Japan Offers Grants For Cyborg Technology Research And More

The Japanese government is looking to tackle looming societal crises with major investments in new scientific research.

Tokyo will begin accepting research proposals in 25 areas of development, including cyborg technology to replace failing body parts, artificial hibernation and ways to eliminate industrial waste.

According to the Nikkei Asian Review, The chosen proposals will be supported for up to a decade with a budget of 100 billion yen, or around $921 million. Proposals will be accepted not just from Japan, but also from foreign researchers.

Other areas that Japan is hoping to tackle with these projects include its aging populace, declining birthrate, labor shortages, and what is referred to as “frontier development.” These initials 25 areas of research were announced on July 31 and it will be whittled down to 5-10 at an upcoming meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the Global Government Forum reports.

One of the more out-there projects being pursued is artificial hibernation, which aims to create a system whereby humans can hibernate for long periods of time, akin to mammals in the winter. The idea is that this practice may help increase human longevity. Another strange concept hoped for is an AI system designed to detect Nobel Prize-level scientific breakthroughs. Sci-fi movie fans may also be interested in the plan to develop “avatars” through which humans can interact with the world, theoretically allowing disabled individuals to move through the world with fewer obstacles.

The deadlines set for the individual proposals range from 2035 to 2060. Specifically, the projects aiming to augment the body with cyborg technology, collect and recycle ocean plastic, and eliminate industrial waste from the environment are aiming for realization by 2050.

The project aimed at completely automating the agriculture, fishing, and forestry industries is aiming for 2040.