The Growing Global Threat of Pesticides: Understanding Their Harmful Impact

Posted on February 6, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

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Farmers Spraying Pesticides on Cotton Fields

Tao Weimin/VCG via Getty Images

Over 60 years have passed since Rachel Carson’s influential book, Silent Spring, highlighted the dangers of pesticides. The negative impact on wildlife has escalated, potentially more than ever before.

“Across nearly every nation, there is a trend of increased pesticide toxicity,” explains Ralph Schulz from RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau, Germany.

The risks associated with pesticides depend on both the volume used and their toxicity levels, which can vary significantly among species. To quantify the overall pesticide burden, Schulz and his team formulated a metric called “applied toxicity.”

The team investigated the use of 625 pesticides across 201 countries from 2013 to 2019, incorporating both organic and conventional pesticide data.

They averaged toxicity data from regulatory bodies in various nations, assessing the toxicity levels to eight major organism groups: aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates, fish, terrestrial arthropods, pollinators, soil organisms, terrestrial vertebrates, and terrestrial plants. This enabled them to calculate the total toxicity per country or organism group.

Globally, applied toxicity rose from 2013 to 2019 in six out of eight organism groups. Notably, pollinators saw a 13% increase, fish a 27% rise, and terrestrial arthropods—including insects, crustaceans, and spiders—experienced a 43% increase.

“This increase does not automatically translate to direct toxic effects on these organisms,” Schulz clarifies. “However, it serves as an important indicator of the toxicity levels of the pesticides currently in use.”

Numerous studies indicate that pesticide concentrations in various ecosystems, such as rivers, often exceed regulators’ assessments during approval processes.

“While this particular index does not account for it, significant evidence exists,” Schulz remarks, emphasizing that risk evaluations tend to underestimate real-world exposures.

The rise in the combined applied toxicity stems from two key factors: the increased use of pesticides and the replacement of older varieties with more toxic alternatives, spurred primarily by the emergence of pest resistance. Schulz notes, “In my view, resistance will only exacerbate with more chemical pesticide use.”

Pesticides like pyrethroids pose notable risks to fish and aquatic invertebrates, even when applied in minimal amounts. Neonicotinoids also significantly threaten pollinators.

Calls to eliminate glyphosate, known as Roundup, are growing. Although glyphosate’s overall toxicity is relatively low, its widespread use contributes to cumulative toxicity, according to Schulz. A ban could backfire if more toxic herbicides are adopted following the ban.

Reducing pesticide usage could lead to unintended consequences; declining farm productivity may necessitate more land clearance, resulting in biodiversity loss.

During the 2022 UN Biodiversity Summit, nations pledged to reduce biodiversity loss. Schulz states, “Overall risk from pesticides” has yet to be precisely defined, but he believes that the aggregate of applied toxicities could serve as a metric.

While this method has its limitations, he insists that no perfect measure of overall pesticide use exists. Roel Vermeulen of Utrecht University in the Netherlands adds, “Despite the uncertainties, the alarming trends it reveals are undeniable.” He warns, “The world is drifting away from UN objectives, which spells bad news for ecosystems and ultimately for human health.”

“Crucially, this study illustrates that a small number of highly toxic pesticides are responsible for the majority of overall risk, highlighting clear and actionable targets for significant benefits,” Vermeulen asserts.

Transforming agricultural practices will require broader societal shifts. “Consumers must adopt dietary modifications, minimize food waste, and pay fair prices that truly reflect the environmental costs of production,” he concludes.

Topics:

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Emerging Giant Hybrid Pest in Brazil Poses Global Threat to Crops

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Corn Earworm (Helicoverpa zea) Larvae Feeding on Cotton Plants

Debra Ferguson/Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group (via Getty Images)

The cotton bollworm and corn earworm, recognized as “giant pests,” are currently wreaking havoc on farmers globally. Recent interbreeding incidents in Brazil have resulted in a hybrid that possesses resistance to various pesticides. If this trend continues unchecked, the hybrid strain may severely impact soybean and other crop yields, jeopardizing global food security.

“This can pose significant challenges,” notes Chris Jiggins from Cambridge University.

Many nations rely on Brazilian soybeans for both human and animal feed—“it essentially feeds the world,” Jiggins remarks.

In Brazil, over 90% of soybeans cultivated are genetically modified (GM) varieties containing built-in pesticides. The emergence of resistant pests could precipitate a decline in yields, leading to heightened food prices. Additionally, increased deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions may occur as farmers seek to clear more land for cultivation.

The corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), a moth native to the Americas, features caterpillars that are highly destructive to a variety of crops, particularly corn. They also pose threats to tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, and eggplants.

Historically, H. zea has not been a significant issue for soybean farmers in Brazil, as soybeans are not their primary food source. However, the detection of the cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) in Brazil in 2013 marked a troubling development. This pest, a close relative of H. zea, has proven to be widely detrimental. Both moth species are categorized as “giant pests” due to their notorious destructiveness and resistance to control measures.

“The concerns are well-founded, given their significant impact,” Jiggins emphasizes. “Moths can travel substantial distances, complicating control efforts.”

H. armigera feeds on multiple plant types, while H. zea primarily reproduces in soybeans, leading to financial strains on Brazilian agriculture with costs totaling billions of dollars, according to Jiggins.

The introduction of Bt soybeans—genetically engineered to produce proteins derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis—has alleviated some challenges posed by these pests.

Initial belief held that hybridization between H. armigera and H. zea was implausible. However, genetic analyses from 2018 identified hybrids within the species. Recent genomic studies of around 1,000 moths collected over the past decade have revealed alarming trends.

Analysis indicates that one-third of H. armigera specimens now possess genes conferring resistance to Bt toxins, a concerning development since H. zea strains have evolved comparable resistances after their introduction in North America during the 1990s. This resistance, now spreading to South America, suggests a perilous progression as hybridization occurs. While hybrid H. armigera has not yet produced severe consequences, experts caution that as resistance continues to evolve, the situation may change rapidly.

Gene transfers between species are occurring, and H. zea in Brazil have gained resistance to pyrethroid insecticides. “The speed of this development is astounding,” notes Jiggins.

Angela McGaughran from the University of Waikato asserts that “as global interconnectedness and climate change enable species range expansion, the looming threat of these megapests could amplify on a worldwide scale.”

Farmers are advised to implement non-Bt crop rotations alongside Bt crops to mitigate the spread of resistant pests. However, adherence to these guidelines remains inconsistent across various countries.

Biotech companies are now researching multi-gene Bt strains—producing two, three, or even five different Bt proteins to combat resistance. However, Jiggins insists that the cost and duration of bringing such innovations to market underscore the necessity for sustainable resistance management, including reducing exposure to existing Bt crops.

While hybridization facilitates resistance, Tabashnik highlights that intra-species evolution remains the leading concern. In China, for instance, H. armigera has developed resistance to the original Bt toxin independently.

Topics:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Toxic Algae in South Australia: A Potential Global Threat

Posted on November 5, 2025 by

Algal Bloom Devastates Fish Populations in South Australia

Australian Associated Press/Alamy

A vast and lethal algal bloom has wreaked havoc in South Australia over the past eight months, impacting over 20,000 square kilometers of marine habitat. An estimated 1 million animals from more than 550 species have perished, significantly affecting human health as well.

Researchers have recently pinpointed the species responsible for this ecological calamity, cautioning that it represents a “new international threat with unpredictable outcomes.”

The alarming agent is a type of algae known as Karenia cristata. Previously, it was documented only in two locales near South Africa, where it resulted in fish die-offs in 1989 and the mid-1990s, as well as off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

The research team has also identified a novel toxin released by K. cristata, which belongs to a group of compounds called brevetoxins. These toxins can inflict neurological harm on marine creatures, damage fish gills, and lead to fatalities in various species, including sea dragons, great white sharks, and dolphins. Brevetoxins pose a risk to humans via inhalation or ingestion.

Team member Shona Murray, a professor at the University of Technology Sydney, expressed concern among international colleagues regarding the implications of a new toxin-producing species potentially appearing in their waters.

“We are aware that this algal bloom has the capacity to proliferate in other parts of the world,” she cautions. “Previously, we underestimated its ability to create extensive and destructive blooms that could persist for eight months.

“Now we have confirmation, and it’s evident that it’s already occurring in other global regions; thus, I consider it an international threat.”

Satellite Image from August 13: High Concentrations of Yellow-Green Chlorophyll Indicate Algal Blooms Along South Australia’s Coastline

ESA

Murray and her research team noted that nearly 850 instances of harmful marine algal blooms have been documented worldwide from 1985 to 2025, with the recent South Australian event considered “one of the most severe and widespread” ever recorded globally.

The researchers have yet to determine the reason for such a vast and lethal bloom. The rising frequency of harmful blooms globally has been linked to increasing ocean temperatures, and the outbreak coincided with a significant marine heatwave, where water temperatures soared up to 3 degrees Celsius above normal. Nevertheless, the unexpected expansion of the blooms occurred after May 2025 when ocean temperatures began to decline.

K. cristata researchers emphasize the urgent need to comprehend the triggers for the bloom, noting that, given the right circumstances, it could impact numerous countries.

Christopher Keneally from the University of Adelaide points out that the dominant Karenia species previously identified, Karenia mikimotoi, is not known for producing brevetoxins. “There are numerous uncertainties regarding how the specific toxins produced by this species influence humans,” he states.

He concurs that the discovery raises concerns about potential new threats arising beyond Australia. “Given this species’ wide global distribution, it’s likely already present in small quantities in various coastal areas worldwide,” he adds. “As nutrient levels rise in many urbanized coastal regions and sea surface temperatures escalate, we can rightly predict that a variety of bloom-forming organisms will become increasingly prevalent.”

Topics:

Conservation/
Marine Biology

Source: www.newscientist.com

Elon Musk, AI, and ‘Radical Left Activism’: Insights from Wikipedia’s Creator on Its Greatest Threat

Posted on November 5, 2025 by

Few websites are as essential to the internet as Wikipedia.

This digital encyclopedia was established by Jimmy Wales roughly 25 years ago while he was involved with the expert-driven initiative “Nupedia.”

Although Nupedia didn’t gain traction, its successor evolved into one of the most significant platforms online. Currently, there are over 7 million articles available in English alone.

So, where does Wikipedia stand as distinguishing fact from fiction becomes increasingly challenging and artificial intelligence (AI) transforms how we generate and access knowledge?

To explore this, BBC Science Focus held a discussion with Wales. He shared insights on the evolution of platforms over the last two decades, the challenge of sustaining trust and neutrality amidst misinformation, and how AI might shape the future.

SF: You’ve mentioned that social media contributes to a decline in trust. Can Wikipedia still thrive in such an environment?

JW: I believe we can certainly hold our own. I don’t necessarily view it as a competition, akin to business rivalries or transportation competition.

There’s a growing sentiment advocating for a shift from cultural conflicts to more thoughtful and respectful interactions, embracing differences, and promoting dialogue across divides.

Yet, division is an inherent aspect of human nature. For instance, when people discuss today’s youth, they often claim they lack attention spans and are perpetually glued to their phones. However, it’s evident that while they enjoy captivating short-form content, they can also binge-watch intricate TV series for extended hours.

Both represent facets of the human experience and can exist simultaneously—light-hearted social media and serious inquiry. Much like our dietary habits, we should ensure a balance, avoiding just junk food while incorporating nutritious options.

SF: How has Wikipedia managed to foster a relatively constructive culture while the rest of the internet seems to decline?

JW: I appreciate your use of “relatively constructive,” which recognizes that we face internal disputes and occasional anger—it’s part of being human.

It’s fundamentally about design—both in terms of software and what I term community design. It’s a blend of various factors.

When a business model relies heavily on ad revenue and user engagement, it becomes tempting to promote content that elicits longer viewing times, anger, or arguments, rather than happiness. This approach can be unhealthy in the long term.

Conversely, Wikipedia operates without ads and is funded by public donations. Thus, our model positions us as a charity, which means we aim to minimize clicks and keep users engaged without overwhelming them.

This necessitates a divergent approach to site design and community guidelines.

Civilized discussion is crucial. Without it, Wikipedia could become rampant with misinformation. I believe numerous foundational elements contribute to our success.

SF: Recently, Wikipedia has encountered increased criticism—Elon Musk even referred to it as “Walkpedia.” How do you feel about that?

JW: That’s unfortunate. When Elon labels us “Walkpedia,” he’s mistaken and misinformed. That assertion is baseless.

For instance, regarding transgender topics, there’s a common “gotcha” question: “What is a woman?” Wikipedia’s entry for “female” defines it as “an adult female human being.” This is indisputable, isn’t it?

Furthermore, the entry also addresses more nuanced discussions surrounding gender in society, which add depth.

Elon Musk recently introduced Grokipedia, an AI-powered competitor to Wikipedia – Credit: Getty

Claiming that we’ve turned into some sort of radical leftist organization is simply misguided. Of course, there are areas worthy of refinement. At times, you may examine an article and feel it’s unjust towards one party, and these instances require critical reflection and effort.

The solution lies in engaging more individuals. I would welcome more compassionate and thoughtful individuals who recognize bias in Wikipedia articles to realize that contributions stem from source material, rather than assuming it’s the work of some radical activist ready to block dissenters.

While certain perspectives may lack representation, we can incorporate them and work toward a more balanced viewpoint.

read more:

SF: As reliance on AI for information grows, could Wikipedia face obsolescence?

JW: I hesitate to say “never,” as the future of technology is unpredictable. However, at present, we don’t foresee a significant impact in that regard.

A Pew Research study indicates that Wikipedia appears in about 3% of the top 10 results in standard Google searches, whereas Google’s AI summaries link to Wikipedia approximately 6% of the time.

This dynamic means Wikipedia is frequently referenced in Google AI summaries, although fewer users are inclined to click those links. We’re not overly concerned about clicks, but it remains a trend to monitor.

Personally, I utilize AI extensively and have discovered that its strengths lie in scenarios that wouldn’t typically generate interest on Wikipedia.

Forty years ago, I would have assumed that the first AI able to write in English would be dull and purely factual, merely regurgitating information. Surprisingly, I find that AI excels in creative brainstorming. It’s impressively effective.

Jimmy Wales was the first individual to edit Wikipedia, writing “Hello, World!” right after its launch in 2001. – Credit: Getty

SF: Are you concerned that Wikipedia’s biases could influence the AI models trained on its extensive content?

JW: Absolutely. This is a crucial focus, particularly for those developing AI models.

From what I’ve observed, the largest data sources for most advanced language models (LLMs) are Wikipedia and Reddit. While both are valuable, they have inherent limitations, particularly since both are predominantly male-dominated.

We are striving for awareness, as Wikipedia prioritizes neutrality. Yet, if we’re not vigilant, we risk unintentionally reinforcing existing biases.

At the same time, LLMs can be trained and directed, making it feasible to envision an AI continuously navigating through Wikipedia, identifying biases, and flagging articles in need of revision.

If utilized appropriately, this process could highlight instances where, for example, articles about male Nobel Prize-winning economists mention their families, while articles about female winners do not. Such insights are intriguing and may go unnoticed.

This conversation has been condensed for brevity and clarity.

Jimmy Wales’ new book, The 7 Rules of Trust, is available for purchase now.

read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

How a Far-Fetched Conspiracy Diverts Attention from the Real Threat of Climate Change

Posted on October 9, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

“Everyone knows that airplanes negatively impact the climate…”

Oversnap/Getty Images

Years ago, I attended a climate science conference at University College London. While the specifics of the meeting are lost to me, the day remains vivid. Upon arrival, I encountered demonstrators outside, a familiar sight at such events that typically draw both supporters and skeptics of climate change.

Initially, the protesters conducted themselves peacefully, and I chose to enter the conference. Around mid-morning, however, they disrupted the lecture hall, heckling the speaker before storming the stage with their slogans and signs.

The protesters were unlike any I had encountered. Instead of being traditional climate activists or skeptics, one was a proponent of a conspiracy theory called chemtrails. In essence, this theory posits that the condensation trails (contrails) left by aircraft contain harmful substances deliberately released to manipulate the weather, poison people, or serve other sinister purposes.

