Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature
Published

Invasive ants spread by hitchhiking on everyday vehicles      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Ants might spread to new locations by stowing away on everyday vehicles. Previously, this was thought to occur mostly on agricultural equipment.

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

Understanding quantum states: New research shows importance of precise topography in solid neon qubits      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study shows new insight into the quantum state that describes the condition of electrons on an electron-on-solid-neon quantum bit, information that can help engineers build this innovative technology.

Computer Science: Encryption Computer Science: General Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General
Published

Mechanical computer relies on kirigami cubes, not electronics      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a kirigami-inspired mechanical computer that uses a complex structure of rigid, interconnected polymer cubes to store, retrieve and erase data without relying on electronic components. The system also includes a reversible feature that allows users to control when data editing is permitted and when data should be locked in place.

Computer Science: General Mathematics: Statistics
Published

Balancing act: Novel wearable sensors and AI transform balance assessment      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Traditional methods to assess balance often suffer from subjectivity, aren't comprehensive enough and can't be administered remotely. They also are expensive and require specialized equipment and clinical expertise. Using wearable sensors and advanced machine learning algorithms, researchers offer a practical and cost-effective solution for capturing detailed movement data, essential for balance analysis. This approach is more accessible and can be administered remotely, which could have significant implications for health care, rehabilitation, sports science or other fields where balance assessment is important.

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

Researchers develop new training technique that aims to make AI systems less socially biased      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have created a new, cost-effective training technique for artificial intelligence systems that aims to make them less socially biased.

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

Next platform for brain-inspired computing      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Computers have come so far in terms of their power and potential, rivaling and even eclipsing human brains in their ability to store and crunch data, make predictions and communicate. But there is one domain where human brains continue to dominate: energy efficiency.

Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Wildfires
Published

Fuel treatments reduce future wildfire severity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

There is a common belief that prescribed burning, thinning trees, and clearing underbrush reduce risks of the severity of future fires. But is that true? A new project analyzing 40 studies where wildfire burned into different vegetation treatments, spanning 11 western states. Researchers found overwhelming evidence that in seasonally dry mixed conifer forests in the western U.S., reducing surface and ladder fuels and tree density through thinning, coupled with prescribed burning or pile burning, could reduce future wildfire severity by more than 60% relative to untreated areas.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: General Energy: Technology
Published

Researchers engineer AI path to prevent power outages      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that could help electrical grids prevent power outages by automatically rerouting electricity in milliseconds. The approach is an early example of 'self-healing grid' technology, which uses AI to detect and repair problems such as outages autonomously and without human intervention when issues occur, such as storm-damaged power lines.

Biology: General Ecology: Animals Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues
Published

Non-native plants and animals expanding ranges 100 times faster than native species      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

An international team of scientists has recently found that non-native species are expanding their ranges many orders of magnitude faster than native ones, in large part due to inadvertent human help. Even seemingly sedentary non-native plants are moving at three times the speed of their native counterparts in a race where, because of the rapid pace of climate change and its effect on habitat, speed matters. To survive, plants and animals need to be shifting their ranges by 3.25 kilometers per year just to keep up with the increasing temperatures and associated climactic shifts -- a speed that native species cannot manage without human help.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Computer Science: General Mathematics: General
Published

A railroad of cells      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Looking under the microscope, a group of cells slowly moves forward in a line, like a train on the tracks. The cells navigate through complex environments. A new approach now shows how they do this and how they interact with each other.

Computer Science: General Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Physics: Optics
Published

Researchers leverage shadows to model 3D scenes, including objects blocked from view      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new technique can model an entire 3D scene, including areas hidden from view, from just one camera image. The method relies on image shadows, which provide information about the geometry and location of hidden objects.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Marine Biology: Zoology Ecology: Animals Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Geoscience: Oceanography
Published

Restored rat-free islands could support hundreds of thousands more breeding seabirds      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Archipelago case-study shows that removing invasive rats and restoring native vegetation could help bring back hundreds of thousands of breeding pairs of seabirds lost to tropical islands. Calculating that there are enough fish to sustain restored seabird populations should be an important consideration for restoration projects, scientists say. Restored seabird populations also provide huge boost to the health of surrounding coral reef ecosystems through restored nutrient cycles.

Computer Science: General Computer Science: Quantum Computers Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Physics: General Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Breakthrough may clear major hurdle for quantum computers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The potential of quantum computers is currently thwarted by a trade-off problem. Quantum systems that can carry out complex operations are less tolerant to errors and noise, while systems that are more protected against noise are harder and slower to compute with. Now a research team has created a unique system that combats the dilemma, thus paving the way for longer computation time and more robust quantum computers.

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

Researchers teach AI to spot what you're sketching      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new way to teach artificial intelligence (AI) to understand human line drawings -- even from non-artists -- has been developed.

Computer Science: General
Published

Wirelessly powered relay will help bring 5G technology to smart factories      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A recently developed wirelessly powered 5G relay could accelerate the development of smart factories, report scientists. By adopting a lower operating frequency for wireless power transfer, the proposed relay design solves many of the current limitations, including range and efficiency. In turn, this allows for a more versatile and widespread arrangement of sensors and transceivers in industrial settings.

Computer Science: General Mathematics: Modeling
Published

Simplicity versus adaptability: Understanding the balance between habitual and goal-directed behaviors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have proposed a new AI method in which systems of habitual and goal-directed behaviors learn to help each other. Through computer simulations that mimicked the exploration of a maze, the method quickly adapts to changing environments and also reproduced the behavior of humans and animals after they had been accustomed to a certain environment for a long time. The study not only paves the way for the development of systems that adapt quickly and reliably in the burgeoning field of AI, but also provides clues to how we make decisions in the fields of neuroscience and psychology.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Biology: General Biology: Zoology Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species
Published

Nile perch invasion triggered genetic bottlenecks in Lake Victoria's endemic cichlids      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Newfound evidence reveals that the upsurge of the exotic Nile perch in Lake Victoria had long-lasting effects on the genetic diversity of various local cichlid species, report scientists. Through large-scale comparative genomic analyses, the researchers found concrete proof in the collective genome of multiple species that this artificially introduced perch decimated many local fish populations, causing a 'bottleneck effect.'

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

AI recognizes athletes' emotions      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Using computer-assisted neural networks, researchers have been able to accurately identify affective states from the body language of tennis players during games. For the first time, they trained a model based on artificial intelligence (AI) with data from actual games. Their study demonstrates that AI can assess body language and emotions with accuracy similar to that of humans. However, it also points to ethical concerns.