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Categories: Mathematics: Modeling, Offbeat: Earth and Climate
Published Navigating underground with cosmic-ray muons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Superfast, subatomic-sized particles called muons have been used to wirelessly navigate underground in a reportedly world first. By using muon-detecting ground stations synchronized with an underground muon-detecting receiver, researchers were able to calculate the receiver's position in the basement of a six-story building. As GPS cannot penetrate rock or water, this new technology could be used in future search and rescue efforts, to monitor undersea volcanoes, and guide autonomous vehicles underground and underwater.
Published We've pumped so much groundwater that we've nudged Earth's spin
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source By pumping water out of the ground and moving it elsewhere, humans have shifted such a large mass of water that the Earth tilted nearly 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) east between 1993 and 2010 alone, according to a new study.
Published High-quality child care contributes to later success in science, math
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Children who receive high-quality child care as babies, toddlers and preschoolers do better in science, technology, engineering and math through high school, and that link is stronger among children from low-income backgrounds, according to new research.
Published Metaverse could put a dent in global warming
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For many technology enthusiasts, the metaverse has the potential to transform almost every facet of human life, from work to education to entertainment. Now, new research shows it could have environmental benefits, too.
Published Earth was created much faster than we thought: This makes the chance of finding other habitable planets in the Universe more likely
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Over the past decades, researchers thought Earth was created over a period of more than 100 million years. However, a new study from suggests that the creation of Earth was much more rapid, and that water and other essential ingredients for life were delivered to Earth very early on.
Published The life below our feet: Team discovers microbes thriving in groundwater and producing oxygen in the dark
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A survey of groundwater samples drawn from aquifers beneath more than 80,000 square miles of Canadian prairie reveals ancient groundwaters harbor not only diverse and active microbial communities, but also unexpectedly large numbers of microbial cells. Strikingly, some of these microbes seem to produce 'dark oxygen' (in the absence of sunlight) in such abundance that the oxygen may nourish not only those microbes, but may leak into the environment and support other oxygen-reliant microbes that can't produce it themselves.
Published Plate tectonics not required for the emergence of life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New finding contradicts previous assumptions about the role of mobile plate tectonics in the development of life on Earth. Moreover, the data suggests that 'when we're looking for exoplanets that harbor life, the planets do not necessarily need to have plate tectonics,' says the lead author of a new paper.
Published A step toward safe and reliable autopilots for flying
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers developed a machine-learning technique that can autonomously drive a car or fly a plane through a very difficult 'stabilize-avoid' scenario, in which the vehicle must stabilize its trajectory to arrive at and stay within some goal region, while avoiding obstacles.
Published Octopuses rewire their brains to adapt to seasonal temperature shifts
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Octopuses don't thermoregulate, so their powerful brains are exposed to -- and potentially threatened by -- changes in temperature. Researchers report that two-spot octopuses adapt to seasonal temperature shifts by producing different neural proteins under warm versus cool conditions. The octopuses achieve this by editing their RNA, the messenger molecule between DNA and proteins. This rewiring likely protects their brains, and the researchers suspect that this unusual strategy is used widely amongst octopuses and squid.
Published AI-generated academic science writing can be identified with over 99% accuracy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The debut of artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT has set the world abuzz with its ability to churn out human-like text and conversations. Still, many telltale signs can help us distinguish AI chatbots from humans, according to a new study. Based on the signs, the researchers developed a tool to identify AI-generated academic science writing with over 99% accuracy.
Published Water molecules define the materials around us
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new paper argues that materials like wood, bacteria, and fungi belong to a newly identified class of matter, 'hydration solids.' The new findings emerged from ongoing research into the strange behavior of spores, dormant bacterial cells.
Published Applying artificial intelligence for early risk forecasting of Alzheimer's disease
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international research team has developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based model that uses genetic information to predict an individual's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD) well before symptoms occur. This groundbreaking study paves the way for using deep learning methods to predict the risks of diseases and uncover their molecular mechanisms; this could revolutionize the diagnosis of, interventions for, and clinical research on AD and other common diseases such as cardiovascular diseases.
Published When pigeons dream
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Dreams have been considered a hallmark of human sleep for a long time. Latest findings, however, suggest that when pigeons sleep, they might experience visions of flight. Researchers studied brain activation patterns in sleeping pigeons, using functional magnetic resonance imaging. The study revealed that similar to mammals, most of the brain is highly active during REM sleep. However, this wake-like state might come at a cost of reduced waste removal from the brain.
Published New AI boosts teamwork training
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) framework that is better than previous technologies at analyzing and categorizing dialogue between individuals, with the goal of improving team training technologies. The framework will enable training technologies to better understand how well individuals are coordinating with one another and working as part of a team.
Published The digital dark matter clouding AI
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists using artificial intelligence technology may be inviting unwanted noise into their genome analyses. Now, researchers have created a computational correction that will allow them to see through the fog and find genuine DNA features that could signal breakthroughs in health and medicine.
Published Finally solved! The great mystery of quantized vortex motion
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists investigated numerically the interaction between a quantized vortex and a normal-fluid. Based on the experimental results, researchers decided the most consistent of several theoretical models. They found that a model that accounts for changes in the normal-fluid and incorporates more theoretically accurate mutual friction is the most compatible with the experimental results.
Published New method improves efficiency of 'vision transformer' AI systems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Vision transformers (ViTs) are powerful artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that can identify or categorize objects in images -- however, there are significant challenges related to both computing power requirements and decision-making transparency. Researchers have now developed a new methodology that addresses both challenges, while also improving the ViT's ability to identify, classify and segment objects in images.
Published Desert ant increase the visibility of their nest entrances in the absence of landmarks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers report that in the absence of visible landmarks, desert ants increase the likelihood that foraging nest mates will find their way home quickly and safely by elevating their nest entrance. Ant colonies whose nests are found deep in the Tunisian saltpan are particularly reliant on the self-made landmarks. If the mound at the nest entrance was removed, they immediately began building a new hill, unless the researchers provided artificial landmarks. This phenomenon adds yet another fascinating facet to the amazing navigation skills of these tiny desert animals.
Published Geneticists discover hidden 'whole genome duplication' that may explain why some species survived mass extinctions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Geneticists have unearthed a major event in the ancient history of sturgeons and paddlefish that has significant implications for the way we understand evolution. They have pinpointed a previously hidden 'whole genome duplication' (WGD) in the common ancestor of these species, which seemingly opened the door to genetic variations that may have conferred an advantage around the time of a major mass extinction some 200 million years ago.
Published Robot centipedes go for a walk
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers show how their multilegged walking robot can be steered by inducing a dynamic instability. By making the couplings between segments more flexible, the robot changes from walking straight to moving in a curved path. This work can lead to more energy-efficient and reliable robotic navigation of terrain.