Lifeboat Foundation

Sunlight sparkling on water evokes the rich phenomena of liquid-light interaction, spanning spatial and temporal scales. While the dynamics of liquids have fascinated researchers for decades, the rise of neuromorphic computing has sparked significant efforts to develop new, unconventional computational schemes based on recurrent neural networks, crucial to supporting wide range of modern technological applications, such as pattern recognition and autonomous driving. As biological neurons also rely on a liquid environment, a convergence may be attained by bringing nanoscale nonlinear fluid dynamics to neuromorphic computing.

Researchers from University of California San Diego recently proposed a novel paradigm where liquids, which usually do not strongly interact with light on a micro-or nanoscale, support significant nonlinear response to optical fields. As reported in Advanced Photonics, the researchers predict a substantial light-liquid interaction effect through a proposed nanoscale gold patch operating as an optical heater and generating thickness changes in a liquid film covering the waveguide.

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Circa 2013

What if your running shoes could really adapt to your feet — and not just in the way that footwear retailers describe to solidify sales. These cutting-edge Protocells Trainers present the fascinating possibilities of wearable living materials that can grow, modify and repair themselves through continuous use.

Shamees Aden has been working with Dr. Martin Hanczyc on these innovative kicks, developing a synthetic biological substance that could be 3D printed to fit the wearer’s feet like gloves. The composite organic fabric would provide surface protection to toes and soles, yet it could also offer support skeletal and muscular. The anatomical tissue of the Protocells Trainers would thicken in areas that experience more pressure, and they could heal their own tears while bottled in a special solution overnight.

Circa 2018

This blog post is sponsored by Bluezone, the independent trade show for the denim and sportswear community by Munich Fabric Start. Register for the show here!

Continue reading “27 Revolutionary Denim Innovations You Need to Know” »

Circa 2016

Penn State scientists made a coating that allows conventional textiles used in everyday clothing to patch themselves up. Derived from squid ring teeth, the coating can turn virtually any fabric into a self-healing one. Simply adding water is enough to kick start the repairing process.

Continue reading “Self-healing textiles means you don’t have to throw away your torn jeans — just add water” »

Zero-emission buses will help cut emissions but we also need to redesign suburban networks to get people out of their cars, says University of Melbourne expert.

Meatable has become the latest company to reveal a new cultured food product – lab-grown sausages, which could offer a more sustainable and ethical choice for consumers in the near future.

Here are three key lessons my sister with Down syndrome has taught me — kindness, unconditional love and gratitude. They were her foundation to an optimistic life.

A U.S. House Intelligence Committee member cautioned that bioweapons using a target’s DNA to kill only that individual are being created. US Representative Jason Crow of Colorado spoke on Friday at the Aspen Security Forum and cautioned Americans not to be too careless about sharing their DNA with private firms due to the impending arrival of the new type of weapon. “You can target a biological weapon that will kill that person or take them off the battlefield or make them inoperable,” Crow said. “You can take someone’s DNA, you know, take their medical profile,” he added.

Given the prevalence of DNA testing services, where customers voluntarily share their genetic mapping with companies to learn more about their ancestry and health, the congressman said it is concerning that these weapons are being developed. Although 23andMe has maintained time and time again that it does not sell its customers’ private information, it is one of many DNA companies that have done so when asked by the police.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, US Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa claimed that the US’s adversaries may deploy such DNA bioweapons to attack food supply on a large scale. Ernst forewarned that specific animals relied upon by civilians, armies, or towns could be the target of biological weapons, resulting in scarcity and food poverty and weakening populations.

Bonsai brain is one of the projects of Microsoft that aims to use trained AI models for automation and major tasks with lesser coding. Deep RL is used by bonsai brain to simulate and train the Bonsai platform.

In 2017 and 2018, scientists spotted the first two interstellar objects ever recorded in our Solar System. JWST could tell us more about them.