User:The Transhumanist

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User page undergoing expansion/revamp. Please excuse the blank section until it is completed. Thank you.

Introduction

Tsarevitch Ivan, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf

Hi. My name is The Transhumanist.

As a
transhumanist
...

I love emerging and evolving technologies, and so...

I'm currently immersed in studying

AI (particularly generative AI and reasoning engines), and big data
.

I dabble in JavaScript, including writing user scripts from time to time.

My best user script so far, is SearchSuite...

SearchSuite provides further control over Wikipedia search results, such as on/off features to sort them, to present results one-per-line, and more. While it seems to work fairly well, there is definitely room for improvement. Comments and suggestions are welcome.

By the way, most of the scripts I've been working on are for building and augmenting outlines...

As an encyclopedist...

I'm interested in all knowledge, especially how to organize it so you can find whatever is most relevant at any given moment.

I've been around Wikipedia since the Fall of 2005, and have been working mostly on Wikipedia's structure, and its knowledge navigation systems, throughout that time.

Selected articles that I've worked on

  • Image 1 Blood flow diagram of the human heart. Blue components indicate de-oxygenated blood pathways and red components indicate oxygenated blood pathways. Cardiology (from Ancient Greek καρδίᾱ (kardiā) 'heart', and -λογία (-logia) 'study') is the study of the heart. Cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular heart disease, and electrophysiology. Physicians who specialize in this field of medicine are called cardiologists, a sub-specialty of internal medicine. Pediatric cardiologists are pediatricians who specialize in cardiology. Physicians who specialize in cardiac surgery are called cardiothoracic surgeons or cardiac surgeons, a specialty of general surgery. (Full article...)

    cardiothoracic surgeons or cardiac surgeons, a specialty of general surgery. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 2 The Shadow robot hand system Robotics is the interdisciplinary study and practice of the design, construction, operation, and use of robots. Within mechanical engineering, robotics is the design and construction of the physical structures of robots, while in computer science, robotics focuses on robotic automation algorithms. Other disciplines contributing to robotics include electrical, control, software, information, electronic, telecommunication, computer, mechatronic, and materials engineering. The goal of most robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Many robots are built to do jobs that are hazardous to people, such as finding survivors in unstable ruins, and exploring space, mines and shipwrecks. Others replace people in jobs that are boring, repetitive, or unpleasant, such as cleaning, monitoring, transporting, and assembling. Today, robotics is a rapidly growing field, as technological advances continue; researching, designing, and building new robots serve various practical purposes. (Full article...)
    materials engineering.

    The goal of most robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Many robots are built to do jobs that are hazardous to people, such as finding survivors in unstable ruins, and exploring space, mines and shipwrecks. Others replace people in jobs that are boring, repetitive, or unpleasant, such as cleaning, monitoring, transporting, and assembling. Today, robotics is a rapidly growing field, as technological advances continue; researching, designing, and building new robots serve various practical purposes. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 3 This article explains terms used for the British Armed Forces' ordnance (weapons) and ammunition. The terms may have different meanings depending on its usage in another country's military. (Full article...)
    This article explains terms used for the British Armed Forces' ordnance (weapons) and ammunition. The terms may have different meanings depending on its usage in another country's military. (Full article...)
  • Image 4 Human overpopulation (or human population overshoot) describes a concern that human populations may become too large to be sustained by their environment or resources in the long term. The topic is usually discussed in the context of world population, though it may concern individual nations, regions, and cities. Since 1804, the global human population has increased from 1 billion to 8 billion due to medical advancements and improved agricultural productivity. Annual world population growth peaked at 2.1% in 1968, and has since dropped to 1.1%. According to the most recent United Nations' projections, "[t]he global population is expected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050 and 10.4 billion in 2100." The UN's 2022 projections report predicted that the human population would peak at around 10.4 billion people in the 2080s, before decreasing, noting that fertility rates are falling worldwide. Other models agree that the population will stabilize before or after 2100. Conversely, other researchers have found that national birth registries data from 2022 and 2023 that cover half the world's population indicate that the 2022 UN projections overestimated fertility rates by 10 to 20% and are already outdated, that the global fertility rate has possibly already fallen below the sub-replacement fertility level for the first time in human history, and that the global population will peak at approximately 9.5 billion by 2061. Early discussions of overpopulation in English were spurred by the work of Thomas Malthus. Discussions of overpopulation follow a similar line of inquiry as Malthusianism and its Malthusian catastrophe, a hypothetical event where population exceeds agricultural capacity, causing famine or war over resources, resulting in poverty and depopulation. More recent discussion of overpopulation was popularized by Paul Ehrlich in his 1968 book The Population Bomb and subsequent writings. Ehrlich described overpopulation as a function of overconsumption, arguing that overpopulation should be defined by a population being unable to sustain itself without depleting non-renewable resources. The belief that global population levels will become too large to sustain is a point of contentious debate. Those who believe global human overpopulation to be a valid concern, argue that increased levels of resource consumption and pollution exceed the environment's carrying capacity, leading to population overshoot. The population overshoot hypothesis is often discussed in relation to other population concerns such as population momentum, biodiversity loss, hunger and malnutrition, resource depletion, and the overall human impact on the environment. (Full article...)
    fertility rates are falling worldwide. Other models agree that the population will stabilize before or after 2100. Conversely, other researchers have found that national birth registries data from 2022 and 2023 that cover half the world's population indicate that the 2022 UN projections overestimated fertility rates by 10 to 20% and are already outdated, that the global fertility rate has possibly already fallen below the sub-replacement fertility level for the first time in human history, and that the global population will peak at approximately 9.5 billion by 2061.

    Early discussions of overpopulation in English were spurred by the work of Thomas Malthus. Discussions of overpopulation follow a similar line of inquiry as Malthusianism and its Malthusian catastrophe, a hypothetical event where population exceeds agricultural capacity, causing famine or war over resources, resulting in poverty and depopulation. More recent discussion of overpopulation was popularized by Paul Ehrlich in his 1968 book The Population Bomb and subsequent writings. Ehrlich described overpopulation as a function of overconsumption, arguing that overpopulation should be defined by a population being unable to sustain itself without depleting non-renewable resources.

    The belief that global population levels will become too large to sustain is a point of contentious debate. Those who believe global human overpopulation to be a valid concern, argue that increased levels of resource consumption and pollution exceed the environment's carrying capacity, leading to population overshoot. The population overshoot hypothesis is often discussed in relation to other population concerns such as population momentum, biodiversity loss, hunger and malnutrition, resource depletion, and the overall human impact on the environment. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 5 Existential risk from artificial general intelligence refers to the idea that substantial progress in artificial general intelligence (AGI) could lead to human extinction or an irreversible global catastrophe. One argument supporting this risk suggests that human beings dominate other species because the human brain possesses distinctive capabilities other animals lack. If AI were to surpass human intelligence and become superintelligent, it might become uncontrollable. Just as the fate of the mountain gorilla depends on human goodwill, the fate of humanity could depend on the actions of a future machine superintelligence. The plausibility of existential catastrophe due to AI is widely debated. It hinges in part on whether AGI or superintelligence are achievable, the speed at which dangerous capabilities and behaviors emerge, and whether practical scenarios for AI takeovers exist. Concerns about superintelligence have been voiced by leading computer scientists and tech CEOs such as Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio, Alan Turing, Elon Musk, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. In 2022, a survey of AI researchers with a 17% response rate found that the majority believed there is a 10 percent or greater chance that our inability to control AI will cause an existential catastrophe. In 2023, hundreds of AI experts and other notable figures signed a statement declaring that "Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war". Following increased concern over AI risks, government leaders such as United Kingdom prime minister Rishi Sunak and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for an increased focus on global AI regulation. Two sources of concern stem from the problems of AI control and alignment: controlling a superintelligent machine or instilling it with human-compatible values may be difficult. Many researchers believe that a superintelligent machine would likely resist attempts to disable it or change its goals, as that would prevent it from accomplishing its present goals. It would be extremely challenging to align a superintelligence with the full breadth of significant human values and constraints. In contrast, skeptics such as computer scientist Yann LeCun argue that superintelligent machines will have no desire for self-preservation. (Full article...)
    human beings dominate other species because the human brain possesses distinctive capabilities other animals lack. If AI were to surpass human intelligence and become superintelligent, it might become uncontrollable. Just as the fate of the mountain gorilla depends on human goodwill, the fate of humanity could depend on the actions of a future machine superintelligence.

    The plausibility of existential catastrophe due to AI is widely debated. It hinges in part on whether AGI or superintelligence are achievable, the speed at which dangerous capabilities and behaviors emerge, and whether practical scenarios for AI takeovers exist. Concerns about superintelligence have been voiced by leading computer scientists and tech CEOs such as Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio, Alan Turing, Elon Musk, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. In 2022, a survey of AI researchers with a 17% response rate found that the majority believed there is a 10 percent or greater chance that our inability to control AI will cause an existential catastrophe. In 2023, hundreds of AI experts and other notable figures signed a statement declaring that "Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war". Following increased concern over AI risks, government leaders such as United Kingdom prime minister Rishi Sunak and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for an increased focus on global AI regulation.

