Lifeboat Foundation

A cutting-edge theory of mind suggests a new type of doomsday scenario.

Imagine a world where machines not only understand our words, but grasp the nuances of our emotions, anticipate our needs, and even surpass our own intelligence. This is the dream, and perhaps the near reality, of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).

For many years, the idea of achieving AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) has only existed in the realm of science fiction. It’s been seen as a futuristic utopia where machines can seamlessly integrate into our lives. However, this perception is changing. Advances in AI technology are blurring the lines between fiction and reality, leading to both excitement and apprehension regarding its potential impact on society.

Continue reading “Unlocking the Future: The Dawn of Artificial General Intelligence?” »

The discovery is the best candidate for a class of black holes astronomers have long believed to exist but have never found—intermediate-mass black holes formed in early stages of galaxy evolution.

Visible to the naked eye as a smudge in the night sky from Southern latitudes, Omega Centauri is a magnificent collection of 10 million stars. Viewed through a small telescope, it resembles other globular clusters —a densely packed spherical assembly of stars where the core is so congested that individual stars blur into one another.

Continue reading “Discovery in Omega Centauri: The Missing Link to Massive Black Hole Formation” »

Dark matter could bring black holes together.

Dark matter that interacts with itself could extract significant momentum from a binary supermassive black hole system, causing the black holes to merge.

A gravitational-wave “hum” pervades the Universe.

Continue reading “Astrophysicists uncover supermassive black hole/dark matter connection in solving the ‘final parsec problem’” »

2001: CREATING KUBRICK’S SPACE ODYSSEY chronicles the creation of one of the most influential films in the history of cinema. This new documentary examines the work of legendary director Stanley Kubrick and iconic novelist Arthur C. Clarke in creating what they called “the proverbial good science fiction movie.” Filmmaker Roger Lay, Jr. tackles the enigmatic film through interviews with 2001 star Keir Dullea (who played astronaut Dave Bowman) and choreographer Dan Richter (who played Moonwatcher, the proto-human ape who learned to use the first tool). Both provide personal insights into their work on the groundbreaking film.

Other interviews include 2001 visual effects technician Brian Johnson (Academy Award winner for Alien and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back), film historian Michael Benson (author of Space Odyssey: Kubrick, Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece), and technologist Jules Urbach (CEO of OTOY). They discuss not only the revolutionary visual effects of the Kubrick film, but also the movie’s enduring influence.

Continue reading “2001: Creating Kubrick’s Space Odyssey” »

A dissipative time crystal is a phase of matter characterized by periodic oscillations over time, while a system is dissipating energy. In contrast with conventional time crystals, which can also occur in closed systems with no energy loss, dissipative time crystals are observed in open systems with energy freely flowing in and out of them.

The discovery could radically extend the lifespan and stability of quantum states.

A study published in Cell Reports Physical Science showcases a novel method for the recycling of unsaturated polymers such as rubber and plastics.

Spanish energy giant Iberdrola has revealed two new battery storage projects in Australia – its biggest yet in the country – that will take its total capacity to more than 1,500 gigawatt hours.

The new batteries are a 250 megawatt (MW)/ 500 megawatt hour (MWh) Gin Gin project near Bundaberg in Queensland – although its EPBC application describes it only as a 500 MW project – and the 270 MW, 1,080 MWh Kingswood project in New South Wales (NSW).

To date, Iberdrola’s non-gas firming portfolio has been on the smaller side, making up just a fraction of the company’s 2.4 GW of installed renewables in Australia.