Blog Archives

The universe is expanding faster than theory predicts – physicists are searching for new ideas that might explain the mismatch

The universe is expanding faster than theory predicts – physicists are searching for new ideas that might explain the mismatch

Astronomers have known for decades that the universe is expanding. When they use telescopes to observe faraway galaxies, they see that these galaxies are moving away from Earth. To astronomers, the wavelength of light a galaxy emits is longer the faster the galaxy is moving away from us. The farther away the galaxy is, the more its […] … learn more→

AI is already being melded with robotics – one outcome could be powerful new weapons

AI is already being melded with robotics – one outcome could be powerful new weapons

Interest in the incorporation of robots into security, policing and military operations has been steadily increasing over the last few years. It’s an avenue already being explored in both North America and Europe. Robot integration into these areas could be seen as analogous to the inclusion of dogs in policing and military roles in the 20th century. Dogs […] … learn more→

Is some of the body that collided with Earth to form the Moon still recognisable inside our planet?

Is some of the body that collided with Earth to form the Moon still recognisable inside our planet?

Scientists have dated the birth of the Solar System to about 4.57 billion years ago. About 60 million years later a “giant impact” collision between the infant Earth and a Mars-sized body called Theia created the Moon. Now, new research suggests that the remains of the large object that collided with the young Earth to form the Moon are still identifiable […] … learn more→

Competing does not give better results: is science being funded well?

Competing does not give better results: is science being funded well?

Project-based research funding has no differential impact, compared to traditional institutional funding, in terms of the production of highly cited academic articles, nor a clear effect on the number of publications. This is the conclusion reached by a study led by the University of Seville . The analysis is based on data from 10 countries and 148 European […] … learn more→

Your mental dictionary is part of what makes you unique − here’s how your brain stores and retrieves words

Your mental dictionary is part of what makes you unique − here’s how your brain stores and retrieves words

The days of having a dictionary on your bookshelf are numbered. But that’s OK, because everyone already walks around with a dictionary – not the one on your phone, but the one in your head. Just like a physical dictionary, your mental dictionary contains information about words. This includes the letters, sounds and meaning, or semantics, of […] … learn more→

Researchers warn we could run out of data to train AI by 2026. What then?

Researchers warn we could run out of data to train AI by 2026. What then?

As artificial intelligence (AI) reaches the peak of its popularity, researchers have warned the industry might be running out of training data – the fuel that runs powerful AI systems. This could slow down the growth of AI models, especially large language models, and may even alter the trajectory of the AI revolution. But why is a potential […] … learn more→

Do you trust AI to write the news? It already is – and not without issues

Do you trust AI to write the news? It already is – and not without issues

Businesses are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) to generate media content, including news, to engage their customers. Now, we’re even seeing AI used for the “gamification” of news – that is, to create interactivity associated with news content. For better or worse, AI is changing the nature of news media. And we’ll have to wise […] … learn more→

We built a ‘brain’ from tiny silver wires. It learns in real time, more efficiently than computer-based AI

We built a ‘brain’ from tiny silver wires. It learns in real time, more efficiently than computer-based AI

The world is infatuated with artificial intelligence (AI), and for good reason. AI systems can process vast quantities of data in a seemingly superhuman way. However, current AI systems rely on computers running complex algorithms based on artificial neural networks. These use huge amounts of energy, and use even more energy if you are trying to work […] … learn more→

The prompts that make AI cross legal limits

The prompts that make AI cross legal limits

From making an atomic bomb to undressing the protagonists of a photo… The prompts (instructions, questions or texts) that manage to force artificial intelligence to break legal limits are present in open forums. The new prompt war JFK promised that Americans would reach the Moon before the end of the 1960s. There was a space and arms […] … learn more→