UFO'S of UAP'S, ASTRONOMIE, RUIMTEVAART, ARCHEOLOGIE, OUDHEIDKUNDE, SF-SNUFJES EN ANDERE ESOTERISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN

But the good news, though not really comparable in magnitude as, you know, our planet dying, is that there are people building things that could help fight climate change. So while it is easy to view our future as a dystopian hell world with rising sea levels, dead agricultural crops, and a massive die-off of the human species— The Debrief has decided to provide a nice little list of how some people are working to save our asses. So, here we go.

THE TOP 4 WAYS HUMANITY CAN BE SAVED FROM GLOBAL WARMING:

1. China’s Artificial Star

A non-negotiable way of fighting climate change is switching to renewable energy. Solar energy is one thing, but what if we can generate energy comparable to that of the Sun itself? Instead of using our Sun as a source of energy, scientists are wondering if it’s possible to create the Sun itself.

That line of research has led to the birth of an artificial star. In the hopes of finding a better way to fuel the Earth, China is betting on one of its own inventions: EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak).

Harnessing the power of nuclear fusion, EAST burns at temperatures eight times hotter than the Sun. And it’s sustainable, too! Nuclear fusion reactors not only produce an extreme abundance of energy, but it also generates (practically) zero waste and is safe to use, despite having the word “nuclear” in its title.

So how does this artificial star do all this?

When particles of hydrogen nuclei collide, they fuse to form helium nuclei. The resulting helium atom is lighter than the two hydrogen ones, and since energy is conserved, the lost mass of the collision results in the creation of pure energy.

global warming

A rendering of hot plasma moving inside the EAST system.

(Image: ITER)

To get enough of these hydrogen nuclei particles to collide, they need to be sped up via heat. This is basically what is going on in the Sun, and it’s the same process that is replicated in the artificial star. It’s nuclear fusion.

The problem scientists have previously faced with nuclear fusion is not blowing things up. But in the 1950s, Russian scientists discovered a way around that unfortunate side-effect. Nuclear fusion can happen safely when it’s in a donut-shaped chamber filled with magnets—a Tokamak.

So really, China’s artificial star is more of a hot nuclear donut.

EAST isn’t anywhere close to producing enough energy for consumers yet. Scientists behind the project are still focused on the goal of keeping the temperature stable for a long time, but so far, it’s looking like a positive step towards solving the energy crisis.

2. Algae photobioreactor

We’ve established that we need clean energy if we’re to fight climate change, but we also need clean water. An algae photobioreactor can help us get both.

NASA invented a new method to grow algae, clean wastewater, and capture carbon dioxide to produce biofuel.

A photobioreactor uses a light source to cultivate microorganisms. These microorganisms then generate biomass from light and carbon dioxide. NASA’s photobioreactors in particular have semi-permeable membranes which utilize osmosis to clean the water as well.

Algae-derived fuel is an emerging practice in the field of renewable energy, with similar projects coming out of Scotland-based BioEconomy (ENBIO). ENBIO’s photobioreactor uses LED technology to produce microalgae and has cultivation systems that allow for integration with local renewable energy grids.

“Since microalgae are grown using only light, CO2, and nutrients, the use of algae-based fuel could limit the impact on the environment,” said ENBIO business development officer Carole Shellcock.

While NASA and ENBIO have pushed for algae in discussions on biofuel, algae-derived fuel isn’t going to be the kind of showstopper-energy-producer that China’s EAST plans to be. Instead, algae proves to be a hub of innovation in the realm of biofuel, with more projects using the organism to refine and re-invent.

3. Alternatives to lithium-ion batteries

What good is producing energy if there’s no sustainable way to store it?

A central reason why renewable energy has yet to catch up with the petrochemical industry is because of the challenges that come with producing, storing, and disposing of this energy form. Renewable energy is already difficult to store, but the whole dilemma is made even harder when factoring in how expensive it is to create energy storage tools, and how unsustainable it is.

global warming

A rechargeable lithium-ion battery from scooter company Kumpan Electric. Great for your bike, not so great for the Earth.

(Image: Kumpan Electric)

Lithium-ion batteries are currently viewed as the go-to renewable energy storage solution, but they are costly to produce and dispose of. They also require sourcing raw materials—lithium, nickel, manganese, cobalt, and graphite—a process which has led to dire ecological consequences, such as toxic black holes and ecological die-offs (like the flamingos in Chile!).

