June 2019 – Page 7

Analysis, Big Problems, Medicine, Science & Technology News

Antibiotics found in world’s rivers at levels up to 300 times above safe levels

June 7, 2019

A new study has found that in over 100 of 700 river samples taken, antibiotic concentrations were at levels exceeding safe concentrations, with the Danube found to be the most contaminated river in Europe

In a massive global study, led by researchers at the University of York, hundreds of rivers around the world have been tested for levels of common antibiotics. The study found 65 percent of all samples contained some concentration of antibiotics, with the worst cases showing levels more than 300 times higher than the generally accepted safe threshold.

The study is the first to coordinate such a broad global survey of the world’s rivers, examining levels of 14 common antibiotics from 711 sites across 72 countries. John Wilkinson, one of the researchers coordinating this large project, suggests that alongside many regions never before monitored, this is the largest antibiotic survey ever conducted.

Continue reading… “Antibiotics found in world’s rivers at levels up to 300 times above safe levels”

AI, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Science & Technology News

This animated Mona Lisa was created by AI, and it’s terrifying

June 6, 2019

A new type of artificial intelligence can generate a “living portrait” from just one image. Original Image

The enigmatic, painted smile of the “Mona Lisa” is known around the world, but that famous face recently displayed a startling new range of expressions, courtesy of artificial intelligence (AI).

In a video shared to YouTube on May 21, three video clips show disconcerting examples of the Mona Lisa as she moves her lips and turns her head. She was created by a convolutional neural network — a type of AI that processes information much as a human brain does, to analyze and process images.

Continue reading… “This animated Mona Lisa was created by AI, and it’s terrifying”

Automobiles, Driverless cars, Racing, Science & Technology News

China just held a car race without any drivers

June 6, 2019

Driverless cars compete during the 3rd World Intelligent Driving Challenge in Tianjin.

China’s annual driving challenge attracts dozens of hopefuls.

China’s road to mastering driverless-car technology is bumpy and full of surprises — literally. Just ask those attending the country’s top autonomous-vehicle race .

In hot and windy conditions this week in the eastern city of Tianjin, dozens of self-driving cars raced for glory. On a circuit covering an area of 10 soccer fields, they navigated through bumps, sudden turns and artificial fog. Even fake cows and sheep suddenly crossed their paths for good measure. Some teams wreaked less havoc than others.

Continue reading… “China just held a car race without any drivers”

Driverless vehicles, Electric Vehicles, Science & Technology News, Transportation

Einride’s T-pod L4 driverless trucks hit public roads in Sweden

June 6, 2019

Einride is entering a new phase it development, as it deploys self-driving trucks in Sweden. The service is part of the startup’s ongoing collaboration with German logistics group DB Schenker. Both businesses have been working together on launching driverless vehicles since 2018.

Swedish transport authorities approved Einride’s deployment plans through the issuance of a pubic road permit. Based on the details of the permit, the startup’s autonomous trucks are allowed to travel from a warehouse to a terminal. The short route includes roads within an industrial hub in Jonkoping, Sweden. During operation, the self-driving trucks can travel up to 3.1 mph (5 km/hr).

Continue reading… “Einride’s T-pod L4 driverless trucks hit public roads in Sweden”

Automobiles, Driverless cars, Electric Automobile, Science & Technology News, Transportation

What’s the piece-of-the-pie for driverless cars in the $2 trillion infrastructure plan?

June 5, 2019

Potholes and roadway decay, it’s messy and dangerous, among other infrastructure crumblings.

There are emerging discussions that perhaps Congress and the White House might agree to a rather significant spend on America’s infrastructure. Some say it could be on the order of $2 trillion potentially allocated. Whether or not you favor such an expenditure, most would likely agree that our infrastructure does seem to be progressively crumbling, as evidenced by everything from dams that break without apparent warning to a plethora of tire-bashing potholes permeating our roadways from coast-to-coast.

According to the most recent Report Card on our infrastructure by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), we all need to be seemingly ashamed of what we’ve allowed our country to become since the United States infrastructure earned a paltry and embarrassing D+ grade.

Continue reading… “What’s the piece-of-the-pie for driverless cars in the $2 trillion infrastructure plan?”

Driverless vehicles, new technology, Science & Technology News, Transportation

First commercial crossing of the north sea by autonomous vessel

June 5, 2019

A 12-meter (40-foot) autonomous vessel has sailed across the North Sea with a token cargo of oysters – making it the first commercial crossing by an autonomous vessel.

The vessel, designed and built in Essex, U.K., docked in the Belgian port city of Oostende last week following a successful transit from West Mersea. The voyage lasted 22 hours.

The box of oysters weighed around 5 kg – just a fraction of the current model’s maximum payload of up to 2.5 tons.

The SEA-KIT vessel USV Maxlimer is operated by SEA-KIT International Ltd, and is designed and developed by Hushcraft Ltd, based in Tollesbury, Essex. The vessel can be transported in a single 40-foot container.

Continue reading… “First commercial crossing of the north sea by autonomous vessel”

Analysis, Driverless cars, Driverless vehicles, Science & Technology News, Transportation

Fleets of driverless cars could smoothen traffic by at least 35%

June 5, 2019

Driverless cars that are networked and in constant communication on the road could improve the flow of traffic by at least 35%.

