Daily Archives: October 25, 2022

White House warns of ‘severe consequences’ if Putin uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine; Russian court upholds Griners 9-year term – CNBC

Posted: October 25, 2022 at 9:17 pm

  1. White House warns of 'severe consequences' if Putin uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine; Russian court upholds Griners 9-year term  CNBC
  2. Biden Says Russian Use of a Nuclear Weapon Would Be a Serious Mistake  The New York Times
  3. October 24, 2022 Russia-Ukraine news  CNN
  4. Latest Ukraine updates: Moscow raises dirty bomb claim at UN  Al Jazeera English
  5. What are dirty bombs and why is Russia talking about them?  The Guardian
  6. View Full Coverage on Google News

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White House warns of 'severe consequences' if Putin uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine; Russian court upholds Griners 9-year term - CNBC

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Social Darwinism | Examples & History – Study.com

Posted: at 9:13 pm

Definition of Social Darwinism

Social Darwinism is the conflict between social groups which results in the most socially capable or fit group coming out on top as the winner, usually in terms of influence and wealth. According to social Darwinism, rich people would succeed and poor people would fail.

So where does social Darwinism come from? Remember Charles Darwin and his laws of natural selection and survival of the fittest? Let's briefly review these concepts before linking Charles Darwin to social Darwinism.

Natural selection happens over time, when certain characteristics disappear because a species has no use for them, other characteristics prevail. For example, evolutionists believe that ducks developed webbed feet over time so that they could swim faster. This means that the ducks without webbed feet eventually died off. This could be because their non-webbed feet didn't allow them to swim fast enough to escape their hunters. The ones that escaped reproduced and gave birth to more ducks with webbed feet.

Another example is pesticide-resistant insects - when treated with pesticide, insects are supposed to die. Some live due to genetic modifications and reproduce, creating more pesticide-resistant offspring.

Survival of the fittest refers to the most adaptable species being able to live and reproduce. The ducks that swam faster survived, as well as the insects that were resistant to pesticide. They reproduce and create more offspring who have similar genes so that they are able to survive as well. According to this theory, over time, only the fit survive.

Because of the name, many people think that Charles Darwin came up with the idea of social Darwinism. This is not the case. Herbert Spencer, Walter Bagehot, and William Graham Sumner thought that the ideas of natural selection and survival of the fittest applied to people as well, especially people living under laissez-faire capitalism.

Laissez-faire capitalism exists when the government does not interfere with business or personal affairs. Spencer, Bagehot, and Sumner supported the idea that without government assistance, only the socially fit would survive. This, again, meant that those with money and assets would survive and those with nothing would not.

Over time, social Darwinism was criticized because of its applicability and comparisons to extreme nationalism, imperialism, and Nazism.

Nationalism is when residents of one country feel that their country and way of life are superior over other countries. Social Darwinists would support trying to convert or change others to follow their way of life because they believe it is better - an example is forced religious conversions.

Imperialism is when one country's military attempts to take over another country. Social Darwinists would support the English colonialists taking over the land of the Native Americans.

Social Darwinist examples from Nazi Germany include things like:

Ads promoting discrimination towards the mentally disabled - these ads told people that mentally disabled people were costing others lots of money. Publications like these promoted the mistreatment of the mentally challenged population. Social Darwinists may say that this type of conflict is supposed to happen in order to determine who will live on.

Another example of Nazi Germany was killing and mistreating Jewish people. Nazis believed the Aryan race was superior to all, but especially to the Jewish people. Jewish people were viewed was inferior and undesirable. In order to make sure that their undesirable traits were not passed on, they attempted to kill them all.

Social Darwinism has lost a lot of support due to people gaining an understanding of social issues and acceptance. Discrepancies among social classes still exist, but the extreme beliefs of social Darwinism have dissolved.

Social Darwinism is the conflict between social groups which results in the most socially capable or fit group coming out on top as the winner, usually in terms of influence and wealth. Natural selection happens over time, when characteristics disappear because a species has no use for them, other characteristics prevail. Survival of the fittest refers to the most adaptable species being able to live and reproduce.

