“AI will be like air: too cheap to measure.”

That’s what Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in his recent speech. He argued that AI is not just a new technology, but a complete platform shift in terms of scale and progress.

In the past 18 months, the cost of generating per token has decreased by 97%, and Pichai believes this trend will continue to accelerate.

Really, why ? 😅😅😂

Scientists Successfully Grow Tree from a 1,000-Year-Old Seed

In an extraordinary feat of botanical science, researchers have cultivated a tree from a seed that dates back to between 993 and 1202 AD. The seed was discovered in the 1980s in a cave within the Judean Desert. After extensive radiocarbon dating, the team confirmed its ancient origins.

The sapling, named “Shiba,” belongs to the rare Commiphora genus, which is still found across Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula. DNA analysis suggests a potential connection to the fabled “Balm of Gilead,” a plant referenced in biblical texts for its medicinal properties.

It took 14 years for scientists to nurture the tree to its current height of three meters. However, it has not yet flowered or borne fruit, making it challenging to compare with contemporary species. Researchers speculate that its current environment may not be conducive to flowering and reproduction.

Historically, the resin from this tree was highly valued for its therapeutic qualities, being used in perfumes, medicines, and antidotes. The biblical “tzori,” a balm derived from this resin, was prized throughout the Roman Empire for its medicinal applications. Experts believe that in ancient times, this species might have been grafted onto the famed Judean balsam tree to enhance its properties.

This remarkable achievement not only sheds light on ancient horticultural practices but also offers a glimpse into the botanical diversity of biblical times.

@science

By 2050, Nearly 40% of Adolescents Could Suffer from Myopia

A recent systematic review and meta-analysis by Chinese scientists has revealed a startling trend: between 1990 and 2023, the prevalence of myopia (nearsightedness) among children and adolescents surged from 24.32% to 35.81%. If this trajectory continues, by 2050, nearly 40% of adolescents worldwide—approximately 750 million individuals—could be affected by myopia.

Myopia typically develops in early childhood and often worsens as individuals progress into adolescence and adulthood. Younger schoolchildren are particularly susceptible to risk factors, and this vulnerability is even more pronounced in preschool-aged children due to critical periods of visual development.

The study's conclusions are drawn from data spanning 276 studies, encompassing over 5 million children and adolescents across 50 countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. Collectively, these studies recorded nearly 2 million cases of myopia.

One of the primary factors contributing to this rise, according to the researchers, is the increasing amount of time children spend in front of screens—be it computers, tablets, or smartphones. The recent COVID-19 pandemic may have further exacerbated the situation by necessitating more screen time for remote learning and reduced outdoor activities.

Implications: This growing public health concern underscores the need for proactive measures. Encouraging outdoor activities, limiting screen time, and regular eye check-ups could be vital steps in mitigating the risk of myopia in younger populations.

For the first time in history, a photograph from the surface of Mars shows both Earth and Mars’ moon Phobos in a single frame! This unique image was captured by NASA’s Curiosity rover, offering an unprecedented view of our home planet alongside one of Mars’ moons from the Martian landscape.


@science #space #mars

❗️ Crew Dragon Launches to the ISS with Russian Alexander Gorbunov and American Nick Hague

The spacecraft has successfully reached orbit.

Despite having space for four crew members, Gorbunov and Hague embarked on the mission together. The two vacant seats will be occupied during the return flight by astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who arrived at the ISS in June on Boeing’s first Starliner spacecraft.

Video: #NASA

@science

🌞 Sunday Science Spotlight: Unveiling the Sun’s Fiery Heart!

Happy Sunday, science enthusiasts! ☀️ Did you know that at the core of our Sun, a breathtaking process called nuclear fusion is constantly at work? Every second, about 600 million tons of hydrogen are fused into helium, releasing an incredible amount of energy that powers our entire solar system!

Here’s a stellar fact: This energy takes a journey of about 93 million miles to reach Earth, providing the light and warmth that make life possible. Next time you feel the sunshine, remember—you’re basking in the glow of a star’s ancient and ongoing cosmic dance!

Keep exploring, stay curious, and let your passion for science shine as brightly as the Sun! 🔭🌌

A Pocket Guide to Rome, 1658.

What still sets Telegram apart from other media outlets?

Well, consider this: Google has a division called the Threat Analysis Group (TAG), which combats disinformation by identifying and blocking channels and advertising campaigns that support the "wrong" policies and criticize the "right" ones. Their focus is on geopolitical content related to Ukraine, Western institutions, and U.S. foreign policy.

In their reports, the division details how it takes down pro-Russian YouTubers—not just Russian-speaking ones—because there's no need to create a positive image of Russia here.

