Monthly Archives: August 2017

William Gibson: what we talk about, when we talk about dystopia – Boing Boing

Posted: August 4, 2017 at 12:45 pm

With pre-orders open for the graphic novel collecting William Gibson's amazing comic book Archangel, and a linked novel on the way that ties the 2016 election to the world of The Peripheral, William Gibson has conducted a fascinating interview with Vulture on the surge in popularity in dystopian literature.

Gibson reads literary trends as a kind of window into our collective fears and desires about the future -- he notes that while the 20th century was rife with speculation about the 21st; here in the early decades of 21C we almost never talk about 2200 and beyond (I wonder if that's not just a function of the fact that we're in the first half of the 21st century, while most sf was written in the back half of 20C).

Where things get sharp is where Gibson points out that huge swathes of the human population are living in dystopias as grim as any cyberpunk future ("dystopia is not evenly distributed"). In the 1960s, during the civil rights movement's heyday, LBJ said "If you can convince the lowest white man he's better than the best colored man, he won't notice you're picking his pocket," while Trump's 2016 campaign was a long exercise in telling poor white people that they may end up in the same dire straits that racialized Americans had navigated since the colonialism's first genocidal years on the continent -- proving the corollary to LBJ, namely, convincing white people they may be the next underclass will stampede them into voting for anyone who promises to stop it.

The steady accumulation of wealth at the top of the income distribution since the Reagan years are a kind of macroscopic version of the Trump phenomenon: if you want to convince first-worlders that the end-times are coming, simply convince them that they will live in the dystopian conditions that already prevail elsewhere, confirm their lurking anxiety that the privilege they've enjoyed was an accident of history and not a vote of confidence in their innate superiority. Convince them that they are one bad beat away from having kids with swollen bellies lying outside rude huts, too weak to brush the flies away from their eyes.

I think this is the special genius of The Handmaid's Tale: by putting a white, educated, formerly middle-class woman in the position of a sex-slave to a religious fascist -- by putting a North American in the place of a woman under the Taliban or Isis -- the entwined destiny and fragility of all people on earth (including those in the unevenly distributed dystopias of the Rest of the World) is manifested and our worst fears are confirmed.

There are other reasons that dystopian stories flourish. Science fiction, as Gibson has pointed out, is a pulp literature, a storytelling mode in which the plot is the highest priority. These stories demand a series of ever-raising stakes to keep the tension ratcheting up towards a climax. Disaster stories in which the small problems of workaday life are turned into ever-larger problems of "natural" disaster, human misconduct, worsening disaster, human atrocities, build to an unbeatable crescendo of man-against-nature-against-man that you can't bear to look away from.

As Gibson says, our resonating stories are a window into our collective fears and hopes. We're still talking about Skynet and The Matrix because the fear of transhuman, immortal colony-organisms that use humans as their energy-source and gut-flora is a great metaphor for the relationship most of us have to limited liability transnational corporations.

These, in turn, are the result of extreme market ideology, the idea that markets aren't just places were you go every other week -- they're moral arbiters that tell us who the worthy and unworthy are among us. The Thatcherite doctrine that "there is no such thing as society" is a claim that we have no solidarity, no shared destiny, that "greed is good" and that we are all brands and businesses, and that "there is one and only one social responsibility of businessto use it resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits."

This is a common motif of dystopia: neighbor against neighbor, families turning on each other. In our hearts, we know that we have a common destiny. Not only are do we require other people to help us accomplish anything truly ambitious -- we also are entwined at the level of our very microbes, in our very climate. You can't find high enough ground to escape climate change, not when the people dying in the lowlands are breeding antibiotic resistant TB and coughing it into the air we all breathe. You could try for ever-more baroque secession strategies -- underground shelters, air scrubbers, hydroponics -- but at a certain point, it's far cheaper to just take care of the people around you and vice-versa.

The popularity of today's dystopias might represent the fear of shear between the contradictions of believing in the primacy of the individual (and the idea that our shared destiny is a delusion) and the certainty of the very small and unimaginably large ways in which we are linked. If we go on believing that we owe each other nothing, we'll arrive at a world in which we behave that way -- a perfect dystopia.

There are those who say dystopian and apocalyptic fiction are masturbatory; that they placate us with catharsis when we need to be agitated into action to prevent the real-life collapse of civilization. To what extent do you agree with that outlook?

Much of the planets human population, today, lives in conditions that many inhabitants of North America would regard as dystopian. Quite a few citizens of the United States live under conditions that many people would regard as dystopian. Dystopia is not very evenly distributed. Fantasy is fun, but naturalism is the necessary balance realism, to be less precise. Naturalistic fiction written today is necessarily fairly pessimistic otherwise, it wouldnt be a realistic depiction of the present. If you were, say, a tiger, and you knew whats about to happen to your species (extinction, almost certainly), wouldnt it be realistic to have a pessimistic view of things? I think its realistic, as a human, to have a pessimistic view of a world minus tigers.

William Gibson Has a Theory About Our Cultural Obsession With Dystopias [Abraham Riesman/Vulture]

(Image: Fred Armitage, CC-BY-SA)

Jules Yap takes to Ikeahackers to describe how you can use four Knuff magazine boxes to form a storage-top for a small-apartment-sized coffee table, using an Ikea stool for your base.

Lexi Alexander is the German-Palestinian world kickboxing champ who moved to the US when Chuck Norris helped her get a Green Card; after helping the US Army develop its unarmed combat training program and working as a stuntwoman, she became a virtuoso action-film director, starting with indie movies and working her way up to directing []

Before Laurie Penny was a brilliant young feminist novelist, she was a brilliant young essayist, blazing through the British (and then the worlds) media with column after column that skewered social ills on what Warren Ellis aptly dubbed her red pen of justice.

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Hikers form human chain to cross river after flash-flood – New York Post

Posted: at 12:44 pm

SALT LAKE CITY One of several hikers who formed a human chain across a river swollen with flash flood waters in the Utah desert said Thursday it was powerful watching people help each other through the dangerous situation.

Jhonatan Gonzalez said rainfall upstream transformed the calm water on a hot and sunny day at Utahs red-rock Zion National Park into a waist-high rushing river on Saturday morning.

Theres no way out you just have to go through, said Gonzalez, 40, of Maui, Hawaii.

He and a group of about 15 family members turned back when they saw the current become strong during a river hike known as The Narrows, but they soon reached an area where the water was higher.

Gonzalez and his brothers originally stood in the water together to help several younger family members ranging from 1 to 8 years old cross the river.

