Government
Why random lines of video game dialogue get stuck in our heads
S ome snippets of video game dialogue, like classic movie quotes, are immediately recognisable to a swathe of fans. From Street Fighter's "hadouken!" to Call of Duty's "remember, no Russian" to BioShock's "would you kindly?", there are phrases so creepy, clever or cool they have slipped imperceptibly into the gaming lexicon, ensuring that whenever they're memed on social media, almost everyone gets the reference. But there are also odd little phrases, sometimes from obscure games, that stick with us for seemingly no reason. I recall most of the vocal barks from the second world war strategy game Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines, even though I haven't played it for 20 years. Why is it that I'll lose my headphones, wallet and phone on a daily basis, but I have absolute recall when it comes to the utterances of burly soldier Samuel Brooklyn?
This is the biggest sofa you can fit around a corner, according to a mathematician
Let's hope your couch is shaped like an old-fashioned telephone receiver. A graphical representation of what a real Gerver's sofa might look like. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. If you've ever struggled to squeeze a couch around a tight corner while moving into a new apartment, you'll probably find that the pure mathematics problem known as the "sofa problem" is incredibly relatable. The question seeks to find a maximum value for the area of a sofa that can slide around a 90-degree corner in a corridor of a given width.
The Download: measuring returns on R&D, and AI's creative potential
Plus: TikTok's potential new owners have deep pockets Given the draconian cuts to US federal funding for science, it's worth asking some hard-nosed money questions: How much should we be spending on R&D? How much value do we get out of such investments, anyway? To answer that, in several recent papers, economists have approached this issue in clever new ways. And, though they ask slightly different questions, their conclusions share a bottom line: R&D is, in fact, one of the better long-term investments that the government can make. This article is part of MIT Technology Review Explains, our series untangling the complex, messy world of technology to help you understand what's coming next. We've been here before . Artists and musicians are finding new ways to make art using AI, by injecting friction, challenge, and serendipity into the process.
Nvidia boss 'disappointed' by reported China chip ban
Nvidia boss'disappointed' by reported China chip ban The boss of Nvidia says he is disappointed that China has reportedly ordered its top technology companies to halt purchases of the firm's artificial intelligence (AI) chips. Jensen Huang added he would be patient in response to the move from China's internet regulator. There are a lot of places we can't go to, and that's fine, he told reporters on Wednesday. Mr Huang is one of a number of tech bosses, including Microsoft's Satya Nadella, accompanying US President Donald trump on his state visit to the UK. Nvidia - the world's leading chipmaker - had previously been banned from selling its most advanced chips to China, before Trump reversed the ban in July.
Meet the 'world's cutest sea monster': Scientists discover an adorable snailfish nearly 10,800ft underwater - as amazed viewers compare it to a Pokรฉmon
Trump claims Biden administration investigation into Turning Point tried to force Charlie Kirk'out of business' Dem-run city's iconic mall teeters on collapse as 93% of stores vacant after crime-wave causes stores to flee Extraordinary measures jail put in motion to keep Charlie Kirk assassin suspect alive: 'It's severe' Texas AG's mistress' shock new life after sex scandal was exposed Airbnb guest says he was'shaken down' for $10K after selfie inside California's viral'Invisible House' Astonishing moment Charlie Kirk's wife Erika loses Miss USA pageant to pro-trans rival... as Trump watches on Christian Brueckner walks free: Madeleine McCann chief suspect leaves prison... with prosecutors fearing he will immediately flee the country and never be seen again Psychiatrist reveals bombshell'motive' for Charlie Kirk's assassination: 'Fits the profile' The raging jealousy that destroyed Nashville's hottest young couple: 'Up to no good' Air Force One jumbo carrying Donald Trump to Britain'is involved in close encounter mid-air drama with jet on same altitude ordered to change course by frantic air controllers' Charlie Kirk's final video message is released as top conservatives prepare to speak at his memorial this weekend Dancing with the Stars descends into CHAOS: Foul-mouthed backstage rants erupt over'trainwreck' celebs... as one star goes'missing' and ugly rape allegations resurface Rapper DaBaby ignites backlash with music video depicting slain Ukrainian refugee's fatal Charlotte stabbing in controversial reenactment'Give me a f***ing break': Searing response of Elon Musk's trans daughter Vivian to my questions about Charlie Kirk's assassination... in an interview that takes a tearful turn ABC News reporter Matt Gutman blasted for hailing'very touching' texts between Charlie Kirk suspect and trans lover Meet the'world's cutest sea monster': Scientists discover an adorable snailfish nearly 10,800ft underwater - as amazed viewers compare it to a Pokรฉmon When you go this deep, you'd expect any sign of life to be pretty terrifying. So scientists were delighted to discover an adorable new species of snailfish thousands of feet below the ocean's surface. The large-eyed pink creature was first detected in 2019 by researchers who were exploring the seafloor off California using a remotely operated vehicle at a depth of 3,268m (10,722ft). They came across this individual, an adult female 9.2cm (3.6 inches) long, happily swimming along amongst the crushing pressure, frigid cold and perpetual darkness. New analysis now reveals this animal was a species previously unknown to science - and has been named the bumpy snailfish (Careproctus colliculi).
