Weekly Progress Roundup
Waymo’s expansion continues, robots smooth the demographic transition, researchers develop tool that “harnesses evolution.”
Waymo’s expansion continues
A little over a year ago, Waymo’s self-driving taxis provided 10,000 rides per week. By August, that had grown to 100,000. Now, they are providing over 150,000. Just this week, the company opened their service to anyone in Los Angeles, and a commercial launch in Austin and Atlanta is imminent. It’s time to acknowledge that self-driving is finally here.
Robots could smooth the demographic transition
With around a third of its population over the age of 65, Japan is increasingly turning to robots to care for its elderly citizens. New research suggests that this isn’t as dystopian as it sounds. A working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, which surveyed robot adoption in Japanese nursing homes, found that the machines are associated with improvements in both the quality and productivity of elder care.
Researchers develop gene-editing tool that “harnesses evolution”
Harvard scientists have developed a tool that can mutate specific genes in living cells without affecting the rest of the genome. The researchers describe their tool as a means of “targeted evolution” and have already used it to study how cancer cells develop drug resistance.
Economics:
Energy & Environment:
Microsoft Builds First Datacenters with Wood to Slash Emissions
A Cloned Ferret Has Given Birth for the First Time in History
Health & Demographics:
Robot Learns to Perform Surgical Tasks Expertly Just by Watching Videos
Breakthrough Genomic Test Identifies Virtually Any Infection
The Quest to Build Bionic Limbs That Feel Like the Real Thing