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Jan 8, 2021

Primordial black holes and the search for dark matter from the multiverse

Posted by in categories: cosmology, particle physics

Such primordial black holes (PBHs) could account for all or part of dark matter, be responsible for some of the observed gravitational waves signals, and seed supermassive black holes found in the center of our Galaxy and other galaxies. They could also play a role in the synthesis of heavy elements when they collide with neutron stars and destroy them, releasing neutron-rich material. In particular, there is an exciting possibility that the mysterious dark matter, which accounts for most of the matter in the universe, is composed of primordial black holes. The 2020 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to a theorist, Roger Penrose, and two astronomers, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez, for their discoveries that confirmed the existence of black holes. Since black holes are known to exist in nature, they make a very appealing candidate for dark matter.

The recent progress in fundamental theory, astrophysics, and astronomical observations in search of PBHs has been made by an international team of particle physicists, cosmologists and astronomers, including Kavli IPMU members Alexander Kusenko, Misao Sasaki, Sunao Sugiyama, Masahiro Takada and Volodymyr Takhistov.

To learn more about primordial black holes, the research team looked at the early universe for clues. The early universe was so dense that any positive density fluctuation of more than 50 percent would create a black hole. However, cosmological perturbations that seeded galaxies are known to be much smaller. Nevertheless, a number of processes in the early universe could have created the right conditions for the black holes to form.

Jan 8, 2021

SpaceX Dragon Capsule to Make First of Its Kind Science Splashdown

Posted by in categories: science, space travel

By capsule, helicopter, boat, plane, and car, space station science experiments are about to make a first of a kind journey back to researchers on Earth.

Jan 8, 2021

Do we have to age?

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, life extension

Once, at a friend’s wedding, he left a group of guests mildly incensed for suggesting that near-future humans might live well into their 100s. A similar thing happens at dinner parties, where the responses are more polite but no less sceptical. Eventually, he says, “I think we are very likely to have a drug that treats ageing in the next 10 years.” Steele believes we will be hopelessly unlucky if scientists don’t make a breakthrough within that time, given how many human trials are in progress or upcoming. And although these breakthroughs won’t result in treatments that extend our lives by 100 years, they will give us enough extra time to ensure we’re alive for subsequent breakthroughs, subsequent treatments, subsequent additions in lifespan and so on.


The biologist Andrew Steele thinks ageing is a disease that can be treated. But if we had a cure for getting old, what would that mean for us?

Jan 8, 2021

Topic: Space policyModerator-Sharif Uddin Ahmed Rana (Ph

Posted by in categories: economics, policy, space

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hg1UWKJtbo

D. MBA) MalaysiaPresident, World Talent Economy Forum (WTEF)


Topic: Space policy.

Moderator-Sharif Uddin Ahmed Rana (Ph. D. MBA) Malaysia.

Continue reading “Topic: Space policyModerator-Sharif Uddin Ahmed Rana (Ph” »

Jan 8, 2021

Sustainability in the 21st century

Posted by in categories: economics, sustainability

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUzAH_pVni4&feature=share

Moderator-Sharif Uddin Ahmed Rana (Ph. D. MBA) Malaysia.

President, World Talent Economy Forum (WTEF)

Jan 8, 2021

Brett Vaughan — U.S. Navy Chief AI Officer and AI Portfolio Manager, Office of Naval Research

Posted by in categories: government, military, robotics/AI, satellites, surveillance

U.S. Navy Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, and AI Portfolio Manager, Office of Naval Research.


Brett Vaughan is the U.S. Navy Chief Artificial Intelligence (AI) Officer and AI Portfolio Manager at the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

Continue reading “Brett Vaughan — U.S. Navy Chief AI Officer and AI Portfolio Manager, Office of Naval Research” »

Jan 8, 2021

Rare quadruple-helix DNA found in living human cells with glowing probes

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

New probes allow scientists to see four-stranded DNA interacting with molecules inside living human cells, unraveling its role in cellular processes.

DNA usually forms the classic double helix shape of two strands wound around each other. While DNA can form some more exotic shapes in test tubes, few are seen in real living cells.

However, four-stranded DNA, known as G-quadruplex, has recently been seen forming naturally in . Now, in new research published today in Nature Communications, a team led by Imperial College London scientists have created new probes that can see how G-quadruplexes are interacting with other inside living cells.

Jan 8, 2021

Future astronauts could use methane to make rocket fuel on Mars

Posted by in categories: energy, space

How will future astronauts get back home to Earth from Mars? According to a new study, they could make rocket fuel from the methane that’s already on the Red Planet.

Jan 8, 2021

Five ways to make AI a greater force for good in 2021

Posted by in categories: ethics, law enforcement, robotics/AI

At the same time, there was indeed more action. In one major victory, Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM banned or suspended their sale of face recognition to law enforcement, after the killing of George Floyd spurred global protests against police brutality. It was the culmination of two years of fighting by researchers and civil rights activists to demonstrate the ineffective and discriminatory effects of the companies’ technologies. Another change was small yet notable: for the first time ever, NeurIPS, one of the most prominent AI research conferences, required researchers to submit an ethics statement with their papers.

So here we are at the start of 2021, with more public and regulatory attention on AI’s influence than ever before. My New Year’s resolution: Let’s make it count. Here are five hopes that I have for AI in the coming year.

Jan 8, 2021

Processing images of the cosmos and returning to the Moon

Posted by in category: alien life

Take a look at space image processing, and try it yourself. Plus, catch up on the week’s space news.

Explore space art created by members of The Planetary Society’s community, and learn about a possible alien signal.