BBC press article

BBC press article

https://www.npr.org/2008/03/18/88478467/transcript-barack-obamas-speech-on-race

Doc2 /source = abcnews

🔗 https://abcnews.go.com/US/false-equivalency-black-lives-matter-capitol-siege-experts/story?id=75251279

doc3 / source = abcnews

🔗 https://abcnews.go.com/US/black-lives-matter-multicultural-awakening/story?id=71635471

https://www.npr.org/2008/03/18/88478467/transcript-barack-obamas-speech-on-race

Doc2

🔗 https://abcnews.go.com/US/false-equivalency-black-lives-matter-capitol-siege-experts/story?id=75251279

doc3

🔗 https://abcnews.go.com/US/black-lives-matter-multicultural-awakening/story?id=71635471

Illustrations by Javier Zarracina for Vox

UpdatedOct 15, 2020 at 7:30 PM

Ben Morris

Technology of Business editor

"Transhumanists" believe the time has come for humans to take control of their own evolution.

The common statements of the "transhumanists" include: "Why not a more resistant skin?" or "Why not the type of bat vision with ultrasound?"

They want to "remake" and integrate technology to humans.

They want to abandons nature. For them, nature is an "adversary". They want the body to have as little carbon as possible for it to be indifferent to what happens to carbon. They want to introduce silicon, steel and microchips within humans.

The end result would be a cyborg and the "cyborgization" would allow: improving the senses, having an infallible memory and intellectual capacity, having a greater physical performance, etc.

The "transhumanists" that make these statements are prestigious scientists, and most important universities professors.

The main icon of "transhumanism" in media may be Ray Kurzweil. He worked with the Army Science Board in 2006, has been called "the successor and legitimate heir of Thomas Edison" and was cited by Forbes magazine as "the supreme thinking machine".

"Transhumanists" seem confident they will achieve their dreams.

Have any philosophers argued against "transhumanism"?

A better question would be, have any philosophers argued "transhumanist" dreams are not and will not be achievable and why? If so, what are their arguments? Any books or articles on the subject?

« Charted: The Jobs Most Impacted by AI »

As any revolution, this one is charged with opportunities. Multilateral co-operation, regional integration and the complex global interdependence that have developed over the past decades, have multiplied these opportunities. The new technologies are game-changers, but now they are also part of our daily lives. More and more people and devices are connecting to the internet, while artificial intelligence is silently spreading. Blockchain and other technologies are also becoming more prevalent across economies and societies. This is amplifying our capacity to promote higher productivity growth, better services, improved well-being; it also allows for new business models and innovative ways of working to emerge, providing more flexibility to both employers and workers. »

Source : OECD report

While a smartphone, tablet, or computer can be a hugely productive tool, compulsive use of these devices can interfere with work, school, and relationships. When you spend more time on social media or playing games than you do interacting with real people, or you can’t stop yourself from repeatedly checking texts, emails, or apps—even when it has negative consequences in your life—it may be time to reassess your technology use.

Phone addiction, sometimes colloquially known as “nomophobia” (fear of being without a mobile phone), is often fueled by an internet overuse problem or internet addiction disorder. After all, it’s rarely the phone or tablet itself that creates the compulsion, but rather the games, apps, and online worlds it connects us to.

Smartphone addiction can encompass a variety of impulse-control problems, including:

Virtual relationships. Addiction to social networking, dating apps, texting, and messaging can extend to the point where virtual, online friends become more important than real-life relationships. We’ve all seen the couples sitting together in a restaurant ignoring each other and engaging with their smartphones instead. While the internet can be a great place to meet new people, reconnect with old friends, or even start romantic relationships, online relationships are not a healthy substitute for real-life interactions. Online friendships can be appealing as they tend to exist in a bubble, not subject to the same demands or stresses as messy, real-world relationships. Compulsive use of dating apps can change your focus to short-term hookups instead of developing long-term relationships.

Information overload. Compulsive web surfing, watching videos, playing games, or checking news feeds can lead to lower productivity at work or school and isolate you for hours at a time. Compulsive use of the internet and smartphone apps can cause you to neglect other aspects of your life, from real-world relationships to hobbies and social pursuits.

Many Americans are celebrating Juneteenth, marking the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the U.S. learned they were free

Terry Tang

Tuesday 18 June 2024 16:07 BST

For more than one-and-a-half centuries, the Juneteenth holiday has been sacred to many Black communities.

