DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ C. Gordon Bell, Creator of a Personal Computer Prototype, Dies at 89
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Glenn Rifkin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

C. Gordon Bell, a technology visionary whose computer designs for Digital Equipment Corporation fueled the emergence of the minicomputer industry in the 1960s, died on Friday in Coronado, Calif. A virtuoso at computer architecture, he built the first time-sharing computer and championed efforts to build the Ethernet. He was among a handful of influential engineers whose designs formed the vital bridge between the room-size models of the mainframe era and the advent of the personal computer. He later joined Microsoft’s nascent research lab, where he remained for about 20 years before being named researcher emeritus. He helped make computing much more widespread and more personal.”

Persons: Gordon Bell, Frank Lloyd Wright, Bell, ”, David Cutler Organizations: Digital Equipment Corporation, Datamation, National Science, of Technology, Innovation, Microsoft Research Lab, Mr, Digital, Microsoft Locations: Coronado , Calif

☆ Scientists map long-lost arm of the Nile that flowed past 31 pyramids
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The inhospitable location has long puzzled archaeologists, some of whom had found evidence that the Nile River once flowed near these pyramids in some capacity, facilitating the landmarks’ construction starting 4,700 years ago. “This is the first study to provide the first map of the long-lost ancient branch of the Nile River.”Ghoneim and her colleagues refer to this extinct branch of the Nile river as Ahramat, which is Arabic for pyramids. Ancient Egyptians likely used the now-extinct Ahramat Branch to build many pyramids. Eman Ghoneim et alThe ancient waterway would have been about 0.5 kilometers wide (about one-third of a mile) with a depth of at least 25 meters (82 feet) — similar to the contemporary Nile, Ghoneim said. Most likely, a period of drought and desertification swept sand into the region, silting up the river, Ghoneim said.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Ghoneim, ” Ghoneim, Nick Marriner, ” Marriner Organizations: CNN, University of North, University of North Carolina Wilmington’s, Branch, National Science Foundation, French National Centre for Scientific Research Locations: Giza, University of North Carolina, Ahramat, Egypt, Paris

☆ Tiny backpacks reveal newfound species of the world’s largest hummingbird
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Now, new research has revealed that there are two distinct species of giant hummingbird in South America — the northern giant hummingbird that lives year-round in the Andes, and the migratory southern giant hummingbird — and they have been evolving separately for millions of years. A southern giant hummingbird is seen flying from its breeding grounds in central Chile. “We wanted to finally solve this mystery.”Designing backpacks for hummingbirdsGiant hummingbirds differ from hundreds of other hummingbird species in many other ways. A southern giant hummingbird is fitted with a tiny backpack-like geolocator tracking device in central Chile. “The two forms of giant hummingbird look almost identical — for centuries, ornithologists and birders never noticed that they were different.

Persons: Charles Darwin, Darwin, Chris Witt, ”, Jessie Williamson, “, ” Williamson, Emil Bautista, Williamson, Christopher Witt, birders, ” Witt, chaskis, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, HMS, National Academy of Sciences, National Science Foundation, Cornell, of Ornithology, Swifts, Centro, Biology, Museum of Southwestern, University of New Locations: New York City, Buenos Aires, South America, Chile, Ithaca , New York, Peru, Biodiversidad, Lima, Peruvian, Chilean, University of New Mexico, Inca

☆ Zhang Yongzhen: Chinese virologist shared crucial Covid-19 data. Then his research hit hurdles
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | Yong Xiong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The ordeal is just the latest hindrance to Zhang’s research since 2020, according to a colleague who has been in contact with the Chinese scientist in recent years. The “institute always respects … and supports scientific researchers and students in carrying out normal research work,” the statement said. The earlier post by Zhang’s students said the two days originally allocated by the center for them to move their scientific work was insufficient. Following the release of the data, Zhang’s lab had limitations placed on it, which barred it from isolating the Covid virus, Holmes said. That included imposing restrictions by April 2020 on the publication of academic research on the origins of the novel coronavirus.

