moon_unit2 writes: The AI technique that DeepMind used to teach machines to play Atari can now bring new video game characters to life. WIRED reports that researchers at Electronic Arts and the University of British Columbia in Canada developed a reinforcement learning method for animating humanoid characters. The approach feeds on data gathered through motion capture, but then uses reinforcement learning…
Tag: British Columbia
Murder hornets? 5 questions answered about Asian giant hornets in North America
Are ‘murder hornets’ from Asia invading North America? An entomologist who lived among them in Japan explains what’s true about the predatory insects. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/what-are-asian-giant-hornets-dangerous…
Long-Lost US Military Satellite Found By Amateur Radio Operator
Tilley, an amateur radio operator living in Canada, found a “zombie” military satellite that was supposed to shut down in 1972. NPR reports: Recently, Tilley got interested in a communications satellite he thought might still be alive — or at least among the living dead. LES-5, built by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory, was launched in 1967. Tilley was…
Woman photographs possible ‘Bigfoot’ footprint
The unusual looking track was discovered at Shuswap Falls near Lumby, British Columbia earlier this month. Despite a lack of any definitive evidence o… Source: https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/336407/woman-photographs-possible-bigfoot-footprint…
Top tips for feeding wild birds
It’s OK to feed wild birds. Here are some tips for doing it the right way from a wildlife ecologist. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/top-tips-feeding-wild-birds…
Melting Glaciers: Effects on the Environment, Humans, and Biodiversity
Recently, the temperature in the Arctic appears to have hit a new continental high, close to 70 degrees. That’s leading to continued melting of glaciers in the Arctic and around the world. But how will that impact the world’s ecosystems? Dr. David Hik is an Associate Dean of the Faculty of Science as well as […]
The post Melting Glaciers: Effects on…
Astronomy student discovers 17 new planets, including Earth-sized world
University of British Columbia astronomy student Michelle Kunimoto has discovered 17 new planets, including a potentially habitable, Earth-sized world, by combing through data gathered by NASA’s Kepler mission. Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-02-astronomy-student-planets-earth-sized-world.html…
It’s time to watch for the zodiacal light
The zodiacal light is an eerie light extending up from the horizon. This is a good time of year to see it in the evening, from the Northern Hemisphere. Southern Hemisphere, look before dawn! Source: https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-zodiacal-light-or-false-dusk…
Mysterious fast radio burst repeats in 16-day rhythm
For the first time, a fast radio burst has been found to be repeating, in a regular 16-day cycle. The baffling detection from the CHIME radio telescope deepens the mystery of these bizarre intergalactic objects. Source: https://earthsky.org/space/mysterious-fast-radio-burst-repeats-in-16-day-rhythm…
Australian smoke plume sets records
The recent wildfires in Australia sent one of the largest plumes of smoke higher into the the stratosphere than satellites have ever before observed. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/australian-wildfires-smoke-plume-sets-records…