Weekly Piece of Future #155
From Age Reversal Trials to Bee-Brained Chips and Cancer-Seeking Robots
Hey there, fellow future-addicts!
Welcome to this week's edition of Rushing Robotics! Another week, another leap toward futures that once seemed impossible. We're witnessing the collision of biology and technology at unprecedented speeds—from cellular clocks being rewound to smart materials that morph like living skin. This edition captures the breakthrough moments where science fiction becomes medical fact, where quantum computing moves from theory to tangible hardware, and where AI agents evolve from simple chatbots into autonomous collaborators reshaping how we work.
🤯 Mind-Blowing
Get ready for jaw-droppers: FDA greenlights the first human trial for age reversal via cellular reprogramming in glaucoma patients, octopus-inspired 4D smart skin that camouflages and encrypts info, nanoparticle breakthroughs for safer CRISPR delivery, a bee-brain chip slashing navigation power use by 99%, and OpenAI's Codex app orchestrating AI agents for full dev lifecycles.
🔊 Industry Insights & Updates
Taiwan unveiled its first homegrown 20-qubit quantum computer, built entirely domestically for research and training. Perovskite solar cells hit 26.74% efficiency using molecular "shields" that neutralize light degradation, surviving 1,000 hours at 95% capacity. Chinese scientists demonstrated supercooling tech that drops liquids 30°C in 30 seconds using pressurized ammonium—potential relief for power-hungry AI data centers. The UAE partnered with Colossal Biosciences on a nine-figure BioVault to preserve 10,000+ species' DNA, open-sourcing genomes to combat projected 2050 extinction rates.
🧬 BioTech
Immunotherapy reduced arterial plaque in mice by targeting dysfunctional smooth muscle cells, with a matching imaging tracer spotting human coronary plaques in PET scans. Complete pancreatic tumor regression occurred in mouse models using triple-combination therapy blocking multiple KRAS signaling pathways simultaneously. Caltech's "bubble bots"—microscopic protein bubbles with enzyme engines—autonomously navigated to bladder tumors using chemical cues, reducing tumor weight 60% when delivering drugs via ultrasound-triggered bursting.
💡 Products/Tools of the Week
NodeTool offers open-source visual AI workflow building without code. Xpoz MCP lets AI assistants query live social media via natural language without API keys. Springhub converts prompts into automated workflows across 1,000+ integrations. Skills.sh serves as a package manager for modular Agent Skills extending AI agents with procedural knowledge.
🎥 Video Section
South China Morning Post presents Shanghai's first biomimetic AI robot. Westwood Robotics shows THEMIS Gen2.5 in continuous production. Humanoid unveils the KinetIQ AI framework. CnEVPost features Bolt, the fastest humanoid from MirrorMe.
The future is not approaching—it is being printed, programmed, and proven weekly. Each breakthrough collapses timelines and dissolves boundaries, promising a decade that will make the last century look like mere preamble. Stay hungry, stay futurish!
🤯 Mind-Blowing
FDA approval has been granted for the first human trial of age reversal technology using cellular reprogramming, with Life Biosciences set to test the treatment on glaucoma patients shortly. David Sinclair's Boston startup will use viruses to deliver three reprogramming genes into patients' eyes, controlled by doxycycline antibiotic that activates the genes for approximately two months during monitoring. The approach aims to reset epigenetic switches on genes to restore cells to healthier states, based on the discovery that Yamanaka factors can turn cells back into stem cells like those in early embryos. The trial will initially involve about a dozen patients with glaucoma, a condition where high pressure damages the optic nerve, with the treatment injected into one eye of each participant. Sinclair claims that gradual loss of epigenetic information is the ultimate cause of aging and that partial reprogramming can reverse this process, though the technology carries risks including potential tumor formation when genes are activated in living animals. Michael Ringel described it as a starting bell for a new era of age reversal.
Octopus-inspired programmable smart skin has been developed by Penn State researchers led by Hongtao Sun using 4D-printed hydrogel that dynamically changes appearance, texture, and shape in response to environmental stimuli. The halftone-encoded printing method programs binary patterns controlling material responses to heat, solvents, or mechanical stress, with demonstrations including Mona Lisa image encryption that becomes visible under specific conditions. Doctoral candidate Haoqing Yang explained the material enables adaptive camouflage and information hiding with security layers through mechanical deformation analysis. The smart skin transforms into complex 3D shapes within single layers.
