Lifeboat Foundation

When a long-term memory forms, some brain cells experience a rush of electrical activity so strong that it snaps their DNA. Then, an inflammatory response kicks in, repairing this damage and helping to cement the memory, a study in mice shows. The findings, published on 27 March in Nature¹, are “extremely exciting”, says Li-Huei Tsai, a neurobiologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge who was not involved in the work. They contribute to the picture that forming memories is a “risky business”, she says. Normally, breaks in both strands of the double helix DNA molecule are associated with diseases including cancer. But in this case, the DNA damage-and-repair cycle offers one explanation for how memories might form and last.

It also suggests a tantalizing possibility: this cycle might be faulty in people with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, causing a build-up of errors in a neuron’s DNA, says study co-author Jelena Radulovic, a neuroscientist at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

HUMANOID robots could be a large benefit to small businesses, according to one expert.

The U.S. Sun spoke with Professor Luis Sentis who thinks the development of AI humanoids will have many benefits.

“I prefer to see the view of augmentation of people,” Sentis explained when asked about humanoid concerns.

Race Speeds Up. Wallets open up. Agi 2025–2029.

Amazon is reportedly planning to spend a whopping $150 billion within the next 15 years on building data centers — a move that will position the tech giant to be able to handle an expected explosion with artificial intelligence applications and other digital services.

The spending spree, earlier reported on by Bloomberg, will also allow Amazon to maintain its top spot in the cloud services market, where it holds roughly twice the share of No. 2 player Microsoft.

Continue reading “Amazon reportedly to spend $150B to build data centers needed for AI boom, ‘get closer to customers’” »

Genomes are the blueprints of living creatures; chromosomes and genes within all our cells encode information about life. Genome editing technology that can change these chromosomes and genes has developed rapidly. From drug development and gene therapy, improvements to crops and livestock, to creating useful microorganisms to replace petroleum, this technology has started to have a significant impact on our societies.

Professor NISHIDA Keiji (Graduate School of Science, Technology and Innovation) has developed a new genome editing technology and established a business venture based on his research findings. He is on the front lines of genome editing in both business and research.

As hype and investment in AI soars, some businesses are learning that the technology isn’t reliable enough to represent their companies.

A number of companies are racing to make a business on the back of these breakthroughs. Most are figuring out what that business is as they go. “I’ll routinely scream, ‘Holy cow, that is wicked cool’ while playing with these tools,” says Gary Lipkowitz, CEO of Vyond, a firm that provides a point-and-click platform for putting together short animated videos. “But how can you use this at work?”

Whatever the answer to that question, it will probably upend a wide range of businesses and change the roles of many professionals, from animators to advertisers. Fears of misuse are also growing. The widespread ability to generate fake video will make it easier than ever to flood the internet with propaganda and nonconsensual porn. We can see it coming. The problem is, nobody has a good fix.

Continue reading “What’s next for generative video” »

Tesla executive Rohan Patel clarified some facts about Supercharger NACS access for non-Tesla vehicles like Rivian and Ford.

Patel—Tesla’s Vice President of Public Policy and Business Development—recently replied to a question from Teslavangelist, who questioned the number of Supercharger stalls non-Tesla owners actually had access to with NACS connectors.

Tesla recently opened the Supercharger Network to Ford and Rivian electric vehicles (EVs) through its NACS connecter. Both automakers claim that NACS connectors provide Ford and Rivian owners access to over 15,000 Tesla Supercharger locations. Teslavangelist pointed out that non-Tesla EV owners only have access to V3 and V4 Superchargers, doubting they have access to 15,000 Supercharger stalls.

The first mass-produced 900V drive system rolled off the production line Wednesday. Chinese EV maker NIO’s (NIO) “Thunder” 900V electric drive system (EDS) can add over 150 miles (255 km) with five-minute fast charge.

NIO announced the milestone Wednesday after building its one-millionth EDS. NIO’s Porsche-rivaling ET9 premium EV will be the first to feature the new tech.

Continue reading “World’s first mass-produced 900V EV drive system rolls out with 5 minute fast charge” »

French automaker Renault is exploring a lucrative business prospect by partnering with companies to extract and recycle lithium and other metals in EV batteries, creating a circular economy that can bring in billions of dollars and reduce reliance on China.

According to Automotive News Europe, Renault aims to be the first European automaker to recycle batteries on an industrial scale.

“In Europe, there is currently… nobody who can claim to recycle used batteries in a closed-loop to reproduce nickel, cobalt and lithium to make new batteries,” said Jean-Philippe Bahuaud, CEO Renault’s environment unit, called The Future Is Neutral (TFIN), which was launched in 2022.