Building 'Super Telescopes' Is The New Space Race

The race will see sophisticated observatories built on top of mountains in Hawaii and Chile in an attempt to see the wonders hiding in the outer reaches of the cosmos

New Space Race Begins: Astronomers Compete To Build Next Generation Of 'Super-Telescopes' To Reveal The Hidden Universe -- Daily Mail

* Huge observatories will be built on top of mountains in Hawaii and Chile
* These include the Giant Magellan Telescope, the Thirty Meter Telescope and the European Extremely Large Telescope
* Astronomers hope to use these super-telescopes to look at the first stars
* They also plan to uncover life-threatening asteroids heading towards the planet and spot Earth-like worlds

A new space race is heating that could help unravel some of the biggest mysteries of the universe.

Astronomers around the world are going head to head to develop three major telescopes that will be at least 10 times more powerful than anything in operation today.

The race will see sophisticated observatories built on top of mountains in Hawaii and Chile in an attempt to see the wonders hiding in the outer reaches of the cosmos.

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My Comment: This is a space race that I am all for.

How British Satellite Company Inmarsat Was Able To Track Down Malaysia Flight MH370

UK Firm Behind Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Breakthrough -- BBC

The revelation that flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean is based on new analysis by UK investigators and the British satellite firm Inmarsat, Malaysia's prime minister has said.

Najib Razak said relatives of the flight's 239 passengers and crew had been told of the "heartbreaking" news.

Inmarsat used new techniques to find the plane's last position, he said.

The UK's Air Accidents Investigation Branch, which probes serious civil aircraft incidents, was also involved.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 went missing after taking off from Kuala Lumpur on 8 March.

The announcement came as the international search effort reached a fifth day of operations in the southern Indian Ocean.

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How British Satellite Company Inmarsat Was Able To Tack Down MH370

Satellite Company Inmarsat Says Its Data Could Help Find Malaysia Airliner -- FOX News
Plane crashed in Indian Ocean according to data -- The Telegraph
Missing Malaysia Flight MH370: French satellite data backs ‘evidence’ that Boeing 777 plane crashed in Indian Ocean -- The Independent
How British satellite company Inmarsat tracked down MH370 -- The Telegraph

DARPA's X-Plane Concepts Revealed

Phantom Swift, built by Boeing, features two large lift fans ¿ inside the fuselage ¿ that provide efficient vertical lift. Once the aircraft transitions to cruise mode, the fans are covered. It also features smaller ducted fans on the wingtips that provide forward thrust, and provide additional lift and control in hover.

The X-Plane Revealed: US Military Concepts That Can Fly Like A Plane And Hover Like a Helicopter -- Daily Mail

* Four companies have been chosen to develop concepts
* A winner is expected to be chosen in 2015 - with the first test flights scheduled for 2017
* Will be able to fly as fast as a conventional plane, but land anywhere like a helicopter

The US Military has revealed plans for a radical new type of military aircraft - which can take off and land like a helicopter, but fly like a plane.

Called the VTOL X-Plane, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded four firms contracts to develop concept planes.

It is hoped they will begin flight tests in 2017, and be able to fly as fast as a conventional plane, but also land anywhere like a helicopter.

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More News On The X-Plane

X Plane: One step closer to the next military breakthrough -- FOX News
Futuristic Vertical-Flight Aircraft Move Closer to Reality -- NBC
With VTOL X-Planes, DARPA aims for a futuristic lift -- CNet
DARPA contracts for experimental VTOL aircraft design -- UPI
Radical X-Plane Concepts Taking Shape -- Discovery
DARPA's New X-Planes Won't Need Runways—Or Pilots -- Motherboard
Darpa Awards Final VTOL X-Plane Contracts -- AIN Online
US Department of Defense Launches Programme to Improve Unmanned Vertical-Flight Aircraft -- IBTimes
DARPA developing ‘radical’ copter/plane hybrid -- Defense Systems
DARPA awards Phase 1 contracts for VTOL X-Plane program -- Gizmag

My Comment: These concepts look like they came from a Terminator movie.

