Knowledge Transfer Between Computers

Researchers had agents -- virtual robots -- act like true student and teacher pairs: student agents struggled to learn Pac-Man and a version of the StarCraft video game. The researchers were able to show that the student agent learned the games and, in fact, surpassed the teacher. Credit: Image courtesy of Washington State University

Knowledge Transfer Between Computers: Computers Teach Each Other Pac-Man -- Science Daily

Researchers in Washington State University's School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science have developed a method to allow a computer to give advice and teach skills to another computer in a way that mimics how a real teacher and student might interact.

The paper by Matthew E. Taylor, WSU's Allred Distinguished Professor in Artificial Intelligence, was published online in the journal Connection Science.

Read more ....

My Comment: Pac-Man today .... who knows what tomorrow.

A 200+ Mile Backpacking Experience Through Yosemite National Park (Video)

My Comment: Beautiful.

Android Has 97 Percent Of Global Mobile Malware

Such mobile market. Very malware. Wow! [Image Source: F-Secure via Forbes]

Android Has 97 Percent Of Mobile Malware, But Nearly None In The U.S. -- Daily Tech

But almost all of that comes from third party apps stores in Asia and the Middle East

Google Inc. (GOOG) has fought the mobile war against Nokia Oyj. (HEX:NOK1V), Apple, Inc. (AAPL), and Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) (among others) and it has won -- at least in terms of OS market share.

I. Almost No Android Malware in the U.S.; a Whole Lot in China

Roughly four out of every five devices sold around the globe today run a version of Android. And Android is now the world's largest tablet platform as well, in terms of unit share.

But Android also has a massive malware headache. A new report from Finnish security firm F-Secure claims 97 percent of the fast-growing field of mobile malware is Android exclusive. But here comes the twist -- virtually all of that malware comes from smaller Asian and Middle Eastern third-party app stores. - See more at: http://www.dailytech.com

Read more ....

My Comment: China and Chinese malware is the problem.

A Letter From A Roman Soldier 1,800 Years Ago

The newly translated letter is from an Egyptian soldier named Aurelius Polion while he served as a volunteer Roman legion in Europe.

Arguing With Mum And Missing Home: The 1800 Year Old Letter That Reveals What Life As A Roman Soldier Was Really Like -- Daily Mail

* From an Egyptian soldier named Aurelius Polion while he served as a volunteer Roman legion in Europe
* Reveals a row with his mother, and plans to return to his family

A letter home from a Roman soldier 1,800 years ago has revealed that even for a volunteer on the front, family rows are still an issue.

The newly deciphered letter is from an Egyptian soldier named Aurelius Polion while he served as a volunteer in a Roman legion in Europe.

It reveals a row with his mother, and plans to return to his family.

Read more ....

My Comment: It seems that aside from advancements in science and technology .... nothing much else has changed over the years.

Médecins sans Frontières: Guinea Faces An Ebola Epidemic On An Unprecedented Scale

Image: The outbreak of Ebola had centred around Guinea's remote south-eastern region of Nzerekore but it took the authorities six weeks to identify the disease. BBC

Guinea Faces Ebola Epidemic On Unprecedented Scale, Doctors Warn -- The Guardian

Médecins sans Frontières says lethal virus has broken out in areas hundreds of miles apart, while death toll passes 80

Guinea faces an Ebola epidemic on an unprecedented scale as it battles to contain confirmed cases now scattered across several locations that are far apart, the medical charity Médecins sans Frontières said.

The warning from an organisation used to tackling Ebola in central Africa came after Guinea's president appealed for calm as the number of deaths linked to an outbreak on the border with Liberia and Sierra Leone passed 80.

The outbreak of one of the world's most lethal infectious diseases has alarmed a number of governments with weak health systems, prompting Senegal to close its border with Guinea and other neighbours to restrict travel and cross-border exchanges.

Read more ....

