Palo Alto Mayor Adrian Fine

BY SARA TABINDaily Post Staff Writer

Palo Alto Mayor Adrian Fine, who campaigned four years ago as an advocate for more housing, announced today that he will not seek re-election to City Council.

Fine, 34, said he chose not to run because his wife is having a baby in October.

While he was an advocate for more housing, the citys housing numbers did not grow during his four-year term. Only one affordable housing project, Wilton Court, was approved during his tenure while the city lost 75 units when council approved the conversion of the President Hotel from housing to a hotel. The council also approved 50 new apartments at 3001 El Camino in 2017, but none of those units are affordable.

Fine drew ire from council colleagues when he sent letters of support for SB50, a now abandoned bill that would have pre-empted local zoning near transit and jobs, and the Caltrain tax. Other members of the council accused him of trying to endorse controversial legislation on behalf of the city. Fine said it was his right, as mayor, to use city stationery for his letters to other officials on these issues.

At a June 8 meeting where dozens of residents spoke out against police brutality, Fine incited anger by telling residents they couldnt name specific cops who have been accused of misconduct.

Some of the speakers named individual cops including Tom DeStefano, who was the subject of a $250,000 civil settlement in 2013 and is named in a current claim for $3.8 million against the city for alleged brutality.

Mayor Adrian Fine asked residents to focus on policy not people.

Mark Loveland said Fine was tone-deaf and insensitive for telling residents not to call out city officials by name. He said that if the police wont hold officers accountable, and residents cant call for accountability, then residents have no recourse.

At the next meeting, the prohibition against naming names had been dropped.

Fines employed as the marketing director of Autonomic, an arm of Ford Motor Co. that is developing connected vehicles.

In the November election, four seats are up for grabs on City Council and, at this point, it appears there will be 11 candidates.

Incumbents Greg Tanaka and Lydia Kou are running for second terms.

Other candidates in the hunt for one of the four seats include former Mayor Pat Burt, Human Rights Commission member Steven Lee, Planning and Transportation Commission members Cari Templeton and Ed Lauing, systems engineer Raven Malone, lawyer Rebecca Eisenberg, WhatsApp product management director Varma Ajit, former Human Relations Commission member Greer Stone and Brett Schilke, who works for Singularity University.

The deadline to file papers to run for council is Wednesday (Aug. 12), but would-be candidates need to talk to the city clerk a few days before the deadline to pull the necessary papers.

Incumbent Liz Kniss is unable to run again due to term limits.

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Mayor Fine calls it quits, wont run for second term on council - The Daily Post

Over the past few months, curators, activists, and historians have closely watched the demolition of the Y-Block, a building in Oslo. Though hardly a well-known structure beyond the confines of Norway, the Y-Block has become a structure of interest in the art world because it contains two murals by Pablo Picasso and Carl Nesjar that are key in both of their oeuvres. Produced over a 10-year span, the murals could be forever changed when they are separated from the building they have long called home.

The murals have their roots in the year 1956, when Picasso and Nesjar first met. The pairing was not an obvious one. Picasso was a celebrated modernist known for pushing the limits of how the human form could be represented; Nesjar, by contrast, was lesser-known, and mainly inclined toward low-key sculptures made from concrete. But the two found discovered a shared affection for Brutalist design, and Nesjar was ultimately tasked with translating Picassos drawings into monumental, three-dimensional concrete forms. At the height of their collaboration, Nesjar was called Picassos right arm, and wound up functioning as the artists confidant. I must be the only person in the world who has corrected a Picasso drawing, he said in 1968.

By the time Picasso died in 1973, the two had worked together to realize more than 30 monumental site-specific concrete murals and sculptures worldwide. Jacqueline, a series of towering monuments to Picassos wife, are installed on the campus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge; the Vondelpark in Amsterdam; and in Helsingborg, a town in southern Sweden, among other locations. Bust of Sylvette, a 36-foot-tall sandblasted sculpture of Picassos beloved model, Sylvette David, was installed in the courtyard of Silver Towers, a high-rise apartment complex in New York designed by architect I. M. Pei, in 1968. (A single mock-up, signed Bon tirer pour Nesjar. Picasso, served as that projects contract.) In 2008, Bust of Sylvette was declared a New York City landmark.

Their first collaboration, five concrete murals designed for Oslos Regjeringskvartalet complexthe citys governmental quarterswas the only to become a matter of international controversy, however. In 2011, right-wing extremist Anders Behring Breivik detonated a car bomb near the complexs Y-Block, a structure named for its shape as seen from the sky. Eight people were killed in the explosion, and later that day, Breivik murdered 69 moremost of them teenagerson Utoya island outside Oslo. For many Norwegians, the Y-Block, which was left standing but has been kept deserted since the events of 2011, became to some inextricable from the worst atrocity committed in the nation during peacetime.

Intentions to demolish the Y-Block were announced in 2014, and in 2017 Oslo officials formalized plans to redevelop the entire Regjeringskvartalet complex in a sleek, glass-encased design. Proponents of the demolition argued that its location atop a vehicle tunnel proved an insurmountable security risk. The Y-Block would be deconstructed, while the nearby H-Block, which houses three small Picasso murals, would be restored.

Preservationists, politicians, and art-world figures decried the destruction of the Y-Block, which dates to 1968 and is considered a masterpiece of Scandanvian minimalism. Advocates for keeping the Y-Block put forward difficult questions: Wasnt destroying the structure a fulfillment of Breiviks anti-democracy mission? Two murals by Picasso and NesjarFisherman on its facade, and The Seagull in its lobbydecorate the Y-Block, and therefore make the building art historically important. Would become of these works?

Early reports about the demolition stoked fearthey mentioned workers untrained in preservation, who some believed would crack the delicate murals while drilling. An international uproar followed. Demonstrators, clad in stripes meant to recall Picassos famed Breton shirts, crowded in front of Fisherman. Their protests began to same futile at a pint. A motion by an opposition party in Norways Parliament aimed to reverse the demolition plan; the motion failed. A petition to save the building amassed nearly fifty thousand signatures, and curators at New Yorks Museum of Modern Art released an letter to Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway pleading for the preservation of the structure: The demolition of the building complex would not only constitute a significant loss of Norwegian architectural heritage, but it would also render any attempt to salvage or reposition Picassos site-specific murals elsewhere unfortunate.

Despite divided public opinion, in June 2019, a crane loweredFishermen onto two trucks en route to storage. The Seagull soon followed. Both are to be reinstalled in the new complex, which is slated to complete construction in 2025.

Nesjars daughter, Gro Nesjar Greve, and the grandson of Y-Blocks architect Erling Viksj jointly filed a lawsuit against its relocation. In an interview with the Art Newspaper, Greve said, Under Norwegian law, the Y Block murals are considered a co-authored art work by Picasso and my father and the architect Viksj [so] we do have what are called moral rights, as long as we can prove that the murals are a collaborationthat my father was not just a fabricator for Picasso but part of the artistic process.

Curators and activists have largely fixated on the murals co-authored by Picasso, but those works are only one facet of the art history that is being forever altered by the buildings demolitiontheres architecture history at stake, too. Viksj and engineer Sverre Jystad designed the Y-Block using Naturbetong, or natural concrete, an experimental casting technique based on an aggregate of aluminum and silicon metal, which created a tactile surface receptive to sandblasting. Nesjars technique, called Betograve, entailed pouring concrete over a formin this case, Picassos designstightly packed with gravel. The concrete was then sand-blasted with a high-pressure hose, exposing the gravel beneath. The final product was a singularity for the time and place: Brutalist architecture married with modernist figuration.

Nesjar knew early on that his and Picassos murals would enhance a building that was significant in its own right. In Scandinavia, there is great excitement about spreading culture for the masses, but not East European style, Nesjar told the New York Times. When I showed Picasso photos of the concrete art I was working on in Oslo, he got very enthusiastic. He leapt to his feet and ran to show it to the maid.

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Picasso Y-Block Controversy: Why the Art World Is Rallying to Save Two Murals in Norway - ARTnews

The obsidian roots of New Zealand extreme metal duo Vassafor reach back to the mid-90s. But founding auteur VK has always intended the project to exist outside of time. Vassafor has never chased time-stamped trends or softened their edges to be more palatable. When Vassafor returned from hibernation in 2005, it began a flurry of merciless releases that treated black metal like a living canvas. VKs vision for the band is uncompromising and as distinct as the stench of dead vermin that wafts from their stage shows. Now three years after their Malediction LP theyre releasing To the Death. Decibel Magazine invites you to listen to the albums exclusive stream before its released on August 7th.

It only takes a few seconds for the opening title track to swirl into full fury. Vassafor then retreat from the cacophony to cast moonlight on drummer BPs war toms. With its abrupt and impish songwriting decisions, To the Death continuously toys with expectations. Some passages seem impenetrable; a blur of blasts and distorted notes cannibalizing each other. But seven minutes into the record Vassafor unchain their first scorched headbanging riff. And thats not an anomaly; they use guitar hooks as gateways to lure the listener deeper into the record. The album is inventive yet intoxicating in a way that satisfies the basest hungers of extreme music. Contagious melodies, aggression, worm-infested groovesTo the Death has them all. But its still a fiercely unpredictable record that could probably open mind-portals to demonic lucid dreams.

