discuss Science & Technology news & discussion

CraigD said:

One of my favourite films is Memento (2000) a neo-noir psychological thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan (based on an idea by his brother), in which the film's lead character (played by Guy Pearce) suffers from anterograde amnesia (the inability to form new memories) and has short-term memory loss approximately every fifteen minutes. He covers his body in tattoos to keep on track in his mission to find his wife's killer, but when his personal narrative doesn't match reality, what do you think he does?

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I have seen that one too! Christopher Nolan did some of my favourite movies, like Inception and Interstellar. Also like Memento.
Now I remember another one, "Existenz" from David Cronenberg, from 1999.
A bit strange movie.. but in my opinion quite similar to Inception. It has also 3-4 layers of dreams or virtual realities, also connected to a "main connection".

Sutruk said:

I have seen that one too! Christopher Nolan did some of my favourite movies, like Inception and Interstellar. Also like Memento.
Now I remember another one, "Existenz" from David Cronenberg, from 1999.
A bit strange movie.. but in my opinion quite similar to Inception. It has also 3-4 layers of dreams or virtual realities, also connected to a "main connection".

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I have not seen or heard of Existenz. Some big names in it! I must check it out

CraigD said:

I have not seen or heard of Existenz. Some big names in it! I must check it out

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You are right. Jude Law and Jennifer Jason Leigh did a great job on that movie!

"In the near-future, biotechnological virtual reality game consoles known as "game pods" have replaced electronic ones. The pods present "UmbyCords" that attach to "bio-ports", connectors surgically inserted into players' spines."

Consciousness is Not a Computation (Roger Penrose)

Some alternatives to chemical rocket engines

The doco I posted from PBS Space Time yesterday seemed popular, so here are a few more videos on viable alternatives to chemical rocket engines for space travel.

The Spaceship Propulsion Compendium

An in-depth survey of the various technologies for spaceship propulsion, both from those we can expect to see in a few years and those at the edge of theoretical science. We'll break them down to basics and familiarize ourselves with the concepts.

How Do Ion Engines Work? The Most Efficient Propulsion System Out There

Traveling to Mars with immortal plasma rockets

The Nuclear Option

While potentially dangerous, nuclear powered spacecraft offer far faster and more efficient spacecraft than traditional chemical rockets. Today we will examine the various means of using atomic power sources to propel spacecraft, both to get off Earth and to travel to other stars.

HOW IT WORKS: Nuclear Propulsion

The theory, design, and operation of a nuclear propulsion engine advantages are explained verses conventional chemical rockets such as the Saturn V.
An old gov. info documentary from the Apollo era

'Detached' reef bigger than Empire State building discovered in 500 metres of water off Queensland [Australia]

Researchers have found a new reef that is as tall as a skyscraper in the waters off Cape York in North Queensland. \The 'detached' reef is — the first to be discovered in more than 120 years — is around 1.5 kilometres long, and rises from over 500 metres deep up to 40 metres below the surface.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2020-10-27/reef-detached-discovered-cape-york/12816760

O'Neill Cylinders

A look at O'Neill Cylinders, immense space habitats. Far larger than any conventional Space Station, O'Neill Cylinders could potentially serve as as entire city-states or nature preserves. Today we will review how these megastructures might be built and how they may represent a superior option to terraforming planets.

5 New Battery Technologies That Could CHANGE EVERYTHING

CraigD said:

One of my favourite films is Memento (2000) a neo-noir psychological thriller film written and directed by Christopher Nolan (based on an idea by his brother), in which the film's lead character (played by Guy Pearce) suffers from anterograde amnesia (the inability to form new memories) and has short-term memory loss approximately every fifteen minutes. He covers his body in tattoos to keep on track in his mission to find his wife's killer, but when his personal narrative doesn't match reality, what do you think he does?[

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Talk about "living in the present"...it probably occurs mildly more often than thought, re: concussion. In school, kids today are learning how to key word search vs rote learning in past. The Internet is a powerful tool, but being reliant also requires the power of discernment and research skills. For instance, I drive an 'old school' sports car (impervious to EMF) and tune by ear vs mapping software. Accepting only that which is cutting edge vs. tried and true can also be a handicap, as we may well 'throw out the baby with the bathwater' and become less independent.

Actively speaking two languages protects against cognitive impairment

In a paper published in Neuropsychologia, the researchers conclude that speaking two languages on a regular basis – and having done so all one's life – enhances cognitive reserve and delays the appearance of symptoms associated with cognitive decline and dementia.