    Two sources of concern stem from the problems of AI control and alignment: controlling a superintelligent machine or instilling it with human-compatible values may be difficult. Many researchers believe that a superintelligent machine would likely resist attempts to disable it or change its goals, as that would prevent it from accomplishing its present goals. It would be extremely challenging to align a superintelligence with the full breadth of significant human values and constraints. In contrast, skeptics such as computer scientist Yann LeCun argue that superintelligent machines will have no desire for self-preservation. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 6 An abdominous obese male Weight: 182 kg/400 lbs Height: 185 cm/6 ft 1 in Body mass index: 53 Abdominal obesity, also known as central obesity and truncal obesity, is the human condition of an excessive concentration of visceral fat around the stomach and abdomen to such an extent that it is likely to harm its bearer's health. Abdominal obesity has been strongly linked to cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and other metabolic and vascular diseases. Visceral and central abdominal fat and waist circumference show a strong association with type 2 diabetes. Visceral fat, also known as organ fat or intra-abdominal fat, is located inside the peritoneal cavity, packed in between internal organs and torso, as opposed to subcutaneous fat, which is found underneath the skin, and intramuscular fat, which is found interspersed in skeletal muscle. Visceral fat is composed of several adipose depots including mesenteric, epididymal white adipose tissue (EWAT), and perirenal fat. An excess of adipose visceral fat is known as central obesity, the "pot belly" or "beer belly" effect, in which the abdomen protrudes excessively. This body type is also known as "apple shaped", as opposed to "pear shaped" in which fat is deposited on the hips and buttocks. Researchers first started to focus on abdominal obesity in the 1980s when they realized it had an important connection to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Abdominal obesity was more closely related with metabolic dysfunctions connected with cardiovascular disease than was general obesity. In the late 1980s and early 1990s insightful and powerful imaging techniques were discovered that would further help advance the understanding of the health risks associated with body fat accumulation. Techniques such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging made it possible to categorize mass of adipose tissue located at the abdominal level into intra-abdominal fat and subcutaneous fat. (Full article...)

    computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging made it possible to categorize mass of adipose tissue located at the abdominal level into intra-abdominal fat and subcutaneous fat. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 7 The technological singularity—or simply the singularity—is a hypothetical future point in time at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unforeseeable consequences for human civilization. According to the most popular version of the singularity hypothesis, I. J. Good's intelligence explosion model of 1965, an upgradable intelligent agent could eventually enter a positive feedback loop of self-improvement cycles, each new and more intelligent generation appearing more and more rapidly, causing a rapid increase ("explosion") in intelligence which would ultimately result in a powerful superintelligence, qualitatively far surpassing all human intelligence. The Hungarian-American mathematician John von Neumann (1903-1957) became the first known person to use the concept of a "singularity" in the technological context.[need quotation to verify] Stanislaw Ulam reported in 1958 an earlier discussion with von Neumann "centered on the accelerating progress of technology and changes in the mode of human life, which gives the appearance of approaching some essential singularity in the history of the race beyond which human affairs, as we know them, could not continue". Subsequent authors have echoed this viewpoint. The concept and the term "singularity" were popularized by Vernor Vinge - first in 1983 (in an article that claimed that once humans create intelligences greater than their own, there will be a technological and social transition similar in some sense to "the knotted space-time at the center of a black hole",) and later in his 1993 essay The Coming Technological Singularity, (in which he wrote that it would signal the end of the human era, as the new superintelligence would continue to upgrade itself and would advance technologically at an incomprehensible rate). He wrote that he would be surprised if it occurred before 2005 or after 2030. Another significant contributor to wider circulation of the notion was Ray Kurzweil's 2005 book The Singularity Is Near, predicting singularity by 2045. Some scientists, including Stephen Hawking, have expressed concern that artificial superintelligence (ASI) could result in human extinction. The consequences of a technological singularity and its potential benefit or harm to the human race have been intensely debated. (Full article...)
    The
    Full article...
    )
  • Image 8 Etruscan: Diomedes and Polyxena, from the Etruscan amphora of the Pontic group, c. 540–530 BCE – From Vulci Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take varied forms, including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines and other sculpture. As one of the plastic arts, ceramic art is a visual art. While some ceramics are considered fine art, such as pottery or sculpture, most are considered to be decorative, industrial or applied art objects. Ceramic art can be created by one person or by a group, in a pottery or a ceramic factory with a group designing and manufacturing the artware. In Britain and the United States, modern ceramics as an art took its inspiration in the early twentieth century from the Arts and Crafts movement, leading to the revival of pottery considered as a specifically modern craft. Such crafts emphasized traditional non-industrial production techniques, faithfulness to the material, the skills of the individual maker, attention to utility, and an absence of excessive decoration that was typical to the Victorian era. The word "ceramics" comes from the Greek keramikos (κεραμεικός), meaning "pottery", which in turn comes from keramos (κέραμος) meaning "potter's clay". Most traditional ceramic products were made from clay (or clay mixed with other materials), shaped and subjected to heat, and tableware and decorative ceramics are generally still made this way. In modern ceramic engineering usage, ceramics is the art and science of making objects from inorganic, non-metallic materials by the action of heat. It excludes glass and mosaic made from glass tesserae. There is a long history of ceramic art in almost all developed cultures, and often ceramic objects are all the artistic evidence left from vanished cultures, like that of the Nok in Africa over 2,000 years ago. Cultures especially noted for ceramics include the Chinese, Cretan, Greek, Persian, Mayan, Japanese, and Korean cultures, as well as the modern Western cultures. (Full article...)
    tesserae.

    There is a long history of ceramic art in almost all developed cultures, and often ceramic objects are all the artistic evidence left from vanished cultures, like that of the Nok in Africa over 2,000 years ago. Cultures especially noted for ceramics include the Chinese, Cretan, Greek, Persian, Mayan, Japanese, and Korean cultures, as well as the modern Western cultures. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 9 Location of Asia. Asian food encompasses several significant regional cooking styles: Central Asian, East Asian, North Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and West Asian. Cuisine is a distinctive way of cooking practices and customs, usually associated with a specific culture. Asia, as the largest and most populous continent, is home to many cultures, each with its own characteristic cuisine. Asian cuisine is considered the “culture of food within a society” due to the beliefs, cooking methods, and the specific ingredients used throughout the entire process. Asian cuisines are also renowned for their spices. A key taste factor in Asian cuisine is “umami” flavor, a strong savoriness prominent in Asian cooking, which can be achieved through fermented food or meat extract. Ingredients common to many cultures in the East and Southeast regions of the continent include rice, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, chilis, dried onions, soy, and tofu. Stir frying, steaming, and deep frying are common cooking methods. While rice is common to most Asian cuisines, different varieties are popular in the various regions. Grilling, baking, boiling, and deep frying are all important Turkish cooking techniques. Basmati rice is popular in the Indian subcontinent and jasmine rice in Southeast Asia, while long-grain rice is popular in China and short-grain in Japan and Korea. Curry is a common dish in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Curry dishes have their origins in the Indian subcontinent. Countries in Indochina typically use a coconut milk base in their curries; countries in Southwest Asia typically use a yogurt base. (Full article...)
    Location of Asia.

    Asian food encompasses several significant regional cooking styles: Central Asian, East Asian, North Asian, South Asian, Southeast Asian, and West Asian. Cuisine is a distinctive way of cooking practices and customs, usually associated with a specific culture. Asia, as the largest and most populous continent, is home to many cultures, each with its own characteristic cuisine. Asian cuisine is considered the “culture of food within a society” due to the beliefs, cooking methods, and the specific ingredients used throughout the entire process. Asian cuisines are also renowned for their spices. A key taste factor in Asian cuisine is “umami” flavor, a strong savoriness prominent in Asian cooking, which can be achieved through fermented food or meat extract.

    Ingredients common to many cultures in the East and Southeast regions of the continent include rice, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, chilis, dried onions, soy, and tofu. Stir frying, steaming, and deep frying are common cooking methods.

    While rice is common to most Asian cuisines, different varieties are popular in the various regions. Grilling, baking, boiling, and deep frying are all important Turkish cooking techniques. Basmati rice is popular in the Indian subcontinent and jasmine rice in Southeast Asia, while long-grain rice is popular in China and short-grain in Japan and Korea.

