June 28 Safe Tech International News and Notes
Olympics, EMF 101 SUMMIT, Militarized AI Hell, Arthur, Firstnet 5G, Cosmos critique
The Olympic Games tech frenzy is starting; The televised (France) torch relay is underway: Olympic Torch Relay Map - Follow the Paris 2024 Olympic Flame | Paris 2024 (olympics.com) Games: July 26- August 11 featuring AI commentator, 5G, demo of flying taxis - a few notes below
AI: The secret to France’s AI boom? Paris’s top tech students have to pick up foreign languages, sports, and the humanities too Forget STEM. Paris university head says secret to France’s AI brains is a focus on the humanities | Fortune Europe AND Forget STEM. Head of Paris’s top tech university says the secret to France’s AI boom is a focus on the humanities (msn.com)
AI CRITIQUE from ‘AI Snake Oil’ authors: AI scaling myths Scaling will run out. The question is when. Scaling “laws” are often misunderstood, Trend extrapolation is baseless speculation, Synthetic data is not magic, Models have been getting smaller but are being trained for longer, The ladder of generality []A recent essay by Leopold Aschenbrenner made waves due to its claim that “AGI by 2027 is strikingly plausible”. fundamentally an exercise in trendline extrapolation. Also, like many AI boosters, he conflates benchmark performance with real-world usefulness. Many AI researchers have made the skeptical case, including Melanie Mitchell, Yann LeCun, Gary Marcus, Francois Chollet, and Subbarao Kambhampati and others. Dwarkesh Patel gives a nice overview of both sides of the debate. HERE
AI - EDUCATION: The biggest labor union in American education has its own policy proposal for AI. The National Education Association says “interpersonal interaction between students and educators [is] irreplaceable” and that teachers, not AI, should be at the center of learning, as POLITICO’s Weekly Education reported today. The NEA’s nearly 60-page report also argues that “evidence-based AI technology must enhance the educational experience,” AI must be developed ethically with “strong data protection practices,” and that schools ensure “equitable access” to AI and ongoing education on how to use the tools.[] The group will vote on the policy statement on July 5. Washington goes nuclear - POLITICO
AI: California's AI safety squeeze Between the lines: Supporters and critics of the bill disagree on one or more of these thorny questions: Can AI become dangerous to humanity? Should we be regulating a technology or only its uses? And does regulation inherently stifle innovation? Some top AI names who have long warned of the technology's existential risks have come out in support of the bill, including AI pioneers Geoffrey Hinton and Yoshua Bengio. The intrigue: As Wiener pointed out, California is making moves in this area because Washington hasn't, though he's hoping it will. https://www.axios.com/2024/06/26/california-ai-safety-bill-industry-pushback
AI WARFARE: A Militarized AI Hell on Earth Silicon Valley’s self-styled philosopher kings are pushing us toward a dangerous world of fully automated warfare. WILLIAM HARTUNG / TOMDISPATCH The New Techno-Enthusiasts While some in the military and the Pentagon are indeed concerned about the risks of AI weaponry, the leadership of the Defense Department is on board fully. Its energetic commitment to emerging technology was first broadcast to the world in an August 2023 speech delivered by Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks to the National Defense Industrial Association, the largest arms industry trade group in the country. She used the occasion to announce what she termed “the Replicator Initiative,” an umbrella effort to help create “a new state of the art — just as America has before — leveraging attritable, autonomous systems in all domains — which are less expensive, put fewer people in the line of fire, and can be changed, updated, or improved with substantially shorter lead times. [] Another central figure in the move toward building a high-tech war machine is former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. His interests go far beyond the military sphere. He has become a virtual philosopher king when it comes to how new technology will reshape society and, indeed, what it means to be human. AI is coming, and its impact on our lives, whether in war or peace, is likely to stagger the imagination. In that context, one thing is clear: we can’t afford to let the people and companies that will profit most from its unbridled application have the upper hand in making the rules for how it should be used. Isn’t it time to take on the new-age warriors? A Militarized AI Hell on Earth - Truthdig
AI OLYMPICS: NBC brings AI version of legendary broadcaster to Olympic coverage Narration by Hall of Fame announcer Al Michaels generated using artificial intelligence will voice the recaps that will be personalized to individual viewers of NBC's Peacock streaming service. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-06-nbc-ai-version-legendary-olympic.html
AI: SURVEILLANCE The Mystery of AI Gunshot-Detection Accuracy Is Finally Unraveling How accurate are gunshot detection systems, really? For years, it's been a secret, but new reports from San Jose and NYC show these systems have operated well below their advertised accuracy rates. The Mystery of AI Gunshot-Detection Accuracy Is Finally Unraveling | WIRED
AI: INSPIRATION/COMMENTARY: Why are we so afraid of AI if we’ve been using it for years?, one can argue that we have already dipped our toes into a Huxleyan-like enslavement, in which we have traded seemingly menial yet deeply human acts for the convenience technology serves on a digital platter. An Orwellian-like AI takeover won’t happen overnight. It will begin with surrendering the creative act of writing for an immediately generated paper “written” by an AI chatbot. It will progress when we forego the difficulty of forging meaningful human relationships with AI “partners” that will always be there for you, never challenge you, and constantly affirm you. An Orwellian future isn’t so unimaginable if we have already surrendered our freedom to AI on our own accord. Why are we so afraid of AI if we’ve been using it for years? | Blaze Media (theblaze.com) and also Here: Why are we so afraid of AI if we’ve been using it for years? – DNyuz
