evidence

Sam Altman states that Chatgpt’s water and energy consumption is tiny. The problem is that it does not give evidence of it

by

An email of 100 words generated by GPT-4 Consume 519 milliliters of water. That was the conclusion to which researchers at the University of California arrived a few months ago after analyzing this OpenAi model. Sam Altman, CEO of the company, has just yielded its own estimate on the consumption of water and energy of each consultation of Chatgpt. And it is very different. 1,000 times less than what was said. According to Altman, an average consultation in Chatgpt consumes much less than what had been indicated in previous studies. Your data are strikingand to understand them makes interesting analogies: “As production automated in data centers automates, the cost of intelligence should approach electricity. (People are usually curious to know how much energy consumes a chatgpt consultation; the average consult (0.32 ml); A previous study of Epoch ai corroborates the data that Sam Altman has now wielded. Source: Epoch AI. And the tests? Those figures mentioned by the OpenAi CEO have a problem: they have no visible support. He throws them without citing sources or explaining where he has taken them out, something that makes it difficult to believe. A Meta executive answered the question of How much consumes the inference AI A year and a half ago, responding that “only two nuclear reactors would be needed to cover it.” But previous studies coincide with Altman. Although he does not mention any evidence, in February, Epoch AI researchers precisely They published a study trying to estimate the energy consumption of chatgpt. In their conclusions they indicated that on average a chatgpt consult Previous report of the researcher Alex de Vries. Since then, of course, many things have happened. Too pessimistic. And as they commented on the study of Epoch AI, the difference comes from the fact that the models are today much more efficient than in 2023, when VRies conducted their study. So is the hardware in which these models are executed, and that estimate was also used a “especially pessimistic” approach. In Openai’s study they also threw an especially pessimistic estimate and pointed out that “most of the requests (A chatgpt) are much cheaper (energetically).” More studies. Another independent study published by Andy Masey in January 2025 reached a similar conclusion and claimed that “using Chatgpt is not bad for the environment.” It was based on EPRI data May 2024 that also estimated a high consumption of 2.9 Wh by chatgpt consultation. Estimated water consumption In data centersfrom A SUNBIRD studyit was also very modest compared to other online activities. Water consumption in data centers for various online activities. Source: Andy Masley. Fifte. Precisely the data of water consumption was another striking in that estimate of Sam Altman. According to him, a chatgpt consultation barely consumed 0.32 ml of water, “a quinceava part of a teaspoon.” The figure suggests that the water needed to refrigerate data centers that process these requests is much less than what was thought only one year ago. And training, what? These estimates focus on the AI ​​inference section, that is, our use of chatgpt that receives a consultation and processes it inferring (generating) a text result. Although Altman does not clarify it, he does not seem to include here the energy and water cost of training AI models, which is very high and makes thousands of Gpus They work at full power For months, with the consequent water expense in data centers to refrigerate all those components that dissipate high heat amounts. As I pointed out The researcher Ethan Mollick, GPT-4 probably used more than 50 GW to be trained, enough to give energy to 5,500 homes in a year. We continue without definitive data. Altman’s claims are as always striking, but the lack of clear evidence makes it difficult to believe these data. Other recent studies are more useful when it comes to reflecting this increasingly lower cost both in energy and water from the use of AI, but there are no accepted standards or a consensus on the true impact of energy and water consumption when using chatgpt or other AI models. Image | Lukáš Lehotský | Village Global In Xataka | The light price is again negative: it is a sign that the system needs a redesign

There are people recommending to sew the leg on albal paper. There is zero evidence to work

by

From vinegar with bicarbonate to garlic under the pillow, home remedies have been for generations a popular resource for calming pain and treating discomfort. Today, those beliefs travel faster than ever: they have passed from the whisper between neighbors to the Tiktok algorithm. Between viral recipes and striking promises, there is one that stands out for how strange it is: wrapping body parts with aluminum foil to relieve pain. The phenomenon. On platforms such as Tiktok and Instagramthe tips that recommend using aluminum foil on the body to relieve pain or improve circulation have become viral. Often these publications are presented as secrets that conventional medicine He doesn’t want to reveal. Some people claim that the effect is more powerful if combined With ointments like Vicks Vaporubwhile others simply describe it as a “natural remedy”. The trend has caught so much attention that various digital media echoed, either to explain How has it popularized either Explain how to do it without major contrast. It is another example of how contents without scientific basis propagate easily thanks to short videos, personal testimonies and a language that sounds convincing. Hence half the world, stunning the leg on aluminum foil there is only one scroll away. The science behind this. There is no scientific evidence that supports the use of aluminum foil to relieve pain. Only in an investigation Published in Journal of Inflammation Research The use of different materials between this aluminum is mentioned, but the conclusion is that it has no therapeutic effects proven in humans. It is mentioned that the relief that some people They claim to experiment It is probably due to the placebo effect. For his part, Dr. Ubaid Ur Rahman, in statements to Thip Media, It is clear about it: “I want to clarify the confusion about a recent statement that wrapping body parts with aluminum foil can relieve pain. This is not backed by scientific evidence.” And add an important warning: “Using aluminum foil can be harmful, since it can cause tissue damage and allergic reactions. It is essential not to delay proper treatment or replace it with unseed methods.” A relief that is not. The placebo effect can explain part of these experiences. From Harvard Health They explain that it is not about “positive thinking”, but a response from the body that can relieve symptoms when we believe we are receiving a treatment. But that does not turn aluminum foil, nor justify its use as a substitute for medicine. Belief can generate a temporary improvement, but the risk is in what is stopped in the meantime. He no longer catches us by surprise. In social networks, other trends are not to be amplified that, under the pretext of “natural”, are implying real risks. Such as Apple vinegar consumption As a “morning suck”, promoted as “fat burning” or “purifying”, which ends up damaging tooth enamel and causing gastrointestinal irritations. Another example is the fashion of Eat placenta After childbirth, which has gained popularity in some circles even though there is no evidence of benefits and sanitary warnings. The amplification. In social networks, remedies are amplified quickly, many times without filter or context. Some may have a valid background; Others, such as the use of aluminum foil against pain, lack scientific support and can distract effective treatments. The key is to discern: question, contrast and, above all, not replace evidence with virality. Informing well is also a way to take care of yourself. Image | Tik tok Xataka | The industry that wants to sell “youth” powder: how collagen has become a global obsession

