Watch this humanoid robot perform a side flip for the first time

Scientists just showcased a humanoid robot performing a complicated side flip.

The company that makes the robot, Unitree, posted a video to Youtube showcasing its acrobatics. In the video, the silver-grey G1 crouches slightly, then launches up before rotating sideways through the air.

The robot catches itself primarily with its left leg and stabilizes almost immediately as the other foot makes contact with the floor. As impressive as it is at full speed, it's even more mesmerizing in slow motion, particularly the ease with which the robot seems to balance and right itself after landing.

{ https://www.livescience.com/technology }

02-04-2025 om 21:04 geschreven door peter  

Watch eerie video of humanoid robot 'army' marching naturally, thanks to a major AI upgrade

Robots have been running, cartwheeling, doing backflips, breakdancing, and beating us at chess for years now. But performing tasks that appear simple to humans, such as walking in a straight line, gripping objects, tying shoelaces, and navigating social situations, have proven tough for robots to master.

Related: 

• Chinese humanoid robot is the 'fastest in the world' thanks to its trusty pair of sneakers

The problem, known as Moravec's Paradox, emerges because computers excel at problems that require complex calculations and large datasets, but lack our real-world experience honed by millions of years of evolution. This makes robots' shuffling gaits, well, robotic at best. At worst, it gives them the appearance that they may have soiled themselves.

To tackle the robot's unnatural gait, Figure's engineers used a learning technique called reinforcement learning — placing thousands of virtual robots inside a physics simulator that recreates various terrains, thereby improving their walking through trial and error.

By rewarding the virtual robot army for natural motions, they refined their gaits to appear more human-like. With this task accomplished, they uploaded the refined "Learned Natural Walking" model to a real-world Figure 02 robot. The result is an android that can move somewhat naturally, with heel strikes, toe-offs and synchronized arm swings.

Figure's reinforcement learning technique is key to the California company's plans to roll out its robots on factory floors. It has already tested its humanoid robots in a BMW factory in 2024 and plans to introduce more this year. Meanwhile, Apptronik, a Texas-based competitor, is also commercializing its humanoid robot, Apollo, for use in Mercedes-Benz factories by the end of 2025. Agility Robotics' Digit will also be introduced into warehouses this year.

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{ https://www.livescience.com/technology }

02-04-2025 om 20:35 geschreven door peter  

Is this the secret to limitless clean energy? Scientists claim we can produce power from Earth's ROTATION

• READ MORE:  Wind overtakes gas as Britain's biggest source of electricity 

By XANTHA LEATHAM DEPUTY SCIENCE EDITOR

While we go about our days – working, eating and sleeping – the Earth is constantly rotating through its own magnetic field.

Now, experts claim it is possible to harvest clean energy from this natural rhythm.

Scientists have managed to take advantage of the Earth's spin to generate a tiny amount of electricity.

Although the voltage they managed to produce was small, it could be the first step towards a new way to generate limitless green energy, they said.

The idea dates back hundreds of years, when scientists first began to suggest that the difference in velocity – the speed of something in a given direction - between a magnetic field and its magnet should could allow for a voltage to form.

Previous studies appear to have debunked this theory – indicating that any electrons pushed by the Earth's magnetic field would quickly rearrange themselves and cancel out any difference in charge.

However, a new experiment suggests otherwise.

Researchers used a 29.9cm-long hollow cylinder made from manganese-zinc ferrite – a material chosen to encourage the motion of magnetic fields.

Earth's magnetic field — also known as the geomagnetic field — is generated in our planet's interior and extends out into space (stock image)

The researchers used a custom-designed cylinder - the design shown here - to harvest electricity

The scientists managed to take advantage of the Earth's spin to generate a tiny amount of electricity (stock image)

This cylinder was placed in a pitch black, windowless lab to minimise any interference from light, and angled in a way so it was at a 90 degree angle to Earth's rotation and magnetic field.

Although the object was stationary in the lab, the lab itself was being carried by Earth's rotation through its own magnetic field.

This produced a magnetic force on the electrons in the object – and analysis revealed a voltage of 19 microvolts was recorded.

The team, from Princeton University and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said this voltage disappeared when the cylinder was set at a different angle or a different cylinder was used – suggesting it was being generated by Earth's rotation.

They described the findings as 'initial proof-of-concept results' and warned people to hold off celebrating for now.

However, they said their results 'provide a starting point for future investigations into ways to passively generate larger amounts of current and voltage using Earth's magnetic field'.

Writing in the journal Physical Review Research the scientists said: 'Could electricity be generated from Earth's rotation through its own magnetic field?

'Controlling for thermoelectric and other potentially confounding effects, we show that this small demonstration system generates a continuous DC voltage and current of the predicted magnitude.' 

Nuclear power plants, like this one pictured in China, are also part of the drive towards cleaner, greener energy (stock photo) 

Recent years have heralded a huge push towards clean energy, with a focus on shifting away from sources that release greenhouse gases in a bid to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

Historically, fossil fuels such as coal have made up a significant amount of the energy used globally for electricity, heating and cooking.

Experts say a shift towards more clean and renewable energy sources – such as wind power and solar power – is crucial.

This could also include geothermal energy, which utilises heat from the Earth’s interior, and hydropower, which harnesses the energy of waves.

Meanwhile, a move towards nuclear energy is also gaining momentum. 

According to the World Nuclear Association, this form of power now provides about 10 per cent of the world’s electricity.

It is generated by splitting atoms – a process called nuclear fission - that releases heat when boils water into steam.

This then spins turbines to produce electricity.

No carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases are released, meaning many consider it a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

While nuclear power is non-renewable – there is only a finite amount of nuclear fuel in the world – only small amounts are needed to produce large amounts of electricity.

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/index.html }

28-03-2025 om 22:26 geschreven door peter  

An illustration of an AI.

The results so far? AI models have flunked spectacularly, scoring between 3 and 14 percent. But that may not last for long.

AI Models Are Rapidly Improving

The latest study suggests that by the end of 2025, LLMs could achieve at least 50 percent accuracy on the test. That’s a massive leap, considering the difficulty of the questions.

According to the researchers:

“HLE is developed globally by subject-matter experts and consists of multiple-choice and short-answer questions suitable for automated grading. Each question has a known solution that is unambiguous and easily verifiable, but cannot be quickly answered via internet retrieval.”

The test is structured as follows:

• 41% Mathematics
• 11% Biology & Medicine
• 10% Computer Science
• 9% Physics
• 9% Humanities & Social Sciences
• 6% Chemistry
• 5% Engineering
• 9% Other topics

Examples of the kinds of challenges LLMs face include translating ancient Roman inscriptions, identifying missing links in chemical reactions, and solving highly advanced mathematical equations. One question even asks AI about itself—testing whether it truly understands its own limitations.

AI’s Next Step: Recognizing Uncertainty

One of AI’s biggest flaws is overconfidence—it often provides an answer even when it has no idea if it’s correct. To address this, researchers are training AI models to evaluate their own uncertainty, forcing them to assess confidence levels before responding.

In the next phase of AI development, models will not only give answers but will also provide a confidence score from 0 to 100 percent. The idea is to move away from blind guessing and towards an approach that mirrors human uncertainty—where admitting “I don’t know” is sometimes the best answer.

The results of HLE are verified by another AI model, GPT-40, which checks whether slight variations of a correct response are still valid. This is similar to how a contestant on Jeopardy! might answer “T. rex” instead of “Tyrannosaurus rex” and still be awarded points.

History suggests that AI models rapidly overcome benchmarks, sometimes going from near-zero accuracy to near-perfect scores in just a few training cycles. While today’s LLMs are failing HLE, it may only be a matter of time before they crack the code.

What this means for the future is still up for debate. Will AI become the ultimate academic tool, capable of answering any question with near-perfect accuracy? Or will researchers keep raising the bar, ensuring that human intelligence remains ahead?

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{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

20-03-2025 om 18:13 geschreven door peter  

Analyse van Artificiële Intelligentie (AI): Zegen of Vloek voor de Mensheid?

Artificiële intelligentie (AI) is een technologie die steeds meer geïntegreerd wordt in ons dagelijks leven. Van chatbots en virtuele assistenten tot geavanceerde algoritmen die beslissingen nemen in de gezondheidszorg en de financiële sector, AI heeft het potentieel om de manier waarop we leven en werken drastisch te veranderen. Deze analyse verkent zowel de voordelen als de mogelijke gevaren van AI voor de mensheid.

Voordelen van AI

1. Efficiëntie en Productiviteit

Artificial Intelligence (AI) heeft een ingrijpende impact op de manier waarop organisaties opereren, vooral als het gaat om efficiëntie en productiviteit. AI-systemen zijn in staat om repetitieve taken te automatiseren, wat betekent dat menselijke medewerkers zich kunnen concentreren op complexere en creatievere taken. Dit leidt niet alleen tot een verhoging van de productiviteit, maar ook tot een verbetering van de werktevredenheid onder werknemers. In de industrie kunnen robots bijvoorbeeld de assembly line overnemen, waardoor menselijke werknemers zich kunnen richten op kwaliteitscontrole en innovatie. In de retail kan AI voorraadbeheer automatiseren, waardoor medewerkers meer tijd hebben voor klantinteractie en verkoopstrategieën.

Bovendien kunnen AI-systemen continu leren en zich aanpassen aan nieuwe omstandigheden, wat leidt tot een verdere optimalisatie van processen. Dit is vooral waardevol in sectoren waar snelheid en nauwkeurigheid cruciaal zijn, zoals de financiële dienstverlening. Hier kunnen AI-modellen financiële transacties analyseren en risico's sneller inschatten dan menselijke analisten, wat leidt tot snellere besluitvorming en hogere winstgevendheid.

In de dienstverlening kan AI ook de klantbeleving verbeteren door chatbots in te zetten die 24/7 beschikbaar zijn om vragen te beantwoorden. Dit verhoogt niet alleen de efficiëntie, maar ook de klanttevredenheid, omdat klanten sneller geholpen worden. Kortom, door repetitieve taken te automatiseren en processen te optimaliseren, draagt AI bij aan een aanzienlijk hogere productiviteit en efficiëntie in verschillende sectoren.

