Lifeboat Foundation: Safeguarding Humanity
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SRIC4 Newsletter #04 — What is Quality of Life?

What truly defines “Quality of Life” (QoL), and why we have titled the SRI IV World Congress on it?QoL is a broad concept, including all of the aspects of the life of us, human inhabitants of the third planet of this Solar System. Traditionally, we define QoL through the essentials—food, shelter, health, and education. These are the pillars of economic and cultural development, and they are non-negotiable. Yet, at Space Renaissance, we believe QoL aims higher. It is the freedom to pursue our highest ideals, to have a beautiful life, to explore spirituality, and to seek a global reduction in suffering. Interestingly, the perception of QoL varies wildly across our globe today. The Western post-industrial societies are often clouded by a lack of confidence and a fading hope for what lies ahead. The Eastern emerging societies, fueled by rapid industrial growth, look toward the horizon with immense anticipation. If we could measure QoL through the lens of hope, these emerging societies might actually outrank the West. Why? Because the belief that one is part of a “great project”—one that glorifies human intelligence and potential—is the ultimate antidote to social suffering.

Whether we progress or regress, fall into crisis or rise in a renaissance, it all depends on the mass-psychological mood of the people. When survival is secured, and economic growth creates opportunities for all, social fear dissolves. And as John Lennon famously sang, when fear fades, we finally “give peace a chance.”

We align ourselves with this progressive spirit, like a modern Promethean manifesto. However, we must be realistic: this hope has an expiration date. Without the launch of civil space development by 2030, the “closed world” will inevitably reach its limits. Eastern hopes will be dashed, and Western lifestyles will suffer a sharp decline.

Social Risk Prevalence in AYAs With and Without a History of Cancer

About one-third of adolescents and young adults, with or without Cancer, reported at least one social risk such as financial hardship or food insecurity, highlighting the need for routine screening.

This cross-sectional study used data from KPNW, an integrated health care system serving more than 620 000 members in northwest Oregon and southwest Washington, representing approximately 16% of the region’s population. The KPNW Institutional Review Board deemed the study exempt from review and informed consent under category 4 of the Common Rule, meaning that this research was determined to be low risk as it involves the use of secondary data. The study followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) reporting guideline for cross-sectional studies.

Members of KPNW are demographically similar to the surrounding community, with a broad age distribution (approximately 23% aged 18–35 years and 40% aged 36–64 years), a nearly equal sex distribution (52% female), and a racial and ethnic composition comparable to that of the regional population. Approximately 18% of members live below 200% of the federal poverty level, and approximately 80% receive coverage through employer-sponsored plans, contributing to high annual retention rates (approximately 88%). In early 2020, KPNW implemented a social risk screening tool via the EPIC-based (Epic Systems Corp) HealthConnect system. Full details of the screening process have been previously described.22,23

We included KPNW members aged 15 to 40 years who received care at KPNW; completed the social determinants of health screener between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2024 (the first screening was defined as the index date); and had at least 6 months of follow-up data (eFigure 1 in Supplement 1).

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.

Pearls & Oy-sters: Reversible Leukoencephalopathy and Parkinsonism Due to CNS Involvement in Cryoglobulinemia

What is metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease?

Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) involves accumulation of fat in the liver and may progress to liver inflammation and scarring.

The main risk factors for MASLD are obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Usually people with MASLD show no symptoms but some may feel tired or have pain or discomfort in the upper right side of their abdomen.

Eating a low-carbohydrate, low-fat, and low-calorie diet; avoiding alcohol; and exercise are the first-line of treatment for MASLD. sciencenewshighlights ScienceMission https://sciencemission.com/What-Is–MASLD

This JAMA Patient Page describes metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its risk factors, symptoms and complications, diagnosis, and treatment.

Continue reading “Pearls & Oy-sters: Reversible Leukoencephalopathy and Parkinsonism Due to CNS Involvement in Cryoglobulinemia” | >

The 5 Foods Every 100-Year-Old Ate Daily (Blue Zones Diet Breakdown)

The controversial diet truth backed by 155 dietary surveys across 90 years that food scientists don’t want you to know.

Dan Buettner exposes why meta-analyses prove most nutritional debates wrong and reveals what centenarians actually ate as children to live past 100.

The peasant food formula that’s cheaper than a hamburger, 50 times more nutrient dense, and leaves you completely satisfied.

Plus why the 15 countries with the highest life expectancy all eat white rice daily.

Dan Buettner is a New York Times bestselling author, National Geographic Fellow, and co-producer of the Emmy Award winning Netflix series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones.

Frequently distracted? Your brain rhythms may be to blame

Scientists may have new answers to why pop-ups or notifications grab our attention. Turns out our attention is on a cycle, shifting seven to 10 times per second. This rhythmic occurrence may be crucial for survival, as it prevents us from becoming overly focused on one thing in our environment. It could help us to see a car backing up in a parking lot while we search for where we parked, or to duck to avoid a low-hanging tree branch on a walk while watching a kid ride a bike.

However, these windows that shift our attention could also make us more susceptible to distractions, especially in modern times. As we live in a world surrounded by screens, digital alerts, and other visual stimuli, these frequent and innate windows for shifting attention may make it easier to be pulled away from a task.

