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ESA Satellite Accidentally Discovered Three New Asteroids

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Danzig

Gaia, an ESA satellite charged with plotting the course of the stars, just discovered three new asteroids orbiting the Sun at a peculiar angle.

Hello There

A European satellite called Gaia just made a new surprise discovery.

Originally charged with mapping out the positions and movements of the stars, according to Space.com, the space probe also happened to spot three previously-undiscovered asteroids that orbit the Sun at an unusual angle compared to the rest of the solar system.

Spotted

The asteroids, which are the first new asteroids to be discovered by Gaia, can be found more than 15 degrees off-axis compared to the rest of the planets, asteroids, and other space stuff that orbits our Sun.

“The population of such high-inclination asteroids is not as well studied as those with less tilted orbits, since most surveys tend to focus on the plane where the majority of asteroids reside,” reads a European Space Agency (ESA) press release about the discovery.

New Target

ESA officials expect more similar discoveries out of Gaia, as its position in orbit gives it a better vantage than that of observatories on Earth when it comes to spotting asteroids out of the solar system’s typical orbit.

As it spots more of these unusual asteroids, which are remnants from the early days of our solar system, Gaia could reveal more secrets of how the asteroids, planets, and moons all came to be.

More on Gaia: Scientists Discover a “Ghost of a Galaxy” Orbiting the Milky Way

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This AI Is Spitting Out Coherent, Almost-Funny Dad Puns

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Danzig

Pun Generator

Imagine you tell your dad something about a negotiator, or a car. Just enough material for him to land an appalling pun:

That’s because [the] negotiator got my car back to me in one peace.

But this is the work of no dad. Instead, it was created by a pun-generating artificial intelligence, created by Stanford researchers to prove that a neural network can have a sense of humor, too. The results were hilarious, but not always in the way you’d expect. Some of these knee-slappers were barely coherent — but they might provide a preview of what happens when AI starts to become funny.

HumorBot

A preprint of the research, published in the journal arXiv last month, describes how the researchers fed pairs of homophones — like “two” and “too” — to a neural network.

The results often had an almost-there quality that’ll be familiar to close watchers of AI-generated text. Here’s an example: Even from the outside, I could tell that he’d already lost some wait.

Not Funny

There are plenty of challenges that remain.

Neural networks “are rule-abiding to a fault, and that makes them terrible jokers,” writes Wired.

In an organized pun-off against competing human jokesters, the machine was rated to be funnier than a human just ten percent of the time.

“While we improve beyond current techniques, we are still far from human-generated puns,” concludes the prewrite. Neural networks tend to conflate creativity with nonsense — which remains a “big challenge in humor.”

READ MORE: The Comedian Is in the Machine. AI Is Now Learning Puns [Wired]

More on machine learning: Machine Learning Is Giving Retro Games Cutting-Edge Graphics

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This AI Is Spitting Out Coherent, Almost-Funny Dad Puns

SF Is so Expensive That People Are Using Parking Spots as Offices

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Danzig

A web developer wants to turn San Francisco parking lots into coworking spaces, desks, folding chairs, and all.

Striking a Chord

Web developer Victor Pontis has had enough of cars in San Francisco — parking spaces, he says, just take up too much space.

His idea: turn the prime real estate of parking spots into coworking spaces, complete with desks and chairs, that he called WePark — and charge only the price of a parking meter, which is a fraction of the price of other local coworking spaces.

I have set up at 16th and Market and paid the meter a reasonable $2.75 for one hour.
Stop by and say hi! pic.twitter.com/qJCJudEWsh
— Victor Pontis (@VictorPontis) April 25, 2019

The experiment struck a nerve — especially considering the skyrocketing rent in the Californian metropolis — and picked up widespread press coverage.

“Car parking squanders space that can be used for the public good — bike lanes, larger sidewalks, retail, cafes, more housing,” Pontis told Vice. “Let’s use city streets for people, not cars.”

Great first official day of WePark!
We had 3 events across the world today:
– @valdecarpentrie in France
– @graybright in Santa Monica
– @VictorPontis + 30 others in San Francisco. (Recap coming soon.)
And we hear more are coming soon to a city near you! pic.twitter.com/cGnea3G9VQ
— wepark (@weparkweparty) April 30, 2019

Pontis got the idea from a tweet by developer Devon Zuegel, who posted a picture of a specialized bike carrier vehicle that can fit eight bikes in a single parking spot.

This mobile parklet fits 8 bikes. With a license plate, it can be legally parked anywhere for the price of parking 1 car. Genius. https://t.co/cFshYA4C1N pic.twitter.com/p6xTfLd5CA
— Devon (@devonzuegel) March 29, 2019

Everybody Park Now

WePark has quickly garnered the attention from freelancers across the globe. Its operations have expanded to Santa Monica — and a related event even took place in France.

The question remains: is WePark more than a publicity stunt that takes a clear stance against San Francisco’s — perhaps even an American — obsession with cars? That’s hard to tell. But momentum is growing behind the idea regardless.

More on the sharing economy: People Love Living in Pods So Much They’re Getting Neck Tattoos About It

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New Video Shows 3D Printed Lung “Breathing”

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Danzig

Scientists figured out how to 3D print a functional

First Breaths

Scientists just took a major step forward towards 3D printed organs — with a new lung-like system full of air sacs can expand and contract, filling the same biological role as our lungs do by pumping oxygen into blood.