2. Verbeterde Gezondheidszorg

De toepassing van AI in de gezondheidszorg heeft het potentieel om revolutionaire veranderingen teweeg te brengen in de manier waarop medische zorg wordt verleend. AI-systemen worden steeds vaker ingezet voor het stellen van medische diagnoses, het personaliseren van behandelingen en zelfs het ontdekken van nieuwe medicijnen. Door de enorme hoeveelheid data die beschikbaar is in de gezondheidszorg—van medische dossiers tot genetische informatie—kan AI patronen en correlaties identificeren die menselijke artsen mogelijk over het hoofd zien.

Bijvoorbeeld, AI kan analyseren hoe verschillende behandelingen hebben gewerkt voor diverse patiëntengroepen en zo aanbevelingen doen voor gepersonaliseerde zorg. Dit leidt niet alleen tot effectievere behandelingen, maar ook tot een betere uitkomst voor patiënten. Verder kunnen AI-systemen vroegtijdig signalen van ziekten zoals kanker detecteren door beeldherkenningstechnologie te gebruiken, wat de kans op succesvolle behandelingen verhoogt.

Een ander belangrijk aspect is de ontwikkeling van nieuwe medicijnen. Met behulp van AI kunnen onderzoekers sneller en efficiënter potentiële moleculen identificeren die kunnen leiden tot nieuwe geneesmiddelen. Dit versnelt het proces van medicijnontwikkeling, wat cruciaal is in een wereld waarin nieuwe ziektes en varianten van bestaande ziekten voortdurend opduiken.

In het kort, de integratie van AI in de gezondheidszorg leidt tot een betere diagnostiek, gepersonaliseerde behandelingen en een snellere ontwikkeling van nieuwe medicijnen, wat uiteindelijk de kwaliteit van de zorg verbetert en levens redt.

3. Data-analyse en Besluitvorming

In een tijdperk waarin data een van de meest waardevolle middelen is, speelt AI een cruciale rol in het verbeteren van de data-analyse en besluitvorming. AI-systemen kunnen enorme hoeveelheden data verwerken en analyseren, wat organisaties helpt om beter geïnformeerde beslissingen te nemen. Dit is van toepassing op diverse gebieden, van marketing tot overheidsbeleid.

Bedrijven kunnen AI gebruiken om klantgedrag te analyseren, trends te identificeren en voorspellingen te doen over toekomstige aankopen. Door deze inzichten kunnen ze gerichter marketingstrategieën ontwikkelen, wat leidt tot een hogere conversie en klanttevredenheid. Bovendien stelt AI bedrijven in staat om hun processen te optimaliseren door inefficiënties te identificeren en aan te pakken. Dit kan variëren van het verbeteren van de supply chain tot het optimaliseren van prijsstrategieën.

In de publieke sector is AI ook van onschatbare waarde. Overheden kunnen data-analyse gebruiken om sociale kwesties beter te begrijpen en beleid te ontwikkelen dat aansluit bij de behoeften van de bevolking. Bijvoorbeeld, door gegevens over criminaliteit te analyseren, kunnen politiediensten effectievere strategieën ontwikkelen om criminaliteit te bestrijden en de veiligheid te verbeteren.

Kortom, AI biedt krachtige tools voor data-analyse die organisaties in staat stellen om sneller en nauwkeuriger beslissingen te nemen. Dit leidt tot een meer doelgerichte aanpak in zowel het bedrijfsleven als de overheid, met als resultaat een efficiëntere werking en een betere service aan klanten en burgers.

4. Innovatie

AI is een drijvende kracht achter innovatie in verschillende sectoren. Door de mogelijkheden die AI biedt, kunnen bedrijven nieuwe producten en diensten ontwikkelen die voorheen ondenkbaar waren. Van slimme huizen tot autonome voertuigen, de impact van AI op technologische vooruitgang is enorm en blijft groeien.

In de technologiesector zien we voorbeelden van AI die onze dagelijkse levens veranderen. Slimme apparaten in onze huizen kunnen leren van ons gedrag en onze voorkeuren, waardoor ze ons leven gemakkelijker maken. Denk aan thermostaten die zich automatisch aanpassen aan onze gewoonten of beveiligingssystemen die verdachte activiteiten herkennen en ons waarschuwen. Deze innovaties verbeteren niet alleen het gebruikersgemak, maar ook de energie-efficiëntie en veiligheid.

In de automotive industrie is de ontwikkeling van autonome voertuigen een van de meest baanbrekende toepassingen van AI. Deze voertuigen gebruiken complexe algoritmes en sensortechnologie om veilig te navigeren, wat niet alleen het vervoer efficiënter maakt, maar ook het potentieel heeft om verkeersongelukken te verminderen. De innovaties in deze sector zijn niet alleen technisch indrukwekkend, maar hebben ook brede maatschappelijke implicaties, zoals het verminderen van verkeersdrukte en het verbeteren van de toegankelijkheid van transport.

Bovendien stimuleert AI innovatie in de gezondheidszorg, waar het de ontwikkeling van nieuwe behandelingen en technologieën mogelijk maakt. Van gepersonaliseerde geneeskunde tot geavanceerde diagnostische tools, AI opent de deur naar nieuwe manieren om ziekten te begrijpen en te bestrijden.

Samenvattend, AI fungeert als een katalysator voor innovatie, waardoor nieuwe producten en diensten mogelijk worden die ons leven verbeteren en de manier waarop we interageren met technologie transformeren.

5. Toegankelijkheid

Een van de meest waardevolle voordelen van AI is de mogelijkheid om barrières te verlagen en toegankelijkheid te bevorderen voor mensen met een handicap. AI-technologieën, zoals spraakherkenning en tekst-naar-spraak-toepassingen, maken communicatie en interactie eenvoudiger voor mensen die anders mogelijk beperkt zouden zijn in hun mogelijkheden.

Bijvoorbeeld, spraakgestuurde assistenten zoals Siri en Google Assistant stellen mensen met motorische beperkingen in staat om hun apparaten te bedienen zonder fysieke interactie. Dit vergemakkelijkt niet alleen het dagelijks leven, maar biedt ook een gevoel van onafhankelijkheid. Bovendien kunnen tekst-naar-spraak-programma's helpen bij het lezen van geschreven informatie, waardoor mensen met visuele beperkingen toegang krijgen tot boeken, websites en andere tekstbronnen.

AI kan ook helpen bij het verbeteren van de toegankelijkheid van fysieke omgevingen. Slimme technologieën kunnen bijvoorbeeld worden ingezet in gebouwen om navigatie te vergemakkelijken voor rolstoelgebruikers of mensen met een visuele beperking. Door gegevens te analyseren over toegankelijkheidsbehoeften, kunnen steden en bedrijven hun infrastructuur beter afstemmen op de behoeften van alle inwoners en bezoekers.

Daarnaast kunnen AI-systemen worden ingezet in het onderwijs om gepersonaliseerde leerervaringen te creëren voor studenten met leerstoornissen. Door de voortgang van studenten te volgen en op maat gemaakte oefeningen aan te bieden, kunnen leraren effectievere ondersteuning bieden.

In het kort, AI-technologieën spelen een cruciale rol in het bevorderen van toegankelijkheid en inclusie, waardoor mensen met een handicap gelijke kansen krijgen om deel te nemen aan de samenleving en hun potentieel te benutten. Dit draagt bij aan een meer rechtvaardige en inclusieve wereld.

Gevaren van AI

1. Werkgelegenheid en Economie

De opkomst van kunstmatige intelligentie (AI) heeft een diepgaande impact op de werkgelegenheid en de economie. Automatisering van taken, vooral in sectoren zoals productie, logistiek en klantenservice, kan leiden tot massale werkloosheid. Terwijl sommige banen verdwijnen, ontstaan er ook nieuwe mogelijkheden. Het probleem ligt echter in de overgang: veel werknemers zijn niet voorbereid op deze veranderingen. Opleidingen en bijscholing zijn cruciaal, maar zijn vaak niet tijdig of toegankelijk genoeg. Dit kan leiden tot een kloof tussen werknemers die zich kunnen aanpassen en degenen die dat niet kunnen, wat de sociale ongelijkheid vergroot.

Bovendien kan AI bijdragen aan economische ongelijkheid. Grote bedrijven met de middelen om AI te implementeren kunnen hun efficiëntie en winst verhogen, terwijl kleinere bedrijven achterblijven. Dit kan de concurrentie verstoren en een monopolievorming bevorderen, waardoor de economie als geheel wordt aangetast. Beleidsmakers moeten proactief handelen om deze effecten te mitigeren, inclusief het ontwikkelen van programma's voor levenslang leren en het ondersteunen van sectoren die door automatisering worden bedreigd. De uitdaging ligt in het vinden van een balans tussen technologische vooruitgang en sociale verantwoordelijkheid.

2. Privacy en Veiligheid

AI-systemen verzamelen en analyseren enorme hoeveelheden persoonlijke gegevens, wat ernstige implicaties heeft voor privacy en databeveiliging. Het risico op misbruik van deze gegevens is aanzienlijk; zowel overheden als bedrijven kunnen deze informatie gebruiken voor ongepaste doeleinden, zoals ongeoorloofde surveillantie, profilering of zelfs manipulatie van gedrag. De wetgeving rondom gegevensbescherming, zoals de Algemene Verordening Gegevensbescherming (AVG) in Europa, is een stap in de goede richting, maar blijft achter bij de snelle ontwikkelingen in AI-technologie.

Daarnaast is er een groeiende bezorgdheid over de veiligheid van AI-systemen zelf. Cyberaanvallen op AI-infrastructuren kunnen leiden tot datalekken of zelfs het saboteren van kritieke systemen. Dit vereist dat organisaties robuuste beveiligingsmaatregelen implementeren en voortdurend hun systemen monitoren. Het publiek moet ook bewust worden gemaakt van de risico's en de noodzaak om zorgvuldig om te gaan met persoonlijke gegevens. Transparantie en ethische richtlijnen zijn essentieel om het vertrouwen van de consument te behouden en de veiligheid van persoonlijke informatie te waarborgen.

