It’s 500 times the size of Pluto’s orbit and made of iron.
Using the new LIFU technology on the William Herschel Telescope, researchers have detected a massive iron cloud.
Category: space
The Intelligence Revolution: Coupling AI and the Human Brain | Ed Boyden | Big Think
The Intelligence Revolution: Coupling AI and the Human Brain.
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Edward Boyden is a Hertz Foundation Fellow and recipient of the prestigious Hertz Foundation Grant for graduate study in the applications of the physical, biological and engineering sciences. A professor of Biological Engineering and Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT, Edward Boyden explains how humanity is only at its infancy in merging with machines. His work is leading him towards the development of a “brain co-processor”, a device that interacts intimately with the brain to upload and download information to and from it, augmenting human capabilities in memory storage, decision making, and cognition. The first step, however, is understanding the brain on a much deeper level. With the support of the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, Ed Boyden pursued a PhD in neurosciences from Stanford University.
EDWARD BOYDEN:
Edward Boyden is a professor of Biological Engineering and Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the MIT Media Lab and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT. He leads the Media Lab’s Synthetic Neurobiology group, which develops tools for analyzing and repairing complex biological systems, such as the brain, and applies them systematically both to reveal ground truth principles of biological function and to repair these systems.
These technologies, often created in interdisciplinary collaborations, include expansion microscopy (which enables complex biological systems to be imaged with nanoscale precision) optogenetic tools (which enable the activation and silencing of neural activity with light,) and optical, nanofabricated, and robotic interfaces (which enable recording and control of neural dynamics).
Boyden has launched an award-winning series of classes at MIT, which teach principles of neuroengineering, starting with the basic principles of how to control and observe neural functions, and culminating with strategies for launching companies in the nascent neurotechnology space. He also co-directs the MIT Center for Neurobiological Engineering, which aims to develop new tools to accelerate neuroscience progress.
New map reveals a rugged world beneath the Antarctic ice sheet
Scientists have discovered there is more to Antarctica than meets the eye. A new map of the landscape beneath the frozen continent’s ice sheet has revealed a previously hidden world of mountains, deep canyons and rugged hills in unprecedented detail.
The Antarctic ice sheet is a vast expanse of ice covering approximately 98% of the continent. While the frozen surface has been fairly well-studied, the ground beneath this two-kilometer-thick layer has remained a mystery. In fact, until now, we knew more about the surface of Mars than what lies beneath the bottom of our own planet.
The ice sheet plays a crucial role in our climate. Not only is it a major freshwater reservoir, but its icy surface reflects sunlight, helping cool Earth. But because our computer models are missing key details about the land it sits on, it is difficult to predict factors such as exactly how fast the ice will melt and how much sea levels will rise.
Antarctic submillimeter telescope enables more complete view of the carbon cycle in star-forming regions
Chinese researchers have braved the cold and harsh environment of Antarctica in order to get a unique view of star formation in the interstellar medium (ISM). The Chinese National Antarctica and Arctic Research Expedition (CHINARE) has managed to complete a study at Dome A—the highest ice dome on the Antarctic Plateau—and successfully collected submillimeter data to form a better understanding of carbon cycling in the ISM. Their research is published in Science Advances.
In most places on Earth, the detection of submillimeter wavelengths (terahertz frequencies) from space is inhibited by water vapor in the atmosphere, which absorbs radiation at these wavelengths. This is a major roadblock to the study of carbon phases in the ISM, as carbon cycles between ionized (C+), atomic (C0), and molecular (CO) forms in the interstellar medium. These transitions produce emissions in submillimeter wavelength bands, making them difficult to detect from most locations.
While prior ground-based telescopes have detected some [CI] emissions, coverage is limited compared to CO surveys, and not all carbon phases have been mapped together. However, Dome A in Antarctica offers the dry, high altitude conditions needed for submillimeter astronomy, but successful observations have been elusive due to the harsh environment and technical challenges.
Is This The End of OpenAI?
Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI aims to expose the company’s alleged abandonment of its non-profit mission and potential shift to a for-profit model, sparking a heated dispute over the company’s future and integrity ##
## Questions to inspire discussion.
Understanding the lawsuit timeline and stakes.
🔍 Q: When is Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI going to trial and what is he claiming?
A: The lawsuit is set to go to trial in April 2026, with Musk arguing he’s owed billions from the value of intellectual property developed from his contributions as the primary funder who wanted OpenAI to remain nonprofit and open source.
📄 Q: What evidence exists in Greg Brockman’s personal files from 2017?
Astronomer uses ‘China Sky Eye’ to reveal binary origin of fast radio bursts
An international team of astronomers, including researchers from the Department of Physics at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), has uncovered the first decisive evidence that at least some fast radio burst (FRB) sources—brief but powerful flashes of radio waves from distant galaxies—reside in binary stellar systems. This means the FRB source is not an isolated star, as previously assumed, but part of a binary stellar system in which two stars orbit each other.
Using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) located in Guizhou, also known as the “China Sky Eye,” the team detected a distinctive signal that reveals the presence of a nearby companion star orbiting the FRB source.
The discovery, published in Science, is based on nearly 20 months of monitoring an active repeating FRB located about 2.5 billion light-years away.
What If the Universe Remembers Everything?
Sometimes crystals behave in surprising ways. A new chemical may resist crystallizing for years, and then, once it happens in one place, it suddenly begins to crystallize easily all over the world.
Sometimes animals, too, show a strange collective learning. Once one group has learned a new behavior, the same species elsewhere seems able to learn it more quickly, even without any direct contact.
In this keynote address, from the Science of Consciousness Conference, Rupert brings these and other examples together to suggest a simple but radical possibility.
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Ideal Wealth Grower
The Age of Abundance: AGI Predictions and Investment Strategy for 2026 ## The imminent emergence of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) will significantly impact investment strategies, and investors should prepare by accumulating valuable assets, diversifying their portfolios, and adopting a strategic investment approach to capitalize on the growth potential of AGI and the resulting Age of Abundance ##
## Questions to inspire discussion.
Investment Strategy.
🎯 Q: How should I build an investment portfolio for the AGI era? A: Focus on companies with best management and growth potential in AGI, robotics, and space industries using dollar-cost averaging strategy to systematically build positions over time rather than lump-sum investing.
💰 Q: What alternative assets should I accumulate for security during AGI transition? A: Accumulate gold, silver, and Bitcoin as modern safe havens to protect wealth during periods of change and uncertainty as traditional financial systems adapt to AGI disruption.
🏢 Q: Why should real estate be overweighted in an AGI-focused portfolio? A: Overweight real estate compared to company ownership and reserves because AGI and robotics industries will require physical space for operations, data centers, and manufacturing facilities.
Chiral nanowires can actively change electron spin direction
The phenomenon where electron spins align in a specific direction after passing through chiral materials is a cornerstone for future spin-based electronics. Yet, the precise process behind this effect has remained a mystery—until now.
An international team of researchers, affiliated with UNIST, has directly observed how electron spins behave in real space, providing a fresh understanding of this complex interaction. The findings were published in ACS Nano.
Professors Noejung Park and Seon Namgung from the Department of Physics at UNIST, in collaboration with Professor Binghai Yan from Pennsylvania State University, conducted the study. Their work confirms that chiral materials actively change the spin orientation of electrons, overturning the long-held belief that these materials simply filter spins without affecting their direction.
