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New RoboReward dataset and models automate robotic training and evaluation

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms has opened new possibilities for the development of robots that can reliably tackle various everyday tasks. Training and evaluating these algorithms, however, typically requires extensive efforts, as humans still need to manually label training data and assess the performance of models in both simulations and real-world experiments.

Researchers at Stanford University and UC Berkeley have introduced RoboReward, a dataset for training and evaluating AI algorithms for robotics applications, specifically vision-language reward-based models (VLMs).

Their paper, published on the arXiv preprint server, also presents RoboReward 4B and 8B, two new VLMs that were trained on this dataset and outperform other models introduced in the past.

Tiny earthquakes reveal hidden faults under Northern California

The work, by researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of California, Davis and the University of Colorado Boulder, is published in Science.

“If we don’t understand the underlying tectonic processes, it’s hard to predict the seismic hazard,” said co-author Amanda Thomas, professor of earth and planetary sciences at UC Davis.

Efficient cooling method could enable chip-based quantum computers

Quantum computers could rapidly solve complex problems that would take the most powerful classical supercomputers decades to unravel. But they’ll need to be large and stable enough to efficiently perform operations. To meet this challenge, researchers at MIT and elsewhere are developing quantum computers based on ultra-compact photonic chips. These chip-based systems offer a scalable alternative to some existing quantum computers, which rely on bulky optical equipment.

These quantum computers must be cooled to extremely cold temperatures to minimize vibrations and prevent errors. So far, such chip-based systems have been limited to inefficient and slow cooling methods.

Now, a team of researchers at MIT and MIT Lincoln Laboratory has implemented a much faster and more energy-efficient method for cooling these photonic chip-based quantum computers. Their approach achieved cooling to about 10 times below the limit of standard laser cooling.

It Shouldn’t Exist: Scientists Find Signs of Ancient Life in the Most Unlikely Place

Dr. Rowan Martindale, a paleoecologist and geobiologist at the University of Texas at Austin, was hiking through Morocco’s Dadès Valley in the Central High Atlas Mountains when an unusual detail in the rocks made her stop.

She and her team, including Stéphane Bodin of Aarhus University, were moving through the rugged landscape to investigate the ecology of ancient reef systems that once lay beneath the sea.

Reaching those reefs meant crossing repeated stacks of turbidites, sediments left behind by powerful underwater debris flows. Turbidites often preserve ripple marks, but Martindale noticed something else layered on top of the ripples. The surface showed small, irregular corrugations that did not fit what she expected to see.

Compulsive Behavior May Not Be a “Bad Habit” After All, New Study Finds

A common belief is that compulsive behaviors trap people in a “habit loop” that takes over self-control. New research, however, suggests this explanation may be incomplete. For many years, compulsive behavior has been explained as people becoming trapped in a “habit loop” that takes over self-con

Boys and girls tend to use different strategies to solve math problems, new research shows

New studies show girls prefer step-by-step math algorithms, while boys favor creative shortcuts. This difference in approach, rather than raw ability, may explain why men continue to outnumber women in advanced STEM fields.

High-dose birth control pills linked to elevated fear in safe contexts

A new study published in Neuropsychopharmacology suggests that the use of oral contraceptives may influence how the brain regulates fear responses in safe environments. The research indicates that women who use birth control pills, particularly those with higher doses of synthetic estrogen, may experience elevated fear in safe contexts compared to women who have never used hormonal contraception. The findings also imply that these alterations in fear processing could persist for a significant period after an individual stops taking the medication.

Anxiety disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder are nearly twice as prevalent in women as they are in men. Biological factors likely contribute to this disparity, with sex hormones acting as potential mediators. Specifically, the hormone estradiol plays a significant role in how the brain manages fear and memory.

Effective fear regulation requires the ability to distinguish between a threat and a safety signal based on the surrounding environment. For example, seeing a snake in a forest might require a fear response, while seeing a snake in a zoo enclosure should not. This process is known as contextual fear regulation.

Research reveals a surprising physiological reaction to viewing social bonding

While the participants viewed these images, the researchers recorded their electrocardiographic signals. They measured the heart rate variability during a resting baseline period before the images appeared. They continued to measure it while the participants viewed the images. Finally, they measured it during a recovery period after the images were removed from the screen.

The results contradicted the team’s initial predictions. The data showed a distinct decrease in vagally mediated heart rate variability when participants viewed the bonding images. This physiological shift did not occur when they viewed the control images.

The reduction in variability during the bonding condition indicates a phenomenon known as “vagal withdrawal.” The parasympathetic system reduced its activity, similar to how the body reacts to stress or a demand for attention. This reaction suggests the body was mobilizing rather than relaxing.

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