Analyzing PlusTherapeuticsInc . (NASDAQ:PSTV) and Stryker (NASDAQ:SYK) – Riverton Roll

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Stryker (NYSE:SYK) and PlusTherapeuticsInc . (NASDAQ:PSTV) are both medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, profitability, valuation, institutional ownership and earnings.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Stryker and PlusTherapeuticsInc ., as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Stryker currently has a consensus target price of $214.39, suggesting a potential downside of 0.88%. Given Strykers higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Stryker is more favorable than PlusTherapeuticsInc ..

Volatility and Risk

Stryker has a beta of 0.83, indicating that its stock price is 17% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, PlusTherapeuticsInc . has a beta of 1.83, indicating that its stock price is 83% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Stryker and PlusTherapeuticsInc .s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Stryker has higher revenue and earnings than PlusTherapeuticsInc ..

Institutional & Insider Ownership

73.0% of Stryker shares are held by institutional investors. 7.2% of Stryker shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.7% of PlusTherapeuticsInc . shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Dividends

Stryker pays an annual dividend of $2.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.0%. PlusTherapeuticsInc . does not pay a dividend. Stryker pays out 28.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Stryker has raised its dividend for 8 consecutive years.

Profitability

This table compares Stryker and PlusTherapeuticsInc .s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Summary

Stryker beats PlusTherapeuticsInc . on 12 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Stryker

Stryker Corporation operates as a medical technology company. The company operates through three segments: Orthopaedics, MedSurg, and Neurotechnology and Spine. The Orthopaedics segment provides implants for use in hip and knee joint replacements, and trauma and extremities surgeries. The MedSurg segment offers surgical equipment and surgical navigation systems, endoscopic and communications systems, patient handling, emergency medical equipment and intensive care disposable products, reprocessed and remanufactured medical devices, and other medical devices for use in various medical specialties. The Neurotechnology and Spine segment provides neurotechnology products that include products used for minimally invasive endovascular techniques; products for brain and open skull based surgical procedures; orthobiologic and biosurgery products, such as synthetic bone grafts and vertebral augmentation products; and minimally invasive products for the treatment of acute ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. It also provides spinal implant products comprising cervical, thoracolumbar, and interbody systems for use in spinal injury, deformity, and degenerative therapies. The company sells its products to doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities through company-owned subsidiaries and branches, as well as third-party dealers and distributors in approximately 80 countries. Stryker Corporation was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

About PlusTherapeuticsInc .

Plus Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, engages in developing treatments for cancer and other diseases in the United States. The company's lead product candidate in pipeline is DocePLUS, an albumin-stabilized PEGylated liposomal formulation of docetaxel for the treatment of small cell lung cancer. It also engages in developing DoxoPLUS, an injectable generic PEGylated liposomal formulation of doxorubicin for the treatment of breast, ovarian, multiple myeloma, and Kaposi's sarcoma cancer. The company was formerly known as Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. and changed its name to Plus Therapeutics, Inc. in July 2019. Plus Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

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Analyzing PlusTherapeuticsInc . (NASDAQ:PSTV) and Stryker (NASDAQ:SYK) - Riverton Roll

Brady Bunch star Susan Olsen reveals reason she hated being on iconic sitcom – Fox News

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LOS ANGELES Susan Olsen has enjoyed many of the spoils that came with being a child actor on the legendary family sitcom The Brady Bunch.

Now,at 58 and fresh off an exciting HGTV special series, where the surviving castmembers renovated the venerable Brady Bunch house, Olsen is opening up about her time as Cindy Brady and why she detested being on the series.

'BRADY BUNCH' STAR SUSAN OLSEN RECALLS VISITING THE SHOW'S ICONIC HOUSE FOR THE FIRST TIME

I say in order to have immortality, you have to have a soul and the soul is love. And I think that the love that was shown on the show, it was genuine between all of us cast members and I think people pick up on that, Olsen told Fox News in reference towhy the show has managed to stand the test of time so many years after its television exit.

But she didn't always feel that positive.

I never thought I would say this because when I was younger I was very rebellious and I really hated the fact that I was in such a wholesome show with American values and family values. But guess what now I'm so proud of that, added Olsen while attending the Jose Iturbi Foundations rooftop dinner "Under the Stars" event at the Hollywood Bowl.

Members of "The Brady Bunch," cast, from left, Maureen McCormick, Eve Plumb, Susan Olsen, Mike Lookinland, Christopher Knight and Barry Williams participate in HGTV's "A Very Brady Renovation" panel at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Thursday, July 25, 2019, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)

The animal rights activist said she appreciates that people saw the Brady family as something they could aspire their households to be and explained that it was actually the role of Cindy Brady itself that helped Olsen come into her own as a young woman.

I think that being an actress helped me to grow. I don't really think that the show helped me to grow so much as people that watched the show learned to grow, shared Olsen. People would ask me, 'Don't you wish that 'The Brady Bunch' was your real family?'And I'm like no because my family is just as good and they're a little bit funnier, a little weirder, but I know so many people that literally say that the show saved their lives.

SUSAN OLSEN TALKS 'A VERY BRADY RENOVATION,' SAYS VOTING FOR TRUMP GOT HER IN TROUBLE ON RADIO SHOW

She continued: And you know, I had a great family life but for people and other people that had a great family life loved it too--but there were people that didn't have a great life and as children, they depended on the show. And it's for them that I really feel responsible.

The radio host said she never wanted to become an actress and simply used it as a means of helping her to focus on other avenues where her interests laid.

Well, I didn't pursue having a career in acting. I did at first because I just didn't have much imagination, Olsen explained. I thought, 'I've got my foot in the door with something that everybody wants,' and it took me a while to realize that I didn't want it. Acting is not really my medium I'm a creative person, but I prefer visual arts.

But now I'm teaching acting for kids among other things, so I love it but it's not really my thing, Olsen said, adding that she loves Cindy Brady for allowing her to connect with fans.

BRADY BUNCH CASTMATES ASK FOR FANS' HELP TO FIND ICONIC ITEMS FROM HOME

As far as careers go, you know, Cindy Brady has certainly been a good ambassador. She opens doors, people have a nice feeling about me and they may not know why. [They say] 'Gee, I just feel like I grew up with you.' I'm like, 'Oh, that's nice,' said Olsen.

When asked if fans of the series are ever surprised at her rebellious nature and problem with authority, Olsen said yes, adding that Cindy really wasnt that smart to begin with.

Susan Olsen as Cindy Brady in "The Brady Bunch." (Getty)

I think people generally are happily surprised when they find out that my tastes were not quite so wholesome, she said. You know, I was very into punk rock and rock music and I'm really outspoken. So I'm definitely not Cindy, but I don't want to be the anti-Cindy because she was fairly nice.

She just wasn't very bright, Olsen added with a laugh.

MARY TYLER MOORE STAR ED ASNER SAYS CAST WAS LIKE A FAMILY: WE FORGAVE EACH OTHERS FAULTS'

Today, Olsen says shes having the time of life and said when she isnt teaching acting classes or listening to her rock and roll, she passes her time with video games and cellphone apps that keep her mind sharp.

I play 'World of Warcraft," Olsen said.I am a big gamer kind of person, yeah. I'm not very good at fast things, but the strategies I'm good at.

Brady Bunch cast: (left to right) Maureen McCormack / Marsha Brady, Christopher Knight / Peter Brady, Susan Olsen / Cindy Brady, Mike Lookinland / Bobby Brady, Eve Plumb / Jan Brady & Barry Williams / Greg Brady in front of the original Brady home in Studio City, CA, as seen on A Very Brady Renovation. (HGTV via AP)

Olsen continued: I do some of those mental [exercises] deliberately because I'm not getting any younger. I do some of those apps on the phone. I try to keep frosty and try to learn new things. I teach children I teach a filmmaking class where we just put together a little film and just keeping up with the technology in video is a constant challenge.

Olsen said she had no more secrets she could share from the old Brady Bunch set, telling us that Barry [Williams] told all and then some because a lot of what he told in his book Growing Up Brady didnt actually happen if you read the book.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Yeah I mean we all, we weren't really related, we didn't really share a house so yeah, we kind of tended to date each other, although I was too young to date, said Olsen.

But we made out in the dog house, she added. I mean we were just such good kids. We were a lot like the characters and in fact, we didn't argue as much as the characters because we didn't have to share one bathroom with no toilet.

That can make people cranky, Olsen said with amusement.

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Brady Bunch star Susan Olsen reveals reason she hated being on iconic sitcom - Fox News

Enable at ‘her peak’ ahead of Arc hat-trick attempt – FRANCE 24

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Issued on: 30/09/2019 - 18:32

Paris (AFP)

Enable is at "her absolute peak" for Sunday's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, the superstar mare's trainer John Gosden said on Monday.

Frankie Dettori's mount is odds-on favourite to become the first triple winner of Europe's most prestigious race.

