Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
Toggle light / dark theme

Blog

Get the latest international news and world events from around the world.

Log in for authorized contributors

Study maps how psilocybin reshapes brain circuits linked to depression

An international collaboration led by Cornell researchers used a combination of psilocybin and the rabies virus to map how—and where—the psychedelic compound rewires the connections in the brain.

Specifically, they showed psilocybin weakens the cortico-cortical feedback loops that can lock people into negative thinking. Psilocybin also strengthens pathways to subcortical regions that turn sensory perceptions into action, essentially enhancing sensory-motor responses.

The findings were published Dec. 5 in Cell. The lead author is postdoctoral researcher Quan Jiang.

New deep-sea species discovered during mining test

There is high global demand for critical metals, and many countries want to try extracting these sought-after metals from the seabed. An international study, which has discovered large numbers of new species at a depth of 4,000 meters, shows that such mining has less of a negative impact than expected. However, species diversity declined by a third in the tracks of the mining machine.

In a major research project, marine biologists from several countries have attempted to map life in one of the least explored places on Earth: the deep-sea floor of the Pacific Ocean.

The study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, would not have been possible without significant commercial and geopolitical interest in the area.

Precise catalyst design boosts hydrogen gas production efficiency and affordability

A recent advance in the science of hydrogen fuel production could enable higher output and more sustainable production of this renewable energy source, researchers with Stockholm’s KTH Royal Institute of Technology report.

The findings result from unprecedented atomic-scale observations of how catalysts perform in the slow and expensive process of water splitting, or breaking the bond of oxygen and hydrogen. Using a unique set-up, they were able to produce hydrogen gas at rates comparable to or faster than state-of-the-art conventional catalysts.

What’s more, the catalyst remained in good condition after extended operation—a positive sign for commercial viability.

Extreme engineering: Unlocking design secrets of deep-sea microbes

The microbe Pyrodictium abyssi is an archaeon—a member of what’s known as the third domain of life—and an extremophile. It lives in deep-sea thermal vents, at temperatures above the boiling point of water, without light or oxygen, withstanding the enormous pressure at ocean depths of thousands of meters.

A biomatrix of tiny tubes of protein, known as cannulae, link cells of Pyrodictium abyssi together into a highly stable microbial community. No one knew how these single-celled microbes accomplished this feat of extreme engineering—until now.

A study using advanced microscopy techniques reveals new details about the elegant design of the cannulae and the remarkable simplicity of their method of construction. Nature Communications published the work, led by scientists at Emory University; the University of Virginia, Charlottesville; and Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium.

Argon ion treatment increases carbon nanowall electrode capacitance fivefold

Researchers from Skoltech, MIPT, and the RAS Institute of Nanotechnology of Microelectronics have achieved a five-fold increase in the capacitance of carbon nanowalls, a material used in the electrodes of supercapacitors. These are auxiliary energy storage devices used in conjunction with conventional accumulators in electric cars, trains, port cranes, and other systems.

A key characteristic of these devices, the capacitance of carbon nanowalls could be enhanced by treatment with an optimal dose of high-energy argon ions. The research is published in Scientific Reports.

China’s ‘Darwin Monkey’ is the world’s largest brain-inspired supercomputer

Scientists in China have unveiled a supercomputer built on brain-like architecture — specifically, that of a monkey.

Called Darwin Monkey or “Wukong”, the system features over 2 billion artificial neurons and more than 100 billion synapses, putting it roughly on par with the neural structure of a macaque.

Key kidney sensor that helps control fluid balance identified

A new study has identified a critical “pressure sensor” inside the kidney that helps the body control blood pressure and fluid levels. The finding helps explain how the kidneys sense changes in blood volume—something scientists for decades have known occurs but didn’t have a mechanistic explanation.

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and collaborating institutions discovered that a protein called PIEZO2 acts as a mechanical sensor in the kidney. When blood volume changes, this protein helps trigger the release of renin, a hormone that starts a chain reaction known as the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, or RAAS. The system is one of the body’s main tools for keeping blood pressure stable and making sure the body has the right balance of salt and water.

The study, published today in Cell, shows that without PIEZO2, the kidney releases too much renin. This throws the RAAS off balance and causes the kidneys to filter blood too quickly, something that can lead to health problems if it continues over time.

/* */