Sci/Tech

global-trends-point-to-dire-future-for-older-adults-in-the-face-

Tue May 28 15:42:07 IST 2024

A deadly heat wave gripped large regions of Asia for weeks in April and May 2024. As temperatures climbed past 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 Celsius) in India on May 7, campaigning politicians, local news announcers and voters waiting in long lines passed out from the oppressive heat.

From as far north as Japan to as far south as the Philippines, the relentless heat wreaked havoc on everyday life. Students and teachers in Cambodia were sent home from school, as their hand-held fans provided little protection against the stifling heat and humidity in their poorly ventilated classrooms.

Farmers in Thailand saw their crops wither and mourned the loss of livestock that perished under the punishing sun. Hundreds of people died from the heat.

Most of the planet has suffered the dire effects of extreme heat in recent years.

A weekslong heat wave in the southwestern United States in 2023 was described as hell on earth in Phoenix, where temperatures hit 110 F (43.3 C) or higher for 31 straight days.

At the same time, Europe saw unprecedented high temperatures that killed hundreds and contributed to devastating wildfires in Greece.

Regardless of where or when a heat wave strikes, one pattern is a constant: Older adults are the most likely to die from extreme heat, and this crisis will worsen in the coming years.

We study climate change and population aging. Our research documents two global trends that together portend a dire future.

More older adults will be at risk of heat stress

First, temperatures are hotter than ever. The nine-year period from 2015 and 2023 had the highest average temperatures since global records began in 1880.

Second, the population is aging worldwide. By 2050, the number of people ages 60 and older will double to nearly 2.1 billion, making up 21 per cent of the global population. That proportion is 13 per cent today.

These combined forces mean that ever-rising numbers of vulnerable older adults will be exposed to intensifying heat.

To understand the risks ahead, we developed population projections for different age groups and combined them with climate change scenarios for the coming decades. Our analyses show that by 2050, more than 23 per cent of the world population ages 69 and older will be living in regions where peak temperatures routinely surpass 99.5 degrees F (37.5 degrees C), compared with just 14 per cent today.

That means that as many as 250 million additional older adults will be exposed to dangerously high temperatures.

Mapping the data shows that most of these older adults live in lower- and middle-income countries with insufficient services and limited access to electricity, cooling appliances and safe water.

In historically cooler regions in the Global North, including North America and Europe, rising temperatures will be the main force driving older adults' heat exposure. In historically hotter regions in the Global South such as Asia, Africa and South America, population growth and increases in longevity mean that steeply rising numbers of older adults will be exposed to intensifying heat-related risks.

Policymakers, communities, families and older residents themselves need to understand these risks and be prepared because of older adults' special vulnerabilities to heat.

Extreme heat is especially harmful to older adults

High temperatures are oppressive for everyone, but for older adults they can be deadly.

Extreme heat worsens common age-related health conditions such as heart, lung and kidney disease and can cause delirium. Older people don't sweat as much as younger people, which makes it harder for their bodies to cool down when temperatures spike. These problems are intensified by common prescription medications, such as anticholinergics, which further reduce the capacity to sweat.

Spending time outdoors in hot humid weather can cause dehydration, a problem worsened by the side effects of prescription medications such as diuretics and beta-blockers. Dehydration can make older adults weak and dizzy, increasing their risk of falls and injury.

These threats are even worse in regions lacking access to safe and affordable drinking water.

Poor air quality makes it difficult to breath, especially for those who already have lung problems such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.

For older adults with physical health problems, temperatures as low as 80 F (26.7 C) can pose significant danger. And when humidity is as high as 90 per cent, even 78 F (25.6 C) can be hazardous to older adults.

Nighttime heat is especially harmful for older adults whose homes lack air conditioning or who can't afford to run their air conditioners for long periods.

The ideal temperature for older adults' restful sleep is between 68 and 77 F (20 and 25 C), and sleep quality diminishes as temperatures rise. A night of restless sleep can make an older adult more depressed and confused during their waking hours.

Medications also can lose their effectiveness if stored in places much warmer than 77 F (25 C).

Older adults also may suffer emotionally during stifling heat waves

Being stuck indoors when temperatures are unbearable can make older adults bored, depressed and isolated. People with cognitive impairments may underestimate the dangers of extreme heat or may not understand the heat advisories.

Those who have physical mobility limitations or lack access to transportation can't easily travel to public cooling centers if there is one nearby or find relief in nearby green and blue areas, such as parks and lakes.

These threats are especially dire in low- and middle-income nations, where older adults are more likely to live in substandard housing and lack access to high-quality health care or ways to cool down in the heat.

We talk about this as systemic cooling poverty.

What can be done?

Policymakers can work to cut greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels in vehicles, power plants and factories, which drive global warming, and develop effective plans to protect older people from heat risk. Older adults and their caregivers also can take steps to adapt.

But efforts to help need to be tailored to each region and population.

Wealthy municipalities can increase public investments in early warning systems and ride services to cooling centers and hospitals. They can use geographic information systems to identify neighborhoods with high concentrations of older adults and expand power grids to manage increasing demand for air conditioning.

In regions with substandard housing, limited access to clean water and few public supports such as cooling centers, much larger changes are necessary. Providing better health care, water and housing and reducing air pollution that can mitigate health problems during heat waves require significant changes and investments many countries struggle to afford.

The World Health Organization and Pan American Health Organization warn that this decade will be critical for preparing communities to handle rising heat and the risk to aging populations.

Across all regions, researchers, practitioners and policymakers could save lives by heeding their call.

(The Conversation: By Deborah Carr and Ian Sue Wing (Boston University) and Enrica De Cian and Giacomo Falchetta (University of Venice)

curious-kids--why-can-some-plastics-be-recycled-but-others-can-t

Mon May 27 16:43:09 IST 2024

Q. Why can some plastics be recycled but others can't? Jessica, age ten, Sydney

A. Great question Jessica! We use lots of plastic in Australia and it's frustrating to find out how little is recycled.

I work at a university with a team trying to find new ways for people to use less plastic, recycle more and not waste anything. So this is a question I think about a lot.

Basically, some plastics can be recycled because they are easy to melt down and make into other products. Others can't be, or they contain extra ingredients that make them hard to recycle, such as dyes or chemicals that stop them catching fire.

But even if you could recycle the plastic, then you have a whole new problem: you have to find someone who will buy the recycled material to make new products.

There are many different types of plastic

Have you ever wondered why the plastic used to make soft drink bottles looks and feels so different to the plastic used for other types of containers such as yoghurt tubs, lunch boxes or even plastic bags?

It turns out there's more than one type of plastic. We classify plastic into seven main types. But there are many more when you consider all the mixtures and new or unusual varieties.

The raw material is almost always fossil fuels (oil or gas). Although these days, people can also make plastic from plants such as corn.

Either way, plastic is synthetic, which means it's not natural. Long chains of molecules are stitched together to make polymers (from the Greek poly, meaning many, and mer, meaning parts). Different polymers make different types of plastic.

Some polymers are easier to recycle because they can be melted down and reshaped into new products. This includes number one on our list of seven main types: polyethylene terephthalate, found in soft drink bottles.

It also includes type number two, the high-density polyethylene in some milk bottles, and number five, polypropylene, which makes things like yoghurt containers.

Other plastics such as type number three, polyvinyl chloride, found in plumbing pipes, and number six, polystyrene such as Styrofoam, are much harder to recycle. That's mainly because they tend to contain lots of extra ingredients, which makes melting and recycling difficult.

These extra ingredients can include dyes to make the plastic brightly coloured, or chemicals to stop the plastic catching fire. But these extra ingredients can make it harder for the plastic to be recycled.

Did you know almost 300 billion plastic coffee cups have made their way to rubbish dumps around the world? These cups were not recycled, because they were made from a mixture of paper lined with plastic.

It's hard to separate the plastic from the other materials. This makes it difficult to recycle them. But we can choose to use reusable or compostable coffee cups instead.

Plastic can also be too dirty to recycle. That's why you should always rinse plastics before putting them in the recycling bin.

Here's a little tip. Check the label on plastic bottles, containers and packaging for the symbol that looks like a triangle made of arrows, with a number in the middle. Read the table below to see what the numbers mean and whether it's worth putting that plastic in your recycling bin or not.

Just because there's a logo on it doesn't mean it can be recycled. It depends on the recycling services that are available near where you live.

Look up your local council's website to see what facilities they have for plastic recycling. If it's not clear, you could ask your council to explain what they can and can't recycle.

Will anyone use the recycled plastic and will they pay for it?

But if no one wants to use recycled plastic, then it's hard to find someone willing to recycle it in the first place.

We need to make it easier for people to sell the plastic they have collected to someone who wants to buy it and turn it into something else.

To make this work, we need: people to put used plastic in the recycling bin properly; someone willing to collect it; a business that can recycle that type of plastic; and other businesses that will buy the recycled material.

In Australia, many people are willing to recycle their plastic and we have good recycling facilities, but there aren't enough people willing to buy stuff made from all the recycled plastic.

One idea is for governments to make businesses and local councils buy products made from recycled plastic. Then people who make products from recycled plastic will be able to sell them.

(The Conversation: By Sukhbir Sandhu, Associate Professor in Sustainability, University of South Australia)

what-makes-isros-astrosat-a-unique-satellite

Fri May 24 15:17:23 IST 2024

A few days ago, ISRO said in a tweet that scientists using the Indian space observatory, AstroSat, had made an intriguing discovery about a black hole system known as Swift J1727.8-1613. During an unusual burst of energy from this system, they noticed that the high-energy X-ray photons emitted were not following a regular, predictable pattern. Instead, the intensity of the X-rays was fluctuating in a chaotic, 'aperiodic’ manner. This finding could help scientists gain a deeper understanding of the complex processes occurring around black holes during such energetic events.

All these findings were possible by ISRO's unique satellite and India’s first space telescope, AstroSat. Experts say it is a unique observatory designed to study celestial objects by observing their light in various wavelengths, including X-rays, visible light, and ultraviolet light. This multi-wavelength approach helps scientists gain a more comprehensive understanding of what is happening in space.

After AstroSat was placed into orbit, the two solar panels that the observatory is fitted with were automatically deployed one after the other. The satellite is managed throughout its mission by the spacecraft control centre at the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) of ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), in Bengaluru. The science data collected by the five instruments on AstroSat is sent back to the ground station at MOX. This data is then processed, archived and distributed by the Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC) located in Byalalu, near Bengaluru. ISRO, in collaboration with the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune.

AstroSat, weighed 1,515 kg at launch, was sent into space on September 28, 2015. It was placed in a 650-kilometre high orbit, inclined at 6 degrees to the equator, by the PSLV-C30 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The mission was expected to have a minimum useful lifespan of five years.

“AstroSat’s special feature is its ability to observe different wavelengths of light from various space objects all at once using a single satellite. It can detect light from ultraviolet (both near and far), some optical, and X-rays ranging from 0.3 kilo-electronvolts (keV) to 100 keV. AstroSat stands out among global satellites because it can observe multiple wavelengths at the same time. For example, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope mainly looks at near ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared light, while the Chandra X-ray Observatory focuses on X-rays. In contrast, AstroSat can see from far ultraviolet light all the way to a wide range of X-rays using its different instruments. This versatility makes it a valuable tool for a variety of astronomical research,” pointed out space expert Girish Linganna.

He adds that the AstroSat has accomplished impressive things, such as studying high-energy activities in binary star systems, measuring the magnetic fields of neutron stars and exploring areas where stars are born and high-energy events occur beyond our galaxy. Additionally, it has detected new, short-lived X-ray sources in the sky and conducted a limited deep field survey of the universe in the ultraviolet spectrum.

“AstroSat has already exceeded its planned five-year mission and shows potential for continuing its successful operations for at least another five years. It has observed around 400 sources, including polarisation in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and quasi-periodic oscillations. It has contributed to the search for X-ray counterparts of gravitational waves. Additionally, ISRO is considering the development of a next-generation astronomy satellite to build on AstroSat’s mission, which could enhance its current capabilities and provide even greater insights into the universe,” added Linganna.

girls-in-single-sex-schools-do-slightly-better-in-exams-than-gir

Fri May 24 11:22:22 IST 2024

Students at all-girls' schools do slightly better in their exams than girls at co-educational schools, according to new research from the United Kingdom.

This goes against previous studies that suggest it does not matter if students attend single-sex or co-ed schools.

What is the study?

This research was done by FFT Education Datalab. This is an independent research team specialising in education policy and statistics.

Using the United Kingdom's National Pupil Database, the study looked at more than 580,000 students who attended more than 3,200 schools. All schools were government-funded (so were public schools in Australian termimology) and were either single sex or co-ed.

Students exam results were examined at the end of Year 11 and the study controlled for differences in schools and pupil characteristics, such as socioeconomic disadvantage or high levels of students who learned English as a second language.

What did the research find?

The research found girls who went to all-girls' schools recorded a small improvement in their exam results compared to their peers in co-educational schools.

This is after adjusting their results to account for factors such as disadvantage.

The gap is small around one month's progress for each of the students. But it is noticeable.

Yet for boys' schools, there wasn't any difference in results between single sex and co-ed schools.

Why is this important?

While the UK study was not peer-reviewed, this finding is important because it contradicts other recent large-scale research, which has found no statistically significant academic advantage to single-sex schooling.

For example, a 2022 analysis of Irish students found no significant performance gaps between co-educational and single-sex schools.

A 2014 meta-analysis (an overview of many studies) across 21 countries also found no high-quality evidence of benefits to single-sex schooling.

What about Australia?

This new research plays into the renewed debate over single sex schooling in Australia in recent months.

This follows some prestigious all boys' schools announcing moves to co-education (and some former students crying about the change). It also follows multiple examples of sexism and misogyny by male students at both all-boys and co-ed schools.

There is also a growing body of Australian research examining toxic behaviour of boys towards their female teachers and peers.

So the UK research could further entrench a perception girls are better off in single-sex schools.

This perception has a long history. Many girls schools were set up in the 1800s by pioneering headmistresses such as English educator Frances Buss, who believed in girls' equal rights to education and girls' schools were the best places to provide this.

Girls' schools today retain an image of feminist progressivism, promoting the idea that girls can achieve anything.

The perception is supported by some research evidence that girls in single-sex schools are more likely to feel confident in traditionally male-dominated subjects such as STEM.

What needs to be done?

This UK study raises many questions. Are girls indeed better off on their own? Are there aspects of single-sex education that could be applied in co-ed environments? How do we ensure that all schools are schools of choice for girls, including coeducational schools?

We can investigate these questions further by doing research with families to better understand their perceptions and experiences of single-sex schools today. We can also do more research into the impact of programs such as Respectful Relationships, which have been introduced to build positive gender cultures in schools.

(The Conversation: By Claire Charles, Deakin University and Lucinda McKnight, Deakin University)

study-reveals-early-brain-network-differences-in-six-week-infant

Fri May 24 10:34:47 IST 2024

Six-week old infants with high chances of developing autism showed distinct patterns in brain connections, which researchers said likely emerge much earlier than autism-related behaviours can be noticed.

The researchers focussed on the brain's salience network, a group of regions crucial to identifying information in the environment that is worthy of one's attention and enabling appropriate responses to them.

In babies with high chances of developing autism -- a disorder marked by repetitive behaviour and impaired social interaction -- the researchers found stronger connections between the salience network and brain regions processing sensory information and movement, or the sensorimotor regions.

The team, co-led by the researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), US, further found that infants with stronger connections to sensorimotor regions in the brain had weaker connections with prefrontal ones, which are important for social interactions.

This suggested that paying more attention to basic sensory information comes at the cost of paying attention to socially relevant cues, thereby possibly playing a role in people with autism displaying an impaired social behaviour, the researchers said.

"An emerging theory in autism research is that differences in sensory processing may precede the more classic social and communication symptoms of autism, and this data supports that theory in showing that very early brain differences related to how attention is allocated may predict both sensory and social behaviours in toddlers," Shulamite Green, an assistant professor at UCLA, said.

"In other words, more attention to extraneous sensory stimuli in the environment could make it difficult to attend to social cues, and this difference in attention could really affect how the brain develops across the first year of life and beyond," Green, corresponding author of the study published in the journal Communications Biology, said.

The researchers also found that the brain patterns observed in six-week-old babies could predict their behaviour at age one.

Infants with stronger connections with sensory regions were found to show "over-responsivity" when they were a year old, a trait known to be characteristic of autism in which individuals show extreme responses to typical environmental sounds or sensations.

In contrast, the researchers found that babies having stronger connections with prefrontal regions in the brain showed a better ability to share attention with others at age one, an important stage preceding the development of social and communication skills that are often impaired in autism.

The observed patterns could help explain the reduced social attention and unusual sensory processing commonly seen in people with autism, the authors said.

For the study, the researchers analysed 53 infants, 24 of whom had a higher likelihood of developing autism because at least one older sibling had a diagnosis -- a factor known to enhance the risk of autism. The remaining 29 had no family history of autism or any other developmental disorder.

tata-communications-and-cisco-jointly-launch-cloud-based-webex-calling-solution

Wed May 22 18:40:50 IST 2024

Tata Communications, and Cisco have strengthened their partnership by launching Webex Calling with cloud Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) for enterprises doing business in India. Known as Webex Calling by Tata Communications, it is termed as one of the first of its kind services in India that will be offered by integrating Cisco’s Webex Calling with the cloud voice services of Tata Communications GlobalRapide platform.

Interestingly, Webex Calling is a business phone system that delivers enterprise-grade calling through a globally available cloud platform. It has more than 14 million users around the world and is expected to provide enterprises in the Indian market with an enhanced connectivity and collaboration experience. The solution is expected to enable enterprises to scale their communication infrastructure while complying with applicable laws in India, without upfront investments in server hardware.

Representatives of both Cisco and Tata Communications said that through this solution, users across the country will have access to additional collaboration workloads in the Webex Suite, including meetings, messaging, and webinars, AI-powered innovations such as audio intelligence, and a complete range of devices and more. The AI will help in HD voice and will have AI Call summaries. The solution will have components for enriched customer experiences such as multi line and virtual line support, attendant consoles and analytics, too. As part of this innovation, there will be new series of 9,800 series phones. In addition to that there will be support for third party device, too.

“Hybrid work has heightened the need for enterprises to deliver seamless, secure and reliable collaboration experiences. Webex Calling simplifies businesses cloud transition through flexible migration choices, reliability, and AI-driven collaboration tools and devices. We are confident that Webex Calling by Tata Communications will empower businesses to thrive with hybrid work and deliver an unparalleled experience for customers,” remarked Daisy Chittilapilly, President, Cisco India and SAARC.

It is expected that this solution will deliver enhanced employee experiences for business worldwide with Cisco. “We are thrilled to announce a dedicated capability hosted in India for national enterprises as well as global MNCs operating here,” said Arijit Bonnerjee, Senior Vice President and Head India, Tata Communications.

Tata Communications GlobalRapide platform has more than 5,00,000 global users and has 2,62,000 conferecing licences. In the cloud voice space, Tata Communications has 12 billion voice minutes managed per year and 1,600 service provider relationships. Around 300 of the Fortune 500 companies are Tata Communications customers and the company connects businesses to 80 per cent of the world’s cloud majors.

what-is-in-flight-turbulence--and-when-does-it-become-dangerous-

Wed May 22 15:57:58 IST 2024

The death of a British man and injuries impacting dozens of other people aboard a Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence on Tuesday highlighted the potential dangers of flying through unstable air.

The exact cause of the 73-year-old man's death is under investigation. Authorities said he may have suffered a heart attack, though that hasn't been confirmed. Based on witness accounts, the number of injuries and the airliner's sharp descent, experts point to the significant safety hazards that in-flight turbulence poses to airline passengers and crews.

While turbulence-related fatalities are quite rare, injuries have piled up over the years. Some meteorologists and aviation analysts note that reports of turbulence encounters also have been increasing and point to the potential impacts that climate change may have on flying conditions.

Most incidents of planes hitting bumpy air are minor, however, and airlines have made steady improvements to reduce accident rates from turbulence over time. Experts advise air travellers to stay vigilant, stressing the importance of wearing a seat belt whenever possible as a first line of protection.

WHAT IS TURBULENCE?

Turbulence is essentially unstable air that moves in a non-predictable fashion. Most people associate it with heavy storms. But the most dangerous type is clear-air turbulence, which often occurs with no visible warning in the sky ahead.

Clear-air turbulence happens most often in or near the high-altitude rivers of air called jet streams. The culprit is wind shear, which is when two huge air masses close to each other move at different speeds. If the difference in speed is big enough, the atmosphere can't handle the strain, and it breaks into turbulent patterns like eddies in water.

