Science & Technology

• Report: No Need for Ouija Board When You Can Talk to Digital Humans
  
  Andrew Kaplan might be remembered as one of the world's first "digital humans," as the 78-year-old spy novel and Hollywood script writer has agreed to become "AndyBot," a virtual person who will be immortalized in the cloud, The Washington Post reported.
• Study: Astronauts May Face Cognitive Function Deficits
  
  Chronic exposure to radiation could harm astronauts' minds and bodies on a journey to Mars, including, a recent study published in the journal ENeuro suggests.
• Report: Scientists Work on Gene Editing Human Sperm
  
  So changes can be passed on to future generations, scientists are trying to alter the DNA in human sperm, according to an NPR report.
• Intelligence Agency Using AI to Combat Opioids
  
  An external intelligence service of the federal government is using artificial intelligence to combat the opioid epidemic.The program, called SABLE SPEAR, scans millions of websites, images and other open-source material to map the drug marketplace for fentanyl and other...
• Pentagon Seeks to Use AI to Bolster Innovation, Security
  
  To construct more digitally secure vehicles, weapons systems, and other network-connected platforms much faster than it takes today, the Pentagon is looking into how artificial intelligence can help.
• Scientists Determine Number of Earth-Like Planets
  
  Scientists have figured out the number of planets in the universe that resemble Earth and orbit stars like the Sun, the Independent reports.
• Report: High Tides Flood Miami Due to Rising Sea Level
  
  Because of sea-level rise caused by human-induced climate change, a phenomenon known as "king tides" is getting worse in Miami, according to The Washington Post.
• Astronomers Using AI to Detect Fast Radio Bursts
  
  Astronomers are now using artificial intelligence to detect mysterious fast radio bursts coming from outer space.The technology was developed by Wael Farah, a doctoral student at Australia's Swinburne University of Technology.Fast radio bursts (FRB) are brief pulses of...
• Studies: Human Biases Show Up in Robots
  
  Human biases extend to robots, according to the study, "Robots And Racism," conducted by the Human Interface Technology Laboratory in New Zealand.
• FBI Looking for Tech to Monitor Social Media
  
  The Federal Bureau of Investigation is seeking a "social media early alerting tool" it can use to monitor terrorist groups, foreign intelligence services and criminal organizations on those platforms, Nextgov reports."With increased use of social media platforms by subjects...
• Report: Police Depts Ditching Facial Recognition Tech.
  
  Due to costs, privacy concerns, and limited resources, several police departments are eliminating the use of facial recognition technology, according to Defense One.
• Report: Epstein Sought to Seed Humanity With His DNA
  
  By impregnating women at his vast New Mexico ranch, accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein hoped to seed the human race with his DNA, The New York Times reported.
• Astronomers: Undetected 'City-Killer' Asteroid Barely Missed Earth
  
  A huge asteroid just missed Earth this week and wasn't noticed by astronomers until the very last minute.
• Man Who Located Titanic Wreckage Turns Focus to Finally Finding Amelia Earhart
  
  To solve the disappearance of famed aviator Amelia Earhart, the man who found the Titanic is setting sail on a new mission, according to The Washington Post.
• NASA Studies Space Gardening for Mars Trek
  
  A trip to Mars might take as long as three years roundtrip to complete, so NASA is researching how to sustainably feed its astronauts throughout the journey, including growing food in outer space, The New York Times reported."It's not like you can just run out to the...
• Report: New Army Goggles Will Allow Facial Recognition
  
  Soldiers will be able to see through a drone's eyes, aim around corners, and identify the faces of enemies in their sights with the release of a modified gamer headset under development, according to a Defense One report.
• Moon Rocks Be Damned: Conspiracy Theories Live On 50 Years After Lunar Landing
  
  Fifty years after the Apollo 11 lunar landing, the moon-hoax theory lives on.Polls show about 5% or 6% of the public believes the landing was faked, former NASA chief historian Roger Launius told the Washington Post....
• Bezos: We Need Space Exploration Because We're Destroying Earth
  
  Colonizing the moon could be the key to saving Earth, according to Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos.
• Elon Musk's Startup Wants to Thread Wires Through Your Brain to Connect to AI
  
  Despite some opposition, Elon Musk's startup Neuralink has plans to connect humans' brains directly to computers using Bluetooth-enabled implants inserted into the brain before the end of the year in an effort to create "symbiosis with artificial intelligence."
• NY Post: Swedes Trading IDs, Key Cards for Microchips
  
  So they do not have to carry IDs, key cards, and even train tickets, about 4,000 Swedish people have inserted microchips into their bodies, the New York Post reported.
• Apple Co-Founder Wozniak: 'Get Off Facebook'
  
  Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, who last year deleted his Facebook account over concerns about the social media company's troubles protecting the privacy of its users, says people should get off the platform."I worry because you're having conversations that you think are...
• Stem Cell 'Mini-Brains' Show 'Complex' Neural Activity
  
  Scientists have discovered that lab-grown "cerebral organoids" show dynamic neural activity despite having no ability to think.
• Mysterious Fast Radio Burst Traced to Galaxy Far, Far Away
  
  Researchers traced a single burst of cosmic radio waves to a galaxy several billion light-years away from Earth.
• NASA to Send Drone to Saturn's Moon for Clues on Human Origins
  
  NASA plans to send a drone named Dragonfly to Saturn's biggest moon, Titan, the agency said Thursday, announcing the space agency's latest high-profile mission to explore the solar system for clues on humanity's origins."Today I am proud to announce that our next New...
• Scientists Trying to Solve Growing Space Junk Problem
  
  Technology has contributed to the growing number of pieces of space junk orbiting the Earth and now the question is how to retrieve it safely, according to a new report.

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