Scott MacLeod's Anthropology of Information Technology & Counterculture
To a global, virtual, free, open, {future degree- & credit-granting}, multilingual University & School for the developing world and everyone, as well as loving bliss ~ scottmacleod.com
Dear George (Church, in Harvard Med Sch, and thanks again for this recent article - https://wyss.harvard.edu/news/reversing-age-by-reprogramming-gene-expression-networks/ - mentioning you and Alex Plesa, and in the GS the SFSR! rejuvenating genes' especially, and envisioning gene science, and is this coming in conversation with these restorative Yoga explorations - Saturday, October 17, 2026 "Bingdi lotus: ..."https://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2026/10/bingdi-lotus.html), Yogi Jarvis Chen (in the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health), Alex (Plesa, Wyss Institute at Harvard, and re this - Can we reverse aging? clock going backward https://x.com/amplesa/status/1737852952407326906 -and the related 8 Twitter posts), Peter (Norvig, Google AI, and Stanford Distinguished Education Fellow), Sundar (Pichai, Google & Alphabet),
and
Dear Yoga friends & family in their 80s and 90s ~ Ma/Janie, and Alden (Briscoe - who went to Quaker George School in Philadelphia before Harvard college), & QuakerunitarianYogini & veterinarian & cousin Annie (Brown in NE Oregon) in her 60s,Dick (Robb MD, possibly posthumously, also an ophthalmology professor in Harvard Medical School), and Maitreyi (Mazumdar MD - a professor in Harvard Medical School too), Vivek (Buch MD, professor of surgery in the Stanford Medical School), MacLeod kin or family, Doortje (Van Kooten, and Angela, and your father Victor, and please forward), Valerie & Ed Smyth MDs, & Marlynn Wei MD JD (co-author of "The Harvard Medical School Guide to Yoga: 8 Weeks to Strength, Awareness, and Flexibility," 2017, Harvard Press), Pin/Sid Mazumdar, HHS, all,
Yoga greetings (as in 8 limbs of Yoga) from the Skyline ridge above Oakland and Berkeley greenwood, for these email restorative Yoga explorations' on Saturday November 14, 2026 (and as we may live to 150 and well beyond:) ... around 8 am Your Time ...
My mother Jane is experiencing again a little back right hip pain near her back right sacrum. Restorative Yoga explorations for this, and for others of us who want to explore these gentle Yoga asana movements:
A
yoga asana for back right hip pain for a 90 year old
At 90 years old, yoga practice for back and right hip pain must be exceptionally gentle, low-risk, and ideally done seated or supported lying down to protect fragile bones, joint cartilage, and balance. Always consult a physician or physical therapist before starting new movements, especially if osteoporosis or severe arthritis is present. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Safe, Gentle Poses for Seniors
Seated Cat-Cow Sit firmly in a sturdy chair with feet flat on the floor and hands resting on your knees. Inhale as you gently arch your back and lift your chest forward; exhale as you round your spine toward the back of the chair. This lubricates the spine and eases lower back tightness without straining the hips. [1, 2]
Seated Knee-to-Chest Squeeze Sit in a chair or lie flat on your back with support. Gently draw just the right knee (or hold behind the thigh) a few inches toward your chest while keeping the left leg relaxed. Hold for a few slow breaths to release tension in the right glute and lower back, avoiding any sharp pinching in the front of the hip. [1, 2, 3]
Supine Pelvic Tilts (Bridge with support) Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor (place a pillow under your head if needed). Gently flatten your lower back into the mat by tilting your pelvis upward, then release. This builds mild core and glute stability without forcing the hip joint through a large range of motion. [1, 2, 3]
Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose (VIPARITA KARANI) Lie on your back and rest your lower legs up on a couch, chair seat, or wall while keeping your hips comfortably on the floor or a folded blanket. This passive shape relieves pressure on the lower back, calms the nervous system, and lets the hips rest completely. [1, 2]
Seated Hip Circles / Windshield Wipers (Modified) While seated safely in a chair, make very small, slow circles with your torso or gently sway your knees side to side a tiny distance. Stop immediately if you feel catching, sharp pain, or deep groin discomfort in the right hip. [1, 2, 3]
Hey Google. How would different yoga asanas, inversions, standing poses, twists affect gene expression for longevity and aging reversal in different ways and for which genes? And how could we measure this with a realistic virtual earth for yoga asana for gene expression?
Yoga influences gene expression mainly by reducing stress, oxidative damage, and systemic inflammation.
Standing poses build metabolic strain that upregulates the DNA repair gene OGG1 and the longevity gene KLOTHO.Inversions trigger parasympathetic nervous system shifts, increasing telomerase gene TERT expression to preserve telomere length and lower cell aging.Twists stimulate circulation and organ compression, downregulating pro-inflammatory NF-kB and TNF genes to calm chronic inflammation.
