The hottest Science Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Science Topics

The edge of reason

Logging the World • 219 implied HN points • 28 Dec 22
🔬 Science Mathematics Models Analogies Limitations Uncertainty
  1. When adding numbers, there are basic properties like getting another number, having a special zero that doesn't change sums, and having partners that return to zero when added.
  2. Mathematicians use abstraction to find essential properties, like in groups, to study various systems efficiently and effectively.
  3. Seeking historical analogies in current events can be misleading; it's important to understand the limitations of models and not be overconfident in applying mathematical rules to real-world situations.

Are Stars Conscious?

Secretum Secretorum • 707 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
🔬 Science Astrobiology Metaphysics Cosmology Physics Evolution
  1. Some scientists challenge the traditional definition of life, suggesting that stars exhibit life-like behaviors such as metabolism and reproduction.
  2. There are radical theories proposing that stars possess consciousness and engage in purposeful actions, influencing life on Earth.
  3. The concept of cosmological natural selection suggests that black holes may play a role in giving rise to new universes, embodying evolutionary principles at a cosmic scale.

Action Potentials for November

Neurobiology Notes • 117 implied HN points • 28 Nov 23
🔬 Science Neurobiology Research Studies Brain preservation Cryonics
  1. Study on extrasynaptic neural signaling in C. elegans challenges the idea that synapses are the sole key to brain information content.
  2. Neuropeptide signaling plays a crucial role in behaviors like aggression in mice, emphasizing its significance beyond nematodes.
  3. Mouse amygdala study highlights differences in brain cell activity during memory formation and recall, shedding light on the complex processes of memory.
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A Brief History of Energy

Ulysses • 179 implied HN points • 27 Mar 23
🔬 Science Energy Nuclear Fusion Civilization
  1. Human civilization is driven by the type and availability of energy sources, dictating growth, quality of life, and societal scale.
  2. Energy originates from nuclear reactions and its evolution through fusion and fission have shaped both natural processes and human advancement.
  3. Fusion energy holds the potential to revolutionize energy production by offering a clean, abundant, and safe alternative to traditional sources.

Is Mars Colonization an Inevitable Step Encoded in Our DNA?

Space Ambition • 219 implied HN points • 19 May 23
🔬 Science Space Exploration Human Evolution Technological Innovation Environmental Impact
  1. Human migration is a fundamental part of our history, and colonizing Mars is seen as the next step in this ongoing process. Just like our ancestors traveled for better opportunities, we may look to Mars for our future.
  2. Innovations often arise when humans move into new environments. Establishing a colony on Mars could lead to new technologies and advancements that benefit life on Earth.
  3. Creating a self-sufficient colony on Mars could serve as a backup plan for humanity. It would ensure that civilization can continue even if disasters happen on Earth.

What If We Could Change The Colour Of *Everything*?

Everything Is Amazing • 488 implied HN points • 24 Mar 23
🔬 Science Color Theory Materials science Biotechnology Fashion
  1. The way chameleons change color can inspire future color-changing technology for surfaces and fabrics.
  2. Current advancements in color-changing materials like Fabrican and PhotoChromeleon show promise for future fashion and architectural applications.
  3. The deep meanings and social implications of colors in fashion and pigmentation mean that changing color technology may have complex impacts on society.

Humanity’s new frontier is complete genomic knowledge. The barriers are ideological.

Nucleus Genomics • 39 implied HN points • 18 Apr 24
🔬 Science Genetics Biotechnology Public Health Bioethics Human Rights
  1. Understanding our DNA can help us learn more about our health and traits. It's important for everyone to have access to this information.
  2. There are ideological debates that prevent people from getting the genetic insights they deserve. These discussions often limit how much we can learn about ourselves.
  3. The goal is to communicate scientific knowledge clearly and truthfully. This will help us all understand genetics better and use it to improve our lives.

Spotlight: Alon Tenzer – An Analog Astronaut on a Simulated Mars Mission

Space Ambition • 199 implied HN points • 02 Jun 23
🔬 Science Space Exploration Robotics Human factors
  1. Analog astronauts participate in simulated Mars missions to test technologies and procedures that will be used in real space missions. These missions help prepare for future human exploration of Mars.
  2. The Aouda Spacesuit Simulator is crucial for testing how astronauts will operate on Mars. It mimics real spacesuits and checks if new technologies can be used effectively in harsh conditions.
  3. Training to become an analog astronaut requires a strong background in science and engineering. Participants undergo rigorous training to handle technical challenges and the psychological stress of being isolated from Earth.

