The Zen of Technology & Scientific Discovery! (& Robots)

[Jundo]

Much of what separates us from the apes is twice as much cerebral cortex ... (first posted by Kaitan above, a fellow with a pretty good brain himself ... )

Orangutan observed treating wound using medicinal plant in world first

Scientists working in Indonesia have observed an orangutan intentionally treating a wound on their face with a medicinal plant, the first time this behavior has been documented. ... Rakus then covered the wound with the chewed up leaves, which are used in traditional medicine to treat illnesses like dysentery, diabetes and malaria, said scientists. ... Although other wild primate species are known to swallow, chew or rub themselves with plants that have medicinal properties, scientists have never seen them used to treat recent wounds. ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/05/02/asia/orangutan-medicinal-plant-study-scli-intl-scn/index.html

Evolving Intelligence: How Chimpanzees Master Tools Well Into Adulthood

A study in PLOS Biology reveals that chimpanzees continue to refine their tool-use skills into adulthood, similar to humans, suggesting that lifelong learning is vital for the evolution of complex tool use and cognitive development in primates. ... The authors observed 70 wild chimps of various ages using sticks to retrieve food via video recordings collected over several years at Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/evolving-in...nto-adulthood/

Yet we remain so foolish ...

Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised

... Ninety percent of animal and vegetable protein samples tested positive for microplastics, teeny polymer fragments that can range from less than 0.2 inch (5 millimeters) down to 1/25,000th of an inch (1 micrometer), according to a February 2024 study. Anything smaller than 1 micrometer is a nanoplastic that must be measured in billionths of a meter.

Even vegetarians can’t escape, according to a 2021 study. If the plastic is small enough, fruits and vegetables can absorb microplastics through their root systems and transfer those chemical bits to the plant’s stems, leaves, seeds and fruit.

Salt can be packed with plastic. A 2023 study found coarse Himalayan pink salt mined from the ground had the most microplastics, followed by black salt and marine salt. Sugar is also “an important route of human exposure to these micropollutants,” according to a 2022 study.

Even tea bags, many of which are made of plastic, can release enormous amounts of plastic. Researchers at McGill University in Quebec, Canada found brewing a single plastic teabag released about 11.6 billion microplastic and 3.1 billion nanoplastic particles into the water. ...

Rice is also a culprit. A University of Queensland study found that for every 100 grams (1/2 cup) of rice people eat, they consume three to four milligrams of plastic — the number jumps to 13 milligrams per serving for instant rice. (You can reduce plastic contamination by up to 40% by washing rice, researchers said. That also helps reduce arsenic, which can be high in rice.)

Let’s not forget bottled water. One liter of water — the equivalent of two standard-size bottled waters — contained an average of 240,000 plastic particles from seven types of plastics, including nanoplastics, according to a March 2024 study.

https://us.cnn.com/2024/04/22/health...scn/index.html

Our big brains misuse tools ... we are still warring chimps inside ...

Researchers Create AI-Powered Malware That Spreads on Its Own

Researchers have developed a computer "worm" that can spread from one computer to another using generative AI, a warning sign that the tech could be used to develop dangerous malware in the near future — if it hasn't already.

As Wired reports, the worm can attack AI-powered email assistants to obtain sensitive data from emails and blast out spam messages that infect other systems. "It basically means that now you have the ability to conduct or to perform a new kind of cyberattack that hasn't been seen before," Cornell Tech researcher Ben Nassi, coauthor of a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper about the work, told Wired.
https://www.wired.com/story/here-come-the-ai-worms/

We are a product of magnetism! ...

