Monthly Archives: March 2015

Call for Applications for ASTRO's Annual Survivor Circle Grant

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Newswise Fairfax, Va., March 17, 2015The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) seeks to recognize two cancer support organizations based in Texas. The recipients of ASTROs 2015 Survivor Circle Grants will each receive a grant of $8,500. The 2015 grantees will be recognized in the Survivor Circle at the ASTRO Resource Center during ASTROs 57th Annual Scientific Meeting, the nations premier scientific meeting in radiation oncology, hosting more than 11,000 radiation oncology physicians and professionals, to be held October 18-21, 2015, at San Antonios Henry B. Gonzlez Convention Center.

Cancer support organizations are a vital resource to patients, families and caregivers from diagnosis through survivorship. ASTROs goal in providing these grants is to assist these groups in continuing to provide important resources and in creating new programs, said David C. Beyer, MD, FASTRO, president-elect of ASTRO. The Survivor Circle Grant will offer these organizations the opportunity to enhance the support they are able to give to cancer patients and their families.

Eligible organizations must be a cancer support organization based in Texas; must provide support to patients and/or families of patients with cancer; and may be local or national in scope. The application is online at http://www.rtanswers.org/SCgrant. Applications must be received by April 27, 2015.

Applications will be reviewed by members of the ASTRO Healthcare Access and Training Subcommittee and ASTROs Board of Directors. Selection will be made based on the percentage of the program that is geared toward radiation-related support, as well as a proven dedicated effort to reach all demographics of cancer patients in the city/state where the organization is located.

Past Survivor Circle Grant recipients have used the grant to fund: 1) local transportation and other support needs; 2) supplies for cancer support group meetings, such as brochures, videos and flyers; 3) welcome kits for new patients and/or families seeking assistance from the support organization; and 4) financial assistance for patients for items such as transportation to and/or from treatment and co-payments.

Since 2003, ASTRO has recognized cancer survivors in the city where its Annual Scientific Meeting is held. In addition to recognizing two cancer support organizations, each year ASTRO honors a local cancer survivor who is dedicated to volunteering in their community. The individual is recognized during the Awards Ceremony at ASTROs Annual Meeting.

Many patients depend on these support organizations, their staff and volunteers to help them navigate the health care system and access much-needed resources during their journey including diagnosis, treatment and survivorship, said Laura I. Thevenot, ASTRO CEO. These grants will recognize and strengthen two leading organizations dedication and efforts to supporting patients and their families.

Applications for the 2015 Survivor Circle Grants must be received by Monday, April 27, 2015. The application is available at http://www.rtanswers.org/SCgrant.

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Call for Applications for ASTRO's Annual Survivor Circle Grant

Solar eclipse 2015: Surrey and north-east Hampshire set for 84% darkness in peak period

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More than 80% of the sun in Surrey and north-east Hampshire is expected to be obscured when Friday's (March 20) solar eclipse reaches its peak.

As people brace themselves for a rare chance to witness the natural phenomenon, details of the percentage of sunlight in different parts of the UK have been estimated.

The incredible event, the first viewable from the UK since 1999, will begin at around 7.40am as the moon begins to cover the sun.

The minimum period of sunlight will occur at around 9.30am, but the eclipse is set to last until just after 11am.

At 9.31am, the sunlight in Surrey and north-east Hampshire is predicted to be just 84%.

Predicting what will happen, astro-physics expert Mark Geiles, from the University of Surrey in Guildford, said: "Gradually it will get darker and darker with the minimum period of light at around 9.30am.

"The general effect will be like a very dark cloud covering the sun.

"If you really want to see what is actually happening, then you need to use special filtered glasses."

The full 100% total solar eclipse will only be possible to witness in Svalbard in northern Norway and the Faroe Islands.

However, if you want to travel to another part of the UK to experience more of the eclipse, then Scotland is the ideal location.

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Solar eclipse 2015: Surrey and north-east Hampshire set for 84% darkness in peak period

Innovations: Googles Eric Schmidt downplays fears over artificial intelligence

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AUSTIN Arguably the most alarming part of concerns over artificial intelligences potential to end human civilization is the voices thatare speaking out. Proven technology visionaries from Bill Gates to Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking have warned about the dangers of artificial intelligence. Given humans generally poor track record for predicting the future, it stands to reason that the forward thinkers could identify huge technology risks while the rest of us live in ignorance.

