Using Apps to Track the Spread of the Coronavirus
Jennifer Brown
Using Apps to Track the Spread of the CoronavirusNFK Editors - April 30, 2020Governments and businesses worldwide are creating smartphone apps to help track the spread of the new coronavirus. The apps could be an important part of easing up on lockdowns, but they are also causing some worries.Tracking the spread of a disease is an important step in stopping an outbreak. By tracking down people who have been in contact with COVID-19 patients, health experts can warn them, and keep the virus from spreading further. This is called “contact tracing”.As governments remove coronavirus lockdown limits, they’ll need to be able to quickly identify and contain new outbreaks. Contact tracing will be an important part of that process.Tracking the spread of a disease is an important step in stopping an outbreak. By tracking down people who have been in contact with COVID-19 patients, health experts can warn them, and keep the virus from spreading further. This is called “contact tracing”.(Source: CFCF [CC BY-SA], via Wikimedia Commons.)But because the coronavirus spreads so quickly to so many people, it’s almost impossible to trace all contacts with phone calls and in-person visits. That’s why many people hope that digital contact tracing with smartphones will help.Most contact tracing apps collect information about where people have gone and the people they’ve had contact with. The apps use smartphone features like GPS (for the phone’s location) and Bluetooth (to learn about other nearby phones).Most contact tracing apps collect information about where people have gone and the people they’ve had contact with, using GPS and Bluetooth. This picture from Hong Kong in the early days of the coronavirus shows how phones might help keep track of contacts.(Source: 中国新闻网 [CC BY], via Wikimedia Commons.)The apps can notify users when one of their recent contacts has been found to have the coronavirus. Some systems also notify governments or health care workers.Currently, dozens of apps have been created or are being developed around the world. But there are concerns about privacy and security with these apps. Some people worry the apps are being made too quickly and may not protect people’s private information.Currently, dozens of apps have been created or are being developed around the world. But there are concerns about privacy and security with these apps. This screenshot is from an app made for Singapore which has been shared with other countries.(Source: Ben McLean [CC BY-SA], via Wikimedia Commons.)Others are afraid the apps will let governments track people in ways that could be used for much more than just controlling the coronavirus. They fear that once governments have the ability to track people, they won’t give it up, even if the threat of the coronavirus passes.Some app developers are working to protect user privacy. Apple and Google have recently teamed up to create an app for Apple and Android phones. Under Apple and Google’s system, information about contacts will stay on a user’s phone unless the user chooses to share it.Some app developers are working to protect user privacy. Apple and Google teamed up to create an app which keeps information about contacts on a user’s phone unless the user chooses to share it. The cartoon above shows how contact tracing can be made private.(Source: [CC0, Public Domain] (modified) Nicky Case.)For these apps to work, governments will need to make sure people are being tested for the coronavirus. Test results are what start the contact tracing process. In some systems, health care workers report results. In others, it’s up to the patient.About 60% of the people in an area need to use an app for it to be helpful in limiting the spread of the virus. That could be a problem. In places which already have apps, the numbers of users are far lower. Norway has one of the highest sign-up rates, but only 30% of people in Norway are using the app.About 60% of the people in an area need to use an app for it to be helpful in limiting the spread of the virus. There are also other challenges, like making sure apps don’t drain phone batteries too quickly. For many older phones, the apps may not work at all.(Source: Martin Abegglen, via Flickr.com.)There are also other challenges, like making sure apps don’t drain phone batteries too quickly. For many older phones, the apps may not work at all.Still, if smartphone apps can handle most contact tracing, they could help limit the spread of the coronavirus, and make it easier for health care workers to track the people that the apps don’t catch.Check Yourself0/41. Contact tracing is a way of tracking down people who have come into contact with a sick person.True False2. Digital contact tracing with smartphone _______________ could help make contact tracing more automatic.3. Which of the following was NOT mentioned as a possible problem with contact tracing apps?the apps aren't games so they won't be popularthe apps might use too much batterythe apps might not protect private informationthe apps might give governments too much power4. In Apple and Google's system, the _______________ decides if they will share information.Think back to your life before the lockdown. List the places where you got together with people. Could you have remembered everyone you came into contact with during a two-week period?ResetSourceswww.nytimes.comwww.wired.comwww.bbc.comwww.nzherald.co.nzwww.abc.net.auwww.laht.comwww.dw.comwww.theguardian.comtheconversation.comShare:This week marks 25 years of humans living in space. On November 2, 2000, three astronauts became the first full-time workers at the International Space Station. Since then, the ISS has never been empty.Is Seeing Believing? AI Videos Look Extremely RealNFK Editors - Nov 5, 2025Over the last year or so, the quality of AI-generated videos has become so good that it’s extremely difficult to tell whether a video is real or not. An English TV channel recently ran a show about AI. At the end of the episode, the “woman” presenting the show announced that she wasn’t real.