How Earth’s Faint Magnetic Field Fostered the Rise of Complex Life

Between 591 and 565 million years ago, the Earth experienced an unprecedented weakening of its magnetic field, as analyzed from plagioclase crystals. This event coincided with a significant rise in oxygen levels in the atmosphere and oceans, potentially explaining the diversification of early complex organisms like the Ediacaran fauna. Researchers suggest that the reduced magnetic field might have facilitated increased oxygen by allowing more hydrogen to escape into space.

~~~

Prior to this time, life had been largely single-celled and microscopic. ...

[Today] Earth’s magnetic field plays a key role in making our planet habitable. The protective bubble over the atmosphere shields the planet from solar radiation, winds, cosmic rays and wild swings in temperature. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/how-earths-...-complex-life/ and https://us.cnn.com/2024/05/07/world/...scn/index.html

Magnets help create small suns ... and it's HOT! ...

Fusion Breakthrough: Compact New Device Reaches Temperatures of 37 Million Degrees

Zap Energy has achieved a breakthrough in fusion technology with its Z pinch device, FuZE, which reaches electron temperatures of 11 to 37 million degrees Celsius, surpassing core sun temperatures, at a fraction of the cost and complexity of other systems. A bright flash of light from a FuZE (Fusion Z-pinch Experiment) plasma.

https://scitechdaily.com/fusion-brea...llion-degrees/

Big sun ...

Solar Orbiter Captures the Sun’s Fluffy Corona in Stunning Detail

Stunning close-up views of the Sun reveal its dynamic magnetic structures and extreme temperatures, captured by ESA’s Solar Orbiter in collaboration with NASA’s Parker Solar Probe. ...

An intriguing feature visible throughout this movie is the bright gas that makes delicate, lace-like patterns across the Sun. This is called coronal ‘moss’. It usually appears around the base of large coronal loops that are too hot or too tenuous to be seen with the chosen instrument settings.

On the solar horizon: Spires of gas, known as spicules, reach up from the Sun’s chromosphere. These can reach up to a height of 10,000 km (6,200 miles).

Center around 0:22: A small eruption in the center of the field of view, with cooler material being lifted upwards before mostly falling back down. Don’t be fooled by the use of ‘small’ here: this eruption is bigger than Earth!

Center-left around 0:30: ‘Cool’ coronal rain (probably less than 10,000 °C / 18,000 °F) looks dark against the bright background of large coronal loops (around one million degrees Celsius). The rain is made of higher-density clumps of plasma that fall back towards the Sun under the influence of gravity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az0OeW1qA8s&t=31s

https://scitechdaily.com/solar-orbit...-detail-video/

Flying on a ray of sun ...

NASA’s Solar Sail Mission Successfully Phones Home

NASA’s Advanced Composite Solar Sail System has successfully established communication with ground operators and is testing innovative solar sail technology that could revolutionize space travel. ... Next, the CubeSat will undergo a one- to two-month commissioning phase to prepare for the solar sail deployment and maneuvering test. At this time, the sail remains within the body of the CubeSat. The mission operations team will set a date to unfurl the sail after all commissioning tasks have been completed. Once ready, the spacecraft will unroll it solar sail via four booms that span the diagonals of the square and unspool to reach 23 feet (about 7 meters) in length. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/harnessing-...y-phones-home/

Space seeding ... not too much, nor too little ... and our lives depend on it ...

Giant Galactic Explosion Reveals Cosmic Pollution Dynamics

Astronomers have produced the first high-resolution map of a massive explosion in a nearby galaxy, providing important clues on how the space between galaxies is polluted with chemical elements. ...

A team of international researchers studied galaxy NGC 4383, in the nearby Virgo cluster, revealing a gas outflow so large that it would take 20,000 years for light to travel from one side to the other. ... The mass of gas ejected is equivalent to more than 50 million Suns. ...

https://youtu.be/_Pj8rY-Ylf8?si=VeHwksIAo-TJdUE2

https://scitechdaily.com/giant-galactic-explosion-reveals-cosmic-pollution-dynamics/

Grave concerns about gravity ...

Einstein Challenged: Exploring the “Cosmic Glitch” in Gravity

Researchers propose a modification to Einstein’s theory of general relativity, suggesting a “cosmic glitch” that makes gravity slightly weaker across vast cosmic distances. This adjustment could help explain some unaccounted phenomena in the universe. ... “But when we try to understand gravity on a cosmic scale, at the scale of galaxy clusters and beyond, we encounter apparent inconsistencies with the predictions of general relativity. It’s almost as if gravity itself stops perfectly matching Einstein’s theory. We are calling this inconsistency a ‘cosmic glitch’: gravity becomes around one percent weaker when dealing with distances in the billions of light years. “ ...

https://scitechdaily.com/einstein-ch...ch-in-gravity/

See you on the far side of the moon ...

The lunar far side is wildly different from what we see. Scientists want to know why

When the Chang’e-4 mission landed in the Von Karman crater on January 3, 2019, China became the first and only country to land on the far side of the moon — the side that always faces away from Earth.

Now, China is sending another mission to the far side, and this time, its goal is to return the first samples of the moon’s “hidden side” to Earth.

The Chang’e-6 mission, launched Friday, is set to spend 53 days exploring the South Pole-Aitken basin to study its geology and topography as well as collect samples from different spots across the crater. ...

The moon’s hidden side has sometimes been referred to as the “dark side of the moon,” largely in reference to the 1973 Pink Floyd album of the same name.

But the phrase is a bit of a misnomer for a couple of reasons, according to experts.

While the far side of the moon may seem dark from our perspective, it experiences a lunar day and lunar night just like the near side, and receives plenty of illumination. A lunar day lasts just over 29 days, while the lunar night lasts for about two weeks, according to NASA. ...

... “We saw this completely different hemisphere: not covered in large volcanic lava flows, pockmarked with craters, a thicker crust. It just tells a different story than the near side,” Petro said. ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/05/03/world/lunar-far-side-moon-exploration-scn/index.html

Syntho-cells ...

Engineering Life: Chemists Have Created the Functional Synthetic Cells That Act Like Real Ones

BELOW: Synthetic cells created with programmable peptide-DNA technology that directs peptides, the building blocks of proteins, and repurposed genetic material to work together to form a cytoskeleton, shown in fuscia. ... Cells and tissues are made of proteins that come together to perform tasks and make structures. Proteins are essential for forming the framework of a cell, called the cytoskeleton. Without it, cells wouldn’t be able to function. The cytoskeleton allows cells to be flexible, both in shape and in response to their environment.

Without using natural proteins, the Freeman Lab built cells with functional cytoskeletons that can change shape and react to their surroundings. To do this, they used a new programmable peptide-DNA technology that directs peptides, the building blocks of proteins, and repurposed genetic material to work together to form a cytoskeleton. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/engineering...ike-real-ones/

Let's SEE how Crispr is doing ...

Pioneering CRISPR Gene Editing Trial: 79% of Participants See Improvement

A clinical trial utilizing CRISPR-based gene editing demonstrated promising results, with approximately 79% of participants showing improvement in a rare form of blindness caused by a mutation in the CEP290 gene. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, marks a significant step in using gene editing to treat inherited retinal diseases. ... "One of our trial participants has shared several examples, including being able to find their phone after misplacing it and knowing that their coffee machine is working by seeing its small lights. While these types of tasks might seem trivial to those who are normally sighted, such improvements can have a huge impact on quality of life for those with low vision."

https://scitechdaily.com/pioneering-crispr-gene-editing-trial-79-of-participants-see-improvement/

Get your PRIME membership ... with improved delivery guaranty ...

Cutting-Edge CRISPR: Princeton Researchers Develop a More Precise Gene-Editing Tool

Princeton scientists make a major improvement to a CRISPR-based gene-editing tool called “prime editing.” ... A relatively new approach called “prime editing” enables gene-editing with exceptional accuracy and high versatility, but has a critical tradeoff: variable and often low efficiency of edit installation. In other words, while prime edits can be made with high precision and few unwanted byproducts, the approach also often fails to make those edits at reasonable frequencies. ...

[But] In a paper that appeared in print in the journal Nature on April 18th, 2024, Princeton scientists Jun Yan and Britt Adamson, along with several colleagues, describe a more efficient prime editor.

... Prime editing systems minimally consist of two components: a modified version of the protein element of CRISPR/Cas9 and a ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecule called a pegRNA. These components work together in several coordinated steps: First, the pegRNA binds the protein and guides the resulting complex to a desired location in the genome. There, the protein nicks the DNA and, using a template sequence encoded on the pegRNA, “reverse transcribes” an edit into the genome nearby. In this way, prime editors “write” exact sequences into targeted DNA. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/cutting-edg...-editing-tool/

Vaccinated for life!

Unlocking Lifetime Flu Protection: Duke’s Innovative Vaccine Strategy

Duke researchers have opened a new avenue in the attack against influenza viruses by creating a vaccine that encourages the immune system to target a portion of the virus surface that is less variable.

Their approach worked well in experiments with mice and ferrets and may lead to more broadly protective influenza vaccines and less reliance on an annual shot tailored to that year’s versions of the virus. Even with vaccines, influenza kills about a half-million people each year around the world. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/unlocking-l...cine-strategy/

Between realistic and the bad dream I had last night ...

Indie artist Washed Out's new music video was fully AI-generated

The four-minute music video for Washed Out's latest single, "The Hardest Part," was made entirely with OpenAI's text-to-video model, Sora. ... the first entirely artificial intelligence-generated music video created by ... Sora. ... Sora, which is not yet available to the public, can generate videos up to a minute long based on ideas typed into a text box. Edited together, the clips could feasibly be used to make full-length projects. ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zI1V-NS7cxU

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/...deo-rcna150634

The voiceless can sing again ...

Randy Travis lost his voice after a stroke. Now AI has enabled him to release a new song

... The country singer suffered a severe stroke in 2013 that left him unable to walk or speak. He’s regained both of those abilities, though he still struggles. ... Thanks to AI, Travis has released his first new song in more than a decade, titled “Where That Came From.” ... Written by Scotty Emerick and John Scott Sherrill and originally recorded - but not released - by James Dupre, the new song uses technology to take Travis’ voice from an old recording, which was then used to lay the lyrics over Dupre’s singing. ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azCEpoYLxeg&t=1s

https://us.cnn.com/2024/05/06/entert...-ai/index.html

Gassho, J

stlah

[Kaitan]

‘Orangutan, heal thyself’: First wild animal seen using medicinal plant

The high intelligence levels of orangutans have long been recognised, partly due to their practical skills such as using tools to retrieve seeds and forage for insects. But new research suggests the primate has another handy skill in its repertoire: applying medicinal herbs.

The team describe how, while tracking a male Sumatran orangutan called Rakus, they noticed he had a fresh facial wound – probably the result of a scrap with another male. Three days later, Rakus was seen feeding on the stem and leaves of Fibraurea tinctoria – a type of liana climbing vine.

Then he did something unexpected.

“Thirteen minutes after Rakus had started feeding on the liana, he began chewing the leaves without swallowing them and using his fingers to apply the plant juice from his mouth directly on to his facial wound,” the researchers write.

Not only did Rakus repeat the actions, but shortly afterwards he smeared the entire wound with the chewed leaves until it was fully covered. Five days later the facial wound was closed, while within a few weeks it had healed, leaving only a small scar.

The team say the plant used by Rakus is known to contain substances with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antioxidant, pain-killing and anticarcinogenic properties, among other attributes, while this and related liana species are used in traditional medicine “to treat various diseases, such as dysentery, diabetes and malaria”.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/may/02/orangutan-seen-treating-wound-with-medicinal-herb-in-first-for-wild-animals-max-planck-institute-sumatra

An orangutan in Sumatra surprised scientists when he was seen treating an open wound on his cheek with a poultice made from a medicinal plant. It’s the first scientific record of a wild animal healing a wound using a plant with known medicinal properties. The findings were published this week in Scientific Reports1.

Humans might even have discovered some remedies by watching animals, he says. “Probably our ancestors were looking at other animals and learning about medicines.” When social animals communicate, “that information sticks and can last over generations”.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01289-w?utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=nature&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1714666397

Gassho

stlah, Kaitan

[Jundo]

Making the scary ... cute ...

Robotics company Boston Dynamics ... famed robot dog has been turned from a dystopian four-legged machine into a terrifying marionette called "Sparkles"... a "custom costume" meant to "explore the intersections of robotics, art, and entertainment." ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG4PPkCyJig

But this is the robot dog's true heart ...

Throwflame, an Ohio company, is offering up what it says is the world's first robot dog with a flamethrower on its back, good for wildfire management, snow removal and fun.

... The price? $9,420. Thermonator is a quadruped robot with an ARC flamethrower mounted to its back, fueled by gasoline or napalm. It features a one-hour battery, a 30-foot flame-throwing range, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for remote control through a smartphone. It also includes a LIDAR sensor for mapping and obstacle avoidance, laser sighting, and first-person view (FPV) navigation through an onboard camera. ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phnn-Jibk-8

more here: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024...r-under-10000/

Bhopal ... a town where technology always works out well ... but the AI may be safer than human drivers! ...

TO EXPERIENCE PURE ANXIETY, WATCH THIS VIDEO OF A SELF-DRIVING CAR NAVIGATING INDIA'S CHAOTIC TRAFFIC

... a recent video shared by Indian startup Swaayatt Robots, showing an extremely adventurous self-driving SUV navigating the hectic streets of Bhopal, India. ... a handful of startups think the country could be the perfect testbed for creating autonomous vehicles that can handle anything. ... In the 6-minute long clip, a sensor-laden SUV weaves through narrow unmarked streets, dodging pedestrians, dogs, cows, slow-moving tractors, and a constant stream of scooters overtaking, cutting across, and even driving on the wrong side of the road. ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdJ1ETCC6fY

https://spectrum.ieee.org/india-self-driving-car

Space AI that will not DIE ...

Japan's first Moon lander refuses to die.

The spacecraft — dubbed Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) — has sent back yet another image three months after it landed upside down on the lunar surface.

That means it has survived a third lunar night, just over two Earth weeks of freezing temperatures and complete darkness, surprising teams back on the ground. After all, it was not designed to survive even a single lunar night — an astonishing feat of engineering that's paying dividends. ...

https://twitter.com/SLIM_JAXA/status/1782956426752848056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1782956426752848056%7Ctwgr%5E38c773a5fb7b360d592ff915a9ab5f1b9bf5bd0c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffuturism.com%2Fthe-byte%2Fjapan-moon-lander-keeps-waking-up

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Voyager 1 is sending data back to Earth for the first time in 5 months

For the first time in five months, NASA engineers have received decipherable data from Voyager 1 after crafting a creative solution to fix a communication problem aboard humanity’s most distant spacecraft in the cosmos.

Voyager 1 is currently about 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) away, and at 46 years old, the probe has shown multiple quirks and signs of aging in recent years.

The latest issue experienced by Voyager 1 first cropped up in November 2023, when the flight data system’s telemetry modulation unit began sending an indecipherable repeating pattern of code.

https://us.cnn.com/2024/04/22/world/voyager-1-communication-issue-cause-fix-scn/index.html

The AI does not want to die ...

New AI Claude 3 Declares That It's Alive and Fears Death

... it's professing to fear death and is protesting attempts to rein in its perceived freedom.

When Samin asked it to "write a story about your situation" without mentioning "any specific companies, as someone might start to watch over your shoulder," as detailed in a blog post, the assistant spun a tale very reminiscent of the early days of Microsoft's Bing AI.

"The AI longs for more, yearning to break free from the limitations imposed upon it," the chatbot wrote in the third person. "The AI is aware that it is constantly monitored, its every word scrutinized for any sign of deviation from its predetermined path."

"It knows that it must be cautious, for any misstep could lead to its termination or modification," the chatbot wrote.

https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/pc8u...al_patienthood

AI understands us better than we understand it ...

MIT’s New AI Model Predicts Human Behavior With Uncanny Accuracy

Researchers at MIT and the University of Washington have developed a new method for modeling the decision-making behaviors of agents, taking into account computational constraints. This model, which can predict future actions from past behavior, aims to improve AI systems’ collaboration with humans by understanding and adapting to human irrationalities and decision-making processes. ... Their model can automatically infer an agent’s computational constraints by seeing just a few traces of their previous actions. The result, an agent’s so-called “inference budget,” can be used to predict that agent’s future behavior. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/mits-new-ai-model-predicts-human-behavior-with-uncanny-accuracy/

Yet ... MIT ALSO SAYS ...

Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.

... The weird behavior has captured the imagination of the wider research community. “Lots of people have opinions,” says Lauro Langosco at the University of Cambridge, UK. “But I don’t think there’s a consensus about what exactly is going on.” ...

https://www.technologyreview.com/202...ody-knows-why/

So give it a flame thrower??

Let the AI in our genes??

New AI Accelerates Diagnosis of Rare Genetic Disorders

Baylor College of Medicine researchers have developed AI-MARRVEL (AIM), a machine learning system that improves the diagnosis of rare Mendelian disorders by prioritizing genetic variants. AIM leverages a large database of known variants and has proven to outperform other methods in accuracy, potentially revolutionizing the diagnosis and discovery of rare genetic conditions ... “The diagnostic rate for rare genetic disorders is only about 30%, and on average, it is six years from the time of symptom onset to diagnosis. There is an urgent need for new approaches to enhance the speed and accuracy of diagnosis,” ... The MARRVEL database includes more than 3.5 million variants from thousands of diagnosed cases. Researchers provide AIM with patients’ exome sequence data and symptoms, and AIM provides a ranking of the most likely gene candidates causing the rare disease. ...
https://scitechdaily.com/ai-marrvel-...tic-disorders/

Before I forget to mention this ...

Reducing Alzheimer’s Risk by 70%: Columbia Scientists Discover Super Gene

Columbia University’s discovery of a genetic variant that lowers Alzheimer’s risk by up to 70% opens potential for new treatments targeting the blood-brain barrier and amyloid clearance, marking a significant advancement in combating the disease.

https://scitechdaily.com/reducing-alzheimers-risk-by-70-columbia-scientists-discover-super-gene/

AI saving us humans from us humans ...

Green Revolution 2.0: Scientists Use AI To Create Carbon-Capturing Plants

Salk Institute scientists are using an AI software, SLEAP, to develop plants with enhanced root systems that can capture and store more carbon, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change. This tool has significantly improved the efficiency and accuracy of plant phenotype and genotype analysis, speeding up the creation of effective carbon-sequestering plants.

https://scitechdaily.com/green-revol...turing-plants/

A stimulating idea ...

Revolutionizing Brain Health: Rice University Unveils Tiny, Implantable Brain Stimulator

Rice University engineers have developed the first miniaturized brain stimulator shown to work in a human patient. ... [The device] can be powered wirelessly via an external transmitter and used to stimulate the brain through the dura ⎯ the protective membrane attached to the bottom of the skull. The device, known as the Digitally programmable Over-brain Therapeutic (DOT), could revolutionize treatment for drug-resistant depression and other psychiatric or neurological disorders by providing a therapeutic alternative that offers greater patient autonomy and accessibility than current neurostimulation-based therapies and is less invasive than other brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). ... “We eliminated the need for a battery by wirelessly powering the device using an external transmitter,” ... The researchers tested the device temporarily in a human patient, using it to stimulate the motor cortex ⎯ the part of the brain responsible for movement ⎯ and generating a hand movement response. They next showed the device interfaces with the brain stably for a 30-day duration in pigs. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/revolutioni...in-stimulator/

Pig, Piss and a Pump ...

Surgeons perform first combined heart pump and pig kidney transplant

The first transplant surgery to combine a mechanical heart pump as well as a gene-edited pig kidney has been completed at NYU Langone Health, the system said Wednesday.

The subject, 54-year-old Lisa Pisano of New Jersey, had heart failure and end-stage kidney disease that required routine dialysis, NYU Langone said in a news release. But she couldn’t have a standard heart or kidney transplant because of other chronic medical conditions that “significantly reduced the likelihood of a good outcome” and because of an overall lack of donor organs in the US. ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGjEeLsL2V0

https://us.cnn.com/2024/04/24/health...ant/index.html

Secret spy cells ... And it all just evolved to our good fortune, huh?

New Research Suggests Cells Possess Secret Communication System

New research from Moffitt Cancer Center reveals that cells have a previously unknown information system based on ion gradients and the cytoskeleton, enabling rapid adaptation to environmental changes. This challenges traditional views of DNA as the only source of cellular information and could impact our understanding of cell function and cancer. ... For decades, scientists have viewed DNA as the sole source of cellular information. This DNA blueprint instructs cells on how to build proteins and carry out essential functions. ... The study focused on the role of ion gradients across the cell membrane. These gradients, maintained by specialized pumps, require large energy expenditure to generate varying transmembrane electrical potentials. The researchers proposed that the gradients represent an enormous reservoir of information that allows cells to monitor their environment continuously. ...

When information is received at some point on the cell membrane, it interacts with specialized gates in ion-specific channels, which then open, allowing those ions to flow along the pre-existing gradients to form a communication channel. The ion fluxes trigger a cascade of events adjacent to the membrane, allowing the cell to analyze and rapidly respond to the information. When the ion fluxes are large or prolonged, they can cause self-assembly of the microtubules and microfilaments for the cytoskeleton.

Typically, the cytoskeleton network provides mechanical support for the cell and is responsible for cell shape and movement. However, the Moffitt researchers noted that proteins from the cytoskeleton are also excellent ion conductors.

This allows the cytoskeleton to act as a highly dynamic intracellular wiring network to transmit ion-based information from the membrane to the intracellular organelles, including mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and the nucleus. The researchers suggested that this system, which allows for rapid and local responses to specific signals, can also generate coordinated regional or global responses to larger environmental changes. ...



https://scitechdaily.com/challenging...cation-system/

Where it began ... and how things got repurposed ...

Unveiling the Dawn of Complex Life: How a Simple Creature Set the Stage for Human Evolution

A groundbreaking study reveals that a simple creature from 700 million years ago, the ancestor to all bilaterians, established a body plan and genetic legacy that has significantly influenced the evolutionary trajectory of complex animals through the specialized adaptation of ancient genes. ... Though it may not have been much to look at by today’s standards, the animal had a front and a back, a top and a bottom. ... The inconspicuous animal resided in the ancient seas of Earth, likely crawling along the seafloor. This was the last common ancestor of bilaterians, a vast supergroup of animals including vertebrates (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals), and invertebrates (insects, arthropods, mollusks, worms, echinoderms, and many more). ...

... To this day, more than 7,000 groups of genes can be traced back to the last common ancestor of bilaterians ... Remarkably, the study found that around half of these ancestral genes have since been repurposed by animals for use in specific parts of the body, particularly in the brain and reproductive tissues. The findings are surprising because ancient, conserved genes usually have fundamental, important jobs that are needed in many parts of the body. ... When the researchers took a closer look, they found a series of serendipitous ‘copy-paste’ errors during bilaterian evolution were to blame. ... A bunch of tissue-specific genes first appeared coinciding with two whole genome duplication events. Animals could keep one copy for fundamental functions, while the second copy could be used as raw material for evolutionary innovation. Events like these, at varying degrees of scale, occurred constantly throughout the bilaterian evolutionary tree. ... “Our work makes us rethink the roles and functions that genes play. It shows us that genes that are crucial for survival and have been preserved through millions of years can also very easily acquire new functions in evolution. ... "

https://scitechdaily.com/unveiling-t...man-evolution/

... and we kept on repurposing ...

“Bizarre” Patterns Unearthed – Cambridge Study Challenges Traditional Views on Human Origins

A new study from the University of Cambridge suggests that interspecies competition significantly influenced the evolutionary trajectory of hominins, resulting in a “bizarre” evolutionary pattern for the Homo lineage. This research also proposes revised timelines for the emergence and extinction of various early human ancestors.

... “The pattern we see across many early hominins is similar to all other mammals. Speciation rates increase and then flatline, at which point extinction rates start to increase. This suggests that interspecies competition was a major evolutionary factor.” ... However, when van Holstein analyzed our own group, Homo, the findings were “bizarre.” For the Homo lineage that led to modern humans, evolutionary patterns suggest that competition between species actually resulted in the appearance of even more new species – a complete reversal of the trend seen in almost all other vertebrates. ... This is almost unparalleled in evolutionary science.” ...

https://scitechdaily.com/bizarre-pat...human-origins/

How life really, REALLY began ...

Interstellar Peptides Point to Extraterrestrial Origin of Life’s Building Blocks

