Monthly Archives: June 2021

The Standard Model of the birth of the Universe is usually referred to as the Big Bang. Essentially, everything in existence expanded out of an infinitesimally small point, called a Singularity, with unfathomable energy. From that beginning the Universe, as we know it, exploded into being following the natural laws of Nature. When and how did scientists come up with that idea?

Based on their imaginations and physical environments, people in myriad cultures and religions and philosophies throughout history invented various creative explanations for how the Universe began. Is the current science based explanation any different and if so how?

That the Universe began from a singularity is a relatively new deduction. Since the time when scientists began to speculate on what the environment beyond Earth really was, they postulated the Universe was in a Steady State or Static State, existing from infinity past to infinity future and not changing in any dramatic way. It was Edwin Hubble in 1929 who was first to notice an odd aspect to distant galaxies. The light from those distant galaxies (there are billions of galaxies each composed of billions of stars which Hubble is also credited with unveiling) was shifted toward the red end of the spectrum. This solid science indicates the light source is moving away from us, and the greater the shift, the faster the object is receding and the farther away it is.

Since that initial realization, astrophysicists and astronomers have fine-tuned the measurements of this phenomena until there is no doubt that nearly all galaxies are moving away from each other in ever increasing velocity as if in the aftermath of an explosion. If we run the clock backwards in time, the closer the galaxies are to each other until reaching the time when everything was compressed into a point of infinite energy. (What about solid stuff like atoms? They are bits of compressed energy as Einstein showed and nuclear weapons prove.)

The evidence for the Standard Model is substantial, but it is not perfect. In order for the Universe to begin that way, the equations indicate there had to have been a period of time very early on, which astrophysics call Inflation, when the Universe was expanding faster than the speed of light. Yet this violates the current understanding of the laws of Nature. And the current mathematical equations fail to describe what conditions were like at time zero.

Before Einsteins revolutionary E=MC2, scientists thought that space contained some sort of tangible substance they called ether. Part of their reasoning was that waves like water or sound waves require something to move through. Water waves require water and sound waves require a substance like air. But if there was nothing in space (a vacuum), then they believed light could not traverse it because light also acts like a wave. Without getting too technical, Einsteins breakthrough eliminated the need for a substance in space because light can also act like particles and can pass through a vacuum.

It is important to note that scientists generally accept the Standard Model because, even though it has issues, the evidence for it is substantial. But is there any other possibility? The following is one other, but in order for it to work we have to rejuvenate the ether that was rejected after Einsteins work. But this ether is not a substance as we think of a substance but rather merely an underlying condition of probabilities, which we can call a field for simplicity sake. In this view, the entire Universe did not start from a massive expansion from an infinitely small point, but from a tiny fluctuation in this field of probabilities, something like a seed planted in a field of soil. So from and within this field, then, this tiny fluctuation grew exponentially gaining energy and eventually expanding outward into the Universe, as it exists today. This underlying field is theoretical, but it could explain such oddities as to why the expansion of the Universe is not slowing down but speeding up and why most of the energy and matter in the Universe is unaccounted for by the Standard Model. It could explain virtual particles, strange bits of energy that pop in and out of existence. Where do they come from and where do they go when they are not here? It could explain dark energy and dark matter, which are mysterious substances that are suspected only by their effects on ordinary matter.

So the Big Bang or the Little Pop? Several new scientific initiatives are underway to glean more information from the Cosmos. Scientists will let the evidence speak for itself and like scientific inquiry in most other instances, will likely reveal more questions than it answers.

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Did the universe begin with a big bang or a little pop? - Herald Review

There are tens of billions of galaxies in the universe, each with tens of billions of stars. Many stars have planets, and a healthy fraction of those are rocky and can sustain liquid water on their surfaces (like Earth). Even frozen moons circling frigid gas giants generate and retain enough energy to heat huge subsurface oceans.

Meanwhile, the ingredients for life as we know it are everywhere. Four of the six most abundant elements in the universecarbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogenalso happen to be crucial players in biochemistry. Weve even spotted complex organic molecules on asteroids, comets, and in interstellar clouds of gas.

In short, the more we learn about the universe, the more likely it seems that life in its simplest forms ought to be somewhat common. And if simple life is common and even a small fraction of life-sustaining planets develops a technological civilization, there ought to be many such civilizations in the galaxy. Sowhere is everybody?

