Patrick Star And 'Drag Queen' Crab: Underwater Robot Live Stream Captivates Argentines
The Argentine-American scientific mission is for the first time exploring the Mar del Plata canyon, a submarine gorge which plunges nearly 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) deep, off the coast of the seaside resort of the same name.
The awed conversations between scientists leading the expedition and the explanations they give to viewers allow the public a rare insight into the hidden wonders of marine biology.
In one instance, the camera on the SuBastian underwater robot shows a weird-looking, little white animal. One of the scientists on the team can be heard asking her colleagues, "Do we want it?"
"Yes, yes, we want it!" reply dozens of messages in the live stream chat before the image shows the suction device being activated to suck up the specimen for study.
"Oh, I love these little creatures," says one user. "I'm obsessed!" comments another. "Don't take the little one away!" pleads a third.
The live stream began a week ago and exceeded one million views per day since Thursday, when it also began to be broadcast on television.
"There are cold-water corals with the same colors as those in the Caribbean. How can that be? At a depth of 3,000 meters!" Pablo Penchaszadeh, a marine biologist and painter who is on board the expedition as an artist, told AFP.
The 20-day expedition "Underwater Oases of the Mar del Plata Canyon" involves 25 scientists -- most of them from the Argentine research agency CONICET.
Part of the GEMPA deep sea study group, with support from the US Schmidt Ocean Institute, it will end on August 10.
Aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's "Falkor (too)" ship, scientists remotely operate the robot, which can descend to a depth of 4,500 meters (14,700 feet).
They collect biological samples with its robotic arms and other instruments, and send back high-definition images.
"The fact that anyone can connect from home and see what we are seeing live is a unique opportunity," explains expedition leader Daniel Lauretta in a statement.
"Science is no longer something distant or inaccessible, but becomes part of everyday life."
This week, social media users were delighted when an orange starfish with two symmetrical bumps resembling buttocks appeared on the live stream. It quickly prompted comparisons with Patrick Star, from the popular animated series SpongeBob SquarePants.
Memes circulated joking that "Patrick is Argentine," marine biology became a trending topic on social media, and the broadcast reached the screens of hundreds of thousands of captivated viewers.
"I came to see the big-bottomed star, is it here?" asked one user upon entering the YouTube chat.
Spectators also gave other sea creatures nicknames: a king crab was dubbed "Drag Queen," and sea cucumber was fondly called "Sweet Potato."
This is the first time that human eyes -- albeit remotely -- have seen this underwater oasis in real time, where the cold, nutrient-rich Malvinas current and warm, salty Brazil current converge.
The confluence is "one of the most energetic regions in our global Ocean," according to the website of the Schmidt Institute, with the temperature difference creating an area teeming with marine wildlife and flora.
"We are already seeing incredible things: animals that have never been recorded in this area, underwater landscapes that look like something from another planet, and behaviors that surprise even the most experienced scientists," said Lauretta.
But funding for such expeditions is under threat in Argentina.
CONICET, the government's scientific research arm, has been severely underfunded by libertarian President Javier Milei, who has implemented draconian cuts to public spending with his infamous "chainsaw."
Its budget fell by 21 percent last year, salaries have plummeted by 35 percent since the Milei took office in December 2023, and the cuts have led to an exodus of scientists.
As a result, in between "oohs" and "aahs" of wonder, messages of support are flooding the live stream's chat: "Long live Conicet!".
"Seeing people being passionate about their job is attractive," said Tomas Atilio Luppi, a biologist at the CONICET-affiliated marine and coastal research institute in Mar del Plata, who is not directly involved in the campaign.
"This is happening at a very difficult time," he told AFP of the popular broadcast. "Science is in a very complicated position, both financially and in terms of support and human resources."