This is untrue. Contrails are simply long streaks of ice crystals created when water vapor in engine exhaust freezes in the cold air at cruising altitudes. While they typically dissipate quickly, under certain conditions they can linger for hours, forming what conspiracy theorists label as chemtrails.

Like many conspiracy theories, this one carries elements of truth. Although contrails may look stunning against a summer sky, they nevertheless contribute to environmental damage.

It’s well-established that airplanes have an adverse effect on the climate. Burning aviation fuel represents about 2.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, contrails and contrail-induced clouds are categorized as “aeronautical non-carbon dioxide.” The climatic effects might be equally or even more severe.

This is attributable to basic physics. Similar to greenhouse gases, ice crystals in cirrus clouds trap infrared radiation escaping from Earth, generating a warming effect. They also reflect incoming sunlight, counteracting this effect. Ultimately, though, they contribute to global warming.

In reality, the impact of contrails on climate is not completely understood. Last year, NASA acknowledged this knowledge gap and asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to investigate the climatic repercussions of contrails and suggest research methodologies.

“
Contrails may look eerily beautiful on a summer evening, but they are quietly harming the environment.
“

Recently published, the report states that contrails might contribute to warming potentially exceeding that of aviation fuel, though significant uncertainty remains. Fortunately, options exist to mitigate this impact, including altering fuel formulations, refining engine designs, and rerouting flights to avoid areas conducive to contrail formation.

The report does not mention chemtrails, which is sensible. While the panel might have considered debunking this unfounded conspiracy theory, they opted not to give it publicity. Regardless, the report is unlikely to effect change, especially under the current US administration. Donald Trump’s administration has shown a tendency towards anti-science and conspiracy-driven climate skepticism, making addressing contrails a low priority. Significant regulatory changes regarding the airline and fossil fuel industries are necessary, so don’t expect immediate action.

I suspect that the airline and fossil fuel sectors silently welcome chemtrail theorists; their distractions divert attention from the true implications of contrails on climate.

Instead, the report will likely collect dust, while another report on chemtrails gets commissioned. Reports associate President Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with the conspiracy as part of an unscientific initiative to make America healthy again. Despite the absence of credible evidence, the notion persists.

Earlier this year, while enjoying a sunny afternoon, I had a conversation with my neighbors. “Have a nice day,” I said. “If they weren’t here, they will be,” he replied, gesturing skyward at intersecting contrails. He, too, is a climate change skeptic.

The chemtrail conspiracy is inherently frustrating—wholly futile. Despite their lack of scientific understanding, conspiracy theorists seem to think their beliefs will yield results. They are intrinsically distrustful of corporate and governmental authority and care about both environmental and human welfare. Yet, their actions only draw attention away from genuine protests and misallocate it toward unfounded notions.

The UCL meeting ultimately succumbed to continuous protests. If the dissenters believed they had triumphed, they were mistaken. Climate change remains a grave threat—chemtrails do not exist.

What I Am Reading

What We Can Know By Ian McEwan.

What I See

ITV Hacking.

What I Am Working On

I recently underwent hernia surgery, so I am careful to avoid straining my stitches.

Topic:

Environment /
Climate Change

Source: www.newscientist.com

South Korea Elevates Cyber Threat Levels Following Data Center Incident that Triggered Hacking Nightmare

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

South Korea’s intelligence agency has elevated the national cyber threat level due to fears that hackers may exploit the chaos caused by recent fires in government data centers, which have disrupted crucial digital infrastructure nationwide.

The National Cybersecurity Centre, managed by the Intelligence Reporting Agency, has raised its alert from “Warning” to “Warning” as of Monday, highlighting fears that hackers could take advantage of the vulnerabilities during recovery efforts.

The incident occurred on Friday evening at the National Information Resources Service in Great Jeon, approximately 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of Seoul. This facility is one of three operational government data centers that handle critical digital infrastructure across the nation.

Workers had relocated a Lithium-ion battery from the server room on the fifth floor to the basement when the fire started. It spread to other nearby batteries and servers, resulting in one worker sustaining first-degree burns, while firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze after 22 hours.

By Saturday morning, officials had shut down 647 government systems to prevent further damage. Government email and intranet systems were offline, along with mobile identification services, postal banks, complaint portals, and major government websites.

Schools lost access to student records, and tax deadlines passed without being processed. Real estate transactions faced delays due to the inability to verify digital documents. The national crematorium reservation system was impacted, and many hospitals and transport terminals initially left citizens without physical identification cards.

As of 1 PM on Tuesday, 89 out of the 647 affected systems had been restored, including significant government portals, postal services, and identity verification systems.

Officials estimate that 96 of the affected systems have suffered complete failure, necessitating a recovery period of about four weeks as they are moved to a large backup facility. This disruption is expected to persist through Chuseok, the major public holiday in early October.

President Lee Jae Myung issued an apology on Sunday. During a crisis meeting, he expressed dismay at the lack of a backup operating system, stating, “It was a foreseeable incident, but there were no countermeasures. It’s not that the measures didn’t work; they simply didn’t exist.”

When questioned about the backup procedures, an official remarked that they were “driving without a map.”

The upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit, set to be hosted in the southeastern city of Kyoto at the end of October, has raised security concerns as officials from the US, China, and other regions plan to attend.

In October 2022, a fire involving a lithium-ion battery at Kakao, the company behind the popular messaging app KakaoTalk, resulted in millions losing access to messaging, taxis, and digital payments, leading to national chaos.

Following the Kakao incident, parliament passed legislation mandating redundant systems and intervals between batteries and other equipment for internet service providers and data center operators.

The left-leaning Hankyoreh newspaper questioned what last week’s failures indicated about “a nation that prides itself on being an information technology powerhouse.”

In a similar vein, the conservative Dong-a Ilbo remarked that referring to South Korea as a digital leader has become “embarrassing.”

Lawmakers from both the ruling party and the opposition have traded blame regarding the responsibility for the crisis. President’s Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-Sik directed authorities on Monday to focus on resolving the issue rather than criticizing the previous administration.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Under Threat: Human Subtitle Authors Facing AI Challenges in Film

Posted on September 25, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Is artificial intelligence poised to dismantle the SDH [subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing] industry? While SDH remains the standard subtitle format across most platforms, the individuals behind it raise a valid concern as the sector, like many creative fields, faces increasing devaluation in the AI era. “SDH is an art; the industry often overlooks this. Many see it merely as transcription,” remarked Max Deryagin, chairman of Interface Activities, a nonprofit for freelance subtitlers and translators.

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">While AI promises to streamline subtitle creation, it misses the mark, according to Meredith Canela, a committee member. "There's a notion that AI tools mean we should work less. Yet, having spent 14-15 years in this field, I can attest that the time taken to complete projects has not changed significantly over the past five to six years."</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">"Automatic transcription shows some positive advancements," Cannela adds. However, the overall efficiency does not represent a net gain compared to previous software, as extensive corrections are necessary.</p>

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        <span class="dcr-1qvd3m6">"You can't overwhelm your audience"... Barbie's open caption screening for deaf and hard of hearing audiences in Westwood, California in 2023.</span> Photo: Allen J. Shaven/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
    </figcaption>
</figure>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">Moreover, the quality of AI-generated SDHs is often subpar, requiring significant effort to meet standards. Unfortunately, human subtitlers frequently find themselves taking on "quality control" roles with minimal compensation. Many in the field state that earning a sustainable income is currently a challenge.</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">"The fees for SDH work were never great, but they've dropped to a point where it's hardly worth the effort," says Rachel Jones, an audiovisual translator and committee member. "This seriously undermines the value we provide."</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">This value is crucial. "We're thrilled to welcome Teri Devine, associate director of inclusion at the Royal National Institute for Deaf and Deaf," a representative stated. “For those who are deaf or hard of hearing, subtitles are an essential service."</p>

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    <blockquote class="dcr-zzndwp">The same sound can mean a million different things. As humans, we interpret how it should feel.</blockquote>
</aside>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">Deaf and hard of hearing communities are diverse, meaning subtitles must accommodate various needs in crafting SDH. Jones explains, "While some believe that naming songs in subtitles is pointless, others might resonate with it because of the song's title."</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">Subtitles involve numerous creative and emotion-driven choices—qualities AI currently lacks. When Jones first watches a show, she notes her emotional reactions to sounds and determines how best to express those in words. She then decides which sounds to subtitle and which may be excessive: "You can't overwhelm the audience," she points out. It's a delicate balancing act. "I want to avoid over-explaining everything to the viewers," Cannela adds.</p>

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        <span class="dcr-1qvd3m6">"Algorithms cannot replicate the level of professional work."</span> Photo: Milan Sulkara/Arami
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<p class="dcr-130mj7b">AI struggles to discern which sounds are crucial. "It’s far from achieving that now," Deryagin notes, emphasizing the importance of understanding the broader context of a film rather than just individual images or scenes. For instance, in *Blow Out* (1981), a mysterious sound recurs, enhancing viewers' understanding of the main plot points. "SDH must create these connections rapidly without over-informing the audience initially," he explains. "The same sound can have countless meanings, and as a human, it’s my job to interpret those nuances."</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">"You can't simply feed an algorithm a soundtrack and expect it to get it right. Providing metadata will not bridge the gap to professional quality."</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">Netflix provided a glimpse into its "SDH process" following the subtitles for *Stranger Things*—for example, "[Eleven pants]" or "[Tentacles squelching wetly]"—in an <a href="https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/stranger-things-season-4-captions" data-link-name="in body link">interview with the subtitler</a>. The company chose not to comment further on AI in subtitle production. The BBC informed the *Guardian* that "we do not use AI for TV subtitles," though much of that work was outsourced to Redbee Media last year. <a href="https://www.redbeemedia.com/news/red-bee-medias-artificial-intelligence-captioning-workflows-bring-costs-down-for-network-10/" data-link-name="in body link">A statement was issued</a> regarding the use of AI for creating SDHs for the Australian Broadcasting Network 10.</p>

<p class="dcr-130mj7b">Jones notes that linguists and subtitlers aren't inherently opposed to AI, but at this juncture, it complicates rather than simplifies their work. "In every industry, AI tends to replace the creative aspects that bring us joy, rather than alleviating the tedious tasks that we’d rather avoid," she concludes.</p>

Source: www.theguardian.com

More Britons View AI as an Economic Threat Instead of an Opportunity, Tony Blair’s Think Tank Finds

Posted on September 22, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

A think tank associated with Tony Blair suggests that the public perceives artificial intelligence more as an economic threat rather than a benefit.

The Tony Blair Institute cautioned that these poll findings could jeopardize Keir Starmer’s vision for the UK to become an AI “superpower,” urging the government to persuade the populace about the positive impacts of this technology.

According to a survey conducted by TBI, 38% of Britons see AI as a potential economic risk, while only 20% regard it as an opportunity. The survey, which included over 3,700 adults, also revealed that a lack of trust is the primary barrier to AI adoption.

Jakob Mökander, the director of science and technology policy at TBI, stated that the UK’s primary path to becoming an AI superpower lies in adopting cutting-edge technology. He expressed concerns that the current poll results jeopardize this aspiration.

Mökander noted, “A nation can achieve AI superpower status either by leading in development or by being a frontrunner in adoption.” He acknowledged that while the UK will not lead in development—domains dominated by the US and China—it can excel in adoption. However, he emphasized that without fostering public trust in technology, this goal is unattainable.

The UK government has identified AI as a cornerstone of its economic growth strategy, aiming for the country to become “one of the great AI superpowers” in the near future.

Nonetheless, there is considerable voter concern regarding the economic ramifications and job implications associated with AI. Entities such as TBI, the International Monetary Fund, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development predict that AI—defined as systems that can undertake tasks typically requiring human intelligence—will profoundly affect the labor market. TBI estimates that AI may lead to a shift of between 1 million and 3 million private sector jobs in the UK, although they anticipate that the total job loss will be mitigated as technology creates new positions.

Meanwhile, recruitment agencies have indicated that sectors expected to be influenced by AI, like graduate recruitment, have not yet experienced significant changes attributable to AI.

Furthermore, TBI’s polling indicates a divide between AI users and non-users, revealing that more than half of those unacquainted with the technology perceive it as a risk. In contrast, only a quarter of those who regularly use AI regard it as a threat.

Mökander stated that there is a pressing need to articulate potential benefits, like establishing AI reliability through regulations, shortening NHS wait times, and allowing individuals more family time.

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Regarding the need for regulations akin to those for vaccines, Mökander emphasized educating the public and promoting positive campaigns to cultivate healthy perceptions.

The TBI has garnered significant funding from tech magnate Larry Ellison and released findings indicating the advantageous applications of AI. The report suggests measuring AI’s beneficial impact accurately and promoting responsible regulations to foster AI skill development.

A spokesperson for the UK government stated that public trust is vital for effective AI utilization and highlighted initiatives aimed at enhancing AI skills and recruitment.

“With approximately 10 million workers projected to use AI in their daily roles by 2035, it is crucial that the workforce is equipped with both the skills and confidence to engage with this technology,” the spokesperson remarked.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Unpredictability of Mega Tsunamis: Understanding the Reasons Behind Their Threat

Posted on August 23, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

On July 30th, at 12:25am BST (11:25am local time), a significant earthquake occurred off the coast of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula. With a magnitude of 8.8, it marked the sixth largest earthquake in recorded history, raising fears of a tsunami reminiscent of the 2004 Indian Ocean disaster.

Within hours, over 2 million individuals across the Pacific were ordered to evacuate as alerts reached coastlines from China and New Zealand to Peru and Mexico.

Fortunately, apart from some damage near the epicenter in Russia, the globe largely avoided catastrophe. As people heeded the warnings and moved to higher ground, many tsunami alerts were gradually downgraded and retracted.

The waves never materialized. But why?

How Tsunami Warning Systems Operate

The tsunami warning framework has significantly advanced since the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which claimed over 200,000 lives.

“Multiple tsunami warning centers exist globally,” said Professor Alison Raby, an environmental fluid mechanics expert at Plymouth University.

“These centers are alerted to earthquake incidents, determining their location, size, and depth—critical factors for predicting tsunamis. Consequently, they issue a broad alert based on this information.”

Given that seismic waves travel around 100 times faster than tsunamis, earthquake information reaches us well before the first wave. However, waiting to witness the tsunami is rarely feasible. By the time underwater pressure gauges or satellites detect unusual sea level changes, it may already be too late.

The detection speed varies based on the proximity of the source to the nearest detection system or coastal depth gauge, ranging from five minutes to two hours.

Utilizing data from past earthquakes and intricate computer models, scientists at warning centers often have limited time to decide whether to issue an alert, with the first warning typically released just five minutes after the ground stops shaking.

The final phase—communicating alerts effectively—has also improved since 2004. At that time, many coastal communities received little to no warnings. Now, emergency alerts can be sent directly to mobile phones, affording people crucial time to reach higher ground before the waves strike.

Data from surface water and oceanic topography (SWOT) satellites depict waves generated by the Kamchatka earthquake.

The Complexity of Tsunami Warnings

This year’s earthquake in Russia was categorized as a giant earthquake. Such occurrences transpire in subduction zones where one tectonic plate is thrust beneath another, leading to the most powerful earthquakes known.

As one plate descends, the other is elevated, causing the seabed to suddenly rise and displacing a substantial volume of water. This abrupt uplift triggers waves capable of traveling across the ocean basin, which grow larger as they approach the shallow coastline.

The Megathrust earthquake also caused the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the 2011 Japanese earthquake, both of which generated towering tsunamis with waves exceeding 30m (100 feet). Therefore, it was no surprise that warnings were propagated throughout the Pacific.

The challenge lies in the fact that despite similarities in earthquakes, multiple factors influence tsunami generation.

“It’s not simply about detecting an earthquake and simulating potential tsunami sizes,” explained Liby. “Underwater landslides or other mechanisms may also play a role.”

The availability of data from specific locations is crucial. The same region in Russia experienced a magnitude 9 earthquake in 1952, yet remains underpopulated, leading to less comprehensive modeling efforts compared to other seismic hotspots.

Globally, records are limited. Reliable earthquake measurements only date back about a century, with only a few incidents generating tsunamis, resulting in an insufficient sample size for accurate predictions.

