Monthly Archives: July 2021

America’s Impressive History of Bioweapons Attacks Against Its Own People – CounterPunch.org – CounterPunch

Posted: July 10, 2021 at 3:43 am

The Biden Administration, the mainstream media and pretty much all the politicians in our country continue to throw fuel on the Sinophobia fire initially stoked by former President and current Mar-a-lago fungineer Donald Trump.

(Word to the wise, Sinophobia means anti-China hatred, not anti-cinema hatred as I had thought. So I apologize to all the people who posted a movie review forFast And Furious 27and noticed a response comment from me reading GODDAMN SINOPHOBE! Under the circumstances, that was an odd thing to yell.)

During the Trump Administration, the Wuhan lab leak theory was called a ridiculous conspiracy that blossomed out of Trumps racist brain which it did. It absolutely did. And he should get some credit for that because anyone can be racist but Trump is a racistinventor. He comes up with new and exciting ways to be racist. So he deserves some credit for his innovation.

Last year, Trumps racist lab leak theory was thrown out by both the Democratic establishment and most of the mainstream media. However, now that the crackpot conspiracy can be useful for President Bidens deranged anti-China rhetoric, all of a sudden the establishment and the media think its a wonderful conspiracy.

A recent CNNheadline blared: What the lab-leak theorys new credibility means for social media! A CNBCheadline screamed: Biden orders closer review of Covid origins as U.S. intel weighs Wuhan lab leak theory. While just a couple weeks ago, Yahoo News quietlyreminded us: Theres still no evidence of a Chinese lab leak.

But mainly you have to go to independent news sources to get the reality. Heres Danny Haiphong atBlack Agenda Report: Similar to Russiagate, U.S. intelligence has run with an entirely unsourced narrative, that conveniently pins blame on another country for domestic ills and labels that country a national security threat. The lab leak conspiracy is an effective psychological operation because it is difficult to imagine evidence that could disprove or prove the claim.

Ah, those are the best kind of racist stories the ones that cant be disproven.

But one thing youll certainly neverhear from the mainstream media is that all of this is stacked on top of a mostly-forgotten, yet impressively prodigious, history of the American people provably being used as lab rats by our own government. For example, as reported atBusiness Insider, On September 20, 1950, a US Navy ship just off the coast of San Francisco used a giant hose to spray a cloud of microbes into the air and into the citys fog. The military was testing how a biological weapon attack would affect the 800,000 residents of the city.

So they, uh, perpetrated a biological attack on American citizens to find out what would happen in the event of a biological attack on American citizens?! Honestly, the mind reels. In one of the largest human experiments in history, our military covered the people ofSan Francisco with two kinds of bacteria, Serratia marcescens and Bacillus globigii (Nowadays you can only find that kind of treatment from Clevelands tap water.)

The gas attack sickened many and was known to kill at least one man. According to Rebecca Kreston at Discover Magazine, this event ranked as one of the largest offenses against the Nuremberg Code since its inception because the code requires voluntary, informed consent to, you know, hit people with bioweapons. (Unless youre trying to kill them, in which case I think the informed consent is off the table.)

But that experiment did not mark the end of such things,just the beginning. Over the next 20 years, the military would conduct 239 germ warfare tests over populated areas, according to news reports from the 1970s after the secret tests had been revealed in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Associated Press, and other publications, and also detailed in congressional testimony from the 1970s.

After it came out, the government explained that their goal was to deter the use of biological weapons and be prepared for them. Apparently we wanted to deter biological weapons attacks on Americans by dropping biological weapons on Americansfirst. What a genius strategy. Our enemies would never see it coming. Plus, why would our global nemeses attack us with germ warfare if we do it toourselves? You cant threaten to kill a man if hewantsto die!

Of the 239 biological and chemical warfare tests by the military, some were done across the Midwest to see how the pathogen would spread throughout the country (and probably to clear out some parking spots). When asked why military planes were dispersing unknown clouds of shit over cities, they claimed they were testing a way to mask the cities from enemy bombers.

In another study of how vulnerable New York City subway passengers were to covert biological agents, for six days the U.S. military broke light bulbs brimming full of the bacteria Bacillus subtilis and S. marcescens inside NYC subway stations and watched it spread throughout the city. Clouds would engulfpeople as trains pulled away, but documents say that the people brushed their clothing and walked on. No one was concerned.

Thats New York for ya. Hit commuters with germ warfare they just brush it off and keep moving. Every day to a New Yorker is germ warfare. I once rode from Montauk to Hoboken sitting across from a man relieving himself. A little experiment by the Military Industrial Complex doesnt even register on a New Yorkers list of things to worry about.

