Finding Genius Podcast

Labster is a company that is trying to change science education and the way people engage with it, hoping to empower the next generation of scientists to change the world. With 70 virtual reality simulations already running on the Labster platform, users can choose from a variety of scenarios to enter, each of which heavily engages the student in every step of an experiment or project."Not everyone has access to a lab, but in this way, we bring it to the student's lap," says Maaroof Fakhri, who works as a project lead in the virtual reality section of Labster. Designed primarily for students in grades K-12, the most popular modules are those covering material that helps students transfer from late high school to early college, and are frequently used by teachers and universities to help students review certain material. Studies show that when compared to traditional methods of learning, the use of Labster simulations resulted in a 76% increase in learning. To learn more or check out the simulations for yourself, visit www.labster.com.

Join us for an interesting look at how blockchain is changing the world, and not just for bitcoin anymore. Beverly Macy, part of the UCLA Blockchain Lab, joins us for an interesting discussion on all things blockchain, specifically on the colliding worlds of law and blockchain. Macy is also author of the best selling book The Power of Real-Time Social Media Marketing and educator at the Global Business of Sports & Entertainment at UCLA Anderson School of Management. Macy also highlights what was planned to be discussed at the 2018 Beverly Hills Bar Association in Beverley Hills on June 7th, including the legal future of blockchain and the impact of its shared ledger technology for business and industry

Nicolas C. Pégard, Ph.D., a University of California, Berkeley neuroscientist will provide an illuminating overview of his work to develop optical systems that are designed to help neuroscientists solve problems. Of particular interest to Berkley, neuroscientist is a method known as optogenetics. Optogenetics is a process that uses light to modify molecular events in a specific manner, in living cells and organisms, which enables researchers to connect computers to the brain and focus on specific neurons. Essentially, the cell's genetic toolbox is used to create proteins that are not naturally present within the brain, a true combination process combining optics and genetics. The Berkeley researcher will detail how his team uses holograms to create artificial patterns of neural activity that can mimic what the brain is doing when it is experiencing a thought or engaging in an action. This allows researchers to put the brain into a state that replicates what would happen if the brain had actually experienced a sensory stimulus. Pégard gives us a glimpse into the future of these techniques of neuroscience, some of which sound like they could be pulled straight from a big budget science fiction Hollywood movie plot. Case in point, this neural activity method could actually trick the brain into believing something has occurred that did not, or even place new ideas into the brain. The discussion will detail how observation of the brain in a diseased state could lead to monumental advances in drug therapy for brain diseases, which may enable the development of higher efficacy drugs with minimal or no side effects. Further research could facilitate groundbreaking achievements in prosthetics, for if there can be communication with the brain that involves multiple thousands of neurons, prostheses could become higher functioning. Nicolas C. Pégard and neuroscience researchers foresee changes that could literally alter the course for human health and brain function, but for now, his team is taking it to step by step.

OTOY Inc. is the definitive cloud graphics company, pioneering technology that is redefining content creation and delivery for media and entertainment organizations around the world. OTOY's Academy Award®-winning technology is used by leading visual effects studios, artists, animators, designers, architects, and engineers, providing unprecedented creative freedom, new levels of realism, and new economics in content creation and distribution powered by the cloud.

Skin, many of us don't give it much thought, but just like the heart and lungs, skin is an important organ too. In fact, our skin has seven layers of ectodermal tissue and it protects our underlying bones, and muscles, as well as all those important internalorgans. It's kind of a big deal, so maybe that's why the global skincare market is $100 billion dollars and rising. Come along for an interesting discussion on skin and technology, and what the future may bring, and what it already has! Dr. Saffie-Siebert, CEO & Founder of Good Science Beauty, a division of the biotech company, SiSaf, will breakdown how to get results with beauty products. And we'll learn why the method utilized for delivering active ingredients is even more important than the ingredients themselves. This is why technology plays a critical role in the success of active ingredient beauty products. Unlike regular application techniques, Good Science Beauty products can actually decrease toxicity as active ingredients are control-released and specific areas can be targeted. Dr. Saffie-Siebert's tech company delivers a handful of specialized, technology-backed, patented cosmetic products. She'll discuss silicon-based drug delivery built on elemental silicon, lipid, and amino acids that she and her team refer to as 'good silicon plus.' The technology-based application process is able to provide more successful results with similar base ingredients such assalicylic acid, etc. by delivering the active ingredients without drying out the skin, without compromising the skin. Thus, products can target blemishes without the negative residual effects produced by traditional cosmetic products. Dr. Saffie-Siebertwill also introduce a topic that might comes as a surprise to many—that sometimes 'organic' and 'natural' products are not as safe as synthetics. We'll gain insight into future developments in the application of hyaluronic acid for hydration, sunscreens for protection, as well compounds for skin brightening and rejuvenation. And the CEO scientist will discuss developing technology that may solve past problems of stability, solubility, and molecular size and thus open the door to impressive new products in the skincare industry.

Allison Berke is an academic advisor at The Good Food Institute, a non-profit organization working on the transition from factory-farmed animal products to plant-based and clean meat alternatives. By taking a small number of cells from an animal and applying biomedical methods in the lab, the science and tech team at The Good Food Institute is growing full meat products that are molecularly identical to animal meat, but in a way that is better for the environment and doesn't require the slaughter of animals. "Clean meat and plant-based meat are going to be better for the environment…better in terms of animal welfare, and also better in terms of global poverty and human health in that we can grow more calories on the same amount of land more efficiently and with fewer environmental inputs," says Berke. Tune in to hear the details, such as how to obtain the taste and texture of different types of meat, the challenges and constraints in terms of cost-effectiveness, and the growing interest in the plant-based and clean meat field–even by major factory-farm-based corporations such as Tyson.

Coinpayments is a leader in the rapidly changing payments sector. They believe in payment diversity and have created an open and democratic platform that enables merchants to accept 100's of new and innovative coins – From Litecoin to Madesafe & now Ether. Closed systems stagnate quickly in times of rapid change and are prone to being overtaken quickly by innovators. Open & democratic payments is the most robust and profitable model, help us grow this idea.

Markus Ament, CEO and Co-Founder of Centrifuge joins Future Tech Podcast. Centrifuge is an open, decentralized operating system to connect the global financial supply chain. It allows participants to transact on a global network while maintaining ownership of their data, including their validated company details, their reputation, business relationships, and subsequent transactions.

Alan Curtis CEO at Radar Relay joins Future Tech Podcast. Radar Relay offers leverage blockchain technology to trade Ethereum tokens directly from your wallet. No middleman. Features: No Signups, No Deposits, No Withdrawals, Off-Chain Orderbook, Interoperable, Wallet Integration.

Marshal Webb CTO and Co-Founder of Path joins Future Tech Podcast. Path Network is revolutionizing the uptime and performance monitoring industry by using blockchain technology and smart contracts. Powerful analytic tools combined with user powered monitoring nodes give unprecedented global coverage and invaluable insight into website, application, and network uptime and performance.