A New Hole Is Forming in the Ozone Layer Over the Arctic – Futurism

New Hole

Over the last month, a new hole in the ozone layer has started to form over the Arctic.

The ozone layer over the North Pole has been depleted plenty of times in the past. But this time around, extreme weather and atmospheric conditions have led to a far greater depletion than normal, according to a European Space Agency press release. While the ESA scientists expect it to close up later this month, its a troubling update on the planets environmental health.

This years Arctic ozone hole is bigger than normal because of atypically cold temperatures in the stratosphere that helped trap a whirlpool of icy wind, called a polar vortex, in the area that dispersed ozone more than usual.

Still, even this unusually large hole in the ozone layer is considerably smaller than the more well-known hole over Antarctica, according to the ESA release. That one can grow to be as much as 25 million square kilometers though its been smaller lately and the new Arctic hole is less than 1 million square kilometers in size.

It remains unclear what to expect in the coming years. While the larger-than-average ozone hole was caused in part by extreme weather, which has been linked to climate change, its too soon to declare that the Arctic ozone depletion will continue to get worse if climate change continues unchecked.

But we do know that ozone depletion can give rise to extreme weather around the world, meaning increasing ozone depletion could have far-reaching implications down the road.

READ MORE: Unusual ozone hole opens over the Arctic [European Space Agency]

More on the ozone layer: Our Efforts to Heal the Ozone Layer Are Finally Paying Off

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A New Hole Is Forming in the Ozone Layer Over the Arctic - Futurism

Scientists Are Spying on Google Searches to Track the Coronavirus – Futurism

User Data

It turns out that all those frantic Google searches people make when they feel sick can be leveraged as a valuable public health tool.

A team of scientists from Harvard and University College London has found that spikes in Google searches for symptoms of COVID-19 coincide neatly with outbreak hotspots, according to an opinion piece in The New York Times by data scientist Seth Stephens-Davidowitz a system that could help public health experts better track, predict, and manage the coronavirus pandemic.

To clarify, no one is reading your particular searches. Rather, the teams in-progress research, shared on the preprint server ArXiv, shows that aggregate trends in Google searches correlate with COVID-19 outbreaks.

Its not a new technique: scientists previously found a link between Google searches and syphilis outbreaks. Stephens-Davidowitz also wrote that doctors also tried to use Google data to track swine flu, but in that case the data was too messy to be useful because people were googling symptoms out of fear rather than because they were sick.

In particular, the Harvard and London researchers found a link between searches for I cant smell, as an example, and coronavirus outbreaks that matched some countries official data.

And while it would take a fair bit of extrapolation, that new correlation could hypothetically help health officials track and better plan for the outbreak in countries with spotty or missing data.

READ MORE: Google Searches Can Help Us Find Emerging Covid-19 Outbreaks [The New York Times]

More on disease tracking: Syphilis Google Searches Help Public Officials Predict New Cases

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Scientists Are Spying on Google Searches to Track the Coronavirus - Futurism

Post-lockdown world will be ‘a new, different reality’ expert – Rappler

LOCKDOWN. Dubai's Sheikh Zayed road is deserted during a curfew imposed by the authorities in a bid to slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus in the Emirati city on April 5, 2020. File photo by Karim Sahib/AFP

MANILA, Philippines The world is experiencing a standstill in migration because of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to futurist Parag Khanna, founder and managing partner of FutureMap, a data-driven strategic advisory firm.

"When can you point to a period, an exact moment in history, where there is exactly zero migration?" he said in a Rappler Talk interview on Wednesday, April 8. "Net zero migration. Everyone is going home."

For instance, the Philippine government has already repatriated over 4,600 Filipinos working abroad as of April 5.

The world is undergoing a "reset," Khanna said, because of countries imposing simultaneous lockdowns.

"We're gonna have this total reset moment and see what the next phase of globalization is going to look like. What trade patterns, what migration patterns, what geopolitical alignments, and so forth."

Khanna spoke to Rappler CEO Maria Ressa about the coronavirus pandemic's impact on globalization and the possible geopolitical trends and repercussions that could arise from it.

When the pandemic passes and lockdowns are lifted, Khanna said during the interview, what's normal will be a lot different.

"It feels like it's amazing how simultaneously synchronized activity is right now across governments and states, but it also feels like this suspension of reality. And when we start again, it will be a new and different reality," he said.

As of April 2, more than 3.9 billion people, or half of the world's population, are under compulsory or recommended confinement, curfews, and quarantines due to the coronavirus pandemic. These measures are in place in more than 90 countries and territories, with 49 of those subject to obligatory confinement at home.

In the Philippines, the government placed Luzon under a monthlong lockdown on March 17. It was supposed to be lifted on April 12, but the lockdown was later extended to April 30. Many local government units outside Luzon have also declared their own lockdowns or community quarantines.

As of Thursday, April 9, the Philippines has 4,076 cases of novel coronavirus cases, with 203 deaths, and 124 recoveries.

Meanwhile, over 1.5 million cases of the novel coronavirus have been registered worldwide. with reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com

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Post-lockdown world will be 'a new, different reality' expert - Rappler

Respect for the natural world – Opinion – The Hutchinson News

To paraphrase the Olivia Newton John popular hit of the 80s, Lets get Meta-Physical.

Roughly speaking, metaphysics refers to ideas outside material reality; existing in the realm of the mind rather than the physical world. While not necessarily referring to religious doctrine, ancient civilizations around the world adopted a female deity to explain the nature of the world; from the Aztec Coatlicue, the Roman Terra Mater, Chinese Nu Gua, to the Greek Gaia, almost every culture adopted this archetypal female figure. In the Middle Ages, Natura became the personification of the natural world that evolved into the contemporary model of Mother Nature.

What is the relevance of these philosophical concepts to our current condition?

In the 70s, respected scientist and inventor James Lovelock proposed the Gaia hypothesis suggesting the Earth functions as a self-regulating system. An environmentalist and futurist he theorized that as Earth worked to maintain optimal conditions to sustain life, it could include mechanisms to address external events that threaten natures balance including harm done by civilization. Reminiscent of a decades old commercial featuring an actress who warned Its not nice to fool Mother Nature," followed by her summoning lightning, thunder, and other disasters.

In truth Lovelocks view deserves more serious consideration than a Madison Avenue ad campaign or the wild-eyed ravings of a deranged tree-hugger.

The view of a model for infectious diseases is that epidemics such as AIDS, Ebola, SARS and possibly the current pandemic of COVID-19 are a result of civilization interacting with nature. Simply put disease is often an environmental issue.

In the 1920s it was the consumption of game butchered by African hunters that first resulted in AIDS crossing over from chimpanzees into humans.

The heavy smoke from burning Indonesian rain forests in 1997 prevented the normal development of fruits. Bats native to the affected area flew to Malaysian orchards to feed, carrying with them a deadly disease. Pigs feeding on fallen fruits containing fluids transmitted from the bats, fell ill and an epidemic followed.

