...The ultimate e-bike
For anyone who lives in hilly areas, the rise of e-bikes has been welcome. Gone is the embarrassment of puffing up a climb at a snail's pace, while getting overtaken by walkers. A few companies stood out this year, but our favourite is Cowboy, whose Cruiser is as much computer as mode of transport. It has a built-in phone charger, automatic lights and an app to measure your battery life, speed, location and more. Swapping the chain for a belt and hiding the electrical parts inside the frame ensures a sleek, minimalist design and makes it nigh impossible to break. There are no gears - instead, the bike automatically provides enough power for any given situation. It's no surprise, then, that this is not a budget e-bike, but it could be worth the outlay all the same.
Cowboy Cruiser
UK.cowboy.com, From £2,190
...The next-gen AI image generator
ChatGPT was the biggest tech news story of 2023, but its lesser-known sibling, DALL-E, also broke new ground. Launched in early 2021, the original DALL-E was one of the first and most influential artificial intelligence (AI) image generators. With the third iteration unveiled in 2023, OpenAI - the company behind ChatGPT - continued to make the technology more powerful and accurate. For DALL-E 3, detail and understanding of prompts have improved, along with copyright controls (artists can opt out of having their work used for training the AI). Earlier versions were confused by complicated subjects and requests demanding high levels of logic, but DALL'E's 'brain' has also been tweaked to better understand the context of images. We'll be talking about this kind of technology for years to come. Whether that's a good or bad thing remains to be seen.
DALL-E 3
openai.com, Free
この記事は BBC Science Focus の New Year 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は BBC Science Focus の New Year 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
COULD MARINE CLOUD BRIGHTENING HELP US FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE?
The theory behind marine cloud brightening is that brighter or whiter clouds reflect more sunlight back into space.
IS IT SAFE TO RUN EVERY DAY, OR SHOULD I DITCH MY RUN STREAK TO SAVE MY KNEES?
A running streak, where you run every day without taking rest days, can be highly motivating and beneficial for overall fitness. Running is great cardiovascular exercise and isn't to be discouraged (and finding a routine with some consistency is great). Getting a bit of exercise as often as possible is also hugely beneficial for your mental health.
WHAT MAKES THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET SO GOOD FOR US?
The Mediterranean diet may help you live longer, especially if you also adopt the lifestyle of people living near the Med during the 1950s.
WHAT IS MEXICO'S BLUE HOLE?
The world's deepest blue hole (marine sinkhole) lies off the coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. It's at least 420m (1,378ft) deep, but explorers still haven't found its bottom.
HOW CAN I TELL IF I'VE GOT HIGH CORTISOL LEVELS?
Cortisol is a hormone produced by glands in our bodies called the adrenal glands, which sit above the kidneys. It plays a critical role in various bodily functions, including regulating metabolism, reducing inflammation and helping the body respond to stress. While essential for our health, chronic elevation of cortisol levels can lead to several issues.
THE LUNGFISH
In 1836, European scientists discovered a peculiar animal from the River Amazon that they struggled to identify. Its eel-like body was a few feet long and its air-filled lungs persuaded anatomists it must be a reptile.
ARE WE THE ONLY SPECIES TO HAVE BEEN THROUGH A STONE AGE?
The Stone Age might conjure up images of early humans, sitting around a campfire or hunting prehistoric beasts, but evidence shows that we're not the only species that has learned how to work with stone tools. Wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) use stone tools to crack open nuts.
Should we scrap daylight saving time?
Most of us look forward to the extra hour we get in bed every October, but researchers argue that changing the clocks twice a year harms our health
THE INTERNET OF ANIMALS
SCIENTISTS ARE USING ELECTRONIC TAGS AND SATELLITES TO TRACK WILD ANIMALS AND CREATE A DATA NETWORK THAT COULD HELP US ADDRESS THE BIODIVERSITY CRISIS
MUSIC FOR A DISTRACTED GENERATION
The number of things competing for our attention is often overwhelming. Can dreamy soundscapes created with neuroscience help our bewildered brains to concentrate?