More News On The Spread of The Ebola Virus In West Africa

Ebola Spreads from Guinea to Liberia -- Time
Scale of Guinea's Ebola epidemic unprecedented: aid agency -- Reuters
Scale of Guinea's Ebola epidemic unprecedented, aid agency says -- FOX News
Deadly Ebola Virus Sparks Fears in West Africa -- Voice of America
Ebola Virus Hits Second Country in West Africa -- The Wire
Ebola Outbreak in Guinea Spreads to Liberia, Sierra Leone -- ABC News
Ebola outbreak in Guinea 'unprecedented' - MSF -- BBC
Liberia confirms Ebola's arrival from Guinea -- Al Jazeera
Outbreak of deadly flesh-eating Ebola virus has now spread to three countries and already killed 78 -- Daily Mail
Ebola death toll hits 82 as doctors warn West Africa outbreak is 'unprecedented' -- The Telegraph
Guinea reports Ebola death toll rises to 78 -- AP
Guinea: Ebola death toll reaches 70 -- CNN
Ebola outbreak spreads to Liberia after killing 70 in Guinea -- The Verge

The U.N. Issues Another Gobal Warming Report

Threat From Global Warming Heightened In Latest U.N. Report -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Global warming poses a growing threat to the health, economic prospects, and food and water sources of billions of people, top scientists said in a report that urges swift action to counter the effects of carbon emissions.

The latest report from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says the effects of warming are being felt everywhere, fuelling potential food shortages, natural disasters and raising the risk of wars.

"The world, in many cases, is ill-prepared for risks from a changing climate," the IPCC said on Monday, after the final text of the report was agreed.

Read more ....

More News On The U.N. Issuing Another Gobal Warming - Weather Report

Climate impacts 'overwhelming' - UN -- BBC
Climate impacts report: Key findings -- BBC
Costs of climate change steep but tough to tally -- Washington Post/AP
Climate change could cost more than $100 billion a year -- CNN
UN warns of climate change risks -- Al Jazeera
Massive U.N. Report Says Climate Risks Go Beyond Red Alert -- NBC
UN climate report warns permanent change has already begun -- Sydney Morning Herald
The U.N.'s Latest Disaster Forecast -- Wall Street Journal
UN Report Warns Of Severe, Irreversible Impact Of Global Warming -- RTT
IPCC report: 'No one will be untouched by climate change' -- The Telegraph
Wake up to the reality of climate change -- Bill Richardson, CNN
Little time left to turn down the world's heat, U.N. says -- Matt Smith and Brandon Miller, CNN
Viewpoints: Reactions to UN climate impacts report -- BBC

My Comment: I live in Canada but this was my reality this winter .... It was March misery in frigid northern, eastern USA -- USA Today

China Considering Plans To Cover The Globe With Surveillance Satellites

China mulls global satellite surveillance after flight 370 riddle

China Mulls Global Satellite Surveillance After Flight 370 Riddle -- South China Morning Post

Beijing mulls launching network of dozens of satellites, giving it the ability to monitor the whole world, in wake of lost flight 370

China is considering massively increasing its network of surveillance and observation satellites so it can monitor the entire planet, scientists working on the project said.

The government is mulling building more than 50 orbiting probes, which Chinese researchers said would make the nation's satellite surveillance network on par with, or even larger than, that of the United States.

Frustration with the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft over the past three weeks had led the project to win strong backing from decision makers in Beijing, the researchers said.

"If we had a global monitoring network today, we wouldn't be searching in the dark. We would have a much greater chance to find the plane and trace it to its final position," said Professor Chi Tianhe, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth.

"The plan is being drafted to expand our regional monitoring capability to global coverage."

Read more ....

More News On Reports That China Is Developing Plans To Cover The Globe With Surveillance Satellites

‘Frustrated’ China mulls building 50 satellites following failure to find MH370, says daily -- Malaysian Insider
In wake of MH370 saga, China plans 50 satellites for global surveillance -- Malaysia Chronicle
China’s plan for global network of surveillance satellites spurred by fruitless search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 -- Daily Telegraph
China considers launching 50 satellites to set up global monitoring network -- Today Online
China mulls global satellite surveillance after flight 370 -- Indian Defense

A New XPrize In The Field Of Artificial Intelligence Announced

TED XPrize

Can A Robot Give A TED Talk? TED Hopes So -- Popular Science

A new XPrize for artificial intelligence takes center stage

Today, Peter Diamandis and Chris Anderson, the heads of the XPrize Foundation and the TED series of conferences respectively, announced a new XPrize, in the field of artificial intelligence. The winner will be the first to develop an AI system capable of independently delivering "a compelling TED talk with no human involvement."

Previously announced XPrizes have involved challenges such as cleaning up oil spills or landing a lunar rover.

