Few Random Questions On Basics

1. What happens to the solar energy which earth receives in such a huge quantity?

We know conversation of energy theorem.  So, is the energy of the earth is constantly rising? A part of energy what we receive gets reflected back to universe, and then what happens to the other part of it?

Under the sun, we feel hot and that confirms that we are receiving the solar energy. In the same way, in night, we feel cold; reason is we are giving back the energy.

(If the energy is transferred from one body to another, than the body which is giving the energy will feel the coldness and others feel the hotness.)

2. Why multiplications of 2 negative numbers yield a positive number?

This is a very basic principle in mathematics which we all know and we are using it all the way from our childhood days.

• How this came and why is it true?

Let’s prove it.

In fact negative numbers are the reflection of the positive numbers (Their magnitude) about the origin in the number line. And while multiplying 2 negative numbers, their magnitude is multiplied first. For 2 negative sign, two times reflection is taken resulting in the product to be a positive number.

3. What might’ve happened if the earth didn’t have gravity?

It’s impossible by the fact that anything which owes mass will have the property of gravity too.

4. Why concentration of air goes on decreasing as the altitude increases?

Atmosphere is present in the earth because of its gravitational power and as altitude increases, force decreases and hence the air concentration will also decrease.

5. What might’ve happened if the earth isn’t tilted to 23.5◦ to its axis of rotation?

Chinese Robo to moon…!

Few photos for your thirst..!! 🙂

More info: IEEE Spectrum

Now even Robots can talk with each other…!!!

If you’ve always feared that robots would one day start talking to each other and plotting the demise of the human race, you can start getting a bit scared right now. The folks over at the University of Queensland have come up with a way to get robots to communicate with each other. Instead of giving them a fixed language i.e. something we already know like English, researchers have given the robots the ability to come up with their own words to describe the situation it is in.  The robots generate “words” from images of what they see with their onboard cameras.

Called Lingodroids, these robots are designed to work together in a team to map out the area they are in. Whenever a robot encounters a new area, they store its location and give it a name using a word generated from its own language. The location and name is then shared with other Lingodroids in the area. The robots then add those discovered areas onto their own maps and are able to identify it by name. The robots can even travel to that particular location if given the instructions to from other robots.

The single task they have to complete is to build a map of the world they are capable of travelling around on their three wheels. In order to do that they have a camera, range finder and sonar, and audio capabilities for capturing (microphone) and sharing (speaker) information.

Whenever a Lingodroid encounters some new area they map it using SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) which involves making it memorable using a grid, landmark, and topological combination that remains unique.

Once SLAM has been used to log an area the robot decides on a word to represent it made up from a list of sylabbles it has in memory. That word is then passed along to the other robots. All the robots then use that word to represent a specific place with reinforcement happening through game playing where one robot says a known word and the others navigate to it. That word is linked to the unique SLAM area marker formed by the Lingodroid such as the examples given below:

It’s very basic stuff in terms of communication, but it soon develops into a map with keywords the robots can say and the others can decide to travel to, or at least add to their own internal maps. It even extends to areas that cannot be accessed, and the robots can still give those areas a name.

The next stage is to increase the spatial intelligence of the robots by allowing them to learn and give directions to specific places. If that works we’ll have robots acting like a GPS, but in a language we don’t understand.

While right now, it’s only the ability to name locations, but we can imagine future where robots develop the language and come up with words for more functions or actions..!! Hope it will be soon :):)

for more: IEEE Spectrum

Related articles

• Robots develop their own language (bbc.co.uk)
• Robots Invent Their Own Language (pochp.wordpress.com)