Tall

Image: Tall, this photo is available to licence on EyeEm.

#377

Friday, September 22, 2023

In This Edition:
Is it time to break the law?, audio isolating robot swarm, robots learning behaviours, modelling societal collapse, crows use statistical inference, & everywhere man!

This week Channel 4 aired Chris Packham: Is It Time To Break The Law?, an excellent documentary about Chris Packham deciding if the scale and urgency of the Climate Emergency warrants breaking the law to bring about climate action. It is well worth your time.

Audio Isolating Robot Swarm

Image: University of Washington

Researchers from the University of Washington developed a swarm of audio robots that autonomously position themselves around a noisy environment to create different audio zones, which can be isolated from each other. The robot smart speakers can be used to isolate and record or block out separate conversations, as the sound sources move around the environment.

Source:
New Atlas
Audio Innovation Tech
Share

Robots Learning Behaviours

Image: Toyota

The Toyota Research Institute released details of their work towards developing a Large Behaviour Model (LBM) for robotics. The AI model learned 60 dexterous behaviours autonomously following a manual demonstration of each behaviour using physical simulation.

Source:
Toyota
AI & ML Innovation Tech
Share

Modelling Societal Collapse

Image: Herrington

Gaya Herrington, the Sustainability and Dynamic System Analysis Lead at KPMG performed a study that analysed the 1972 Club of Rome Limits To Growth model and compared it to the current state of the world. Her study found that using the Business As Usual (BAU) scenario, the world is on track from societal collapse by around 2040, and using the Comprehensive Technology (CT) scenario, a halt to growth is predicted within the next decade or so. In her own words;
"The best available data suggests that what we decide over the next 10 years will determine the long-term fate of human civilization."

Source:
Data Vis Environment Life
Share

Crows Use Statistical Inference

Dr. Melissa Johnston of the University of Tübingen trained crows to test and show how they use statistical inference to select images based on the probability of receiving a treat from experience. The crows got it right every time, even when tested a month later.

Source:
Ars Technica
Science
Share

Everywhere Man

Image: Johnny Cash Has Been Everywhere

Johnny Cash Has Been Everywhere is a fun website that maps all the places where Johnny Cash has been during the song I've Been Everywhere.

Source:
Johnny Cash Has Been Everywhere
Data Vis Music
Share

About Found This Week

Found This Week is a curated blog of interesting posts, articles, links and stories in the world of technology, science and life in general.
Each edition is curated by Daryl Feehely every Friday and highlights cool stuff found each week.
The first 104 editions were published on Medium before this site was created, check out the archive here.

Daryl Feehely

I’m a web consultant, contract web developer, technical project manager & photographer originally from Cork, now based in London. I offer my clients strategy, planning & technical delivery services, remotely & in person. I also offer freelance CTO services to companies in need of technical bootstrapping or reinvention. If you think I can help you in your business, check out my details on http://darylfeehely.com

Life Changing Smart Thinking Books