Monday - September 25 2023, 17:54 UTC - 1 year ago

The US jobs data released by Bureau of Labor Statistics on Sept. 1 showed that the economy had added 187,000 jobs in August, while the unemployment rate had gone up to 3.8%. This does not necessarily point to a booming job market, but suggests that the US economy might be heading for a "soft landing" with inflation rates reaching 2-2.5%. Nevertheless, sluggish earnings growth and modest GDP growth still raise chances of recession.

Monday - September 25 2023, 13:34 UTC - 1 year ago

In a new study conducted by Northwestern University, a team used 3D simulations to determine how stars should twinkle due to waves generated by their core convection. The team also converted these rippling waves of gas into sound waves to hear what the stars should sound like. This discovery could help astronomers better investigate the processes deep within certain stars.

Monday - September 25 2023, 08:27 UTC - 1 year ago

Congress must pass 12 appropriation bills before October 1, 2023, in order to ensure government agencies and departments have funding to keep programs going. This year, differences between Republicans and Democrats, and between the House and Senate, may make this difficult to achieve. If the appropriation bills don't pass, a government shutdown may occur, which could have a negative impact on the economy.

Monday - September 25 2023, 03:59 UTC - 1 year ago

Scientists have made a breakthrough in restoring the function of damaged spinal cords in mice by re-growing specific nerve cells to their original destinations. A team of researchers from UCLA, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and Harvard University tested two approaches of axon regeneration, unrestricted axonal regrowth and directed axonal regrowth, and found that directed axonal regeneration was much more effective for the recovery of walking ability in mice. The study emphasized the importance of restoring anatomical connectivity and suggests that directed axonal regeneration is a viable concept for treating severe spinal cord injuries.

Sunday - September 24 2023, 23:31 UTC - 1 year ago

Researchers have developed a revolutionary method for data storage using DNA called the "DNA movable-type storage system." The key innovation of this system lies in pre-generated DNA fragments that are rapidly assembled to encode digital information, bypassing the need for de novo DNA synthesis. This system offers potential for cost reduction, scalability, and sustainability, thus revolutionizing the way we store and access information.

Sunday - September 24 2023, 19:03 UTC - 1 year ago

A new partnership between battery material producer BASF, graphene battery maker Nanotech Energy, battery recycler American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) and battery precursor material maker TODA Advanced Materials, claims it will be the first closed-loop battery recycling system in North America. This agreement could substantial reduce CO2 emissions due to using recycled materials and cut down e-waste generation. The group hopes to be producing new batteries from recycled materials by 2024.

Sunday - September 24 2023, 14:45 UTC - 1 year ago

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison announced the introduction of Tesla Cybertruck as the next-generation police car. Powered by Oracle's software automation and AI generated applications, the Tesla Cybertruck will have enhanced driverless capabilities and developers will be able to use Oracle's Apex to produce code faster with AI. Oracle is creating the largest scientific supercomputer in the world with Nvidia to develop tailored solutions for organizations with their private data.

Sunday - September 24 2023, 09:54 UTC - 1 year ago

This article looks at the history and potential of space exploration. We have explored the depths of our own Solar System over the past decades, but the exciting possibilities of future space exploration remain endless. Space exploration has sparked great advances in technology and could lead to economic opportunities as well as scientific discoveries. In the future, space exploration is likely to become much more ambitious, with the goal of sending a manned mission to Mars by the 2030s.

Sunday - September 24 2023, 05:06 UTC - 1 year ago

Label distribution learning is a new learning paradigm to reduce the annotation cost of traditional learning. A research team led by Tingjin Luo published new research in Frontiers of Computer Science and proposes the Active Label Distribution Learning via Kernel Maximum Mean Discrepancy (ALDL-kMMD) method. It captures the structural information of both data and label, extract the most representative instances from the unlabeled examples and notably decreases the amount of queried unlabeled instances. Future work can focus on applying the proposed active learning method to deep learning structures to reduce the dependence of label information.

Sunday - September 24 2023, 00:46 UTC - 1 year ago

This study sought to analyze historical climatic conditions in order to weigh in on the debate of the climatic conditions that early humans experienced during their migration into Europe and Asia some 40,000 to 50,000 years ago. Higher temperatures boosted the expansion of forests in Siberia, making it easier for early humans to migrate and leading to shifts in their culture, such as the emergence of bone tools. Evidence from ancient pollen records suggests that early humans most likely lived in "extended nuclear families" or small groups.

