When it comes to chess, computers seem to have nothing left to prove.
Since IBM’s Deep Blue defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997, advances in artificial intelligence have made chess-playing computers more and more formidable. No human has beaten a computer in a chess tournament in 15 years.
In new research, a team including Jon Kleinberg, the Tisch University Professor of Computer Science, developed an artificially intelligent chess engine that doesn’t necessarily seek to beat humans – it’s trained to play like a human. This not only creates a more enjoyable chess-playing experience, it also sheds light on how computers make decisions differently from people, and how that could help humans learn to do better.
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Unique in Canada, the Advanced Laser Light Source Laboratory (ALLS) of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) has begun upgrading the power of its lasers in early 2020. Under the responsibility of Professor François Légaré, the ALLS infrastructure has received more than $12 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Quebec government to boost the performance of its infrared lasers. This co-funding will allow INRS research members to remain leaders in this strategic field for the future.
Ultimately, this extensive work will provide better access to even more efficient facilities, which are unique in Canada. Operating this variety of high-intensity lasers, including the most powerful laser in the country, allows for numerous applications, whether in basic research (probing and controlling matter) or applied research (high-resolution imaging with medical and environmental applications). Moreover, the ALLS laboratory offers unique too
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Stiffness in our tissues causes tension in our cells. Research from the Buck Institute, the University Health Network (University of Toronto), Stanford University, and the University of Alberta shows that stiffness impacts the innate immune system by upping its metabolism. The findings suggest the cellular tension likely sets off an inflammatory loop that contributes to the development of chronic diseases of aging. Publishing in
Cell Reports, Buck Associate Professor Dan Winer, MD, and colleagues present an emerging way of looking at how the immune system functions, possibilities for new immunotherapeutics, and a call for scientists to reconsider the way they do research.
As climate change causes more extreme temperature events, heat waves have the potential to hit marine environmentsespecially hard. The impacts could be especially dire for humans, as we increasingly turn to aquaculture as the best hope tofeed a global population speeding toward 10-billion people. Researchers at Vancouver Island University are leading an investigation to study the effects of heatwaves on farmed finfishand shellfish to learn how farmers can improve crop security in an uncertain future. “The world is changing, and we must make informed decisions to change with it successfully,” Dr. Dan Baker, a VIUFisheries and Aquaculture Professor said. “British Columbia has a crucial part to play in providing food to Canada and therest of the world in this future, and we believe we can help by addressing challenges in aquaculture industries hit hard byproblems created by climate change and other anthropogenic activities.”
Researchers at VIU look at climate change impacts on aquaculture production cheknews.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cheknews.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.