Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
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Before long, machines will become vastly more intelligent than humans…either accept that humans will become the second most intelligent species or impose a global ban — he will speak at Future Day.

Hugo de Garis believes that too many commentators on AI are avoiding the fundamental issue: before long, machines will become vastly more intelligent than humans—potentially trillions of trillions of times more, or even beyond that. Humanity will soon face a critical decision: either accept that humans will become the second most intelligent species or impose a global ban on the creation of artilects (artificial intellects).

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In today’s AI news, in a social media post, DeepSeek said the daily releases it is planning for its Open Source Week would provide visibility into these humble building blocks in our online service that have been documented, deployed and battle-tested in production. As part of the open-source community, we believe that every line shared becomes collective momentum that accelerates the journey.

In other advancements, Together AI an AI cloud platform that enables companies to train and deploy artificial intelligence models — has raised $305 million in Series B funding in a round led by General Catalyst, more than doubling its valuation to $3.3 billion from $1.25 billion last March. The funding comes amid growing demand for computing power to run advanced open-source models.

In personal and professional development, if you’re curious about how to integrate AI smartly into your business, here are some friendly tips to get you started while keeping things safe and effective. The key is strategic integration with safeguards in place, use AI’s strengths — without losing your own.

Then, search startup Genspark has raised $100 million in a series A funding round, valuing the startup at $530 million, according to a source familiar with the matter, as the race to use artificial intelligence to disrupt Google’s stranglehold on the search engine market heats up. The Palo Alto-based company currently has over 2 million monthly active users, and the round was led by a group of U.S. and Singapore-based investors.

S like to compete with Google, and what the future of search could look like. + Then, as AI scales from the cloud to the very edges of our devices, the potential for transformative innovation grows exponentially. In this Imagination In Action session at Davos, Daniel Newman, CEO The Futurum Group moderates this expert panel which includes: Åsa Tamsons, Executive VP, Ericsson, Gill Pratt, CEO Toyota Research, Chief Scientist Toyota, Kinuko Masaki, CEO, VoiceBrain, Cyril Perducat, CTO, Rockwell Automation, and Alexander Amini, CSO, Liquid AI.

Continue reading “DeepSeek Goes Beyond “Open Weights” AI With Plans For It’s Source Code Release” | >

Please see my latest Forbes article on the need to get ready for the Quantum Era. Thanks!

By Chuck Brooks, Forbes Contributor. Global Thought Leader in Cybersecurity and Emerging Tech.

“We are on the emerging pathway to the new era of quantum computing. We must now prepare for the exponential benefits and risks of quantum technologies.”

https://search.app/SbiN8RJWMdDx39ac8

#quantum #quantumcomputing #tech #cybersecurity #artificialintelligence

Continue reading “Quantum Computing Has Arrived; We Need To Prepare For Its Impact” | >

New in JNeurosci: Researchers identified a new subset of neurons in mice that morphine may interact with to influence behavior. This neuron population could be a promising new opioid addiction treatment target.

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Opioid use disorder constitutes a major health and economic burden, but our limited understanding of the underlying neurobiology impedes better interventions. Alteration in the activity and output of dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) contributes to drug effects, but the mechanisms underlying these changes remain relatively unexplored. We used translating ribosome affinity purification and RNA sequencing to identify gene expression changes in mouse VTA DA neurons following chronic morphine exposure. We found that expression of the neuropeptide neuromedin S (Nms) is robustly increased in VTA DA neurons by morphine. Using an NMS-iCre driver line, we confirmed that a subset of VTA neurons express NMS and that chemogenetic modulation of VTA NMS neuron activity altered morphine responses in male and female mice. Specifically, VTA NMS neuronal activation promoted morphine locomotor activity while inhibition reduced morphine locomotor activity and conditioned place preference (CPP). Interestingly, these effects appear specific to morphine, as modulation of VTA NMS activity did not affect cocaine behaviors, consistent with our data that cocaine administration does not increase VTA Nms expression. Chemogenetic manipulation of VTA neurons that express glucagon-like peptide, a transcript also robustly increased in VTA DA neurons by morphine, does not alter morphine-elicited behavior, further highlighting the functional relevance of VTA NMS-expressing neurons. Together, our current data suggest that NMS-expressing neurons represent a novel subset of VTA neurons that may be functionally relevant for morphine responses and support the utility of cell type-specific analyses like TRAP to identify neuronal adaptations underlying substance use disorder.

Significance Statement The opioid epidemic remains prevalent in the U.S., with more than 70% of overdose deaths caused by opioids. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) is responsible for regulating reward behavior. Although drugs of abuse can alter VTA dopaminergic neuron function, the underlying mechanisms have yet to be fully explored. This is partially due to the cellular heterogeneity of the VTA. Here, we identify a novel subset of VTA neurons that express the neuropeptide neuromedin S (NMS). Nms expression is robustly increased by morphine and alteration of VTA NMS neuronal activity is sufficient to alter morphine-elicited behaviors. Our findings are the first to implicate NMS-expressing neurons in drug behavior and thereby improve our understanding of opioid-induced adaptations in the VTA.