Strangers joined their line as they continued to help dozens of other hikers cross the river choked with logs and debris.

Gonzalez paused briefly to take a video of the effort with his cellphone.

It felt good. It was a chilling experience. It almost made me feel teary, just seeing how everyone was helping each other, he said.

Zion closed the area later that afternoon after a flash-flood warning. Ranger John Marciano says rangers work hard to warn people to watch weather reports and be careful of fast-moving water. Anyone caught in risky weather should get to high ground immediately, especially in the river where rocks can quickly become treacherously slippery.

Flash floods at Zion have proved fatal in the past, including a devastating 2015 flood in a deep, narrow canyon that killed seven people.

In Arizona, dozens of hikers have been rescued from floodwaters in recent weeks. Ten people died in mid-July when a sudden rainstorm thundered through a tranquil swimming area about 100 miles northeast of Phoenix.

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The hidden environmental costs of dog and cat food – Washington Post

Posted: at 12:44 pm

Gregory Okin is quick to point out that he does not hate dogs and cats. Although he shares his home withneither he is allergic, so his pets are fish he thinks it is fine if you do.But if you do, he would like you to consider what their meat-heavy kibble and canned foodare doing to the planet.

Okin, a geographer at UCLA, recently did that, and the numbers he crunched led to some astonishing conclusions. Americas180 million or so Rovers and Fluffies gulpdownabout25 percent of all the animal-derived calories consumed in the United States each year, according to Okins calculations. If these pets established a sovereign nation, it wouldrank fifth in global meat consumption.

Needless to say, producingthat meat which requires more land, water and energy and pollutes more than plant-based food creates alot of greenhouse gases: as many as 64 million tons annually, or about the equivalent ofdriving more than 12 million cars around for a year. That doesnt mean pet-keeping must be eschewed for the sake of the planet, but neither is it an unalloyed good, Okin wrote in a study published this week in PLOS One.

If you are worried about the environment, then in the same way you might consider what kind of car you buy this is something that might be on your radar, Okin said in an interview. But its not necessarily something you want to feel terrible about.

This research was a departure for Okin, who typically travels the globe to studydeserts things such aswind erosion, dust production and plant-soil interactions. But he said thebackyard chicken trend in Los Angeles got him thinking about how cool it is that pet chickens make protein, while dogs and cats eat protein. And he discovered that even as interest growsin the environmental impact ofour own meat consumption, therehas been almost no effort to quantify the part our most common pets play.

To do that, Okin turned todog and catpopulation estimates from the pet industry, average animal weights, and ingredient lists in popular pet foods. Thecountrysdogs and cats, he determined, consume about 19 percent as many calories as the human population, or about as much as 62 million American people. But because their diets are higher in protein, the pets total animal-derived calorie intake amounts to about 33 percent ofthat ofhumans.

Okins numbers are estimates, but they do a good job of giving us some numbers that we can talk about, said Cailin Heinze, a veterinary nutritionist at Tufts Universitys Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine who has written about the environmental impact of pet food. They bring up a really interesting discussion.

Okin warns that thesituation isnt likely to improveany time soon. Pet ownership is on the rise in developing countries such asChina, which means the demand for meaty pet food is, too. And in the United States, the growing idea of pets as furry childrenhas led to an expandingmarket of expensive, gourmet foods that sound like Blue Apron meals. That means not just kale and sweet potato in the ingredient list, but grain-free and human-grade concoctions that emphasizetheiruse of high-quality meat rather than the leftoverbyproducts that have traditionally made up much of our pets food.

The trend is that people will be looking for more good cuts of meat for their animals and more high-protein foods for their animals, Okin said.

What to do about this? Thats the hard part.Heinze said one place to start is by passing on the high-protein or human-grade foods. Dogs and cats do need protein and cats, which are obligate carnivores, really do need meat, she said. But the idea that they should dine onthe equivalent of prime rib and lots of it comes from what she calls the pet food fake news machine. Theres no need to be turned off by some plant-based proteins in a foods ingredients, she said, and dog owners in particular can look for foods with lower percentages of protein.

Human-grade, Heinze said, doesnt even have a regulatory definition, but it does suggest that a product might be using protein that humans wouldeat. Meat byproducts all the organs and other animal parts that dont end up at the supermarket are perfectly fine, she said.

Dogs and cats happily eat organ meat, Heinze said. Americans do not.

Okin has some thoughts about that. Theargument that pet foods use of byproducts is an efficiency in meat production is based on the premise thatoffal and organs are gross, he says. (Look no further than the collective gag over a finely textured beef product known as pink slime.) But if wewould reconsider that, his study found, about one-quarter of all the animal-derived calories in pet foodwould be sufficient for all the people of Colorado.

Ive traveled around the world and Im cognizant that what is considered human edible is culture-specific, he said. Maybe we need to have a conversation about what we will eat.

In the meantime, Okin suggests that people thinking about getting a dog might consider a smaller one a terrier rather than a Great Dane, say. Or, if you think a hamster might fulfill your pet desires, go that route.

Heinze, for her part, sometimesoffers the same counsel to vegetarian or vegan clients who want their pets to go meat-free. Theyare typically motivated by animal welfare concerns, not environmental ones, she said, but such diets are not always best for dogs, and they never are for cats.

There have been a few times in my career where Ive honestly said to my clients, We need to find a new home for your pet,' she said, and you need to get a rabbit or a guinea pig or something like that.

Read more:

Dire wolves were real. Now someone is trying to resurrect them.

Goodbye my brother: A Marines loving sendoff for the cancer-stricken dog who saved him

Watch what happens when kittens come to yoga. (So much more than downward dog.)

Long before they conquered the Internet, cats took over the world

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AI-Powered Companies Combine Machine Intelligence And Human Ingenuity – HuffPost

Posted: at 12:44 pm

Mathematics is not about numbers, equations, computations, or algorithms. Mathematics is about understanding. William Paul Thurston

According to the World Economic Forum, the age of AI and smart machines will create three types of jobs in the future of work: 1. those that will disappear (replaced by automation and machines), 2. those that are in collaboration with machines and algorithms, and 3. those jobs that are completely new or remain largely untouched. The new jobs created by AI will require a combination of technology and liberal arts skills in order to optimize business outcomes. According to IDC research, AI powered CRM will create $1.1 trillion dollars of incremental revenue and more than 2 million net new jobs.

To learn more about the future of work and the impact of artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science business strategies, Ray Wang and I invited one of the foremost authorities and expert on application of machine intelligence, organizational leadership and strategy to our weekly show DisrupTV.