The intricate ripping of Egregore Rising is punctuated with sky-stabbing solos that strike like red lightning. Eyrie begins with dizzying black-thrash before conjuring haunted melodies from a distant burial mound. To the bands bewilderment, Vassafors music is sometimes described as death/doom. With its cataclysmic atmospheres and brooding pacing, The Burning thyr occasionally suits that genre tag. But even that song kicks into a hunting sprint like its closing in on prey. At 66 minutes of length, To the Death is a punishing test of endurance. Its dense and thickly layered. But its not chaotic, because theres nothing random about Vassafors acts of violence. Even a labyrinthine closer like Singularity follows the songs rotten corridors to a destination that seems predestined. To the Death is a work of wild-blooded passion that feels even more vast than its run-time suggests.

Succumb to Vassafors emanations from the abyss and stream To the Death below. Scroll further and read an interview with Vassafor about the albums creative gestation and humanitys lack of pandemic enlightenment. But first, press play NOW.

Were there any songwriting or sound adjustments you wanted to make for To the Death after releasing Malediction in 2017?

VK: Yes and no. While we were satisfied with Malediction (and still are!), [drummer] Ben and I really wanted to have an album that was unequivocally Black Metal. We seem to get labelled Death/Doom a lot, which seems random from our perspective. Although Black Metal is in my mind defined by lyrical content rather than guitar tone or vocal style, we figured it couldnt hurt to really deliver our idea of what BM is in 2020. So that was something we actually talked about after Malediction was out and the dust settled. I try to limit conscious decision making in the writing process until having the song in its most primitive form take shape and demoed. Then comes the time to revise and try out different parts if it does seem to flow well enough, or if riffs dont feel quite right. Often this is the period where songs get trimmed down. Ridiculous as it might seem, often these proto-stages of the songs can be much much longer than the final version

Considering their complexity and density, did any of the songs on To the Death have a gestation period that began before Malediction?

VK: Actually, all but one song came after Malediction was out. The title track To The Death was being worked during the mix and mastering period of Malediction, but the others all flowed out afterwards, and in fact very easily. However there is still that gestation as we demo our songs (sometimes several times) to try and hone more detail and work out how to get more from each song and keep it singular other than falling into the same sounds and shapes as the rest of the songs it is next too. Each song has to work on its own terms, as well as alongside the rest of the album tracks. We have a very easy way of putting music together by now though. Not surprising since Ben has been dealing with my method of writing since he joined over 12 years ago now. To The Death is much more collaborative between the 2 of us than earlier records were

Your lyrics and stage shows have long shown a veneration for death, and this albums title continues that motif. Do you think the pandemic is a learning opportunity for humanity to confront mortality in a meaningful, introspective way?

VK: Being at this stage of 2020 the one thing you can be sure of is that the majority of the worlds population seem to have learned absolutely nothing due to this virus, same as the great unwashed are willfully ignorant in normal times. The only constant is change, and if someone hasnt the eyes to see or ears to hear then they are perfectly in sync with the rest of the herd. As they deserve. As much as the masses cant bare to think of their own mortality, Death is the only absolute we all share. I guess we are like the opposite of a vampyric BM band haha. No one is coming back, not in the physical state anyway

What do you have planned for Vassafor for the rest of 2020 and beyond?

VK: 2020 had some great plans that had to fall to the wayside, but releasing the album was our top priority. That it is released peak period (so far anyway!) of pandemic yet will still be available on release day from Iron Bonehead in Europe and NWN in US and from our site Obsidian Reliquary for NZ/Australia still, despite the chaos, is a testament to our collective will power to make it happen. People can wallow in the state of things, or take charge and make things happen, to whatever degree possible. Manifestation of our will IS the core of what we have always preached. And so we are able to perform several release gigs here in New Zealand with our allies Ulcerate the day after our release on August 8th in Auckland and the following week on August 15th in Wellington. Considering the circumstances that is pretty good. But plans are afoot to terrorize further shores when or even if circumstances change and our border reopens. But in the meantime, the music still flows out and more songs are already taking shape. To quote the Vulcano song, The Evil ALWAYS returns. Hail Satan!

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Album Premiere and Interview: Vassafor 'To the Death' - decibelmagazine.com

Two and a half years ago, a study published in Science Advances detailed how the gene editing tool CRISPR/Cas-9 repaired genetic mutations related to Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The study was a proof of concept, and used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

But now a similar treatment has not only been administered to real people, it has worked and made a difference in their quality of life and the progression of their disorder. Nine boys aged 6 to 12 who have been living with DMD since birth received a gene therapy treatment from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, and a year later, 7 of the boys show significant improvement in muscle strength and function.

Though the treatments positive results are limited to a small group, theyre an important breakthrough for gene therapy, and encouraging not just for muscular dystrophy but for many other genetic diseases that could soon see similar treatments developed.

DMD is a genetic disorder that causes muscles to progressively degenerate and weaken. Its caused by mutations in the gene that makes dystrophin, a protein that serves to rebuild and strengthen muscle fibers in skeletal and cardiac muscles. As the gene is carried on the X chromosome, the disorder primarily affects boys. Many people with DMD end up in wheelchairs, on respirators, or both, and while advances in cardiac and respiratory care have increased life expectancy into the early 30s, theres no cure for the condition.

The gene therapy given to the nine boys by Pfizer was actually developed by a research team at the UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicineand it took over 30 years.

The team was led by Jude Samulski, a longtime gene therapy researcher and professor of pharmacology at UNC. As a grad student in 1984, Samulski was part of the first team to clone an adeno-associated virus, which ended up becoming a leading method of gene delivery and thus crucial to gene therapy.

Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are small viruses whose genome is made up of single-stranded DNA. Like other viruses, AAVs can break through cells outer membranesespecially eye and muscle cellsget inside, and infect them (and their human hosts). But AAVs are non-pathogenic, meaning they dont cause disease or harm; the bodies of most people treated with AAVs dont launch an immune response, because their systems detect that the virus is harmless.

Samulskis gene therapy treatment for DMD used an adeno-associated virus to carry a healthy copy of the dystrophin gene; the virus was injected into boys with DMD, broke into their muscle cells, and replaced their non-working gene.

Samulski said of the adeno-associated virus, Its a molecular FedEx truck. It carries a genetic payload and its delivering it to its target. The company Samulski founded sold the DMD treatment to Pfizer in 2016 so as to scale it and make it accessible to more boys suffering from the condition.

A year after receiving the gene therapy, seven of nine boys are showing positive results. As reported by NPR, the first boy to be treated, a nine-year old from Connecticut, saw results that were not only dramatic, but fast. Before treatment he couldnt walk up more than four stairs without needing to stop, but within three weeks of treatment he was able to run up the full flight of stairs. I can run faster. I stand better. And I can walk [] more than two miles and I couldnt do that before, he said.

The muscle cells already lost to DMD wont grow back, but the treatment appears to have restored normal function of the protein that fixes muscle fibers and helps them grow, meaning no further degeneration should take place.

Gene therapy trials are underway for several different genetic diseases, including sickle cell anemia, at least two different forms of inherited blindness, and Alzheimers, among others. Its even been used as part of cancer treatment.

Its only been a year, we dont yet know whether these treatments may have some sort of detrimental effect in the longer term, and the treatment itself can still be improved. But all of that considered, signs point to the DMD treatment being a big win for gene therapy.

Before it can be hailed as a resounding success, though, scientists feel that a more extensive trial of the therapy is needed, and are working to launch such a trial later this year.

Image Credit: pixelRaw from Pixabay

Read more here:

A Year After Gene Therapy, Boys With Muscular Dystrophy Are Healthier and Stronger - Singularity Hub

Sorry, science fiction fans. You cant actually survive a trip through a black hole. And if you tried to take a plunge into one, like Matthew McConaughey in the movie Interstellar, youd be ripped apart long before you could find out whats on the other side.

To fully appreciate why you cant just swan dive or pilot your spaceship into a black hole, you must first understand the basic properties of these gravitational goliaths. Simply put, a black hole is a place where gravity is so strong that no light or anything else, for that matter can escape.

Black holes are aptly named because they usually don't reflect or emit light. Theyre only visible when theyre feeding on stars or gas clouds that stray too close to their boundary, called the event horizon. Beyond the event horizon lies a truly minuscule point called a singularity, where gravity is so intense that it infinitely curves space-time itself. This is where the laws of physics, as we know them, break down, meaning all theories about what lies beyond are just speculation.

Black holes seem exotic to most of us, but theyre commonplace to scientists. Physicists had toyed with theories about similar objects for decades before Albert Einsteins general relativity predicted their existence. However, the concept wasnt really taken seriously until the 1960s, when extremely compact stars were discovered. Today, black holes are considered an ordinary part of stellar evolution, and astronomers suspect our Milky Way galaxy holds millions of them alone.

Black holes come in different varieties and can be modeled with different levels of complexity, like whether or not they spin or have an electrical charge. So if you jumped into one, your exact fate might depend on which sort of black hole you choose.

At the simplest level, there are three kinds of black holes: stellar-mass black holes, supermassive black holes and intermediate-mass black holes.

Stellar-mass black holes form when very large stars finish burning their fuel and collapse into themselves. Supermassive black holes live in the centers of most galaxies, and likely grow to their extreme sizes up to tens of billions of times more massive than our sun by consuming stars and merging with other black holes. Intermediate-mass black holes are still mysterious, and only a few suspected examples have been discovered, but astronomers think they may form through a similar process of accretion, just on a smaller scale.

Stellar-mass black holes may be puny in comparison to their bigger cousins, but they actually boast more extreme tidal forces just beyond their event horizons. This difference occurs thanks to a property of black holes that would likely surprise some casual observers. Smaller black holes actually have a more dramatic gravitational gradient than supermassive ones. In other words, you only have to fall a very short distance to experience an extremely noticeable difference in gravity.

If you were free-floating in space near a stellar-mass black hole that wasnt feeding on anything, your only hint that it exists might be the gravitational magnification, or lensing, effect it could have on background stars.

