Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have shown that a single, standard silicon transistor, the core component of microchips found in computers, smartphones, and nearly all modern electronics, can mimic the functions of both a biological neuron and synapse.
A synapse is a specialized junction between nerve cells that allows for the transfer of electrical or chemical signals, through the release of neurotransmitters by the presynaptic neuron and the binding of receptors on the postsynaptic neuron. It plays a key role in communication between neurons and in various physiological processes including perception, movement, and memory.
The p-Tau217 biomarker is one of the most exciting advances in neurology for decades, giving us a new opportunity to accurately predict and potentially prevent (or at least substantially delay) MCI and Alzheimer’s. That it rises so early in the course of the disease—which incubates over 20 years—gives us a long runway of opportunity to intervene, be it with lifestyle factors or drugs. I now refer to the former as lifestyle plus because it is no longer just about the details of diet, exercise and sleep. There are several other dimensions of modifiable factors.
An APOE4 allele or a polygenic risk score for Alzheimer’s tests are binary. They only tell us if a person has increased risk (yes or no) but not when. It makes a huge difference if that at age 98 or 68. With serial assessment of p-Tau217 (several months or years apart) as part of a comprehensive assessment using multimodal A.I., it is very likely that the temporal plot (see Figures under Question 2 above) can be defined at the individual level. I lay out the blueprint for this and lifestyle plus fully in Super Agers. Individuals with elevated p-Tau217 at high-risk many years before the onset of any symptoms creates a new path for surveillance and prevention. Multiple new drugs are in the pipeline to be part of a prevention program.
Even though it intuitively appears to be the case, more work needs to be done to determine whether lowering one’s p-Tau217 will alter the brain plaque progression and be seen as a disease-modifier. Clearly there is now a hunt for even better blood tests that may one day supersede p-Tau217 or be in a panel with it.
Now this is the sort of application of AI that really intrigues me. Researchers have developed DolphinGemma, the first large language model (LLM) for understanding dolphin language. It could help us translate what these incredible creatures are saying, potentially much faster than we ever could with manual approaches used over several decades.
“The goal would be to one day speak Dolphin,” says Dr. Denise Herzing. Her research organization, The Wild Dolphin Project (WDP), exclusively studies a specific pod of free-ranging Atlantic spotted dolphins who reside off the coast of the Bahamas.
She’s been collecting and organizing dolphin sounds for the last 40 years, and has been working with Dr. Thad Starner, a research scientist from Google DeepMind, an AI subsidiary of the tech giant.
Tesla is navigating challenges in the EV market, including supply chain issues and production adjustments, while maintaining optimism about advancements in self-driving technology and preparing for future earnings ## Questions to inspire discussion ## Tesla’s FSD Progress.
🚗 Q: How has Tesla’s FSD version 13 performed in recent tests? A: FSD v13 on hardware 4 showed incredible performance with no unplanned disengagements over 490 miles of winding mountain and coastal roads, including navigating flagger-regulated oncoming traffic.
🌎 Q: What are the expectations for Tesla’s FSD version 14? A: FSD v14 is expected to be overfit for Austin and potentially deployed unsupervised globally in a short timeframe, subject to regulatory approval. Tesla’s Manufacturing and Supply Chain.
🔋 Q: How is Tesla addressing rare earth element concerns in motor production? A: Tesla’s rare earth free motors use 25% less rare earth elements than industry average, positioning them well against China’s export controls on 7 rare earth elements, including neodymium.
📊 Q: What insights might Tesla’s upcoming earnings call provide? A: The April 22nd earnings call will likely address supply chain and margin impacts from China’s rare earth export controls, battery supply constraints, and tariff effects. Tesla’s Product Updates.
📷 Q: What undocumented changes are included in Tesla’s AI4 vehicles spring release? A: The release includes a wider angle rear view, side repeater cameras at the top, and B-pillar dash cam and Sentry mode video recording capabilities.
Tesla is advancing its full self-driving technology in Austin, Texas, with plans for an unsupervised robo taxi service by June 2025, positioning itself for significant revenue growth and regulatory approval through enhanced safety and efficiency ## ## Questions to inspire discussion Operational Efficiency.
🏭 Q: How is Tesla using unsupervised FSD at Giga Texas? A: Tesla is using unsupervised FSD to drive new Model Y and Cybertruck units from production lines to outbound logistics lots, logging over 50,000 driverless miles between Texas and Fremont factory deployments.
💰 Q: What are the benefits of automating car movement at Giga Texas? A: Automating car movement reduces labor costs, improves throughput, creates a scalable logistics model, and boosts production margins. Regulatory Advantage.
🚗 Q: How does Tesla benefit from Texas regulations regarding autonomous vehicles? A: Texas laws don’t require permits for autonomous vehicles, providing Tesla with a regulatory advantage and a lower-risk proving ground before public rollout of robo taxis. Technological Edge.
🖥️ Q: What hardware advantages does Tesla’s FSD system have over competitors? A: Tesla’s vision-only FSD with Tesla-designed HW4 uses no LIDAR or radar, accelerating the data flywheel with unsupervised miles accumulated. Future Prospects.
🚕 Q: When and where will Tesla launch its first public unsupervised robo taxi service? A: Tesla plans to launch its first public unsupervised robo taxi service in Austin as a pilot rollout in June 2025.
Joscha Bach, cognitive scientist & AI researcher, talks about philosophy in computation, East Germany, AI, ChatGPT, AlphaZero, human intelligence, consciousn…
