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Apr 16, 2022

Imagine — Worldbuilding Edition

Posted by in categories: life extension, media & arts, nanotechnology, robotics/AI

This video was produced on April 15, 2022 for the Future of Life Insititute’s Worldbuilding program.

Please support the Future of Life Institute: https://futureoflife.org.

Continue reading “Imagine — Worldbuilding Edition” »

Apr 16, 2022

The sun has blasted Mercury with a plasma wave

Posted by in categories: particle physics, space

The wave likely scoured the surface of the weakly magnetic planet.


Previously, scientists were unsure if Mercury’s magnetic field was strong enough to induce geomagnetic storms. However, research published in two papers in the journals Nature Communications and Science China Technological Sciences in February has proved that the magnetic field is, indeed, strong enough. The first paper showed that Mercury has a ring current, a doughnut-shaped stream of charged particles flowing around a field line between the planet’s poles, and the second paper pointed to this ring current being capable of triggering geomagnetic storms.

“The processes are quite similar to here on Earth,” Hui Zhang, a co-author of both studies and a space physics professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, said in a statement. “The main differences are the size of the planet and Mercury has a weak magnetic field and virtually no atmosphere.”

Continue reading “The sun has blasted Mercury with a plasma wave” »

Apr 16, 2022

A blazing orange wildflower thought to be extinct for 36 years was rediscovered

Posted by in category: futurism

The wildflower Gasteranthus extinctus in western Ecuador had been spotted by scientists for the first time since 1985. The elusive tropical plant is endangered due to the mass deforestation of its environment.

Apr 16, 2022

Chatbots could one day replace search engines. Here’s why that’s a terrible idea

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, space

It was cute⁠—even though LaMDA went on to make a few errors. The AI language model that powers it is still in development, Pichai explained. And Google says it has no plans yet to use LaMDA in its products. Even so, the company is using it to explore new ways to interact with computers—and new ways to search for information. “LaMDA already understands quite a lot about Pluto and millions of other topics,” he said.

The vision of a know-it-all AI that dishes out relevant and accurate information in easy-to-understand bite-size chunks is shaping the way tech companies are approaching the future of search. And with the rise of voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, language models are becoming a go-to technology for finding stuff out in general.

Apr 16, 2022

Key Signaling Pathway in Immune Cells Could Be New Alzheimer’s Target

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, neuroscience

Summary: Tau-tangles trigger the inflammatory activation of microglia via the NF-κB pathway. Inhibiting the microglia NF-κB signaling pulled the immune cells out of their inflammatory state and reversed learning and memory problems in tau-based Alzheimer’s mouse models.

Source: Weill Cornell Medicine.

Inhibiting an important signaling pathway in brain-resident immune cells may calm brain inflammation and thereby slow the disease process in Alzheimer’s and some other neurodegenerative diseases, suggests a study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

Apr 16, 2022

Elon Musk: Mark Zuckerberg has too much Social Media power

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, energy

Elon Musk referred to Mark Zuckerberg as ‘Zuckerberg the 14th’ – an apparent allusion to the famed Louis XIV nicknamed the Sun King – and accused him of exerting too much influence over platforms controlled by him. Twitter’s new owner insists that his bid to purchase the microblogging service isn’t about making money, but rather about broadening Twitter’s appeal and safeguarding free expression. A more accessible social media platform was one of Musk’s goals, he said.

“When Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are all owned by Mark Zuckerberg, the 14th generation of Zuckerbergs will still be in charge. Actually, this is what I mean. On Twitter, you won’t see that ” Zuckerberg was ridiculed by Musk. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that he prefers to maintain the largest number of Twitter stockholders in the company, rather than monopolizing it. He presently has a 9.1 percent stake in Twitter.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, on the other hand, holds a 12.8 percent stake in Meta, the parent company of social media platforms. This is not the first time that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Tesla CEO Elon Musk have taken shots at one other. When in doubt, leave the speech as is. Let the tweet live if it’s in a grey area When discussing censoring specific subjects and tweets, Musk stated this. In my opinion, we should be extremely cautious about deleting anything.

Apr 16, 2022

8 Bad VPNs You Must Avoid to Protect Your Privacy

Posted by in category: futurism

We recommend that everyone use VPNs, but not all VPNs are worth using. Here are some of the sketchier VPNs to avoid.

Apr 16, 2022

Critical VMware Cloud Director Bug Could Let Hackers Takeover Entire Cloud Infrastructure

Posted by in category: futurism

Critical RCE bug in vmware cloud director could let attackers takeover entire cloud infrastructure.


The app rolled out today in several markets, including the US, but it might be hard to find.

Apr 16, 2022

Google Releases ‘Switch to Android’ App on iPhone

Posted by in categories: climatology, mobile phones

Way back in 2015, Apple released its very first app in the Google Play Store. It was called Move to iOS, and it helped people switch from Google’s platform to Apple’s. Turnabout is fair play, and Google has finally made its own switching app. With the predictable name “Switch To Android,” the app helps iPhone owners export their data for use on an Android phone. The app rolled out today in several markets, including the US, but it might be hard to find.

The current mobile dichotomy has been in place for over a decade at this point. Upstarts like Palm and Windows Phone tried and failed to create a third platform, but instead we’ve all become more entrenched with Android and iOS. After years and years using one platform, it can be imposing to move it someplace else. Apps like Apple’s Move to iOS and the new Switch To Android can make it a bit easier by automating the process, or at least pointing you to the right settings.

After installing the Switch To Android app on an iPhone, you’ll have the option to grab the basics like your contacts, calendar events, photos, and videos. Most of this data should plug into Google’s ecosystem without issue. You might notice some strange errors in contact data, but the app connects to Google Photos to salvage all your iCloud media. This all happens wirelessly, so you won’t have to worry about finding a cable to connect your Android phone’s USB-C port to the aging Lightning port on even the latest iPhones.

Apr 16, 2022

Ukrainian startup Promin Aerospace tests engine for new ‘self-devouring’ rocket

Posted by in category: futurism

The company has been making progress despite the Russian invasion.


Over the past few months, Promin Aerospace has proven its concept of a unique self-burning rocket, an idea based on autophagic, or “self-devouring,” technology.