Deep in the frozen north of Russia’s Sakha Republic lies a place where time is being reversed and a once extinct environment is being brought back to life. How is something like this possible and what impact could it have on our world?
Category Archives: Science
Science: Optical Atomic Clocks Redefine Time, Astronomer Vera Rubin
A web of three optical atomic clocks show incredibly accurate measurements of time, and the trailblazing astronomer who found hints of dark matter.
In this episode:
00:44 Optical clock network
Optical atomic clocks have the potential to reach new levels of accuracy and redefine how scientists measure time. However, this would require a worldwide system of connected clocks. Now researchers have shown that a network of three optical clocks is possible and confirm high levels of accuracy.
Research Article: BACON collaboration
News and Views: Atomic clocks compared with astounding accuracy
08:55 Research Highlights
The possible downside of high-intensity workouts, and the robot with adaptable legs for rough terrain.
Research Highlight: Can people get too much exercise? Mitochondria hint that the answer is yes
Research Highlight: A motorized leg up: this robot changes its limb length to suit the terrain
11:26 Vera Rubin
Vera Rubin was an astronomer whose observations were among the first to show evidence of dark matter. At the time, female astronomers were a rarity, but Vera blazed the trial for future women in science.
Books Review: Vera Rubin, astronomer extraordinaire — a new biography
18:35 Briefing Chat
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, carbon cost of bottom trawling, and the fictional French researcher confounding metrics.
The Guardian: Bottom trawling releases as much carbon as air travel, landmark study finds
Science: Who is Camille Noûs, the fictitious French researcher with nearly 200 papers?
Science & Nature: ‘Spiders’ Using Static Electricity To Fly (BBC Earth Video)
New scientific research from the University of Bristol in the UK has discovered that some spiders use static electricity to aid flight.
Science Research: What Is The ‘Berkeley Lab’ (Video)
The Lawrence Lab? The Berkeley Lab? Lawrence Livermore Berkeley Lab? Luther Burbank Laboratory? Berkeley Countrywide Laboratory? Nope. Not quite. We’re Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, or Berkeley Lab for short. But we do understand the confusion — it’s hard to remember names, especially when so many sound alike! So we jammed 90 years of history into less than 3 minutes to help you get it right.
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, commonly referred to as Berkeley Lab, is a United States national laboratory that conducts scientific research on behalf of the Department of Energy. Located in the hills of Berkeley, California, the lab overlooks the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.
Interview: ‘GENIUS MAKERS’ Author Cade Metz On Artificial Intelligence From A Human Perspective
How Cade got access to the stories behind some of the biggest advancements in AI, and the dynamic playing out between leaders at companies like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook.
Cade Metz is a New York Times reporter covering artificial intelligence, driverless cars, robotics, virtual reality, and other emerging areas. Previously, he was a senior staff writer with Wired magazine and the U.S. editor of The Register, one of Britain’s leading science and technology news sites. His first book, “Genius Makers”, tells the stories of the pioneers behind AI.
Topics discussed: 0:00 Sneak peek, intro 3:25 Who is “Genius Makers” for and about? 7:18 *Spoiler alert!* Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) 11:01 How the story continues after the book ends 17:31 Overinflated claims in AGI 23:12 Deep Mind, OpenAI, and AGI 29:02 Outsider perspectives 34:35 Early adopters of ML 38:34 Who gets credit for what? 42:45 Dealing with bias 46:38 Aligning technology with nee
Covid-19: Inside Medicine’s Longest Year (2020 – 2021)
Science: Covid Treatments & Smart Cities Built With Smart Materials (Podcast)
Science Staff Writer Kelly Servick discusses how physicians have sifted through torrents of scientific results to arrive at treatments for SARS-CoV-2.
Sarah also talks with Wesley Reinhart, of Pennsylvania State University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Institute for Computational and Data Science, about why we should be building smart cities from smart materials, such as metamaterials that help solar panels chase the Sun, and living materials like self-healing concrete that keep buildings in good shape.
TOP JOURNALS: RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM SCIENCE MAGAZINE (MAR 19, 2021)
Science: Computer AI That Debates, Sea Slugs Regrow Entire Bodies (Podcast)
A computer that can participate in live debates against human opponents.
In this episode:
00:43 AI Debater
After thousands of years of human practise, it’s still not clear what makes a good argument. Despite this, researchers have been developing computer programs that can find and process arguments. And this week, researchers at IBM are publishing details of an artificial intelligence that is capable of debating with humans.
Research Article: Slonim et al.
News and Views: Argument technology for debating with humans
10:30 Research Highlights
The sea slugs that can regrow their whole body from their severed head, and evidence of high status women in ancient Europe.
Research Highlight: Now that’s using your head: a sea slug’s severed noggin sprouts a new body
Research Highlight: A breathtaking treasure reveals the power of the woman buried with it
12:56 Briefing Chat
We discuss some highlights from the Nature Briefing. This time, the next generation of gravitational wave detectors, and why 2020 was a record-breaking year for near-Earth asteroids.
Boomers Daily 