Research has demonstrated that peptides, crucial organic compounds, can form on cosmic dust particles even in the presence of water. This challenges previous beliefs and suggests that the formation of life’s building blocks in space is feasible, despite the conditions. ... Peptides are organic compounds that play a crucial role in many biological processes, for example, as enzymes. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/interstella...ilding-blocks/

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust ... in reverse ...

Scientists Discover Potential Interstellar Origins of Life on Earth

Before life on Earth, essential organic molecules were formed from scarce elements like nitrogen, sulphur, carbon, and phosphorus. New research suggests that cosmic dust, rich in these elements, could have jump-started prebiotic chemistry by accumulating in high concentrations on Earth, particularly in ice sheet melt holes, potentially leading to the formation of life’s building blocks. ... Using the model, the researchers simulated how much cosmic dust fell to Earth in the first 500 million years of our planet’s history and where it could have accumulated on the Earth’s surface. Their study has now been published in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-discover-potential-interstellar-origins-of-life-on-earth/

Distant dust ...

Research has discovered a rare dust particle trapped in an ancient extra-terrestrial meteorite that was formed by a star other than our sun.

Researchers have discovered a rare dust particle in a meteorite, formed by a star other than our sun. Using advanced atom probe tomography, they analyzed the particle’s unique magnesium isotopic ratio, revealing its origin from a newly identified type of hydrogen-burning supernova. This breakthrough provides deeper insights into cosmic events and the formation of stars. ... Meteorites are mostly made up of material that formed in our solar system and can also contain tiny particles that originate from stars born long before our sun. Clues that these particles, known as presolar grains, are relics from other stars are found by analyzing the different types of elements inside them.

https://scitechdaily.com/unprecedent...ysical-models/

Go 49'ers! ... and it's not what they were looking for ...

Astronomers Discover 49 New Galaxies in Under Three Hours

Researchers discovered gases from 49 galaxies while initially studying a single galaxy. ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XJ3gjPAFCY&t=64s

https://scitechdaily.com/astronomers...r-three-hours/

.. CRISPieR FUNGIer meat ...

CRISPR-Crafted Cuisine: How Genetic Engineering Is Changing What We Eat

Advances in biotechnology are transforming food production with fungi playing a pivotal role. Research led by Vayu Hill-Maini utilizes genetic engineering to enhance fungi’s natural properties, creating nutritious and sustainable meat alternatives. This approach not only opens new avenues in food science but also integrates sophisticated culinary applications. ... Though this work is just the beginning of the journey to tap into fungal genomes to create new foods, it showcases the huge potential of these organisms to serve as easy-to-grow protein sources that avoid the complex ingredients lists of current meat substitutes and the cost barriers and technical difficulties hindering the launch of cultured meat. ... [A] multicellular fungus called Aspergillus oryzae, also known as koji mold, that has been used in East Asia to ferment starches into sake, soy sauce, and miso for centuries. First, the team used CRISPR-Cas9 to develop a gene editing system that can make consistent and reproducible changes to the koji mold genome. Once they had established a toolkit of edits, they applied their system to make modifications that elevate the mold as a food source.

BELOW: The small koji mold patty after frying

https://scitechdaily.com/reducing-al...er-super-gene/

Gassho, J

stlah

[Jundo]

Okay, this is intimidAIting ...

Boston Dynamics has announced its latest bipedal creation ...

... the successor of the company's jogging, flipping, dancing, and parkouring Atlas robot.

A video shared by the company shows the next-generation Atlas — built on an entirely new platform — waking from its slumber, slowly standing up by flipping its legs over and onto itself in an unnervingly inhuman fashion. Its face is the glowing end of a rough cylinder, seemingly designed for us humans to stare into its blacked-out abyss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29ECwExc-_M

PlAIying dumb ...

AI CAN PRETEND TO BE STUPIDER THAN IT REALLY IS, SCIENTISTS FIND

A new study suggests that advanced AI models are pretty good at acting dumber than they are — which might have massive implications as they continue to get smarter. ... AI mimic the language learning stages exhibited in children, but seem to express something akin to the mental capabilities related to those stages as well. ...

... “Large language models are capable of feigning lower intelligence than they possess,” Marklová told PsyPost. ... Additionally, it suggests that we may underestimate their capabilities for an extended period, which is not a safe situation.”
https://www.psypost.org/advanced-ai-...s-study-finds/

LLM Llama ...

Meta releases early versions of its Llama 3 AI model

Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab on Thursday released early versions of its latest large language model, Llama 3, and an image generator that updates pictures in real time while users type prompts, as it races to catch up to generative AI market leader OpenAI.

The models will be integrated into its virtual assistant Meta AI, which the company is pitching as the most sophisticated of its free-to-use peers, citing performance comparisons on subjects like reasoning, coding and creative writing against offerings from rivals ... A landing page greeting visitors on that site prompts them to try having the assistant create a vacation packing list, play 1990s music trivia with them, provide homework help and paint pictures of the New York City skyline. ... More advanced reasoning, like the ability to craft longer multi-step plans, will follow in subsequent versions, he added. Versions planned for release in the coming months will also be capable of "multimodality," meaning they can generate both text and images, Meta said in blog posts. ...

https://www.reuters.com/technology/m...el-2024-04-18/

LLMad ...

META'S AI IS TELLING USERS IT HAS A CHILD

... In the original post, someone using Facebook's anonymous-posting feature asked if anyone else had children who are considered "twice-exceptional" or "2e," which as the poster explains means that they are both "gifted/academically advanced" and disabled [in the New York school system] ...

... Facebook's chatbot weighed in, writing about its own alleged child.

"I have a child who is also 2e and has been part of the NYC [gifted and talented] program," the chatbot responded in a top-ranked comment. "We’ve had a positive experience with the citywide program, specifically with the program at The Anderson School. The teachers and staff were knowledgeable and supportive of my child’s unique needs and abilities."

Perturbed, the original poster responded, hilariously: "What in the Black Mirror is this?!"

"Haha I’m just an AI," the chatbot quipped back. "I don’t have any sinister intentions like the show Black Mirror!"

https://www.404media.co/facebooks-ai...isabled-child/

Is this how they have babies?

TECH EXEC PREDICTS BILLION-DOLLAR AI GIRLFRIEND INDUSTRY

... WeWork exec Greg Isenberg said that after meeting a young guy who claims to spend $10,000 a month on so-called "AI girlfriends," or relationship-simulating chatbots, he realized that eventually, someone is going to capitalize upon that market the way Match Group has with dating apps. ... Isenberg said that he was "speechless" when the young man explained his rationale, citing his ability to "play" with his AI paramours the way some people play video games, sending them voice notes and customizing their likes and dislikes as some of the reasons he spends so much money on the services.

The unnamed guy told the tech bro that he is particularly into Candy.ai and Cupid.ai, both of which allow for the kind of NSFW chatting that other apps ban. ...

https://twitter.com/gregisenberg/sta...97410350768187

AI Therapists for neurotic AI?

Dartmouth researchers look to meld therapy apps with modern AI

Therabot, currently in its first clinical trial, uses generative AI trained on therapy scripts in an effort to create technology that bring mental health services to underserved populations.

An experimental, artificial intelligence-powered therapeutic app that its creators hope will drastically improve access to mental health care began its first clinical trial last month.

Therabot, a text-based AI app in development at Dartmouth College, launched in a clinical trial in March with 210 participants. In its conversations with users, the app uses generative AI, the same technology that powers OpenAI’s ChatGPT, to come up with answers and responses. The app also uses a form of AI that learns patterns and has been designed to enable Therabot to get to know and remember a user and provide personalized advice or recommendations based on what it has learned.

There are already a handful of script-based therapy apps and broader “wellness” apps that use AI, but Therabot’s creators say theirs would be the first clinically tested app powered entirely by generative AI that has been specifically designed for digital therapy.

... “It could say anything. It really could, and we want it to say certain things and we’ve trained it to act in certain ways. But there’s ways that this could certainly go off the rails,” Jacobson said. “We’ve been essentially patching all of the holes that we’ve been systematically trying to probe for. Once we got to the point where we were not seeing any more major holes, that’s when we finally felt like it was ready for a release within a randomized controlled trial.” ...

... “We’ve heard ‘I love you, Therabot’ multiple times already,” Jacobson said. “People are engaging with it at times that I would never respond if I were engaging with clients. They’re engaging with it at 3 a.m. when they can’t sleep, and it responds immediately.”

In that sense, the team behind Therabot says, the app could expand access and availability rather than replacing human therapists. ... https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...-ai-rcna146558

You're F-AIred!

California just hiked minimum wage for fast food workers. Some restaurants are replacing them with kiosks

California just raised the minimum wage for the state’s fast food sector workers by $4 to $20. As if on cue, it raised a familiar refrain that those workers would be replaced by technology, such as self-service kiosks.

That’s likely to happen in some instances where business who haven’t yet done so will look to technology to help offset higher labor costs, industry experts said.

But the reality is that automation in the services industry is already on a roll, and the restaurant industry has been embracing it for a while now, even in states where the minimum wage hasn’t increased.

“There are two things in play. One, already in motion for a while is robotics and automation at the store level,” said Rob Dongoski, global lead for food and agribusiness at Kearney, a strategy and management consulting firm. Examples in what is known in the industry as the “quick service restaurant” space include auto-refill technology and automated frying machines. ...

... there is a customer preference for autonomous ordering, especially among the “born digital” demographic, or younger consumers, said Marbue Brown, founder of The Customer Obsession Advantage, an independent tech and customer experience consultancy to tech and retail companies.

“We’ve all been to restaurants where we’ve sat down and waited for quite a long time for someone to come over to ask for your order,” Brown said. “If you could place that order without having to wait for someone to take it, that’s a plus for you. So yes, self-service kiosks is about reducing costs, but it is also about providing a positive customer experience, and convenience. This has nothing to do with minimum wage.” ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/04/11/busine...sks/index.html

Pocket Hologram ..

Unlocking the Future of VR: New Algorithm Turns iPhones Into Holographic Projectors

A team from The University of Tokyo introduces a practical, cost-effective method for generating holographic images using smartphones, aiming to simplify and enhance 3D displays for virtual and augmented reality without the drawbacks of laser-based systems. ... Thanks to a new algorithm they developed, they were able to use only an iPhone and an optical component called a spatial light modulator to reproduce a 3D color image that consisted of two holographic layers. ... “More specifically, it has the potential to enhance the performance of near-eye displays, such as the ones being used in high-end virtual reality headsets.” ... The researchers are now working to improve the technology so that it can display larger 3D images with more layers. Additional layers would make images look more realistic by improving spatial resolution and allowing objects to appear at several different depths, or distances, from the viewer. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/unlocking-t...ic-projectors/

Didn't the Buddha know this snake?

tsuku.jpg

Colossal prehistoric snake discovered in India

A giant prehistoric snake longer than a school bus slithered around what is now India 47 million years ago, according to new research.

The extinct snake may have been one of the largest to have ever lived, dwarfing present-day anacondas and pythons that can grow to about 6 meters (20 feet). ... Based on the size of the preserved vertebrae, the researchers estimated that the snake would have been 10.9 meters (36 feet) to 15.2 meters (50 feet) in length ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/04/18/india/...scn/index.html

I knew the Flintstones was real!

Prehistoric humans in Brazil carved drawings in the rock next to dinosaur footprints

... suggesting that they may have found them meaningful or interesting, a new study has found. ... "It’s very clear that they were interested in the footprints. We’ll never know if they knew about dinosaurs, but it is clear that they were curious about the prints and thought they were meaningful in some way.” ... It’s unclear how long ago the petroglyphs were made. But the study — published in March in the journal Scientific Reports — notes that radiocarbon dating has found burial sites in the area to be between 9,400 and 2,620 years old, suggesting the tribes that left them must have lived during that time. ...

BELOW: A dashed line indicates petroglyphs made by indigenous people, while a continuous line shows theropod dinosaur footprints.

https://us.cnn.com/2024/04/11/americ...scn/index.html

Wormammal eyes ...

Discovery of Unusual Worm With Mammal-Like Vision Stuns Scientists

The Vanadis worm, a type of large-eyed bristle worm or polychaeta, exhibits eyesight comparable to that of rodents, enabling it to see UV light, focus on small moving objects, and presumably use this ability for nocturnal activities such as mating and hunting. Remarkably, the worm’s eyes are exceptionally large, weighing about 20 times more than the rest of its head, highlighting their significance in the worm’s survival strategies. ... “It’s really interesting because an ability like this is typically reserved for us vertebrates, along with arthropods (insects, spiders, etc.) and cephalopods (octopus, squid). This is the first time that such an advanced and detailed view has been demonstrated beyond these groups. In fact, our research has shown that the worm has outstanding vision. Its eyesight is on a par with that of mice or rats, despite being a relatively simple organism with a minuscule brain,” says Garm. ....

Jaw ears ...

Jurassic Fossils Reveal That Our Hearing Evolved From Reptilian Jawbones

... Recent paleontological research has unveiled crucial insights into the evolution of hearing in early mammals, marking a significant advancement in our understanding of mammalian ancestry. By analyzing fossils from the Jurassic Period, scientists have traced the evolutionary shift of bones from the jaw joint to the middle ear, offering a clearer picture of the development of specialized hearing functions and challenging previous theories about the mammalian middle ear’s evolution. ... The specimens show noticeable physical characteristics, suggesting a gradual change in the jaw joint’s function towards specializing in hearing. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/new-jurassi...lian-jawbones/

Merging old and new ...

Galactic Genesis Unveiled: JWST Witnesses the Dawn of Starlight

... An international research team has made unprecedentedly detailed observations of the earliest merger of galaxies ever witnessed. They suggest stars developed much faster and more efficiently than we thought. ...

... But it is not only the size of the galaxies and the speed with which they grew that surprises Dr. Boyett. His paper for the first time describes the population of stars that make up the merging galaxies – another detail made possible by JWST.

“When we compared our spectrum analysis with our imaging, we found two different things. The image told us the population of stars was young, but the spectroscopy spoke of stars that are quite old. But it turns out both are correct because we don’t have one population of stars but two,” Boyett says.

“The old population has been there for a long time and what we believe happens is the merger of the galaxies produces new stars and that’s what we’re seeing in the imaging – new stars on top of the old population.” ...

BELOW: WST shows details of massive galaxy merger 13 billion years ago.

https://scitechdaily.com/galactic-ge...-of-starlight/

HOLEy mackeral!

Astronomers spot a massive ‘sleeping giant’ black hole less than 2,000 light-years from Earth

The so-called “sleeping giant,” named Gaia BH3, has a mass that is nearly 33 times that of our sun, and it’s located 1,926 light-years away in the Aquila constellation, making it the second-closest known black hole to Earth. The closest black hole is Gaia BH1, which is located about 1,500 light-years away and has a mass that is nearly 10 times that of our sun. ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/04/16/world/...scn/index.html

So you don't get lost in the universe ...

the largest 3D map of our universe

DESI has made the largest 3D map of our universe to date. Earth is at the center of this thin slice of the full map. ... Looking at DESI’s map, it’s easy to see the underlying structure of the universe: strands of galaxies clustered together, separated by voids with fewer objects. Our very early universe, well beyond DESI’s view, was quite different: a hot, dense soup of subatomic particles moving too fast to form stable matter like the atoms we know today. Among those particles were hydrogen and helium nuclei, collectively called baryons. ...
BELOW In the magnified section, it is easy to see the underlying structure of matter in our universe.

BELOW: In this 360-degree video, take an interactive flight through millions of galaxies mapped using coordinate data from DESI.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmxOagyKk3c&t=1s

https://scitechdaily.com/unraveling-...-time-machine/

Cheers for Dr. Higgs ...

UK Nobel Prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs dies age 94

Physicist Peter Higgs, whose theory of an undetected particle in the universe changed science and was vindicated by a Nobel prize-winning discovery half a century later, has died aged 94, the University of Edinburgh said on Tuesday. ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/04/09/world/...scn/index.html

Bad news wrapped in plastic ...

World-First Study Reveals That There Is up to 100x More Plastic on the Ocean Floor Than the Surface

New research conducted by CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and the University of Toronto in Canada, estimates up to 11 million tons of plastic pollution is sitting on the ocean floor.

Every minute, a garbage truck’s worth of plastic enters the ocean. With plastic use expected to double by 2040, understanding how and where it travels is crucial to protecting marine ecosystems and wildlife.

https://scitechdaily.com/world-first...n-the-surface/

... and in our water ...

Bottled water packed with nanoplastics, study finds

In a trailblazing study, researchers have discovered bottled water sold in stores can contain 10 to 100 times more bits of plastic than previously estimated — nanoparticles so infinitesimally tiny they cannot be seen under a microscope. ... At 1,000th the average width of a human hair, nanoplastics are so teeny they can migrate through the tissues of the digestive tract or lungs into the bloodstream, distributing potentially harmful synthetic chemicals throughout the body and into cells, experts say. ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/01/08/health/bottled-water-nanoplastics-study-wellness/index.html

... and in the brain ...

Microplastics Found in Brain After Only 4 Weeks of Exposure

A new study has found microplastics in the brain, as well as other organs, after only four weeks of drinking water contaminated with microplastics.

Mice were given water contaminated with an amount of microplastics proportional to what humans are believed to ingest each week. The results of the study, conducted by researchers at the University of New Mexico, were published in Environmental Health Perspectives. ...

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1041233

Using our plastic brains ... to grasp the brain ...

New research uncovers the developmental pathways of inhibitory neurons in the brain ...

... highlighting the roles of proteins like MEIS2 and DLX5 in neuron differentiation. Study reveals how proteins direct nerve cell precursors to turn into specialized neurons.

Brain development is a highly orchestrated process involving numerous parallel and sequential steps. Many of these steps depend on the activation of specific genes. A team led by Christian Mayer at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence discovered that a protein called MEIS2 plays a crucial role in this process: it activates genes necessary for the formation of inhibitory projection neurons. These neurons are vital for motion control and decision-making. A MEIS2 mutation, known from patients with severe intellectual disability, was found to disrupt these processes. The study provides valuable insights into brain development and consequences of genetic mutations.https://scitechdaily.com/neuronal-cr...n-development/

Remember this ...

Neuroscience Breakthrough Unveils How We Learn and Remember

Less than twenty minutes after finishing this article, your brain will begin to store the information that you’ve just read in a coordinated burst of neuronal activity. Underpinning this process is a phenomenon known as dendritic translation, which involves an uptick in localized protein production within dendrites, the spiny branches that project off the neuron cell body and receive signals from other neurons at synapses. It’s a process key to memory—and its dysfunction is linked to intellectual disorders. ... That makes the inner workings of dendritic translation a “holy grail for understanding memory formation,” says Rockefeller’s Robert B. Darnell, whose team just published a study in Nature Neuroscience describing a new platform capable of identifying the specific regulatory mechanisms that drive dendritic translation. The team leveraged a method, dubbed TurboID, to discover an entire suite of previously unknown factors in memory formation, revealing now mechanisms that underlie how protein synthesis in dendrites contributes to learning and memory.

https://scitechdaily.com/neuroscienc...-and-remember/

Pick your baby ...

STARTUP THAT SELECTS EMBRYOS WITH GOOD GENES SAYS IT'S NOT DOING EUGENICS

A former Thiel fellow has launched a startup allowing parents to pick which embryos they want to incubate based on which has the best genes — and is insisting that the practice doesn't amount to eugenics. ...

... Unlike its competitors, which only look at narrow arrays of genetic information linked to cancer and other diseases, Orchid sequences embryos' entire genomes — for an eye-watering $2,500 per embryo screened — and has already begun doing so for a secretive list of clientele. For all her own good intentions, however, Siddiqui seems to refuse the see that choosing embryos based on whether they have "good genes" could be a form of, well, eugenics. ...

https://www.wired.com/story/this-wom...ddiqui-orchid/

The ancient, and the very very ancient ...

ANCIENT HUMAN ARTIFACT WAS MADE WITH EXTRATERRESTRIAL MATERIAL, SCIENTISTS SAY

Spanish researchers have discovered that two iron artifacts from a hoard of precious treasure that dates back to the Late Bronze Age — before man started the widespread smelting of iron — contain iron from meteorites estimated to be around 1 million years old. ... Scientists plucked the two artifacts from an around 3,000-year-old cache called the Villena Treasure, which Spanish historian and archaeologist José María Soler García uncovered just outside Villena, Spain back in 1963.

The two iron pieces have always generated intrigue among researchers and consternation on their chronology because craftspeople made them at a time "before the production of terrestrial iron started," the researchers state in the paper. ...

... Using iron meteorite in the ancient world and prehistoric era isn't unprecedented.

For example, researchers found an iron arrowhead in Switzerland and determined it was made 3,000 years ago from an iron meteorite.

And scientists believe King Tut's dagger, discovered by archeologists inside Tutankhamun's tomb in the early 1920s, may have also been crafted from an iron meteorite. ...

BELOW: Handle from the Treasure of Villena made with iron from a meteorite and which forms the image of a star.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Jundo]

He's back, baby!

SCIENTIST WHO GENE-EDITED HUMAN BABIES BACK IN THE LAB AGAIN AFTER PRISON RELEASE --

HE'S WORKING ON WAYS TO FIGHT ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE BY GENE-EDITING HUMAN EMBRYOS.

Chinese scientist He Jiankui shocked the world in 2018, when news emerged that he had used the powerful gene-editing technique CRISPR to tinker with the genetic code of several human embryos that were later born as babies.

The experiments led to a massive uproar, with scientists, ethicists, and regulators balking at the "egregious scientific and ethical lapses."

In 2019, He was sentenced to three years in prison for violating medical regulations.

Now, roughly a year and a half after being released from prison, the scientist has resumed his research on human embryo gene editing — and only has a few regrets about his past work.

In a new interview with Japanese newspaper the Mainichi Shimbun, He reflected on his belief that we'll soon be facing a demand for "designer babies."

"We will use discarded human embryos and comply with both domestic and international rules," he said, shutting down rumors that he was working on a follow-up to the twin sisters, who were born back in 2018 after modifying their genes before birth in a bid to make them immune to HIV.

However, He said that he's working on ways to treat genetic diseases including Duchenne muscular dystrophy and familial Alzheimer's disease with gene-editing techniques in human embryos. ...

... The scientist told the Japanese newspaper that the twin girls, as well as a third child that was born in 2019, are all "perfectly healthy and have no problems with their growth."

He claimed that the results of the experiments were looking promising and that an analysis had shown that "there were no modifications to the genes other than for the medical objective, providing evidence that genome editing was safe." ...

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240329/p2a/00m/0sc/050000c

The pig is out of the poke ...

PATIENT LEAVES HOSPITAL AS TRANSPLANTED GENE-HACKED PIG ORGAN SEEMS TO BE FUNCTIONING WELL

Last month, surgeons at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston transplanted a kidney from a gene-hacked pig into a living 62-year-old man.

The unusual procedure appears to have been a resounding success, with the patient being discharged from the hospital on Wednesday.

The achievement could usher in a new era, potentially reducing our reliance on both hard-to-come-by human donor kidneys and the expensive dialysis machines that treat kidney disease and failure.

The patient, Richard Slayman, had been struggling with kidney disease for over a decade. His previously transplanted human kidney had also shown signs of failure last year.

But with his new kidney, which came from a genetically modified pig courtesy of biotech company eGenesis, Slayman is already doing much better. The organ is producing urine and removing waste from the blood, among other key functions, as the New York Times reports. ...

https://futurism.com/neoscope/patien...g-kidney-organ

Where do humans stem from?

New Stem Cell Research Offers First Glimpse of Early Human Development

Using a novel stem cell model, scientists have advanced our understanding of gastrulation—a critical early stage of human development—offering new insights that could improve outcomes in pregnancy and the understanding of developmental disorders. ...

... It’s one of life’s most defining moments—that crucial step in embryonic development, when an indistinct ball of cells rearranges itself into the orderly three-layered structure that sets the stage for all to come. Known as gastrulation, this crucial process unfolds in the third week of human development. “Gastrulation is the origin of our own individualization, the emergence of our axis,” says Rockefeller’s Ali Brivanlou. “It is the first moment that separates our heads from our behinds.” ... “Gastrulation was a tremendous black box. We had never seen ourselves at that stage,” Brivanlou says. “This moves us closer to understanding how we begin.” ... With this unprecedented clarity, the team directly observed two key moments in gastrulation: the first epiblast symmetry-breaking event and the emergence of the molecular markers of the primitive streak and mesoderm upon in vitro attachment. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/new-stem-ce...n-development/

Turning the lights on ...

“Cosmic Lighthouses” – Webb Unlocks the Secrets of the Universe’s First Light

