Lifeboat Foundation

Canción perteneciente al álbum ‘Fire of Unknown Origin’ (1981). Letra del escritor de fantasía Michael Moorcock.

An innovative way is being created by scientists which will help them in “growing” ice and doing the impossible job of “refreezing” the Arctic Sea as initial tests prove promising.

Scientists are aiming at pumping seawater over the frozen Arctic Ocean. They have carried out trials in the Canadian Arctic which have seen sea ice getting thickened successfully.

According to a report published in New Scientist, if no action is taken right now, the accelerating climate change will make the Arctic “ice-free in the summer in the 2030s” which will be disastrous for the planet.

A student built a pangolin-inspired robot for planting, winning the University of Surrey’s robotics contest.

A California student created Plantolin, a pangolin-inspired robot for digging and planting, winning the University of Surrey’s contest.

A blood test that may be able to diagnose five types of cancer up to four years before other symptoms appear.

NASA is developing a new Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) for the Artemis missions to the Moon, enabling astronauts to explore more expansively and conduct in-depth scientific research.

The Ground Test Unit (GTU), a prototype, is being tested on Earth to evaluate different rover concepts and ensure reliability and functionality before deployment. This initiative includes collaborations with three vendors and aims to bolster technological advancements for future lunar and Martian explorations.

Artemis campaign and lunar terrain vehicle.

Researchers at the Experimental and Clinical Research Center of Max Delbrück Center and Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin (ECRC) have found that different anatomical sections of the gastrointestinal tracts of mice carry different compositions of microbial communities. Moreover, the specific makeup of the microbiota can influence the type and abundance of immune cells in any particular region. The study, which was published in Gut Microbes, maps the complex spatial organization of immune cells and microbial communities, providing a tool for studying the interaction between gut microbes and inflammatory diseases.

Previous research has hinted at the existence of “hotspots” along the GI tract where specific immune cells and microbes might interact more intensely.

But no one had systematically investigated this across the entire gut, says Dr. Hendrik Bartolomaeus, in the Immune-Microbial Dynamics in Cardiorenal Disease lab of Dr. Nicola Wilck, and an author of the study.

New software simulates complex wave scattering for metamaterial design. Could invisibility cloaks become a reality? New research brings this science fiction concept a step closer, with a breakthrough software package that simulates how waves interact with complex materials.

A new software package developed by researchers at Macquarie University can accurately model the way waves — sound, water or light — are scattered when they meet complex configurations of particles.

This will vastly improve the ability to rapidly design metamaterials — exciting artificial materials used to amplify, block or deflect waves.

For decades, researchers have noticed that the pace of evolution tends to speed up over shorter time frames, such as five million years compared to fifty million years. This general trend indicates that “younger” groups of organisms, in evolutionary terms, tend to exhibit higher rates of speciation, extinction, and body size evolution, among other differences from older groups.

Evolutionary processes appear to operate at different time scales, perhaps necessitating the need for a new theory linking microevolution and macroevolution. The larger question has tantalized scientists: why?

There are plausible explanations. A new species may inhabit a new island chain, allowing for more variation as it spreads into new niches. An asteroid may hit the earth, increasing extinction rates. Perhaps species evolve to an “optimal” trait value and then plateau.

A drug used to prevent organ rejection in kidney transplant patients is being touted for potentially slowing down aging. Experts comment on the potential benefits and the need for more research.