Archive for the ‘futurism’ category: Page 672
May 21, 2019
Amazon’s system for tracking its warehouse workers can automatically fire them
Posted by Shane Hinshaw in categories: futurism, robotics/AI
A world where people are monitored and supervised by machines isn’t confined to the realms of sci-fi. It’s here now.
Tough conditions: There have been many reports over recent years about unpleasant conditions workers face at Amazon warehouses. Employees are under pressure to pack hundreds of boxes per hour, and face being fired if they aren’t fast enough.
What’s new: Documents obtained by The Verge show that it’s far more common for people to be fired due to lack of productivity than outsiders realize. Roughly 300 people were fired at a single facility between August 2017 and September 2018 for that reason. And crucially, the documents show that much of the firing process is automated.
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The USSR honestly did try to build a handheld laser pistol for cosmonauts to carry. It never made it to orbit, though—that we know of.
May 20, 2019
All the bearings are moving in a straight line
Posted by Quinn Sena in category: futurism
May 20, 2019
Tabletop dryer vacuum-evaporates water out of clothing
Posted by Quinn Sena in category: futurism
For apartment-dwellers who don’t like going to laundromats, there are already compact washing machines – but what happens when the washed clothes need to be dried? Well, that’s where the diminutive Morus Zero comes in.
May 20, 2019
Scientists discover self-defense “switch” for stem cells
Posted by Quinn Sena in categories: biotech/medical, futurism
With the power to turn themselves into any other cell in the body, stem cells have a future as a key treatment for a range of diseases and injuries. The problem is, they lack some of the self-defense mechanisms that other cells have, leaving them open to attack from viruses and other threats. Now, researchers from the University of Edinburgh may have found a way to switch this mechanism back on, making stem cell treatments more effective.
Serotonin levels have been linked to the regulation of mood and sexual function. Emerging research now reveals more about its role in learning processes.
May 20, 2019
The (Likely) Reason Men Don’t Live as Long as Women
Posted by Genevieve Klien in category: futurism
Research data indicates men can expect to live an average of five fewer years than women. The reason might surprise you.