Lifeboat Foundation

Inspired by living things, the unique material is 10 times as durable as natural rubber.

For the first time, researchers use only light and a catalyst to change properties such as hardness and elasticity in molecules of the same type, according to a new study published October 13 in Science.

The ability to control the physical properties of a material using light as a trigger is potentially transformative.

Continue reading “Researchers create material that transforms from soft to hard when exposed to light” »

The San Diego County Water Authority is planning to use its San Vicente Reservoir to store solar power making clean energy in the region viable, according to an article by NPR published on Friday.

Powering 130,000 homes

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The E-Walker has been tried and tested on Earth, but it’s yet to prove itself in space.

Large construction projects in space may be one step closer to reality, thanks to a new walking space robot. Researchers have designed the E-Walker — a state-of-the-art walking robot — to take on the behemoth task of space construction. A robot prototype has already been tested here on Earth by assembling a 25m Large Aperture Space Telescope. The telescope would usually be built in space, which is the E-Walker’s future duty.

Doubling up on its potential duties, a smaller-scale prototype of the same robot has also been created and shows promise for large construction applications on Earth, such as maintenance of wind turbines.

Continue reading “The future of space construction may have just been revolutionized by a new walking robot” »

Unfortunately, the organization will not be rebuilding the damaged observatory.

The U.S. National Science Foundation issued a solicitation on Thursday for a new multidisciplinary, world-class educational center at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, according to a statement by the organization. The center will serve as a hub for STEM education and outreach.

Dennisvdw/iStock.

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Zuckerberg’s plans to go down this road have the company’s investors jittery.

When Facebook rebranded to Meta last year, little did anybody know that the company would be spending billions on building its vision of the metaverse that would look uninspiring even a year later. Worse still, the company isn’t specifying exactly where it spent over $15 billion in 2022 alone, Business Insider.

COM & O/iStock.

Continue reading “Meta’s metaverse bill keeps rising, crosses $15 billion in 2022” »

Mark Zuckerberg laid out Tuesday how Meta is diving deeper and deeper into the black mines of the metaverse, attempting to extract digital gold.

Zuckerberg revealed a $1,500 headset Oculus Pro, as much as a PS5, Xbox Series X and Quest 2 combined, and some updates to the looks of avatars and the integration of Microsoft business products.

When your most significant announcement is the fact that after years and years of investment, you’re on the verge of debuting virtual characters with legs, something has gone wrong.

Summary: Study reveals a hidden order in seemingly random connections between neurons.

Source: University Hospital Bonn.

In the brain, our perception arises from a complex interplay of neurons that are connected via synapses. But the number and strength of connections between certain types of neurons can vary.

Alector, a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering immuno-neurology and innate immuno-oncology, has announced the initiation of the first-in-human Phase 1 trial of AL044. The study is investigating the safety profile, pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD) and target engagement of AL044 in healthy adults.

Longevity. Technology: Headquartered in South San Francisco, California, Alector is aiming to develop an unmatched pipeline of novel potential medicines based on insights into immunology, neurology and human genetics. The company’s therapeutic candidates are intended to harness the body’s innate power to heal itself, and Alector is pioneering immuno-neurology, a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, and innate immuno-oncology.

Immuno-neurology targets immune dysfunction as a root cause of multiple pathologies that are drivers of degenerative brain disorders. Alector has discovered, and is developing, a broad portfolio of innate immune system programs, designed to functionally repair genetic mutations that cause dysfunction of the brain’s immune system and enable rejuvenated immune cells to counteract emerging brain pathologies. Alector’s immuno-neurology product candidates are supported by biomarkers and target genetically defined patient populations in frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

“This exoskeleton personalizes assistance as people walk normally through the real world,” said Steve Collins, associate professor of mechanical engineering who leads the Stanford Biomechatronics Laboratory, in a press release. “And it resulted in exceptional improvements in walking speed and energy economy.”

The personalization is enabled by a machine learning algorithm, which the team trained using emulators—that is, machines that collected data on motion and energy expenditure from volunteers who were hooked up to them. The volunteers walked at varying speeds under imagined scenarios, like trying to catch a bus or taking a stroll through a park.

Continue reading “This Exoskeleton Uses Machine Learning to Put a Personalized Spring in Your Step” »