Wednesday 5 June 2019

Adjusting carbon emissions to Paris commitments would prevent heat-related deaths

Thousands of annual heat-related deaths could be potentially avoided in major US cities if global temperatures are limited to the Paris Climate Goals compared with current climate commitments, a new study led by the University of Bristol has found.

* This article was originally published here

Cracking open the black box of automated machine learning

Researchers from MIT and elsewhere have developed an interactive tool that, for the first time, lets users see and control how automated machine-learning systems work. The aim is to build confidence in these systems and find ways to improve them.

* This article was originally published here

British art dealer unveils pioneering robot artist

Billed as "one of the most exciting artists of our time", Ai-Da differs from generations of past masters in one inescapable way: she is a robot.

* This article was originally published here

WWDC 2019: Meet Apple's youngest app developer, Ayush

Ayush Kumar is only allowed 30 minutes of screen time a week.

* This article was originally published here

Investigating the implications of social robots in religious contexts

Researchers at Siegen University and Würzberg University, in Germany, have recently carried out a study investigating the user experience and acceptability associated with the use of social robots in religious contexts. Their paper, published in Springer's International Journal of Social Robotics, offers interesting insight into how people perceive blessing robots compared to other robots for more conventional purposes.

* This article was originally published here

Henry Lynch, pioneering cancer researcher, dead at 91

Henry Lynch, a pioneering cancer researcher who was among the earliest to probe its genetic causes, has died at the age of 91.

* This article was originally published here

Protecting our energy infrastructure from cyberattack

Almost every day, news headlines announce another security breach and the theft of credit card numbers and other personal information. While having one's credit card stolen can be annoying and unsettling, a far more significant, yet less recognized, concern is the security of physical infrastructure, including energy systems.

* This article was originally published here

NASA estimates heavy Texas and Louisiana rainfall from gulf weather system

Earlier in the week, NOAA's National Hurricane Center was monitoring a low-pressure system in the Gulf of Campeche that has now moved along the Texas and Louisiana coastlines, bringing heavy rainfall. On June 5, NASA used a constellation of satellites to estimate that rainfall.

* This article was originally published here

Pioneering 3-D printed device sets new record for efficiency

A new 3-D printed thermoelectric device, which converts heat into electric power with an efficiency factor over 50% higher than the previous best for printed materials—and is cheap to produce in bulk—has been manufactured by researchers at Swansea University's SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre.

* This article was originally published here

App Store in crosshairs as Apple courts developers

Apple is set to court software savants at its annual developers conference beginning Monday while contending with criticism that the iPhone maker has made its App Store a walled garden.

* This article was originally published here

Apple iTunes to play last song

Apple on Monday announced the demise of its groundbreaking iTunes platform in favor of three more tailored apps, as it refines its offerings to be a stage for digital music, films, podcasts and more.

* This article was originally published here

Postop delirium may briefly up risk for cognitive dysfunction

(HealthDay)—Older patients who develop delirium after surgery are more likely to show signs of cognitive dysfunction one month later, according to a study published online May 28 in Anesthesiology.

* This article was originally published here

W3C and WHATWG agreement: Single version of HTML, DOM specifications

Having two separate HTML specifications? What's up with that? Stephen Shankland's account of the two in CNET: "for nearly a decade, two separate groups have been issuing separate documents to define Hypertext Markup Language, or HTML, the standard that tells you how to make a web page."

* This article was originally published here

iOS13: Here's what you need to know about Apple's new iPhone operating system

Goodbye iTunes, it's been a great 18-year ride.

* This article was originally published here

Estimating microplastic consumption

Since the mass production of plastics began in the 1940s, the versatile polymers have spread rapidly across the globe. Although plastics have made life easier in many ways, disposing of the materials is a growing problem. Now, researchers in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology estimate that the average American consumes more than 70,000 particles of microplastics per year, though the health effects of that consumption are unclear.

* This article was originally published here

New study links childhood abuse with hot flash frequency

Numerous adverse health outcomes have been linked to childhood maltreatment, including mental illness, cardiovascular disease, and premature mortality. A new study suggests that childhood abuse (which was found to have occurred in 44% of the sample population) may also cause more hot flashes, especially during sleep. Results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

* This article was originally published here

Deep learning techniques teach neural model to 'play' retrosynthesis

Researchers, from biochemists to material scientists, have long relied on the rich variety of organic molecules to solve pressing challenges. Some molecules may be useful in treating diseases, others for lighting our digital displays, still others for pigments, paints, and plastics. The unique properties of each molecule are determined by its structure—that is, by the connectivity of its constituent atoms. Once a promising structure is identified, there remains the difficult task of making the targeted molecule through a sequence of chemical reactions. But which ones?

* This article was originally published here

Facial bones of black adults age differently than other races, study finds

Facial bones in black adults maintain higher mineral density as they age than other races, resulting in fewer changes to their facial structure, a Rutgers study finds.

* This article was originally published here

Developers sue Apple over app store fees

A lawsuit filed Tuesday by developers alleges Apple is abusing its monopoly position in its online marketplace to extract excessive fees from those creating iPhone applications.

* This article was originally published here