But there are innovators in search of technology that can dethrone the lithium-ion battery. Volt Storage is a new company looking to use its new vanadium redox flow storage technology. Volt Storage uses a vanadium-based liquid electrolyte, which flows through the battery cells in two separate circuits. The technology promises to be resource-saving and CO2-reducing.

MEET THE MAN BEHIND NASA AND DARPA’S WARP DRIVE PROGRAMS

Another company looking to put forth a new battery is Form Energy. With the invention of flow battery, a new type of sulfur-based battery, Form Energy promises to reform the electricity grid to run on low-cost, renewable energy.

Yet-Ming Chiang, Form Energy co-founder, said, “this battery literally inhales and exhales air, but it doesn’t exhale carbon dioxide, it exhales oxygen.”

In August, Form Energy announced that it raised $240 million in funding, with backing from investors like Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos. Talk about an energized industry!

4. Alternative meat

It’s long been understood that meat consumption is bad for the environment. Yet there’s no stopping us carnivores. The average American eats 274 pounds of meat per year, and that doesn’t include seafood. Meat and dairy production accounts for 14.5 percent of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions. Safe to say, we should all be eating way less meat.

Targeting those who just can’t seem to give up meat, companies have started producing alternatives: laboratory-grown meat.

In the last decade, this field of cellular agriculture has raised $7 billion worth of investor and venture capital funding, with Bill Gates and SoftBank showing support. There are currently over 70 startups worldwide dedicated to the production of this alternative meat product. But what is this form of lab meat exactly, and how is it different from most of the vegan meats you can find at Whole Foods?

Cultured meat is meat created using animal stem cells. These cells are nurtured to grow into muscle cells or fat cells, then assembled to replicate the structure of meat itself. This method bypasses animal slaughter and cruelty and promises to have a smaller environmental footprint than traditional meat production.

The first time cultured meat was approved for sale was in December 2020. In Singapore, a private members club started serving chicken nuggets made by San Francisco-based Just Eat. Now companies have manufactured lab-grown Italian pork sausages and bluefin tuna.

While a report from consulting firm AT Kearney predicts that most meat in 2040 would not come from dead animals, and innovation in the field of cellular agriculture is rapidly growing, cultured meat is still a long way away from being a dinnertime staple. But at least it’s on its way.

Humanity still has a way to go to solve the climate crisis. However, if any of these ideas can become a mainstream change, there may be hope for us. Otherwise, we are all going to have to go ‘Mad Max’ for a few centuries…

Candy Chan is a journalist based in New York City. She recently graduated from Barnard College with a degree in History. Follow her reporting on her Twitter @candyschan.

The world is ruled by shape-shifting lizards, the landing on the moon was fake, and a UFO crashed in Roswell. Where do conspiracy theories originate from? Prof. Włodzisław Duch from the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics of the Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) has decided to examine the process of their development in the brain. An article dealing with this issue has just been published in a prestigious journal “Patterns” (Cell Press).

Multitude of conspiracy theories people believe in all over the world is astonishing. They actually accompany each significant event: a catastrophe, assassination, death of a famous person or, currently, the Covid-19 pandemic. Because the formation of a distorted image of reality is so widespread this topic has been dealt with by numerous scientists. Various studies, articles and books using psychological, sociological, political science, or anthropological approaches have been published. However, the presumed conspiracy theories mechanism is still a matter of speculations because the problem is scarcely researched by specialists in natural science.

Professor Włodzisław Duch from the Department of Informatics at the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, NCU, is an exception. For years, his scientific interests have been focused on artificial intelligence, neural networks, informatics, quantum physics as well as cognitive science. 10 years ago, he wrote his first report on memetics, conspiracy theories, representation of memes as neural network attractor states in the brain, linking it with the formation of conspiracy theories. His article entitled “Memetics and Neural Models of Conspiracy Theories“, has just been published in “Patterns” (Cell Press), a highly renowned, open-access journal in which breakthrough, original texts concerning data science are released.

– It is one of those long-lasting things in my professional life. I have tried to publish this work for so many years. Even though I indicated 10 potential reviewers, nobody felt competent enough to review it, and thus, journals rejected it – explains Prof. Duch. – The concept seemed too innovative. Moreover, it concerns the subtle processes taking place in the brain. Neuroscience experts prefer experiments on rats, so they have no chance to take a closer look at the subject of conspiracy theories. Computer models, in turn, are not concerned with subtle phenomena addressed by memetics.

Richard Dawkins is the originator of memetics. He used the word meme (from Greek root i.e. imitation) to name bits of information “inserted into the head”, those which are rapidly embedded in the neural connections structure in the brain, and whose behavior is similar to that of genes.

