Have you ever given a prompt to an AI model like Chatgpt, only to find that its answer is definitively false or unconventional? This phenomenon is known as an AI hallucination— describing AI models' tendency to generate plausible yet false information.
Are AI hallucinations bad?
On one hand, these outputs highlight the limitations of generative models, raising concerns about misinformation and reliability. However, researchers are also beginning to see them as a surprising and transformative force, especially in scientific innovation.
These creative outputs, born from generative models, are fueling breakthroughs across diverse fields, from drug design and biomedical engineering to weather forecasting and David Baker’s Nobel Prize-winning protein research. While some critique the term "hallucination" as misleading, this article from New York Times explores how researchers see these A.I.-driven insights as a “modern” extension of the scientific method, enabling researchers to test and refine novel concepts with unprecedented speed.
Since 2018, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has been on a daring mission to “touch” the Sun, venturing closer to our star than any spacecraft in history. Hurtling through the Sun’s outer atmosphere at a record-breaking 430,000 mph, the probe is braving searing temperatures of 1,400°C (2,552°F) and intense radiation, all while unlocking secrets about the very heart of our solar system.
Why is the corona, the Sun’s tenuous outer atmosphere, millions of degrees hotter than its surface? How does the solar wind—a stream of charged particles—affect Earth, creating dazzling auroras but also threatening power grids and communication systems? How is the spacecraft designed to withstand this extreme heat? These are the mysteries scientists hope to solve as Parker edges just 3.8 million miles from the Sun’s surface.
Lighting Up the Internet: A Look at Optical Networks
As our homes and cities light up during the holidays, it’s the perfect time to talk about fiber optic networks, the backbone of the Internet. That’s right—most of the world’s internet data is transmitted using light, not electricity. But how does that work? After all, the light from a flashlight barely goes beyond 50 feet. The secret lies in the design of fiber optics, which allows light to travel vast distances with very little energy loss. Curious to learn more? Check out this fascinating video.
So, it works, you might say, but why use optical fiber instead of sending electronic signals? This is because optical fiber is superior in several key areas. It has a much higher capacity (can send more data at the same time), lower latency (data travels faster), more secure (much harder for anyone to eavesdrop or steal data), and more energy efficient. For a deeper dive into the differences between fiber and copper, take a look at this article. And here’s another fascinating fact: optical cables don’t just crisscross the land—they also span oceans! The image shows submarine cables that connect the globe. Isn’t it amazing?!