Angela Zutavern is Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton and Board of Directors ICE Foundation. Zutavern has pioneered the application of machine intelligence to organizational leadership and strategy. She is an inventor of the machine intelligence and data science strategies that are now helping business and government organizations make better decisions and gain competitive advantages. Zutavern led Booz Allens most advanced data science research and development efforts, including the areas of deep learning and quantum machine learning. She has worked with clients in every major U.S. government cabinet-level department as well as in sub-level agencies. In addition, Angela advised manyFortune500 companies and led teams across every major industry.

A frequent industry, academic, and media speaker on the power of data science, Angela convenes the Chief Data Officer (CDO) Council for the U.S. federal government community. In addition, she is actively involved in strengthening diversity and inclusion, especially in technology, and is an enthusiastic champion of women in data science. Angela also serves on the board of directors of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports ICE employees in their homeland security and public safety missions.

Zutavern co-authored the 2017 book The Mathematical Corporation, which explores how organizations and their leaders can beat the competition by coupling human ingenuity with the mathematical power of machine intelligence. Zutavern shows business leaders how to compete in this new era: by combining the mathematical smarts of machines with the intellect of visionary leaders.

Salesforce

Multiplying our potential capabilities by showing us how to merge human intelligence and machine intelligence, The Mathematical Corporation reveals how leaders can score strategic triumphs and fulfill missions that once seemed out-of-reach or even impossible to attain, said Zutavern. Here are some use cases from the book:

Several companies were referenced as mathematical corporations, including Tesla. Teslas vehicles include software that aids customers limited self-driving. Another set of software, with no effect on the car, records all driver behavior so Tesla can accumulate the data to build future full-service self-driving capability. Whereas it took Google six years to gather a million miles of actual self-driving car data, Teslas 70,000 cars produce a million miles of driver data every ten hours. Who will succeed first in using the data for the next breakthrough?

Here are 7 top takeaways from THE MATHEMATICAL CORPORATION - According to the authors: If the past was about analytics and big data, the future is about the big mind of the mathematical corporation. Big mind comes from combining the mathematical smarts of machines with your own imaginative human intellect. It requires the following shifts in thinking:

Here are the key takeaways from our conversation with Zutavern:

Digital savvy businesses leaders are pioneering the use of machine intelligence within their organizations - the combination of machine and human talent will unleash a whole new set of capabilities for products, services and most importantly business model innovation.

AI is another seat at the boardroom table - a mathematical corporation will use data and the predictive power of data to better understand future trends and adapt accordingly. The combination of machine and human intelligence will accelerate concept to commercialization of capabilities.

In every industry, businesses leaders can leverage the power of data sciences to bolster business strategy - Zutavern references Tesla versus Google and the use of same technology, but different strategies, where Tesla is leaning into capturing far more user data from their autonomous cars to improve the user experience and innovation velocity.

In the AI economy, diversity of backgrounds is key to success - The liberal arts graduates have a great opportunity to impact product design and innovation strategies. Zutavern references innovation competitions and hackathons that benefit from groups from diverse backgrounds. An example of developing algorithms for detecting lung cancer was used to demonstrate the benefits of diversity of experience. The first step is figuring out what you dont know and then inviting domain experts to collaborate as a team.

Video and image recognition will be a significant growth areas - There are many consumer, retail, government and safety applications that will require further advancements and application of AI-powered video and image recognition solutions. The power of deep learning and machine learning advancements in these areas will surely create new business model innovation opportunities.

Ethics and privacy must the first thing business leaders think about - The opt-out model is not sufficient framework for businesses to grow market share and gain stakeholder trust. Zutavern advises law makers, business leaders and entrepreneurs to lead the effort with respect to defining ethical and privacy issues as a community.

To become a mathematical corporation you must begin thinking differently and then acting differently. You must be inclusive, collaborative and open-minded to diversity of talent and expertise. Leaders must graduate from gut instincts and mental models and begin embracing advanced analytics and artificial intelligence. Please watch our video conversation with Angela Zutavern (Twitter: @AngelaZutavern) to learn more about how to become a mathematical corporation.

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‘Obviously Human’: Mother Posts Heart-Wrenching Photos of Baby She Lost at 14 Weeks – CBN News

Posted: at 12:44 pm

Through a heart wrenching social media post describing the miscarriage of twins, a mother is hoping to shed a new light on the sanctity of human life.

Felicia Cash took to Facebook on Monday to share that she had recently lost not one but two babies after 14 weeks of pregnancy. As though the news wasnt painful enough, Cash made the brave decision to post photos of one of her stillborn children to demonstrate thateven at just three and half months gestationa child is more than a cluster of cells and lump of tissue.

WATCH: Parents Surprise Kids With Newly Adopted Baby Sister Their Reactions are Priceless

For 13 years, Felicia Cash and he husband had struggled to start a family of their own. They finally made the decision to foster three sisters, and they adopted the girls two years later. Soon after, they received the remarkable news that they were expecting their first child.

[T]he morning after we signed their adoption papers in court, we found out that we were expecting, Cash told Live Action News. Eight months later, our oldest son was born. A few years after that, we were blessed with another.

Cash and her husband were elated when they discovered they were pregnant with twins this past spring, but things quickly took a turn for the worse. She started experiencing complications about six weeks into her term and was forced to go to the hospital with bleeding.

They did an ultrasound and told us that we had lost one of two, but that the second baby looked healthy and strong, she said. We had other scares when bleeding started again and again, but were told it was just due to the first loss and a hematoma beneath the placenta.

Unfortunately, the doctors were wrong about the second child. Late last month, Cash woke up to more bleeding, which was followed by pain. She knew she had to go to the hospital, but before her husband could get home from work, her water broke, and she delivered her son, Japeth Peace Cash, in her home.

Holding her tiny baby, who was all of 14 weeks and six days old, Cash was taken with how developed the young boy was. It was then that she decided to document her tragic experience on Facebook.

Our beautiful Japeth Peace, miscarried July 24th at 14 weeks 6 days. He is perfectly and wonderfully formed, right down to his amazing tiny toes and fingers, the post began. Even his fingernails are formed and visible. Tiny veins that carried his own blood to his precious body can be seen through his delicate skin, even his wonderfully formed muscles are visible.

Cash went on to explain that her post was meant to show people a real, tangible example of what a human being looks like in the earliest stages of life. It is abundantly clear from her photos that, even at less than half gestation, a baby is far more than a blob of unformed flesh.