The prevalence of dementia in countries where more than one language is spoken is 50% lower than in those regions where the population uses only one language to communicate," said researcher Marco Calabria, professor at the UOC Faculty of Health Sciences and member of the University's Cognitive NeuroLab research group and the Speech Production and Bilingualism research group, at the UPF.

Previous work had already found that the lifelong use of two or more languages could be a key factor in increasing cognitive reserve and delaying the onset of dementia, as well as offering advantages for memory and executive functions.


https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028393220302013?via=ihub

How Venus flytraps store short-term ‘memories’ of prey

A Venus flytrap’s short-term “memory” can last about 30 seconds. If an insect taps the plant’s sensitive hairs only once, the trap remains still. But if the insect taps again within about half a minute, the carnivorous plant’s leaves snap shut, ensnaring its prey.

Even though the carnivorous plant, famous for its jawlike leaves, has no brain or nervous system, it can apparently count to five and distinguish between live prey and things like rain, which could inadvertently trigger its leaves to snap shut, wasting energy (SN: 1/24/16). Previous research suggested that calcium plays a role in this process, but with the help of genetic engineering, Hasebe and colleagues were able to actually see calcium in action.

CraigD said:

5 New Battery Technologies That Could CHANGE EVERYTHING

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You brought me back to the early 90's. Our company developed AUV's for deep-sea exploration, the problem we encountered was not due to lack of diving ability, but rather onboard power storage. At the time, lithium battery technology wasn't common, so we had to try 'farming out' to a foreign manufacturer who demanded a 50% stake in our company in return. My partner refused and we subsequently lost time and contracts, since we spent more in R&D on battery production than our main focus. Cutting edge technology can be VERY costly!
A harsh lesson for us (and not a memory I want to store, lol)...thanks for a peek into the future and a blast to the past!

3D/4D printed 'intelligent' plants, that serve special problem solving purposes.

koolishman said:

Actively speaking two languages protects against cognitive impairment

In a paper published in Neuropsychologia, the researchers conclude that speaking two languages on a regular basis – and having done so all one's life – enhances cognitive reserve and delays the appearance of symptoms associated with cognitive decline and dementia.

The prevalence of dementia in countries where more than one language is spoken is 50% lower than in those regions where the population uses only one language to communicate," said researcher Marco Calabria, professor at the UOC Faculty of Health Sciences and member of the University's Cognitive NeuroLab research group and the Speech Production and Bilingualism research group, at the UPF.

Previous work had already found that the lifelong use of two or more languages could be a key factor in increasing cognitive reserve and delaying the onset of dementia, as well as offering advantages for memory and executive functions.


https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028393220302013?via=ihub

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This study got me wondering about music as a 'second language', and if playing a musical instrument could provide the same benefits ie. delay cognitive decline and dementia.

There doesn't appear to have been much work done in this field except for the following analysis of two cohort studies and one twin study:

Does playing a musical instrument reduce the incidence of cognitive impairment and dementia? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: High levels of life course intellectually-stimulating activity are hypothesised to produce a cognitive reserve that mitigates against overt cognitive impairment in the face of neuropathology. Leisure-time musical instrument playing could be a viable source of that stimulation, but to date no systematic review has been undertaken to investigate the effect of musical instrument playing on the incidence of cognitive impairment and dementia...

Results: 1211 unduplicated articles were identified from literature searching, of which three articles were included: two cohort studies and one twin study.... The twin study reported that musicians were 64% less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment or dementia, after additionally adjusting for sex, education and physical activity. A meta-analysis of the cohort studies found a 59% reduction in the risk of developing dementia within the study follow up...

Conclusion: The three identified studies that investigated the specific relationship of musical instrument playing and subsequent incidence of cognitive impairment and dementia all reported a large protective association. The results are encouraging but should be interpreted with caution.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31814445/

koolishman said:

How Venus flytraps store short-term ‘memories’ of prey

A Venus flytrap’s short-term “memory” can last about 30 seconds. If an insect taps the plant’s sensitive hairs only once, the trap remains still. But if the insect taps again within about half a minute, the carnivorous plant’s leaves snap shut, ensnaring its prey.

Even though the carnivorous plant, famous for its jawlike leaves, has no brain or nervous system, it can apparently count to five and distinguish between live prey and things like rain, which could inadvertently trigger its leaves to snap shut, wasting energy (SN: 1/24/16). Previous research suggested that calcium plays a role in this process, but with the help of genetic engineering, Hasebe and colleagues were able to actually see calcium in action.

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Thanks, I wondered how that worked.

Here's a video from BBC's David Attenborough showing a close-up of those 'hairs' in the Venus Fly Trap in action.