    Curry is a common dish in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Curry dishes have their origins in the Indian subcontinent. Countries in Indochina typically use a coconut milk base in their curries; countries in Southwest Asia typically use a yogurt base. (Full article...)
  • Image 10 The history of California can be divided into the Native American period (about 10,000 years ago until 1542), the European exploration period (1542–1769), the Spanish colonial period (1769–1821), the Mexican period (1821–1848), and United States statehood (September 9, 1850–present). California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America. After contact with, many of the Native Americans died from foreign diseases. Finally, in the 19th century there was a genocide by United States government and private citizens, which is known as the California genocide. After the Portolá expedition of 1769–1770, Spanish missionaries began setting up 21 California missions on or near the coast of Alta (Upper) California, beginning with the Mission San Diego de Alcala near the location of the modern day city of San Diego, California. During the same period, Spanish military forces built several forts (presidios) and three small towns (pueblos). Two of the pueblos would eventually grow into the cities of Los Angeles and San Jose. After Mexico's Independence was won in 1821, California fell under the jurisdiction of the First Mexican Empire. Fearing the influence of the Roman Catholic church over their newly independent nation, the Mexican government closed all of the missions and nationalized the church's property. They left behind a "Californio" population of several thousand families, with a few small military garrisons. After the Mexican–American War of 1846–1848, The Mexican Republic was forced to relinquish any claim to California to the United States. The California Gold Rush of 1848–1855 attracted hundreds of thousands of ambitious young people from around the world. Only a few struck it rich, and many returned home disappointed. Most appreciated the other economic opportunities in California, especially in agriculture, and brought their families to join them. California became the 31st U.S. state in the Compromise of 1850 and played a small role in the American Civil War. Chinese immigrants increasingly came under attack from nativists; they were forced out of industry and agriculture and into Chinatowns in the larger cities. As gold petered out, California increasingly became a highly productive agricultural society. The coming of the railroads in 1869 linked its rich economy with the rest of the nation, and attracted a steady stream of settlers. In the late 19th century, Southern California, especially Los Angeles, started to grow rapidly. (Full article...)
    The history of
    California Gold Rush of 1848–1855 attracted hundreds of thousands of ambitious young people from around the world. Only a few struck it rich, and many returned home disappointed. Most appreciated the other economic opportunities in California, especially in agriculture, and brought their families to join them. California became the 31st U.S. state in the Compromise of 1850 and played a small role in the American Civil War. Chinese immigrants increasingly came under attack from nativists; they were forced out of industry and agriculture and into Chinatowns in the larger cities. As gold petered out, California increasingly became a highly productive agricultural society. The coming of the railroads in 1869 linked its rich economy with the rest of the nation, and attracted a steady stream of settlers. In the late 19th century, Southern California, especially Los Angeles, started to grow rapidly. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 11 Prehistoric technology is technology that predates recorded history. History is the study of the past using written records. Anything prior to the first written accounts of history is prehistoric, including earlier technologies. About 2.5 million years before writing was developed, technology began with the earliest hominids who used stone tools, which they first used to hunt food, and later to cook. There are several factors that made the evolution of prehistoric technology possible or necessary. One of the key factors is behavioral modernity of the highly developed brain of Homo sapiens capable of abstract reasoning, language, introspection, and problem-solving. The advent of agriculture resulted in lifestyle changes from nomadic lifestyles to ones lived in homes, with domesticated animals, and land farmed using more varied and sophisticated tools. Art, architecture, music and religion evolved over the course of the prehistoric periods. (Full article...)
    reasoning, language, introspection, and problem-solving. The advent of agriculture resulted in lifestyle changes from nomadic lifestyles to ones lived in homes, with domesticated animals, and land farmed using more varied and sophisticated tools. Art, architecture, music and religion evolved over the course of the prehistoric periods. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 12 Web scraping, web harvesting, or web data extraction is data scraping used for extracting data from websites. Web scraping software may directly access the World Wide Web using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol or a web browser. While web scraping can be done manually by a software user, the term typically refers to automated processes implemented using a bot or web crawler. It is a form of copying in which specific data is gathered and copied from the web, typically into a central local database or spreadsheet, for later retrieval or analysis. Scraping a web page involves fetching it and extracting from it. Fetching is the downloading of a page (which a browser does when a user views a page). Therefore, web crawling is a main component of web scraping, to fetch pages for later processing. Once fetched, extraction can take place. The content of a page may be parsed, searched and reformatted, and its data copied into a spreadsheet or loaded into a database. Web scrapers typically take something out of a page, to make use of it for another purpose somewhere else. An example would be finding and copying names and telephone numbers, companies and their URLs, or e-mail addresses to a list (contact scraping). As well as contact scraping, web scraping is used as a component of applications used for web indexing, web mining and data mining, online price change monitoring and price comparison, product review scraping (to watch the competition), gathering real estate listings, weather data monitoring, website change detection, research, tracking online presence and reputation, web mashup, and web data integration. Web pages are built using text-based mark-up languages (HTML and XHTML), and frequently contain a wealth of useful data in text form. However, most web pages are designed for human end-users and not for ease of automated use. As a result, specialized tools and software have been developed to facilitate the scraping of web pages.Web scraping applications include market research, price comparison, content monitoring, and more. Businesses rely on web scraping services to efficiently gather and utilize this data. (Full article...)
    end-users and not for ease of automated use. As a result, specialized tools and software have been developed to facilitate the scraping of web pages.Web scraping applications include market research, price comparison, content monitoring, and more. Businesses rely on web scraping services to efficiently gather and utilize this data. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 13 The technological singularity—or simply the singularity—is a hypothetical future point in time at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unforeseeable consequences for human civilization. According to the most popular version of the singularity hypothesis, I. J. Good's intelligence explosion model of 1965, an upgradable intelligent agent could eventually enter a positive feedback loop of self-improvement cycles, each new and more intelligent generation appearing more and more rapidly, causing a rapid increase ("explosion") in intelligence which would ultimately result in a powerful superintelligence, qualitatively far surpassing all human intelligence. The Hungarian-American mathematician John von Neumann (1903-1957) became the first known person to use the concept of a "singularity" in the technological context.[need quotation to verify] Stanislaw Ulam reported in 1958 an earlier discussion with von Neumann "centered on the accelerating progress of technology and changes in the mode of human life, which gives the appearance of approaching some essential singularity in the history of the race beyond which human affairs, as we know them, could not continue". Subsequent authors have echoed this viewpoint. The concept and the term "singularity" were popularized by Vernor Vinge - first in 1983 (in an article that claimed that once humans create intelligences greater than their own, there will be a technological and social transition similar in some sense to "the knotted space-time at the center of a black hole",) and later in his 1993 essay The Coming Technological Singularity, (in which he wrote that it would signal the end of the human era, as the new superintelligence would continue to upgrade itself and would advance technologically at an incomprehensible rate). He wrote that he would be surprised if it occurred before 2005 or after 2030. Another significant contributor to wider circulation of the notion was Ray Kurzweil's 2005 book The Singularity Is Near, predicting singularity by 2045. Some scientists, including Stephen Hawking, have expressed concern that artificial superintelligence (ASI) could result in human extinction. The consequences of a technological singularity and its potential benefit or harm to the human race have been intensely debated. (Full article...)
    The
    Stanislaw Ulam reported in 1958 an earlier discussion with von Neumann "centered on the accelerating progress of technology and changes in the mode of human life, which gives the appearance of approaching some essential singularity in the history of the race beyond which human affairs, as we know them, could not continue". Subsequent authors have echoed this viewpoint.

    The concept and the term "singularity" were popularized by Vernor Vinge - first in 1983 (in an article that claimed that once humans create intelligences greater than their own, there will be a technological and social transition similar in some sense to "the knotted space-time at the center of a black hole",) and later in his 1993 essay The Coming Technological Singularity, (in which he wrote that it would signal the end of the human era, as the new superintelligence would continue to upgrade itself and would advance technologically at an incomprehensible rate). He wrote that he would be surprised if it occurred before 2005 or after 2030. Another significant contributor to wider circulation of the notion was Ray Kurzweil's 2005 book The Singularity Is Near, predicting singularity by 2045.

    Some scientists, including Stephen Hawking, have expressed concern that artificial superintelligence (ASI) could result in human extinction. The consequences of a technological singularity and its potential benefit or harm to the human race have been intensely debated. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 14 Robots revolt in R.U.R., a 1920 Czech play translated as "Rossum's Universal Robots" An AI takeover is an imagined scenario in which artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as the dominant form of intelligence on Earth and computer programs or robots effectively take control of the planet away from the human species, which relies on human intelligence. Stories of AI takeovers remain popular throughout science fiction, but recent advancements have made the threat more real. Possible scenarios include replacement of the entire human workforce due to automation, takeover by a superintelligent AI (ASI), and the notion of a robot uprising. Some public figures, such as Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk, have advocated research into precautionary measures to ensure future superintelligent machines remain under human control. (Full article...)
    precautionary measures to ensure future superintelligent machines remain under human control. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 15 A graffito in Dublin depicts a stick figure pondering its existence. The meaning of life pertains to the inherent significance or philosophical meaning of living (or existence in general). There is not a definitive answer, and thinking or discourse on the topic is sought in the English language through the question, "What is the meaning of life?" (or the related "Why are we here?" or "What is the purpose of existence?"). There have been many proposed answers to these questions from many different cultural and ideological backgrounds. The search for life's meaning has produced much philosophical, scientific, theological, and metaphysical speculation throughout history. Different people and cultures believe different things for the answer to this question. Opinions vary on the usefulness of using time and resources in the pursuit of an answer. Excessive pondering can be indicative of, or lead to, an existential crisis. The meaning of life can be derived from philosophical and religious contemplation of, and scientific inquiries about, existence, social ties, consciousness, and happiness. Many other issues are also involved, such as symbolic meaning, ontology, value, purpose, ethics, good and evil, free will, the existence of one or multiple gods, conceptions of God, the soul, and the afterlife. Scientific contributions focus primarily on describing related empirical facts about the universe, exploring the context and parameters concerning the "how" of life. Science also studies and can provide recommendations for the pursuit of well-being and a related conception of morality. An alternative, humanistic approach poses the question, "What is the meaning of my life?" (Full article...)
    humanistic approach poses the question, "What is the meaning of my life?" (Full article...
    )
  • Image 16 A userscript manager is a type of browser extension and augmented browsing technology that provides a user interface to manage userscripts. The main purpose of a userscript manager is to execute scripts on webpages as they are loaded. The most common operations performed by a userscript manager include creating, installing, organizing, deleting and editing scripts, as well as modifying script permissions (e.g. website exceptions). Userscript managers use metadata that is embedded in a script's source code primarily to determine the websites it should execute on and the dependencies necessary for the script to run properly. Metadata can also include information that is useful to the user such as the script's name, author, description and version number. (Full article...)
    A
    augmented browsing technology that provides a user interface to manage userscripts. The main purpose of a userscript manager is to execute scripts on webpages as they are loaded. The most common operations performed by a userscript manager include creating, installing, organizing, deleting and editing scripts, as well as modifying script permissions (e.g. website exceptions).

    Userscript managers use metadata that is embedded in a script's source code primarily to determine the websites it should execute on and the dependencies necessary for the script to run properly. Metadata can also include information that is useful to the user such as the script's name, author, description and version number. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 17 Human impact on the environment (or anthropogenic environmental impact) refers to changes to biophysical environments and to ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources caused directly or indirectly by humans. Modifying the environment to fit the needs of society (as in the built environment) is causing severe effects including global warming, environmental degradation (such as ocean acidification), mass extinction and biodiversity loss, ecological crisis, and ecological collapse. Some human activities that cause damage (either directly or indirectly) to the environment on a global scale include population growth, neoliberal economic policies and rapid economic growth, overconsumption, overexploitation, pollution, and deforestation. Some of the problems, including global warming and biodiversity loss, have been proposed as representing catastrophic risks to the survival of the human species. The term anthropogenic designates an effect or object resulting from human activity. The term was first used in the technical sense by Russian geologist Alexey Pavlov, and it was first used in English by British ecologist Arthur Tansley in reference to human influences on climax plant communities. The atmospheric scientist Paul Crutzen introduced the term "Anthropocene" in the mid-1970s. The term is sometimes used in the context of pollution produced from human activity since the start of the Agricultural Revolution but also applies broadly to all major human impacts on the environment. Many of the actions taken by humans that contribute to a heated environment stem from the burning of fossil fuel from a variety of sources, such as: electricity, cars, planes, space heating, manufacturing, or the destruction of forests. (Full article...)
    Agricultural Revolution but also applies broadly to all major human impacts on the environment. Many of the actions taken by humans that contribute to a heated environment stem from the burning of fossil fuel from a variety of sources, such as: electricity, cars, planes, space heating, manufacturing, or the destruction of forests. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 18 Ontology learning (ontology extraction, ontology generation, or ontology acquisition) is the automatic or semi-automatic creation of ontologies, including extracting the corresponding domain's terms and the relationships between the concepts that these terms represent from a corpus of natural language text, and encoding them with an ontology language for easy retrieval. As building ontologies manually is extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming, there is great motivation to automate the process. Typically, the process starts by extracting terms and concepts or noun phrases from plain text using linguistic processors such as part-of-speech tagging and phrase chunking. Then statistical or symbolic techniques are used to extract relation signatures, often based on pattern-based or definition-based hypernym extraction techniques. (Full article...)
    Ontology learning (ontology extraction, ontology generation, or ontology acquisition) is the automatic or semi-automatic creation of ontologies, including extracting the corresponding domain's terms and the relationships between the concepts that these terms represent from a corpus of natural language text, and encoding them with an ontology language for easy retrieval. As building ontologies manually is extremely labor-intensive and time-consuming, there is great motivation to automate the process.


