It takes an incredible amount of energy to both train and operate artificial intelligence software, as we explored last week in The Bleeding Edge – AI’s Thirst for Power.
OpenAI’s GPT-4 generative AI, which powers its ChatGPT, required about 10 megawatts (MW) of electricity to train. That’s roughly equivalent to the power requirements of 10,000 average homes.
It’s also about 833,000 times the electricity required to power the human brain.
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In 2023, a team of researchers proposed that our universe experienced not one, but TWO Big Bangs about a month apart from one another. The first for the stuff described by our Standard Model of Particle Physics. And the second for that ever elusive Dark Matter and all the particles associated with it.
The Sunny Spot | Sunny Shell speaking with guest, Ethan Siegel. Dr. Ethan Siegel’s discussions often emphasize the broader implications of habitable zones, in…
Published in Plant Phenomics:Click the link to read the full article for free:
The efficiency of N2-fixation in legume–rhizobia symbiosis is a function of root nodule activity. Nodules consist of 2 functionally important tissues: (a) a central infected zone (CIZ), colonized by rhizobia bacteria, which serves as the site of N2-fixation, and (b) vascular bundles (VBs), serving as conduits for the transport of water, nutrients, and fixed nitrogen compounds between the nodules and plant. A quantitative evaluation of these tissues is essential to unravel their functional importance in N2-fixation. Employing synchrotron-based x-ray microcomputed tomography (SR-μCT) at submicron resolutions, we obtained high-quality tomograms of fresh soybean root nodules in a non-invasive manner. A semi-automated segmentation algorithm was employed to generate 3-dimensional (3D) models of the internal root nodule structure of the CIZ and VBs, and their volumes were quantified based on the reconstructed 3D structures. Furthermore, synchrotron x-ray fluorescence imaging revealed a distinctive localization of Fe within CIZ tissue and Zn within VBs, allowing for their visualization in 2 dimensions. This study represents a pioneer application of the SR-μCT technique for volumetric quantification of CIZ and VB tissues in fresh, intact soybean root nodules. The proposed methods enable the exploitation of root nodule’s anatomical features as novel traits in breeding, aiming to enhance N2-fixation through improved root nodule activity.
Through the $1.4 billion partnership, DARPA will establish a domestic center for microelectronics manufacturing at the university.
When Elon’s critics say that Mars colonization is impossible, citing radiation as the main threat. They could not be more wrong…#space #nasa #mars Please…
It’s the twenty-fifth century, and advances in technology have redefined life itself. A person’s consciousness can now be stored in the brain and downloaded into a new body (or \.
Explore the unique characteristics that make fungi so resilient, and find out why they may be the key to future space travel.
Astronauts aboard the space station Mir made a frightening discovery: several species of Earth-derived fungi were found growing throughout the shuttle, blanketing air conditioners and corroding control panels, putting both the station’s integrity and their lives at risk. How had the fungi survived the journey to space? Shannon Odell shares why fungi may be the key to our future on other planets.
Continue reading “Why are scientists shooting mushrooms into space? — Shannon Odell” »
Call it the force’s doing, but it has been surprises galore for the GEDI mission.
In early 2023, the lidar mission that maps the Earth’s forests in 3D was to be burned up in the atmosphere to make way for another unrelated mission on the International Space Station. A last-minute decision by NASA saved its life and put it on hiatus until October 2024. Earlier this year, another surprise revealed itself: the mission that replaced GEDI was done with its work, effectively allowing GEDI to get back to work six months earlier than expected.
That’s how, in April, a robotic arm ended up moving the GEDI mission (short for Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation and pronounced “Jedi” like in the Star Wars films) from storage on the ISS to its original location, from where it now continues to gather crucial data on aboveground biomass on Earth.
Cambodia has welcomed 60 baby Siamese crocodiles — a hatching record for the endangered species in this century, conservationists say.
They have called it a “real sign of hope”, after more than 20 years of efforts to revive the reptile’s numbers in the remote Cardamom Mountains.
The olive green freshwater reptile has a distinct bony crest at the back of its head — by some estimates, it can grow up to 3m or nearly 10ft.
