Tag Archives: denmark

Denmark Addresses Deepfakes by Granting Copyright to Individuals for Their Likeness and Functions

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The Danish government is taking action to curb the creation and distribution of AI-generated deepfakes by revising copyright laws, ensuring that individuals hold rights over their own bodies, facial features, and voices.

On Thursday, Danish officials announced they would strengthen protections against digital imitation of personal identities, marking what they believe to be the first such law in Europe.

With support from a broad coalition across political parties, the Ministry of Culture is set to propose amendments to the existing law for consultation before the summer break, with the intention of submitting the changes in the fall.

Deepfake technology is described as an exceedingly realistic digital representation of an individual, including their appearance and voice.

Danish Minister of Culture, Jacob Engel Schmidt, expressed his hopes that the proposed legislation will convey a “clear message” to Parliament.

He stated to the Guardian: “We collectively send a clear message that everyone has the right to their body, their voice, and their facial features.”

He continued: “Humans can exploit digital duplication techniques for various malicious purposes. I will not accept that.”

The initiative reportedly enjoys support from 9 out of 10 MPs, reflecting rapid advancements in AI technology which have made it simpler than ever to create convincing fake images, videos, or sounds that mimic others.

If passed, the changes to Danish copyright law would allow citizens to request the removal of content from online platforms that is shared without their consent.

Additionally, the law would regulate “realistic and digitally generated imitations” of artistic performances without consent, with violations potentially leading to compensation for affected individuals.

The government has clarified that the new regulations will not interfere with parody and satire, which will still be allowed.

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“Certainly, this is a new foundation for us being dismantled, and we are prepared to take further actions if platforms do not comply,” Engel Schmidt remarked.

Other European nations are looking to follow Denmark’s example. He plans to utilize Denmark’s upcoming EU presidency to share the initiative with his fellow European leaders.

Should tech platforms fail to comply with the new law, they may face “significant fines,” which could escalate to a matter for the European Commission. “This is why I believe high-tech platforms will take this very seriously,” he added.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Roman Helmets and Weaponry Unearthed in Denmark

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Archaeologists with Vejle Museum unearthed a 1,600-year-old weapon offering, including over 100 spearheads, lances, swords, chainmails, and two fragments of Roman helmets, at the site of Løsning Søndermark, Hedentified, Denmark.

Dr. Elias Witt Thomasen reveals the provision of a massive weapon at the Løsning Søndermark site in Hedensted, Denmark. Image credit: Vejle Museums.

“Two unusual iron plates were excavated during the investigation of one of the largest weapons deposits provided in the home’s mailholes.

“In the beginning, their origins were unknown. However, with the help of x-ray imaging, parents and archaeologists were able to see under the thick layer of rust surrounding the object.”

“The results revealed a very rare find: the ruins of a Roman helmet.”

According to the team, the discovery is the only known Roman helmet discovered in Denmark and the earliest iron helmet in the country.

“The two plates consist of a neck plate of a so-called coat of arms of helmets and decorated cheek plates, a type used in the Roman Empire of the 4th century AD,” the researchers said.

“In southern Scandinavia, Roman helmets from the Iron Age are extremely rare and have no direct similarities to this discovery.”

“There are several similar findings from Thorsbjerg Moor in Schleswig and from South Sweden and Gotland-None in Denmark.”

X-ray image of neck and cheek guards from a Roman helmet. Image credits: Vejle Museums

The finding raises an important question: why were the neck plate and one cheek plate only discovered?

“The answer lies in the nature of postwar rituals in the Iron Age, where weapons and military equipment rarely accumulate intact,” explained Dr. Thomasen.

“The spearhead was separated from the shaft, the blade of the sword was divided into the handle, the equipment was destroyed and divided between the parties involved in the conflict.”

“The missing cheek plates and helmet bowls could be distributed elsewhere.”

“Helmets may have belonged to Germanic warlords who served in Roman auxiliary institutions.

“Or maybe it was plundered from Roman legions in a battle near the Imperial Germanic frontier and later brought to Jatland.”

“In itself, in relation to the broader deposition of weapons and military equipment at the site, the helmet offers valuable insight into the connection between the Iron Age military elite and the powerful southern neighbor, the Roman Empire. .”

