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Why a foreign language sounds like a blur to non-native ears

Researchers from UC San Francisco have identified the superior temporal gyrus brain region responsible for tracking words in a foreign language. The study shows that this region learns to recognize word boundaries through years of experience, enabling fluent speakers to distinguish individual words.

Bees learn to read simple ‘Morse code’

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have shown that bumblebees can be trained to differentiate between long and short light flashes, which was previously observed only in humans and other vertebrates. This ability allows the bees to decide where to forage for food based on visual cues.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

A better vision test for toddlers

A new tool, WatDAT, measures vision equally precisely in younger toddlers by asking them to point out different shapes at progressively smaller sizes. This test can lead to earlier detection and treatment of vision problems in children under three, such as amblyopia or farsightedness.

AI at the Eyelid: Glasses that track health through your blinks

Researchers developed AI-powered BlinkWise glasses that track blinking patterns to assess fatigue, mental workload, and eye-related health issues. The device uses radio signals to detect minute eyelid movements with unprecedented detail, preserving privacy and using minimal power.

Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C)

Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C) keeps Macs, tablets, and meters powered during extended observing runs and remote surveys.

How steep does that hill look? Your height plays a role

A study published in Perception found that people consistently overestimate the steepness of a hill when viewed at an angle, regardless of their eye height. The researchers tested participants' ability to estimate the slope of a wooden ramp while seated, standing on a step ladder, or lying down.

Seeing with fresh eyes: Snails as a system for studying sight restoration

Researchers have established apple snails as a system to study eye regeneration, which may hold the key for restoring vision due to damage and disease. The team discovered that the snail eye is anatomically similar to humans and can regrow itself, with genes such as pax6 playing a crucial role in development.

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Paralyzed man moves robotic arm with his thoughts

Researchers at UC San Francisco have enabled a paralyzed man to control a robotic arm through a device that relays signals from his brain to a computer. The device, known as a brain-computer interface (BCI), worked for a record 7 months without needing to be adjusted.

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition is a durable star atlas for planning sessions, identifying targets, and teaching celestial navigation.

Branch patterns in trees and art

Researchers found branch patterns in art to mirror those in nature, with values of α ranging from 1.5 to 2.8, corresponding to natural trees. Abstract artworks can be visually identified as trees using realistic α values, while works deviating from scaling exhibit reduced recognition.

The Frontiers of Knowledge Award goes to Anil Jain and Michael I. Jordan for core contributions in machine learning that have powered the development of biometrics and artificial intelligence

Anil Jain and Michael I. Jordan received the BBVA Foundation Award in Information and Communication Technologies for their pioneering work on machine learning, enabling transformative technologies like biometrics and artificial intelligence. Their research has unlocked applications of far-reaching impact on society.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.

Heart rate activity influences when infants speak

Researchers found that babies' first vocalizations and attempts at forming words coincide with fluctuations in their heart rate. This discovery may indicate that successful speech development depends on predictable ranges of autonomic activity during infancy.

Eyes on the brain at the University of Houston

Researchers found that autistic children prioritize faces in different ways, particularly when first seeing them, using an exploratory pattern characterized by larger face regions of interest. This may be associated with autism-related symptomology and decreased visual sensitivity to face information.

Black-box forgetting: A new method for tailoring large AI models

Researchers at Tokyo University of Science have developed a new method called black-box forgetting, which enables selective removal of unnecessary information from large pre-trained AI models. This approach enhances model efficiency and improves privacy by reducing computational resources and information leakage.

A methodology to read QR codes on uneven surfaces

A team from the University of Barcelona has developed a new algorithm that can read QR codes on irregular surfaces, overcoming image quality and printing issues. The system uses mathematical functions to adjust for surface topography, providing reliable readings in various environments.

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

Rice research could make weird AI images a thing of the past

Rice University researchers developed ElasticDiffusion, a method that separates local and global signals to create non-square aspect ratio images without visual imperfections. The new approach can improve consistency and realism in AI-generated images, but still requires significant computational power.

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2) captures 4K mapping passes and environmental surveys with dual cameras, long flight time, and omnidirectional obstacle sensing.

