Relics from Theia: A planetary smash-up that led to fainting in the Earth’s mantle and into the Moon
Experiments in mice have identified the neuronsresponsible for syncope — otherwise known as fainting. A piece of another planet is stuck in Earth’s trousers and how a starfish would look.
There are two blobs of rock in the Earth’s mantle that could be remnants of a planetary smash-up. The formations are thousands of kilometres long and are slightly denser than their surroundings, as they sit between the crust and the core. Computer simulations suggest that they are from the protoplanet Theia, which smashed into Earth 4.5 billion years ago. Some of Theia’s remnants were flung into orbit, where they coalesced into the Moon.
Source: Daily briefing: We finally know what causes fainting
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence: Teaching Humans Ethical Behaviour in the era of Gnorrhoea
The first new gonorrhoea antibiotic in decades could address a worrying rise of a drug-resistant form of the bacterium. The disease is often symptomless, and can cause infertility if left untreated. The new drug was as effective and safe as older drugs in curing infections in the trial. Researchers warn that zoliflodacin will have to be used wisely to avoid the bacterium developing resistance to it, too.
Academics and staff members at several UK universities have set up an initiative to combat bullying and harassment. The ‘21 Group’ advocates for the establishment of an independent advocate to whom people can turn if their institutions handle complaints badly. Perpetrators are almost always protected, while targets have to face retaliation.
Can artificial intelligence (AI) systems be taught to make ethical choices? Human judgement is shaped by social interactions — and virtual ‘peer pressure’ for chatbots, in which ones trained with ethical standards interact with others to teach them how to behave, could mimic this process. A sort of brain surgery for the computer is a way to excise parts of the system that are not good for you. There is a question as to how Artificial Intelligence systems are supposed to deal with differing opinions. “We’re looking to ideas from governance,” says cognitive scientist Sydney Levine. Ethical AI could even lead to insights about why humans make the moral choices they do, “to help humans be better at being human”, says computer scientist Oren Etzioni.
This article is part of Nature Outlook: Robotics and artificial intelligence, an editorially independent supplement produced with financial support from FII Institute
Source: Daily briefing: We finally know what causes fainting
Do Nuclear Security Rules Prevent Proliferation? A Case Study with the International Atomic Energy Agency, Google DeepMind, and David Ludwig
Moody thinks that your data could be lost to a future quantum computer even though it hasn’t been built. He is part of a group of scientists working on ways to keep data safe from quantum computers. The task is urgent because spy agencies could collect this data now if they wanted to, and cybercriminals could wait for technology to catch up. The US National Institute of Standards and Technology chose up to 69 potential quantum-resistant algorithms, and at least 30 have already been broken or attacked. Moody says that the strongest will survive.
To promote the transfer of peaceful nuclear technology while curtailing its military use, the International Atomic Energy Agency was created in 1957. By providing a mechanism for sharing the benefits of nuclear technology, the dual mandate secured international support for measures to limit proliferation, write Harry Law and Lewis Ho, who are both AI governance researchers at Google DeepMind. “States on the frontier of artificial intelligence (AI) development could take inspiration from the dual mandate,” they argue. They could give assistance to other countries that use the benefits of Artificial Intelligence. This could incentivize buy-in to a system of global governance.”
A starfish is getting ready for a day out — but would it pop its trousers on over each of its arms, or maybe over each little tiny-tube foot? This light-hearted animated video shows how this silly question reveals a perplexing problem with bilateral symmetry and how the starfish’s body plan evolved.
Pediatric-obesity researcher David Ludwig says that parents and others must fight back against the normalization of ultraprocessed foods to reduce the epidemic of childhood obesity in the United States. (The New York Times | 29 min read)
The APA Emerging Dialogue Network: Towards equitable media coverage for research on the brain and the science of science, with application to the United States
The United States and leaders at the Plus summit in the UK made bold statements about how our nostrils smell and about the right to science.
• A summit in the United Kingdom, attended by world leaders and representatives of big tech, produced the Bletchley Declaration, which pledges international cooperation to manage the risks posed by the most advanced systems.
A region of the brain processes smells, so which nostril whiffed the scent first is determined. Researchers recorded neural activity in the piriform cortex in people who had their smell pumped into their nostrils. The piriform cortex that was closest to the nostril reacted first when a scent was delivered. Odours delivered to both nostrils resulted in faster reaction to the scent on both sides, suggesting that the sides synergize. Receiving dual signals could help the brain to double-check what it is smelling.
The American Psychological Association (APA) has released its first recommendations for authors, reviewers and editors on how to address race, ethnicity and culture more equitably when publishing research. The guidelines are built on the work done by the APA to make up for fostering racism in the United States.
Source: Daily briefing: Countries begin weaving an AI safety net
The Future of Ocean Biogeochemistry and the Understanding of Climate Change: How Scientists, Policymakers and Physicists will be able to Help
Poor nations are receiving only a fraction of what they need to adapt to climate change — despite being promised the money by rich countries, which are most responsible for causing the problem. “Studies show that for every US$1 billion invested in coastal flood protection, you avoid $14 billion in damages,” says climate researcher Henry Neufeldt, the chief scientific editor of a new report from the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). “We have floods, droughts and heatwaves all over the world and it’s just getting worse and worse. This newest data is a wake-up call.”
Principal investigators can use an array of online resources to support their research groups. “You used to be a scientist, but now you have to build up your lab, and teach classes as well, so you have to leave your job and do this now or there will be consequences in the long run, and you have to make do with what you have” says bio This feature is here to help, with tips to manage money better, sort out supplies, build lab culture, find a community and get leadership training.
If we are to navigate the era of “global boiling”, we need to be guided by science and human rights. He argues that too few governments, policymakers and big industry leaders are shutting their eyes to science and using biased experts to spread doubt. “Human rights are not simply laws or an ideology — they are the key to survival of our species.”
Ocean scientist Alessandro Tagliabue argues that understanding the engines that drive most marine processes is a must in forecasting the future state of the oceans, wildlife and the food systems they depend on. He writes that there is little confidence in the predictions of how marine microbes will react to changes in the climate. He outlines a few priority areas for researchers in marine biogeochemistry and modelling.
Source: Daily briefing: Countries begin weaving an AI safety net
The genetics of an orange petunia: from colour to colour, a photo-biotechnologist Sara Abdou tells a colleague
“In this photo, I’m collecting floral tissue samples from a white petunia to analyse its pigments and the genetics behind them,” says biotechnologist Sara Abdou. A colleague of Abdou discovered a orange petunia at a railway station in 2015. He found out that the plant’s colour was due to a genetic modification and that it was banned in some countries. “I was eager to create orange petunias not by introducing a gene from another species, but by fixing the genetic pathway that stops petunias being naturally orange,” says Abdou. Francesco Rucci and Francesco Marinelli have written a book for nature.