Lifeboat News: The Blog – Safeguarding Humanity

Macroscopic laser pulling based on the Knudsen force in rarefied gas

Posted by Saúl Morales Rodriguéz in materials

Jan 29
2023

Optical pulling is an attractive concept due to the counterintuitive feature, the profound mechanism underneath and promising applications. In recent ten years, optical pulling of micro-nano objects have been fully demonstrated. However, optical pulling of a macroscopic object is challenging. Herein, laser pulling of a macroscopic object is presented in rarefied gas. The pulling force is originated from the Kundsen force when a gauss laser beam irradiates a macroscopic structure composed of the absorptive bulk cross-linked graphene material and a SiO2 layer. A torsional pendulum device qualitatively presents the laser pulling phenomenon. A gravity pendulum device was used to further measure the pulling force that is more than three orders of magnitudes larger than the radiation pressure. This work expands the scope of optical pulling from microscale to macroscale and provides an effective technique approach for macroscopic optical manipulations.

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ChatGPT creator Sam Altman visits Washington to meet lawmakers

Posted by Dan Kummer in government, robotics/AI

Jan 29
2023

In the meetings, Altman told policymakers that OpenAI is on the path to creating “artificial general intelligence,” a term used to describe an artificial intelligence that can think and understand on the level of the human brain.

The OpenAI CEO is talking to members of Congress about the uses and limits of the artificial intelligence tool that’s all the rage.

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The Outward Urge Has NASA Looking at New Methods of Propulsion

Posted by 21st Century Tech Blog in space travel

Jan 29
2023

Nuclear thermal propulsion and the rotating detonation rocket are two new engine technologies NASA hopes to use to get to Mars and further.

To Mars, nuclear rockets can cut the time in half. And for in-space propulsion, NASA demonstrates a fast-speed rotating detonation rocket.

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Scientists have identified six rules for maintaining memory and reason in old age

Posted by Paul Battista in biotech/medical, genetics, neuroscience

Jan 29
2023

Chinese scientists in a 10-year study found that people who adhered to the special six rules, the risk of dementia decreased by 90%. Even with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s disease. The study involved 29 thousand people over 60 years of age, who were divided into three groups.

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ChatGPT can write code. Now researchers say it’s good at fixing bugs, too

Posted by Quinn Sena in futurism

Jan 29
2023

A developer’s new best friend? ChatGPT is up with the best when it comes to automatically debugging code. But whether it saves developers’ time or creates more work remains to be seen.

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Scientists Warn Giant Asteroid Is Actually Swarm, Nearly Impossible to Destroy

Posted by Quinn Sena in asteroid/comet impacts, existential risks

Jan 29
2023

Researchers have found that some asteroids that are largely made from small pieces of rubble could be very difficult to deflect if one were to ever hurtle towards Earth, a terrifying finding that could force us to reconsider our asteroid defense strategies.

It’s an especially pertinent topic considering NASA’s recent successful deflection of asteroid Didymos by smashing its Double Asteroid Reduction Test (DART) spacecraft into it last year, a proof of concept mission meant to investigate ways for humanity to protect itself from asteroid threats.

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ChatGPT: A Scammer’s Newest Tool

Posted by Quinn Sena in robotics/AI

Jan 29
2023

ChatGPT: Everyone’s favorite chatbot/writer’s-block buster/ridiculous short story creator is skyrocketing in fame. 1 In fact, the AI-generated content “masterpieces” (by AI standards) are impressing technologists the world over. While the tech still has a few kinks that need ironing, ChatGPT is almost capable of rivaling human, professional writers.

However, as with most good things, bad actors are using technology for their own gains. Cybercriminals are exploring the various uses of the AI chatbot to trick people into giving up their privacy and money. Here are a few of the latest unsavory uses of AI text generators and how you can protect yourself—and your devices—from harm.

Malicious Applications of ChatGPT .

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Zuckerberg’s Meta gearing up for more layoffs? This report suggests so

Posted by Raphael Ramos in futurism, robotics/AI

Jan 29
2023

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly announced that he is not in favour of “managers managing managers, managing managers, managing managers, managing the people who are doing the work”. According to the weekly newsletter Command Line from The Verge’s Alex Heath, Zuckerberg hinted at more layoffs in middle management during an internal Q&A meeting last week.

As per the report, Zuckerberg thinks that several layers of management are a waste of resources and the managers who build bigger teams should not be rewarded. Earlier in January, the newsletter had reported that Meta’s chief product officer Chris Cox mentioned on the company’s communication platform — Workplace — about the possible “flattening” of the organisational structure. The newsletter suggested that employees should brace for more job cuts in the near future.

Zuckerberg also touched upon the progress of AI tools, similar to ChatGPT, to help engineers with coding, and non-engineers, too, over time.

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Flame-resistant variety of cotton could cut need for toxic retardants

Posted by Raphael Ramos in futurism

Jan 29
2023

White cotton can normally only be made fire resistant by adding toxic flame retardants, but a new form could enable us to make inherently non-flammable cotton fabrics.

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