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Sunday, January 24, 2021
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Mark Zuckerberg Reiterated His Annual Trip to China

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China and the United States opened new sources of tensions between them. Only days before President Donald Trump scheduled his first visit to China since he took the presidential seat, the U.S. scolded China once more. On Monday, Trump administration repealed Chinese claim to be qualified as a market economy. In the meantime, Mark Zuckerberg is pushing his Facebook services into China during his annual trip to this country.

Mark Zuckerberg Offered Chinese Students Advice on How to Create Their Own AI Startups

On Saturday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg created a new post on his meeting with Chinese students. The Facebook founder took part in the annual advisory board meeting at Tsinghua School of Economics and Management. In the photo Zuckerberg attached to his post, the CEO is surrounded by enthusiast students who are showing him their innovative ideas.

Mark Zuckerberg got to review numerous ambitious AI projects. Some of them consisted of machine learning technology that creates music or AI that can diagnose persons through sensors. In his turn, Mark Zuckerberg offered them advice on how to begin their own startups.

Zuckerberg’s Annual Trip to China Might Result in the Return of Facebook to This Country

China represents a fruitful market at the moment for tech industries. However, its stringent law system is greeting foreign companies with numerous hurdles. On the other hand, Facebook managed to secure a place in this market by working on a censorship tool last year for China. The app can eliminate posts automatically within a certain geographic area. Nonetheless, it is unclear whether the software is up and running or not.

However, while Zuckerberg found other means to maintain a relationship with China, his core project is banned. China interrupted access for its citizens to Facebook since 2009. Facebook spokespersons declined to admit any link between Mark’s annual trip to China and attempts to reintroduce the social media platform in this market.

China has just ended its 19th National Congress of the Communist Party that takes place only once every five years. During this event, president Xi Jinping secured his second term as the leader of the party and country. With his renewed grasp on power, Xi Jinping might be ready to talk business with Mark Zuckerberg.

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This Is the Original Growth Method Trees Used at the Beginning of Time

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devonian flora

Not only fauna but also flora has been evolving since the Bing Bang. Like animals, today’s final shape of plants doesn’t resemble those of the past. For the first time, researchers managed to understand the primitive growth method trees employed originally. This finding highlights how much evolution changed the face of the Earth.

Science Lacked Comprehension of How Trees Were Able to Grow Tall in the Past

Around 393-359 million years ago, the Devonian Period was entering its last stage. This was when the evolution of trees and forests started to alter the atmosphere and environment on Earth.

Researchers started to study closely the oldest fossils of trees which belong to class Cladoxylopsida. Their construction is different from today’s trunks that are based on a single shaft.

Their system consisted of a ring formed by hundreds of strands of water-conducting cells that are known as xylem. These cells were greatly interconnected with one another. However, scientists couldn’t explain how trees were able to grow tall and form rich forests.

A multinational team of scientists from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Cardiff University, and the State University of New York at Binghamton managed to gather new insights from this era. They discovered and analyzed 374 million years old tree trunks in Xinjiang, Northwest China.

Cladoxylopsids’ Original Growth Method Resorted to Controlled Internal Collapses

Based on these fossils, researchers learned that trees’ original growth method held more secrets. They were able to become tall by channeling a unique property. This enabled them to form a cylindrical foundation. The more they developed, the more these constructions collapsed in a controlled way under the weight. Therefore, as the diameter enlarged, the mass became denser.

Once the strand interconnections were torn apart, the xylem system received new capabilities of accommodation. This way, trees were capable of extending upwards and give birth to tall forests to host in their turn rich fauna.

However, these unique properties found no continuation in today’s world. The cladoxylopsids have no modern versions. The dawn of the Devonian period represented their disappearance as well.

Specialists believe that their extinction was a means to make way to the ancestors of modern flora, Archaeopteris. They were able to adapt better to the new environmental conditions.

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Author of Trump – Russia Dossier, Fusion GPS, Opposes House Subpoenas

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Fusion GPS is a political research company. Its three founders conducted opposition research during 2016 presidential election as they worked for Hillary Clinton’s democratic supporters. The fruit of their labor was the controversial Trump – Russia dossier.

The document alleges that there were connections between Trump and Russia which undermined the integrity of the elections. However, the investigation surfaced no proof, only testimonies from Russian individuals. Now the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Devin Nunes, urges the three founders to testify in court. However, the lawyer of Fusion GPS declined to answer to the subpoenas.

Despite His Ties with the White House, Nunes Continues to Act as the Head of the Committee

Joshua Levy is one of the lawyers who represent the Fusion GPS research firm. On Monday, he sent a letter to the committee where he explains why his clients wouldn’t respond to House subpoenas. His main argument is that Chairman Devin Nunes acts ‘in bad faith.’

