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Feb 19, 2024
There’s No Free Will. What Now? — Robert Sapolsky
Posted by Dan Breeden in category: neuroscience
To support me on Patreon (thank you): http://www.patreon.com/cosmicskepticTo donate to my PayPal (thank you): http://www.paypal.me/cosmicskeptic — VIDEO NOTE…
As we search the heavens for signs of alien life, is it possible that the easiest place to find aliens is to look in the mirror?
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Feb 19, 2024
The Limits of Immortality & Digital Death
Posted by Dan Breeden in categories: biotech/medical, life extension
It is often thought that if we cure aging or find out how to upload a human mind that humans will be immortal. Today we will examine that notion and see how well it holds up against astronomical time lines.
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Continue reading “The Limits of Immortality & Digital Death” »
Feb 19, 2024
Stem cells grown in labs for experimental therapies pose a cancer risk
Posted by Shubham Ghosh Roy in category: biotech/medical
Around one-fifth of the stem cells grown in laboratories for as-yet-unapproved medical treatments have cancer-causing mutations.
By Clare Wilson
Feb 19, 2024
Efficient and Sustainable Transplutonium Isotope Production: A New Diagnostic Approach
Posted by Shubham Ghosh Roy in categories: computing, military, nuclear energy, space, sustainability
In this study, a novel rapid diagnostic method was developed for optimizing the production of transplutonium isotope through high flux reactor irradiation. The proposed method was based on the concept of “Single Energy Interval Value (SEIV)” and “Energy Spectrum Total Value (ESTV)”, which significantly improved the production efficiency of isotopes such as 252Cf (by 15.08 times), 244Cm (by 65.20 times), 242Cm (by 11.98 times), and 238Pu (by 7.41 times). As a promising alternative to the traditional Monte Carlo burnup calculation method, this method offers a more efficient approach to evaluate radiation schemes and optimize the design parameters. The research discovery provides a theoretical basis for further refining the analysis of transplutonium isotope production, leading to more efficient and sustainable production methods. Future studies could focus on the implementation of energy spectrum conversion technology to further improve the optimal energy spectrum.
The production of transplutonium isotope, which are essential in numerous fields such as military and space technology, remains inefficient despite being produced through irradiation in a high flux reactor. Past studies on the optimization of transplutonium isotope production through irradiation in a high flux reactor have been limited by the computational complexity of traditional methods such as Monte Carlo burnup calculation. These limitations have hindered the refinement of the evaluation, screening, and optimization of the irradiation schemes. Hence, this research aimed to develop a rapid diagnostic method for evaluating radiation schemes that can improve the production efficiency of isotopes such as 252Cf, 244Cm, 242Cm, and 238Pu. The outcome of the study showed great potential in advancing the production of transplutonium isotope, which have numerous applications in fields such as military, energy, and space technology.
Feb 19, 2024
Frog embryo study helps scientists unravel the human birth anomaly of intestinal malrotation
Posted by Shubham Ghosh Roy in category: biotech/medical
How does our intestine, which can be at least 15 feet long, fit properly inside our bodies? As our digestive system grows, the gut tube goes through a series of dramatic looping and rotation to package the lengthening intestine. Failure of the gut to rotate properly during development results in a prevalent, but poorly understood, birth anomaly called intestinal malrotation.
Now, in a study published in the journal Development, scientists from North Carolina State University have uncovered a potential cause of this life-threatening condition.
Intestinal malrotation affects 1 in 500 births but the underlying causes are not well understood. To find out why gut revolution could go amiss, scientists need to first understand intestinal rotation during normal development, a complex process that still baffles biologists.
Feb 19, 2024
Dopamine isn’t just a “feel good” chemical: New study reveals its role in reversal learning
Posted by Shubham Ghosh Roy in categories: chemistry, neuroscience
Researchers discovered dopamine plays a crucial role in adapting decisions to changing situations. Using PET and fMRI scans, they found dopamine increases in the brain’s reward center during task changes, aiding learning from mistakes.
Feb 18, 2024
Electrification or hydrogen? Both have distinct roles in the European energy transition
Posted by Dan Breeden in categories: climatology, economics, sustainability
A study, published in One Earth, is the first to analyze the interplay of electrification and hydrogen in EU climate neutrality scenarios at greater sectoral detail. The analysis shows higher potential for electrification and identifies a more confined deployment range for hydrogen-based energy than earlier studies.
“Previous research has shown that our power system can be transformed to renewable sources like wind and solar at low cost and low environmental impact. However, the next question is how this renewable electricity can be used to substitute fossil fuel use in the buildings, industry and transport sectors. Our analysis shows that the direct use of electricity, for example, via electric cars and heat pumps, is critical for a broad range of sectors, while the conversion of electricity to hydrogen is important only for few applications,” says Felix Schreyer, PIK scientist and lead author of the study.
Using the energy-economy model REMIND, PIK-scientists investigated plausible combinations of both strategies in EU energy system transformation pathways under different scenario assumptions.
