Lifeboat Foundation

Feb. 15, 2024

RELEASE: J24-003

Humanity’s quest to explore—and, perhaps eventually, colonize—outer space has prompted a great many ideas about how precisely to go about it.

While conventional wisdom suggests that space launch via rockets is the best way to send human beings into orbit, other “non-rocket” methods have been proposed, including a futuristic “space elevator.”

The concept of a space elevator—essentially a sky-high cable that would let humans climb into space—has been championed by some industry experts as a way to overcome the astronomical costs associated with sending people and cargo into space by rocket, says Alberto de la Torre, assistant professor of physics at Northeastern.

A comprehensive analysis of the top conversational artificial intelligence platforms

PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — In the dynamic landscape of AI-powered content generation, OpenAI stands at the forefront of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) research. However, the primary purpose of products such as GPT-4 is to act as a productivity aid, for tasks such as coding. In addition, access to the best such models is often restricted by paywalls. These limitation have led to the growing popularity of other platforms which are primarily focused on providing Generative AI for consumers.

Utilizing an ultra-thin Li anode with a thickness below 50 μm is crucial for enhancing the energy density of batteries. Here, the authors develop a finely tunable, thin alloy-based Li anode that features a hierarchical Li electrochemistry, enabling stable cycling and superior energy density in Li metal batteries.

Researchers await the outcome of an ongoing investigation into dozens of instances of alleged image problems spanning 29 publications over a period of 23 years.

Population 3 stars were the Universe’s first stars, and many of them exploded as supernovae. How did they shape the first galaxies?

Titan’s ocean has a volume 12 times that of all Earth’s oceans, but it may be barren of life as we know it.

Researchers from RMIT University are using nanodiamonds to create smart textiles that can cool people down faster. Their study, published in the journal Polymers for Advanced Technologies, found fabric made from cotton coated with nanodiamonds, using a method called electrospinning, showed a reduction of 2–3°C during the cooling down process compared to untreated cotton.

They do this by drawing out body heat and releasing it from the fabric—a result of the incredible thermal conductivity of nanodiamonds.

Project lead and Senior Lecturer, Dr. Shadi Houshyar, said there was a big opportunity to use these insights to create new textiles for sportswear and even personal protective clothing, such as underlayers to keep fire fighters cool. The study also found nanodiamonds increased the UV protection of cotton, making it ideal for outdoor summer clothing.

Metasurfaces that use light to control currents at the nanoscale could enable ultrafast microelectronics and information science.