Nunes used to be a key authority in the investigation into allegations that the current President worked with Russian officials to influence the 2016 elections. However, Nunes left this panel due to criticism that he is too close to White House to remain unbiased.

Nonetheless, this decision didn’t affect his staying within the House Intelligence Committee. Therefore, he preserved control over the case and had the authority to issue subpoenas and counsel the panel.

Fusion GPS Founders Can’t Testify Regarding the Trump – Russia Dossier without Jeopardizing Future Opposition Research

This is the reason why Levy announced the panel that his clients are not going to cooperate. They will invoke the Fifth Amendment to refuse to testify.

“We cannot in good conscience do anything but advise our clients to stand on their constitutional privileges, the attorney work product doctrine, and contractual obligations.”

Another layer of this refusal has a protective nature regarding the future of the opposition research. By appearing in court, the three founders would put in jeopardy their promise of confidentiality to their clients. Therefore, no candidates would appeal to their services again if the three founders agreed to accept the House subpoenas.

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New AI Project Will Help Autonomous Cars See What’s Around Corners

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self-driving carThe corners of streets are always hiding the truth from people. They can surprise pedestrians with an unexpected encounter or drivers with unforeseen accidents. The same debility is transferred to self-driving cars as well. How can they offer comprehensive safety since they have blank spots? However, a genius AI project comes to the rescue.

The CornerCamera Can Intercept the Penumbra Hidden Objects Leave on Walls or Other Obstacles

MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory has just devised a new algorithm that can refine autonomous cars. Their new superpower will be the ability to see the obstacles around the corners. Based on their registered data, they will be able to reconfigure the route to the safety of passengers.

The new technology is called CSAIL ‘CornerCamera’ and employs sensors to record the penumbra of objects behind an opaque barrier. This level of advanced artificial intelligence can replicate human’s ability to assess what lurks outside their line of sight. People are paying attention to reflections and shadows that can hint at the presence of a foreign body.

The lead author of the AI project, Katherine Bouman, claimed that they could use the obstacles to their own advantage. Therefore, by enabling self-driving cars to read penumbra, the walls and other obstructions can turn into ‘naturally-occurring cameras.’

The new system can intercept data in real-time. Therefore, the machine can measure the trajectory and speed of the hidden object. This type of information can teach cars how to distinguish a harmless traffic sign from a careless jogger who is about to jump from behind a truck in front of the vehicle.

“Even though those objects aren’t actually visible to the camera, we can look at how their movements affect the penumbra to determine where they are.”

The MIT’s AI Project Has Its Weaknesses

The paper indicates that this type of technology can fit a simple smartphone camera. This tells a lot about its adaptable side that can work well with any autonomous car.

On the other hand, the new device is not without its flaws. For instance, it needs certain lighting conditions to record data. Therefore, it can’t offer satisfactory results at night time or cloudy days.

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Oracle’s Newly Launched Autonomous Database Challenges the Amazon Empire

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Larry Ellison announced the launch of Oracle Autonomous Database Cloud.

Oracle plans to eliminate any vulnerabilities that can lead to data leaks. This ambition entails cutting out human interferences altogether.  The result is a new autonomous database that requires a limited number of employees to function properly. The recently launched software is a self-driving version of its flagship database called 18c. The price tag is less than half of the price that Amazon.com set for its own services.

Ellison Branded the Upcoming Oracle Autonomous Database Cloud as First of Its Kind

On Sunday, Oracle Corp. Chairman Larry Ellison used his time on stage of the Oracle OpenWorld event in San Francisco to reveal upcoming, cutting-edge products. The new suite of Oracle software will use machine learning capabilities to offer latest cyber protection for customer data. On top of that, Oracle also engaged in automating the process of the management of information.

The new line of Oracle products goes by the name of Oracle Autonomous Database Cloud. Ellison branded this project as the first fully self-driving database in the world. The suite comes with original digital defense applications. Such layers of protection can identify and tackle attacks in real time.

Oracle believes that the fewer people working on a company’s database, the fewer vulnerabilities that party will have. Larry Ellison underlined the reliability of these new products by drawing a comparison between them and Amazon Relational Database Service. The demonstrations revealed considerable performance differences.

“Now, I don’t use the word revolutionary new technology every year here at Oracle OpenWorld. But this one is.”

The New Oracle Suite of Software Will Cost Less than Amazon Products

Another major point of interest during the San Francisco presentation regarded the price. Since Oracle Autonomous Database Cloud processes tasks faster, it will demand fewer charges than Amazon. Ellison backed up such claims with two live demos and several case studies.

On top of that, implementing the new framework will require almost no job openings. This side effect will also lead to considerable budget cuts. The new Oracle database can patch itself on the go without human permission.

