
Vertech Partners With CESMII To Expand Their Strategic Focus on Smart Manufacturing
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2023--
2023-05-23 00:21

Brains of three suspected zombies scanned in Haiti
Researchers in Haiti once scanned the brains of three people believed to be long-deceased individuals returning from the dead - or zombies. In a study published in 1997, researchers investigated three such cases, using electroencephalography and DNA testing techniques to try and find a rational explanation for a Haitian Voodoo theory that the spirits of the dead can be captured by sorcerers called bokors, who use these souls to reanimate fresh corpses into zombies who walk around rural areas. One case involved a woman who had died aged 30 and was spotted three years later by family members who recognised her because of a distinctive facial mark. A local court then authorised the opening of the woman’s grave, revealing it to be full of rocks. Describing the 'zombie', the study authors explained that “she kept her head in a lowered position, and walked extremely slowly and stiffly, barely moving her arms.” She was also unable to communicate “but would occasionally murmur some incomprehensible but stereotyped words.” But the scan showed her “electroencephalogram and central nervous system examination were unremarkable” and said she may have had catatonic schizophrenia, but couldn't explain how she came back from the dead. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter They proposed that the woman might not have died at all, but may instead have been poisoned by a “neuromuscular toxin” to induce catalepsy and trick relatives into thinking she was dead. A lack of oxygen within the grave may have resulted in brain damage, thus explaining her zombie-like state when she was taken out of the grave. Next, the study described a 26-year-old man who was seen at a local cockfight 19 months after being buried. The man’s uncle was subsequently found guilty of using sorcery to zombify the man, who was then kept chained to a log at his parents’ house. But clinical examinations found nothing weird and the man was diagnosed with “organic brain syndrome and epilepsy.” And DNA testing revealed that he was not even the man who had died shortly beforehand. In a similar case, a 31-year-old woman was identified as a villager who had been dead for 13 years. Once again, however, a medical examination revealed that she was a normal human while genetic analyses showed that she was not the dead individual after all. The study authors concluded that “mistaken identification of a wandering, mentally ill, stranger by bereaved relatives is the most likely explanation.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-05-23 00:15

When do BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 Stickers Go on Sale?
BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 Sticker Capsule sale could go live as early as June 1 based on previous trends.
2023-05-22 23:26

Four Accused of Violating German Law in Turkish Spyware Deal
A prosecutor in Germany has indicted former executives of surveillance technology company FinFisher GmbH, accusing them of unlawfully
2023-05-22 23:19

‘RIP photoshop’: New AI can alter any photo with the click of a mouse
New AI tools that use generative artificial intelligence to manipulate photos have rendered traditional editing tools like PhotoShop obsolete, according to experts. One recently unveiled product called DragGAN allows users to radically alter pictures – from facial expressions to the layout of a landscape – with no prior editing experience. Developed by researchers at Google and the Max Planck Institute of Informatics, DragGAN works through a system that uses multiple points that users can “drag” to create different effects without compromising the image’s realism. “RIP Photoshop,” wrote tech entrepreneur and AI commentator Lorenzo Green. “In just a few clicks, you’ll be able to edit any image exactly the way you want... The applications are endless.” Examples of applications include changing the position of the Sun in the sky, altering the size and setting of a vehicle and editing an animal’s head to change its expression and shape. A research paper detailing the technology explained how the approach can “hallucinate occluded content, like the teeth inside a lion’s mouth”, while also deforming an object’s rigidity, like the bending of a horse’s leg. “Through DragGAN, anyone can deform an image with precise control over where pixels go, thus manipulating the pose, shape, expression, and layout of diverse categories such as animals, cars, humans, landscapes, etc.,” the paper stated. Other features recently launched by generative AI companies include Stability AI’s upscaler that allows users to quadruple the resolution of an image without compromising the sharpness of the original. “Since the emergence of digital imagery, it has been nearly impossible to expand small images into larger ones without compromising the quality of the image,” the company wrote in a recent blog post detailing the advance. “Upscaling adds to popular tools by expanding small images into larger ones while maintaining – or even improving – their level of detail.” While these tools currently go beyond what Adobe’s Photoshop is capable of, the photo editing giant announced earlier this year that it is working on generative AI models. Collectively dubbed Firefly, the next-generation features will allow creators to create images, audio, video, illustrations and 3D models with simple text inputs. “Generative AI is the next evolution of AI-driven creativity and productivity, transforming the conversation between creator and computer into something more natural, intuitive and powerful,” David Wadhwani, president of Adobe’s Digital Media Business, said in March. He added that the tools would help customers by “increasing productivity and creative confidence... from high-end creative professionals to the long tail of the creator economy.” Read More 10 ways AI will change the world – from curing cancer to wiping out humanity WhatsApp will let people change messages after they are sent New Twitter boss says ‘game on’ over Instagram clone rumours Meta hit with record €1.2 billion fine
2023-05-22 23:15

NFT Marketplace IOGINALITY Launches, Offering Comprehensive Infrastructure for Digital Art and Bringing Emerging Galleries into the Web3 Fold
LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2023--
2023-05-22 23:00

Microsoft defeats gamers' bid to block $69 billion Activision deal in US court
By Mike Scarcella Microsoft Corp evaded a potential early legal obstacle in its $69 billion deal to acquire
2023-05-22 22:54

Big Joe Debuts New AMR Features & Capabilities at Automate 2023
DETROIT--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2023--
2023-05-22 22:51

WhatsApp update will let people edit messages after they are sent
WhatsApp will finally let people edit messages after they are sent. It means the app joins a range of other platforms, such as iMessage and Slack, in letting people fix problems in a message. And it follows the recent addition of the option to delete messages entirely. The feature is now rolling out to users across the world and will be available to everyone in the “coming weeks”, said Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of WhatsApp parent company Meta.
2023-05-22 22:47

50 Years of Unstoppable Connectivity: Ethernet Alliance Celebrates Ethernet's Golden Anniversary
BEAVERTON, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2023--
2023-05-22 22:45

Catalyze Commences Operation of Project in NYSERDA Community Solar Program
AMHERST, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2023--
2023-05-22 22:28

GE Appliances Celebrates 70 Years of Innovation for American Homes from its Headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2023--
2023-05-22 22:25