Monthly Archives: May 2017

EvoKE Project Pushes European Public to Accept Evolution – Discovery Institute

Posted: May 9, 2017 at 3:34 pm

A recent article in Nature Ecology &Evolution, Public literacy in evolution, discusses a newly launched project to push evolution on the European public. Called EvoKE, or EVOlutionary Knowledge for Everyone, the projects main concern isto find ways to increase European citizens acceptance and understanding of evolution. In multiple places, the article quotes EvoKE leaders who areworriedabout the level of acceptance of evolution. The language is telling:

In case you missed it, EvoKE spends a lot of time frettingabout whether the European public accepts evolution. They seem particularly distressedabout those movements thatdo not encourage people to accept evolution.

In response, theproject aims to get political. The last paragraph states:

In 2007, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted the resolution: The dangers of creationism in education. This resolution urged state members to notably defend and promote scientific knowledge, and to promote evolution knowledge as a fundamental scientific theory in school curricula. However, we are not aware of an EU policy agenda regarding the teaching of evolution. Support for EvoKE and the projects that came out of the meeting would certainly be a way for the European Council to be more proactive on those issues.

We reported on the above-mentioned 2007 resolution, adopted by the Council of Europe, at the time. Memorably, it stated that teaching intelligent design may entail a threat to human rights. Specifically, that resolutiondeclared:

To summarize, the resolution claims that intelligent design is a form of creationism thatis dangerous, anti-science, promotes deception, is religiously motivated. It says that teaching these ideas amounts toa serious attack on human rights, ofutmost virulence on human rights and one of the most serious threats to human rights and civic rights. The resolution goes on for 105 paragraphs this way.Read the whole thing.

And remember, thisrabidly intolerant screed isnt arandomblog rant from some intolerant undergraduate atheist student club. It was adopted as a resolution by the Council of Europe, a quasi-governmental body and would-be protector of human rights. According to the article in Nature Ecology & Evolution, the EvoKE project wants to lobby the European Union a true governmental body with real lawmaking powers to draw inspiration from this resolution and start making policy.

What kind of policy could come from such a declaration, standing directly against freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of scientific inquiry? The resolutions claims that intelligent design could pose a threat to human rightssounds like a thinly veiled wishto criminalize or legally inhibit ID advocacy. Is this how EvoKE aims to encourage Europe to accept evolution by declaring that alternative views pose a threat to human rights? Would they threaten dissenters with legal retaliationfor being anti-science?

Oppressive regimeshave tried gambits like that in the past.One hopes that EvoKE would aim to persuade the public with reason and evidence, not through the force of the law. But on any objective showing, reason and evidence are on the side of intelligent design, notevolution. Maybe thats why, it seems, some are tempted by harsher remedies.

Image: Europe from space, by Smh232 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

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How has VPN evolution changed remote access? – TechTarget

Posted: at 3:34 pm

VPNs, or virtual private networks, have been around for a while. Over the past two decades, VPN evolution has transitioned...

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the technology from point-to-point connectors that facilitate remote access to one that's based on sophisticated security multipoint connectivity.

Every technology has a lifecycle, and VPNs are no different. VPN evolution has taken place over the years, adapting to the networks that have been shaped by broadband connectivity, the cloud and mobility, as well as the endpoint devices themselves.

Reflecting back on the early days of VPNs and how far we have come, the evolution can be broken down into four phases. Let's take a closer look.

In the early 1990s, VPNs were used solely for dial-up connections and to create private networks across public infrastructure. Data networks allowed VPN remote connectivity through dial-up modems operated by telecommunication carriers. As cyberattacks and data breaches were not yet a major issue or concern for early internet surfers, VPNs were not yet in demand for their privacy and security features.

However, as the internet progressed, so did cybercriminals. In the mid-1990s, computer viruses, identity theft, malware, hacking, phishing and denial-of-service attacks began to spread globally, and a more secure and sophisticated internet was now vital.

In the 2000s, VPNs became mainstream and were essentially available to all users for remote dial-in, mobile and multiuse networks. The emergence of home computers and private email proved to rapidly increase the vulnerability of internet connections and networks. To protect sensitive information and to reduce risks of cyberattacks, internet users began using VPNs to secure connections, prevent malware, ensure digital privacy and hide their physical locations.

