You really don’t want a root canal, and not just because it’s potentially painful. Emptying the tooth of the infected tissue at its heart potentially weakens it, since you can’t grow that organic material back or put toxic fillings in its place. Researchers may have a solution, though. They’ve crafted fillings that get the tooth’s own stem cells to regenerate and repair tissue. … Read More → "Regenerative tooth fillings could put an end to root canals"

An AI program developed with funding from the US military has managed to consistently defeat human pilots in a training simulator. ALPHA, which was designed as a research tool, was called “the most aggressive, responsive, dynamic, and credible AI I’ve seen to date” by United States Air Force Colonel Gene Lee, a retired aerial combat instructor … Read More → "AI pilot defeats human combat instructor in simulated air battles"

The Associated Press announced today it will begin using automated software to write stories for 10,000 Minor League Baseball games not previously covered by the news organization.

In order to get the stories written, the AP is working with technology company Automated Insights, which builds software capable of analyzing data, deducing the most important information, and turning … Read More → "Can you tell which one of these baseball stories was written by a robot?"

Ålesund, Norway, is the site of a Midsummer Festival called Slinningsbålet that traditionally includes a bonfire. The bonfire tends to be bigger each year, and this year’s stack of pallets and kindling was 155.5 (47.4 meters) feet tall! That’s a world record. The structure is built by hand on a spit of … Read More → "Norway built a world-record-setting bonfire last weekend"

Eva, a 10-year-old, applied to our summer fellowship program amidst mostly computer science Phds and seasoned urban designers. A summary of her pitch: “The streets of Paris are sad. I want to build a robot that will make them happy again. I’ve already starting learning how to code on Thymio robots, but I have trouble making it work. I want to join the program so the mentors can help me.”  Here is my reply to her.</ … Read More → "Letter to the 10-year-old girl who applied to the Paris Summer Innovation Fellowship"

A 2011 study found that when a free rat came in contact with a rat trapped in a container, the free rat was empathically motivated to release the distressed rat from its cell. But a new study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, noted that a rat put in a similar scenario but given an anti-anxiety medication, was less likely to … Read More → "Rats feel empathy for other rats, unless they’re on antidepressants"

Imagine a pill-dispensing, health-focused version of Amazon Echo, and you’ll get an idea of what Pillo is designed to be. Utilizing facial and voice recognition software, the internet-connected device can reportedly recognize multiple family members on sight, giving them their daily medication while also addressing their health and wellness-related inquires.
via Gizmag</ … Read More → "Pill-dispensing “robot” knows who you are"

In the ancient Mesopotamian city of Uruk, residents enjoyed many benefits of modern life. The city, located in modern-day Iraq, was home to massive ziggurats that would rival any of today’s modern skyscrapers for sheer monumentality. People in Uruk exchanged goods for money, played board games, and sent each other letters on clay tablets using a writing system called cuneiform. They were … Read More → "5,000-year-old pay stub shows that ancient workers were paid in beer"

A section of America’s most famous highway is going green, The Christian Science Monitor reports. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) plans to create the nation’s first solar-powered public road by lining a portion of Route 66 with energy-generating photovoltaic pavers. The pavers will be installed near a … Read More → "A section of Route 66 will become America’s first public solar road"

Following a prominent cheating incident earlier this year, participants in the upcoming Tour de France will have to have their bikes scanned for concealed electric motors and batteries. Cycling officials plan to conduct between 3,000 and 4,000 tests, the Union Cycliste Internationale said today. This technology has been used at multiple other races, but this will be the first time it is deployed at … Read More → "Tour de France officials will scan participants’ bikes to check for cheaters"