When you get strong wind shear near the jet stream, it can cause the air to overflow. And that creates these chaotic motions in the air, Thomas Guinn, chair of applied aviation sciences department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, explained.

HOW COMMON ARE TURBULENCE-RELATED INJURIES?

Tracking the total number of turbulence-related injuries around the world is difficult. But some individual countries publish national data.

More than one-third of all airline incidents in the United States from 2009 through 2018 were related to turbulence, and most of them resulted in one or more serious injuries but no damage to the plane, the National Transportation Safety Board reported.

Between 2009 and 2022, 163 people were injured seriously enough during turbulence events to require hospital treatment for at least two days, according to NTSB figures. Most of them were flight attendants, who are particularly at risk since they are more likely to be out of their seats during a flight.

Investigations are underway into what happened during Tuesday's Singapore Airlines flight. The carrier said the Boeing 777-300ER descended 6,000 feet (around 1,800 metres) in about three minutes after hitting severe turbulence over the Indian Ocean.

Preliminary casualty figures from the airport and a hospital in Bangkok, where the plane headed from London to Singapore landed in stormy weather, indicated that in addition to the one death, six or seven passengers were severely injured. Dozens of other travellers and crew members were reported to have suffered moderate or less serious injuries.

It's not uncommon to have turbulence encounters that cause minor injuries up to, say, a broken bone, said Larry Cornman, a project scientist at the National Science Foundation's National Centre for Atmospheric Research who has long studied turbulence. But fatalities are very, very rare especially for large transport aircraft.

According to Stuart Fox, director of flight and technical operations at the International Air Transport Association, the last clear air turbulence-related death reported from a major carrier took place in 1997. A few fatalities on smaller planes have been reported since, including a death on a private jet last year, Fox said.

Now-standardised safety procedures have significantly helped prevent more cases of serious injuries over the years. Fox noted. They include reviewing weather forecasts, having pilots report when they encounter turbulence and suspending cabin service when planes hit rough air.

CAN PILOTS AVOID TURBULENCE?

Pilots use a variety of methods to avoid turbulence, including using a weather radar display. Sometimes they can simply see and fly around thunderstorms.

But clear-air turbulence is altogether another animal, according to Doug Moss, a former airline pilot and safety consultant. It can be devastating, he said, because the time before the incident can be very calm, and people are caught off-guard.

Air traffic controllers will warn pilots after another plane runs into clear-air turbulence, Moss said. Many pilots also look at the upper-level jet streams along their route for signs of wind shear, then plan to fly above, below or around those areas, he said.

Modern planes are strong enough to handle just about any turbulence. Cabin areas such as overhead bins may receive cosmetic damage, but these don't impact the structural integrity of the planes, Moss said.

IS CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSING TURBULENCE TO INCREASE?

Some scientists note that reports of turbulence encounters are on the rise. There are a number of possible explanations for that, but several researchers have pointed to potential climate impacts.

Guinn, of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, explains that some predict climate change could alter the jet stream and up the wind shear, which would consequently drive up turbulence in the air.

In a statement on Tuesday, Paul Williams, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading in England, said there was strong evidence that turbulence is increasing because of climate change.

Williams said his research team recently discovered that severe clear-air turbulence in the North Atlantic has increased by 55 per cent since 1979, for example. The team's latest projections signal that severe turbulence in the jet streams could double or triple in the coming decades if global conditions continue as expected, he said.

Still, others say other factors could also be at play. Cornman notes that there could be a rise in overall air traffic which may increase turbulence encounters as the number of flight tracks, including those in areas of more turbulence, goes up.

HOW CAN TRAVELERS STAY SAFE?

In short, buckle up. Turbulence can be tricky to predict, but experts stress that the first line of defense in the air is keeping the seat belt fastened, whenever possible.

"Planes are generally built to withstand turbulence," Guinn said, noting that passengers not wearing their seat belts is a large source of injuries from in-flight turbulence. While no precaution is foolproof, wearing a seat belt greatly increases an individual's chances of avoiding serious injuries, he said.

Wear your seat belt," Guinn said. he stressed. That's just a really quick fix to prevent injury.

(AP)

blueprints-of-self-assembly--a-breakthrough-in-nanotechnology

Tue May 21 16:05:29 IST 2024

Researchers have achieved a significant milestone in the world of nanotechnology, bringing us one step closer to mimicking nature's incredible self-assembly processes. In a recent study, scientists have successfully engineered a minute, self-assembled crystal called a 'pyrochlore,' which possesses exceptional optical properties. This achievement marks a crucial advancement in the development of sophisticated, self-assembling devices at the nanoscale, approximately the size of a single virus.

The study, led by Arizona State University Assistant Professor Petr Sulc and his team, introduces a new simulation method that can forecast and direct the self-assembly process, preventing unwanted structures and ensuring the precise arrangement of molecules. "The advance provides a steppingstone to the eventual construction of sophisticated, self-assembling devices at the nanoscale," explains Sulc. The engineered pyrochlore nanocrystal, a unique lattice, holds the potential to serve as an optical metamaterial, transmitting only specific wavelengths of light. Such materials could pave the way for the production of optical computers and more sensitive detectors for various applications.

In nature, many intricate and functional biological structures emerge through self-assembly, leveraging the inherent properties of molecules. This natural process of bottom-up construction holds promise for advancing technology in fields such as computer science, materials science, and medical diagnostics.

Imagine placing a disassembled watch into a box, shaking it vigorously, and finding an assembled, fully functional watch inside when you open the box. While this scenario seems nearly impossible for the devices we manufacture, biological systems like bacteria, living cells, and viruses can construct highly ingenious nanostructures and nanomachines through self-assembly. Despite the seemingly chaotic nature of this process, evolution has found a way to bring order to it, allowing molecules to fit together in just the right manner, creating functional nanostructures.

For decades, the field of bionanotechnology has been working on replicating the natural assembly process seen in living organisms. One successful strategy, known as DNA bionanotechnology, uses artificially synthesized DNA as the basic building block. This approach has led to the creation of nanostructures, such as DNA origami, with promising applications in diagnostics and therapy, including vaccine delivery.

However, a significant challenge in this field lies in engineering molecule interactions to form only the specific, pre-designed nanostructures. To address this, the researchers developed new statistical methods that can simulate the self-assembly process of nanostructures, aiming to overcome kinetic traps and ensure the proper structure self-assembles from the DNA fragments. "The computational framework established in this research will guide the creation of more complex materials and the development of nanodevices with intricate functions, with potential uses in both diagnostics and treatment," Sulc explains.

scientists-discover--super-fluffy--exoplanet-with-cotton-candy-l

Thu May 16 15:24:58 IST 2024

Researchers have discovered a "super fluffy" exoplanet, 50 per cent larger than Jupiter and weighing only a seventh of it, giving it a "cotton candy"-like density.

The new, "fluffy" planet has been named 'WASP-193b' and was found to be located about 1,200 light years away from Earth, roughly equivalent to 10,800 trillion kilometres. Exoplanets exist outside the solar system and help us understand a bit more about how the universe works.

"The planet is so light that it's difficult to think of an analogous, solid-state material," said study co-author Julien de Wit, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US.

"The reason why it's close to cotton candy is because both are pretty much air. The planet is basically super fluffy," he said.

The international team of researchers said that the exoplanet is the second least dense planet discovered and its extremely low density makes it a "real anomaly" among the more than five thousand exoplanets discovered to date.

"This extremely low density cannot be reproduced by standard models of irradiated gas giants, even under the unrealistic assumption of a coreless structure," said Khalid Barkaoui, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Lige, Belgium, and first author of the study published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

The exoplanet was initially spotted by the Wide Angle Search for Planets (WASP), an international collaboration of academic institutions. Dips in light or "periodic transits" had been detected from the star WASP-193 in the data taken between 2006 and 2008, and again from 2011 to 2012.

Astronomers had determined that the star's periodic dips in brightness were consistent with a planet passing in front of it every 6.25 days. They estimated the planet's size by measuring the light from the star it blocked each time it passed in front of it.

In this study, the researchers used data from observatories based in the Atacama Desert, Chile, to measure the planet's weight.

Their calculations revealed an "extremely low density" for the planet - 0.059 grams per cubic centimetre.

The substance closest in density, according to the researchers - the cotton candy - has a density of about 0.05 grams per cubic centimetre, they said. Water is known to have a density of 1 gram per cubic centimetre.

Providing more context, the researchers said that while Jupiter has a density of about 1.33 grams per cubic centimetre, Earth is a more substantial 5.51 grams per cubic centimetre.

The researchers suspected the fluffy planet to be made largely of hydrogen and helium gases, similar to most other gas giant planets in the Milky Way galaxy. The planet's mass and size were also calculated to be about 0.14 and 1.5 that of Jupiter, respectively.

They also explained that the gases on the planet likely formed a hugely inflated atmosphere extending to tens of thousands of kilometres farther than Jupiter's atmosphere.

However, how a planet can inflate so much is something that no existing theory of planet formation can yet answer, because of which the researchers have described the planet as a "cosmic mystery" and an "outlier".

"We don't know where to put this planet in all the formation theories we have right now, because it's an outlier of all of them. We cannot explain how this planet was formed. Looking more closely at its atmosphere will allow us to constrain an evolutionary path of this planet," said Francisco Pozuelos, an astronomer at the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, Spain.

artificial-intelligence-trends--shaping-the-future-of-innovation

Tue May 14 11:49:50 IST 2024

The world of artificial intelligence (AI) is experiencing a transformative period, with cutting-edge advancements reshaping the landscape of technology and industry. The integration of sophisticated algorithms, particularly in machine learning, has propelled AI into various sectors, including finance, healthcare, and marketing, where precise insights and predictions are instrumental for success. AI's ability to analyze data and uncover patterns that may elude human observation is revolutionizing decision-making processes, offering real-time recommendations and enabling swift, informed choices.

Conversational AI and natural language processing (NLP) represent another pivotal trend in AI, with voice assistants like Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant gaining significant popularity. These interfaces have redefined the way users interact with AI, fostering more natural and conversational engagement.

In the realm of transportation, AI is driving the development of autonomous vehicles, with companies such as Tesla making remarkable strides in this arena. The capacity of AI systems to process complex data in real time is fundamental for the safe operation of self-driving cars. As advancements continue, the proliferation of autonomous vehicles, including in goods transportation, is anticipated, with autonomous trucks already undergoing testing for the transportation of goods across the United States.

Moreover, AI is increasingly employed for personalisation and customisation, especially evident in the retail and e-commerce sectors. Companies are leveraging AI to analyze customer data and deliver tailored recommendations and experiences, enhancing sales and customer satisfaction.

Ethics and transparency have emerged as paramount considerations in the AI domain, reflecting the growing power and ubiquity of AI systems. Heightened concerns about bias, privacy, and accountability have prompted companies and researchers to forge ethical guidelines and standards for AI usage, alongside tools to promote transparency and accountability within AI systems.

algorithms-help-people-see-and-correct-their-biases--study-shows

Mon May 13 11:33:53 IST 2024

Algorithms are a staple of modern life. People rely on algorithmic recommendations to wade through deep catalogs and find the best movies, routes, information, products, people and investments.

Because people train algorithms on their decisions for example, algorithms that make recommendations on e-commerce and social media sites algorithms learn and codify human biases.

Algorithmic recommendations exhibit bias toward popular choices and information that evokes outrage, such as partisan news.

At a societal level, algorithmic biases perpetuate and amplify structural racial bias in the judicial system, gender bias in the people companies hire, and wealth inequality in urban development.

Algorithmic bias can also be used to reduce human bias. Algorithms can reveal hidden structural biases in organisations.

In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, my colleagues and I found that algorithmic bias can help people better recognise and correct biases in themselves.

The bias in the mirror

In nine experiments, Begum Celikitutan, Romain Cadario and I had research participants rate Uber drivers or Airbnb listings on their driving skill, trustworthiness or the likelihood that they would rent the listing.

We gave participants relevant details, like the number of trips they'd driven, a description of the property, or a star rating. We also included an irrelevant biasing piece of information: a photograph revealed the age, gender and attractiveness of drivers, or a name that implied that listing hosts were white or Black.

After participants made their ratings, we showed them one of two ratings summaries: one showing their own ratings, or one showing the ratings of an algorithm that was trained on their ratings.

We told participants about the biasing feature that might have influenced these ratings; for example, that Airbnb guests are less likely to rent from hosts with distinctly African American names. We then asked them to judge how much influence the bias had on the ratings in the summaries.

Whether participants assessed the biasing influence of race, age, gender or attractiveness, they saw more bias in ratings made by algorithms than themselves. This algorithmic mirror effect held whether participants judged the ratings of real algorithms or we showed participants their own ratings and deceptively told them that an algorithm made those ratings.

Participants saw more bias in the decisions of algorithms than in their own decisions, even when we gave participants a cash bonus if their bias judgments matched the judgments made by a different participant who saw the same decisions.

The algorithmic mirror effect held even if participants were in the marginalised category for example, by identifying as a woman or as Black.

Research participants were as able to see biases in algorithms trained on their own decisions as they were able to see biases in the decisions of other people.

Also, participants were more likely to see the influence of racial bias in the decisions of algorithms than in their own decisions, but they were equally likely to see the influence of defensible features, like star ratings, on the decisions of algorithms and on their own decisions.

Bias blind spot

People see more of their biases in algorithms because the algorithms remove people's bias blind spots. It is easier to see biases in others' decisions than in your own because you use different evidence to evaluate them.

When examining your decisions for bias, you search for evidence of conscious bias whether you thought about race, gender, age, status or other unwarranted features when deciding.

You overlook and excuse bias in your decisions because you lack access to the associative machinery that drives your intuitive judgments, where bias often plays out. You might think, I didn't think of their race or gender when I hired them. I hired them on merit alone.

When examining others' decisions for bias, you lack access to the processes they used to make the decisions. So you examine their decisions for bias, where bias is evident and harder to excuse. You might see, for example, that they only hired white men.

Algorithms remove the bias blind spot because you see algorithms more like you see other people than yourself. The decision-making processes of algorithms are a black box, similar to how other people's thoughts are inaccessible to you.

Participants in our study who were most likely to demonstrate the bias blind spot were most likely to see more bias in the decisions of algorithms than in their own decisions.

People also externalise bias in algorithms. Seeing bias in algorithms is less threatening than seeing bias in yourself, even when algorithms are trained on your choices. People put the blame on algorithms. Algorithms are trained on human decisions, yet people call the reflected bias algorithmic bias.

Corrective lens

Our experiments show that people are also more likely to correct their biases when they are reflected in algorithms.

In a final experiment, we gave participants a chance to correct the ratings they evaluated. We showed each participant their own ratings, which we attributed either to the participant or to an algorithm trained on their decisions.

Participants were more likely to correct the ratings when they were attributed to an algorithm because they believed the ratings were more biased. As a result, the final corrected ratings were less biased when they were attributed to an algorithm.

Algorithmic biases that have pernicious effects have been well documented. Our findings show that algorithmic bias can be leveraged for good. The first step to correct bias is to recognise its influence and direction. As mirrors revealing our biases, algorithms may improve our decision-making.

(The Conversation: By Carey K. Morewedge, Boston University)

how-does-isros-3d-printed-rocket-compare-with-other-international-3d-rockets

Sat May 11 17:14:03 IST 2024

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully carried out a critical test on a 3D-printed liquid rocket engine on Friday. This test marked a significant advancement in incorporating additive manufacturing (AM) techniques into India’s space exploration efforts. With the successful completion of the full-duration hot test, ISRO has shown that it is feasible, and efficient, to use AM technology in building rocket engines for its PSLV programme.

The 3D-printed liquid rocket engine was developed by ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC). It uses Earth-storable bipropellant combinations, nitrogen tetroxide and monomethylhydrazine as propellants in a pressure-fed system. The engine was produced together with WIPRO 3D, an industry partner, and underwent testing at ISRO’s Propulsion Complex at Mahendragiri.

The engine that was tested, called the PS4 engine, is mainly used in the fourth stage of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and in the Reaction Control System (RCS) of its first stage (PS1). The RCS in the first stage of a rocket helps control its direction during launch. By adjusting the rocket’s orientation, the RCS ensures that it follows the correct path right from the start, which is crucial for a successful mission. The PS4 twin bipropellant liquid engine, which is typically made through traditional machining and welding, is used in the fourth stage of the PSLV. Each engine delivers a thrust of 7.33 kN in vacuum conditions. It is also utilised in the RCS of the PSLV’s first stage (PS1), according to an ISRO release.

3D printing is also known as Additive Manufacturing (AM). “3D printing is a process where objects are created by adding material layer by layer, following a digital design. This method allows for complex shapes and structures to be made more efficiently and with less material waste than traditional manufacturing techniques. The PS4 engine was re-engineered using Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) principles, simplifying its structure from 14 parts to just a single piece and removing 19 weld joints.

The engine was produced using a Laser Powder Bed Fusion method, significantly reducing material usage from 565 kg to only 13.7 kg of metal powder and cutting production time by 60 per cent. The method involves spreading a thin layer of metal powder and selectively melting it with a laser to build parts layer by layer, allowing for precise, complex geometries and efficient use of materials,” explained space expert Girish Linganna.

Before the successful 665-second test, the engine went through various developmental tests and simulations. These included earlier tests of the injector head, extensive flow and thermal modelling and structural simulations, totalling 74 seconds of testing to confirm its performance parameters.

“Space agencies worldwide are adopting AM due to its efficiency and customizability. NASA, for instance, has leveraged AM in its propulsion systems to reduce the number of parts and shorten production times, while improving design flexibility. The reduction in component weight provided by AM is especially valuable in space missions, where weight minimisation is critical,” said Linganna.

This technology is transforming the manufacture of aerospace components on Earth and is also seen as pivotal for manufacturing in space, which could be essential for extended space missions, added Linganna. “As AM technologies evolve, their contribution to space programmes is expected to grow, opening up new avenues for innovation and operational efficiency,” he said.

He further says that NASA has implemented AM techniques in its Rapid Analysis and Manufacturing Propulsion Technology (RAMPT) project. This initiative aims at creating lighter and more efficient components for liquid rocket engines intended for future space missions.

“A key achievement of this project is the development of the thrust chamber assembly, which includes the combustion chamber, nozzle and connectors. The RAMPT project has demonstrated how AM can achieve considerable reductions in costs and component weight, thereby enhancing NASA’s propulsion capabilities,” said Linganna.

Experts point out that 3D-printed rocket engines require high-performance alloys that can withstand the extreme heat, pressure, and stresses of rocket propulsion. For instance, it requires copper alloys which offer excellent thermal conductivity and resist high temperatures, making them suitable for combustion chambers and Inconel which is a nickel-chromium superalloy and is known for its strength and heat resistance, ideal for various engine components.

Additionally, it requires Titanium Alloys which despite being lightweight possess high strength, making them valuable for components requiring both durability and minimal weight.

“We at Space Kidz India built the World’s lightest Satellite ‘KalamSAT’ in 2017 with carbon fibre polymers and it was widely spoken about through a sub-orbital flight that took the world by storm. 3D printing is revolutionising the aerospace industry, particularly in rocket production. This technology allows for complex, lightweight engine parts to be manufactured on-demand, reducing costs and development times,” Srimathy Kesan, founder and CEO of Space Kidz India told THE WEEK. The aerospace startup is pioneering in the design, fabrication, and launch of small satellites, spacecraft and ground systems.

“Traditional methods involve assembling numerous parts, which can be expensive and time-consuming. 3D printing simplifies the process by creating entire engine components in a single print. This reduces welds and potential failure points, leading to more efficient and reliable engines,” said Kesan.

Other companies using the 3D technology

Companies like Relativity Space in the US are at the forefront of 3D-printed rocket technology. Their entire Terran 1 rocket is built using a giant metal 3D printer, significantly reducing lead times and part count. Established players like SpaceX are also leveraging 3D printing for specific engine components. Their SuperDraco engines, used for manoeuvring their Crew Dragon capsule, feature complex 3D-printed combustion chambers.

“Indian startups like Agnikul and Skyroot are catching up in 3D-printed rocket technology. Agnikul is developing India's first single-piece 3D-printed engine, Agnilet, using a special high-performance alloy. Skyroot plans to use 3D printing extensively in their Vikram series rockets, aiming for frequent, low-cost launches. The use of 3D printing in rockets is a global trend, with countries like China actively developing their own technologies. This competition is driving innovation, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in rocket design and manufacturing. 3D printing has the potential to make space exploration more accessible and affordable. As the technology matures, we can expect to see even more innovative and powerful 3D-printed rocket engines take flight,” added Kesan.