Persons: Zhang Yongzhen’s, Zhang, ”, hadn’t, Hector Retamal, Edward Holmes, Holmes, ” Holmes, “, He’s, Zhang Yongzhen, ” Zhang, “ He’s, It’s, virologist Organizations: Hong Kong CNN —, Shanghai, Health, Weibo, Zhang’s, Chinese Center for Disease Control, CNN, Fudan University, Health Clinical, Getty, World Health Organization, Nature, University, Sydney, CDC, China’s National Health Commission, Oxford University Press, Shanghai Public Health Center, Natural Science Foundation of China Locations: China, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Wuhan, AFP, Beijing

☆ Her Art Is at Odds With Museums, and Museums Can’t Get Enough
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Karen Rosenberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Inside the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, little pieces of Antarctica were melting: cross-sections of an ice core from the continent’s Newall Glacier, each one about the size of a beverage coaster and encased in a vacuum-sealed plastic bag. The artist Gala Porras-Kim watched approvingly during a visit in March, pointing out the air pockets that had started to form. “The ice cores are an archive of ancient air, because the air gets stuck in the layers of ice,” she said, pointing at the display during an interview at the museum. This particular core, which Porras-Kim had obtained from the National Science Foundation’s Ice Core Facility in nearby Lakewood, Colo., contained ice that had formed some 10,000 years ago, around the beginning of the Holocene period, in geological terms. “The ancient air will get released into this room — a reunion of this old air with the new air, mixing together,” she said, describing it as an “organic de-accession process.”

Persons: Porras, Kim, ” Organizations: of Contemporary Art, National Science Locations: Denver, Antarctica, Lakewood, Colo

☆ US scientists are leaving academia. That’s bad news for drug companies
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“Science postdocs perform the science,” Donna Ginther, an economist who studies the science labor market at the University of Kansas, told CNN. Biomedical companies take scientific contributions and, over time, aggregate them into a commercial product. Building on the discovery of mRNA in the 1960’s, the technology behind an mRNA vaccine for humans was in development for decades before the Covid-19 vaccine was first administered in 2020. By using that technology to develop their mRNA vaccines for Covid-19, pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Moderna made a windfall in profits. “That’s how they make money is through commercialization: they have a product, which they then patent and sell.”Why are scientists leaving academic labs?

Persons: postdocs, Donna Ginther, “ They’re, Michael Ciaglo, ”, “, Nobel, Dr, Katalin Kariko, ” Ginther, they’re, Ginther Organizations: New, New York CNN —, National Institutes of Health, NIH, National Science Foundation, University of Kansas, CNN, ”, Pfizer, Moderna, Wired Magazine, NSF, World Health Organization Locations: New York, United States, Denver , Colorado, Europe, Alzheimer’s

☆ 8 federal government jobs that can pay over $200K
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Ana Altchek | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

64 federal job categories pay upwards of $200,000, with some reaching $400,000. AdvertisementMany people enter federal roles for job security, not for the money. Data from the US Office of Personnel Management indicates 64 federal job categories have positions that pay over $200,000 — and some pay as much as much as $400,000. AdvertisementThere are currently 55 open positions in this category, with the highest role listed with a starting salary of $180,564. According to OPM, there are currently 319 federal employees in this job category who make over $200,000.

Persons: —, usajobs.gov Organizations: Service, Management, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Department of, IT Management, NASA, FDA, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, General Engineering, Marshall Space Flight, HR Management, National Science Foundation

☆ Why AI can’t replace air traffic controllers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Amy Pritchett | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In the air traffic control system, everything must meet the highest levels of safety, but not everything goes according to plan. I’m an aerospace engineer who led a National Academies study ordered by Congress about air traffic controller staffing. What air traffic controllers do? The Federal Aviation Administration’s fundamental guidance for the responsibility of air traffic controllers states: “The primary purpose of the air traffic control system is to prevent a collision involving aircraft.” Air traffic controllers are also charged with providing “a safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic” and other services supporting safety, such as helping pilots avoid mountains and other hazardous terrain and hazardous weather, to the extent they can. Researchers are using machine learning to analyze and predict aspects of air traffic and air traffic control, including air traffic flow between cities and air traffic controller behavior.

