It’s studded with tiny dots that vibrate to mimic the feel of real-world textures Worn on a fingertip, the new device uses a grid of tiny nodes to simulate textures, such as the feel of fabrics. Northwestern University Phones, tablets and other electronic gadgets display lifelike images and play realistic sounds. What’s next? Maybe, making
This Band Aid-like device could let you ‘feel’ the virtual world Read More »
For artist Sougwen Chung, AI is an opportunity to embrace uncertainty. Many artists worry about the encroachment of artificial intelligence on artistic creation. But Sougwen Chung, a nonbinary Canadian-Chinese artist, instead sees AI as an opportunity for artists to embrace uncertainty and challenge people to think about technology and creativity in unexpected ways. Chung’s exhibitions
This artist collaborates with AI and robots Read More »
The design could lead to adaptable tools to study how fluids move When building devices, engineers mostly use solids, such as metal or plastic. But not a team in China. Their building blocks are drops of water. With those drops, they’ve created a system to study and manage tiny flows of liquids. Best of all,
Lego bricks inspired a new way to shape devices for studying liquids Read More »
A new study suggests that so-called emergent abilities actually develop gradually and predictably, depending on how you measure them. Two years ago, in a project called the Beyond the Imitation Game benchmark(opens a new tab), or BIG-bench, 450 researchers compiled a list of 204 tasks designed to test the capabilities of large language models, which power
How Quickly Do Large Language Models Learn Unexpected Skills? Read More »
In 2008, Satoshi Nakamoto introduced the world to Bitcoin, a volatile digital currency that’s untethered to any specific institution or country (1). (Satoshi Nakamoto was quickly revealed to be a pseudonym; the true identity of the inventor or inventors remains unknown.) In the years that followed, the value of Bitcoin has soared, plummeted, and soared
Blockchain beyond Bitcoin Read More »
Many smartphone apps don’t cost anything to download and use. But don’t be fooled: There’s still a price. “Your privacy is what’s paying for it,” says Brian Krupp. He’s a computer engineer at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. Behind the scenes, he says, apps are “leaky.” They may deliberately collect more data than they
How to stop phone apps from spying on you Read More »
Forget reality: In virtual reality, you can be whomever and wherever you want. VR makes the unreal real, using computer software and hardware that responds to our body’s movements to immerse us in a convincing alternate existence. There’s plenty of space to roam. VR places can be huge. In Second Life, an early pioneer of virtual
Everything Worth Knowing About Virtual Reality Read More »
With round lenses set in super-thick frames, these new eyeglasses look like they belong on a cartoon character. But what they lack in style, they make up for in smart design. Their lenses are made of glycerin — a thick, colorless liquid — encased in clear rubber. And without effort, they will focus on whatever
Auto-focus eyeglasses rely on liquid lenses Read More »
