A Eurasian coot's nest collected from an Amsterdam canal reveals layers of plastic accumulating over 30 years, including pandemic-related face masks and a 1994 FIFA World Cup wrapper. Researchers suggest that urban birds may reuse older plastic materials in nest construction, allowing for more efficient territory defense and foraging. However, the presence of plastic waste poses dangers to the birds. Separately, AI experts indicate that current methods are inadequate for achieving artificial general intelligence, cautioning against over-reliance on expanding AI systems without innovation.
Researchers discovered a bird nest woven with plastic spanning over 30 years, showcasing the impact of human waste on wildlife. The nest contained pandemic-related materials, demonstrating the environmental challenges faced by species.
Biologist Auke-Florian Hiemstra noted that reusing plastic in nests might save time for coots, allowing them more time to forage, but highlighted the dangers these materials pose to the birds.
Experts assert that simply enlarging AI technologies will not lead to systems with human-level reasoning. Over 75% of surveyed experts doubt AI systems can independently achieve artificial general intelligence.
A temporary blackout of PubMed raises concerns about the future reliability and accessibility of essential biomedical literature for researchers, pointing to vulnerabilities in critical academic resources.
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