Forget Needles. These Squid-Like Pills Will Spray Drugs Into the Gut Instead.
As a medical doctor, my mother isn’t afraid of needles. But when she recently began injecting insulin daily for her newly diagnosed diabetes, the shots became a frustrating nuisance. A jab is a standard way to deliver insulin, antibodies, RNA vaccines, GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, and other large molecules. Compared to small chemicals—say, aspirin—these...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/11/22/forget-needles-these-squid-like-pills-will-spray-drugs-into-the-gut-instead/
As a medical doctor, my mother isn’t afraid of needles. But when she recently began injecting insulin daily for her newly diagnosed diabetes, the shots became a frustrating nuisance. A jab is a standard way to deliver insulin, antibodies, RNA vaccines, GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, and other large molecules. Compared to small chemicals—say, aspirin—these...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/11/22/forget-needles-these-squid-like-pills-will-spray-drugs-into-the-gut-instead/
SingularityHub
Forget Needles. These Squid-Like Pills Will Spray Drugs Into the Gut Instead.
It's too early to know how well the method would work in people—but it just might be possible to one day swap out needles for pills.
This Week’s Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through November 23)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AI Can Now Create a Replica of Your Personality James O’Donnell | MIT Technology Review “Imagine sitting down with an AI model for a spoken two-hour interview. A friendly voice guides you through a conversation that ranges from your childhood, your formative memories, and your career to your thoughts on immigration policy. Not...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/11/23/this-weeks-awesome-tech-stories-from-around-the-web-through-november-23-2/
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AI Can Now Create a Replica of Your Personality James O’Donnell | MIT Technology Review “Imagine sitting down with an AI model for a spoken two-hour interview. A friendly voice guides you through a conversation that ranges from your childhood, your formative memories, and your career to your thoughts on immigration policy. Not...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/11/23/this-weeks-awesome-tech-stories-from-around-the-web-through-november-23-2/
SingularityHub
This Week’s Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through November 23)
From AI replicating people's personalities to the new fastest supercomputer, check out this week's awesome tech stories from around the web.
A 4.45-Billion-Year-Old Crystal From Mars Reveals the Planet Had Water From the Beginning
Water is ubiquitous on Earth—about 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered by the stuff. Water is in the air, on the surface, and inside rocks. Geologic evidence suggests water has been stable on Earth since about 4.3 billion years ago. The history of water on early Mars is less certain. Determining when water first...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/11/25/a-4-45-billion-year-old-crystal-from-mars-reveals-the-planet-had-water-from-the-beginning/
Water is ubiquitous on Earth—about 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered by the stuff. Water is in the air, on the surface, and inside rocks. Geologic evidence suggests water has been stable on Earth since about 4.3 billion years ago. The history of water on early Mars is less certain. Determining when water first...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/11/25/a-4-45-billion-year-old-crystal-from-mars-reveals-the-planet-had-water-from-the-beginning/
SingularityHub
A 4.45-Billion-Year-Old Crystal From Mars Reveals the Planet Had Water From the Beginning
Determining when water first appeared, where, and for how long, are all burning questions that drive Mars exploration.
Why Are Our Brains So Big? Because They Excel at Damage Control
Compared to other primates, our brains are exceptionally large. Why? A new study comparing neurons from different primates pinpointed several genetic changes unique to humans that buffer our brains’ ability to handle everyday wear and tear. Dubbed “evolved neuroprotection,” the findings paint a picture of how our large brains gained their size, wiring patterns, and...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/11/26/why-are-our-brains-so-big-because-they-excel-at-damage-control/
Compared to other primates, our brains are exceptionally large. Why? A new study comparing neurons from different primates pinpointed several genetic changes unique to humans that buffer our brains’ ability to handle everyday wear and tear. Dubbed “evolved neuroprotection,” the findings paint a picture of how our large brains gained their size, wiring patterns, and...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/11/26/why-are-our-brains-so-big-because-they-excel-at-damage-control/
SingularityHub
Why Are Our Brains So Big? Because They Excel at Damage Control
A new study comparing neurons from different primates pinpointed several genetic changes unique to humans.