Scientific evidence suggests with these series of events, diseases normally confined to wildlife are spilling over to human populations. Increasing human encroachment into disease hot spots emerging diseases have increased four-fold in the last 50 years.

In 2016 the accelerated melting of permafrost in polar areas of Siberia released pathogens from carcasses of long dead animals resulting in an outbreak of anthrax. Scientific teams determined 30,000-year-old viruses trapped in the permafrost could be revived.

The key to forecasting and preventing the next pandemic, experts say, is understanding what they call the protective effects of nature and knowing where to be vigilant as humanity encroaches on previously undisturbed natural habitats.

The progress of civilization neednt come to a standstill but it must be tempered by understanding of both the protections and potential threats that follow by disregarding the importance of a healthy respect for nature.

Kathie Moore, rural Hutchinson, is a freelance artist, retired from the U.S. Postal Service. Email her at klmnews45@gmail.com.

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Respect for the natural world - Opinion - The Hutchinson News

Its tough to imagine, but what will life after coronavirus look like? – BizTimes – Milwaukee Business News

In the first weeks after the coronavirus really hit the United States as the number of cases, closings and cancellations piled up it may have seemed hard to think of what a return to normal would look like.

A pessimist might say there is no returning to normal, everything has changed and social distancing will be the new norm. An optimist, on the other hand, might expect things to snap back to where they were before everything changed.

The reality is likely somewhere in between and the ultimate outcome will depend on how long the outbreak lasts. If it lasts a few weeks, returning to normal might not be difficult. Six months? A year? Longer? The way business gets done could be permanently changed.

While businesses are confronting the challenges of today, leaders also need to give some thought to what life will look like after the coronavirus.

David Zach, a futurist and author of the forthcoming book The Fog of Progress: Finding Clarity and Connection in Uncertain Times, said the easiest way for anyone to be a futurist is to consider the implications of decisions or choices multiplied by three.

Were really good at going if this, then that but where we fall down is and then what? Zach said.

Online education and remote work are two obvious areas the coronavirus could influence. Thousands of students and employees were thrust into online learning and working environments and, while neither is a new phenomenon, it seems possible the coronavirus could make those practices standard practice.

Zach, however, emphasized the importance of classroom learning and human interaction.

We are social creatures and we learn socially to a great extent, he said. Yes, you can learn an awful lot online, but it is the interaction and the physical shared space that is essential not only to learning, but to us as humans.

Todd McLees, founder of Hartland-based management consulting firm Pendio Group, said the sudden influx of online students creates an opportunity for distance learning companies to improve.

Theyre going to learn a lot because the customer base is bigger right now, theyre getting a lot more data in terms of what went right, what went wrong, he said.

Tracy Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin, said it is tough to know how the spike in remote work will influence demand for office space, noting the long-term nature of leases insulates the sector from sudden changes.

Who knows if this whole open office concept is going to be a thing of the past, she said. People need their private spaces are they smaller spaces? Are people even going to want to come to the office anymore? Are we even going to need the number of workers?

The way the virus has spread, starting in China before branching out around the world, has also put a spotlight on the problems of relying on one area for goods. Both Zach and McLees pointed to the potential for the virus to bring more manufacturing back to the U.S.

Dont mess with nature, it will always win, Zach said. It provides lots of role models and examples in terms of diversification and not concentration. You have monoculture species; a single thing can wipe them out.

McLees said the push to bring production to the U.S., spurred by disruptions in the Chinese supply chain, could boost the idea of manufacturing-as-a-service, where a contract manufacturer sells its expertise in setting up operations to customers struggling to localize their supply chain. He said cheap capital and the ability to start up operations faster would allow a manufacturer to run the operation for a customer, turn the factory over once its built or transition it over a couple years.

Thats a definite possibility, but Im not exactly sure how it happens yet or how soon it happens, he said.

McLees said the coronavirus could also spur faster adoption of 3D printing and automation. If the virus leaves companies working with a skeleton crew, it could essentially act like a sped-up version of the demographic trends manufacturers have faced in recent years.

He also said the potential slowdown in business created by the virus creates an opportunity to invest in employees. If companies arent running at full capacity, employees could spend 20% of their time learning a new skill or experimenting with new ideas.

It could actually create a culture of innovation so that when we come back together in 90 to 180 days, my company is way better at that than yours is because you were focused on productivity monitoring and costs, McLees said.

He also noted that remote work could create a challenge for companies that either have a wild west with no connectivity or police state-like monitoring.

Im not sure I want to be a part of that culture six months from now when everybody is hiring up, McLees said.

Of course, focusing on training and culture isnt an option for all industries. The hospitality and retail sectors are focused more on survival.

The longer this goes on, the worse off the retail sector will be, Johnson said. People are worried about cash flow. The good, strong companies that would survive anything will survive this, but the ones who are kind of in this weird place, you might never see them open again.

She noted that there is also uncertainty about how willing people will be to go to public spaces, which could hurt a retail sector that has shifted toward entertainment options.

In hospitality, Johnson recalled watching prices for event spaces climb year-after-year following the Great Recession.

It will be interesting to see what they do to get people back, Johnson said, floating fewer seats per table as one possibility.

McLees suggested the future of densely populated places could depend on how long the outbreak lasts.

Its just a function, I think, of how long it lasts, how many people suffer loss. I think that will help establish these norms just like the Depression and the wars did those generations, he said.

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Its tough to imagine, but what will life after coronavirus look like? - BizTimes - Milwaukee Business News

Congress Must Pass the Living Artists Act – The New York Times

Editors note: This is part of the Op-Eds From the Future series, in which science fiction authors, futurists, philosophers and scientists write Op-Eds that they imagine we might read five, 10, 50 or even 200 years from now. The challenges they predict are imaginary for now but their arguments illuminate the urgent questions of today and prepare us for tomorrow. The Opinion piece below is a work of fiction.

Last week, The Times broke the news that Alyssa Nicos booking at the Tokyo Dome was canceled, and with it, her world tour. The band that bumped her? The Beatles, whose last living member, Ringo Starr, died in 2029. In response, the pop megastar (who is also known as Neko) said, How am I supposed to compete with dead people?

The use of simulations in the music industry has made it difficult for living artists to make music and nearly impossible for new musicians to break onto the scene. To ensure the future of music, Congress must pass the Living Artists Act, which will guarantee a 25 percent set-aside in performance venues and online subscription service play for artists who still draw breath.

The A.I.-generated 3-D projections of deceased performers also known as Estates now have an edge over living artists. Musicians like Neko are forced to compete with realistic simulations of their heroes for appearances in stadiums, music venues and private parties thrown by wealthy patrons.

Given the nostalgia that an Estate like The Beatles can bring to a performance, newer artists simply cant compete: Today, live performers who are still building careers are up against simulations with a catalog of hits that are already beloved favorites in every household around the world.

It is one thing for musicians like Neko to compete with DynGro or DJ Lifer or even Sunil Megakles. It is another for her to compete with Janis Joplin or the entire lineup of Public Enemy or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart conducting a symphony orchestra of the greatest classical musicians in history.

