Microplastics polluting Oregon beaches, killing wildlife

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by Wayne Havrelly, KGW Staff

KTVB.COM

Posted on May 16, 2014 at 12:21 PM

CANNON BEACH, Ore. -- It just might be the biggest environmental crisis that most people have never heard about: tiny, contaminated pieces of plastic are polluting the worlds beaches.

Small plastics along the tide line of an Oregon beach may look like bits of shell, but they are, in fact, a pervasive form of pollution that scientists have discovered on nearly every ocean beach on Earth.

A recent one-square-meter sample of sand taken from Fort Stevens State Park in Warrenton yielded 10 pounds of plastics.

Tracy Sund picks up small bits of plastic debris along the shore for the City of Cannon Beach, but he cant get to it all.

These pieces have been at sea a long time, he said holding a small plastic shard. The pieces keep fracturing off, getting smaller and smaller. They [can also] get ingested by wildlife.

The plastics dont biodegrade. The smallest shards, known as microplastics, can mesh unseen into beach sand and stay unnoticed for years.

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Microplastics polluting Oregon beaches, killing wildlife

Funnel webs stake out beaches

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Vet Adam Sternberg with a funnel web. This vet clinic in Brookvale is one of the drop off points for the public who want to help the antivenom projects. Picture: Annika Enderborg Source: News Limited

The northern beaches is a hotspot for funnel web spiders, say experts.

It follows an incident on Tuesday where a six-year-old girl became seriously ill after she was bitten on the finger by a male funnel web.

Dozens of people have contacted the Manly Daily to say they have seen funnel webs in and around their homes recently.

Girl, 6, rushed to hospital after deadly bite from rare funnel web spider in her northern beaches home

Mike Gray, a retired spider specialist from the Australian Museum, said the whole of the North Shore was perfect funnel web territory.

They like any forested region, especially where there is also rocky, sloping ground, he said.

They like to make burrows under rocks, rotting logs and in tree roots, where the ground tends to stay moist.

The funnel web spider which bit the little girl,6, in her northern beaches home this week. Source: Supplied

He said the male funnel webs wander in summer and autumn and can often find themselves, accidentally in peoples homes.

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Funnel webs stake out beaches

Astronomy: The Big Bang (20 of 30) The Lepton Era (time = 1s to 3min) We Have Mass! – Video

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Astronomy: The Big Bang (20 of 30) The Lepton Era (time = 1s to 3min) We Have Mass!
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain the Lepton Era where leptons dominated the mass of the unive...

By: Michel van Biezen

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Astronomy: The Big Bang (20 of 30) The Lepton Era (time = 1s to 3min) We Have Mass! - Video

Astronomy: The Big Bang (23 of 30) Decoupling (Recombination): Transparent Universe – Video

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Astronomy: The Big Bang (23 of 30) Decoupling (Recombination): Transparent Universe
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain decoupling where the universe became transparent.

By: Michel van Biezen

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Astronomy: The Big Bang (23 of 30) Decoupling (Recombination): Transparent Universe - Video

China's Baidu scores artificial-intelligence coup, hires Andrew Ng to run Silicon Valley lab

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Chinese Internet company Baidu said Friday that it's hired former Google and Stanford researcher Andrew Ng as chief scientist to run its artificial intelligence research labs in Sunnyvale and Beijing. (AP File Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Opening a new front in Silicon Valley's latest arms race, the Chinese Internet company Baidu said Friday that it has hired former Google and longtime Stanford researcher Andrew Ng as chief scientist to run its artificial intelligence research labs in Sunnyvale and Beijing.

Ng, who is also cofounder of the online education company Coursera, is a highly regarded computer scientist who worked on artificial intelligence projects at Google's secretive X division, where he helped create a "neural network" of computers that famously taught itself to recognize images of cats by analyzing thousands of YouTube videos.

The hire is a significant coup for Baidu, which operates China's leading Internet search engine. The company has not indicated any plans to enter the U.S. market, but it has followed the lead of other major foreign tech firms by opening a research office in Silicon Valley -- where it hopes to tap the region's talent pool and gain more prominence within the tech industry.

Ng's move is another sign that leading Internet companies are pouring resources into artificial intelligence research, which they believe will help them deliver more personalized online services and advertising. As this newspaper reported last month, Facebook, Google and other top companies have been vying to acquire top talent in the field by buying smaller companies and hiring leading university researchers.

"Andrew is the ideal individual to lead our research efforts as we enter an era where AI plays an increasingly pronounced role," said Robin Li, the chief executive of Baidu, in a prepared statement that hailed Ng as "a true visionary and key contributor to the field of artificial intelligence."

While artificial intelligence is a broad term, it generally refers to sophisticated computer systems that can analyze vast amounts of data and learn to identify items or even anticipate outcomes. Ng is known for pioneering work in a field known as "deep learning," in which massive computer networks solve complex problems without being told directly what to do at every step of the process.

