Lifeboat Foundation

Archaeologists and computer scientists have worked together to create an artificial intelligence (AI) program capable of translating ancient cuneiform texts. The researchers say their goal is for the program to form part of a “human-machine collaboration”, which will assist future scholars in their study of archaic languages.

Cuneiform is thought to be the oldest writing system in the world. Recorded by gouging symbols into clay tablets, it was originally developed by the Mesopotamians in what is now Iraq, where it started out as a way of keeping track of bread and beer rations. The system quickly spread throughout the ancient Middle East, where it remained in use continuously for over 3,000 years.

Thousands of documents, most written in either the Sumerian or Akkadian languages using the cuneiform script, survive to this day; but translating them can be a major headache. For one thing, there simply aren’t that many people with the necessary expertise. For another, the texts are often broken up into fragments.

The company’s Destinus 3 prototype is expected to be the world’s first hydrogen-powered unmanned aircraft, soaring supersonic at Mach 1.3.

SpaceX will need another six weeks or so to finish implementing hundreds of changes to its Super Heavy-Starship rocket and the gargantuan booster’s Texas launch pad before it will be ready for a second attempt to reach orbit, company founder Elon Musk said Saturday.

That’s assuming Federal Aviation Administration clearance to fly in the wake of the Super Heavy’s dramatic maiden launch April 20 in which the rocket blew itself up after multiple engine failures and the Starship upper stage’s failure to separate from the first stage booster.

In a Twitter Spaces discussion with author Ashlee Vance, Musk said SpaceX is implementing “well over a thousand” changes,” and “I think the probability of this next flight working, getting to orbit, is much higher than the last one. Maybe it’s like 60 percent. It depends on how well we do at stage separation.”

Modern timber buildings can be cheap, green and fireproof | Science & technology.

In the quantum world, the observer determines the physical nature of what is being observed. The notion of an objective reality is lost.

How many humans does it take to make tech seem human? Millions.

I’ve covered quite a few thermal cameras over the years, some standalone units and others that are built into smartphones. For the average user, they offer a performance and sensitivity that’s more than adequate.

But sometimes you need something that goes beyond more than adequate.

This is where the Xinfrared T2S Plus comes into play.

Continue reading “This thermal camera is so sensitive it can see you breathe” »

A team of chemists from MIT and Duke University has discovered a counterintuitive way to make polymers stronger: introduce a few weaker bonds into the material.

Working with a type of polymer known as polyacrylate elastomers, the researchers found that they could increase the materials’ resistance to tearing up to tenfold, simply by using a weaker type of crosslinker to join some of the polymer building blocks.

Continue reading “Adding weaker bonds can enhance polymer’s resistance to tearing” »

Cybertruck release candidates (i.e. near-production versions that may have a few faults) are due in August, with customer deliveries targeted for the end of Q3 2023. Given that likely equates to an end-of-September delivery event, it makes sense that Tesla is already gearing up for mass production.

A leaked video also gave a brief preview of Cybertruck production in action. Check out the below tweet for more.