Perhaps intelligence is not something that happens on a planet, but to a planet. Adam Frank, David Grinspsoon, and Sara Walker argue that intelligence — seen as collective action — shapes planets to be markedly different. An interesting example is the Great Oxygenation Event caused by cyanobacteria that transformed Earth from an immature biosphere to a mature one. Through collective action powered by survival, these microbes fundamentally changed the composition of Earth’s atmosphere, which allowed life to flourish for millions of years to come. Read full article here
Research
Researcher uses AI to make texts that are thousands of years old readable
The Gilgamesh Epic, the oldest work of world literature, has been brought back to life by LMU researchers in the Electronic Babylonian Literature project. Using their new Fragmentarium tool, they have discovered hundreds of manuscripts, including the most recent tablet of the Gilgamesh Epic which dates from 130 BC – thousands of years after the earliest known version. This shows how highly valued the Epic was, even at a late period. With the public release of the Fragmentarium, anyone can now explore the thousands of cuneiform fragments and explore the ancient Babylonian literature. Read full article here
Merv
March 12, 2023