    Typically, the process starts by extracting terms and concepts or noun phrases from plain text using linguistic processors such as part-of-speech tagging and phrase chunking. Then statistical
    or symbolic
    techniques are used to extract relation signatures, often based on pattern-based or definition-based hypernym extraction techniques. (Full article...)
  • Image 19 A userscript (or user script) is a program, usually written in JavaScript, for modifying web pages to augment browsing. Uses include adding shortcut buttons and keyboard shortcuts, controlling playback speeds, adding features to sites, and enhancing the browsing history. On desktop browsers such as Firefox, userscripts are enabled by use of a userscript manager browser extension such as Greasemonkey. The Presto-based Opera-supported userscripts (referred to as User JavaScript) are placed in a designated directory. Userscripts are often referred to as Greasemonkey scripts, named after the original userscript manager for Firefox. On Wikipedia, a user scripts feature is enabled for registered users that allows them to install userscripts to augment editing and viewing of the encyclopedia's pages. (Full article...)
    A
    browsing history.

    On desktop browsers such as Firefox, userscripts are enabled by use of a userscript manager browser extension such as Greasemonkey. The Presto-based Opera-supported userscripts (referred to as User JavaScript) are placed in a designated directory. Userscripts are often referred to as Greasemonkey scripts, named after the original userscript manager for Firefox.

    On Wikipedia, a user scripts feature is enabled for registered users that allows them to install userscripts to augment editing and viewing of the encyclopedia's pages. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 20 This glossary of philosophy is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to philosophy and related disciplines, including logic, ethics, and theology. (Full article...)
    This glossary of philosophy is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to philosophy and related disciplines, including logic, ethics, and theology. (Full article...)
  • Image 21 The branches of science, also referred to as sciences, scientific fields or scientific disciplines, are commonly divided into three major groups: Formal sciences: the study of formal systems, such as those under the branches of logic and mathematics, which use an a priori, as opposed to empirical, methodology. They study abstract structures described by formal systems. Natural sciences: the study of natural phenomena (including cosmological, geological, physical, chemical, and biological factors of the universe). Natural science can be divided into two main branches: physical science and life science (or biology). Social sciences and the humanities: the study of human behavior in its social and cultural aspects. Scientific knowledge must be based on observable phenomena and must be capable of being verified by other researchers working under the same conditions. This verifiability may well vary even within a scientific discipline. Natural, social, and formal science make up the fundamental sciences, which form the basis of interdisciplinarity - and applied sciences such as engineering and medicine. Specialized scientific disciplines that exist in multiple categories may include parts of other scientific disciplines but often possess their own terminologies and expertises. (Full article...)
    The
    fundamental sciences, which form the basis of interdisciplinarity - and applied sciences such as engineering and medicine. Specialized scientific disciplines that exist in multiple categories may include parts of other scientific disciplines but often possess their own terminologies and expertises. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 22 Help is a word meaning to give aid or signal distress. Help may refer to: (Full article...)
    Help is a word meaning to give aid or signal distress.

    Help may refer to: (Full article...)
  • Image 23 A feature (also called an object or entity), in the context of geography and geographic information science, is a discrete phenomenon that exists at a location in the space and scale of relevance to geography; that is, at or near the surface of Earth. It is an item of geographic information, and may be represented in maps, geographic information systems, remote sensing imagery, statistics, and other forms of geographic discourse. Such representations of features consist of descriptions of their inherent nature, their spatial form and location, and their characteristics or properties. (Full article...)
    A feature (also called an object or entity), in the context of geography and geographic information science, is a discrete phenomenon that exists at a location in the space and scale of relevance to geography; that is, at or near the surface of Earth. It is an item of geographic information, and may be represented in maps, geographic information systems, remote sensing imagery, statistics, and other forms of geographic discourse. Such representations of features consist of descriptions of their inherent nature, their spatial form and location, and their characteristics or properties. (Full article...)
  • Image 24 Types of democracy refers to the various governance structures that embody the principles of democracy ("rule by the people") in some way. Democracy is frequently applied to governments (ranging from local to global), but may also be applied to other constructs like workplaces, families, community associations, and so forth. Types of democracy can cluster around values. Some such types, defined as direct democracy (or participatory democracy, or deliberative democracy), promote equal and direct participation in political decisions by all members of the public. Others, including the many variants of representative democracy, favor more indirect or procedural approaches to collective self-governance, where decisions are made by elected representatives rather than by the people directly. Types of democracy can be found across time, space, and language. The foregoing examples are just a few of the thousands of refinements of, and variations on, the central notion of "democracy." (Full article...)
    values. Some such types, defined as direct democracy (or participatory democracy, or deliberative democracy), promote equal and direct participation in political decisions by all members of the public. Others, including the many variants of representative democracy, favor more indirect or procedural approaches to collective self-governance, where decisions are made by elected representatives rather than by the people directly.

    Types of democracy can be found across time, space, and language. The foregoing examples are just a few of the thousands of refinements of, and variations on, the central notion of "democracy." (Full article...
    )
  • Image 25 Meals have been traditionally prepared by women in a home kitchen (Painting from the circle of Jean-Baptiste de Saive, 1563) A meal is an eating occasion that takes place at a certain time and includes consumption of food. The names used for specific meals in English vary, depending on the speaker's culture, the time of day, or the size of the meal. Although they can be eaten anywhere, meals typically take place in homes, restaurants, and cafeterias. Regular meals occur on a daily basis, typically several times a day. Special meals are usually held in conjunction with such occasions as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and holidays. A meal is different from a snack in that meals are generally larger, more varied, and more filling than snacks. The type of food that is served or consumed at any given time depends on regional customs. Three main meals are often eaten in the morning, early afternoon, and evening in most modern civilizations. Further, the names of meals are often interchangeable by custom as well. Some serve dinner as the main meal at midday, with supper as the late afternoon/early evening meal; while others may call their midday meal lunch and their early evening meal supper or dinner. Except for "breakfast," these names can vary from region to region or even from family to family. (Full article...)
    holidays. A meal is different from a snack in that meals are generally larger, more varied, and more filling than snacks.

    The type of food that is served or consumed at any given time depends on regional customs. Three main meals are often eaten in the morning, early afternoon, and evening in most modern civilizations. Further, the names of meals are often interchangeable by custom as well. Some serve dinner as the main meal at midday, with supper as the late afternoon/early evening meal; while others may call their midday meal lunch and their early evening meal supper or dinner. Except for "breakfast," these names can vary from region to region or even from family to family. (Full article...
    )

Selected emerging technologies and related articles

  • Image 1 Artist's rendering of an envisioned lunar mining facility Space colonization is the use of outer space for colonization, such as permanent habitation, exploitation or territorial claims. Extraterrestrial colonization is its broader form, including the use of celestial bodies, other than Earth, for colonization. The inhabitation and territorial use of extraterrestrial space has been proposed, for example, for space settlements or extraterrestrial mining enterprises. To date, no permanent space settlement other than temporary space habitats have been set up, nor has any extraterrestrial territory or land been legally claimed. Making territorial claims in space is prohibited by international space law, defining space as a common heritage. International space law has had the goal to prevent colonial claims and militarization of space, and has advocated the installation of international regimes to regulate access to and sharing of space, particularly for specific locations such as the limited space of geostationary orbit or the Moon. (Full article...)
    militarization of space, and has advocated the installation of international regimes to regulate access to and sharing of space, particularly for specific locations such as the limited space of geostationary orbit or the Moon. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 2 Magnetic levitation can be stabilised using different techniques; here rotation (spin) is used Magnetic levitation (maglev) or magnetic suspension is a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields. Magnetic force is used to counteract the effects of the gravitational force and any other forces. The two primary issues involved in magnetic levitation are lifting forces: providing an upward force sufficient to counteract gravity, and stability: ensuring that the system does not spontaneously slide or flip into a configuration where the lift is neutralized. (Full article...)
    gravitational force and any other forces.

    The two primary issues involved in magnetic levitation are lifting forces: providing an upward force sufficient to counteract gravity, and stability: ensuring that the system does not spontaneously slide or flip into a configuration where the lift is neutralized. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 3 Knockout mice Genetic engineering is an important tool for natural scientists, with the creation of transgenic organisms one of the most important tools for analysis of gene function. Genes and other genetic information from a wide range of organisms can be inserted into bacteria for storage and modification, creating genetically modified bacteria in the process. Bacteria are cheap, easy to grow, clonal, multiply quickly, relatively easy to transform and can be stored at -80 °C almost indefinitely. Once a gene is isolated it can be stored inside the bacteria providing an unlimited supply for research. Organisms are genetically engineered to discover the functions of certain genes. This could be the effect on the phenotype of the organism, where the gene is expressed or what other genes it interacts with. These experiments generally involve loss of function, gain of function, tracking and expression. (Full article...)
    natural scientists, with the creation of transgenic organisms one of the most important tools for analysis of gene function. Genes and other genetic information from a wide range of organisms can be inserted into bacteria for storage and modification, creating genetically modified bacteria in the process. Bacteria are cheap, easy to grow, clonal, multiply quickly, relatively easy to transform and can be stored at -80 °C almost indefinitely. Once a gene is isolated it can be stored inside the bacteria providing an unlimited supply for research.