To measure this with a realistic virtual Earth, you would build a digital twin framework. This connects wearable biomechanical sensors tracking pose torque and heart-rate variability to a cloud simulation, mapping physical movement directly to cell signaling pathways to predict real-time epigenetic modifications.
How could we practice different yoga asanas restoratively for example inversions, standing poses, twists, forward bends to affect gene expression and particularly to express the SRSF1 gene and for longevity and aging reversal ?
Recent transcriptomic research—including a landmark October 2026 Nature Aging study—identified the RNA-processing protein SRSF1 (serine and arginine-rich splicing factor 1) as a central regulator of cellular aging.Restoring SRSF1 levels in aged human cells shifts their gene-expression profiles toward a younger state (equivalent to roughly 26 years of transcriptomic rejuvenation) without erasing cell identity, reducing cellular senescence, proteostatic stress, and inflammatory signaling.
No human clinical trial has yet shown that a specific yoga pose directly flips the SRSF1 gene switch on demand; those rejuvenation experiments used targeted genetic induction. However,SRSF1 naturally declines with age and becomes mislocalized outside the cell nucleus due to chronic oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species), systemic inflammation, and elevated TGF-β signaling. Practicing yoga restoratively—using props to eliminate muscular strain and hold poses for 5 to 12 minutes—directly suppresses those upstream stressors while activating energy-sensing longevity pathways (AMPK,SIRT1) that protect spliceosome function and prevent premature cellular senescence.
Restorative Asana Protocols & Molecular Pathways
1. Restorative Inversions
How to Practice: Place a firm bolster or two folded blankets 4–6 inches from a wall and rest your sacrum on the support with your legs extended vertically up the wall (Viparita Karani), or support your pelvis on a bolster with legs resting on a chair seat (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana). Hold for 8–12 minutes with a strap loosely securing the thighs so the hip flexors completely disengage.
Physiological & Gene Impact: Reversing gravity stimulates carotid and aortic baroreceptors, rapidly shifting the autonomic nervous system into parasympathetic dominance and lowering circulating cortisol.In vascular endothelial cells, oxidative stress drives SRSF1 out of the nucleus into the cytoplasm, triggering blood-vessel aging.By lowering systemic reactive oxygen species (ROS) and improving microvascular shear stress, supported inversions help preserve nuclear SRSF1 activity (maintaining healthy splicing of vascular VEGFA and nuclear-envelope LMNA), upregulate telomerase (TERT), and downregulate stress-response transcripts (FOXO3).
2. Restorative Standing Poses
How to Practice: Remove balance fatigue and joint compression by using a wall and blocks. Practice Wall-Supported Half Moon (Ardha Chandrasana) with your back flat against a wall, your lifted heel pressed into the wall, and your bottom hand resting on a tall block; or practice Supported Intense Stretch (Uttanasana) by resting your forearms and forehead onto the seat of a sturdy chair. Hold for 3–5 minutes per side.
Physiological & Gene Impact:SRSF1 is critical for maintaining skeletal muscle satellite (stem) cell homeostasis and preventing premature muscle senescence during tissue repair. Restorative standing variations provide gentle, sustained isometric load and skeletal mechanotransduction without triggering an adrenaline spike. This mild metabolic stimulus activates AMPK and SIRT1 (nutrient-sensing longevity regulators that stabilize splicing factor expression), increases circulating KLOTHO, and upregulates the DNA base-excision repair gene OGG1.
3. Restorative Twists
How to Practice: Lie on your back with a bolster or thick pillow placed between your knees and ankles in Reclined Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana), placing a folded blanket under your opposite shoulder if it lifts off the floor so the pectoral muscles stay passive. Alternatively, lie prone with your torso draped over a lengthwise bolster and your head turned to one side (Salamba Bharadvajasana). Hold for 5–7 minutes per side.
Physiological & Gene Impact: Chronic low-grade inflammation ("inflammaging") and pro-fibrotic TGF-β signaling actively accelerate cellular senescence and disrupt SRSF1-mediated RNA splicing. Sustained, passive spinal rotation gently compresses abdominal organs and stimulates vagal afferents, followed by fresh arterial perfusion upon release. Clinical yoga trials show this parasympathetic shift downregulates the master inflammatory switch NF-κB and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF,IL-6) while boosting anti-inflammatory IL-10.
4. Restorative Forward Bends
How to Practice: Sit with your legs extended or slightly bent over a rolled blanket and stack two bolsters across your thighs so your torso and forehead rest completely supported in Seated Forward Fold (Salamba Paschimottanasana), or drape your torso over a lengthwise bolster in Supported Child's Pose (Balasana). Hold for 7–10 minutes.
