Lifeboat Foundation

A sensitive perception of the environment is crucial for guiding our behavior. However, an overly sensitive response of the brain’s neural circuits to stimuli can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders such as epilepsy. University of Basel researchers report in the journal Nature how neuronal networks in the mouse brain are fine-tuned.

One of the characteristics of depression is a tendency to perceive sensory stimuli and everyday situations in an excessively negative way. But the mechanisms underpinning this “negativity bias,” which can fuel the development of depressive symptoms, had previously remained largely unknown.

As technology advances, the limitations of conventional electronic computers are becoming increasingly apparent, especially when tackling complex computational challenges. NP-complete problems, which grow exponentially with size, represent some of the toughest puzzles in computer science. These issues have significant implications across various fields, including biomedicine, transportation, and manufacturing. In the quest for more effective…

A new study sheds light on how highly creative individuals, such as visual artists and scientists, may have brains that function differently compared to others. The research, published in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, reveals that people who exhibit exceptional creativity—referred to as “Big C” creative individuals—demonstrate…

Different brain regions are connected by—and interact through—networks of neurons. But the extent to which neuronal wiring drives shared function between these different regions is not well understood. Is this structure-function relationship the same throughout the brain? The same across functions?

The study of X-ray emission from astronomical objects reveals secrets about the universe at the largest and smallest spatial scales. Celestial X-rays are produced by black holes consuming nearby stars, emitted by the million-degree gas that traces the structure between galaxies, and can be used to predict whether stars may be able to host planets hospitable to life.

The red giant star will explode, but it’s unknown when.

A new proof shows that an upgraded version of the 70-year-old Dijkstra’s algorithm reigns supreme: It finds the most efficient pathways through any graph.

It doesn’t just tell you the fastest route to one destination.

In an interview toward the end of his life, Dijkstra credited his algorithm’s enduring appeal in part to its unusual origin story. “Without pencil and paper you are almost forced to avoid all avoidable complexities,” he said.

Continue reading “Computer Scientists Establish the Best Way to Traverse a Graph” »

What is the heaviest element in the universe? Are there infinitely many elements? Where and how could superheavy elements be created naturally?

The heaviest abundant element known to exist is uranium, with 92 protons (the atomic number “Z”). But scientists have succeeded in synthesizing superheavy elements up to oganesson, with a Z of 118. Immediately before it are livermorium, with 116 protons and tennessine, which has 117.

All have short half-lives—the amount of time for half of an assembly of the element’s atoms to decay—usually less than a second and some as short as a microsecond. Creating and detecting such elements is not easy and requires powerful particle accelerators and elaborate measurements.