Yearly Archives: 2013

Harper government kills controversial Canadian Internet surveillance bill

"Bill C-30 caused a furor when it was introduced a year ago this week. The legislation would have permitted police and other government officials to compel Internet service providers to disclose identifying information linked to clients’ ISP addresses without a warrant. Telecommunications companies would also have been required to collect and store data on clients’ digital activities. The law was fiercely opposed by federal and provincial privacy commissioners as a fundamental intrusion on privacy rights. Instead, the government has carved out a sliver of the bill to ensure warrantless wiretaps during emergencies remain legal." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHarper government kills controversial Canadian Internet surveillance bill

Unite With Namecheap Against CISPA

"As many of you are aware, Namecheap has taken a stance against SOPA and related legislation. In 2012 and 2013, we donated over $100,000 to the Electronic Frontier Foundation to help ensure that the fight stays alive. CISPA, which emerged in 2012, has been rebirthed this week as an even bigger threat to online freedom. If CISPA is passed, the US government gains the power to ask your ISP about any/all of your online activities and personal information. Advocated under the premise of anti-terrorism legislation, this legislation is so broad that it threatens to endanger the privacy of every individual and ordinary and law abiding citizens." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUnite With Namecheap Against CISPA

Bad cyber security bill CISPA heading back to the House

"Rumors of CISPA’s demise were apparently greatly exaggerated, according to various privacy rights advocates and organizations today. The recently 'deceased' bill is scheduled for a new vote. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI) and fellow congressman Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) will reintroduce CISPA this Wednesday, which should bear a striking resemblance to last year’s bill and not the amended version that failed to gain even a senate vote of approval." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingBad cyber security bill CISPA heading back to the House

Harvard Business Review: 3-D Printing Will Change the World

"To anyone who hasn’t seen it demonstrated, 3-D printing sounds futuristic—like the meals that materialized in the Jetsons’ oven at the touch of a keypad. But the technology is quite straightforward: It is a small evolutionary step from spraying toner on paper to putting down layers of something more substantial (such as plastic resin) until the layers add up to an object. And yet, by enabling a machine to produce objects of any shape, on the spot and as needed, 3-D printing really is ushering in a new era." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingHarvard Business Review: 3-D Printing Will Change the World

Anti-anxiety drug pollution makes fish fearless and antisocial

"Anti-anxiety drugs find their way into wastewater where they make fish more fearless and antisocial, with potentially serious ecological consequences, researchers said Thursday. Sientists examining perch exposed to the sedative Oxazepam — which, like many medications, passes through the human body — found that it made them more likely to leave their school and strike out on their own. With the use of such drugs on the rise, in Sweden and elsewhere, the researchers said the changes in the fish could be a global phenomenon, adding that more research is necessary before broad-based conclusions can be drawn." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAnti-anxiety drug pollution makes fish fearless and antisocial

My 3 Cents On Cancer: Jack Andraka at TEDxSanJoseCAWomen

"Jack is a fifteen year old freshman in high school. He developed a paper sensor that could detect pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer in five minutes for as little as 3 cents. He conducted his research at John Hopkins University. This research could change the face of cancer and promote early detection. He has been selected as the Intel 2012 ISEF winner and has won awards at multiple national and international math competitions. Jack is on the national junior whitewater kayaking team and enjoys playing with his dog and folding origami." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMy 3 Cents On Cancer: Jack Andraka at TEDxSanJoseCAWomen

AI system diagnoses illnesses better than doctors

"Using a computerized decision making processes similar to IBM’s wiz computer 'Watson' that won the game show 'Jeopardy,' researchers plugged in big medical data sources and tasked it to simulate treatment outcomes for 500 patients, most of whom suffered from clinical depression and at least one other chronic condition, like high blood pressure or diabetes. Using data from actual patient-doctor treatment sessions, real-life outcomes were compared to simulated treatment regiments and the computer was nearly 42 percent better at diagnosing illnesses and prescribing effective treatments than human doctors." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAI system diagnoses illnesses better than doctors

Is Ron Paul Not a Libertarian Because He’s Socially Conservative? Who Else?

One can be either socially liberal or socially conservative and still be a libertarian. On issues like abortion, gay marriage and drugs, how one views the state’s role, or non-role, in these matters, is usually what determines that individual’s libertarian credentials–not necessarily their personal views on these issues. But there are some libertarians who insist [...]

Continue ReadingIs Ron Paul Not a Libertarian Because He’s Socially Conservative? Who Else?

Is Ron Paul Not a Libertarian Because He’s Socially Conservative? Who Else?

One can be either socially liberal or socially conservative and still be a libertarian. On issues like abortion, gay marriage and drugs, how one views the state’s role, or non-role, in these matters, is usually what determines that individual’s libertarian credentials–not necessarily their personal views on these issues. But there are some libertarians who insist [...]

Continue ReadingIs Ron Paul Not a Libertarian Because He’s Socially Conservative? Who Else?