Drones Can Now Search For Smart Phones That Are Not Secured

This Drone Can Steal What's On Your Phone -- CNN

The next threat to your privacy could be hovering over head while you walk down the street.

Hackers have developed a drone that can steal the contents of your smartphone -- from your location data to your Amazon (AMZN, Fortune 500) password -- and they've been testing it out in the skies of London. The research will be presented next week at the Black Hat Asia cybersecurity conference in Singapore.

The technology equipped on the drone, known as Snoopy, looks for mobile devices with Wi-Fi settings turned on.

Snoopy takes advantage of a feature built into all smartphones and tablets: When mobile devices try to connect to the Internet, they look for networks they've accessed in the past.

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My Comment: More evidence that our private lives are not really private.

NSA Leaker Edward Snowden Makes A Surprise Visit At The TED 2014 Conference In Vancouver

Robot Snowden Promises More US Spying Revelations Via TED Talk -- The Australian/AFP

FORMER intelligence contractor Edward Snowden has emerged from his Russian exile in the form of a remotely-controlled robot to promise more sensational revelations about US spying programs.

The fugitive's face appeared on a screen as he manoeuvred the wheeled android around a stage at the TED gathering, addressing an audience in Vancouver without ever leaving his secret hideaway.

“There are absolutely more revelations to come,” he said. “Some of the most important reporting to be done is yet to come.” Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor who has been charged in the United States with espionage, dismissed the public debate about whether he is a heroic whistleblower or traitor.

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More News On Edward Snowden Making A Surprise Visit At The TED 2014 Conference In Vancouver

Robot Snowden promises more US spying revelations -- Phys.org
Edward Snowden: The Biggest Revelations Are Yet to Come -- Mashable
Snowden: Big revelations to come, reporting them is not a crime -- Wired
Edward Snowden Makes Surprise TED Vancouver Appearance -- Huffington Post
Snowden's robot promises more revelations -- ZDNet
Father of the Web Meets a Robot Edward Snowden, Calls Him a Hero -- Wired
Just A Google Co-Founder Chillin’ With Robo-Snowden -- Tech Crunch

My Comment: The above video is captivating to listen to.

Syria To Set Up A Space Agency

The Syrian government has set up a space agency. Seriously. It is called the Syrian Space Agency. http://t.co/qEOKaBhzRf
— Liz Sly (@LizSly) March 18, 2014

Syria Has Set Up A Space Agency -- Washington Post

The Syrian news agency announced Tuesday that the cabinet approved a bill creating the Syrian Space Agency, "a public body of a scientific research nature." From our Beirut bureau chief:

Countries don't have to have the money and resources of the United States or Russia to mount a space program. India launched an unmanned orbiter to Mars in November for just $74 million, for example. Nigeria has a national space agency. So does Ukraine. And Syria didn't say what its space program is doing. But the announcement comes just days after the third anniversary of a conflict that has killed more than 140,000 and created 2.5 million refugees.

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Update #1: Syria creates 'space agency' despite war -- AFP
Update #2: Syria Creates 'Space Agency' as War Rages On -- NBC/Reuters

My Comment: This makes no sense at all.

Here Are The Robots That Are Defending America's Nuclear Material Stockpiles

These incredible carts work as security staff for the Nevada Nuclear Stockpile Site. One control centre can operate 16 vehicles at once

Caddy Not Included: The Unmanned Robotic Golf Cart That Can Detect Intruders And Is Tasked With Defending American Nuclear Materials Stockpile -- Daily Mail

* Incredible machines patrol the site in the same way as security staff
* Detect intruders from 600 feet by looking for signs such as an ajar door
* Up to 16 vehicles can be operated by one control centre
* Thanks to the caddies the site expects to make $7million in savings

Humans, normally charged with watching over America's nuclear stockpiles, could soon be out of a job after an unmanned robotic golf cart has been created which can do the same thing - 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The stockpile, stored at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), is being watched over by a fleet of these incredible machines.