At less than half gestation he is very obviously human, not a cluster of cells, not a lump of tissue, not a blob of unformed flesh. He is a beautiful child, formed by God, and now gone to be with Him.

I am posting this in hopes of offering information to those who may not know how completely a child of only 14 weeks gestation is formed. And therefore not something to be taken lightly.

His tiny heart was beating within 16 days of conception, pumping his own blood. That is usually before anyone knows that they are pregnant. There seems to be a misconception that unless you can hear or see it, it isnt happening, but that tiny heart is beating, even if it is too small to hear or see.

As someone who has a beautiful blended family of adopted and biological children, Cash also pleaded with women contemplating abortion to consider alternatives.

As a final plea, if you are considering abortion, please take time to find the truth and reconsider. This is not an effort to shame, belittle, or condemn anyone in any way. It is the plea of a woman who just lost her child for you to at least consider other options.

There are people who are willing to help. I am willing to help. If you feel you have no one and no place to go, please reach out. Whether you keep your precious baby or choose the gift of adoption, you do have options.

Many will say that the foster homes are overflowing already or that no child should be unwanted. But that does not mean that your child should be discarded. As an adoptive mother, I want to encourage you that there are hundreds, thousands of families who would love a child that did not come from their own bodies, and there are thousands of families who do. Reach out. There is hope.

If you have made up your mind to choose abortion, no one can stop you. If you have already chosen abortion, I do not condemn you. And there are many who are willing to counsel you through your loss and grief. Again, reach out. There is hope.

To those who have experienced a similar loss, my heart goes out to you, she concluded. Your love for your lost ones is not in vain. God is good, even still.

In speaking with Live Action News, Cash said she has heard from countless women in the days following her post. Some are remorseful for their decision to abort babies at around the same age as Japeth, while others have suffered miscarriages of their own. Ultimately, she believes God had a plan for her son.

As miserable as this event has been, and as heart rending and tearful, Cash said, I still thank God that I have been able to share Japeths precious life.

(H/T: Live Action News)

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California Aims to Use 100% Renewable Energy by 2045 – Futurism

Posted: at 12:44 pm

In BriefCalifornia is quickening its pace in its plan to achieve 100%renewable energy now by 2045. If the law is passed as expected,California's influence on clean energy and climate change will growand the state will become the nation's de facto leader. Clean Energy In California

California is striding closer to a future that includes100 percent renewable energy, faster than ever before. California Senate President Kevin de Len (D) has proposed a bill which would simultaneously limit Californias hydrocarbon consumption and increase its consumption of renewables according to several goals, and the bill has, as of now, officially cleared the committee stage. Experts feel it is likely to be signed into law by Governor Brown, and when it is, it will push California to produce 50 percent renewable energy from 2030 to 2026, and set new goals for 60 percent renewable energy by 2030, and 100 percent renewable energy by 2045.

This comes at a critical time in the US. President Trump has withdrawn the United States from the Paris Agreement and significantly weakened the EPA and other relevant agencies. Now is a crucial time for states, especially larger states with strong economic chops like California, to show leadershipagainst climate change. Jerry Brown and the California state legislature are making it known that they are committed to doing just that. Should the bill pass, California and Hawaii will be the only two states with legal requirements for 100 percent renewable energy use by 2045, although Massachusetts is considering a goal of 100 percent renewable energy use by 2050.

Several procedural hurdles remain before this bill is signed into law, but these are dwarfed by the infrastructural and fiscal challenges that the state will face in making the law work. Currently, California imports more than one-fourth of its electricity from outside the state, and although coals share of Californias total megawatt hours of power dropped from 1 percent in 2007 to only 0.2 percent in 2015, some estimate that six percent of its imported electricity comes from coal. In 2010, California imported only 25 percent, so the trend is not dropping as hoped.

California is also the third largest state producer of oil and gas, generating about 560,000 barrels of oil every day,as of January 2015, behind only Texas and North Dakota. This means that the state will need to eliminate an entire industry by 2045 and abandon hydrocarbon resources that are both lucrative and accessible. Second, the rest of the nation will miss the production from California at the pumps, paying higher prices for gas and oil across the board. This also means a loss of approximately 456,000 jobs and $38 billion in salaries, about 3.4 percent of Californias GDP. The state will also need to modify or replace more than 50 percent of its infrastructure to support the use of renewables.

Still, if any state can succeed in this its probably California, which has an existing installed solar capacity of 18,296 megawatts as of 2016 thats sufficient to bring power to more than 4 million homes. Californias clean energy sector keeps smashing records, as clean energy jobs in California alone outnumber coal jobs nationwide by an order of magnitude. In March, solar supplied more than half of the states power for a few hours.

Even California utility companies are seeing the light with renewables, for the most part. San Diego Gas and Energy (SDG&E) communications manager Joe Britton told KPBSthat 43 percent of the power provided by the utility in 2016 came from sources that do not advance climate changeone of the highest percentages nationwide. Furthermore, investor-owned utilities in the state are already meeting 27.6 percent of their load with renewable energy sources, and eight California cities have joined a total of 37 cities in the US that have pledged to transition to 100% renewables.

Perhaps most striking is that Californians want this bill. They have come out en masse to support it, and with this kind of public support and commercial potential, the bill has a great chance of success.

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IBM Announces Record Breaking New Data Storage Device – Futurism

Posted: at 12:43 pm

In Brief IBM and Sony have successfully developed a magnetic tape storage cartridge capable of containing more than 300 terabytes of data. This device, which comes in the smallest format there is, could revolutionize data storage even in cloud platforms. On a Roll

Magnetic tape drives have been around for more than six decades now. Its commercial use has been mostly for storing data, such as tax documents and health care records, from mainframe computers. From the first 2-megabyte tape drives in the 1950s, todays versions are now capable of storing up to 15 terabytes. IBM has been pushing it further.

In partnership with Sony Storage Media Solutions, IBM has broken its previousrecord for the worlds densest tape drive, announcing a product capable of storing 330 terabytes of uncompressed data. Thats more storage than the worlds biggest hard drives, capable of holdingabout 330 million books. The tape drives cartridge could fit into the palm of a persons hand.

The results of this collaboration have led to various improvements in the media technology, such as advanced roll-to-roll technology for long sputtered tape fabrication and better lubricant technology, which stabilizes the functionality of the magnetic tape, IBM fellow Evangelos Eleftheriou said in a statement, The Verge reported.

