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Category: biological – Page 3

Introducing GPT-5.3-Codex-Spark

Codex-Spark is rolling out today as a research preview for ChatGPT Pro users in the latest versions of the Codex app, CLI, and VS Code extension. Because it runs on specialized low-latency hardware, usage is governed by a separate rate limit that may adjust based on demand during the research preview. In addition, we are making Codex-Spark available in the API for a small set of design partners to understand how developers want to integrate Codex-Spark into their products. We’ll expand access over the coming weeks as we continue tuning our integration under real workloads.

Codex-Spark is currently text-only at a 128k context window and is the first in a family of ultra-fast models. As we learn more with the developer community about where fast models shine for coding, we’ll introduce even more capabilities–including larger models, longer context lengths, and multimodal input.

Codex-Spark includes the same safety training as our mainline models, including cyber-relevant training. We evaluated Codex-Spark as part of our standard deployment process, which includes baseline evaluations for cyber and other capabilities, and determined that it does not have a plausible chance of reaching our Preparedness Framework threshold for high capability in cybersecurity or biology.

Space mining without heavy machines? Microbes harvest metals from meteorites aboard space station

If humankind is to explore deep space, one small passenger should not be left behind: microbes. In fact, it would be impossible to leave them behind, since they live on and in our bodies, surfaces and food. Learning how they react to space conditions is critical, but they could also be invaluable fellows in our endeavor to explore space.

Microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi can harvest crucial minerals from rocks and could provide a sustainable alternative to transporting much-needed resources from Earth.

Researchers from Cornell and the University of Edinburgh collaborated to study how those microbes extract platinum group elements from a meteorite in microgravity, with an experiment conducted aboard the International Space Station. They found that “biomining” fungi are particularly adept at extracting the valuable metal palladium, while removing the fungus resulted in a negative effect on nonbiological leaching in microgravity.

SpaceX Starthink: Building Earth’s Planetary Neocortex with Orbital AI

In a bold fusion of SpaceX’s satellite expertise and Tesla’s AI prowess, the Starthink Synthetic Brain emerges as a revolutionary orbital data center.

Proposed in Digital Habitats February 2026 document, this next-gen satellite leverages the Starlink V3 platform to create a distributed synthetic intelligence wrapping the planet.

Following SpaceX’s FCC filing for up to one million orbital data centers and its acquisition of xAI, Starthink signals humanity’s leap toward a Kardashev II civilization.

As Elon Musk noted in February 2026, ]

“In 36 months, but probably closer to 30, the most economically compelling place to put AI will be space.”

## The Biological Analogy.

Starthink draws from neuroscience: * Neural Cluster: A single Tesla AI5 chip, processing AI inference at ~250W, like a neuron group. * Synthetic Brain: One Starthink satellite, a 2.5-tonne self-contained node with 500 neural clusters, solar power, storage, and comms. * Planetary Neocortex: One million interconnected Brains forming a global mesh intelligence, linked by laser and microwave “synapses.”

Continue reading “SpaceX Starthink: Building Earth’s Planetary Neocortex with Orbital AI” | >

This Brain Experiment Made People Choose Others Over Themselves

Scientists found that synchronizing activity between two brain regions made people more generous.

A new study suggests that synchronizing activity in specific parts of the brain can make people more likely to act generously. Research published today (February 10) in the open-access journal PLOS Biology reports that stimulating two brain regions in a coordinated way increased altruistic behavior. The study was led by Jie Hu of East China Normal University in China, working with colleagues from the University of Zurich in Switzerland.

Why some people are more altruistic than others.

Beyond the Brain: Michael Levin on Living Intelligence & Minds in the era of AI

A conversation co-published by AI House Davos and Michael Levin’s Academic Content (@drmichaellevin)

In this conversation, we explore how intelligence exists across all scales of life, from cells to collectives, and what this means for our understanding of AI, minds, and what it means to be human.

Professor Michael Levin challenges the assumption that intelligence begins with brains, revealing how biological systems improvise, adapt, and solve problems in ways that go far beyond what our computational architectures attempt. From cognitive glue to the ethics of diverse intelligence, this interview questions the categories we’ve inherited and asks what truly matters as we enter an era of radically different embodiments.

Speaker.
Michael Levin (Director at Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University)

Moderator.
Louisa Hillegaart (Founder’s Associate, AI House Davos)

© AI House Davos 2025

Continue reading “Beyond the Brain: Michael Levin on Living Intelligence & Minds in the era of AI” | >

Living Systems, Alignment & AGI: Michael Levin, Stephen Grossberg & Verses AI Break Down the Future

In this powerful opening session of the Strong AI Summit, moderator Dr. Mahault Albarracin brings together legendary thinkers redefining the boundaries between biology, cognition, active inference, and AGI.

00:00 Introduction by Dr. Mahault Albarracin.
00:42 Why study living systems when designing AI?
02:10 Dr. Michael Levin on biological intelligence and collective behavior.
04:25 Dr. Dalton on active inference foundations.
06:10 Prof. Stephen Grossberg on alignment and stable learning.
09:05 Limits of biological analogies in AI design.
11:45 Collective problem-solving and emergent goals.
13:30 Closing reflections.

Featuring:

Dr. Michael Levin, pioneer in morphogenesis, bioelectric signaling, and the xenobot project.

Prof. Stephen Grossberg, the most cited computational neuroscientist and creator of ART theory.

Dr. Dalton Sakadolsky, leading theoretician in Bayesian mechanics & active inference.

Continue reading “Living Systems, Alignment & AGI: Michael Levin, Stephen Grossberg & Verses AI Break Down the Future” | >

Controlled ‘oxidative spark’ may serve as a surprising ally in brain repair

Oxidative stress is a direct consequence of an excess in the body of so-called free radicals—reactive, unstable molecules that contain oxygen. Free radicals are normal metabolic by-products and also help to relay signals in the body. In turn, oxidative stress (an overload of these molecules) can be caused by lifestyle, environmental, and biological factors such as smoking, high alcohol consumption, poor diet, stress, pollution, radiation, industrial chemicals, and chronic inflammation.

When this occurs, it creates an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s antioxidant defenses, which are responsible for neutralizing them.

We Just Found a Mind-blowing New World of Electrostatic Biology

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Hello and welcome! My name is Anton and in this video, we will talk about a strange electrostatic world of tiny organisms.
Links:
https://www.pnas.org/doi/epdf/10.1073/pnas.2503555122
https://www.cell.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0960-9822%2823%2900674-7
http://cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)00772-8
Other videos:


#biology #science #electrostatics.

0:00 Static phenomena and electrostatic ecology.
1:50 Pollen and bees.
3:00 Flying spiders and ballooning.
4:10 Ticks.
4:40 Electrosensation.
5:40 Worms and jumping.
7:50 Worm parasites.
9:50 Practical applications and aeroplankton.

Enjoy and please subscribe.

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The hardware used to record these videos:

Continue reading “We Just Found a Mind-blowing New World of Electrostatic Biology” | >

Scientists identify key brain mechanism behind ayahuasca’s ability to reduce PTSD symptoms

A study in European Neuropsychopharmacology finds that ayahuasca helps rats learn that a previously dangerous environment is safe. This effect appears to rely on BDNF signaling within the infralimbic cortex, suggesting a potential biological pathway for treating trauma.

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