Computer Science: General
Published

Chatbots tell people what they want to hear      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Chatbots share limited information, reinforce ideologies, and, as a result, can lead to more polarized thinking when it comes to controversial issues, according to new research. The study challenges perceptions that chatbots are impartial and provides insight into how using conversational search systems could widen the public divide on hot-button issues and leave people vulnerable to manipulation.

Computer Science: General
Published

Just believing that an AI is helping boosts your performance      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Sometimes it seems like an AI is helping, but the benefit is actually a placebo effect -- people performing better simply because they expect to be doing so -- according to new research. The study also shows how difficult it is to shake people's trust in the capabilities of AI systems.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Zoology Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Cats purrfectly demonstrate what it takes to trust robots      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Would you trust a robot to look after your cat? New research suggests it takes more than a carefully designed robot to care for your cat, the environment in which they operate is also vital, as well as human interaction.

Biology: General Biology: Zoology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

World's largest hummingbird is actually two species      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The Giant Hummingbird of western South America is not one species but two, according to an international group of researchers. The northern population stays in the high Andes year-round while the southern population migrates from sea level up to 14,000 feet for the nonbreeding months.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Microbiology Biology: Molecular Biology: Zoology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Fruit fly testes offer potential tool against harmful insects      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A way to curb nagging insects has been flying under our radar -- an enzyme from fruit fly testes. The compound could control bugs that carry disease and harm crops by stunting their ability to procreate, researchers have found.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Thermodynamics Computer Science: General Mathematics: Modeling Mathematics: Statistics Physics: General
Published

New work extends the thermodynamic theory of computation      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Physicists and computer scientists have recently expanded the modern theory of the thermodynamics of computation. By combining approaches from statistical physics and computer science, the researchers introduce mathematical equations that reveal the minimum and maximum predicted energy cost of computational processes that depend on randomness, which is a powerful tool in modern computers.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Developmental Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Genetics Biology: Molecular Ecology: Endangered Species Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Like dad and like mum ... all in one plant      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have established a system to generate clonal sex cells in tomato plants and used them to design the genomes of offspring. The fertilization of a clonal egg from one parent by a clonal sperm from another parent led to plants containing the complete genetic information of both parents.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Nature's 3D printer: Bristle worms form bristles piece by piece      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Molecular biologists provide exciting insights into the bristles of the marine annelid worm Platynereis dumerilii. Specialized cells, so-called chaetoblasts, control the formation of the bristles. Their mode of operation is astonishingly similar to that of a technical 3D printer.

Computer Science: General Mathematics: Modeling Physics: General
Published

New machine learning algorithm promises advances in computing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Systems controlled by next-generation computing algorithms could give rise to better and more efficient machine learning products, a new study suggests.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Robotic system feeds people with severe mobility limitations      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a robotic feeding system that uses computer vision, machine learning and multimodal sensing to safely feed people with severe mobility limitations, including those with spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General
Published

New study finds AI-generated empathy has its limits      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Conversational agents (CAs) such as Alexa and Siri are designed to answer questions, offer suggestions -- and even display empathy. However, new research finds they do poorly compared to humans when interpreting and exploring a user's experience.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers
Published

New super-pure silicon chip opens path to powerful quantum computers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have invented a breakthrough technique for manufacturing highly purified silicon that brings powerful quantum computers a big step closer.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Microbiology Computer Science: General
Published

Engineers develop innovative microbiome analysis software tools      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Engineers have developed two new graph-based computational tools for tracking genomic variation within microbiomes.

Computer Science: General
Published

Cybersecurity education varies widely in US      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Cybersecurity programs vary dramatically across the country, a review has found. The authors argue that program leaders should work with professional societies to make sure graduates are well trained to meet industry needs in a fast-changing field. A research team found a shortage of research in evaluating the instructional approaches being used to teach cybersecurity. The authors also contend that programs could benefit from increasing their use of educational and instructional tools and theories.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Experiment opens door for millions of qubits on one chip      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have achieved the first controllable interaction between two hole spin qubits in a conventional silicon transistor. The breakthrough opens up the possibility of integrating millions of these qubits on a single chip using mature manufacturing processes.

Biology: Zoology Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geology Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: General
Published

Did a magnetic field collapse trigger the emergence of animals?      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers uncovered compelling evidence that Earth's magnetic field was in a highly unusual state when the macroscopic animals of the Ediacaran Period -- 635 to 541 million years ago -- diversified and thrived. Their study raises the question of whether these fluctuations in Earth's ancient magnetic field led to shifts in oxygen levels that may have been crucial to the proliferation of life forms millions of years ago.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Stretchable e-skin could give robots human-level touch sensitivity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A stretchy electronic skin could equip robots and other devices with the same softness and touch sensitivity as human skin, opening up new possibilities to perform tasks that require a great deal of precision and control of force.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Cell Biology Biology: Zoology Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Wild orangutan treats wound with pain-relieving plant      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A wild orangutan was observed applying a plant with known medicinal properties to a wound, a first for a wild animal.

Computer Science: General
Published

Science has an AI problem: This group says they can fix it      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team of 19 prominent researchers has published guidelines for the responsible use of machine learning in science. They say it could avert a crisis that's smoldering in every field.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers
Published

Physicists build new device that is foundation for quantum computing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have adapted a device called a microwave circulator for use in quantum computers, allowing them for the first time to precisely tune the exact degree of nonreciprocity between a qubit, the fundamental unit of quantum computing, and a microwave-resonant cavity. The ability to precisely tune the degree of nonreciprocity is an important tool to have in quantum information processing. In doing so, the team derived a general and widely applicable theory that simplifies and expands upon older understandings of nonreciprocity so that future work on similar topics can take advantage of the team's model, even when using different components and platforms.