mrpg writes:https://phys.org/news/2026-07-rats-empathy.htmlA rat first frees a cagemate rat and then shares food with it. Is this animal just as empathetic as humans? In an American study from 2011, researchers observed that rats first freed their fellow rats from a cage and then shared food with them instead of leaving them in the cage and eating alone; this means they showed empathy. But do they have the same capacity for empathy as we humans, or do we differ in that regard?A research team working with Professor Albert Newen from the Ruhr University Bochum Institute for Philosophy II in Germany set out to answer this question. They developed a model for more accurately describing empathy in various animals. Their answer: Yes, rats exhibit empathy, although it differs gradually from that of humans. The researchers report their findings in the journal Biological Reviews on June 28, 2026.Empathy is the glue that holds society together and makes everyday life personal and human. Is it not, therefore, a good candidate for a trait that separates humans from other animals? Are there any other animal species that show empathy?Original SubmissionRead more of this story at SoylentNews.
canopic jug writes:A blogger going by the handle "No One's Happy" has investigated the digital restrictions management technology being pushed into the Linux kernel at the behest of various malevolent actors.
canopic jug writes:Archivist David Rosenthal observes now that more material is posted online by LLMs than actual people, the bots are starting to ingest their own digital excrement, creating a negative feedback loop.
looorg writes:Travel like it's 0 AD. Plan and travel your next road trip along the old Roman road network. As if they had Google Maps.https://www.euronews.com/culture/2026/07/02/ancient-romes-version-of-google-maps-how-long-to-reach-the-beach
jelizondo writes:A very interesting article was published in Phys.org about how modern life might be outpacing our mind, which evolved to deal with a simpler world:
Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:A philosopher has put forward an argument for rethinking how particles are defined within the standard model of particle physics:
canopic jug writes:Derek Thompson has republished excerpts from an almost 100-year-old report on what the US was like in the 1920s. He includes some of the charts and summaries.
Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:The High-Luminosity LHC will be mostly the same machine, but it'll deliver 10 times the luminosity and just as little chance of destroying the universe - sorry, conspiracy theorists:
Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://www.theregister.com/offbeat/2026/07/01/nasa-unsure-boeing-starliner-will-ever-be-certified-for-human-flight/5265177
"Fnord666" and dmc write:Oomwoo is a new open-source robot vacuum you can 3D print yourself, sidesteps cloud security risks by running fully offline - project combines Raspberry Pi, 2D LiDAR, and a 3D-printed chassis:
"Fnord666" writes:Engineer open-sources DIY radar system that's 95% cheaper than $250,000 commercial offerings, has 20 kilometer range - Moroccan engineer designs Aeris-10 radar, shares it on GitHub:
On behalf of all staff and community members, may we wish all Americans a very happy Independence Day (and weekend!). Importantly, stay cool and safe!And everyone, Americans and others (and assuming you didn't get an invite to Taylor's wedding celebrations), tell us what you will be doing and how you will spend the weekend!I will try to keep the stories flowing to allow the Usians to party appropriately.Read more of this story at SoylentNews.
canopic jug writes:The Internet Archive and the Authors Alliance are producing a six-part series from the Future Knowledge podcast. The series, Vanishing Culture explores what happens when our shared cultural heritage disappears, and what we can do to preserve it. The first episode was published July 1, 2026 starts out discussing the growing threat of cultural loss in the digital age:
Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://www.newscientist.com/article/2531894-remote-controlled-cockroach-swarm-can-now-breathe-underwater/?utm_campaign=rss%7cnsns&utm_source=nsns&utm_medium=rss&utm_content=technology
"Fnord666" writes:Prompt Injection as Role Confusion:FNord666 has submitted a comprehensive study of using prompt injection to 'poison' or confuse a LLM. For those who are interested in such things it is an interesting read. It identifies various ways in which current LLMs process the tags, known as roles, and the resulting analysis indicates that they are vulnerable to certain role tags being misused.The following is an excerpt from part way through the study (which therefore assumes you have understood the terms and techniques which have been discussed earlier) and it details several ways that the authors have already identified as being suitable for further research and potential exploitation.
Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:Wants to revive the lost art of the National Internet Registry, which APNIC has deprecated and isn't keen to bring back:
An Anonymous Coward writes:When is buying not buying? When it's a digital library! On September 1 2026 the Sony company will remove access to a number of movie titles from Studio Canal. Details are not available for if users who spent money on this content will be reimbursed. This appears to be history repeating itself with Microsoft pulling out of the online content business last year.Original SubmissionRead more of this story at SoylentNews.
Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:At ISC 2026 An Exec Said 'It Will Never Be Like It Was Last Year'Lenovo's broader message is that the economics of the memory industry have fundamentally changed:
Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://www.theregister.com/science/2026/06/28/boffins-build-a-better-pixel-capable-of-emitting-and-receiving-light/5263388
Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/intels-next-gen-52-core-nova-lake-cpu-could-pull-up-to-474w-high-end-lga1954-motherboards-may-need-three-8-pin-power-connectors-to-feed-the-monster
Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:https://www.theregister.com/hpc/2026/06/23/bold-move-cotton-trump-administration-tells-us-techies-it-expects-american-quantum-computer-by-2028/5260074