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Aug 6, 2024

Carvings at Göbeklitepe could be World’s Oldest Calendar

Posted by in category: space

Experts suggest that markings on a stone pillar at the 12,000-year-old Göbeklitepe archaeological site in Türkiye probably represent the oldest solar calendar in history, having been established as a memorial to a catastrophic comet strike.

According to a recent study from the University of Edinburgh, the markings at the location might be a record of an astronomical event that marked a significant turning point in human civilization.

Southeast Türkiye’s Göbeklitepe is well-known for its array of enormous, T-shaped stone pillars adorned with animal and abstract symbol carvings. According to recent analysis, some of these carvings might have functioned as a kind of calendar that tracked important celestial events and marked the positions of the sun, moon, and stars.

Aug 6, 2024

Archaeologists discover stunning find hidden below Nile waters

Posted by in category: futurism

The artifacts uncovered belong to the time when the Aswan city was destroyed by an enormous flood.

Aug 6, 2024

Scientists Decoded a Legendary Astronomer’s 417-Year-Old Sketch—and Solved a Massive Mystery

Posted by in category: futurism

The researchers dove into Johannes Kepler’s notes to finally figure out an age-old solar enigma.

Aug 6, 2024

Yup, AI is basically just a homework-cheating machine

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

Two new reports confirm what we all know deep down: Lots of people are using Sam Altman’s ChatGPT to “help” with their homework.

Aug 6, 2024

Sonova’s AI hearing aids offer crystal-clear speech in noisy places

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

Sonova’s new hearing aids use AI to enhance speech in noisy environments.


The hearing aid features the DEEPSONIC chip, offering 53 times more processing power for superior speech clarity amidst background noise.

Continue reading “Sonova’s AI hearing aids offer crystal-clear speech in noisy places” »

Aug 6, 2024

MemPal: Wearable Memory Assistant for Aging Population

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, mobile phones, robotics/AI, wearables

We’re living in an aging society with cognitive loss placing stress on caregivers to monitor older adults struggling with memory decline.

MemPal is a wearable voice-based memory assistant that helps older adults live more independently and safely at home while also reducing caregiver burden. MemPal uses AI to automatically log the user’s actions in real-time based on visual context from a wearable camera without storing any image data, thereby preserving user privacy. With this activity log, MemPal helps older adults recall locations of misplaced objects and completion of past actions using simple voice-based queries such as “Hey Pal, where is my phone?” Additionally, MemPal provides context-based proactive safety reminders (e.g., “you may have forgotten to turn off the stove” or” you already took your medicine an hour ago”) and automatically tracks the completion on the MemPal app, allowing for remote monitoring by caregivers. Lastly MemPal can generate an automatic, summarized diary of activities for caregivers that may also prove useful for physicians to better understand patient behavior within their home.

MemPal was tested within the homes of 15 older adults (ages 65+). Our study demonstrated improved performance of object finding with audio-based assistance compared to no aid and positive overall user perceptions on the designed system. We discuss future design guidelines to adapt these types of wearable systems to various older adults’ needs.

Aug 6, 2024

Signal Buried in Biggest Explosion Ever Seen Hints at Total Annihilation

Posted by in category: existential risks

Every now and again, the night sky lights up with a spectacular explosion that blazes with the most energetic light our Universe can produce. Known as gamma-ray bursts, they can release in a few seconds what our Sun will emit over its lifetime.

Now scientists have found a never-before-seen signal buried in the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation delivered by the brightest gamma ray burst ever recorded.

That signal is an emission light – a bright region in the gamma-ray spectrum produced by something emitting light in that specific wavelength range. And that something, scientists have determined, is complete and utter destruction: the mutual annihilation of electron-positron pairs, matter and its antimatter counterpart.

Aug 6, 2024

US uses neural networks to make energy-efficient supercomputers

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, supercomputing

Researchers develop energy-efficient supercomputing with neural networks and charge density waves.


Researchers are creating efficient systems using neural networks and charge density waves to reduce supercomputing’s massive energy use.

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Aug 6, 2024

Riverlane Locks Up $75M As Quantum Funding Continues Strong Year

Posted by in categories: computing, quantum physics, security

Startup Riverlane helped continue what has been a strong year for venture funding in the quantum computing industry.

The U.K.-based firm — which specializes in quantum error correction technology — raised a $75 million Series C led by Planet First Partners. The round also includes participation from ETF Partners, EDBI, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Amadeus Capital Partners, the National Security Strategic Investment Fund and Altair

The company’s tech helps quantum computers perform without succumbing to eventual errors. Such computers typically can only perform a few hundred quantum operations before failure.

Aug 6, 2024

SpaceX’s new direct-to-cell Starlink satellites are way brighter than the originals

Posted by in categories: chemistry, internet, policy, space, sustainability

Even if we can dodge a disaster in orbit by responsibly de-orbiting derelict satellites, many scientists are concerned that the number of objects circling our planet could still do harm: When they deorbit, they could deposit a significant flux of metals that could alter the chemical makeup of Earth’s atmosphere.

“Effects on astronomy are just the tip of the iceberg,” said Barentine, who says we may be fast approaching a turning point where tragedy becomes imminent, either in space due to a collision or on the ground from falling debris. “Space policy-making moves far too slowly to effectively deal with all of this.”

“Right now, there’s not a lot to look forward to that is positive,” he added. “If the New Space Age goes badly in the end, history will not look favorably on it.”

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