Tech & Science Daily podcast: Humanoid ‘general-purpose’ robots blueprint

Plus! Moon data centres to backup Earth’s knowledge
Figure says its robot would fill “unsafe and undesirable jobs”
Figure

A robotics start-up has unveiled concept designs for a “general-purpose” humanoid droid powered by artificial intelligence.

Figure says its aim is to build the “first-of-its kind” commercial worker robot to undertake “unsafe and undesirable jobs”.

The design team includes engineers who have worked for Boston Dynamics and Tesla, while the blueprint features a black and grey human-shaped machine with a computer screen for a face.

What happens if Earth’s whole grid crashes and all our data’s wiped? How about a back-up on - or inside - the moon?

Chris Stott, the Isle of Man tech founder who also runs US lunar data service Lonestar, tells Tech & Science Daily about plans for moon hard drives to backup humanity’s knowledge and legal documents.

Scientists believe they may have identified genetic variants associated with human fertility.

An international team of researchers, including Oxford and Cambridge scientists, found variations in one gene associated with having more children, but also with a shorter fertility window.

Plus, Xiaomi’s 12S Ultra Concept snaps at DSLR cameras, UK veg shortages boost seeds sales, “phonic lips” of whales and dolphins, e-plane pilotless flight record and geologist’s holiday meteor crater find.

Listen above, and find us on your Spotify Daily Drive or wherever you stream your podcasts.

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