Herbert Spencer, Walter Bagehot, and William Graham Sumner thought that the ideas of natural selection and survival of the fittest applied to people as well, especially people living under laissez-faire capitalism. Laissez-faire capitalism exists when the government does not interfere with business or personal affairs. Over time, social Darwinism was criticized because of its applicability and comparisons to extreme nationalism, imperialism and Nazism.

Nationalism is when residents of one country feel that their country and way of life are superior over other countries. Imperialism is when one country's military attempts to take over another country.

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Social Darwinism | Examples & History - Study.com

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A futurist tells us what life will probably look like in 2040

Posted: at 9:13 pm

This week, UKs government set out plans to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2040 so what else will we see in 23 years time?

Here, with the help of Europes top futurist Ray Hammond, we create a picture of how the world might look in the post-petrol age.

We will all wear a huge range of sensors that will constantly monitor things such as blood pressure, blood sugar and blood oxygen level.

Longevity will rise, with many living well beyond 100.

Children born in 2040 will have a more or less indefinite life. With gene therapy, stem cell and nano-scale medicine, barring an accident or fatal disease, we may live for ever and look much younger. With exoskeletons artificial, externally-worn support structures the elderly will stay mobile for longer. Now they are bulky and rigid but they will be soft and comfy.

People will fall in love with robot partners, which will impact relationships.

As it is we have a habit of seeing human characteristics in inanimate objects and with robots growing more advanced, it is inevitable that some people will couple up with them.

Weddings will become rarer and promiscuity will go off the scale as social attitudes get more relaxed.

On average, women today have nine sexual partners in their lifetime and men have 11 expect that to rise to 100 for women and 200 for men.

Most cars will be driving themselves, with motorways and roads having self-driving lanes.

Driverless traffic could travel in convoys, forming road trains and allowing vehicles to drive much closer together, freeing up motorway space.

The only place where you could experience being in control of a car yourself would be a licensed race track.

Ahead of the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars in 2040, we can expect scrappage schemes during the 2030s which will phase them out. Our roads will look and sound very different.

As for air travel, there will not be huge changes. The dawn of electric and self-flying planes is possible but they will still be a small minority.

We will see hyper-loops transport tubes through which passenger pods can travel at up to 700 mph.

As the worlds population booms from the present seven billion to more than nine billion, we will not be able to farm meat as we have done up to now.

There wont be enough space for all the animals we would need plus their methane emissions could cause unsustainable environmental damage.

Instead, we will see artificial tissue meat grown in factories, without the need for a living animal.

Burgers have already been produced and eaten in a lab and by 2040 up to 40 percent of meat will be artificial or from substitutes such as plants. It will be engineered to look, taste and smell like the real thing.

Insects will also be a staple in products resembling their meat versions, such as sausages or burgers. They are protein-rich, cheaper and greener.

And with most people living in cities, crops may be grown on vertical farms up the sides of skyscrapers.

Our smartphones will have more or less disappeared, replaced by control centers which we will wear in a series of devices around our body.

For example, we will wear smart contact lenses, with texts floating in front of our eyes and earrings that send messages from a virtual assistant into our ears.

We wont look as if we are wearing anything extra but it will be as if we are looking through a smartphone at the real world, albeit one more powerful than anything we know today.

Our social networks will also become integral to the real world. We may see a stranger in the street and, using facial recognition software linked to our control centers, will instantly know their name and be able to access their profile.

As a result, privacy will be a hot topic.

We will have to face the question of whether machines will be our slaves or our masters.

Computers will be as good at problem-solving as humans, with the prospect of soon surpassing us.

Then the question will be whether we let them take control or try to regulate and modify artificial intelligence. Or genetically modify humans so we can compete with machines.

Our decisions could have profound effects on world order. If the West chooses to regulate its machines, it could be at a disadvantage compared to countries that allow computers to develop unchecked.

Today people are glued to phones and iPads but to imagine life in 2040, magnify that by 100.

We will spend most of our time in virtual worlds, whether at work or at leisure. Instead of looking at a device, we will experience this as if it were real. It wont even seem artificial. The novelty will be leaving the virtual world to meet humans in real life, an activity that will become rarer.

