Lifeboat Foundation

In a new study recently published by Science Advances, Michigan State University researchers reveal an unexpected genetic revelation about the sugars found in “tomato tar,” shedding light on plant defense mechanisms and their potential applications in pest control.

Tomato tar, a familiar nuisance of avid gardeners, is the sticky, gold-black substance that clings to hands after touching the plant. It turns out that the characteristic stickiness of the substance serves an important purpose. It’s made of a type of sugar called acylsugar that acts as a natural flypaper for would-be pests. “Plants have evolved to make so many amazing poisons and other biologically active compounds,” said Michigan State researcher Robert Last, leader of the study. The Last lab specializes in acylsugars and the tiny, hair-like structures where they’re produced and stored, known as trichomes.

In a surprising discovery, researchers have found acylsugars, once thought to be found exclusively in trichomes, in tomato roots as well. This finding is a genetic enigma that raises as many questions as it does insights.

Currently, treatments are largely limited to symptomatic relief rather than addressing the underlying disease progression. Given this gap in treatment options, there is a significant need for new therapies that can protect brain cells and potentially reverse damage.

Cannabinol (CBN), a compound derived from the cannabis plant, has emerged as a candidate for such treatments due to its neuroprotective properties, which are evident without the psychoactive effects associated with other cannabinoids like THC.

Previous studies indicated that CBN could help preserve mitochondrial function in brain cells, an essential factor for cell survival and energy production. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a common feature in several neurodegenerative diseases, often leading to cell death. By focusing on CBN and its derivatives, researchers aimed to develop new pharmacological strategies to prevent or mitigate the cellular mechanisms that lead to neurodegeneration.

Cheap data and the absence of coincidences make maths an ideal testing ground for AI-assisted discovery — but only humans will be able to tell good conjectures from bad ones.

Did you hear the news? OpenAI’s newest model can reason across audio, vision, and text in real time.

How does GPT-4o do with math tutoring? 🤔

Sal and his son test it out on a Khan Academy math problem.

Continue reading “AI-powered tutor Khanmigo by Khan Academy: Your 24/7 homework helper” »

Jeff Bezos emailed Amazon execs to ask why more AI firms aren’t using its cloud services, CNBC reported.

Wind energy is becoming an important strategic resource. Energy and supply chain shocks spurred countries around the world to boost their wind investments.

ChatGPT 4O can now speak and sing in real time. It can even view the real world through your phone’s camera and describe what’s happening in real time.

The AI race has just shifted into high gear, with US artificial intelligence pioneers OpenAI rolling out its new interface that works with audio and vision as well as text. The new model, called GPT-4o, has gone beyond the familiar chat-bot features and is capable of real-time, near-natural voice conversations. The developer OpenAI will also make it available to free users.

Continue reading “Chat GPT can now speak and sing in real time | DW News” »

Dr. Arti Garg, Ph.D. is Head of Technology Strategy & Evaluation, Office of the CTO and HPE Sr. Distinguished Technologist, at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (h…

Some cancers exploit the protective role of telomeres. New work measuring telomeres offers accurate cancer diagnosis and shows promise for personalised cancer treatment.