AFP Creates AI Tool to Decode Gen Z Slang Amid Concerns Over ‘Criminal Influencers’ Targeting Young Women

Posted on October 29, 2025 by

The Australian Federal Police is set to create an AI tool designed to understand Gen Z and Alpha slang and emojis as part of its efforts to combat sadistic online exploiters and “criminal influencers”.

During a speech at the National Press Club on Wednesday, AFP Commissioner Chrissy Barrett highlighted the increasing presence of online criminal networks predominantly led by boys and men who target vulnerable teenage and pre-teen girls.

The police chief detailed how these individuals, mainly from English-speaking nations, groom their victims, coercing them into “engaging in severe acts of violence against themselves, their siblings, other individuals, and even their pets”.

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“They act as criminal influencers, driven by chaos and the desire to inflict harm, with most of their victims being teenagers, specifically teenage girls,” she remarked, addressing parents and guardians.

“The motivations behind these networks are not financial or sexual in nature; they are purely for entertainment, fun, or gaining online popularity, often without an understanding of the repercussions.”

“This perverse form of gamification encourages the production of increasingly extreme and depraved content, allowing offenders to elevate their status within the group.

“In some instances, these perpetrators will swap victims much like in online gaming scenarios.”

The Federal Police confirmed they have identified 59 suspects involved in these networks, taking action against an undisclosed number of them, all aged between 17 and 20.

Barrett mentioned that AFP is collaborating with Microsoft to create artificial intelligence tools capable of “interpreting emojis and Gen Z and Gen Alpha slang in encrypted communications and chat groups to detect sadistic online exploitation.”

“This prototype is intended to assist our teams in swiftly removing children from dangerous situations,” she stated in a pre-released version of her speech.

“While it may feel like an endless struggle to safeguard children, I urge parents and caregivers to understand they are not alone and that there are straightforward steps they can take.”

Barrett also addressed the radicalization of youth, noting that four young individuals faced terrorism-related charges this year due to 10 investigations.

Since 2020, a total of 48 youths aged between 12 and 17 have been investigated for suspected terrorist activities, resulting in 25 charges.

She pointed out that 54% had a religious motivation, 22% had an ideological motivation, 11% had a mixed or unclear ideology, and 13% had undetermined motives.

In one notable case from 2022, a 14-year-old was investigated after posting on Snapchat about violent extremism, Barrett revealed.

This 14-year-old boy had access to firearms and explosives, with a tip-off suggesting he was plotting a school shooting in Australia.

During his arrest, police discovered a tactical vest, a bulletproof helmet, and “extremist-style” drawings.

Barrett’s address also referred to the AFP’s ongoing investigation into the arson at the Adas Israel synagogue, asserting that the suspect is linked to several incendiary bombings targeting tobacco shops.

“This individual represents a national security threat to our nation,” she stated.

“Among all the criminals who pose a threat to Australia, he is my primary concern, and I have directed my most seasoned investigators to focus on him.”

Barrett’s recent appointment as AFP’s chief, succeeding the retiring Reece Kershaw, suggests a shift in the police’s mission.

The AFP is now mandated to “protect Australia and its future from both domestic and global security threats,” implying increased international actions and operations.

Barrett mentioned the AFP’s collaboration with Colombian law enforcement, highlighting that AFP personnel were dispatched to a remote area of the Colombian jungle to “deliberately dismantle a cocaine manufacturing facility.”

“The AFP is determined to prevent criminal organizations from targeting Australia and will persist in collaborating with local law enforcement to confront criminals in our own vicinity when legally feasible,” she said.

“In recent years, AFP and Colombian cooperation has led to the seizure of over eight tonnes of cocaine.”

In partnership with Colombian authorities, a cache of arms and explosives from narco-terrorist groups, employed in assaults on police and military personnel, was also confiscated.

Barrett stated that AFP assisted in the seizure of 295 military grenades, 200 detonators, firearms, and ammunition.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Teen Creates Advanced Robotic Hand Using Just Lego Parts

Posted on October 24, 2025 by

Jared Lepola and a robotic hand crafted from LEGO Mindstorms components

Nathan Leppola

A robotic hand constructed by a 16-year-old boy and his father using Lego pieces can effectively grasp and manipulate objects, showcasing functionality akin to natural human hands.

Jared Leppola, a student at Bristol Grammar School in England, began working on this project with his father when he was just 14 years old. Nathan Leppola is affiliated with the University of Bristol.