AUTOMOBILES: One in Five Public EV Chargers in the US Don’t Work, Study Finds Harvard research based on data from charging-station review EV chargers less reliable than gas pumps, researcher says One in Five Public EV Chargers in the US Don’t Work, Study Finds - Bloomberg
AUTOMOBILES: Tesla Cybertruck recalled again, this time over faulty wiper and trim The two NHTSA recalls affect over 11,000 Cybertrucks and follow a recall in April over risk of a jammed accelerator pedal. Tesla Cybertruck recalled again, this time over faulty wiper and trim - The Verge
AVIATION AIR TAXI OLYMPICS: As air taxi services make progress in US, no timeline set for liftoff over LA traffic The city's Department of Transportation said it's working with mobility groups to plan for new transportation technology and previously cautioned that it could take years to evaluate and address challenges related to new air technology services. Transit experts have said that equity, accessibility, emissions and noise also remain key concerns to address. "Nobody likes the idea of rich people flying over their heads, imparting their noise and their emissions on them while they're stuck with traffic," said Harper, who helped write the UML primer.Harper said there are opportunities, such as emergency-use operations, for the technology to serve the broader public. But the process will take time. In Paris, Verocopter will test its air taxi service during the Olympics, https://techxplore.com/news/2024-06-air-taxi-timeline-liftoff-la.html
AVIATION: IEEE: POWERING PLANES WITH MICROWAVES IS NOT THE CRAZIEST IDEA If you don’t mind massive ground antennas and fried birds, that is Beamed power for aviation is, I admit, an outrageous notion. If physics doesn’t forbid it, federal regulators or nervous passengers probably will. But compared with other proposals for decarbonizing aviation, is it that crazy? Batteries, hydrogen, alternative carbon-based fuels—nothing developed so far can store energy as cheaply and densely as fossil fuels, or fully meet the needs of commercial air travel as we know it. So, what if we forgo storing all the energy on board and instead beam it from the ground? Let me sketch what it would take to make this idea fly. Electromagnetic Waves Could Power Airplanes from the Ground - IEEE Spectrum
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES: Autonomous Driving Has Hit A Troubling Plateau: An Engineer Explains Why Current generation AI carries the same problems as the machine learning of the previous decade used for self-driving cars. The models need endless data to function, the collection of which is a logistical nightmare. Even if it worked, AI requires large amounts of processing power that would make real-time decision making difficult. In the meantime, there are ways you can travel by land without touching the steering wheel. Trains still exist, and although the United States lags behind the rest of the developed world in high-speed rail, continental travel is nonetheless possible. Meanwhile, most major cities have public transit systems that are easy to navigate without the hassle of city traffic. These options are all far safer than even a short car ride, and you can kick back, nap, or catch up on work, just like Musk promised you'd be able to do in a Tesla by now. https://www.slashgear.com/1605007/autonomous-driving-plateau-engineer-expert-explains/
BIG TECH U.S. POLITICS: Biden Administration Proposes Limits on Investments in Chinese Tech Over Security Concerns https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/biden-administration-proposes-limits-on-investments-in-chinese-tech-over-security-concerns-5673099
CELL PHONES: PLEASE GET RID OF YOUR CELL PHONES NOW ARTHUR FIRSTENBERG Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more The most important, and most ignored, medical study in the world was published in 2004 by Olle Johansson, a scientist at the Karolinska Institute, the institution that awards the Nobel Prize in Medicine. Its other author was Örjan Hallberg and its title was “1997 – A curious year in Sweden”. In the autumn of 1997, in every one of the 21 counties in that country, the number of sick people stopped declining and abruptly began increasing. PLEASE GET RID OF YOUR CELL PHONES NOW (substack.com)
CELLPHONE OUTAGE EUROPE: Cellphone Outage in Europe Leaves Many U.S. Travelers Disconnected Cellphone Outage in Europe Leaves Many U.S. Travelers Disconnected – DNyuz
CENSORSHIP SOCIAL MEDIA: Supreme Court Rules with Biden Administration in Social Media Case In a 6-3 decision, the majority found that the plaintiffs lacked standing. The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the government can ask social media companies to take down misleading content, reversing a Fifth Circuit decision. Supreme Court Rules with Biden Administration in Social Media Case (broadbandbreakfast.com) See also: Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Biden Administration’s Contacts With Social Media Companies Benton
