Aug 24, 2017 - Technology

An inside look at Waymo's autonomous cars

The Waymo logo is shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit (Paul Sancya / AP)

"Inside Waymo's Secret World for Training Self-Driving Cars: An exclusive look at how Alphabet understands its most ambitious artificial intelligence project," by The Atlantic's Alexis Madrigal:

  • "At any time, there are now 25,000 virtual self-driving cars making their way through fully modeled versions of Austin, Mountain View, and Phoenix, as well as test-track scenarios."
  • "As we pull into the parking lot, there are whiffs of Manhattan Project, of scientific outpost, of tech startup."
  • "[E]ngineers ... cook up and stage rare scenarios that might allow them to test new behaviors in a controlled way."
  • Worth the click.

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Orion Rummler
6 mins ago - Technology

Twitter launches warnings on election misinformation and delays

Photo courtesy of Twitter.

Twitter will start pinning notices to the top of all U.S. Twitter users’ timelines warning them that results in next week’s election may be delayed and that they may encounter misinformation on mail-in voting.

Why it matters: Delayed election results are expected across many states that are handling unprecedented amounts of absentee and mailed ballots, which President Trump has baselessly called "very dangerous" and "corrupt."

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Miriam Kramer, author of Space
14 mins ago - Science

NASA confirms water exists on sunny parts of the Moon

Photo: NASA/JPL/USGS

Water on the Moon might be more easily accessible than previously thought, opening up new possible avenues for future human exploration, according to a new study.

Why it matters: NASA is aiming to send people back to the Moon as part of its Artemis program by 2024, with plans to eventually create a sustainable presence on the lunar surface. That sustainability relies on mining the moon for its resources, like water.

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Axios
Updated 42 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Pence no longer expected at Amy Coney Barrett's final confirmation vote

Photo: Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

Vice President Mike Pence no longer plans to attend the Senate's final confirmation vote for Judge Amy Coney Barrett on Monday, following Senate Democrats' claims that his presence after possible exposure to the coronavirus would be a "violation of common decency," a Pence aide confirmed to CNN and Politico on Monday.

Driving the news: Five of Pence's aides were recently diagnosed with COVID-19, including his chief of staff, who is currently quarantining. Pence has continued his campaign travel despite his possible exposure, which goes against CDC guidelines.

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