“We are fairly confident in understanding these events, but they always prompt new insights and questions,” affirmed Raby. “I am certain seismologists and seismic engineers will glean further knowledge from this recent incident that wasn’t previously recognized.”

The tsunami warning system has made significant strides. It’s now prioritized to er on the side of caution during tsunami evacuations rather than risk overlooking a potential disaster. Still, the balance is precarious.

“The issue is that people may become complacent,” noted Raby. “During evacuations, they may face income loss, or even car accidents, leading them to become skeptical of future warnings. Hence, the threat of excessive false alerts is real.”

Nonetheless, she remains hopeful. “I’m cautiously optimistic that improvements are being made, though we’re far from perfect forecasting capabilities.”

Read more:

Meet Our Experts

Allison Raby is a professor of environmental fluid mechanics at the University of Plymouth, UK. Her tsunami research has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction and Marine Geology.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

White House Establishes Official TikTok Account Following Trump’s 2020 Ban Threat

Posted on August 20, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The White House launched its official TikTok account on Tuesday, even as Donald Trump continues to permit China-owned platforms to operate in the US, despite legislation necessitating their sale.

The caption on the popular video-sharing app was featured in a 27-second clip, marking the inaugural post on the “America is Back! What’s wrong with TikTok?” account.

Within an hour of the video’s release, the account gathered around 4,500 followers. Meanwhile, Trump’s personal TikTok account boasts 15.1 million followers, though his last post dates back to November 5, 2024, Election Day.

Trump has expressed a fondness for popular apps and believes their influence helped secure his support among younger voters during his victory over Democratic opponent Kamala Harris in the November 2024 presidential election.

According to White House spokesperson Carolyn Leavitt, “The Trump administration is dedicated to showcasing the historic achievements that President Trump has delivered to Americans through as many platforms and viewers as possible,” when announcing the account’s launch.

A federal law mandating a ban on TikTok’s sale on national security grounds is set to take effect on January 20, the day before Trump’s inauguration.

However, the 2024 election campaign heavily relies on social media, and the Republican president, who advocates for TikTok, has opted against the suspension.

TikTok remains immensely popular, with 170 million users in the US. The platform’s parent company revealed in April that discussions with the US government regarding potential solutions for the app were ongoing. The contract “is subject to approval under Chinese law.”

In mid-June, Trump extended TikTok’s deadline for an additional 90 days, allowing for the identification of non-Chinese buyers, or facing a ban in the US for a third time.

This extension is expected to expire in mid-September.

Trump initially proposed the idea of banning TikTok in 2020, voicing concerns that China-owned apps posed a national security threat. The issue quickly garnered bipartisan support, leading Congress to overwhelmingly pass a vote to ban the app last year. The original deadline for the TikTok ban was set for January 19.

After joining the platform during his presidential campaign last year, Trump reversed his position on TikTok, amassing nearly 15 million followers and even hosting TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at his Mar-a-Lago Estate in Florida, where Chew also attended Trump’s inauguration.

Trump has maintained his stance on the necessity of a ban or sale but pledged to support the platform after changing his viewpoint, believing it helped him gain traction with young voters during the November election.

While Trump’s official account on X (formerly Twitter) boasts 108.5 million followers, his preferred social media platform is the one he owns, Truth Social, where he has 10.6 million followers.

The official White House accounts on X and Instagram have 2.4 million and 9.3 million followers, respectively.

Dara Kerr contributed to this report

Source: www.theguardian.com

Climate Change Heightens the Threat of Rapidly Intensifying Storms: Hurricane Erin as a Case Study.

Posted on August 18, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Hurricane Erin has regained strength, returning to a Category 4 storm over the weekend.

The recent hurricane activity has led to the formation of one of the most rapidly intensifying Atlantic hurricanes on record, suggesting that climate change is elevating the threat of quickly strengthening storms.

Erin was the first hurricane of this Atlantic season, rapidly escalating from a Category 1 to a Category 5 storm in just over 24 hours. Even after fluctuations in intensity, Erin’s transformation back to a Category 4 storm is among the five fastest transitions from Category 1 to Category 5.

The hurricane is anticipated to grow stronger on Monday as it moves east of the Bahamas. For more information, refer to the National Hurricane Center’s latest advisory. Heavy rainfall is expected in Hispaniola on Monday, as well as in parts of the Turks and Caicos, and the southeastern and central Bahamas until Tuesday.

However, experts are focusing closely on the phenomenon of the storm’s “rapid strengthening.”

The National Hurricane Center defines rapid strengthening as an increase in sustained wind speed of at least 35 mph within 24 hours.

In Erin’s case, its maximum sustained wind speed surged by approximately 75 mph over a 24-hour period from Friday morning to Saturday.

Climate change is heightening the risk of rapidly intensifying storms, primarily due to elevated sea surface temperatures and increased moisture in the atmosphere.

As Erin approaches the Bahamas on Monday, it is expected to further intensify in the warm waters that are above 80 degrees Fahrenheit. A warmer atmosphere caused by global warming is capable of holding more moisture, allowing the storm to gain strength and enhance rainfall.

Research published in 2023 in the Journal Scientific Reports indicates that the likelihood of rapid intensification for tropical cyclones in the Atlantic has increased by about 29% from 2001 to 2020 compared to the 1971 to 1990 period.

Rapid intensification has been well-documented in recent years, with Hurricane Dorian reaching peak winds of 150 mph to 185 mph in just nine hours in 2019. Additionally, Hurricane Ian experienced rapid strengthening before making landfall in Florida in 2022.

Last year, Hurricane Milton’s sustained wind speed astonishingly rose by 90 mph over approximately 25 hours. Other notable instances of rapid strengthening include Hurricanes Harvey (2017), Laura (2020), Ida (2021), and Ian (2023).

Despite these observations, predicting rapid intensification remains a challenge. Scientists understand that warm sea surface temperatures, high humidity, and favorable atmospheric conditions play crucial roles, but further research is essential to comprehend the specific mechanics at play in individual storms.

In the coming days, the National Hurricane Center indicated that Erin will track between Bermuda and the US East Coast.

While the storms are not forecasted to make direct landfall, they can still generate dangerous surf, strong currents, and other hazardous conditions affecting the Bahamas, Bermuda, the US East Coast, and Canada’s Atlantic region.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The Rising Threat of Carnivorous Bacteria in Florida and Louisiana

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The number of fatalities linked to “carnivorous” bacteria is increasing along the southeast coast of the US. Five individuals in Florida, Four in Louisiana, and One in the Outer Banks have succumbed this year to infections that can lead to necrotic wounds.

The culprit, the bacterium Vibrio vulnificus, thrives in warm seawater. According to the state health department, Florida has reported 16 cases so far this year. Louisiana has reported 17 cases, exceeding last year’s average. North Carolina has recorded seven incidents, confirmed by its Department of Health and Human Services, while Mississippi has filed three lawsuits this year, as per the state’s health department.

The initial fatalities in Florida were documented in Bay County along the Gulf Coast, as well as Hillsboro County and regions in Broward and St. John’s Counties, located just south of Jacksonville in southeastern Florida.

Bacteria can enter the body through skin wounds, resulting in tissue necrosis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vibrio vulnificus can also be contracted via the consumption of contaminated food, particularly raw oysters. The exact means of infection for those in Florida remains unclear.

As reported by the CDC, approximately one in five individuals infected with Vibrio vulnificus will die.

Antalpreet Jutt, a professor of engineering at the University of Florida, noted that while infections are still relatively rare, “something feels off this year.” Nevertheless, he mentioned the uncertainty around the reasons behind the spike in infections.

“This is definitely not normal,” Jutt expressed. “We haven’t encountered this many cases early in the summer in quite some time.”

Jutt explained that cases of Vibrio vulnificus tend to rise following hurricanes. Last year, Florida registered a total of 82 cases, potentially worsened by an “extremely active” hurricane season when bacteria can persist in floodwaters.

“This year, it seems there are a higher number of pathogens than usual,” he remarked.

The current hurricane season is still projected to be above average as the US enters its peak period, as reported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Jutt’s research group is examining why there are elevated concentrations of plankton and chlorophyll (indicators of Vibrio) throughout the Florida panhandle, which he describes as a concerning trend.

What is Vibrio vulnificus?

Rita Colwell, a microbiology professor at the University of Maryland, states that Vibrio vulnificus is one of over 200 species of Vibrio bacteria.

Most Vibrio infections are not harmful to humans, according to Jutt. Some may only impact marine life.

However, Vibrio bacteria are responsible for around 80,000 infections annually, as reported by the Cleveland Clinic. The majority of these cases are gastrointestinal, with only 100-200 cases arising from Vibrio vulnificus. Other Vibrio species, such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio alginolyticus, are more commonly associated with stomach illnesses, while another, Vibrio cholerae, is known to cause cholera.

Vibrio bacteria are primarily found along the southeastern coast of the United States, favoring warmer waters, but are also present on the west coast. With rising sea temperatures, cases have increasingly been reported further north, including areas in New York, Connecticut, and parts of Maryland, Jutt noted.

Who is at risk?

Dr. Norman Beatty, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Florida Health, mentioned that spending time in salty or brackish waters can lead to Vibrio bacteria infiltrating open wounds. Most cases he has encountered are associated with extended exposure to the water, though even short contact can be sufficient.

Visible symptoms of infection can develop within hours, including redness, swelling, and the formation of “bull” blisters. This site can become painful. If the infection progresses, it may enter the bloodstream, potentially leading to sepsis, which can be fatal. According to the CDC, symptoms of sepsis include fever, chills, and dangerously low blood pressure.

Jutt mentioned that individuals with cirrhosis, weakened immune systems, and those over 65 are particularly vulnerable to infections.

Infections caused by Vibrio vulnificus can be treated with antibiotics.

How to prevent Vibrio infection

Beatty advises covering any open wounds before entering the ocean, noting that even waterproof band-aids can be effective.

Individuals who suspect they have an infection should seek immediate medical attention, Beatty cautioned. Delays can significantly increase the risk of severe complications compared to milder cases.

“Late presentations to healthcare are why many individuals suffer more serious consequences than others,” he stated. “Those who seek treatment shortly after the onset of symptoms, and are given antibiotics promptly, are likely to fare better and avoid severe complications.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

UK Online Safety Law Poses a Threat to Free Speech and Internet Safety

Posted on August 1, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Elon Musk’s platform, X, has warned that the UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA) may “seriously infringe” on free speech due to its measures aimed at shielding children from harmful content.

The social media company noted that the law’s ostensibly protective aims are marred by the aggressive enforcement tactics of Communications Watchdog Ofcom.

In a statement shared on its platform, X remarked: “Many individuals are worried that initiatives designed to safeguard children could lead to significant violations of their freedom of expression.”

It further stated that the UK government was likely aware of the risks, having made “conscious decisions” to enhance censorship under the guise of “online safety.”

“It is reasonable to question if British citizens are also aware of the trade-offs being made,” the statement added.

The law, a point of contention politically on both sides of the Atlantic, is facing renewed scrutiny following the implementation of new restrictions on July 25th regarding access to pornography for those under 18 and content deemed harmful to minors.

Musk, who owns X, labeled the law as an “oppression of people” shortly after the enactment of the new rules. He also retweeted a petition advocating for the repeal of the law, which has garnered over 450,000 signatures.

X found itself compelled to establish age restrictions for certain content. In response, the Reformed British Party joined the outcry, pledging to abolish the act. This commitment led British technology secretary Peter Kyle to accuse Nigel Farage of aligning himself with pedophile Jimmy Saville, prompting Farage to describe the comments as “under the belt” and deserving of an apology.

Regarding Ofcom, X claimed that the regulators are employing “heavy-handed” tactics in implementing the act, characterized by “a rapid increase in enforcement resources” and “additional layers of bureaucratic surveillance.”

The statement warned: “The commendable intentions of this law risk being overshadowed by the expansiveness of its regulatory scope. A more balanced and collaborative approach is essential to prevent undermining free speech.”

While X aims to comply with the law, the threat of enforcement and penalties—potentially reaching 10% of global sales for social media platforms like X—could lead to increased censorship of legitimate content to avoid repercussions.

The statement also referred to plans for a National Internet Intelligence Research Team intended to monitor social media for indications of anti-migrant sentiments. While X suggested the proposal could be framed as a safety measure, it asserted that it “clearly extends far beyond that intention.”

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“This development has raised alarms among free speech advocates, who characterize it as excessively restrictive. A balanced approach is essential for safeguarding individual freedoms, fostering innovation, and protecting children.”

A representative from Ofcom stated that the OSA includes provisions to uphold free speech.

They asserted: “Technology companies must address criminal content and ensure children do not access defined types of harmful material without needing to restrict legal content for adult users.”

The UK Department of Science, Innovation and Technology has been approached for comment.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Alert: Increased Threat of Submarine Cable Attacks Supported by Russia and China

Posted on July 17, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Recent reports indicate an increasing risk of assaults on submarine cables supported by Russia and China, which facilitate international internet traffic, particularly amid ongoing tensions in the Baltic Sea and Taiwan.

Submarine cables represent 99% of global intercontinental data traffic and have experienced various disruptive incidents allegedly tied to state activities in the past 18 months.

A study conducted by the US cybersecurity firm Recorded Future has highlighted nine incidents expected in the Baltic Sea and near Taiwan in 2024 and 2025, suggesting a predictive pattern for further harmful actions.

According to the analysis, while genuine accidents could lead to damage to many submarine cables, the situations in the Baltic Sea and Taiwan suggest a rise in malicious actions attributed to Russia and China.

“The operations linked to Russia in the Baltic region and China in the Western Pacific are likely to increase as tensions elevate,” the firm noted.

The report points to several incidents, including the disconnection of two submarine cables from Lithuania to Sweden in November, with accusations directed at an anchor dragged by a Chinese vessel. Also in December, a Russian oil tanker was detained after severing cables between Finland and Estonia.

In Taiwan, recent incidents include cable damage caused by a Chinese-operated cargo vessel zigzagging over the line to Peng Island in February. One month prior, another Chinese vessel was suggested as a likely source of damage to the Taiwan-US cable.

The analysis states, “While deterring state-sponsored sabotage linked to the Baltic and Taiwan incidents is challenging, such activities align with the strategic goals of Russia and China, as well as observed operations and their existing deep-sea capabilities.”

Recorded Future emphasizes that successful attacks on multiple cables are likely to result in prolonged disruptions, typically requiring intervention in deeper waters and likely involving state-level threat actors due to the complexities of accessing these sites. Such actions may occur prior to a full-scale conflict, the report suggests.

The firm noted 44 distinct cable damages have been recorded over the past 18 months. A significant portion is attributed to “unclear causes,” while nearly a third remains unexplained, with 16% due to seismic activity or other natural events.

Submarine cables installed in the Baltic Sea. Analysts suggest sabotaging these cables is a strategic move, as it can be framed as accidental damage. Photo: Lehtikuva/Reuters

Analysts believe that targeting subsea cables presents a strategic advantage, as such actions can disguise as accidental damage or implicate vessels without direct connections to any suspected attackers.

To mitigate the risk of incidents damaging multiple cables and resulting in “long-term connectivity issues,” Recorded Future recommends enhanced cable monitoring, improved security measures, and robust stress testing of subsea infrastructure.

Notably, despite incidents in the Baltic and Taiwan regions, the most severe cases unfolded elsewhere. In February last year, a missile from Houthi forces struck a ship’s anchor, severely disrupting communications in the Middle East. A month later, in West Africa, an underwater landslide caused significant issues, followed by another critical incident off the coast of South Africa in May 2024 related to cable drifting.

The implications of the Red Sea and African incidents reveal that the longest-lasting disruptions occur in regions with limited alternative cable options and insufficient repair capabilities, irrespective of the specific causes.

In contrast, two cable incidents in the Baltic Sea last November had minimal repercussions due to their relatively low impact and the resilience of European internet infrastructure. However, the report highlights that three EU island nations—Malta, Cyprus, and Ireland—are more susceptible due to their heavy dependence on submarine cables for global communications.