Persons: Tolga Akmen, Timothy Arel, Harry Reid, Ethan Miller, Amy Pritchett Organizations: CNN, National Academies, Congress, Federal Aviation, Air, FAA, London Heathrow, Tolga, Getty, U.S . Senate, Robotics, Cessna, United Airlines, Kansas City Chiefs United Airlines, Harry Reid International, Air Force One, Penn State University, National Science Foundation, Center, Aerial Mobility, NASA Locations: AFP, Las Vegas

☆ White House announces new federal investments in Regional Innovation Engines
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Ryan Anastasio | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

4346, the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 9, 2022. The Biden administration announced over $150 million in geographically targeted federal investments Monday, part of the National Science Foundation's Regional Innovation Engines program. 10 regional innovation engines will receive funds, and are eligible to receive upwards of $2 billion as part of the program, authorized under the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act. Monday's awardees include a semiconductor innovation engine in Central Florida, an energy transition engine in Louisiana and an advanced agriculture technology engine in North Dakota. This includes more $150 million in federal investment, or $15 million per hub, and another $350 million in matched contributions from non-federal partners.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Arati Prabhakar, Prabhakar Organizations: White, National Science, NSF, Office of Science, Technology, Commerce Department, The U.S Locations: Washington ,, Central Florida, Louisiana, North Dakota, America

☆ Meta and IBM Launch AI Alliance
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Belle Lin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Meta Platforms, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, has sought to stake its claim in the red-hot AI market as an open-source AI system through its Llama 2 AI model. Photo: CARLOS BARRIA/REUTERSMeta Platforms and International Business Machines launched a coalition of more than 50 artificial intelligence companies and research institutions that are pushing a so-called open model of AI, hoping to gain traction in a fast-growing market. The AI Alliance, whose members include Intel, Oracle , Cornell University and the National Science Foundation, said it is pooling resources to stand behind “open innovation and open science” in AI. Its members largely support open source, an approach in which technology is shared free and draws on a history of collaboration among Big Tech, academics and a fervent movement of independent programmers.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, CARLOS BARRIA Organizations: REUTERS, Business Machines, AI Alliance, Intel, Oracle, Cornell University, National Science Foundation, Big Tech

☆ Climate tech startups Montinutra, Harvest Thermal, Bisly, and Twig recently raised a combined $13.6 million. We got a look at the pitch decks they used to raise the funds.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Climate tech startups Montinutra, Harvest Thermal, Bisly, and Twig have recently raised a collective $13.6 million between them as early-stage deals continue to dominate the venture capital industry. Biochemicals startup Montinutra, founded in 2018, raised 2 million euros, $2.1 million, in October to convert forestry sidestreams into sustainable alternatives to petrochemicals. Check out the 18-slide pitch deck below:MontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraHeat pump startup Harvest Thermal raised $4 millionCalifornia-based Harvest Thermal raised a $4 million round for its heat pump and thermal storage combination in October. It is riding political tailwinds amid the US' recent commitment to install 20 million heat pumps by 2030. Check out the redacted pitch deck that it used to raise the funds below:Harvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest Thermal Harvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalBuilding energy management startup Bisly secured $3.8 millionEstonian startup Bisly, which wants to make it cheaper to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, just raised 3.6 million euros, $3.8 million, in seed funding in October.

Persons: Twig, Pajunen, Portfolia, Russ Tucker Organizations: Metsä, Earth Foundry, Climate Partners, Starshot, National Science Foundation, California Energy Commission, International Energy Agency, Aconterra, Second Century Ventures, SmartCap, Fund, Pinorena, Innovation, Seed Fund Locations: California, London

The National Science Foundation declined to answer AP questions about why Bieneman was sent out into the field in a critical safety role while under investigation. The case raises further questions about decision-making in the U.S. Antarctic Program, which is already under scrutiny. Conway and the graduate students did not respond to AP requests for comment. In the complaint, Conway described Bieneman as initially being “domineering and critical” of the two female graduate students at the camp. He said the graduate students, fearing possible retaliation if they disclosed the story, felt they had to tiptoe around Bieneman.

