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Apr 1, 2024

Mitochondrial DNA fragment losses predict Parkinson’s disease before symptoms appear

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

The survival of neurons, unlike most other cells in the body, depends largely on the energy provided by mitochondria, intracellular organelles that contain their DNA to function properly.

Apr 1, 2024

Light-based bioprinting is illuminating the future of organ transplants

Posted by in categories: bioprinting, biotech/medical, life extension

Vidmantas Šakalys explains how laser technology is advancing bioprinting and opening up new possibilities in regenerative medicine.

Mar 31, 2024

Depression treatment reverses “backwards” brain signals

Posted by in category: neuroscience

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) appears to relieve depression by correcting brain signals that are traveling the wrong direction.

Mar 31, 2024

Building Molecular Circuits with DNA

Posted by in categories: computing, electronics

Diodes, also known as rectifiers, are a basic component of modern electronics. As we work to create smaller, more powerful and more energy-efficient electronic devices, reducing the size of diodes is a major objective. Recently, a research team from the University of Georgia developed the world’s smallest diode using a single DNA molecule. This diode is so small that it cannot be seen by conventional microscopes.

A diode is an electrical device that allows current to move through it in one direction much more easily than the other. No diode prevents 100% of current flow in one direction while allowing unlimited current in the other direction—in reality, a diode will always allow some current in both the “forward” and “backward” directions. The larger the imbalance favoring the “forward” direction, however, the better diode we have. Diodes are responsible for controlling the current in many common electronic components. Millions of diodes are embedded in a single silicon chip, and to increase the processing power of these chips, the diodes need to be made smaller.

Following a prediction originally made in 1965 by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, now known as Moore’s law, scientists and engineers have been able to make smaller and smaller computer hardware by doubling the number of electronic components in a silicon chip every 18 months. These improvements in computing power are approaching the physical limits of silicon, however; when silicon components are too small, they will become unstable and their performance unpredictable.

Mar 31, 2024

Brain Enhancements and Rights with Anders Sandberg and Francesca Minerva | H+ Academy

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

This H+ Roundtable features Anders Sandberg and Francesca Minerva in a discussion on Brain Enhancements and Rights. The event took place on March 14, 2021.

The H+ Academy is an opportunity to face the world’s issues with leading thinkers of AI, Philosophy, Economics, Science and the Arts.

Mar 31, 2024

Max More — Do you Like Living? Try Medical Time Travel — Cryopreservation

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, cryonics, life extension, time travel

Talks about Medical Time Travel and Cryopreservation.

Mar 31, 2024

Quantum Gravity Breaks Causality — And You Can Compute With It

Posted by in categories: computing, open access, quantum physics

Check out my course about quantum mechanics on Brilliant! First 30 days are free and 20% off the annual premium subscription when you use our link ➜ https://brilliant.org/sabine.

If you flip a light switch, the light will turn on. A cause and its effect. Simple enough… until quantum gravity come into play. Once you add quantum gravity, lights can turn on and make switches flip. And some physicists think that this could help build better computers. Why does quantum physics make causality so strange? And how can we use quantum gravity to build faster computers? Let’s have a look.

Continue reading “Quantum Gravity Breaks Causality — And You Can Compute With It” »

Mar 31, 2024

RLHF: Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback

Posted by in categories: mathematics, robotics/AI

Despite being almost a year old, this blog by Chip Huyen is still a great read for getting into fine-tuning LLMs.

This article covers everything you need to know about Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF).

Continue reading “RLHF: Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback” »

Mar 31, 2024

Polar vortex is ‘spinning backwards’ above Arctic after major reversal event

Posted by in category: futurism

Earlier this month, a sudden atmospheric warming event caused the Arctic’s polar vortex to reverse its trajectory. The swirling ring of cold air is now spinning in the wrong direction, which has triggered a record-breaking “ozone spike” and could impact global weather patterns.

Mar 31, 2024

Study: There are four types of Alzheimer’s disease

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

New research suggests that there is no ‘typical’ form of Alzheimer’s disease, as the condition can manifest in at least four different ways.