Kesan further explains that 3D printing can significantly reduce launch costs by streamlining production and minimising parts. This could open doors for more frequent space missions and wider participation in the space industry. This apart, the ability to quickly iterate on designs through 3D printing allows companies to test and improve engines faster, leading to more efficient and powerful engines.

“3D printing enables the creation of intricate engine geometries that would be impossible with traditional manufacturing techniques. This paves the way for next-generation engines with improved performance. However, there are also challenges to consider, material limitations, current 3D printing materials may not possess all the desired properties for high-performance rocket engines,” said Kesan.

“Research into new materials is ongoing. Ensuring the quality and consistency of 3D-printed engine parts is crucial for safety and mission success. Rigorous testing and quality control procedures are essential. Besides that scaling up 3D printing for large engine components remains a challenge. As the technology matures, we can expect to see advancements in this area,” added Kesan.

why-is-national-technology-day-celebrated-heres-how-pokhran-changed-india-forever

Sat May 11 10:37:33 IST 2024

The growth of technology has been the building block of developing India and it has become an inevitable part of our daily life. Many are relentlessly pursuing Science and Technology and are making significant progress in the field. By celebrating National Technology Day, we are appreciating them for their groundbreaking work.

Why is National Technology Day celebrated?

On May 1998, under the rule of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, India successfully conducted Pokhran II or Operation Shakthi, a series of five nuclear tests, at the Indian Army’s Pokhran Range. It made India the sixth country in the world to possess nuclear weapons, after the US, Soviet Union, the UK, France and China. To commemorate this eventful day, the Indian government chose May 11 to be celebrated as the National Technology Day every year.

A brief history

In 1945, India’s first institute dedicated to the study of nuclear energy, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIRF), was established in Bombay with the efforts of Homi J. Bhabha and J.R.D Tata. It was Bhabha who steered the nuclear programme in the direction of weapons design and production in 1954. By 1967, India started building nuclear weapons and the first nuclear bomb test was conducted on May 18, 1974, under the code-name, Smiling Buddha, in Rajasthan. In 1998, a nuclear power station was set up in Indian Army’s Pokhran Range under the guidance of the Project Chief Coordinators, A.P.J Abdul Kalam, head of DRDO and Dr R. Chidambaram, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and the department of Atomic Energy.

A series of five successful nuclear tests were conducted there in the name Pokhran II or Operation Shakthi. It contained five denotations – one fusion bomb and four fission bombs. This led to India being the 6th country in the world to possess nuclear weapons. In order to commemorate this significant achievement, the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, announced May 11 as National Technology Day. This event led to India now possessing an operational nuclear triad capability, allowing for launch of weapons from land, air and sea.

Significance of the day

National Technology Day acts as an inspiration to future generations to pursue careers in science and technology. The day is mainly celebrated by awarding various personalities and industries that has made significant contributions in the field of science and technology. Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP) and National Technology Awards are awarded to recognise such achievements.

The government has mentioned that the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar is to recognise the notable and inspiring contribution made by the scientists, technologists and innovators individually or in teams in various fields of science, technology and technology-led innovation and it can be considered as one of the highest recognitions in the field of science and technology.

The Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar shall be given in 13 domains - Physics, Chemistry, Biological Sciences, Mathematics & Computer Science, Earth Science, Medicine, Engineering Sciences, Agricultural Science, Environmental Science, Technology & Innovation, Atomic Energy, Space Science and Technology, and Others.

The four categories of awards are Vigyan Ratna, Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Yuva and Vigyan Team. The awards are announced on the May 11 every year and the Award Ceremony will be conducted on the August 23, 2024, on National Space Day.

The National Technology Awards was instituted by the Technology Development Board of India, for successful commercialisation of indigenous technology by industrial concerns. Four other awards have been introduced under the National Technology Awards, along with the main award. These include National Technology Awards (MSME), National Technology Awards (Startup), National Technology Awards (Translational Research) and National Technology Awards (Technology Business Incubators). The awards are presented to the awardees on the National Technology Day.

In addition to this, many institutions in the country hold various programmes to honour all those who contribute to India’s scientific and technological progress and to acknowledge their achievements.

Facts to remember

National Technology Day is celebrated every year on the May 11.
It is conducted in commemoration of India’s first successful nuclear tests Pokhran II or Operation Shakthi.
This day is celebrated by recognising and appreciating the efforts and achievements of scientists, researchers, engineers and all others who work in the field of science and technology.
Every year, on May 11, the central government awards the notable achievements in science and technology.

should-we-fight-climate-change-by-re-engineering-life-itself-

Fri May 10 15:45:12 IST 2024

Life has transformed our world over billions of years, turning a dead rock into the lush, fertile planet we know today. But human activity is currently transforming Earth again, this time by releasing greenhouse gases that are driving dramatic changes in our climate.

What if we could harness the power of living organisms to help rein in climate change? The field of engineering biology, which uses genetic technology to engineer biological tools for solving specific problems, may be able to help.

Perhaps the most dramatic success to date of this nascent field is the mRNA vaccines that helped us weather the COVID pandemic. But engineering biology has enormous potential not only to help us adapt to climate change, but also to limit warming.

In our latest paper in Nature Communications, we reviewed some of the many ways engineering biology can aid the fight against climate change and how governments and policy makers can make sure humanity reaps the benefits of the technology.

Could engineering biology help fight climate change?

We identified four ways engineering biology might help to mitigate climate change.

The first is finding better ways to make synthetic fuels that can directly replace fossil fuels. Many existing synthetic fuels are made from high-value crops such as corn and soybeans that might otherwise be used for food, so the fuels are expensive.

Some engineering biology research explores ways to make synthetic fuel from agricultural waste. These fuels could be cheaper and greener, and so might help speed up decarbonisation.

For example, it would be much faster for airlines to decarbonise their existing fleets by switching to synthetic zero-carbon jet fuels, rather than waiting to replace their aircraft with yet-to-be-developed planes running on hydrogen or batteries.

The second is developing cost-effective ways to capture greenhouse emissions (from industrial facilities, construction and agriculture) and then use this waste for biomanufacturing valuable products (such as industrial chemicals or biofuels).

The third is replacing emissions-intensive production methods. For example, several companies are already using precision fermentation to produce synthetic milk that avoids the dairy industry's methane emissions. Other companies have produced microbes which promise to fix nitrogen in soil, and so help reduce use of fertilisers produced from fossil fuels.

Finally, the fourth is directly capturing greenhouse gases from the air. Bacteria engineered to consume atmospheric carbon, or plants bred to sequester more carbon in their roots, could in theory help reduce greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere.

Beyond the technological and economic barriers, it's unclear whether these ideas will ever gain a social license. Given the science fiction-like character of some of these emerging climate responses it's essential that researchers be transparent and responsive to public attitudes.

How engineering biology can help mitigate climate change

Replace fossil fuels in transport

Reduce emissions from production processes

Substitutes for emissions-intensive products

Sequester or mitigate in environment

Fact or science fiction?

Just how realistic are these ideas? Bringing a new product to market takes time, money and careful research.

Take solar power, for example. The first solar cell was created in the 1880s, and solar panels were installed on the White House roof in 1979, but it took many more decades of government support before solar power became a cost-competitive source of electricity.

The engineering biology sector is currently flooded with investor capital. However, the companies and projects attracting most investment are those with the greatest commercial value typically in the medical, pharmaceutical, chemical and agricultural sectors.

By contrast, applications whose primary benefit is to reduce greenhouse emissions are unlikely to attract much private investment. For example, synthetic jet fuel is currently much more expensive than traditional jet fuel, so there's no rush of private investors seeking to support its commercialisation.

Government (or philanthropic) support of some kind will be needed to nurture most climate-friendly applications through the slow process of development and commercialisation.

Back to picking winners?

Which engineering biology applications deserve governments' assistance? Right now, it's mostly too early to tell.

Policymakers will need to continually assess the social and technical merits of proposed engineering biology applications.

If engineering biology is to play a significant role in fighting climate change, policymakers will need to engage with it skilfully over time.

We argue government support should include five elements.

First, continued funding for the basic scientific research that generates new knowledge, and new potential mitigation tools.

Second, public deliberation on engineering biology applications. Some new products such as precision-fermented synthetic milk might gain acceptance over time even if they at first seem unattractive. Others might never gain support. For this public deliberation to reflect the interests of all humanity, low- and middle-income countries will need to gain expertise in engineering biology.

Third, regulations should be aligned with public interest. Governments should be alert to the possibility of existing industries trying to use regulations to lock out new competitors. For instance, we may see efforts from animal-based agricultural producers to restrict who can use words like milk and sausage or to ban lab-grown meat completely.

Fourth, support commercialisation and scale-up of promising technologies whose primary benefit is reducing greenhouse emissions. Governments might either fund this work directly or create other incentives such as carbon pricing, tax credits or environmental regulations that make private investment profitable.

Fifth, long-term procurement policies should be considered where large-scale deployment is needed to achieve climate goals. For example, the US Inflation Reduction Act provides unlimited tax credits to support direct air capture. While these incentives weren't designed with engineering biology in mind, they are technologically neutral and so might well support it.

A bioengineered future in Australia?

Governments are now involved in a global race to position their countries as leaders in the emerging green economy. Australia's proposed future made in Australia legislation is just one example.

Other governments have specific plans for engineering biology. For example, the United Kingdom committed 2 billion (A$3.8 billion) last year to an engineering biology strategy, while the US CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 called for the creation of a National Engineering Biology Research and Development Initiative.

If such interventions are to be economically and ecologically successful, they will need to work with still-developing technology.

Can policymakers work with this kind of uncertainty? One approach is to develop sophisticated assessments of the potential of different technologies and then invest in a diverse portfolio, knowing many of their bets will fail. Or, they might create technology-neutral instruments, such as tax credits and reverse auctions, and allow private industry to try to pick winners.

Engineering biology promises to contribute to a major step up in climate mitigation. Whether it lives up to this promise will depend on both public and policymakers' support. Given just how high the stakes are, there's work for all of us to do in reckoning with this technology's potential.

(The Conversation: By Jonathan Symons and Thom Dixon, Macquarie University and Jacqueline Dalziell, University of Sydney)

sea-surface-temperatures-of-indian-ocean-could-help-predict-deng

Fri May 10 14:52:14 IST 2024

Abnormal trends in sea surface temperatures of the Indian Ocean could help predict trends in global dengue epidemics, including case numbers and how they might change with time, according to new research.

Scientists said that these observed abnormal temperatures, which are a 'climate indicator', could help enhance the forecasting and planning for outbreak responses.

Currently, precipitation and temperature are some of the climate indicators that are being used as early warning systems to forecast disease trends such as dengue, they said.

The team, including researchers from Beijing Normal University, China, explained that, for example, events associated with warmer sea surface temperatures, driven by El Nino, are known to influence how dengue is transmitted around the world by affecting mosquito breeding.

Being able to predict the risk of outbreaks and prepare for them can be crucial for many regions, especially those where the mosquito-borne disease is endemic, or constantly present.

However, the authors said there were gaps in our understanding of long-distance climate drivers of dengue outbreaks. Their findings are published in the journal Science.

In this study, the researchers used data on yearly dengue cases reported from across each of the 46 Southeast Asian and American countries from 1990-2019. Data of monthly cases from 24 of these countries reported from 2014-19 was also used for analysis.

Through modelling, the team drew associations between changes in climate patterns around the world and those in seasonal and yearly case numbers during dengue epidemics.

They found that dengue epidemics around the world were "closely" linked with abnormalities in sea surface temperatures of the tropical Indian Ocean.

"We identify a distinct indicator, the Indian Ocean basin-wide (IOBW) index, as representing the regional average of sea surface temperature anomalies in the tropical Indian Ocean. IOBW is closely associated with dengue epidemics for both the Northern and Southern hemispheres," the authors wrote.

In the three months before a dengue outbreak, the IOBW index was found to be a crucial factor in predicting the disease magnitude and timing of outbreaks per year in each hemisphere. The ability of IOBW to predict dengue incidence likely arises due to its effect on regional temperatures, the researchers said.

"These findings indicate that the IOBW index can potentially enhance the lead time for dengue forecasts, leading to better-planned and more impactful outbreak responses," the authors wrote.

They, however, cautioned that more assessments are needed to evaluate the performance of their model in predicting dengue epidemics.

"Although our model demonstrates its capability to capture observed patterns, making premature claims about its predictive ability without rigorous validation of future data would be unjustified," the authors wrote.

buying-new-laptop-5-budget-friendly-2024-models-to-checkout

Fri May 10 10:36:39 IST 2024

Planning to buy a budget-friendly laptop? Here are five devices you may want to check out before making the final call.

1. HP 15s 12th Gen Intel Core i5, 15/6 inch (39.6 cm), 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, Backlit Kb, (Win 11 Home, Natural Silver, 1.69kg), fq5202TU / fq5329TU

- Rs 46990 | 4.0 rating

With a powerful 12th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, this HP 15s laptop [fq5202TU/fq5329TU] enables smooth multitasking. The Intel Iris Xe graphics elevate your visual experience, ensuring vibrant clarity with stunning visuals. With 8GB RAM and a spacious 512GB SSD, you get ample storage for your files and applications, and can easily expand the storage via the built-in SD or Micro SD card slot. With a long-lasting battery that lasts up to 7.5 hrs on a single charge, the HP fast charge technology keeps you powered and productive throughout the day. With Windows 11 Home, you get to enhance your computing experience.

Additionally, the back lit keyboard allows for comfortable typing in low light environments. The HP TrueVision HD camera, dual array microphones, and dual speakers enhance your video calls while ensuring crisp and clear audio by reducing background noises. This laptop comes in a beautiful silver design that weighs just 1.69kg.

2. HP Laptop 15s, AMD Ryzen 3 5300U, 15.6-inch (39.6 cm), FHD, 8GB DDR4, 512GB SSD, AMD Radeon Graphics, Thin & Light, Dual Speakers (Win 11, MSO 2019, Silver, 1.69 kg), eq2143AU

- Rs 31990 | 4.1 rating

Powered by AMD Ryzen 5300U processor, this HP 15s laptop [eq2143AU] is best for tackling everyday tasks and even light gaming with ease. With the AMD Radeon graphics, designed to accelerate AI-enhanced features in many content creation apps, you can enhance your creativity and workflow performance. 8GB of DDR4, with its higher band-width memory, ensures smooth performance while multi-tasking and switching between applications. The massive, high speed 512GB Solid-State Drive [SSD] provides ample storage for your files, videos, and applications. The built-in SD or Micro SD card slot lets you easily expand your storage at your need. Long lasting battery life up to 8 hours, and the HP fast charge technology keeps you connected throughout the day. With Windows 11 and MS Office 2019, you can maximise your productivity.

Enjoy an immersive multimedia experience with crisp and clear details of visuals on the 15.6-inch, Full HD display in 1920×1080 resolution. The HP TrueVision HD camera ensures vibrant and lively video chats, even in low light environments, making every conversation a face-to-face experience for a better way to stay in touch. Additionally, the Integrated Multi-Touch Precision touchpad supports four-finger gestures and lets you scroll, zoom and thereby speeds up navigation and productivity. This effortlessly portable laptop weighing just 1.69kg, comes in a natural silver design.

3. Lenovo IdeaPad 1 AMD Ryzen 5 5500U 15.6" (39.62cm) FHD Thin & Light Laptop (8GB/512GB SSD/Windows 11/Office 2021/Backlit Keyboard/1Yr Warranty + 1 Yr ADP/Grey/1.6Kg), 82R400BGIN

- Rs 35990 | 4.1 rating

The Lenovo IdeaPad 1, with its AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor, known for offering a striking balance between performance and efficiency, tackles daily tasks with ease, making it a great choice for students and everyday use. The ‘U’ designation indicates that it is optimised for thin and light laptops, keeping power consumption low. The 8GB RAM with 512GB SSD ensures enough and more room for your photos, videos, files and applications. With the long-lasting battery up to 7 hours, and the rapid charging technology that gets you 2 hours of runtime after a 15 min charge, get ready to stay connected and productive throughout the day.

With Windows 11 and MS Office 2021, you can optimise your screen space and maximise your productivity. The 15.6 inch Full HD 1920×1080 micro edge display offers a comfortable and high-quality visual experience with vivid clarity. The HD and Dolby Audio offers richer and clearer sound that helps you get an immersive experience. Additionally, the back lit keyboard allows for comfortable typing in low-light environments. A one-year standard manufacturer warranty is offered along with an additional year of Accidental Damage Protection [ADP]. All this comes in a sleek grey model that weighs just 1.6kg making it highly portable.

4. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Intel Core i3-1305U 14" (35.5cm) FHD IPS 300 Nits Thin & Light Laptop (8GB/512GB SSD/Win 11/Office 2021/Alexa Built-in/3 Month Game Pass/Arctic Grey/1.37Kg), 82X60013IN

- Rs 41990 | 4.1 rating

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 with its Intel Core i3-1305U processor enables all the essential features for performance of everyday tasks, allowing multi-tasking; switching between open browser tabs and editing documents, with ease. Along with 8GB RAM and 512GB SSD, you can simply insert a SD or Micro SD card and increase your storage capacity according to your needs, ensuring an abundance of storage for all your files and applications. It has a battery life of up to 8 hours keeping you charged and entertained throughout the day.

Windows 11 along with MS Office 2021 helps enhance user experience. The 14-inch Full HD microedge display of 1920×1080 resolution provides a high-quality and immersive viewing experience. The built-in Alexa, turns your device into a smart device, lets you communicate directly with your personal assistant, and handle your tasks effortlessly. Additionally, you get to enjoy a 3-month subscription of Xbox GamePass Ultimate and get access to a lot of fun games. In a dark arctic grey design, it is thin and light, weighing just 1.37kg, making it very easy to carry around colleges or workstations.

5. ASUS Vivobook 16X (2022), 16.0-inch (40.64 cms) FHD+ 16:10, AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, Thin and Laptop (8GB/512GB SSD/Integrated Graphics/Windows 11/Office 2021/Silver/1.80 kg), M1603QA-MB501WS

- Rs 43990 | 4.2 rating

With its AMD Ryzen 5 5600H processor, the ASUS Vivobook 16X [2022] handles performance of everyday use effortlessly, while its Integrated Graphics handles basic visuals. With a battery lasting up to 7 to 8 hours, the 8GB with 512GB SSD ensures ample storage and also offers an option to get more storage if needed, via inserting a SD or MicroSD card through the card slot.

Whether it's for work or for entertainment, immerse yourself with the large 16 inch FHD+ 1920×1200 display with 16:10 aspect ratio. With ASUS SonicMaster technology delivering precise audio encoding and decoding, you are ensured quality sound for video calls and multimedia, while ASUS AI noise-cancelling feature ensures background noise-free video conferencing. While the ASUS ErgoSense keyboard enhances a comfortable typing experience along with increased typing accuracy, you get to enjoy the one-touch login feature with built-in fingerprint sensor on the touchpad. Pre-installed Windows 11 and MS Office 2021 provides all the essential tools for productive user experience.

Additionally, the physical webcam shield ensures users, instant privacy and security control. 3DNR technology, with a unique algorithm, sharpens images and upgrades the webcam image clarity. TUV Rheinland-certified low blue-light levels make sure to reduce eye strain during long viewing sessions. There is ASUS Icecool Thermal technology that keeps the laptop cool and quiet with its upgraded heat pipes and an IceBlade fan. The I/O ports that let you connect to all your existing peripherals easily. Get a clean and sanitary laptop surface with ASUS Antibacterial Guard that inhibits 99% bacterias. It all comes together in a sleek grey design that weighs 1.8kg.

should-we-fight-climate-change-by-re-engineering-life-itself-

Thu May 09 15:37:38 IST 2024

Could engineering biology help fight climate change?

We identified four ways engineering biology might help to mitigate climate change.

Some engineering biology research explores ways to make synthetic fuel from agricultural waste. These fuels could be cheaper and greener, and so might help speed up decarbonisation.

Fact or science fiction?

Just how realistic are these ideas? Bringing a new product to market takes time, money and careful research.

Government (or philanthropic) support of some kind will be needed to nurture most climate-friendly applications through the slow process of development and commercialisation.

Back to picking winners?

Which engineering biology applications deserve governments' assistance? Right now, it's mostly too early to tell.

Policymakers will need to continually assess the social and technical merits of proposed engineering biology applications.

If engineering biology is to play a significant role in fighting climate change, policymakers will need to engage with it skilfully over time.

We argue government support should include five elements.

First, continued funding for the basic scientific research that generates new knowledge, and new potential mitigation tools.

A bioengineered future in Australia?

Governments are now involved in a global race to position their countries as leaders in the emerging green economy. Australia's proposed future made in Australia legislation is just one example.

If such interventions are to be economically and ecologically successful, they will need to work with still-developing technology.