From the perspective of a transnational corporation, it's only natural that China and Iran get banned. You can't support Azerbaijan and criticize Armenia. You can't support President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the Uzbek language. You can't express an original opinion from Togo or Burkina Faso. In Poland, speaking Polish before elections, you can't say anything against the European Union. In Mexico, you can't support the Morena party and Senator Ricardo Monreal. In Vietnamese, you can't support the government of Vietnam and its policies. In Turkish, you can't support Palestine and criticize Israel.

Robo-Dog Conquers Vertical Ladders

A method has been developed to train a quadruped robot to climb ladders. By combining hook-like grippers with reinforcement learning algorithms, researchers achieved a 90% success rate on slopes ranging from 70° to 90°. The climbing speed has been increased by 232 times compared to previous models.

The robot adapts to different ladder parameters and remains stable against external disturbances. Remarkably, the system requires no additional tuning when transitioning from simulation to a real robot. The climbing gait resembles that of humans: the hind legs generate lifting force while the front legs provide stability.

Pros: No need to walk it.

Cons: Can't hide, can't escape.

#robotics #climbingrobots
@science

China set a world record by organizing the largest drone show in history. A total of 7,598 UAVs were launched simultaneously, all controlled from a single laptop.
#drones #china #tech

Mars’ Olympus Mons May Awaken!

A new study of Martian gravity conducted by an international team of astronomers has revealed a large area of weaker gravity beneath the Tharsis Plateau, where Olympus Mons is located.

This is most likely a giant magmatic plume extending about 1,600 km—essentially, a flow of lava slowly rising from the planet’s interior.

In the future, this process may well lead to an eruption of the largest volcano in the Solar System, dormant for millions of years. Moreover, three neighboring smaller volcanoes might also become active.

The summit of Olympus Mons stands at an altitude of 22 km, effectively beyond the Martian atmosphere. Therefore, it would eject smoke and lava into space. However, according to scientists’ forecasts, the volcano itself would be completely destroyed by this eruption, should it occur.

A MASSIVE X7.1 Solar Flare Has Occurred on the Sun—it became the second most powerful in the last seven years.

Scientists are expecting strong geomagnetic storms rated G3 to G5 and auroras across the entire Northern Hemisphere.

An enormous plasma ejection will hit Earth on the night from Friday to Saturday.

A Robotic Hand That Detaches and Crawls—But Don’t Be Alarmed, It’s All Part of the Plan!

Engineers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) and MIT have unveiled a five-fingered robotic hand that can detach from its main manipulator and crawl independently. Operating autonomously, the hand can grasp objects beyond the reach of the primary robot, then return and reattach itself.

Each finger of the robotic hand has four degrees of freedom and can bend in both directions relative to the plane of the hand. The developers used a genetic algorithm to determine the optimal number of fingers and their placement on the cylindrical palm.

In the basic configuration, the autonomous hand uses only two fingers to grasp and hold one, two, or even three objects, while the remaining fingers are employed for locomotion.

This innovation could be extremely useful for working in confined spaces.

@science

People seem to have stopped fearing ichthyosaurs altogether – now they’re regarded as the first evolutionary attempt at creating dolphins. But ichthyosaurs came in many forms – some were very large, very predatory, and very toothy.

The reputation of ichthyosaurs as true monsters can be restored, for example, by the Himalayasaurus, despite its name, found in Tibet in the 1970s (not entirely despite the name, its full name is Himalayasaurus tibetensis) – even present-day Tibet was once the ocean floor. This leviathan reached 15 meters in length and weighed about 35 tons, making it one of the largest predators in the planet’s history.

Recently, they found a relative of the Himalayasaurus, with much smaller teeth, which, nevertheless, managed to bite off the tail of another massive marine reptile and swallowed the rest, somehow managing to eat something about two-thirds of its own size. It seems that the Himalayasaurus could have swallowed an average-sized Tyrannosaurus rex whole, without even biting off the tail! However, it would have been difficult for them to meet – the Himalayasaurus lived in the Triassic period, 215 million years ago, meaning that less time has passed between T. rex and us than between Himalayasaurus and T. rex.

I’m not sure what it was swallowing instead of Tyrannosaurs, but it is believed that this Triassic sea titan was the strongest of all known Mesozoic predators.

@science

Exploring Ancient Life in 2-Billion-Year-Old Rocks

Scientists have made an extraordinary discovery in the Bushveld Igneous Complex of South Africa, where 2-billion-year-old rocks host microbial life. These microorganisms have thrived deep underground, inside mineral-filled veins, without sunlight or significant external energy sources. Advanced imaging techniques, including infrared and electron microscopy, revealed colonies of microbes in clay-sealed veins, indicating that these ancient environments could have supported life for billions of years.