Saturday - September 23 2023, 20:17 UTC - 1 year ago

K2-18 b is a exoplanet located 120 light-years away in the Leo constellation in the habitable zone. It was identified by astronomers as a sub-Neptune with a size similar to Earth, and is believed to be a Hycean exoplanet, meaning it has the potential of having oceans of liquid water and possibly be home to life. However, its large size could mean that the ocean is too hot to be habitable.

Saturday - September 23 2023, 15:28 UTC - 1 year ago

In a major step towards the mass production of humanoid robots, Agility Robotics announced this week it has completed a factory to produce its humanoid Digit robot. The company plans to begin operations later this year, with the first robots to be delivered in 2024. The opening of the factory marks a pivotal moment in the history of robotics as the Digit platform is a multi-purpose platform with potential use cases such as taking care of elderly and infirm people in homes, assist with lifesaving efforts, and delivery packages. Challenges to scaling include setting up a steady supply chain, nailing consistent product quality beyond a few unites, and learning how to handle repairs and upgrades at a larger scale.

Saturday - September 23 2023, 10:28 UTC - 1 year ago

America is striving to balance economic development with environmental protection, and has made progress in doing so in recent years. This progress is reflected in UN Sustainable Development Goals, and efforts have been made recently to further support progress in this field. Despite this success, there is still more work to be done to reduce poverty, improve healthcare and address climate change.

Saturday - September 23 2023, 05:34 UTC - 1 year ago

A recent study from the University of Arizona reveals that climate change is accelerating the rate of extinction of the Yarrow's spiny lizard. About half of the lizard populations at lower elevations had disappeared due to rising temperatures, and the average extinction rate of the lizard populations at low elevations had tripled over the past seven years, relative to the preceding 42 years. A distinct 3-million-year-old lineage of the Yarrow’s spiny lizard from the Mule Mountains, near Bisbee, may be completely extinct by 2025. Populations with less genetic variation had less ability to adapt to climate change. In the future, Wiens' research group is planning to further study the extinction and survival mechanisms of the Yarrow's spiny lizards.

Saturday - September 23 2023, 00:50 UTC - 1 year ago

A study conducted by researchers from Northwestern University discovered that black holes can consume their surroundings much faster than what classical disk theory suggests. By using 3D simulations run on Summit — one of the world’s largest supercomputers — the team found that black holes rip through their accretion disk, ingesting it in a matter of million or billion years. This new insight could greatly improve our understanding of the environment of black holes.

Friday - September 22 2023, 20:30 UTC - 1 year ago

A team of researchers in China have undertaken a thorough analysis of research papers centered around ChatGPT, with a total of 194 research papers being identified as of April 1st, 2023. After conducting a comprehensive trend analysis, and a comprehensive review of the existing literature, the team's findings indicate a rapid increase in interest in NLP models, showcasing their substantial potential across various domains. It is essential to acknowledge the valid concerns surrounding this technology, like biased or harmful content generation, privacy infringements and the potential for misuse, and mitigating these concerns and establishing a framework for responsible and ethical development and deployment of ChatGPT stands as a paramount priority.

Friday - September 22 2023, 16:19 UTC - 1 year ago

A study from the University of Copenhagen conducted by Professor Anders Garm and Jan Bielecki from Kiel University discovered that Caribbean box jellyfish can learn from their mistakes, with the ability to modify their behaviour and assess distances using contrast. The results of the study have huge implications for our understanding of our own brains and the much underestimated learning ability of jellyfish.

Friday - September 22 2023, 11:23 UTC - 1 year ago

This article explores the ethical implications of using AI in the workplace. It proposes that instead of thinking of AI as a replacement for humans, we should view it as a partner to extend and augment our capabilities. To show this, the author takes a look at their research with the robotic spacecraft teams at NASA, where AI-equipped rovers help scientists explore the surface of Mars with the help of AI-equipped rovers to optimize their performance.

Friday - September 22 2023, 06:52 UTC - 1 year ago

Invasive species, including plants, animals and fish, cause heavy damage to crops, wildlife and human health worldwide resulting in estimated losses of more than US$423 billion each year. They are regularly moved from their home areas due to intentional or accidental human activities. These recent articles from The Conversation describe how several invasive species are causing economic and ecological harm across the U.S. and steps that can be taken to prevent their spread.