Yet, the military was testing more than just germ attacks. Other experimentsinvolved testing mind-altering drugs on unsuspecting citizens. That program went by the name MKUltra (which is also a great name for a metal band or a homemade cocktail containing absinthe). MKUltra continued fortwenty years, during whichthe CIA triedto achieve mind control by using torture, LSD, hypnosis, and electro-shock therapy sometimes on unwitting subjects. (And even if they were witting going into the experiment, afterwards not so much.)

Among other things, this program resulted inthe murderof a scientist named Frank Olson in 1953 and (accidentally)the creation of the Unabomber. (Who said the CIA doesnt work hard? Theyre killin people here, electrocutin people there, creatin terrorists. Thats a hell of a workload.)

Next, theres the well-knownTuskegee Experimentsin which government researchers studied the effects of syphilis on black Americans without informing the men that they had the disease they were instead told they had bad blood.

Not to worry, young man you just havebad blood. Its gonna be fine. But you will also die soon. Thats one of the negative side effects.

The researchers withheld treatment from the participants so they could continue to study the illness, which the men werent even toldthey had.

In sum, the Military Intelligence Industrial Complex are serial murderers not just overseas but of our own citizens. They performedhundredsof experiments on unsuspecting Americans, and yet the organizations responsible still exist and enjoy budgets in the hundreds of billions of dollars a year. No one went to prison for these heinous acts because when you or I do it, its called a horrible crime, but when the ruling elite do it, its called research.

This piece first appeared at ScheerPost.

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America's Impressive History of Bioweapons Attacks Against Its Own People - CounterPunch.org - CounterPunch

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Jason Report on the Impacts of Large Satellite Constellations – National Science Foundation

Posted: at 3:43 am

The U.S. National Science Foundation commissioned a study by the independent science advisory group JASON to assess the impact of current and planned large satellite constellations on astronomical observations in 2020. The charge for JASON was to:

NSF commissioned the report as a resource for all stakeholders. The JASON group had broad discretion in constructing its report and identifying relevant issues. The report sets benchmarks and the foundation for discussing the impacts on astronomy at various wavelengths.

NSF is reviewing the report's findings and recommendations and intends to continue to work with stakeholders on the development of mutual solutions.

Please review the full PDF report.

Recent and upcoming relevant activities and events can be found at the following:

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

For questions related to the report contents, contact Mitre Corporation at glong@mitre.org. For questions related to NSF's astronomy program, contact mpscomms@nsf.gov.

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Lee Camp: Americas impressive history of bioweapons attacks against its own people – RT

Posted: at 3:43 am

Forget China-bashing conspiracy theories, let's look at the fogging of SF, the microbial attack on the NYC subway and other unpleasantries perpetrated by the CIA and US military in our not-so-distant past.

This article was originally published by ScheerPost.

The Biden administration, the mainstream media and pretty much all the politicians in our country continue to throw fuel on the Sinophobia fire initially stoked by former president and current Mar-a-Lago fungineer Donald Trump.

(Word to the wise, Sinophobia means anti-China hatred, not anti-cinema hatred as I had thought. So I apologize to all the people who posted a movie review for 'Fast And Furious 27' and noticed a response comment from me reading GODDAMN SINOPHOBE! Under the circumstances, that was an odd thing to yell.)

During the Trump administration, the Wuhan lab-leak theory was called a ridiculous conspiracy that blossomed out of Trumps racist brain which it did. It absolutely did. And he should get some credit for that because anyone can be racist but Trump is a racistinventor. He comes up with new and exciting ways to be racist. So he deserves some credit for his innovation.

Last year, Trumps racist lab-leak theory was thrown out by both the Democratic establishment and most of the mainstream media. However, now that the crackpot conspiracy can be useful for President Bidens deranged anti-China rhetoric, all of a sudden the establishment and the media think its a wonderful conspiracy.

A recent CNN headline blared: What the lab-leak theorys new credibility means for social media! A CNBC headline screamed: Biden orders closer review of Covid origins as US intel weighs Wuhan lab-leak theory. While just a couple weeks ago, Yahoo News quietly reminded us: Theres still no evidence of a Chinese lab leak.

But mainly you have to go to independent news sources to get the reality. Heres Danny Haiphong at Black Agenda Report: Similar to Russiagate, US intelligence has run with an entirely unsourced narrative, that conveniently pins blame on another country for domestic ills and labels that country a national security threat The lab-leak conspiracy is an effective psychological operation because it is difficult to imagine evidence that could disprove or prove the claim.

Ah, those are the best kind of racist stories the ones that cant be disproven.