Security features, such as firewalls, VPN tunneling, encryption, authentication and endpoint security, were now critical to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network.

The proliferation of smartphones and connected devices, starting in 2010, fueled the next wave of VPN technology and drove more sophisticated security options. Secure connections were simply not enough. The need to authenticate the user and the endpoint device required new capabilities. To ensure a new level of authentication for VPNs, advanced methods such as one-time password tokens, fingerprint IDs, iris scans and voice recognition were integrated.

As the need for VPNs grew, they needed to be centrally managed. Today, VPNs offer comprehensive automation that eliminates the need for endpoint administration or user involvement. By taking the responsibility of facilitating VPNs away from users, configuration and management are free from manual errors. Endpoint devices are also more intelligent, enabling them to communicate with VPNs and other third-party infrastructure, such as firewalls, mobile device management, proxies and other malware, and antivirus software.

VPNs are increasingly used to secure data tunnels between end devices and internal corporate networks.

As the internet of things and industrial internet of things mature, the implications for VPNs will also continue to evolve. Due to the majority of businesses implementing BYOD or allowing employees to work from home, VPNs are increasingly used to secure data tunnels between end devices and internal corporate networks. The leading VPNs can secure virtually any device using any connection medium, as well as maintain secure connections as they traverse from network to network.

With the growth of connected cars, vehicle VPNs have emerged. A vehicle VPN enables users to safely and securely access a private network from a car without compromising any sensitive information. VPNs also help prevent hacking and other potential security threats, a particularly important benefit when manufacturers roll out software updates for engine control and car electronics systems via the internet and cloud data centers.

It is worth noting that the same VPN used to secure a laptop's network connection is the same VPN that can be used to secure a car's internet connection.

Cybercriminals will continue to find new ways to infiltrate and attack internet connections and private networks. With over 3 billion internet users worldwide, it is crucial for every end device to use a VPN for secure and encrypted data exchange. Currently, only a fraction of internet users use VPNs. Furthermore, as more households acquire more connected devices, the risk of cyberattacks will dramatically increase.

Today's modern VPNs are versatile, cost-efficient and offer comprehensive automation. All internet users can benefit from the security and privacy that a VPN provides through personal firewalls, advanced authentication and ciphertext.

Secure communication is one of the most important foundations for our future, and it is imperative to protect data in motion with VPN evolution.

The evolving role of SSL VPNs

The history of VPNs

Past, present and future VPNs

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Local doctor talks sports medicine evolution – Cincinnati.com

Posted: at 3:34 pm

Dr. Robert Burger of Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine sat down with the Enquirer to talk about his career and life as an athlete and sports parent. Phil Didion for The Enquirer

Dr. Rober Burger of Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine.(Photo: Phil Didion for The Enquirer)Buy Photo

Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine is the presenting sponor of the Cincinnati.com Sports Awards May 22 at The Aronoff Center.

Dr. Robert Burger is the head team physician and medical director for Xavier University and La Salle High School, among others. Burger played football at La Salle and the University of Notre Dame, and was a member of the Fighting Irishs 1977 national championship team. He sat down for an interview with The Enquirer to talk about sports medicine and his personal ties to athletics.

Jason Hoffman: Can you walk us through the role of the team medical director and what goes into that?

Dr. Robert Burger: Being a team medical director is a role similar to being a head coach. You have to surround yourself with a lot of quality professionals and each person needs to know their role and be accessible, available and accountable for what they do. A real key person in that team is the trainer. Thats the person whos on the front lines evaluating the athletes. They know the kids and take care of them throughout the season. They know how each individual is unique and which specific special needs they might have medically as well as what special conditions they might have that affect their ability to play. Along with that, there are the physical therapists and the office personnel who work along with the coaches, parents and athletic directors. It really is a coordinated network of people that care for our athletes.

JH: Can you walk me through some of the biggest changes youve seen in sports medicine?

