CERN Says the Higgs Boson Did Something Unexpected – Futurism

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Breaking Up

Scientists at CERN just saw the Higgs boson do something odd as it decayed, it appeared to break down into an unexpected combination of particles.

This is the first time that they saw the Higgs boson the particle believed to grant mass to other elementary particles break down into a pair of muons, according to research shared this week at a high energy physics conference. The discovery further reinforces the Standard Model of physics, which has long been challenged by new particle discoveries.

One of the best ways for physicists to study the Higgs boson is to observe how it dies. Typically, theyve seen it decay into comparatively-heavy particles, but muons are far lighter and interact less with the field given off by the Higgs boson.

[Our CERN team] is proud to have achieved this sensitivity to the decay of Higgs bosons to muons, and to show the first experimental evidence for this process, CERN spokesperson Roberto Carlin said in a press release.

Muons are second-generation particles. While atoms are made of first-generation particles like electrons, higher-generations only exist in high-energy environments like a particle physics lab and quickly decay. This is the first time scientists have seen the Higgs boson interact with any second-generation particles.

The Higgs boson seems to interact also with second-generation particles in agreement with the prediction of the Standard Model, a result that will be further refined with the data we expect to collect in the next run, Carlin said.

READ MORE: CERN experiments announce first indications of a rare Higgs boson process [CERN]

More on the Higgs boson: CERN Scientist on What Physicists Have Left to Discover After Higgs Boson

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Zapping the Brain Improved Language Learning Abilities by 13% – Futurism

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In a new study published in the journal Science of Learning, researchers showed that small amounts of electrical stimulation through specially designed ear pieces improved the adult participants abilities to recognize foreign language tones an effect that lasted after the stimulation was halted.

Humans are excellent perceptual learners, the papers introduction reads. Yet, a notable and well-documented exception is the acquisition of non-native speech categories in adulthood.

By stimulating the vagus nerve using the ear pieces, the group was better able to better identify and distinguish between four different Mandarin tones, as Inverse reports.

Thats impressive, because differentiating between those four common tones is extremely hard for native English speakers who are not used to tonal languages.

Overall, they saw an improvement of 13 percent in distinguishing an easier-to-tell-apart pair of Mandarin tones when compared to those who didnt receive brain stimulation although the effect was almost imperceptible more difficult tones.

Showing that non-invasive peripheral nerve stimulation can make language learning easier potentially opens the door to improving cognitive performance across a wide range of domains, Fernando Llanos, a postdoc researcher at the University of Pittsburgs Sound Brain Lab and lead author on the study, said in a statement.

The same effect could be generalized to learning sound patterns of other languages according to the researchers.

In general, people tend to get discouraged by how hard language learning can be, but if you could give someone 13 percent to 15 percent better results after their first session, maybe theyd be more likely to want to continue, said Matthew Leonard, an assistant professor of neurological surgery at the University of California, San Francisco and co-author of the study.

The researchers are now investigating if extending the learning sessions with stimulation could enhance the effect forthe more-difficult-to-distinguish tones.

Similar brain stimulation of the same area, the vagus nerve, has been used to treat epilepsy in the past and is now the subject of other studies investigating whether it could help treat depression or even inflammatory diseases.

However, these treatments tend to be far more invasive when compared to the non-invasive ear pieces used during this particular study.

Were showing robust learning effects in a completely non-invasive and safe way, which potentially makes the technology scalable to a broader array of consumer and medical applications, such as rehabilitation after stroke, senior author Bharath Chandrasekaran, professor and vice chair of research at the University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said in the statement.

READ MORE: Scientists Discover Brain Hack That Improves Language Abilities By 13 Percent [Inverse]

More on brain stimulation: Elon Musk: Neuralink Will Do Human Brain Implant in Less Than a Year

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Zapping the Brain Improved Language Learning Abilities by 13% - Futurism

A Poisonous Tsunami Is Screaming Across the Surface of Venus – Futurism

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Astronomers have discovered that a gigantic wall of poisonous clouds is sweeping across the surface of Venus every few days and has been doing so for decades, ScienceAlertreports. Its so massive, in fact, it reaches far beyond the planets equator to both the north and south mid latitudes at altitudes of around 50 kilometers.

If this happened on Earth, this would be a frontal surface at the scale of the planet, said astrophysicist Pedro Machado at the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences in Portugal, co-author of a paper about the research published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters in May, in a statement. And thats incredible.

The study, led by the Japanese space agency JAXA, suggests this wave has been traveling around Venus since at least 1983 at about 328 kilometers per hour.

Venus is kept at a blistering 465 degrees Celsius near the region where these cloud patterns were observed thanks to an extreme greenhouse effect. Most of Venuss atmosphere is made up of carbon dioxide with sulfuric acid raining down from the skies.

Yet many other aspects of Venuss atmosphere remain a mystery and the observation of this massive wave could could help build a fuller understanding in the future.

We would have finally found a wave transporting momentum and energy from the deep atmosphere and dissipating before arriving at the top of the clouds, explained Javier Peralta, an astrophysicist at JAXA and lead author of the study, in the statement.

It would therefore be depositing momentum precisely at the level where we observe the fastest winds of the so-called atmospheric super-rotation of Venus, whose mechanisms have been a long-time mystery, he added.

The exact mechanisms of this tidal wave are still not entirely understood. Its an entirely new meteorological phenomenon, according to the researchers, that has never been seen on anyother planet.

READ MORE: An Epic, Planet-Scale Wave Has Been Hiding in The Toxic Clouds of Venus For Decades [ScienceAlert]

More on Venus: NASA Venus Rover Designed For Exploring Hell

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A Poisonous Tsunami Is Screaming Across the Surface of Venus - Futurism

Parrot + Dronisos: Imagining the future of Drone Automation – sUAS News

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Paris August 5, 2020:Parrot, the leading European drone group, andDronisos, a pioneer in the creation and production of customised drone swarm light shows, are expanding their ongoing partnership to explore new applications for drone flight automation leveraging the Parrot ANAFI drone platform.

Dronisos drone swarms combine sophisticated technology and artistic expression to entertain audiences around the world with dancing drones and lights for clients including Lancme, Peugeot, FIFA, and Oreo. These shows require sophisticated drone flight automation to synchronise up one thousand drones to perform choreographed movements, tricks and flight patterns.