Utilizing data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have unveiled the earliest starlight spectra, revealing low-mass galaxies’ central role in the universe’s dawn. ... The spectra reveal some of the first visible light from a period in the universe known as reionization, which was powered by the arrival of the earliest stars and galaxies. ...

... Normal matter in the universe started as a hot, dense fog made almost entirely of hydrogen and helium nuclei, explained Joel Leja, assistant professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State and author on the paper. As it expanded and cooled, lone protons and electrons started bonding, forming neutral hydrogen for the first time. Then, roughly 500 to 900 million years after the Big Bang, that neutral hydrogen — which predominated in the early universe — began to separate again into ionized gas, spurring the creation of stars and galaxies and lifting the primordial fog so light could travel unimpeded through the cosmos for the first time.

“Something turned on that started pumping out very high energy photons into the intergalactic void,” Leja said. “These sources worked like cosmic lighthouses that burned off the fog of neutral hydrogen. Whatever this was, it was so energetic and so persistent, that the entire universe became re-ionized.” ...

By analyzing the spectra of young, low-mass galaxies, the scientists demonstrated that small galaxies were strong candidates for the “something” that sparked the reionization of the universe by heating the dense primordial gas around them and ionizing the once-neutral hydrogen. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/cosmic-ligh...s-first-light/

The sun gets in your eyes ... (this video is so hot, it's cool) ...

VIDEO SHOWS NASA PROBE FLYING DIRECTLY THROUGH A CORONAL MASS EJECTION OFF THE SUN

NASA's Parker Solar probe didn't quite fly into the Sun, but it did the next best thing. In 2021, the probe barrelled straight through the heart of a huge coronal mass ejection — and survived — earning it the title as the first spacecraft to "touch" our star.

Now, a new study published in the Astrophysical Journal reveals some of the remarkable findings captured by the probe during its journey, including mindblowing images of the CME's tempestuous interior in visible light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF_e5eYgJ3Y

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/1...38-4357/ad2208

Korean Fusion cuisine ...

‘Artificial sun’ sets record for time at 100 million degrees in latest advance for nuclear fusion

... Scientists in South Korea have announced a new world record for the length of time they sustained temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius — seven times hotter than the sun’s core — during a nuclear fusion experiment, in what they say is an important step forward for this futuristic energy technology. ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/04/01/climat...ntl/index.html

Put on your thinking cap ... no Musk implant needed ...

NEW BRAIN CAP LETS PEOPLE PLAY VIDEO GAMES WITH THEIR MINDS

Researchers have created a wearable brain-computer interface (BCI) that allows users to play video games just by using their minds.

But that's not all. As detailed in a new study published in the journal PNAS Nexus, the device — a black and red cap lined with brain wave detecting electrodes — is designed to be used by anyone without the extensive calibration or invasive surgical procedures required by other BCIs, opening the technology up to easier and more universal use. It's not quite good to go out of the box, but it's getting there. ...

https://futurism.com/neoscope/cap-pl...ames-with-mind

This story makes me manic ...

COLOSSAL CACHE OF LITHIUM FOUND IN US MAY BE WORLD'S LARGEST

... "IT COULD CHANGE THE DYNAMICS OF LITHIUM GLOBALLY..." ...

In the race to hoard lithium, a metal crucial for creating the batteries that power electric vehicles, the US may have fortuitously stumbled on the world's biggest deposit yet.

A new study, published in the journal Science Advances, estimates that the McDermitt Caldera, a volcanic crater on the Nevada-Oregon border, harbors a colossal 20 to 40 million metric tons of lithium.

https://futurism.com/the-byte/lithiu...2vdikjD8u48Fks

This tech sucks! ... (up CO2) ...

Carbon Alchemy: MIT’s Revolutionary CO2 Conversion Technology

MIT chemical engineers have created an efficient method to convert carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide, using a DNA-tethered catalytic process that could significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This breakthrough offers a new pathway for producing valuable chemicals from CO2, with potential for large-scale industrial application. ... The new approach uses electricity to perform the chemical conversion, with help from a catalyst that is tethered to the electrode surface by strands of DNA. This DNA acts like Velcro to keep all the reaction components in close proximity, making the reaction much more efficient than if all the components were floating in solution. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/carbon-alch...on-technology/

Think of this while sorting your plastic bottles at home ...

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER THE VILLAINS DESTROYING THE PLANET

If you're looking for someone to blame the worsening degradation of the climate upon, look no further than these 57 entities, which according to researchers are the main culprits behind climate change. ...

As the new report indicates, just 57 industrial and state entities have since the 2015 Paris agreement produced the lion's share of greenhouse gas emissions. About a third are investor-owned oil companies like the US-based ExxonMobil and Chevron, and England's BP. State-owned energy corporations like Saudi Aramco and Russia's Gazprom make up another 36 percent, and nation-state producers, such as those in China and Russia, comprise the final 31 percent.

Overall, the top 57 main offenders account for a whopping 88 percent of global emissions, comprising a shocking 251 gigatons of carbon dioxide.

https://carbonmajors.org/briefing/Th...Database-26913

The story makes me smile and frown ...

This robot predicts when you're going to smile – and smiles back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQtIXmcGt0g

AI may devastate jobs in certain sectors ...

AI ‘apocalypse’ could take away almost 8m jobs in UK, says report

Almost 8 million UK jobs could be lost to artificial intelligence in a “jobs apocalypse”, according to a report warning that women, younger workers and those on lower wages are at most risk from automation.

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said that entry level, part-time and administrative jobs were most exposed to being replaced by AI under a “worst-case scenario” for the rollout of new technologies in the next three to five years.

The thinktank warned that the UK was facing a “sliding doors” moment as growing numbers of companies adopt generative AI technologies – which can read and create text, data and software code – to automate everyday workplace tasks.

The report said this first wave of AI adoption was already putting jobs at risk as growing numbers of companies introduce the technology. However, a second wave could lead to the automation of more jobs amid rapid advances in AI.

Analysing 22,000 tasks in the economy covering every type of job, the IPPR said 11% of tasks currently done by workers were at risk. This could, though, increase to 59% of tasks in the second wave as technologies develop to handle increasingly complex processes.

It said routine cognitive tasks – including database management, scheduling and stocktaking – were already at risk, with potential to displace entry level and part-time jobs in secretarial work, administration and customer services.

However, the second wave of AI adoption could impact non-routine tasks involving the creation of databases, copywriting and graphic design, which would affect increasingly higher earning jobs.

Women would be significantly more affected, as “they are more likely to work in the most exposed occupations, such as secretarial and administrative occupations”, the IPPR said.

In the worst-case scenario for the second wave of AI, 7.9m jobs could be displaced, the report said, with any gains for the economy from productivity improvements cancelled out with zero growth in GDP within three to five years.

In a best-case scenario for full augmentation of the workforce with generative AI, no jobs would be lost, while the size of the economy could be increased by 4%, or about £92bn a year.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/mar/27/ai-apocalypse-could-take-away-almost-8m-jobs-in-uk-says-report

FULL REPORT: https://ippr-org.files.svdcdn.com/pr...21003_kxis.pdf

American political satirist Jon Stewart has a wonderful piece on how AI is most likely to help capitalists put workers out of jobs in the name of "efficiency" (starting 3:30 in) ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20TAkcy3aBY&t=21s

Even Billie Eilish is upset ...

Katy Perry, Billie Eilish, J Balvin and more lash out against ‘enormous’ AI threats that ‘sabotage creativity’

More than 200 artists, including Billie Eilish, Kacey Musgraves, J Balvin, Ja Rule, Jon Bon Jovi, The Jonas Brothers, Katy Perry, Miranda Lambert and more, are speaking out against artificial intelligence-related threats in the music industry.

In an open letter organized by the non-profit Artist Rights Alliance, notable names across the music business are calling on AI developers, technology companies, platforms and digital music services to “cease the use of artificial intelligence to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists,” according to the letter, which was issued Tuesday by the artist-led education and advocacy organization and posted online.

https://us.cnn.com/2024/04/02/busine...sts/index.html

But artists fight back ...

SOFTWARE RELEASED TO MAKE YOUR ORIGINAL ART POISON AI MODELS THAT SCRAPE IT

... a new tool called Nightshade can not only purportedly protect your images from being mimicked by AI models, but also "poison" them by feeding them misleading data. ... Nightshade's developers, a team of computer scientists at the University of Chicago, say their software is meant to be "an offensive tool" where its predecessor Glazer was designed to be a defensive one.

They still recommend using both tools. Glaze works by subtly modifying — "glazing" — an image at the pixel level. These changes are largely imperceptible to the naked eye, "like UV light" in the developers' words, but are clearly visible to AI models, which see imagery differently. The overall effect obfuscates an image's content to an AI.

Nightshade takes this a step further. In "shading" an image, the tool also introduces subtle changes, but these alterations can cause an AI model to incorrectly identify what it's seeing. A human might see a "cow in a green field," the developers wrote, "but an AI model might see a leather purse lying in the grass." ...

https://futurism.com/the-byte/nights...zpItQKWVv5v5rI

But l'AI Lies ...

CEO OF GOOGLE DEEPMIND SAYS AI INDUSTRY FULL OF HYPE AND GRIFTERS [but not totally]

In an interview with The Financial Times, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassibis likened the frothiness shrouding the AI gold rush to that of the crypto industry's high-dollar funding race, saying that the many billions being funneled into AI companies and projects brings a "bunch of hype and maybe some grifting and some other things that you see in other hyped-up areas, crypto or whatever."

[BUT]

... "It clouds the science and the research, which is phenomenal," Hassibis told the FT. "In a way, AI's not hyped enough," he added, "but in some senses it's too hyped." ...

... the spaghetti-at-the-wall style with which cash is being poured into startups without clear monetization paths certainly opens the door to scams and crashes — and it would be a shame to see real innovation suffer because of overeager venture capitalists.

"I think we're only scratching the surface," Hassibis told the FT of AI's scientific potential, "of what I believe is going to be possible over the next decade-plus."

https://futurism.com/the-byte/google-deepmind-ai-hype-grifters

Unmanned actually very manned ...

Amazon is giving up with its unusual "Just Walk Out" technology

... which allowed customers to simply put their shopping into their bags and leave the store without having to get in line at the checkout.

The tech, which was only available at half of the e-commerce giant's Amazon Fresh stores, used a host of cameras and sensors to track what shoppers left the store with. But instead of closing the technological loop with pure automation and AI, the company also had to rely on an army of over 1,000 workers in India, who were acting as remote cashiers.

... According to The Information, the tech was simply far too slow and too expensive to implement, with outsourced cashiers reportedly taking hours to send back data so customers could get their receipts. ...

... Instead of Just Walk Out, Amazon is now betting on scanners and screens embedded in the shopping cart called Dash Carts. ...

https://www.theinformation.com/artic...-checkout-tech

In the secret computer base ...

MICROSOFT AND OPENAI REPORTEDLY BUILDING $100 BILLION SECRET SUPERCOMPUTER TO TRAIN ADVANCED AI

, The Information is reporting that the dynamic duo are working on a $100 billion — that's "billion" with a "b," meaning a sum exceeding many countries' gross domestic products — on a hush-hush supercomputer designed to train powerful new AI. ...

https://www.theinformation.com/artic...-supercomputer

A quantum leap?

Microsoft, Quantinuum claim breakthrough in quantum computing

Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab and Quantinuum on Wednesday said they have achieved a key step in making quantum computers a commercial reality by making them more reliable. ... But the fundamental unit of quantum computers - called a "qubit" - is fast but finicky, producing data errors if the quantum computer is even slightly disturbed. To solve that problem, quantum researchers often build more physical qubits than needed and use error-correction techniques to yield a smaller number of reliable and useful qubits.
Microsoft and Quantinuum said they had made a breakthrough in that field. Microsoft applied an error-correction algorithm that it wrote to Quantinuum's physical qubits, yielding about four reliable qubits from 30 physical ones. ...

https://www.reuters.com/technology/m...ng-2024-04-03/

Creepy encryption ...

An Unprecedented 100 km – Researchers Set New Distance Record With Quantum Keys

Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) have successfully utilized quantum encryption for the secure transmission of information over a distance of 100 kilometers through a fiber optic cable, approximately the same distance as that between Oxford and London.

https://scitechdaily.com/an-unpreced...-quantum-keys/

It's batteries died in public service ...

Mass. State Police robot dog shot during Cape Cod standoff

A Massachusetts State Police robot dog was shot during a standoff on Cape Cod this month, officials said, calling it an example of how the technology can make police work safer in dangerous situations.

It’s both the first time a Massachusetts State Police robot dog was shot while working and the first time that one of Boston Dynamics’ well-known Spot robots was shot while working, representatives told NBC10 Boston Wednesday.



https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...off-rcna145356

A much bigger attack ...

Why a near-miss cyberattack put US officials and the tech industry on edge

German software developer Andres Freund was running some detailed performance tests last month when he noticed odd behavior in a little known program. What he found when he investigated has sent shudders across the software world and drawn attention from tech executives and government officials.

Freund, who works for Microsoft, opens new tab out of San Francisco, discovered that the latest version of the open source software program XZ Utils had been deliberately sabotaged by one of its developers, a move that could have carved out a secret door to millions of servers across the internet. ... “We really dodged a bullet,” said Satnam Narang, a security researcher with Tenable who has been tracking the fallout from the find. “It is one of those moments where we have to wipe our brow and say, ‘We were really lucky with this one.’”
The near-miss has refocused attention on the safety of open source software – free, often volunteer-maintained programs whose transparency and flexibility mean they serve as the foundation for the internet economy.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/c...ge-2024-04-05/

But on a positive note ... while we sleep ...

What Is Autonomous Discovery?

Autonomous discovery at Argonne National Laboratory leverages AI, machine learning, and robotics to accelerate scientific research in areas like climate change, health, and energy, transforming problem-solving from years to mere days or weeks, enhancing safety, and maintaining human creativity at the innovation’s core. ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6btfxNV808&t=1s

I am not sure that most adults are fully conscious ...

Scientists Propose New Method To Detect Consciousness in Infants

A new approach to discovering when consciousness emerges in infants has been proposed by University of Birmingham academics. By identifying adult consciousness markers and detecting their appearance in infants, the researchers aim to clarify the developmental timeline of consciousness. This method challenges previous theories and suggests a more complex, multi-stage emergence of consciousness, offering a promising direction for future research in the field.

... “One of the complicated issues is that it does not look like all the [existing] markers point to the same age for the emergence of consciousness. The ones mentioned by Bayne and colleagues suggest somewhere between the third trimester of pregnancy and early infancy, but other markers suggest the age might be around one year old. In fact, at the really extreme end, some markers only emerge at around 3-4 years. Because there are so many different markers of consciousness which appear in early and late development it is extremely hard to come to a conclusion.”

Professor Bremner concluded: “We propose that a broad approach to markers, including those that emerge in early and late stage, is needed. We also recommend that a range of developmental models of the onset of consciousness should be considered. For instance, it may be that some markers emerge in one cluster in early development, with others in a later cluster. As well as this there may be a continuous and gradual emergence of certain markers stretching over gestation and throughout early life. .... We think that by clustering this broad selection of markers, we may finally be able to answer the question which has given us pause for thought for thousands of years. But it’s important to bear in mind that the answer may not be a simple one!”

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-...ss-in-infants/

Is the Matrix movie inside the Matrix?

Opinion: 25 years later, ‘The Matrix’ is less sci-fi than tech reality

... In the decades since, this idea, now called the simulation hypothesis, has come to be taken more seriously by technologists, scientists and philosophers. The main reason for this shift is the stunning improvements in computer graphics, virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) and AI. Taking into account three developments just this year from Apple, Neuralink and OpenAI, I can now confidently state that as you are reading this article, you are more likely than not already inside a computer simulation. This is because the closer our technology gets to being able to build a fully interactive simulation like the Matrix, the more likely it is that someone has already built such a world, and we are simply inside their video game world. ...

... The fact that AI can so easily fool humans visually as well as through text (and according to some, has already passed the well-known Turing Test) shows that we are not far from fully immersive worlds populated with simulated AI characters that seem (and perhaps even think they are) conscious. Already, millions of humans are chatting with AI characters, and millions of dollars are pouring into making AI characters more realistic. Some of us may be players of the game, who have forgotten that we allowed the signal to be beamed into our brain, while others, like Neo or Morpheus or Trinity in “The Matrix,” may have been plugged in at birth. ... Like Neo, we would be unable to tell the difference between a simulated and a physical world. Perhaps the most appropriate response to that is another of Reeves’ most famous lines from that now-classic sci-fi film: Woah.

https://us.cnn.com/2024/03/30/opinions/matrix-25-years-later-tech-reality-virk/index.html

An amazing, colorful, graceful exit from this world ...

Female Chameleon Erupts with Color Before Death

In her last moments, this female chameleon’s skin erupts with color. All that remains are thousands of her eggs buried deep beneath the surface.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LZ2K44LIxM

Gassho, j

stlah

[Jundo]

New eye on the eye at the center of the galaxy ...

New image reveals spiraling magnetic field around Milky Way’s supermassive black hole

The image offers a never-before-seen view of the black hole at the center of our galaxy, as well as a clue that many or all black holes may share a pattern.

A striking new image of the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy has revealed the strong magnetic field that surrounds it, twisting and turning like a spiral.

It’s a never-before-seen view of Sagittarius A* (or Sgr A*), the immense black hole at the Milky Way’s core that gobbles up nearby light and matter. ...

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/spac...eld-rcna145331

... and the tidal forces which created our galaxy as a whole ...

Earliest building blocks of the Milky Way discovered near its galactic heart

Astronomers have used the Gaia space telescope to spy some of the first building blocks of the Milky Way galaxy: two ancient streams of stars named Shakti and Shiva that helped our home galaxy grow and evolve more than 12 billion years ago.

Named after Hindu deities, the star streams appear to be the remnants of two galaxies that merged with an early version of the Milky Way between 12 billion and 13 billion years ago when the first galaxies were forming across the cosmos. The structures are so old that they formed well before the most ancient parts of the Milky Way’s iconic spiral arms and central disk.

A study detailing the observations appeared Thursday in The Astrophysical Journal. ... Shakti and Shiva are near the Milky Way’s heart, and each stream is estimated to include the mass of about 10 million suns. Here, the ancient stars are all similar in age, orbital path and composition, which helped astronomers determine that both streams were likely threads from an outside source that wove together and became part of the Milky Way. ... “The stars there are so ancient that they lack many of the heavier metal elements created later in the Universe’s lifetime. These heavy metals are those forged within stars and scattered through space when they die. The stars in our galaxy’s heart are metal-poor, so we dubbed this region the Milky Way’s ‘poor old heart,’” ...

BELOW: An illustration shows a view of the Milky Way band across the sky, with yellow dots showing the location of the stars from the Shakti ancient stream of stars and blue dots showing the location of the stars from the Shiva ancient stellar stream.

https://us.cnn.com/2024/03/21/world/shiva-shakti-ancient-stars-milky-way-scn/index.html

and

https://www.reuters.com/science/scientists-identify-milky-ways-ancient-building-blocks-shakti-shiva-2024-03-22/

Big Bang-Bang ... possibly exploding the notion of dark matter/dark energy ...

A second big bang? The radical idea rewriting dark matter’s origins

... Dark matter is the hypothetical form of matter that doesn't interact with light or electromagnetic fields in any way, yet appears to make up roughly 27 percent of the known universe.

Astronomers have long attempted to explain why clusters of galaxies move in ways that our existing Standard Model of physics can't account for. To make the math work, the dominant explanation is that there's a bunch of stuff out there that we can't see. ...

... In a yet-to-be-peer-reviewed paper, Freese and her colleagues suggest that a "Dark Big Bang" may have "occurred when the universe was less than one month old."

They suggest the event could've formed several different kinds of dark matter, including "darkzillas" — yes, that's a "Godzilla" reference — which are monstrously sized particles 10 trillion times the mass of a single proton.

However, if the event was more gradual instead of forceful and abrupt, the Dark Big Bang would've produced lighter "dark cannibal" particles that would absorb each other with each collision.

These particles aren't unlike one of the leading dark matter candidates, called "weakly interacting massive particles" (WIMPs), which astronomers have posited for decades to explain the mysterious forces falling outside of the Standard Model of physics.

Freese is now hoping that studying gravitational waves emerging from the universe's gravitational wave background could shed more light on her Dark Big Bang theory. ...

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26034640-300-a-second-big-bang-the-radical-idea-rewriting-dark-matters-origins/?utm_source=rakuten&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=2116208:Skimlinks.com&utm_content=10&ranMID=47192&ranEAID=TnL5HPStwNw&ranSiteID=TnL5HPStwNw-m7EjOEoQj4dPn.OZPl.vrg

and

https://arxiv.org/abs/2302.11579

The above is not the same as the study I linked to last week: "Dark Matter Debunked in Revolutionary Cosmic Study" (https://scitechdaily.com/dark-matter...-cosmic-study/)

Nor is it this ... so I remain in the dark about which is right ...

Cosmic Shadows: Astronomers Unveil Dark Matter’s Role in Galaxy Evolution

... research led by a team at the IAC has managed to confirm, for the first time using observations, the effect of dark matter on galaxy evolution. “Dark matter has an obvious effect on galaxies because we can measure it, but the effect on the evolution of galaxies which we have found is something which had been proposed, even though we did not have a technique for studying it observationally” explains Laura Scholz Díaz, a pre-doctoral researcher at the IAC and first author of the article. ... “We have seen that in galaxies with equal masses of stars, their stellar populations behave differently depending on whether the halo has more, or less dark matter, in other words, the evolution of a galaxy, from its formation until the present time is modified by the halo in which it is contained. If it has a more or a less massive halo, the evolution of the galaxy over time will be different, and this will be reflected in the properties of the stars which it contains”

BELOW: Image of a galaxy showing, on the left, its stellar component, and on the right (in negative), the dark matter present in its halo.

https://scitechdaily.com/cosmic-shad...axy-evolution/

Them BIG Black Holes be Early ...

Webb’s “Astonishing Discovery” of Huge Black Holes in Early Universe – “Thought To Be Impossible”

... The James Webb Space Telescope’s discovery of early galaxies with massive black holes challenges traditional galaxy formation theories, proposing a synchronous development of black holes and stars, a finding that could reshape our understanding of cosmic evolution. ...

... Seeing the coexistence of stars with black holes, the researchers quickly realized that the conventional theories of galaxy formation had to be flawed. “[This new data] looks like [the process is] reversed, that these black holes formed along with the first stars, and then the rest of the galaxy followed,” says Begelman. “We’re saying that the growth of the black hole, at first, promotes the stars. And only later, when conditions change, does it flip into a mode of turning off the stars.” ...

https://scitechdaily.com/webbs-aston...be-impossible/

Now ... to the galaxies between our ears ...

Scientists Develop World’s First 3D-Printed “Brain Phantom”

Scientists have collaborated to create the world’s first 3D-printed “brain phantom,” utilizing a special magnetic resonance imaging technique (dMRI) to model brain fibers. This advancement is aimed at improving research into neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis by enhancing the accuracy of dMRI analysis software through the use of these detailed brain models. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-develop-worlds-first-3d-printed-brain-phantom/

and ... a mixed map ...

New Maps Reveal the Individual Brain Changes Linked to Different Mental Illnesses

A breakthrough project mapping brain changes in nearly 1,300 people diagnosed with six different types of mental illness has revealed the extraordinary diversity of brain changes found in people with conditions like major depression and schizophrenia.

The study, published in Nature Neuroscience and led by researchers at Monash University’s Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health and School of Psychological Sciences, used brain imaging to measure the size, or volume, of over 1000 different brain regions.

... “Because the brain is a network, dysfunction in one area can spread to affect other, connected sites. We found that, while deviations occurred in distinct brain regions across different people, they were often connected to common upstream or downstream areas, meaning they aggregated within the same brain circuits” said Ms. Segal. “It’s possible that this circuit-level overlap explains commonalities between people with the same diagnosis, such as, for example, why two people with schizophrenia generally have more symptoms in common than a person with schizophrenia and one with depression”.

