In The News

Wall Street Journal: US Criminal Probe Targets Huawei

Dan Strumpf, Nicole Hong and Aruna Viswanatha January 18, 2019
The United States is investigating China’s Huawei Technologies for theft of trade secrets from US partners, reports the Wall Street Journal. “The investigation grew in part out of civil lawsuits against Huawei, including one in which a Seattle jury found Huawei liable for misappropriating robotic technology from T-Mobile’s Bellevue, Wash., lab, the people familiar with the matter said,” the...

Japan Times: How Will AI Change Global Politics?

Kuni Miyake January 15, 2019
Japan is a leader in developing artificial intelligence and robots. While other countries explore military applications for artificial intelligence, Japan does not. High-tech innovations can determine dominance and allow less developed countries like China to leapfrog over more advanced nations, including the United States and Japan. Due to AI technology, China is catching up and even surpassing...

BBC: Mass Data Attack on German Politicians

January 4, 2019
The most sensitive data is not secure online. A cyberattack targeted hundreds of Germany politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, along with celebrities and journalists. “Contacts, private chats and financial details were put out on Twitter which belong to figures from every political party except the far-right AfD,” reports BBC News. Twitter suspended the account with 17,000 followers,...

Xinhua: China Lands Chang'e-4 on Moon's Far Side

Yu Fei, Quan Xiaoshu and Hu Zhe January 3, 2019
China opened up a new frontier in space by successfully landing its Chang’e-4 lunar probe on the side of the Moon not seen from Earth. Previous missions by the United States and the Soviet Union photographed the far side. Because the Moon offers a shield against multiple radio signals from Earth, Chinese scientists anticipate the quiet place to allow improved monitoring of signals from other...

Project Syndicate: Climate Safety and Engineers

Jeffrey D. Sachs January 1, 2019
Nations have developed a rulebook for implementing the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Ending reliance on fossil fuels will help stem climate change, improving the environment and health, yet more action is required, explains Jeffrey Sachs for Project Syndicate. “The diplomats have read the science and know the truth: without a rapid move to a zero-carbon global energy system by mid-century,...

OilPrice: The Solar Tech Flying Under the Radar

Haley Zaremba December 25, 2018
Renewable energies represent about 12 percent of energy consumption and 20 percent of electricity generation, reports the US Energy Information Administration. Solar energy along with wind and hydro power are ranked among the top sources of renewable energies. “Currently, one of the most promising innovations flying under the radar in the world of solar panels is concentrated photovoltaics,”...

Wired: Quiet War Over Who Makes Online Money

Paris Martineau December 7, 2018
At first glance, giant social media firms like Facebook, PayPal and Tumblr appear to be trying to block hate speech pornography from their websites. But the trend is not simple and suggests an ugly culture war is underway. After Reddit banned forums for incels, the men who identify as involuntary celibates are retaliating. The group distributes content policies of internet firms including social...