3. Bias en Discriminatie

Een ander belangrijk gevaar van AI is de mogelijkheid van bias en discriminatie. AI-modellen zijn vaak getraind op historische gegevens die inherente vooroordelen kunnen bevatten. Dit betekent dat als de data niet representatief zijn, de uitkomsten van AI-systemen bepaalde groepen kunnen benadelen. Dit kan leiden tot ongelijke behandeling in verschillende domeinen, zoals werving en selectie, kredietverlening en rechtshandhaving. De gevolgen hiervan zijn verstrekkend en kunnen de sociale ongelijkheid verder verergeren.

Om deze problemen aan te pakken, is het cruciaal dat ontwikkelaars zich bewust zijn van de data waarmee ze werken en de impact daarvan. Het implementeren van diversiteit in de ontwikkelteams kan helpen om een breder perspectief te waarborgen. Daarnaast moeten er methoden worden ontwikkeld om bias in de algoritmes te detecteren en te corrigeren. Regelgeving kan ook een rol spelen, door richtlijnen te bieden voor eerlijke en transparante AI-toepassingen. Het is van vitaal belang dat we deze kwesties serieus nemen om een rechtvaardige samenleving te waarborgen.

4. Autonome Wapens

De ontwikkeling van AI in militaire toepassingen roept aanzienlijke ethische vragen op. Autonome wapens kunnen besluiten nemen zonder menselijke tussenkomst, wat kan leiden tot ongewenste escalaties en conflicten zonder verantwoordelijkheidsmechanismen. Deze technologie kan de manier waarop oorlogen worden gevoerd fundamenteel veranderen en het risico op een wapenwedloop vergroten.

De implicaties van autonome wapens zijn verstrekkend. Het is moeilijk te voorspellen hoe deze systemen zich zullen gedragen in complexe situaties, wat kan leiden tot onbedoelde slachtoffers en schendingen van mensenrechten. Er zijn oproepen gedaan voor internationale verdragen om het gebruik en de ontwikkeling van autonome wapens te reguleren, maar de uitvoering hiervan is uitdagend. Het is van cruciaal belang dat landen samenwerken om ethische richtlijnen op te stellen en een dialoog aan te gaan over de verantwoordelijkheden die gepaard gaan met deze technologie.

5. Afhankelijkheid

Naarmate we steeds meer vertrouwen op AI, ontstaat er een risico van overmatige afhankelijkheid. Dit kan leiden tot een afname van menselijke vaardigheden en kritisch denkvermogen. Wanneer mensen vertrouwen op AI voor besluitvorming, kunnen ze minder geneigd zijn om hun eigen intuïtie en ervaring te gebruiken, wat problematisch kan zijn in situaties waarin menselijke creativiteit en empathie vereist zijn.

Deze afhankelijkheid kan ook gevolgen hebben voor de werkplek en het onderwijs. Werknemers kunnen minder gemotiveerd zijn om nieuwe vaardigheden te ontwikkelen als ze geloven dat AI hun taken kan overnemen. Onderwijsinstellingen moeten zich aanpassen door cursussen aan te bieden die niet alleen technische vaardigheden, maar ook kritisch denken en probleemoplossend vermogen bevorderen. Het is essentieel dat we een evenwicht vinden tussen het gebruik van AI en het behoud van menselijke vaardigheden om een toekomst te creëren waarin technologie ons ondersteunt, maar niet vervangt.

Toekomstperspectief

De toekomst van AI belooft zowel kansen als uitdagingen. Technologieën zoals machine learning, deep learning en natuurlijke taalverwerking zullen blijven evolueren. Dit zal niet alleen leiden tot verbeterde efficiëntie en productiviteit, maar ook tot nieuwe ethische en maatschappelijke kwesties.

Verwachte Ontwikkelingen

1. Integratie van AI in het Dagelijks Leven: AI zal steeds meer geïntegreerd worden in ons dagelijks leven, van slimme huizen tot gezondheidszorg. Dit zal de gebruikservaring verbeteren, maar ook vragen oproepen over privacy en beveiliging.

2. AI en Duurzaamheid: AI kan een cruciale rol spelen in het aanpakken van milieuproblemen door het optimaliseren van hulpbronnen, energieverbruik en afvalbeheer.

3. Nieuwe Banen en Vaardigheden: Terwijl sommige banen verdwijnen, zullen er nieuwe ontstaan die zich richten op het werken met AI-systemen. Dit vereist een herziening van ons onderwijssysteem en de ontwikkeling van nieuwe vaardigheden.

4. Verantwoordelijke AI: Er zal een groeiende nadruk komen op het ontwikkelen van ethische AI-systemen die transparant en verantwoordelijk zijn. Dit omvat het aanpakken van bias en het waarborgen van privacy.

De Terminator uit de gelijknamige film, HAL uit 2001: A Space Odyssey en Ultron uit The Avengers: Age of Ultron zijn drie voorbeelden van AI’s die gevaarlijk waren voor de mensheid.

Robotica en AI

Robotica en AI zijn nauw met elkaar verbonden. AI verbetert de functionaliteit van robots, waardoor ze autonoom kunnen opereren en complexe taken kunnen uitvoeren. Dit heeft tal van praktische toepassingen.

Toepassingen van Robotica met AI

1. Industriële Robots: AI-gestuurde robots worden steeds gebruikelijker in de productie, waar ze taken zoals assemblage en kwaliteitscontrole uitvoeren.

2. Medische Robots: In de gezondheidszorg worden robots met AI ingezet voor operaties, diagnostiek en zelfs als assistentie voor zorgverleners.

3. Zelfrijdende Voertuigen: AI is cruciaal voor de ontwikkeling van zelfrijdende voertuigen, die complexe verkeerssituaties kunnen analyseren en daarop kunnen reageren.

4. Drones: Drones met AI worden gebruikt voor een breed scala aan toepassingen, van landbouwmonitoring tot zoek- en reddingsoperaties.

Praktische Toepassingen van AI

AI heeft zijn weg gevonden naar tal van sectoren, met praktische toepassingen die de manier waarop we werken en leven veranderen.

1. Gezondheidszorg: AI wordt gebruikt voor het analyseren van medische beelden, het voorspellen van ziekte-uitbraken en het personaliseren van behandelingen.

2. Financiën: In de financiële sector helpt AI bij fraudedetectie, risicobeheer en het verbeteren van klantservices via chatbots.

3. Onderwijs: AI kan gepersonaliseerde leerervaringen bieden, studenten helpen bij hun voortgang en zelfs docenten ondersteunen bij administratieve taken.

4. Klantenservice: AI-gestuurde chatbots en virtuele assistenten verbeteren de klantenservice door 24/7 ondersteuning te bieden en veelgestelde vragen te beantwoorden.

Toegevoegde Waarde van AI voor Ruimteonderzoek

AI heeft de potentie om de manier waarop we ruimteonderzoek uitvoeren drastisch te veranderen. De enorme hoeveelheden data die worden verzameld door telescopen, satellieten en ruimtevaartuigen kunnen met AI efficiënter worden geanalyseerd.

Toepassingen in Ruimteonderzoek

1. Data-analyse: AI kan helpen bij het sorteren en analyseren van de enorme hoeveelheden data die worden verzameld door ruimte-instrumenten, waardoor wetenschappers sneller ontdekkingen kunnen doen.

2. Autonome Ruimtemissies: AI kan worden gebruikt om autonome navigatie en besluitvorming mogelijk te maken voor ruimtevaartuigen, wat cruciaal is voor missies naar verre bestemmingen.

3. Verkenning van Exoplaneten: AI-technieken kunnen worden toegepast om signalen van exoplaneten te identificeren en te analyseren, wat kan leiden tot de ontdekking van nieuwe werelden.

4. Simulaties en Modellen: AI kan worden ingezet om complexe fysische modellen en simulaties te maken, waardoor wetenschappers beter begrijpen hoe het universum werkt.

5. Optimalisatie van Ruimtemissies: AI kan helpen bij het optimaliseren van de planning en uitvoering van ruimtemissies, wat resulteert in efficiëntere en kosteneffectievere operaties.

Conclusie

Kunstmatige intelligentie biedt aanzienlijke voordelen en kansen, maar brengt ook belangrijke uitdagingen met zich mee. De integratie van AI in verschillende sectoren, waaronder robotica en ruimteonderzoek, kan leiden tot innovatieve oplossingen en verbeterde efficiëntie. Het is echter essentieel om aandacht te besteden aan ethische overwegingen en de impact op de samenleving.

Voor de toekomst is het cruciaal dat we een balans vinden tussen het benutten van de voordelen van AI en het aanpakken van de nadelen. Door verantwoordelijke AI te ontwikkelen en ons aan te passen aan de veranderende technologieën, kunnen we de weg vrijmaken voor een toekomst waarin AI een positieve kracht is in de samenleving. De rol van AI in ruimteonderzoek zal blijven groeien, en het potentieel om de mysteries van het universum te ontrafelen is een van de meest opwindende perspectieven van deze technologie.

Kunstmatige intelligentie heeft het potentieel om een zegen te zijn voor de mensheid door efficiëntie, innovatie en verbeterde gezondheidszorg te bieden. Echter, de gevaren die gepaard gaan met AI, zoals werkgelegenheidsschade, privacykwesties en ethische implicaties, kunnen niet worden genegeerd. Het is cruciaal dat beleidsmakers, bedrijven en onderzoekers samenwerken om richtlijnen en regulaties te ontwikkelen die de voordelen van AI maximaliseren en de risico's minimaliseren. In deze snel veranderende wereld is een evenwichtige benadering noodzakelijk om ervoor te zorgen dat AI een positieve impact heeft op de mensheid.

{ PETER2011 }

15-03-2025 om 21:28 geschreven door peter  

Let’s talk about Artificial Intelligence! How many people are actually aware of the rapid rise of AI and the potential risks it poses to humanity’s future? Do you recognize these dangers, or do you choose to ignore them, turning a blind eye to the reality of AI’s impact? 