Persons: Stephen Tyler Bieneman, Bieneman, ”, Birney Bervar, ” Marc Tunstall, icefield, Tyler, Howard Conway, Conway, ” Conway, Jennifer Farrar Organizations: The Associated Press, McMurdo, The National Science Foundation, U.S . Antarctic Program, AP, NSF, Prosecutors, Twin, University of Washington, Conway, Bieneman, Attorney's Locations: WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Antarctica, Honolulu, Allan, McMurdo, Bieneman, Hawaii, The U.S, New York

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The watchdog office overseeing the National Science Foundation is sending investigators to Antarctica's McMurdo Station after hearing concerns about the prevalence of sexual violence at the U.S. research base. It announced Friday it is appointing Renée Ferranti as a special assistant to the NSF director to focus on sexual assault and harassment prevention and response. The NSF told the AP the alcohol changes were related to morale and welfare, and were not aimed at preventing sexual harassment or assault. On Friday, NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said he was delighted to welcome Ferranti, who had more than 25 years of experience in sexual assault prevention. Ferranti said in the release she hopes “to make a meaningful impact to advance NSF's progress in addressing sexual violence.”

Persons: Renée, Lisa Vonder Haar, Vonder Haar, they’d, Sethuraman Panchanathan, ” Panchanathan, Ferranti, “, ” Organizations: National Science Foundation, NSF, Renée Ferranti, Associated Press, McMurdo, AP, Ferranti Locations: WELLINGTON, New Zealand, Antarctica

☆ Starfish bodies are really just heads, new research says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The heads of most animals are easily identifiable, but scientists haven’t been able to say the same for sea stars until now. But new genetic research suggests the opposite — that sea stars are largely heads that lack torsos or tails and likely lost those features evolutionarily over time. There, they go through a process that transforms a bilateral body into a star shape, or pentaradial body. But echinoderms also share a common ancestor with bilateral animals, which adds to the puzzle researchers are trying to solve. Specific molecular markers act like body plan blueprints, directing each cell to the body region where it belongs.

Persons: haven’t, It’s, ”, Laurent Formery, “ It’s, Christopher Lowe, Jeff Thompson, “, ” Lowe, Formery, Chan Zuckerberg, Dr, Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, Laurent Formery “, ” Thompson, Daniel Rokhsar Organizations: CNN, Stanford University, University of California, University of Southampton, NASA, National Science Foundation, Leverhulme Trust Locations: Berkeley, San Francisco

☆ Natural-hair care is getting a boost from AI as Black-owned beauty-tech companies harness personalized data to better serve customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Ngozi Nwanji | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Data reveals that Black consumers are driving the booming market, spending nine times more on hair-care products than other racial groups, a 2023 Nielsen report found. Black women, in particular, spend about $1.7 billion annually on hair-care products. Scientists perform a microscopic analysis of the textured strands to provide hair-care insights. For Myavana, that means partnering with brands to make the company's personalized hair-care technology available "everywhere you shop for hair products," Harris said. AdvertisementAdvertisementHairDays' AI tech tool, called Layla, was created to help people set and achieve their hair goals.

Persons: —, Nielsen, Candace Mitchell Harris, Myavana Harris, Harris, Georgia Tech's InVenture, Myavana, they'll, MyHairID, Myavana Tiffany St, Bernard, she's, Bernard —, Layla, Tiffany St, Ceci Kurzman, Meghan Maupin, Maupin, OurX OurX, St, SOCAi, Cornell, Curtis Cole, Andrew Alexis, OurX, we'll Organizations: Service, Fortune Business, Georgia Institute of Technology, Cornell Tech, SheaMoisture, Unilever, Cornell University's, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health, Human Services Locations: Georgia

