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You are here: Home / Archives for Amanda Lane

DeepMind’s AlphaGo Zero Achieved Unthinkable Results as Go Champion

October 22, 2017 By Amanda Lane Leave a Comment

go game

Google acquired the British AI company DeepMind back in 2014 to stay ahead of this flourishing tech field. Their biggest achievement so far is the AlphaGo Zero, a digital Go champion.

The bot is already famous due to its matches against two world champions in Go which it won in 2016.  However, Google now claims that the AI has achieved so much in the last year, that it devised innovative strategies by itself that humans have never thought of before.

AlphaGo Zero Needed only 40 Days to Become a Go Champion with No Preloaded Information about Chinese Chess

Go is a Chinese type of chess that has a 2,500-year old history. Two players compete against each other by surrounding more territory than the other can. The board game uses abstract strategies, and it is said that there are more possibilities of playing it than the number of atoms that exist in the visible universe.

AlphaGo Zero started to play the game from scratch. It wasn’t aware of all the strategies that were created along the 2,500-year old history of this type of chess.

Nonetheless, after only three days of studying it, DeepMind’s bot defeated AlphaGo Lee. This is an AI that previously beat world champion Lee Sedol last year. After 40 days of learning, AlphaGo brought all AI programs versed in Go to their knees.

DeepMind Team Intends to Assign the Bot Other Challenges to Improve Human Knowledge

Lead researcher of the AlphaGo project, David Silver, announced the latest updates on this artificial intelligence last week. He reiterated that the bot has never received tips on how humans play Go from creators. Instead, it learned them by itself.

However, as of lately the bot stopped using these ancient techniques that once mastered can bring prestige to a person. However, the bot replaced them with its own improved versions. No human has ever used these strategies in any recorded game.

“For us, the idea of AlphaGo is not to go out and defeat humans, but… for a program to be able to learn for itself what knowledge is.”

Now that the bot proved that it could become a world Go champion in one year and be able to come up with its own unbeatable solutions, DeepMind has other plans for it. Researchers intend to put AlphaGo Zero to other uses that can better serve humanity. Google wants the bot to contribute to human knowledge with its own input.

Image source: 1

Filed Under: Technology

Woman Received Volkswagen Car for One Legendary Szechuan Sauce Pack from McDonald’s

October 14, 2017 By Amanda Lane Leave a Comment

marketing stunt for rick and morty

How much is a 2004 Volkswagen GTI worth these days? The right answer is a few inches of a legendary Szechuan sauce pack. This trade was possible due to TV series Rick and Morty and the fandom that grew around it.

McDonald’s took advantage of a scene from this show where Rick references a long-gone sauce from this chain of restaurants. The trick was to launch only a limited number of such packs. This is how a young woman came in possession of a Volkswagen car in exchange for a small quantity of edible product with added pop culture references.

The Controversial McDonald’s Product Was a Small Part of Marketing Efforts for the Launch of Mulan Movie

The controversial McDonald’s sauce has a history that outstretches the year of 2017. Actually, the story begins in 1998, when McDonald’s planned a marketing strategy with Disney. Together, they wanted to promote the launch of movie Mulan.

Therefore, the company retailed a limited number of packs with a special teriyaki-flavored dipping sauce. The product was known as the Szechuan sauce. However, its presence faded away together with the hype for the Disney movie.

Rachel Marie from Macomb Traded One of the One-Day Revived Sauce Pack for a Volkswagen Car

After 19 years of falling into oblivion, the memory of this sauce is revived on TV during the Rick and Morty unannounced first episode of Season 3. This is where the lead villain of the show, Rick, explains why he is up to mischief. He gives a 30-second speech on how all his actions were influenced by his need for Szechuan sauce from McDonald’s.

Therefore, the company got an unexpected and unasked-for marketing opportunity. Following the season premiere, McDonald’s revived the much-acclaimed sauce for a day.

The true fandom of the Rick and Morty fandom showed its face when people waited for hours in line for this referenced product. Many of them were disappointed when they couldn’t get their hands on a single pack of sauce.

