Day's Headlines: Mind the Drone; Chip of Miracle; Robot Say; Mini-Brain; Printing Spider Bots; Japan Starts Human Gene Editing; UK Scolds Obama; Short Lived Syrian Peace's Death Throws; Genocide Sky-Denied; Atheist Frowns, Cross; US Signs UN Pact; Obama Hints Some States are Just Backwards; What do Jesus and Passover Have in Common, Anyway?; Not-OK Black Mass; BDS-Hate Voted In; Felons are Voters, Too; Hypersonic. Intercontinental. Russia; and US Buys Heavy Water

Friday, April 22, 2016

Mind the Drone; Chip of Miracle; Robot Say; Mini-Brain; Printing Spider Bots; Japan Starts Human Gene Editing; UK Scolds Obama; Short Lived Syrian Peace's Death Throws; Genocide Sky-Denied; Atheist Frowns, Cross; US Signs UN Pact; Obama Hints Some States are Just Backwards; What do Jesus and Passover Have in Common, Anyway?; Not-OK Black Mass; BDS-Hate Voted In; Felons are Voters, Too; Hypersonic. Intercontinental. Russia; and US Buys Heavy Water

Today's articles include the signing of the UN sustainability goals, Russia testing a hyper-sonic ICBM designed to slip by even the best missile defenses, and Japan's approval to edit fertilized human embryos (for "studying").


Future Tech

Mind-controlled drones race to the future businessinsider

"Three, two, one ... GO!" the announcer hollers, and as the racers fix their thoughts on pushing the cubes, the drones suddenly whir, rise and buzz through the air. Some struggle to move even a few feet, while others zip confidently across the finish line.

Watch Mind-Controlled Drones Race to the Future v

‘MIRACLE’ COMPUTER CHIP GIVES BIG BOOST TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE newsweek

Nvidia’s Tesla P100 chip crams in 15 billion transistors within its 610-square-millimeter frame, around three-times more than most processors or graphics chips on the market.

“I think we are going to realize looking back that one of the biggest things that ever happened is AI.”

False Religion Tech

Robot monk promotes Buddhism using technology thestack v

The 60 cm tall Xian’er can chant Buddhist mantras, can hold a conversation on the Buddhist topics displayed on his screen, and can move, responding to voice command.

Medical Tech

Sophisticated 'mini-brains' add to evidence of Zika's toll on fetal cortex medicalxpress

The lab-grown mini-brains, which researchers say are truer to life and more cost-effective than similar research models, came about thanks to the son of two Johns Hopkins scientists and two other high school students who were doing summer research internships. They had the idea to make the equipment for growing the mini-brains with a 3-D printer. These so-called bioreactors, and the mini-brains they foster, should open other new and valuable windows into human brain development, brain disorders and drug testing—and perhaps even produce neurons for treatment of Parkinson's disease and other disorders, the investigators say.

3D Printing

Siemens team unveils 3D printing spider-bots theengineer.co.uk

Thanks to algorithms that allow multi-robot task planning, two or more devices can collaborate on the additive manufacture or surface processing of a single object or area. And by dividing each area into vertical boxes, the robots can work collaboratively to cover even complex geometries in such a way that no box is missed.

Genetics

Japan panel greenlights gene editing of human eggs for basic study japantimes.co.jp

A government bioethics panel on Friday approved gene modifications of fertilized human eggs for basic research purposes, while rejecting the technology’s clinical use due partly to the unknown impact on the next generation.

EU

UK officials want Obama to stay out of their business nypost

...Britain’s looming June 23 referendum about whether to stay in the 28-nation European Union has strained the “special relationship,” with several senior U.K. politicians bluntly telling the president to butt out of Britain’s debate. They have branded Obama “anti-British” and “unsuccessful” and accused him of meddling for suggesting that the U.S. would be happier if Britain stayed in the bloc.

See also Obama defends controversial comments about UK vote on EU exit v

Syria

Syria conflict: Has opportunity for peace been lost? bbc

...after a third and particularly acrimonious round, in which once again little progress was made, the indirect negotiations appear to have collapsed, despite Mr de Mistura's best efforts.

It is a long way from that brief moment of optimism in February, when, after the intervention of the United States and Russia, a partial cessation of hostilities was agreed, and a trickle of aid began to arrive in a few besieged Syrian towns.

Armenian Genocide

Company Put a Sky Message Above NYC Denying Turkey’s Genocide of Armenians news.vice

On Wednesday afternoon, many New Yorkers were surprised to see pro-Turkey and Armenian genocide denial propaganda written in the sky over the Hudson River. The skywriting featured messages such as "101 years of Geno-lie," "Gr8 ally = Turkey," "BFF = Russia + Armenia," and "FactCheckArmenia.com." The aerial stunt was part of a campaign by the website Fact Check Armenia, which denies that the genocide of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire took place, contrary to the consensus of historians.