But as you flew closer to this strange spot, youd be stretched in some directions and squished in others, a process that scientists call spaghettification. This is because the black hole's gravity compresses your body horizontally while pulling it like taffy in the vertical direction. If you jumped into the black hole feet first, the gravitational force on your toes would be much stronger than that pulling on your head. Each bit of your body would also be elongated in a slightly different direction. You would literally end up looking like a piece of spaghetti.

So, as you fell into a stellar-mass black hole, you probably wouldnt worry much about the existential mysteries you might be able to unlock on "the other side." Youd be as dead as spaghetti-shaped doornail hundreds of miles before you hit the singularity.

And this scenario isn't entirely based on theory and speculation, either. Astronomers witnessed such a tidal disruption event back in 2014, when several space telescopes caught a star wander too close to a black hole. The star was stretched out and shredded, causing some of the material to fall beyond the event horizon, while the rest was flung back out into space.

In contrast to falling into a stellar-mass black hole, your experience plunging into a supermassive or intermediate-mass black hole would be slightly less nightmarish. Though the end result, a horrible death, would still be your fate, you might actually make it all the way to the event horizon and manage to start falling inside the singularity while still alive.

In this case, at least in theory, you could see out into surrounding space. But no one would be able to see you once you passed beyond the event horizon. Even if you were holding a flashlight and tried to shine it out, the light would fall back down into the singularity with you.

Meanwhile, you'd see that everything within the event horizon was warped by extreme gravitational forces, thanks to an effect astronomers call gravitational lensing. (Not to mention the wild time dilation effects.)

Of course, no matter what type of black hole you fall into, you're ultimately going to get torn apart by the extreme gravity. No material, especially fleshy human bodies, could survive intact. So once you pass beyond the edge of the event horizon, youre done. Theres no getting out. Even if you were still alive, youd have to travel faster than the speed of light in order to escape. But as we know, nothing in the known universe can do that.

But don't fret just yet; the closest known black hole to Earth is still a daunting 1,000 light-years away. However, astronomers suspect there are many more lurking much closer, perhaps as little as a few dozen light-years from Earth. In fact, some researchers think the distant solar system's hypothetical Planet Nine is actually a primordial black hole that's roughly the size of a baseball.

With that in mind, it's possible (albeit unlikely) that if humans survive long enough to pioneer advanced space travel technology, we might be able to visit a black hole up close. And if we do, maybe we'll even toss a few probes into the black hole to test what happens at the event horizon.

Unfortunately, because nothing can escape the event horizon, not even information, well never be able to know for certain what goes on when matter reaches the point of no return. So, even if you do find yourself with the opportunity to take a cosmic cliff dive into a black hole, for safety reasons, you probably should resist the urge.

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What Would Happen if You Fell Into a Black Hole? - Discover Magazine

The mysterious Neuralink chip was previously in the headlines when the founder of the company, Elon Musk, said that the chip will be able tostream musicstraight into the wearer's brain--and now, the tech CEO has revealed more details about it.

(Photo : Hannibal Hanschke/REUTERS)Elon Musk shared new detail about the mysterious Neuralink chip.

Hear Beyond Frequencies and Amplitudes

In a report by Independent, Musk revealed that the chip will allow the wearer to hear things that they weren't able to hear before as it was out of a human's hearing range, meaning the Neuralink chip can be used to "extend range of hearing beyond normal frequencies and amplitudes."

Additionally, and perhaps even more interesting and exciting, is that the mysterious chip will apparently be able to help restore movement for people with a fully severed spinal cord.

If that proves to be true, it could help millions of people who have had spinal injuries and were unable to move since then, providing the best and perhaps the only cure available on the market.

Read Also: iPhones Can Soon Process Credit Card Payments With a Simple Tap as Apple Acquires Mobeewave for $100M

How will the Neuralink Chip Work?

But what is this Neuralink chip, exactly?

Elon Musk founded the company back in 2016, but until now, the CEO has only made one major presentation about how the technology they are developing will work.

Ultimately, the company's goal is to create a direct link between the brain and a computer.

They will be able to do this by using a "sewing machine-like" device that will "sew" threads to the implanted brain chip, which would then connect to a single USB-C cable that enables "full-bandwidth data streaming" to the brain.

This is based on the research paper that the company's scientists have published last year.

Furthermore, the company's CEO plans to enhance the chip's capabilities and allow mankind to compete with artificial intelligence.

Nevertheless, their first iterations of the Neuralink chip is to help people with neurological issues and brain disorders like Parkinson's and depression and anxiety.

As of now, Musk has only been sharing snippets of the Neuralink chip's prowess through a series of tweet, but he is planning on holding an event on August 28 that will hopefully talk more about the mysterious chip and will finally provide the public with more information on its features and the technology behind it.

The Goal to Overcome AI

Besides the chip's capability to stream music straight to our brain, it apparently could help regulate hormone levels of the wearer and provide "enhanced abilities," such as relief from anxiety and greater reasoning skills.

Through the mysterious chip, Musk believes humanity could overcome AI.

He had always been vocal about his fear that humanity could be wiped out or overcome by artificial intelligence in a theory known as the Singularity.

In an interview with theNew York Times, Musk predicted that AI could overtake humans in the next five years based on the current trends, but he also said that it "doesn't mean that everything goes to hell in five years. It just means that things get unstable or weird.

"My assessment about why AI is overlooked by very smart people is that very smart people do not think a computer can ever be as smart as they are," he said. "And this is hubris and obviously false. We are headed toward a situation where AI is vastly smarter than humans and I think that time frame is less than five years from now."

Read Also: China Reportedly Weighing Antitrust Probe Into WeChat Pay and Alipay

This article is owned by TechTimes.

Written by: Nhx Tingson

2018 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

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Elon Musk's Mysterious Neuralink Chip Could Make You Hear Things That Were Impossible to Hear Before - Tech Times

Los Angeles, Aug 4 (PTI) Hollywood stars Darren Criss and John Boyega are set to feature in sci-fi thriller podcast "There Be Monsters".

According to Deadline, the podcast hails from iHeartRadio, FlynnPictureCo, Psychopia Pictures and UpperRoom Productions.

The 10-part narrative series is about Jack Locke (Boyega), a mysterious hero with a vendetta who infiltrates a Silicon Valley body hacking startup run by an enigmatic CEO Max Fuller (Criss), whose highly secretive creations promise to enhance human biology in incredible ways.

"There Be Monsters" is produced byBeau Flynnof FlynnPictureCo,Dan Bushof Psychopia Pictures and Boyega''s UpperRoom Productions.

It will be available on iHeartPodcast Network later this year.

Boyega, best known for his role of Finn in the "Star Wars" franchise", will next star in drama "Naked Singularity", alongside Olivia Cooke, Bill Skarsgard, Ed Skrein, Linda Lavin and Tim Blake Nelson.

Criss most recently starred in Ryan Murphy''s Netflix series "Hollywood" and war drama "Midway". PTI RB RB

Disclaimer :- This story has not been edited by Outlook staff and is auto-generated from news agency feeds. Source: PTI

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Darren Criss, John Boyega star in scripted podcast ''There Be Monsters'' - Outlook India

Iron Man has finally returned to Marvel's Universe in the flesh. But a new body needs a new suit of armor - his most advanced ever created.

Warning: Spoilers for Iron Man 2020 #5.

Tony Stark just gave himself his most advanced Iron Mansuit upgrade to date, surpassing any other mark he has created. Taking a page out of the DC hero Green Lantern's book,it is only limited by his imagination. And with a genius intellect like Tony's, the suit's power truly is limitless.

As comic fans know, Tony Stark is constantlyimproving on previous designs, building a lineage starting with the original Mark 1 armor, and leading to the modern dayGodbuster armor designbuilt and worn within the virtual eScape.But after a showdown with his A.I.-hating brother Arno Stark left Tony dead, he is elevating his game... by becoming his own living experiment as an A.I. construct of Tony Stark in an artificial body. Now, he's back to finish the fight with a suit of armor most fans couldn't even imagine.

Related:Iron Man-Thing is Officially Marvel's Grossest Hero

On the digital '13th floor' where Tony has been leading his robotic uprising against Arno, the former Iron Man has been busy. After Tony's trusty A.I. Friday convinced him that he truly is the original Stark, and not merely a simulation,Tony has prepared for the final battle against his brother Arno. With the help of his friends (human and A.I. alike), those loyal to Tony grew a new body replacing artificial cells with his actual DNA, making this the real deal. Meanwhile, Tonyand Friday have constructed a new armor within the virtual world. As he transfers his new consciousness to the body, Tony is already bragging about the genius of his new armor... while those looking onmerely see the man.

An overconfident Arno sees Tony approaching and unleashes an onslaught of firepower, holding nothing back just because his brother "forgot his suit at home." But that's exactly what Tony has planned--and the exact moment he chooses toreveal the genius of his new suit. Even when Tony creates the most cutting-edge armor upgrades, he knows they are obsolete even before he is finishes building them. So to solve the problem, Tony's new armor is truly the next stage in evolution of Iron Man armor. With no physical fabrication to rely on, the new limit is merely the imagination of the man inside the suit.

Unfortunately, as Tony lays the beatdown on Arno to prove his suit's superiority, they are interrupted by the approaching catalyst event that Arno has foolishly been preparing for: The Singularity, which wants to consume all technology and organics and combine them into one being. Time is up, and readers can only guess how Arno and Tony will be able to team up against this threat. With his powerful new suit, hopefully Tony can be creative enough to defeat the Singularity. There's no tellingwhat is next for Iron Man now that he is back, but here's hoping his new suit sticks around for a while.

