Download the Nature Podcast 31 July 2024 In this episode:00:45 Increasing the energy efficiency of light-based computersComputer components based on specialized LEDs could reduce the energy consumption of power-hungry AI systems, according to new research. AI chips with components that compute using light can run more efficiently than those using digital electronics, but these light-based systems typically use lasers that can be bulky and difficult to control. To overcome these obstacles, a team has developed a way to replace these lasers with LEDs, which are cheaper and more efficient to run. Although only a proof of concept, they demonstrate that their system can perform some tasks as well as laser-based computers.Research Article: Dong et al.News and Views: Cheap light sources could make AI more energy efficient10:36 Research HighlightsThe genes that make roses smell so sweet, and how blocking inflammation could reduce heart injury after a stroke.Research Highlight: How the rose got its iconic fragranceResearch Highlight: Strokes can damage the heart — but reining in the immune system might help13:02 What researchers know about H5N1 influenza in cowsThe highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 was first identified in US cattle in March 2024 and has been detected in multiple herds across the country. We round up what researchers currently know about this spread, what can be done to prevent it, and the risks this outbreak may pose to humans.Nature News: Can H5N1 spread through cow sneezes? Experiment offers cluesNature News: Huge amounts of bird-flu virus found in raw milk of infected cowsNature News: Could bird flu in cows lead to a human outbreak? Slow response worries scientistsResearch article: Eisfeld et al.22:38 Briefing ChatNASA’s Perseverance rover finds a Martian rock containing features associated with fossilized microbial life, and how metallic nodules on the ocean floor could be the source of mysterious ‘dark oxygen’.Space.com: NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover finds possible signs of ancient Red Planet lifeNature News: Mystery oxygen source discovered on the sea floor — bewildering scientistsSubscribe to Nature Briefing, an unmissable daily round-up of science news, opinion and analysis free in your inbox every weekday.Never miss an episode. Subscribe to the Nature Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music or your favourite podcast app. An RSS feed for the Nature Podcast is available too.