RB: I have to go back even farther than 26 years to 40- to- 45 years back when I was in high school. Back then, the trainer was a student who was maybe interested in sports medicine who taped ankles. Treatment before a hot practice was you took salt tablets, and if somebody had heat problems it was usually because they didnt take enough salt tablets. We didnt have MRIs. Still, there were team doctors involved. Our team doctors, when I played high school football, were pediatricians who were willing to give their time and services. What we have today, and how thats evolved, is that teams are really taken care of by a team of individuals. Were fortunate now that most of the schools have qualified, licensed athletic trainers, and theyre the frontline person whos working every day with the athletes. Along with that, we have the team physicians, whos there and over time gets to know the parents, athletes and coaches. And now, after 26 years, its evolved to where Im taking care of the children of the athletes I used to take care of, which is neat but it also makes you feel like you have a couple gray hairs and youve aged a little bit. So, its been fun. Also, our understanding of issues like concussions is just light years different. Our ability with an MRI to diagnose quickly the injuries, where previously we didnt have that. So, really now, we have a team approach to taking care of athletes and its enhanced care and gives the athlete the chance to enjoy playing sports during that unique window of time they have.

JH: You were a high school and collegiate athlete as were your sons. From the position of having been an athlete yourself, being a team physician, and being a sports parent, whats that been like?

RB: Number one, its special. Its a really special time for an athlete and a really special time for a parent. Now, I feel like an old timer because I was blessed with four sons that played six or seven sports when they were in high school and they all played college sports. I greatly value what sports can do in terms of accountability, teamwork, self-confidence, discipline, the ability to improve at what you do, and that is something I treasure from my experience as an athlete. To be able to watch my sons has been some of the most enjoyable and memorable moments of my life. To be able to watch them grow and its something where they werent Gods gift to athletics where it was a foregone conclusion they were going to achieve success and theyve been challenged and experienced adversity, and theyve all been able to excel to a certain level, so it has been an absolute treat.

JH: Can you expand on what sports has given you and your family?

RB: I had a terrific education. I was blessed to attend La Salle High School and the University of Notre Dame as well as the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. The toughest class I ever took in life was football at the University of Notre Dame. My sons played football at Ohio State and Notre Dame and both of them went through challenges. Did they have tough classes? Yes. And they received great educations. But the biggest challenge you have is learning to deal with the adversity, getting up after youve been knocked down, to push yourself to your limits, and to grow and to learn and mature as a person. To recognize the strengths that you have and to surround yourself with good people. Those are all great lessons weve learned through sports. Even though its been 40 years since I played college football, those are lessons I draw from every day of my life today.

For more of the conversation, including a video with Dr. Burger, visit cincinnati.com/sports.

For more information on the Cincinnati.com Sports Awards, visit sportsawards.cincinnati.com.

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Darwinism in Question with Discovery: Octopi Edit Their Own Genes – CNSNews.com

Posted: at 3:33 pm


CNSNews.com
Darwinism in Question with Discovery: Octopi Edit Their Own Genes
CNSNews.com
It's a mind-boggling coincidence that Darwinists have long dismissed with euphemisms like, convergent evolution. But octopi, squid, and cuttlefish seem to have altogether missed the memo about Darwinism, because new science is revealing another way ...

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The new robotic ecosystem to take the stage at TechCrunch Sessions: Robotics – TechCrunch

Posted: at 3:33 pm


TechCrunch
The new robotic ecosystem to take the stage at TechCrunch Sessions: Robotics
TechCrunch
At TechCrunch Sessions: Robotics, on July 17 at MIT's Kresge auditorium, the programming lineup is set to showcase the fast developing new ecosystem around robotics. For a long time robotics was more the domain of academic research, defense spending, ...

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Robots And Our Automated Future | On Point – WBUR – WBUR

Posted: at 3:33 pm

wbur

Will your next home be built by robots? Well look at the growing robot boom and American jobs.

The robots just keep coming. Each generation more deft and capable than the last. The latest headline: Will your next home be built by robots? Maybe so. Robotics are moving into all kinds of fields. Factories, yes. But well beyond now, to work sites, offices, homes. Robots are sensing and seeing the world ever great clarity. And being deployed into ever more roles. Will they put on your next deck? Fill your next cavity? Up next On Point: Robots. The jobs theyre doing. The jobs theyll do next. Tom Ashbrook

Charlie Wood, reporter for the Christian Science Monitor. (@walkingthedot)

Howie Choset, professor of robotics at Carnegie Mellon University.

