Lifeboat Foundation

A medieval astronomical instrument discovered entirely by accident has turned out to be a powerful record of cross-cultural scientific collaboration.

The brass astrolabe dates back to 11th century Spain – but was subsequently engraved with annotations and amendments over the centuries, in multiple languages, as changing owners adapted and updated it for their own use.

Continue reading “‘Incredibly Rare’ Astronomical Object Has Markings in Multiple Languages” »

Microtubule cytoskeletons are highly dynamic cellular components that reorganise during the cell cycle.

Microtubule organization and reorganization during the cell cycle are achieved by regulation of the number, distribution and activity of microtubule-organizing centres (MTOCs). In fission yeast, the Mto1/2 complex determines the activity and distribution of cytoplasmic MTOCs. Upon mitosis, cytoplasmic microtubule nucleation ceases; inactivation of the Mto1/2 complex is triggered by Mto2 hyperphosphorylation. However, the protein kinase(s) that phosphorylates Mto2 remains elusive. Here we show that a conserved signalling network, called MOR (morphogenesis Orb6 network) in fission yeast, negatively regulates cytoplasmic MTOCs through Mto2 phosphorylation to ensure proper microtubule organization. Inactivation of Orb6 kinase, the most downstream MOR component, by attenuation of MOR signalling leads to reduced Mto2 phosphorylation, coincident with increased number of both Mto2 puncta and cytoplasmic microtubules. These defects cause the emergence of uncoordinated mitotic cells with cytoplasmic microtubules, resulting in reduced spindle assembly. Thus, the regulation of Mto2 by the MOR is crucial for cytoplasmic microtubule organization and contributes to reorganization of the microtubule cytoskeletons during the cell cycle.

Microtubules are essential for many cellular processes, such as intracellular transport of proteins and organelles, establishment of cell polarity, cell motility and chromosome segregation [1– 5]. In order to facilitate these different processes at appropriate times during the cell cycle and cell differentiation, microtubules are organized into specific arrangements by microtubule-organizing centres (MTOCs) [2, 4, 5]. For instance, in most eukaryotic cells, the MTOC(s) forms polarized microtubule arrays during interphase and these arrays undergo reorganization to form the bipolar spindle in mitosis. This reorganization proceeds rapidly and precisely during the transition between interphase and mitosis and vice versa. However, the regulation mechanisms coupling cytoskeletal changes with the cell cycle are poorly understood.

The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is an excellent model system in which to study cell cycle-dependent microtubule organization by distinct types of MTOCs: the centrosomal MTOC (spindle pole body, SPB) and non-centrosomal MTOCs (interphase MTOC: iMTOC; and equatorial MTOC: eMTOC) [6,7]. During interphase, cytoplasmic microtubules are nucleated from the cytoplasmic face of the SPB, nuclear membrane bound iMTOCs, and pre-existing microtubules to organize a longitudinal array of two to five microtubule bundles [6,7]. During the transition period from interphase to mitosis, nucleation of cytoplasmic microtubules from the iMTOCs ceases and simultaneously intranuclear mitotic spindle microtubules start nucleating from the nucleoplasmic face of the SPB [6,7].

A research team led by the Paul Scherrer Institute has spectroscopically observed the fractionalization of electronic charge in an iron-based metallic ferromagnet. Experimental observation of the phenomenon is not only of fundamental importance. Since it appears in an alloy of common metals at accessible temperatures, it holds potential for future exploitation in electronic devices. The discovery is published in the journal Nature.

Basic quantum mechanics tells us that the fundamental unit of charge is unbreakable: the electron charge is quantized. Yet, we have come to understand that exceptions exist. In some situations, electrons arrange themselves collectively as if they were split into independent entities, each possessing a fraction of the charge.

The fact that charge can be fractionalized is not new: it has been observed experimentally since the early 1980s with the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect. In this, the conductance of a system in which electrons are confined to a two-dimensional plane is observed to be quantized in fractional—rather than integer—units of charge.

We’ve been hearing a lot of rumors about Apple working on multiple foldable devices. While most of them refer to devices similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has now reported that Apple has been actively working on a foldable MacBook.

Details about this future foldable MacBook are unclear at this point. However, Kuo says that the device will have a 20.3-inch screen. According to the analyst, this new MacBook is Apple’s only foldable device “with a clear development schedule,” suggesting that the company’s plans to launch a foldable iPhone or iPad are still quite experimental.

“Recently, I’ve received many inquiries about whether Apple plans to mass-produce the foldable iPhone or iPad in 2025 or 2026. My latest survey indicates that currently, Apple’s only foldable product with a clear development schedule is the 20.3-inch MacBook, expected to enter mass production in 2027,” https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1765563986089783322″ target=“_blank” rel=“noreferrer noopener”>Kuo said in a post on X.

Recent research conducted by geoscientists from the University of Toronto is refining the long-standing model of plate tectonics, which suggests that the oceanic plates are inflexible as they glide over the Earth’s mantle.

Instead, the researchers found the Pacific Plate is scored by large undersea faults pulling it apart. The newly discovered faults, some thousands of meters deep and hundreds of kilometers long, are the result of enormous forces within the plate tugging it westward.

The researchers describe their findings in a paper published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The authors include Erkan Gün, a postdoctoral fellow, and Professor Russell Pysklywec in the Department of Earth Sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Science at U of T, Phil Heron, an assistant professor in the Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences at University of Toronto Scarborough, as well as researchers from the Eurasia Institute of Earth Sciences, Istanbul Technical University.

MIT engineers developed a tag that can reveal with near-perfect accuracy whether an item is real or fake. The key is in the glue on the back of the tag.

A few years ago, MIT researchers invented a cryptographic ID tag that is several times smaller and significantly cheaper than the traditional radio frequency tags (RFIDs) that are often affixed to products to verify their authenticity.

This tiny tag, which offers improved security over RFIDs, utilizes terahertz waves, which are smaller and have much higher frequencies than radio waves. But this terahertz tag shared a major security vulnerability with traditional RFIDs: A counterfeiter could peel the tag off a genuine item and reattach it to a fake, and the authentication system would be none the wiser.

March 4 (Reuters) — They are among the wonders of our deserts: star dunes, the vaguely pyramid-shaped sand formations up to about 1,000 feet (300 meters) tall with arms stretching out from a central peak to give them a star-like appearance when viewed from above.

Scientists on Monday unveiled the first in-depth study of a star dune, revealing the internal structure of these geological features and showing how long it took for one of them to form — more quickly than expected but still a process unfolding over many centuries.

The study focused upon a star dune in eastern Morocco called Lala Lallia, meaning “highest sacred point” in the local Berber language, situated within the Sahara Desert in a small sand sea called Erg Chebbi about 3 miles (5 km) from the town of Merzouga, close to the border with Algeria.

AMD’s next-gen Sound Wave APUs teased for 2026: new Zen 6 architecture and new RDNA 5 architecture, both ready for the future of AMD Ryzen APUs.

A new satellite backed by Alphabet Inc’s Google and the Environmental Defense Fund group will launch from California on Monday with a mission to pinpoint oil and gas industry methane emissions from space.