"The fact that this craze is happening is like a beacon of light." Scientists operate a robot to collect biological samples from the seafloor AFP CONICET, the government's science research arm, has been severely underfunded by libertarian President Javier Milei AFP The broadcast of this dark, cold, and vibrant underwater universe has gone viral AFP The 20-day expedition involves 25 scientists AFP This is the first time that human eyes -- albeit remotely -- have seen this underwater oasis in real time AFP
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Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
Patrick Star And 'Drag Queen' Crab: Underwater Robot Live Stream Captivates Argentines
A robot explores the dark, cold, deep sea floor of the South Atlantic, transmitting images of vibrant coral and fish never seen before as scientists give live commentary via YouTube. And Argentines can't get enough of it. The Argentine-American scientific mission is for the first time exploring the Mar del Plata canyon, a submarine gorge which plunges nearly 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) deep, off the coast of the seaside resort of the same name. The awed conversations between scientists leading the expedition and the explanations they give to viewers allow the public a rare insight into the hidden wonders of marine biology. In one instance, the camera on the SuBastian underwater robot shows a weird-looking, little white animal. One of the scientists on the team can be heard asking her colleagues, "Do we want it?" "Yes, yes, we want it!" reply dozens of messages in the live stream chat before the image shows the suction device being activated to suck up the specimen for study. "Oh, I love these little creatures," says one user. "I'm obsessed!" comments another. "Don't take the little one away!" pleads a third. The live stream began a week ago and exceeded one million views per day since Thursday, when it also began to be broadcast on television. "There are cold-water corals with the same colors as those in the Caribbean. How can that be? At a depth of 3,000 meters!" Pablo Penchaszadeh, a marine biologist and painter who is on board the expedition as an artist, told AFP. The 20-day expedition "Underwater Oases of the Mar del Plata Canyon" involves 25 scientists -- most of them from the Argentine research agency CONICET. Part of the GEMPA deep sea study group, with support from the US Schmidt Ocean Institute, it will end on August 10. Aboard the Schmidt Ocean Institute's "Falkor (too)" ship, scientists remotely operate the robot, which can descend to a depth of 4,500 meters (14,700 feet). They collect biological samples with its robotic arms and other instruments, and send back high-definition images. "The fact that anyone can connect from home and see what we are seeing live is a unique opportunity," explains expedition leader Daniel Lauretta in a statement. "Science is no longer something distant or inaccessible, but becomes part of everyday life." This week, social media users were delighted when an orange starfish with two symmetrical bumps resembling buttocks appeared on the live stream. It quickly prompted comparisons with Patrick Star, from the popular animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. Memes circulated joking that "Patrick is Argentine," marine biology became a trending topic on social media, and the broadcast reached the screens of hundreds of thousands of captivated viewers. "I came to see the big-bottomed star, is it here?" asked one user upon entering the YouTube chat. Spectators also gave other sea creatures nicknames: a king crab was dubbed "Drag Queen," and sea cucumber was fondly called "Sweet Potato." This is the first time that human eyes -- albeit remotely -- have seen this underwater oasis in real time, where the cold, nutrient-rich Malvinas current and warm, salty Brazil current converge. The confluence is "one of the most energetic regions in our global Ocean," according to the website of the Schmidt Institute, with the temperature difference creating an area teeming with marine wildlife and flora. "We are already seeing incredible things: animals that have never been recorded in this area, underwater landscapes that look like something from another planet, and behaviors that surprise even the most experienced scientists," said Lauretta. But funding for such expeditions is under threat in Argentina. CONICET, the government's scientific research arm, has been severely underfunded by libertarian President Javier Milei, who has implemented draconian cuts to public spending with his infamous "chainsaw." Its budget fell by 21 percent last year, salaries have plummeted by 35 percent since the Milei took office in December 2023, and the cuts have led to an exodus of scientists. As a result, in between "oohs" and "aahs" of wonder, messages of support are flooding the live stream's chat: "Long live Conicet!". "Seeing people