Lifeboat Foundation

“Rather than seeing the organization as a machine, we need to see it as a collection of clever apes.” Psychologist Robin Dunbar’s latest book argues companies are social groups that can’t be perfected like a machine.

What is it about working life that can make us feel so alienated and isolated, and what can we do to prevent it? In The Social Brain: The Psychology of Successful Groups, the evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar joins forces with Tracey Camilleri and Samantha Rockey, associate fellows at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, to apply Dunbar’s own scientific discoveries about human cooperation to our work lives. The idea is that, in order to perform our jobs more effectively, we need to go with, and at times go against, the grain of human nature. The authors home in on what makes us best work together, given the central importance of groups throughout our evolutionary history.

Dunbar spent the better part of two decades, starting in the 1970s, studying wild monkeys in Africa to understand why some species develop their own societies. His close contact with our primate cousins gave him a new perspective from which to approach questions about human nature, and that led him, in 1998, to propose the “social brain hypothesis”—the idea that keeping track of who’s who, and cooperating effectively, takes considerable brain power.

Eli Lilly & Novartis are entering a strategic research collaboration with Isomorphic Labs to use state-of-the-art AI technologies—including the next-gen model of #AlphaFold—to discover novel small molecule therapeutics for select biological targets.

We are reimagining the entire drug discovery process from first principles with an AI-first approach.

Dementia and stroke often have devastating consequences, so patients want to know what they can do to protect themselves against these diseases. A team of clinicians in partnership with patients developed a Brain Care Score (BCS) based on modifiable risk factors identified in past epidemiological studies. In the BCS, weights are assigned to four physical components (i.e., blood pressure, glycosylated hemoglobin, cholesterol, and body-mass index), to five lifestyle elements (i.e., nutrition, alcohol intake, smoking, aerobic activities, and sleep), and to three social factors (i.e., stress, relationships, and purpose in life). Lower scores on the BCS (range, 0–19) predict higher risk.

The team then validated whether the BCS predicted new dementia or stroke in the U.K. Biobank cohort, which consisted of 398,900 people (age range at baseline, 40–69). During average follow-up of nearly 13 years, new dementia or stroke occurred in ≈3% of the cohort. The BCS identified people who were at highest risk for these outcomes. For example, among those who were younger than 50 at baseline, a 5-point higher score predicted 59% lower risk for dementia and 48% lower risk for stroke.

This score could be computed automatically from information already in electronic health records and used to identify risk factors and to engage patients in modifying those risk factors. Whether such scoring would actually lead to lower incidences of dementia and stroke remains to be seen.

In Iceland, scientists are planning to drill two boreholes to a reservoir of liquid rock. One will give us our first direct measurements of magma – the other could supercharge geothermal power.

By Graham Lawton

If you think you know how an astronomical nova works, buckle up. You’re in for a ride like you never expected.

Edwin Ostrin, M.D., Ph.D., discusses the ongoing research into whether vaping is linked to lung cancer and other lung health issues.

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And as someone who’s spent the past year experimenting with generative A.I., I’ve thought a lot about the connection between interacting with one and with the other.

Generative A.I. is often described as being in its infancy. The truth is a little more of a handful.

Generative AI is also expected to play a significant role in 6G mobile technology. This year, work to set and agree on 6G standards will continue with the anticipation that the first standards could be introduced between 2027 and 2028, and the technology could reach commercialisation by 2030. Generative AI can be applied to various aspects of 6G, such as network resource management, spectrum allocation and network topology optimisation.

It is also capable of meeting the demands of “connective intelligence” for new technologies. Connective intelligence is a key force driving the development of the 6G network, enabling real-time, reliable and ubiquitous interaction and communication between humans, the physical world and the digital world. This results in the creation of a decentralised and continually evolving intelligence, making it easier for users to share their discoveries and experiences with each other.

In summary, by the end of 2024, generative AI will become an invaluable assistant, providing support and help across different industries. Its powerful analysis and predictive capabilities will enable people to handle complex tasks and problems more efficiently, offering real-time solutions and recommendations.