Source: www.sci.news

Earwig fossil discovered in Denmark dates back 55 million years

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Apachius Madseni This is the first fossil representative of the mysterious earwig family Apachiidae.

Apachius Madseni. Image credit: Simonsen others., doi: 10.11646/palaeoentomology.7.5.7.

The newly described species lived in what is now Europe during the early Eocene, about 55 million years ago.

with scientific name Apachius Madsenithe ancient insect was about 1.9 centimeters (0.75 inches) long.

belongs to the genus Apacius in the family Apacidaeis part of a larger insect order Dermatoptera (commonly known as earwig).

Currently, extant species of this family are found only in south-central Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia.

They are generally characterized by relatively large, flat bodies and often bright colors.

“Today, the Apaceae family consists of 15 living species in two genera, 13 of which are Apacius And in two Dendroiketes) similarly Apachius Madseni'' said paleontologist Jan Audun Rasmussen of the Mors Museum.

“The current species are distributed in Central Africa (three species) and from India to the Philippines and Australia (the remaining species).”

The discovery of Apachius Madseni Therefore, we show that the range of Apacidae has expanded considerably, indicating that the current distribution of this family is not necessarily indicative of its past distribution or biogeographic origin. ”

almost completed single Apachius Madseni The fossil was discovered in a fur layer in Mors, northwestern Denmark.

“This fossil is the second species of Dermatoptera to be described from the fur layer, and the first representative of the enigmatic Apacidae,” the paleontologists said.

According to the authors, this formation's diatomaceous clay deposits formed the seafloor of northwestern Denmark during the early Eocene, when Denmark was completely covered by sea.

Because modern members of the Apaceae family live under the bark of trees, they believe that: Apachius Madseni It was carried to the sea covered in the bark of a tree trunk that is thought to have drifted ashore from Sweden or Norway about 55 million years ago.

“It's no surprise that we found the ancestor of this tropical and subtropical earwig family so far north as Denmark,” Dr. Rasmussen said.

“55 million years ago, the ocean that covered what is now Denmark was subtropical to almost tropical, as evidenced by the fish, bird, insect, and plant fossils found in ancient seafloor deposits on the islands of Mors and Fir. It is reflected.”

of findings appear in the diary paleoentomology.

_____

Thomas J. Simonsen others. 2024. Apachius Madseni (Dermoptera: Apacidae) sp. November discovery in the Ypresian fur layer in Denmark: the first fossil record of the mysterious earwig family Apacidae. paleoentomology 007 (5): 638-644;doi: 10.11646/Paleoentomology.7.5.7

Source: www.sci.news

Denmark Makes Historic Move by Implementing Carbon Tax on Gas-Emitting Cows and Pigs

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Denmark is taking action to address methane emissions, a significant contributor to global warming. Starting in 2030, Denmark will be the first country to implement a tax on livestock farmers based on the greenhouse gas emissions produced by their cows, sheep, and pigs.

Tax Minister Jeppe Bruus aims to reduce Denmark’s greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

From 2030, Danish livestock farmers will face a tax of 300 kroner ($43) per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent, increasing to 750 kroner ($108) by 2035. However, with a 60% income tax credit, the effective cost per tonne will start at 120 kroner ($17.3) and gradually rise to 300 kroner by 2035.

While carbon dioxide is often the focus, methane is a potent greenhouse gas, trapping significantly more heat than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Methane ConcentrationMethane emissions from various sources, including landfills, oil and gas systems, and livestock, have been on the rise. Livestock alone contributes to about 32% of man-made methane emissions, as reported by the United Nations Environment Programme.

Denmark’s move is a significant step towards achieving climate neutrality by 2045. The country is pioneering the implementation of a substantial carbon tax on agriculture, with hopes that other nations will also take similar actions.

In New Zealand, a similar law was passed but later revoked amid criticism from farmers. Denmark, on the other hand, reached an agreement with various stakeholders to implement the carbon tax.

The Danish Society for Nature Conservation hailed the tax agreement as a “historic compromise,” emphasizing the importance of restructuring the food industry beyond 2030.

Denmark’s decision comes after protests from farmers across Europe, who argue that climate policies are jeopardizing their livelihoods.

Despite Denmark’s status as a major dairy and pork exporter, the country plans to tax pigs alongside cows due to their significant emissions. The tax proposal is expected to receive broad support in the parliament.