The F-111's Fatal Flaw

Military Aviation Videos • 39 implied HN points • 17 Apr 24
🔬 Science Aviation
  1. The F-111's delivery to the Royal Australian Air Force was delayed due to a fatal flaw in the wing pivot design.
  2. General Dynamics needed to address the issue before the F-111 could be safely utilized.
  3. Understanding and addressing design flaws in military aircraft is crucial for ensuring operational safety and effectiveness.

On Concepts of Date and Time

Poczwardowski Notes • 78 implied HN points • 24 Jan 24
🔬 Science Time Space Imagination Technology
  1. In 1899, the SS Warrimoo crossed the equator and the international date line at midnight, leading to unique consequences for the ship.
  2. The story of the SS Warrimoo in 1899 is hard to verify due to technology limitations and lack of evidence, unlike the USS Topeka in 1999, which had precise measurement and documentation.
  3. These stories of ships straddling different dates and time zones remind us that concepts like date, time zones, and the international date line are human-made and help us cooperate effectively in our shared world.

Berkson's Paradox Is Everywhere

Outlandish Claims • 19 implied HN points • 12 Jun 24
🔬 Science Statistics Mathematics Genetics Data Analysis Technology
  1. Berkson's Paradox applies to various situations where multiple factors influence outcomes, leading to counterintuitive results.
  2. Applying Berkson's Paradox to different scenarios can reveal hidden correlations and insights, such as in medical studies, card games, or economic policies.
  3. The essence of Berkson's Paradox lies in understanding that when focusing on a specific subcategory, the causes of membership in that category can be more negatively correlated than in the broader category.

Orbital Biolabs: Unleashing Cosmic Potential for Earth's Scientific Progress

Space Ambition • 199 implied HN points • 26 May 23
🔬 Science Biomedical Research Gene-editing Pharmaceuticals
  1. Space labs help scientists learn about biology in unique ways. In microgravity, they can see how living things react differently than on Earth.
  2. New technologies, like 3D printing and gene editing, are being tested in space. This could lead to cool advances in medicine and health back on Earth.
  3. There's a growing trend of private companies joining space research. This means more opportunities for innovative experiments and discoveries.

Week #3: Conformal Prediction For Regression

Mindful Modeler • 279 implied HN points • 03 Jan 23
🔬 Science Regression Modeling
  1. In regression, conformal prediction can turn point predictions into prediction intervals with guarantees of future observation coverage.
  2. Starting from point predictions or non-conformal intervals from quantile regression are two common approaches to creating prediction intervals.
  3. Conformalized mean regression and conformalized quantile regression are two techniques to generate prediction intervals in regression models.

Links for 2024-01-19

Axis of Ordinary • 78 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🔬 Science AI Technology Nuclear Climate Space
  1. Mark Zuckerberg aims to create artificial general intelligence with Meta having 600,000 GPUs by 2024
  2. Microsoft introduces new method to enhance LLM inference speed by 20 times
  3. Liquid-metal-based microelectrode arrays integrated with ultrathin retinal prosthesis for vision restoration

3 Common Statistical Biases Everyone Falls Prey To [Math Mondays]

Technology Made Simple • 139 implied HN points • 25 Apr 23
🔬 Science Statistics Cognitive Psychology Bias Data Analysis
  1. Statistics can be misleading if affected by bias, which is a flaw in experiment design or data collection process.
  2. Biases affect everyone and can be exploited by manipulative individuals like politicians and salespeople.
  3. Common statistical biases include selection bias, recall bias, and observer bias, which can all be combated by slowing down and evaluating claims carefully.

Literally Imagine Dragons

Eat Shit and Prosper • 259 implied HN points • 07 May 23
🔬 Science Chemistry Biology Environmental Science Earth Science Microbiology
  1. Chlorophyll and heme are both essential chemicals in life, with similar structures that play key roles in energy production and oxygen transport. Chlorophyll helps plants make energy from sunlight, while heme carries oxygen in our blood.
  2. There's a mysterious porphyrin with vanadium at its center found in crude oil. It could belong to an ancient life form, and studying it may reveal new insights into the history of life on Earth.
  3. The idea of a lost type of microbial chemistry, possibly allowing for 'silanogenesis', imagines how ancient creatures might have used silicon compounds like silane for energy, similar to how some modern microbes produce methane.

