Lifeboat Foundation

Adam Stern is Founder and CEO of Infinitely Virtual, provider of cloud technology solutions, based in Los Angeles. Twitter: @iv_cloudhosting

Back in the 1960s, when the U.S. faced off against the Soviets, MAD Magazine initiated a snarky proxy war in the form of a recurring comic strip that pitted two animated spies attempting to outsmart each other. In “Spy vs. Spy,” there were no permanent victors.

Fast forward to the ChatGPT generation. In cybersecurity, it’s AI vs AI now, and the black-hatted figure versus the guy in the white hat is no longer as binary as it once was.

Before delving into the prospects of the Fifth Industrial Revolution, let’s reflect on the legacy of its predecessor. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, characterised by the fusion of digital, physical, and biological systems, has already transformed the way we live and work. It brought us AI, blockchain, the Internet of Things, and more. However, it also raised concerns about automation’s impact on employment and privacy, leaving us with a mixed legacy.

The promise of the Fifth Industrial Revolution.

The Fifth Industrial Revolution represents a quantum leap forward. At its core, it combines AI, advanced biotechnology, nanotechnology, and quantum computing to usher in a new era of possibilities. One of its most compelling promises is the extension of human life. With breakthroughs in genetic engineering, regenerative medicine, and AI-driven healthcare, we are inching closer to not just treating diseases but preventing them altogether. It’s a vision where aging is not an inevitability, but a challenge to overcome.

What if AI could tell us we have cancer before we show a single symptom? Steve Quake, head of science at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, explains how AI can revolutionize science.

The electronics industry has been in continuous development over the past decades, leading to the development, fabrication and sale of a broad range of consumer devices. In recent years, many engineers have been focusing their efforts on flexible electronics that can be used to create wearable devices, such as smartwatches, earbuds, fitness trackers, and even smart jewelry, and electronic implants for medical applications.

While significant progress has been made towards the development of flexible electronics, the widespread commercialization of a growing number of electronics has raised significant concerns related to their sustainability. Some research teams have thus been trying to identify environmentally-friendly materials and fabrication strategies, which could mitigate the adverse impact of the electronics industry on the planet.

Researchers at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea recently introduced a new method to create organic and flexible electronic devices with recyclable components. This method, outlined in a paper in Nature Electronics, relies on reusable materials and eco-friendly solvents that have a minimal impact on the environment.

A research team at Osaka Metropolitan University has fabricated a gallium nitride (GaN) transistor using diamond, which of all natural materials has the highest thermal conductivity on earth, as a substrate, and they succeeded in increasing heat dissipation by more than 2X compared with conventional transistors. The transistor is expected to be useful not only in the fields of 5G communication base stations, weather radar, and satellite communications, but also in microwave heating and plasma processing.

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University are proving that diamonds are so much more than just a ‘girl’s best friend.’ Their groundbreaking research focuses on gallium nitride (GaN) transistors, which are high-power, high-frequency semiconductor devices used in mobile data and satellite communication systems.

With the increasing miniaturization of semiconductor devices, problems arise such as increases in power density and heat generation that can affect the performance, reliability, and lifetime of these devices.

Icelandic researchers and scientists are on a mission to transform the renewable energy landscape by delving into the heart of a volcano.

They have set their sights on revolutionizing renewable energy by exploring the possibilities of drilling directly into a volcano’s magma chamber. The magma chamber is an underground reservoir where molten rock collects before exploding as lava.

The ambitious Krafla Magma Testbed (KMT) project aims to tap into a magma chamber of Krafla in northern Iceland by 2026.

Cutting-edge research paves way for cancer treatment.

Scientists have developed 3D mini-organs from human fetal brain tissue that self-organize in vitro. These lab-grown organoids open up a brand-new way of studying how the brain develops.

China is taking a new innovation to trial.

China’s innovative move: trials for a two-way charging system in major cities next year. Explore how electric vehicles might soon support the grid.

Electricity could be used to enhance a specific chemical reaction in the synthesis of prospective medicinal drugs.

As the world moves away from gas towards electricity as a greener power source, the to-do list goes beyond cars. The vast global manufacturing network that makes everything from our batteries to our fertilizers needs to flip the switch, too.

A study from UChicago chemists found a way to use electricity to boost a type of chemical reaction often used in synthesizing new candidates for pharmaceutical drugs.

Continue reading “Using electricity, scientists find promising new method of boosting chemical reactions” »