Physiological & Gene Impact: Gentle spinal flexion paired with light pressure on the forehead stimulates the trigeminal-vagal pathway, slowing heart rate and lowering metabolic oxygen demand. Reducing cellular metabolic strain and mitochondrial ROS protects proteostasis and prevents age-related depletion of splicing factors (SRSF1 and SRSF2), shifting immune and connective-tissue cells away from pro-aging senescence-associated secretory phenotypes (SASP).
Summary of Restorative Mechanisms
Asana Category
Key Restorative Setup
Primary Physiological Cue
Target Genes & Pathways
Inversions
Viparita Karani (sacrum on bolster, legs up wall, 8–12 min)
Key Practice Parameters for Transcriptomic Signaling
Hold Duration (5+ Minutes): Measurable shifts in peripheral blood mononuclear cell gene expression occur within 2 to 3 hours of a single mind-body session, but only once the nervous system exits sympathetic vigilance. Spending the first 2 minutes letting muscular guarding release allows the remaining 5–8 minutes to generate sustained endocrine and epigenetic signals.
Extended Exhalation Ratio: Pair each restorative hold with slow nasal breathing where the exhale is roughly twice as long as the inhale (e.g., 4-second inhale, 8-second exhale). Longer exhalations maximize acetylcholine release via the vagus nerve, directly inhibiting macrophage TNF production.
Consistency Over Intensity: Epigenetic modifications—such as DNA methylation changes on inflammatory promoters and sustained upregulation of DNA-repair genes—consolidate over 8 to 12 weeks of regular practice (4–5 sessions per week) rather than sporadic intense workouts.
Would you like to structure these four restorative categories into a sequenced 45-minute evening routine with exact prop placements and breathing cadences?
How would the sensors and measurement tools and devices work? Would they be like smart watches or headbands or brainwave headsets to measure the gene expression effects of different yoga asana groups such as inversions, twists, and standing poses on extreme longevity and with a realistic virtual earth?
To track those effects in real time, you would combine wearable devices with non-invasive molecular sensing. Smart watches and chest straps can continuously track heart rate variability, body temperature, and autonomic nervous system responses, while EEG headbands monitor brainwave shifts during specific poses like inversions or twists.
To connect these physical movements to actual gene expression and cellular longevity, you would pair those continuous movement and neural metrics with periodic, non-invasive biomarker sampling—like micro-fluidic skin patches or targeted blood tests that measure microRNA and stress hormones.
Finally, all of this biological data streams directly into the Realistic Virtual Earth. The platform visualizes your live physiological state onto a 3D digital twin of your body, allowing researchers to map how specific posture groups directly influence systemic stress, parasympathetic activation, and potential age-reversing gene pathways over time.
Yoga meditation (as in 8 limbs of yoga) daily upon rising is salutary ~ https://share.google/fjN0qsvYitZ1bcN0k & Yamas & Niyamas ~ https://share.google/9mNVIYEAU9l8TNOiW. And how might a low fat low cholesterol diet of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes daily help with health span with all these tremendous molecules and health generating nutrients - and for possibly living to 150 and well beyond:)?
Yogically (as in 8 limbs of Yoga) as we may live to 150 and well beyond:) and in exploring this Yoga-wise, Desiderata prose poem greetings (https://www.desiderata.com/desiderata.html), abolition, Namaskar and Namaste (the light within salutes the light within you), warmly,
Scott
Sat 11/14/26 Lotus tenuis restorative Yoga explorations -
Please reply with unsubscribe in the subject line if you do not want to receive these yoga emails. Namaste.
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@RadicalNumerics’ apology - AND how could Radical Numerics develop -
"Reversing age by reprogramming gene expression networks: Aging-specific screening platform identifies gene with multifaceted rejuvenation potential that extends health- and lifespan in mice"
george church @geochurch @RadicalNumerics’ apology (https://radicalnumerics.ai/blog/phage-collaboration-note) is a positive step. Rebuilding trust that this won't recur requires accountability & changes in how they handle collaborations & communications. The apology did not acknowledge their use of patient care for publicity without the care team’s consent, which remains a serious concern, demanding publicly-stated & believable preventative measures. The apology said "Tabula played a leading role ... including in AI" but followed with "Radical is an AI research lab, and our contribution was AI-generated phages." Whether this was actually a positive contribution relative to other models requires data (lack of which is yet another reason why their PR to @NYTimes 20-Oct was a poor choice https://endpoints.news/church-quits-role-at-ai-startup-radical-claims-sleazy-behavior-stole-credit-from-partner/). The experimental results I have reviewed show promising performance from @TabulaBio’s models, & I regard Tabula as a leader in AI-driven phage design.