Iron Man 2020 #5 is available now at your local comic book store, or direct from Marvel Comics.

Next:Every Iron Man Replacement Marvel Has Already Introduced

Black Panther is Officially The Most Dangerous Man Alive

Kirk Smith: Accountant from 9 5 and full out comic book nerd on evening and weekends.By gifting him an issue of the Amazing Spider-Man #408, Kirks grandfather introduced him to the world of comics at the tender age of eight. The striking cover of Spider-Man laying in pure white snow is still a fond memory today. Perhaps living in the frozen tundra, better known as the Canadian prairies, has something to do with the lasting impression the issue made on him. Kirks wife even let him frame this issue and hang it up in their basement.From that point on, Kirk fell deep into the world of Marvel comics and became completely obsessed with anything and everything related to comics. So much so that he even had aspirations to become an illustrator and artist like his grandfather, and the analytical side of his brain eventually lead him to the thrilling world of accounting.As self professed Marvel fanboy who continues to try and break into the wonderful world of DC, Kirk is fascinated by the art and storytelling of any and all comics. He is simply fascinated with the world of comics and everything that has subsequently been developed from it, from television series to blockbuster movies, he loves it all, even all the action figures that come along with it. He cannot believe his boyhood obsession has broken into mainstream media, and he can finally share his love of Spider-Man instead of his respect for bookkeeping.

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Iron Man Just Revealed His Most Advanced Armor EVER | Screen Rant - Screen Rant

As concern over climate change and rising temperatures grows, the airline industry is taking heat (pun intended). Flying accounts for 2.5 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions; thats lower than car travel and maritime shipping, but still a chunk worth acknowledging.

In some parts of the world people have started flight-shaming, that is, giving up air travel themselves and encouraging others to find alternative means of transport that are more climate-friendly. Swedens national flygskam campaign, which started in 2017, even led to a nine percent decrease in domestic air travel.

Its possible to cut back on air travel, but given the globalized nature of business, the economy, and even families and friendships, were not going to stop needing a fast, relatively pain-free way to get across countries or around the globe; some things simply cant be done over Zoom.

An unexpected potential solution is being floated (again, pun intended) by companies that believe people will be willing to trade a lot of time and money for a more planet-friendly way to travel: by airship.

The term airship encompasses motorized crafts that float due to being filled with a gas thats lighter than air, like helium or hydrogen; blimps and zeppelins are the most common. Airships were used for bombings during World War I, and started carrying passengers in the late 1920s. In 1929 Germanys Graf Zeppelin fully circled the globe, breaking the trip up into four legs and starting and ending in New Jersey; it took 22 days in total and carried 61 people. By the mid-1930s there were regular trans-Atlantic passenger flights.

Airships dont need fuel to lift them off the ground, they just need it to propel them forward. Hydrogen was initially the lifting gas of choice, as it was cheap and abundant (and is lighter than helium). But the explosion of the Hindenburg in 1937 not only made the use of hydrogen all but defunct, it dismantled the passenger airship industry virtually overnight (interestingly, though, the Hindenburg wasnt the deadliest airship disaster; it killed 36 people, but a crash 4 years prior killed 73 people).

Since then, airships have been relegated to use for large ads-in-the-sky, and before drones became commonplace they were used to take aerial photos at sporting events.

But passenger airships may soon be making a comeback, and more than one company is already banking on it. OceanSky Cruisesbased, perhaps unsurprisingly, in Swedenis currently taking reservations for expeditions to the North Pole in the 2023-2024 season. According to Digital Trends, a cabin for two is going for $65,000.

Carl-Oscar Lawaczeck, OceanSky Cruises CEO, points out several advantages airships have over planes; their environmental sustainability is just the beginning. The possibilities are amazing when you compare airships with planes, he said. Everything is lighter and cheaper and easier and that gives a lot of possibilities.

Airships have fewer moving parts, and they dont need a runway to land on or take off from. Theyre far more spacious and can carry larger and heavier loads.

If you cringe at the thought of 12 hours of stiff-backed, knee-crunched, parched-air flights, imagine something closer to a flying cruise ship: your own room, a bed, a restaurant and bar, maybe even a glass-floored observation room where you could see the landscape below drifting past in glorious detail.

Would all this make it worth the fact that 12 hours of travel would turn into 60? Airships travel at about one-fifth of the speed of planes; 20 knots versus 100. And nowadays the lifting gas of choice is helium, despite being expensive and scarce.

OceanSky is far from the only company pouring money into resurrecting the airship.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin also started an airship company. LTA (which stands for lighter than air!) Research and Explorations primary stated purpose is to build ultra-cheap crafts to be used for humanitarian missions. The aforementioned lack of need for runways makes airships a promising and practical option for delivering supplies to remote, hard-to-reach locations.

To that end, Barry Prentice, who leads the Canadian company Buoyant Aircraft Systems International, hopes to use airships to transport pre-built structures for schools and housing to remote parts of Canada that lack good roads.

And earlier this year, French airship company Flying Whales (I mean, how can you not adore that name?) received $23 million in funding from the government of Quebec to build cargo-carrying Zeppelins.

Given our current pandemic-dominated reality, its hard to imagine a future of seamless global travel of any kind, much less on an airship. But that future will, thankfully, arrive (though when is anyones guess). As calls for climate action get louder and the costs associated with airships dropas the cost of any new technology tends to do with timewe may find ourselves going retro and being ferried across the globe by giant helium-filled balloons.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd

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Airships Are No Longer a Relic of the Past; You Could Ride in One by 2023 - Singularity Hub

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

OpenAIs Latest Breakthrough Is Astonishingly Powerful, But Still Fighting Its FlawsJames Vincent | The VergeWhat makes GPT-3 amazing, they say, is not that it can tell you that the capital of Paraguay is Asuncin (it is) or that 466 times 23.5 is 10,987 (its not), but that its capable of answering both questions and many more beside simply because it was trained on more data for longer than other programs. If theres one thing we know that the world is creating more and more of, its data and computing power, which means GPT-3s descendants are only going to get more clever.

I Tried to Live Without the Tech Giants. It Was Impossible.Kashmir Hill | The New York TimesCritics of the big tech companies are often told, If you dont like the company, dont use its products. My takeaway from the experiment was that its not possible to do that. Its not just the products and services branded with the big tech giants name. Its that these companies control a thicket of more obscure products and services that are hard to untangle from tools we rely on for everything we do, from work to getting from point A to point B.

Meet the Engineer Who Let a Robot Barber Shave Him With a Straight RazorLuke Dormehl | Digital TrendsNo, its not some kind of lockdown-induced barber startup or aJackass-style stunt. Instead, Whitney, assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Northeastern University School of Engineering, was interested in straight-razor shaving as a microcosm for some of the big challenges that robots have faced in the past (such as their jerky, robotic movement) and how they can now be solved.

Can Trees Live Forever? New Kindling in an Immortal DebateCara Giaimo | The New York TimesEven if a scientist dedicated her whole career to very old trees, she would be able to follow her research subjects for only a small percentage of their lives. And a long enough multigenerational study might see its own methods go obsolete. For these reasons, Dr. Munn-Bosch thinks we will never prove whether long-lived trees experience senescence

Theres No Such Thing as Family Secrets in the Age of 23andMeCaitlin Harrington | Wiredtechnology has a way of creating new consequences for old decisions. Today, some 30 million people have taken consumer DNA tests, a threshold experts have called a tipping point. People conceived through donor insemination are matching with half-siblings, tracking down their donors, forming networks and advocacy organizations.

The Problems AI Has Today Go Back CenturiesKaren Hao | MIT Techology ReviewIn 2018, just as the AI field was beginning to reckon with problems like algorithmic discrimination, [Shakir Mohamed, a South African AI researcher at DeepMind], penned a blog post with his initial thoughts. In it he called on researchers to decolonise artificial intelligenceto reorient the fields work away from Western hubs like Silicon Valley and engage new voices, cultures, and ideas for guiding the technologys development.

AI-Generated Text Is the Scariest Deepfake of AllRenee DiResta | WiredIn the future, deepfake videos and audiofakes may well be used to create distinct, sensational moments that commandeer a press cycle, or to distract from some other, more organic scandal. But undetectable textfakesmasked as regular chatter on Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, and the likehave the potential to be far more subtle, far more prevalent, and far more sinister.

Image credit: Adrien Olichon /Unsplash

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This Week's Awesome Tech Stories From Around the Web (Through August 1) - Singularity Hub

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. While Einsteins theory of general relativity can explain a large array of fascinating astrophysical and cosmological phenomena, some aspects of the properties of the universe at the largest-scales remain a mystery. A new study using loop quantum cosmology a theory that uses quantum mechanics to extend gravitational physics beyond Einsteins theory of general relativity accounts for two major mysteries. While the differences in the theories occur at the tiniest of scales much smaller than even a proton they have consequences at the largest of accessible scales in the universe. The study, which appears online July 29 in Physical Review Letters, also provides new predictions about the universe that future satellite missions could test.

While a zoomed-out picture of the universe looks fairly uniform, it does have a large-scale structure, for example because galaxies and dark matter are not uniformly distributed throughout the universe. The origin of this structure has been traced back to the tiny inhomogeneities observed in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation that was emitted when the universe was 380,000 years young that we can still see today. But the CMB itself has three puzzling features that are considered anomalies because they are difficult to explain using known physics.

While seeing one of these anomalies may not be that statistically remarkable, seeing two or more together suggests we live in an exceptional universe, said Donghui Jeong, associate professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State and an author of the paper. A recent study in the journal Nature proposed an explanation for one of these anomalies that raised so many additional concerns, they flagged a possible crisis in cosmology. Using quantum loop cosmology, however, we have resolved two of these anomalies naturally, avoiding that potential crisis.

