Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Tech: Who owns the sound of your voice?

June 4—This week, how a sheet of vibrating silk might curb noise pollution, the quest to build a "meta-earplug," and the reasons why artificial wombs aren't yet ready for clinical trials. All that and more below!

--Ben Guarino, Associate Editor, Technology


The 180-Year-Old Endnotes That Foretold the Future of Computation

Ada Lovelace's wisdom about the first general-purpose computer can be found buried in the appendix of another paper

New Earplugs Won't Amplify the Sound of Your Own Voice

Wearing earplugs, hearing aids and earphones can make your own voice sound booming, but a new design dampens the din

Auroras Are on the Horizon, and Bird Flu Is on the Menu

Vaccine misinformation on social media, smartphone addiction in teens and more are discussed in this week's news roundup.

A Vibrating Curtain of Silk Can Stifle Noise Pollution

Inspired by headphone technology, silk sewn with a vibrating fiber acts as a lightweight sound barrier

It Is Too Soon for Clinical Trials on Artificial Wombs

A technology meant to help severely premature infants raises questions of inequity and may someday threaten parents' rights to make decisions

Who Owns Your Voice in the Age of AI?

Emerging AI services present scenarios that could challenge the laws over rights to a persona

China's Chang'e 6 Probe Lands on Far Side of the Moon

The Chang'e 6 mission is China's second to touch down on the lunar far side and will retrieve samples for analysis on Earth

Warfare's Climate Emissions Are Huge but Uncounted

Nations aren't required to report their military climate pollution under the Paris Agreement. Experts say that should change

Scientist Pankaj

Day in Review: NASA’s EMIT Will Explore Diverse Science Questions on Extended Mission

The imaging spectrometer measures the colors of light reflected from Earth's surface to study fields such as agriculture ...  Mis...