How to measure the returns on R&D spending
Forget the glorious successes of past breakthroughs--the real justification for research investment is what we get for our money. MIT Technology Review You can read more from the series here. Given the draconian cuts to US federal funding for science, including the administration's proposal to reduce the 2026 budgets of the National Institutes of Health by 40% and the National Science Foundation by 57%, it's worth asking some hard-nosed money questions: How much we be spending on R&D? How much value do we get out of such investments, anyway? To answer that, it's important to look at both successful returns and investments that went nowhere. How Trump's policies are affecting early-career scientists--in their own words Every year, we recognize extraordinary young researchers on our Innovators Under 35 list. Recent honorees told us how they're faring under the new administration.
Ben & Jerry's co-founder quits over social activism row
Ben & Jerry's co-founder quits over social activism row Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield has left the ice cream maker after almost half a century at the firm, deepening a dispute with parent company Unilever. In a letter shared on social media by fellow co-founder Ben Cohen, Mr Greenfield said the Cherry Garcia maker had lost its independence after Unilever put a halt to its social activism. His exit marks the latest episode in a row that started in 2021 when Ben & Jerry's said it would stop selling its ice cream in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. A spokesperson for The Magnum Ice Cream Company, which is being spun off from Unilever, said it was grateful to Mr Greenfield but disagreed with his stance. In his letter Mr Greenfield said leaving the firm was one of the hardest and most painful decisions he had ever made but he could no longer in good conscience work for a business that had been silenced by Unilever.
ChatGPT developing age-verification system to identify under-18 users after teen death
OpenAI will restrict how ChatGPT responds to a user it suspects is under 18. OpenAI will restrict how ChatGPT responds to a user it suspects is under 18. Sam Altman said if there is doubt the system will default to the under-18 experience putting'safety ahead of privacy and freedom for teens' OpenAI will restrict how ChatGPT responds to a user it suspects is under 18, unless that user passes the company's age estimation technology or provides ID, after legal action from the family of a 16-year-old who killed himself in April after months of conversations with the chatbot. OpenAI was prioritising "safety ahead of privacy and freedom for teens", chief executive Sam Altman said in a blog post on Tuesday, stating "minors need significant protection". The company said that the way ChatGPT responds to a 15-year-old should look different to the way it responds to an adult.
Introducing the A2AJ's Canadian Legal Data: An open-source alternative to CanLII for the era of computational law
The Access to Algorithmic Justice project (A2AJ) is an open-source alternative to the Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII). At a moment when technology promises to enable new ways of working with law, CanLII is becoming an impediment to the free access of law and access to justice movements because it restricts bulk and programmatic access to Canadian legal data. This means that Canada is staring down a digital divide: well-resourced actors have the best new technological tools and, because CanLII has disclaimed leadership, the public only gets second-rate tools. This article puts CanLII in its larger historical context and shows how long and deep efforts to democratize access to Canadian legal data are, and how often they are thwarted by private industry. We introduce the A2AJ's Canadian Legal Data project, which provides open access to over 116,000 court decisions and 5,000 statutes through multiple channels including APIs, machine learning datasets, and AI integration protocols. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate how open legal data enables courts to conduct evidence-based assessments and allows developers to create tools for practitioners serving low-income communities.