The recent strategic defense assessment from the UK government acknowledged the potential threats to submarine cables and recommended a greater and more coordinated role for the Royal Navy in safeguarding the submarine infrastructure that carries vital information, energy, and goods relied upon by citizens.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Declining Snowcover in Forests Poses a Threat to Carbon Storage

Posted on July 8, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Forests similar to Vermont’s Mansfield State Forest are experiencing snow loss

Douglas Rissing/Getty Images

Many forests are losing their winter snowpacks due to rising global temperatures, which can significantly hinder growth and diminish the capacity to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Current predictions suggest that these expectations may overestimate future carbon storage, as they fail to account for the complexities linked to winter climate shifts, according to Emerson Conrad Rooney from Boston University, Massachusetts.

Rising temperatures generally promote growth in temperate forests by enhancing decomposition and nutrient availability during warmer seasons. However, the model primarily overlooks winter changes, especially snow loss.

“The diminishing deep and insulating snowpacks cannot merely be seen as a minor change,” says Elizabeth Burakowski at the University of New Hampshire. Her findings indicate that such changes impact water storage and the health of ecosystems, warning that deep snow days could vanish from much of the U.S. by century’s end.

To better understand these cold-weather impacts, Conrad Rooney and his team modeled the effects of a 5°C increase in global temperatures on the growth of red maple trees (Acer rubrum) in a New Hampshire experimental forest. Some plots were treated with buried cables to warm the soil during the growing season, while others had their snow removed in winter, which warmed the soil and created conditions for freeze-thaw cycles.

Over a decade, trees in both scenarios exhibited more growth than those left undisturbed. However, the areas devoid of snow experienced a significant reduction in growth, halving their typical increase. Researchers attribute this disparity to root damage from exposing the soil to temperature fluctuations without snow cover.

“Snow acts as an insulating blanket, keeping the soil from freezing,” explains Conrad Rooney. “Less snow means an increase in freeze-thaw cycles.”

When researchers projected similar outcomes for northeastern U.S. forests, they estimated an anticipated loss of snowpacks by the century’s end could result in a decrease in carbon storage by about one million tons annually, in contrast to models that do not incorporate the implications of snow loss.

“The fluctuating presence of snow throughout winter undermines the stable soil conditions essential for the long-term carbon storage needed by northeastern ecosystems,” states Burakowski.

However, it’s important to note that not all snowy forests react similarly to snow loss as the deciduous trees found in the Northeast. David Bowling from the University of Utah emphasizes the necessity for accurate modeling of different ecological responses, noting, “There are many changes occurring.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Defending Against the Threat: How UK Banks Combat Cyber Attacks

Posted on June 15, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

For bank leaders, it’s their worst nightmare. Urgent communications have rapidly unleashed turmoil across the UK’s financial sector, as cyberattacks incapacitate IT infrastructures.

Bank executives recognize that their stakes are particularly high, especially as family names in other sectors, like Marks & Spencer, grapple with the repercussions of such breaches.

Within hours of a bank breach, millions of direct debits might fail, jeopardizing rent, mortgages, and salaries. Online banking access may be blocked, cash withdrawals denied, and commuters stranded as buses and gas stations refuse payments. News of such an attack often incites panic, prompting rival banks to react and customers to withdraw their funds in anticipation of disruptions.

While this may seem extreme, a well-executed cyberattack on a major UK bank is not far removed from the government’s “rational worst-case scenario.” The financial sector, categorized as one of the 14 “critical national infrastructure” sectors, is particularly vulnerable. Highlighted in the National Risk Register, it models the most significant threats confronting the UK.

This spring, billions of pounds were invested to prevent catastrophic incidents involving major retailers like Harrods, The Co-op, and M&S.

“The financial commitment will be substantial,” Ian Stuart, CEO of UK HSBC, mentioned to MPs last month. “We are under constant attack,” he added.

Following the cyberattack, M&S was compelled to halt online orders for six weeks. Photo: Yui Mok/Pa

According to Stuart, HSBC alone needs to invest hundreds of millions to bolster their security. “This represents our largest expenditure.”

Globally, banks are projected to dedicate 11% of their IT budgets to cybersecurity by 2025, as indicated by an EY survey. This budget is expected to reach $290 billion (about £21.4 billion). By December, banks may invest $32 billion in cybersecurity, according to Celent’s research.

Cybercriminals represent a new kind of threat in the banking sector, evolving from masked robbers targeting physical branches to state-sponsored hackers and independent cybercriminals aiming for ransom or widespread chaos.

“Banks likely comprehend risk more profoundly than many other industries, investing significantly more in security,” states Stuart McKenzie, managing director at Mandiant Consulting, a Google-owned cybersecurity firm that collaborates closely with various UK lenders.

Last month, the Governor of the Bank of England shared with the BBC that cybersecurity risks remain ever-evolving. “We are contending with adversaries who continually enhance their methods of attack, which I must remind the agency to prioritize,” said Andrew Bailey.

However, safeguarding systems is complex. Many high street banks operate on multi-layered IT architectures with numerous updates and add-ons. Incorporating third-party software and cloud services complicates matters further, leading to a convoluted system.

“We refer to it as the offensive side,” remarked Alan Woodward, a cybersecurity expert and professor at the University of Surrey. “The attack surface is expanding, resulting in more chances for attackers to exploit vulnerabilities.”

Historically, successful bank hacks have not been destructive enough to halt the economy completely. Instead, hackers typically target customer data and account information.

In 2021, a hacker from Morgan Stanley accessed personal information belonging to a corporate client by breaching a server operated by third-party consultancy firms.

Earlier, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, an attacker compromised a staff email for the Italian bank Monte Dei Paschi, sending a client a voicemail with malicious attachments.

In 2016, hackers guessed bank card details from over 9,000 Tesco Bank accounts, managing to steal nearly £2.5 million. Photo: Murdo Macleod/The Guardian

Notably, one of the worst hacking incidents in UK banking occurred in 2016, where criminals speculated on card details, leading to the theft of approximately £2.5 million from Tesco Bank accounts. In the aftermath, Tesco had to stop all online and contactless transactions to mitigate fraudulent activity occurring globally, including in Spain and Brazil.

In the end, Tesco Bank fully refunded its customers.

The National Cyber Security Center advises customers who suspect a breach to reach out to their banks through official websites or social media channels, avoiding any links or contact details shared in suspicious communications. Organizations should be able to confirm the status of the breach and provide guidance on next steps.

Since 2013, the Bank of England has actively recognized cybersecurity as a financial stability risk and initiated supervision of cyber resilience standards for all regulated banks and insurance firms.

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The initiative includes the launch of CBEST, the first global program where ethical hackers evaluate the potential vulnerabilities of banks using advanced attack techniques.

“Nothing is absolutely secure,” emphasized Woodward, but he noted that the UK banking system is nearing that goal. “Much of this stems from oversight,” particularly by the central bank, which gathers intelligence from MI5, GCHQ, and NCSC, and conducts real-world scenarios to assess bank resilience.

Every two years, the central bank orchestrates the Multiday Cyberwar game as part of the Simex-Simulation Exercise program, assessing the security of businesses in London.

Additionally, authorities have been scrutinized, with banks, financial regulatory bodies, the Treasury, and the National Cybersecurity Centre evaluating their preparedness for various catastrophic incidents.

Regulators don’t just review bank defenses; they also encourage banks to develop response and recovery plans to mitigate long-lasting disruptions caused by potential cyberattacks, as it’s crucial for their success.

The Cross Market Business Continuity Group, connecting regulators with representatives from UK Finance in the banking sector, boasts the capability to convene approximately 100 firms for emergency discussions within an hour during potential threats.

Avoiding breaches is deemed essential for safeguarding industries that ultimately rely on trust. Customers expect banks to protect their data, incomes, and life savings from outside threats.

“If anyone can breach that security and execute a fraudulent transaction… you will lose trust in that bank, right?” remarked Woodward.

Banks have already faced backlash from mere IT disruptions, even without malicious intent aiming to undermine the banking system or steal sensitive information.

TSB has spent years rehabilitating its image after the IT collapse in 2018, caused by a failed separation from Lloyds’ internal systems, which led to millions of customers being locked out of their accounts for weeks. The bank was subsequently fined £48 million for “serious and widespread” failures.

TSB has been diligently working for several years to restore its standing following the 2018 IT crisis. Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA

Data gathered by the Parliamentary Treasury Committee indicates that the repercussions continue to affect some of the UK’s largest banks and their client bases, with significant IT failures over an extended period between January 2023 and February 2025.

“Customer money and data security are paramount for banks, not only due to regulatory demands but also as a cornerstone of their business model.”

“While I don’t dismiss the potential for cyber incidents, I remain confident in the level of cyber defense we maintain.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Federal prosecutors seek major medical journals in response to ambiguous threat

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Federal prosecutors in Washington reached out to the New England Journal of Medicine with unsubstantiated inquiries that implied the journal, considered one of the most prestigious in the world, may be biased towards certain viewpoints and influenced by external pressures.

NEJM editor Dr. Eric Rubin described the letter as “blatantly threatening” in an interview with the New York Times.

Republican activist Edward Martin Jr., serving as interim U.S. attorney in Washington, sent similar letters to at least three journals. Martin has faced criticism for using his position to target opponents of the administration.

The letter accused the journal of taking sides in scientific debates and posed accusatory questions about bias and the selection of research articles.

Will they consider submissions from scientists with differing perspectives? How will they handle authors whose work they have published that may have misled readers? Are they transparent about the influence of supporters, funders, advertisers, etc.?

This news about the letter to NEJM was previously reported by Stat and Health News Outlet.

Martin also raised questions about the role of the National Institutes of Health, which funds some of the research published by the journal, and its involvement in the development of submitted articles.

Amanda Shanor, a First Amendment expert at the University of Pennsylvania, emphasized that information published in reputable medical journals like NEJM is widely protected by the Constitution.

She explained that journals have the same rights as newspapers in most cases, with the Constitution providing the strongest legal protection.

“There is no legal basis to suggest that medical journals are not afforded the strictest First Amendment protections,” she stated. “It seems to be an attempt to instill a sense of fear and censorship that impacts people’s freedom of expression. This raises constitutional concerns.”

It is unclear how many journals received these letters or the criteria Martin used to target publications. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington did not respond to requests for comment.

“Our role is to assess and evaluate science in an impartial manner,” Dr. Rubin stated. The questions raised seem to insinuate biases in our operations – it is quite vague This introduces a threatening element. ”

Former editor of Science magazine, Jeremy Berg, believed the letter was an attempt to coerce journals into publishing papers aligning with the administration’s views on climate change and vaccines, even if the research quality is lacking.

National Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mentioned in an interview with the “Dr. Hyman Show” podcast last year that NEJM was involved in disseminating misinformation and distorting scientific facts.

Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Andrew Nixon declined to comment on Kennedy’s involvement in the letter.

Kennedy expressed his intention to possibly take legal action against medical journals under the Federal Anti-Corruption Act.

“I plan to file a lawsuit against you under general tort laws and the Assault Act,” he stated. “Unless you have a plan to demonstrate how you will begin publishing genuine scientific work, I will find a way to pursue legal action against you.”

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the new head of NIH, has criticized mainstream science journals and recently co-founded a new journal that offers alternative perspectives on Covid.

The UK-based Lancet showed support by editing Editor Skas’s response, calling it “an obvious attempt to intimidate and stifle editorial independence.”

“American science and medicine are being closely watched worldwide,” the editor stated.

One of Martin’s letters was directed at the journal Chest, a publication focused on technical research in areas like lung cancer and pneumonia. It was reported by The New York Times that at least two other publishers received similar letters.

These publishers chose not to speak publicly for fear of repercussions from the Trump administration.

Dr. Rubin also expressed concerns about potential political backlash. Science journals often rely on public funding indirectly, with universities using federal grants to pay for subscriptions.

“Are we concerned? Absolutely,” he said. “But we are committed to doing what is right.”

Martin gave the magazines until May 2nd to respond to his inquiries. NEJM has already issued a statement refuting the accusations made against their journal.

“We maintain strict peer review and editing processes to ensure the integrity and trustworthiness of published research,” the statement affirmed. “We uphold the editorial independence of medical journals and their inherent right to protect their freedom of expression.”

This is not NEJM’s first run-in with the Trump administration.

In 2020, the Journal dismissed an editor who criticized the president’s pandemic response. This marked the first time in its 208-year history that the Journal took a stance on a political figure.

Dr. Rubin speculated that Martin’s letter may be related to this editorial decision. While the Journal Chest did not publish on Trump’s first term, the connection was noted.

Source: www.nytimes.com

US national security at risk as Trump administration fails to effectively address Russia’s cyber threat

Posted on March 1, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The Trump administration has publicly stated that Russia is not considered a cyber threat to US national security or critical infrastructure, marking a significant departure from previous assessments.

Experts warn that this policy shift could leave the US vulnerable to Russian hacking attacks and may signal warming relations between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Recent incidents indicate that the US no longer views Russia as a cybersecurity threat.

Liesyl Franz, the State Department’s deputy director of international cybersecurity, did not mention Russia as a threat in her recent speech before the UN Working Group on Cybersecurity. This contrasts with statements from European Union and UK officials who highlighted the threat posed by Moscow.

US policy changes regarding cybersecurity have been made behind closed doors, with new directives focusing on China and neglecting to mention Russia.

Anonymous sources familiar with the matter have expressed concern that the US is ignoring the Russian cyber threat, which was previously a primary focus for agencies like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Reports indicate that CISA officials have been reassigned, raising questions about the US government’s approach to protecting against cyber threats from Russia.

The New York Times reported that CISA officials tasked with safeguarding elections from cyberattacks have also been reassigned.

Concerns have been raised about the shift in US policy towards Russia, as many believe that Russia remains a significant cyber threat to US interests.

The CISA and State Department have not provided comments on these developments.

The change in US policy regarding Russia’s cyber threat is seen as a departure from previous assessments and has raised concerns among experts.

For over a quarter-century, Putin’s Russia has been active in cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns, posing a challenge to the international order.

If you have any tips about this story, you can reach out to us at +1 646 886 8761 on Signal

Source: www.theguardian.com

Nao Warns of Serious and Immediate Threat of Cyber Attacks in White Hall

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The British government faces a potentially catastrophic threat that is described as “serious and advanced,” leaving it vulnerable to significant cyber attacks that could impact dozens of critical IT systems. The minister has been alerted to this threat.

According to the National Audit Office (NAO), there are 58 crucial government IT systems that have been identified with “significant cybersecurity gaps.” Additionally, at least 228 government IT systems are outdated and potentially vulnerable to cyber attacks. NAO did not disclose the specific systems to prevent revealing potential targets to attackers.

The data evaluated from the Cabinet Office reveals that multiple government organizations, such as HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions, are at risk due to weak cybersecurity measures.

The warning about these vulnerabilities came after two recent cyber attacks, including one on the British Library by Criminal Ransomware Groups.

In May 2024, suspected Chinese hackers infiltrated military payment networks. The following month, a NHS foundation trust in South East London had to postpone thousands of appointments due to a cyber attack.

NAO expressed concerns that senior civil servants did not fully comprehend the importance of cybersecurity resilience due to inadequate investment and staffing. The government aims to significantly improve its cybersecurity by 2025.

The report by the expenditure watchdog highlights the need for bolstering UK resilience post-COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on various threats like floods and extreme weather events.

The National Cyber Security Center of GCHQ warned about the increasing complexity of cyber threats and the UK’s lagging defense capabilities to safeguard critical national infrastructure.

Notable ransomware threats come from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Various cyber groups, including Bolt, Typhoon, Reborn, and Islamic State Hacking, pose significant threats to UK cybersecurity.

Jeffrey Clifton Brown, a member of the Conservative Party, emphasized the need for heightened government coordination, improved cyber skills, and updated IT systems to protect public services from cyber threats.

The government spokesperson acknowledged the past neglect of cybersecurity and announced new laws and projects to enhance national infrastructure resilience and cybersecurity skills.

NAO reported in April 2024 that 58 important IT systems were at high risk, indicating a pressing need for improved cybersecurity measures to prevent potentially catastrophic cyber attacks.

The increasing digitalization of government services makes it easier for malicious actors to disrupt critical services, emphasizing the urgency of enhancing cybersecurity defenses.

Gareth Davis of NAO warned that the threat of cyber attacks on public services is severe and ongoing, urging the government to prioritize cybersecurity resilience and protection of critical operations.