Known as a Mobile Detection, Assessment and Response System (MADR) the diesel-powered carts are fitted with three types of sensors.

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My Comment: It will only be a matter of time before these platforms are armed and readu to go.

Global Warming Will Cause Violent Conflict, Displace Hundreds Of Millions Of People And Wipe Trillions Of Dollars Off The Global Economy

Climate Change: Leaked Draft Of UN IPCC Report Predicts Global Warming Will Cause Violent Conflict, Displace Millions Of People And Wipe Trillions Of Dollars Off The Global Economy -- The Independent

Climate change will displace hundreds of millions of people by the end of this century, increasing the risk of violent conflict and wiping trillions of dollars off the global economy, a forthcoming UN report will warn.

The second of three publications by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, due to be made public at the end of this month, is the most comprehensive investigation into the impact of climate change ever undertaken. A draft of the final version seen by The Independent says the warming climate will place the world under enormous strain, forcing mass migration, especially in Asia, and increasing the risk of violent conflict.

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My Comment: I am old enough to remember the same alarmist warnings about "global cooling" in the 1970s. The fact is that climate change has been a integral part of earth history since the beginning of time .... and while the debate has always been on mankind's contribution to these changes .... I tend to look more at the sun as the principle reason for this change ... both now and throughout history. And if mankind does have an influence on climate .... I will say that this impact is more on a micro level (not macro level). I need only to look at the pollution levels in Beijing to see the impact that it is having on that environment .... an impact that is "not at all pretty".

Update: I live in Montreal, Canada .... it is -15C right now .... far far far colder than usual.

Europe's Changing Border Over Last 1,000 Years

My Comment: Things do not last forever.

Facebook Founder Zuckerberg Complains To President Obama On NSA Spying

US President Barack Obama and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg together in 2011. Photo: Reuters

Facebook’s Zuckerberg Called Obama on NSA Frustration -- Bloomberg Businessweek

Facebook Inc. (FB:US) Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said he called U.S. President Barack Obama to express his frustration over the government’s spying.

“The U.S. government should be the champion for the Internet, not a threat,” he wrote in a post on his Facebook page today. “They need to be much more transparent about what they’re doing, or otherwise people will believe the worst.”

Zuckerberg’s comments follow reports that the National Security Agency has been disguising itself as Facebook to gain access to users’ computers for spying, according to documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden to the online news site The Intercept. It was the latest in a string of revelations about government surveillance that led Facebook, along with Google Inc., Apple Inc. and others, to call on the U.S. to disclose more about government requests for user data.

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More News On Facebook Founder Complaining To President Obama On NSA Spying

Facebook's Zuckerberg: Obama's Government Is 'Damaging' Our Future -- Mark Zuckerberg

Facebook CEO Zuckerberg phoned Obama to complain about spying -- Reuters
‘Frustrated’ Mark Zuckerberg blasts Obama administration over privacy -- Washington Times
Mark Zuckerberg 'confused and frustrated' by US spying -- BBC
Mark Zuckerberg Is ‘Confused and Frustrated’ With President Obama Over Facebook Snooping -- New York Magazine
Zuckerberg phones Obama, ‘frustrated’ by NSA’s extensive spying -- FOX News
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg phoned US President Barack Obama to complain about spying -- Sydney Morning Herald
Mark Zuckerberg: US government surveillance is a threat to the internet -- The Guardian
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg: Washington is ‘a threat’ to the Internet -- Washington Post
Facebook’s Zuckerberg lashes out at Obama over NSA spy program -- RT
Zuckerberg Says He Called Obama To Express 'Frustration' Over NSA Surveillance -- Forbes
Facebook's Zuckerberg Complains to Obama Over Government Spying -- New York Times
Mark Zuckerberg called Obama about the NSA. Let's not hang up the phone -- The Guardian
Mark Zuckerberg called President Obama to complain about NSA surveillance -- The Verge
Zuckerberg responds to 'frustrating' reports of NSA spoofing Facebook, while the agency denies them -- Endgadget

Newest NSA Revelation: NSA Has Posed As Facebook To Infect Computers With Malware

NSA Reportedly Posed As Facebook To Infect Computers With Malware -- Seattle Times/L.A. Times

The NSA has been using a program code-named Turbine to contaminate computers and networks with malware “implants” capable of spying on users, according to news website The Intercept.

