Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog – Page 11

Get the latest international news and world events from around the world.

Log in for authorized contributors

Folding spacecraft design could be enhanced with origami patterns

Folding spacecraft design could be enhanced with Japan’s ancient origami patterns.

Scientists are exploring a new class of origami structures that could help design and build different shapes for use in space. These structures are expected to be even more compact and reliable.

Called bloom patterns, the new class of origami structures developed at Brigham Young University fold up flat and unfold like flower petals. Researchers expect such designs could be used in telescopes and solar arrays as well.

These structures are suitable for use in spacecraft as origami-based designs could help fold up for launch and then unfold or deploy to their full size when required in space.

AI system slashes GPS errors almost 40 times in urban settings

End of the road for GPS? Image-based AI tool cuts navigation errors by nearly 40 times.

Global reliance on GPS has grown to the point where outages or signal interference can have serious consequences. From logistics and delivery fleets to aviation and defense, industries depend on precise navigation.

Yet GPS signals are vulnerable. Tall buildings, tunnels, jamming devices, or even atmospheric conditions can cause disruptions. By providing a GPS-free alternative, PEnG could make navigation more resilient and reliable.

The Surrey researchers argue that their work is as much about everyday convenience as it is about safety.

Optimizing how cells self-organize

One of the most fundamental processes in all of biology is the spontaneous organization of cells into clusters that divide and eventually turn into shapes – be they organs, wings or limbs.

Scientists have long explored this enormously complex process to make artificial organs or understand cancer growth – but precisely engineering single cells to achieve a desired collective outcome is often a trial-and-error process.

Harvard applied physicists consider the control of cellular organization and morphogenesis to be an optimization problem that can be solved with powerful new machine learning tools. In new research published in Nature Computational Science, researchers in the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have created a computational framework that can extract the rules that cells need to follow as they grow, in order for a collective function to emerge from the whole.

Chronic Exposure to Microplastics Induces Blood–Brain Barrier Impairment, Oxidative Stress, and Neuronal Damage in Rats

The widespread prevalence of plastics and in particular, microplastics (MPs) raises concerns about their potential toxic effects. MPs, defined as particles smaller than 5 mm, are distributed throughout ecosystem and can enter the human body through the food chain. There is a lack of knowledge regarding MP potential harmful effects on the mammal’s body, especially the brain. This study aimed to examine the impact of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) MPs (< 30 μm) on blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity, oxidative stress, and neuronal health. Male rats were exposed to LDPE MPs via oral administration for 3 and 6 weeks. The results revealed no significant changes in brain water content across groups. However, BBB integrity was significantly compromised after both 3 and 6 weeks of exposure. Oxidative stress increased in MP-treated groups, evidenced by decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels and elevated malondialdehyde (MDA). Additionally, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels significantly declined in the 6-week group. Histological analysis indicated neuronal damage and death in both treatment durations. These findings demonstrate that chronic exposure to LDPE MPs impairs BBB integrity, increases oxidative stress, and induces neuronal damage in rats. The results highlight the neurotoxic potential of MPs and emphasize the need for further research to address their possible health risks.

Did Elon Musk Just KILL the Model Y L in America?

Questions to inspire discussion.

🤖 Q: What is Tesla’s vision for autonomous vehicles? A: Tesla is prioritizing a robo taxi future with Cybercab and potentially Robovan, likely to focus on producing robo vehicles over traditional cars in the near future.

📊 Q: How does the Model Y L fit into Tesla’s robotaxi plans? A: The Model Y L would be a good fit for the robo taxi network, offering a bigger car with more versatility that people want, even if they don’t need the space, and would be a hot seller in the US market.

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Progress.

🚀 Q: How close is Tesla to achieving full self-driving? A: With version 14 of FSD almost complete and version 15 likely to be the final needed version within a year, Tesla is expected to fully commit to the robo taxi future.

🏢 Q: How has Tesla’s leadership approached the robotaxi strategy? A: Tesla’s executives previously resisted Elon Musk’s push to bet the company on robo taxis, but are now likely to fully commit given the progress in FSD development.

Continue reading “Did Elon Musk Just KILL the Model Y L in America?” | >
/* */