Tag Archives: time

Gaza war: artificial intelligence is changing the speed of targeting and scale of civilian harm in unprecedented ways – The Conversation

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As Israels air campaign in Gaza enters its sixth month after Hamass terrorist attacks on October 7, it has been described by experts as one of the most relentless and deadliest campaigns in recent history. It is also one of the first being coordinated, in part, by algorithms.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to assist with everything from identifying and prioritising targets to assigning the weapons to be used against those targets.

Academic commentators have long focused on the potential of algorithms in war to highlight how they will increase the speed and scale of fighting. But as recent revelations show, algorithms are now being employed at a large scale and in densely populated urban contexts.

This includes the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, but also in Yemen, Iraq and Syria, where the US is experimenting with algorithms to target potential terrorists through Project Maven.

Amid this acceleration, it is crucial to take a careful look at what the use of AI in warfare actually means. It is important to do so, not from the perspective of those in power, but from those officers executing it, and those civilians undergoing its violent effects in Gaza.

This focus highlights the limits of keeping a human in the loop as a failsafe and central response to the use of AI in war. As AI-enabled targeting becomes increasingly computerised, the speed of targeting accelerates, human oversight diminishes and the scale of civilian harm increases.

Reports by Israeli publications +927 Magazine and Local Call give us a glimpse into the experience of 13 Israeli officials working with three AI-enabled decision-making systems in Gaza called Gospel, Lavender and Wheres Daddy?.

These systems are reportedly trained to recognise features that are believed to characterise people associated with the military arm of Hamas. These features include membership of the same WhatsApp group as a known militant, changing cell phones every few months, or changing addresses frequently.

The systems are then supposedly tasked with analysing data collected on Gazas 2.3 million residents through mass surveillance. Based on the predetermined features, the systems predict the likelihood that a person is a member of Hamas (Lavender), that a building houses such a person (Gospel), or that such a person has entered their home (Wheres Daddy?).

In the investigative reports named above, intelligence officers explained how Gospel helped them go from 50 targets per year to 100 targets in one day and that, at its peak, Lavender managed to generate 37,000 people as potential human targets. They also reflected on how using AI cuts down deliberation time: I would invest 20 seconds for each target at this stage I had zero added value as a human it saved a lot of time.

They justified this lack of human oversight in light of a manual check the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ran on a sample of several hundred targets generated by Lavender in the first weeks of the Gaza conflict, through which a 90% accuracy rate was reportedly established. While details of this manual check are likely to remain classified, a 10% inaccuracy rate for a system used to make 37,000 life-and-death decisions will inherently result in devastatingly destructive realities.

But importantly, any accuracy rate number that sounds reasonably high makes it more likely that algorithmic targeting will be relied on as it allows trust to be delegated to the AI system. As one IDF officer told +927 magazine: Because of the scope and magnitude, the protocol was that even if you dont know for sure that the machine is right, you know that statistically its fine. So you go for it.

The IDF denied these revelations in an official statement to The Guardian. A spokesperson said that while the IDF does use information management tools [] in order to help intelligence analysts to gather and optimally analyse the intelligence, obtained from a variety of sources, it does not use an AI system that identifies terrorist operatives.

The Guardian has since, however, published a video of a senior official of the Israeli elite intelligence Unit 8200 talking last year about the use of machine learning magic powder to help identify Hamas targets in Gaza. The newspaper has also confirmed that the commander of the same unit wrote in 2021, under a pseudonym, that such AI technologies would resolve the human bottleneck for both locating the new targets and decision-making to approve the targets.

AI accelerates the speed of warfare in terms of the number of targets produced and the time to decide on them. While these systems inherently decrease the ability of humans to control the validity of computer-generated targets, they simultaneously make these decisions appear more objective and statistically correct due to the value that we generally ascribe to computer-based systems and their outcome.

This allows for the further normalisation of machine-directed killing, amounting to more violence, not less.

While media reports often focus on the number of casualties, body counts similar to computer-generated targets have the tendency to present victims as objects that can be counted. This reinforces a very sterile image of war. It glosses over the reality of more than 34,000 people dead, 766,000 injured and the destruction of or damage to 60% of Gazas buildings and the displaced persons, the lack of access to electricity, food, water and medicine.

It fails to emphasise the horrific stories of how these things tend to compound each other. For example, one civilian, Shorouk al-Rantisi, was reportedly found under the rubble after an airstrike on Jabalia refugee camp and had to wait 12 days to be operated on without painkillers and now resides in another refugee camp with no running water to tend to her wounds.

Aside from increasing the speed of targeting and therefore exacerbating the predictable patterns of civilian harm in urban warfare, algorithmic warfare is likely to compound harm in new and under-researched ways. First, as civilians flee their destroyed homes, they frequently change addresses or give their phones to loved ones.

Such survival behaviour corresponds to what the reports on Lavender say the AI system has been programmed to identify as likely association with Hamas. These civilians, thereby unknowingly, make themselves suspect for lethal targeting.

Beyond targeting, these AI-enabled systems also inform additional forms of violence. An illustrative story is that of the fleeing poet Mosab Abu Toha, who was allegedly arrested and tortured at a military checkpoint. It was ultimately reported by the New York Times that he, along with hundreds of other Palestinians, was wrongfully identified as Hamas by the IDFs use of AI facial recognition and Google photos.

Over and beyond the deaths, injuries and destruction, these are the compounding effects of algorithmic warfare. It becomes a psychic imprisonment where people know they are under constant surveillance, yet do not know which behavioural or physical features will be acted on by the machine.

From our work as analysts of the use of AI in warfare, it is apparent that our focus should not solely be on the technical prowess of AI systems or the figure of the human-in-the-loop as a failsafe. We must also consider these systems ability to alter the human-machine-human interactions, where those executing algorithmic violence are merely rubber stamping the output generated by the AI system, and those undergoing the violence are dehumanised in unprecedented ways.

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Gaza war: artificial intelligence is changing the speed of targeting and scale of civilian harm in unprecedented ways - The Conversation

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Man had rare Covid infection that lasted 613 days, showed extensive mutations – South China Morning Post

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Researchers from the Netherlands have reported an extremely long Covid-19 infection in a man who died last year and warn of the emergence of more dangerous variants of the coronavirus.

The elderly man, who was immunocompromised due to previous illnesses, was admitted to a hospital in Amsterdam in February 2022 with a Covid-19 infection, according to a statement.

He was continuously positive for the coronavirus until his death in October 2023 for a total of 613 days.

Other cases of very long infections in people whose immune systems were unable to adequately fight the virus have previously been reported.

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Like drinking milk tea: China launches worlds first inhalable Covid vaccine

Like drinking milk tea: China launches worlds first inhalable Covid vaccine

The researchers led by Magda Vergouwe from the University of Amsterdam plan to present the results at a congress of the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona on April 27-30.

The case is also interesting for researchers because the coronavirus can change particularly strongly in such long-term infected people. This harbours the risk of variants of the virus emerging that can more easily overcome the immune systems of healthy people.

The researchers in the Netherlands repeatedly took samples from the man to analyse the genetic material of the coronavirus. They found a total of more than 50 mutations compared to the Omicron variant BA.1 that was circulating at the time, including those that would allow the virus to evade the immune defence.

Just 21 days after the man had received a certain anti-coronavirus drug, the virus also developed signs of resistance to it.

German with comically large number of Covid jabs 217 had no side effects

The man eventually died from a flare-up of one of his previous illnesses. As far as is known, he had not infected anyone with his mutated version of the coronavirus, also known under its scientific name Sars-CoV-2.

This case highlights the risk of new immune-evasive Sars-CoV-2 variants emerging in immunocompromised patients, the researchers are quoted as saying in the press release.

The extensive development of the virus in a single patient could lead to the emergence of unique variants, they warn.

It is important to closely monitor the evolution of the coronavirus in immunocompromised individuals. There is a risk that variants could emerge and spread in society that are less susceptible to the immune systems of healthy people, they added

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Man had rare Covid infection that lasted 613 days, showed extensive mutations - South China Morning Post

Baseball Recap: Mars extends home winning streak to five – MaxPreps

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Mars won against North Hills last Wednesday with nine runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Monday. The Mars Fightin' Planets walked away with a 9-4 win over the New Castle Hurricanes. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Mars.

For New Castle's part, Malik Jefferson made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run while going 2-for-2.

Mars' victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-3. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.6 runs per game. As for New Castle, they haven't won a game yet this season and fell to 0-9.

Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps

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Baseball Recap: Mars extends home winning streak to five - MaxPreps

JPL chief Laurie Leshin on science, Mars and budget infighting – SpaceNews

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The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, is home base for building pioneering spacecraft that have probed every planet in our solar system, including the Sun.

Federally funded by NASA and managed by Caltech, JPL and its cadre of engineers and scientists are led by Laurie Leshin, the first woman to serve as JPL director, who took on the role in May 2022 following a career as a geochemist in academia and NASA.

Leshin points to space technology achievements, but has also been plagued by program setbacks and space budget woes, especially regarding the JPL-led Mars Sample Return project.

Leshin spoke with SpaceNews about JPLs path forward and steps to retain and bolster the revered laboratorys capabilities.

How do you characterize your concerns about NASAs overall budget and its impact on JPL?

There is good news for sure, such as the VERITAS Venus orbiter coming back and that were now re-planning and ramping back up. Most of the [NASA] science budget is fairly flat which, while not great, is not terrible. Planetary science, however, finds itself in a very, very difficult position. It is a fairly unprecedented threat to the nations deep space capability which is resident at JPL, so I have major concerns.

How impactful were Februarys budget-related layoffs on the labs future?

We hire only great people. So we will miss all those who were laid off. Were supporting them in every way we can think of through their transition. While it cut to depth, it did not eliminate any core capability. We worked very hard in spite of having to make the deep cuts and to make sure those capabilities were intact.

What is an example of a core capability at JPL?

Our nations Mars exploration capability is resident at the lab. No other organization has landed on Mars in the United States except us with partners always, but we have led every one of those missions. But if the budget challenges continue or decisions continue to be deferred, those capabilities will be at risk. I dont know how to say it other than that.

Our job as a nation is to have some hard conversations about what being spacefaring for the future really means. How do we make sure that theres Mars in our moon-to-Mars program? Theres no moon-to-Mars without Mars and theres no Mars without JPL.

Any other NASA budget concerns?

A science versus human spaceflight moment is not good for our community. We all need to pull together to support the diverse portfolio that NASA has. In tight budget times, we tend to fight with each other and that is always a bad idea.

JPL leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission. All on track for liftoff this October?

Europa Clipper just came out of JPLs thermal vacuum chamber. You shake it. You bake it. You look for magnetic cleanliness. End-to-end missions tests to simulate launch, solar array deployment, deep space cruise, orbit insertion at Jupiter, flybys of Europa. Weve done all of that. Were in really good shape. Were on track to ship it to Florida in the May timeframe and get it ready to fly on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy.

Theres another look looming at the costly and complex Mars Sample Return program. Whats coming?

I cant talk about it at this time. That review is coming relatively soon to be released in the spring. NASA has funding challenges. Its a really important set of decisions they are making. Mars Sample Return was the next big thing at JPL. So we need to make sure that gets back on track as quickly as possible.

So you see a way forward for Mars Sample Return?

Its a difficult moment. Theres a way to move forward with this mission that will cost less on an annual basis than the prior plan and its very much in line with what weve spent on other large missions. NASA has a chance to go down that path. I hope they will and then Ill breathe.

