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Sean Carroll, CalTech, John’s Hopkins, Santa Fe Institute

One of the great intellectual achievements of the twentieth century was the theory of quantum mechanics, according to which observational results can only be predicted probabilistically rather than with certainty. Yet, after decades in which the theory has been successfully used on an everyday basis, most physicists would agree that we still don’t truly understand what it means. Sean Carroll will discuss the source of this puzzlement, and explain why an increasing number of physicists are led to an apparently astonishing conclusion: that the world we experience is constantly branching into different versions, representing the different possible outcomes of quantum measurements. This could have important consequences for quantum gravity and the emergence of spacetime.

Sean Carroll is a research professor at CalTech, Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy at John’s Hopkins University, and Fractal Faculty at SFI. His research focuses on fundamental physics and cosmology, quantum gravity and spacetime, philosophy of science, and the evolution of entropy and complexity. He’s authored “Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime;” “The Big Picture;” “The Particle at the End of the Universe;” “From Eternity to Here;” and the textbook “Spacetime and Geometry.”

Scientists just created exotic new forms of matter that shouldn’t exist

A new quantum physics study reveals that simply changing a magnetic field over time can unlock entirely new forms of matter that don’t exist under normal conditions. By carefully “driving” materials with timed magnetic shifts, researchers created exotic quantum states that could be far more stable and resistant to errors—one of the biggest challenges in quantum computing. This breakthrough suggests that the future of quantum technology may depend not just on what materials are made of, but how they’re manipulated in time.

Monotheism, Scepticism and new Posthuman goddesses and gods

Ancient Egypt provides an excellent historical model of a permissive, non-monotheistic society that fostered a sophisticated philosophical and religious framework. In this civilization, the pantheon was not viewed as a collection of mutually exclusive, jealous deities, but rather as multifaceted expressions of a singular, underlying cosmic order, known as Ma’at (truth, balance, and justice). Egyptian gods were not distant, transcendent lawgivers, but dynamic, immanent forces embedded within the natural and social world.

This worldview can be understood through the lens of Steve Nichols’ lost primal eye theory of mind. In various posthuman movement (1988) and related works, Nichols argues that human consciousness is not static but evolving, and that our ancestors recognized a deeper, unitive potential rather than a rigid separation between humanity and the divine. In ancient Egypt, this dynamic was expressed through the idea that the Pharaoh, and ultimately all enlightened individuals, could transcend ordinary human limitation and realize a posthuman state. Rather than being subjects of an external master, humans could merge with the cosmos, making the Egyptian model an early manifestation of the posthuman approach to mind and consciousness. Even creation of your own afterlife, using MVT ‘aware circuits’

Prof Steve Nichols, May 2026.

Scientists 3D-printed bendable soft sensors into every brain fold, opening a new path for personalized neurology

A new study has found that soft 3D-printed brain sensors can follow individual brain folds more closely than standard rigid devices.

The closer fit preserved stronger electrical readings in rats while leaving nearby brain tissue largely undisturbed in early tests.

Epigenetic Skin Aging and Its Reversal to Improve Skin Longevity across Ethnicities and Phototypes Using a Dihydromyricetin-Containing Serum: Results from a Prospective, Single-Cohort Study — Dermatology and Therapy

Skin aging is driven by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Epigenetic alterations are one primary hallmark of aging and powerful biomarkers of biological skin age. To investigate epigenetic skin aging mechanisms and their regulation as a skin longevity approach across diverse ethnicities and phototypes, we assessed epidermal methylomes from white, African, and Asian donors.

We collected epidermis samples from 17 multi-ethnic donors with diverse phototypes using a newly established tape-stripping method followed by array-based DNA methylation profiling to investigate the robustness of DNA methylation clocks across diverse ethnic backgrounds. Additionally, we conducted a clinical study with 60 participants representing Fitzpatrick phototypes I–VI. Diverse clinical parameters and biological skin age of the volunteers were determined at baseline and after applying a serum containing the natural epigenetic inhibitor dihydromyricetin (DHM) for 8 weeks to investigate skin longevity effects across phototypes.

Data analysis revealed that age-dependent DNA hypermethylation is conserved across populations and affects genes essential for keratinocyte vitality and longevity. A newly developed epidermal methylation clock accurately predicted biological age in multi-ethnic cohorts, confirming the robustness of epigenetic age estimation across phototypes. Topical application of a DHM-containing serum significantly reduced epidermal DNA methylation age. Epigenetic rejuvenation was associated with clinical improvements, including reduced skin roughness and wrinkle visibility and occupancy, and increased dermal echogenicity.

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