Lifeboat Foundation

Not only does God play dice, that great big casino of quantum physics could have far more rooms than we ever imagined. An infinite number more, in fact.

Physicists from the University of California, Davis (UCD), the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the US, and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne have redrawn the map of fundamental reality to demonstrate the way we relate objects in physics could be holding us back from seeing a bigger picture.

For about a century, our understanding of reality has been complicated by the theories and observations that fall under the banner of quantum mechanics. Gone are the days when objects had absolute measures like velocity and position.

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In this Lightning Round video, we consider the difference between consciousness and sentience, I talk about the planet I’d want to visit, and what’s the deal with pheromones?

Continue reading “Getting Closer To Understanding Consciousness ⚡️” »

One prevailing hypothesis is that physical fitness mitigates structural brain changes that contribute to cognitive decline. Recent evidence points to a potential role involving myelin —the insulating sheath surrounding neurons that is crucial for efficient neural signaling and overall cognitive health. Myelination facilitates rapid signal transmission and supports neural network integrity.

The degeneration of myelin in the brain is increasingly recognized as a critical factor contributing to disruptions in neural communication, which may play a significant role in the cognitive decline observed in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Emerging research suggests that myelin breakdown may even precede the formation of amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles—the hallmark pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease. Advanced imaging studies have detected early myelin degeneration in individuals who later develop Alzheimer’s, indicating that myelin damage could be an initial event in the disease’s progression.

Age-related deterioration of myelin is closely associated with cognitive decline. Reduced white matter integrity—often resulting from myelin damage—is correlated with declines in memory, executive function, and processing speed in older adults. As myelin degradation leads to the slowing of cognitive processes and disrupts the synchronization of neural networks, preserving myelin integrity is essential for sustaining cognitive health across the lifespan.

A new study by Penn State and the SETI Institute explored alien signal detection in the TRAPPIST-1 system using innovative techniques focused on planetary alignments.

Astronomers have developed a new technique to search for radio signals from planets beyond our solar system, particularly those aligned with both each other and Earth. These signals would be similar to those used for communication with rovers on Mars. Penn State astronomers, in collaboration with scientists at the SETI Institute, spent 28 hours using the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) to scan the TRAPPIST-1 star system for signs of alien technology. This effort represents the longest focused search for radio signals from TRAPPIST-1 to date.

Although no evidence of extraterrestrial technology was found, the project introduced a new method for future searches. The research has been accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal.

ET isn’t the only one who gets to phone home.

27K likes, — logicure on October 3, 2024: Ballie is a soccer ball-sized, yellow, spherical AI-powered robot created by Samsung Electronics that can navigate homes and perform tasks such as controlling smart home devices, projecting images, and communicating with users.

Ballie was first introduced at CES 2020 and an upgraded version was unveiled at CES 2024.

Follow @logicure for more amazing content.

While wind and solar energy are the two most viable clean alternatives to the dirty energy sources that power most of our society, the energy that can be harvested from ocean waves also has a lot of potential as an infinitely renewable source.

However, the technology is still developing, and a new research tool may play a big part in helping it get there, Interesting Engineering reported.

Continue reading “Scientists create revolutionary tool to help power over 20 million homes: ‘Developers can spend more of their time building better devices’” »

Plastic pollution is everywhere, and a good amount of it is composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This polymer is used to make bottles, containers and even clothing. Now, researchers report in Environmental Science & Technology that they have discovered an enzyme that breaks apart PET in a rather unusual place: microbes living in sewage sludge. The enzyme could be used by wastewater treatment plants to break apart microplastic particles and upcycle plastic waste.

Microplastics are becoming increasingly prevalent in places ranging from remote oceans to inside bodies, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they appear in wastewater as well.

However, the particles are so tiny that they can slip through water treatment purification processes and end up in the effluent that is reintroduced to the environment. But effluent also contains microorganisms that like to eat those plastic particles, including Comamonas testosteroni—so named because it degrades sterols like testosterone.

In cooperation with researchers from the China University of Petroleum, the working group of Dr. Werner Nau, Professor of Chemistry at Constructor University, has demonstrated the effectiveness of a new method of intracellular protein transport.