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Robot Talk Episode 140 – Robot balance and agility, with Amir Patel

Robohub

Amir Patel is an Associate Professor of Robotics & AI in the Department of Computer Science at University College London (UCL). His research uses robotics methods--sensor fusion, computer vision, mechanical modelling, and optimal control--to understand and quantify animal locomotion, especially high-speed predators such as the cheetah, and to translate these insights into bio-inspired machines. Previously, he served on the faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Cape Town, where he founded and directed the African Robotics Unit (ARU). Robot Talk is a weekly podcast that explores the exciting world of robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous machines. Robot Talk is a weekly podcast that explores the exciting world of robotics, artificial intelligence and autonomous machines.


Toxic 'forever chemicals' linked to cancer now associated with major pregnancy complication

Daily Mail - Science & tech

Senator accused of steamy affair with her bodyguard in bombshell lawsuit from his WIFE: 'Bring MDMA so I can guide you' Socialite who accused playboy twins of sex attack at Hamptons'castle' is found dead in unexplained circumstances Amy Schumer's friends reveal true meaning of thin bikini pictures and why they're'monitoring her'... as depth of ex Chris Fischer's heartbreak is laid bare Hunter Biden's stripper baby mama asks for him to be ARRESTED over claims he is still failing to pay her child support Ellen Greenberg's fiancé Sam Goldberg breaks cover as feds reopen probe into her'suicide'... and late teacher's mother shares incredible sign sent from beyond the grave Nicole Richie addresses her daughter's new identity after unveiling transformation on her 18th birthday '90s Vogue model Niki Taylor looks amazing as she sizzles at age 50 for new campaign Karoline Leavitt reveals the thinking behind Trump's call to cancel elections Family of Tyler Robinson's transgender lover speaks ...


Optimization and Regularization Under Arbitrary Objectives

arXiv.org Machine Learning

This study investigates the limitations of applying Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods to arbitrary objective functions, focusing on a two-block MCMC framework which alternates between Metropolis-Hastings and Gibbs sampling. While such approaches are often considered advantageous for enabling data-driven regularization, we show that their performance critically depends on the sharpness of the employed likelihood form. By introducing a sharpness parameter and exploring alternative likelihood formulations proportional to the target objective function, we demonstrate how likelihood curvature governs both in-sample performance and the degree of regularization inferred by the training data. Empirical applications are conducted on reinforcement learning tasks: including a navigation problem and the game of tic-tac-toe. The study concludes with a separate analysis examining the implications of extreme likelihood sharpness on arbitrary objective functions stemming from the classic game of blackjack, where the first block of the two-block MCMC framework is replaced with an iterative optimization step. The resulting hybrid approach achieves performance nearly identical to the original MCMC framework, indicating that excessive likelihood sharpness effectively collapses posterior mass onto a single dominant mode.


I built this 'AI aunt' for women after family tragedy in South Africa

BBC News

I built this'AI aunt' for women after family tragedy in South Africa A gruesome killing in her own family inspired South African Leonora Tima to create a digital platform where people, mostly women, can talk about and track abuse. Leonora's relative was just 19 years old, and nine months pregnant, when she was killed, her body dumped on the side of a highway near Cape Town in 2020. I work in the development sector, so I've seen violence, Leonora says. But what stood out for me was that my family member's violent death was seen as so normal in South African society. Her death wasn't published by any news outlet because the sheer volume of these cases in our country is such that it doesn't qualify as news.