Dr Keith Walker @SteelFolk@qoto.org

American physicist Robert J. Van de Graaff died #OTD in 1967.

His research interests included electrostatic generators and nuclear research. He invented the Van de Graaff generator, an apparatus designed to supply high voltage to accelerate subatomic particles to very high velocities for the bombardment and study of atomic nuclei.

#science #physics
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This is a very well-written piece, but nestled in here is a humbling fact: Israeli military action has killed more hostages than it has saved. Most of the hostages who have been saved were through negotiation, ceasefire, and prisoner transfers.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/12/opinion/israel-icj-genocide-south-africa.html?unlocked_article_code=1.NU0.3yfi.VkCcLHsw5kdK&smid=url-share

Excellent explainer by @davidallengreen How the legal system made it so easy for the Post Office to destroy the lives of the sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses - and how the legal system then made it so hard for them to obtain justice https://emptycity.substack.com/p/how-the-legal-system-made-it-so-easy?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=474138&post_id=140614319&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=8zwbz&utm_medium=email

⚠️ Confirmed: Live metrics show that the #Gaza Strip is again in the midst of a near-total internet blackout; telecom services including landline, cellular and wifi are likely to be unavailable to most residents at the present time 📉

French mathematician Pierre de Fermat died #OTD in 1665.

He is recognized for his discovery of an original method of finding the greatest and the smallest ordinates of curved lines, which is analogous to that of differential calculus, then unknown, and his research into number theory. He made notable contributions to analytic geometry, probability, and optics. via @wikipedia

#mathematics
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This, & its second part, are well worth a listen even if you watched the TV show. Talks about one of the most appalling cases, in a crowded field.

Today in Focus | Revisited: the Post Office scandal – part 1 on Podbean https://www.podbean.com/ea/dir-wzs2q-1cca729e

Nikolas Tesla also built a wirelessly controlled boat, one of the first ever exhibited. He pursued his ideas for wireless lighting and worldwide wireless electric power distribution in his high-voltage, high-frequency power experiments in New York and Colorado Springs. In 1893, he made pronouncements on the possibility of wireless communication with his devices. via @wikipedia

#science #technology

Just as it was foretold in the ancient texts...

#LotR #Tolkein

French printmaker, illustrator, painter, comics artist, caricaturist, & sculptor Gustave Doré was born #OTD in 1832. He is best known for his prolific output of wood-engravings illustrating classic literature. He created over 10,000 illustrations, the most important of which were copied using an electrotype process using cylinder presses, allowing very large print runs to be published simultaneously in many countries. via @wikipedia

Gustave Doré @ PG
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/search/?query=gustave+dor%C3%A9&submit_search=Go%21

#books #literature

Refugees left sleeping around train stations to meet Sunak’s backlog pledge

Read the full story here 👇

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/home-office-evictions-refugees-homelessness-rise-backlog/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=mastodon&utm_campaign=asylumhomeless

#UkPolitics #UkPol #unhoused #refugees

There is an interesting article about the Bose–Einstein condensates and degenerate Fermi gases, see below:

Coldest: how a letter to Einstein and advances in laser-cooling technology led physicists to new quantum states of matter

The road to Bose–Einstein condensates and degenerate Fermi gases was paved with ideas that shouldn’t have worked, but did, as Chad Orzel explains. via @PhysicsWorld

https://physicsworld.com/a/coldest-how-a-letter-to-einstein-and-advances-in-laser-cooling-technology-led-physicists-to-new-quantum-states-of-matter/

#physics

A simple fact: this night attack on Kyiv was the largest ever combined attack using cruise missiles and hypersonic ballistic missiles. No one ever repelled an attacked of such scale and such weapon. Ukrainian Air Defense did. No one ever did attack a civilian city with such weapon and scale. Russia did. … In the meantime some European and American politicians are “afraid of escalation”. While Putin and russians with such attacks cynically spit in your face demonstrating that they know about their impunity, whatever they do. … What’s on agenda today? “Deep concerns”? Blah, we heard you… Give more weapon to Ukraine to protect itself and don’t limit how this weapon can be used to push back — that’s the only answer to abominable and cynical war criminals. // #russia #attack #Ukraine #kyiv #WarCrimes #supportUkraine

Caption this!

Today I want to look at the economy from two angles: how it’s objectively doing, and how it’s perceived to be doing. Are things still bad, or is this largely vibes? And importantly, how will economic sentiment affect the crucial election next year? https://open.substack.com/pub/statuskuo/p/election-factor-one-the-economy?r=1zr8b&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcome=true

During her youth Ada Lovelace was introduced to the Scot, Mary Somerville, who was known as the ‘Queen of 19th Century Science’ and was in fact the first woman to be accepted into the Royal Astronomical Society. Mary further encouraged Ada’s mathematical and technological development. It was actually through Mary Somerville that Ada first heard of Charles Babbage’s idea for a new calculating engine. 5/ via @historicuk

https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/Ada-Lovelace/

#mathematics #computer #computerprogramming

While most people amongst its key western backers are busy with #Christmas celebrations, Israel's military escalates its crimes in #Gaza (and the #WestBank) yet further.

They are relying on us to not be paying attention.

Four of five people starving in the world right now are in Gaza, due to Israel's deliberate blocking of supplies and distribution for 80 days.

Flooding tunnels with sea water, as Israel is doing, will complete the poisoning of Gaza's aquifer, rendering the area uninhabitable for the foreseeable future.

The Israeli bombing campaign has exceeded the levels of destruction brought by the Allies upon Germany cities towards the end of WWII. And it has been done in a fraction of the time: more devastation in two and a half months than was caused in two and a half years.

In the opening weeks of the escalation, Israel's military was using its largest and most powerful explosives in the very places it was telling Gazans to flee to for refuge.

Beyond the bombs, there are many reports of summary executions and massacres, repeated testimony of extreme #torture, videos of degradation, humiliation and dehumanisation.

#Netanyahu says they are only getting started.

He is relying on you looking away, getting tired of the bad news, switching off for a bit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS1Tw-2cF2o

So I started a company and received funding to build the next generation of #AI / #agi

I know there are a lot of fears around AI, and I share in most of them. As such a top priority will be for me to address the ethical considerations. I am still branstorming how that should look but I want it to be an open forum where everyone can contribute to solve the ethical considerations.

For now I'd love to hear input from people on how one could build a community to address and solve ethical concerns in AI / AGI