CraigD said:

'Detached' reef bigger than Empire State building discovered in 500 metres of water off Queensland [Australia]

Researchers have found a new reef that is as tall as a skyscraper in the waters off Cape York in North Queensland. \The 'detached' reef is — the first to be discovered in more than 120 years — is around 1.5 kilometres long, and rises from over 500 metres deep up to 40 metres below the surface.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2020-10-27/reef-detached-discovered-cape-york/12816760

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Nature never fails to surprise!

For vampire bats, social distancing while sick comes naturally

The researchers gave wild vampire bats a substance that activated their immune system and made them feel sick for several hours, and then returned the bats to their roost. A control group of bats received a placebo.

“backpack” computers that were glued to the animals’ backs, recording the vampire bats’ social encounters.

Compared to control bats in their hollow-tree home, sick bats interacted with fewer bats, spent less time near others and were overall less interactive with individuals that were well-connected with others in the roost.

Healthy bats were also less likely to associate with a sick bat, the data showed.


https://academic.oup.com/beheco/advance-article/doi/10.1093/beheco/araa111/5937165


Upon reading further found that, Vampire bats share food altruistically.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3574350/

koolishman said:

For vampire bats, social distancing while sick comes naturally

The researchers gave wild vampire bats a substance that activated their immune system and made them feel sick for several hours, and then returned the bats to their roost. A control group of bats received a placebo.

“backpack” computers that were glued to the animals’ backs, recording the vampire bats’ social encounters.

Compared to control bats in their hollow-tree home, sick bats interacted with fewer bats, spent less time near others and were overall less interactive with individuals that were well-connected with others in the roost.

Healthy bats were also less likely to associate with a sick bat, the data showed.


https://academic.oup.com/beheco/advance-article/doi/10.1093/beheco/araa111/5937165


Upon reading further found that, Vampire bats share food altruistically.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3574350/

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This makes sense, even amongst humans.

Generally a sick person just wants to be left alone in their misery,. and there is also the "Ewww! you're sick - stay away from me" reaction from healthy people.

AMAZING INVENTIONS THAT ARE NEXT LEVEL!
September 2020

What's your favourite new invention in this video?

Never mind memory manipulation, how about consciousness manipulation in "real-time"? ...and how timely it is:


https://www.netflix.com/Title/80117542

Cannuck said:

Never mind memory manipulation, how about consciousness manipulation in "real-time"? ...and how timely it is:

https://www.netflix.com/Title/80117542

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Thankyou - An interesting panel discussion!

More info on the panel discussion at CHM on November 4, 2019
https://computerhistory.org/blog/the-great-hack-do-you-know-where-your-data-is/

Info about the Netflix documentary The Great Hack (2019)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Hack

'Disaster brain' is a thing

How to prepare yourself — and your brain — to face fires

Danielle Every, who is a psychologist at Central Queensland University [Australia], has interviewed many people across Australia with first-hand experience of bushfires. Her work helps emergency services understand how people prepare for risk, and respond to fires.

Time and time again, her research shows that people underestimate the risk of fires, they overestimate how prepared they are, and they overestimate what that preparedness will allow them to do. She found that even though many people had done the basics — had a plan on the fridge, cleared their gutters and packed a box — they found themselves panicking when the fire came.

... Around 80 per cent of people who die, died within 500 metres of their house.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science...and-prepare-your-brain-for-bushfires/12796906

Personal experiences here - I've been close to a few of these massive blazes, and was caught up in the catastrophic Sydney bushfire in 1994 (in the bush suburbs surrounding the Lane Cove River). The adrenalin was pumping for days. A very surreal experience!

The Infinite Pattern That Never Repeats

Simples rules of geometry meant that 5-fold symmetry was impossible as were crystals without a periodic structure. This turns out to be wrong.

More info about Penrose tiling:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penrose_tiling

I posted this in Covid thread, last month, but interesting enough to post here too.

Pandemic practice: Horror fans and morbidly curious individuals are more psychologically resilient during the COVID-19 pandemic


While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected nearly everyone in one way or another, certain people seem to be handling the psychological effects better than others. We tested the idea that experience with particular kinds of fiction, namely, horror and pandemic fiction, would be associated with better preparedness for and psychological resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings support the idea that fiction can be a useful simulation of both specific scenarios – in the case of pandemic films – and generally fearful scenarios – in the case of horror films. Experience with these simulations may benefit the user through preparation and practice of both specific skills relevant to particular situations and more general skills associated with emotion regulation. We also found that morbid curiosity, a personality trait that has been previously associated with interest in horror (Scrivner, in press), was associated with greater positive resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Importantly, these effects were significant even when controlling for age, sex, income, and general factors of personality. In sum, the current study provides evidence that individual differences in both media preferences and personality are associated with resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.