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☆ Record heat is set to drive the cost of fruits and vegetables higher
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-30 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But US consumers aren’t only taking a financial hit from this summer’s extreme heat by way of their electricity bills. Shoppers could soon have to pay much higher prices for fruit and vegetables as farmers shoulder higher growing costs from the heat, a reversal of a trend seen over the past year with the cost of fruits and vegetables dropping by 1%, according to June Consumer Price Index data. For the rest of this summer, consumers aren’t likely to see markedly higher prices for seasonal fruits like blueberries because contracts with distributors and retailers tend to be worked out in advance, he said. Climate change, he said, is causing his business to suffer financially with reduced crop yields. However, the steep costs to make that switch could also contribute to higher prices consumers pay for produce.

Persons: It’s, Tom Avinelis, ”, Avinelis, Tom Avinelis “, Mohamed bin, Kumaraswamy Ponnambalam, Ponnambalam, coauthors, Henry Gordon, Smith, it’s, Gordon Organizations: New, New York CNN, Foods, Costco, Safeway, CNN, Atlantic Council, University of Waterloo, University of Artificial Intelligence, “, Smart Agriculture, Columbia University Locations: New York, Fresno , California, Willamette, Oregon, California, Ontario, Canada, University, Abu Dhabi, Santa Maria , California

☆ Bronze Age-style ship sails the Persian Gulf 4,000 years after it was designed
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Writings on an ancient clay tablet have allowed experts to reconstruct a Bronze Age ship made of reeds and sail it on a maiden voyage off the coast of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is the world’s largest reconstruction of a Bronze Age Magan boat, according to the team. The research project’s goals were to uncover ancient craftsmanship techniques, determine the connections between Bronze Age societies and better understand the role Abu Dhabi once played in Bronze Age trade. After passing five days of trials, the ship sailed toward Saadiyat Island off the coast of Abu Dhabi and the open sea on March 2 and 3. “Seeing the Magan Boat sail on the water for the first time actually took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes.”

Persons: Magan, “, ”, Eric Staples, Abu Dhabi, Emily Harris, Umm, Robert B, Jackson, ” Jackson, Peter Magee, Marwan Abdullah Al, Marzouqi, ” Marzouqi, Abdallah Alremaithi, Ayesha Almansoori, Tayla Clelland, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, ” Clelland Organizations: CNN, United, United Arab Emirates, Zayed University, Zayed National Museum, Zayed National Museum , New York University, British Museum, ., Department of Culture Locations: Abu Dhabi, United Arab, Persian, UAE, Oman, Mesopotamia, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Zayed National Museum ,, Zayed National Museum , New York University Abu Dhabi, Umm, South Asia, Girsu, what’s, Saadiyat, Tourism, “

☆ Abu Dhabi wants to be an AI leader. Aligning with the US is just the start
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Amy Gunia | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The world’s first minister dedicated to developing artificial intelligence (AI) strategy is already becoming embroiled in a global power struggle for tech supremacy. The UAE is one of the world’s largest producers of fossil fuels, and Abu Dhabi sees its AI push as crucial for diversifying away from oil. Christopher Pike/Bloomberg/Getty ImagesWashington has also limited the sale of sophisticated US chips to ensure China doesn’t use Middle Eastern nations as a back door to access the newest AI technology, according to Reuters. By opening up the technology, Abu Dhabi is positioning itself as an ally to developing nations that don’t have the resources to build their own AI tools. In March, a report commissioned by the US State Department warned that the most advanced AI systems could, in a worst-case scenario, “pose an extinction-level threat to the human species.”Olama has some specific concerns.

Persons: Biden, Omar Al Olama, “, Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi, ”, ” Olama, Al Olama, ’ ”, Christopher Pike, Olama, Abu Dhabi’s, ” James Lewis, Abu Dhabi’s Mohamed bin, Gifty Sahany, Lewis, ” He’s Organizations: CNN, Microsoft, United Arab Emirates, UAE, PwC, Commerce Department, Huawei, Etihad, United, Bloomberg, Getty, Washington, Reuters, Nvidia, Apple, Technology Innovation Institute, Google, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Washington DC, University of Artificial Intelligence, Systems, US State Department Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, China, United States, Dubai, Gulf, United Arab Emirates, Beijing, Washington, University, Valley

☆ UAE's G42 launches open source Arabic language AI model
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Max A. Cherney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Startup Cerebras System's new AI supercomputer Andromeda is seen at a data center in Santa Clara, California, U.S. October 2022. Rebecca Lewington/Cerebras Systems/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 30 (Reuters) - A group of engineers, researchers and a Silicon Valley-based chip company collaborated to release advanced Arabic language software that can power generative AI applications. The new large language model called Jais contains 13 billion parameters that was made from a big batch of data combining Arabic and English, a portion of which is from computer code. The new language model was created with the help of supercomputers produced by the Silicon Valley-based Cerebras Systems, which designs dinner plate-sized chips that compete with Nvidia's (NVDA.O) powerful AI hardware. The group trained the Jais model on a Cerebras' supercomputer called a Condor Galaxy.

Persons: Rebecca Lewington, Cerebras, Mohamed bin, Timothy Baldwin, Baldwin, Max A, Josie Kao Organizations: Cerebras, REUTERS, Systems, United Arab Emirates, University of Artificial Intelligence, Reuters, Condor Galaxy, Thomson Locations: Santa Clara , California, U.S, University, Abu Dhabi, San Francisco

☆ From bears to sharks to orcas, here's what to do if you find yourself up against these apex predators
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Here's what to do if you run into a bear, a shark, an orca, or other potentially dangerous mammals. Here's what you should do if you encounter any of these apex predators and how you can avoid an attack. REUTERS/Jim UrquhartThere are two kinds of bears you're likely to run into while outdoors in North America, depending on where you are: grizzly bears and black bears. The park service says you should try to find a safe place like a car or building. Bison have injured more people in Yellowstone, one of the country's most visited national parks, than any other animal, according to the National Park Service.

☆ If you see a killer whale, 'never enter the water.' What to do during an orca encounter, according to a whale expert.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A whale expert told Khaleej Times you should "never enter the water" if you see a killer whale. There was even one incident where killer whales sank a sailboat. Nigel Killeen / Contributor / Getty ImagesLuckily, there have never been any recorded fatal orca attacks on humans in the wild, Natoli told Khaleej Times. "Try not to approach them from the back or from the front, stay on their side instead," Natoli told Khaleej Times. By contrast, in the United Arab Emirates, Natoli told Khaleej Times that sightings are rare in the region, with only about one every year and a half.

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