Category: Science&Technology

  • Torino and Braga win European Capital of Innovation Awards

    Today, the Commission has revealed the winners of the 2024-25 European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital), celebrating a decade of recognising cities that lead the way in delivering innovative solutions for their citizens. This year’s top prizes, funded under the EU research and innovation programme Horizon Europe, were awarded to the cities of Torino and Braga.  

    Torino showcases a comprehensive approach to experimentation and innovation, leveraging its rich history and industrial heritage to tackle both present and future urban challenges. Braga has developed a range of innovative solutions, from tech-based clusters to cultural and creative industries, and established a strong innovation ecosystem with a focus on collaboration and inclusivity.  

    The award ceremony took place on 13 November 2024 in Lisbon at the Web Summit, one of the world’s largest technology events. Commissioner Iliana Ivanova handed the awards to cities that have embedded innovation into daily urban life, advancing sustainable, inclusive, and resilient communities. The ceremony brought together the mayors from winning cities and past iCapital winners.  

    In addition to the main category winners, the Commission has announced the 1st and 2nd runners-up for each category:  

    European Capital of Innovation category 

    • Torino, winner 
    • Espoo, 2nd place 
    • West Midlands Combined Authority, 3rd place  

    European Rising Innovative City category 

    • Braga, winner 
    • Linz, 2nd place  
    • Oulu, 3rd place   

    The European Capital of Innovation category winner, Torino, has received a €1 million prize, while the two runners-up have been awarded €100 000 each. The European Rising Innovative City category winner, Braga, has received €500,000, and the two runner-up cities have each been granted €50,000.  

    Background 

    Supported by the European Innovation Council (EIC) under Horizon Europe, the European Capital of Innovation Awards – also known as iCapital – celebrate cities with dynamic, inclusive innovation ecosystems. The competition acknowledges those urban centres that successfully connect citizens, academic institutions, businesses, and public authorities to drive transformative change.  

    This year celebrates the tenth anniversary of the iCapital Awards. The prize first took place in 2014. Past winners include Barcelona (2014), Amsterdam (2016), Paris (2017), Athens (2018), Nantes (2019), Leuven (2020), Dortmund (2021), Aix-Marseille Provence Metropole (2022) and Lisbon (2023) as European Capitals of Innovation. Past winners in the Rising Innovative city category include Vantaa (2021), Haarlem (2022) and Linköping (2023).   

    iCapital is one of the five EIC Prizes granted under Horizon Europe. The prize is open to cities from all EU member states and countries associated to Horizon Europe and it is managed by the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency. The winners are chosen following an assessment performed by two high-level juries of independent experts.  

  • EU Commission joins forces with venture capital to support deep tech innovation in Europe

    Today, the Commission has launched a Trusted Investors Network bringing together a group of investors ready to co-invest in innovative deep-tech companies in Europe together with the EU. The Union’s investment comes from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, which is part of the EU research and innovation programme Horizon Europe.

    The first group comprises 71 investors from across Europe, including venture capital funds, public investment banks, foundations and corporate venture funds. These investors collectively represent over €90 billion of assets, which positions the network as a key initiative to mobilise capital for Europe’s deep tech sector.

    Following preparatory meetings with investors earlier this year, Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, launched the network at an event in Athens. The participants committed to a Trusted Investors Network Charter, setting out shared values to build companies in Europe, and to co-investing with the EIC Fund. Members of the network will work together with support from the EIC to boost investment and exchange best practices when investing in the deep tech sector.

    The launch responds to the need to increase financing of such companies to grow in Europe. It provides the foundation for further development in 2025, in line with the political guidelines of the next Commission.

    It highlights the growing importance of the EIC Fund which has by now invested nearly €1 billion in 251 of Europe‘s most promising start-ups. The EIC Fund has attracted co-investments of over €4 billion from around one thousand investors, leveraging over €4 for every €1 invested. The Trusted Investor Network will further strengthen these co-investments and enable companies in critical technologies areas to access larger investments needed to compete globally.

    The launch was part of the first EIC Scaling Summit, bringing together for the first time 120 companies selected from the EIC portfolio and national programmes with the potential to scaleup and become global champions in their fields. 72 of these companies were added today to the 48 members already enrolled in the EIC Scaling Club. The EIC provides tailored support to the members of the Club, aiming to scale 20% of them into unicorns – companies with a valuation exceeding €1 billion. Collectively, these member companies have raised over €73 million to date, with additional funding rounds expected soon.

  • Why chocolate should not be given to dogs

    Chocolate is a favorite delicacy for people, but for cats and dogs it is a real poison, writes the magazine ” Sciences et Avenir” and explains why pets should not be “pampered” with chocolate under any circumstances.

