Textbooks Are All You Need II: "...a new 1.3 billion parameter model named phi-1.5, with performance on natural language tasks comparable to models 5x larger, and surpassing most non-frontier LLMs on more complex reasoning tasks such as grade-school mathematics and basic coding...Our training data for phi-1.5 is a combination of phi-1’s training data (7B tokens) and newly created synthetic, “textbook-like” data (roughly 20B tokens) for the purpose of teaching common sense reasoning and general knowledge of the world (science, daily activities, theory of mind, etc.)." (User TruthyCherryBomb adds: "This ability to learn better from higher quality data blows the 'stochastic parrot' theory clean out of the water.") https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.05463
“Using vision, our robots can climb over high obstacles, leap over large gaps, crawl beneath low barriers, squeeze through thin slits, and run. All done by one neural network running onboard. And it's open-source!” https://robot-parkour.github.io/
Efficient training for artificial intelligence: New physics-based self-learning machines could replace the current artificial neural networks and save energy https://www.mpg.de/20826914/neuromorphic-computer
Robotic Table Tennis: A Case Study into a High Speed Learning System https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.03315
Tracking Anything with Decoupled Video Segmentation https://hkchengrex.com/Tracking-Anything-with-DEVA/
Large Language Models as Optimizers https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.03409
Review of The Science of Human Intelligence by James Thompson https://www.aporiamagazine.com/p/the-most-important-thing-to-understand
Vanguard Submarine Arrives Home Absolutely Caked In Algae https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/vanguard-submarine-arrives-home-absolutely-caked-in-algae
"Last year there were over 6 million attacks on MOD networks. Our cyber warriors are part of Defence that is most engaged with our adversaries on a consistent basis ... this is an Olympic level sport every single day." https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/general-sir-jim-hockenhull-strategic-command-dsei-2023-keynote
Are right-wing boycotts working? https://www.vox.com/money/23851108/bud-light-target-boycott-success-trans-issues-woke-capitalism
Ukraine links:
Sevastopol ship repair plant is burning after Ukrainian attack. Ship and Kilo Class submarine hit. https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1701788035719868874
“The battlefield around Bakhmut is littered with russian invader's bodies. Death looms in every treeline and windbreak. But they chose this fate themselves. Lust for conquest and a desire to rule others results in nothing but suffering” https://twitter.com/Teoyaomiquu/status/1701641196630593902
“The AFU inside Klishchiivka. A settlement where thousands of Wagner forces lost their lives or got wounded. And now, only their flag remains and is being taken down.” https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1701687648069251103
“Ukrainians are clearing the trenches covering the Surovikin line behind 'the breach', slowly expanding the cleared area near #Verbove.” https://twitter.com/GeoConfirmed/status/1701684177651822675
'This summer, Ukraine trained 10,000 new drone pilots, mainly for conducting reconnaissance and artillery targeting, and is preparing another 10,000 operators.' https://wsj.com/world/europe/ukraines-drone-army-takes-bites-out-of-bigger-opponent-1ee9120e [https://archive.ph/fOgva]
The Ukrainian aviation concern Antonov has switched to the production of drones. Antonov's new drone centre was opened with the aim of enhancing unmanned systems manufacturing capabilities and providing support to private unmanned systems manufacturers. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-antonov-turns-drones-response-russian-invasion-2023-09-12/ [https://archive.ph/D5pQj]
The UK Ministery of Defence has exercised the option to award an additional 130 million pound contract to BAE for the production of 155mm artillery shells and other munitions. This was an option on the 280 million pound contract signed in July. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/britain-orders-more-munitions-ukraine-war-boosts-uk-defence-2023-09-12/ [https://archive.ph/wip/pTZ6Z]
The destruction of another Zala/Lancet UAV command post. https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1701576469883859044
“The SBU released a new video with destroyed Russian equipment. It includes 3 tanks, 4 APVs, 8 radars/EW/communiation systems, 9 pieces of automotive equipment, 9 fortifications, 4 warehouses with ammo and fuel and a command center for FPV drones.” https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1701593388896952710
A story made by CNN about the use of decoys by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/09/11/world/ukraine-russia-decoy-weapons-intl/index.html
Denmark announces a military aid package worth $830 million for Ukraine - a huge amount from a relatively small country. Denmark previously donated every one of its new CAESAR 8X8 155mm Howitzers to Ukraine, and recently pledged to send 19 F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv. https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1701630937958625493
A brand new field hospital has been supplied to Ukraine by Germany. https://www.rheinmetall.com/en/media/news-watch/news/2023/9/2023-09-12-field-hospital-to-ukraine
Russia’s gone full circle: it’s back to venerating mass murderers https://twitter.com/simonmontefiore/status/1701347690888487394
It's turned into a proxy war