Nao highlighted the importance of addressing the long-standing shortage of cyber skills, improving accountability for cyber risks, and effectively managing risks associated with legacy IT systems.

The government’s efforts to address cybersecurity challenges were hindered by temporary staff shortages and outdated recruitment practices. NAO recommended addressing these issues to strengthen cybersecurity defenses.

Source: www.theguardian.com

“Elon Musk Calls on Members of Congress to Address Threat to American People” | Elon Musk

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Elon Musk has stated that British MPs will be summoned to the US to address issues of censorship and intimidation of American citizens, amidst rising tensions between the world’s wealthiest individual and the Labour Party.

Musk, a close associate of Donald Trump, is scheduled to testify before the House of Representatives’ Science and Technology Select Committee in the coming year. This comes in response to concerns raised by The Guardian regarding the spread of harmful content on social media following the August riots.

The committee’s chairman, Chi Onwura, seeks to understand how Musk balances freedom of expression with combating disinformation. Photo: Richard Gardner/Rex/Shutterstock

Labour MP Chi Onwura, chair of the committee, aims to scrutinize Musk’s approach on promoting freedom of speech while also preventing the dissemination of disinformation. She specifically references the hosting of controversial figures on the social media platform X.

Related: How Elon Musk became Donald Trump’s shadow vice-president

In response, Musk has called for Congress members to convene in the US for discussions. He criticizes the UK’s handling of social media posts and accuses the British Prime Minister and a government minister of labeling X as a problematic platform.

Musk further implies discontent with the UK government, likening the situation to a Stalinist regime and criticizing policies such as changes to farm inheritance tax. Despite tensions, some British officials emphasize the importance of collaboration with Musk for technological and commercial progress.

Secretary of State for Science and Technology Peter Kyle appreciates Musk’s contributions as an innovative figure, despite differing views. He advocates for constructive dialogue and identifies common goals.

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Related: Trump’s cabinet picks are agents of his contempt, rage and vengeance | Sidney Blumenthal

British MPs face potential summons to the US following Musk’s statements, sparking concerns over threats to American citizens. However, the nature of these threats remains ambiguous, leading to speculations among online followers.

Onwura expresses interest in hearing Musk’s perspective on misinformation and freedom of expression, given his influential role within X. She highlights the importance of gathering evidence for their investigation.

Musk has embraced the moniker “first buddy” in relation to the president-elect and holds significant sway over AI regulations through his company xAI. His actions and statements continue to garner attention and debate.

Source: www.theguardian.com

November’s Triple Threat Meteor Showers: Taurid, Orionid, and Leonid Spectaculars

Posted on November 2, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Early November is the perfect time for sky-gazing, with three active meteor showers giving you the chance to see shooting stars lighting up the night sky.

The Southern Taurid meteor shower is expected to peak overnight Monday through Tuesday. The Taurid meteor shower, which is a week away, is predicted to peak between November 11th and 12th. Both meteor showers tend to produce about five slow-moving meteors per hour under clear and dark skies, and even more on days when the two coincide. According to the American Meteor Society.

At the same time, the last Orionid meteor shower should still be visible following its peak on October 20th. The Orionids meteor shower appears to be streaming out of the constellation Orion and can be seen until November 22nd. According to EarthSkya website dedicated to skywatching and astronomy.

On the other hand, the Southern Taurids and Northern Taurid meteor showers are both long-lasting meteor showers, and their peaks are not as obvious as other shooting star shows. The two showers tend to be consistently visible in September, October, and November (weather permitting), but early November is usually the easiest time to spot them.

The Taurid meteor shower gets its name from the appearance of shooting stars coming from a point in the sky in the constellation Taurus. Taurid meteors can be seen from almost anywhere on Earth except the South Pole.

The best chance to see the Taurid meteor shower, According to EarthSkywill likely be around midnight on November 5, when bright moonlight will not wash out the shooting stars. After midnight, Taurus will reach its highest point in the sky, increasing your chances of seeing shooting stars.

In addition to regular shooting stars, Taurid meteors tend to produce very bright and sometimes colorful meteors known as “fireballs.”

As with any sky watching event, it's best to choose a viewing location well away from street lights and other light pollution.

Even if you miss Taurus during the first two weeks of November, you can still see it any time it's on the horizon this month.

By the middle of this month, yet another meteor shower, the Leonids, is expected to occur.

The annual Leonid meteor shower will peak from late November 17th until the early hours of November 18th. Although not the most active meteor shower of the year, the Leonids can produce up to 15 shooting stars per hour under clear conditions.

Meteors can be seen in both the northern and southern hemispheres and often appear to stream out of the constellation Leo in all directions.

Leonids are usually bright, fast-moving meteors, and the shooting stars can appear colorful. According to NASA.

Meteors, or shooting stars, occur when tiny pieces of space debris burn up in Earth's atmosphere. Orionid, Taurud, and Leonid meteors are all produced when a planet passes through a cloud of dust particles and debris left behind by a comet.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Scientists say that large-scale language models do not pose an existential threat to humanity

Posted on August 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

ChatGPT and other large-scale language models (LLMs) consist of billions of parameters, are pre-trained on large web-scale corpora, and are claimed to be able to acquire certain features without any special training. These features, known as emergent capabilities, have fueled debates about the promise and peril of language models. Their new paperUniversity of Bath researcher Harish Tayyar Madhavshi and his colleagues present a new theory to explain emergent abilities, taking into account potential confounding factors, and rigorously validate this theory through over 1,000 experiments. Their findings suggest that so-called emergent abilities are not in fact emergent, but rather result from a combination of contextual learning, model memory, and linguistic knowledge.

Lou othersThis suggests that large language models like ChatGPT cannot learn independently or acquire new skills.

“The common perception that this type of AI is a threat to humanity is both preventing the widespread adoption and development of this technology and distracting from the real problems that need our attention,” said Dr Tayyar Madhavshi.

Dr. Tayyar Madabhushi and his colleagues carried out experiments to test LLM's ability to complete tasks that the model had not encountered before – so-called emergent capabilities.

As an example, LLMs can answer questions about social situations without being explicitly trained or programmed to do so.

While previous research has suggested that this is a product of the model's 'knowing' the social situation, the researchers show that this is actually a result of the model using a well-known ability of LLMs to complete a task based on a few examples that it is presented with – so-called 'in-context learning' (ICL).

Across thousands of experiments, the researchers demonstrated that a combination of LLMs' ability to follow instructions, memory, and language abilities explains both the capabilities and limitations they exhibit.

“There is a concern that as models get larger and larger, they will be able to solve new problems that we currently cannot predict, and as a result these large models may gain dangerous capabilities such as reasoning and planning,” Dr Tayyar Madabhshi said.

“This has generated a lot of debate – for example we were asked to comment at last year's AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park – but our research shows that fears that the models will go off and do something totally unexpected, innovative and potentially dangerous are unfounded.”

“Concerns about the existential threat posed by the LLM are not limited to non-specialists but have been expressed by some of the leading AI researchers around the world.”

However, Dr Tayyar Madabushi and his co-authors argue that this concern is unfounded as tests show that LLMs lack complex reasoning skills.

“While it is important to address existing potential misuse of AI, such as the creation of fake news and increased risk of fraud, it would be premature to enact regulations based on perceived existential threats,” Dr Tayyar Madabhsi said.

“The point is, it is likely a mistake for end users to rely on LLMs to interpret and perform complex tasks that require complex reasoning without explicit instructions.”

“Instead, users are likely to benefit from being explicitly told what they want the model to do, and from providing examples, where possible, for all but the simplest tasks.”

“Our findings do not mean that AI is not a threat at all,” said Professor Irina Gurevich of Darmstadt University of Technology.

“Rather, the emergence of threat-specific complex thinking skills is not supported by the evidence, and we show that the learning process in LLMs can ultimately be quite well controlled.”

“Future research should therefore focus on other risks posed by the model, such as the possibility that it could be used to generate fake news.”

_____

Shen Lu others. 2024. Is emergent capability in large-scale language models just in-context learning? arXiv: 2309.01809

Source: www.sci.news

Fungal threat highlighted by Valley fever outbreak at California music festival

Posted on August 9, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

summary

California has seen an increase in cases of valley fever, a fungal infection, in recent years.
Fourteen confirmed cases among people who attended or worked at a music festival in the state are one example of the threat the bacteria poses.
Climate change is creating more opportunities for a fungus called Coccidioides to thrive.

Valley fever breaks out among attendees Infections among workers at an outdoor music festival in California's Central Valley highlight the growing threat of fungal infections.

Fourteen people who traveled to Bakersfield to attend or work at the Lightning in a Bottle festival in May have tested positive for valley fever and developed symptoms, the California Department of Public Health told NBC News on Thursday. At least three people have been hospitalized.

“About a week after I got back from the festival, I got really bad body aches and fever,” said Eric Mattson, 33, a musician from San Luis Obispo who attended this year's festival after testing positive for valley fever last month.

The condition progressed to joint pain, difficulty moving and night sweats. “I would wake up two or three times in the night drenched in sweat. I had to change my bedding and pyjamas in terrible pain. It was really bad,” Mattson said.

The bacteria that causes valley fever, Coccidioides, thrives in hot, dry climates, so most cases have been seen in Arizona and California. Climate change is creating more opportunities for the bacteria to grow, leading to an increase in valley fever cases in California.

“The number of reported valley fever cases has been particularly high in 2023 and 2024, which may be related to heavy rains in the winter of 2022-2023 following several years of drought,” the health department said in a statement.

The number of annual cases in California has increased from fewer than 1,000 in 2000 to more than 9,000 in 2019. Recent reports from state health departmentsThere have been 5,370 suspected or confirmed cases so far this year.

San Joaquin County has already seen more than 200 suspected and confirmed cases combined this year, 47 overall last year and 59 so far in 2022.

Valley fever is not transmitted from person to person. Rather, it infects the lungs by inhaling spores in dust or soil. The name comes from the San Joaquin Valley, where Coccidioides was found.

Mattson said he hasn't been contacted by the California Department of Public Health, which has not released the names of the 14 people who have been confirmed to be infected, so it's unclear if Mattson is among them. NBC News has reviewed Mattson's medical records, which show he tested positive.

Mattson estimated he lost 20 pounds in four to five weeks.

He suspected valley fever, having heard reports of some festival-goers being infected in the past, but was initially diagnosed with pneumonia. Eventually, his family doctor ordered a blood test, which came back positive early last month.

Mattson's situation is common, says Dr. Geeta Sivasubramanian, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, Fresno: “Patients with valley fever are often misdiagnosed with bacterial pneumonia.”

That's because many doctors don't recognize the disease, test for it too early, or confuse it with other respiratory infections, she says — errors that can lead to patients receiving unnecessary antibiotics instead of the appropriate antifungal medication.

About 60% of people with valley fever have no symptoms, but some may experience symptoms such as cough, fatigue, fever, shortness of breath, night sweats, muscle and joint pain, and a rash on the legs and upper body. People with diabetes, weakened immune systems, and pregnant women are more susceptible to severe lung infections. In very rare cases (about 1%), the lung infection can spread to the bones, joints, and brain, becoming life-threatening.

An ideal environment for spreading Valley Fever

Sivasubramanian said he wasn't surprised by the concentration of cases among the more than 20,000 people attending the music festival.

“We live in a valley fever endemic area so anyone who visits the area or lives in the area is at risk,” she said.

In the Central Valley, heavy winter rains encourage the growth of the fungus in the soil, then as temperatures rise and the soil dries, dust carries the spores into the air.

Activities that kick up large amounts of dust, such as construction and agriculture, increase the risk of exposure. In 2014, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated: Five confirmed and five suspected cases of valley fever were linked. Dry and dusty environment on outdoor film set.

Dr. Arturo Casadevall, chair of the department of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said “Lightning in a Bottle” appears to have come to the right place at the right time.

“You need two things: a spore cloud and a human,” he said.

Mattson said high winds during the festival stirred up dust near some of the stages and in the campgrounds where many attendees stayed.

“When you have a lot of people dancing, it definitely kicks up a lot of dust,” he said.

Valley fever may be spreading to new areas

Climate change is bringing increased rainfall and warmer temperatures, which provide better conditions for the fungus to thrive. It may also lead to more frequent and intense wildfires. Transporting spores to the surrounding area.

Outside of California and Arizona, 2019 Survey It's estimated that valley fever may already be endemic in certain counties in 10 other states, stretching as far east as Kansas and Oklahoma.

“As the desert expands, we're going to see cases outside of the historic areas,” Casadevall said.

Some researchers suspect that climate change may be altering rodent migration patterns, helping the fungus spread, but others don't think that's the case in general. 2022 Survey Coccidioides has been detected in rodents in Kern County, home of the Lightning in a Bottle festival.

Mattson said she doesn't regret attending the festival, but wants people in the community to know about the disease and its symptoms.

“If you've been in the valley or been anywhere where there's a lot of dust in the air, we really want to encourage people to get tested,” he said.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Is AI a Threat to Reggae’s Exciting Soundclash Tradition? | Music

Posted on August 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

debtA few days after the assassination attempt, Donald Trump’s voice boomed over the loudspeakers in Montego Bay, Jamaica: “If you needed an assassin, call your bodyguard who’s going to kill four people at Sumfest in Montego Bay.” A reggae riddim played, and the crowd, expecting laughter, erupted in surprised laughter.

The Bodyguard crew are fresh off taking the stage at Sumfest Global Sound Clash, a musical combat contest where sound systems pit themselves against each other with exclusive (and often incendiary) recordings featuring creative mixes, bombastic MCs, star guests and inside jokes. But this Trump-like AI vocalist jolts a decades-old musical tradition in which authenticity and originality are paramount, and sound systems pay artists big fees for vocals for their clashes.

“AI will disrupt the industry,” says Fabian Andersson, a dub agent who works between artists and sound systems to secure exclusive tracks. Though he refuses to dabble in the technology, he knows studios that are, and even goes so far as to send clients videos of artists’ recording sessions to verify their legitimacy.

Jamaican music clashed in the 1950s, when music curators imported records from the United States and played them to crowds on customized mobile sound systems. “Jamaica became the loudest island on earth, and showcases drew bigger crowds than ever before,” Island Records founder Chris Blackwell wrote in his 2022 memoir. As more sound systems appeared on the scene, a battle ensued for the attention of the crowd: “Who could play the best tunes? Who could make the biggest, toughest sound?”

Dancers at Sumfest Global Sound Clash in Montego Bay. Photo: Essilom

In preparation for a clash, the sound system would collaborate with the artist to record an exclusive dubplate, which is often an aggressive dub-style cover with rewritten lyrics to suit a battle scenario. A famous example is the Fugees’ remake of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly,” which was originally written by the group. As a battle dub plate The lyric goes, “Kill the sound boy with that sound.” Anderson says it can cost anywhere from $150 to $800 to get an artist to appear on one of these tracks, with the most exclusive dubplates running into the thousands. Supercat and Shabba Ranks are among the most popular artists.

As the Sumfest crowd blared their vuvuzelas, German sound system Warrior Sound released an exclusive dub recorded by Jamaican up-and-comer Niggy Boy. The lyrics are: Viral hit Continent changed with a shout out to Warrior: “Sumfest / We’ll beat ’em / We’ll win the trophy.” Other artists heard on the clash include Bounty Killer, Damian Marley, Capleton, Beres Hammond and The Heptones.

Anderson says most selectors only use a few seconds of a dub “to get the point across.” Songs can’t be repeated, so dubplates need to be chock full to build momentum. It’s a costly process, and splicing has become common – people copy dubplates and remove the original soundsystem’s name to get a track on the cheap. With the advent of generative AI, the game is getting even dirtier. “The AI is even worse.” [than splicing]” says Anderson.

Veteran British reggae/dancehall vocalist Paul Scott Levy (aka General Levy) records dubs “almost every week,” and he believes that established sound systems enforce the rules of clashing. “It’s not just about using your voice. It’s about how you got that voice, the relationship, and how much you paid for it.”

Levy points to the recent rap battle between Kendrick Lamar and Drake as an example of a failed generative AI. When Drake released his Taylor Made freestyle, AI versions of Tupac and Snoop Dogg criticized Lamar, but “Drake got slammed for it. [AI] There is no value in being in a conflicting field.” Tupac’s estate threatened legal action against Drake, and the song was subsequently removed from all music platforms.