    For them, chocolate is toxic, because it is not properly absorbed by their body. This is due to the alkaloid theobromine, which is contained in cocoa and therefore in chocolate.

    The substance becomes dangerous to health when large amounts of it are stored in the liver. About 12 grams of theobromine are contained in dark chocolate, twice as much in milk chocolate, and very small amounts in white chocolate.

    Theobromine does not harm humans, as the human body manages to break it down quickly.

    However, it takes 20 hours for dogs to get rid of this molecule. It can build up in their liver and cause poisoning if large amounts of chocolate are ingested at once.

    Among the symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, rapid pulse, convulsions.

    The same is true for cats. However, they are less attracted to chocolate than dogs because they cannot taste sweets with their tongues, although there are exceptions.

    In addition, pet obesity is the subject of a number of educational campaigns aimed at owners.

    A court in North West England has banned a British man from keeping pets for the next 10 years because his Dalmatian became too fat. wrote the English tabloid “Sun” in November 2009.

    40-year-old man John Green, a resident of Macclesfield in Cheshire, showed extreme irresponsibility towards his dog Barney and fed him chips and chocolate.

    Thus, in just three months, it became several times fatter than normal for its breed and reached 70 kg.

    Green was tipped off by alarmed, vigilant fellow citizens.

    Animal control officials warned Green that his dog’s health was in danger and recommended that he be put on a diet.

    However, he did not follow the recommendations and the dog continued to gain weight.

    The Dalmatian was eventually removed from his owner’s home in June and put on a diet in a private kennel, where staff made sure he got enough exercise.

    As a result, Barney, who is eight years old, lost 40 kg.

    Green pleaded guilty to causing his dog unnecessary suffering, but the court found some mitigating circumstances because the man treated Barney more like a friend than a dog and did not realize he was harming him.

    That’s why Green was only sentenced to 200 hours of community service and to pay £780 in costs.

    Illustrative Photo by Glenn: https://www.pexels.com/photo/high-angle-photo-of-a-corgi-looking-upwards-2664417/

  • The sounds of the soil makes reveal the secrets of biodiversity

    Scientists at Australia’s Flinders University have found that healthy soil is a surprisingly noisy place. And deforested places or those with poor soil “sound” much quieter.

    Experts draw this conclusion thanks to a new field in science – ecoacoustics, which studies soundscapes.

    They listened to sounds made by ants, worms and other creatures living underground in South Australia to assess the relationship between soil sounds and biodiversity.

    In the Journal of Applied Ecology, the researchers describe experiments with three different types of forest patches: two deforested patches of land, two forested patches that have been reforested in recent years, and two largely untouched patches of land.

    Soil sounds were recorded during daylight hours at all six sites, and were supplemented by recordings of soil samples taken in a soundproof chamber.

    The researchers counted the number of invertebrates in each soil sample to determine how many living creatures lived at each location.

    The analysis showed greater diversity in both intact and restored sites, both of which have more complex acoustics.

    Soil sound recordings at these sites include snaps, gurgles and a variety of other sounds – evidence of the diversity and health of life below the surface. The deforested area was quieter.

    “Listening” to the soil could help identify areas in need of restoration or protection, or even warn of environmental disturbances, the researchers wrote.

    “All living organisms make sounds, and our preliminary results show that different soil organisms have different sound profiles depending on their activity, shape, limbs and size,” said Jake M. Robinson, an ecologist at Flinders University in Australia, one of the the authors of the study, cited by Besjournals.

    Illustrative Photo by Muffin Creatives: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photo-of-person-holding-sand-2203683/

  • Heavy fine in Holland for the company that cheated the faces of millions

    The Dutch have fined the American company Сlеаrvіеw AI for 30.5 million euros for creating an illegal database for the identification of citizens, they announced agencies.

    The data protection authority will also impose a fine of up to 5 million euro on the company for non-compliance, as long as the illegal practice is not proven.

    At the moment, there is no official comment from the AI Archive. It answers requests of public, private and other companies and chat firms through its own database of persons and data about them. They are collected from the social networks and other sources.

    “Facial recognition is an extremely invasive technology that can’t be used by every person in the world,” said Aleid Wolfsen, the forerunner of the data campaign. The public is advised not to use the AI Server.

    “Сlеаrvіеw AI violates the law and this makes the use of the company’s services illegal. So the Dutch organizations that use the platform can Big fines are expected,” he added.