Dronisoshas previously featured Parrot Bebop and Mambo drones, modified with specialised lights, hardware and software to act as the stars of their shows. Parrots latest ANAFI drone platform offers new opportunities to advance flight automation and synchronisation thanks to its compact size, quiet flights, and industry-leading security.

Parrot is a dream partner to help us bring to life spectacular displays of imagination though both their technology and appreciation for artistry, saidJean-DominiqueLauwereins, CTO and Co-Founder ofDronisos. Now, Parrots ANAFI droneplatform has both inspired and equipped our team to push the boundaries and take our drone swarm capabilities to new heights and new industries. In particular, the small size of the ANAFI prevents any physical harm and the highly secure connection ensures the safety and integrity of autonomous flights from potential hackers.

Parrot first partnered withDronisosin 2016 to help produce the companys now infamous drone dances at its annual CES booth to showcase the launch of the Bebop. The lighthearted and entertaining dances entertained CES attendees and served as a memorable showcase of the brand and its technology.These elaborate choreographed drone dances broke barriers in drone automation previously unimagined.

Five years later, amid months of lockdown due to the global coronavirus pandemic, theDronisosteam created a world-record breaking show flying 200 Parrot Bebop 2 drones simultaneously. Created with a dispersed team throughout the lockdown, the show broke the world record for the largest number of drones flying autonomously indoors. The show, sponsored by Cisco and Tim, was broadcast nationally for the celebration of San Giovanni, a popular annual Italian festival in Turin, Genoa and Florence.

Dronisoshas broken barriers and world records with their vision and engineering and our drone technology, said Jerome Bouvard, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Parrot. We see the ways in which our professional and enterprise customers are using our drones and believe that through this next phase of our partnership we can showcase what else can be achieved to solve new challenges forinspections, surveying and mapping, security and defense industries.

For more information on Parrot and its ANAFI drones, visitParrot.com. To learn more aboutDronisos, visitDronisos.com.

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Scientists Are Using The Moon as a Giant Mirror to Search For Aliens – Futurism

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Moon Mirror

Astronomers have a new trick in the hunt for habitable exoplanets, and it involves using the Moon as a gigantic mirror.

Basically, NASA and ESA scientists used the Hubble Space Telescope to capture light that reflected off the Moon after it had traveled through the Earths atmosphere, Space.com reports. By studying that reflection of our habitable atmosphere, the scientists suspect they could search for the same chemical signatures in distant exoplanets, indicating the possibility of alien life.

Typically, when scientists use the term Earth-like exoplanet, theyre referring to a world thats rocky, roughly the same size as our own, and about the right distance from its host star to have a livable temperature. But its much harder to tell if these exoplanets actually have atmospheres or are otherwise remotely hospitable.

One of NASAs major goals is to identify planets that could support life, Hubble scientist Allison Youngblood said in a press release. But how would we know a habitable or an uninhabited planet if we saw one?

Thats why Youngbloods study, published Thursday in The Astronomical Journal, is so important.

This particular study measured the amount of ozone in the Earths atmosphere. Spotting that same chemical signature emanating from an exoplanet would suggest that it may have an oxygen-rich and UV-blocking atmosphere just like ours.

READ MORE: Scientists use moon as a mirror to study Earth during lunar eclipse [Space.com]

More on exoplanets: Scientists Find the Most Earth-Like Exoplanet Ever And Its Nearby

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COVID-19 Impact & Recovery Analysis – Cable Tray Market (2020-2024) | Increasing Adoption of Automation and Communication Technologies to Boost…

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LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Technavio has been monitoring the cable tray market and it is poised to grow by USD 2.08 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 7% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. ABB Ltd., Atkore International Group Inc., Chatsworth Products Inc., Eaton Corp. Plc, Hubbell Inc., Legrand SA, OBO BETTERMANN Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Schneider Electric SE, TransDelta International Industries LLC, and voestalpine AG are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Increasing adoption of automation and communication technologies has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, fluctuating prices of raw materials might hamper market growth.

Cable Tray Market 2020-2024: Segmentation

Cable Tray Market is segmented as below:

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Cable Tray Market 2020-2024: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our cable tray market report covers the following areas:

This study identifies the increasing use of cloud-based servers as one of the prime reasons driving the cable tray market growth during the next few years.

Cable Tray Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the cable tray market, including some of the vendors such as ABB Ltd., Atkore International Group Inc., Chatsworth Products Inc., Eaton Corp. Plc, Hubbell Inc., Legrand SA, OBO BETTERMANN Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Schneider Electric SE, TransDelta International Industries LLC, and voestalpine AG. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the cable tray market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

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Cable Tray Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights

Table Of Contents :

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market Sizing

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation by End-user

Customer landscape

Geographic Landscape

Vendor Landscape

Vendor Analysis

Appendix

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Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavios report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavios comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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Orthopedic Surgical Robots Market: Increasing demand for automation in medical industry is driving the market – BioSpace

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Orthopedic Surgical Robots Market: Snapshot

Orthopedic surgical robots are created to help orthopedic surgeons perform surgeries. With the assistance of these robots, orthopedic operations can be carried out with improved accuracy and precision. Bone related minimally invasive surgeries can be executed through orthopedic surgical robots. Orthopedic surgical robots are usually small in size and are operated by healthcare experts for performing surgery. They help in steps where it requires fine movements such as surgeries treating for hip fracture, pubic rami, and pelvis surgery. These orthopedic surgical robots enhances the result of the surgery. It also makes the surgery reproducible, which is not possible by human hands.

The global orthopedic surgical robots market is classified into region, application, product, and end-user, On the basis of product, the market is segmented as mako surgical system, ROBODOC surgical system, navio surgical system, and so on. As per the application, the global orthopedic surgical robots market can be classified into total hip replacement, partial knee replacement, complete knee replacement, and so on. On the basis of end-user, the orthopedic surgical robots market is segregated into orthopedic surgery centers, hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, and so forth.

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Orthopedic Surgical Robots Market: Trends and Opportunities

Rising cases of orthopedic ailments, for example, meniscus tear, ligament rupture, knee and hip fracture, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis, and expanding demand for digitization in the medical industry, combined with shifting pattern toward the utilization of surgical robots in performing orthopedic medical procedures, are boosting the global orthopedic surgical robots market. Alongside this, advanced technology and increasing awareness among individuals with respect to the benefits of negligibly obtrusive orthopedic methods for surgical applications are driving the global orthopedic surgical robots market development.

