"All hell breaks loose."

Vibrant!

NASA's launch of the Mars Science Laboratory -- hampered by technical difficulties and cost overruns -- has been delayed until the fall of 2011, NASA officials said at a news conference Thursday in Washington.

NASA officials Sunday waved off the first opportunity for space shuttle Endeavour to return to Earth, citing poor weather conditions.

From a remote valley in Northern California, Jill Tarter is listening to the universe.

Scientists have switched off several on-board instruments to halt rising temperatures inside India's first unmanned lunar spacecraft.

Engineers have developed a new machine-learning method that paves the way for artificial intelligence to be used in applications that until now have been deemed too sensitive. The method, which has been tested by running simulations on a climate-control system for a 100-room building, is poised to deliver energy savings of around 20%.

A research team has developed a new theory that can predict the movement of an animal's sensory organs -- such as eyes, ears and nose -- while searching for something vital to its life.

Researchers have developed a technique in which a computer models visual perception by monitoring human brain signals. In a way, it is as if the computer tries to imagine what a human is thinking about. As a result of this imagining, the computer is able to produce entirely new information, such as fictional images that […]

Artificial intelligence (AI) experts report that they have successfully addressed what they call a 'major, long-standing obstacle to increasing AI capabilities' by drawing inspiration from a human brain memory mechanism known as 'replay.'

Artificial intelligence researchers have improved the performance of deep neural networks by combining feature normalization and feature attention modules into a single module that they call attentive normalization. The hybrid module improves the accuracy of the system significantly, while using negligible extra computational power.

Before autonomous vehicles participate in road traffic, they must demonstrate conclusively that they do not pose a danger to others. New software prevents accidents by predicting different variants of a traffic situation every millisecond.

Research has extended the state-of-the-art in autonomy by providing a more complete picture of how actions and nonverbal signals contribute to promoting cooperation. Researchers suggested guidelines for designing autonomous machines such as robots, self-driving cars, drones and personal assistants that will effectively collaborate with Soldiers.

A team of researchers uncovered how the human brain processes bright and contrasting light, which they say is a key to improving robotic sensing and enabling autonomous agents to team with humans.

Experiments reveal a dynamic process that leads to the uncanny valley, with implications for both the design of robots and for understanding how we perceive one another as humans.

Using publicly available tourist photos of world landmarks such as the Trevi Fountain in Rome or Top of the Rock in New York City, researchers have developed a method to create maneuverable 3D images that show changes in appearance over time.

Atoms and molecules behave in a completely different way to macroscopic objects and each brick requires its own 'instruction manual'. Scientists have now developed an artificial intelligence system that autonomously learns how to grip and move individual molecules using a scanning tunneling microscope.

The increasing use of AI (artificial intelligence) in the development of new medical technologies demands greater attention to ethical aspects. An interdisciplinary team advocates the integration of ethics from the very beginning of the development process of new technologies.

Extremely energy-efficient artificial intelligence is now closer to reality after researchers found a way to improve the accuracy of a brain-inspired computing system.

One of the biggest impediments to adoption of new technologies is trust in artificial intelligence (AI). Now, a new tool generates automatic indicators if data and predictions generated by AI algorithms are trustworthy.

The change from Middle Stone Age (MSA) to Later Stone Age (LSA) marks a major cultural change amongst our hunter-gatherer ancestors, but distinguishing between these two industrial complexes is not straightforward. New researc demonstrates how machine learning can provide a valuable tool for archaeologists, and can identify what differentiates the MSA and LSA.

Robotic support pets used to reduce depression in older adults and people with dementia acquire bacteria over time, but a simple cleaning procedure can help them from spreading illnesses, according to a new study.

A collaboration has created the first microscopic robots that incorporate semiconductor components, allowing them to be controlled - and made to walk - with standard electronic signals.

Teleoperated surgical robots are becoming commonplace in operating rooms, but many are massive (sometimes taking up an entire room) and difficult to manipulate. Medical researchers and engineers have now created the mini-RCM, a surgical robot the size of a tennis ball that weighs as much as a penny, and performed significantly better than manually operated tools […]

Researchers have devised a novel approach to getting physically separated fish to interact with each other, leading to insights about what kinds of cues influence social behavior.

