Lifeboat Foundation

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh in collaboration with Magee Women’s Research Institute are developing a nasal spray that they say can possibly prevent a coronavirus infection.

The active ingredient used in the nasal spray is a protein called Q-Griffithsin, which is extracted from algae and tobacco plants. The researchers believe that this protein molecule will bind to the coronavirus and prevent it from infecting healthy cells.

The protein molecule was originally developed to potentially prevent several other infections. Animal studies revealed that Q-Griffithsin worked effectively against MERS, SARS, hepatitis, Ebola, and several other viruses.

Sometime around 6:30PM ET on May 6th, popular iOS apps from major companies like DoorDash, Spotify, TikTok, and Venmo suddenly starting crashing. The culprit didn’t remain a mystery for long.

Developers on Twitter and GitHub quickly discovered the cause to be an issue with the software development kit (SDK) from Facebook, which is interwoven into the operation of countless mobile apps from companies large and small. The problem, while resolved rather quickly by Facebook, illustrates the scope of the social network’s platform and how even minor issues can have major ripple effects throughout the mobile software industry.

“Earlier today, a new release of Facebook included a change that triggered crashes for some users in some apps using the Facebook iOS SDK,” a Facebook spokesperson told The Verge yesterday in a statement. “We identified the issue quickly and resolved it. We apologize for any inconvenience.” The Facebook SDK is a bundle of software tools for developers that helps power features like signing in with a Facebook account and providing share to Facebook buttons. So the issue was not unique to iOS; it could have happened to the Android SDK and, in this case, simply affected Apple’s platform.

In what will surely divide the e-cycling world, Delfast has updated its latest high-speed electric bicycle. The Top 2.0 is a high power, 50 mph (80 km/h) e-bike that pushes the limits of electric bicycles.

Circa 2011

A remarkable substance extracted from pigs enables the body to regenerate lost tissue, including fingertips and big chunks of muscle. And that may not be all it can do…

Hungarian tech company Platio is expanding the way people can harness solar energy. Its new solar pavers work on home driveways, patios and terraces. Learn more.

Is it possible to escape the slow and steady progression of ageing?

Satellite images suggest North Korea has almost built a facility large enough to store all of its nuclear missiles.

At 500 square feet, ICON’s stylish new structure was 3D-printed over the course of several days—but it only took 27 hours of labor to construct. The building will serve as a welcome center at Austin’s new Community First! Village—a 51-acre development that will provide affordable housing to men and women coming out of chronic homelessness. Six new 3D-printed homes will be added to the village by the end of this year—and ICON says that they can be built at significantly less cost than conventional homes.

A year ago, ICON proved it could 3D print a home you’d actually want to live in. Now, it’s building a cluster of 3D-printed homes for the homeless.

Continue reading “Community First! Village 3D-Printed Affordable Homes” »

Dark-matter device will use a Bose–Einstein condensate of rubidium-87 atoms to search for axions. Plus, the science still isn’t clear on how children spread the coronavirus and the month’s best science images. Dark-matter device will use super-cooled atoms to search for axions. Plus, the science still isn’t clear on how children spread the coronavirus and the month’s best science images.