A new study published in Frontiers in Marine Science reveals that Saharan dust blown thousands of kilometers away is crucial for thriving oceanic life. The research found that iron bound to this dust changes properties as it travels, becoming more bioavailable and available for organisms to take up. The study, led by Dr. Jeremy Owens … Read more
Archaeologists have solved the mystery surrounding a lead coffin discovered beneath Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral in 2022. The occupant, previously known only as “the horseman,” has been identified as Joachim du Bellay, a French Renaissance poet who died in 1560. Researchers used an inscription on one of the coffins to identify Antoine de la Porte, a … Read more
Microsoft has launched the Python Data Science Extension Pack for Visual Studio Code (VS Code), a bundle of four extensions designed to simplify data science workflows for developers using the Python language. The pack includes the Python extension itself and another for GitHub Copilot, an AI-powered pair programmer tool. The extension pack is now available … Read more
As global temperatures rise, cities are struggling to stay cool during heatwaves. Modern buildings often rely on electricity and air conditioning to keep residents comfortable, but what can we learn from ancient civilizations that thrived in hot and dry climates? For millennia, builders knew how to shelter humans from the sun’s intense rays. The Sumerians, … Read more
Microsoft is building a massive data center in Mount Pleasant, Racine County, which will take years and billions of dollars to develop. The facility will require significant power and water supplies, sparking concerns between the city of Racine and Mount Pleasant over water provision. As it turns out, water plays a crucial role in keeping … Read more
Microsoft has partnered with Constellation Energy to revive the Unit 1 reactor at Three Mile Island, the site of the worst nuclear disaster in US history. The move aims to provide carbon-free energy for Microsoft’s data centers and support its artificial intelligence ambitions. The deal, announced Friday, involves a 20-year agreement for Constellation to exclusively … Read more
The development of Large Language Models (LLMs) has led to the creation of agentic systems that can perform sophisticated tasks independently through function calls. However, most research has focused on cloud-based infrastructure, leaving a gap in using these models locally on devices like laptops and smartphones. To fill this gap, researchers at UC Berkeley and … Read more