2023年经济学人 人工智能预测新矿产区(2)

 

    Earth AI, led by Roman Teslyuk, SensOre, led by Richard Taylor, and OreFox, led by Warwick Anderson, have taken similar approaches, but have concentrated on Australia, which has particularly rich public geological records.

    以罗曼·特斯柳克为首的Earth AI、理查德·泰勒为首的SensOre和沃里克·安德森为首的OreFox都采取了类似的方法，但主要集中在澳大利亚，那里有特别丰富的公共地质记录。

    Verai, led by Yair Frastai, focuses on the western bits of North and South America, home to eight of the world’s ten biggest copper¹ mines.

    由亚伊尔·弗莱斯太领导的Verai专注于北美和南美的西部地区，那里拥有世界十大铜矿中的八个。

    Dr House is especially proud of his AI’s ability to predict the shapes and distributions of subterranean² plutonic intrusions.

    豪斯博士的人工智能可以预测地下深部岩侵入的形状和分布，他为此尤感自豪。

    These are bodies of igneous³ rock, often ore-bearing, that have risen as liquid magma from Earth’s interior but solidified⁴ before they reached the surface.

    这些是火成岩体，通常含矿，从地球内部以液态岩浆的形式上升，但在到达地表之前就凝固了。

    They can be detected from the surface via magnetic anomalies which suggest that a particular group of rocks formed at a different time from its surroundings, a standard practice in the industry.

    它们可以通过磁异常从地表探测到，这表明一组特定的岩石形成于与周围环境不同的时间，这是业内的标准做法。

    But KoBold’s AI is able to make more accurate predictions of the shapes of these intrusions, and so suggest the most effective places to drill.

    但KoBold的人工智能能够对这些入侵的形状做出更准确的预测，从而建议最有效的钻探地点。

    And with success.

    它取得了成功。

    Last year, KoBold announced its discovery of a rich deposit of chalcocite, a sulphide of copper, in Zambia.

    去年，KoBold宣布在赞比亚发现了丰富的辉铜矿(一种铜的硫化物)矿床。

    Earth AI, meanwhile, has to its credit a big find of molybdenum (an important component⁵ of specialist steels) in New South Wales.

    与此同时，Earth AI公司在新南威尔士州发现了大量钼(特种钢的重要成分)，这值得称赞。

    Verai has found ore containing copper, gold and silver in Chile and Peru.

    Verai在智利和秘鲁发现了含有铜、金和银的矿石。

    SensOre has found a large source of lithium in Western Australia.

    SensOre在西澳大利亚州发现了大量的锂矿。

    And OreFox’s technology has turned up a potential gold mine in Victoria, plus several promising⁶ copper prospects⁷.

    OreFox的技术已经在维多利亚州发现了一个潜在的金矿，以及几个有开发前景的铜矿。

    Rio Tinto is building what Russell Eley, its head of exploration data science, calls a “virtual core shed”.

    里约廷托正在建造勘探数据科学主管拉塞尔·埃利所称的“虚拟核心棚”。

    This will bring together details of the many rock-core samples the firm has collected over the years.

    这将汇集该公司多年来收集的许多岩芯样本的细节。

    Software will then search these for patterns that will assist the interpretation⁸ of new cores, and tell geologists⁹ the best places to drill next.

    然后，软件从中检索，寻找有助于解释新岩心的模式，并告诉地质学家下一步钻探的最佳地点。

    Dr House observes that 99% of exploration projects fail to turn into actual mines.

    豪斯博士观察到，99%的勘探项目都没有开发出真正的矿山。

    AI therefore has plenty of room to improve things.

    因此，人工智能还有很大的改进空间。

    It may also help with a more subtle problem.

    它还可能有助于解决一个更微妙的问题。

    By greatly expanding the volume of rock which can be searched, it will enable new strikes in familiar, well-governed countries, lessening¹⁰ the need to rely on what Mr Taylor diplomatically calls “exotic jurisdictions” for future supplies.

    通过极大地扩展可搜索岩石的总量，它将使常见的、治理良好的国家能够发现新的矿产，减少对泰勒先生外交时所说的“外国司法管辖区”的依赖，以获得未来的供应。

1 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

2 subterranean   

adj.地下的，地表下的

参考例句：

• London has 9 miles of such subterranean passages.伦敦像这样的地下通道有9英里长。
• We wandered through subterranean passages.我们漫游地下通道。

3 igneous   

adj.火的，火绒的

参考例句：

• Igneous rocks do not contain fossils.火成岩不含化石。
• The rocks here are igneous and do not fracture along predictable lines.这儿的石头都是火成岩，石头的裂缝极不规则。

4 solidified   

（使）成为固体，（使）变硬，（使）变得坚固( solidify的过去式和过去分词 )； 使团结一致； 充实，巩固； 具体化

参考例句：

• Her attitudes solidified through privilege and habit. 由于特权和习惯使然，她的看法变得越来越难以改变。
• When threatened, he fires spheres of solidified air from his launcher! 当危险来临，他就会发射它的弹药！

5 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

6 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

7 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

8 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

9 geologists   

地质学家，地质学者( geologist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Geologists uncovered the hidden riches. 地质学家发现了地下的宝藏。
• Geologists study the structure of the rocks. 地质学家研究岩石结构。

10 lessening   

减轻，减少，变小

参考例句：

• So however much he earned, she spent it, her demands growing and lessening with his income. 祥子挣多少，她花多少，她的要求随着他的钱涨落。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子
• The talks have resulted in a lessening of suspicion. 谈话消减了彼此的怀疑。