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Nevertheless, mind-boggling expense related with medical procedure performed with the surgical robots and stringent government rules in regards to the utilization of robots for surgical objects are hindering the development of the global orthopedic surgical robots market. Besides, shortage of skilled experts to perform medical procedures with the assistance of surgical robots is estimated to moderate the market development.

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Orthopedic Surgical Robots Market: Regional Outlook

On the basis of geography, the global orthopedic surgical robots market is classified as Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Among these, North America region dominates the global orthopedic surgical robots market due rising cases of bone related ailments, along with increasing demand for automation in medical industry in the mentioned region. Besides, Europe held the maximum share of the global market because of rising inclination towards usage of surgical robots in several kinds of surgeries. It is well coupled with advancement in technologies in the robotics industry. Moreover, Asia Pacific region is flourishing significantly in orthopedic surgical robots market due to rising awareness with respect to the benefits of minimally invasive orthopedic robotic surgery instead of traditional orthopedic surgery. Also, rising elderly population along with the increase in world population are contributing in the development of the global orthopedic surgical robots market.

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Orthopedic Surgical Robots Market: Competitive Landscape

The key players leading in the global orthopedic surgical robots market are Smith & Nephew plc, THINK Surgical, Inc., Depuy Sythes (JnJ), OMNI, Wright Medical Group N.V., MAKO Surgical Corp. (Stryker), Mazor Robotics (Medtronic), Intuitive Surgical, Hansen Medical (Auris Health, Inc.), and Medtech SA (Zimmer Biomet).

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Automation: The future of the combat vehicle? – Defence Connect

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Much has been made of the thrust towards automatisation in recent years but, until recently, its been largelylimited to the civilian space. Over the weekend, the Robotic Combat Vehicle Soldier Operational Experiment came to a close in Fort Carson, Colorado and the results have outpaced the services expectations.

Much has been made of the thrust towards automatisation in recent years but, until recently, its been largelylimited to the civilian space. Over the weekend, the Robotic Combat Vehicle Soldier Operational Experiment came to a close in Fort Carson, Colorado and the results have outpaced the services expectations.

Over the course of the week to come, US Army modernisation officials will round offthe service's first experiment with Robotic Combat Vehicles (scheduled to end 14 August).

While plans have been in the workssince late last year with successive roundswhittling the field down to just a few bids back in January Armys Combat Capabilities Development Command andNext Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Teamhas given short shrift to all else bar:

The multi-test phase hopes to upgrade today's generation of RCVsfrom the "geriatric" M113 troop carrier to a family of purpose-built family of RCVs. As the selection process shows, as well, the service plans on introducing unmanned RCVs that cover a broad range of roles, from smaller scouts through to "mini-tanks".

The test

Over the course of the past five weeks, 4th Infantry Division soldiers based at Fort Carson have been carrying out cavalry-style combat missions in modified Bradley fighting vehicles todirect robotic surrogate M113s. Though Textron has been sidelined for the moment (its prototype is still being improved and refined), the success seen by the QinetiQ team is likely to pile pressure to perform on the latter.

So, what troubles, if any, have the testers encountered? For one, autonomous vehicles have difficulty interpreting the natural environment.

Right now, its very difficult for a robot that looks at a puddle. It doesnt know if its a Marianas Trench, or if its two inches deep, said Major Cory Wallace, the Army's Robotic Combat Vehicle Lead. Its something that we as human beings can contextualise, butthe robot has a hard time doing it.

While this might run counter to much of what you've heard in recent years about the state of autonomous vehicles in the private sector, it's well worth remembering that those are designed to drive on standardised roads. Army vehicles, on the other hand, are required to traverse rough and inhospitable terrain where problems such as these are likely to be more significant in scope exactly the reason the trials are being carried out in the hilly terrain south of Colorado Springs.

The testers also took issue with target recognition technology, which seeks to link the robotic vehicle with the control platform.

"It works while stationary, but part of the challenge is how do you do that on the move and how that is passed to the gunner," said Brigadier General Richard "Ross" Coffman, director of the Army's Next Generation Combat Vehicle-Cross Functional Team.

"We've got some challenges to get the control vehicle and the robot vehicle to communicate adequately beyond 1,000 metres.

"The distance between the robot and the controller is a physics problem and, when you talk flat earth, you can go over a kilometre from the controller to the robot."

The best

"This experiment was 100per cent successful ... because we learned; the whole purpose was to learn where the technology is now and how we think we want to fight with it in the future," saidBG Coffman.

"All of the technology was not successful; it's a sliding scale. Some knocked our socks off, and some -- we've got a little bit of work to do."

One of the areas BG Coffmanpoints to as a win wasthe communications system which worked much better than planners have initially expected.

"The interface with the crew ... so the soldiers see where they are, they see where the robots are, they can communicate graphics ... it just absolutely blew us away," he said.

"The software between the robotic vehicle and the control vehicle while not perfect performed better than we thought it would."

The rest

The service plans to build on the wins (and losses) seen at Fort Carson with a battery of subsequent wet runs; the first of which is scheduled for Fort Hood, in Texas' arid centre. Though this won't take place til 2022, the interim will take both parties back to the drawing board to hash out communications, infrared, and navigational issues.

"Is the technology where we thought it would be, should we continue to spend money on this effort or should we cease effort?" BG Coffman said. That's what he plans to ask, at least, after the conclusion of both runs building towards a final 2023 decision on whether the program will become a formal program of record.

Nevertheless, the benefits of being able to engage actors remotely, without the need for boots on the ground, have been manifest over successive Gulf deployments (and other counterinsurgency operations carried out since Vietnam). It's a politically appealing way of conducting warfare and what's more, it might evenhave operational appealtoo.

Your thoughts

Does the Fort Carson test show that autonomous strategy is the way forward either for the USor Australia? Or is this one aree where a human touch will always be required? Let us know in the comments section below, or get in touch atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.or atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Automation: The future of the combat vehicle?

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Using Automated Security Protocols Reduce the Cost of Data Breaches, Report Says – Nextgov

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Federal agencies face less costly data breaches because they often employ security automation and orchestration practices, according to a security expert.

