Wednesday 8 May 2019

Smarter training of neural networks

These days, nearly all the artificial intelligence-based products in our lives rely on "deep neural networks" that automatically learn to process labeled data.

* This article was originally published here

Google's AI Assistant aims to transcend the smart speaker

When Google launched its now distinctive digital assistant in 2016, it was already in danger of being an also-ran.

* This article was originally published here

Graphite coating makes perovskite solar cells waterproof

A cheaper, cleaner and more sustainable way of making hydrogen fuel from water using sunlight is step closer thanks to new research from the University of Bath's Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies.

* This article was originally published here

Analysis of historical specimens determines single origin of Australian potato pest

Potato cyst nematodes (PCN) are quarantine soilborne pests that damage potatoes around the world, stunting plants and reducing yields. PCN results in losses of 9% of total potato production in Europe and can cause total losses in other regions of the world.

* This article was originally published here

Phage therapy treats patient with drug-resistant bacterial infection

The patient, a 15-year-old girl, had come to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital for a double lung transplant. It was the summer of 2017, and her lungs were struggling to reach even a third of their normal function. She had cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that clogs lungs with mucus and plagues patients with persistent infections. For eight years, she had been taking antibiotics to control two stubborn bacterial strains.

* This article was originally published here

US shuts down illegal web marketplace; 2 Israelis charged

The FBI has shut down a website it says was a gateway to illegal marketplaces on the darknet and announced the arrest of its two alleged Israeli operators. They are accused of making millions of dollars in kickbacks for their services.

* This article was originally published here

GM unveils $700 mn Ohio investment, plans to sell shuttered plant

General Motors Wednesday announced plans to invest $700 million in Ohio and to sell a shuttered plant to a company that makes electric trucks, drawing cheers from President Donald Trump who has assailed the US automaker for cutting American jobs.

* This article was originally published here

Radioactive carbon from nuclear bomb tests found in deep ocean trenches

Radioactive carbon released into the atmosphere from 20th-century nuclear bomb tests has reached the deepest parts of the ocean, new research finds.

* This article was originally published here

Most EU countries cut CO2 emissions last year: estimates

Most European Union countries reduced carbon dioxide emissions last year, estimates showed Wednesday, marking a turnaround in the battle against greenhouse gases as campaigners urged faster action to avoid the most damaging effects of climate change.

* This article was originally published here

U.S. improves emergency readiness, but gaps persist

(HealthDay)—The United States' ability to deal with major health emergencies quickly has improved significantly in recent years, researchers say.

* This article was originally published here

Wireless movement-tracking system could collect health and behavioral data

We live in a world of wireless signals flowing around us and bouncing off our bodies. MIT researchers are now leveraging those signal reflections to provide scientists and caregivers with valuable insights into people's behavior and health.

* This article was originally published here

Electricity grid cybersecurity will be expensive – who will pay, and how much?

Recently, a neighbor asked one of us whether Russia, China, North Korea and Iran really are capable of hacking into the computers that control the U.S. electricity grid. The answer, based on available evidence, is "Yes." The follow-up question was, "How expensive will it be to prevent, and who will end up paying for it?"

* This article was originally published here

Google bucks soaring smartphone prices with new Pixel

Google bucked the soaring smartphone price trend Tuesday, unveiling a high-performance Pixel handset aimed at the middle of the market as part of a wide-ranging pitch to developers of its new hardware, software and privacy efforts.

* This article was originally published here

Experimental cosmologist group launches its first iterations of space-traveling 'wafercraft'

These are the adventures of the "StarChip Wafersize."

* This article was originally published here

Fewer than half of British men and women have sex at least once a week

Fewer than half of men and women in Britain aged 16-44 have sex at least once a week, reveals a large study published by The BMJ today.

* This article was originally published here

High-speed experiments improve hypersonic flight predictions

When traveling at five times the speed of sound or faster, the tiniest bit of turbulence is more than a bump in the road, said the Sandia National Laboratories aerospace engineer who for the first time characterized the vibrational effect of the pressure field beneath one of these tiny hypersonic turbulent spots.

* This article was originally published here

Utilization and cancer yield of BI-RADS 3 lesions detected on high risk screening breast MRI

When appropriate, short-interval follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to identify early stage breast cancer and avoid unnecessary biopsies, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2019 Annual Meeting, set for May 5-10 in Honolulu, HI.

* This article was originally published here