Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog – Page 2431

A recent study published in AGU Advances examines how the conservation and protection of two Alaskan forests, Tongass and Chugach, are essential in fighting the effects of climate change due to their expanse for wildlife habitats, abundant carbon stocks, and landscape integrity. This study was led by researchers from Oregon State University and holds the potential to help scientists better understand the steps that need to be taken to mitigate the long-term effects of climate change by preserving the resources of today.

Tongass National Forest (Credit: Logan Berner)

“More thoroughly safeguarding those forests from industrial development would contribute significantly to climate change mitigation and species adaptation in the face of the severe ecological disruption that’s expected to occur over the next few decades as the climate rapidly gets warmer,” said Dr. Beverly Law, who is a Professor Emeritus of Global Change Biology & Terrestrial Systems Science at Oregon State University and lead author of the study.

Read more | >

Elon Musk’s Neuralink is looking for a volunteer for its first clinical trial of a brain implant chip. The trial, which begins next year, has attracted thousands of prospective patients. The ideal candidate must be an adult under 40 with all four limbs paralyzed. The procedure involves inserting electrodes and wires into the brain, with a small computer replacing part of the skull. The computer will collect and analyze brain activity, sending the data wirelessly to a nearby device. Neuralink aims to translate thoughts into computer commands. However, the company has faced criticism for animal testing practices.

Read more | >

VentureBeat presents: AI Unleashed — An exclusive executive event for enterprise data leaders. Hear from top industry leaders on Nov 15. Reserve your free pass

MIT scientists have developed a deep learning system, Air-Guardian, designed to work in tandem with airplane pilots to enhance flight safety. This artificial intelligence (AI) copilot can detect when a human pilot overlooks a critical situation and intervene to prevent potential incidents.

The backbone of Air-Guardian is a novel deep learning system known as Liquid Neural Networks (LNN), developed by the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL). LNNs have already demonstrated their effectiveness in various fields. Their potential impact is significant, particularly in areas that require compute-efficient and explainable AI systems, where they might be a viable alternative to current popular deep learning models.

Read more | >

Previous attempts at trapping them in 2D had failed.

Successful electron trapping in 3D

The MIT team looked for materials that could be used to work out 3D lattices in kagome patterns and came across pyrochlore — a mineral with highly symmetric atomic arrangements. In 3D, pyrochlore’s atoms formed a repeating pattern consisting of cubes in a kagome-like lattice.

To test their hypothesis, the team synthesized the pyrochlore using calcium and nickel. After heating the ingredients to very high temperatures, the mix was cooled, and the atoms arranged themselves into a kagome-like structure.

Continue reading “In a first, MIT researchers successfully trap electrons in 3D crystal” | >

The system shows potential for drug development in delicate environments such as coral reefs.

ACS

To better comprehend this, researchers have presented a proof-of-concept device that “sniffs” seawater, capturing dissolved chemicals for analysis. The underwater device “catches and concentrates dissolved substances generated by sponges or other marine animals while causing no damage to the source or the environment,” said a statement.

Read more | >

“That’s one less cosmic hazard we have to worry about!”

A huge cosmic catastrophe has been averted!A massive rogue dead star was initially predicted to brush through our solar system roughly 29,000 years from now. Fortunately, updated calculations show that our planet will be spared from the damage…

Nazarii Neshcherenskyi/iStock.

A massive rogue dead star was initially predicted to brush through our solar system roughly 29,000 years from now.

Continue reading “False alarm: Rogue star steers away, won’t hit us in 29,000 years” | >