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Apr 25, 2021

Have dark bosons been spotted in ytterbium isotopes?

Posted by in category: particle physics

Circa 2020 o.o


Independent spectroscopy studies give equivocal results.

Apr 25, 2021

Geothermal Energy Could Provide All the Energy the World Will Ever Need

Posted by in category: energy

Circa 2010


Norway — There is a solution for the world’s insatiable energy needs. It is CO2-free and safe. And it’s located right under our feet.

Ever since Jules Verne wrote in 1864 about a trip to the Earth’s interior, people have dreamed of bringing up heat from the centre of the planet. So far we have only scratched the surface, but researchers are now beginning to work down into the depths.

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Apr 25, 2021

Axion particle production in a laser-induced dynamical spacetime

Posted by in category: particle physics

We consider the dynamics of a charged particle (e.g., an electron) oscillating in a laser field in flat spacetime and describe it in terms of the variable mass metric. By applying Einstein’s equivalence principle, we show that, after representing the electron motion in a time-dependent manner, the variable mass metric takes the form of the Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker metric. We quantize a pseudo-scalar field in this spacetime and derive the production rate of electrically neutral, spinless particles. We show that this approach can provide an alternative experimental method to axion searches.

Apr 25, 2021

Cosmism: Russia’s religion for the rocket age

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, space travel, transhumanism

This brave new world seeks to meld space and cyber-space. For both Immortalists and Transhumanists, the human personality lies in the brain, which can live eternally if “uploaded” onto a computer, a favoured theme of science fiction writers. The company Neuralink aims to provide brain-machine interfaces which merge human consciousness and artificial intelligence – helping humans “stay relevant” in a world dominated by AI.


On 28 December 1903, during a particularly harsh Russian winter, a pauper died of pneumonia on a trunk he had rented in a room full of destitute strangers. Nikolai Fyodorov died in obscurity, and he remains almost unknown in the West, yet in life he was celebrated by Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoevsky, and by a devoted group of disciples – one of whom is credited with winning the Space Race for the Soviet Union.

Now, just as he prophesied, Fyodorov is living a strange afterlife. He has become an icon for transhumanists worldwide and a spiritual guide for interplanetary exploration.

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Apr 24, 2021

Z-Pinch fusion-based nuclear propulsion

Posted by in categories: military, nuclear energy, space

Circa 2013


Fusion-based nuclear propulsion has the potential to enable fast interplanetary transportation. Due to the great distances between the planets of our solar system and the harmful radiation environment of interplanetary space, high specific impulse (Isp) propulsion in vehicles with high payload mass fractions must be developed to provide practical and safe vehicles for human space flight missions.

The Z-Pinch dense plasma focus method is a Magneto-Inertial Fusion (MIF) approach that may potentially lead to a small, low cost fusion reactor/engine assembly [1]. Recent advancements in experimental and theoretical understanding of this concept suggest favorable scaling of fusion power output yield [2]. The magnetic field resulting from the large current compresses the plasma to fusion conditions, and this process can be pulsed over short timescales (10−6 s). This type of plasma formation is widely used in the field of Nuclear Weapons Effects testing in the defense industry, as well as in fusion energy research. A Z-Pinch propulsion concept was designed for a vehicle based on a previous fusion vehicle study called “Human Outer Planet Exploration” (HOPE), which used Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) [3] propulsion.

Apr 24, 2021

This artist is wearing a mini-greenhouse on his head

Posted by in category: futurism

Click on photo to start video.

Inspired by the lush oases in Tunisia, a Belgian artist has developed a ‘portable oasis’, cocooning his head in a bubble of air purified by the aromatic plants inside https://reut.rs/3apLI6G

Apr 24, 2021

Hoverboard Test! (Part 2/2)

Posted by in categories: energy, engineering, media & arts, transportation

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Apr 24, 2021

Physics of DNA –“In Each of Us Lies a Message, Its Beginnings Lost in the Mists of Time”

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, food

Physics of DNA —“In Each of Us Lies a Message, Its Beginnings Lost in the Mists of Time” | The Daily Galaxy.


“At one time,” writes science-fiction author Dennis E. Taylor in We Are Legion (We Are Bob), “we thought that the way life came together was almost completely random, only needing an energy gradient to get going. But as we’ve moved into the information age, we’ve come to realize that life is more about information than energy. Fire has most of the characteristics of life. It eats, it grows, it reproduces. But fire retains no information. It doesn’t learn; it doesn’t adapt. The five millionth fire started by lightning will behave just like the first. But the five hundredth bacterial division will not be like the first one, especially if there is environmental pressure. That’s DNA. And RNA. That’s life.”

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Apr 24, 2021

A strategy to rejuvenate dead lithium inside batteries

Posted by in categories: chemistry, computing, mobile phones

Li-ion batteries and other emerging lithium-based battery technologies are currently used to power a wide range of devices, including smartphones, laptops, tablets and cameras. Despite their advantages, batteries containing lithium do not always retain their performance over time.

One of the main reasons for the performance decay observed in some Li-based batteries is that the lithium contained within them sometimes becomes inactive or “dead.” This “dead lithium” can cause capacity decay and thermal runaway, which can ultimately reduce a battery’s lifespan and impair its performance.

Researchers at Zhejiang University of Technology in China and Argonne National Laboratory in the U.S. have recently devised a strategy to restore inactive lithium in Li anodes. This strategy, outlined in a paper published in Nature Energy, is based on a chemical reaction known as iodine redox.

Apr 24, 2021

Death, life, and meaning walk into a bar… — YouTube

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, life extension, media & arts

With some unfortunate scifi examples.


What is it that gives meaning to your life? Is death necessary to give life meaning? Nicola is not quite convinced of that, and in this episode, he’ll tell you why along with why he’d like a longer life in good health instead.

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