Artificial Intelligence Goes Deep Into the Amazon

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The board game go involves black and white stones placed on a square wooden board that’s checkered with 19 vertical lines and 19 horizontal ones to form 361 intersections. Players try to conquer territory by enclosing vacant points with boundaries made of their own stones. The first player to completely enclose an area wins the game. Historically, go playing was a social and intellectual pursuit among the upper classes in China, Korea, Japan and other countries, but it gained wider popularity after World War II. Today, it’s played in over 200 countries and territories worldwide by more than 2 million people.

Go is a fascinating game for many reasons, but it has also been a crucible for artificial intelligence research. The complexity of the rules, the vast search space, and the need to evaluate boards in a three-dimensional space make it one of the most difficult games for computer programs to master. But new methods, including a deep neural network approach that combines value and policy networks, have pushed AI to the forefront of Go playing.

In the latest development, scientists have used a satellite sensor on NOAA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) system to develop a new view of the Amazon rainforest. Unlike polar-orbiting satellites that pass over the region only a few times per day, GOES’s geostationary orbit allows it to keep its sights trained on the Amazon throughout the day and night. This allows researchers to capture the seasonality of carbon cycle changes, something that’s not always visible from the ground because the forest is often shrouded in persistent clouds.

GOES’s other functions include providing real-time imagery and atmospheric measurements of Earth’s Western Hemisphere, as well as tracking severe storms and monitoring solar activity. It’s also been instrumental in detecting fog and low clouds that impact air and sea travel, as well as spotting volcanic eruptions and the ash and sulfur dioxide they spew into the atmosphere. And its ocean sensors monitor marine heat waves, which affect the food chain and can lead to mass coral bleaching events.

NOAA’s newest series of GOES satellites, known as the GOES-R Series, provides critical atmospheric, hydrologic, oceanic, climate and solar science data. This data improves detection and observation of environmental phenomena that directly impact public safety, property protection and our nation’s economic health and prosperity.

The GOES Image Viewer hosted on the STAR webservers hosts examples of ongoing experimental products. The images and data are not official NOAA operational products, and may not be suitable for use by anyone other than remote sensing researchers or experienced meteorologists/oceanographers.

The American Go Association is a small, close-knit national community that welcomes new members as long-lost family. With over 100 chapters nationwide, there’s likely a club near you. If not, learn how to start your own.

The Meaning of Being Nice

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Nice is a word that’s often thrown around in a superficial manner, but when you look deeper into the meaning of nice, it can be quite meaningful. A genuinely nice person is someone who exhibits kindness in their interactions with others and is generally thoughtful and considerate of other people’s feelings. Nice people also go out of their way to help those in need and do small acts of kindness to brighten up others’ days.

Those who are nice also exhibit honesty. They do not embellish their accomplishments or lie about their experiences to impress others. Rather, they are honest about their strengths and weaknesses so that they can find a balance in their life that works for them. Being dishonest is not only unkind, but it also damages trust and respect for the person who does so.

A nice person is also patient with others. They believe that everyone is unique and has something to offer, so they take their time to get to know those around them. They listen intently and ask open-ended questions that demonstrate their interest in what other people have to say. They are also more likely to be understanding in difficult situations, which allows them to foster genuine connections with other people.

The act of being nice is a positive one because it has been linked to mood stabilization. When you do kind things for others, your brain releases serotonin and oxytocin, which make you feel good and loved. Consequently, it reduces cortisol, the hormone that triggers stress reactions like an elevated heart rate and the fight or flight response.

However, there are some downsides to being too nice. Those who are always willing to do other people’s favors can be seen as doormats and may end up being taken advantage of. Nice people are careful not to overextend themselves, but they still strive to do what’s right for them and the rest of the world.

Nice is a beautiful city on the Mediterranean coast of southeastern France. It is the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes department and the second-largest city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. Nice is a popular destination for tourists because of its sunny weather and rich history. The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains several buildings from the 18th century.

It is also a hub for art, with several museums and a thriving contemporary music scene. In addition, it is home to a number of festivals, including the Nice Jazz Festival.

If you want to be a genuinely nice person, it is important to set boundaries that are non-negotiable for you. Otherwise, other people might use you to meet their own needs and goals. This is how people end up getting walked all over. If you don’t have your own values, you will be easily manipulated. Nice people aren’t doormats; they have their own set of values that they don’t let anyone else dictate to them.