That is as we speak’s version of The Obtain, our weekday publication that gives a day by day dose of what’s happening on the earth of know-how.
Exascale computer systems: 10 Breakthrough Applied sciences 2024
In Might 2022, the worldwide supercomputer rankings had been shaken up by the launch of Frontier. It’s the quickest supercomputer on the earth, and might carry out as many calculations in a single second as 100,000 laptops.
With its launch, the period of exascale computing formally started. A number of extra such exascale computer systems will quickly be a part of its ranks, from the US, Europe, and reportedly additionally China. Scientists and engineers are keen to make use of these turbocharged computer systems to advance a variety of fields. And the progress received’t cease right here. Learn the total story.
—Sophia Chen
Exascale computer systems is certainly one of MIT Expertise Overview’s 10 Breakthrough Applied sciences for 2024. Take a look at the remainder of the record and vote for the ultimate eleventh breakthrough—we’ll reveal the winner in April.
+ What’s subsequent for the world’s quickest supercomputers. Scientists have begun operating experiments on the world’s first official exascale machine, whereas amenities worldwide construct different machines to hitch the ranks. Learn the total story.
Google DeepMind’s new AI system can clear up advanced geometry issues
The information: Google DeepMind has created an AI system that may clear up advanced geometry issues. This system combines a language mannequin with a sort of AI known as a symbolic engine, which makes use of symbols and logical guidelines to make deductions. These two approaches work collectively to unravel troublesome mathematical issues.
Why it issues: Arithmetic serves as an essential benchmark to gauge progress in AI intelligence. This new program is a big step in the direction of machines with extra human-like reasoning expertise. Learn the total story.
—June Kim
How sizzling salt may rework nuclear energy
For greater than a month in complete, 12 metric tons of molten salt coursed via pipes at Kairos Energy in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The corporate is creating a brand new kind of nuclear reactor that can be cooled utilizing this salt combination, and its first large-scale take a look at cooling system simply accomplished 1,000 hours of operation in early January. That is the second main milestone for Kairos in current weeks. In December, the US Nuclear Regulatory Fee granted a development allow for the corporate’s first nuclear take a look at reactor.
Nuclear energy vegetation can present a gentle supply of carbon-free power, however initiatives to construct them have been tormented by delays and skyrocketing budgets. Kairos hopes to vary nuclear powers’ fortunes with a brand new model of the know-how that might lower prices and development instances. Learn the total story.
—Casey Crownhart
To learn extra in regards to the subsequent era of nuclear reactors, try the newest version of The Spark, our weekly local weather and power publication. Enroll to obtain it in your inbox each Wednesday.
A brand new AI-based danger prediction system may assist catch lethal pancreatic most cancers instances earlier
What’s occurred: A brand new AI system may assist detect the commonest type of pancreatic most cancers, new analysis has discovered. The system outperformed present diagnostic requirements and may very well be utilized in a medical setting to determine sufferers who would profit from early screening or testing, serving to catch the illness earlier and save lives.
How they did it: The researchers fed two AI fashions anonymized information from 6 million digital well being information, 35,387 of which had been pancreatic most cancers instances, from 55 health-care organizations within the US. The neural community recognized 35% of sufferers who had the illness as excessive danger 6 to 18 months earlier than they had been identified, in comparison with present screening tips of 10%. Learn the total story.
—Rhiannon Williams
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to seek out you as we speak’s most enjoyable/essential/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 Garbled AI-generated textual content is taking on the net Notably mistranslations of languages spoken in Africa and the International South. (Motherboard)
+ We’re hurtling towards a glitchy, spammy, scammy, AI-powered web. (MIT Expertise Overview)
2 A undertaking to construct a chip manufacturing facility in Arizona has run into issue
TSMC stated it’s more likely to miss but extra deadlines to get it up-and-running. (WSJ $)+ China may very well be staring down the barrel of extra restrictions. (CNBC)
+ The $100 billion guess {that a} postindustrial US metropolis can reinvent itself as a high-tech hub. (MIT Expertise Overview)
3 It seems to be like China may attain the moon earlier than the US
The nation’s speedy progress has US politicians rattled. (WP $)
+ In the meantime, Astrobotic’s failed lunar lander is because of fritter away tomorrow. (TechCrunch)
4 Sheryl Sandberg is leaving Meta’s board
After 12 years advising the corporate. (BBC)
+ Her departure comes as Meta totally focuses its attentions on AI. (WP $)
5 Samsung’s new telephones are filled with AI options
It’s making an attempt to safe an early lead as the primary smartphone agency to totally embrace AI. (Bloomberg $)+ The telephones can translate calls in actual time and velocity up search. (WSJ $)
+ The smartphone market isn’t wanting too sizzling today. (FT $)
6 Google continues to be retaining abortion clinic location information
A yr and a half after promising to delete it. (The Guardian)
+ Google has been pressured to make it clearer that it tracks Incognito Mode customers. (Wired $)
7 What comes after Ozempic?
Sufferers taking the drug will see a slow-down of their weight reduction. New medicine may enable them to maintain shedding the kilos. (The Atlantic $)
+ However the long-term well being impacts of those medicine are nonetheless unknown. (MIT Expertise Overview)
8 Spotify doesn’t care about area of interest artists
Its plans to cull tracks below a sure listening threshold confirms it. (FT $)
9 The JWST is popping every part we all know in regards to the universe on its head
Astronomers’ predictions aren’t matching their observations. (Vox)
+ How the James Webb House Telescope broke the universe. (MIT Expertise Overview)
10 Right here’s methods to use your gadgets much less
However nonetheless get every part performed. (NYT $)
+ sign off. (MIT Expertise Overview)
Quote of the day
“Pupil ought to look ‘studenty’ and have a healthy-looking BMI.”
—A doc from meals supply robotic firm Starship obtained by 404 Media instructs a public college to advertise its service on campus with images and movies that includes a really particular form of scholar.
The massive story
The way forward for open supply continues to be very a lot in flux
August 2023
When Xerox donated a brand new laser printer to MIT in 1980, the corporate couldn’t have identified that the machine would ignite a revolution.
Whereas the early a long time of software program growth usually ran on a tradition of open entry, this new printer ran on inaccessible proprietary software program, a lot to the horror of Richard M. Stallman, then a 27-year-old programmer on the college.
Just a few years later, Stallman launched GNU, an working system designed to be a free various to one of many dominant working programs on the time: Unix. The free-software motion was born, with a easy premise: for the great of the world, all code needs to be open.
Forty years later, tech corporations are making billions on proprietary software program, and far of the know-how round us is inscrutable. However whereas Stallman’s motion could appear to be a failed experiment, the free and open-source software program motion will not be solely alive and properly; it has turn out to be a keystone of the tech trade. Learn the total story.
—Rebecca Ackermann
We are able to nonetheless have good issues
A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction in these bizarre instances. (Bought any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)
+ Being cringe is cool—I promise.
+ Mob spouse stylish is the most recent magnificence development gripping the web, and we’ve The Sopranos to thank.
+ Get pleasure from some comforting pasta recipes to brighten up these chilly months.
+ William Shatner is one man who actually lives life to its fullest.
+ It’s time to get excited: The White Lotus is heading again to our display quickly, however not quickly sufficient.
