In this episode:
Researchers at Google Deepmind have developed an AI that can solve International Mathematical Olympiad-level geometry problems, something previous AIs have struggled with. They provided the system with a huge number of random mathematical theorems and proofs, which it used to approximate general rules of geometry. The AI then applied these rules to solve the Olympiad problems and show its workings for humans to check. The researchers hope their system shows that it is possible for AIs to ‘learn’ basic principles from large amounts of data and use them to tackle complex logical challenges, which could prove useful in fields outside mathematics.
Research article: Trinh et al.
A stiff and squishy ‘hydrospongel’ — part sponge, part hydrogel — that could find use in soft robotics, and how the spread of rice paddies in sub-Saharan Africa helps to drive up atmospheric methane levels.
Research Highlight: Stiff gel as squishable as a sponge takes its cue from cartilage
Research Highlight: A bounty of rice comes at a price: soaring methane emissions
Mass Mortality Events, sometimes called mass die-offs, can result in huge numbers of a single species perishing in a short period of time. But there’s not a huge amount known about the effects that events like these might be having on wider ecosystems. Now, a team of researchers have built a model ecosystem to observe the impact of mass die-offs on the delicate balance of populations within it.
Research article: Tye et al.
An update on efforts to remove the stuck screws on OSIRIS-REx’s sample container, the ancient, fossilized skin that was preserved in petroleum, and a radical suggestion to save the Caribbean’s coral reefs.
OSIRIS-REx Mission Blog: NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Team Clears Hurdle to Access Remaining Bennu Sample
Nature News: This is the oldest fossilized reptile skin ever found — it pre-dates the dinosaurs
Nature News: Can foreign coral save a dying reef? Radical idea sparks debate
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On the origin of numbers
New hope for vaccine against a devastating livestock disease
Audio long-read: How harmful are microplastics?
The 'zombie' fires that keep burning under snow-covered forests
Coronapod: The variant blamed for India's catastrophic second wave
The brain implant that turns thoughts into text
Coronapod: Waiving vaccine patents and coronavirus genome data disputes
Oldest African burial site uncovers Stone Age relationship with death
Coronapod special: The inequality at the heart of the pandemic
What fruit flies could teach scientists about brain imaging
Audio long-read: How drugmakers can be better prepared for the next pandemic
Coronapod: Kids and COVID vaccines
Meet the inflatable, origami-inspired structures
Coronapod: could COVID vaccines cause blood clots? Here's what the science says
The sanitation crisis making rural America ill
Coronapod: A whistle-blower’s quest to take politics out of coronavirus surveillance
Audio long-read: Rise of the robo-writers
Coronapod: How to define rare COVID vaccine side effects
Antimatter cooled with lasers for the first time
Coronapod: the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID vaccine - what you need to know
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