What are they seeing?

They were about to open him up.

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.

Researchers have unveiled a new simulator for robotic cutting that can accurately reproduce the forces acting on a knife as it slices through common foodstuffs, such as fruit and vegetables. The system could also simulate cutting through human tissue, offering potential applications in surgical robotics.

A team of researchers has developed novel approaches using computer vision and deep learning to resolve the problem of low-level vision in videos caused by rain and night-time conditions, as well as improve the accuracy of 3D human pose estimation in videos.

Engineers made a pneumatic RAM chip using microfluidic valves instead of electronic transistors. The valves remain sealed against a pressure differential even when disconnected from an air supply line, creating trapped pressure differentials that function as memories and maintain the states of a robot's actuators. Dense arrays of these valves can perform advanced operations and […]

A team of researchers has 3D printed a soft robotic hand that is agile enough to play Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. -- and win!

Researchers have developed a microswimmer that appears to defy the laws of fluid dynamics: their model, consisting of two beads that are connected by a linear spring, is propelled by completely symmetrical oscillations.

Researchers have successfully developed a 'speech neuroprosthesis' that has enabled a man with severe paralysis to communicate in sentences, translating signals from his brain to the vocal tract directly into words that appear as text on a screen.

More and more companies are using chatbots in customer services. Due to advances in artificial intelligence and natural language processing, chatbots are often indistinguishable from humans when it comes to communication. But should companies tell customers they are communicating with machines and not with humans? Researchers investigated. Their research found that consumers tend to react […]

When there is a gas leak in a large building or at an industrial site, human firefighters currently need to go in with gas sensing instruments. Finding the gas leak may take considerable time, while they are risking their lives. Researchers have now developed the first swarm of tiny - and hence very safe - […]

Researchers used artificial intelligence to obtain a more objective understanding of cell growth and division without preconceived assumptions. Using a deep-learning neural network, they were able to more accurately model the complex processes that affect cell size over time. This work may lead to advances in microbiology and industrial production of microorganisms.

Engineers have created an insect-scale robot that can swerve and pivot with the agility of a cheetah, giving it the ability to traverse complex terrain and quickly avoid unexpected obstacles. Small, robust robots like these could be ideal for conducting search and rescue operations or investigating other hazardous situations, such as scoping out potential gas […]

New research pinpoints how young children quickly learn language, opening new paths to leverage for machine learning.

Some neuroscience theories suggest the human brain operates best 'at the edge of chaos'. Now scientists have found that keeping a nanowire network at the edge of becoming chaotic is the best state for it to produce useful signals to solve problems.

A new study unveils a computer vision technique for giving machines a more intuitive sense for what will happen next by leveraging higher-level associations between people, animals, and objects.

An algorithm lets machines teach themselves how to recognize landscapes, even amid the changing seasons.

Prior studies have investigated alternative approaches to pain reduction in burn injury patients that focus on distraction, such as music, hypnosis, toys, and virtual reality (VR). A research team has now reported the use of smartphone-based VR games during dressing changes in pediatric patients with burn injuries.

Goodbye, bulky components and connectors: A team of scientists has now found a new way to exploit the principles of spiders' joints to create lightweight robots.

A team of scientists has developed millimeter-sized robots that can be controlled using magnetic fields to perform highly maneuverable and dexterous manipulations. This could pave the way to possible future applications in biomedicine and manufacturing.

Researchers have discovered a new and more efficient computing method for pairing the reliability of a classical computer with the strength of a quantum system.

Humans expect that AI is benevolent and trustworthy. A new study reveals that at the same time humans are unwilling to cooperate and compromise with machines. They even exploit them.

A research team has created an electronic microsystem that can intelligently respond to information inputs without any external energy input, much like a self-autonomous living organism. The microsystem is constructed from a novel type of electronics that can process ultralow electronic signals and incorporates a device that can generate electricity 'out of thin air' from […]

Vector valued functions are often encountered in machine learning, computer graphics and computer vision algorithms. They are particularly useful for […] The post A Gentle Introduction To Vector Valued Functions appeared first on Machine Learning Mastery.

