Lifeboat News: The Blog https://lifeboat.com/blog Safeguarding Humanity Sat, 11 Jan 2025 22:02:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 1st-of-its-kind database reveals how DNA mutations ‘destabilize’ proteins, triggering genetic disease https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/1st-of-its-kind-database-reveals-how-dna-mutations-destabilize-proteins-triggering-genetic-disease https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/1st-of-its-kind-database-reveals-how-dna-mutations-destabilize-proteins-triggering-genetic-disease#respond Sat, 11 Jan 2025 22:02:22 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/1st-of-its-kind-database-reveals-how-dna-mutations-destabilize-proteins-triggering-genetic-disease

A new mega-database of half a million mutations may flag new ways of treating genetic disease, scientists say.

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AI agents: The scientist’s new superpower | Stefan Harrer | TEDxSydney Salon https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/ai-agents-the-scientists-new-superpower-stefan-harrer-tedxsydney-salon https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/ai-agents-the-scientists-new-superpower-stefan-harrer-tedxsydney-salon#respond Sat, 11 Jan 2025 21:07:12 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/ai-agents-the-scientists-new-superpower-stefan-harrer-tedxsydney-salon

Might Artificial Intelligence be the ideal lab assistant? Stefan Harrer delves into the revolutionary role of generative AI in science. He reveals how AI agents are not just tools but transformative partners for scientists enabling them to achieve breakthroughs in biology and beyond, heralding a new era of scientific discovery and innovation. This inspiring talk highlights the potential for AI to redefine the boundaries of the scientific method and our understanding of life. Dr Stefan Harrer is the Director of AI for Science at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency. He is on a mission to revolutionise scientific discovery by harnessing the power of AI agents. In senior leadership roles at IBM Research, he led groundbreaking work on AI-driven epilepsy management and developed the world’s first AI-powered wearable for seizure prediction. An inventor with 73 granted patents, a passionate advocate for ethical AI, and a mentor and advisor to startups and governments, Stefan inspires the next frontier of AI innovation and use. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

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Scientists achieve record-breaking solar energy system: ‘Only possible by combining two major breakthroughs’ https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/scientists-achieve-record-breaking-solar-energy-system-only-possible-by-combining-two-major-breakthroughs https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/scientists-achieve-record-breaking-solar-energy-system-only-possible-by-combining-two-major-breakthroughs#respond Sat, 11 Jan 2025 21:06:19 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/scientists-achieve-record-breaking-solar-energy-system-only-possible-by-combining-two-major-breakthroughs

Researchers created a groundbreaking solar panel system that could increase the total amount of clean energy solar panels can generate.

Solar energy is a promising energy source that is significantly cleaner than traditional dirty fuels. However, current solar panels often require high-temperature manufacturing processes that generate significant amounts of carbon. On top of that, traditional solar panels absorb only small portions of infrared and ultraviolet light, meaning chunks of sunlight don’t get converted into usable energy.

Researchers created a new solar panel system to address these challenges. In a recent study published in Nature, a team of scientists combined perovskite and organic solar cells, two emerging solar technologies, to create what they call a “tandem solar cell” that can absorb a wide spectrum of sunlight.

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How Twisted Light Is Unlocking Hidden Dimensions in Precision Science https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/how-twisted-light-is-unlocking-hidden-dimensions-in-precision-science https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/how-twisted-light-is-unlocking-hidden-dimensions-in-precision-science#respond Sat, 11 Jan 2025 21:06:04 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/how-twisted-light-is-unlocking-hidden-dimensions-in-precision-science

Optical metrology has long relied on interference principles, but a recent review highlights how orbital angular momentum (OAM) is redefining the field.

By integrating OAM into metrological tools, researchers are now capable of tracking motion in all directions, including rotational dynamics.

Advancing Optical Metrology with Orbital Angular Momentum.

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Six-planet system discovered that moves in perfect mathematical harmony https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/six-planet-system-discovered-that-moves-in-perfect-mathematical-harmony https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/six-planet-system-discovered-that-moves-in-perfect-mathematical-harmony#respond Sat, 11 Jan 2025 21:05:29 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/six-planet-system-discovered-that-moves-in-perfect-mathematical-harmony

Scientists have discovered a rare six-planet system where all planets orbit their star in perfect mathematical harmony.

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AGI and the “Age of Human Disempowerment” https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/agi-and-the-age-of-human-disempowerment https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/agi-and-the-age-of-human-disempowerment#respond Sat, 11 Jan 2025 21:04:46 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/agi-and-the-age-of-human-disempowerment

The latest AI News. Learn about LLMs, Gen AI and get ready for the rollout of AGI. Wes Roth covers the latest happenings in the world of OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, NVIDIA and Open Source AI.

