GoKawiilWhat, exactly, is a rock? Plus, a stem-cell success for a severe autoimmune disease and evidence that ‘AI deskilling’ is real.
Hello Nature readers, would you like to get this Briefing in your inbox free every day? Sign up here.
Credit: Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library
Two people with a potentially fatal autoimmune disease have been in remission for more than 15 years after receiving a stem-cell transplant. The pair have a rare condition called neuromyelitis optica, which can cause vision loss and limb paralysis. The positive results suggest that the experimental treatment warrants a larger clinical trial, say scientists.
Nature | 5 min read
Reference: Med paper
Evidence is building that AI tools can ‘deskill’ experts in medicine, computer science and other fields. For example, a study of experienced physicians found that access to an AI system that analyses colonoscopy images seemed to cause the doctors’ performance to drop significantly whenever the system was unavailable. “Just being aware that this phenomenon exists hopefully provokes some self-reflection about which skills people want to maintain and which they’re willing to outsource,” says information scientist Kevin Crowston.
Nature | 6 min read
Reference: Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology paper
$1.7–$5.7 trillion The value, in 2017 US dollars, of the damage done to the environment by the top 10% of global consumers — equivalent to a bill for $2,300–$7,500 for every person on Earth. (Science Alert | 7 min read) Reference: Communications Sustainability paper
... continue reading