Technology is now sufficiently advanced to imitate life to a degree where it is, to a venue audience, indistinguishable from the real thing. The litmus test for me came when I saw the Estate of Michael Jackson performing live at Madison Square Garden; the Estate's animation was flawless, including missed dance steps and occasionally fumbled lyrics. How can we call this a level playing field?

In a worrying statement about the role of Estates in the music industry, Matt Peritz of the Recording Industry Association of America said: This represents a golden age for music fans. Audiences around the world will finally have the chance to share the experience of seeing their favorite performers live not just with their children, but with their parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents.

As the evidence suggests, this is incredibly shortsighted. Last years streaming data from Spotify showed that the number of new recording artists decreased by 30 percent. Apple Music reported a drop in streams by artists making new records in the past three years of 14 percent to 28 percent year over year. Spotifys No. 1 artist in the coveted age-14-to-28 demographic for last year was Jimi Hendrix, more than 75 years in his grave.

But even aside from what it all means for the future of the music industry, I fear we will lose some of the magic of music if this trend which Billboard is calling the Estate Craze continues. Live performances are, at their heart, a moment of intimacy between fans and their musical heroes. They are a shared connection between people, a deeply moving experience that studio recordings cant reproduce.

The rise of the Estates isnt just driving living artists from the stage its driving them from the industry. With the race to the bottom in subscription pricing, live performances are the last place living artists can make money. Without that, musicians are rightly asking, Why bother? Without any financial incentive to create, the pool of new talent is drastically shrinking.

The Living Artists Act is a chance to turn that around. The domination of the Estates over the entire music industry is setting us on a dangerous path. We will soon have a closed pool of music, and without an influx of new artistry, it will grow stale over the years. By setting aside a portion of the market to incentivize artists to create new material, we will ensure that there is fuel for future Estates. Most important, we will also give audiences the chance to experience the authenticity of live performance and the powerful human connection that comes with it. And that is something worth preserving.

Myke Cole (@MykeCole) is an author and television personality whose most recent novel is Sixteenth Watch and most recent television show is Contact on Discovery Channel.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com.

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The Book List: Science Fiction – The Bagpipe

Available in Kresge: Yes

In One Sentence: The book that might have developed if J.R.R. Tolkein decided to write a commentary on authoritarianism, economics, and environmentalism, with a generous helping of magical space-people.

Frank Herberts Dune is one of the giants of science fiction literature, both in influence and actual lengthmy mass-market paperback edition clocks in at nearly 900 pages. I only recently worked up the courage to try it, and I was not disappointedDune is an epic synthesis of high fantasy and far-future science fiction, simultaneously resembling the best of Tolkien and Asimov.

In Dune, the young Paul Atreides is the heir of a feudal house mired in political intrigue, in a universe rife with magic, visions, and prophecies of which he seems to be the primary focus. Paul must flee for his life into the deserts of an arid planet called Dune, where he becomes something of a messiah figure to the planets nomadic people. He must fight for his birthright to rule this planet, even as his sense of supernatural ability, prophetic vision, and terrible purpose begins to intensify.

If you made it through the previous paragraph, youre doing wellDune is a book that doesnt waste a lot of time on a universe that makes intuitive sense. Herbert was a remarkably effective world-builderthe universe of Dune is rich with history, politics, language, prophecy, and intrigue. One prominent theme of the book deals with the oppression of the desert people whom Paul comes to rulethey are the sole harvesters of a mysterious spice that everyone in the universe consumes, and powerful governments oppress them to try to take control of spice production. The parallels with modern Middle Eastern history are hard to ignore, especially since Herbert based large portions of Dunes mythology on Islam and the Arabic language.

Another, more disturbing theme centers on autocracy and freedom: Herbert believed that both human and natural systems were mired in ecological webs of relationships, from which no individual is ever free. Unlike Tolkein (Tolkien strongly disliked Dune, though his reasons for thinking this are unknown), Herbert takes the view that a small spark of hope in the darkness is insufficient to change the course of historyindeed, the course of history may be far more deterministic than we think. Herberts world tumbles toward fascism, autocracy, and jihad, even despite the attempts of powerful people to prevent it. It raises sobering questions about the meaning of freedom, all enmeshed in an enthrallingly detailed universe.

***

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

Author: Douglas Adams

Available in Kresge: Yes (in a compendium)

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The Book List: Science Fiction - The Bagpipe

Now’s the time for organizations to show their humanity – Tech Wire Asia

Jack Ma, co-founder of Alibaba, believes that oneness is the only way to beat the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: Shutterstock.

With cities under lockdown and people forced to stay home, businesses are shifting online but not all are able to do so. Heres where bigger, more established firms come in they can pool resources together and give smaller businesses a helping hand.

In just one example of businesses supporting both customers and counterparts in the global crisis, of many that have emerged, food and beverage (F&B) firms in Singapore can now use DBS banks digital platforms to migrate their business to the digital space.

The Singapore-based bank has rolled out a new F&B digital package that will enable businesses to set up online food service sites in less than a week.

Working with two technology start-ups, Oddle and FirstCom, DBS will help clients through the entire process of setting up a digital storefront, which includes digital marketing services, establishing e-menus, order management systems and payment gateways.

DBS announced these initiatives a day after the Singaporean government tightened social distancing rules to contain the current pandemic.

These are unprecedented times, and it has brought about a shift in the way business is being conducted.

From leading perfume makers producing hand sanitizer to F1 teams creating ventilators, some of the most successful companies from various industries are showing what industry leadership should look like.

Technology futurist, Daniel Burrus, said given the circumstances, businesses must shift their focus from being successful to being significant. Significant is all about what you do for others [] be significant, and success will follow after.

Indeed, now is the time for businesses to live for something more than themselves. a people-first approach, supported by innovative technology, is needed to solve the real-world problems we face today.

Following the launch of knowledge-sharing platform for coronavirus research, businessman and former Alibaba founderJack Ma said the way to beat the pandemic and return to the economy to something like its former nature is to share resources, know-how, and hard-earned lessons.

Not only is this the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense.

Consumers today are purpose-driven, and will be loyal to brands with values they resonate with. They want empathy, and companies that are willing to understand what they need, the challenges theyre trying to solve and the change they are looking for, will win in the long run.

In these moments of (apparent) altruism, businesses may also strike up partnerships that go on to become commercially fruitful in the years to come, thanks to support they gave at their lowest ebb.

Alicia Tillman, CMO at SAP, sums this up nicely: the future of business has feelings.

What it means is that people, including those running businesses, feel with those impacted by the pandemic; they empathize with them. Customers will recognize and remember those businesses that acted with compassion, and those that forgoed it for short-term profits.

The COVID-19 outbreak is a double-edged sword. Yes, it has caused massive damage, and is a global healthcare nightmare but, objectively, it also presents the unique opportunity for business to prove their worth to customers and to demonstrate their humanity.

Now, more than ever, the world needs people to put their differences aside, and use whatever they have to ride this tide out together. Whether it improves their business prospects in the long run, or not, helping is helping.

