Lifeboat Foundation

Modern theories of semantics posit that the meaning of words can be decomposed into a unique combination of semantic features (e.g., “dog” would include “barks”). Here, we demonstrate using functional MRI (fMRI) that the brain combines bits of information into meaningful object representations. Participants receive clues of individual objects in form of three isolated semantic features, given as verbal descriptions. We use machine-learning-based neural decoding to learn a mapping between individual semantic features and BOLD activation patterns. The recorded brain patterns are best decoded using a combination of not only the three semantic features that were in fact presented as clues, but a far richer set of semantic features typically linked to the target object. We conclude that our experimental protocol allowed us to demonstrate that fragmented information is combined into a complete semantic representation of an object and to identify brain regions associated with object meaning.

When they looked into how various physiological factors changed in the mice that had experienced chronic stress, the researchers closed in on a hormone called epinephrine.

New research in mice explains the mechanism through which chronic stress contributes to cancer cell growth and suggests a potential therapeutic strategy.

The 42-foot research vessel (R/V) Bob and Beyster was underwritten by a $1.2 million philanthropic campaign.

Using neutrons, materials scientists develop a method that goes below the surface.

• After years of development, the housing startup Arkup has debuted a floating home that can withstand rising sea levels and Category 4 hurricanes.
• The home contains a hydraulic system that lifts it above water and anchors it during heavy winds.
• Arkup envisions a future where entire communities in Miami and other major cities are designed to float.

When the housing startup Arkup revealed its plan to build a floating, hurricane-proof yacht in 2017, South Florida had just witnessed the devastating effects of Hurricane Irma, a Category 4 storm that destroyed hundreds of residences.

The company’s models were designed to weather a storm of that magnitude, but it would be another two years before they became a reality.

We all feel the forward march of time, but the laws of physics tell us it is an illusion. A radical rethink is needed, argues theoretical physicist Lee Smolin.

Researchers have been on the hunt for a superconductor that would work at around room temperature, which they consider to be 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) — and according to the patent application, Navy researcher Salvatore Cezar Pais thinks he’s figured it out.

Pais’ application describes a wire consisting of a metal coating over an insulator core. An electromagnetic coil surrounds the wire, and when activated by a pulsed current, this coil causes a vibration that allows the wire to act as a superconductor at room temperature, according to the application.

AMAZON chief Jeff Bezos dreams of creating a new space race of humans across our solar system – with a population of one trillion.

The billionaire tech mogul revealed the lofty goal during a speech about Blue Origin, his groundbreaking space transport company.

According to Bezos, who has a net worth of £103billion, increasing the population dramatically across space could give us countless creative geniuses.

A JAPANESE robot has been created to preach the teachings of Buddha in colloquial language at the Kodaiji Temple in the ancient city of Kyoto.