AI and Covid, Evolutionary Transitions, and Hubble: Lux Recommends #225
Welcome to Lux Recommends #225, this week’s edition of what we at Lux are reading and thinking about (want to receive this by email? Sign up here).
Articles
How sewage could reveal true scale of coronavirus outbreak: “Wastewater testing could also be used as an early-warning sign if the virus returns.” — Adam G
This Lizard Is in the Middle of a Wild Evolutionary Transition, Scientists Believe: “An Australian reptile delivered the same litter both in eggs and live birth, suggesting to researchers that an evolutionary shift could be happening before our eyes.” — Adam G
Pandemics and the Shape of Human History: “Outbreaks have sparked riots and propelled public-health innovations, prefigured revolutions and redrawn maps.” — Peter
The Virus Changed the Way We Internet — Adam G
Microsoft’s CTO explains how AI can help health care in the US right now: “How can machine learning assist with COVID-19 diagnoses?” — Lux friend Chuck Clarvit
What Did Hubble See on Your Birthday? — Adam K
How Hospitals Are Using AI to Battle Covid-19 — Deena
3D printed corals could improve bioenergy and help coral reefs: “Researchers have designed bionic 3D-printed corals that could help energy production and coral reef research.” — Adam G
Presenting machine learning model information to clinical end users with model facts labels — Deena
World’s earliest record of the F-word is discovered in manuscript written by bored Scottish student in 1568 locked away in the vault of the National Library of Scotland — Adam K
The man who cut out his own appendix — Adam K
And how to think about COVID-19 forecasts: here and here — Adam G and Zavain
Books
The Peace War by Vernor Vinge: “The story takes place in 2048, 51 years after scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory develop “the ultimate weapon”, a force field generating device they term a Bobbler. The bureaucracy running the Laboratory use it to enforce an end to conventional warfare (triggering a brief war in the process), calling themselves the Peace Authority.” — Sam
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami: “Across two parallel narratives, Murakami draws readers into a mind-bending universe in which Lauren Bacall, Bob Dylan, a split-brained data processor, a deranged scientist, his shockingly undemure granddaughter, and various thugs, librarians, and subterranean monsters collide to dazzling effect.” Super-weird but interesting. — Sam
Television
LEGO Masters: “Teams of two LEGO enthusiasts compete against each other in ambitious brick-building challenges to be crowned the grand title of LEGO Master.” — Adam G
Videos
Synchronized swimmers with an upside down camera — Adam K
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