![]() ![]() Some of this dynamic is being explored as the quantified self is becoming the qualified self in two new ways: by applying QS methods to the tracking of qualitative phenomena such as mood, and by understanding that QS data collection is just the first step in creating qualitative feedback loops for behavior change. One interesting aspect of QS activity is that it is fundamentally a quantitative and qualitative phenomenon since it includes both the collection of objective metrics data and the subjective experience of the impact of these data. There are some potential limitations related to QS activity-barriers to widespread adoption and a critique regarding scientific soundness-but these may be overcome. The long-term vision of QS activity is that of a systemic monitoring approach where an individual's continuous personal information climate provides real-time performance optimization suggestions. Next-generation QS applications could include tools for rendering QS data meaningful in behavior change, establishing baselines and variability in objective metrics, applying new kinds of pattern recognition techniques, and aggregating multiple self-tracking data streams from wearable electronics, biosensors, mobile phones, genomic data, and cloud-based services. There are opportunities for big data scientists to develop new models to support QS data collection, integration, and analysis, and also to lead in defining open-access database resources and privacy standards for how personal data is used. In the same study, researchers also documented essentially genetically identical Turritopsis dohrnii individuals distributed across the world’s oceans, raising an intriguing question about the nature of mortality-if all of an organism’s cells are replaced, is it still the same individual? The genes are the same, of course-and in biology, that may be enough to declare a winner.Ī version of this article originally appeared in our member magazine, Rotunda.A key contemporary trend emerging in big data science is the quantified self (QS)–individuals engaged in the self-tracking of any kind of biological, physical, behavioral, or environmental information as n=1 individuals or in groups. Researchers have recently identified the immortal jellyfish as an “excellent hitchhiker,” particularly well-suited to surviving long trips on cargo ships. Marine species have long been known to hitch rides around the world in the ballasts of ships. It’s also an increasingly aggressive invader. It’s an efficient way of cell recycling and an important area of study in stem cell research that could help scientists replace cells that have been damaged by disease.Īs for Turritopsis dohrnii, this jelly is not only an extraordinary survivor. By undergoing transdifferentiation, an adult cell, one that is specialized for a particular tissue, can become an entirely different type of specialized cell. The cellular mechanism behind it-a rare process known as transdifferentiation-is of particular interest to scientists for its potential applications in medicine. ![]() In fact, since this phenomenon was first observed in the 1990s, the species has come to be called “the immortal jellyfish.” In a process that looks remarkably like immortality, the born-again polyp colony eventually buds and releases medusae that are genetically identical to the injured adult. ![]() In response to physical damage or even starvation, they take a leap back in their development process, transforming back into a polyp. These tiny, transparent creatures have an extraordinary survival skill, though. A bright-red stomach is visible in the middle of its transparent bell, and the edges are lined with up to 90 white tentacles. These ultimately spawn free-swimming, genetically identical medusae-the animals we recognize as jellyfish-which grow to adulthood in a matter of weeks.įully grown, Turritopsis dohrnii is only about 4.5 mm (0.18 inches) across, smaller than a pinky nail. A planula swims at first, then settles on the sea floor and grows into a cylindrical colony of polyps. Like all jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii begins life as a larva, called a planula, which develops from a fertilized egg. © Takashi Murai/The New York Times Syndicate/Redux Turritopsis dohrnii, the so-called "immortal jellyfish," can hit the reset button and revert to an earlier developmental stage if it is injured or otherwise threatened. ![]()
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