General Levy will perform in November. Photo: Vianney Le Caer/Shutterstock

Soundsystems don’t give away their secrets. Notorious hired a “top secret” artist to record a dub cover of Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier” (with the lyrics changed to “Japanese Soldier”), but they stress they’ll never use AI to resurrect Marley or deepfake living artists. “It’s out of respect for the artists. If they want to do it, go ahead and do it. I’ll find them and I’ll scare them,” laughs Notorious selector Bad Gal Marie.

Dynamq, the same contender who was named Sumfest champion in 2023, has a more ambivalent view: “Splicing, AI – I [the crowd] “I don’t care, I don’t care,” he said. “If it sounds good, people will go along with it. I don’t stand for it. I’d rather lose with integrity than win.”

At Sumfest, Jamaican-Japanese sound system Notorious International had the loudest vuvuzela, winning the first prize of 1 million Jamaican dollars (about $6,300). The Bodyguard ultimately came in second after a fierce “Tune Fy Tune” battle with Notorious. Courtney Shinn, founder of Bodyguard and a sound clash veteran since the early ’90s, says there are limits to using AI outside of parody skits like Trump’s voiceover. “It’s really dangerous. I don’t know how it’s controlled,” he says. “There’s an unspoken code of ethics, but… 1722865933 “There’s a generation that just thinks about winning at all costs.”

Singh notes that a new generation of sound systems may have to rely on AI to break into the scene, because many of the artists tend to sell to wealthy sound systems in Japan and Europe. “In Jamaica, we pay in US dollars for dubplates. Artists are charging 10, 20 times what I was charging when I started, it’s almost exorbitant,” Singh says. “Artists are very much involved in their own decline.”

Perhaps inevitably, Levy disagrees. “AI will be used to invade the once pure genres of dancehall and reggae and rob them of their true atmosphere,” he says, defending the real human voice. “Our voices are our bread and butter.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Study Shows Environmental Threat Posed by ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Posted on July 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Toxic PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ used in lithium-ion batteries that are essential to the clean energy transition New research findings As the emerging industry expands, it will pose threats to the environment and human health.

The multifaceted, peer-reviewed study focused on a little-studied and unregulated subclass of PFAS called bis-FASIs, which are used in lithium-ion batteries.

Researchers have found alarming levels of chemicals in the environment near manufacturing plants and in remote locations around the world, found that they can be toxic to living organisms, and found that battery waste in landfills is a major source of contamination.

“The nation faces two important challenges — minimizing water pollution and increasing access to clean, sustainable energy — and both are worthwhile,” said Jennifer Gelfo, a researcher at Texas Tech University and co-author of the study.

“But there is a bit of a tug-of-war between the two, and this study highlights that there is now an opportunity to better incorporate environmental risk assessments as we expand our energy infrastructure,” she added.

PFAS are a group of about 16,000 man-made compounds that are most commonly used to make products that are resistant to water, stains, and heat. PFAS are known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down naturally and are known to accumulate in the human body. PFAS have been linked to cancer, birth defects, liver disease, thyroid disease, a dramatic drop in sperm count, and a variety of other serious health problems.

As the transition unfolds, public health advocates have begun sounding the alarm about the need to find alternatives to toxic chemicals used in clean energy technologies like batteries and wind turbines.

The paper notes that few end-of-life standards exist for PFAS battery waste, and most ends up in municipal waste sites, where it can leach into waterways, accumulate locally or be transported long distances.

When historical leachate samples were examined for the presence of the chemical, no detections were found in samples taken before the mid-1990s, when the chemical was commercialized.

The study points out that while BisFASI can be reused, previous research has shown that only 5% of lithium batteries are recycled. Unless battery recycling is dramatically scaled up to keep up with demand, it is predicted that 8 million tonnes of battery waste will be generated by 2040.

“This shows we need to look more closely at this class of PFAS,” Guelfo said.

Little toxicity data exists on bis-FASI, so the study also looked at its effects on invertebrates and zebrafish. Effects were seen even at low levels of exposure, suggesting it may be as toxic as other PFAS compounds known to be dangerous.

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Researchers also took water, soil and air samples around a 3M plant in Minnesota and other large facilities known to make the chemical. Guelfo said the levels in the soil and water are of concern, and that detection of the chemical in the snow suggests it could easily travel through the air.

This could help explain why the chemicals have been found in China’s seawater and other remote locations not close to production plants.

The most commonly used definition of PFAS worldwide includes bis-FASIs, but one division of the EPA considers them to not belong to a chemical class, and therefore they are not included in the list of compounds monitored in U.S. waters. The EPA’s narrow definition of PFAS has been criticized by public health advocacy groups for excluding some chemicals at the urging of industry.

But the new study, combined with previous evidence, shows that bisFASI, like most other PFAS, is persistent, mobile and toxic, said co-author Lee Ferguson, a researcher at Duke University.

“This classification, coupled with the massive increase in clean energy storage that we’re seeing, should at the very least sound alarm bells,” he said.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The dangers of nicotine pouches for children: why they can pose a significant threat

Posted on June 12, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

It has been recognized for many years that smoking is extremely detrimental to health, and stopping smoking or avoiding it altogether is one of the most effective ways to safeguard one’s well-being.

Governments globally are implementing extensive measures to eliminate smoking as a norm and socially acceptable practice, shedding light on the reality of smoking as a dangerous addiction.

Increased tobacco taxes, graphic warnings on packaging, workplace smoking bans, and the discontinuation of glamorous tobacco advertising campaigns have all contributed to the decline in smoking rates.

The UK Office for National Statistics reports: In the UK, 12.9% of adults are current smokers.This marks a significant drop from the 30 percent in the early 1990s. Tobacco control is undoubtedly a triumph of public health.

Nevertheless, nicotine addiction remains a thriving industry. Instead of fading away, the tobacco industry has introduced a new array of products aimed primarily at young individuals: flavored disposable e-cigarettes, heat-not-burn products, and the latest novelty item, nicotine pouches.

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Nicotine pouches are typically packaged in small round containers that are convenient to carry around. The pouches resemble small tea bags and contain vegetable fiber, sugar, flavorings, and, of course, nicotine.

Nicotine can be synthetically produced or directly extracted from the tobacco plant. These pouches come in various flavors, from fruity and berry to sweet and cocktail, and they offer different levels of nicotine strength, with some pouches having higher nicotine content than regular cigarettes.

The small pouch is placed between the lips and gums to absorb the nicotine in the mouth. After absorption, the pouch is discarded and replaced with a new one. These pouches are discreet, have a pleasant smell, and unlike oral tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco, they don’t require spitting like in movies depicting the old West.

While relatively new in the market, these pouches are similar to Scandinavian “snus” – yet snus contains tobacco while pouches do not. This difference is vital as pouches often evade regulations, bypassing laws and rules that govern tobacco products and cigarettes.

This lack of regulation means that, unlike cigarettes, pouches can legally be sold to individuals under 18 in the UK. Other countries, like the US, are already taking steps to ban or restrict the sale of pouches to adults only.

What do we know about the health risks of pouches?

Although nicotine pouches are gaining popularity worldwide, there is limited data on their health risks due to their recent introduction. However, the World Health Organization advocates a precautionary approach by prioritizing nicotine whenever the sale and promotion of nicotine pouches are permitted. The health of young people.

Using pouches exposes individuals to toxic nicotine, can lead to addiction, and may encourage the use of other products like e-cigarettes or cigarettes.

In addition to addiction, nicotine has effects on adolescent brain development, impacting learning outcomes. High nicotine doses can induce symptoms like dizziness, headaches, nausea, and abdominal cramps, particularly in those new to nicotine exposure.

It may be tempting to compare the health effects of nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes, and tobacco products to determine which is “safer.” However, 85% of the UK population never smokes, and young individuals who have never smoked and never will not derive any health benefits from starting to use pouches.

At present, there is no evidence to suggest that pouches aid in smoking or vaping cessation. Instead of helping users quit smoking, individuals may resort to using pouches in situations where smoking or vaping is not feasible, such as during flights, at school, or work, resulting in increased nicotine consumption.

The global tobacco industry, dominated by a few multinational corporations, including British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International, produces and markets nicotine pouches. Using tactics reminiscent of old cigarette advertisements, pouches are promoted through motorsports, celebrity endorsements, and various lifestyle marketing approaches.

The tobacco industry is skilled at dangerous marketing. With addictive nicotine products widely available to young individuals and minimal regulation in the advertising and sale of pouches, there is a real risk of a surge in pouch use and nicotine addiction among young people.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Scientists obtain sharper images of fault lines posing a threat to the Pacific Northwest

Posted on June 8, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A silent colossus lurks off the Pacific coast, threatening hundreds of miles of coastline with tsunamis and devastating earthquakes.

For decades, scientists have been warning about the possibility of a major fault line breaking off from the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a megathrust fault that runs offshore along the coast from northern Vancouver Island to Cape Mendocino in California. The next time this fault, or parts of it, breaks, it could upend life in Oregon, Washington, and Northern California.

Of particular concern are signs of great earthquakes in the region’s geological history. Many researchers have been pursuing clues about the last “big quake,” a magnitude 8.7 earthquake that occurred in 1700. They have pieced together this history using centuries-old tsunami records, Native American oral histories, physical evidence of saltwater-flooded ghost forests, and limited maps of faults.

But no one had ever comprehensively mapped the fault structure until now. The study published Friday A paper published in the journal Science Advances describes the data collected during a 41-day research voyage, in which the ship dragged a mile-long cable along the fault, listening to the ocean floor and piecing together images.

The team completed a detailed map of the subduction zone, stretching more than 550 miles to the Oregon-California border.

Their work will give modelers a clearer picture of the impact of a megaquake in the region — a megaquake that occurs in a subduction zone, where one plate pushes under another — and give planners a more detailed, localized view of the risks to Pacific Northwest communities, which could help redefine earthquake-resistant building codes.

“It’s like wearing Coke-bottle glasses, and when you take them off, they give you the correct prescription,” said lead author Suzanne Calbott, a marine geophysicist and research professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. “Before, we only got very blurry, low-resolution images.”

Scientists have discovered that subduction zones are much more complex than previously thought. They are divided into four segments, and researchers believe each segment could rupture independently or simultaneously. Each segment has different rock types and different seismic properties, which means some segments may be more hazardous than others.

Earthquake and tsunami modelers are beginning to assess how the new data might affect earthquake scenarios in the Pacific Northwest.

Kelin Wang, a research scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada who was not involved in the study, said her team, which focuses on earthquake hazards and tsunami risk, is already using the data to make predictions.

“The accuracy and resolution is truly unprecedented, and this is an incredible dataset,” said Wang, who is also an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. “This will allow us to better assess risk and inform building codes and zoning.”

Harold Tobin, co-author of the paper and director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, said the data will help fine-tune predictions, but it won’t change the untenable reality of life in the Pacific Northwest.

“It could potentially produce earthquakes and tsunamis that are comparable in magnitude to the largest earthquakes and tsunamis the Earth has ever seen,” said Tobin, who is also a professor at the University of Washington. “It looks like Cascadia could produce an earthquake of magnitude 9 or a little less or a little more.”

A quake of that magnitude could cause shaking for about five minutes and generate a tsunami up to 80 feet high, damaging more than 500,000 buildings. According to emergency planning documents:.

Neither Oregon nor Washington are adequately prepared.

To map the subduction zone, researchers at sea used active seismic imaging, a technique that sends sound waves into the ocean floor and processes the returning echoes, a method often used in oil and gas exploration.

They towed more than nine miles of cables called streamers behind the ship and used 1,200 hydrophones to capture the returning sounds.

“This will give us an idea of what the conditions are like underground,” Calbot said.

The research vessel Marcus Langes docked in Seattle after a 41-day survey along the Pacific coast that allowed researchers to map the Cascadia Subduction Zone.
Courtesy of Harold Tobin

Trained marine mammal spotters would alert the crew to any signs of whales or other animals. Sounds produced by this type of technology could be disruptive and potentially harmful to marine life.

Calbot said the new research makes it even clearer that the entire Cascadia Fault won’t rupture all at once.

“The next earthquake in Cascadia could rupture just one of these segments, or it could rupture the entire boundary,” Calbot said, adding that some individual segments are thought to have the potential to produce a quake of at least magnitude 8.

Over the past century, scientists have observed only five earthquakes of magnitude 9.0 or higher, all of which were the kind of giant quakes predicted in the Cascadia subduction zone.

Scientists have compiled the latest insights into the 1700 Cascadia earthquake, based on records of an unusual orphan tsunami that was not preceded by any shaking in Japan.

“It would take a magnitude 8.7 earthquake to send a tsunami all the way to Japan,” Tobin said.

Those in Japan who recorded the event had no idea that the earthquake occurred across the ocean in what is now the United States.

Right now, the Cascadia subduction zone is eerily quiet. At other subduction zones, Calbot says, scientists often observe small, frequent earthquakes that make it easier to map the region. But that’s not the case here.

Scientists have a few hypotheses as to why. Wang said the region could be getting quieter as stress builds on the fault, and that time may be approaching.

“The interval between big earthquakes in this subduction zone is about 500 years,” Wang said. “It’s hard to know exactly when it will happen, but it’s certainly quite late compared to other subduction zones.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

EU threat causes TikTok to halt view reward system | Ticktock

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

TikTok’s service, offering perks like gift certificates for video watching, was ceased by the company after the European Union threatened to block it due to concerns of child addiction.

Digital Commissioner Thierry Breton stated that TikTok Lite’s features in France and Spain comply with obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). “I couldn’t prove it, he said under the law,” he mentioned.

The EU believes the service could be as addictive as cigarettes and has given TikTok 48 hours to respond with new defenses.

As a precautionary measure, TikTok sent a letter to Breton informing the suspension of its services.

Breton emphasized, “Our children are not social media guinea pigs. The DSA ensures safety in the EU’s online spaces.”

This is the first instance of the EU taking legal action since the DSA came into effect in August last year.

Following the US Senate’s legislation, TikTok faces further challenges either in banning it or compelling the sale of its US operations.

Breton expressed disappointment in the company’s decision to proceed with the service despite prior concerns raised by the European Commission regarding child protection issues linked to TikTok.

“We welcome TikTok’s move to suspend the ‘rewards program’ in TikTok Lite on April 22nd, taking into account the ongoing case and willingness to implement interim measures,” he remarked.

The litigation against TikTok concerning addictive risks continues, including an assessment of the compliance of TikTok Lite launch with the DSA.

Effective Wednesday, TikTok, owned by ByteDance, will suspend its Tasks & Rewards program in France and Spain for new users for 60 days.

It will also cease services for existing subscribers by May 1 at the latest, and halt the rollout in other EU nations.

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This suspension marks the first time the EU has exercised its authority under the DSA to enforce compliance with EU laws on social media companies, including X and Facebook, risking global ban or up to 6% sanctions income.

A European Commission spokesperson confirmed two ongoing formal proceedings against TikTok, including this case concerning TikTok Lite.

The initial lawsuit filed in February addressed child protection on TikTok, covering age verification, advertising transparency, and addressing addictive designs and harmful content risks.

A TikTok spokesperson mentioned, “TikTok always strives to engage constructively with the EU Commission and regulatory authorities.

“Hence, we are voluntarily suspending the rewards feature on TikTok Lite and addressing the raised concerns.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Researchers warn that the rapid spread of a virus poses a threat to the health of cocoa trees

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Cocoa swollen bud virus disease It is one of the most economically damaging cocoa tree diseases, accounting for almost 15-50% of crop losses in Ghana. This virus is transmitted when several species of mealybugs feed on cocoa plants.

A cacao tree with cacao fruit attached directly to the trunk or branches.Image credit: Gamera other., doi: 10.1094/PDIS-10-22-2412-FE.

Cocoa swollen shoot virus disease (CSSVD) first observed Infected by farmers in the eastern region of Ghana in 1936, the nature of the virus was identified in 1939.

CSSVD is considered the most economically damaging cocoa virus disease and can cause yield losses of 15-50% when severe strains are involved in infection.