    Сlearvіew AI has no office in Europe. In October 2022, France imposed a fine of 20 million euros on Сlеаrvіеw AI and ordered the company not to collect and process data on natural persons residing in France without permission.

    In 2023, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) stated that Сlеаrvіеw AI had not received any evidence of compliance with the requirements.

    In June, Сlеаrvіеw АІ reached a settlement in a case in Illinois, which alleged that a large collection of facial images intruded on the privacy of individuals. Which, according to the lawyers’ estimates, could cost more than 50 million dollars. The company does not accept any fault under the terms of the contract for waiting for the goods.

    Illustrative photo: I.K. Aivazovsky. Aivazovsky in the circle of friends. 1893, height: 54.5 cm (21.4 in), oil on canvas, Aivazovsky National Art Gallery – Feodosia, Crimea.

  • Generative AI in Video Games: One More Gaming Startup Uses Artificial Intelligence to Transform NPC Interactions

    Jam & Tea Studios, a new gaming startup, is using generative AI technology to redefine how players interact with non-playable characters (NPCs) in video games.

    This innovative approach is intended to transform player engagement by moving beyond traditional scripted NPC behavior, which often feels monotonous and unrealistic. By integrating AI, Jam & Tea allows for more dynamic and personalized interactions, enabling players to have natural conversations with NPCs and explore a wider range of experiences.

    Founded by veterans from Riot Games, Wizards of the Coast, and Magic: The Gathering, Jam & Tea recently announced its debut game, Retail Mage, which will utilize generative AI to enhance various aspects of gameplay. The game will employ AI tools to handle gameplay mechanics, generate content, create dialogue, and even produce items, thereby expanding the possibilities within the game world.

    Retail Mage is a role-playing game (RPG) that places players in the role of a wizard working as a salesperson at a magical furniture store. The primary objective is to earn five-star customer reviews, although players can choose to either diligently assist customers or cause chaos. With AI-powered NPCs acting as customers, the game opens up a wide array of potential outcomes based on player choices and interactions.

    In Retail Mage, customers approach players with unique requests, and instead of relying on pre-set dialogue options, players can type their responses into a text generator. This allows players to input commands like “say something charming,” prompting the AI to generate multiple dialogue options in real time. The inclusion of AI-driven NPCs promises to make the game experience more spontaneous and engaging.

    Jam & Tea is not alone in exploring AI-enhanced NPC interactions. Other companies like Artificial Agency, Inworld, and Nvidia are also developing similar technologies. Additionally, major gaming companies such as Ubisoft have introduced AI-driven tools like “Ghostwriter” to generate dialogue for NPCs in their games.

    While generative AI offers significant advantages, it also presents challenges. One concern is the unpredictability of AI, where NPC behavior can become erratic, leading to a frustrating player experience. There’s also the risk of AI “hallucinations,” where the NPCs may provide inaccurate or nonsensical responses. To address these issues, Jam & Tea plans to continually improve its AI engine and implement guardrails to prevent inappropriate conversations. Players can also rate NPC responses, providing valuable feedback to refine character behavior.

    The game encourages creativity, allowing for inventive interactions that can lead to unexpected scenarios. For example, during playtesting, a player expressed boredom, prompting an NPC to suggest a game of hide and seek. This spontaneous activity was not pre-programmed but emerged naturally from the AI’s ability to adapt to player input, showcasing the potential of generative AI to create engaging, real-time experiences.

    Jam & Tea has experimented with various large language models (LLMs), including OpenAI, Google’s Gemma, Mistral AI, and Meta’s Llama, and is in the process of fine-tuning its chosen model to enhance character responses.

    Beyond dialogue, the AI engine in Retail Mage extends to object interaction, allowing players to manipulate or create items based on their intentions. In a demo, players could retrieve or fabricate items, like summoning an antelope-shaped plush pillow for an NPC customer. Although the physical item may not visually appear, the action is acknowledged within the game’s inventory system, offering a canvas for player imagination and creativity.

    Jam & Tea ensures that AI technology will not replace the work of artists, as all 2D and 3D assets in the game will be created by real human designers. This commitment highlights the studio’s balanced approach to integrating AI while maintaining the integrity of creative contributions.

    With only eight team members, Jam & Tea faces the challenge of competing with larger gaming companies. However, by pioneering AI technologies early, the studio positions itself to adapt and grow alongside advancements in AI models. The company has already secured $3.15 million in seed funding and plans to raise additional capital to support its growth.

    Retail Mage will be available for $15, with additional game packs offered for purchase. Initially launching on PCs, the company plans to expand to cross-platform compatibility in the coming years. The game is expected to be released to the public later this fall.