The device utilizes concepts from leading research institutions like Pisa/IIT SoftHand, yet it is built entirely from readily available components from Lego Mindstorms, a popular series of educational kits designed for creating programmable robots.

“My father is a professor of robotics at the University of Bristol, and I was really inspired by the design of robotic hands,” Jared explains. “This motivated me to pursue it in an educational context using Lego.”

The hand operates using two motors based on tendon mechanics, and each of its four fingers is equipped with three joints. A differential mechanism made of Lego clutch gears connects the fingers, allowing them to move in unison until they contact an object and stop, mimicking human grasping behavior.

Throughout testing, the Lego hand successfully grabbed nine common household items, including plastic cups, bowls, and a stuffed toy weighing 0.8 kilograms.

When one finger is engaged, it fully closes in approximately 0.84 seconds and reopens in about 0.97 seconds. This speed is about half that of the Pisa/IIT SoftHand’s 3D-printed counterpart, which employs metal bearings. In static tests, the Lego hand could withstand loads of 5 Newtons, exert a pushing force of 6 Newtons, and deliver a closing force of 1.8 Newtons. Comparatively, the 3D-printed version can manage loads up to 8 Newtons, push with 7 Newtons, and has a closing force of 2 Newtons.

“You won’t find a better hand,” Nathan states regarding the 3D-printed alternative. “In terms of functionality, the LEGO hands are also considerably larger, with each finger measuring 145 millimeters long and 30 millimeters wide.”

While Lego Mindstorms was discontinued in 2022, Jared noted that the device can still be easily modified with a variety of Lego creations. “The way I designed the motor, you can simply take it out and replace it with a new one,” he explains.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Warm and Humid Climate Creates Ideal Conditions for Pterosaurs to Soar 220 Million Years Ago

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A recent study by paleontologists integrated data on the ancient climate of a specific region with fossil distribution information regarding Triassic eye pteraurauromorphs (pterosaurs + lagerpetids).

Foffa et al. Lagerpetids, alongside overall pterygoid morphospace, likely thrived in southwestern Pangaea (i.e. modern-day South America), indicating that pterosaurs may have originated at lower latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Image credit: James Kuether.

“Pterosaurs were the first vertebrates to evolve powered flight more than 60 million years ago—the oldest known birds,” stated Davide Foffa, a paleontologist from the University of Birmingham.

“Nevertheless, our comprehension of early pterosaur evolution is constrained by significant temporal and anatomical gaps separating these highly adapted flying reptiles from their closest terrestrial relatives.”

“The fossil records for pterosaurs and their related species remain incomplete, and fundamental aspects of early evolution, including timing, domains of existence, initial radiation, and the ecological context of paleontology, are not well understood compared to other contemporary groups such as dinosaurs.”

The researchers concentrated on the distribution of two closely related groups: Pterosaurs and Lagerpetids.

“Lagerpetids existed roughly 240 million years ago as a group of agile reptiles that lived in smaller land areas and among trees,” they noted.

“These small terrestrial reptiles are now recognized as the closest relatives to pterosaurs, and this study shows they endured a wider range of climatic conditions than their aerial counterparts, including the arid landscapes of ancient Pangaea.”

“This adaptability resulted in a broader distribution of this group.”

“Conversely, pterosaurs seemed to be restricted to humid environments found in limited regions of the ancient world, as evidenced by fossils discovered in modern-day Italy, Austria, and the southwestern United States.

During the late Triassic period, global climatic conditions began to change, with an increase in warm and humid environments outside the equatorial region.

This shift provided an opportunity for flying reptiles to expand across the globe, including present-day high-latitude areas such as Greenland and South America.

“While dinosaurs roamed the Earth, I find it fascinating to envision that these formidable reptiles ruled the skies during that era,” remarked Dr. Foffa.

“However, the origins of pterosaurs remain cloaked in mystery. Our research contributes new insights into this puzzle, proposing that early evolution among groups was likely influenced by shifting climates and environments during the Triassic.”

“Climate change significantly affects biodiversity, both today and throughout geological history,” stated Dr. Emma Dunn, a paleontologist at Friedrich Alexander Universitat Erlangen Nurnberg.

“Recent advancements in modeling techniques have enabled paleontologists to better understand how climate change has shaped the biodiversity of significant fossil groups like pterosaurs in just the past few years.”

“The combination of ecological models and fossil data is emphasized by Dr. Alessandro Chiarenza, paleontologist at University College London, who noted:

“Lagerpetids flourished as generalists, while pterosaurs, initially constrained to a humid tropical niche with possibly limited flight capabilities, occupied equatorial territories.”

