Illustration: iStockphoto The field of deep learning is still in flux, but some things have started to settle out. In particular, experts recognize that neural nets can get a lot of computation done with little energy if a chip approximates an answer using low-precision math. That’s especially useful in mobile and other power-constrained devices. But some… Continue reading IBM’s New Do-It-All Deep-Learning Chip
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The Future of Cybersecurity Is the Quantum Random Number Generator
Illustration: Greg Mably In 1882, a banker in Sacramento, Calif., named Frank Miller developed an absolutely unbreakable encryption method. Nearly 140 years later, cryptographers have yet to come up with something better. Miller had learned about cryptography while serving as a military investigator during the U.S. Civil War. Sometime later, he grew interested in telegraphy and… Continue reading The Future of Cybersecurity Is the Quantum Random Number Generator
Nanotechnology Takes Giant Leap Foward by Manipulating Molecules
Image: Forschungszentrum Jülich/T. EsatThis illustration shows a PTCDA molecule positioned upright on a silver platter [left]. Normally, the molecule would lie flat atop a layer of silver atoms [right]. If nanotechnology has captured the popular imagination in any way, it has likely been in the form of so-called molecular nanotechnology, in which nanoscale machines assemble… Continue reading Nanotechnology Takes Giant Leap Foward by Manipulating Molecules
5 Things to Do When Launching an Engineering Startup
Figure 1. Planning ahead helps an entrepreneur succeed at working for him or herself. Source: Nick Youngson / CC BY-SA 3.0 The freedom that comes with being your own boss can’t be beat: You make your hours, find your clients and reap the financial benefits. However, the reality looks more like working all hours, babysitting… Continue reading 5 Things to Do When Launching an Engineering Startup
Swarm Asks FCC for Permission to Have Its Rogue Satellites Phone Home
Illustration: IEEE Spectrum; Images: Swarm Technologies; iStockphoto Ever since Swarm Technologies illegally launched four experimental satellites in January, the tiny spacecraft have been orbiting the Earth in silence, awaiting judgement from a furious U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Now the stealthy start-up wants to briefly activate the satellites, probably with the aim of placating the FCC… Continue reading Swarm Asks FCC for Permission to Have Its Rogue Satellites Phone Home
Honda Halts Asimo Development in Favor of More Useful Humanoid Robots
Photo: Evan Ackerman/IEEE Spectrum Yesterday, NHK (the Japan Broadcasting Corporation) reported that Honda has decided to cancel further development of its flagship humanoid robot, Asimo. A Honda representative who spoke with AFP said, “We will still continue research into humanoid robots, but our future robots may not be named Asimo. We have obtained lots of… Continue reading Honda Halts Asimo Development in Favor of More Useful Humanoid Robots
The IceCube Neutrino Detector at the South Pole Hits Paydirt
Photo-illustration: IceCube Collaboration/NSF After 3.9 billion years of hurtling unhindered through the vast reaches of the universe, a ghostly neutrino particle died on 22 September 2017. It was annihilated when it collided with an atom in the frozen darkness two kilometers beneath the surface of the south polar ice cap. But this subatomic particle’s death… Continue reading The IceCube Neutrino Detector at the South Pole Hits Paydirt
Device Uses Flashes of Light to Restore Hearing
Image: University Medical Center Göttingen Scientists in Germany have succeeded in restoring hearing sensations in gerbils using flashes of light. The technique, if it can be developed for humans, could offer a more refined, high-resolution auditory experience than what can be achieved with current hearing devices such as the cochlear implant. The scientists, led by Tobias Moser, a professor of… Continue reading Device Uses Flashes of Light to Restore Hearing
How to Make an Artificial Neural Net With DNA
Illustration: Olivier Wyart An artificial neural network made of DNA can recognize numbers written using molecules, a new study finds. These new findings suggest that DNA neural networks could also recognize other patterns of molecules, such as ones signaling disease, researchers add. In artificial neural networks, components dubbed neurons are fed data and cooperate to… Continue reading How to Make an Artificial Neural Net With DNA
Jim Campbell, Electrical Engineer Turned Artist, Lights Up San Francisco’s Salesforce Tower
Photo: Jim Campbell/Boston Properties Salesforce Tower, the new skyscraper dominating San Francisco’s skyline, lit up for the first time in April. That first show was just a test, but now, every night starting at dusk, silhouettes of dancers and other images move against a bright background across the façade of the top six floors of… Continue reading Jim Campbell, Electrical Engineer Turned Artist, Lights Up San Francisco’s Salesforce Tower