🤖 Tech & Computer Science

Google’s custom AI chatbots have arrived

Google is launching a feature for Gemini subscribers to create custom chatbots called "Gems." Users can personalize these chatbots for various tasks, such as fitness advice or cooking help, by providing a set of instructions. Google will also offer premade Gems for roles like a learning coach or coding partner. This feature was first introduced at Google I/O in May.

AI generates covertly racist decisions about people based on their dialect

Language models, widely used for tasks like writing and hiring, exhibit covert racism through dialect prejudice against African American English (AAE) speakers, showing more negative stereotypes than any human stereotypes recorded. This covert racism affects job recommendations, legal outcomes, and more. Current bias mitigation methods may mask rather than address these deeper biases, highlighting serious concerns for fair and safe use of language technology.

⚛️ Physics and Chemistry

Engineers develop all-in-one solution to catch and destroy 'forever chemicals'

Chemical engineers at the University of British Columbia have developed a new treatment system that both traps and destroys PFAS, known as "forever chemicals," which are harmful pollutants found in water and linked to health issues. This integrated system offers a solution for removing these persistent substances from the water supply.

‘Kink states’ regulate the flow of electrons in graphene

Researchers at Penn State University have developed a new type of switch using Bernal bilayer graphene that allows electrons to move in opposite directions along the same paths without colliding. This switch leverages the quantum valley Hall effect in graphene, which could improve quantum information transmission by controlling electron flow through topological kink states in the material.

Super-fast setting sticky polymers can suture tricky internal wounds

Researchers in the US are developing sustainable, non-toxic polymers from renewable resources, like α-lipoic acid, which could be used for sealing wounds during surgery and in various adhesive applications. These polymers can set quickly and are recyclable, but stabilizing them has been challenging due to issues with spontaneous depolymerization.

🧬 Biology & Medicine

Kidney Donor Mortality Plummets Over 30 Years

Over the past 30 years, the risk of perioperative mortality for living kidney donors has dropped significantly, now below one death per 10,000 donations. Male donors and those with a history of hypertension face higher risks. Researchers analyzed data from 164,593 donors (1993-2022) and found that updated mortality risks should be communicated to potential donors due to changes in treatment and surgical techniques.

Nanodrug targeting miR-10b shows promise in treating metastatic breast cancer

A paper in Oncotarget (August 26, 2024) reveals that inhibiting miR-10b can treat metastatic breast cancer by targeting stem cell-like properties. The study shows that miR-10b drives metastasis, and using MN-anti-miR10b, a nano drug, can activate developmental processes in cancer cells and reduce miR-10b expression in stem-like cells, offering a potential new approach for improving prognosis in metastatic breast cancer.

🔭 Space & Astronomy

Watch Blue Origin launch NS-26 space tourism mission today

Blue Origin will launch its eighth suborbital space tourism mission, NS-26, on August 29 at 9:00 a.m. EDT from its West Texas spaceport. The live stream starts at 8:20 a.m. EDT on Blue Origin's website and Space.com. This will be the 26th flight of the New Shepard rocket-capsule combo and the eighth carrying passengers.

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