Niantic Is Training a Giant ‘Geospatial’ AI on Pokémon Go Data
If you want to see what’s next in AI, just follow the data. ChatGPT and DALL-E trained on troves of internet data. Generative AI is making inroads in biotechnology and robotics thanks to existing or newly assembled datasets. One way to glance ahead, then, is to ask: What colossal datasets are still ripe for the...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/11/27/niantic-is-training-a-giant-geospatial-ai-on-pokemon-go-data/
If you want to see what’s next in AI, just follow the data. ChatGPT and DALL-E trained on troves of internet data. Generative AI is making inroads in biotechnology and robotics thanks to existing or newly assembled datasets. One way to glance ahead, then, is to ask: What colossal datasets are still ripe for the...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/11/27/niantic-is-training-a-giant-geospatial-ai-on-pokemon-go-data/
SingularityHub
Niantic Is Training a Giant ‘Geospatial’ AI on Pokémon Go Data
Niantic hopes its new algorithm will become as fluent in the physical world as ChatGPT is in the world of language.
OpenAI’s GPT-4o Makes AI Clones of Real People With Surprising Ease
AI has become uncannily good at aping human conversational capabilities. New research suggests its powers of mimicry go a lot further, making it possible to replicate specific people’s personalities. Humans are complicated. Our beliefs, character traits, and the way we approach decisions are products of both nature and nurture, built up over decades and shaped...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/11/29/openais-gpt-4o-makes-ai-clones-of-real-people-with-surprising-ease/
AI has become uncannily good at aping human conversational capabilities. New research suggests its powers of mimicry go a lot further, making it possible to replicate specific people’s personalities. Humans are complicated. Our beliefs, character traits, and the way we approach decisions are products of both nature and nurture, built up over decades and shaped...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/11/29/openais-gpt-4o-makes-ai-clones-of-real-people-with-surprising-ease/
SingularityHub
OpenAI’s GPT-4o Makes AI Clones of Real People With Surprising Ease
In a Stanford study, a two-hour interview was all it took for an AI to accurately predict people’s responses to a barrage of questions.
Most Supposedly ‘Open’ AI Systems Are Actually Closed—and That’s a Problem
“Open” AI models have a lot to give. The practice of sharing source code with the public spurs innovation and democratizes AI as a tool. Or so the story goes. A new analysis in Nature puts a twist on the narrative: Most supposedly “open” AI models, such as Meta’s Llama 3, are hardly that. Rather...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/11/30/most-supposedly-open-ai-systems-are-actually-closed-and-thats-a-problem/
“Open” AI models have a lot to give. The practice of sharing source code with the public spurs innovation and democratizes AI as a tool. Or so the story goes. A new analysis in Nature puts a twist on the narrative: Most supposedly “open” AI models, such as Meta’s Llama 3, are hardly that. Rather...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/11/30/most-supposedly-open-ai-systems-are-actually-closed-and-thats-a-problem/
SingularityHub
Most Supposedly ‘Open’ AI Systems Are Actually Closed—and That’s a Problem
“Open” AI models have a lot to give. But a new analysis puts a twist on the narrative: Most “open” AI models, such as Meta’s Llama 3, are hardly that.
This Tiny House Is Made From the Recycled Heart of a Wind Turbine
If you’ve tried to rent or buy a home in the last few years, you may have noticed there’s a severe housing shortage in the US and around the world. Millions of people need homes, and there aren’t nearly enough of them to go around. Plenty of creative, low-cost solutions have been proposed, from inflatable...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/02/this-tiny-house-is-made-from-the-recycled-heart-of-a-wind-turbine/
If you’ve tried to rent or buy a home in the last few years, you may have noticed there’s a severe housing shortage in the US and around the world. Millions of people need homes, and there aren’t nearly enough of them to go around. Plenty of creative, low-cost solutions have been proposed, from inflatable...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/02/this-tiny-house-is-made-from-the-recycled-heart-of-a-wind-turbine/
SingularityHub
This Tiny House Is Made From the Recycled Heart of a Wind Turbine
With the first generation of turbines reaching the end of their useful life, there will be thousands of nacelles in search of a new purpose.
