Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Switzerland to Release Fully Open-Source Multilingual LLM

2025-07-12

Researchers from ETH Zurich and EPFL, in collaboration with the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS), are poised to release a fully open-source large language model (LLM). This model, supporting over 1000 languages, features transparent and reproducible training data and will be released under the Apache 2.0 license. The initiative aims to foster open innovation in AI and support broad adoption across science, government, education, and the private sector, while adhering to Swiss data protection laws and the transparency obligations under the EU AI Act. Training leveraged the CSCS's "Alps" supercomputer, powered by over 10,000 NVIDIA Grace Hopper Superchips and utilizing 100% carbon-neutral electricity.

(ethz.ch)

AI

3D-Printed White Tower: A Revolutionary Leap in Construction Technology

2025-05-26

Researchers at ETH Zurich, in collaboration with industry partners, have constructed a stunning white concrete tower using 3D printing technology. The tower's design, based on complex algorithms, was built by an industrial robot layer by layer without traditional formwork. A novel concrete mix and innovative reinforcement techniques enabled 3D-printed concrete to be load-bearing for the first time. This project not only showcases advancements in construction technology but also symbolizes a successful collaboration between academia and industry, offering new opportunities for the construction sector and rural tourism.

(ethz.ch)

Tech construction technology concrete

New CPU Vulnerability: Bypassing Privileges to Read Memory

2025-05-13

Researchers at ETH Zurich have discovered a new CPU vulnerability that allows attackers to bypass user privilege protections and read memory contents at over 5000 bytes per second by exploiting ambiguities in the order of CPU instruction execution. This is not an isolated incident but part of a series of vulnerabilities exploiting speculative execution technologies, similar to the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities of 2017. While Intel has implemented mitigations, this highlights fundamental flaws in the architecture, requiring ongoing patching efforts.

(ethz.ch)

Tech memory security speculative execution

Large Soda Lakes: A Phosphorus-Rich Cradle of Life?

2025-03-25

Phosphorus, essential for life, is relatively scarce on Earth's surface. New research suggests large, endorheic soda lakes may have provided early life with sufficient phosphorus. These lakes lose water only through evaporation, leading to phosphorus enrichment. Mono Lake in California serves as an example, its high phosphorus concentration supporting diverse organisms. Contrary to Darwin's speculation, large soda lakes, with their consistently high phosphorus levels, may have been more conducive to the chemical reactions necessary for life's origin.

(ethz.ch)

Tech soda lakes