Bioprinted organs could someday help people who are waiting and sometimes dying on the organ transplant waitlist. In research published in the journal Science last week, the team behind the new printing technique made a similar device and successfully grafted it into mice with injured livers.

In And Out

The 3D printed lung can be seen expanding and contracting, oxygenating blood as it flows past its bulbous transparent air sacs in a video published by Seeker on Friday.

Biological Infrastructure

3D printing blood vessels and other vasculature has remained an elusive challenge for scientists — some teams have even outsourced the endeavor to the International Space Station, where the zero-gravity environment means that small tubes are less likely to collapse under their own weight as they’re being printed.

Per the research, this new lung was printed down here on Earth, suggesting that the new bioprinting technique and materials could help us get to a point where people in need of new organs only need to wait as long as it takes to print one out.

More on 3D bioprinting: These Scientists Are 3D-Printing New Body Parts for Athletes

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United Nations: One Million Species Are Poised to Go Extinct

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Danzig

A massive new report by the United Nations concludes that a million species are under threat of extinction — and humans are to blame.

Human Error

After spending three years compiling the United Nations’ first comprehensive biodiversity report, researchers came to an alarming conclusion: humans have driven one million species to the brink of extinction — putting more species at risk than ever before in human history.

“Ecosystems, species, wild populations, local varieties, and breeds of domesticated plants and animals are shrinking, deteriorating, or vanishing,” report co-chairman Josef Settele said in a news release. “The essential, interconnected web of life on Earth is getting smaller and increasingly frayed.”

“This loss is a direct result of human activity,” he continued, “and constitutes a direct threat to human well-being in all regions of the world.”

Transformational Change

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) compiled the 1,800-page-long report, drawing information from 15,000 scientific and government reports, as well as the input of indigenous and local populations.

All that data led the IPBES researchers to conclude that nature is declining rapidly. But according to IPBES Chair Robert Watson, “the Report also tells us that it is not too late to make a difference, but only if we start now at every level from local to global.”

“Through ‘transformative change’, nature can still be conserved, restored and used sustainably – this is also key to meeting most other global goals,” he continued. “By transformative change, we mean a fundamental, system-wide reorganization across technological, economic and social factors, including paradigms, goals and values.”

READ MORE: UN report: Humans accelerating extinction of species [Associated Press]

More on extinction: Climate Change Just Wiped out Its First Mammal

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This Site Tests Whether You Can Spot AI-Generated Faces

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Danzig

A/B Testing

Deepfakes and other AI-generated images have become commonplace the algorithms that churn them out have become widespread.

On one sugar-coated hand, this means cooler movie and video game visual effects. On the other hand, it means that bad actors can produce photorealistic propaganda, fake porn of real people, or other convincing but fake media.

That’s why two University of Washington scientists created a website, “WhichFaceIsReal.com,” which is meant to train people to spot the telltale signs that an alleged photo was actually built by an algorithm — by asking them to guess which of two side-by-side photos a real person and which is an AI-created dupe.

Facial Recognition

The website has been up and running since February, shortly after a website called “ThisPersonDoesNotExist.com” went live.

That site highlights an AI algorithm built by Nvidia called StyleGAN that can create almost-perfect portraits of human faces out of thin air.

WhichFaceIsReal focuses on the specific errors and glitches in StyleGAN portraits, so the tips and tricks — look for asymmetrical glasses, ears, and jewelry; check whether the background is full of mysterious splotches of color — don’t always generalize to other face-generating AI algorithms.

But if nothing else, WhichFaceIsReal can serve as a reminder that AI-generated media is coming soon, and we’re all going to have to be more critical about the images and videos we see every day.

Try It Out: WhichFaceIsReal.com

More on StyleGAN: A New AI Draws Cats, and They’re Utterly Grotesque

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Outsourced Workers Are Training AIs With Your Private FB Posts

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Danzig

Labeling by Hand

Reuters reports that millions of “Facebook photos, status updates and other content posted since 2014,” including private posts, have been combed over by outsourced workers in India in order to train the company’s AI and develop new features.

It’s yet another example of the social media network’s careless handling of its billions of users’ privacy — giving third party contractors access to data that’s technically labelled as “private” is not a good look.

Outsource Force

Outsourcing firm Wipro Ltd oversaw efforts to label posts and categorize them into five “dimensions,” as Facebook reportedly called them, including the subject, occasion, or intention of each post. About 200 more content labeling projects are in the works, according to Reuters, employing thousands more contracted workers.

The posts include anything from vacation photos to memorials of deceased family members — and yes, they are sometimes tied to user names, company officials told Reuters.

“We make it clear in our data policy that we use the information people provide to Facebook to improve their experience and that we might work with service providers to help in this process,” a Facebook spokeswoman told Reuters.

Bad Record

Previous privacy concerns have been raised around Facebook’s treatment of the data it collects. The company got caught storing “hundreds of millions” of account passwords in plain text in March.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg made it clear that the social giant wants to clear its name. Its F8 developer’s conference at the end of last month was dedicated to brushing up its tarnished reputation, including declaring that it was fully committed to ensuring its users’ privacy.

But if the bad news keep rolling in, that kind of message will ring hollow.

