Team compares robot-assisted language learning systems and human tutors in English conversation lessons
Advancements in large language models, robotics, and software such as text-to-speech, have made it possible to develop robots that can understand language, interact physically, and communicate verbally. These breakthroughs have opened up possibilitie.....»»
Illegitimate interruptions reduce productivity in the workplace, finds study
A team of researchers from The University of Queensland has found employees experience more stress at work when interrupted with requests for unnecessary or unreasonable tasks......»»
Biologists travel with their mobile laboratory to study a wide range of mitochondrial functions in avian migration
For Wendy Hood and Geoffrey Hill in Biological Sciences, Andreas Kavazis in Kinesiology, and their team, Emma Rhodes, Paulo Mesquita, and Jeff Yap, traveling the country to unlock the mystery of mitochondria in migrating aviary species has allowed th.....»»
You can now buy a 4-foot-tall humanoid robot for $16K
No one is quite sure what you're supposed to do with the robot, but you can buy one. The Unitree G1, with karate kick action! [credit:.....»»
OpenAI on the defensive after multiple PR setbacks in one week
Sexy voices, departing employees, and NDA rumors have challenged the AI company. Enlarge (credit: Benj Edwards | Getty Images) Since the launch of its latest AI language model, GPT-4o, OpenAI has found itself on the defe.....»»
Tracing the pawsteps of the North China leopard
The North China leopard (Panthera pardus japonensis), one of the world's nine subspecies of leopards, is endemic to China and mainly distributed in the northern parts of the nation. Due to human activities, the species has undergone substantial range.....»»
Unraveling the metabolic mysteries of turfgrass under heat stress
A research team has identified key metabolic composition differences between annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass under heat stress, revealing specific metabolites linked to heat tolerance. The findings underscore the potential to use these metabo.....»»
Satellite radar data uncover "vigorous melting" at Antarctica"s Thwaites Glacier
A team of glaciologists led by researchers at the University of California, Irvine used high-resolution satellite radar data to find evidence of the intrusion of warm, high-pressure seawater many kilometers beneath the grounded ice of West Antarctica.....»»
Genetic resilience and adaptation of the endangered Chinese hazelnut
Endangered species are often characterized by severe population decline or even near-extinction status during their demographic histories. Such threats usually stem from historical climate changes and human activities......»»
Scientists introduce DIProT—an interactive deep learning toolkit for efficient protein design
Scientists have developed DIProT, an innovative, user-friendly toolkit for protein design. The toolkit utilizes a non-autoregressive deep generative model to address the protein inverse folding problem, integrating human expertise into the design loo.....»»
Can coal mines be tapped for rare earth elements?
Deposits of designated critical minerals needed to transition the world's energy systems away from fossil fuels may, ironically enough, be co-located with coal deposits that have been mined to produce the fossil fuel most implicated in climate change.....»»
Seeing the color of entangled photons in molecular systems
Spectroscopy is the study of how matter absorbs and emits light and other radiation. It allows scientists to study the structure of atoms and molecules, including the energy levels of their electrons. Classical optical spectroscopy relies on the way.....»»
New quantum dot approach can enhance electrical conductivity of solar cells
A team led by Professor Jongmin Choi of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering has developed a PbS quantum dot that can rapidly enhance the electrical conductivity of solar cells. The findings are published in the journal Small......»»
Plastic-greenhouse agriculture: A novel soil profile design for global sustainability and enhanced crop production
A research team has developed a novel conceptual framework for designing plastic-greenhouse soil profiles that cater to the needs of smallholder farmers. The soil profile includes four functional layers: a soil mulch layer for preventing evaporation,.....»»
The genetic interplay in Impatiens downy mildew: A transcriptome-based approach to enhancing disease resistance
A research team has meticulously analyzed the transcriptional response of Impatiens walleriana to Plasmopara obducens infection, revealing between 3,000 and 4,500 differentially expressed transcripts at various stages of the disease......»»
The Atlantic hurricane season begins soon—hold on to your butts
One reputable forecast team predicts 33 named storms. Enlarge / Hurricane Dorian's satellite appearance on a Sunday morning in 2019. (credit: NOAA) Later this week, the US federal agency charged with weather forecasting.....»»
Blue Origin resumes human flights to suborbital space, but it wasn’t perfect
Blue Origin's space capsule safely landed despite a problem with one of its parachutes. Enlarge / Ed Dwight, 90, exits Blue Origin's crew capsule Sunday after a 10-minute flight to the edge of space. (credit: Blue Origin).....»»
Neuralink to implant 2nd human with brain chip as 85% of threads retract in 1st
Algorithm tweaks made up for the loss, and Neuralink thinks it has fix for next patient. Enlarge / A Neuralink implant. (credit: Neuralink) Only about 15 percent of the electrode-bearing threads implanted in the brain of.....»»
Climate change is a human rights issue
In April, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in favor of a group of seniors who alleged that the Swiss government's failure to meet climate change mitigation targets is having an adverse impact on their health, well-being and quality of life......»»
Unlocking the secrets of plant-electromagnetic field interactions: A comprehensive review
A research team has meticulously analyzed the biological impacts of ornamental plants' exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs), especially those at high frequencies. They proposed a comprehensive strategy to predict and mitigate these effects by co.....»»
Remote sensing research unravels plant genetic diversity and evolution
A research team has recently published a comprehensive review on the innovative integration of spectral data and phylogeographic patterns to study plant genetic variation. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of remote sensing technology in ide.....»»