Emily Wong

Emily is a tech writer constantly on the lookout for cool technology and writes about how small and medium enterprises can leverage it. She also reads, runs, and dreams of writing in a mountain cabin.

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Now's the time for organizations to show their humanity - Tech Wire Asia

7 Top Futurists Make Some Pretty Surprising Predictions …

From smartphone apps that can do seemingly everything to driverless cars and eerily humanlike robots, the past decade has seen dramatic advances in science and technology. What amazing advances are we likely to see in the next 10 years?

To find out, HuffPost Science reached out to seven top futurists -- and they gave us some pretty surprising predictions. Keep reading to learn more.

Dr. Michio Kaku, professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York and author of "The Future of the Mind:"

"In the next 10 years, we will see the gradual transition from an Internet to a brain-net, in which thoughts, emotions, feelings, and memories might be transmitted instantly across the planet.

Scientists can now hook the brain to a computer and begin to decode some of our memories and thoughts. This might eventually revolutionize communication and even entertainment. The movies of the future will be able to convey emotions and feelings, not just images on a silver screen. (Teenagers will go crazy on social media, sending memories and sensations from their senior prom, their first date, etc.). Historians and writers will be able to record events not just digitally, but also emotionally as well.

Perhaps even tensions between people will diminish, as people begin to feel and experience the pain of others."

Dr. Ray Kurzweil, inventor, pioneering computer scientist, and director of engineering at Google:

"By 2025, 3D printers will print clothing at very low cost. There will be many free open source designs, but people will still spend money to download clothing files from the latest hot designer just as people spend money today for eBooks, music and movies despite all of the free material available. 3D printers will print human organs using modified stem cells with the patient's own DNA providing an inexhaustible supply of organs and no rejection issues. We will be also able to repair damaged organs with reprogrammed stem cells, for example a heart damaged from a heart attack. 3D printers will print inexpensive modules to snap together a house or an office building, lego style.

We will spend considerable time in virtual and augmented realities allowing us to visit with each other even if hundreds of miles apart. We'll even be able to touch each other.

We will spend considerable time in virtual and augmented realities allowing us to visit with each other even if hundreds of miles apart. We'll even be able to touch each other. Some of the 'people' we visit with in these new realities will be avatars. They will be compelling but not quite human level by 2025 -- that will take to the 2030s. We will be able to reprogram human biology away from many diseases and aging processes, for example deactivating cancer stem cells that are the true source of cancer, or retard the progression of atherosclerosis, the cause of heart disease.

We will be able to create avatars of people who have passed away from all of the information they have left behind (their emails and other documents, images, videos, interviews with people who remember them). These will be compelling but not fully realistic, not until the mid 2030s, so some people will find this 'replicant' technology to be in the 'uncanny valley,' that is, disconcerting."

Dr. Anne Lise Kjaer, founder of London-based trend forecasting agency Kjaer Global:

"The World Health Organization predicts that chronic diseases will account for almost three-quarters of all deaths worldwide by 2020, so the evolution of M-Health (mobile diagnostics, bio-feedback and personal monitoring) is set to revolutionize treatment of conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Apps designed by medical professionals will provide efficient real-time feedback, tackle chronic conditions at a much earlier stage, and help to improve the lifestyles and life outcomes of communities in the developed and developing world.

This improvement to our physical well-being is exciting, but what excites me even more is the parallel development of apps that meet our under-served mental health needs."

Dr. James Canton, CEO of the San Francisco-based Institute for Global Futures and author of "Future Smart: Managing the Game-Changing Trends that will Transform Your World:"

"Wearable mobile devices will blanket the world. By 2025, there will be a massive Internet of everyone and everything linking every nation, community, company and person to all of the world's knowledge. This will accelerate real-time access to education, health care, jobs, entertainment and commerce...

Humans and robots merge, digitally and physically, to treat patients who may be around the world. Robo-surgeons will operate remotely on patients. RoboDocs will deliver babies and treat you over the cellphone.

Artificial intelligence becomes both as smart as and smarter than humans. AI will be embedded in autos, robots, homes and hospitals will create the AI economy. Humans and robots merge, digitally and physically, to treat patients who may be around the world. Robo-surgeons will operate remotely on patients. RoboDocs will deliver babies and treat you over the cellphone.

Predictive medicine transforms health care. Early diagnosis of disease with medical devices that sniff our breath, and free DNA sequencing that predicts our future health will be common. Personalized genetic medicine will prevent disease, saving lives and billions in lost productivity... The next generation Bitcoin will replace traditional hard money, creating a new paradigm for digital commerce and business that will create a legitimate new economy."

Jason Silva, host of National Geographic Channel's "Brain Games:"

"The on-demand revolution will become the on-demand world, where biological software upgrades, personalized medicine, artificially intelligent assistants will increasingly transform healthcare and well-being. Additionally, increased automation will continue to make our day-to-day lives infinitely richer. Self-driving cars will be ubiquitous, transportation itself will be automatic, clean, and cheap. We will move into a world in which access trumps ownership and the world is at our fingertips."

Dr. Amy Zalman, CEO & president of the World Future Society:

"Researchers now have at their disposal increasingly acute ways of looking into our brains and bodies to understand our attitudes and behavior. A few years ago, Harvard researchers showed that leaders actually have less stress, not more, than non-leaders... At Ben-Gurion University, a study of judges showed that they handed out stricter judgements before lunch -- when they were hungriest.

I find the potential application of these kinds of insights awe-inspiring. A more accurate understanding of how we humans function -- how we trust, cooperate and learn but also fight and hate -- is a tool that public policy-makers and we citizens can use to build better governance and better futures."

Mark Stevenson, author of "An Optimist's Tour of the Future:"

"The technologies arent the most important bit -- although they are super cool. Its what society does with them, and right now its institutional change thats the sticking point. What you really want to look at, in my opinion, is new ways of organizing ourselves. So, my next book covers, for instance, the renewables revolution in a small Austrian town, open source drug discovery in India, patient networks like PatientsLikeMe and schools that are throwing out the curriculum in order to get on with some actual learning."

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7 Top Futurists Make Some Pretty Surprising Predictions ...

How to Think Like a Futurist – MIT Technology Review

Futurist and business consultant Amy Webb says that by asking the right questions, just about anyone can do what she does: separate real trends from hype and glean the paths that technologies will take. In her recently released book, The Signals Are Talking: Why Todays Fringe Is Tomorrows Mainstream, Webb shares some of her methods for analyzing the impact of innovations. She spoke to MIT Technology Reviews executive editor, Brian Bergstein, in an interview that Insider Premium subscribers can listen to here. Highlights condensed for clarity follow.

Why did you write this book? People pay you and your consulting firm for insights into the future. Arent you giving away some secrets?

My goal is to democratize the skills of a futurist, so that more and more people have the ability to see around corners. I just think its so important. Because Im concerned about the direction that were headed in.