Research over the last three decades has greatly improved our understanding of the early universe, including how the inhomogeneities in the CMB were produced in the first place. These inhomogeneities are a result of inevitable quantum fluctuations in the early universe. During a highly accelerated phase of expansion at very early times known as inflation these primordial, miniscule fluctuations were stretched under gravitys influence and seeded the observed inhomogeneities in the CMB.

To understand how primordial seeds arose, we need a closer look at the early universe, where Einsteins theory of general relativity breaks down, said Abhay Ashtekar, Evan Pugh Professor of Physics, holder of the Eberly Family Chair in Physics, and director of the Penn State Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos. The standard inflationary paradigm based on general relativity treats space time as a smooth continuum. Consider a shirt that appears like a two-dimensional surface, but on closer inspection you can see that it is woven by densely packed one-dimensional threads. In this way, the fabric of space time is really woven by quantum threads. In accounting for these threads, loop quantum cosmology allows us to go beyond the continuum described by general relativity where Einsteins physics breaks down for example beyond the Big Bang.

The researchers previous investigation into the early universe replaced the idea of a Big Bang singularity, where the universe emerged from nothing, with the Big Bounce, where the current expanding universe emerged from a super-compressed mass that was created when the universe contracted in its preceding phase. They found that all of the large-scale structures of the universe accounted for by general relativity are equally explained by inflation after this Big Bounce using equations of loop quantum cosmology.

In the new study, the researchers determined that inflation under loop quantum cosmology also resolves two of the major anomalies that appear under general relativity.

Diagram showing evolution of the Universe according to the paradigm of Loop Quantum Origins, developed by scientists at Penn State.

IMAGE: Alan Stonebraker. P. Singh, Physics 5, 142 (2012); APS/A. Stonebraker

The primordial fluctuations we are talking about occur at the incredibly small Planck scale, said Brajesh Gupt, a postdoctoral researcher at Penn State at the time of the research and currently at the Texas Advanced Computing Center of the University of Texas at Austin. A Planck length is about 20 orders of magnitude smaller than the radius of a proton. But corrections to inflation at this unimaginably small scale simultaneously explain two of the anomalies at the largest scales in the universe, in a cosmic tango of the very small and the very large."

The researchers also produced new predictions about a fundamental cosmological parameter and primordial gravitational waves that could be tested during future satellite missions, including LiteBird and Cosmic Origins Explorer, which will continue to improve our understanding of the early universe.

In addition to Jeong, Ashtekar and Gupt, the research team includes V. Sreenath at the National Institute of Technology Karnataka in Surathkal, India. This work was supported by the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Penn State Eberly College of Science, and the Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune, India.

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Cosmic tango between the very small and the very large - Penn State News

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The internet has become so all-pervading that even the word seems a little old-fashioned now. No-one really uses it much anymore. We ask each other for wifi, or talk of going online, or complain about a lack of data, but rarely do we talk of the internet as an entity; it has become too ubiquitous, too intrinsic to our lives, for that to be a very useful term. This prompts me to wonder: what are we becoming? Could the internet lead us to become more than individuals and disparate communities?

I believe were entering an era when the words individual and community take on new definitions or meanings as we increasingly become interconnected in what I think of as a hive mind. I also believe that a hive-minded process could itself be a transition towards a singularity in consciousness across the Earth. Is that desirable, or even possible? Are we in the process of creating it? Is it inevitable? Can it be controlled? What does it even mean?

Before addressing these questions, however, well need definitions of the words Hive and Mind and the phrase Hive Mind. What is a hive mind, exactly?

Mind: An awareness of existence with experiential content, referring both to what is outside itself and to its own existence.

Hive: Multiple entities sharing an element of awareness not unique to any individual but present to each, and experienced by all as some awareness of their collective existence.

Hive Mind: An awareness formed from the communication of individual minds but different from each of its individual minds, and so not defined by the separateness of the individual minds which compose it.

Lets consider the possibility of hive-mindedness through the framework of free will, under the assumption that a loss of individual free will is undesirable.

Basic human survival has always depended on some kinds of cooperation. By extending their abilities through cooperation in pursuit of common goals, individuals secure for themselves and each other a basic or minimum state of well-being. To a degree this could be said to result in a shared will, although we usually refer to it as group psychology. In this basic sense, humanity certainly depends on hive-mindedness. Were clearly not as hive-minded as the birds, bees or ants but nevertheless, cooperation in a sense extends the consciousness of the individual. This is evident in our historical evolution, all the way up to the information technology (IT) we have recently developed.

The internet encourages and makes possible more types of collaboration involving larger groups and faster, more intimate sharing of ideas, and this takes us ever further in the direction of a hive mind, in an accelerating process not subject to any central plan. Is a hive-minded type of thought inevitable? At any rate it seems safe to assume that, so long as no catastrophe deprives us of electricity, we will increasingly lose our sense of individuality.

If we think about the internet as a brain-to-brain connection interface, we might easily see that isolated thinking becomes increasingly difficult to sustain due to the quickening rate at which were socially encouraged to share our thoughts. Somewhere along the way, an individual brain starts to act more like a neuron to the synapses of the internet brain than a self-contained unit. This is starting to become evident as we generally begin to mimic much more information than we create, especially with sharing, reposting and retweeting. Across a range of industries and activities highly complex content is now being created by online groups rather than individuals, because it is quicker to achieve richer content that way. In addition, its easy and fast to capture our experiences through photos and videos, and pass them through filters which generically impress a sense of quality but in actuality only reduce diversity and therefore individuality.

If we consider the speed at which were evolving our connections in the virtual world, it seems safe to assume that hive-mindedness is starting to happen. Our brains no longer seem to differentiate between dealing with information from the real world, and dealing with information from an artificial world. Emotionally and intellectually, we respond to social situations online as if were part of a physical community.

Neuroscientists and psychologists keep revealing that the human mind is less centralized than we thought.The philosopher David Hume argued as far back as the eighteenth century that the unity of consciousness is an illusion, and each mind consists of a bundle of perceptions and experiences. It seems to me that for any awareness made up of multiple entities, its a matter of perspective that a singularity of identity is felt to exist at all. Technology being researched now will soon be sophisticated enough to connect our minds to a degree beyond anything we can currently imagine. For example, a non-invasive brain-to-internet network demonstrated in 2019 allowed three widely separated individuals to play a collaborative Tetris-like game using only their thoughts. A singular consciousness emerging from this technological revolution must be considered possible because singular consciousnesses arisen from multiple processes already exist namely us. But if the internet began to consider itself aware and integrated, in the same sort of way that we do, I wonder if we could ever detect that? Will we know if the net becomes conscious or perhaps more plausibly to many, coordinates a singular human mind-set?

We are undeniably in a process of increasing interconnectivity. Are we just improving our social and professional lives as individuals, or are we beginning to create one mind? Comparing our online selves to the neurons in a brain, can our individual minds be rightly called one mind, or is it more like a hive of mini-minds? Perhaps we will fracture into several hive-minds before any singular global consciousness can be formed, and even eventually revert back into individualism.

We must also ask whether this process could be controlled or limited in some way. For instance, could a hive mind like the internet in the future be compartmentalized enough to preserve a sense of individuality for its users? We cannot know the answer to this now, but I believe that in order to remain individuals and exercise individual freedom we would eventually need to reject the cyberconnection altogether. This seems very unlikely to happen. This leads to a sharp question: how much control do we have even now?

Control over the hive would require there to be a widely shared desire for individual control. But if individual control is dependent on the desire of the collective, this is tantamount to saying that we have no control as individuals. The question is, will the hive relinquish some of its power and tolerate dissent among the units that compose it? Maybe not. We already see this drama being played out with massive mobbing on platforms such as Twitter of individuals felt to have transgressed against the values of the online community. It seems as if the connectedness of the mob erodes the awareness of individual voices even being necessary, therefore eliminating the basis for a desire for individuality to begin with. In short, if any rebellion against the hive mind were possible, we probably would not even know it. This could take us all the way up to the point where individual thinking would be completely consumed by a new singular awareness, surpassing the idea of a hive mind, and instead simply becoming a mind. In this situation, control becomes a matter of self-control: that is, control by the Self.

As for the morality of such a singular mind, we can only reflect that a single mind, even if composed of what used to be individuals, would be utterly alone. It might be morally pure and absolute, therefore divine, if you wish; or perhaps it would mean morality would no longer exist or be applicable. Until then were left with the same old difficult questions about the risks to individuality and its freedoms: At what point does societal organization become tyrannical? What is freedom anyway? How free should we be? How can we be moral? and so on. These questions are always over us while we simultaneously try to establish what a human really is right up until we are no longer simply human, and have become the I of the collective individual.

James Sirois 2020

James Sirois is a writer, film maker and traveler from Montral, Canada.

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The Singularity of the Human Hive Mind | Issue 139 - Philosophy Now

Elon Musk has warned that humans risk being overtaken by artificial intelligence within the next five years.

The prediction marks a significant revision of previous estimations of the so-called technological singularity, when machine intelligence surpasses human intelligence and accelerates at an incomprehensible rate.

Noted futurist Ray Kurzweil previously pegged this superintelligence tipping point at around 2045, citing exponential advances in technologies like robotics, computers and AI.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

Mr Musk, whose ventures include electric car maker Tesla and space firm SpaceX, said in an interview with The New York Times that current trends suggest AI could overtake humans by 2025.

