Download: A cute robot that helps people with dementia and what Daedalus taught us

this is today’s editiondownload,A weekday newsletter that brings you a daily dose of what’s happening in the world of technology.

How cute robots can change dementia careResearch shows companion animals can alleviate some of the loneliness, anxiety, and agitation associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Sadly, people with Alzheimer’s disease are not always equipped to care for their pets, and caring for them can require a great deal of care and attention.

A cute robot will appear. The most famous are Golden Pup, a robotic golden retriever toy that tilts its head, barks, and wags its tail, and Paro, a seal that can sense touch, light, sound, temperature, and posture. Although robots are decidedly low-tech, they can provide comfort and entertainment to people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Researchers are now developing more sophisticated robots for people with cognitive impairment – devices that use AI to talk and play games – that could change the future of dementia care. We are working. Read the full story.

—Cassandra Willard

This article is from The Checkup, a weekly health and biotech newsletter. sign up Get it in your inbox every Thursday.

What technology has learned from Daedalus

The Kraken that drives today’s climate change may have been caused by human activity, but it is beyond human means to turn around and tame the growing ferocity of nature, and it is a mythical hero. It seems like a quest that only I can fulfill.

But the dream of human-powered flight, of flying across the Mediterranean relying solely on the strength of mortal limbs, has also been the product of myth for millennia. Until 1988.

In October of that year, MIT Technology Review published a report on aeronautical engineer John Langford’s mission to recreate the legendary flight of Daedalus from ancient Greek mythology. Read how he fared.

—Bill Gorsey

This story, published in the latest issue of MIT Technology Review, covers fascinating topics such as: build. If you don’t have it yet, subscribe You can now receive future copies after landing.

Get ready for EmTech Digital

AI is everywhere today. If you want to learn more about how Google plans to develop and deploy AI, come hear Jay Yagnik, vice president of AI, speak at our flagship AI conference. Mtech Digital. We’ll also hear from OpenAI about its video generation model Sora. Nick Clegg, Meta’s President of Global Affairs, will also be on stage for an exclusive interview, along with his MIT Technology Review executive editor, Amy Nordrum.

It will be held next week on May 22nd and 23rd on the MIT campus and will be streamed live online. Readers of The Download can use the code “DOWNLOADD24” to get him 30% off tickets —Register here For more information. See you soon!

Thermal batteries are a hot assetThermal batteries could become an important part of heavy industry cleanup and emissions reduction. Our in-house battery expert, Casey Crownhart, hosted a subscriber-only online roundtable event yesterday to dig into why this is so important. Don’t worry if you missed it. You can watch a recording of how it unfolded. here.

To stay ahead of upcoming roundtable events, check out the following: subscribe Go to MIT Technology Review. Subscriptions start at just $8 per month.

Must-read content

We scoured the internet to find the most entertaining/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology today.

1 OpenAI signs deal with Reddit
Shortly after Google agreed to give AI companies access to its content. (WSJ $)
The vocal community on the forums is unlikely to be thrilled with this decision. (The Verge)
Reddit stock soared after news of the partnership broke. (F.T. $)
You may run out of data to train your AI language program. (MIT Technology Review)

2 Tesla’s European Gigafactory will get even bigger
However, permission from German environmental authorities is required. (wired $)

3 Help! AI stole my voice
Voice actors are suing the startup for creating digital clones without their permission. (now $)
The lawsuit also seeks to represent other voice-over artists. (hollywood reporter $)

4 The era of twitter.com is over
The platform URL retained its old name. But no more. (The Verge)

5 The aviation industry is desperate for greener fuels
The future of their business depends on it. (F.T. $)
A new report warns that there are no realistic and scalable alternatives. (guardian)
Everything you need to know about the wild world of alternative jet fuels. (MIT Technology Review)

6 Now is the era of superconducting supercomputers
We need to thoroughly review our calculation methods. Superconductors may be the answer. (IEEE spectrum)
What’s next for the world’s fastest supercomputer? (MIT Technology Review)

7 How AI disrupted a once-vibrant online art community
DeviantArt used to be a hotbed of creativity. Now it’s full of bots. (slate $)
This artist rules over AI-generated art. And he’s not happy about it. (MIT Technology Review)

8 TV Bundle is back in a big way 📺
Streaming hasn’t delivered on many promises. (atlantic $)

quote of the day

“It was a good idea, but unfortunately people took advantage of it and brought out their despicable side. People got hooked.”

—Aaron Cohen, who visited the New York-Dublin video portal, said he was disappointed that the art installation had to be shut down because an overzealous user took it too far. guardian.

big story

Psychedelic people are having a moment, and women could be the beneficiaries

August 2022

Psychedelics are having a moment. After decades of prohibition, it is increasingly being used as a treatment. Drugs such as ketamine, MDMA, and psilocybin mushrooms are being studied in clinical trials to treat depression, substance abuse, and a variety of other illnesses.

And as these long-taboo drugs are making a comeback in the scientific community, they could hold promise, especially for women. Read the full story.

—Taylor Majewski

we still have good things

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these balkan recipes It looks absolutely delicious.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace backlash It’s still mind-boggling to me.
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