Study Shows AI-Generated Fake Reports Fool Experts
It’s possible for artificial intelligence systems to generate false information in critical fields like medicine and defense that is convincing enough to fool experts.
The First Mobile Phone Call Was 75 Years Ago
The first mobile phone service, for 80-pound telephones installed in cars, was demonstrated on June 17, 1946, 75 years ago. The service was only available in major cities and highway corridors and was aimed at companies rather than individuals.
Turkey Discovers a $1.2 Billion Gold Mine
The discovery has an estimated market value of $1.2 Billion. It has been announced on Thursday June 10, 2021 by Mustafa Varank, the Industry and Technology Minister. Koza Altin was seized in 2015 along with the other companies of the Koza-Ipek group by the Turkish authorities.
German Chancellor Candidate Vows to Increase Military Spending
Armin Laschet, the conservative German candidate running for chancellor, said that Germany must increase its military spending. In 2021, it has increased again by 3.2% to US$63.8 Billion; but it’s still below NATO’s target of 2% of GDP. To meet that target, Germany’s military spending has to increase to at least US$66 Billion.
Switzerland Rejects Pesticide Ban Initiative
In a referendum held on Sunday June 13, 2021, Swiss voters have rejected two initiatives that aimed to ban synthetic pesticides.
Boris Johnson Infuriated By Macron’s Northern Ireland Remark
During the 2021 G7 summit in Cornwall, Boris Johnson was infuriated by the French president’s remark about Northern Ireland.
Why the New Trillions Did Not Cause Hyperinflation?
The Fed issues as much dollars as needed by writing the new trillions on its balance sheet. As long as this system continues working, hyperinflation is very unlikely to happen.
Human Artifacts on Moon Officially Protected by New US Law
On Dec. 31 2020, the One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act became law. It requires companies that are working with NASA to agree to be bound by otherwise unenforceable guidelines intended to protect American landing sites on the Moon.
Microsoft To Make US$22 Billion Worth of Augmented Reality Headsets for US Army
The AR interface commissioned by the US military is referred to as an “Integrated Visual Augmentation System” (IVAS). It will use Microsoft’s HoloLens headset technology as its base hardware.
A Global Shortage Highlights a Troubling Trend: A Small Number of the World’s Chips Are Made In the US
The increasing reliance by U.S. chip companies on international partners to fabricate the chips they design reflects the United States’ diminished capability. U.S. semiconductor companies have 47% of the global chip sales market, but only 12% are manufactured in the U.S.
If Everyone on Earth Sat In the Ocean at Once, How Much Would Sea Level Rise?
What would happen if everyone on Earth went for an ocean swim at once? The total rise in sea level would be about 0.00012 of an inch, or less than 1/1000th of an inch. It turns out the oceans are enormous – and humans are just a drop in the bucket.
Why Can’t the IRS Just Send Americans a Refund or a Bill?
The IRS tax system is 10 times more expensive than 36 other countries with robust economies. But those costs vanish in a return-free system, as would the 2.6 billion hours Americans spend on tax preparation each year.
Boeing 737 Max: Why Was It Grounded, What Has Been Fixed and Is It Enough?
As the Boeing 737 Max accidents put Boeing and the FAA under such intense scrutiny, it is likely that the design and safety activities have been carried out and checked to the maximum extent possible.
The Imperialist Past That Started Dam Politics Between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia
The biggest project on the Nile river was initiated by Gamal Abdel Nasser, Egypt’s prime minister between 1954-56 and then president until 1970. Nasser wanted to build a dam which would end Egypt’s dependency on upstream countries by storing the Nile river waters in Egypt. It would also end flooding and bring more electricity to Egyptians.
Ukraine: Rapid Escalation of Conflict in 2014 Has Lessons for Today
Kyiv has accused Moscow of aggravating the security situation in Ukraine’s south-east. The Kremlin, meanwhile, has claimed that all Russian troop deployments have been defensive and do not pose a threat to anyone.
The US Is Worried About Its Critical Minerals Supply Chains
The amounts of lithium, cobalt, graphene, indium and other critical minerals needed for low-carbon technologies alone are expected to increase anywhere from 100% to 1,000% by 2050.
An Australian Space Command Could Be a Force for Good — or a Cause for War
Unlike the US Space Force, which is a separate branch of the military in addition to the army, navy and air force, Australia’s space command will oversee space activities across the Australian Defence Force.
Why Would Anyone Buy NFT Crypto Art and Spend Millions on a Link to a JPEG File?
People can create all the NFTs they want about anything, over and over again. I could make my own NFT claiming that I own the Mona Lisa, and record it to the blockchain, and no one could stop me.
Rest to Time Travel
Imagine that as you are sitting on your lawn chair, a rocket will be passing by at about 86 % the speed of light. Let us take it a step further and consider that you have a laser based clock consisting of a rod with parallel mirrors and, whenever fired, it would take the laser one second to travel to the top mirror, reflect off of it, and travel back to the bottom mirror.
Vitamin K: A Little-Known but Noteworthy Nutrient
Most people know about vitamins A, B, C, D and/or E, but vitamin K slips under the nutritional radar. Yet it is essential for life because it’s required for blood to clot normally. Now scientists are now realizing there is more to know about this less appreciated nutrient.
Twitter Stock Plunges After Trump Account Suspension
The decision to suspend the account of President Trump is bringing unexpected troubles for Twitter. On Monday January 11, 2021, Twitter Stock (NYSE: TWTR) continued its sharp decline, trading at $48.53 in the afternoon.
SpaceX Granted Permission to Launch Satellites Into Polar Orbit
SpaceX received FEC’s permission to launch 10 Starlink satellites into polar orbit as part of their new Transporter-1 mission. Despite their high broadband coverage benefits, they may contribute the already complex space junk problem.
Japan to Build Wooden Satellites to Avoid Space Junk
Sumitomo Forestry, a Japanese wood processing company, has started developing wooden satellites, in partnership with Kyoto University. The project is proposed as a solution to the space junk problem. Thus, end-of-life wooden satellites would fully burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere without leaving any harmful debris.
What’s the Difference Between an Outbreak, an Epidemic and a Pandemic?
A pandemic on the other hand refers to a worldwide epidemic, which could have started off as outbreak, escalated to the level of an epidemic and eventually spread to a number of countries across continents.
What Is a Tariff? An Economist Explains
An optimal tariff maximizes the difference between the terms of trade gain and the efficiency loss and hence is essentially a “beggar-thy-neighbor” trade policy.