Surrey researchers teach AI to spot what you're sketching

A new AI model developed by Surrey researchers and Stanford University can accurately identify objects in complex scene sketches, even from non-artists. The model achieved an 85% accuracy rate, outperforming previous approaches that relied on labelled pixels.

Tiny AI-based bio-loggers revealing the interesting bits of a bird’s day

Researchers from Osaka University have developed a small sensor-based data logger that automatically detects and records video of infrequent behaviors in wild seabirds. The bio-logger uses low-power sensors and artificial intelligence to capture rare behaviors, such as head-shaking and foraging habits, without needing human supervision.

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply powers sensors, microcontrollers, and test circuits with programmable rails and stable outputs.

Novel dice loss functions for improved image segmentation

Novel Dice loss functions, t-vMF Dice loss and Adaptive t-vMF Dice loss, have been developed to improve image segmentation accuracy in medical images. These new functions outperform conventional formulations and show great potential for critical fields like medical imaging and diagnosis.

Old brains, new tricks: Surprising plasticity in adult vision

Researchers found that rodents exposed to light for the first time in adulthood showed significant plasticity in their brains, challenging previous beliefs about adult brain rigidity. After a month, their brains looked similar to those of healthy controls, with organized visual responses and smaller receptive fields.

New method improves efficiency of ‘vision transformer’ AI systems

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new methodology called Patch-to-Cluster attention (PaCa) that addresses the challenges of vision transformers. PaCa improves ViT's ability to identify, classify, and segment objects in images while reducing computational demands and enhancing model interpretability.

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.

Using AI to diagnose birth defect in fetal ultrasound images

A University of Ottawa-led team has developed an AI-based deep learning model to identify cystic hygroma, a rare and life-threatening disorder, from first-trimester ultrasound scans with high sensitivity and specificity. The approach may be applied to other fetal anomalies identified by ultrasonography.

AI system facilitates plant imaging from the start

A team from KAUST has developed a low-cost system for imaging plant growth dynamics noninvasively and at high throughput. The Mutiple XL ab system combines computer vision and pattern recognition technologies with machine learning to analyze and quantify root growth dynamics.

New method gives rapid, objective insight into how cells are changed by disease

A new 'image analysis pipeline' called TDAExplore gives scientists rapid insight into how cells are changed by disease, using a combination of microscopy, topology, and artificial intelligence. This approach can provide objective information on cell changes, such as the movement of proteins like actin, even with limited training data.

New aerial image dataset to help provide farmers with actionable insights

Agriculture-Vision dataset enables farmers to analyze aerial images and gain actionable insights into crop performance. The dataset, developed by researchers at the University of Illinois Grainger College of Engineering and Intelinair, includes over 100,000 images from corn and soybean fields across the Midwest.

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.

Computer program looks five minutes into the future

A computer program developed at the University of Bonn can accurately predict future actions by learning typical sequences from video sequences. The algorithm achieved an accuracy rate of over 40% for short forecast periods and was tested on new videos with promising results.

Which image of Martin Luther can we trust?

A joint research project is questioning the authenticity of pictures of Luther, exploring whether the images depict him at a certain moment in his life or represent later heroification and veneration. The project uses technological examinations, digital analysis, and scientific methods to date and authenticate the images.

Spot the difference -- oranges and lemons

A computer recognition system can quickly distinguish between oranges and lemons and spot different strains of pear, melon, apple, and plum with high accuracy. The system can be used for sorting and packing fruits and vegetables, as well as speeding up supermarket customer checkout.

Meta Quest 3 512GB

Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

A new way to help computers recognize patterns

A new test developed by Ohio State University researchers helps identify the best algorithms for specific applications, reducing errors and improving results. The test rates algorithms on a scale from zero to one, providing a quick way to determine which methods are most effective.

$9.4 million NSF grant backs UCSB-led effort in bio-image informatics

The project aims to create new information processing technologies for extracting detailed understanding of biological processes from images depicting biological molecules within cells or tissues. The researchers will establish a digital library for bio-molecular images, facilitating image bioinformatics and large-scale biology.