Ken Goldberg, professor of industrial engineering and operations research in robotics, automation and new media at the University of California, Berkeley.(@ken_goldberg)

Claire Cain Miller, correspondent for the New York Times, covering gender, families and the future of work for the Upshot. (@clairecm)

Christian Science Monitor:Will your next home be built by robots? "This Jetsons-like vision of an automated future has come largely true for car manufacturing. Now engineers hope buildings will be next. From Apis Cors 3-D printed house to the MIT Media Labs new multipurpose robotic arm, startups and research teams alike aim to spark a digital revolution in an analog industry that has thus far proved resistant to disruption."

TechCrunch:Abundant Robotics rakes in $10 million for apple harvesting robots "While pessimists see robots as 'bad for jobs' in agriculture, robots could be a critical means of increasing food production while keeping costs, and the environmental impacts of farming, as low as possible."

New York Times:How to Prepare for an Automated Future-- "Consider it part of your job description to keep learning, many respondents said learn new skills on the job, take classes, teach yourself new things. Focus on learning how to do tasks that still need humans, said Judith Donath of Harvards Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society: teaching and caregiving; building and repairing; and researching and evaluating."

This program aired on May 8, 2017.

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Endeavor Robotics announces key additions to Board of Directors and Worldwide Sales Team – PR Newswire (press release)

Posted: at 3:33 pm

Michael A. Heffron brings nearly 40 years of defense business experience including having served as President and Chief Executive Officer of DeLorme Publishing Company, Inc. from January 2011 until its sale to Garmin in March 2016. Mr. Heffron was also a member of the DeLorme Board of Directors. Mr. Heffron had a distinguished career at BAE Systems plc. with multiple leadership positions as the President of Electronics Intelligence & Support Operating Group (EI&S), Member of the BAE's Executive Committee (2007-2011), President of Platform Solutions Unit responsible for the design, development and production of systems for the commercial & military aviation markets (2006-2007), and as Head of BAE's newly formed Information Warfare business 2001-2006).

Endeavor Robotics also proudly announces that LTC Charlie Dean, USA, RET has joined as VP of Sales Worldwide. Prior to joining Endeavor Robotics, Charlie held positions at QinetiQ North America as Director of Business Development, Co-Director of Engineering, and Senior Program Manager for Unmanned Systems, and as a career US Army officer. Charlie served 22 years in the US Army where he served as an Infantry officer and held a variety of leadership positions including Director of Operations and Customer Interface at the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center. Charlie also held positions at Draper Labs as Senior Business Development Manager and at TIAX as EVP and VP of Commercialization and Deployment. Charlie holds a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, respectively.

"Not only have our robots been used to investigate and destroy many tens of thousands of IEDs, the robots' light weight, multi-functional, interoperable capabilities ensure that they can meet the demanding requirements of many varied user communities including dismounted warfighters, counter-IED organizations, HazMat and CBRNeteams, incident response teams in power plants or factories around the globe. We at Endeavor Robotics continue a long legacy of supporting our customers 24/7 with world-class robots while leading the advanced development of next-generation systems," said Charlie Dean, VP of Global Sales.

"Endeavor Robotics leads the development and fielding of the most capable, robust, unmanned ground robots in the world.The additions of Mike and Charlie to our team positions us well to serve and maintain our 6,000 installed robots and to continue the rapid development of next generation systems needed for today's evolving threats," said Sean Bielat, CEO, Endeavor Robotics.

About Endeavor Robotics

Endeavor's robots serve on the front lines around the world. Endeavor Robotics brings an established leadership team with decades of experience integrating ground robotic systems, and the best roboticists who collaborate with end-users to develop robots for worldwide markets which operate in areas of conflict and in response to natural disasters. Everyday our robots protect our service men and women from IEDs, hazardous materials and other deadly threats. Endeavor Robotics specializes in delivering and supporting battle-hardened and adaptable robotics. We are committed to design, develop and manufacture tactical robotics in the United States, and to work with industry leaders and government partners to deliver innovative, reliable, and the easiest to operate robot solutions. Our family of robots includes the 5 lb FirstLook, the less than 20 lb SUGV, the man-portable PackBot, and the heavy-duty Kobra. To date, we have delivered more than 6,000 robots to more than 40 countries worldwide. Please visitwww.endeavorrobotics.comto learn more.

