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AI-generative art predicted to be next trend for NFT sector
From cointelegraph.com
2022-01-16 15:34:01
Excerpt:
Sales of nonfungible tokens, or NFTs, reached $25 billion in 2021, demonstrating that the sector is one of the most sought-after markets in crypto. Art NFTs, in particular, made a big impact last year with Christie’s reporting over $93 million in nonfungible token sales during its fourth annual Art+Tech Summit that took place this past August.
While notable, much of the crypto art scene appears to be dominated by cartoons and memes, as projects like CryptoPunks and Bored Ape Yacht Club have taken center stage. Although these projects are some of the most successful to date, a new subset of NFTs is emerging based on advanced technologies and the human imagination.
AI-generative NFTs become a new art genre
Known as “AI-generative NFTs,” these nonfungible tokens are becoming increasingly popular within the art community, along with those interested in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain and the Metaverse. In order to create AI-generative NFTs, one would typically use generative adversarial networks, or GANs. These are algorithms that leverage computers to use data to train models to produce machine-made images resembling art.
Claire Silver, an AI-collaborative artist, told Cointelegraph that AI-generative NFT art is a relatively new genre, noting that the basic principle is that art is created in tandem with some semblance of artificial intelligence, like GAN:
“There are code-heavy options and completely code-free tools that anyone can work with. I use the latter in my work. Being able to work with an AI to bring your ideas to life is an experience like no other, it augments creativity in a way that feels like freedom, a type of play you haven’t experienced since you were a child.”
Israeli physicists create thought-provoking model for material that never melts – Haaretz
From www.haaretz.com
2022-01-16 10:21:00
Excerpt:
The accepted science is that the more (almost) any given matter is heated, the more disrupted its internal order becomes. It melts, or evaporates. Now a model developed by researchers from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the University of Kentucky contradicts that notion, and may have implications for the development of superconductors that will help to create green energy
Drones attack Balad Air Base hosting US troops near Iraqi capital
From www.presstv.ir
2022-01-15 08:49:00
Excerpt:
An air base housing US military forces and warplanes in the north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad has been hit by drones amid a rise in attacks on the positions of US occupation forces in the Arab country.
Sabereen News, a Telegram news channel associated with Iraqi anti-terror Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) or Hashd al-Sha’abi, reported that a number of combat drones hit the military compound 64 km north of Baghdad, on Saturday morning.
Sirens immediately sounded at the military compound, and the sound of gunfire could be heard from the site, it said.
The drone attack also sent dense plumes of smoke rising above the targeted area.
Police identify hostage-taker in Texas synagogue standoff
From nypost.com
2022-01-16 15:23:00
Excerpt:
The suspect who held a rabbi and his congregants hostage at a Texas synagogue was identified Sunday as a British citizen, as witnesses recalled watching the terrifying situation play out on a Facebook livestream.
Hostage-taker Malik Faisal Akram, 44, was shot dead after the last of the four hostages was released from the 10-hour standoff at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville on Saturday night, the FBI said.
“The FBI’s Evidence Response Team (ERT) will continue processing evidence at the synagogue,” the agency said. “At this time, there is no indication that other individuals are involved.”
A UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday, “We are aware of the death of a British man in Texas and are in contact with the local authorities.”
Akram took four people captive, including Congregation Beth Israel Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, during a Shabbat morning service around 11 a.m….
Major Blast in Tonga Create Tsunami and Heavy Ash Fall
From www.discovermagazine.com
2022-01-15 16:45:00
Erik Klemetti
Excerpt:
The first major volcanic eruption struck today in the island nation of Tonga. Over the past few weeks, the small volcanic island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai had been experiencing minor but impressive explosions. However, on January 14-15, the eruption became much more violent, sending ash over 60,000 feet (18 kilometers) into the skies. The blast also generated a tsunami that hit many of the islands in Tonga, destroying homes and buildings across the country.
UPDATE January 15, 7 pm ET: News continues to trickle in about this eruption. Current estimates for the ash column put it closer to 100,000 feet (~30 kilometers), which means it punched into the stratosphere. It released a siginificant amount of sulfur dioxide as well. The tsunami that raced across the Pacific Ocean created waves over 3 feet (1 meter) tall in places like Santa Cruz, California and the Oregon coast. There might even have been a “meteo-tsunami” in the Caribbean generated by the pressure wave in the atmosphere. We detected the pressure wave here in Ohio at ~9:45 am ET, with our seismometer also seeing a low frequency (<20 Hz) signal, which could be the shockwave passing the midwest.
Russia Demands Facebook Unblock Foreign Ministry-Linked Page
From www.themoscowtimes.com
2022-01-17 08:43:17
Excerpt:
Russia’s media regulator has demanded that Facebook “immediately” lift all restrictions on the official page of the country’s delegation for arms control talks in Vienna.
The Facebook page, which is affiliated to Russia’s Foreign Ministry, was taken down on Friday for publishing “illegal content,” according to delegation head Konstantin Gavrilov.