Microsoft’s Undersea Data Center Passes Test
Sarah Johnson
Microsoft’s Undersea Data Center Passes TestNFK Editors - September 17, 2020Orkney Islands, Scotland —(Map)The computer company Microsoft recently ended an unusual experiment by pulling up a data center that has been serving internet requests from under the sea for the last two years. The company says the experiment was a success.The computer company Microsoft recently ended an unusual experiment by pulling up a data center that has been serving internet requests from under the sea (above) for the last two years. The company says the experiment was a success.(Source: Jonathan Banks, Microsoft.)Data centers are usually large buildings full of hundreds or thousands of high-powered computers called servers. You may not think about data centers much, but they’re responsible for everything that we do on the Internet.When we search for something, or load a webpage, our requests follow a bouncing path through the internet until they reach one or many servers, which give us back the information we asked for. As the internet has grown, the need for data centers has also grown.Data centers are usually large buildings full of hundreds or thousands of high-powered computers called servers. The servers use lots of energy. Some energy is needed to make the computers run, but much of the energy is used to keep the servers cool.(Source: Florian Hirzinger – www.fh-ap.com [CC BY-SA], via Wikimedia Commons.)Data centers have many problems. The servers use huge amounts of energy. Some of this is needed to make the computers run, but much of the energy is used to keep the servers cool. If computers overheat, they’re far more likely to break.Microsoft wanted to try putting a data center under the sea, to see if the seawater could naturally cool the computers, saving energy and money.Microsoft wanted to try putting a data center under the sea, to see if the seawater could naturally cool the computers. So the company created a special data center (front) that could fit inside a large tank (rear).(Source: Frank Betermin, Microsoft.)So the company created a special data center that could fit inside a large tank. Microsoft hired a company that builds submarines to design the tank. They wanted the unit to be large enough to hold lots of computers, but small enough to move around on a truck.In 2018, the company lowered their data center into the water near the Orkney Islands. The data center was called “Northern Isles”, since it was located in Scotland’s northern islands.In 2018, the company lowered their data center into the water near the Orkney Islands. The air in the tank was replaced with a gas called nitrogen, to keep oxygen from damaging the computer parts.(Source: Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures, Microsoft.)The air in the tank was replaced with a gas called nitrogen, to keep oxygen from damaging the computer parts. Special cables provided a high-speed internet connection and electricity. The electricity came from nearby wind and solar energy sources.After a few tests, the Northern Isles data center was put to work. For the last two years, its 864 servers have been helping the internet run. Earlier this year, some of the servers were used to do research on the coronavirus.Special cables provided the data center with a high-speed internet connection and electricity. The electricity came from nearby wind and solar energy sources. Above a windmill in the Orkney Islands, near Microsoft’s Northern Isles datacenter.(Source: Scott Eklund/Red Box Pictures, Microsoft.)In July, the company pulled the data center back to the surface. It was covered with a thin coat of algae, and had some small sea animals clinging to it. But other than that, it was fine.So how did the data center do? Very well, it turns out. Northern Isles used far less energy than a land-based data center would have used over the same amount of time.In July, the company pulled the data center back to the surface. It was covered with a thin coat of algae, and had some small sea animals clinging to it. But other than that, it was fine.(Source: Jonathan Banks, Microsoft.)The conditions were good for the computers, too. Microsoft says that the number of servers that normally have problems on land is eight times higher than the number of servers that broke underwater.The company says that’s probably because there wasn’t any oxygen in the container. It also helped that there were no humans near the servers, so the machines and their cables never got bumped by accident.Microsoft says that the number of servers that normally have problems on land is eight times higher than the number of servers that broke underwater. Above, a Microsoft worker inspects a server from the data center.(Source: Jonathan Banks, Microsoft.)Microsoft is excited about the results produced by its underwater data center, and is eager to apply the lessons they learned to other data centers in the future.Check Yourself0/41. A special high-powered computer that serves internet information is called a _______________.2. Normally data centers use lots of _______________ to run the servers and to cool them.3. How many servers did Microsoft's undersea data center have?4808641,0247684. Microsoft's undersea data center used less energy and was better for the computers than a land-based data center.True FalseMicrosoft's experiment seemed to work well for one data center. Can you think of any problems that might come up if lots of companies suddenly started putting lots of data centers under the sea?ResetSourceswww.bbc.comarstechnica.comwww.theverge.comgizmodo.comwww.zdnet.comnews.microsoft.comnews.microsoft.comOrkney Islands, ScotlandView Larger MapShare:This week marks 25 years of humans living in space. On November 2, 2000, three astronauts became the first full-time workers at the International Space Station. Since then, the ISS has never been empty.Is Seeing Believing? AI Videos Look Extremely RealNFK Editors - Nov 5, 2025Over the last year or so, the quality of AI-generated videos has become so good that it’s extremely difficult to tell whether a video is real or not. An English TV channel recently ran a show about AI. At the end of the episode, the “woman” presenting the show announced that she wasn’t real.