To achieve such storage capacity, IBM researchers had to develop new technologies, including advanced nanotech and new signal-processing algorithms. The end result was a tape that had an areal surface capable of storing 31gigabits per cm (201 gigabits per in). Details of the devices development was published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Magnetics.

The end goal, of course, is commercial use. Specifically, IBM is looking to expand magnetic tape use to applications in the cloud. Tape has traditionally been used for video archives, back-up files, replicas for disaster recovery, and retention of information on premise, but the industry is also expanding to off-premise applications in the cloud, Eleftheriou said according to reporting from The Verge.

While sputtered tape is expected to cost a little more to manufacture than current commercial tape, the potential for very high capacity will make the cost per terabyte very attractive, making this technology practical for cold storage in the cloud, he added.

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What’s Happening: August 4, 2017 – Verde Independent

Posted: August 3, 2017 at 11:59 pm

Stephen Scott of Underwood Gardens to speak Aug. 8

On August 8 come hear Stephen Scott of Underwood Gardens in Chino Valley, explain how sowing a cover crop in the late summer/early fall will help build your garden soil. Stephen reports that theyve seen tremendous results with bindweed and morning glory both with their raised beds and with customers reports, so this should be valuable info! Meeting is at 6 pm at Pine Shadows Clubhouse, 2050 W. SR 89A, Cottonwood. Bring a friend and well see you on Tuesday, August 8. Questions? Call Janice Montgomery, 634-7172.

Reminder: The Verde Valley Seed Library, sponsored by the Verde Thumbs Gardeners, will open every other Saturday from 11 1 at the Cottonwood Library beginning August 19. There are lots of free veggie, herbs and flower seeds for you to check out.

Solar Viewing at the Library

The first total solar eclipse since 1979 to be seen over the North American Continent will occur on Monday, August 21, 2017. Although totality will not be seen from Arizona, the Moon will cover up nearly sixty-eight percent of the sun for those in the Verde Valley. Join J.D. Maddy of the Astronomers of Verde Valley for a presentation all about the Sun.

Those attending will have a chance to see the Sun safely with special telescopes designed to view the Sun in different wavelengths of light. Come out and learn about the Sun and how to view it safely. The presentation will be on Wednesday, August 9 in Library Meeting Room B. It will begin at 12 p.m. and the solar viewing will begin outside the library at 1 p.m. Free solar viewing glasses will be given out to all who attend. This event is free and open to the public. The library is located at 100 S 6th St in Cottonwood.

The Seed Library returns to Cottonwood Public Library

The Cottonwood Public Library is once again partnering with the Verde Thumbs Gardening Club and offering a seed lending program for the fall growing season. The Seed Library is a collection of free, open-pollinated seeds and a community of gardeners coming together to celebrate their hobby. With a seed library you can check out seeds and grow the plants. From those plants you can save some seeds and then return them to the Seed Library for the next growing season. Eventually these seeds become adapted to our soil and climate and are more productive.

The Seed Library will reopen on Saturday, August 19 and free seeds will be available to be checked out from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot lobby. Volunteers will be available to answer questions and help with seed selection. The Seed Library will be open every other Saturday, starting August 19 through October 14. The library is located at 100 S 6th St in Cottonwood.

Come Back Buddy ready to rock at Clarkdale Concert in the Park

On Saturday, August 12th, Clarkdale Community Services is proud to present Come Back Buddy. They will perform 7-9 p.m. at the Clarkdale Town Park gazebo. This concert is FREE to the public.

COME BACK BUDDY is a 4-piece rock-n-roll band inspired by the legendary Buddy Holly and the Crickets. The trios repertoire includes the music of many artists from the 50s era including Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Ricky Nelson, and of course, Buddy Holly. Mike Randall provides Come Back Buddys lead vocals and guitar. Accompanied by Janine Randall on bass and Don Rinehart, Austin Case, or Tim Kimbro on drums. Dean Randall on Tenor Sax joins Come Back Buddy on stage at select performances. The band has a strong foundation and a strong following! The bands purpose is to add a fun and musical atmosphere to any event. For some, Come Back Buddy is an education in nostalgia, while for others its a walk down memory lane. So, if youre looking to turn back the clock, or simply want to hear some great music and hits from the 50s, Come Back Buddy is the band for you! Visit: http://www.comebackbuddy.com for the latest news, performance schedule, and music samples.

The park is located in the center of the towns historic district on Main Street, between 10th and 11th Street. There is a 50/50 raffle which all proceeds benefit the Concerts in the Park. Remember to bring your own seating and that alcohol is not permitted in the park.

Vending spaces are available and can be arranged by contacting Community Services at (928) 639-2460. For more information please visit: http://www.clarkdale.az.gov/concerts_in_the_park.htm or contact Clarkdale Community Services at (928)639-2460; email: community.services@clarkdale.az.gov. For up to the minute updates on the status of scheduled concerts visit the Clarkdale Parks & Recreation/Clark Memorial Library Facebook page or call the Concert Hotline: (928)639-2492.

Toys for Tots Golf Tournament set for Oct. 7

On Saturday, Oct. 7, the 12th annual Toys for Tots Golf Tournament will take place at Verde Santa Fe Golf Course in Cornville.

The entry of $85 includes scramble format, green fees, cart, range balls, lunch, promotional item, individual and team cash prizes. ($75 for uniformed services--military, police and fire)

$65 for Verde Santa Fe members. Limited to 80 paid players. Raffles (before golf) and silent auction (after). 8:00 sign in and shotgun start at 9:00. Beverage cart will be available.

Larry Green Chevrolet will provide a new car for a hole-in-one on a designated hole. Bring an unwrapped toy over $15 value and receive a raffle ticket. More raffle tickets will be on sale as you check in. Register 1-4 players, ladies and/or men.

Forms available at the golf course or contact Krys (928) 649-3747 email krysvogler@gmail.com for registration or questions. Early entries help us with planning.

Flight of Obscurity XII on display at Yavapai College Aug. 22

Nationally renowned installation artist, Nathaniel Foley is the featured artist for a solo exhibition titled Flight of Obscurity XII at the Verde Art Gallery on the Yavapai College Campus, 601 Black Hills Drive Bldg. F-105.

Flight of Obscurity XII features sculptures consisting of cones integrated with spires held together under tension, supported by utilitarian containers. This fragile relationship of forms exposes the delicate balance between grace and imminent danger, like the fleeting ballet of courting birds or hostile dogfight between foes. Referring to aeronautical form, the sculptures communicate tension and dance in direct opposition to fundamental forces.