The National Security Agency has reportedly used automated systems to infect user computers with malware since 2010, according to a Wednesday report. And at times the agency pretended to be Facebook to install its malware.

The NSA has been using a program code-named Turbine to contaminate computers and networks with malware “implants” capable of spying on users, according to news website The Intercept, which cited documents provided by whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

Between 85,000 and 100,000 of these implants have been deployed worldwide thus far, the report said.

To infect computers with malware, the NSA has relied on various tactics, including posing as Facebook.

Read more ....

More News On The Latest NSA Revelation That The NSA Has Posed As Facebook To Infect Computers With Malware

How the NSA Plans to Infect ‘Millions’ of Computers with Malware -- The Intercept
Snowden: NSA uses fake Facebook to hack into users’ computers -- Washington Times
NSA mimics criminals in bid to infect millions of computers, report says -- Christian Science Monitor
NSA's Malware Methods Outed in Latest Leak -- NBC
NSA 'hijacked' criminal botnets to install spyware -- Reuters
Snowden leak: NSA plans to infect ‘millions’ of computers -- RT
NSA's TURBINE robot can pump 'malware into MILLIONS of PCs' -- The Register
The NSA Has Impersonated Facebook To Spread Malware -- Gizmodo
The NSA Is Using Facebook to Hack Into Your Computer -- Nextgov
New Documents Show NSA Uses Fake Facebook Profiles To Spread Malware -- Opposing Views
NSA Has Been Hijacking the Botnets of Other Hackers -- Threat Level
NSA: We didn’t pose as Facebook -- The Hill
NSA says “indiscriminate” Facebook hacking allegations “are simply false” -- Ars Technica
The NSA Responds To Allegations It Impersonated Facebook And Infected PCs With Malware -- Tech Crunch
NSA denies mass Internet infection and website impersonation -- Slash Gear

Russia To Embrace Robot Senties To Protect Its Strategic Missile Facilities

Russian Military to Deploy Security Bots at Missile Bases. © RIA Novosti. Sergei Pyatakov

Russian Military To Deploy Security Bots At Missile Bases -- RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, March 12 (RIA Novosti) – Russia is planning to deploy mobile security robots in 2014 to protect its strategic missile facilities, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday.

“In March, the Russian Strategic Missile Forces [RVSN] began testing mobile robotic systems being developed to protect key RVSN installations,” spokesman Maj. Dmitry Andreyev said.

Andreyev said the security bots will be deployed at five ballistic missile launch sites around Russia as part of an upgrade to the existing automated security systems.

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My Comment: I am curious to know if the U.S. has such a set-up also.

Robots Will Be Smarter Than Us All By 2029

Photo: Google has spent billions of its £57bn fortune quietly buying up the world’s top robotics companies including Boston Dynamics, the company behind this robot

Robots Will Be Smarter Than Us All By 2029, Warns AI Expert Ray Kurzweil -- The Independent

World’s leading futurologist predicts computers will soon be able to flirt, learn from experience and even make jokes

By 2029, computers will be able to understand our language, learn from experience and outsmart even the most intelligent humans, according to Google’s director of engineering Ray Kurzweil.

One of the world’s leading futurologists and artificial intelligence (AI) developers, 66-year-old Kurzweil has previous form in making accurate predictions about the way technology is heading.

In 1990 he said a computer would be capable of beating a chess champion by 1998 – a feat managed by IBM’s Deep Blue, against Garry Kasparov, in 1997.

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Update: Computer robots will outsmart humans within 15 years, Google director claims (and a giant laboratory for artificial intelligence is already planned) -- Daily Mail

My Comment: This is an optimistic prediction .... but I will admit that Kurzweil has a better track record than I do.

