Weekly Piece of Future #117
From Brain Chips to CRISPR and Quantum Biology
Hey there, fellow future-addicts!
Welcome to this week's edition of Rushing Robotics! Buckle up—this week’s issue is stacked with jaw-dropping breakthroughs that sound like science fiction but are happening right now. From brain chips that decode thought to robots that flip burgers in under 30 seconds, the world is shifting fast—and AI, biotech, and next-gen computing are at the heart of it all.
🤯 Mind-Blowing
When the future talks, we listen—and now, thanks to Neuralink, even those who’ve lost their voice can speak again. In this section, we spotlight world-firsts: a brain-chip enabling thought-to-text communication, CRISPR entering the human brain, and robotic skin tech that could redefine touch. Add in a mind-bending quantum biology twist and Google's nuclear-powered data centers, and you’ve got a snapshot of tomorrow being built today.
🔊 Industry Insights & Updates
Big names and bold ideas are shaping the next wave of intelligent systems. Whether it’s humanoid robots for under $55K, organic molecules outperforming silicon, or supercomputers that shrink days-long tasks into hours, this section covers the bleeding edge of industrial AI and automation. Oh, and did we mention robots assembling your burger in 27 seconds? Yeah, that’s happening too.
🧬 BioTech
The body is becoming programmable. Gene therapies reversing heart failure, surgeons reaching spinal tumors through the eye socket, and diabetes diagnostics that don’t require a drop of blood—this is biotech in high gear. These stories show how AI and medical science are converging to tackle diseases that once had no answers.
💡 Products/Tools of the Week
This week’s standout tools help you work smarter, scale faster, and create more. From no-code AI agents and tabular data wranglers to studio-grade vocal transformers and automated video engines for social media—these platforms are unlocking power previously reserved for enterprise labs and pro studios. Dive in and explore what’s ready to deploy today.
🎥 Video Section
Sometimes you have to see it to believe it. Our video picks feature humanoids learning full-body control, Boston Dynamics flexing robotic arms, and a behind-the-scenes look at AI-powered burger bots. Watch how the future moves.
If you’re amazed now, just wait. The next wave is already building. Stay hungry, stay futurish!
🤯 Mind-Blowing
Radford G. Smith, who is living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and has lost the ability to speak or move, is now able to communicate through thought thanks to the Neuralink Brain-Chip Interface (BCI). Smith is the first non-verbal individual and only the third person globally to undergo this cutting-edge procedure. ALS is a rare, progressive neurodegenerative disorder that damages motor neurons, impairing voluntary muscle control, speech, and essential functions such as eating and breathing. With the Neuralink implant, Smith can control a computer cursor through his thoughts, offering him new opportunities for communication. In a recent update shared via video on X, Smith demonstrated how this groundbreaking technology assists him in his daily life.
A Chinese biotechnology startup has, for the first time, administered a CRISPR-based therapy directly into the human brain. Late last year, physicians delivered the experimental gene-editing treatment to a 9-year-old boy diagnosed with MECP2 duplication syndrome—a rare and typically fatal neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by intellectual disability, motor impairment, and seizures. Prior to treatment, the child required assistance to walk and was unresponsive to verbal instructions. Within four weeks, he was able to pass a ball independently, and by twelve weeks, he exhibited smoother walking and improved dexterity in stacking blocks. While the findings are preliminary, the study marks a groundbreaking milestone: it represents the first known use of CRISPR technology to directly intervene in brain tissue.
Researchers from Northwestern University and Tel Aviv University have made a significant discovery that could lead to affordable and highly sensitive robotic touch. The team identified a previously overlooked flaw in silicone rubber composites, which are widely used as insulating layers on the surface of robotic skins. This flaw was found to impede accurate electrical sensing, hindering the performance of robotic skin. By addressing this issue, the researchers have unlocked the potential for low-cost, highly sensitive sensors that could enable robots to more effectively detect shapes, curves, and edges, thereby improving their ability to handle and manipulate objects. Their study highlights the formation of an ultrathin insulating layer during production, which negatively affects sensor accuracy and reliability in flexible elastomer composites.
For the first time, researchers have demonstrated that the movement of protons in biological systems is not “purely chemical.” Molecular dynamics, essential for life, are primarily driven by protons, which play a fundamental role in various biological processes. Protons are encountered daily, influencing the pH levels of products such as soaps and lotions. Traditionally, scientists believed that proton transport in biology was largely a chemical process, involving a simple transfer between water molecules and amino acids. However, new research reveals a surprising twist: a quantum connection between electron and proton movement that reshapes our understanding of life’s internal mechanisms.
Google has entered into a significant partnership with Elementl Power to advance three next-generation nuclear energy projects within the United States. Aimed at addressing the escalating energy demands of data centers and artificial intelligence infrastructure, each facility will generate a minimum of 600 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity. Google will contribute early-stage development capital to support permitting, grid interconnection, and preliminary contracting efforts. Upon completion, the sites will be eligible for commercial power offtake by Google. While the project locations have not been disclosed, each initiative will be developed in coordination with utilities and industry stakeholders.
🔊 Industry Insights & Updates
Igus, a Germany-based leader in motion plastics, has introduced Iggy Rob, a cost-effective humanoid robot designed to perform a variety of automation tasks. Standing 5'7" (1.70 meters) tall, Iggy Rob operates for up to eight hours on a single battery charge. Featuring two arms and a stable wheeled base, this robot is positioned as an accessible solution for companies looking to integrate humanoid automation into their operations. Priced at €47,999 (approximately $54,448), Igus aims to provide businesses with an affordable entry point into the world of robotics.