Lithuania’s Song Celebration marks a century of music, culture and unity
David Williams
In the car park next to Vilnius’s Twinsbet arena, boys and girls in their finest attire are balancing instruments under their arms and looking over laminated sheets of Lithuanian marching music. It’s not long before everyone is due on stage and, over at a nearby catering tent, more musicians are loading up on pancakes, yoghurt and fruit. Alongside amateur youth groups from all over Lithuania, tonight’s concert also features the Baltic state’s professional military bands. Egle Juciute, dressed in a blue-and-red 18th-century-style uniform complete with gold-trim trousers, has been playing in Lithuania’s Military Orchestra for 14 years, an ensemble normally dispatched to welcome international dignitaries. “It’s a responsibility to be here and to play,” she says, flute in hand. Crowds have gathered to watch and the show is beamed around the country via the state TV broadcaster.The wind-and-brass band evening is just one event in a huge, week-long extravaganza known as the Song Celebration, which takes place every four years. The event, which marks its centenary this year and is also observed by neighbouring Latvia and Estonia, is recognised on Unesco’s lists of intangible cultural heritage. It is known for the staggering number of participants; in Lithuania’s case, 37,000 performers are taking part this year.Folk celebrations in Kalnai ParkPerformer at the football-stadium dance dayProcession from Cathedral Square during the final day of festivitiesChoreographed dancingLithuanians from the US enjoy a tippleLithuanian Air Force Band member ready to take the stageTonight’s concert, introduced to the repertoire just over a decade ago, is an acquiescence to the growing popularity of brass bands. Under the bright lights of the indoor basketball arena, there is a mishmash of outfits, including a group of young children dressed in black, complete with yellow rain boots, who run onto the stage as bands play behind them. Primed, prepped and beaming, there are barefoot girls in flower headdresses and others in red tartan who are shaking pom-poms, making it feel a little like a US beauty pageant. But it’s a piece of music set to a video and shown on a screen behind the stage that gets to the heart of what the Song Celebration is all about. It shows the Baltic Way – the peaceful, pan-Baltic human-chain protest that was staged against Soviet occupation in 1989. It stretched for hundreds of kilometres and was part of the “Singing Revolution”. Rich in symbols and symbolism, it’s a chance for independent, democratic Lithuania to get misty-eyed and in touch with its history. To finish the night, everyone gathers for a final rendition of “Kur giria zaliuoja” – an unofficial anthem that mentions Lithuania stretching “as long as the river flows” – as the night’s TV presenters put their arms around each other and sway, one of them gesturing that she has goose bumps. The self-reflection reaches fever pitch on the last two days, when everyone dons traditional dress. First there is the football-stadium dance performance which, at one point, has 9,000 people linking arms and moving in lines and circles on the pitch at the same time. Some of the people streaming into the stadium at speed occasionally lose the grip of the dance companion next to them, causing a panic to catch and rejoin the chain. The event culminates with song night, which features several hundred choirs and 12,000 people lined up in rows on an open-air stage that was custom-built in 1960 in wooded parkland. The same stage also stands in Estonia’s capital, Tallinn. The music is often traditional and folkloric but there is also space for new compositions, which often reference Lithuania’s pagan past.During one of the choir rehearsals for what proves to be a dizzying organisational and choreographic set piece, Saulius Liausa – choir conductor and the director of the Lithuanian National Culture Centre, which runs the Song Celebration – plants an oak tree on the edge of woodland near the stage. Ripe with symbolism, it’s designed to tie in with this year’s theme, which is “May the green forest grow”. As people take turns to shovel earth around the sapling, one heralds Lithuania’s independence while another salutes the young generation and the hope that they might sing the same way for another 100 years.Liausa says that in a small country like Lithuania, with a population of about 2.8 million, it’s essential to safeguard culture. “We have all kinds of laws and documents to protect nature,” he says. “But what we sometimes forget is that culture is also a fragile thing that needs protecting and that’s what we want to draw attention to.” He says that there are hundreds of customs and traditions that have been lost. And the Soviet past, in which the Song Celebration was hijacked by the occupiers, is still fresh in memories and painfully brought back to the surface by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “The wars that are happening in the world, Ukraine included, are about culture,” he says. “It’s language and culture that people are fighting for, not money or land as such. What we’re seeing in Ukraine – and what we also think here in Lithuania – is that a nation that really loves its culture and itself is very, very difficult to defeat.”Traditional dress at dance dayClarinet player from PalangaBackstage at dance dayYoung dancer waiting his turnSaulius Liausa, director of the Lithuanian National Culture CentreGetting ready at the makeshift hotel in the Vilnius Liepkalnis SchoolMusic teacher and conductor Rimantas JocysAt the dance day’s evening performanceGiven that view, it’s not surprising that the state plays such a top-down role. The celebration, which costs about €5m, is paid for by the country, with almost every procurement going out to tender; the provider offering the lowest cost wins. The price of helping to support a year-round ecosystem of dance and song clubs around the country, where people practise the repertoire, is harder to estimate but it needs support. While performer numbers have managed to stay stable, the number of music groups has been declining, even if the membership within those remaining is growing.Alongside the culture ministry, education, internal affairs and foreign affairs all play a part. Municipalities send delegates and help parents to chaperone groups of children, as well as providing buses to get people to the capital. The state spends €1.1m on keeping bellies full, dishing out 250,000 portions of food, and it turns schools into accommodation, which become makeshift encampments for a week. Monocle visits Vilnius Liepkalnis School, where more than 200 children and adults, mostly from Pasvalys, a city near the Latvian border, are either playing basketball outside, resting on green camp beds or reapplying make-up ahead of the evening’s celebrations. Ruta Jaruseviciene, from the municipality, shows us around. Remarkably, given the number of people temporarily living here, all is going smoothly, she