Personalized algorithms can quietly limit what people explore while making them feel more certain they understand a topic.
Category: information science
Discrimination of normal from slow-aging mice by plasma metabolomic and proteomic features
Tests that can predict whether a drug is likely to extend mouse lifespan could speed up the search for anti-aging drugs. We have applied a machine learning algorithm, XGBoost regression, to seek sets of plasma metabolites (n = 12,000) and peptides (n = 17,000) that can discriminate control mice from mice treated with one of five anti-aging interventions (n = 278 mice). When the model is trained on any four of these five interventions, it predicts significantly higher lifespan extension in mice exposed to the intervention which was not included in the training set. Plasma peptide data sets also succeed at this task. Models trained on drug-treated normal mice also discriminate long-lived mutant mice from their respective controls, and models trained on males can discriminate drug-treated from control females.
One image is all robots need to find their way
While the capabilities of robots have improved significantly over the past decades, they are not always able to reliably and safely move in unknown, dynamic and complex environments. To move in their surroundings, robots rely on algorithms that process data collected by sensors or cameras and plan future actions accordingly.
Researchers at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) have developed SwarmDiffusion, a new lightweight Generative AI model that can predict where a robot should go and how it should move relying on a single image. SwarmDiffusion, introduced in a paper pre-published on the server arXiv, relies on a diffusion model, a technique that gradually adds noise to input data and then removes it to attain desired outputs.
“Navigation is more than ‘seeing,” a robot also needs to decide how to move, and this is where current systems still feel outdated,” Dzmitry Tsetserukou, senior author of the paper, told Tech Xplore.
Algorithm matches drugs to glioblastoma’s diverse cell types, offering hope for individualized therapies
Researchers have developed a new computational approach that uncovers possible drugs for specific cellular targets for treating glioblastoma, a lethal brain tumor. This approach enabled them to predict more effective treatment combinations to fight the disease on an individualized basis.
This laboratory and computational research effort was led by scientists at Georgetown’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
“The cellular targets we identified could be key to effectively fighting a disease that has seen only one new targeted drug approved in the last two decades,” says Nagi G. Ayad, Ph.D., senior author, associate director for translational research, and professor of oncology at Georgetown Lombardi.
Quantum mechanics works, but it doesn’t describe reality
Physicists like Sean Carroll propose not only that quantum mechanics is not only a valuable way of interpreting the world, but actually describes reality, and that the wave function – the centre equation of quantum mechanics – describes a real object.
But, in this article, philosophers Raoni Arroyo and Jonas R. Becker Arenhart argue that the case for wave function realism is deeply confused. While it is a useful component within quantum theory, this alone doesn’t justify treating it as literally real.
Tap the link to read more.
Physicists like Sean Carroll argue not only that quantum mechanics is not only a valuable way of interpreting the world, but actually describes reality, and that the central equation of quantum mechanics – the wave function – describes a real object in the world. But philosophers Raoni Arroyo and Jonas R. Becker Arenhart warn that the arguments for wave-function realism are deeply confused. At best, they show only that the wave function is a useful element inside the theoretical framework of quantum mechanics. But this goes no way whatsoever to showing that this framework should be interpreted as true or that its elements are real. The wavefunction realists are confusing two different levels of debate and lack any justification for their realism. The real question is: does a theory need to be true to be useful?
Quantum mechanics is probably our most successful scientific theory. So, if one wants to know what the world is made of, or how the world looks at the fundamental level, one is well-advised to search for the answers in this theory. What does it say about these problems? Well, that is a difficult question, with no single answer. Many interpretative options arise, and one quickly ends up in a dispute about the pros and cons of the different views. Wavefunction realists attempt to overcome those difficulties by looking directly at the formalism of the theory: the theory is a description of the behavior of a mathematical entity, the wavefunction, so why not think that quantum mechanics is, fundamentally, about wavefunctions? The view that emerges is, as Alyssa Ney puts it, that.
Elon Musk on AGI Timeline, US vs China, Job Markets, Clean Energy & Humanoid Robots
Questions to inspire discussion.
🤖 Q: How quickly will AI and robotics replace human jobs? A: AI and robotics will do half or more of all jobs within the next 3–7 years, with white-collar work being replaced first, followed by blue-collar labor through humanoid robots.
🏢 Q: What competitive advantage will AI-native companies have? A: Companies that are entirely AI-powered will demolish competitors, similar to how a single manually calculated cell in a spreadsheet makes it unable to compete with entirely computer-based spreadsheets.
💼 Q: What forces companies to adopt more AI? A: Companies using more AI must outcompete those using less, creating a forcing function for increased AI adoption, as inertia currently keeps humans doing AI-capable tasks.
📊 Q: How much of enterprise software development can AI handle autonomously? A: Blitzy, an AI platform using thousands of specialized agents, autonomously handles 80%+ of enterprise software development, increasing engineering velocity 5x when paired with human developers.
Energy and Infrastructure.
Mondays With Phil | Why 2026 Changes Everything for Tesla, Grok & SpaceX
Why 2026 Changes Everything for Tesla, Grok & SpaceX
## Elon Musk’s companies, including Tesla and SpaceX, are expected to experience significant breakthroughs and growth in 2026, driven by advancements in AI, robotics, and space technology.
## Questions to inspire discussion.
Tesla Robotaxi & Cybercab Strategy.
🚖 Q: When will Tesla’s Cybercab production begin and what regulatory hurdle must be cleared first? A: Cybercab production is set to begin on April 1, 2026, but requires federal regulations on autonomous ride-hailing since current rules mandate steering wheels and pedals for non-experimental vehicles.
🚗 Q: How will Tesla’s robotaxis function as an advertising strategy? A: Robotaxis will serve as Tesla’s primary advertising strategy by acting as an Uber-like service that demonstrates the cars’ capabilities and encourages personal ownership, potentially reducing the need for traditional advertising.
Training convolutional neural networks with the Forward–Forward Algorithm
Scodellaro, R., Kulkarni, A., Alves, F. et al. Training convolutional neural networks with the Forward–Forward Algorithm. Sci Rep 15, 38,461 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-26235-2
One pull of a string is all it takes to deploy these complex structures
MIT researchers have developed a new method for designing 3D structures that can be transformed from a flat configuration into their curved, fully formed shape with only a single pull of a string.
The technique could enable the rapid deployment of a temporary field hospital at the site of a disaster such as a devastating tsunami—a situation where quick medical action is essential to save lives.
The researchers’ approach converts a user-specified 3D structure into a flat shape composed of interconnected tiles. The algorithm uses a two-step method to find the path with minimal friction for a string that can be tightened to smoothly actuate the structure.