The Chairman didn’t fail to mention the history of data breaches is populated mostly by one type of vulnerability in particular. This glitch in the system pertains to the domain of human error. Most notable cyber-attacks happened when employees didn’t apply the patch immediately. Hackers took advantage of the unattended issues to gain access to the system. The new Oracle suite of services erases this type of human error 100%.

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Irma, Harvey Are Not Unprecedented Natural Calamities, Still Can’t Outrun Katrina

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soldiers helping with hurricane harvey
Irma and Harvey are two of the most destructive storms ever hitting the United States. Their most devastating feature was combining their powers and taking over different parts of the country with just a two-week window between them. Harvey wreaked havoc in Texas while officials are still assessing the damages Irma did in Florida on Sunday. A new report indicated that despite this double disaster, the two hurricanes are not unprecedented natural calamities. On the contrary, Katrina was as expensive as both of Irma and Harvey combined.

Moody’s Analytics Came to the Conclusion that Harvey and Irma Are Not Unprecedented Natural Calamities

On Monday, Moody’s Analytics delivered a new report that aligned Katrina, Harvey, and Irma side by side for a thorough examination. The findings suggest that the latest Hurricane which was a Category 4 storm and engulfed Florida last Sunday caused damages valued at $64 billion to $92 billion. By comparison, Hurricane Harvey which even induced a landfall in Texas at the end of August will cost the economy an estimated total of $108 billion.

All in all, the firm’s chief economist, Mark Zandi, concluded that the two events do not represent some unprecedented natural calamities. Officials will probably estimate the damages both of them inflicted at a value between $150 billion and $200 billion.

Hurricane Katrina Was Estimated to Be as Costly as the Two Recent Hurricanes Combined

On the other hand, the report took a look at the costliest tropical cyclone the United States has ever recorded in its history, namely Hurricane Katrina. It reached the same Category 5 as Harvey did when it broke loose in the Gulf Coast in 2005. President George W. Bush among others was severely criticized for the way he responded to this natural disaster.

The raging storm caused landfalls, over a thousand of casualties, extensive property damage, and floods that withstood for weeks. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimated the worth of the total of damaged goods at $160 billion in today’s dollars.

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Swiss Chocolatier Introduce the Fourth Type of Chocolate in 80 Years

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A Swiss chocolate maker added more color to the traditional types of chocolates which are white, milk, and dark. Therefore, Barry Callebaut AG which is the largest cocoa processor in the world added pink to this sweet industry. The result is Ruby Chocolate which is the fourth type invented in the last 80 years. The Swiss chocolatier describes the taste as fruity.

The Swiss Chocolatier Needed a Decade to Find the Perfect Formula for Its New Kind of Cocoa Beans

At the moment, the global chocolate industry is going through a tensed period due to new trends in wellness and healthy food choices. However, Swiss company Barry Callebaut AG might have just given the world a new reason to reintroduce chocolate in their daily or at least weekly diets. They have just invented the fourth type of sweet treats namely the pink chocolate.

According to Chief Executive Officer Antoine de Saint-Affrique, the company experimented for a decade with a new type of cocoa bean. What’s special about this ingredient is that it has a pinkish hue which is the precise factor that lends the new chocolate its color.

After the Tasting Tests, the Company Found to Their Surprise That China Is Its Most Welcoming Market

On Tuesday, the Swiss chocolatier unveiled the innovation in Shanghai. According to the Zurich-based firm, the fourth type of chocolate has a natural berry flavor. Therefore, consumers have first a sour taste in their mouth which quickly turns into a sweet sensation.

The company is the main cocoa processor for world renowned brands such as Cadbury or Hershey Co. Therefore, people might soon see the novelty on the shelves of their local markets.

“It’s natural, it’s colorful, it’s hedonistic, there’s an indulgence aspect to it, but it keeps the authenticity of chocolate.”

The company has already conducted tastings in the U.S., U.K., Japan, and China. Ipsos and Haystack carried out independent consumer researches to test the way people find the taste of this product. The company found out this way that China was the most receptive to this new chocolate which is usually an extremely indifferent market to this type of treat.

Japan Deputy Prime Minister Pulls Back Hitler Comment after Backlash

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taro aso
Taro Aso is the Deputy Prime Minister of Japan who delivered a controversial speech in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday. His words seemed to have suggested that the representative is praising the leadership of the Nazi head Adolf Hitler by saying he “had right motives.” The Hitler comment didn’t go unnoticed, and a U.S. Jewish group demanded solutions.

The Hitler Comment Was an Attempt to Underline the Traits of Political History

On Tuesday, Japanese Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso addressed to his fellow lawmakers of his ruling Liberal Democratic Party in a speech. However, at some point, the official intended to make politicians realize that they would go down in history for their results and not motivations for taking certain actions.

