Science X Newsletter Fri, Oct 27

Dear manoj dole,

Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for October 27, 2023:

Technology news

	Using large language models to enable open-world, interactive and personalized robot navigation Robots should ideally interact with users and objects in their surroundings in flexible ways, rather than always sticking to the same sets of responses and actions. A robotics approach aimed towards this goal that recently gained significant research attention is zero-shot object navigation (ZSON).
	How robots can help find the solar energy of the future Solar energy is one of the most promising ways to power the world of the future. However, creating more efficient solar cells requires finding new and better materials.
	3D-printed reactor core makes solar fuel production more efficient In recent years, engineers at ETH Zurich have developed the technology to produce liquid fuels from sunlight and air. In 2019, they demonstrated the entire thermochemical process chain under real conditions for the first time, in the middle of Zurich, on the roof of ETH Machine Laboratory. These synthetic solar fuels are carbon neutral because they release only as much CO2 during their combustion as was drawn from the air for their production. Two ETH spin-offs, Climeworks and Synhelion, are further developing and commercializing the technologies.
	Hydrogel technology boosts efficiency and stability of gas evolution reactions A team of researchers from UNIST has achieved a remarkable breakthrough in the production of clean gas raw materials, particularly green hydrogen. By developing a hydrogel thin film technology, the team has paved the way for a revolution in gas-producing electrodes, significantly enhancing production efficiency and expediting the commercialization of green hydrogen production.
	Your smart speaker data is used in ways you might not expect Smart speakers offer amazing convenience—from playing your favorite tunes to re-ordering toilet paper—with only a simple voice command. But that convenience can come with a steep cost in privacy that many consumers aren't even aware they're paying.
	Applying a neuroscientific lens to the feasibility of artificial consciousness The rise in capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI) systems has led to the view that these systems might soon be conscious. However, we might be underestimating the neurobiological mechanisms underlying human consciousness.
	Apple Watch models face US import ban in patent clash Medical technology company Masimo Corp. on Thursday said a US trade commission has recommended banning imports of Apple Watch models that infringe its light technology for detecting blood oxygen levels.
	Chip maker Intel beats earnings expectations as it pursues rivals US chip giant Intel on Thursday said it made more money than expected in the recently ended quarter as it continued to invest in a "geographically balanced" supply chain.
	UN panel to recommend how to govern use of AI The UN secretary-general on Thursday set up a panel of experts to make recommendations in the field of artificial intelligence, a technology with "transformative potential" yet also great risks to democracy and human rights.
	Iodine improves lithium thionyl chloride battery discharge performance and rechargeability Lithium thionyl chloride (Li-SOCl2) batteries use a liquid thionyl chloride (SOCl2) electrolyte to give the battery superior energy density and stability, long life and low levels of energy loss during storage.
	Cruise, GM's robotaxi service, suspends all driverless operations nationwide Cruise, the autonomous vehicle unit owned by General Motors, is suspending driverless operations nationwide days after regulators in California found that its driverless cars posed a danger to public safety.
	Robot maker dreams of turning sci-fi into reality Ryo Yoshida has monster-sized dreams for his drivable, "Gundam"-like robot, even though its huge size makes it hard to park and the $3-million price tag will crush most wallets.
	First-ever study of wartime deepfakes reveals their impact on news media A first ever study of wartime deepfake videos reveals their impact on news media and outlines implications for social media companies, media organizations and governments.
	AIs could soon run businesses—it's an opportunity to ensure these 'artificial persons' follow the law Only "persons" can engage with the legal system—for example, by signing contracts or filing lawsuits. There are two main categories of persons: humans, termed "natural persons," and creations of the law, termed "artificial persons." These include corporations, nonprofit organizations and limited liability companies (LLCs).
	Most data lives in the cloud. What if it lived under the sea? Where is the text you're reading, right now? In one sense, it lives "on the internet" or "in the cloud," just like your favorite social media platform or the TV show you might stream tonight.
	Solar power expected to dominate electricity generation by 2050—even without more ambitious climate policies In pursuit of the ambitious goal of reaching net-zero emissions, nations worldwide must expand their use of clean energy sources. In the case of solar energy, this change may already be upon us.
	Why Elon Musk is obsessed with casting X as the most 'authentic' social media platform With X, formerly known as Twitter, hitting the one-year anniversary of Elon Musk's US$44 billion takeover of the social media platform, it can feel disorienting to try to make sense of all that's gone down.
	Electrifying offshore platforms targets a tiny fraction of the oil industry's emissions, says researcher We are all familiar with the greenhouse gas emissions that come from burning fossil fuels in car engines, central heating systems and power stations. Little discussed is the climate footprint of producing oil and gas in the first place.
	Researchers co-design video game controller to provide social connection for kids with disabilities When Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton shared a beautiful story of his brother Nicolas experiencing a professional F1 simulator, he said "The smile you see here never left his face."