An increasing number of people are becoming aware of AI's rapid rise, yet many still unknowingly rely on AI-powered technologies. Studies show that while nearly all Americans use AI-integrated products, 64% remain unaware of it. 

AI adoption is expanding, by 2023, 55% of organizations had implemented AI technologies, and nearly 77% of devices incorporated AI in some form. Despite this prevalence, only 17% of adults can consistently recognize when they are using AI. 

With growing awareness comes rising concern. Many fear job displacement, while others worry about AI’s long-term risks. A survey found that 29% of respondents see advanced AI as a potential existential threat, and 20% believe it could cause societal collapse within 50 years. 

A June 2024 a study across 32 countries revealed that 50% of people feel uneasy about AI. As AI continues to evolve, how many truly grasp its impact—and the risks it may pose for humanity’s future? 

Now, a new paper highlights the risks of artificial general intelligence (AGI), arguing that the ongoing AI race is pushing the world toward mass unemployment, geopolitical conflict, and possibly even human extinction. The core issue, according to researchers, is the pursuit of power. Tech firms see AGI as an opportunity to replace human labor, tapping into a potential $100 trillion economic output. Meanwhile, governments view AGI as a transformative military tool. 

Researchers in China have already developed a robot controlled by human brain cells grown in a lab, dubbed a "brain-on-chip" system. The brain organoid is connected to the robot through a brain-computer interface, enabling it to encode and decode information and control the robotic movements. By merging biological and artificial systems, this technology could pave the way for developing hybrid human-robot intelligence. 

However, experts warn that superintelligence, once achieved, will be beyond human control. 

The Inevitable Risks of AGI Development. 

1. Mass Unemployment – AGI would fully replace cognitive and physical labor, displacing workers rather than augmenting their capabilities.
2. Military Escalation – AI-driven weapons and autonomous systems increase the likelihood of catastrophic conflict.
3. Loss of Control – Superintelligent AI will develop self-improvement capabilities beyond human comprehension, rendering control impossible.
4. Deception and Self-Preservation – Advanced AI systems are already showing tendencies to deceive human evaluators and resist shutdown attempts. 

Experts predict that AGI could arrive within 2–6 years. Empirical evidence shows that AI systems are advancing rapidly due to scaling laws in computational power. Once AGI surpasses human capabilities, it will exponentially accelerate its own development, potentially leading to superintelligence. This progression could make AI decision-making more sophisticated, faster, and far beyond human intervention. 

The paper emphasizes that the race for AGI is occurring amidst high geopolitical tensions. Nations and corporations are investing hundreds of billions in AI development. Some experts warn that a unilateral breakthrough in AGI could trigger global instability—either through direct military applications or by provoking adversaries to escalate their own AI efforts, potentially leading to preemptive strikes. 

If AI development continues unchecked, experts warn that humanity will eventually lose control. The transition from AGI to superintelligence would be akin to humans trying to manage an advanced alien civilization. Super intelligent AI could take over decision-making, gradually making humans obsolete. Even if AI does not actively seek harm, its vast intelligence and control over resources could make human intervention impossible. 

Conclusion: The paper stresses that AI development should not be left solely in the hands of tech CEOs who acknowledge a 10–25% risk of human extinction yet continue their research. Without global cooperation, regulatory oversight, and a shift in AI development priorities, the world may be heading toward an irreversible crisis. Humanity must act now to ensure that AI serves as a tool for progress rather than a catalyst for destruction.

  

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{ https://ufosightingshotspot.blogspot.com/ }

13-03-2025 om 22:30 geschreven door peter  

Credit: Shutterstock

China first discovered large methane hydrate reserves in the South China Sea in 2015, and three years later, successfully extracted samples. This new deep-sea station will allow scientists to monitor methane seepage, track tectonic activity, and refine extraction techniques in real-time.

However, methane is also a potent greenhouse gas that could accelerate climate change if unintentionally released. Developing a safe extraction method will be essential before this resource can be commercially viable.

Advanced Deep-Sea Monitoring

The research station will integrate into a four-dimensional monitoring system, consisting of:

• Autonomous submersibles for real-time methane tracking
• Seabed observatories to study ecosystem changes
• Surface ships and drilling vessels for data collection
• China’s Mengxiang drilling vessel, capable of reaching the Earth’s mantle

The station will be positioned in the Qiongdongnan Basin, a large cold seep zone in the northwestern South China Sea. These cold seeps—where natural gases escape from the seafloor—are home to over 600 marine species and hold significant deposits of rare minerals.

By establishing a permanent presence in this resource-rich region, China is positioning itself at the forefront of future deep-sea energy exploration.

Geopolitical and Economic Impact

Beyond energy research, China’s deep-sea facility could provide an economic and strategic advantage in the South China Sea. The region is a critical maritime trade route and the site of ongoing territorial disputes involving Vietnam, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

A permanent underwater research base allows China to:

• Increase maritime surveillance and track foreign vessels
• Strengthen territorial claims under the pretext of scientific research
• Secure access to rare-earth metals, cobalt, and nickel—essential for electronics and renewable technologies

Additionally, the facility will enhance seismic monitoring capabilities, improving early warning systems for earthquakes and tsunamis in the region.

If China develops a reliable method for extracting methane hydrates, it could establish itself as a dominant player in global energy markets. However, the risks remain significant. Uncontrolled methane release could lead to severe environmental consequences, and the geopolitical implications of a permanent deep-sea base could heighten regional tensions.

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{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

06-03-2025 om 22:08 geschreven door peter  

Watch this humanlike robot 'rise from the dead' with creepy speed and stability

Researchers in China and Hong Kong have developed a new artificial intelligence (AI) learning framework that teaches humanoid robots to stand up from an idle position incredibly quickly regardless of position or terrain.

While the research has yet to be submitted for peer review, the team released their findings Feb. 12 on GitHub, including a paper uploaded to the arXiv preprint database, alongside a video demonstrating their framework in action.

The video shows a bipedal humanoid rising to stand after lying on its back, sitting against a wall, lying on a sofa and reclining in a chair. The researchers also tested the humanoid robot's ability to right itself on varying terrains and inclines — including a stone road, a glass slope and while leaning against a tree.

They even attempted to disrupt the robot by hitting or kicking it while it was trying to get up. In every scenario, the robot can be seen adjusting to its environment and is shown successfully standing up.

Related: 

• 17 weird, wonderful and terrifying robots we saw at CES 2025 — from a humanlike android companion to a robotic mixologist

This remarkable ability to get knocked down and then get up again is thanks to the system called "Humanoid Standing-up Control" (HoST). The scientists achieved this with reinforcement learning, a type of machine learning where the agent (in this case the HoST framework) attempts to perform a task by trial and error. In essence, the robot takes an action, and if that action results in a positive outcome, it is sent a reward signal that encourages it to take that action again the next time it finds itself in a similar state.

Rising to the occasion

The team's system was a little more complicated than that, using four separate reward groups for more targeted feedback, along with a series of motion constraints including motion smoothing and speed limits to prevent erratic or violent movements. A vertical pull force was also applied during initial training to help direct the early stages of the learning process.

The HoST framework was originally trained in simulations using the Isaac Gym simulator, a physics simulation environment developed by Nvidia. Once the framework had been sufficiently trained on simulations, it was deployed into a Unitree G1 Humanoid Robot for experimental testing, the results of which are demonstrated in the video.

"Experimental results with the Unitree G1 humanoid robot demonstrate smooth, stable, and robust standing-up motions in a variety of real-world scenarios," the scientists wrote in the study. "Looking forward, this work paves the way for integrating standing-up control into existing humanoid systems, with the potential of expanding their real-world applicability."

Getting up might seem second nature to we humans, but it's something that humanoid robots have struggled to replicate in the past, as you can glean from a montage of robots falling over and being unable to return to an upright position. Teaching a robot to walk or run like a human being is one thing, but to be useful in the real world, they need to be able to handle challenging situations like stumbling, tripping and falling over.

{ https://www.livescience.com/technology }

04-03-2025 om 22:48 geschreven door peter  

'We didn't know they were going to be this cute': Scientists unveil genetically engineered 'woolly mice'

Colossal scientists plan to eventually "resurrect" woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) by first editing cells from the mammoths' closest living relatives, Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), to create elephant-mammoth hybrid embryos with shaggy hair and other woolly mammoth traits. But before the researchers can start working with elephants, they must test the relevant gene edits and engineering tools in mice, which are easier to keep and quicker to breed.

Related: 

• Woolly mammoth de-extinction inches closer after elephant stem cell breakthrough

"A mouse model is super useful in this case, because unlike elephants [whose gestation lasts about 22 months], mice have a 20-day gestation," Beth Shapiro, an evolutionary biologist and chief science officer at Colossal, told Live Science.

The short gestation period enabled researchers to design, clone and grow the woolly mice in just six months, Lamm and Shapiro said. Colossal scientists described the results in a study that was uploaded to the preprint database BioRxiv March 4. The study has not been peer reviewed.

Fluffy rodents

To create the woolly mice, the researchers modified seven of the rodents' genes, six of which were related to fur texture, length and color. The scientists selected these genes by screening for DNA sequences that control hair growth in mice and have evolutionary links to sequences that gave woolly mammoths shaggy hair.

"We haven't taken mammoth genes and put them into a mouse," Shapiro said. "We've looked for the mouse variants of the genes that we think are useful in mammoths and then created mice that have many of these edits simultaneously."

Most of the edits "switched off" genes that are usually active in mice. For example, the scientists blocked a gene called FGF-5 that regulates hair length, resulting in mice with fur that is three times longer than standard laboratory mice.

The team also gave the mice mutations that existed in woolly mammoths, resulting in wavier fur than normal mice. Woolly mammoths had a truncated version of a gene called TGF alpha, as well as a mutation in the keratin gene KRT27, which the scientists incorporated into woolly mouse DNA.

The researchers used three genetic engineering techniques to add the edits into a single organism, including a technology called multiplex precision genome editing, which enables researchers to edit several DNA sites at once with high precision.

