Comment Re: I want to quit too. (Score 1) 128
Maybe what we're told is food, isn't actually food..
Comment Supply chain? (Score 1) 106
The supply chain problems are getting absurd.
Comment Does the vaccine also stop cross contamination? (Score 3, Interesting) 105
> fully vaccinated grandparents can fly to visit their healthy grandkids
Does this mean vaccinated people are no longer likely to be spreaders or does this just push the danger onto the people they can now visit?
Submission + - Autopsies Reveal The Terrible Damage COVID-19 Can Inflict on The Human Brain (sciencealert.com) 1
AmiMoJo writes: As COVID-19 relentlessly infects more and more of us, scientists are getting a close look at the strange and frightening damage it can inflict on our bodies. We've known since early in the pandemic this disease wreaks havoc on more than just the respiratory system, also causing gastrointestinal conditions, heart damage and blood clotting disorders.
Now, a year into the pandemic, in-depth autopsies of COVID-19 patients have revealed greater details of widespread inflammation and damage in brain tissues. This may help explain the deluge of neurological symptoms that have manifested in some patients, from headaches, memory loss, dizziness, weakness and hallucinations to more severe seizures and strokes. Some estimate that up to50 percent of those hospitalised with COVID-19 could have neurological symptoms that can leave people struggling to do even common daily tasks like preparing a meal. "We were completely surprised. Originally, we expected to see damage that is caused by a lack of oxygen," said physician and clinical director at National Institute of Health (NIH), Avindra Nath. "Instead, we saw multifocal areas of damage that is usually associated with strokes and neuroinflammatory diseases."
Now, a year into the pandemic, in-depth autopsies of COVID-19 patients have revealed greater details of widespread inflammation and damage in brain tissues. This may help explain the deluge of neurological symptoms that have manifested in some patients, from headaches, memory loss, dizziness, weakness and hallucinations to more severe seizures and strokes. Some estimate that up to50 percent of those hospitalised with COVID-19 could have neurological symptoms that can leave people struggling to do even common daily tasks like preparing a meal. "We were completely surprised. Originally, we expected to see damage that is caused by a lack of oxygen," said physician and clinical director at National Institute of Health (NIH), Avindra Nath. "Instead, we saw multifocal areas of damage that is usually associated with strokes and neuroinflammatory diseases."
Submission + - SPAM: Tech Giants to adopt common definition of what is considered hate speech 1
Hmmmmmm writes: Web giants including Facebook have struck a deal with advertisers on how to identify harmful content such as hate speech, after an impasse over the issue which led to boycotts of the platform.
The agreement — which also included Twitter and YouTube — laid out for the first time a common set of definitions for hateful statements online.
In July, hundreds of advertisers including big-name consumer brands suspended advertising with Facebook as part of the #StopHateForProfit campaign, saying the social-media titan should do more to stamp out hatred and misinformation on its platform.
The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) said in a statement Wednesday: "Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, in collaboration with marketers and agencies through the Global Alliance for Responsible Media have agreed to adopt a common set of definitions for hate speech and other harmful content and to collaborate with a view to monitoring industry efforts to improve in this critical area."
According to the WFA, key areas of agreement included applying the alliance's common definitions of harmful content; developing reporting standards for such content; establishing independent oversight; and rolling out tools for keeping advertisements away from harmful content.
The WFA said that properly defining online hate speech would remove the current problem of different platforms using their own definitions, which it said made it difficult for companies to decide where to put their ads.
Link to Original Source
The agreement — which also included Twitter and YouTube — laid out for the first time a common set of definitions for hateful statements online.
In July, hundreds of advertisers including big-name consumer brands suspended advertising with Facebook as part of the #StopHateForProfit campaign, saying the social-media titan should do more to stamp out hatred and misinformation on its platform.
The World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) said in a statement Wednesday: "Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, in collaboration with marketers and agencies through the Global Alliance for Responsible Media have agreed to adopt a common set of definitions for hate speech and other harmful content and to collaborate with a view to monitoring industry efforts to improve in this critical area."
According to the WFA, key areas of agreement included applying the alliance's common definitions of harmful content; developing reporting standards for such content; establishing independent oversight; and rolling out tools for keeping advertisements away from harmful content.
The WFA said that properly defining online hate speech would remove the current problem of different platforms using their own definitions, which it said made it difficult for companies to decide where to put their ads.