Though attributed to famed physicist, Enrico Fermi, who reportedly posed the question at lunch in 1950, other researchers dug out the implications in published works after he died.

The thinking goes like this: If there are other technological, spacefaring civilizations in the universe, they will eventually develop interstellar travel and settle nearby stars. Those societies will settle new stars, and in the fullness of cosmological time, theyll hop from system to system until theyve settled the whole galaxy.

The Milky Way is around 13.6 billion years old, but we dont see evidence of any other technological civilizations in our neighborhood. So what gives?

Theres been no shortage of speculative answers to that question. But some of the earliest arguments took umbrage at the claim theres been enough time. That is, it would take a very, very long while to build interstellar spacecraft and travel the vast, empty spaces between stars.

The galaxy isnt old enough to have been fully settled yetor is it?

According to a recent addition to the Fermi debate, space and speed are no barrier to galactic empireeven without fancy tech like warp drives.

A 2019 paper, authored by Penn State and University of Rochester astronomers Jonathan Carroll-Nellenback,Adam Frank,Jason Wright, andCaleb Scharf, laid out an intricate model of galactic settlement, including the motion of stars, the fraction of habitable systems, the speed and range of ships, and other factors.

Now, in a new research note, the team present a visualization of just what that process might look like in action.

The simulation shows a significant fraction of a galaxy can be settled in a relatively short period of time, even with ships traveling no faster than the Voyager spacecraft. Further, the center of the galaxy could be a cosmic cantina thatd make even George Lucas blush.

The researchers found a key to speed was the motion of the stars themselves. Whereas older simulations relied on static configurations of stars, the galaxy is anything but stationary. Stars are in constant motion relative to the galactic center and each other.

In the simulation, ships (white cubes) in settled star systems (magenta spheres) wait for new systems (white points) to pass within their limited range (around 10 light-years) before launching a mission. Not all systems have habitable planets, and some that are habitable turn out to be unsettleable upon arrival (an outcome the researchers dub the Aurora effect after Kim Stanley Robinsons novel Aurora). And finally, settlement ships launch no more frequently than every 100,000 years.

These are all quite conservative assumptionsespecially the frequency of launchesand they dont rely on some future (possibly fantastical) propulsion technology.

This means were not talking about a rapidly or aggressively expanding species, and theres no warp drive or anything, Wright told Gizmodo.

Theres just ships that do things we could actually manage to do with something like technology we can design today, perhaps fast ships using solar sails powered by giant lasers, or just very long-lived ships that can make journeys of 100,000 years running on ordinary rockets and gravitational slingshots from giant planets.

And yet, despite all this, the timescale covered by the simulation is just a billion years, under 10 percent the age of the galaxy. Not only does leveraging star motion accelerate the process, so too does the density of starsnote the explosive exponential growth in the center of the galaxy (a place they suggest is ripe for SETIs attention).

How does the team account for the fact weve not found evidence of other technological civilizations yet?

In their 2019 paper, they explored a wide range of possible scenarios, given the model. The recently released simulation is only one. If the parameters are tweakedfor example, the fraction of settleable worlds is especially lowthe outcomes may look different, including scenarios where the galaxy is empty. Likewise, they note that in fully settled galaxies, the finite lifetime of civilizations may result in densely populated neighborhoods surrounded by population voids.

This range of possibilities is notable. A good model helps frame the debate, but many unknowns remain. Which is, of course, why the Fermi paradox is fun. Absent hard evidence, its fertile ground for speculation. Our knowledge of the galaxy is far from complete.

Still, like the stars, science isnt stationary. Unknowns in Fermis day are now on firmer footing. We know many star systems have planets resembling Earth and have evidence that liquid water may not be so rare.

NASAs Perseverance rover is preparing to drill into Martian soil in search of life. The James Webb Space Telescope will study exoplanet atmospheres for biosignatures. And NASA plans to send probes to promising outer-solar-system moons.

Finding even a few microbes in another part of our own solar system would be ground-shaking. If life has occurred more than once around the same starwhat are the odds its never arisen anywhere else?

More complicated are questions of how often simple life gives rise to technological civilizations, whether such cultures would be motivated and capable of settling other stars, and if they persist long enough to spread across an entire galaxy.

Still, every year, as we reach further into our solar system and look deeper into the universe, the answer to Fermis famous question gets a little bit clearer.