The last to attempt the feat was Treve, trained by Criquette Head-Maarek. The 2013/2014 Arc heroine missed out on turf immortality when finishing fourth to Gosden's Golden Horn in 2015.

Enable arrives in Paris in fine fettle, having extended her unbeaten run to 12 in the Yorkshire Oaks in August.

Gosden told Sky Sports: "She's got a great stride on her and a great head and a wonderful outlook. She's always got her ears pricked and she's very enthusiastic about everything."

The Newmarket trainer suggested that as a five-year-old Enable has reached the summit of her skills.

"She's filled her frame and there's no doubt in my mind that a flat thoroughbred horse is probably at their absolute peak at five. She's fully grown now and fully developed."

Leading the opposition to topple her are the Aidan O'Brien-trained Japan and Magical, French Derby winner Sottsass, last year's Waldgeist who finished fourth and three runners trained in Japan - Kiseki, Blast Onepiece and Fierement.

"We'll see how we go ? there's some mighty opposition coming at us, there's no doubt about that," said Gosden.

With a prize money pot of five million euros ($5.45 million) the Arc is the second richest turf race in the world behind Australia's The Everest.

2019 AFP

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Enable at 'her peak' ahead of Arc hat-trick attempt - FRANCE 24

World Athletics Championships: Lyles, Warholm and the other stars chasing world record immortality – myKhel

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Noah Lyles (Men's 200m)

Bolt's astonishing 19.19 seconds in the German capital back in 2009 took the breath away and looked set to stand for generations. Anyone going quicker remains a long shot but, as Bolt himself proved by going under Michael Johnson's apparently unassailable 19.32, even the most celebrated records are there to be broken.

"I have a strong chance of winning and I also have a strong chance of trying to break some records," American sensation Noah Lyles told BBC Sport when reflecting upon a superb 2019 to date. "I might not get another chance like this again because I plan to be doubling after this."

Lyles, 22, will only compete in the 200 meters in Doha, having broken Bolt's Paris Diamond League meeting record last month in a time of 19.65. His 19.50 in Lausanne in July is the fourth-fastest time in history. Gold looks assured - the question is just how impressive that gold might be.

In Zurich last month, Norway's Karsten Warholm ran the second fastest 400m hurdles of all time, powering home in 46.92. However, gold is far from a formality for the world's leading performer.

Warholm was pushed all the way to the line by Rai Benjamin and the American's time of 46.98 made it the first race ever to have two men go under 47 seconds.

Consider the fact that Qatar's Abderrahman Samba also has a 46.98 on his record and Kevin Young's celebrated mark of 46.78 has never felt more under threat since it was set way back in 1992.

Unlike the other competitors on this list, Dalilah Muhammad has already scaled the mountain.

The Olympic champion won the USA Track and Field title in Iowa this year with a blistering time of 52.20, shaving 0.14 off Yuliya Pechonkina's 2003 world record.

The 29-year-old will now aim to repeat those heroics on this year's biggest stage.

Defending the world title she won in London two years ago, Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas heads to Doha peaking at just the right time.

At the start of this month, she leapt 15 metres 41 centimetres in Andujar, just 9cm shy of Inessa Kravets' 1995 record, which was established on the way to world championship glory.

Repeating that piece of history would round off a stellar year for Rojas, who put an injury-ravaged 2018 behind her to triumph at the Pan American Games in Lima.

On the same Zurich evening Warholm and Benjamin went toe to toe, Juan Miguel Echevarria obliterated the competition in the long jump.

His 8.65m was the longest in the world this year and broke the Diamond League record. The Cuban star also thrilled a home crowd in Havana with a huge 8.92m in March, although his wind-assisted effort was not eligible for record purposes.

The latter leap was close to Mike Powell's imperious world record of 8.95m, which remains unlikely to be challenged in settled conditions.

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World Athletics Championships: Lyles, Warholm and the other stars chasing world record immortality - myKhel

On Plans To Investigate Wealthy Pastors And Their Poor Flocks – New Vision

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The people that need to be investigated are those thousands of poor pastors who met the President recently led by Pastor Robert Kayanja

By Goodwill Magezi

While launching a wealth creation campaign at a church recently, President Yoweri Museveni cautioned preachers against accumulating wealth as their flock struggle with poverty.

Whichever poor flock, the President was referring to, it is certainly not Zoe Fellowship led by Prophet Elvis Mbonye. We are multiplied on every side in every way; in numbers, in wealth, in revelation, in dominion, in influence, in excellence, in giving, in prophetic fulfilment and not just in word, but indeed consistently demonstrated over the many years. It is now evident for the whole world to see that we are not just theorising or auditioning for ministry.

The God kind of prosperity is supernatural. This means it transcends logic, empirical formulas and human investigation. Our prosperity in Christ is timeless and past finding out for it is rooted and bound to the Kingdom of God. God is essentially our prosperity.

Knowing this, how then can the finite regulate or investigate the infinite? How can mortality regulate immortality? Can darkness investigate light? How can a government that is still dependent on aid and wallowing in debt after 50 years of independence investigate the eternal government of God, the Lord of wealth, the Monarch of the Universe?

The dimension of supernatural prosperity exhibited by Prophet Elvis Mbonye and those that he leads at Zoe Fellowship, springs from God and is the proof that God is the Lord of all wealth and reigns supreme in all the earth.

Actually the people that need to be investigated are those thousands of poor pastors who met the President recently led by Pastor Robert Kayanja, that appealed to the President to lift them out of poverty. Talk about salt losing its saltiness! Do these people believe in the God of the Bible? These pastors who met the President are the people that have been attacking the Gospel of prosperity and yet now have chosen to embrace and preach the NRM version of prosperity "Bonna Bagagawale".

What have these hypocrites been teaching their congregation for all these years! These pastors are clearly not servants of God but civil servants propagating the agenda of the government of Uganda.

They have fully and willingly submitted and believed in the President for their salvation, which President is also still struggling to deliver his third world economy out of poverty and debt for 30 years now! Talk about the blind leading the blind! Who should investigate who?

For us to keep quiet and act like we are all a part and parcel of the lot that pleads to earthly governments for aid as if God is dead, is treasonous against the Kingdom of God. The move of God is at stake here!

It is the government of Uganda that needs the God of the Bible not the other way round.

The writer is a minister at Zoe Fellowship

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On Plans To Investigate Wealthy Pastors And Their Poor Flocks - New Vision

A Preview of Old Guard: Force Multiplied #1 – Before Charlize Theron and Idris Elba Get to Be In It – Bleeding Cool News

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Greg Rucka and Leanardo Fernandez are bringing back comic book Old Guard , about a captain leading a small group of soldiers working as mercenaries through the ages, to Image Comics in December with a new series, The Old Guard: Force Multiplied.

The difference? Well, this time we know its being made into a movie, starring Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Chiwetel Ejiofor and directed byGina Prince-Bythewood.

And people always get more interested in a comic book when its going to be made into a movie of TV series.

Filming has been happening down the road from me, at Bourne Wood in Surrey. Maybe I should pop by?

Anyway, heres a look ahead at the first issue and the Theron-heavy solicitation

OLD GUARD FORCE MULTIPLIED #1 (OF 5) (MR)(W) Greg Rucka (A/CA) Leandro FernandezNEW STORY ARC. Soon to be a major motion picture starring CHARLIZE THERON!

Andromache of Scythia and her band of soldiers are back in this second story chronicling the battles and burdens of their dubious immortality. Niles addition to the team has given them new purpose and new direction, but when youve got 6,000 years of history at your back, the past is always ready to return-with a vengeance.

Written by GREG RUCKA and illustrated by the incomparable LEANDRO FERNNDEZ, with colors by DANIELA MIWA, lettering by JODI WYNNE, and design by ERIC TRAUTMANN, the highly anticipated return of THE OLD GUARD is finally here! In Shops: Dec 18, 2019 SRP: $3.99

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A Preview of Old Guard: Force Multiplied #1 - Before Charlize Theron and Idris Elba Get to Be In It - Bleeding Cool News

‘Stop talking about last year’: Why the Bruins face an unprecedented challenge if they are to win the Stanley… – The Athletic

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History is not kind to those teams that came agonizingly close to winning the Stanley Cup.

The Bruins in June became the 10th team since 1971 to lose Game 7 of the Cup final. Of the previous nine, not one made it past the second round of the playoffs the following season.

The last time the Bruins took the ice together, the Stanley Cup was in the building. Hockey immortality was within their grasp.

Now, when they take the ice on Thursday night in Dallas to open the new season, the Cup is a far-off dream as achievable at this point for the lowly Ottawa Senators as it is for the Bruins.

You go from the shocker that you went that far in Game 7 and then youre in disbelief because you thought it was your destiny, said Kay Whitmore, a goalie on the Vancouver Canucks who lost Game 7 of the final the New York Rangers in 1994. You thought, It cant end this way.