Google has used artificial intelligence and deep learning to build algorithms that can identify unlabeled photos, recognize voice commands and understand conversational speech, among other things. Facebook has said it hopes to use artificial intelligence for similar purposes. Baidu said it's using the technology for image searches, natural language processing and "advertising matching."

Internet companies are racing to develop new services that act more like personal assistants -- answering complex questions and anticipating users' needs or interests -- because they have run out of ways to improve on the traditional method of typing keywords into a search box, said analyst Whit Andrews at the Gartner research firm. "Search vendors want to be your robotic guardian angel," he added.

Baidu established a "Deep Learning Institute" last year, with a small office in Cupertino. With the hiring of Ng, the company said it plans to invest $300 million to expand the lab, with up to 200 employees in larger quarters at the Moffett Towers office complex in Sunnyvale.

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China's Baidu scores artificial-intelligence coup, hires Andrew Ng to run Silicon Valley lab

China's Baidu scores artificial-intelligence coup, hires Andrew Ng to run valley labs

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Chinese Internet company Baidu said Friday that it's hired former Google and Stanford researcher Andrew Ng as chief scientist to run its artificial intelligence research labs in Sunnyvale and Beijing. (AP File Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Opening a new front in Silicon Valley's latest arms race, the Chinese Internet company Baidu said Friday that it has hired former Google and longtime Stanford researcher Andrew Ng as chief scientist to run its artificial intelligence research labs in Sunnyvale and Beijing.

Ng, who is also cofounder of the online education company Coursera, is a highly regarded computer scientist who worked on artificial intelligence projects at Google's secretive X division, where he helped create a "neural network" of computers that famously taught itself to recognize images of cats by analyzing thousands of YouTube videos.

The hire is a significant coup for Baidu, which operates China's leading Internet search engine. The company has not indicated any plans to enter the U.S. market, but it has followed the lead of other major foreign tech firms by opening a research office in Silicon Valley -- where it hopes to tap the region's talent pool and gain more prominence within the tech industry.

Ng's move is another sign that leading Internet companies are pouring resources into artificial intelligence research, which they believe will help them deliver more personalized online services and advertising. As this newspaper reported last month, Facebook, Google and other top companies have been vying to acquire top talent in the field by buying smaller companies and hiring leading university researchers.

"Andrew is the ideal individual to lead our research efforts as we enter an era where AI plays an increasingly pronounced role," said Robin Li, the chief executive of Baidu, in a prepared statement that hailed Ng as "a true visionary and key contributor to the field of artificial intelligence."

While artificial intelligence is a broad term, it generally refers to sophisticated computer systems that can analyze vast amounts of data and learn to identify items or even anticipate outcomes. Ng is known for pioneering work in a field known as "deep learning," in which massive computer networks solve complex problems without being told directly what to do at every step of the process.

Google has used artificial intelligence and deep learning to build algorithms that can identify unlabeled photos, recognize voice commands and understand conversational speech, among other things. Facebook has said it hopes to use artificial intelligence for similar purposes. Baidu said it's using the technology for image searches, natural language processing and "advertising matching."

Internet companies are racing to develop new services that act more like personal assistants -- answering complex questions and anticipating users' needs or interests -- because they have run out of ways to improve on the traditional method of typing keywords into a search box, said analyst Whit Andrews at the Gartner research firm. "Search vendors want to be your robotic guardian angel," he added.

Baidu established a "Deep Learning Institute" last year, with a small office in Cupertino. With the hiring of Ng, the company said it plans to invest $300 million to expand the lab, with up to 200 employees in larger quarters at the Moffett Towers office complex in Sunnyvale.

Originally posted here:

China's Baidu scores artificial-intelligence coup, hires Andrew Ng to run valley labs

Artificial intelligence race escalates, as Chinese search firm hires former Google and Stanford researcher Andrew Ng

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Opening a new front in Silicon Valley's latest arms race, the Chinese Internet company Baidu said Friday that it has hired former Google and longtime Stanford researcher Andrew Ng as chief scientist to run its artificial intelligence research labs in Sunnyvale and Beijing.

Ng, who is also cofounder of the online education company Coursera, is a highly regarded computer scientist who worked on artificial intelligence projects at Google's secretive X division, where he helped create a "neural network" of computers that famously taught itself to recognize images of cats by analyzing thousands of YouTube videos.

The hire is a significant coup for Baidu, which operates China's leading Internet search engine. The company has not indicated any plans to enter the U.S. market, but it has followed the lead of other major foreign tech firms by opening a research office in Silicon Valley -- where it hopes to tap the region's talent pool and gain more prominence within the tech industry.

Ng's move is another sign that leading Internet companies are pouring resources into artificial intelligence research, which they believe will help them deliver more personalized online services and advertising. As this newspaper reported last month, Facebook, Google and other top companies have been vying to acquire top talent in the field by buying smaller companies and hiring leading university researchers.

