The Good: AI Helps Detect Mysterious Radio Waves
As artificial intelligence seeps into every corner of new technology and existing industries, it has proved helpful in assisting with the discovery of radio waves being emitted some 3 billion light years away from earth. Astronomers have been researching and collecting data from “repeater” “FRB 121100” since they discovered the short pulses of radio emission in August, 2017. The initiative to discover the origins of the activity is being led by “Breakthrough Listen”, a research organization headed by executive director Pete Worden who issued a statement regarding the announcement.
“Not all discoveries come from new observations, in this case, it was smart, original thinking applied to an existing dataset. It has advanced our knowledge of one of the most tantalizing mysteries in astronomy.”
Breakthrough Listen (which is part of a larger network called Breakthrough Initiatives that includes Breakthrough Message and Breakthrough Starshot) is based out of UCLA’s SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Research Center and acquired the data from the Green Bank telescope in West Virginia. The artificial intelligence program was taught by scientists to detect the bursts within the data using a specific algorithm and compile it’s findings. The program was able to find 72 more bursts than originally recorded.
Although the origin of the signals is still unknown, it doesn’t necessarily prove the existence of an alien civilization sending signals. Researchers believe black holes or a giant neutron star could be responsible but will have to develop more technology before uncovering the signal’s source.
The Bad: 400,000 British Airways Customers Hacked
Although representatives at British Airways are forced to stay mostly silent about the ongoing investigation into a recent hack, details about the breach thats resulted in 400,000 customers losing their information is spilling into mainstream media.
Hackers used 22 lines of code within the airlines website and phone application that sent names, email addresses and credit card information to hackers as unsuspecting customers booked flights online and through their phones.
A researcher at a cyber security firm RiskIQ spoke with the BBC on the attack comparing the malicious script to a similar hack that affected Ticketmaster customers recently. This time anaylists believe the new code was specifically tailored for an attack on the airlines’ site. An anaylist wrote in his report: “This particular skimmer is very much attuned to how British Airway’s payment page is set up, which tells us that the attackers carefully considered how to target this site instead of blindly injecting the regular Magecart skimmer.”
British Airways issued a statement to customers saying they are urgently investigating the hack and customers who booked flights between August 21st and September 5th, 2018 were likely affected later adding that passport and flight details were not included in the breach.
The Good: Massive Environmental Cleaning Efforts Underway In California
This week California once again made environmental history as one of the world’s largest oceanic clean up efforts began. Led by it’s founder Boyon Slat, Ocean Cleanup’s equipment embarked on it’s 3 week journey to the middle of the Pacific late last week.
Slat was on a scuba diving trip in Greece when he realized there were “more plastic bags than fish” later recalling the trip in a later interview: “That was the moment I realized it was a huge issue and that environmental issues are really the biggest problems my generation will face.”
Through crowd funding, Slat was able to raise over $300 million dollars and began constructing the plastic collecting booms he had envisioned. Designed to move with the ocean current and collect trash along the way, Slat’s innovative approach to cleaning the Pacific has provided a better solution than netting systems that often catch sea creatures in the process. The booms are being floated East to The Great Pacific Garbage Patch estimated to contain 5 trillion tons of debris and particles located halfway between California and Hawaii.
The first booms being dispatched will act as a trial to see how to further develop later models before sending another shipment in several years. If estimates are accurate, the booms could potentially remove half of the patch in 5 years and 90% of it by 2040.
The Bad: Georgia School Reinstates Corporal Punishment For Students
A charter school in Hephzibah, Georgia has reinstated corporal punishment as a “disiplanary tool” which seems to have the approval of a third of parents who opt-ed into the new tactic. School officials sent home consent forms seeking permission to strike children on the buttocks with a wooden paddle for no more than “3 licks.”
The consent form states that after their third offense, children will be taken to another office behind closed doors and spanked no more than 3 times. Suspensions for up to 5 days was the only recourse for parents who denied consent.
Jody Boulineau, superintendent at the Georgia School for Innovation and the Classics says: “In this school we take discipline very seriously…It’s just one more tool that we have in our disciplinary toolbox.”
The GSIC is just one of 20 schools where physical punishment is legal. Earlier this year students in Arkansas were paddled for participating in the national walk out event in March meant to honor the 17 victims of the Majorary High School shooting. So far, no federal or state efforts to repeal the pratice has been reported.
The Good: Kim Jong Un Aims For Denuclearization Of North Korea
Despite the long standing animosity between South Korea and a hostile history with the United States, North Korean chairman Kim Jong Un has made an announcement regarding the nuclear program in his country saying he hopes to denuclearize North Korea and formally restore relations with South Korea uniting the peninsula after decades of conflict.
Reports from a South Korean envoys indicate Kim wishes to achieve these goals under Trump’s presidency, however a seperate North Korean media outlet says although Kim wants to make progress he hasn’t expressed explicit interest in a timetable and didn’t mention the U.S. or Trump.
Although Jong’s statement is meaningful, it’s clear more work will be required before actual progress can be made, including a further translation of Kim’s statement. Sectretary of State Michael Pompeo cautiously answered questions about Jong’s announcement wnhile visiting New Delhi earlier this week: “We haven’t had any nuclear tests, we haven’t had any missile tests, which we consider a good thing,” Pompeo said. “But the work of convincing Chairman Kim to make the strategic shift that we’ve talked about for a brighter future for the people of North Korea continues.”
The Bad: Egyptian Court Hands Down Punishment Following 2013 Protests
This week an Egyptian high court sentenced 75 people to death and imprisoned hundreds of others including several leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood which has been outlawed in a mass trial drawing condemnation and controversy from rights groups and the free press community.
The ruling came after trials were held for the 2013 protests that took place in Rabaa al-Adawiya, a square in Cairo that resulted in the death of hundreds of people after security forces got involved. Although the judicial system was used to legally try the hundreds of defendents, most free press organizations see through the curtain of corruption the government has drapped over the charges and proceedings that are being seen as a overt message to political and social detractors: ‘resist and suffer the consequences.’
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Egyptian officials have used heavy handed judicial tactics to punish it’s citizens. In 2014, 680 people were sentenced to death after one police officer was killed in an attack, a ruling that was eventually appealed and overturned. The latest ruling is considered an attempt to deter people from public protests and reporting on events that illustrate political tensions.
Several journalists from around the world were also held in connection with the protests including Mahmoud Abou Zeid, who was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Since he has been held since the protests, he is being issued a time served sentence and is set to be released. Despite his imprisonment, an Independent International Jury elected Zeid to be the recipent of the Unesco/Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize, which honors a person, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to press freedom.
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– Apple Uneviled New Products Including Two New iPhones
Make sure to stay up to date on the latest stories every week here at EMCEE!