CHILDREN SOCIAL MEDIA Australia: Other countries have struggled to control how kids access the internet. What can Australia learn? Unsuccessful age bans Many other countries have imposed bans on children's access to online content, with varying degrees of success. South Korea imposed a "shutdown law" in 2011. It was designed to address online gaming addiction by limiting those under 16 from accessing gaming sites after midnight. However, many children used accounts in their parents' names to continue accessing gaming sites. The law also faced legal challenges, with parents concerned about restrictions on their rights to parent and educate their children. The law was abolished in 2021. In 2015, the European Union introduced legislation that would ban children under 16 from accessing online services (including social media) without parental consent. [] The law was amended to allow individual countries to opt out of the new age ban, with the United Kingdom opting to keep limits only for those under age 13. This patchwork approach meant individual countries could set their own limits. In 2023, for example, France enacted a law requiring social media platforms to restrict access for teens under 15 unless authorized by a parent or guardian. Today, Europe leads the world in imposing significant online protections for children, with huge implications for tech companies. In 2023 a new Digital Services Act was introduced, which forbids platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat from targeting children with personalized advertisements. Rather than banning children from online services, this legislation focuses on controlling how very large platforms engage with children. It's meant to ensure protections are in place to manage harmful content and algorithmic influences on platform use. HERE
CHILDREN: How Blind Spots and Biases Hurt Our Kids All parents have biases when it comes to managing their kids’ screen use. What are yours These are some early pitfalls when it comes to parenting around screens:
Confusing physical maturity and academic intelligence with emotional maturity and wisdom
Believing that love always equals trust
Relying too much on parental controls to prevent problems
Depending only on conversations to change behavior
Believing common screen myths and seeking to confirm personal biases HERE
CHILDREN: Last week, New York State legislators put a stop to personalized social media feeds for the under 18 set, citing mental health harms. The law they passed takes an unusual approach to the challenging task of regulating social media. It focuses on algorithms, rather than platforms or specific content.[] A U.K. study on the effects of algorithms on wellbeing found that one in five 11- to 16-year-olds have been exposed to content that shows them how to cut themselves, or how to eat small meals to be thinner and how to engage in binging and purging behaviors. Another study says that seeing self-harm leads to self-harm and increasing connection with others who self-harm. That 'For You' page could be harming your health - POLITICO
CLIMATE: Climate engineering off US coast could increase heatwaves in Europe, study finds Scientists call for regulation to stop regional use of marine cloud brightening having negative impact elsewhere HERE
CLIMATE ECONOMICS: 'Climate Change' Is A $100 Trillion Wealth Transfer From The Poor To The Rich (technocracy.news)
CONSUMER PRODUCTS: I Wore Meta Ray-Bans in Montreal to Test Their AI Translation Skills. It Did Not Go Well WIRED took Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses to French-speaking Canada to trial its AI smarts. Quelle catastrophe! I Wore Meta Ray-Bans in Montreal to Test Their AI Translation Skills. It Did Not Go Well | WIRED
CYBERHACK: Massive auto dealer outage: CDK Global says it won’t be able to come back online this month CDK Global says it won’t be able to come back online until June 30 after massive hack | CNN Business
DATA: Microsoft has ditched its Project Natick underwater data center The project, which started in 2013, famously saw a test unit deployed off the coast of Scotland’s Orkney Islands in 2018. The underwater data center, which operated for 5 years, was designed to significantly reduce the environmental impact of the industry. It promised to reduce latency, with Microsoft claiming that half the world’s population lives within 200km of the coast, while using local renewable energy and minimizing the need for external cooling. The data center industry is set for continued growth as more infrastructure is required to support artificial intelligence's resource-heavy nature. It’s unclear why Microsoft has decided not to go ahead with the project given the intense scrutiny Big Tech is facing over energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Microsoft has ditched its Project Natick underwater data center (msn.com)
DATA: Putting Data Centers in Space Could Reduce Their Carbon Footprint, European Study Finds Thales Alenia Space said feasibility study confirmed deploying data centers into space could offer a more sustainable solution for hosting and processing data https://www.wsj.com/articles/putting-data-centers-in-space-could-reduce-their-carbon-footprint-european-study-finds-ea3a03f6
DRONES: Coming soon to Mountain View: Drone deliveries Mountain View, California, residents will soon be able to order food, medicine and other small parcels to their homes via drone. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-06-mountain-view-drone-deliveries.html
DRONES AUSTRALIA: Is drone delivery a modern miracle or a band-aid fix for poor urban planning? One of Wing's strongest pitches to government and residents alike has been that its battery-powered drones offer a zero-emission, fast, sustainable solution to "last mile" delivery. In effect, Wing promises to take cars off the road by adding drones to the sky. However, its current business model relies on traffic congestion and poor urban planning. The areas Wing has targeted have major infrastructural issues. While Wing may offer a quick fix for these problems in the short term, in the long term the company's success relies on roads staying congested and neighborhoods being unwalkable. This is a major red flag for these communities who would rather see a better transport system on the ground than more drone traffic in the sky. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-06-drone-delivery-modern-miracle-band.html
EMF CANADA BARB PAYNE: UPDATE 2024-06-26 Breaking News: major flaws in COSMOS study See also: COSMOS: A methodologically-flawed cohort study of the health effects from exposure to radiofrequency radiation from mobile phone use New peer-reviewed letter presents scientific case for retraction of conclusions of COSMOS brain tumor risk study.
