Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
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Scientists have discovered two enormous structures deep within Earth’s mantle. Research from Utrecht University reveals these regions are hotter and older than the surrounding sunken tectonic plates—at least half a billion years old, possibly older.

This finding challenges the idea that Earth’s mantle is well-mixed and fast-flowing, suggesting less movement in the mantle than previously thought.

Large earthquakes make the Earth vibrate like a bell with different tones. Seismologists study these tones to understand Earth’s interior. If the tones are “out of tune” or quieter, it indicates anomalies, helping to create images of Earth’s interior, similar to X-rays for doctors.

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Babies are like little detectives, constantly piecing together clues about the world around them. If you’ve ever noticed your baby staring at you while you talk, it’s because they’re picking up on more than just sounds – they’re learning how those sounds are made.

Our recent study, published in Developmental Science, shows this amazing process starts as early as four months old, shaking up the old belief that babies learn these patterns only after tuning in to their native language between 6 and 12 months of age.

It also gives us an earlier window to help children who might be at risk of speech or language delays.

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As you lay your head down to sleep tonight and dream all things weird and wonderful, scientists think your brain is going through a gentle rinse cycle, washing away a day’s worth of toxic by-products in preparation for a new day of thinking ahead.

But the mechanisms behind this neurological cleansing system have yet to be described in detail.

Now researchers from the University of Copenhagen have applied a suite of technologies to map the subtle rise and fall of neurotransmitters, blood volume, and spinal fluid in mice as they go about their day.

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Source: PNAS Nexus.

The microbial ecosystems within our mouths may affect our cognitive function as we age, according to a study. Interventions such as prebiotics, including dietary nitrate, have potential for delaying cognitive decline.

About 15% of older adults have mild cognitive impairment, which is the largest risk factor for the development of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. There is a known association between periodontitis—gum disease—and worsened cognitive function.

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Hidden patterns in electric propulsion plasma beams could help ensure the success of long-term space missions. Go faster, farther, more efficiently.

That’s the goal driving spacecraft propulsion engineers like Chen Cui, a new assistant professor at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science. Cui is exploring ways to improve electric propulsion thrusters — a key technology for future space missions.

“In order to ensure the technology remains viable for long-term missions, we need to optimize EP integration with spacecraft systems,” Cui said.

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According to management consulting firm BCG, only around half of all aluminum beverage cans are recycled in the United States, which is far behind countries such as Germany. What’s more, aluminum has one of the highest recycling rates in the U.S. — only around 19% of the durable goods sold in the U.S. are recycled, including only 14% of plastic containers and packaging. The rest is sent to landfills, where it leaches toxic chemicals into the surrounding soil and waterways.

New processes such as the one developed by the MIT researchers can hopefully make a difference in those numbers.

“We’re not just preventing waste,” said John H. Lienhard, another one of the researchers. “This membrane technology also enables a circular economy for aluminum, which could reduce the need for new mining and help mitigate some of the industry’s environmental footprint.”

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