The back up man
BOOK>> MAGNIFICENT DESOLATION, THE LONG JOURNEY HOME FROM THE MOON • by Buzz Aldrin and Ken Abraham • Bloomsbury • Rs 750
Chemistry Nobel 2023 goes to 3 scientists for discovery of quantum dots used in LED lamps, surgery
Quantum dots are nanoparticles of different colours depending on their size, primarily used to create coloured light
How will we know if AIs gain consciousness? A new checklist might help us assess
No current AI systems appears to be a strong candidate for consciousness, but developments likely in near future, says report
Solution for crop burning? Rice husk biochar found to efficiently remove groundwater fluoride
Ensuring sustainable & ethical sourcing of biomass for biochar production, community awareness vital for successful adoption
We cannot leave AI safety in hands of tech giants; governments should step in, say experts
Experts at the 1st UN council meeting on AI expressed concerns over malfunctioning AI systems and the interaction between AI and nuclear weapons
How has the moon transformed our evolution?
Moon has remained important to the geology of the Earth and important to the evolution of life itself.
China’s gallium and germanium controls: What they mean and what could happen next
Both elements are essential in everything from smartphones to space electronics; they are crucial to technological advancement over the next …
Ancient humans may have paused in Arabia for 30,000 years on their way out of Africa
These humans may have slowly adapted to life in the region’s colder climate before venturing to Eurasia and beyond
ChatGPT-powered Wall Street: The benefits and perils of using artificial intelligence to trade stocks
Even a small change in market conditions can trigger a large number of trades, leading to sudden price swings and increased volatility
Stephen Hawking and I created his final theory of the cosmos — here’s what it reveals about the origins of time and life
The enigma at the centre of our research throughout this period was how the Big Bang could have created conditions so perfectly hospitable to life
AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton says AI is a new form of intelligence unlike our own. Have we been getting it wrong this whole time?
A new intelligence will require a paradigm shift in the way we talk about and manage AI systems
Outer space: Rwanda & Nigeria sign an accord for more responsible exploration — why this matters
It also enables the countries to participate in events where decisions on outer space are made
AI for drug development: How trustworthy is the tech?
Pharma companies today deploy artificial intelligence with a potential to reduce the drug development cycle by half
Climate change is the architect of new human species
Fossil records tell us that physical changes typically take 500,000 years to appear
Climate Crisis: ‘Massive investment in CCS is a cover for the expansion of the fossil fuel industry’
Lili Fuhr, deputy director of Center for International Environmental Law, on investments in CCS & what to expect from COP28
New studies reveal insights about Earth’s mysterious mantle
Mantle makes up the largest part of Earth; there’s still a lot we don’t know about it
Billions have been sunk into virtual reality. To make it worth it, the industry needs to grow beyond its walled gardens
VR needs to increase its interoperability — the ability for programs and applications to be able to integrate and for software to run …
Fourth Industrial Revolution: What is it all about?
A collection of DTE articles on the ongoing use of technologies to blur the boundaries between the digital, physical and biological worlds
Are black holes time machines? Yes, but there’s a catch
Black hole is an extremely massive object that is typically formed when a dying star collapses in on itself
What’s the mysterious light up above? A supermassive black hole ripping a star apart
Halfway across the universe, this is brightest and farthest tidal disruption event ever detected
Heavy metal out there: Researchers detect barium in atmospheres of 2 exoplanets
Discovery of barium is surprising because heavy elements like barium are expected to quickly fall into the lower layers of the atmosphere
Swedish geneticist Svante Pääbo gets Medicine Nobel for his contributions to paleogenomics
Pääbo sequenced of the entire genome of Neanderthals; he also discovered the previously unknown hominin, Denisova
‘Ocean thermal energy conversion plant coming up in Lakshadweep’
The plant will power the one lakh litre per day low temperature thermal desalination plant, which converts seawater into potable water
Scepticism to clarity: Dormant black hole found in Milky Way’s satellite galaxy
The discovery is also a vindication of the possibility of an abundance of black holes in our universe
‘Weather modifications by China need more discussions on its ethics’
Down To Earth speaks to Shiuh-Shen Chien, author of review paper on weather modification in the country, on need for social research on the topic