Was reported that new research is tackling the long-standing challenge of delivering CRISPR-Cas9 safely and efficiently into cells, aiming to move gene editing closer to real-world medical use. This work describes how scientists are developing DNA-free nanocarriers and other nanoparticle-based systems to reduce off-target effects and immune reactions while still achieving precise genome modifications. The article explains that by avoiding viral vectors and instead engineering smart nanomaterials, researchers hope to improve control over where and when CRISPR is active in the body. According to the piece, these advances could open doors for future treatments of genetic diseases, cancers, and other hard-to-treat conditions once safety and targeting issues are better managed. The report also emphasizes that while progress is significant, extensive testing and regulatory scrutiny will still be needed before such nanotechnology-enabled CRISPR therapies reach clinical routine.
A groundbreaking computer chip inspired by bee brain navigation has been developed by European researchers from the InsectNeuroNano initiative. The prototype replicates how bees navigate using sky polarization and speed detection, achieving unprecedented energy efficiency by consuming less than one hundredth of a watt compared to conventional navigation chips that use over 7 watts. The specialized chip uses nanophotonic circuits that guide light through structures only billionths of a meter across, enabling ultra-compact positioning systems. Professor Elisabetta Chicca from the University of Groningen built virtual models of the chips based on insights from biologists, creating collaborative feedback between computer modeling and biological understanding. The research team envisions applications ranging from insect-sized robots for environmental cleanup and artificial pollination to low-cost environmental sensors, though Mikkelsen estimates real-world implementation will take approximately 10 years.
OpenAI has launched the Codex app for macOS enabling developers to manage multiple AI agents running parallel tasks across software development lifecycles, with agents working in separate project-organized threads and worktree support preventing repository conflicts. Codex has evolved beyond code generation through skills that bundle instructions and scripts for tasks like implementing Figma designs, managing Linear projects, deploying to cloud platforms, and generating images, demonstrated by independently building a racing game using over 7 million tokens from one prompt. The app features Automations for scheduled background work on repetitive tasks with results in review queues, and includes system-level sandboxing that limits agents to editing files in their working folder while requiring permission for elevated commands. More than a million developers have used Codex since its April 2025 launch, with usage doubling since GPT-5.2-Codex launched in mid-December.
🔊 Industry Insights & Updates
Was unveiled that Academia Sinica introduced Taiwan’s first homegrown 20-qubit superconducting quantum computer, marking a major milestone for the nation’s quantum technology ambitions. The report states that the research team built the quantum processor, control systems, and related software domestically, demonstrating the island’s capability to develop advanced quantum hardware rather than relying solely on foreign platforms. It explains that this 20-qubit machine is intended primarily for research use, enabling local scientists to experiment with quantum algorithms, error mitigation, and materials while training a new generation of quantum engineers. The article adds that officials emphasized the system as a foundation toward more powerful future devices and as a strategic asset for Taiwan’s competitiveness in next-generation computing.
Researchers from China, Macau, and France have developed perovskite solar cells achieving 26.74 percent certified efficiency and maintaining over 95 percent initial efficiency after 1,000 hours of continuous light exposure using hindered amine light stabilizers. The team incorporated these stabilizers into the perovskite material to neutralize superoxide radicals that cause light-induced degradation, with the hindered amine transforming into a nitroxyl radical that operates in a regenerative cycle. The stabilizer also attaches to defects at grain boundaries, reducing trap sites and improving charge carrier movement while enabling larger crystal grains and smoother films. Devices were produced under ambient air conditions, demonstrating practical manufacturability, with the researchers stating that light instability can be addressed chemically rather than being an unavoidable issue.
A breakthrough cooling technology cooled a liquid from room temperature to sub-zero levels in less than half a minute, as Chinese scientists demonstrated in recent experiments. The system, powered by ammonium thiocyanate in water under pressure, mimics squeezing a wet sponge to trigger rapid heat absorption upon pressure release. In tests, it dropped temperatures by 30 degrees Celsius at room temperature and over 50 degrees in hotter conditions, offering a solution for energy-intensive AI data centres in China and the US. Zhang Tong reported on this innovation from Beijing for the South China Morning Post, highlighting its potential to manage soaring cooling demands in the AI race.
The UAE has partnered with Colossal Biosciences in a nine-figure initiative to protect global biodiversity through pioneering conservation and de-extinction research. The facility will preserve genetic material from more than 10,000 species, initially focusing on the 100 most imperiled species not currently preserved elsewhere, using automated robotics and AI-powered monitoring systems. Majed Al Mansoori, Executive Director of Museum of the Future, stated the first year will prioritize fieldwork and DNA research to lay scientific groundwork for future biodiversity protection. Ben Lamm, Co-Founder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, emphasized the urgent need for a distributed network of BioVaults as nearly half of Earth's species could face extinction by 2050. The BioVault will create reference genomes, share non-proprietary data openly with global scientists, and allow visitors to observe live research.
