The BASIC (Beginner’s All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) programming language turned 60 on May 1. Intended to make computing accessible to a broader audience, BASIC was popular among beginner computer programmers for its use of plain English keywords. BASIC continued to evolve over the years and is still popular among retrocomputing enthusiasts. Its descendants include Microsoft’s Visual Basic, Visual Basic for Applications, and Small Basic.
More info here: Ars Technica; Benj Edwards
ACM’s 2004 A.M. Turing Award laureate Robert Kahn (pictured, center) has been awarded the 2024 IEEE Medal of Honor for his work on packet communication technologies that served as the foundation of the Internet. In the mid-1960s, Kahn wrote several reports about how to implement a network of computers, which led to him working on what would become ARPANET. Kahn also was instrumental in the development of the Transmission Control Protocol, now known as TCP/IP.
More info here: IEEE Spectrum; Tekla S. Perry
The MacroPolo think tank found that nearly half of the world’s top AI researchers come from China, up from about 33% three years ago, while only around 18% come from U.S. undergraduate institutions, essentially unchanged. Of the AI researchers working in the U.S., 37% are American, up from 31% three years ago, and 38% are from China, up from 27%. The U.S. is home to around 42% of the world’s top AI talent, down from about 59% three years ago.
More info here: The New York Times; Paul Mozur; Cade Metz
The nonprofit Team4UA collaborated with design studio Balbek Bureau and architecture firm Ars Longa on a project to build Europe’s first 3D-printed education center, and the first 3D-printed building in a war zone. Located in Lviv, Ukraine, the 3,983-sq.-ft. Project Hive was printed in 40 hours with a COBOD gantry printer, giving Lviv’s School No.23 an additional four classrooms to accommodate students displaced by the war.
More info here: CNN; Rebecca Cairns
On Pi Day (March 14), California-based data storage company Solidigm revealed that it had computationally decoded the value of pi to 105 trillion digits. The previous year, Solidigm matched the record of 100 trillion digits of pi, which was calculated by Google Cloud in 2022. The most recent calculation took about 75 days to complete and was carried out with 36 of the company’s proprietary solid-state drives that together stored approximately 1 petabyte of data.
More info here: LiveScience; Harry Baker
Mercedes-Benz is adding Apollo humanoid robots from Texas company Apptronik to its factories, the German car maker announced Friday. Apollo is 5’8″ in height, weighs 160 pounds, and can lift up to 55 pounds, according to the company’s website. Said Mercedes’ Jörg Burzer, «This is a new frontier and we want to understand the potential both for robotics and automotive manufacturing to fill labor gaps in areas such as low skill, repetitive, and physically demanding work.»
More info here: PC Magazine; Kate Irwin
Deep brain stimulation is helping Emily Hollenbeck recover from severe depression. Surgeons inserted thin metal electrodes into her subcallosal cingulate cortex, a region of the brain that regulates emotional behavior. The electrodes are connected to a device under the skin of her chest that provides constant low-voltage pulses. Occasionally, she goes into Mount Sinai’s «Q-Lab» in New York, where scientists collect data; she also provides the researchers regular brain recordings remotely.
More info here: Associated Press; Laura Ungar
An algorithm developed by University of South Florida (USF) researchers can produce 3D models of scenes behind walls, doors, and cars using the faint shadows cast by objects on nearby surfaces. The algorithm can reconstruct hidden scenes in just minutes using a single photo from a digital camera. Said USF’s John Murray-Bruce, «We live in a 3D world, so obtaining a more complete 3D picture of a scenario can be critical in several situations and applications.»
More info here: Interesting Engineering; Rizwan Choudhury
A robotic spacecraft on Thursday became the first privately built craft to touch down on the Moon’s surface, as well as the first U.S. vehicle to accomplish the feat since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. Nicknamed Odysseus and built by Houston-based space exploration company Intuitive Machines, the lander is carrying commercial cargo and NASA science instruments. It is expected to spend about a week collecting data on the moon before lunar night sets in and the probe loses power.
More info here: NBC News; Denise Chow
A wearable device developed by researchers at Taiwan’s National Tsing Hua University could allow for real-time continuous tracking of tumor size. The device, a flexible sticker that clings to the skin, transmits data to an app to monitor how well the tumor is responding to treatment. Made from soft and stretchy plastic, the device features spindle-shaped particles comprised of oxygen and hafnium that each are about 100 nanometers long. The nanoparticles rearrange and their electrical properties change as the tumor grows.
More info here: New Scientist; Karmela Padavic-Callaghan
ESPACIO DE PROGRAMACION II 