Integral calculus was one of the greatest discoveries of Newton and Leibniz. Their work independently led to the proof, and […] The post Differential and Integral Calculus – Differentiate with Respect to Anything appeared first on Machine Learning Mastery.

It is often desirable to study functions that depend on many variables.  Multivariate calculus provides us with the tools to […] The post A Gentle Introduction to Multivariate Calculus appeared first on Machine Learning Mastery.

The derivative defines the rate at which one variable changes with respect to another.  It is an important concept that […] The post Applications of Derivatives appeared first on Machine Learning Mastery.

Many areas of calculus require an understanding of continuous functions. The characteristics of continuous functions, and the study of points […] The post A Gentle Introduction to Continuous Functions appeared first on Machine Learning Mastery.

Indeterminate forms are often encountered when evaluating limits of functions, and limits in turn play an important role in mathematics […] The post A Gentle Introduction to Indeterminate Forms and L’Hospital’s Rule appeared first on Machine Learning Mastery.

Optimization, as one of the core processes in many machine learning algorithms, relies on the use of derivatives in order […] The post The Power, Product and Quotient Rules appeared first on Machine Learning Mastery.

Many machine learning algorithms involve an optimization process for different purposes. Optimization refers to the problem of minimizing or maximizing […] The post Derivative of the Sine and Cosine appeared first on Machine Learning Mastery.

The slope of a line, and its relationship to the tangent line of a curve is a fundamental concept in […] The post A Gentle Introduction to Slopes and Tangents appeared first on Machine Learning Mastery.

One of the most frequently used functions in machine learning and data science algorithms are polynomials or functions involving powers […] The post A Gentle Introduction to Derivatives of Powers and Polynomials appeared first on Machine Learning Mastery.

By John P. Desmond, Editor, AI Trends   SoftBank has stopped production of its humanoid robot, named Pepper, and is downsizing its robotics staff from an acquisition in France.   Some observers saw that in putting a human-looking robot on the market, SoftBank suggested that the robot could display more human intelligence than it was actually capable of, creating unreasonable expectations.    Production of […]

By John P. Desmond, Editor, AI Trends   The last-mile delivery market for autonomous delivery robots is poised to make a comeback, with startups raising money and partnerships working to get needed permission from local governments.   The autonomous vehicle delivery market was interrupted in 2017, when the city of San Francisco instituted a ban. Some pedestrians had complained […]

By AI Trends Staff   AI is at the center of efforts to clean up space junk—objects in space that no longer serve a purpose and pose risk of collisions with satellites and spacecrafts—from funding from the European Space Agency, to projects involving big tech firms to startup efforts. Here is a review of what’s happening.    […]

By AI Trends Staff   Humans are good at the creative side of content marketing, telling stories that resonate with customers, using gut feel to decide what to publish next. Strategic thinking may involve keyword research, topic selection, and performance tracking.    A new generation of tools tapping AI and machine learning is coming along to help […]

By Lance Eliot, the AI Trends Insider  There is the old saying that you ought to not look in the kitchen when you go to some restaurants or eateries for a bite to eat. When you see how the food is being prepared, it might just make you sick to your stomach.   You can apply this […]

By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor  Twenty-seven years to the day from when he founded Amazon in 1994, Jeff Bezos last week stepped away as CEO and handed the reins to Andy Jassy, who has led Amazon Web Services (AWS) since its inception in 2003.    What this means for the future of AI at […]

By John P. Desmond, AI Trends Editor  The move to help people get more control over their personal data—especially the less wealthy—which for years has been a key focus of Dr. Alex Pentland, Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at MIT, still has a way to go, but it is moving along.   “The big problem […]

By AI Trends Staff   Machine learning has the potential to automate many more business processes than are currently automated in enterprise software, based on all the previous generations of software development methods.    That is a suggestion put forward by Claus Jepsen, chief technology officer at Unit4, an ERP software supplier based in Denmark.     “Based on […]

By AI Trends Staff  When US regulators announced a $400 million fine to Citigroup last fall, citing “several longstanding deficiencies” and operational lapses, they teed up the opportunity to suppliers of compliance management software, especially those incorporating AI.  The Federal Reserve and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said that the bank required “comprehensive corrective actions” […]

By Lance Eliot, the AI Trends Insider   Imagine a scenario involving a coy bit of spy craft.    A friend of yours wants to write down a secret and pass along the note to you. There is dire concern that an undesirable interloper might intercept the note. As such, the secret is first encrypted before being […]

Dozens of viruses don't use the same four nucleotide bases found in all other life. New work shows how this is possible—and perhaps more common than we think.