Image Credit: Jason T. Wright,Jonathan Carroll-Nellenback,Adam Frank, andCaleb Scharf / The American Astronomical Society

Excerpt from:

Fermi Paradox: Here's What an Alien Civilization Settling the Galaxy Looks Like - Singularity Hub

I dont like to think about the past too much, Wolfgang Puck confesses early in the Disney+ documentary Wolfgang, a red flag that were not going to encounter much in the way of intense self-scrutiny in the scant 78 minutes that follow. A fairly vapid and shallow affair, even by the low standards of the celebrity bio-doc subgenre, Wolfgang provides copious archival montages of the first celebrity chef (Julia Child apparently didnt count), but precious little understanding of what actually makes him tick.

Pucks early years are skimmed, aside from an extended anecdote about losing his first kitchen job, told in great detail and illustrated with re-enactment footage, so we fully understand this as The Story That Defines Him. The real juice here is Chef Wolfgangs rise to fame, and much of that material is fascinating: how the open kitchen design of his Spago restaurant elevated the chef from a blue-collar job to a celebrity, how his staff read Hollywood trade papers to best assess who got the premium tables, how instrumental he was to the development of fusion cooking.

Some much-needed tension is provided by Patrick Terrail, the owner of Ma Maison (Pucks first kitchen of note), as he and his chef maintain conflicting accounts of how much credit Puck deserved for that restaurants success. But most of the picture hums along with the singularity of purpose of an infomercial, and even its coverage of Pucks flaws he spread himself too thin, he was an absentee father and husband have the ring of a job applicants description of their biggest flaw: that they just work too hard, and care too much.

Wolfgang is directed by David Gelb, who all but defined the celebrity chef documentary with Jiro Dreams of Sushi. He hits many of the same notes; the food photography is delectable, and Puck is full of bite-size wisdom like We have to have focus in life and If you believe in something, you have to follow your dreams. But Wolfgang ultimately plays like exactly what it is: Jiro Disney-fied, and thus drained of its nuance, complexity and interrogation.

WolfgangNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 18 minutes. Watch on Disney+.

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Wolfgang Review: Light as a Souffl, and About as Substantial - The New York Times

ST. LOUIS -- As we watched Simone Biles, it felt like we were part of a pilgrimage.

We'd traveled to Missouri for the U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials, a huge crowd of strangers now bonded by this collective coming-together. We were yearning to witness greatness, but we also felt protective of her, invested in her. All of us knew, without needing to verbalize it, this was likely our last chance to see her competing in the flesh.

So when Simone Biles, during her balance beam routine, wobbled twice, then hopped to the floor in disgust, thousands of people inside The Dome at America's Center let loose an audible gasp.

It was an instinctive, but unified sound -- part surprise, part concern. As Biles climbed back on the beam to finish her routine, I realized it was also a noise I hadn't heard in more than a year. All 24,000 of us were joined together in collective emotion, and we were reacting to something happening right in front of us, something we could bear witness to without the technological magic of fiber optic cables or high-definition cameras.

In that moment, we got to feel anxious together instead of alone.

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We could tell, even from several hundred feet away, that Biles was trying not to cry as her routine ended. After she nailed her dismount and forced herself to smile as she saluted to the judges, she marched toward her backpack in steely silence, her competitors and coaches wisely giving her the space she needed without a word being spoken. Biles' uncharacteristic wobble on the beam meant very little in the grand scheme of the competition. She'd easily win the women's all-around, earning a spot on the U.S. Olympic team for the second time, and she remains an overwhelming favorite to capture multiple gold medals in Tokyo next month. But it was clear, at least for one night, that holding oneself to standards once inconceivable in the world of gymnastics can be, at times, onerous.

I peeked to my left and tried to study the face of my 11-year-old daughter, Molly, who had inspired our personal version of this pilgrimage. By the time their kids reach a certain age, most parents, myself included, believe they can correctly interpret their kid's emotions with little more than a glance. But that parental art has understandably become more challenging in COVID times, with faces frequently obscured by masks. This time, Molly's eyes gave little away.

"I think Simone is just frustrated," I said, trying to offer reassurance.

"Yeah, I just feel bad for her," she replied. She said little else.

