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Dec 2, 2019

Google DeepMind gamifies memory with its latest AI work

Posted by in categories: futurism, robotics/AI

Google DeepMind scientists built a computer program that gives signals from future to past, in a kind of theoretical model that feels like things people do when they learn from their mistakes. Just remember, it’s only a game.

Dec 2, 2019

Brain-computer interface could be tailored to treat brain disorders

Posted by in categories: computing, neuroscience

Just one hour of brain–computer interface use led to clear changes in neuronal patterns, raising hopes of a potential new therapy for stroke victims.

Dec 2, 2019

Harnessing the power of CRISPR in space and time

Posted by in categories: bioengineering, biotech/medical

Researchers in Vienna from Ulrich Elling’s laboratory at IMBA—Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences—in collaboration with the Vienna BioCenter Core Facilities have developed a revolutionary CRISPR technology called “CRISPR-Switch,” which enables unprecedented control of the CRISPR technique in both space and time.

CRISPR/Cas9 technology is based on a modified version of a bacterial defense system against bacteriophages. One of the landmark discoveries for this technique in fact was laid in Vienna and published in 2012 in a study co-authored by Emmanuelle Charpentier and VBC Ph.D. student, Krzysztof Chylinski. Due to its power to also edit mammalian genomes, CRISPR/Cas9 has rapidly established itself as the most employed gene editing method in laboratories across the world with huge potential to find its way to the clinics to cure rare disease. Just a week ago, the first success in the treatment of sickle cell anemia was announced.

To control the power of genome editing, several groups have worked on systems to control editing activity. Scientists from the lab of Ulrich Elling at IMBA were now able to gain unprecedented control over sgRNA activity, in a system termed “CRISPR-Switch.” The results are published in the renowned journal Nature Communications.

Dec 2, 2019

New Fast Charge Technology: 80% Of Battery Power In 1 Minute

Posted by in categories: futurism, mobile phones

How fast does your phone charge? And how fast do you want your future smartphone to charge? At the moment, one of the fastest charging technologies has been presented by Xiaomi. Its 100W charging seems to be from another planet. But the smartphone makers are working hard to overcome this technology. Actually, this has its own reasons. We mean, still, there is no technology allowing the manufacturers to bring more power to the same capacity battery. So as the use applications are getting wider, the companies have to solve the power shortage problem. Seems, new technology has been already developed. And if nothing accidental happens, it will appear on future phones quite soon.

Dec 2, 2019

This trojan malware is being used to steal passwords and spread ransomware

Posted by in category: cybercrime/malcode

PyXie RAT capabilities include keylogging, stealing login credentials and recording videos, warn researchers at BlackBerry Cylance — who also say the trojan can be used to distribute other attacks, including ransomware.

Dec 2, 2019

Project 21 well on track

Posted by in categories: business, life extension

SENS Foundation Project 21 business model evolves to focus on spin-outs.

Dec 2, 2019

Higgs Boson Mass Explained in New Theory

Posted by in category: particle physics

Three physicists have proposed a new solution to one of the deepest mysteries in particle physics: why the Higgs boson has such a tiny mass.

Dec 2, 2019

Where Do Black Holes Lead?

Posted by in category: cosmology

Scientists have theorized about the other side of a black hole for decades. Here’s what they’ve come up with so far.

Dec 2, 2019

Is the Universe Curved? Not So Fast

Posted by in category: space

A new study has called into question the prevailing notion that the universe is “flat.” The stakes of this cosmological debate are huge.

Dec 2, 2019

Solving the thermoelectric ‘trade-off’ conundrum with metallic carbon nanotubes

Posted by in categories: energy, nanotechnology, transportation, wearables

Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used aligned “metallic” carbon nanotubes to create a device which converts heat to electrical energy (a thermoelectric device) with a higher power output than pure semiconducting carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in random networks. The new device bypasses the troublesome trade-off in semiconductors between conductivity and electrical voltage, significantly outperforming its counterpart. High power thermoelectric devices may pave the way for more efficient use of waste heat, like wearable electronics.

Thermoelectric devices can directly convert heat to electricity. When we think about the amount of wasted heat in our environment like in air conditioning exhausts, vehicle engines or even body heat, it would be revolutionary if we could somehow scavenge this energy back from our surroundings and put it to good use. This goes some way to powering the thought behind wearable electronics and photonics, devices which could be worn on the skin and powered by body heat. Limited applications are already available in the form of body heat powered lights and smartwatches.

The power extracted from a thermoelectric device when a is formed is affected by the conductivity of the device and the Seebeck coefficient, a number indicating how much electrical voltage is generated with a certain difference in temperature. The problem is that there is a trade-off between the Seebeck coefficient and conductivity: the Seebeck coefficient drops when the device is made more conductive. To generate more power, we ideally want to improve both.