It might sound like a concept straight out of a sci-fi horror film, but for the last two decades California-based biotech company Koniku has been developing a computer powered by what is essentially a brain-in-a-jar: a computer module that uses synthetic neurons that harness the processing power of biological brainread more
At our Dreamland Festival in May, one of the main things we’re going to investigate are the mysterious sounds that are being heard all around the world. Some of them are "booms" so loud they set off car alarms (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to this show). Others sound more like groans or horns.
read more
A Nigerian woman will have a new nose grown on her arm as part of surgery that will be done in Scotland to rebuild her face. Madina Yusuff is a victim of the flesh-wasting condition called Noma, which destroys cheek, mouth or nose tissue and often the whole face. It affects 500,000 African children each year. Experts will use bone and cartilage to build a framework for the new nose, which will develop on her arm. Surgeon Peter Ayliffe says this will allow enough tissue and bloodvessels to grow to help replicate a nose. The series of operations is expected to take six months.
read more