The findings were reported by researchers at the University of Cambridge who programmed miniature robotic cars to drive on a multi-lane track where various traffic obstructions occurred. Each tiny robotic car was fitted with motion capture sensors and a Raspberry Pi which enabled them to communicate via WiFi.

Continue reading… “Fleets of driverless cars could smoothen traffic by at least 35%”

Computer Security, Engineering, quantum computing, Science & Technology News

A quantum revolution is coming

June 4, 2019

Quantum physics, the study of the universe on an atomic scale, gives us a reference model to understand the human ecosystem in the discrete individual unit. It helps us understand how individual human behavior impacts collective systems and the security of humanity.

Metaphorically, we can see this in how a particle can act both like a particle or a wave. The concept of entanglement is at the core of much of applied quantum physics. The commonly understood definition of entanglement says that particles can be generated to have a distinct reliance on each other, despite any three-dimensional or 4-dimensional distance between the particles. What this definition and understanding imply is that even if two or more particles are physically detached with no traditional or measurable linkages, what happens to one still has a quantifiable effect on the other.

Now, individuals and entities across NGIOA are part of an entangled global system. Since the ability to generate and manipulate pairs of entangled particles is at the foundation of many quantum technologies, it is important to understand and evaluate how the principles of quantum physics translate to the survival and security of humanity.

Continue reading… “A quantum revolution is coming”

Automobiles, China, Driverless vehicles, Science & Technology News

China’s robocars are being lapped by their U.S. competitors

June 5, 2019

The autonomous Lincoln MKZ started turning left at a Beijing intersection when a speeding truck aggressively cut in front of it. Sensors in the car detected the approach and instantly froze it in place.

But that put the Lincoln directly in the truck’s path, so Baidu Inc. engineer Sun Lei grabbed the steering wheel, spun it to the right and floored the accelerator to get out of harm’s way. The truck zoomed by as Sun’s colleague in the passenger seat calmly took notes on a tablet computer—just another learning exercise for the self-driving fleet being tested around the nation.

“We hope to see more interventions during the road tests so that we can improve our technology,” said Calvin Shang, general manager of strategy and operations for Baidu’s Intelligent Driving Group. “It won’t help if you only run the cars on simple routes even for 10,000 or even 100 million miles.”

Though disaster was averted, the incident shows how China’s push into autonomous vehicles is barely out of first gear, with only a handful of cities allowing limited trials by search-engine giant Baidu, startup Pony.ai, trucker TuSimple Inc. and others since last year. Domestic and foreign testers are putting cars, buses, trucks and delivery vans through self-driving trials to teach them how to navigate the notoriously congested streets of the world’s biggest auto market.

Continue reading… “China’s robocars are being lapped by their U.S. competitors”

AI, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Science & Technology News

Advancing AI by teaching robots to learn

June 4, 2019

Robotics provides important opportunities for advancing artificial intelligence, because teaching machines to learn on their own in the physical world will help us develop more capable and flexible AI systems in other scenarios as well. Working with a variety of robots — including walking hexapods, articulated arms, and robotic hands fitted with tactile sensors — Facebook AI researchers are exploring new techniques to push the boundaries of what artificial intelligence can accomplish.

Doing this work means addressing the complexity inherent in using sophisticated physical mechanisms and conducting experiments in the real world, where the data is noisier, conditions are more variable and uncertain, and experiments have additional time constraints (because they cannot be accelerated when learning in a simulation). These are not simple issues to address, but they offer useful test cases for AI.

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Elon Musk, Internet, Science & Technology News, Space, SpaceX

Space X launches 60 satellites for Elon Musk’s Starlink Internet Constellation

June 4, 2019

The 60 satellites packed tightly into a fairing.

With one launch in the books and potentially dozens still to go, SpaceX has begun its build-out of the ambitious Starlink internet constellation—a series of interconnected satellites designed to deliver high-speed internet to paying customers around the globe.

The 60 Starlink satellites, each weighing 500 pounds (227 kg), were released to low Earth orbit (LEO) yesterday at around 11:32 pm ET, SpaceX confirmed in a series of tweets. Together, the tightly packed satellites weighed 13.6 metric tons, “making this launch the heaviest mission for SpaceX to date,” according to SpaceNews.

Continue reading… “Space X launches 60 satellites for Elon Musk’s Starlink Internet Constellation”

brain hacking, Engineering, Health & Fitness, Inventions, Science & Technology News

Experimental brain-controlled hearing aid decodes, identifies who you want to hear

June 4, 2019

Engineers develop new AI technology that amplifies correct speaker from a group; breakthrough could lead to better hearing aids

Our brains have a remarkable knack for picking out individual voices in a noisy environment, like a crowded coffee shop or a busy city street. This is something that even the most advanced hearing aids struggle to do. But now engineers are announcing an experimental technology that mimics the brain’s natural aptitude for detecting and amplifying any one voice from many.

Powered by artificial intelligence, this brain-controlled hearing aid acts as an automatic filter, monitoring wearers’ brain waves and boosting the voice they want to focus on.

Continue reading… “Experimental brain-controlled hearing aid decodes, identifies who you want to hear”