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JPL chief Laurie Leshin on science, Mars and budget infighting - SpaceNews

There Appears to Be a Huge Problem With SpaceX’s Starlink – Futurism

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Did Elon Musk fib about the service breaking even? Balance Sheet

In a brief announcement on his social media platform last year, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk celebrated that the company's Starlink broadband service had "achieved breakeven cash flow."

"Starlink is also now a majority of all active satellites and will have launched a majority of all satellites cumulatively from Earth by next year," he said at the time.

But according to a damning new report by Bloomberg, Musk may have once again rigged the numbers in his favor by greatly underplaying the costs involved in launching the satellites, when in reality the company is losing "hundreds of dollars on each of the millions of ground terminals it ships."

According to Bloomberg's sources, SpaceX's accounting was "more of an art than a science" and the much-hyped system isn't actually profitable, despite Musk's assurances.

The company has kept its financials close to its chest, especially while fundraising. During a March press conference, SpaceX CFO Bret Johnsen appeared cagey, telling reporters in a carefully worded comment that "I dont know that I want to quantify those numbers, but we are in positive cash flow and profitable territory for our satellite business now."

In short, is SpaceX's Starlink business cashflow positive, as Musk claims, or merely in "profitable territory"? The distinction could make all the difference for Musk's outsize plans for space colonization.

The mercurial CEO has long argued that the internet satellite broadband arm of his space company will provide the funding necessary to get humans to Mars. According to Bloomberg, Starlink represents more than half of SpaceX's revenue this year.

As of now, SpaceX has launched 5,600 satellites into low-Earth orbit and is planning to launch tens of thousands more.

Despite eclipsing the total number of all operating satellites in Earth's orbit, Starlink isn't just struggling to cut even. Experts are concerned that trying to provide the entire globe with internet via satellites instead of expanding coverage with cell towers where needed could prove difficult, with speeds already beginning to decrease in 2022.

In other words, SpaceX will have to pump out untold numbers of satellites to keep up with quickly growing bandwidth demands.

That's not all the bad news. According to Bloomberg, all major US airlines have rejected SpaceX's Starlink to provide internet service on flights, though an exact reason as to why remains unclear.

Nonetheless, SpaceX has exceeded expectations when it comes to generating revenue over the years. Sales could grow from $4.7 billion a year ago to $15 billion this year, per Bloomberg's sources.

SpaceX may end up spinning off its internet service with a potential IPO. But that's still years out, according to company officials.

More on Starlink: SpaceX Announces Plans to Set 100 Starlink Satellites on Fire

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There Appears to Be a Huge Problem With SpaceX's Starlink - Futurism

SpaceX launches the first Falcon booster 20 times – Space Explored

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Image: SpaceX

Friday evening SpaceX launched a Starlink mission that while not newsworthy anymore, the booster it launched on was. B1062, first launched in 2020, has now reached the big 20 mission milestone.

While it took a bit longer than we expected after the destruction of B1058 on its return to port, SpaceX has hit that 20 mission milestone. Friday evening at 9:40 P.M. from SLC-40, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, SpaceX launched B1062 with 23 Starlink Gen 2 mini satellites on top.

B1062 first lifted off on November 5, 2020 with GPS III SV04 Sacagawea. Since then it has flown 13 Starlink missions (including the one from last night), eight astronauts, and various other commercial payloads, including Starlinks competitor OneWeb. Bring it to a grand total of 20 flights, once the believed limit of Falcon 9 boosters.

The booster performed like it came right out the SpaceX factory in Hawthorne. B1062, lofted its second stage and Starlink satellites on their intended trajectory before returning for a perfect landing on droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

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When SpaceX first began reusing its first stage, many didnt think it was even possible. When it became possible, the hypothetical limits by Elon Musk was close to 10 or 15 launches. That was also at the time believed to be a big ask.

SpaceX is no longer advertising potential limits to how many times they can refly a booster before seeing any failures. There will be limits, and SpaceX intends to find them but dont have an idea as to when theyll show up.

Each booster goes through a rigorous refurbishment process before reflight. However, those process have come down in time it takes to finish, some boosters reflying in a matter of weeks. Its possible teams have already spotted failing points before flight and those booster see longer refurbishments but thats something well probably never hear about.

The knowledge gained with reusing Falcon is important for the companys new rocket, Starship. SpaceX hopes to launch Starship rockets on a near hourly bases, meaning those boosters and ships will quickly replace Falcon boosters in reflight records.

Starship may just be a few more flights away before beginning sending payloads to orbit. This will most likely begin with full size Starlink Gen 2 satellites, likely replacing the mini variations launch on Falcon 9s.

While it might be hard to believe, we could be reaching the conclusion of the Falcon 9s career (were talking years here not months), at least its commercial career. While its unknown how many customers will move from Falcons to Starship, the potential low cost for launch could mean the bulk switch over.

So does that mean well never know the limit of Falcon 9 boosters? Unsure, B1062 will probably fly a few more times this year, maybe its 21, or 25, or 50. Whatever it is, Starship will most likely be higher.

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SpaceX launches the first Falcon booster 20 times - Space Explored

Guest Column: Somebody Has To Say It | Your Wyoming News Source – Cowboy State Daily

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Another legislative budget session has finished up and legislators have now returned home to report to their constituents how things went.

This is where it gets interesting. The recent session seems to have had more fireworks than most.

From an outside perspective, it seems that the divide between members of our majority party is getting worse and distracting many away from the real reason they have been elected.

The recent discussion and vote of having a special session to override the Governors vetoes has once again exposed the divide that seems to be growing between our good ole Republican legislators.

With a super majority such as we have in Wyoming, we certainly have our disagreements among same party officials.This has always been the case.

But this time it seems different.A bit nastier and more direct.

When I see a Facebook post from current legislators, calling out the traitors or turn coats that voted against the special session, my skin begins to crawl.

Because Ive served in the Wyoming Senate, I wondered how I would react to such a public comment from a fellow legislator.

In my years of service, I saw more than my share of grandstanding moments from others that I worked with.

Most of the time I would ignore the attacks but the increase of these attacks and the trend of blowhards using social media to poke or stab at colleagues is starting to irritate me a great deal.

Heres why: it is self-promoting political grandstanding.

These caustic remarks are directed to politically hurt any opponent, while attempting to elevate the grandstander.

Now, Im a big boy and some may say its fair game or that it is politics, but what really irks me is when these same folks that make these attacks on fellow legislators cry foul when they are passed over for leadership positions in the body they serve in.

They tell their constituents that they are being mistreated because they dared to stand up to those in power or refused to kiss the ring.

The reality is that these folks can dish it out, but they cant take it.Much like the typical bully from school, when finally confronted they fold like a napkin. Sadly, the end game to all this poor behavior is nothing but wasted time.

Proof of this is the poorly crafted and passed bills that the governor elected to veto.

The logical person should ask themselves this question: if the governor knew that these vetoes would be political suicide, then why would he veto these bills?

Im sure he struggled with them and put himself on the line by using his veto power of bills that were supposed to be important to the citizens of Wyoming.

Yet he chose to apply his authority to provide a check and a balance by using his veto power.

Why would he do this unless he had valid concerns that he will now have to explain every time he is asked about his actions on these bills.

Having been in similar positions, I can tell you that his decision took a lot of thought and courage to make.

But rather than taking the high road, those that might disagree with their governor and these vetoes have taken to the social media outlets and labeled all those that opposed having a special session, with the usual banter, name calling while applying labels to any opponent that gets in the way of their efforts.

To those that have chosen to play to the crowd by slandering their fellow legislators, may I suggest a few ideas of how they may better respond to having a different opinion on a matter.

I cant speak for my colleagues that voted against having a special session, youll have to ask them why they voted as they did, I can only tell you why I voted in favor of having a special session.

Or maybe this, Ive tried to understand the concerns they may have with a special session but feel that the importance of these particular bills far outweighed the concerns that some had.

Its not that hard to say the right thing when you check your ego at the door and have a better understanding of mutual respect and honoring the position these people hold.

Words matter.Using correct language when speaking about colleagues such as my friendsor my good friends across the aisle.

As I served in the Senate, mutual respect was a constant practice. But this common decency among legislators seems to be more lacking with each passing session.

I attribute this downward trend to extremism, frustration, constant bombardment of violence from the world we live in with social media and 24-hour news and a tired and uninformed electorate.

We would rather get our information from a nasty Facebook post or blog that entertains us rather than asking the person directly.

We really dont want to know the truth of a matter but would rather assume the worst of an individual.Our standards have been lowered and we seem quick to judge or fight without getting the facts.

We assume that everyone is an enemy and we stand ready with gun in hand to shoot before asking questions.

There is no doubt that the differences between groups are magnified as we degrade ourselves by pointing out these differences rather than finding common ground.

It seems weve lost the art of compromise and substituted diplomacy with take no prisoners."

Some may think that its time we stood our ground and dig in if we are to save our values.

Sadly, the result of standing your ground is that nothing moves while the dead bodies continue to stack up, much like the trench warfare of World War I.

A great example of a futile exercise: when both parties are dug in and unwilling to move, the dead bodies will begin to stack up with little or no positive movement or effort.

I would point out to the reader that the attitude of these so-called true Republicans have set themselves up as the judge of who is a good Republican and who is not. It is nothing more than a mob mentality.

For a glimpse of the end game of this movement could be provided by a study of the extreme party in Germany that began much the same way.

They were looking for a change and the purists showed up promising reform.Their tactics were justified as a love for their country.

The tactics became more brutal as time went on and as the true extremists became more prominent.Justification and love for the country was the practice of the day.

Soon the radical ideas were casually accepted by the majority.

It came to an end when the rest of the world had seen enough and millions of lives were lost, bringing accountability to a power hungry few.

As we enter another election season, I would strongly recommend to the voters to ask your legislative candidates where they feel they stand on this important issue.

How will they be an effective legislator?What are their plans for leadership positions?

Do they have any experiences that would assist them while serving in this position?What ideas they may have or will work to introduce?

For the incumbent, you can ask them how they get along with their colleagues.Ask them if they feel they are being effective in representing us and our needs.

Ask them about the success theyve had in the bills that they have sponsored and gotten passed.Do they hold any leadership positions in the House or Senate?

Please do not let them off the hook with their typical answer such as, Well Im out-voted because conservatives like me are just few and far between.We are simply outnumbered.

Having served 13 years in the Senate, I can tell you that is only an excuse used by poor legislators.

How can any legislator come home after a grueling session and criticize other serving legislators by calling them traitors or turn coats or "RINOs" or just plain idiots and expect to be treated nice by them in return?

So why do they do these things?

Because they can come home and placate to the uninformed masses that they were the hero trying to do the right thing and the masses love them for it.

They become the poster child of fighting against the evil majority that are nothing but greedy, selfish, and power-hungry.

They will tell you how bad things are in Cheynne but, they, being the only purest in the group, are fighting an uphill battle.

And because we seem to be too lazy to discover the real deal in Cheyenne, we continue to elect these types because we think that the government is a bunch of criminals as well. When the real fact of the matter is that we elected an ineffective legislator.

Now thats tough talk but its real and its truthful.

I made many stands while serving for what I thought was right, but I never made enemies with those that I had to work with.

A good legislator knows how to make a stand without injuring fellow workers.

A good legislator knows that everyone is different and not everyone will agree with their positions and so they work to persuade others and to debate the issues with the goal of convincing others to see your view of things and to support your concept.

A good legislator also understands that many times they will fail in their attempts to get a great idea or cause passed because some may see things differently.

