Using AI to oversee dynamic fusion machines is a hot area of research. It doesn't mean generative AI like ChatGPT. It's old-school AI, where you train a machine to recognize patterns in complex real-world data then let it make decisions.

#AI #Fusion #Energy #EnergyTransition #Science #Research https://www.pppl.gov/news/2024/using-artificial-intelligence-speed-and-improve-most-computationally-intensive-aspects

Using artificial intelligence to speed up and improve the most computationally intensive aspects of plasma physics in fusion

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) are using artificial intelligence to perfect the design of the vessels surrounding the super-hot plasma, optimize heating methods and maintain stable control o…

^{Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory}

#PPOD: As carbon dioxide frost sublimates with the warming Martian spring, a pattern emerges of dark brown sand dunes interspersed with the remaining bright frost. Image taken by the HiRISE camera onboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / University of Arizona

#mars #science #space #scicomm

Not many #Americans are good at #math. International standardized tests bear this out.

And you don’t need to know anything about #political #science to know that the simple solution to #partisan #gridlock is to #PrimaryFromTheCenter. It’s not rocket 🚀 surgery, it’s just basic #math. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Nearsighted? You're not alone. Researchers estimate that about half of the world's population will need corrective lenses by 2050 if current rates continue.

Reading, scrolling and focusing on objects near our faces increases the risk of developing myopia - but a little time in sun can help mitigate it ☀️
https://theconversation.com/nearsightedness-is-at-epidemic-levels-and-the-problem-begins-in-childhood-225255
#health #science

Nearsightedness is at epidemic levels – and the problem begins in childhood

While reading, scrolling and focusing on other objects near our faces increase the risk of developing myopia, a little time outdoors in the sun can help mitigate it.

^{The Conversation}

As a cat owner, I worry about these numbers:

"The Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) estimated that free-roaming cats in the contiguous U.S. kill 1.3–4.0 billion birds and 6.3–22.3 billion mammals "

#Roaming #Cats #Birds #WildLife #News #Science #Environment

https://www.felineresearch.org/post/issue-brief-wildlife-impacts-of-outdoor-cats

Pioneering geologist & oceanographer Marie Tharp changed our understanding of the ocean.

When Tharp sought a geology job at Columbia in 1948, women couldn’t go on research ships. So she was hired to assist male grad students.

Back then, many scientists still assumed the bottom of the ocean was featureless. Tharp figured out how to use data to create sketches of the ocean floor. Her hand-drawn maps helped develop plate tectonic theory. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/marie-tharp #science #history

#goodnews #Science #health #medicine #Diabetes #seniors #China

59-year-old Man Who Had Type 2 Diabetes for 25 Years is Cured by Stem Cells

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/59-year-old-man-who-had-type-2-diabetes-for-25-years-is-cured-by-stem-cells/

59-year-old Man Who Had Type 2 Diabetes for 25 Years is Cured by Stem Cells

After receiving the manufactured stem cells in 2021, he was weened off of external insulin over 11 weeks, with the disease largely gone.

^{Andy Corbley (Good News Network)}

Plant scientists at the University of Tennessee wanted to figure out alternatives to mechanical radiation sensors, which have a history of failing at the wrong time.

How about a potato plant that glows fluorescent green when exposed to radiation?

This “could act as a fail-safe if a disaster similar to Fukushima Daiichi were to occur.”
https://theconversation.com/potato-plant-radiation-sensors-could-one-day-monitor-radiation-in-areas-surrounding-power-plants-219950
#science #research #health

#PPOD: NASA's Voyager 1 probe launched in 1977 and is now the most distant human-made object from Earth, traveling through interstellar space. Recently, NASA engineers had to figure out why the probe was suddenly sending unreadable data. After nearly six months of analysis and re-programming, they got Voyager correctly transmitting again. Truly a feat of human ingenuity. Credit: Dave Granlund

#comic #cartoon #funny #science #space #scicomm

Thomas Willis (1621-1675) : Neurologist, Chemist, Physician

“Willis is not only credited to be the founder of neurology, but he is also seen as the father of comparative neuroanatomy, as his work, in particular Cerebri anatome and De anima brutorum, compare the human brain with that of other species in ‘search for specific human abilities in cognitive functions’ (Molnár, p. 334).”

https://stjohnscollegelibraryoxford.org/2024/05/13/thomas-willis-1621-1675-neurologist-chemist-physician/

#History #Science #STEM #HistSci #Anatomy #Neurology #Neuroanatomy #EarlyModern #C17th #17thCentury #Histodon #Histodons @science @earlymodern @histodon @histodons

#Image attribution: Rijksmuseum, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. Page URL: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portret_van_Thomas_Willis,_RP-P-1910-415.jpg

The universe may have a complex geometry — like a doughnut.