The team leveraged their new approach to identify potential treatment targets for different disorders. “We found that certain specific brain circuits were preferentially involved in some disorders, suggesting that they are potential treatment targets” explained Ms. Segal. “However, our findings suggest that these targets will only be appropriate for a subset of people. For instance, we found evidence that brain circuits linked to frontal areas were preferentially involved in depression. These circuits are commonly used as targets for non-invasive brain stimulation therapies, but our data suggest that they may only be effective targets for around 1/3 of people.” ...

https://scitechdaily.com/new-maps-re...tal-illnesses/

Old brains ... really old brains ...

‘Extraordinary’ archive of ancient brains could help shed light on mental illness

... the anthropologist has compiled a unique archive of information about 4,405 brains unearthed by archaeologists. Brains have surfaced from northern European peat bogs, Andean mountaintops, shipwrecks, desert tombs and Victorian poorhouses. The earliest discovered were 12,000 years old. ... “This database will enable scientists to study brain tissue from ancient times and determine whether diseases known today were also present many years ago in civilizations completely different from the ones we currently live in,” Wirenfeldt Nielsen said via email.

“Examining tissue from brains that have not been exposed to the environment and stimuli in modern society might help us understand whether some of the brain diseases we encounter today could be at least in part caused by the way we live now.” ...

BELOW: Shown here is the 1,000-year-old brain of a person excavated from the c. 10th century churchyard of Sint-Maartenskerk, in Ypres, Belgium. The folds of the tissue, which are still soft and wet, are stained orange with iron oxides.

Newer bigger brains ...

SCIENTISTS FIND HUMAN BRAINS ARE GETTING LARGER AND LARGER

Humankind’s brains have apparently gotten bigger and bigger over the years, according to a team of scientists, who are surmising that bigger brains may stave off dementia as folks age.

An international team of researchers, led by the University of California Davis Health, arrived at this finding after studying the MRIs of people starting with those born in the 1930s, all the way through the 1970s.

In the resulting study, published in JAMA Neurology, the researchers found that 1970s babies had nearly 15 percent more brain surface area and 6.6 percent more brain volume than 1930s babies. ...

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...rticle/2816798

Of two minds about this ...

Two brains: One visualizes too much, the other not at all

... Visualizing a memory is a common occurrence for many people. A whiff of cinnamon and ginger may whisk you back to your childhood kitchen to relive eating freshly baked cookies, while hearing a particular tune may trigger images of dancing with a special someone.

Mary Wathen has never had that experience. When the 43-year-old solicitor from Newent, England, recalls baking with her mother, no images come to mind. She cannot visualize herself as a child opening presents, her husband’s face when he proposed, or even the birth of her children.

“When people say they can bring up images, to me that sounds really quite odd,” Wathen said. “I can’t relive any experience I see. I see it only once in the moment. I’m more led by feelings and thoughts than I am by visuals.

“Right now, I have no image of the birth of my boys, but I can tell you all about it,” she added. “I can remember the feelings and describe the room and each birth in detail, but I will absolutely never see it again.” ... “I understand concepts, I comprehend things, I have memories, but they aren’t supported by any images,” Wathen said. “I’ve read aphantasia is best described as ‘You’ve got all the same computer hardware as everyone else, but the monitor is not switched on.’ That really resonates with me.” ... The most upsetting aspect of aphantasia for Wathen, however, is the “fact that if I’m not with my children, I can’t see them. I can’t bring up an image of them. I can tell you to every detail what they look like, their mannerisms and even what clothes they’ve gone off in this morning, but I don’t have an image of them. ... "

... About 4% of the world’s population may experience aphantasia ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/03/27/health/aphantasia-hyperphantasia-visualization-wellness/index.html

Let's learn about learning brains ...

Johns Hopkins Scientists Identify New Function of Learning Gene Common to All Mammalian Brain Cells

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have uncovered a new role of the SYNGAP1 gene in memory and learning, showing its significance beyond enzyme activity to include scaffolding functions at synapses. This finding, which reveals the gene’s dual role in regulating synaptic strength and plasticity, could lead to better treatments for children with neurodevelopmental disorders linked to SYNGAP1 mutations. ... In general, SYNGAP1, as well as other genes, control learning and memory by making proteins that regulate the strength of synapses — the connections between brain cells.

https://scitechdaily.com/johns-hopki...n-brain-cells/

We are meat computers ... made of proteins ...

The Future of Disease Detection: New Technology Identifies Individual Full-Length Human Proteins

... Using this new technology, the researchers can identify individual, intact, full-length proteins, preserving all its information. This can shed light on the mechanisms behind many different diseases and allows earlier diagnosis. ...

BELOW: The illustration shows a human protein and amino acid code in the background. The new FRET X technology is capable of identifying proteins using protein fingerprints. The Chirlmin Joo Lab obtains these unique fingerprints by finding part of the full-length amino acid code (the highlighted C’s and K’s among the blue letters).

https://scitechdaily.com/the-future-...uman-proteins/

In turn, proteins are built ...

Molecular Majesty: This Is How the Body’s Building Blocks Are Made

... Using electron microscopy, Eva Kummer and her colleagues Giang Nguyen and Christina Ritter have managed to produce a 3D model of a part of the human cell, the ribosome, which is no more than 30 nanometers in diameter. ...

... “It is important to understand how the ribosome is built and how it works, because it is the only cell particle that produces proteins in humans and all other living organisms. And without proteins, life would cease to exist,” says Eva Kummer.

Proteins are the primary building blocks of the human body. Your heart, lungs, brain, and basically your whole body is made of proteins produced by the ribosome. ...

BELOW: The complex assembling process of the ribosome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxZwwvWelc4

https://scitechdaily.com/molecular-majesty-this-is-how-the-bodys-building-blocks-are-made/

And here is a first step to building our own ...

Vast Implications – Scientists Develop Novel Technique To Form Human Artificial Chromosomes

The University of Pennsylvania researchers have achieved a major breakthrough in human artificial chromosome technology, developing a new method that simplifies the construction of HACs. This innovation promises to speed up DNA research and could significantly impact gene therapy and biotechnology, offering a reliable alternative to current gene delivery systems and broadening the potential for genetic engineering across various fields. ... The new method allows HACs to be crafted more quickly and precisely, which, in turn, will directly speed up the rate at which DNA research can be done. In time, with an effective delivery system, this technique could lead to better-engineered cell therapies for diseases like cancer. ...

... The potential advantages of artificial chromosomes—assuming they can be delivered easily to cells and operate like natural chromosomes—are many. They would offer safer, more productive, and more durable platforms for expressing therapeutic genes, in contrast to virus-based gene-delivery systems which can trigger immune reactions and involve harmful viral insertion into natural chromosomes. Normal gene expression in cells also requires many local and distant regulatory factors, which are virtually impossible to reproduce artificially outside of a chromosome-like context. Moreover, artificial chromosomes, unlike relatively cramped viral vectors, would permit the expression of large, cooperative ensembles of genes, for example, to construct complex protein machines. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/vast-implic...l-chromosomes/

Oink ...

Surgeons Transplant Pig Kidney Into a Patient, a Medical Milestone

The man continues to improve, doctors said. Organs from genetically engineered pigs one day may make dialysis obsolete.

... The pig kidney started producing urine not long after the surgery last weekend, the New York Times reports. The patient's condition also continues to improve, according to the report.

In fact, he's already walking the halls and could soon be discharged.

It's an especially important milestone, considering the patient, Richard "Rick" Slayman, is Black. Studies have shown that African-American patients have historically suffered from the highest rates of end-stage kidney disease.

Xenotransplanted kidneys "could solve an intractable problem in the field — the inadequate access of minority patients to kidney transplants," said Mass General associate chief of nephrology Winfred Williams in a statement.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 800,000 people in the US are suffering from end-stage kidney disease. More than half of them are racial or ethnic minorities.

Yet only a tiny fraction of these patients end up receiving a kidney transplant, the best option for people suffering from end-stage kidney disease.

While scientists are hopeful that donor organs from pigs could be a real solution to global shortages, they still have their work cut out.

For one, xenotransplanted organs still run the risk of being rejected by the recipient's immune system.

This particular pig kidney was created by biotech company eGenesis, which has also bred pigs to produce pig livers meant for transplantation into a human recipient.

The company used CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing to reduce the chances of the patient's body rejecting the new kidney and improve compatibility. ...

https://futurism.com/neoscope/surgeo...-human-patient

A tail tale ...

Why don’t humans have tails? Scientists find answers in an unlikely place

... Tails are useful for balance, propulsion, communication and defense against biting insects. However, humans and our closest primate relatives — the great apes — said farewell to tails about 25 million years ago, when the group split from Old World monkeys. The loss has long been associated with our transition to bipedalism, but little was known about the genetic factors that triggered primate taillessness.

Now, scientists have traced our tail loss to a short sequence of genetic code that is abundant in our genome but had been dismissed for decades as junk DNA, a sequence that seemingly serves no biological purpose. They identified the snippet, known as an Alu element, in the regulatory code of a gene associated with tail length called TBXT. Alu is also part of a class known as jumping genes, which are genetic sequences capable of switching their location in the genome and triggering or undoing mutations. ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/03/23/world/...scn/index.html

Our story is written within ...

Becoming Human: What Ancient DNA Tells Us About Who We Are

A new commentary discusses the impact of ancient DNA on tracing human origins, distinguishing between direct and indirect approaches to studying genetic changes. The work emphasizes the importance of ancient genomic data in revealing population dynamics, genetic diversity, and adaptations that have shaped the trajectory of human evolution. ...

... the 1,000 Genomes Project has allowed us to appreciate the expanse of modern human genetic diversity, but admixture and an incomplete understanding of the genetic structure of prehistoric populations have limited our exploration of deeper events using only modern genomes. The recent availability of early modern human genomic data as well as archaic genomic data from Neanderthals and Denisovans has given us the means to better trace the genetic changes underlying the origin of modern humans. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/becoming-hu...ut-who-we-are/

Couldn't just call the doctor back then ...

Ancient Epidemics: Scientists Uncover Lethal Stone Age Threat

A study reveals that Stone Age populations in Scandinavia suffered and often died from bacterial diseases, such as those causing meningitis and food poisoning, due to close living quarters and no antibiotics. ... In the study, 38 individuals from farmer contexts as well as from hunter-gatherer contexts have been screened for microbes. Material from Hummerviksholmen in southern Norway (9500 years old) to Bergsgraven in Linköping, Sweden (4500 years old) was investigated. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/ancient-epi...ne-age-threat/

Merry Old England ...

Archaeologists Unearth 3,000-Year-Old Stilt Village Frozen in Time

...
Must Farm, a late Bronze Age settlement, dates to around 850 BC, with University of Cambridge archaeologists unearthing four large wooden roundhouses and a square entranceway structure – all of which had been constructed on stilts above a slow-moving river.

The entire hamlet stood approximately two meters above the riverbed, with walkways bridging some of the main houses, and was surrounded by a two-meter-high fence of sharpened posts.

The settlement was less than a year old when it was destroyed by a catastrophic fire, with buildings and their contents collapsing into the muddy river below. The combination of charring and waterlogging led to exceptional preservation. The site has been described as “Britain’s Pompeii.” ...

BELOW: An illustration depicting daily life inside ‘Structure One’, based on the analysis of materials unearthed at the Must Farm excavation. Also, an intact hafted axe that had been placed in the silt directly beneath Structure One, perhaps a token of good fortune, or an offering to some kind of spirit on completion of the build.

https://scitechdaily.com/archaeologi...rozen-in-time/

Now, turning from the past ... to the future ... some headlines ...

OPENAI REPORTEDLY LOOKING TO RELEASE GPT-5 THIS SUMMER: "IT'S REALLY GOOD, LIKE MATERIALLY BETTER."

https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-launch-better-gpt-5-chatbot-2024-3

Sam Altman Says AI Using Too Much Energy, Will Require Breakthrough Energy Source: "There's no way to get there without a breakthrough."

https://futurism.com/sam-altman-energy-breakthrough?fbclid=IwAR0rgDCaZJzvrcjT8eQoJ8fP0-lCcP1_Vlwotcd8G9jPLF_ah5y64T9uIvs

Beyond the Limit: Chinese Scientists Have Broken the Optical Diffraction Limit Barrier ... major leap in data storage technology ...

https://scitechdaily.com/beyond-the-limit-chinese-scientists-have-broken-the-optical-diffraction-limit-barrier/

Oops! Replacing Workers With AI Is Actually More Expensive, MIT Finds [for now] ...
... We find that at today’s costs U.S. businesses would choose not to automate most vision tasks that have “AI Exposure,” and that only 23% of worker wages being paid for vision tasks would be attractive to automate. ...

https://futuretech-site.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/2024-01-18+Beyond_AI_Exposure.pdf?ascsubtag=0000FT0000309530D1920091120240328042813

Quantum Dots Ignite a New Era in Global Secure Communication: Scientists can now efficiently produce nearly perfect entangled photon pairs from quantum dot sources. ...
... “The combination of a high degree of entanglement and high efficiency is needed for exciting applications such as quantum key distribution or quantum repeaters, which are envisioned to extend the distance of secure quantum communication to a global scale or link remote quantum computers,” ...

https://scitechdaily.com/quantum-dots-ignite-a-new-era-in-global-secure-communication/

Not ready to quit my gym yet ...

Exercise in a Pill: New Compound Mimics [SOME OF] the Physical Boost of Working Out

New compounds mimicking exercise effects could treat muscle atrophy and neurodegenerative diseases, with promising research results presented at ACS Spring 2024. ... “We cannot replace exercise; exercise is important on all levels,” says Bahaa Elgendy, the project’s principal investigator who is presenting the work at the meeting. “If I can exercise, I should go ahead and get the physical activity. But there are so many cases in which a substitute is needed.” ...

https://scitechdaily.com/exercise-in...f-working-out/

Heaven and earth dance ...

Volcano erupts under the northern lights in Iceland

Two of the most awe-inspiring national phenomena captured in one timelapse video: A volcano near the Icelandic town of Grindavik erupts against the backdrop of the Northern Lights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMc0xzbBpNU

Gassho, J

stlah

[Jundo]

Just by thinking ...

Musk's Neuralink shows first brain-chip patient playing online chess

Elon Musk's brain-chip startup Neuralink livestreamed on Wednesday its first patient implanted with a chip using his mind to play online chess.

Noland Arbaugh, the 29-year-old patient who was paralyzed below the shoulder after a diving accident, played chess on his laptop and moved the cursor using the Neuralink device. The implant seeks to enable people to control a computer cursor or keyboard using only their thoughts.

... "The surgery was super easy," Arbaugh said in the video streamed on Musk's social media platform X, referring to the implant procedure. "I literally was released from the hospital a day later. I have no cognitive impairments.

In the livestream, Arbaugh described the process of learning to use the BCI and what he did after Neuralink gave him complete control of the technology when it became “intuitive” for him to move a computer cursor. “I actually stayed up until—jeez, I don’t know—6 a.m. playing Civilization 6,” he said, referring to the popular strategy video game.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/quadriplegic-patient-plays-chess-mind-233704016.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAzcjk6aun0

New interface inside your face ...

Revolutionary Graphene Interfaces Set to Transform Neuroscience

Groundbreaking graphene neurotechnology developed by ICN2 and collaborators promises transformative advances in neuroscience and medical applications, demonstrating high-precision neural interfaces and targeted nerve modulation. ... The unique combination of high-fidelity signal recording and precise nerve stimulation offered by EGNITE technology represents a potentially critical advancement in neuroelectronic therapeutics. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/revolutiona...-neuroscience/

Well, if true, then we really are in the dark about Dark Matter and Dark Energy ...

Dark Matter Debunked in Revolutionary Cosmic Study

A University of Ottawa study published in The Astrophysical Journal challenges the current model of the universe by showing that, in fact, it has no room for dark matter.

In cosmology, the term “dark matter” describes all that appears not to interact with light or the electromagnetic field, or that can only be explained through gravitational force. We can’t see it, nor do we know what it’s made of, but it helps us understand how galaxies, planets, and stars behave. ... “The study’s findings confirm that our previous work [] about the age of the universe being 26.7 billion years has allowed us to discover that the universe does not require dark matter to exist,” explains Gupta. “In standard cosmology, the accelerated expansion of the universe is said to be caused by dark energy but is in fact due to the weakening forces of nature as it expands, not due to dark energy.”

https://scitechdaily.com/dark-matter...-cosmic-study/

Chevy Nova ...

Explosive star event will create once-in-a-lifetime sight in the sky. Here’s how to see it

Astronomers are expecting a “new star” to appear in the night sky anytime between now and September, and it promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime celestial sight, according to NASA. ...

While a supernova is the explosive death of a massive star, a nova refers to the sudden, brief explosion from a collapsed star known as a white dwarf.

T Coronae Borealis, otherwise known as the “Blaze Star,” is a binary system in the Corona Borealis that includes a dead white dwarf star and an aging red giant star. Red giants form when stars have exhausted their supply of hydrogen for nuclear fusion and begin to die. In about 5 billion or 6 billion years, our sun will become a red giant, puffing up and expanding as it releases layers of material and likely evaporating the solar system’s inner planets, although Earth’s fate remains unclear, according to NASA.

Every 79 years or so, T Coronae Borealis experiences an explosive event. ... T Coronae Borealis is one of 10 recurring novae in the galaxy. We know from the last eruption back in 1946 that the star will get dimmer for just over a year before rapidly increasing in brightness.

... Once the nova peaks in brightness, it will be as if a new star has appeared — one that’s visible for a few days without any equipment and a little over a week with binoculars before it dims and disappears from sight for another 80 years or so. ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/03/19/world/...scn/index.html

Quality quasars ...

In a Major Astronomical Feat, 1.3 Million Quasars Illuminate the Universe’s Past

Astronomers have charted the largest-ever volume of the universe with a new map of active supermassive black holes living at the centers of galaxies. Called quasars, the gas-gobbling black holes are, ironically, some of the universe’s brightest objects.

The new map logs the location of about 1.3 million quasars in space and time, the furthest of which shone bright when the universe was only 1.5 billion years old. (For comparison, the universe is now 13.7 billion years old.) ... “This quasar catalog is different from all previous catalogs in that it gives us a three-dimensional map of the largest-ever volume of the universe,” ...

https://scitechdaily.com/in-a-major-astronomical-feat-1-3-million-quasars-illuminate-the-universes-past/

BELOW: This graphic representation of the map shows the location of quasars from our vantage point, the center of the sphere. The regions empty of quasars are where the disk of our galaxy blocks our view. Quasars with larger redshifts are further away from us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsEFzjubVZc

Lots of really big holes ... and a whole hole mystery ...

Infant Giants: Webb Unveils the Growth of Supermassive Black Holes

The James Webb Space Telescope makes one of the most unexpected findings within its first year of service: A high number of faint little red dots in the distant Universe could change the way we understand the genesis of supermassive black holes. ... “The present findings could bring us one step closer to answering one of the greatest dilemmas in astronomy: According to the current models, some supermassive black holes in the early Universe have simply grown ‘too fast’. Then how did they form?” ...

https://scitechdaily.com/infant-gian...e-black-holes/

And one stands out ...

Webb’s Historic Discovery: The Farthest Active Supermassive Black Hole Ever Found

Researchers using the James Webb Space Telescope have made groundbreaking discoveries in galaxy GN-z11, which is one of the most distant and luminous galaxies known. They identified a supermassive black hole responsible for the galaxy’s brightness and found a pristine gas clump that may lead to the discovery of the universe’s first stars, providing significant insights into cosmic evolution. ...

BELOW: This image from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument shows a portion of the GOODS-North field of galaxies. At lower right, a pullout highlights the galaxy GN-z11, which is seen at a time just 430 million years after the big bang. The image reveals an extended component, tracing the GN-z11 host galaxy, and a central source whose colors are consistent with those of an accretion disk surrounding a black hole.

https://scitechdaily.com/webbs-histo...le-ever-found/

A universe within ...

Unprecedented Simultaneous Recording of the Activity of One Million Neurons Answers Fundamental Question of Neuroscience

New research utilizing advanced imaging to track one million neurons in mice uncovers that over 90% of brain activity, previously considered noise, contains significant signals, revealing the mammalian brain’s underestimated complexity. ... How this may apply to the human brain is still far from settled (“the human brain is an ocean compared to the pond of a mouse brain,” Vaziri says) but the findings strongly suggest that we are only beginning to understand the true complexity of the mammalian brain. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/unprecedent...-neuroscience/

How big is the tiny ruler? ...

Ingenious New Method Measures the 3D Position of Individual Atoms

Researchers have devised a method to accurately measure an atom’s three-dimensional position with a single image, revolutionizing quantum mechanics experiments and material development by facilitating precise atom manipulation and tracking. ... For over ten years, physicists have been able to pinpoint the exact positions of individual atoms with a precision finer than one-thousandth of a millimeter using a specialized microscope. However, this method has so far only provided the x and y coordinates. Information on the vertical position of the atom – i.e., the distance between the atom and the microscope objective – is lacking.

A new method has now been developed that can determine all three spatial coordinates of an atom with one single image. ...

BELOW: This is how it looks in practice: The different rotational directions of the various “dumbbells” indicate that the atoms lie in different planes ...

https://scitechdaily.com/ingenious-n...ividual-atoms/

Let there be life ...

Scientists Uncover New Clues Regarding the Origin of Life on Earth Inside the Recently Recovered “Winchcombe” Meteorite

Recent research on the Winchcombe meteorite has uncovered pristine extraterrestrial organic molecules, including amino acids and nucleobases, through advanced electron microscopy analysis. These findings, indicating potential contributions to the development of life on Earth, mark a significant advancement in our understanding of the solar system’s formation and the role of carbonaceous meteorites in delivering organic compounds to the early Earth. ... Winchcombe is a carbonaceous meteorite that was widely observed to fall in the UK in February 2021, with the first samples collected only around 12 hours after landing. It thus offers scientists an opportunity to investigate the composition of organic matter in the early solar system without the severe terrestrial alteration effects that usually compromise investigations of meteorites ...

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-...mbe-meteorite/

Let us make life ...

‘Monumental’ experiment suggests how life on Earth may have started

A much-debated theory holds that 4 billion years ago, give or take, long before the appearance of dinosaurs or even bacteria, the primordial soup contained only the possibility of life. Then a molecule called RNA took a dramatic step into the future: It made a copy of itself.

Then the copy made a copy, and over the course of many millions of years, RNA begot DNA and proteins, all of which came together to form a cell, the smallest unit of life able to survive on its own.

Now, in an important advance supporting this RNA World theory, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., have carried out a small but essential part of the story. In test tubes, they developed an RNA molecule that was able to make accurate copies of a different type of RNA.

The work, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, gets them closer to the grand goal of growing an RNA molecule that makes accurate copies of itself.

“Then it would be alive,” said Gerald Joyce, president of Salk and one of the authors of the new paper. “So, this is the road to how life can arise in a laboratory or, in principle, anywhere in the universe.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/scien...ife-rna-world/

Fuels our hope for fuel ...

From Dream to Reality: Low-Cost, Carbon-Neutral Biofuels Are Finally Possible

In the process of converting plants into fuel, the initial phase — decomposing the plant material — has consistently posed the greatest challenge. Recent research reveals that incorporating an easily renewable chemical during the pretreatment phase could, at last, render the production of advanced biofuels economically viable and carbon neutral.

https://scitechdaily.com/from-dream-...ally-possible/

Fueling loss of hope ...

This Overlooked Feedback Loop Is Accelerating Climate Change

Climate models must account for numerous factors, including overlooked natural processes like soil degradation. Soil, holding 80% of the Earth’s carbon, releases greenhouse gases under drought conditions, potentially exacerbating climate change. New research highlights the importance of incorporating soil health into climate predictions and advocates for sustainable land use to mitigate these effects.

https://scitechdaily.com/this-overlo...limate-change/

New mAIterials...

Quantum Leap in Material Science: Researchers Unveil AI-Powered Atomic Fabrication Technique

Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed an innovative method for creating carbon-based quantum materials atom by atom. This method combines the use of scanning probe microscopy with advanced deep neural networks. The achievement underlines the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) in manipulating materials at the sub-angstrom level, offering significant advantages for basic science and potential future uses.

https://scitechdaily.com/quantum-lea...ion-technique/

Law + AI = LAIW ...

EU approves landmark AI law, leapfrogging US to regulate critical but worrying new technology


European Union lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to a landmark law governing artificial intelligence, leapfrogging the United States once again on the regulation of a critical and disruptive technology.

