Science Chess isn't fair--so rearrange the pieces A new study suggests the standard chessboard setup needs restructuring. Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. The arrangement of the 32 pieces on a standard chess board has remained the same for centuries, but a forthcoming study suggests an overhaul is in order. Based on recent statistical calculations, the fairest and most balanced setup for both players can be found among the 960 possible starting positions popularized by former world champion Bobby Fischer over 30 years ago. The standard rules of chess grant most people a lifetime of dynamic and challenging matches, but that's not always the case for the world's best players.

World-first artificial intelligence software will target violence on public transport. Researchers from the SMART Infrastructure Facility at the University of Wollongong (UOW) are developing software that will allow existing closed circuit television cameras to automatically identify and report suspicious or violent incidents. The project was one of four winners of Transport for NSW's Safety After Dark innovation challenge. "Research into women's safety revealed that girls and women do not always feel safe participating in our city at night," the brief stated. "While many factors contribute to this, transportation was identified as an area where improvement could be made."

CCTV cameras on Sydney's heavy rail network will be augmented with artificial intelligence over the next six months to automatically detect and report suspicious and violent incidents. Transport for NSW plans to trial the technology to analyse footage captured by the cameras, as part of a new initiative to improve safety for women travelling on public transport at night. It is just one of four winning ideas from the Safety After Dark Innovation Challenge, which offered applicants equity-free seed funding and support through TfNSW's digital accelerator. Researchers from the University of Wollongong's SMART Infrastructure Facility pitched the AI software, which can automatically analyse real-time camera feeds and alert operators. "The AI will be trained to detect incidents such as people fighting, a group of agitated persons, people following someone else, and arguments or other abnormal behaviour," SMART lecturer and team lead Johan Barthelemy said.

While the use of telemedicine systems has been expanding in recent years, especially as more payers have begun reimbursing for some telehealth services, the industry is on the verge of more widespread virtual care. But what will that ultimately look like? The next generation of tools will feature enhancements ranging from chatbots, machine learning and genomics to remote diagnostic tools and better sensors. Here's a look at what to expect in the near future. Both machine learning and automation are trying to solve an inherent issue in virtual healthcare: scalability, said Roeen Roashan, senior analyst of digital health at consulting firm IHS.