    Organisms are genetically engineered to discover the functions of certain genes. This could be the effect on the phenotype of the organism, where the gene is expressed or what other genes it interacts with. These experiments generally involve loss of function, gain of function, tracking and expression. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 4 Exterior of Biosphere 2 Biosphere 2 is an American Earth system science research facility located in Oracle, Arizona. Its mission is to serve as a center for research, outreach, teaching, and lifelong learning about Earth, its living systems, and its place in the universe. It is a 3.14-acre (1.27-hectare) structure originally built to be an artificial, materially closed ecological system, or vivarium. It remains the largest closed ecological system ever created. Constructed between 1987 and 1991, Biosphere 2 was originally meant to demonstrate the viability of closed ecological systems to support and maintain human life in outer space as a substitute for Earth's biosphere. It was designed to explore the web of interactions within life systems in a structure with different areas based on various biological biomes. In addition to the several biomes and living quarters for people, there was an agricultural area and work space to study the interactions between humans, farming, technology and the rest of nature as a new kind of laboratory for the study of the global ecology. Its mission was a two-year closure experiment with a crew of eight humans. Long-term it was seen as a precursor to gaining knowledge about the use of closed biospheres in space colonization. As an experimental ecological facility it allowed the study and manipulation of a mini biospheric system without harming Earth's biosphere. (Full article...)

    Exterior of Biosphere 2

    Biosphere 2 is an American Earth system science research facility located in Oracle, Arizona. Its mission is to serve as a center for research, outreach, teaching, and lifelong learning about Earth, its living systems, and its place in the universe. It is a 3.14-acre (1.27-hectare) structure originally built to be an artificial, materially closed ecological system, or vivarium. It remains the largest closed ecological system ever created.

    Constructed between 1987 and 1991, Biosphere 2 was originally meant to demonstrate the viability of closed ecological systems to support and maintain human life in outer space as a substitute for Earth's biosphere. It was designed to explore the web of interactions within life systems in a structure with different areas based on various biological biomes. In addition to the several biomes and living quarters for people, there was an agricultural area and work space to study the interactions between humans, farming, technology and the rest of nature as a new kind of laboratory for the study of the global ecology. Its mission was a two-year closure experiment with a crew of eight humans. Long-term it was seen as a precursor to gaining knowledge about the use of closed biospheres in space colonization. As an experimental ecological facility it allowed the study and manipulation of a mini biospheric system without harming Earth's biosphere. (Full article...)
  • Image 5 Partial updating of data is difficult with SMR. Data will be written to adjacent tracks that do not need to be rewritten. Shingled magnetic recording (SMR) is a magnetic storage data recording technology used in hard disk drives (HDDs) to increase storage density and overall per-drive storage capacity. Conventional hard disk drives record data by writing non-overlapping magnetic tracks parallel to each other (conventional magnetic recording, CMR), while shingled recording writes new tracks that overlap part of the previously written magnetic track, leaving the previous track narrower and allowing higher track density. Thus, the tracks partially overlap similar to roof shingles. This approach was selected because, if the writing head is made too narrow, it cannot provide the very high fields required in the recording layer of the disk. The overlapping-tracks architecture complicates the writing process, since writing to one track also overwrites an adjacent track. If adjacent tracks contain valid data, they must be rewritten as well. As a result, SMR drives are divided into many append-only (sequential) zones of overlapping tracks that need to be rewritten entirely when full, resembling flash blocks in solid-state drives. Device-managed SMR devices hide this complexity by managing it in the firmware, presenting an interface like any other hard disk. Other SMR devices are host-managed and depend on the operating system to know how to handle the drive, and only write sequentially to certain regions of the drive. While SMR drives can use DRAM, flash memory, and even a portion of their own platter reserved for use with CMR instead of SMR, as a cache to improve writing performance, continuous writing of large amount of data is noticeably slower than with CMR drives. (Full article...)
    conventional magnetic recording, CMR), while shingled recording writes new tracks that overlap part of the previously written magnetic track, leaving the previous track narrower and allowing higher track density. Thus, the tracks partially overlap similar to roof shingles. This approach was selected because, if the writing head is made too narrow, it cannot provide the very high fields required in the recording layer of the disk.

    The overlapping-tracks architecture complicates the writing process, since writing to one track also overwrites an adjacent track. If adjacent tracks contain valid data, they must be rewritten as well. As a result, SMR drives are divided into many append-only (sequential) zones of overlapping tracks that need to be rewritten entirely when full, resembling flash blocks in solid-state drives. Device-managed SMR devices hide this complexity by managing it in the firmware, presenting an interface like any other hard disk. Other SMR devices are host-managed and depend on the operating system to know how to handle the drive, and only write sequentially to certain regions of the drive. While SMR drives can use DRAM, flash memory, and even a portion of their own platter reserved for use with CMR instead of SMR, as a cache to improve writing performance, continuous writing of large amount of data is noticeably slower than with CMR drives. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 6 Neuroinformatics is the emergent field that combines informatics and neuroscience. Neuroinformatics is related with neuroscience data and information processing by artificial neural networks. There are three main directions where neuroinformatics has to be applied: the development of computational models of the nervous system and neural processes; the development of tools for analyzing and modeling neuroscience data; and the development of tools and databases for management and sharing of neuroscience data at all levels of analysis. Neuroinformatics encompasses philosophy (computational theory of mind), psychology (information processing theory), computer science (natural computing, bio-inspired computing), among others disciplines. Neuroinformatics doesn't deal with matter or energy, so it can be seen as a branch of neurobiology that studies various aspects of nervous systems. The term neuroinformatics seems to be used synonymously with cognitive informatics, described by Journal of Biomedical Informatics as interdisciplinary domain that focuses on human information processing, mechanisms and processes within the context of computing and computing applications. According to German National Library, neuroinformatics is synonymous with neurocomputing. At Proceedings of the 10th IEEE International Conference on Cognitive Informatics and Cognitive Computing was introduced the following description: Cognitive Informatics (CI) as a transdisciplinary enquiry of computer science, information sciences, cognitive science, and intelligence science. CI investigates into the internal information processing mechanisms and processes of the brain and natural intelligence, as well as their engineering applications in cognitive computing. According to INCF, neuroinformatics is a research field devoted to the development of neuroscience data and knowledge bases together with computational models. (Full article...)
    neurocomputing. At Proceedings of the 10th IEEE International Conference on Cognitive Informatics and Cognitive Computing was introduced the following description: Cognitive Informatics (CI) as a transdisciplinary enquiry of computer science, information sciences, cognitive science, and intelligence science. CI investigates into the internal information processing mechanisms and processes of the brain and natural intelligence, as well as their engineering applications in cognitive computing. According to INCF, neuroinformatics is a research field devoted to the development of neuroscience data and knowledge bases together with computational models. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 7 The general definition of a qubit as the quantum state of a two-level quantum system. In quantum computing, a qubit (/ˈkjuːbɪt/) or quantum bit is a basic unit of quantum information—the quantum version of the classic binary bit physically realized with a two-state device. A qubit is a two-state (or two-level) quantum-mechanical system, one of the simplest quantum systems displaying the peculiarity of quantum mechanics. Examples include the spin of the electron in which the two levels can be taken as spin up and spin down; or the polarization of a single photon in which the two spin states (left-handed and the right-handed circular polarization) can also be measured as horizontal and vertical linear polarization. In a classical system, a bit would have to be in one state or the other. However, quantum mechanics allows the qubit to be in a coherent superposition of multiple states simultaneously, a property that is fundamental to quantum mechanics and quantum computing. (Full article...)
    The general definition of a qubit as the quantum state of a two-level quantum system.

    In quantum computing, a qubit (/ˈkjuːbɪt/) or quantum bit is a basic unit of quantum information—the quantum version of the classic binary bit physically realized with a two-state device. A qubit is a two-state (or two-level) quantum-mechanical system, one of the simplest quantum systems displaying the peculiarity of quantum mechanics. Examples include the spin of the electron in which the two levels can be taken as spin up and spin down; or the polarization of a single photon in which the two spin states (left-handed and the right-handed circular polarization) can also be measured as horizontal and vertical linear polarization. In a classical system, a bit would have to be in one state or the other. However, quantum mechanics allows the qubit to be in a coherent superposition of multiple states simultaneously, a property that is fundamental to quantum mechanics and quantum computing. (Full article...)
  • Image 8 The Holodeck is a fictional device from the television franchise Star Trek which uses "holograms" (projected light and electromagnetic energy which create the illusion of solid objects) to create a realistic 3D simulation of a real or imaginary setting, in which participants can freely interact with the environment as well as objects and characters, and sometimes a predefined narrative. In several series, holodecks are an amenity available to the crew of starships. In the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a similar device is referred to as a holosuite, operated by the owner of the space station's bar, Quark, who rents them out to customers. (Full article...)
    The Holodeck is a fictional device from the television franchise Star Trek which uses "holograms" (projected light and electromagnetic energy which create the illusion of solid objects) to create a realistic 3D simulation of a real or imaginary setting, in which participants can freely interact with the environment as well as objects and characters, and sometimes a predefined narrative.

