Dear Readers,
As our streets get filled with the fallen leaves and we brace for summers, we bring to you the seventh edition of our newsletter. This edition takes you on a journey through the invisible backdoors to the multiverse of possibilities and introduces you to the Game of Life.
3 Reading Recommendations
- Are you ready for a jaw-dropping story? It’s about how some computer whizzes planted secret codes in AI models that can do anything they want without anyone knowing. These codes are called backdoors, and they are as secure as the best encryption methods out there. No one can find them or stop them unless they have the key. The code-makers say they did this to show how vulnerable AI models are and how we need to be more careful about who we trust with our data and decisions. But we wonder: what if someone uses these backdoors for evil? How can we protect ourselves from these invisible threats? This story is like a spy thriller, but it’s real and it’s happening right now. | Cryptographers Show How to Hide Invisible Backdoors in AI.
- The universe never ceases to amaze us, and just when we thought we had it all figured out, a new discovery has completely upended our understanding of galactic formation. In a groundbreaking new study published in Nature, researchers have announced the discovery of not one, not two, but possibly six galaxies that date back as far as 500 million years after the Big Bang, containing populations of tens or even hundreds of billions of stars. These galaxies are thought to have formed at a time when the universe was just a fraction of its current age, and they defy our current understanding of how quickly galaxies can form and mature. If confirmed, this discovery will have profound implications for our understanding of cosmology and the origins of the universe. With follow-up observations planned, the mystery of these galactic giants is sure to keep astronomers busy for years to come. | The Webb Telescope Spots Six Galaxies That Shouldn't Exist.
- British scientists have developed a wrist bracelet that can help people with Tourette’s Syndrome control their tics. The device, called Neupulse, stimulates a nerve in the arm with electrical pulses that calm down the brain’s movement signals. A trial of 121 people showed that using the device for 15 minutes a day for a month reduced their tic severity by more than 35 per cent. The device could improve the quality of life for many people with Tourette’s, a condition that causes involuntary sounds and movements. | Tourette’s bracelet reduces tics by more than a quarter.
1 Mathematical Concept to Ponder Upon
The Game of Life is not like any other game you have played before. It is a zero-player game, which means that you don't need to make any moves or decisions. All you need to do is set up an initial pattern of cells on a grid, and then watch how they evolve according to some simple rules. With only a simple set of rules applied simultaneously to every cell on a grid, the result is a complex and unpredictable pattern of life and death that can produce amazing shapes and behaviors. The Game of Life is not only fun to watch, but also very educational. It shows how simple rules can lead to complex phenomena that resemble real-life processes such as growth, development, evolution, and self-replication. It also challenges us to think creatively and mathematically about patterns and possibilities. See the hypnotizing visuals here | The Lasting Lessons of John Conway’s Game of Life.
1 Crazy Idea Picking Up Steam
Ubicept, a new startup from the MIT Media Lab, is shaking up the world of computer vision with an innovative approach that could make everything we know about it obsolete. Instead of relying on still images or video frames, Ubicept analyzes the direct data stream from cameras in real-time using a single photon avalanche diode array (SPAD array). By doing away with the idea of frames, Ubicept believes they can create faster and more reliable computer vision systems that could revolutionize industries such as autonomous driving and industrial quality control. With plans to have their technology in at least 10% of cameras within five years and 50% within ten years, this is a game-changing innovation that could change the future of computer vision as we know it. | Everything you know about computer vision could soon be wrong
1 Tech in Pop-Culture
Spoiler Alert: What if you could live different lives in different universes? How would your choices shape your destiny and your relationships? These are the intriguing questions that the Oscar-winning movie Everything Everywhere All at Once explores with creativity and emotion. The movie stars Michelle Yeoh as a woman who can access the multiverse and experience diverse realities with her daughter. In this fascinating article, you will learn more about the movie and its scientific foundation from a quantum physicist who helped devise Marvel’s multiverse. You will also discover the meaning behind the movie name and the phenomenon of quantum superposition. Whether you are curious about the possibility of the multiverse or just want to understand it better, this article will give you an insightful perspective on one of the most captivating ideas in science and fiction. | What is the multiverse? Everything Everywhere All at Once, explained by a quantum physicist - Vox.