says, even though six children came down with a mysterious vomiting bug the day before. Jaruseviciene offers us home-brew from several kegs in the makeshift bedrooms (the Pasvalys flag features a bull and hops in a nod to its beer tradition), while someone else is soon proffering a plate oflasiniai– seasoned and smoked pork served in slices. “I thought that the children would be tired after a full day,” says Jaruseviciene. “But they eat and then go wild!”During the dance day, performers pack into a backstage area to sit on rugs or pass out under the sun from the excitement and exertion. A German flag tacked to net fencing and a sign for the Chicago Suktinis – a dance troupe made up of Lithuanian American teenagers – point to the 2,000 performers from Lithuania’s diaspora who flock back to the motherland to be a part of this mass showing of collective memory. After the show, Monocle meets a dance group from Scotland, which includes an Indian with no link to Lithuania and an Argentine called Santiago Markus from Berisso in Buenos Aires province, whose grandfather is the son of Lithuanian immigrants. “It’s something I do to represent him,” he says of his second Song Celebration.Backstage at the Twinsbet arenaCollective from Chicago in Vilnius’s Town Hall SquareMuch-need break ahead of the final performanceMany young people like to take part in the folk celebrationsMilling in the crowds is Simonas Kairys, Lithuania’s culture minister, who is dressed in a traditional shirt from Dzukija in the south of the country. The minister calls himself a liberal and a globalist but he says that it’s important to show where you’re from. So, given the messaging and what can be seen as an interventionist approach towards culture, is this a political event? “Visit the Venice Biennale and you’ll see how art is affected by current events,” says Kairys. “This isn’t political but it’s the basis of statehood, humanity, a peaceful world. When you’re singing, you’re not fighting with somebody.”Some have reservations about elements of the Song Celebration, which are clearly designed to rouse the nation. “Too much is made of nationalism,” says Nerija Putinaite, associate professor at the Vilnius University Institute of Political Sciences. “The focus should be on civic, not ethnic identity.” Still, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the crowd, from cheering family members to someone who has travelled here from abroad, who isn’t overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the event, which has an atmosphere that often verges on the euphoric. By the time the last night of celebrations approaches, the mood is festive, with people tucking into sausages from food stalls and sipping beer orkvass, a sweet malt drink. Choir music – including catchy numbers such as “Zmones ant kalnu” (“People on top of hills”), conducted by one of the evening’s 31 conductors, all greeted like rock stars – can be heard well past midnight. The thousands of choral members are visibly elated, pleased to have eyes on them. On several occasions, a Mexican wave sweeps through the choir, with songs often finished with a collective ripple of jazz hands. The crowd responds, some singing along, raising phones where once there would have been lighters and enthusiastically applauding. To arrive at the stadium, the performers had assembled in Vilnius’s Cathedral Square and walked for several kilometres in a giant procession – often accompanied by more brass bands. They were waved on by people lining the streets, some of whom were perched on grass embankments to get a better view. Inside the park just before the clearing where the stadium stands, Micheline Beniusis is sitting on a bench, wearing a lilac dress, with a crown of flowers in her hair. Born in Montréal to Lithuanian parents, she is in her late eighties, which doesn’t seem to get in the way of her flying over to join what is a physically demanding event alongside three grandchildren and two nephews.“It’s very deep-rooted,” she says of the festivities, as the procession stream past her. And then her group of maple-leaf flag-wavers arrives, a sea of lilac and flowers, ready to pick her up to join the night’s mega-choir. She’s off with a wave of her hand – ready to belt her heart out in the name of Lithuania.Mega-choir on the last evening of the Song CelebrationTired but happy
Culture agenda: How Studio Ghibli might inspire urbanists and the revival of a former factory in Ljubljana
Jennifer Miller
Cinema,JapanBrought to lifeIdentifying the rustic locations that inspired a Studio Ghibli animation is a game that fans like to play. The picturesque fishing town inPonyois based on Tomonoura in Hiroshima prefecture. Meanwhile, the leafy forest inMy Neighbour Totorois modelled on Sayama Hills in Saitama. Sense of scaleDirector Hayao Miyazaki’s urban world is equally thrilling. His extraordinary eye for detail zooms in on the unconscious elements that make Japanese cities so distinctive. It’s less about landmarks than about the sense of scale, street signs or even the railings that skirt the road. Many of Miyazaki’s most memorable locations have been figments of his imagination. Films such asHowl’s Moving CastleandKiki’s Delivery Serviceoccupy a specific part of the Ghibli worldview; their cities are part-European, part-fantasy, and wrought with such precision that viewers could almost believe that they exist. At Ghibli Park, the studio’s theme park in Aichi, buildings from those places have been brought to life. There’s the bakery that Kiki worked in – the architectural details perfectly replicated, the baked goods real – and there’s her little attic room. And over here’s the hat shop fromHowl’s Moving Castle, recreated as though Sophie, its heroine, had just stepped away from her work. Structure from ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’Fantasy landscapeLike any good theme park, Ghibli Park is an escape from the grime of any actual city (less of a contrast in Japan where streets are low on crime and litter). Some consider Miyazaki to be an unsung urban designer, citing examples such as Koriko, the imaginary city inKiki’s Delivery Service,with its lively streets and old-fashioned low-rise buildings. Among the leavesGhibli Park opened partially in 2022 but Goro Miyazaki, Hayao’s son and the director of the park, opened the final section this spring. Even if you had never seen the films, you can enjoy the experience. Howl’s Castle clanks and steams, Kiki’s washing is hanging on the line. It’s a relaxingly analogue outing and visitors are encouraged to walk between attractions. There are no rides, apart from a merry-go-round where visitors can twirl at a stately pace to a suitably Ghibli-esque tune.The exoticism and completeness of Miyazaki’s urban vision has long piqued the interest of the Japanese viewer. Perhaps its time that some architects, urbanists and property developers took a closer look for inspiration too?Industrial magicGuy de Launey steps inside a historic former bicycle factory in Ljubljana to explore Center Rog, a new