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How light-based computers could cut AI’s energy needs
Computer components based on specialised LEDs could reduce the energy consumption of power hungry AI systems, according to new research. AI chips with components that compute using light can run more efficiently than those using digital electronics, but these light-based systems typically use lasers that can be bulky and difficult to control. To overcome these obstacles, a team has developed a way to replace these lasers with LEDs, which are cheaper and more efficient to run. Although only a proof of concept, they demonstrate that their system can perform some tasks as well as laser-based computers.
Research Article: Dong et al.
News and Views: Cheap light sources could make AI more energy efficient
10:36 Research Highlights
The genes that make roses smell so sweet, and how blocking inflammation could reduce heart injury after a stroke.
Research Highlight: How the rose got its iconic fragrance
Research Highlight: Strokes can damage the heart — but reining in the immune system might help
13:02 What researchers know about H5N1 influenza in cows
The highly-pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was first identified in US cattle in March 2024 and has been detected in multiple herds across the country. We round up what researchers currently know about this spread, what can be done to prevent it, and the risks this outbreak may pose to humans.
Nature News: Can H5N1 spread through cow sneezes? Experiment offers clues
Nature News: Huge amounts of bird-flu virus found in raw milk of infected cows
Nature News: Could bird flu in cows lead to a human outbreak? Slow response worries scientists
Research article: Eisfeld et al.
22:38 Briefing Chat
NASA’s Perseverance rover finds a Martian rock containing features associated with fossilized microbial life, and how metallic nodules on the ocean floor could be the source of mysterious ‘dark oxygen’
Space.com: NASA's Perseverance Mars rover finds possible signs of ancient Red Planet life
Nature News: Mystery oxygen source discovered on the sea floor — bewildering scientists
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Briefing Chat: How 1,000 pairs of buried underpants helped measure soil health
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Audio long read: Could mending damaged DNA prolong life?
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Briefing Chat: New narcolepsy drug could unlock host of novel brain therapies
12:25|Nature staff discuss how an FDA-approved drug for narcolepsy could have promise beyond the condition, and the longest-lived human brain organoids yet.00:28 The promise of a new narcolepsy drugNature: First-of-its-kind narcolepsy drug opens door to new therapies for the brain05:53 Human brain organoids kept alive for over five yearsNature: Human organoids that mimic brain development grown for years in labSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.A black hole's spin could finally be measured by a high-speed star
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Briefing Chat: Anthropic rolls out new AI watermark — will it make a difference?
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Briefing Chat: Is DNA repair the secret to a long life? Whales and mole-rats offer tantalizing hints
13:52|Nature staff discuss how animal studies are starting to uncover how DNA repair could prolong life, and how COVID-19 can reawaken dormant viruses.00:25 Could reawakened viruses have a link to long-COVID?Nature: COVID can wake up a slew of dormant viruses inside you05:57 DNA damage can cause ageing, could boosting repair boost longevity?Nature: Could mending damaged DNA prolong life?Subscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.