Colorful urban environments, even if just in virtual reality, promote well-being

Drab urban environments tend to increase our stress, whereas nature can soothe the soul, but how do you get the best of both? One option is to increase color and vegetation in cities, but finding the best approach can be tricky. A new study in Frontiers in Virtual Reality has tested the effects of vegetation and colorful patterns in an urban environment. Employing virtual reality, the study found that green vegetation caused volunteers to walk more slowly, while also increasing their heart rate, indicating a pleasurable experience. Meanwhile, colorful patterns increased alertness, fascination and curiosity. The study illustrates the potential of simple interventions to improve the lives of urbanites, and also the power of virtual reality to test such interventions.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/colorful-urban-environments-even-if-just-in-virtual-reality-promote-well-being

Why we need philosophy and ethics of cyber warfare

Cyber-attacks are rarely out of the headlines. We know state actors, terrorists, and criminals can leverage cyber-means to target the digital infrastructures of our societies. We have also learned that, insofar as our societies grow dependent on digital technologies, they become more vulnerable to cyber-attacks.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/why-we-need-philosophy-and-ethics-of-cyber-warfare

Neuromorphic chip dramatically reduces power requirements for rolling robot

A team of researchers at Tsinghua University's Center for Brain-Inspired Computing Research in Beijing, China, has developed a neuromorphic chip that can reduce the power consumption of a cat-and-mouse-type rolling robot by approximately half, compared to a conventional NVIDIA chip designed for AI applications. In their paper published in the journal Science Robotics, the group describes design concepts they used to build the chip and how well it worked when tested.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/neuromorphic-chip-dramatically-reduces-power-requirements-for-rolling-robot

How we describe the metaverse makes a difference. Today's words could shape tomorrow's reality and who benefits from it

Quick, define the word "metaverse."

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/how-we-describe-the-metaverse-makes-a-difference-todays-words-could-shape-tomorrows-reality-and-who-benefits-from-it

A model to generate artistic images based on text descriptions

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have proved to be highly valuable for completing a wide range of tasks. While they are primarily used to increase productivity or simplify everyday processes, they have also shown promise for automatically generating creative texts and artistic images.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/a-model-to-generate-artistic-images-based-on-text-descriptions

A self-supervised model that can learn various effective dialog representations

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning techniques have proved to be very promising for completing numerous tasks, including those that involve processing and generating language. Language-related machine learning models have enabled the creation of systems that can interact and converse with humans, including chatbots, smart assistants, and smart speakers.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/a-self-supervised-model-that-can-learn-various-effective-dialog-representations

YouTube Shorts touts 1.5 bn users, taking on TikTok

YouTube on Wednesday said that more than 1.5 billion people monthly tune into its Shorts video service, which competes with global sensation TikTok.

source https://www.lifetechnology.com/blogs/life-technology-technology-news/youtube-shorts-touts-1-5-bn-users-taking-on-tiktok