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On a quiet pandemic afternoon in 2021, Zhiyuan Wang, a graduate student at Rice University, was tackling strange mathematical problems to alleviate boredom. After he found an exotic solution, he began to wonder if he could physically interpret mathematics. Eventually, he realized that it appears to describe a new type of particle. It is not the particle in question or the particle carrying force. It seemed to be something completely different.The King wanted to develop an accidental discovery into this complete theory of the third particle. He brought the idea to his academic advisor, Kaden Hazzard.”I said, I don’t know…
Anchorage, Alaska – The Trump administration has been disrupting the science infrastructure in the US over the past few months. The latest blow is a 2026 budget proposal that cuts NASA’s scientific funding by about half. If passed by Congress, the budget will be devastating, scientists say. It cancels numerous developments and current operational missions, leading to important layoffs and forces the closure of some astronomical facilities.Neil Reid, a multi-mission project scientist at the Institute for Space Telescope Science (STSCI) in Baltimore, said here last month at the 246th conference of the American Astronomical Association (AAS). “NASA science will be…
California has a new state agency that is completely dedicated to housing. As Ben Christopher reports Calmatters, the new agency separates housing and homeless services from existing businesses, consumer services and housing institutions. As it stands, “Affordable housing grants, lenders and urban planning regulators share agency letterheads with everyone on the cannabis and alcohol industry supervision, professional licences, auto mechanic watchdog and the California State Horse Racing Commission.” The new agency also “simplifies the state’s Hydra with affordable housing financing systems.” Part of the restructuring plan addresses the myriad organisations that affordable housing developers must approach in order to apply…
The highest point on the Earth’s surface is at the top of Mount Everest, which is over 29,000 feet (8,800 meters) above sea level. But what is the lowest point on land?The lowest dry land is on the banks of the Dead Sea in the Middle East. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), they are located approximately 1,300 feet (430 m) above sea level.The banks of the Dead Sea are the lowest point on dry land, but not the deepest point on the surface of the Earth. The distinction belongs to the Challenger, deep within the Mariana…
As part of Knoxville, the Tennessee Urban Wilderness Gateway project, Thunderspace Architecture is designing a new steel pavilion with an “innovative structural cantilever system.” According to Dezeen, “The Sanders Pace Architecture designed the 2,475 square feet (230 square meters) Baker Creek Pavilion as a kick-off to the urban wilderness planning initiative in Knoxville’s urban 600-acre wildlife area.” The structure’s design draws inspiration from the surrounding landscape and the industrial history of the city. As Dezeen reports, “Inspired by the geometry of adjacent mountain bike pump tracks and cycling skill parks, the team designed a liquid-organized structure that focuses the scenery…
Welcome back to review week! There’s a lot of news this week, including a shake-up on X, a hug of Face’s new robot, Nothing and Samsung’s new phones. Have a great weekend! X CEO Linda Yaccarino resigned this week after a turbulent two-year term marked by advertisers’ backlash, Elon Musk’s controversy and platform AI troubles. The company’s advertising business has improved under her leadership, but the future path will still be difficult. See-through: Apple continues to adjust its new liquid glass design in iOS 26 Beta 3, dialing transparency in areas such as notifications and Apple music after user complaints…
July 12, 2025Ravi LakshmananAI Security/Vulnerability Nvidia is urging customers to enable system-level error correction codes (ECCs) as a defense against proven Rowhammer attack variants against graphics processing units (GPUs). “The risk of successful exploitation from a Rowhammer attack varies based on DRAM devices, platforms, design specifications and system settings,” GPU manufacturers said in an advisory released this week. An attack called Gpuhammer tampers with other users’ data by marking the first Rowhammer Exploit demonstrated against Nvidia’s GPU (e.g., Nvidia A6000 GPU with GDDR6 memory) and triggering a bit flip in GPU memory. Researchers at the University of Toronto say that…
In a series of posts about X, AI chatbot Grok apologised for recognizing it as “terrifying behaviour.” This post appears to be an official statement from Xai, the Elon Musk-led company behind Grok, in contrast to the AI-generated description of Grok’s post. (Xai recently got an X. Grok is featured here to make it stand out.) Grok’s latest controversy declared that the company “has made a significant improvement on @Grok” on July 4 after Musk showed he didn’t want the chatbot to be “political correct.” In a short order, the chatbots criticized Democrats and Hollywood “Jewish executives,” repeatedly anti-Semitic memes,…
On June 12, 2025, Air India flight crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 260 people. The plane carried 33,000 gallons (125,000 liters) of fuel, leading to a massive fire, with some bodies burning beyond recognition, fragmented or unrecognized. To identify the remains, authorities sought DNA samples from the victim’s family. More than two weeks after the disaster, completed DNA analysis successfully identified all those lost in the crash.Around the world, DNA analysis is the gold standard for identifying human remains following mass disasters of these types, whether it is a transport accident such as Air India collisions, major natural disasters, or…
A secret mathematics conclave was convened over the weekend in mid-May. Thirty of the world’s most famous mathematicians traveled to Berkeley, California. The UK members faced off in a “inference” chatbot, tasked with solving problems devised to test mathematical tempers, with group members facing off. After throwing professor-level questions to the bot for two days, the researchers were unsure of discovering that they could answer some of the world’s most difficult and solveable problems. “I have colleagues who literally said that these models are approaching mathematics geniuses,” says University of Virginia mathematician Ken Ono and the conference leader and judge.The…