It marks the day in 1865 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas found out they had been freed — after the end of the Civil War, and two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Since it was designated a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth has become more universally recognized beyond Black America. Many people get the day off work or school, and there are a plethora of street festivals, fairs, concerts and other events.

People who never gave the June 19 holiday more than a passing thought may be asking themselves, is there a “right” way to celebrate Juneteenth? Is Juneteenth a solemn day of remembrance or more of a party?

It just depends on what you want. Juneteenth festivities are rooted in cookouts and barbecues. In the beginnings of the holiday celebrated as Black Americans’ true Independence Day, the outdoors allowed for large, raucous reunions among formerly enslaved family, many of whom had been separated. The gatherings were especially revolutionary because they were free of restrictive measures, known as “Black Codes,” enforced in Confederate states, controlling whether liberated slaves could vote, buy property, gather for worship and other aspects of daily life.

Last week, the White House kicked things off early with a concert on the South Lawn for Juneteenth and Black Music Month. Singers Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle were among the the lineup of well-known artists from gospel, rap, jazz and other genres. The atmosphere was primarily festive with Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black vice president, dancing on stage with gospel singer Kirk Franklin.

“Today as we celebrate Juneteenth, together we are reminded of the promise of America,” Harris said in opening remarks. “A promise of freedom, liberty and opportunity, not for some but for all. In many ways the story of Juneteenth and of our nation is a story of our ongoing fight to realize that promise.”

Others may choose to treat Juneteenth as a day of rest and remembrance. That can mean doing community service, attending an education panel or taking time off.

The important thing is to make people feel they have options on how to observe the occasion, said Dr. David Anderson, a Black pastor and CEO of Gracism Global, a consulting firm helping leaders navigate conversations bridging divides across race and culture.

“Just like the Martin Luther King holiday, we say it’s a day of service and a lot of people will do things. There are a lot of other people who are just ‘I appreciate Dr. King, I’ll watch what’s on the television, and I’m gonna rest,’” Anderson said. “I don’t want to make people feel guilty about that. What I want to do is give everyday people a choice.”

What if you've never celebrated Juneteenth?

Anderson never did anything on Juneteenth in his youth. He didn’t learn about it until his 30s.

“I think many folks haven’t known about it — who are even my color as an African American male. Even if you heard about it and knew about it, you didn’t celebrate it,” Anderson said. “It was like just a part of history. It wasn’t a celebration of history.”

For many African Americans, the farther away from Texas that they grew up increased the likelihood they didn’t have big Juneteenth celebrations regularly. In the South, the day can vary based on when word of Emancipation reached each state.

What kind of public Juneteenth events are going on around the country?

Search online and you will find a smorgasbord of gatherings in major cities and suburbs all varying in scope and tone. Some are more carnival-esque festivals with food trucks, arts and crafts and parades. Within those festivals, you’ll likely find access to professionals in health care, finance and community resources. There also are concerts and fashion shows to highlight Black excellence and creativity. For those who want to look back, plenty of organizations and universities host panels to remind people of Juneteenth’s history.

For the first time since Juneteenth was federally recognized, the National Park Service is making entry into all sites free on the holiday. Several parks will be hosting Juneteenth commemorations this week.

Are there special foods served on Juneteenth?

Aside from barbecue, the color red has been a through line for Juneteenth food for generations. Red symbolizes the bloodshed and sacrifice of enslaved ancestors. A Juneteenth menu might incorporate items like barbecued ribs or other red meat, watermelon and red velvet cake. Drinks like fruit punch and red Kool-Aid may make an appearance at the table.

Does how you celebrate Juneteenth matter if you aren't Black?

Dr. Karida Brown, a sociology professor at Emory University whose research focuses on race, said there’s no reason to feel awkward about wanting to recognize Juneteenth just because you have no personal ties or you’re not Black. In fact, embrace it.

“I would reframe that and challenge my non-Black folks who want to lean into Juneteenth and celebrate,” Brown said. “It absolutely is your history. It absolutely is a part of your experience. ... Isn’t this all of our history? The good, the bad, the ugly, the story of emancipation and freedom for your Black brothers and sisters under the Constitution of the law.”