IBMs annual Cost of a Data Breach report, released July 29, found the public sector worldwide incurred average losses of $1.08 million per data breachthe lowest average cost compared to 17 other industries. The health care industry faced the steepest average loss per breach at $8.6 million, while the overall average was $3.86 million per incident.

Researchers surveyed over 500 organizations between April 2019 and April 2020. They calculated costs using factors such as how much a company spent on detecting and managing the breach as well as losses associated with business disruption and lost customers post-breach.

Wendi Whitmore, vice president of an IBM team working on incident response and threat intelligence, told Nextgov that the U.S. public sector cost is likely higher than average because the U.S. had the highest average cost of a data breach in regional comparisons. Still, she said, agencies at the federal level lead the way on one of the most important ways to reduce costs: automating and orchestrating security.

Anything working under U.S. Cyber Command, which is much of the military, is a fantastic example, Whitmore said. She added the military has been a leader in developing security automation best practices. Whitmore is a former computer crime investigator with the Air Force Office of Special investigations.

This year is the first time the study could observe how automated security practices affect the cost of data breaches, Whitmore said. Over the past 15 years IBM has been doing the study, these practices were too new and not widespread enough to effectively study.

Now you see this huge, fundamental difference in organizations from a cost perspective for those who do have that ability, and those who don't, Whitmore said.

Challenges for government entities like the Defense Department remain higher than those faced in the corporate world, Whitmore said. However, agencies are less likely to lose customers, a main driver of costs when a data breach happens.

But maintaining continuous, automated security across such a large enterprise is still hard. Whitmore said it means there has to be continuous adaptation of security practices.

One organization that has announced it will adapt is the Defense Information Systems Agency, which in July indicated it will move to a zero trust security framework. Whitmore said the zero trust security architecture is consistent with the advice her team at IBM gives to companies regarding how to successfully defend against data breaches.

We're actually advocating to them to move to a model of hey, we actually can't trust anybody. I don't want you to trust any other node in your network, I want you to operate like you're under attack, every day, Whitmore said.

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Using Automated Security Protocols Reduce the Cost of Data Breaches, Report Says - Nextgov

Quantzig: Unleash the Power of AI and Intelligent Automation to Make-headway in the New Normal – Business Wire

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LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With automation growing at a rate of 65-70 percent year-on-year, the statistics indicate that it is poised to grow further owing to its importance in helping make more informed decisions. Today intelligent automation, which is a combination of robotic process automation (RPA) and artificial intelligence (AI), has been making waves globally. As such, business leaders are integrating every part of the value chain with intelligent automation to re-focus the revenue model and drive large scale, organization-wide transformations.

Quantzig recently surveyed business leaders from various industries to analyze the impact of intelligent automation on their processes. This helped the derive conclusions on its role in driving improvements in organizational processes. Request a FREE proposal to gain comprehensive insights into the role of AI and intelligent automation in driving process improvements.

Intelligent automation is particularly beneficial in the current business scenario, says Quantzig.

Though it can be attributed to several factors, the main reason revolves around the fact that the pandemic has flattened profits and lowered efficiency levels, compelling organizations to think more strategically than before. Hence, leading businesses are re-engineering their processes to drive the desired outputs in every segment of the value chain.

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Quantzig is a global analytics and advisory firm with offices in the US, UK, Canada, China, and India. For more than 15 years, we have assisted our clients across the globe with end-to-end data modeling capabilities to leverage analytics for prudent decision making. Today, our firm consists of 120+ clients, including 45 Fortune 500 companies. For more information on our engagement policies and pricing plans, visit: https://www.quantzig.com/request-for-proposal

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A Radioactive Plague: The secrecy and censorship surrounding civilian deaths from World War II – Milwaukee Independent

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The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 75 years ago, is one of the most studied events in modern history. And yet significant aspects of that bombing are still not well known.

I published a social history of U.S. censorship in the aftermath of the bombings, Radiation Secrecy and Censorship after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which this piece is based on. The material was drawn from a dozen different manuscript collections in archives around the US.

I found that military and civilian officials in the U.S. sought to contain information about the effects of radiation from the blasts, which helps explain the persistent gaps in the publics understanding of radiation from the bombings.

Heavy handed

Although everything related to the effects of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs was defined at the time as a military secret, U.S. officials treated the three main effects blast, fire, and radiation very differently. They publicized and celebrated the powerful blast but worked to suppress information about the bombs radiation.

The world learned a month later a few details about that radiation that some type of atomic plague related to the atomic bomb was causing death and illness in the two bombed cities. But for years radiation remained the least publicized and least understood of the atomic bomb effects.

To this day we have no fully accepted accounting of the atomic bomb deaths in both cities; it has remained highly contested because of the politics surrounding the bombing, because of problems with the wartime Japanese census, and, importantly, because of the complexity of defining what constituted radiation-caused deaths over decades.

In my research, I found U.S. officials controlled information about radiation from the atomic bombs dropped over Japan by censoring newspapers, by silencing outspoken individuals, by limiting circulation of the earliest official medical reports, by fomenting deliberately reassuring publicity campaigns, and by outright lies and denial.

The censorship of the Japanese began quickly. As soon as Japanese physicians and scientists reached Hiroshima after the bombing, they collected evidence and studied the mysterious symptoms in the ill and dying. American officials confiscated Japanese reports, medical case notes, biopsy slides, medical photographs, and films and sent them to the U.S. where much remained classified for years -some for decades.

Historians note the irony of American Occupation officials claiming to bring a new freedom of the press to Japan, but censoring what the Japanese said in print about the atomic bombs. One month after the war ended, Occupation authorities restricted public criticism of the U.S. actions in Japan and denied any radiation aftereffects from exposure to the nuclear bombs.

In the US, too, newspapers omitted or obscured anything about radiation or ongoing radioactivity. Military officials encouraged editors to continue some kind of wartime censorship especially about the bombs radiation. Four official U.S. investigating teams sent to Japan in the months immediately after the surrender wrote reports about the biomedical effects of the two atomic bombs. Several of the reports minimized the radiation effects and all received classifications as secret or top secret so the circulation of the majority of their information remained constrained for years.