READ MORE: Facebook ‘labels’ posts by hand, posing privacy questions [Reuters]

More on Facebook: InfoWars Made a New Facebook Page One Hour After Ban

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Investor Sues After an AI’s Automated Trades Cost Him $20 Million

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Danzig

After investing $2.5 billion into a robot-controlled hedge fund and losing millions, Samathur Li Kin-kan is suing the company that sold him on the AI.

Bad Investment

Back in 2016, Futurism noted that artificial intelligence was creeping into the world of finance, analyzing market data in real-time to autonomously execute trades for investors.

Now, Hong Kong real estate tycoon Samathur Li Kin-kan is suing a company that used one of those trade-executing AIs to manage his account, causing millions of dollars in losses — a first-of-its-kind court case that could help determine who should be held responsible when an AI screws up.

Not-So-Supercomputer

According to a Bloomberg story about the case, Li met Raffaele Costa, CEO and founder of Tyndaris Investments, in March 2017, at which point Costa told Li his company was launching a robot hedge fund controlled by a supercomputer named K1.

Li expressed interest in the fund, so Costa started sharing simulations with Li that showed how K1 could make double-digit returns on investments.

Li was apparently impressed, because he agreed to let K1 manage $2.5 billion, with the goal of eventually increasing that to $5 billion.

Lawsuit Up

K1 began managing Li’s investment in late 2017, and by the time February rolled around, the AI was losing money regularly — on one particularly bad day, its decisions cost Li more than $20 million.

Li pulled his money from the account before the end of that month. Then he filed a $23 million lawsuit against Tyndaris, alleging that Costa exaggerated K1’s abilities.

Tyndaris’ lawyers, meanwhile, deny that allegation, asserting that the company never made any guarantees that the AI would make money for Li. They’re now suing him for $3 million in unpaid fees.

Blame Game

According to Bloomberg, these lawsuits are the first known examples of humans clashing in court over financial losses causing by an AI-powered trading system. However, it likely won’t be the last time we see the judicial system forced to tread new territory thanks to the emergence of AI.

The question of who’s responsible when AI makes a mistake is already lurking at the edge of nearly every industry dabbling in the technology, from transportation to healthcare to law enforcement.

Should it be the person who wrote the code? The person marketing the AI? Or are end users responsible for the outcome given that any new technology is certain to be a bit wonky at first?

The outcome of the K1 trial, which is scheduled for April 2020, might finally start to set some legal precedent.

READ MORE: Who to Sue When a Robot Loses Your Fortune [Bloomberg]

More on AI in finance: The Future of Investing? AI-Run Hedge Funds

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Instagram May Combat Anti-Vaxxer Misinformation With Pop-up Ads

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Danzig

Pop-Ups

In order to curb the spread of dangerous medical misinformation, Instagram is reportedly working on a pop-up style disclaimer that will appear next to anti-vaxxer content.

The pop-up would likely appear when people search for or stumble across vaccine misinformation, an Instagram representative told The Hill, suggesting that Instagram and parent company Facebook are ramping up their fight against the spread of dangerous medical myths on their platforms.

Ban Hammer

Instagram won’t delete anti-vaxxer comment, which scientists have linked to ongoing measles outbreaks in the U.S., but it has blocked hashtags that repeat the repeatedly-debunked myths that vaccines are dangerous or linked in any way to autism spectrum disorder. But that’s created a whack-a-mole problem as anti-vaxxers keep rearing their heads under more positive-sounding hashtags, per The Hill.

“Our approach to misinformation is the same as Facebook’s — when we find misinfo, rather than remove it, we’ll reduce its distribution,” Insta spokeswoman Stephanie Otway told Poynter. “We can use image recognition technology to find the same piece of content on Instagram and take automatic action.”

Status Pending

Instagram didn’t share any details about what the pop-up will look like or what it will say.

But regardless of what specific form it takes, the pop-up will be the first user-facing attempt Instagram has taken to curb misinformation. Compared to its usual approach of tweaking its algorithm to keep from recommending conspiracy theories, we’re hoping this one works out.

More on anti-vaxxers: Scientists: Anti-Vaxxers Are the Moral Equivalent of Drunk Drivers

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Drones’ Batteries Could Last Longer if They Could Perch Like Birds

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Danzig

Bird Drones

Drones aren’t known for their lengthy flight times. Until we can figure out how to wirelessly charge them from the ground, their battery life will likely remain limited to less than an hour.

But by perching on the side of a building using bird-like claws, according to new research, drones could stay out far longer — since it’d require less energy than hovering in mid-air.

“Birds usually fly somewhere and they stay at the top of the roof or some tree branches,” Kaiyu Hang, a roboticist who worked on the research at Yale University, told NPR.

Perching and Resting

Hang and his colleagues came up with a bird-inspired design that act as the drone’s “modularized landing gears,” as he describes them in his paper, published in the journal Science Robotics in March. The claws are designed to extend and save battery power by allowing the drone to both perch and rest.

And the modular claws could have other benefits, too.

“If you perch, for example, underneath a bridge or underneath the eaves of a building you can ride out storms or bad weather that would make it hard to fly,” Stanford University professor Mark Cutkosky told NPR.

More on flight: Russia Built a Battering Ram Drone to Knock Drones out of the Sky

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Drones’ Batteries Could Last Longer if They Could Perch Like Birds

Microsoft Patented an Xbox Controller With a Braille Display

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Danzig

A new Microsoft patent shows an Xbox controller with a live Braille display to help visually impaired gamers get the full experience of a game or live chat.

