DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF by Maryanne Kane, Journalist

 DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF              

By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane

ELEPHANTS: THE 1ST NON-HUMAN SPECIES TO CALL EACH OTHER BY NAME

                                Source:  Kenya Elephants Stock

• New research on Kenyan elephants suggest that they call each other by specific names.  Here's what we know:
• Using AI and advanced acoustic analysis of hundreds of elephant calls, researchers have identified individual, specific calls used by elephants to address one another
• This means that elephants are the first, non-human species scientifically demonstrated to call each other by name
• AI determined that elephants are using specific calls to contact and communicate with individual elephants
• Scientists found the elephants were not mimicking the receiver's vocalization as is the case with dolphins and parrots
• The study, which included scientists from Colorado State University, identified elephant "rumbles" or calls specific to individuals and found unique callers and receivers, where calls to the same elephant seemed very similar
• Most importantly, receivers of calls could be identified by a call structure
• Scientists say this study sheds light on the evolution of language across species
• It also has identified the 1st non-humans to use names
• Next time you go to the zoo, you have to wonder what names the elephants are calling you.
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DEEPMIND AI SUPER-ACCURATE WX FORECASTING

                                                            Source:  Google DeepMind

• Google DeepMind's weather AI has emerged as the gold standard of forecasting extreme weather faster and more accurately than current weather models and their supercomputers.  Here are the facts:
• DeepMind system can predict weather conditions 10 days in advance with greater speed and accuracy than any other system, including the top-rated European model
• Called GraphCast, it uses machine learning based on 4 decades of weather data
• Provides forecast in one minute
• Outperformed the European model in more than 99% of weather variables like rain and air temperature
• Example:  accurately predicted Hurricane Lee would hit Nova Scotia, in October, 9 days in advance, which was 3 days ahead of traditional models
• Very important new use of AI to provide meteorologists with earlier & more accurate forecasts
• Exciting and critical, new early warning system as extreme weather is hitting at record levels.
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FLYING TAXIS COMING TO AIRPORTS NEAR YOU

                   Source:  NYC & Tampa International Airport

• This week, flying taxis were doing test flights in New York City and at Tampa International Airport.  Here's what we know:
• Joby Aviation and Volocopter air taxis both performed successful test flights over New York City in the past few days
• These flights were part of NYC Mayor Eric Adams' plan to establish the world 1st heliport for eVTOLs on a pier on the East River
• Called the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (DMH), Mayor Adams views it as a sustainable transport hub for air cab passengers and local deliveries
• The air taxi flights were the 1st ever in Manhattan
• Adams hopes to have NYC air taxis cleared by FAA by 2025
• Meanwhile, Tampa International Airport hosted 1st ever eVTOL test flights at a major US airport
• Volocopter air taxis did the flying
• Airport CEO Joe Lopano expects air taxis to be operational at his Airport "really very soon"
• We are getting closer to yellow cabs turning into air cabs that are electric-powered and take-off and land vertically from small heliports in major cities like DMH and from major airports like Tampa.

 "Daily Innovation Brief"© By Edward Kane