In this episode:
Researchers at Google Deepmind have developed an AI that can solve International Mathematical Olympiad-level geometry problems, something previous AIs have struggled with. They provided the system with a huge number of random mathematical theorems and proofs, which it used to approximate general rules of geometry. The AI then applied these rules to solve the Olympiad problems and show its workings for humans to check. The researchers hope their system shows that it is possible for AIs to ‘learn’ basic principles from large amounts of data and use them to tackle complex logical challenges, which could prove useful in fields outside mathematics.
Research article: Trinh et al.
A stiff and squishy ‘hydrospongel’ — part sponge, part hydrogel — that could find use in soft robotics, and how the spread of rice paddies in sub-Saharan Africa helps to drive up atmospheric methane levels.
Research Highlight: Stiff gel as squishable as a sponge takes its cue from cartilage
Research Highlight: A bounty of rice comes at a price: soaring methane emissions
Mass Mortality Events, sometimes called mass die-offs, can result in huge numbers of a single species perishing in a short period of time. But there’s not a huge amount known about the effects that events like these might be having on wider ecosystems. Now, a team of researchers have built a model ecosystem to observe the impact of mass die-offs on the delicate balance of populations within it.
Research article: Tye et al.
An update on efforts to remove the stuck screws on OSIRIS-REx’s sample container, the ancient, fossilized skin that was preserved in petroleum, and a radical suggestion to save the Caribbean’s coral reefs.
OSIRIS-REx Mission Blog: NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Team Clears Hurdle to Access Remaining Bennu Sample
Nature News: This is the oldest fossilized reptile skin ever found — it pre-dates the dinosaurs
Nature News: Can foreign coral save a dying reef? Radical idea sparks debate
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Starting up in science: Episode 1
Audio long-read: Can artificially altered clouds save the Great Barrier Reef?
Coronapod: solving the COVID vaccine manufacturing problem
The floating sensors inspired by seeds
How to help feed the world with 'Blue Foods'
The billion years missing from Earth’s history
Dead trees play an under-appreciated role in climate change
Audio long-read: why sports concussions are worse for women
Coronapod: How Delta is changing the game
What’s the isiZulu for dinosaur? How science neglected African languages
Coronapod: COVID boosters amidst global vaccine inequity
The brain cells that help animals navigate in 3D
Coronapod: Ivermectin, what the science says
Flood risk rises as people surge into vulnerable regions
Has the world’s oldest known animal been discovered?
Audio long-read: How ancient people fell in love with bread, beer and other carbs
Coronapod: the latest on COVID and sporting events
How the US is rebooting gun violence research
Coronapod: Does England's COVID strategy risk breeding deadly variants?
How deadly heat waves expose historic racism
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