Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

On Earth, amethysts can form when gas bubbles in lava cool under the right conditions. In space, a dying star with a mass similar to the Sun is capable of producing a structure on par with the appeal of these beautiful gems.

As like the Sun run through their fuel, they cast off their outer layers and the core of the star shrinks. Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers have found a bubble of ultra-hot gas at the center of one of these expiring stars, a in our galaxy called IC 4593. At a distance of about 7,800 from Earth, IC 4593 is the most distant planetary nebula yet detected with Chandra.

Continue reading “A cosmic amethyst in a dying star” | >

The Internet of Things can create tiny efficiencies that amount to a lot of money. Ben Fahy reports on how the IoT is changing the way businesses work.

Back in the 1830s, a depressed minister from Massachusetts named Lorenzo Langstroth got into beekeeping as therapy. His hobby eventually led him to develop the moveable comb hive, an innovation that allowed honey to be harvested without destroying the colony of bees. Since then, the art of beekeeping hasn’t changed much, but Bruce Trevarthen, the founder and CEO of the LayerX group, thinks some smart technology and a bit of connectivity might be the next big bee-based breakthrough.

ModuSense, a division of the Hamilton-based tech company/incubator, focuses on providing industrial Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, particularly for the primary sector. But when it kicked off around four years ago, Trevarthen felt that target was still too broad, so he decided to focus on improving the productivity of one sector in particular: apiculture.

Continue reading “The technology that’s saving businesses millions of dollars” | >

MIT researchers have developed a new material inspired by camel fur made from two layers that can keep perishable goods cool without needing any power. The two-layer passive cooling system is made of hydrogel and aerogel. Researchers say that it can be used to keep foods or pharmaceutical cool for days without needing electricity.

The material can be seen in the photo above, its top layer is aerogel, and the bottom layer is a hydrogel. Material is inspired by camel fur, which helps keep the animals cool and helps them to conserve water in the scorching desert environment. It seems counterintuitive that a thick coat of fur would help camels to stay cool, but tests have shown that a shaved camel loses 50 percent more moisture than an unshaved one under ideal conditions.

The bottom layer of MIT’s material is a substitute for sweat glands made of hydrogel. This gelatin-like substance is mostly water contained in a sponge-like matrix that allows the water to evaporate easily. The upper aerogel layer plays the part of the fur, keeping out external heat while allowing the vapor to pass through. Hydrogels have been used for cooling applications in the past. Field tests have found that MIT’s material can provide cooling of more than seven degrees Celsius for five times longer than hydrogel alone despite being less than half an inch thick.

Continue reading “MIT material can keep perishable goods cool without requiring power” | >

What makes the fly agaric fly? Amanita muscaria is well‐known for its toxicity caused by the psychoactive metabolites ibotenic acid and muscimol. Here, the biosynthetic genes responsible for the production of these metabolites are identified and it is shown that the biosynthetic pathway begins with a dedicated, stereoselective glutamate hydroxylase. These are the first results concerning the biosynthesis of ibotenic acid and muscimol in over 50 years.

On this Veteran’s Day 2020, Teslarati thanks all of the heroes who have sacrificed their freedoms to protect ours. In the theme of the day, we decided to take a look back at how Tesla has honored the heroes who have served in the military over the years. From camo-inspired EVs to Veteran’s hiring programs, the electric automaker has portrayed an appreciation for those who fought to keep us free.

2014: The Camo Model S and a heartfelt “Thank You”

In 2014, Tesla tweeted several photographs of a military-inspired Model S, dawning images of American flags and spelling the words “U.S.A. Veteran,” “Made in the USA,” and “#TeslaVets.” The camo Model S hasn’t made an appearance since then. However, the message is still present on Tesla’s official Twitter page, reminding everyone that the company is overwhelmingly supportive of our Veterans.

Continue reading “Tesla loves Veterans: Here’s how the company has honored military heroes” | >