So you had all summer to think about it. You come back to...

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'Stop talking about last year': Why the Bruins face an unprecedented challenge if they are to win the Stanley... - The Athletic

Alternative Match Ratings From This Weekend’s Premier League Action – Balls.ie

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Although we had to wait until Tuesday to deliver, the Premier League long weekend has come to an end. As Hurricane Lorenzo peers over the horizon, our patented alternative match ratings are already getting wet and wild.

Here are our alternative match ratings for the weekend that was, because sometimes, numbers can't tell the full story.

Sometimes, when watching a football match, something will happen that tells a story far beyond the mere act of kicking a ball. Yesterday, when Arsenal visited Manchester United, one set piece represented the respective fall from grace for both sides. Arsenal had a free-kick around 35 yards out, peak David Luiz territory. There's no guarantee the ball would go anywhere near the goal, but everyone in the stadium knew the Brazilian would spank it.

Then, Granit Xhaka tried to play a disguised ball to Callum Chambers.

Only Granit Xhaka could think, for one, that he has the capability to spray a blind pass thirty yards. Also, only Granit Xhaka could think that Callum Chambers has the pace and wherewith-all to actually get to the ball. However, Granit Xhaka doesn't think, in any circumstance, so all of this should make sense. The free-kick tells a story of both sides in the midst of a deep malaise. The excitement beforehand, with a talismanic player over the dead ball, the moment of confusion as Xhaka's foot connects with the ball, a wide-eyed glare when you see Chambers scuttle after the ball, and the acceptance afterwards that Arsenal and Manchester United just aren't what they used to be.

From expectancy, to confusion, to hopelessness, and finally acceptance.

Rating - How the mighty have fallen

Frank Lampard's Chelsea finally got their first Premier League home win with a 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion. The win also came alongside a first clean sheet of the season, which should do wonders for the confidence of Cesar Azpilicueta and Fikayo Tomori, the only two defenders that played against Brighton at the weekend.

It should be stressed, however, that Chelsea found themselves at times lucky to keep Brighton scoreless. Dan Burn's downward header somehow managed to hit the crossbar, and several times Albion broke beyond the midfield. Thankfully, for Chelsea, Fikayo Tomori is the fastest man alive. Tomori rashly went tight to Brighton's attackers on a few occasions, got subsequently spun, then ran back to easily dispossess the man.

Rating - False sense of defensive security

England have a knack of choosing goalkeepers who are dangerously over-confident as their national team's number one. Jordan Pickford picked up the Joe Hart manual, and the Everton goalkeeper has ran with it.

Conceding three goals against Manchester City isn't something to be ashamed about. However, having made a brilliant one-on-one save from Raheem Sterling, Pickford's head ballooned. Pickford was at fault for City's second goal, with Riyad Mahrez's shot fizzing past him having got his angles all wrong. Later in the game, the keeper nearly gifted Bernardo Silva a goal by rushing off his line. Pickford then let out a little laugh, but Gary Neville didn't see the funny side.

Rating - Third Chuckle Brother

There's nothing more to be said bar 'oh no'. Liverpool are going to win this title by winning every match, and we should all be extremely afraid. This is a tidal wave and we are powerless to stop it. Poor Dean Henderson had a nightmare, but it was always going to happen. Liverpool were always going to squeeze by Sheffield United, despite the Blades' best efforts. All we can do now is pretend we're pious and pray for salvation.

Rating - Oh No

Yes, Spurs may have beaten Southampton 2-1 at the weekend, but Mauricio Pochettino still has Troy Parrott-shaped questions that need answering. The Argentine felt the wrath of an Irish nation scorned during the week by starting Troy Parrott against Colchester United in the League Cup, only to substitute him on the hour-mark for Ireland's greatest enemy, Christian Eriksen. Spurs subsequently lost that tie, much to the delight of everyone with a harp passport.

Those three points against Southampton are hollow, Poch, and you know it. Ralph Hasenhuttl knows the importance of blooding his young Irish attacker in Premier League matches, perhaps you could take a leaf from his book.

Rating - Undeserved

Life is at its most simplistic when Matt Doherty arrives at the back post for Wolves. Without it, life is as barren as desserts without the rain. The marauding wing-back returned to form at the weekend, coming in at the right time to guide a Neto cross beyond Ben Foster to put Wolves 1-0 up.

The former Bohs man is an awful lot like both Ja Rule and Ashanti. He's not always there when you call, but he's always on time.

Rating - We share, something so rare, but who cares? You care, baby...

Dreadful, awful, appalling, horrific, horrifying, horrible, horrendous, atrocious, abominable, abhorrent, frightful, fearful, shocking, hideous, ghastly, grim, dire, hateful, unspeakable, gruesome, monstrous, sickening, heinous, vile and serious.

Grave, acute, desperate, grievous, distressing, lamentable, egregious, severe, excruciating, agonising, unbearable, intolerable, unendurable, insufferable, very bad, hopeless, poor, inadequate, inferior, unsatisfactory, laughable, substandard, crummy, pathetic, pitiful, useless, lousy, abysmal, duff, chronic, poxy, rubbish and pants.

Rating - every synonym for shite

This isn't a match rating so much as an ode to Andriy Yarmolenko. The Ukrainian just seems to wrap the whole of his left foot around the ball whenever he takes a shot. He's absolutely gorgeous.

Rating - I would die for you

In a surprisingly entertaining 2-2 draw between the second and third best sides to wear claret and blue in the Premier League this season, one man was moments from immortality. Former Aston Villa man Ashley Westwood saw his name in lights when he decided to lob Tom Heaton from the halfway line. The ball glided over the head of the former Burnley goalkeeper and caressed the back of the net.

Unfortunately for Westwood, the referee's whistle had already sounded, and rather than be received like a young David Beckham, he instead received a yellow card.

Rating - A fine line between goose and grandeur

We've started our alternative match ratings with a microcosmic look at a set piece, so let's do it one more time. For purely functional football, Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace are a model side. There's nothing that showcases this brutally efficient manner than Luka Milivojevic's penalties.

The Serbian got notched another goal in Palace's 2-0 win at home to Norwich City, booting his penalty past Ralf Fahrmann.

Rating - Function over fashion

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Alternative Match Ratings From This Weekend's Premier League Action - Balls.ie

Michael Norman: On track to beat Noah Lyles and match Michael Johnson at Tokyo 2020? – Olympic Channel

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Michael Norman is the fastest man in the world over 400m, but does Olympic greatness await at Tokyo 2020 by matching Michael Johnson?

Michael Norman is the fastest man in the world over 400m, but he wants to slow down.

'PATIENCE' is the word on Norman's Instagram bio, written 14 times side-by-side in capital letters.

A reminder to himself and his impatient nature that in the age of Instafame, that greatness is earned over time.

"I'm an impatient person," he said, after running 19.70s in the Rome Diamond League 200m in June 2019, beating favourite Noah Lyles, I just have to stay patient and trust my training.

By slowing down, breaking it down, listening, training and tuning, Norman has gained speed and lost seconds off his personal bests.

And now he's proved he can beat Lyles, the USA track star set off speculation on his 200-400m double chances at the Tokyo 2020.

Only one man has managed that in history: Michael Johnson at Atlanta 1996.

Is Norman next?

Michael Johnson's distinctive style pays off at Atlanta 1996 as he becomes the first man to win the Olympic 200m and 400m sprint double.

The American sprinter finished the race in a world record time of 19.32 seconds at Atlanta 1996.

Norman is not as impatient as everyone thinks though.

Four years ago at the 2015 USATF Junior Outdoor Championships three relatively unknown teenagers lined up against each other: Noah Lyles, Michael Norman, and Christian Coleman.

To see where we are now is, you know, crazy, Norman says when he's reminded of that race.

Coleman is the new 100m world champion, Lyles is in the 200m leader (19.50) and Norman is the man at 400m (43.45).

At that Junior meet in 2015 Lyles won in 20.18, to Norman's 20.24.

Norman went home and wrote four life goals in gold marker on computer paper.

One of them read: Beat Noah Lyles.

Norman faced Lyles again one year later at the US Olympic Trials before Rio 2016, and the margin between them was even smaller, 20.09 to 20.14, neither making the team.

Then last year with both turned pro, the pair met at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, Lyles once again coming out on top, clocking 19.69 to Normans 19.88.

Then came Rome.

Norman's first victory in four attempts spanning four years.

Noah Lyles is, like, the first real competitor that Ive had in track and field that has really, like, pushed me over each edge and has beat me non-stop

- Michael Norman

When I finally beat Noah in a 200m in Rome, I was like, Finally. Oh my gosh. Like, four years and counting. It took me four years to beat this guy just one time. And it was just a sigh of relief."

People keep hyping up the rivalry between us, which is great, but I just felt like I needed to put a number on the board for it to be, like, a legitimate rivalry.

Now I get to go home and take that paper down and write some new goals.