“For our ancestors who had to continue to monitor the environment for predators while foraging for food, this was a beneficial trait,” said Ian Fiebelkorn, Ph.D., assistant professor of Neuroscience at the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester and senior author of a study out in the journal PLOS Biology. “But in our modern environment, with laptops open in front of us and a smartphone nearby, rhythmically occurring windows for beneficial attentional shifts might also work against us. That is, rhythmically occurring windows for attentional shifts are also associated with increased susceptibility to distracting information.”

How many bee species exist? New global count puts the total near 26,000

The world has far more bees than anyone realized. Scientists have, for the first time, estimated just how many species of bees are out there on a global scale, offering a clearer look at how these vital pollinators are distributed around the planet. The landmark study, led by University of Wollongong (UOW) evolutionary biologist Dr. James Dorey, provides the most comprehensive count to date—broken down by continent and country—calculating there are, at a minimum, between 3,700 and 5,200 more bee species buzzing around the world than currently recognized.

The research, outlined in a new paper published Tuesday, February 24, in Nature Communications, lifts global estimates to between 24,705 and 26,164 bee species and reveals a richer and more complex picture of the world’s bees than ever before. The findings highlight how many bee species remain unclassified or overlooked, showing that even our much-loved pollinators are not fully understood, and that closing these knowledge gaps is crucial for conservation and food security.

“Knowing how many species exist in a place, or within a group like bees, really matters. It shapes how we approach conservation, land management, and even big-picture science questions about evolution and ecosystems,” Dr. Dorey said. “Bees are a perfect example. They’re keystone species; their diversity underpins healthy environments and resilient agriculture. If we don’t understand how many bee species there are, we’re missing a key part of the puzzle for protecting both nature and farming.”

How dietary restriction rewires immunity to protect against infection

To understand the complex interactions involved in an immune response during scarcity, the team put mice on a 50% restricted-calorie diet and then exposed the animals to bacteria that infect the gut. The mice that were fed a standard diet experienced a metabolic crash— their blood glucose levels and body weight plummeted.

The researchers had expected this would happen to all the animals because mounting an immune response can consume up to 30% of the entire body’s fuel reserves. But in the calorie-restricted mice, the immune system appeared to be functioning perfectly well without using much glucose.

To unravel this enigma, the researchers inventoried the immune cells of the infected animals and discovered that T cells, which normally target invading microbes, were depleted in the calorie-restricted mice. Instead, short-lived neutrophils, which serve as the body’s first responders to infection, were ramped up to twice the normal amount and had measurably enhanced pathogen-killing abilities. The cells seemed to be operating in energy-saving mode, consuming much less glucose than neutrophils from well-fed animals.

The researchers are breaking new ground by outlining how a sudden fall in food intake triggers glucocorticoid levels to rise, resulting in two major shifts. First, the body repositions certain immune cells—especially naïve T cells—into the bone marrow, which becomes a kind of “safe house” for when the cells are needed. Second, during an infection, glucocorticoids tilt the immune response away from energy-intensive T cells toward neutrophils, abundant cells that act as immediate, short-lived defenders.

Beyond clearing a current infection, glucocorticoids prepare the immune system for repeat encounters with infectious agents. While the hormones direct killer T cells to stand down and neutrophils to step up, they also ensure memory T cells are preserved for future confrontations.

When food is scarce, stress hormones direct the immune system to operate in “low power” mode to preserve immune function while conserving energy, according to researchers. This reconfiguration is crucial to combating infections amid food insecurity.

Continue reading “How dietary restriction rewires immunity to protect against infection” | >

Genetic defect that weakens esophageal lining identified!

But the molecular factors responsible for the onset of Barrett’s esophagus remain poorly understood.

The findings, published in Nature Communications, combined family studies, laboratory experiments and genetically engineered mouse models to identify and understand how genetic defects contribute to disease development.

The team sequenced and analyzed genetic material of 684 people from 302 families where multiple members developed Barrett’s esophagus or esophageal cancer. They discovered that a subset of affected family members carry inherited mutations in a gene called VSIG10L.

“We found that this gene acts like a quality control system for the esophageal lining,” said the lead researcher. “When it’s defective, the cells do not mature properly and the protective barrier in the esophageal lining becomes weak, allowing stomach bile acid to cause tissue changes that enhances the risk of developing Barrett’s esophagus.”

When researchers genetically engineered mice with human-equivalent VSIG10L mutations, they found that the esophageal lining became disrupted structurally and molecularly, according to the author. The study found that when the mice were exposed to bile acid, they developed Barrett’s-like disease over time, effectively replicating the disease’s progression in humans.

These genetically engineered mice also represent the first animal model for Barrett’s esophagus based directly on human genetic predisposition to the disease, the author said.

With VSIG10L shown to be a key gene in maintaining esophageal health, family members can now be screened for genetic variants to identify those at a high-risk of developing Barrett’s esophagus or esophageal cancer. ScienceMission sciencenewshighlights.

Continue reading “Genetic defect that weakens esophageal lining identified!” | >
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