Public have no difficulty getting to grips with an extra thumb, study finds Researchers have shown that members of the public have little trouble in learning very quickly how to use a third thumb -- a controllable, prosthetic extra thumb -- to pick up and manipulate objects. The team tested the robotic device on a diverse range of participants, which they say is essential for ensuring new technologies are inclusive and can work for everyone.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2024/05/2405

Close to 1 in 2 surveyed say they would use air taxis in the future Through a study of 1,002 participants, scientists have found that almost half (45.7 per cent) say they intend to use air taxis when they become available, with over one-third (36.2 per cent) planning to do so regularly. According to the findings, the intention to take autonomous air taxis is associated with factors such as trust in the AI technology deployed in air taxis, hedonic motivation (the fun or pleasure derived from using technology), performance expectancy (the degree to which users expect that using the system will benefit them), and news media attention (the amount of attention paid to news about air taxis).
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2024/05/2405

AI headphones let wearer listen to a single person in a crowd, by looking at them just once Engineers have developed an artificial intelligence system that lets someone wearing headphones look at a person speaking for three to five seconds to 'enroll' them. The system then plays just the enrolled speaker's voice in real time, even as the pair move around in noisy environments.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2024/05/2405

New AI accurately predicts fly behavior Researchers trained an AI model to accurately predict male fruit flies' courtship behavior in response to any sight of a female. This breakthrough offers new insight into how the brain processes visual data and may someday pave the way for artificial vision technology.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2024/05/2405

2D materials: A catalyst for future quantum technologies Researchers have discovered that a 'single atomic defect' in a layered 2D material can hold onto quantum information for microseconds at room temperature. This underscores the broader potential of 2D materials in advancing quantum technologies.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2024/05/2405