To better underline his message, Aso resorted to an example from the international history. His choice stopped at World War Two and one of its main players, Adolf Hitler. People use this historic character as an example of what happens when a bad leader gains supreme power in a totalitarian regime. However, Aso made a reference to Hitler in order to show how history masks good intentions and brings forth the bad outcomes only.

“Hitler, who killed millions of people, is no good even if his motive was right.”

Taro Aso Retracted the Controversial Claim He Made in His Speech

As a consequence, Aso’s Hitler comment sparked large uproar. The opposition that consists of Democratic Party used this speech to question his capability to accomplish two major roles at the same time. Taro Aso is both deputy prime minister and minister of finance.

A day after his controversial speech, Taro Aso released a statement through which he made public his true view on Hitler. With this occasion, he admitted that the Nazi leader was guilty of numerous crimes and he also retracted his comment.

Therefore, the Japanese conservative claimed that his Tuesday message wasn’t in tune with his personal feelings. Instead, the message attempted to underline the effect of history which only caused misunderstanding.
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The Future in Medicine Holds Tiny Robot Motors Neutralizing Infections in Your Body

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Medical industry is currently experimenting with lots of techniques to streamline healthcare. Some of these look like they were inspired by science-fiction literature. So it is with a recent experiment. Researchers employed tiny robot motors to crawl inside mice to deliver medicine at the exact point of their infections. The width of such autonomous vehicles is no longer than that of a human hair.

The Tiny Robot Motors Are Activated after They Enter in Contact with Gastric Acid

The University of California, San Diego allowed nanoengineer Joseph Wang and professor Liangfang Zhang from the Moores Cancer Center to run experiments with tiny robots. While their efficiency is low in the world of humans, they can render some impressive results in people’s internal system.

Therefore, the two experts started conducting trials on mice. The main goal of these tiny robot motors is to deliver drugs to where bacterial infections stemmed. Their material is made of a magnesium core. This choice was not random as this compound reacts with the gastric acid. Therefore, 20 minutes after they reached the stomach through swallowing, the micro motors are brought to life due to the reaction.

The way these minuscule vehicles can travel an internal system is by generating hydrogen bubbles. These propel the motors in the direction they need to reach their target. Once at the desired location, they can release the drugs. This way, scientists managed to avoid side effects of the medicine that can really take a toll on the livers. On top of that, the drug concentration remains strong which raises its efficiency considerably.

Mice Trials Rendered Amazing Success with No Side Effects and Faster Recovery

The experiment employed Helicobacter pylori as bacteria whereas the antibiotic consisted of clarithromycin. The mouse received five-day treatment. Scientists administered the medicine regularly through the same active transport system. However, they recorded zero side-effects of the drug.

After only 24 hours, the stomach recovered its normal PH level. More than this, the tiny robots are biodegradable. Therefore, there is no need for surgery to take them out. Instead, they start dissolving into the body without toxic residues.
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TransCanada Might Drop Keystone XL Project despite Trump Vouching for It

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person on pipeline

Officials are in the middle of hearings that will decide the fate of the Keystone XL project. The debates are taking place in Lincoln’s Cornhusker Marriot Hotel and gathered environmental activists, TransCanada spokespersons, ranchers, tribal members, and other Nebraskans. Therefore, the meetings have the necessary resources to create comprehensive negotiations. However, the company itself might not be willing anymore to begin such a mission, despite President Trump’s promises of a new pipeline.

The Nebraska Public Service Commission Will Issue a Ruling Concerning the Fate of the Keystone XL Project

The Trump administration turned the Keystone infrastructure project into a priority. Thanks to these authorities, the plan was brought back to negotiation table in March. However, TransCanada executive vice president Paul Miller claimed last month that there would be no formal investment in the project until the month of December.

This week’s hearings before the Nebraska Public Service Commission or PSC are debating whether it is safe to allow the pipeline passing through the state or not. However, if they take a negative decision, they might as well kill the project altogether. TransCanada doesn’t have other alternatives than a route directly through Nebraska.

Even Though It Is No Longer Building the Infrastructure, TransCanada Could Resell the Permits

However, PSC’s ruling might appear as late as November. On the other hand, this decision pertains to TransCanada as well. Nonetheless, the company might not be willing to go ahead with Pipeline XL project any longer. Executives have been talking about this construction since 2008. Since then, there were many changes in this industry, including some disappointing oil prices. On top of that, there’s also the threat of the clean energy market.

However, anti-pipeline authorities are not giving up on their cautiousness just yet. That’s because if the company receives the permit from PSC, they have several options with it. For instance, if they refuse to start this project anymore, they can resell the documents to another willing pipeline developer. Therefore, the company representatives are refraining, for now, to reveal their intentions in case they abandon the Keystone XL project.

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