Societal challenges faced when using information technology

Professor Ajit Kembhavi , a founding member of the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, took charge as its Director on September 1. The astrophysicist has, among other achievements, the Virtual Observatory-India and UGC-Infonet projects to his credit. In an interview in Kochi to The Hindu , he speaks on issues related to astronomy research and development in India. What are the major projects IUCAA has undertaken to foster astronomy research and development in the country? On the observational side, we’ve become partners in a project called SALT, the Southern African Large Telescope. That’s an 11-metre telescope, which makes it the world’s biggest optical telescope. This is a joint venture involving about a dozen partners, mostly from America and Britain. South Africa is a major shareholder. IUCAA has taken 6 per cent share in the telescope. All the development hereafter will take place with our participation. That’s one of the big … [Read more...] about Astronomical prospects, challenges

As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth month, Russian President Vladimir Putin 's power could soon face a challenge from a number of senior officials, according to former U.K. intelligence official Christopher Steele. "There is now a serious vacuum in the Kremlin in terms of command and control. I don't think it can last a lot longer. I think it is worse than anyone has dared to express, in terms of the collapse of governance in Russia," Steele told the New Statesman on Wednesday. "There is a sense of who has got the potential power resources to do it and they are very few," he added. "The two mentioned are Alexander Bortnikov and Nikolai Patrushev." Bortnikov is a Russian intelligence officer who has served as the head of the Russian Federal Security Service since 2008 and Patrushev is the secretary of the Security Council of Russia. Steele explained that a challenge would be imminent should Russia's losses on the battlefield coincide with a deterioration in Putin's health, … [Read more...] about Putin’s power could be challenged within months, Christopher Steele says

Defence labs must come out with “at least two dual-use products where the technology can be used for defence as well as societal needs as spin offs”, remarked Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) chief G. Satheesh Reddy, who is also Secretary of department of Defence Research and Development. “We work on so many technologies for the strategic sector of defence, but every scientist should also think about benefits in terms of societal needs as part of what is becoming popular as scientific social responsibility,” he said on Wednesday. Addressing scientists and industry representatives at the DRDO’s Advanced Systems Laboratory, before handing over the technology transfer papers for biodegradable carry bags, he said with the help of Technology Development Fund, various defence labs can identify the dual-use technologies and make use of the industry and startups for testing and commercial production. “We can support the industry through hand-holding in the initial … [Read more...] about ‘Defence labs must think of dual-use products as social responsibility’

“The acid attack ruined my life,” said Nasreen, who was abandoned by her parents in 2007 after her husband, against whom she had filed a divorce case for domestic violence, attacked her. She roamed the streets of Jama Masjid struggling to sustain herself. “I’ve slept in places where you wouldn’t even walk,” she said. Life changed for the better when the Delhi High Court employed Nasreen and she could afford a roof over her head. In 2017, the Delhi High Court provided contractual employment to five acid attack survivors and a transgender person after their struggles were highlighted before the then Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal. The Delhi State Legal Services Authority had proposed to explore job opportunities for acid attack survivors and the court’s decision enabled six women to live with dignity. Mamta, 31, worked at a beauty parlour before she was attacked by her husband who threw acid on her face within a few weeks of their marriage in 2010. He was unhappy with the dowry … [Read more...] about Hope amid challenges for acid attack survivors

Why are we asking this now? It is the nagging fear that has just been given voice in a Manhattan courtroom. Dozens of Google's opponents lined up to damn the internet pioneer as monopolistic, rapacious, and contemptuous of laws that protect copyright and protect consumers from dominant corporations. Google's response could be summed up as: "Who? Us?" The occasion was a hearing yesterday into the company's ground-breaking legal settlement with the publishing industry, which has been suing over Google's eight-year-old project to digitise all the world's books. That settlement needs to be rubber-stamped by a judge, and while the major publishing houses may be happy with the deal, scores of other groups are not. And neither is the US government. What exactly is Google books? It is a vision even crazier than the one that created Google in 1996. Founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, students at Stanford University in California, originally came up with a way to download … [Read more...] about The Big Question: Is Google gaining a monopoly on the world’s information?

