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Hand gestures and vibrating belt enable drone control without visual feedback in early tests

Operating a drone manually requires pilots to watch a screen while coordinating controls. This divides attention between the aircraft and its surroundings. Researchers are exploring ways to make drone operation more intuitive and less dependent on continuous visual monitoring. A wearable interface developed at Jeonbuk National University combines hand gestures for sending commands with abdominal vibrations that indicate the drone’s position relative to the user.

The research team was led by professor Kee-Ho Yu of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Jeonbuk National University, Republic of Korea, along with researcher Myeong-Ho Shin and Dr. Giancarlo Eder Guerra Padilla from the same institute. The team paired a sensor worn on the back of the hand with a belt containing 36 vibration motors. A computer interprets 12 gestures as drone commands. Drone telemetry is translated into vibration patterns indicating direction, relative height and distance. The system was assessed through gesture-recognition tests, simulated flying, an indoor tactile-perception study and two real-drone tasks.

This paper was published in the journal IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.

2 scandals, 1 destination—Why Nvidia can’t shake China smuggling allegations

ALICE HUANG, JENSEN HUANG, NVIDIA AND SUPERMICRO: THE INVESTIGATION IS GETTING BIGGER.

What initially appeared to be a story about a woman suspected of having connections to Chinese intelligence and targeting Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is now intersecting with a much larger investigation into the alleged smuggling of advanced AI hardware into China.

According to Bloomberg, the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating whether Alice Huang was involved in moving products manufactured by Super Micro Computer ($SMCI) to China in violation of U.S. export restrictions.

And this is where things get particularly interesting.

1. The Super Micro connection.

Super Micro manufactures high-performance servers used in AI data centers, many of which incorporate Nvidia GPUs.

Continue reading “2 scandals, 1 destination—Why Nvidia can’t shake China smuggling allegations” | >

Unified framework establishes rules for classifying unconventional magnets

Researchers from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have developed a unified framework for establishing symmetry criteria and classifying unconventional magnets.

According to the researchers, the new framework provides a practical route for discovering and designing unconventional magnetic materials by replacing fragmented, case-by-case rules with a predictive and exhaustive symmetry principle.

Published in Newton on Nov. 12, the research was led by associate researcher Luo Xunjiang from the High Magnetic Field Laboratory of HFIPS, in collaboration with professor K.T. Law from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

US almonds, walnuts and grapes depend on draining groundwater that isn’t coming back

Half of the groundwater used to grow America’s favorite fruits, nuts, veggies, seeds and greens is drawn from aquifers faster than they can refill, according to a new study. Irrigating 75% of produce and specialty crops with groundwater between 2008 and 2020 helped spare farms from the immediate impacts of droughts, but dependence on draining aquifers could set up producers for future water supply strife.

A new study appearing in Water Resources Research provides the first county-level data on irrigation sources for 65 different specialty crops, including everything from cantaloupes to cabbage. “Up until this point, we’ve kind of been flying blind,” said Jackie Hanley, a civil engineering researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the study’s lead author.

Knowing where irrigation water goes and where it comes from—rivers, reservoirs or underground aquifers—is vital for farmers and policymakers deciding how to manage finite water supplies for farms in the face of mounting water scarcity.

Human basal ganglia atlas reveals how genes are regulated in individual cells

Salk Institute researchers have contributed to a landmark accomplishment in neuroscience: a 3D atlas of the human basal ganglia with single-cell genetic and epigenetic detail, published as a collection of 28 papers across Cell Press journals. The basal ganglia are a group of nerve cells that sit deep in the brain, where they control key functions like learning, emoting and moving. Basal ganglia dysfunction can lead to conditions like Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Tourette syndrome and addiction.

The atlas offers a new window into the brain, through which scientists can identify and pinpoint each cell in the human basal ganglia. This comprehensive database of brain cells and functions could be used to create personalized therapeutics, identify relevant epigenetic and genetic targets for gene-editing therapies, and link genetic risks with particular cell types for more targeted, effective treatments.

