The mission is described as the ‘next epic leap forward for civilians’.
Netflix’s first trailer for a documentary series on SpaceX’s Inspiration4 private astronaut mission is here. Check it out.
Category: education
Inspiration4 is preparing for liftoff.
The all-civilian mission is not only the first of its kind in history. It also marks a milestone for Musk’s company, which hopes to one day help humans live across the galaxy.
This is a huge, fairly sci-fi goal, but the trailblazing Inspiration4 crew could help the general public believe in it. And a Netflix documentary certainly doesn’t hurt.
This study illustrates how complex the relationship between genes and the environment is. Although our study uses genetic methods, it provides strong evidence that, as well as genetics, the environment really matters when we talk about education.
A child’s educational success depends on the genes that they haven’t inherited from their parents, as well as the genes they have, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.
Funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the study confirms that genes a person inherits directly are most likely to contribute to their achievements in education. But parent genes that aren’t directly inherited, yet have still shaped parents’ own education levels and subsequently influenced the lifestyle and family environment they provide for their children, are also important and can affect how well a person does at school and beyond.
The study, a systematic review and meta-analysis of prior evidence of genetic impacts on educational outcomes, is published today in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
“University Of The 3rd Age” — Seniors Staying Intellectually Challenged, Socially Engaged, And Physically And Mentally Healthy — Maya Abi Chahine, University for Seniors, American University of Beirut (AUB)
AUB (https://www.aub.edu.lb/seniors/Pages/default.aspx).
The University for Seniors is a new life-long learning initiative at AUB, the first of its kind in Lebanon and the Middle East. It gives older adults (who are 50 and above) the opportunity to share their wisdom and passion, to learn things they have always wanted to learn in a friendly academic environment and to interact socially with other seniors, AUB faculty and students.
Ms. Abi Chahine holds an MA in Public Policy & Ageing from King’s College London and is a passionate advocate and researcher in health, well being issues and third age learning. Her portfolio includes collaborations with UN agencies, including WHO, United Nations Population Fund, and International Labour Organization, as well as INGOs such as HelpAge International and universities in the UK.
Ms. Abi Chahine has 21 years of experience in setting-up and managing programs in the fields of public health, gerontology and education, notably universities. Throughout her multifaceted career, she developed skills in establishing and restructuring programs, by spearheading strategies, setting institutionalization mechanisms and driving daily operations that ensured customers and collaborators’ satisfaction and expansion.
Ms. Abi Chahine has been leading AUB’s University for Seniors for the past 10 years along with her team, and she recently co-led, with Dr. Abla Mehio Sibai (Co-founder and the current President of the newly established ‘Center for Studies on Ageing’ in Lebanon) the drafting of the first ever National Strategy on Ageing in Lebanon.
The latest recognition of Ms. Abi Chahine’s work came with WHO’s Centre for Health Development selecting the lifelong learning program she’s been leading and transforming at AUB, as one of the 10 most innovative community-based social innovations in low and middle-income countries.
When not working, Ms. Abi Chahine would be savoring nature, discovering new countries, cultures and people. She also revels in exploring new paths to evolve and grow!
# On the Opportunities and.
Risks of Foundation Models.
AI is undergoing a paradigm shift with the rise of models (e.g., BERT, DALL-E, GPT-3) that are trained on broad data at scale and are adaptable to a wide range of downstream tasks. We call these models foundation models to underscore their critically central yet incomplete character.
This report provides a thorough account of the opportunities and risks of foundation models, ranging from their capabilities (e.g., language, vision, robotics, reasoning, human interaction) and technical principles (e.g., model architectures, training procedures, data, systems, security, evaluation, theory) to their applications (e.g., law, healthcare, education) and societal impact (e.g., inequity, misuse, economic and environmental impact, legal and ethical considerations).
Though foundation models are based on conventional deep learning and transfer learning, their scale results in new emergent capabilities, and their effectiveness across so many tasks incentivizes homogenization.
Homogenization provides powerful leverage but demands caution, as the defects of the foundation model are inherited by all the adapted models downstream.
Despite the impending widespread deployment of foundation models, we currently lack a clear understanding of how they work, when they fail, and what they are even capable of due to their emergent properties.
To tackle these questions, we believe much of the critical research on foundation models will require deep interdisciplinary collaboration commensurate with their fundamentally sociotechnical nature.
## Original Full Paper (211 pages)
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2108.07258.pdf.
Thanks to Folkstone Design Inc.
#AI #ML #FoundationModels #ComputerAndSociety #SocialImlications.