Is matching Michael Johnson's 200/400m double at Atlanta one of those goals?

Its going to take a very, very, very special person to do something like that, Norman has said in response to that question.

The problem is that the 200m and the 400m often overlap.

They did at nationals and Norman didn't run the 200, they also intersect at the Worlds.

In Tokyo the 200m semifinals and final are on the two days between the 400m semifinals and final, but he's still keen to try.

Is it feasible? Of course, its feasible. But maybe not feasible to perform very well. Shoot, is it enticing to do it? Yes. Am I gonna be ready for it? I wont know until the end of this year if Ill be ready to do it."

"But I think Ive just got to keep progressing as an athlete, and then I think, if I can keep progressing the way that I am, I think eventually I will be ready.

It's not impossible to petition a move of the events to accommodate an athlete at the Olympics.

They did it for Johnson in '96, and again for Alyson Felix at Rio 2016, but Norman will need to make a big statement in Doha if he wants people to listen.

Becoming world champion and beating Wayde Van Niekerk's world record would make a noise hard not to hear.

But what is it that could inscribe Michael Norman's name alongside greats like Michael Johnson?

What's new about Norman?

When Usain Bolt burst onto the scene, no-one could believe that a 1.96m 6'4" tall sprinter could explode off the blocks the way he did.

Or stay with the shorter more powerful starters over the drive phase and first 30m, achieving maximum extension on those giant strides allowing him to streak away from everybody else towards the finish line.

Bolt was like a hyper-evolved next-gen sprint machine from the future. Built for brilliance.

But what's new about Michael Norman?

At 185cm, 6'1", he doesn't have Bolt's height, but there are certain similarities in his technique - the looseness in his shoulders, the natural, clean motion and smooth mechanics, the straight inflections on the arms.

Physically he has incredibly strong legs that give him a big kick and flexibility despite the muscle mass, his heels almost touching his lower back and he achieves maximum extension on every stride.

Then there are those powerful shoulders keeping him straight and steady at full speed and his arms go up and down without rotation or excess movement.

Quincy Watts won 400m and 4x400m relay gold medals at Barcelona 1992 and now is Norman's coach, he's convinced that this prodigy is 'destined for greatness'.

"I've seen Butch Reynolds, Steve Lewis, Michael [Johnson], and Wayde [Van Niekerk]. I have never seen anyone like him."

- Quincy Watts

"He has a potential speedwise to be faster than them all," says Watts, but this is crucial difference that sets him apart according to his coach:

"The combination that makes him over-the-top special is he has the endurance and the stamina to go with that speed."

Indoor sensation Michael Norman will join the legends of the 400 metres. So says his coach, Barcelona 1992 gold medallist Quincy Watts.

When you watch Norman run and hear the things he says, there's something else that's special about him too:

He listens.

His running style is honed, perfected, with very little wasted movement and energy, like he's dismantled his technique, pared things down and stripped out all the excess so that there's just the most efficient and effective running technique left.

He has a lot to thank his coaches for - and he does, regularly - but his capacity to learn is as impressive as the speed he translates ideas and lessons to races.

After his Rome win, Norman said: "I just went out there really focused on errors and worked on some technical areas that me and coach Caryl [Smith Gilbert] and coach [Quincy] Watts were talking about."

The time [19.70] is a reflection of all the hard work and the trust I have in my coaches, he told NBC Sports.

The ability to process advice and focus methodically on improvements might just be Norman's greatest strength.

Being fast runs in the family.

Norman's Japanese-born mother Nobue was an accomplished sprinter herself, as was his older sister Michelle, and Norman stood out from an early age.

But allied to his talent, he also has a humility and maturity beyond his years, at 21 he already knows what type of legacy he wants to leave behind:

"Saying that you're world champion is cool, saying that you're Olympic champion is amazing, but leaving a legacy is what's most important."

"If you look at Usain Bolt and what he's done over his 12-year career, he left a legacy, he changed the sport forever and now everybody is elevated to these next levels so it's something I want to do myself in the 400."

"I want to be remembered as somebody who's a great competitor, a great person, and a great athlete."

By equalling Johnson's Atlanta double, his Olympic immortality would be assured too.

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Michael Norman: On track to beat Noah Lyles and match Michael Johnson at Tokyo 2020? - Olympic Channel

What is quantum computing? The next era of computational evolution, explained – Digital Trends

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When you first stumble across the term quantum computer, you might pass it off as some far-flung science fiction concept rather than a serious current news item.

But with the phrase being thrown around with increasing frequency, its understandable to wonder exactly what quantum computers are, and just as understandable to be at a loss as to where to dive in. Heres the rundown on what quantum computers are, why theres so much buzz around them, and what they might mean for you.

All computing relies on bits, the smallest unit of information that is encoded as an on state or an off state, more commonly referred to as a 1 or a 0, in some physical medium or another.

Most of the time, a bit takes the physical form of an electrical signal traveling over the circuits in the computers motherboard. By stringing multiple bits together, we can represent more complex and useful things like text, music, and more.

The two key differences between quantum bits and classical bits (from the computers we use today) are the physical form the bits take and, correspondingly, the nature of data encoded in them. The electrical bits of a classical computer can only exist in one state at a time, either 1 or 0.

Quantum bits (or qubits) are made of subatomic particles, namely individual photons or electrons. Because these subatomic particles conform more to the rules of quantum mechanics than classical mechanics, they exhibit the bizarre properties of quantum particles. The most salient of these properties for computer scientists is superposition. This is the idea that a particle can exist in multiple states simultaneously, at least until that state is measured and collapses into a single state. By harnessing this superposition property, computer scientists can make qubits encode a 1 and a 0 at the same time.

The other quantum mechanical quirk that makes quantum computers tick is entanglement, a linking of two quantum particles or, in this case, two qubits. When the two particles are entangled, the change in state of one particle will alter the state of its partner in a predictable way, which comes in handy when it comes time to get a quantum computer to calculate the answer to the problem you feed it.

A quantum computers qubits start in their 1-and-0 hybrid state as the computer initially starts crunching through a problem. When the solution is found, the qubits in superposition collapse to the correct orientation of stable 1s and 0s for returning the solution.

Aside from the fact that they are far beyond the reach of all but the most elite research teams (and will likely stay that way for a while), most of us dont have much use for quantum computers. They dont offer any real advantage over classical computers for the kinds of tasks we do most of the time.

However, even the most formidable classical supercomputers have a hard time cracking certain problems due to their inherent computational complexity. This is because some calculations can only be achieved by brute force, guessing until the answer is found. They end up with so many possible solutions that it would take thousands of years for all the worlds supercomputers combined to find the correct one.

The superposition property exhibited by qubits can allow supercomputers to cut this guessing time down precipitously. Classical computings laborious trial-and-error computations can only ever make one guess at a time, while the dual 1-and-0 state of a quantum computers qubits lets it make multiple guesses at the same time.

So, what kind of problems require all this time-consuming guesswork calculation? One example is simulating atomic structures, especially when they interact chemically with those of other atoms. With a quantum computer powering the atomic modeling, researchers in material science could create new compounds for use in engineering and manufacturing. Quantum computers are well suited to simulating similarly intricate systems like economic market forces, astrophysical dynamics, or genetic mutation patterns in organisms, to name only a few.

Amidst all these generally inoffensive applications of this emerging technology, though, there are also some uses of quantum computers that raise serious concerns. By far the most frequently cited harm is the potential for quantum computers to break some of the strongest encryption algorithms currently in use.

In the hands of an aggressive foreign government adversary, quantum computers could compromise a broad swath of otherwise secure internet traffic, leaving sensitive communications susceptible to widespread surveillance. Work is currently being undertaken to mature encryption ciphers based on calculations that are still hard for even quantum computers to do, but they are not all ready for prime-time, or widely adopted at present.

A little over a decade ago, actual fabrication of quantum computers was barely in its incipient stages. Starting in the 2010s, though, development of functioning prototype quantum computers took off. A number of companies have assembled working quantum computers as of a few years ago, with IBM going so far as to allow researchers and hobbyists to run their own programs on it via the cloud.

Despite the strides that companies like IBM have undoubtedly made to build functioning prototypes, quantum computers are still in their infancy. Currently, the quantum computers that research teams have constructed so far require a lot of overhead for executing error correction. For every qubit that actually performs a calculation, there are several dozen whose job it is to compensate for the ones mistake. The aggregate of all these qubits make what is called a logical qubit.

Long story short, industry and academic titans have gotten quantum computers to work, but they do so very inefficiently.

Fierce competition between quantum computer researchers is still raging, between big and small players alike. Among those who have working quantum computers are the traditionally dominant tech companies one would expect: IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and Google.

As exacting and costly of a venture as creating a quantum computer is, there are a surprising number of smaller companies and even startups that are rising to the challenge.