“As the climate transformed and forest corridors emerged, their wings propelled them to every corner of the planet, ultimately allowing them to survive one of Earth’s greatest extinctions.”

“What started as a tale of lost fossils is evolving into a paradigmatic example of how paleoclimate, past climate, and evolutionary innovations intertwine, illuminating the complex history that has fascinated paleontologists for over two centuries.”

Study published in the journal Natural Ecology and Evolution.

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D. Foffa et al. Paleobiogeography of climate drivers and lagerpetids and early pterosaurs. Nat Ecol Evol published online on June 18th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41559-025-02767-8

Source: www.sci.news

Video: Flamingo Creates a Vortex with Its Beak to Capture Prey

Posted on May 13, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Witnessing how flamingos feed is truly a captivating experience. They tilt their heads in the water and perform a charming waddling dance, sifting through small crustaceans, insects, microscopic algae, and other minute aquatic morsels in shallow waters.

Victor Ortega Zimenez, a biologist from the University of California, Berkeley, recalls being captivated by this behavior in 2019 during a family visit to the Atlanta Zoo. Since then, he has pondered what transpires beneath the water’s surface.

“While the birds were stunning to observe, my main question was, ‘What hydrodynamic principles guide the filter feeding behavior in flamingos?'” he shared.

Upon returning home, he was struck by the lack of scientific literature on the subject, prompting him to embark on his own research journey. After years of careful investigation, he and his team made remarkable discoveries, detailed in a recent publication by the National Academy of Sciences. They revealed that flamingos actively use the physics of water flow to sweep up prey and direct it into their mouths.

“We’re disputing the common notion that flamingos are merely passive filter feeders,” Dr. Ortega Zimenez stated. “Just as spiders create webs, flamingos generate vortices.”

Dr. Ortega Zimenez collaborated with three extraordinarily supportive flamingos from the Nashville Zoo: Matty, Marty, and Cayenne. Zookeepers trained these birds to feed in transparent containers, allowing researchers to capture their feeding behaviors using high-speed cameras and fluid dynamics techniques. The team introduced oxygen bubbles and food particles to visualize the water flow facilitated by the birds. After observing live flamingos, they constructed a 3D model of a flamingo’s head to further investigate its biomechanics.

The researchers found that flamingos frequently and quickly retracted their heads while feeding. Each movement generated tornado-like vortices, drawing particles from the bottom to the water’s surface. Additional experiments with mechanical beaks revealed that flamingos rapidly pound their beaks while partially submerged, directing the flow of water straight to their mouths and aiding in prey capture. Their uniquely shaped L-shaped beaks played a crucial role in creating vortices and recirculating water. They utilized the surface layer for feeding, reaping the benefits of their specialized feeding techniques.

Another “surprising discovery” involved the flamingos’ feet, as Dr. Ortega Zimenez noted. Researchers explored this through mechanical models of flamingo feet and computational simulations. The dance-like movements underwater contributed to the vortices, propelling additional particles toward the waiting mouths of the birds, which feed upside down in the water. Collectively, these findings indicate that flamingos are “superfeeding machines,” employing their entire bodies in the feeding process.

Biophysicist Sunghwan Jung from Cornell University commended the study for showcasing how biological morphology and motion interact functionally with surrounding fluids.

Alejandro Rico Gevala, an evolutionary biologist at Washington University in Seattle, who was not involved in the research, also concurred, stating that the new findings challenge the idea of flamingos as merely passive filter feeders. “Numerous hypotheses have attempted to explain how their peculiar bills function,” he remarked.

In addition to elucidating that mystery, the study reveals “a distinctly evolved method for capturing elusive small prey,” he added. This research hints at another possible evolutionary purpose for the birds’ webbed feet, beyond simply functioning as paddles.

Dr. Ortega Zimenez, fueled by curiosity about the dynamics of water flow used by flamingos, is now planning to investigate what occurs within the bird’s beak during feeding. Ultimately, such discoveries may lead to bioinspired technologies aimed at addressing issues like toxic algae and microplastics, he said.

“What is the essence of filter feeding in flamingos?” he questioned. “As scientists, we aspire to understand both the shape and function of these fascinating and enigmatic birds.”

Source: www.nytimes.com

Steven Mnuchin creates consortium to purchase TikTok | US News

Posted on March 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

According to CNBC, Steven Mnuchin is organizing a group of investors to purchase TikTok.

