Why Computer Scientists Need Magic 8 Ball-Like Oracles

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Pose a question to a Magic 8 Ball, and it’ll answer yes, no, or something annoyingly indecisive. We think of it as a kid’s toy, but theoretical computer scientists employ a similar tool. They often imagine they can consult hypothetical devices called oracles that can

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google’s-x-spins-out-heritable-agriculture,-a-startup-using-ai-to-improve-crop-yield

Google’s X spins out Heritable Agriculture, a startup using AI to improve crop yield

Google’s X “moonshot factory” this week announced its latest graduate. Heritable Agriculture is a data- and machine learning-driven startup aiming to improve how crops are grown.  As the firm noted in an announcement post published Tuesday, plants are incredibly efficient and impressive systems. “Plants are solar powered, carbon negative, self-assembling machines that feed on sunlight

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how-canada,-mexico,-and-china-are-responding-to-trump-tariffs

How Canada, Mexico, and China Are Responding to Trump Tariffs

Key Takeaways Canada, Mexico, and China threatened retaliatory measures after the White House announced 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada and 10% tariffs on items from China.  Canada said it would impose 25% tariffs on 155 billion Canadian dollars ($106 billion) worth of goods from the U.S., while Mexico said it would take

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best-health-insurance-for-the-self-employed

Best Health Insurance for the Self-Employed

According to Investopedia’s research, Kaiser Permanente is the best health insurance company for self-employed people. It does the best job overall of balancing cost and service. If Kaiser isn’t available in your area, Molina Healthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) are also great options. We reviewed nine insurers across dozens of criteria, including customer

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palworld-developer-‘blown-away’-by-the-response-to-its-new-publishing-arm,-which-has-received-150-game-pitches-just-one-week-after-opening

Palworld developer ‘blown away’ by the response to its new publishing arm, which has received 150 game pitches just one week after opening

Palworld developer Pocketpair launched a new publishing business last week, following the gargantuan success of its Pokémon-inspired survival game. The response was, shall we say, enthusiastic, with Pocketpair’s comms director and publishing manager John Buckley stating he received 1,500 LinkedIn requests within 24 hours. Now, one week after getting into the publishing business, Pocketpair has

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qi2-wireless-charging:-everything-you-need-to-know-(2025)

Qi2 Wireless Charging: Everything You Need to Know (2025)

It’s ironic, but we here at WIRED have long been fans of wireless charging. Not having to fumble with cables is nice! Most wireless charging devices these days follow the Qi (pronounced chee) standard, which has taken its time reaching ubiquity. (The user experience has not always been great.) The Wireless Power Consortium, which manages

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14-best-tablets-(2025),-tested-and-reviewed

14 Best Tablets (2025), Tested and Reviewed

Other Tablets to Consider OnePlus Pad Photograph: OnePlus We test tons of tablets every year. Here are a few others we like, just not as much as our picks above. OnePlus Pad for $399: The OnePlus Pad has a successor, but OnePlus says it will continue to sell the OnePlus Pad until stock runs out.

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ai-systems-with-‘unacceptable-risk’-are-now-banned-in-the-eu

AI systems with ‘unacceptable risk’ are now banned in the EU

As of Sunday in the European Union, the bloc’s regulators can ban the use of AI systems they deem to pose “unacceptable risk” or harm. February 2 is the first compliance deadline for the EU’s AI Act, the comprehensive AI regulatory framework that the European Parliament finally approved last March after years of development. The

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guo’s-conviction-partners-adds-mike-vernal-as-gp,-raises-$230m-fund

Guo’s Conviction Partners adds Mike Vernal as GP, raises $230M fund

In Brief Posted: 1:02 PM PST · January 31, 2025 Image Credits:TechCrunch When in mid-2022 Sarah Guo left Greylock to launch her own AI-focused fund, Conviction Partners, she indicated that she was tagging the word “Partners” to the firm’s name because she would eventually bring on other GPs. Now, more than two years later, Guo

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what-to-expect-in-the-markets-this-week

What To Expect in the Markets This Week

Key Takeaways The strength of the labor market will likely be in focus this week, with the January employment report and other jobs data scheduled for release, along with updates on the manufacturing and services sectors, and the trade deficit. Amazon and Google parent Alphabet are set to report earnings, along with other tech companies

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