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Traditional 3D printing builds objects layer by layer, but tomographic volumetric additive manufacturing (TVAM) takes a different approach. It uses laser light to illuminate a rotating vial of resin, solidifying material only where the accumulated energy surpasses a specific threshold. A key advantage of TVAM is its speed—it can produce objects in seconds, whereas conventional layer-based 3D printing takes about 10 minutes. However, its efficiency is a major drawback, as only about 1% of the projected light contributes to forming the intended shape.

Researchers from EPFL’s Laboratory of Applied Photonic Devices, led by Professor Christophe Moser, and the SDU Centre for Photonics Engineering, led by Professor Jesper Glückstad, have developed a more efficient TVAM technique, as reported in Nature Communications

<em> Nature Communications </em> is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that publishes high-quality research from all areas of the natural sciences, including physics, chemistry, Earth sciences, and biology. The journal is part of the Nature Publishing Group and was launched in 2010. “Nature Communications” aims to facilitate the rapid dissemination of important research findings and to foster multidisciplinary collaboration and communication among scientists.

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Welcome to a unique listening experience in the universe of classic science fiction! Introducing “With Folded Hands” by Jack Williamson, an audiobook that will immerse you in a fascinating world full of technological intrigue. In this captivating tale, we explore a dystopian future where humanity has been supplanted by a race of helpful robots known as “Mechanies.” However, the apparent perfection of these androids hides a dark secret that threatens to destroy what remains of humanity. Accompany our narrator on a journey full of suspense and reflection as he discovers the dangers that lurk in a world dominated by technology. With the masterful voice of our narrator, each word comes to life, transporting you to a universe where machines have absolute control. Immerse yourself in this sci-fi masterpiece, where each chapter will leave you eager to discover what will happen next. Can humanity regain its freedom in the face of the unstoppable advance of technology? Find out now in “With Folded Hands” by Jack Williamson. Do not miss it! #audiobook #sciencefiction #JackWilliamson #WithFoldedHands #robots #dystopianbooks #technology #narration #literature #classicalliterature #futuristic #suspense #intrigue #books #audible #listen #adventure #classicliterature #Androids #sciencefictionfantasy

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An interesting glimpse into the adventurous world of neutrino research in Antarctica!

At McMurdo, Karle must wait for the weather to permit the final leg of the trip. “It is not uncommon to spend several days in McMurdo,” he says. (Karle’s record is 10.) When it’s time, he takes a 3.5-hour flight on a ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft to reach the South Pole. Anyone or anything else that goes to the South Pole must take a similarly tedious route.

There’s a reason scientists have endured the challenges of the climate, the commute and the cost for over half a century—since members of the US Navy completed the original Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station in 1957. Despite all the trouble it takes to get there, the South Pole is an unparalleled environment for scientific research, from climate science and glaciology to particle physics and astrophysics.

This sentiment was echoed by the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel in its 2023 report, a decadal plan for the future of particle physics research in the United States. Under its recommendation to “Construct a portfolio of major projects that collectively study nearly all fundamental constituents of our universe and their interactions,” the report prioritized support for five specific projects—two of which are located at the South Pole: cosmic microwave background experiment CMB-S4, the top priority, and neutrino experiment IceCube-Gen2, recommended fifth. Because of the high scientific priority of these projects, the report also urged maintenance of the South Pole site.

Continue reading “A harsh environment for life, an ideal environment for research” | >

A combination of mRNA and a new lipid nanoparticle could help heal damaged lungs, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Viruses, physical trauma, or other problems can have a serious impact on the lungs, and when the damage is in the lower regions, traditional treatments, like inhaled medication, might not work. The study, published in Nature Communications, provides a proof of concept for an injectable therapy.

“The lungs are hard-to-treat organs because both permanent and temporary damage often happen in the deeper regions where medication does not easily reach,” said study author Elena Atochina-Vasserman, MD, Ph.D., research assistant professor of Infectious Diseases at Penn and scientist at the Penn Institute for RNA Innovation. “Even drugs delivered intravenously are spread without specificity. That makes a targeted approach like ours especially valuable.”

Lung damage can result from a variety of causes ranging from physical accidents that cause inflammation of the lungs to like COVID, flu, and RSV. Viruses alone can usher in an setting off a buildup of fluid in the airways, excess mucus, , and damage to the lining of the lungs. Whether acute or chronic, weakened lungs can be life threatening. Respiratory diseases were the third leading cause of death worldwide even before the pandemic, according to previous research.

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