Photo by yuyeung lau on unsplash.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2108.07258?sf149288348=1
🥲👍
Val Kilmer marked the release of his acclaimed documentary “Val” (now streaming on Amazon Prime Video) in a milestone way: He recreated his old speaking voice by feeding hours of recorded audio of himself into an artificial intelligence algorithm. Kilmer lost the ability to speak after undergoing throat cancer treatment in 2014. Kilmer’s team recently joined forces with software company Sonantic and “Val” distributor Amazon to “create an emotional and lifelike model of his old speaking voice” (via The Wrap).
“I’m grateful to the entire team at Sonantic who masterfully restored my voice in a way I’ve never imagined possible,” Val Kilmer said in a statement. “As human beings, the ability to communicate is the core of our existence and the side effects from throat cancer have made it difficult for others to understand me. The chance to narrate my story, in a voice that feels authentic and familiar, is an incredibly special gift.”
By Susan Ip-Jewell## **Space Medicine, Health and MedTech Innovations, a lecture by Susan Ip-Jewell**
In the frame of the new Space Renaissance Academy Webinar Series programme, chaired by the optimum Sabine Heinz, a quite interesting and rich lecture was given yesterday by Dr. Susan Ip Jewell.
Susan is CEO and founder of Mars Moon Astronautic Academy Research Science (MMAARS), one of the SRI VicePresidents and a pasionate space activist. And she’s Commander of Analog Training missions on Moon and Mars simulated surface.
In her lecture, she gives us a wide overlook on many aspects of human health in space, the edge of the space medicine, the innovative techniques using incremental technologies, developing systems integrating robotic, artificial intelligence, remote telemedicine, avatars and drones.
Btw, Sabine, in addition to being an efficient organizer and coordinator, has revealed unexpected talents as a great media presenter!
Sabine was fantastic, moderating the intense discussion that followed the lecture, about the many challenges humanity is facing, while kicking off the civilian space development.
Several questions and considerations were raised, by the audience, and by the panelists — Bernard Foing, SRI President, A. V. Autino. former SRI President and SR Academy Strategy Director, Sabine Heinz, Chair of the Webinar Series and of the SR Art Chapter, Thomas Matula, SR Academy, Educational Director — on topics like (randomly):
* in few months we will have four civilians flying on ISS: though the media only talk about this exciting event in a superficial mode, several challenges stand in the background.
* what is the main danger for health in space, low gravity, radiations, somethimg else.
* what will be the embryo development in space?
* will reproduction be possible in space?
* is there a doctor onboard ISS?
* will the civilian visitors to ISS have any kind of medical insurance, or warrants? will anybody be responsible for their life and health?
* does any idea exist, about what could be surgery in microgravity?
* during civilian space development, will the main danger be the human aspects and behaviours?
* will social issues raise and play a meaningful role, during the settlement oin the Solar System? (refer: R. Heinlein, James Corey \.
A lecture by Dr. Susan Ip-Jewell, MMAARS CEO and Founder, Space Renaissance International Vice-President.
SPACE STATION CREW DISCUSSES LIFE IN SPACE WITH STUDENTS AT U.S EMBASSY IN BULGARIA
Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 65 Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei of NASA and Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency) discussed life and work aboard the complex during an in-flight event July 26 where they answered pre-recorded questions from students. Vande Hei and Pesquet launched within weeks of each other in April on Russian Soyuz and SpaceX Crew Dragon vehicles respectively for their missions on the orbital outpost.
According to findings published in Learning and Individual Differences, a secure bond between father and child is particularly important for children’s development of coping skills related to mathematics. The longitudinal study found that the father-child bond predicted children’s math anxiety one year later, while the mother-child bond did not.
The term “math anxiety” is used to describe fear and apprehension surrounding math and can occur in children and adults alike. Math anxiety can arise in response to any situation that requires mathematics — from solving a math problem at school to calculating the tip at a restaurant.
Previous studies have uncovered parental factors that play a role in the development of math anxiety among children — for example, parents’ use of math at home with their children. There is also evidence that that the quality of the parent-child relationship influences math anxiety among children, but until now, no study had teased apart the specific roles of the mother-child versus father-child bond.
The Future of Everything covers the innovation and technology transforming the way we live, work and play, with monthly issues on health, money, cities and more. This month is Education & Learning, online starting Aug. 6 and in the paper on Aug. 13.
No one has yet deciphered the brain signals that encode a complex thought, turn an idea into words or make a lasting memory. But powerful clues are emerging to drive the neurotechnology of learning, scientists say.
On the frontier of neuroscience, researchers are inventing devices to enhance learning abilities, from wearable nerve stimulators that boost mental focus to headsets for wireless brain-to-brain communication.