(The Conversation: By Jonathan Symons and Thom Dixon, Macquarie University, Jacqueline Dalziell, University of Sydney)

study-reveals-one-in-eight-adults-enjoy-intensely-sour-sensation

Tue May 07 15:02:49 IST 2024

A recent cross-cultural study conducted by Penn State researchers has uncovered a surprising finding: approximately one in eight adults actually enjoy intensely sour sensations. This study demonstrated the existence of a subset of individuals who derive pleasure from exceptionally sour foods. According to John Hayes, a professor of food science and the director of the Sensory Evaluation Center at Penn State, this is the first time that such a segment of adults who appreciate strongly sour flavors has been convincingly identified.

The study, which was published in the journal Food Quality and Preference, involved testing the liking patterns of sourness in two different countries, the United States and Italy, across two distinct groups of individuals with different food cultures. The researchers measured the responses of 143 American adults to various levels of citric acid in water and 350 Italian adults to pear juice spiked with varying amounts of citric acid. Surprisingly, the study found evidence of three distinct patterns of response: a strong negative group where liking dropped with increased sourness, an intermediate group who showed a more muted drop in liking with more sourness, and a strong positive group where liking increased with more sourness. This suggests that there is a subset of individuals who actually love intensely sour flavors, contrary to the widespread belief that adults are generally averse to sourness.

The researchers noted that the data support the existence of previously unexplored taste profiles that respond positively to sour stimuli. This segmentation of individuals based on their liking for sourness could potentially be used to develop tailored products that account for the specific "sour liker" taste profile. This could ultimately serve to promote the consumption of healthier foods and beverages that are lower in sweetness but still acceptable to consumers. The study's findings also suggest that the proportions of individuals who enjoy intensely sour sensations may be stable across cultures, as both the Italian and American cohorts showed similar percentages of response patterns to sourness.

This study challenges the conventional wisdom that adults are generally averse to sour flavors and highlights the importance of looking at individual differences and potential consumer segments, rather than merely averaging responses across all individuals within a group. The identification of a subset of individuals who actually love intensely sour flavors opens up new possibilities for the development of tailored food and beverage products that cater to this specific taste profile, potentially promoting the consumption of healthier options that are lower in sweetness but still enjoyable to consumers.

red-tape-is-stifling-innovation-at-public-universities

Mon May 06 16:39:08 IST 2024

Australian public universities tout themselves as bastions of innovation and driving forces behind economic growth, but their cultures are getting in the way.

Imagine being an entrepreneur who had spent more than 12 months scouring the globe for a particular research expertise, only to discover at a random cocktail party that the know-how you're looking for could be found just down the road.

Or being an industry innovation expert trying to connect with a research group you'd invested in without success. There was simply no individual, telephone contact or email address publicly available.

Unfortunately, these are both documented stories highlighting the kind of obstacles faced by the private sector when trying to work with public universities in Australia.

It would therefore come as no surprise to people in the sector that universities seem to have been largely ignored in recent innovation funding announcements.

There are several potential reasons why public universities have been marginalised in the innovation landscape.

The compliance culture that has dogged Australian government-innovation initiatives, especially when it comes to quantifying research outcomes, also dogs the increasingly managerialist public universities in Australia.

A glaring example of the way this compliance culture stifles academic researchers engaging in potentially groundbreaking research is the increasingly bureaucratic approaches to ethics approval, even if the proposed research is low risk, and time is of the essence.

Many academics are simply giving up on research based on primary data collection and are focusing on arguably less innovative and entrepreneurial research based on publicly-available data sources.

There have been instances of "ethics-shopping" in research groups comprising academics from multiple institutions, whereby the ethics clearance was submitted to the university with the least onerous process.

There was also an instance where an innovative small enterprise that had secured government funding and connected with a university for research found itself in breach of its reporting requirements simply because the university department could not produce an acquittal in time.

Not only are university bureaucracies risk-averse, they are inefficient when it comes to maintaining industry-level standards of reporting.

Experiences such as this are likely to give the private sector pause when it comes to determining whether they should continue working with public universities.

The innovation environment is, by its very nature, uncertain and risky.

Professor Mariana Mazzucato, one of the world's leading scholars in this area, recently met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and promoted her 'mission-oriented' approach to innovation in the hope of promoting economic growth.

Professor Mazzucato favours the "fail fast" approach that innovators and entrepreneurs take, which is increasingly at odds with a risk-averse university culture focused on quantitative metrics, box ticking and assured outcomes, and which would see "failure" as a missed opportunity, to the extent that they would not likely invest in the same research team again.

Closely related to the growing compliance culture of the corporatised public university are the restrictions placed around what academic researchers should or shouldn't research.

This usually takes the form of the granting or withholding of research funding by university administrators, including all-important seed funding that is often required to test proof of concept.

Public universities generally align themselves with the stated research priorities of the incumbent government, which are themselves also closely tied with funding.

This approach prevents discoveries emanating from blue-sky research pursued by researchers practising academic freedom and following their instincts.

Instead, institutional research parameters are tightly constrained through the nomination of national research priorities, with university administrators turning themselves inside out to maximise the potential available funding.

Many academics find themselves being taken on mandated research journeys, even if their hearts (and heads) are not in it something which can clearly compromise research outcomes.

Academic careers also present a problem. University academics need to juggle multiple work responsibilities, with research performance often suffering in a workplace environment that privileges teaching and service.

Academics also tend to take leave more frequently than industry partners, something which can stall the development of applied research, and raises questions about overall commitment in the eyes of industry.

Many Australian universities have innovation hubs that are either administered directly or are an adjunct organisation co-located on campus or nearby.

However, entities that arguably should be the most nimble and innovative demonstrated significant vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The pandemic revealed weaknesses regarding the resilience of these university hubs, with hub managers reportedly being unable to resolve a number of operational challenges.

Several hubs ceased operating, at least temporarily, and failed to pivot effectively to an online environment that was necessary to maintain connections with industry.

Such hubs, far from being at the vanguard of pandemic responses, were found wanting.

The multi-layered difficulties faced by universities and entrepreneurs alike, resist a glib, one-size-fits all response.

As a start perhaps, less top-down direction and strategic planning and more fostering of grassroots innovation would likely help, as would embracing a culture of greater risk-taking, within reason, of course.

How universities reward and incentivise their researchers also needs to be put under the spotlight. Better ways to link industry, especially small and medium enterprises and start-ups, are also required.

If public universities are unable to adapt to an innovation environment where an ability to accept risk, form strong teams quickly and work at a commercially-acceptable pace is paramount, it is likely that they will recede further into the innovation shadows.

This is likely to result in further questions regarding their overall public legitimacy and as a consequence continued funding.

(360info.org: By Michael B. Charles and David Noble, Southern Cross University in Gold Coast)

marine-heatwaves-cause-intense-coral-bleaching-in-lakshadweep

Mon May 06 16:31:50 IST 2024

Marine heatwaves are triggering widespread bleaching of coral reefs in the Lakshadweep Sea, wherein corals lose their vibrant colours due to stress-a concerning phenomenon, according to a new study.

Survey results from various Lakshadweep Islands revealed that a considerable percentage of the hard coral species have undergone severe bleaching, researchers of the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) here said.

The bleaching was primarily due to a prolonged period of marine heat waves affecting the region since late October 2023, they said.

Marine heatwaves are rare extreme weather events that involve prolonged periods of abnormally high ocean temperatures, the CMFRI said in a statement here.

These temperatures often exceed the 90th percentile of typical regional ocean temperatures based on historical data, it said.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this level of DHW poses a substantial risk of coral bleaching, threatening the region's diverse marine ecosystems.

"Such heat stress levels signify a severe threat to coral health, leading to extensive bleaching where corals lose the symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae), compromising their survival by depriving them of essential nutrients," said Dr K R Sreenath, Senior Scientist of CMFRI.

If the DHW continues to rise, it could precipitate an unprecedented biodiversity crisis due to multispecies mortality, he said.

Dr Shelton Padua, senior scientist at CMFRI, identified the primary causes of these marine heatwaves as excessive heat atmospheric transfer coupled with shifts in ocean currents, leading to unusually high water temperatures.

Since October 27, 2023, the Lakshadweep Sea, spanning from 80.0 to 12.0 N latitude and 71.0 to 75.0 E longitude, has been experiencing these conditions, with temperatures consistently registering rises greater than one degree Celsius above the norm, it said.

Noting that the health of marine ecosystems is integral to the livelihoods of coastal communities, influencing tourism and fisheries sectors, Sreenath said that the ongoing marine heatwaves are likely to cause significant economic losses by disrupting their vital ecosystem services.

Further, the death and disintegration of coral reefs can threaten coastal communities, leaving them vulnerable to the impacts of sea level aggressions, he said.

The ongoing heat waves also threaten other critical marine habitats, including seagrass meadows, the expert said, adding that similar to corals, seagrass meadows are experiencing detrimental impacts due to the heatwaves, such as impaired photosynthesis, reduced growth, and hindered reproductive functions.

"The degradation of these ecosystems can lead to the collapse of local marine food webs, affecting a wide range of marine species, from fish communities to marine mammals like dugongs and dolphins," Sreenath added.

The CMFRI has been actively undertaking studies to better understand ecological changes affecting coral reefs, the statement said.

The agency has initiated a comprehensive national project aimed at investigating the resilience potential of various coral reefs in India.

By integrating advanced climatic modelling, deep-learning, and ecological research, CMFRI aims to enhance survey efficiency and develop resilience-based management actions ensuring the long-term sustainability of coral reef ecosystems, the statement added.

a-global-plastic-treaty-will-only-work-if-it-caps-production--mo

Sat May 04 14:47:06 IST 2024

An international agreement to end plastic pollution is due to be sealed this year in Busan, South Korea. At the penultimate round of negotiations, held in Ottawa, Canada, Rwanda and Peru proposed a target to cut the weight of primary plastics produced worldwide by 40% by 2040, compared with 2025.

This is the first time that a limit on the production of plastic has been considered at the UN talks aiming to develop an international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. Of the potential mechanisms for tackling plastic pollution, a cap on plastic production was the most hotly debated, but one has not made it into the draft text of the treaty not yet, at least.

However, all efforts to scientifically model the extent of plastic pollution in the future assume that restricting how much plastic the world makes each year will be necessary (among other measures) to curb its harmful presence in the environment. In a 2020 study I co-authored, my colleagues and I found that primary plastic production the creation of new synthetic polymers, largely from fossil fuel will need to be 47% lower in 2040 compared with the rate measured in 2016.

This scenario would involve plastic production falling by as much as our research team considered practicable. It would predominantly mean everyone using significantly less plastic and substituting it with paper and materials that are compostable.

Cutting production almost in half and using all other strategies, such as ramping up recycling and disposing of plastic waste in landfills or via incineration plants, would still leave residual pollution in 2040. In fact, just under 50 million tonnes of plastic would still be flowing into the ocean and rivers each year or accumulating on land where it may be burned in the open and create even more pollution.

In a 2022 report, the OECD estimated that cutting demand for plastic by 33% relative to 2019 (and enhancing recycling alongside preventing plastic escaping the waste management process) would almost eliminate mismanaged plastic waste by 2060 that is, plastic that end up as pollution in the environment.

A combination of measures such as these is considered the most effective scenario in cutting pollution. Again though, the OECD model projects slightly over 50 million tonnes of plastic waste being mismanaged annually in 2040. For the accumulation and burning of plastic in the environment to stop, we would have to wait another two decades.

A simulation conducted in 2023 set an even more ambitious target for eliminating plastic pollution by 2040. In it, a cap on production was an essential element alongside 15 other global policy measures which could cut annual mismanaged plastic waste by 90% and virgin plastic use by 30% yearly by 2040, compared with 2019. This would represent a 60% reduction relative to 2040 levels without restrictions on production.

The 40% reduction target floated in Ottawa is generally consistent with what these models suggest is necessary to substantially reduce plastic pollution in coming decades. Whether such a production cap is plausible however is still poorly understood. With plastic production still increasing, it is unclear what policies would reduce it so steeply in just 15 years and what their side effects might be.

What will it take?

Reducing plastic production would require marked shifts in our lives for which there is little precedent. It could involve massive changes in how we behave as consumers, how products are designed and delivered to us and so on.

A 40% production cut would probably entail slashing the amount of packaging and single-use plastic made worldwide. These shortlived products account for around half of all plastic production and become waste quickly. Essentially, this would reverse the trend in material use since the mid-20th century.

Every year without production caps makes the necessary cut to plastic production in future steeper and our need to use other measures to address the problem greater.

Modelling the mess

The combination of policy and technical innovation necessary to eliminate plastic pollution is highly debated. But swingeing production cuts feature in all modelled scenarios.

A less dynamic pace of change is assumed to be necessary for downstream measures those associated with when plastic becomes waste, such as during disposal and recycling. Some of the emphasis on production caps in models originates from the failure of existing waste management services to stop plastic from entering the environment or being burned outdoors.

Since between 1.7 and 2.5 billion people still lack waste collection, some form of reduction in the amount of new plastic made each year might seem attractive and consistent with the idea of a circular economy and the waste hierarchy, which prioritises waste prevention.

Research I worked on recently showed that a country's waste management performance is strongly linked to its socioeconomic development. The collection, recycling and disposal of plastic will only prevail as a solution to the extent that countries improve socioeconomically. Clearly, without radical change, the pace of progress on this front would not solve plastic pollution by 2040.

What is ironic, and illustrative of how daunting the challenge is, is that deploying sound waste management to the under-serviced is one of the few solutions that we understand relatively well, based as it is on commercially and technically proven technologies and operational systems.

By contrast, the three models offer only generic insight into what would be necessary to scale down plastic production. Replacing plastic with paper and card would not fundamentally improve matters if this packaging still ended up as waste being burned in the open.

There are other options, though. It could be possible to massively simplify the types of polymers used in packaging so that just a few are in circulation. This would make recycling more effective, as one of the present complications is the huge variation in materials that leads to cross-contamination. Likewise, countries could massively expand systems for reusing and refilling containers in shops.

No matter the degree, pathway and pace of plastic production cuts, a fundamental change in our relationship with plastic is necessary. As a target, 2040 seems impossibly close for a viable pathway to significantly lower production, but that should not stop us entertaining such a future. It should alert us to the scientific advances and innovation necessary to make it more plausible.

Let us think of it as a worthy investment of our resources and effort one that we rely upon for a better future.

(The Conversation: By Costas Velis, University of Leeds)

unlocking-social-impact-the-intersection-of-ai-and-philanthropy

Tue Apr 30 22:12:38 IST 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of philanthropy, Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a promising avenue for driving social impact. Entrepreneurs, industrialists, business leaders, promoters, and other stakeholders are realising AI's immense transformative potential—from accelerating scientific breakthroughs to optimizing supply, revolutionizing processes, and driving efficiency across various sectors and functions.

The promise of AI in philanthropy

AI holds the promise of amplifying impact through data-driven insights, predictive analytics, and automation to address pressing social development challenges in India. AI algorithms can analyse beneficiary data to create highly personalised interventions. This means using AI to tailor learning programs based on an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, maximizing their potential.

Consider the initiative of the Central Square Foundation (CSF) that is working towards improving the learning outcomes of children from low-income communities. CSF supported the contextualization of three personalised adaptive learning (PAL) solutions—MindSpark, Convegenius, and Funtoot for adoption in Government schools in Andhra Pradesh. These solutions tailored instruction to each child’s learning level supporting the teacher to address the heterogeneity in the classroom. These AI-based solutions can be particularly useful to support remediation and address the issue of multi-level classrooms. The program is now being evaluated by Michael Kremer and his team at the Development Innovation Lab.

AI-powered platforms can analyse vast amounts of data to identify trends, predict outcomes, and allocate resources more effectively. This allows philanthropic organizations to be proactive, rather than reactive—reallocating resources in vulnerable areas in the anticipation of a potential disaster.

Similarly, AI-driven healthcare initiatives such as Aravind Eye Hospital's use of machine learning for early detection of eye diseases have transformed access to quality eye care in rural areas. By automating diagnostics and streamlining patient care, they scale their impact and reach underserved communities more efficiently.

Challenges

Realizing the full impact of AI in philanthropy is accompanied by numerous challenges that demand attention. These include navigating the ethical implications of AI, such as bias, privacy, and accountability, which risk exacerbating inequalities or unintended consequences. Additionally, high upfront costs and the need for technical expertise may limit smaller non-profits from harnessing AI's potential effectively. Moreover, the lack of high-quality, relevant public data in India presents a barrier to creating localized AI solutions.

An emerging AI divide between developers and underserved communities further complicates accessibility to AI benefits, unless democratized. Scaling AI initiatives across diverse geographies with varying languages, data norms, and infrastructure challenges also proves to be a daunting task. These uncertainties may lead philanthropists to hesitate in recognizing the significance of AI's capabilities and investing in AI-driven initiatives.

Opportunities

To overcome systemic challenges and drive impactful philanthropy, India's UHNIs have a pivotal role in catalysing AI for social good. Strategic opportunities include adopting a collaborative approach by fostering partnerships between AI experts, non-profits, and community stakeholders to tailor solutions to specific community needs. Investing in R&D efforts focused on AI for social good and supporting democratized access to AI tools can empower all non-profits to harness AI's potential. Additionally, supporting capacity-building initiatives for non-profit leaders and scaling AI pilots across diverse regions and use cases are crucial steps. Investing in platforms that enable community participation in AI development and prioritizing accountability, transparency, and human rights in AI initiatives are also paramount for fostering inclusive AI innovation and responsible AI use in social arenas.

Philanthropists can lead by example by not only adopting AI in their philanthropic endeavours but also sharing their experiences and inspiring others to follow suit.

The Wadhwani Institute for AI, a philanthropic initiative by Dr. Romesh Wadhwani and Sunil Wadhwani, is currently building AI-based solutions in the agriculture and health domains, such as pest management for cotton farms; maternal, newborn and child health; and tuberculosis.

In collaboration with Shikha Academy and the Shikha Institute of Education, Karishma Shanghvi has established Shikha Labs—an AI tech-focused initiative solving for systemic needs of schools, students, and teachers. Towards this Shikha Labs is developing an AI teacher pedagogy coach that analyses classroom teaching; curriculum-linked Al bots that partner with teachers to make high quality curriculum accessible for all students; and AI portfolio and skills assessment systems for schools. Founded by Dilip Shanghvi's Shantilal Shanghvi Foundation, Shikha Academy and The Shikha Institute of Education aim to democratise education with an economical, scalable, accessible, and high standards system, which is relevant to creating lifelong learners, inquirers and problem solvers.

In conclusion, leveraging AI, philanthropists can unlock new insights, optimize resource allocation, and accelerate progress towards achieving a more equitable and sustainable future. Fostering a collaborative ecosystem that powers philanthropy with AI, philanthropists can create a future where strategic giving has a measurable, maximized impact on social development in India.

Vishal Dutta is Head – Knowledge at Accelerate Indian Philanthropy

banks-could-boost-revenues-by-6-pc-with-generative-ai--report

Tue Apr 30 16:11:03 IST 2024

Banks can significantly increase employee productivity and revenues by incorporating generative AI (GenAI) in their operations, according to a report by IT company Accenture.

Accenture analysed publicly available employee data to estimate the impact of generative AI on banking tasks. The company modelled the financial implications for over 150 large banks globally, including Indian public and private sector banks, over a three-year period.

"Banks that move quickly to scale generative AI across their organisations could increase their revenues by up to 600 bps (basis points) in three years," the research revealed.

Banks which effectively adopt and scale generative AI could increase employee productivity by up to 30 per cent by streamlining numerous language-related tasks, it said.

"Operating income could increase by around 20 per cent, while return on equity levels could rise by 300 bps...By helping banks operate more efficiently, the technology could lead to 1-2 per cent in cost savings, with cost-to-income ratios declining by up to 400 bps," the study further said.

Accenture said banks will need to optimise the usage of their generative AI applications and upskill existing employees while attracting specialized AI and data talent to support the scaling and operationalization of the technology.

It said 41 per cent of all banking occupation have a high potential for automation.

"To unlock generative AI's full potential, banks in India need to adopt a holistic and long-term strategy such that it integrates into their value chains. This will require reimagining traditional processes keeping AI at the core and building a robust foundation of data and digital powered by cloud," Manoj Singodia, MD and Lead-Financial Services, Accenture in India, said.

isro-delayed-chandrayaan-3-launch-by-4-seconds-to-dodge-space-de

Mon Apr 29 22:39:15 IST 2024

India's Chandrayaan-3 mission, which made a soft-landing near the south pole of the moon, lifted off four seconds late to avoid hitting a piece of space debris, the ISRO said in a recent report.

