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AutoX expands robotaxi operation zone to 1,000 sq km

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Alibaba-backed AutoX, a developer of Level 4 fully autonomous cars, or “robotaxis”, now claims to operate “China’s largest autonomous driving area”.

The total area covers 1,000 square kilometers, including a 168-square-kilometer fully driverless zone. AutoX robotaxis are able to navigate all the public roads inside the 1,000 square kilometer area.

Expanding the total autonomous driving area to over 1,000 square kilometers is an important step towards making the robotic taxi service a reality in the daily lives of people in China. [Read more…] about AutoX expands robotaxi operation zone to 1,000 sq km

Emissive and HTC Vive to create digital version of the original Notre Dame

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Tech companies Emissive and HTC Vive to re-create historic French site for virtual reality experiences

The construction of Notre-Dame de Paris began in the year 1163 and took over a century to be completed – with the exterior becoming globally recognised and admired.

Over time, its purpose changed back and forth, and it bore witness and host to key moments in history such as Napoleon Bonaparte crowning himself Emperor, was the setting of Victor Hugo’s classic novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and is a Unesco World Heritage site.

The centuries of history and exquisite design made an impression across the world, and in 2019 when a fire destroyed significant parts of the interior and exterior, the loss was felt far beyond the borders of France. [Read more…] about Emissive and HTC Vive to create digital version of the original Notre Dame

Cities ‘must become car-free to survive’

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Cities must become fully car-free in order to be liveable in the future, according to the UCL experts behind a new modelling report looking at urban car use.

The experts have called for a shift in collective behaviour to reduce the number of private cars in cities. Globally, the number of cars produced is increasing faster than the population; 80m cars were produced in 2019, while the population increased by 78m.

The researchers said future city planning must include a focus on reducing dependence on cars, promoting fewer and shorter trips and encouraging walking and cycling as primary modes of local transport. [Read more…] about Cities ‘must become car-free to survive’

Machine learning ‘accurately predicts cardiac arrest risk’

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A branch of artificial intelligence (AI), called machine learning, can accurately predict the risk of an out of hospital cardiac arrest – when the heart suddenly stops beating – using a combination of timing and weather data, finds research published online in the journal Heart.

Machine learning is the study of computer algorithms, and based on the idea that systems can learn from data and identify patterns to inform decisions with minimal intervention.

The risk of a cardiac arrest was highest on Sundays, Mondays, public holidays and when temperatures dropped sharply within or between days, the findings show. [Read more…] about Machine learning ‘accurately predicts cardiac arrest risk’

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Social media and science show how ship’s plastic cargo dispersed from Florida to Norway

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A ship’s container lost overboard in the North Atlantic has resulted in printer cartridges washing up everywhere from the coast of Florida to northern Norway, a new study has shown.

It has also resulted in the items weathering to form microplastics that are contaminated with a range of metals such as titanium, iron and copper.

The spillage is thought to have happened around 1,500 km east of New York, in January 2014, with the first beached cartridges reported along the coastline of the Azores in September the same year. [Read more…] about Social media and science show how ship’s plastic cargo dispersed from Florida to Norway

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Policies designed to protect public health from fracking may be ineffective in practice

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Frequent use of exemptions may undermine public health protections of oil and gas setback policies, according to a new study led by researchers at the research institute PSE Healthy Energy, Harvard University, and Nicholas Institute for Environmental Solutions at Duke University.

The study, published April 28, 2021 in Energy Policy, is the first to assess the effectiveness of distance-based setback regulations for unconventional natural gas development (UNGD) or “fracking”.

“Setback regulations are commonly employed to protect public health, so we wanted to test if they’re effective in practice,” said lead author Drew Michanowicz, DrPH, MPH, CPH Senior Scientist at PSE Healthy Energy and visiting scientist with the Center for Climate, Health, and Global Environment at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health (Harvard Chan C-CHANGE). [Read more…] about Policies designed to protect public health from fracking may be ineffective in practice

Human genome editing requires difficult conversations between science and society

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In October of 2020, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier were awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry for their discovery of an adaptable, easy way to edit genomes, known as CRISPR, which has transformed the world of genetic engineering.

CRISPR has been used to fight lung cancer and correct the mutation responsible for sickle cell anemia in stem cells. But the technology was also used by a Chinese scientist to secretly and illegally edit the genomes of twin girls – the first-ever heritable mutation of the human germline made with genetic engineering.

“We’ve moved away from an era of science where we understood the risks that came with new technology and where decision stakes were fairly low,” says Dietram Scheufele, a professor of life sciences communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. [Read more…] about Human genome editing requires difficult conversations between science and society

Flushing a public toilet? Don’t linger, because aerosolized droplets do

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Flushing a toilet can generate large quantities of microbe-containing aerosols depending on the design, water pressure or flushing power of the toilet.

A variety of pathogens are usually found in stagnant water as well as in urine, feces and vomit. When dispersed widely through aerosolization, these pathogens can cause Ebola, norovirus that results in violent food poisoning, as well as Covid-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2.

Respiratory droplets are the most prominent source of transmission for Covid-19, however, alternative routes may exist given the discovery of small numbers of viable viruses in urine and stool samples. [Read more…] about Flushing a public toilet? Don’t linger, because aerosolized droplets do

Seattle’s minimum wage increase did not change crime or employment rates

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Between 2015 and 2017, Seattle, Washington, became the first U.S. city to increase its hourly minimum wage to $15, more than double the federal minimum wage and 60 percent higher than Seattle’s previous minimum wage.

A new study examined the impact of this change on public safety.

The study was motivated by the idea that since crime is sometimes the result of material deprivation, changes in the minimum wage might have implications for criminal activity: Boosting the minimum wage could raise workers’ salaries (which could be associated with reduced crime). [Read more…] about Seattle’s minimum wage increase did not change crime or employment rates

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Simple, no-cost ways to help the public care for common resources

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Researchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison, New York Institute of Technology, University of Iowa, and Cornell University published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines whether it is possible to make people feel as if the property is theirs – a feeling known as psychological ownership – and how this affects their stewardship behaviors. 

The study, forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing, is titled “Caring for the Commons: Using Psychological Ownership to Enhance Stewardship Behavior for Public Goods” and is authored by Joann Peck, Colleen Kirk, Andrea Luangrath, and Suzanne Shu.

Maintaining the natural environment is a pressing issue. The intentional care of public goods, such as publicly owned parks, waterways, drinking water, and air quality, has become increasingly difficult. [Read more…] about Simple, no-cost ways to help the public care for common resources

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  • Ticket inspections may reduce honesty: Research on bus passengers in Lyon
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    Ticket inspections may reduce honesty: Research on bus passengers in LyonTicket inspection on public transport can prompt law-abiding people to behave dishonestly once they have gotten off the bus, according to a study published in The Economic Journal. The study was written by three experimental economists: Fabio Galeotti and Marie Claire Villeval of The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)…
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    Disposable surgical masks best for being heard clearly when speaking, study findsResearcher Ryan Corey recently heard from a friend who teaches at a school where some of the students have hearing loss. The friend wanted to know if he had any ideas to help her communicate with these students while wearing a mask to slow the spread of Covid-19. Corey, who…
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