The billionaire engineer, who also helped found the artificial intelligence research lab OpenAI in 2015, has consistently warned of the existential threat posed by advanced artificial intelligence in recent years. Despite this, he said he still feels that the issue is not properly understood.

My assessment about why AI is overlooked by very smart people is that very smart people do not think a computer can ever be as smart as they are. And this is hubris and obviously false, he said.

"Were headed toward a situation where AI is vastly smarter than humans and I think that time frame is less than five years from now. But that doesnt mean that everything goes to hell in five years. It just means that things get unstable or weird."

In 2016, Mr Musk said that humans risk being treated like house pets by artificial intelligence unless technology is developed that can connect brains to computers.

Shortly after making the remarks, Mr Musk announced a new brain-computer interface startup that is attempting to implant a brain chip using a "sewing machine-like device".

Neuralink will allow humans to compete with AI, according to Mr Musk, as well as help cure brain diseases, control mood and even let people "listen to music directly from our chips."

A robot designed by Neuralink would insert the 'threads' into the brain using a needle

Neuralink

A fully implantable neural interface connects to the brain through tiny threads

Neuralink

Trials of Neuralink's fully implantable neural interface system will begin in 2021

Neuralink

Neuralink says learning to use the device is 'like learning to touch type or play the piano'

Neuralink

A robot designed by Neuralink would insert the 'threads' into the brain using a needle

Neuralink

A fully implantable neural interface connects to the brain through tiny threads

Neuralink

Trials of Neuralink's fully implantable neural interface system will begin in 2021

Neuralink

Neuralink says learning to use the device is 'like learning to touch type or play the piano'

Neuralink

Both Mr Musk and Mr Kurzweil were among prominent artificial intelligence researchers to pledge support for stringent guidelines for the development of advanced AI.

An open letter published by the Future of Life Institute (FLI) in 2017 outlined a set of principles deemed necessary to avoid an out-of-control AI, as well as doomsday scenario involving lethal autonomous weapons.

"We hope that these principles will provide material for vigorous discussion and also aspirational goals for how the power of AI can be used to improve everyone's lives in coming years," the institute said at the time.

Continued here:

Elon Musk claims AI will overtake humans 'in less than five years' - The Independent

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) NASA launched a new mission Thursday to determine if life ever existed on Mars.

A local professor is among the scientists who helped make it happen, CBS2s Aundrea Cline-Thomas reported.

The Perseverance rover blasted off from Kennedy Space Center, starting its seven-month journey to Mars.

I woke up at 7 oclock in the morning with my wife and my two kids, said Joel Hurowitz, an assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences at Stony Brook University. we ran downstairs and it almost had a Christmas morning kind of feel to it.

Hurowitz said he was glued to NASAs YouTube channel.

Hes one of the scientists who developed an instrument mounted on the end of the rovers arm that will survey rocks on the Red Planet to determine what theyre made of.

Weve always wondered are we alone in the universe? Is the Earth a singularity in terms of life ever having started on this planet? said Hurowitz.

If successful, the mission will determine if life ever existed on Mars and, if so, what stopped its evolution.

The rover is as big as a car. Mounted cameras will help study the planets climate. A first of its kind Mars helicopter will capture aerial views of the planets surface. A drill can help collect samples of martian rocks for further study.

The feeling of, waking up everyday and just getting these beautiful pictures and going, Whats new on Mars today, what did we find? Its super cool, said Hurowitz.

Preparations for Perseverance were years in the making. Most of the work was done before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

As most of you know, if you miss this window, you gotta wait a couple years. And so, it was critically important for us to hit this, said Matt Wallace, the deputy project manager at NASA.

The Perseverance rover is expected to land on Mars in February 2021. Its designed to be able to roam the planet and collect information for years.

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Stony Brook Professor Among Scientists Who Designed Critical Instrument On NASAs Mars Rover Perseverance - CBS New York

One of the top global thought leaders on our future John Sanei offers a dire warning: "Applying normal rules in a complex world is the worst thing we can do."

To help make sense of how all of us should be preparing for what John calls FutureNEXT (also the title of his upcoming book), he is kicking off Success Performance Solutions' August Webinar series on August 4 at 1:00 PM EDT. Registration is free but pre-registration is required. Virtual seating is limited. You can register at https://crowdcast.io/futurenext.

Sanei is not surprised to see so many people struggling, even grieving over the death of "normal." With its passing, our world abruptly transformed from complicated to complex. "Our efficient rules and systems that we used to use failed fast and furious in the early stages of the pandemic Our ability to forecast and plan were abruptly disabled. Even the experts don't know what will be coming," warns this 3X best selling author and Singularity University faculty member.

Sanei recently addressed the challenge of people moving from complicated to complex in a video he posted on LinkedIN. He followed that with a powerful inquiry asking "can we teach passion?" Sanei will also offers his insights and forecasts for the future employee, future of work, future leadership, and more.

Sanei's presentation is the first of 4 weekly webinars in August hosted by Success Performance Solutions and moderated by Chief Googlization Officer Ira S Wolfe. Click here for more information and registration.

Future topics included Cracking the Curiosity Code, Diversity, Inclusion, and Inequity, and Future of Employment. Learn more.

About Our Speaker!

John Sanei (Sah-nay) comes alive at the intersection of human psychology and futurism and uses his truly unique perspective to discover elegant ways for his global audience to build the clarity and courage needed to approach the future with confidence.

Not only is John Africa's first Singularity University faculty member and a lecturer at Duke Corporate Education, but he is also an Associate Partner at The Copenhagen Institute of Future Studies - the only person on the planet to hold these three positions. His rare ability to combine his fascination with emerging technology and its impact on society with a clear understanding of the way memories and stories influence our reality has seen him share the stage with several world-renowned thought leaders, including Yuval Harari, Nassim Taleb and Robin Sharma, amongst many others.

John has three best-sellers, with the 4th book (FutureNEXT) to be released soon.

About Success Performance Solutions

Success Performance Solutionshelps companies of any size in any industry recruit faster and hire smarter. Since 1996, SPS has established itself as a leader in pre-hire and leadership assessment, respected by both clients and peers. It also provides recruitment marketing consulting services and offers an extensive library of online microlearning videos for coaching and training.

About Ira S Wolfe

Ira S Wolfe is a Millennial trapped in a Baby Boomer body and the worlds first Chief Googlization Officer. He is president of Poised for the Future Company, founder ofSuccess Performance Solutions, aTEDx Speaker,host ofGeeks Geezers Googlizationpodcast, and frequent presenter at SHRM and business conferences. Ira was also recently honored as one of the Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Future of Work by Thinkers360. His most recent book isRecruiting in the Age of Googlization,now in its 2nd edition, is recognized as one of the best HR and Recruiting books of all-time by Book Authority. He is also the founder of theGooglization Nationcommunity and frequent contributor to HR and business blog.

Excerpt from:

The Future of Employees, Work, and Leadership with Global Thought Leader John Sanei - NewsReleaseWire.com

() hadcash reserves of $3.7 million at the end of the June quarter, an increase from $3.3 million on the previous quarter, a position that was strengthened by a reduction in cash spent.

The company responded swiftly to issues surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, executing a groupwide strategy driven by four key corporate objectives -employee and stakeholder safety, preservation of capital, transition to a distributed workforce, and resource reallocation to better service near-term cashflow projects.

Consequently, Lithium Australia and its subsidiaries reduced the amount of net cash spent on operating and investing activities to $469,000,in comparison to $2.701 million spent during the March quarter.

The companys Melbourne-based recycling division, subsidiary Envirostream Australia Pty Ltd achieved design processing throughput at a time of strengthened commodity prices and is commissioning copper and aluminium recovery circuits ascopper and aluminium prices improve.

Processing trials for lithium-ion batteries are also ongoing, with a number of electric vehicle and energy storage system producers involved.

In addition, Envirostream is growing its battery collection initiatives to strengthen revenue and is investigating the use of products from spent alkaline batteries as a micronutrient additive for fertilisers.

Field trials have commenced in Western Australia and Envirostream is in discussions with leading fertiliser manufacturers regarding supply of its micronutrient blend.

Finally, Envirostream has received numerous enquiries with respect to establishing more facilities in international jurisdictions.

During the quarter, Lithium Australias batteries subsidiaries VSPC Ltd and Soluna Australia Pty Ltd continued to push ahead.

VSPC completed stage 2 of its Australian Manufacturing Growth Centre program, evaluating low-cost feed options for the production of lithium ferro phosphate in a period in which demand for LFP batteries continued to accelerate, given that global EV auto-makers prefer that battery chemistry for their expansion into China.

Soluna, meanwhile, received regulatory approval for its battery ESSs, with first sales and installations occurring in July 2020.

This divisionis experiencing strong demand for its systems from both residential and industrial sources and expects to be cash-flow positive by the end of theyear.

The companys chemicals division welcomed validation of the singularity of its LieNA lithium processing technology, which significantly improves the metallurgical recovery of lithium from fine and low-grade spodumene.

This was achieved through the grant of a patent from IP Australia, the process having already received federal government funding (through a Co-operative Research Centres Projects grant) for the construction and operation of a pilot plant as the next step towards commercialisation of that process.

With respect to raw materials, Lithium Australia, Australia Vanadium Ltd () and Mercator Metals Pty Ltd have established a strategic alliance to evaluate the Coates Mafic Intrusive Complex in WA, some 29 kilometres southwest of the Julimar nickel-coper-platinum discovery of .

The assets controlled by the strategic alliance have the potential to attract the interest of one or more senior partners.

Meanwhile, cost-cutting and rationalisation activities continue for other assets in the companys raw-materials portfolio.

