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The first time a language model was used to synthesize human proteins.

Of late, AI models are really flexing their muscles. We have recently seen how ChatGPT has become a poster child for platforms that comprehend human languages. Now a team of researchers has tested a language model to create amino acid sequences, showcasing abilities to replicate human biology and evolution.

The language model, which is named ProGen, is capable of generating protein sequences with a certain degree of control. The result was achieved by training the model to learn the composition of proteins. The experiment marks the first time a language model was used to synthesize human proteins.

A study regarding the research was published in the journal *Nature Biotechnology Thursday. *The project was a combined effort from researchers at the University of California-San Francisco and the University of California-Berkeley and Salesforce Research, which is a science arm of a software company based in San Fransisco.

## The significance of using a language model

Google worked to reassure investors and analysts on Thursday during its quarterly earnings call that it’s still a leader in developing AI. The company’s Q4 2022 results were highly anticipated as investors and the tech industry awaited Google’s response to the popularity of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which has the potential to threaten its core business.

During the call, Google CEO Sundar Pichai talked about the company’s plans to make AI-based large language models (LLMs) like LaMDA available in the coming weeks and months. Pichai said users will soon be able to use large language models as a companion to search. An LLM, like ChatGPT, is a deep learning algorithm that can recognize, summarize and generate text and other content based on knowledge from enormous amounts of text data. Pichai said the models that users will soon be able to use are particularly good for composing, constructing and summarizing.

“Now that we can integrate more direct LLM-type experiences in Search, I think it will help us expand and serve new types of use cases, generative use cases,” Pichai said. “And so, I think I see this as a chance to rethink and reimagine and drive Search to solve more use cases for our users as well. It’s early days, but you will see us be bold, put things out, get feedback and iterate and make things better.”

Pichai’s comments about the possible ChatGPT rival come as a report revealed this week that Microsoft is working to incorporate a faster version of ChatGPT, known as GPT-4, into Bing, in a move that would make its search engine, which today has only a sliver of search market share, more competitive with Google. The popularity of ChatGPT has seen Google reportedly turning to co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin for help in combating the potential threat. The New York Times recently reported that Page and Brin had several meetings with executives to strategize about the company’s AI plans.

During the call, Pichai warned investors and analysts that the technology will need to scale slowly and that he sees large language usage as still being in its “early days.” He also said that the company is developing AI with a deep sense of responsibility and that it’s going to be careful when launching AI-based products, as the company plans to initially launch beta features and then slowly scale up from there.

The results highlight some potential strengths and weaknesses of ChatGPT.

Some of the world’s biggest academic journal publishers have banned or curbed their authors from using the advanced chatbot, ChatGPT. Because the bot uses information from the internet to produce highly readable answers to questions, the publishers are worried that inaccurate or plagiarised work could enter the pages of academic literature.

Several researchers have already listed the chatbot as a co-author in academic studies, and some publishers have moved to ban this practice. But the editor-in-chief of Science, one of the top scientific journals in the world, has gone a step further and forbidden any use of text from the program in submitted papers.

It’s not surprising the use of such chatbots is of interest to academic publishers. Our recent study, published in Finance Research Letters, showed ChatGPT could be used to write a finance paper that would be accepted for an academic journal. Although the bot performed better in some areas than in others, adding in our own expertise helped overcome the program’s limitations in the eyes of journal reviewers.

However, we argue that publishers and researchers should not necessarily see ChatGPT as a threat but rather as a potentially important aide for research — a low-cost or even free electronic assistant.

The metals refining company behind the new development claims to also be eco-friendly.

Mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP), a nickel product vital to EV battery development, is going to be produced in the U.S. for the first time by Massachusetts metals refining company Nth Cycle, according to a report by *electrek* published on Thursday.

Megan O’Connor, cofounder and CEO of Nth Cycle, said about the development: “We can economically and efficiently solve a key supply chain challenge for EV OEMs and battery manufacturers by offering MHP produced from our unique electro-extraction platform.”