Molly and I had flown down from Maryland, just the two of us, finally going on the adventure we'd vowed to take more than a year ago, before the world unraveled, the trials and the Olympics were postponed, before school took place on a computer screen in her bedroom and before her own gymnastics team, and the friendships that came with it, were paused indefinitely. Seeing Simone was supposed to be a 10th birthday present, a conscious effort by me to instill an admittedly cheesy, yet entirely sincere family philosophy that experiences are invaluable, and that they will live on long after material things -- like the iPhone she wanted -- end up buried in a landfill.

A year later, it felt even more important to make the trip -- in large part because Biles, her favorite gymnast, is likely to retire from competitive gymnastics after Tokyo. But it was more than that.

I had promised to take her to see Biles on the day she turned 10, in December of 2019.

Now she was 11, and speeding toward 12. That past year had been a blur. Nothing would feel truly normal again until that promise was fulfilled.

IT IS ADMITTEDLY difficult to find the right words that describe what it is like to watch Simone Biles perform a tumbling pass in person. Television shots and YouTube clips are the necessary, insufficient vessels the sport of gymnastics has to share her talent to the world, but what becomes clear after seeing her in person is how impossible it is, digitally, to convey scale.

Remove the box you are used to seeing her soar through, and suddenly the air around her -- and her ability to travel through it, often inverted -- seems limitless. To watch her on television is to marvel at the limits of athletic excellence. If you could see her, instead, do a double layout with a half twist across your living room, watch her feet as they nearly brush your ceiling, you might question Newton's law of universal gravitation.

She is the first athlete I can remember for whom there is no push to add a qualifier to her status as the Greatest Of All Time. There is no army of sports bros demanding that we throw the word "female" in front of the declaration that she's reached the pinnacle of the sport, no contingent of stupid arguing that, because women do not compete in the rings, the high bar, the pommel horse or the parallel bars, it diminishes her accomplishments.

There is no one counting medals or grand slam titles. If she's Michael Jordan, there is no LeBron. If she's Tiger Woods, there is no Jack Nicklaus. She has reached the rarified air where criticism -- even the performative, contrarian kind -- likely couldn't gain traction. I had to smile when Biles strutted into the first night of the trials wearing slides embossed with the sequin outline of a goat. (She's also worn several leotards recently with the symbol.) It didn't feel arrogant as much as it felt earned, like a statement of fact. She hasn't lost an all-around competition since 2013.

Biles is so good, she has (in the opinion of many observers smarter than me) broken the modern scoring standard used in gymnastics, which in theory offers gymnasts a limitless possibility in the degree of difficulty category. This topic has been well covered within gymnastics' small universe, but has been barely discussed outside of it, perhaps because of how illogical it seems when explained to a layperson.

(As a gymnastics dad, I will attempt to gym-splain it to you.)

Essentially, the International Gymnastics Federation choose to place a cap on the difficulty rating for some of Biles' most innovative maneuvers so as to discourage other, lesser athletes from attempting them and potentially injuring themselves. Biles was, understandably, annoyed and called their reasoning "bulls---" and has continued to perform the moves in competition, despite getting what feels like partial credit.

If you're a student of sports history, the federation's decision seems eerily similar to the NCAA's 1967 rule banning the dunk in basketball, citing safety as its motivation. The rule was widely believed to have been put in place to keep UCLA's 7-foot-2 freshman, Lew Alcindor, from dominating. The basketball establishment didn't want Alcindor to dominate the way Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell had.

Alcindor dominated anyway. Biles has done the same.

The old guard in gymnastics is adamant that Biles' race has nothing to do with it, and that might be true. For the most part, she's been celebrated by the sport for taking it places few could have imagined.

For the most part.

When she won her first world championship in 2013, becoming the first Black woman in the sport's history to do so, an Italian gymnast who finished fourth on the balance beam joked with a teammate "Maybe next time we'll paint our skin black so then we can win too." She then volunteered that anecdote to a reporter, presumably thinking it would find a sympathetic audience. The Italian federation apologized, then tried to explain their frustrations that Biles victory had nothing to do with race, it was actually about artistry. What was gymnastics becoming, they wondered, by placing such an emphasis on strength and power?

Having watched Biles compete, in person, last weekend, I feel emboldened to contradict: That anyone ever suggested she lacks "artistry" is laughable. What they mean but lack the courage to say, is Biles, more than any gymnast, has dragged the sport away from those who want it to remain part athletic endeavor, part beauty contest. Because what is art, really, without innovation or the fear of failure? There are times, certainly, when you fear she will crash to the floor, an Amanar or Yurchenko double pike gone wonky that puts her in peril. But she never does.