But one thing youll certainlyneverhear from the mainstream media is that all of this is stacked on top of a mostly forgotten, yet impressively prodigious, history of the American people provably being used as lab rats by our own government. For example, as reported at Business Insider, On September 20, 1950, a US Navy ship just off the coast of San Francisco used a giant hose to spray a cloud of microbes into the air and into the citys fog. The military was testing how a biological weapon attack would affect the 800,000 residents of the city.

So they, uh, perpetrated a biological attack on American citizens to find out what would happen in the event of a biological attack on American citizens?! Honestly, the mind reels. In one of the largest human experiments in history, our military covered the people of San Francisco with... two kinds of bacteria, Serratia marcescens and Bacillus globigii (Nowadays you can only find that kind of treatment from Clevelands tap water.)

The gas attack sickened many and was known to kill at least one man. According to Rebecca Kreston at Discover Magazine, this event ranked as one of the largest offenses against the Nuremberg Code since its inception because the code requires voluntary, informed consent to, you know, hit people with bioweapons. (Unless youre trying to kill them, in which case I think the informed consent is off the table.)

But that experiment did not mark the end of such things, just the beginning. Over the next 20 years, the military would conduct 239 'germ warfare' tests over populated areas, according to news reports from the 1970s after the secret tests had been revealed in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Associated Press, and other publications, and also detailed in congressional testimony from the 1970s.

After it came out, the government explained that their goal was to deter the use of biological weapons and be prepared for them. Apparently we wanted to deter biological weapons attacks on Americans by dropping biological weapons on Americansfirst. What a genius strategy. Our enemies would never see it coming. Plus, why would our global nemeses attack us with germ warfare if we do it toourselves? You cant threaten to kill a man if hewantsto die!

Of the 239 biological and chemical warfare tests by the military, some were done across the Midwest to see how the pathogen would spread throughout the country (and probably to clear out some parking spots). When asked why military planes were dispersing unknown clouds of s**t over cities, they claimed they were testing a way to mask the cities from enemy bombers.

"Yeah, were just covering up the city from the bad guys. Just covering it with a warm blanket of bacteria. Just a big ol protective germ blanket. All cozy and safe from the bad guys who are not us. The bad guys are other people who are not currently hitting you with bio-weapons like we are." A US military spokesman, probably, at some point

In another study of how vulnerable New York City subway passengers were to covert biological agents, for six days the US military broke light bulbs brimming full of the bacteria Bacillus subtilis and S. marcescens inside NYC subway stations and watched it spread throughout the city. Clouds would engulfpeople as trains pulled away, but documents say that the people brushed their clothing and walked on. No one was concerned.

Thats New York for ya. Hit commuters with germ warfare they just brush it off and keep moving. Every day to a New Yorker is germ warfare. I once rode from Montauk to Hoboken sitting across from a man relieving himself. A little experiment by the Military Industrial Complex doesnt even register on a New Yorkers list of things to worry about.

Yet, the military was testing more than just germ attacks. Other experimentsinvolved testing mind-altering drugs on unsuspecting citizens. That program went by the name MKUltra (which is also a great name for a metal band or a homemade cocktail containing absinthe). MKUltra continued for 20 years, during which the CIA triedto achieve mind control by using torture, LSD, hypnosis, and electro-shock therapy sometimes on unwitting subjects. (And even if they were witting going into the experiment, afterwards not so much.)

Among other things, this program resulted in the murderof a scientist named Frank Olson in 1953 and (accidentally) the creation of the Unabomber. (Who said the CIA doesnt work hard? Theyre killin people here, electrocutin people there, creatin terrorists. Thats a hell of a workload.)

Next, theres the well-known Tuskegee Experimentsin which government researchers studied the effects of syphilis on black Americans without informing the men that they had the disease they were instead told they had bad blood.

Not to worry, young man you just havebad blood. Its gonna be fine. But you will also die soon. Thats one of the negative side effects.

The researchers withheld treatment from the participants so they could continue to study the illness, which the men werent even toldthey had.

In sum, the Military Intelligence Industrial Complex are serial murderers not just overseas but of our own citizens. They performedhundredsof experiments on unsuspecting Americans, and yet the organizations responsible still exist and enjoy budgets in the hundreds of billions of dollars a year. No one went to prison for these heinous acts because when you or I do it, its called a horrible crime, but when the ruling elite do it, its called research.

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The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

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Astronomers accidentally discover massive galactic structure with Green Bank Telescope – KRON4

Posted: at 3:43 am

GREEN BANK, W.Va. (WOWK) Astronomers at the National Science Foundations Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia discovered a massive, previously-unknown structure in the Milky Way galaxy, according to a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal in mid-June.

The first discovery happened with a smaller telescope but researchers had to bring in a larger, 20-meter telescope to confirm the unexpected observation.

