The Download: talking to robots and growing pharmaceutical mushrooms (19459000)
BYD has revealed a new EV which can be charged in only five minutes.
You might be able to talk to robots soon
Google made an interesting announcement last week. It launched a version, Gemini, of its AI model that can do things in the physical realm, via robots.
Gemini Robotics fuses large language models and spatial reasoning to allow you to tell a robot arm to do things like “put grapes in the glass bowl”. These verbal commands are filtered by the LLM which identifies your intentions from what you say and then breaks them into commands the robot can follow. You may be wondering whether your home or office will one day be filled by robots that you can give orders to. Find out by reading our story. This story was originally published in The Algorithm – our weekly newsletter about AI. Sign up for our weekly newsletter, The Algorithm orto receive stories like this first.
To read more about how AI makes robots smarter, visit:
+ Fast-learning robots was one of the entries on MIT Technology Review’s list of 10 breakthrough technologies for 2025. You can read why these companies made the list, and which ones you should keep an eye on.
plus what’s next for robots by 2025The next year will be filled with humanoid robots and new developments for military applications. Read the complete story.
+ The “Robot Utility Models” eliminate the need to adjust the data used to train the robots every time they attempt to do something in an unfamiliar setting. Read the complete story.
+ Is robotics about to have its ChatGPT moment?? Researchers are using generative AI to teach robots new abilities, including tasks they could perform at home. Read the full article.
Job Titles of the Future: Pharmaceutical-grade mushrooms grower
Research has shown that psychedelics, such as MDMA and psilocybin, have a rapid-acting antidepressant effect. The US Food and Drug Administration rejected the first application to use psychedelics in medical treatment (an MDMA based therapy) in August last year, but these drugs are on the way to becoming mainstream medicine.
The complexity of the trials has slowed down the research into psilocybin, but the data shows that the psychedelic component in so-called magic mushroom is promising. The FDA will eventually decide whether it is approved to treat depression. Who will grow the mushrooms if and when it happens? This would open up an enormous legal medical market. Scott Marshall is already doing it. He is the head of mycology for Optimi Health, a drug manufacturer in British Columbia, Canada. He is one of a small number of North American mushroom cultivators who are licensed to grow psilocybin mushrooms. Read the complete story. This story is taken from our latest print magazine, which is about relationships. Subscribe now and receive future editions when they arrive. Subscriptions are currently 25% cheaper than the normal price!
The must-reads
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
BYD’s EV can be charged in five minutes
This could help to attract customers who were previously put off by the long charging times. (Bloomberg $)
+ In addition, the company announced plans to build a network of charging stations in China. The Guardian (19459041)
and have announced the world’s very first consumer-grade sodium-ion power bank. BYD was named one of MIT Technology Review’s Climate Tech Companies to Watch. MIT Technology Review
Two NASA astronauts who were stranded in space have begun their return
Suni Williams, and Butch Wilmore spent nine months in space. (CNN)
+ They kept busy by working out for two hours every day. BBC
How Elon Musk’s ties to China can affect American Polic
Tesla’s value is heavily dependant on Musk maintaining a cordial relation with the CCP. (Vox)
+ Musk’s companies are highly valuable targets. Musk could expand aggressively in India if relations with China deteriorate. Rest of World
Microsoft is developing an AI that simulates the reasoning of our brains
It is hoped that it will learn from real-world experiences, rather than just data. (FT$)
+ AI reasoning can be manipulated to win chess. MIT Technology Review
4 Alphabet has agreed with Wiz to purchase the cybersecurity startup
For $32 billion it is the largest acquisition the company has made. (FT$)
6 Everything you say to an Echo will be sent directly to Amazon
If you opt out, Alexa will no longer work. (Ars Technica,)
+ Amazon denies that the end of on-device processing would harm user privacy. The Register
Seven US funding cuts could undo decades’ worth of progress against HIV
The experts are racing to get drugs to the most vulnerable communities as soon as possible. The Guardian (19459041) –
+ Eight nations are likely to run short of treatment in the near future. This annual shot could protect against HIV infections. MIT Technology Review
8 Donald Trump believes that Joe Biden used a autopen
He alleges that aides have used the gadget to copy Biden’s autograph. (WP $)
+ Trump has not provided evidence to support his claims. (BBC]
]9 Big Tech is competing against your need to sleep.
After all, there are only so many hours to consume content. (Insider$)
+ Here’s what I found to be effective. MIT Technology Review
Thank goodness for Facebook Marketplace.
This feels like the last bastion for human interaction on social media. (NYT$)
Quotation of the Day
“It’s been a roller coaster for them, probably a little bit more so than for us.”
–Astronaut Suni William, who spent nine months on the International Space Station and is now returning to Earth, told Reutersthat she looks forward to seeing her family.
Big story
The exosomes are being touted as the latest cure-all. We don’t yet know if they are effective.
October 2024
Exosomes are the latest in cure-alls. They’re being hailed as a miracle treatment for hair loss and aging skin. They’re also touted to treat pain conditions, long-term covid and neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The price tag can be thousands of dollars.
There’s a problem with these big claims: We don’t understand how exosomes function, or what they are. Read our story.
Jessica Hamzelou
You can still enjoy nice things
An oasis of comfort, fun and distraction that will brighten your day. (Do you have any ideas? Drop a line (or skeet them at me).
This destructive little otter is cute, but a menace.
Here’s a recipe for the perfect tomato soup with a twist .
+ London’s most upscale barshave gone all out to equip themselves with hi-fi systems.
+ Be warned: these books can be dangerous.
