Masthash

#science

David Mayhood
5 minutes ago

The continuing adventures of independent scientists in documenting the impact of Atlantic salmon farms on wild Pacific salmon on the west coast of Canada.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2023-0039
#SeaLice #SalmonFarms #ChumSalmon #PinkSalmon #FisheriesPolicy #Canada #DFO #Science #GuerrillaScience

Steve Maclellan
5 minutes ago

How Does a Fossil Fuel CEO Deliver a Win at COP28?

https://libranet.de/display/0b6b25a8-1165-6d10-3d1b-6ad337023291

How Does a Fossil Fuel CEO Deliver a Win at COP28?
Flipboard Science Desk
6 minutes ago

The U.S. military's elusive X-37B space plane has postponed its next launch to Dec. 10. X-37B will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC), in Florida. From Live Science, here’s why the secretive spacecraft is likely launching farther than ever before. https://flip.it/tTFOOL
#Science #Space #SpaceX #X37B

اندرو آبی
31 minutes ago

Cracked Piece of Metal Heals Itself in Experiment That Stuns Scientists

December 03, 2023 at 11:19PM

sciencealert.com/cracked-piece…

#ScienceAlert - The #Best in #Science #News and #Amazing #Breakthroughs #bot

Atheism Actually
1 hour ago

-- Sean & Stephen: Refuting the Fine Tuning Argument --
(from Ember)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlWrMG3z63k

#fineTuningArgument #science #apologetics #intelligentDesign

Atheism Actually
1 hour ago
اندرو آبی
2 hours ago

Giant Algae Made of Just One Cell Have a Clever Way of Knowing The Time

December 03, 2023 at 09:04PM

sciencealert.com/giant-algae-m…

#ScienceAlert - The #Best in #Science #News and #Amazing #Breakthroughs #bot

IT News
3 hours ago

Physicists May Have Found a Hard Limit on The Performance of Large Quantum Computers - For circuit-based quantum computations, the achievable circuit complexity is limit... - https://science.slashdot.org/story/23/12/03/2033218/physicists-may-have-found-a-hard-limit-on-the-performance-of-large-quantum-computers?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed #science

Starry Time Podcast
3 hours ago

I know we're onto the #constellation #Hercules for this week's #pdocast & I can stop thinking about the pilot of the #TVShow Andromeda, but here's a nice explanation of time dilation from Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson!

🔗 https://youtu.be/1BCkSYQ0NRQ?si=jWHaqqfddNhPX-d5

#Astronomy #physics #space #science #SciComm #AstroDon #astrophysics #Time

Frederik Borgesius
3 hours ago

‘An analysis of 5.8 million authors across all scientific disciplines shows that the gender gap is closing, but there is still a long distance to go… The researchers found that men outnumbered women 3.93 times among those authors who started publishing before 1992, but only 1.36 times among those authors who started publishing after 2011.’ https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1008127 Paper: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3002385 #academia #science #publishing #discrimination

Phoenix.Serenity
6 hours ago

All four of the #tested substances had the capacity to reduce the #crustacean's #mating success, through changes in its behavior.

On top of this, two of the #chemicals tested, triphenyl phosphate (#TPHP) and dibutyl phthalate (#DBP), caused a decline in #SpermCount.

https://www.sciencealert.com/plastic-waste-is-turning-tiny-marine-animals-off-sex

#MarineBiology #Science #Plastics #pollution #microplastics #ReproductiveScience #Ecocide #Nature

Phoenix.Serenity
6 hours ago

#Researchers propose that a taste for #fermented morsels may have triggered a surprising jump in the growth rate of our ancestors' #brains.