Im not concerned in the conventional way; Im not one of those people who believes that artificially intelligent robots are going to take all our jobs and destroy humanity. The concern that I have is that technology is becoming more and more fantastical and politicized. And in the process, we fetishize the future rather than [having] the more boring conversations that are just as important.

What do you mean when you say we fetishize the future?

Ive gone back and looked at spikes in innovation. Theres a cycle that follows each one of those innovation spikes. If you track all the way back to the invention of the light bulb, you have this sudden introduction in newspapers and people get very excited. The story goes in a weird direction from there. That was the birth of modern science fiction. Theres this sudden interest in what is fantastical versus what is realistic. Weve seen that happen with the introduction of [artificial] light, with cars, with the Internet. Now as we stand on the precipice of AI, the same things happening again. I see the word futurist in many more Twitter bios than I ever have before. Were all really excited about it, but I dont see very many people working in a diligent, methodical way on thinking through the implications.

Lets talk about how you sort through the implications of technologies. In your book you say you look at trends in seemingly unrelated fields that could converge.

I was just at IBMs T.J. Watson Center, where all the research scientists are based, talking to them about artificial intelligence. They live, breathe, eat, sleep AI. One of the challenges with working in such a rarified field is that at some point, in order to do your job well, you have to block out all of the distraction and noise from other spaces. You sort of acclimate yourself to not paying attention to how the work that youre doing may impact other fields. Youre just trying to get the next part of your experiment or the next part of your research pushed forward. Therefore, you dont want to waste any time thinking about how this line of code or this outcome may impact health or geopolitics or whatever it might be.

[But] it is that kind of thinking thats so imperative because in the absence of [it], you wind up with what we saw in March when Microsoft took a research project that it had from China, which was a chatbot, introduced that same chatbot here in the United States on Twitter, and within 24 hours it went on a racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic rampage. That was Tay.AI.

Its not like no one couldve seen that coming.

Yes. They shouldve seen that coming.

To find trends that might converge, you say you look for signals on the fringe, beyond the usual things that get covered in the technology press. Fair enough, but how can all of us look on the fringes?

Its not like theres a singular source where you would go to find the unusual suspects at the fringe. Instead, its a series of guiding questions. Pick a topic and then say, Okay. Who do I know of thats been working directly and indirectly in this space? Maybe try to figure out, Well, whos funding this work? Whos encouraging experimentation? I always find it fascinating to go on Iarpas website. They publicly post their RFPs. Thatll give you a window into the kinds of things that theyre thinking about. Who might be directly impacted if this technology succeeds one way or the other? Who could be incentivized to work against any change? Because they stand to gain something, they stand to lose something, who might see this technology as just the starting-off point for something else? Start asking those questions.

One of the chapters in the book goes through bio-hackers. There are these bio-hacking communities all over the place, and theyre doing all kinds of experimentation, whether thats injecting RFID tags under their skin or any other number of things. A lot of people would look at those folks and laugh at them or think theyre ridiculous, but again were looking through the lens of our own present reality without thinking about, Where are we headed?

Whats one of your favorite predictions right now?

I think some of my favorite things that are on the horizon are interesting, promising, and also scary. One of them is smart dust. Youve actually covered this in Tech Review. Smart dust are these tiny computers that are no bigger than a grain of salt or a speck of dust. Theoretically you could, in your hand at any given time, hold 5,000 sensors. Lets say that youre holding this handful of dust and you blew it into the wind. We are going to soon be in an era when its going to be really difficult to tell if you as a person have been hacked in some way, which is breathtaking and terrifying and fantastically interesting.

While reading your book, I was thinking of Future Shock by Alvin and Heidi Toffler, published in 1970. The book argued that the modern world stresses and disorients people by creating more change than we can handle in a short period of time. Is that right?

Unfortunately, I think thats still very true in the year 2016. My goal with the book and my goal in general is to break that cycle of continual surprise and shock.

If theres a way to make the future a little less exciting and a little bit more boring, thats good for everybody because that means that were not continually shocked by new ideas, that were not continually discounting people on the fringe.

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How to Think Like a Futurist - MIT Technology Review

Does The Travel Industry Have A Future? – Forbes

Although it might not seem like it now, the travel industry has a future. A bright future.

It might seem jarring to read those words now, as the travel industry reels from a coronavirus pandemic. The outbreak has hit the travel industry hard, canceling flights, hotel reservations and cruises. Before coronavirus is contained, the travel industry will lose jobs and there will be bankruptcies and consolidations.

But then what?

The travel industry does have a future. By 2030, there will be 1.8 billion worldwide tourists a year, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization 400 million more than last year. That's a lot of people clamoring for cheap airfares, affordable hotel rooms, rideshares, and whatever the next big thing in travel will be.

Ten years from now, look for even bigger changes, say experts. Futurologist Ray Hammond predicts the number of airline passengers will double by 2040, and consumers will demand a faster and more efficient travel experience.

The face of travel as we know it will change dramatically over the next 20 years," he says.

High-speed rail is an essential part of the travel industry's future.

What will travel be like in 2040?

Hammond outlined his predictions in a new report called The World in 2040, which he created on behalf of Allianz Partners.

Among his 2040 predictions for the future of travel:

Other experts and they agree. The travel industry has a future, and here's what you can expect from it:

Ground transportation will get smarter in the coming decades.

Smarter ground transportation

Advances in self-driving technology will profoundly affect the way you travel by car. "Long road trips could be much more tolerable when the vehicle itself does the driving," says Josh Calder, a futurist with Foresight Alliance, a consulting firm. "This could spur more comfortable cars, and make RVs and camper vans much more popular. Ground vehicles will increasingly be powered by electricity."

New jets will travel at supersonic speeds in the future.

The return of supersonic air travel

Supersonic travel will make a welcome comeback in the 2030s, according to Netflights 2050: The Future of Air Travel report. Short breaks to far-flung destinations like San Francisco and Sydney will be possible. "And everyone will have the opportunity to fly on a plane that travels faster than the speed of sound," adds Andrew Shelton, Netflights managing director. "Itll not just be for wealthy travelers."

Virtual reality is a key part of the future of travel.

Virtual reality is the new reality

A recent global traveler survey conducted by Travelport found that 61% of travelers believe that virtual reality and artificial reality experiences will help them would make for better trip planning. "With the emergence of 5G, travel brands will be able to create more immersive digital experiences with friends and families," says Sharon Doyle, a global vice president of product management at Travelport. "We are already seeing companies offer ways of discovering and experiencing travel through virtual and augmented reality."

Trains will go even faster in the future.

Trains running at 700 mph?

In 20 years, new forms of transportation could whisk passengers between major cities at speeds rivaling today's commercial jets, predicts futurist James Patrick. "Above-terrain high-speed tube trains will reach speeds of 500 to 700 mph as they connect population centers of greater than 250,000 people," says Patrick, a former airline executive who also owns a bed and breakfast in Denton, Texas.

Aircraft will emit less carbon in the future and some airlines may emit none, thanks to biofuels.