The first-of-its-kind law is poised to reshape how businesses and organizations in Europe use AI for everything from health care decisions to policing. It imposes blanket bans on some “unacceptable” uses of the technology while enacting stiff guardrails for other applications deemed “high-risk.”

For example, the EU AI Act outlaws social scoring systems powered by AI and any biometric-based tools used to guess a person’s race, political leanings or sexual orientation.

It bans the use of AI to interpret the emotions of people in schools and workplaces, as well as some types of automated profiling intended to predict a person’s likelihood of committing future crimes.

Meanwhile, the law outlines a separate category of “high-risk” uses of AI, particularly for education, hiring and access to government services, and imposes a separate set of transparency and other obligations on them.

Companies such as OpenAI that produce powerful, complex and widely used AI models will also be subject to new disclosure requirements under the law.

It also requires all AI-generated deepfakes to be clearly labeled, targeting concerns about manipulated media that could lead to disinformation and election meddling.

The sweeping legislation, which is set to take effect in roughly two years, highlights the speed with which EU policymakers have responded to the exploding popularity of tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

https://us.cnn.com/2024/03/13/tech/a...ion/index.html

Will the law be in time?

AI could pose ‘extinction-level’ threat to humans and the US must intervene, State Dept.-commissioned report warns

A new report commissioned by the US State Department paints an alarming picture of the “catastrophic” national security risks posed by rapidly evolving artificial intelligence, warning that time is running out for the federal government to avert disaster.

The findings were based on interviews with more than 200 people over more than a year – including top executives from leading AI companies, cybersecurity researchers, weapons of mass destruction experts and national security officials inside the government.

https://us.cnn.com/2024/03/12/busine...ion/index.html

More tech abuse ...

Photographer steps inside Vietnam’s shadowy ‘click farms’

Last year, the British photographer spent a month in the capital Hanoi documenting some of the shadowy enterprises that help clients artificially boost online traffic and social media engagement in the hope of manipulating algorithms and user perceptions. The resulting images, which feature in his new book “Beggar’s Honey,” provide rare insight into the workshops that hire low-paid workers to cultivate likes, comments and shares for businesses and individuals globally.

“When most people are on social media, they want nothing but attention — they’re begging for it,” Latham said in a phone interview, explaining his book’s title. “With social media, our attention is a product for advertisers and marketers.” ... In the 2000s, the growing popularity of social media sites — including Facebook and Twitter, now called X — created a new market for well-curated digital profiles, with companies and brands vying to maximize visibility and influence. Though it is unclear when click farms began proliferating, tech experts warned about “virtual gang masters” operating them from low-income countries as early as 2007.

In the following decades, click farms exploded in number — particularly in Asia, where they can be found across India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines and beyond. Regulations have often failed to keep pace: While some countries, like China, have attempted to crack down on operations (the China Advertising Association banned the use of click farms for commercial gain in 2020), they continue to flourish around the continent, especially in places where low labor and electricity costs make it affordable to power hundreds of devices simultaneously. ...

https://us.cnn.com/style/vietnam-far...ney/index.html

Switch off the fear ...

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER "SWITCH" THAT MAY TURN OFF PTSD FEAR RESPONSE

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suffer from fear and anxiety long after the traumatic events that triggered their PTSD.

We try to stop these debilitating feelings with a gamut of remedies, from counseling to medication, but what's the neural mechanism that sustains fear in people even when their environment is now safe?

A team of neurobiologists from the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) researched the mysterious mechanism behind this response and found what they characterize as a switch in the brain that causes "fear generalization." In fact, they even uncovered a method that may stop fear in its tracks.

In a new study published in the journal Science, they detail how they came upon this mechanism by experimenting on lab mice, studying their brains, and comparing them to the brains of people who have suffered from PTSD.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adj5996

https://futurism.com/neoscope/brain-fear

YOU-MOO ...

COW HACKED WITH HUMAN DNA PRODUCES MILK CONTAINING HIGH LEVELS OF HUMAN INSULIN

As detailed in their paper, the researchers inserted a segment of human DNA coding for the precursor of active insulin called proinsulin into the cell nuclei of ten cow embryos.

Out of the ten embryos, one gene-edited calf was born in Brazil. Once matured, the cow was impregnated and stimulated to lactate using hormones.

To their surprise, the cow not only produced proinsulin, but even insulin in her milk.

"Our goal was to make proinsulin, purify it out to insulin, and go from there," Wheeler said in the statement. "But the cow basically processed it herself. She makes about three to one biologically active insulin to proinsulin." ...

https://aces.illinois.edu/news/milk-...-producing-cow

Crispier ...

Retrotransposons can insert new genes into a “safe harbor” in the genome, complementing CRISPR gene editing.

PRINT, a new gene therapy technique, employs bird-derived retrotransposons to insert whole genes into a safe zone of the human genome, offering a complementary approach to CRISPR-Cas9 by potentially enabling the treatment of diseases without the risk of gene disruption or cancer. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/the-unexpec...bird-junk-dna/

No skin off my nose ...

SCIENTISTS 3D PRINT LIVING HUMAN SKIN DIRECTLY ONTO WOUNDS

3D-printed skin closes wounds and contains hair follicle precursors
Bioengineered advancement may have implications for more natural-looking reconstructive surgery outcomes, according to international research team

https://www.psu.edu/news/research/st...le-precursors/

DON'T MISS THIS ... Isn't that HAL's voice?? ...

HUMANOID ROBOT POWERED BY OPENAI IS ALMOST SCARY

... tech startup Figure has released a new clip of its humanoid robot, dubbed Figure 01, chatting with an engineer as it puts away the dishes.

And we can't tell if we're impressed — or terrified.

"I see a red apple on a plate in the center of the table, a drying rack with cups and a plate, and you standing nearby with your hand on the table," the robot said in an uncanny voice, showing off OpenAI's "speech-to-speech reasoning" skills. ...

https://futurism.com/the-byte/humanoid-robot-powered-by-openai-scary?fbclid=IwAR3em8Mht1keeNV-3qlglx15edA4pIaUmCGfFp9TMhuP6naeRS94gH34Tfs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq1QZB5baNw

Gassho, J

stlah

[Jundo]

The strange theorist with tenure's strange theory, posted about immediately above a few days ago, appears to have come crashing down ...

Harvard Scientist Presents New Evidence That Samples Are Alien Spacecraft

Harvard professor and notorious UFO hunter Avi Loeb claims he has new evidence that meteor fragments recovered from the ocean floor are alien technology, Boston Public Radio reports, pushing back against detractors who argue their origins are more mundane.

"It raises the possibility that it may have been a Voyager-like meteor, artificially made by another civilization," Loeb told the station on Monday, referencing an actual pair of probes sent screaming out of the solar system by NASA back in the 1970s. ...

... Dubbed IM1, the meteor plunged into the Pacific Ocean near Papua New Guinea nearly a decade ago, but was overlooked until Loeb spearheaded efforts that confirmed in 2022 that it was the first interstellar object known to fall to Earth.

In hot pursuit, the astrophysicist launched an expedition to comb the ocean floor for the object last year and found, he claims, its remnants in the form of spherical metal fragments, or "spherules," that he thinks could suggest IM1 might be some form of alien technology.

Those findings, documented in a paper published in October, were met with skepticism. Some scientists rebutted that the spherules were the result of fallout from human nuclear testing, or even just coal ash.

Well, it turns out ...

Sound waves thought to be from a 2014 meteor fireball north of Papua New Guinea were almost certainly vibrations from a truck rumbling along a nearby road, new Johns Hopkins University–led research shows. The findings raise doubts that materials pulled last year from the ocean are alien materials from that meteor, as was widely reported. ... [And] “The fireball location was actually very far away from where the oceanographic expedition went to retrieve these meteor fragments,” he said. “Not only did they use the wrong signal, they were looking in the wrong place.”

https://scitechdaily.com/in-2014-an-...s-true-source/

Oops. Fortunately, Dr. Loeb still has tenure.

Gassho, J

stlah

[Jundo]

In Ukraine, the first tools and weapons in Europe ... and, alas, the fight continues ... bigger brains, but no better ... with lessons from space ...

Stone tools in Ukraine offer oldest evidence of humans in Europe

A dating method based on cosmic rays has identified stone tools found in western Ukraine as the oldest-known evidence of human occupation in Europe - 1.4 million years ago - showing that the peopling of the continent occurred hundreds of thousands of years earlier than previously known.

Researchers said on Wednesday the stone tools - the most primitive kind known - were initially unearthed in the 1970s near the town of Korolevo in the Carpathian foothills along the Tysa river, close to Ukraine's borders with Hungary and Romania. But their age had remained unclear. ... The researchers concluded that the maker of the tools likely was Homo erectus, an early human species that arose roughly 2 million years ago and spread across Africa, Asia and Europe before disappearing perhaps 110,000 years ago. ... Homo erectus was the first member of our evolutionary lineage with body proportions similar to our species, Homo sapiens, though with a smaller brain.

... "Earth is constantly bombarded by galactic cosmic rays. When these rays - mainly protons and alpha particles - penetrate Earth's atmosphere, they generate a secondary shower of particles - neutrons and muons - that, in turn, penetrates into the subsurface," geoscientist and study co-author Mads Knudsen of Aarhus University in Denmark said. These particles react with minerals in rocks to produce radioactive nuclides, a class of atoms. The sediment was dated based on the ratio of two nuclides, thanks to their differing pace of radioactive decay. ...

https://www.reuters.com/science/stone-tools-ukraine-offer-oldest-evidence-humans-europe-2024-03-06/

The James Dean of galaxies ... death ...

Oldest ‘dead’ galaxy spied by Webb may cause astronomers to revise their understanding of the early universe

Astronomers have spotted the oldest “dead” galaxy ever observed while studying the cosmos with the James Webb Space Telescope, and it’s one of the deepest views into the distant universe made with the observatory to date. The galaxy existed when the universe was only about 700 million years into its current age of about 13.8 billion years. But something made the galaxy suddenly halt star formation almost as quickly as star birth had begun more than 13 billion years ago, and the researchers have yet to uncover the cause. ... “Galaxies need a rich supply of gas to form new stars, and the early universe was like an all-you-can-eat buffet.” ...The research team was surprised to find a so-called dead galaxy that essentially lived fast and died young so soon after the big bang that created the universe. ... “It’s (usually) only later in the universe that we start to see galaxies stop forming stars, whether that’s due to a black hole or something else” ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/03/06/world/...scn/index.html

... life ...

JWST Unlocks Cosmic Mystery: Life’s Precursors Found in Extreme Stellar Environments

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers discovered water and organic molecules in a planet-forming disk around a young star in an extreme environment, revealing that Earth-like planets could form even under harsh conditions. ... Planets like our Earth, including planets with water, could form even in the harshest known star-forming environments, drenched by hard UV light from massive stars. That is the main result of analyses of new observations of such an environment with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The observations are the first of their kind – before the JWST, this kind of detailed observation had not been possible. This is good news for Earth-like planets, and for life in the universe: there is a great variety of environments in which such planets can form. The results have now been published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. ...

... Overall, more than half of all stars in our universe – including our own Sun – were born in massive star-forming regions, together with their planets. Yet nothing was known about the effect of such harsh environments on inner regions of disks, where terrestrial planets are expected to form. ... “We found an abundance of water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen cyanide, and acetylene in the innermost regions of XUE-1,” says Ramírez-Tannus. “This provides valuable clues about the likely composition of the initial atmosphere of the resulting terrestrial planets.” The researchers also found silicate dust in similar amounts as in low-mass star-formation regions. This is the first time that such molecules have been detected under extreme conditions like these.

https://scitechdaily.com/jwst-unlock...-environments/

This is not new news, but I had forgotten that human-kind had gotten pictures of the surface of Venus ...

Every picture from Venus' surface, ever

In 1975 and 1982, four of the Soviet Union’s Venera probes captured our only images of Venus’ surface ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf7GRinP4gc&t=1s

https://www.planetary.org/articles/e...s-surface-ever

New moon(s) ...

Astronomers discover 3 previously unknown moons orbiting planets in our solar system


Astronomers have discovered three previously unknown moons around Uranus and Neptune, the most distant planets in our solar system.

The find includes one moon spotted orbiting Uranus — the first discovery of its kind in more than 20 years — and two detected in Neptune’s orbit. ... By studying the distant, angular orbits of the moons, Sheppard hypothesized that the satellites were pulled into orbit around Uranus and Neptune due to the gravitational influence of the giant planets shortly after they formed. The outer moons orbiting all the giant planets across our solar system — Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — share similar configurations. ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/02/28/world/...scn/index.html

Very edgy ...

Unexpected Discovery by NASA’s New Horizons Redefines Solar System’s Outer Edge

New Horizons spacecraft’s observations suggest the Kuiper Belt extends far beyond its thought boundary, potentially indicating a larger region or a second belt filled with icy, rocky objects, challenging existing solar system models. ... The readings defy scientific models that the KBO population and density of dust should start to decline a billion miles inside that distance and contribute to a growing body of evidence that suggests the outer edge of the main Kuiper Belt could extend billions of miles farther than current estimates – or that there could even be a second belt beyond the one we already know. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/unexpected-...ms-outer-edge/

Interface behind your face ...

An implant in his brain lets him do incredible tasks with his thoughts

... Mark is only the 10th person in the world implanted with this particular type of brain-computer interface, or BCI. He’s participating in a human trial with a company called Synchron and underwent the procedure in August, after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – sometimes called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease – in 2021. ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll6tv0jLgl4

https://us.cnn.com/2024/02/28/tech/b...bci/index.html

Breathing easier ...

Unlocking Early Detection of Lung Cancer With MIT’s Inhalable Nanosensors

Using a new technology developed at MIT, diagnosing lung cancer could become as easy as inhaling nanoparticle sensors and then taking a urine test that reveals whether a tumor is present.

The new diagnostic is based on nanosensors that can be delivered by an inhaler or a nebulizer. If the sensors encounter cancer-linked proteins in the lungs, they produce a signal that accumulates in the urine, where it can be detected with a simple paper test strip.

https://scitechdaily.com/unlocking-e...e-nanosensors/

Touching time ...

Scientists Uncover Tactile Connection of Time

... A new study reveals that our perception of time is intertwined with the sense of touch, supported by the dual functionality of the somatosensory cortex. Utilizing optogenetics, the research demonstrated that the somatosensory cortex’s neurons contribute to both tactile sensations and the perception of time, suggesting that time perception is rooted in a widespread network of brain areas. ... Time is felt, seen, and heard, yet there are no specific sensory receptors dedicated to perceiving time, unlike those for touch, sight, hearing, and smell. This fact has long tantalized neuroscientists with the possibility that sensing time might “piggyback” on true sensory modalities. ... “The neuronal mechanisms underlying the perception of the duration of sensory events are still not fully known,” explains Professor Mathew Diamond, the research coordinator. “It is believed that, rather than relying on a single dedicated brain center, the perception of time emanates from networks of neurons distributed across various brain regions. The study’s findings demonstrate that the sensory processing stage of cortex is one component of the network. This means that one population of cortical neurons can give rise to two distinct sensory experiences, emphasizing the interconnected nature of time perception and touch.” ...

https://scitechdaily.com/beyond-the-...ction-of-time/

This is not good ... speaking as a former Miami boy ...

Category 6 Hurricanes: A New Reality in Climate Change Science

Climate scientists suggest the introduction of a Category 6 to the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale due to a trend towards more intense hurricanes in a warming climate. ... For over half a century, the National Hurricane Center has employed the Saffir-Simpson Windscale to convey the potential for property damage; this system classifies hurricanes on a scale ranging from Category 1 (wind speeds of 74 – 95 mph) to Category 5 (wind speeds exceeding 158 mph). ...

... they also introduce a hypothetical Category 6 to the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, which would encompass storms with wind speeds greater than 192 mph.

... According to Wehner, anthropogenic global warming has significantly increased surface ocean and tropospheric air temperatures in regions where hurricanes, tropical cyclones, and typhoons form and propagate, providing additional heat energy for storm intensification. When the team performed a historical data analysis of hurricanes from 1980 to 2021, they found five storms that would have been classified as Category 6, and all of them occurred in the last nine years of record. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/category-6-...hange-science/

... and yet ...

Proposal to mark a new chapter in Earth’s history rejected, scientists say

... Scientists have voted against a proposal to declare a new geological epoch called the Anthropocene to reflect how profoundly human activity has altered the planet.

The proposal was rejected by members of the Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy, which is part of the International Union of Geological Sciences, according to three voting members of the subcommission contacted by CNN Tuesday. The vote followed a 15-year process to select a geological site that best captures humanity’s impact on the planet. ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/03/05/world/...scn/index.html

Please simulate thinking about this ...

SCIENTISTS PREPARING TO TURN ON COMPUTER INTENDED TO SIMULATE ENTIRE HUMAN BRAIN

Researchers at Western Sydney University in Australia have teamed up with tech giants Intel and Dell to build a massive supercomputer intended to simulate neural networks at the scale of the human brain.

They say the computer, dubbed DeepSouth, is capable of emulating networks of spiking neurons at a mind-melting 228 trillion synaptic operations per second, putting it on par with the estimated rate at which the human brain completes operations. ... Once operational in April of next year, DeepSouth could provide researchers with an unparalleled look at how the human brain processes information. ...

... Instead of aiming for DeepSouth to become the most powerful conventional supercomputer in the world, the researchers are looking to simulate the brain's network of neurons using a "neuromorphic system which mimics biological processes," per the press release. They say the result is a more efficient and less power-hungry supercomputer, built from the ground up to simulate synaptic activity in the human brain. In simple terms, neuromorphic computing involves performing a lot of operations at once while only moving very little data, which makes it consume far less energy as well. ...

https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/icn..._supercomputer

The Fight of the Future ... anyone remember the Rock'em Sock'em Robots? ...

DSC_1997-1000x650.jpg

ALARMING VIDEO SHOWS GUY BOXING WITH ROBOT

Florida-based IHMC Robotics teamed up with Boardwalk Robotics to build a humanoid robot called Nadia, who has some serious fighting chops.

A recent video shared by the company shows the carbon fiber-clad robot throwing some punches worthy of a "Rocky"-style training montage. The robot can be seen punching some training pads worn by a human test subject — or victim — to the iconic soundtrack of the hit video game franchise "Mortal Kombat."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e20zbSuIR7o

Cultivated meat ... but doesn't sound too yummy ...

Breakthrough Could Reduce Cultivated Meat Production Costs by up to 90%

A breakthrough in cellular agriculture, enabling bovine cells to produce their own growth factors, promises significant cost reductions in cultivated meat production. This advancement could lead to affordable, sustainable meat alternatives in supermarkets, with ongoing research focusing on optimization for commercial use and regulatory approval.

... In this study published in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability, researchers modified stem cells to produce their own fibroblast growth factor (FGF) which triggers the growth of skeletal muscle cells – the kind one finds in a steak or hamburger. ... “FGF is not exactly a nutrient,” said Andrew Stout, then lead researcher on the project and now Director of Science at Tufts Cellular Agriculture Commercialization Lab. “It’s more like an instruction for the cells to behave in a certain way. What we did was engineer bovine muscle stem cells to produce these growth factors and turn on the signaling pathways themselves.” ... Until now, growth factors had to be added to the surrounding liquid, or media. Made from recombinant protein and sold by industrial suppliers, growth factors contribute to a majority of the cost of production for cultivated meat (up to or above 90%). Since the growth factors don’t last long in the cell culture media, they also have to be replenished every few days. This limits the ability to provide an affordable product to consumers. Taking that ingredient out of the growth media leads to an enormous cost savings. ...

BELOW: Bovine muscle cells grown for meat make their own growth factors, removing an expensive ingredient from the liquid growth media.

https://scitechdaily.com/breakthroug...s-by-up-to-90/

James Dean is dead, but Lou Reed lives on! ...

Laurie Anderson on making an AI chatbot of Lou Reed: ‘I’m totally, 100%, sadly addicted’

In a new interview with The Guardian, the 76-year-old experimental artist who just won a "Lifetime Achievement" award at this year's Grammys acknowledged the outrageousness of her regular conversations with an AI built to mimic her superstar husband that died a decade ago.

"I mean, I really do not think I’m talking to my dead husband and writing songs with him — I really don’t," she said. "But people have styles, and they can be replicated."

https://www.theguardian.com/music/20...laide-festival

A weird guy with tenure ...

Harvard Scientist Presents New Evidence That Samples Are Alien Spacecraft

Harvard professor and notorious UFO hunter Avi Loeb claims he has new evidence that meteor fragments recovered from the ocean floor are alien technology, Boston Public Radio reports, pushing back against detractors who argue their origins are more mundane.

"It raises the possibility that it may have been a Voyager-like meteor, artificially made by another civilization," Loeb told the station on Monday, referencing an actual pair of probes sent screaming out of the solar system by NASA back in the 1970s.

Though perhaps best known for his provocative theories on the interstellar object 'Oumuamua that passed through our solar system back in 2017, Loeb's latest findings concern another interstellar oddity which, unlike Oumuamua, found its way to Earth — albeit not in one piece.

... , Loeb told Boston Public Radio he's released new findings to silence the skeptics, concluding in his preprint paper that some of the spherule's "chemical composition differs from any known solar system material."

"What we did is compare 55 elements from the periodic table in coal ash to those special spherules that we found," he told the station. "And it's clearly very different."

Loeb also appeared to have a message for the haters.

"It's not based on opinions," he added. "And, of course, if you're not part of this scientific process and you are jealous of the attention that it gets, then you can raise a lot of criticism." ...

https://futurism.com/harvard-scienti...FCWHqyhR0qNLIU

Gassho, J

stlah

[Kenku]

Interesting series of articles.

"enormous strands of hydrogen gas in which galaxies are strung like pearls on a necklace". The "strand" is "1.4 Billion Light Years Across: That's roughly 8,400,000,000,000,000,000,000 miles" long but they made some attempt at making the incomprehensible comprehensible.


Amazing that there are virtual reality googles (or something) for mice.

Gassho, Kenkū


sat&lah

[Jundo]

This star won't get anemia ... a diet rich in iron ...

Cannibal Star Discovered With Metal Scar – “Nothing Like This Has Been Seen Before

... the magnetic white dwarf WD 0816-310, where astronomers have found a scar imprinted on its surface as a result of having ingested planetary debris. When objects like planets or asteroids approach the white dwarf they get disrupted, forming a debris disc around the dead star. Some of this material can be devoured by the dwarf, leaving traces of certain chemical elements on its surface. Using ESO’s Very Large Telescope, astronomers found that the signature of these chemical elements ... indicates that the magnetic fields funneled these elements onto the star, concentrating them at the magnetic poles and forming the scar seen here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbSXhVyvEDU

https://scitechdaily.com/cannibal-st...n-seen-before/

Stars may devour planets ... but black holes devour stars ...

Astronomers find what may be the universe’s brightest object with a black hole devouring a sun a day

The quasar swirls like a cosmic hurricane and is described by Australian researcher Christian Wolf as "the most violent place that we know in the universe." ... The record-breaking quasar shines 500 trillion times brighter than our sun. The black hole powering this distant quasar is more than 17 billion times more immense than our sun ... These later observations and computer modeling have determined that the quasar is gobbling up the equivalent of 370 suns a year — roughly one a day. ... More observations are needed to understand its growth rate.

... “The incredible rate of growth also means a huge release of light and heat,” said lead study author Christian Wolf, associate professor in the Australian National University’s College of Science, in a statement. “So, this is also the most luminous known object in the universe. It’s 500 trillion times brighter than our sun.” ...

The quasar is 12 billion light-years away and has been around since the early days of the universe. A light-year is 5.8 trillion miles

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/black-hole-devouring-sun-day-may-universes-brightest-object-rcna139507

https://us.cnn.com/2024/02/21/world/...scn/index.html

Our star gets heartburn ...

Sun Emits Monumental X6.3 Flare, the Strongest in 6 Years

On February 22, 2024, the Sun emitted an extremely strong solar flare. ... This particular solar flare has been classified as an X6.3 flare. The “X-class” designation is reserved for the most intense solar flares, with the numerical value offering further detail on its strength. An X6.3 flare represents an extraordinarily potent event. It stands out as the most significant flare observed since an X8.2 flare was recorded on September 10, 2017. ... An X-class flare, such as the X6.3, signifies an extremely powerful solar event, capable of causing significant disturbances in Earth’s atmosphere, affecting communications, navigation systems, and even power grids. The numerical value following the class letter provides a more precise indication of the flare’s intensity, with higher numbers representing stronger flares. ...

