Naked AI as is

The landscape of artificial intelligence (A.I.) regulation is a complex terrain, and one of the leading figures in the A.I. world has a bold suggestion: utilize Nvidia, a critical player in the field, to help shape global A.I. regulations. Mustafa Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind and Inflection AI, sees Nvidia's technology as a practical chokepoint that the United States can leverage to influence the direction of A.I. regulation worldwide. Nvidia is no stranger to the A.I. arena. Its processors play a pivotal role in training large language models, which power A.I. applications like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard. This puts Nvidia in a unique position, making its products an essential element of the A.I. ecosystem. Suleyman believes that this position of influence could be harnessed by the United States to exert its control over the development and regulation of A.I. Speaking to the Financial Times, Suleyman stated, "Nvidia's processors are an incredibly practi

Microsoft is no stranger to making bold moves in its quest for innovation, and this time, it's WordPad that's in the crosshairs. After Cortana's recent digital demise, Microsoft is now taking aim at another long-standing feature: WordPad, the humble text editor that has been a part of Windows since its inception. In a note titled "Deprecated features for Windows client," Microsoft dropped the bombshell announcement: "WordPad is no longer being updated and will be removed in a future release of Windows. We recommend Microsoft Word for rich text documents like .doc and .rtf and Windows Notepad for plain text documents like .txt." This decision has raised eyebrows among Windows users who have grown accustomed to the presence of WordPad, which has served as a middle ground between the simplicity of Notepad and the complexity of Microsoft Word. WordPad offered a basic yet functional text editing experience, making it suitable for tasks that fell between quick

  In the depths of the ocean, where darkness reigns and pressures are crushing, life persists in remarkable and unexpected forms. A recent scientific breakthrough, led by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Oceanology and the National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology in Qingdao, China, has brought to light a new strain of deep-sea bacteria, Poriferisphaera heterotrophicis (ZRK32). This discovery not only expands our knowledge of the Earth's biosphere but also offers intriguing insights into nitrogen metabolism and the intricate relationship between bacteria and bacteriophages. Deep-sea exploration has long captivated the imagination of scientists, unveiling a world teeming with diverse and mysterious life forms. In their quest to understand these enigmatic ecosystems, scientists embarked on an expedition to collect sediment samples from the ocean's abyssal depths. These samples held secrets waiting to be unearthed, and within them lay the Z

In the vast cosmos beyond our planet, NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) continues to unravel the mysteries of distant worlds. Recent findings by astronomers have unveiled new exoplanets with remarkably long orbital periods, enriching our understanding of planetary systems beyond our solar system. TESS, a space-based observatory launched by NASA in 2018, has been instrumental in discovering thousands of exoplanets to date. However, a significant portion of these discoveries has been exoplanets with short-period orbits, completing their revolution around their host star in under 50 days. This bias is partially due to the operational constraints of TESS, which can allocate just 28 days at a time to survey each sector of the sky. The mission identifies exoplanets through the observation of recurring transits, making it more likely to detect planets with shorter orbital intervals. This week, a team of astronomers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) sha

In the intricate tapestry of our planet's history, climate change has woven threads of adversity and resilience, impacting not only the world's ecosystems but also early human populations. A recent study, published in the journal Science, offers compelling insights into how the Homo genus faced a severe population bottleneck between 930,000 and 810,000 years ago. This dramatic event reduced the global population of early humans to an astonishingly low number—approximately 1,300 breeding individuals. Led by Wangjie Hu at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, this study sheds light on a critical chapter in our species' evolutionary journey. The Fit-Coal Methodology To uncover this hidden chapter in early human history, researchers harnessed the power of modern genetic analysis. They developed a novel approach known as Fast Infinitesimal Time Coalescent, or Fit-Coal for short. This innovative technique utilizes present-day DNA samples to estimate the po

Google Maps, the ubiquitous navigation and mapping service used by millions around the world, has quietly introduced a subtle but significant update to its user interface. The latest changes revamp the color palette of Google Maps, aiming to enhance the user experience. Let's delve into the details of this refresh and see how it's being received by users. The Color Palette Makeover One of the most noticeable aspects of the recent Google Maps update is the transformation of its color scheme. For both phone and desktop users, several key elements of the map have undergone a makeover: - Roads: They have shifted from their previous beige hue to a more subdued gray. - Water Bodies: These have transitioned into a brighter greenish-blue shade. - Parks and Natural Areas: They now sport a bluish-green tint. These color alterations represent a departure from Google Maps' more traditional look, which was characterized by earthy tones for roads and parks, making them easily distingui