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A futurist tells us what life will probably look like in 2040

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COVID is a ‘smart virus’ that can affect DNA but that doesn’t mean you can pass it on to your kids – The Conversation

Posted: at 9:12 pm

COVID is a 'smart virus' that can affect DNA but that doesn't mean you can pass it on to your kids  The Conversation

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COVID is a 'smart virus' that can affect DNA but that doesn't mean you can pass it on to your kids - The Conversation

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Historically powerful storm to hit Alaska this weekend with seas up …

Posted: at 9:10 pm

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An intense and extremely powerful storm is heading for the coast of Alaska, with forecasts of coastal flooding and massive sea swells as it moves in.

The storm is made up of remnants from Typhoon Merbok, which formed in the northern Pacific Ocean last weekend.

Some locations may experience their worst coastal flooding in nearly 50 years, the National Weather Service (NWS) warns.

A hurricane force wind warning has been issued for the Bering Sea, which sits between Alaska and Russia, and where the storm is currently located. Flood warnings have been issued for much of the states western coastline too, as storm surges could push the seas between three and 18 feet (one to five metres) above the high tide line.

Over the ocean, seas could reach up to 54 feet high, according to NWS.

Winds gusting as high as 90 mph will create significant wave action on top of the surge pushing water well inland in some areas, the agency warned.

Residents should take immediate action to protect themselves and property as this dangerous storm moves into the area.

The storm is expected to hit the state Friday night and Saturday, with flood danger persisting through Sunday.

Rick Thoman, a climate scientist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, tweeted that there hasnt been a September storm this strong in the northern Bering Sea region in the past 70 years.

The city of Nome, which sits along the western coast, is preparing for the storms impact by urging people to secure boats and debris around their homes. Floodwaters could push well into the city.

Other communities along the states western coast are smaller and more remote.

The community of Kivalina, in particular, has made headlines in recent years for dealing with the threat of sea level rise and flooding that may force them to relocate the entire town if the coastal island its situated on erodes away.

The town of fewer than 400 people, most of whom are Alaska Native, even sued a collection of fossil fuel companies in federal court for damages they claimed were associated with the climate crisis. The case was later dismissed.

NWS warns that buildings in the town are in danger of flooding in this weekends storm.

Climate scientists have warned that as the planet heats up, tropical storm systems like the one that initially formed Typhoon Merbok could get stronger on average.

In addition, rising sea levels fed in large part by melting ice in the Arctic and Antarctic can push human infrastructure even closer to the ocean, making storm surges even more damaging.

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Historically powerful storm to hit Alaska this weekend with seas up ...

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Larry Sharpe, Libertarian write in candidate for NY governor, urges voters to back their independent parties on Nov. 8 – WPTZ

Posted: at 9:10 pm

Larry Sharpe, Libertarian write in candidate for NY governor, urges voters to back their independent parties on Nov. 8  WPTZ

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Larry Sharpe, Libertarian write in candidate for NY governor, urges voters to back their independent parties on Nov. 8 - WPTZ

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Explained: What is the UN High Seas Treaty, and why have countries …

Posted: at 9:10 pm

Negotiations involving 168 countries, including the European Union, to agree on a UN treaty for protecting oceans failed Saturday (August 27). When the latest round of talks began two weeks ago in New York, it was hoped that an agreement would be arrived at for the conserving marine life at the high seas which lie outside the exclusive jurisdiction of different countries.

In June, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had declared an ocean emergency at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, citing threats to the worlds oceans.

Also referred to as the Paris Agreement for the Ocean, the treaty to deal with Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction has been under discussion for several years.

The proposed treaty concerns the ocean existing beyond the Exclusive Economic Zones that lie from the coast of a country to about 200 nautical miles or 370 km into the sea, till where it has special rights for exploration. Waters beyond that are known as open seas or high seas.

The treaty was to be negotiated under the United Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982 which governs the rights of countries regarding marine resources. As there is no treaty for conserving the health of vast swathes of the earths oceans, a UN resolution in 2017 had decided to rectify this while setting 2022 as the deadline.

