# evol: they were even fluffier than previously thought

<< Anchiornis’ contour feathers revealed a newly-described, extinct, primitive feather form consisting of a short quill with long, independent, flexible barbs erupting from the quill at low angles to form two vanes and a forked feather shape >>

Feathered, Bird-Like Dinosaur Anchiornis Was Even Fluffier than We Thought. Nov 30, 2017

http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/feathered-bird-like-dinosaur-anchiornis-05485.html

https://m.phys.org/news/2017-11-feathered-dinosaurs-fluffier-thought.html

Evan T. Saitta, Rebecca Gelernter, Jakob Vinther. Additional information on the primitive contour and wing feathering of paravian dinosaurs. Palaeontology.  doi: 10.1111/pala.12342. Nov 28, 2017.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pala.12342/full

# ai-bots: an autonomous "golem" perspective; bots could improvise, bots could appear emotionally intelligent, bots could become extremely robust, bots could use non-intercepting cryptic strategies.

Feras Dayoub, Jonathan Roberts,  Michael Milford. We need robots that can improvise, but it's not easy to teach them right from wrong. Nov 26, 2017

https://theconversation.com/we-need-robots-that-can-improvise-but-its-not-easy-to-teach-them-right-from-wrong-87014

David Pring-Mill. Tech Is Becoming Emotionally Intelligent, and It's Big Business. Oct 30, 2017

https://singularityhub.com/2017/11/02/tech-is-becoming-emotionally-intelligent-and-its-big-business/amp/

Artificial muscles give soft robots superpowers. Nov 27, 2017

https://phys.org/news/2017-11-artificial-muscles-soft-robots-superpowers.html

Joris van Rossum. Blockchain for Research. Digital Science. Nov 27, 2017.

https://figshare.com/articles/_/5607778

FonT

in pratica un hacker da manuale, questo assolutamente ipotetico "golem" ...

Also

<< (..) che solva - senz'altro - qualsivoglia brillanza dell' insolto // (..) >>

<< Lascia il letto, figlio mio /
Usa i tuoi talenti con intelligenza /
e fabbrica sostituti agli dei /
affinche' smettano di lavorare ... / >>

1971 - una zolla dalle rive dell' Apsu'. Mar 8, 2006.

http://inkpi.blogspot.it/2006/03/1971-una-zolla-dalle-rive-dell-apsu.html

# behav: large-eared bats adopting slow-flight feeding strategies

AA << compare quantitative aerodynamic measures of flight efficiency of two bat species, one large-eared (Plecotus auritus) and one small-eared (Glossophaga soricina), flying freely in a wind tunnel >>

AA << find that the body drag of both species is higher than previously assumed and that the large-eared species has a higher body drag coefficient, but also produces relatively more ear/body lift than the small-eared species >>

<< The relatively higher power of the large-eared species results in lower optimal flight speeds and [AA] findings support the notion of a trade-off between the acoustic benefits of large external ears and aerodynamic performance. The result of this trade-off would be the eco-morphological correlation in bat flight, with large-eared bats generally adopting slow-flight feeding strategies >>

Jonas Hakansson, Lasse Jakobsen, et al. Body lift, drag and power are relatively higher in large-eared than in small-eared bat species. 2017; 14 (135): 4099. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2017.0455. Oct 25, 2017.

http://rsif.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/14/135/20170455

The pros and cons of large ears. Nov 10, 2017

http://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/article/the-pros-and-cons-of-large-ears

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171110084634.htm

# ai-bot: a campaign to stop killer bots (i.e. near-future ubiquitous lethal autonomous weapons - nfulaw)

<< In response to growing concerns about autonomous weapons, the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, a coalition of AI researchers and advocacy organizations, has released a fictional video that depicts a disturbing future in which lethal autonomous weapons have become cheap and ubiquitous worldwide >>

Disturbing video depicts near-future ubiquitous lethal autonomous weapons. The technology described in the film already exists, says UC Berkeley AI researcher Stuart Russell. Nov 18, 2017

http://www.kurzweilai.net/disturbing-video-depicts-near-future-ubiquitous-lethal-autonomous-weapons

FonT

in effetti si puo' immaginare - senza sconfinare troppo nella fantascienza - una entita' "nfulaw"  nella forma funzionale del bot-mosquito, di pochi millimetri, armata di device a pungiglione e adatte nano-vescicola e nano-pompa - in grado di iniettare qualche sorta di micidiale molecola -  che traccia e individua il suo bersaglio tramite il riconoscimento facciale oppure attraverso il segnale dello smartphone ...

