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Feb 12, 2021

New Machine Learning Theory Raises Questions About the Very Nature of Science

Posted by in categories: information science, physics, robotics/AI, science, space

A novel computer algorithm, or set of rules, that accurately predicts the orbits of planets in the solar system could be adapted to better predict and control the behavior of the plasma that fuels fusion facilities designed to harvest on Earth the fusion energy that powers the sun and stars.

The algorithm, devised by a scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), applies machine learning, the form of artificial intelligence (AI) that learns from experience, to develop the predictions. “Usually in physics, you make observations, create a theory based on those observations, and then use that theory to predict new observations,” said PPPL physicist Hong Qin, author of a paper detailing the concept in Scientific Reports. “What I’m doing is replacing this process with a type of black box that can produce accurate predictions without using a traditional theory or law.”

Qin (pronounced Chin) created a computer program into which he fed data from past observations of the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and the dwarf planet Ceres. This program, along with an additional program known as a “serving algorithm,” then made accurate predictions of the orbits of other planets in the solar system without using Newton’s laws of motion and gravitation. “Essentially, I bypassed all the fundamental ingredients of physics. I go directly from data to data,” Qin said. “There is no law of physics in the middle.”

Feb 12, 2021

BenevolentAI doses first patient in atopic dermatitis drug trial

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

UK-based BenevolentAI has dosed the first patient in its first-in-human clinical trial of its novel multi-target drug, BEN-2293, for treating atopic dermatitis (AD).

Designed and developed using BenevolentAI’s scientific and technical expertise, BEN-2293 is a potent and selective small-molecule Pan-Trk antagonist formulated for topical delivery.


BenevolentAI has dosed the first patient in its clinical trial of its novel multi-target drug, BEN-2293, for treating atopic dermatitis (AD).

Feb 12, 2021

Researcher hacks into 35 major technology firms

Posted by in category: cybercrime/malcode

A Romanian threat researcher detailed in a published report Wednesday how he broke into IT systems belonging to some of the largest corporations in the world. His assaults successfully targeted Apple, Microsoft, Tesla, PayPal, Netflix and more than 30 other corporations.

Feb 12, 2021

HuggieBot 2.0: A soft and human-size robot that hugs users on request

Posted by in category: robotics/AI

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (MPI-IS) and ETH Zürich have recently created HuggieBot 2.0, a robot that can hug users at their request. This robot, set to be presented at the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) in March, builds on a previous robotic system created by Alexis E. Block, one of the authors, during her Master’s degree.

Feb 12, 2021

Swirlonic Super Particles: Physicists Baffled by a Novel State of Matter

Posted by in category: particle physics

A novel state of matter has been discovered by physicists at the University of Leicester.

In recent years, active, self-propelled particles have received growing interest amongst the scientific community. Examples of active particles and their systems are numerous and very diverse, ranging from bacterium films to flocks of birds or human crowds. These systems can demonstrate unusual behavior, which is challenging to understand or model.

To this end, large-scale models of active particles were being scrutinized by experts at Leicester, in order to understand basic principles underlying active particle dynamics and apply them in a scenario of an evacuation strategy for customers in crowded place. Unexpectedly, the ‘super-particles’ milling in a circular motion were stumbled upon by Leicester’s physicists who subsequently coined the phenomenon as “swirlonic.”

Feb 12, 2021

“Farfarout” – Astronomers Confirm Solar System’s Most Distant Planetoid

Posted by in category: space

A team, including an astronomer from the University of Hawaiʻi Institute for Astronomy (IfA), have confirmed a planetoid that is almost four times farther from the Sun than Pluto, making it the most distant object ever observed in our solar system. The planetoid, nicknamed “Farfarout,” was first det.

Feb 12, 2021

Scientists find first evidence of rare Higgs boson decay

Posted by in categories: particle physics, quantum physics

This work provides evidence for something scientists predicted long ago.


Scientists have spotted the first evidence of a rare Higgs boson decay, expanding our understanding of the strange quantum universe.

Feb 12, 2021

Should you mix and match COVID-19 vaccines? Scientists are seeking answers

Posted by in category: biotech/medical

With nine vaccines now showing they can powerfully prevent severe illness and death from #COVID19—and vaccines in short supply—researchers are mulling an issue that, even a few months ago, was only hypothetical: Should people mix and match vaccines that require two shots?


Scarce vaccine supplies ramp up interest in combining different doses.

Feb 12, 2021

New Israeli Drug Could Hold a Key to Stopping the COVID-19 Pandemic

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, innovation

An Israeli drug that has been successful in initial trials, could hold a key in blunting the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty patients in serious condition participated in the trial and all recovered, most of them in less than a week. Sonya Cohen was one of them and she could one day be seen as a walking #miracle.

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#covidcure #Israel #Israeli #innovation #fightcovid #breakthrough.
Ichilov Hospital, Tel Aviv

Feb 12, 2021

Elon Musk is serious about making Tesla Roadster ‘hover’ with rocket technology

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, sustainability, transportation

Elon Musk is serious about making the upcoming Tesla Roadster “hover” with rocket technology in new comments about the electric supercar.

When first unveiling the vehicle, Tesla claimed a list of impressive specs for its new Roadster, including 0–60 mph in 1.9 sec, 620-mile of range, and more.

The CEO has been also teasing those specs as the “base specs,” and other versions should have even crazier performance.