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Why the long interface? AI systems don’t ‘get’ the joke, research reveals

Powerful artificial intelligence (AI) systems, like ChatGPT and Gemini, simulate understanding of comedy wordplay, but never really “get the joke,” a new study suggests.

Researchers wanted to find out whether large language models (LLMs) can understand puns—also known as paronomasia—wordplay that relies on double meanings or sound-alike words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect.

While earlier studies suggest LLMs could process this type of humor in a similar way to humans, the team from Cardiff University and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice found AI systems mostly memorize familiar joke structures rather than actually understand them.

Hidden household toxin triples liver disease risk, study finds

PCE, a dry-cleaning chemical found in many everyday products, has been linked to tripled risk of serious liver damage. Scientists have uncovered a new environmental culprit behind liver disease: tetrachloroethylene (PCE), a chemical used in dry cleaning and household products. The study found that people with PCE exposure were three times more likely to develop severe liver scarring, even when traditional risk factors like alcohol or obesity were absent. The chemical is widespread in air, water, and consumer goods, making it a stealthy threat to public health.

Liver disease most often develops due to one of three major causes: excessive alcohol use, the buildup of fat in the liver associated with obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol, or viral infections such as hepatitis B and C.

Researchers from Keck Medicine of USC have identified another potential cause of liver damage. A new study published in Liver International links tetrachloroethylene (PCE), a chemical widely used in dry cleaning and found in household products like adhesive glues, spot removers, and stainless steel polish, to serious liver harm.

NASA, SpaceX launch US–European satellite to monitor Earth’s oceans

About the size of a full-size pickup truck, a newly launched satellite by NASA and its partners will provide ocean and atmospheric information to improve hurricane forecasts, help protect infrastructure, and benefit commercial activities, such as shipping.

The Sentinel-6B satellite lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in central California at 9:21 p.m. PST on Nov. 16. Contact between the satellite and a ground station in northern Canada occurred about 1 hour and 30 minutes later at 10:54 p.m. All systems are functioning normally.

“Understanding tidal patterns down to the inch is critical in protecting how we use our oceans every day on Earth,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “Sentinal-6B will build upon the legacy of Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich by making sea level measurements that improve forecasts used by communities, businesses, and operations across the country. It also will support a safer reentry for our astronauts returning home, including crew from Artemis Moon missions.”

Hidden high-energy water reveals a new molecular force

Water trapped inside tiny molecular cavities behaves in a surprisingly energetic way, pushing outward like people crammed in an elevator. When a new molecule enters these narrow spaces, the confined water forces its way out—boosting the strength of the molecular bond that forms in its place. Researchers from KIT and Constructor University have now proven this effect both experimentally and theoretically, showing that these “highly energetic” water molecules can dramatically influence how other molecules interact.

Function of the Spine

Your spine is an important bone structure that supports your body and helps you walk, twist and move. Your spine is made up of vertebrae (bones), disks, joints, soft tissues, nerves and your spinal cord. Exercises can strengthen the core muscles that support your spine and prevent back injuries and pain.

Learn more about what your spine does and how this bone structure is important for your health.

Ultrasonic device dramatically speeds harvesting of water from the air

MIT engineers designed an ultrasonic system to “shake” water out of an atmospheric water harvester.

MIT researchers designed a device that quickly recovers drinking water from an atmospheric water harvesting material. The system uses ultrasonic waves to shake the water out of the material, recovering water in minutes.

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