Light can cause water to evaporate

This discovery could have wide-ranging implications, such as explaining natural occurrences like cloud formation.

In a ground-breaking study, MIT researchers have discovered that light can induce water evaporation without heat, challenging traditional understanding of the process. The team observed water held in a hydrogel evaporating at rates significantly higher than expected based on thermal energy alone. The phenomenon, termed the “photomolecular effect,” occurs at the interface of water and air, where light efficiently triggers evaporation, even surpassing the theoretical maximum rate dictated by heat. This discovery could have wide-ranging implications, such as explaining natural occurrences like cloud formation.

Pigeons’ problem-solving mirrors AI

A study from The Ohio State University has found that pigeons solve problems in a manner akin to artificial intelligence (AI), outperforming humans in certain complex tasks. Previous research indicated pigeons excel at categorisation tasks challenging for humans. The new study, led by psychology professor Brandon Turner, confirmed that pigeons utilise a “brute force” approach similar to AI models. In the experiments, pigeons were tasked with categorising various visual stimuli, improving their accuracy significantly through trial and error. The study appears in the journal iScience.

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