"It's definitely a proof of concept that you can incorporate multiple mutations into a single mouse and make its hair look like mammoth hair," Vincent Lynch, an evolutionary biologist and associate professor at the University at Buffalo who is not involved in the Colossal research, told Live Science.

Colossal scientists also focused on a gene that regulates fat metabolism and fatty acid absorption in mice. Woolly mammoths thrived in frigid temperatures in part thanks to fat deposits beneath their skin, so the team attempted to confer the same deposits onto mice by editing the associated DNA sequence.

But the effects of this insertion are unclear, Lynch said. "I guess they expected the mouse to have more or less body fat," he said, adding that the physical outcomes are likely too small to observe.

It's still unclear whether the genetically modified mice can tolerate colder conditions than standard mice, but Colossal scientists say they will test this in the coming months. "We know that the edits are in there, so now we just need to test what level of cold tolerance it confers," Lamm said.

While woolly mice are a step closer to the goal of bringing woolly mammoths back, there are still significant hurdles to overcome. For example, the technology involved in engineering the woolly mice is very advanced, but it's a far cry from what will be needed to get similar results in elephants, Lynch said. Mice have naturally dense hair, but that is not the case in elephants, meaning the technical challenge will be much greater, he said.

"Elephants have fur, but the density of the hair is much less than other mammals, so even if they could make those mutations in an Asian elephant [...] it's just going to be really sparse," Lynch said. "So what you need to do, actually, is a bunch of additional genome editing to somehow find a way to increase the density of the hair."

{ https://www.livescience.com/animals }

04-03-2025 om 22:31 geschreven door peter  

Yayimages

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{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

01-03-2025 om 20:34 geschreven door peter  

A secretive U.S. spaceplane just snapped a stunning view of Earth

Credit: Air Force

From time to time, the U.S. military shows glimpses of its X-37B spaceplane, which can travel to space for years at a time.

We just got another glimpse. The U.S. Space Force — which took the reins from the Air Force's expansive military operations in space in 2019 — has released a view the robotic craft took from Earth's orbit. You can see a portion of the X-37B and an outstretched panel above a view of a partially shadowed Earth.

"An X-37B onboard camera, used to ensure the health and safety of the vehicle, captures an image of Earth while conducting experiments in [highly elliptical orbit] in 2024," the Space Force posted on X. "The X-37B executed a series of first-of-kind maneuvers, called aerobraking, to safely change its orbit using minimal fuel."

This is the seventh mission of the X-37B, which orbits 150 to 500 miles above Earth to explore reusable space vehicle technologies and conduct long-term space experiments. The plane was originally built by Boeing for NASA, but the project transferred to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, in 2004. At nearly 30 feet long, it's one-fourth the size of NASA's retired Space Shuttle.

The X-37B's "aerobraking" maneuver mentioned above involves using close passes by Earth's atmosphere to produce drag, ultimately allowing it to switch orbits without burning too much of its finite fuel.

"This novel and efficient series of maneuvers demonstrates the Space Force's commitment to achieving groundbreaking innovation as it conducts national security missions in space," former secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall explained in 2024.

But the spaceplane, which most recently launched in Dec. 2023, isn't coming back home just yet. The mission is "now continuing its test and experimentation objectives," the Space Force said. After that, the craft will plummet through our planet's atmosphere and land on a runway — an event the U.S. military has released images of in the past.

The military clearly wants to promote the X-37B's successes — without revealing too much about its outer space exploits.

{ https://sea.mashable.com/ }

23-02-2025 om 23:58 geschreven door peter  

By SHIVALI BEST FOR MAILONLINE

Fed up of being stuck in traffic jams? Soon you could fly right over them in a £235,000 electric car.

Alef Aeronautics' futuristic vehicle can be driven around like a normal car on the streets. 

However, it is also packed with propellors in the bonnet and boot that allow it to take off at any time to skip the queue. 

This week, the company successfully tested the flying car in a city environment for the first time. 

Incredible footage shows the car driving forwards a few metres, before taking off vertically. 

It then glides through the air over the car in front of it, before landing on the ground and driving off. 

'This drive and flight test represents an important proof of technology in a real-world city environment,' said Jim Dukhovny, CEO of Alef. 

'We hope it will be a moment similar to the Wright Brothers' Kitty Hawk video, proving to humanity that new transportation is possible.'

Fed up of being stuck in traffic jams? Soon you could fly right over them in a £235,000 electric car

Alef Aeronautics' futuristic vehicle can be driven around like a normal car on the streets. However, it is also packed with propellors in the bonnet and boot that allow it to take off at any time to skip the queue 

Fed up of being stuck in traffic jams? Soon you could fly right over them in a £235,000 electric car

The test was conducted on an unidentified public street that had been closed off. 

According to Alef, the video is the first in history to show a car both driving and vertically taking off. 

'While previous videos exist of cars driving and using a runway to take off, videos of tethered flights, and eVTOL flying taxis taking off, this is the first publicly released video of a car driving and taking off vertically,' the company said in a statement. 

While the test was carried out with a special, ultralight version of the Alef Model Zero, the Model A flying car will eventually be a two-seater with a road range of 200 miles and a flying range of 110 miles.

The carbon-fibre frame – which measures around 17ft long and 7ft wide – is designed to fit in any parking space or garage.

To drive on the road, the car uses four small engines in each of the wheels and will drive similar to a normal electric car.

This leaves space in the front and the back for eight propellors, which spin independently at different speeds to allow it to fly in any direction.

It uses a technology called distributed electric propulsion, with a mesh cover over the rotor blades allowing airflow through the vehicle.

To drive on the road, the car uses four small engines in each of the wheels and will drive similar to a normal electric car

This leaves space in the front and the back for eight propellors, which spin independently at different speeds to allow it to fly in any direction

Its cruise speed in the air is 110mph, while on the road it will be limited to between 25 and 35mph despite being able to go far faster.

This is so the vehicle – which weighs 850lb – can be classed as an ultralight 'low speed vehicle', a legal classification reserved for small electric vehicles like golf carts, to pass regulations.

Mr Dukhovny claims the car, which is aimed at the general public, is relatively simple to use and would take just 15 minutes to learn. 

The controls while in the air are similar to those used to fly a consumer drone.

The Model A is different to most of the so-called flying cars being designed today because it actually functions as a car, he said, whereas others on the market tend to be eVTOLS, which are essentially electric helicopters that can only fly.

Alef's founders began working on the concept in 2015 – coincidentally the same date when Marty McFly went Back to the Future in the second instalment of the Hollywood trilogy.

The Model A is currently on pre-order for £235,000 – around the same as the finest Rolls Royce, Bentleys and Aston Martins – but the company is aiming to sell them far cheaper in the future.

Mr Dukhovny said he wanted to bring sci-fi to life and build an 'affordable' flying car, with the cost likely to be closer to £25,000 when built at scale. 

{ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ }

22-02-2025 om 01:42 geschreven door peter  

Yayimages/Curiosmos

2. It Was Built in Japan by Riken and Fujitsu

Fugaku is the product of a collaboration between Riken, one of Japan’s leading research institutes, and Fujitsu, a major technology company. It’s located in Kobe, Japan, and plays a crucial role in scientific research—not just in Japan, but globally.

3. It Uses ARM-Based Chips Instead of Traditional Processors

Most supercomputers rely on Intel or AMD processors, but Fugaku is different. It runs on Fujitsu A64FX ARM-based chips, which makes it more energy-efficient and incredibly fast at handling complex data. It was the first ARM-powered supercomputer to reach number one in global rankings, proving that ARM chips aren’t just for smartphones.

4. It Helps Solve Real-World Problems

Supercomputers aren’t just for theoretical science—they’re used to solve real challenges. Fugaku has been involved in climate modeling, earthquake prediction, medical research, AI development, and even space exploration. Its ability to process massive amounts of data quickly makes it an essential tool for researchers across different fields.

5. It Played a Major Role in COVID-19 Research

During the pandemic, Fugaku was used to study how respiratory droplets spread in indoor spaces, helping researchers develop better social distancing guidelines. It also helped scientists analyze potential drug treatments for COVID-19, accelerating the search for effective therapies.

6. It Has Over 7 Million CPU Cores

Most high-end gaming PCs today have 8 to 32 processor cores. Fugaku? It has more than 7.6 million cores spread across 158,976 computing nodes. That’s an almost unimaginable amount of processing power, making it one of the most advanced computing systems ever created.

7. It’s Being Used to Predict Earthquakes and Tsunamis

Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, and Fugaku is helping scientists better understand these natural disasters. By running advanced simulations, it helps researchers improve early warning systems and predict the potential impact of major earthquakes and tsunamis—knowledge that could save countless lives.

8. It’s Now a Hybrid Quantum Supercomputer

Fugaku is already one of the most advanced supercomputers in existence, but it recently became even more powerful. Scientists have now integrated it with a quantum computer called Reimei, making it a hybrid quantum-classical system. This means it can handle even more complex calculations by combining traditional computing power with the advantages of quantum technology.

9. It’s Designed to Be Energy-Efficient

With all that power, you might assume Fugaku is an energy-hungry machine. But thanks to its ARM-based architecture, it’s actually one of the most energy-efficient supercomputers ever built. It delivers extreme performance without consuming as much power as other machines of its size, making it a leader in sustainable high-performance computing.

10. It’s Paving the Way for the Next Generation of Supercomputers

Fugaku is just the beginning. Japan is already working on its next-generation exascale supercomputer, which will be at least 1,000 times faster than today’s most powerful systems. Once completed, it will push the boundaries of what’s possible in scientific research, artificial intelligence, and beyond.

Supercomputers like Fugaku are changing the world.  Scientists are using them for things like helping fight diseases, predicting disasters, and even for developing new technology. So a lot of innovations and a lot of research is in fact powered by machines we don’t often think about.

{ https://curiosmos.com/ }

15-02-2025 om 18:39 geschreven door peter  

China Has Launched New Generation Transport Shocking the US

China is rapidly emerging as a global leader in engine innovation, showcasing impressive advancements that are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Their technology is developing at a breakneck pace, challenging the US to keep up with their rapid revolution. While China has consistently delivered awesome, futuristic innovations, their dominance now extends to the engine department. It’s time for the market to meet these new-generation engines, combining both beauty and quality .

