Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Advisory group backs European human spaceflight program using commercial approaches
WASHINGTON — An advisory committee called on the European Space Agency to develop a comprehensive human spaceflight program using a more commercial approach. The report by the High-Level Advisory Group, released by ESA March 23, called on the agency to develop autonomy in human spaceflight, including crewed spacecraft and a commercial space station as well […]
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Can a ‘Fingerprint’ of Your Brain Help Predict Disorders? | Science
This functional connectivity map, a kind of “fingerprint” of the brain, displays how different regions interact with each other in 12-year-olds. The map was constructed from resting-state MRIs, where participants were lying down and not completing a task. Larger red circles denote brain “nodes” with more connections. Abdalla Mohamed When she gets ready for bed, Ava […]
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Daisy tricks male flies into mating with it
For decades, scientists have been studying a South African daisy’s (Gorteria diffusa) deceptive way to attract pollen. It uses its petals to trick male flies into believing the flower is actually a female fly. When a male insect approaches the flower, it jiggles around trying to mate, and typically buzzes off after a few unsuccessful […]
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Novel 2D ultrasound-responsive antibacterial nanosheets effectively address bone tissue infection
Mar 24, 2023 (Nanowerk News) A research team led by Professor Kelvin Yeung Wai-kwok from the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has invented a non-invasive and non-antibiotics technology to effectively reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection in bony tissue. The novel […]
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Rocket Lab launches BlackSky satellites
WASHINGTON — Rocket Lab launched a pair of BlackSky imaging satellites March 24 on a launch that was also a test of its ability to recover and reuse boosters. The Electron rocket lifted off at 5:14 a.m. Eastern from the company’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. Weather postponed the launch two days, while concerns […]
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Graphene grows – and we can see it
Mar 24, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Graphene is the strongest of all materials. On top of that, it is exceptionally good at conducting heat and electrical currents, making it one of the most special and versatile materials we know. For all these reasons, the discovery of graphene was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. […]
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Mathematicians have finally discovered an elusive ‘einstein’ tile
A 13-sided shape known as “the hat” has mathematicians tipping their caps. It’s the first true example of an “einstein,” a single shape that forms a special tiling of a plane: Like bathroom floor tile, it can cover an entire surface with no gaps or overlaps but only with a pattern that never repeats. “Everybody […]
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Exciting Discovery Could Lead to New Alzheimer’s Therapies
A researcher in the lab of Rice’s Angel Martí holds a vial of fluorescent dye molecules in solution. Using time-resolved spectroscopy, which tracks the fluorescence lifetime of dye molecules, Martí and collaborators describe a second binding site on amyloid-beta deposits associated with Alzheimer’s disease, opening the door to the development of new therapies. Credit: Gustavo […]
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Music-Making Artificial Intelligence is Getting Scary Good
SUBSCRIBE: Apple | Spotify Listen to Episode 1 of this 3-part Science, Quickly fascination here. Transcript Allison Parshall: As a kid, I was something of a composer. Please brace yourself for Mozart-level brilliance. [CLIP: Parshall family home video of toddler Allison playing a tiny keyboard and singing, mostly gibberish] Parshall: As you can hear, I was a lyrical […]
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Who Is Vulnerable To Long COVID? Age, Gender, BMI Deciding Factors
Long COVID conditions can linger for weeks and even for months. The common symptoms of the condition are brain fog, fatigue, headaches, dizziness or shortness of breath. While researchers are still grappling to understand potential causes and trying to find treatments, a study has laid down a list of people who are disproportionately affected by […]
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