science

https://archive.ph/8fBYY

SAN DIEGO—RNA vaccines packaged in tiny fatty containers called nanoparticles saved tens of millions from COVID-19. Now, researchers are trying to use similar nanoparticles to fight two other major killers, respiratory failure caused by lung infections such as flu and the atherosclerosis that leads to heart attacks and strokes. In both conditions, the endothelial cells that line blood vessels malfunction, turning down key genes. New research presented at the American Chemical Society (ACS) meeting here this week shows that nanoparticles carrying a payload of RNA can ramp the genes back up, promising to address the diseases at their root.

Nanoparticles are a familiar tool in medicine, but the scheme to use them to treat endothelial cells is “excellent work,” says Robert Langer, a nanoparticle therapy pioneer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Won Hyuk Suh, a biomaterials expert at the University of New Hampshire who organized the scientific session at the ACS meeting, notes that the findings are preliminary but calls them “very interesting and promising.” They were posted on the bioRxiv preprint server in January.

In the August 6, 1945 edition, under the blaring headline: FIRST ATOMIC BOMB DROPPED ON JAPAN; TRUMAN WARNS FOE OF A ‘RAIN OF RUIN,’” the New York Times traced the simultaneously terrifying and wondrous development of the atomic bomb, its scientific history, and the race between the Allies and the Germans to build it and use it first.

Somewhere below the fold, buried in a long paragraph, this sentence appeared, as if highlighted in neon: “The key component that allowed the Allies to develop the bomb was brought to the Allies by a female, ‘non-Aryan’ physicist.”

I scanned the next paragraph looking for the name of this “non-Aryan” woman. No name. No photo. Nothing.

Tesla plans to enter the UK energy market by offering electricity to homes and establishing "virtual power plants." The company aims to support the transition to 100% renewable energy by enabling customers with Tesla products to store and sell electricity to the grid at optimal market prices.

Hey all! This weekend, let's delve into the mind-boggling concept of superintelligent AI. What does it mean to have an intelligence surpassing our own? How would we even recognize it? Can our limited human comprehension grasp what it has to teach us?

Join in the discussion and share your thoughts, highlight interesting articles or simply engage in speculative fiction:

What investments in energy and raw materials will be required for developing superintelligent AI? Is it ethical to dedicate finite earth resources to developing superintelligent AI amidst the urgent backdrop of climate change?

Will this technology perpetuate societal inequalities? Or is superintelligence the answer to these (and other) global challenges?

Let's explore who will have access to this superintelligence. Will those who can communicate with and interpret superintelligent AI attain a prophet-like social status? Will we need to develop other AI to interpret super AI for us?

Please do share your thoughts or pose your own questions - this should be a good one!

The European Commission has presented a proposal to modernise EU regulations on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to incorporate new gene editing techniques.

Under the proposal, genetically modified plants obtained through methods like CRISPR will be exempt from GMO rules as long as the modifications are comparable to those achievable through conventional breeding techniques.

This change aims to foster innovation in agriculture by recognising the precision and potential benefits of gene editing technologies; which can enhance crop resilience, pest resistance, yield, and sustainability.

OpenAI's Superalignment team will address the core technical challenges of controlling superintelligent AI systems and ensuring their alignment with human values and goals.

To accomplish this, they are developing a 'human-level automated alignment researcher,' which itself is an AI. This automated researcher will utilize human feedback and assist in evaluating other AI systems, playing a critical role in advancing alignment research. The ultimate aim is to build AI systems that can conceive, implement, and develop improved alignment techniques.

OpenAI's hypothesis is that AI systems can make faster and more effective progress in alignment research compared to humans. Through collaboration between AI systems and human researchers, continuous improvements will be made to ensure AI alignment with human values.

So, using AI to control other AI; what do you think?

The UK government has partnered with BioNTech to conduct trials of personalised mRNA-based cancer immunotherapies. These trials aim to provide precision immunotherapies to treat cancer patients and offer personalized treatments for up to 10,000 patients by 2030. BioNTech will establish a regional hub and labs in Cambridge, staffed with over 70 highly skilled scientists. The collaboration will also involve the creation of a Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad (CVLP) to identify eligible patients for potential trials. Clinical trials have already begun, with further enrollment expected from 2026 onwards.

The unintentional consequence of lowering sulphur content in marine fuel, as part of clean air regulations, is a weakened cooling effect caused by sulphur particles in ships' exhaust fumes, according to a new model. This inadvertently exacerbates warming, potentially raising global temperatures by 0.05C by 2050. Other factors, including an underwater volcano eruption, Saharan dust absence, and El Niño, are also contributing to the ongoing ocean heatwave.

Hey, c/science! Let's kick off with your take on two recent but linked events. Over the past few days, the Earth has experienced its hottest ever recorded temperatures, breaking records from at least 1979 and possibly longer. At the same time, climate change protestors from Just Stop Oil have been interrupting the Ashes and now Wimbledon.

The question is: do they have a point? It's an interesting juxtaposition to me that news reports highlighting the rising temperatures this week appeared, almost without irony, alongside vox pops from people expressing how unfair it is to ruin a good day out.

What do you think about this situation? Do the climate change protestors have a valid point? Does the government need to take even more drastic steps to address climate change, or do you feel it's unfair or disproportionate to disrupt events like Wimbledon?

Let's use this thread to share ideas about the sidebar content: I think content guidelines are helpful, so I suggest:

Let's aim for a unique community experience. Suggest we encourage discussions and contributions that go beyond mainstream news; let's not simply mirror the BBC science news section.

Embrace the UK perspective. While it's not essential, we should encourage posts and discussions that highlight the UK perspective and interests in science. This can include UK-based research, events, or scientific achievements.

Adopt the Bill & Ted rule: be excellent to each other!

Thoughts?