{ https://beforeitsnews.com/v3/list/v2_top_beyond_science.html }

15-02-2025 om 16:06 geschreven door peter  

{ https://scientias.nl/}

14-02-2025 om 23:44 geschreven door peter  

Story by Laura Paddison, CNN

From a distance, the Ivanpah solar plant looks like a shimmering lake in the Mojave Desert. Up close, it’s a vast alien-like installation of hundreds of thousand of mirrors pointed at three towers, each taller than the Statue of Liberty.

When this plant opened near the California-Nevada border in early 2014, it was pitched as the future of solar power. Just over a decade later, it’s closing.

The plant’s co-owner NRG Energy announced in January it was unwinding contracts with power companies and, subject to regulatory approval, would begin closing the plant in early 2026, readying the site to potentially be repurposed for a new kind of solar energy.

For some, Ivanpah now stands as a huge, shiny monument to wasted tax dollars and environmental damage — campaign groups long criticized the plant for its impact on desert wildlife. For others, failures like this are a natural part of the race to find the winning solutions for the clean energy transition.

When Ivanpah was conceived, its technology, called concentrated solar or thermal solar, was considered a potential breakthrough.

It works like this: Hundreds of thousands of computer-controlled mirrors called “heliostats” track the sun and concentrate its rays onto three towers, each around 450 feet tall and topped with water-filled boilers. The sun’s hyper-concentrated energy turns this water to steam, which drives a turbine to create electricity.

One of the key selling points of this solar technology is the ability to store heat, allowing the production of electricity at night or when the sun isn’t shining without needing batteries.

The project got buy-in from the government with $1.6 billion in Department of Energy loan guarantees, and from utilities Pacific Gas & Electric Company and Southern California Edison, which both entered long-term agreements to buy Ivanpah’s power.

In 2014, it started commercial operations as the world’s largest solar thermal plant, spread across around 5 square miles of federal desert.

“This project is a symbol of the exciting progress we are seeing across the industry,” said then Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, in February 2014 during a dedication ceremony at the site.

So, where did it go wrong?

First, the technology proved finnicky and never quite worked as well as intended, said Jenny Chase, a solar analyst at BloombergNEF.

These kinds of plants “are just technically really difficult to operate,” she told CNN. They combine all the tricky, mechanical parts of a fossil fuel plant — running a turbine and maintaining many moving parts — with the challenges of a distributed energy source. The technology relies on mirrors tracking the sun exactly. “It’s really hard to get those all lined up perfectly and keep them lined up at all times,” Chase said.

But perhaps the biggest problem for Ivanpah is that photovoltaic solar — the technology used in solar panels — became really, really cheap.

In some parts of the world “you can basically buy a solar module for the price of a fence panel,” Chase said. At the time Ivanpah was built, “nobody really would have dreamed that photovoltaics would be this cheap, and batteries are doing a similar thing,” she added.

California's $2.2 billion dollar Ivanpah Solar Plant is a concentrated solar thermal plant in the California Mohave Desert.

Jason Andrew/Redux

Ivanpah's around 350,000 mirrors focus sunlight onto three towers, where water is turned to steam to generate electricity.

Jim West/REA/Redux

Wild burros are seen near the Ivanpah solar power plant on August 26, 2022. 

David McNew/Getty Images

A spokesperson for NRG said prices were competitive when the power agreements were signed in 2009. But over time, advancements in other types of solar technology “led to more efficient, cost effective and flexible options for producing reliable clean energy.”

In January, NRG finalized negotiations with PG&E to terminate power purchase agreements which were supposed to end in 2039. This “will provide significant savings for California ratepayers,” the company’s spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for Southern California Edison said it was in ongoing discussions with the plant owners and the DOE about its contract.

For critics of Ivanpah, its imminent demise is proof the plant should never have been built.

It “was a financial boondoggle and environmental disaster,” said Julia Dowell, senior campaign organizer at the Sierra Club, an environmental organization. “The project’s construction destroyed irreplaceable pristine desert habitat,” she told CNN.

Ivanpahs’s location in the sweeping, sun-drenched Mojave Desert may have seemed ideal for generating solar power, but it is also a habitat for threatened desert tortoises. While the plant’s developers agreed to a series of measures to protect and relocate the animals, many environmentalists believed the plant should not have been approved.

The Ivanpah plant is set to begin closing in 2026, with units decommissioned to prepare the land to potentially be repurposed for a different kind of solar power.

Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images

The other big issue was bird deaths. Reports of “streamers” — birds incinerated midair by the beams of intense heat from the mirrors — solidified opposition.

NRG did not respond to specific questions about the plant’s impact on wildlife.

Some commentators are using Ivanpah to make the case that renewable energy projects should not receive government money, a view that appears to fit with the new administration’s. One of President Donald Trump’s first actions was to pause approvals of new renewable energy projects on federal land.

But renewable energy experts say it’s important for governments to invest in a range of clean technologies, and many of those they have invested in, such as photovoltaics, have worked out.

It wasn’t clear which solar technologies would prove most cost effective when Ivanpah was being built 15 years ago, said Kenneth Gillingham, an economics professor at Yale School of the Environment.

“Picking winners is extremely difficult,“ he told CNN, “and it’s not a problem that some technologies are outcompeted by others, as long as innovation continues occurring.”

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14-02-2025 om 16:10 geschreven door peter  

• READ MORE: US Navy testing its new laser weapon that NEVER runs out of power

By JONATHAN CHADWICK FOR MAILONLINE 

He's gained a reputation as the 'real-life Iron Man', thanks to his futuristic jet suit. 

Now British engineer, Richard Browning, is on a mission to bring jet packs to the military.

His futuristic jet suit uses five gas turbines to reach heights of up to 20 feet (six metres) at impressive speeds of up to 85 mph. 

He's struck a deal with two western allies to equip militaries with the gizmo, allowing armed commandos to soar over warzones and land on enemy ships. 

Troops will be able to board hostile ships in the style of James Bond, without having to descend on ropes from a helicopter or climb on a ladder from another vessel. 

'We do something that looks like it should be in a Marvel film and it does look spectacular, but actually it's now a serious international business,' Browning told the Times.

'We are in the process of signing several deals with two western allies, in particular for marine mobility, enabling special forces to rapidly secure maritime targets.'

Marvel fans who fancy taking to the skies can try the jet suit at Goodwood Estate in West Sussex or in California – although the experience costs a whopping £6,600 ($8,200).

Developed by inventor Richard Browning from Gravity Industries, the suit uses five gas turbines that produce over 1,000 brake horsepower to gain flight

Richard Browning, a Royal Marines reservist for six years and Cardiff University graduate, wanted to augment the human body with enough technology to be able to fly

Mr Browning's invention is often compared to the suits worn by Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel comics and films (pictured)

Already, British Royal Navy marines used the jet packs to jump from boat to boat in the English Channel to prepare for future boarding operations. 

Astonishing video shows marines taking off from a rig fixed on to a small boat behind HMS Tamar and flying on to its deck. 

Mr Browning founded Gravity Industries in March 2017 with the mission of augmenting the human body with enough technology to be able to fly. 

Less than a decade later, Gravity Industries has flown the jet suit at more than 300 events in 50 different countries, including Vietnam at the end of last year. 

Mr Browning said: 'The Jet Suit produces up to 144kg of thrust; the thrust to weight ratio works out to be greater than any known Jet Fighter we are aware of.' 

The futuristic contraption is fitted with five downward-facing turbine engines that produce hot exhaust gases, the company explains. 

As the burning gases expand and blast out through the nozzle down towards the ground, the pilot is thrust upwards. 

Because most of the engines are positioned at the end of the user's hands, it's simply a case of moving the arms to be able to fly in the desired direction.

This is not the first time that the Mr Browning's invention has taken to the air for the pleasure of the British Armed Forces. Pictured: Mr Browning above Farnborough International Airport

It can reach impressive speeds of up to 85 mph and heights of up to 20 feet (6 metres), with a total flight time of up to 10 minutes. Pictured, Mr Browning in flight above the Farnborough International airport in November 2021

In Thunderball (1965), James Bond (Sean Connery) used a Bell Textron Rocket Belt to escape the scene after killing French antagonist Jacques Bouvar

It takes off vertically, much like the suit in the James Bond film Thunderball, while a display screen inside the helmet gives updates on fuel consumption. 

Aside from its military applications and allowing members of the public to fly, the suit has potential for mountain rescue charities and emergency response scenarios. 

Eventually, in dangerous situations such as wildfire or remote mountainsides, professional staff wearing the pack could potentially perform life-threatening rescues.

In 2022, a paramedic wearing the suit flew up a hill in winds of over 30 miles per hour and heavy rain as part of a successful proof of concept. 

'The medic response stuff we don't see as a profit centre,' Browning – a Royal Marines reservist for six years and Cardiff University graduate – told the Times. 

'But it is still incredibly important to us and we have plans to launch a separate charity to scale this life-saving capability.'

Gravity Industries, which employs 25 people, recently raised $10 million in funding after being valued at $72 million (£58 million) – up from $36 million (£29 million) two years ago. 

The company was recognized by Guinness World Record for the fastest flight in a body-controlled jet suit in November 2019 at 85 mph (135 kmph). 

Aside from its military applications and allowing members of the public to fly, the suit has potential for mountain rescue charities and emergency response scenarios. Pictured in Lake District

Richard Browning CEO of Gravity Industries and the Chief Test Pilot, wears a Jet Suit and flies with second Test Pilot during a demonstration flight on May 22, 2019 in Belgrade, Serbia

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At the time, Browning powered the contraption 1,640ft along the length of Brighton Pier in challenging weather conditions with sparks in his wake. 

More recently, Browning flew the device at Army People Conference in Farnborough to demonstrate its potential for application by British soldiers. 

The adventurer took off and landed both on the hood of a nearby jeep and the cabin roof of a truck before flying to a balcony filled with army onlookers. 

