New era in gravitational astronomy | New Scientist Weekly podcast 202

TL;DR

New York City law requires companies to disclose the use of AI in hiring processes and audits to mitigate bias.

Transcript

hello and welcome back to New Scientist weekly your curated selection of the week's best science and technology news stories I'm Timothy Revel in New York and I'm Christy Taylor also in New York welcome to the show and welcome back Tim to The Coho seat thank you very much Christy and I will be your hosts over the next nine months or so whilst Rowan... Read More

Key Insights

• 👾 Gravitational waves have revolutionized our understanding of the universe and studying them further could provide valuable insights into the nature of space-time and massive objects like black holes.
• 🤽‍♀️ Women have played significant roles in hunting activities in both ancient and modern hunter-gatherer societies, challenging traditional gender roles.
• ❓ Regulation of AI algorithms in hiring processes is necessary to prevent bias and discrimination in the job market.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are gravitational waves and how are they detected?

Gravitational waves are disturbances in space-time caused by the collisions of massive objects. They were first detected in 2015 by the LIGO observatory, which uses laser interferometry to measure minute changes in space caused by these waves.

Q: Why is it important to study women's roles in ancient hunter-gatherer societies?

Understanding women's roles in ancient hunter-gatherer societies provides insights into the diversity and complexity of human social structures and challenges traditional gender stereotypes. It also contributes to our understanding of human evolution and cultural practices.

Q: How does the New York City law address AI bias in the hiring process?

The law requires companies to disclose the use of AI in their hiring processes and conduct audits to identify and mitigate any bias in the algorithms. This ensures that AI tools do not perpetuate discrimination or reinforce biases in the selection of job candidates.

Q: What makes orangutans' beatboxing-like sounds unique?

Orangutans have been found to make complex sounds that resemble beatboxing, combining consonant and vowel sounds simultaneously. This showcases their vocal abilities and challenges the notion that complex vocalizations are unique to humans.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Gravitational waves, fast-moving disturbances in space-time, have been detected from colliding black holes. Scientists are now looking for gravitational waves from supermassive black holes.

• There is evidence that women hunted in many ancient hunter-gatherer societies, and modern hunter-gatherer societies also have a significant number of women who participate in hunting activities.

• New York City has implemented a law that requires companies to disclose the use of AI in their hiring processes and conduct audits to ensure the algorithms used are not biased.

• Orangutans have been found to make complex sounds similar to beatboxing, showcasing their vocal abilities.