Traditional combat bomb

The censorship has several explanations. Even Manhattan Project scientists had only theoretical calculations about what to expect about the bombs radiation. As scientists studied the complex effects in the next years, the U.S. government classified information from Japan as well as related radiation information from medical research and the atomic bomb tests at the Nevada Test Site.

American officials wanted reassurance that Allied troops landing in Japan would not be endangered by any remaining radiation. Based on pre-bomb calculations, U.S. officials did not think that U.S. troops would be endangered by exposure to residual radiation but the concept of radiological weapons and uncertainty created fear.

An additional explanation for the censorship of information pertaining to radiation is that U.S. officials did not want the new weapon to be associated with radiological or chemical warfare, both of which were expanding in scope and funding after the war. Those associated with the atomic bomb wanted it to be viewed as a powerful but regular military weapon, a traditional combat bomb.

The results of the radiation censorship campaign have been hard to pin down both because of the nature of the silencing itself (including its incompleteness), and because knowledge leaked into public awareness in many ways and forms.

Historian Richard Miller observes that, In the long run, the radiation from the bomb was more significant than the blast or thermal effects. Yet, for years that radiation remained the least publicized and least understood of the atomic bomb effects.

Legacy of secrecy

Censorship about the radiation deaths and sickness from the atomic bombs in Japan was never, of course, entirely successful. American magazines featured fictional stories about cities ravaged by radiation. John Herseys searing account, Hiroshima, became a bestseller in 1946 just as the summers Crossroads atomic bomb tests in the Pacific received massive publicity including reports about the disastrous radioactive spray that contaminated eighty of the Navys unmanned test vessels.

Campaigns from governmental officials as well as military, scientific and industrial leaders sought to ease the publics fears with the alluring promises of miraculous medical cures and cheap energy from commercial nuclear power.

Historians have described the American publics reactions to Hiroshima as muted ambivalence and psychic numbing. Historian John Dower observes that although Americans demonstrated a longterm cyclical interest in what happened beneath the mushroom cloud, the nations more persistent response to Hiroshima and Nagasaki has been the averted gaze.

Secrecy, extraordinary levels of classification, lies, denial, and deception became the chief legacy of the initial impulse to censor radiation information from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs.

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A Radioactive Plague: The secrecy and censorship surrounding civilian deaths from World War II - Milwaukee Independent

Censorship on the internet in 2020: The potential effects of TikTok – Film Daily

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Amid geopolitical conflicts with China, India has banned TikTok. Its looking into banning more China-based apps like Alibaba. With the U.S. having similar conversations about TikTok, sources are becoming concerned that were facing an age of internet censorship.

Lets take a look at whats happening in India and globally surrounding new apps like TikTok. What should cause more concern, data mining, or censorship? Lets find out.

Indias official reason for banning TikTok has to do with privacy concerns. Like most apps, TikTok mines data from users to show targeted ads and to bring up content individual TikTok users want to see.

TikTok works quickly to parse out videos users want to interact with. From likes within the first hour of use, TikTok makes suggestions based on the videos you interact with. Like dancing? TikTok shows you more dance videos. Liking DIY instead? Your FYP (For You Page) scroll will be full of home improvement and craft projects.

Concerns stem from TikTok tracking macro-data on users all over the world. If an app is privy to viewing trends in a specific country, in theory they can use the information to sway elections. Many supporters of the ban point to possible Russia interference in the U.S. 2016 election that monitored user data to spread false information.

TikTok was banned in India amid privacy concerns, but is that the only reason? The two most populous countries have had negative relations with each other for decades. Deadly border clashes are escalating, including one last month that left twenty dead at the India/China border.

Also, the Indian government isnt the only force driving TikToks ban there. After rising tensions, the Indian population is calling for a ban on Chinese goods and services, especially technology like apps.

Current U.S. President Donald Trump is entertaining the idea of banning TikTok in the U.S. Like India, his reasoning has to do with national security. According to Secretary of state Mike Pompeo, American users shouldnt download the app unless they want their private information in the hands of the Chinese communist party.

A spokesperson for TikTok released a statement about the possible ban, denying that they have ever given information to the Chinese government, and they wouldnt do so if asked. The statement also pointed out that TikTok is owned by an American CEO.

Critics of Trump say the reason has more to do with wounded pride than national security. Thousands of teenagers sabotaged attendance at Trumps rally past month thanks to a TikTok campaign. TikTok users would claim tickets and wouldnt show up, driving down attendance.

Short answer: even with an executive order, it may not stick. Even if Trump directed the FCC to shut TikTok down, civil liberties groups like the ACLU are waiting in the wings to take him to court. Theyre ready to argue that banning an entire platform is a violation of The First Amendment safeguarding free speech.

However, thats not stopping Donald Trump and his administration from seriously looking into banning TikTok. One way theyre looking to weaken the platform is to have an American company like Microsoft buy the app. Trump was opposed to the plan at first, but now he supports it as long as the U.S. government gets a substantial cut.

Its unclear whether the U.S. Department of Treasury can actually take a cut if TikTok gets bought out by an American company. Trumps requirement that a portion of the deal goes to the U.S. has no basis in antitrust law according to financial experts.

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Censorship on the internet in 2020: The potential effects of TikTok - Film Daily

Wicker: Time to address online censorship – The Vicksburg Post – Vicksburg Post

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Our nation has always defended free speech and the right to express different viewpoints. Until recently, it was fair to assume U.S. internet companies were committed to those same rights. But in the last few years, reports have uncovered a disturbing trend of online platforms censoring conservative speech.

In 2018, for example, Twitter was exposed for shadow banning prominent conservatives on the platform, meaning their profiles were made difficult for users to find. Some of the more well-known figures who were shadow-banned include Republican Party Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, former Congressman and current White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Donald Trump Jr.

And just days ago, Facebook and Twitter removed posts from President Trumps accounts, while incendiary statements from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Irans Ayatollah remain.

Google has also done its share to frustrate conservatives.

Recently, Google threatened to block the conservative news site The Federalist from receiving ad revenue because they had not removed certain offensive content in their comment section. The comments may indeed have been derogatory and unacceptable, but it is telling that Google singled out a conservative website for special scrutiny. Google has not applied that same standard to other platforms with comment sections including YouTube, which Google happens to own.