But Monday at SXSW, a tech thinker with a longrsum, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, offered reassurance that we dont need to be so worried right now.

I think that this technology will ultimately be one of the greatest forces for good in mankinds history simply because it makes people smarter, Schmidt said during a keynote address with author Walter Isaacson and Megan Smith, U.S. chief technology officer.

Im certainly not worried in the next 10 to 20 years about that. Were still in the baby step of understanding things, Schmidt said. Weve made tremendous progress in respect to [artificial intelligence].

He highlighted benevolent uses of artificial intelligence, such as Google Voice and Googles translation services. Indeed, from antilock brakes to your iPhones autocorrect function, artificial intelligence already surrounds us, with favorable results.

Stuff beyond that is, at this point, really speculation, Schmidt said. Im not a dystopian. Im a utopian, if you phrase it that way.

As chairman of Google, Schmidt has a unique vantage point on how artificial intelligence is impacting our world and how it will continue to do so.Google is a leader in the space. In February, DeepMind, a Google acquisition, devised an algorithm that taught itself to beat Atari video games. While theres reason to see Schmidts views as reassuring, its also worth noting that as the chairman of a leader in artificial intelligence, he has an incentive to underplay the downside of artificial intelligence. If the general public or regulators move to hamper artificial intelligence, Googles businesses could suffer.

Later in the talk, Schmidt singled out machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence, as having huge potential to reshape our world for the better.

I think the biggest trend is going to be the use of machine intelligence of large data setsto solve every problem, Schmidt said. I cant think of a field of study, a field of research whether its English, soft sciences, hard sciences or any corporation that cant become far more efficient, far more powerful, far more clever.

Related:The 12 threats to human civilization, ranked

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Innovations: Googles Eric Schmidt downplays fears over artificial intelligence

Rewriting the Rules of Turings Imitation Game

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Some researchers are searching for more meaningful ways to measure artificial intelligence.

We have self-driving cars, knowledgeable digital assistants, and software capable of putting names to faces as well as any expert. Google recently announced that it had developed software capable of learningentirely without human helphow to play several classic Atari computer games with skill far beyond that of even the most callus-thumbed human player.

But do these displays of machine aptitude represent genuine intelligence? For decades artificial-intelligence experts have struggled to find a practical way to answer the question.

AI is an idea so commonplace that few of us bother to interrogate its meaning. If we did, we might discover a problem tucked inside it: defining intelligence is far from straightforward. If the ability to carry out complex arithmetic and algebra is a sign of intellect, then is a digital calculator, in some sense, gifted? If spatial reasoning is part of the story, then is a robot vacuum cleaner thats capable of navigating its way around a building unaided something of a wunderkind?

The most famous effort to measure machine intelligence does not resolve these questions; instead, it obscures them. In his 1950 paper Computing Machinery and Intelligence, published six years before the term artificial intelligence was coined, the British computer scientist Alan Turing considered the capacity of computers to imitate the human intellect. But he discarded the question Can machines think? The act of thinking is, he argued, too difficult to define. Instead, he turned to a black-box definition: if we accept humans as an intelligent species, then anything that exhibits behaviors indistinguishable from human behavior must also be intelligent. Turing also proposed a test, called the imitation game, in which a computer would prove its intelligence by convincing a person, through conversation, that it is also human. The imitation game was a thought experiment, not a formal scientific test. But as artificial intelligence advanced, the idea took on a life of its own, and the so-called Turing test was born.

In the years since, the Turing test has been widely adopted and also widely criticizednot because of flaws in Turings original idea, but because of flaws in its execution. The best-known example is the Loebner Prize, which in 1990 began offering $100,000 for the first computer whose text conversation several judges deemed indistinguishable from that of a human. The Loebner Prize has been derided for allowing entrants to use cheap tricks, like confusing participants with odd diversions, in place of more honest approaches that uphold the spirit of Turings premise.

