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After uncovering a unifying algorithm that links more than 20 common machine-learning approaches, researchers organized them into a 'periodic table of machine learning' that can help scientists combine elements of different methods to improve algorithms or create new ones.

If we need more evidence that our Solar System is not representative of other solar systems, take a look at BD+05 4868. It's a binary star consisting of a K-dwarf and an M-dwarf about 140 light-years away. It's not just the binary star sets the system apart from ours. A small rocky planet is so close to the primary star that it's being vaporized, leaving a trail of debris like a comet.

In a breakthrough that blends ancient design with modern materials science, researchers have developed a new class of ceramic structures that can bend under pressure -- without breaking.

The attempted creation of dire wolves could undermine conservation efforts by making people think extinct species can be revived, says the International Union for Conservation of Nature

I have long wished for my first trade book, Why Evolution is True, to be published in Arabic. That’s because many who adhere to Islam take the Qur’an literally (it’s almost a requirement) and the Qur’an is explicitly creationist, saying that Allah created the Universe in six days and that humans were created from a glob of mud.  I am unsure how often evolution is taught is universities or secondary schools in Islamic countries, but I at least wanted the evidence for evolution that I adduce in WEIT to be available to Arab-speakers.

The book was translated into Arabic by the Egyptian Translation Service, but their copyright has apparently run out, and at any rate, someone told me that the translation was now available free on the internet.

So, if you are in an Arab-speaking country, you can find the contents of WEIT here or by clicking on the title page below. You can also find the pdf here.

I was amused to see that when I translated the cover into English, it reads this way:

So be it, I am Dr. Quinn. Spread the word about this so that others can read the book, a book up to now available only in one small bookstore in Cairo, and only in a few copies (I have only one).  Certainly the original book in Arabic, as Rodney Dangerfield might say, “got no respect.”

Two commercial telecommunications facilities have been connected by a secure quantum network that used existing fibre optic cables at room temperature – a key step towards a feasible quantum internet

As humanity prepares to return to the moon, scientists also have ideas for huge lunar experiments that could revolutionise astrophysics

Scientists and space explorers have been on the hunt to determine where and how much ice is present on the Moon. Water ice would be an important resource at a future lunar base, as it could be used to support humans or be broken down to hydrogen and oxygen, key components of rocket fuel. Researchers are now using two innovative approaches to advance the search for ice on the Moon.

Researchers have identified a new material which could be used as a flexible semiconductor in wearable devices by using a technique that focuses on the manipulation of spaces between atoms in crystals.

Researchers have identified a new material which could be used as a flexible semiconductor in wearable devices by using a technique that focuses on the manipulation of spaces between atoms in crystals.

A new catalyst structure offers a potential pathway toward more cost-effective hydrogen production via water electrolysis. The material centers on mesoporous single-crystalline Co3O4 doped with atomically dispersed iridium (Ir), designed for the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

Most people generally are more concerned about the immediate risks of artificial intelligence than they are about a theoretical future in which AI threatens humanity. A new study reveals that respondents draw clear distinctions between abstract scenarios and specific tangible problems and particularly take the latter very seriously.

A research team has developed an innovative single-step laser printing technique to accelerate the manufacturing of lithium-sulfur batteries. Integrating the commonly time-consuming active materials synthesis and cathode preparation in a nanosecond-scale laser-induced conversion process, this technique is set to revolutionize the future industrial production of printable electrochemical energy storage devices.

Engineers have fabricated a metamaterial that is not only strong but also stretchy. Their new method could enable stretchable ceramics, glass, and metals, for tear-proof textiles or stretchy semiconductors.

A bacteria killing coating created by scientists has been used in trials of a new paint that can be applied to a range of surfaces to effectively kill bacteria and viruses, including difficult to kill species such as MRSA, flu and COVID-19.

Conservators and museum technicians protect precious archaeological metal objects, such as tools and weapons, with clear coatings, leaving preserved and unobstructed views of these detailed treasures. However, researchers have reported that some of the resins used for these coatings react with iron-containing metals and can cause damage. The team developed a non-invasive fluorescence imaging strategy that reveals early signs of these damaging chemical reactions and confirmed its utility on ancient artifacts.

If you haven't heard of a tardigrade before, prepare to be wowed. These clumsy, eight-legged creatures, nicknamed water bears, are about half a millimeter long and can survive practically anything: freezing temperatures, near starvation, high pressure, radiation exposure, outer space and more. Researchers took advantage of the tardigrade's nearly indestructible nature and gave the critters tiny 'tattoos' to test a microfabrication technique to build microscopic, biocompatible devices.

Engineers developed a technique to grow and peel ultrathin 'skins' of electronic material that could be used in applications such as night-vision eyewear and autonomous driving in foggy conditions.

Engineers developed a technique to grow and peel ultrathin 'skins' of electronic material that could be used in applications such as night-vision eyewear and autonomous driving in foggy conditions.

Researchers developed a machine-learning model that can predict the structures of transition states of chemical reactions in less than a second, with high accuracy. Their model could make it easier for chemists to design reactions that could generate a variety of useful compounds, such as pharmaceuticals or fuels.