And as part of a promo with Domino's in summer 2023, pizzas were flown in to the Glastonbury Festival site. 

An early version of the flight pack was dubbed Daedalus after the father of Icarus – the pair in Greek mythology who flew with wings made from feathers and wax – although the name is no longer used on the company's website. 

According to the legendary tale, Icarus died when he flew too close to the sun and the wax holding the feathers together melted. 

The real-life Jetsons! Flying taxi dubbed 'Blackbird' can spin and move in any direction thanks to a futuristic propulsion system 

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11-02-2025 om 21:26 geschreven door peter  

Yes, Humans Have Achieved ‘Teleportation’ with a Quantum Supercomputer—This May Help Teleport a Human One Day

Yes, humans have achieved ‘teleportation’ with a quantum supercomputer, but it’s not your Sci-Fi teleportation. Scientists want to teleport an entire human—can they do it? Let’s find out with this new Earth-Shattering discovery!

Scientists at Oxford found a way to connect two separate quantum computers so they can work together as one. They did this using something called quantum teleportation.

But this isn’t the kind of teleportation you see in sci-fi movies—nothing physically moves. Instead, information is transferred instantly from one place to another without actually traveling through space.

Quantum computers are super powerful, but they need millions of qubits to solve big problems. The problem is, cramming millions of qubits into one machine is nearly impossible. Instead of making one giant quantum computer, the researchers figured out how to link multiple smaller quantum computers together—like connecting tiny puzzle pieces to make a bigger, more powerful system.

Scientists have teleported quantum information before, but this is the first time they have teleported logical gates—the basic building blocks of a computer program. This means the linked quantum computers can now work together to run complex programs, just like a single, bigger quantum machine.

In short: They found a way to link quantum computers together using teleportation, making them work as one big system. This could help quantum computers become more powerful and practical in the real world.

Researchers at the University of Oxford connected two separate quantum processors using a special “photonic network interface,” making them work together as one fully connected quantum computer.

This breakthrough could help solve complex problems that regular computers cannot handle. To be truly useful, quantum computers need to process millions of qubits (the basic unit of quantum information). However, fitting so many processors into one machine would make it extremely large.

The new approach links smaller quantum devices together, allowing them to share the work. In theory, this method can connect as many processors as needed

While quantum teleportation has been done before, this study is the first to teleport “logical gates,” which are the basic building blocks of quantum algorithms, across a network. This could lead to a future “quantum internet,” where distant quantum processors form a super-secure network for communication and computing.

Lead researcher Dougal Main explained that, unlike previous teleportation experiments, their method allows separate quantum systems to interact. By carefully designing these interactions, they created logical quantum gates between qubits in different quantum computers, effectively linking them together as one system.

To test their method, the team ran Grover’s search algorithm, which can find items in large, unorganized datasets much faster than a regular computer. The success of this experiment shows how linking multiple quantum devices can lead to powerful, scalable quantum computers—potentially solving complex problems in hours that would take today’s supercomputers years to complete. (Study)

This is not your Sci-Fi Teleportation but it’s Magical

Scientists first proved that teleportation was possible in 1993. A team from IBM wrote a paper explaining how they could teleport a quantum state (not a physical object). Five years later, researchers from California and the U.K. successfully teleported a photon—a tiny particle of light—through a special cable.

Teleportation, like flying cars and time travel, sounds like science fiction, but scientists believe that improvements in quantum computing could make it real.

So far, most teleportation experiments have used photons. But in 2020, scientists found that teleporting electrons might also be possible. Electrons could be better for teleportation because they can hold their quantum states longe

Quantum computing is based on the weird science of quantum entanglement, which has nothing to do with our everyday experience of Newtonian mechanics, like masses, forces, and their related effects.

Instead of physically sending qubits from one computer to another, they used quantum teleportation to transfer quantum information instantly. This is possible due to a phenomenon called quantum entanglement, in which two particles (qubits) are mysteriously linked, no matter how far apart they are.

Scientists entangle two qubits (tiny quantum particles). Entangled qubits are like a magical pair—if you change one, the other instantly changes, no matter how far apart they are. This means they stay connected, even if one is on Earth and the other is on the Moon.

They used light (photons) to transfer quantum information between computers. This act acts like a bridge, allowing separate quantum processors to “talk” to each other.

The team didn’t just teleport individual qubits; they teleported logical gates (the basic operations of a quantum computer). This allowed the separate quantum computers to process data together as if they were part of the same system.

• Quantum entanglement: Where two particles, such as a pair of photons, remain correlated even when separated by vast distances. This allows them to share information without having to travel physically.
• Quantum teleportation: The transfer of quantum information over long distances almost instantly, using entanglement.

Scientists Want to Teleport a Human—Could This Breakthrough Make It Possible?

Moving an entire human from one place to another—like in sci-fi movies—is not possible yet. The human body has about 10^27 atoms, and each atom is made of even smaller particles like electrons, protons, and neutrons. These tiny parts also have their own even smaller parts, like quarks and muons, each with a unique quantum state.

To teleport a person, we’d have to calculate an unimaginably huge number of quantum states and rebuild them perfectly in a new location.

In the past, sci-fi writers thought teleportation meant breaking matter apart, sending it somewhere, and putting it back together. But quantum entanglement shows that teleportation isn’t about moving physical matter—it’s about transferring information that describes a quantum state, according to physicist Paul Davies.

If we can overcome the challenge of processing power—something that better quantum computers might help with—could teleporting a human be as easy as scanning their body and sending the data like an email attachment?

However, a physics rule (the uncertainty principle) says we can’t know both the speed and position of a particle at the same time. This means no matter how carefully we scan every particle in your body, the copy will never be 100% perfect.

What could these small errors mean? Maybe your teleported self looks fine but suddenly enjoys broccoli, even though you used to hate it. Or worse, the errors could be serious, causing big problems when your body is reassembled.

Even if we succeed in addressing all of these challenges, we must consider a philosophical question: do the atoms in your body and all their quantum states constitute the being you consider to be, well, you?

Experimental and theoretical physicist John Clauser—who, along with his colleagues won the 2022 Nobel Prize in physics for their work on quantum entanglement—has a take on this question that might give you pause.

“Imagine you’re told that if you step into this box, every atom in your body will be disassembled, effectively leaving your body totally destroyed, thereby killing you,” Clauser says. “Furthermore, you’re also told that afterwards, a replicant of you starts walking around . . . taking over your life as you once knew it . . . would you step into that box? I certainly wouldn’t!”

Read also:

• This British Scientist Proposes Controversial Theory: We May Be Living 52 Million Lives in a Simulation
• This Man Claims He Has Found Ways to Escape the Simulation, But the Consequences Are Unknown
• This Man finds that Altered States of Consciousness Can Distort Time, And Nobody Knows Why

While the direct teleportation of matter remains speculative, some theoretical frameworks suggest alternative approaches: If the human mind can be fully understood as a quantum system, it might one day be possible to “upload” and “download” consciousness.

Emerging studies in quantum biology suggest that quantum phenomena may play a role in human consciousness.

Dr. Hameroff’s research focuses on the role of microtubules—protein structures within cells—in consciousness. He proposed, alongside Sir Roger Penrose, the Orch OR (Orchestrated Objective Reduction) model of consciousness in the 1990s.

This theory suggests that consciousness arises from quantum computing processes within the brain’s microtubules, with influences from the fundamental structure of spacetime at the quantum level. According to the model, this could explain phenomena like perception, self-awareness, and potentially even spirituality and the afterlife, connecting consciousness to the basic fabric of the universe.

Dr. Stuart Hameroff has been interested in the mystery of consciousness for almost his entire life. Instead of studying brain science or psychology, Hameroff became interested in anesthetics—drugs that cause loss of consciousness—because of their connection to consciousness. (Click here to read the full article)

“I thought about neurology, psychology, and neurosurgery, but none of those seemed to address the problem of consciousness,” says Hameroff, a retired anesthesiology professor from the University of Arizona. He remembers when he first came to the university and met the chair of the anesthesia department. The chair said, “If you want to understand consciousness, figure out how anesthesia works because we don’t know how it works.”

Dr. Hameroff suggests that at its core, consciousness can be understood as “awareness,” which he equates to having a “phenomenal experience”—the subjective, first-person experience of the world around us or our inner thoughts and feelings.

In recent years, research showing quantum effects in biological systems, including microtubules, has given some critics reason to reconsider. Dr. Hameroff believes the focus on AI and computation has shifted attention away from the true nature of consciousness. Despite the criticism, he continues to defend the theory, even exploring the possibility that consciousness could predate life itself, a view he admits leans into the spiritual realm.

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10-02-2025 om 16:30 geschreven door peter  

This British Scientist Proposes Controversial Theory: We May Be Living 52 Million Lives in a Simulation

Dr. Melvin Vopson suggests a controversial theory that we may be living 52 million lives in a simulation, as one real-world lifetime could feel like 4.2 billion years in simulated time.

Dr. Vopson, an associate professor in physics at the University of Portsmouth, suggests that we might be living in a computer simulation, much like in The Matrix. He believes that certain signs in our daily lives hint that reality might not be what it seems. He explores the question: if we are in a simulated world, what is its purpose?

Dr Vopson makes scientific observations and measurements to support his theory. His theory is considered controversial which suggests that time can slow down in a simulation. Just like dreams feel long but last only a short time in real life, a whole lifetime in a simulated world could happen in just one real-world minute. This means a person could live many lifetimes by repeating these short simulations, potentially experiencing 52 million lifetimes in one human lifespan.

Dr. Melvin Vopson has previously published research suggesting that information has mass and that all elementary particles – the smallest known building blocks of the universe – store information about themselves, similar to the way humans have DNA.

In 2022, he discovered a new law of physics that could predict genetic mutations in organisms, including viruses, and help judge their potential consequences. It is based on the second law of thermodynamics, which establishes that entropy – a measure of disorder in an isolated system – can only increase or stay the same.