– Memetics is thus the theory of human behavior and provides a common paradigm for cultural studies, religious studies, sociology and other fields of social studies which describe our mental space. The main challenge it faces is the identification of memes, studying how they are reproduced, spread, and developed – explains Prof. Duch. – But, what is the meme from the physical, neuroscientific point of view? It has not been described so far.

Brain determinants

Why do people believe in conspiracy theories?

Because this is how their brains function. We think the way our brains allow us to do – says Prof. Duch. – On the one hand, we are dealing with genetic determinism: human cognitive capacity and affective reactions are much varied and dependent on the presence of genes responsible for building individual brain structure, for example COMT, DARPP-32, DRD2 – the genes connected with dopamine, an important neurotransmitter. Hence, genes determine personality, predispositions, skills, but not particular decisions.

On the other hand, genetic determinism only partially affects our neuronal determinism, namely, our brain formation resulting from our life experience, upbringing, culture, and religion.

– We cannot think differently than our neuronal activity allows – says Prof. Duch. – The whole history of a given individual, his/her experience starting in the fetal stage, may influence easy activation of certain neurons in the brain whereas other neurons require strong stimulation in order to be activated. It would be interesting to find out how certain bits of information we receive are turned into memes and reproduced while others remain unnoticed.

Memetics and neural models of conspiracy theories

Professor Włodzisław Duch from the Department of Informatics at the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, NCU

fot. Andrzej Romański

The formation of biological and psychological mechanisms of false belief and thus conspiracy theories is obviously very complex. Accepting distorted images of reality can be a side effect of many different factors such as education or life experience, and this is why they are so difficult to study.

– Moreover, accepting simple explanations can be satisfactory; it saves energy (and the brain consumes huge amounts of it), brings a pleasant sense of understanding. In contrast, complex explanations require much effort and time to be fully understood. A simple, but false, explanation is thus attractive: it is always better than no explanation at all – explains Prof. Duch.

Sinks of false beliefs

In his article, Prof. Duch presents one of the possible mechanisms of conspiracy theories formation in the brain.

Emotional excitement or uneasy situations induce temporarily higher neuroplasticity of the brain to make it memorize situations that affect us. After a traumatic situation a suddenly appearing explanationcan rapidly reduce the brain plasticity, ‘freezing’ false images – explains Prof. Duch. – All kinds of gossip becomes unambiguously associated with emotional experience. The flowing of new information is combined with the embedded traces of memory; it can self-organize to create memes attracting many accidental patterns of brain activation that represent memories and concepts. In neural networks such states are called attractors. On the mental level they appear as memes, with many accidental and false associations, destroying relationships between different states of memory. This model of formation of conspiracy beliefs can be called the rapid freezing of high neuroplasticity (RFHN).

– We can now imagine that such condensation of conceptual framework starts to cause the association of the same trace of memory with completely unrelated observations – continues prof. Duch. – It is the model I tried to present in computer simulations: there appear states so condensed with conceptual framework that practically everything merges into one place. In the terminology of dynamic systems many attractor states form a “sink”. ( fig.)

Memetics and neural models of conspiracy theories

This is why struggling with conspiracy theories is so difficult. In the brains of those who believe in them (even if they hear an argument contradictory to what they think), memeplexes, i.e. complexes of memes related to a given topic, emerge.

And when it emerges, it is also reinforced, says Prof. Duch. In the brain neural network each excitation of memory reinforces its pattern of activation, causing stronger associations of different, even most distant, information. Such memory trace creates a “basin of attraction” in our conceptual framework, and more and more thoughts and observations fall into this basin. It is a physical process. It is something that cannot be changed by simple persuasion. And the physical change of brain’s connections is difficult because it requires highly energy-consuming processes.

Subtle processes

Prof. Duch admits that in the near future he does not consider performing experiments involving the human brain.

– Such experiments would be considered unethical because, to some extent, they would be based on confusing people’s minds. It is also difficult to see subtle changes on the neuronal level with the current experimental techniques. Nevertheless, we have a range of sophisticated tools which may soon help us achieve more. The world is big and many good research teams continue their studies. I hope my work will inspire others to start investigations in this area – says Prof. Duch.

As the researcher from Toruń emphasizes, the simulations he presents should attract attention to the need of analyzing the types of distortions which commonly appear in the neural networks. More complex neural models will be necessary to enable predictions comparable to results given by neuroimaging and behavioral experiments. But even such simple models can be applied to illustrate the presumed processes responsible for the formation of different conspiracy theories. The next step will be to perform more sophisticated simulations.