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Babies are tremendous learning machines, and key advances for AI may soon be found in the architecture of their little brains. If you think an artificial intelligence model running on thousands of cutting-edge computer chips is smart, allow me to introduce you to the concept of a 1-year-old. OK, so babies might not be able to write computer programs, solve advanced math problems, or debate philosophical ideas. But unlike today's AI models, which consume an ocean's worth of training data and as much energy as a small country, babies learn to make sense of the world with amazing efficiency. They identify new objects after seeing them once or twice, and they learn through fleeting observation and physical interaction. When it comes to improving AI, babies--and the architecture of their brains--might hold crucial insights.

Speaking multiple languages may slow brain aging by up to 13 years, a new study finds. Language learning can improve attention, working memory and executive function at any age.

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How healthy is your brain? In our efforts to keep our brains healthy, how do we know what is working? It shouldn't have been difficult: 72 x 72. From the back seat, my daughter, newly confident in mental maths, wanted to check her answer. Whether it was because it was the end of the day, I was trying to park or something else, I stalled, cognitively speaking. Lately, though, I have had the sense that my brain isn't firing on all cylinders.

A large-scale clinical trial has shown that even long-term consumption of DHA--an omega-3 fatty acid found in abundance in oily fish--may not lead to improvements in cognitive function. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in abundance in oily fish such as mackerel and sardines, is thought to improve cognitive function by supporting connections between brain cells. However, it has never been conclusively demonstrated that DHA taken as a dietary supplement actually reaches the brain or provides measurable benefits against dementia . Against this backdrop, a research team at the USC School of Medicine has published the results of a large, two-year clinical trial involving older adults at elevated risk of developing Alzheimer's disease . The study found that while high-dose DHA supplements do indeed reach the brain, they did not improve memory or cognitive function, nor did they slow brain atrophy.

The US government wants to get hold of a quantum computer good enough to contribute to scientific breakthroughs in just two years. It will use it to try to accelerate the research and development of new materials, pharmaceuticals and molecules useful in agriculture and manufacturing. Once a dream of theoretical physicists, quantum computers are now undoubtedly real, but have yet to prove unambiguously useful or to have broad commercial value. Their computational power depends on their size - how many components called qubits they comprise - and how reliable they are. Existing devices are still too small and too error-prone.

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Plus: The Trump administration has asked OpenAI to limit its next model release. Scientists are trying to figure out why. It's been hot in London this week. A dangerous heat wave has hit Western Europe. On Wednesday, the UK recorded its highest ever June temperature at 36.1 C (about 97 F). But as the weather app on my phone confirmed, it 39 C. Much of Western Europe is suffering, bringing awful consequences for agriculture, infrastructure, and the health system.

Children and people with mental health disorders are especially vulnerable.