“And as we continue to decarbonize the grid and electrify transportation, it’s more important than ever that our refining processes are environmentally sound and labor practices are safe. Our MHP product ensures both,” she added.

## The Inflation Reduction Act

The rise of social media has changed our day to day lives. But more and more reports show that social media and especially social media can impact our brain. Social media addiction might also to a decline in mental health. How does social media changes us? And are the effects by social media addiction reversal?

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Social media has been developed to connect people. However, quite early, scientists found that social media (and social media addiction) can lead to changes in the brain such an enlarged amygdala. First reports surfaced showing that people compare their lives to lives they see on social media and report a decline of mental health upon heavy social media use. It seems like our brains cannot distinguish between social media and the real world. Social media also led to an attention span crisis meaning that we have a harder time to focus if we spend much time on social media. Moreover, social media is able to feed into the reward system of our brains. Everytime we perceive something good dopamine producing cells in the brain release dopamine which leads to a good feeling. Social media has used this mechanism to provide us with a constant stream of good feelings. Social media algorithms have been optimize to show more social media content in a shorter period of time leading to more dopamine. As a result, some argue that social media addiction should be recognized as a mental disorder.

Savant syndrome is a strange condition that gives people unique abilities. Although savant syndrome is very rare reported cases gain genius-like abilities in narrow domains. But how can we explain savant syndrome? And could we induce savant syndrome in normal people?

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Savant syndrome is characterized by unique skills in art, music, mechanics, calendar calculation or maths. Savant syndrome can be acquired through injuries or frontotemporal dementia or be developed in people with autism spectrum disorder. In acquired savant syndrome and autism spectrum disorder, unique connections in the brain led to the condition. In savant syndrome, we often find that the left hemisphere is damaged and the right brain hemisphere has to compensate for this. Based on this observation, we can partially induce savant syndrome like abilities through transcranial magnetic stimulation. Many questions concerning savant syndrome remain but this condition is truly amazing.

We all know that exercise is good for our health. But besides lowering the risk of obesity or type II diabetes, exercise has also been shown to benefit our brain. More precisely, exercise modifies parts of the brain and improves memory, attention and improves mood. Regular exercise further lowers the risk to suffer from dementia or depression. But how does exercise benefit our brains?

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Philosophers have speculated for centuries that exercise promotes our brain functionality but only a few decades ago, scientists uncovered that this is true. Studies have shown that children who are more athletic perform better in creativity, concentration, maths verbal and IQ tests. These children also tend to have a larger hippocampus and basal ganglia both of which are important for memory and attention span. Adults who started to workout regularly also have changes in their brain and perform better in various tests. There are several mechanisms which explain this phenomenon. When we exercise, brain cells release VEGF which helps to supply the brain with oxygen. Moreover, neurotrophins are released when we workout which helps the survival of brain cells. Exercise also seems to improve neuroplasticity through the same pathways. Since exercise leads to the release of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, workouts also have been used to treat mental disorders such as depression. In various studies it was seen exercise helps to alleviate the symptoms of people who suffer from major depression.

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Generative AI, which is based on Large Language Models (LLMs) and transformer neural networks, has certainly created a lot of buzz. Unlike hype cycles around new technologies such as the metaverse, crypto and Web3, generative AI tools such as Stable Diffusion and ChatGPT are poised to have tremendous, possibly revolutionary impacts. These tools are already disrupting multiple fields — including the film industry — and are a potential game-changer for enterprise software.

All of this has led Ben Thompson to declare in his Stratechery newsletter to declare generative AI advances as marking “a new epoch in technology.”

The death toll from the earthquake in Turkey and Syria is likely to “more than double”, according to a United Nations emergency relief coordinator.

Martin Griffiths, speaking to Sky News on Saturday, said he expected tens of thousands more deaths.

At least 24,596 people have been confirmed dead after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Turkey and north-western Syria on Monday, with multiple aftershocks.