They dont take it personally.They dont allow themselves to be caught up in the get even" game.

This is what good legislators do.

When we elect folks that cant do these things effectively, or in the right way, we get to the point where we seem to be now, a we vs. them mentality.

The efforts to degrade the other position or the personal attacks to the opponents, are signs of a poor legislator struggling to elevate themselves by degrading another.

They cant run on their own merits because they dont have any to promote.

All they base their campaigns on are that they fight for freedom and liberty and are more conservative than the other person.

Personal integrity is gone as they allow the slander from extreme groups that happen to agree with them, to flood the mailboxes and commercials during a campaign against their opponents.

All of this because they are failing as a leader among their co-legislators.

When the campaigns start and we attend meetings to hear from our candidates, we should have a pretty good understanding of their views and positions before the meeting is over. If not, the meeting was a failure.

We need to ask the hard questions.

We need to see how fast the candidate can think on their feet, how they communicate their thoughts.Because those qualities will be required of that position.

We need to hold them accountable for their past record or lack of one.

Ask them about the issues of the day or their knowledge of state budgets and expenditures that will affect you.

By the time these meetings are over, the candidates should feel like theyve been run over because that is what a legislative session feels like.

If we have the desire to send our best candidate to Cheyenne, then we need to run these candidates through the mill and weed out the fake want-to-bes that fall back to the sound bites that seem to resonate with the majority of the voters.

That is the politician.Yet we elect them and then complain about the ineffectiveness of government. It might be a case of Ive met the enemy, and it is me.

Im getting crochety in my old age and I grow tired of the nonsense around us, especially from our so-called leaders that represent us.

I served my time in public service.I was in the ring.

For this reason, I have every right and the responsibility to call into question the lack of decorum of our state legislature and our state Republican party.

I served and I did my best to carry out that responsibility as a public servant and I grow tired of the backstabbing, and name calling that seems to control this divide we now have.

Wyoming is better than that and we deserve better than that.

Claiming to be more conservative than another is nothing more than a political stunt. Calling another Republican a "RINO" is not only short-sighted but smacks of arrogance and stupidity.

We need to go deeper into these candidates for office.

As for the other side, demeaning another for their position or labeling them a "rebel" or "hillbilly" is as ignorant as the other comments.

We all need to remember that everyone that serves was elected by the majority, and with that carries the representation of that area and that area deserves respect and opportunity to be heard and represented.

My suggestion is to leave the egos at home.Remember who you work for.

Bring honor back to the position and the entire body.Try to build the team rather than tear it apart.Listen more than you speak.

Understand that in Wyoming, we are all a pretty conservative bunch of folks with some occasional differences of opinions or ideas.

Remember that even though you may think it, you dont always have to say it.Understanding should be the key word and effort.All should have a place at the table and the opportunity to be heard.

My own photo is on the walls of the Wyoming Senate, and I remain proud of the product we made and how we made it.

I hope that those serving now will be able to say the same when they are finished.It does no one any good to say the ignorant things that Ive had to read about or listen to from supposedly the best of us and who represent us.

A legislator should not be surprised when they are not considered or supported by the very people that they poke or make enemies out of continually.

A good legislator builds bridges and friendships among those with a different position.A poor legislator digs in and lofts grenades into the supposed enemy.

Ive called for our legislators to pick up their game and make these improvements, the sooner the better.

I would also ask our voters to step up their game as well.Be engaged.Learn about the issues that affect our lives.

Do not accept the sound bites or one liner that fall short of real problem solving.

We need to send our very best. It is our responsibility to make sure we do.

Finally, to our Republican party leaders: be careful how you represent us.

We should never accept some of the practices of our partys leadership as they promote the divide that exists among us.

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Guest Column: Somebody Has To Say It | Your Wyoming News Source - Cowboy State Daily

RHOC Alum Lauri Peterson Announces Death of Son Josh Waring at 35: ‘Every Fiber in My Body Hurts’ – Yahoo News Canada

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No one can ever prepare you for this feeling of such deep loss, Peterson wrote on Instagram

Instagram/lauri_peterson

Lauri Petersons son Josh Waring died on March 31. He was 35.

The Real Housewives of Orange County alum, 63, announced his death on April 6 on Instagram, writing, It is with a shattered heart that I write this post to let you know that my sweet Josh left this earth Easter Sunday.

PEOPLE reached out to Peterson for comment, but she did not immediately respond.

Alongside photos of Waring throughout the years from childhood pictures to shots of him with his daughter, Kennady Peterson also included a heartfelt message about his life and death.

"No one can ever prepare you for this feeling of such deep loss, she wrote, adding that every fiber in my body hurts.

Related: Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2024

The former RHOC star went on to say that Waring fought every single day for most of his adult life, for his life, but this past Sunday, the challenge was too great.

Joshs childhood was filled with deep intellect, humor, pranks, athletics, snow boarding, body boarding mountain hikes, reading, friends and his love for music, she wrote. Even during adult hardship, Josh continued to maintain his sense of humor, continued to be optimistic, continued to be kind to others, defended those that were unable to defend themselves and continued to love his family so so much!

Reflecting on his years as a father, she wrote that he received the most joy, pride and purpose through his daughter Kennady and watching her grow and thrive over the years, and thanked those who have tried to help Josh along the way.

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I am witness to many Angels on earth. Not everyone understands those suffering from substance abuse disorder, but I am forever grateful for your understanding and the impact you made on his life, she continued. I also thank those who have supported me through this journey and offering kind words of encouragement by sharing their stories of living with substance abuse disorder and the many parents that have shared their stories over the years with me about the children they have sadly lost due to this illness.

Story continues

Josh I love you so much and I will miss you terribly! Peterson continued. I will forever be your Mama Bear & Mama Dukes and every time the clock turns to 11:11, I will expect your call to tell me to make a wish! What will I wish for now? My heart is with you and I pray you have found the peace that you so deserve. Heaven has gained the coolest angel and you have gained your freedom at last sweet boy. Love always and forever, Mom.

Related: The Real Housewives of Orange County Turns 18: See How Andy Cohen and the Cast Celebrated Milestone

In recent years, Waring made headlines for his legal troubles, pleading guilty to a 2022 drug charge after he was found in possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine, the Los Angeles Times reported at the time. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

Waring also spent four years in prison for attempted murder after shooting a man named Daniel Lopez outside of a sober living home in 2016. Lopez survived the shooting.

Peterson spoke out about her sons legal troubles on social media in 2018, alleging he had been set up by police.

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RHOC Alum Lauri Peterson Announces Death of Son Josh Waring at 35: 'Every Fiber in My Body Hurts' - Yahoo News Canada

Heather Jensen Peterson | Obituaries | cachevalleydaily.com – Cache Valley Daily

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Heather (Jensen) Peterson, passed away peacefully on April 2nd, 2024, after a 17 year battle with cancer, at the age of 59.

Heather was born March 4th, 1965 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Elsie and Reid Jensen, the youngest of their 3 children. She worked as a chemist for Kennecott Copper Mine And Salt Lake City Corp. She was an aide with the Cache County School District and was the Library Director at the Cache County Library in Providence, Utah. Her favorite job of all, however, was raising her 3 children.

She married her first husband Newton Holmquist on March 16th, 1991. They have 2 children, Holly and Bailey.

Heather married her current husband and eternal companion, Ronald Peterson, on January 24, 2003, and they were sealed on October 1, 2004 in the Logan, Utah Temple. Together, they have one daughter, Miranda.

Heather was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Her testimony of the gospel was ever growing. She attributed her successes in life, whether they were big or small, to that testimony.

She loved to craft, and sing, and she was an expert at the sewing machine. She made everything from clothing to costumes and bags to organizers. She even designed and created her eldest daughter's wedding dress. Heather was amazingly loving, caring, and wise both as a wife and a mom. She had the best advice and raised smart, strong, and independent children. She adored being a grandma and spent her time playing, reading, and singing with her grandchildren. She possessed endless love and care for everyone she met regardless of their background or lifestyle.

Heather was preceded in death by her parents, Reid and Elsie Jensen, her brother, Bryce Jensen, and her father-in-law Robert Peterson.

Heather is survived by her loving husband Ronald Peterson, and her children Miranda Peterson, Holly (Kolby) Naef, and Newton Bailey (Lisa) Holmquist. She is also survived by her sister Heidi Jensen, mother-in-law, Cornelia Peterson, and sister-in-law Brenda (Peterson) Brown, her nephews, Jordan and Ashton Brown, as well as her beautiful grandchildren Finley Naef and Emery Holmquist.

Heather and her family are so grateful for the love and support they have received over the many years from friends, neighbors, and ward members. She wanted to give a special thanks to Julie, Mitzi, and Gina from her chemotherapy who made a difference in her life.

Memories and condolences may be shared and expressed at http://www.allenmortuaries.com

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Heather Jensen Peterson | Obituaries | cachevalleydaily.com - Cache Valley Daily

Judicial watchdog wants metro Atlanta judge off the bench – The Atlanta Journal Constitution

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Douglas Countys probate judge should be removed from office in response to a host of ethics charges, a panel of the Georgia Judicial Qualifications Commission has said in a report.

Christina Peterson, who became a probate judge in an uncontested November 2020 election, has been fighting the ethics charges since they were filed by the director of the states judicial watchdog in July 2021. At one point, Peterson faced 50 separate charges accusing her of violating the Georgia Code of Judicial Conduct, but 20 have been withdrawn or dismissed.

Peterson, a University of Georgia School of Law graduate who practiced as an attorney for several years before taking the bench, was accused of inappropriate social media posts, unnecessarily jailing and fining a woman who sought to amend her marriage license and letting wedding participants into Douglas Countys courthouse after hours without permission. She was also abusive toward a fellow judge and other county officials, obstructed access to public records and had improper contact with a litigant, among other things, the judicial commission alleged.

(Petersons) actions demonstrate a troubling pattern of ineptitude and misconduct, the panel wrote in a 54-page report Sunday. She is not fit to serve.

The Georgia Supreme Court will decide whether Peterson remains on the bench.

Petersons attorney, Lester Tate, said they reject the panels recommendation and look forward to arguing the case before the court.

Throughout the ethics case, Peterson has said that she has faced unfair criticism as the first Black probate judge in Douglas County. During a trial before the commission panel last year, Peterson admitted to making mistakes in her first year as a judge while learning the ropes and said she was trying to do better.

Peterson acknowledged that it was harsh of her to jail and fine the woman who sought, without an attorney, to amend her marriage license in 2021. She also expressed regret about sending an April 2021 email to David Emerson, who at the time was the chief judge of the Douglas County Superior Court, questioning his judicial authority and competency, records show.

The commission, which is tasked with investigating complaints of judicial misconduct, has twice sought Petersons suspension. Both requests were denied by the state Supreme Court.

In its report, the panel said Peterson had been disingenuous, if not outright dishonest, during the investigation process. It said her testimony during last years trial was untruthful and evasive.

This persistent unwillingness to apply to herself the rules that apply to everyone else is deeply troubling, the panel said. Moreover, she has demonstrated a steadfast unwillingness to accept moral accountability in nearly all the episodes of misconduct.

Given Petersons stance that the ethics case against her has been unfair, biased and intentionally obstructive to her career, no sanction less than removal from office will have a meaningful impact, the panel said.

(Petersons) actions in the courtroom and outside it demonstrate a consistent and persistent pattern of misconduct comprised of intemperance, judicial incompetence, and danger to the rights of litigants, it said. And so she must go.