Sometimes, in our galaxy, not everything is visible to the naked eye and thats what is happening here. This discovery was made using radio spectrum. Essentially, the astronomers are able to see things with the worlds largest fully steerable radio telescope, which looks like a large dish. Since the GBT has a high level of sensitivity, it was able to detect this extremely large structure thats made up of molecular gas, versus a physical moon or planet. Right now, the people doing the research believe the structure extends far into the distant parts of the Milky Way galaxy.

To be even more sure, we tried several different independent signal processing techniques on the GBT and 20-meter results to attempt to remove the feature as if it were from the instrumental background, rather than a real signal, and none of these methods managed to remove it, said researcher Philip Engelke.

The researchers went through another exhaustive 100 hours of observations at many different points across parts of the galaxy and found that it has a similar shape and extent of other components known about within the galactic structure. These observations had proven, the accidental finding was a real thing.

According to the GBT staff, the existence of this massive structure has implications for star formation theories, as well as the structure, make-up, and total mass of the interstellar medium.

The find dates back to 2012, when astronomer Ron Allen, a professor with the Physics and Astronomy Department of Johns Hopkins University, stumbled across emissions that led to the discovery.

However, Allen died in August 2020, just as his research was being drafted. So his former PhD students stepped in and finished the work for publication in the Astrophysical Journal.

Michael Busch said, Ron was an incredible mentor, a brilliant astronomer, and a great friend to me I will miss him dearly. Engelke added, who completed his doctorate in 2019, We were very lucky to have known him. Ron was truly excited about this discovery, and I know he would have been proud of the result. Michael and I look forward to continued research inspired by this discovery.

To learn more about Green Bank Observatory science and to see research opportunities visit their website.

The Green Bank Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation and is operated by Associated Universities, Inc.

The Green Bank Observatory has more on the technical aspects of this massive structure:

The Universe is composed of a mysterious interstellar medium, which scientists are still learning more about. The major componentof the molecular gas in the interstellar medium is H2, but the H2 is usually undetectable! To map it out, radio astronomers look for tracers in the form of signals from other molecules mixed with the H2 in smaller quantities, and the standard tracer is carbon monoxide (CO). However, depending on how diffuse and cold the H2 and CO gases are, they still might not be seen. In 2005, astronomers (Grenier et al.) found an excess of cosmic rays, of unknown origin, emanating from the disk of our Galaxy. Was it possible that these rays were a clue to large reserves of molecular gas not yet been detected, and was there another method to trace this gas and confirm its existence?

In 2012, astronomerRon Allen, a professor with thePhysics and Astronomy Department of Johns Hopkins University, unexpectedlyfound OH emission without corresponding CO emission while working on an unrelated project. As OHisalsoa gas molecule that occurs in clouds of molecularH2, thisfinding hintedthat theremight bean abundant portion of H2 not traced by CO, also referred to as CO-dark molecular gas.

Allen worked with Dave Hogg of National Radio Astronomy Observatory to create a new research program using the GBTto observeOH as an alternative tracer of H2.Philip Engelke, a new Ph.D. studentat Johns Hopkins University, joined the project soon after. In 2015, the first results of this research were published, showing that OHindeedtraces the CO-Dark component of H2remarkably well. While it required long exposure times, the OH observations began filling in the gaps between previous CO observations, showing molecular gas as a major component in the structure of our Galaxy.

Later in 2015, while reviewing data, Engelkenoticed a bump-likefeature, whichhe initiallythought corresponded to the Outer Arm of our Milky Way Galaxy.Follow-up observations revealed a large, faint, broad feature in the entire line of sight.Allenand team were intrigued, but suspected thatthis feature could bean instrumentalby-product of the GBT itself, rather than an actual feature in the Galaxy. The researchers came up with a test: observe the feature with a completely independent telescope.

In 2018, 100 hours of independent observations were conducted using the Observatorys 20-meter Telescope. Johns Hopkins PhD student Michael Busch joined Allens team and played a major role in this work. The 20-meter, a much smaller and older instrument, is primarily used in educational projects including the University of North Carolinas SkyNet.

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System Integration Services Market for Industrial Automation in India to reach USD 420.53 million| Discover Company Insights in Technavio – KPVI News…

Posted: at 3:42 am

NEW YORK, July 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The system integration services market size for industrial automation in India is set to grow by USD 420.53 million, progressing at a CAGR of 17.35% during 2021-2025. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

Technavio offers in-depth market insights that assist global businesses to obtain growth opportunities.