Religious Freedom

Santa Clara atheist sues city over Christian cross at public park mercurynews

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in the Ninth U.S. District Court, resident Andrew Defaria and the Freedom From Religion Foundation argue that the 14-foot granite cross is a "blatant religious symbol" that violates the First Amendment of the Constitution and California law.

Climate Change

U.S. joins 174 nations to sign 'hard-won' climate pact cbsnews

To resounding applause, Kerry said,"It's fair to say that all of us could feel an extraordinary sweep of emotion and joy at the moment in Paris when 196 nations simultaneously said a resounding yes, we will do our part, we will live up to the responsibility to future generations and together citizens of the world, we will work to save our planet from ourselves."

It begins.

...Kerry is to sign the agreement Friday and then President Obama will ratify it before he leaves office in December, a senior U.S. official told CBS News in a conference call this week.

See also ‘We are in a race against time,’ says Ban, as leaders sign landmark Paris climate accord.

Society

Obama: North Carolina, Mississippi laws limiting LGBT protections are ‘wrong’ and ‘should be overturned’ washingtonpost

The U.K. Foreign Office issued a recent advisory warning British citizens they could face discrimination in parts of the United States based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Obama assured Britons they should feel free to travel throughout America, even though he criticized laws targeting members of the LGBT community.

Passover

Adding Jesus to a Seder dinner? Not kosher. (Opinion) washingtonpost w!

The Jewish tradition of Passover is a beautiful one, and it’s no wonder the practice attracted non-Jews. But as someone with roots in both Judaism and Christianity, I wish my fellow Christians would resist the urge to spice up the Seder with a hearty dose of the New Testament and Jesus.

A couple times this week I've posted Passover stories with specific, non-Bibical worldviews. This one is no exception. Be aware that her worldview includes thinking Christianity and Catholism are the same thing. You can hear her own blindness to the truth of who Jesus just as much as the Jew, performing the traditions of this holiday, waiting for a Messiah that has already come.

Statement by the President on Passover whitehouse.gov

Passover gives us all a special opportunity to renew our belief in things unseen even as the future remains uncertain. May this season inspire us all to rededicate ourselves to peace and freedom for all of God’s children. From our family to yours, chag sameach.

Try not to shudder.

Satanism

Satanic 'Black Mass' in Oklahoma opposed by 100,000 christiandaily

The upcoming "black mass" will be led by Satanic group Dakhma of Angra Mainyu, which was co-founded by registered sex offender Adam Daniels. The event will involve two rituals — the black mass and the "consumption of Mary by Jai Kali Maa."

Note this is a Catholic led protest, which is why the degregation of Mary is listed as a primary concern.

BDS

Univ. of Massachusetts Grad Student Workers Endorse BDS Against Israel inthesetimes

The 2,000-member Graduate Employee Organization (GEO), part of United Auto Workers Local 2322, passed a resolution endorsing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS), a global movement pressuring Israel to respect the rights of Palestinians and end its 'occupation' of 'Palestinian territory'. The vote—which organizers say passed with 95 percent approval—comes just months after the UAW International Executive Board (IEB) controversially overturned a similar BDS resolution passed by University of California graduate student workers with UAW Local 2865.

Crime

Virginia Governor Restores Voting Rights to Felons nytimes

The sweeping order, in a swing state that could play a role in deciding the November presidential election, will enable all felons who have served their prison time and finished parole to register to vote. Most are African-Americans, a core constituency of Democrats, Mr. McAuliffe’s political party.

Weapons

Russia Tests Hypersonic Glide Vehicle on Missile freebeacon

The test firing of the hypersonic glider took place Tuesday and involved the launch of an SS-19 intercontinental ballistic missile from eastern Russia, said officials familiar with details of the test.

Also see Hypersonic warhead for future ICBM successfully tested in Russia v

Nuclear

U.S. goes shopping in Iran’s nuclear bazaar, will buy heavy water for science sciencemag.org

The $8.6 million sale, expected to be completed Friday morning in Vienna, helps Iran meet a commitment under last July’s nuclear deal to shed heavy water—and it will have a swords-to-ploughshares payoff. “We’re securing material that will allow us to do great science,” says Thom Mason, director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. DOE will resell a portion to industry for uses such as nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and protecting optical fibers and semiconductors against deterioration by blasting them with deuterium gas. DOE will also send 6 tons to Oak Ridge for an upgrade of the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS), the world’s most powerful accelerator-driven machine for generating neutrons for research.

Unrelated comment - ever notice how often even secular people make random references to the Bible ("swords-to-ploughshares" [Micah 4:3 and Is 2:4])? I find that fascinating...

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