"Andrew is the ideal individual to lead our research efforts as we enter an era where AI plays an increasingly pronounced role," said Robin Li, the chief executive of Baidu, in a prepared statement that hailed Ng as "a true visionary and key contributor to the field of artificial intelligence."

While artificial intelligence is a broad term, it generally refers to sophisticated computer systems that can analyze vast amounts of data and learn to identify items or even anticipate outcomes. Ng is known for pioneering work in a field known as "deep learning," in which massive computer networks solve complex problems without being told directly what to do at every step of the process.

Google has used artificial intelligence and deep learning to build algorithms that can identify unlabeled photos, recognize voice commands and understand conversational speech, among other things. Facebook has said it hopes to use artificial intelligence for similar purposes. Baidu said it's using the technology for image searches, natural language processing and "advertising matching."

Internet companies are racing to develop new services that act more like personal assistants -- answering complex questions and anticipating users' needs or interests -- because they have run out of ways to improve on the traditional method of typing keywords into a search box, said analyst Whit Andrews at the Gartner research firm. "Search vendors want to be your robotic guardian angel," he added.

Baidu established a "Deep Learning Institute" last year, with a small office in Cupertino. With the hiring of Ng, the company said it plans to invest $300 million to expand the lab, with up to 200 employees in larger quarters at the Moffett Towers office complex in Sunnyvale.

Ng is on leave from Stanford and is stepping away from daily duties at Coursera, where he will continue to serve as chairman, a spokesman said.

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Artificial intelligence race escalates, as Chinese search firm hires former Google and Stanford researcher Andrew Ng

Andrew Ng bio: Baidu chief scientist is veteran artificial intelligence researcher, entrepreneur

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Andrew Ng

Age: 38

Current job: Head of research for Chinese search engine Baidu, overseeing labs in Sunnyvale and Beijing; also chairman and cofounder of Coursera

Career:

-- Taught and conducted research in artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics at Stanford starting in 2002; currently on leave as associate professor of computer science and director of Stanford's Artificial Intelligence Lab.

-- Helped launch an online education program at Stanford and later cofounded Coursera, a venture-funded online education startup.

-- Worked at Google X, the company's experimental division, where he helped lead the Google Brain project to develop large-scale neural network technology, now used for speech recognition in Google's Android mobile operating system.

Education: Earned bachelor's degree in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University, master's degree in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT and Ph.D. in computer science from UC Berkeley.

Personal: Born in the United Kingdom, lives in Silicon Valley.

Sources: Staff research

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Andrew Ng bio: Baidu chief scientist is veteran artificial intelligence researcher, entrepreneur

Baidu hires 'Google Brain' founder to run its AI labs

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Baidu has scored a win over Google by hiring Andrew Ng, founder of the Google Brain, to run the Chinese Internet giants artificial intelligence labs.

The Google Brain is the nickname for a project at the company to replicate aspects of how the human brain works in computers, which could lead to big advances in search, robotics, natural language processing, online marketing and many other fields. So-called deep learning and other aspects of AI have become a big focus for the leading tech firms, including IBM, Microsoft and Facebook, whove all been hiring top academics in the field.

Baidu announced Friday it has hired Ng, who previously led Googles deep learning efforts, to run its AI labs in Beijing and Silicon Valley. Ng is also a faculty member in computer science at Stanford University and known for his work building massive scale artificial neural networks, Baidu said.

Google lifted the lid on its AI efforts a couple of years ago when it described how it had unleashed its neural network on YouTube to see what the system could learn.

Our hypothesis was that it would learn to recognize common objects in those videos, Google said at the time. Indeed, to our amusement, one of our artificial neurons learned to respond strongly to pictures of ... cats.

This seems unremarkable except that the computer had never been told what a cat was or shown a single image labeled as a cat. But it figured out that cats were a thing on YouTube and learned to recognize them by itself.

Facebook is also in on the game: In December it hired a prominent AI expert at New York University, Yann LeCun, and opened its own AI research lab.

The most public face of IBMs AI efforts is Watson, a high-performance computer that famously won the Jeopardy TV game show a few years ago.

Along with image recognition and image-based search, Baidu said its labs are working on voice recognition, natural language processing, semantic intelligence, machine translation and advertising matching.

As a true visionary and key contributor in the field of Artificial Intelligence, Andrew is the ideal individual to lead our research efforts as we enter an era where AI plays an increasingly pronounced role, Robin Li, Baidus chairman and CEO, said in a statement.

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Baidu hires 'Google Brain' founder to run its AI labs

A globally qualified workforce for aerospace, aviation, defence and space – Video

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A globally qualified workforce for aerospace, aviation, defence and space
Moderated by Ray Gammell, Chief People and Performance Officer, Etihad Airways, this panel includes Alan May, Vice President, Human Resources, Boeing Commerc...

By: Global Aerospace Summit

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A globally qualified workforce for aerospace, aviation, defence and space - Video