☆ Eclipse viewing glasses: How to protect your eyes during the annular eclipse
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —On Saturday, an annular solar eclipse will create a scintillating “ring of fire” in the skies across the Americas. A total solar eclipse will cut a path across North America on April 8, 2024. Using eclipse glasses and solar viewersTo view the annular eclipse, wear certified eclipse glasses or use a handheld solar viewer. Put on your eclipse glasses before looking up and remember to turn away from the sun before you remove them again. The small space between will reflect the sun’s crescent during a partial eclipse or a ring during the annular eclipse.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Carrie Black, Alex Lockwood, It’s Organizations: CNN, Americas ., NASA, National Science Foundation, National, Observatory, Science, Planetary Society, American Astronomical Society Locations: North, Central, South America, Alaska, North America

☆ Nearly 4 in 10 Toddlers Diagnosed With Autism No Longer Have It by Age 6
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter(HealthDay)MONDAY, Oct. 9, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Not all children diagnosed with autism as toddlers continue to have that diagnosis once they reach elementary school, a new study shows. The children in the study received a diagnosis between 12 months and 36 months of age, and received community-based interventions. They then had a research diagnosis assessment at age 5 to 7 years, between August 2018 and January 2022. Other researchers have suggested a turning point around [age] 6 where children no longer have the symptoms,” Harstad said. More informationThe U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on autism spectrum disorder.

Persons: Cara Murez HealthDay, ”, Elizabeth Harstad, “, ” Harstad, Alycia Halladay, Halladay, that's, ” Halladay Organizations: Boston Children’s Hospital, Harstad, Autism Science Foundation, ”, U.S . Centers for Disease Control Locations: Boston, ” Harstad, Harstad, Scarsdale, MD, N.Y

☆ Amazon launches first internet satellites in bid to compete with SpaceX
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Already, SpaceX has more than 4,500 active Starlink satellites in orbit and offers commercial and residential service to most of the Americas, Europe and Australia. The Atlas V rocket carrying Amazon's prototype satellites for Project Kuiper lifted off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. SpaceX has had the clear advantage of using its own Falcon 9 rockets to launch batches of Starlink satellites to orbit. For now, Kuiper satellites are launching on rockets built by United Launch Alliance, a close partner of Blue Origin. In addition to ULA and Blue Origin, Amazon has a Project Kuiper launch contract with European launch provider Arianespace.

Persons: “ We’ve, ”, Rajeev Badyal, Starlink, Kuiper, Elon Musk, “ I’m, Gregory Falco, Brecke Boyd, SpaceX’s, hasn’t, Jeff Bezos Organizations: CNN, Amazon, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Kuiper’s, United, Alliance, Atlas V, Cape Canaveral Space Force, United Nations, Cornell University, Federal Communications Commission, National Science Foundation, Wall Street, European Locations: Cape Canaveral , Florida, Americas, Europe, Australia, Florida, Russia, Ukraine, Starlink, ULA

☆ Craft beer, marriages and air travel: The collateral damage of a government shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Alex Seitz-Wald | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +14 min

Staff, meanwhile, have been forced to put their real jobs on hold to prepare for the looming shutdown. National parksThe National Park Service plans to close its parks and furlough park rangers if the government shuts down on Sunday. During the 2018-2019 shutdown, the parks themselves remained accessible, but without most services. Some presidential libraries would remain open as long as they have sufficient funds, but others would close and research services would be reduced. A shutdown would result in a "data blackout" of critical economic statistics that influence markets and businesses around the globe.

Persons: Donald Trump, that's, Biden, Joshua, Armando L, Sanchez, Pete Buttigieg, they're, White, Treasury Department furloughed, shutdowns Organizations: Yosemite, Fresno Bee, Tribune, Service, Getty, White House Council, Economic Advisers, Management, Staff, National Park Service, Park Service, Department of Interior, NBC, Congressional Research Service, National Zoo, U.S . Holocaust, Museum, National, Science, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, FBI Agents Association, FBI, Air, Transportation Security, LaGuardia, TSA, O'Hare International, State Department, Consular, Education Department, AmeriCorps, Agriculture Department, Assistance, Women, Small Business Administration, Federal Housing Administration, Social, Consumer, Food and Drug Administration, Consumer Product Safety, Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, Labor, —, Social Security, Medicare, Treasury Department, Foreign Assets Control, Russia Locations: El Capitan, Yosemite Valley, Washington, Civil, U.S, Europe, Southeast Asia, New Mexico, shutdowns, New York, Chicago, Russia, Iran, Ukraine

