Lifeboat News: The Blog – Safeguarding Humanity

Ron Howard: Creating vision of a future Mars colony

Posted by Genevieve Klien in habitats, space

Nov 5
2018

To mark the second season of the television series Mars, Hollywood director Ron Howard talked to the BBC about creating a realistic depiction of the first human colonies on the Red Planet.

If humankind is to expand out into the Universe, then Mars is likely to be our first stepping stone. With an atmosphere largely consisting of carbon dioxide and temperatures that vary between 20C and −125C, the Red Planet isn’t exactly ideal for human occupation.

We’d have to adapt to living almost entirely within sealed habitats — so outdoors-y types need not apply.

‘Nanostraws’ safely deliver molecules to human cells in seconds

Posted by Genevieve Klien in biotech/medical

Nov 5
2018

Nanostraws could be a way to deliver molecules into many cells at once, which may one day improve gene therapy for cancer and other diseases.

Astronomers spot one of the oldest stars ever

Posted by Genevieve Klien in space

Nov 5
2018

Our Solar System is incredibly old by human standards. The Sun, sitting in the center, is thought to be just over 4.6 billion years old, which is an almost unfathomable amount of time to you and I. But it’s actually not all that impressive when it comes to stars.

A new survey of one particular star here in our own Milky Way galaxy reveals that it’s a whole lot older than anyone thought. In fact, it’s old enough to make our own star look like a youngster by comparison. The elderly star is called (deep breath) 2MASS J18082002–5104378 B, and what it lacks in a flashy name it more than makes up for in age. Astronomers now believe it to be an incredible 13.5 billion years old.

Spacecraft Are About To Sample Two Asteroids Worth Over $83 Billion Combined

Posted by Genevieve Klien in futurism, space

Nov 5
2018

Two different spacecraft are currently preparing to swipe a hunk of two different asteroids that they’ve been journeying toward for the past few years. The asteroids could also be among the most profitable to mine for resources at some point in the future.

Cell-Phone Radiation Can Cause Cancer in Rats. The Next Question: What Does it Mean For Humans?

Posted by John Gallagher in biotech/medical, mobile phones

Nov 5
2018

These results substantially change the debate on whether cell-phone use is a cancer risk at all.

The studies were nearly two decades in the making.

Watch the First 8k Video Shot in Space

Posted by Genevieve Klien in space

Nov 5
2018

The incredible 8k footage was shot at the International Space Station using a RED camera.

Astronomers Once Watched a Star Turn Directly into a Black Hole

Posted by Genevieve Klien in cosmology | 1 Comment on Astronomers Once Watched a Star Turn Directly into a Black Hole

Nov 5
2018

History is full of forgotten heroes. Sometimes that’s because somebody else got credit for their work. Sometimes it’s because they were women in a male-dominated world. And sometimes it’s because a couple of continents *cough* Western society *cough* decided they didn’t want to include them in the history books. Meet Ibn al-Haytham — the guy who basically invented Science with a capital S.