Artificial Intelligence Competition Turns into Theft Dispute Between China and US

A fossil dated to 80 million years ago suggests that the evolution of snakes does not follow a strictly linear path, challenging previous scientific conceptions.

Discovery in São Paulo

In 2020, a team from the Museum of Paleontology of Marília located the fossil of the species Tametara mirim, an unprecedented snake, in the city of Presidente Prudente, located in the interior of São Paulo. This specimen measured approximately 42 centimeters and lived about 80 million years ago, found in the Adamantina Formation, a set of rocks from the Upper Cretaceous known for containing dinosaur fossils.

Importance of the Preserved Fossil

Due to its antiquity, this snake may offer crucial information for the paleontological debate on the origin of snakes, a topic where divergences persist between theories pointing to marine, subsurface, or terrestrial environments. What caught the scientists' attention was the state of preservation of the Tametara; unlike other snake fossils, which are generally fragmented into dozens of disarticulated bones, this specimen was preserved almost intact, keeping the bones connected. It represents the first Brazilian fossil of a snake with articulated bones.

Anatomical Analysis and Lifestyle

Globally, there are fewer than ten articulated Mesozoic snake fossils, making the fossil record scarce and hindering the investigation into the origin of snakes. After detailed analyses, researchers concluded that the Tametara probably had a subterranean lifestyle. These findings were published on July 22 in the scientific journal Nature.

The studies focused on the snake's skull, as it provides important data about the life mode of these animals. Fossorial snakes are adapted to dig and live underground, exhibiting rigid and reinforced skulls, while terrestrial species show greater cranial mobility. To analyze the internal anatomy without damaging the fossil, researchers used computed tomography, a high-resolution X-ray technique that generates a three-dimensional model. This methodology allowed for a meticulous visualization of the skull's internal structures from various angles.

Skull Characteristics and Comparison

The technique revealed a dense skull, with bone overlaps and an inner ear. Furthermore, the brain presented smaller and less developed regions related to visual processing compared to other snakes of the same period, suggesting that vision was not an essential sense for the animal. These characteristics confirm the traits of fossorial snakes. However, researchers clarified that this does not imply that all snakes originated underground. To test this hypothesis, they applied the same technique to the species Dinilysia patagonica, which lived in the region of modern-day Argentina around the same time as the Tametara. Although neither belongs directly to the lineage of current snakes, both are part of close evolutionary branches.

Evolutionary Conclusion

By comparing the skulls and other anatomical features, the team determined that the Argentine snake likely had a terrestrial lifestyle, without adaptations for the subsurface. This demonstrates that, about 80 million years ago, snakes already inhabited multiple environments and exhibited great ecological diversity. Instead of a single ecological origin, it is plausible that distinct lineages followed separate evolutionary paths early on. The study's authors concluded that the origin of snakes was not determined by a single linear event, as traditionally believed, but rather by recurrent changes in habitat use and sensory ecology, configuring a dynamic ecological history where multiple lineages independently explored fossorial and non-fossorial lifestyles.

A new traffic light method, conceived by the Polytechnic School (Poli) of USP, uses sensors to monitor the presence of people in the crosswalk, aiming to significantly reduce pedestrian waiting time and improve vehicle traffic fluidity.

How the new system works

Instead of operating with fixed times, this intelligent system detects whether the pedestrian has finished crossing. If the passage is complete, the signal turns red, allowing cars to proceed. However, if someone is still in the middle of the journey—such as an elderly person or a person with reduced mobility—the signal remains green, keeping vehicles stopped.

Testing and application of the technology

Currently, the technology has not been implemented at real intersections. Tests were conducted through microsimulations using PTV VISSIM software, with the algorithm programmed in C# language. Before these simulations, researchers conducted field surveys to map road geometry, traffic volume of cars and pedestrians, and identify common infractions, such as crossing outside the designated area.