Gamers around the world are eagerly anticipating the release of Grand Theft Auto VI (GTA VI), the next installment in the iconic open-world action-adventure franchise by Rockstar Games. While Rockstar has been tight-lipped about the game's details, there's a lot of buzz and anticipation in the gaming community. Here's what we know so far and what you need to prepare for the big day. GTA VI: An Overview Rockstar Games officially confirmed that GTA VI was in active development back in February 2022. Since then, the gaming world has been abuzz with excitement, with fans eagerly waiting for any official announcements or details about the game. However, Rockstar has been notorious for keeping its cards close to its chest, revealing little about its upcoming projects until the right moment. While no official announcements have been made regarding the game's plot, characters, or setting, there have been significant leaks and rumors circulating online. These leaks, coupled with

Superheroes from Marvel and DC Comics have captivated audiences with their extraordinary powers, but some of these abilities can be surprisingly grounded in real-world science. While many superpowers rely on mystical and magical energies, some mirror scientific concepts, adding depth and intrigue to these iconic characters. Here, we delve into ten examples of superhero powers explained by real-world science. 1. Ant-Man's Quantum Physics : Ant-Man's ability to change size might seem insignificant, but it's rooted in the laws of quantum physics. Access to the Quantum Realm allows him to potentially manipulate space-time, making him one of the strongest superheroes. 2. Nightcrawler's Quantum Mechanics : Nightcrawler's teleportation can be attributed to quantum mechanics, which propose the extraction of information from one object and its recreation elsewhere. Alternatively, teleportation could involve quantum entanglement, requiring immense energy. 3. Spider-Man's

X, formerly known as Twitter, is making significant updates to its privacy policy, including the collection of biometric data, such as users' facial photographs. This move aligns with X's ongoing efforts to offer more tailored and individualized experiences for its users and potentially compete with platforms like LinkedIn. X's privacy policy update, effective from September 29, allows users who subscribe to X Premium, the platform's subscription service, to provide a selfie and photo ID for verification purposes. Additionally, the policy mentions the potential collection of employment and educational history. One of the primary purposes of collecting this data is to "recommend potential jobs for you, to share with potential employers when you apply for a job, to enable employers to find potential candidates, and to show you more relevant advertising," as stated in the updated policy. This strategic move follows X Corp's acquisition of a tech recruiting se

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has reiterated its stance on blocking news content in Canada, despite the Canadian government's efforts to clarify new legislation that will compel dominant tech companies to pay news outlets for the use of their content. The law, known as the Online News Act, is scheduled to take effect in January 2024. In response to its passage, Meta initiated the blocking of news content for users on its platforms in Canada last month. Meta asserts that the law is based on an incorrect assertion that the company unfairly benefits from news content shared on its platforms, and as such, the proposed regulations will not affect its decision to restrict news availability in Canada. Advocates in favor of the legislation argue that platforms like Facebook have profited from news articles to boost their own ad revenue, while the media organizations producing the content have not received adequate compensation. The Online News Act was modeled after a

A federal judge, U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra, has issued a temporary injunction blocking a Texas law that mandated age-verification measures on pornography websites. The judge ruled that the law, which was set to take effect imminently, violated the First Amendment by substantially regulating protected speech, being overly restrictive, and employing enforcement methods deemed excessive. The Texas law required pornography websites to implement age-verification measures to confirm that visitors to their sites are at least 18 years old. Additionally, it mandated the posting of warnings about the perceived harms associated with pornography. However, Judge Ezra found that the law was fundamentally flawed, stating that it was "severely underinclusive" in its approach. While the law aimed to prevent minors from accessing pornography online, it contained substantial exemptions, including materials that are most likely to serve as gateways to pornography consumption. In his or

