Monthly Archives: June 2017

Authorities confirm Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo in hospital – South China Morning Post

Posted: June 26, 2017 at 4:43 pm

Chinas jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo has been granted medical parole after being diagnosed with liver cancer, according to the Liaoning Prison Administration Bureau.

According to the brief statement on the authoritys website, Liu was diagnosed with liver cancer recently and he was approved to be treated at the First Hospital of China Medical University in Shenyang. A team of eight renowned Chinese cancer experts has been assigned to treat him, and he was receiving treatment, the prison authority added.

The Nobel laureates brother Liu Xiaoxuan said earlier that Liu was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer on May 23, Lius lawyer, Mo Shaoping, confirmed to the South China Morning Post. The duration of the medical parole was not immediately clear.

Liu, who was jailed over his calls for greater democracy in China, did not plan to seek treatment overseas, Mo said.

Shang Baojun, another lawyer who represented Liu Xiaobo, 61, cited family members as saying he looked seriously ill.

The revelation, which comes just a week after Chinas annual human rights dialogue with the European Union, was a shock to many of Lius long-time friends, who said they had not heard of his health problems over the years.

Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, wrote in an emailed statement to the Post that China should give Liu full freedom.

We are happy Mr Liu has been released, but sad that the circumstances are his failing health. We expect he will be granted full freedom, including the right to travel abroad, Reiss-Andersen wrote. Liu should never have been imprisoned for exercising his right of freedom of speech.

Liu was jailed for 11 years in 2009 for inciting subversion of state power after he helped write a petition known as Charter 08 calling for sweeping political reforms in China.

The arrangement came after his request to be treated outside of prison was approved, the lawyer said. Repeated calls to the No 1 Hospital of the China Medical University in Shenyang went unanswered.

His wife, Liu Xia, remained under house arrest in Beijing and could not be reached for comment. The apartment compound where she lived was under surveillance, with security guards barring journalists entry last night.

Asked about Lius status at a daily press conference, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters: I do not understand the situation you mentioned.

A year after he was sent to prison, Liu was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.

Earlier on in his life, Liu was an activist involved in the pro-democracy movement in Tiananmen Square in 1989, which resulted in a bloody crackdown.

Chinese dissident voices went to social networking sites Wechat and Twitter to call for support of Liu.

He was an energetic person before he went to jail. Seven years later, who could have imagined he would be battling an incurable illness? dissident journalist Gao Yu, herself granted medical parole after being jailed for leaking state secrets, told the Post.

Exiled Tiananmen student leaders Wuer Kaixi and Wang Dan, issuing a joint statement, said: We are shocked and devastated to learn that [Liu] has been suffering from cancer in Chinas brutal prison environment.

We firmly demand immediate restoration of his normal contact with the outside world.

Amnesty International also called for Liu to be unconditionally released. Sophie Richardson, China director of Human Rights Watch, suggested the Nobel Prize Committee head to Shenyang immediately.

The Chinese authorities should immediately ensure that Liu Xiaobo receives adequate medical care, and that all he and all other imprisoned for exercising their human rights are immediately and unconditionally released, Amnesty International said in a statement following news of Lius parole.

The dissident was put behind bars in 2009 for inciting subversion of state power, after he participated in the Charter 08 manifesto.

He was awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.

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Why a Respected CEO Believes Bitcoin Is a Tool for Freeing Humanity – Futurism

Posted: at 4:42 pm

In BriefCould Bitcoin destroy tyranny in the modern world? At leastone person thinks so. Bitcoin Frenzy

Recently, there has been a lot of hype and equally criticism of Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency has, just this far into 2017, jumped well over 100 percent in value, garnering suspicion and questions regarding its potential for long-term success. However, besides these doubts, Naval Ravikant, an investor and the CEO and co-founder of Angel List, has come to Bitcoins defense on Twitter:

Claiming that Bitcoin could free humanity from oligarchs and tyrants Ravikant asserts that the quick rise in value that is making many wary of Bitcoin is just superficial. But how could a cryptocurrency free humanity of tyranny?

