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

Chatgpt designs a robot      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Poems, essays and even books -- is there anything the OpenAI platform ChatGPT can't handle? These new AI developments have inspired researchers to dig a little deeper: For instance, can ChatGPT also design a robot? And is this a good thing for the design process, or are there risks?

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Older trees accumulate more mutations than their younger counterparts      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A study of the relationship between the growth rate of tropical trees and the frequency of genetic mutations they accumulate suggests that older, long-lived trees play a greater role in generating and maintaining genetic diversity than short-lived trees.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Geoscience: Environmental Issues
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Saving moths may be just as important as saving the bees      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Night-time pollinators such as moths may visit just as many plants as bees, and should also be the focus of conservation and protection efforts, a new study suggests.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues
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Air quality stations have collected vast stores of DNA by accident, a potentially 'game-changing' discovery for tracking global biodiversity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The accelerating loss of biodiversity and increasing rate of species extinction is a major threat to ecosystems around the globe. And yet, quantifying those losses at a large scale hasn't been possible, in large part due to a lack of the required infrastructure. But a new study shows that a major source for such information already exists in the form of environmental DNA (eDNA), which has been inadvertently collected in filters by thousands of ambient air quality monitoring stations in countries around the world for decades.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees
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The other side of the story: How evolution impacts the environment      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers show that an evolutionary change in the length of lizards' legs can have a significant impact on vegetation growth and spider populations on small islands in the Bahamas. This is one of the first times, the researchers say, that such dramatic evolution-to-environment effects have been documented in a natural setting.

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Newborn baby inspires sensor design that simulates human touch      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

As we move into a world where human-machine interactions are becoming more prominent, pressure sensors that are able to analyze and simulate human touch are likely to grow in demand.

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Forest birds with short, round wings more sensitive to habitat fragmentation      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Tropical forest birds, which tend to have wings that are short and round relative to their body length and shape, are more sensitive to habitat fragmentation than the long-, slender-winged species common in temperate forests.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Computer Science: General Engineering: Robotics Research Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: General
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.

Computer Science: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Engineering: Robotics Research Mathematics: Statistics Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Physics: General
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Effective as a collective: Researchers investigate the swarming behavior of microrobots      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Miniaturization is progressing rapidly in just any field and the trend towards the creation of ever smaller units is also prevalent in the world of robot technology. In the future, minuscule robots used in medical and pharmaceutical applications might be able to transport medication to targeted sites in the body. Statistical physics can contribute to the foundations for the development of such technologies.

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

Robots and Rights: Confucianism Offers Alternative      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

As robots assume more roles in the world, a new analysis reviewed research on robot rights, concluding that granting rights to robots is a bad idea. Instead, the article looks to Confucianism to offer an alternative.

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Prescribed burns encourage foul-smelling invaders      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Though prescribed burns reduce wildfire threats and even improve habitat for some animals, new research shows these fires also spread stinknet, an aptly named weed currently invading superblooms across the Southwestern U.S.

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Researchers build bee robot that can twist      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A robotic bee that can fly fully in all directions has been developed. With four wings made out of carbon fiber and mylar as well as four light-weight actuators to control each wing, the Bee++ prototype is the first to fly stably in all directions. That includes the tricky twisting motion known as yaw, with the Bee++ fully achieving the six degrees of free movement that a typical flying insect displays.

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How a drought affects trees depends on what's been holding them back      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Droughts can be good for trees. Certain trees, that is. Contrary to expectation, sometimes a record-breaking drought can increase tree growth. Why and where this happens is the subject of a new article.

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Published

Identifying the bee's knees of bumble bee diets      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study has identified the bee's knees of bumble bee dietary options in Ohio and the Upper Midwest. By viewing almost 23,000 bumble bee-flower interactions over two years, researchers found that these bees don't always settle for the most abundant flowers in their foraging area -- suggesting they have more discerning dietary preferences than one might expect.

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Physical chemists develop photochromic active colloids shedding light on the development of new smart active materials      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In nature, the skin of cephalopods (animals with tentacles attached to the head) exhibits unparalleled camouflage ability. Their skin contains pigment groups that can sense changes in environmental light conditions and adjust their appearance through the action of pigment cells. Although intricate in nature, this colour-changing ability is fundamentally based on a mechanical mechanism in which pigment particles are folded or unfolded under the control of radial muscles. Inspired by this natural process, a research team forms dynamic photochromic nanoclusters by mixing cyan, magenta and yellow microbeads, achieving photochromism on a macro scale.

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Is it an ant? Is it a plant? No, it's a spider!      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A species of tiny, colorful jumping spider employs two lines of defense to avoid being eaten: camouflaging with plants and walking like an ant. Researchers report that this combination of camouflage and movement mimicry helps the spiders evade spider-eating spiders but does not deter hungry praying mantises.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Botany Biology: General Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Invasive Species Offbeat: General Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Rare tropical plant gains appetite for meat      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Under certain circumstances, a rare tropical plant develops into a carnivore. A research team has now deciphered the mechanism responsible for this.