Four intersections were replicated for the tests: two located in the USP University City in São Paulo (SP), specifically in front of the University Hospital (HU) and at Praça dos Bancos; and two others in the city itself, at the Cidade Tiradentes Bus Terminal and the intersection of Avenida Rebouças with Rua Oscar Freire. The selection of these locations was strategic: the HU has a high concentration of vulnerable pedestrians, including the elderly, children, and wheelchair users, while Cidade Tiradentes represents a scenario of unplanned urbanization.

Impact on vehicle traffic

A notable finding was that vehicles did not suffer losses with the implementation of the system. The average waiting time for cars decreased by 22% in the simulated models of Praça dos Bancos and Cidade Tiradentes Terminal. Although the maximum waiting time increased by 30.9 seconds, the authors considered this increase acceptable, given that the project's main focus was pedestrian well-being.

For pedestrians, the reduction in maximum waiting time was 69% on average. A saving of approximately one minute was observed in the HU and terminal models, while at Praça dos Bancos, the reduction reached 58 seconds.

Perspective and conclusion of the study

Claudio Luiz Marte emphasized that São Paulo has a regulation of one and a half minutes as the waiting limit for pedestrians at municipal traffic lights. According to him, the core issue is behavioral: although drivers do not abandon their vehicles in the middle of traffic, it is the pedestrian who may lose patience and expose themselves to risk among the cars. Andrey Luís Barbosa Gomes summarized the project's logic, pointing out that traditionally, traffic engineering tends to prioritize vehicle flow and road structure, but everyone, at some point in the day, is a pedestrian.

The study received support from Capes and BNDES, in partnership with the Interdisciplinary Center for Interactive Technologies (Citi) at USP. The dissertation will soon be available in the USP Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.

On Monday, the 27th, Meta announced the distribution of a software update intended for users of the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses located in the United States. This update incorporates an updated version of Meta AI, expanded integration with Threads, and various additional interaction features.

Objective of the Improvements

The company stated that the purpose of this update is to increase the utility of the glasses in daily life, enabling users to check information, follow content, and perform tasks with less need to rely on their mobile phone. These enhancements are enabled by artificial intelligence functionalities, voice commands, and neural interaction.

New Features of Meta AI and Functionalities

The modifications include more refined responses from Meta AI, the ability to browse Threads content, new features for Instagram, and an early access program for neural writing, available only to participants in the United States and Canada.

The central change in the update package lies in the evolution of Meta AI, which now employs models named by the company as Muse Spark. According to Meta, this technology improves the ability to understand the environment captured by the glasses, provides more accurate answers, and increases the ability to suggest actions to users.

With this update, the glasses can assist in practical activities, such as searching for food data, locating establishments with specific characteristics, or providing support during household chores, meal preparation, and travel organization. Furthermore, the device will display real-time information directly on the lens, covering weather data, financial stock quotes, and calendar appointments, allowing the user to check all of this without needing to pick up their smartphone.

Integration with Social Networks

Another highlight is the inclusion of Threads functionalities in the glasses. Thanks to this integration, users can view posts, access media, interact with content, share items via messages, and use voice commands to follow the platform while performing other activities.

Additionally, Meta introduced improvements to the integration with Instagram. Users now have the option to share photos called 'instants' directly through the glasses using voice commands, in addition to being able to access comments, search for Reels videos, and share materials with their contacts.

Advanced Features and Availability

For participants in the Early Access program in the United States and Canada, the Meta Neural Band allows access to artificial intelligence through a technique called neural writing. In this method, the user records commands by moving their finger over a surface, without the need to speak.

The company clarified that this feature can be used to query Meta AI, obtain information, play music, send messages, and navigate. Activation occurs through a double tap with the thumb and by selecting the writing mode in the glasses' AI interface.

Meta also recalled existing features on the glasses, such as walking navigation with detailed instructions in American cities, simultaneous translation in 20 languages, and Spotify navigation directly on the lens. The distribution of this update will occur progressively.