Well, through the potential power of blockchain. The blockchain ledger, which includes cryptocurrencies, essentially streamline the financial world. They eliminate a need for a middle-man, so-to-speak, so institutions like banks would no longer be necessary for a society based in blockchain. And while that might seem like a small difference, think about how many different aspects of a modern society rely on even the simplest financial transactions.

Are Ravikants opinions of Bitcoin extreme or off-base? Its impossible to say, as some consider the cryptocurrency to be a bubble about to burst, but the potential blockchain itself has to change the way that societies operate is very real. Its not just a passing phase, as many thought with the emergence of seemingly joke cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin. It is something that, if adopted on a wider scale which has already begun in countries like Japan the authorities whocurrently control consumption and financial transactions would no longer be relevant.

Money makes the world go round. Peace, suffering, conflict, power; so much of modern life centers around transactions. From information to finances, all of these transactions rely on some middle step, some outside authority or management. This has made countless people over the years dependent on these outside power structures, creating control and dominance differences that have the potential to create what could be construed as tyranny.

Now, this might be pushing current boundaries by saying that Bitcoin, just one specific blockchain, could make such a big change. So, one some level, Ravikant is stretching this. Bitcoin itself is still relatively unstable and there is some possibility that its most recent rise in value is a bubble that is certain to eventually burst. It is only one of multiple cryptocurrencies and blockchains, none of which are close to completely taking over any economic structures yet. However, if blockchains potential coupled with Bitcoins popularity eventually leads to such a revolution, perhaps tyranny and oligarchs would truly become obsolete.

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These Leaked Tesla Model 3 Photos Offer You Views of This Decade’s Most Anticipated EV – Futurism

Posted: at 4:42 pm

In Brief A Reddit user seems to have chanced upon a Tesla Model 3 being test driven around San Matteo. You You Xue's photos give us an unprecedented glimpse of the car that could change the way the world thinks about electric vehicles.

New photos of the Tesla Model 3 the most anticipated electric car of the decade, if not all timehave been leaked by You You Xue, who claimed on Reddit that Xue came across the new model randomly in San Matteo, and jumped straight out of the car and started snapping photos! The car is due to be launched sometime this year.

Tesla has been extremely secretive about the project, going as far as to camouflage and cover the vehicle in every road test it has conducted to date.

The photos show us the interior of Teslas upcoming vehicle, including its dashboard with a 43-cm (17-inch) display, the steering wheel, charging ports, and wheels.

This has been the latest piece of information in a series of exciting updates concerning the Model 3. We know what the robots that will build the cars look like, that it will have an updated autonomous mode, and that production of the battery cell has begun at Gigafactory 1 in Nevada.

At this point, 2017 looks to be the year of Elon Musk, who is pushing the boundaries of almost any industry he enters: from space rockets, to solar panels, to autonomous vehicles the sky seems to be the limit for the modern technological prophet.

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SpaceX Just Transformed Space Flight, Launching Two Rockets in 48 Hours – Futurism

Posted: at 4:42 pm

In Brief A historic weekend "doubleheader" for Elon Musk ended Sunday afternoon after SpaceX launched two payloads into space within 48 hours of each other. The initial launch was also a first for the country of Bulgaria, which launched a telecommunications satellite.

As of 5 p.m. EST, this story is developing.

Elon Musks SpaceX took ascheduling delay and turned it into a historic opportunity: as the result of postponing the launch of a Bulgarian satellite from Monday to Friday of last week, SpaceX had two Falcon 9 rocket launches within 48 hours of each other. Fridays BulgariaSat-1 launch happened from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The second one carrying a payload of 10 new satellites from Virginia-based telecommunications company Iridiumlifted off Sunday afternoon from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The two back-to-backlaunches a first for SpaceX were made possible by its reusable rocket technology. Fridays BulagariaSat-1 launch was only the second time the space venture company successfully reused a rocket booster, while Sundays marked the third. In a series of tweets after the launch, Muskseemed pleased with how far the reusable tech has come.

That being said, it could still be refined even more. As he explainedin his answer to a Twitter userssuggestion, hed like to see the rocket turnaround be so quick there isnt even time enough to touch up the paint job.

