New AI could predict cancer based on genetics
PLUS: A cleaner. greener gas
Clayton Hester
November 16, 2023
Happy Thursday, creatives!
Another great day to make something new.
ART TODAY
National Endowment for the Arts Initiative: The NEA announced a new initiative, ArtsHERE, in partnership with South Arts and other U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. This initiative provides non-matching grant support to organizations committed to equity in practices and programming. It aims to strengthen grantees' capacity for community engagement and increase arts participation for underserved groups. Approximately 95 nonprofit organizations will receive grants ranging from $65,000 to $130,000, and the initiative includes peer-learning and technical assistance opportunities.
Neville Garrick's Passing: Jamaican graphic artist and photographer Neville Garrick, known for his work as art director for reggae legend Bob Marley, passed away at the age of 73. Garrick was celebrated for designing several of Marley's album covers and his work in the Reggae Sunsplash festival. His career spanning over 50 years left a significant mark on music album covers, posters, logos, and staging designs.
CMU Scientist's Novel 'Private I': Carnegie Mellon University scientist Jill Fain Lehman, with co-authors Ashlei E. Watson and Paul Pangaro, published a cyber-noir novel titled "Private I." The book, set in 2050, explores the ethics of AI and blurs the line between man and machine. It serves as an entry point into the field of machine learning and artificial intelligence, highlighting the limits and potential of generative AI. One of the novel's central characters, Marlowe, is an AI directly tethered to the protagonist, Paloma, offering a unique perspective on AI consciousness.
AI Arms Race
High-Performance Battery Design: Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have discovered a cooperative behavior among complex mixtures of components in electrolytes, which are crucial for battery performance. By combining different types of anions (negatively charged ions) with cations (positively charged ions), they significantly improved overall battery performance. This is particularly relevant for multivalent batteries, which use cations like zinc, magnesium, and calcium and have the potential to store and release more energy than current lithium-ion batteries. These new batteries could be particularly beneficial for electric vehicles and grid storage, offering advantages like abundant and domestically available materials, in contrast to lithium's expensive and volatile international supply chain.
Eco-friendly Insulating Gas for Power Equipment: The Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) has developed 'K6', an environmentally friendly insulating gas, as a sustainable alternative to sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), a major contributor to global warming used in electric power equipment. K6, with its low global warming potential and non-toxic nature, has been successfully applied to ultra-high voltage circuit breakers and is expected to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This invention addresses the urgent need to respond to the climate crisis and achieve carbon neutrality, particularly since SF6 gas accounts for a large portion of greenhouse gas emissions from KEPCO in Korea. The challenges in developing such a substitute were significant, akin to developing new drugs, involving various regulatory, chemical, and industrial considerations. K6's development is a notable achievement in the quest for environmentally friendly solutions in power transmission and distribution.
AI FOR PREDICTING CANCER
Researchers from the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model based on epigenetic factors to predict patient outcomes in various cancer types. This model uses gene expression patterns of epigenetic factors in tumors, such as histone acetyltransferases and SWI/SNF chromatin remodelers, for better categorization and prediction of patient outcomes. It was particularly effective for certain cancer types like adrenocortical carcinoma and liver hepatocellular carcinoma, offering more accurate predictions than traditional methods.
PODCAST RELEASES
Near Allied: “Self-Portraits and Ceilings: Frida Kahlo vs. Pain”
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