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Old tricks, new tech: Scams in the age of AI

As a college student, Gabriel Aguilar fell victim to an elaborate scam. The fraudsters posed as employers offering job opportunities that provided quick income.

He completed what seemed like a legitimate interview process, was offered a position and was even sent a check to purchase a laptop—which included a note from the perpetrators to send them the change. The was to unfold with the check bouncing and Dr. Aguilar being out his own money. Thankfully, his bank flagged the check because of typos and errors.

Aguilar, now an assistant professor of technical writing and professional communication in The University of Texas at Arlington’s Department of English, examines how today’s scammers are employing artificial intelligence (AI) to help con the public—in particular, the Latino population, which is often targeted.

Next-generation memory: Tungsten-based SOT-MRAM achieves nanosecond switching and low-power data storage

The ability to reliably switch the direction of magnetic alignment in materials, a process known as magnetization switching, is known to be central to the functioning of most memory devices. One known strategy to achieve entails the creation of a rotational force (i.e., torque) on electron spins via an electric current; a physical effect known as spin-orbit torque (SOT).

Information storage devices that rely on this effect are called spin-orbit torque magnetic random-access memories (SOT-MRAMs). These memory systems have been found to have various notable advantages, such as the ability to retain data even when their is turned off, fast switching compared to other various existing memory solutions and .

Researchers at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the Industrial Technology Research Institute and other institutes recently developed a new SOT-MRAM based on that contain the heavy metal tungsten, which is known for its strong spin-orbit coupling. Their memory device, introduced in a paper published in Nature Electronics, could be fabricated via existing processes for the large-scale production of semiconductors.

Magnetic ‘switchback’ detected near Earth for the first time

In recent years, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has given us a close-up look at the sun. Among the probe’s revelations was the presence of numerous kinks, or “switchbacks,” in magnetic field lines in the sun’s outer atmosphere. These switchbacks are thought to form when solar magnetic field lines that point in opposite directions break and then snap together, or “reconnect,” in a new arrangement, leaving telltale zigzag kinks in the reconfigured lines.

In their article published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, E. O. McDougall and M. R. Argall now report observations of a switchback-shaped structure in Earth’s magnetic field, suggesting that switchbacks can also form near planets.

The researchers discovered the switchback while analyzing data from NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, which uses four Earth-orbiting satellites to study Earth’s magnetic field. They detected a twisting disturbance in the outer part of Earth’s magnetosphere—the bubble of space surrounding our planet where a cocktail of charged particles known as is pushed and pulled along Earth’s .

Unlocking the skin’s natural healing power for regenerative medicine

Our skin protects us from everyday mechanical stresses, like friction, cuts, and impacts. A key part of this function—standing as a bulwark against the outside world—is the skin’s amazing ability to regenerate and heal. But where does this healing ability begin?

In a new study published in Nature Communications, an interdisciplinary team led by the laboratories of Kaelyn Sumigray, Ph.D., and Stefania Nicoli, Ph.D., discovered that, during the earliest stages of embryonic development, contribute to forming a protective skin layer that accelerates healing as the embryo grows.

Their findings reveal one of the earliest steps in how skin stem cells learn to repair tissue—knowledge that could help engineer improved for transplantation.

Novel antibiotic targets IBD—and AI predicted how it would work before scientists could prove it

Researchers at McMaster University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have made two scientific breakthroughs at once: they not only discovered a brand-new antibiotic that targets inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), but also successfully used a new type of AI to predict exactly how the drug works. To their knowledge, this is a global first for the AI.

Detailed in the journal Nature Microbiology, the discovery unveils a promising new treatment option for millions of people affected by Crohn’s disease and other related conditions, while also showcasing important new applications for AI in drug discovery research.

“This work shows that we’re still just scratching the surface as far as AI-guided drug discovery goes,” says Jon Stokes, an assistant professor in McMaster’s Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences and principal investigator on the new study.

Solar energy is now the world’s cheapest source of power, study finds

Solar energy is now so cost-effective that, in the sunniest countries, it costs as little as £0.02 to produce one unit of power, making it cheaper than electricity generated from coal, gas or wind, according to a new study from the University of Surrey.

In a study accepted for publication in Energy and Environment Materials, researchers from Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) argue that solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is now the key driver of the world’s transition to clean, renewable power.

Professor Ravi Silva, co-author of the study and Director of the ATI at the University of Surrey, said, Even here in the U.K., a country that sits 50 degrees north of the equator, solar is the cheapest option for large-scale energy generation.

‘Chemo brain’ cognitive issues linked to poor lymphatic-system drainage

Cancer is a challenging enough diagnosis, but many patients are dealt a second blow, even as they heal: “chemo brain.”

Also called “brain fog,” this mix of cognitive issues— , struggling to find words, an inability to concentrate—affects up to three-in-four cancer patients, according to multiple studies. For many, the effects last years beyond .

A new study offers new models for studying causes of and points to the effects of chemotherapy drugs on the brain’s lymphatic system, which is a network of tiny vessels in the brain’s protective membranes that help remove waste and transport immune cells. The study was published Oct. 13 in Communications Biology.

China achieves important breakthrough in creating ‘shield’ for fusion reactor

Prototype component of the divertor of China’s Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Technology (CRAFT) Photo: Xinhua.

China has achieved an important breakthrough in the development of its next-generation “artificial sun” with the prototype component of the divertor of China’s Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Technology (CRAFT), passing expert evaluation and acceptance procedures on Monday, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The CRAFT is a platform on which engineers develop and test key components of fusion energy reactors.

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