Apart from being weekend of firsts for SpaceX, it was also the first time Bulgaria launched a telecommunications satellite. For Iridium, todays payload was the second batchof its planned 70-satellite constellation, which is part of its NEXT mobile communications network. The first 10 of these low-orbit satellites were launched in January.

This weekends doubleheader was a confidence boost for the reusable rocket technology.Among other things, Musk hopes the tech will help lower the overallthe cost of going tospace. Hepreviously highlighted that launching satellites aboard SpaceXs reusable rockets is $300 million cheaper than conventional one-way-trip rockets.

Even before this weekends successes, interest in the reusable rocket tech has been steadily growing: to date, SpaceX has booked more than 50 missions including one from aerospace giant Airbus. Most arescheduled for this year or into 2018.There are a number launches both from private corporations like Iridium, as well as from government agencies, similar toBulgarias arrangement.

Perfecting its reusable rocket technology isnt just going to benefit SpaceX in the short term. Its most exciting potential application could actually be in the bigger rockets that could start ferrying human beings to Mars sometime in the2030s.

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Neil DeGrasse Tyson Says "We’re Not Likely Alone in the Universe." – Futurism

Posted: at 4:42 pm

In Brief Renowned astrophysicist, author, and science communicator Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson appeared on CSPAN to discuss his feeling that we are not alone in the universe.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the (if not the) most well-known astrophysicists. He is also an accomplished author and science communicator/entertainer, and the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City. Also, he doesnt think that we are alone in the universe.

Appearing on C-SPANs In Depth, he explained how the chemistry of life makes it extremely unlikely that Earth is the only place in the universe where life has formed. He said, Whatever happened on Earth, its not likely to be rare or unique. Because carbon chemistry, on which life is based, is the most fertile kind of chemistry there is. And carbon is abundant across the universe.

However, Dr. Tyson does separate the questions of whether there is life elsewhere in the universe, and if intelligent life exists,from if we have been visited by any intelligent life. What the UFO community puts forth as evidence is weak on a level that, in any scientific circle, would be kicked out of the lab room.

The basis of this argument boils down to the foundations of the scientific method. Eyewitness testimony is nowhere near enough evidence to support a claim as fantastical as alien visitors. Current evidence of chemistry is enough to allow scientists to assert that there is life on other planets, but that evidence does not extend as far as intelligent life.

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Astronomy: Chinese telescope illustrates that country’s science investment – The Columbus Dispatch

Posted: June 25, 2017 at 2:46 pm

While congress stumbles its way through another budget battle that has the potential to cut drastically NASAs funding, China continues to invest in the pursuit of new knowledge.

China recently launched the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope, or HXMT. A hard X-ray has higher energy than a soft X-ray, presumably because it makes a harder collision when it hits an atom. Also, the telescope can detect a multitude of X-ray energies in objects.

The purpose of the HMXT is to search for new compact stellar objects, such as neutron stars or black holes.

Because of the immense gravity surrounding these objects, in-falling gas gets heated to high temperatures, causing the gas to emit X-rays. By studying the X-ray spectrum, astronomers can compare observations to theoretical predictions from a physical model, thus deducing what kind of compact object it is.

There are all-sky surveys in the optical and radio wavelengths, but there has not yet been such a survey at X-ray wavelengths. This is partly because X-rays from space do not penetrate our atmosphere and partly because previous X-ray space telescopes had small angular coverage so that it would take forever to do the whole sky.

The HXMT has a different design than previous X-ray space telescopes, using a different technique to filter out X-rays that are not parallel to the viewing direction. This allows the X-ray detector to increase its angular coverage. An all-sky survey has the potential to find many new neutron stars and black holes, as well as the potential for finding new objects.

This new telescope is yet another indication that China is catching up to, and in some ways, exceeding the science programs in the United States and Europe. This is good for science in general, which today is a global effort, but I do find myself wondering why China has invested so heavily in science when the U.S. government seems to be cutting back?

I can only speculate the reasons, but my guess is that China understands the connection between basic research and a robust economy. Advances in science lead to advances in technology, which in turn provides the basis of electronic gadgets (and other things) to sell.

Another reason to invest in science, including astronomy, is that the search for new knowledge stimulates the imagination of young students. These students can see themselves making new discoveries. This both motivates and gets them thinking in creative ways.