being passionate about their job is attractive," said Tomas Atilio Luppi, a biologist at the CONICET-affiliated marine and coastal research institute in Mar del Plata, who is not directly involved in the campaign. "This is happening at a very difficult time," he told AFP of the popular broadcast. "Science is in a very complicated position, both financially and in terms of support and human resources." "The fact that this craze is happening is like a beacon of light." Scientists operate a robot to collect biological samples from the seafloor AFP CONICET, the government's science research arm, has been severely underfunded by libertarian President Javier Milei AFP The broadcast of this dark, cold, and vibrant underwater universe has gone viral AFP The 20-day expedition involves 25 scientists AFP This is the first time that human eyes -- albeit remotely -- have seen this underwater oasis in real time AFP
Int'l Business Times
7 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
'Marathon At F1 Speed': China Bids To Lap US In AI Leadership
Beyond dancing robots and eager-to-help digital avatars, Shanghai's World AI Conference saw China stake its claim to global artificial intelligence leadership and frame itself as a clear alternative to the United States. Assumptions that the US was far ahead in the fast-moving field were upended this year when Chinese start-up DeepSeek unveiled a chatbot that matched top American systems for an apparent fraction of the cost. With AI now at the forefront of the superpowers' tech race, the World AI Conference (WAIC) that ended Tuesday saw China set out its case to take charge on shaping its global governance too. China, the United States and other major economies are "engaged in a marathon at Formula One speed", said Steven Hai, assistant professor of tech innovation at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. "Which country will attain the upper hand can only be assessed dynamically over the course of development." China and the United States dominate the AI sector -- only 10 to 15 percent of models developed in recent years were built without either's participation, according to Epoch AI, a non-profit research institute. While US companies like Google and OpenAI are still industry-leading, the institute labelled 78 percent of Chinese models "state-of-the-art" compared to 70 percent of models built with American participation. Beijing's stated aim is to become the world's leading AI "innovation centre" by 2030. "Now China is neck-and-neck with the United States in terms of core tech, that play (for global leadership) is more relevant than ever," said Tom Nunlist, associate director for tech and data policy at Trivium China. "With a solid AI offering and the US turning inward, the question is will Beijing's vision gain greater global traction?" In May, Microsoft's Brad Smith told the US Senate that "the number-one factor" in the tech race "is whose technology is most broadly adopted in the rest of the world". China's offer is technical and economical. "One of the biggest differences (with the US sector) is that most of the leading models in China... are open-weight and open-source," former Google CEO Eric Schmidt told an audience at WAIC. That means they can be adapted by other countries to fit their own needs, said George Chen, partner at Washington-based policy consultancy The Asia Group. "We already see some countries like Mongolia, Kazakhstan, even Pakistan are trying to adopt the DeepSeek model to build their own," he said. "China has a chance to win in the aspect of sovereign AI to export its model to those countries." The comparative low cost of Chinese technology -- software but also hardware, for example through firms like Huawei -- will be a big factor, especially for developing countries, Chen added. On Monday another Chinese start-up, Zhipu, announced its new AI model -- also open-source -- would cost less than DeepSeek to use. In June, OpenAI accused Zhipu of having close ties with Chinese authorities and noted it was working with governments and state-owned firms across Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. "The goal is to lock Chinese systems and standards into emerging markets before US or European rivals can," it said. Washington has moved to protect its lead in AI, expanding efforts to curb exports of state-of-the-art chips to China in recent years. "While limiting China's share of the global AI hardware market, (these measures) have accelerated indigenous innovation and led Chinese firms to exploit regulatory loopholes," said assistant professor Hai, referring to "rife" smuggling and circumvention. Other challenges to homegrown firms include the closed nature of the Chinese internet, and "general issues of trust when it comes to using Chinese tech", Trivium's Nunlist said. At WAIC, China sought to present itself as a responsible power. Premier Li Qiang emphasised the risks of AI and pledged