Link to Original Source
Submission + - Airbnb Files To Go Public (techcrunch.com)
An anonymous reader writes: In a turn of fortune, Airbnb today announced that it has filed to go public, albeit confidentially. The move puts the home-sharing service on a path to a public offering sooner rather than later, and comes after reports that the company was prepping an IPO filing this month. Those same reports indicated that Airbnb could go public as soon as the end of the year. A Q3 or Q4 Airbnb offering is therefore a distinct possibility.
The company promised in 2019 that it would go public in 2020, but that pledge seemed far-off in the middle of the year. Since then, Airbnb has made noise about different parts of its business coming back to life, although changed by new travel and work and vacation patterns from its users. If Airbnb has filed, we can presume that present results are good enough to get it life, else the firm would have not filed and would have simply gone public later. The question now becomes if its Q2 numbers were good enough to get it out the door, or if the company intends to update its S-1 filing with Q3 numbers, push the filing live and go public with more recovery time in its results.
The company promised in 2019 that it would go public in 2020, but that pledge seemed far-off in the middle of the year. Since then, Airbnb has made noise about different parts of its business coming back to life, although changed by new travel and work and vacation patterns from its users. If Airbnb has filed, we can presume that present results are good enough to get it life, else the firm would have not filed and would have simply gone public later. The question now becomes if its Q2 numbers were good enough to get it out the door, or if the company intends to update its S-1 filing with Q3 numbers, push the filing live and go public with more recovery time in its results.
Submission + - Study: Saving pandas led to downfall of other animals (upi.com)
schwit1 writes: Since the giant panda reserves were set up in China during the 1960s, leopards have disappeared from 81% of reserves, snow leopards from 38%, wolves from 77% and Asian wild dogs from 95%.
Researchers found with the dwindling numbers of leopards and wolves, deer and livestock have mostly roamed free without a threat from natural predators, causing damage to natural habitats for surrounding wildlife, including the pandas.
Samuel Turvey, of the Zoological Society of London, said that while protecting umbrella species have proven successful in many incidences, researchers cannot ignore continued human activity on the wider ecosystem and how non-targeted species are affected.
Researchers found with the dwindling numbers of leopards and wolves, deer and livestock have mostly roamed free without a threat from natural predators, causing damage to natural habitats for surrounding wildlife, including the pandas.
Samuel Turvey, of the Zoological Society of London, said that while protecting umbrella species have proven successful in many incidences, researchers cannot ignore continued human activity on the wider ecosystem and how non-targeted species are affected.
Submission + - UK and US say Russia fired a satellite weapon in space (bbc.co.uk)
Joe2020 writes: The subject says it all. This is pure gold for nerds.
https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fwor...
https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.io?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fwor...
Submission + - Russian Elite Given Experimental Covid-19 Vaccine Since April (bloomberg.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Scores of Russia’s business and political elite have been given early access to an experimental vaccine against Covid-19, according to people familiar with the effort, as the country races to be among the first to develop an inoculation.
Top executives at companies including aluminum giant United Co. Rusal, as well as billionaire tycoons and government officials began getting shots developed by the state-run Gamaleya Institute in Moscow as early as April, the people said. They declined to be identified as the information isn’t public.
Peskov’s comments followed a Health Ministry statement that said only participants in Gamaleya’s trials are currently eligible for the jabs.
While the new shots are “safe” because they’re based on proven vaccines for other diseases, their effectiveness has yet to be determined, according to Sergei Netesov, a former executive at Vector, a state-run virology center in Novosibirsk, Siberia, that’s also working on an inoculation.
“Those who take it do so at their own risk,” Netesov said.
Russia has reported more than 750,000 cases of Covid-19, the fourth-largest total in the world, and Gamaleya’s program is on a faster track than many developers in the West. RDIF chief Kirill Dmitriev said last week phase 3 trials will start Aug. 3 and include thousands of people in Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with the vaccine distributed nationally as early as September. Western researchers typically run phase 3 trials for months to better understand safety and effectiveness.
Top executives at companies including aluminum giant United Co. Rusal, as well as billionaire tycoons and government officials began getting shots developed by the state-run Gamaleya Institute in Moscow as early as April, the people said. They declined to be identified as the information isn’t public.
Peskov’s comments followed a Health Ministry statement that said only participants in Gamaleya’s trials are currently eligible for the jabs.
While the new shots are “safe” because they’re based on proven vaccines for other diseases, their effectiveness has yet to be determined, according to Sergei Netesov, a former executive at Vector, a state-run virology center in Novosibirsk, Siberia, that’s also working on an inoculation.
“Those who take it do so at their own risk,” Netesov said.
