Category: Technology

Robots in Space

The term “Artificial Intelligence (AI)” comprises all techniques that enable computers to mimic intelligence, for example, computers that analyse data or the systems embedded in an autonomous vehicle. Usually, artificially intelligent systems are taught by humans — a process that involves writing an awful lot of complex computer code.

Nice little overview of the current initiatives and projects regarding Artificial Intelligence in Space at ESA. Lot’s of interesting stuff going on there. I am personally super excited about autonomous robots and using deep learning for navigation and docking of spacecraft.

Could machine learning mean the end of understanding in science?

If prediction is in fact the primary goal of science, how should we modify the scientific method, the algorithm that for centuries has allowed us to identify errors and correct them?

Interesting piece by UofT’s Amar Vutha on how machine learning is reshaping the scientific landscape. I fundamentally disagree that the goal of science is predicting nature. Predicting is great for applied problems like weather-forecasting, but neglecting the understanding of things bears a great risk, because then the scientific method is basically reduced to guessing what the next step could be and is no longer effective at iterating towards a fundamental truth. With all due respect, let’s leave that “goal-oriented” approach to problem solvers and engineering.

How to delete Time Machine snapshots on your Mac

Nice post by Glenn Fleishman about how to delete Time Machine snapshots on Mac. Ever since APFS, Timemachine snapshots are automatically generated and deleted if Hard Disk space becomes rare. However if you want to manage that yourself (as most powerusers tend to want) here’s your solution.

Overcast 4.2: The privacy update

Nice informational post by Marco Arment about how the new Overcast 4.2 protects your privacy while listening to podcasts.

One of the ways publishers try to get around the limitations of the current model is by embedding remote images or invisible “tracking pixels” in each episode’s HTML show notes. When displayed in most apps, the images are automatically loaded from an analytics server, which can then record and track more information about you.

This is the first time I heard about tracking-pixels and I am horrified by the idea. As much as I am fascinated by data-analysis, I think this is just plainly wrong, one shouldn’t aquire data like this and I am convinced that these recent developments in podcasting are misguided.

Scientists plan to establish a European Lab for Learning & Intelligent Systems

Today leading scientists in Europe have designated a plan for a multinational European Artificial Intelligence Institute.

ELLIS will be a top employer in machine intelligence research, on par with Berkeley, Stanford, CMU, and MIT. It will also be a world class venue to get trained in the field: in conjunction with universities, it will develop a highly attractive European PhD program, and it will strive to retain the best graduates within ELLIS to groom them into the next generation of senior scientists.

Europe will be able to play a major role in the scientific and societal revolution that is underway.

Although some people may argue that it is already too late, I think it is worthwhile to put the effort and money into it.

Also Ian Sample from The Guardian wrote an interesting article about the development.