Americans recognize tech bias

Googles selective hostility towardThe Federalistrevealed what most Americans already believe: that tech companies are politically biased. According to a 2018 Pew study, seven out of 10 Americans believe social media platforms censor political viewpoints that they find objectionable.

These concerns are all the more weighty given the immense power that these corporations wield in our society. More and more of our daily business is taking place online, and our dependence upon internet firms is only accelerating with the pandemic.

As we near the 2020 election, Americans have real concerns about whether online platforms will treat campaigns on both sides of the aisle fairly and equally. And these concerns are justified. Americans are right to be worried about interference by powerful tech firms that are increasingly out of touch with mainstream political views.

Reforms to protect a diversity of views

Tech companies are able to censor a wide range of content thanks to provisions in the Communications Decency Act. Passed in 1996, this law protects interactive computer services, like Facebook, from being sued for content posted by their users. It also allows these companies to censor content they consider to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable.

I am concerned that platforms have abused the term otherwise objectionable and have used it to suppress content that they simply disagree with or find distasteful. When Congress passed the law in 1996, the intent was to protect companies when they censor obscene or indecent material not political views they do not like. If the abuses continue, this law risks negating the values at the heart of our First Amendment.

Given recent cases of censorship, Congress should revisit the Communications Decency Act and make it clear that companies cannot enjoy special immunity from lawsuits if they censor political speech. Recently the Commerce Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation and the Internet convened a hearing to consider this issue.

As chairman of the full Commerce Committee, I intend to pursue this matter thoroughly and evaluate what changes are needed to the law.

Congress needs to ensure the internet remains a free and open forum where diverse political views can be expressed. Doing so can help preserve our great tradition of free speech in the digital age.

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Wicker: Time to address online censorship - The Vicksburg Post - Vicksburg Post

Open Technology Fund Authorization Act – BORGEN – Borgen Project

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SEATTLE, Washington In response to the continued suppression of internet freedom, including access to social media and online news sources by authoritarian regimes, a bipartisan group in the U.S. House of Representatives has introduced a bill to expand global internet freedom. The Open Technology Fund Authorization Act would direct the nonprofit Open Technology Fund (OTF). OTF currently funds the creation of ways to counter censorship efforts by small tech groups. It develops technologies to skirt government censorship and enables people to access websites that their governments have blocked.

As House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y. noted that the internet is a powerful tool to spread unbiased information to increasingly bigger audiences in countries without free press. This information could threaten the governments of these countries, which is why the internet is censored. The internet can be a key tool in the fight against tyranny.

According to House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the internet age has ushered in a new era of tyrannical governments exercising control over their citizens. Surveillance and censorship of the internet have become a growing trend in repressive regimes like China, Iran and North Korea. As a result, the U.S. Agency for Global Media has sought to expand internet freedom globally. By supporting projects that promote free communication on the internet and that counteract government censorship, censored countries can achieve internet freedom.

The bill confirms the need for the protection of internet freedom. Currently, more than two-thirds of people around the world live in countries where the internet is restricted. Authoritarian regimes spend billions of dollars every year on internet censorship and surveillance. Furthermore, the Chinese government not only restricts its own peoples access to the internet but it also exports technologies used for surveillance and censorship.

The purpose of the Open Technology Fund Authorization Act is to combat internet censorship and expand internet freedom globally. To do so, the Act would amend the United States International Broadcasting Act of 1994 by adding Sec. 309A Open Technology Fund. This new section would make yearly grants available for the purpose of supporting unrestricted access to uncensored sources of information via the internet. This would empower journalists to produce and spread the news and allow their audiences to receive such information.

This act would establish the Open Technology Fund (OTF), a grantee entity which shall carry out the provisions of this section. The mission of the OTF will be to promote freedom of the press and unrestricted internet access overseas. To sum up the goal of the Open Technology Fund Authorization Act, Representative Engel explained, If a repressive regime builds a wall [around the internet], the OTF is working to build an even taller ladder.

Rep. Michael McCaul [R-TX-10] introduced the Open Technology Fund Authorization Act in the U.S. House of Representatives on April 24, 2020. The bill has six cosponsors (3R, 3D). The bill was assigned to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and is currently in the first stage of the legislative process.

Limiting and blocking access to the internet is a tactic of authoritarian regimes. According to Rep. McCaul, Knowledge is power, which is why information blocking has long been a hallmark of oppression. Oppressive governments censor the internet in order to maintain their grip on power. The Open Technology Fund Authorization Act would thus empower and enable people around the world to utilize the internet to further their own welfare and human rights.

Sarah FrazerPhoto: Unsplash

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Open Technology Fund Authorization Act - BORGEN - Borgen Project

The Logic of a US WeChat Ban – The Diplomat

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Following the Clean Network Program initiative from theU.S. Department of State, the Trump administration further escalated its aggression against Chinese mobile applications, particularly WeChat and TikTok. On August 6, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order addressing the threat posed by WeChat. Accusing WeChat and TikTok of censoring political content and identifying them as potential vectors for disinformation campaigns, the Trump administration prohibited transactions related to WeChat by any person or property subject to the jurisdiction of the United States after 45 days.

There are many details yet to be released by U.S. officials about implementing the executive order. It remains unclear what actions are considered to be transactions. And the impact that the executive order will have on average WeChat users is also vague. But many view the order as a plan to ban WeChat from operating in the United States.

A petition calling the federal government not to ban WeChat has received 60,415 signatures as of August 10 While Chinese Americans can give up a leisure app among the many that exist, they cannot give up the only app linking them to their families in China, the petition argues. During this pandemic, WeChat plays an even more important role in helping families stay connected and updated.

Different from TikTok, most Americans are not familiar with WeChat, a mobile application developed by the Chinese company Tencent. A Statista Survey in 2018 shows that 87 percent of U.S. internet users have never used the application, and only 4 percent of the surveyed individuals use WeChat every day.

The majority of WeChat users in the United States, and other democratic countries such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, are Chinese-speaking immigrants with significant ties with the Peoples Republic of China. In other words, expanding on its success in China, WeChat arrived in the United States, Canada, and many other countries through immigration. The Chinese mobile application has shaped the Chinese communities in these countries significantly. Instead of searching through yellow pages, local community bulletin boards, and online forums, newcomers with language barriers can now find many services available through the application. From buying groceries to purchasing a property, WeChat can help.

