# ai.bot: their names are Rosie and Norman; they could see you soon ...

about Rosie   https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2018/10/16/knightscope-robot-security-patrol/amp

about Norman   http://norman-ai.mit.edu/  

also

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=nfulaw

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=ai-bot

PS: non e' casuale se ho scelto la forma  "they could see you" anziche' "they could meet you"; "meet" significa "incontro", "to come into contact or conjunction with" percio' comporta anche "scambio"; invece "see" significa qui "osservare", "to perceive by the eye", "to come to know"; Lo "scambio" qui e' assente a priori. Vale a dire "apertura" di  una finestra di osservazione per la raccolta, l'analisi, la modellizzazione delle informazioni, e poi le previsioni, il controllo; e poi anche "blablabla",  anzicheforse. 2018-1030 15:45.

# acad: oops! No PhD will be necessary to build artificial intelligence algorithms

<< OVER THE past five years researchers in artificial intelligence have become the rock stars of the technology world (..) The top names can earn over $1m a year. (..) The standard route into these jobs has been a PhD in computer science from one of America’s elite universities. (..) That is changing. This month fast.ai, an education non-profit based in San Francisco, kicked off the third year of its course in deep learning. (..) The course and others like it come with a simple proposition: there is no need to spend years obtaining a PhD in order to practise deep learning. (..) Fast.ai’s course can be completed in just seven weeks. >>

No PhD, no problem. New schemes teach the masses to build AI. Oct 25,  2018.

https://www.economist.com/business/2018/10/27/new-schemes-teach-the-masses-to-build-ai

More

http://www.fast.ai/

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/2018/06/ai-open-source-ai-projects.html

https://flashontrack.blogspot.com/search?q=linux

# tech: it repels everything with some beneficial exceptions

<< Researchers at McMaster University have solved a vexing problem by engineering surface coatings that can repel everything, such as bacteria, viruses and living cells, but can be modified to permit beneficial exceptions. >>

Researchers design "smart" surfaces to repel everything but targeted beneficial exceptions. McMaster University. Oct 24, 2018

https://phys.org/news/2018-10-smart-surfaces-repel-beneficial-exceptions.html

Tohid Didar. Researchers design "smart" surfaces, creating promise for safer implants and more accurate diagnostic tests. Oct 24, 2018.

https://www.eng.mcmaster.ca/news/researchers-design-smart-surfaces-creating-promise-safer-implants-and-more-accurate-diagnostic

# brain: sometimes to see it is necessary to rewire

<< Life-changing moments are also brain-changing moments: everything from a first kiss to a last goodbye modifies cells within the skull. The capacity to learn and remember, however, extends beyond the profound experiences that we lament or treasure. In fact, a new study (..)  suggests that even when we're not consciously forming new memories, our brains can change in important ways, altering how we interpret and interact with the world. >>

Charles D. Gilbert. To see what's right in front of you, your brain may need some rewiring. Rockefeller University. Oct 24, 2018.

https://m.medicalxpress.com/news/2018-10-front-brain-rewiring.html

AA << found that during the course of perceptual learning axon collaterals in primary visual cortex (V1) undergo sprouting and pruning, suggesting how V1 is engaged in encoding learned information. >>

Timo van Kerkoerle, Sally A. Marik, et al. Axonal plasticity associated with perceptual learning in adult macaque primary visual cortex. PNAS Oct 9, 2018 115 (41) 10464-9 doi: 10.1073/pnas.1812932115

http://www.pnas.org/content/115/41/10464

# brain: somatic stem cell proliferation could be modulated by autonomic nervous system

this << study (..) demonstrates, for the first time, that stem cell proliferation is directly controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). >>

<< To demonstrate that stem cell behavior was changing as a result of ANS stimulation, the researchers grew intestinal epithelial cells in the lab and exposed them to high levels of two neurotransmitters, norepinephrine and acetylcholine. Norepinephrine is a major neurotransmitter of the sympathetic nervous system, or "fight or flight" branch of the ANS, while acetylcholine is produced by the parasympathetic nervous system, or "rest and digest" branch. >>