Astronomers Have Pinpointed the Origin of Mysterious Repeating Radio Bursts From Space
Slowly repeating bursts of intense radio waves from space have puzzled astronomers since they were discovered in 2022. In new research, my colleagues and I have for the first time tracked one of these pulsating signals back to its source: a common kind of lightweight star called a red dwarf, likely in a binary orbit...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/03/astronomers-have-pinpointed-the-origin-of-mysterious-repeating-radio-bursts-from-space/
Slowly repeating bursts of intense radio waves from space have puzzled astronomers since they were discovered in 2022. In new research, my colleagues and I have for the first time tracked one of these pulsating signals back to its source: a common kind of lightweight star called a red dwarf, likely in a binary orbit...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/03/astronomers-have-pinpointed-the-origin-of-mysterious-repeating-radio-bursts-from-space/
SingularityHub
Astronomers Have Pinpointed the Origin of Mysterious Repeating Radio Bursts From Space
Slowly repeating bursts of intense radio waves from space have puzzled astronomers since they were discovered in 2022.
Automated Cyborg Cockroach Factory Could Churn Out a Bug a Minute for Search and Rescue
Envisioning armies of electronically controllable insects is probably nightmare fuel for most people. But scientists think they could help rescue workers scour challenging and hazardous terrain. An automated cyborg cockroach factory could help bring the idea to life. The merger of living creatures with machines is a staple of science fiction, but it’s also a...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/05/automated-cyborg-cockroach-factory-could-churn-out-a-bug-a-minute-for-search-and-rescue/
Envisioning armies of electronically controllable insects is probably nightmare fuel for most people. But scientists think they could help rescue workers scour challenging and hazardous terrain. An automated cyborg cockroach factory could help bring the idea to life. The merger of living creatures with machines is a staple of science fiction, but it’s also a...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/05/automated-cyborg-cockroach-factory-could-churn-out-a-bug-a-minute-for-search-and-rescue/
SingularityHub
Automated Cyborg Cockroach Factory Could Churn Out a Bug a Minute for Search and Rescue
The merger of living creatures with machines is a staple of science fiction, but it’s also a serious line of research for academics.
Google DeepMind’s New AI Weatherman Tops World’s Most Reliable System
This was another year of rollercoaster weather. Heat domes broiled the US southwest. California experienced a “second summer” in October, with multiple cities breaking heat records. Hurricane Helene—and just a few weeks later, Hurricane Milton—pummeled the Gulf Coast, unleashing torrential rainfall and severe flooding. What shocked even seasoned meteorologists was how fast the hurricanes intensified,...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/06/google-deepminds-new-ai-weatherman-tops-worlds-most-reliable-system/
This was another year of rollercoaster weather. Heat domes broiled the US southwest. California experienced a “second summer” in October, with multiple cities breaking heat records. Hurricane Helene—and just a few weeks later, Hurricane Milton—pummeled the Gulf Coast, unleashing torrential rainfall and severe flooding. What shocked even seasoned meteorologists was how fast the hurricanes intensified,...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/06/google-deepminds-new-ai-weatherman-tops-worlds-most-reliable-system/
SingularityHub
Google DeepMind’s New AI Weatherman Tops World’s Most Reliable System
When bracing for extreme weather, every second counts. But planning measures rely on accurate predictions. Here’s where Google DeepMind's AI comes in.
This Week’s Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through December 7)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE The GPT Era Is Already Ending Matteo Wong | The Atlantic “[OpenAI] has been unusually direct that the o1 series is the future: Chen, who has since been promoted to senior vice president of research, told me that OpenAI is now focused on this ‘new paradigm,’ and Altman later wrote that the company...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/07/this-weeks-awesome-tech-stories-from-around-the-web-through-december-7-2/
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE The GPT Era Is Already Ending Matteo Wong | The Atlantic “[OpenAI] has been unusually direct that the o1 series is the future: Chen, who has since been promoted to senior vice president of research, told me that OpenAI is now focused on this ‘new paradigm,’ and Altman later wrote that the company...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/07/this-weeks-awesome-tech-stories-from-around-the-web-through-december-7-2/
SingularityHub
This Week’s Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through December 7)
From the end of an era in AI to temporary tattoos that read brain waves, check out this week's awesome tech stories from around the web.