Read more ....

My Comment: This could be a fascinating talk.

The Family Tree Of DOGS

From pugs to pinchers and spaniels to samoyeds, one artist has created a dog family tree (pictured) that highlights the diversity of dogs and how breeds are interconnected

The Family Tree Of DOGS: From Tiny Chihuahuas To Rottweilers - This Infographic Reveals Exactly How Every Breed Is Related -- Daily Mail

* Family tree highlights the diversity of dogs and how the pure breeds are interconnected
* Chart features 181 dog breeds from tiny ‘toy’ animals like the pug and the fluffy pomeranian to working dogs like the Alaskan malamutes and family favourites such as golden retrievers and terriers
* It might seem incredible that dogs with such different visible characteristics – from their size to their type of hair – can be so different, but it is because all dogs are members of the same species – Canis lupus familiaris

Have you ever wondered how tiny chihuahua can be related to a rottweiler or a pit bull terrier can be similar to a dalmatian?

One artist has created a dog family tree that highlights the diversity of dogs and how breeds are interconnected.

From terriers to toys and mountain dogs to sight hounds, it delineates almost every standard pure-breed dog so you can see how one canine is connected to another.

Read more ....

My Comment: Border Collie is my favorite dog (had one for 14 years). And for the GF .... she has a 2 year old Rottweiler right now.

The U.S. Air Force Secret Space Plane X-37B Breaks It's Own Space Longevity Record

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle taxis on the flightline during testing at the Astrotech facility in Titusville, Florida in this U.S. Air Force handout photo dated March 30, 2010.(Reuters / U.S. Air Force)

Pentagon’s Secret X-37B Plane Breaks Space Longevity Record -- RT

One of the US Air Force’s most mysterious projects – an unmanned space-faring plane – has broken its own longevity record by staying in orbit for more than 469 days.

There aren’t many details floating around in public regarding the X-37B – a classified project that’s seen three launches into space thus far – but a new report by the IDG News Service suggests the plane is being used to test out the Air Force’s new space capabilities while also boosting the intelligence community’s surveillance capacity.

Launched back in December 2012, the Boeing-designed X-37B has been floating above the Earth ever since. The plane looks like a smaller cousin to NASA’s past space shuttle models, and has been designed with quick turn-around times in mind, so that it can easily be re-launched after landing.

Read more ....

More News On The Air Force Space Plane X-37B Breaking It's Own Space Longevity Record

Air Force's X-37B Space Plane Shatters Orbital Endurance Record -- Huffington Post/Space.com
Air Force's Secretive X-37B Space Plane Shatters Orbit Record -- NBC
Air Force’s unmanned ‘shuttle’ breaks orbital endurance record -- Defense Systems
Classified X-37B space plane breaks space longevity record -- Computer World

Predicting Lottery Numbers

The mathematician behind the study has created a website which uses colour patterns to show number combinations which are more likely to win the lottery based on previous draws in 20 lotteries from around the world - but you may need more than GCSE maths to decipher the code

Mathematician Claims Probability CAN Predict Lottery Numbers More Likely To Be Drawn (But You May Need A Maths Degree To Work Them Out) -- Daily Mail

* Renato Gianella says it is possible to predict winning lottery numbers
* Theory is based on patterns as predicted by Law of Large Numbers
* Brazilian claims not all numbers have equal chance of being drawn
* He's developed website to help people select more favorable combinations
* But users may need more than basic maths to understand how it works
* Study was based on 20 lotteries around the world

A Brazilian mathematician claims it is possible to predict the results of a lottery draw by applying complicated maths and probability theories.

Renato Gianella has found it is entirely possible to predict numbers which are more likely to appear than others, by following the same behaviour patterns as predicted by the Law of Large Numbers.

His study called The Geometry of Chance: Lotto Numbers Follow a Predicted Pattern, finds not all combinations of numbers have the same probability of occurring – so in short, it is possible to predict patterns of numbers with a greater chance of being drawn.

Read more ....

My Comment: Sadly .... he does not mention if he has used this system for himself .... and if has .... how much has he won.

No Pentagon Money For Google's Robot Program

Google Rejects Military Funding In Robotics -- Defense Tech

Google doesn’t want the U.S. military’s money.

Even though the Internet search giant owns two companies that have contracts with the Pentagon, Google is choosing to forego military funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in at least one robotic competition.