Flight of Obscurity XII will be available to the public at the Verde Art Gallery at Yavapai College 601 S. Black Hills Drive, Bldg. F-105 Clarkdale, AZ, from August 22 through September 15, 2017. The new gallery hours are Tuesday -Friday 10-AM to 3PM. A Special Preview with the artist will be held on August 3, from 5 7pm. This event is free and open to the public.

Camp Verde Quilters Group holding meetings

The Camp Verde Quilters Group meets the 2nd Monday of each month at 8:30 A.M., at the Dennys restaurant located at 1630 W. Highway 260, Camp Verde, Arizona. Please join us to discuss quilts and quilting. We meet monthly to share ideas and plans for the Bi-Annual Quilt Show which is held during the Fort Verde Days Celebration in October. The next Quilt Show will be in 2018. Ongoing plans for the show include a Country Store with fabrics, books, vintage quilts, textiles and even sewing machines. Proceeds will benefit the quilt show and charitable organizations. We also share quilt projects we are working on or have completed. All quilters are welcome! Our next meeting is on Monday, August 14.

Sherman Andrus in Concert

The Verde Valley Church of the Nazarene invites everyone to come and enjoy Sherman Andrus sing during the morning service on Sunday, Aug. 6 at 10:45 a.m. Be sure to bring your friends and family as you will enjoy hearing him Praise the Lord.

Sherman Andrus is an American gospel singer, who was the lead singer with the mainstream Christian music group, the Imperials. He has been a very prolific artist who has been involved in one way or another with thirty gospel albums to date.

*With pic

Sunset Yoga & Wine at Yavapai College

Sunset Yoga & Wine. Enjoy an expansive yoga class on the patios of Yavapai Colleges Southwest Wine Center, followed by a delightful glass of their local, student made wine. This relaxing, Friday evening class is led by yoga instructor, Roxanne W~. 4:30pm, 601 Black Hills Drive, Clarkdale. $11 with wine or $6 for the yoga class only. For more info contact the Southwest Wine Center at (928) 634-6566.

August events calendar at Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot

August will be filled with a lot of fun and educational special programs at both Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments! Here are some of our featured events:

How Did Montezuma Castle Get Its Name?

Montezuma Castle, Friday, August 4th 9:00am-11:00am

Joint presentation with Fort Verde State Historic Park, to be repeated from 2:00pm-4:00pm at Fort Verde.

Ancient TechnologyArrow making

Tuzigoot, Saturday, August 19th 10:00am-12:00pm

Monthly demonstrations by Zack Curcija of Echoes from the Past School of Ancient Technology, every third Saturday of the month through the end of the year.

Founders Day Fee Free

Friday, August 25thAll National Parks will be fee free in honor of the National Park Services 101st birthday.

Bat Blitz! (rescheduled)

Tuzigoot, Friday, August 25thJoin us for the free event onFriday, Aug 25thfrom6:30pm to 9:00pmfor a peek inside the life of the only flying mammal in the world. The evening will begin at6:30pmwith a ranger talk all about bats. Attendees can learn about the mysteries and misconceptions that surround these amazing night creatures.

Sacred Scarlets Macaw Program

Montezuma Castle, Friday, August 25th 10:00am 11:00am

Tuzigoot, Sunday, August 27th 10:00am 11:00am

Sacred Scarlets presents lectures and demonstrations featuring a young, beautiful captive-bred Scarlet Macaw. These lectures and demonstrations address conservation as well as the Scarlet Macaws fascinating history in American Southwest culture.

Montezuma Castle National Monument is located at 2800 Montezuma Castle Highway, Camp Verde, AZ 86322. Tuzigoot National Monument is located at 25 Tuzigoot Road, Clarkdale, AZ. For additional information, call 928-567-3322 or visit http://www.nps.gov/tuzi and http://www.nps.gov/moca and select the calendar icon.

For the latest updates on events and programs, find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @TuzigootNPS and @MontezumaNPS

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for Americas 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.

Know your numbers, choose your lifestyle

Camp Verde Community Library offers FREEHealth Screenings FridayAugust 4th,between9 am and 3 pm. These non-fasting screenings for cholesterol, diabetes and blood pressure are sponsored by Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) and Verde Valley Medical Centers.

During the 20 minute non-fasting Biometric screening you will not only get your Numbers but a healthcare professional will go over your results with you to help you understand the connection between your numbers and healthy lifestyle habits.

Camp Verde Community Library is located at 130 Black Bridge Road. For more information call NAH at 928-853-0879 or contact the Library at 928-554-8391.

Using essential oils to beat the heat

Thursday, August 17 1-3 p.m., FREE CLASS at the Camp Verde Community Library. Summer heat got you down? Essential oils can help -- quickly and naturally!

Learn about the intricate and reliable interaction between essential oils and your body and mind, and you will have a powerful and scientifically proven tool for keeping your cool and protecting your health and well-being. Many oils are also appropriate for our four-legged friends!

Pre-registration is advised due to space considerations.

Call or text Honey Rubin 404-626-5535 or Sarah Jensen 928-451-4847.

Forum on education in Arizona

The Sedona/Verde Valley United Education Team is inviting the public to attend an informative presentation: Education: Whats Happening in Arizona and How Will the Proposed Federal Budget Affect Education. The presentation will be held at the Cottonwood Public Library in Library Meeting Room A at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 5th. The library is located at 100 S 6th St in Cottonwood.

Job Fair at Cottonwood Library

Presented by Goodwill Industries, a Hiring Fest will be held at the Cottonwood Public Library on Wednesday, August 9 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Multiple employers from around the Verde Valley will be on hand with job opportunities for a variety of different career paths. The Hiring Fest will take place in Library Meeting Room B. The library is located at 100 S 6th St in Cottonwood.

Free nutrition workshop

Join Doctor Sandra Bonhomme as she presents a free workshop called Healthier Nutrition Habits for Life. Those attending will have a better understanding of the evolution and global causes of obesity in America, gluten sensitivity, dairies and processed foods. Bonhomme has a PhD in Nutrition from the Paris Descartes University in France, as well as a specialized degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics. She has a passion for helping people appreciate nutrition as a crucial discipline for health and prevention. Bonhomme also graduated from a French Pastry School in Paris and has developed gluten-free, dairy-free and healthy traditional French pastries. This workshop will take place in Library Meeting Room B at the Cottonwood Public Library on Saturday, August 12 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The Library is located at 100 S 6th St in Cottonwood.

