Lifeboat Foundation

When an animal takes notice of an approaching figure, it needs to determine what it is, and quickly. In nature, competition and survival dictate that it’s better to think fast—that is, for the brain to prioritize processing speed over accuracy. A new study shows that this survival principle may already be wired in the way the brain processes sensory information.

Kumar and fellow KTH neuroscientist Pawel Herman collaborated with KTH information theorists Movitz Lenninger and Mikael Skoglund to study input processing in the brain using information theory and computer models of the brain. Neuroscientist Arvind Kumar, an associate professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, says that the study offers a new view of neural coding of different types of inputs in the brain.

The new study surprisingly shows that initial visual processing is “quick but sloppy” in comparison to information processing in other parts of the brain’s vast neural network, where accuracy is prioritized over speed. The paper is published in the journal eLife.

Cofounder of Zeda.io—helping product leaders discover the right problems to solve and build around. And I love traveling, with my dog!

Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the world as we know it, and product management is no exception. It has the potential to revolutionize customer research, decision-making and much more, providing us with data-driven insights and paving the way for a future that is not only intelligent but intuitive.

With AI at our fingertips, we’re standing at the threshold of a new era in product management. However, integrating AI into product management also presents challenges that must be addressed. We will delve into how AI influences the world of product management and what it holds for the future.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have used powerful new brain imaging techniques to reveal a neurochemical imbalance within regions of the frontal lobes in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The research findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

The study shows that the balance between glutamate and GABA—two major neurotransmitter chemicals—is “disrupted” in OCD patients in two frontal regions of the brain.

Researchers also found that people who do not have OCD but are prone to habitual and compulsive behavior have increased glutamate levels in one of these brain regions.

Prof. Yossi Buganim and his research team at the Faculty of Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have achieved a groundbreaking milestone in the field of cell reprogramming. Their latest study, published in Nature Communications, reveals a remarkable breakthrough in converting skin samples into functional human placenta cells. This achievement has significant implications for understanding pregnancy development, studying pregnancy-related diseases, and advancing cell therapies.

The research opens new avenues for investigating the causes of infertility, complications during pregnancy, and long-term health implications for both mothers and babies.

Reprogramming cells to assume new identities has been a focus of Prof. Buganim’s lab, which utilizes specialized proteins to modify gene expression. By transforming skin cells into other cell types, the team enables the study of specific diseases and the potential development of cell-based therapies. However, accessing cells from the placenta, a critical organ in pregnancy, has long been a challenge due to technical and ethical constraints.

Australian startup Synchron, backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, looks set to beat Elon Musk’s Neuralink to market with a safe, reliable brain-computer interface that any hospital can quickly install – without cutting a hole in your skull.

Volvo Cars is another automaker that officially announced a switch from the Combined Charging System (CCS1) to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) charging connector in North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico).

Volvo entered into an agreement with Tesla to use the NACS charging connector, as the first European brand. Previously, a similar move was announced by Ford, General Motors, and Rivian, not forgetting about Aptera (an EV start-up).

According to Volvo, the deal with Tesla will open the Tesla Supercharging network (more than 12,000 stalls in more than 2,000 locations) for all existing Volvo BEVs from the first half of 2024. However, the CCS1-compatible Volvo cars (XC40, C40 Recharge, and the upcoming XC30 and XC90) will have to use a NACS to CCS1 adapter.

Andreessen argues that thanks to A.I., “productivity growth throughout the economy will accelerate dramatically, driving economic growth, creation of new industries, creation of new jobs, and wage growth, and resulting in a new era of heightened material prosperity across the planet.”

This week, on the Lex Fridman Podcast, he offered advice to young people who want to stand out in what he describes in this “freeze-frame moment” with A.I.—where tools like ChatGPT and GPT-4 are suddenly available and “everybody is kind of staring at them wondering what to do.”

Continue reading “Marc Andreessen says we’re in a ‘freeze-frame moment’ with A.I.—and has advice for young people” »

ALBION, MI — Apollo 17 commander Eugene Cernan was the last person to step foot on the Moon more than five decades ago. In 2025, someone new will take his place.

The NASA Artemis mission aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon, as well as explore more of the lunar surface.

A pair of Albion College professors are participating in the mission’s research into the origins and evolution of the Moon, college officials said.

A two-faced protein in a chain that regulates iron and other elements in cells could provide a new target to treat cancer, diabetes and other diseases.

A team of researchers at Rice University, the University of California at San Diego (UCSD), the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the University of North Texas detailed the structure of a protein called mitochondrial inner NEET (MiNT), part of a pathway that stabilizes mitochondria, the organelles that produce energy for cells.

Their report appears this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.