How Can An Airliner Just Disappear?

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: How Can an Airliner Just Disappear? -- Popular Mechanics

Improvements suggested after similar midair disaster never made their way into this Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777.

The clock is ticking on the search for clues to what caused a Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines 777-200 to vanish suddenly from radar screens last weekend, forty minutes after leaving Kuala Lumpur. As leads and potential evidence surfaced and just as quickly fizzled, a flotilla of 40 ships from nine countries as well as two dozen aircraft scoured an area within a 50 nautical mile radius of Flight 370's last known position.

The mystery has seemed to deepen days after the event, and the possibility that the answers lay at the bottom of the sea in the plane's black boxes is ratcheting up the pressure. As anyone who has followed the course of similar mid-air catastrophes knows, these recorders emit a ping to guide rescuers that lasts about one month. Failure to find them before the battery dies means a lengthy and frustrating probe for the causes of the disaster.

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My Comment: It is clear that the aircraft had a catastrophic failure. The question that needs to be answered is .... what exactly happened.

How To Disappear From The Internet

The infographic, pictured, from London-based WhoIsHostingThis, details the nine steps needed to remove yourself from the web. It includes deactivating accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+

How To DISAPPEAR From The Internet: Nine-Step Guide Helps People Vanish Without A Trace And Then Surf Anonymously -- Daily Mail

* Hosting firm created a graphic explaining how to disappear from the web
* The nine steps include deactivating accounts and setting up fake profiles
* For people who'd rather hide, the guide suggests anonymous searching
* The graphic gives step-by-step instructions on how to carry out each task
* It also recommends Google’s URL removal tool, and contacting websites

Could you give up the internet for Lent - or even for good?

Following various reports about companies stealing information and complaints about oversharing on social media, a web hosting firm has created a nine-step guide on how to disappear from the web completely.

It includes deactivating accounts, removing links from search results and how to remove yourself from various lists - and for people who'd rather just stay hidden than disappear, the guide also gives tips on how to use the internet anonymously.

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My Comment: It is a lot of work to disappear from the web .... but this is a good start.

Google Glass Copycats

Epson Moverio BT-200. Jonathon Kambouris

5 Glasses That Can Change How You See The World -- Popular Science

Google Glass might not have done much to move fashion forward, but it has inspired a bevy of copycats—many of which will be on the market before Glass. Some of them are subtle, some futuristic, and some seem plucked straight from 1950s B-movies. The common thread: All of them will transform how we interact with our surroundings. How we’ll look wearing them is another story entirely.

The Awkward Scale: Smart glasses come with sacrifices, such as looking awkward. So we ranked the current models on a scale of 1–5, with 1 being the least awkward. As a baseline, Glass rates a 3.

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My Comment: Epson Moverio BT-200 appears to be the winner (above pic).

The Future Of Wind Turbines?

Sheerwind has designed an alternative to bladed wind systems that uses a series of funnels and tubes. Its Invelox turbine, pictured, directs winds into a funnel and through a tube to the turbine's generator on the ground. Sheerwind claim it produces 600% more energy than the traditional designs

The Future Of Wind Turbines? Bizarre-Looking Funnel Produces SIX Times More Energy Than Traditional Designs -- Daily Mail

* The Sheerwind Invelox turbine directs wind through a funnel
* This wind is passed through a tube towards the turbine’s generator
* The movement creates a ‘jet effect’ which increases the wind’s velocity
* Sheerwind claims the turbine can work at speeds as low as 2mph
* It produces 600% more electrical energy than commercial blade systems
* It is scalable meaning smaller versions could be used in back gardens

Wind turbines may be considered an eco-friendly way to generate electricity, but they're heavily criticised for blotting the landscape and killing hundreds of birds.

Minnesota-based Sheerwind has designed a bizarre-looking alternative to these bladed systems that uses a series of funnels and tubes.

