Lifeboat Foundation

The World Economic Forum suggests we are on the cusp of a Fourth Industrial Revolution driven by ‘ubiquitous automation, big data and artificial intelligence’. The Institute for Public Policy Research, however, says that “despite the growing capability of robots and artificial intelligence (AI), we are not on the cusp of a ‘post-human’ economy.”

IPPR suggests that an estimated 60 percent of occupations have at least 30 percent of activities which could be automated with already-proven technologies. As tasks are automated, work is likely to be redefined, focusing on areas of human comparative advantage over machines.

The CIPD point out that “new technology has changed many more jobs than it has destroyed, and it does not destroy work. Overall, the biggest advanced industrialized economies have between them created over 50 million jobs, a rise of nearly 20 percent, over the past 20 years despite huge economic and technological disruptions.”

The space industry is dominated by private companies, but one of the biggest banks on Wall Street is telling clients to pay attention to coming investment opportunities.

China’s PLA, or People’s Liberation Army, is actively trying to make advances in military robotics and unmanned systems. It now has a range of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, in use across its army, navy, air force and rocket force – the military’s strategic and tactical missiles unit. Here are some of them.

The PLA ground force has a number of UAVs that are primarily smaller, more tactical models and are often used for battlefield reconnaissance and targeting artillery fire to improve precision strikes. A significant proportion of these are part of a series produced by the Xian Aisheng Technology Group. The fixed-wing drones have a conventional design with a mid-wing configuration and are used to support the artillery.

The navy generally uses smaller, tactical drones but it also has a limited number of sophisticated reconnaissance UAVs, notably this medium-altitude, long-endurance model. Roughly comparable to the US Global Hawk, it has a maximum range of 2,400km and a maximum endurance of 40 hours. It has been operating in the vicinity of the East China Sea since at least 2013 and there were also reports in 2016 that it had been deployed to Woody Island in the South China Sea – both disputed territories.

Continue reading “The drones that have become part of China’s military strategy” »

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Researchers have found a way to rebuild damaged nerve coverings that cause Multiple Sclerosis.

Researchers successfully used a synthetic compound to stimulate a receptor pathway to promote remyelination in the brain. The technique may have significant beneficial implications for treating multiple sclerosis, researchers say.

NASA is partnering with U.S. companies and small businesses to develop technologies that have the potential to significantly benefit the economy and future NASA missions.

Recent announcements of selections for the agency’s Tipping Point solicitation and Phase II of NASA’s competitive Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program include several proposals with NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

NASA selected 10 Tipping Point proposals totaling approximately $44 million and Langley is a partner on one $3 million proposal. The agency also selected 20 research and technology proposals — valued at $15 million — from 19 American small businesses for STTR Phase II and Langley will manage three of the selected proposals totaling $2.25 million.

Continue reading “NASA Langley collaborates with industry to develop space technologies” »

CELLINK proudly presents the LAMININ-SERIES in collaboration with BIOLAMINA

Laminins are proteins composed of three subunits referred to as a α-chain, β-chain and γ-chain. They are a major component of the basal lamina that lines the external surface of cell membranes. This protein is characterized by its cross-like structure that serves as a structural foundation for many tissues. Laminins play an important role in cell differentiation, migration, adhesion and also involved in supporting healthy tissue. Several laminins have been identified, which all have been related to different tissues and organs in the human body.

Our CELLINK LAMININ SERIES consists of five tissue-specific bioinks that have been developed for improving maintenance and survival of tissue. The bioinks contain laminins to mimic the basal lamina and the natural tissue environment. These bioinks retain the excellent printability and ease of cross-linking found with the universal CELLINK® bioink.

Seed oil components of an ornamental flower could provide a direct pathway for designing a new class of environmentally friendly lubricants. Researchers at the School of Science at IUPUI identified the compound in the seed oil that is produced in a manner unlike any other fatty acid. The study was published today online in the journal Nature Plants.

The Orychophragmus violaceus plant is a purple flower native to China; it’s commonly referred to as the February orchid. While collaborating on the O. violaceus plant’s biology and genetic makeup, researchers at Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, China, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln encountered a bit of a mystery: All plant seeds contain oils as energy reserves for later growth, but researchers noticed the February orchid seed oils were unusual.

They called upon IUPUI bioorganic chemist Robert Minto, who specializes in identifying natural products and unknown compounds.

Continue reading “Serendipitous discovery may lead to eco-friendly lubricant” »

https://youtube.com/watch?v=8uQZYyxMhs0

What could possibly go wrong? Does anyone remember Fukushima?

Floating nuclear power plants offer several economic advantages.

Continue reading “China and Russia looking at 27 floating nuclear reactors but ThorCon and Indonesia could scale to 100 per year” »