Lifeboat Foundation

Languages are a key factor in human societies. They connect people, serve as a vehicle to pass on knowledge and ideas, but they also distinguish between different groups of people. Languages can therefore tell us a lot about the societies that use them. As languages are constantly changing, it is important to know the factors that play a role in this. Scientists can then reconstruct past processes on the basis of languages.

In a study published today (Dec. 5) in the online journal PNAS Nexus, Kiel linguist Dr. Søren Wichmann, together with colleagues from China, demonstrates that average ambient temperatures influence the loudness of certain speech sounds. “Generally speaking, languages in warmer regions are louder than those in colder regions,” says Dr. Wichmann.

The basic idea behind the study is that we are surrounded by air when we speak and listen. Spoken words are transmitted through the air as sound waves. The physical properties of air therefore influence how easy it is to produce and hear speech.

Are you ready to bring more awareness to your brand? Consider becoming a sponsor for The AI Impact Tour. Learn more about the opportunities here.

Last week, a team of researchers from the University of California, Berkeley published a highly anticipated paper in the journal Nature describing an “autonomous laboratory” or “A-Lab” that aimed to use artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to accelerate the discovery and synthesis of new materials.

Dubbed a “self-driving lab,” the A-Lab presented an ambitious vision of what an AI-powered system could achieve in scientific research when equipped with the latest techniques in computational modeling, machine learning (ML), automation and natural language processing.

Tesla’s vehicles can now recognize speed cameras as of its latest update, along with several other navigation features that will reportedly be coming soon.

Code sleuth and Tesla update observer Greentheonly said on Sunday that Tesla software update 2023.27.12 has added the speed camera awareness feature along with other camera awareness capabilities. The update includes the Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta version 11.4.8.1, and it was first spotted in a Tesla vehicle on Saturday, according to Teslascope.

The software update also includes red light camera awareness, including those for fixed and mobile versions, and a combined awareness for red lights and speed cameras. Green also says that several other navigation features appear to be right around the corner, including U-turn control and an “avoid construction on route” setting, as found in internal code for Tesla’s maps system.

Flying electric cars are not just for sci-fi movies. Miami-based Doroni Aerospace announced Friday its all-electric flying car, the Doroni H1, received official FAA Airworthiness Certification. And the best part – it’s designed to fit in your garage.

Doroni claims to be the first company to test manned flights with a 2-seater flying electric car in the US. The Doroni H1 took flight earlier this year.

CEO Doron Merdinger successfully piloted the personal electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) this summer. Merdinger said receiving the flight certification “is not just a milestone for our company, but a leap forward for the entire field of personal air mobility.”

Receiving the FAA’s Airworthiness Certification is not just a milestone for our company, but a leap forward for the entire field of personal air mobility.

Doroni Aerospace.

Continue reading “Flying electric car Doroni H1 is now airworthy, says FAA” »

Elon Musk discusses the progress and challenges of Tesla’s full self-driving technology, expressing less optimism about its timeline but recognizing its potential value and impact on the future of transportation.

Questions to spark discussion.

Continue reading “Elon Musk’s Latest Update on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Tech” »

The wireless-charging roadway is expected to boost the adoption and convenience of electric vehicles, which are increasing in popularity in the United States.

Electreon.

MDOT and Electreon initiative.

Continue reading “Michigan welcomes US’s first wireless charging roadway for EVs” »

Detroit is now home to the country’s first stretch of road that can wirelessly charge an electric vehicle (EV), whether it’s parked or moving.

Why it matters: Wireless charging on an electrified roadway could remove one of the biggest hassles of owning an EV: the need to stop and plug in regularly.

It really is impressive how many unknowns there are about the next decade in transportation. Sure, there have always been innovations and surprises, but to be unsure what most vehicles will even be powered by in 10 years, nor who — or what — will be in the driver’s seat, is astounding. Battery-electric vehicles are the leading contender to usurp internal combustion, eventually, though the road to that outcome is full of hurdles. Solid-state batteries (SSB) are seen as one of the key innovations to get there, various makers saying they’ll have at least one product with a solid-state battery on the market by the end of the decade. The overall numbers of SSB-powered vehicles might remain surprisingly low well into the 2030s, though. In Toyota’s internal news outlet, Toyota Times, the automaker wrote, “In the [SSB] mass production phase anticipated for 2030 and beyond, the companies are looking to boost capacity to several thousand tonnes (several tens of thousands of vehicles) in line with Toyota’s product plans.”

The “companies” referred to are Toyota and Japan’s petrochemical conglomerate Idemitsu Kosan, which formalized collaboration on SSBs this year. Right now, Toyota and Idemitsu are working on the development times for solid electrolyte and resulting quality and cost. When those are locked in, the firms will work on a pilot facility for commercialization. Initial commercial effort will take two years of testing and validation before wider production commences in 2030.

The “several tens of thousands of vehicles” appears to have gone through at least one revision after publication. In Jalopnik’s writeup, the capacity was quoted as “over ten thousand vehicles.” Even at the larger sum, that’s considerably less than onlookers expected, but that might be because onlookers expected too much, not because Toyota overpromised. The automaker’s talked big numbers for BEV sales, but has talked just as bigly about what kinds of electrified powertrains those sales will entail: At least four kinds of battery technologies, plus hydrogen, and hybrids. In 2021, Toyota said it expected to have an SSB ready by 2025. In 2022, a Toyota engineer said the first product to get an SSB would be a hybrid on go on sale in the first half of the decade.