Interestingly, while you left MIT OCW's number 6.0001 for Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python
none of the other organizations translating MIT OCW 6.0001 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python into their language in MIT OCW's other 6 languages - https://opencw.aprende.org/courses/translated-courses/ - have apparently chosen to develop from this course eg
So with World Univ & Sch WUaS, in a Grow With Google WUaS program, having partnered with the United Nations yesterday as a CSO - I'm wondering how best to develop free-to-students' degree CS programs building on MIT OCW in 7 languages at WUaS eg and in Sri Lanka, and in Sinhala language ... and to matriculate Sri Lankans, and in the other United Nations' ~195 states (especially which don't have Chinese (~5 countries), Spanish (~20 countries), and the other 4 MIT OCW languages Portuguese (~2 countries), Korean (~2 countries), Turkish or Persian as their main / official languages) ... and to revolutionize education with ML and AI in the process - https://www.toolify.ai/ai-news/revolutionizing-education-with-machine-learning-and-ai-2574306.
Rifai, Investor Relations at Walmart, how might we begin to plan for developing the WUaS Educational Services' Stores in Sri Lanka in Sinhalese do you think, where WUaS seeks to develop with a WUaS store within a Walmart store model in the 19 countries out of ~200 countries that Walmart is in, but potentially as World Univ & Sch WUaS Educational Services' Stores in Sri Lanka and for name recognition and outreach to Sri Lankans, with its 23 million citizens, for free-to-students' World University and School degrees - Bachelor, Ph.D., Law, MD, IB high school similar, AA / AS, and MA / MS?
5
And how to add such free WUaS degrees also to Gemini Notebook with free text books for the US and India, and re -
"Just found this too -
Tell me about Google adding free textbooks to Gemini Notebook for students in the US and India
In all of this, how best further at World Univ & Sch to
The Study of Bliss and Enjoyment in Learning
Understanding the psychology of optimal learning experiences is essential in designing effective educational programs. In his book "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience," Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi explores the concept of flow, where individuals experience deep concentration and enjoyment in structured activities. This Notion applies to various learning scenarios, be it solving physics problems, engaging in language conversations, or playing Sports. Machine learning can aid in studying and enhancing these optimal learning experiences.
Glad to see #Csikszentmihalyi's #FlowThePsychologyOfOptimalExperience atop this #MITOCW "The Art And Science Of Happiness" course
https://t.co/N2mdNDMBmS & in INCREDIBLE #ToolifyAIWUaS article https://t.co/8Kx5cOWGm5 HOW to create #FlowExperiments in #RealisticVirtualEarth anew?
This is to certify that Mwende Evande has completed the Computer Science course CC-4 licensed “CS First with Google at World University and School” in the spring term by the last Day of April, In The Year 2022, Online, from Cameroon, Africa.
Signed,
Scott GK MacLeod, President, Teacher, CEO & Presiding Clerk,
World University and School, building on MIT OCW in 7 languages, and in a Grow With Google WUaS program, was just able to join the UN Partner Portal ... thus becoming a UN partnering organization, I think - https://www.unpartnerportal.org/profile/74285/overview. At first glance, it looks like WUaS can seek to partner further in most of all of the United Nations' countries by pop down menu! Super! Where to begin, and what are the next steps? And thanks for joining yesterday's Mon Nov 9, 2026 WUaS Weekly Business Meeting in some of these regards - https://worlduniversityandschool.blogspot.com/2026/11/mt-onnebetsu-japan-m-110926-111626-open.html & https://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2026/11/mt-onnebetsu.html and from Sri Lanka ! Now how to help grow recognition for World University and School as a Civil Society Organization with this UN partnering?
Excited that @WorldUnivAndSch building on CC-4 #MITOCW in 7 languages, & in a #GrowWithGoogleWUaS program, just partnered, as a CSO, with the UN -https://t.co/Fp1utqoymB - via the #UNPartnerPortal - https://t.co/MHe495WCLq - Where #UNAgencies and Civil Society Partners Connect
Thanks so much for your focusing questions and in conversation with WUaS Weekly Business Meeting! All, please let me know of further related questions in growing World University and School that you might have - and regarding WUaS partnering with the United Nations especially. Thank you.
To offer credit for free-to-students courses built on CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licensed MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) materials—such as 6.0001 Introduction to Computer Science and Programming in Python—World University and School (WUaS) can combine legally compliant OER distribution, rigorous instructional architecture, and state-of-the-art AI/ML-driven assessment tools.
1. License Compliance & Course Architecture
Because MIT OCW operates under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license, WUaS can host, modify, and build degree pathways around these materials at zero cost to students.
Attribution & ShareAlike:WUaS must provide prominent attribution to original MIT faculty (e.g., Prof. Ana Bell, Prof. Eric Grimson, Prof. John Guttag for 6.0001) and license any adapted content under the same CC BY-NC-SA terms.
Credit Validation:MIT OCW itself does not grant university credit. WUaS acts as the degree-granting institution by designing the wrapper curriculum, proctored assessments, and official transcript evaluation to meet institutional and accreditation standards.