creative hub seeking to democratise a culture of making.The wheels are turning again at the old Rog bicycle factory in Ljubljana. But this is no longer the facility that provided self-powered mobility to citizens of Tito’s Yugoslavia. Today the new Center Rog is facilitating different forms of production. The city authorities have carried out an extensive and remarkably rapid transformation of the site since they controversially repossessed it in 2021 from the squat that had occupied it for 15 years. The heritage-listed façade of the original 1951 structure remains intact, facing the Ljubljanica river. But the other side is all glass, giving a clear view of the facilities within. Center Rog’s mid-century façade“It’s a place where we turn ideas into products,” says Center Rog’s director-general, Renata Zamida. “We don’t just facilitate the projects of professional creators and makers. Anyone is welcome to work here, turning their ideas into tangible objects.”The amenities include “production labs” on the ground floor, work studios on the second and third floors, and artists’ residences on the top level. The first floor houses a branch of Ljubljana’s public library that holds 20,000 items in its almost 300 sq m space; there’s a children’s section, a classroom and a newspaper reading room there too. Zamida says that this encourages people who might be unfamiliar with (or intimidated by) the idea of a “creative hub” to stumble across people and facilities that could help to unlock their creativity.Creative mindsA standard membership fee of just €15 a year opens the door to Center Rog’s nine production facilities. The FabLab has rows of 3D printers, laser cutters and soldering stations. Adventurous interior designers can “learn how to make furniture from mycelium” at the Green Lab. And the Food Lab’s offer of “experimental research and the conquest of new skills” can be tailored to anyone, from home cooks to professional chefs.The occupants of the generously sized studios, which are granted rent-free for a period of one to three years to projects deemed worthy, also take full advantage of the labs. They are currently creating everything from sustainable snacks to a high-performance electric boat and Center Rog’s version of vertical integration lets them move quickly from concept to production without so much as leaving the building.The centre welcomes all-comers“It’s perfect,” says industrial designer David Tavcar, who is creating a range of furniture from deadstock metal. “I can draw something on a computer and then go down to the workshop, where I can produce my own prototypes. I’m completely hands-on.” So far, more than 1,200 people have become members of Center Rog, well beyond the management’s five-year plan. In the old bike factory, a creative revolution is under way.
Using Apps to Track the Spread of the Coronavirus
Jennifer Brown
Microsoft’s Undersea Data Center Passes Test
Sarah Johnson
Lithuania’s Song Celebration marks a century of music, culture and unity
David Williams
Culture agenda: How Studio Ghibli might inspire urbanists and the revival of a former factory in Ljubljana
Jennifer Miller
NEOWISE: Rare Comet Can be Seen With Bare Eyes
David Smith
DJ Harvey’s recipe for the perfect nightclub
Emily Jones
News Roundup: US Rocket Launch, Tower Protest Ends, & a Name Change
Sarah Jones
Ten principles for designing vibrant and liveable mixed-use spaces
John Williams
Interview: Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres on bringing resilience to life in ‘I’m Still Here’
David Davis
Meet the measured French society working to preserve the art form of poetry
John Smith
2019 Year in Review: World of Technology
Robert Johnson
2019 Year in Review: World of TechnologyNFK Editors - December 27, 2019To recap 2019, NewsForKids.net is taking a look back at some of the most interesting stories we’ve covered this year.Today we’re looking at stories that show how technology is changing our world.Google’s Quantum Computer Takes Huge StepOctober 31, 2019Google scientists say they have used a special “quantum computer” to complete a calculation that would take the fastest computers in the world up to 10,000 years to solve. It took Google’s computer 200 seconds.Man Builds Brain-Controlled Robotic HandMay 16, 2019In elementary school, Glenn Cameron was very aware of the challenges faced by his friend, who was missing a hand. Now Mr. Cameron has built a robotic hand that can be controlled by a human brain.Grocery Stores Try Self-Driving Delivery CarsJanuary 11, 2019Grocery stores are testing different ways of delivering orders using self-driving cars. Companies are experimenting more as self-driving cars get better and the pressure from online stores like Amazon gets stronger.Faking Videos is Easy – and DangerousSeptember 11, 2019It has become very easy for people to use computer programs to make fake videos that seem real. Many people are very worried about how these tools might be misused.Brazil to Sell Computer-Created PerfumeJune 4, 2019A beauty company in Brazil will soon begin selling two brand-new perfumes. But there’s an unusual story behind the perfumes – the smells were created by a computer.The Growing Problem of RansomwareAugust 28, 2019The computer systems of local governments, school districts, and businesses are being targeted more often by criminals, who lock the computer files, and refuse to unlock them until they are paid.Sweden Begins Using Driverless Electric TrucksMay 31, 2019A company called Einride has begun using driverless electric trucks on a public road in Sweden. The project is testing ideas that could bring important changes in transportation.Mara Makes First ‘Made in Africa’ SmartphonesNovember 22, 2019In October, a Rwandan company called Mara opened two factories – one in Rwanda and the other in South Africa. The factories will produce the first smartphones built completely in Africa.Company Turns Sunlight into Extreme HeatNovember 20, 2019A company called Heliogen has announced a new process that can reach extremely high temperatures using only the power of the sun. The process could help reduce the pollution that’s causing the climate crisis.San Francisco Says “No” to Facial RecognitionMay 30, 2019San Francisco has decided that its city government workers can’t use computer programs that recognize faces. San Francisco is the first US city to take such a strong step to keep this technology under control.Share:Scientists at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom have created what they call “the world’s smallest violin”. The violin is made of metal and is so tiny that it can only be seen with a powerful microscope. The project was designed to test new technology for building extremely small things.Rubik’s Cube Record Smashed by College StudentsNFK Editors - Jun 26, 2025Students at Purdue University have created a robot that can solve a Rubik’s Cube faster than any robot ever. The robot, which they call “Purdubik’s Cube”, solves the cube in just 0.103 seconds. That’s faster than the time it takes to blink your eyes.