The lucky possessors of a pack of legendary Szechuan sauce started auction their asset for money. However, one lucky woman received more than she bargained for. Rachel Marie from Macomb, Mich., was looking for a sauce exchange for a collection of pins. Instead, she accepted to become the owner of a red 2004 Volkswagen GTI.

Image source: 1

Filed Under: Business & Financials

Amazon Might Soon Sell Prescription Drugs Online

October 9, 2017 By Amanda Lane Leave a Comment

pile of pillsRetail behemoth Amazon.com Inc. is reportedly in its homestretch in a historic decision. The company is taking the necessary steps to enter the billion-dollar industry of pharmaceuticals. Amazon customers might sooner than they think get to purchase their prescription drugs online. There are high chances the company is going to promote aggressive price tiers.

Amazon Executives Have until Thanksgiving to Decide Whether or Not to Enter the Big Pharma World

According to an internal email that circulated Amazon headquarters, the company has big plans ahead. Executives are currently considering the idea of entering the pharmaceutical market or not. They have until Thanksgiving to reach a conclusion. However, given the company’s ambition to become an online one-stop shopping hub, Amazon might have small chances to resist such a temptation.

Several reports pointed out that the U.S. market for prescription drugs is worth $560 billion per year. No Amazon spokesperson commented on the news, yet it is known that the retailer crunches the numbers for years before taking a plunge.

Over the past years, executives left signs behind of collaborating with industry expert. They asked for input on a possible new Amazon channel within the pharmaceutical market. For instance, Eric French reportedly recruited professionals for a new project with the code name of “healthcare.” French is the grocery and Pantry chef at Amazon.

Amazon Customers Might Have to Wait for Years before Buying Prescription Drugs Online

A few months ago, it was reported that Mark Lyons from health insurance firm Premera Blue Cross became part of Amazon team. His task was to put together a management project for an internal pharmacy. Only employees had clearance to buy prescription drugs from this source. It is possible that Amazon will consider the success of this internal project as a decisive point in launching its own pharmacy business.

Even though the Thanksgiving deadline receives a favorable decision, it can be a long time before Amazon becomes a new leading name in the big pharma world. There is a long way to go between toying with a business idea and entering a new market. Therefore, it can take up to two years for Amazon to make the news public.

Image source: 1

Filed Under: Business & Financials

Just Two Genes Can Create The Patterns On The Wings Of Butterflies

September 20, 2017 By Amanda Lane Leave a Comment

two genes cause the patterns on the wings of a monarch butterfly on fennel

The patterns and colors on a butterfly’s wings are generated by just two genes.

For many years, the colorful and intricate patterns on the wings of butterflies were thought by scientists to be controlled by many genes. This was believed because of their complexity and vast amounts of variation. But now, entomologists believe that just two genes control the vast array of colors found in a butterfly’s wings. This conclusion was reached thanks to research done with the famous, pioneering, and controversial CRISPR technique.

The Two Genes, a Genetic Master Switch for the Colors and Patterns

One of the two studies on the matter, both published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was conducted by Bob Reed, an evolutionary development biologist, and an international team of scientists based at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The team first looked at the much beloved and very endangered monarch butterfly. It then moved on to several other species, and their findings helped confirm the initial study results.

Within the DNA of the butterflies, just two complementary genes called WntA and optix seemed to handle most of the outward expression of the patterns and colors on the wings of the butterflies. These two genes appear to be the so-called “adaptive hotspots”. This means that their expression is affected by the butterfly’s environment.

Such adaptations allow the insect to better mask itself within whatever field of wildflowers or bush, for example, it might be happening to live in or pass by.

“The two different genes are complementary. They are painting genes specialized, in a way, for making patterns,” states Arnaud Martin, the lead author of the other study and a developmental biologist at the George Washington University.

Whenever the scientists turned off the WntA gene, boundaries and shapes in the wing patterns became less vibrant. The dark contouring of the monarch’s wing, for example, faded to a pale gray.

When they turned off the optix, the colors in the center of the wings disappeared almost entirely. Butterflies with typically bright red and yellow wings turned out gray and brown.

