Lifeboat Foundation

The human brain holds the secret to our unique personalities. But did you know that it can also form the basis of highly efficient computing devices? Researchers from Nagoya University, Japan, recently showed how to do this, through graphene-diamond junctions that mimic some of the human brain’s functions.

But, why would scientists try to emulate the human brain? Today, existing computer architectures are subjected to complex data, limiting their processing speed. The human brain, on the other hand, can process highly complex data, such as images, with high efficiency. Scientists have, therefore, tried to build “neuromorphic” architectures that mimic the neural network in the brain.

A phenomenon essential for memory and learning is “synaptic plasticity,” the ability of synapses (neuronal links) to adapt in response to an increased or decreased activity. Scientists have tried to recreate a similar effect using transistors and “memristors” (electronic memory devices whose resistance can be stored). Recently developed light-controlled memristors, or “photomemristors,” can both detect light and provide non-volatile memory, similar to human visual perception and memory. These excellent properties have opened the door to a whole new world of materials that can act as artificial optoelectronic synapses!

Fluctuating light from a black hole, observed over 15 years, has revealed more about the way these enigmatic objects feed.

First, a structure called a corona forms around the outside of the event horizon. Then, powerful jets of plasma launch from the poles, punching material from the corona out into interstellar space at speeds close to that of light in a vacuum.

Continue reading “‘Heartbeat’ of Black Holes Solves Decades-Old Mystery of Plasma Jets” »

In the simplest terms, superconductivity between two or more objects means zero wasted electricity. It means electricity is being transferred between these objects with no loss of energy.

Many naturally occurring elements and minerals like lead and mercury have superconducting properties. And there are modern applications that currently use materials with superconducting properties, including MRI machines, maglev trains, electric motors and generators.

Usually, superconductivity in materials happens in low-temperature environments or at high temperatures at very high pressures. The holy grail of superconductivity today is to find or create materials that can transfer energy between each other in a non-pressurized room-temperature environment.

The ongoing interaction between two galaxies 320 million light-years away has been captured in a gorgeous Hubble image.

They’re collectively known as Arp 282 in Halton Arp’s Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies, and they consist of a large barred spiral galaxy named NGC 169, about 140,000 light-years across, and a much smaller polar-ring galaxy named IC 1,559, which is about 40,000 light-years across.

Continue reading “Sublime New Hubble Image Reveals a Thrilling Exchange Between Two Galaxies” »

In the endless quest to pack more energy into batteries without increasing their weight or volume, one especially promising technology is the solid-state battery. In these batteries, the usual liquid electrolyte that carries charges back and forth between the electrodes is replaced with a solid electrolyte layer. Such batteries could potentially not only deliver twice as much energy for their size, they also could virtually eliminate the fire hazard associated with today’s lithium-ion batteries.

But one thing has held back solid-state batteries: Instabilities at the boundary between the solid electrolyte layer and the two electrodes on either side can dramatically shorten the lifetime of such batteries. Some studies have used special coatings to improve the bonding between the layers, but this adds the expense of extra coating steps in the fabrication process. Now, a team of researchers at MIT and Brookhaven National Laboratory have come up with a way of achieving results that equal or surpass the durability of the coated surfaces, but with no need for any coatings.

The new method simply requires eliminating any carbon dioxide present during a critical manufacturing step, called sintering, where the battery materials are heated to create bonding between the cathode and electrolyte layers, which are made of ceramic compounds. Even though the amount of carbon dioxide present is vanishingly small in air, measured in parts per million, its effects turn out to be dramatic and detrimental. Carrying out the sintering step in pure oxygen creates bonds that match the performance of the best coated surfaces, without that extra cost of the coating, the researchers say.

[Kurt Schaefer] was watching YouTube videos of people making molds for injection molding purposes using what he considered to be the toy 3,018 CNC machines, and looking at the results, decided he needed a piece of the action. However, once you have molds, the next obvious issue to address is lack of access to an injection molding machine. But these things are expensive. As luck would have it, you can get a nice-looking pneumatic press for less than $350, and with a little more money spent, [Kurt] found he could convert it into a functional injection molding machine (video, embedded below), and get some half-decent results out of it.

After ordering the press on eBay, what eventually arrived was quite a mess, having clearly been inadequately packed for its weight, and had sustained some damage in transit. Despite this, it seemed the functional bits were fine, so [Kurt] decided to press on with the build. The first obvious change is the requirement of a heated chamber to deal with the feedstock material. Using an off-the-shelf injection molding chamber by buster beagle 3D, only a few standoffs and a support bracket needed machining in order to complete the mechanics. A common PID controller available from the usual suppliers, with some heat bands wrapped around the chamber, dealt with the injection temperature requirements, and some 3D printed enclosures wrapped it all up neatly.

Continue reading “DIY Injection Molder Built From A Cheap Pneumatic Press” »

Because of their ease of use, functionality and material compatibility, 3D pens are becoming increasingly popular in the additive manufacturing market. Based on the FDM process, 3D pens are for some an alternative to desktop 3D printers, although the finishes are not as precise. Indeed, they allow users to manufacture all kinds of parts by letting their imagination and creativity run free, at a relatively affordable price. Polaroid has joined the market with its new 3D pen called “Candy Play”, which allows users to create candies from edible filaments.

With an elegant design and ergonomics, the 3D pen adapts to any hand shape according to the manufacturer. For example, the shape of Candy Play and the position of the buttons have been designed in a way to make the handling pleasant and natural. Additionally, its features mean that Candy Play 3D pen can be used by both right and left-handed people. As said before, Polaroid’s 3D pen does not use conventional thermoplastics, but edible filaments. And for those who are concerned about the sugar content of the filaments, it’s not a problem! Polaroid specifies that even if its filaments have different flavors, they are all sugar-free.

Astronomers have discovered a pair of supermassive black holes that whirl around each other every two years.

A team of astronomers has caught two supermassive black holes in the process of merging. It’s only the second time we’ve observed such a close cosmic tango and this pair are even more tightly entwined than the first duo, offering unique insights into how such mergers unfold.

The black holes in question sit some 9 billion light-years away in the heart of a distant galaxy. As one of them gorges on surrounding material, it creates a radio jet that just so happens to be pointing directly at Earth. Such objects, which we call blazars, are volatile, typically flaring and dimming randomly.

Please friends how true is this?

Electricity generated from human walking and vehicles on the road can power road lights and signals.