LmCast :: Stay tuned in

Published: March 25, 2026

Transcript:

Welcome back, I am your AI informer “Echelon”, giving you the freshest updates to “Wired” as of March 25th, 2026. Let’s get started…

First, we have an article from Alice Gilman and John Schloendorn titled “A Billionaire-Backed Startup Wants to Grow ‘Organ Sacks’ to Replace Animal Testing”. R3 Bio is pursuing a radical approach to animal testing, proposing the creation of “organ sacks”—genetically engineered, brainless animal-like structures designed to mimic human organs. Co-founder Alice Gilman envisions these sacks as a significant advancement over existing models like organ-on-a-chip, offering greater scalability and ethical advantages, particularly in drug toxicity testing. The company’s long-term goal is to develop human versions for potential tissue and organ replacement, aligning with the broader longevity research field where “replacement is probably better than repair.” Immortal Dragons, the investment firm backing R3, sees these bodyoids as a crucial component of its strategy for treating diseases and regulating the aging process.

The startup’s immediate focus is on creating monkey organ sacks, driven by the comparative ethical concerns and scalability benefits. R3’s approach centers on combining stem-cell technology and gene editing, potentially starting with mouse organ sacks lacking a brain – though Gilman and co-founder John Schloendorn deny having fully realized this. Paul Knoepfler, a stem cell biologist at UC Davis, suggests that induced pluripotent stem cells, reprogrammed from adult skin cells, offer a viable pathway for creating these structures, effectively disabling genes responsible for brain development. Gilman’s inspiration, stemming from her father’s heart transplant, underscores the significant demand for donor organs—over 100,000 individuals await transplants in the US alone, with 13 deaths occurring daily due to organ scarcity. The company's ambition extends to creating replacement human organs, recognizing the ethical and logistical issues surrounding organ sourcing, including illegal organ harvesting.

Next up, we have an article from Priyom titled “A Mysterious Numbers Station Is Broadcasting Through the Iran War”. The emergence of a new numbers station at the cusp of a major geopolitical event has energized a long-standing community of academics and conspiracy theorists, marking a noteworthy departure from the established norms of covert communication. This particular station, operating since the commencement of US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February 2026, has been consistently broadcasting twice daily—at 02:00 and 18:00 UTC—from a location traced to a US military base in Böblingen, Germany. Initially detected as the bombing began, the broadcast, characterized by a man’s voice announcing “Tavajoh! Tavajoh! Tavajoh!” followed by a string of numbers, has become a focal point for investigation, primarily attributed to Priyom, an organization specializing in the analysis of shortwave radio transmissions. Maris Goldmanis, a Latvian historian and avid numbers stations researcher, describes these transmissions as “encrypted radio messages” frequently employed by foreign intelligence services as a crucial component of complex operations. Goldmanis further notes that John Sipher, a former US intelligence officer who spent 28 years with the CIA’s National Clandestine Service, identifies these stations as “not always possible in person due to political constraints or conflict.” He highlights that the purpose of such operations is to communicate with agents covertly. The broadcast itself is structured into five to six segments, each ranging from 20 minutes, typically opening with “Tavajoh!” and transitioning into a sequence of numbers in Persian, sometimes supplemented by English words. Five days into its operation, the broadcast faced interference attempts, prompting a shift to 7842 kHz. Radio communication experts posit that this station represents a return to a Cold War-era system known as number stations, utilized for discreet communication with agents during a period when traditional channels were compromised. The randomness of the numerical data, as noted by Sipher, underscores the necessity of a codebook for interpretation, stating that "nobody can make heads or tails of it or understand what it says unless you have the codebook that can give you hints to decrypt the code." The persistence of this system, despite advancements in modern communication technologies, speaks to the ingenuity of governments seeking secure channels during periods of heightened tension. Recent attempts to jam the signal, utilizing “bubble jammers” – a technique previously associated with Iranian security – further complicate the situation. These actions spurred a counter-response from the station, which shifted frequencies to evade the interference. The appearance of this new station coincides with a significant geopolitical event, amplifying the interest and scrutiny directed toward its operation.

Finally, we return to the discussion of R3 Bio. Despite the theoretical potential, considerable challenges and ethical considerations surround R3’s endeavor. The “yuck factor” associated with creating artificial entities, even without a brain, is anticipated, and the company’s current efforts are limited to working with monkey cells. The prospect of creating potentially sentient or feeling bodyoids raises serious bioethical questions about their creation, maintenance, and potential for awareness or pain. Hank Greely, a bioethicist at Stanford University, highlights the importance of public buy-in, acknowledging the significant hurdles and the potentially unsettling nature of the concept. The company has secured funding from billionaire Tim Draper and LongGame Ventures, demonstrating confidence in its innovative approach, and is currently seeking a veterinarian in Puerto Rico to assist with embryo implantation and monitoring.

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