Lifeboat Foundation

Quantum physics just beat classical physics again.

A single quantum particle can send a two-way signal, scientists have discovered — something that’s impossible in classical physics. That means a particle can essentially send messages to itself thanks to the whacky state of uncertainty known as superposition.

Superposition states that one particle can occupy two positions at once, and that’s how the two-way communication happens.

Continue reading “Quantum Theory Bends The Limits of Physics, Showing Two-Way Signaling May Be Possible” »

Saint Jean Carbon has announced that it is developing a new form of graphene battery technology and will start building the first prototype of its graphene gel salt water batteries. Batteries based on this technology should charge faster, run longer and theoretically may last indefinitely. The project’s long term goal is to have a series of three full production batteries ready for launch in spring 2020.

Saint Jean Carbon stated that salt water battery technology has been in research for about 5 years. Continued advancement slowed due to limited voltage capacity in comparison with Lithium batteries. Now with the use of graphene in a highly concentrated salt water gel, graphene can now be used without worrying about the graphene re-stacking, which would reduce the intercalation rate. Salt water batteries are much safer, won’t burn and have significantly less raw material cost.

The Company plans on building a “flex” production line that will allow a number of companies to share in the facility on a fee for use basis. The Company’s first production will concentrate on three specific battery types:

Parts of human DNA are of viral origin: many of them were inserted into the primordial genetic material of our ancestors many millions of years ago and have been inherited by successive generations ever since. Thus, they are not thought to vary much in the genomes of modern humans. Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) are by far the most common virus-derived sequences in our genome. New research published in Mobile DNA shows a mechanism that has introduced more inter-individual variation in HERV content between humans than previously appreciated.

Jainy Thomas & Cédric Feschotte 25 Jan 2019.

He uses infrared lasers, cryotherapy machines, and a lot of stem cells.

Having a good sense of smell can help protect us from danger. Unfortunately though, humans don’t always have an efficient response to odors. However, a group of researchers aim to change that: They’ve created an “artificial nose” device that can quickly detect ammonia, gas, and sewage.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus developed a microfluidic gas detector, which can sense most odors, including noxious substances, said a UBC Okanagan press release. The team, which published their findings in Nature Scientific Reports on Jan. 17, found that this device might be helpful in detecting fumes that aren’t easily noticed by humans.

Continue reading “This ‘Artificial Nose’ Device Can Quickly Detect Gas and Other Odors” »

Arnav Kapur’s AlterEgo lets him communicate, switch TV channels, and more by talking silently to himself.

Plans for a European base on the moon have taken a major step forward.

The European Space Agency revealed it has signed up rocket maker ArianeGroup to develop plans for a moon base that could be used to mine material from the lunar surface.

Continue reading “Europe wants to mine the moon by 2025: Plan could spark new space race” »

This is the first time that an entry from the Philippines has made it to the global finalists. http://verafiles.org/articles/filipino-it-experts-hope-nasa-…lenge-winn #SpaceApps #SpaceAppsPH

Filipino Information Technology enthusiasts are hoping that the temporary reopening of U.S. government operations after a 35-day shutdown would pave the way for the announcement of the winners in the NASA Space Apps Challenge, where one of the finalists is an app developed by a group of Filipino IT experts.

The announcement of the winners in the global competition was supposed to have been made in mid-January but has suffered a delay due to the federal government shutdown caused by a standoff over border security.

Continue reading “​Filipino IT experts hope NASA announces Space Challenge winners as U.S. government operations resume” »

Chiral surfaces, which have differing responses for left- and right-handed circularly polarized (LCP and RCP) light, can be useful in optical experimentation. Metamaterials, which can be made into circular polarizers, are promising for creating chiral surfaces. Scientists at the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Rolla, MO) and the Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne, IL) have now created a chiral metamaterial-absorbing surface that has a large circular dichroism (CD) over the 1.3–1.8 μm spectral region. The chiral absorber could be useful for optical filters, thermal energy harvesting, optical communications, and chiral imaging.

A chiral optical metasurface selectively absorbs either left- or right-handed circularly polarized light; it could be useful in imagers and other optical systems.