How To Read for Trends

Think Future • 119 implied HN points • 09 Nov 23
🔬 Science Environment Technology Health Society Medicine
  1. Identifying trends involves looking for patterns over time, both increasing and decreasing, in various aspects of society and industry.
  2. Reading news for trends involves focusing on 'real news' that provides deep insights and understanding of issues, rather than temporary headlines or human interest stories.
  3. Deep-lying trends impact many surface-level changes, with monitoring deep trends providing valuable insights for forecasting the future.

Mass Value Report for May 2023

Planetocracy • 137 implied HN points • 31 May 23
🔬 Science Space Exploration Astronomy Technology Research Innovation
  1. SpaceX has won the race to send mass to low Earth orbit, but the race to send mass to the lunar surface continues.
  2. Blue Origin's 'National Team' has been chosen by NASA to build a human landing system for the Artemis program, showing promise for future lunar missions.
  3. Analyzing mass value helps compare space development progress, like evaluating efficiency between Blue Origin's lunar lander and SpaceX's Starship system.

What should we be measuring in brain preservation?

Neurobiology Notes • 137 implied HN points • 11 Aug 23
🔬 Science Neurobiology Brain preservation
  1. The goal of brain preservation is to protect and store information from a person's brain for potential future revival.
  2. Structural metrics, like intact cell membrane morphology, are crucial for evaluating brain preservation methods.
  3. Connectome traceability by contemporary electron microscopy sets a high standard for brain preservation, but intact cell morphology on light microscopy can be a reasonable proxy.

Action Potentials for March

Neurobiology Notes • 137 implied HN points • 18 Mar 23
🔬 Science Neurobiology Genetics Immunology Quantum physics Cryonics
  1. A big connectomics study of Drosophila larva was published, revealing new insights into neural connections
  2. Simulated neural networks can accurately replicate properties of connectomes in different species
  3. Research proposal aims to comprehensively measure input-output functions of all 302 neurons in C. elegans, a significant project in neuroscience

Erika Update #5: DNA detective

Erika’s Newsletter • 137 implied HN points • 18 Apr 23
🔬 Science Biology Genetics Research Engineering Biotechnology
  1. It's important to keep good track of custom DNA programs in biology for engineering purposes.
  2. Current DNA management lacks clear nomenclature and annotation, making it challenging to work with DNA sequences.
  3. Challenges in DNA management highlight the complexity of biological functions and the importance of handling sequences carefully and thoughtfully.

Anatomy of Market Failure IV: Ostrom and Governance

Knowledge Problem • 137 implied HN points • 20 Sep 23
🔬 Science Market failure Property Rights Governance
  1. Property rights play a crucial role in discussions about market failure and influence institutional choices.
  2. Common-pool resources often have ill-defined property rights, leading to governance challenges but offering opportunities for diverse institutional solutions.
  3. Elinor Ostrom's work emphasizes the importance of recognizing and addressing ill-defined property rights to achieve effective environmental policy outcomes.

Rising political activism in prestige scientific journals and magazines

James W. Phillips' Newsletter • 98 implied HN points • 10 Dec 23
🔬 Science Identity politics
  1. Prominent scientific journals and magazines have become significantly more politicized over the years, emphasizing political content over pure science.
  2. There is a noticeable bias towards left-of-center viewpoints in the political articles, with a lack of representation of differing viewpoints.
  3. The increase in political and identity-related content in these scientific publications may have implications for how science is perceived and understood by the public.

Genetic Certainty and Mechanistic Ambiguity

Holodoxa • 99 implied HN points • 09 Dec 23
🔬 Science Genetics Cancer Biology Research Health
  1. Genetic information is essential for understanding diseases, but it is just the beginning - further research is needed to unravel how genetic errors impact proteins and disease mechanisms.
  2. Studying cancer syndromes can provide insights into tumor suppressor genes and the genetic risks associated with cancer development.
  3. The discovery of the VHL gene linked to von Hippel-Lindau disease illustrates the complexity of disease mechanisms, such as how disruption of a ubiquitin ligase can lead to cancer and the tissue-specific patterns of risk in affected individuals.