Shimon the Robot Writes and Sings Songs
Michael Smith
Shimon the Robot Writes and Sings SongsNFK Editors - April 1, 2020Researchers at Georgia Tech have been working to improve a musical robot called Shimon. Now Shimon doesn’t simply play music, he also writes the words to his own songs – and sings them.Shimon is a four-armed robot with a ball-like head. He holds small mallets in his “hands” to play a kind of xylophone called a marimba. As Shimon plays, his head moves around in time to the music.Shimon is a four-armed robot with a ball-like head. He holds small mallets in his “hands” to play a kind of xylophone called a marimba. As Shimon plays, his head moves around in time to the music.(Source: Gil Weinberg, Georgia Tech.)Shimon has been around for quite a while as a musical robot. Even back in 2015, he was playing with other musicians at the Kennedy Center in New York. What Shimon could do back then was already pretty cool.Using “deep learning”, Shimon was taught to write his own music. Deep learning – also known as Artificial Intelligence (AI) – means that computer programs sort deeply through huge amounts of information. This allows them to find patterns humans may not have noticed. The programs can then use those patterns in new and surprising ways.Using “deep learning”, Shimon was taught to write his own music. He can create his own music in real time, while playing with other musicians. This is called “improvising”. Above, project members Gil Weinberg (left) and Richard Savery play with Shimon.(Source: Gil Weinberg, Georgia Tech.)For Shimon, that meant he could not only make up his own music, he could do it in real time, while playing with other musicians. This is called “improvising”.Now Shimon is back with a whole bunch of new tricks. He can write the words to his own songs, and sing them.Now Shimon is back with a whole bunch of new tricks. He can write the words to his own songs, and sing them.(Source: Gil Weinberg, Georgia Tech.)Shimon learned to write the words for the songs the same way he learned to write music – by being “fed” thousands and thousands of examples. Shimon was trained on the lyrics (words) to 50,000 songs.Georgia Tech professor Gil Weinberg, who leads the Shimon project, gets Shimon going with a starting idea. Shimon then writes the lyrics based around that idea. Mr. Weinberg usually provides much of the music for the songs, but Shimon helps out there, too.Georgia Tech professor Gil Weinberg, who leads the Shimon project, gets Shimon going with a starting idea. Shimon then writes the lyrics based around that idea.(Source: Gil Weinberg, Georgia Tech.)Richard Savery, one of the researchers, says, “You’ll get a word like ‘storm’, and then it’ll generate a whole bunch of related words, like ‘rain’.” He says Shimon comes up with many ideas, keeps the good ones, and builds on them.Singing the songs is another story. To give Shimon a voice, the Georgia Tech team worked with experts at Pompeu Fabra University in Spain. The voice was created using AI and sounds very much like a man.Shimon’s face has also gotten new features. Shimon’s mouth now moves smoothly in time as he sings. He also has eyebrows, which allow his face to show more emotion.Shimon’s face has also gotten new features. Shimon’s mouth now moves smoothly in time as he sings. He also has eyebrows, which allow his face to show more emotion.(Source: Gil Weinberg, Georgia Tech.)To show off Shimon and his new abilities, the researchers have recorded one of Shimon’s songs, called “Into Your Mind”. They have made a video for the song, which is out on YouTube.Later this spring, the team plans to put out an album of about 8-10 of Shimon’s songs. The album will be released on the music streaming service Spotify. There are also plans for Shimon to go on tour with a band to play and sing his songs live.To show off Shimon and his new abilities, the researchers have recorded one of Shimon’s songs, called “Into Your Mind”. They have made a video for the song, which is out on YouTube (above).(Source: Gil Weinberg, Georgia Tech.)For Mr. Weinberg, that’s the main goal behind the Shimon project – not to have robots take over, but to have robots and humans make something beautiful together.Did You Know…?By chance, Shimon’s new song has some words of hope for people stuck at home because of the coronavirus: “Home is where the rainbow comes.”Screenshot from video for “Into Your Mind”, by Shimon.(Source: Gil Weinberg, Georgia Tech.)Check Yourself0/41. Shimon plays a kind of xylophone called a _______________.2. What skill does Shimon NOT have?singing songsplay the marimbaplaying drumswriting songs3. To learn to write songs, Shimon was trained on the _______________ of 50,000 songs.4. Later this spring, the team will put out an _______________ of Shimon’s songs.Do you think robots like Shimon mainly replace humans, or do they help humans and robots work together?ResetSourcestechcrunch.comnewatlas.comspectrum.ieee.orgqz.comwww.news.gatech.eduwww.news.gatech.edugizmodo.comShare:Scientists at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom have created what they call “the world’s smallest violin”. The violin is made of metal and is so tiny that it can only be seen with a powerful microscope. The project was designed to test new technology for building extremely small things.
