The World, the Universe and Us review — endearingly nerdy science news
Thankfully, it turns out that getting 'the whole nature of light wrong' is less dramatic than it sounds. The point at issue is the interpretation of
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The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘Cyborg' beetles could help rescue crews locate survivors after natural disasters
Remote-controlled ' cyborg beetles ' could be used to help discover people trapped in collapsed buildings or mines, research has revealed. Australian scientists equipped darkling insects with removable backpacks which could be controlled with a video game remote. University of Queensland researcher Dr Thang Vo-Doan, who led the study, said the backpacks controlled the insect's antenna and forewings through the use of electrodes. 'Beetles possess many natural gifts that make them the masters of climbing and manoeuvring in small, complex spaces such as dense rubble, that are difficult for robots to navigate,' Dr Vo-Doan told Scimex. 'Our work harnesses these gifts and adds programmable controls that allow for precise directional guidance, without affecting the lifespan of the beetle.' Research Assistant Lachlan Fitzgerald added that the insects could be guided to move side-to-side and up vertical walls. 'While robots at this scale have made strides in locomotion, the transition from horizontal surfaces to walls remains a formidable challenge for them,' Mr Fitzgerald said. He said the insect's 'sophisticated sensing capabilities' and 'soft environmental interactions', which a synthetic bug would not have, are perfect for disaster environments. Dr Vo-Doan said while a tethered power supply had been used for the climbing test, the beetles had also demonstrated the ability to climb with a battery equivalent to its own body weight. 'If people have been trapped under an extensive amount of rubble, you want to be able to find them as quickly as possible and start planning how to get them out,' Dr Vo-Doan said. 'We hope to produce a tool that can easily move through chaotic environments to pinpoint a person's exact location, provide clues to any injuries, and give rescuers a picture of what needs to be done to free them'. In 2016, Singaporean scientists were able to control stag beetles by attaching a similar device to the insect's back. Professor Hirotaka Sato, who worked on both projects, said at the time: "This technology could prove to be an improved alternative to remote-controlled drones as it could go into areas which were not accessible before." "For example, it could be used in search-and-rescue missions as it could go into small nooks and crevices in a collapsed building to locate injured survivors."
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Energy sector set to discuss how National Grid can meet AI demand
Energy firms are set to discuss how the National Grid could be upgraded to cope with the future demands of AI at a meeting with ministers on Monday. The AI Energy Council are set to discuss how much power will be needed to cover the increase in computer capacity that is expected in the next five years, as the AI sector grows. The group is made up of energy providers, tech companies, energy regulator Ofgem and will be chaired by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Tech Secretary Peter Kyle. It is thought that sectors that are looking to adopt AI and the impacts those changes could have on the energy demand will also be up for discussion, to try and prepare the energy system for the future. Tech secretary Mr Kyle said that ministers are putting 'British expertise at the heart of the AI breakthroughs which will improve our lives'. He added: 'We are clear-eyed though on the need to make sure we can power this golden era for British AI through responsible, sustainable energy sources. Today's talks will help us drive forward that mission, delivering AI infrastructure which will benefit communities up and down the country for generations to come without ever compromising on our clean energy superpower ambitions.' Earlier this month Sir Keir Starmer said that the UK must persuade a 'sceptical' public that AI can improve lives and transform the way politics and businesses work. In a speech in London, the Prime Minister acknowledged people's concern about the rapid rise of AI technology and the risk to their jobs but stressed the benefits it would have on the delivery of public services, automating bureaucracy and allowing staff such as social workers and nurses to be 'more human'.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Squid dominated oceans millions of years ago scientists say
When did squid first appear in our oceans and how did the evolve? That's a question that has puzzled scientists for many a team of researchers in Japan think they might have discovered the developed a new technique to scan fossils, allowing them to look at rocks in 3D their surprise, this helped them find more than 1,000 beaks of ancient cephalopods, suggesting that the animals dominated oceans millions of years ago. What are Cephalopods? Cephalopods - a group of marine animals which include squid - have been swimming in our oceans for millions of years. However, not much is known about ancient squid, as they are rarely preserved. This is because they are soft-bodied and don't have hard shells, meaning they rarely turn into fossils.A team of international scientists, led by experts at Hokkaido University in Japan, developed a new advanced technique to scan allowed them identify one thousand fossilised cephalopod beaks hidden inside rocks, which dated back to the late Cretaceous these small beaks were 263 squid specimens, including about 40 different types that had never been seen surprised scientists was how common squids were in ancient oceans. The team found that squid fossils were far greater in number than those of other bony fish and ammonites. Author of the study, Dr Shin Ikegami, from Hokkaido University explained: "In both number and size, these ancient squids clearly prevailed the seas."Their body sizes were as large as fish and even bigger than the ammonites we found alongside them. "This shows us that squids were thriving as the most abundant swimmers in the ancient ocean," he team hope that their new technique could help us better understand ancient marine ecosystems.
