Lifeboat Foundation

Hints of an unexpected new particle could be confirmed within days—and if it is, the Standard Model could be going down.

IKEA recently launched a hydroponic gardening system to allow people to grow fresh produce at home (without soil or sunlight) and has just unveiled a similar system under development that is aimed at helping restaurants raise ingredients in-house.

The KRYDDA/VÄXER hydroponic garden lets sprout seeds without soil using absorbent foam plugs that keep plants moist (without over-watering, thanks to a built-in sensor). Germinated seeds can then be transferred to pots fitted into a growing tray featuring a solar lamp. The system is designed to be easy to use for even inexpert gardeners.

Continue reading “IKEA Indoor Gardens Produce Food Year-Round for Homes & Restaurants” »

New research demonstrates that quantum dots solve a key issue with current 3D printing materials. I spoke with Keroles Riad, PhD student at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada, about his thesis on the photostability of materials used for stereolithography 3D printing. The research was supervised by Prof. Paula Wood-Adams, Prof. Rolf Wuthrich of the Mechanical and industrial engineering department at Concordia and Prof. Jerome Claverie of the Chemistry department at the University of Quebec in Montreal.

While quantum dots have been shown to cure acrylics, Riad says this work is the first demonstration of the process in epoxy resin.

3D printing is often richly rewarding because it spans multiple disciplines. Here we look at a new thesis that advances the critical area of materials. The approach taken uses engineering, chemistry and physics to overcome the issue of stability present in current stereolithography processes. The results could form the basis of superior materials and wider use of 3D printing in many areas.

Continue reading “Quantum dots may hold key to superior 3D printing materials” »

Gerard K. O’Neill’s name might not ring a bell for many of us, but he certainly is one of the most significant names in the world of physics and space sciences. Gerard was an American physicist whose ideologies resonated with the concept of Space Manufacturing and Space Colonization as early as 1969.

He visualized establishment of a space manufacturing facility that would product end products for use in the outer space. Located in a very high orbit as compared to Earth, or on any celestial body, he claimed that the manufacturing facility would be self-sufficient and would be built entirely using materials available on celestial surfaces like lunar soil. When O’Neill presented his novel idea using research papers at different forums, he faced rejection and disapproval as every other world-changing idea did.

Continue reading “The obvious connection between 3D Printing and Space Colonization” »

In this London Futurists event, Amnon Eden, lead editor of the volume “Singularity Hypotheses” which was published three years ago, provided an update on the controversies about the Technological Singularity. Topics covered include:

• Luddites, Philistines, and Starry-Eyed: The War over Killer Robots

Continue reading “The Singularity Controversy” »

A cool experiment — a movie script written by a computer algorithm. It’s actually pretty riveting, but I challenge you to figure out what it’s about, LOL! bigsmile (Y) #AIScreenwriter #WhatDoesItMean

Excellent acquisition on multiple fronts. However, I will post the question that will most be definitely on the minds of some folks; “what protections around privacy will MSFT employees and others have with their InMails and communications with recruiters and others who they connect with on LinkedIn?” We have not just MSFT employees, Apple, Google, etc. And, many people have used this site to connect for business and joint ventures, to locate their next opportunity, etc. So, if we look at the larger picture this really must be asked.

This is the email I sent to LinkedIn’s global workforce today. I thought it might be interesting to others, too, so I’ve decided to publish it publicly.

=====

Continue reading “LinkedIn + Microsoft: Changing the Way the World Works” »

The future of warfare? DRONE SWARMS. Like our videos? Follow Vocativ Video.

For the first time, scientists have discovered a classic formula for pi in the world of quantum physics. Pi is the ratio between a circle’s circumference and its diameter, and is incredibly important in pure mathematics, but now scientists have also found it “lurking” in the world of physics, when using quantum mechanics to compare the energy levels of a hydrogen atom.

Why is that exciting? Well, it reveals an incredibly special and previously unknown connection between quantum physics and maths.

“I find it fascinating that a purely mathematical formula from the 17th century characterises a physical system that was discovered 300 years later,” said one of the lead researchers, Tamar Friedmann, a mathematician at the University of Rochester in the US. Seriously, wow.

Continue reading “A classic formula for pi has been discovered hidden in hydrogen atoms” »