Cameron Diaz has opened up about societal beauty standards , detailing how she never washes her face. Diaz, 49, discussed how her perspecpective on beauty changed when she stopped acting, during a recent appearance on Michelle Visage’s new BBC podcast, Rule Breakers . The star of The Holiday noted how she felt trapped in Hollywood, due to the importance of physical appearances. “I am absolutely a victim to all of the societal objectification and exploitations that women are subjected to,” she explained. “I have bought into all of them myself at certain times.” “It’s hard not to look at yourself and judge yourself against other markers of beauty, and I think that that’s one of the biggest things,” she added. “The last eight years…I’m like wild, I’m like a wild animal, I’m a beast.” According to Diaz, the “last thing” she’s concerned about now, “on a daily basis,” is how she looks. Regarding how she got to this point, she noted that she’s “stopped looking in … [Read more...] about Cameron Diaz reveals why she ‘never’ washes her face as she opens up about Hollywood beauty standards

Rwanda has begun using drones to deliver blood to hospitals in rural areas of the country in what is thought to be the world's first regular national drone delivery system. The program will use fixed-wing drones that automatically fly to their destinations—initially limited to 21 across Rwanda—and drop packages of blood, plasma and coagulants with parachutes attached. Rwandan President Paul Kagame attended the opening of the program in Muhanga, central Rwanda, and even launched one of the drones from its catapult. Silicon Valley-based startup Zipline manufactures the drones, which fly below 500 feet (152 meters) to avoid passenger aircraft airspace. The drones have an operational range of 93 miles (150 kilometers) but could theoretically fly much further. The U.S. company is made up of engineers who formerly worked with companies including Google, SpaceX and Boeing. The drones are able to fly at 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) and could cut delivery times in … [Read more...] about Rwanda is using drones to deliver blood to rural hospitals

Indian teachers displayed resourcefulness in using edtech tools to keep students learning and to monitor their progress during COVID-19 lockdowns so they could address learning gaps when schools reopened, according to a new post-pandemic study in the UK release on Thursday. The research entitled ‘Effective Assessment and Progress Monitoring in an Online Environment’ was conducted in six countries India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, and South Africa to shed light into how technology for monitoring student progress needs to be improved to ensure no student is left behind. The study by London-headquartered digital media platform T4 Education, in collaboration with global research collaboration EdTech Hub, concluded that effective education technology (edtech) tools are needed to support teachers who had to rely on innovative techniques to keep students learning and monitor progress during the pandemic. “The extreme challenge placed on teachers in India and around the … [Read more...] about Indian Teachers Making Good Use of Edtech Tools: UK Study

Google is being sued over its use of confidential medical records belonging to 1.6 million individuals in the UK. The company's artificial intelligence arm, DeepMind, received the data in 2015 from the Royal Free NHS Trust in London for the purpose of testing a smartphone app called Streams. The claim is being brought by Andrew Prismall in a representative action in the High Court. It alleges that Google and DeepMind "obtained and used a substantial number of confidential medical records without patients' knowledge or consent". Why did Google get access to patient records? Google received data belonging to 1.6 million patients, some of whom had simply attended A&E within the last five years, in order to test a smartphone app which could detect acute kidney injuries. Advertisement The smartphone app - which is designed to address the 25% of preventable deaths from acute kidney injuries if they were detected early enough - was subsequently used … [Read more...] about Google sued for using the NHS data of 1.6 million Brits ‘without their knowledge or consent’

Building a business is an endeavor that takes time, effort and money. While hiring and maintaining a team of employees helps ensure that the organization is able to meet the needs of customers, leaders have to also ensure that the business is operating as effectively as possible—and technology is the perfect tool for the task. However, determining what technology will work best for the business's needs is difficult when it can be an ongoing and costly investment. Below, 16 members of Newsweek Expert Forum offer advice on how entrepreneurs can leverage technological solutions in their businesses without breaking the bank. 1. Find Solutions That Improve Inefficiencies Look for technology that improves inefficiencies and speeds up collaboration and communication. For example, I use Loom extensively in my business. It is cost-effective and enables users to record personalized videos to send to prospects and employees alike. I also use it to narrate feedback on documents and to … [Read more...] about 16 Smart Tips to Affordably Leverage Technology in Your Business