🤖 Tech & Computer Science

Google’s upgraded AI image generator is now available

Google has released Imagen 3, its AI text-to-image generator, to users in the US via its AI Test Kitchen. The tool offers improved detail, lighting, and fewer artifacts compared to previous versions. First announced in May, Imagen 3 became widely available recently, allowing users to generate and edit images based on prompts.

Researchers Have Ranked AI Models Based on Risk—and Found a Wild Range

Bo Li, an AI expert from the University of Chicago, helps consultancies focus on AI risks rather than intelligence, examining legal, ethical, and regulatory issues. Li and collaborators developed a taxonomy and benchmark to assess rule-breaking in large language models, highlighting the need for AI safety principles. They analyzed AI regulations and usage policies from major global AI companies.

⚛️ Physics and Chemistry

MIT engineers design tiny batteries for powering cell-sized robots

MIT engineers have developed a tiny battery, just 0.1 millimeters long and 0.002 millimeters thick, that could power cell-sized autonomous robots for drug delivery and other applications. The battery captures oxygen from air to oxidize zinc, generating a current of up to 1 volt, enough to power small devices. This innovation could significantly advance robotics, according to senior author Michael Strano.

Researchers observe 'locked' electron pairs in a superconductor cuprate

Superconductors, which allow electricity to flow without energy loss, have amazed researchers for over a century. However, they typically only function at extremely cold temperatures. Scientists are searching for materials that can exhibit superconductivity at higher, potentially room temperatures. Achieving this could revolutionize technology, impacting everything from electronics to transportation and quantum computing.

🧬 Biology & Medicine

Regularly Drinking Alcohol After 60 Linked to Early Death

A new study published in JAMA Network Open finds that people over 60 who drink alcohol regularly face an increased risk of early death, particularly from cancer or cardiovascular issues. This research, which analyzed data from over 135,000 UK residents, challenges past beliefs that moderate alcohol consumption was safe, revealing flaws in earlier studies.

Saliva test offers hope for head and neck cancer patients

A new study suggests that a mouthwash-based test to detect biomarkers could help predict disease recurrence in head and neck cancer patients. Conducted by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and UC San Diego Health, the findings, published in JAMA Otolaryngology, could improve cancer recurrence prediction and detection.

🔭 Space & Astronomy

Citizen Scientists Spot Weird Object Careening Across the Cosmos at Ludicrous Speeds

Three amateur astronomers, Tom Bickle, Martin Kabatnik, and Austin Rothermich, discovered a celestial object moving through the Milky Way at one million miles per hour. They participated in the online project Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, which uses images from NASA's retired WISE satellite to identify distant objects like brown dwarfs and low-mass stars. The volunteers analyzed infrared photos taken years apart to filter out distant stars and potential glitches.

India launches Earth-observing satellite on 3rd mission of new rocket

India successfully launched its EOS-08 Earth-observing satellite on August 15 using its new SSLV rocket. The mission, which is the third for the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle, lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 11:47 p.m. EDT (0347 GMT or 9:17 a.m. IST on August 16).

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