Some of these students will go on to academic careers, but most go to work for companies that develop new products. In the process, their innovative skills have been honed, which is good for industry.

There might be another reason why China is so interested in developing a space program. China sent a few other smaller satellites up with the HXMT.

One was an Earth-observing (optical and infrared) satellite from Argentina, which can provide high-resolutions images of the ground for public viewing.

Two other satellites are operated by Zhuhai Orbita Control Engineering, which is based in China. They also are high-resolutions optical Earth-pointing devices with good enough resolution to see any object on the ground larger than 6 feet.

So dont look now, but a Chinese satellite might be watching you as you drive around in your car.

Meanwhile, the American company SpaceX, which has a spotty record, just delayed its planned launch of a Bulgarian satellite. Maybe the Bulgarians will go to China for their next launch.

Kenneth Hicks is a professor of physics and astronomy at Ohio University in Athens.

hicks@ohio.edu

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Astronomy Cast Ep. 454: Things We’re Looking Forward To – Universe Today

Posted: at 2:46 pm


Universe Today
Astronomy Cast Ep. 454: Things We're Looking Forward To
Universe Today
As we wrap up season 10 of Astronomy Cast, we look forward to all the instruments, missions and science results on the distant horizon. Think astronomy is exciting already? Just you wait. We're taking our summer hiatus during July and August, but we'll ...

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World’s most powerful quantum computing chip could be ready by end of 2017, if Google succeeds – International Business Times, India Edition

Posted: at 2:46 pm

Google is on track to build a working 49-qubit quantum chip by the end of 2017. The above photograph is of the device containing nine quantum bits (qubits).Google Research

Google is on track to develop a powerful chip, which is claimed to be a quantum computing breakthrough if an ongoing research at the company pays off.

The search engine giant is currently testing a 20-qubit quantum computing processor, which is the company's most powerful quantum chip yet. However, Google is aiming for a 49-quibt chip by the end of 2017, which will make the company the first to build a quantum computer capable of solving problems that are out of reach for conventional computers.

Qubits, or quantum bits, are the basic units in quantum computing that hold bits of information. Unlike traditional computers that store information in binary bits whose value can be either 1 or 0, qubits can be a combination of 0 and 1 at the same time. It's this ability of photons to exist in multiple states at any time that allows quantum computing perform operations much quicker than conventional machines.

The revelation about Google's progress was made by Alan Ho, an engineer in Google's quantum AI lab, at a quantum computing conference in Munich earlier this week. Ho, however, said that error-corrected quantum computers are unlikely to arrive before 2027, according to reports in New Scientist.

Ho's team is currently working on a 20-qubit processor having "two-qubit fidelity" of 99.5 per cent -- a measurement of errors made by the chip. A high rating equates to fewer errors.

The ambitious 49-qubt chip that Google is aiming for will have a two-qubit fidelity of at least 99.7 percent, a level the company previously described as "quantum supremacy." Until now, Google's only publicly-confirmed quantum success story is a 9-qubit machine, which was built in 2015.

In a research paper published in July 2016, Google's engineers detailed their goal of achieving quantum supremacy, which, according to them, would lead to the first quantum computer capable of performing tasks beyond the abilities of classical computers.

Reseachers are coming together to build quantum computers 10,000 times faster than conventional computers.iStock

While Google is targeting a 49-qubit quantum chip, a consortium of famous universities and private companies is expected to design, build and test powerful 100-qubit quantum machines. The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) has selected University of Southern California (USC) to lead the consortium to build quantum computers that could be 10,000 times faster than state-of-the-art modern computers.

In May, IBM also announcedthat it had constructed a prototype commercial quantum processor with 17 qubits, which would be the basis for the first IBM Q early-access commercial systems.

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Donald Trump Confirms He Called House GOP Health Care Bill ‘Mean’ – HuffPost

Posted: at 2:45 pm

President Donald Trump confirmed that he privately called the House Republicans health care bill mean, the same legislation he publicly celebrated with a ceremony in the White House Rose Garden.

Asked about former President Barack Obamas response to the Senate version of the bill, unveiled Thursday, Trump said that his predecessor, who blasted the legislations fundamental meanness, had appropriated my term.

