Lifeboat Foundation

Stefan Thomas really could have used a quantum computer this year.

The German-born programmer and crypto trader forgot the password to unlock his digital wallet, which contains 7002 bitcoin, now worth $265 million. Quantum computers, which will be several million times faster than traditional computers, could have easily helped him crack the code.

Though quantum computing is still very much in its infancy, governments and private-sector companies such as Microsoft and Google are working to make it a reality. Within a decade, quantum computers could be powerful enough to break the cryptographic security that protects cell phones, bank accounts, email addresses and — yes — bitcoin wallets.

Circa 2017 could be used on smartphones to scan the body for illnesses.

Medical techniques for looking inside our bodies have come a long way, but in the future it looks like doctors may be able to see absolutely everything going on under our skin.

Researchers have invented a new kind of camera that can actually see through structures inside the human body, detecting light sources behind as much as 20 centimetres (7.9 inches) of bodily tissue.

Continue reading “A Completely New Type of Camera Can Actually See Through The Human Body” »

Mapping how humans move will help in future pandemics.

How people move around cities follows a predictable and universal pattern, scientist say, which will be crucial not only for urban planning but also controlling pandemics.

By analysing mobile-phone tracking data from across four continents, the team confirmed that people visit places more often when they don’t have to travel far to get there.

Continue reading “New universal law of human mobility” »

Harvard University researchers have made a breakthrough in battery tech: a long-lasting solid-state lithium battery.

“A lithium-metal battery is considered the holy grail for battery chemistry,” researcher Xin Li told the Harvard Gazette.

Strong, cheaper, faster: Most of today’s electric vehicles (EVs) are powered by lithium-ion batteries, the same type of battery you’ll find in your laptop or smartphone.

Soon, the majority of portable PCs won’t need to be equipped with an ugly barrel jack and a proprietary power brick to charge. The USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) has just announced that it’s more than doubling the amount of power you can send over a USB-C cable to 240 watts, which means you’ll eventually be able to plug in the same kind of multipurpose USB-C cable you currently use on lightweight laptops, tablets, and phones to charge all but the beefiest gaming laptops.

Extended Power Range.

Amazing: 3

The President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid at the Tartu University laboratory. Photo: Mattias Tammet / Office of the President of the Republic of Estonia.

As the world is running out of lithium, planet-friendlier batteries are waiting to hit the market. We are using up lithium, the essential metal in rechargeable batteries. Some experts estimate that there won’t be any lithium left by 2035, and some say that it may already disappear within four years. Who should lose sleep over this? Anyone with a smartphone, a laptop or an electric car. Without lithium, they would have to be plugged in at all times.

Continue reading “Tartu researchers are turning soil into batteries” »

An iPhone app that estimates biological aging discovered that life expectancy has the capacity to be almost double the current norm.

GEYLANG, Singapore — Have you made any plans for the 22nd century yet? A new study finds you might want to think about it because it’s possible for humans to live to see their 150th birthday!

Scientists in Singapore have developed an iPhone app that accurately estimates biological aging. It discovered that life expectancy has the capacity to be almost double the current norm. The findings are based on blood samples from hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and United Kingdom.

Continue reading “You can live to 150? Scientists create app that shows human lifespan could nearly double” »

It may not look nice, but maybe it can help prevent accidents. 😃

It’s generally good to watch where you’re going while out walking around, but if you’re someone who just can’t resist a glance at your phone – or a full scrolling session – then this industrial design student’s third eye is for you.

Continue reading “Robotic ‘Third Eye’ Lets You Walk Safely While Looking At Your Phone” »

Tune in to find out about how we’re furthering our mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.

0:00 Opening Film.
1:26 Introduction, Sundar Pichai.
7:07 Workspace.
34:54 Safer With Google.
43:00 Helpful Information.
1:13:30 Design + Android.
1:41:29 Health.
1:50:43 Sustainability.

Continue reading “Google Keynote (Google I/O ‘21)” »