A carbon zero future

Travel companies are serious about cutting their dependence on fossil fuels. For example, United Airlines already uses more sustainable biofuel than any other airline. "When thinking about the future of travel, particularly in the aviation industry, the move towards making operations more sustainable is going to continue to be a priority that shapes the industry," says United spokeswoman Christine Salamone. "Looking ahead to the next 10-plus years, we want to take the carbon out of flying from more supply of sustainable aviation fuel to investing in new technologies in the air and on the ground."

Space tourism may become a reality in the coming decades.

The final frontier for travel?

Space tourism isn't science fiction. Just visit Cape Canaveral in Florida to see all the private contractors who are preparing for the next phase of travel. Just as Port Canaveral is a big tourism destination, so, too the Cape may soon welcome space tourists. The prospect of space tourism seems very real with all the companies that are currently working on this, said Peter Cranis, executive director of the Space Coast Office of Tourism.

But some things probably won't change, says Joe Mason, chief marketing officer at Allianz Partners.

"Though some aspects of travel should be much less stressful by the year 2040, there will still be some familiar risks for travelers to contend with, along with some new ones," he says. "Unforeseen trip cancellations, delays and emergencies abroad will continue to happen, meaning that travelers will continue to need travel protection and assistance services to travel with peace of mind."

What does the future of travel mean for you?

So what does the travel industry's future mean for you?

It's one thing to talk about the possibilities. Faster trains and planes, self-driving cars and biometrics are exciting. But what do they mean to you?

More competition and lower prices. The airline industry's monopoly on America's skies will end as new transportation options become available. That means the days of overpaying for bad airline service will end.

A faster experience. Everything about the future will be faster, from the way you check in for your trip to the length of time it takes to get there.

A more connected world. As more people travel, walls will break down. The insular politics that have defined the last few years will can't thrive in a well-traveled world.

The future of travel looks bright, but let's hope that the customer experience also improves dramatically.

That's the thing about the future, though. No one knows what will happen.

"With the rate of technology, the next 20 years are up for debate," says Parag Khanna, founder of FutureMap, a data and scenario-based strategic advisory firm, "anything can happen."

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Does The Travel Industry Have A Future? - Forbes

IGCF: What are the best practices in government communication? – Euronews

The 9th edition of International Government Communication Forum brought together global communication experts to explore best practices in the field.

Key issues discussed at the event, which took place in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, included the impact of media in forming public opinion and how effective communication can benefit body and mind.

Speakers included the actress Priyanka Chopra, the futurist physicist Professor Michio Kaku and and the veteran journalist Michaelle Jean, who was the former Canadian Governor General.

Having been sworn in as Governor General in 2005, Jean promoted the democracy, freedom and human rights of Canadians for five years, inspiring a generation of young men and women.

She defined communications, through the prism of the North American society in which she lives and works.

Per se, it is about respect, she said. And to respect you have to listen, and by listening you have to include.

Whilst in office, Michaelle came face-to-face with a man who served as her inspiration, a newly-elected President Barack Obama. She says they shared a common view on strong communication and engagement with others. They also, Jean noted, shared the belief that they were making history in their respective roles.

The first thing we said to each other was, Who would have thought that the Commander in Chief of the United States and the Commander of Chief of Canada, myself, would both be of African descent - and in office at the same time? And something we shared profoundly was the importance of listening.

For almost five decades, Sharjahs leadership has leveraged communications role as an engine of positive change and sustainability in society.

Its media council is spearheaded by His Royal Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, who in 2009 established and restructured Sharjahs TV and radio operations.

Sheikh Ahmed is also responsible for launching IGCF, which, amongst its pillars has strengthening public interactions with the government, adopting advanced digital education and boosting innovation in the media sector.

In a country comprised of more than 200 nationalities, Inspire Middle Easts anchor Rebecca McLaughlin-Eastham spoke to His Highness about how mass communication was best achieved in such a diverse and media-savvy society.

Rebecca: You say that, within this new age of media, something of a communication revolution has taken place. Revolution would imply that change was somehow needed. So, what was the catalyst?

Sh. Sultan Al Qasimi: I've worked through a time when TV was the first thing youd see, and the mobile phone was the second screen. Now, the mobile phone is the first screen that you see and the TV is the second screen. As government, as people working in the government, we need to be as fast as everyone else with technology. So, that's a revolution.

Rebecca: If you had to sum it up, how would you describe the media scene here in Sharjah? And what steps should be taken to advance it further?

Sh. Sultan Al Qasimi: Sharjah used to be very closed. A lot of entities in Sharjah didn't want to be open to government, to publicor the media. But now, we are showing them that it's okay to be open. It's okay to talk about your pros and cons. If you have a problem, if you say it, it's better than someone else talking about it. And we are improving in Sharjah. We are taking this forward.

Rebecca: In the spirit of more transparency more openness, how do you view a freer press and more freedom of speech in the UAE?

Sh. Sultan Al Qasimi: I think there's a very thin line between being free to speak and between being, if I may say, rude. But, I think we're in a culture that understands that. We do have freedom of speech, we do have ethics though - we have ethics that we adhere to. We always look at the positive side of the freedom of speech and we're actually all for it.

Rebecca: To what degree do you believe that a governments, or state-run media entities, should be able to influence people's behaviour and attitudes? To what degree should they be forming people's opinions?

Sh. Sultan Al Qasimi: I think it's a two-way road. I think even the public should be able to persuade the governments to do things that they want, at the end of the day. The government is here to serve them. Everybody has an opinion. Everybody has a good idea. Everybody can share their ideas, even with the government, and we open our doors and our minds to the public.

Rebecca: You've said in the past, that a particular challenge of recent years was to change peoplesperception of the emirate of Sharjah. So, what was the perception back then, and what is its image today?

Sh. Sultan Al Qasimi: I think for people who were in Sharjah, let's say 15 years ago, they might notice a big difference in the way we communicate. They would definitely see, that in the past, a lot of entities in Sharjah used to have closed-door policies. If you don't speak about anything, no-one would know about it etc. But this is a good time to be clear and to be to be truthful about what you have.

Rebecca: Looking at history, and looking at the Arab world, arguably certain countries and certain media organisations have portrayed the region in a particular light. Its not easy to control nor influence that. What's your view?

Sh. Sultan Al Qasimi: I think if you need your picture to be painted in a nice way, you should be the one talking about it. And I think you always have to have the right tools and the right way of talking about it.

Rebecca: Lets talk about COVID-19 currently dominating headlines around the world. To what degree, is it fair to lay blame at the medias door for sparking something of a health panic? And should governments be the ones to calm people down?

Sh. Sultan Al Qasimi: I think government should always be the one who calm people down. But I think also they should do it the right way. I think they should do it the scientific way. The UAE has done a good job in talking about it being clear about it, saying how many cases we have in the Emirates and how theyre being treated.

Irina from Russia enjoyed meeting the futurist Professor Michio Kaku at IGCF.

Saad, and his co-writers, from Kuwait were thrilled to launch their book at the Sharjah forum.