As more animals are spotted in urban areas, researchers recognize how cities can play a significant role in fostering biodiversity.

Catch up on the most important updates from this week.

The birds aren’t producing sounds at random. Some of their strategies are surprisingly similar to ones used by humans.

In a warped version of international cooperation, the Games could provide a place for variants of the virus to spread and then return home with athletes.

InSight and Perseverance have sent back unprecedented data on everything from marsquakes to the Red Planet’s inner layers.

For the Amazon and Blue Origin founder, suborbital space tourism is just the first step toward something much bigger.

Researchers think these flexible semiconductors will be able to monitor your heartbeat or tell you whether your milk has spoiled.

The day was a career highlight for the Amazon and Blue Origin founder. But the real star of the show was Wally Funk.

Here's all the WIRED coverage in one place, from how to keep your children entertained to how this outbreak is affecting the economy.

The Amazon founder, his brother, aviation pioneer Wally Funk, and a paying passenger were the first to test out the New Shepard suborbital rocket system.

When the invasive swine root through soils around the world, they release as much carbon dioxide as a million cars. Good luck getting rid of them.

WIRED is reporting daily from Van Horn, Texas, where the Amazon founder will be among the first passengers aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket system.

Whether you’re here for the history or you’re watching passive-aggressively as the world’s wealthiest man plays with toys, here’s how to tune in.

These high-energy explosions, brighter than billions and billions of suns, have recently been tracked for days, upending ideas about the cataclysms that create them.

Great whites have returned to Cape Cod, a conservation success story and a hazard. Can new, predictive tools help keep beachgoers safe?

Catch up on the most important updates from this week.

The latest in “electronic medicine” offers an alternative to temporary pacemakers and could help reduce tissue scarring.

Pfizer and Moderna are midway through clinical trials, and the public health system is well versed in delivering childhood shots. The challenge? Politics.

Last fall, researchers said the presence of phosphine in the planet’s atmosphere could indicate life. But a new study says there could be a geological explanation.

The reboot—along with Netflix’s The Mitchells vs. the Machines—portray vengeful AIs as jilted geniuses. That revolution shouldn’t be televised.

A complaint filed this week alleges corrosive behavior that seems increasingly endemic to the video game industry.

Scott Edelman's "A Plague on Both Your Houses" is a tale of the undead written in iambic pentameter.

No, it’s not dead. But fans around the world mourn the loss anyway.

The apparel and shoes for team USA were designed for peak performance—ecologically and athletically.

It might be available on HBO Max, but come on.

From Groundhog Day to Interstellar, filmmakers love messing with timelines. Thankfully, that makes for mind-bending entertainment.

No longer just an online movement, Black Twitter takes to the streets—and finds its voice.

WIRED spoke with Troy Baker—who’s worked on Fortnite, The Last of Us, and BioShock Infinite, among others—about his prolific career.

The best part of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is one very specific difficulty setting.

The new reality show has an attention-grabbing premise, but the gimmick gets old fast.

Creative and dedicated, the master builders of the best-selling video game have forged some incredible structures.

The player characters from childhood video games were conceived in glory. Where are they now?

Melinda Snodgrass' novel The High Ground examines human cruelty in an alien first-contact scenario.

The Dimension of Miracles author paved the way for Philip K. Dick and Harlan Ellison.

This week the company announced it would shut down Fleets with an extremely apt tweet.

From #UKnowUrBlackWhen to #BlackLivesMatter, how a loose online network became a pop culture juggernaut, an engine of social justice, and a lens into the future.

The show just became the first Disney+ series in the MCU to get a renewal. Here’s what that means.

One painful interaction at a time, we’re mastering the gateway virtue of the networked world: tact.

The company says it is “closely monitoring gambling content,” but legal experts told WIRED that some promotions may be illegal.

Money is pouring into autonomous trucking startups, just as many are souring on the short-term prospects for self-driving cars.

