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Due to popular demand (no less!) this newsletter will be resurrected. It is a weekly summary of all the things I post on my blog: ulyssesabbag.com. I hope you enjoy it!

Vicky Krieps talks drinking tea in character with method actor Daniel Day-Lewis

So, she did the unthinkable. She broke through the screen. ‘One day, between takes, I left my green room, and said: “I want to see Reynolds.”’ She laughs as she remembers it. ‘The first [crew member] said, “Oh, no, no, you can’t.” But I kept walking. And then I walked past a few others who said, “No, really, you can’t do this.” But I’d had it up to here. Finally, I got to the door of his green room and knocked. I didn’t know what would happen. Would I be screamed at?’

Happily, no. ‘He opened the door and said, “Alma!” And we had tea together and a lovely conversation about music and Virginia Woolf. From then on, it became a regular thing; we would meet between takes, in character, and just… talk.’

It’s a great movie. 

[Source: London Evening Standard]

How learning works according to the latest cognitive science

[Source: How Do We Learn? A Zine — Nicky Case]

Japan firm seeks to spawn salmon farm revolution

The company’s process is two-fold: first, simple tap water is converted to seawater by adding artificial sea salt, which allows the farming process to be set up anywhere tap water is available.

Second, a patented technology involving bacteria cleans the water, consuming the ammonia produced by the fish, and dissolving nitric acid, meaning energy-sucking cleaning systems are not necessary.

“We’ll be the world’s first successful case for this type of land-based salmon farming if we can turn a profit,” Sogo said.

The process was born out of technology developed by Sogo’s company for sewage disposal systems.

In 2008, they developed the breakthrough bacteria technology and the following year it was being used at an aquarium in Tokyo, at which point Sogo realised it could be used for salmon farming.

Rendezvous next year to see if Sogo made it. 

[Source: AFP]

We will soon be farming pigs for human organ transplants

Some 75,000 Americans are waiting for an organ donation. Today, like every other, around 20 will die. But researchers this week at the AAAS, a big science conference, held forth a tantalising prospect: animal organ factories. Take, for example, the fertilised egg of a pig and cut out genes that promote the development of the animal’s heart. Now, this pig will grow up without a heart of its own. Then inject human stem cells taken from a patient who needs a new heart into the embryo and then place it into the womb of a sow. Wait nine months. The result would be an adult pig with a heart made of human cells which can be slaughtered and the organ transplanted into the patient who provided the stem cells—a perfect genetic match. The concept has already been proven with mice-rat “chimeras”. Pig-human ones are more challenging, but getting closer.

[Source: Reap from a sow: organ transplants Espresso]

A video game-playing AI beat Q*bert in a way no one’s ever seen before

Whatever the case, this doesn’t seem to be an exploit that any human has discovered before. If the AI agent could think, it would probably be wondering why it’s supposed to bother jumping on all these boxes when it’s found a much more efficient way to score points.

[Source: The Verge]

*Thanks and have a nice week, 

Ulysse*