Can scenarios inspired by science fiction help anticipate the effects of future technologies?
Category: futurism
Optical atomic clocks poised to redefine how the world measures seconds
Time is almost up on the way we track each second of the day, with optical atomic clocks set to redefine the way the world measures one second in the near future. Researchers from Adelaide University worked with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States and the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the United Kingdom to review the future of the next generation of timekeeping.
They found that development is happening at such a fast rate that optical atomic clocks are well positioned to become the gold standard for timekeeping within the next few years, provided some technical challenges can be addressed.
“Optica l atomic clocks have advanced rapidly over the past decade, to the point where they are now one of the most precise measurement tools ever built. They’re more accurate than the best microwave atomic clocks and can even work outside the lab—this is a place that conventional atomic clocks have trouble venturing,” said co-author Professor Andre Luiten from Adelaide University’s Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing.
Cloud storage payment scam floods inboxes with fake renewals
Over the past few months, a large-scale cloud storage subscription scam campaign has been targeting users worldwide with repeated emails falsely warning recipients that their photos, files, and accounts are about to be blocked or deleted due to an alleged payment failure.
Based on numerous emails seen by BleepingComputer, the campaign has escalated over the past few months, with people receiving multiple versions of the scam each day, all appearing to be sent by the same scammers.
While the email text, the messages all attempt to create a sense of urgency by claiming a payment problem or storage issue must be resolved immediately, or people’s files will be deleted or blocked.
Mozilla announces switch to disable all Firefox AI features
In response to user feedback on AI integration, Mozilla announced today that the next Firefox release will let users disable AI features entirely or manage them individually.
The new “Block AI enhancements” toggle will be available in Firefox 148 on February 24 and will help block current and future generative AI features in the desktop browser from a single location. Users will also have the option to enable specific AI tools while keeping others disabled.
“We’ve heard from many who want nothing to do with AI. We’ve also heard from others who want AI tools that are genuinely useful. Listening to our community, alongside our ongoing commitment to offer choice, led us to build AI controls,” said Firefox head Ajit Varma.
A glycolytic shunt via the pentose phosphate pathway is a metabolic checkpoint for nervous system sensory homeostasis and axonal regeneration
Pentose phosphate pathway in axonal regeneration.
Various signaling pathways play an important role in neuronal homeostasis and regeneration.
The researchers in this study determine that the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) plays a dual role in enabling homeostatic and regenerative adaptations to environmental stimuli and injuries.
They show that sciatic nerve axoplasms are enriched PPP and maintains redox balance via NADPH production but following sciatic nerve injury, the PPP is required for regeneration by fueling ribonucleotide synthesis through ribose-5-phosphate.
However, after spinal cord injury (SCI), PPP remain inactive and neuronal transketolase overexpression or oral ribose supplementation, promotes metabolic reprogramming, restores sensory and motor axonal growth. sciencenewshighlights ScienceMission https://sciencemission.com/pentose-phosphate-pathway-is-a-metabolic-checkpoint
The pentose phosphate pathway plays a dual role in enabling homeostatic and regenerative adaptations to environmental stimuli and injuries and can be leveraged to promote regeneration and recovery after spinal cord injury.