Something is different, and you can't quite put your finger on it. But your robot can.

Linear Discriminant Analysis is a linear classification machine learning algorithm. The algorithm involves developing a probabilistic model per class based on the specific distribution of observations for each input variable. A new example is then classified by calculating the conditional probability of it belonging to each class and selecting the class with the highest probability. […]

Hill climbing the test set is an approach to achieving good or perfect predictions on a machine learning competition without touching the training set or even developing a predictive model. As an approach to machine learning competitions, it is rightfully frowned upon, and most competition platforms impose limitations to prevent it, which is important. Nevertheless, […]

Training to the test set is a type of overfitting where a model is prepared that intentionally achieves good performance on a given test set at the expense of increased generalization error. It is a type of overfitting that is common in machine learning competitions where a complete training dataset is provided and where only […]

Many computationally expensive tasks for machine learning can be made parallel by splitting the work across multiple CPU cores, referred to as multi-core processing. Common machine learning tasks that can be made parallel include training models like ensembles of decision trees, evaluating models using resampling procedures like k-fold cross-validation, and tuning model hyperparameters, such as […]

AutoML provides tools to automatically discover good machine learning model pipelines for a dataset with very little user intervention. It is ideal for domain experts new to machine learning or machine learning practitioners looking to get good results quickly for a predictive modeling task. Open-source libraries are available for using AutoML methods with popular machine […]

Machine learning model selection and configuration may be the biggest challenge in applied machine learning. Controlled experiments must be performed in order to discover what works best for a given classification or regression predictive modeling task. This can feel overwhelming given the large number of data preparation schemes, learning algorithms, and model hyperparameters that could […]

Machine learning models have hyperparameters that you must set in order to customize the model to your dataset. Often the general effects of hyperparameters on a model are known, but how to best set a hyperparameter and combinations of interacting hyperparameters for a given dataset is challenging. There are often general heuristics or rules of […]

Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) refers to techniques for automatically discovering well-performing models for predictive modeling tasks with very little user involvement. HyperOpt is an open-source library for large scale AutoML and HyperOpt-Sklearn is a wrapper for HyperOpt that supports AutoML with HyperOpt for the popular Scikit-Learn machine learning library, including the suite of data preparation […]

Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) refers to techniques for automatically discovering well-performing models for predictive modeling tasks with very little user involvement. TPOT is an open-source library for performing AutoML in Python. It makes use of the popular Scikit-Learn machine learning library for data transforms and machine learning algorithms and uses a Genetic Programming stochastic global […]

Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) refers to techniques for automatically discovering well-performing models for predictive modeling tasks with very little user involvement. Auto-Sklearn is an open-source library for performing AutoML in Python. It makes use of the popular Scikit-Learn machine learning library for data transforms and machine learning algorithms and uses a Bayesian Optimization search procedure […]

By AI Trends Staff   As the US Navy strives to get to a 355-ship fleet by 2034, part of a 30-year plan the Navy outlined in 2019, it is finding it economical to use underwater autonomous vehicles. They meet many of the requirements of larger submarines at a fraction of the cost.   For example, the Navy awarded […]

Researcher of AI and Social Media Has Ideas on Reducing Social Media Misinformation  Zivvy Epstein is a PhD student in the Human Dynamics group of the MIT Media Lab. His work integrates aspects of design and computational social science to model and understand cooperative systems. He focuses on new challenges and opportunities that emerge from a […]

By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor   As cloud computing has taken off and continues to grow rapidly, companies are motivated to get a handle on potentially runaway costs.   Many companies use multiple public cloud provider services, in what is known as multicloud computing. Other companies use a mix of public and private cloud services in what is […]

By Lance Eliot, the AI Trends Insider   The famous or perhaps notably infamous Trolley Problem is considered one of the most controversial and outright fist-fighting topics in the field of AI autonomous self-driving cars. If you mention the Trolley Problem to any industry insider, you’ll likely get one of two reactions. One response is by […]

By AI Trends Staff  The combination of IoT and machine learning growing at the same time is leading to a rise in the use of digital twins in the supply chain, as a digital replica that can be used for various purposes. The connection with the physical model and the corresponding virtual model is established […]