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Read the 120-page report with TOC on "System Integration Services Market for Industrial Automation in India Analysis Report by End-user (Process industry and Discrete industry) and Service (Software integration services, Hardware integrations services, and Consulting services), and the Segment Forecasts,2021-2025". Gain competitive intelligence about market leaders. Track key industry opportunities, trends, and threats. Information on marketing, brand, strategy and market development, sales, and supply functions. https://www.technavio.com/report/report/system-integration-services-market-for-industrial-automation-in-india-industry-analysis

The system integration services market for industrial automation in India is driven by the increasing plant complexities. In addition, the growing implementation of Software as a Service is anticipated to boost the growth of the System Integration Services Market for Industrial Automation in India.

Industries such as the oil and gas, food and beverage, and water treatment industries require suitable tools and mechanisms to handle complex production processes. Due to the complex production operations, system integrators are becoming vital for installing automation solutions in industrial plants. System integrators are sourcing effective automation software and systems from OEMs to provide seamless integration. The process and discrete industries in India are facing the challenge of obtaining high operational efficiency and ensuring that critical assets are properly maintained. Therefore, increasing plant complexities will drive the growth of the industrial automation market in India during the forecast period.

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Major Five System Integration Services for Industrial Automation in India Companies:

Access Automation Pvt. Ltd.

Access Automation Pvt. Ltd. offers a range of system integration services for process control and factory automation.

ACS INDIA

ACS INDIA offers a range of industrial automation services to various industries such as food, automobile, pharmaceutical, power process, and packaging. It provides total turnkey support from the stage of requirement analysis, system engineering, software development, installation and commissioning, and on-site training to maintain the projects.

Adage Automation Pvt. Ltd.

Adage Automation Pvt. Ltd. offers system integration services for cement plant kiln inlet systems, CEMS solutions, steel plant systems, the ex-proof system for oil and gas and fertilizer plants, MicroSAM based gas chromatography solutions, and small to large size analyzer shelters.

Analogic Automation Pvt. Ltd.

Analogic Automation Pvt. Ltd. offers a range of integrated automation technology solutions and services for the food and life sciences verticals such as beverages, dairies, breweries, distilleries, vegetable oil, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology.

BASE Automation Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

BASE Automation Technologies Pvt. Ltd. offers a range of system integration services for electrical and instrumentation systems, and automation control solutions such as PLC, DCS, and SCADA.

System Integration Services Market for Industrial Automation in India End-user Outlook (Revenue, USD million, 2020-2025)

System Integration Services Market for Industrial Automation in India Service Outlook (Revenue, USD million, 2020-2025)

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Seamless Copper Tubes Market in MENA- The seamless copper tubes market size in MENA is segmented by application (HVAC, industrial heat exchanger, plumbing, and electrical, and others) and geography (the Middle East and North Africa).

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CoBank: Investment in automation to surge for U.S. food and agriculture – Agweb Powered by Farm Journal

Posted: at 3:42 am

Tight labor supplies will increase the pace of automation in the food supply chain, according to a new report from CoBanks Knowledge Exchange.

The most significant lasting impact from COVID will be an acceleration in automation, said report co-author Dan Kowalski, vice president of CoBanks Knowledge Exchange division.

Kowalski said that while investment in automation and robotics was increasing before the pandemic, labor challenges over the past 18 months (and likely for the next 6 to 12 months) will only hasten the pace ofautomation.

The pandemic has brought on a trifecta of labor issues for those in food and agriculture: health and in-person dependence risk during COVID, hiring challenges today, and elevated wage inflation that we believe will last into 2022, he said in the 23-page report.

All of these concerns incentivize businesses to increase automation, and it will affect the entire supply chain from field to grocery and restaurants.

Historic drought conditions in the Western U.S. intensified last quarter with water allocations to some agricultural irrigators cut to zero in California, according to the report.

Growers are adjusting by fallowing crop acreage and allocating scarce water to permanent plantings rather than field crops, co-author Tanner Ehmke said in the report.

Prices for fruits and vegetables are rising for consumers, but not necessarily for growers, the report said.

The cost of moving produce in refrigerated trucks climbed to $3.10 per mile in May, up 41% compared with the same time a year ago, according to the report, citing DAT Freight & Analytics.

With 95% of California and Arizona, 77% of Oregon and 46% of Washington experiencing severe drought conditions, the region is now in the worst drought in four decades, according to the report.

The extreme drought situation is expected to persist until winter rains arrive and is shrinking crop prospects, the report said.

Prices on the Nasdaq Veles California Water Index (NQH2O) have nearly doubled since January to $850 per acre foot, the report said.

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CoBank: Investment in automation to surge for U.S. food and agriculture - Agweb Powered by Farm Journal

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Zebra to buy Fetch Robotics as interest in warehouse automation grows – Grocery Dive

Posted: at 3:42 am

Dive Brief:

For years there has been notable interest in warehouse robotics as Amazon, Krogerand other companies have turned to automation to increase productivity.