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Lithium Australia has cash reserves of $3.7 million at June 30 as it focuses on near-term cashflow projects - Proactive Investors Australia

With no E3 this year, you might have wondered just how well the biggest players in the video game industry were going to do without a weeklong onslaught of gaming hype to give them free advertising. Turns out, that the long game of constant announcements over many weeks was just as effective! Thats the news according to market analysts Superdata, who detailed how fans still flocked to see regular announcements from the likes of Sony, Microsoft and Ubisoft.

Major publishers like Blizzard and PlayStation have been putting on their own events, complete with big reveals, for years, principal analyst Carter Rogers wrote.

Fans and media pay attention to these announcements no matter where or when they happen, so it makes sense for them to control the message and avoid competing with hundreds of other announcements. Its not unlike how Apple pulled out of CES in favor of their own events. In contrast, smaller companies with less buzz surrounding them benefit from the mainstream attention E3 brings to gaming.

Big, boisterous, industry events cause people to pay attention to announcements they otherwise might miss, and livestreams are not a perfect replacement.

According to Twitch viewership data, the majority of AAA game producers saw an increase in eyeballs and engagement, with Sony walking away as the winner with the highest average minute audience, trumping the likes of The Game Awards and Microsofts events in 2019. Ubisofts Forward showcase was also a big win, earning far more views than its E3 2019 press conference did (1.02 million vs 0.75 million per minute and a free copy of Watch Dogs 2 probably helped).

The only real casualty at the big boy streaming table this year was the PC Gaming Show, which saw a drop in viewers due to the audience believing that there wouldnt be any headline-grabbing announcements during the publisher livestream singularity. The end result is proof that the biggest players dont need E3 and will continue to do just fine as they control the message of their own products on their own terms, but it does leave smaller game producers at risk as events like E3 usually allow them to claim some attention during all the week-long craziness.

Until big in-person gaming events return, the most successful small developers will be those who can form partnerships with platform holders and top publishers, Rogers added.

This allows them to get their games in front of consumers when they are keeping an eye out for the biggest announcements. For example, the indie game Bugsnax from Young Horses generated buzz after its trailer debuted during the PlayStation 5 reveal. For companies that arent AAA publishers or associated with one, the current environment will limit their exposure to potential players and has shown just how valuable these gatherings can be.

Which kind of sounds like a medieval approach to future game show events with an online flavour: Smaller companies complementing the bigger chaps, creating super-states of announcements for games of all shape and size. Has a bit of a feudal touch to it, dont you think?

Last Updated: July 31, 2020

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Surprise! The biggest publishers in video games did just fine without E3 this year - Critical Hit

Imagine youre on your daily commute to work, driving along a crowded highway while trying to resist looking at your phone. Youre already a little stressed out because you didnt sleep well, woke up late, and have an important meeting in a couple hours, but you just dont feel like your best self.

Suddenly another car cuts you off, coming way too close to your front bumper as it changes lanes. Your already-simmering emotions leap into overdrive, and you lay on the horn and shout curses no one can hear.

Except someoneor, rather, somethingcan hear: your car. Hearing your angry words, aggressive tone, and raised voice, and seeing your furrowed brow, the onboard computer goes into soothe mode, as its been programmed to do when it detects that youre angry. It plays relaxing music at just the right volume, releases a puff of light lavender-scented essential oil, and maybe even says some meditative quotes to calm you down.

What do you thinkcreepy? Helpful? Awesome? Weird? Would you actually calm down, or get even more angry that a car is telling you what to do?

Scenarios like this (maybe without the lavender oil part) may not be imaginary for much longer, especially if companies working to integrate emotion-reading artificial intelligence into new cars have their way. And it wouldnt just be a matter of your car soothing you when youre upsetdepending what sort of regulations are enacted, the cars sensors, camera, and microphone could collect all kinds of data about you and sell it to third parties.

Just as AI systems can be trained to tell the difference between a picture of a dog and one of a cat, they can learn to differentiate between an angry tone of voice or facial expression and a happy one. In fact, theres a whole branch of machine intelligence devoted to creating systems that can recognize and react to human emotions; its called affective computing.

Emotion-reading AIs learn what different emotions look and sound like from large sets of labeled data; smile = happy, tears = sad, shouting = angry, and so on. The most sophisticated systems can likely even pick up on the micro-expressions that flash across our faces before we consciously have a chance to control them, as detailed by Daniel Goleman in his groundbreaking book Emotional Intelligence.

Affective computing company Affectiva, a spinoff from MIT Media Lab, says its algorithms are trained on 9.5 million face videos (videos of peoples faces as they do an activity, have a conversation, or react to stimuli) representing about 5 billion facial frames. Fascinatingly, Affectiva claims its software can even account for cultural differences in emotional expression (for example, its more normalized in Western cultures to be very emotionally expressive, whereas Asian cultures tend to favor stoicism and politeness), as well as gender differences.

As reported in Motherboard, companies like Affectiva, Cerence, Xperi, and Eyeris have plans in the works to partner with automakers and install emotion-reading AI systems in new cars. Regulations passed last year in Europe and a bill just introduced this month in the US senate are helping make the idea of driver monitoring less weird, mainly by emphasizing the safety benefits of preemptive warning systems for tired or distracted drivers (remember that part in the beginning about sneaking glances at your phone? Yeah, that).

Drowsiness and distraction cant really be called emotions, thoughso why are they being lumped under an umbrella that has a lot of other implications, including what many may consider an eerily Big Brother-esque violation of privacy?

Our emotions, in fact, are among the most private things about us, since we are the only ones who know their true nature.Weve developed the ability to hide and disguise our emotions, and this can be a useful skill at work, in relationships, and in scenarios that require negotiation or putting on a game face.

And I dont know about you, but Ive had more than one good cry in my car. Its kind of the perfect place for it; private, secluded, soundproof.

Putting systems into cars that can recognize and collect data about our emotions under the guise of preventing accidents due to the state of mind of being distracted or the physical state of being sleepy, then, seems a bit like a bait and switch.

European regulations will help keep driver data from being used for any purpose other than ensuring a safer ride. But the US is lagging behind on the privacy front, with car companies largely free from any enforceable laws that would keep them from using driver data as they please.

Affectiva lists the following as use cases for occupant monitoring in cars: personalizing content recommendations, providing alternate route recommendations, adapting environmental conditions like lighting and heating, and understanding user frustration with virtual assistants and designing those assistants to be emotion-aware so that theyre less frustrating.

Our phones already do the first two (though, granted, were not supposed to look at them while we drivebut most cars now let you use bluetooth to display your phones content on the dashboard), and the third is simply a matter of reaching a hand out to turn a dial or press a button. The last seems like a solution for a problem that wouldnt exist without said solution.

Despite how unnecessary and unsettling it may seem, though, emotion-reading AI isnt going away, in cars or other products and services where it might provide value.

Besides automotive AI, Affectiva also makes software for clients in the advertising space. With consent, the built-in camera on users laptops records them while they watch ads, gauging their emotional response, what kind of marketing is most likely to engage them, and how likely they are to buy a given product. Emotion-recognition tech is also being used or considered for use in mental health applications, call centers, fraud monitoring, and education, among others.

In a 2015 TED talk, Affectiva co-founder Rana El-Kaliouby told her audience that were living in a world increasingly devoid of emotion, and her goal was to bring emotions back into our digital experiences. Soon theyll be in our cars, too; whether the benefits will outweigh the costs remains to be seen.

Image Credit: Free-Photos from Pixabay

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Cars Will Soon Be Able to Sense and React to Your Emotions - Singularity Hub

The Indian government and society have an obligation to prevent any development that can fracture the historic ties with Bangladesh, Dhakas Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen said on Sunday.

The statement was in response to the August 5 inauguration of construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya which, according to commentators of Bangladesh, will give a new political opportunity to the hardline opponents of Sheikh Hasina. The Minister also defended last weeks phone conversation between Prime Minister Hasina and her Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan saying there was nothing unusual in that discussion.

India and Bangladesh share a historic and arterial relationship. We will not allow this [temple construction] to hurt ties but I would still urge that India should not allow any development that can fracture our beautiful and deep relationship. This is valid for both our countries and I would say both sides should work in such a way so that such disruptions can be averted, said Mr. Momen regarding the position of Bangladesh about the beginning of the temple construction.

Muslim devotees of Lord Ram gear up to celebrate temple bhoomi pujan in Ayodhya

The Minister told The Hindu over telephone from Dhaka that every section of India and Bangladesh should play a role in fostering good relationship. Your society also has an obligation to ensure good relationship with us. Governments alone cannot deliver on such matters. People and media are also part of this endeavour to ensure ties remain on track and the focus remains on development activities, said Mr. Momen.

The comments have added to the concern from the veteran experts of international affairs and the civil society of Bangladesh who have cautioned that the construction though an internal matter of India will have an emotional impact on the people of Bangladesh.

This will of course give an opportunity to the politics of singularity in Bangladesh which moved away from the two-nation theory in 1971. We are not comfortable with this theory but evidences suggest that India is moving towards the two-nation theory, said Prof. Imtiaz Ahmed of the University of Dhaka who urged India to prevent any spillover effect of the Ram temple episode from hitting ties with Bangladesh. Barrister Tureen Afroze of the Alliance against Extremism and Terrorism said the fundamentalist forces in Bangladesh will get a new lease of life in the coming weeks because of the planned event in Ayodhya. Common people of India and Bangladesh suffer whenever fundamentalist forces prosper and this event will dramatically increase the strength of the singularity lobby in Bangladesh.