Science News reports: "In a universe with an analogous, complex topology, you could travel across the cosmos and end up back where you started."

https://flip.it/EAdwS4

#Space #Universe #Physics #Astrophysics #Science

The universe may have a complex geometry — like a doughnut

Physicists haven’t yet ruled out the possibility that the universe has a complicated topology in which space loops back around on itself.

^{Emily Conover (Science News Magazine)}

Chronic asthma could be caused by cell overcrowding in the airways.

Science News reports: "A glitch in the mechanical process that drives normal turnover of epithelial cells lining the lungs could be to blame. ... Better understanding of this physical force underpinning chronic asthma attacks might lead to new ways of combating the disease."

https://flip.it/mrBLcQ

#Asthma #Health #Disease #Science

Chronic asthma could be caused by cell overcrowding in the airways

Identifying drugs to reduce the excessive expulsion of cells in the lung lining could reduce the damage of chronic asthma.

^{Monique Brouillette (Science News Magazine)}

Aurora colors come from atoms that are trying to shed some of their energy.

In very thin air, oxygen survives in a delicate, high-energy state that emits green light. In denser air, atomic collisions knock oxygen to a lower-energy state that emits red. Nitrogen is a robust emitter that glows bright in even lower, denser layers of the atmosphere.

Beautiful science.

https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/content/aurora-tutorial #aurora #science #space #nature

How #Saudi tech is addressing the lack of #construction #sand

source: https://www.agbi.com/construction/2023/12/how-saudi-tech-is-addressing-the-lack-of-construction-sand/

However 95 percent of the sand on #Earth, including the vast sands of the Arabian Peninsula, is unsuitable due to its fine particle size.

This means riverbeds across the world are over-mined, causing pollution and flooding, while also shrinking aquifers and deepening droughts.

#news #science #Arabia #dessert #environment #climate #building #co2 #concrete

How Saudi tech is addressing the lack of construction sand | AGBI

ClimateCrete, a technology developed in Saudi Arabia, aims to significantly increase the use of desert sand in concrete manufacturing

^{Neil Perry (Arabian Gulf Business Insight)}

An interesting article on the time line of the universe.

The Universe passed through many epochs, from free quarks and gluons to stable protons and neutrons to neutral atoms to stars, galaxies, planets, and more. The precise time at which these various epochs occurred, including the (current) dark energy-dominated era, can be pinpointed with precision. Here’s how we know.

#science #space #universe
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/story-timeline-universe/?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weeklynewsletter&utm_content=05%2F09%2F24+Smarter+Faster&rjnrid=EDnXmOz

The scientific story behind the timeline of our Universe

From the earliest stages of the hot Big Bang (and even before) to our dark energy-dominated present, how and when did the Universe grow up?

^{Ethan Siegel (Big Think)}

These mean looking sunspots are the cause of the strongest geomagnetic storm (G5 - Severe) in 20 years!

They are really huge, spanning about 16 Earth diameters. Auroras are happening now and probably will continue over the weekend.

Pic with a 2415mm focal length Dall-Kirkham telescope with a 2X Barlow, a Baader Astrosolar filter, and a bandpass infrared filter (850 nm).

#science #sunspots #sun #aurora #astrodon #astrophotography

Researchers who post photos of themselves handling adorable animals mean well—but it can backfire for the animals.

Our story republished by Slate:
https://slate.com/technology/2024/02/wildlife-photos-primates-selfies-instagram-conservation-research.html
#science #animals

Adorable Baby Animal Photos Can Get Lots of Attention. But One Key Mistake Can Make Them Negative.

This is NOT a pet!

^{Andrea l. DiGiorgio (Slate)}

A rare severe geomagnetic storm watch is issued for the first time in nearly 20 years amid "unusual" solar event.

CBS News quotes the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): "Geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and on Earth's surface, potentially disrupting communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations."

https://flip.it/6cGvxW

#Sun #SolarFlare #Geomagnetic #Space #Science

Rare severe geomagnetic storm watch issued for first time in nearly 20 years amid "unusual" solar event

The sunspot responsible for the odd series of strong solar flares is so big you can see it with your own eyes from Earth.

^{Li Cohen (CBS News)}

Two giant blobs lurk deep within the Earth, but why?

