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The Future of AI and the History of Math
By: Ariana Larson

10/18/24

Will AI grow enough to stop humanity ? If so, is there a solution to stop it?

Question From: Ibrahim

 

You’re home alone and doing your homework. You shout, “Alexa, what is the square root of 64?” even though no one else is there. Nevertheless, a cheery voice replies, “The square root of 64 is eight”. You might not know it, but voice assistants like Alexa and Google are forms of artificial intelligence or AI. In our advancing world, AI is appearing in more and more places.

 

One of the places where AI is included is on your devices. It is included in most software because instead of having a human carry out and solve a multitude of tasks, you can program a software to do it. AI can help a bit by predicting what you will search, but it can show itself on a larger scale in apps dedicated to it like ChatGPT. Although these forms of AI are current, the concept of AI was used in  1952 about 72 years ago!

 

The program was originally made to play a game of checkers with a human player independently. Three years later at a college workshop, the term Artificial Intelligence began to be used, even though the concept had been in the public’s eye since the late 1810s.

 

The idea of creating another independently thinking being has been pondered over since 1818 when Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was published. Since then, books have been written and movies have been made asking: What if we made new intelligent life forms (usually robots)? What would they do? We can only guess, but one of the major developers of AI has voiced concerns about the possibilities.

 

Geoffrey Hinton has worked at many software companies, most recently Google. He is considered the godfather of AI for his work with developing AI. Now, he is trying to warn people about the dangers of AI. Hinton acknowledges that it may seem far off in the future, but he says it’s actually closer than we think. With all this bad news, what should we do?

 

There have been measures taken to prevent the future domination of AI, like a letter suggesting that we should pause work on AI. Over 33,000 researchers and technologists have signed this letter. It sounds like a lot; however, it’s not enough. You could help this cause by limiting your dependence on AI. For example, try thinking things through yourself and being creative, not just asking questions to a chatbot.

 

To conclude, artificial intelligence can be found in a variety of places. Even though it is a fairly new technology, the idea has been around since the start of science fiction. Ironically enough, like in science fiction, we are facing the threat of it taking over. Thankfully, we don’t have to fear just yet because there are measures we can take to mitigate the risks.

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How did math start?

Question From: Aanya

 

As annoying as the homework is, math is a subject you use in everyday life, no matter your job. It is overlooked a lot because you could just punch numbers into a calculator instead of solving math problems yourself. However, it is and has been important for daily life since ancient times.

 

The first artifacts containing mathematics were clay tablets from ancient Mesopotamia. There was mathematics in most ancient civilizations. Ancient Mesopotamia developed many mathematical concepts we still use today, like the base sixty system that we use for time. Despite Mesopotamia’s mathematical prowess, the most evidence of sophisticated mathematics is found in Arabia. This is where the mathematician Muhammed ibn-Musa al-Khowarizmi used a system of formulas that today is known as algebra. In addition, by the tenth century, the number zero was in the Arabic numeral system.

 

Wait, why is zero important? It doesn't have any numerical value. Well, it has value in other mathematical areas. It developed in many physical areas. For example, in Mesoamerica, the Mayans used zeros to indicate different dates. Then, the Indian mathematicians were the first to give meaning to the number zero. Finally, in Arabia, zero was made a number. Zeros then got a role in what is now called algebra. 

 

What did we use this new math for? At first, algebra was used to aid geometry. Geometry was used for dividing land and for architectural purposes. Then, when a basic understanding of principles was developed in ancient Greece, more complicated math could be learned. After this development, they could use the new, more advanced math to figure out other problems. The new, more complicated math allowed people to deal with astronomy, which then led to the development of recording time and making calendars.

 

Lastly, math has been around for millenia in most ancient cultures. So, it wasn’t developed by one person, it was a collection of ways and ideas that made today's math. Additionally, one of those ideas was the concept of zero, which aided the different forms of math, such as algebra and geometry.

 

Sources:

What is the history of artificial intelligence (AI)? | Tableau

Who invented computers? | Bricsys Blog

National Sci-Fi Day: Getting Started

'The godfather of AI' sounds alarm about potential dangers of AI : NPR

14 Dangers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) | Built In

Pause Giant AI Experiments: An Open Letter - Future of Life Institute

Who Invented Math? | Wonderopolis

Mathematics - Ancient Sources, History, Culture | Britannica

What is Zero in Math? Definition, Facts, and Examples

Who Invented the Zero? | HISTORY

Geometry: A History From Practice to Abstraction | NRICH

Mosquitoes and Michigan Lefts
By: Ariana Larson

10/04/24

Why are mosquito bites so itchy?

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Summer can be defined by many things, good and bad. And for most people, a bad thing would be mosquitos. They are tiny buzzing vampires that not only take your blood but also leave the area were they bit you itchy for days. This  begs the question: why are mosquito bites so itchy? But before we learn why they are so itchy, we need to know more about the insect itself.


