You already know not to take an AI chatbot seriously. But there may be reason to be even more cautious. New research has found that many AI systems have already started to deliberately present human users with false information. Science Alert explains why "AI developers do not have a confident understanding of what causes undesirable AI behaviors like deception.” https://flip.it/ZbnJtj #Science#AI#ArtificialIntelligence#Chatbot#Tech
Could snow trigger earthquakes? A new study in the journal Science Advances says thousands of quakes on Japan’s Noto Peninsula since 2020 could be linked to the region’s heavy snowfall, pointing to the weather correlating with “earthquake swarms.” While the study doesn’t say that climate directly causes the earthquakes, it suggests the rate of the seismic events could fluctuate depending on the weight of water on the surface and the movement of water below. Read more from NBC News.
Small but mighty, plankton are some of the most powerful creatures on Earth.
For @TheConversationUS, a marine conservationist writes: "Plankton are critical to marine ecosystems and to humans, but often glide under the radar of our interest."
A rare severe geomagnetic storm watch is issued for the first time in nearly 20 years amid "unusual" solar event.
CBS News quotes the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): "Geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and on Earth's surface, potentially disrupting communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations."
Jonathan An, an assistant professor of oral sciences, tries to ignore the hype around new life-extension treatments. But while studying for his doctorate in dentistry, An experimented with a drug normally used for organ transplant rejection on mice with oral disease. It worked, and An plans to test the drug on humans next. We may not live forever, but could science help us enjoy the time we have? Read more from Vox: https://flip.it/i0-9ZS #Science#Health#Medicine#Longevity
Several companies are offering people in mourning a chance to chat with a “simulation” of a deceased loved one. Some say it feels like they’re speaking to them from beyond the grave, while others find it disconcerting and manipulative. Ethicists Tomasz Hollanek and Katarzyna Nowaczyk-Basińska from the University of Cambridge are the latest to voice their concerns over the risks of the "digital afterlife industry." Here’s more from Science Alert: https://flip.it/C6.06y #Science#AI#Ethics#Humans
When Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai erupted in January 2022, the underwater volcano in the South Pacific unleashed the most intense lightning storm ever recorded and set off a mega-tsunami that was hundreds of feet high. Research indicated the eruption was fueled by two merging magma chambers. Now, scientists are looking at another potential trigger. Live Science has more: https://flip.it/ZAjd2N #Science#Geology#Volcano#Eruption#Tonga
"A team of researchers have built a vision implant with tiny electrodes the size of a neuron, seeking to help blind people see again."
The Next Web reports: "Initial tests in mice showed that the implant can effectively stimulate visual perception using only a small amount of electricity."
"Earth has just experienced its 11th straight warmest month on record -- a preview of the brutal temperatures forecast for the summer, according to scientists."
ABC News reports: "May 2023 through April 2024 was the warmest 12-month stretch on record with a global average temperature of 2.90 degrees Fahrenheit above the 1850 to 1900 pre-industrial average."
"Over the weekend the crew of the upcoming Polaris Dawn mission shared a wealth of details about the intriguing private mission that will send humans farther than they have flown from Earth in half a century."
Here's an article by Eric Berger of @arstechnica: "Why a rich guy going to space for a second time actually matters."
"Boeing called off its first astronaut launch because of a valve problem on the rocket Monday night."
AP reports: "The two NASA test pilots had just strapped into Boeing’s Starliner capsule for a flight to the International Space Station when the countdown was halted, just two hours before the planned liftoff."
Venus wasn’t always hot and uninhabitable. Scientists think the second planet from the sun could have had as much water as Earth billions of years ago, and may have even supported life if any of that water was in liquid form. But researchers have a new theory as to how our neighbor in the solar system lost nearly all of its water and why it may have happened far faster than initially thought. The Conversation has more on the study.
Scientists have identified a genetic form of Alzheimer’s disease in older people, pinpointing a gene of which some people carry two copies. The gene, called APOE4, is not only a risk factor but an underlying cause for the disease when found twice in a person’s DNA, researchers say. Finding a way to target APOE4 in treatment is crucial because Leqembi, the only drug found to slow the disease, causes dangerous side effects in people with the gene. The Associated Press has more.
After trillions of periodical cicadas emerged from years of burrowing in the U.S. last month, scientists are hoping to capitalize on the rare event by studying the effects the insects have on the food chain. Brood XIII and Brood XIX are loudly buzzing across America together for the first time since 1803, making 2024 a year of plentiful food for for snakes, spiders, birds, and even some mammals. But what happens when this all-you-can-eat buffet doesn’t come back next year? The BBC has more.
We curate the latest science news, including climate change, space exploration, health and more. All posts are written by Flipboard’s editorial team.Boosts do not imply endorsement, but are used to highlight posts we think the community might find interesting.#Science #ClimateChange #SpaceHeader photo: Students observe a solar eclipse on March 20, 2015, in London. Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images.