Courtney Veal, the commission director who has led the ethics case against Peterson, said the panels report speaks for itself. Veal said she looks forward to a final ruling by the state Supreme Court.

Peterson and Veal have 20 days to file responses to the panels report. Its unclear when the court will make a decision.

Peterson has qualified for reelection this year as Douglas Countys probate judge. She is being challenged in the Democratic primary in May by Douglasville attorney Valerie Vie. No Republican candidates have qualified in the race.

After becoming a lawyer in 2013, Peterson worked at a private law firm then as a prosecutor in Douglas and Fulton counties, records show. She had no prior experience as a judge.

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Judicial watchdog wants metro Atlanta judge off the bench - The Atlanta Journal Constitution

I Went To A Dinner Hosted By Martha Stewart In The Bahamas – Delish

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Visiting the Bahamas is bound to be fun, especially if you stay at the

I had the chance to experience the magic of NPIWFF for myself last month, and one of the most memorable events was a dinner hosted by none other than Martha Stewart. The TV personality, businesswoman, and hostess with the most-ess helped curate a three-course menu, complete with wine pairings.

The dinner was hosted at Oceans Edge, an outdoor venue with expansive views of Nassaus turquoise waters. The space was fitted with warmly lit lanterns, floral table linens, and a live band playing soft jazz. It felt like I was walking into the fanciest wedding reception of my life.

And, like the name of the festival implies, the wine always comes first. Every guest was greeted with a glass of wineMarthas Chard from 19 Crimes, obviously. Ive had my fair share of celebrity wines, and Marthas Chard is definitely one of the better ones, especially when you consider the fact that you can buy a bottle for under $20.

My fellow guests and I were all seated at a round, banquet-style table and offered chic and sophisticated canaps. The first was a bite of lobster accompanied by a chili mayonnaise and charred pineapple, which struck the ideal balance of sweet and spicy. The second hors doeuvre was just as decadent: filet mignon with Boursin and caramelized onion. And at the table was an overflowing bread basket with adorable balls of butter.

After a few snacks and a refill of Chardonnay, Martha took the microphone to give us a warm welcome. And she said that focusing on the wine was just as important as curating the nights menu.

I know what good wine is, she says. She revealed that she bought a home in Seal Harbor, Maine, in 1997 that was originally built for Edsel Ford of Ford Motors fame. And aside from the sprawling 63 acres of land, she also acquired an extensive wine collection left in the houses cellar.

According to Martha, drinking her way through the collection was one of the best learning experiences. Weve been going through the 82 Bordeauxs little by little, and not just regular old bottles, she said. Some of the bottles in her collection contain 15 liters of wine (FYI, thats enough to fill a dozen standard bottles).

My son-in-law at the time would walk around the house cradling a magnum of Lafite Rothschild, she said. He was drinking like $20,000 a night. I dont think he really knew that, they were just having a good time.

After hearing some more of Martha's wine takes (she's a big Pinot Noir fan, BTW), it was time for dinner. Here's everything we ate:

The first course was described as a King salmon ceviche with burnt orange segments, micro greens, and citrus dressing. The fish wasn't seasoned with as much citrus as you'd expect from a standard ceviche, but you got pockets of brightness and tang from the fresh orange, the vinaigrette, and the little dollops of crme frache dotted across the plate.

My favorite element of the dish was the salmonwe were on an island, after all. The King salmon likely traveled to Nassau from the Pacific, but it still tasted super fresh, mild, and buttery. It was the perfect counterpoint to all of the sauces and garnishes.

The second course was much more traditional. We were served a slice of beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes, vegetables, and a rich, savory jus. Alongside the wedding-esque ambience, this course really solidified the reception vibes.

But unlike most meals I've had at weddings, this dish was actually enjoyable to eat. The beef was super tender and delicate, with a nice level of pink in the center. The vegetables were cooked gently enough that they still retained their snap. And that jus? I could drink an entire vat of it.

Anything Martha Stewart does has a level of sophistication, but that doesn't mean there's no room for a little drama. And the dessert course was no exception. It was served to us in the form of a dark chocolate sphere, with all of the magic hidden inside. Once you broke open the mold, there was a chocolate custard and coffee streusel. It was so rich, creamy, and decadent. And the berries on the plate provided a nice burst of freshness and acidity to balance out each bite.

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I Went To A Dinner Hosted By Martha Stewart In The Bahamas - Delish

The evolution of robotics: research and application progress of dental implant robotic systems | International Journal of … – Nature.com

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Implantology is widely considered the preferred treatment for patients with partial or complete edentulous arches.34,35 The success of the surgery in achieving good esthetic and functional outcomes is directly related to correct and prosthetically-driven implant placement.36 Accurate implant placement is crucial to avoid potential complications such as excessive lateral forces, prosthetic misalignment, food impaction, secondary bone resorption, and peri-implantitis.37 Any deviation during the implant placement can result in damage to the surrounding blood vessels, nerves, and adjacent tooth roots and even cause sinus perforation.38 Therefore, preoperative planning must be implemented intraoperatively with utmost precision to ensure quality and minimize intraoperative and postoperative side effects.39

Currently, implant treatment approaches are as follows: Free-handed implant placement, Static computer-aided implant placement, and dynamic computer-aided implant placement. The widely used free-handed implant placement provides less predictable accuracy and depends on the surgeons experience and expertise.40 Deviation in implant placement is relatively large among surgeons with different levels of experience. When novice surgeons face complex cases, achieving satisfactory results can be challenging. A systematic review41 based on six clinical studies indicated that the ranges of deviation of the platform, apex, and angle from the planned position with free-handed implant placement were (1.250.62)mm(2.771.54)mm, (2.101.00)mm(2.911.52)mm, and 6.904.409.926.01, respectively. Static guides could only provide accurate guidance for the initial implantation position. However, it is difficult to precisely control the depth and angle of osteotomies.42 The lack of real-time feedback on drill positioning during surgery can limit the clinicians ability to obtain necessary information.42,43,44 Besides, surgical guides may also inhibit the cooling of the drills used for implant bed preparation, which may result in necrosis of the overheated bone. Moreover, the use of static guides is limited in patients with limited accessibility, especially for those with implants placed in the posterior area. Additionally, the use of guides cannot flexibly adjust the implant plan intraoperatively. With dynamic computer-aided implant placement, the positions of the patient and drills could be tracked in real-time and displayed on a computer screen along with the surgical plan, thus allowing the surgeon to adjust the drilling path if necessary. However, the surgeons may deviate from the plan or prepare beyond it without physical constraints. During surgery, the surgeon may focus more on the screen for visual information rather than the surgical site, which can lead to reduced tactile feedback.45 The results of a meta-analysis showed that the platform deviation, apex deviation, and angular deviation were 0.91mm (95% CI 0.791.03mm), 1.26mm (95% CI 1.141.38mm), and 3.25 (95% CI 2.843.66) respectively with the static computer-aided implant placement, and 1.28mm (95% CI 0.871.69mm), 1.68mm (95% CI 1.451.90mm), and 3.79 (95% CI 1.875.70), respectively, with dynamic computer-aided implant placement. The analysis results showed that both methods improved the accuracy compared to free-handed implant placement, but they still did not achieve ideal accuracy.46 Gwangho et al.47 believe that the key point of a surgical operation is still manually completed by surgeons, regardless of static guide or dynamic navigation, and the human factors (such as hand tremble, fatigue, and unskilled operation techniques) also affect the accuracy of implant placement.

Robotic-assisted implant surgery could provide accurate implant placement and help the surgeon control handpieces to avoid dangerous tool excursions during surgery.48 Furthermore, compared to manual calibration, registration, and surgery execution, automatic calibration, registration, and drilling using the dental implant robotic system reduces human error factors. This, in turn, helps avoid deviations caused by surgeons factors, thereby enhancing surgical accuracy, safety, success rates, and efficiency while also reducing patient trauma.7 With the continuous improvement of technology and reduction of costs, implant robotics are gradually becoming available for commercial use. Yomi (Neocis Inc., USA) has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, while Yakebot (Yakebot Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China), Remebot (Baihui Weikang Technology Co., Ltd, Beijing, China), Cobot (Langyue dental surgery robot, Shecheng Co. Ltd., Shanghai, China), Theta (Hangzhou Jianjia robot Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, China), and Dcarer (Dcarer Medical Technology Co., Ltd, Suzhou, China) have been approved by the NMPA. Dencore (Lancet Robotics Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, China) is in the clinical trial stage in China.

Compared to other surgeries performed with general anesthesia, dental implant surgery can be completed under local anesthesia, with patients awake but unable to remain completely still throughout the entire procedure. Therefore, research related to dental implant robotic system, as one of the cutting-edge technologies, mainly focuses on acquiring intraoperative feedback information (including tactile and visual information), different surgical methods (automatic drilling and manual drilling), patient position following, and the simulation of surgeons tactile sensation.

The architecture of dental implant robotics primarily comprises the hardware utilized for surgical data acquisition and surgical execution (Fig. 4). Data acquisition involves perceiving, identifying, and understanding the surroundings and the information required for task execution through the encoders, tactile sensors, force sensors, and vision systems. Real-time information obtained also includes the robots surrounding environment, object positions, shapes, sizes, surface features, and other relevant information. The perception system assists the robot in comprehending its working environment and facilitates corresponding decision-making as well as actions.

The architecture of dental implant robotics

During the initial stage of research on implant robotics, owing to the lack of sensory systems, fiducial markers and corresponding algorithms were used to calculate the transformation relationship between the robots and the models coordinate system. The robot was able to determine the actual position through coordinate conversions. Dutreuil et al.49 proposed a new method for creating static guides on casts using robots based on the determined implant position. Subsequently, Boesecke et al.50 developed a surgical planning method using linear interpolation between start and end points, as well as intermediate points. The surgeon performed the osteotomies by holding the handpieces, with the robot guidance based on preoperatively determined implant position. Sun et al.51 and McKenzie et al.52 registered cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images, the robots coordinate system, and the patients position using a coordinate measuring machine, which facilitated the transformation of preoperative implant planning into intraoperative actions.

Neocis has developed a dental implant robot system called Yomi (Neocis Inc.)53 based on haptic perception and connects a mechanical joint measurement arm to the patients teeth to track their position. The joint encoder provides information on the drill position, while the haptic feedback of handpieces maneuvered by the surgeon constrains the direction and depth of implant placement.

Optical positioning is a commonly used localization method that offers high precision, a wide -field -of -view, and resistance to interference.54 This makes it capable of providing accurate surgical guidance for robotics. Yu et al.55 combined image-guided technology with robotic systems. They used a binocular camera to capture two images of the same target, extract pixel positions, and employ triangulation to obtain three-dimensional coordinates. This enabled perception of the relative positional relationship between the end-effector and the surrounding environment. Yeotikar et al.56 suggested mounting a camera on the end-effector of the robotic arm, positioned as close to the drill as possible. By aligning the cameras center with the drills line of sight at a specific height on the lower jaw surface, the cameras center accurately aligns with the drills position in a two-dimensional space at a fixed height from the lower jaw. This alignment guides the robotic arm in drilling through specific anatomical landmarks in the oral cavity. Yan et al.57 proposed that the use of eye-in-hand optical navigation systems during surgery may introduce errors when changing the handpiece at the end of the robotic arm. Additionally, owing to the narrow oral environment, customized markers may fall outside the cameras field of view when the robotic arm moves to certain positions.42 To tackle this problem, a dental implant robot system based on optical marker spatial registration and probe positioning strategies is designed. Zhao et al constructed a modular implant robotic system based on binocular visual navigation devices operating on the principles of visible light with eye-to-hand mode, allowing complete observation of markers and handpieces within the cameras field of view, thereby ensuring greater flexibility and stability.38,58

The dental implant robotics execution system comprises hardware such as motors, force sensors, actuators, controllers, and software components to perform tasks and actions during implant surgery. The system receives commands, controls the robots movements and behaviors, and executes the necessary tasks and actions. Presently, research on dental implant robotic systems primarily focuses on the mechanical arm structure and drilling methods.

