Lifeboat Foundation

On February 15, 2013, above Chelyabinsk in Russia’s Southern Urals, the biggest meteorite that was ever seen this century entered the Earth’s atmosphere. Unusually, the meteorite’s surface dust survived its impact and is now the subject of in-depth research. Some carbon microcrystals in this dust have odd shapes. A group led by Sergey Taskaev and Vladimir Khovaylo from Chelyabinsk State University in Russia has recently published a paper on the morphology and simulations of the formation of these crystals in the European Physical Journal Plus.

A meteor’s surface develops meteorite dust as it enters the atmosphere and is subjected to very high temperatures and tremendous pressures. The Chelyabinsk meteor was exceptional in terms of its size, the intensity of the air burst it created as it exploded, the size of the biggest pieces that fell to Earth, and the destruction it caused. More importantly, it landed on snowy terrain, and the snow helped keep the dust intact.

Taskaev, Khovaylo, and their team first observed micrometer-sized carbon microcrystals in this dust under a light microscope. They, therefore, examined the same crystals using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and found that they took up a variety of unusual shapes: closed, quasi-spherical shells and hexagonal rods. Further analysis using Raman spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography showed that the carbon crystals were, actually, exotically-shaped forms of graphite.

As a scientist, I am driven by the power of technological breakthroughs to make positive change for humanity. While I also take immense pleasure in the artistic/creative aspects of technology design, my motivation is centered on helping people and on protecting the future of the human species. For this reason, I am interested in a wide array of contemporary challenges as described in this outline. Because I am a synthetic biologist and synthetic biology has many applications, I have the ability to explore solutions to such diverse challenges despite their highly multidisciplinary nature.

That said, one of the tools in any good researcher’s repertoire is collaboration. Since I am just one person, my knowledge can only go so deep in so many areas. Interdisciplinary projects are much more likely to succeed when experts from multiple areas work together. So, I leverage collaboration extensively when carrying out my projects and will continue to do so in the future.

It should be noted that, though I am publicly presenting a number of conceptual explanations of possible solutions to important problems via this list, I have deliberately stated them in somewhat vague language to prevent their public disclosure from precluding outside investment.

T. dohrnii is the only species that is biologically immortal, and now scientists have peered into its DNA to find out what lets it live forever.

Separating densely packed molecules before imaging makes them visible for the first time.

Scientists say medication also used after undergoing an organ transplant is capable of extending life with only brief use

COLOGNE, Germany — A drug that patients normally take during cancer therapy may have the power to increase the human lifespan, a new study reveals. Researchers in Germany say rapamycin can cause side-effects when patients take it as a lifelong anti-aging treatment. However, their new report finds even brief usage can have a dramatic impact on longevity while cutting down on side-effects.

New incentives could help make buildings (and cities) greener.

Duangkamon Panyapatiphan/iStock.

Button was suffering from a rare ailment that made him age backward. Meanwhile, in another similar scenario, a species of jellyfish — called turritopsis dohrnii — seems to have reached immortality.

Circa 2020 The axolotl’s ability to regenerate limbs has now be localized by researchers. This can lead to an end of illness and aging aswell.

A novel CRISPR-based genetic screen of candidate regeneration genes in haploid axolotl limbs reveals two genes required for proper regeneration.

NVIDIA, one of the tech sector’s power players, is pushing the Universal Scene Description protocol as the foundation of interoperable content and experiences in the metaverse. In a recent post the company explains why it believes the protocol, originally invented by Pixar, fits the needs of the coming metaverse.

Though the word metaverse is presently being used as a catchall for pretty much any multi-user application these days, the truth is that the vast majority of such platforms are islands unto themselves that have no connectivity to virtual spaces, people, or objects on other platforms. The ‘real’ metaverse, most seem to agree, must have at least some elements of interoperability, allowing users to seamlessly move from one virtual space to the next, much like we do today on the web.

To that end, Nvidia is pushing Universal Scene Description (USD) as the “HTML of the metaverse,” the company described in a recent post.