It should come as no surprise that the Apollo astronauts left a few things behind after landing on the moon. Since the lunar module could only lift so much weight off the surface, they swapped out unwanted goods and gear for moon rocks. Among those unwanted goods were all kinds of weird things. What kinds of weird things? There were 96 bags of poop, pee, and puke.
I know what you’re … Read More → "There’s poop on the moon"
For the past 24 hours, scientists have been lining up to sign this open letter. Put simply, the proposal urges that humanity dedicate a portion of its AI research to “aligning with human interests.” In other words, let’s try to avoid creating our own, mechanized Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
While some scientists might roll their eyes at … Read More → "How AI could ruin humanity, according to smart humans"
A few years ago, the first lump of plutonium scientists ever made on Earth disappeared from display in Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science. Berkeley physicists think they’ve finally found it again–thankfully before it got thrown out as radioactive waste.
Read More → "How the first lump of plutonium made on Earth got lost"
We’ve seen robots drawing and painting before. But Beachbot does art on a whole different scale. Developed by a team from Disney Research Zurich and ETH Zurich, the robot can autonomously create giant sand drawings by dragging a rake-like tool on a beach.
Paul Beardsley, a principal research scientist at Disney Research Zurich, says he wanted to build an artist robot that … Read More → "Robot artist draws giant sketches on the beach"
John Byrne has a tough job. As senior vice president and general manager of Advanced Micro Devices’ Computing and Graphics Business Group, he has to go head-to-head against Intel, the world’s largest chip maker. That means that AMD has to be more focused and selective when it comes to designing its computer processors and graphics chips.
AMD isn’t doing much in the Internet of Things, which is Intel& … Read More → "Why AMD is staying out of the Internet of Things chip market"
To get people excited about outerspace, this is a small series of travel posters designed by NASA, advertising nearby (nearby being relative) earth-like planets that have the potential for liquid water on their surfaces.
via Geekologie
Continue reading/more posters</ … Read More → "NASA makes travel posters for nearby Earth-like planets"
Two-player limit Texas hold’em poker has finally been solved, according to a study published in Science today. Scientists have designed a computer program, named Cepheus, with a strategy for the game that is so close to perfect that statistical analysis shows it can’t be defeated by a human poker player, even … Read More → "An unbeatable computer program has finally solved two-player limit Texas hold’em poker"
If you need a piece of hardware attached to the delicate tissue of your brain or spinal cord, wouldn’t it be preferable for that piece of hardware to actually be soft, yielding, and flexible?
That kind of thinking led researchers at a Swiss technology institute to develop a new material modeled on dura matter, the protective membrane of the brain and spinal cord. Their & … Read More → "Stretchy electrodes enable long-lasting brain implants"
Most people use the default percentage options when paying for a New York cab. That means they just press 20% on the sales machine instead of calculating it themselves. But two cab rides taken an identical distance with one rider can wind up with different results for that default 20% tip. Differences in tipping software added an extra $5.2 … Read More → "NYC taxi software makes $5.2 million in extra tips per year"
One black hole is not to be messed with, let alone two. Astronomers have discovered what appears to be two supermassive black holes just one light-year apart, setting up a collision so massive it could be release as much energy as 100 supernovas and destroy it’s inside galaxy . Yep.
via Gizmodo
Read More → "A pair of black holes could soon collide and destroy their galaxy"