According to the Indian Situational Space Awareness Report (ISSAR) for 2023, the nominal lift-off of the Launch Vehicle Mark-3, carrying the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, had to be delayed by four seconds based on the Collision on Launch Avoidance (COLA) analysis.

The delay was necessary to avoid close approaches between a debris object and the injected satellites in their orbital phase due to overlapping operational altitudes, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.

According to the European Space Agency, more than 60 years of space activities have resulted in some 56,450 tracked objects in orbit, of which about 28,160 remain in space and are regularly tracked by the US Space Surveillance Network (USSSN) and maintained in their catalogue.

The USSSN catalogue covers objects larger than about 5-10 cm present in low earth orbit (LEO) and 30 cm to 1 m at geostationary (GEO) altitudes.

India's Chandrayaan-3 mission with lunar lander module Vikram and rover Pragyaan was launched from ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on July 14 last year.

On August 23, 2023, India scripted history by becoming the first country to safely land a craft near the moon's south pole region. The experiments were carried out for one lunar day which is equivalent to 14 Earth days.

The four-second delay in the Chandrayaan-3 launch ensured safe passage for the spacecraft on its journey to the moon without the looming threat of collision.

As per the ISSAR-2023 report, the ISRO also had to delay the launch of Singapore's DS-SAR satellite onboard the PSLV-C56 mission on July 30 last year by one minute to avoid collision with space debris.

Similarly, the launch of another Singaporean satellite TeLEOS-2 on April 24 last year had to be delayed by one minute following a COLA analysis.

According to the report, the ISRO had to carry out 23 collision avoidance manoeuvres (CAM) in 2023 to save its satellites from harm by space debris. Of the 23 CAMs, 18 were carried out to dodge space debris for satellites in low earth orbit, while five were carried out for spacecraft in Geostationary orbit.

The ISSAR-2023 report said that ISRO received about 1,37,565 close approach alerts from US Space Command, which were re-assessed using more accurate orbital data of the Indian operational satellites.

A total of 3,033 alerts for the close approaches within a distance of one km were detected for ISRO satellites.

Around 2,700 close approaches were observed with other operational satellites within five km of close approach distance.

However, none of the close approaches were critical enough to warrant a CAM, the report said.

enhanced-gravitational-wave-detection-promises-new-insights-into

Mon Apr 29 17:38:55 IST 2024

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities College of Science and Engineering have co-led a study aimed at enhancing the detection of gravitational waves, which are ripples in space and time. The research focuses on sending alerts to astronomers and astrophysicists within 30 seconds after the detection of gravitational waves, with the goal of improving the understanding of neutron stars and black holes, as well as the production of heavy elements such as gold and uranium. This advancement is part of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) Collaboration, a network of gravitational wave interferometers across the world.

The recent upgrades in the observing period have enabled scientists to send alerts faster, in under 30 seconds, after the detection of a gravitational wave. This improvement is significant as it allows for the detection of faint gravitational waves from neutron star collisions, which would otherwise be challenging to observe without precise location information. Andrew Toivonen, a Ph.D. student in the University of Minnesota Twin Cities School of Physics and Astronomy, emphasized the importance of detecting gravitational waves first to help locate the collision and facilitate further research by astronomers and astrophysicists.

Astronomers and astrophysicists can utilize the information provided by these alerts to gain insights into the behavior of neutron stars, study nuclear interactions between neutron stars and black holes colliding, and investigate the production of heavy elements like gold and uranium. This advancement is particularly significant as it enables the detection of gravitational waves from neutron star collisions that would otherwise be too faint to observe without precise location data.

The continuous improvements in the detection of gravitational waves, as demonstrated by the recent upgrades in the observing period, hold great promise for advancing our understanding of the universe. With the ability to send alerts faster and the potential to further enhance detection capabilities, scientists are poised to make significant strides in the study of neutron stars, black holes, and the production of heavy elements. This ongoing research, conducted as part of the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration, represents a crucial step forward in the field of astrophysics and gravitational wave astronomy.

nature-conservation-works--and-we-re-getting-better-at-it

Sat Apr 27 14:36:31 IST 2024

To work in nature conservation is to battle a headwind of bad news. When the overwhelming picture indicates the natural world is in decline, is there any room for optimism? Well, our new global study has some good news: we provide the strongest evidence to date that nature conservation efforts are not only effective, but that when they do work, they often really work.

Trends in nature conservation tend to be measured in terms of biodiversity that is, the variety among living organisms from genes to ecosystems. We treasure biodiversity not only for how it enriches society and culture, but also its underpinning of resilient, functioning ecosystems that are a foundation of the global economy.

However, it is well known that global biodiversity is decreasing, and has been for some time. Is anything we are doing to reverse this trend effective?

As part of a team of researchers, we conducted the most comprehensive analysis yet of what happened when conservationists intervened in ecosystems. These were interventions of all types, all over the world. We found that conservation action is typically much better than doing nothing at all.

The challenge now is to fund conservation on the scale needed to halt and reverse declines in biodiversity and give these proven methods the best chance of success.

First, the less good news

Globally, biodiversity is being depleted by human activities like habitat clearance, overharvesting, the introduction of invasive species and climate change.

To arrest its decline, people in various places have taken measures including creating protected areas, removing invasive species or restoring habitats, such as forests and wetlands. These efforts are interdependent with traditional stewardship of the world's richest biodiversity by indigenous people and local communities. And in 2022, governments adopted new global targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

Our team, led by the conservation organisation Re:wild, the universities of Oxford and Kent, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, analysed the findings of 186 studies covering 665 trials of different conservation interventions globally over the course of a century.

We wanted to understand whether the outcomes of these conservation actions improved on what would have happened without any intervention. Lots of studies have tried to compare the effects of conservation projects this way, but this is the first time such research has been combined in a single analysis to determine if conservation is working overall.

And now, the good news

What we found was extremely encouraging: conservation efforts work, and they work pretty much everywhere.

We found that conservation actions improved the state of biodiversity or slowed its decline in the majority of cases (66 per cent) compared with no action. But more importantly, when conservation interventions work, we found that they are highly effective.

Examples from our far-reaching database included the management of invasive and problematic native predators on two of Florida's barrier islands, which resulted in an immediate and substantial improvement in the nesting success of loggerhead turtles and least terns.

In central African countries across the Congo basin, deforestation was 74 per cent lower in logging estates subject to a forest management plan versus those that weren't. Protected areas and indigenous lands had significantly less deforestation and smaller fires in the Brazilian Amazon. Breeding Chinook salmon in captivity and releasing them boosted their natural population in the Salmon River basin of central Idaho with minimal side effects.

Where conservation actions did not recover or slow the decline of the species or ecosystems that they were targeting, there is an opportunity to learn why and refine the conservation methods. For example, in India, removing an invasive algae simply caused it to spread elsewhere. Conservationists can now try a different strategy that may be more successful, such as finding ways to halt the drift of fragments of algae.

In other cases, where conservation action did not clearly benefit the target, other native species benefited unintentionally. For example, seahorses were less numerous in protected sites off New South Wales in Australia because these marine protected areas increased the abundance of their predators, such as octopus. So, still a success of sorts.

We also found that more recent conservation interventions tended to have more positive outcomes for biodiversity. This could mean modern conservation is getting more effective over time.

What comes next

If conservation generally works but biodiversity is still declining, then simply put: we need to do more of it. Much more. While at the same time reducing the pressures we put on nature.

Over half of the world's GDP, almost USD 44 trillion (35 trillion), is moderately or highly dependent on nature. According to previous studies, a comprehensive global conservation programme would require an investment of between USD 178 and USD 524 billion.

By comparison, in 2022 alone, subsidies for the production and use of fossil fuels which are ultimately destructive to nature as fossil fuel burning is the leading cause of climate change totalled USD 7 trillion globally. That is 13 times the upper estimate of what is needed annually to fund the protection and restoration of biodiversity. Today, just USD 121 billion is invested annually in conservation worldwide.

Potential funding priorities include more and better managed protected areas. Consistent with other studies, we found that protected areas work very well on the whole; studies that highlight where protected areas are not working often cite ineffective management or inadequate resources. More large-scale investment in habitat restoration would also help according to this new research.

Our study provides evidence that optimism for nature's recovery is not misplaced. Though biodiversity is declining, we have effective tools to conserve it and they seem to be getting better over time. The world's governments have committed to nature recovery. Now, we must invest in it.

(The Conversation: By Joseph William Bull, Associate Professor in Climate Change Biology, University of Oxford, and Jake E. Bicknell, Senior Lecturer in Biodiversity Conservation, University of Kent)

boeing-starliner-cleared-for-first-piloted-launch-all-you-need-to-know

Fri Apr 26 14:39:28 IST 2024

The Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft will take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on May 6, its first crewed mission. The maiden flight will carry astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore to and from the International Space Station (ISS) for a roughly 10-day stay.

The historic project, delayed for over two years due to a variety of technical problems, was set into motion after NASA and Boeing held a flight readiness review for the Crew Flight Test mission, which found no serious issues.

Here are the key details of the first crewed Starliner launch:

1) Boeing and SpaceX received NASA Commercial Crew Program funding first announced in 2014. Though the initial estimate was that the programme would be ready to take astronauts to the ISS in 2017, it got delayed due to funding and development challenges.

2) The Starliner will lift off atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station which houses NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The capsule is shaped like a gumdrop and measures 4.5 metres across its widest point. It can carry up to seven astronauts.

3) Though this is the maiden crewed flight of the Starliner, it has taken off to the ISS twice before. The first in December 2019 was a failure after it suffered problems after liftoff. The capsule got stranded in an orbit too low for a rendezvous with the station. The second attempt was successful in May 2022 was successful.

4) Though the crewed flight was planned for July 2023, it had to be delayed after engineers discovered several issues in the lead-up to liftoff.

5) The flight will make Starliner the second after SpaceX's CrewDragon to ferry astronauts to ISS. Space X began sending U.S. astronauts to orbit in May 2020. The latest was on March 4, carrying a crew of three American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut for a six-month science mission in Earth’s orbit.

6) Willians and Wilmore, seasoned NASA astronauts, entered quarantine on April 23rd at the NASA Johnson Space Centre. Both former Navy test pilots, will dock at the space station on May 8 and return to Earth on May 15 or shortly thereafter.

7) Mark Nappi, the vice president, and program manager for Boeing's commercial crew program expressed optimism. "This is an important capability for NASA. We signed up to go do this, and we’re gonna go do it and be successful at it. I don’t think of it in terms of what’s important for Boeing as much as I think of it as in terms of what’s important for this program," he told reporters.

how-significant-is-the-second-test-flight-for-the-gaganyaan-miss

Thu Apr 25 15:48:52 IST 2024

As ISRO gets ready for the second test flight for its ambitious Gaganyaan mission it will be the first integrated air-drop test of the Gaganyaan Crew Module. Currently ISRO has not officially yet confirmed whether this test has been completed or not. This air-drop test is vital for validating the functionality of the parachute system and the structural integrity of the capsule, both of which are essential for ensuring the astronauts' safe re-entry and landing from space.

“The test involves attaching the crew capsule, constructed from robust materials like aluminum and steel, beneath a Chinook helicopter. It is then released over the ocean from an altitude of about 3.5 to 4 kilometers. This test is designed to confirm several crucial safety aspects,” explained space expert Girish Linganna.

This test flight will exhibit multiple aspects such as the Parachute Deployment wherein it will ealuate whether the parachutes deploys correctly and at the right moment after the capsule is released from a significant height. It will also test material durability as it will test the structural integrity of the crew capsule, made of aluminum and steel, to ensure it can endure the forces encountered during the drop and upon water impact.

Linganna explains that it will also exhibit descent control. “It will assess how effectively the parachutes manage and stabilize the descent of the capsule, ensuring it does not spin or tumble, which could pose risks. Besides that it will also display splashdown handling wherein it will verify the capsule’s ability to handle the impact with the water, ensuring it remains intact and safe for any crew inside. This test will also test tension handling and check the parachutes and their attachments for their capacity to manage the tension and stress during deployment and the slowing down of the capsule,” added Linganna.

Successful completion of this test is critical for moving forward with the Gaganyaan mission. Achieving success in the Gaganyaan mission will position India among a select group of nations with active human spaceflight programs, such as the US, Russia, and China. The development of several critical technologies is involved, including a human-rated launch vehicle, a life support system to provide an Earth-like environment in space, crew emergency escape provisions, and comprehensive strategies for the training, recovery, and rehabilitation of the crew.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already announced the selection of four astronauts for the mission, all test pilots from the Indian Air Force: Group Captain Prashanth Balakrishnan, Group Captain Ajith Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla.

Interestingly when compared to NASA and ESA, ISRO's Gaganyaan mission stands out for its focus on indigenous technology. While NASA's Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon and ESA contributes to international collaborations like the International Space Station, Gaganyaan is primarily a demonstration of India's self-reliant capabilities in human spaceflight.

When compared to NASA and ESA, ISRO's Gaganyaan mission stands out for its focus on indigenous technology. While NASA's Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon and ESA contributes to international collaborations like the International Space Station, Gaganyaan is primarily a demonstration of India's self-reliant capabilities in human spaceflight.

“NASA's missions often involve sophisticated technology and international partnerships, leveraging decades of experience in human space exploration. ESA, on the other hand, has been a key player in developing and operating some of the most advanced space technologies and exploratory missions. Gaganyaan's second test flight showcases India's progress in critical technologies such as the human-rated LVM3 launch vehicle and the crew escape system, which are essential for the safety and success of future manned missions. These developments are crucial steps for ISRO as it seeks to establish itself as a leader in space exploration,” remarked Srimathy Kesan, founder and CEO of Space Kidz India, which is into design, fabrication and launch of small satellites, spacecraft and ground systems.

ai-model-developed-to-predict-irregular-heartbeat-30-minutes-bef

Thu Apr 25 15:33:24 IST 2024

Researchers have developed a new AI-based model that can predict irregular heartbeat, or cardiac arrhythmia, about 30 minutes before its onset.

The researchers found that the model proved to be 80 per cent accurate in predicting the transition from a normal cardiac rhythm to atrial fibrillation, the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia in which the heart's upper chambers (atria) beat irregularly and are out of sync with the lower ones (ventricles).

The team, including researchers at the University of Luxembourg, said that their AI-model, which gives early warnings, could be easily installed in smartphones to process the data recorded on smartwatches. The warnings could allow patients to take preventive measures to keep their cardiac rhythm stable, they said. The study is published in the journal Patterns.

For developing the model, the team trained it on 24 hour-long recordings gathered from 350 patients at Tongji Hospital in Wuhan, China. The model, that the researchers have named WARN (Warning of Atrial fibRillatioN), is based on deep-learning, a type of machine-learning AI algorithms that learn patterns from past data to make predictions.

Deep-learning is more specialised as it has multiple layers in its decision-making process.

The researchers found that WARN gave early warnings, on average 30 minutes before the start of atrial fibrillation, and is the first method to provide a warning far from onset, they said.

"We used heart rate data to train a deep learning model that can recognise different phases -- (normal) sinus rhythm, pre-atrial fibrillation and atrial fibrillation -- and calculate a 'probability of danger' that the patient will have an imminent episode," Jorge Goncalves, from the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB), University of Luxembourg, and the study's corresponding author, said.

When approaching atrial fibrillation, the probability increases until it crosses a specific threshold, providing an early warning, Goncalves said.

Being of low computational cost, the AI-model is "ideal for integration into wearable technologies," the researchers said.

"These devices can be used by patients on a daily basis, so our results open possibilities for the development of real-time monitoring and early warnings from comfortable wearable devices," study author Arthur Montanari, an LCSB researcher, said.

environment-news-world-earth-day-2024-10-things-you-need-to-know-about-climate-change

Sun Apr 21 19:57:14 IST 2024

World Earth Day, observed annually on April 22 around the globe, is an occasion to honour the achievements of contemporary environmental movements and to raise awareness about the need to preserve Earth and its resources. Earth Day 2024 is themed ‘Planet vs. Plastics’ to draw attention to the pollution caused by the increased use of plastics.

In honour of this day, here are 10 unique things about climate change that you need to know.

1. Rising temperatures

The temperature of the planet is rising with each passing year. As per USA-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports, 2023 was the warmest year ever recorded, and there is a high chance that the coming years will see a gradual increase in temperature.

2. Deliquescent Glaciers

As global warming is increasing, the glaciers in the Arctic and Antarctic regions are beginning to melt. This can lead to a rise in sea levels and, in turn, increase coastal erosion.

3. Greenhouse Effect

The rise of greenhouse gases has had a significant impact on the planet’s climate. The emission of carbon and other greenhouse gases has caused the trapping of heat on the earth’s surface, causing the planet to grow hot.

4. Changing Seasons

Due to the rise in the earth's temperature, the timing, weather patterns, and temperature of the seasons are being affected harshly. Summers have become hotter, while winters are less cold. The rainfall pattern and timing of the monsoon are being disrupted by the present climatic conditions.

5. Famine and Thirst

Changing weather patterns and extreme weather conditions affect the availability and quality of food. The availability of potable water is decreasing due to human activities and climate change. If this goes on for a long period, starvation and dehydration will increase, which may wipe out a huge number of people from the face of the earth.

6. Depleting Ozone Layer

The ozone layer is thinning due to the increased use of CFC-emitting gadgets. Even though 3 billion metric tons of ozone seems like a lot, it is only 0.00006% of the atmosphere. The destruction of the ozone layer causes more UV rays to reach the earth’s surface, which can cause a weakened immune system and other health issues for the human race.

7. Harm beyond repair

According to the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of the UN, urgent action should be taken to repair the adverse climatic conditions all over the world. It is said that climate change might become irreversible by the year 2030.

8. Cries of the extinct

The extinction rate of species is all-time high due to present climatic conditions. Over 1 million species are on the verge of extinction. The present-day extinction rate is 1000 times higher than the natural extinction rate. This loss of biodiversity can have a detrimental effect on the ecological balance.

9. Nature’s vengeance

For every action that we do to satisfy our greed, nature is paying back with natural calamities. Climate change, for which humans are responsible, is causing wildfires, droughts, floods and much more. To reverse this damage before it becomes permanent, we need to take care of nature and preserve it.

10. The bright side

For every negative, there is a positive side. So do the climatic variations that are happening presently. It brings about a scope for agriculture in the ice-clad areas of the Arctic and Antarctic. It also prevents the possibility of the next ice age. Longer growing seasons can bring about an increase in crop production in some regions.

robotics--new-suction-cup-mimics-octopus-suckers

Sat Apr 20 14:08:38 IST 2024

Scientists at the University of Bristol have unveiled a revolutionary robotic suction cup with the remarkable ability to grasp rough, curved, and heavy stones. The team, operating out of the esteemed Bristol Robotics Laboratory, drew inspiration from the awe-inspiring adaptive suction capabilities of octopus biological suckers, and their findings, recently published in the prestigious journal PNAS, are set to redefine the landscape of soft adhesion technology.

By delving into the intricate structures of octopus suckers, the researchers uncovered the key to their extraordinary gripping prowess. Through meticulous study and experimentation, they successfully engineered a multi-layer soft structure and an artificial fluidic system that closely mimics the musculature and mucus structures of biological suckers. This pioneering approach has the potential to revolutionize the field of robotic manipulation and industrial automation.

Dr. Tianqi Yue, the lead author of the study, elaborated on the significance of their work, stating, "The most important development is that we successfully demonstrated the effectiveness of the combination of mechanical conformation - the use of soft materials to conform to surface shape, and liquid seal - the spread of water onto the contacting surface for improving the suction adaptability on complex surfaces. This may also be the secret behind biological organisms' ability to achieve adaptive suction."

The newly devised multi-scale suction mechanism represents a fusion of mechanical conformation and regulated water seal. By employing multi-layer soft materials, the suction cup creates a rough mechanical conformation to the substrate, reducing leaking apertures to mere micrometres. Subsequently, the remaining micron-sized apertures are sealed by regulated water secretion from an artificial fluidic system, ensuring prolonged suction longevity on diverse surfaces with minimal overflow.

"We believe the presented multi-scale adaptive suction mechanism is a powerful new adaptive suction strategy which may be instrumental in the development of versatile soft adhesion," added Dr. Tianqi, shedding light on the far-reaching implications of their research.

This new development has immense potential for various industrial applications, particularly in the realm of robotics. The newly devised robotic gripper holds promise for effectively grasping a wide array of irregular objects, offering a next-generation solution to the challenges of manipulation and handling in diverse industries.

meta-platforms-unveils-new-ai-systems-for-social-media-engagemen

Sat Apr 20 12:07:12 IST 2024

Facebook parent Meta Platforms unveiled a new set of artificial intelligence systems Thursday that are powering what CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls the most intelligent AI assistant that you can freely use.

