Worlds

Neuralink on Wednesday streamed a video of its first human patient playing computer chess with his mind and talking about the brain implant making that possible.Noland Arbaugh, 29, who was left paralyzed from the shoulders down by a diving accident eight years ago, told of playing chess and the videogame "Civilization" as well as taking Japanese and French lessons by controlling a computer screen cursor with his brain. "It's crazy, it really is. It's so cool," said Arbaugh, who joked of having telepathy thanks to Elon…

Australia's Flite has announced its full 2024 range of eFoil boards, which includes a slender lightweight member of the pro-focused Ultra family. The Ultra L2 sports carbon components designed by Marc Newson, and a folding prop from Mercury Marine.The original Ultra was billed as the most extreme eFoil in the world when it was unveiled in 2021 – though the competition in this niche space is kinda limited. The company managed to shave some pounds off for last year's L model, but that's a chunky monkey compared to the new…

The news: There is a new most expensive drug ever—a gene therapy that costs as much as a Brooklyn brownstone or a Miami mansion, and more than the average person will earn in a lifetime. Lenmeldy is a gene treatment for metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) and was approved in the US on Monday. Its maker, Orchard Therapeutics, says the $4.25 million wholesale cost reflects the value the treatment has for patients and families. Why it matters:  MLD is a nerve disorder that strikes toddlers, quickly robbing them of their…

The phone or computer you’re reading this on may not be long for this world. Maybe you’ll drop it in water, or your dog will make a chew toy of it, or it’ll reach obsolescence. If you can’t repair it and have to discard it, the device will become e-waste, joining an alarmingly large mountain of defunct TVs, refrigerators, washing machines, cameras, routers, electric toothbrushes, headphones. This is “electrical and electronic equipment,” aka EEE—anything with a plug or battery. It’s increasingly out of control.As…

This new AI tool can write codes, and create software and websites. Know all about this new creation. A new AI tool has been developed which is so smart that it can write code, and create websites and software with a single prompt. This AI has been named Devin, it is the first AI software engineer. It has been created by the tech company Cognition. Devin can do almost everything. The makers have said that this AI tool is designed to work hand-in-hand with humans and not replace them. “Today we're excited to introduce…

NVIDIA’s H100 chips are used by nearly every AI company in the world to train large language models hooked into services like ChatGPT. It’s been great for business. Now, the company is ready to make those chips look terrible, announcing a next-generation platform called Blackwell.Named for David Harold Blackwell, a mathematician who specialized in game theory and statistics, NVIDIA claims Blackwell is the world’s most powerful chip, reaching speeds of 20 petaflops compared to just 4 petaflops the H100 provided. Yeah,…

New Zealand’s Lake Manapōuri is often described as the cleanest lake in the world due to its crystal clear water fed by melting glaciers that carved the lake, as well as yearly snow melt. Now the lake’s hydro-electric power station is getting even cleaner with the adoption of the world’s first flying electric hydrofoil ferry. New Zealand renewable energy company, Meridian Energy, signed an agreement with Swedish electric hydrofoil boat maker Candela that will see the new Candela P-12 electric ferry…

Image: Dudarev Mikhail (Shutterstock)New research seems to throw cold water on the Wim Hof method, an endurance training technique that intentionally exposes people to frigid temperatures. The study, a review of the scientific literature, did find some evidence that the method could have anti-inflammatory properties, but did not find strong data supporting any other supposed benefits, such as better exercise performance. - Ed Cara Read More Image: Dudarev Mikhail (Shutterstock)New research seems to throw cold water on…

A plan to build a barrier across the Mersey is starting to take shape. If it goes ahead, the ambitious project would becomes the largest tidal range facility in the world, while also offering pedestrians and cyclists safe passage across the river.Plans appear to have been floating around for a while now. Authorities in Liverpool note that first mentions date back as far as 1924, followed by reports and viability studies in the 1980s. Politician John McDonnell recently recalled that he attended his first meeting on a…

Scientists have uncovered the oldest fossilized forest, dating back 390 million years to a time when life was just getting a foothold on land. The ancient forest was made up of the first trees to ever grow on Earth – bizarre “prototype” trees that had to rip their skeletons apart in order to grow.Among the sandstone cliffs of South West England, researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Cardiff discovered a startlingly well-preserved scene: an entire fossilized forest, complete with stumps, logs, fallen branches,…