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Thus WeChat is more than a mobile application used to send messages to friends and relatives. It also includes functions to send and collect payments, as well as sharing words, pictures, and videos on your friends content feed.WeChat is a super app that covers the feature of several mobile applications that we are more familiar with.

While WeChat facilitates daily life for many of its users, the application is also involved in several significant issues. WeChat has not been able to successfully combat misinformation, fake news, and hateful messages, which are prevalent on the platform. Because WeChat posts target users who may have difficulties in reading local newspapers and conducting fact-check research, misinformation on WeChat from misinformation on drugs to fake news regarding COVID-19 is concerning and may cause more damage to democratic institutions.

Censorship from the Chinese government is the other significant problem facing WeChat. The Citizen Lab from the University of Toronto conducted in-depth research on WeChats efforts to use overseas data to boost its censorship apparatus. In addition to censoring articles, websites, and social media posts critical of the Chinese government, WeChat also stores, monitors, and intercepts messages in private conversations between individual users. With no protection of freedom of expression and freedom of the press, WeChat also became a tool for Chinese state media to reach out to the countrys overseas diaspora groups. While WeChat denies censorship allegations, numerous and robust evidence are suggesting otherwise.

Those issues are not only raising flags in the United States but also are recognized by other countries around the world. Canadas House of Commons directed members of parliament and staff not to use WeChat due to cybersecurity risks. Australian media The Canberra Times calls WeChat the channel for China disinformation campaigns.

The petition pleading with the U.S. government not to ban WeChat is right about one thing: WeChat is one of the few mobile applications that can be used by users both in and outside of China. But it would not be fair to blame the outsized impact of potentially banning WeChat on the Trump administration. Chinas Great Firewall prevents other messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and Telegram from operating in China. With its major competitors blocked in China, WeChat obtained unfair advantages by complying with Chinese government censorship and influence operations. WeChat is very unlikely to disobey orders and censorship requests from the Chinese government and that leaves other countries with limited options to regulate the mobile application.

While WeChat serves as a tool for people to connect through the Great Firewall, it does not exonerate the application from engaging in mass censorship and influence campaigns in the free world. Democratic countries, including the United States, must step up and investigate further options to maintain their democratic integrity while minimizing the cost and inconvenience that any proposed policies may bring to diaspora groups.

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The Logic of a US WeChat Ban - The Diplomat

Ben Domenech Clashes With Joe Trippi Over Censorship Of Trump’s Social Media – The Federalist

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Federalist publisher Ben Domenech highlighted the dangers of social media companies censoring President Trumps comments about kids being almost immune to Covid-19 on Media Buzz on Sunday, slamming Democratic strategist Joe Trippi for appearing to suggest Facebook and Twitter were right to take down clips of the presidents remarks.

The most concerning part of [this issue] is the aspect of Facebook and Twitter, major media outlets we do have to think of them as media entities taking down clips of the presidential interview, Domenech said. The people deserve to be able to hear what their president has to sayIt is extremely troubling to me that any kind of entity, especially one with the kind of power Facebook and Twitter have, would eliminate that type of interview from the public eye as if its something that needs to be shut down or eliminated from the conversation.

I think it is important for Facebook and Twitter and these social media when you start to use things like children are immune and that starts to move, theres a lot of damage that can be done from making that argument, Trippi responded.

Its problematic that that happened, he admitted of social media companies decision to take down Trumps comments. But there is a real question there when you have that kind of information flowing from the president of the United States.

Are you saying this is a good thing they took down what the president of the United States was saying? Domenech asked.

Thats not what I was saying. I was saying that I think its a good thing for this show to talk about, to have shows like this that talk about that because I think it is theres a big theres danger on both sides of what youre saying and what the president said, Trippi insisted.

In an Oval Office interview with Domenech in June, President Trump said he expects to be banned by Twitter before Election Day.

Watch Domenech and Trippis conversation here:

Elle Reynolds is an intern at the Federalist, and a senior at Patrick Henry College studying government and journalism. You can follow her work on Twitter at @_etreynolds.

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Ben Domenech Clashes With Joe Trippi Over Censorship Of Trump's Social Media - The Federalist

German Analysis Institute Regrets Censorship of a Professional Science Assertion – The Shepherd of the Hills Gazette

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Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation)

h/t Dr. Willie Soon, NoTricksZone; The German Research Foundation (DFG) has apologised for censoring a statement that science is not a religious belief system.

The statement by satirist Dieter Nuhr which caused the censorship controversy (source NoTricksZone);

Knowledge does not mean you are 100% sure, but that you have enough facts to have a reasoned opinion. But many people are offended when scientists change their mind: That is normal! Science is just THAT the opinion changes when the facts change. This is because science is not a doctrine of salvation, not a religion that proclaims absolute truths. And those who constantly shout, Follow science! have obviously not understood this. Science does not know everything, but it is the only reasonable knowledge base we have. That is why it is so important.

The apology from DFG;

The DFG expressly regrets having prematurely removed Dieter Nuhrs statement from the website of the online campaign # frdasWissen.Mr. Nuhr is a person who stands in the middle of our society and is committed to science and rational discourse.Even if his pointedness as a satirist may be irritating for some, an institution like the DFG is committed to freedom of thought on the basis of the Enlightenment.We have therefore resumed the contribution.The discussion about the article exemplifies the developments that currently characterize many public discussions about science.

A culture of debate has developed in various areas of our society in which it is often not the factual and stronger argument that counts, in which less listening and inquiries are made, but more and more often hastily judged and condemned.The common dialogue is increasingly being replaced by polarized and polarizing disputes.Especially when it comes to key issues such as climate change or the coronavirus pandemic, the really necessary discussion about scientific topics and the constructive exchange between science and society are hindered.Scientists who make their findings public and describe options for political action are increasingly the target of unobjective attacks and personal defamation.This also applies to social movements

These developments are not beneficial to society and are all the more worrying as science plays a central role in overcoming current challenges, with which it is currently strongly perceived and valued in society.For her part, she is dependent on a critical, open and constructive communication culture.

The DFG would like to use these observations as an opportunity to initiate an intensive examination of the current culture of debate around science.The DFG stands for diversity of opinion and freedom of expression as well as a differentiated culture of discussion.It will continue to do its utmost to achieve this in the future together with other actors from science, media, politics and other areas of society at home and abroad.

