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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Coronapod: An untapped resource
09 April 2020: A plastic-recycling enzyme, and supercooled molecules
Coronapod: Ramping up responses
02 April 2020: Dating an ancient hominid skull, and an ancient Antarctic rainforest
Coronapod: Old treatments and new hopes
25 March 2020: Ultra-fast electrical switches, and computing heart health
Podcast Extra: Rosamund Pike on portraying Marie Curie
Coronapod: “Test, test, test!”
19 March 2020: Rosamund Pike in Radioactive, and the resurgence of Russian science
Podcast Extra: Coronavirus - science in the pandemic
Long Read Podcast: Are feelings more than skin deep?
12 March 2020: An ancient bird trapped in amber, and life beneath the ocean floor
05 March 2020: Ultrafast machine vision, and quicker crystal creation
Backchat: Covering coronavirus
27 February 2020: Mapping fruit flies’ neural circuitry, and perfecting the properties of metallic glass
Podcast Extra: ‘There is lots of anxiety’: a scientist’s view from South Korea
20 February 2020: Improving battery charging, and harnessing energy from the air
13 February 2020: The puzzling structures of muddled materials, and paving the way for the quantum internet
06 February 2020: Out-of-office emails and work-life-balance, and an update on the novel coronavirus outbreak
30 January 2020: Linking Australian bushfires to climate change, and Asimov's robot ethics
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