The comparatively lean D-Wave Systems has spurred many advances in the fieldand proved it was not out of contention by answering Googles momentous announcement with news of a huge deal with Los Alamos National Labs. Still, smaller competitors like Rigetti Computing are also in the running for establishing themselves as quantum computing innovators.

Depending on who you ask, youll get a different frontrunner for the most powerful quantum computer. Google certainly made its case recently with its achievement of quantum supremacy, a metric that itself Google more or less devised. Quantum supremacy is the point at which a quantum computer is first able to outperform a classical computer at some computation. Googles Sycamore prototype equipped with 54 qubits was able to break that barrier by zipping through a problem in just under three-and-a-half minutes that would take the mightiest classical supercomputer 10,000 years to churn through.

Not to be outdone, D-Wave boasts that the devices it will soon be supplying to Los Alamos weigh in at 5000 qubits apiece, although it should be noted that the quality of D-Waves qubits has been called into question before. IBM hasnt made the same kind of splash as Google and D-Wave in the last couple of years, but they shouldnt be counted out yet, either, especially considering their track record of slow and steady accomplishments.

Put simply, the race for the worlds most powerful quantum computer is as wide open as it ever was.

The short answer to this is not really, at least for the near-term future. Quantum computers require an immense volume of equipment, and finely tuned environments to operate. The leading architecture requires cooling to mere degrees above absolute zero, meaning they are nowhere near practical for ordinary consumers to ever own.

But as the explosion of cloud computing has proven, you dont need to own a specialized computer to harness its capabilities. As mentioned above, IBM is already offering daring technophiles the chance to run programs on a small subset of its Q System Ones qubits. In time, IBM and its competitors will likely sell compute time on more robust quantum computers for those interested in applying them to otherwise inscrutable problems.

But if you arent researching the kinds of exceptionally tricky problems that quantum computers aim to solve, you probably wont interact with them much. In fact, quantum computers are in some cases worse at the sort of tasks we use computers for every day, purely because quantum computers are so hyper-specialized. Unless you are an academic running the kind of modeling where quantum computing thrives, youll likely never get your hands on one, and never need to.

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What is quantum computing? The next era of computational evolution, explained - Digital Trends

Quantum Computing beginning talks with clients on its quantum asset allocation application – Proactive Investors USA & Canada

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() Vice President of Product Development Steve Reinhardt tells Proactive the Virginia-based company is beginning conversations with early users of its quantum asset allocation application, and is further refining the tool.

Reinhardt recently attended the Qubits North America Users Conference in Newport, Rhode Island to discuss innovations in quantum computing.

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Quantum Computing beginning talks with clients on its quantum asset allocation application - Proactive Investors USA & Canada

Detecting Environmental ‘Noise’ That Can Damage The Quantum State of Qubits – In Compliance

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Sampson Wilcox

Scientists from MIT and Dartmouth College have created a new type of tool that can detect specific characteristics of environmental noise known for its ability to destroy qubits. This invention could help provide researchers with greater insight into the microscopic noise mechanisms and how they impact the quantum state of qubits, which are a fundamental aspect when constructing quantum computers. By learning new ways to protect qubits, scientists hope to make further advances into the realm of quantum computing.

Qubits generally represent the two states which correspond to the classic binary bits, 0 or a 1. However, qubits also have the ability to maintain both states at the same time, which is called a quantum superposition. This state is required for quantum computers to operate at such fast speeds, performing complicated tasks quickly and easily. As such, it is important that qubits be protected so this state can be achieved and maintained.

Unfortunately, keeping qubits in this state is easier said than done. Their ability to maintain this specific state, referred to as quantum coherence, can easily be disrupted by specific noises. These noises can be the byproduct of heat, control electronics, and even impurities found in the very material the qubits come from. Wherever the noise comes from, it creates a very high risk of causing serious computing errors for researchers.

While scientists have constructed devices that measure these unwanted noises, theyve generally only been able to capture very basic noises from a big number of sources think of it as white noise. Because they are unable to identify specific disruptive patterns, researchers have been unable to determine how the qubit is impacted by any specific noise source or protect them from the damage these noise sources can cause.

Now, researchers have created a device capable of separating specific noises from the general background noise. After that, they relied on signal-processing techniques to reconstruct incredibly detailed facts and figures pertaining to those specific noise signals. These new reconstructions will provide researchers with the ability to craft far more realistic noise models, which would hopefully allow them to develop new ways to protect qubits.

As qubits are developed with fewer and fewer defects, the presence of specific noises instead of the background noises scientists have learned to contend with could increase. That makes this technology even more important to the ongoing development of quantum computing.

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Detecting Environmental 'Noise' That Can Damage The Quantum State of Qubits - In Compliance

Princeton announces initiative to propel innovations in quantum science and technology – Princeton University

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Princeton University has announced the creation of the Princeton Quantum Initiative to foster research and training across the spectrum from fundamental quantum science to its application in areas such as computing, sensing and communications.

The new initiative builds on Princeton's world-renowned expertise in quantum science, the area of physics that describes behaviors at the scale of atoms and electrons. Quantum technologies have the potential to revolutionize areas ranging from secure data transmission to biomedical research, to the discovery of new materials.

Princeton has announced the creation of the Princeton Quantum Initiative, designed to foster research and train scientists and engineers in quantum science and its application in areas such as computing, sensing and communications. Clockwise from left: Research images from Princeton faculty members Julia Mikhailova, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; Nathalie de Leon, assistant professor of electrical engineering; Andrew Houck, professor of engineering; Jason Petta, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics; Ali Yazdani, the Class of 1909 Professor of Physics; M. Zahid Hasan, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics; Jeffrey Thompson, assistant professor of electrical engineering; and Robert Cava, the Russell Wellman Moore Professor of Chemistry.

Images courtesy of the researchers

The inaugural director will be Andrew Houck, professor of electrical engineering and a pioneer in quantum computing technologies. The initiative will bring together over 30 faculty members from departments across campus in the sciences and engineering.

"This initiative enables the work of our extraordinary quantum faculty and their teams to grow research capabilities and attract talented minds at all levels to Princeton, so that they can discover new materials, design new algorithms, and explore the depths of the underlying science in an exciting environment of discovery and innovation," said Dean for Research Pablo Debenedetti, the Class of 1950 Professor in Engineering and Applied Science and professor of chemical and biological engineering.

"The potential benefits to society from quantum information science make this an essential endeavor for Princeton. The initiative will provide tremendous opportunities for Princeton students and postdoctoral researchers to make profound contributions to future technologies," said Deborah Prentice, University provost and the Alexander Stewart 1886 Professor of Psychology and Public Affairs.

The initiative comes at a time of national momentum for quantum sciences at the University, government and industry level. In 2018, the federal government established the National Quantum Initiative to energize research and training in quantum information science and technology. New technologies over the past decade have enabled companies including Google, IBM and others to build research-stage quantum computers.

The Princeton Quantum Initiative will enable new collaborations both across campus and with other universities and industry. Within the University, the initiative will include faculty in the departments of electrical engineering, physics, chemistry, computer science and mechanical and aerospace engineering.

"Princeton has world leaders at all layers of this technology, including foundational science, materials synthesis and characterization, quantum device platforms, computer architecture, algorithm design and computational complexity," said Houck. "We have an incredible collection of experts in their respective disciplines, and the Princeton Quantum Initiative gives us an entity which brings everyone together to accelerate the pace of discovery."

The Princeton Quantum Initiative will support research across a range of areas, including quantum computing using silicon spin qubits in the laboratory of Jason Petta, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics.

Image by Emily Edwards, University of Maryland

To support the future of quantum research, the initiative will train a new generation of quantum scientists and engineers through financial support for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Annually, Princeton will award two prestigious graduate student fellowships, each providing support for three years, as well as two postdoctoral fellowships for three-year terms, with fellows able to choose projects and faculty mentors.

For undergraduates, the initiative will build on Princeton's leadership in the development of courses whose target audience includes those with no prior quantum physics background. The initiative will help coordinate teaching efforts across departments, offer more cohesive and wide-ranging instruction in quantum science and engineering, and provide undergraduates with opportunities to work on faculty-led projects.

The research supported through the initiative will span areas from new materials science for quantum devices to quantum computer architecture, algorithm design and computational complexity.

Quantum science promises to deliver dramatic enhancements in information processing and communications. Computers built on quantum principles can solve problems that are impossible with today's machines, potentially leading to discoveries in fields such as chemistry, materials science, optimization and information security.

Sensors based on quantum approaches can probe materials and biological systems at the nanoscale with unprecedented precision and resolution. Such sensors could detect medical conditions or be used for quality control in manufacturing of sensitive electronic equipment.

Quantum communication systems can provide provably secure communication that cannot be hacked without detection. Quantum encryption could someday replace today's internet security algorithms to ensure privacy of data transmissions.