Author visit with Carol Rifon

Author Carol Rifon has over 30 years of successful training for individuals, businesses, colleges and the United States Navy. She has a Masters Degree in Psychology and Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) professional certification. Her book Rethinking Fear: A simple, unique approach to reprogram old patterns for a happier, more confident life is an award winning finalist of the 2017 International Book Awards. Rethinking Fear is a self-help book that is unconventional in its use of a multi-dimensional approach to stimulate cognitive, emotional and neurotransmitter functions to help individuals override fearful life patterns. Rifon will be visiting the Cottonwood Public Library on Saturday, August 12 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Living Your Life in a Turbulent World

Paula and Alana Green are a mother-and-daughter team who, in 2014, found themselves paring down their possessions and beginning a journey that they later described as a Soul-Journ. Paula was 55 at the time and Alana 15.

After living a year in Australia, New Zealand and Bali, they have recently returned to the Verde Valley where Alana was born and they lived for 15 years.

We had an idea and a couple of intentions with our adventure but really no clue how it would unfold or who and what circumstances we would encounter says Paula, but as we kept following our hunches and trusting our gut instincts, we began to see a pattern unfolding as to where we were being led.

Many people told them during their travels, how significant it was for them to hear about a mother and daughter taking this endeavor together. They were invited to a 3-part radio interview in Melbourne, Australia that you may hear at their Soul-Journ page on Facebook.

After re-entering the American culture in November of 2016, a time of great upheaval, they felt a commitment to share and host conversations around many of the insights they discovered about community, family, young people, parent/child relationships, Indigenous, environment and consciousness.

Alana, today at 18 years: When I was a little girl, I dreamed of a community and future where people helped each other. Everything was interconnected. At the time, I was too scared to share that dream because I was afraid that it would never come true. However, since I have had that dream, I have seen evolution take turns like a river flowing ever more upward. And with each resolution, and revolution, the process goes faster and faster. I think the maturity we have reached compared to twenty years ago is astounding. The only question now is, what do we do with the gained information and maturity?

Join Paula and Alana at the Cottonwood Public Library on Saturday, August 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Library Meeting Room B. Some of the topics to be discussed include coping with disaster, tragedy and the unknown, how to incorporate conscious evolution and action, the differences between consciousness and action-oriented people, how thought translates into action and the changing environments around us. All members of the public are invited to join in the discussion. The Library is located at 100 S 6th St in Cottonwood.

2017 Chamber Golf Tournament and Sponsorship Opportunities

Its tee time! Planning for the 15th Annual Cottonwood Cooler Golf Challenge is well underway. Committee members are inviting area businesses to join as major sponsors.

Sponsorships available: Gold $750-includes one foursome with company name on a Tee or Green, exposure on all marketing promotions, opportunity to hang advertising banner and place a table to promote your business at the event and two flyer inserts in the Chamber Newsletter. Silver $400-includes one twosome with company name on a Tee or Green, exposure on all marketing promotions, opportunity to place a table to promote your business at the event and one flyer insert in the Chamber Newsletter.

There are opportunities for non-golfers as well. The Community Partner Sponsorship $250-includes exposure on all marketing promotions, opportunity to place a table to promote your business at the event and one flyer insert in the Chamber Newsletter. Tee or Green Sponsor $100-sign placed with your logo and company name on a Tee or Green the day of the event! In addition to sponsorship opportunities, Chamber volunteers will be calling community businesses for donations for the raffle & silent auction. Business are also invited to include promotional items or coupons in the golfer goodie bags at no cost.

We would like to thank our Current Sponsors: Northern AZ Rehab, Crazy Tonys Cornville Market, Lawler Construction, Unisource Energy, LaserLyte, SpeedConnect, Big-O Tires, Butler Leavitt Insurance, Colonial General Insurance, SpectrUm Healthcare, Coldwell Banker/Mabery, Edward Jones/Amy Brown, PacWest Insurance, Galpin Ford, Yavapai Title, Meadowbrook Insurance, Stanley Steel Structures.

We hope that area businesses will see this as an excellent marketing opportunity, explains committee Co-Chair Lori Mabery. In addition to the application, prospective golfers will be sent a list of other things to see and do in the Verde Valley. We hope theyll be encouraged to make a family weekend out of it.

Verde Santa Fe Golf Pro, Mike Wright, is once again offering new and exciting changes for this years tournament that were sure you will enjoy. Last year, we donated $1000 to support Junior Golf in the Verde Valley through the CMS Junior Golf Program.

The tournament is scheduled for Saturday, August 5, 2017 at Verde Santa Fe Golf Course. If history is any indication, the tournament is expected to sell out all 112 spots so get your team registered now. For fourteen consecutive years the outpouring of generosity from the business community has been incredible, allowing nearly every participant to go home with a raffle or silent auction prize. For more information about the tournament, to participate as a sponsor, to donate raffle and silent auction items or to include your item in the golfer goodie bag contact Christian at the Cottonwood Chamber office at 928-634-7593. Register on-line at http://www.cottonwoodchamberaz.org.

Opioid Overdose Training: What does it look like and how to respond

MATFORCE is hosting Opioid Overdose trainings on Monday, August 7 in Cottonwood and Tuesday, August 15 in Prescott Valley. The public is invited to attend.

Ivan Anderson, Firefighter/Paramedic with the Verde Valley Fire District and Member of the MATFORCE Speakers Bureau, will present information on opioid overdose, what it looks like and how to respond. Ivan will also discuss details about Arizonas naloxone law, overdose prevention and how to use naloxone to rescue overdose victims. Free Naloxone will be made available for eligible participants.

Arizona lost 790 people to opioid overdoses in 2016, a 74% increase in opioid overdose deaths in four years. On June 5, 2017 Governor Ducey declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. The declaration seeks to expand the distribution of the overdose reversal drug Naloxone, the development of new guidelines for health care providers on responsible prescribing and the expansion of access to drug treatment options.

The training Monday, August 7 will take place at the Verde Valley Medical Center, 269 S. Candy Lane, Conference Rooms A and B. The training Tuesday, August 15 will take place at the Step One Building, 6719 E. 2nd Street in Prescott Valley. The trainings will take place from 12 1:30 p.m. Lunch will be served.

To register for the training email MATFORCE at matforce@cableone.net or call 928 708 0100.

Bring books to concert to help launch re-opening of Clark Memorial Library

Beginning with July 29s Missouri Opry Country Legends, Friends of Clark Memorial Library will have a booth at the free Concerts In The Park where CML supporters can drop off books for the librarys Grand Reopening Book Sale. Book donors will also find the Friends on August 12 (Come Back Buddy), August 26 (Shri Blues Band), and September 9 (Matchbox Twenty Too).

