QLN 37 (153) - Tech Cold War, Mysterious Golden Orb, MGM Cyberattack, Carbon Capture, AI Life Coach & Live Parasite

This newsletter has?6?cover stories,?26?articles,?5 videos &?1?quote

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SMALL TALK

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Technology is fueling a new cold war between nations

Despite President Biden's reassurances that the United States is not actively pursuing a new cold war, tensions are escalating between autocratic and democratic nations, driven largely by technological advancements. Authoritarian regimes, taking cues from China, are increasingly infringing upon digital rights through widespread surveillance, censorship, and limitations on personal expression. While democracies also employ extensive surveillance technologies, it is the technology trade alliances among authoritarian nations that are facilitating the emergence of digitally enabled social control.

Scientists divided over the identity of the mysterious golden orb

The enigmatic golden sphere discovered at the depths of the Gulf of Alaska now resides in a preservation bath of ethanol aboard the research vessel Okeanos Explorer. Despite its retrieval from the abyss, scientists remain baffled by its true nature, but one certainty prevails: it has a biological origin. This mysterious object, approximately 4 inches (10 centimeters) in width with a small hole at its base, was extracted from a seamount 2 miles (3,300 meters) below the ocean's surface by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) deployed during the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Seascape Alaska 5 expedition on August 30th. It appeared to be affixed to a rock, further deepening the intrigue surrounding it.

A 10-minute call was behind the massive cyberattack on MGM Casinos

The ransomware collective, known as ALPHV or BlackCat, is said to be responsible for the cyber assault that caused the MGM Grand casinos to cease operations recently. As per a report from malware archive vx-underground, ALPHV purportedly gained unauthorized access to the company's systems through social engineering within a mere 10 minutes, resulting in the widespread shutdown of MGM Resorts International properties throughout the United States. According to vx-underground, the ransomware group seized control of MGM's computer systems using a three-step process.

World’s biggest carbon capture facility is being built in Texas

Emerging from the parched terrain of western Texas is the largest endeavor to date aimed at extracting surplus carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, a critical initiative hailed as vital in mitigating climate crises. The architects of this undertaking have recently secured funding from the U.S administration, although detractors characterize the technology as a diversion supported by the fossil fuel industry. Advocates of deploying colossal air-capturing fans to ingest substantial quantities of air and extract carbon, a procedure known as direct air capture (DAC), are celebrating their most significant advancements within the U.S.

Google is reportedly building an AI Life coach

In April, Google merged DeepMind, a London-based research lab it had acquired, with Brain, its own artificial intelligence team in Silicon Valley. Now, four months after this merger, the unified teams are actively experimenting with innovative tools with the potential to transform generative A.I., the technology underpinning chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard, into a personalized life coach. Google DeepMind has been actively collaborating with generative A.I. to develop solutions for at least 21 distinct personal and professional tasks. These include offering users advice on life, generating ideas, providing planning guidance, and delivering tutoring recommendations.

This is the first instance of a live worm found in a human brain

In an unprecedented occurrence, scientists have reported the discovery of a live 8cm (3in) worm inside the brain of an Australian woman. The 64-year-old woman had been experiencing symptoms such as stomach pain, cough, night sweats, and subsequently, forgetfulness and depression over several months. Medical experts suggest that the red parasite may have resided in her brain for as long as two months. Residing in an area near a lake in south-eastern New South Wales state, the woman is currently in a promising state of recovery. Researchers, who documented the case in the Emerging Infectious Diseases journal, believe this to be the first documented case of larval invasion and development within the human brain.

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FK's MEDIUM BLOG

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OTHER ENGAGING READS

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VIDEO CORNER

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"Challenges are what make life interesting, and overcoming them is

what makes life meaningful."

Joshua J. Marine

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