Princeton has a long history of contributing foundational discoveries in quantum science. Over the decades, Princeton researchers have made major contributions to quantum theory and trained graduate students that have become leading quantum scientists and technologists. More on the research expertise of Princeton's quantum scientists and engineers is available online.

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Princeton announces initiative to propel innovations in quantum science and technology - Princeton University

Moore’s Law Is Dying. This Brain-Inspired Analogue Chip Is a Glimpse of What’s Next – Singularity Hub

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Dark silicon sounds like a magical artifact out of a fantasy novel. In reality, its one branch of a three-headed beast that foretells the end of advances in computation.

Okthat might be too dramatic. But the looming problems in silicon-based computer chips are very real. Although computational power has exploded exponentially in the past five decades, weve begun hitting some intractable limits in further growth, both in terms of physics and economics.

Moores Law is dying. And chipmakers around the globe are asking, now what?

One idea is to bet on quantum computers, which tap into the ultra-weird world of quantum mechanics. Rather than operating on binaries of 0s and 1s, qubits can simultaneously represent both states, with each having a different probability and thus much higher information density.

Another idea is to look inside our heads: the quantum realm isnt the only way to get past binary computation. Our brains also operate on probabilities, making them a tangible source of inspiration to overhaul the entire computational world.

This week, a team from Pennsylvania State University designed a 2D device that operates like neurons. Rather than processing yes or no, the Gaussian synapse thrives on probabilities. Similar to the brain, the analogue chip is far more energy-efficient and produces less heat than current silicon chips, making it an ideal candidate for scaling up systems.

In a proof-of-concept test, the team used a simulated chip to analyze EEG (electroencephalography) signals taken from either wakeful or sleeping people. Without extensive training, the chip was able to determine if the subject was sleeping.

Combined, these new developments can facilitate exascale computing and ultimately benefit scientific discovery, national security, energy security, economic security, infrastructure development, and advanced healthcare programs, the team concluded.

With new iPhones every year and increasingly sophisticated processors, it certainly doesnt feel like were pushing the limits of silicon-based computing. But according to lead study author Dr. Saptarshi Das, the ability to further scale traditional computation is dying in three different aspects: energy, size, and complexity.

Energy scaling helps ensure a practically constant computational power budget, explained Das. But it came to an end around 2005 because of hard limits in the silicon chips thermodynamic propertiessomething scientists dub the Boltzmann tyranny (gotta love these names!). Size scaling, which packs more transistors onto the same chip area, soon followed suit, ending in 2017 because quantum mechanics imposes limitations at the materials level of traditional chips.

The third, complexity scaling, is still hanging on but on the decline. Fundamentally, explained the team, this is because of the traditional von Neumann architecture that most modern computers use, which rely on digital, binary computation. In addition, current computers store logic and memory units separately and have to operate sequentially, which increases delay and energy consumption. As more transistors are jam-packed onto the same chip and multiple cores are linked together into processors, eventually the energy needs and cooling requirements will hit a wall.

This is the Dark Silicon era. Because too much heat is given out, a large amount of transistors on a single chip cant be powered up at once without causing heat damage. This limitation requires a portion of computing components on a chip to be kept powered offkept darkat any instant, which severely limits computational power. Tinkering with variables such as how to link up transistors may optimize efficacy, but ultimately its a band-aid, not a cure.

In contrast, the brain deploys billions of information processing units, neurons, which are connected via trillions of synapses in order to accomplish massively parallel, synchronous, coherent, and concurrent computation, the team said. Thats our roadmap ahead.

Although there are plenty of neuromorphic chipsdevices that mimic the structure or functionality of neurons and synapsesthe team took a slightly different approach. They focused on recreating a type of artificial neural network called a probabilistic neural network (PNN) in hardware form.

PNNs have been around since the 60s as software, and theyre often used for classification problems. The mathematical heart of PNNs differs from most of the deep learning models used today, but the structure is relatively similar. A PNN generally has four layers, and raw data travels from the first layer to the last. The two middle layers, pattern and summation, process the data in a way that allows the last layer to make a voteit selects the best answer from a group of potential probable ones.

To implement PNNs directly in hardware form, the team engineered a Gaussian synapse made of two different materials: MoS2 and black phosphorus. Each represents a transistor, and is linked in series on a single synapse. The way the two transistors talk to each other isnt linear. When the MoS2 component switches on, the electrical current rises exponentially until it reaches a max level, then it drops. The connection strength is like a bell-shaped curveor in mathematical lingo, a Gaussian distribution widely used in probabilities (and where the device gets its name).

How each component turns on or off can be tweaked, which in turn controls communication between the transistors. This, in turn, mimics the inner workings of PNNs, said study author Amritanand Sebastian.

As a proof of concept, the team decided to give back to neuroscience. The brain generates electrical waves that can be picked up by electrodes on top of the scalp. Brain waves are terribly complicated data to process, said the team, and artificial neural networks running on traditional computers generally have a hard time sorting through them.

The team fed their Gaussian synapse recordings from 10 whole nights from 10 subjects, with 32 channels for each individual. The PNN rapidly recognized different brainwave components, and were especially good at picking out the frequencies commonly seen in sleep.

We dont need as extensive a training period or base of information for a probabilistic neural network as we need for an artificial neural network, said Das.

Thanks to quirks in the transistors materials, the chip had some enviable properties. For one, it was exceedingly low-power. To analyze 8 hours of EEG data, it consumed up to only 350 microwatts; to put this into perspective, the human brain generally runs on about 20 watts. This means that the Gaussian synapse facilitates energy scaling, explained Sebastian.

For another, the materials allow size scaling without losing their inherent electrical properties. Finally, the use of PNNs also solves the complexity scaling problem, because it can process non-linear decisions using fewer components than traditional artificial neural networks.

It doesnt mean that weve slayed the three-headed beast, at least not yet. But looking ahead, the team believes their results can further inspire more ultra-low power devices to tackle the future of computation.

Our experimental demonstration of Gaussian synapses uses only two transistors, which significantly improves the area and energy efficiency at the device level and provides cascading benefits at the circuit, architecture, and system levels. This will stimulate the much-needed interest in the hardware implementation of PNNs for a wide range of pattern classification problems, the authors concluded.

Image Credit: Photo byUmbertoonUnsplash

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Moore's Law Is Dying. This Brain-Inspired Analogue Chip Is a Glimpse of What's Next - Singularity Hub

Experts Gather at Fermilab for International Workshop on Cryogenic Electronics for Quantum Systems – Quantaneo, the Quantum Computing Source

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Leaders in quantum science converged this summer at Fermilab for the worlds first workshop on cryogenic electronics for quantum systems. As these fields are highly competitive, the hosts worked hard to attract key global allies and leaders in the field.

Scientists and engineers from academia and industry discussed the challenges of designing electronics for processors and sensors that will work in the ultracold environment.

Its a fundamental problem facing the field of quantum computing, which holds immense possibility across multiple disciplines. Experts say that quantum computers could someday be powerful enough to solve problems that are impossible for classical computers, potentially redefining how we see the world.

And much of it rides on designing electronics that are up to the task.

Quantum systems wont exist without cryogenic electronics, said Fermilab engineer Farah Fahim, workshop co-organizer and deputy head of quantum science at Fermilab. Thats why our community needs to collaborate, and why were working to establish key partnerships with academia and industry, as well as manufacturing companies that would support the fabrication of cold chips.

Researchers across multiple sectors have called for collaboration, and pioneers in the field turned out for the meeting. They included Edoardo Charbon (also workshop co-organizer) of the Advanced Quantum Architecture Lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, or EPFL, in Switzerland and Andrew Dzurak of the University of New South Wales and Australia, a trailblazer in the field of silicon-based qubits who gave the workshops keynote address. Representatives from IBM, Intel, Global Foundries, Google and Microsoft also attended.

The Fermilab cryoelectronics workshop is a very important first step for the quantum computing community, said Malcolm Carroll, research staff member at IBM Research. Developing supporting electronics for future quantum computers is one of the next big hurdles. IBM looks forward to this series continuing and contributing to it as it has for this first one.

The global cooling effort centers on accommodating the qubit the fundamental unit of a quantum computers processor. Qubit information needs the extreme cold to survive below 15 millikelvins since any thermal energy can disturb the quantum computing operation.

The core of any quantum-technology-based system is a very special and carefully designed electronics optimized for deep cryogenic temperatures. This is a brave new world for us electronics engineers.

Current state-of-the-art systems use tens of qubits. But a quantum computer that surpasses the capabilities of todays classical computer would in certain cases require millions or billions of qubits, each of which needs electronics, both to control the state of the qubit and to read out its signals.

And electronics means cables.

As the system scales up, one bottleneck has been getting information out of the qubits and controlling the qubits themselves, Fahim said. It requires large numbers of wires.

For larger systems, the qubits and the electronics need to be closely integrated. Otherwise, information can become degraded as it winds its way down lengthy wires to bulky systems. With tight integration, the electronics can deliver the fast, self-correcting feedback required to control the qubit state on the order of ten-billionths of a second.