EHS FILM INTERVIEW w/MUSICIAN KATE KHEEL: The Venus on Broadway Int'l Film Festival (New York) founded by actress/filmmaker, Kathrina Miccio, continues in this episode. Kate Kheel (Remembering Nearfield); FIRST 5 MINUTES IS KATE: Venus on Broadway Int'l Film Festival-Interviews & Awards-Part 2 (youtube.com)
EMF CECE DOUCETTE Tech Safe 36 David DeHaas Cece Doucette welcomes David DeHaas from Idahoans for Safe Technology to the program to discuss their organizations' efforts to raise awareness about human and environmental exposure to EMF, regulate zoning and placement of cell towers in Idaho, and push back against the telecom industry's capture of the FCC. Tech Safe: Tech Safe 36 David DeHaas - WCCA TV 194 28 MINUTES
EMF DEVRA DAVIS: The Hazards of EMF and What You Can Do About It June 25, 2024 | Source: Epidemic Answers | by Devra Davis PhD MPH HERE
EMF/EHS: Albequerque Raising awareness of radiation: Looking into EHS By Megan Gleason / Journal Staff Writer Jun 24, 2024 Updated Jun 25, 2024 Four years ago, Sanchez was working remotely for Intel with multiple computer screens, a Wi-Fi router and a wireless printer in her home office. Now, her house lacks any kind of wireless technology. An A-frame sidewalk sign blocks the long driveway leading to the house with a warning of no cell phones and no Bluetooth technology. A cooler beside the sign indicates where deliveries can get dropped off. Sanchez said her symptoms started after COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in 2021. Using all of her technology at home and driving around in her hybrid vehicle, she said, she started getting brain fog and agitation, and her husband could tell something was wrong. “I didn’t know what was happening to me,” she said. Raising awareness of radiation: Looking into EHS | Business | abqjournal.com
EMF/EHS: Tech Outlook: Kevin Lorenzen explains EHS Jun. 24—Kevin Lorenzen can use a cell phone. But his wife says she physically can't. Self-diagnosed with electromagnetic hypersensitivity, or EHS, she reports symptoms of brain fog, headaches or exhaustion when she's around radio frequency radiation. Lorenzen, whose background is in engineering, came on the Tech Outlook podcast to talk more about the condition and how his wife lives with it. [] "It's interesting because the FCC right now is standing by, essentially, guidelines that it put into place back in 1996. They're so completely outdated. ... The guideline that they have in place is strictly based on what they call a thermal effect. It's only looking at the use of a cell phone, and how much that cell phone heats up over a period of time. ... They've never, ever addressed what the radio frequency radiation is that is emitted from a cell phone. ...The fact that the FCC says it's okay, you have to question whether or not they're really doing their job. ... Three years ago, the FCC was ordered to go back and review what its guidelines were and actually put in place specific requirements or regulations that we should have for radiation emissions, and they've done nothing for the last three years. ..." Tech Outlook: Kevin Lorenzen explains EHS (yahoo.com)
ENERGY NUCLEAR: Nuclear power has turned into a key part of President Joe Biden's climate agenda — and the subject of a bipartisan bill just passed that reveals the technology’s appeal and limitations. The ADVANCE Act — yes, because this is Washington, it stands for “Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy” — would push the American nuclear industry forward by speeding up permitting and authorizing new research initiatives. The bill is currently waiting for Biden’s signature after passing the Senate last week by a nearly unanimous vote. [] Given the diffuse (no pun intended) state of the technology at the moment, much of the ADVANCE Act is aimed at expanding experimental work and speeding up regulation around deploying nuclear power. It tells the nuclear commission to include in its mission statement that regulation “does not unnecessarily limit the civilian use of radioactive materials and deployment of nuclear energy or the benefits of civilian use of radioactive materials and nuclear energy technology to society,” a clear warning shot to those who would use red tape to slow down nuclear projects. It also encourages expedited review processes for technology like microreactors and sodium-cooled reactors. Washington goes nuclear - POLITICO
ENERGY OIL: How America’s “Most Powerful Lobby” Stifles Oil Well Cleanups In New Mexico, oil companies agreed to work with regulators to clean up more than 70,000 unplugged wells. Why did the industry turn against the bill it helped shape? Across the country, more than 2 million oil and gas wells sit unplugged, but the money held in cleanup funds, called bonds, is many tens of billions of dollars short of the projected costs. How America’s “Most Powerful Lobby” Stifles Oil Well Cleanups - Truthdig
ENERGY INDIGENOUS RIGHTS: In a Push for Green Energy, One Federal Agency Made Tribes an Offer They Had to Refuse (SOLAR AND WIND) The Yakama Nation wanted to consult on the development of a project on sacred land. But when the tribal nation refused to disclose confidential information, the agency moved forward without tribal input. [] The concerns over FERC’s engagement with the Yakama Nation are part of a wider discussion of whether and how the U.S. government should protect tribal privacy and cultural resources. https://www.propublica.org/article/yakama-nation-green-energy-federal-government
