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Here’s my new article for Aporia magazine, the final futurist story in my 4-part series for them!


Written by Zoltan Istvan.

I met my wife on Match.com 15 years ago. She didn’t have a picture on her profile, but she had written a strong description of herself. It was enough to warrant a first date, and we got married a year later.

But what if ordinary dating sites allowed users to see their potential date naked using advanced AI that could “virtually undress” that person? Let’s take it a step further. What if they gave users the option to have virtual sex with their potential date using deepfake technology, before they ever met them in person? Some of this technology is already here. And it’s prompting a lot of thorny questions – not just for dating sites but for anyone who uses the web.

Researchers at Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ) and Technical University of Munich (TUM) demonstrated a potential platform for large-scale quantum computing and communication networks. Secure quantum networks are of interest to financial institutions, medical facilities, government agencies, and other organizations that handle personal data and classified information due to their much higher level of security.

To create an environment that supported quantum computing, the researchers excited individual atoms of the rare-earth metal erbium. The excitation process caused the erbium atoms to emit single photons with properties suitable for the construction of quantum networks.

Welcome to the AI Revolution! In this eye-opening whiteboard animation, we dive into the rapidly changing world of work shaped by artificial intelligence. Discover how AI is transforming industries, the new opportunities being created, and the challenges we must overcome. Learn the importance of upskilling, reskilling, and nurturing human skills to stay ahead in the age of automation. Don’t miss this chance to prepare for the future and thrive in the AI-driven workplace. Subscribe for more insights on the cutting edge of technology and the future of work!

Aifyit, aify it.

Artificial Intelligence.
Future of Work.
AI and Jobs.
Job Displacement.
Upskilling.
Reskilling.
Soft Skills.
AI Automation.
AI in Industries.
Lifelong Learning

By Deborah Pirchner, Frontiers science writer.

Malaria is an infectious disease claiming more than half a million lives each year. Because traditional diagnosis takes expertise and the workload is high, an international team of researchers investigated if diagnosis using a new system combining an automatic scanning microscope and AI is feasible in clinical settings. They found that the system identified malaria parasites almost as accurately as experts staffing microscopes used in standard diagnostic procedures. This may help reduce the burden on microscopists and increase the feasible patient load.

Each year, more than 200 million people fall sick with malaria and more than half a million of these infections lead to death. The World Health Organization recommends parasite-based diagnosis before starting treatment for the disease caused by Plasmodium parasites. There are various diagnostic methods, including conventional light microscopy, rapid diagnostic tests and PCR.

From VC Elements—bridging the gap between global trends shaping our future, and the raw materials powering them ⚡️.


Coal is Still King

Coal still leads the charge when it comes to electricity, representing 35.4% of global power generation in 2022, followed by natural gas at 22.7%, and hydroelectric at 14.9%.

Learning more about the root causes of child death has unlocked new ways to save millions of lives.


Where innovations could save the lives of 2 million more mothers and babies by Melinda French Gates and Bill Gates.

Co-Chairs, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The threat group behind the fast-growing Rhysida ransomware-as-a-service operation has claimed credit for an Aug. 19 attack that crippled systems at Singing River Health System, one of Mississippi’s largest healthcare entities.

The attack follows one against California’s Prospect Medical Holdings in August that affected 16 hospitals and more than 160 clinics around the country. The wide scope of that incident prompted an alert from the Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center to other organizations in the industry.

The attack on Singing River impacted three hospitals and some 10 clinics belonging to the system and is likely to reinforce Rhysida’s credentials as a growing threat to healthcare organizations in the US. It’s also a reminder of the surging interest in the sector from ransomware actors who, early in the COVID-19 pandemic, had piously vowed to stay away from attacking hospitals and other healthcare entities.

Scientists have shown that the biomass of 12 previously unstudied strains of cyanobacteria from around the globe is efficient at the biosorption of the rare earth elements lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, and terbium from aqueous solutions. This allows these rare elements, for which demand is steadily growing, to be collected from wastewater from mining, metallurgy, and the recycling of e-waste, and reused.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemically similar metals, which got their name because they typically occur at low concentrations (between 0.5 and 67 parts per million) within the Earth’s crust. Because they are indispensable in modern technology such as light emitting diodes, mobile phones, electromotors, wind turbines, hard disks, cameras, magnets, and low-energy lightbulbs, the demand for them has increased steadily over the past few decades, and is predicted to rise further by 2030.