E For Everyone

A new Microsoft patent shows how the company might make its Xbox console more accessible to visually-impaired people.

The patent describes a new accessory for Xbox controllers that functions like a Braille touchscreen — it’d give gamers a live feed of on-screen text and chat, according to LetsGoDigital.

Live Chat

For people with the degree of visual impairments called “low vision,” 30 percent report that their vision “notably impacts” their ability to use a computer, according to a study conducted by an online accessibility organization called WebAIM.

Almost half of the people surveyed use screen readers, screen magnification tools, or increase the size of text on their computers. But with games, those options aren’t available, so people who can see well enough to play the game but not well enough to read the on-screen text generally miss out.

The Braille display, which sits on the back of the controller where a person’s fingers would already be resting, also lets the gamer type and participate in online chat, and translates voice commands, according to LetsGoDigital.

Fingers Crossed

It’s worth pointing out that the existence of a patent isn’t the same as a real product — though GameInformer speculates that an announcement may be coming at June’s E3 conference. The patent was awarded on Thursday but first filed back in October, so there’s no telling whether Microsoft changed its plans since then.

But given the goodwill Microsoft racked up when it announced its Xbox Adaptive Controller, a simplified controller with two hand-sized buttons and an oversized D-pad for people with physical disabilities, it makes sense for the company to continue pursuing new ways to make gaming more accessible.

READ MORE: Microsoft Xbox game controller with haptic braille output [LetsGoDigital]

More on Xbox: Sailors Use Xbox Controllers to Operate Part of the Navy’s Newest Attack Sub

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Commercial Space Travel: How Leaving Earth Will Make You …

Posted on May 7, 2019 by Danzig

Maybe it will take going to outer space for renewable energy naysayers to realise the devastating impact the human race has on planet Earth.

Just this week, the United Kingdom parliament became the first in the world to pass a motion declaring an environment and climate emergency, amid mounting pressure for the region to adopt a net zero emission target before 2050.

The news follows a recent United Nations report that found seven major countries, including the United States, were well behind achieving the carbon neutral pledges they made in Paris three years ago.

The UN noted that countries were not doing enough to curb their emissions.

But perhaps commercial space travel is what we need to push people to tackle climate change more seriously?

NASA astronaut Terry Virts has spoken publicly about the perspective-altering effects of viewing Earth from above, in particular the increased awareness it brings of humankinds environmental mistakes.

Virts has spent 200 days in space at the International Space Station (ISS) and has taken more photos of Earth from space than any other astronaut.

People ask astronauts 'what's your favourite planet?' and it's not Mars or Jupiter, it's Earth, Virts said upon returning from space.

We have everything we need to survive right here. In saying that, when I tried to film Beijing I never could because all you could see was smog. And in the Amazon you can see deforestation. So there's some man-made environmental messes you can see from space. But 99 percent of the planet really does look beautiful, it's not all doom and gloom.

While 99 percent of the planet may look beautiful right now, how long will it take for emissions from fossil fuels to produce enough smog to obscure the majority of Earth from view?

And by the time commercial space travel becomes available for the likes of you and I, will we be able to capture that perfect holiday snap of Earth that Virts fondly speaks of?

Commercial Space Travel: Coming to An Airport Near You

There are few people who can say theyve been to outer space. And even fewer that can claim to have been among the first in the world to fly on a commercial spacecraft.

But in February this year Beth Moses, chief astronaut instructor at Virgin Galactic, became a household name for doing just that. Years of hard work, dedication and self belief finally paid off and Moses became the first woman to travel to space on a commercial spacecraft.

It was the first time that Moses, an aerospace engineer who had previously worked at NASA, had visited space. The purpose of Moses flight was to ensure she could fully prepare Virgin Galactics future customers, of which there are hundreds in queue, for the journey to view earth from above.

Having Beth fly in the cabin today, starting to ensure that our customer journey is as flawless as the spaceship itself, brings a huge sense of anticipation and excitement to all of us here who are looking forward to experiencing space for ourselves, Virgin Galactic founder Sir Richard Branson said at the time.

Beth Moses celebrating after the flight with the two pilots, Dave Mackay (L) and Mike Sooch Masucci (C), as well as Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides (R)

Mosess mission for the flight was clear; experience the flight fully to ensure there were no surprises following the three-day briefing each customer receives pre-flight, so these everyday people could focus on the life-altering view around them.

Taking Risks To Shape Perspective

Moses admits the criticism the Virgin Galactic team received for daring to dream big was unexpected.

Its an experience Moses and I share, with Power Ledger facing its own critics for daring to reimagine the financial models surrounding green energy and accelerate the takeup of renewables.

I blindly assumed the new space community would be as respected as NASA. But within my professional community people laugh about human commercial space travel, Moses told me.

Its true doubters have not been shy about sharing their views publicly.

Australian astronaut Andy Thomas called Sir Richard Bransons quest to take passengers into orbit a dead-end and dangerous technology.

And following a fatal crash in 2014, rocket propulsion expert Carolynne Campbell-Knight was quoted stating Virgin Galactic should go away and do something they might be good at like selling mobile phones. They should stay out of the space business.

Despite the mounting pressure to give up, Moses and the team at Virgin Galactic pushed on, paying close attention to their mistakes and turning them into lessons.

