brain-computer interface company Kernel, a research scientist in Ed Boyden’s Synthetic Neurobiology Group at MIT working to develop new technologies for brain circuit mapping, a Ph.D. student in biophysics with George Church and colleagues at Harvard, and a theoretical physics student at Yale.
His work has been recognized with a Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35 Award (2018), a Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Fellowship (2010) and a Goldwater Scholarship (2008).
He has also helped to start companies like BioBright and advised foundations such as the Open Philanthropy Project.
Attendance LIMITED to 20 people https://goo.gl/forms/6wtXURHN4pCZB4W23
Human Brain and Brain Machine Interfaces lecture by Sam Rodriques in E15-207 Sep 30, 2018. (+pizza)
Sam Rodriques (Media Lab + Broad Institute) received his undergraduate degree in physics from Haverford College, Pennsylvania. He spent two years at the University of Cambridge, studying Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics during the first year, and researching computational neuroscience in the Computational and Biological Learning Lab during the second. He is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Physics, developing tools that will ultimately be needed for the development of a broad understanding of the brain, its functions, and its pathologies.
We also had some surprise guests from BMI industry so we welcomed students to join the great discussion during the roundtable after the talk.
First Infinite poster to invite enthusiasts of transhumanism and human augmentation to conversation.
Designed by Siranush Babakhanova.