Google bought the robotics firm Schaft that had developed a bipedal robot that won DARPA’s Robotics Challenge. The competition asked companies to develop a robot that could perform disaster response tasks to include navigating debris, climbing ladders and turning off a valve.

Read more ....

My Comment: Too bad .... without this cooperation U.S. troops will probably not be able to benefit from this cooperation.

The U.S. Navy Is About To Deploy Robots

Robots Join The Navy To Fight Fires At Sea -- FOX News

The Navy’s new humanoid robots can detect fires on a ship, withstand extreme heat up to 500 degrees, and fight the fire shoulder to shoulder with human firefighters.

Designed to fight shipboard fires at sea, the Shipboard Autonomous Firefighting Robot, known as SAFFiR, is a human-sized robot. Under direction and funding from the Office of Naval Research, Naval Research Laboratory researchers have been working with university researchers to develop the tech.

SAFFiR is meant to move autonomously throughout a ship, learn its layout and patrol for structural problems. The robot will be able to interact with the sailors onboard, and take on many of their dangerous firefighting tasks.

Read more ....

Update: Navy’s robot will interact with sailors, fight fires aboard ship -- Defense Systems

My Comment: This is a trend that I expect to continue.

NYC Freedom Tower B.A.S.E. Jump (Video)

CSN Editor: From top to bottom in one minute.

A New Telescope That Could Allow Exoplanets To Be Photographed For The First Time

Could Flower Power Spot Alien Life? Nasa Reveals Giant Space Sunflower That Could Allow Exoplanets To Be Photographed For The First Time -- Daily Mail

* Nasa project could allow pictures of exoplanets to be taken clearly
* Flower would act as a starshade to block light from stars - but allow telescopes to see their exoplants

It may look like a giant sunflower blooming, but in fact this is Nasa's latest attempt to photograph an alien planet capable of sustaining light.

The unfurling flower can block light from a star, allowing space telescopes to get a clear view of planets orbiting it.

Experts hope the invention could revolutionise our knowledge of alien planets

Read more ....

My Comment: This is what makes astronomy exciting.

YouTube Is Now Blocked In Turkey

Turkey Moves To Block YouTube Access After 'Audio Leak' -- BBC

Turkey has moved to block access to YouTube, a day after a court ordered the suspension of a ban on Twitter, which PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan backed.

The telecoms authority (TIB) said it had taken an "administrative measure" against the site but another report suggests that talks are under way.

Some users found access blocked while others could still use the site.

Earlier, what appeared to be a leaked audio recording of Turkish officials discussing Syria appeared on YouTube.

It relates to a discussion of possible military operations in Syria, which was apparently attended by Turkey's intelligence chief, its foreign minister and the deputy head of the armed forces.

Read more ....

More News On Reports That YouTube Is Now Blocked In Turkey

Turkey Blocks YouTube After Leak of Syria Incursion Planning -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Turkey blocks YouTube access amid audio ‘leak’: reports -- Washington Times
Turkey bans YouTube after Syria security talk leaked -- AFP
YouTube Banned in Turkey -- NBC
Turkish telecoms authority blocks access to YouTube -- France 24
Turkey blocks YouTube in addition to Twitter -- RT
Turkey moves to block YouTube in addition to Twitter - reports -- Time
Turkey blocked YouTube over purported Syria leak - source -- Reuters
Google looking into reports that Turkey users unable to access YouTube -- Reuters
Turkey's Erdogan says leaking of Syria recording is "villainous" -- Reuters

Never Turn Your Back On BIG CATS!

My Comment: Their instincts are clearly at play.

Hat Tip: Geek Press

Ukraine's Military Dolphins Have Defected To The Russian Navy

Defecting: The Ukrainian army's dolphins, trained to hunt for mines, plant bombs and attack enemy divers, will be transferred to the Russian Navy. Daily Mail

Crimean Military Dolphins To Serve in Russian Navy -- RIA Novosti

SEVASTOPOL, March 26 (RIA Novosti) - The combat dolphin program in the Crimean city of Sevastopol will be preserved and redirected towards the interests of the Russian Navy, an employee at the facility where the dolphins are trained told RIA Novosti.

The program, dating to the 1960s, was previously scheduled to be disbanded by the Ukrainian navy in April, but the facility and the dolphins themselves have now become Russian following the reunification of Crimea with Russia last week.

