Lifeboat Foundation

Two weeks ago it was quietly announced that the Future of Humanity Institute, the renowned multidisciplinary research centre in Oxford, no longer had a future. It shut down without warning on 16 April. Initially there was just a brief statement on its website stating it had closed and that its research may continue elsewhere within and outside the university.

The institute, which was dedicated to studying existential risks to humanity, was founded in 2005 by the Swedish-born philosopher Nick Bostrom and quickly made a name for itself beyond academic circles – particularly in Silicon Valley, where a number of tech billionaires sang its praises and provided financial support.

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The universe seems to be ruled by equations and numbers. But why just these equations and why just those numbers? Is it just coincidence? In this video I have collected seven of the weirdest coincidences in physics.

Continue reading “The 7 Strangest Coincidences in the Laws of Nature” »

It is a common hack to stretch a balloon out to make it easier to inflate. When the balloon stretches, the width crosswise shrinks to the size of a string. Noah Stocek, a PhD student collaborating with Western University physicist Giovanni Fanchini, has developed a new nanomaterial that demonstrates the opposite of this phenomenon.

Working at Interface Science Western, home of the Tandetron Accelerator Facility, Stocek, and Fanchini formulated two-dimensional nanosheets of tungsten semi-carbide (or W2C, a chemical compound containing equal parts of tungsten and carbon atoms) which when stretched in one direction, expand perpendicular to the applied force. This structural design is known as auxetics.

Dielectric capacitors are ubiquitous components that play a vital role in electronic devices and energy storage systems. Their ability to rapidly discharge significant amounts of energy makes them indispensable for high-power applications.

“High-energy and high-power capacitors are the backbone of reliable power supplies, especially as we transition towards renewable energy sources,” explains Alamgir Karim, Dow Chair and Welch Foundation Professor of Chemical Engineering at UH and a faculty mentor on the project. “However, current dielectric capacitors fall short in terms of energy storage capacity compared to other options like batteries. The advantage of capacitors lies in their superior power density, making them a more suitable choice for various applications.”

The key factor influencing a capacitor’s energy storage is a combination of its permittivity (ε) and dielectric breakdown strength (EBD). Professor Karim emphasizes, “To enhance a capacitor’s energy storage, advancements in both these aspects are crucial.”

ETH Zurich researchers have developed a locomotor control that can enable wheeled-legged robots to autonomously navigate various urban environments.

The robot was equipped with sophisticated navigational abilities thanks to a combination of machine learning algorithms. It was tested in the cities of Seville, Spain, and Zurich, Switzerland.

With little assistance from humans, the team’s ANYmal wheeled-legged robot accomplished autonomous operations in urban settings at the kilometer scale.

The US space agency’s new sub-kilowatt Hall-effect thruster could allow small spacecraft to explore the solar system like never before.

Instead of creating materials that are made to last, Freeman says their materials are made to task — perform a specific function and then modify themselves to serve a new function.

This achievement holds significant promise for advancements in regenerative medicine, drug delivery methods, and diagnostic technologies.

“With this discovery, we can think of engineering fabrics or tissues that can be sensitive to changes in their environment and behave in dynamic ways,” states Freeman.

SCIENTISTS are developing a DNA test to tell if a man’s prostate cancer will come back.

Patients who are at genetic risk of tumour cells flying under the radar and surviving radiotherapy could get extra treatment to make sure they are all wiped out.

Kurt Gödel was born #OTD 1906.

Today marks Kurt Gödel’s one hundred and eleventh birthday. Along with Aristotle, Gödel is often considered the greatest logician in history. But I believe his influence goes much farther. In an age when both science and politics seem to be riddled with an incessant search for “truth” — often truth that aligns with one’s preconceived social or political opinions — Gödel’s work is a useful antidote and a powerful reminder against the illusion of certainty.