Saturday - March 9 2024, 07:41 UTC - 8 months ago

New research has uncovered the mystery behind why white dwarfs, which were expected to simply cool and fade away, have continued to shine brightly for billions of years. This is due to a process called solid-liquid distillation, in which crystals form and float up while denser liquids with heavy impurities sink. This discovery has implications for our understanding of the age of our galaxy and our ability to use white dwarfs as cosmic clocks.

Saturday - March 9 2024, 02:57 UTC - 8 months ago

40 years ago, Kendall Square was a dying industrial area. The Bayh-Dole Act allowed universities to retain patent rights for federally funded research, leading to a surge in technology transfer and innovations. This has created millions of jobs and transformed the biotech industry. It continues to inspire similar policies globally.

Friday - March 8 2024, 22:11 UTC - 8 months ago

Since the introduction of the Perceptron in 1958, the field of artificial intelligence has gone through boom and bust cycles. While advancements in technology have led to impressive AI systems, we must remain cautious and remember the past failures and limitations of AI technology.

Friday - March 8 2024, 17:49 UTC - 8 months ago

Solar sails, a revolutionary technology that uses the sun's radiation pressure to propel spacecraft, may hold the key to interstellar exploration. Advances in sailcraft design allow for high speeds of over 20 AU/year, and a proposed Technology Demonstration Mission could pave the way for future missions to distant regions of the solar system and beyond. Solar sails also have potential applications for space debris removal and asteroid deflection. The possibilities are endless!.

Friday - March 8 2024, 13:23 UTC - 8 months ago

Scientists have successfully used epigenetic editing to reduce cholesterol levels in mice with just one shot. This method may be a safer alternative to traditional gene editing and has the potential to treat a range of diseases. The treatment lasted for nearly a year with no notable side effects, making it a potentially life-changing solution for individuals with high cholesterol.

Friday - March 8 2024, 09:16 UTC - 8 months ago

The controversy surrounding LK99 superconductors continues to generate interest and debate. Claims of metal contamination and incompetent researchers are countered by recent experiments showing full levitation, microwave absorption, and Meissner effect. Additionally, a patent for LK99 thin film superconductivity has been filed, and previous experiments have shown consistent microwave absorption. While the controversy remains, the evidence in support of LK99 variants as room temperature superconductors cannot be ignored.

Friday - March 8 2024, 04:21 UTC - 8 months ago

In 2019, the unmanned space probe Beresheet carrying tardigrades crashed on the moon. These microscopic creatures are known for their ability to survive in extreme environments and may have contaminated the moon. Tardigrades can shut down their metabolism and reproduce in various ways, making them resilient against conditions on Earth and potentially on new environments like the moon.

Friday - March 8 2024, 00:10 UTC - 8 months ago

Tesla's FSD technology uses data gathered from its own vehicles, as well as simulated scenarios, to continuously improve its AI. This combination of real-world and simulated data is what sets Tesla apart from other self-driving companies. With over 3 billion miles of real-world driving data collected and plans to expand its capabilities beyond highways and city streets, Tesla is revolutionizing the future of transportation.

Thursday - March 7 2024, 19:39 UTC - 8 months ago

Dr. Mladen Kezunovic and his team at Texas A&M University are using big data and machine learning to predict power outages caused by environmental conditions. By combining historical outage data and weather-related data, the team creates models that can predict when and where outages are likely to occur. They are also working on educating consumers, particularly children, about power outages to increase awareness and reduce panic.

Thursday - March 7 2024, 15:14 UTC - 8 months ago

The rise of Chinese electric vehicles has caused significant political tension between the US and China. While American companies struggle to keep up with the highly competitive and subsidized Chinese EV market, concerns about national security and job security have made this a key issue in election cycles.

Thursday - March 7 2024, 10:01 UTC - 8 months ago

I became friends with biologist Roger Payne, known for his discovery of whale songs. He wished for a way to experience life as a whale does, and we used a drone to observe them in their natural habitat. The drone, Falcon, was a groundbreaking technology and provided close-up images of the whales without altering their behavior. It's a new, unobtrusive means of studying these magnificent creatures.

Thursday - March 7 2024, 05:27 UTC - 8 months ago

Generative AI, a subset of artificial intelligence, has the potential to transform the global economy by revolutionizing industries and reshaping the workforce. Despite concerns about its impact on workers and inequality, early evidence suggests it could actually promote social and economic equality. The growing demand for chips that power generative AI is fueling a fierce global competition, with the United States investing billions to reshore the semiconductor industry. Companies around the world are also making unprecedented investments in the development and implementation of generative AI, highlighting its potential for transformation on a global scale.

Thursday - March 7 2024, 00:43 UTC - 8 months ago

Hung-Wei Tseng proposes a paradigm shift in computer architecture with "Simultaneous and Heterogeneous Multithreading" (SHMT), which aims to use all existing processing units simultaneously, eliminating the bottleneck seen in current systems. Tests on an embedded system platform showed impressive results - a 1.96 times speedup and a 51% reduction in energy consumption. While there is still further investigation needed, SHMT shows potential for significant cost and energy savings.

Wednesday - March 6 2024, 20:42 UTC - 8 months ago

New evidence presented at the APS meeting supports the existence of quantum levitation technology, with the QERC team and Chinese researchers showcasing their advancements and patents. A Youtube video matches the screenshot shown in the presentation, and a demonstration of levitation in action leaves the audience in awe. The potential for this technology is limitless, and it is on the brink of becoming a reality in our daily lives.

Wednesday - March 6 2024, 15:38 UTC - 8 months ago

The University of Surrey has found a way to use images from Grand Theft Auto V to train an AI system to accurately predict 3D poses of dogs, eliminating the need for costly motion capture equipment. The resulting database, DigiDogs, has potential applications in conservation, animation, and virtual gaming. The research won Best Paper at a prestigious computer vision conference, highlighting the potential of this innovative approach.

Wednesday - March 6 2024, 11:18 UTC - 8 months ago

Researchers have identified a key step in the development of destructive tau tangles, which are responsible for brain diseases known as tauopathies. By targeting this step and studying the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), scientists hope to find new therapeutic approaches for these devastating conditions. One particular lncRNA, SNHG8, has been found to play a role in regulating tau protein aggregation and shows potential as a target for intervention.

Wednesday - March 6 2024, 06:23 UTC - 8 months ago

Large language models and image generators are AI tools that use complex algorithms to generate human-like language and realistic images. Their development has raised ethical concerns but also presents exciting possibilities in various industries. Responsible use and evaluation of these tools is crucial as we continue to explore the capabilities of AI.

Wednesday - March 6 2024, 01:36 UTC - 8 months ago

Anthropic, a major player in AI, announced three new models for its Claude chatbot. The company, founded by former employees of OpenAI and funded by Google, aims to avoid controversy by imposing less strict guardrails. Its newest model, Opus, outperforms peers on key benchmarks. Unlike competitors, Claude does not generate images, but allows users to use images as requests for analysis. Despite success, Anthropic faces a lawsuit from music publishers for using copyrighted material in its models.

Tuesday - March 5 2024, 20:48 UTC - 8 months ago

The year 2024 brings with it a myriad of technological advancements, including widespread adoption of 5G, advancements in artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, and biotechnology. These developments have not only transformed the way we live and work but have also had a profound impact on society, blurring the lines between work and personal life and making global communication and collaboration easier than ever before.