Media watchdog Roskomnadzor said Sunday evening that it has sent a letter to Meta, Facebook’s parent company, “with the demand to immediately lift all restrictions” from the Facebook page and “explain the reasons for introducing them.”
“Such actions of the administration of the Facebook social network violate the key principles of free distribution of information,” Roskomnadzor said.
Why mastering smart machines could unlock the next programmatic evolution | LoopMe | Open Mic
From www.thedrum.com
2022-01-17 09:10:56
Excerpt:
Applications typically function within narrow parameters. Producing outputs determined by the data feeding them, as well as particular objectives. All too often, their advantages have been overshadowed by speculation that dependence on variable input is among the main reasons behind continuing mistrust in AI. But it’s also vital to recognize the potential current operating dynamics provide for marketers to retain a firm grip on programmatic efforts.
Harnessing built-in controls, they can keep campaigns on track by setting specific rules for algorithms to follow. In fact, the concept of closely managed optimization is already gaining traction on multiple fronts, including instructing systems to direct bids at the audiences and inventory likely to fuel performance against core goals. While implementations so far have tended to focus on metrics that don’t give much insight into true ad effectiveness or drive informed choices — such as click-through rates — they are an encouraging start.
Leveraging emerging tools will help marketers take this approach further: adjusting media buying in line with outcome-based measures of precise impact on areas such as awareness and brand favourability. For instance, platforms supported by reinforced learning are making it possible to pre-emptively pinpoint which impressions will offer the best chance of delivering goal actions in different contexts, be that brochure downloads or social media interaction.
Armed with this ability, marketers can tell algorithms to only place bids in situations where users have a high probability of taking specified steps, ensuring AI plays by their preferred rules and maximising results at the same time.
U.S. House committee wants to hear from veterans with toxic exposure
From www.jdnews.com
2022-01-17 10:31:14
Excerpt:
Veterans who experienced toxic exposure in the military now have a chance to tell their stories to people who can make a difference.
U.S. Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, announced last week the committee wants veterans to participate in an online survey about the effects of toxic exposure.
“Your responses will help the Committee better understand veterans’ experiences with toxic exposure and how Congress can help ensure these veterans receive the benefits they have earned and deserve,” Takano wrote in a Jan. 11 newsletter.
The survey asks about exposure, health conditions, VA benefits and how Congress can help.
Treasury’s Yellen sees ‘much more work’ ahead to narrow racial wealth divide
From www.reuters.com
2022-01-17 10:08:00
Excerpt:
WASHINGTON, Jan 17 (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury took key steps over the past year to address longstanding economic injustices facing Americans of color, but still has “much more work” ahead to narrow the racial wealth divide, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Monday.
Yellen told a meeting hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton and his National Action Network rights group that Treasury was working to right economic wrongs called out by slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr in his “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.
“He knew that economic injustice was bound up in the larger injustice he fought against. From Reconstruction, to Jim Crow, to the present day, our…
Worldwide, the offices of the International Olympic Committee and Corporate Sponsors of the Beijing Olympics are being met with angry protestors who don’t believe a country that so egregiously violates the basic rights of its citizens should not be hosting a celebration of world peace through sport that the Olympics represents.
As Beijing Winter Olympics Near, Global Protests Target IOC and Corporate Sponsors
From chinadigitaltimes.net
2022-01-07 21:32:27
Oliver Young
Excerpt:
With the Beijing Winter Olympics less than one month away, activists have seized the moment to spotlight China’s human rights violations and corporate complicity in said violations. On Tuesday, Tibetan and Uyghur activists from several human rights organizations held protests in dozens of cities around the world as part of a Global Day of Action to demand an Olympic boycott. In the run-up to the Olympic opening ceremony, scheduled for February 4, the Chinese government and its critics seem likely to continue competing for control of the narrative, as global condemnation persists.
Groups opposed to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing held protests in cities around the world Tuesday calling for nations to boycott the upcoming event. Demonstrations on the “day of action” took place in Germany, Belgium, Turkey, Indonesia and elsewhere.
Photos: AP & Reuters pic.twitter.com/abrRZkSiaO
— Radio Free Asia (@RadioFreeAsia) January 5, 2022
Jan. 4 was a Global Day of Action for the #BoycottBeijing2022 campaign. Activist @jooeysiiu tells @rhokilpatrick about what they hope to accomplish with just a month left before the Winter Games, and whether it’s still possible to separate sports and politics. pic.twitter.com/hhccWwTMIL
— TaiwanPlus (@taiwanplusnews) January 5, 2022
In 1-month #Beijing2022‘s set to open despite #China‘s severe rights abuses. We urge all concerned citizens to #StandUp4HumanRights – join the call for #NoBeijing2022 & expose the @Olympics failure to stand against #CrimesAgainstHumanity #GenocideGames #BoycottBeijing2022 pic.twitter.com/jPlOJP4ntH
— TheTibetNetwork (@TheTibetNetwork) January 4, 2022
