Saturday 18th May 2024

A Trial HIV Vaccine Triggered Elusive and Essential Antibodies in Humans

DURHAM, N.C. – An HIV vaccine candidate developed at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute triggered low levels of an elusive type of broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies among a small group of people enrolled in a 2019 clinical trial.The finding, reported May 17 in the journal Cell, not only provides proof that a vaccine can elicit these antibodies to fight diverse strains of HIV, but that it can also initiate the process within weeks, setting in motion an essential immune response. 

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The Mystery of S., the Man with an Impossible Memory - The New Yorker (No paywall)

A famous case study helped spark a myth about a man who could not forget. But the truth is more complicated.

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How cuddly robots could change dementia care - MIT Technology Review (No paywall)

Researchers are using AI and technological advancements to create companion robots

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How to Ask for the Feedback You Really Need - Harvard Business Review (No paywall)

When we ask for feedback on our work, we often get poor-quality feedback that’s not useful or that makes us feel attacked or defensive. Part of the reason is in how we’re asking for feedback. Most requests are too generic, too open, and too late. The result is that you’re more likely to get a heap of opinion rather than a helping of insight. Instead of saying, “I’d love it if you could provide some feedback,” try setting the other person up to add more value by being more prescriptive about what you’re looking for. This article discusses a three step process for getting more constructive feedback that supports your growth, strengthens your relationships, and accelerates your career.

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Is Your Mindset About Generative AI Limiting Your Professional Growth? - Harvard Business Review (No paywall)

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has garnered immense publicity over the past few months. Some believe it’s a passing fad or a threat to human creativity. For young professionals, it’s the source of a unique dilemma: Do you “buy into the hype” of AI and use it as a guidepost for your professional development and ambitions? Or do you stick to the beaten path, focusing on building more traditional skills and pursuing more conventional trajectories? History has shown us that you can gain a competitive advantage if you develop a balanced perspective about new technologies (like we saw with the internet). For instance, if you think LLMs are overhyped and underperforming, it’s probably not because of what you use them for, but because of how you use them. GenAI is certainly not a panacea, and shouldn’t be blindly trusted or relied on — but equally importantly, it shouldn’t be feared or avoided based on limiting beliefs.

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Open letter before European Parliament election: Prioritize democracy as authoritarianism grows

“These converging challenges have created a real risk that in this global election year, EU member states as well as some of its key partners may see the ascent of anti-democratic political actors,” according to the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, which initiated the open letter.

“It is important that they pay attention to dealing with those challenges in an effective way so as to protect the credibility of the EU’s message on democracy, which I insist is key, given the very unpromising winds that are blowing when it comes to democracy globally,” Casas-Zamora added.

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The centuries-old baba recipe made with 96 egg yolks

The baba is often served at Easter in Poland, with the most extraordinary version – the muslin baba – made from a rich dough of flour, yeast, butter and quite a lot of egg yolks.

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Can Boeing's Starliner Actually Compete With SpaceX's Crew Dragon?

Comparing these two to the original Space Shuttle offers a revealing look at how we will get people and equipment orbital for the foreseeable future.

NASA needs a new workhorse. Since the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011, finding a reliable ship to resupply the ISS — with parts, experiments, and people — has been a high, if slow priority. This is why this month the folks at NASA are eagerly awaiting for the Boeing Starliner to launch its first astronauts into space. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, veterans of the Space Shuttle and the Russian Soyuz, are expected to fly this soon aboard the Starliner when it makes its inaugural crewed flight. But Starliner has undergone a string of delays due to a valve issue of its rocket and, more recently, a helium leak. The latest slated launch date is set for May 21.

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The Messiest Chapter in Marvel Movie History is Finally Coming to an End

While Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is dealing with stagnation and superhero fatigue, Sony — which owns the rights to Spider-Man villains and sidekicks — never got its universe off the ground in the first place. While Venom enjoyed modest success, later attempts like Morbius and Madame Web were huge flops.

With the serially-delayed Kraven the Hunter still in the works, it’s clear the Sony universe needs a fresh start, and it’s found one in the directors of the one Sonyverse project that’s been a massive success: the Spider-Verse trilogy.

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PlayStation's Secret Weapon Is Lurking In A Quiet Summer Game Lineup

Recent PlayStation headlines have been mixed, with IGN lamenting that Sony’s summer release schedule is bare even as Sony continues to stomp Microsoft in the sales department. PlayStation 5 owners have recently enjoyed Helldivers 2, Stellar Blade, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but the rest of 2024 is largely limited to expansions for hits like Destiny 2 and Elden Ring. No offense to September’s Earth Defense: World Brothers 2, but it’s probably not going to upend the industry.

Next year will supposedly bring us DeathStranding 2, Grand Theft Auto VI, and other high-profile releases. In the interim, Sony is still outselling Microsoft like hotcakes compared to an unpopular rival hotcake brand, with analysts estimating that the PlayStation outsold Xbox by a margin of five to one in Q1 2024. But the most interesting data to be revealed, while not as eye-catching, tells you everything you need to know about where Sony — and likely the entire industry — is heading.

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