However, altering this gene in bland species led to the exact opposite effect. In the Junonia coenia, for example, it resulted in the appearance of bright blue spots. The results seem to indicate that the optix gene may be about more than just pigmentation, as it might even have a role in other physical expressions as well.

Image Source: Wikimedia

Filed Under: Nature

Elephants Adapted Daily Routine to Avoid Poachers Active in Ivory Trade

September 14, 2017 By Amanda Lane Leave a Comment

african elephants
Numerous cultures came to value Ivory tusks as quality material in art and manufacturing. People have also linked certain health advantages to its organic composition. Unfortunately, such a market trend proved to be detrimental to the well-being of different populations of animals such as hippopotamus, mammoth, narwhal or walrus. However, the ivory trade affected African and Asian elephants most by far. Researchers observed that the smart animals adapted their daily routine to escape from the greedy hands of poachers.

Researchers Tracked Elephant and Poacher Activity in Real Time

Usually, elephants like many other types of herds are extremely strict when it comes to their routine. They used to look for food in broad daylight and use the benefit of bright light to migrate. For rest times, they take advantage of the cover of darkness to sleep a few hours while still standing on their feet.

However, researchers started noticing sudden shifts in elephants’ behavior. This event coincided with the rise of global trade in ivory. This perpetual hunt for their tusk led them to praise nocturnal behavior better. Therefore, the giant mammals are now traveling under the protection of the night. During daytime, they rest in hiding places.

Festus Ihwagi is yet to publish his study. Nonetheless, he announced some pretty insightful findings. The researcher at the University of Twente in the Netherlands tracked down 50 members of a herd through GPS devices for ten years starting with 2002.

The study covered the entire period of the poaching crisis. He collaborated with NGO Save the Elephants and Kenya Wildlife Service which helped him monitor every move of 28 females and 32 males around the Laikipia-Samburu environment.

Researchers kept track of when exactly elephants migrated the most in 24 hours. Another set of data was withdrawn from the Illegal Killing of Elephant database and regarded poachers’ highly active hours during the day and night.

The Ivory Trade Led Elephants to Turn into Nocturnal Mammals

This is how they found out that poachers still preferred to start their illegal activities during the day. On the other hand, GPS trackers signaled how elephants started to increase their nocturnal migration. This way, elephants showed that they fear humans more than any other predators.

Their adapted behavior might save elephants from poachers, but they face greater threats at night. Lions and hyenas have excellent night time vision that makes it easy for them to hunt young calves as they are not hiding at night any longer. In the past decade, the ivory trade reduced the elephant populations from 415,000 members to only 111,000.
Image source: 1

Filed Under: Science

The Reason Why Google Dedicated Doodle to Pioneering Chemist Sir John Cornforth

September 8, 2017 By Amanda Lane Leave a Comment

chemistry bottles
Google made it a habit of creating unique doodles with its logo inspired by worldwide events and celebrations. However, soon afterward users were hooked on the smart mechanisms and visuals behind this tradition. Therefore, the company took advantage of this earned momentum to promote personalities and other noteworthy concepts. The latest doodle celebrated the 100th birthday of a pioneering chemist. This is about Sir John Cornforth.

Cornforth Didn’t Allow His Deafness to Impair His Academical Career

Sir John ‘Warcup’ Cornforth was an Australian-British scientist who broke new ground in the field of chemistry. Thanks to his life achievements, Google created a doodle to celebrate him as part of the long line of prominent characters and events that pertain to the history of the world.

The most noteworthy detail regarding Cornforth’s personal life is losing his hearing incrementally. At the age of 20, he was completely deaf. While some people would have given up their dreams at this point, Cornforth proved that his love for science was greater than the hurtful challenges of life.

Therefore, he didn’t give up on his higher education. As he wasn’t able to hear the lectures anymore at his University of Sydney, he withdrew to his chamber to study the textbooks on his own. Eventually, he managed to graduate in 1937 as the first of his class.

Cornforth Became a Pioneering Chemist When He Started Experimenting in the Field of Enzymes

Cornforth received a medal for academic excellence. Afterwards, he moved to England together with his wife where they both received scholarships to continue their studies at Oxford.

