Thursday, July 4, 2024

The Obtain: recycling’s function, and tidying robots

That is right this moment’s version of The Obtain, our weekday e-newsletter that gives a day by day dose of what’s happening on the planet of know-how.

Why recycling alone can’t energy local weather tech

The potential to make use of outdated, discarded merchandise to make one thing new sounds a little bit bit like magic. This is the reason, in some circumstances not less than, recycling goes to be an important software for local weather know-how.

However there are large challenges forward in materials demand for local weather applied sciences, and sadly, recycling alone received’t be sufficient to deal with them. Our local weather reporter Casey Crownhart has taken a take a look at why recycling isn’t all the time the reply—and what else would possibly assist as an alternative. Learn the total story

This story is from The Spark, our weekly e-newsletter masking local weather know-how. Enroll to obtain it in your inbox each Wednesday.

This robotic can tidy a room with none assist

The information: A brand new robotic system known as OK-Robotic might prepare robots to choose up and transfer objects in settings they haven’t encountered earlier than. A robotic working the system, which makes use of publicly-available AI fashions, was capable of decide up and transfer objects round a room with an 58.5% success charge—rising to 82% in rooms that have been much less cluttered.

Why it issues: Whereas robots could simply full duties like these in a laboratory, getting them to work in an unfamiliar setting is an actual problem. OK-Robotic might assist to plug the hole between quickly enhancing AI fashions and precise robotic capabilities, because it doesn’t require any further coaching. Learn the total story.

Rhiannon Williams

Should you’re fascinating in studying extra about residence robots, why not try:

+
Right here’s why everybody’s getting enthusiastic about family robots once more.

+ This new system can educate a robotic a easy family job inside 20 minutes. The Dobb-E home robotics system was educated in actual folks’s houses and will assist clear up the sphere’s knowledge drawback. Learn the total story.

+ Watch this robotic cook dinner shrimp and clear autonomously. Even low cost {hardware} can carry out complicated duties, and AI helps robots get smarter nonetheless. Learn the total story.

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Our redesigned app offers a user-friendly interface with the flexibility to save lots of favourite articles and search trending subjects—and discover all our unique know-how protection together with our trending day by day newsletters. Test it out!

The must-reads

I’ve combed the web to search out you right this moment’s most enjoyable/necessary/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.

1 Mark Zuckerberg apologized to households harmed by social media
Beneath some duress, throughout a Senate grilling. (WP $)
+ X boss Linda Yaccarino acknowledges that the platform wants extra moderators. (Wired $)
+ TikTok’s Singaporean CEO was grilled at size, however not about baby security. (Motherboard)
+ Dramatic moments have been in plentiful provide throughout the listening to. (NY Magazine $)
+ Little one on-line security legal guidelines will really damage youngsters, critics say. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)

2 Autonomous automotive agency Cruise is hemorrhaging cash
To the tune of virtually $3.5 billion final 12 months alone. (WP $)
+ What’s subsequent for robotaxis in 2024. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)

3 Hackers spied on critics of Jordan utilizing NSO Group’s spy ware 
In a concerted marketing campaign focusing on journalists, activists, and legal professionals. (Bloomberg $)

4 AI startups are placing themselves up on the market
They’re extremely costly to run, and elevated competitors has small companies clamoring to be acquired. (The Data $)
+ One rising startup has ambitions of difficult Google’s search dominance. (NYT $)
+ Make no mistake—AI is owned by Huge Tech. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)

5 Amazon might quickly be answerable for the security of third-party merchandise
A proposed US authorities order might reclassify it from a retailer to a distributor. (WSJ $)

6 Ovaries could provide clues on prolong our lifespans
Hear up, longevity bros. (FT $)
+ Contained in the billion-dollar assembly for the mega-rich who need to stay endlessly. (MIT Expertise Evaluate)

7 Product placement is getting an AI-powered makeover
It’s a sneaky new approach of getting merchandise in entrance of eyeballs exterior of conventional advertisements. (NYT $)
+ TikTok may very well be about to lose a significant chunk of its music catalog. (Wired $)

8 Life is imitating artwork for Ukraine’s online game makers
Apocalyptic survival recreation Stalker 2: Coronary heart of Chernobyl has a brand new resonance for its creators. (The Guardian)

9 The Solar’s magnetic poles are about to reverse ☀
And communication satellites and our vitality grid again on Earth is vulnerable to disruption. (Vox)
+ LED lights are contributing to an entire lot of sunshine air pollution. (The Atlantic $)

10 Find out how to inform if we’re residing in a simulation or not
Simulated and pretend aren’t the identical factor. (Ars Technica)

Quote of the day

“Your product is killing folks.”

—US Senator Josh Hawley rounds on Fb boss Mark Zuckerberg throughout a Senate listening to on baby security, the New York Instances experiences.

The large story

Authorities know-how is famously dangerous. It doesn’t should be.

October 2023

It’s a actuality of politics that’s usually missed: as soon as a regulation is handed, it must evolve from an thought right into a plan with a finances and workers, and from there it wants to really attain the lives of hundreds of thousands of individuals. Transferring from coverage to implementation has all the time been a tough a part of governing. Right now it’s simple to imagine know-how could make it simpler. However is that truly true?

New York Metropolis is one thing of a check lab for methods to confront some large issues that plague the fashionable state. And it’s discovering that generally the options are surprisingly low-tech. Learn the total story.

—Tate Ryan-Mosley

We will nonetheless have good issues

A spot for consolation, enjoyable and distraction in these bizarre instances. (Received any concepts? Drop me a line or tweet ’em at me.)

+ Crime Pays However Botany Doesn’t is a improbable title for a YouTube channel.
+ It’s known as the world’s biggest stretch for a cause.
+ Street tripping in Saudi Arabia seems suitably surreal.
+ Cease placing it off: right here’s declutter your own home, room by room.
+ What can’t The Bear actor Jeremy Allen White stay with out? Short-term tattoos, apparently.



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