Belgium flexes its new locally sourced mussels
It is a popular tradition to eat mussels in Brussels but what may surprise many is that none of the mollusks visitors enjoy are locally sourced in Belgium......»»
Apple’s supply chain could include ‘blood minerals’ from eastern Congo
International lawyers representing the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo have said that Apple’s supply chain could include “conflict minerals” or “blood minerals.” The terms are used to refer to minerals sourced from conflic.....»»
Study finds sea-level rise and weather-related shocks caused Louisiana marsh to die back
In 2016, observers in the wetlands of Louisiana's Bird's Foot Delta began to note dying stands of Phragmites australis, locally known as Roseau cane. By 2021, nothing but mud flats remained in some areas where the reeds once stood......»»
French, Belgian astronauts named next Europeans to fly to ISS
France's Sophie Adenot and Belgium's Raphael Liegeois will be the first two from a new class of European astronauts to blast off to the International Space Station, the European Space Agency said Wednesday......»»
Black farmers in Brazil changing views on coffee production
Raphael Brandao beams with pride as he describes the high-end Brazilian coffee he produces with beans sourced exclusively from Black farmers in a country where many still associate the product with slavery......»»
Toyota’s largest-ever investment charging up in rural North Carolina
Toyota's largest-ever investment in N.A. manufacturing is taking shape in rural N.C.; will ultimately provide batteries for locally built EVs, hybrids and PHEVs......»»
Toyota"s massive $13.9B battery complex prepping to start production next year to power hybrids, EVs
Toyota's largest-ever investment in N.A. manufacturing is taking shape in rural N.C.; will ultimately provide batteries for locally built EVs, hybrids and PHEVs......»»
Low-intensity grazing is locally better for biodiversity but challenging for land users, study shows
A team of researchers led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig University (UL), and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) has investigated the motivation and potential incentives for and challenge.....»»
Microsoft open-sources infamously weird, RAM-hungry MS-DOS 4.00 release
DOS 4.00 was supposed to add multitasking to the OS, but it was not to be. Enlarge / A DOS prompt. Microsoft has open-sourced another bit of computing history this week: The company teamed up with IBM to release the sou.....»»
Apple releases eight small AI language models aimed at on-device use
OpenELM mirrors efforts by Microsoft to make useful small AI language models that run locally. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) In the world of AI, what might be called "small language models" have been growing in populari.....»»
Congo accuses Apple of using illegal conflict minerals in its supply chain
The Democratic Republic of Congo is accusing Apple of using illegally exploited minerals sourced in the eastern regions, involving violence, child labor and other human rights violations. This allegation disagrees with Apple’s published Conflic.....»»
Microsoft’s Phi-3 shows the surprising power of small, locally run AI language models
Microsoft’s 3.8B parameter Phi-3 may rival GPT-3.5, signaling a new era of “small language models." Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) On Tuesday, Microsoft announced a new, freely available lightweight AI language model.....»»
Are Titan"s dunes made of comet dust?
A new theory suggests that Titan's majestic dune fields may have come from outer space. Researchers had always assumed that the sand making up Titan's dunes was locally made, through erosion or condensed from atmospheric hydrocarbons. But researchers.....»»
Ocean environment safety of nanocellulose investigated in study of mussels
Cellulose nanofibers represent a promising resource for multiple industrial sectors, but what is their impact on the marine environment? A study published in Environmental Science: Nano recently addressed this issue in a study on marine organisms con.....»»
The limits of ice: What a 19th-century expedition trapped in sea ice for a year tells us about Antarctica"s future
In 1897, the former whaling ship RV Belgica left Antwerp in Belgium and set sail due south. It was the first voyage of what would become known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration. It did not go to plan......»»
A microbial plastic factory for high-quality green plastic
Engineered bacteria can produce a plastic modifier that makes renewably sourced plastic more processable, more fracture-resistant and highly biodegradable even in seawater. The Kobe University development provides a platform for the industrial-scale,.....»»
Climate change threatens Antarctic meteorites
Using artificial intelligence, satellite observations, and climate model projections, a team of researchers from Switzerland and Belgium calculate that for every tenth of a degree of increase in global air temperature, an average of nearly 9,000 mete.....»»
Intel, Microsoft discuss plans to run Copilot locally on PCs instead of in the cloud
Companies are trying to make the "AI PC" happen with new silicon and software. Enlarge / The basic requirements for an AI PC, at least when it's running Windows. (credit: Intel) Microsoft said in January that 2024 would.....»»
Cellulose fibers are emerging as a sustainable option for wrapping everything from foods to electronics
Attention supermarket shoppers in Belgium, France and Luxembourg: a test to cut waste from plastic packaging of foods is coming to nearby stores......»»
Once “too scary” to release, GPT-2 gets squeezed into an Excel spreadsheet
OpenAI's GPT-2 running locally in Microsoft Excel teaches the basics of how LLMs work. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images) It seems like AI large language models (LLMs) are everywhere these days due to the rise of ChatGPT. No.....»»
The timeless wisdom of Sanpo-yoshi for present day businesses
There is a growing emphasis for corporations to consider their impact on the environment, society, and its stakeholders. Broadly falling under environmental, social and governance or ESG, this involves practices such as using sustainably sourced mate.....»»