181
Ten advances in mathematics and theoretical computer science
OpenAI shares new results on long-standing open problems in mathematics and theoretical computer science, including advances in geometry, cryptography, and complexity.
Most cited
Posts that commenters keep linking to, ranked by how many different people have cited them in Hacker News comments. 258 posts.
182
Extracting audio from visual information
Algorithm recovers speech from the vibrations of a potato-chip bag filmed through soundproof glass.
183
ACM Transitions to Full Open Access
Open Access Publication & ACM
184
185
Weather forecasts have become more accurate
A four-day forecast today is as accurate as a one-day forecast 30 years ago.
186
To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as reading language
MIT neuroscientists have found reading computer code does not rely on the regions of the brain involved in language processing. Instead, it activates the “multiple demand network,” which is also recruited for complex cognitive tasks such as solving math problems or crossword puzzles.
187
Desalination system could produce freshwater that is cheaper than tap water
A new solar desalination system takes in saltwater and heats it with natural sunlight. The system flushes out accumulated salt, so replacement parts aren’t needed often, meaning the system could potentially produce drinking water that is cheaper than tap water.
188
189
Wildfire restored a Yosemite watershed
Half a century of allowing lightning fires to burn in Yosemite’s Illilouette Creek Basin has recreated a lost forest ecosystem that is far more resilient to the impacts of drought, wildfire and climate change
190
An old patent inspired the new "Y-zipper", a three-sided fastener
A new system developed at MIT CSAIL helps users design three-sided fasteners called “Y-zippers,” then 3D prints them. The devices can be attached or embedded to camping equipment, medical gear, robots, and art installations, seamlessly switching each item between soft and rigid.
191
Open access to ACM Digital Library during coronavirus pandemic
For the next 3 months, through 6/30/20, ACM is making all work published by ACM in the ACM Digital Library freely accessible.
192
I Survived the “Destroying Angel” (2006)
This memoir of a near-fatal mushroom poisoning was written by our most fortunate guest, Richard Eshelman. Happy Thanksgiving, all.
193
194
Reports of the death of dental cavities are greatly exaggerated
If I asked you to name the most common chronic disease in children, what would you say? Asthma comes top of mind, but there is something five times more common in kids: cavities. We don’t typically think of dental cavities as a chronic disease—in part because of the separation between medicine and dentistry—but it is…
195
Covid and the Heart: It Spares No One – Johns Hopkins
New evidence suggests anyone infected with COVID is at higher risk for heart issues—a risk that persists even in relatively healthy people long after the illness has passed.
196
Adversarial Collaboration
[EDITOR'S NOTE: In marking this year's 25th anniversary of Edge , we are presenting original lectures from eminent scientists and other thinkers in the empirical world who are changing the way we think about science and our place in the world.]
197
MINERVA-II1: Successful image capture, landing on Ryugu and hop
MINERVA-II1: Successful image capture, landing on Ryugu and hop!
198
199
Scott Aaronson on Google’s new quantum-computing paper
MIT professor Scott Aaronson discusses new Google experiments that suggest the D-Wave computer exploits quantum phenomena.
200
The Science of Word Recognition
Reviews the history of why psychologists moved from a word shape model of word recognition to a letter recognition model.
201
The Fourth Quadrant: a Map of the Limits of Statistics (by Nassim Nicholas Taleb)
Statistical and applied probabilistic knowledge is the core of knowledge; statistics is what tells you if something is true, false, or merely anecdotal; it is the "logic of science"; it is the instrument of risk-taking; it is the applied tools of epistemology; you can't be a modern intellectual and not think…
202
203
Elon Musk on How to Build the Future
How To Build The Future: Elon Musk discusses what high value ideas people should work on today and what's important for future of the humanity, including artificial intelligence and genetics.
204
AlphaFold 3 predicts the structure and interactions of life's molecules
Our new AI model AlphaFold 3 can predict the structure and interactions of all life’s molecules with unprecedented accuracy.
205
FAA approves unleaded fuel for piston fleet
The FAA delivered September 1 the long-sought approval of an unleaded fuel now cleared to power every spark-ignition engine on any airframe in the general aviation fleet.
206
GPT-5.2 derives a new result in theoretical physics
A new preprint shows GPT-5.2 proposing a new formula for a gluon amplitude, later formally proved and verified by OpenAI and academic collaborators.
207
Reversing hearing loss with regenerative therapy
The MIT spinout Frequency Therapeutics uses a new kind of druggable regenerative therapy that targets progenitor cells to create hair cells of the inner ear and reverse hearing loss.
208
ESO Telescopes Observe First Light from Gravitational Wave Source
ESO’s fleet of telescopes in Chile have detected the first visible counterpart to a gravitational wave source. These historic observations suggest that this unique object is the result of the merger of two neutron stars. The cataclysmic aftermaths of this kind of merger — long-predicted events called kilonovae …
209
Electric vehicle battery prices are falling faster than expected
We harness every resource, insight, relationship, and competitive advantage to drive superior results for our clients.
210
It’s raining PFAS: rainwater is unsafe to drink even in Antarctica and Tibet
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made hazardous chemicals that are spread globally in the atmosphere and as a result they can be found in the rainwater and snow in even the most remote locations on Earth. During the last 20 years, guideline values for PFAS in drinking water, surface waters and soils…