Being Aware is a Dopamine Thing

Freedomist Editor August 17, 2021

New Research Shows How Dopamine Plays a Key Role in Consciousness

From singularityhub.com
2021-08-12 15:46:29
Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian
Excerpt:

In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, we have now shown that conscious brain activity seems to be linked to the brain’s “pleasure chemical,” dopamine.

The fact that the neural mechanisms that underpin consciousness disorders are difficult to characterize makes these conditions hard to diagnose and treat. Brain imaging has established that a network of interconnected brain regions, known as the default mode network, is involved in self-awareness. This network has also been shown to be impaired in anesthesia and after brain damage that causes disorders of consciousness. Importantly, it seems to be crucial to conscious experience.

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Fetch Hackers are Binance’s Problem, Says UK Court

Freedomist Editor August 17, 2021

London court orders Binance to trace hackers behind $2.6M Fetch.ai attack

From cointelegraph.com
2021-08-13 17:27:26
Cointelegraph By Turner Wright
Excerpt:

Artificial intelligence research lab Fetch.ai has been granted a request to have major cryptocurrency exchange Binance identify individuals behind a $2.6 million hack.

According to a Friday Reuters report, the Royal Courts of Justice in London has ordered Binance to identify the hackers and seize the stolen assets. Fetch.ai reportedly claimed that hackers stole $2.6 million worth of cryptocurrency from its Binance account on June 6 and resold the tokens for a significantly reduced price.

“We need to dispel the myth that crypto assets are anonymous,” said Syedur Rahman, a partner from Fetch.ai’s legal team at Rahman Ravelli. “The reality is that with the right rules and applications, they can be tracked, traced and recovered.”

Rahman reportedly claimed Binance is already in the process of tracking down the individuals and had frozen some of the affected funds. However, the exchange may request evidence from Fetch.ai that its account was hacked before returning the tokens.

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Taliban Take Northern Afghanistan and Send Thousands Fleeing in Terror

Freedomist Editor August 11, 2021

Afghanistan News: Thousands flee as Taliban eye full control of northern Afghanistan | World News

From timesofindia.indiatimes.com
2021-08-10 05:40:40

Excerpt:

KABUL: The Taliban were in control of six Afghan provincial capitals on Tuesday after a blitz across the north forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes for the relative safety of Kabul and other centres.
The insurgents now have their eyes on Mazar-i-Sharif, the north’s biggest city, whose fall would signal the total collapse of government control in a region that has traditionally been anti-Taliban.
Government forces are also battling the hardline Islamists in Kandahar and…

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US Navy Protect Nigerian Coast from Pirates

US Navy Protects Nigerian Coast from Pirates

Freedomist Editor August 11, 2021

U.S. Navy Ship Arrives in Nigeria to Back Anti-Piracy Push

From radarr.africa
2021-08-10 08:13:27
Radarr Africa
Excerpt:

USS Hershel “Woody” Williams, the first ship permanently assigned to Africa, arrived in Nigeria’s commercial capital city of Lagos on Saturday as part of the U.S. government’s support to combat piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

“Ship visits like this one clearly demonstrate the U.S.’s continued dedication to our partners in the Gulf of Guinea as they strive for the security of their resources, their economy, and their people,” Claire Pierangelo, U.S. Consul General in Lagos, told reporters Saturday.

West African loses about 800,000 tons of fish a year, worth almost $2 billion in gross revenue, to illegal activities by both foreign and domestic vessels, Pierangelo said. This removes vast seafood protein from the region.

Nigerian waters are at the centre of the Gulf of Guinea, a vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean stretching from Senegal to Angola that’s the most dangerous part of the world for sailors, accounting for almost all kidnappings at sea in recent years.

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Corpo-Woketarianizm Injected Into NASDAQ Stock

Freedomist Editor August 11, 2021

Nasdaq Diversity Rules Give Investors More Tools in Proxy Fights

From news.bloomberglaw.com
2021-08-10 14:14:45

Excerpt:

The stock exchange’s rules, approved by the SEC last week, aim to push companies to get more serious about not just recruiting qualified directors from underrepresented communities, but also push stragglers to disclose why they’re falling behind.