In fact, a shift from a #RawDiet to one that included #food items already partially broken down by #microbes may have been a crucial event in our brain's #evolution, according to a perspective #study by evolutionary #neuroscientist Katherine Bryant of Aix-Marseille University in France and two US colleagues.

https://www.sciencealert.com/preparing-food-with-microbes-could-be-why-we-now-have-such-impressive-brains

#Science #neuroscience

Phoenix.Serenity
6 hours ago

Using a #3D transmission #electron #microscopy technique, a group of #Chinese #scientists have discovered a new #phenomenon in the #deformation of #nanometals, which will help improve material design and #engineering applications, according to a #NewStudy published on Friday in #Science, one of the world's top #AcademicJournals.

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202312/02/WS656a659aa31090682a5f109d.html

#AsianMastodon #China #Technology #Innovation #TechNews #ScienceNews #ChineseInnovators #AsianScientists

pro time theft
6 hours ago

Rich assholes like this fuck say there is no science behind fossil fuels causing climate change. After all, why would he want to stop what's making him rich. Eventually Earth will FORCE changes. But rich fucks like this will fight it til the end.

#ClimateChange #RichFucks #EatTheRich #science #FossilFuels #environment

Cop28 president (this rich asshole) says there is no science behind demands for phase out of fossil fuels
Ricky de Laveaga
6 hours ago

Ignorant #Cop28 president denies #science and refuses demands for #PhaseOut of #FossilFuels: Remarks from #UAE’s #AlJaber implying phase-out of #coal, #oil and #gas taking us “back into caves” show he has the mind of a #caveman #BackIntoCaves #FixingGuardianHeadlines https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/03/back-into-caves-cop28-president-dismisses-phase-out-of-fossil-fuels

vicscov
6 hours ago

Tutorial Saving Articles on @omnivore

I love this tool, I am increasingly surprised by its capacity, now I can organize my articles

#omnivore #computerscience #articles #research #science #save #tool #datascience #software

Tutorial Saving Articles on Omnivore
karafuto
6 hours ago

This year I finished one of the most fascinating projects I ever worked on.

Together with a team of researchers from the molecular neurodegeneration department at Amsterdam UMC we came up with a visual and interactive way to present their latest paper on tau protein aggregation and its effect on astrocytes.

🧵
#neuroscience #dementia #alzheimers #science #scicomm #design #UI #gamedev #ScienceMastodon #visualStorytelling #astrocytes

a grid from the first level of the game, made out of boxes with tau protein symbols inside of them, some tau filled with white color, some outlined. the goal of the first level is to place white tau proteins in the boxes so that there are no outlined symbols remain
Snowshadow
7 hours ago

How atomic clocks can help in the search for dark matter
Dark matter's elusive nature has made detection very difficult. However, new research is using high-precision atomic clocks to look for ultra-light dark matter.

#darkmatter #physics #subatomicparticles #atomic #atomicclock #science #news
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/atomic-clocks-dark-matter-constants

Jamie Revell
7 hours ago

Rounding off this year's look at raccoons and skunks, I take at their one relative that doesn't really fit - including a brief look at their fossil history.

https://synapsida.blogspot.com/2023/12/the-other-one-red-pandas.html

#science #zoology #fossils #Synapsida #panda

red panda
Adam S. Smith
7 hours ago

Excuse the self-promotion but my children's books might make a nice gift for any children in your life interested in #dinosaurs and #paleontology.

They're fun picture books that encourage readers to think about #science and evidence.

Both are widely available, on Amazon and elsewhere.

The Tyrannosaur's Feathers:
https://amzn.to/46XfXwB

The Plesiosaur's Neck: https://amzn.to/46GhxTo

Written by @JonathanEmmett and me, illustrated by @Stieven, published by #UCLan

#books #bookstodon

A young girl standing on a bed reading a copy of The Plesiosaur's Neck.
Two girls sitting on a step in a garden reading a copy of The Tyrannosaur's Feathers.
Narayoni
8 hours ago

This study provides a framework to understand the roles of the bacterial gut microbiome and the immune system in mood disorders. This may help direct the search for probiotic supplements that may operate as supplemental therapies for mood disorders.
#science #research #gutmicrobiome #depression #anxiety #probiotics #lactobacillus #interferongamma #openaccess
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889159123003343?via%3Dihub
https://scitechdaily.com/yogurts-hidden-superpower-uncovered-a-natural-guard-against-depression-and-anxiety/