Upcoming Tradeshows include:

Press Contact Jonathan Lesser Endeavor Robotics (978) 769 9372 Jlesser@endeavorrobotics.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/endeavor-robotics-announces-key-additions-to-board-of-directors-and-worldwide-sales-team-300453159.html

SOURCE Endeavor Robotics

http://www.endeavorrobotics.com

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Young Katy robotics team earns world championship – Chron.com

Posted: at 3:33 pm

The club TECH of Katy and its VEX IQ robotics team The InVEXibles were named the VEX IQ Challenge Middle School World Champions at the 10th annual VEX Robotics World Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. With coachCoach John Pixton in the back row are Jack Vultaggio, 12; John Patrick Pixton, 12; and Aiden Quinton, 11; front row: Michael Pixton, 10; Ben Vultaggio, 9; and Ethan Quinton, 9. less The club TECH of Katy and its VEX IQ robotics team The InVEXibles were named the VEX IQ Challenge Middle School World Champions at the 10th annual VEX Robotics World Championships in Louisville, Kentucky. With ... more Photo: TECH Of Katy At the Maker Fair, they're trying out their first robot Gears of Fear in a VEX robot skills challenge. From left are Ethan Quinton 9; Jack Vultaggio 12; John Patrick Pixton 12; Ben Vultaggio 9; Aiden Quinton 11; and Michael Pixton 10. less At the Maker Fair, they're trying out their first robot Gears of Fear in a VEX robot skills challenge. From left are Ethan Quinton 9; Jack Vultaggio 12; John Patrick Pixton 12; Ben Vultaggio 9; Aiden Quinton ... more Photo: Catherine Pixton

Experimenting with new robot designs for Worlds competition are, from left, Ben Vultaggio, Michael Pixton, Jack Vultaggio, Ethan Quinton, John Patrick Pixton and Aiden Quinton.

Experimenting with new robot designs for Worlds competition are, from left, Ben Vultaggio, Michael Pixton, Jack Vultaggio, Ethan Quinton, John Patrick Pixton and Aiden Quinton.

Working on improving design and build of the original robot, "Gears of Fear" are, from left, John Patrick Pixton, Ethan Quinton, Aiden Quinton, Jack Vultaggio, Ben Vultaggio and Coach John Pixton.

Working on improving design and build of the original robot, "Gears of Fear" are, from left, John Patrick Pixton, Ethan Quinton, Aiden Quinton, Jack Vultaggio, Ben Vultaggio and Coach John Pixton.

Young Katy robotics team earns world championship

Organized only last fall, the VEX IQ robotics team of the Technology and Engineering Club for Homeschoolers of Katy returned home in April from the 2017 VEX Robotics World Championship in Louisville, Kentucky as VEX IQ Challenge Middle School World Champions.

The success is nice but a surprise, according to John Pixton, coach of the InVEXibles robotics team. The computer/software engineer explained that the club began with the goal to gather everyone together to learn how to build a robot and how to program it.

The 9 to 12-year-olds belonging to the club "were pretty much self-motivated to keep improving," said Pixton, who's worked with Scouts and coached basketball but was making his initial venture into robotics.

"We did competitions not really thinking too much about that (winning) because we were new. We didn't have that mind-set; it did not occur to us. We kept improving and kept moving up."

They were surprised after they started entering matches and kept coming out on top of other teams, he said. Club members are 12-year-olds Jack Vultaggio and John Patrick Pixton; nine-year-olds Ben Vultaggio and Ethan Quinton; Aiden Quinton, 11, and Michael Pixton, 10.

Catherine Pixton, a homeschool mom for about eight years, explained her oldest son wanted to learn about technology this year and that was one of the catalysts for forming a team and building a robot. The robotics club involves the Pixtons and the oldest sons of two other homeschool moms Jean Quinton and Bridget Vultaggio.

"When we started we wanted the kids to do something as a team effort," said Catherine Pixton. "We wanted them to learn about engineering and robotics and programming and still have time for competition."

Having not attended competition before, they had no idea what to expect. About five weeks after the club was formed, the team competed Nov. 13 in Houston.