    In several series, holodecks are an amenity available to the crew of starships. In the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a similar device is referred to as a holosuite, operated by the owner of the space station's bar, Quark, who rents them out to customers. (Full article...)
  • Image 9 Computer-generated holography (CGH) is a technique that uses computer algorithms to generate holograms. It involves generating holographic interference patterns. A computer-generated hologram can be displayed on a dynamic holographic display, or it can be printed onto a mask or film using lithography. When a hologram is printed onto a mask or film, it is then illuminated by a coherent light source to display the holographic images. The term "computer-generated holography" has become used to denote the whole process chain of synthetically preparing holographic light wavefronts suitable for observation. If holographic data of existing objects is generated optically and recorded and processed digitally, and subsequently displayed, this is termed CGH as well. (Full article...)
    interference patterns. A computer-generated hologram can be displayed on a dynamic holographic display, or it can be printed onto a mask or film using lithography. When a hologram is printed onto a mask or film, it is then illuminated by a coherent light source to display the holographic images.

    The term "computer-generated holography" has become used to denote the whole process chain of synthetically preparing holographic light wavefronts suitable for observation. If holographic data of existing objects is generated optically and recorded and processed digitally, and subsequently displayed, this is termed CGH as well. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 10 Rotimatic logo Rotimatic is an automated kitchen appliance that makes flatbread. It was invented by Indian-origin couple Pranoti Nagarkar and Rishi Israni in 2008. It was first shipped in 2016, and is currently available in twenty markets. As of October 2018, it has generated a revenue of US$40 million. (Full article...)

    Rotimatic logo

    Rotimatic is an automated kitchen appliance that makes flatbread. It was invented by Indian-origin couple Pranoti Nagarkar and Rishi Israni in 2008.

    It was first shipped in 2016, and is currently available in twenty markets. As of October 2018, it has generated a revenue of US$40 million. (Full article...)
  • Image 11 Synthetic genomics is a nascent field of synthetic biology that uses aspects of genetic modification on pre-existing life forms, or artificial gene synthesis to create new DNA or entire lifeforms. (Full article...)
    genetic modification on pre-existing life forms, or artificial gene synthesis to create new DNA or entire lifeforms. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 12 St. Jude single-lead pacemaker with ruler in cm (released in 2005) An artificial cardiac pacemaker, commonly referred to as simply a pacemaker, is an implanted medical device that generates electrical pulses delivered by electrodes to one or more of the chambers of the heart. Each pulse causes the targeted chamber(s) to contract and pump blood, thus regulating the function of the electrical conduction system of the heart. The primary purpose of a pacemaker is to maintain an even heart rate, either because the heart's natural cardiac pacemaker provides an inadequate or irregular heartbeat, or because there is a block in the heart's electrical conduction system. Modern pacemakers are externally programmable and allow a cardiologist to select the optimal pacing modes for individual patients. Most pacemakers are on demand, in which the stimulation of the heart is based on the dynamic demand of the circulatory system. Others send out a fixed rate of impulses. (Full article...)

    Full article...
    )
  • Image 13 1: Ballistic cap; 2: Air-filled cavity; 3: Conical liner; 4: Detonator; 5: Explosive; 6: Piezo-electric trigger A shaped charge is an explosive charge shaped to focus the effect of the explosive's energy. Different types of shaped charges are used for various purposes such as cutting and forming metal, initiating nuclear weapons, penetrating armor, or perforating wells in the oil and gas industry. A typical modern shaped charge, with a metal liner on the charge cavity, can penetrate armor steel to a depth of seven or more times the diameter of the charge (charge diameters, CD), though depths of 10 CD and above have been achieved. Contrary to a misconception, possibly resulting from the acronym for high-explosive anti-tank, HEAT, the shaped charge does not depend in any way on heating or melting for its effectiveness; that is, the jet from a shaped charge does not melt its way through armor, as its effect is purely kinetic in nature – however the process creates significant heat and often has a significant secondary incendiary effect after penetration. (Full article...)
    armor, or perforating wells in the oil and gas industry.

    A typical modern shaped charge, with a metal liner on the charge cavity, can penetrate armor steel to a depth of seven or more times the diameter of the charge (charge diameters, CD), though depths of 10 CD and above have been achieved. Contrary to a misconception, possibly resulting from the acronym for high-explosive anti-tank, HEAT, the shaped charge does not depend in any way on heating or melting for its effectiveness; that is, the jet from a shaped charge does not melt its way through armor, as its effect is purely kinetic in nature – however the process creates significant heat and often has a significant secondary incendiary effect after penetration. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 14 The National Ignition Facility, located at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is a laser-based inertial confinement fusion (ICF) research device, located at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, United States. NIF's mission is to achieve fusion ignition with high energy gain. It achieved the first instance of scientific breakeven controlled fusion in an experiment on December 5, 2022, with an energy gain factor of 1.5. It supports nuclear weapon maintenance and design by studying the behavior of matter under the conditions found within nuclear explosions. NIF is the largest and most powerful ICF device built to date. The basic ICF concept is to squeeze a small amount of fuel to reach pressure and temperature necessary for fusion. NIF hosts the world's most energetic laser. The laser heats the outer layer of a small sphere. The energy is so intense that it causes the sphere to implode, squeezing the fuel inside. The implosion reaches a peak speed of 350 km/s (0.35 mm/ns), raising the fuel density from about that of water to about 100 times that of lead. The delivery of energy and the adiabatic process during implosion raises the temperature of the fuel to hundreds of millions of degrees. At these temperatures, fusion processes occur in the tiny interval before the fuel explodes outward. (Full article...)
    nuclear weapon maintenance and design by studying the behavior of matter under the conditions found within nuclear explosions.

    NIF is the largest and most powerful ICF device built to date. The basic ICF concept is to squeeze a small amount of fuel to reach pressure and temperature necessary for fusion. NIF hosts the world's most energetic laser. The laser heats the outer layer of a small sphere. The energy is so intense that it causes the sphere to implode, squeezing the fuel inside. The implosion reaches a peak speed of 350 km/s (0.35 mm/ns), raising the fuel density from about that of water to about 100 times that of lead. The delivery of energy and the adiabatic process during implosion raises the temperature of the fuel to hundreds of millions of degrees. At these temperatures, fusion processes occur in the tiny interval before the fuel explodes outward. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 15 Spintronics (a portmanteau meaning spin transport electronics), also known as spin electronics, is the study of the intrinsic spin of the electron and its associated magnetic moment, in addition to its fundamental electronic charge, in solid-state devices. The field of spintronics concerns spin-charge coupling in metallic systems; the analogous effects in insulators fall into the field of multiferroics. Spintronics fundamentally differs from traditional electronics in that, in addition to charge state, electron spins are used as a further degree of freedom, with implications in the efficiency of data storage and transfer. Spintronic systems are most often realised in dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS) and Heusler alloys and are of particular interest in the field of quantum computing and neuromorphic computing. (Full article...)
    neuromorphic computing. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 16 Uncrewed spacecraft or robotic spacecraft are spacecraft without people on board. Uncrewed spacecraft may have varying levels of autonomy from human input, such as remote control, or remote guidance. They may also be autonomous, in which they have a pre-programmed list of operations that will be executed unless otherwise instructed. A robotic spacecraft for scientific measurements is often called a space probe or space observatory. Many space missions are more suited to telerobotic rather than crewed operation, due to lower cost and risk factors. In addition, some planetary destinations such as Venus or the vicinity of Jupiter are too hostile for human survival, given current technology. Outer planets such as Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are too distant to reach with current crewed spaceflight technology, so telerobotic probes are the only way to explore them. Telerobotics also allows exploration of regions that are vulnerable to contamination by Earth micro-organisms since spacecraft can be sterilized. Humans can not be sterilized in the same way as a spaceship, as they coexist with numerous micro-organisms, and these micro-organisms are also hard to contain within a spaceship or spacesuit. (Full article...)
    Full article...
    )
  • Image 17 Yamato-1 is a ship built in the early 1990s by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. at Wadasaki-cho Hyogo-ku, Kobe. It uses magnetohydrodynamic drives (MHDDs) driven by liquid helium-cooled superconductors and can travel at 15 km/h (8 knots). Yamato-1 was the first working prototype of her kind. It was completed in Japan in 1991, by the Ship & Ocean Foundation (later known as the Ocean Policy Research Foundation). The ship, which includes two magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) thrusters, which have no moving parts, was first successfully operated in Kobe harbour in June 1992. (Full article...)
    superconductors and can travel at 15 km/h (8 knots).

    Yamato-1 was the first working prototype of her kind. It was completed in Japan in 1991, by the Ship & Ocean Foundation (later known as the Ocean Policy Research Foundation). The ship, which includes two magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) thrusters, which have no moving parts, was first successfully operated in Kobe harbour in June 1992. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 18 Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-definition video (HDTV 720p and 1080p). The main application of Blu-ray is as a medium for video material such as feature films and for the physical distribution of video games for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. The name refers to the blue laser (actually a violet laser) used to read the disc, which allows information to be stored at a greater density than is possible with the longer-wavelength red laser used for DVDs. The polycarbonate disc is 12 centimetres (4+3⁄4 inches) in diameter and 1.2 millimetres (1⁄16 inch) thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Conventional (or "pre-BD-XL") Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual-layer discs (50 GB) being the industry standard for feature-length video discs. Triple-layer discs (100 GB) and quadruple-layer discs (128 GB) are available for BD-XL re-writer drives. (Full article...)
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  • Image 19 F-117 Nighthawk, the first operational aircraft explicitly designed around stealth technology. Stealth aircraft are designed to avoid detection using a variety of technologies that reduce reflection/emission of radar, infrared, visible light, radio frequency (RF) spectrum, and audio, all collectively known as stealth technology. The F-117 Nighthawk was the first operational aircraft explicitly designed around stealth technology. Other examples of stealth aircraft include the B-2 Spirit, the B-21 Raider, the F-22 Raptor, the F-35 Lightning II, the Chengdu J-20, and the Sukhoi Su-57. While no aircraft is completely invisible to radar, stealth aircraft make it more difficult for conventional radar to detect or track the aircraft effectively, increasing the odds of an aircraft avoiding detection by enemy radar and/or avoiding being successfully targeted by radar guided weapons. Stealth is a combination of passive low observable (LO) features and active emitters such as low-probability-of-intercept radars, radios and laser designators. These are typically combined with operational measures such as carefully planning mission maneuvers to minimize the aircraft's radar cross-section, since common hard turns or opening bomb bay doors can more than double an otherwise stealthy aircraft's radar return. Stealth is accomplished by using a complex design philosophy to reduce the ability of an opponent's sensors to detect, track, or attack the stealth aircraft. This philosophy takes into account the heat, sound, and other emissions of the aircraft which can also be used to locate it. Sensors are made to reduce the impact of low observable technologies and others have been proposed such as IRST (infrared search and track) systems to detect even reduced heat emissions, long wavelength radars to counter stealth shaping and RAM focused on shorter wavelength radar, or radar setups with multiple emitters to counter stealth shaping. However these have disadvantages compared to traditional radar against non-stealthy aircraft. (Full article...)
    IRST (infrared search and track) systems to detect even reduced heat emissions, long wavelength radars to counter stealth shaping and RAM focused on shorter wavelength radar, or radar setups with multiple emitters to counter stealth shaping. However these have disadvantages compared to traditional radar against non-stealthy aircraft. (Full article...
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  • Image 20 Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) is a lidar (light detection and ranging) guided articulated bus system for urban passenger transport. Developed and manufactured by CRRC through CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co Ltd, it was unveiled in Zhuzhou in the Hunan province on June 2, 2017. ART is specifically referred to as a train or rapid transit by its manufacturer, however the public describes it as a bus. Its exterior is composed of individual fixed sections joined by articulated gangways, resembling a rubber-tyred tram. The system is labelled as "autonomous" in English, however, the models in operation are optically guided and feature a driver on board. Despite "rail" in the name, the system does not use rails. (Full article...)

    Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) is a lidar (light detection and ranging) guided articulated bus system for urban passenger transport. Developed and manufactured by CRRC through CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co Ltd, it was unveiled in Zhuzhou in the Hunan province on June 2, 2017. ART is specifically referred to as a train or rapid transit by its manufacturer, however the public describes it as a bus. Its exterior is composed of individual fixed sections joined by articulated gangways, resembling a rubber-tyred tram.

    The system is labelled as "autonomous" in English, however, the models in operation are optically guided and feature a driver on board. Despite "rail" in the name, the system does not use rails. (Full article...)
  • Image 21 Illustration of Hypersonic Test Vehicle (HTV) 2 reentry phase The DARPA FALCON Project (Force Application and Launch from Continental United States) was a two-part joint project between the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the United States Air Force (USAF) and is part of Prompt Global Strike. The first part of the project aimed to develop a Small Launch System (SLS) capable of accelerating hypersonic gliding weapons as well as launching small satellites into Earth orbit. The second part of the project aimed to develop Hypersonic Weapon Systems (HWS): a short term high performance hypersonic gliding weapon previously named the X-41 Common Aero Vehicle (CAV) that could be launched from Expendable Launch Vehicles (ELV), Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs), Hypersonic Cruise Vehicles (HCV), or Space Maneuvering Vehicles (SMP), and a long term hypersonic cruise aircraft named the Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle (HCV). This two-part program was announced in 2003 and continued into 2006. Current research under Falcon project is centered on the flight tests of boost-glide technological demonstrators HTV-1 and HTV-2 for the development of the X-41 Common Aero Vehicle (CAV) and HTV-3 for the Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle (HCV). The technological demonstrator Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2) first flew on 22 April 2010; the second test flew 11 August 2011 reaching Mach 20. Both flights ended prematurely. (Full article...)
    Prompt Global Strike. The first part of the project aimed to develop a Small Launch System (SLS) capable of accelerating hypersonic gliding weapons as well as launching small satellites into Earth orbit. The second part of the project aimed to develop Hypersonic Weapon Systems (HWS): a short term high performance hypersonic gliding weapon previously named the X-41 Common Aero Vehicle (CAV) that could be launched from Expendable Launch Vehicles (ELV), Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs), Hypersonic Cruise Vehicles (HCV), or Space Maneuvering Vehicles (SMP), and a long term hypersonic cruise aircraft named the Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle (HCV). This two-part program was announced in 2003 and continued into 2006.

    Current research under Falcon project is centered on the flight tests of boost-glide technological demonstrators HTV-1 and HTV-2 for the development of the X-41 Common Aero Vehicle (CAV) and HTV-3 for the Hypersonic Cruise Vehicle (HCV). The technological demonstrator Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2) first flew on 22 April 2010; the second test flew 11 August 2011 reaching Mach 20. Both flights ended prematurely. (Full article...
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  • Image 22 Working principle of lithium-sulfur battery and "shuttle" effect The lithium–sulfur battery (Li–S battery) is a type of rechargeable battery. It is notable for its high specific energy. The low atomic weight of lithium and moderate atomic weight of sulfur means that Li–S batteries are relatively light (about the density of water). They were used on the longest and highest-altitude unmanned solar-powered aeroplane flight (at the time) by Zephyr 6 in August 2008. Lithium–sulfur batteries may displace lithium-ion cells because of their higher energy density and reduced cost. This is due to two factors. First the use of sulfur instead of a less energy dense and more expensive substances such as cobalt and/or iron compounds found in lithium-ion batteries. Secondly, the use of metallic lithium instead of intercalating lithium ions allows for much higher energy density, as less substances are needed to hold "lithium" and lithium is directly oxidized. Li–S batteries offer specific energies on the order of 550 Wh/kg, while lithium-ion batteries are in the range of 150–260 Wh/kg. (Full article...)

    Wh/kg, while lithium-ion batteries are in the range of 150–260 Wh/kg. (Full article...
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  • Image 23 The Ford Mach I, also known as the Ford Levacar Mach I, is a concept car hovercraft developed by the Ford Motor Company in the 1950s. The Mach I was a single-seat automobile which rode on pressurized air, not wheels. Its name was inspired by the speed Mach 1, an aspiration speed not yet achieved by vehicles at the time. It used air pressure at a force of 15–100 psi (100–690 kPa) to provide lift and propulsion. In experiments, 50–60 psi (340–410 kPa) was used so that 15 hp (11 kW) was needed for levitation and 2.5 hp (1.9 kW) propelled it 20 mph (32 km/h). An advertisement for the Mach I appeared in the magazine Boys' Life in 1960, in which it indicated the single-seater's dimensions: 94 in (2.4 m) long; 48 in (1.2 m) high; 54 in (1.4 m) wide. The Levacar project was led by Andrew A. Kucher (a Ford Vice-President for Engineering and Research) and David J. Jay (a Senior Development Engineer). Kucher had initially conceived the concept around 1930. One of the lead designers was Gale Halderman, known for being the initial designer of the Ford Mustang. In addition to the Mach I automobile, the project also developed a similarly outfitted scooter, the Levascooter. In experiments on a circular track, vehicles would raise .125 inches (3.2 mm) off the ground and could jump 1 inch (25 mm) obstacles. (Full article...)
    The Ford Mach I, also known as the
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  • Image 24 A visual prosthesis, often referred to as a bionic eye, is an experimental visual device intended to restore functional vision in those with partial or total blindness. Many devices have been developed, usually modeled on the cochlear implant or bionic ear devices, a type of neural prosthesis in use since the mid-1980s. The idea of using electrical current (e.g., electrically stimulating the retina or the visual cortex) to provide sight dates back to the 18th century, discussed by Benjamin Franklin, Tiberius Cavallo, and Charles LeRoy. (Full article...)
    A
    blindness. Many devices have been developed, usually modeled on the cochlear implant or bionic ear devices, a type of neural prosthesis in use since the mid-1980s. The idea of using electrical current (e.g., electrically stimulating the retina or the visual cortex) to provide sight dates back to the 18th century, discussed by Benjamin Franklin, Tiberius Cavallo, and Charles LeRoy. (Full article...
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Selected global issues and related topics

  • Image 1 Destruction, from The Course of Empire by Thomas Cole (1836) Societal collapse (also known as civilizational collapse or systems collapse) is the fall of a complex human society characterized by the loss of cultural identity and of social complexity as an adaptive system, the downfall of government, and the rise of violence. Possible causes of a societal collapse include natural catastrophe, war, pestilence, famine, economic collapse, population decline or overshoot, mass migration, incompetent leaders, and sabotage by rival civilizations. A collapsed society may revert to a more primitive state, be absorbed into a stronger society, or completely disappear. Virtually all civilizations have suffered such a fate, regardless of their size or complexity. Most never recovered, such as the Western and Eastern Roman Empires, the Maya civilization, and the Easter Island civilization. However, some of them later revived and transformed, such as China, Greece, and Egypt. Anthropologists, historians, and sociologists have proposed a variety of explanations for the collapse of civilizations involving causative factors such as environmental change, depletion of resources, unsustainable complexity, invasion, disease, decay of social cohesion, rising inequality, long-term decline of cognitive abilities, loss of creativity, and misfortune. However, complete extinction of a culture is not inevitable, and in some cases, the new societies that arise from the ashes of the old one are evidently its offspring, despite a dramatic reduction in sophistication. Moreover, the influence of a collapsed society, such as the Western Roman Empire, may linger on long after its death. (Full article...)

