Category: Engineering
-
AI godfathers clash on whether LLMs can understand what they say
For every AI doomer, there’s an AI idealist to counteract their view. Over the weekend, the so-called godfathers of artificial intelligence got into a discussion on the social media platform X about whether large language models, which are AI algorithms trained on large sets of data to predict content, have the potential to comprehend what…
-
Farmers and scientists use AI to combat climate change
The changing climate poses a serious threat to tomato growers in central India. The region has experienced many droughts in the past decade, which have ruined the crops and reduced the farmers’ income. But a Silicon Valley startup called ClimateAi uses artificial intelligence to help farmers cope with the warming temperatures. The startup has created…
-
Axolotls in danger: Ecologists launch new campaign
A group of ecologists from Mexico’s National Autonomous University have launched a new campaign to save the axolotls, the cute and endangered amphibians that look like fish with legs. The campaign, named “Adoptaxolotl,” invites people to donate as little as 600 pesos (about $35) to adopt one of these adorable “water monsters virtually.” Doing so…
-
NIO to cut staff by 30% and ramp up robots and AI by 2027
Nio, one of China’s leading electric vehicle (EV) makers, has announced its plan to reduce its workforce by 30 percent in the next six years as it ramps up its automation and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. As SCMP reports, the Shanghai-based company, which competes with Tesla and other premium EV brands, said it had already…
-
How do noise-canceling headphones work?
The market for true wireless earbuds and headphones has dramatically grown with the increasing popularity of consumer electronics. But among these products, one specific feature has taken a huge leap in becoming more common or, I would say, affordable for the common public. That is the active noise cancellation feature, which was pretty niche to…
-
Are they really a fire hazard?
Electric vehicles (EVs) are hailed as a solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, but they also face some skepticism and criticism. One of the most common concerns is their safety, especially regarding the risk of fires. Some online chatters claim that EVs are more likely to catch fire than conventional cars and…
-
NASA detects methane on distant exoplanet for the first time
In a groundbreaking discovery, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled the atmospheric secrets of the exoplanet WASP-80 b. The telescope observed the distant planet as it passed both in front of and behind its host star, revealing a distinctive spectrum indicative of an atmosphere rich in methane gas and water vapor. While water vapor…
-
This hidden ocean mountain is twice as high as the Burj Khalifa
Ocean explorers from the Schmidt Ocean Institute have unveiled a colossal underwater mountain, challenging our perceptions of the ocean’s mysterious depths. This seamount, found in international waters off the coast of Guatemala, stands at a staggering 5,249 feet (1,600 meters), dwarfing the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. The revelation came during a seafloor mapping…
-
This Spanish AI model earns over $12,000 a month
The internet is teeming with models. No, we’re not talking about large language models. We’re talking about the human variety of models. The ones that walk the ramp and pose for designer labels. But a lot of the time, due to a change in schedule or last minute cancellations, models aren’t able to make it…
-
US workers earned $21,400 more due to the 1970 Clean Air Act
According to a new analysis, the US Clean Air Act (CAA) of 1970 resulted in an estimated $4.23 trillion in benefits due to its impact on airborne lead levels and the resulting boost in labor market outputs. The data indicated a benefit of about $252 billion in 2020 alone. A comprehensive piece of legislation The…