Using AI and analytics to optimize delivery of government service to citizens   Steve Bennett is Director of the Global Government Practice at SAS, and is the former director of the US National Biosurveillance Integration Center (NBIC) in the Department of Homeland Security, where he worked for 12 years. The mission of the NBIC was to provide early […]

By AI Trends Staff   Scientists are working on creating better AI that learns through self-supervision, with the pinnacle being AI that could learn like a baby, based on observation of its environment and interaction with people.   This would be an important advance because AI has limitations based on the volume of data required to train […]

By AI Trends Staff  Conversational AI refers to the use of chatbots, messaging apps, and voice-based assistants to automate customer communications with a brand.    Software that combines these features to carry on a human-like conversation might be called a “bot.” The term “chatbot” might refer to text-only bots. Amazon Alexa or Google Home virtual assistants use […]

By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor  As wildfires rage in the west and the density of smoke is blocking out the sun in many areas, attention is turning to the fight against climate change and whether AI can make a difference.  Climate Change AI is among the initiatives working on it. The group of AI researchers […]

By Lance Eliot, the AI Trends Insider   There is a famous allegory called the Upstream Parable that provides numerous valuable lessons and can be gainfully applied to the advent of AI autonomous self-driving cars.  The Upstream Parable sometimes referred to as the Rivers Story, has been attributed to various originating sources, including that some suggest […]

The Trump administration hasn't created a comprehensive plan for battling the pandemic. Some researchers propose borrowing one from the past.

A Florida middle school has staged mock outbreaks for years to teach science and civics. Last December’s lesson was an uncanny harbinger of Covid-19.

Using simple chemistry, the organic polymer chitin can be transformed into a viable substance for creating tools and habitats on the Red Planet.

Stephen Hawking once proposed that unseen “primordial” black holes might be the hidden dark matter. A series of new studies shows how it can work.

Cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, and New Orleans are aiming to tackle another, longer-term emergency: the climate crisis.

Scientists picked up signs of phosphene on Venus by using a technique called rotational spectroscopy. It works like this.

Catch up on the most important updates from this week.

Patients have long reported the sudden inability to smell. But restrictions on in-person exams are complicating efforts to figure out what's going on.

When the San Francisco Bay Area locked down, urban noise levels plummeted. In response, the white-crowned sparrow changed its tune.

The West is on fire, the Gulf Coast is under water, and voters want candidates to talk about the environment.

Biotech company Oxitec has created a caterpillar with self-destructing eggs in an attempt to curb agricultural damage. But will other pests simply move in?

Curling is one of the world's most precise sports. An ice-going, stone-throwing robot just mastered it.

For one thing, let's build a model of air drag and how it affects the ball differently when it's traveling faster and slower than the speed of sound.

Elon Musk made big promises at Tesla’s highly anticipated event. But a prototype never appeared, and it was unclear what the company had actually achieved.

After months of delays, Tesla’s much-hyped Battery Day is finally upon us. Here’s what the company might reveal.

After repurposing facial recognition and deepfake tech to study galaxies and the Higgs boson, physicists think they can help shape the responsible use of AI.

From gonopods to pedipalps, nature has a lot of ways to get gametes where they need to go.

In their first post-Facebook project, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger built rt.live, which state officials can use to plan their reopening.

Bogus booze has been infiltrating the market, so physicists found a way to test for authenticity while keeping the precious bottles sealed.

A trial in Greece shows a long-used tuberculosis vaccine may cut respiratory infections, raising hopes for similar protection against Covid-19.

It's easy to spend hours dashing and slashing your way through this roguelite dungeon crawler.

The first Bill & Ted movie in 30 years is a fitting tribute to the series that came before.

This week, Netflix's My Octopus Teacher got a reputation for being a very different movie than it is. Here's why.

The current wave of executions is increasing the likelihood that lawyers, observers, and correctional staff could be infected.

The state of Fall TV is … iffy. Here are a few new shows—and some timeless classics—to help you fill the season.

Last month, Altered Carbon joined Sense8, The OA, and Luke Cage in getting the ax. Fans protested, but for the streaming service, it's all about data.

Social media groups are rife with peril, but for people coping with the virus—and those trying to treat it—they’re a valuable resource.

Miles grinned sleepily, puddled down in his uniform. “Welcome to the beginning.”

