Lifeboat Foundation

A long-running research endeavor reveals key chemical players that cement memories in place—and still more have yet to be discovered.

By Simon Makin

The persistence of memory is crucial to our sense of identity, and without it, there would be no learning, for us or any other animal. It’s little wonder, then, that some researchers have called how the brain stores memories the most fundamental question in neuroscience.

In his new book, to be published in September, neuroscientist Francisco Aboitiz links consciousness back to the earliest days of biological life.

Scientists are working on a “breakthrough” cancer vaccine after discovering how the body’s immune system targets cells devastated by the disease.

A study led by researchers from the University of Southampton found the body’s natural “killer” cells – from the immune system which protects against disease and infections – instinctively recognise and attack a protein that drives cancer growth.

The scientists believe that by using this protein – known as XPO1 – they may be able to activate more killer cells to destroy the disease, paving the way for new and less invasive forms of cancer treatment.

Like a highway system, the vagus nerve branches profusely from your brain through your organs to marshal bodily functions, including aspects of mind such as mood, pleasure and fear.

A team of electrical and computer engineers at Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, working with one colleague from City University of Hong Kong and another with Fudan University, has developed a new two-dimensional, low-power-consumption field-effect transistor (FET) that could allow smartphones to need recharging less often.

In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes how they overcame problems with high gate leakage and low dielectric strength that have stymied other researchers looking to create smaller and thinner computer chips. Two of the team members (Ziao Tian and Zengfeng Di) have published a Research Briefing, summarizing their work in the same journal issue.

Over the past several years, computer engineers have been searching for new materials that will allow further miniaturization of silicon field-effect transistors. This will enable the addition of more features in phones and other devices without making them bigger. It is also a necessity for the development of 5G devices that will come with AI applications that are still in development.

This new technology will give doctors a closer look. Introducing Pillbot: a tiny disposable robot that you swallow to let doctors see inside your body. In a live demo on the TED Talk stage, creators Alex Luekbe and Vivek Kumbhari show how this pill-sized device navigates the inside of your stomach with a camera, giving a direct view of the entire organ — without the discomfort of invasive procedures — paving the way for further exploration of the human body. “Inside each and every one of us holds mysteries and wonders that if unlocked, lead to better health, performance and longevity,” says Luebke. Visit the link in bio to watch the full talk.’

Advancements in the field of robotics are fueled by research, which in turn heavily relies on effective platforms to test algorithms for robot control and navigation. While numerous robotics platforms have been developed over the past decades, most of them have shortcomings that limit their use in research settings.

Researchers at the University of California (UC) Berkeley recently developed Berkeley Humanoid, a new robotic platform that could be used to train and test algorithms for the control of humanoid robots. This new humanoid robot, introduced in a paper posted to the preprint server arXiv, addresses and overcomes some of the limitations of previously introduced robotics research platforms.

Continue reading “Researchers develop a new humanoid platform for robotics research” »

For the past decade, disordered rock salt has been studied as a potential breakthrough cathode material for use in lithium-ion batteries and a key to creating low-cost, high-energy storage for everything from cell phones to electric vehicles to renewable energy storage.

A new MIT study is making sure the material fulfills that promise.

Led by Ju Li, the Tokyo Electric Power Company Professor in Nuclear Engineering and professor of materials science and engineering, a team of researchers describe a new class of partially disordered rock salt cathode, integrated with polyanions—dubbed disordered rock salt-polyanionic spinel, or DRXPS—that delivers high energy density at high voltages with significantly improved cycling stability.

Chinese solar PV giant Trina Solar has successfully begun commercial operations at a new agri-voltaic solar project in Japan that combines solar modules with a yam crop that thrives in the shade.

The agrivoltaic project is only small – just 2.4 MW – and is located in the city of Fukuchiyama in Japan’s northern Kyoto Prefecture, but is a demonstration of the new way of thinking about the use of solar projects and existing farmland.

The Fukuchiyama project is paired with the cultivation of the Japanese yam, also known as ebi-imo, a crop native to the region which thrives in shade.