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Self-Assembly Gets Automated in Reverse of ‘Game of Life’
In cellular automata, simple rules create elaborate structures. Now researchers can start with the structures and reverse-engineer the rules.
‘World Models,’ an Old Idea in AI, Mount a Comeback
You’re carrying around in your head a model of how the world works. Will AI systems need to do the same?
Busy Beaver Hunters Reach Numbers That Overwhelm Ordinary Math
The quest to find the longest-running simple computer program has identified a new champion. It’s physically impossible to write out the numbers involved using standard mathematical notation.
The AI Was Fed Sloppy Code. It Turned Into Something Evil.
The new science of “emergent misalignment” explores how PG-13 training data — insecure code, superstitious numbers or even extreme-sports advice — can open the door to AI’s dark side.
How Can Math Protect Our Data?
Mary Wootters discusses how error-correcting codes work, and how they are essential for reliable communication and storage.
New Method Is the Fastest Way To Find the Best Routes
A canonical problem in computer science is to find the shortest route to every point in a network. A new approach beats the classic algorithm taught in textbooks.
Quantum Scientists Have Built a New Math of Cryptography
In theory, quantum physics can bypass the hard mathematical problems at the root of modern encryption. A new proof shows how.
How Distillation Makes AI Models Smaller and Cheaper
Fundamental technique lets researchers use a big, expensive “teacher” model to train a “student” model for less.
Computer Scientists Figure Out How To Prove Lies
An attack on a fundamental proof technique reveals a glaring security issue for blockchains and other digital encryption schemes.