Menu

Blog

Page 8186

Feb 8, 2019

Living on the Moon Could Happen Sooner than We Think

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, space travel

In January, the deputy head of the CNSA Wu Yanhua explained that Chang’e 5 and 6 would serve as missions to return samples from the moon while Chang’e 7 will survey the South Pole, this lunar area is of great interest for human colonies since holds water ice. Yanhua added that they hope Chang’e 8 will be able to test out some technologies and explore the moon to determine how to build a joint lunar base that multiple countries can share.

Once again, China is not the only one who wants to send humans back to the Moon. Both NASA and the ESA have plans in the works. The ESA’s new director-general, Jan Woerner introduced plans for a permanent Moon base in 2016. His ideal ‘Moon village’ would be home to a diverse set of people such as scientists and artists, as well as public and private organizations. The lunar base would serve many purposes such as astronomical research, tourism, or mining minerals.

Ariel Ekblaw, the founder of the MIT Media Lab’s Space Exploration Initiative, is also looking to “democratize space.” Thus, he has formed multi-disciplinary research groups studying everything from robotics and synthetic neurobiology to architecture, art, space, and even design.

Continue reading “Living on the Moon Could Happen Sooner than We Think” »

Feb 8, 2019

Today, our country pauses to remember its fallen astronaut heroes—and the great accomplishments toward which they strived

Posted by in category: space

The loss of the courageous men and women from Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia was not in vain. America will lead the world into a new era of discovery.

President Trump’s full statement: http://45.wh.gov/o81S3D

Read more

Feb 8, 2019

This Beijing hub is home to 10 major AI labs driving China’s tech ambitions

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

Today, Zhongguancun is home to about 9,000 hi-tech companies, including Chinese search engine and artificial intelligence champion Baidu, social media giant Sina Corp, as well as regional headquarters for global giants like Microsoft and Google. Nearly half of the country’s 70 unicorns – start-ups with a valuation of US$1 billion or more – are located in the area.


Zhongguancun has 9,000 hi-tech companies.

Read more

Feb 7, 2019

Look Up! Andromeda Will be Visible to the Naked Eye This Weekend

Posted by in categories: health, space

Go into your backyard about 20:30 p.m. EST or thereabouts this weekend and you can see the most incredible thing – the Andromeda Galaxy – one of the farthest objects visible to the naked eye. If you know where to look. Locating the ‘other ’ major galaxy in our Local Group is an exercise in stargazing on a grand scale, and the beginning of fall is absolutely the best time to take a look at it.

Read more

Feb 7, 2019

CRISPR restores expression in models of vision loss

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Discover the world’s best science and medicine | Nature.com

Read more

Feb 7, 2019

A High-Tech Pill to End Drug Injections

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, robotics/AI

Engineers have developed a tiny robotic capsule that injects insulin once it lands in the stomach.

Read more

Feb 7, 2019

Vast chemical library could yield trove of new medicines

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

Scientists improve their ability to scan the universe of would-be drugs.

Read more

Feb 7, 2019

This new fabric will automatically cool you down when you get hot and sweaty

Posted by in category: materials

The material responds to the body’s heat and wetness to help keep us at a comfortable temperature at all times.

Read more

Feb 7, 2019

Buzz Aldrin is one of the most famous astronauts in history

Posted by in category: space travel

He and Neil Armstrong were the first men to set foot on the moon as part of the Apollo 11 mission. Fifty years ago, Buzz planted the American Flag on the face of the moon. He has written 9 books, is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal, and is a tireless advocate for space exploration and discovery.

Read more

Feb 7, 2019

First identification of brain’s preparation for action

Posted by in category: neuroscience

Reviewing the brain impulses, we could see that when participants were producing the sequences correctly and accurately, with no errors, each activity was spaced and ordered in advance of being executed. However, when mistakes occurred, the ‘queuing’ of actions was visibly less well-defined as separate and distinct actions. It appears that the more closely bunched and less-defined ‘queuing’ was, the more participants committed errors in sequence production and timing.


Neuroscientists at Bangor University and University College London have for the first time, identified the processes which occur in our brains milliseconds before we undertake a series of movements, crucial for speech, handwriting, sports or playing a musical instrument. They have done so by measuring tiny magnetic fields outside the participants’ head and identifying unique patterns making up each sequence before it is executed. They identified differences between neural patterns which lead to a more skilled as opposed to a more error-prone execution.

The research, funded by the Wellcome Trust, is published in Neuron Issue date 7 FEBRUARY 2019 (DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.01.018). Following further research, this new information could lead to the development of interventions which would assist with rehabilitation post-stroke or improve life for people living with stutter, dyspraxia or other similar conditions.

Continue reading “First identification of brain’s preparation for action” »