Under Nasdaq’s rules, companies on the exchange are required to have at least one female board member and at least one who identifies as an underrepresented minority or LGBTQ—or provide statements explaining why they can’t meet the requirements. Companies also must annually disclose the gender and racial composition of their boards, as early as next year’s proxy season for some firms.

Shareholders concerned about diversity will have the data to vote against directors and offer proposals to spur diverse boards. Investors will also be able to scrutinize corporate statements about why they can’t recruit female or minority board directors. Companies will need to publish those statements on their websites or in the proxy materials they send to investors before annual meetings.

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Flexodes Could Revolutionize Charging Speed of Lithium Batteries

Freedomist Editor August 11, 2021

More Efficient, Superfast Charging Lithium Batteries Closer To Markets

From scienceblog.com
2021-08-10 15:21:23
Texas A&M
Excerpt:

With the support of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Office of Commercialization and Entrepreneurship, Texas A&M University researcher Choongho Yu, professor in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, and entrepreneurial partner Ranga Vasudevan have successfully launched a lithium-based battery technology startup called Flexodes…..

The basis of the commercial venture is research from Yu’s laboratory on lithium-sulfur batteries. In particular, Yu’s team has patented the design of a 3D trench-wall carbon nanotube framework for the battery’s electrodes. These high-performing electrodes dramatically increase the battery’s ability to store charge.

The electrodes also discharge easily, generating large quantities of current to power up devices rapidly. The experts added that batteries built with their technology are more resistant to the formation of finger-like deposits called dendrites that cause most commercially available lithium-based batteries to overheat and rupture.

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It Looks that Temporary Junta is Looking to Become Permanent in Myanmar

Freedomist Editor August 11, 2021

Myanmar junta leader aims to solidify grip on power: UN

From www.channelnewsasia.com
2021-08-10 17:50:02

Excerpt:

UNITED NATIONS: The UN special envoy on Myanmar said on Tuesday (Aug 10) the country’s military leader appears determined to solidify his grip on power following a February coup and ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s political party could soon be disbanded.

Christine Schraner Burgener cited military ruler Min Aung Hlaing’s announcement this month that he was now prime minister in a newly formed caretaker government and also a formal annulment of the results of a November election, which was…

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High Speed Autonomous Drone Racers Get Better with AI Trainer

Freedomist Editor August 11, 2021

System trains drones to fly around obstacles at high speeds — ScienceDaily

From www.sciencedaily.com
2021-08-10 15:34:49

Excerpt:

If you follow autonomous drone racing, you likely remember the crashes as much as the wins. In drone racing, teams compete to see which vehicle is better trained to fly fastest through an obstacle course. But the faster drones fly, the more unstable they become, and at high speeds their aerodynamics can be too complicated to predict. Crashes, therefore, are a common and often spectacular occurrence.

But if they can be pushed to be faster and more nimble, drones could be put to use in time-critical operations beyond the race course, for instance to search for survivors in a natural disaster.

Now, aerospace engineers at MIT have devised an algorithm that helps drones find the fastest route around obstacles without crashing. The new algorithm combines simulations of a drone flying through a virtual obstacle course with data from experiments of a real drone flying through the same course in a physical space.

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NSA Swears Its Investigating Itself Over Tucker Carlson Spying Claims

Freedomist Editor August 11, 2021

Tucker Carlson’s Spying Allegations Being Investigated by National Security

From www.wsj.com
2021-08-10 17:38:00

Excerpt:

WASHINGTON—The National Security Agency’s internal watchdog is conducting a review of recent allegations made by Fox News host Tucker Carlson that the spy agency had improperly targeted his communications for surveillance, the agency and an official said.

The announcement…

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Taliban Raiding Homes Looking for New Sex Slaves, Young Girls

Freedomist Editor August 11, 2021

Taliban ‘going door-to-door grabbing underage girls to use as ‘ sex slaves’

From www.thesun.co.uk
2021-08-10 12:38:14
Jacob Bentley-York
Excerpt:

THE Taliban are “going to door to door” to round up young girls to be “sex slaves” to fighters in the terror group, reports claim.

An inside source suggests that Taliban leaders are attempting to kidnap and forcedly marry women after after local leaders in Afghanistan were asked to present…

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