Her athleticism is so remarkable, her balance and body control so mesmerizing, it serves as a testament to its own singularity. There is no one on earth like her. She is, in the simplest terms, boundless liquid grace.

COUNTLESS MORNINGS DURING the pandemic, Molly would wake up at dawn, well before anyone else in the house, and find a quiet space, away from the rest of the world, where she could watch Biles' routines on YouTube. It didn't matter how old or obscure the competition was, she would find it and study it, and day-dream about what it would feel like to one day soar like that. As soon as COVID was over, she said, she wanted to return to competitive gymnastics. She didn't even care if she never medaled again, a telling declaration considering she competes at a level where girls often "medal" when there is a four-way tie for 7th place. It was the camaraderie, and the competition, she missed.

The pandemic has been hard on a lot of kids for a lot of different reasons. Nothing our family went through could begin to approach the horrors that some families experienced: the loss of jobs, the loss of loved ones. Perspective, we told our kids, was important. You may not see it, but you are some of the lucky ones.

We are just beginning to understand, though, how much the isolation -- and the upending of social circles -- affected kids during the pandemic. It was easy to feel helpless as a parent, trying to trust the science but also find the balance between safety and what your eyes and gut were telling you. Group texts and Zoom hangouts were fine, but they were survival tools, not a replacement for anything real. The hardest moment of the pandemic, for me, came one night in in December of 2020, when I snuck a peek at Molly's handwritten letter to Santa.

She didn't care if Santa brought gifts this year. But could he, somehow, help her find a best friend?

The last year, she wrote, has been so lonely.

HOW DO YOU feel comfortable in a massive crowd again after spending more than a year avoiding them? You put your faith in the science. That's what we told ourselves, anyway.

She asked if she could hold my hand while we wove our way through the dense crowd toward our seats. I was grateful she had not yet reached the age where she would be embarrassed by such things. "I just don't want to lose you," she said.

Signs everywhere inside The Dome at America's Center informed attendees that masks were required, but there was no enforcement or even judgement, once you came through the door. Thousands took them off. It didn't feel like defiance, just comfort. I hadn't been to a sporting event since the Chiefs played the 49ers in the Super Bowl in Miami, but I'd been vaccinated since early April. I believe in the science, but I also wanted Molly to feel okay about our adventure, so I mostly kept mine on. She wouldn't even lift her mask to eat a pack of Skittles I'd snuck in for her, choosing to tuck them discretely under her mask, then into her mouth, while she watched the gymnasts, her eyes alight with wonder.

Whenever Biles was active, Molly's gaze, and everyone else's in the arena, was locked on her. At those times, there is an energy that seems to surround her. A presence. She understands how many eyes are fixed on her at all times, but she never seems hurried or self-conscious. I recognize it, and its rarity, having spent more than 20 years writing about sports. There is a quiet hum of intensity flowing through her, the kind that once fueled Kobe and Michael, but Biles has added her own twist.

Joy.

It's not ever-present. It would be a myth to pretend it was. Biles was mad at herself on the final night of trials, admitting as much to the media after it was over, acknowledging that she felt pressure to perform. "I feel like anything other than my best will tick me off," Biles said. "We had a huge crowd and I wanted to give them my best performance. It's what they deserve after COVID and the year we've had. Unfortunately, it wasn't the case."

But the disappointment of the balance beam seemed to fade as soon as she began her final floor exercise. Molly had asked me, prior to each event, if she could borrow my phone to record Biles' performances. She wanted to share it with people back home and keep it forever. I volunteered to do the recording instead, insisting she appreciate the performance -- in the moment -- instead of worrying how it looked through a pixilated screen. I found myself sneaking looks at her after each of Biles' tumbling passes. When it was over, the largest crowd in the history of the gymnastics trials gave her a standing ovation. Biles grinned and tried to soak it in. It had been a long year for her too. Though I am admittedly biased, I'm confident my daughter clapped and screamed harder than anyone there.

Joy, it was nice to be reminded, is infectious.

