The newest way to scan cancer tissues in mice: Make the mice transparent. A new scanning method that involves making mice transparent while being used for lab testing of cancer treatments could help scientists detect and experiment on small tumors in their earliest stages, researchers at Germany’s Helmholtz Munich research center said in an article published in the Nature Biotechnology Journal. The transparent rodents allow scientists to see “tumors at the single cell,” as opposed to MRI and PET scans, which only pick up on larger growths, the BBC reported.
There is also hope for decreasing cancer recurrence rates: By observing the progression of tumors and how cancer treatments interact with them, scientists believe they can better test detection and treatment methods for the earliest stages of the disease. The innovation also means that smaller, previously invisible tumors, can be destroyed to bolster remission. While the method cannot be used on humans — as it involves, among other measures, the removal of fat and pigments from the body — it can advance our understanding of how cancers form and develop.
Which jobs is AI most probably coming for? Recent advancements in artificial intelligence are creating the highest amount of threat for “high-skilled occupations,” as AI is now being developed to perform “non-routine, cognitive tasks” that have typically only been performed by human employees, the OECD said in its 2023 Employment Outlook. With some 27% of jobs in OECD at high risk of automation, it remains “primarily high-pay occupations requiring higher than average education or training that are most exposed to AI,” the OECD says. These occupations include “business professionals; managers; science and engineering professionals; and legal, social and cultural professionals.”
But are the robots actually taking over, or are they just going to help out? The jury’s still out. Goldman Sachs research released earlier this year suggested that the US and eurozone could see as many as 300 mn jobs overtaken by AI, thanks to recent advances in the technology. Some jobs — including lawyers and administrative assistants — are likely to be replaced by AI systems, while others could just see AI significantly reducing their workload and helping avail more time for other, more productive activities, Goldman Sachs suggested.