Images Show Signs of New Planet Being “Born”
Sarah Williams
Images Show Signs of New Planet Being “Born”NFK Editors - May 26, 2020A team of scientists believe they have captured the first picture of a planet being created. The new planet is far outside our solar system and is thought to be a gas giant like Jupiter or Saturn.The planet in the picture is known as an “exoplanet”. That means a planet that isn’t going around our sun. Instead, it’s going around its own sun – a star known as AB Aurigae, which is about 4 million years old. Four million years may seem like a long time, but it’s young for a star.This map shows where AB Aurigae is (red circle). Other well-known stars and groups of stars are included to show where AB Aurigae can be found in the sky.(Source: ESO, IAU and Sky & Telescope.)AB Aurigae, is a star about 520 light years from Earth. That’s about 3,120,000,000,000,000 miles (3.1 quadrillion miles/5 quadrillion kilometers) away.To create the pictures, a team of international scientists used European Southern Observatory’s “Very Large Telescope” (ESO’s VLT) in Chile. The VLT is made of four large telescopes which can work together as one even more powerful telescope.To create the pictures, a team of international scientists used European Southern Observatory’s “Very Large Telescope” (ESO’s VLT) in Chile. The VLT is made of four large telescopes which can work together as one even more powerful telescope.(Source: ESO [CC BY], via Wikimedia Commons.)The VLT has been used to study AB Aurigae before. Scientists are interested in AB Aurigae’s system because it is surrounded by a thick disc of dust and gas. These are the building blocks that planets are made of, and that’s something scientists are eager to study.Anthony Boccaletti, who led the study, says,”Thousands of exoplanets have been identified so far, but little is known about how they form.”Scientists are interested in AB Aurigae’s system because it’s surrounded by a thick disc of dust and gas. These are the building blocks that planets are made of, and that’s something scientists are eager to study. This image shows the disc around AB Aurigae.(Source: ESO/Boccaletti et al..)Scientists believe planets form when the gas and dust begin to gather together. As this material spins, it disturbs the dust and gas around it, and some of what is stirred up gets added to the growing planet.The pictures from AB Aurigae don’t actually show the planet. Instead, they show a “twist”. The scientists believe the twist is created by a new planet, which is leaving a path behind it, almost like the path of water left behind a motorboat. As the planet orbits the star, the path begins to form a spiral shape.The pictures from AB Aurigae don’t actually show the planet. They show a “twist” (above, bright yellow). The scientists believe the twist is created by a new planet, which is leaving a path behind it. As the planet orbits the star, the path begins to form a spiral shape.(Source: ESO/Boccaletti et al..)The pictures are the most detailed pictures ever taken of AB Aurigae’s system. Normally, the light from the star itself is so bright that little else can be seen. To get the pictures, the scientists used a tool known as SPHERE*, which helped them block out the light from AB Aurigae and reveal the area around it.The team believes that the exoplanet will be a gas giant, like Jupiter or Saturn. The twist is about as far away from AB Aurigae as Neptune is from our sun.The twist is about as far away from AB Aurigae as Neptune is from our sun. The right-hand image zooms in on the area in the red square on the left-hand image. The ‘twist’ is circled in white. The blue circle is included to show the size of the orbit of Neptune.(Source: ESO/Boccaletti et al..)Though the scientists believe the twist is an exoplanet, they plan to continue to watch and track it. By keeping track of how quickly it moves and the path that it takes, they will be able to confirm for sure whether it is actually a planet.*SPHERE stands for Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearchDid You Know…?The ESO is now building an “Extremely Large Telescope”, which will be even better for studying exoplanets.Check Yourself0/41. An _______________ is a planet that orbits a star outside our solar system.2. AB Aurigae is about 4 million years old. Is that old or young for a star?3. The scientists can't actually see the planet being created, but located it by the twist and spiral of its path.True False4. The scientists expect the planet to be a gas giant, like Saturn or _______________.Our sun is over 1,000 times older than AB Aurigae. How old would something 1,000 times older than you be? How about 1,000 times younger?ResetSourceswww.cbc.cawww.abc.net.auwww.smithsonianmag.comwww.vice.comwww.eso.orgShare:Scientists have taken pictures of a star that is farther away than any single star ever seen. They were only able to see the star because gravity made it look bigger.You might be interested in…ISS Celebrates 25 Years of People Living in SpaceNFK Editors - Nov 6, 2025This week marks 25 years of humans living in space. On November 2, 2000, three astronauts became the first full-time workers at the International Space Station. Since then, the ISS has never been empty.Meteorite That Hit House Is Older Than EarthNFK Editors - Aug 14, 2025When a fireball fell through the sky in the southeastern United States on June 26, it caught the attention of people across seven states. It was a meteor breaking up as it fell through the Earth’s atmosphere. A small part of the space rock tore through a house in Georgia. Scientists now say the meteorite is older than the Earth.Australian Moths Use the Stars to Guide ThemNFK Editors - Jul 9, 2025Scientists have made a surprising discovery about one of Australia’s migrating moths – Bogong moths use the stars to help guide them on their long trips across Australia. The moths are the first insects known to use the stars as a guide while migrating.Vera Rubin Telescope Reveals Amazing ImagesNFK Editors - Jun 25, 2025On Monday, scientists released the first pictures taken by the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile. The observatory has a powerful new telescope that’s designed to take complete pictures of the southern night sky over the next ten years. It’s expected to bring huge changes to the way scientists study space.