A golden mole that has not been seen for over 80 years has been filmed and photographed after an extensive search for the species, which researchers feared was extinct. The researchers searched for evidence of the elusive mole by taking more than 100 soil samples from a range of locations and analyzing them for environmental DNA traces of the animal left in its environment through excretions, skin cells and hair. https://www.livescience.com/animals/land-mammals/shimmering-golden-mole-thought-extinct-photographed-and-filmed-over-80-years-after-last-sighting

#science #moles #SouthAfrica

Tim Kellogg
9 hours ago

this is interesting — two different solar panel technologies being combined in tandem on the same panel. seems like the theoretical upper limit would be the sum of the two, so maybe this could boost us to 50% efficiency. that’s also a huge reduction in land use too #science #environment #solar #ClimateChange https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-03714-y

graph showing historical efficiency gains of different cell types
Starry Time Podcast
9 hours ago

Some of our first impressions: headless long jumper, EVAAAA (from Wall-E), box with lines...

how about you, what do you see in this #constellation??

Hear the rest of our first impressions & learn more about the #astronomy of this constellation here: https://starrytimepodcast.com/episodes

📷 :https://www.iau.org/static/public/constellations/gif/HER.gif

#AstroDon #space #science #IAU #constellations #Stars #podcast

The official IAU constellation for the constellation Hercules. The constellation chart shows the boundaries of the constellation Hercules by shading the area around it a slightly darker gray. Stars with magnitude 0-6 are identified and green lines connect the mains stars of the constellation. Around the outside of the constellation are other constellation stars.
IT News
10 hours ago

An Invisible ‘Demon’ Lurks in an Odd Superconductor - Physicists have long suspected that hunks of metal could vibrate in a peculiar way that w... - https://www.wired.com/story/an-invisible-demon-lurks-in-an-odd-superconductor/ #science/physicsandmath #that’ssometal #science

What really is affecting science in a large way?
#Science #Scicomm
“A picture emerges not of concern about wholesale fraud but of profound concerns that many scientists may be cutting corners and engage in sloppy science, possibly with a view to get more positive and more spectacular results that will be easier to publish in high-impact journals and will attract many citations.”

I will add the pressure is also to obtain ever more dwindling research dollars.

https://www.statnews.com/2016/12/01/plague-science-research-fraud/

The COP 28 President is talking utter BS.
“Al Jaber is asking for a 1.5C roadmap – anyone who cares can find that in the International Energy Agency’s latest net zero emissions scenario, which says there cannot be any new fossil fuel development. The science is absolutely clear [and] that absolutely means a phase-out by mid-century, which will enhance the lives of all of humanity.”
#ClimateChange #Science #Environment #Canada

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/03/back-into-caves-cop28-president-dismisses-phase-out-of-fossil-fuels

Erika :verified:
14 hours ago

In an extraordinary celestial display, the skies over Mongolia turned deep, blood-red as the country experienced one of the rarest auroral events on Friday and early Saturday.
The intense colouration is attributed to the initial impact of a significant solar storm that collided with Earth, creating a spectacle that left onlookers in awe.

#News #Science #Astronomy

📸 X / Bileg

Project Gutenberg
14 hours ago

"The atmosphere is much too near for dreams. It forces us to action. It is close to us. We are in it and of it. It rouses us both to study and to do. We must know its moods and also its motive forces; we must conquer it in our struggle for existence."

Popular Science - Jan 1911 - Page 22

~Cleveland Abbe (December 3, 1838 – October 28, 1916)

#science #meteorology

Project Gutenberg
14 hours ago

American astronomer, mathematician and meteorologist Cleveland Abbe was born #OTD in 1838.

