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Some Neural Networks Learn Language Like Humans

May 22, 2023

Researchers uncover striking parallels in the ways that humans and machine learning models acquire language skills.

Secret Messages Can Hide in AI-Generated Media

May 18, 2023

In steganography, an ordinary message masks the presence of a secret communication. Humans can never do it perfectly, but a new study shows it’s possible for machines.

Are There Reasons to Believe in a Multiverse?

May 17, 2023

Several areas of physics suggest reasons to think that unobservable universes with different natural laws could lie beyond ours. The theoretical physicist David Kaplan talks with Steven Strogatz about the mysteries that a multiverse would solve.

Memories Help Brains Recognize New Events Worth Remembering

May 17, 2023

Memories may affect how well the brain will learn about future events by shifting our perceptions of the world.

New Proof Finds the ‘Ultimate Instability’ in a Solar System Model

May 16, 2023

For the first time, mathematicians have proved that planetary orbits in a solar system will always be unstable.

The Tiny Physics Behind Immense Cosmic Eruptions

May 15, 2023

A new theory describes how particle interactions fuel fast magnetic reconnection, the process behind solar flares and other astrophysical jets.

Chatbots Don’t Know What Stuff Isn’t

May 12, 2023

Today’s language models are more sophisticated than ever, but they still struggle with the concept of negation. That’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

Q&A

A Plan to Address the World’s Challenges With Math

May 11, 2023

Minhyong Kim is leading a new initiative called Mathematics for Humanity that encourages mathematicians to apply their skills to solving social problems.

Physicists Create Elusive Particles That Remember Their Pasts

May 9, 2023

In two landmark experiments, researchers used quantum processors to engineer exotic particles that have captivated physicists for decades. The work is a step toward crash-proof quantum computers.

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