‘Tipping point in history’: Gene therapy improves hearing in 90% of patients with congenital hearing loss in largest trial of its kind
In the largest and longest trial of its kind, 90% of people who received an experimental gene therapy for congenital hearing loss showed significant improvement in their hearing over the next few years. The trial involved 42 participants and was conducted at eight centers in China, primarily children, but also three adults, two of whom […]
NASA’s Curiosity spacecraft discovers a surprising number of giant ‘dragon scales’ scattered on Mars
New photos show that parts of Mars are covered in a surprising number of features that look like chunks of fossilized giant reptile scales. But don’t worry. This strange structure was not created by giant aliens. Rather, it may have something to do with ancient water. NASA’s Curiosity spacecraft snapped a photo of a strange […]
Powered by advanced AI, our table tennis robot rivals the pros – see it in action
— Netbounce The world of table tennis could change dramatically after Sony’s AI division unveiled Ace, an autonomous robot that can compete with professional table tennis players. Using a combination of high-speed cameras and unique state-of-the-art hardware, Ace earned a solid 16 points, or “Ace,” after serving multiple elite players. Sony AI officials said in […]
Diagnostic dilemma: Teenage girl’s typical diabetes symptoms didn’t improve with treatment – reveals she also had an even rarer syndrome
Patient: 17-year-old girl living in California Symptoms: The teenager presented to the emergency department after experiencing vomiting symptoms for about a day. For the past 3 months, she also suffered from regular shortness of breath with chest tightness. What happened next: Tests revealed that the patient’s blood sugar levels were extremely high. Her blood sugar […]
NASA has shut down another Voyager 1 instrument as humanity’s most distant spacecraft prepares for a dangerous ‘big bang’ flight to conserve power
After nearly half a century in space, the Voyager 1 spacecraft has shut down one of its last remaining scientific instruments in a desperate attempt to conserve power. NASA’s decision to power down the instruments comes just before the final “big bang” moment that mission managers hope will further extend the lives of the two […]
Florida is facing its worst drought in 15 years. Here’s how it got bad and how long it lasts.
Florida is experiencing its most severe drought in 15 years, with more than 70% of the Sunshine State experiencing what the U.S. Drought Monitor calls “extreme” to “exceptional” drought. The latest drought data shows northern Florida is experiencing the driest conditions in the state, with recent rainfall providing little relief. With no rain in the […]
Neanderthal infants grew faster than modern humans, probably because they evolved in harsh environments
Neanderthal infants grew faster than modern human infants, perhaps as an adaptation to living in cold, harsh environments, a new study suggests. The discovery, made using bones of young Neanderthals discovered in the Amdo Cave in northern Israel in the 1990s, suggests that Neanderthals and modern humans (Homo sapiens) followed different evolutionary paths after splitting […]
‘Countries need to prepare now’: Major Atlantic currents are much closer to collapse than scientists thought
The Atlantic currents, which are essential to keeping the Earth’s climate in check, may be halved in strength by 2100 and may be closer to collapse than originally thought, a new study has found. The Atlantic Meridian Circulation (AMOC) acts as an oceanic conveyor belt, circulating warm water north from the tropics and cold water […]
New blood test aims to spot liver scarring before it’s still reversible and pave the way to cancer
A new blood test may detect precursors to liver disease, which may also be a precursor to cancer. It is hoped that this test will be able to prevent liver cancer before it occurs. This test uses machine learning models to analyze airborne genetic material circulating in the blood. In the new study, researchers used […]
‘We’re the best servants anyone could dream of!’: AI superintelligence has no need to enslave humans because we’re already bowing to it
Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to change the world in ways we can’t yet fully comprehend, from how we work to how we structure our lives. Scientists debate how a future artificial general intelligence (AGI) — an advanced AI that can reason just as well as humans and learn new skills beyond its initial training […]