Concerts are from 7 to 9 p.m. Friends from 6:15 or so. Come early and hear the latest installment of the Clark Memorial Library saga.

Also, watch this space for more book, time, and cash donation opportunities around Clarkdale. For more info, contact Jimmy Salmon, or drop a card to Friends of Clark Memorial Library, P.O. Box 301, Clarkdale, AZ 86324.

Mingus on the Hill class reunion

If you attended Mingus on the Hill in Jerome classes 1959 to 1975, you are invited to our multiyear class reunion at the Verde Valley Fairgrounds on September 23, 2017. Cost is $20.00 per person if paid and registered by September 1st. For info, contact Detta @ 949-290-2872 or Becky @ 928-451-6937

Vendor space available for artists, arts & crafts vendors, local businesses, non-profits

Clarktoberfest2017 is not really like Oktoberfest although there is beer involved. Its Clarkdales unique event, a fall festival that is a street fair/concert/beer garden and a fun time for all and of course live music! This year we are merging Howl-o-ween, the Clarkdale dog event, with Clarktoberfest. There will be lots of fun for dogs, kids and adults with both events in one place and time. More information at our website:http://clarktoberfestaz.com/

Vendor space is available! Vendors will be provided a 10x10 space on the street you will bring your own tent, tables, chairs, etc. The cost of the booth space will be $25 with your business license or $30 for those without a business license. If you are interested in a booth space you can go to http://clarktoberfestaz.com/ and CLICK on Participants Forms to complete our online application then mail a check to us or email us at madeinclarkdale2012@gmail.com and we will email back to you a vendor application. If you have any questions, also email us at madeinclarkdale2012@gmail.com.

Alzheimers Association support group

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What's Happening: August 4, 2017 - Verde Independent

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NASA decided to take a snap of ‘nothing’ and THIS is what they saw… – Express.co.uk

Posted: at 11:57 pm

GETTY

Telescope time is so expensive that astronomers usually know exactly what star or planet they are investigating.

But as an experiment NASA pointed its Hubble Telescope at a void in space which changed and provided one of the most iconic images of the cosmos.

At the time, NASA was struggling with the Hubble Telescope which was deemed a failure as it had only provided blurry images for its first five years due to a flaw in one of the mirrors the mirrors are used to take extremely long distance pictures.

However, astronauts spent three days on the satellite orbiting Earth to rectify the problem, and when they did, NASA had something to prove.

R. Williams (STScI), the HDF-S Team, and NASA/ESA

To test the new equipment, Robert Williams, former director of the Space Telescope Science Institute, decided to point the telescope at nothing.

However, what came back was a stunning image which gave the world an unprecedented view into the entire history of the universe.

In an interview with Vox, Mr Williams said: What we were doing was trying to find sort of an indiscriminate area of the sky where no observation had been made before.

AFP/Getty Images

1 of 15

Bubble Nebula, also known as NGC 7653, which is an emission nebula located 11 000 light-years away

The image is now known as the Hubble Deep Field and is more than 12 billion lightyears deep.

A lightyear is measured by how long it takes for light to travel in a year moving at 186,000 miles per second.

So what the Hubble Deep Field image shows in the distance is how the universe looked 12 billion years ago.

GETTY

In the forefront of the image, minus a few stars which were in view, there are the galaxies which have formed over billions of years.

But in the background are irregularly shaped infant galaxies which are just beginning to take shape, so close to the dawn of time 13.8 billion years ago.

Mr Williams added: "We didnt know what was there, and that was the whole purpose of the observation, basically to get a core sample of the universe.

"You do the same thing if you're trying to understand the geology of the Earth: Pick some typical spot to drill down to try to understand exactly what the various layers of the Earth are and what they mean in terms of its geologic history."

Continued here:
NASA decided to take a snap of 'nothing' and THIS is what they saw... - Express.co.uk

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One soldier killed, several wounded in latest attack on NATO troops in Afghanistan – Washington Post

Posted: at 11:57 pm

A NATO soldier was killed andsixothers, including a translator, were wounded when a suicide bomber attacked their patrol Thursday in eastern Afghanistan, marking the second incidentin just as many days when insurgent attacks have killed Western troops.

The U.S.-led mission in Afghanistan provided few details about the attack and did not release the nationality of the dead soldier. Navy Capt. Bill Salvin, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said in an email that the bombing occurredin Kabul provinces Qarabagh district and that the casualtiesnationalities will be confirmed once we complete our notification procedures.

News reports indicated that the ambushed convoy belonged to the U.S. military and it was hit by a Taliban suicide bomber.Qarabagh district isjust south of Bagram airfield, the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan. American and NATO troops frequently patrol around the sprawling facilityto ensure its perimeter and flight approaches are secure. In December 2015, six Americans were killed by a suicide bomber outside of Bagram during one such mission.

[Two U.S. troops killed in attack on NATO convoy in Afghanistan]

On Wednesday, a suicide bomber attacked a convoy in Kandahar province, killing two U.S. soldiers and wounding four others, bringing the total of Americans killed by hostile fire to nine for 2017. In 2016, 10 U.S. troops died from enemy fire. And since the United States invaded in 2001, more than 2,000 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan.

The recent attacks come as President Trump weighs sending an additional 4,000 U.S. troops into the country. The majority of the attacks, however, are aimed at Afghan security forces. Last week, 40 Afghan soldiers died in a single insurgent operation in Kandahar. More than 2,000 Afghan soldiers have died and upward of 4,000 have been wounded since the beginning of the year.

There are about 8,500 U.S. troops split between advising the Afghan military and conducting counterterrorism missions against such groups as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. There are also approximately 5,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan who are supporting the struggling Afghan forces.

On Wednesday, NBC news reportedthat Trump said last month that the United States was losing in Afghanistan and that he was considering firing his top commander there, Army Gen.John W. Nicholson.

The U.S. mission in Afghanistan also recently broke with decades of precedent when it decided that it would not release casualty notifications until after the families of the dead had been informed. Over the past 15 years of war in Afghanistan, the U.S. military gave an initial notification of an American casualty within hours of an incidentbefore releasing the name or names of the dead about a day or so later.

That policy changed, officials said, because of the relatively small number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and the likelihoodthat even minimal casualty releases could give away certain unit locations. In Iraq and Syria, where the United States has even fewer troops, commanders still follow the normal casualty notification process.

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One soldier killed, several wounded in latest attack on NATO troops in Afghanistan - Washington Post

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