And slowly, some space experts started to change their tune.

In December 2018, NASA selected its own technology experiments to fly on Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo commercial research flight. At the time, Christopher Baker of NASAs Armstrong Flight Research Center said that regular commercial access to space will change how NASA approaches technology development, by allowing them to invest in early research validation.

This year, in its fifth supersonic-powered test flight, Virgin Galactic reached space for the second time in 10 weeks. Spaceship VSS Unity, the spacecraft Moses was on, also flew higher and faster than ever before.

Moses herself could feel the tides changing when some of the NASA colleagues, who had laughed off her decision to join the human space startup, began asking to work with Virgin Galactic.

All of a sudden they were saying wow, they did it. Now they want to come work here and they want a job, Moses says.

I like our model as it can bring it (space travel) to more people.

Author and National Geographic Society chairman, Jean Case describes the bold risk-taking behind some of the greatest discoveries and innovations humanity has made in her book Be Fearless. Case specifically calls out space travel as being able to alter culture, geography and political systems.

Big bets are the engine for countless other innovations. They can change a culture, a geography, a mindset and a political system, Case writes in chapter six.

Moses agrees; Space travel can redefine geography and political systems, it encourages a mindset that isnt regional and there is a human and emotional magic to that, she says.

We have to graduate to a sense of planetary unity that we dont have as humans.

Using A Planetary View to Fix Our Problems

Yale has already recognised the power of an outer space perspective to address Earths pressing climate issues.

Yale OpenLabs energy academy, which believes that achieving sustainability requires a collective planetary consciousness, has created an open and globally collaborative space dedicated to promoting planetary sustainability.

The program is currently in proof-of-concept phase, but promises to build an unconventional classroom and teach visually stunning journeys where natural resources are studied from the big perspective.

Our climate and energy challenge requires a population that understands the close and delicate connections between macro and micro scales; from the solar system down to cellular and molecular structures, the project explains.

Yales vision? To empower individuals and communities to re-envision the global energy system, to generate planetary consciousness and foster higher awareness in our delicate relationship to Earth.

A Vision Thats Out of This World

Moses is hopeful that the Virgin Galactic team can replicate their successes and operate from any airport, and admits she is an eternal and self-proclaimed biased optimist.

Were asking questions that have never been asked, Moses says.

I think it is time we all asked ourselves questions that have never been asked.

As that old adage goes; its better to have an impossible dream than no dream at all - if not for commercial aspirations, then at least for the sake of planet Earth.

Maybe it will take going to outer space for renewable energy naysayers to realise the devastating impacts of climate change.

But hopefully it wont take a ticket to the moon to appreciate Earth more and realise the importance of preserving its future.

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Commercial Space Travel: How Leaving Earth Will Make You ...

Fifth Amendment – Kids | Laws.com

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Danzig

A Guide to the Fifth Amendment

The Fifth Amendment, or Amendment V of the United States Constitution is the section of the Bill of Rights that protects you from being held for committing a crime unless you have been indicted correctly by the police. The Fifth Amendment is also where the guarantee of due process comes from, meaning that the state and the country have to respect your legal rights. The Fifth Amendment was introduced as a part of the Bill of Rights into the United States Constitution on September 5, 1789 and was voted for by of the states on December 15, 1791.

History of the Fifth Amendment

Once the United States won their independence from the British Parliament and monarchy that had acted like tyrants, the Framers of the United States Constitution did not trust large, centralized governments. Because of this, the Framers wrote the Bill of Rights, which were the first 10 amendments, to help protect individual freedoms from being hurt by the governmental. They included the Fifth Amendment, which gave five specific freedoms to American citizens.

Understanding the Fifth Amendment Line by Line

If you are confused by what each line means, here are some explanations to make the Fifth Amendment easier to understand:

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury: No one can be put on trial for a serious crime, unless a grand jury decide first that there is enough proof or evidence so that the trial is needed. If there is enough evidence, an indictment is then issued, which means that the person who is charged with the crime will can put on trial for the crime.

Except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger: People in the military can go to trial without a grand jury first deciding that it is necessary. This is the case if the military person commits a crime during a national emergency or a war.

Nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb: If someone is put on trial for a certain crime and the trial ends, the person cannot be tried once more for the same crime. If a person is convicted of a crime and then serves his or her time in jail, or if the person is acquitted, he or she cannot be put on trial a second time.

Nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself: The government does not have the power to make someone testify against himself. That is why a trial uses evidence and witnesses instead of the testimony of the accused person.

Nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law: The government cannot take away a persons life, property, or freedom without following certain steps that give the person a fair chance. This is what is known as due process. Due Process helps protect a persons rights.

Nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation: The government cannot take away a persons property for public use without somehow paying them back for it.

Facts About the Fifth Amendment

The Fifth Amendment was introduced into the Constitution by James Madison.

The ideas in the Fifth Amendment can be traced back to the Magna Carta, which was issued in 1215.

A defendant cannot be punished for using his right to silence during a criminal trial, but there are some consequences to using it in a civil trial.

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Trump blames ‘political correctness’ for Kentucky Derby …

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Danzig

Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.

May 5, 2019, 2:57 PM UTC

By Allan Smith

President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Sunday to lament the results of Saturday's Kentucky Derby, saying the unprecedented decision to disqualify the initial victor was made possible by "these days of political correctness."