Cocoa swollen shoot virus (CSSV) is classified as a member of the plant-infecting pararetroviruses of the genus Cocoa swollen shoot virus. badnavirus It contains nonenveloped rod-like particles that encapsulate a circular double-stranded DNA genome.

Previously, isolates and strains were grouped according to severity of symptom onset and geographic origin.

CSSVD is currently known to be caused by the following causes: complex of badnavirus seed Based on molecular structure.

CSSV affects all parts of the cocoa plant. Symptoms seen on leaves include red vein stripes on immature “flush” leaves, green-green vein spots or stripes that can occur in angular spots, removal of green-green veins, and various shapes Includes mosaic symptoms.

The virus causes swelling of the stem (nodes, internodes, tips) and roots.

In some strains, the infected pods change shape, becoming rounder and smaller and with a smoother surface.

“This virus is a real threat to the world's chocolate supply,” said Professor Benito Chen Charpentier, a researcher at the University of Texas at Arlington.

“Pesticides are ineffective against mealybugs, so farmers try to prevent the spread of the disease by cutting down infected trees or breeding resistant trees. However, Ghana has lost more than 254 million cocoa trees in recent years.

Farmers can combat mealybugs by vaccinating trees with CSSV. But vaccines are expensive, especially for low-wage farmers, and vaccinated trees produce less cocoa, making the damage caused by the virus even worse.

Electron micrograph of swollen shoot virus particles in purified cocoa. Scale bar – 200 nm.Image credit: Gamera other., doi: 10.1094/PDIS-10-22-2412-FE.

Professor Chen Charpentier and colleagues have developed a new strategy. Use mathematical data to determine how far apart farmers can plant vaccinated trees to prevent mealybugs from jumping from one tree to another and spreading the virus That's what it is.

“Mealybugs have several ways of getting around, including moving from canopy to canopy, being carried by ants, and being blown by the wind,” Professor Chen Charpentier said.

“What we needed to do was create a model for cocoa farmers to vaccinate unvaccinated trees to prevent the spread of the virus while making costs more manageable for smallholders. The goal was to be able to know how far away a tree could be safely planted.”

By experimenting with mathematical patterning techniques, the authors create two different types of models that allow farmers to create a protective layer of vaccinated cocoa trees around unvaccinated trees. Did.

“Although still experimental, these models are exciting because they can help farmers protect their crops while achieving better yields,” said Professor Chen Charpentier.

“It’s good for farmers’ bottom lines and it’s good for the world’s chocolate addiction.”

a paper The findings were published online in the journal PLoS ONE.

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FB Agusto other. 2024. Cocoa Sustainability: The Case of Cocoa Swollen Bud Virus Co-infection. PLoS ONE 19 (3): e0294579; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294579

Source: www.sci.news

The Gullah-Geechee community faces a threat from climate change.

Posted on April 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is providing millions of dollars to help traditionally underserved coastal communities combat climate change. This funding includes a significant stretch of 12,000 square miles of land spanning from North Carolina to Florida, known as the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. Designated by Congress in 2006, this land increases the wealth of the Gullah-Geechee by allowing communities along the corridor to utilize federal funds for programs and projects and receive technical and financial assistance from the National Park Service, all in an effort to protect and preserve their history and culture.

In April 2023, NOAA also announced over $265 million in funding for 38 new projects aimed at strengthening the climate resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities. These projects include initiatives in South Carolina to accelerate living shoreline projects in underserved communities, as well as collaborations with the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor to create living shoreline projects in these communities. Additionally, the funding includes $6.2 million for programs supporting the Regional Ambassador Program for Coastlines.

NOAA-recommended projects involve hiring new staff to assist restoration organizations in building relationships with the Gullah-Geechee community, identifying resiliency priorities for community members, and establishing local relationships to support future restoration efforts. Moreover, $536,000 has been allocated to form an advisory committee.

A Gullah woman weaves a sweetgrass basket, circa 1930.
H. Armstrong Roberts/Classic Stock/Getty Images

Tia Clark operates Casual Club with Tia in Charleston, South Carolina, focusing on catching blue crabs, a staple in Gullah-Geechee cuisine. She participates in a conservation effort to build oyster reefs and create habitat for marine life to thrive, as rising temperatures are endangering crab habitats. With blue crab populations at an all-time low in South Carolina in 2023, Clark emphasizes the need to protect these resources from further decline.

Clark collaborates with state agencies and local schools to educate students about the importance of preserving water resources for future generations, emphasizing the impacts of climate change on the environment and wildlife.

Numerous federal programs support the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, emphasizing the importance of combatting climate change to protect the land, water, and way of life cherished by those living along the corridor.

“We are dedicated to ensuring the survival and continuation of our traditions as native Gullah Geechee,” said Queen Couette. “We are committed to preserving our heritage for generations to come.”

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Source: www.nbcnews.com

Threat to great apes from mining for electric car batteries

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Noise pollution, habitat loss and disease spread associated with mining could threaten chimpanzee populations in some African countries

Ali Wid/Shutterstock

More than a third of Africa's great apes are threatened by soaring demand for minerals essential to creating green energy technologies such as electric vehicles.

Africa has about one-sixth of the world's remaining forests, and its habitat is in countries such as Ghana, Gabon, and Uganda. The continent is also home to his four species of great apes: chimpanzees, bonobos, and two gorillas.

However, many of these great apes live in areas that mining companies are eyeing as potential places to extract goods. for example, More than 50 percent of the world's cobalt and manganese reserves are found in Africa22 percent of graphite.

To assess the scale of the threat to great ape populations, Jessica Juncker Researchers at Re:wild, a non-profit conservation organization in Austin, Texas, analyzed available data on the location of operating and planned mines and the density and distribution of great ape populations across 17 African countries. Superimposed.

The research team considered both direct impacts on great ape populations, such as noise pollution, habitat loss, and disease spillover, as well as indirect disturbances, such as building new service roads, to A 50km “buffer zone” was created around the area. And infrastructure.

A total of 180,000 great apes, just over a third of the continent's population, may be threatened by mining activities, researchers have found.

The West African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, and Guinea had the greatest overlap between great ape populations and mining sites. In Guinea, a study found that 83 percent of the great ape population could be affected by mining.

Juncker said the team was only considering industrial mining projects. The threat may be even greater when considering the impact of man-made mines, where miners typically work in primitive and often dangerous environments.

Cobalt, manganese, and graphite are all used to make lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles. Other materials found in these countries, such as bauxite, platinum, copper, graphite, and lithium, are used to power hydrogen, wind turbines, solar panels, and other green technologies.

Juncker argues that companies should stop mining in areas important to great apes and instead focus on recycling these important materials from waste. “There is great potential in metal reuse,” she says. “All we need to do is consume more sustainably. Then it will be possible to leave at least some of the areas that are so important to great apes intact.”

She is also calling on mining companies to publicly conduct biodiversity assessments of potential mining sites. “Increasing transparency is the first step.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Is Russia’s Space Weapon Nuclear and a Potential Threat?

Posted on February 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Mysterious new weapon could threaten satellites in Earth orbit

Key Fame/Shutterstock

According to a series of reports, the US government has privately warned lawmakers and European allies that Russia is planning to launch a nuclear-capable space weapon.

The news comes after U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner announced: vague warning It cited a “grave national security threat” and asked US President Joe Biden to “declassify all information related to this threat” for more public discussion. Since then, news reports have revealed additional details about what Russia's mystery weapon is. Here's what we know so far:

Does this mean Russia aims to deploy nuclear missiles and bombs into space?

This point remains unclear.Report from ABC News and new york times The term “nuclear weapon” may mean a weapon capable of producing an explosion involving a fission or fusion reaction.If this is true, it would be a violation of the rules 1967 Outer Space TreatyIt prohibits signatories, including Russia and the United States, from placing nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in space.

Although a nuclear explosion in space would not directly harm people on Earth, it could destroy and disable multiple satellites.When the United States detonated a nuclear bomb in low Earth orbit during that period starfish prime In a 1962 experiment, the resulting radiation damaged or destroyed about a third of the satellites in low Earth orbit at the time.

However, there is another possibility that does not involve nuclear weapons.

What else does Russia have in its nuclear capabilities in space?

Russian space weapons may simply use nuclear power to power onboard systems. PBS News Hour U.S. officials said the Russian weapon was “probably nuclear-powered.”

Russia and the United States have used various forms of nuclear power in space for decades. One form includes nuclear fission reactors, such as those found in civilian nuclear power plants, which derive their power from an ongoing nuclear chain reaction.

The United States launched an experimental nuclear reactor into space in 1965, while Russia reportedly launched at least 34 nuclear reactors aboard satellites between 1967 and 1988. World Nuclear Association.

The United States, Russia, and other countries have also launched space missions using radioisotope systems. These use heat from the natural decay of radioactive materials as a power source, but they provide much less power than nuclear fission reactors.

What does this Russian space weapon actually do?

News reports agree that Russian weapons are designed to target satellites in space, rather than directly harming anyone or anything on the ground. However, if this weapon is able to knock satellites out of orbit, these objects could fall to the planet's surface and cause severe damage. If they blow away, the resulting cloud of space junk could threaten other satellites and even the International Space Station. This could even trigger a Kessler syndrome scenario, where a chain reaction of space debris gets out of control and makes it virtually impossible for satellites to survive in Earth orbit.

Various countries, including Russia, the United States, China, and India, have previously tested anti-satellite weapons (ASATs), which shoot missiles from Earth and shoot down objects in orbit. But countries have been much quieter about whether they have actually deployed ASAT weapons into space.

What does Russia say about the potential of this weapon?

A spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin's government reportedly called the U.S. warning a “malicious hoax” aimed at pushing the U.S. Congress to pass legislation authorizing more military aid to Ukraine. Ta. Reuters. Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United States and Europe have supported Ukraine's military resistance against Russian forces.

Why does Russia need new anti-satellite weapons?

Satellites are important for both military and civilian applications that have a huge impact on modern life. They monitor the weather, power GPS systems, provide space-based surveillance, and enable communications. For example, SpaceX's Starlink satellite constellation has proven essential to the Ukrainian military in coordinating drone and artillery fire against Russian forces on the battlefield.

A U.S. official quoted by PBS NewsHour suggested that Russian space weapons have “electronic warfare capabilities to target U.S. satellites critical to U.S. military and civilian communications.”

According to some sources, Russia has spent years developing a space-based electronic warfare system that can jam communications signals to and from satellites. report This is by the Secure World Foundation, a space security organization based in Colorado.Victoria Samson at the Secure World Foundation Said Such a Russian space weapon could be powered by nuclear power.

So how dangerous is this new anti-satellite weapon?

The good news is that if this space weapon sabotages satellites rather than physically destroying them, it will not cause a catastrophic space debris scenario like Kessler syndrome. However, it can still be dangerous.

Space weapons that use electronic warfare to jam signals could effectively disable satellites. That could disrupt critical battlefield communications, render GPS guidance systems inoperable and obscure reconnaissance satellites, making it more difficult for the United States to coordinate military forces around the world.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Understanding Bolt Typhoon: The Most Destructive Threat of Our Time | Cybersecurity

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Tensions between the United States and China have escalated in recent years, primarily due to Beijing’s threats to annex Taiwan. This has raised concerns about potential hostilities and the risk of a full-scale conflict. The recent revelation that a Chinese hacking network, known as Bolt Typhoon, had been dormant within America’s critical infrastructure for five years, has caused significant alarm.

This network exploited weaknesses in US technological and security systems. However, US and allied intelligence agencies have stated that their focus was on “prepositioning” for future acts of sabotage rather than stealing secrets.

FBI Director Christopher Wray described Bolt Typhoon as “the defining threat of our generation” during a US committee hearing last week.

The Netherlands and the Philippines have also publicly acknowledged that Chinese-backed hackers were targeting their national networks and infrastructure.

What is Bolt Typhoon?

Western intelligence officials believe that Volt Typhoon (also known as Vanguard Panda, Bronze Silhouette, Dev-0391, UNC3236, Voltzite, and Insidious Taurus) is a state-sponsored Chinese cyber operation. Thousands of internet-connected devices were compromised as part of a larger effort to infiltrate critical infrastructure in the West, including military ports, internet service providers, communications services, and public utilities.

The recent Bolt Typhoon advisory follows US authorities’ announcements of dismantling a bot network of hundreds of compromised devices attributed to a hacking network.

“CISA [Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency] The team includes aviation, water, energy, [and] transportation,” CISA Director Jen Easterly said at a U.S. House of Representatives committee hearing earlier this month.

How does it work?

Volt Typhoon works by exploiting vulnerabilities in small or end-of-life routers, firewalls, and virtual private networks (VPNs), often using administrator credentials or stolen passwords, and by using outdated technology that lacks regular security updates. This is the main weakness identified in US digital infrastructure. It uses a “living off the land” technique where the malware only uses existing resources within the target operating system, rather than introducing new (and more detectable) files.

A report released last week by CISA, the National Security Agency, and the FBI revealed that the Bolt Typhoon hackers had maintained access for the past five years, only targeting US infrastructure but also affecting allies of the Five Eyes, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

What is its purpose?

US officials noted that Bolt Typhoon’s target selection and behavioral patterns were inconsistent with traditional cyber espionage or intelligence gathering operations. Microsoft’s research has shown that Bolt Typhoon has been active since mid-2021.

“People's Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored cyber adversaries are using their IT networks to prepare for disruptive or devastating cyber attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure in the event of a major crisis or conflict with the United States. ,” the joint report said.

What does China say?

The Chinese government regularly denies any accusations of cyberattacks or espionage linked to or sponsored by the Chinese state. However, evidence of Chinese government cyber espionage has been accumulating for more than two decades.

Secureworks, a division of Dell Technologies, mentioned Bolt Typhoon’s interest in operational security last year, as a response to increasing pressure from the Chinese leadership to avoid public scrutiny of cyber espionage.

What's next?

The widespread nature of the hack prompted a series of meetings between the White House and the private technology industry, including several telecommunications and cloud computing companies, during which the US government sought assistance in tracking the activity.

The institutions and assets targeted by the now-dismantled botnet were ordered by CISA to disconnect affected devices and products in January, starting an intensive and difficult remediation process.

“Given the extent of targeting and compromise around the world, with three vulnerabilities currently being exploited affecting these devices, this is a significant It was necessary,” said Eric Goldstein, executive assistant director of cybersecurity at CISA.

“All organizations running these devices need to be targeted and expect a breach.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Cybercrime: Credit Agency Warns of Growing Threat to UK Drinking Water from Hackers

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Credit rating agency Moody's has warned that water companies face a “high” risk from cyber-attacks targeting drinking water as they await approval from industry regulators to increase spending on digital security.

Hackers are increasingly targeting infrastructure companies such as water and wastewater treatment companies, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) could accelerate this trend, Moody's said in a note to investors.

Southern Water, which serves 4.6 million customers in the south of England, claimed last month that the Black Basta ransomware group had accessed its systems and posted a “limited amount” of data to the dark web. announced. The same group hacked outsourcing company Capita last year.

Separately, South Staffordshire Water I apologized In 2022, after hackers steal customers' personal data.

Moody's warned that the increasing use of data logging equipment and digital smart meters to monitor water consumption is making businesses more vulnerable to attacks. Systems used at water treatment facilities are typically separated from a company’s other IT departments, including customer databases, but some systems are more closely integrated to improve efficiency, he said.

After a hack, companies typically have to hire specialized cybersecurity firms to repair systems and communicate with customers, and they can also face penalties from regulators. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office can fine companies up to 4% of group turnover or €20m (£17m), whichever is higher.

Moody's said the cost of system remediation, including re-securing and strengthening existing cyber defenses and paying potential fines, would typically result in only a “modest increase” in debt levels if the incident is short-lived.

But Moody's warned that “the greater risk to our industry and society is if malicious actors were able to gain access to operational technology systems and harm drinking water or wastewater treatment facilities.”

The agency said water suppliers, governments and regulators need to strengthen their cyber defenses “as attacks against critical infrastructure become more sophisticated and state-aligned actors are now increasingly becoming cyber attackers.” He said he was aware of his gender.

More about the digital security of Britain's infrastructure assets, including the £50bn project to build vast underground nuclear waste repositories and the Sellafield nuclear facility in Cumbria, where the Guardian revealed a series of cybersecurity issues. There is widespread concern.