to share technology with other nations, especially developing ones. His remarks contrasted sharply with US President Donald Trump's aggressive low-regulation "AI Action Plan" launched just days before and explicitly aimed at cementing US dominance in the field. China released its own action plan at WAIC, following a meeting attended by delegates from dozens of countries. Li also announced the establishment of a China-led organisation for international AI cooperation. However, China's foreign ministry did not respond to a request from AFP for details on the set-up of the organisation -- including any international participants -- and several foreign delegates said they had not been briefed on the announcement beforehand. Analyst Grace Shao wrote it was clear AI was still in its "infancy stage". "You can sense that vibrant energy but also the immaturity of the space," she wrote on Substack. "There just shouldn't be a definitive conclusion on who is 'winning' yet." China and the United States dominate the AI sector AFP At WAIC, China sought to present itself as a responsible power AFP Challenges to homegrown firms include the closed nature of the Chinese internet AFP The comparative low cost of Chinese technology -- software but also hardware, for example through firms like Huawei -- will be a big factor AFP
Int'l Business Times
22-07-2025
- Int'l Business Times
Anxious Parents Face Tough Choices On AI
When it comes to AI, many parents navigate between fear of the unknown and fear of their children missing out. "It's really hard to predict anything over five years," said Adam Tal, an Israeli marketing executive and father of two boys aged seven and nine, when describing the post-generative AI world. Tal is "very worried" about the future this technology holds for his children -- whether it's deepfakes, "the inability to distinguish between reality and AI," or "the thousands of possible new threats that I wasn't trained to detect." Mike Brooks, a psychologist from Austin, Texas, who specializes in parenting and technology, worries that parents are keeping their heads in the sand, refusing to grapple with AI. "They're already overwhelmed with parenting demands," he observed -- from online pornography and TikTok to video games and "just trying to get them out of their rooms and into the real world." For Marc Watkins, a professor at the University of Mississippi who focuses on AI in teaching, "we've already gone too far" to shield children from AI past a certain age. Yet some parents are still trying to remain gatekeepers to the technology. "In my circle of friends and family, I'm the only one exploring AI with my child," remarked Melissa Franklin, mother of a 7-year-old boy and law student in Kentucky. "I don't understand the technology behind AI," she said, "but I know it's inevitable, and I'd rather give my son a head start than leave him overwhelmed." The path is all the more difficult for parents given the lack of scientific research on AI's effects on users. Several parents cite a study published in June by MIT, showing that brain activity and memory were more stimulated in individuals not using generative AI than in those who had access to it. "I'm afraid it will become a shortcut," explained a father of three who preferred to remain anonymous. "After this MIT study, I want them to use it only to deepen their knowledge." This caution shapes many parents' approaches. Tal prefers to wait before letting his sons use AI tools. Melissa Franklin only allows her son to use AI with her supervision to find information "we can't find in a book, through Google, or on YouTube." For her, children must be encouraged to "think for themselves," with or without AI. But one father -- a computer engineer with a 15-year-old -- doesn't believe kids will learn AI skills from their parents anyway. "That would be like claiming that kids learn how to use TikTok from their parents," he said. It's usually "the other way around." Watkins, himself a father, says he is "very concerned" about the new forms that generative AI is taking, but considers it necessary to read about the subject and "have in-depth conversations about it with our children." "They're going to use artificial intelligence," he said, "so I want them to know the potential benefits and risks." The CEO of AI chip giant Nvidia, Jensen Huang, often speaks of AI as "the greatest equalization force that we have ever known," democratizing learning and knowledge. But Watkins fears a different reality: "Parents will view this as a technology that will be used if you can afford it, to get your kid ahead of everyone else." The computer scientist father readily acknowledged this disparity, saying "My son has an advantage because he has two parents with PhDs in computer science, but that's 90 percent due to the fact that we are more affluent than average" -- not their AI knowledge. "That does have some pretty big implications," Watkins said.