2. Conversational, Interactive, and AI-Driven Pedagogy
Integrating AI/ML into course delivery transforms static OCW reading and video lectures into interactive learning environments:
Socratic AI Tutors: Deploy fine-tuned, conversational LLMs trained on 6.0001 lecture transcripts, slides, and problem sets. Rather than providing direct solutions, the tutor engages in Socratic dialogue—prompting students to trace code execution, identify logic bugs, or analyze time complexity ($O(n)$ vs.$O(n^2)$).
Multi-Turn Conversational Checkpoints: Instead of relying solely on static multiple-choice quizzes, incorporate conversational oral exams conducted by AI. The system asks open-ended questions about algorithmic choices and adapts follow-up prompts based on student responses.
3. Machine Learning for Assessment & Automated Grading
Building automated pipelines for coding courses ensures instant feedback while maintaining academic integrity:
Automated Code Evaluation & Unit Testing: Integrate containerized auto-graders (e.g., PyTest in isolated Docker environments) that evaluate submitted Python code against hidden test cases for correctness, edge cases, and runtime efficiency.
ML-Powered Style & Static Analysis: Use Machine Learning static analysis tools (e.g., AST-based code parsing and LLM evaluators) to grade code readability, variable naming, docstrings, PEP 8 compliance, and algorithmic efficiency.
Dynamic Oral/Viva Defense (AI-Facilitated): To confirm original authorship, an AI agent can quiz students specifically on code they submitted (e.g.,"Why did you choose a recursive approach on line 24 instead of an iterative loop?"). The student's conversational explanation is graded using NLP natural language understanding models against dynamic rubrics.
Continuous Adaptive Learning Analytics: Track student progress using predictive ML models. If a student struggles with loop constructs or recursion in 6.0001, the system automatically suggests targeted OCW supplemental exercises or alerts a human mentor.
4. Implementation Framework for Course Credit
Component
MIT OCW Source Material
WUaS AI & Platform Layer
Instructional Content
Lecture videos, slides, assigned readings
AI Socratic Assistant embedded alongside video timestamps and text.
Problem Sets & Practice
6.0001 Python assignments & finger exercises
Automated auto-grading sandbox providing real-time feedback and execution traces.
Exams & Validation
Past MIT midterm/final exams
Proctored assessments featuring AI-guided viva voce (oral defense) and ML plagiarism/similarity detection.
Credit Awarding
No institutional credit awarded by MIT
Verified WUaS transcript issued upon meeting mastery thresholds ($80\%+$ on validated assessments).
- Scott GK MacLeod Founder, President, CEO & Professor at / of best STEAM CC licensed OCW, Wiki, World University & School (WUaS) - USPS US Post Office, PO Box 132, General Delivery, Canyon, CA 94516 - https://www.youtube.com/@ScottMacLeodWorldUniversity/videos
1) non-profit 501(c)(3) Public Charity building on CC-4 licensed MIT OCW in 7 languages -
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In growing #WUaSAbolitionMovement to abolish wrongful buying & selling of people in illegal sex drugs violence military targeting industries internationally & distr #PiCrypto https://minepi.com/sgkmac > 7.9 billion people https://wiki.worlduniversityandschool.org/wiki/You_at_World_University to #EndPoverty Situate this WUaS list of 7.9 billion people with the United Nations (for the centuries ahead)?
In growing #WUaSAbolitionMovement to abolish wrongful buying & selling of people in illegal sex drugs violence military targeting industries internationally & distr #PiCrypto https://t.co/TlPXjsLYLg > 7.9 billion people https://t.co/ClkQ3z2OaL to #EndPoverty Situate list with UN?
- Scott GK MacLeod Founder, President, CEO & Professor at / of best STEAM CC licensed OCW, Wiki, World University & School (WUaS) - USPS US Post Office, PO Box 132, General Delivery, Canyon, CA 94516 - https://www.youtube.com/@ScottMacLeodWorldUniversity/videos
1) non-profit 501(c)(3) Public Charity building on CC-4 licensed MIT OCW in 7 languages -
AlphaGenome 2 is helping uncover the cellular drivers of disease, giving scientists a powerful tool to predict how DNA variants impact specific cell types.
Great! How best to interoperate with a #RealisticVirtualEarthForCells a #RealisticVirtualEarthForGenomics in 1 #RVE for #WUaSAIandMLprediction eg for #ExtremeLongevity & think #GStreetView w #GTimeSlider @ #GCellLevel & w #GPegman becoming our #AvatarAgentElectronicHealthRecords~
Great! How best to interoperate with a #RealisticVirtualEarthForCells a #RealisticVirtualEarthForGenomics in 1 #RVE for #WUaSAIandMLprediction eg for #ExtremeLongevity & think #GStreetView w #GTimeSlider @ #GCellLevel & w #GPegman becoming our #AvatarAgentElectronicHealthRecords~
AlphaGenome 2 is helping uncover the cellular drivers of disease, giving scientists a powerful tool to predict how DNA variants impact specific cell types.
