Universal Translator Update

"US Intelligence seeks a universal translator for text search in any language"

How Irish Falconry Changed Language

BBC: "How Irish falconry changed language"

Human-Pig Chimeras

"First human-pig chimeras created, sparking hopes for transplantable organs — and debate"

SMOD Update

"A 466-million-year-old space collision is still raining shrapnel on Earth":

[T]he debris from that 466-million-year-old breakup continued to fall. And fall. And fall. Even now, they make up the largest group of meteorites that land on Earth.

“That collision cascade” — the series of smaller smashes and crashes that followed the initial breakup — “had consequences that are still felt today,” said Philipp Heck, a cosmochemist at the University of Chicago and curator of meteorites for the Field Museum.

Beer Yoga

"'Beer yoga' is a thing, now, and it's going international".

(Via D.M., who says, "Finally, Yoga for Real Americans!")

Robotic Eye Surgery

"The Tiny Robots Revolutionizing Eye Surgery". (Via H.R.)

Survivalism For The Super-Rich

"Doomsday Prep for the Super-Rich: Some of the wealthiest people in America—in Silicon Valley, New York, and beyond—are getting ready for the crackup of civilization"

Baby MRI

"This Mini-MRI Scanner For Newborns is Ridiculously Cute". (Via H.R.)

Your Appendix May Not Be Useless After All

"Your Appendix May Not Be Useless After All"

Pixar Easter Eggs Unveiled

"Disney mapped out all the Easter eggs that connect its most beloved Pixar movies":

Dogged Pixar fans, who spotted clues on their own, like the Pizza Planet truck from Toy Story in the background of A Bug’s Life or a Nemo toy in Monsters Inc., had speculated for years about whether the movies were all secretly linked...

College E-Sports

"Big Ten Universities Entering a New Realm: E-Sports"

Capturing Shockwave From Light

"Superfast Camera Sees Shockwave From Light"

[Off Topic] Scenes From the Denver Women's March

[Off Topic] I have a post for Ari Armstrong's Freedom Outlook website, on my thoughts and photographs from the Denver Women's March this past weekend: "A Liberty Activist Reflects on the Denver Trump Protest".

AI Bootstrap Update

"AI Software Learns to Make AI Software". (Via F.G.)

Japanese Toilet UI

"Japanese Toilet Industry to Simplify Controls for Confusing High-Tech Toilets":

The move is meant to lessen confusion among users of the company’s products, in particular on the part of foreign tourists. Japan is currently preparing for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, which are set to be held in Tokyo. The new standardized list of images and their actions include: large flush, small flush, lift the lid, lift the seat, dryer, bidet, washer, and stop.

Laser Weapon Update

"Laser Weapons Will Turn Earth's Atmosphere into Lenses, Deflector Shields". (Via H.R.)

Neuroskepticism Update

Neuroskeptic: "What Can fMRI Tell Us About Mental Illness?". (Via Debby Witt.)

First Driverless Electric Shuttle In Las Vegas

"Driverless electric shuttle being tested in downtown Vegas". (Via H.R.)

Fluid Dynamics And Crowds

"How Fluid Dynamics Can Help You Navigate Crowds"

Light Posting

Admin note: Due to personal obligations, posting may be light for the rest of the week.

3D Forms of Graphene

"A team of engineers at MIT has successfully designed a new 3D material with five percent the density of steel and ten times the strength, making it one of the strongest lightweight materials known."

MIT And Exoplanets

MIT: "Exoplanets and the Search for Habitable Worlds"