# behav: a new dead leaf camouflage strategy with orange spots and unexpected preserved resonance (T. spurioculis)

AA << study the wing mechanics and resonances of Typophyllum spurioculis, a new species of leaf-mimic katydid >>

<< This species performs an unusual laterally directed aposematic display, showing orange spots that simulate eyes at the leg base. At night, males are conspicuous by their loud, audible calling songs, which exhibit two spectral peaks at ca. 7 and 12 kHz >>

AA << find the effective sound radiators of the wings (speculae) vibrate with three modes of vibration, two of which include the frequencies observed in the calling song. Remarkably, this resonance is preserved in the parts of the wings mimicking necrotic leaves, which are in theory not specialised for sound production >>

Andrew Baker, Fernando Montealegre-Z, et al. Wing resonances in a new dead-leaf-mimic katydid (Tettigoniidae: Pterochrozinae) from the Andean cloud forests. Zoologischer Anzeiger - A Journal of Comparative Zoology. 2017; 270: 60-70.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044523117300748

Cerri Evans. New insect species mimics dead leaves for camouflage
Nov 13, 2017

https://m.phys.org/news/2017-11-insect-species-mimics-dead-camouflage.html

# gst-chem: cascade reactions to generate complexity by triggering new chemical bonds from simple parent substances

<< organic chemists can synthesize substances of almost any complexity — vitamins, proteins, terpenes, etc. To do this, they often use cascade reactions, sequences of several chemical transformations in the course of which new chemical bonds are formed >>

<< cascade reactions are a powerful tool for rapidly increasing molecular complexity, that is, for obtaining complex compounds from simple parent substances >>

AA << have developed a new chemical reaction to synthesize a whole class of yet unexplored substances – diazabicyclo [3.2.1] octanes. These compounds are used in drug development >>

Scientists report a new cascade reaction. Nov 15, 2017

https://m.phys.org/news/2017-11-scientists-cascade-reaction.html

Dmitry V. Osipov, Irina V. Melnikova, et al. Synthesis of 8-substituted 1,5-diazabicyclo[3.2.1]octane derivatives via double aza-Michael addition of homopiperazine to 3-trifluoroacetyl-4H-chromenes.  Journal of Fluorine Chemistry. 2017; 202: 71-5.  doi: 10.1016/ j.jfluchem.2017.09.006  Sep 14, 2017.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022113917303676

# gst: levitation in a temperature gradient: the two liquids don't mix

<< A drop or two of cold cream in hot coffee can go a long way toward improving one's morning. But what if the two liquids didn't mix? >>

AA << have now explained why under certain conditions a droplet of liquid should not coalesce with the liquid surface below. If the droplet is very cold, and the bath sufficiently hot, then the droplet should "levitate" on the bath's surface, as a result of the flows induced by the temperature difference >>

<< If you study that process mathematically, you can show the way in which temperature is changing in the droplet over time is exactly with this power law of 2/3 that we observed in our experiments >> Michela Geri.

Jennifer Chu. Study explains how droplets can 'levitate' on liquid surfaces. Nov 15, 2017

https://m.phys.org/news/2017-11-droplets-levitate-liquid-surfaces.html

Michela Geri, Bavand Keshavarz, et al. Thermal delay of drop coalescence.
Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 2017; 833  doi: 10.1017/jfm.2017.686  Nov 8, 2017.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-fluid-mechanics/article/thermal-delay-of-drop-coalescence/CB55985D6ADC2251BA5EA94C8021C18F#