π‘ Warp News #240
π³ Whales have a phonetic alphabet. π Space probe returns with samples from the far side of the moon - for the first time. π Solar telescope tracks the source of the solar wind for the first time.
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π Writing a new book
First, an apology. It's been three weeks since the last newsletter, but it should have only been two. I usually take a week off in the summer, and when that began, I hadn't had the chance to write and schedule the news for that week.
At first, I thought I'd work on it during my vacation, but I changed my mind. I needed a bit of rest with my family, and the consequences weren't too serious. I hope you understand!
Visit to the Naval Museum in Karlskrona. Highly recommended!
Now, after the vacation, I'm running the news and newsletter at half speed. This has given me time to start working on my new book.
"On AI" is the working title and it aims to give the reader two things: 1) Understanding that AI is a bigger change than the internet, and 2) how to take advantage of it.
Mathias Sundin
The Angry Optimist
Other articles
π‘ 21 fact-based optimistic news from June
π The last ozone-depleting chemical is now decreasing. π First crash-free test of Starship. βοΈ Plane hijackings have decreased dramatically. π Has Chinaβs CO2 emissions peaked? New stats suggest so. π³ Deforestation in the Amazon reaches lowest level since 2018.
π‘ Fact-based optimistic news of the week
π³ AI has been used to identify a phonetic alphabet in sperm whales
CETI is a research project aimed at understanding whale communication. Sperm whale vocalizations show a structure similar to human language. They have now discovered 156 distinct coda types instead of the previously known 21.
π©βπ« AI teaching tool Khanmigo now free for all US teachers
Khanmigo, an AI tool for teachers, is now free for all teachers in the USA. The tool helps teachers with over 20 different tasks and can save more than 50% of their preparation time. Microsoft and Khan Academy are collaborating to improve math education with small language models.
π Solar telescope tracks the source of the solar wind for the first time
Solar Orbiter has made the first direct measurement of the solar wind and traced it back to its source. Measurements show that the solar wind comes from areas with sunspots where the magnetic field is intense. The discovery could improve predictions of solar storms that affect Earth.
π Space probe returns with samples from the far side of the moon - for the first time
The Chang'e 6 probe has successfully retrieved rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon. The samples are expected to contain 2.5 million-year-old volcanic rock. This is the first time samples from the far side of the moon have been collected.
π¦Ύ AI-designed proteins work in stem cell study
AI-designed proteins have successfully transformed stem cells into blood vessel cells. The proteins helped build regenerative tissues and worked in animal transplants. The technology can potentially be used to repair damaged tissue and treat diseases.
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