Latest news with #UniversityofWisconsin-Madison
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
I'm a 28-year-old AI engineer in Big Tech. Here's my advice for others who want to break into this growing field.
Kriti Goyal leveraged her master's degree to advance her AI career in the US. She pitched projects internally during her internship that were adopted to help secure a full-time offer. Higher education aids in tech careers, but networking and skills can also open doors. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kriti Goyal, a 28-year-old AI machine learning engineer based in Seattle, about her journey into her current role and her daily schedule. It's been edited for length and clarity. I was mostly raised in the small town of Bikaner, Rajasthan, in India, and I always thought I would study medicine until my cousin showed me a video that changed my life. It was a video with Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and other tech rockstars, about how coding is the quickest way to convert an idea into a product. That video was a very big turning point in my life and career. I'm now part of the Foundation Model main framework team for a major Big Tech company in the US. I recently completed five years with them, during which time I've held four different roles. I used my master's to move to the US and further my career. But whether or not a higher degree is necessary today is complicated. There are many roles on machine learning teams There are multiple rungs on the ladder of Machine Learning teams. The different roles include researchers, engineers calling on the machine learning models and building applications on top, and the core machine learning people who are developing the actual model itself. Finally, you have the infrastructure stack barrier, doing the product center toolkits to help machine learning teams. I work on building the foundation of machine learning models, which means I build code that trains software to recognize unseen data and create patterns. I started my tech career as an intern in India, but knew I had to come to the US to advance I originally interned at my current company in India. I enjoyed working in India; the work was great, but the core business decisions and figuring out the strategy of the next project were happening at the company headquarters here in the US. I had no intention of moving to the US earlier. I was quite happy in my country. But overall, I kept feeling like I wasn't doing the best I could in my career because of living so far from the core business decisions, and I decided I wanted to make the move. I used my internship and master's to get further in AI engineering I had two ways to go about moving to the US: one was to try to move from within my company, or get a master's. There were two reasons I chose the master's path: the knowledge and extra specialty you can develop through projects and the connections you make. The biggest thing I took away from my master's program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was definitely the people. When I got to the US, I knew a few people at my former company already from my time in India, so I reached out to a bunch of managers directly instead of applying on the job board. I got the interview for the Machine Learning engineering internship quite easily because they were aware of me and my work from before. Pitching my products internally helped me land a full-time AI engineering role When I started as an intern again, this time in the US, I did a few things that helped me land this job. I pitched my product to other teams internally to get it adopted. My manager kept telling me that, when they were fighting to get me into the company full time, that was a major thing they used. Now, as an engineer on the machine learning team, I like to segment my day into three parts. It sort of depends on the project life cycle, but usually, I start by researching. The second part is upstream and downstream check-ins with other team members and clients. I speak with people on other teams, saying, "Hey, this is what we can do, and does this work for you?" Everyone's favorite part is the third, which is basically hands-on building and coding. I'm lucky enough to spend most of my time being an individual contributor and focusing on coding. Higher education in tech still matters, but there are other ways I think it's possible now to skip that education stage. But I have seen a bias in hiring for specific teams, and it's not unbreakable yet. I was changing countries and cultures, and university was a great way to get through the immigration system and understand the culture. I needed it. If you want to be in academia and teaching, the higher education path makes sense. But if you want to build something fast, learning and networking can be done in many places. In a city like San Francisco or New York, you could hustle and get the networking benefits of a university and a structured system. You essentially just need the ability to prove that you can be good at the job. That doesn't really come from a degree. But I find there is usually some bias against applicants without a degree higher than a bachelor's. Do you have a story to share about AI or higher education bias in tech? Contact this reporter, Agnes Applegate, at aapplegate@ Read the original article on Business Insider Solve the daily Crossword
National Observer
