Monthly archives: September, 2019

Who doesn’t read books in America?

“Roughly a quarter of U.S. adults (27%) say they haven’t read a book in whole or in part in the past year, whether in print, electronic or audio form, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted Jan. 8 to Feb. 7. Who are these non-book readers? Several demographic traits correlate with non-book reading, Pew …

Subjects: Education, Libraries

Contributing Data to Deepfake Detection Research

Google Blog: “…So-called “deepfakes“—produced by deep generative models that can manipulate video and audio clips—are one of these. Since their first appearance in late 2017, many open-source deepfake generation methods have emerged, leading to a growing number of synthesized media clips. While many are likely intended to be humorous, others could be harmful to individuals …

Subjects: AI, Education, Internet, Knowledge Management

BBC experiments with negative news filters on its homepage to help readers with anxieties

journalism.co.uk – As one third of audience switches off from news, the public broadcaster is testing a tool that would allow readers to blur out stories that may impact their mental health – “Would you filter out bad news if you could? This is the question that Alicia Grandjean, software engineer at BBC and Tim Cowlishaw, …

Subjects: Health Care, Internet, Knowledge Management

Immigration Officials Have Used Google Translate to Vet Refugees

ProPublica – “It’s a common internet experience: throw a foreign phrase into Google Translate or any other online translation tool and out comes a farcical approximation of the real thing. That’s why many experts — even Google itself — caution against relying on the popular Google Translate for complex tasks. Google advises users that its …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Government Documents, Legal Research, Search Engines

Congress releases whistleblower complaint alleging Trump abused his office

The New York Times – “After hearing that President Trump tried to persuade Ukraine to investigate a 2020 campaign rival, senior officials at the White House scrambled to “lock down” records of the call, a whistle-blower alleged in an explosive complaint released Thursday. In an attempt to “lock down” all records of the call, in …

Subjects: Congress, E-Records, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

Fortune Global 500

“The world’s 500 largest companies generated $32.7 trillion in revenues and $2.15 trillion in profits in 2018. Together, this year’s Fortune Global 500 companies employ 69.3 million people worldwide and are represented by 34 countries. Click here to view past years’ lists: 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 InteractiveVisualize the Global …

Subjects: Economy, Financial System, Legal Research

Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate

Press release – “The IPCC approved and accepted Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate at its 51st Session held on 20 – 23 September 2019. The approved Summary for Policymakers (SPM) was presented at a press conference on 25 September 2019. Factsheet – Recording of press conference on Youtube and Facebook – List …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Environmental Law

Digital twins — precise, virtual copies of machines or systems — are revolutionizing industry

nature – Virtual models boost smart manufacturing by simulating decisions and optimization, from design to operations, explain Fei Tao and Qinglin Qi.  “Digital twins — precise, virtual copies of machines or systems — are revolutionizing industry. Driven by data collected from sensors in real time, these sophisticated computer models mirror almost every facet of a …

Subjects: Economy, Energy, Knowledge Management