Melvin M. Vopson, University of Portsmouth
Physicists have long struggled to explain why the universe started out with conditions suitable for life to evolve. Why do the physical laws and constants take the very specific values that allow stars, planets and ultimately life to develop? The expansive force of the universe, dark energy, for example, is much weaker than theory suggests it should be – allowing matter to clump together rather than being ripped apart.
By Samuel Woodhams | Digital rights researcher and journalist
| Targeted online advertisements are impossible to ignore. Ads based on our browsing history, geolocation, and personal information appear constantly on our social media feeds, news articles, and streaming platforms. As the authors of a new report on the advertising surveillance industry put it: “Targeted advertising is unavoidable for anyone who owns a smartphone or goes online.” Continue reading |
By Samuel Woodhams | Digital rights researcher and journalist
| Facial recognition technology made headlines again last month as researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK said that the UK police’s use of the technology was unethical and potentially unlawful. The report from the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy urged police to stop using live facial recognition (LFR) in public spaces and said trials by the Metropolitan Police and South Wales Police failed to meet the “minimum legal and ethical standards.” Continue reading |
Punit Shah, University of Bath; Luca Hargitai, University of Bath, and Lucy Anne Livingston, King’s College London
The business magnate and new owner of Twitter Elon Musk revealed a while ago that he is autistic. Musk, the wealthiest person in the world, is autistic. Musk, a fellow of the prestigious Royal Society and Time’s 2021 Person of the Year, is autistic. One of the most famous people on Earth is autistic. Perhaps it is worth letting that sink in?
Press Release, 13 Nov 2022 /Justina Mutale/ —
HE Justina Mutale Foundation have launched a US$10 million (ten million US dollars) Africa Presidential STEM Fellows USA Programme for Zambia.
Under the name, Justina Mutale Foundation Presidential STEM Fellows USA Programme, the programme will offer students in Zambia, who hold a first degree in a STEM-based subject (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), an opportunity to study at Master’s degree level in the USA.
The Programme forms part of the African Presidential STEM Fellows Programme, which is run as Fellowships Programme for African Presidents; Vice Presidents; Royalty; Foundations and billionaires. Continue reading
Booking data from international one-stop travel service provider, Trip.com, shows how transatlantic travel has taken off in the last year.
In the year since the US re-opened its borders to international global travellers, Trip.com has seen a travel boom, when comparing booking stats from October 2021 to October 2022. Continue reading
Vuzix® Corporation (NASDAQ: VUZI), (“Vuzix” or, the “Company”), a leading supplier of Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technology and products, today announced that its Vuzix M400C™ smart glasses are now available for customer orders in the US, Canada, UK, EU and Japan. Vuzix M400C smart glasses list for $1299.99 and interested customers should contact the Company sales department directly. Continue reading
Arnald Puy, University of Birmingham
A dominant view in science is that there is a mathematical truth structuring the universe. It is assumed that the scientist’s job is to decipher these mathematical relations: once understood, they can be translated into mathematical models. Running the resulting “silicon reality” in a computer may then provide us with useful insights into how the world works.
By Samuel Woodhams | Digital rights researcher and journalist
| Video doorbells are everywhere now, sold as a modern security solution that can help protect your home and belongings. They let you greet guests remotely, deter would-be parcel thieves, and could even reduce the cost of your home insurance. Continue reading |
Matthew Sussex, Australian National University
Among the many questions asked about Russia’s disastrous war against Ukraine, one of them is posed only very rarely: can Russia survive what seems increasingly likely to be a humiliating defeat at the hands of its smaller neighbour?