Thousands of Undiscovered Genes May Be Hidden in DNA ‘Dark Matter’
Thousands of new genes are hidden inside the “dark matter” of our genome. Previously thought to be noise left over from evolution, a new study found that some of these tiny DNA snippets can make miniproteins—potentially opening a new universe of treatments, from vaccines to immunotherapies for deadly brain cancers. The preprint, not yet peer-reviewed,...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/09/thousands-of-new-genes-may-be-hidden-in-dna-dark-matter/
Thousands of new genes are hidden inside the “dark matter” of our genome. Previously thought to be noise left over from evolution, a new study found that some of these tiny DNA snippets can make miniproteins—potentially opening a new universe of treatments, from vaccines to immunotherapies for deadly brain cancers. The preprint, not yet peer-reviewed,...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/09/thousands-of-new-genes-may-be-hidden-in-dna-dark-matter/
SingularityHub
Thousands of Undiscovered Genes May Be Hidden in DNA ‘Dark Matter’
Combining several existing datasets, scientists zeroed in on thousands of potential new genes that make roughly 3,000 miniproteins.
Blurry, Morphing, and Surreal: A New AI Aesthetic Is Emerging in Film
Type text into AI image and video generators, and you’ll often see outputs of unusual, sometimes creepy, pictures. In a way, this is a feature, not a bug, of generative AI. And artists are wielding this aesthetic to create a new storytelling art form. The tools, such as Midjourney to generate images, Runway, and Sora...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/10/blurry-morphing-and-surreal-a-new-ai-aesthetic-is-emerging-in-film/
Type text into AI image and video generators, and you’ll often see outputs of unusual, sometimes creepy, pictures. In a way, this is a feature, not a bug, of generative AI. And artists are wielding this aesthetic to create a new storytelling art form. The tools, such as Midjourney to generate images, Runway, and Sora...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/10/blurry-morphing-and-surreal-a-new-ai-aesthetic-is-emerging-in-film/
SingularityHub
Blurry, Morphing, and Surreal: A New AI Aesthetic Is Emerging in Film
This is a feature, not a bug, of generative AI. And artists are wielding this aesthetic to create a new storytelling art form.
Google’s Latest Quantum Computing Breakthrough Shows Practical Machines Are Within Reach
One of the biggest barriers to large-scale quantum computing is the error-prone nature of the technology. This week, Google announced a major breakthrough in quantum error correction, which could lead to quantum computers capable of tackling real-world problems. Quantum computing promises to solve problems that are beyond classical computers by harnessing the strange effects of...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/12/googles-latest-quantum-computing-breakthrough-shows-practical-machines-are-within-reach/
One of the biggest barriers to large-scale quantum computing is the error-prone nature of the technology. This week, Google announced a major breakthrough in quantum error correction, which could lead to quantum computers capable of tackling real-world problems. Quantum computing promises to solve problems that are beyond classical computers by harnessing the strange effects of...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/12/googles-latest-quantum-computing-breakthrough-shows-practical-machines-are-within-reach/
SingularityHub
Google’s Latest Quantum Computing Breakthrough Shows Practical Machines Are Within Reach
Google’s new Willow quantum processor has crossed a critical threshold in quantum computing.
The Secret to Predicting How Your Brain Will Age May Be in Your Blood
Brain aging occurs in distinctive phases. Its trajectory could be hidden in our blood—paving the way for early diagnosis and intervention. A new study published in Nature Aging analyzed brain imaging data from nearly 11,000 healthy adults, middle-aged and older, using AI to gauge their “brain age.” Roughly half of participants had their blood proteins...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/13/the-secret-to-predicting-how-your-brain-is-aging-may-be-in-your-blood/
Brain aging occurs in distinctive phases. Its trajectory could be hidden in our blood—paving the way for early diagnosis and intervention. A new study published in Nature Aging analyzed brain imaging data from nearly 11,000 healthy adults, middle-aged and older, using AI to gauge their “brain age.” Roughly half of participants had their blood proteins...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/13/the-secret-to-predicting-how-your-brain-is-aging-may-be-in-your-blood/
SingularityHub
The Secret to Predicting How Your Brain Will Age May Be in Your Blood
The study found changes to proteins in the blood—at 57, 70, and 78 years of age—marked three distinct phases of brain aging.