In its Invelox turbine, winds as low as 2mph are directed into a funnel and through a tube to the turbine’s generator on the ground.

Read more ....

My Comment: If true .... this is a big game changer in the wind industry.

NASA's MAVEN Mission Successfully Blasts Off To Solve Major Martian Mystery

NASA Launches Robotic Explorer To Mars -- Washington Post

CAPE CANAVERAL — NASA’s newest robotic explorer, Maven, rocketed toward Mars on Monday on a quest to unravel the ancient mystery of the red planet’s radical climate change.

The Maven spacecraft is scheduled to make it to Mars next fall following a journey of more than 440 million miles.

Scientists want to know why Mars went from being warm and wet during its first billion years to cold and dry today. The early Martian atmosphere was thick enough to hold water and possibly support microbial life. But much of that atmosphere may have been lost to space, eroded by the sun.

Maven set off through a cloudy sky Monday afternoon in its effort to provide answers. An unmanned Atlas V rocket propelled the spacecraft toward Mars, launch controllers applauded and shook hands over the success.

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Update: What happened to Mars' atmosphere? MAVEN now on way to find out. -- Christian Science Monitor

My Comment: We will get some answers one year from now.

Are Terminator-Robots The Soldiers Of The Future?

Robot-at-arms: Atlas is 6 foot, 2 inches tall and weighs 330 pounds. (Credit: DARPA/Boston Dynamics)

Be Afraid: DARPA Unveils Terminator-Like Atlas Robot -- CNet

Atlas looks like the prototype for a future robot infantryman, and it can tackle rough terrain and carry human tools. Can you say "Skynet"?

If you're short of nightmare fuel, say hello to Atlas.

On Thursday, DARPA unveiled this hulking, 6-foot robot developed by Boston Dynamics, creator of the infamous BigDog and other scary creatures. Surprisingly, the 330-pound terror is designed to help us meatsacks.

Atlas is a testbed humanoid for disaster response, but it looks like it knows its way around a phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range. Fortunately, it comes from Massachusetts, not the future.

We've seen hints of Atlas with Boston Dynamics' Petman soldier robot, which can do pushups and run on a treadmill.

Read more ....

More News On DARPA's Newest Robot

ATLAS: Probably the Most Advanced Humanoid Yet, Definitely Terrifying -- Gizmodo
DARPA's Newest Robot Is The Coolest And Most Terrifying Creation Yet -- Business Insider
DARPA robot no longer just a computer simulation -- The Business Of Robots
DARPA's ATLAS humanoid robot gears up for disaster response -- Gizmag
DARPA unveils 6-foot-tall humanoid robot Atlas for researchers to program and pilot -- The Verge
Details on DARPA Robotics Challenge Trial Events -- IEEE Spectrum
Domo arigato, Mr Atlas -- CNet
This Robot Can Survive Being Hit By A Wrecking Ball -- WebProNews
DARPA ATLAS Humanoid Robot is Here -- Robots.net

The CIA Invests In 'Narrative Science'

Narrative Science: The CIA is Investing in Artificial Intelligence That Actually Works -- Policymic

As part of the Central Intelligence Agency's growing trend of partnering with the private sector, the CIA announced Wednesday that it would be investing in Narrative Science, a Chicago-based startup that uses computers to make sense of data and present it in prose. Once a leader of technology innovation, the CIA recognized it could not compete for IT innovation and talent with private profit-driven firms. In one of the more impressive government adjustment to economic pressures, the CIA has changed the way the government creates IT innovation.

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More News On The CIA And 'Narrative Science'

The CIA Invests in Robot Writers -- Mashable
The CIA takes an interest in Narrative Science’s quick summaries of big data -- Gigaom
The CIA Invests in Narrative Science and Its Automated Writers -- All Things D
CIA invests in robot journalism -- Poynter
Narrative Science goes beyond ‘robot journalism’ with CIA investment -- Venture Beat
Local AI startup gets CIA-linked funding -- Chicago Tribune
Chicago's Narrative Science lands deal with the CIA -- Chicago Business