Whacked on Goofballs

KurzweilAI.net Accelerating Intelligence News

• A Robot That's Learning to Smile July 13, 2009
  Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have given the realistic-looking robot Einstein the ability to improve its own expressions through learning. (USCD) (Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/editors/23825/)
• See your photos in 3D on new website July 13, 2009
  ConforMIS is creating knee implants on demand that exactly match a patient's anatomy, using rapid prototyping to convert a three-dimensional computer design into a physical prosthetic. (ConforMIS) (Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22988/)
• Cyborg crickets could chirp at the smell of survivors July 13, 2009
  Insects with implants designed to detect chemical and biological agents on the battlefield or find survivors of earthquakes and other disasters and modulate their calls in the presence of certain chemicals are being developed under a DARPA grant. (Source: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327165.900-cyborg-crickets-could-chirp-at-the-smell-of-surviv […]
• Caloric Restriction Slows Aging in Monkeys July 10, 2009
  In rhesus monkeys, caloric restriction begun in adulthood reduces risk of the most common age-related conditions--diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and brain atrophy--by a third, researchers at the National Primate Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison report. The incidence of both cardiovascular disease and tumors was reduced by 50 percent […]
• Smartphoniacs: Addicts of the Information Age July 10, 2009
  The top 10% of smart-phone users -- the smartphoniacs -- are the true addicts of the information age. You might be a smartphoniac if you: - Take your smartphone to the restroom - Send messages while driving - Sneak a look at your messages during a conversation - Suffer from sprained or elongated thumbs - Openly use your smart phone in inappropriate places, […]
• Computer learns sign language by watching TV July 9, 2009
  Software developed in the UK has worked out the basics of sign language by absorbing TV shows that are both subtitled and signed. (Source: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17431-computer-learns-sign-language-by-watching-tv.html)
• Is your city prepared for a home-made nuke? July 9, 2009
  For many people, the safest option would be to seek shelter in buildings or underground. Just staying inside could slash the immediate death toll from radiation by up to a factor of 100, or even 1000. Progenitor cells coud prop up the patient's immune system while the bone marrow recovers. (Source: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327163.90 […]
• Pink Silicon Is the New Black July 9, 2009
  Like black silicon (which contains microscopic cones), pink silicon can absorb light over a wider spectrum than can normal silicon (making it cheaper for use in photodetectors) and is more sensitive to light, while eliminating the fabrication challenges with black silicon. (Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/22975/)
• First Drug Shown to Extend Life Span in Mammals July 9, 2009
  Rapamycin, an antifungal drug derived from bacteria in the soil on Easter Island. can substantially extend the life span of mice, according to three independent studies. (Source: http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/22974/)
• In Chrome, Hints of a Real Rival to Windows July 9, 2009
  Google promises that its free Chrome operating system, which will be available on computers in the second half of next year, will put an emphasis on speed, simplicity and security. In Google's view, Web connections will become so fast and browsers so powerful that most of the programs that currently run on PCs will be replaced by online applications. T […]