3 days ago
- Science
- National Observer
New study surfaces explosive risk hidden beneath Antarctic ice
This story was originally published by The Guardian and appears here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration The melting of glaciers and ice caps by the climate crisis could unleash a barrage of explosive volcanic eruptions, a study suggests. The loss of ice releases the pressure on underground magma chambers and makes eruptions more likely. This process has been seen in Iceland, an unusual island that sits on a mid-ocean tectonic plate boundary. But the research in Chile is one of the first studies to show a surge in volcanism on a continent in the past, after the last ice age ended. Global heating caused by the burning of fossil fuels is now melting ice caps and glaciers across the world. The biggest risk of a resurgence of volcanic eruptions is in west Antarctica, the researchers said, where at least 100 volcanoes lie under the thick ice. This ice is very likely to be lost in the coming decades and centuries as the world warms. Volcanic eruptions can cool the planet temporarily by shooting sunlight-reflecting particles into the atmosphere. However, sustained eruptions would pump significant greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide and methane. This would further heat the planet and potentially create a vicious circle, in which rising temperatures melt ice that leads to further eruptions and more global heating. Pablo Moreno-Yaeger, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, US, who led the research, said: 'As glaciers retreat due to climate change, our findings suggest these volcanoes go on to erupt more frequently and more explosively.' The research, which was presented at the Goldschmidt geochemistry conference in Prague, and is in the final stages of review with an academic journal, involved camping high in the Andes, among active and dormant volcanoes. As ice caps and glaciers melt, the pressure they put on volcanoes is released — and the magma that has built up beneath them is more likely to erupt, leading to a vicious circle of heating. Detailed work on one volcano, called Mocho-Choshuenco, used radioisotope dating to estimate the age of volcanic rocks produced before, during and after the last ice age, when the 1,500-metre-thick Patagonian ice sheet covered the area. Analysis of the minerals in the rocks also revealed the depth and temperature at which the rocks formed. This data revealed that thick ice cover had suppressed the volume of eruptions between 26,000 and 18,000 years ago, allowing a large reservoir of magma to build up 10-15km (6.2-9.3 miles) below the surface. After the ice melted, from about 13,000 years ago, the pressure on the magma chamber was released, gasses in the liquid or molten rock expanded and explosive eruptions followed. 'We found that following deglaciation, the volcano starts to erupt way more, and also changes composition,' said Moreno-Yaeger. The composition changed as the magma melted crustal rocks while eruptions were suppressed. This made the molten rock more viscous and more explosive on eruption. 'Our study suggests this phenomenon isn't limited to Iceland, where increased volcanicity has been observed, but could also occur in Antarctica,' he said. 'Other continental regions, like parts of North America, New Zealand and Russia, also now warrant closer scientific attention.' Previous research has shown volcanic activity increased globally by two to six times after the last ice age, but the Chilean study was one of the first to show how this happened. A similar phenomenon was reported via the analysis of rocks in eastern California in 2004. A recent review by scientists found there had been relatively little study on how the climate crisis had been affecting volcanic activity. They said more research was 'critically important' in order to be better prepared for the damage caused by volcanic eruptions to people and their livelihoods and for possible climate-volcano feedback loops that could amplify the climate crisis. For example, more extreme rainfall is also expected to increase violent explosive eruptions.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Scientists just found a 140,000-year-old child's skull in Israel, and what they found could change human history
A child's skull, almost 140,000 years old, was found in Israel. Researchers believe it shows interbreeding between modern humans and Neanderthals. The skull has both Homo sapiens and Neanderthal traits. CT scans helped in the analysis. Some scientists disagree and want DNA evidence. The discovery could change views on human evolution. It suggests interbreeding occurred earlier than thought. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Skull shows both modern and Neanderthal features New reconstruction raises old questions Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Debate continues among scientists Implications for human evolution A nearly 140,000-year-old child's skull found in Skhul Cave, Israel, may show evidence of interbreeding between modern humans and Neanderthals, researchers said in a new study. The partially reconstructed skull, first discovered almost a century ago, belonged to a child believed to be around 3 to 5 years old and was recently examined using modern scanning research, published in the July-August issue of L'Anthropologie, was led by Anne Dambricourt Malasse at the Institute of Human Paleontology in France. Her team used CT scans to re-analyse the skull, which was previously restored with plaster, limiting scientific study for braincase of the child displays features common to Homo sapiens, but the mandible — or jawbone — appeared more similar to Neanderthal anatomy. It lacked a chin and showed traits typical of Neanderthals, suggesting a possible mixed lineage."This study is maybe the first that has put the Skhul child's remains on a scientific basis," said John Hawks of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who was not involved in the research. "The old reconstruction and associated work, literally set in plaster, did not really enable anyone to compare this child with a broader array of recent children to understand its biology."The skull had several missing parts, including much of the facial area and the base. The rest of the bones were in fragments. Using modern technology, the team developed a clearer reconstruction, bringing new attention to the child's all experts agree with the hybrid theory. Some researchers caution that DNA evidence is needed to confirm the claim. Others believe the observed traits may reflect natural variation within early modern humans."Even if not 1st-generation hybrids, it's certainly possible that the Skhul fossils reflect some gene flow between the 2 populations," said Chris Stringer, a paleoanthropologist at the Natural History Museum in London, who also did not take part in the study. "Overall though, looking at all the material, including the skeletons, the material still primarily aligns with Homo sapiens, in my view."If proven to be a hybrid, the skull would support the idea that modern humans and Neanderthals interbred more often and earlier than previously thought. This could change long-held views about human migration and studies suggest that genetic exchange between the two species may have occurred about 100,000 years ago. The Skhul child may provide a physical example of this interaction."I have long thought that hybridisations were not viable and I continue to think that they were mostly abortive," said Malasse. "This skeleton reveals that they were nevertheless possible, even though this little girl lived only 5 years."
NDTV
7 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
140,000-Year-Old Skull Suggests Ancient Human-Neanderthal Hybrid: Study
Researchers shed new light on a skull, belonging to a young child, found almost 100 years ago in Skhul Cave on Mount Carmel in Israel. The skull, likely of a girl, was part of mysterious human remains found at a 140,000-year-old burial site. In a new study, published in the July-August issue of the journal L'Anthropologie, Anne Dambricourt Malasse at the Institute of Human Paleontology in France and her colleagues suggested that the skull, estimated to be 3-5 years old, could have been a cross between modern humans and Neanderthals. "This study is maybe the first that has put the Skhul child's remains on a scientific basis," John Hawks at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who wasn't involved in the new research, said as quoted by New Scientist. "The old reconstruction and associated work, literally set in plaster, did not really enable anyone to compare this child with a broader array of recent children to understand its biology." 140,000-year-old child's skull may have been part modern human, part Neanderthal — but not everyone is convinced #archaeology #Anthropology #science #SciChat — Gary McFarlane (@GaryM) July 12, 2025 The middle section of the skull's face and a large part of the base were missing. Meanwhile, the rest was in pieces. The braincase shows modern features typical of Homo sapiens. The researchers found the mandible had distinct Neanderthal characteristics. The jaw was also more Neanderthal-like, with a lack of chin. When the remains were unearthed, scientists then consolidated the pieces with plaster in an attempt to put the skull back together, making it difficult to study. Now, the researchers used modern CT scanning techniques to get a new and detailed look, suggesting that the child might be a hybrid of modern humans and Neanderthals. However, others argue it's premature to conclude without DNA evidence. Some scientists believe the skull's features could represent variability within Homo sapiens rather than hybridisation. "Even if not 1st-generation hybrids, it's certainly possible that the Skhul fossils reflect some gene flow between the 2 populations," Chris Stringer, a paleoanthropologist at the Natural History Museum in London who was not involved in the study, told Live Science. "Overall though, looking at all the material, including the skeletons, the material still primarily aligns with Homo sapiens, in my view." If confirmed as a hybrid, it would imply that Neanderthals and modern humans interbred more extensively than previously thought. It would change our understanding of human evolution. Studies suggest there was cross-population gene flow between Neanderthals and humans around 100,000 years ago, which could have resulted in the mixed features observed in the Skhul child. "I have long thought that hybridisations were not viable and I continue to think that they were mostly abortive," says Malasse. "This skeleton reveals that they were nevertheless possible, even though this little girl lived only 5 years."
