In 2013, a group of researchers wanted to create an AI system that could beat every Atari game. They developed a system called Deep Q Networks (DQN) and less than two years later, it was superhuman. But there was one notable exception. When playing Montezuma’s Revenge, DQN couldn’t score a single point. What was it that made this game so vexingly difficult for AI? Brian Christian investigates. Check out the video here.

Want to dig a little deeper? How to manage your time more effectively (according to machines) Can machines read your emotions? How does artificial intelligence learn?

Additional Resources At this conservation center in central China, captive-born pandas go through a gradual, carefully monitored process to prepare them for lives in their natural habitat. Photographer Ami Vitale shows how they go from wriggly newborns to independent adventurers.

Halloween Poetry

 

This is a fun activity from Kasey Bell. Share it with your firiends!

Vocabulary Challenge

 

How many of our recent Words of the Day can you use correctly in a 50-word story? Send us yours by April 15. And check out the winners of our March challenge!

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Explore the World With These 100 Country Quizzes

 Expand your knowledge of geography and culture with our short “Country of the Week” quizzes, all based on reporting, photos and videos from The New York Times.

If you need more information on how to subscribe to the New York Times, here's the information from the YHS library

Learn Something New: TED-Ed

High school level videos

Learning from home?

To support the millions of students, parents and teachers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, TED-Ed is working with expert educators and TED speakers throughout the world to create and share high-quality, interactive, video-based lessons on a daily basis, for free.

You can have engaging lessons organized by age group that span all subjects delivered to your inbox every day. Each newsletter will also include insights and tips collected from TED-Ed's global community of students, parents and teachers.

Subjects Covered include:

• The Arts
• Business & Economics
• Design, Engineering
• Health
• Literature & Language
• Mathematics
• Philosophy & Religion
• Psychology
• Science & Technology
• Social Studies
• Thinking and Learning
• And more…

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Inside Guide: Experiments with Google

Inside Guide brings together four weeks of fun stuff to do at home this (especially weird) summer. Take a hike on Mars; see a dragonfly the size of a dragon; make a song just by moving your body; or get an AI to guess what you’re doodling. It’s a bunch of ways to keep learning, thinking and exploring, all without leaving the house.

The Global Mindfulness Summit

 

The Global Mindfulness Conference August 20-26, 2020

In these uncertain times, we are thrilled to bring together people from numerous fields to offer insights and perspectives on the power and benefits of mindfulness. Aware of the challenges many of us are facing due to the global pandemic, we are making the event free.

This one-of-kind gathering includes mindfulness teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn, health innovator and CA Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, legendary coach Phil Jackson ... and more!

Areas of focus:

• What is the role of mindfulness in this time?
• How do we balance inner work and outer action?
• How do address issues of justice and racism from a mindfulness perspective?
• How do we bring mindfulness to work, family, relationships, and more?