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Blog – Page 18

Back in 1971, a couple of British astronomers predicted the existence of a black hole at the center of our galaxy. And in 1974, other astronomers found it, naming it Sagittarius A*.

Since then, astronomers have discovered that a similar “supermassive black hole” sits at the center of almost every other large galaxy. In 2019, they took the first image of a supermassive black hole. Today, these exotic objects are a fundamental part of our understanding of how galaxies form and evolve.

But what of smaller astronomical bodies, like the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf satellite galaxy that is expected to collide with the Milky Way in 2.4 billion years? Nobody is quite sure whether clouds like this might also house supermassive black holes.

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The speed of light is often regarded as the ultimate cosmic speed limit, but researchers have now managed to slow it down dramatically—to just 61 kilometers per hour. This was achieved by using a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), a peculiar quantum state of matter that allows light to be slowed or even stopped entirely. This discovery, which builds on decades of research, has implications for quantum physics, computing, and information storage.

The Quantum Jelly Effect In everyday conditions, light moves at 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum, and its speed decreases slightly when passing through materials like glass or water. However, these reductions are relatively small. In contrast, when light travels through a Bose-Einstein condensate, it can be slowed to a near standstill.

A Bose-Einstein condensate is an exotic state of matter, first predicted by Albert Einstein and Satyendra Nath Bose, that occurs when a gas is cooled to temperatures just above absolute zero. Under these conditions, the atoms behave as a single quantum entity, exhibiting superfluidity and interacting with light in ways not seen in ordinary materials.

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Newly discovered brain cells count each bite before sending the order to cease eating a meal. Columbia scientists have found specialized neurons in the brains of mice that order the animals to stop eating.

Though many feeding circuits in the brain are known to play a role in monitoring food intake, the neurons in those circuits do not make the final decision to cease eating a meal.

The neurons identified by the Columbia scientists, a new element of these circuits, are located in the brainstem, the oldest part of the vertebrate brain. Their discovery could lead to new treatments for obesity.

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ChatGPT, OpenAI’s AI-powered chatbot platform, can now directly edit code — if you’re on macOS, that is. The newest version of the ChatGPT app for macOS can take action to edit code in supported developer tools, including Xcode, VS Code, and JetBrains. Users can optionally turn on an auto-apply mode so ChatGPT can make edits without the need for additional clicks.

Subscribers to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team can use the code editing feature as of Thursday by updating their macOS app. OpenAI says that code editing will roll out to Enterprise, Edu, and free users next week.

In a post on X, Alexander Embiricos, a member of OpenAI’s product staff working on desktop software, added that the ChatGPT app for Windows will get direct code editing “soon.”

Direct code editing builds on OpenAI’s work with apps ChatGPT capability, which the company launched in beta in November 2024. Work with apps allows the ChatGPT app for macOS to read code in a handful of dev-focused coding environments, minimizing the need to copy and paste code into ChatGPT.

Continue reading “OpenAI’s ChatGPT App On macOS Can Now Directly Edit Code” | >

A viral video featuring a woman who credits sour sop leaves, apricot seeds, and dietary changes for overcoming stage 4 metastatic breast cancer has ignited widespread discussion on social media.

Originally shared by Super Food Mood on Instagram, the video has amassed significant traction, drawing both support and skepticism.

A Survivor’s Testimony

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In this edition, we’ll take a look at a Canadian study which shows that reducing a worm’s ability to fight free radicals in a specific organ could increase it’s lifespan. Does this have any implications for humans?

Contents:

Intro 0:00
Graphical Abstract 1:49
Figure 1. Tissue-specific re-expression of sod-2 rescues deficits in fertility and embryonic lethality in clk-1;sod-2 mutants 2:28
Figure 2. Tissue-specific re-expression of sod-2 can decrease stress resistance in clk-1;sod-2 worms 5:37
Figure 3. Tissue-specific re-expression of sod-2 is not sufficient to reduce clk-1;sod-2 lifespan 6:41
Figure 4. Disruption of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase in the intestine is sufficient to increase lifespan 7:33
Figure 5. Intestine-specific knockdown of sod-2 is sufficient to enhance resistance to heat stress 9:33
Figure 6. Intestine-specific knockdown of sod-2 does not affect physiologic rates 10:29
Conclusion & Next Steps 11:40

Study reviewed:

Continue reading “Free Radicals Extend Lifespan?” | >

Introducing a new weekly video series showcasing the latest impactful longevity related studies.

” +Study reviewed: Reducing functionally defective old HSCs alleviates aging-related phenotypes in old recipient mice.

A new weekly series showcasing the latest and most impactful longevity studies.

Continue reading “Reversing Senescence with Exosomes” | >

Reviewing a trial where young blood plasma was used during joint replacement surgery in older adults, reducing immune system related inflammation and speeding up recovery. This is one of the first human trials of young plasma after many positive results in mice.

Contents:

Intro 0:00
Study Overview 1:07
Proteomic Changes 1:45
Immune Response 3:07
Specific Immune Cell Changes 4:22
Patient Outcomes 6:09
Conclusion 7:44

Study reviewed:

Continue reading “Young Plasma Improves Surgery” | >

Kicking off the first Longevity Review of 2025 with a look at how exosomes can reverse cellular senescence and lengthen lifespan; how there is a subset of youthful stem cells in older animals which can increase lifespan; the most comprehensive study of life extending molescules in the roundworm; and, in the Canadian content study, how disrupting antioxidant defences in a single organ can extend longevity. https://youtu.be/uiEcPFH0EDk

Kicking off the new year with a lifespan special, we will take a look at reversing the senescence of senescent cells to increase mouse lifespan; the discovery and beneficial effects of a subset of youthful stem cells which can also increase mouse longevity; the most comprehensive study of life-extending molecules in the roundworm c.elegans ; and in the Canadian Content study, how disrupting the antioxidant defences in a specific organ in c.elegans can increase its lifespan.

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