He used my term: mean, Trump toldFox and Friends in an interview that aired Sunday. That was my term, because I want to see and I speak from the heart thats what I want to see. I want to see a bill with heart.

Mark Wilson via Getty Images

Based on unnamed congressional sources, it had been reported earlier this month that Trump told GOP senators during a private meeting that the House bill was mean, and the Senate version should be more generous.

In his latest comments, he again criticized Democrats for being obstructionistsin the health care debate, saying the process for passing a new bill on the issue should be so easy.

It would be so great if the Democrats and Republicans could get together, wrap their arms around it, and come up with something that everybodys happy with. Its so easy! he said. But we wont get one Democrat vote. Not one. And if it were the greatest bill ever proposed in mankind, we wouldnt get a vote. And thats a terrible thing.

During an interview that aired Friday, he discussed how he had falsely insinuated that he had tapes of his private conversations with FBI director James Comey before he fired him from that post. His interviewer, Ainsley Earhardt, praised the presidents subterfuge as smart.

Trumpslast non-Fox interview was on May 11, with NBCs Lester Holt, in which he all but admitted that he had fired Comey because of this Russia thing.

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Donald Trump Becomes First President In Two Decades To Not Host A Ramadan Dinner – HuffPost

Posted: at 2:45 pm

Breaking with tradition, the White House under President Donald Trump did not host an iftar dinner, the meal Muslims eat to break their daily fast during Ramadan.

The dinner, which has been often attended by prominent members of the U.S. Muslim community, began in 1996 during former President Bill Clintons White House tenure and continued through the subsequent Bush and Obama administrations.

Trump and first lady Melania simply issued a brief statement Saturday that offered warm greetings to Muslims celebrating Eid al-Fitr, which marks the close of Ramadan, Islams holy month of fasting.

On behalf of the American people, Melania and I send our warm greetings to Muslims as they celebrate Eidal-Fitr.

Muslims in the United States joined those around the world during the holy month of Ramadan to focus on acts of faith and charity. Now, as they commemorate Eid with family and friends, they carry on the tradition of helping neighbors and breaking bread with people from all walks of life.

During this holiday, we are reminded of the importance of mercy, compassion, and goodwill. With Muslims around the world, the United States renews our commitment to honor these values.

Eid Mubarak.

Trumps decision to skip hosting the dinner comes after he released a controversial statement meant to mark the beginning of Ramadan. Many members of the Muslim community condemned the message, which largely focused on terrorism.

This year, the holiday begins as the world mourns the innocent victims of barbaric terrorist attacks in the United Kingdom and Egypt, acts of depravity that are directly contrary to the spirit of Ramadan, read a White House statement issued in May. Such acts only steel our resolve to defeat the terrorists and their perverted ideology.

Trumps remarks starkly contrast with those by then-President Barack Obamaduring Ramadan last year. In June 2016, Obama and then-first lady Michelle announced plans to host an Eid celebration in the White House and praised American Muslims for their contributions to the U.S.

Muslim Americans have been part of our American family since its founding, the Obamas wrote in a statement roughly five times longer than Trumps Ramadan message. We look forward to welcoming Americans from around the country to celebrate the holiday.

U.S. secretaries of state have also traditionally hosted Iftar dinners since 1999 but not this year. Trumps top diplomat, Rex Tillerson, declined an invitation this year from the State Departments Office of Religion and Global Affairs to host an Eid al-Fitr celebration, according to CNN.

With its break from precedent,the Trump administration shunned an opportunity to reach out to the U.S. Muslim community whose leaders have said has been ostracized by the presidents rhetoric and his policies, including his proposed travel ban.

Imam Talib Shareef, president of the Nations Mosque in Washington, D.C., called Trumps decision disappointing.

To stop it doesnt send a good message Shareef told Newsweek.

Referring to one of Trumps main pastimes, he added: You get the chance to go golfing and all this other kind of stuff. How come you dont have time for a population of your society that needs some assistance?

The White House message on Eid al-Fitr just hours after Trump was spotted visiting the golf club he owns in Virginia.

This story has been updated with the report of Trumps visit to his Virginia golf club.

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