A nice ode to a bit of progress that has led to much of modern technology!
60 years ago this month, the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) was introduced by Cooley & Tukey (1965) - one of the most important algorithms in signal processing and data analysis.
— Fermat's Library (@fermatslibrary) April 25, 2025
In 1805, Gauss - studying the orbits of asteroids Pallas and Juno - came up with a method to… pic.twitter.com/zyFQPQLwPX
People now arguing whether AI should have "rights". Seems that you first need a robust theory of what gives rise to the concept of "rights" and which entities this concept applies to.
NYT: "If AI Systems Become Conscious, Should They Have Rights?
MIT: "60 years ago this month, the Fast Fourier Transform was created, a powerful tool for image compression & data analysis. Watch a classic MIT breakdown of FFT"
"How to Protect Yourself From Phone Searches at the US Border"
"US scientists discover never-before-seen quantum 'species' in twisted material"
Ross Douthat: "An Age of Extinction Is Coming. Here's How to Survive."
I think he's too pessimistic. But his essay does make some good points.
"Making AI-generated code more accurate in any language"
A new technique automatically guides an LLM toward outputs that adhere to the rules of whatever programming language or other format is being used.
Ars Technica: "Women rely partly on smell when choosing friends". (Via H.R.)
Nature: "Signs of life on a distant planet? Not so fast, say these astronomers"
"A new analysis of the sky has finally confirmed where the missing half of the Universe's visible matter has been hiding." (Via H.R.)
My first guess was under the couch.
"Scientists claim to have found colour no one has seen before"
This question was posed recently on social media -- basically, asking someone to interpret a near-indecipherable orthopedic clinic note.
My own translation:
Ortho
===========
R(ight) knee pain
R(ight) knee: + effusion, +pain, decreased ROM (range of motion)
Xray right knee: moderate OA (osteoarthritis)
A/P (assessment/plan): Right knee osteoarthritis
Right knee injection
F/u (followup) 3 months.
I also asked Grok AI to attempt to translate the image, and I have to confess it did surprisingly well!
"Thought To Be Impossible: Scientists Break Century-Old Physics Barrier". (Via H.R.)
A research team from POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) and Jeonbuk National University has achieved a groundbreaking feat: the complete confinement of mechanical waves within a single resonator—something long considered theoretically impossible. Their study, published on April 3 in Physical Review Letters, represents a significant advance in solving the century-old puzzle of bound states in the continuum (BIC).
"Oklahoma boy astounds classmates with his ability to do 50 different bird calls"
"New handheld device can diagnose TB without a lab in under an hour, its developers say"
"Generative AI is learning to spy for the US military"
"Breakfast Club" cast, 40 years later. Some have aged better than others.
"Trump Wants Tariffs to Bring Back U.S. Jobs. They Might Speed Up AI Automation Instead"
BBC: "The plans to put data centres in orbit and on the Moon"
"Texas private school's use of new 'AI tutor' rockets student test scores to top 2% in the country"