If you want to bring some authenticity to your recognition of Juneteenth, educate yourself. Attending a street festival or patronizing a Black-owned business is a good start but it also would be good to “make your mind better,” Anderson said.

“That goes longer than a celebration,” Anderson said. “I think Black people need to do it too because it’s new for us as well, in America. But for non-Black people, if they could read on this topic and read on Black history beyond Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, that would show me that you’re really serious about growing in this area.”

If you’re struggling with how to “ethically” mark the day, Brown also suggested expanding your knowledge of why the holiday matters so much. That can be through reading, attending an event or going to an African American history museum if there’s one nearby.

“Have that full human experience of seeing yourself in and through the eyes of others, even if that’s not your own lived experience,” she said. “That is a radical human act that is awesome and should be encouraged and celebrated.”

What are other names used to refer to Juneteenth?

Over the decades, Juneteenth has also been called Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, Black Fourth of July and second Independence Day among others.

“Because 1776, Fourth of July, where we’re celebrating freedom and liberty and all of that, that did not include my descendants,” Brown said. “Black people in America were still enslaved. So that that holiday always comes with a bittersweet tinge to it.”

Is there a proper Juneteenth greeting?

It’s typical to wish people a “Happy Juneteenth” or “Happy Teenth," according to Alan Freeman, a comedian organizing a Juneteenth comedy festival in Galveston, Texas for the second straight year.

“You know how at Christmas people will say ‘Merry Christmas’ to each other and not even know each other?" Freeman said. “You can get a ‘Merry Christmas’ from everybody. This is the same way.”

You hear EVA before you see it. A whirring and whizzing noise greets you as you enter the offices of Automata, a start-up robotics company based in London.

To one side a robotic arm is going through an intricate set of moves: six joints twisting and turning in a sequence which, in the real world, would place a label on a parcel.

That's EVA, and it has being doing those moves non-stop for months to test its reliability.

Around the office and workshop there are more than a dozen other EVA units, some being dismantled by the engineers, others awaiting testing.

It must be very eerie at night as EVA continues its work, simulating attaching labels, while surrounded by its silent clones.

This robotic arm emerged from the work of former architect Suryansh Chandra and his business partner Mostafa Elsayed.

They are betting that there are thousands, if not millions, of smaller businesses which need repetitive tasks completed, but can't afford a big industrial robot.

So EVA was developed from cheap reliable parts. It uses the same motors that power the electric windows in cars, while the computer chips are similar to those used in the consumer electronics business. This is allowing them to sell EVA at £8,000.

Automata is just one firm trying to find a wider market for robots and disrupt the way that things are made.

More than 2.4 million industrial robots are operating in factories around the world, according to data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), which is forecasting double-digit sales growth from 2020 to 2022.

The majority of robots currently do repetitive work in large factories, producing cars, electronics and metal.

These giant industrial arms have long been powerful and accurate, but have lacked adaptability.

Yet now, developments in artificial intelligence, alongside improved vision technology and better devices for gripping, are opening new markets.

Online shopping has given the industry a juicy opportunity. In giant warehouses millions of objects of all different shapes and sizes have to be sorted and moved around.

Pick and mix

To replace the humans in this growing market, robots need to be able to recognise and grip all sorts of different items.

His company was one of the first to develop a gripper that could be fitted to the end of robot arm, allowing it to grab items of different sizes.

Their attachment for a robot arm employs a suction device and three fingers to grab items. First the sucker extends to select the item and then the three fingers secure it.

It uses a camera linked to artificial intelligence to identify and locate the object it wants.

The explosion in online shopping has created a demand for this kind of technology; Amazon alone has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in tech for its warehouses.

Soft Robotics, also based in the US, is tackling the same problem albeit in a different way.

Its robotic hand has rubbery fingers that fill with air, allowing them to handle delicate food items like biscuits and pastries.

While such systems give robotic arms more skill, their dexterity still falls a long way short of the human hand.

Researchers at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (a partnership between the University of the West of England and Bristol University) think the big breakthrough would be to give robot hands a sense of touch.

Prof Nathan Lepora, head of the tactile robotics group, has developed rubber sensors that can detect and map surfaces.

The system uses a camera inside each "finger" that detects how the rubber tip bulges and moves when touching an object.

Using a type of artificial intelligence called machine learning, the robot is then trained to recognise objects just by touching them and seeing how the rubber tip responds.

