How to Write Underwater

Image Credit: Moller, et al., Nano-Micro Small, 2023

Have you ever tried to write your shopping list underwater? Neither have I. But a group of researchers from Germany and China have now developed ink that would be up to the task. Normal ink doesn’t work underwater because the act of writing itself would create turbulence that wipes away the ink. The new underwater ink instead deposits a trail of microscopic beads that, by a chemical reaction, lower the pH value of the water, which attracts the ink to the colour pigments. So, if you go scuba diving on your next vacation and the ocean floor screams “DAVID WAS HERE,” you know who to thank. Paper here, press release here.

A Checklist for AI Consciousness

Many words have been written in the past months about AI and what we’ll do if it becomes conscious and overtakes the world. But how would we even know if it has become conscious? A group of 19 neuroscientists, philosophers, and computer scientists have now come up with a checklist of 14 criteria for AI consciousness. It draws on several current theories for consciousness – most notably workspace theory – and contains requirements like “the ability to make predictions” and “the ability to focus and control attention.” They also assessed current AI Chatbots such as Bing and ChatGPT and concluded that while they fulfil some rudimentary aspects of some of the criteria, they’re all far away from achieving consciousness. The checklist is published as a 120 page preprint on arxiv.

NASA To Test Laser Communication from Space Station

Image Credit: NASA/Dave Ryan

NASA is planning to test laser communications from the International Space Station (ISS) to Earth. They will use a special sender and receiver array for infrared laser light that will soon be brought to the ISS. This array – called ILLUMA-T (Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) User Modem and Amplifier Terminal) – will then send the laser signals to a relay station (see image) which will pass them on to two ground stations in Hawaii and California. If it works as planned, the new system will allow much faster data transfer, with up to 1.2 gigabits-per-second, which is more than we get at home by cable. Progress is great, if it happens where you are.

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In this week’s video I explain why it’s a mistake to blame capitalism for the world’s problems.

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