And then, finally, there was nothing left to say - Art by yea_colin
Laikago Robot Dog - by Unitree Robotics
Machine Learning Depth Inpainting of Claude Monet Paintings: Using 3D Photography using Context-aware Layered Depth Inpainting : https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.04727
"Turtles all the way down" is an expression of the problem of infinite regress. The saying alludes to the mythological idea of a World Turtle that supports the earth on its back. It suggests that this turtle rests on the back of an even larger turtle, which itself is part of a column of increasingly large world turtles that continues indefinitely (i.e., "turtles all the way down").
Within an Anglo-Dutch research collaboration, we discovered that certain types of laser designs output fractal light patterns. This work concerns fractal formation in linear systems, and is quite distinct from our later studies predicting the emergence of spontaneous patterns in nonlinear systems.
Research team demonstrates fractal light from lasers
Reporting this month in Physical Review A, the team provides the first experimental evidence for fractal light from simple lasers and adds a new prediction: that the fractal pattern should exist in 3-D and not just 2-D, as previously thought.
NY Governor Cuomo questions why school buildings still exist — and says New York will work with Bill Gates to ‘reimagine education’ (washingtonpost)
#Comment: Corporatism & stupidity rule in failed states. Great for comedy, horrible for kids.
Vocal Synthesis Video of "Jay Z" singing Christian Rap Song (Genesis 1:1 Lyrics)
Scientists Create a Prototype 'Air Plasma' Engine That Works Without Fossil Fuels
A prototype jet engine can propel itself without using any fossil fuels, potentially paving the way for carbon-neutral air travel. The device compresses air and ionizes it with microwaves, generating plasma that thrusts it forward, according to research published Tuesday in the journal AIP Advances. That means planes may someday fly using just electricity and the air around them as fuel.
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Amid Pandemic, US Renewable Power Sources Have Topped Coal For 40 Days (reuters.com)
#Comment: A conspiracy theory, unlikely to be true but fun: World leaders (east and west, official and unofficial) looked at climate change trends and decided in unison that something drastic has to happen in order to swing the needle. They came up with a plan, based on complex socio-economic game-theory models: Start a global pandemic, partially based on selective bio-terror and mainly based on a massive global psyops campaign. The result? A signifiant global up-tick in climate relevant infrastructure & behaviour change.
ByteSing: A Chinese Singing Voice Synthesis System Using Duration Allocated Encoder-Decoder Acoustic Models and WaveRNN Vocoders
pdf: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2004.11012.pdf abs: https://arxiv.org/abs/2004.11012 audio samples: https://bytesings.github.io/paper1.html
A Wendy’s With No Burgers as Meat Production Is Hit (nytimes)
Hundreds of the fast-food chain’s locations aren’t serving hamburgers and grocery stores are limiting meat purchases, as shoppers begin to feel the impact of meatpacking plant shutdowns.
Malaria 'completely stopped' by microbe (BBC)
Scientists have discovered a microbe that completely protects mosquitoes from being infected with malaria. The team in Kenya and the UK say the finding has "enormous potential" to control the disease. Malaria is spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes, so protecting them could in turn protect people. The researchers are now investigating whether they can release infected mosquitoes into the wild, or use spores to suppress the disease.
Ainu Art from Sakhalin: Illustration shows a seta kiraw, a head decoration for the lead dog.
Sakhalin is at the southern edge of dog-sled culture in East Asia. The equipment and names used among the Sakhalin Ainu are very similar to those of northern peoples. The illustration shows a seta kiraw, a head decoration for the lead dog.
America's Government Approves Release of Genetically-Engineered Mosquitoes (bloomberg)
The EPA on Friday granted permission for genetically engineered mosquitoes to be released into the Florida Keys and around Houston to see if they can help limit the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses. British biotech company Oxitec Ltd was granted an experimental use permit to release a genetically engineered type of the mosquito species Aedes aegypti, which is a known vector of Zika virus and viruses that cause yellow fever and dengue fever, the Environmental Protection Agency office of Chemical Safety and Pollution announced.
#Biotech #Biology #FFHCI #ALife
Supply networks and complex adaptive systems: control versus emergence (unpaywalled)
Abstract: In much of the current literature on supply chain management, supply networks are recognized as a system. In this paper, we take this observation to the next level by arguing the need to recognize supply networks as a complex adaptive system (CAS). We propose that many supply networks emerge rather than result from purposeful design by a singular entity. Most supply chain management literature emphasizes negative feedback for purposes of control; however, the emergent patterns in a supply network can much better be managed through positive feedback, which allows for autonomous action. Imposing too much control detracts from innovation and flexibility; conversely, allowing too much emergence can undermine managerial predictability and work routines. Therefore, when managing supply networks, managers must appropriately balance how much to control and how much to let emerge.
Tesla has a new product: Autobidder, a step toward becoming an electric utility
Tesla aims to eventually become a massive distributed electric utility, and we’ve now learned of a new product, Autobidder. The idea is that Tesla would keep deploying more solar and energy storage systems, big and small, at the residential level and on utility-scale, and manage those distributed systems to act as a giant electric utility.