The Print
13-07-2025
- Science
- The Print
A fiery side-effect of melting glaciers & paging Dr Droid for gallbladder surgery
The scientists found that after the last ice age, melting glaciers triggered powerful eruptions from deep magma chambers. While the magma system responds slowly, the volcanic activity can be explosive, and even influence global climate. Big eruptions release aerosols that cool the Earth briefly, but repeated eruptions can add greenhouse gases, speeding up warming. They studied six volcanoes in southern Chile using rock dating and crystal analysis to understand the impact of the Patagonian Ice Sheet on past eruptions. They found that thick glaciers can keep magma trapped deep underground. But as the ice melts and the pressure eases, the magma can rise and explode more violently. This process, already seen in Iceland in the 1970s, may also affect other glaciated regions like Antarctica, North America, and New Zealand. New Delhi: New research posits that one of the side effects of melting glaciers due to global warming could be an increasing number of volcanic eruptions. Scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison drew this connection in a presentation on 8 July at the Goldschmidt conference of the European Association of Geochemistry. The study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal later this year. Also read: That morning brew could be doing more than just jumpstarting your day—helping your cells age gracefully Robot performs gall bladder surgery without human intervention A robot trained by Johns Hopkins researchers successfully performed a complex portion of a gallbladder removal surgery on a lifelike model. The findings were published in a new paper in the peer-reviewed Science Robotics journal on 9 July. Unlike previous robots that follow strict, pre-programmed instructions, this one, called SRT-H, learned and adapted from voice commands by surgeons, like a real surgical trainee. It was trained using surgery videos and captions and can even respond to voice commands like 'grab the gallbladder head' or 'move left'. Think of it as a surgical assistant that's both incredibly precise and smart enough to think on its feet. The robot handled a full sequence of 17 surgical tasks, adjusted to different anatomy, and coped with unexpected situations like changes in how the gallbladder looked. While slower than a human, its accuracy matched that of surgeons, said the paper. According to the authors, this robot could pave the way for autonomous systems to one day assist or even lead real surgeries, especially in high-risk or remote situations. Airport radar signals might be detected by alien civilisations Every time a plane takes off from Heathrow airport or JFK airport in the US, or a military radar scans the skies for incoming threats, the Earth may be sending out a cosmic 'we're here!' to the universe. New research presented at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting on 8 July reveals that the radar systems used by airports and militaries across the globe are powerful enough to be detected by alien civilisations up to 200 light-years away—if those aliens have radio telescopes as sensitive as ours. However, these are preliminary results and have not been published in a journal yet. These unintentional signals radiate far beyond our planet. Researchers from the University of Manchester, who presented this work, simulated how these waves spread into space. They found that from the perspective of nearby stars like Barnard's Star, Earth might appear to blink with distinct, artificial patterns. Military radars, in particular, act like sweeping lighthouse beams, and their focused energy could stand out as clear signs of intelligent life. The research suggests that any technologically advanced planet, not just ours, might light up the cosmos in this way, offering a universal clue to alien astronomers that someone is out there, watching the skies. Why are sharks blue? Blue sharks don't just wear their colour, rather they engineer it. New research presented at the Society for Experimental Biology's Annual Conference on 9 July said that sharks' iconic blue shimmer comes from a hidden world of nanoscopic crystals and pigments embedded deep within their skin's tiny scales, called dermal denticles. These scales are armoured with pulp cavities filled with reflective guanine crystals, which act as mirrors, and melanin vesicles, which absorb light. Together, they act like coordinated teams of glitter and blackout curtains, filtering light to create that signature deep-sea blue. But the twist is that this isn't just a static paint job. These structures may allow the shark to change its color. The research team, using powerful imaging tools and computer models, found that subtle shifts in the spacing of these crystals could shift the shark's hue from vibrant blues to greens and golds. Changes in water depth, water pressure, and even atmospheric humidity causes these shifts in colour. Also read: It's official: New object zipping through our solar system is the 3rd known interstellar visitor