A team of scientists from the University of Miami, in collaboration with professors from Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Rochester, has developed a groundbreaking new molecule that has the potential to revolutionize the chip-making industry. This molecule could replace traditional materials like silicon or metal, which are currently essential for the production of computer chips. According to a statement from the university, the researchers have created what they believe to be the world’s most electrically conductive organic molecule. This discovery paves the way for the development of smaller, more powerful computing devices composed of natural chemical elements such as carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen.
Cadence Design Systems has introduced the Millennium M2000 Supercomputer, a high-performance computing platform leveraging NVIDIA’s cutting-edge Blackwell architecture. Unveiled at CadenceLIVE Silicon Valley 2025, the system is engineered to deliver exceptional improvements in both computational speed and energy efficiency across a range of demanding workloads—including semiconductor design, aerospace, life sciences, and hyperscale applications. Compared to traditional CPU-based systems, the Millennium M2000 offers up to 80 times faster performance and consumes 20 times less power. By tightly integrating software and hardware, it enables simulations that once took hundreds of CPUs and several days to be completed in under 24 hours.
In Los Gatos, California, a new restaurant concept is revolutionizing fast food with the use of robotics. Developed in collaboration with ABB Robotics and BurgerBots, this innovative establishment features robots that precisely and swiftly assemble made-to-order meals. Utilizing ABB’s IRB 360 FlexPicker and YuMi collaborative robots, the system works within a self-contained cell to deliver meals in 27 seconds. This food automation system is a first, integrating real-time ingredient tracking, flawless topping placement, and intelligent inventory monitoring, redefining fast food service efficiency.
🧬 BioTech
A new gene therapy reversed heart failure in pigs by repairing heart function through cBIN1, showing major promise for future treatment. A new gene therapy has been shown to reverse the effects of heart failure and restore heart function in a large animal model. The treatment increases the heart’s ability to pump blood and significantly improves survival rates. A paper describing the results calls it “an unprecedented recovery of cardiac function.” Heart failure is currently irreversible. Without a heart transplant, most treatments aim only to reduce the heart’s workload and slow the progression of the disease. If this gene therapy produces similar outcomes in future clinical trials, it could offer a way to repair the hearts of one in four people expected to develop heart failure during their lifetime.
Surgeons at the University of Maryland Medical Center have achieved a groundbreaking milestone by successfully removing a spinal tumor through a patient’s eye socket in a pioneering procedure. This innovative approach could pave the way for new treatments for deep-seated tumors that are difficult to access using traditional surgical methods. The operation was led by Dr. Mohamed A. M. Labib, a neurosurgeon and assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The patient, 19-year-old Karla Flores, had previously undergone two surgeries to remove a rare brain tumor known as a chordoma. However, a new chordoma was discovered near the base of her skull, requiring a novel approach due to the risks associated with more conventional methods through the neck, mouth, or nose, which could result in infection or poor visibility.
New research from the University of Tokyo introduces a non-invasive method for early diabetes risk detection, eliminating the need for traditional blood draws. The study reveals that natural glucose fluctuations, as measured by wearable continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, can provide physicians with sufficient data to assess a patient’s risk of developing diabetes. By combining CGM data with a sophisticated algorithm, researchers were able to identify early signs of diabetes with greater accuracy than conventional blood-based tests. These findings were validated through independent datasets and computational modeling, offering a cost-effective and pain-free alternative to current diagnostic methods.
💡Products/tools of the week
Table Studio is a comprehensive data management platform tailored for professionals who handle tabular data. It encompasses tools for data scraping, collection, and organization, with premium subscriptions offering extended scraping functionality and dedicated email support. This platform is particularly suitable for users needing to extract structured data from websites, customize information organization within tables, or engage in data analysis that exceeds the capabilities of conventional spreadsheet programs. Table Studio provides a focused solution for data analysts and business professionals seeking streamlined data collection and workflow integration.
MagicBlocks.ai is a no-code platform designed to help businesses deploy AI-powered sales agents capable of engaging with customers across a variety of communication channels, including web, SMS, email, voice, and WhatsApp, around the clock. The platform enables users to efficiently build and customize these agents through natural language instructions and pre-built industry templates—no technical expertise required. It integrates seamlessly with existing business tools such as CRMs and calendars. Organizations adopt MagicBlocks to automate lead qualification and conversion, reduce operational expenses, enhance scalability in customer engagement, and allow human teams to concentrate on high-value interactions that benefit from a personal touch.
Audimee is an AI-powered vocal transformation platform designed for musicians, producers, and content creators seeking high-quality vocal versatility. With the ability to convert recordings into more than 100 professional-grade singing voices, the platform also supports custom voice model creation, harmony generation, vocal isolation, and vocal-to-instrument conversion. These features allow users to produce natural-sounding results in just minutes. Audimee is an ideal solution for creators who want access to a wide range of vocal styles without hiring multiple singers, who aim to explore musical ideas beyond their own vocal range, and who need royalty-free, studio-quality vocal content—ultimately enabling creative expansion while minimizing production costs.
Vireel is an AI-driven platform that automates the production of short-form videos for TikTok and Instagram, enabling users to generate hundreds of content pieces each month across multiple accounts. By streamlining the traditionally labor-intensive process of product integration and video creation, Vireel empowers brands and marketers to efficiently experiment with diverse content styles and quickly identify top-performing formats. Businesses turn to Vireel to boost their chances of going viral, improve the effectiveness of paid advertising through high-volume testing, and expand their social media footprint without relying on extensive time or video editing expertise.
