Science

New AI model can predict human lifespan, researchers say. They want to make sure it’s used for good

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Built using the same transformer models powering other large language models, a new AI tool is able to predict events in human lives, researchers say. Credit: Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University Researchers have created an artificial intelligence tool that uses sequences of life events—such as health history, education, job and income—to predict everything from a person’s personality … Read more

Ancient stars could make elements with more than 260 protons

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R-process nucleosynthesis. Credit: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory The first stars of the universe were monstrous beasts. Comprised only of hydrogen and helium, they could be 300 times more massive than the sun. Within them, the first of the heavier elements were formed, then cast off into the cosmos at the end of their short lives. … Read more

First CRISPR gene-editing treatment approved in U.S.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the country’s first gene-editing treatment, Casgevy, for use in patients with sickle cell disease. The approval comes about a decade after the discovery of CRISPR technology for editing human DNA, representing a significant scientific advancement. Yet reaching the tens of thousands of people who could benefit … Read more

High-sensitivity visualization of ultrafast carrier diffusion by wide-field holographic microscopy

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Sketch of the imaging and holographic part of the transient holographic microscope, including the trains of pulses to illustrate the signal modulation approach. The array of diffraction limited excitation spots is created by imaging a pinhole array at the sample position, enabling simultaneous acquisition of transient data around 100 excitation spots. Credit: Ultrafast Science (2023). … Read more

Live Christmas trees affect indoor air chemistry, researchers find

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NIST researchers placed a common type of Christmas tree in a sealed chamber for 17 days to monitor and measure the chemicals it emits. These chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) give that pine smell and can react with ozone to form byproducts. They found low amounts of these chemicals, which may be a potential … Read more

Which do children trust more when learning new information?

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A child watching a robot provide accurate or inaccurate information. Credit: SUTD In this digital age, children are exposed to overwhelming amounts of information online, some of it unverified and increasingly generated by non-human sources, such as AI-driven language models. As children grow older, the ability to assess a source’s reliability is an important skill … Read more

Researchers use VLT exoplanet hunter to study Jupiter’s winds

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Image of Jupiter taken by NASA’s Juno spacecraft in February 2022. The dark spot is the shadow of the moon Ganymede. The colorful patterns are formed by clouds at different altitudes and made up mainly of ammonia ice, ammonium hydrosulfide and water. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS. Image processing by Thomas Thomopoulos For the first time, an instrument … Read more

Residents of Iceland village near volcano that erupted are allowed to return home

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A view of the still steaming fissure from above, in Grindavik on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Marco Di Marco Residents of the small Icelandic fishing village near where a volcano erupted were told Friday they could return home. The regional police chief said residents, business owners and employees could enter … Read more

How Montreal researchers are using AI to discover new species

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Seen in sci-fi movies, artificial intelligence (AI) has often been villainized. But scientists in Montreal are harnessing the technology for good, enabling entomologists to discover new species and better understand the effects of climate change. The project’s seed was planted in Montreal’s Insectarium where there are more than 3,000 insects and some 1,500 free-flying butterflies. … Read more

Hubble sights a galaxy with ‘forbidden’ light

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This NASA Hubble Space Telescope image features a bright spiral galaxy known as MCG-01-24-014, which is located about 275 million light-years from Earth. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Kilpatrick This whirling image features a bright spiral galaxy known as MCG-01-24-014, which is located about 275 million light-years from Earth. In addition to being a well-defined … Read more