ENERGY NUCLEAR (FROM BEYOND NUCLEAR): 1. White House nuclear hypocrisy on Environmental Justice HERE 2. ADVANCE ACT More analysis of pro-nuke lawOn Wednesday, WBAI's "Eco-Logic" hosted Beyond Nuclear's Kevin Kamps, and NIRS's Diane D'Arrigo, to discuss Congress's passage last week of the extremely pro-nuclear power ADVANCE Act. ADVANCE is short for Accelerating Deployment of Versatile Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy. Also on June 26, Beyond Nuclear board member Karl Grossman published "Congress's Nuclear Addiction" in Counterpunch, quoting Kamps, D'Arrigo, and others about this bill, now poised for President Biden's signature into law. Grossman's quotes of Kamps were taken from their interview on recent episodes of Enviro Close-Up, "The New Nuclear Push" Parts 1 and 2. The new law undermines NRC's safety mandate, by adding a simultaneous and schizophrenic industry promotion mandate, a high-risk, 50-year step backwards. LISTEN HERE 50 MINUTES (a pro-nuclear reg modeled after the telecom act)
FCC: What the FCC Must Do to Comply with New NEPA Rules Erica Rosenberg, PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility), Jun 10, 2024 On May 1, 2024, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) published its final rule to amend its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementing regulations. These "Phase 2"ť rules represent a restoration of provisions altered by the Trump Administration's 2020 NEPA rules as well as sweeping revisions to update the original 1978 NEPA rules. They also reflect 2023 Fiscal Responsibility Act amendments to NEPA and other permitting process reforms. Agencies have until July 2025 to make their procedures comport with the new rules. Although CEQ had signed off on the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) original 1986 NEPA rules and amendments, its procedures failed to meet many of the requirements of either the 1978 CEQ rules or the Trump rules. To date, the FCC has had neither the personnel nor resources to comply with NEPA; to comply with 2024 CEQ rules, it must now have both, as well as a designated senior official and a chief engagement officer. To meet current requirements, the FCC will have to significantly revamp its rules in several ways [] If the FCC promulgates rules that comport with the CEQ rules and implements them properly, its environmental review process should be more inclusive and more robust, thereby giving the public a greater say in decisions that affect them. COMMENTARY | What the FCC Must Do to Comply with New NEPA Rules (peer.org)
5G: Pentagon to issue guidance on open radio access networks to support 5G
5G OLYMPICS: Sports Production and 5G Make a Very Cute Couple The Olympic Opening Ceremony along the Seine in Paris will be covered at least in part by cameras connected to bonded cellular links provided by telco Orange. Details are being kept under wraps to manage security in what will be a packed and wide area. Meanwhile, the Olympic torch is being relayed around France in segments live streamed via a combination of 5G and Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network. France Télévisions broadcast engineer Amy Rajaonson explained that they had created a “private 5G bubble” with latency between 50 and 90 MB/s and a bitrate of five 5000 MB/s.” She said, “In this setup there’s a car following the [torch relay] runners with two antennas on the car roof. One is for the private 5G and the other for Starlink. They bring the camera streams into the cloud hosted by AWS.” [] T-Mobile says its 5G private network paired with portable data transmitters and high efficiency coding devices, mean broadcasters like NBC can bring more cameras onto the course and capture more live content in 4K at 60 frames per second. That’s “thanks to superfast data speeds and glass-to-glass latency that averages under 100 milliseconds.” Sports Production and 5G Make a Very Cute Couple - NAB Amplify (nabshow.com)
5G-6G SOUTH KOREA Researchers successfully develop domestic 6G antenna measurement system In April 2019, South Korea ambitiously launched the world's first 5G mobile communication service. While 5G in the 3.5 GHz band was commercialized, the communication quality did not meet consumer expectations. The installation of base stations in the 28 GHz band, which would provide true 5G service, was slow due to profitability concerns. [] As countries around the world prepare for the 6G era, it is time to reflect on the disappointing experiences of 5G commercialization and focus on building the 6G infrastructure. [] Learning from the disappointing experiences with 28 GHz 5G communication, we plan to prioritize the establishment of 6G infrastructure, with the development of measurement equipment being a crucial part." Ho-Joon Seok, president and CEO of East Photonics Co., Ltd., said, "All smartphone and base station antenna measurement equipment is expensive and foreign-made, but commencing now we will take the lead in domesticating 6G antenna measurement equipment in close collaboration with KRISS. Unlike existing measurement equipment, our lightweight and mobile measurement equipment will be a strong point as we steadily plan for commercialization." https://techxplore.com/news/2024-06-successfully-domestic-6g-antenna.html