I went looking for the broadcasts of my coming-of-age in the early '90s. What I discovered instead was Jean-Gabriel Prats' trove of audio ephemera.

Each month we publish a six-word story—and it could be written by you.

Don't want to see me again? Please, spare me the proper breakup. It's more suitable to our contactless existence.

Ridley Scott’s new HBO Max show struggles to determine if people and society are doomed.

After more than a decade away, the author is back with 'Piranesi,' a way to communicate the incommunicable.

On this week’s podcast, the director of the upcoming 'Candyman' talks to WIRED writer Jason Parham about genre, social justice, and the future of going to the movies.

Conspiracies like Pizzagate are all over the social media platform. Here’s why they’ve found an audience there.

Anyone who's seen David Lynch's 1984 film knows Frank Herbert's book doesn't translate easily to the screen.

In the beginning, there was ESPN+, then Disney+. Now that CBS All Access is becoming Paramount+, it’s time to call a moratorium.

The show attempts to address flaws in the health care system—and in failing to do so, proves how much more attention mental illness needs.

Nintendo just discontinued the iconic portable game console, but the real 3DS was the friends we made along the way.

Platforms like Facebook are designed to profit from humans' confirmation bias. Here's how to restore balance to your feed.

A new study shows the efficacy of carbon nanotube implants to restore motor functions and paves the way for a new therapeutic approach for spinal cord injuries.

Researchers develop cooling clothing to improve human performance when exerting energy in warm environments.

Scientists have discovered 16 novel ferroelectric metals from a large family (2,964) of 2D bimetal phosphates via data-driven machine learning and high-throughput first-principle calculations.

A new study has combined experimental and theoretical approaches to study the passivation layers formed on calcium metal electrodes and their influence on the reversible operation of calcium-based batteries.

New research has revealed how robust initial states can be prepared in quantum information systems, minimising any unwanted transitions which lead to losses in quantum information.

Researchers found out that by nanostructuring graphite, new 'paths' will be created for lithium ions. This makes the battery charge faster.

Researchers have designed improved flexible thin metal electrodes with nanotopography for a more intimate interfacing with neurons.

Lower-cost production thanks to optimized distribution of atoms.

Physicists have developed a sensitive two-dimensional (2-D) magnetic field sensor, which can potentially improve the detection of nanoscale magnetic domains for data storage applications.

Any working electronic device is the source of electromagnetic (EM) radiation. Device miniaturization and a consequent increase in the heat and electromagnetic (EM) wave emission in the electronic systems make the simultaneous heat management and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding crucially important. New research shows that the extremely high thermal conductivity of graphene and good electrical […]

Twenty-nine leading experts of materials science, quantum information, condensed-matter physics and related areas review the diverse materials and challenges in the field. The roadmap points out the directions in which new research is necessary, combining both fundamental and applied interests, such as quantum computing.

The long-awaited photonic technique could change the way optical technologies are developed and used over the next decade.

In a new study, researchers provide evidence for the novel future application of biosynthesized silver nanoparticles based nanoformulation for pest management.

A stable nano-carrier for medications with a special mechanism that makes sure the drugs are only released in diseased cells.

Researchers have found a drastically amplified ring-opening reaction yield in aqueous nanoparticle colloids of a photochromic diarylethene when induced by an intense nanosecond laser pulse, and clarified its amplification mechanism.

Individual platinum atoms participate in catalytic reaction to faciitate the electrode process by up to 10 times. Single-atom platinum catalysts are stable at 700 degrees Celsius and expected to stimulate the commercialization of next-gen reversible fuel cells.

Metallic carbon circuit element enables work on faster, efficient carbon-based transistors.

Scientists shed light on the relationship between the magnetic properties of topological insulators and their electronic band structure. Their experimental results shed new insights into recent debates regarding the evolution of the band structure with temperature in these materials, which exhibit unusual quantum phenomena and are envisioned to be crucial in next-generation electronics, spintronics, and […]

You can't walk into a doctor's office and get a dynamic tattoo yet, but they are on the way. Early proof-of-concept studies provide convincing evidence that tattoos can be engineered, not only to change color, but to sense and convey biomedical information, including the onset of cancer.

