Rodrigo Pérez Ortega

1 month ago | science.org | Rodrigo Pérez Ortega

From programs designed to detect irregular heartbeats in electrocardiograms to software that tracks eye movements to diagnose autism in children, artificial intelligence (AI) is helping physicians fine-tune the care they provide patients. But for all the technology’s potential for automating tasks, a growing body of evidence also shows that AI can be prone to bias that disadvantages already vulnerable patients.

1 month ago | science.org | Rodrigo Pérez Ortega

From programs designed to detect irregular heartbeats in electrocardiograms to software that tracks eye movements to diagnose autism in children, artificial intelligence (AI) is helping physicians fine-tune the care they provide patients. But for all the technology’s potential for automating tasks, a growing body of evidence also shows that AI can be prone to bias that disadvantages already vulnerable patients.

1 month ago | science.org | Rodrigo Pérez Ortega

Some 30,000 years ago over the volcanic plains just southeast of what is today Rome, the soaring flight of a griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) ended in scorching catastrophe as a wave of volcanic ash and debris immolated and buried the bird. In 1889, a landowner found the creature’s fossilized remains. Soft tissues—especially feathers—usually decay quickly and rarely leave behind impressions in rocks. And only fossil feathers trapped in amber have been shown to maintain their 3D structure.

2 months ago | science.org | Rodrigo Pérez Ortega

Researchers have long known that many dinosaurs had bold patterns and bright, sometimes flashy feathers—far from the grayish, scaly monsters we often see in movies. Now, a new study of Chinese fossils published today in Science reveals the coloration of some of the early mammals that coexisted with dinosaurs. They were clad in dark brown or grayish fur—a trait that may have played a key role in their survival up to the present.

2 months ago | science.org | Rodrigo Pérez Ortega

The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) in Ithaca, New York, home to one of the most extensive invertebrate fossil collections in North America, is facing imminent closure, with an unfulfilled pledge from its major donor putting the museum in danger of defaulting on its mortgage. Founded in 1932, the institution currently houses more than 7 million specimens, including one of the largest invertebrate collections and the most complete mastodon specimen ever found.