Katie Wilson

The general principle of night vision is that the photons entering the device must be given additional energy so that they can be detected by special detectors. And then convert them into visible radiation. Previously, for this photons turned into electrons, as they are easier to influence. But now the researchers have learnt to pump energy at once the photons themselves.

The technology is based on the concept of ‘metasurfaces’ – complex structures with specified properties. The previous version made of gallium arsenide confirmed the very possibility of such a system. And the new version made of lithium niobate allowed to achieve practical results. Photons when passing through such a material are exposed to a pump beam, receive the required energy and pass into the visible part of the spectrum without additional efforts.

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By studying this process, scientists at the University of Rochester (USA) came to the conclusion that people blink much more often than necessary, because in addition to the above-mentioned functions, blinking is also actively involved in the processing of visual information.

It was found that the average frequency of human blinks is 20 times per minute or about 20000 per day. Each eyelid movement lasts from 0.1 to 0.4 seconds. As a result, it consumes 8 per cent of waking time. To adapt to this constant ‘change of scenery’ when processing visual information, our brains have to work harder.

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Researchers from the University of Leuven in Belgium have created an artificial intelligence model for navigating the diversity of beer. It is expected that it will be used to build a commercial tool for predicting demand for new varieties of this beverage. Beer was chosen not only because of its prevalence, but also because of the incredible complexity of its evaluation, as there are many subjective opinions that influence consumers’ liking for a particular variety.

To train the AI, three datasets were prepared to describe in detail 250 publicly available beers in Belgium, brewed in 22 popular styles. The first type of data is scientific. The scientists measured 226 chemical parameters of the beer, mainly concentrations of various compounds. And 200 flavour parameters, also in the form of precise values.

The second set of data were evaluations from live tasters. Professional sommeliers identified 50 organoleptic parameters each and rated all the beers on them. They were most interested in flavour nuances and the sensation of impurities in the drink. They were then asked to give similar scores to enthusiastic beer drinkers who left 180,000 reviews of the selected beers via the RateBeer online platform.

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‘Coughing’ is more common in trees in dry and hot climates. In such areas, the intensity of this process is doubled. Humid regions with moderate temperatures are more favourable for the planet’s ‘green lungs’. At the same time, ‘coughing’ in trees is possible in any areas where temperatures exceed the 20 °C mark.

In his statement, Lloyd notes that humans have upset the balance of an important biological cycle, and that plants and climate are inextricably linked. Rapid climate change and rising global temperatures are depriving humanity of an important resource that can make the air cleaner. The US Department of Energy estimates that forests can absorb up to 25 per cent of atmospheric CO2. Global warming is reducing this figure.

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