Lifeboat Foundation

The organisms are 1.9 billion years older than the previously known record holders.

We tackle the hard problem of consciousness taking the naturally-selected, self-organising, embodied organism as our starting point. We provide a mathematical formalism describing how biological systems self-organise to hierarchically interpret unlabelled sensory information according to valence and specific needs. Such interpretations imply behavioural policies which can only be differentiated from each other by the qualitative aspect of information processing. Selection pressures favour systems that can intervene in the world to achieve homeostatic and reproductive goals. Quality is a property arising in such systems to link cause to affect to motivate real world interventions. This produces a range of qualitative classifiers (interoceptive and exteroceptive) that motivate specific actions and determine priorities and preferences.

Traditional optical tweezers, which trap and manipulate particles using light, usually require bulky microscope setups, but chip-based optical tweezers could offer a more compact, mass manufacturable, broadly accessible, and high-throughput solution for optical manipulation in biological experiments.

However, other similar integrated optical tweezers can only capture and manipulate cells that are very close to or directly on the chip surface. This contaminates the chip and can stress the cells, limiting compatibility with standard biological experiments.

Using a system called an integrated optical phased array, the MIT researchers have developed a new modality for integrated optical tweezers that enables trapping and tweezing of cells more than a hundred times further away from the chip surface.

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Put simply, the brain is not too warm or wet for consciousness to exist as a wave that connects with the universe.

For decades, Penrose has been working with anesthesiologist Stuart Hameroff on a theory of consciousness called Orchestrated Objective Reduction (Orch OR). Penrose primarily handles the physics of Orch OR, whereas Hameroff handles the biology. Their theory addressed serious gaps in established scientific frameworks spanning physics, neuroscience and psychology. All, some or none of the hypotheses in this theory might prove out experimentally. See the paper below as a step towards proof.

Researchers have developed a new type of bifocal lens that offers a simple way to achieve two foci (or spots) with intensities that can be adjusted by applying external voltage. The lenses, which use two layers of liquid crystal structures, could be useful for various applications such as optical interconnections, biological imaging, augmented/virtual reality devices and optical computing.

Does nature have to do everything itself?

An international cohort of marine scientists discovered an ocean-borne fungus chomping through plastic trash suspended in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, as detailed in a new study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

Dubbed Parengyodontium album, the fungus was discovered among the thin layers of other microbes that live in and around the floating plastic pile in the North Pacific.

The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), the world’s most powerful X-ray laser located at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in the US, is set for a major upgrade that will increase its X-ray energy 3,000-fold, a press release shared with Interesting Engineering said.

When complete, the upgrade will let scientists explore atomic-scale processes in their search for answers in biology, materials science, quantum physics, and much more.

The study of computational biology is essential to understanding this transition. By exploring how life processes information, we gain insights into the nature of consciousness and intelligence itself. Computational models are key to revealing how systems organize, adapt, and evolve toward greater complexity and self-awareness. This progression suggests a future where intelligence is no longer bound by biological limitations but extends into the realm of artificial systems, creating a symbiotic relationship between humans and machines.

Ultimately, NOOGENESIS challenges traditional scientific paradigms by framing the universe as an informational “self-simulating” entity, where consciousness plays a central role in its evolutionary processes. The origins of life, the evolution of intelligence, and the potential for a post-Singularity future are all part of this grand narrative. By embracing this view, we can cultivate a more comprehensive understanding of the universe and our place within it—one that recognizes the fundamental role of consciousness in shaping reality and guiding evolution toward the apotheosis of Omega Singularity, the final convergence of intelligence and complexity.

Scientists are using ever more sophisticated AI algorithms trained on vast, unlabeled datasets to develop models that can ‘interpret’ biological data to help guide biomolecule design.