5G: With initial build-out complete, FirstNet looks ahead to more sites and ‘full 5G’ FirstNet budget passes with more than $500 million for network improvements Now that the initial build-out of the FirstNet network has been completed, the First Responders Network Authority is turning its attention to continuing upgrades and coverage expansion. Yesterday, the FirstNet Authority board passed its fiscal 2025 budget, which included $50 million in reserves, $100 million for the federal agency’s operating budget and $534 million for network reinvestment. One of FirstNet’s previously announced reinvestment priorities is the building of 1,000 new cellular sites over the next two years, to continue to bring FirstNet coverage to more areas With initial build-out complete, FirstNet looks ahead to more sites and 'full 5G' - RCR Wireless News
5G REPOST; Understanding the public voices and researchers speaking into the 5G narrative Steven Weller and Julie E. McCredden
5G INDUSTRY: Samsung is cutting jobs at its networks business
5G INDUSTRY: After messaging, is it time to update 5G calling too? The RCS standard adds multimedia to text messages. Now, the wireless industry is hoping '5G New Calling' will add multimedia, including video and documents, to standard, voice-only calls. After messaging, is it time to update 5G calling too? (lightreading.com)
HAVANA SYNDROME: A War Against Falsehood and Fear Nevertheless Avoiding escalation is not only a pillar of US policy. It has become a reflex. Yet the effects of fear of escalating tensions with Russia are arguably wider. A year-long joint investigation by The Insider, 60 Minutes and Der Spiegel, now taken up by the US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, raises worrying questions about US government knowledge (and apparent white-washing) of a pattern of non-lethal acoustic weapons attacks (aka Havana Syndrome) on over one hundred US government employees abroad. Documentary evidence now confirms earlier indications that these attacks were carried out by GRU Unit 29155, descendent of the KGB Department of Special Tasks. The Unit, “infamous within the US intelligence community” and global in scope, is “responsible for conducting lethal operations and acts of sabotage.” Their mission, according to one senior retired CIA officer, “is to find, fix, and finish.” According to The Insider: “Of all the cases examined […] the most well-documented involve US intelligence and diplomatic personnel with subject matter expertise in Russia or operational experience in countries such as Georgia and Ukraine.” Moreover: “multiple CIA officers who had worked cheek-by-jowl with HUR [Ukrainian military intelligence] a decade or so ago were affected by Havana Syndrome later in their careers.”[12] Should these attacks be conclusively tied to Russia, they might be viewed by Congress and the American people as prima facie acts of war. Many victims of these attacks believe as much and suspect that this is reason enough for US government reticence. A War Against Falsehood and Fear - ICDS (The International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) is the leading think-tank in Estonia specialising in foreign policy, security and defence issues.)
HAVANA SYNDROME: Havana Syndrome -- an IEEE Perspective. The recording of the webinar and the PDF links are below. PDF
https://futurenetworks.ieee.org/images/files/pdf/Webinars/FutureNetworks_Webinar-PPT-June_2024.pdf Recording
https://zoom.us/rec/share/9w_qIbFZ3EaxmcqqObnaFs52C0fsFPUr0-1aXR7X1aqss88-uLpneI639FNUp0zh.AJkk66dywZQPDakf More information about IEEE Future Networks, please visit https://futurenetworks.ieee.org
HEALTH DOPAMINE/PARKINSONS RESEARCHER: My Map of Stress Responses The Defence Cascade of Survival Instincts if a previous traumatic experience has occurred which escalated to this Tonic Immobility stage, and the current situation reminds the Nervous System of this previous event, the Fight or Flight stage may be bypassed. The Nervous System will go directly from the Orienting type response to the Tonic Immobility stage. The more traumas the Nervous System has experienced which escalated to this stage, the more the trauma bypass is likely to occur. Hence, there is a vicious circle, by which the Nervous System becomes more and more used to this type of freeze response, and hence for it to become the default or “go to” response, bypassing Fight or Flight, whenever a major stressor occurs. Indeed, in the extreme, it is possible for the Nervous System to become overly-sensitized, and begin to predict lethal levels of threats everywhere, and then to get stuck in the Tonic Immobility response. Idiopathic Parkinson’s is a manifestation of getting stuck in this type of freeze. HERE INCLUDES A COURSE OFFERING
HEALTH: New Nanotattoos Don’t Need Batteries or Wires While it has biosensor potential, the ink could be sprayed on almost anything “Any surface can be used for this, it’s not limited to the human body,” Ergen says. “You can put it anywhere—cars, for example, in places that are impossible to reach for diagnostics. All new cars have wireless networks. You can paint these somewhere and get the data. You can reach anywhere. If you paint your chair with our sensor, you can constantly get information about your sitting position. You can predict if a part might be broken because it starts to give you a weird signal.” This article appears in the August 2023 print issue New Nanotattoos Don’t Need Batteries or Wires - IEEE Spectrum