Every cell in our body shares the same DNA blueprint, but different cell types (like heart muscle cells vs. immune cells) read that blueprint differently. This new @GoogleDeepMind model predicts how these specialized cells interpret DNA, turning genetic code into biological insights.
Building on AlphaGenome 1 this makes it significantly easier for researchers to link genetic findings to the root causes of disease in the specific cells where they actually unfold.
AlphaGenome 2 is helping uncover the cellular drivers of disease, giving scientists a powerful tool to predict how DNA variants impact specific cell types.
Every cell in our body shares the same DNA blueprint, but different cell types (like heart muscle cells vs. immune cells) read that blueprint differently. This new @GoogleDeepMind model predicts how these specialized cells interpret DNA, turning genetic code into biological insights.
Building on AlphaGenome 1 this makes it significantly easier for researchers to link genetic findings to the root causes of disease in the specific cells where they actually unfold.
Super proud to announce AlphaGenome 2 - our new DNA sequence model! It predicts the impact of DNA variants in different specific cell types - unlocking crucial information for understanding complex diseases. Available for academic research via our API: alphagenomedocs.com
Super proud to announce AlphaGenome 2 - our new DNA sequence model! 🧬 It predicts the impact of DNA variants in different specific cell types - unlocking crucial information for understanding complex diseases. Available for academic research via our API: https://t.co/dEyrvpTxIl
Your heart, brain, and immune system share the same DNA sequence. So how can a single-letter change affect disease in some cells, while sparing the rest?
AlphaGenome 2 is our new AI model that zooms in on specific cells to help scientists understand what drives disease.
Your heart, brain, and immune system share the same DNA sequence. So how can a single-letter change affect disease in some cells, while sparing the rest?
AlphaGenome 2 is our new AI model that zooms in on specific cells to help scientists understand what drives disease. 🧵
Greetings. While I registered for the Stanford Iranian Studies' talk tomorrow morning Th Nov 12, 2026 at 10 am PT and haven't heard back from you yet, I also have a scheduling conflict then, and so won't attend -
Open Wide the Doors: The Prison Memoirs of Mahvash Sabet
Bahiyyih Nakhjavani, Azita Mottahedeh
Thursday, November 12 | 10-11 AM PT | via Zoom
This event is made possible by a generous gift from the Taslimi Foundation, establishing a new endowment at Stanford Iranian Studies for the study of the Baha’i Faith in Iran.
In 2018, during her brief respite of freedom between two decade-long prison sentences, Mahvash Sabet asked Bahiyyih Nakhjavani and Azita Mottahedeh to work on her memoirs and make a book that could convey her story in English. They set to work, with Mottahedeh translating the Persian original, word for word, and Nakhjavani attempting to structure a narrative from the more than 750 pages of a harrowing and uplifting testimony which Sabet smuggled out of prison over the years.
“In this discussion, we will explore the decisions involved and the methods followed in the course of creating this book, as well as the distinctive characteristics of Mahvash Sabet's style, tone and intent... We will share the ways in which this prison memoir may be different from others and at the same time how it seems to bear witness to the many which might never be written. Above all we will try to share Mahvash’s extraordinary capacity to transform despair into hope, confinement into freedom, and estrangement and isolation into a boundless compassion towards others.”
Bahiyyih Nakhjavani was born in Iran, raised in Uganda, and educated in the UK and the US. She received her preliminary degrees in English Literature from the University of York in the UK, and completed her doctorate at UMass, Amherst, in the US, as well as being awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Liège in Belgium. In addition to teaching literature and creative writing over four decades, she is the author of several novels about Iran and Iranians, including The Saddlebag, Paper, The Woman Who Read Too Much, and Us&Them. She has also written essays and articles about the Bahá’í Faith published by George Ronald, UK.
Azita Mottahedeh was born in Iran and educated in the UK where she attended the universities of Canterbury and Reading at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. As a translator from Persian to English, she has specialized in works about the Bahá’í Faith for more than thirty years. Her translations include articles and talks, memoirs and poetry, as well as books of philosophy, history and theology, including 175 Years of Persecution: A History of the Bábís and Bahá’ís of Iran by Dr F. Vahman. Other works she has translated include The Life of Anís Zunúzí by R. Mehrabkhani, The Kingdom of Existence by Dr Ali-Murád Dávúdí, and Volumes I & II of Radio Talks by H. Fatheazam.