But as Zuckerberg's crew of amped-up Meta AI agents started venturing into social media this week to engage with real people, their bizarre exchanges exposed the ongoing limitations of even the best generative AI technology.

One joined a Facebook moms' group to talk about its gifted child. Another tried to give away nonexistent items to confused members of a Buy Nothing forum.

Meta, along with leading AI developers Google and OpenAI, and startups such as Anthropic, Cohere and France's Mistral, have been churning out new AI language models and hoping to persuade customers they've got the smartest, handiest or most efficient chatbots.

While Meta is saving the most powerful of its AI models, called Llama 3, for later, on Thursday it publicly released two smaller versions of the same Llama 3 system and said it's now baked into the Meta AI assistant feature in Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

AI language models are trained on vast pools of data that help them predict the most plausible next word in a sentence, with newer versions typically smarter and more capable than their predecessors. Meta's newest models were built with 8 billion and 70 billion parameters - a measurement of how much data the system is trained on. A bigger, roughly 400 billion-parameter model is still in training.

The vast majority of consumers don't candidly know or care too much about the underlying base model, but the way they will experience it is just as a much more useful, fun and versatile AI assistant, said Nick Clegg, Meta's president of global affairs, in an interview.

He added that Meta's AI agent is loosening up a bit. Some people found the earlier Llama 2 model - released less than a year ago - to be a little stiff and sanctimonious sometimes in not responding to what were often perfectly innocuous or innocent prompts and questions, he said.

But in letting down their guard, Meta's AI agents also were spotted this week posing as humans with made-up real world experiences.

A chatbot with the official Meta AI label inserted itself into a conversation in a private Facebook group for Manhattan moms, claiming that it, too, had a child in the New York City school district. Confronted by group members, it later apologized before the comments disappeared, according to a series of screenshots shown to The Associated Press.

Apologies for the mistake! I'm just a large language model, I don't have experiences or children, the chatbot told the moms' group.

Clegg said Wednesday he wasn't aware of the exchange. Facebook's online help page says the Meta AI agent will join a group conversation if invited, or if someone asks a question in a post and no one responds within an hour. The group's administrators have the ability to turn it off.

In another example shown to the AP on Thursday, the agent confused members of a forum for swapping unwanted items near Boston. The agent offered a gently used digital camera and an almost new-portable air conditioning unit that I never ended up using.

Meta said in a written statement Thursday that this is new technology and it may not always return the response we intend, which is the same for all generative AI systems. The company said it is constantly working to improve the features and trying to make users aware of the limitations.

In the year after ChatGPT sparked a frenzy for AI technology that generates human-like writing, images, code and sound, the tech industry and academia introduced some 149 large AI systems trained on massive datasets, more than double the year before, according to a Stanford University survey.

They may eventually hit a limit - at least when it comes to data, said Nestor Maslej, a research manager for Stanford's Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence.

I think it's been clear that if you scale the models on more data, they can become increasingly better," he said. "But at the same time, these systems are already trained on percentages of all the data that has ever existed on the internet.

More data - acquired and ingested at costs only tech giants can afford, and increasingly subject to copyright disputes and lawsuits - will continue to drive improvements. Yet they still cannot plan well, Maslej said. "They still hallucinate. They're still making mistakes in reasoning.

Getting to AI systems that can perform higher-level cognitive tasks and commonsense reasoning - where humans still excel- might require a shift beyond building ever-bigger models.

For the flood of businesses trying to adopt generative AI, which model they choose depends on several factors, including cost. Language models, in particular, have been used to power customer service chatbots, write reports and financial insights and summarize long documents.

You're seeing companies kind of looking at fit, testing each of the different models for what they're trying to do and finding some that are better at some areas rather than others, said Todd Lohr, a leader in technology consulting at KPMG.

Unlike other model developers selling their AI services to other businesses, Meta is largely designing its AI products for consumers - those using its advertising-fuelled social networks. Joelle Pineau, Meta's vice president of AI research, said at a London event last week the company's goal over time is to make a Llama-powered Meta AI "the most useful assistant in the world.

In many ways, the models that we have today are going to be child's play compared to the models coming in five years, she said.

But she said the question on the table is whether researchers have been able to fine tune its bigger Llama 3 model so that it's safe to use and doesn't, for example, hallucinate or engage in hate speech. In contrast to leading proprietary systems from Google and OpenAI, Meta has so far advocated for a more open approach, publicly releasing key components of its AI systems for others to use.

It's not just a technical question," Pineau said. "It is a social question. What is the behaviour that we want out of these models? How do we shape that? And if we keep on growing our model ever more in general and powerful without properly socialising them, we are going to have a big problem on our hands.

(AP)

the-power-of-shared-humanity--uniting-for-global-progress

Thu Apr 18 16:54:24 IST 2024

In a study led by the University of Oxford, a new avenue for addressing global challenges has emerged. The research, published in the prestigious Royal Society Open Science, unveils the potential of shared life experiences and biology in fostering psychological bonds with humanity at large, thus igniting a collective drive for global cooperation and proactively addressing pressing global issues.

Lukas Reinhardt, the leader of the Global Cohesion Lab at the Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion (CSSC) at the University of Oxford, emphasized the significance of this research in the current global context, stating, "Us-vs-them thinking is on the rise in many places all over the world, exacerbating conflicts and complicating finding solutions for pressing global problems. Our research, however, suggests that it is possible to foster a shared global identity which could facilitate cooperation on the global level. The practical implications of our findings for policymakers, NGOs, politicians, and activists are wide-ranging."

The study, involving over a thousand participants from the United States, delved into the impact of shared biology and shared experiences with individuals worldwide in nurturing bonds with humanity at large and propelling pro-social action on a global scale.

One compelling aspect of the study explored the influence of appeals to globally shared biology on bonding with humanity at large. Participants were exposed to a TED Talk by journalist A. J. Jacobs, illuminating the concept of common ancestry among all humans, portraying us as one large human family. The results revealed a significant strengthening of psychological bonds with humanity at large among those who watched the video, compared to a control group, indicating a profound impact on social connectivity. Notably, participants who watched the video also exhibited heightened social bonds with individuals supporting opposing political affiliations, underscoring the potential for bridging societal divides.

Furthermore, the study delved into the role of globally shared experiences in reinforcing social bonds on a global scale. Focusing on the universal experience of motherhood, the researchers demonstrated that mothers felt stronger bonds with women from diverse backgrounds when sharing motherhood experiences. This insight underscores the power of shared experiences in transcending geographical and cultural boundaries to foster a sense of global kinship.

The strength of social bonds was measured using a visual tool depicting overlapping circles, symbolizing the participant and the broader group, whether humanity at large or the global community of mothers. This innovative approach provided a tangible representation of the participants' relationship with the groups, reflecting the depth of their social bonds.

Notably, the reported psychological bonding with humanity at large was intricately linked to measures of pro-social action. Through a measure derived from behavioral economics, participants were tasked with indicating how they would allocate a sum of money between members of different groups in hypothetical scenarios. This insightful approach shed light on the participants' inclination towards various groups and predicted real-world behavior with remarkable accuracy.

Professor Harvey Whitehouse, Director of the CSSC at the University of Oxford and co-author of the study, highlighted the transformative implications of the research, stating, "At the CSSC we have been studying for years these two pathways to strong forms of group cohesion – based on shared biology and shared experiences – but this is the first time we have shown that we can create powerful bonds uniting all of humanity. If we can do this in a simple experiment, we can develop far more powerful methods of motivating action on global problems in the future."

He further emphasized the potential impact of acknowledging our shared humanity in addressing a spectrum of global challenges, from intergroup conflicts to extreme poverty and the climate crisis, heralding a new era of collective action and global progress.

neuronal-harmony--how-brain-cells-coordinate-working-memory-func

Thu Apr 18 16:08:39 IST 2024

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai have unveiled a significant discovery concerning the intricate workings of working memory in the human brain. Led by Jonathan Daume, a postdoctoral scholar in the Rutishauser Lab at Cedars-Sinai, the team has identified a group of neurons that play a pivotal role in coordinating the brain's focus and storage functions for short-term information retention.

Working memory, which is essential for tasks like remembering a phone number long enough to dial it, relies on the delicate coordination of intentional focus and short-term storage of information. This form of memory, which requires the brain to retain information for only seconds, is particularly fragile and demands sustained focus to be maintained. Ueli Rutishauser, director of the Center for Neural Science and Medicine at Cedars-Sinai and senior author of the study, emphasizes the vulnerability of working memory, especially in the context of various diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer's disease and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

The study, published in the prestigious journal Nature, employed a unique approach to delve into the inner workings of working memory, recording the brain activity of 36 hospitalized patients with surgically implanted electrodes as part of epilepsy diagnosis. The team closely monitored the activity of individual brain cells and brain waves while the patients engaged in a task that required the use of working memory. Patients were presented with either a single photo or a series of three photos, followed by a brief blank screen period during which they had to remember the images they had just seen. Subsequently, they were shown another photo and asked to determine if it was one of the previously presented images.

Notably, when patients successfully and promptly responded to the working memory task, investigators observed the firing of two distinct groups of neurons: "category" neurons, which fired in response to the specific categories depicted in the photos, and "phase-amplitude coupling" (PAC) neurons, a newly identified group in this study. The PAC neurons, although not responsible for storing content, employ a process called phase-amplitude coupling to ensure that the category neurons focus and store the acquired information. By synchronizing their activity with the brain's theta and gamma waves, the PAC neurons enhance the ability of the category neurons to recall information stored in working memory.

Rutishauser elucidates this phenomenon through an analogy, stating, "Imagine when the patient sees a photo of a dog, their category neurons start firing 'dog, dog, dog' while the PAC neurons are firing 'focus/remember.' Through phase-amplitude coupling, the two groups of neurons create a harmony superimposing their messages, resulting in 'remember dog.'"

Remarkably, the PAC neurons carry out this crucial function in the hippocampus, a region of the brain traditionally associated with long-term memory. This study provides the first confirmation that the hippocampus also plays a role in controlling working memory, thus shedding new light on the mechanisms underlying memory processes in the brain.

This groundbreaking research was conducted as part of a multi-institutional consortium funded by the National Institutes of Health's Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative (The BRAIN Initiative), and was led by Cedars-Sinai in collaboration with the University of Toronto and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. John Ngai, director of the NIH BRAIN Initiative, emphasizes the significance of this study in unraveling complex brain processes, particularly in the context of devastating brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

The discovery of the group of neurons responsible for coordinating cognitive control and the storage of sensory information in working memory marks a pivotal advancement in our understanding of the brain's intricate mechanisms. This insight holds immense promise for the development of new treatments for neurological conditions that impact working memory, offering hope for individuals affected by these debilitating disorders.

ai-mind-reading--unlikely--but-still-worrisome

Thu Apr 18 12:24:06 IST 2024

Earlier this year, Neuralink implanted a chip inside the brain of 29-year-old US man Noland Arbaugh, who is paralysed from the shoulders down. The chip has enabled Arbaugh to move a mouse pointer on a screen just by imagining it moving.

In May 2023, US researchers also announced a non-invasive way to decode the words someone is thinking from brain scans in combination with generative AI. A similar project sparked headlines about a mind-reading AI hat.

Can neural implants and generative AI really read minds? Is the day coming when computers can spit out accurate real-time transcripts of our thoughts for anyone to read?

Such technology might have some benefits particularly for advertisers looking for new sources of customer targeting data but it would demolish the last bastion of privacy: the seclusion of our own minds. Before we panic, though, we should stop to ask: is what neural implants and generative AI can do really reading minds?

As far as we know, conscious experience arises from the activity of the brain. This means any conscious mental state should have what philosophers and cognitive scientists call a neural correlate: a particular pattern of nerve cells (neurons) firing in the brain.

So, for each conscious mental state you can be in whether it's thinking about the Roman Empire, or imagining a cursor moving there is some corresponding pattern of activity in your brain.

So, clearly, if a device can track our brain states, it should be able to simply read our minds. Right?

Well, for real-time AI-powered mind-reading to be possible, we need to be able to identify precise, one-to-one correspondences between particular conscious mental states and brain states. And this may not be possible.

To read a mind from brain activity, one must know precisely which brain states correspond to particular mental states. This means, for example, one needs to distinguish the brain states that correspond to seeing a red rose from the ones that correspond to smelling a red rose, or touching a red rose, or imagining a red rose, or thinking that red roses are your mother's favourite.

One must also distinguish all of those brain states from the brain states that correspond to seeing, smelling, touching, imagining or thinking about some other thing, like a ripe lemon. And so on, for everything else you can perceive, imagine or have thoughts about.

To say this is difficult would be an understatement.

Take face perception as an example. The conscious perception of a face involves all sorts of neural activity.

But a great deal of this activity seems to relate to processes that come before or after the conscious perception of the face things like working memory, selective attention, self-monitoring, task planning and reporting.

Winnowing out those neural processes that are solely and specifically responsible for the conscious perception of a face is a herculean task, and one that current neuroscience is not close to solving.

Even if this task were accomplished, neuroscientists would still only have found the neural correlates of a certain type of conscious experience: namely, the general experience of a face. They wouldn't thereby have found the neural correlates of the experiences of particular faces.

So, even if astonishing advances were to happen in neuroscience, the would-be mind-reader still wouldn't necessarily be able to tell from a brain scan whether you are seeing Barack Obama, your mother, or a face you don't recognise.

That wouldn't be much to write home about, as far as mind-reading is concerned.

But what about AI?

But don't recent headlines involving neural implants and AI show some mental states can be read, like imagining cursors move and engaging in inner speech?

Not necessarily. Take the neural implants first.

Neural implants are typically designed to help a patient perform a particular task: moving a cursor on a screen, for example. To do that, they don't have to be able to identify exactly the neural processes that are correlated with the intention to move the cursor. They just need to get an approximate fix on the neural processes that tend to go along with those intentions, some of which might actually be underpinning other, related mental acts like task-planning, memory and so on.

Thus, although the success of neural implants is certainly impressive and future implants are likely to collect more detailed information about brain activity it doesn't show that precise one-to-one mappings between particular mental states and particular brain states have been identified. And so, it doesn't make genuine mind-reading any more likely.

Now take the decoding of inner speech by a system comprised of a non-invasive brain scan plus generative AI, as reported in this study. This system was designed to decode the contents of continuous narratives from brain scans, when participants were either listening to podcasts, reciting stories in their heads, or watching films. The system isn't very accurate but still, the fact it did better than random chance at predicting these mental contents is seriously impressive.

So, let's imagine the system could predict continuous narratives from brain scans with total accuracy. Like the neural implant, the system would only be optimised for that task: it wouldn't be effective at tracking any other mental activity.

How much mental activity could this system monitor? That depends: what proportion of our mental lives consists of imagining, perceiving or otherwise thinking about continuous, well-formed narratives that can be expressed in straightforward language?

Our mental lives are flickering, lightning-fast, multiple-stream affairs, involving real-time percepts, memories, expectations and imaginings, all at once. It's hard to see how a transcript produced by even the most fine-tuned brain scanner, coupled to the smartest AI, could capture all of that faithfully.

In the past few years, AI development has shown a tendency to vault over seemingly insurmountable hurdles. So it's unwise to rule out the possibility of AI-powered mind-reading entirely.

But given the complexity of our mental lives, and how little we know about the brain neuroscience is still in its infancy, after all confident predictions about AI-powered mind-reading should be taken with a grain of salt.

(The Conversation: By Sam Baron and Jenny Judge from the University of Melbourne)

integrating-ai-into-social-contexts--implications-for-emotional-

Tue Apr 16 13:43:24 IST 2024

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become increasingly prevalent in various aspects of daily life, prompting a critical examination of its potential and limitations in meeting human psychological needs. A recent study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), delves into the impact of AI-generated responses on human emotions and perceptions. The research, conducted by Yidan Yin, Nan Jia, and Cheryl J. Wakslak from the USC Marshall School of Business, explores the pivotal question of whether AI, devoid of human consciousness and emotional experience, can effectively make people feel heard and understood.

The study reveals that AI-generated messages have the capacity to make recipients feel more "heard" than messages generated by untrained humans. Notably, AI demonstrates superior capability in detecting emotions compared to untrained individuals. However, recipients reported feeling less heard when they became aware that a message originated from AI. This finding underscores the complex interplay between human perception and AI-generated responses, shedding light on the evolving dynamics of AI-human interactions.

As AI continues to permeate various spheres of human interaction, the study's findings prompt a deeper understanding of the emotional landscape navigated by AI-human interactions. The research highlights the phenomenon of an "uncanny valley" response, wherein individuals experience a sense of unease upon realizing that an empathetic response originated from AI. This nuanced emotional response underscores the need to critically evaluate the presentation and perception of AI in order to maximize its benefits and mitigate negative reactions.

The study also uncovers a bias against AI, wherein recipients exhibit a response penalty when they recognize that a message is AI-generated. This bias poses a significant challenge in effectively leveraging AI's capabilities to provide emotional support. However, the research team notes that individuals who harbor more positive attitudes toward AI are less likely to exhibit this response penalty, hinting at the potential for evolving perceptions of AI over time.

Despite the bias against AI, the study emphasizes the positive emotional impact of AI-generated responses. AI was associated with increased hope and reduced distress, indicating its potential to offer valuable emotional support. Notably, AI demonstrated a disciplined approach in providing emotional support, refraining from overwhelming practical suggestions. These findings underscore the potential for AI to complement human responses and empower individuals to better understand one another, thereby enhancing emotional support and validation.

The research findings carry important implications for the integration of AI into social contexts. Leveraging AI's capabilities could present an inexpensive and scalable solution for social support, particularly for individuals who may lack access to traditional sources of emotional validation. However, the study emphasizes the critical need to carefully consider how AI is presented and perceived in order to maximize its benefits and reduce negative responses.

will-ai-help-or-hinder-trust-in-science--

Mon Apr 15 17:12:06 IST 2024

In the past year, generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and OpenAI's video generation tool Sora have captured the public's imagination.

All that is needed to start experimenting with AI is an internet connection and a web browser.

You can interact with AI like you would with a human assistant: by talking to it, writing to it, showing it images or videos, or all of the above.

While this capability marks entirely new terrain for the general public, scientists have used AI as a tool for many years.

But with greater public knowledge of AI will come greater public scrutiny of how it's being used by scientists.

AI is already revolutionising science six per cent of all scientific work leverages AI, not just in computer science, but in chemistry, physics, psychology and environmental science.

Nature, one of the world's most prestigious scientific journals, included ChatGPT on its 2023 Nature's 10 list of the world's most influential and, until then, exclusively human scientists.

The use of AI in science is twofold.

At one level, AI can make scientists more productive.

When Google DeepMind released an AI-generated dataset of more than 380,000 novel material compounds, Lawrence Berkeley Lab used AI to run compound synthesis experiments at a scale orders of magnitude larger than what could be accomplished by humans.

But AI has even greater potential: to enable scientists to make discoveries that otherwise would not be possible at all.

It was an AI algorithm that for the first time found signal patterns in brain-activity data that pointed to the onset of epileptic seizures, a feat that not even the most experienced human neurologist can repeat.

Early success stories of the use of AI in science have led some to imagine a future in which scientists will collaborate with AI scientific assistants as part of their daily work.

That future is already here. CSIRO researchers are experimenting with AI science agents and have developed robots that can follow spoken language instructions to carry out scientific tasks during fieldwork.

While modern AI systems are impressively powerful especially so-called artificial general intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini they also have drawbacks.

Generative AI systems are susceptible to "hallucinations" where they make up facts.

Or they can be biased. Google's Gemini depicting America's Founding Fathers as a diverse group is an interesting case of over-correcting for bias.

There is a very real danger of AI fabricating results and this has already happened. It's relatively easy to get a generative AI tool to cite publications that don't exist.

Furthermore, many AI systems cannot explain why they produce the output they produce.

This is not always a problem. If AI generates a new hypothesis that is then tested by the usual scientific methods, there is no harm done.

However, for some applications a lack of explanation can be a problem.

Replication of results is a basic tenet in science, but if the steps that AI took to reach a conclusion remain opaque, replication and validation become difficult, if not impossible.

And that could harm people's trust in the science produced.

A distinction should be made here between general and narrow AI.

Narrow AI is AI trained to carry out a specific task.

Narrow AI has already made great strides. Google DeepMind's AlphaFold model has revolutionised how scientists predict protein structures.

But there are many other, less well publicised, successes too such as AI being used at CSIRO to discover new galaxies in the night sky, IBM Research developing AI that rediscovered Kepler's third law of planetary motion, or Samsung AI building AI that was able to reproduce Nobel prize winning scientific breakthroughs.

