As part of the UK’s decommissioning efforts of the Dounreay nuclear site in Scotland, a dog-like robot has mapped out a radioactive section that’s been sealed off for 25 years. Developed by Boston Dynamics, the quadruple robotic device, called “Spot,” is described as a “mobile agile robot.” Thanks to its ability to move over rough […]
Dog-like robot maps out radioactive area at the UK’s Dounreay nuclear plant Leer más »
Although academic researchers have the knowledge and skills to develop potentially life changing products for patients, they often face unique challenges compared to other founders. Lengthy and expensive R&D costs often make VCs hesitant to invest. While spinoff founders are experts in their field, they often lack the necessary skills to build a successful startup,
Groningen’s formula for startup success: fostering university spin-offs Leer más »
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is warning organisations to be wary of the imminent cyber risks associated with the integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) — such as ChatGPT — into their business, products, or services. In a set of blog posts, the NCSC emphasised that the global tech community doesn’t yet fully
LLMs prone to data poisoning and prompt injection risks, UK authority warns Leer más »
Dutch VC firm PhotonVentures has raised €60mn for its new fund aimed at stimulating Europe’s photonics industry. The capital targets startups and scaleups active in photonic chips — a crucial technology for applications in robotics, quantum computing, and autonomous vehicles. Specifically, the fund will initially invest in 15 early-stage companies that show international growth potential
PhotonVentures raises €60M fund to boost photonics startups in Europe Leer más »
As governments increase demands for labels on AI-generated content, Google DeepMind has released a potential solution: a watermarking tool. Named SynthID, the system harnesses deep learning to embed digital stamps into the pixels of images. According to DeepMind, the watermarks are imperceptible to the human eye, but detectable with an algorithm. The UK-based research lab
Google DeepMind unveils AI watermarking tool as political pressure mounts Leer más »
It’s been nearly 2,000 years since Vesuvius’ eruption buried the vibrant Roman city of Pompeii under a deadly blanket of ash. The eerie ruins and the famous casts of Pompeii represent an invaluable window into the dramatic event. However, one of the most pressing questions about that day remains: what exactly was the cause of
X-Ray tech uncovers how Pompeii’s fleeing residents met their end Leer más »
First discovered in 1773 by French astronomer Charles Messier, the Whirlpool galaxy (aka ‘M51’) is one of the most well-known objects in the night sky. Everyone from amateur astronomers to NASA have been sharing images of the Whirlpool galaxy for decades. But never have you seen an image like the one just captured by the
James Webb telescope captures clearest-ever image of Whirlpool galaxy Leer más »
AI has a notorious history of biases, from facial recognition systems misidentifying Black people to chatbots admiring Hitler. In some settings, the outcomes could be deadly. A case in point was exposed this week. According to new research, the pedestrian detection systems used in autonomous vehicle research have major age and race biases. The study adds
Autonomous cars worse at detecting children and dark-skinned pedestrians, study finds Leer más »
A spacecraft has detected tiny jets that could be the elusive source of the sun’s solar wind. The discovery was made by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Solar Orbiter. According to ESA, the satellite is the most complex scientific lab ever sent to the sun. Using the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) —a suite of remote-sensing telescopes
European space telescopes spot tiny jets that could power the solar wind Leer más »
On Wednesday, the German government announced that it would nearly double its funding for artificial intelligence research. The money pledged towards the development of AI systems now amounts to nearly €1bn, which is still far behind the $3.3bn (€3.04bn) in public funding the US reportedly threw at the field last year. The Federal Ministry for
Germany doubles funds for AI ‘made in Europe’ Leer más »
Franky Zapata, the French inventor-slash-daredevil who flew across the English Channel on a hoverboard, has launched an ‘airscooter’ to go alongside his jet-powered flyboard and flying deckchair. Zapata, Franky’s company, unveiled the egg-shaped hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) prototype at the Viva Technology conference in Paris, France. The “personal flying machine” is supposedly compliant
A piece of space junk being monitored by the European Space Agency as part of a mission to remove space junk has been hit by another piece of space junk. The collision highlights the mounting threat of space debris, and the need to deal with it sooner rather than later. The ESA announced this week
Target of Europe’s space junk cleanup mission hit by… more space junk Leer más »
