Science X Newsletter Thu, Mar 21

Dear manoj dole,

COMSOL Day: Fluid Flow & Chemical Transport

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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for March 21, 2024:

Technology news

	A model that could broaden the manipulation skills of four-legged robots Robotic systems have become increasingly sophisticated over the past decades, evolving from rudimental stiff robots to a wide range of soft, humanoid, animal-inspired robots. Legged robots, particularly quadrupeds, have been found to be particularly promising for tackling simple tasks at ground level, such as exploring environments and carrying objects.
	How long you got? Danish AI algorithm aims to predict life, and death Researchers in Denmark are harnessing artificial intelligence and data from millions of people to help anticipate the stages of an individual's life all the way to the end, hoping to raise awareness of the technology's power, and its perils.
	Study identifies areas in Mexico City Metro affected by land subsidence A new assessment study identifies areas in Mexico City's metro system affected by land subsidence, providing a roadmap for mitigating damage, prioritizing repairs, and informing future designs for the metro's infrastructure.
	Quiet-STaR algorithm allows chatbot to think over its possible answer before responding A collaboration between AI researchers at Stanford University and Notbad AI Inc. has resulted in the development of an algorithm that allows current chatbots to mull over possible responses to a query before giving its final answer. The team has published a paper on the arXiv preprint server describing their new approach and how well their algorithm worked when paired with an existing chatbot.
	Climate-friendly renovations using straw and hemp Renovating buildings to improve their energy efficiency is a crucial step towards Switzerland achieving its climate targets. ETH Zurich researchers can now reveal the most effective renovation strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: replace fossil-fuel heating systems and harness the potential of bio-based building materials like straw and hemp.
	New reactor could save millions when making ingredients for plastics and rubber from natural gas A new way to make an important ingredient for plastics, adhesives, carpet fibers, household cleaners and more from natural gas could reduce manufacturing costs in a post-petroleum economy by millions of dollars, thanks to a new chemical reactor designed by University of Michigan engineers.
	Using drone swarms to fight forest fires Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) are using multiple swarms of drones to tackle natural disasters like forest fires. Forest fires are becoming increasingly catastrophic across the world, accelerated by climate change.
	AI generates high-quality images 30 times faster in a single step In our current age of artificial intelligence, computers can generate their own "art" by way of diffusion models, iteratively adding structure to a noisy initial state until a clear image or video emerges.
	Researchers take major step toward developing next-generation solar cells The solar energy world is ready for a revolution. Scientists are racing to develop a new type of solar cell using materials that can convert electricity more efficiently than today's panels.
	Reddit, the self-anointed 'front page of the internet,' set to make its stock market debut Reddit and its eclectic bazaar of online communities is ready to plumb high-stakes territory—the stock market.
	One Tech Tip: How to spot AI-generated deepfake images AI fakery is quickly becoming one of the biggest problems confronting us online. Deceptive pictures, videos and audio are proliferating as a result of the rise and misuse of generative artificial intelligence tools.
	Nuclear's EU comeback on show at Brussels summit Promoting nuclear power was long taboo in Brussels, but a high-profile international summit Thursday sent loud and clear the message that atomic energy—now touted by its champions as key to fighting climate change—is back.
	Biden unveils almost $20 bn for Intel to boost US chip production US President Joe Biden unveiled almost $20 billion in grants and loans Wednesday for Intel's domestic chip-making plants—his administration's biggest investment yet in the sector as he takes on China's chip dominance and sells his economic achievements over election rival Donald Trump.
	Meta, Microsoft slam Apple over app store policy Meta, Microsoft, X and online dating giant Match Group hit at Apple on Wednesday for overcharging on app purchases.
	Federal officials want to know how airlines handle—and share—passengers' personal information Federal officials said Thursday they will review how airlines protect personal information about their passengers and whether they are making money by sharing that information with other parties.
	Justice Department to sue Apple for antitrust violations The Justice Department is poised to sue Apple Inc. as soon as Thursday, accusing the world's second most valuable tech company of violating antitrust laws by blocking rivals from accessing hardware and software features of its iPhone.
	Social media apps have billions of 'active users'. But what does that really mean? Our digital world is bigger and more connected than ever. Social media isn't just a daily habit—with more than 5 billion users globally, it's woven into the very fabric of our existence.
	California is wrestling with electricity prices—how to design a system to fix the grid while keeping prices fair Small-scale solar power, also known as rooftop or distributed solar, has grown considerably in the U.S. over the past decade. It provides electricity without emitting air pollutants or climate-warming greenhouse gases, and it meets local energy demand without requiring costly investments in transmission and distribution systems.
	'Empathetic' AI has more to do with psychopathy than emotional intelligence—but we should treat machines ethically AI has long since surpassed humans in cognitive matters that were once considered the supreme disciplines of human intelligence like chess or Go. Some even believe it is superior when it comes to human emotional skills such as empathy. This does not just seem to be some companies' talking big for marketing reasons; empirical studies suggest that people perceive ChatGPT in certain health situations as more empathic than human medical staff. Does this mean that AI is really empathetic?