Making Flip-Flops with Algae
Sarah Johnson
Making Flip-Flops with AlgaeNFK Editors - September 11, 2020Every year, about 3 billion flip-flops are produced. Now scientists have come up with a way to make sure new flip-flops don’t add to the massive plastic waste problem in our oceans – by making flip-flops out of algae.Flip-flops are the most commonly used shoe on the planet. Sadly, that also makes them one of the most common kinds of trash.In 2019, scientists studied plastic that had washed up on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Not many people live there, and yet the scientists found hundreds of millions of pieces of plastic. Among them were 977,000 shoes – mainly flip-flops.Flip-flops are the most commonly used shoe on the planet. Sadly, that also makes them one of the most common kinds of trash.(Source: John Mason, via Flickr.com.)Scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have come up with a way to cut down on that problem.Their method uses algae – a quickly growing water plant – to produce an oil. This oil can be turned into a material suitable for making shoes. Best of all, the new material will break down naturally over time, instead of remaining permanently in dumps or oceans.UCSD scientists have come up with a way to make algae-based flip-flops (above). The new material will break down naturally over time, instead of remaining permanently in dumps or oceans.(Source: Stephen Mayfield, UC San Diego .)The ProblemPolyurethane is a light, flexible plastic that’s used to make many products, including shoes.But polyurethane is a petroleum-based product, made from polluting oil drilled from deep underground. Polyurethane is hard to recycle, since it doesn’t melt when it’s heated. It also contains dangerous chemicals that can cause cancer.Polyurethane is a light, flexible plastic that’s used to make many products, including shoes (above). But polyurethane is hard to recycle, since it doesn’t melt when it’s heated. It also contains dangerous chemicals that can cause cancer.(Source: SABO S.p.A., PressReleaseFinder, via Flickr.com.)Even worse, polyurethane products can stick around for hundreds of years. They don’t biodegrade (break down completely into natural materials) like a plant-based material might. Instead, they simply break up into smaller and smaller pieces until they become microplastics.The UCSD scientists, though, have found a way to make polyurethane mainly from algae. The scientists started a company called Algenesis to help turn their ideas into real products that people can actually use.How it Works:Algae is a very simple plant that grows quickly and in large numbers in water. The scientists raise algae in shallow “raceway” ponds designed to allow the algae to grow quickly. Above, algae being grown in a raceway pond.(Source: JanB46 [CC BY-SA], via Wikimedia Commons.)Algae is a very simple plant that grows quickly and in large numbers in water. The scientists raise algae in shallow “raceway” ponds designed to allow the algae to grow quickly. They then collect the algae and remove the water. What’s left behind is a thick paste.The scientists can use this algae paste to come up with an algae-based oil. It wasn’t easy, but after hundreds of tries, the scientists figured out a way of turning the algae oil into a polyurethane that’s good enough to be used in shoes.The scientists use algae paste to make an algae-based oil. It wasn’t easy, but after hundreds of tries, the scientists figured out a way of turning the algae oil into a polyurethane that’s good enough to be used in shoes (above).(Source: Algenesis.)Currently the scientists are making polyurethane that has 52% oil from algae and 48% oil from petroleum. The scientists think that in a few years they will be able to make their polyurethane from 100% natural sources.What’s exciting about the new polyurethane is that, unlike normal polyurethane, it’s completely biodegradable.Currently the scientists are making polyurethane that has 52% oil from algae and 48% oil from petroleum. What’s exciting about the new polyurethane is that, unlike normal polyurethane, it’s completely biodegradable.(Source: Algenesis.)When the polyurethane is buried in soil (dirt), for just 12 weeks, it breaks down by about 71%. In the right conditions in soil or compost, the shoes should break down completely in about 18 weeks. That means they won’t sit around for hundreds of years once they’re thrown away.When the polyurethane is buried in soil (dirt), for just 12 weeks, it breaks down by about 71%. In the right conditions, it should break down completely in about 18 weeks. Above, how the polyurethane breaks down in compost and soil over several weeks.(Source: Stephen Mayfield, UC San Diego .)The scientists are talking with several shoe companies about using the new algae-based polyurethane in their shoes. The first shoes – flip-flops, of course – are expected to come out early next year.Did You Know…?In 2015, the scientists behind the algae flip-flops made another surprising product out of algae oil – surfboards!Check Yourself0/41. About how many new flip-flops are produced every year?3 million300 million300,0003 billion2. Polyurethane is easy to recycle.True False3. The UCSD scientists were able to create oil from _______________, which allowed them to create a polyurethane that will break down naturally.4. The scientists say their flip-flops should break down completely after being buried in soil for about __________.18 weeks12 weeks18 years400 yearsDo you wear flip-flops? If so, how many pair do you think you've had in your life? Would you like to try the algae flip-flops? Why or why not?ResetSourceswww.fastcompany.comedition.cnn.comwww.smithsonianmag.comwww.npr.orgucsdnews.ucsd.eduwww.zmescience.comucsdnews.ucsd.eduwww.sciencedirect.comShare:
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