Source (Google Translate): https://kaltesonne.de/rolle-rueckwaerts-bei-der-deutschen-forschungsgesellschaft-nuhr-statement-wieder-online/

I applaud the DFG recognising and correcting their error, but such a statement should never have been censored.

I hope this is the start of something bigger, because something has gone very wrong with modern academia. Scientists like Peter Ridd should not be persecuted and punished for taking unfashionable positions. The penalty for speaking your mind if you are a scientist, even if you are later proven to be wrong, should not be excommunication and financial ruin.

If society continues to sanction shooting the messenger (sometimes literally) when it comes to scientists taking unfashionable positions on climate change and Covid-19, politically popular positions will never be properly challenged and reviewed.

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German Analysis Institute Regrets Censorship of a Professional Science Assertion - The Shepherd of the Hills Gazette

China Is Upgrading Its Great Firewall And Can Now Censor Even More Content – News18

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China has given the internet traffic blocking capabilities a big update and is now using more modern interception technology. This will further strengthen what is known as the The Great Firewall of China as it continues to censor and block content, websites and apps from access by users within China. The update to the censoring tools is believed to be more potent in restricting HTTPS traffic that uses new technologies like TLS 1.3 and ESNI (Encrypted Server Name Indication). This comes as a part of a new joint report published this week by iYouPort, University of Maryland, and the Great Firewall Report. These three organizations have been tracking Chinese censorship on the internet.

We confirm that the Great Firewall (GFW) of China has recently begun blocking ESNIone of the foundational features of TLS 1.3 and HTTPS. We empirically demonstrate what triggers this censorship and how long residual censorship lasts, say the authors of the report. The Transport Layer Security (TLS) standard is the basis of secure HTTPS, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure protocol, which allows users to see who they are communicating with, but no intermediary can snoop in on the information being transmitted. This communication also includes the Server Name Indication (SNI), which Chinese censors will use to detect and block content, websites and apps.

TLS 1.3 introduced Encrypted SNI (ESNI) that, put simply, encrypts the SNI so that intermediaries cannot view it. ESNI has the potential to complicate nation-states abilities to censor HTTPS content; rather than be able to block only connections to specific websites, ESNI would require censors to block all TLS connections to specific servers. We do confirm that this is now happening in China! reveals the report.

Researchers say that the blocking can be triggered bidirectionally, which means a connection from outside China can be blocked by the firewall, as would a connection from a user in China to a destination outside the firewall. There is however a way, researchers say, to circumvent the new-found powers of the firewall. This can be deployed by the client or the server. Geneva (Genetic Evasion) is a genetic algorithm developed by those of us at the University of Maryland that automatically discovers new censorship evasion strategies. Geneva manipulates packet streamsinjecting, altering, fragmenting, and dropping packetsin a manner that bypasses censorship without impacting the original underlying connection, say the researchers. However, they do warn that this tool is a research prototype and does not provide any encryption, protection, data privacy and is not optimized for speed.

Array( [videos] => Array ( ) [query] => https://pubstack.nw18.com/pubsync/v1/api/videos/recommended?source=n18english&channels=5d95e6c378c2f2492e2148a2,5d95e6c778c2f2492e214960&categories=5d95e6d7340a9e4981b2e10a&query=Censor+Content%2Ccensorship%2CChina%2Cencryption%2CESNI&publish_min=2020-08-06T10:27:53.000Z&publish_max=2020-08-09T10:27:53.000Z&sort_by=date-relevance&order_by=0&limit=2)

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China Is Upgrading Its Great Firewall And Can Now Censor Even More Content - News18

Twitter censors all links to BitChute – Reclaim The Net

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BitChute, a video hosting platform that is seen as an alternative to YouTubes ever-more stifling moderating and censorship policies, has over the past five months experienced quite a growth.

According to a tweet from the network, its monthly traffic figures doubled in that time from 15 to 30 million visitors.

And while those behind the platform are still allowed to share this information about their business on Twitter as of today anybody essentially engaging in further growing of that user base is now actively sabotaged on Jack Dorseys network.

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It appears, another tweet from BitChute said on Friday, that Twitter had started blocking all tweets that contain Bitchute videos.

The message thread further appealed to users to report what the situation looked like on their end, and advised them to counter any attempts at authoritarianism on the web by making sure they bookmark the BitChute website or set it as their browsers homepage.

In response to BitChutes call to users to help out and share their current usage status when it comes to trying to posts tweets with links to the platform, many said Twitter had blocked these, providing only the generic explanation that the content was potentially harmful and that Twitter came to this conclusion either on its own, or thanks to third-party partners i.e., likely one of the notoriously tone-deaf or just plain wrong fact checking contractors.

According to many users from around the world, they are indeed facing obstacles in posting links to BitChute-hosted content both old, and new. Twitter is yet to officially respond to any of this, which might easily be construed as an example of potentially blatant censorship.

At a time when YouTubes censorship is causing many to look for alternatives, not being able to share those alternatives on current social networks could prove to be a problem and could help slow down getting the word out.

And while Twitter itself appears to be in censorship overdrive in recent times, blocking links to entire alternative platforms is a brazen step for the increasingly brazen company.

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Twitter censors all links to BitChute - Reclaim The Net

Microsoft reportedly wants to buy up TikTok’s India operations too – The Next Web

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After aiming to buy TikToks US, Canada, Australia , and New Zealand business, Microsoft might be looking to include the Indian and European regions in the deal as well.

According to a report by theFinancial Times, the Seattle-based tech company wants to buy TikToks global business operations. Sources familiar with the matter told FT that a deal is in works for Microsoft to buy TikTok India. However, if it falls through, Bytedance might look for foreign or Indian investors.

The Chinese tech giant would also look to license its technology and share revenue with new investors.

Last month, India banned TikTok and 58 other Chinese apps after a skirmish at the border between the two nations. The country was the short video apps biggest market before the ban with over 200 million active users.

After TikToks ban, a swarm of short video apps has emerged in the market including local products such as Chingari, Roposo, Moj, and Mitron, and international apps such as Triller and Instagram Reels. However, theres no clear winner or leader in the segment at the moment.

Read next: Study: Instagram's algorithm favored Trump over Biden

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Microsoft reportedly wants to buy up TikTok's India operations too - The Next Web