Universal-Sci Weekly - Issue #91
Greetings, dear Universal-Sci Weekly subscribers! We're excited to be back after our summer break
In this week’s issue we explore some cutting-edge developments. Can machines outperform human smell? Our top story covers a machine-learning model that promises to do just that.
We also examine surprising findings on the health risks vegetarians might face, breakthroughs in plant communication, the accelerating rotation of Mars, and a new brain-computer interface that enables paralyzed individuals to communicate.
Please enjoy!
Progress Beyond Human Perception: Can Machines Now Smell Better Than Humans?
The human sense of smell has always been a fascinating realm of neuroscience. While we understand how we translate light into sight or sound into hearing, the realm of olfaction (smell) remains more complex and perplexing.
A groundbreaking collaboration between the Monell Chemical Senses Center and the start-up Osmo - a company emerging from Google's machine learning research - has made significant progress in unravelling this mystery. Their research, published in the acclaimed journal Science, details the creation of a machine-learning model capable of human-level proficiency in predicting how chemicals might smell.
Study reveals vegetarians have a 50% higher risk of hip fracture - here is what can be done
While plant-based diets come with a myriad of health benefits, there's more to the picture than meets the eye. Research reveals that individuals following a vegetarian diet have a 50% higher likelihood of experiencing a hip fracture compared to those who consume meat regularly.
How Light Signals Could Warn Plants of Impending Threats: A New Frontier in Agriculture
Scientists at the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University are developing a light-based communication system to interact with plants. Using a new optogenetics tool called Highlighter, they aim to activate specific genes in plants to trigger their defense mechanisms or adjust growth patterns.
New Martian mystery: scientists discovered that Mars' rotation is accelerating
NASA's InSight spacecraft has given us a peek into Mars like never before! Before it wrapped up its mission last December, it sent back some fascinating data, now published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Nature.
Here's what scientists have found out.
Breakthrough: AI-powered technology allows paralyzed person to 'Speak' Again
Researchers from two prominent California universities, UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley, have achieved a significant milestone in the realm of neurotechnology.
They've designed a cutting-edge brain-computer interface (BCI) that allowed a woman, paralyzed due to a brainstem stroke, to articulate thoughts and communicate via a digital avatar. Notably, this innovation is the first of its kind, converting brain signals into both speech and facial expressions.
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