During the World War II, Cornforth focused on purifying and concentrating penicillin which was a vital drug for treating soldiers of the British Army. However, his most significant work that elevated him to the level of a pioneering chemist was within the field of enzymes.

Cornforth started experiments at Shell’s Milstead Laboratory of Chemical Enzymology. He eventually managed to replace hydrogen atoms with enzymes that trigger a change in compounds. His work brought him the Nobel Prize in 1975 and aided subsequent scientists in developing cholesterol-lowering medicine that helped millions of patients.
Image source: 1

Filed Under: Science

Overwatch Makes the First Drastic Character Change with Mercy

August 27, 2017 By Amanda Lane Leave a Comment

overwatch character
Swiss doctor Angela Ziegler provided Blizzard Entertainment developers great assistance in their creation of first-person shooter Overwatch. As a gesture of gratitude, the team created an entire character based on this professional that players know as Mercy. However, the Overwatch doctor used to lack the exhilarating skills which constrained players to a more passive game strategy while their colleagues were high on adrenaline. However, Blizzard announced that the first drastic character change would start with Mercy.

Mercy’s Resurrect Skill Is Now a Standard Ability that Can Help One Teammate at a Time

Blizzard worked on a new PTC patch that was destined to change the Mercy character completely. While extremely useful, few players would actually opt for this healing hero as they were limited to a rather boring game strategy. Mercy had to hide a lot to boost the health status of her colleagues while avoiding any direct confrontation with the enemies.

However, Blizzard considered that it is time to replace Mercy’s Ultimate completely. This is the first drastic character change the company ever created for Overwatch. Resurrect skill was promoted to a standard ability while something more magnificent took its place.

However, Mercy can now resurrect only one teammate at a time and only as long as it is within five meters from her. The ability will become active again within 30 seconds. On the other hand, it will no longer grant the player invulnerability while casting.

The First Drastic Character Change for Overwatch Replaced the Ultimate Completely

The replacement for the ultimate skill is called Valkyrie which externalizes the power of Mercy’s suit towards her enemies. The new Ultimate now works on a multitude of fields. It generally grants 20 seconds of buffs for both weapons and abilities. Once active, the Caduceus Staff will heal all allies in the proximity of the target. On top of that, the range is wider than before.

The Caduceus Blaster receives unlimited ammo while its fire rate and damage get boosts. The Guardian Angel is endowed with additional range and speed. The Resurrect ability has its cooldown reset. As for Hover, Mercy will receive the ability to fly while also getting an increased movement speed.
Image source: Overwatch

Filed Under: Technology

Witness of the 1962 Eclipse with Partial Blindness Warns Enthusiasts of Perils

August 20, 2017 By Amanda Lane Leave a Comment

solar eclipse
When Lou Tomosoki was but a boy at Marshall High School in Oregon, people weren’t welcoming a special astronomical event with such intensity as in today’s world. Therefore, he and his friend didn’t find it dangerous to witness a partial solar eclipse in 1962 without protection. It happened that they looked up in the sky to see how the sun became a black abyss with a silver halo. Unfortunately, this experience left him with a partial blindness.

Lou Tomosoki and His Friend Paid Their Unprotected Glance at the Eclipse with Partial Blindness

Lou Tomosoki recounted how he had seen flashes of light within seconds after he gazed at the partial solar eclipse. Unfortunately, he wasn’t aware that the sun was still powerful enough to inflict permanent damages. As a consequence, both he and his friend became the victims of the 1962 eclipse. Tomosoki can’t see well with his right eye while his friend lost accuracy in his left one.

The 70-year-old Oregon City local claimed that his teachers instructed them on what to do when the phenomenon appears to seize this opportunity. The main focus was to avoid looking directly at the eclipse. Instead, adults told them to gaze through a pinhole projector box. This way, they would only see a projection of the stellar event.

Even During an Eclipse, Sun Rays Can Still Damage the Retina

Lou Tomosoki was just another victim of the sun. His condition is called solar retinopathy. This happens when people look directly at the sun. In this time, the powerful rays are damaging the retina. It appears as a blind spot in the center of the eye and causes partial blindness.

