Lifeboat Foundation

The Newtonian laws of physics explain the behavior of objects in the everyday physical world, such as an apple falling from a tree. For hundreds of years Newton provided a complete answer until the work of Einstein introduced the concept of relativity. The discovery of relativity did not suddenly prove Newton wrong, relativistic corrections are only required at speeds above about 67 million mph. Instead, improving technology allowed both more detailed observations and techniques for analysis that then required explanation. While most of the consequences of a Newtonian model are intuitive, much of relativity is not and is only approachable though complex equations, modeling, and highly simplified examples.

In this issue, Korman et al.¹ provide data from a model of the second gas effect on arterial partial pressures of volatile anesthetic agents. Most readers might wonder what this information adds, some will struggle to remember what the second gas effect is, and others will query the value of modeling rather than “real data.” This editorial attempts to address these questions.

The second gas effect² is a consequence of the concentration effect³ where a “first gas” that is soluble in plasma, such as nitrous oxide, moves rapidly from the lungs to plasma. This increases the alveolar concentration and hence rate of uptake into plasma of the “second gas.” The second gas is typically a volatile anesthetic, but oxygen also behaves as a second gas.⁴ Although we frequently talk of inhalational kinetics as a single process, there are multiple steps between dialing up a concentration and the consequent change in effect. The key steps are transfer from the breathing circuit to alveolar gas, from the alveoli to plasma, and then from plasma to the “effect-site.” Separating the two steps between breathing circuit and plasma helps us understand both the second gas effect and the message underlying the paper by Korman et al.¹

DisplayPort Alt Mode 2.0 is a new standard from the Video Electronics Standards Association that allows USB 4 to offer all the bells and whistles of the DisplayPort 2.0 standard as well as transmitting USB data. That means support for 8K displays at 60Hz with HDR, 4K displays at 144Hz with HDR, or even 16K (15360×8460) displays at 60Hz with compression. It’s a big step towards USB Type-C becoming a true jack-of-all trades connector.

The USB 4 spec can already transmit DisplayPort data, but AnandTech reports that the new standard remaps USB-C’s high speed data pins to unlock more bandwidth for video. USB 4 is bidirectional, meaning it can carry up to 40Gbps of data in either direction. However, video doesn’t need to go both ways — you only really need data to pass from your laptop to your monitor (for example). This alt mode means that all that bandwidth can be used to just send video one way, meaning you get a maximum raw bandwidth of up to 80Gbps.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pORZsBXJ2us&feature=youtu.be

“Everybody here’s been vaccinated anyway”

“It’s a hoax”

Continue reading “Fox News John Roberts & New York Times Caught on Hot Mic Discussing COVID-19 as a Hoax & Vaccinated” »

What are some of ways that technology can be used to combat things like racism, bipartisan politics, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and extreme prejudice? Especially when these things are systemically embedded in certain cultures to the point that rationality seems to fly out the window? I see conversations on social media in peaceful international groups such as this one as a great potential stepping stone to mediate the tension between groups who seem to be devoted to blind hatred for one another. What are some other ways technology can advance social and political sciences?

“This article analyzes the narratives of Islamophobia in Hindu Nationalism (Hindutva). Specifically, it analyzes how Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, from the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), articulates Islamophobia in his speeches, interviews, and podcasts. In total, a discourse analysis of 35 such documents has been conducted. Conceptually, this article applies the notion of language-games to understand how Modi articulates Islamophobia. The article contends that while Modi’s Islamophobia is executed subtly, it is nonetheless a function of the way in which Hindutva conceives of Muslims as subordinate to Hindus. Two Islamophobic narratives in Modi’s political discourse have been mapped out: the erasure of Indian Muslim histories in Modi’s economic development agenda, and the characterization of Hinduism as having a taming effect on Islam in India. The article provides a conceptual overview of language-games and a review of how Hindutva defines Hindus and Muslims, before analyzing how Modi articulates Islamophobia. The article concludes by suggesting that a Hindutva-driven Islamophobia may have permeated into the Hindu mainstream.”

Japanese researchers find nitrogen-rich organic molecules in an ancient meteorite.

That’s how you do it.

Los Angeles became the first major city in the US to offer free coronavirus tests to every resident — even ones not experiencing symptoms, officials announced Wednesday.

Under the program, which also applies to everyone residing in all of Los Angeles County, those with symptoms including fever, cough and shortness of breath, and front-line workers will still be prioritized, Mayor Eric Garcetti said on Twitter.

Continue reading “Los Angeles is first major US city to offer free coronavirus tests to all residents” »

This is the first in a series of five stories exploring the global backlash that China may face as a result of its actions and rhetoric during the coronavirus pandemic. The first story examines the push by foreign powers to bring home production of some goods, particularly vital medical equipment and medicines, due to an overreliance on China exposed by the pandemic.

The coronavirus has again highlighted an over-reliance on China, with the United States, Japan and the European Union drawing up separate plans to lure their companies away. Illustration: Adolfo Arranz.

People with cancer show no serious side effects after treatment with gene-edited immune cells.

Bad news.

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has ruled that artificial intelligence systems cannot be credited as an inventor in a patent, the agency announced earlier this week. The decision came in response to two patents — one for a food container and the other for a flashing light — that were created by an AI system called DABUS.

Among the USPTO’s arguments is the fact that US patent law repeatedly refers to inventors using humanlike terms such as “whoever” and pronouns like “himself” and “herself.” The group behind the applications had argued that the law’s references to an inventor as an “individual” could be applied to a machine, but the USPTO said this interpretation was too broad. “Under current law, only natural persons may be named as an inventor in a patent application,” the agency concluded.

Continue reading “US patent office rules that artificial intelligence cannot be a legal inventor” »