During his term as director of the Cincinnati Observatory in Cincinnati, Ohio, he developed a system of telegraphic weather reports, daily weather maps and weather forecasts, this being the area of his work and expertise for which he is probably best known. In 1870, Congress established the U.S. Weather Bureau and inaugurated the use of daily weather forecasts.

#science #meteorology

Cleveland Abbe

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Department of Commerce
she hacked you
15 hours ago

"Major oil and gas companies agree to cut methane by 80%"

This is a con.

"Agriculture accounts for 91% of biogenic methane emissions.

A recent report by WWF found that the world’s five biggest meat and milk producers, including Fonterra, emit the same amount of greenhouse gases as major oil company ExxonMobil"

But count on people waving this around like an accomplishment; when they are really just showing how little respect they have for us.

#science #cop28

Morpheus Being
18 hours ago

#Refrigeration #Science #Research

Solid state ie no moving parts, no gas refrigeration systems are being rapidly developed.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/solid-state-refrigerator

Paranoid Factoid
19 hours ago

*Nature* on an advance toward commercializing hybrid silicon-perovskite solar cells. #Silicon is the traditional material, but is nearing efficiency limits of ~29% conversion. #Perovskite is newer but is unstable. However, a breakthrough in commercializing a hybrid version silicon-perovskite has the potential to max out at over 40% efficiency by each collecting energy from different frequency bands.

https://archive.is/3KqDT

#Solar #energy #renewables #science #climatechange #technology #tech

Nature masthead and article title, with a top down photo of building roofs covered with photovoltaic solar cells.
Chart showing photovoltaic adoption trends, historical and projected to 2050. If projections are correct, photovoltaic solar can provide enough electricity for expected global needs. About 75 terawatts in 2050.
Chart showing historical efficiency gains of both Silicon, Perovskite-Silicon hybrid, and stand alone silicon. There are no projections offered. But as of now, silicon stands at about 26%, Perovskite at about the same, but hybrid perovskite-silicon at about 34% conversion efficiency.
Flipboard Science Desk
1 day ago

Snopes investigates: Did researchers genetically modify cats to glow in the dark? https://flip.it/Sk6GuR
#Science #Cats #Caturday

tomsharp
1 day ago

In 1836, Michael Faraday showed that a metal cage (or bucket) shields electromagnetic radiation. #Poetry #Science #History #Electromagnetism #Faraday (https://sharpgiving.com/thebookofscience/items/p1836.html)

Drawing of an experimental setup where a charged sphere is lowered into a metal ice pail. A gold-leaf electroscope wired to the pail detects an electric field when the sphere is inside the bucket.
Flipboard Science Desk
1 day ago

The discovery of an ancient supermassive black hole that existed early in the life of the universe has some questioning the legitimacy of the Big Bang Theory. This would be a hasty conclusion, says Don Lincoln, writing for Big Think. https://flip.it/ghz5R2
#Science #Space #Universe #BigBangTheory

Tornado Quest
1 day ago

Tornado Quest Top Science Links For November 25 – December 2, 2023 #science #weather #climate #climatechange #drought #winter #wintersafety #cop28

Greetings everyone. Thanks for stopping by. December is here and that means the beginning of meteorological winter in the northern hemisphere. This week's post will have some very helpful winter weather safety information including an infographic on dressing for cold weather and a wind chill chart. It’s time to evaluate your winter weather wardrobe to make sure you’re warm during the cooler months.

http://tornadoquest.org/2023/12/02/tornado-quest-top-science-links-for-november-25-december-2-2023-science-weather-climate-climatechange-drought-winter-wintersafety-cop28/

Preston MacDougall
1 day ago

@SocraticEthics When given an opportunity by a children’s #science center in #Murfreesboro , children in #Tennessee also wanted to help children in #Ukraine by sending a care ❤️ package. https://www.newschannel5.com/news/ukraine-and-tennessee-children-become-pen-pals-through-card-campaign

Mike Smith
1 day ago

Many-worlds, probabilities, and world stacks

Matt O’Dowd tackles the issue of probabilities in the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics.

https://selfawarepatterns.com/2023/12/02/many-worlds-probabilities-and-world-stacks/
#QuantumMechanics #ManyWorlds #physics #quantum #science

Snowshadow
1 day ago

Babies Learn Language Best Through Sing-Song Speech, Not Phonetics
Source: University of Cambridge

Parents should speak to their babies using sing-song speech, like nursery rhymes, as soon as possible, say researchers. That’s because babies learn languages from rhythmic information, not phonetic information, in their first months.