"The oceanarium's engineers are developing new instruments for new applications to boost the operational efficiency of the dolphins underwater," the employee said, requesting anonymity. The employee added the animals are currently outfitted with extremely outdated equipment.

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More News On Ukraine's Military Dolphins Now Being A Part of The Russian Navy

Russian Navy takes over dolphin combat unit from Ukraine -- UPI
Ukraine’s secret unit of spy DOLPHINS that can plant bombs and attack divers with guns have defected to Russia -- Daily Mail
Russia Even Hijacks Ukraine’s Navy Dolphins -- ABC News
The Russian Navy Now Controls Ukraine's Combat Dolphin Program -- Business Insider
Ukraine's spy dolphins switch allegiance to Russia -- The Telegraph
Russia Stole Ukraine's Killer Dolphin Army -- The Wire
Russia commandeers Ukraine’s combat dolphins -- New York Post
Ukraine’s Combat Dolphins Are Now Russia’s Combat Dolphins -- Slate
Even Crimea's Dolphins Join Russian Forces, State Media Says -- Huffington Post

A Dwarf Planet Has Been Discovered At The Solar System's Edge

In this combined image, the colored dots show the movement of 2012 VP113. Each image was taken two hours apart

Dwarf Planet Discovered At Solar System's Edge -- CNN

(CNN) -- For anyone holding out hope of Pluto being reinstated as a major planet, you should probably do as they say in the movie "Frozen" and "let it go."

But here's a new exciting find from the far reaches of our solar system: Astronomers have discovered a dwarf planet that's even farther away than Pluto -- so far, in fact, that its orbit reaches into a new edge of the solar system.

The dwarf planet's current name is 2012 VP113, and it is located in a "wasteland or badland of the solar system," said astronomer Chad Trujillo, head of adaptive optics at Gemini Observatory in Hawaii and co-discoverer of this object. His study was published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

"The big question is, how is this formed? How can you get an object out there?" he said. "We really don't know an answer to that yet."

Read more ....

More News On A Dwarf Planet Being Discovered At The Solar System's Edge

New dwarf planet hints at giant world far beyond Pluto -- New Scientist
Does our solar system have a SUPER EARTH? Cluster of rock at its edge hints at existence of an enormous planet -- Daily Mail
New Dwarf Planet Found at Solar System's Edge, Hints at Possible Faraway 'Planet X' -- Space.com
New dwarf planet found sneaking through the inner Oort Cloud -- Ars Technica
New Dwarf Planet Redefines Edge of Our Solar System -- Discover
Dwarf Planet Discovery Hints at Hidden World Orbiting Solar System -- National Geographic
A New Planetoid Reported in Far Reaches of Solar System -- New York Times
Dwarf planet discovery hints at a hidden Super Earth in solar system -- The Guardian
Icy body found orbiting far from Sun -- BBC
Planet 'Biden:' Astronomers Find New Planet at Edge of Solar System -- US News and World Report
New Dwarf Planet ‘Biden’ Discovered: 2012 VP113 Is The Most Distant ‘Family Member’ Of The Solar System -- IBTimes
Distant new world may point to undiscovered planets in solar system -- The Guardian

Here Comes Outernet The Replacement To The Internet

The Outernet project is aiming to raise tens of millions of dollars to launch hundreds of miniature satellites known as cubesats to make their dream a reality

Forget The Internet - Soon There Will Be The OUTERNET: Company Plans To Beam Free Wi-fi To Every Person On Earth From Space -- Daily Mail

* An ambitious project known as Outernet is aiming to launch hundreds of miniature satellites into low Earth orbit by June 2015
* Each satellite will broadcast the Internet to phones and computers giving billions of people across the globe free online access
* Citizens of countries like China and North Korea that have censored online activity could be given free and unrestricted cyberspace
* 'There's really nothing that is technically impossible to this'

You might think you have to pay through the nose at the moment to access the Internet.

But one ambitious organisation called the Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) is planning to turn the age of online computing on its head by giving free web access to every person on Earth.

Known as Outernet, MDIF plans to launch hundreds of satellites into orbit by 2015.

And they say the project could provide unrestricted Internet access to countries where their web access is censored, including China and North Korea.

Read more ....

My Comment: I love this concept because it will circumvent government restrictions.