Robots made from tree branches; The epic migration of an arctic fox; Transformative collaborative telepresence is on the horizon; Theoretical math for actual dollars; The perpetual debate between bitcoin and gold
Independence Day Edition
Happy Independence Day to those of you who are reading this in America!
pixabay license: source.
Links and micro-summaries from my 1000+ daily headlines. I filter them so you don't have to.
- Robots Made Out of Branches Use Deep Learning to Walk - Robotic technology that's made from whatever happens to be laying around might be less efficient than highly specialized hardware, but it has the advantage that it can be created locally, wherever there's a need. These robots are trained using simulations and some hand-tuning to avoid motions that would be particularly damaging to the mechanisms.
Here is a video:
Scientists 'speechless' at Arctic fox's epic trek - After fitting an arctic fox with a tracking device, scientists were amazed to see her make a journey across the arctic ice from Norway's Svalbard Island all the way to Ellesmere Island, in Canada. The 2,000 mile journey was impressive enough, but scientists were especially surprised that she completed it in just 76 days. Here is an animated map showing the 2-legged journey. h/t RealClear Science
Collaborative Telepresence Could Render Distance (Relatively) Meaningless - The confluence of augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), 5G wireless network technologies, predictive AI, and advances in tactile robotics means that the promise of next-generation virtual collaborations that seem like participants are physically co-located is becoming feasible. This will be a boon for everyone from families who want to spend time together to health care providers who will be able to see patients from remote locations, as if they were local. According to the article, the capability is on the verge of becoming transformative within 3-5 years.
If You Solve This Math Problem, You Could Steal All the Bitcoin in the World - In complexity theory, P is the class of problems that are solvable in polynomial time, and NP is the set of problems whose solution can be verified in polynomial time. It is an open question as to whether the two sets are the same. For example, using known algorithms, it is computationally difficult to find factors of a large number, but easy to verify the factors. If someone can prove that NP and P are the same, and implement fast solutions to NP problems, they could use it to hack bitcoin's proof of work algorithm and make off with the loot. More traditionally, there is a million dollar prize for solving this problem.
STEEM The Drama Of Bitcoin Vs Gold Has Been An Enduring Subject Since Liberty Lovers First Discovered Bitcoin. - @hilarski comments on a recent dust-up in social media debating the relative merits of bitcoins vs. gold. He quotes some of the contestants in the debate, then points out that the debate is as old as bitcoin, itself, and finally offers his own opinion that bitcoin and gold are both improvements over fiat currency. (@hilarski will receive 5% of the rewards from this post.)
In order to help make Steem the go to place for timely information on diverse topics, I invite you to discuss any of these links in the comments and/or your own response post.
For example, feel free to comment on any or all of these discussion topics:
- Can you imagine any practical cases where robots that are made from whatever happens to be available would be more useful than robots made from finely tuned hardware?
- In your own life, what practical use would you have for a telepresence technology with the actual feel of co-location?
- Do you think that P == NP? When do you think the answer will be proved?
- What are your thoughts on the bitcoin vs. gold debate?
About this series
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