    Written by Vytautas Valinskas

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  • Meta Abandons Plans for High-End Mixed-Reality Headset, Focusing on Affordable Options

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    Meta Platforms has scrapped its plans for a premium mixed-reality headset, La Jolla, which was intended to compete with Apple’s Vision Pro. The decision was made after a product review meeting, where the company’s Reality Labs division was instructed to cease work on the device.

    Metaverse. Illustrative photo. Image credit: cottonbro studio via pexels.com, free licenseMetaverse. Illustrative photo. Image credit: cottonbro studio via pexels.com, free license
    Metaverse. Illustrative photo. Image credit: cottonbro studio via pexels.com, free license

    The headset codenamed La Jolla was scheduled for release in 2027 and featured ultrahigh-resolution micro OLED screens, similar to those used in Vision Pros.

    The cancellation of La Jolla comes as no surprise, given the struggles of Apple’s Vision Pro, which has failed to gain traction due to its hefty $3,500 price tag. Meta’s Reality Labs division has incurred significant losses, but CEO Mark Zuckerberg remains committed to the future of augmented and virtual reality technologies.

    Instead, Meta will focus on its existing line of Quest headsets, including the affordable Quest 2 ($200) and Quest 3 ($500). The company had previously discontinued the Quest Pro, its most expensive headset priced at $999, due to weak sales and poor reviews.

    The cancellation of La Jolla highlights the challenges of developing high-end mixed-reality headsets. The technology is relatively still in its infancy, and consumers are hesitant to invest in expensive devices with limited functionality and limited software options. Meta’s decision to focus on affordable devices is a logical move from the commercial perspective, as it allows the company to reach a wider audience and generate revenue.

    Written by Alius Noreika



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  • Horses are much smarter than previously thought

    Horses are much smarter than previously thought, scientists say, after research shows the animals do better than expected in a complex reward-based game, reported DPA.

    The authors of the study, from Nottingham Trent University, UK, found that when they were denied a treat for not following the rules of the game, the horses were able to immediately change their strategies to get more rewards. This shows that animals have the ability to think and plan ahead, something previously thought to be beyond their ability.

    Knowing how horses learn can help keepers train them more humanely and improve their welfare, the team adds. “Horses are not geniuses by nature, they are considered mediocre, but the present study shows that they are actually more advanced cognitively than we give them credit for,” write the authors of the study, published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science.

    For the purposes of the study, the scientists set 20 horses a task consisting of three stages with gradually increasing complexity of the rules and the introduction of punishment. In the course of it, researchers have found that horses comply with the imposed rules in order to get a treat. The animals performed better than expected in the complex reward-based game, and when they were denied a treat for not following its rules, they were able to switch strategies immediately. According to the researchers, this suggests that the horses knew the rules of the game all along.

    According to the scientists, the results of the study show that horses have the ability to form an internal model of the world around them to make decisions and make predictions – a technique known as model-based learning. Until now, this kind of training was thought to be too complex for horses because they have an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain associated with strategic thinking. According to scientists, horses use a different area of the brain to achieve a similar result.

    Illustrative Photo by eberhard grossgasteiger: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-horse-in-close-up-photography-1411709/

  • Researchers Use AI Tools to Uncover Connections Between Radiotherapy for Lung Cancer and Heart Complications

    Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, have used artificial intelligence tools to accelerate the understanding of the risk of specific cardiac arrhythmias when various parts of the heart are exposed to different thresholds of radiation as part of a treatment plan for lung cancer. Their results are published in JACC: CardioOncology.

    “Radiation exposure to the heart during lung cancer treatment can have very serious and immediate effects on a patient’s cardiovascular health,” said corresponding author Raymond Mak, MD, of the Department of Radiation Oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “We are hoping to inform not only oncologists and cardiologists, but also patients receiving radiation treatment, about the risks to the heart when treating lung cancer tumors with radiation.”

    The emergence of artificial intelligence tools in health care has been groundbreaking and has the potential to positively reshape the continuum of care, including informing treatment plans for patients with cancer. Mass General Brigham, as one of the nation’s top integrated academic health systems and largest innovation enterprises, is leading the way in conducting rigorous research on new and emerging technologies to inform the responsible incorporation of AI into care delivery. 

    For patients receiving radiation therapy to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), arrhythmias or irregular rhythms of the heart can be common. Because of the close proximity of the heart to the lungs and with NSCLC tumors being near or around the heart, the heart can receive collateral damage from radiation dose spillage meant to target the cancer tumors. Prior studies have found that this type of exposure to the heart is associated with general cardiac issues. However, this nuanced study demonstrated that the risk for different types of arrhythmias can vary significantly based on the pathophysiology and cardiac structures that are exposed to different levels of radiation.