The majority of dental implant robotic systems directly adopt serial-linked industrial robotic arms based on the successful application of industrial robots with the same robotic arm connection.59,60,61,62 These studies not only establish implant robot platforms to validate implant accuracy and assess the influence of implant angles, depths, and diameters on initial stability but also simulate chewing processes and prepare natural root-shaped osteotomies based on volume decomposition. Presently, most dental implant robots in research employ a single robotic arm for surgery. Lai et al.62 indicated that the stability of the handpieces during surgery and real-time feedback of patient movement are crucial factors affecting the accuracy of robot-assisted implant surgery. The former requires physical feedback, while the latter necessitates visual feedback. Hence, they employed a dual-arm robotic system where the main robotic arm was equipped with multi-axis force and torque sensors for performing osteotomies and implant placement. The auxiliary arm consisted of an infrared monocular probe used for visual system positioning to address visual occlusion issues arising from changes in arm angles during surgery.

The robots mentioned above use handpieces to execute osteotomies and implant placement. However, owing to limitations in patient mouth opening, performing osteotomies and placing implants in the posterior region can be challenging. To overcome the spatial constraints during osteotomies in implant surgery, Yuan et al.63 proposed a robot system based on earlier research which is laser-assisted tooth preparation. This system involves a non-contact ultra-short pulse laser for preparing osteotomies. The preliminary findings confirmed the feasibility of robotically controlling ultra-short pulse lasers for osteotomies, introducing a novel method for a non-contact dental implant robotic system.

It can be challenging for patients under local anesthesia to remain completely still during robot-assisted dental implant surgery.52,64,65,66,67 Any significant micromovement in the patients position can severely affect clinical surgical outcomes, such as surgical efficiency, implant placement accuracy compared to the planned position, and patient safety. Intraoperative movement may necessitate re-registration for certain dental implant robotic systems. In order to guarantee safety and accuracy during surgery, the robot must detect any movement in the patients position and promptly adjust the position of the robotic arm in real time. Yakebot uses binocular vision to monitor visual markers placed outside the patients mouth and at the end of the robotic arm. This captures motion information and calculates relative position errors. The robot control system utilizes preoperatively planned positions, visual and force feedback, and robot kinematic models to calculate optimal control commands for guiding the robotic arms micromovements and tracking the patients micromovements during drilling. As the osteotomies are performed to the planned depth, the robotic arm compensates for the patients displacement through the position following the function. The Yakebots visual system continuously monitors the patients head movement in real time and issues control commands every 0.008s. The robotic arm is capable of following the patients movements with a motion servo in just 0.2s, ensuring precise and timely positioning.

Robot-assisted dental implant surgery requires the expertise and tactile sense of a surgeon to ensure accurate implantation. Experienced surgeons can perceive bone density through the resistance they feel in their hands and adjust the force magnitude or direction accordingly. This ensures proper drilling along the planned path. However, robotic systems lack perception and control, which may result in a preference for the bone side with lower density. This can lead to inaccurate positioning compared to the planned implant position.61,62 Addressing this challenge, Li et al.68 established force-deformation compensation curves in the X, Y, and Z directions for the robots end-effector based on the visual and force servo systems of the autonomous dental robotic system, Yakebot. Subsequently, a corresponding force-deformation compensation strategy was formulated for this robot, thus proving the effectiveness and accuracy of force and visual servo control through in vitro experiments. The implementation of this mixed control mode, which integrates visual and force servo systems, has improved the robots accuracy in implantation and ability to handle complex bone structures. Based on force and visual servo control systems, Chen et al.69 have also explored the relationship between force sensing and the primary stability of implants placed using the Yakebot autonomous dental robotic system through an in vitro study. A significant correlation was found between Yakebots force sensing and the insertion torque of the implants. This correlation conforms to an interpretable mathematical model, which facilitates the predictable initial stability of the implants after placement.

During osteotomies with heat production (which is considered one of the leading causes of bone tissue injury), experienced surgeons could sense possible thermal exposure via their hand feeling. However, with free-handed implant placement surgery, it is challenging to perceive temperature changes during the surgical process and establish an effective temperature prediction model that relies solely on a surgeons tactile sense. Zhao et al.70, using the Yakebot robotic system, investigated the correlation between drilling-related mechanical data and heat production and established a clinically relevant surrogate for intraosseous temperature measurement using force/torque sensor-captured signals. They also established a real-time temperature prediction model based on real-time force sensor monitoring values. This model aims to effectively prevent the adverse effects of high temperatures on osseointegration, laying the foundation for the dental implant robotic system to autonomously control heat production and prevent bone damage during autonomous robotic implant surgery.

The innovative technologies mentioned above allow dental implant robotic systems to simulate the tactile sensation of a surgeon and even surpass the limitations of human experience. This advancement promises to address issues that free-handed implant placement techniques struggle to resolve. Moreover, this development indicates substantial progress and great potential for implantation.

The robotic assistant dental implant surgery consists of three steps: preoperative planning, intraoperative phase, and postoperative phase (Fig. 5). For preoperative planning, it is necessary to obtain digital intraoral casts and CBCT data from the patient, which are then imported into preoperative planning software for 3D reconstruction and planning implant placement. For single or multiple tooth gaps using implant robotic systems (except Yakebot),61,62,71,72 a universal registration device (such as the U-shaped tube) must be worn on the patients missing tooth site using a silicone impression material preoperatively to acquire CBCT data for registration. The software performs virtual placement of implant positions based on prosthetic and biological principles of implant surgery, taking into account the bone quality of the edentulous implant site to determine the drilling sequence, insertion depth of each drill, speed, and feed rate. For single or multiple tooth implants performed using Yakebot, there is no need for preoperative CBCT imaging with markers. However, it is necessary to design surgical accessories with registration holes, brackets for attaching visual markers, and devices for assisting mouth opening and suction within the software (Yakebot Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing, China). These accessories are manufactured using 3D printing technology.

Clinical workflow of robotic-assisted dental implant placement

For the intraoperative phase, the first step is preoperative registration and calibration. For Yakebot, the end-effector marker is mounted to the robotic arm, and the spatial positions are recorded under the optical tracker. The calibration plate with the positioning points is then assembled into the implant handpiece for drill tip calibration. Then, the registration probe is inserted in the registration holes of the jaw positioning plate in turn for spatial registration of the jaw marker and the jaw. Robot-assisted dental implant surgery usually does not require flapped surgery,73,74, yet bone grafting due to insufficient bone volume in a single edentulous space or cases of complete edentulism requiring alveolar ridge preparation may require elevation of flaps. For full-arch robot-assisted implant surgery, a personalized template with a positioning marker is required and should be fixed with metallic pins for undergoing an intraoperative CBCT examination, thus facilitating the robot and the jaws registration in the visual space and allowing the surgical robot to track the patients motion. The safe deployment of a robot from the surgical site is an essential principle for robot-assisted implant surgery. In the case of most robots, such as Yomi, the surgeon needs to hold the handpieces to control and supervise the robots movement in real time and stop the robotic arms movement in case of any accidents. With Yakebot, the entire surgery is performed under the surgeons supervision, and immediate instructions are sent in response to possible emergencies via a foot pedal. Additionally, the recording of the entrance and exit of the patients mouth ensures that the instruments would not damage the patients surrounding tissues. The postoperative phase aims at postoperative CBCT acquisition and accuracy measurement.

In clinical surgical practice, robots with varying levels of autonomy perform implant surgeries differently. According to the autonomy levels classified by Yang et al.6,8,33 for medical robots, commercial dental implant robotic systems (Table 2) currently operate at the level of robot assistance or task autonomy.

The robot-assistance dental implant robotic systems provide haptic,75 visual or combined visual and tactile guidance during dental implant surgery.46,76,77 Throughout the procedure, surgeons must maneuver handpieces attached to the robotic guidance arm and apply light force to prepare osteotomies.62 The robotic arm constrains the 3D space of the drill as defined by the virtual plan, enabling surgeons to move the end of the mechanical arm horizontally or adjust its movement speed. However, during immediate implant placement or full-arch implant surgery, both surgeons and robots may struggle to accurately perceive poor bone quality, which should prompt adjustments at the time of implant placement. This can lead to incorrect final implant positions compared to the planned locations.

The task-autonomous dental implant robotic systems can autonomously perform partial surgical procedures, such as adjusting the position of the handpiece to the planned position and preparing the implant bed at a predetermined speed according to the pre-operative implant plan, and surgeons should send instructions, monitor the robots operation, and perform partial interventions as needed. For example, the Remebot77,78 requires surgeons to drag the robotic arm into and out of the mouth during surgery, and the robot automatically performs osteotomies or places implants according to planned positions under the surgeons surveillance. The autonomous dental implant robot system, Yakebot,73,79,80 can accurately reach the implant site and complete operations such as implant bed preparation and placement during surgery. It can be controlled by the surgeon using foot pedals and automatically stops drilling after reaching the termination position before returning to the initial position. Throughout the entire process, surgeons only need to send commands to the robot using foot pedals.

Figure 6 shows the results of accuracy in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies on robot-assisted implant surgery.20,46,48,55,62,64,67,68,69,70,71,72,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,87,88,89 The results suggest that platform and apex deviation values are consistent across different studies. However, there are significant variations in angular deviations among different studies, which may be attributed to differences in the perception and responsiveness to bone quality variances among different robotic systems. Therefore, future development should focus on enhancing the autonomy of implant robots and improving their ability to recognize and respond to complex bone structures.

Accuracy reported in studies on robotic-assisted implant placement

Xu et al.77 conducted a phantom experimental study comparing the implant placement accuracy in three levels of dental implant robotics, namely passive robot (Dcarer, level 1), semi-active robot (Remebot, level 2), and active robot (Yakebot, level 2) (Fig. 7). The study found that active robot had the lowest deviations at the platform and apex of the planned and actual implant positions, While the semi-active robot also had the lowest angular deviations. Chen et al.46 and Jia et al.79 conducted clinical trials of robotic implant surgery in partially edentulous patients using a semi-active dental implant robotic system (level 1) and an autonomous dental implant robot (level 2). The deviations of the implant platform, apex, and angle were (0.530.23)mm/(0.430.18)mm, (0.530.24)mm/(0.560.18)mm and 2.811.13/1.480.59, respectively. These results consistently confirmed that robotic systems can achieve higher implant accuracy than static guidance and that there is no significant correlation between accuracy and implant site (such as anterior or posterior site). The platform and angle deviation of autonomous dental implant robots were smaller than those of semi-active dental implant robotic systems. Li et al.73 reported the use of the autonomous dental implant robot (level 2) to complete the placement of two adjacent implants with immediate postoperative restoration. The interim prosthesis fabricated prior to implant placement was seated without any adjustment, and no adverse reactions occurred during the operation.

