Lawrence Darani is dying. Two years ago doctors told him his lung condition was incurable and gave him only two years to live. But the day I meet him, he’s completely at ease, drinking tea, sitting back in the armchair of his bright south London living room, his black cat…
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A researcher is looking to give exercise enthusiasts the extra nudge they need during a workout, and her latest research shows that a cyber buddy can help. The study is the first to indicate that although a human partner is still a better motivator during exercise, a software-generated partner also…
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Consumer Internet companies are in a race to build out their artificial intelligence talent and acquire the most advanced machine-learning systems. They’re doing so in order to finally make sense of the massive amount of data they’re collecting — from how people arrive at purchase decisions, to the meaning of the…
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‘Friendly’ robots could allow for more realistic human-android relationships. Two ‘friendly’ robots, including a 3D-printed humanistic android, are helping scientists to understand how more realistic long-term relationships might be developed between humans and androids. ERWIN (Emotional Robot with Intelligent Network) is the brainchild of Dr John Murray, from the School…
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Endless fun The question is not whether we can upload our brains onto a computer, but what will become of us when we do. In the late 1700s, machinists started making music boxes: intricate little mechanisms that could play harmonies and melodies by themselves. Some incorporated bells, drums, organs, even…
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