The pandemic boosted the use of roboticsas a way to make up for productivity losses associated with social distancing. As COVID-19 case numbers fall in the U.S., interest has remained as companies have struggled to hire workers, Lawton said.

"We talk to customers that have said to me flat out, 'I don't care if it has no ROI, I am just desperate to find an alternative, to be able to have a way to supplement the people that I have because I simply can't hire enough people,'" he said.

He and Wise acknowledged that attracting workers to low-level warehouse positions can be difficult given the job's reputation, taxing nature and lack of career path. And if companies are able to hire, that doesn't mean the workers are sticking around. "We talked to some customers that are facing upwards of 40% turnover," Wise said.

Zebra, which provides several solutions for grocers, including point-of-sale tech, inventory management and click-and-collect, has been working with Fetch to combine their offerings.For example, the companies developed a cloud robotics platform for moving material around a warehouse, and they have worked to use Zebra technology to scan a barcode and have that transmit a command to a robot to let it know the location of material that needs to be moved.

Wise said there are already "several customers" that are using Zebra technology in their warehouses to tell Fetch robots what to do. "When you look at it, many of those customers are getting a return on investment inside of 12 months," she said, later adding that the ROI is measured through increased productivity such as upticks in units per hour or cycle time.

An example of how the technologies are being used together is in a replenishment workflow, she said. "The person loads a cart with the goods, and then when they're ready, they scan the appropriate barcode to say which part of the warehouse it goes to," she said. "And so then the robot comes and picks it up and takes it to that part of the warehouse dynamically."

The robots can also be set up to bring workers items they need. If a worker scans a barcode for more tape or corrugated packaging, then a robot will bring it to them, Wise said.

The companies are already working to more tightly integrate their technology. This includes work with Zebra's FulfillmentEdge warehouse management software, which connects with warehouse management systems to provide pick instructions, Lawton said.

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Zebra to buy Fetch Robotics as interest in warehouse automation grows - Grocery Dive

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Exclusive: TikTok introducing more automation to video removals – Axios

Posted: at 3:42 am

TikTok is rolling out a new system that will allow the company to block videos that violate its policies automatically when they're uploaded. The social network is also changing the way it will notify users when their content is removed.

Why it matters: TikTok says the new system will not only improve the user experience, but will help reduce the number of distressing videos (such as those with violent content) that its safety team must review, freeing staff to focus on more nuanced content areas, like hate speech, bullying and harassment.

Details: Beginning this week, TikTok will test the automatic deletion of several content categories that violates its policies, like minor safety, adult nudity and sexual activities, violent and graphic content, illegal activities and regulated goods.

Be smart: TikTok's safety team has always removed content its technology screened as a violation of its rules, but these changes will bring more automation to the process, making its moderation efforts more efficient. Its safety team will continue to review reports and content removal appeals from users.

The big picture: The changes are part of a wider company effort to be more transparent about the way TikTok moderates content.

What's next: TikTok said that as a part of Friday's update, it will also change the way it notifies users when they violate the Community Guidelines.

Yes, but: TikTok acknowledges that its tech isn't perfect and it may inadvertently remove someone's video that doesn't violate its terms. In that scenario, TikTok says the content will be reinstated and the penalty will be erased from that user's record.

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Exclusive: TikTok introducing more automation to video removals - Axios

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Real estate is a people business, but automation can help – HousingWire

Posted: at 3:42 am

The news is filled with talk of real estate.Bubbles have that effect.We know through the work of people likeRobert Shillerand others that narratives are indeed economic forces and that compelling narratives can move markets.

In the U.S. real estate market, matters are of course more complex than mere narratives, but we do all know that constant hype adds to the buoyancy of markets, which then creates more hype.These virtuous loops are common in a variety of areas of the economy and real estate is no exception.

A lot is at stake.The U.S. residential real estate market is valued at about $40 trillion in aggregate. Real estate/housing is the bellwether for the entire economy and houses represent the typical familys most important financial decision.So much of life radiates from both the location and the valuation of the house a family occupies.

This twin importance on both the macro and the personal level draws a great deal of interest in this marketplace and its various offshoots.Still, the residential real estate ecosystem is complex, even opaque to many.Homebuyers and sellers contend with a variety of entities banks, insurance companies, mortgage servicers, appraisal companies, title providers, agents, brokerages, and even real estate marketers and the process can be labyrinthine to even those who have gone through it before.

Technology plays a big role.So too does trust usually manifested in the relationship between a buyer/seller and a real estate agent.For those who choose not to work with agents, the trust must be transferred to the technology platform or other form of automation that is used in the process.

Does your CRM hurt or help the customer experience?

