Lifeboat Foundation

In 1916, Einstein finished his Theory of General Relativity, which describes how gravitational forces alter the curvature of spacetime. Among other things, this theory predicted that the Universe is expanding, which was confirmed by the observations of Edwin Hubble in 1929. Since then, astronomers have looked farther into space (and hence, back in time) to measure how fast the Universe is expanding – aka. the Hubble Constant. These measurements have become increasingly accurate thanks to the discovery of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and observatories like the Hubble Space Telescope.

Astronomers have traditionally done this in two ways: directly measuring it locally (using variable stars and supernovae) and indirectly based on redshift measurements of the CMB and cosmological models. Unfortunately, these two methods have produced different values over the past decade. As a result, astronomers have been looking for a possible solution to this problem, known as the “Hubble Tension.” According to a new paper by a team of astrophysicists, the existence of “Early Dark Energy” may be the solution cosmologists have been looking for.

Continue reading “‘Early Dark Energy’ Could Explain the Crisis in Cosmology” »

A quantum approach to data analysis that relies on the study of shapes will likely remain an example of a quantum advantage — albeit for increasingly unlikely scenarios.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2_CePTZZoI

The big bang is one of the most fascinating topics you can bring up when conversing with scientists and astronomers. This is because the theory talks about how the whole universe started in the first place. However, the event that led to the big bang is one thing that is being argued among scientists today.

For this reason, the James Webb Telescope was called in to make some findings about the big bang. The JWST found something quite alright, but it wasn’t something the scientist had prepared their minds for. What did the James Webb Telescope discover, and in what way would it affect the Big Bang Theory?

Continue reading “James Webb Just Detected A Huge Structure Older Than The Universe!” »

Horgan: Okay, maybe I have been too critical. But can you tell readers, briefly, why they should take panpsychism seriously?

Mørch : Physicalism and dualism are the two main alternatives to panpsychism.

Physicalism implies that consciousness doesn’t exist. Physical science cannot capture what it’s like for someone to have conscious experiences, such as seeing red or being in pain, or any of the qualitative or subjective features of consciousness. So if consciousness is physical, it’s not qualitative or subjective, and therefore not really consciousness after all.

Here’s why you’ve been hearing so much about ChatGPT.

The asteroid strike simulation website lets users customize material, size, and speed then witness the destruction, in the name of science.

Recently, I learned about the World Nobel Peace Summit — fascinating. Young people can go there, mingle with Nobel Peace Laureates, network and share ideas.

Amma introduces the concept of two types of education: one that allows you to earn a living and another to attain a happy, fulfilled life. Modern education should focus on not just academic skills but a culture of human rights and peaceful coexistence of peoples, the ethics of non-violence. Too often, education is propelled by vanity and the desire for individual success. Over and over, it is just competition, pressure, and a vast amount of information pumped into one’s head without instilling the habit of exploring the future consequences of one’s actions. Imagine a good physics student who becomes a scientist just to invent a bomb that could destroy the whole world. We want a child to fulfill their potential — but stay aware of the outcomes of their choices at individual and societal levels. Ethics allows one to maintain this balance. As a society, we may want to establish ethical think tanks that simulate the future and guide us as we develop new technologies and community practices.

JB: Should the ways of peaceful coexistence be taught starting from pre-school age and reinforced over the years?

Continue reading “How Nobel Peace Laureates Inspire Youth To Believe In Themselves” »

Scientists have been trying to understand the nature of the cosmos for hundreds of years. Recent technological advances have allowed scientists to gain more insight into the world and have led to new hypotheses regarding how it all works.

Some seem plausible while others are crazy. We’ll be discussing two of the most bizarre, but intriguing, hypotheses about the construction of our cosmos.

How is the cosmos organized the way it is? This topic has been studied by scientists over the years. They have proposed many theories to explain how it works and what is ahead.

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the University of Tennessee and Texas A&M University demonstrated bio-inspired devices that accelerate routes to neuromorphic, or brain-like, computing.

Results published in Nature Communications report the first example of a lipid-based “memcapacitor,” a charge storage component with memory that processes information much like synapses do in the brain. Their discovery could support the emergence of computing networks modeled on biology for a sensory approach to machine learning.

“Our goal is to develop materials and computing elements that work like biological synapses and neurons—with vast interconnectivity and flexibility—to enable autonomous systems that operate differently than current computing devices and offer new functionality and learning capabilities,” said Joseph Najem, a recent postdoctoral researcher at ORNL’s Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, a DOE Office of Science User Facility, and current assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State.