Lifeboat Foundation

Meta might yet teach its AI to more consistently show the right posts at the right time. Still, there’s a bigger lesson it could learn from Bluesky, though it might be an uncomfortable one for a tech giant to confront. It’s that introducing algorithms into a social feed may cause more problems than it solves—at least if timeliness matters, as it does with any service that aspires to scoop up disaffected Twitter users.

For a modern social network, Bluesky stays out of your way to a shocking degree. (So does Mastodon; I’m a fan, but it seems to be more of an acquired taste.) Bluesky’s primary view is “Following”—the most recent posts from the people you choose to follow, just as in the golden age of Twitter. (Present-day Twitter and Threads have equivalent views, but not as their defaults.) Starter Packs, which might be Bluesky’s defining feature, let anyone curate a shareable list of users. You can follow everyone in one with a single click, or pick and choose, but either way, you decide.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in communication and social behavior. Approximately 20% of cases are linked to a specific genetic mutation, but the origin of the remaining 80%, known as idiopathic autism, remains a mystery.

A team of scientists led by Drs. Raúl Méndez and Xavier Salvatella at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) has identified a molecular mechanism that explains why certain alternations of the neuronal protein CPEB4 are associated with idiopathic autism.

The study is based on previous work published in 2018 that identified CPEB4 as a key protein in the regulation of neuronal proteins related to autism.

A new design principle has been identified that could eliminate the use of toxic chemicals in solar cell manufacturing.

The standard manufacturing process of organic cells involves toxic solvents. This environmental concern has hindered the widespread adoption of organic solar cells.

Continue reading “US-China crack code for toxic-free solar panels with 20% efficiency” »

To demonstrate the capabilities of their diamond storage system, the researchers encoded a famous sequence of photographs by Eadweard Muybridge.

“The team then stored images by mapping the brightness of each pixel to the brightness levels of specific sites inside the diamond,” New Scientist reported.

Continue reading “China hits record-breaking 1.85 terabytes of data storage in diamonds” »

An international research team has for the first time designed realistic photonic time crystals–exotic materials that exponentially amplify light. The breakthrough opens up exciting possibilities across fields such as communication, imaging and sensing by laying the foundations for faster and more compact lasers, sensors and other optical devices.

“This work could lead to the first experimental realization of photonic time crystals, propelling them into practical applications and potentially transforming industries. From high-efficiency light amplifiers and advanced sensors to innovative laser technologies, this research challenges the boundaries of how we can control the light-matter interaction,” says Assistant Professor Viktar Asadchy from Aalto University, Finland.

The study is published in the journal Nature Photonics.

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine and collaborating institutions report in the journal Cell the discovery of BHB-Phe, a novel compound produced by the body that regulates appetite and body weight through interactions with neurons in the brain.

Until now, BHB has been known as a compound produced by the liver to be used as fuel. However, in recent years, scientists have found that BHB increases in the body after fasting or exercise, prompting interest in investigating potential beneficial applications in obesity and diabetes.

In the current study, the team at Stanford University led by co-corresponding author Dr. Jonathan Z. Long, associate professor of pathology, discovered that BHB also participates in another metabolic pathway. In this case, an enzyme called CNDP2 joins BHB to amino acids. Furthermore, the most abundant BHB-amino acid, BHB-Phe, can influence body weight and metabolism in animal models.

Each quantum computing trajectory faces unique developmental needs. Gate-based quantum computers require scalability, error correction and quantum gate fidelity improvements to achieve stable, accurate computations. The whole-systems approach needs advances in qubit connectivity and reductions in noise interference to boost computational reliability. Meanwhile, parsing-of-totality depends on advancing sensing techniques to harness atoms’ deeper patterns and potentiality.

Major investments are currently directed toward gate-based quantum computing, with IBM, Google and Microsoft leading the charge, aiming for universal quantum computation. However, the idea of universal quantum computation remains complex given that the parsing-of-totality approach suggests the possibility of new quantum patterns, properties and even principles that could require a conceptual shift as radical as the transition from classical bits to quantum qubits.

All three trajectories will play essential roles in the future of quantum computing. Gate-based systems may ultimately achieve universal applicability. Whole-systems quantum computing will continue to reframe a larger class of problems as complex adaptive systems requiring optimization to be solved. The parsing-based approaches will leverage novel quantum principles to spawn new quantum technologies.

Companies currently rely heavily on simulations to ensure that new versions meet a wide range of requirements. AV 2.0 systems are more sensitive to differences between real-world data and simulated data, so simulations need to be as realistic as possible. Instead of using hand-built 3D environments and pre-programmed vehicle behaviors, future testing will need to use advanced machine learning techniques to create highly realistic and scalable simulations.

It’s crucial for car manufacturers and the wider vehicle industry to adopt AI technologies in their development processes and products. There’s enormous potential for improved autonomous driving capabilities, better interaction between humans and machines and increased productivity for developers.

Just as software revolutionized many industries, AI is set to do the same—but even faster. Companies that quickly embrace these technologies may have a first-mover advantage and the chance to set industry standards. Those that delay may quickly fall behind, as their products will lack features compared to competitors.

AI is becoming an increasingly powerful technology that can benefit humanity and sustainable development, but empowering local AI ecosystems across all countries needs to be prioritized to build the tools and coalitions necessary to ensure robust safety measures. Here, we make a case for reimagining trust and safety, a critical building block for closing the AI equity gap.

“Trust and safety” is not a term that developing countries are always familiar with, yet people are often impacted by it in their everyday interactions. Traditionally, trust and safety refers to the rules and policies that private sector companies put in place to manage and mitigate risks that affect the use of their digital products and services, as well as the operational enforcement systems that determine reactive or proactive restrictions. The decisions that inform these trust and safety practices carry implications for what users can access online, as well as what they can say or do.