The Office of Management and Budget reminded senior agency officials Friday to update and review shutdown plans. Those plans can vary from shutdown to shutdown. The nearly 4 million Americans who are federal employees will feel the effect immediately. Essential workers will remain on the job, but others will be furloughed until the shutdown is over. For many of them, a shutdown would strain their finances, as it did during the record 35-day funding lapse in 2018-2019.

Persons: “, ”, Doreen Greenwald, Everett Kelley, Pell, disbursing Pell, It’s, treasurers Organizations: CNN, Management, National Treasury Employees Union, American Federation of Government Employees, Transportation Security Administration, Social Security, TSA, of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, Business Administration, Futures, US Centers for Disease Control, Drug Administration, Safety, Health Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, ”, Smithsonian, National, National Archives, National Park Service, of Education, Federal Student Aid, Federal, Department of, Assistance, SNAP, US Department of Agriculture, Women, of Housing, Urban Development, Commission, Research, NOAA, Oceanic, Administration, National Science Foundation, Peace Corps, State Department, Defense Department Locations: United States, America, Washington, DC, shutdowns

☆ US government shutdown: What is it and who would be affected?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Contracts awarded prior to the shutdown would continue, and the Pentagon could place new orders for supplies or services needed to protect national security. NATIONAL PARKS AND NATURAL RESOURCESIt's not clear how the United States' 63 national parks would be affected. They remained open during the 2018-2019 shutdown, through restrooms and information desks were closed and waste disposal was halted. WHITE HOUSEIn 2018-2019 shutdown, the White House furloughed 1,100 of 1,800 staff in the Executive Office of the President. Some offices, such as the National Security Council, continued at full strength, while others like the Office of Management and Budget were scaled back sharply.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Lockheed Martin, Donald Trump, Pete Buttigieg, Pell, Andy Sullivan, Pete Schroeder, Howard Schneider, Moira Warburton, Scott Malone, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Workers, Pentagon, Boeing, Lockheed, Raytheon, The, National Nuclear Security Administration, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Service, Border Patrol, Coast Guard, Federal Trade, AFFAIRS U.S, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, National Oceanographic, Atmospheric Administration, NASA, Space, Disease Control, Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, Securities, Exchange, Commodities, Futures Trading, Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Currency, Social Security Administration, Veterans Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Education Department, White, Small Business Administration, National Labor Relations, National Security Council, Management, U.S . Postal, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States

☆ A Vanishing Nomadic Clan, With a Songlike Language All Their Own
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Brendan Borrell | Joshua Irwandi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Punan people of the island of Borneo were once rumored to have tails, so elusive did they seem to their neighbors in the 19th century. Over decades, the Indonesian government stripped the Punan of their ancestral lands and encouraged them, sometimes forcibly, to settle in ready-built villages. By the 1990s, anthropologists believed that the group’s traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle had vanished. In 2002, a census of the Punan in eastern Borneo focused only on the villages, because so few nomads were thought to exist. But with funding from the National Science Foundation, the scientists made contact with the nomadic group in 2018, and began collecting data with the aim of ensuring their health and welfare.

Persons: Stephen Lansing, Pradiptajati Organizations: Santa Fe Institute, Riady, for Nanotechnology, National Science Foundation Locations: Borneo, Indonesian, Tangerang, Indonesia

☆ Opinion: Here are the jobs AI will impact most
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Bethany Cianciolo | Jessica Chia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +42 min

Dan’s research and teaching focus is on using AI for legal services and the regulation of AI in society. For instance, we can develop AI tools to help individuals understand their responsibilities and rights, and preserve and enforce those rights. People in businesses, large and small, are already using chatbots, AI assistants and other AI tools to help them comply with laws, regulations and internal policies. Additionally, new roles are emerging in the legal industry, such as legal engineers who build systems, legal data scientists and legal operations professionals. AI tools will then quickly re-optimize decisions associated with inventory shipments, staffing and promotions.