In real estate, data is king. The more you leverage your own data the better off your agents or loan officers will be because theyll be able to identify, target and create better customer experiences.

Its worth reiterating the importance of trust.As mentioned, much is determined by the location and valuation of houses.The residues last for generations.Houses represent a major part in generational wealth transfer and inheritance and also play a major, and persistent, role in determining life conditions during the owners lifespan.What schools do the kids go to?How safe is my family?Who are my neighbors?How much wealth have I amassed?When can I retire?All of these fundamental questions radiate from what can appear to be a mundane question: What house do I buy?

With so much riding on this, it is important to locate the most relevant elements when determining whether to buy or sell a house.Of these, one stands tall:valuation.What is the house worth?What does the house cost?These two questions are at the center of all things residential real estate.

Such a simple set of questions with such complex answers.Many variables impinge on the value of a house.There are the usual ones: size, age, location.There are important ones that are hard to capture in macro-statistics the interior condition of the house being a major one. There are external factors that weigh heavily, alluded to in the first paragraph above, that have to do with momentum, fashion, and the narrative/desirability of a particular neighborhood over another.And so many more parameters as well.

Thus, the simple questions have complex answers.As real estate experts will tell you, the process of valuing not only a house,but large swaths of houses, even all houses in the U.S., requires deep technology insight, incredible ability to extract, transform, and ingest data, and a process by which you can query data with ease and speed.Not only are there a huge number of variables to understand, but also a variety of forms the data comes in spreadsheets, pictures, and so on.

The task is best suited for advanced technologies, collectively referred to as AI and machine learning.Add to this computer vision and you get the right cocktail for which the industry has long waited and which, more importantly, consumers and all parts of the real estate ecosystem deserve.

In a $40 trillion market that constitutes most families most important investment, good enough is not in fact good enough.

There is more too than simple economics.There is also a matter of, to put it clearly, fairness and justice.House valuations come into play at crucial times in the transaction process; they not only bookend the entire journey but also crop up during the time of appraisal.

We hear shocking stories of racial discrimination and a variety of other ills during the appraisal process.While people are prone to massive bias as with the case ofappraisers who suggested that an African-American womans house was worth half of what it was appraised for when she had a white friend pose as the stand-in owner.

Technology has biases too but only to the extent that they are algorithmically coded into the outcomes.As such, black box AI, which is to say completely opaque AI, needs to be replaced with an AI that is explainable and deconstructable so that biases can be identified and done away with.

The value of a house is a number of incredible importance and is one that is invoked often in real estate and in personal financial planning.Still, while it is given heed by many parts of the real estate ecosystem, few elements of that ecosystem demand simultaneous precision and depth.This is a mistake, and one that can have massive consequences for individual families, entire neighborhoods, and for the economy as a whole.Settling wont do anymore.

In the recent Gathering of Eagles conference, a particularly high-powered set of panelists all agreed that real estate is a people business.While this might be true at some level, there is nothing that suggests that people need to perform every single function in the multiple and complex journeys of house buying and selling, nor that they can be relied upon to offer unbiased and fair valuations without fear or favor.

Technology is not a panacea, nor will it ever be.But to use the tools that have been painstakingly developed over decades to enhance what is absolutely a people business is the smart thing to do. And it can help reduce bias, increase fairness and generate economic bounty for the entire real estate ecosystem.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWires editorial department and its owners.

To contact the authors of this story:Romi Mahajan at romi.mahajan@quantarium.com

Jeremy McCarty at Jmccarty@valligent.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story:Sarah Wheeler atswheeler@housingwire.com

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Real estate is a people business, but automation can help - HousingWire

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The lab automation market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.53% during 2021-2026 – GlobeNewswire

Posted: at 3:42 am

New York, July 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Lab Automation Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2021-2026" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06103715/?utm_source=GNW

To scale up the process of manufacturing and to produce accurate results with increased quality and reduce time consumption, lab automation is gaining high traction in the healthcare industry. Many large hospitals in the developed countries have adopted lab automation techniques. As a result, the global laboratory information management system market is expected to exhibit a significant CAGR and annual growth during the forecast period. In addition, a high level of investment in healthcare and life science research is boosting the demand for lab automation.

The following factors are likely to contribute to the growth of the lab automation market during the forecast period: Increased Adoption of Lab Automation Among the Genome Research Labs & Companies Robotics Revolutionizing the Lab Automation Rising Demand for the Task Targeted Automation Future of Lab-Automation Smart Labs

The study considers the present scenario of the lab automation market and its market dynamics for the period 2020?2026. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The report offers both the demand and supply aspects of the market. It profiles and examines leading companies and other prominent ones operating in the market.

