Could You Get A Brain Implant?

Hello there High Flier!

Welcome to the 9th edition of this email. Did you know you can read all past editions in the archive?

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The subject this time round is Biotech and Wetware (brain enhancements).

Before we start, many people ask me my favourite tips to look great online and how to both standout and gain clients via LinkedIn. All the tried and proven tips are in our 8-part course (available here for free) and we’ve prepared a quick reference checklist for standing out on LinkedIn. That’s fun right? Enjoy!

The developments in the biology + technology area are accelerating as tech becomes tiny, faster and more integrated into our lives. For example, wearable tech such as fitbits and smart watches are creating great gains in getting people moving and being aware of their health and vitals.

Sensors & Diagnoses

Into the future, imagine tiny, tiny sensors in your body or embedded in your clothes and in your home WIFI that provide feedback on your health – from gut flora to diagnosing or predicting disease. This technology is on the way.

Immediately people are concerned about privacy (fair enough). With the big health data that comes from many people contributing, the bonuses are rich: optimising health, learning the origins of disease, and reducing diseases. Add in tablets that can release ingredients tailored to what the body needs and now we’re talking better health, savings and reduced waste. A favourite, recent example I heard is refining (often general) probiotics into sensing tablets that test gut flora and release the right probiotic at the right time.

Increasingly I’m hearing about people embedding implants under their skin for tracking. Move over tattoos.

It’s also becoming more affordable to diagnose. The current XPrize is creating the innovation and tech that will diagnose 13 health conditions from Diabetes to Pneumonia to Melanoma. Star Trek fans get excited – the device in development is called the Tricorder. Imagine everyone having access to world class, low cost, medical analysis. Your doctor’s role will change a lot in the next few decades.

3D Printing

3D printing of human tissue and body parts as well as production of synthetics will aid surgeries. Plus, imagine 3D home printing of tablets tailored to what you need.

Research, Cancer and Designer Babies

Faster processing of more and more data are part of what is driving new developments. The cost of sequencing DNA is exponentially decreasing as machine learning is used, which means quicker results and health insights. It also could lead to you and me paying $10 or a minimal amount for tailored testing. The gains are here and coming, as we integrate tech into our workplaces – such as IBM’s ‘Watson’ that helps nurses diagnose cancer with greater accuracy.

It’s being reported that scientists this month will edit immune-system T cells in patients with cancer in the hope of making cells destroy malignant cells. Again, there are great gains for better health and reduced risks of disease as these gene editing procedures are proven, also balanced with concerns that it will lead to designer babies and other impacts (check out the links below for more reading).

Wetware

Wetware refers to brain enhancement technologies. It’s expected that in the next few decades (some say the next decade) you could have a surgeon implant a microchip in your brain to boost your memory and brain functions. Would you do it? If others around you – in life, at work – had done so, will you be encouraged or influenced to?

Owning the Data

In 2000 at KPMG Consulting I observed a health startup audaciously providing innovative software and trying to piece together the data and records across a person, their doctor, specialists and hospitals. It was too early then though owning our records will happen really soon as more companies are focused on providing this. Pooling this data at a macro level will provide so many societal insights. Bring it on!

Ethics and Morality

Biotech developments could bring humanity together to make the required ethical and moral decisions and regulations. Such decisions will require knowledge of what’s happening, what’s coming and a focus on what’s best for humanity. You quite possibly will be playing a role in this.

It’s great to be informed.

Read more! The links are below

I wish you all a wonderful new week. If you enjoyed this email, let me know on Twitter @sambe11.

Fly high online,

~ Sam
RunwayDigital.com

PS. You’re amazing!  Can I see your clever online?

PPS. My goal is to inform as many people as possible on online presence and business and tech trends. Please hit “Unsubscribe” below if this is no longer relevant to you.

PPPS. Further reading:

• Software is healing the world
• 3D printing will save your life
• Paralysed man regains hand movement after nerve transfer
• 8 Exciting Healthcare Areas to Watch (including Internet of Things at home)
• Is gene editing playing with fire?
• First gene editing trial this month
• The future of human intelligence and brain enhancement technology
• Could you get an implant in your brain?
• Will the end of breath no longer be the end of life?
• And this… (click this picture)