Armed with dozens of motion-sensing cameras, William Grooms spent this past summer documenting wildlife across Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico. It was his first field season collecting photos for a two-year study to understand how forest structure influences biodiversity in the Southern Rocky Mountains.
Pups that carry your shopping are one thing – but what about the mechanical canines being bought up in the US by ICE? Or the mutant mutts due to be developed by a startup called Warhound? Have you ever wanted to hang out with a dog with no fur, no face and a chip in its shoulder? If so, I suggest you head to San Francisco, where a startup called Dimensional has been paying people $20 (£15) an hour to walk four-legged robot dogs . This isn’t because the dogs need the exercise – it is because the company needs the training data. As reported in the New York Times, the goal is to develop “operating systems that can integrate with AI agents so the machines can act more independently”. What exactly will these machines do when they can act more independently? The founder of Dimensional insists they will help people. They might carry groceries home, for example, which is certainly something my tiny chihuahua-mix is incapable of. Continue reading...
Researchers at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) are studying the relationship between the genetics of Nelore cattle and the microorganisms in their guts (microbiota). Nelore cattle are the most widely raised beef breed in Brazil. The goal is to develop strategies that reduce emissions of methane—a major greenhouse gas—and improve the animals' feed efficiency.
Chinese researchers have developed a new way to improve sodium–sulfur battery performance by changing the atomic structure of a catalyst. Led by professors Wang Hui and Zheng Fangcai from the High Magnetic Field Laboratory at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the study is published in Angewandte Chemie.
I thought the explanation I’d given about black holes was family-friendly; but after what she had said, I had to rethink my examples Read more in the a job that changed me series In the first year of my science degree, I was fortunate to land a job as an astronomy guide at the Sydney Observatory. In my role, I would lead tour groups of about 20 people. We’d look at stars and planets through telescopes. If the skies were filled from horizon to horizon with clouds, we’d explore more of the universe through a 3D theatre. And to peer beyond what our telescopes could see, we’d pile inside the cosy planetarium, seeing what the light pollution of Sydney and clouds would often obstruct from our view. My favourite object to show in the planetarium was the Hubble Ultra Deep Field image. Before revealing the image, I’d explain how the Hubble space telescope had stared at a piece of sky the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length for 11 days, collecting enough light to look into the farthest corners of the universe. Then I’d zoom in on that tiny piece of sky, revealing the gorgeous image. At least one person would audibly gasp at the reveal. Continue reading...
According to quantum electrodynamics, the theory describing interactions between light and electrically charged particles, a sufficiently strong electric field can, in principle, convert some of its energy into particles and their antimatter partners. A particle's antimatter partner has the same mass and, for electrically charged particles, the opposite electric charge.
A doctoral dissertation by Andrea Porcheddu, MSc in the field of Technical Physics will be examined at the Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology, Kuopio campus.
Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra is urging the energy secretary to approve the controversial plans.
