Sapere Aude
Month: December 2018
Amazing progress.
we are delighted to introduce the full evaluation of AlphaZero, published in the journal Science, that confirms and updates those preliminary results. It describes how AlphaZero quickly learns each game to become the strongest player in history for each, despite starting its training from random play, with no in-built domain knowledge but the basic rules of the game.
The other big thing that comes out in the released documents is all the way at the end, when Facebook is getting ready to roll out a Facebook app update on Android that will snoop on your SMS and call logs and use that information for trying to get you to add more friends and for determining what kinds of content it promotes to you. Facebook clearly recognized that this could be a PR nightmare if it got out, and they were worried that Android would seek permission from users, which would alert them to this kind of snooping.
A new documentary celebrates the New York City our readers love: the unknown. In The World Before Your Feet, audiences journey alongside Matt Green, a New York City-based urban explorer who has vowed to walk all 13K km of the city’s walkways. Director Jeremy Workman and producer Jesse Eisenberg have captured more than 500 hours of footage, which includes little-known historical anecdotes and memorable interactions with Green’s neighbors. The result is the most comprehensive guided tour of New York City to date.
forensic scientist Thiago Piwowarczyk and art historian Jeffrey Taylor of New York Art Forensics go through their 5-step art authentication process to determine if they have a legit Jackson Pollock or not.
US could save $78B by shutting down coal plants
42% of global coal capacity is already unprofitable because of high fuel costs; by 2040 that could reach 72% as existing CO2 pricing and air pollution regulations drive up costs while the price of onshore wind and solar power continues to fall; any future regulation would make coal power still more unprofitable.
It costs more to run 35% of coal power plants than to build new renewable generation; by 2030 building new renewables will be cheaper than continuing to operate 96% of today’s existing and planned coal plants.
China could save $389B by closing plants in line with the Paris Climate Agreement instead of pursuing business as usual plans; the EU could save $89B; the US could save $78B; and Russia could save $20B.
“We’ve been doing it since before Google. But I don’t know why we decided it was better to do it in front of 1 computer instead of 2. I would walk from my D.E.C. research lab 2 blocks away to his D.E.C. research lab. There was a gelato store in the middle.” “So it’s the gelato store!” Sanjay said, delighted.
Gregor J. Rothfuss 