Science & Discovery – Page 3 – theck1 IT/AI news

6 Guidelines for Governing AI

AI-rewritten: This is a summary of an article from IEEE Spectrum, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article – read it for the full story.

IEEE Spectrum • Sravan Vadigepalli • October 5, 2026

The author, who previously worked in product management and data analytics at companies like Best Buy and Target, now leads enterprise AI transformation at Lowe’s. He argues that the goal is not to sell artificial intelligence but to use it for useful expertise when customers need it. This shift requires moving from building systems to governing them, defining how they operate, which decisions they can make autonomously, and which actions remain off-limits.

Optogenetics wins the Nobel – one neuroscience breakthrough in a line of technological innovations helping scientists map and control the brain

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AI-rewritten: This is a summary of an article from The Conversation, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article – read it for the full story.

The Conversation • Kimberlee D’Ardenne, Assistant Research Professor in Psychology, Arizona State University • October 5, 2026

Kimberlee D’Ardenne explains that the brain’s complexity within a cubic millimeter makes mapping it difficult. To understand this, scientists follow a pattern: visualize the brain, measure its function, and then control it. Santiago Ramon y Cajal won the 1906 Nobel Prize for painting neurons using silver stains developed by Camillo Golgi. Later, researchers in the 1970s used anterograde and retrograde tracing to map pathways. Today, electron microscopy and expansion microscopy allow scientists to see connections at atomic resolution, while functional MRI measures blood flow to track activity. In 2003, the Nobel Prize recognized techniques that made fast imaging sequences possible.

Why old dogs might be able to teach Alzheimer’s researchers new tricks

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The Conversation • Julie Moreno, Associate Professor of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University • October 6, 2026

The author, a neurotoxicologist who studied her grandmother’s dementia, explains that Alzheimer’s disease is hard to study because symptoms often appear two decades after the disease begins developing. Consequently, researchers usually rely on mice to test potential therapies. However, drugs that work in mice rarely succeed in human trials, with 99% of promising lab treatments failing in clinical tests. Additionally, mice do not naturally develop the misshapen proteins found in human dementia brains, making it difficult to replicate every aspect of the disease in a single animal model.

Happy IEEE Day!

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IEEE Spectrum • IEEE • October 6, 2026

IEEE Day marks an annual celebration honoring engineers who have historically gathered to share technical ideas, beginning in 1884. The IEEE, described as the world’s largest technical professional organization, aims to advance technology for humanity’s benefit through these global gatherings. This year’s event focuses on how members collaborate locally and globally to leverage technology for a better future.

Hunter-gatherer societies are often put on a pedestal as paragons of equality – but the reality is more complicated

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The Conversation • Duncan Stibbard Hawkes, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Baylor University • October 3, 2026

On the shores of Lake Eyasi in Northern Tanzania, Hadza hunter-gatherers share meat from kills like kudu among everyone within miles. While this scene suggests perfect equality where families keep only half or less of the meat, researchers note that inequalities exist even in these societies. Anthropologists studying the Hadza and the Tsimane people in Bolivia found that equalities often stem from selfish motives rather than noble nature.

Want to use AI to improve your work? Have it disagree with you

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Excerpt: The opening of an article from The Conversation. Read the original for the full story.

The Conversation • Monideepa Tarafdar, Professor of Information Systems, UMass Amherst • October 2, 2026

Knowledge workers such as scientists, teachers, lawyers and business leaders are increasingly using generative artificial intelligence applications for tasks that demand imagination, creativity and problem-solving. Ironically, perhaps, recent research shows that people who interact with generative AI for work tasks can end up not thinking critically. They can surrender to AI’s quick and confident answers, which can lead to speedy but low-quality solutions.

Physicists who uncovered the first particle accelerator were honored with a Nobel Prize 75 years ago – their work shaped physics, medicine and even art research

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Excerpt: The opening of an article from The Conversation. Read the original for the full story.

The Conversation • Artemis Spyrou, Professor of Nuclear Physics, Michigan State University • October 2, 2026

While scientists are known for their dedication to their research, crawling on the floor to avoid electrocution for the sake of a measurement seems a little excessive. But this is what British physicist John Cockcroft and Irish physicist Ernest T.S. Walton had to do in the early 1930s while studying the structure of atomic nuclei. Luckily, their efforts led to their receiving the Nobel Prize in 1951 .

Sea Monkeys Show Scientists How To Rewrite a Rule of Turbulence

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Excerpt: The opening of an article from Quanta Magazine. Read the original for the full story.

Quanta Magazine • Stephen Ornes • October 2, 2026

In the 1960s and ’70s, colorful comic book advertisements from the Transcience Corporation in New York City promised to mail anyone who sent cash, check, or money order a “bowlfull of happiness” — in reality, a small paper envelope of freeze-dried eggs. Dropped into salt water, the eggs would produce brine shrimp, also known as sea monkeys.