Menu

Blog

Page 2

Oct 16, 2024

New light-induced material shows powerful potential for quantum applications

Posted by in categories: particle physics, quantum physics, solar power, sustainability

Many scientists are studying different materials for their potential use in quantum technology. One important feature of the atoms in these materials is called spin. Scientists want to control atomic spins to develop new types of materials, known as spintronics. They could be used in advanced technologies like memory devices and quantum sensors for ultraprecise measurements.

In a recent breakthrough, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and Northern Illinois University discovered that they could use light to detect the in a class of materials called perovskites (specifically in this research methylammonium lead iodide, or MAPbI3). Perovskites have many potential uses, from solar panels to quantum technology.

The work is published in the journal Nature Communications.

Oct 16, 2024

Brain delays could be a computational advantage, researchers say

Posted by in categories: biological, computing, neuroscience

Biological components are less reliable than electrical ones, and rather than instantaneously receive the incoming signals, the signals arrive with a variety of delays. This forces the brain to cope with said delays by having each neuron integrate the incoming signals over time and fire afterwards, as well as using a population of neurons, instead of one, to overcome neuronal cells that temporarily don’t fire.

Oct 15, 2024

Dark matter does not exist and the universe is 27 billion years old, study claims

Posted by in category: cosmology

Research suggests dark matter may not exist, and the universe’s age is approximately 27 billion years, according to a recent study on Earth.com


The universe has always held mysteries that spark our curiosity. As we currently understand it, the fabric of the universe comprises three primary components: ‘normal matter,’ ‘dark energy,’ and ‘dark matter.’ However, new research is turning this established model on its head.

Enter Rajendra Gupta, a seasoned physics professor who isn’t afraid to question the status quo. With years of research under his belt, Gupta is shaking up our understanding of the universe.

Continue reading “Dark matter does not exist and the universe is 27 billion years old, study claims” »

Oct 15, 2024

From Space to Earth: The Vital Role of Volatiles in Life’s Origin

Posted by in categories: materials, space

How did life on Earth begin, and were the ingredients for life already on Earth or were they brought here from space? This is what a recent study published in Science Advances hopes to address as a team of researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge investigated how ancient meteorites could have deposited large amounts of zinc on Earth, resulting in the development of volatile elements to form the building blocks of life. This study holds the potential to help researchers better understand the conditions for life to have emerged on the Earth long ago, and potentially worlds throughout the solar system and beyond.

“One of the most fundamental questions on the origin of life is where the materials we need for life to evolve came from,” said Dr. Rayssa Martins, who is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Cambridge and lead author of the study. “If we can understand how these materials came to be on Earth, it might give us clues to how life originated here, and how it might emerge elsewhere.”

For the study, the researchers analyzed zinc obtained from several meteorites to ascertain how the Earth got its zinc during its formation, which is estimated to have lasted tens of millions of years. In the end, the researchers estimate that while “melted” planetesimals contributed to approximately 70 percent of the Earth’s overall mass, they only contributed approximately 10 percent of the Earth’s zinc, which came from “unmelted” planetesimals. As noted, zinc contains volatile elements, which include oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon, or the essential building blocks of life as we know it. Along with helping researchers better understand how life formed and evolved on Earth, this could also lead to greater insight into how life might form and evolve on other worlds, as well.

Oct 15, 2024

Go Live and tell your story to 1000s of AI Creators

Posted by in categories: futurism, robotics/AI

I’ll be speaking on @Ploutos at 4pm UK time (3pm GMT) this Friday, 18th Oct, on “AI and the future of human enhancement”. Choose your Ploutos Creator level (Free, Plus, or Pro) to listen live to this conversation.


A social marketplace for AI creators to Create, Exhibit and Monetize their work.

Oct 15, 2024

Reports: Tesla’s prototype Optimus robots were controlled by humans

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

While new reports don’t specify which demonstrated capabilities needed human assistance, some did note that the robots “were able to walk without external control using artificial intelligence.”


But the prototypes used “artificial intelligence” to control their walking.

Oct 15, 2024

Biohacker shares ‘anti-aging lunch’ that takes him as long as 34 minutes to eat

Posted by in categories: food, life extension

Link :


Millionaire biohacker Bryan Johnson has shared his anti-aging lunch that can apparently help you live until the age of 120.

Oct 15, 2024

Nu Quantum Unveils Qubit-Photon Interface to Enable Distributed Quantum Computing Networks

Posted by in categories: quantum physics, robotics/AI, supercomputing

CAMBRIDGE, England, Oct. 15, 2024 — Nu Quantum has announced a proof-of-principle prototype that advances the development of modular, distributed quantum computers by enabling connections across different qubit modalities and providers. The technology, known as the Qubit-Photon Interface, functions similarly to Network Interface Cards (NICs) in classical computing, facilitating communication between quantum computers over a network and supporting the potential growth of quantum infrastructure akin to the impact NICs have had on the Cloud and AI markets.

For quantum computers to achieve practical applications—such as accurately simulating atomic-level interactions—they must scale to 1,000 times their current size. This will require a shift from single quantum processing units (QPUs) to distributed quantum systems composed of hundreds of interconnected QPUs, operating at data center scale, similar to cloud and AI supercomputers.

The efficient transfer of quantum information between matter and light at the quantum level is the biggest challenge to scaling quantum computers, and this is the specific issue that the QPI addresses.

Oct 15, 2024

One-step nanoscale expansion microscopy reveals individual protein shapes

Posted by in category: nanotechnology

Combining expansion microscopy with super-resolution radial fluctuations captures the morphology of single proteins.

Oct 15, 2024

Unlocking precision gene therapy: harnessing AAV tropism with nanobody swapping at capsid hotspots

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, engineering

A nice study by Hoffmann et al. where nanobodies were inserted into various locations on adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids. The authors also ablated hepatocyte tropism by mutating the heparan binding domain of the AAVs. These strategies greatly enhanced cell type specific targeting (in vitro).


Abstract. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has been remarkably successful in the clinic, but its broad tropism is a practical limitation of precision gene therapy. A promising path to engineer AAV tropism is the addition of binding domains to the AAV capsid that recognize cell surface markers present on a targeted cell type. We have recently identified two previously unexplored capsid regions near the 2/5-fold wall and 5-fold pore of the AAV capsid that are amenable to insertion of larger protein domains, including nanobodies. Here, we demonstrate that these hotspots facilitate AAV tropism switching through simple nanobody replacement without extensive optimization in both VP1 and VP2. Our data suggest that engineering VP2 is the preferred path for maintaining both virus production yield and infectivity. We demonstrate highly specific targeting of human cancer cells expressing fibroblast activating protein (FAP). Furthermore, we found that the combination of FAP nanobody insertion plus ablation of the heparin binding domain can reduce off-target infection to a minimum, while maintaining a strong infection of FAP receptor-positive cells. Taken together, our study shows that nanobody swapping at multiple capsid locations is a viable strategy for nanobody-directed cell-specific AAV targeting.

Page 2 of 11,85312345678Last