'Emotional reaction'

Future developments in robotic hardware and artificial intelligence mean that robots will be able to do more and more of the jobs that are currently performed by humans.

According to a report by the OECD, 14% of of jobs are "at high risk of automation" and 32% of jobs could be "radically transformed", with the manufacturing sector at the highest risk.

It's a sensitive topic for those that work in the robotics industry and companies that use robots.

Mr Chandra argues that his technology will eliminate boring, repetitive jobs that humans don't like and aren't very good at, and also create new ones that are likely to replace them.

Every time a job dies, there is an emotional reaction... but every time

there's a creation of a new economy."

«Are there any philosophical arguments against "transhumanism"?

"Transhumanism" seeks to: "improve health, eliminate disabilities, cure diseases and produce stronger, faster, more intelligent humans with technology".

"Transhumanists" believe the time has come for humans to take control of their own evolution.

The common statements of the "transhumanists" include: "Why not a more resistant skin?" or "Why not the type of bat vision with ultrasound?"

They want to "remake" and integrate technology to humans.

They want to abandons nature. For them, nature is an "adversary". They want the body to have as little carbon as possible for it to be indifferent to what happens to carbon. They want to introduce silicon, steel and microchips within humans.

The end result would be a cyborg and the "cyborgization" would allow: improving the senses, having an infallible memory and intellectual capacity, having a greater physical performance, etc.

The "transhumanists" that make these statements are prestigious scientists, and most important universities professors.

The main icon of "transhumanism" in media may be Ray Kurzweil. He worked with the Army Science Board in 2006, has been called "the successor and legitimate heir of Thomas Edison" and was cited by Forbes magazine as "the supreme thinking machine".

"Transhumanists" seem confident they will achieve their dreams.

Have any philosophers argued against "transhumanism"?

A better question would be, have any philosophers argued "transhumanist" dreams are not and will not be achievable and why? If so, what are their arguments? Any books or articles on the subject?»

By the user Plastic_Lead3833, from the forum “askp

hilosophy”, Reddit, 2021

SCIENCE

DEC 10, 2024 7:00 AM

An Augmented Reality Program Can Help Patients Overcome Parkinson’s Symptoms

Simple external cues, such as lines on the floor, can help Parkinson’s patients focus their efforts and overcome the difficulty of the symptoms. With augmented reality, those cues can be anywhere.

ILLUSTRATION: SEBASTIAN CESTARO

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IN 2018, TOM Finn took his father, Nigel, to a physiotherapy appointment. Nigel was living with vascular dementia, which can present with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disorder characterized by motor symptoms such as tremors, stiffness, and trouble balancing. He was losing the ability to walk.

The physiotherapist told Finn about cue markers—colored lines laid on the floor that can help Parkinson’s patients overcome difficulty walking. Finn was unconvinced. He couldn’t see how some lines on the floor would help his father. But when they got home, he laid some colored exercise bands down in the kitchen and watched in amazement as his dad easily marched back and forth across them.

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The technique, called external cueing, works by using visual, auditory, or tactile prompts—colored tape on the ground, playing a metronome, or physical vibrations—to engage neural pathways not affected by the disease. “It can help people focus their attention and help them take that first step and overcome the freeze,” says Claire Bale, associate director of research at Parkinson’s UK, a research and support charity in the UK.

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Neuroscientist Answers Emotion Questions

While Finn—who worked in marketing and video production in London—was struck by the effectiveness of this simple intervention, he thought it too basic to actually be helpful. But augmented reality glasses from the likes of Magic Leap had just started coming to market, and he wondered whether they might be able to project virtual lines onto the ground to act as cues. He founded a startup, Strolll, to try to make that vision a reality.

Solving the Parkinson’s Puzzle Piece by Piece

Using Good Vibrations to Restore Confidence in Movement

Charco Neurotech is building wearable devices that vibrate at high frequency to provide physical cueing that can help lessen Parkinson’s symptoms. The Cambridge-based startup’s CUE1 device is already being used by thousands of people in trials.

Sniffing Out the Right Candidates for Drug Trials

Long-lasting smell loss is a surprisingly good predictor of brain disease. A study funded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation used a scratch and sniff test to help identify potential carriers of a biomarker for Parkinson’s.