"The Kentuky Derby decision was not a good one," Trump wrote. "It was a rough and tumble race on a wet and sloppy track, actually, a beautiful thing to watch. Only in these days of political correctness could such an overturn occur. The best horse did NOT win the Kentucky Derby - not even close!"

On Saturday, the initial winner, Maximum Security, was disqualified after officials ruled that the horse interfered with other competitors in the final leg of the race, blocking them from being able to pass. That led to the second-place finisher Country House, a 65-1 long shot, being awarded the victory.

It was the first time in Kentucky Derby history which stretches back to the late 1800s that a victor was disqualified under such circumstances.

The horse's co-owner Gary West told The Associated Press the disqualification was "egregious" and that he might opt to appeal the decision.

I think this is the most egregious disqualification in the history of horse racing, and not just because its our horse, West told the AP.

Allan Smith is a political reporter for NBC News.

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Trump blames 'political correctness' for Kentucky Derby ...

Trump blames political correctness for what happened at …

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Danzig

President Donald Trump has long lamented the rise political correctness. In fact, years ago he went so far as to tweet that its killing our country.

Now, he says the best horse in the Kentucky Derby didnt win because of it:

He was talking about how Maximum Security, the initial winner, was disqualified after officials ruled the horse interfered with the others in the final leg. The ruling allowed second-place finisher and extreme longshot Country House to win.

It was the first time in the Kentucky Derbys storied history that a winner was ultimately disqualified for such an infraction.

Trump wasnt the only one who had a problem with it. Maximum Securitys co-owner told The Associated Press the disqualification was egregious and that he might opt to appeal the decision.

As for Country Houses trainer, he didnt like how it went down either.

I feel terrible that I have to apologize for winning, Bill Mott said, according to the Washington Post. I really feel terrible for the connections, for the owners. I hate to sit there and apologize and, you know, saying something as foolish as, Im sorry I won, because I dont want to give [the owners] the impression that Im unhappy with winning.

Blockchain on AWS

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Danzig

Blockchain technologies are often used to solve two types of customer needs. In the first case, multiple parties work with a centralized, trusted authority to maintain a complete and verifiable record of transactions. An example is a retail customer looking to connect its suppliers with a centralized ledger that maintains a transparent and verifiable history of information related to the movement of a product through its supply chain. In the other case, multiple parties transact in a decentralized manner without the need for a centralized, trusted authority. An example is a consortium of banks and export houses looking to perform cross-boundary transfer of assets (e.g. letter-of-credits) amongst each other, without a centralized authority acting as a liaison.

If you need a centralized ledger that records all application data changes, and maintains an immutable record of these changes, AWS provides a ledger database. This database is high-performance, immutable, and cryptographically verifiable, eliminating the need for building complex audit tables or setting up blockchain networks. If you need the immutable and verifiable capability provided by a ledger, and also want to allow multiple parties to transact without a trusted central authority, AWS provides a fully managed, scalable blockchain service. AWS blockchain service makes it easy to setup, deploy, and manage scalable blockchain networks, eliminating the need for you to rely on expensive consulting implementations.

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Blockchain on AWS

Medicine | Define Medicine at Dictionary.com

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Danzig

c.1200, "medical treatment, cure, remedy," also used figuratively, of spiritual remedies, from Old French medecine (Modern French mdicine) "medicine, art of healing, cure, treatment, potion," from Latin medicina "the healing art, medicine; a remedy," also used figuratively, perhaps originally ars medicina "the medical art," from fem. of medicinus (adj.) "of a doctor," from medicus "a physician" (see medical); though OED finds evidence for this is wanting. Meaning "a medicinal potion or plaster" in English is mid-14c.

To take (one's) medicine "submit to something disagreeable" is first recorded 1865. North American Indian medicine-man "shaman" is first attested 1801, from American Indian adoption of the word medicine in sense of "magical influence." The U.S.-Canadian boundary they called Medicine Line (first attested 1910), because it conferred a kind of magic protection: punishment for crimes committed on one side of it could be avoided by crossing over to the other. Medicine show "traveling show meant to attract a crowd so patent medicine can be sold to them" is American English, 1938. Medicine ball "stuffed leather ball used for exercise" is from 1889.

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Medicine | Define Medicine at Dictionary.com

What is quantum theory? – Definition from WhatIs.com

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Danzig

Quantum theory is the theoretical basis of modern physics that explains the nature and behavior of matter and energy on the atomic and subatomic level.The nature and behavior of matter and energy at that level is sometimes referred to as quantum physics and quantum mechanics.

In 1900, physicist Max Planck presented his quantum theory to the German Physical Society. Planck had sought to discover the reason that radiation from a glowing body changes in color from red, to orange, and, finally, to blue as its temperature rises. He found that by making the assumption that energy existed in individual units in the same way that matter does, rather than just as a constant electromagnetic wave - as had been formerly assumed - and was therefore quantifiable, he could find the answer to his question. The existence of these units became the first assumption of quantum theory.

Planck wrote a mathematical equation involving a figure to represent these individual units of energy, which he called quanta. The equation explained the phenomenon very well; Planck found that at certain discrete temperature levels (exact multiples of a basic minimum value), energy from a glowing body will occupy different areas of the color spectrum. Planck assumed there was a theory yet to emerge from the discovery of quanta, but, in fact, their very existence implied a completely new and fundamental understanding of the laws of nature. Planck won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his theory in 1918, but developments by various scientists over a thirty-year period all contributed to the modern understanding of quantum theory.