Plus: New Shepard’s dildo design, my seat on a private space flight, and the hearing that broke Fauci.

Researchers think these flexible semiconductors will be able to monitor your heartbeat or tell you whether your milk has spoiled.

Misinformation on the cable channel may be responsible for more vaccine hesitancy than the social network.

A new “red team” will try to anticipate and thwart attacks on machine learning programs.

Autonomous vehicles use the equivalent of 200 laptops to get around. Some people want to tap that computing power to decode viruses or mine bitcoin.

Plus: a lifelong love of the cosmos, future dispatches from West Texas, and routinely unprecedented weather events.

The White House, lawmakers from both parties, and federal agencies are all working on bills or projects to constrain potential downsides of the tech.

Business destinations are out, tourist spots are in. The old rules governing fares and flight schedules have been thrown out the window.

It’s time to retire one of the most half-baked ideas for regulating Big Tech.

Tourists neither commit nor attract crimes. But a study finds that violent offenses rose in neighborhoods where more homes were converted to short-term rentals.

Pandemic-induced supply disruptions and competition from China put more pressure on US companies to manufacture semiconductors at home.

The pandemic ushered in a new wave of pet owners—and unleashed business opportunities for companies that cater to them.

Copilot is pitched as a helpful aid to developers. But some programmers object to the blind copying of blocks of code used to train the algorithm.

The FCC won't be able to do most of the things the president encouraged in his executive order until he nominates a fifth commissioner.

Search Atlas displays three sets of links—or images—from different countries for any search.

Diplomats hurl insults and mock enemies in screeds that often appear aimed at a domestic audience, even though the social media service is blocked in China.

Plus: The biggest idea of 2016, the ethics of synthetic data, and a blaze on the Gulf of Mexico.

Google, Nvidia, and others are training algorithms in the dark arts of designing semiconductors—some of which will be used to run artificial intelligence programs.

The JEDI program had become a legal and political morass. Microsoft won the $10 billion contract, but Amazon and Oracle sued to block the deal.

The president needs to prioritize Americans' wellbeing over Big Tech's whims to begin a path to restoring democracy, privacy, and competition.

Unrestrained data collection and selling doesn’t just harm citizens at home. It’s terrible foreign policy.

The idea to monitor educators so they don't teach critical race theory seems ridiculous. But schools are already rife with invasive surveillance.

From Black Cube to Fusion GPS, the operatives-for-hire industry has recklessly exploded. Disclosure requirements could keep things in check.

The agency's strange math and blunt statements are missing key nuances—and may be underplaying myocarditis cases in teenage boys in particular.

One painful interaction at a time, we’re mastering the gateway virtue of the networked world: tact.

A new program makes getting a blue checkmark too easy for ‘journalists’—and far too difficult for activists.

The conspiracists might have been deplatformed, but their movement is shifting into local elections and events.

The company’s latest video, “Spot’s on It,” signals its deepening, complexifying relationship with dance.

Before authoritarians pollute the 2022 midterms, the US and EU must build a blueprint for democratic internet governance.

It seems increasingly likely that antitrust and content moderation tools aren’t up to the task. Here’s what we do next.

Overreliance on the world’s favorite building material will lead to more crumbling towers, dams, bridges, and roads. And way more greenhouse gases.

The Gen X investors and CEOs who run the industry are stuck on the idea that private money will protect them from a promised hellscape.

If companies truly want to support their LGBTQ+ colleagues, they'd make inclusivity the default setting.

Pamela Conrad is a NASA scientist working on the Perseverance mission—and a priest. She spoke to WIRED about how her two worlds help her make sense of the universe.

Platforms are finally taking action in African countries, but in Uganda and Nigeria's case, it’s led to an even worse outcome: citizens losing access.

A crisis over a suspicious confession video in Myanmar underscores why we need a coordinated response to discern fact from fiction.

Startups typically either go public or get acquired. But a more sustainable, accountable option would be to give the user base a stake.

Trumpists have weaponized a new technique to win the ideological war. How pro-democracy voices respond to it matters.

Biden's summit with Putin marked a quantum leap forward, but there's still little standing in the way from Russia interfering in future US elections.