Loneliness is already a matter of public health. We have more and more evidence that animals help us to placate it

by

In recent years, we have seen how loneliness has become a problem with numerous ramifications, including toilets. The “male solitude epidemic” is one of the faces that has given more to talk, but loneliness also affects other sectors of the population. And small details can help, if not to solve it, perhaps at least to relieve it. Pets. Domestic animals They can help To placate the feelings of loneliness, as a new study has observed. Interestingly, the study key is not in the company that they could offer, in themselves, these animals, but in their ability to boost and facilitate social interactions between people. The work was done in Australia and focused on two groups notoriously susceptible to this problem: older people and international students. The team found that animals could be useful to facilitate the interactions between these two groups, improving the well -being and health of both. “We find that older adults and international students experienced a significant decrease in feelings of loneliness and a significant increase in their health. The presence of living pets in particular helped break the ice and facilitated conversations between participants,” stood out in a press release Em Bould, co -author of the study. The cost of a silent epidemic. The loneliness It can impact us In different ways, not only in our well -being, but also in our physical and mental health. Loneliness can accelerate our cognitive deterioration and has also been linked to lower life expectancy. Pilot project. The study was based on a pilot project in which 30 elderly people participated in different residences of the Australian state of Victoria, as well as 11 international students. For 18 weeks, participants held periodic meetings, of one hour every week, in which various leisure activities linked to animals were carried out. There were also animals, and robotic versions of these. Some of the participants in the pilot project (six older people and 10 students) also participated in the evaluation of the program and subsequent study. These participants completed several surveys and also participated in a semi -structured survey. Measuring loneliness. Measuring loneliness is not simple, but there are some tools dedicated to this, such as the scale of the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), the one used in this analysis. The team also evaluated the health status of the participants, through an instrument of 5 dimensions-Europe. The evaluation was positive in both dimensions. The team responsible for this observed both a decrease in the sunny index and an ascent in the health index. The details of the study were published in an article in the magazine Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. Fight loneliness. The fact that in an era that stands out for advances in communication technologies La Soledad has acquired such dimensions is a sad irony. However, the important weight that loneliness can mean about our State forces us to take the problem very seriously. In Xataka | A good way to end loneliness in cities: plant more trees Image | / Alec Favale

We usually assume that the Wright brothers invented the plane in the US. In Brazil they think they have evidence otherwise