The thing that makes solar eclipses dangerous is that people believe that the moon makes the sun rays less powerful during the day. Therefore, they would look at the eclipse without protection. However, the reality is that the sun is as powerful as ever. Therefore, it can still impair eyesight and even the sensors of a smartphone camera.
Image source: 1

Filed Under: Science

Facebook Taps into Video Industry through New Watch Tab

August 12, 2017 By Amanda Lane Leave a Comment

smartphone desktop

Publishers have a hard time navigating through the chaotic video industry. It is a most wanted content, yet it lacks the necessary tracking support to evaluate the performance and value of a piece. However, Facebook’s new addition might help them in this endeavor. The upcoming Watch tab will be a standalone video platform opening a new path to a database of 2 billion online users.

Facebook Will Fund Publishers to Be Active on Its Upcoming Watch Tab

Facebook enters the race with rival YouTube within video industry. The social media company has big plans for this project. In fact, it grew so confident in its potential, that Facebook will actually offer incentives for publishers to come up with new content. To feel less the pressure of creating videos, companies will receive either partial cover for their expenses or a proposition to sell their content to Facebook.

“We are funding and creating shows to seed the ecosystem and learn more about how episodic, community-driven, and built-for-mobile shows might work on Facebook.”

The upcoming Watch tab will act as a platform for shows. The service will offer customized recommendations of either recorded or live shows for users. It will also roll out with several preset categories such as ‘What’s Making People Laugh,’ ‘Most Talked About,’ and ‘Shows Your Friends Are Watching.’

Facebook Will Be Active on Its New Video Platform with Its Own Shows

The most surprising news is that Facebook itself is going to use this fresh platform as a trampoline to attain the title of the content creator. The company partnered with National Geographic, A&E, Billboard, and Major League Baseball to bring in original and exclusive shows.

Therefore, the new service will debut with some in-house productions. Some of the new titles will be ‘Tastemade’s Kitchen Little’ as a cooking show, ‘Major League Baseball’ that will run one game per week or NASA’s ‘Science @ NASA’ which will be five-minute videos with topics from science. However, the most appealing asset coming from Facebook will be the community of 2 billion users to which publishers will gain access.

Image source: 1

Filed Under: Technology

Chantek the Orangutan that Was Trained in Sign Language Died at 39

August 8, 2017 By Amanda Lane Leave a Comment

orangutan face

Chantek was one of the strongest bridges between humans and nature. He was an intellectual ape that mastered an extensive vocabulary of 150 signs, and he was able to understand English as well. However, after 39 years of life among humans, Chantek the Orangutan succumbed to death. His name meant “lovely” or “beautiful” in Malay and was among the few primates who learned sign language.

Chantek the Orangutan Used to Live in the UTC Campus

Chantek had two dedicated teachers throughout his life, American anthropologists Lyn Miles and Ann Southcombe. The two of them integrated the male hybrid Sumatran/ Borneon orangutan in their research project with a focus on apes. Ann had previous experience with raising primates. She was the teacher of Michael, the companion to Koko the gorilla.

Therefore, Chantek enjoyed a special education. In his early age, he was treated as a human child but also practiced orangutan-related experiences. The primate spent almost nine years of his time under these special circumstances in a custom trailer on UTC campus. However, an unfortunate incident allowed him to escape the controlled area and scared a student. Therefore, the board of the university decided to transfer him back to Yerkes.

Chantek Was Still Able to Use Sign Language to Communicate with His Former Teachers

In his new home, Chantek received a 5×5 cage. The lack of space propelled him into depression and he started putting on weight. When his former teachers finally got permission to visit him, Chantek used sign language to tell them to take him home. However, he regained partial freedom when Zoo Atlanta accepted to host him in a large sanctuary with trees and hammocks.

The institution used to treat him for heart disease, yet the cause of his death remains unknown. However, this condition is not unusual among primates. The majority of orangutans are becoming geriatric after the age of 35. Therefore, Chantek was one of the oldest male orangutans in the zoos of North America.

Image source: 1

Filed Under: Health

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