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Oct 17, 2017

Neutron star smashup seen for first time, ‘transforms’ understanding of Universe

Posted by in category: space

For the first time, scientists have witnessed the cataclysmic crash of two ultra-dense neutron stars in a galaxy far away, and concluded that such impacts forged at least half the gold in the Universe.

Shockwaves and light flashes from the collision travelled some 130 million light-years to be captured by Earthly detectors on August 17, excited teams revealed at press conferences held around the globe on Monday as a dozen related science papers were published in top academic journals.

“We witnessed history unfolding in front of our eyes: two neutron stars drawing closer, closer… turning faster and faster around each other, then colliding and scattering debris all over the place,” co-discoverer Benoit Mours of France’s CNRS research institute told AFP.

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Oct 17, 2017

China to build giant facial recognition database to identify any citizen within seconds

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, security

However, some researchers said it was unclear when the system would be completed, as the development was encountering many difficulties due to the technical limits of facial recognition technology and the large population base.


Project aims to achieve an accuracy rate of 90 per cent but faces formidable technological hurdles and concerns about security.

PUBLISHED : Thursday, 12 October, 2017, 9:01pm.

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Oct 17, 2017

The Epigenome in Cancer and Disease

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, genetics, life extension

Describes the epigenetic role in aging, cancer and disease as well as drugs that are targeting the epigenome.


Our epigenome plays a role in aging and also in diseases like cancer and diabetes. Scientists have developed epigenome-targeting cancer drugs.

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Oct 16, 2017

Mark Zuckerberg — Today the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is…

Posted by in category: futurism

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Oct 16, 2017

How North Korean hackers stole 235 gigabytes of classified US and South Korean military plans

Posted by in categories: computing, military

North Korea’s impressive cyber capabilities, explained.

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Oct 16, 2017

The World Once Laughed at North Korean Cyberpower. No More

Posted by in categories: cybercrime/malcode, existential risks, military

While the world is fixated on its nuclear missiles, North Korea has also developed a cyberattack program that is stealing millions and unleashing havoc.

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Oct 16, 2017

Merging Humans with Machines

Posted by in category: transhumanism

I just received the video of the Eureka! comedy show I was on, which focuses on science. The 90-minute show was on #transhumanism (and a bit on my Governor run). This may be the first (or one of the first) live comedy shows that focused entirely on transhumanism. Check it out!


Interested in becoming post-Human? What if it promised you eternal six-packs? Still on the fence?

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Oct 16, 2017

Liquid metal brings soft robotics a step closer

Posted by in categories: materials, robotics/AI

Scientists have invented a way to morph liquid metal into physical shapes.

Researchers at the University of Sussex and Swansea University have applied electrical charges to manipulate liquid metal into 2D shapes such as letters and a heart.

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Oct 16, 2017

Keep Calm and … Massively Increase Investment in Artificial Intelligence

Posted by in categories: government, robotics/AI

The U.K. government has some jolly sensible recommendations for making the most of artificial intelligence.

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Oct 16, 2017

Chemical treatment improves quantum dot lasers

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, nanotechnology, quantum physics

One of the secrets to making tiny laser devices such as opthalmic surgery scalpels work even more efficiently is the use of tiny semiconductor particles, called quantum dots. In new research at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Nanotech Team, the ~nanometer-sized dots are being doctored, or “doped,” with additional electrons, a treatment that nudges the dots ever closer to producing the desired laser light with less stimulation and energy loss.

“When we properly tailor the compositional profile within the particles during their fabrication, and then inject two or more electrons in each dot, they become more able to emit . Importantly, they require considerably less power to initiate the lasing action,” said Victor Klimov, leader of the Nanotech team.

In order to force a material to emit light one has to work toward a “population inversion,” that is, making the number of electrons in a higher-energy electronic state exceed the number that are in a lower-energy state. To achieve this condition normally, one applies an external stimulus (optical or electrical) of a certain power, which should exceed a critical value termed the “optical-gain threshold.” In a recent paradigm-changing advance, Los Alamos researchers demonstrated that by adding extra electrons into their specially designed quantum dots, they can reduce this threshold to virtually zero.

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