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Space-time, the interwoven fabric of space and time

Few ideas in modern science have reshaped our understanding of reality more profoundly than space-time: the interwoven fabric of space and time at the heart of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.

Space-time is frequently described as the fabric of reality. In some accounts, this fabric is referred to as a fixed, four-dimensional block universe, a complete map of all events, past, present and future.

In others, it’s a dynamic field that bends and curves in response to gravity. But what does it really mean to say that space-time exists? What kind of thing is it? Is space-time structure, substance or metaphor?

New study counters idea that Jupiter’s mysterious core was formed by a giant impact

A new Durham University study has found that a giant impact may not be responsible for the formation of Jupiter’s remarkable “dilute” core, challenging a theory about the planet’s history.

Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, has a mystery at its heart. Unlike what scientists once expected, its core doesn’t have a sharp boundary but instead gradually blends into the surrounding layers of mostly hydrogen (a structure known as a dilute core).

How this dilute core formed has been a key question among scientists and astronomers ever since NASA’s Juno spacecraft first revealed its existence.

Jupiter Brains & Mega Minds

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We often contemplate superintelligent entities, and advances in AI and human mind augmentation may soon bring them about. But how big could they get? What would they think about? And might you, or I, one day become one ourselves?

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Credits:
Jupiter Brains & Mega Minds [2025 Extended Edition]
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur.
Graphics:
Jeremy Jozwik.
Sergio Botero.
Ken York.
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images.
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Accelerating GPU indexes in Faiss with NVIDIA cuVS

The Faiss library is an open source library, developed by Meta FAIR, for efficient vector search and clustering of dense vectors. Faiss pioneered vector search on GPUs, as well as the ability to seamlessly switch between GPUs and CPUs. It has made a lasting impact in both research and industry, being used as an integrated library in several databases (e.g., Milvus and OpenSearch), machine learning libraries, data processing libraries, and AI workflows. Faiss is also used heavily by researchers and data scientists as a standalone library, often paired with PyTorch.

Collaboration with NVIDIA

Three years ago, Meta and NVIDIA worked together to enhance the capabilities of vector search technology and to accelerate vector search on GPUs. Previously, in 2016, Meta had incorporated high performing vector search algorithms made for NVIDIA GPUs: GpuIndexFlat ; GpuIndexIVFFlat ; GpuIndexIVFPQ. After the partnership, NVIDIA rapidly contributed GpuIndexCagra, a state-of-the art graph-based index designed specifically for GPUs. In its latest release, Faiss 1.10.0 officially includes these algorithms from the NVIDIA cuVS library.

Chinese scientists have uncovered a deposit of 1 million tons of thorium, estimated to be worth $178 billion

Deep within the rugged hills of Inner Mongolia, Chinese scientists have unearthed something that could reshape the global energy landscape. In the Bayan Obo mining region, researchers have identified an estimated one million tons of thorium —a rare-earth element that could revolutionize nuclear power.

Triple cardiovascular disease detection with an artificial intelligence-enabled stethoscope (TRICORDER): design and rationale for a decentralised, real-world cluster-randomised controlled trial and implementation study

Introduction Early detection of cardiovascular disease in primary care is a public health priority, for which the clinical and cost-effectiveness of an artificial intelligence-enabled stethoscope that detects left ventricular systolic dysfunction, atrial fibrillation and cardiac murmurs is unproven but potentially transformative.

Methods and analysis TRICORDER is a pragmatic, two-arm, multi-centre (decentralised), cluster-randomised controlled trial and implementation study. Up to 200 primary care practices in urban North West London and rural North Wales, UK, will be randomised to usual care or to have artificial intelligence-enabled stethoscopes available for use. Primary care clinicians will use the artificial intelligence-enabled stethoscopes at their own discretion, without patient-level inclusion or exclusion criteria.

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