	Most websites do not publish privacy policies, researchers say Online privacy policies may not only be difficult to find but nonexistent, according to Penn State researchers who crawled millions of websites and found that only one-third of online organizations made their privacy policy available for review.
	New method of recycling carbon fiber shows potential for use in more advanced products As manufacturing and technology continually take steps forward, products are using more advanced materials and becoming more sophisticated, but also more complicated.
	Applying game theory on the front lines The age-old game of strategy, often confined to chessboards and computer screens, is now being employed to tackle real-world threats against societies, economies and infrastructure, according to new University at Buffalo School of Management research.
	Novel device promotes efficient, real-time and secure wireless access A new device from the lab of Dinesh Bharadia, an affiliate of the UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute (QI) and faculty member with the Jacobs School of Engineering's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, offers a fresh tool for the challenge of increasing public access to the wireless network.
	The forecast for electric aircraft battery life: Clear with a 45% chance of degradation Rechargeable batteries have a lifespan of utility—losing their ability to hold a charge over time. As battery-powered aircraft are being developed for commuter flights in urban environments, the rate of degradation will be an important consideration. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign aerospace engineer Matthew Clarke developed a model of battery degradation, then used the model to simulate four different electric vehicles in real metropolitan scenarios.
	New parallel hybrid network achieves better performance through quantum-classical collaboration Building efficient quantum neural networks is a promising direction for research at the intersection of quantum computing and machine learning. A team at Terra Quantum AG designed a parallel hybrid quantum neural network and demonstrated that their model is "a powerful tool for quantum machine learning." This research was published in Intelligent Computing.
	Online games use dark designs to collect player data, researchers reveal Gaming is a $193 billion industry—nearly double the size of the film and music industries combined—and there are around three billion gamers worldwide. While online gaming can improve well-being and foster social relations, privacy and awareness issues could potentially offset these benefits and cause real harm to gamers.
	Amazon posts strong revenue and profits, says it's in 'best position' it's ever been before holidays Amazon on Thursday reported strong revenue and profits from the summer months driven by growth in online sales and its advertising business.
	Bankman-Fried dodges questions during his US crypto trial Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, parried with a federal prosecutor on Thursday in high-stakes legal jousting at his criminal fraud trial that seemed to frustrate the judge.
	Ford estimates US strike impact at $1.3 bn Ford on Thursday said the need to retore manufacturing operations outweighed the additional costs to sweeten a labor contract to end a strike that has cost it some $1.3 billion.
	Huawei reports its revenue inched higher in January-September despite US sanctions Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies said its revenue edged higher in the first three quarters of the year, even as it grappled with U.S. sanctions that have hindered both its sales and its purchases of advanced technology.
	Tesla workers strike in Sweden over union demands Tesla mechanics in Sweden walked off the job on Friday to protest against the electric carmaker's refusal to sign a collective wage agreement, the metalworkers union said.
	Electrolux to cut 3,000 jobs as sales fall Swedish home appliances maker Electrolux said Thursday it plans to cut some 3,000 jobs as it reported lower sales in the third quarter.
	National road-user charges are needed in Australia—and most people are open to it, research shows The High Court ruled last week that Victoria's road-user charge for electric vehicle (EV) drivers is unconstitutional. Because the court decided it's an excise, only the Commonwealth can now impose such a tax.
	Energy bills: How households could feel the cold this winter As winter starts to bite, you may be starting to worry again about how much you will have to pay for your gas and electricity over the coming months. Of course, energy isn't the only rising cost in the current inflation-led economy, which has caused most households to see a decline in disposable income since last winter.
	Bankman-Fried takes stand, says he made 'small mistakes' Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, took the stand at his trial on Friday and said that while he may have made mistakes he did not commit fraud or steal from customers.
	Artificial intelligence raises questions on intellectual property and ownership The battle over intellectual property (IP) ownership and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) continues as high-profile authors like George R.R. Martin are suing OpenAI for copyright infringement. Additionally, a major factor in the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes has been negotiating protections of writer's contributions and actor's likenesses. Even tattoo artists are questioning whether their works on celebrities can be reproduced in video games. The latest development concerns feeding literature into AI to train language models using the IP of writers without their consent.
	Bidirectional reflectivity measurements for ground-based objects Measuring bidirectional reflectivity of ground-based objects has long posed a challenging task, hampered by limitations in both ground-based and satellite-based observations from multiple angles. However, in recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as a valuable remote sensing solution, providing convenience and cost-effectiveness while enabling multi-view observations.

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