Researchers have created a machine learning system that they claim can determine a person’s political party, with reasonable accuracy, based only on their face. TechCrunch reports: The study, which appeared this week in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, was conducted by Stanford University’s Michal Kosinski. Kosinski made headlines in 2017 with work that found that a person’s sexual preference could be…
Tag: advanced technology
Google Launching a New Nest Hub In 2021 That Uses Soli For Sleep Tracking
Google is planning to release a new Nest Hub in 2021 that will feature sleeping tracking powered by the company’s Soli radar technology. 9to5Google reports: Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects group first unveiled Soli in 2015, but it did not launch on a consumer device until 2019. The sensor lets you perform air gestures over the Pixel 4 to play/pause and…
A Deepfake Queen Delivered an Alternative Christmas Speech to Warn about Misinformation
“A fake Queen Elizabeth danced across TV screens on Christmas as part of a ‘deepfake’ speech aired by a British broadcaster,” reports CNN:
The broadcaster said the video was supposed to offer “a stark warning about the advanced technology that is enabling the proliferation of misinformation and fake news in a digital age.” Channel 4 annually accompanies the Queen’s traditional speech with…
US Blacklists Dozens of Chinese Firms Including SMIC
The United States confirmed on Friday it will add dozens of Chinese companies, including the country’s top chipmaker, SMIC, and Chinese drone giant DJI to a trade blacklist. From a report: The move, which was first reported by Reuters, is seen as the latest in President Donald Trump’s efforts to cement his tough-on-China legacy. It comes just weeks before Democratic President-elect…
World’s First Hydrogen Double Deckers Arrive In Aberdeen
The world’s first hydrogen-powered double decker bus has been revealed in Aberdeen, a move that demonstrates the city’s commitment to tackling air pollution and implementation of its Net Zero Vision. The Engineer reports: Hydrogen double deckers will now be driven around the city for several weeks during a period of final testing along with training for drivers. The UK’s first hydrogen…
Cool! Here’s how Venus would look as a water world
A new map created by a Reddit user – based on what we know about the highs and lows on Venus’ surface – shows what this neighboring, cloud-shrouded, blazing hot planet might look like with oceans. Wow! Source: https://earthsky.org/space/venus-map-with-oceans-on-surface-terraforming…
How China Targets Scientists via Global Network of Recruiting Stations
China is targeting top scientific and technological expertise in the U.S. and other advanced nations through an expanding network of 600 talent-recruitment stations world-wide, a new report partly funded by the U.S. State Department has found. From a report: U.S. officials have long warned that China uses recruitment programs to improperly obtain advanced technology. However, the research conducted by an Australian…
What are gravitational waves?
First postulated by Albert Einstein in 1916 but not observed directly until September 2015, gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/definition-what-are-gravitational-waves…
UPS To Develop New Delivery Drones With German Drone-Maker Wingcopter
UPS’ Flight Forward subsidiary focused on drone delivery is partnering with German drone-maker Wingcopter to develop the next generation of package delivery drones for a variety of use cases in the United States and internationally. GPS World reports: UPS chose Wingcopter for its unmanned aircraft technology and its track record in delivering a variety of goods over long distances in multiple…
What is dark matter?
Dark matter doesn’t emit light. It can’t be directly observed with any of the existing tools of astronomers. Yet astrophysicists believe it and dark energy make up most of the mass of the cosmos. What dark matter is, and what it isn’t. here. Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/definition-what-is-dark-matter…