Energy: Alternative Fuels Geoscience: Geology Geoscience: Geomagnetic Storms Offbeat: Earth and Climate Offbeat: Space Physics: Optics Space: The Solar System
Published

Sun 'umbrella' tethered to asteroid might help mitigate climate change      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Earth is rapidly warming and scientists are developing a variety of approaches to reduce the effects of climate change. An astronomer has proposed a novel approach -- a solar shield to reduce the amount of sunlight hitting Earth, combined with a tethered, captured asteroid as a counterweight. Engineering studies using this approach could start now to create a workable design that could mitigate climate change within decades.

Computer Science: Quantum Computers Energy: Technology Offbeat: Computers and Math Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
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Scientists create novel approach to control energy waves in 4D      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Everyday life involves the three dimensions or 3D -- along an X, Y and Z axis, or up and down, left and right, and forward and back. But, in recent years scientists have explored a 'fourth dimension' (4D), or synthetic dimension, as an extension of our current physical reality.

Computer Science: General Offbeat: Computers and Math
Published

That's funny -- but AI models don't get the joke      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Using hundreds of entries from the New Yorker magazine's Cartoon Caption Contest as a testbed, researchers challenged AI models and humans with three tasks: matching a joke to a cartoon; identifying a winning caption; and explaining why a winning caption is funny.

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

GPT-3 can reason about as well as a college student, psychologists report      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The artificial intelligence language model GPT-3 performed as well as college students in solving certain logic problems like those that appear on standardized tests. The researchers who conducted the experiment write that the results prompt the question of whether the technology is mimicking human reasoning or using a new type of cognitive process. Solving that question would require access to the software that underpins GPT-3 and other AI software.

Chemistry: Thermodynamics Offbeat: Computers and Math
Published

Way cool: 'freeze ray' technology      (via sciencedaily.com) 

An unusual discovery is now being developed as an on-demand cooling solution for high-flying military electronics.

Computer Science: General Mathematics: Modeling Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: Space Space: Exploration
Published

Researchers successfully train a machine learning model in outer space for the first time      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have trained a machine learning model in outer space, on board a satellite. This achievement could revolutionize the capabilities of remote-sensing satellites by enabling real-time monitoring and decision making for a range of applications.

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

Researchers develop low-cost sensor to enhance robots' sense of touch      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have developed an L3 F-TOUCH sensor to enhance tactile capabilities in robots, allowing it to 'feel' objects and adjust its grip accordingly.

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

A simpler method for learning to control a robot      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new machine-learning technique can efficiently learn to control a robot, leading to better performance with fewer data.

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

Robotic hand rotates objects using touch, not vision      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Inspired by the effortless way humans handle objects without seeing them, engineers have developed a new approach that enables a robotic hand to rotate objects solely through touch, without relying on vision.

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

Future AI algorithms have potential to learn like humans      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Memories can be as tricky to hold onto for machines as they can be for humans. To help understand why artificial agents develop holes in their own cognitive processes, electrical engineers have analyzed how much a process called 'continual learning' impacts their overall performance.

Offbeat: Computers and Math Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Unveiling the quantum dance: Experiments reveal nexus of vibrational and electronic dynamics      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists have demonstrated experimentally a long-theorized relationship between electron and nuclear motion in molecules, which could lead to the design of materials for solar cells, electronic displays and other applications that can make use of this powerful quantum phenomenon.

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

A faster way to teach a robot      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A new technique enables a human to efficiently fine-tune a robot that failed to complete a desired task with very little effort on the part of the human. Their system uses algorithms, counterfactual explanations, and feedback from the user to generate synthetic data it uses to quickly fine-tune the robot.

Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math
Published

ROSE: Revolutionary, nature-inspired soft embracing robotic gripper      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Soft robotic grippers could greatly increase productivity in many fields. However, currently existing designs are overly complex and expensive. A research team has developed ROSE, a novel embracing soft gripper inspired by the blooming and closing of rose flowers. Bearing a surprisingly simple, inexpensive, and scalable design, ROSE can pick up many kinds of objects without damaging them, even in challenging environments and conditions.

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

New superconductors can be built atom by atom      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The future of electronics will be based on novel kinds of materials. Sometimes, however, the naturally occurring topology of atoms makes it difficult for new physical effects to be created. To tackle this problem, researchers have now successfully designed superconductors one atom at a time, creating new states of matter.

Mathematics: Statistics Offbeat: Computers and Math
Published

Participating in genetic studies is in your genes      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Why do some people take part in genetic studies while others do not? The answer may lie within our genetic makeup. According to a groundbreaking study, people who participate in genetic studies are genetically more likely to do so, leaving detectable 'footprints' in genetics data. This breakthrough equips researchers with the ability to identify and address participation bias, a significant challenge in genetic research.

Engineering: Robotics Research Offbeat: Computers and Math
Published

Surgical and engineering innovations enable unprecedented control over every finger of a bionic hand      (via sciencedaily.com) 

For the first time, a person with an arm amputation can manipulate each finger of a bionic hand as if it was his own. Thanks to revolutionary surgical and engineering advancements that seamlessly merge humans with machines, this breakthrough offers new hope and possibilities for people with amputations worldwide. A study presents the first documented case of an individual whose body was surgically modified to incorporate implanted sensors and a skeletal implant. A.I. algorithms then translated the user's intentions into movement of the prosthesis.

Offbeat: Computers and Math
Published

Generative AI 'fools' scientists with artificial data, bringing automated data analysis closer      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The same AI technology used to mimic human art can now synthesize artificial scientific data, advancing efforts toward fully automated data analysis.

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

Pump powers soft robots, makes cocktails      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Over the past several years, researchers have been developing soft analogues of traditionally rigid robotic components. In fluid-driven robotic systems, pumps control the pressure or flow of the liquid that powers the robot's movement. Most pumps available today for soft robotics are either too large and rigid to fit onboard, not powerful enough for actuation or only work with specific fluids. Researchers have now developed a compact, soft pump with adjustable pressure flow versatile enough to pump a variety of fluids with varying viscosity, including gin, juice, and coconut milk, and powerful enough to power soft haptic devices and a soft robotic finger.