The two major interpretations of quantum theory's implications for the nature of reality are the Copenhagen interpretation and the many-worlds theory. Niels Bohr proposed the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory, which asserts that a particle is whatever it is measured to be (for example, a wave or a particle), but that it cannot be assumed to have specific properties, or even to exist, until it is measured. In short, Bohr was saying that objective reality does not exist. This translates to a principle called superposition that claims that while we do not know what the state of any object is, it is actually in all possible states simultaneously, as long as we don't look to check.

To illustrate this theory, we can use the famous and somewhat cruel analogy of Schrodinger's Cat. First, we have a living cat and place it in a thick lead box. At this stage, there is no question that the cat is alive. We then throw in a vial of cyanide and seal the box. We do not know if the cat is alive or if the cyanide capsule has broken and the cat has died. Since we do not know, the cat is both dead and alive, according to quantum law - in a superposition of states. It is only when we break open the box and see what condition the cat is that the superposition is lost, and the cat must be either alive or dead.

The second interpretation of quantum theory is the many-worlds (or multiverse theory. It holds that as soon as a potential exists for any object to be in any state, the universe of that object transmutes into a series of parallel universes equal to the number of possible states in which that the object can exist, with each universe containing a unique single possible state of that object. Furthermore, there is a mechanism for interaction between these universes that somehow permits all states to be accessible in some way and for all possible states to be affected in some manner. Stephen Hawking and the late Richard Feynman are among the scientists who have expressed a preference for the many-worlds theory.

Although scientists throughout the past century have balked at the implications of quantum theory - Planck and Einstein among them - the theory's principles have repeatedly been supported by experimentation, even when the scientists were trying to disprove them. Quantum theory and Einstein's theory of relativity form the basis for modern physics. The principles of quantum physics are being applied in an increasing number of areas, including quantum optics, quantum chemistry, quantum computing, and quantum cryptography.

See Brian Greene's introduction to quantum theory on Nova:

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What is quantum theory? - Definition from WhatIs.com

Back to the Satoshi Nakamoto Bitcoin affair – BBC News

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Danzig

Image caption Craig Wright failed to deliver on his promise of "extraordinary proof" that we was Bitcoin's inventor

At the beginning of May, it seemed that a great mystery had been solved.

An Australian academic and entrepreneur, Craig Wright, identified himself as Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of the crypto-currency Bitcoin.

But, over the following days, the proof he offered was torn apart, not just by angry people on the Bitcoin forums but by a number of authorities on cryptography.

After first promising more evidence, Dr Wright then wrote a blog saying he did not have the strength to continue and retired from public view.

Nakamoto's true identity appeared as opaque as ever - the Australian had not proved his case, but nor had it been disproved.

Now, though, we have a whole new collection of evidence, in the form of a 35,000-word article about the Nakamoto affair in the London Review of Books.

The author is the journalist and novelist Andrew O'Hagan, whose work includes a fascinating and hilarious account of his time trying to be the ghost writer of Julian Assange's autobiography.

It seems Mr O'Hagan has an appetite for driven and difficult high-performing geeky types, because he spent six months with Craig Wright.

That meant he was there right through the period when Dr Wright was first outed as a potential Nakamoto last December, then dismissed as a fraud, and later through his own "self-outing" and the aftermath.

It is a gripping and beautifully written tale, more a short novel than a magazine article.

We learn all sorts of new details about Dr Wright's career, his claims about his involvement in the creation of Bitcoin, and his reasons for choosing to identify himself as Nakamoto seven years after the currency was created.

To me, the key revelation is about this motivation.

He had told the BBC that he had not wanted to come out into the spotlight but needed to dispel damaging rumours affecting his family, friends and colleagues.

But O'Hagan shows us something rather different - a man under intense pressure from business associates who stood to profit from him if he could be shown to be Nakamoto.

These people had signed a deal with Dr Wright in June last year, which saw them pay off his debts, including legal fees incurred in a battle with the Australian tax authorities.

Then, they had a plan for him.

"They would bring Wright to London and set up a research and development centre for him, with around 30 staff working under him," O'Hagan writes.

"They would complete the work on his inventions and patent applications - he appeared to have hundreds of them - and the whole lot would be sold as the work of Satoshi Nakamoto, who would be unmasked as part of the project."

The intellectual property, which he had already created and would now augment, would be worth as much as $1bn (700m) with the Nakamoto name attached, so they would all end up very rich indeed.

That may sound fanciful, but Dr Wright's research was into the block chain, the technology underlying Bitcoin, and the world's big banks are rushing to invest in exploring its potential.

Now, they may have had dollar signs in their eyes, but Dr Wright's backers certainly seemed to believe he was Nakamoto, and O'Hagan outlines some new evidence that supports that view.

He spends days talking to Dr Wright about his relationship with Dave Kleiman, an American who died in 2013 and is thought by many to have played a big part in the creation of Bitcoin.

With some reluctance, Dr Wright eventually supplies some emails that seem to suggest the two worked together on the 2008 Nakamoto white paper explaining the idea of the "peer-to-peer electronic cash system".

