Artificial Intelligence Discovers Alternative Physics

A new Columbia University AI program observed physical phenomena and uncovered relevant variables—a necessary precursor to any physics theory. But the variables it discovered were unexpected.

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Google's DeepMind has predicted the structure of almost every protein known to science

DeepMind says its AlphaFold tool has successfully predicted the structure of nearly all proteins known to science. From today, the Alphabet-owned AI lab is offering its database of over 200 million proteins to anyone for free.

The expanded database could act as an important resource for scientists, helping them to better understand diseases. It could also speed innovation in drug discovery and biology. 

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Today Is 'Overshoot Day', And That's Not a Good Thing

Humankind marks a dubious milestone Thursday, the day by which humanity has consumed all Earth can sustainably produce for this year, with NGOs warning the rest of 2022 will be lived in resource deficit.

The date – dubbed "Earth Overshoot Day" – marks a tipping point when people have used up "all that ecosystems can regenerate in one year", according to the Global Footprint Network and WWF.

"From January 1 to July 28, humanity has used as much from nature as the planet can renew in the entire year. That's why July 28 is Earth Overshoot Day," said Mathis Wackernagel, president of the Global Footprint Network.

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Strange Moon Pits Could Have Temperatures Comfortable Enough For Humans to Live In

The temperature on the Moon can vary from boiling to freezing depending on whether it's night or day, but scientists think there might well be sheltered pits and caves where the temperature is quite reasonable – no matter what time it is.

In such spots, the temperature hovers around 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit), according to new calculations. They could be the perfect locations for establishing base camps to explore the rest of the lunar surface.

They might also offer some protection against small meteorites and even the harmful solar radiation coming from the Sun. With a comfortable base, future Moon settlers could focus on other endeavors – like growing food or carrying out research.

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Progress toward a stem cell–based therapy for blindness

What if, in people with blinding retinal disorders, one could simply introduce into the retina healthy photoreceptor cells derived in a dish from stem cells, and restore sight?

It's a tantalizingly straightforward strategy to curing blindness, yet the approach has been met with a number of scientific roadblocks, including introduced cells dying rapidly or failing to integrate with the retina.

A new study, published in Stem Cell Reports, overcomes these challenges and marks significant progress toward a cell-based therapy.

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Scientists May Have Found a Key Shift Between The Brains of Humans And Neanderthals

Scientists experimenting on mice have found evidence that key parts of the modern human brain take more time to develop than those of our long extinct cousin, the Neanderthal.

Like the hare and the tortoise, slow and steady is the winner here. The extra time is caused by protein differences that also appear to reduce chromosome errors, ultimately resulting in a healthier, more robust population.

The study's results imply that this step in the development of our neocortex (the wrinkled outer layer responsible for higher order thinking) plays a role in protecting us from disease, a feature Neanderthals appear to be missing.

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Zebrafish Can Repair a Damaged Heart, And a New Study Reveals How

Zebrafish are marvelous creatures. Not only are they completely see-through, but they can also grow new organs. We already knew these translucent little fish could regenerate retinal tissue in their eyes – now new research shows how zebrafish can revive heart tissue after injury.

"We wanted to find out how this little fish does that, and if we could learn from it,"

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Children who lack sleep may experience detrimental impact on brain and cognitive development that persists over time.

Research finds getting less than nine hours of sleep nightly associated with cognitive difficulties, mental problems, and less gray matter in certain brain regions

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Chinese booster rocket makes uncontrolled return to Earth

Objects generate immense amounts of heat and friction when they enter the atmosphere, which can cause them to burn up and disintegrate. But larger ones such as the Long March-5B may not be destroyed entirely.

In 2020, debris from another Chinese rocket fell on villages in the Ivory Coast, causing structural damage but no injuries or deaths.

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Pinpointing consciousness in animal brains using a mouse 'brain map'

Science may be one step closer to understanding where consciousness resides in the brain. A new study shows the importance of certain types of neural connections in identifying consciousness.

"Where in the brain consciousness resides has been one of the biggest questions in science," said Associate Professor Masafumi Oizumi, corresponding author and head of the lab conducting the study. "Although we have not reached a conclusive answer, much empirical evidence has been accumulated in the course of searching for the minimal mechanisms sufficient for conscious experience, or the neural correlates of consciousness."

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We Must Start Preparing Now For How Climate Change Might End Civilization, Says Report

Speculating over humanity's demise is a sport we humans have enjoyed since forever. We build religions on our eschatological hopes, weave fiction out of our dystopian fears, and even write songs about the end of the world as we know it.

So it's surprising that in the midst of an escalating global climate crisis, one that impacts everything from the health of individuals to the sustainability of entire ecosystems and their resources, potential global catastrophes are so underexplored.

A report published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences argues it's high time we start taking worst-case scenarios seriously and come up with a solid game plan on what happens if – or indeed, when – our current way of life collapses.

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Turn the lights up 💡

Check out the Cartwheel Galaxy as seen by NASAHubble in visible light and Webb in infrared. Complimentary views from complementary telescopes!

Download both images in full-resolution:
Hubble: https://bit.ly/3zjWjvO
Webb: https://bit.ly/3oV7lmd
Source: @NASAWebb

Cartwheel Galaxy (NIRCam and MIRI Composite Image)

This image of the Cartwheel and its companion galaxies is a composite from Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), which reveals details that are difficult to see in the individual images alone.

This galaxy formed as the result of a high-speed collision that occurred about 400 million years ago. The Cartwheel is composed of two rings, a bright inner ring and a colorful outer ring. Both rings expand outward from the center of the collision like shockwaves.

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⁣⁣Solar storm will hit Earth Today (Aug. 3)

High-speed solar winds from a "hole" in the sun's atmosphere are set to hit Earth's magnetic field Today (Aug 3.), triggering a minor G-1 geomagnetic storm.

As a G1 geomagnetic storm, it has the potential to cause minor fluctuations in power grids and impact some satellite functions — including those for mobile devices and GPS systems. It will also bring the aurora as far south as Michigan and Maine in the US.

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Curiosity turns 10 today! This curious robot set out to answer a big question: Could Mars have supported ancient life? Scientists have determined the answer is yes, and they’ve been working to learn more about the planet’s past habitable environment.
Source: @NASAJPL