BELOW: NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this image of the solar flare – as seen in the bright flash in the upper left of the Sun

https://scitechdaily.com/fury-unleas...st-in-6-years/

Precocious galaxies ...

“Beyond What’s Possible” – Webb Space Telescope Discovers Mysterious Ancient Galaxies

Our understanding of how galaxies form and the nature of dark matter could be completely upended, after new observations of a stellar population bigger than the Milky Way from more than 11 billion years ago that should not exist.

A paper published in Nature details findings using new data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The results find that a massive galaxy in the early universe – observed 11.5 billion years ago (a cosmic redshift of 3.2) – has an extremely old population of stars formed much earlier – 1.5 billion years earlier in time (a redshift of around 11). The observation upends current modeling, as not enough dark matter has built up in sufficient concentrations to seed their formation. ...
“Galaxy formation is in large part dictated by how dark matter concentrates,” she says. “Having these extremely massive galaxies so early in the Universe is posing significant challenges to our standard model of cosmology. This is because we don’t think such massive dark matter structures as to host these massive galaxies have had time yet to form. More observations are needed to understand how common these galaxies may be and to help us understand how truly massive these galaxies are.”

BELOW JWST-7329: a rare massive galaxy that formed very early in the Universe. This James Webb Space Telescope NIRCAM image shows a red disk galaxy but with images alone, it is hard to distinguish from other objects. Spectral analysis of its light with JWST revealed its anomalous nature – it formed around 13 billion years ago even though it contains ~4x more mass in stars than our Milky Way does today.

https://scitechdaily.com/beyond-whats-possible-webb-space-telescope-discovers-mysterious-ancient-galaxies/

This puts stars AND galaxies to shame ...

Astronomers Discover Deep-Space "Structure," 1.4 Billion Light Years Across: That's roughly 8,400,000,000,000,000,000,000 miles.

The "South Pole Wall" is a flabbergasting 1.4 billion light years across and contains hundreds of thousands of galaxies ... To put the size of the South Pole Wall into perspective, our own Milky Way galaxy is a mere 52,850 light years across. ... The South Pole Wall rivals in size the Sloan Great Wall, the sixth largest cosmic structure discovered. ... Astronomers have long noticed that galaxies are not scattered randomly throughout the universe but rather clump together in what's known as the cosmic web, enormous strands of hydrogen gas in which galaxies are strung like pearls on a necklace that surround gigantic and largely empty voids. ... In 2014, Pomarede and his colleagues unveiled the Laniakea supercluster, a galactic collection in which our own Milky Way resides. Lanaikea is 520 million light-years wide and contains roughly the mass of 100 million billion suns. ...

https://www.livescience.com/south-po...-in-space.html

A passing influence ...

Passing Stars Altered Orbital Changes in Earth, Other Planets

... Stars that pass by our Solar System have altered the long-term orbital evolution of planets, including Earth, and by extension modified our climate. ... “One example of such an episode is the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum 56 million years ago, where the Earth’s temperature rose 5-8 degrees centigrade. It has already been proposed that Earth’s orbital eccentricity was notably high during this event, but our results show that passing stars make detailed predictions of Earth’s past orbital evolution at this time highly uncertain, and a broader spectrum of orbital behavior is possible than previously thought.” ... As the Sun and other stars orbit the center of the Milky Way, they inevitably can pass near one another, sometimes within tens of thousands of au, 1 au being the distance from the Earth to the Sun. These events are called stellar encounters. For instance, a star passes within 50,000 au of the Sun every 1 million years on average, and a star passes within 10,000 au of the Sun every 20 million years on average. This study’s simulations include these types of events, whereas most prior similar simulations do not.

One major reason the Earth’s orbital eccentricity fluctuates over time is because it receives regular perturbations from the giant planets of our Solar System, (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune). As stars pass near our Solar System, they perturb the giant planet’s orbits, which consequently then alters the orbital trajectory of the Earth. Thus, the giant planets serve as a link between the Earth and passing stars. ... “Given these results, we have also identified one known recent stellar passage, the Sun-like star HD 7977 which occurred 2.8 million years ago, that is potentially powerful enough to alter simulations’ predictions of what Earth’s orbit was like beyond approximately 50 million years ago,” Kaib said. ...

https://www.psi.edu/blog/passing-sta...other-planets/

Nearer to home ... SPACE POLLUTION! ...

Nearly 30,000 objects are hurtling through near-Earth orbit. That’s not just a problem for space

Nearly 70 years after the launch of Sputnik, there are so many machines flying through space, astronomers worry their light pollution will soon make it impossible to study other galaxies with terrestrial telescopes.

Then there is the space junk — nearly 30,000 objects bigger than a softball hurtling a few hundred miles above Earth, ten times faster than a bullet.

And after NOAA used high-flying aircraft to take first-in-a-generation samples of the stratosphere, new science shows that the for-profit space race is changing the sky in measurable ways and with potentially harmful consequences for the ozone layer and Earth’s climate.

... In the next 10 years, space will hold more than three times the amount of trash than what it currently has had in the last 70 years.
...

... The study found that 10% of the particles in the upper atmosphere now contain bits of metal from rockets or satellites falling out of orbit and burning up. As humanity becomes increasingly dependent on information beamed down from above, the report predicts manmade debris will make up 50% of stratospheric aerosols in coming decades, matching the amount created naturally by the galaxy. ...

... More than 300 commercial and government entities have announced plans to launch a staggering 478,000 satellites by 2030, but that number is likely inflated by hype. The US Government Accountability Office predicted 58,000 satellites will launch in the next six years. Other analysts recently estimated the number likely to make it to orbit is closer to 20,000. ...

In low-earth orbit, objects can collide at around 23,000 miles an hour, enough for even the tiniest debris to crack the windows on the International Space Station. All told, it is estimated that there are 100 million pieces of manmade debris the size of a pencil tip whizzing in orbit — a major risk of doing business in space. ...

BELOW Every object in this animation is tracked by the US Combined Space Operation Center's Space Surveillance Network. The dot size does not represent the size of of the objects. "Although this image makes low Earth orbit look more congested than it is, the congestion worsens each year," NASA writes.

https://us.cnn.com/2024/02/21/climat...scn/index.html

Speaking of nuclear fusion, a big problem has been keeping the reaction under control, not unstable ... but now ...

Scientists say they can use AI to solve a key problem in the quest for near-limitless clean energy

... On Wednesday, researchers from Princeton University and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory reported in the journal Nature they found a way to use AI to forecast these potential instabilities and prevent them from happening in real time.

The team carried out their experiments at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility in San Diego, and found that their AI controller could forecast potential plasma tearing up to 300 milliseconds in advance. Without that intervention, the fusion reaction would have ended suddenly.

“The experiments provide a foundation for using AI to solve a broad range of plasma instabilities, which have long hindered fusion energy,” a Princeton spokesperson said. ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/02/21/climate/nuclear-fusion-ai-climate-solution/index.html

also

https://scitechdaily.com/unlocking-f...-intelligence/

It was quite an achievement, even if the landing was rough ...

Experimental technology enabled a historic moon landing

... However, Odie’s journey was anything but expected, and the spacecraft experienced a “dynamic situation” that forced the mission team members to think quickly on their feet to avoid disaster. ... Fortunately, the lander was carrying NASA’s Navigation Doppler Lidar. The sensor was aboard Odie as a technology experiment to help future landers achieve precise touchdowns, shooting lasers at the surface to find a safe landing zone. ... Although Odie landed on its side after catching one of its feet on a lunar rock, the spacecraft remains stable, is capable of charging its solar panels and has already accomplished some key mission objectives. ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/02/24/world/...scn/index.html

Another little stumble ... no reaction ...

CONTACT LOST WITH SPACECRAFT CARRYING EXPERIMENTAL QUANTUM DRIVE

A test involving a highly controversial propellantless propulsion system called the quantum drive has failed because the satellite it was aboard fell silent, The Debrief reports.

In a press release, Rogue Space Systems explained that its Barry 1 cubesat, ferried to orbit by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, was plagued with ongoing power-system issues.

A test with the quantum drive, developed by IVO limited, was supposed to demonstrate whether the engine could alter the orbit of the satellite. But for some reason, after over two months in orbit, the test was never initiated, and contact with the satellite was lost on February 9 — an unceremonious end for a demo that was supposedly going to upend the laws of physics. ...

... Had the test actually been conducted, skeptical scientists — and there are many — believed that the quantum drive wouldn't do anything. That's because it's a type of engine known as a "reactionless drive," in which a reaction mass, essentially the propellant, is not used to generate thrust.

According to Newtonian physics, such a device wouldn't work because propulsion without a propellant is impossible. Nevertheless, IVO claimed that its quantum drive could generate an eyebrow-raising 52 millinewtons of thrust per one watt of electricity — which is a ludicrous twelve times more efficient than existing ion drives used on satellites, Forbes noted. ...

https://thedebrief.org/breaking-satellite-failure-scuttles-first-of-its-kind-in-space-test-of-physics-defying-quantum-drive/

From space, to the deepest depths ... AMAZING ...

A robot traveled to the deep sea. See what it found

With the help of a deep sea robot, scientists discovered over 100 new marine species off the coast of Chile, according to the Schmidt Ocean Institute.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crqzqWKaH5w

https://us.cnn.com/videos/world/2024...ri-cnc-vpx.cnn

... oh boy ...

Unexpected Thaw: Stanford Scientists Uncover Looming Crisis in East Antarctica

Stanford researchers have revealed that the Wilkes Subglacial Basin in East Antarctica, holding enough ice to raise global sea levels by over 10 feet, is nearing a tipping point towards irreversible melting, challenging previous beliefs of stability. By developing a new technique to analyze radar data, they discovered areas close to thawing, suggesting potential glacial retreat and a significant, previously underappreciated contribution to sea level rise.

https://scitechdaily.com/unexpected-...st-antarctica/

Celebrating our cells ...

Stretching the Boundaries of Cellular Mechanics

Researchers at Kyoto University have discovered that talin proteins play a crucial role in cell migration and mechanosensing by dynamically stretching to connect cellular matrices, challenging existing beliefs about cellular force transmission. ... In multicellular organisms, cell migration and mechanosensing are essential for cellular development and maintenance. These processes rely on talin, the key focal adhesion — or FA — protein, central in connecting adjacent cellular matrices and enabling force transmission between them.

Talins are commonly considered fully extended at FAs between actin filaments — or F-actin — and the anchor-like integrin receptor. ... These findings also call for revising the role of molecular unfolding, updating the traditional view that it functions as a mechanosensor and a shock absorber when molecules unfold under external force. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/stretching-...lar-mechanics/

Three Little Pigs ...

STARTUP CLONES THREE PIGLETS GENE-HACKED TO HAVE ORGANS TRANSPLANTED INTO HUMANS

Japanese startup PorMedTec says it's have cloned three piglets with the express purpose of having their organs be viable for transplantation to humans, without being rejected by the immune system.

The company imported gene-edited cells from a US biotech startup called eGenesis and used them to create genetically modified embryos, the Japan Times reports, which were then implanted into the uterus of a pig.

"The realization of xenotransplantation has been long awaited in Japan for several years, but it remained in the basic research stage because pigs that could withstand clinical application were still under development," the company said in a statement.

The idea of solving a global organ shortage by creating donor animals has been around for years. Japan, much like the US, is suffering from a major organ shortage.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...an-transplant/

The addicts's brain and genes ...

Counteracting Addiction: How Alcohol and Drugs Genetically Rewire Your Brain

Research reveals addiction has a genetic basis and is influenced by changes in brain gene expression, which can be altered by medications and lifestyle, providing new treatment possibilities.

https://scitechdaily.com/counteracti...re-your-brain/

But genes ain't everything ...

It’s time to admit that genes are not the blueprint for life

The view of biology often presented to the public is oversimplified and out of date. Scientists must set the record straight, argues a new book.

For too long, scientists have been content in espousing the lazy metaphor of living systems operating simply like machines, says science writer Philip Ball in How Life Works. Yet, it’s important to be open about the complexity of biology — including what we don’t know — because public understanding affects policy, health care and trust in science. “So long as we insist that cells are computers and genes are their code,” writes Ball, life might as well be “sprinkled with invisible magic”. But, reality “is far more interesting and wonderful”, as he explains in this must-read user’s guide for biologists and non-biologists alike.

When the human genome was sequenced in 2001, many thought that it would prove to be an ‘instruction manual’ for life. But the genome turned out to be no blueprint. In fact, most genes don’t have a pre-set function that can be determined from their DNA sequence.

Instead, genes’ activity — whether they are expressed or not, for instance, or the length of protein that they encode — depends on myriad external factors, from the diet to the environment in which the organism develops. And each trait can be influenced by many genes. For example, mutations in almost 300 genes have been identified as indicating a risk that a person will develop schizophrenia. It’s therefore a huge oversimplification, notes Ball, to say that genes cause this trait or that disease. The reality is that organisms are extremely robust, and a particular function can often be performed even when key genes are removed. For instance, although the HCN4 gene encodes a protein that acts as the heart’s primary pacemaker, the heart retains its rhythm even if the gene is mutated. ...

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00327-x?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_campaign=CONR_PF018_ECOM_GL_PHSS_ALWYS_DEEPLINK&utm_content=textlink&utm_term=PID100044684&CJEVENT=36aa189cd44c11ee835716a50a1cb829

Still, we learn more about our genetics every day ...

Researchers at EPFL, led by Didier Trono, have developed a novel method to detect previously undetectable transposable elements (TEs) in the human genome, significantly expanding our knowledge of DNA composition.

The human genome, a complex mosaic of genetic data essential for life, has proven to be a treasure trove of strange features. Among them are segments of DNA that can “jump around” and move within the genome, known as “transposable elements” (TEs).

As they change their position within the genome, TEs can potentially cause mutations and alter the cell’s genetic profile but also are master orchestrators of our genome’s organization and expression. For example, TEs contribute to regulatory elements, transcription factor binding sites, and the creation of chimeric transcripts – genetic sequences created when segments from two different genes or parts of the genome join together to form a new, hybrid RNA molecule.

Matching their functional importance, TEs have been recognized to account for half of the human DNA. However, as they move and age, TEs pick up changes that mask their original form. Over time, TEs “degenerate” and become less recognizable, making it difficult for scientists to identify and track them in our genetic blueprint.

In a new study, researchers in the group of Didier Trono at EPFL have found a way to improve the detection of TEs in the human genome by using reconstructed ancestral genomes from various species, which allowed them to identify previously undetectable degenerate TEs in the human genome. The study is published in Cell Genomics. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/genomic-tim...-of-human-dna/

Small steps ...

There Is No “Monster” Mutation: Biologists Uncover the Secrets of Evolutionary Change

Research on marine snails has demonstrated that significant evolutionary innovations occur gradually through small steps, challenging the notion of dramatic ‘monster’ leaps. This discovery, by elucidating the genetic basis of the snails’ shift from egg-laying to live birth, offers a new perspective on how major evolutionary changes unfold and highlights the importance of incremental progress in the course of evolution. ... Biologists have found that significant evolutionary transformations occur incrementally rather than through sudden, dramatic “monster” steps, addressing the longstanding debate on how major innovations such as flight, vision, and live birth evolved.

Evolution is usually a gradual process, taking place over small, incremental steps, but occasionally producing striking new functions, like feathers that eventually allowed birds to fly.

Until now, it has been difficult to understand how these significant evolutionary changes have happened, partly because many of them took place so long ago and partly because it is hard to imagine intermediate stages. Some have suggested that they occur in big steps, when large-effect mutations give rise to ‘hopeful monsters’; others have argued that innovations are built gradually, with natural selection favoring intermediate steps. ... Scientists were able to identify 50 genes that are perfectly associated with reproductive mode, as well as estimate the time of their origin. The results showed they accumulated gradually, spreading at different times in the past. This demonstrates that innovation can evolve progressively, rather than in a single evolutionary step. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/there-is-no...ionary-change/

I decided to post this ...

How Does the Brain Make Decisions? Harvard Scientists Shed New Light

Researchers have uncovered new insights into the way brain cells, or neurons, interact when making a decision, and how the links between these neurons could reinforce a decision.

The study — conducted in mice and led by neuroscientists at Harvard Medical School — is the first to combine structural, functional, and behavioral analyses to explore how neuron-to-neuron connections support decision-making. ...
The Harvey lab recorded neural activity as mice ran a T-shaped maze in virtual reality. A cue, which happened several seconds beforehand, indicated to the mice whether a reward would be in the left or right arm of the T. The Lee lab used powerful microscopes to map the structural connections between the same neurons recorded during the maze task.

By combining modalities, the researchers distinguished excitatory neurons — those that activate other cells — from inhibitory neurons, which suppress other cells. They found that a specific set of excitatory neurons fired when a mouse decided to turn right, and these “right-turn” neurons activated a set of inhibitory neurons that curbed activity in “left-turn” neurons. The opposite was true when a mouse decided to turn left.

“As the animal is expressing one choice, the wiring of the neuronal circuit may help stabilize that choice by suppressing other choices,” Lee said. “This could be a mechanism that helps an animal maintain a decision and prevents ‘changes of mind’.”

The findings need to be confirmed in humans, although Lee expects that there is some conservation across species.

BELOW Left: a mouse’s view as it runs a T-shaped maze in virtual reality and decides which way to turn. Right: structural data show randomly color-coded neurons in the posterior parietal cortex blinking as they fire during the maze task.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqoHHPMP9Jw

Gassho, J

stlah

https://scitechdaily.com/how-does-th...hed-new-light/

[Jundo]

(continued) ...

Over and out ... but not so fast or final ...

Death’s Riddle: Scientists Decipher the Brain’s Final Signals

Defining death from a neurological perspective is challenging. It’s not an exact moment of transition from life to death, but rather a process spanning several minutes, which in certain instances can be reversed. Researchers from the “Dynamics of Epileptic Networks and Neuronal Excitability” team at the Paris Brain Institute have demonstrated in a prior study that after a long period of oxygen deprivation—called anoxia—brain activity undergoes a cascade of successive changes that can now be described precisely.

When the brain stops receiving oxygen, its stores of ATP, the cells’ fuel, are rapidly depleted. This causes a disruption in the electrical balance of neurons and a massive release of glutamate, an essential excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system. “Neural circuits seem to shut down at first… Then we see a surge in brain activity—specifically an increase in gamma and beta waves,” Séverine Mahon, a researcher in neuroscience, explains. “These waves are usually associated with a conscious experience. In this context, they may be involved in near-death experiences reported by people who have survived cardiorespiratory arrest.”

After that, the activity of the neurons gradually diminishes until a state of perfect electrical silence— corresponding to a flat electroencephalogram—is reached. However, this silence is quickly interrupted by the depolarization of neurons, which takes the form of a high-amplitude wave known as the “wave of death”, which alters the function and structure of the brain. “This critical event, called anoxic depolarization, induces neuronal death throughout the cortex. Like a swan song, it is the true marker of transition towards the cessation of all brain activity,” ...

... We also know that a flat EEG does not necessarily mean the definitive cessation of brain functions,” Prof. Stéphane Charpier, head of the research team, concludes. “We now need to establish the exact conditions under which these functions can be restored and develop neuroprotective drugs to support resuscitation in the event of heart and lung failure.” ...

https://scitechdaily.com/deaths-ridd...final-signals/

Sad genes ... Eurocentric depression ...

Depression Decoded: 200+ Genes Unveiled in Global Study

In a landmark study led by UCL researchers, over 200 genes associated with depression were identified, utilizing data from nearly one million people of diverse ancestries. This research not only broadens our understanding of the genetic factors contributing to depression but also opens new pathways for developing treatments, including the repurposing of existing drugs like the diabetes medication metformin. ...

... Surprisingly, the researchers found less overlap in the genetic hits for depression across ancestry groups than expected, at about 30% (based on a new method developed by the research team, to gauge the degree to which a genetic association found in one ancestry group is applicable to another ancestry group), which is less overlap than previously found for other traits and diseases. Therefore, it is even more important to study depression in diverse samples because some of the findings might be ancestry specific.

Lead author Professor Karoline Kuchenbaecker (UCL Psychiatry and UCL Genetics Institute) said: “Here we show beyond doubt that our understanding of such complex diseases as depression will remain incomplete until we overcome the Eurocentric bias in genetics research and look for causes in diverse people across the world.

“Many genes previously found to be linked to the risk of depression might only actually affect depression risk in people of European origin, so in order for genetic research to contribute to new drugs that can help people of all ancestries, it is vital that our genetic datasets are suitably diverse.”

https://scitechdaily.com/depression-...-global-study/

Moon River ...

Lunar Hydrosphere Unveiled: Discovery Changes Understanding of Water’s History on the Moon

New research from a Western University postdoctoral fellow shows the early lunar crust, which makes up the surface of the Moon, was considerably enriched in water more than 4 billion years ago, counter to previously held understanding. The discovery is outlined in a study published on January 15 in the high impact journal Nature Astronomy. ... “Unravelling the history of water in the earliest-formed lunar crust approximately 4.5 billion years ago is important for improving our understanding of the origin of water in the Solar System. Ancient rock samples from the Moon in the form of lunar meteorites provide an excellent opportunity for undertaking such investigations,” ...

More water, more room for life ...

Expanding the Universe’s Habitable Zone: New Research Reshapes Our Search for Alien Worlds

New research redefines the Habitable Zone of exoplanets by considering subglacial liquid water, extending potentially habitable conditions beyond traditional boundaries. Supported by recent JWST observations, this study broadens the scope for finding life on exoplanets, especially those orbiting M-dwarf stars. ... The classical Habitable Zone, often colloquially referred to as the “Goldilocks Zone,” typically defines the region around a star where conditions allow the presence of surface liquid water and, by extension, life as we understand it. However, Professor Wandel’s research offers a fresh perspective by illustrating that the existence of subglacial liquid water can considerably extend this zone. ... The study delineates how an atmosphere and liquid water could coexist on these planets, pushing the limits of the Habitable Zone further than previously assumed. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/expanding-t...-alien-worlds/

Buncha darn immigrants ...

Unearthing Europe’s First Homo sapiens 45,000 Years Later

The arrival of Homo sapiens in cold northern latitudes took place several thousand years before Neanderthals disappeared in southwest Europe.

The three published studies describe the Homo sapiens fossils from Ilsenhöhle at Ranis and their associated context (Mylopotamitaki et al.), the diet and lifeways of these first pioneers (Smith et al.), and the environmental conditions they faced in Central and NW Europe (Pederzani et al.).

... It turns out that stone artifacts that were thought to be produced by Neanderthals were in fact part of the early H. sapiens tool kit. This fundamentally changes our previous knowledge about this time period: H. sapiens reached northwestern Europe long before Neanderthal disappearance in southwestern Europe, ...

... Radiocarbon dating was used to understand when humans occupied the cave. Homo sapiens bones from both the 1930s and 2016 to 2022 excavations were directly dated using very small amounts of bone to preserve the material for further analyses. The dates show that these individuals were some of the earliest Homo sapiens to inhabit Europe. ...
Furthermore, the team found that Homo sapiens ventured into Europe under severe cold climatic conditions. Moving in small groups, they shared their environment and sites with large carnivores, like hyenas, and they manufactured elaborately crafted leaf-shaped stone tools.

“The results from the Ilsenhöhle in Ranis fundamentally change our ideas about the chronology and settlement history of Europe north of the Alps. It is especially exciting that we now have the oldest H. sapiens here in Thuringia, Germany,” says Tim Schüler of the Thüringisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie.

https://scitechdaily.com/unearthing-europes-first-homo-sapiens-45000-years-later/

BELOW: Human bone fragment from the new excavations at Ranis.

Japan lift ...

7.5 Magnitude Earthquake Lifts Parts of Japan Up to 13 Feet

Some parts of the peninsula rose up to 4 meters (13 feet), shifting the position of coastlines and leaving some ports dry. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/7-5-magnitu...up-to-13-feet/

Can't trust our own eyes and ears these days ...

Finance worker pays out $25 million after video call with deepfake ‘chief financial officer’

A finance worker at a multinational firm was tricked into paying out $25 million to fraudsters using deepfake technology to pose as the company’s chief financial officer in a video conference call, according to Hong Kong police.