Researchers report the creation of a 3D active nematic. The material passes through several spatial patterns, from collapsing into a ribbon to wrinkling in 3D.

On this week’s podcast, Sarah Friar talks to us about how the hyperlocal social network is getting people to slow down and think about what they’re posting.

One year after organizing a walkout, employees are calling for a more ambitious environmental agenda.

Plus: Silicon Valley’s reaction to Snowden, journalists’ relationships with their subjects, and an unpleasant surprise for hikers.

A new feature from Amazon allows the intelligent assistant to ask for clarification on your requests.

A new Facebook project pits humans against algorithms, to expose the systems’ weaknesses and help make them better.

Four Congress members say formulas that include race as a factor can hurt Black Americans’ access to care.

Guests like Nextdoor CEO Sarah Friar, hacker Matt Mitchell, and journalist Maria Ressa talk about shifting power dynamics—and changing who's in control.

Governor Gavin Newsom outlines an ambitious plan for the nation's largest state to rely exclusively on electric-powered passenger cars and trucks.

At the WIRED25 event, the two investors say traditional venture capital misses opportunities because it is a monoculture.

At our virtual conference, the journalist and CEO of Rappler explained how the goal isn't just to spread lies but to blur our sense of true and false.

The neighborhood-focused social network leans on local human moderators as well as AI, she explained at WIRED's virtual W25 conference.

Join us for the next installment of WIRED25, and check out the replay of our opening night events.

Reducing the cost of electric vehicles is all about a cheaper battery. Tesla outlined a plan that includes making more of the components itself.

Elon Musk made big promises at Tesla’s highly anticipated event. But a prototype never appeared, and it was unclear what the company had actually achieved.

It won’t solve everything, but a new study suggests real-time automated feedback could help make the internet a less toxic place.

The president’s ban on WeChat has also hit a roadblock.

The first big US city to prohibit private businesses from using the technology reflects rising skepticism of new tools and concerns about fairness.

Prop. 24 is designed to make the California Consumer Privacy Act stronger. Why do so many privacy advocates oppose it?

Chinese consumers tap the fintech app to pay bills, order in restaurants, and book appointments. Now it’s preparing for an IPO that could value it at $200 billion.

The larger issues around China’s technological rise aren’t going away.

Many experts are convinced that fast and easy screening can stop the virus. But that theory fails to account for the messiness of real life.

In the 1940s, journalists fled traditional news outlets to write directly for subscribers. What happened next may be a warning.

Describing and debunking the phenomenon is not enough. We need to explain why and how it came to be.

Some of the leading candidates might work better for the richest people in the world, simply on account of how they're made.

Players of the alternate-reality game are still at it. They also seem, in these crazy days, to exhibit well-being.

The software industry makes amazing tools for itself, while doctors and scientists are stuck with old code. Tech needs to quit hacking and start listening.

The conspiracy theory has the best attributes of a multiplatform game, except that it can cause harm in the real world.

The president’s claims that the app is a national security threat don’t top the First Amendment.

Altering Earth’s geophysical environment is a moon shot—and it will be the only way to reverse the damage done. It’s time to take it more seriously.

The former chair of the Federal Election Commission argues that the integrity of the 2020 election is largely in the hands of Facebook and Twitter.

A principled, hands-off approach to the internet was easier to defend in the 1990s. Today it makes no sense.

No one knows, not even the policy writers or enforcers. And the ambiguity is exacerbating threats to our electoral process.

Getting rid of harmful papers is a vital step toward reestablishing readers' trust. Next, publishers should target articles that are flawed in other ways.

The rise of “zoombombing” is just the latest example of why developers need to plan for harmful misuses as much as potential costly bugs.

As always, our tech advice columnist is here to help.

Just 50 days out, Facebook, Google, and Twitter have done little more than roll out small patches—recalling the old coding ethos of "worse is better."

The law serves as Facebook and Google’s get-out-of-jail-free card for conspiracies and disinformation. It’s time for strong amendments.

A proposed law in Australia would force Facebook and Google to pay news publishers for their content—and create a state-sponsored media regime.

Public health experts should spend less time criticizing emergency authorization and more time discussing how to ensure the process works.

The abandoned Taboola-Outbrain chumbox merger illustrates the need for bright-line rules to give media companies a fighting chance.