A mosquito lives its life similar to most insects. It starts off from an egg and becomes a larva. Soon that larva grows into a pupa. Then that pupa is finally ready to emerge into an adult and make its own eggs, which brings us back to the topic of blood. Blood is basically the transport system for our bodies. So, even a little bit of blood can contain many different nutrients that would be vital to our (and other species’) survival. Our blood contains iron, proteins, and other types of amino acids, which are vital. However, blood is not their main meal. They have non-hemoglobin alternatives like fruit juice and nectar. Because of this, only the females bite us owing to the extra boost of iron needed to produce the eggs.


So, when a female mosquito comes down and bites you, why does the bite itch so

badly? Well, just like you, mosquitos have saliva (AKA spit), and when they bite you with their proboscis, some of their saliva gets injected in you. Gross, I know, your body thinks that too. This means the red lump you get is the response of your body to the saliva, which it deems an allergen.


If a mosquito bite is just basically an allergic reaction, itching mercilessly won’t do anything right? Wong. If you constantly scratch the wound, problems could occur. The bite may bleed, causing it to scab then potentially scar. Also, with the bleeding, blood out in the open could possibly lead to infection. All bad things, and it’s not just one hole the mosquito drank from. It’s six small ones. That’s because inside its proboscis is a sophisticated system of six small styles (try saying that five times fast). I would include a picture but a photo may be too nauseating for some readers (including this writer). Another bad thing a mosquito bite can give you is disease. Like viruses, parasites, and other forms of sickness.


There are many different ways of alleviating the discomfort of the bite, such as wearing bugspary to help prevent most of the bites in the first place. There are products to soothe the itchiness like anti-itch and antihistamine creams (histamine is the thing that causes the bug bite to cause an allergic reaction). There’s also technology like the suction-powered gadget “The Bug-Bite Thing,” and of course the long list of home remedies.


All in all, mosquito bites are so itchy because our body perceives mosquito saliva as a threat and try to counter it. So, remember next time you want to itch the bites, at least you know why they’re there in the first place.

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Why do we have Michigan Lefts?

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Why didn’t the chicken turn left at the intersection? Because he was in Michigan. A Michigan Left is a very strange concept. It leaves many people confused when they first come here. However it is more than just an indulgence Michiganders enjoy, it is a very important process to prevent lethal accidents.


How do you do a Michigan Left though? Let’s take a two lane intersection for example. If you live in a normal place you would cross two lanes before you turn left. A Michigan Left is when, instead of doing the former procedure, you turn right first, then you shift to the left and do a U-turn around the median. Now you are back on track on the road you originally wanted to turn to. Still why be so extra and add all those steps?

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Well, in the 1960s, Thomas Maleck, a traffic engineer, was assigned the task to help decongest traffic. Even though he credits the concept to another person, Don Snakey, the idea was a hit. Now the concept is seen all over Michigan, even in places it isn’t needed. But why is it such a good idea?


Remember those two lanes we crossed over at the start of the article? Well, now we’re crossing them again but in one of those lanes there is a car coming at you from the right. They hit you right as you’re crossing the lane. Wherever they could've hit you, they hit you on the left side with full force, injuring or sadly killing everyone on the left side (including the driver). If we had the Michigan Left, they would’ve just hit our back, or had time to slow down and stop.


Reading this, it may just seem like it just helps in those specific scenarios that rarely happen. However, Michigan Lefts have prevented thirty to sixty percent of accidents. It also has been shown to relieve traffic congestion and also protect not just cars but bicyclists and pedestrians.


Even if it has been overused or been a foreign creation, it is and has been very helpful. It isn’t just found in Michigan, either. It is not called a “Michigan Left,” but the same idea is found in Louisiana, Texas, Utah, North Carolina, Arizona and even other countries like Mexico and Australia (oddly enough because they drive on the left side of the road already). Nevertheless it has been helpful in saving countless lives.
 

To conclude, the Michigan Left is an action taken by many drivers in Michigan and beyond to avoid directly turning left. Even though it seems excessive, it has been proven to alleviate accident injuries and help decongest traffic. So, next time you get nauseous because of how crazy you’re turning, remember you’re turning like that for a reason.

 

Sources:

Mosquito Life Cycle | US EPA

Why Do Mosquitoes Need Blood?

WATCH: Mosquitoes Use 6 Needles To Suck Your Blood : Shots - Health News : NPR

About Mosquito Bites

Mosquito Bites: What They Look Like, Why They Itch & Treatment

CuriosiD: Where Did the Michigan Left Come From? - WDET 101.9 FM

Michigan Lefts - OpenStreetMap Wiki

Michigan Left Brochure

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