Statistics Denmark reported a slight decrease in the number of cattle in the country as of June 30, 2022, with 1,484,377 cattle in total.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Solution found for mysterious deaths of black-headed gulls in Denmark

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Pet participation

What exactly can dogs offer cities? The answer is coming soon.

Reader Dorothy Sheckler informed Feedback that Brad D. Lee of the University of Kentucky will be presenting his views at the Soil & Water Conservation Association conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on July 22, 2024. What will Lee’s presentation topic be?Nutritional contributions of pet dogs in urban peri-urban environments” “.

Tensions may be palpable during the talks, as the host city announced that dogs will only be allowed on beaches this summer before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m., and owners “must pick up and properly dispose of their feces.”

Mussel-bound Death

Through investigation and international cooperation, two preserved bodies that had long been forgotten were rediscovered.

Keith Moeliker, a biologist who studies surprising animal behavior (he discovered homosexual necrophilia in mallards, according to feedback on February 10, 2024), tells us what happened.

“The fate of Denmark’s black-headed gulls is dramatic.Chroicocephalus ridibundus“In 1952 a seagull stepped on a freshwater clam,” he writes, “and the clam closed its valve and refused to let go. The proof, of the seagull (now dead) with the clam still attached to its right foot, was found in an old photograph I found in the depths of the Internet.”

Mölliker learned that the photo was taken at the Hunting and Forestry Museum in Hörsholm, eastern Denmark. In 2017, the museum moved to and became part of another institution, the Green Museum in Auning, western Denmark. As is often the case with large and diverse museum collections, some treasures were safely stored but largely unnoticed. Mölliker got in touch with the Green Museum curator, who picked up the twin objects (officially named JSH 05542) from their resting place on a long shelf in a heavily refrigerated building.

“In April 2024, I was allowed to observe the black-headed gull in the museum’s collection storage facility and was able to take this photograph,” Moeliker continues (see below). “There I learned more: the gull had not died embracing the mussels, but had been shot together with the mussels near Solo on Zealand. [Denmark]Another special item from the same Danish collection is JHS 05924, the leg of a herring gull that was found trapped inside a half-open tin can in 1954.”

Mustache denial

Feedback consulted with native Iranian (or, in the ChatGPT era, human, if you prefer) translators to solve this puzzling mystery. Several recent studies published in Iranian research journals use strange wording in their titles. Here are three examples:

“Analysis of the economic diplomacy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in international relations with emphasis on the rule of negation of the moustache“, published in Strategic Studies of Jurisprudence and Law.

“A jurisprudential explanation of the show of force and the build-up of Iran’s military defense capabilities, approaching the rule of mustache negation“, published in Protection and Security Research.

“The role of the moustache ban in the Islamic Republic’s foreign policy and international relationsPublished in ” Iranian Journal of Political Sociology.

Each paper is written in a mixture of Persian and Arabic, and includes a synopsis written in English, which includes a reference to “Moustache” as well as each title.

Why the moustache? Feedback’s language consultant was astonished. “Because the translator of the paper is a complete idiot!! The word for “path” in Arabic is [of doing something]’ is sometimes called SavilePersian [Farsi], Sybil It means “mustache.” The translator might just be Google.

The world will now find out what impact these moustache-twirling papers will have on international diplomatic relations.

Mustache measurement

While pursuing the intricacies of mustache negation rules, Feedback stumbled upon a (possibly unrelated) study published in 1982:Survival curves and growth rates of mustache populationsThe paper, written by Cliff Frohlich and Ruth Buskirk, reports measurements of “three previously unstudied characteristics of mustaches: hair length distribution, hair growth rate, and rate of hair shedding or weathering,” all of which were measured on “unshaven mustaches of 30-year-old Caucasian men.”

Eleven years later, Frohlich cited Mustache’s paper, studyPublished in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earthdiscussed the subtle mathematical aspects of measuring earthquake strength. He noted that, like mustache growth, “earthquakes are just one of many phenomena for which a logarithmic plot of number versus magnitude is approximately a straight line.”

Marc Abrahams is the founder of the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony and co-founder of the journal Annals of Improbable Research. He previously worked on unusual uses of computers. His website is Impossible

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Source: www.newscientist.com