AI:
The Global Project to Make a General Robotic Brain: How 34 labs are teaming up to tackle robotic learning https://spectrum.ieee.org/global-robotic-brain
UMass Amherst Researchers Bring Dream of Bug-Free Software One Step Closer to Reality https://www.umass.edu/news/article/umass-amherst-researchers-bring-dream-bug-free-software-one-step-closer-reality
LLaVA-Phi demonstrates that even smaller language models, with as few as 2.7B parameters, can effectively engage in intricate dialogues that integrate both textual and visual elements. https://github.com/zhuyiche/llava-phi
TinyLlama: An Open-Source Small Language Model https://github.com/jzhang38/TinyLlama
Unlocking the potential of generalizable handover skills in robots!🤖✨ https://genh2r.github.io/
Ever thought about your 🛠️ tool-use xGPT / language agent improving itself without human intervention? 🍀CLOVA: A #ChatGPT + tools visual assistant that can self-improve from feedback, in a principled way https://clova-tool.github.io/
Bill Gates's views on AI in 2024 https://www.gatesnotes.com/The-Year-Ahead-2024
Efficient Hybrid Zoom using Camera Fusion on Mobile Phones https://www.wslai.net/publications/fusion_zoom/
Autonomous lab did not synthesize any new materials https://chemrxiv.org/engage/chemrxiv/article-details/65957d349138d231611ad8f7
Science and Technology:
Do viral pathogens increase the risk of neurodegenerative disease? https://twitter.com/DaniBeckman/status/1742602437330874556
Space Nuclear Propulsion https://www.bwxt.com/what-we-do/advanced-technologies/space-nuclear-propulsion
Genetics:
A new paper by Robert Plomin, the leading figure in behavioral genetics, repeats the counter-intuitive but widely-accepted finding that the effect of the family environment on cognitive ability drops to virtually zero by early adulthood. https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/qndj6
A study finds that the impact of a parent's education on their children's educational attainment is negligible once genetics is accounted for. In other words, educational attainment is almost wholly explained by genetic transmission. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027656242200018X
Politics:
Mass prisoner release triggers crime waves. Multiple natural experiment data. https://twitter.com/cremieuxrecueil/status/1705283540420546814
“This paper surveys 50+ years of randomized control trials in criminal justice and shows that almost no interventions have lasting benefit -- and the ones that do don't replicate in other settings.” https://twitter.com/MeganTStevenson/status/1742263139331088480
Thread with data on the economics of immigrants. Data from many countries with lifetime analyses, and children's effects too. https://twitter.com/CompositeGuy_/status/1701335919834316839
Dutch man sabotaged Iranian nuclear program without Dutch government's knowledge: « The then 36-year-old infiltrated an Iranian nuclear complex and released the infamous #Stuxnet virus, paralyzing the country’s nuclear program. » https://nltimes.nl/2024/01/08/dutch-man-sabotaged-iranian-nuclear-program-without-dutch-governments-knowledge-report
Ukraine:
“GRIFFON unit of the 501st Marine Batallion found and destroyed several pieces of Russian equipment in Krynky, occupied left bank. Massive booooooom!” https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1744374351837704328
“As a senator, in 2005, Obama actually went to Ukraine for photo-ops overseeing the destruction of its vast weapons caches.” https://twitter.com/JayinKyiv/status/1744255708218990907
“A Ukrainian entrepreneur claims he was able to purchase designs and key documents from Russia's STC that makes Orlan drones - from disgruntled STC employees” https://twitter.com/sambendett/status/1744426367490334940
“The consequences of Putin conquering Ukraine would be catastrophic.” Poland’s Foreign Minister @radeksikorski tells me “the cost of deterring Putin after he conquers Ukraine would be much much higher than the cost of keeping the Ukrainians supplied now,” urging additional US aid https://twitter.com/amanpour/status/1744446399830278283
It is kind of fascinating how countries like Russia or Iran go to great lengths to smuggle Western components for their military hardware instead of buying Chinese alternatives directly. Maybe China doesn't offer alternatives, or they are too low quality? https://twitter.com/drfranksauer/status/1744709691970593106
The power vacuum created by American isolationism is a grave danger to the world. This is how you get disruptions in international trade. This is how you get nuclear proliferation. This is how you get major wars.
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Links and stuff
Non-AI Generated Summary from Above
AI: getting better
Parents: chill out
Asylum Seekers: have less
China tech: is garbage
Criminal Justice Reform: give up
Criminals: lock up
Ukraine: give more boom
Russia: make go boom
Space Nuclear Propulsion: zoom!
Dutch man: hero (maybe unknowing?)