IT RAINED ALL weekend in Saint Louis, the kind of sporadic, midwestern summer storm that pummels you like a boxer, letting up for a few minutes, only to come crashing down again with renewed intensity just when you think it's tiring. Between gymnastics sessions, we drove around in our rental car, exploring an unfamiliar city, listening to an Olivia Rodrigo album about heartache, my daughter singing along in a gentle, slightly off-key falsetto. It's disarming sometimes to recognize pieces of yourself when you look at your kids. She is ruminative like me, and easily wounded, but also earnest in ways I cherish.

Molly had one request before we left town. She'd seen a picture Biles had posted on Instagram early in the week of herself, her back to the camera, looking up at the Gateway Arch, the city's most famous landmark. Could we find where Simone had taken the picture and try to recreate it?

There was, mercifully, a break in the rain when we arrived near the arch. Sunlight was bouncing off the buildings. We knew it wouldn't last, so a weird sense of urgency crept over us. Where was she sitting when she took it? Which direction was she facing? There was an American flag in the foreground. Was she behind the arch, down by the Mississippi River or in front of it facing East?

Eventually, we realized Biles had shot it from across the street, sitting on the steps of The Old Courthouse. On our way up the stairs, I noticed a plaque engraved into the granite, and so I stopped to read it. It was here, at this courthouse, that Dred and Harriet Scott filed suit, suing for their freedom in 1846. The Supreme Court eventually ruled on their case in 1857, declaring by a 7-2 vote that African Americans were not citizens of the United States.

Had Biles seen the plaque as she climbed the stairs? It would have been hard to miss. What must it have felt like for her, I wondered, to stand here as a beloved Olympian, and contemplate the complexity of the last 164 years? Whatever the answers might be, it wasn't my place to ask or my story to tell. One of the easiest things to admire about Biles, when you're raising a daughter, is that she's unafraid to speak her mind. But she will do so only when she decides it's time.

What I do know is, Molly and I were not the only ones who saw Biles' picture on Instagram and wanted to recreate it. At the top of the stairs, a small crowd of girls had gathered, girls from different races and different backgrounds, and now they were patiently waiting their turn. Like my daughter, they wanted to sit where Biles had recently sat, and imagine what it must feel like to be that fearless, to be capable of so many extraordinary things.

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In awe of Simone Biles' greatness, with my daughter and 25,000 others - ESPN

Green Heineken beer cooler robot in front of an in-ground pool

I have spent a significant portion of my life warning people about the threat that robots pose to humanity, and none of you will listen. We are fast becoming a society that expects robots to load our dishwashers and smell our meat, inviting the machines into our lives with open arms even as they (presumably) unite to overthrow their human oppressors. The day doesnt feel far off when we will be forced to smell their meat.

The robots are cunning, and they already know exactly how to manipulate us. Case in point: the B.O.T. (or Beer Outdoor Transporter), a new, adorable little robot from Heineken that is not only cute and helpful, but involves beer delivery, providing /victims/ consumers a positive association with intelligent machines. Take a look at this promo video and pay attention to what it does to your emotions:

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Even my heart was warmed by that video, even though my brain was screaming at it not to. This is some of the best robot propaganda I have seen in recent memory, and every single one of you should be terrified. Go take another look at happens between the 10- and 11-second mark. Ill wait.

Thats right: an attractive person calls to the robot like a puppy and it follows. In less time than it takes to blink, the robot is able to shoot straight past any barriers of intellect and reasoning we use to protect ourselves against robots. By the time the advertisement mentions that the B.O.T. includes a charming A.I. personality at the 38-second mark, weve long been ready to submit to its whims. Its straight up diabolical.

Anyway, if you have resigned yourself to the inevitability of robot rule and would like the chance to bring this mechanical beer puppy home, youll need to enter a one-day-only sweepstakes on Thursday, July 1. And hey, if you dont win, thats okay too; in fact, that might mean you are the ultimate winner, once the singularity happens.

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The Heineken beer bot is too helpful, too cute, and too advanced - Yahoo Lifestyle

Without sounding clich, June was a month alive with the brilliance and creative singularity of the Irish music scene.

On the album front, the past four weeks have seen manyAlbum of the Yearcontenders. From the enchanting atmospheric folk of Saint SistersWhere I Should Endto the knife-edge social commentary found on KojaquesTowns Dead,and back to the genre-melding of Strange BoysHoly /Unholy,the sheer artistry of Irish music came to the fore. While the bold, vivid R&B soundscapes of CoshasMt. Pleasantcontrasts with the intimate storytelling and textural subtly of Dani LarkinsNotes From A Warrior Maiden,highlighting thesonic spectrum found within the music community was there for all to see.

