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Advanced AI's PhD-level skills, diabetes drug Metformin's anti-aging potential, North Korea unveils hidden uranium facility
Plus: Game-changing energy harvester generates endless electricity from seawater
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ChatGPT developer OpenAI has announced the launch of a new series of AI reasoning models to solve hard problems on September 12.
Codenamed Strawberry, the new AI models are officially called OpenAI o1. Interestingly, OpenAI has trained these models to spend more time thinking through problems before responding, much like a person would.
According to OpenAI, the models can reason through complex tasks and solve harder problems than previous models in science, coding, and math. Dive deeper into this Must-Read.
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OpenAI said that the models learn to refine their thinking process, try different strategies, and recognize their mistakes through training.
In the tests, the new models perform similarly to PhD students on challenging benchmark physics, chemistry, and biology tasks. The model also excels in math and coding.
In a qualifying exam for the International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO), currently available GPT-4o correctly solved only 13% of problems, while the reasoning model scored 83%.
In a rigorous 40-month study, researchers have found that a low-cost diabetes drug slows aging in male monkeys and is particularly effective at delaying the effects of aging on the brain.
The results suggest that metformin, a commonly used medication, may delay humans’ aging process. Monkeys receiving metformin every day showed slower age-related brain decline compared to those not given the drug.
Furthermore, their neuronal activity resembled that of monkeys about six years younger (equivalent to around 18 human years), and the animals had enhanced cognition and preserved liver function.
North Korea has provided a rare look into a secretive uranium enrichment facility, further escalating tensions in the ongoing nuclear weapons race.
The country’s state-run media reported that Kim Jong Un recently visited the site and called for an “exponential” increase in nuclear arms. This is the first such revelation since Pyongyang displayed a uranium enrichment plant in 2010.
Analysts believe this recent unveiling is aimed at pressuring the U.S. and its allies while offering experts valuable data on North Korea’s nuclear capabilities.
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