Europe
Pentagon sees quantum computing as key weapon for war in space
Top Pentagon official Michael Griffin sat down a few weeks ago with Air Force scientists at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio to discuss the future of quantum computing in the U.S. military. Griffin, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, has listed quantum computers and related applications among the Pentagon's must-do R&D investments. Quantum computing is one area where the Pentagon worries that it is playing catchup while China continues to leap ahead. The technology is being developed for many civilian applications, and the military sees it as potentially game-changing for information and space warfare. The U.S. Air Force particularly is focused on what is known as quantum information science.
Using your body to control a drone is more effective than a joystick
If you've ever been chastised for throwing your entire body around during gaming (because physically leaning into track corners definitely helps somehow), here's a bit of science-backed vindication. Researchers in Switzerland have discovered that using your torso to control a drone is far more effective than using a joystick. The team from EPFL monitored the body movements and muscular activity of 17 people, each with 19 markers placed all over their upper bodies. The participants then followed the actions of a virtual drone through simulated landscapes, via virtual reality goggles. By observing motion patterns, the scientists found that only four markers located on the torso were needed to pilot a drone through an obstacle course, and that the method outperformed joystick control in both precision and reliability.
Stunning drone footage lets you fly over the ever-growing crater at Kīlauea's summit
Breathtaking drone footage captured above Kīlauea has revealed the dramatic changes taking place as the Hawaiian volcano continues to spew ash and gas from its summit more than a month into the current eruption. The flyover mission led by the US Geological Survey and Office of Aviation Services on Thursday aimed to investigate the activity within the Halema'uma'u crater, which has been subjected to rapid changes as Kīlauea rumbles with explosions and small earthquakes. As scientists remotely explore the area using unmanned aircraft, the volcano has shown no sign of letting up; just this morning, it launched a plume 6,000 feet above sea level in yet another explosive event. Putin denies Russian interference in the U.S. election Trump repeats'zero collusion' message after meeting with Putin Kīlauea's summit has been steadily caving in as activity continues, bringing the huge pit crater down with it. The footage captured on June 13 shows how the steep crater walls have slumped in toward the center; now, scientist say the deepest part of Halema'uma'u sits at about 300 m (1,000 ft) below the crater rim.
3D printing system creates family home in France in just 54 hours
A team of researchers, scientists and engineers from France have created a 3D printed house in just a matter of hours. For the first time ever, the four-bedroom house will serve as a permanent home for a family of five. The 1,022-square-foot house, located in the northwestern French city of Nantes, only took about two days - or 54 hours - to complete. A team of researchers, scientists and engineers from France have created a 3D printed house in just a matter of hours. A team of researchers, scientists and architects designed a 3D printed house in Nantes, France.
Secretive US 'Phantom Express' hypersonic spaceplane passes key tests
A major milestone for a secretive hypersonic spaceplane the military could one day use to launch satellites at short notice have been completed. The reusable Phantom Express spaceplane will take off vertically and land horizontally, and is being built by Boeing as part of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Experimental Spaceplane program, and its engines have now passed a key test. It is hoped it will play a crucial role in future space warfare, allowing military bosses to launch satellites and replace damaged ones within hours. The reusable Phantom Express spaceplane will take off vertically and land horizontally, and is being built by Boeing as part of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Experimental Spaceplane program. The Pentagon's research arm now test-fired the new rocket engine 10 times in as many days, a critical step toward a space plane that can put satellites in orbit on a daily basis, project officials said.
Kairos buys Limerick's EmotionReader to make facial recognition diverse
Kairos snaps up EmotionReader, which can scan faces in a crowd and tell how audiences are reacting. EmotionReader, an Enterprise Ireland-backed facial recognition start-up, has been acquired by Miami-based Kairos in an undisclosed "multimillion-dollar" deal. Artificial intelligence (AI) then analyses viewer attention and emotional response, enabling media and brand owners to collect actionable insights and analytics for video. 'In our mission to fix biases in today's face recognition algorithms, we're thrilled to welcome to Kairos some of the best deep-learning talent in the world' – BRIAN BRACKEEN The company is the brainchild of Dr Padraig O'Leary and Dr Stephen Moore, and it was founded only last year. Moore, working from his Singapore base, is understood to have built an impressive R&D team in the south-east Asian country.
How Giant Accenture Learned To Run At Digital's Fast Pace
Chairman and CEO Pierre Nanterme tells Forbes how his global consulting firm discovered that being a "fast follower" suddenly became fatally slow in the age of A.I. and cloud. Q: Describe your 35 years at Accenture, because I think talking about that will be an interesting way of describing what's happened to the global economy and the Information Technology backbone of the global economy during that time. Nanterme: Accenture has changed a lot during that time, probably undergoing a new wave that drove significant changes to the business every ten years. We evolved from management consulting to systems integration and technology. Ten years after that came a new wave--outsourcing. Indeed, each reinvention of Accenture was based on the new technology waves that occurred.
AI will create as many jobs as it displaces by boosting economic growth
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related technologies are projected to create as many jobs as they displace in the UK over the next 20 years, according to new analysis by PwC. In absolute terms, around 7 million existing jobs could be displaced, but around 7.2 million could be created, giving the UK a small net jobs boost of around 0.2 million. While the overall net effect of AI on UK jobs may be broadly neutral, this varies significantly across industry sectors. The most positive effect of AI is seen in the health and social work sector, where PwC estimates that employment could increase by nearly 1 million, equivalent to around 20% of existing jobs in the sector. On the other hand, PwC estimates the number of jobs in the manufacturing sector could be reduced by around 25%, representing a net loss of nearly 700,000 jobs.
Report From PwC Says AI Won't Kill The Job Market, But Keep It Steady
The solid line in the charts represents the net effect of AI, with the bars showing the displacement and income effects.Graphic via PricewaterhouseCoopers It's impossible to say precisely how artificial intelligence will disrupt the job market, so researchers at PwC have taken a birds eye view from the top down, and pointed to the results of sweeping economic changes. Their prediction, in a new report out Tuesday, is that it'll all balance out in the end. But the rise in robots and machine-learning software will make the country more productive over the next two decades, growing at a 2% annual clip, to put nearly the same number of jobs back in the system: 7.2 million, PwC estimates. To be clear those new jobs won't involve building robots or coding AI-powered software, which will only make up around 5% of employment, says John Hawksworth, PwC's chief economist. Instead around 1.5 million, or 22%, of the new jobs will be in health and social work.
'Winners and losers' likely as report reveals impending impact of AI on jobs
Artificial Intelligence (AI) will create as many UK jobs as it replaces in the next 20 years, according to a new data. Research from professional services giant PwC suggested that AI will boost economic growth and create roles as others become redundant. However, the analysis warned that certain industries would be hit harder than others in th shifting employment landscape. While AI could displace around seven million jobs between 2017 and 2037, according to PwC's findings, it could also create 7.2 million – resulting in a net jobs boost of around 200,000 roles in the UK. Some sectors are likely to benefit more than others, particularly health (increasing 22%), scientific and technical services (16%) and education (6%).