Scientists find stem cell proliferation is controlled directly by nervous system. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Oct 17, 2018.

https://m.phys.org/news/2018-10-scientists-stem-cell-proliferation-nervous.html

Elizabeth A. Davis, Megan J. Dailey. A direct effect of the autonomic nervous system on somatic stem cell proliferation?  Am J Physiol. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00266.2018. Oct 10, 2018.

https://www.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajpregu.00266.2018

# gst: a new type of vortex in the flight of a dandelion

<< Wind-dispersed plants have evolved ingenious ways to lift their seeds >>

AA << visualized the flow around dandelion seeds, uncovering an extraordinary type of vortex. This vortex is a ring of recirculating fluid, which is detached owing to the flow passing through the pappus. >>

<< The discovery of the separated vortex ring provides evidence of the existence of a new class of fluid behaviour around fluid-immersed bodies that may underlie locomotion, weight reduction and particle retention in biological and manmade structures. >>

Cathal Cummins, Madeleine Seale, et al. A separated vortex ring underlies the flight of the dandelion. Nature 2018; 562: 414–8. doi: 10.1038/s41586-018-0604-2.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0604-2

<< When dandelion seeds fly, a ring-shaped air bubble forms as air moves through the bristles, enhancing the drag that slows their descent. >>

Dandelion seeds reveal newly discovered form of natural flight. University of Edinburgh. Oct 17, 2018.

https://m.phys.org/news/2018-10-dandelion-seeds-reveal-newly-natural.html

# chem: to explore the structure of small molecules

<< In the many scientific endeavors that  are driven by organic chemistry, unambiguous identification of small molecules is of paramount importance (..) the  unambiguous determination of a small molecule’s structure  requires  X-ray  and/or neutron  diffraction  studies.  In practice, however,  X-ray crystallography is rarely applied in routine organic chemistry due to  intrinsic limitations  of both  the analytes and the technique. >>

AA << report the use of the CryoEM (cryo-electron microscopy) method MicroED (micro-electron diffraction) to provide routine and unambiguous structural determination of small organic molecules. >>

Christopher G. Jones, Michael W. Martynowycz, et al. The CryoEM Method MicroED as a Powerful Tool for Small Molecule Structure Determination. ChemRxiv Oct 17, 2018 doi: 10.26434/chemrxiv.7215332.v1

https://chemrxiv.org/articles/The_CryoEM_Method_MicroED_as_a_Powerful_Tool_for_Small_Molecule_Structure_Determination/7215332

https://twitter.com/ChemRxiv/status/1052562398295539712

# astro: wormhole, a theoretical view of its quasinormal modes

AA << demonstrated how to describe the shape of any symmetrical wormhole - a black hole that theoretically can be a kind of a portal between any two points in space and time - based on its wave spectrum >>

Physicist describes the shape of a wormhole.  RUDN University. Oct 17, 2018.

https://m.phys.org/news/2018-10-physicist-wormhole.html

R.A.Konoplya. How to tell the shape of a wormhole by its quasinormal modes. Physics Letters B. Volume 784 Sep 10, 2018 Pages 43-49  doi: 10.1016/j.physletb.2018.07.025

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S037026931830563X

# gst: when a 'ricequake' repeat perpetually and propagate

<< puffed rice and milk can serve as a stand-in to simulate collapsing ice shelves and rockfill dams. >>

<< Intrigued by their findings, the researchers created what they call a "crushing wave model," which they believe could prove useful for describing the behavior of much larger collapse events. >>

Bob Yirka. Using puffed rice to simulate collapsing ice shelves and rockfill dams. Oct 15, 2018.

https://m.phys.org/news/2018-10-puffed-rice-simulate-collapsing-ice.html

<< These "ricequakes" repeat perpetually during the experiments and propagate upward through the material. >>