    In order to classify the types of arrhythmias that are associated with cardiac substructures receiving radiation, researchers conducted a retrospective analysis on 748 patients in Massachusetts, who were treated with radiation for locally advanced NSCLC. The arrhythmia subtypes cataloged included atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, other supraventricular tachycardia, bradyarrhythmia, and ventricular tachyarrhythmia or asystole. 

    The team’s statistical analyses indicated that about one out of every six patients experienced at least one grade 3 arrhythmia with a median time of 2.0 years until the first arrhythmia. Grade 3 classifications are considered serious events that likely need intervention or require hospitalization. They also found that almost one-third of patients who experienced arrhythmias also suffered from major adverse cardiac events.

    The arrhythmia classes outlined in the study did not entirely encompass the range of heart rhythm issues that are possible, but the authors note that these observations still create a better understanding of the possible pathophysiology pathways and potential avenues for minimizing cardiac toxicity after receiving radiation treatment. Their work also offers a predictive model for dose exposure and the type of expected arrhythmia.

    For the future, the researchers believe that radiation oncologists should collaborate with cardiology experts to better understand the mechanisms of heart injuries and their connection to radiation treatment. In addition, they should take advantage of modern radiation treatment to actively sculpt radiation exposure away from the specific cardiac regions that are at high risk for causing arrhythmias. According to Mak, this study, alongside previous research, will help with surveillance, screening, and informing radiation oncologists on which parts of the heart to limit radiation exposure to, and in turn, mitigate complications.

    “An interesting part of what we did was leverage artificial intelligence algorithms to segment structures like the pulmonary vein and parts of the conduction system to measure the radiation dose exposure in over 700 patients. This saved us many months of manual work,” said Mak. “So, not only does this work have potential clinical impact, but it also opens the door for using AI in radiation oncology research to streamline discovery and create larger datasets.”

    Source: BWH

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  • Why are we bookmarking things and never checking back?

    Without a doubt, many of us, upon opening our Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, or any other social media account and looking at the saved files section, would find dozens of saved but forgotten links to articles, videos, and other materials. This action can be called “bookmarking”— a process during which we can save various online content and then easily find it in one place. But how does it happen that we save and accumulate so much, yet never return to it?

    Do we know the purpose behind saving these links?

    When examining the act of bookmarking within the context of consciously choosing to save information seen online, it can be linked to a deliberate decision and intention to use the saved link in the future. This indicates that the user wants to systematize and organize information so that it can be easily found and used according to their needs.

    However, today, there is a growing risk and trend of accumulating large amounts of information: various social content, website links, or emails that are often stored in an unorganized manner and without a specific purpose. This behavior has already been given a term by psychologists and researchers — “digital hoarding”.

    Hoarding as an action is not new to researchers, as there have always been people who hoard books, receipts, and many other physical items. However, these habits are gradually shifting into the digital realm and becoming a new challenge. The constant saving of emails, reels, and articles may seem harmless, but it can lead to uncontrollable behavior and more serious consequences than might appear at first glance.

    What drives the hoarding of digital material?

    The act of saving certain content and never returning to it is a familiar experience for many, but this is usually not a serious problem. However, the increasingly uncontrollable desire—or the emerging compulsion—to constantly save everything you see online that piques your interest may appears from underlying psychological issues.

    Firstly, when a person encounters certain material, they often do not control their decision and choose to save the content. They frequently feel that not saving it will cause anxiety, a sense of discomfort, and doubt that they will need the material in the future, but when the time comes, they may not have access to the necessary information.

    The second reason why digital content is often hoarded is emotional attachment. This reason is more closely related to personal files, such as emails or photos, where it is difficult to let go because the person feels a sense of loss.

    How to tell if you are a digital hoarder?

    Dr. Richard Brown outlines five signs that can help determine whether any of us are digital hoarders. Firstly, it’s the constant accumulation of digital material, such as a full email inbox or disorganized saved files, with the thought that they might be needed. Secondly, you don’t delete unused material that was saved but never reviewed. Thirdly, it’s difficult to find what you need among the abundance of saved files. Fourthly, there is an emotional attachment, making it hard to delete unused files. Fifthly, you save files across multiple platforms or devices to ensure access.

    Final Word

    While hoarding physical or digital materials may seem harmless and almost a universal behaviour, everyone should carefully consider whether the saved information is necessary and if it will be useful and needed in the future.

    Written by Agnė Vaišnoraitė

    Sources: UCLA Health, Psychology Today

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