Inside the infinite imagination of a computer
In New York in 1997, the reigning world chess champion Garry Kasparov faced off against Deep Blue, a computer specially designed by IBM to beat him. Following a similar match in Philadelphia the previous year, which Kasparov won 4–2, the man widely regarded as the greatest chess player of all time was confident of victory. […]
Keep cool: Researchers develop magnetic cooling cycle
As a result of climate change, population growth, and rising expectations regarding quality of life, energy requirements for cooling processes are growing much faster worldwide than for heating. Another problem that besets today’s refrigeration systems is that most coolants cause environmental and health damage. A novel technology could provide a solution: refrigeration using magnetic materials […]
New world record magnetic field
A group of scientists at the University of Tokyo has recorded the largest magnetic field ever generated indoors—a whopping 1,200 tesla, as measured in the standard units of magnetic field strength. By comparison, this is a field strength about 400 times higher than those generated by the huge, powerful magnets used in modern hospital MRI […]
Startup’s AI Chip Beats GPU
A startup with ties to Amazon is sampling a 16-nm chip mainly targeted for data centers that it claims handily beats CPUs and GPUs for deep-learning inference jobs. Habana is raising funds to support its production and a roadmap that includes a 16-nm training chip sampling next year as well as follow-on 7-nm products. The […]
Are the FAANG stocks about to collapse under their own weight?
Have the U.S. stock market’s biggest and most influential names gotten too big for their own good? The so-called FAANG stocks, an acronym for a quintet of large-capitalization technology and internet names, have for years been fueling the overall market’s advance. This trend has stretched into 2018, where they have single-handedly accounted for a sizable […]
Tech Stocks Thrashed Again On Threat Of More China Tariffs
Tech stocks ended with stiff losses Monday as worries about the potential for more tariffs on Chinese imports weighed. FAANG stocks weren’t immune to the selling as Amazon.com (AMZN) and Netflix (NFLX) ended with losses of more than 3%. Amazon came close to a test of the 50-day moving average but didn’t quite touch the […]
The stock market is sending a ton of mixed messages right now, confusing investors
The market is an argument staged every day about the value of tomorrow. And right now, to an unusual degree, the market itself is giving each side of the the bull-bear debate sheaves of evidence supporting its case. The bright-side view is right there on the surface: “How can you not like a market that’s […]
This hidden factor could soon make stocks much more volatile
Trading in the U.S. stock market has been quiet of late, but the calm may not last for long. Major U.S. companies are about to enter their “blackout” period, which will remove a steady—and perhaps underappreciated—factor that has been buttressing equity values. A “blackout” period refers to how most companies and corporate insiders are prohibited […]
NASA’s new planet hunting satellite shares ‘first light’ photo of space
The hunt is on. If we’re going to find life in the cosmos, it’s a good idea to look for other planets. The Kepler telescope has done a fantastic job since launching in 2009, but with that workhorse satellite reaching the end of its life, it’s time for the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) to […]
Apple Watch, AirPods will be spared from latest China tariffs
Apple’s smart watch, wireless headphones, and smart speaker will not be affected by the Trump administration’s latest tariffs on Chinese imports, according to a list of affected products listed on Monday. Some Apple products, including its MacMini, will still be affected. Apple shares briefly trimmed some losses earlier on Monday after a report from Bloomberg […]