This development follows a recent bill passed by the US House of Representatives, giving ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, about six months to sell the app’s US assets or be subject to a ban. In the absence of a sale, app stores like Apple App Store and Google Play would not be allowed to host TikTok or provide hosting services to ByteDance-managed applications.

TikTok has labeled the bill as a “ban” and is urging Senators to consider their constituents’ opinions before making a decision.

In an interview with CNBC’s Squawk Box, Mnuchin expressed support for the bill and the sale of TikTok, emphasizing the app’s strong business potential.

While concerns about TikTok’s data collection practices have lingered for years, the recent bipartisan push for a forced sale poses a significant challenge to the app. The Senate is now faced with an uncertain vote on the matter after the House passed the bill with overwhelming support.

TikTok’s CEO has vowed to use legal means to oppose the ban, highlighting the potential negative impact on US jobs and the economy if the sale goes through.

Despite potential interest from other tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google to acquire TikTok, regulatory scrutiny and other challenges may complicate any acquisition attempts.

Mnuchin’s involvement in orchestrating the purchase of TikTok comes after his tenure as Treasury Secretary and recent investment activities through his private equity firm, Liberty Street Capital.

The Chinese government has criticized the House vote as an act of “robbery” in its attempt to force the sale of TikTok.

The future of the ban remains uncertain as Senate support for the bill is not yet clear. TikTok also faces uncertainties regarding the Chinese government’s approval of a US-based acquisition.

This recent bill is part of an ongoing political battle over TikTok, which has faced multiple bans and attempted bans in the past. Trump’s previous attempts to ban TikTok were blocked, but Biden has expressed willingness to sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Artificial Intelligence creates personalized 3D printed prosthetic eyes

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A man with artificial eyes not made by AI

Stephen Bell, Ocupeye Ltd.

Prosthetic eyes designed with artificial intelligence and 3D printing could benefit more people by requiring 80% less time for human experts compared to traditional manufacturing methods. Small trials also suggest that this approach leads to adequate prostheses in most cases.

For example, in the UK, Approximately 1 in 1,000 people wears a prosthetic eye., it takes a highly trained ophthalmologist to take an impression of the eye socket. Many people wearing such prostheses also have orbital implants that replace lost eye volume and create a surface to which muscles can be reattached, allowing natural eye movement. Masu. A prosthesis is placed over this to give it a natural appearance.

The standard process for making a prosthetic limb takes about eight hours; Johan Reinhardt Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics in Darmstadt, Germany, have developed a method to automatically design and 3D print an implant that fits into a wearer's eye socket and aesthetically matches the remaining eye. .

“It's more comfortable to do an optical scan than to have someone pour this alginate.” [mould-making material] It seems difficult to make an impression on the eye socket, especially for children. [sit through] This is the procedure,” Reinhardt said.

In the new process, an optical coherence tomography scanner uses light to create a 3D model of a person's missing eye, so the back of the prosthesis can be designed to fit snugly. A color image of the remaining eye is also taken to ensure an aesthetic match.

The data is collected into an AI model, a design is created, and then 3D printed on a machine that can operate at a resolution of 18 billion droplets per cubic centimeter.

Once the prosthesis is printed, a human eye doctor can polish and adjust it for the perfect fit. This task takes only 20% of the time of the existing process.

3D printed prosthetic eye designed by AI

Johann Reinhardt, Fraunhofer IGD

In a trial of 10 people at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, only two people found these prostheses did not fit properly. Neither has orbital implants, which Reinhardt says poses problems for scanners and AI designers.

The team hopes to improve the process to significantly reduce the cost required to create convincing prosthetics and make them available to more people. However, Reinhardt says it is unlikely that future prosthetics will be created without human experts.

“We think of this like a tool for ophthalmologists,” he says. “So this is not going to replace an eye doctor, but it's a new process that they can use, and we think it's going to give them better results in terms of appearance.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Confining Atoms in a Small Tube Creates a Strange “Primary Gas”

Posted on January 22, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A single atom of krypton trapped in a Buckminsterfullerene cage

University of Nottingham

The krypton atoms become stuck in a “traffic jam” inside the carbon nanotube, unable to pass through each other, allowing scientists to more easily observe how the krypton atoms interact. Researchers hope that this “primary energetic body” can shed light on fundamental physical forces.

Andrey Klobistov and his colleagues at the University of Nottingham, UK, have discovered that the narrow space restricts movement and makes it easier to observe the inside of carbon nanotubes, which are just 1.5 nanometers thick (one-half millionth the width of a human hair). He spent years studying chemical reactions. They have now developed a way to do the same thing with atoms of the rare gas krypton, creating a so-called one-dimensional gas.