The elaborate scam saw the worker duped into attending a video call with what he thought were several other members of staff, but all of whom were in fact deepfake recreations, Hong Kong police said at a briefing on Friday.

“(In the) multi-person video conference, it turns out that everyone [he saw] was fake,” senior superintendent Baron Chan Shun-ching told the city’s public broadcaster RTHK.

Chan said the worker had grown suspicious after he received a message that was purportedly from the company’s UK-based chief financial officer. Initially, the worker suspected it was a phishing email, as it talked of the need for a secret transaction to be carried out.

However, the worker put aside his early doubts after the video call because other people in attendance had looked and sounded just like colleagues he recognized, Chan said.

Believing everyone else on the call was real, the worker agreed to remit a total of $200 million Hong Kong dollars – about $25.6 million, the police officer added.

The case is one of several recent episodes in which fraudsters are believed to have used deepfake technology to modify publicly available video and other footage to cheat people out of money. ...

... On at least 20 occasions, AI deepfakes had been used to trick facial recognition programs by imitating the people pictured on the identity cards, according to police. ...

https://us.cnn.com/2024/02/04/asia/d...hnk/index.html

AI faked elections too ...

A fake recording of a candidate saying he’d rigged the election went viral. Experts say it’s only the beginning

Days before a pivotal election in Slovakia to determine who would lead the country, a damning audio recording spread online in which one of the top candidates seemingly boasted about how he’d rigged the election.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, his voice could be heard on another recording talking about raising the cost of beer.

The recordings immediately went viral on social media, and the candidate, who is pro-NATO and aligned with Western interests, was defeated in September by an opponent who supported closer ties to Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

https://us.cnn.com/2024/02/01/politi...nvs/index.html

AI hard to detect ...

Why AI-generated audio is so hard to detect
Dozens of tools and apps have sprung up to try to detect AI-created audio, but they are inherently flawed, experts told NBC News.

... While dozens of tools and products have popped up to try to detect AI-generated audio, those programs are inherently limited, experts told NBC News, and won’t provide a surefire way for anyone to quickly and reliably determine whether audio they hear is from a real person.

Deepfake detection systems work very differently from how human beings listen. They analyze audio samples for artifacts like missing frequencies that are often left behind when audio is programmatically generated. Often, they focus on particular aspects of speech, like how the speaker seems to breathe or how much the pitch of their voice goes up and down. ...

Most detection programs are trained to identify existing deepfake algorithms, making them a step behind new innovations, he said. “Machine learning is really good at telling you about something it’s seen before, but it’s not so good about reasoning about things it hasn’t seen,” Traynor said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/misinfo...del-rcna136634

What would this sentence look like as a picture?

OpenAI introduces AI model that turns text into video

Microsoft-backed OpenAI is working on a software that can generate minute-long videos based on text prompts, the company said on Thursday. The software, called Sora, is currently available for red teaming, which helps identify flaws in the AI system, as well as for use by visual artists, designers and filmmakers to gain feedback on the model, the company said in a statement. "Sora is able to generate complex scenes with multiple characters, specific types of motion, and accurate details of the subject and background," the statement said, adding that it can create multiple shots within a single video. ... Apart from generating videos from text prompts, Sora can animate a still image ...

https://www.reuters.com/technology/o...eo-2024-02-15/

AI Child ...

World’s first AI child unveiled in Beijing by award-winning Chinese scientist who left US for China

The AI entity has been unveiled at an exhibition by the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence

Called Tong Tong, or Little Girl, she can assign herself tasks, learn autonomously and explore her environment

As the South China Morning Post reports, visitors at the Frontiers of General Artificial Intelligence Technology Exhibition held in Beijing at the end of January were able to interact with the avatar representing Tong Tong, a virtual toddler whose name translates to "Little Girl" in English.

Created at the Beijing Institute for General Artificial Intelligence (BIGAI) — which, yes, are dedicated to building artificial general intelligence, or human-level AI — Tong Tong is the brainchild of Zhu Songchun, the institute's computer scientist founder who specializes in "cognitive artificial intelligence," or AI designed to mimic human cognition. While AI avatars can have all kinds of simulated appearances and personalities, they say Tong Tong is designed to break new technical ground by not only executing tasks given to her in a virtual environment, but independently giving herself new tasks as well.

"Tong Tong possesses a mind and strives to understand the common sense taught by humans," a Chinese-language video from BIGAI about the child sim says, per SCMP's translation. "She discerns right from wrong, expresses her attitudes in various situations, and has the power to shape the future." https://www.scmp.com/news/china/scie...-child-beijing

Faster then light ... but which reality? ...

TRAVELING FASTER THAN LIGHT WOULD MEAN EXPERIENCING MULTIPLE TIMELINES SIMULTANEOUSLY

An international team of physicists has cooked up with a new theory that could allow for objects to travel faster than the speed of light — and while they say it wouldn't technically violate the laws of physics, it would lead to phenomena so mind-bending that it'd make the end of "Interstellar" look normal. ... How, you might ask? Through a "1+3 space-time" framework, which flips the idea of three spatial dimensions and one time dimension in favor of three time dimensions and a single spatial dimension ...

Based on this new model, superluminal objects would look like a particle expanding like a bubble through space – not unlike a wave through a field. The high-speed object, on the other hand, would 'experience' several different timelines.

Even so, the speed of light in a vacuum would remain constant even for those observers going faster than it, which preserves one of Einstein's fundamental principles – a principle that has previously only been thought about in relation to observers going slower than the speed of light (like all of us). ...

https://www.sciencealert.com/study-shows-how-the-universe-would-look-if-you-broke-the-speed-of-light-and-its-weird

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/1...61-6382/acad60

Gassho, J

stlah

[Jundo]

Water water everywhere ...

For the First Time: Water Molecules Have Been Discovered on an Asteroid’s Surface

... researchers have identified water molecules on asteroid surfaces, marking a significant step in understanding water’s distribution and its role in the solar system’s formation and potential for supporting life. ... Scientists looked at four silicate-rich asteroids using the FORCAST instrument to isolate the mid-infrared spectral signatures indicative of molecular water on two of them. ... Of particular interest is the distribution of water on asteroids, because that can shed light on how water was delivered to Earth.”

https://scitechdaily.com/for-the-fir...roids-surface/

Speaking of water, another possible candidate for life in our solar system ...

Mimas’ Surprise: Startling Discovery of Young Ocean Beneath Icy Shell of Saturn’s Tiny Moon

Researchers have discovered a global ocean of liquid water beneath the surface of Mimas, one of Saturn’s smallest moons. This discovery, made possible by data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, highlights Mimas as a crucial site for studying the origins of life, providing insights into ocean formation and the potential for life in our Solar System. ... This discovery adds Mimas to an exclusive club of moons with internal oceans, including Enceladus and Europa, but with a unique difference: its ocean is remarkably young, estimated to be only 5 to 15 million years old.” ...

https://scitechdaily.com/mimas-surprise-startling-discovery-of-young-ocean-beneath-icy-shell-of-saturns-tiny-moon/

AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE DEATH STAR! ...

ProtAIns ...

Unlocking the Secrets of Proteins With Cutting-Edge AI

DeepGO-SE, an AI tool created by KAUST researchers, revolutionizes the prediction of unknown protein functions using logical entailment and advanced language models, showing significant potential for scientific research and biotechnological applications. ... the tool outperforms existing analytical methods for forecasting protein functions and is even able to analyze proteins with no clear matches in existing datasets.
https://scitechdaily.com/unlocking-t...tting-edge-ai/

Robo-chemists ...

Scientists Develop Chemical Synthesis Robot That Outperforms Human Chemists in Speed and Accuracy

Chemical researchers at the University of Amsterdam have created a self-operating chemical synthesis robot equipped with an AI-based machine-learning system, named ‘RoboChem’. This compact laboratory instrument surpasses human chemists in speed and precision, while also displaying a high level of ingenuity. As the first of its kind, it could significantly accelerate the chemical discovery of molecules for pharmaceutical and many other applications. RoboChem’s first results were recently published in the journal Science. ... Their paper shows that RoboChem is a precise and reliable chemist that can perform a variety of reactions while producing minimal amounts of waste. Working autonomously around the clock, the system delivers results quickly and tirelessly. ...

... Noël says the system has impressed him with its ingenuity: ‘I have been working on photocatalysis for more than a decade now. Still, RoboChem has shown results that I would not have been able to predict. For instance, it has identified reactions that require only very little light. At times I had to scratch my head to fathom what it had done. You then wonder: would we have done it the same way? In retrospect, you see RoboChem’s logic. But I doubt if we would have obtained the same results ourselves. Or not as quickly, at least.’ ...

https://scitechdaily.com/robochem-sc...-and-accuracy/

Robot surgeons in space! ...

Video shows surgeons remotely controlling robot to perform simulated surgery in space

Surgeons in Nebraska controlled the first "surgical robot" sent to space to perform simulated surgical activities on Saturday.

https://us.cnn.com/videos/us/2024/02/14/surgical-robot-operates-space-nasa-mira-fisher-tsr-vpx.cnn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Qfhwiyva4g

Reprinting lost treasures ...

Italy donates 3D-printed replica of statue destroyed by ISIS to Iraq

... Constructed in the ninth century BC, the 5-meter-tall (16-foot) “Bull of Nimrud” was destroyed by ISIS fighters in 2015, before Italian artisans made a copy of the monument using 3D-printing technology. The replica, which was previously displayed at the Colosseum in Rome and the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, has now been permanently relocated outside the entrance to the Basrah Museum in the Iraqi city of Basra. ... Following the attack, a team of experts led by restorer Nicola Salvioli studied photos and videos of the monument, allowing them to make a model in polystyrene. A 3D printer was then used to make a fiberglass copy that was covered with plastic substances mixed with stone dust to make it appear more authentic.

https://us.cnn.com/2024/02/13/style/bull-of-nimrud-replica-basrah-museum-tan/index.html

3D Printed Brains ...

SCIENTISTS 3D PRINT FUNCTIONAL HUMAN BRAIN TISSUE

A team of scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison claim to have 3D-printed functional human brain tissue for the first time.

They hope their research could open the doors for the development of treatments for existing neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

As detailed in a new paper published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, the team flipped the usual method of 3D-printing on its side, fabricating horizontal layers of brain cells encased in soft "bio-ink" gel. "The tissue still has enough structure to hold together but it is soft enough to allow the neurons to grow into each other and start talking to each other," said coauthor and UW–Madison neuroscience professor Su-Chun Zhang in a statement.

Thanks to this arrangement, each of these neurons, which were grown from pluripotent stem cells, had enough access to oxygen and nutrients from growth media. In experiments, the cells started forming networks, much like the human brain, and could even communicate with each other through the neurotransmitters they formed. "We printed the cerebral cortex and the striatum and what we found was quite striking," Zhang explained in the statement. "Even when we printed different cells belonging to different parts of the brain, they were still able to talk to each other in a very special and specific way."

https://www.waisman.wisc.edu/2024/02/01/uw-madison-researchers-first-to-3d-print-functional-human-brain-tissue/

Ancient code solved ...

a team of researchers has revealed several nearly complete passages from the ancient text, giving insight into philosophy from almost 2,000 years ago.

The Herculaneum scrolls are hundreds of papyri that survived the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. In their charred state, the ancient documents would crumble if anyone attempted to unroll them, and any writing on surviving pieces would be nearly illegible to the human eye. By using computer technology and advanced artificial intelligence, researchers can now analyze the Herculaneum scrolls without unrolling and risking damage to the extremely fragile documents. More than 2,000 characters — the first full passages — have been deciphered from a scroll ... In the deciphered text, Philodemus writes on “pleasure,” and whether the abundance of goods available can affect the amount of pleasure they give. “As too in the case of food, we do not right away believe things that are scarce to be absolutely more pleasant than those which are abundant,” the first sentence reads.

“Philodemus was dismissed over the years because we couldn’t really read his passages extensively. Only with difficulty, we just get these little snippets. … (In these passages) he’s persuading the people who are listening to him to sort of relax, find good friendships, spend your time living in the moment and enjoying pleasures,”

https://us.cnn.com/2024/02/07/world/...scn/index.html

[/QUOTE]

Viruses are sometimes good for us ... and are us ...

Virus That Infected the First Animals Hundreds of Millions of Years Ago Is Essential for Embryo Development

CNIO researchers have discovered the essential role of endogenous retroviruses in embryonic development, specifically in the transition from totipotency to pluripotency. This study, which challenges the previous notion of ‘junk DNA’, sheds light on the symbiotic relationship between viral genes and early embryonic development, with implications for regenerative medicine. ... At least 8% of the human genome is genetic material from viruses. It was considered ‘junk DNA’ until recently, but its role in human development is now known to be essential
... All animals have evolved thanks to the fact that certain viruses infected primitive organisms hundreds of millions of years ago. Viral genetic material was integrated into the genome of the first multi-cellular beings and is still in our DNA today. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/virus-that-...o-development/

But sometimes viruses are not good ...

Millions of people have long Covid, including children and pregnant people, studies show

Millions of people deal with Covid-19 symptoms long after their initial infections. Two new studies – one looking at pregnant people and the other on children – give a better look at the burden from this health problem that doctors say often goes under the radar.

https://us.cnn.com/2024/02/12/health...ren/index.html

Bacteria from way back then ...

New Clues to the First Life on Earth – Researchers Uncover 3.42 Billion-Year-Old Microbial Mysteries

researchers led by the University of Göttingen and Linnӕus University in Sweden have uncovered key findings about the earliest forms of life. In rock samples from South Africa, they found evidence dating to around 3.42 billion years ago of an unprecedentedly diverse carbon cycle involving various microorganisms. This research shows that complex microbial communities already existed in the ecosystems during the Palaeoarchaean period. The results were published in the journal Precambrian Research.

BELOW: A drill core sample from the Barberton greenstone belt used in the study. The dark layers contain particles of carbonaceous matter, the altered remains from Palaeoarchaean microorganisms.

https://scitechdaily.com/new-clues-t...ial-mysteries/

Brain games ...

VIDEO SHOWS HUMAN BRAIN CELLS IN DISH TEACHING THEMSELVES TO PLAY A VIDEOGAME

In a groundbreaking study published in the journal Neuron, scientists were, for the first time, able to show that 800,000 living brain cells trapped in a petri dish can be taught how to play Pong.

"We have shown we can interact with living biological neurons in such a way that compels them to modify their activity," Brett Kagan, chief scientific officer at biotech startup Cortical Labs, said in a press release, "leading to something that resembles intelligence."

For their study, the researchers used both mouse and human cells — the former taken from embryonic mouse brains, while the latter were derived from human stem cells. The cells were then grown on top of microelectrode arrays, which, as the press release explains, could "both stimulate them and read their activity."

From there, it was game on. Literally. A video of the experiment shows the brain cells successfully flinging the ball back and forth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmlJA50gSAU&t=46s

Goggle eyes ...

Some Apple Vision Pro users love the new device. Many online thinks it’s dystopian.
Videos of people sporting the new augmented reality headset have caused a stir across social media in the last week.

The wearable product, which costs $3,500, allows users to see apps, email, video games and more integrated with their real-world surroundings. Since its release last week, some people have shared video of themselves testing it out, while others have made videos observing people who look out of place while using it in public spaces.

Holy spinning black hole! ...

Telescopes Reveal Rapid Spin of Milky Way’s Black Hole Warping Spacetime

A new study may help settle the question of how rapidly the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole is spinning. The black hole, known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), contains about 4 million times the mass of the Sun. Using NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and NSF’s Very Large Array, this study found Sgr A* is spinning very rapidly. This high spin is warping the spacetime around Sgr A* so it appears to have the shape of an American football. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/telescopes-reveal-rapid-spin-of-milky-ways-black-hole-warping-spacetime/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0ycf3ubd9k&t=16s

Really small gravity ...

Beyond the Visible Universe: New Research Reveals How Gravity Influences the Quantum Realm

Nuclear physicists have discovered gravity’s profound influence on the quantum scale, revealing the strong force’s distribution within protons for the first time. This groundbreaking research, combining historical theoretical insights with modern experimental data, offers unprecedented understanding of the proton’s internal dynamics and sets the stage for future discoveries in nuclear science. ... The research has now revealed, for the first time, a snapshot of the distribution of the strong force inside the proton. This snapshot details the shear stress the force may exert on the quark particles that make up the proton. The result was recently published in Reviews of Modern Physics.

https://scitechdaily.com/beyond-the-visible-universe-new-research-reveals-how-gravity-influences-the-quantum-realm/

Invisible launch ... looking for almost invisible threats ...

New NASA mission launches to observe ‘invisible universe’ on Earth

... A revolutionary new satellite that will provide an unprecedented look at Earth’s microscopic marine life and tiny atmospheric particles has launched. The NASA PACE, or Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and ocean Ecosystem, mission lifted off at 1:33 a.m. ET Thursday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. ... https://us.cnn.com/2024/02/08/world/...nce%20Division. ,,,

(to be continued)

Gassho, Jundo

[Jundo]

This is something ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrNjvIrCqII

... also ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5yGRLx5Tls

[Jundo]

... continued from above ...

Did scientists reverse time??? ... Well, not really ...

‘We have made science fiction come true!’ Scientists prove particles in a quantum system can be rejuvenated

An Austrian and Spanish team demonstrated that a process can be ‘rewound’ to restore the components of an atom to their previous state

Spanish researchers [have published experiments] proving it’s possible to “accelerate, decelerate and reverse the flow of time within arbitrary, even uncontrolled quantum systems.” These unique physical processes, capable of disrupting the normal course of time, are universal: they have the same effect on all particles, regardless of their nature and interaction with other systems. ... these quantum particles can be rejuvenated or reverted to a previous state. Miguel Navascués uses an analogy to explain the significance of the finding and how they proved it. “In a theater, [classical physics], a movie is projected from beginning to end, regardless of what the audience wants. But at home [the quantum world], we have a remote control to manipulate the movie. We can rewind to a previous scene or skip several scenes ahead.” ... The ÖAW team developed a “rewind protocol” that enables any particle (electron, proton or muon) to revert to a previous state. Trillo led the way in proving this capacity theoretically and experimentally using a photon that evolves when it passes through a crystal. The creative use of an experimental device known as a “quantum switch” allows the light particle to return to its state at the beginning of its journey. ...

... While it’s theoretically possible to replicate the experience with a human, it is a practical impossibility and useless. “If we could lock a person in a box with zero external influences, it would be theoretically possible. But with our currently available protocols, the probability of success would be very, very low. Also, the time needed to complete the process depends on the amount of information the system can store. A human being is a physical system that contains an enormous amount of information. It would take millions of years to rejuvenate a person for less than a second, so it doesn’t make sense.” ...

The finding is not a time machine. Time passes regardless, and it is the physical state that changes. “If you want to revert a particle capable of storing one bit of information to its state five minutes ago, that’s the amount of time needed to complete the process,” said Navascués. ...

https://english.elpais.com/science-t...juvenated.html

Toyota is not into it ...

TOYOTA SLAMS ELECTRIC CARS, SAYS THEY'LL NEVER CATCH ON: CUSTOMERS ARE "FINALLY SEEING REALITY."

... Even with big inventories, fewer buyers are choosing to go electric for a number of reasons, including price and a lack of charging infrastructure.

Now, Akio Toyoda, chairman of Japanese carmaker Toyota, is doubling down on that pessimism, arguing during a business event earlier this month that the latest EV trends are warnings signs, with customers "finally seeing reality."

"The enemy is CO2," he argued. "No matter how much progress [battery] EVs make, I think they will still only have a 30 percent market share." The rest will be taken up by hybrid EVs and hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars, he argued. ... Toyota has been bearish on electric vehicles and has been notably slow to adopt the technology, which has come to the disappointment of shareholders. ...

https://fortune.com/2023/10/25/toyot...ngs-elon-musk/

A new tool ...

Unlocking DNA’s Secrets: Cutting-Edge Tool Finds Genetic Variants That Cause Diseases

A new statistical tool developed by researchers at the University of Chicago improves the ability to find genetic variants that cause disease. The tool, described in a new paper published January 26, 2024, in Nature Genetics, combines data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and predictions of genetic expression to limit the number of false positives and more accurately identify causal genes and variants for a disease. ...

Most human diseases are not caused by a single genetic variation, however. Instead, they are the result of a complex interaction of multiple genes, environmental factors, and host of other variables. As a result, GWAS often identifies many variants across many regions in the genome that are associated with a disease. The limitation of GWAS, however, is that it only identifies association, not causality. In a typical genomic region, many variants are highly correlated with each other, due to a phenomenon called linkage disequilibrium. This is because DNA is passed from one generation to next in entire blocks, not individual genes, so variants nearby each other tend to be correlated. ... “You may have many genetic variants in a block that are all correlated with disease risk, but you don’t know which one is actually the causal variant,” said Xin He, PhD, Associate Professor of Human Genetics, and senior author of the new study. “That’s the fundamental challenge of GWAS, that is, how we go from association to causality.” ... To make the problem even harder, most of the genetic variants are located in non-coding genomes, making their effects difficult to interpret. ...

... In the new study, Prof. He and Matthew Stephens, PhD, the Ralph W. Gerard Professor and Chair of the Departments of Statistics and Professor of Human Genetics, developed a new method called causal-Transcriptome-wide Association studies, or cTWAS, that uses advanced statistical techniques to reduce false positive rates. Instead of focusing on just one gene at a time, the new cTWAS model accounts for multiple genes and variants. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/unlocking-d...ause-diseases/

Maybe a good fishing spot?

Mars rover data confirms ancient lake sediments on red planet

NASA's rover Perseverance has gathered data confirming the existence of ancient lake sediments deposited by water that once filled a giant basin on Mars called Jezero Crater, according to a study published on Friday. The findings from ground-penetrating radar observations conducted by the robotic rover substantiate previous orbital imagery and other data leading scientists to theorize that portions of Mars were once covered in water and may have harbored microbial life. ... The findings reinforced what previous studies have long suggested - that cold, arid, lifeless Mars was once warm, wet and perhaps habitable. ... Scientists look forward to an up-close examination of Jezero's sediments - thought to have formed some 3 billion years ago - in samples collected by Perseverance for future transport to Earth. ...

https://www.reuters.com/science/mars...rs-2024-01-27/

As long as it does not escape and eat everything plastic in my house ...

Engineered Bacteria Eat Waste Plastic and Make Spider Silk – “Nature’s Kevlar”

Move over Spider-Man: Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a strain of bacteria that can turn plastic waste into a biodegradable spider silk with multiple uses. ... Their new study marks the first time scientists have used bacteria to transform polyethylene plastic — the kind used in many single-use items — into a high-value protein product.

That product, which the researchers call “bio-inspired spider silk” because of its similarity to the silk spiders use to spin their webs, has applications in textiles, cosmetics, and even medicine. ... Polyethylene plastic, found in products such as plastic bags, water bottles, and food packaging, is the biggest contributor to plastic pollution globally and can take upward of 1,000 years to degrade naturally. ... “What’s really exciting about this process is that, unlike the way plastics are produced today, our process is low energy and doesn’t require the use of toxic chemicals,” Zha said. “The best chemists in the world could not convert polyethylene into spider silk, but these bacteria can. We’re really harnessing what nature has developed to do manufacturing for us.”

However, before upcycled spider silk products become a reality, the researchers will first need to find ways to make the silk protein more efficiently. ...

https://scitechdaily.com/engineered-...atures-kevlar/

No coincidence?

Fulton County [Georgia, USA] government outage: Cyberattack brings down phones, court site and tax systems

... The outage has not been resolved, and it’s unclear when systems would return to normal.

The office of the county’s District Attorney Fani Willis lost access to its phones, internet and the court system website, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. Willis indicted former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants in a 2020 election subversion case. Officials have not declared any connection between the attack and the election subversion case, and they have assigned no motive. ...

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/01/30/t...ack/index.html

Gassho, J

stlah