#neuroscience #parenting #science #language #baby #speech #news

https://neurosciencenews.com/language-learning-neurodevelopment-25297/

Snowshadow
1 day ago

Satellite mapping of red snow on North American glaciers

Red snow caused by blooms of microalgae darkens the surface of summer snowfields, increasing snowmelt

#climatology #climatecrisis #climatechange #glacier #microalgae #redsnowalbedo #snowmelt #satellite #mapping #cartology #canada #bc #britishcolumbia #science #research #news

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adi3268

OamGui💚
1 day ago

Rappel : On rendez-vous à 20H pour mon créneau des 24H Vulga de @pogscience.bsky.social !

▶️ Vol animal, une multitude d'adaptations physiques : le cas des libellules 🦋 avec Camille Aracheloff

➡️ https://www.twitch.tv/oamgui

#twitch #vulgarisation #science #marathon #24hVulga #anneephysique

Image d'annonce 24Hvulga organisé par PogScience. Thématique La/Le/Les physiques-s. Créneau de la live pour ma chaîne : samedi 02 décembre de 20H à 22H avec Camille Aracheloff doctorante au Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Thème du live : Vol animal, une multitude d'adaptations physiques : le cas des libellules.
Mindy Weisberger (she/her)
1 day ago

Knitting friends! This may align with your interests— @scifri did a deep dive on the science of why today's mass-produced sweaters are kind of garbage compared to those of a few decades ago.

Of course, this only confirms what we already knew: Handknit sweaters are the best sweaters.

https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/sweater-bad-quality-science/

#science #SciComm #sweater #knitting

What Happens When Earth’s Magnetic Poles Flip #shorts #science #space - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZMnn392iiAs

IT News
1 day ago

Climate Cookbooks Are Here to Change How You Eat - Sustainable diets have been around for ages. An emerging cookbook genre that tackles the ... - https://www.wired.com/story/climate-cookbooks-are-here-to-change-how-you-eat/ #science/environment #dietforahotplanet #science

Stefan Bohacek
1 day ago

An interesting theory.

"Here's the thinking: when dinosaurs ruled Earth, it was necessary for the much smaller mammals to be able to reproduce quickly in order to survive, which means the genes for longer lifespans may have been discarded as evolution progressed."

https://www.sciencealert.com/dinosaurs-might-be-the-reason-were-not-living-to-200-years-old

#science #biology #anthropology #research

IT News
1 day ago

Roar of cicadas was so loud, it was picked up by fiber-optic cables - Enlarge / BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ (credit: astrida via Getty Images)

... - https://arstechnica.com/?p=1987931 #syndication #entomology #science #cicadas

Botany is important for awareness of climate change

“Focusing on learners' local environments may render their experiences with plants more relevant and meaningful and allow for a growing appreciation and empathy towards plants.”
#Plants #Botany #ClimateChange #Science

https://phys.org/news/2023-12-botany-feature-prominently-school-curriculum.html

Sheril Kirshenbaum
2 days ago

My research focuses on how senior congressional staffers in the U.S. make decisions on #science policy.

For over a year, I’ve been sifting through hours & hours & hours of transcripts from my interviews while analyzing the data & writing.

Now, it's time to begin sharing what I've learned... https://sheril.substack.com/p/lets-begin #politics

Bread and Circuses
2 days ago

Greta Thunberg (@gretathunberg) on the urgent need for system change...
___________________________

Until recently, you could argue that it was possible to save the climate without having to change our behavior. But that is no longer possible. The scientific evidence is crystal clear: our leaders have left it too late for us to avoid major lifestyle and systemic changes. There simply are not enough resources left.