	Research unlocks potential to revolutionize construction waste recycling There was no time to waste as researchers trawled through skip bins across Melbourne construction sites, capturing hundreds of photos of materials destined for landfill.
	Kirigami-inspired wind steering to cool sweltering urban canyons, improve ventilation Researchers at Princeton's engineering school have found that placing a specially designed lid over a box can dramatically increase the airflow from wind blowing across the upper surface. It is not just a parlor trick. The information could help clean and cool urban canyons in cities like New York and Hong Kong and improve ventilation in popup restaurants and bus shelters.
	New model makes it easier to build sustainable structures of textile-reinforced concrete By reinforcing concrete with textiles instead of steel, it is possible to use less material and create slender, lightweight structures with a significantly lower environmental impact. The technology to utilize carbon fiber textiles already exists, but it has been challenging, among other things, to produce a basis for reliable calculations for complex and vaulted structures.
	Many publicly accessible AI assistants lack adequate safeguards to prevent mass health disinformation, warn experts Many publicly accessible artificial intelligence (AI) assistants lack adequate safeguards to consistently prevent the mass generation of health disinformation across a broad range of topics, warn experts in the BMJ. They call for enhanced regulation, transparency, and routine auditing to help prevent advanced AI assistants from contributing to the generation of health disinformation.
	Reddit, the self-anointed 'front page of the internet,' soars in Wall Street debut Reddit soared in its Wall Street debut as investors pushed the value of the company close to $9 billion seconds after it began trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
	Justice Department sues Apple, alleging it illegally monopolized the smartphone market The Justice Department on Thursday announced a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against Apple, accusing the tech giant of engineering an illegal monopoly in smartphones that boxes out competitors, stifles innovation and keeps prices artificially high.
	Predicting energy yields for photovoltaic systems The journey toward a sustainable future hinges on our ability to harness the power of renewable sources effectively. Solar energy, in particular, has emerged as a cornerstone of this transition. However, the unpredictable and variable nature of sunlight poses a significant challenge for accurately predicting energy yields. This uncertainty not only hampers innovation, but unnecessarily delays the sun's use in global energy production.
	Researchers create adaptive classification method for electronic music A new method for classifying electronic music has been developed by researchers in China. The approach offers a novel solution in an age of exploding digital content to curating music libraries and streaming services.
	Children may overestimate smart speakers' abilities Children overrate the intelligence of smart speakers—such as Alexa, Siri, or Google Home—and are uncertain if the systems can think like humans or not, research suggests.
	Researchers highlight potential cybersecurity threats to trucking industry, supply chain Researchers at Colorado State University have published a new paper that details vulnerabilities in commercial trucking systems that could allow hackers to take control of, steal data from, or even disrupt entire fleets by spreading malware unnoticed between vehicles.
	Best way to bust deepfakes? Use AI to find real signs of life, say scientists Artificial intelligence may make it difficult for even the most discerning ears to detect deepfake voices—as recently evidenced in the fake Joe Biden robocall and the bogus Taylor Swift cookware ad on Meta—but scientists at Klick Labs say the best approach might actually come down to using AI to look for what makes us human.
	Future nuclear power reactors could rely on molten salts—but what about corrosion? Most discussions of how to avert climate change focus on solar and wind generation as key to the transition to a future carbon-free power system. But Michael Short, the Class of '42 Associate Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT and associate director of the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC), is impatient with such talk.
	Salman Rushdie: AI only poses threat to unoriginal writers Artificial intelligence tools may pose a threat to writers of thrillers and science fiction, but lack the originality and humor to challenge serious novelists, Salman Rushdie wrote in a French journal published Thursday.
	UN General Assembly calls for guidelines on AI's risks, rewards The UN General Assembly on Thursday called for the development of a set of international guidelines to address the risks and benefits of artificial intelligence.
	Five things to know about Reddit Wall Street will see one of the year's most highly anticipated IPOs this week, when the nearly two decade old social media platform Reddit goes public, set for Thursday.
	Leaders tout nuclear power as climate tool at Brussels summit More than 30 countries—including European nations, the United States, Brazil and China—took part on Thursday in the first-ever summit held by the United Nations' atomic energy agency to promote nuclear as a "clean and reliable source of energy".
	Is AI a job killer? In California it's complicated For the thousands of tech workers recently laid off in California and across the country, the future may not be as bleak as it looks right now: Many are likely to retrain fairly quickly for new jobs in the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence.
	Strengthening the grid's 'backbone' with hydropower Argonne-led studies investigate how hydropower could help Alaska add more clean energy to its grid, how it generates value as grids add more renewable energy, and how liner technology can improve hydropower efficiency.
	Apple 'aunties' greeted with cheers at Shanghai store opening Chinese Apple superfans jostled to enter the smartphone maker's newest store in Shanghai as it opened on Thursday night—but they were upstaged by dozens of retirees eager to nab commemorative freebies.
	String of litigation cases bites Apple The US government Thursday sued Apple claiming the tech behemoth illegally maintained a monopoly for its iPhone by stifling competition and imposing high costs on consumers—the latest in a string of legal headaches facing the firm.

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