Comparison of accuracy of dental implant robotics with different levels of autonomy (phantom experiments) (*P<0.05, **P<0.01, ***P<0.001)

Bolding et al.,53 Li et al.,20 Jia et al.,79 and Xie et al.90 used dental implant robots to conduct clinical trials in full-arch implant surgery with five or six implants placed in each jaw. The deviations of implant platform, apex, and angle are shown in Fig. 8. The haptic dental implant robot (level 1) used by Bolding et al.,53 achieved more deviations compared to other studies that used semi-active (level 1) or active robots (level 2). As its handpiece must be maneuvered by the surgeon, human errors such as surgeon fatigue may not be avoided. Owing to the parallel common implant placement paths between various implant abutments, prefabricated temporary dentures could be seated smoothly, and some patients wore temporary complete dentures immediately after surgery. These results indicate that robotic systems can accurately locate and perform implant placement during surgery.

Comparison of accuracy in robotic-assisted full-arch implant placement

As there are relatively few studies of implant robots in clinical applications, Tak acs et al.91 conducted a meta-analysis under in vitro conditions with free-handed, static-guided, dynamic navigated, and robotic-assisted implant placements, as shown in Fig. 9. It was found that, compared to free-handed, static guided and dynamic navigated implant placements, robotic-assisted implant placements have more advantages in terms of accuracy. However, in vitro studies cannot fully simulate the patients oral condition and bone quality. Recent clinical studies89,92,93 have shown a lower deviation in robotic-assisted implant placements compared to static-guided and dynamic-navigated implant placements. Common reasons for deviations in static-guided and dynamic-navigated implant placements include the following: deflection caused by hand tremors due to dense bone during surgery, surgeons experience, and other human factors. Larger clinical studies will be needed in the future to evaluate the differences between robotic and conventional surgical approaches and to provide guidance for the further development and refinement of robotic techniques.

Comparison of accuracy of free-handed, static, dynamic, and robotic-assisted implant placement. (FHIP free-hand implant placement, SCAIP static computer-aided implant placement, DCAIP dynamic computer-aided implant placement, RAIP robot-assisted implant placement)

For the long-term follow-up performance of robotic systems used in dental implant procedures, none of the comparative studies was longer than a year. One 1-year prospective clinical study by Xie et al.90 showed that the peri-implant tissues after robot-assisted full arch surgery at 1-year visit remained stable. There is little evidence indicating clinical outcomes especially for patient-reported outcomes. A more detailed clinical assessment should be included for further research.

Although robotic-assisted dental implant surgery can improve accuracy and treatment quality,94 it involves complex registration, calibration, and verification procedures that prolong the duration of surgery. These tedious processes may introduce new errors,61 and lower work efficiency, especially in single tooth implant placement62 that could extend visit times and affect patient satisfaction.62 Besides, surgeons are required to undergo additional training to familiarize themselves with the robotic system.87

During implantation, the drill tips at the end of the robotic arms cannot be tilted, and this can increase the difficulty of using robots in posterior sections with limited occlusal space.61,62 In addition, currently available marker systems require patients to wear additional devices to hold the marker in place. If these markers are contaminated or obstructed by blood, the visual system may not be able to detect them, limiting surgical maneuverability to some extent. During immediate implant placement or in cases of poor bone quality in the implant site, the drill tips may deviate towards the tooth sockets or areas of lower bone density, seriously affecting surgical precision.

Currently, only one study has developed a corresponding force-deformation compensation strategy for robots,68 but clinical validation is still lacking. Additionally, the dental implant robotic system, along with other dental implant robots developed for prosthetics, endodontics, and orthodontics, is currently single-functional. Multi-functional robots are required for performing various dental treatments.

Despite the enormous potential of robotic systems in the medical field, similar to the development of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing technology, introducing and applying this technology faces multiple challenges in the initial stages. The high cost of robotic equipment may limit its promotion and application in certain regions or medical institutions. Surgeons require specialized technical training before operating robotic systems, which translates to additional training costs and time investment.95

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NEURA and Omron Robotics partner to offer cognitive factory automation – Robot Report

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NEURA has developed cognitive robots in a variety of form factors. Source: NEURA Robotics

Talk about combining robotics and artificial intelligence is all the rage, but some convergence is already maturing. NEURA Robotics GmbH and Omron Robotics and Safety Technologies Inc. today announced a strategic partnership to introduce cognitive robotics into manufacturing.

By pooling our sensor and AI technologies and expertise into an ultimate platform approach, we will significantly shape the future of the manufacturing industry and set new standards, stated David Reger, founder and CEO of NEURA Robotics.

Reger founded the company in 2019 with the intention of combining sensors and AI with robotics components for a platform for app development similar to that of smartphones. The NEURAverse offers flexibility and cost efficiency in automation, according to the company.

Unlike traditional industrial robots, cognitive robots have the ability to learn from their environment, make decisions autonomously, and adapt to dynamic production scenarios, said Metzingen, Germany-based NEURA. This opens new application possibilities including intricate assembly tasks, detailed quality inspections, and adaptive material handling processes.

We see NEURAs cognitive technologies as a compelling growth opportunity for industrial robotics, added Olivier Welker, president and CEO of Omron Robotics and Safety Technologies. By combining NEURAs innovative solutions with Omrons global reach and automation portfolio, we will provide customers new ways to increase safety, productivity, and flexibility in their operations.

Pleasanton, Calif.-based Omron Robotics is a subsidiary of OMRON Corp. focusing on automation and safety sensing. It designs and manufactures industrial, collaborative, and mobile robots for various industries.

Weve known Omron for quite some time, and even before I started NEURA, we had talked about collaborating, Reger told The Robot Report. Theyve tested our products, and weve worked together on how to benefit both sides.

We have the cognitive platform, and theyre one of the biggest sensor, controllers, and safety systems providers, he added. This collaboration will integrate our cognitive abilities and NEURAverse with their sensors for a plug-and-play solution, which everyone is working toward.

Omron Robotics Olivier Welker and NEURAs David Reger celebrate their partnership. Source: NEURA

When asked whether NEURA and Omron Robotics partnership is mainly focused on market access, Reger replied, Its not just the sales channel there are no really big limits. From both sides, there will be add-ons.

Rather than see each other as competitors, NEURA and Omron Robotics are working to make robots easier to use, he explained.

As a billion-dollar company, it could have told our startup what it wanted, but Omron is different, said Reger. I felt we got a lot of respect from Olivier and everyone in that organization. It wont be a one-sided thing; it will be just Lets help each other do something great. Thats what were feeling every day since weve been working together. Now we can start talking about it.

NEURA has also been looking at mobile manipulation and humanoid robots, but adding capabilities to industrial automation is the low-hanging fruit, where small changes can have a huge effect, said Reger. A lot of things for humanoids have not yet been solved.

I would love to just work on household robots, but the best way to get there is to use the synergy between industrial robotics and the household market, he noted. Our MAiRA, for example, is a cognitive robot able to scan an environment and from an idle state pick any known or unknown objects.

MAiRA cognitive robot on MAV mobile base. Source: NEURA Robotics

NEURA and Omron Robotics promise to make robots easier to use, helping overall adoption, Reger said.

A big warehouse company out of the U.S. is claiming that its already using more than 1 million robots, but at the same time, Im sure theyd love to use many more robots, he said. Its also in the transformation from a niche market into a mass market. We see thats currently only possible if you somehow control the environment.

Its not just putting all the sensors inside the robot, which we were first to do, and saying, OK, now were able to interact with a human and also pick objects,' said Reger. Imagine there are external sensors, but how do you calibrate them? To make everything plug and play, you need new interfaces, which means collaboration with big players like Omron that provide a lot of sensors for the automation market.

NEURA has developed its own sensors and explored the balance of putting processing in the cloud versus the edge. To make its platform as popular with developers as that of Apple, however, the company needs the support of partners like Omron, he said.

Reger also mentioned NEURAs partnership with Kawasaki, announced last year, in which Kawasaki offers the LARA CL series cobot with its portfolio. Both collaborations are incredibly important for NEURA and will soon make sense to everyone, he said.

Reger will be presenting a session on Developing Cognitive Robotics Systems at 2:45 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 1, Day 1 of the Robotics Summit & Expo. The event will be at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, and registration is now open.

Ill be talking about making robots cognitive to enable AI to be useful to humanity instead of competing with us, he said. AI is making great steps, but if you look at what its doing, like drawing pictures or writing stories these are things that Id love to do but dont have the time for. But if I ask, lets say, AI to take out the garbage or show it a picture of garbage, it can tell me how to do it, but its simply not able to do something about it yet.

NEURA is watching humanoid development but is focusing on integrating cognitive robotics with sensing and wearables as it expands in the U.S., said Reger. The company is planning for facilities in Detroit, Boston, and elsewhere, and it is looking for leadership team members as well as application developers and engineers.

We dont just want a sales office, but also production in the U.S., he said. We have 220 people in Germany I just welcomed 15 new people who joined NEURA and are starting to build our U.S. team. In the past several months, weve gone with only European and American investors, and were looking at the Japanese market. The U.S. is now open to innovation, and its an exciting time for us to come.

Learn from Agility Robotics, Amazon, Disney, Teradyne and many more.

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Why is Elon Musk suing Open AI and Sam Altman? In a word: Microsoft. – Morningstar

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By Jurica Dujmovic

Potential ramifications extend far beyond the courtroom

In a striking turn of events, Elon Musk, Tesla's (TSLA) CEO, has initiated legal action against OpenAI and its leadership, alleging that the organization he helped found has moved from its original altruistic mission toward a profit-driven approach, particularly after partnering with Microsoft (MSFT).

The lawsuit accentuates Musk's deep-seated concerns that OpenAI has deviated from its foundational manifesto of developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the betterment of humanity, choosing instead to prioritize financial gains. But is that really so, or is there something else at hand?

Musk was deeply involved with OpenAI since its inception in 2015, as his concerns about AI's potential risks and the vision to advance AI in a way that benefits humanity aligned with OpenAI's original ethos as a non-profit organization.

In 2018, however, Musk became disillusioned with OpenAI because, in his view, it no longer operated as a nonprofit and was building technology that took sides in political and social debates. The recent OpenAI drama that culminated with a series of significant changes in OpenAI's structure and ethos, as well as a what can only be seen as Microsoft's power grab, seems to have sparked Musk's discontent.

To understand his reasoning, it helps to remember that Microsoft is a company with a long history of litigation. Over the years, Microsoft has faced numerous high-profile legal battles related to its market practices.

Here are some prominent cases to illustrate the issue:

-- In the United States v. Microsoft Corp. case, which began in 1998, the U.S. Department of Justice accused Microsoft of holding a monopolistic position in the PC operating-systems market and taking actions to crush threats to that monopoly. In April 2000, the case resulted in a verdict that Microsoft had engaged in monopolization and attempted monopolization in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

-- In Europe, Microsoft has faced significant fines for abusing its dominant market position. In 2004, the European Commission fined Microsoft 497.2 million euros, the largest sum it had ever imposed on a single company at the time??. In 2008, Microsoft was fined an additional 899 million euros for failing to comply with the 2004 antitrust order.

-- In 2013, the European Commission levied a 561 million euro fine against Microsoft for failing to comply with a 2009 settlement agreement to offer Windows users a choice of internet browsers instead of defaulting to Internet Explorer.

In light of these past litigations, it's much easier to understand why OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman's brief departure from the company and subsequent return late last year - which culminated in a significant shift in the organization's governance and its relationship with Microsoft - was the straw that likely broke Musk's back.

After Altman was reinstated, Microsoft solidified its influence over OpenAI by securing a permanent position on its board. Furthermore, the restructuring of OpenAI's board to include business-oriented members, rather than AI experts or ethicists, signaled a permanent shift in the organization's priorities and marked a pivotal turn toward a profit-driven model underpinned by corporate governance.