The effort is part of the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative, or the BRAIN Initiative, a massive collaboration launched in 2014 that brings together scientists to “revolutionize our understanding of the human brain.”

NVIDIA Announces CEO Transition

Jensen Huang resigns as NVIDIA’s CEO.

Nvidia CFO Colette Kress takes over as interim CEO after Jensen Huang resigns, effective immediately.

Nvidia’s official release, “NVIDIA Announces CEO Transition,” formally confirms Jensen Huang’s immediate resignation as President, Chief Executive Officer, and member of the Board of Directors after 33 years at the helm, while establishing an interim governance structure designed to reassure investors and customers ahead of upcoming quarterly results.

Core Structural Announcements.

* Immediate Resignation: Jensen Huang stepped down from all executive and board roles effective immediately, concluding his tenure leading the company he co-founded in 1993.

* Interim Leadership: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Colette Kress has been appointed Interim CEO while continuing to serve as CFO. She has been a central architect of Nvidia’s financial and operational scaling since joining in September 2013.

* Board Restructuring & Search: Longtime director and former Synopsys CEO Harvey C. Jones has been named Nvidia’s first-ever Chair of the Board. The board has initiated a formal search process—evaluating both internal executives and external candidates—to identify a permanent successor.

Continue reading “NVIDIA Announces CEO Transition” | >

Learning for Life: How Curiosity Shapes Well-Being with Bia Adams

An Open Conversation hosted by Curt Newton.

Join neuropsychologist and lifelong learner Bia Adams in conversation with Curt Newton, Director of MIT OpenCourseWare, as they discuss how curiosity and continuous learning can transform personal growth and mental well-being. From neuroscience to quantum physics, Bia’s journey illustrates how open-access education empowers individuals to thrive in an ever-changing world.
About the speakers.

Bia Adams is a neuropsychologist and therapist. She combines knowledge and experience from psychology and medical neuroscience, as well as from less conventional domains in order to understand and help minds, bodies, machines and technology. Adams uses all of her knowledge and expertise to ensure she achieves the desired results for her clients and patients.

Curt Newton leads MIT OpenCourseWare in supporting millions of global learners and educators every year with freely shared materials from over 2,500 MIT courses. Newton joined OpenCourseWare in 2004, shortly after its launch, captivated by the promise of open education, and worked as a Publication Manager and Site Curator prior to becoming Director in 2018.

Newton is also a recognized leader in building more effective and equitable climate action through open knowledge practices and resources, at MIT and around the world, through a wide range of professional and civic engagements.

Find MIT Lifelong Learning resources at https://learn.mit.edu/.

Continue reading “Learning for Life: How Curiosity Shapes Well-Being with Bia Adams” | >

Light-controlled tool halts cellular recycling to offer disease mechanism clues

Inside each cell is a dynamic world of molecules and chemicals, signals and receivers, and construction and destruction. With all this activity, it’s inevitable that cellular parts get worn down over time. Thankfully, cells have evolved an efficient recycling process that breaks old parts down to their building blocks, which can then be repurposed and reused. Christina Towers, Ph.D., is an expert on this recycling process, called autophagy.

“The word literally breaks down into ‘auto,’ which means self, and ‘phagy,’ which means eat,” explains Towers, an assistant professor and holder of the Richard Heyman and Anne Daigle Endowed Developmental Chair at Salk. “And it’s a highly conserved process—from plants to humans. We also know that dysfunctional autophagy is linked to many different diseases. To target autophagy in multiple disease scenarios, we must first understand the fundamental biology of it.”

Towers’ latest study, published in Nature Cell Biology, debuts a new tool for understanding this fundamental biology: ASAP (Autophagic SNARE for Abrupt Photomanipulation), a light-based tool that rapidly, precisely and reversibly turns autophagy on and off.