The pandemic resulted in many delays, and later, a High Ambition Coalition, which now has more than 100 countries including India, the US, and the UK, came about and put the focus on 3030 goals protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030. After the latest deadlock, talks will only resume next year, unless a special session is called.

Some aspects of negotiations included establishing marine protected areas to put limits on certain activities, environmental impact assessments or clearances for sustainability of works, financial support to countries and sharing other scientific knowledge. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has said binding agreements are needed for this treaty to be effective.

Some treaties, along with the UNCLOS, regulate the conduct of actors on the high seas. The UNCLOS led to the establishment of territorial sea boundaries 22 km offshore, deciding the region up to which countries could claim full sovereign territorial rights, as well as the 200 nautical miles EEZ limit. It also created the International Seabed Authority and other conflict-resolution mechanisms.

But a treaty dedicated to protecting ocean health does not exist as of now. Conversely, every country has the right to access open seas, resulting in large-scale drilling and trawling operations for catching fish and other animals for commercial purposes.

What are the risks of countries failing to reach an agreement?

Ninety per cent of global warming is occurring in the ocean, according to the NASA website.

The effects of ocean warming include sea level rise due to thermal expansion, coral bleaching, accelerated melting of Earths major ice sheets, intensified hurricanes, and changes in ocean health and biochemistry, it says. Excessive fishing has increased manifold over the years, and a third of species such as sharks and rays are at the risk of extinction, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Despite acknowledging these threats, members failed to agree on how to deal with these threats.

There has been talk of resistance from countries that engage in deep sea mining of minerals or are heavily invested in fishing. Although we did make excellent progress, we still do need a little bit more time to progress towards the finish line, UN Oceans Ambassador Rena Lee said, the AFP reported.

Some countries in the Caribbean alleged that richer countries of the Global North did not actively participate until the last few days of the talks.

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Terror Hits The High Seas In A Brand-New 1899 Trailer – FANGORIA

Posted: at 9:10 pm

  1. Terror Hits The High Seas In A Brand-New 1899 Trailer  FANGORIA
  2. New Trailer for Netflix's Horror Series '1899' Teases Terror on the High Seas  We Got This Covered
  3. Netflix's "1899" Trailer - The Creators of "Dark" Hit the High Seas for New Horror Series  Bloody Disgusting
  4. Dark creators new Netflix series 1899 gets mysterious trailer  Polygon
  5. View Full Coverage on Google News

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Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality vs. Mixed Reality – Intel

Posted: at 9:09 pm

The border between the virtual and real world continues to break down, providing breathtaking experiences that, a short time ago, could only be found in the imagination of sci-fi writers.

Virtual Reality (VR) has been the next big thing for several years, but its time has finally come as a way to generate realistic images, sounds, and other sensations that put you smack in the middle of a spectacular imaginary world. Augmented Reality (AR), which adds virtual stuff to your real world environment, is contributing to the buzz, and both technologies should become a big part of our future. With Mixed Reality (MR), you can play a virtual video game, grab your real world water bottle, and smack an imaginary character from the game with the bottle. Imagination and reality have never been so intermingled.

So much is happening so fast that the differences between VR, AR, and MR can seem a little puzzling at first. Each of these spellbinding technologies are accessible to almost everyone, but before you throw down your hard-earned money for the latest head-mounted display, lets take a closer look at what youll need for an amazing VR, AR, or MR experience.

Weve been trying to capture Virtual Reality for much longer than just the past five to ten years. There were popular peer-through toys in the 1950s and enclosed flight simulators debuted in the 1960s, but theideaof VR goes back even further.

As early as the 1930s, science fiction writers, inventors, and tinkerers dreamt of an environment where you could escape from reality via art and machines. We were weighing questions about Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality vs. Mixed Reality long before we had the technology to make them possible.

Technology has caught up to fiction, and market researchers predict rapid growth for the VR industry.