June was also a month filled with stellar single releases. Denise Chaila made her triumphant return with the magnificent 061. CMAT caught the attention with 2 Wrecked 2 Care, as did Ra Gerra with Indecisive. There were also stand-out singles from Nerves, ROE, the Zen Arcade, Lydia Ford, and Maeve. While Celaviedmai captured the imagination with Heal.

Looking to the future, Havvk made their presence felt with an album announcement and single Automatic. Soda Blonde continued to build towards their debut album via Holy Roses. At the same time, David Keenan also set a marker for his forthcoming sophomore record with the powerful Bark.

And so it goes, June was a landmark month for Irish music in 2021. At this halfway point, new artists are emerging, established ones deliver on early promise, and the rest of the year looks brighter with new albums forthcoming. Im not one for the golden age of Irish music hyperbole. Instead, I prefer to see music and art as a dialogue with ourselves, the past and the future. What is happening now in Irish music is an ongoing artistic conversation made all the more impactful by the diverse voices engaged in it and the diverse methods they choose to express themselves.

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Irish music is an ongoing artistic conversation made all the more impactful by the diverse voices engaged in it TLMT's The Month That Was June 2021 -...

After recent escapades in other aspects of business technology, former consumer electronics heavyweight BlackBerry has once again reorganized its business units to align its priorities towards two verticals that have been gaining a lot of attention in the intervening months, namely the Internet of Things (IoT) and cybersecurity.

BlackBerry CEO John Chen revealed the latest reorganization of its software and services business units during the companys earnings call late last week. BlackBerry President and Chief Operating Officer, Tom Eacobacci, will head up the new cybersecurity business unit, which includes the BlackBerry Protect endpoint security suite.

BlackBerry Protect is designed as an all-around endpoint protection platform (EPP), powered by artificial intelligence to safeguard enterprise systems against sophisticated cyberattacks on multiple fronts, including mobile, hybrid cloud environment, on-premise environments, and connected device environments.

This connected environment will see strong synergy with the other newly-developed division, the IoT business unit that will be headed up by HERE Technologies veteran Mattias Eriksson. Among BlackBerrys IoT technologies are QNX, IVY, Certicom, Jarvis and Radar, which the company has been developing alongside its strong online security push both facets of technology that have been drawing considerable industry expectations thanks to the growing number of innovative IoT applications in enterprise, while security solutions are in hot demand following a noticeable upsurge in data breaches, phishing attacks, social engineering campaigns, and state-endorsed ransomware threats globally.

Numerous reports are hailing the arrival of the Connected Enterprise, with IoT-driven smart devices like wearables, sensors, and other gear both for the individual worker, and for the equipment within the business seeing a considerable upsurge even before drastic realignments to business practices took place last year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

While the IoT space is heating up for enterprises, signaling BlackBerrys intent there, the cybersecurity space is white-hot, with security specialist Crowdstrike reporting a 70% jump in revenue for the quarter ending April 30, 2021, compared to the same quarter last year. Similarly, another security solutions provider SentinelOne recorded revenues totaling US$93.1 million in fiscal 2021 double its revenue from fiscal 2020, as the maker of the Singularity eXtended detection and response (XDR) solution prepares SEC filing materials ahead of a potential initial public offering (IPO).

XDR is a space that BlackBerry also intends to expand its security suite to cover, featuring the Blackberry Zero Trust Gateway and the Optics 3.0 EDR (endpoint detection and response). CEO Chen also outlined during the call that the former hardware giant still has plans within the unified endpoint management (UEM) market, including the integration of its Unified Endpoint Security platform with Microsoft Intune by the end-August 2021.

BlackBerry Protect is a vital part of the companys endpoint security ecosystem, having successfully fended off a variety of ransomware attacks like Darkside, Conti, Mobillion and REvil, since the 2018 acquisition of Cylance that evolved into BlackBerry Protect. The founding principle of Cylance and one of our main reasons that we acquired it is that prevention is far better than cure, said Chen. And thats why were a market leader in EPP. Stopping threats before they execute and start doing harm is clearly a better strategy than trying to shut them down afterwards.

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BlackBerry refocuses priorities towards IoT and cybersecurity - TechHQ