Itai Einav, Francois Guillard. Tracking time with ricequakes in partially soaked brittle porous media. Science Advances  Oct 12, 2018. Vol. 4, no. 10, eaat6961. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aat6961.

http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/10/eaat6961

# chem: it can self-repair by capturing carbon from the air

<< A material designed by MIT chemical engineers can react with carbon dioxide from the air, to grow, strengthen, and even repair itself. The polymer, which might someday be used as construction or repair material or for protective coatings, continuously converts the greenhouse gas into a carbon-based material that reinforces itself. >>

<< Materials science has never produced anything like this (..) These materials mimic some aspects of something living, even though it's not reproducing. >> Michael Strano

David L. Chandler. Self-healing material can build itself from carbon in the air. MIT. Oct 11, 2018.

https://m.phys.org/news/2018-10-self-healing-material-carbon-air.html 

Seon‐Yeong Kwak,  Juan Pablo Giraldo, et al. Polymethacrylamide and Carbon Composites that Grow, Strengthen, and Self‐Repair using Ambient Carbon Dioxide Fixation. Advanced Materials. Oct 9, 2018. doi: 10.1002/adma.201804037

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201804037

# soc-eu: Bavarian Greens could be the second party (18% by exit polls)

<< Now, multiple surveys show the Greens polling at 15-17 percent nationally, catching up with or even overtaking the SPD. >>

Zia Weise. The rise and rise of Bavaria’s Greens. Oct 12, 2018.

https://www.politico.eu/article/greens-bavaria-election-germany-the-rise-and-rise-of-bavarias-greens/

<< The Green wave: Glance casually at the election results in Bavaria, in Luxembourg, in Belgium’s communes, and you’ll find a Green wave engulfing the center-left of the political spectrum. Look a bit closer, and you’ll see the traditional political camps - the EPP and Social Democracy - fighting for survival. Mark this day in your calendars as a potential turning point for Europe. >>

Florian Eder. Brussels Playbook. Oct 15, 2018

https://www.politico.eu/newsletter/brussels-playbook/politico-brussels-playbook-presented-by-banco-santander-green-wave-bavarian-earthquake-brexit-crunch/

<< The polls said the Greens were making major gains to secure second place with up to 19 percent of the vote. >>

The Latest: Exit Polls: Top Party Losing Bavaria Majority.  The Associated Press. Oct 14, 2018

https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/10/14/world/europe/ap-eu-germany-bavaria-election-the-latest.html

# evol: dry, chaotic environment in the transition to modern (nomadic) humans

<< A progressively drying climate punctuated by variable wetter episodes may have precipitated the transition from our hominin ancestors to anatomically modern humans >>

Dryer, less predictable environment may have spurred human evolution. University of Arizona. Oct 8, 2018.

https://m.phys.org/news/2018-10-dryer-environment-spurred-human-evolution.html

R. Bernhart Owen, Veronica M. Muiruri, et al. Progressive aridification in East Africa over the last half million years and implications for human evolution. PNAS Oct 8, 2018 doi: 10.1073/pnas.1801357115 

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/10/03/1801357115

# age: the first of five big report (800-page) on longevity by academic and industry ventures

<< The longevity field is bustling but still fragmented, and the “silver tsunami” is coming. >>

<< That is the takeaway of The Science of Longevity, the behemoth first volume of a four-part series offering a bird’s-eye view of the longevity industry in 2017. The report, a joint production of the Biogerontology Research Foundation, Deep Knowledge Life Science, Aging Analytics Agency, and Longevity.International, synthesizes the growing array of academic and industry ventures related to aging, healthspan, and everything in between. >>

Shelly Fan. We Read This 800-Page Report on the State of Longevity Research So You Don’t Have To. Feb 14, 2018.

https://singularityhub.com/2018/02/14/we-read-this-800-page-report-on-longevity-research-so-you-dont-have-to/

