biological – Lifeboat News: The Blog https://lifeboat.com/blog Safeguarding Humanity Fri, 21 Feb 2025 23:07:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 Are There Limits What Brains Can Learn? https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/are-there-limits-what-brains-can-learn https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/are-there-limits-what-brains-can-learn#respond Fri, 21 Feb 2025 23:07:01 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/are-there-limits-what-brains-can-learn

Head to https://squarespace.com/artem to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code ARTEMKIRSANOV

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My name is Artem, I’m a graduate student at NYU Center for Neural Science and researcher at Flatiron Institute.

In this video video we are exploring a fascinating paper which revealed the role of biological constraints on what patterns of neural dynamics the brain and cannot learn.

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Insights into evolutionary dynamics: Study reveals the evolution of evolvability https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/insights-into-evolutionary-dynamics-study-reveals-the-evolution-of-evolvability https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/insights-into-evolutionary-dynamics-study-reveals-the-evolution-of-evolvability#respond Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:12:16 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/insights-into-evolutionary-dynamics-study-reveals-the-evolution-of-evolvability

A new study by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology (MPI-EB) sheds fresh light on one of the most debated concepts in biology: evolvability. The work provides the first experimental evidence showing how natural selection can shape genetic systems to enhance future capacity for evolution, challenging traditional perspectives on evolutionary processes.

The research is published in the journal Science. A related Perspective article also appears in Science.

The ability of organisms to generate adaptive genetic variation is crucial for evolutionary success, particularly in changing environments. The MPI-EB study investigates whether operates not merely as a “blind” process driven by but could actively favor mechanisms that channel mutations toward adaptive outcomes.

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Researchers 3D print high-performance, sustainable thermoelectric materials https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/researchers-3d-print-high-performance-sustainable-thermoelectric-materials https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/researchers-3d-print-high-performance-sustainable-thermoelectric-materials#respond Fri, 21 Feb 2025 13:09:17 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/researchers-3d-print-high-performance-sustainable-thermoelectric-materials

A recent study published in Science by a Belgian research team investigates how genetic switches that regulate gene activity define brain cell types across different species.

A species is a group of living organisms that share a set of common characteristics and are able to breed and produce fertile offspring. The concept of a species is important in biology as it is used to classify and organize the diversity of life. There are different ways to define a species, but the most widely accepted one is the biological species concept, which defines a species as a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce viable offspring in nature. This definition is widely used in evolutionary biology and ecology to identify and classify living organisms.

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Artificial ‘worm gut’ breaks down plastics https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/artificial-worm-gut-breaks-down-plastics https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/artificial-worm-gut-breaks-down-plastics#respond Fri, 21 Feb 2025 02:11:40 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/artificial-worm-gut-breaks-down-plastics

A team of scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has developed an artificial ‘worm gut’ to break down plastics, offering hope for a nature-inspired method to tackle the global plastic pollution problem.

By feeding worms with plastics and cultivating microbes found in their guts, researchers from NTU’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) have demonstrated a new method to accelerate plastic biodegradation.

Previous studies have shown that Zophobas atratus worms – the larvae of the darkling beetle commonly sold as pet food and known as ‘superworms’ for their nutritional value – can survive on a diet of plastic because its gut contains bacteria capable of breaking down common types of plastic. However, their use in plastics processing has been impractical due to the slow rate of feeding and worm maintenance.

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Global modules robustly emerge from local interactions and smooth gradients https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/global-modules-robustly-emerge-from-local-interactions-and-smooth-gradients https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/global-modules-robustly-emerge-from-local-interactions-and-smooth-gradients#respond Thu, 20 Feb 2025 17:03:53 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/global-modules-robustly-emerge-from-local-interactions-and-smooth-gradients

The principle of peak selection is described, by which local interactions and smooth gradients drive self-organization of discrete global modules.

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Are Biological Systems More Intelligent Than Artificial Intelligence?. Are Biological Systems More Intelligent Than Artificial Intelligence? https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/are-biological-systems-more-intelligent-than-artificial-intelligence-are-biological-systems-more-intelligent-than-artificial-intelligence https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/are-biological-systems-more-intelligent-than-artificial-intelligence-are-biological-systems-more-intelligent-than-artificial-intelligence#respond Thu, 20 Feb 2025 12:24:57 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/are-biological-systems-more-intelligent-than-artificial-intelligence-are-biological-systems-more-intelligent-than-artificial-intelligence

W/ michael timothy bennett australian national university.

Speakers: Michael Timothy Bennett, Cecile Tamura

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Flagellar Motors: How Bacteria Achieve Nearly 100% Energy Efficiency https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/flagellar-motors-how-bacteria-achieve-nearly-100-energy-efficiency https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/flagellar-motors-how-bacteria-achieve-nearly-100-energy-efficiency#respond Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:15:11 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/flagellar-motors-how-bacteria-achieve-nearly-100-energy-efficiency

When discussing motors, most people think of those in vehicles or machines. However, biological motors have existed for millions of years in microorganisms. Many bacteria use tail-like structures called flagella, which rotate to propel them through fluids. This movement is driven by a protein complex known as the flagellar motor.

The flagellar motor has two key components: the rotor and the stators. The rotor, a large rotating structure anchored to the cell membrane, drives flagellum movement. The stators, smaller structures surrounding the rotor, contain ion pathways that transport protons or sodium ions, depending on the bacterial species.

A species is a group of living organisms that share a set of common characteristics and are able to breed and produce fertile offspring. The concept of a species is important in biology as it is used to classify and organize the diversity of life. There are different ways to define a species, but the most widely accepted one is the biological species concept, which defines a species as a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce viable offspring in nature. This definition is widely used in evolutionary biology and ecology to identify and classify living organisms.

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Function Prediction https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/function-prediction https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/function-prediction#respond Fri, 14 Feb 2025 20:29:17 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/function-prediction

Protein prediction involves analyzing the amino acid sequence of a protein to determine its biological roles. Accurately predicting a protein’s provides valuable insights, allowing scientists to identify the roles of newly discovered proteins, search for proteins suited for specific tasks, or evaluate theality of computer-designed proteins.

Copilot provides an AI chat platform offering no-install, no-code, real-time access to advanced protein prediction tools, enabling researchers to efficiently analyze and explores using a single text prompt.

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Synthetic Biology: The Next Frontier of Programmable Life https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/synthetic-biology-the-next-frontier-of-programmable-life https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/synthetic-biology-the-next-frontier-of-programmable-life#respond Fri, 14 Feb 2025 20:15:49 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/synthetic-biology-the-next-frontier-of-programmable-life

Synthetic biology is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in science and engineering, to create living systems with tailored functions.

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The Secret to Healthy Aging? Scientists Uncover the Power of Selenoproteins https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/the-secret-to-healthy-aging-scientists-uncover-the-power-of-selenoproteins https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/the-secret-to-healthy-aging-scientists-uncover-the-power-of-selenoproteins#respond Fri, 14 Feb 2025 10:05:07 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/02/the-secret-to-healthy-aging-scientists-uncover-the-power-of-selenoproteins

Many foods are marketed for their antioxidant benefits, which help neutralize reactive oxygen species.

A species is a group of living organisms that share a set of common characteristics and are able to breed and produce fertile offspring. The concept of a species is important in biology as it is used to classify and organize the diversity of life. There are different ways to define a species, but the most widely accepted one is the biological species concept, which defines a species as a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce viable offspring in nature. This definition is widely used in evolutionary biology and ecology to identify and classify living organisms.

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