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
Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Greenland's ice will melt faster than any time in the past 12,000 years
After decades of trying, scientists coax plastic particles into a diamond-like structure
Genes chart Vikings' spread across Europe
A new way to cool computer chips — from within
Revealed: A clearer view of how general anaesthetics actually work
The challenge of reproducing results from ten-year-old code
3D-printing some of the world's lightest materials
The chemical that turns locusts from Jekyll into Hyde
Audio long-read: Pluto’s dark side is overflowing with secrets
Why skin grows bigger as you stretch it
When did people arrive in the Americas? New evidence stokes debate
Graphene’s magic angle reveals a new twist
Coronapod: Massive coronavirus outbreak strikes iconic Californian prison after it rejected expert aid
The six-year-old space agency with hopes for Mars
Coronapod: Lessons from pandemic ‘war-game’ simulations
What the atomic structure of enamel tells us about tooth decay
Coronapod: The state of the pandemic, six months in
How playing poker can help you make decisions
Coronapod: Dexamethasone, the cheap steroid that could cut coronavirus deaths
Incest in the elite of Neolithic Ireland
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free