Google has raised allegations of bias against Jonathan Kanter, the U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, in an ongoing antitrust case against the tech giant. In a recent filing, Google requested information about Kanter's previous work and advocacy, claiming that his perceived bias violates the company's due process right to a neutral prosecutor. The case in question, brought by the Department of Justice (DOJ), focuses on Google's dominance in the ad-tech market and was initiated during the Biden administration in January. However, in April, Kanter recused himself from the case after Google retained his former employer, law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, to represent them. Google is simultaneously facing another antitrust case brought by the DOJ in 2020 during the Trump administration. This case targets Google's dominance in the search market and is scheduled to go to trial later this month. In both cases, Google vehemently denies allega

In a move to address growing concerns over AI-generated content and copyright issues, The Guardian newspaper has announced its decision to block artificial intelligence (AI) text generation program ChatGPT from accessing and utilizing its content. AI products like ChatGPT operate by scraping existing online content and utilizing it as data to generate new content through complex algorithms. Concerns surrounding the legal rights of these programs to use published text, audio, and images to train their algorithms have been on the rise since they gained public prominence last year. OpenAI, the organization that owns ChatGPT, took a step toward addressing these concerns last month by allowing website owners to opt out of having their content utilized by its AI algorithms. In a statement, The Guardian's publisher emphasized, "The scraping of intellectual property from the Guardian’s website for commercial purposes is, and has always been, contrary to our terms of service." The

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured a mesmerizing image of supernova SN1987A, providing unprecedented insights into the dramatic aftermath of this stellar explosion. SN1987A, which erupted in 1987, was a significant celestial event, marking the closest and brightest supernova observed from Earth in nearly four centuries. Located a mere 170,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy neighboring our Milky Way, SN1987A has remained a subject of fascination for astronomers worldwide. The latest image obtained by the JWST reveals a series of luminous rings encircling the site of the supernova, resembling a celestial pearl necklace. These rings represent bands of gas and dust expelled by the dying star during its various stages of collapse and detonation. Over time, these materials were excited and illuminated by the expanding shockwaves generated by the star's final moments. One of the most striking features in the image is the "string of pear

NASA has reported the capture of images that likely depict the crash site of Russia's Luna-25 lunar lander, marking a significant development in lunar exploration. The Luna-25 probe, Russia's first post-Soviet lunar lander, encountered difficulties during pre-landing maneuvers, resulting in its collision with the Moon's surface on August 19, according to Russia's space agency, Roscosmos. In a statement, NASA announced that its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) had photographed the impact crater believed to be the Luna-25 crash site, located on the Moon's south pole. Close-range images taken on June 27 and August 24 revealed a distinctive crater forming on the lunar surface, providing strong evidence of Luna-25's impact. NASA's LRO team explained, "Since this new crater is close to the Luna 25 estimated impact point, the LRO team concludes it is likely to be from that mission, rather than a natural impactor." The Luna-25 mission held significant im

In a groundbreaking collaboration, researchers from the University of Manchester and the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland have unveiled a pioneering method to monitor the dynamics of individual molecules within nanofluidic structures. This innovative approach sheds light on how molecules respond in nanoscale environments, providing insights that were previously inaccessible. Nanofluidics: A World of Miniature Fluids Nanofluidics is the study of fluids confined within ultra-small spaces, offering a unique window into the behavior of liquids on a nanometer scale. However, investigating the movement of individual molecules within such tiny confines has long been a scientific challenge due to the limitations of conventional microscopy techniques. This limitation has hindered real-time sensing and imaging, leaving significant gaps in our understanding of molecular properties in confined spaces. Thin Channels for Molecular Insight Led by Professor Radha Boya in

What is the risk of a volcano erupting? To answer this question, scientists need information about its underlying internal structure. However, gathering this data can take several years of fieldwork, analyses, and monitoring, which explains why only 30% of active volcanoes are currently well documented. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has developed a method for rapidly obtaining valuable information. It is based on three parameters: the height of the volcano, the thickness of the layer of rock separating the volcano's reservoir from the surface, and the average chemical composition of the magma. These results open new prospects for identifying volcanoes that present the greatest risk and are published in the journal Geology. The Earth is home to some 1,500 active volcanoes, yet we only have accurate data for 30% of them. This is due to the difficulty of observing their "fuel," the famous magma, which is rich in information. This molten rock is first generated