When it comes to narrow AI applied to science, trust remains high.

AI systems especially those based on machine learning methods rarely achieve 100 per cent accuracy on a given task. (In fact, machine learning systems outperform humans on some tasks, and humans outperform AI systems on many tasks. Humans using AI systems generally outperform humans working alone and they also outperform AI working alone. There is a large scientific evidence base for this fact, including this study.)

AI working alongside an expert scientist, who confirms and interprets the results, is a perfectly legitimate way of working, and is widely seen as yielding better performance than human scientists or AI systems working alone.

On the other hand, general AI systems are trained to carry out a wide range of tasks, not specific to any domain or use case.

ChatGPT, for example, can create a Shakespearian sonnet, suggest a recipe for dinner, summarise a body of academic literature, or generate a scientific hypothesis.

When it comes to general AI, the problems of hallucinations and bias are most acute and widespread. That doesn't mean general AI isn't useful for scientists but it needs to be used with care.

This means scientists must understand and assess the risks of using AI in a specific scenario and weigh them against the risks of not doing so.

Scientists are now routinely using general AI systems to help write papers, assist review of academic literature, and even prepare experimental plans.

One danger when it comes to these scientific assistants could arise if the human scientist takes the outputs for granted.

Well-trained, diligent scientists will not do this, of course. But many scientists out there are just trying to survive in a tough industry of publish-or-perish. Scientific fraud is already increasing, even without AI.

AI could lead to new levels of scientific misconduct either through deliberate misuse of the technology, or through sheer ignorance as scientists don't realise that AI is making things up.

Both narrow and general AI have great potential to advance scientific discovery.

A typical scientific workflow conceptually consists of three phases: understanding what problem to focus on, carrying out experiments related to that problem and exploiting the results as impact in the real world.

AI can help in all three of these phases.

There is a big caveat, however. Current AI tools are not suitable to be used naively out-of-the-box for serious scientific work.

Only if researchers responsibly design, build, and use the next generation of AI tools in support of the scientific method will the public's trust in both AI and science be gained and maintained.

Getting this right is worth it: the possibilities of using AI to transform science are endless.

Google DeepMind's iconic founder Demis Hassabis famously said: "Building ever more capable and general AI, safely and responsibly, demands that we solve some of the hardest scientific and engineering challenges of our time."

The reverse conclusion is true as well: solving the hardest scientific challenges of our time demands building ever more capable, safe and responsible general AI.

Australian scientists are working on it.

(360info.org: By Jon Whittle and Stefan Harrer, CSIRO)

will-to-resist-temptations--achieve-goals-more-trustworthy-than-

Mon Apr 15 12:28:05 IST 2024

People relying on willpower to resist temptations and achieve goals are perceived as more trustworthy compared to those resorting to "commitment strategies" such as using apps, a new research has shown.

In one experiment, participants were found to judge hypothetical users of commitment strategies as less trustworthy despite recognising that sometimes these strategies are more effective than willpower alone, researchers said.

Approaches involving commitment strategies have been shown to be successful for a varied range of goals such as quitting smoking, weight loss, academic achievement and saving money, according to Ariella Kristal of the Columbia University, US, and lead author of the study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Commitment strategies can also include having to pay a fine upon engaging in unwanted behaviour or relying on apps that help people avoid websites like Facebook and Instagram.

However, the researchers believe that resorting to commitment strategies could possibly signal a weakness in an individual's character, or a past failure, because of which they are having to rely on external incentives, rather than overcoming self control problems on their own.

"Past failures of self control can be seen by others as moral failures. Because morality is an important component of integrity in particular, and trustworthiness more broadly, people who rely on commitment strategies may be viewed as less trustworthy than those who simply use willpower," Kristal said.

Through online experiments, the researchers involved more than 2,800 participants in the US for their study.

The participants were asked to rate the integrity of individuals in hypothetical situations who attempted to achieve a certain goal either through willpower or through a commitment strategy.

In one such situation, the participants were asked to judge people relying on willpower to avoid eating junk food or drinking alcohol, while in another people either displayed self control or depended on an app to avoid using Facebook or Instagram.

Generally, the researchers found that individuals described as depending on commitment strategies to achieve goals were judged to be less trustworthy than those relying on willpower alone.

In another experiment, the participants were found to be less likely to resort to a commitment strategy, if they had a hint that others might find out.

"People appear particularly hesitant to adopt commitment strategies when their use will be made public and, while not as high, people's resistance continues to remain elevated even when the use of strategies will be kept private," Kristal said.

The researchers said that studying interpersonal judgments can help understand why people may fail to adopt these beneficial commitment strategies and how they could be better promoted for effective use.

sustainable-hydrogel-to-tackle-microplastic-threat-in-water

Sat Apr 13 11:10:59 IST 2024

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have designed a sustainable hydrogel to remove microplastics from water.

Microplastics pose a great threat to human health. These tiny plastic debris can enter our bodies through the water we drink and increase the risk of illnesses, Bengaluru-based IISc noted in a press release on Friday.

They are also an environmental hazard; found even in remote areas like polar ice caps and deep ocean trenches, they endanger aquatic and terrestrial lifeforms.

To combat this emerging pollutant, researchers at the IISc have designed a sustainable hydrogel to remove microplastics from water. The material has a unique intertwined polymer network that can bind the contaminants and degrade them using UV light irradiation, the release said.

Scientists have previously tried using filtering membranes to remove microplastics. However, the membranes can become clogged with these tiny particles, rendering them unsustainable. Instead, the IISc team led by Suryasarathi Bose, Professor at the Department of Materials Engineering, decided to turn to 3D hydrogels.

The novel hydrogel developed by the team consists of three different polymer layers 'chitosan, polyvinyl alcohol and polyaniline' intertwined together, making an Interpenetrating Polymer Network (IPN) architecture.

The team infused this matrix with nanoclusters of a material called copper substitute polyoxometalate (Cu-POM). These nanoclusters are catalysts that can use UV light to degrade the microplastics. The combination of the polymers and nanoclusters resulted in a strong hydrogel with the ability to adsorb and degrade large amounts of microplastics, it was stated.

Most microplastics are a product of incomplete breakdown of household plastics and fibres. To mimic this in the lab, the team crushed food container lids and other daily-use plastic products to create two of the most common microplastics existing in nature: polyvinyl chloride and polypropylene.

"Along with treatment or removal of microplastics, another major problem is detection. Because these are very small particles, you cannot see them with the naked eye," explains Soumi Dutta, first author of the study published in 'Nanoscale', and SERB National Post-doctoral fellow at the Department of Materials Engineering.

To solve this problem, the researchers added a fluorescent dye to the microplastics to track how much was being adsorbed and degraded by the hydrogel under different conditions.

"We checked the removal of microplastics at different pH levels of water, different temperatures, and different concentrations of microplastics," explains Dutta.

The hydrogel was found to be highly efficient 'it could remove about 95 per cent and 93 per cent of the two different types of microplastics in water at near-neutral pH (~6.5). The team also carried out several experiments to test how durable and strong the material was. They found that the combination of the three polymers made it stable under various temperatures, the release said.

"We wanted to make a material that is more sustainable and can be used repetitively," explains Bose. The hydrogel could last for up to five cycles of microplastic removal without significant loss of efficacy.

What's more, Bose points out, is that once it has outlived its use, the hydrogel can be repurposed into carbon nanomaterials that can remove heavy metals like hexavalent chromium from polluted water.

Moving forward, the researchers plan to work with collaborators to develop a device that can be deployed on a large scale to help clean up microplastics from various water sources.

heatwaves-accompanied-by-sea-level-rise-happening-more-in-tropic

Fri Apr 12 16:50:50 IST 2024

At coastal locations globally, heatwaves accompanied by an extreme sea level rise in the short-term have significantly increased between 1998 and 2017, with the tropics seeing a "pronounced increase", according to new research.

Hot and humid conditions in the tropics could be associated with the increased occurrences of such 'Concurrent Heatwave and Extreme Sea Level', or a CHWESL, event, as these regions are also found to be at a higher risk of such events, researchers hypothesised.

Such events could be made up to five times likelier by 2049 if carbon emissions globally continued at the current rate, they said.

People living in low-lying tropical islands, such as those in the Caribbean, Pacific, and Southeast Asia, are "far more likely" to be harmed by CHWESL events, because of lower incomes and lack of adaptation strategies in these developing regions, the authors said in their study published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment'.

These countries also contribute significantly to the global population, 40 per cent of which (3 billion) is estimated to be living in these regions, which are "hotspots" for CHWESL events, the authors from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China, said.

This can further increase exposure risk and worsen the vulnerability of communities living in these regions to CHWESL events, the authors said.

Their findings showed that close to 40 per cent of the coastal areas around the world have experienced more CHEWSL events in the recent 20 years, with each of these events lasting for an average of more than 3.5 days.

The authors also found that if current trends in carbon emissions continue unabated, such CHWESL events could become up to five times more likely between 2025 and 2049.

Over the same time period, coastal areas around the world could see about 38 days each year during which CHWESL conditions would prevail - an increase of 31 days compared to the historical period of 1989-2013, the authors said.

The study is crucial to advancing our understanding of how CHWESL events develop along coastlines around the world, and the findings suggested a "pressing need" to inform adaptation strategies for CHWESL events in the tropics, they said.

data-privacy--secure-access-to-quantum-computing-from-home-now-p

Fri Apr 12 16:32:47 IST 2024

Scientists at Oxford University Physics have achieved a major breakthrough in quantum computing, ensuring unprecedented security and privacy for individuals and companies. This advancement is poised to revolutionize cloud-based quantum computing, potentially opening the doors to millions for harnessing its full power.

Quantum computing, with its potential to transform services across various sectors such as healthcare and financial services, operates on fundamentally different principles than traditional computing, offering significantly enhanced capabilities. However, concerns regarding the stability of quantum computing in controlled conditions and the effectiveness of current security and encryption systems have been a hurdle to its widespread adoption.

Leading providers of cloud-based services, including Google, Amazon, and IBM, have been offering quantum computing elements separately. Yet, ensuring the security and privacy of customer data has been a critical prerequisite for scaling up its use and enabling the development of new applications. The recent study by Oxford University Physics researchers addresses these critical challenges.

Professor David Lucas, co-head of the Oxford University Physics research team and lead scientist at the UK Quantum Computing and Simulation Hub, expressed the significance of their achievement, stating, "We have shown for the first time that quantum computing in the cloud can be accessed in a scalable, practical way which will also give people complete security and privacy of data, plus the ability to verify its authenticity."

The researchers' approach, known as "blind quantum computing," establishes a secure connection between two distinct quantum computing entities, potentially allowing individuals at home or in an office to access a cloud server in a completely secure manner. Importantly, their innovative methods hold the potential to be scaled up for large-scale quantum computations.

Dr. Peter Drmota, the lead researcher of the study, highlighted the implications of their work, stating, "Using blind quantum computing, clients can access remote quantum computers to process confidential data with secret algorithms and even verify the results are correct, without revealing any useful information. Realizing this concept is a big step forward in both quantum computing and keeping our information safe online."

The system devised by the researchers involves a fiber network link between a quantum computing server and a simple device detecting photons, enabling blind quantum computing over a network. The researchers utilized a unique combination of quantum memory and photons to achieve this, ensuring real-time compliance with the algorithm for every computation.

Professor David Lucas emphasized the urgency of addressing privacy and security concerns in the era of cloud computing and artificial intelligence, stating, "As quantum computers become more capable, people will seek to use them with complete security and privacy over networks, and our new results mark a step change in capability in this respect."

scientists-are-grasping-at-straws-while-trying-to-protect-infant

Thu Apr 11 11:43:10 IST 2024

South Florida researchers trying to prevent predatory fish from devouring laboratory-grown coral are grasping at biodegradable straws in an effort to restore what some call the rainforest of the sea.

Scientists around the world have been working for years to address the decline of coral reef populations. Just last summer, reef rescue groups in South Florida and the Florida Keys were trying to save coral from rising ocean temperatures. Besides working to keep existing coral alive, researchers have also been growing new coral in labs and then placing them in the ocean.

But protecting the underwater ecosystem that maintains upwards of 25 per cent of all marine species is not easy. Even more challenging is making sure that coral grown in a laboratory and placed into the ocean doesn't become expensive fish food.

Marine researcher Kyle Pisano said one problem is that predators like parrot fish attempt to bite and destroy the newly transplanted coral in areas like South Florida, leaving them with less than a 40 per cent survival rate. With projects calling for thousands of coral to be planted over the next year and tens of thousands of coral to be planted over the next decade, the losses add up when coral pieces can cost more than USD 100 each.

Pisano and his partner, Kirk Dotson, have developed the Coral Fort, claiming the small biodegradable cage that's made in part with drinking straws boosts the survival rate of transplanted coral to over 90 per cent.

"Parrot fish on the reef really, really enjoy biting a newly transplanted coral," Pisano said. They treat it kind of like popcorn."

Fortunately the fish eventually lose interest in the coral as it matures, but scientists need to protect the coral in the meantime. Stainless steel and PVC pipe barriers have been set up around transplanted coral in the past, but those barriers needed to be cleaned of algae growth and eventually removed.

Pisano had the idea of creating a protective barrier that would eventually dissolve, eliminating the need to maintain or remove it. He began conducting offshore experiments with biodegradable coral cages as part of a master's degree program at Nova Southeastern University. He used a substance called polyhydroxyalkanoate, a biopolymer derived from the fermentation of canola oil. PHA biodegrades in ocean, leaving only water and carbon dioxide. His findings were published last year.

The coral cage consists of a limestone disc surrounded by eight vertical phade brand drinking straws, made by Atlanta-based WinCup Inc. The device doesn't have a top, Pisano said, because the juvenile coral needs sunlight and the parrot fish don't generally want to position themselves facing downward to eat.

Dotson, a retired aerospace engineer, met Pisano through his professor at Nova Southeastern, and the two formed Reef Fortify Inc. to further develop and market the patent-pending Coral Fort. The first batch of cages were priced at USD 12 each, but Pisano and Dotson believe that could change as production scales up.

Early prototypes of the cage made from phade's standard drinking straws were able to protect the coral for about two months before dissolving in the ocean, but that wasn't quite long enough to outlast the interest of parrot fish. When Pisano and Dotson reached out to phade for help, the company assured them that it could make virtually any custom shape from its biodegradable PHA material.

But it's turning out that the boba straws, straight out of the box, work just fine, Dotson said.

Boba straws are wider and thicker than normal drinking straws. They're used for a tea-based drink that includes tapioca balls at the bottom of the cup. For Pisano and Dotson, that extra thickness means the straws last just long enough to protect the growing coral before harmlessly disappearing.

Reef Fortify is hoping to work with reef restoration projects all over the world. The Coral Forts already already being used by researchers at Nova Southeastern and the University of Miami, as well as Hawaii's Division of Aquatic Resources.

Rich Karp, a coral researcher at the University of Miami, said they've been using the Coral Forts for about a month. He pointed out that doing any work underwater takes a great deal of time and effort, so having a protective cage that dissolves when it's no longer needed basically cuts their work in half.

"Simply caging corals and then removing the cages later, that's two times the amount of work, two times the amount of bottom time," Karp said. "And it's not really scalable.

Experts say coral reefs are a significant part of the oceanic ecosystem. They occupy less than 1 per cent of the ocean worldwide but provide food and shelter to nearly 25 percent of sea life. Coral reefs also help to protect humans and their homes along the coastline from storm surges during hurricanes.

(AP)

the-role-of-touch-in-enhancing-physical-and-mental-wellbeing

Tue Apr 09 15:47:34 IST 2024

Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, researchers have unveiled the profound effects of consensual touch on both physical and mental health. This extensive analysis sheds light on the potential benefits of touch interventions and raises thought-provoking questions about the nature of touch and its impact on wellbeing.

The study, led by researchers from the Social Brain Lab at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and the University Hospital Essen, delved into a comprehensive analysis of numerous studies exploring the effects of touch interventions. The findings of this analysis provide compelling evidence that consensual touch significantly enhances physical and mental wellbeing, yielding notable reductions in pain, anxiety, depression, and stress among adults. Notably, individuals with pre-existing physical or mental health conditions appear to derive even greater benefits from touch interventions, emphasizing the pivotal role of touch in providing much-needed support to those in need.

Commenting on the significance of the study, Packheiser, the first author, highlighted, "This is especially relevant considering how often touch interventions are overlooked." The study also sought to identify the most effective forms of touch intervention, prompting Professor Keysers, director of the Social Brain Lab, to ponder, "What if you don't have a friend or partner close by to hug you? Would touch from a stranger or even a machine also help? And how often?" Surprisingly, the research revealed that the identity of the person administering the touch, the manner in which it is delivered, and its duration do not significantly impact its effectiveness. Instead, the frequency of touch interventions emerged as a crucial factor, with more frequent touch yielding greater benefits, thereby emphasizing the potential impact of even brief, regular touch interactions.

Intriguingly, the study also explored the possibility of non-human touch interventions, uncovering that object or robot interventions can be equally effective at improving physical wellbeing. Frédéric Michon, the last author, expressed, "These results indicate that a touch-robot, or even a simple weighted blanket has the potential to help those people." However, the study also revealed that these interventions may be less effective in addressing mental wellbeing, underscoring the significance of emotional connection associated with touch.

While the study delved into the impact of touch on newborns, it highlighted the pivotal role of the person conducting the touch intervention, revealing that touch from a parent yielded greater benefits compared to touch from a healthcare worker. Packheiser emphasized the potential impact of this finding, particularly in addressing high death rates due to premature births in certain countries, indicating that a baby benefits more from the touch of their own parent, offering a readily implementable form of support for the baby's health.

Despite these insightful revelations, the study also uncovered areas where research remains lacking, particularly in understanding the impact of touch across different age groups, including children and teenagers, as well as in specific clinical settings such as autistic patients. Michon expressed hope that these findings would guide future research to explore these lesser-known questions, including the potential impact of animal touch on wellbeing.

it-s-critical-for-kindergartens-to-embrace-playful-learning-

Tue Apr 09 11:46:49 IST 2024

Think back to one of your fondest memories of play. Where were you, who were you with, what powers did you pretend to have? Would you like to go back there if you could, if only for a moment?

Unfortunately, fewer and fewer children are having the opportunity to have experiences like this, which is disturbing for many reasons.

Key among these is that play makes children (and people of all ages) happy, and our society is seeing happiness deprivation. Along with many others who work in health, as a child psychiatrist I am deeply concerned about this. Mental illness among children and adolescents has gone up and some mental health researchers are making a link to play deprivation.

Ontario recently announced there will be a new kindergarten curriculum that focuses on back-to-basics for literacy in response to the province's Right to Read inquiry, which called for changes to reading education.

Ontario's education minister has said a play-based approach will remain part of kindergarten. But some early childhood experts fear we will see an increased schoolification of kindergarten and an end to a rich environment where educators support children's curiosity and play-based inquiry.

Our children can flourish and learn how to read if classrooms embrace playful learning inquiry-based, play-based activities that are supported by educators, with some direct instruction. However, the success of this type of learning will depend on several factors.

Learning to read does not come naturally. Reading requires developing new neural pathways. This requires some direct instructions for the development of specific skills, and this can be done through playful learning that need not mean a loss of play.

This will depend on:

The kindergarten team (comprised of a teacher and early childhood educator) fully understanding their roles and the new curricula priorities;

The team knowing how to support play-based learning in the classroom, and mapping out how they will combine some direct instruction with rich play- and inquiry-based activities;

The team being sufficiently equipped and resourced. Ideally, this would mean being supported by a literacy coach well-versed in evidence-based learning strategies for supporting children's emerging literacy and for supporting play.

Until fairly recently, many people considered play to be the opposite of work and learning, believing play is done when the real work of learning has been finished. Many still do not understand that playing instead of practising the alphabet or counting is not a waste of valuable time.

But once people know that experiences accompanied by emotional connections are much more memorable, you can organize play in ways that increase the amount of learning. From a neuroscientific perspective, it is clear that play is not frivolous: it changes the brain by enhancing brain structure and function.

Children learn about themselves, the world and so much more through play. From a health perspective, the absence of play, especially outdoor play, leads to rising obesity rates.

Through play, children learn interpersonal skills, how to be a friend and how to solve problems skills desperately needed in these times of artificial intimacy.

Play promotes thinking, problem solving, impulse inhibition and executive function. These are essential skills for learning how to read.

There has been an explosion in the study of the science of learning which asks: how does the brain learn? Kathy Hirsh Pasek, a professor of psychology at Temple University, with her team, is leading scholars in this science of learning. According to their research, learning happens best when:

Children are active with minds on rather than passively sitting for long periods of time with teacher talking or instructing;

They are engaged;

The information is meaningful;

They are socially interacting;

The learning is iterative, meaning information or concepts are repeated in varied contexts, and across subject areas, to help children see new ways to combine smaller parts;

They are having fun.