LANDLINES: Will We Ever End Legacy Telephone Networks? Meanwhile, smaller telcos have done everything suggested by the original IP Transition order. Most of them have replaced, or are in the process of replacing copper networks with fiber. These companies have modernized everything except for the legacy connections that are still the only option for completing local calls with neighboring carriers. What is probably most amazing (or maybe not amazing at all) is how the FCC ordered the IP Transition and then just let the biggest telcos walk away from the process with no repercussions. This is partly due to the big telcos that just stopped working on the issue, but also on the Ajit Pai FCC that entered the picture in 2017 with the agenda of not regulating big companies. It’s time for the FCC to pick this back up and finally make this happen. Will We Ever End Legacy Telephone Networks? | POTs and PANs (potsandpansbyccg.com)
MINING: Leading indigenous networks submit commentary for the ongoing review of the ICMM position statement "Comments for the review of the Indigenous Peoples & Mining Position Statement of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM)" 19th June, 2024 We at AIPNEE and REP convey our serious concerns that the ICMM has not undertaken meaningful and broad consultations with Indigenous Peoples’ representatives from around the world for the review of the Position Statement....Leading indigenous networks submit commentary for the ongoing review of the ICMM position statement - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (business-humanrights.org)
NATURE: CELDF Response to “Can granting legal ‘personhood’ to nature stem biodiversity loss?” by Viktoria Kahui The prospect of liability introduced by the conferral of personhood status monetizes the relationship between humans and the rest of nature. By pulling the River in as just another player, personhood portends a synthetic relationship that skews court scrutiny in favor of commerce and profit; all becomes grounded in the law of property. Hence the River was monetized and subordinated to capital. This is nowhere near the exceptional status intended for the River by rights of nature advocates. Legal personhood does very little to provide genuine protection of the ecological integrity of a huge watershed on which so many species depend. It does not cure the flaws of the failed environmental regulatory system. https://celdf.org/2024/06/celdf-response-to-can-granting-legal-personhood-to-nature-stem-biodiversity-loss-by-viktoria-kahui/
NATURE CANADA: Oceans as sources of law The future of water governance in Canada relies on coastal Indigenous legal orders “In international law, state sovereignty runs from territorial lands into territorial waters. If a state has land-based sovereignty, then its sovereignty also resides in adjacent ocean spaces,” he says, explaining that coastal nations would be impacted by having their rights diminished due to this practice. “Taking an oceanic approach to Indigenous rights in Canada ruptures many of the ways and assumptions that Aboriginal title has developed, including the tests that govern where it can be asserted and what sufficient occupation prior to Crown sovereignty means for coastal nations.” Ambers also sees the ocean as more than just the frame of reference for aquatic or land title—recognizing the ocean as a source of law. This became the inspiration behind an article co-authored with nuučaańuł professor Rachel yacaaʔał George, entitled “Fluid Internationalisms: The Ocean as a Source and Forum of Indigenous International Law.”
POLITICS POLITICO: Trump and Biden’s visions for 21st-century tech Ahead of tonight’s presidential debate, both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump share the same fundamental vision for America’s future on the global stage: beat Beijing in the race for advanced technologies, and in so doing, pull far ahead of China in the competition for the world’s strongest economy. That’s led both candidates to adopt a surprisingly similar promote-and-protect strategy for technology, focused on containing China’s rise in fields like artificial intelligence, microchips and quantum while simultaneously advancing U.S. prowess in the same technologies. But Trump and Biden differ on other key tech questions, including the extent to which the U.S. and Chinese tech sectors should split from each other. Trump appears to be pushing for a total decoupling (his former national security advisor made the case for such an approach earlier this month), while the Biden administration has attempted to strategically target its economic restrictions by singling out specific technologies (what it calls the “small yard, high fence approach).” The Commerce Department’s export controls only apply to some technologies, like certain high-end chips and the advanced machinery used to make them. Biden has also displayed more willingness to coordinate with allies on restrictions, while Trump tended to opt for bilateral over multilateral agreements in his first term. Then there’s AI, a topic of intense interest in Washington and one that Owen Tedford, a senior research analyst at Beacon Policy Advisors, told DFD would be a huge priority in either candidate’s anti-China, pro-U.S. tech agenda. “They want to see the U.S. flourish and become the global leader in that industry,” Tedford said. “There would be an interest from either administration.” Biden has steered his AI policies around his October executive order, which contains mostly voluntary guidelines. He has used the AI debate as an opportunity to appeal to organized labor, calling workers the “North Star” in a set of workplace “principles” released by the Labor Department in May. MORE: Trump and Biden’s visions for 21st-century tech - POLITICO
