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Summary: This week’s neuroscience revelations encompass intriguing findings from the enigmatic genetics of mind-controlling hairworms to the groundbreaking link between alcohol use disorders and certain neuronal plasticity genes.

A novel theory proposes that the location of memory storage in the brain depends on its generalizability rather than age, adding a new dimension to our understanding of memory management. A new AI system demonstrates an impressive ability to identify violations of social norms, promising advancements in AI capabilities.

Meanwhile, a study on cognitive decline post-retirement reveals surprising variances across different race, sex, and education levels.

Most Americans favor NASA’s focus on deflecting asteroids to protect Earth rather than pursuing lunar and Martian exploration.

In a galaxy not so far away, most Americans are casting their eyes on the skies, but not necessarily on the Moon or Mars. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center has unveiled that most Americans are more concerned about the threat of potential asteroid impacts on Earth, urging NASA to deflect these space intruders rather than diverting its resources to lunar and Martian exploration.

The survey, conducted among over 10,000 individuals, offers an insightful glimpse into the public’s views on space exploration, NASA’s role, private space companies, and the United States’ position as a leader in space.

The new regulation also seeks to prevent “robot bosses” that automate hiring decisions.

On Thursday, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa. introduced two new bills to protect workers from intrusive workplace surveillance and so-called robot bosses, according to a report published by NBC News.

“I think generally everyone around here is keenly focused on providing a strategy to confront what can only be described as an awesome challenge for the country,” Casey told the news outlet about the new regulation he hopes will see the light of day soon.

A prominent engineer in the AI field believes robots can be designed to support humans not replace them.

A prominent engineer in AI claims humans and robots can work together peacefully if they can build a “bond of trust.” The claim is a far cry from the doomsday scenarios painted by many experts in the field.

Tariq Iqbal, an assistant professor of systems engineering and computer science in the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, says he strives for machines to work with people, not replace them.

Experts are worried about rising temperatures caused by human activity.

Scientists around the world are worried about recent weather events and say humans are “100 percent behind” the worrisome rise in temperatures and accompanying side effects, according to a report published by BBC News.

Among them was the hottest day ever recorded in July, breaking the global average temperature record set in 2016.

The cryptocurrency of OpenAI Inc. Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman is set to launch Monday, Semafor reported.

A breakdown of how the Worldcoin tokens will be distributed will also be made public, according to the report, which cited unidentified people familiar with the matter.

A spokeswoman at Tools for Humanity, the company behind Worldcoin, declined to comment to Semafor. Worldcoin’s Twitter account posted a message on Sunday saying “It’s time. 24.7.23.” The post did not have further details.

There are now over 1.9 million orders for the long-awaited Tesla Cybertruck, per a crowd-sourced data tracker. Speaking on an Earnings Call earlier this week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated that demand for the Cybertruck is “so off the hook, you can’t even see the hook.”

Given that Tesla plans to produce 375,000 Cybertrucks a year at peak capacity, new orders will technically take around 5 years to arrive. That said, a significant amount of reservation holders may not follow through with their purchase — after all, the deposit to reserve a Cybertruck was only $100. The Cybertruck is being produced at Giga Texas, although it’s a possibility it could also be built at Giga Mexico when the proposed factory is up and running in a few years’ time.

It will be interesting to see if the Cybertruck will be offered outside of North America. Currently, those in Tesla’s European and Asian markets can pre-order the truck. That said, the Cybertruck’s large size and hefty weight could make selling it overseas a serious challenge. For example, in several European nations it would have to be classed as a commercial truck or semi.