The consequences of this power grab are plain to see: Microsoft is already implementing various AI models designed by the company in its various products while none of the code is being released to the public. These models also include a specific political and ideological bias that makes them problematic from an ethical point of view. This too, is an issue that cannot be addressed due to the closed-source nature of AI models generated and shaped under the watchful eye of Microsoft.

Musk's own ventures, like xAI and Neuralink, suggest he's still deeply invested in the AI space, albeit in a way he has more control over, presumably to ensure that the technology develops according to his vision for the future of humanity.

On the other hand, proponents of Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI emphasize strategic and mutually-beneficial aspects. Microsoft's $1 billion investment in OpenAI is viewed as a significant step in advancing artificial-intelligence technology as it allows OpenAI to utilize Microsoft's Azure cloud services to train and run its AI software. Additionally, the collaboration is positioned as a way for Microsoft to stay competitive against other tech giants by integrating AI into its cloud services and developing more sophisticated AI models????.

Proponents say Microsoft's involvement with OpenAI is a strategic business decision aimed at promoting Azure's AI capabilities and securing a leading position in the industry. The partnership is framed as a move to democratize AI technology while ensuring AI safety, which aligns with broader industry goals of responsible and ethical AI development. It is also seen as a way for OpenAI to access necessary resources and expertise to further its research, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the partnership rather than a mere financial transaction??.

Hard truths and consequences

While many point out that Musk winning the case is extremely unlikely, it's still worth looking into potential consequences. Such a verdict could mandate that OpenAI returns to a non-profit status or open-source its technology, significantly impacting its business model, revenue generation and future collaborations. It could also affect Microsoft's investment in OpenAI, particularly if the court determines that the latter has strayed from its founding mission, influencing the tech giant's ability to protect its investment and realize expected returns.

The lawsuit's outcome might influence public and market perceptions of OpenAI and Microsoft, possibly affecting customer trust and market share, with Musk potentially seen as an advocate for ethical AI development. Additionally, the case could drive the direction of AI development, balancing between open-source and proprietary models, and possibly accelerating innovation while raising concerns about controlling and misusing advanced AI technologies.

The scrutiny from this lawsuit might lead to more cautious approaches in contractual relationships within the tech sector, focusing on partnerships and intellectual property. Furthermore, the case could draw regulatory attention, possibly leading to increased oversight or regulation of AI companies, particularly concerning transparency, data privacy and ethical considerations in AI development. While Musk's quest might seem like a longshot to some legal experts, the potential ramifications of this lawsuit extend far beyond the courtroom.

More: Here's what an AI chatbot thinks of Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman

Also read: Microsoft hasn't been worth this much more than Apple since 2003

-Jurica Dujmovic

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

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Why is Elon Musk suing Open AI and Sam Altman? In a word: Microsoft. - Morningstar

Maryland: Building on an Aerospace Legacy: Maryland companies navigate the commercial space race. – Site Selection Magazine

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n incubator of aerospace and aviation engineering going back nearly a century, the Lockheed Martin plant at Little River, Maryland, has a storied history. It was there that the Glenn L. Martin Companys developed the B-26, a medium-range bomber that flew more than 100,000 sorties during World War II. Parts of Gemini and Apollo spacecraft came out of the plant decades later. Shuttered last year as part of a corporate re-organization, the cavernous facility in fairly short order has received a new lease on life.

Literally. Rocket Lab, an agile player in the evolving commercial space game, agreed in November to rent and refurbish 113,000 sq. ft. from Lockheed Martin for a Space Structures Complex. To assist with project costs, the Maryland Department of Commerce is providing a $1.56 million repayable loan through its Advantage Maryland program. Slotted to create 65 new jobs, its a project the state government seemed eager to get.

With our states close proximity to several federal and defense agencies, combined with Marylands abundance of talented tech and engineering workers, said Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson in a statement, this facility is sure to bring much success to both Rocket Lab and Marylands innovative space industry.

Founded in New Zealand in 2003 and headquartered now in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab is what founder and CEO Peter Beck calls a one-stop space shop. It provides satellite design and manufacturing for both the U.S. government and private clients and launch services to customers that include NASA, the U.S. Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office. Rocket Lab technology went into the James Webb Telescope, developed in part at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, just northwest of Washington, D.C.

Most aerospace companies, youre either a satellite guy or youre a rocket guy, Beck tells Site Selection. Were both, he says. So, when a customer comes to us, we can build a satellite, then we can launch the satellite and we can even operate the satellite with them.

Among recent, high-profile projects, a Rocket Lab Electron rocket sent NASAs CAPSTONE CubeSat on a path toward the moon from the companys Launch Pad 1 in New Zealand. CAPSTONE has settled into a pioneering lunar orbit, the same orbit planned for Gateway, a small space station from which NASA plans to return humans to the Moon.

We operated the spacecraft, says Beck, until it was time to turn it over to NASA.

Rocket Labs Middle River facility is to focus on composites and composite structures Were the only company, says Beck, thats building fully carbon composite launch vehicles with an eye toward building ever larger rockets.

For us to be able to pick up a facility of this size, one with large, open spaces and a hugely thick foundation, is incredibly rare, Beck says of the Lockheed Martin complex.

The facility offers other advantages, as well. Barge access will allow Rocket Lab to float spacecraft and rockets down Chesapeake Bay to its installation at NASAs Wallops Flight Facility at Wallops Island, Virginia. Wallops, says Beck, will be the exclusive launch platform for the companys Neutron rocket, now in development.

Having manufacturing capability so near the launch site is super, super helpful, he says.

The Space Structures Complex will expand Rocket Labs existing footprint in Maryland, where the company already operates a manufacturing facility for satellite separation systems and CubeSat dispensers in Silver Spring. Its experience in Maryland, Beck believes, bodes well for Rocket Labs expansion there.

Theres a deep aerospace community with lots of experience. Theres also a really deep composites industry. You can have a great building, but youre going to need to fill it with the best people to be successful, and what weve seen is a culture of getting stuff done that really aligns with our companys core values.

Were super lucky, Beck believes, because not just in Maryland but down the road at Wallops Island weve always been greeted with warmth and, quite frankly, excitement. Theyve really rolled out the red carpet, and its been a great experience for us.

Genesis: Beyond the Logo

Like Rocket Labs, Genesis Engineering has its fingers in numerous pies, opportunities being what they are in the new Wild West of space travel. Unlike Rocket Labs, Genesis is Maryland-born and bred. And Genesis, let it be known, engineered a singular coup in the history of product placement.

The Genesis logo, attached to Space Shuttle Discovery

Photo courtesy of Genesis Engineering

As astronaut Mike Massimino dangled outside Space Shuttle Discovery during a 2009 spacewalk, a NASA camera swung around to capture what looked like a bumper sticker. Blue letters on a white background, it read Genesis Engineering. Today, that memento hangs on a wall at a Genesis conference room at the companys headquarters in Lanham, near NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center.

That was the last time they allowed a contractor to fly their logo, says Robert Rashford, Genesis founder and CEO. We got free advertising for two days in space. Then they said, No more of that.

Rashford himself is an interesting story. The native of Kingson, Jamaica, emigrated to the U.S. in 1978, earning a degree in mechanical engineering from Temple University. After landing his first aerospace job with the space division of RCA in New Jersey, he moved to Maryland for a position with Fairchild Space and Defense, where he says he learned to build tools employed by spacewalking astronauts. Banking that experience, Rashford struck out on his own. He founded Genesis in 1993, seeding the new companys bank account with $350.

Today, Genesis employs about 200 people spread across four buildings in Lanham. The work that earned it that bumper sticker included supplying NASA with tools and tool lockers for stowing all manner of space gear packed to exacting specifications.

We also wrote scripts for the astronauts on the cadence of the spacewalk. That was our bread and butter for several years. Then, we designed and built hardware for the James Webb Telescope.

Having manufacturing capability so near the launch site is super, super helpful.

Peter Beck, Founder & CEO, Rocket Labs

The granular knowledge Genesis gathered from supporting shuttle spacewalks inspired one of the companys most ambitious projects to date. Who knew that spacesuits designed for EVAs (Extravehicular Activities), are essentially one-size-fits all? Ill-fitting suits, says Rashford, can cause skin abrasions and joint problems. Heating and cooling systems can leak water, cutting spacewalks short. The Genesis Single Person Spacecraft, (SPS) designed with the International Space Station, NASAs Gateway program and space tourism in mind, is a self-propelled module that a spacewalker would board to operate outside the mothership sans spacesuit and without the lengthy hours of pre-breathing required to prevent getting the outer space version of the bends.

You can eliminate all of that, says Rashford, because the pressure inside the vehicle is the same as inside the spacecraft.

Orbital Reef, conceived as a space-based business park, is a potential partner for SPS, although Rashford suggests that project led by Blue Origin is being slow-walked due to other Blue Origin priorities. Genesis, says Rashford, is looking for an investor to see SPS to the finish line.

In the meantime, Genesis is developing its first CubeSat, a miniaturized satellite for space research, creating a propulsion system for a private customer and bidding on a billion-dollar contract with Goddard to produce mass spectrometers for space applications.

We feel the time is right to do it, Rashford says. We have the staff, the confidence, the know-how and the partnerships. We think we stand a good chance of winning that contract because of what we have to offer.

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Sixth Annual Aerospace Summit: Propelling innovation and exploration – Joint Base Andrews

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JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md.

Young innovators from local schools filled the bay area of hangar three Wednesday, for the sixth annual Aerospace Summit.

Sponsored by the Patriots Training Technology Center, the summit offered an opportunity for local students to explore facets of science, technology, engineering, art, and math and how the Air Force and the greater Department of Defense incorporate these skills into their day-to-day operations.

The biggest thing when it comes to STEM in terms of younger students, is I always say don't knock it till you try, said U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Brandon Garcia, 317th Recruiting Squadron Gold Bar Recruiter, about students who are unsure if STEAM careers are for them.

He then encouraged undecided students to talk to a military recruiter in their area or even a college administrator to get a better understanding of what STEAM careers have to offer.

It seems hard at first, Garcia said. In reality, almost every single person I've ever met who was in those career fields, at one point felt like they didn't know if it was for them. So don't get discouraged.

Andrews STEAM initiative has been presented to more than 20,000 K-12 students since its establishment in 2017, during activities such as airshow field trips, high school mentoring programs, Airmen judging local science fairs, and hosting the annual Aerospace Summit.

Students engaged with more than 14 workshop stations at this year's summit. Their hands-on experience with STEAM included constructing military-grade trucks, test-flying drones and exploring weather testing equipment.

I kind of already had an idea of where I wanted to go," said Edward Cardona, a student at Wise High School. "But I think this just helped me figure out more information about what the actual process is like.

Cordona, who also attended last years event, intends to go to the Air Force Academy after graduating high school. He then expressed how helpful the Summit was in starting the application process.

When I didn't really know much about this stuff, I got to learn more about my options, and about how I can do certain things, Cordona said. And that helps me plan going forward. And you know, you just get to learn a whole lot of new information. So, it's a really cool event.

The Andrews STEAM program's goal is to embody the "Accelerate Change or Lose" mindset and to prepare for future challenges.

"The program helps cultivate student interest in military STEAM career paths," said Kristofer Zimmerman, 316th Wing Community Planning Liaison and STEAM coordinator. "To address today's workforce development challenges and tomorrow's missions, proactive steps are necessary."