O'Hagan goes to meet Dr Wright's ex-wife, who stands up a story about the two men meeting at a conference in Orlando in 2009 - because she came along too.

She gives a detailed account of their meeting and the way Dr Wright hero-worshipped Mr Kleiman, which rings true coming from someone who has no reason to lie.

There is a document about a trust fund set up by Dr Wright to hold some bitcoins for Mr Kleiman, along with a promise not to reveal the identity behind Nakamoto's email address.

And there are minutes of a meeting between the Australian tax authorities and Dr Wright's business, where his advisor appears to suggest that he possessed 1.1m bitcoins - worth nearly 600m at the current exchange rate.

There is also an intriguing tale about a meeting between Dr Wright and Ross Ulbricht, the man now serving a life sentence in the United States for setting up the Silk Road, the bitcoin-fuelled drug and gun trading site.

And, then, we get a behind-the-scenes account of what happened when this brilliant, difficult, angry man - described by one colleague as "like Steve Jobs but only worse" - went public, in separate meetings with the BBC, the Economist and GQ, and the days afterwards, when everything fell apart.

As someone who played a part in that saga - and still asks himself whether he should have asked better questions of Dr Wright - I was just a little disappointed with this climax to the story.

The author seems more removed from the action at this point than in the months before the denouement.

Here is an example: on the Wednesday after the big reveal on Monday 2 May, Dr Wright agreed to undertake a much simpler proof of his identity than he had offered before.

He asked me, and the two Bitcoin experts who had verified his story - Jon Matonis and Gavin Andresen - to send a small amount of bitcoins to an address known to be linked to Nakamoto.

He would then send it back, proving his claims to the identity.

The money was sent but never returned.

What was going on in the hours between us being invited to take part in this proof and the moment when we were told it was "on hold"?

The only reason we get for Dr Wright's bizarre behaviour, which sabotaged everything he had worked for, comes in the form of an email to O'Hagan.

He sends the writer a news story that suggests the father of Bitcoin might be arrested for helping to facilitate terrorism by allowing people to buy weapons anonymously.

Dr Wright, it seems, decided he would prefer to be called a fraud than risk spending years in jail.

This seems unconvincing.

After all, he had been planning to out himself for months - albeit under pressure from his backers - so why this sudden fear of the consequences now?

The other question left hanging is why the backers who had invested so much in their Nakamoto had not demanded more proof from him at an earlier stage.

In the end, we are left uncertain about Dr Wright's true role in the creation of Bitcoin.

It seems very likely he was involved, perhaps as part of a team that included Dave Kleiman and Hal Finney, the recipient of the first transaction with the currency.

He may have exaggerated his contribution, he may have constructed a very elaborate fantasy - or this fragile personality may have lost his nerve as he realised that his life would never be the same again once he was Craig "Nakamoto" Wright.

If you are expecting O'Hagan to reveal the truth behind Bitcoin's creation myth, you will be left disappointed.

But if you enjoy a ripping yarn - with some piercing insights into geek culture - then you will find the Satoshi Affair an engrossing way to spend a couple of hours.

Back to the Satoshi Nakamoto Bitcoin affair - BBC News

Who is Satoshi Nakamoto? John McCafee Claims to Know And …

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Danzig

Satoshi Nakamotos identity has perhaps been the best keptsecret of the whole crypto-verse. Since the creation of Bitcoin, the anonymouscharacter chose anonymity as a wayto protect himself and his creation.

From the moment he decided to move onto other things thecommunity was in charge of the project. However, in the absence of a centralfigure there have been certain conflicts and speculations, not only astowhich direction the project should best take, but who Satoshi Nakamotois (or was).

One of those who have claimed responsibility for creating Bitcoin is Craig Wright. This man claims to be Satoshi Nakamoto and recently filed a series of legal complaints against a group of media and people who dont believe hes telling the truth because he hasnt been able to prove it so far.

This action provoked the irritation of much of the crypto-verse, from crypto users to trulyinfluential people like CZ and John McAfee. While CZ got fed up with CSWs toxic actions, calling him a fraud; John McAfee remarked that he is 100% sure that Craig Wright is not Satoshi Nakamoto:

The controversial tweet generated a lot of speculation inthe community. The only way McAfee could be absolutelysure Craig Wrightwas lying is by knowing the real Satoshi Nakamoto.

John McAfee is not afraid of threats from Calvin Ayre and CSW, and he doesnt seem to care if he gets The Letter. In the following tweets he continued criticizing CSW for not proving he is Satoshi. BSV got its part too.

However, the situation escalated the next day. McAfee leftnothing to the imagination and claimed to know the true identity of SatoshiNakamoto. The renowned cybersecurity expert then began a process in which hewould slowly offer clues about Satoshis true identity.

The first clue, if true, eliminates the leading conspiracytheory, but explains that Satoshi Nakamoto is actually a kind of organization,where several people had different responsibilities. Of this group, an American(or at least one person living in the United States) was responsible forwriting the Whitepaper.

In the following tweet he said he is this practice until the author of the whitepaper revealed himself, or until the community could discover who he is, based on McAfees clues.

What We Can Conclude After reading John McAfees tweets(both the ones on his TL and the replies provided to others):

Finally, McAfee concluded his first wave of clues with an epic ending, as always:

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Who is Satoshi Nakamoto? John McCafee Claims to Know And ...

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