Greetings. While I registered for the Stanford Iranian Studies' talk tomorrow morning Th Nov 12, 2026 at 10 am PT and haven't heard back from you yet, I also have a scheduling conflict then, and so won't attend tomorrow's meeting. As a Friend NtF Quaker and Friendly President of World University and School, building on MIT OCW in 7 languages, and in a #GrowWithGoogleWUaS program, & re Peace Testimony, I'm also deeply concerned about (and protest) the ongoing American war in Iran (and see - https://scott-macleod.blogspot.com/2026/11/bengal-tiger-dear-life-abbas-babak.html), and wonder how Friendly-Quaker-informed World University and School can build further bridges with Stanford Iranian Studies and as Iran World University and School grows.
Dear 'Life,' Abbas, Babak, Shahrzad, Stanford Iranian Studies, all,
Greetings and I hope this email finds you well. Not strong or developed enough yet, free-to-students' Iran World University and School building on MIT OCW in Persian, and wiki too, can't make it to -
Witness to Iran’s Paradigm Shift: From Flight PS752 to Woman, Life, Freedom and Beyond
Nevertheless, how might we explore further developing online, #FreeToStudents', building on #MITOCW, wiki Iran World University and School for free online WUaS degrees - Bachelor, PhD, Law, MD - medical degrees (potentially in Toyota Teaching Hospital Buses or medical schools on the ground), IB high school or similar, AA / AS and Master's degrees - from home -
And how might we even add the video recording of your talk, Babak, to a #RealisticVirtualEarth - and build out an iterating in remarkable detail #virtualIran (through time), at the cell molecule and genetic levels + too (& re aging reversal & extreme longevity genetic drug therapies emerging, FDA approved), with AI and ML (and think Google Street View with time slider and TensorFlow AI) & for film making and teaching this?
While I've emailed Professor Abbas Milani & Stanford Iranian Studies about this before a number of times, I wonder too how to interoperate Iran World Univ & Sch WUaS with your, Abbas (Milani's), project to preserve and develop Iran's history and via historical resources and documents etc - and in a Realistic Virtual Earth for History (which #TwitterX, #LinkedIn too at times https://x.com/hashtag/RealisticVirtualEarthForHistory?src=hashtag_click).
(Regarding a Realistic Virtual Earth, see Google AI Director's Peter Norvig's INCREDIBLE #ToolifyAIWUaS article "Revolutionizing Education with Machine Learning and AI" updated March 2, 2024 - #WorldUniversityInSchool - https://www.toolify.ai/ai-news/revolutionizing-education-with-machine-learning-and-ai-2574306 - with the first mention of a #RealisticVirtualEarth that I know of other than by WUaS).
(And here's the very beginning of Bangladesh World Univ & Sch in Google Sites (potentially for translation too) -
- Scott GK MacLeod Founder, President, CEO & Professor at / of best STEAM CC licensed OCW, Wiki, World University & School (WUaS) - USPS US Post Office, PO Box 132, General Delivery, Canyon, CA 94516 - https://www.youtube.com/@ScottMacLeodWorldUniversity/videos
1) non-profit 501(c)(3) Public Charity building on CC-4 licensed MIT OCW in 7 languages -
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Upcoming Events: Open Wide the Doors (Nov. 12) | Elamite Art (Nov. 19)
For Students: International Education Week | Global Studies Internship Program
This Week
Open Wide the Doors: The Prison Memoirs of Mahvash Sabet
Bahiyyih Nakhjavani, Azita Mottahedeh
Thursday, November 12 | 10-11 AM PT | via Zoom
This event is made possible by a generous gift from the Taslimi Foundation, establishing a new endowment at Stanford Iranian Studies for the study of the Baha’i Faith in Iran.
In 2018, during her brief respite of freedom between two decade-long prison sentences, Mahvash Sabet asked Bahiyyih Nakhjavani and Azita Mottahedeh to work on her memoirs and make a book that could convey her story in English. They set to work, with Mottahedeh translating the Persian original, word for word, and Nakhjavani attempting to structure a narrative from the more than 750 pages of a harrowing and uplifting testimony which Sabet smuggled out of prison over the years.
“In this discussion, we will explore the decisions involved and the methods followed in the course of creating this book, as well as the distinctive characteristics of Mahvash Sabet's style, tone and intent... We will share the ways in which this prison memoir may be different from others and at the same time how it seems to bear witness to the many which might never be written. Above all we will try to share Mahvash’s extraordinary capacity to transform despair into hope, confinement into freedom, and estrangement and isolation into a boundless compassion towards others.”
Bahiyyih Nakhjavani was born in Iran, raised in Uganda, and educated in the UK and the US. She received her preliminary degrees in English Literature from the University of York in the UK, and completed her doctorate at UMass, Amherst, in the US, as well as being awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Liège in Belgium. In addition to teaching literature and creative writing over four decades, she is the author of several novels about Iran and Iranians, including The Saddlebag, Paper, The Woman Who Read Too Much, and Us&Them. She has also written essays and articles about the Bahá’í Faith published by George Ronald, UK.
