TL;DR summary of stories on the internet
The author discusses the recent LivePortrait deepfake model, highlighting its potential applications in social media and video compression. The model utilizes 2D avatar/portrait animation to animate still images with minimal data transmission requirements. Despite the impressive compression efficiency, there are concerns about the potential for misuse, as the model could generate inaccurate or distorted reconstructions. […]
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This content explores the prevalence of nepotism and inherited human capital in academia from 1088 to 1800. It highlights how nepotism allowed less qualified individuals to secure academic positions based on familial ties, impacting knowledge formation. The study reveals that nepotism declined during periods of rapid scientific advancement and discusses the importance of disentangling nepotism […]
Dr. Wan’s study, “Gravity’s Eastern Voyage,” delves into the introduction and evolution of Newtonian mechanics in imperial China from 1727 to 1912. Highlighting the cultural adaptation of Newton’s ideas, the paper explores the dissemination of scientific concepts through missionary publications, translations, and integration into the Chinese national curriculum. By examining how Newtonian mechanics influenced intellectual […]
In this paper, the authors explore the effectiveness of Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) compared to full fine-tuning for adapting large language models to various tasks. They analyze weight matrices and spectral properties to show that LoRA introduces “intruder dimensions” not found in full fine-tuning, impacting model generalization and robustness across tasks. Interestingly, higher-rank LoRA models align […]
The content explores the concept of drawing as a programming language, taking inspiration from Lambda Calculus. Various non-verbal programming languages like Befunge and Piet are mentioned. The new language aims to combine drawing and programming by using Lambda Calculus as its basis, simplifying it to function application and definition. The author discusses challenges faced, including […]
Weed scientists are constantly developing innovative ways to kill pesticide-resistant weeds, including using steam, lasers, AI, and pulverizing machines. Fennimore specializes in vegetable farming where herbicide options are limited, leading him to create a steam injection prototype that is 90% effective in killing weeds. Other non-chemical weed control methods, such as Carbon Robotics’ LaserWeeder, are […]
One thousand years of peace shattered by The Great War. An old man speaks of ancient aliens, dark arts, and a Cursed Orb draining the galaxy of goodness. He leaves a map to the Orb, sparking a dangerous quest for peace. Crash-landing on an asteroid, you must decide between certain death or mysterious depths within. […]
The author details the extensive process of stabilizing the swimming dither and reducing flickering dots in their game, “Obra Dinn.” By experimenting with different mapping techniques, including texel space, motion warping, cube mapping, and sphere mapping, they were able to achieve a more stable dithering effect for both static and moving images. The final result […]
The presentation at POC2024 discusses macOS sandbox vulnerabilities and how attackers can escape the sandbox to gain broader access. By reviewing existing issues, the author uncovered overlooked attack surfaces and a novel attack technique, leading to the discovery of multiple new sandbox escape vulnerabilities. Different types of sandboxes, such as the App Sandbox and Service […]
QNX is revolutionizing the industry by providing easy access to QNX software and resources for non-commercial use, making innovation more attainable than ever before. The Next-Generation QNX Software Development Platform 8.0 is designed to enable engineers and developers to create groundbreaking solutions with streamlined access and built-in support for open-source components. The vibrant online developer […]