The Singularity is becoming a common phrase. It generally means the point in time when technology progresses to the point where a major shift in reality occurs. Everything changes.

In this case, the term refers to the point at which the lines between human and artificial intelligence (or engineered intelligence) will blur and the two will merge. When serious theorists talk about immortality, this enters the equation. The biological material that makes a human cannot achieve immortality. It needs enhancement, repair and, perhaps, reinvention.

When Ray Kurzweil first started talking about the Singularity approaching, the merging of man and machine, the triumph over aging and infirmity, many people raised their eyebrows. But wait, he’s a serious scientist and he has an excellent track record at predicting events. He predicted the downfall of the Soviet Union and essentially saw Watson coming years ago.

These are not the musings of an idle mind, but the scientific predictions of a genius.

Whether you are skeptical or already convinced, I highly recommend this TIME article for a better understanding of the ideas behind the coming Singularity.

The goal is to eventually use human cells and truly create your own new parts. Gaskets wearing out? Hang on a little longer!

Scientists combined several substances, including resveratrol and grape seed extract, and applied the mixture topically on mice with a higher risk of skin cancer. Fewer of these mice with the plant treatment developed skin cancer. We may have a new sunscreen formula in the works.

Adding black pepper to food not only makes it taste better… Pepper is naturally antimicrobial and it helps the body absorb nutrients. It may even help manage weight, according to one study.

Piperine, the active compound in black pepper, seems to improve the bioavailability of curcumin, the compound that helps give turmeric some of its natural anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Adding a little black pepper and curcumin to vegetables, along with a little olive oil, may boost the health properties of your side dish considerably.

Don’t forget your fats

We absorb many key nutrients found in vegetables that much better when we eat them with a bit of fat. Adding a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil, a smidge of butter (margarine has trans fats), or a little oily fish to your salad or veggies turns up the nutritional value while adding flavor.

Broccoli and carrots both offer more bioavailable nutrition when adding a little oil, so try steaming them together, drizzling with a little extra virgin, and sprinkling with fresh basil or oregano and black pepper.

The future of medicine promises to be very bright. While we’re working to that point, the organization My Bridge 4 Life works with those that have serious diagnoses today.

If you, or someone you know, has received a life-threatening diagnosis, My Bridge 4 Life
is an online and offline wellness program that takes the overwhelming nature of a major health crisis, divides it into manageable phases, helps set goals for each phase with you and your community, AND builds a wellness plan in the process.

Look at the drop in risk… Compared to one serving a day of red meat, women who ate one serving a day of other protein-rich foods had a:
• 30 percent lower risk of heart disease if they ate one serving of nuts.
• 24 percent lower risk of heart disease if they ate one serving of fish.
• 19 percent lower risk of heart disease if they ate one serving of poultry.
• 13 percent lower risk of heart disease if they ate one serving of low-fat dairy.

Consider simple bean chili with a little low-fat cheddar, or walnuts instead of meat on your salad. Make the swap once a week to start making a difference to your heart.

Researchers concluded that “A Western-like fat diet is sufficient to induce a gradual enhancement in fat mass over generations.” What a blow—we are getting fatter as a species, possibly even affecting the genes that would fight the bulge.

The key nutrient in this study was alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 essential fatty acid that the body cannot make itself. Humans must consume ALA through diet, including sources such as flaxseed, soybeans, walnuts, and olive oil. Due to the free-for-all feeding that many populations developed, omega-3s are largely under-consumed in favor of inflammatory omega-6s found in foods like canola oil and red meat.

Stem cells hold great promise for rejuvenating human cells and organs without the usual complications and risk of rejection. The National Institutes of Health presents evidence and commentary on the use of
stem cells to repair a damaged heart.

Do you know how George Washington died? Essentially, he died because medicine had not made enough new advances at the time his moment of truth arrived.

Cancer, heart attack, pneumonia, and other diseases have claimed so many people. Will you be part of the first generation to advance medicine beyond aging?

In the updated diagnosis manual for mental health disorders, it seems that everyone from terrible two’s to sometimes-sad teenagers will soon be in the market for prescription drugs.

According to one critic, the potential for over diagnosing “may lead to the belief that many more of us ‘need’ drugs to treat our ‘conditions’ — (and) many of these drugs will have unpleasant or dangerous side effects.”