3D food printers have been able to create very basic food items, such as sugar sculptures and very simple pizzas — but now a team of researchers at Columbia University has developed a machine that can make more complex snacks.
Chinese man famed superhuman memory beat an AI in a facial recognition contest
At a competition in China to see who is better at recognizing faces, man or machine, Wang Yuheng, representing the humans, emerged victorious.
Wang is famous in China for his photographic memory. He successfully identified a specific glass of water out of 520 seemingly identical ones in a Chinese reality TV show. He also reportedly helped police crack a case by extracting “hidden clues” from surveillance camera footage, thanks to his exceptional observational skills.
Continue reading… “Chinese man famed superhuman memory beat an AI in a facial recognition contest”
The chef is a 3D printer at this restaurant
Talk about an immersive dining experience.
.
‘Smart’ Thread Could Be a Game-Changer for Doctors
Scientists are working to take “wearable” technology to a whole new level. Or, more accurately, to new depths.
A group of Tufts University-led researchers recently announced that it created a first-of-its kind “smart” thread that can be sutured into human tissues. The goal? To collect data on tissue health, as well as monitor wounds or infections, all of which can be sent to a computer or phone.
Continue reading… “‘Smart’ Thread Could Be a Game-Changer for Doctors”
On-demand dating? A new app lets women charge for a night out.
Tara* (*Names have been changed to protect identities.) had struck gold. After spending a lazy Saturday afternoon browsing through the dating app she was currently experimenting with, she hit it off with a nice-sounding guy, and the two exchanged real names and numbers. She found herself Googling Stuart*, a Brit living in Amsterdam. He worked at a startup; he was visiting New York on business. “I was like, oh, he’s kind of cute…”
Continue reading… “On-demand dating? A new app lets women charge for a night out.”
AI program writes ‘perfect’ horror script, seeks crowdfunding
Artificial intelligence has evolved enough that it can now take care of daily chores, drive a car, function as a trusty shopping buddy, and… write a screenplay?
Impossible Things, an independent horror film project from Greenlight Essentials’ Jack Zhang, was reportedly produced (in part) by an augmented intelligence software tool which analyzes audience response data to help writers craft plot points that connect with viewer demand. The result is Impossible Things, a project billed by its creators as “the scariest and creepiest horror film out there.” The software co-wrote the film’s script.
Continue reading… “AI program writes ‘perfect’ horror script, seeks crowdfunding”
The U.S. appears to be using anti-drone rifles against the Islamic State
A tweet posted last week by Peter Singer, a co-author of the book Ghost Fleet and a strategist at the New America Foundation, shows his book couched up against what appears to be a Battelle DroneDefender anti-drone rifle in a tent at Fire Base Bell outside Makhmour, Iraq.
Continue reading… “The U.S. appears to be using anti-drone rifles against the Islamic State”
Scientists create self-healing fabrics that also protect from harmful chemicals
Protective clothing is critical to the health and safety of workers who handle hazardous chemicals. A new fabric coating promises to not only neutralize toxins, but also to heal tears and holes on its own while the clothes go through the laundry.
Continue reading… “Scientists create self-healing fabrics that also protect from harmful chemicals”
13 skills hard-to-learn skills that will pay off forever
The best things in life may be free, but that doesn’t mean they won’t take time, sweat, and perseverance to acquire.
That’s especially the case when it comes to learning important life skills.
To ascertain which talents are worth the investment, one Quora reader posed the question: “What are the hardest and most useful skills to learn?”
We’ve highlighted our favorite takeaways, as well as a few other skills we thought were important.
Continue reading… “13 skills hard-to-learn skills that will pay off forever”
New 3D printed graphene super batteries will last a lifetime
Batteries are becoming more and more crucial in our lives every year. From our smartphones to our laptops, and increasingly even our cars, batteries make the world go round. The only problem is that today’s generation of lithium batteries are increasingly incapable of providing energy on a scale that we need – especially when it comes to the charges they hold and the time it takes to recharge them. But there is a solution on the horizon, and it is being made possible by a radical material shift. For scientists from Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia, have developed a new battery (technically speaking a supercapacitor) made from 3D printed graphene, which can hold a larger charge of energy, is recharged in a matter of seconds and will last a lifetime.
Continue reading… “New 3D printed graphene super batteries will last a lifetime”
Chinese Electric Car Sales Up 162% So Far This Year
The spectacular growth of the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) market in China continues; state media reports that sales were up a massive 162% to 170,000 units in the first half of the year. NEVs include pure-electric vehicles (EV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV).
The 170,000 NEVs were divided by 134,000 EVs and 36,000 PHEVs.
Continue reading… “Chinese Electric Car Sales Up 162% So Far This Year”
3D Breakthrough: Printed Tiny Cameras
Another breakthrough has been made in the world of 3D printing as new tiny cameras have now been developed using this technology that is small enough to be injected into the human body with just a standard syringe. That is pretty impressive! These tiny, microscopic cameras are the size of a grain of salt, but they could transform the world of healthcare as we know it.