Russia has reported more than 750,000 cases of Covid-19, the fourth-largest total in the world, and Gamaleya’s program is on a faster track than many developers in the West. RDIF chief Kirill Dmitriev said last week phase 3 trials will start Aug. 3 and include thousands of people in Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with the vaccine distributed nationally as early as September. Western researchers typically run phase 3 trials for months to better understand safety and effectiveness.
Submission + - Historic Moon Landing Footage Enhanced by AI, And The Results Are Incredible (sciencealert.com)
schwit1 writes: This is similar to what Peter Jackson did with old WWI footage for They Shall Not Grow Old.
Submission + - Uber drivers to launch legal bid to uncover app's algorithm (theguardian.com)
AmiMoJo writes: Minicab drivers will launch a legal bid to uncover secret computer algorithms used by Uber to manage their work in a test case that could increase transparency for millions of gig economy workers across Europe. Two UK drivers are demanding to see the huge amounts of data the ride-sharing company collects on them and how this is used to exert management control, including through automated decision-making that invisibly shapes their jobs.
The case is being brought on Monday by the UK-based App Drivers and Couriers Union in the district court in Amsterdam, where the international headquarters of the $56bn (£44.5bn) ride-hailing firm is located. The union said transparency was essential in checking if Uber was exercising discrimination or unequal treatment between drivers. It will also allow drivers to organise and build collective bargaining power over terms of work and pay in a way that is currently impossible.
The case is being brought on Monday by the UK-based App Drivers and Couriers Union in the district court in Amsterdam, where the international headquarters of the $56bn (£44.5bn) ride-hailing firm is located. The union said transparency was essential in checking if Uber was exercising discrimination or unequal treatment between drivers. It will also allow drivers to organise and build collective bargaining power over terms of work and pay in a way that is currently impossible.
Submission + - Rhode Island Dept. of Education Adding "Two Codes" to "Three Rs"
theodp writes: In 2019's The Two Codes Your Kids Need to Know, the NY Times' Thomas Friedman reported that of all the skills and knowledge it tested young people for, the College Board determined that mastering "two codes" — computer science and the U.S. Constitution — were the most correlated to success in college and in life. On Wednesday, Rhode Island announced it's teaming with the College Board to ensure schoolkids study the "Two Codes" as well as the "Three Rs".
From the press release: "The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and the College Board are launching a partnership to advance two key educational goals: understanding how the U.S. Constitution works and how technology can power solutions to problems facing our world. Two Codes is the College Board’s effort to help students build the knowledge, skills, and agency required to make a difference in the world, specifically by expanding access to Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. Government and Politics and AP Computer Science Principles. [...] Each school will identify two teacher leads, a Computer Science teacher and a Government and Politics teacher, who will coordinate their school’s participation in the program. The leads will receive a stipend of $1,500 per year, and the College Board will provide a broad range of support for the training of teachers and implementation of the effort."
In 2017, RI Governor Gina Raimondo launched the Computer Science for RI (CS4RI) effort in partnership with Microsoft and tech-bankrolled Code.org, saying "Part of turning our economy around and creating jobs is making sure every student, at every level, has access to the new basic skill: computer science." In 2018, the College Board called for making CS a high school graduation requirement, adding that it was willing to put its money where its mouth was: "The College Board is willing to invest serious resources in making this viable — much more so than is in our economic interest to do so," said College Board President David Coleman. "To governors, legislators, to others — if you will help us make this part of the life of schools, we will help fund it." And late last year, the College Board described its state-level efforts to spread AP CS Principles: "Since 2016, the College Board has partnered with Code.org, the Chan [Mark] Zuckerberg Initiative, and state departments of education to spread AP Computer Science Principles statewide [...] This work began in Kentucky and Nevada and later spread to Arizona, Maryland, and Massachusetts."
From the press release: "The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) and the College Board are launching a partnership to advance two key educational goals: understanding how the U.S. Constitution works and how technology can power solutions to problems facing our world. Two Codes is the College Board’s effort to help students build the knowledge, skills, and agency required to make a difference in the world, specifically by expanding access to Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. Government and Politics and AP Computer Science Principles. [...] Each school will identify two teacher leads, a Computer Science teacher and a Government and Politics teacher, who will coordinate their school’s participation in the program. The leads will receive a stipend of $1,500 per year, and the College Board will provide a broad range of support for the training of teachers and implementation of the effort."