Also

DrugAge Database of Anti-Ageing Drugs

http://genomics.senescence.info/drugs/

# gene: the generation of color pattern in ladybird beetle (H. axyridis aka harlequin ladybird).

<< Many ladybirds have attractive color patterns consisting of black and red. This prominent color pattern is thought to function as a warning that indicates to predators that they are very bitter and unpalatable. >>

AA << focused on the multicolored Asian ladybird beetle Harmonia axyridis (also known as the harlequin ladybird), which lives mainly in Siberia and East Asia, and shows >200 color patterns within a species. The team has identified a single gene that regulates such highly diverse ladybird color patterns. >>

A mechanism of color pattern formation in ladybird beetles. National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Japan. Sep 26, 2018.

https://m.phys.org/news/2018-09-mechanism-pattern-formation-ladybird-beetles.html

Toshiya Ando, Takeshi M Matsuda, et al. Repeated inversions within a pannier intron drive diversification of intraspecific colour patterns of ladybird beetles. Nature Communications 9, 3843. Sep 21, 2018.  doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-06116-1.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-06116-1 

# gst: periodic oscillations of flexible knots

AA << study the dynamics of knotted deformable closed chains sedimenting in a viscous fluid. (..) trefoil and other torus knots often attain a remarkably regular horizontal toroidal structure while sedimenting, with a number of intertwined loops, oscillating periodically around each other. (..) this motion (..) is accompanied by a very slow rotation around the vertical symmetry axis. (..) this oscillating mode of the dynamics can spontaneously form even when starting from a qualitatively different initial configuration. (..) the oscillating modes are usually present as transients or final stages of the evolution, depending on chain aspect ratio and flexibility, and the number of loops. >>

Magdalena Gruziel, Krishnan Thyagarajan, et al. Periodic Motion of Sedimenting Flexible Knots. Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 127801 Sep 18,  2018. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.127801.

https://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.127801

The periodic motion of flexible knots, and the connection to DNA. University of Warsaw. Sep 26, 2018.

https://m.phys.org/news/2018-09-periodic-motion-flexible-dna.html

# biochem: how an artificial enzyme can convert solar energy into hydrogen gas

<< Hydrogen gas has long been noted as a promising energy carrier, but its production is still dependent on fossil raw materials. Renewable hydrogen gas can be extracted from water, but as yet the systems for doing so have limitations. In the new article, published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science, an interdisciplinary European research group led by Uppsala University scientists describe how artificial enzymes convert solar energy into hydrogen gas. >>

Artificial enzymes convert solar energy into hydrogen gas. Uppsala University.
Oct 4, 2018.

https://m.phys.org/news/2018-10-artificial-enzymes-solar-energy-hydrogen.html 

Adam Wegelius, Namita Khanna, et al. Generation of a functional, semisynthetic [FeFe]-hydrogenase in a photosynthetic microorganism. Energy Environ. Sci. 2018, 1754-5692  doi:  10.1039/C8EE01975D. Sep 25, 2018.

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2018/EE/C8EE01975D#!divAbstract

# brain: networks that may underlie our perception of free will

<< Our perception of free will is composed of a desire to act (volition) and a sense of responsibility for our actions (agency). >>

AA << study focal brain lesions that disrupt volition, causing akinetic mutism (..), or disrupt agency, causing alien limb syndrome (..), to better localize these processes in the human brain. >>

<< Lesion locations causing akinetic mutism all fell within one network, defined by connectivity to the anterior cingulate cortex. Lesion locations causing alien limb fell within a separate network, defined by connectivity to the precuneus. >>

AA << results demonstrate that lesions in different locations causing disordered volition and agency localize to unique brain networks, lending insight into the neuroanatomical substrate of free will perception. >>

R. Ryan Darby, Juho Joutsa, et al. Lesion network localization of free will. PNAS Oct 1, 2018.  doi: 10.1073/pnas.1814117115  

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/09/25/1814117115 

Study looks at brain networks involved with free will. Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Oct 1, 2018

https://m.medicalxpress.com/news/2018-10-brain-networks-involved-free.html