Dutch astrophysicists have observed the collision of two neutron stars, capturing unprecedented data that offers new insights into the formation of black holes.
The team, based at the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen, documented the birth of the smallest black hole ever recorded through their observations. Their findings, published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, illuminate the immense cosmic forces at play and how such events have shaped the universe and the creation of atoms.
Microorganisms—bacteria, viruses and other tiny life forms—may drive biological variation in visible life as much, if not more, than genetic mutations, creating new lineages and even new species of animals and plants, according to Seth Bordenstein, director of Penn State’s One Health Microbiome Center, professor of biology and entomology, and the Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Endowed Chair in Microbiome Sciences.
Bordenstein and 21 other scientists from around the world published a paper in Science, summarizing research that they said drives a deeper understanding of biological variation by uniting life’s seen and unseen realms.
The authors explained that this newly described concept—holobiont biology —underpins a multidisciplinary and holistic understanding of how life’s forms and functions, from human disease to agricultural output, depend upon the relationships between microorganisms and their hosts. Penn State News spoke with Bordenstein about the paper and the emerging field of holobiont biology.
Spanning 18 kilometers, the new Fehmarn Belt fixed link between Germany and Denmark will be the world’s longest and deepest underwater tunnel, combining road and rail.
Once completed, the tunnel promises to reduce travel time, strengthen ties between Scandinavia and Central Europe, form a greener traffic lane, and boost train transport. The ten billion euro price tag, therefore, promises to be worth it and has the stamp of approval from the European Commission’s Ten-T Programme.
The underwater fixed link tunnel will consist of two two-lane highways divided by a service passage and two separate railways.
A patient’s own blood could be used to help create a material potentially capable of repairing their broken bones, new research suggests.
Scientists have transformed blood into a substance which successfully repaired bones in animals, paving the way for personalised 3D-printed implants.
They suggest the new material has the potential to create regenerative blood products that could be used as effective therapies to treat injury and disease.
CIEMAT scientists advance fusion energy for efficient reactors.
For decades, scientists have been working to develop reactors that can achieve fusion to meet the increasing need for clean and limitless energy.
The success of such experiments depends on multiple key factors, including optimized magnetic fields that could display enhanced fusion plasma confinement.
Introduced by researchers at Laboratorio Nacional de Fusión–CIEMAT, the new family of magnetic fields is claimed to be better suited for confining particles in fusion devices.
Animals and plants also live and thrive on public squares. This creates opportunities for greater biodiversity and well-being for the human population. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have studied at 103 locations in Munich how various factors affect flora and fauna.
They advocate a close examination of local conditions and a more nature-focused approach to the design of public spaces. Their results are published in Nature Cities.
Biodiversity is the foundation of functional ecosystems: diverse ecosystems are more stable and have greater resiliency to the effects of climate change. However, humans also benefit directly from having a wide range of plant and animal life in their surroundings.
Evo is a large language model that is not trained on words but on the genomes of millions of microbes. It can accurately predict the effects of mutations.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Particle physicist Hitoshi Murayama admits that he used to worry about being known as the “most hated man” in his field of science. But the good news is that now he can joke about it.
Last year, the Berkeley professor chaired the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel, or P5, which drew up a list of multimillion-dollar physics experiments that should move ahead over the next 10 years. The list focused on phenomena ranging from subatomic smash-ups to cosmic inflation. At the same time, the panel also had to decide which projects would have to be left behind for budgetary reasons, which could have turned Murayama into the Dr. No of physics.
Although Murayama has some regrets about the projects that were put off, he’s satisfied with how the process turned out. Now he’s just hoping that the federal government will follow through on the P5’s top priorities.
Step Into the Future with The Cybernetic Singularity: The Syntellect Emergence 🎧 The groundbreaking third volume of The Cybernetic Theory of Mind series by Alex M Vikoulov is now available as an audiobook!
Ecstadelic Media Group releases a new non-fiction audiobook The Cybernetic Singularity: The Syntellect Emergence, in addition to a previously published Kindle eBook, part of The Cybernetic Theory of Mind series. Written by Alex M. Vikoulov; Narrated by Virtual Voice; Foreword by Antonin Tuynman, PhD; Format: Audible audiobook (Press Release, Burlingame, CA, USA, November 16, 2024 09.23 AM PST)
The Cybernetic Singularity: The Syntellect Emergence is a visionary exploration of humanity’s impending transition into a post-biological state of existence, where artificial intelligence, advanced cybernetics, and collective intelligence converge to form a unified Global Mind. As the third installment in The Cybernetic Theory of Mind series, this book delves into the transformative potential of AI and the emergence of hyperconnected “infomorphs” — substrate-independent minds transcending biological limitations. It examines the profound philosophical, technological, and existential implications of this evolutionary leap, which may redefine what it means to be human. The book also introduces key concepts like Cybernetic Immortality and Experiential Realism, suggesting how we might engineer a future of infinite creativity and bliss.
Natural forms of opiates and dopamine — key players in brain pathways that diminish pain and enhance reward — seem to be telltale ingredients of the elevated tails in our anticipation training program. Observing tail posture in rats adds a new layer to our understanding of rat emotional expression, reminding us that emotions are expressed throughout the entire body.
While we can’t directly ask rats whether they like to drive, we devised a behavioral test to assess their motivation to drive. This time, instead of only giving rats the option of driving to the Froot Loop Tree, they could also make a shorter journey on foot — or paw, in this case.
Surprisingly, two of the three rats chose to take the less efficient path of turning away from the reward and running to the car to drive to their Froot Loop destination. This response suggests that the rats enjoy both the journey and the rewarding destination.
