These days, many an argument over trivial questions like the year a celebrity died or when an historical event happened can be settled with a quick search on Google. But search engines could soon be used to settle more complex arguments, involving serious political debate. A group of researchers in Germany are looking into ways to use search engines to shed light on the most complex political discussions. In just seconds, digital systems should be able to evaluate millions of documents, such as online discussions on controversial topics like the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The'Robust Argumentation Machines' project has been set up by Bielefeld University in Germany.

A team led by an Indian-origin computer engineer from University of Washington has built a five-fingered robotic hand that can not only perform dexterous in-hand manipulation but also learn from its own experience without depending on humans to direct it. Hand manipulation is one of the hardest problems that roboticists have to solve. "Several robots today have pretty capable arms but the hand is as simple as a suction cup or maybe a claw or a gripper," said lead author Vikash Kumar, doctoral student in computer science and engineering. The team spent years custom building one of the most highly capable five-fingered robot hands in the world. Then they developed an accurate simulation model that enables a computer to analyse movements in real time. In their latest demonstration, they apply the model to the hardware and real-world tasks like rotating an elongated object.

Business of Software Conference is a single-track conference, every speaker, in the words of Joel Spolsky, would be, "a headline keynote at most other conferences". We build in lots of time to network, talk and learn from others. We work hard to connect you with other attendees that can help solve your challenges. Why My Second Startup is Different. Attendees are exceptional people who want to be the best they can be in their chosen career.

It's no secret that much of the wisdom of the world lies in unstructured data, or the kind that's not necessarily quantifiable and tidy. So it is in cybersecurity, and now IBM is putting Watson to work to make that knowledge more accessible. Towards that end, IBM Security on Tuesday announced a new year-long research project through which it will collaborate with eight universities to help train its Watson artificial intelligence system to tackle cybercrime. Knowledge about threats is often hidden in unstructured sources such as blogs, research reports and documentation, said Kevin Skapinetz, director of strategy for IBM Security. "Let's say tomorrow there's an article about a new type of malware, then a bunch of follow-up blogs," Skapinetz explained.

CEO and co-founder of Viv Dag Kittlaus speaks onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2016 at Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on May 9, 2016 in New York City. Apple's Siri co-creators, Dag Kittlaus and Adam Cheyer, introduced their newly designed virtual assistant AI Viv, dubbed "The Global Brain." Kittlaus and Cheyer's latest venture in artificial intelligence research proved a rewarding call as AI Viv impressed the public. AI Viv goes beyond Siri's boundaries and performs various tasks that involve third-party exchange and transactions. While Apple's virtual assistant provided reliable in referencing information from the world wide web, users hoped to eventually see more.

Picking the winner from the 20 horse field at the Kentucky Derby is hard. So hard, in fact, that no expert polled by SBNation was able to do it. That's why the holy grail at the racetrack is the Superfecta, where bettors are asked not only to pick the winner, but the second, third and fourth horses to finish the Derby. This is fiendishly difficult task that, not surprisingly, defeated every expert at Churchill Downs, where no one predicted the top four horses correctly, much less in the correct order. In the world of AI, even Bing Predicts blew it, picking only heavily favored Nyquist to win the race, but missing the other 3 picks entirely.

Artificial Intelligence is the new technology catchphrase. While nobody knows the ultimate power and the effects of AI's workings at this point, many tech startups and big corporations are investing in this technology. Tesla's Elon Musk is one of the few to raise concerns over AI. Not long ago, he famously said "AI might threaten humanity," if used in the wrong way. However, Microsoft U.K.'s Chief Envisioning Officer Dave Coplin sees AI in a totally different light.

There is no disputing the fact that robots are having an impact on jobs, whether positively or negatively for humans. With the advancements in machine learning, it is no longer routine jobs that are being highlighted of being at risk of automation. Automation in high-paying jobs may not replace humans entirely, but can cut costs and free up time for the human to focus on other aspects of their job. One such area that is showing extensive progress in automating certain roles is in the medical field, everything from diagnosing patients, taking blood, performing surgeries and mixing medications. This market snapshot looks at the automation risks that face the medical field over the next few decades and whether this automation will help or hinder the doctor's role.

Men who are not tall, dark and handsome may want to brush up on their storytelling skills. A new study has revealed males who can spin a good yarn are seen as more attractive to women. Females also perceive strong storytellers as being more important and of higher status in society. A new study has revealed males who spin a good yarn (illustrated by a stock image) are more attractive to women. Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University at Buffalo (SUNY) asked 388 students, 55 per cent of whom were women, to rate the attractiveness of a potential partner based on a written description – much as they might on an online dating site.

Pianists, surgeons, typists, gamers and baton-twirlers all learn to use their hands more skillfully as they ply their trade, but what about robots? Researchers at the University of Washington say they've developed a five-fingered robot hand that's more capable than ours, and can learn to handle objects better and better without human intervention. The ADROIT Manipulation Platform draws upon machine learning and real-world feedback to improve its performance, rather than relying on its programmers to specify its every move. "Such dynamic dexterous manipulation with free objects has never been demonstrated before even in simulation, let along the physical hardware results we have," Vikash Kumar, a UW doctoral student in computer science and engineering, told GeekWire in an email. Kumar and his colleagues discuss the project in a paper to be presented May 17 at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.