Tech Updates

A new artificial intelligence (AI) model used a novel approach to AI cognition to dramatically reduce the cost of requests, suggesting that nonverbal reasoning may be the next step toward machines developing human-like intelligence. In a new research paper published Aug. 10 on the preprint server arXiv, scientists at AI company Pathway detailed the technical

The tiny, now-extinct human relative known as a hobbit had an even more human-like body than previously thought, and probably walked upright somewhat slowly, anthropologists have discovered by studying their hip bones. But with a more primitive walking style than modern humans and lack of hunting and cooking, the species still differs significantly from Homo

The pioneering computer scientist Edsger Dijkstra, winner of the 1972 A.M. Turing Award and inventor of one of the most iconic algorithms in all of computing, was nothing if not opinionated. Certain programming languages drew his ire, for example: He once dubbed Fortran “the infantile disorder” and stated that “the use of COBOL cripples the

Scientists have uncovered an ancient shark “graveyard” in the middle of the Egyptian desert. Fossilized teeth from seven shark species dating back millions of years were discovered in the Abu-Tartur Plateau ‪—‬ located in Egypt’s Western Desert ‪—‬ between 2020 and 2022, offering new insight into the desert’s watery past. The researchers detailed their discovery

Climate change is making El Niño stronger and more dangerous than ever before, scientists warn. In a new study, researchers have revealed that El Niño events have become nearly 40% stronger over the past four decades than they were in the preindustrial era. The finding comes as the world is in the grips of a

Earth is getting hotter, and people across the world are starting to feel the effects. The past decade includes all 10 of the warmest years on record, and 2024 was the hottest year ever measured. As temperatures continue to rise and heat waves become more frequent and intense, that heat could severely impact people’s health.

Archaeologists working at a Stone Age site in Turkey have discovered a unique depiction of a person sitting on the back of a leopard. The 11,000-year-old statue may reflect the culture’s fascination with virility and masculinity, experts say. The statue was unearthed this summer at Karahan Tepe (also written as Karahantepe), a Neolithic site in

What Properties Define Hilbert Space?  The more possible futures an object has, the bigger its Hilbert space. A coinlike particle with two possible futures is a “qubit,” the computational building block of quantum computers. It has a two-dimensional Hilbert space. Our three-color traffic light has a three-dimensional Hilbert space. But that’s just the beginning. A

The patient: A 41-year old man in Iran The symptoms: The man visited an outpatient clinic after a week of experiencing extreme discomfort during urination and pain above his pubic bone. His urine stream was weak, and he was unable to empty his bladder. What happened next: The patient told the doctors that about a