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FDA approves first Microsoft HoloLens augmented reality system for surgical use

The FDA has recently given 510(k) clearance to the OpenSight Augmented Reality System, the first augmented reality (AR) medical solution for Microsoft HoloLens cleared for use in pre-operative surgical planning.

The technology projects 2D, 3D and 4D images of patients interactively by overlaying them onto the patient’s body, according to a Novarad press release published Oct. 24.

OpenSight specifically utilizes the Microsoft HoloLens headset that allows simultaneous visualization of the 3D patient images in AR and the actual patient and their real-world surroundings. The technique may decrease operative times and improve surgical planning and the understanding of anatomic relationships.

A Next-Generation Particle Accelerator

In early 2020, the FACET-II facility aims to open for use by scientists across the world. Plasma accelerators are compact accelerators that are more affordable. FACET-II will be the upgraded version of the current FACET facility. Where the aim of the upgrade is to get the electron beam brighter by about 100 or even 1000 times. FACET-II will be the home of experiments that will add to medical and x-ray science, and particle physics. Currently, potential users are submitting proposals for experiments they would like to carry out at FACET-II. A program advisory committee will evaluate the proposals and select the most exciting ones with the largest impact in science for the upcoming experimental runs.

In a Transhumanist Future, Everyday Could Be Halloween

In the spirit of Halloween, where ghouls, ghosts, and vampires walk among us, our perception of reality will soon transform as well, forever possessed by the specter of Transhumanism!


Last year, I wrote about how people could transform themselves into one of my favorite horror creatures—a real-life werewolf—using modern science and tech. This merely scratches the surface, however, in terms of how far an individual can go. In a Transhumanist future, you’ll be empowered to not only question the extent of your humanity but equally put those questions into action.

The route one would be able to take would be in abundance. Some will choose a cybernetic route, replacing their organs and limbs for artificial machines, and even potentially adding newer organs and limbs alongside the ones they already have. Others may choose a more biological route by using gene-editing tech and synthetic biology, enhancing themselves at the genetic level and using stem cell therapies to maintain their bodily health for prolong periods of time.

And then there are those who’ll attempt to move far beyond their biological or technological state. Technologies like nanotech, mind uploading, etc. will allow individuals to downscale their physical appearance—or, perhaps, do away with it altogether; to become beams of light cascading across the digital world, living under the embodiment of code. And wherever that code resides, that’ll be your exterior shell. If you were to upload yourself into a smart home, for example, you would become that home, haunted by your digital presence.

There Are More Tiger Types Than We Thought, New Genetic Analysis Reveals

Tigers seem pretty straightforward: stripes, sharp claws, awe-inspiring grace wielded by hundreds of pounds of rippling muscle, fondness of sugary cereal, etc. But new research on the big cats’ DNA is the latest indication that underneath that striking orange and black pelage, not all tigers are the same. Scientists are now reporting that tigers are broken up into six distinct subspecies spread out across Asia.

In endangered species like tigers, pegging down the exact number of subspecies can be pretty important for conservation purposes. Being mindful of how the species is naturally divided up in the wild—and how populations may be evolving independently of one another—can allow conservationists to more effectively manage populations as cohesive units. Global tiger conservation has struggled with this since there’s been plenty of disagreement on how many subspecies even exist.