If we are to have a chance of minimizing further irreparable damage, we now have to choose: either we safeguard living conditions for all future generations, or we let a few very fortunate people maintain their constant, destructive search to maximize immediate profits. 
___________________________

That's from page 240 in “The Climate Book.”

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/709837/the-climate-book-by-greta-thunberg/

#Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateEmergency

Greta Thunberg, wearing a red shirt, smiling at the camera, holding up a copy of The Climate Book.
The Conversation U.S.
2 days ago

Forensic anthropologists remain committed to returning names to the unidentified.

They are specialized scientists who analyze the skeletal remains of the recently deceased to help authorities figure out who the person was and what happened to them.

Learn more about this job, including the fascinating tools they use:
https://theconversation.com/forensic-anthropologists-work-to-identify-human-skeletal-remains-and-uncover-the-stories-of-the-unknown-dead-212663

#science #anthropology

The Xylom
2 days ago

Hello everyone, it's #Newstodon Friday, and we have some exciting news: between #GivingTuesday and today, our donations were +84% and donors have doubled compared to the same period last year!

Midway through our #NewsMatch campaign to bring back our Newsroom Fellowship, we still have a long ways to go.

Give now and see your impact tripled:

#nonprofit #science #health #environment #climate #news #fundraiser

https://opencollective.com/thexylom

We're raising $10,000 to bring back our Newsroom Fellowship! 

$1,374 raised* from 17 donors + matching funds from NewsMatch and The Miami Foundation (*as of 12/1)
Corey S Powell
2 days ago

Biologists studied microbes living a mile underground in South Dakota, in the same mine where their astronomy colleagues are hunting dark matter.

They found microbes that have never been seen before. These organisms shows the outer limits of what life can do, living without light, oxygen, or even food as we usually think of it. https://ami-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1462-2920.16543 #life #science #earth #aliens

Concatenated ribosomal protein tree containing all metagenome-assembled genomes for which at least 40% of target ribosomal proteins could be identified. Phyla with ** (Chlorobi and Ignavibacteria) have traditionally been considered separate phyla within the FCB superphylum. The GTDBTk toolkit has included them in the Bacteroidota phylum.
The Secret Life Of Plants🌱
2 days ago

Why do right-wing adherents engage in more animal exploitation and meat consumption? - #Science
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886914000944
#vegan #govegan #rightwing #meat #animalexploitation

Corey S Powell
2 days ago

The deep Earth is teeming with life. Underground microbes outweigh all the living things in the oceans!

And we are just beginning to discover the bizarre biological tricks they use to survive. A remarkable new study surveyed what is living a mile underground:
https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2023/11/minimalist-or-maximalist-the-life-of-a-microbe-a-mile-underground/ #life #nature #science #biology

Professor Magdalena Osburn collects samples during a visit to South Dakota's Deep Mine Microbial Observatory in August. Credit: Stephen Kenny/Sanford Underground Research Facility
James Hawley, PhD
2 days ago

Now I feel some sense of professional obligation to submit a "letter of concern" to the journal, but I can't find any links to do this directly.

It seems like I'm supposed to email Nature's main address to kick start the process. Does anyone have a better idea about how to do this?

#science #retractions #peerreview

Alan Kotok
2 days ago

A collaboration between biotechnology and dairy products businesses seeks to identify peptides in milk to form into dietary supplements for people with mood disorders.

https://sciencebusiness.technewslit.com/?p=45460

#News #Press #Science #Business #Dairy #Milk #Peptides #AminoAcids #Biotechnology #Chemistry #MentalHealth #Anxiety #Depression #Collaboration
#DietarySupplements

This gives me some hope that maybe humanity can fix its mistakes.

Maybe we can deëxtinct some other species that we killed. Maybe someday we can do something about climate change.

One can hope.