In 2017, RI Governor Gina Raimondo launched the Computer Science for RI (CS4RI) effort in partnership with Microsoft and tech-bankrolled Code.org, saying "Part of turning our economy around and creating jobs is making sure every student, at every level, has access to the new basic skill: computer science." In 2018, the College Board called for making CS a high school graduation requirement, adding that it was willing to put its money where its mouth was: "The College Board is willing to invest serious resources in making this viable — much more so than is in our economic interest to do so," said College Board President David Coleman. "To governors, legislators, to others — if you will help us make this part of the life of schools, we will help fund it." And late last year, the College Board described its state-level efforts to spread AP CS Principles: "Since 2016, the College Board has partnered with Code.org, the Chan [Mark] Zuckerberg Initiative, and state departments of education to spread AP Computer Science Principles statewide [...] This work began in Kentucky and Nevada and later spread to Arizona, Maryland, and Massachusetts."
Submission + - A Months-Long Investigations Reveals Pornhub's Terrible Moderation Practices (vice.com)
samleecole writes: On May 1, 2016, in the middle of final exams, a young woman got a text message that would change her life forever. It included a screenshot of a pornographic video posted online, featuring her. Panicking, she quickly tried to justify what she had done. "They said it would only be in Australia," she told her friend, according to court documents. "I only did it for money."
The video spread like wildfire. Jane Doe 11—one of 22 women who sued porn production company Girls Do Porn in 2016 for coercing them to have sex on video and lying to them about how the videos would be distributed—learned from the student council president that "everyone was watching it in the library, so much so that the internet essentially crashed."
In October 2019, after Michael Pratt was charged with federal sex trafficking crimes, Pornhub removed Girls Do Porn's official Pornhub channel, as well as pages promoting Girls Do Porn as "top shelf" content and a reason to pay Pornhub a subscription fee. In January, after the ruling in the civil case found Girls Do Porn owed 22 women a total of $13 million, the official GirlsDoPorn.com site was taken offline.
But even with the official site shut down and its owners in jail or on the run, the ruling has done little to stop the spread of the videos online.
Pornhub claims that victims of nonconsensual porn—as many of the Girls Do Porn videos are—can easily request to remove videos from the site, and that those videos can be "fingerprinted." Broadly speaking, video fingerprinting is a method for software to identify, extract, and then summarize characteristic components or metadata of a video, allowing that video to be uniquely identified by its "fingerprint." According to Pornhub, this would automatically prevent future attempts to upload a video that was flagged.
But a Motherboard investigation found that this system can be easily and quickly circumvented with minor editing. Pornhub's current method for removing Girls Do Porn videos and other forms of non-consensual porn not only puts the onus of finding and flagging videos almost entirely on potentially-traumatized victims—those victims can't even rely on the system to work.
The video spread like wildfire. Jane Doe 11—one of 22 women who sued porn production company Girls Do Porn in 2016 for coercing them to have sex on video and lying to them about how the videos would be distributed—learned from the student council president that "everyone was watching it in the library, so much so that the internet essentially crashed."
In October 2019, after Michael Pratt was charged with federal sex trafficking crimes, Pornhub removed Girls Do Porn's official Pornhub channel, as well as pages promoting Girls Do Porn as "top shelf" content and a reason to pay Pornhub a subscription fee. In January, after the ruling in the civil case found Girls Do Porn owed 22 women a total of $13 million, the official GirlsDoPorn.com site was taken offline.
But even with the official site shut down and its owners in jail or on the run, the ruling has done little to stop the spread of the videos online.
Pornhub claims that victims of nonconsensual porn—as many of the Girls Do Porn videos are—can easily request to remove videos from the site, and that those videos can be "fingerprinted." Broadly speaking, video fingerprinting is a method for software to identify, extract, and then summarize characteristic components or metadata of a video, allowing that video to be uniquely identified by its "fingerprint." According to Pornhub, this would automatically prevent future attempts to upload a video that was flagged.
But a Motherboard investigation found that this system can be easily and quickly circumvented with minor editing. Pornhub's current method for removing Girls Do Porn videos and other forms of non-consensual porn not only puts the onus of finding and flagging videos almost entirely on potentially-traumatized victims—those victims can't even rely on the system to work.
Submission + - Scientists Produce 400 Year El Nino Record (phys.org)
William Robinson writes: Using cores drilled from coral, scientists have been able to produce the first 400-year-long seasonal record of El Nino events. This understanding of El Niño events is vital because they produce extreme weather across the globe with particularly profound effects on precipitation and temperature extremes, all over the world. The study concludes that a new category of El Niño has become far more prevalent in the last few decades than at any time in the past four centuries. Over the same period, traditional El Niño events have become more intense.
Comment Worthless after 3 months? (Score 3, Insightful) 65
The value of the data must plummet after 3 months and become near worthless after 18 months.
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