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May 13, 2023

The Roads To Zettascale And Quantum Computing Are Long And Winding

Posted by in categories: computing, quantum physics

In the United States, the first step on the road to exascale HPC systems began with a series of workshops in 2007. It wasn’t until a decade and a half later that the 1,686 petaflops “Frontier” system at Oak Ridge National Laboratory went online. This year, Argonne National Laboratory is preparing for the switch to be turned on for “Aurora,” which will be either the second or the third such exascale machine in the United States, depending on the timing of the “El Capitan” system at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

There were delays and setbacks on the road to exascale for all of these machines, as well as technology changes, ongoing competition with China, and other challenges. But don’t expect the next leap to zettascale – or even quantum computing – to be any quicker, according to Rick Stevens, associate laboratory director of computing for environment and life sciences at Argonne. Both could take another 15 to 20 years or more.

Such is the nature of HPC.

May 13, 2023

U.S. Midwest to Face Dust Bowl Conditions in the Coming Decades

Posted by in category: transportation

In the 1930s the Dust Bowl decimated the U.S. Midwest. Are current conditions pointing to a reoccurrence in the 21st century?


A dust storm between St. Louis and Chicago led to a 72-vehicle pileup and 7 deaths recently. Conditions are ripe for more of the same.

May 13, 2023

The Difference Between AI and Machine Learning

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are two terms that are commonly used interchangeably. But they are not the same thing. Artificial Intelligence is a field which contains a lot of sub-fields, including Machine Learning.

In this article I hope to comprehensively differentiate between AI and Machine Learning. I’ll explain how Machine Learning is not the same thing as Artificial Intelligence, but rather a part of it – like a cog amongst many cogs that makes up the machine which is Artificial Intelligence.

To begin, I’ll discuss the two concepts separately, describe their subsets, and then state the relationship binding the two of them. I’ll explain how Machine Learning, as a cornerstone concept, fits into AI as a field.

May 13, 2023

Photographer’s Incredible ‘GigaMoon’ Image is Made From 280,000 Photos

Posted by in category: cosmology

Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy has captured a “GigaMoon” — a 1.3-gigapixel highly-detailed image of the Moon made from 280,000 photos.

It’s an image that McCarthy has wanted to capture for a long time, with multiple attempts thwarted by poor conditions.

May 13, 2023

Rare fossils fill a gap in the evolution of major animal groups

Posted by in categories: evolution, food, particle physics

Exceptionally well-preserved fossils from the Cambrian period have helped fill a gap in our understanding of the origin and evolution of major animal groups alive today.

A new analysis of fossils belonging to an extinct invertebrate called Rotadiscus grandis have helped place this species in the animal tree of life, revealing how some characteristics of living species may have evolved independently rather than originating in a single common ancestor.

Half a billion years ago, an unusual-looking animal crawled over the sea floor, using tentacles to pick up food particles along the way.

May 13, 2023

Scientists in Australia discover new deepwater shark species with unique eyes, egg cases

Posted by in category: futurism

The shark’s spooky white eyes and egg pouch set it apart from nearly all other shark species, scientists say.

May 13, 2023

One Giant Leap for Brand Kind

Posted by in category: space travel

https://youtube.com/watch?v=q49UdKvoj8I

Companies are sending their products into orbit and plastering their logos on spacecraft. Will space ads dull our sense of wonder about the universe?

May 13, 2023

The Graphene Era: 200x Stronger Than Steel, 5x Lighter Than Aluminum And The Best Conductivity Of Any Material

Posted by in categories: innovation, materials

Graphene, by all metrics, is a revolutionary material producing some unbelievable results. Avadain has developed a patented breakthrough technology for producing industrial volumes of large, thin, and nearly defect-free graphene flakes, addressing the $100B market demand for this revolutionary material.

May 13, 2023

Researchers Reveal the ‘Pangenome,’ a More Diverse Look at Human DNA

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, genetics

The new version of the human genome could lead to better diagnostics and treatment of genetic diseases.

May 13, 2023

Axiom Space gears up for second private human spaceflight mission to ISS

Posted by in category: space travel

Axiom Space’s second private crewed mission to the International Space Station is now scheduled to launch in just ten days, with the four-person crew preparing to conduct more than 20 scientific experiments while in space.

The Ax-2 mission will now launch no earlier than 5:37 p.m. EDT on May 21 from SpaceX’s Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The crew will travel to the station onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule, where they’ll remain for a roughly 10-day stint. This will mark the second fully private crew to visit the ISS; the first mission, also operated by Axiom Space, took place in April 2022.

The crew includes Peggy Whitson, the mission commander and Axiom’s director of human spaceflight; John Shoffner, the pilot; Ali Alqarni, mission specialist; and Rayyanah Barnawi, also a mission specialist. Alqarni and Barnawi are both members of Saudi Arabia’s first astronaut class and will be the first people from that country to visit the ISS. Shoffner, an Axiom investor, is the only paying customer on the crew.