Also read:Ayodhya mosque trust yet to be constituted

Mr. Momen blamed vested interests for trying to highlight a series of developments in Dhaka which indicated increasing differences between the neighbours. It was reported in these columns earlier that outgoing High Commissioner Riva Ganguly Das could not meet Sheikh Hasina despite repeated efforts. Diplomatic sources from Dhaka said the meeting did not materialise because of the threat of COVID-19. Most of the PMs engagements have shifted to digital platforms as we are prioritising the leaders safety and health in this time of pandemic, said a source arguing that the meetings will resume once the pandemic scenario improves.

Dr. Momen said Bangladesh supports regional peace and expects dialogue with all and said last weeks phone call between Sheikh Hasina and Mr. Khan was a matter of courtesy.

Whats wrong if Pakistan dials us? Why should there be any problem if they make a telephone call? After all we both live in the same world, said Mr. Momen blaming the media for spicing up reports on the call during which both the leaders discussed the COVID-19 scenario. Pakistan said Mr. Khan had raised the Kashmir issue.

Also read:Ayodhya verdict | Supreme Court agrees Muslims were wronged but allows Ram temple

Bangladesh however has maintained silence about Kashmir and said the conversation was COVID-19-related. India subsequently appreciated the position as Dhaka considers it an internal matter of India.

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With many summer internships disrupted by the pandemic, the Architecture Department at Penn partnered with Surface magazine to create theSummer School at Penn, a month-long virtual lecture series and design competition. During the four-week program, 76 students from the Stuart Weitzman School of Design listened to public lectures by world-renowned architects, educators, graphic and industrial designers, and doctors and submitted their designs for a mobile-testing unit. Their colorful and comforting creations showcase the rigorous in-depth research and power of optimism and demonstrate how architects and designers can help support the ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus.

Architecture Department Chair Winka Dubbeldam was inspired by the many students who made face shields for health care workers and wanted to find a way to give something back. I was impressed that the students, outside of having to do online coursework for the last half of semester, were also doing this. They really inspired us with their courage and empathy and willingness to help, she says. Dubbeldam initiated this summer school for the students and was able to quickly find a wide range of designers and professors eager to support the students whose summer plans had been disrupted.

During the month-long Summer School, lecturers provided guidance on designing buildings with a small footprint that can be assembled on site and also challenged students to be empathetic and inclusive. While the speakers came from a wide range of areas of expertise, Dubbeldam says she was surprised that one of the common themes was to understand it was really about the people who visited the pavilion and for the students to also simply enjoy the process. Almost all of them ended with, And knowing all that, just have fun designing this, she says.

In addition to lectures covering topics such as the parallels between white supremacy and COVID-19 and how the pandemic unfolded in Guayaquil, Ecuador, several Penn professors shared their insights: Thom Mayne discussed the importance of problem formulation. Ferda Kolatan encouraged students to take inspiration from personal protective equipment to create mobile-testing stations that are somewhere between design, utilitarian, and art objects.Marion Weiss told students how much their talents are needed at this challenging time, saying, You all have gifts to bring to the world that could be small and impactful by their distribution in the millions or impactful in their singularity to change a city.

The Summer School Super Jury received 35 submissions for creating a mobile-testing facility that could be reused after the pandemic. Seven winners were announced earlier this month: Hanqing Yao for FLIP IT in first place, Lauren Hunter and Valerie Pretto for Community Cumuli in second, and Jiewei Li and Mrinalini Vermas UNFOLD and Hillary Morales and Molly Zmichs Dimensioning Remembrance tied for third place.

Inspired by Thom Maynes idea of combining a testing center with an ice cream stand as well as Weiss concept of the playscape, masters of architecture student Yao designed a mobile-testing unit with versatility and comfort in mind. Using simple and playful geometries made from prefabricated components, FLIP IT is designed to, quite literally, flip in different directions to serve different functionsbe it a walk-through testing site or, post-pandemic, a childrens play area.

The space is also designed to provide shaded spaces in soft, pastel colors to make the setting comfortable and relaxing. I am trying to create a more enjoyable and safer space for patients going through a serious medical process and the doctors who dedicate so much to the control of the disease, says Yao. The unique views and forms give people a refreshing and positive experience while being tested in a pandemic.

While trying to empathize with the experience of those being tested, masters of architecture students Hunter and Pretto wanted to provide an environment that was universal and calming. Community Cumuli embodies the softness and lightness of clouds and is made of a light yet durable plastic, one that can be easily cleaned when used as a testing site and also able to be reshaped into something new. We imagined this as being something that existed beyond COVID for disaster relief, temporary housing, or a pavilion where people gather. We also designed several different pieces that could be linked together, allowing people to have control over what they want and what they need, says Hunter.

Hunter and Pretto set out to stay engaged, to learn as much as they could from the program, and, overall, to have fun. I think that attitude has definitely shown through the design, says Pretto. Its playful, its fun, its lighthearted, and that attitude really did influence the design of the project.

While developing UNFOLD, environmental building design masters students Jiewei Li and Mrinalini Verma were inspired by Yves Behars lecture on how to rethink design problems. They came up with a two-layered structure made of composite paper, which is easy to pre-fabricate and also has low virus retention. The outer layer, where people wait to be tested, is separated yet interwoven with the inner layer where the procedure takes place. We first looked at how people get tested now: They build a tent, and you wait in line. When its raining, it will be difficult, and we felt that there must be some shade, says Li about their dual-layered design. We want to build a good environment for people while they are waiting to be tested.

Prototyped using paper and inspired by origami structures, their final design also incorporates basic principles of upward ventilation to provide a space where people could still be safe from exposure even if they were less than six feet apart. We brought in the design question of how we can challenge social distancing norms, says Verma of how Behars lecture inspired them to think about how to address design challenges differently.

Inspired by V. Mitch McEwens presentation on the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racism, masters of architecture students Morales and Zmich created a testing site that could serve as a memorial for those who lost their lives to COVID-19. We took this project as an opportunity to start a conversation: how to make this space for the present in terms of the health necessities but also in terms of remembrance because our process of mourning is restricted. Its a very reflective project, says Morales.

As their design began to take shape during recent protests around racial injustice, they also realized how important site selection would be. With a national movement supporting the removal of racist monuments, they found an opportunity to turn these newly emptied public spaces into testing sites. We are facing two pandemics, social and health, and that is something that, as a designer, is unusual to address, Zmich says. We also realized the importance of creating public space, which is now the space where people can be together, and that was what drove our idea.

Dubbeldam enjoyed being able to stay connected to and to give back to the students that have always been an inspiration to her and to so many others in the School. We had a lot of conversations about all the issues that were going on, and it was nice to be close in this very difficult period, she says.

Many participants credit the diverse set of speakers as a great feature of the program and one that they hope to see continue in the future. We as architects need to involve other professions throughout our design process in order to accurately inform our projects, projects that can be attentive not only to the user experience but to their functionality in the future, says Pretto.

Its also apparent that cities are actively transforming, from outdoor seating at restaurants to changes in everyday social interactions, and how important these smaller scale interventions will continue to be. Building a bunch of buildings is not the answer right now, but our creative problem solving, thinking about how to readjust space, is something that architects are going to need to help with going forward, says Zmich.

Inspired to join the Summer School to find ways to address the coronavirus crisis, Verma is now interested in using her skills to think about new ways to retrofit existing spaces so they can be more open and healthier. Staying indoors for so many months made a question of what spaces are really essential and how spaces that cant be used during a pandemic like this could be redesigned to adapt to more essential functions.

Hunter says that because people want to be able to experience places beyond their sense of sight, being mindful of peoples interactions with public spaces will need to be a key consideration for designers in the future. We really have to think about how people interact with architecture: how you open a door or flip on a light switch, especially when you are in a public place she says.

Li agrees that re-thinking how to use existing spaces will be essential in the future and is thankful that, as an architect, he knows that he has a role in the ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus. When the pandemic started, I was very lost. I felt like only medical people are fighting the virus. I felt like for architects, it was hard to take part, but in this competition, I feel like we can do something by our design.

Morales emphasizes that encouraging designers to be more conscientious will also be essential. The community is something that people should be aware of during the design process. We are serving people and making things for people, and we need to think about them and their lives not as a secondary thing but as something thats integral to the design process, she says.

After deciding to stay in Philadelphia because of the uncertainty around the pandemic, Yao joined the Summer School because of her optimism that things could get better through everyones effort, an optimism that shows through in her and the other students designs. The Summer School was a great opportunity to make a positive voice in the pandemic and to rethink what design can bring to society, says Yao. Architects are taking more responsibility for making people safer.

Winka Dubbeldam is Miller Professor and Chair of the Department of Architecture in the Stuart Weitzman School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Super Jury included Winka Dubbeldam, Annette Fierro, Ferda Kolatan, Thom Mayne, and Marion Weiss from the Stuart Weitzman School of Design; Yves Bhar from Fuseproject; Marc Miller from Pennsylvania State University; Susan Sellers from Yale University; Mark Gardner, a masters of architecture alum who graduated in 2000; and Joseph Scharzkopf from Uribe Schwarzkopf.

For the complete list of lecturers and links to recordings, visit the Surface Summer School at Penn event website.

Participants receiving honorable mentions are Beikel Rivas, Miguel Matos, and Dario Sabidussi for Personal Protective Pod; Fang Cheng, Shifei Xu, and Chengzhe Zhu for Breezing/Breathing Cloud; and Hadi El Kebbi, Nicholas Houser, Anna Lim, and Danny Ortega for Matryoshka Kit. All participants in the program are graduate students in the Weitzman School of Design. Images from proposals can be viewed on the Weitzman Flickr.

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Expressions of color, comfort, and creativity in the fight against COVID-19 - Penn Today