If you live or work in a small, poorly ventilated space, consider getting a few potted plants. Although they don’t really help reduce carbon dioxide levels, houseplants remove significant amounts of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which can weaken one’s respiratory system. Some houseplants that researchers have found to have this striking ability are the peace lily, dragon tree, and ZZ plant. They were found to have reduced peak NO2 concentrations by 20% in a small, poorly ventilated space, while larger and better-ventilated areas have reduced effects. Read full article here
Societal Issues
AI Predicts Crime A Week In Advance With 90 Per Cent Accuracy
An artificial intelligence model built by Ishanu Chattopadhyay and his colleagues analysed crime data in Chicago from 2014 to 2016 and managed to predict future levels of crime down to the nearest 300 metres, a week before they actually happened. While extremely useful, this artificial intelligence has been shown to expose racial prejudice in law enforcement. Hopefully, as the study’s data and methodology have been made available for others to evaluate, these prejudices can be avoided in the next iteration. Read full article here
Merv
August 15, 2022