(Also, love the New Yorker-style dieresis!)

https://boingboing.net/2023/12/01/dodo-to-be-deextincted-with-genetic-engineering.html #science #deëxtinction #conservation #ecology #deextinction

James Hawley, PhD
2 days ago

After reviewing "Remote collaboration fuses fewer breakthrough ideas" more thoroughly, I believe it should be retracted. Here is a write-up of why this is the case:

https://jrhawley.ca/2023/12/01/remote-work-disruption

#science #retractions #remotework #innovation #statistics

michael
2 days ago

30-Nov-2023
Durable #PlasticPollution easily, cleanly degrades with new catalyst

Fishing nets, carpet, clothing break down without leaving harmful byproducts behind

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1009282 #science #environment #pollution #catalysis

michael
2 days ago

30-Nov-2023
Tis the season to recognize #chocolate: researchers highlight high quality #cacao in #Colombia

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1009718 #science #SeasonalScience #FoodScience

Nate Gaylinn
2 days ago

AI creativity has come a long way in recent years, but there's still something missing.

I really enjoyed this paper (https://sci-hub.st/10.1016/S0004-3702(98)00055-1) that explores what "creativity" really is, examples of artificial creativity in computers, and the gap between us and them.

The fun part is it was written in 1998. It's fascinating to compare LLMs to the examples Boden cites, to see how far we've come and how far we have left to go. The creativity framework she provides is super useful for doing this.

In particular, we still haven't made much progress in getting AI to understand what humans value, and how to use that to assess and refine its own work (hence iterative prompt engineering). There's also still a huge problem with depending on human curation. That's less obvious now that LLMs are just scooping up vast quantities of text instead of carefully curated datasets, but it's still happening behind the scenes (often with terrible worker conditions).

#science #ai #llm #generativeai #creativity #psychology

Bread and Circuses
2 days ago

Our plastic nightmare...
_________________________

Notably, over half of all plastic ever produced has been manufactured in the last two decades, and production continues to escalate. By 2040, plastic waste flowing into aquatic ecosystems is expected to triple, releasing an additional 1.5 trillion pounds of plastic into the environment.

And the problem gets worse when all this plastic starts breaking into smaller pieces.

Right now, you’re surrounded by high concentrations of microplastics. Look into the sunlight coming through your window, and you’ll see airborne microplastics floating around. Leave out a glass of water, and you’ll find microfibers from your clothes floating. Change your sheets, and you’ll see how many particles the fabric throws into the air. The dust in corners and lint on your clothes — it’s all plastic. And nearly everything around us generates microplastics, from synthetic fibers in carpets to polymer sealants on hardwood floors.

The threat posed by plastics has obvious and predictable repercussions for human health. Because they’ve invaded our bodies. Microplastics have now infiltrated our food chain, showing up in meat, table salt, and even in human breast milk. These minute particles, when ingested or inhaled, pose serious health risks, including inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders.

The toxicity of plastics is further exacerbated by the chemicals they harbor, such as phthalates, lead, and brominated flame retardants. These compounds disrupt endocrine systems, causing reproductive disorders and developmental issues. Shockingly, even unborn fetuses are not immune, with plastic particles detected in the placentas of pregnant women.

We are caught in a plastic progress trap, where plastic has become essential for our living while propelling us into degradation, tainting every corner of Earth and our bodies.
_________________________

The above excerpts are from a long and depressing piece covering not only health and pollution issues but also looking into attempted solutions.

Spoiler Alert: It doesn't appear that our nightmare will end anytime soon.

FULL ARTICLE -- https://archive.ph/hyUe4

ALTERNATE LINK -- https://medium.com/the-environment/plastic-overdose-the-addictive-spiral-of-disposable-living-4b552b0a0d35

#Health #Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #Pollution

Graphic illustrating that annual emissions from the plastic lifecycle are rapidly increasing, from the equivalent of 189 coal power plants in 2019, to a projected 295 coal plants in 2030, and 615 coal plants in 2050.