LAB AUTOMATION MARKET SEGMENTATION The global lab automation market research report includes a detailed segmentation by product, application, automation, end-user, geography. The latest workstations, which are modular and customized to suit a particular application, such as sample preparation for genomics, proteomics, cellular analysis, and more, are gaining high momentum in the market. For instance, Abbott provides total labor depending on the requirement of the laboratory, and workstations can be procured. As a result, large laboratories are planning to prefer automated workstations to increase productivity across the globe.

The application of automation is helping researchers to test a more significant number of hypotheses. The automated robots and workstations benefit the researchers to evaluate large numbers of compounds against specific biological targets rapidly. Adopting digital workflow management practices and automated solutions is a key growth driver for labs to improve their efficiency and reduce their costs.

With the rise in the COVID-19 pandemic, most companies have invested in the task-targeted analyzers to increase the safety of lab personnel and handle the virus samples, especially in the preanalytical phase and preparing the samples to analyze it. Some pharma companies and research labs prefer using task-targeted analyzers in the post-analytical phase to produce error-free results. Compared to the total laboratory automation, implementing task-targeted automation is low, creating high growth in the market.

The biotechnology and pharma companies are increasing their usages of automated laboratory instruments, creating lucrative opportunities for the players in the market. The improved agility with the reduced testing time can reduce lead time for quality control labs by 60% to 70% and eventually leading to real-time product releases. Additionally, hospital laboratories are unique entities within the hospitals. Around 92% of the hospitals operate with their laboratories. In recent years, private laboratories have expanded their footprints, especially in developing countries, fueling the market growth. Public health laboratories are implementing partnership strategies with the World Health Organization and other international health entities to prevent and control health threats. The investments in new technologies with automated features will be high in the upcoming years.

Segmentation by Product System o Automated Workstations o Automated Microplate Reader o Robotic Systems o Others) Software o LIMS o ELN o Others

Segmentation by Application Drug Discovery Clinical Diagnostics Genomics Solutions Microbiology Others

Segmentation by Automation Subtotal Automation Task Targeted Automation Total Laboratory Automation

Segmentation by End-User Biotechnology and Pharma Companies Hospitals and Diagnostic Laboratories Forensic Laboratories Food & Beverages Environmental Testing Laboratories Research And Academic Institutes

INSIGHTS BY GEOGRAPHY Many hospitals in North America have started to automate their labs to improve the quality of the labs, to provide better treatments to the people. Shortage of skilled laboratory technicians, increase in the number of diagnostic tests conducted, and increased investments in the life sciences industry are some of the major factors driving the demand for laboratory automation in the US. In Canada, two gene therapies for cancer treatment have been approved, and there are plans to implement somatic gene therapy in the coming years in lab automation market.

Segmentation by Geography North America o US o Canada Europe o Germany o France o UK o Italy o Spain APAC o China o Japan o India o Australia o South Korea Latin America o Brazil o Mexico o Argentina Middle East & Africa o South Africa o Saudi Arabia o Turkey

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE Manufacturers such as Abbott and Danaher are continuously focusing on product development and offering lab automation with new technology to increase their presence in the global market. In addition, key players are engaging in strategic acquisitions as part of their inorganic growth strategy to improve sales and profit margins. With the increase in the competition, vendors are expected to actively launch innovative devices to penetrate and tap the huge growth potential in the lab automation market. Danaher, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Tecan, Illumia, Abbott, and Agilent Technologies are the leading players and accounted for significant shares in the market.

Key Vendors Tecan Danaher Thermo Fisher Scientific Illumina Abbott Agilent Technologies LabVantage

Other Prominent Vendors Aurora Biomed Accelerated Technologies AgileBio Autoscribe Informatics Ambidata BD bioMrieux Bio-Rad Laboratories Blomesystem Benchling Bio-ITech BV CrelioHealth CompuGroup Medical Dassault Systmes Dotmatics Eppendorf F.Hoffmann-La Roche Gilson HighRes Biosolutions Hudson Robotics Hamilton INTEGRA Biosciences i-LIMS LabLite LabLynx Modul-Bio LabPLUS Novatek PerkinElmer Peak Analysis & Automation Promium QIAGEN Siemens Healthineers Synchron Lab Automation Sapio Sciences Sunquest Information Systems

KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED: 1. How big is the lab automation market?2. What are the major drivers for the lab automation market?3. Which is the fastest-growing region during the forecasted period in the lab automation market?4. What segments are covered in the lab automation market?5. What is the impact of COVID-19 on the global laboratory automation market?Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06103715/?utm_source=GNW

About ReportlinkerReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.

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The lab automation market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.53% during 2021-2026 - GlobeNewswire

Posted in Automation | Comments Off on The lab automation market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.53% during 2021-2026 – GlobeNewswire