From @popsci "Some scientists believe they could be responsible for plate tectonics."

https://flip.it/ZswokA

#Earth #Earthquake #Volcano #Science

Two giant blobs lurk deep within the Earth, but why? | Popular Science

^{Laura Baisas (Popular Science)}

Planet is headed for at least 2.5C of sheating with disastrous results for #humanity, poll of hundreds of scientists finds

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/may/08/world-scientists-climate-failure-survey-global-temperature

Leticia Cotrim da Cunha, at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, said: “I am extremely worried about the costs in human lives.”

#news #future #science #climate #earth #heat #temperature #problem #politics #nature #environment

World’s top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5C target

Exclusive: Planet is headed for at least 2.5C of heating with disastrous results for humanity, poll of hundreds of scientists finds

^{Damian Carrington (The Guardian)}

If a 12yo asked a question in a science lesson about how lethal different chemicals are, how would you expect the teacher to respond?

Poll inspired by a story I heard about today that isn't as interesting as it sounds, but I may explain later.

Boosts to get more responses welcome.

#science #teaching #children #curiosity

• Kid is curious, feed their desire to learn! (82%, 19 votes)
• Question not relevant, dismiss and move on. (4%, 1 vote)
• Red flag! Report to safeguarding! (0%, 0 votes)
• Something else. (13%, 3 votes)

Smarter than dinosaurs? Nope, not us!

#Science #Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis

#3Dprinting has revolutionized manufacturing in a variety of ways, and now researchers are learning how it can improve the performance of energetic materials – like explosives and rocket propellants

https://theconversation.com/3d-printing-promises-more-efficient-ways-to-make-custom-explosives-and-rocket-propellants-214126
#science #engineering

3D printing promises more efficient ways to make custom explosives and rocket propellants

‘Energetic’ materials are ones that readily ignite or detonate. The shapes of those materials have a big effect on how they burn or blow up.

^{The Conversation}

Study suggests that sperm whales have a phonetic alphabet and “a very large dictionary”

#whales #language #communication #animals #science

https://apnews.com/article/a94df8e07b129f19917437fcb85e7655

Sperm whale language building blocks identified by scientists

Scientists studying the sperm whales that live around the Caribbean island of Dominica have described for the first time the basic elements of how they might be talking to each other, in an effort that could one day help better protect them.

^{MARIA CHENG (AP News)}

"There’s a problem.

Science is slowing down. Sort of. There are nuances.

[...] it’s the job of the editors to make teaching more efficient by making knowledge easier to learn. They find the best metaphors, the most effective teaching methodologies, the right problem sets, and so on, so that the teachers can convey the same amount of knowledge in decreasing amounts of time."

affablyevil.substack.com/p/where-are-all-the-editors

#Teaching #Science #Blog

Where are all the Editors?

Who is making knowledge easier to learn?

^{Daniel Haller (Affably Evil)}

Unregulated AI is a problem.

"Some scientists can't stop using AI to write research papers

If you read about 'meticulous commendable intricacy' there's a chance a boffin had help"

"Using AI models can be very risky as they often produce inaccurate text, the very thing scientific literature is not supposed to do. AI models can even fabricate quotations and citations,..."

#News #AI #Science
https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/03/ai_scientific_articles/?td=rt-3a

Some scientists can't stop using AI to write research papers

^{Matthew Connatser (The Register)}

Another mRNA #vaccine win:

Scientists have developed a cancer vaccine that can deliver treatments more effectively in people who have brain cancer and teach their immune systems to fight back. They’ve tested it successfully in four people now, and are moving on to more testing.

https://theconversation.com/brain-cancer-in-children-is-notoriously-hard-to-treat-a-new-mrna-cancer-vaccine-triggers-an-attack-from-within-228666
#health #science #vaccine #cancer

Brain cancer in children is notoriously hard to treat – a new mRNA cancer vaccine triggers an attack from within

Cancer vaccines have gained much interest among scientists but face a number of hurdles. A new mRNA vaccine for glioma offers a step forward in training the immune system to fight cancer.

^{The Conversation}

There’s a tiny but measurable threat posed by stellar cataclysms such as supernovae and related phenomena such as gamma-ray bursts.⁠

If close enough, these events can disturb telescopes and even damage the ozone layer.⁠
https://theconversation.com/exploding-stars-are-rare-but-emit-torrents-of-radiation-if-one-happened-close-enough-to-earth-it-could-threaten-life-on-the-planet-224720
#Science #astronomy #space

Exploding stars are rare but emit torrents of radiation − if one happened close enough to Earth, it could threaten life on the planet

Some ancient texts record what were likely dying stars, faintly visible from Earth. If close enough, these events can disturb telescopes and even damage the ozone layer.

^{The Conversation}