Lifeboat Foundation

They believe the process could take roughly a quadrillion years.

A team of astronomers discovered a star that is gradually crystallizing into an enormous diamond. Scientists believe it is at the beginning of a process that takes roughly a quadrillion years, a report from Space.com reveals. As the universe is 13.6 billion years old, no star has ever fully crystallized.

The discovery sheds new light on the evolution of stars as they gradually transform over time.

Continue reading “Astronomers observe white dwarf star transforming into massive celestial diamond” »

The AI Act could be set in motion as early as the end of the year.

On Wednesday, the European Parliament voted on its negotiating position on the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act with 499 votes in favor, 28 against and 93 abstentions, according to a press release by the organization.

The statement said that “the rules would ensure that AI developed and used in Europe is fully in line with EU rights and values including human oversight, safety, privacy, transparency, non-discrimination and social and environmental wellbeing.”

The company now plans to power its quantum computers with a minimum of 127 qubits.

IBM’s Eagle quantum computer has outperformed a conventional supercomputer when solving complex mathematical calculations. This is also the first demonstration of a quantum computer providing accurate results at a scale of 100+ qubits, a company press release said.

Continue reading “IBM’s Eagle quantum computer just beat a supercomputer at complex math” »

An AI photo company promises to ‘cut out the need for expensive photographers’ by providing a cost-effective way to generate images.

Psilocybin is a serotonergic psychedelic with untapped therapeutic potential. There are hints that the use of psychedelics can produce neural adaptations, although the extent and timescale of the impact in a mammalian brain are unknown. In this study, we used chronic two-photon microscopy to image longitudinally the apical dendritic spines of layer 5 pyramidal neurons in the mouse medial frontal cortex. We found that a single dose of psilocybin led to ∼10% increases in spine size and density, driven by an elevated spine formation rate. The structural remodeling occurred quickly within 24 h and was persistent 1 month later. Psilocybin also ameliorated stress-related behavioral deficit and elevated excitatory neurotransmission. Overall, the results demonstrate that psilocybin-evoked synaptic rewiring in the cortex is fast and enduring, potentially providing a structural trace for long-term integration of experiences and lasting beneficial actions.

Psilocybin is a classical psychedelic that shows promise as a treatment for depression. Shao et al. show that psilocybin administration leads to long-lasting modifications to the neural architecture in mice. The increases in the density and strength of neuronal connections may underlie the enduring behavioral effects of the compound.

Healthy cells work hard to maintain the integrity of our DNA, but occasionally, a chromosome can get separated from the others and break apart during cell division. The tiny fragments of DNA then get reassembled in random order in the new cell, sometimes producing cancerous gene mutations.

This chromosomal shattering and rearranging is called “chromothripsis” and occurs in the majority of human cancers, especially cancers of the bones, brain and fatty tissue. Chromothripsis was first described just over a decade ago, but scientists did not understand how the floating pieces of DNA were able to be put back together.

In a study published in Nature, researchers at University of California San Diego have answered this question, discovering that the shattered DNA fragments are actually tethered together. This allows them to travel as one during cell division and be re-encapsulated by one of the new daughter cells, where they are reassembled in a different order.

Colon cancer screening | Colonoscopy.

0:00 Introduction.
0:24 What is colon cancer.
0:56 Risk factors of colon cancer.
1:47 Signs and symptoms of colon cancer.
4:36 Late stage colon cancer Signs and symptoms.
5:03 How to prevent colorectal cancer.

Continue reading “Colon Cancer Symptoms | Colorectal Cancer | 10 warning signs of Colon Cancer | Colon Cancer” »

Once in the hands of NASA scientists, the photos were turned into panoramic images. Color was also added to the photos, creating what NASA referred to as a “postcard,” and further emphasizing the difference between the two times the photos were taken.

The panoramic postcard shows a number of Mars landmarks, including “Marker Band Valley,” where Curiosity once found evidence that there may have been a lake on the site, and two hills named “Bolivar” and “Deepdale.” At the edge of the photo is the rim of the Gale Crater, which Curiosity is currently exploring. Because the photograph was taken on a clear day, Curiosity’s image even shows a mountain that is 54 miles from the edge of the crater.