A chatbot called Eugene Goostman made headlines last June for supposedly passing the Turing test in a contest organized at the University of Reading in the U.K. The software convinced 30 percent of the human judges involved that it was human. But as many AI experts pointed out at the time, and as transcripts of conversations with Goostman show, the chatbot relies on obfuscation and subterfuge rather than the natural back and forth of intelligent conversation.

Heres an excerpt from one exchange, for example:

Scott:Which is bigger, a shoebox or Mount Everest?

Eugene:I cant make a choice right now. I should think it out later. And I forgot to ask you where you are from

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Rewriting the Rules of Turings Imitation Game

Artificial intelligence not a threat, SXSW hears

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Google chairman Eric Schmidt: Im not a dystopian. Im a utopian, and I believe technology will make us happier and the world a greater place. Photograph: Victor J Blue/Bloomberg

Society shouldnt fear the rise of artificial intelligence or robots, according to the executive chairman of Google, Eric Schmidt.

Speaking as part of a SXSW panel discussion entitled How Innovation Happens, Schmidt said any kind of singularity a theory which predicts artificial intelligence (AI) outpacing human intelligence and thus radically changing the nature of mankind was still decades away. However he said many big innovations were on the horizon. The pace of technological change is something which worries many dystopian technologists who believe singularity may come sooner than we think. Schmidt is not worried.

Certainly nothing like that is conceivable in the next 20 years. Were still making baby steps, although weve made tremendous progress with respect to AI, but were a far way away from any kind of singularity.

I do believe, however, well have a good computer-based question-and-answering system in the next 20 years, which will include advice. In other words, you could ask Google, how long should I stay at SXSW, or what restaurant should I eat in tonight.

Im not a dystopian. Im a utopian, and I believe technology will make us happier and the world a greater place.

The way we reach this utopian future is through innovation and entrepreneurship, says Schmidt. The two are the solutions to almost all of the worlds problems, he says. More jobs would solve most problems in all countries. We can achieve that by creating entrepreneurs at any and every level. In the future jobs will be plentiful and the best jobs will be with computers, he says. Because the combination of humans and computers is the ultimate team. Computers have infinite memory, and humans have judgment. That duo is the ultimate power.

The research arm of search engine giant Google Google X is innovating in different fields. They have done research into everything from driverless cars to AI. Innovation in our space starts by getting a really good team together, Schmidt said. At Google X we are always thinking about innovation at scale, with no limitations. . . There are so many problems that can be solved technologically that couldnt have been a decade ago.

SXSW Interactive is the initial section of the overall SXSW event, which opened last weekend, and covers music, film, technology, comedy, gaming and entrepreneurship. It is expected up to 100,000 people will attend.

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Artificial intelligence not a threat, SXSW hears

Some people want to 'Stop The Robots'

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A group of protesters concerned about the growing influence of artificial intelligence has held a rally at the South by Southwest music and technology festival in Texas.

Concerned that the modern world is leaving itself open to the sort of dystopian downfall that befell us in the Terminator movie series when self-aware robots wage war on humanity, a group called Stop The Robots marched through the streets of Austin, hoping to raise awareness about the dangers of artificial intelligence.

The group says that it likes technology, but is concerned that an increased reliance on artificial intelligence will end up costing us organic organisms our jobs.

As one of the leaders of the group yelled to the crowd during the rally: Who gets pissed off when you call your bank and you cant even get a human? Thats a robots fault.

Stop The Robots is said to be concerned by the way artificial intelligence is already taking over some rolls, most notably in call centres and shops with self-service tills.

Stop The Robots might want to avoid looking Googles list of acquired companies too, with the internet giant having snapped up several start-ups of this nature in the past year or so, including London-based DeepMind for more than 335 million. It calls itself a cutting edge artificial intelligence company, and according to experts has been trying to build a system that thinks.

The group is not alone in its thinking; technology entrepreneur Elon Musk has called AI our biggest existential threat and said their should be regulatory oversight at an international level. Musk is the man behind PayPal, Tesla and SpaceX. He has described his investment in AI research as keeping an eye on whats going on, rather than as business activity looking to return a profit.

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Some people want to 'Stop The Robots'

Kerbal Space Program EDB Aerospace 09 – Hypersonic Aircraft Testing – Video

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Kerbal Space Program EDB Aerospace 09 - Hypersonic Aircraft Testing
In the quest for an Earth-orbit spaceplane, the EDB has conducted numerous tests over the past few months, with various results. Series playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3_9DyRP49h...