The researchers used a buckminsterfullerene molecule, a spherical cage made of 60 carbon atoms, with a krypton atom trapped inside. These molecules are sucked into the carbon nanotube by van der Waals forces, weak attractive forces caused by fluctuations in the electron cloud surrounding the atomic nucleus. Once filled, the tube is heated to 1200 °C and the cage is destroyed. The carbon atoms are absorbed into the nanotube, leaving behind a string of krypton atoms.

A single atom of krypton confined in a Buckminsterfullerene cage inside a nanotube, observed with an electron microscope

University of Nottingham

Klovistov said the result is like a “traffic jam” in which atoms can be observed slowly, rather than flying around at up to 400 meters per second, as they often do in three-dimensional gases. The group used a transmission electron microscope to image atoms, allowing them to accurately measure the distances between them.

“They fundamentally change their behavior,” Klovistov said. “This is a very interesting system. We can track their trajectories, how they move and how they interact. This is a great toy to play with with noble gases. “We can gain a fundamental understanding of the behavior of atoms under extreme confinement.”

Other researchers have already observed that krypton atoms form pairs held together by van der Waals forces. This phenomenon is difficult to observe in unconstrained atoms and can also occur within nanotubes. Klobistov said future experiments will be “full of surprises.”

Future research will investigate how temperature affects primary gas. If you reduce the temperature of a gas in three-dimensional space, it will condense into a liquid and then solidify, but there is no guarantee that the same rules will apply in his one dimension.

“Maybe there's no such thing as a 1D liquid, it's just a 1D solid. It's a bit of a voyage of discovery,” says Klobistov.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Indian teenager creates ground-breaking device with potential to revolutionize dementia care on a global scale

Posted on January 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

IDuring the blissful summer that Hemesh Chadarabada spent with his grandmother in 2018, they watched endless movies and ate her grandmother's chicken biryani. Late one evening, while Chadaravada, then 12, was sitting alone in front of the television, Jayasree got up in her nightgown and went to her home in Guntur, southern India, to make her a cup of tea. Ta.

After returning to her bedroom, Chadarabada went into the kitchen and noticed that her grandmother, then 63, had left the gas on.

“She was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and I was still in shock. What would have happened if I hadn't been there?” Chadaravada says.

Chadarabada shows her grandmother the prototype of the device. Photo: Handout

Chadaravada knows that Jayasree is not only a loving grandmother but also a dynamic and successful woman with a high-profile career as a civil servant who interacted with Telangana's top politicians and policy makers. Ta.

But Alzheimer's disease changed her forever. “She would wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning and she would go outside thinking she was on the train,” he says.

During that happy summer, Chadarabada, a self-confessed geek from Hyderabad who loves robotics, decided he wanted to invent a device to help people like his grandmother.

Now 17 years old, Chadarabada is ready to start building a device to detect falls and wandering in Alzheimer's patients, something that is not possible with currently available devices.

Light and compact, Alpha Monitor can be worn as a badge or armband and sounds an alarm when the wearer begins to move, alerting caregivers if the patient falls or wanders.

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Most similar devices work over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so if a person moves outside of the frequency's restricted range, they lose connectivity and, with it, monitoring. However, Alpha Monitor Lolait uses.

Chadarabada taught himself by watching YouTube videos about robotics and electronics and developed 20 prototypes.

Understanding the needs of Alzheimer's disease (Alzheimer's disease in India) patients Estimated 8.8 million people), spent time at a day center run by the Alzheimer's Disease Related Disorders Association of India.

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Tag Archives: creates

AFP Creates AI Tool to Decode Gen Z Slang Amid Concerns Over ‘Criminal Influencers’ Targeting Young Women

Teen Creates Advanced Robotic Hand Using Just Lego Parts

Warm and Humid Climate Creates Ideal Conditions for Pterosaurs to Soar 220 Million Years Ago

Video: Flamingo Creates a Vortex with Its Beak to Capture Prey

Steven Mnuchin creates consortium to purchase TikTok | US News

Artificial Intelligence creates personalized 3D printed prosthetic eyes

Confining Atoms in a Small Tube Creates a Strange “Primary Gas”

Indian teenager creates ground-breaking device with potential to revolutionize dementia care on a global scale

PaintJet creates massive industrial robots for painting large-scale industrial projects