First things first, lets define the terminology. Virtual Reality can be used as an umbrella term to describe other technologies similar to, but different from, an actual Virtual Reality experience. But what's the difference between Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality? Here are some more details:

VR is the most widely known of these technologies. It is fully immersive, which tricks your senses into thinking youre in a different environment or world apart from the real world. Using a head-mounted display (HMD) or headset, youll experience a computer-generated world of imagery and sounds in which you can manipulate objects and move around using haptic controllers while tethered to a console or PC.

AR overlays digital information on real-world elements.Pokmon GO*is among the best-known examples. Augmented reality keeps the real world central but enhances it with other digital details, layering new strata of perception, and supplementing your reality or environment.

MR brings together real world and digital elements. In mixed reality, you interact with and manipulate both physical and virtual items and environments, using next-generation sensing and imaging technologies. Mixed Reality allows you to see and immerse yourself in the world around you even as you interact with a virtual environment using your own handsall without ever removing your headset. It provides the ability to have one foot (or hand) in the real world, and the other in an imaginary place, breaking down basic concepts between real and imaginary, offering an experience that can change the way you game and work today.

From gaming, to movies, to medicine, the uses for Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality are expanding.

There are many, many VR headsets available, all with varying performance levels and prices. Entry-level gear, such as Google Cardboard*, uses your mobile phone as the screen, whereas PC-operated devices, like the HTC Vive* or OculusRift*, are immersiveproviding a premium VR environment.Microsoft has their Windows* 10 Mixed Reality platform that uses fully immersive headsets offered by Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Samsung.

Some AR headsets are available on the market today, with more rumored to be coming in the future. The Microsoft Hololens*, Google Glass*, and the Meta 2* headset are great examples.

Every PC-connected HMD will have different system requirements, so if youre buying a new Virtual Reality headset, make sure you check with the HMD vendor for their recommended and minimum system requirements.

If you are looking for a new computer and youre interested in VR, youll need something that can handle heavy loads. When it comes to high-end desktops or laptops for Virtual Reality (and other advanced tasks like gaming or video editing), the CPU, GPU, and memory are the most critical components.

Without these high-performing components working in sync, you could have a pretty miserable experience. A powerful system will ensure that youll have fun as you lean in, stand up, or walk around. VR that lags makes it impossible for the virtual world to respond as you expect, which can lead to more than just disappointment; it increases the risk of motion sickness.

A high-end processor assists in positional tracking and controls how real and immersive your virtual environment will be, so you'll enjoy a deeper experience in a higher-fidelity environment. For a great VR experience, consider the latest generation Intel Core i7 processor.

A discrete graphics processing unit (GPU) is recommended, or in the case of Oculus Rift*, HTC Vive*, and Windows Mixed Reality Ultra*, it is required. The GPU is responsible for rendering the high resolution, immersive images needed for VR. Oculus, HTC, and Microsoft all have profiler tools that you can download from their websites, and you can use to run on your PC to determine if it meets the minimum requirements for their VR headsets.

New VR and AR technologies and products continue to come to market, making new environments accessible to the masses. Virtual, Augmented, Mixedthe choice for a new reality is up to you. Let your imagination, and your readiness to try new gear, enhance your experience!

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Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality vs. Mixed Reality - Intel

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Applications Of Virtual Reality – Virtual Reality Society

Posted: at 9:09 pm

Many people are familiar with the term virtual reality but are unsure about the uses of this technology. Gaming is an obvious virtual reality application as are virtual worlds but there are a whole host of uses for virtual reality some of which are more challenging or unusual than others.

Here is a list of the many applications of virtual reality:

Some of these will be more familiar than others but visit any of these to find out more about a particular use of virtual reality.

There are many more uses of VR than first realised which range from academic research through to engineering, design, business, the arts and entertainment.

But irrespective of the use, virtual reality produces a set of data which is then used to develop new models, training methods, communication and interaction. In many ways the possibilities are endless.

The only stumbling blocks are time, costs and technological limitations. Virtual reality systems such as a CAVE system are expensive and time consuming to develop. Plus there are issues of ergonomics, specifically the need to design systems which are user friendly and not likely to cause problems such as motion sickness.

But if these problems are solved then there is an exciting future for virtual reality.

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Applications Of Virtual Reality - Virtual Reality Society

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