With contribution from Nancy Sarkis, Ana De Oliva and Nicolas Tabbal.

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IGCF: What are the best practices in government communication? - Euronews

Bright-Red "Blood Snow" Is Falling From the Sky in Antarctica – Futurism

Blood Snow

A Facebook post by Ukraines Ministry of Education and Science shows a research station on an island just off the coast of Antarcticas northernmost peninsula covered in blood snow.

The gory-looking scene is not the result of a seal hunt gone wrong its an astonishingly red-pigmented, microscopic algae called Chlamydomonas nivalis,which thrives in freezing water as the ice melts during Antarcticas record-breaking warm summer.

When summer hits the polar regions, the algae bloom, staining the snow and ice around it in blood-resembling red, as Live Science explains. The phenomenon was first noticed by Aristotle thousands of years ago and is often referred to as watermelon snow thanks to its subtly sweet scent and color.

What makes the blooming algae red is the same stuff that give carrots and watermelons their reddish tint carotenoids.

Its a stunning display of a natural phenomenon but it also creates a nasty feedback loop that causes the ice to melt faster. The red color causes less sunlight to be reflected off the snow, causing it to melt faster, as the Ukrainian team explains in its post. The accelerated melting then causes more algae to grow, completing the cycle.

Its not the only surreal display in the world caused by such a feedback loop, as Live Science points out. Blooming algae caused sea foam to swallow up the coast of a Spanish town in January. Similar algae blooms even caused shores around islands in the East China Sea to glow blue.

READ MORE: Spooky blood snow invades Antarctic island [Live Science]

More on algae: A New Bioreactor Captures as Much Carbon as an Acre of Trees

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Bright-Red "Blood Snow" Is Falling From the Sky in Antarctica - Futurism

Here’s a Glossary for the Ongoing Coronavirus Outbreak’s Vocab – Futurism

As the ongoing coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, sickening and claiming the lives of patients around the world, a plethora of confusing and occasionally-conflicting information is spreading along with it.

It doesnt help that it took so long for the World Health Organization (WHO) to nail down an official name for the disease. Nor is it ideal that the name we know it by, the name of the actual virus itself, and the outbreaks previous (unofficial) moniker are all fairly similar.

To help you and ourselves here at Futurism, to be honest stay on top of the vocabulary surrounding the outbreak, we put together the following glossary.

This is a now-outdated term that was used to describe the coronavirus linked to the outbreak before the WHO formally named it SARS-CoV-2 (see below). Its an acronym that stands for the novel CoronaVirus discovered in 2019.

The word coronavirus has served as an easy way to reference the ongoing outbreak, but its not terribly specific,since a coronavirus is a broad category of virus. There are hundreds of coronaviruses which, when they infect a human, cause diseases with flu-like symptoms. Think respiratory trouble, soreness, fever and, in more serious cases, pneumonia or kidney failure.

COVID-19, short for COronaVIrus Disease 2019, is the illness caused by a SARS-CoV-2 infection.You could say that a SARS-CoV-2 infection made someone come down with a case of COVID-19 not unlike how the varicella zoster virus causes the disease chickenpox.

A mortality rate is a statistic that represents the proportion of people dying from a specific cause. In this case, it means the percentage of people who get COVID-19 and ultimately die, not a tally of total fatalities.

As of this storys publication, Chinas COVID-19 mortality rate is around 3.4 percent higher than the mortality rate for the rest of the world, which is currently about 1.7 percent.

A pandemic is the term for an outbreak thats spreading rampantly on an international or global scale, as opposed to a more localized epidemic.

The WHO maintains that the ongoing coronavirus outbreak is not a pandemic: even though cases have been confirmed in 41 global territories, most of the countries affected have more or less contained the disease thus far.

Pronounced R naught, this is a statistical measure that represents how many people, on average, someone whos infected with a disease will spread it to. Tracking down an R0 value for COVID-19 has been difficult, in part because mild cases can go undetected and also because some countries have been hit harder than others.

Different studies have arrived at wildly different R0 values for the COVID-19 outbreak, and the number likely wont be solidified until after the fact but thus far the WHO suggests the R0 lies between two and three.

This is the formal name of the specific coronavirus thats causing a commotion right now.

The name is an acronym: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related CoronaVirus 2. SARS-CoV-2 is highly similar to the virus that caused the SARS outbreak in 2002 and 2003. In fact, when SARS-CoV-2 first emerged in Wuhan, China in December, one of the first doctors to send out a warning about it actually confused it for a resurgence of SARS.

A vaccine is a preventative tool that can strengthen the immune system against a disease. Administered in advance, a vaccine is different from a treatment or cure in that it doesnt fight the virus directly it just better equips your body fight it off and prevent the associated disease.

Specifically, a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 would contain inert and harmless fragments of the virus. If your immune system is exposed to the vaccine, it would generate antibodies capable of fighting the virus in the future, ultimately preventing you from getting sick with COVID-19. Thus far, there are no vaccines available, though many teams are working on them.

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Here's a Glossary for the Ongoing Coronavirus Outbreak's Vocab - Futurism

Space Force Working "Pretty Closely With Elon Musk and SpaceX" – Futurism

Some Answers

As the Space Force evolved from a vague Trumpian thought to a full-fledged branch of the U.S. military, questions surfaced about what exactly it would do and how it would differ from NASA and the Air Forces ongoing work in orbit.

Lieutenant General David Thompson, the Space Forces second-in-command, sat down with GEN to clarify exactlywhat it does revealing the agencys goals, the scope of its operations, and that its already collaborating with SpaceX and Blue Origin.

In addition to scanning for hostile missile launches and other surveillance missions, the Space Force is also responsible for maintaining communication, GPS, and military satellites.

We already work pretty closely with Elon Musk and SpaceX, Thompson told GEN, specifically on developing and maintaining satellite constellations like Starlink.

Mainly, Thompson pressed back against the idea that launching a Space Force would be anything like Star Trek or Star Wars. The uniforms wont be spandex or have capes, he told GEN, nor does it expect to fight battles on the Moon or Mars any time soon.

Rather, Thompson told GEN the Space Force exists because we have to ensure space capabilities are there for the folks on the ground.

READ MORE: Space Forces Second-in-Command Explains What the Hell It Actually Does [GEN]

More on space: Space Force General: Russian Satellite Is Unusual and Disturbing

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Space Force Working "Pretty Closely With Elon Musk and SpaceX" - Futurism

Astronomers: Our Planet Might Have Another Moon, Except It’s Tiny – Futurism

Mini-Moon

The Earth might have asecond Moon albeit a tiny and temporary one.

Earth has a new temporarily captured object/Possible mini-moon called 2020 CD3, wrote Kacper Wierzchos, astronomer and self-described comet hunter at the Catalina Sky Survey, in a Tuesday tweet. On the night of Feb. 15, my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Teddy Pruyne and I found a 20th magnitude object.

