Menu

Blog

Page 1590

Jan 2, 2024

Quantum Key Distribution for Secure Optical Communication

Posted by in categories: encryption, quantum physics, security

In the modern digital age, where data flows freely and sensitive information is constantly in transit, secure communication has become essential. Traditional encryption methods, while effective, are not immune to the evolving threat landscape. This is where quantum key distribution (QKD) emerges as a revolutionary solution, offering unmatched security for transmitting sensitive data.

Image Credit: asharkyu/Shutterstock.com

The idea of quantum key distribution (QKD) dates back to Stephen Wiesner’s concept of quantum conjugate coding at Columbia University in the 1970s. Charles H. Bennett later built on this idea, introducing the first QKD protocol, BB84, in the 1980s, using nonorthogonal states. Since then, it has matured into one of the most established quantum technologies, commercially available for over 15 years.

Jan 2, 2024

The Transformative Potential of AGI — and When It Might Arrive | Shane Legg and Chris Anderson | TED

Posted by in categories: business, robotics/AI

As the cofounder of Google DeepMind, Shane Legg is driving one of the greatest transformations in history: the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI). He envisions a system with human-like intelligence that would be exponentially smarter than today’s AI, with limitless possibilities and applications. In conversation with head of TED Chris Anderson, Legg explores the evolution of AGI, what the world might look like when it arrives — and how to ensure it’s built safely and ethically.

If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas: https://ted.com/membership.

Continue reading “The Transformative Potential of AGI — and When It Might Arrive | Shane Legg and Chris Anderson | TED” »

Jan 2, 2024

Generative AI: Transforming education into a personalized, addictive learning experience

Posted by in categories: education, robotics/AI

It’s no surprise that educators have an uneasy relationship with generative AI.


Education has always been centered around the human element, and it’s hard to imagine a world where machines can replace that.

Continue reading “Generative AI: Transforming education into a personalized, addictive learning experience” »

Jan 2, 2024

The Big Backlash Against AI-Generated Art, Explained

Posted by in categories: internet, robotics/AI

Generative AI has sparked a tremendous backlash across the internet, as the early promise of the technology has been overshadowed by the wide range of problems it has introduced.


It’s true that no artist was asked if their work could be used to train these models. But even if the courts rule in favor of the machines, the practical application of the technology doesn’t seem worth the cost.

Generative AI is incredibly energy-intensive, surprisingly labor-intensive, and requires constant input — annotation — from human workers to keep it functional, lest it spiral into hallucinogenic nonsense.

Continue reading “The Big Backlash Against AI-Generated Art, Explained” »

Jan 2, 2024

The Transformative Potential of AGI — and When It Might Arrive

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, sustainability, transportation

The Chinese automaker sold over 3 million clean energy vehicles, with Tesla reporting just 1.35 million in the first three quarters of the year.

Chinese electric vehicle company Build Your Dreams (BYD) is set to become the largest EV maker in 2023, overtaking Tesla for the second year in a row.

Continue reading “The Transformative Potential of AGI — and When It Might Arrive” »

Jan 2, 2024

Russian passenger plane takes wrong turn, ends up on a frozen river

Posted by in category: transportation

This time of year, temperatures in the region can drop to-40 degrees Fahrenheit.


The viral story of a Russian passenger plane of Polar Airlines Antonov AN-24 landing on a frozen river has now become an icy reality.

Jan 2, 2024

Gene on/off? New tech lets scientists control genes like a light switch

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, innovation

Unlike older methods that use things foreign to our bodies, this one doesn’t trigger our immune system and employs small molecules to interact with RNA.


Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have developed a breakthrough technology to regulate gene expression in gene therapy, addressing the crucial issue of maintaining therapeutic gene levels within a safe range.

This is important because having too much or too little of a gene’s activity within a therapeutic window can cause problems. Their method uses tiny substances in amounts approved by the FDA to control the genes.

Continue reading “Gene on/off? New tech lets scientists control genes like a light switch” »

Jan 2, 2024

From sight to storage: Scientists crack code for how we remember

Posted by in category: neuroscience

The neural processes behind memory encoding in the brain have been revealed in this new research.


However, beneath this seemingly effortless experience, there exist intricate neural processess.

Dartmouth College researchers have identified the complicated neurological systems that regulate how the human brain stores memories.

Continue reading “From sight to storage: Scientists crack code for how we remember” »

Jan 2, 2024

China, Russia claim to have tested hack-proof quantum communication link

Posted by in categories: cybercrime/malcode, encryption, quantum physics

The secure quantum communication covered a distance of about 4,000 kilometers using China’s quantum satellite Mozi.


Scientists in Russia and China have established quantum communication encrypted with the help of secure keys transmitted by China’s quantum satellite, reports SCMP.

Jan 2, 2024

Mark Zuckerberg’s football field-sized facility has a doomsday bunker

Posted by in category: existential risks

An extensive luxurious facility for a billionaire is no surprise, but the secrecy around the project raises many questions.


The facility is more than a personal getaway for the Zuckerbergs hosting office and conferencing facilities and an industrial-scale kitchen.