nudge

Roscosmos, the company INVITRO and 3D Bioprinting Solutions announced the successful completion of the first phase of the experiment "3D-Magnetic Bioprinter", performed on board ISS. For the first time, human cartilage and rodent thyroid tissues were printed in space. The Russian bioprinter Organ.Avt was delivered to the ISS on December 3, 2018 on a manned spacecraft Soyuz MS-11. Preparation for the project continued for two years. It was important for scientists to analyze how space microgravity affects the efficiency of the process of creating living tissues and organ constructs. The joint project of INVITRO, 3D Bioprinting Solutions and the Roscosmos State Corporation, with the support of the Skolkovo Foundation, was the first ever orbit experiment initiated by a Russian private company. In addition to technical and scientific innovations, a whole range of new organizational approaches was applied to the experiment, which will be further translated to other companies working with the public sector in the space technology and innovation segment. According to Andrey Divaev, head of research and development at the Department of Business Systems of Roscosmos State Corporation, partnership with a private company in this format has become a unique experience for the State Corporation, which will help in further projects with commercial companies. Biological material printed in space, will return to Earth on December 20 at the Union MS-09. In the first half of 2019, 3D Bioprinting Solutions will summarize the results of the space experiment and publish its results. A similar American experiment is scheduled for February 2019. https://www.roscosmos.ru/25849/

So you basically mean terraforming planets to make them habitable and able to support (human) life? Theoretically, it should be possible; you'd basically need to modify (or create) atmosphere, warm up the planet, and then throw biomass (probably genetically engineered to withstand harsh conditions) at it. Mars is a fairly realistic target for terraforming and there are quite a few proposed hypothetical strategies for it; but there are some pretty serious issues such as lack of magnetic field and low gravity that make global planetary engineering difficult...not to mention that the costs would be enormous and the whole process would take centuries at the very least... I think we'll start constructing large space habitats and settlements with materials acquired from asteroid mining long before we even attempt to terraform a planet. EDIT: Just found an infographic that deals with the process, the costs, and the timeline of terraforming of Mars; a pretty interesting overview:

Boston Dynamics is ready for Christmas

Yeah, the ones here (giant centipedes) are also venomous; I know quite a few people who got bit and had nasty infection as a result...

What I really hate is those nasty fuckers:

Well thanks for that, I suddenly don't feel like sleeping anymore

Why delete, it's ok, two sources are always better than just one

Haha beat you to it

So they live deep down under the Earth's crust for incredibly long time and they eat rock and their own dead proteins??? Weird stuff

The Spacewalk is live now; watching it makes me kinda anxious

Alpha (2018) Visually stunning prehistoric tale of survival. Has a few flaws, but it's beautiful to watch and the story is entertaining enough. Feels a bit like old adventure movies. Also the wolf/dog is great 7/10

China is planning to build a deep sea base for unmanned submarine science and defence operations in the South China Sea, a centre that might become the first artificial intelligence colony on Earth. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/2174738/beijing-plans-ai-atlantis-south-china-sea-without-human-sight

My thoughts exactly. There are over two trillion galaxies in the universe, we've been around only for like 0.00001% of the entire timeline of the universe, and life - as we know it - is made up largely of four most basic elements. Given all that, I think it's highly unlikely (if not straight out impossible) that we're the only living form in all that vast space. I believe that we'll find evidence of life in the solar system (in form of some microorganisms) in my lifetime. As for other intelligent forms of life...it probably depends on how far and how advanced they are, and how advanced our technology becomes with time. Given that the universe is expanding surprisingly fast, the distances will only grow larger and it will only get harder to explore.

I'm going to buy fresh Zwiebelmettwurst tomorrow, so excited just wanted to say it was good knowing you all in case I die of food poisoning afterwards.

Yeah, still around and still announcing the numbers on your hierarchy list no doubt!

Yes it's somehow almost unfathomable haha. One of my favourite things about the Voyager 2 is The Golden Record we've put on it. Imagine if some future form of intelligent life (even better if it's some form of evolved humans) actually comes across it within a billion of years; potentially long after we're (humans as we know it) gone... and they play it, and find all those unfamiliar images, music and sounds from a civilization from distant past that is long gone... Even if the Earth and the whole Solar System is gone. So cool.

A long but interesting read about the night at Le Mans, accompanied by some absolutely breathtaking photos. Can't wait for the next race already... https://www.lemans.org/en/news/le-mans-night-the-spirit-of-endurance-long-read/50573

41 years in space... 11 billion miles from Earth, moving at 54,000km/h... Hard to grasp.

Better and more in-depth look at the Fermi Paradox: Thoughts? What is the probability that extraterrestrial life exists, whether in primitive or intelligent or completely unknown forms, in your opinion? Are we alone in an otherwise empty, lifeless universe? Or haven't we just found it yet?

Huh?

The Japanese are working on their own space missions, but they've been facing lack of funding for a while now I think... Still, despite that they have quite a few interesting things going on. They recently landed two rovers on an asteroid as part of a Hayabusa2 asteroid sample return mission. They have also numerous missions to Mars (rover) and its moons (sample return) planned; and also a whole Japanese Lunar Exploration Program which includes numerous missions to the Moon including a proposed future manned mission with a goal of creating a scientific outpost there.

Just to add, I studied Psychology and Cognitive Science and my final research was on identity haha...

No of course, and the body should be as close to the original one as possible as well, with all its imperfections and all little details. Even if cognitive dissonance wasn't an issue, I'm not particularly interested in overcoming the limitations of a human body so don't care about physical or intellectual upgrades at all... Considering it's already a copy, I'd rather keep it as "real" as possible.

No, I'd just make regular backups of my mind that would serve as system restore points and would only be used after my original body (and brain) dies. Original unaltered data, no edits, no upgrades. I'd like to keep the copy as close to the original as possible and avoid cognitive dissonance...