Following their participation in the workshops and engaging with summit instructors and volunteers about career paths in STEAM, students showcased their drone skills in the annual drone race competition.

U.S. Air Force Col. Todd E. Randolph, 316th Wing and installation commander, announced the competition winners to conclude the event.

In his closing remarks, Randolph thanked all volunteers for their contributions and students for attending. My hope for all of you today is that you enjoyed your time with us and that you remember something you learn from all of these aviation professionals.

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Sixth Annual Aerospace Summit: Propelling innovation and exploration - Joint Base Andrews

Boeing Whistleblower’s Attorneys Say They "Didn’t See Any Indication" of Suicide Risk – Futurism

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After Boeing whistleblower John Barnett's tragic death during his deposition against the company, the man's attorneys are speaking out about his alleged suicide.

The 62-year-old Louisiana-based whistleblower had traveled to Charleston, South Carolina to finally be deposed for his 2017 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) complaint against his ex-employer when, as his attorney Brian Knowles told the Corporate Crime Reporter blog, he failed to show up to one of the sessions over the weekend.

Knowles and his co-counsel, Rob Turkewitz, were unable to reach Barnett by phone and thus contacted the hotel he was staying at which was when the retired Boeing worker's body was found in his car.

In an initial autopsy report, as local and national news indicates, the Charleston County Coronoer's Office said that the 32-year Boeing employee appeared to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound but his lawyers, Knowles and Tukewitz, are urging investigators to take a closer look.

"John was in the midst of a deposition in his whistleblower retaliation case, which finally was nearing the end," the attorneys toldFuturism in an emailed statement. "He was in very good spirits and really looking forward to putting this phase of his life behind him and moving on."

"We didn't see any indication he would take his own life," the statement continues. "No one can believe it."

Although Barnett did indicate that his time at Boeing, where he spent 32 years in quality control and multiple decades as a manager, resulted in stress after his superiors began retaliating against him for raising safety concerns at the company's SC plant, previous reports have not suggested that he had deeper mental health issues or experienced suicidal ideation.

To be fair, people who plan to end their lives don't always show visible signs of risk. But given that Barnett was, as his attorneys pointed out, nearing the end of his protracted battle, the circumstances surrounding his untimely death do indeed seem eyebrow-raising.

In statements to theBBC and other media outlets, Boeing offered condolences on Barnett's death and said its "thoughts are with his family and friends." We've reached out to the company to ask if it has a response to the lawyers' latest statement.

Charleston police, meanwhile, have said that they're "actively investigating this case and are awaiting the formal cause of death, along with any additional findings that might shed further light on the circumstances" of Barnett's death, as sergeant Anthony Gibson told local broadcaster WCSC.

The whistleblower's attorneys said in their statement that they urge investigators to look into Barnett's death "fully and accurately," adding that "no detail can be left unturned."

"We are all devasted," Knowles and Turkewitz wrote. "We need more information about what happened to John."

More on Boeing:Pilot Lost Control of Boeing Jet Because Gauges Went Blank," Causing Nosedive

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Twitter’s CEO Had Already Been Selling Ads for the Don Lemon Show That Elon Musk Suddenly Canceled – Futurism

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If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

X-formerly-Twitter owner and self-proclaimed "free speech absolutist" Elon Musk abruptly canceled journalist Don Lemon's upcoming X show on Wednesday, an incident that put Musk's glaring double standard when it comes to his town square "for all" on full display.

Despite Musk telling Lemon he had his "full support," he apparently canceled the show "hours after an interview I conducted with him on Friday," Lemon wrote in a statement.

Now, as Semafor reports, more details are coming to light, further complicating the story. According to two insider sources, Lemon let a contract languish for "weeks"without signing it. But Lemon's associates shot back, arguing that it was X's legal department that "took weeks to get a contract to the hosts team."

Perhaps most glaringly of all, X CEO Linda Yaccarino was apparently already selling ads for the show at CES in January, despite never having signed a deal.

Musk has yet to give a coherent reason as to why he mysteriously canceled Lemon's show.

In a vague tweet, MuskaccusedLemon of trying to recreate "'CNN, but on social media,' which doesn't work, as evidenced by the fact thatCNNis dying."

"And, instead of it being the real Don Lemon, it was really just Jeff Zucker talking through Don, so lacked authenticity," he added, referring to the former president ofCNN,without clarifying further.

It's a bizarre change of heart that highlights Musk's often self-serving nature and morally dubious business practices.

Was Musk left with a bad taste in his mouth after his interview with Lemon? Is X financially unable to hold up its end of the bargain?

Lemon maintains that "there were no restrictions on the interview that he willingly agreed to," and that his questions "were respectful and wide ranging, covering everything from SpaceX to the presidential election."

In a follow-up video posted to X however, Lemon conceded that the conversation was "tense at times."

According to Silicon Valley chronicler Kara Swisher, the interview also touched on Musk's alleged drug use. The conversation "was not to the adult toddlers liking, including questions about his ketamine use," she tweeted.

"I had told Don that this is exactly what would occur, including at a recent book tour event in NYC for my memoir, 'Burn Book,' he moderated," she added in a follow-up, "despite promises by Musk and CEO Linda Yaccarino who extravagantly touted this deal at CES to advertisers that this time was different."

"Why is he so upset?" Lemon said in his video."Does he even have a reason he's upset?"

Without a written agreement, chances are the former CNN anchor is out of luck. It's also unclear if Yaccarino will ever face any consequences for pushing ads against a show that never existed.

The latest news, however, is unlikely the last time we'll hear about the Lemon deal that had gone sour. The former anchor's spokesperson Allison Gollust told Semafor that Lemon "expects to be paid for it."

"If we have to go to court, we will," she added.

More on the deal: Elon Musk Doesn't Like Don Lemon's Interview Questions, Abruptly Cancels His Twitter Show

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Twitter's CEO Had Already Been Selling Ads for the Don Lemon Show That Elon Musk Suddenly Canceled - Futurism

As Odysseus lands on the moon, space exploration is having a moment – Newsday

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Even admitting all the difficulty we humans have recognizing when something is having a moment, and acknowledging all the times we get it wrong, it sure does seem like space exploration is having a moment.

With rovers and landers on the moon and Mars, the James Webb telescope a million miles away broadcasting surreal images of deep space, and all sorts of plans from a variety of nations and companies in the offing, it certainly appears that a new space age is upon us.

The latest evidence, of course, is the landing on the moon of the American-built spacecraft known as Odysseus, even if Thursdays touchdown of the robotic lander came more than 50 years after the end of the still-astonishing chapter of humans walking on the moon. Odysseus is special because of its whats-next signification.

Technology has advanced far beyond those Apollo days, making this seemingly modest mission anything but that. The expectation is that Odysseus will lead to humans living on the moon and using its resources to jump-start transportation all around the solar system first Mars, and then beyond, to borrow from one intrepid animated astronaut.

Boosting the chances of this becoming real is the involvement of private business. Space is no longer the sole domain of government.

Odysseus was designed, built and operated by a private company, Houston-based Intuitive Machines, under a contract from NASA, and launched by a Falcon 9 rocket built by another private company, SpaceX. A bevy of other companies are also making rockets, landers and plans. You can see a competitive ecosystem developing around space exploration and cheer it for its possibilities while also being wary of its potential for commercial exploitation.

Even as we can be inspired about what Odysseus tells us about the future, there also is much to learn by taking a took at what led up to this moment.

Billions of dollars, for starters. Space exploration is expensive. But it also has brought big payoffs as much as tantalizing promises. Most obvious is how much more we know about our solar system and Earths place in it. But there is also a near-endless list of cool and indispensable things invented because of space program research like scratch-resistant lenses and CT scans, water purification systems and dust busters, home insulation and wireless headsets and the computer mouse.

This wont be the end of technologys evolution, either, which makes it exciting to think about what advances will follow as we push into our final frontier given everything thats happened to date.

But there is another lesson in the buildup to this latest mission that we need to learn. Achievement can be expensive but it also takes time. Overnight successes are rare and there seldom is an easy button in life.

Its no accident that this new lander was named Odysseus. Its namesake, the mythological Greek king, was part of the great victory in the Trojan War. But then he had to overcome a daunting series of obstacles and ordeals in his attempt to return home to Ithaca, a journey of about 550 nautical miles that took Odysseus 10 years to complete.

The result, we are meant to understand, is worth the effort.

We see it all the time. The writing of a book, the carving of a sculpture, the execution of a painting, the composition of a symphony, the filming of a movie, the education of a child, the building of a company, the forming of a family, the development of a leader, the living of a good life.

Greatness in whatever form is never dashed off. It is cultivated, and nurtured, and pursued, and if we keep going and if were lucky, achieved.

And so were back to the moon, and perhaps someday beyond.

Lets enjoy the moment, and the ride.

COLUMNIST MICHAEL DOBIES opinions are his own.

Michael Dobie is a member of the Newsday editorial board.

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As Odysseus lands on the moon, space exploration is having a moment - Newsday

NASA Seeks Volunteers for Second Mars Simulation Mission but There Are a Few Constraints – PEOPLE

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NASA is searching for a second round of volunteers to take part in a project aimed at discovering what it will be like to live on Mars.

Earlier this month, the space company announced in a release that it is seeking more participants who would be willing to live on a fake version of Mars at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for one year, ahead of human exploration of the actual planet in the future.

Marking the second of three missions calledCHAPEA a.k.a. Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog the latest will see four volunteers living in a 1,700-square-foot simulation, called theMars Dune Alpha, which is a 3D-printed habitat featuring living quarters for each volunteer, a workspace, a medical station and lounge areas, as well as a galley and food growing stations.

The man-made area, NASA said, "simulates the challenges of a mission on Mars, including resource limitations, equipment failures, communication delays and other environmental stressors."

Crews will also be responsible for various tasks during their time in the habitat, the organization added, including "simulated spacewalks, robotic operations, habitat maintenance, exercise and crop growth."

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In order to participate in the simulation, which will close applications on April 2 and later take place in 2025, NASA said volunteers "should have a strong desire for unique, rewarding adventures and interest in contributing to NASAs work to prepare for the first human journey to Mars."

These volunteers, the space company continued, must be between 30 and 55 years old, non-smokers and speak English "for effective communication between crewmates and mission control."

"Crew selection will follow additional standard NASA criteria for astronaut candidate applicants," the organization added, also noting that a masters degree in engineering, math, biology or other sciences is necessary, as is professional experience or at least two years of doctoral work in the areas or a test pilot program.

Volunteers who can be compensated for the mission can also qualify if they have 1,000 hours of piloting experience, as well as if they have military experience or a bachelor's degree in a STEM field with four years of professional experience, NASA said.

Though no human has ever traveled to Mars, NASA has sentseveral devices and rovers to fly by and explore the planet over the years.

Currently, a first CHAPEA crew is taking part in a mission at the Houston-based habitat. They are more than halfway through their mission, NASA said.

In the near future, NASA plans to take part in a similar mission, called Artemis, to learn about the moon in an effort to eventually send the first woman, person of color and international partner astronaut there.

"As NASA works to establish a long-term presence for scientific discovery and exploration on the moon through the Artemis campaign, CHAPEA missions provide important scientific data to validate systems and develop solutions for future missions to the Red Planet," the organization said in a statement.

"With thefirst CHAPEA crewmore than halfway through their yearlong mission, NASA is using research gained through the simulated missions to help inform crew health and performance support during Mars expeditions," NASA continued.

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NASA Seeks Volunteers for Second Mars Simulation Mission but There Are a Few Constraints - PEOPLE