A 14th century trickster tale was misread as fact. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Misinformation surrounding COVID-19 is still a major problem more than five years after its emergence. Even after hundreds of years, our understanding of the Black Death () remains clouded by false narratives. In a study recently published in the, historians at the UK's University of Exeter argue the infamous plague likely didn't move across the continent as quickly as many experts thought.

Perplexity AI logo is seen in this illustration taken on 4 January 2024. Perplexity AI logo is seen in this illustration taken on 4 January 2024. Amazon sues AI startup over browser's automated shopping and buying feature Amazon sued a prominent artificial intelligence startup on Tuesday over a shopping feature in the company's browser, which can automate placing orders for users. Amazon accused Perplexity AI of covertly accessing customer accounts and disguising AI activity as human browsing. "Perplexity's misconduct must end," Amazon's lawyers wrote.

Generations in Dialogue: Bridging Perspectives in AI is a new podcast from AAAI featuring thought-provoking discussions between AI experts, practitioners, and enthusiasts from different age groups and backgrounds. Each episode delves into how generational experiences shape views on AI, exploring the challenges, opportunities, and ethical considerations that come with the advancement of this transformative technology. In the first episode of this new series from AAAI, host Ella Lan chats to Professor Manuela Veloso about her research journey and path into AI, the history and evolution of AI research, inter-generational collaborations, teamwork, AI to assist humans, AI in finance, advice for early-career researchers, and her excitement about connecting human knowledge with computers. Manuela Veloso is a renowned computer scientist and a pioneer in artificial intelligence, with influential work in multi-agent systems, robotics, and human-AI collaboration. She is currently the Head of AI Research at JPMorgan Chase, where she leads efforts to integrate AI into financial services.

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Many of us have downloaded mindfulness apps like Headspace or Calm, and have probably benefited from spending 10 minutes each day focusing on our breathing. But reducing stress and softening the sharper edges of anxiety in this way are beginners' steps when it comes to the practice of meditation. Put in the hours, though, and you may well reach the deep end: a place where radical, long-lasting upgrades to how you feel and what you experience are possible. This reality has long been known by full-time contemplatives spending their lives in monasteries and caves. Now, these mental transformations are being examined and understood by neuroscientists at world-leading institutions.

New research finds that walking just 3,000 to 5,000 steps per day slows tau protein buildup and delays Alzheimer's-related brain changes in at-risk older adults.

As winter approaches and daylight saving time has ended, many people are bracing themselves for shorter days, colder weather and what's often dismissed as the "winter blues ." But these seasonal shifts are more than a passing inconvenience, and can disrupt people's energy, moods and daily routines . Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a condition that heightens depressive symptoms during the fall and winter months, while the "winter blues" refers to a milder, temporary dip in mood. Although the exact cause of SAD remains unclear, it's thought to be linked to reduced exposure to natural light during the fall and winter, which can disrupt our circadian rhythm. Lower light levels affect brain chemistry by reducing serotonin -- a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep and appetite -- while keeping melatonin elevated during daylight hours, leading to sleepiness and fatigue.

A nd so Fortnite has done it again. Over the past five years, developer Epic Games maintained the relevance and awareness of its ageing online shooter by churning out pop culture collaborations, from Marvel to John Wick to Sabrina Carpenter. For limited periods, players get to take part in the game as their favourite movie characters and music artists, an arrangement that provides refreshed audience numbers for the game - and a tidy revenue stream for the brands. This month, the Fortnite island has become a miniature Springfield, complete with popular characters and well-known locations. If you want to play as Homer and shoot up Moe's Tavern, you can.

A robot searching for workers trapped in a partially collapsed mine shaft must rapidly generate a map of the scene and identify its location within that scene as it navigates the treacherous terrain. Researchers have recently started building powerful machine-learning models to perform this complex task using only images from the robot's onboard cameras, but even the best models can only process a few images at a time. In a real-world disaster where every second counts, a search-and-rescue robot would need to quickly traverse large areas and process thousands of images to complete its mission. To overcome this problem, MIT researchers drew on ideas from both recent artificial intelligence vision models and classical computer vision to develop a new system that can process an arbitrary number of images. Their system accurately generates 3D maps of complicated scenes like a crowded office corridor in a matter of seconds.

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Humans don't need to blast off into space to find some truly alien-looking wonders. The deepest depths of our ocean are like another planet, teeming with the charismatic "Casper" octopus, the carnivorous (aka the flying spaghetti monster), and even some sharks . A team from Kumamoto University in Japan recently uncovered a deep-sea anemone that has a tight bond with hermit crabs. These wispy pink invertebrates build shell-like "homes" for the crabs.