When you have the number of wires and cables required for a million- or billion-qubit system, close integration isnt possible unless your electronics can operate in the cold, side-by-side with the qubit.

Fermilab engineer Farah Fahim, left, and Edoardo Charbon of the Advanced Quantum Architecture Lab at EPFL co-organized the worlds first workshop on cryogenic electronics for quantum systems. Photo: Davide Braga

When you have lots of cables, after some point, you cant expand in that direction anymore. You cant integrate a million cold qubits with warm electronics, Fahim said. To scale up, cryogenic electronics is the only way to go. To be able to take it to the next level of integration, we need to move the room temperature control to cryogenic control. You want to be able to change the technology to meet the requirements.

When the electronics live in the same space the same refrigerated space as the qubits, the system becomes practical and manageable, capable of providing accurate, real-time qubit control.

That is the challenge the workshop attendees took head-on: developing quantum-system electronics that dont mind being left in the cold.

Developments in cold electronics may hold the keys to scaling up quantum computing, said Microsoft Quantum Sydney Director David Reilly, also a professor at the University of Sydney. As the community moves from the demonstration of single-qubit prototypes to scaled up machines that can address real problems, interest in this field is really taking off. Fermilab has deep expertise in cold electronics as well as a culture of filling the gap between academia and industry. Its only fitting that the first workshop on this topic was at Fermilab and I expect to see many more as government labs become pivotal players in the quantum ecosystem.

Experts dream of a day when quantum computers can get out of the cold and sit comfortably atop your desk just like your current PC.

We would like to reach a stage where nothing is cryocooled, but until we get there, the only way we get there is with electronics operating at very low temperatures, Fahim said.

The workshop was a major, international step in that direction.

Quantum technologies are the next frontier for many fields, including electronics. While quantum computers are certainly the pinnacle of such worldwide effort, many other applications are emerging, like quantum imaging, quantum sensing, quantum communications, quantum metrology, to name just a few, Charbon said. But the core of any quantum-technology-based system is a very special and carefully designed electronics optimized for deep cryogenic temperatures. This is a brave new world for us electronics engineers.

To continue the dialogue on this key enabling technology, the second International Workshop on Cryogenic Electronics for Quantum Systems will be held in Neuchatel, Switzerland in 2020.

This work is supported by the DOE Office of Science.

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Experts Gather at Fermilab for International Workshop on Cryogenic Electronics for Quantum Systems - Quantaneo, the Quantum Computing Source

The five pillars of Edge Computing — and what is Edge computing anyway? – Information Age

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Why do we need Edge computing? What is it? What are the advantages? The five pillars to edge computing provide the answers.

The five pillars of Edge computing: latency, bandwidth, computing power, resilience and privacy,

It partly boils down to the explosion of devices. Joe Root, co-founder of Edge Computing Company, Permutive, which provides a data management platform built for purpose, told Information Age that, over the past 10 to 20 years, weve seen this explosion in the number of devices. So weve gone from 500 million to 15 billion devices, but over the next 10 years will go from 15 billion to a trillion devices.

These devices generate enormous volumes of data anything from my watch, which knows my heart rate constantly, all day long, all the way through to smart cities and factories, the data is being centralised on the cloud. This explosion of data causes problems for the way in which we currently process data.

So, Edge computing helps solve this, by providing computational power, in the form of local computing power, such as smart phones, on the edge.

Joe spoke to us about what he calls the five pillars of Edge Computing.

The cloud is at a distance. It takes time for data to be transferred from the cloud to the point where you need it. If you make a network request, it takes time to download the information you need. At the moment, says Root, this is around 100 milliseconds. This will come down with 5G, but no matter how advanced the technology there will always be a time lag involved in pulling data from the cloud defined by the speed of light. The closer you are to the data, the less the latency. Sure, the speed of light might be 300 million metres a second, or a metre every 3 nanoseconds, but when you are processing millions of pieces of data, pulling it from sources that may be many miles away, those nanoseconds add up. If you need to make a decision in milliseconds, actually, physics prevents that from being possible, explained Root. I think were seeing companies approach this in different ways if you get the CDN (content delivery network) or if you have 5G, then theyre trained to move the processing closer to the user to minimise that network latency. The most extreme way to do that though is to do it on the device. So that is why Apple face ID, for example, doesnt rely on the cloud, because milliseconds matter in that example.

All large organisations require true data leadership to succeed today. Increasingly, that means using automation tools like AI and machine learning

The second pillar is the limitation imposed on the amount of data you can access rapidly from the cloud imposed by bandwidth. Due to limitations of physics, you can only send a certain amount of data from the network before it sees the bandwidth limit and you cant send it. So, the second benefit of edge computing is that you arent constrained by the bandwidth, because youre processing the data on the device, you dont need to transfer it.

Whether you think 5G is hype or not, Gartner forecasts that worldwide 5G network infrastructure revenue will reach $4.2 billion in 2020

The explosion in the number of devices on the internet comes into play here. There is enormous computing power residing on the internet, which has already been funded. Furthermore, much of this computational power is under-utilised. Edge computing takes advantage of that processing power, meaning you dont have to pay for this computation in the cloud.

One day, quantum computers may change this relationship the computing power in the cloud will exceed that which exists on the edge. But that is some way off. In any case, even in the distant time when quantum computing provides superior processing power on the cloud, this is just one of the five pillars of Edge Computing.

Organisations are beginning to realise that they need unwavering control over every aspect of their business to drive digital transformation. How they do this? At the edge

What happens if the cloud goes down, or you lose your connection? It is something we all intuitively understand we may download a document to read on our computer or smart phone, so that if we are travelling and internet connection is intermittent, we can still read the document.

When data is stored on the cloud, we have less control over it. Our wearable health checker may record all kinds of information about us, but its our personal information, which we want to keep private and storing it locally and not allowing this data to seep onto the cloud is a good way to achieve this.

Indeed Root speculates that the greatest breach of all time is ongoing open RTB, (real time bidding), a protocol concerning programmatic advertising, in which advertisers can bid to have access to data about you. GDPR is shining a light on this, but from the point of view of individuals concerned about their privacy, Edge Computing could overcome this problem in one foul swoop. It doesnt mean advertisers will no longer be able to target specific customers accurately, but such targeting will be permission based and transparent.

Root claims that this is a data breach that is happening millions of times a second, right now.

Digital self defense does not mean MI5 agents. Nor are those who practice it unified by a single ideology. Theyre fed up with the pervasive online behavioural tracking that now follows them into their offline lives.

The advantages of cloud computing are well known you can turn your cloud computing up and down when you need it no need for startups, for example, to invest in expensive IT infrastructure you pay as you go.

But the limitations of the cloud are well known too latency, bandwidth, diluted processing power, resilience in the event of lost connection and privacy.

Edge computing, by taking advantage of hardware that has already been funded, can overcome many of those disadvantages without necessarily losing the flexibility of the cloud.

Its not that Edge Computing makes the cloud redundant but it does make it, well, and sincere apologies for the obvious pun, it makes it more edgy.

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The five pillars of Edge Computing -- and what is Edge computing anyway? - Information Age

Dont like the facts? Just Schiff the narrative – Boston Herald

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First we were told the phone call was, as The Washington Post breathlessly wrote, so troubling that it prompted an official in the US intelligence community to file a formal whistleblower complaint.

Then we actually got the transcript, and it was nothing, so we were informed by CNN that we had to read between the lines.

In other words, as the crooked FBI agent said of the Russian collusion hoax, there is no there there. So it was time for the Democrats to just plain make it up.

Thus, on Thursday morning, live on most TV channels, Rep. Adam Schiff, the Framingham-born hack Congressman from California, read into the record an utterly fabricated statement from President Trump to the president of Ukraine:

I dont see much reciprocity here. I hear what you want. I have a favor I want from you though. And Im going to say this only seven times so you better listen good. I want you to make up dirt on my political opponent, understand, lots of it

And so on. Like everybody else in America, Schiff had the transcript of the real conversation in front of him, but it wasnt good enough. So he just made it up.

This was after Schiff said over and over again Wednesday that the innocuous phone call reminded him of a Mob extortion, after which Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Stolen Valor-CT, said the conversation was like a gangster shakedown, after which Hillary Clintons favorite reporter, Andrea Mitchell, said she was thinking Godfather.

Is there an echo in here?

As long as Schiff was at it, why didnt he make up Trump saying, Capisce? instead of understand? You know, Italian, like a real Godfather would say.

Remember, this is the same Schiff who appeared on alt-left cable TV hundreds of times over the past two years, claiming he had seen evidence of Trump-Russian collusion. Were still waiting him to produce it.

And now this making it up. Who does he think he is, a columnist for The Boston Globe?

