Scientists in Australia and in the USA have solved a long-standing mystery about the Sun that could help astronomers predict space weather and help us prepare for potentially devastating geomagnetic storms if they were to hit Earth. The Sun's internal magnetic field is directly responsible for space weather -- streams of high-energy particles from the Sun that can be triggered … [Read more...] about Solving solar puzzle could help save Earth from planet-wide blackouts
Can virtual socializing apps outlast the pandemic?
For its first few years, Teleparty seemed doomed to be a niche product. The browser extension, which lets multiple people sync up their Netflix accounts so they can watch the same thing at the same time, was a hit among couples in long-distance relationships. Otherwise, few people had even heard of it.And then, in March 2020, the app suddenly found itself with a planet’s worth … [Read more...] about Can virtual socializing apps outlast the pandemic?
‘Triple contagion’: How fears influence coronavirus transmission: New mathematical model incorporates human behavior — and the fears that drive it — to better predict multiple waves of infections
A new mathematical model for predicting infectious disease outbreaks incorporates fear -- both of disease and of vaccines -- to better understand how pandemics can occur in multiple waves of infections, like those we are seeing with COVID-19. The "Triple Contagion" model of disease and fears, developed by researchers at NYU School of Global Public Health, is published in the … [Read more...] about ‘Triple contagion’: How fears influence coronavirus transmission: New mathematical model incorporates human behavior — and the fears that drive it — to better predict multiple waves of infections
Using virtual reality to help students understand the brain’s complex systems, researchers demonstrate effectiveness of 3D visualization as a learning tool
Researchers from the Neuroimaging Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and Wisconsin Institute for the Discovery at University Wisconsin-Madison have developed the UW Virtual Brain Project™, producing unique, interactive, 3D narrated diagrams to help students learn about the structure and function of perceptual systems in the human brain. A new study exploring how students responded … [Read more...] about Using virtual reality to help students understand the brain’s complex systems, researchers demonstrate effectiveness of 3D visualization as a learning tool
Dissolvable smartwatch makes for easier electronics recycling
Small electronics, including smartwatches and fitness trackers, aren't easily dismantled and recycled. So when a new model comes out, most users send the old devices into hazardous waste streams. To simplify small electronics recycling, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have developed a two-metal nanocomposite for circuits that disintegrates when … [Read more...] about Dissolvable smartwatch makes for easier electronics recycling
Connective issue: AI learns by doing more with less: Sparsity and energy constraints guide learning and communications in silicon neuronal networks
Brains have evolved to do more with less. Take a tiny insect brain, which has less than a million neurons but shows a diversity of behaviors and is more energy-efficient than current AI systems. These tiny brains serve as models for computing systems that are becoming more sophisticated as billions of silicon neurons can be implemented on hardware. The secret to achieving … [Read more...] about Connective issue: AI learns by doing more with less: Sparsity and energy constraints guide learning and communications in silicon neuronal networks
Researchers use AI to unlock the secrets of ancient texts
The Abbey Library of St. Gall in Switzerland is home to approximately 160,000 volumes of literary and historical manuscripts dating back to the eighth century -- all of which are written by hand, on parchment, in languages rarely spoken in modern times. To preserve these historical accounts of humanity, such texts, numbering in the millions, have been kept safely stored away in … [Read more...] about Researchers use AI to unlock the secrets of ancient texts
Blizzard president out in wake of discrimination lawsuit and employee walkout
Less than two weeks after California regulators filed a lawsuit alleging years of sexual discrimination and harassment at Activision Blizzard, the president of the company’s Blizzard division is out.J. Allen Brack stepped down Tuesday as leader of the video game studio, maker of the “Warcraft” and “Diablo” games, according to a statement on the company’s website. He will be … [Read more...] about Blizzard president out in wake of discrimination lawsuit and employee walkout
Towards next-gen computers: Mimicking brain functions with graphene-diamond junctions: Scientists mimic the brain’s functions with junctions between vertically aligned graphene and diamond
The human brain holds the secret to our unique personalities. But did you know that it can also form the basis of highly efficient computing devices? Researchers from Nagoya University, Japan, recently showed how to do this, through graphene-diamond junctions that mimic some of the human brain's functions. But, why would scientists try to emulate the human brain? Today, … [Read more...] about Towards next-gen computers: Mimicking brain functions with graphene-diamond junctions: Scientists mimic the brain’s functions with junctions between vertically aligned graphene and diamond
Running quantum software on a classical computer
In a paper published in Nature Quantum Information, EPFL professor Giuseppe Carleo and Matija Medvidovi?, a graduate student at Columbia University and at the Flatiron Institute in New York, have found a way to execute a complex quantum computing algorithm on traditional computers instead of quantum ones. The specific "quantum software" they are considering is known as Quantum … [Read more...] about Running quantum software on a classical computer