by

December 17, 1903. That morning, the brothers wibur and orville wright They got something apparently unpublished until then: A flight of only 12 seconds for posterity and just over 36 meters away that changed the world of aviation forever. They had achieved the first (controlled) flight of a machine heavier than the air, and the United States and the brothers would remain forever in the annals of the story. However, in Brazil they don’t have it so clear. A centenary rivalry. While in most of the planet there is consensus and the invention of the plane is attributed to the Wright brothers, in Brazil the conviction is kept alive that That was not like that. In fact, many think it was Alberto Santos Dumont who made the first flight considered real in 1906. The Brazilian narrative maintains that, unlike the Wright, Santos Dumont managed to take off its aircraft 14-BIS Autonomously and without mechanical assistance, raising before judges and journalists in Paris, without the need for catapults or favorable winds, which would make it, according to its defenders, the true “father of aviation.” To get an idea, he told the weekend The Washington Post That this version He has shown so deeply In the Brazilian culture, to the point that the image of Santos Dumont has figured in tickets, one of the main airports of Rio de Janeiro bears his name and his figure starred in the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games. Lula and the tests. Not just that. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has also put his grain of sand and has revived the debate During his current mandate, taking advantage of every occasion to discredit the US version and claim Santos Dumont as a pioneer. Lula accuses the United States of having imposed his story thanks to his Powerful film industry And he considers that denying Brazilian merit is a grievance to history and national self -esteem. For the politician and so many other defenders, the difference is very clear: The Wright Flyer In 1903 He needed catapultsconstant wind and auxiliary structures, while the 14-bis of Santos Dumont took off on its own, without any external device, flying 220 meters in front of the look of the public and the international press. Dumont’s 14bis The technical debate and science. And what do experts say? It is the big question, obvious. Historians and experts in aviation outside Brazil, Like Peter JakabEmeritus curator of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, they consider irrefutable that the Wright managed to fly before Santos Dumont. Under this premise, they argue that The use of non -disabling catapults The achievement, remembering that even today combat airplanes take off by catapults from aircraft carriers without its flight capacity. In addition, they emphasize that in 1905 The Flyer III of the Wright already made sustained flights up to 40 minutes and 38 km of travel, demonstrating a much more developed capacity than that of 14-bis. On the other sidewalk, for many Brazilians the crucial detail is not the duration, but The shape of takeoff: Without external aids and before witnesses. National background and mythology. In the end, the dispute has transcended the purely technical and has become a National Identity Question both in Brazil and the United States. For Brazilians, Santos Dumont represents not only a technological deed but A symbol of ingenuity and homeland pride. Its legacy goes beyond aviation: it is remembered for its simplicity, its contribution to the development of airships and its rejection of the military use of airplanes, cause that deeply affected it until its tragic end. In Brazil, in fact, its figure is more revered as A cultural hero that as a purely historical character, while in the United States it could be said that the history of the Wright brothers part of the founding story of the modern technological era. The dilemma: truth vs identity. One thing does seem clear: historical records tend to favor the Wright, although that has not prevented the debate from persists as a symbolic struggle between two nations with quite different visions about the history of aviation. In Petrópolis, saints city of Santos Dumont, its legacy is still alive, and its nephew-bisnieto, Alberto Dodsworth Wanderley, recognized in the post that the dispute has become more A matter of faith than verifiable facts. Polarization is such that, for each side, there are enough emotional and technical arguments to hold your position. If you want also, it is an obvious example (Another one) How nationalism can mold the interpretation of history. Image | John T. Daniels, Jules Beau In Xataka | In the 1960s the planes were going so fast that someone promised trips to the moon. And people bought them In Xataka | A piece of Wright Flyer I will fly on Mars, the NASA placed part of the world’s first plane in its naivety helicopter

We have new evidence that there is a “dark atomic force” capable of “deforming” in the nucleus of atoms

by

The atomic nucleus might seem well explored in an era in which scientists focus their efforts on better understanding quantum mechanics and interactions between subatomic particles that star in this science, such as Quarks or gluons. However, perhaps we still have much to learn about how the protons and neutrons that structure it are organized in this nucleus. New clues. A new study, led by PTB researchers (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt) German and the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK), He has revealed The existence of small “deformations” in the nucleus of atoms. This finding indicates the possible existence of a “dark atomic force” that governs interactions between neutrons and electrons within the atom. From dark matter to “dark force.” In 2020, a MIT team (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) observed something strange when comparing different isotopes of the ytterbiumelement number 70. The team examined changes in electronic resonance between isotopes of the element (different versions of an element that differ from each other in the number of neutrons) and ran into results that were not expected. That experiment could have been the first time that someone crossed with an still inexplicated phenomenon that some call “dark atomic force.” This means basically that we are facing an interaction between particles (in this case neutrons and electrons) still unexplored. A force in this sense analogous to the most studied “dark matter”, which only interacts with conventional matter through gravity. According to Explain the responsible team From the new study, there is the possibility that there are also “dark forces” that govern interactions between dark matter and conventional matter. In the same way, there is the possibility that these forces also affect matter within the same atoms. Measuring deformations. Finding these hypothetical interactions is not easy. To find its trail, the team responsible for the new study measured the frequencies in the atomic transition and the isotopic mass ratios between the different isotopes of the iterbio. Each of the two laboratories that led this research analyzed these changes using a different methodology, but in both cases these measurements involved much more precise measures than those carried out in previous experiments. The team thus confirm the existence of an anomaly in the observations. The details of the experiment and its results were published In an article In the magazine Physical Review Letters. From practice to theory. In its article, the team tried to theoretically base the anomaly observed in the experiments as a result of collaboration with researchers from the Technical University of Darmstadt and other institutions. These data, They explainthey also allowed to extract direct information on the deformation of the nucleus in the different isotopes of the iterbio. This way of “looking inside” atoms could help us acquire a totally new perspective in the analysis of the heavy atomic nuclei and in the “matter rich in neutrons.” This line of research could, for example, help us better understand the physics of the neutron starsbut also establish new paths of collaboration in the search for the long -awaited “new physics”, they add. In Xataka | Milestone in Quantum Physics: MIT has measured for the first time the geometry of electrons in the quantum world Image | MPIK / PTB / Brookhaven National Laboratory

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.