Module 6: Hackers, Grinders and Makers Tackle Aging

Question 1

Early hearing devices

Answer 1

-1874 audiophone conduction amplifier
-1876 first portable hearing device
-1898 first electric hearing aid developed

Question 2

Early visual impairment devices

Answer 2

-1892 first braille typewriter
-1928 radios distributed to blind
-1941 prototype of perkins brailler developed

Question 3

Early mobility devices

Answer 3

-1655 3 wheeled chair
-1750 bath chair
-1950 first electric wheelchair developed

Question 4

Who is dave asprey

Answer 4

-the father of biohacking

Question 5

What are the things you should do for your health as per Dave Asprey

Answer 5

-cold showers 3 days a week
-reduce blue light
-skip breakfast
-sleep (raise height of head of bed)
-do not turn on lights if you get up to pee in the night
-practice gratitude

Question 6

Tennis player bob litwin fighting aging tips

Answer 6

-meditation
-mindfulness
-staying in shape by using resistance bands for strength training
-hitting tennis balls against wall with wife

Question 7

Runner joann sampson tips for fighting aging

Answer 7

-trying something new and uncomfortable for you
-new cognitive and physical challenges spur neuroplasticity

Question 8

What are makerspaces

Answer 8

-places where equipment and mentorship is available, where grinders can get assistance in developing implants

Question 9

Why can DIY biology be justified

Answer 9

-they follow all safety guidelines
-do not use pathogens like other science labs
-create new ideas and projects not just because they make money or will save the world but because they are interesting

Question 10

Body hackers

Answer 10

-group who adds implants to their body on their own
-includes RFIDs and magnets etc

Question 11

What is sensory expansion

Answer 11

-some people want to enhance their senses and have magnets implanted under their skin which allows them to feel magnetic fields
-other developers have invented the spidersense suit

Question 12

What is the spidersense suit

Answer 12

-covered by sensors that can alert different parts of the body to the proximity of objects in the environment
-could help those with visual impairments to navigate space etc.

Question 13

Transcranial direct stimulation device

Answer 13

-uses a constant, low intensity current passed through electrodes which modulates neuronal activity

Question 14

Radio frequency identification device (RFID)

Answer 14

-the technology that is in key card or credit card etc
-can perform basic tasks like storing emergency contact details, opening office doors, and storing e-tickets for events

Question 15

Transhumanism

Answer 15

-Lepht anonym is a grinder who performs surgeries at home
-working on developing haptic feedback which is the use of touch to communicate with users as well as devices to sense direction

Question 16

Using electrodes to scramble pain

Answer 16

-by applying small amount of electricity in very specific parts of the brain, may change reactions to pain and symptoms etc
-allows individuals to decrease medications so they have less symptoms

Question 17

Neuromodulation for chronic pain

Answer 17

-electrodes beside spinal cord
-scramble pain signals that come to the brain
-they do not feel as much pain or may not feel pain at all

Question 17

Dr. D.J. Cook research about treating aneurysms

Answer 17

-surgical approach treating brain aneurysms and skull base tumours through keyhole openings in the skull using specialized instruments and scopes
-these techniques have improved outcomes, decreased admission times, and freed up critical resources

Question 18

NaviKnife

Answer 18

-uses a surgucal navigation system based on real-time electromagnetic tracking
-excisions performed with navigation result in removal of less breast tissue

Question 19

iKnife

Answer 19

-can tell surgeons immediately whether the tissue they are cutting is cancerous or not
-uses electrical current to rapidly heat tissue, cutting through it while minimizing blood loss

Question 20

How is biotechnology being used to address cancer

Answer 20

-can address mutations using the immune system which is a field called immuno-oncology
-by using DNA sequences of tumor and of healthy cells, we can identify multiple cancer mutations and select the ones that are more likely to provoke a strong reaction from the immune system
-vaccines can then be given in the form of messenger RNS which will give cells instructions to create a protein that can prime the immune system against the tumour

Question 21

Car-T cell therapy

Answer 21

-consists of taking immune T cells from patient and genetically engineering them to target specific cancer antigen
-the technology is only available for treating certain rare forms of blood cancer and is not available to countries without sophisticated health care systems

Question 22

Advances in Car-T technology

Answer 22

-reprogramming of DNA sequences to recognize cancer and fight them
-T cells are not good at identifying cancer because they are your own cells
-design new DNA sequences to tell T cells to identify and kill specific cancer cells
-stay in the patients blood stream for years

Question 23

Bionic pancreas

Answer 23

-pancreas that can automatically make decisions about insulin and glucagon dosing every 5 min

Question 24

Smart contact lens for diabetes

Answer 24

-has integrated micro LED and photodetector which can measure glucose concentration in the conjunctival blood vessels by analyzing NIR light

Question 25

New innovation for the deaf community

Answer 25

-new glove has been developed which can translate sign language into speech in real time
-can allow communication without the need of a translator

Question 26

Addressing age-related macular degeneration

Answer 26

-creating implantable devices which can deliver drugs to the back of the eye over time
-idea is that the disease itself will allow release of the drug in a dose dependent manner

Question 27

The human mobility research centre

Answer 27

-a collaborative hub for Queens KGHRI researchers and clinician scientists working in medicine, engineering, health sciences, and computer science

Question 28

Clinical research at the human mobility research lab

Answer 28

-non surgical treatments aimed at improving the mechanical environment of the knee such as bracing, heel wedges, gait modifications, and therapeutic techniques have shown promise in the management of symptoms of osteoarthritis

Question 29

Building and designing assistive technology lab (BDAT)

Answer 29

-dedicated to the creation of assistive technology to help increase the independence of persons with disabilities
-focusing on preventing older adults from falling using Wii balance boards and the Kinect sensor

Question 30

ROSA the robot

Answer 30

-has a motorized mechanism that allows it to shuttle items up and down stairs, adjusting to each step it encounters while keeping the load level