Or maybe hes trying out for a gig on MSNBC. He can work with other such fake-news legends as Brian Williams, Lawrence ODonnell and Mike Barnicle (who used to make stuff up for the Globe before he turned over the coveted fiction slot on the metro page to Kevin Cullen).

Washington, D.C., is turning into the old movie Groundhog Day. The Democrats keep recycling the same old BS, day after day. Last week it was the fake news about Brett Kavanaugh, compliments of the failing New York Times.

And now this, the whistleblower who according to the inspector general of the so-called intelligence community exhibited some indica of an arguable political bias in favor of a rival political candidate.

No, youre kidding. It was a CIA guy, apparently, a Deep State swamp creature who can sharpen pencils and shuffle papers with the best of them, Ill bet, in the tradition of Brennan, Clapper and Comey. Maybe even worked for the Communist-voting Brennan, we now learn. One things for sure: James Bond he aint.

Brennan Jr.s whole complaint reads a lot like an even thinner-gruel version of Hillary Clintons dodgy dossier hearsay, second-hand gossip, innuendo, insinuations, etc. But then again, The New York Times bogus smear of Kavanaugh last week read like watered-down Christine Blasey Ford outtakes.

Thats what I mean about Groundhog Day. A decade ago, Nancy Pelosi said of the disaster known as Obamacare: We have to pass the bill before we can find out whats in it.

This week, before even reading the transcript, she opined that the president had breached his constitutional duties betrayed his oath of office.

I guess now the House has to impeach the President before they can find out if he actually committed a high crime or misdemeanor.

Basically, what the fake news media are telling us is, Trump meant something he actually didnt say. And at the same time, despite the videotape of Biden bragging about his threats to Ukraine, they want us to believe that the vice president didnt really mean what he actually did say.

You know who the real whistleblower is here? Donald J. Trump. Whatever happened to If You See Something, Say Something.

The new version of that, per Adam Schiff, is If You Dont See Something, Just Make It Up.

Capisce?

(Check out Howies latest Dirty Rats podcasts at howiecarrshow.com.)

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Dont like the facts? Just Schiff the narrative - Boston Herald

This Cryptocurrency Just Surpassed Bitcoin In One Key Adoption Metric – Forbes

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(Photo by S3studio/Getty Images)

Throughout the history of cryptocurrencies, altcoins have had a lot of trouble competing with Bitcoin, which is basically the gold standard of the market. In terms of everything from network effects to brand recognition, there is still simply no real threat to Bitcoin's position at this time.

That said, Ethereum briefly passed Bitcoin in one key area last week: total daily USD-denominated transaction fees. In fact, Ethereum miners collected more in fees than Bitcoin miners on this past Saturday and Sunday too, according to Coin Metrics.

Additionally, while it's been a rough September for the Bitcoin price, Ether is in the green (just barely) this month, and the cryptocurrency recently enjoyed one of its best 24-hour Bitcoin-denominated price moves ever recorded.

Increased Usage Means Higher Fees

In cryptocurrency networks, transaction throughput is limited in order to preserve decentralization. If the network is processing too many transactions per second, the users' ability to run their own full nodes and check that no one is cheating will be harmed. Since the whole point of using a public blockchain is to gain properties like censorship resistance and trust minimization, avoiding centralization is key.

Due to the limitations placed on capacity, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum see higher transaction fees when the networks become congested. This is exactly what has happend with Ethereum over the past month, as total daily USD-denominated transaction fees hit levels not seen in over a year.

So, what has caused the recent spike in Ethereum transaction fees? It appears the blame can be placed on a Ponzi scheme-esque game called FairWin, which also has a critical vulnerability in its associated contract on the Ethereum blockchain. According to ETH Gas Station, FairWin has recently accounted for roughly a third of the activity on the entire Ethereum network.

The spike in FairWin's popularity, according to Etherscan, correlates almost perfectly with the increase in total fees seen on the Ethereum network this month, according to Coin Metrics.

Total USD-denominated transaction fees per day for the Bitcoin and Ethereum networks.

What Does This Mean for Ethereum's Future?

The total value of all the transaction fees paid on a cryptocurrency network every day is a key metric to watch because it illustrates the level of demand for that particular blockchain. If people are willing to pay relatively high fees to use a particular blockchain, they must be getting some sort of utility out of it.

Additionally, fees are intended to eventually replace the creation of new Bitcoin as the incentive for miners to secure the network. Things will likely work differently for Ethereum, as the Ether token is expected to be issued on a perpetual basis, which means a never-ending block subsidy. This is effectively a trade-off of dilution of the current Ether supply in exchange for a higher level of network security.

In terms of their possible effect on the Ether price, it's unclear if fees are an important metric to watch. While total fees can be a useful indicator of the amount of real activity on a cryptocurrency network and provide a greater incentive for miners or stakers to secure the network, this data point doesn't necessarily have much to do with the native token of the network.

This point is especially true when it comes to Ethereum, as that blockchain is often used to issue and transfer non-native tokens.

At the end of the day, it does not seem clear that a popular Ponzi scheme game or the movement of something like Tether USD means people should be buying and holding Ether over the long term. And as Castle Island Ventures Partner Nic Carter recently explained, a cryptocurrency increases in value when users decide to hold the asset for long periods of time rather than utilize it as a sort of appcoin.

It is perhaps the market's realization of this point that was behind Ether's 85% drop against Bitcoin since the peak of the hype around the altcoin becoming the largest cryptocurrency (measured by market cap) back in June 2017.

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This Cryptocurrency Just Surpassed Bitcoin In One Key Adoption Metric - Forbes

Bitcoin Giants Coinbase, Circle, Kraken, Bittrex, Grayscale And Others Band Together To Rate Tokens – Forbes

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Bitcoin and cryptocurrency companies have been struggling in recent years against vague regulation and characterization of cryptocurrencies.

Wild swings in bitcoin and cryptocurrency prices, which soared throughout 2017 only to crash back down to earth last year, meant regulators around the world scrambled to protect potential bitcoin buyers but questions remain around whether digital tokens are securitiesleaving crypto companies uncertain about how future legislation will affect them.

Now, bitcoin trading and investment giants Anchorage, Bittrex, Circle, Coinbase, DRW Cumberland, Genesis, Grayscale, and Kraken have banded together to create the Crypto Rating Council in order to better decide which digital assets can and cannot be traded on their platforms.

Bitcoin and cryptocurrency companies remain unsure how future reglation will affect them.

The group have created what they call a "scalable, points-based rating system" to help define whether a cryptocurrency is or is not a security.

The system will use a set of several dozen questions, "derived directly from SEC guidance and case law."

"We also worked hard to focus our framework on objective, repeatable, fact-driven questions that can be answered consistently by technical experts across different assets and over time," Coinbase wrote in a blog post announcing the council.

"The result of the analysis is a score which makes it easy for members to synthesize the analysis across many tokens and make their own, independent business decisions about whether or how to support an asset."

The system will give bitcoin and similar digital tokens a score between one and five, with a score of one meaning the councils independent analysis suggests the asset has few or no characteristics consistent with a traditional regulated security.

"We expect that some ratings will change over time and we will accept and consider feedback from asset issuers when they want to share additional information or clarifications that may impact an assets rating," the group added.

The bitcoin price has rallied so far this year but remains far under its all-time high set in late ... [+] 2017.

Bitcoin, along with its major rivals litecoin and monero, have been awarded a rating of one, while ethereum, the world's second biggest cryptocurrency by value, has been given a rating of two.

Ripple's XRP, one of the most divisive digital tokens, has been given a rating of four.

The group is planning to add more members and assets in "coming months," and may develop similar tools for non-U.S. jurisdictions.

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Bitcoin Giants Coinbase, Circle, Kraken, Bittrex, Grayscale And Others Band Together To Rate Tokens - Forbes

Bitcoin treads water around $8,000 after its worst week of the year – MarketWatch

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The price of bitcoin struggled to remain above the $8,000 level Sunday, following its worst weekly price loss of the year.

Bitcoin BTCUSD, +1.68% was above $10,000 as recently as last Sunday, but has since fallen about 20%. As of Sunday night, bitcoin was around $8,020, according to CoinDesk.

The leading cryptocurrency has fallen about 34% over the past three months. In June, bitcoin topped the $10,000 mark for the first time since early 2018.

Bitcoins recent price drop is a result of technical and fundamental factors, Bitbull Capital CEO Joe DiPasquale wrote last week, according to Barrons.

Crypto trader Josh Rager, co-founder of BlockRoots, tweeted Sunday that bitcoin could bounce back nearly 10% if it manages to stop its slide and can stay above the $8,000 level.

Still, bitcoin is up 115% year to date, and is well above its 2019 low of around $3,400 in January. Bitcoins 52-week low of $3,167 was hit in December. The digital coin hit an all-time high near $20,000 at the end of 2017, and currently has a market cap of about $144.6 billion, according to Coinmarketcap.com.

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Bitcoin treads water around $8,000 after its worst week of the year - MarketWatch