"They got to see some of the other robots and heard stories from other teams," she said. "They felt really encouraged and excited after that."

Their first robot named Gears of Fears was really big and could do everything, she said, but it was slow. So the team redesigned the robot and while it could no longer do everything, what it did do it did very fast. They won a championship in Galveston in January.

That motivated the boys who got excited to see if they could get better at driving skills and programming, she said. After learning about sensors, they redesigned their robot and renamed him "Heavy Lifter." With both speed and multiple skills, he competed well and earned the team its title.

In addition to competition victories, the team also won recognition for its research about the use of drones in agriculture.

The InVEXibles are taking a break for now.

"Pretty much the last couple of months there was a lot of effort getting the robot ready and testing," said John Pixton.

The team probably will wait until June to get started on a new challenge, though they're excited and want to start right now, added Catherine Pixton. "They're chomping at the bit and talking about ideas for a robot they're going to build."

The VEX Robotics World Championship featured student-led teams from elementary school to college representing Canada, China, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States. The InVEXibles alliance partner was The Gladiators of Ontario Canada.

An April 26 news release from the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation and VEX Robotics announced the winners.

The April 20-25 championship hosted 1,400 teams from more than 30 nations.

"It was real exciting to go to world and see different competitors from different countries and to see all the different people and different robots people came up with," said Catherine Pixton.

Visit http://www.vexworlds.com and http://www.RoboticsEducation.org for more information.

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Thoughts on the EU’s draft report on robotics – Robohub

Posted: at 3:33 pm

NAO robot. Photo courtesy: Paul Bremner/UWE

Iwas asked to write a short op-ed on the European Parliament Law Committees recommendations on civil law rules for robotics. In the end, the piece didnt get published, so I am posting it here:

It is a great shame that most reports of the European Parliaments Committee for Legal Affairs vote on its Draft Report on Civil Law Rules on Robotics headlined on personhood for robots because the report has much else to commend it. Most important among its several recommendations is a proposed code of ethical conduct for roboticists, which explicitly asks designers to research and innovate responsibly. Some may wonder why such an invitation even needs to be made but, given that engineering and computer science education rarely includes classes on ethics (it should), it is really important that robotics engineers reflect on their ethical responsibilities to society especially given how disruptive robot technologies are. This is not new great frameworks for responsible research and innovation already exist. One such is the 2014 Rome Declaration on RRI, and in 2015 the Foundation for Responsible Roboticswas launched.

Within the reports draft Code of Conduct is a call for robotics funding proposals to include a risk assessment. This too is a very good idea and guidance already exists in British Standard BS 8611, published in April 2016. BS 8611 sets out a comprehensive set of ethical risks and offers guidance on how to mitigate them. It is very good also to see that the Code stresses that humans, not robots, are the responsible agents; this is something we regarded as fundamental when we drafted the Principles of Robotics in 2010.

For me, transparency (or the lack of it) is an increasing worry in both robots and AI systems. Labours industry spokesperson Chi Onwurah is right to say, Algorithms are part of our world, so they are subject to regulation, but because they are not transparent, its difficult to regulate them effectively (and dont forget that it is algorithms that make intelligent robots intelligent). So it is very good to see the draft Code call for robotics engineers to guarantee transparency and right of access to information by all stakeholders, and then in the draft Licence for Designers: you should ensure maximal transparency and even more welcome you should develop tracing tools that facilitate accounting and explanation of robotic behaviour for experts, operators and users. Within the IEEE Standards Association Global Initiative on Ethics in AI and Autonomous Systems, launched in 2016, we are working on a new standard on Transparency in Autonomous Systems.

This brings me to standards and regulation. I am absolutely convinced that regulation, together with transparency and public engagement, builds public trust. Why is it that we trust our tech? Not just because its cool and convenient, but also because its safe (and we assume that the disgracefully maligned experts will take care of assuring that safety). One of the reasons we trust airliners is that we know they are part of a highly regulated industry with an amazing safety record. The reason commercial aircraft are so safe is not just good design, it is also the tough safety certification processes and, when things do go wrong, robust processes of air accident investigation. So the Reports call for a European Agency for Robotics and AI to recommend standards and regulatory framework is, as far as Im concerned, not a moment too soon. We urgently need standards for safety certification of a wide range of robots, from drones and driverless carsto robots for care and assisted living.