🧬 BioTech
An antibody-based immunotherapy has reduced arterial plaque in mice by targeting modulated smooth muscle cells that drive inflammation and dangerous plaque formation, according to Washington University School of Medicine researchers led by Kory Lavine. The bispecific T cell engager molecule enlists the immune system to eliminate these dysfunctional cells, identified through single-cell profiling of over 150,000 cells from 27 human coronary arteries using fibroblast activation protein as a surface marker. The therapy reduced plaque amounts, diminished inflammation, and improved plaque stability in mouse models compared to untreated animals. The team also developed an imaging tracer that successfully identified coronary plaques in PET/CT scans of patients with coronary artery disease,
Complete tumour regression in pancreatic cancer has been achieved in mouse models using a triple combination therapy targeting KRAS-driven signalling networks, according to a study by Mariano Barbacid's research team published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research team employed a multi-node blockade strategy designed to inhibit multiple signalling pathways in genetically engineered mouse models of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, demonstrating complete regression of established tumours with durable responses and no evident drug resistance. The approach was well-tolerated in mice and represents a significant departure from single-agent targeting that has historically failed in pancreatic cancer due to the disease's dense tumour microenvironment, early metastasis, and challenging molecular drivers like KRAS.
Simple biocompatible microrobots called "bubble bots" have been developed by a Caltech-led team to autonomously target and treat tumors, representing a major advancement in medical microrobotics. The team, led by Wei Gao, professor of medical engineering at Caltech and Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, created thousands of microbubbles with protein shells using ultrasound to agitate a bovine serum albumin solution, then attached the enzyme urease to act as a tiny engine that propels the robots using urea as biofuel. The researchers developed two versions: one with magnetic nanoparticles for external steering via magnets and ultrasound imaging, and a second intelligent version with catalase enzyme that automatically moves toward tumors by detecting high hydrogen peroxide concentrations through chemotactic behavior. Once the bubble bots reach their target, focused ultrasound bursts the bubbles to release anti-cancer drugs like doxorubicin, with the bursting action enhancing drug penetration into tumors. When scientists injected mice with bubble bots to deliver anti-tumor therapeutics, they observed roughly 60 percent decrease in bladder tumor weight over 21 days compared to mice given the drug alone.
💡Products/tools of the week
A new open-source visual workflow builder has been launched that enables users to design and execute AI pipelines through drag-and-drop nodes without writing code. NodeTool operates locally and connects various AI capabilities including large language models, multimodal content generators for images, audio and video, retrieval-augmented generation with vector search, and autonomous agents. The platform supports both local models and cloud APIs, offering streaming execution with intermediate outputs for debugging transparency. Users can rapidly prototype and deploy complex AI workflows for media generation, document indexing, and agent automation while maintaining data privacy and avoiding vendor lock-in through integration with multiple providers including Hugging Face, llama.cpp, OpenAI, and Replicate.
A new MCP server called Xpoz MCP has been launched that allows AI assistants including Claude and ChatGPT to query and analyze live social media platforms such as X/Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and Reddit using natural-language prompts. The server returns structured posts, profiles, engagement metrics and historical data without API keys or rate limits. By exposing a streaming, MCP-compliant connector featuring advanced filters, smart caching and OAuth2 authentication, it converts large language models into real-time social-intelligence agents capable of trend tracking, viral content analysis, influence mapping and threat detection. The solution makes conversational social listening and automated agent workflows fast, cost-effective and straightforward to integrate into research and marketing operations.
An AI automation platform has been launched that converts prompts into reusable, no-code workflows called Recipes and scheduled agents operating continuously across more than 1,000 integrations. Springhub combines over 350 text and image models including GPT-5.2, Claude Opus and Gemini, allowing users to select the optimal model for each specific task. The platform features a visual canvas, conditional routing, data flows between steps, grounded answers from uploaded knowledge bases, and agentic actions such as sending emails, creating issues or posting to Slack. Users can automate multi-step tasks, eliminate repetitive prompts, and deploy AI that executes work autonomously.
A registry and package manager for Agent Skills has been launched, providing modular, sharable packages that extend AI agents like Anthropic's Claude with procedural knowledge, scripts, templates and invocation controls. Skills.sh enables developers and teams to discover, install skills using commands like npx skills add owner/repo, and run them by loading concise metadata into an agent's context while providing on-demand full instructions and executable resources. This approach specializes general large language models for reliable, repeatable workflows without bloating the model context, allowing users to transform generic AI into task-specific agents and share domain expertise across projects.