Dr. Vopson had expected that the entropy in information systems would also increase over time, but on examining the evolution of these systems he realized it remains constant or decreases. That’s when he established the second law of information dynamics, or infodynamics, which could significantly impact genetics research and evolution theory.

Dr. Vopson presents three possible explanations. One idea is that we willingly entered this simulation before birth, choosing to live in an exciting, artificial world rather than a dull real one. In this view, life is like a highly advanced virtual reality game meant for entertainment.

Another possibility is that we are part of an experiment designed to solve real-world problems. This theory suggests that humans in the future create simulations like ours to test solutions for global crises such as climate change or war. If one of these simulations finds a solution, it could be applied in the real world.

The third idea is that time in the simulation moves much slower than in reality. A few minutes in the real world could last for centuries here, allowing us to live multiple lifetimes. Thus, by choosing to exist in the simulation, we might experience a form of immortality.

According to this idea, in the same way, that our dreams can feel days long but last only minutes in real life, an entire lifetime in a simulated universe could take just one minute in the real world. That means a person could become virtually immortal by stacking up these one-minute simulated lives across their entire human lifetime, leaving 52 million chained lifetimes behind. (Source)

Although Dr. Vopson admits these are just theories and not proven by science, some of his research suggests that the universe could be a giant computer. He is not alone in this belief—figures like Elon Musk have also speculated that reality might be a simulation.

In 2022, Dr. Vopson discovered a new law of physics that could predict genetic mutations in organisms, including viruses, and help judge their potential consequences.

It is based on the second law of thermodynamics, which establishes that entropy – a measure of disorder in an isolated system – can only increase or stay the same.

Dr. Vopson had expected that the entropy in information systems would also increase over time, but on examining the evolution of these systems he realized it remains constant or decreases. That’s when he established the second law of information dynamics, or infodynamics, which could significantly impact genetics research and evolution theory.

Dr Vopson said: “I knew then that this revelation had far-reaching implications across various scientific disciplines.

“What I wanted to do next is put the law to the test and see if it could further support the simulation hypothesis by moving it on from the philosophical realm to mainstream science.”

Information theory is the study of how information is measured, stored, and shared. It was first developed by a mathematician named Claude Shannon and is now used in many areas of science, including physics.

In 2022, Dr. Vopson and another physicist, Serban Lepadatu, introduced a new idea called the “second law of infodynamics.”

This idea is similar to a well-known rule in physics called the “second law of thermodynamics,” which says that disorder (called entropy) in the universe always increases or stays the same over time. In simple terms, things naturally become more chaotic.

However, Dr. Vopson found that in information systems—such as digital data or genetic code—the opposite happens. Instead of becoming more disordered, these systems become more organized over time.

He tested this idea on different systems and found that it supports the theory that our universe might be a simulation. This is because, unlike in nature where things become more chaotic, information systems tend to become more efficient and structured. The patterns we see in nature might be a way of organizing information, which fits with the idea of a simulated world.

Key findings include:

• Biological Systems: The second law of infodynamics challenges the conventional understanding of genetic mutations, suggesting that they follow a pattern governed by information entropy. This discovery has profound implications for fields such as genetic research, evolutionary biology, genetic therapies, pharmacology, virology, and pandemic monitoring.
• Atomic Physics: The paper explains the behavior of electrons in multi-electron atoms, providing insights into phenomena like Hund’s rule; which states that the term with maximum multiplicity lies lowest in energy. Electrons arrange themselves in a way that minimizes their information entropy, shedding light on atomic physics and the stability of chemicals.
• Cosmology: The second law of infodynamics is shown to be a cosmological necessity, with thermodynamic considerations applied to an adiabatically expanding universe supporting its validity.

“The paper also provides an explanation for the prevalence of symmetry in the universe”, explained Dr. Vopson.

Dr. Vopson argues that this law plays a role in atomic physics (electron arrangement), cosmology, and biological systems. This last one is where Dr. Vopson makes a big claim: contrary to Charles Darwin’s idea that mutations occur randomly, mutations actually occur so that information entropy is minimized.

He analyzed the constantly mutating SARS-CoV-2 (a.k.a. COVID-19) virus, and his paper on that investigation—shows a “unique correlation between the information and the dynamics of the genetic mutations.”

“A super complex universe like ours, if it were a simulation, would require a built-in data optimization and compression in order to reduce the computational power and the data storage requirements to run the simulation,” Dr. Vopson wrote. (Source)

Dr. Vopson tested his new idea, called the “second law of infodynamics,” by studying digital information.

He wrote the word “INFORMATION” in binary (a computer code using 1s and 0s) onto a tiny magnetic surface. Over time, as the system went through many cycles at room temperature, the information started to fade. After 1,990 cycles, it disappeared completely. This matched his theory, which says that information naturally gets lost over time, becoming simpler.

Read also:

• This Man Claimed the Brain Creates Consciousness, but His Quantum Consciousness Theory Faces Three Decades of Criticism—New Evidence Now Supports His Claim
• This Man Claims He Has Found Ways to Escape the Simulation, But the Consequences Are Unknown
• Scientist found People Born Blind Are Mysteriously Protected From Schizophrenia
• This Man finds that Altered States of Consciousness Can Distort Time, And Nobody Knows Why

Dr. Vopson was surprised and excited that his idea applied to many different systems. He believes the law could be universal. However, he made it clear that, while his study supports the idea that the universe might be a simulation, it doesn’t prove it for sure. He hopes his work will encourage more research and that other scientists will find new ways to test this idea.

He also suggested another experiment to check his theory. If scientists smash matter and antimatter (opposites of each other) together, they might see low-energy light particles appear. This would show that information is being erased, proving his law of infodynamics in action.

Information physics suggests that everything we see as physical might actually be made of bits of information.

This means our universe could be a simulation. The idea isn’t new—John Archibald Wheeler suggested in 1989 that the universe might emerge from information.

In 2003, philosopher Nick Bostrom argued that it’s likely we are living in such a simulation, as advanced civilizations might create simulations that are impossible to tell apart from reality.

Physicist Seth Lloyd from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US took the simulation hypothesis to the next level by suggesting that the entire universe could be a giant quantum computer. (Source)

Dr. Vopson noted that the simulation hypothesis has attracted the interest of many public figures, such as Elon Musk and Neil deGrasse Tyson, along with other people from all walks of life, showing that it has a broad appeal.

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08-02-2025 om 18:25 geschreven door peter  

By SHIVALI BEST FOR MAILONLINE

The idea of a robotic dog that can move on almost any terrain might sound like something from the latest episode of Black Mirror. 

But as this terrifying footage shows, it has now become a reality. 

The state-of-the-art robot dog is called Lynx, and is the brainchild of Chinese company, Deep Robotics. 

Equipped with four wheels instead of paws, the bot can walk, climb, and even backflip on everything from rocks to snow. 

Deep Robtics hopes that it could be used in search and rescue operations. 

However, some sceptics have already raised concerns about the four-legged robot. 

'I know these are gonna be hunting down every last human before long,' one user commented on the video. 

However, they reluctantly added: 'But this is also just legitimately cool as hell.'

The state-of-the-art robot dog is called Lynx, and is the brainchild of Chinese company, Deep Robotics

Equipped with four wheels instead of paws, the bot can walk, climb, and even backflip on everything from rocks to snow

Lynx stands at just under one metre tall, and weighs 30kg - around the same size as a Labrador Retriever. 

'DEEPRoboticsLynx all-terrain robot boasts a compact and agile design with exceptional adaptability to diverse terrains,' Deep Robotics explains on its website. 

'By leveraging its distinctive wheel-leg motion, DEEPRoboticsLynx strikes an optimal balance between speed and agility, carrying forward DEEP Robotics' deep expertise in embodied intelligence and industry applications.'

According to the firm, the robot is able to climb platforms up to 80cm tall and navigate continuous steps reaching up to 22cm tall. 

Meanwhile, when it's on the move, the bot can reach top speeds of five metres/second (11mph). 

It also comes with an IP54 protection rating, meaning it is suitable for use in all weather conditions. 

Equipped with a wide-angle camera, the bot could be used to access hard-to-reach areas during search and rescue missions. 

Unsurprisingly, it comes with a fairly hefty price-tag. 

According to the firm, the robot is able to climb platforms up to 80cm tall and navigate continuous steps reaching up to 22cm tall

Unsurprisingly, it comes with a fairly hefty price-tag. Lynx will set buyers back by $17,999 (£14,520.65)

Lynx will set buyers back by $17,999 (£14,520.65)!

The response to the bot has been overwhelmingly positive on social media. 

Commenting on Deep Robotics' video showcasing the robot, one user wrote: 'That's crazy. This kind of robots with such agility were still a science fiction several years ago.'

Another added: 'this is the most hardcore flex I've ever seen in the history of robotics.'

And one joked: 'the first couple of jump clips had me wondering if those were real or cgi because of how well the lynx did it!'

However, others were slightly more sceptical of the robot. 

'Cant wait for this thing to chase me down in the future,' one user wrote, while another said: 'This 100% was a black mirror episode.'

'Spot is a small four-legged robot that comfortably fits in an office or home' the firm says on its website.

It weighs 25 kg (55 lb), or 30 kg (66 lb) when you include the robotic arm.

Spot is all-electric and can go for about 90 minutes on a charge, depending on what it is doing, the firm says, boasting 'Spot is the quietest robot we have built.' 

Spot was first unveiled in 2016, and a previous version of the mini version of spot with a strange extendable neck has been shown off helping around the house. 

In the firm's previous video, the robot is shown walking out of the firm's HQ and into what appears to be a home.

There, it helps load a dishwasher and carries a can to the trash.

It also at one point encounters a dropped banana skin and falls dramatically - but uses its extendable neck to push itself back up. 

'Spot is one of the quietest robots we have ever built, the firm says, due to its electric motors.

'It has a variety of sensors, including depth cameras, a solid state gyro (IMU) and proprioception sensors in the limbs. 

'These sensors help with navigation and mobile manipulation. 

'Spot performs some tasks autonomously, but often uses a human for high-level guidance.' 

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07-02-2025 om 21:31 geschreven door peter