On (most) Fridays I post here a roundup of interesting things I’ve read and/or posted on social media since my last roundup, generally stories about emerging technologies, experiential activations, interactive art, advances in scientific research, and other things I find interesting.
Featured Image: University of Michigan
CeCe Moore is a citizen scientist who uses her genetic knowledge and DNA evidence to expose murderers from her couch:
Image: PBS FINDING YOUR ROOTS
To help combat fakery, Adobe has created an AI system to identify which viral photos have been Photoshopped:
Image: Adobe Research/Youtube
The University of Michigan was salty that IBM made a smaller computer than it did, so it made an even smaller computer:
Image: University of Michigan
The quest to make super cold quantum blobs (Bose-Einstein condensates) in space:
Image: COLDQUANTA
Meanwhile, the Orlando police announced they will stop using Amazon’s Rekognition facial recognition software to identify people in surveillance footage:
Image: Amazon
Scientists have found a way to keep avocados ripe for twice as long as normal:
Image: Shutterstock
Combining the latest advances in artificial intelligence with robots could transform manufacturing and warehousing—and take AI to the next level:
Image: WINNI WINTERMEYER
“IBM Watson has great AI. It’s like having great shoes, but not knowing how to walk—they have to figure out how to use it.” — anonymous IBM engineer, on why IBM is struggling to make Watson profitable:
Illustration: IEEE Spectrum; Images: IBM; iStockphoto
Researchers at OpenAI developed a team of five AI algorithms to cooperatively learn to play the complex strategy computer game Dota 2:
Image: OPENAI
This DIY, Arduino-powered, iPhone-controlled mini electric tow machine can pull a Cessna:
Image: Anthony DiPilato
Novoheart’s beating miniature hearts could save pharma companies big bucks in drug testing — and maybe save lives:
Image: NOVOHEART
High Fidelity, a social VR startup founded by one of Second Life’s original creators, is built on blockchain technology and just raised $35M:
Image: High Fidelity/Techcrunch
To see stories like this as I find them, follow me on Twitter: @josiah17