Moody's report comes as water companies in England and Wales hope to receive allowances from Ofwat to increase spending on cyber defense. The regulator is assessing plans to raise the bill from 2025 to 2030 to cover investments.

Ofwat's decision, to be announced later this year, comes at a critical juncture for an industry that has come under fire for sewage dumping, inadequate leak records and high executive pay.

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In October last year, companies announced that they would be required to fund a record £96bn investment in fixing raw sewage leaks, reducing leaks and building reservoirs. submitted a five-year business plan detailing price increases.

Moody's analysis shows that businesses want to increase their total spending on security from less than £100m to nearly £700m over the next five years. Increased scrutiny of the industry and the hack into Southern Water could strengthen its case, the credit agency said.

The department said costs to South Staffordshire Water related to the hack could reach £10 million, including potential civil action.

Moody's warning about the potential impact on water companies’ debt comes amid growing concerns over leverage in the water sector, where up to 28% of bill payments are used for debt servicing in regions of England. .

Industry body Water UK announced last week that average annual bills have risen by 6% since April, outpacing the current rate of inflation.

Source: www.theguardian.com

FBI Director Warns of Chinese Hacking Threat to US Infrastructure Following Blockade of Bolt Typhoon Botnet

Posted on February 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

U.S. officials claim to have stopped an attempt by China to plant malware that could potentially damage civilian infrastructure. If the U.S. and China were to go to war, officials warn that Beijing could disrupt the daily life of U.S. citizens. The FBI director issued this warning, stating that he was in a position to carry out such disruptions.

The operation resulted in the destruction of a botnet comprised of hundreds of small office and home routers located in the U.S. that had been hijacked by Chinese hackers in order to hide their tracks with malware. The operation was successful in accomplishing this.

U.S. officials said that the ultimate targets of the attackers included water treatment plants, power grids, and transportation systems in the United States.

These claims align with assessments made by external cybersecurity companies like Microsoft. In May, Microsoft revealed that state-sponsored Chinese hackers had been targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, laying the technological groundwork for potentially disrupting vital communications between the U.S. and Asia during future crises.

Some of the operation, attributed to a group of hackers known as Bolt Typhoon, was halted after the FBI and Justice Department officials obtained a search and seizure order in a Houston federal court in December. U.S. authorities have not disclosed the impact of the disruption, stating that the disrupted botnet was merely “a form of infrastructure used by Bolt Typhoon to obfuscate its activities.” The hackers concealed their actions within normal web traffic and infiltrated their targets through multiple channels, including cloud and internet providers.

FBI Director Chris Wray expressed concern that not enough public attention is being paid to cyber threats that affect “all Americans.” He made this statement before the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.

Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency at the Department of Homeland Security, echoed similar sentiments during the hearing, emphasizing that China’s cyber threats endanger the lives of Americans at home through disrupted pipelines, telecommunications, contaminated water facilities, and crippled transportation systems, with the goal of inciting social panic and chaos.

The United States has become more aggressive in recent years in its efforts to disrupt and dismantle both criminal and state-sponsored cyber operations. Wray also warned that Chinese government-backed hackers were aiming to steal trade secrets and personal information and influence foreign countries to ultimately supplant the United States as the world’s biggest superpower.

State-sponsored hackers, particularly those from China and Russia, are adept at adapting and finding new infiltration methods and routes, further complicating the threat.

U.S. authorities have long been worried about such hackers lurking in U.S. infrastructure. The older routers used by the Bolt Typhoon group were no longer receiving security updates from their manufacturers, making them easy targets for cyber attacks. Due to the urgency of the situation, U.S. cyber operators removed the malware from these routers without directly notifying their owners and added code to prevent reinfection.

According to Easterly, Chinese cyber attackers took advantage of a fundamental technological flaw in the U.S. that made it easy for them to carry out their attacks. U.S. officials stated that allies were also affected by the Bolt Typhoon hack of critical infrastructure, but they declined to disclose potential actions they might take in response to the attack.

China has repeatedly dismissed the U.S. government’s hacking allegations as baseless, claiming instead that the U.S. is the biggest perpetrator of cyberattacks. However, outgoing US Cyber Command and National Security Agency head Gen. Paul Nakasone stated that “responsible cyber attackers” were not targeting civilian infrastructure and had no reason to do so.

Source: www.theguardian.com

AI Poses a 5% Threat to Humanity, According to Scientists

Posted on January 4, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

AI researchers predict apocalyptic outcome unlikely

Steven Taylor/Alamy Stock Photo

Although many artificial intelligence researchers see the possibility of future development of superhuman AI as having a considerable chance of causing the extinction of humanity, there is disagreement and uncertainty about such risks. are also widely available.

Those findings can be found below Survey of 2,700 AI researchers They recently presented their research at six major AI conferences. This is the largest study of its kind to date. The survey asked participants to share their thoughts on possible timelines for future AI technology milestones and the positive or negative social impact those achievements would have. Almost 58% of researchers said they believe there is a 5% chance of human extinction or other very bad AI-related outcomes.

“This is an important sign that most AI researchers do not think it is highly implausible that advanced AI will destroy humanity,” he says. Katya Grace Author of the paper, affiliated with the Machine Intelligence Institute, California. “I think the general idea that the risk is not trivial says much more than the exact percentage of risk.”

But he says there's no need to panic just yet. Emil Torres At Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. Such research by AI experts “doesn't have a good track record” of predicting future AI developments, they say. A 2012 study showed that over the long term, AI experts' predictions are no more accurate than non-expert public opinion. The authors of the new study also noted that AI researchers are not experts in predicting AI's future trajectory.

When compared to responses from the same survey in 2022, many AI researchers predicted that AI would reach certain milestones sooner than previously predicted. This coincides with his November 2022 debut of ChatGPT and Silicon Valley's rush to broadly deploy similar AI chatbot services based on large-scale language models.

The researchers surveyed found that within the next 10 years, AI systems will be able to perform most of the 39 sample tasks, such as creating a new song indistinguishable from a Taylor Swift banger or coding an entire payment processing site from scratch. He predicted a 50 percent chance of success. Other tasks, such as physically installing electrical wiring in a new home and solving age-old math puzzles, are expected to take even longer.

There is a 50 percent chance of developing AI that can outperform humans at any task by 2047, while there is a 50 percent chance of all human jobs being fully automated by 2116. It is said that this will happen with a probability of . These estimates are 13 years earlier, 48 years earlier than last year's survey.

However, Torres says the rising expectations for AI development could also be disappointed. “Many of these breakthroughs are completely unpredictable, and it's quite possible that the AI field will experience another winter,” he says. I mentioned that funding and corporate interest in has dried up.

Even without the risk of superhuman AI, there are also more pressing concerns. The majority of AI researchers (over 70%) say that scenarios using AI, including deepfakes, public opinion manipulation, engineered weapons, authoritarian population control, and worsening economic inequality, are of serious or extreme concern. It states that there is. Torres also highlighted the danger that AI could contribute to disinformation around existential issues such as climate change and the deterioration of democratic governance.

“We already have technologies that can seriously harm society, right here, right now. [the US] It’s a democracy,” Torres said. “Let's see what happens in the 2024 election.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The Emergence of Extortion as a Growing Ransomware Threat

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Cyber criminals are Their efforts to maximize disruption and force payment of ransom demands have become more aggressive and new extortion tactics are now being implemented.

In early November, the notorious ALPHV ransomware gang, also known as BlackCat, used an unprecedented extortion tactic, weaponizing the U.S. government’s new data breach disclosure rules against one of the gang’s own victims. I tried. ALPHV has filed a complaint with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), alleging that digital lending provider MeridianLink failed to disclose what the gang calls a “significant breach of customer data and operational information.” did. The gang took the credit..

“We would like to draw your attention to a concerning issue regarding MeridianLink’s compliance with the recently adopted Cybersecurity Incident Disclosure Regulations,” ALPHV wrote. “We are aware that MeridianLink has failed to file the required disclosures under Item 1.05 of Form 8-K within the required four business days, as required by new SEC rules.”

ALPHV’s latest extortion campaign is the first of what is expected to be a trend in the coming months after the rule goes into effect. Although novel, this is not the only aggressive tactic used by ransomware and extortion gangs.

Hackers, typically known for deploying ransomware, are increasingly resorting to “double extortion” tactics, where in addition to encrypting a victim’s data, they also threaten to release stolen files if a ransom demand is not paid. We are transitioning. Some people go further with “.”triple “Extortion” attack. As the name suggests, hackers use her three-pronged approach to extort money from victims by extending blackmail and ransom demands to the original victim’s customers, suppliers, and associates. To do. These tactics have been used by the hackers behind the widespread MOVEit mass hack, marking a significant milestone in the trend of extortion attempts that do not use encryption.

While vague definitions may not seem like the biggest cybersecurity issue facing organizations today, the distinction between ransomware and extortion is important. Especially since defenses against these two types of cyberattacks can be very different. This distinction also helps policy makers learn what ransomware trends are and whether anti-ransomware policies are working.

What is the difference between ransomware and extortion?

Ransomware Task Force I will explain Ransomware is “an evolving form of cybercrime in which criminals remotely infiltrate computer systems and either restore data or demand a ransom in exchange for not releasing the data.”

In reality, ransomware attacks can have far-reaching effects. In an analysis with TechCrunch, ransomware experts Allan Liska, a threat intelligence analyst at Recorded Future, and Brett Callow, a threat analyst at Emsisoft, explained that ransomware, broadly defined, is a collection of content on an insecure Elasticsearch instance. From a “$50 attack” to a devastating “encryption-based attack that poses a life threat to hospitals”.

“But obviously they’re very different animals,” Liska and Callow said. “One is an opportunistic porch pirate who steals Amazon deliveries, and the other is a team of thugs who break into homes, terrorize families, and take away all their possessions.”

Researchers say there are similarities between “encryption and extortion” attacks and “extortion-only attacks,” including their reliance on brokers selling access to compromised networks. But there are also important differences between the two, especially when it comes to victim clients, vendors, and customers, whose own sensitive data may be caught up in an extortion-only attack.

“We’ve seen this play out repeatedly, where attackers organize stolen data to find the largest or most well-known organizations and launch attacks against them. “This is not a new tactic,” Liska and Callow said, noting that one ransomware group claims to have hacked a major technology company, when in fact it hacked a little-known technology vendor. He gave an example of data theft.

“Preventing attackers from encrypting files on your network is one thing, but how do you protect the entire data supply chain?” Liska and Callow said. “In fact, many organizations don’t think about their data supply chain… yet each point in that supply chain is vulnerable to data theft and extortion attacks.”

We need a more precise definition of ransomware

Authorities have long prevented hacked organizations from paying ransom demands, but it’s not always an easy decision for companies victimized by hackers.

In encryption and extortion attacks, companies have the option of paying a ransom demand to obtain the key to decrypt their files. However, if you pay a hacker using aggressive extortion tactics to delete your stolen files, there is no guarantee that the hacker will actually delete them.

This was demonstrated in the recent ransomware attack on Caesars Entertainment, which rewarded hackers in an effort to prevent the release of stolen data. In its own admission, Caesars told regulators that it had “taken steps to ensure that the data stolen by the wrongdoers is deleted, but we cannot guarantee the outcome.”

“In fact, we should assume they won’t do that,” Liska and Callow said, referring to claims that the hackers would delete the data they stole.

“With a better definition of ransomware that accounts for the distinction between different types of attacks, organizations should be able to identify any type of ransomware, whether it occurs within their own network or a third-party network. We will be able to better plan and respond to Were attacks, Liska and Callow said.

Source: techcrunch.com

The Threat of Cool Star’s Strong Winds to Exoplanets

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Artist’s illustration of a stellar planetary system. You can clearly see the stellar wind orbiting the star and its effect on the planet’s atmosphere.Credit: AIP/ K. Riebe/ J. Fohlmeister, editor

A groundbreaking study reveals that cold stars with strong magnetic fields generate powerful stellar winds, providing important information for assessing the habitability of exoplanetary systems.

A study led by scientists at the Potsdam Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics (AIP) uses cutting-edge numerical simulations to systematically characterize the properties of stellar winds in a sample of cold stars for the first time. Ta. They found that stars with stronger magnetic fields generate stronger winds. These winds create unfavorable conditions for the survival of planetary atmospheres, thus affecting the habitability of these systems.

Cool star classification

The Sun is one of the most abundant stars in the universe, known as “cool stars.” These stars are divided into four categories (F-type, G-type, K-type, and M-type) that differ in size, temperature, and brightness. The Sun is a fairly average star and belongs to category G. Stars that are brighter and larger than the Sun belong to category F, while K stars are slightly smaller and cooler than the Sun. The smallest and faintest star is the M star, also known as a “red dwarf” because of the color in which it emits most of its light.

Solar wind and its effects

Satellite observations have revealed that, apart from light, the sun continuously emits a stream of particles known as the solar wind. These winds travel through interplanetary space and interact with the planets of our solar system, including Earth. The beautiful displays of the Northern Lights near the North and South Poles are actually produced by this interaction. But these winds can also be harmful, as they can erode Earth’s stable atmosphere. Mars.

We know a lot about the solar wind, thanks in part to missions like Solar Orbiter, but the same isn’t true for other cool stars. The problem is that we can’t see these stellar winds directly, so we’re limited to studying their effects on the thin gas that fills the cavities between stars in galaxies. However, this approach has some limitations and can only be applied to a small number of stars. This has encouraged the use of computer simulations and models to predict various properties of stellar winds without the need for astronomer observations.

Pioneering research on the properties of stellar winds

In this regard, in collaboration with Cecilia Garaffo of the Harvard University Center for Astrophysics, doctoral student Judy Chevely of AIP’s Stellar Physics and Exoplanet Division, and scientist Julián D. Alvarado Gomez Dr. Katja Poppenhager, head of the department, assisted. The Smithsonian Institution conducted the first systematic study of the expected stellar wind properties for F, G, K, and M stars.

To this end, they performed numerical simulations using one of the most sophisticated models currently available, driven by the observed large-scale magnetic field distributions of 21 well-observed stars. I used it. The simulations were performed at the AIP and Leibniz-Rechenzentrum (LRZ) supercomputing facilities.

The research team investigated how star properties such as gravity, magnetic field strength, and rotation period affect the properties of the wind in terms of velocity and density. The results include a comprehensive characterization of stellar wind properties across spectral types and, in particular, challenge previous assumptions about stellar wind speeds when estimating associated mass loss rates from observations. This indicates that it needs to be reconsidered.

In addition, the simulations can predict the expected size of the Alfvén surface, the boundary between the stellar corona and the stellar wind. This information is the basis for determining whether planetary systems are affected by strong magnetic star-planet interactions. This interaction can occur when a planet’s orbit enters or is completely embedded in the Alfvén surface of its host star.

Impact on planetary systems

Their findings show that stars with magnetic fields larger than the Sun have faster winds. In some cases, stellar wind speeds can be up to five times faster than the average solar wind speed (typically 450 km/s). The study revealed how strong these stars’ winds are in their so-called “habitable zone,” defined as the orbital distance at which a rocky exoplanet can maintain liquid water on its surface and provide an Earth-like atmospheric pressure. It was evaluated as being strong. They found milder conditions around F- and G-type stars, comparable to those experienced by Earth around the G-type Sun, and increasingly harsh wind environments around K- and M-type stars. discovered. Such intense stellar winds have a strong impact on any atmosphere a planet might have.

Broader implications for exoplanet research

This phenomenon is well documented in heliophysics between rocky planets and the Sun, but not in exoplanetary systems. This requires estimates of stellar winds to assess processes similar to those seen between the solar wind and planetary atmospheres. This study is important from the perspective of habitability, as no information on stellar winds has been known for main-sequence stars F to M until now.

Although the study presented in this paper was performed on 21 stars, the results are general enough to apply to other cool main sequence stars. This study paves the way for future studies of stellar wind observations and their effects on planetary atmosphere erosion.

References: Judy J Chebly, Julián D Alvarado-Gómez, Katja Poppenhäger, and Cecilia Garraffo, “Quantifying the wind properties of cool main-sequence stars,” July 19, 2023. Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices.
DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stad2100

Source: scitechdaily.com