This Week’s Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through December 14)
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Google’s New Project Astra Could Be Generative AI’s Killer App Will Douglas Heaven | MIT Technology Review “Last week I was taken through an unmarked door on an upper floor of a building in London’s King’s Cross district into a room with strong secret-project vibes. The word ‘ASTRA’ was emblazoned in giant letters...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/14/this-weeks-awesome-tech-stories-from-around-the-web-through-december-14-2/
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Google’s New Project Astra Could Be Generative AI’s Killer App Will Douglas Heaven | MIT Technology Review “Last week I was taken through an unmarked door on an upper floor of a building in London’s King’s Cross district into a room with strong secret-project vibes. The word ‘ASTRA’ was emblazoned in giant letters...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/14/this-weeks-awesome-tech-stories-from-around-the-web-through-december-14-2/
SingularityHub
This Week’s Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through December 14)
From generative AI's killer app to graphene computer chips, check out this week's awesome tech stories from around the web.
Study Suggests an mRNA Shot Could Reverse This Deadly Pregnancy Condition
With a single shot, scientists protected pregnant mice from a deadly complication called pre-eclampsia. The shot, inspired by mRNA vaccines, contains mRNA instructions to make a protein that reverses damage to the placenta—which occurs in the condition—protecting both mother and growing fetus. Pre-eclampsia causes 75,000 maternal deaths and 500,000 fetal and newborn deaths every year...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/16/study-suggests-an-mrna-shot-could-reverse-this-deadly-pregnancy-condition/
With a single shot, scientists protected pregnant mice from a deadly complication called pre-eclampsia. The shot, inspired by mRNA vaccines, contains mRNA instructions to make a protein that reverses damage to the placenta—which occurs in the condition—protecting both mother and growing fetus. Pre-eclampsia causes 75,000 maternal deaths and 500,000 fetal and newborn deaths every year...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/16/study-suggests-an-mrna-shot-could-reverse-this-deadly-pregnancy-condition/
SingularityHub
Study Suggests an mRNA Shot Could Reverse This Deadly Pregnancy Condition
The shot, inspired by mRNA vaccines, reverses damage to the placenta due to pre-eclampsia—protecting mother and growing fetus.
The Tech World Is ‘Disrupting’ Book Publishing. But Do We Want Effortless Art?
Publishing is one of many fields poised for disruption by tech companies and artificial intelligence. New platforms and approaches, like a book imprint by Microsoft and a self-publishing tech startup that uses AI, promise to make publishing faster and more accessible than ever. But they also may threaten jobs—and demand a reconsideration of the status...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/17/the-tech-world-is-disrupting-book-publishing-but-do-we-want-effortless-art/
Publishing is one of many fields poised for disruption by tech companies and artificial intelligence. New platforms and approaches, like a book imprint by Microsoft and a self-publishing tech startup that uses AI, promise to make publishing faster and more accessible than ever. But they also may threaten jobs—and demand a reconsideration of the status...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/17/the-tech-world-is-disrupting-book-publishing-but-do-we-want-effortless-art/
SingularityHub
The Tech World Is ‘Disrupting’ Book Publishing. But Do We Want Effortless Art?
As tech makes publishing faster and more accessible, it may also threaten jobs and force us to reconsider the status and role of books as cultural objects.
How to Be Healthy at 100: Centenarian Stem Cells Could Hold the Key
When Jeanne Calment died at the age of 122, her longevity had researchers scratching their heads. Although physically active for most of her life, she was also a regular smoker and enjoyed wine—lifestyle choices that are generally thought to decrease healthy lifespan. Teasing apart the intricacies of human longevity is complicated. Diet, exercise, and other...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/18/how-to-be-healthy-at-100-centenarian-stem-cells-could-hold-the-key/
When Jeanne Calment died at the age of 122, her longevity had researchers scratching their heads. Although physically active for most of her life, she was also a regular smoker and enjoyed wine—lifestyle choices that are generally thought to decrease healthy lifespan. Teasing apart the intricacies of human longevity is complicated. Diet, exercise, and other...
https://singularityhub.com/2024/12/18/how-to-be-healthy-at-100-centenarian-stem-cells-could-hold-the-key/
SingularityHub
How to Be Healthy at 100: Centenarian Stem Cells Could Hold the Key
Centenarians don’t just live longer. They’re also healthier, even in extreme old age. A biobank of centenarian stem cells could help scientists explain why.