Even if we could teach a machine to 'think like us', it doesn't mean it will
The idea of a thinking machine is an amazing one. It would be like humans creating artificial life, only more impressive because we would be creating consciousness. Or would we?It’s tempting to think that a machine that could thinkwouldthink like us. But a bit of reflection shows that’s not an inevitable conclusion.To begin with, we’d better be clear about what we mean by “think”. A comparison with human thinking might be intuitive, but what about animal thinking? Does a chimpanzee think? Does a..>> view originalMeteorite recovered from Australia's largest salt lake
A RECENTLY fallen meteorite has been successfully recovered from Australia's largest salt lake by the Desert Fireball Network team from Curtin University. The 1.7 kilogram meteorite was retrieved from the salt sink on New Year's Eve, as the result of a new camera network comprising 32 remote camera observatories stationed across the Australian outback. After a 3-day recovery operation, the meteorite was hand-dug from a 42cm deep hole in a remote section of the lake bed by Team leader and..>> view originalKeeping track of erosion
Renourishment required: It's denied by the state government, but environmentalists believe channel deepening is causing continual erosion at Portsea. Picture: Keith Platt. BEACHES and foreshores along Port Phillip Bay will be monitored for signs of ...>> view originalAustralian scientists embark on wildlife mission
Australian scientists embark on wildlife missionAs global temperatures rise, Dr Constable expects the cool-water critter's habitat to contract towards the Antarctic, meaning less food for wildlife such as seals, whales and penguins.Photo: APA team of Australian marine scientists will set off on a mission to investigate how much the food source for whales and penguins in the Southern Ocean will decline as water temperatures rise.Chief investigator Andrew Constable will lead an international fleet..>> view originalNew Map Reveals How The Milky Way Grew Up
The origins of our Milky Way galaxy are now much clearer. Using a revolutionary “growth-chart,” scientists led by Melissa Ness of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany, discovered how our own Milky Way galaxy grew into what it is now.They accomplished this by charting the ages of 70,000 stars and used that data to mock up a map for how the galaxy expanded and grew,Phys.orgstated.Astronomers create 3D map showing age of stars across Milky Wayhttps://t.co/CIwcQD0txL(via@jjb..>> view originalSpiders are a treasure trove of scientific wonder
As a generalist predator, spiders, such as the Western Rough Wolf Spider, help limit the number of insects in your garden.Photo: Jean and Fred/FlickrAustralia has an incredible diversity of native spiders, including thepotentially lethalfunnel-web, the ubiquitous huntsman, and the charming peacock spider. Only two can be deadly for humans – the funnel-web and redback spiders – and we have antivenom for both.Found all across the country, spiders play an important role in the environment as genera..>> view originalIt's time to stop saying Australia's wildlife is the most dangerous in the world
Many Australians pride themselves on the belief that, of all the countries in the world, their snakes, spiders, jellyfish, centipedes, fish, ticks, bees and ants are the worst. And it’s easy to believe they’re right.After all, there’sa 37-year-old listthat says that 21 of the 25 most toxic snakes in the world are all from Australia. And aren’t funnel-web spiders, box jellyfish, stonefish and cone snails all dead-set killers?But is Australia really the most lethal nation on earth when it comes do..>> view originalSpace tourism triggers interest in health risks and medical emergencies in space
Imminent space tourism has triggered new interest by medical researchers in health risks connected to space travel. Experts are also investigating ways to tackle medical emergencies in space, including on NASA's International Space Station (ISS).Australian doctors have met in Adelaide to discuss the medical risks associated with space travel as part of a three-day conference organised byThe Australasian Society of Aerospace Medicine. The conference is focused on medical challenges surrounding hu..>> view originalScientists say humans have now brought on an entirely new geologic epoch - Pittsburgh Post
A group of 24 geoscientists last week released a bracing assessment, suggesting that humans have altered the Earth so extensively that the consequences will be thoroughly detectable in current and future geological records. They, therefore, suggest that people should consider the Earth to have moved into a new geologic epoch, the “Anthropocene,” sometime circa 1945-1964. The current era (at least under present definitions), known as the Holocene, began about 11,700 yea..>> view originalThis 900-year-old Holy Well in London's Australia House has Water Fit to Drink
Lab tests carried out by scientists have confirmed that the water of the ancient holy well in London's Australia House is safe to drink.The Holy Well Aldwych is a spring located below the basement of Australia House, and is among the city's most accessible ancient wells. It is believed to be about 900 years old. In middle ages, it was used for ceremonial purposes. Today, it can be reached through a manhole cover in a restricted area in the building.Australia House is located in the Strand, Centr..>> view original
Monday, January 11, 2016
Even if we could teach a machine to 'think like us', it doesn't mean it will and other top stories.
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