POLITICS: Kenya: Activists urge govt' to restore internet access during unrest
SPACE: A Global Push Fixed the Ozone Hole. Satellites Could Threaten It. With the rush to send up more and more satellites, a new study proposes that the hole in the ozone layer, a problem scientists thought they had solved decades ago, could make a comeback. Almost 20 percent of all satellites ever launched have re-entered Earth’s atmosphere in the last half-decade, burning up in superfast, superhot blazes.[ ] upon satellite re-entry, the bulk of a burned-up satellite could become aluminum oxide, a pollutant that could interfere with stratospheric ozone chemistry. Each satellite can generate just under 70 pounds of aluminum oxide nanoparticles. The study, which relied on laboratory measurements and computer models, posits that if the number of satellites launched results in mega-constellations of hundreds or thousands, they could create an excess of aluminum 640 percent above natural levels, which could potentially lead to significant ozone depletion. Article A Global Push Fixed the Ozone Hole. Satellites Could Threaten It. – DNyuz (from NY Times) The Study: Potential Ozone Depletion From Satellite Demise During Atmospheric Reentry in the Era of Mega-Constellations
SPACE: NASA picks SpaceX to carry ISS to its watery graveyard after 2030 NASA on Tuesday said it had picked SpaceX to build a vessel to carry the International Space Station back through Earth's atmosphere and on to a final resting place in the Pacific Ocean after it is retired in 2030. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-nasa-elon-musk-spacex-international.html
SPACE POLITICS: China calls on scientists of all nations to study lunar samples, but notes obstacle with the US Officials said at a televised news conference in Beijing meant to introduce the mission's achievements that any cooperation with the U.S. would be hinged on removing an American law that bans direct bilateral cooperation with NASA. "The source of the obstacle in US-China aerospace cooperation is still in the Wolf Amendment," said Bian Zhigang, https://phys.org/news/2024-06-china-scientists-nations-lunar-samples.html
TOWERS AND ANTENNAS: THE FACTS AND DANGERS OF ROOFTOP TRANSMITTERS ON HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS-FIREHOUSE MAGAZINE The facts and dangers of rooftop transmitters on high-rise buildings-Firehouse Magazine - Massey (disasterplanning.com) COURTESY NINA
WARFARE CYBERSECURITY: US military project to prevent hackers targeting satellites, recognizes rising threat of cyberattacks in space
EVENTS:
6/28 EMF Summer of Webinars (thepowercouple.ca) AND EMF 101 Summer Summit (thepowercouple.ca)
6/28 The National Call registration link, Friday June 28, 2024, 1-3pm ET https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsduqoqD8pG9JA5V4QrJbfOcX3b_IoWTuG
6/29 I know nothing about this program, Please research for yourself: Mind control & 5th Generation Warfare Free 11-day series starts Sat. June 29, 2024 9am PDT Mind control on 'the agenda' since MKUltra and Project Paperclip that brought Nazi scientists to USA after WW II to engage in 150 arcane experiments assisted by numerous gov, corporation, academic employees, most ‘evidence' eradicated except for 14,000 pages. I know professional women (and men): authors, lawyers, former gov employees, harassed with electronic, nonlethal wearpons+. Nonlethal Weapons: Terms and References free online: Robert Bunker, Editor, literally A to Z primer!If want to buy series instead of listening real time: $99: https://brighteonuniversity.com/collections/mind-control-5th-generation-warfare courtesy comments Kathy G.
Each episode on replay for 24 hours (from 12 noon EST 9 am PDT until the following day, at 12 noon EST 9am PDT), at which point next episode in the series will be played.
Register here:
https://www.brightu.com/upcoming/7fa26b0f-470c-479d-93b8-d422b6479873
Day 1: June 29-30: Behind the Veil: Mind Control and 5th Generation Warfare
Day 2: June 30-July 01: Secrets of 5th Generation Warfare
Day 3: July 01-02: The Psychology Behind Mind Control
Day 4: July 02-03: Political Manipulation of 5th Generation Warfare
Day 5: July 03-04: The History and Secrets of Mind Control
Day 6: July 04-05: The Science and Engineering of 5th Generation Warfare
Day 7: July 05-06: Targeting and Mind Control Experiments
Day 8: July 06-07: The Legal Battles Against Targeted Mind Control
Day 9: July 07-08: The Truth Behind Havana Syndrome
Day 10: July 08-09: Advanced Methods of Mind Control and Solutions
Day 11: July 09-10: Replay of episodes 1-10
9/27 BUILDING BIOLOGY: Seminar: Electromagnetic Radiation – 2024 SEPTEMBER 23, 2024 — SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 | 8AM—5PM Seminar: Electromagnetic Radiation - 2024 - Building Biology Institute
INSPIRATION: Why are we so afraid of AI if we’ve been using it for years?
Patricia, Thanks for curating so much critical info!