GoKawiilAI can spot errors quickly, but should only be used to check ‘objective’ facts, researchers say. Plus, a Tupperware-sized magnetic-field detector and Gen Z researchers’ tips on building resilience.
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A laser beam tracks the motions of the tiny magnet suspended in a vacuum chamber as it wobbles in response to magnetic fields.Credit: Wei Ji, Peking University
A new magnetometer — a device used to measure magnetic fields — is sensitive enough to detect the faint signals of the brain’s electrical activity. The technique uses laser beams to track the motions of a tiny levitating magnet suspended in a vacuum chamber. This method is simpler than existing approaches, which require temperatures close to absolute zero or near-perfect shielding from external magnetic interference. The device could be used to detect magnetic fields produced by the brain or heart, and similar levitation techniques could be applied to search for dark matter, researchers say.
Nature | 4 min read
Reference: Science paper
Scientists using artificial-intelligence agents to audit the scientific literature have uncovered decades-old errors, from typos to incorrect values in the boiling-point measurements of molecules. The advantage of using AI to fact-check is the speed at which it can scan scientific databases and literature compared with humans, says computer scientist James Zou. But others argue that AI is still prone to mistakes, and its use should be focused on identifying ‘objective’ errors, such as those in calculations, and not assessing how data are interpreted or the novelty of the research.
Nature | 5 min read
More than one million The number of people living in eastern China who have been evacuated from their homes in the wake of heavy rainfall, flooding and the risk of landslides caused by tropical storm Dolphin. (BBC | 5 min read)
A mutation in a specific gene called FNIP1 is linked to a host of health benefits such as decreased levels of belly fat and blood sugar and a reduced risk of conditions including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The gene plays a part in cellular metabolism and in how cells detect and respond to certain nutrients. The mutations appear to be rare, but the findings reveal a possible target for drugs that could one day reproduce some of the mutations’ protective effects against cardiometabolic diseases.
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