Lifeboat Foundation

Here’s why water bears could help us withstand nuclear warfare.

More than 60 scientists work to convert research into practical applications too.

The government of China has provided funding to set up a leading laboratory to study brain-machine interfaces, much like Elon Musk’s Neuralink has been working on. The recently inaugurated Sixth Haihe Laboratory in the northeast port city of Tianjin to “drive innovation and create new areas for economic growth”, the South China Morning Post.

Chinese lab to work on brain-machine interfaces

Continue reading “Chinese Neuralink? State-funded lab to work on brain-machine interaction in China” »

The permafrost of east Eurasian mountains is slowly melting away, helping to reveal the buried bodies of the much-feared Mongol Empire – as well as their unquenchable thirst for yak milk.

New research has studied the remains of a cemetery at the so-called Khorig site, located high in the Khovsgol mountains. Dating suggests that the cemetery was operating in the 13th century starting around the time of the Mongol Empire’s unification in 1,206 CE.

This was the year when the infamous Genghis Khan was proclaimed the ruler of all Mongols. With the help of a fearless horseback army, he launched a series of bloody military campaigns across Asia, laying the foundations for the largest contiguous land empire in history that spanned from the Pacific coast of Asia to Eastern Europe. The world was never the same again.

Artificial Intelligence is here to stay. How it is being applied—and, perhaps more importantly, regulated—are now the crucial questions to ask. Walter Isaacson speaks with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt about A.I.’s impact on life, politics, and warfare, as well as what can be done to keep it under control.

Originally aired on March 23, 2023.

Continue reading “Fmr. Google CEO Eric Schmidt on the Consequences of an A.I. Revolution | Amanpour and Company” »

The growing presence of Russian submarines off the coast of the United States has sparked Cold War comparisons from military observers and a retired NATO admiral.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been set on expanding Russia’s underwater capabilities. Over the past several years, Moscow has been producing a series of submarines that have the capability to reach the most critical targets in the U.S. or continental Europe.

China kicked off three days of military drills and ‘combat readiness patrols’ around the island on Saturday, just days after the Taiwanese president met the U.S. House speaker.

After Watching “The Undeclared War” and reading about the documents leaked from the Pentagon this week I’m not surprised to hear about the creation of a Cyber Force military branch.

The U.S. is considering a 7th branch of its armed services to combat cyberthreats on Earth and in space.

Both advocates and critics of generative AI have compared it to the atom bomb. Here’s where that comparison breaks down.

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health threat, ranked as one of the top 10 by the World Health Organization. Every year, in the United States alone, nearly 3 million people are infected by drug-resistant bacteria and fungi, resulting in the death of around 35,000. While antibiotics are crucial in treating infections, overuse has led to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. These infections pose a significant challenge to treatment.

Now, Professor John E. Moses of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has developed a new weapon to combat drug-resistant superbugs – an innovative antibiotic that has the ability to shape-shift by rearranging its atoms.

Moses came up with the idea of shape-shifting antibiotics while observing tanks in military training exercises. With rotating turrets and nimble movements, the tanks could respond quickly to possible threats.