Like many of my robotics colleagues, I am deeply worried by the potential for robotics and AI to increase levels of economic inequality in the world. Winnie Byanyima, executive director of Oxfam writes for the WEF, We need fundamental change to our economic model. Governments must stop hiding behind ideas of market forces and technological change. They need to steer the direction of technological development. I think she is right we need a serious public conversation about technological unemployment and how we ensure that the wealth created by AI and Automonous Systems is shared by all. A Universal Basic Income may or may not be the best way to do this but itis very encouraging to see this question raised in the draft Report.

I cannot close the piece without at least mentioning artificial personhood. My own view is that personhood is the solution to a problem that doesnt exist. I can understand why, in the context of liability, the Report raises this question for discussion, but as the report itself later asserts in the Code of Conduct: humans, not robots, are the responsible agents. Robots areand should remain, artefacts.

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MHS Robotics Makes History, Again – Malibu Times

Posted: at 3:32 pm

The Malibu High School (MHS) robotics team in April became one of the top teams in the world, up from a comparatively low (but still impressive) 77th ranking following the world championships in 2016.

The MHS robotics team placed 15th in its division, 11th in the world in its skills challenge, and No. 5 in the world for its programming skills a sizable improvement from its 77th place last year and a big accomplishment for the five-man team comprised of seniors Sam Burton, Izzy Putterman and Jaime Le, junior Louie Putterman, and freshman Ben Burton.

This past April 19-22, the MHS robotics team competed for the second time at the VEX Robotics World Championship in Louisville, Ken. and made school history.

The competition went really well. We competed at a higher level than we have ever done before and we were able to out-compete the majority of other teams. Our record last year at Worlds was 3-7, which placed us in 77th place in our division. This year, we flipped that record, going 7-3, putting us in 15th place in our division, explained Le, who also competed last year in the tournament.

Through a series of round robin tournament matches, teams competed against each other and attempted to throw the most three-dimensional stars and cubes across a fence before time ran out. With challengers from around the globe, the MHS team fought hard to represent Malibu on the world stage.

The whole event was a great experience, captain Sam Burton noted. We competed with teams from across the globe, including China, the U.K. and the UAE. It was also good to reconnect with the teams wed gotten to know through the season ... One team we had competed with and tied with before losing to them in the finals went on to win the whole competition and become the world champions.

With international competitors came a whole new standard of competition. Putterman explained that the team was not only able to rise to meet the high standard, but was able to exceed it.

There were definitely some brilliant robots that took the design approach to a new level, Izzy Putterman said.

First-time world competitors Louie Putterman and Ben Burton saw opportunities for MHS robotics future.

[The tournament] was cool to see all the different teams with all their robots ... It was fun being on the team this year, and hopefully next year we can get to worlds again, Ben Burton said.

Louie Putterman, who is following in his brothers footsteps, is the third member of his family to make history on the MHS robotics team; his brothers Harry and Izzy both competed in the 2016 VEX Robotics World Championships.

It would be amazing for our robotics program to be able to reach the world championships three years in a row, but this will take a lot of work, said Louie Putterman.

With the help of coach John Burton, a lifelong programmer, and advisor Brian Corrigan, the team was able to make their mark on the international level.

Overall, I think in the end [this was] an improvement over last year It just shows their dedication to the hundreds of hours they put in and John Burton put in. Just like last year, they worked a ton, noted Corrigan, who also teachers physics and engineering at MHS.

These accomplishments did not come easy. With language barriers among the teams and primarily an initial issue with the static of the fields, which slowed many robots down, the MHS team was forced to think on their feet and quickly came up with alternative methods to continue on in the tournament, according to the Malibu team.

Malibu seniors are hopeful that the two-year-old MHS robotics team will continue on long after they graduate.

Jaime, Sam and I have brought the club to a good spot. Ben and Louie are going to lead the club next year and hopefully more people join in, Izzy Putterman said.

My main hope is that this robotics program becomes a large and integral part of our campus and society of Malibu High, Le concluded.

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MHS Robotics Makes History, Again - Malibu Times

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