Azita Mottahedeh was born in Iran and educated in the UK where she attended the universities of Canterbury and Reading at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. As a translator from Persian to English, she has specialized in works about the Bahá’í Faith for more than thirty years. Her translations include articles and talks, memoirs and poetry, as well as books of philosophy, history and theology, including 175 Years of Persecution: A History of the Bábís and Bahá’ís of Iran by Dr F. Vahman. Other works she has translated include The Life of Anís Zunúzí by R. Mehrabkhani, The Kingdom of Existence by Dr Ali-Murád Dávúdí, and Volumes I & II of Radio Talks by H. Fatheazam.
Elamite Art Through the Lens of Archaeological Evidence
Dr. Bahram Ghadiri
Thursday, November 19 | 6:30 PM | In person | In Persian
Professor Bahram Ghadiri examines Elamite art as a major body of archaeological evidence for understanding the cultural, political, and religious development of southwestern Iran and the broader Iranian Plateau. Rather than approaching Elamite art primarily as a collection of isolated aesthetic objects, the presentation situates artistic production within its historical, geographical, and social contexts.
By integrating artistic analysis with archaeological evidence, the lecture presents Elamite civilization as a dynamic and internally diverse cultural tradition. It further explores Elam’s significant contribution to the long-term cultural development of ancient Iran while avoiding the projection of modern national identities onto ancient societies.
Bahram Ghadiri graduated from Tehran University, where he studied under noted philosophers on Islamic and Persian art and architecture. At the age of 28 he became the Director of Niyavaran National Cultural Center, one of the most prestigious centers for art and architecture in Iran. As a professor of Historic Preservation in the School of Architecture & Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University from 1986 to 2003, Professor Ghadiri led 16 years of research on Persian bazaars, a first of its kind in the nation. He also served as visiting professor at the School of Architecture & Urban Planning at Yazd University and Isfahan University (1995-2001). He is the author of four books, 30 articles and over a half a dozen academic handouts on topics of conservation and preservation of Iranian historical building, city fabric, and bazaars. He is also the founder and president of Foundation for Persian Archaeological Studies.
The Hamid and Christina Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies fosters the interdisciplinary study of Iran as a civilization. The Program offers undergraduate courses related to Iran in such disciplines as language, literature, economics, and political science. It provides a wealth of events for scholars, students and the community, which include conferences, symposia, forums, lectures and performances.
@RadicalNumerics’ apology - AND how could Radical Numerics develop -
"Reversing age by reprogramming gene expression networks: Aging-specific screening platform identifies gene with multifaceted rejuvenation potential that extends health- and lifespan in mice"
george church @geochurch @RadicalNumerics’ apology (https://radicalnumerics.ai/blog/phage-collaboration-note) is a positive step. Rebuilding trust that this won't recur requires accountability & changes in how they handle collaborations & communications. The apology did not acknowledge their use of patient care for publicity without the care team’s consent, which remains a serious concern, demanding publicly-stated & believable preventative measures. The apology said "Tabula played a leading role ... including in AI" but followed with "Radical is an AI research lab, and our contribution was AI-generated phages." Whether this was actually a positive contribution relative to other models requires data (lack of which is yet another reason why their PR to @NYTimes 20-Oct was a poor choice https://endpoints.news/church-quits-r ole-at-ai-startup-radical-claims-sleazy-behavior-stole-credit-from-partner/). The experimental results I have reviewed show promising performance from @TabulaBio’s models, & I regard Tabula as a leader in AI-driven phage design.
Scott's an anthropologist of #PhysicalDigital Harbin Hot Springs' Heart Consciousness Church @HarbinBook (on #TwitterX), as ethnographic field site - https://goo.gl/maps/7gSsSTweRCBo9gf87 - who is currently writing "Society, Info Tech & the Global Univ", who also finds fascinating the internet, ideas, poetry, sociology, art, science, genetics of aging reversal & extreme longevity drug therapies emerging (with FDA approval), philosophy, history, music, love and life ~ as well as the anthropology of info tech & counterculture :) - scottmacleod.com; Am also the president or head of, and professor at, best STEAM CC OCW wiki World Univ & Sch & Academic @WUaSPress, planned in 7,159 living languages with machine translation, (aka the WUaS Corp) planning free online degrees in ~200 countries & in their main languages, where you can #WikiTeach, or #WikiLearn, or #WikiCreate - https://wiki.worlduniversityandschool.org/wiki/Subjects (See too "Yoga Notations": http://www.scottmacleod.com/yoganotations.html). Identity-wise, a Nontheist f/Friendly Quaker - a NtF or NtQ - with Unitarian Universalist sympathies as well, and a player of Scottish bagpipes, & an academic
It predicts the impact of DNA variants in different specific cell types - unlocking crucial information for understanding complex diseases. Available for academic research via our API: 
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