“The universe still holds surprises beyond our imagination,” astrophysicist Shankar Ray said.
Two scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have discovered a new phase of matter while studying a model system of a magnetic material.
The phase is a never-before-seen pattern of electron spins—the tiny “up” and “down” magnetic moments carried by every electron. It consists of a combination of highly ordered “cold” spins and highly disordered “hot” spins, and it has thus been dubbed “half ice, half fire.” The researchers discovered the new phase while studying a one-dimensional model of a type of magnetic material called a ferrimagnet.
“Half ice, half fire” is notable not only because it has never been observed before, but also because it is able to drive extremely sharp switching between phases in the material at a reasonable, finite temperature. This phenomenon could one day result in applications in the energy and information technology industries.
Elon Musk envisions a future where automation and AI could transform society by creating abundance and new job opportunities, while also posing challenges such as job displacement, wealth concentration, and the need for innovative solutions like universal basic income ## Questions to inspire discussion ## Income Opportunities in the Age of Abundance.
🤖 Q: How can I profit from owning assets in an abundant future? A: Rent out assets like bots, cars, and homes as a major income source, creating new job opportunities in asset management and maintenance.
🎨 Q: What industries will thrive in a post-scarcity world? A: Bespoke industries like Etsy will flourish as people seek custom-made products from human artisans, creating new job opportunities for unique, high-quality craftsmanship. ## Lifestyle Changes and Affordability.
💰 Q: How will abundance affect the cost of living? A: Middle-class living becomes possible on **$20,000/year instead of **$100,000/year, reducing costs of energy, transportation, homes, groceries, and making luxuries more accessible.
✈️ Q: Will travel become more affordable in an abundant future? A: Vacation land and travel become more accessible as abundance reduces costs of travel and accommodations, creating new job opportunities in the travel industry. ## Entertainment and Sports.
🏆 Q: How will abundance impact professional sports and gaming? A: Professional athletes and gamers will gain popularity and lucrative opportunities as more people afford tickets and subscriptions, creating new job opportunities in competitive fields. ## Economic Considerations.
An international team of researchers used multi-wavelength observations of active galactic nuclei to study how black holes launch relativistic jets. The sixteen sources were observed with the Event Horizon Telescope during its first campaign in 2017. The extreme resolution achieved by the Event Horizon Telescope enabled studies of jets closer than ever to the central supermassive black holes of these galaxies.
The team investigated the acceleration and magnetization of the jets by comparing results obtained at various frequencies and angular scales. The work was led by scientists from the MPIfR in Bonn, Germany, and the IAA-CSIC in Granada, Spain, and is now published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
To assess the accuracy in understanding the evolution of jets in the centers of active galaxies with supermassive black holes, an international research team led by Jan Röder (MPIfR and IAA-CSIC) compared observations made with the Event Horizon Telescope with previous studies using the Very Long Baseline Array and the Global Millimeter VLBI Array, which probe much larger spatial scales.
Are subterranean lifeforms viable on Mars? A new interpretation of Martian seismic data by scientists Ikuo Katayama of Hiroshima University and Yuya Akamatsu of Research Institute for Marine Geodynamics suggests the presence of water below the surface of Mars. “If liquid water exists on Mars,” Katayama says, “the presence of microbial activity” is possible.
This analysis is based on seismic data from SEIS (Seismic Experiment for the Interior Structure), deployed from NASA’s InSight lander that landed on Mars in 2018. This robotic lander is unique because it was able to use its robotic arm to place a seismometer on the surface of Mars. The SEIS instrument, which contains the seismometer, uses the seismic waves naturally generated on Mars from Marsquakes or meteorite impacts to scan the planet’s interior.
When a Marsquake or meteorite impact occurs on Mars, SEIS can read the energy emitted as P-waves, S-waves, and surface waves to create an image of the planet’s interior.
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Can you implant lab-grown brain tissue to heal brain damage? Kind of. What if you also implant an electrical stimulation device? The next generation of brain implants may be the Organoid Brain-Computer Interface (OBCI).
Learn about: brain organoids, dendritic spines, synapses, presynaptic and postsynaptic neurons, neurotransmitters.
Story of Einstein’s Brain: https://www.npr.org/2005/04/18/4602913/the-long-strange-jour…eins-brain
Dr. Michael Levin is on the verge of revolutionizing medicine by unlocking the bioelectric code that governs how cells communicate, heal, and build complex structures. His work reveals that intelligence exists at every level of biology—allowing us to reprogram tissues, regenerate limbs, and even suppress cancer by restoring cellular memory and connection.
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Genetic diversity and molecular evolution of 3-carboxymuconate cyclase (Gp60–70), the major antigen in pathogenic Sporothrix species
Posted in biotech/medical, evolution, genetics | Leave a Comment on Genetic diversity and molecular evolution of 3-carboxymuconate cyclase (Gp60–70), the major antigen in pathogenic Sporothrix species
Sporotrichosis, a neglected tropical disease caused by Sporothrix species, is a growing concern, particularly due to the emergence of highly virulent, cat-transmitted S. brasiliensis. Rapid diagnosis and surveillance are crucial for controlling sporotrichosis. This study investigated the 3-carboxymuconate cyclase (CMC) gene, which encodes the major Sporothrix antigen (Gp60–70), as a molecular marker to understand the genetic diversity and evolution of these fungi. Analysis of 104 isolates (S. brasiliensis, S. schenckii, S. globosa, and S. luriei) revealed 79 unique haplotypes, demonstrating superior discriminatory power over traditional molecular markers. High–CMC polymorphisms, especially in S. brasiliensis and S. schenckii, suggest recent population expansion or positive selection, potentially driven by environmental pressures such as polyaromatic hydrocarbon pollutants. The conserved chromosomal location of CMC in pathogenic Sporothrix and its absence in less virulent species suggest a role in virulence. Identifying conserved residues within predicted B-cell epitopes provides targets for diagnostics and therapeutics. Additionally, we identified N-linked glycosylation sequons (e.g. NGS at 62, NNT at 225, and NGT at 373/374) conserved in pathogenic Sporothrix but absent in environmental Sordariomycetes, possibly contributing to pathogenicity and niche adaptation. This study establishes CMC as a valuable marker for understanding Sporothrix evolution and virulence, aiding in sporotrichosis management.
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Researchers from the Henry and Marilyn Taub Faculty of Computer Science have developed an AI-based method that accelerates DNA-based data retrieval by three orders of magnitude while significantly improving accuracy. The research team included Ph.D. student Omer Sabary, Dr. Daniella Bar-Lev, Dr. Itai Orr, Prof. Eitan Yaakobi, and Prof. Tuvi Etzion.