Passing star could fling Earth out past Pluto into the Oort cloud
Could Earth end up in the Oort cloud? Shutterstock / Dotted Yeti If a passing star came near the solar system, Earth would probably be fine – but there is a small chance our entire world could get thrown to the outer reaches of the solar system, crash into another planet or even get stolen…
AI models are powerful, but are they biologically plausible? | MIT News
Artificial neural networks, ubiquitous machine-learning models that can be trained to complete many tasks, are so called because their architecture is inspired by the way biological neurons process information in the human brain. About six years ago, scientists discovered a new type of more powerful neural network model known as a transformer. These models can…
Apple responds to Beeper’s iMessage for Android: ‘We took steps to protect our users’
A few days after the team at Beeper proudly announced a way for users to send blue-bubble iMessages directly from their Android devices without any weird relay servers, and about 24 hours after it became clear Apple had taken steps to shut that down, Apple has shared its take on the issue. The company’s stance…
Why does weed give you the ‘munchies’? Here’s what the science says
Many people feel hungry after consuming cannabis SolStock/Getty Images If you have ever lit up a joint and craved a snack soon afterwards, you were probably experiencing the “munchies”. Stimulating appetite is one of marijuana’s best-known and most puzzling side effects. But why does weed make you want to chow down? The psychoactive compound in…
Artificial intelligence for augmentation and productivity | MIT News
The MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing has awarded seed grants to seven projects that are exploring how artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction can be leveraged to enhance modern work spaces to achieve better management and higher productivity. Funded by Andrew W. Houston ’05 and Dropbox Inc., the projects are intended to be interdisciplinary…
The Best Gifts for Book Lovers (2023)
There’s nothing quite like losing yourself in a book. You might not be able to transport your loved ones into their favorite stories, but you can help them spruce up their cozy reading corner. If there’s anything we’ve learned from #BookTok, it’s that there are tons of accessories to upgrade those reading sessions. If someone…
COP28: How big a problem are methane and other non-CO2 greenhouse gases?
Fossil fuel production emits a majority of human-caused methane Evgenii Panov/Shutterstock Carbon dioxide is not the only greenhouse gas under fire at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. On 2 December, the UAE, the US and China are convening other countries for a meeting focused on methane and other “non-CO2” greenhouse gases,…
AI helps robots manipulate objects with their whole bodies | MIT News
Imagine you want to carry a large, heavy box up a flight of stairs. You might spread your fingers out and lift that box with both hands, then hold it on top of your forearms and balance it against your chest, using your whole body to manipulate the box. Humans are generally good at whole-body…
White Supremacists Are Celebrating Vivek Ramaswamy’s ‘Great Replacement’ Rant
For months, GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has been dog-whistling to supporters of extremist far-right ideologies and wild conspiracy theories like QAnon. On Wednesday night, at the fourth Republican presidential debate, Ramaswamy went full tilt: After blasting the three other debaters for turning on former president Donald Trump, Ramaswamy argued, without evidence, that the January…
Largest stream of stars ever found could teach us about dark matter
The black streak is the newly discovered Giant Coma Stream, which is ten times as long as the Milky Way William Herschel Telescope/Román et al. Astronomers have found the biggest stream of stars ever recorded. This tendril of stars is extraordinarily faint, but it and others like it could eventually help us unveil the true…