Deep-Brain Stimulation for Real-Time Activity Adjustment

Deep-brain stimulation works like a pacemaker, using electrical signals to alleviate Parkinson’s symptoms such as tremors. Spanish startup Inbrain has raised $50m to develop graphene-based neural implants that can constantly monitor and modify brain activity in real time.

Detecting the Visual Signs of Parkinson’s Disease

As a teenager, Erin Smith created a program called FacePrint, which analyzes facial expressions in selfies to spot “Parkinson’s mask,” a tell-tale early sign of Parkinson’s disease. She won the WIRED Health Startup showcase in 2018.

Two years later, Strolll had no staff and about £50 in the bank, according to Jorgen Ellis. Ellis, a New Zealander with a background in furniture startups, had come to the UK looking for his next venture and wanted to get involved with something he felt passionate about. His grandfather had lived with Parkinson’s for over a decade, and when he met Finn through a mutual contact, he immediately saw the promise of the technology. He came onboard as CEO and started by trying to demonstrate that AR-based cueing was scientifically valid.

Ellis and Finn soon found a group of academics at VU University in Amsterdam, led by Melvyn Roerdink, who were working on something similar. Strolll acquired their intellectual property, and with Roerdink on board as chief innovation officer they began to develop and test the technology, now called Reality DTx.

Instead of physical bands like Finn used, Strolll’s AR software simulates colored lines on the floor in front of the wearer, with each line disappearing as they clear it. A clinical trial (supported by Strolll) confirmed the cueing technology was feasible and found promising outcomes.

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It could also help with rehabilitation exercises amid a shortage of physiotherapists: The software includes AR games like whack-a-mole and basketball, but designed around functional movements that help people with Parkinson’s. Matt Ross—who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s eight years ago at the age of 36 and is now Strolll’s head of brand and creative strategy—says these games can help overcome the apathy and depression that’s also a symptom of the disease. “You might know that you’ve got to exercise … but that’s not going to help you get off your chair,” he says. So the fact that it’s gamified makes doing the exercises much more alluring.

The Magic Leap headset the software runs on costs around £3,000 ($3,800), and Strolll charges upwards of £300 a month for its services—but Ellis argues this is more cost-effective than 30 half-hour sessions of in-person physical therapy. Ultimately, the company’s goal is to be the “most used rehabilitation software in the world,” says Ellis. They even have a specific timeline in mind: 7 million minutes of rehab with the Strolll device in a week by New Year’s Eve 2029. By then, Ellis hopes Strolll could be in use for all kinds of neurological conditions, from stroke to multiple sclerosis. There is, he says, an “almost unlimited opportunity.”

This article appears in the January/February 2025 issue of WIRED UK magazine

Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ humanity, our contributions to this society, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.

As organizers who work with everyday people, BLM members see and understand significant gaps in movement spaces and leadership. Black liberation movements in this country have created room, space, and leadership mostly for Black heterosexual, cisgender men — leaving women, queer and transgender people, and others either out of the movement or in the background to move the work forward with little or no recognition. As a network, we have always recognized the need to center the leadership of women and queer and trans people. To maximize our movement muscle, and to be intentional about not replicating harmful practices that excluded so many in past movements for liberation, we made a commitment to placing those at the margins closer to the center.

As #BlackLivesMatter developed throughout 2013 and 2014, we utilized it as a platform and organizing tool. Other groups, organizations, and individuals used it to amplify anti-Black racism across the country, in all the ways it showed up. Tamir Rice, Tanisha Anderson, Mya Hall, Walter Scott, Sandra Bland — these names are inherently important. The space that #BlackLivesMatter held and continues to hold helped propel the conversation around the state-sanctioned violence they experienced. We particularly highlighted the egregious ways in which Black women, specifically Black trans women, are violated. #BlackLivesMatter was developed in support of all Black lives.

Examples of assistive products include hearing aids, wheelchairs, spectacles, prostheses and devices that support memory, among many others. While supporting independence and well-being, these products can also help to prevent or reduce the effects of secondary health conditions, such as lower limb amputation in people with diabetes. They can also reduce the need and impact on carers and mitigate the need for formal health and support services. Moreover, access to appropriate assistive products can have a tremendous impact on community development and economic growth.

Despite the global need and recognized benefits of assistive products, access to assistive products remains limited. Addressing this unmet need is essential to progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and realizing the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

world health organization