Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog – Page 17

A team of scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University (SBU) used artificial intelligence (AI) to help them understand how zinc-ion batteries work—and potentially how to make them more efficient for future energy storage needs.

Their study, published in the journal PRX Energy, focused on the water-based electrolyte that shuttles electrically charged through the during charging and use. The AI model tapped into how those charged ions interact with water under varying concentrations of zinc chloride (ZnCl2), a form of salt with high solubility in water.

The AI findings, validated by experiments at Brookhaven Lab’s National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), show why high salt concentrations produce the best battery performance.

Read more | >

A newly discovered silicone variant is a semiconductor, University of Michigan researchers have discovered—upending assumptions that the material class is exclusively insulating.

“The material opens up the opportunity for new types of flat-panel displays, flexible photovoltaics, wearable sensors or even clothing that can display different patterns or images,” said Richard Laine, U-M professor of materials science and engineering and macromolecular science and engineering and corresponding author of the study recently published in Macromolecular Rapid Communications.

Silicone oils and rubbers—polysiloxanes and silsesquioxanes—are traditionally insulating materials, meaning they resist the flow of electricity or heat. Their water-resistant properties make them useful in biomedical devices, sealants, electronic coatings and more.

Read more | >

Six Large Language Models outperformed humans on five ability emotional intelligence tests. ChatGPT-4 also successfully generated new test items for each test, with the AI-created versions showing psychometric properties similar to the originals.

Read more | >

“By converting red visible light into something like green visible light, this technology could make the invisible visible for color blind people,” Xue said.

Despite these promising advances, more work is needed before the lenses see the light of day. Currently, they only pick up light projected from LED sources, which are incredibly bright, so the scientists will need to boost the lenses’ sensitivity to pick up light of lower intensities.

The lenses’ proximity to the retinas also may prevent them from detecting finer details, so the researchers have developed a wearable glass system for viewing objects at higher resolutions.

Read more | >

In the year 2,525, humans, post-humans, and new species navigate a vast and vibrant future. Join us as we explore the lives, dreams, and struggles of a trillion-strong civilization.

Watch my exclusive video Antimatter Propulsion: Harnessing the Power of Annihilation — nebula.tv/videos/isaacarthur-a…ower-of-annihilation.
Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur.
Get a Lifetime Membership to Nebula for only $300: go.nebula.tv/lifetime?ref=isaacarthur.
Use the link gift.nebula.tv/isaacarthur to give a year of Nebula to a friend for just $30.

Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net.
Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur.
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur.
Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur.
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE

Credits:
Life in 2525 A.D.
Episode 500; May 22, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur.
Editors: Merv Johnson II & Thomas Owens.

Graphics:
Anthrofuturism.
Jarred Eagley.
Jeremy Jozwik.
Ken York YD Visual.
Space Resources CGI
Udo Schroeter.

Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images.

Continue reading “Life in 2525 AD (Episode 500 — Narrated by Isaac Arthur)” | >

In this episode we explore their uses, dangers, ethical dilemmas, and more.

Join this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZFipeZtQM5CKUjx6grh54g/join.
Visit our Website: http://www.isaacarthur.net.
Join Nebula: https://go.nebula.tv/isaacarthur.
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IsaacArthur.
Support us on Subscribestar: https://www.subscribestar.com/isaac-arthur.
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1583992725237264/
Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/IsaacArthur/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Isaac_A_Arthur on Twitter and RT our future content.
SFIA Discord Server: https://discord.gg/53GAShE
Listen or Download the audio of this episode from Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/isaac-arthur-148927746/interplanetary-warfare.
Cover Art by Jakub Grygier: https://www.artstation.com/artist/jakub_grygier.

Graphics Team:
Edward Nardella.
Jarred Eagley.
Justin Dixon.
Katie Byrne.
Kris Holland of Mafic Stufios: www.maficstudios.com.
Misho Yordanov.
Pierre Demet.
Sergio Botero: https://www.artstation.com/sboterod?fref=gc.
Stefan Blandin.

Script Editing:
Andy Popescu.
Connor Hogan.
Edward Nardella.
Eustratius Graham.
Gregory Leal.
Jefferson Eagley.
Luca de Rosa.
Mark Warburton.
Michael Gusevsky.
Mitch Armstrong.
MolbOrg.
Naomi Kern.
Philip Baldock.
Sigmund Kopperud.
Steve Cardon.
Tiffany Penner.

Music:
AJ Prasad, “Cold Shadows“
Lee Rosevere, “It’s such a beautiful day“
Kai Engel, “Morbid Imagination“
Sergey Cheremisinov, “Jump in Infinity“
Markus Junnikkala, “A Memory of Earth“
Kai Engel, “Crying Earth“
Sergey Cheremisinov, “Labyrinth“
Brandon Liew, “Into the Storm”

Read more | >

DNA is the genetic code that provides the biological instructions for every living species, but not every bit of DNA helps the species survive. Some pieces of DNA are more like parasites, along for the ride and their own survival.

To translate DNA into proteins, the building blocks of life, many of these selfish DNA elements have to be removed from the . Doing so enables the body to produce the wide diversity of proteins that allow for complex life, but the process can also lead to , like some kinds of cancer.

University of California, Santa Cruz researchers are studying the ways that these genetic elements hide and make copies of themselves, so they can propagate within a species’ DNA, or even hop from one species to an unrelated one in a process called horizontal gene transfer.

Read more | >