My Links 🔗
➡ Subscribe: / @wesroth.
➡ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WesRothMoney.
➡ AI Newsletter: https://natural20.beehiiv.com/subscribe.

Video Links:
Capital, AGI, and human ambition.
https://nosetgauge.substack.com/p/cap

Moore’s Law for Everything.
https://moores.samaltman.com/

#ai #openai #llm

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Why Alzheimer’s scientists are rethinking the amyloid hypothesis https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/why-alzheimers-scientists-are-rethinking-the-amyloid-hypothesis https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/why-alzheimers-scientists-are-rethinking-the-amyloid-hypothesis#respond Sat, 11 Jan 2025 21:02:51 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/why-alzheimers-scientists-are-rethinking-the-amyloid-hypothesis

For decades, scientists have been trying to develop therapeutics for people living with Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by cognitive decline. Given the global rise in cases, the stakes are high. A study published in The Lancet Public Health reports that the number of adults living with dementia worldwide is expected to nearly triple, to 153 million in 2050. Alzheimer’s disease is a dominant form of dementia, representing 60 to 70 percent of cases.

Recent approvals by the Food and Drug Administration have focused on medications that shrink the sticky brain deposits of a protein called amyloid beta. The errant growth of this protein is responsible for triggering an increase in tangled threads of another protein called tau and the development of Alzheimer’s disease — at least according to the dominant amyloid cascade hypothesis, which was first proposed in 1991.

Over the past few years, however, data and drugs associated with the hypothesis have been mired in various controversies relating to data integrity, regulatory approval, and drug safety. Nevertheless, the hypothesis still dominates research and drug development. According to Science, in fiscal year 2021 to 2022, the National Institutes of Health spent some $1.6 billion on projects that mention amyloids, about 50 percent of the agency’s overall Alzheimer’s funding. And a close look at the data for recently approved drugs suggests the hypothesis is not wrong, so much as incomplete.

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In World First, Stem Cell Therapy Reveres Type 1 Diabetes in Patient https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/in-world-first-stem-cell-therapy-reveres-type-1-diabetes-in-patient https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/in-world-first-stem-cell-therapy-reveres-type-1-diabetes-in-patient#respond Sat, 11 Jan 2025 16:35:18 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/in-world-first-stem-cell-therapy-reveres-type-1-diabetes-in-patient

Link :


A 25-year-old woman in China has had her Type 1 diabetes reversed through a groundbreaking new stem cell therapy treatment! As you can imagine, this represents a historic turning point in medical history. This revolutionary procedure has enabled her to create insulin on her own, relieving her of the constant daily hassle of injections. When this breakthrough eventually goes public, it will provide hope to millions worldwide dealing with this chronic condition.

According to Medlineplus, type 1 diabetes is classified as an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system erroneously attacks beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Without insulin, your blood sugar levels can become dangerously elevated, leading to long-term damage to your vital organs. Managing this illness has generally required lifetime insulin therapy, which usually involves numerous daily injections or using insulin pumps. However, despite all of these measures, patients still face the risk of complications such as kidney damage, heart disease, and nerve issues.

This procedure involves extracting the patient’s adipose (fat) cells and reprogramming them into pluripotent stem cells. These adaptable cells have the amazing ability to develop into practically any kind of cell in the body. Scientists meticulously turned them into insulin-producing islet cells that resembled those damaged during the autoimmune onslaught. These new cells were then transplanted into the patient’s abdomen muscles and started to function as a biological insulin pump! The success of this technique is due to its individualized approach. The use of the patient’s own cells considerably reduces the likelihood of immune system rejection. Additionally, this circumvents the necessity for lifelong immunosuppressive medicines, typically prescribed for organ or cell transplants but present their own complications.

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What do tech pioneers think about the AI revolution? — BBC World Service https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/what-do-tech-pioneers-think-about-the-ai-revolution-bbc-world-service https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/what-do-tech-pioneers-think-about-the-ai-revolution-bbc-world-service#respond Sat, 11 Jan 2025 16:34:55 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/what-do-tech-pioneers-think-about-the-ai-revolution-bbc-world-service

Three leading engineers discuss the impact of the AI revolution. Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriMIntelligent machines are re…

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Scientists believe they have uncovered major cause of specific cancer that has cases rising among young people https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/scientists-believe-they-have-uncovered-major-cause-of-specific-cancer-that-has-cases-rising-among-young-people https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/scientists-believe-they-have-uncovered-major-cause-of-specific-cancer-that-has-cases-rising-among-young-people#respond Sat, 11 Jan 2025 16:34:39 +0000 https://lifeboat.com/blog/2025/01/scientists-believe-they-have-uncovered-major-cause-of-specific-cancer-that-has-cases-rising-among-young-people

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Researchers at the University of California ‘suspect’ they have found a major cause of this type of cancer.

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