Humanity has long sought to tame wood into something more predictable. Sawmills manufacture lumber from trees selected for consistency. Wood is then sawed into standard sizes and dried in kilns to prevent twisting, cupping, or cracking. Generations of craftsmen have employed sophisticated techniques like dovetail joinery, breadboard ends, and pocket flooring to keep wood from distorting in their finished pieces. But wood is inherently imprecise. Its grain reverses and swirls. Trauma and disease manifest in scars and knots. Instead of viewing these natural tendencies as liabilities, Achim Menges, an architect and professor at the University of Stuttgart in Germany, sees them as wood’s greatest assets.
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In Shenzhen, China, you can expect your drone-delivered takeout to show up within two seconds of its predicted arrival time. https://trib.al/bMH7ZRF
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While AI seems to be everywhere from chatbots to AI code assistants, privacy concerns have slowed widespread adoption across enterprises. Confidential computing can help secure data throughout the AI lifecycle by helping to protect data in memory and use. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eu54mUHh In partnership with Microsoft and NVIDIA
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Today in The Download, our daily newsletter: AI can make you more creative—but it has limits.
The Download: how AI affects creativity, and CRISPR babies
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Generative AI models have made it simpler and quicker to produce everything from text and images to video clips and audio tracks. Things that might have taken years for humans to create can now be generated in seconds. But while AI’s output can certainly seem creative, do these models actually boost human creativity?
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London hopes to make its streets safer by prioritizing pedestrians over vehicles at crosswalks. https://trib.al/kblGpji
London is experimenting with traffic lights that put pedestrians first
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A planned factory marks a major milestone in the US for new batteries that enable lower-cost, longer-lasting EVs. https://trib.al/HktUIz1
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Responsible AI has a burnout problem
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Opinion: If there are possible interventions that could limit climate change-related death and destruction, we have an obligation to evaluate them carefully, and to weigh any trade-offs with open and informed minds.
Why new proposals to restrict geoengineering are misguided
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Fascinating perspective on wood’s natural beauty! 🌳 How do you think these unique features enhance modern architecture?