Persons: ” That’s, Dropbox, Goldman Sachs, isn’t, Erich S, Huang, ” Erich S, Huang I’ve, Regina Barzilay, Barzilay, Geoffrey Hinton, radiologists, —, ’, Daniel W, Linna, Dan, …, ” Daniel W, Refik, Anadol, ”, Adam Elmachtoub, Nisreen, Theodore Kim, don’t, ” Theodore Kim Moreover, Janis Joplin, Jackie Jormp, We’re, Baz Luhrmann’s “, Gatsby, That’s, Leonardo DiCaprio, mockbusters, Eirini, GitHub Copilot, Ashok Goel, Jill Watson, ” Ashok Goel, Kristen DiCerbo, Alireza, Davis Organizations: CNN, CNET, International Association of Machinists, Aerospace Workers, Informatics, Verily, Duke Health, Biomedical Informatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Adobe, Apple, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science Department, MIT, Jameel Clinic, Machine Learning, MacArthur, National Academy of Engineering, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern’s Pritzker School of Law, McCormick School of Engineering, Northwestern University’s CS, Center, Better Housing, UCLA’s Department of Design Media Arts, The Museum, Modern Art, Centre Pompidou, Walt Disney Concert, Department of Industrial Engineering, Research, Columbia University, NBA, Spice, Digital Organisation and Society, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK Academy of Information Systems, Yale, Pixar, Technical, Writers Guild of America, SAG, Hollywood, YouTube, Tech, Developers, Georgia Institute of Technology, National AI, Adult, Education, US National Science Foundation, Georgia Tech, Khan Academy, Systems, Studies, Agricultural Engineering, University of California, university’s, Agriculture, Labor Locations: outplacement, Iceland

Here are the meanings of the least-found words that were used in (mostly) recent Times articles. — Ireland’s Medieval Beacon (April 16, 1995)2. natant — swimming or floating (and a frequent guest on this list):I love the word natant. — Mexico’s Last Countercultural Coast (Feb. 3, 2020)6. tali — plural of talus, an ankle bone:T.I.L. (Today I Learned) that tali is another word for “anklebones.” — Long Story Short (Jan. 3, 2022)7. atilt — askew:The facade is atilt, the S.U.V. Wrestler Taps In Against Concussion Deniers (Oct. 26, 2022)The list of the week’s easiest words:

Persons: abbacy, Norman Leinster, —, peplum, hegemon, tali —, tali, ” —, atilt — askew, Stacey Abrams, ’, ”, Alessio Mortelliti, tallit — Organizations: Sun, —, University of Maine, National Science Foundation, Dolphins Locations: Glendalough, abbacy, China, Beijing, lantana, California, tatters, Ukraine

☆ Opinion | Reviving America’s Fading Cities Isn’t Impossible
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Here is a list of the biggest U.S. cities by population in 1900: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Boston, Baltimore, Cleveland, Buffalo, San Francisco and Cincinnati. Some of those cities have continued to thrive, but others have faded. This year Baltimore is the 30th biggest city, Cleveland 54th, St. Louis 75th and Buffalo 79th. Is the shrinkage of some American cities, towns and villages an inevitable consequence of economic change or something to be vigorously resisted? Surprisingly, even in the era of Zoom, Slack and other collaboration tools, people on the leading edge of new technologies still end up working in the same few big, crowded, expensive metro areas.

Persons: Louis 75th, Biden, hasn’t, appropriators, ”, Slack, Brookings Organizations: Buffalo, National Science Foundation, Brookings Locations: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, St, Louis, Boston, Baltimore, Cleveland, Buffalo, San Francisco, Cincinnati, San Jose , New York, Los Angeles, Seattle

Search resuls for: "Science Foundation"

25 mentions found