A team of astronomers at the NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey near Tuscon, Arizona suspect theres a small asteroid that caught itself in our planets gravity, as CNET reports. The discovery was confirmed when The International Astronomical Unions Minor Planet Center (MPC) announced on Tuesday that Earth has a new temporary captured object.

According to Wierzchos, the comet entered Earths orbit about three years ago. Its diameter is between 1.9 and 3.5 meters (6.2 and 11.5 feet). Despite its tiny size, its a big deal as out of ~ 1 million known asteroids, this is just the second asteroid known to orbit Earth, Wierzchos noted in a follow-up tweet.

The first asteroid tobe discovered orbiting our planet was RH120, also discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey in 2006. It featured a similar diameter, stayed in orbit for 18 months, and was later given minor planet designation in 2008.

Astronomers are now racing to find out more about the unusual space rock.

Further observations and dynamical studies are strongly encouraged, wrote the MPC in its announcement.

READ MORE: Astronomers say Earth might have a new mini-moon [CNET]

More on asteroids: Europes Space Agency Joins Mission to Deflect Killer Asteroids

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Astronomers: Our Planet Might Have Another Moon, Except It's Tiny - Futurism

Uber Tells Drivers to Stay Home If They Have the Coronavirus – Futurism

Uber is warning all its drivers to stay home if they have symptoms of the deadly COVID-19 coronavirus.

On Friday, the company sent a memo of recommendations like frequently washing hands and covering sneezes as well as encouraging drivers to turn away passengers who make them feel unsafe, according to Business Insider.

But Ubers advice struck drivers as tone-deaf: the company advised drivers to stay home if they start experiencing coronavirus symptoms like fever or respiratory trouble. Thats solid workplace advice from a public health standpoint, but it also assumes that sick workers can afford to stay home until theyre feeling better.

Its worth noting that Uber doesnt offer drivers sick leave. In fact, it doesnt consider them employees at all. So like other gig economy workers, if a driver stops taking passengers, they also stop making money. In that light, the company urging its contractors to stay home doesnt reflect the realities of life without a steady income.

Its a troubling disconnect. Nipping an outbreak in the bud could at least partially come down to the publics everyday behavior, but many dont have the resources to simply stop working when theyre not feeling 100 percent.

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Uber Tells Drivers to Stay Home If They Have the Coronavirus - Futurism

Artificial and Biological Neurons Just Talked Over the Internet – Futurism

For the first time, scientists haveengineered and switched on a working neural net that allows biological and silicon-based artificial brain cells to communicate back and forth.

Researchers in Switzerland, Italy, and the U.K. connected a series of neurons: two high-tech artificial neurons and one biological neuron cultured from a mouses brain, that were able to communicate back and forth over the internet in a highly similar way to how neurons pass along signals in the brain.

The research, published Tuesday in the journal Scientific Reports, is in its early days. After all, one mouse neuron in a petri dish is hardly the same as an internet-connected human brain. That cell is housed in a lab at Italys University of Padova, from which it signals back and forth with the artificial neurons at University of Zurich via University of Southampton-build nodes called synaptors, named after synapses, the connections between individual brain cells.

For now, its a simple network. But, it could be an important first step toward smarter and more adaptive prosthetics and brain-computer interfaces and potentially lay the groundwork for a world where neural implants create real brain networks.

On one side it sets the basis for a novel scenario that was never encountered during natural evolution, where biological and artificial neurons are linked together and communicate across global networks; laying the foundations for the Internet of Neuro-electronics, Themis Prodromakis, a nanotechnology researcher and director at the University of Southamptons Centre for Electronics Frontiers said in a press release.

On the other hand, it brings new prospects to neuroprosthetic technologies, paving the way towards research into replacing dysfunctional parts of the brain with AI chips.

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Artificial and Biological Neurons Just Talked Over the Internet - Futurism

Anti-Coke Lawsuit: "Plastic Is Set to Outweigh Fish in the Ocean" – Futurism

Environmental group Earth Island Institute filed a lawsuit in California last week against Coke, Pepsi, Nestl, and a number of other plastic polluters for knowingly misleading the public about how much of their produced plastic is being recycled (and landing in the ocean instead), VICE reports.

These companies should bear the responsibility for choking our ecosystem with plastic, said David Phillips, executive director of Earth Island Institute, in a statement sent to The Guardian. They know very well that this stuff is not being recycled, even though they are telling people on the labels that it is recyclable and making people feel like its being taken care of.

At this rate, plastic is set to outweigh fish in the ocean by 2050, the complaint reads, as quoted by VICE. The complaint also alleges that the ten companies named in the suit are guilty of engaging in a decades-long campaign to deflect blame for the plastic pollution crisis to consumers.

This is the first suit of its kind, Phillips said in a statement. These companies are going to have to reveal how much theyve known about how little of this stuff is being recycled.

According to 2017 numbers, the US only recycled roughly nine percent of all produced plastic with the rest ending up in incinerators (about 12 percent), or the landfill.

And that was before China, formerly Americas largest importer of recycling materials, banned most types of plastic imports in 2018. The ban recycling programs across the globe to stall and landfill to pile up.

Beverage companies shot back saying that they were already working on a solution, of course:

Americas beverage companies are already taking action to address the issue by reducing our use of new plastic, investing to increase the collection of our bottles [], and collaborating with legislators and third-party experts to achieve meaningful policy resolutions, read a statement by an American Beverage Association spokesman, as quoted by Bloomberg.

READ MORE: Coke and Pepsi sued for creating a plastic pollution nuisance [The Guardian]

More on plastic: China Announces Plan to Ban Single-Use Plastics

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Anti-Coke Lawsuit: "Plastic Is Set to Outweigh Fish in the Ocean" - Futurism

Governments Shut Down the Internet Hundreds of Times in 2019 – Futurism

Fake News

According to a new report by digital rights group Access Now, dozens of world governments intentionally shut offthe internet more than 200 times last year, affecting tens of millions of people world wide.

This kind of harm may on its face look less damaging from the standpoint of scope, reads the report. Yet these silenced voices may be absolutely crucial for alerting the public to human rights violations and abuse, and for getting help to those impacted.

According to the new report, India had the most shutdowns in 2019: 121 occasions, the majority of which occurred in the disputed Kashmir region. Venezuela, the second on the list, only shut down the internet 12 times.

Access Now also found an increasing number of shutdowns were smaller, but targeting specific groups of people.

In 2019, there were at least 14 cases of internet providers significantly slowing down the connection, rather than a complete blackout. The idea is to stifle sharing of multimedia, particularly over social media. Most of these cases ended up in a complete blackout eventually.

The shutdowns often appeared to be responses to public protests, according to the report, which framed them as an overreaching method to stifle dissent.

It seems more and more countries are learning from one another and implementing the nuclear option of internet shutdowns to silence critics, or perpetrate other human rights violations with no oversight, Access Now told the BBC.

READ MORE: What happens when the internet vanishes? [BBC]

More on the internet: In the Face of Climate Change, the Internet Is Unsustainable

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Governments Shut Down the Internet Hundreds of Times in 2019 - Futurism