By: Tyler Raiz

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Kerbal Space Program EDB Aerospace 09 - Hypersonic Aircraft Testing - Video

Colorado Aerospace and Defense Caucus convenes at Capitol

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Dr. Jeffrey Forrest, chair of Metro State University, Denver's Aerospace and Aviation Department, addresses the group of industry leaders and lawmakers gathered for the Aerospace and Defense Caucus on Monday, March 16, 2015. (Laura Keeney, The Denver Post)

What started out as a group of "Star Trek"-loving space enthusiasts gathering on lunch breaks to watch the adventures of the USS Enterprise and talk about Colorado aerospace has spawned what could become one of the statehouse's most influential groups.

"We had a Star Trek Caucus last session and nobody came, so we decided to rename it and look, everybody came," said Rep. Paul Rosenthal, D-Denver.

The Colorado Aerospace and Defense Caucus officially met at the Colorado State Capitol on Monday for the first time in years, bringing together top aerospace industry leaders, educators and space advocates with a bipartisan group of state legislators.

Rosenthal, along with Rep. Dan Nordberg, R-Colorado Springs, Sen. Larry Crowder, R-Alamosa, and Sen. Nancy Todd, D-Aurora, head up the nonpartisan caucus.

Space is a hot topic right now, and Colorado is at the industry's epicenter. Colorado ranks first in the nation for private aerospace employment as a percentage of total employment, according to data from the Colorado Economic Development Commission. And the state's universities and research centers are at the core of nearly every ongoing space mission while training the next generation of aerospace workers.

"One thing I've learned about aerospace in Colorado is not only how important it is, but how it's woven into the fabric of our economy. We are an aerospace state," said Jay Lindell, an aerospace industry champion with the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. "Ten percent of the NASA budget is spent here in Colorado. ... All this means that we do have a growing and expanding space industry, but it also means that there's a lot of competition in the industry from other states."

This increased competition both at home and abroad means lawmakers need to stay abreast of all aspects of the industry, including new advances in unmanned air system (drone) technology, defense, space exploration and science, Lindell said.

The caucus hasn't yet set any measurable goals, Rosenthal said, but supporting the state's aerospace industry and educating both lawmakers and constituents will be at its core.

"We need to make sure that people are continuously informed about how important this industry is," Rosenthal said. "But also, how do we generate the next generation of dreamers who want to go to the sky? Kids need to know that they can still dream to do that, and it's up to us in our districts and to send it out in our newsletters and bring kids here to the Capitol these are all things that we need to do that we're maybe not doing enough."

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Colorado Aerospace and Defense Caucus convenes at Capitol

Aerospace industry to contribute RM32.5bn revenue by 2030: Najib

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LANGKAWI, March 17 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's aerospace industry is projected to contribute revenue of RM32.5 billion by 2030.

This is in line with the launch of the Malaysian Aerospace Industry Blueprint 2015-2030 in conjunction with the ongoing Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA'15) here.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Malaysia had come a long way since the launch of first aerospace industry blueprint during the LIMA 1997.

He said last year, the aerospace industry generated RM19 billion in revenue and RM4.2 billion in investments, with 19,500 jobs created.

"To underline our commitment to this vision, the Cabinet recently approved the establishment of a special body, the National Aerospace Coordinating Agency, under the purview of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.

"This agency is tasked with implementing the blueprint and be the new secretariat for the Malaysian aerospace council," he said in his opening speech at the LIMA'15 here today.

Najib said according to the IHS Jane's forecast, defence spending in Southeast Asia will reach US$ 44.5 billion in 2018 compared to US$38.5 billion this year.

"This is in line with the trend of defence spending for the rest of the world.

"Indeed, this region is a key growth market for aerospace and maritime spending, not just in defence but also the commercial sector," he added.

On the maritime sector, Najib who is also the Finance Minister said, Malaysia has a long history as a maritime nation and it continues to be a key focus under Malaysia Third Industrial Masterplan.

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Aerospace industry to contribute RM32.5bn revenue by 2030: Najib