Lifeboat Foundation

Imagine if the world’s response to climate change relied solely on speculative predictions from pundits and CEOs, rather than the rigorous—though still imperfect—models of climate science. “Two degrees of warming will arrive soon-ish but will change the world less than we all think,” one might say. “Two degrees of warming is not just around the corner. This is going to take a long time,” another could counter.

This is more or less the world we’re in with artificial intelligence, with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman saying that AI systems that can do any task a human can will be developed in the “reasonably close-ish future,” while Yann LeCun, Chief AI Scientist at Facebook, argues that human-level AI systems are “going to take a long time.”

Jaime Sevilla, a 28-year-old Spanish researcher, is trying to change that. It is far from clear whether and how the capabilities of the most advanced AI systems will continue to rapidly progress, and what the effects of those systems will be on society. But given how important AI already is, it’s worth trying to bring a little of the rigor that characterizes climate science to predicting the future of AI, says Sevilla. “Even if AI innovation stopped, this is already a technology that’s going to affect many people’s lives,” he says. “That should be enough of an excuse for us to get serious about it.”

Tesla announced major progress in 4,680 battery cell production with a new milestone at Giga Texas.

Prominent investor Ron Baron has come out in support of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $56 billion pay package, which is up for a shareholder vote next week, according to an open letter from the Baron Capital founder on Tuesday.

China has just connected what it believes to be the world’s biggest solar power plant to the grid in northwestern Xinjiang. The plant covers an area of 200,000 acres and is reported to have an output of 6.09 billion kWh annually.

The new plant is in the deserts near the region’s capital Ürümqi. The site came online this Monday (June 3) and is being run by the Chinese state-owned Power Construction Corporation, according to Reuters.

The brick looks like concrete but avoids typical issues like water absorption and cracking.

Newly-introduced Lego-like bricks may make the construction process easier than ever.

Continue reading “Bulldozer-resistant tough Lego bricks made from 90% plastic trash” »

Experts from Germany believe their most recent breakthrough advances the quality of solid-state, sodium-ion batteries.

It’s technology that many researchers are pursuing as a replacement for common lithium-ion power packs, with the hope of finding a better-performing and cheaper alternative.

Continue reading “Researchers make performance breakthrough with sodium-ion battery technology: ‘A highly promising material for future energy-storage solutions’” »

Coral reefs, nurturing hubs of marine biodiversity, are grappling with mounting threats from environmental shifts. Traditional monitoring techniques, often laborious and invasive, are proving inadequate in the face of rapid ecological changes.

Spanish scientists are working on an internal combustion engine that does not pollute the environment. Will the new technology change the future of emission-free transport, which until now has been associated with electrification? Two prototypes will soon be presented.

Until recently, it seemed that combustion vehicles, alongside EVs and vehicles that use biofuels, were not participating in the ongoing ‘race’ for sustainable transport. But this has changed, thanks to Spanish scientists from the Technical University of Valencia (Universitat Politècnica de València, UPV) who are working on an emission-free internal combustion engine.

The Spanish scientists have designed a ‘revolutionary’ internal combustion unit that does not generate gases that are harmful to health or carbon dioxide (CO₂), and which also stands out for its high efficiency and complies with the emission regulations planned for 2040. According to the Valencian Innovation Agency, which co-financed the project, the first two prototype engines will come to light in the coming months.

Swiss researchers have developed a solar energy method using synthetic quartz to achieve temperatures above 1,000°C for industrial processes, potentially replacing fossil fuels in the production of materials like steel and cement.

Instead of burning fossil fuels to reach the temperatures needed to smelt steel and cook cement, scientists in Switzerland want to use heat from the sun. The proof-of-concept study uses synthetic quartz to trap solar energy at temperatures over 1,000°C (1,832°F), demonstrating the method’s potential role in providing clean energy for carbon-intensive industries. A paper on the research was published on May 15 in the journal Device.

The Need for Decarbonization.