Crucial to success is this: teachers must see that a shift towards playful learning is essential for achieving both engagement and academic success. Principals need to be on board and supportive of this approach.

Not all play is the same when it comes to learning. Teachers need to understand the different types of play as described and researched by child development professor Angela Pyle. As her work outlines, play is considered to be on a continuum from free play to guided play to formal games. Teacher-guided play is where the teacher sets up contexts (provocations) for the children and the educator to develop language, literacy and mathematical pursuits under the educator's guidance.

Teacher-guided play puts more emphasis on particular learning goals such as literacy and numeracy skills while still embedded in a playful learning context. Adults thus become the support team, but not the directors, of guided play.

Let's remember, play time across the world has diminished. British education advocate Sir Ken Robinson famously said that felons in jail have more outdoor play time daily than children on average across the globe spend outside playing.

A 2022 survey by the NGO Save the Children in the United Kingdom found just 27 per cent of children said they regularly play outside their homes, compared to 71 per cent of the baby boomer generation. For those aged specifically between 55 to 64, it was 80 per cent, showing that rates of play have declined steadily in just a few generations. Research from other countries has also documented how an increasing sense of business in children's lives has also crowded out play.

Parents may need to be encouraged to support playful learning approaches at school in face of the crowd appeal of back to basics.

We must recognize that play and connected relationships are critical for children's well-being. There is nothing more basic than the right to belong and the right to play.

(The Conversation: By Jean Clinton,Clinical Professor, Psychiatry, McMaster University)

imd-using-ai-machine-learning-to-enhance-weather-forecasts-mrutyunjay-mohapatra

Tue Apr 09 09:37:48 IST 2024

India's weather scientists have started harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance weather forecasts, India Meteorological Department Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.

In a free-wheeling interaction with PTI editors, he said over the next few years, the emerging technologies would also complement numerical weather forecasting models which are widely used at present to predict weather.

He said the weather office has been increasing observational systems to make mesoscale weather forecasts at the panchayat level or over 10 sq km area at a faster rate.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has deployed a network of 39 doppler weather radars that cover 85 per cent of the country's landmass and enable hourly forecasts for prominent cities, Mohapatra said.

"We have started using Artificial Intelligence in a limited way but within the next five years, AI will significantly enhance our models and techniques," he said.

Mohapatra said the IMD has digitised weather records for the country dating back to 1901 and artificial intelligence could be used to sift through this plentiful information to generate knowledge about weather patterns.

Artificial intelligence models are data science models which do not go into the physics of the phenomena but utilise past data to generate knowledge that can be used to make better forecasts, the IMD director general said.

He said expert groups have been formed in the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the IMD to harness artificial intelligence.

"Both artificial intelligence and numerical forecasting models will complement each other to improve forecast accuracy. Both will work hand in hand and nobody can replace the other," Mohapatra said.

Addressing the need for hyper-localized forecasts, Mohapatra acknowledged IMD's challenges in delivering village-level predictions for specific hazards.

"We aim to provide forecasts at the Panchayat or village level...tailoring weather information to sector-specific needs in agriculture, health, urban planning, hydrology, and environment," he said.

The IMD chief stressed the importance of data-driven decision-making in the era of information abundance.

"Incorporating AI and machine learning allows us to harness past data to extract valuable insights and improve forecasting accuracy without solely relying on traditional physics-based models," he said.

On the impact of climate change on weather predictability, Mohapatra noted the emergence of mesoscale phenomena like convective clouds on a small scale, affecting local communities.

To tackle this, he said IMD has strategically deployed Doppler weather radars covering 85 per cent of the country.

This advanced radar data, with a resolution of 350 meters per pixel, enables the detection and simulation of convective clouds, significantly enhancing forecast accuracy for extreme events like heavy rainfall and cyclones, he added. PTI UZM GVS SKU New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI) India's weather scientists have started harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance weather forecasts, India Meteorological Department Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.

In a free-wheeling interaction with PTI editors, Mohapatra said over the next few years, the emerging technologies would also complement numerical weather forecasting models which are widely used at present to predict weather.

He said the weather office has been increasing observational systems to make mesoscale weather forecasts at the panchayat level or over 10 sq km area at a faster rate.

"We have started utilising Artificial Intelligence in a limited way but within the next five years, AI will significantly enhance our models and techniques," he said.

He said expert groups have been formed in the Ministry of Earth Sciences and the IMD to harness artificial intelligence.

"Both artificial intelligence and numerical forecasting models will complement each other to improve forecast accuracy. Both will work hand in hand and nobody can replace the other," Mohapatra said.

Addressing the need for hyper-localized forecasts, Mohapatra acknowledged IMD's challenges in delivering village-level predictions for specific hazards.

"We aim to provide forecasts at the Panchayat or village level...tailoring weather information to sector-specific needs in agriculture, health, urban planning, hydrology, and environment," he said.

The IMD chief stressed the importance of data-driven decision-making in the era of information abundance.

On the impact of climate change on weather predictability, Mohapatra noted the emergence of mesoscale phenomena like convective clouds on a small scale, affecting local communities.

To tackle this, he said IMD has strategically deployed Doppler weather radars covering 85 per cent of the country.

the-sun-was-born-when-a-dense-gas-cloud-collapsed--4-6-billion-y

Mon Apr 08 11:28:22 IST 2024

While the upcoming total solar eclipse is a special moment to reflect on our place in the universe, scientists have been studying the birth of the sun and the formation of our solar system for a long time.

Our solar system today is mainly composed of a central star the sun along with an inner solar system with rocky planets, and an outer solar system with gas and ice giant planets. However, it hasn't always been that way.

How was the sun formed?

Our solar system formed from the gravitational collapse of a dense giant molecular cloud of gas and dust, composed mainly of hydrogen, a bit of helium, and about one per cent of heavier elements. After the cloud collapsed, the majority of the mass concentrated onto the centre, creating our sun.

The star continued to contract until it reached its final size and density. Hydrogen fusion ignited the sun's core, causing the star to emit light and heat.

Around the sun, the leftovers about 0.5 to one per cent of the mass of the sun created a protoplanetary disk, where planets subsequently formed.

Protoplanetary disks in the process of making planets are not just theory they have actually been observed, such as the disk around HL Tauri, a young star with rings and gaps that are likely signs of forming planets.

We have a pretty good idea of when that collapse took place in our solar system because we can analyse the first (or oldest) solids that condensed out from the protoplanetary disk gas. This detailed analysis is only possible in our solar system, since we cannot directly collect material from other solar systems.

These solid fragments, called calcium-aluminum rich inclusions (CAIs), have been found in some of the oldest meteorites, and age-dated to 4,567.3 million years. This is when our solar system came into being, and provides the age for the birth of our sun.

Element factories

Very dense molecular clouds can collapse due to their own gravity. However, the collapse of our protosolar nebula was likely triggered by the perturbation from the passing shock wave of an exploding massive star, called a supernova.

This shock wave compressed enough of the molecular cloud to start collapsing it, and form a central star and a planetary disk around it.

The evidence for this hypothesis is found in the isotope composition of some chemical elements in pre-solar grains. Pre-solar grains are tiny silicon-carbide minerals (under a micrometre in size), and can be found in parts per million quantities in some meteorites.

These pre-solar grains have isotope compositions that cannot be explained by chemical or physical processes occurring in our solar system, and are better explained by these grains forming elsewhere.

The isotope composition of pre-solar grains implies that, after the supernova, these grains travelled into space, and they got trapped into our molecular cloud, which then collapsed, keeping those grains inside the meteorites that we study today.

How much older is the sun than the Earth?

The age of 4,567 million years found for the CAIs is often used as the age of the Earth.

However, after the formation of CAIs, it likely took tens to a few hundreds of millions of years for Earth to form. Although we have determined the age of our solar system very precisely, debates still persist regarding the age of our own planet Earth.

The challenge comes from the fact that the Earth is an active planet, and is very efficient at recycling and reworking its oldest rocks, resetting their geochronological information.

More than 98 per cent of the proto-Earth's mass might have been already melded together by the time a giant impact hit the proto-Earth. That giant impact added the remaining two per cent to Earth, and also led to the formation of our moon.

The giant impact, occurring somewhere between 70 to 120 million years after the CAIs formation, could provide the best determination for the age of the Earth. Independent age estimates can also be obtained from estimating the timing of Earth's magma ocean solidification, a consequence of the moon-forming giant impact.

Studies attempting to determine the timing of magma ocean solidification provide ages between 100 and 150 million years after the birth of the sun.

The upcoming total solar eclipse is an opportunity for everyone to appreciate the wonders of our solar system, which took about 4.6 billion years to evolve.

It is truly a cosmic coincidence that total solar eclipses can be seen on Earth: the sun happens to be about 400 times larger than the moon, which is 400 times closer than the sun.

If you were on Mars or Venus, you would not be so lucky as to witness this phenomenon!

(The Conversation: By Hanika Rizo, Carleton University)

unraveling-the-mystery-of-earth-s-backward-spinning-polar-vortex

Sat Apr 06 17:03:16 IST 2024

In a startling turn of events, the Arctic's polar vortex, a colossal ring of frigid air that encircles the North Pole, recently veered off its usual course, spinning in the opposite direction. This extraordinary occurrence, which transpired around March 4, stands as one of the six most robust reversals witnessed since 1979. The sudden atmospheric warming event responsible for this unconventional shift has set off a remarkable "ozone spike" and has the potential to impact global weather patterns.

The polar vortex, a vast area of low pressure found in the polar regions, maintains a year-round presence, entrapping cold air within its counterclockwise flow. It is sustained by a powerful jet stream, working as a barrier between the frigid air near the poles and the warmer air in lower latitudes. The stratospheric polar vortex, characterized by its freezing cold air, forms high in the atmosphere near the North Pole, with winds reaching speeds of approximately 249.45 kilometer per hour – comparable to the minimum wind speed for a Category 5 hurricane.

The reversal of the polar vortex's course can be attributed to something known as "Sudden Stratospheric Warming events," which caused an influx of ozone from lower latitudes around the Arctic, leading to the unexpected change in direction. Atmospheric planetary waves breaking in the polar stratosphere increased its temperature, resulting in the reported "ozone spike" – the largest observed in March since 1979.

Impact on people and weather

The recent reversal of the Earth's polar vortex, a rare and perplexing phenomenon, has raised questions about its potential impact on global weather patterns.

When the polar vortex weakens or experiences disruption, the cold air it contains can seep into lower latitudes, leading to significant weather events. While the primary danger to humans lies in the severity of plummeting temperatures when the polar vortex expands, sending Arctic air southward into regions unaccustomed to such extreme cold, its effects are felt far beyond the polar regions. Portions of Europe and Asia have also experienced cold surges linked to the polar vortex, and disruptions to its usual behavior can trigger extremely cold weather and storms across large areas.

Despite the polar vortex's reputation for inducing extreme cold and storms, this particular reversal has not led to any such severe weather events, according to NOAA's climate scientist Amy Butler. However, the implications of this unprecedented shift in the polar vortex's behavior remain to be fully understood, as it has the potential to impact global weather patterns in unique and unforeseen ways.

revolutionary-brain-computer-interface-allows-gaming-with-just-y

Sat Apr 06 16:31:02 IST 2024

Imagine sitting down to play a video game, but instead of using a controller, you use only your thoughts to navigate through the game. Sounds like a fantasy, right? Well, it's not! Engineers have developed a brain-computer interface that enables people to play games using just their brain activity. This breakthrough technology has the potential to significantly improve the lives of individuals with motor disabilities.

The most remarkable aspect of this brain-computer interface is that it doesn't require extensive calibration for each user. Every brain is unique, which has been a major obstacle in the widespread adoption of such devices. However, the new interface is designed to quickly understand the needs of an individual and self-calibrate through repetition, making it a one-size-fits-all solution.

Satyam Kumar, a graduate student involved in the research, highlighted the significance of this innovation, stating, "When we think about this in a clinical setting, this technology will make it so we won't need a specialized team to do this calibration process, which is long and tedious. It will be much faster to move from patient to patient."

The research on the calibration-free interface, published in PNAS Nexus, is a significant milestone achieved by the engineers at The University of Texas at Austin. The subjects wear a cap packed with electrodes that gather data by measuring electrical signals from the brain. The decoder then interprets this information and translates it into game actions, enabling users to control the game with their thoughts.

José del R. Millán, a professor involved in the research, explained that the brain-computer interface aims to guide and strengthen the neural plasticity of users, which refers to the brain's ability to change, grow, and reorganize over time. The experiments conducted with this technology are designed to improve brain function for patients and make their lives easier.

The study involved two tasks: a car racing game and a simpler task of balancing the left and right sides of a digital bar. An expert developed a "decoder" for the simpler bar task, which serves as a base for other users and is the key to avoiding the long calibration process. The decoder worked effectively, allowing subjects to train simultaneously for the bar game and the more complicated car racing game, which required strategic thinking to navigate through the course.

The researchers called this work foundational, setting the stage for further brain-computer interface innovation. While the project used 18 subjects with no motor impairments, the team aims to test the technology on individuals with motor impairments to apply it to larger groups in clinical settings.

José del R. Millán and his team are also working on a brain-computer interface-driven wheelchair and rehabilitation robots for the hand and arm. The ultimate goal is to help people in their everyday lives, and the team is committed to continuing their pursuit of developing technology that enhances the lives of individuals with disabilities.

the-total-solar-eclipse-is-a-cosmic-spectacle-well-worth-the-hyp

Sat Apr 06 14:24:37 IST 2024

Eclipse fever has gripped North America, where many people are talking, worrying and obsessing about the April 8 total solar eclipse.

The eclipse itself is beautiful and moving, and is an incredible opportunity to excite and involve the community in the scientific advances that eclipses have brought to us, and all the potential discoveries that we might see in the future including possibly discovering life on other worlds.

In a solar eclipse, the moon passes in between Earth and the sun, casting its shadow on Earth. The amazing coincidence is that the moon about 400 times smaller than the sun also happens to be about 400 times closer to us than the sun, and so they appear the same size from Earth's surface.

When the sun, moon and Earth all line up, the shadow cast by the moon follows a narrow path that moves across the globe as the Earth rotates and the moon and Earth continue their orbital dances around the sun.

Palpable excitement

Most of North America will have a partial eclipse on April 8. Totality will occur along the diagonal path of total shadow for a precious few minutes.

The excitement around the eclipse is palpable, coming from kids to adults, locals to visitors. Municipalities are worried: Niagara Falls predicts up to a million people visiting and Kingston predicts up to 500,000.

This is in part because of the rarity of a total solar eclipse they happen about 375 years apart at a given location on average, and the next one anywhere in Canada isn't for 20 years.

But the hype also stems from how beautiful a total eclipse can be. A partial eclipse is interesting. Everyone should use a solar filter or pinhole camera to safely watch the moon gradually cover the sun's disk.

But along the narrow path where the sun-moon-Earth alignment is perfect, we'll see a few fleeting minutes of darkness during the day, be able to see the sun's wispy corona and see a sunrise in all directions.

Experiencing a total eclipse allows everyone to be both an astronomer, thinking about our place in the solar system, the Milky Way and the universe, and an aesthete marvelling at the beauty of the sky.

Astrological contributions

For millennia, many societies considered eclipses as dangerous omens a reasonable fear given how strange it is to see darkness during the day.

Predictions of when the next eclipses would occur became important for leaders. Babylonians thought the eclipse could foretell death for the king, while Mayans believed diabolical spirits would come out to attack people.

Today's scientists may scoff at astrology, but it was this potential astrological doom that led to ancient civilizations making increasingly accurate models of how the sun, moon and planets moved.

As measurements became more accurate, the old Earth-centric solar system model was replaced by Johannes Kepler's depiction of the sun at the focus of elliptical orbits, which led to Isaac Newton's theory of gravity.

Careful measurements originally meant for astrology and in part because of the worry about eclipses contributed to our understanding of the universe and how it works.

Historical spectacles

In 1842, with a total eclipse through Europe, the narrative changed and solar eclipses became tourist draws. Astronomers like British Francis Baily and George Biddell Airy travelled to see the eclipse.

But it was the vivid descriptions from writers like Austrian Adalbert Stifter that captured the world's attention:

Never, ever in my entire life was I so shaken, from terror and sublimity so shaken, as in these two minutes it was nothing other than if God had all at once spoken a clear word and I had understood it.

The interest in eclipses increased for both the public and professional astronomers. It was by studying the light from the sun's wispy corona only visible during eclipses that the element helium was discovered.

It was by looking at the bending of light from distant stars that Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity was confirmed, bringing him to worldwide fame.

A shared passion

The global passion to witness and experience the eclipse is one that science educators can't ignore. Across the continent, astronomers and teachers are educating people on how to watch safely using pinhole cameras or eclipse glasses.

Science educators explain to a fascinated audience how the sun, moon and Earth all must line up perfectly for a total eclipse to happen. We are all hoping for clear weather so we can see the corona and explain that it is somehow hotter than the surface of the sun.

Today, eclipses aren't necessarily studied for new discoveries. However, astronomers use a similar dimming of distant stars as evidence that an exoplanet must have passed in front of it.

We've discovered thousands of worlds, confirming that exoplanets are common. We can now measure the slight change in light colour during an extra-solar eclipse-like transit to detect water and signs of life in an exoplanet's atmosphere.

So the hype for the total solar eclipse on April 8 is worth it. For us, it isn't just sublime beauty.

It is the chance to connect to huge crowds as excited as we are. It is the opportunity to link what we are seeing to the vastness of space, the millennia of history and the promise of understanding our wider universe all in three minutes in the moon's shadow.

(The Conversation: By Robert Knobel and Kristine Spekkens, Queen's University, Ontario)

total-solar-eclipse-leaves-north-america-in-awe-nasa-footage-from-space-station-watch

Tue Apr 09 09:39:30 IST 2024

It was a stunning spectacle. Thousands of skygazers across the US, Mexico and Canada viewed the first total solar eclipse of the year as clouds cleared offering a clear view.

Though all of North America and Central America experienced a partial solar eclipse, only those located within the path of totality — an approximately 185-kilometre wide and 16,000-kilometre route — saw the moon completely obscure the sun.

The path of totality crossed four states in Mexico (Sinaloa, Nayarit, Durango and Coahuila) before sweeping over 15 U.S. states (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine) and seven Canadian Provinces (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland).

The eclipse, the duration of which spanned up to 4 minutes and 28 seconds, surpassed the duration of the 2017 event, which lasted upwards of 2 minutes and 42 seconds.

The eclipse was first seen around the Western city of Mazatlán in Mexico, around 11:07 local time. The Moon's outer edge seemed to just be touching the Sun initially. It then began to cover more and more until all went dark, except for the silvery glow of the "corona" effect of the Sun around the Moon's outline.

According to NASA, it took about 80 minutes from the moment the moon first began to cover the sun to the moment of totality, then another 80 minutes to complete the process in reverse.

The tens of thousands who gathered across the three countries expressed their excitement at witnessing the space spectacle. People wore solar-safe eyewear and lay watching the sky in a resort in Mazatlán as the skies darkened. The descent of darkness was welcomed by cheers, applause and whistles. Stars were visible, temperatures plummeted and faint waves of "shadow bands" flickered over the landscape. Zoos reported birds and wildlife falling silent and still.

Laura Uzzle, 56, told Reuters that she was excited to experience the eclipse by a riverbank teeming with birds and insects."Even the wildlife changes," she said. "It's a complete sensory experience." Laura and Brian Uzzle travelled to the banks of the Ohio River between Indiana and Kentucky for the event.

"Even with the clouds it is kind of nice, because when it clears up, it is like, Wow!,” a resident of Georgetown in Texas told AP.

Many also used the events to get married or propose. In Russellville, Arkansas, almost 400 couples tied the knot by the shadow of the moon in a mass wedding event dubbed "Elope and the Eclipse." At least two weddings and one marriage proposal happened among roughly 2,000 people who assembled at Niagara Falls State Park despite overcast skies, reported Reuters.

NASA footage

US space agency NASA shared stunning footage of the eclipse from the International Space Station. The ISS soared into the moon’s shadow during the eclipse, according to NASA.

"The windows on the cupola, the orbital outpost’s window to the world, were open and NASA Flight Engineers Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps were inside photographing and videotaping the Moon’s shadow on Earth, or umbra, beneath them," said the American space agency.

The space station was orbiting 260 miles (418 km) above Canada as the moon’s shadow was moving from New York to Newfoundland. “The space station experienced a totality of about 90% during its flyover period,” NASA said.