Kenya's push to make 'boda-boda' motorbike taxis go electric
"The government wants Kenya's three million motorbike taxi riders to go green but only a few have done so." I last went to Kenya over 10 years ago and I got around Kitale on the back of push bikes by local riders. Motorised bikes 'boda-boda' were only just being introduced at the time. Apparently there...
Source: bbc.com
5 expert tips for behavior change in 2024 - Stanford Report
Looking to eat better? Exercise more? Get unstuck in life or career? Stanford scholars offer research-backed advice for making moves in the new year.
Source: stanford.edu
Huge ancient city found in the Amazon
The city was built 2,500 years ago but may have been abandoned after a volcanic eruption.
Source: bbc.com
How the Post Office's Horizon system failed: a technical breakdown
"From bugs to unqualified staff, the Post Office's point-of-sale system was inadequate on many levels." The code was poor from the start and the small team of developers were not up to the job. However, the problems were apparent in 1999 before it was launched. Includes a discussion of the Dalmellington...
Source: theguardian.com
Workplace well-being initiatives don't boost employee mental health
"The mental health of people who undertake mindfulness or meditation courses offered by their employer is generally no better than those who are not offered such programmes." "Instead of offering these initiatives, Fleming suggests that employers focus on bettering the work environment. For example,...
Source: newscientist.com
A New Kind of AI Copy Can Fully Replicate Famous People. The Law Is Powerless.
New AI-generated digital replicas of real experts expose an unnerving policy gray zone. Washington wants to fix it, but it’s not clear how.
Source: politico.com
AI will be deeply disruptive to Higher Education
Paul LeBlanc and George Siemens are teaming up to explore how AI is going to change higher education. "LeBlanc transformed SNHU from 2500 students in 2003 to over 200,000 students in 20 years by using technology to switch delivery online." Siemens is one of the proposers of connectivism - a theory...
Newspocalypse now
"We will learn that the less something looks like what we have now, the better chance it has of being the thing on the other side of death."
Source: niemanlab.org
Apple’s iPhone Design Chief Enlisted by Jony Ive, Sam Altman to Work on AI Devices
Legendary designer Jony Ive and OpenAI’s Sam Altman are enlisting an Apple Inc. veteran to work on a new artificial intelligence hardware project, aiming to create devices with the latest capabilities.
Source: bloomberg.com
Monkeys in Thailand took up stone tools when covid-19 stopped tourism
Long-tailed macaques on the island of Koh Ped appear to have learned a new way to forage when the pandemic put a stop to feeding by tourists
Source: newscientist.com
NFTs died a slow, painful death in 2023 as most are now worthless
A reminder that early adoption of technology is not without risk. "Non-fungible tokens promised to revolutionise the concept of ownership using the blockchain technology behind bitcoin, but the market seems to have all but collapsed."
Source: newscientist.com
Machines may be better at assisting, not replacing us.
Journalist Kawandeep Virdee sees if he can be replaced by AI by writing some predictions for 2024. "I gave ChatGPT the last 13 years of Nieman Lab predictions ... [and asked it what I'd write about in 2024]" [ChatGPT suggested] Navigating the infodemic: Strategies for media in the era of misinformation...
Source: niemanlab.org
Coding excursions
Anonymity with encryption At Outcomes Engine we are working on techniques to gather data from learners, analyse the data, and share the data whilst maintaining anonymity. I was involved in some work in my previous company (pharmaceutical) with the security of personal data - in our case it was data...
AI can tell which chateau Bordeaux wines come from with 100% accuracy
A machine-learning algorithm was able to tell which estate 80 Bordeaux red wines came from with 100 per cent accuracy by assessing their chemical signatures
Source: newscientist.com
Cornwall: Nearly £5m awarded to tackle health inequalities
The aim of the work is to enable "more research on issues that affect people in Cornwall".
Source: bbc.com
New protocluster of massive quiescent galaxies discovered
An international team of astronomers reports the discovery of a new protocluster of massive quiescent galaxies at a redshift of approximately 4.0. This is the first detection of a protocluster of this type at such a high redshift. The finding was detailed in a paper published Nov. 20 on the pre-print...
Source: phys.org
Search algorithm reveals nearly 200 new kinds of CRISPR systems Allessandra DiCorato | Broad Institute.
A new search algorithm has identified 188 kinds of new CRISPR systems in bacterial genomes. The systems have a range of functions and could enable gene editing, diagnostics, and more.
Source: mit.edu
Egypt becomes the first country to achieve WHO validation on the path to elimination of hepatitis C
Source: who.int
WHO statement on reported clusters of respiratory illness in children in northern China
WHO has made an official request to China for detailed information on an increase in respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children. At a press conference on 13 November 2023, Chinese authorities from the National Health Commission reported an increase in incidence of respiratory...
Source: who.int
QR codes to become less convenient?
A sticker with a fraudulent QR code pasted over a legitimate one can lead the unwary to websites that can capture your personal data. Thornaby: Woman targeted in £13k train station QR code scam. Rail firm TransPennine Express has since removed QR codes from all of its station car parks. Is the root...
Source: bbc.com
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