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

Words prove their worth as teaching tools for robots      (via sciencedaily.com) 

What is the best way to teach a robot? Sometimes it may simply be to speak to it clearly. Researchers found that human-language descriptions of tools can accelerate the learning of a simulated robotic arm lifting and using a variety of tools.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Published

Cheerful chatbots don't necessarily improve customer service      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Humans displaying positive emotions in customer service interactions have long been known to improve customer experience, but researchers wanted to see if this also applied to AI. They conducted experimental studies to determine if positive emotional displays improved customer service and found that emotive AI is only appreciated if the customer expects it, and it may not be the best avenue for companies to invest in.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Robotics Research Mathematics: Modeling
Published

Should we tax robots?      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A small tax on robots, as well as on trade generally, will help reduce income inequality in the U.S., according to economists.

Archaeology: General Paleontology: Climate
Published

New theory on timing for human settlement of some parts of tropical Pacific      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Spread across vast distances, the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean are thought to have been populated by humans in two distinct migrations beginning approximately 3,330 years ago. The first followed a northern route out of what is today the Philippines and the second followed a southern route from Taiwan and New Guinea. People arrived on the islands between these routes -- now making up the Federated States of Micronesia -- about 1,000 years later. But a new finding by sea-level researchers suggests that the islands in Micronesia were possibly settled much earlier than supposed and that voyagers on the two routes may have interacted with one another.

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

New winged robot can land like a bird      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have developed a method that allows a flapping-wing robot to land autonomously on a horizontal perch using a claw-like mechanism. The innovation could significantly expand the scope of robot-assisted tasks.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Drought encouraged Attila's Huns to attack the Roman empire, tree rings suggest      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Hunnic peoples migrated westward across Eurasia, switched between farming and herding, and became violent raiders in response to severe drought in the Danube frontier provinces of the Roman empire, a new study argues.

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

New robot does 'the worm' when temperature changes      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new gelatinous robot that crawls, powered by nothing more than temperature change and clever design, brings 'a kind of intelligence' to the field of soft robotics.

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

Model shows how intelligent-like behavior can emerge from non-living agents      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new model describes how biological or technical systems form complex structures equipped with signal-processing capabilities that allow the systems to respond to stimulus and perform functional tasks without external guidance.

Archaeology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

True giant wombat gives Diprotodon podium a wobble      (via sciencedaily.com) 

While the Diprotodon -- the extinct megafauna species that is distantly related to wombats but was the size of a small car -- is commonly (but incorrectly) thought of as Australia's 'giant wombat', researchers have shed light on a large species that does belong in the modern-day wombat family. The complete skull of this true fossil giant wombat, found in a Rockhampton cave in Queensland, Australia and estimated to be around 80,000 years old, has been described for the first time.

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

Bolstering the safety of self-driving cars with a deep learning-based object detection system      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Self-driving cars need to implement efficient, effective, and accurate detection systems to provide a safe and reliable experience to its users. To this end, an international research team has now developed an end-to-end neural network that, in conjunction with the Internet-of-Things technology, detects object with high accuracy (> 96%) in both 2D and 3D. The new method outperforms the current state-of-the-art methods and the way to new 2D and 3D detection systems for autonomous vehicles.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Published

Computer vision technology effective at determining proper mask wearing in a hospital setting, pilot study finds      (via sciencedaily.com) 

In a survey and study of hospital employee volunteers, researchers found that a low-cost computer vision system was feasible and well received.

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

Soft robot detects damage, heals itself      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Engineers have created a soft robot capable of detecting when and where it was damaged -- and then healing itself on the spot.

Anthropology: Cultures Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: Wildfires Paleontology: General
Published

For 400 years, Indigenous tribes buffered climate's impact on wildfires in the American Southwest      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Devastating megafires are becoming more common, in part, because the planet is warming. But a new study suggests bringing 'good fire' back to the U.S. and other wildfire fire-prone areas, as Native Americans once did, could potentially blunt the role of climate in triggering today's wildfires.

Archaeology: General
Published

Findings from 2,000-year-old Uluburun shipwreck reveal complex trade network      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Using advanced geochemical analyses, a team of scientists has uncovered new answers to decades-old questions about trade of tin throughout Eurasia during the Late Bronze Age.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: Quantum Computers Engineering: Robotics Research
Published

Pulses driven by artificial intelligence tame quantum systems      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Machine learning drives self-discovery of pulses that stabilize quantum systems in the face of environmental noise.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Paleontology: Fossils
Published

Ancient DNA from medieval Germany tells the origin story of Ashkenazi Jews      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Extracting ancient DNA from teeth, an international group of scientists peered into the lives of a once-thriving medieval Ashkenazi Jewish community in Erfurt, Germany. The findings show that the Erfurt Jewish community was more genetically diverse than modern day Ashkenazi Jews.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Published

Making 'transport' robots smarter      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Imagine a team of humans and robots working together to process online orders -- real-life workers strategically positioned among their automated coworkers who are moving intelligently back and forth in a warehouse space, picking items for shipping to the customer. This could become a reality sooner than later, thanks to researchers who are working to speed up the online delivery process by developing a software model designed to make 'transport' robots smarter.

Anthropology: General Archaeology: General Paleontology: Climate
Published

Interdisciplinary environmental history: How narratives of the past can meet the challenges of the anthropocene      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new article discusses vital methodological issues for humanities-based historical inquiry and argues that the challenges of the Anthropocene demand interdisciplinary research informed by a variety of historical narratives.

Archaeology: General
Published

One of Europe's most ancient domestic dogs lived in the Basque Country      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Wolf domestication occurred earlier than proposed until now, at least in western Europe. That possibility is raised by the results of the study of the humerus found in the Erralla cave (Gipuzkoa, Spain) in 1985.

Archaeology: General Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

Ancient Roman coins reveal long-lost emperor      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A gold coin long dismissed as a forgery appears to be authentic and depicts a long-lost Roman emperor named Sponsian, according to a new study.