    cognitive abilities, loss of creativity, and misfortune. However, complete extinction of a culture is not inevitable, and in some cases, the new societies that arise from the ashes of the old one are evidently its offspring, despite a dramatic reduction in sophistication. Moreover, the influence of a collapsed society, such as the Western Roman Empire, may linger on long after its death. (Full article...
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  • Image 2 Ocean acidification means that the average seawater pH value is dropping over time. Ocean acidification is the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's ocean. Over the past 200 years, the rapid increase in anthropogenic CO2 (carbon dioxide) production has led to an increase in the acidity of the Earth’s oceans. Between 1950 and 2020, the average pH of the ocean surface fell from approximately 8.15 to 8.05. Carbon dioxide emissions from human activities are the primary cause of ocean acidification, with atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels exceeding 410 ppm (in 2020). CO2 from the atmosphere is absorbed by the oceans. This chemical reaction produces carbonic acid (H2CO3) which dissociates into a bicarbonate ion (HCO−3) and a hydrogen ion (H+). The presence of free hydrogen ions (H+) lowers the pH of the ocean, increasing acidity (this does not mean that seawater is acidic yet; it is still alkaline, with a pH higher than 8). Marine calcifying organisms, such as mollusks and corals, are especially vulnerable because they rely on calcium carbonate to build shells and skeletons. A change in pH by 0.1 represents a 26% increase in hydrogen ion concentration in the world's oceans (the pH scale is logarithmic, so a change of one in pH units is equivalent to a tenfold change in hydrogen ion concentration). Sea-surface pH and carbonate saturation states vary depending on ocean depth and location. Colder and higher latitude waters are capable of absorbing more CO2. This can cause acidity to rise, lowering the pH and carbonate saturation levels in these areas. There are several other factors that influence the atmosphere-ocean CO2 exchange, and thus local ocean acidification. These include ocean currents and upwelling zones, proximity to large continental rivers, sea ice coverage, and atmospheric exchange with nitrogen and sulfur from fossil fuel burning and agriculture. A lower ocean pH has a range of potentially harmful effects for marine organisms. Scientists have observed for example reduced calcification, lowered immune responses, and reduced energy for basic functions such as reproduction. Ocean acidification can impact marine ecosystems that provide food and livelihoods for many people. About one billion people are wholly or partially dependent on the fishing, tourism, and coastal management services provided by coral reefs. Ongoing acidification of the oceans may therefore threaten food chains linked with the oceans. (Full article...)
    bicarbonate ion (HCO3) and a hydrogen ion (H+). The presence of free hydrogen ions (H+) lowers the pH of the ocean, increasing acidity (this does not mean that seawater is acidic yet; it is still alkaline, with a pH higher than 8). Marine calcifying organisms, such as mollusks and corals, are especially vulnerable because they rely on calcium carbonate to build shells and skeletons.

    A change in pH by 0.1 represents a 26% increase in hydrogen ion concentration in the world's oceans (the pH scale is logarithmic, so a change of one in pH units is equivalent to a tenfold change in hydrogen ion concentration). Sea-surface pH and carbonate saturation states vary depending on ocean depth and location. Colder and higher latitude waters are capable of absorbing more CO2. This can cause acidity to rise, lowering the pH and carbonate saturation levels in these areas. There are several other factors that influence the atmosphere-ocean CO2 exchange, and thus local ocean acidification. These include ocean currents and upwelling zones, proximity to large continental rivers, sea ice coverage, and atmospheric exchange with nitrogen and sulfur from fossil fuel burning and agriculture.

    A lower ocean pH has a range of potentially harmful effects for marine organisms. Scientists have observed for example reduced calcification, lowered immune responses, and reduced energy for basic functions such as reproduction. Ocean acidification can impact marine ecosystems that provide food and livelihoods for many people. About one billion people are wholly or partially dependent on the fishing, tourism, and coastal management services provided by coral reefs. Ongoing acidification of the oceans may therefore threaten food chains linked with the oceans. (Full article...
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  • Image 3 Global concentrations of health care resources, as depicted by the number of physicians per 10,000 individuals, by country. Data is sourced from a World Health Statistics 2010, a WHO report.[needs update] Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health professionals and allied health fields. Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, midwifery, nursing, optometry, audiology, psychology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, athletic training, and other health professions all constitute health care. The term includes work done in providing primary care, secondary care, tertiary care, and public health. Access to healthcare may vary across countries, communities, and individuals, influenced by social and economic conditions and health policies. Providing health care services means "the timely use of personal health services to achieve the best possible health outcomes". Factors to consider in terms of healthcare access include financial limitations (such as insurance coverage), geographical and logistical barriers (such as additional transportation costs and the ability to take paid time off work to use such services), sociocultural expectations, and personal limitations (lack of ability to communicate with health care providers, poor health literacy, low income). Limitations to health care services affect negatively the use of medical services, the efficacy of treatments, and overall outcome (well-being, mortality rates). Health systems are the organizations established to meet the health needs of targeted populations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a well-functioning healthcare system requires a financing mechanism, a well-trained and adequately paid workforce, reliable information on which to base decisions and policies, and well-maintained health facilities to deliver quality medicines and technologies. (Full article...)
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  • Image 4 Overconsumption describes a situation where a consumer overuses their available goods and services to where they can't, or don't want to, replenish or reuse them. In microeconomics, this may be described as the point where the marginal cost of a consumer is greater than their marginal utility. The term overconsumption is quite controversial in use and does not necessarily have a single unifying definition. When used to refer to natural resources to the point where the environment is negatively affected, it is synonymous with the term overexploitation. However, when used in the broader economic sense, overconsumption can refer to all types of goods and services, including manmade ones, e.g. "the overconsumption of alcohol can lead to alcohol poisoning". Overconsumption is driven by several factors of the current global economy, including forces like consumerism, planned obsolescence, economic materialism, and other unsustainable business models and can be contrasted with sustainable consumption. Defining the amount of a natural resource required to be consumed for it to count as "overconsumption" is challenging because defining a sustainable capacity of the system requires accounting for many variables. The total capacity of a system occurs at both the regional and worldwide levels, which means that certain regions may have higher consumption levels of certain resources than others due to greater resources without overconsuming a resource. A long-term pattern of overconsumption in any given region or ecological system can cause a reduction in natural resources that often results in environmental degradation. However, this is only when applying the word to human impacts on the environment. When used in an economic sense, this point is defined as when the marginal cost of a consumer is equal to their marginal utility. Gossen's law of diminishing utility states that at this point, the consumer realizes the cost of consuming/purchasing another item/good is not worth the amount of utility (also known as happiness or satisfaction from the good) they'd receive, and therefore is not conducive to the consumer's wellbeing. When used in the environmental sense, the discussion of overconsumption often parallels that of population size and growth, and human development: more people demanding higher qualities of living, currently requires greater extraction of resources, which causes subsequent environmental degradation such as climate change and biodiversity loss. Currently, the inhabitants of high wealth, "developed" nations consume resources at a rate almost 32 times greater than those of the developing world, who make up the majority of the human population (7.9 billion people). However, the developing world is a growing consumer market. These nations are quickly gaining more purchasing power and it is expected that the Global South, which includes cities in Asia, America, and Africa, will account for 56% of consumption growth by 2030. This means that if current trends continue relative consumption rates will shift more into these developing countries, whereas developed countries would start to plateau. Sustainable Development Goal 12 "responsible consumption and production" is the main international policy tool with goals to abate the impact of overconsumption. (Full article...)
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  • Image 5 The dodo became extinct during the mid-to-late 17th century due to habitat destruction, overhunting, and predation by introduced mammals. It is an often-cited example of a modern extinction. The Holocene extinction, or Anthropocene extinction, is the ongoing extinction event caused by humans during the Holocene epoch. These extinctions span numerous families of plants and animals, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates, and affecting not just terrestrial species but also large sectors of marine life. With widespread degradation of biodiversity hotspots, such as coral reefs and rainforests, as well as other areas, the vast majority of these extinctions are thought to be undocumented, as the species are undiscovered at the time of their extinction, which goes unrecorded. The current rate of extinction of species is estimated at 100 to 1,000 times higher than natural background extinction rates and is increasing. During the past 100–200 years, biodiversity loss and species extinction have accelerated, to the point that most conservation biologists now believe that human activity has either produced a period of mass extinction, or is on the cusp of doing so. As such, after the "Big Five" mass extinctions, the Holocene extinction event has also been referred to as the sixth mass extinction or sixth extinction; given the recent recognition of the Capitanian mass extinction, the term seventh mass extinction has also been proposed for the Holocene extinction event. The Holocene extinction follows the extinction of the majority of large (megafaunal) animals during the preceding Late Pleistocene. Some of these extinctions were likely in part due to human hunting pressure. The most popular theory is that human overhunting of species added to existing stress conditions as the Holocene extinction coincides with human colonization of many new areas around the world. Although there is debate regarding how much human predation and habitat loss affected their decline, certain population declines have been directly correlated with the onset of human activity, such as the extinction events of New Zealand, Madagascar, and Hawaii. Aside from humans, climate change may have been a driving factor in the megafaunal extinctions, especially at the end of the Pleistocene. Over the course of the Late Holocene, there were hundreds of extinctions of birds on islands across the Pacific, driven by human settlement of the previously uninhabited islands, with extinctions peaking around 1300 AD. Roughly 12% of avian species have been driven to extinction by human activity over the last 126,000 years, which is double previous estimates. (Full article...)
    Hawaii. Aside from humans, climate change may have been a driving factor in the megafaunal extinctions, especially at the end of the Pleistocene.

    Over the course of the Late Holocene, there were hundreds of extinctions of birds on islands across the Pacific, driven by human settlement of the previously uninhabited islands, with extinctions peaking around 1300 AD. Roughly 12% of avian species have been driven to extinction by human activity over the last 126,000 years, which is double previous estimates. (Full article...
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  • Image 6 Changes in surface air temperature over the past 50 years. The Arctic has warmed the most, and temperatures on land have generally increased more than sea surface temperatures. In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to Earth's climate. The current rise in global average temperature is primarily caused by humans burning fossil fuels since the Industrial Revolution. Fossil fuel use, deforestation, and some agricultural and industrial practices add to greenhouse gases. These gases absorb some of the heat that the Earth radiates after it warms from sunlight, warming the lower atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas driving global warming, has grown by about 50% and is at levels unseen for millions of years. Climate change has an increasingly large impact on the environment. Deserts are expanding, while heat waves and wildfires are becoming more common. Amplified warming in the Arctic has contributed to thawing permafrost, retreat of glaciers and sea ice decline. Higher temperatures are also causing more intense storms, droughts, and other weather extremes. Rapid environmental change in mountains, coral reefs, and the Arctic is forcing many species to relocate or become extinct. Even if efforts to minimise future warming are successful, some effects will continue for centuries. These include ocean heating, ocean acidification and sea level rise. Climate change threatens people with increased flooding, extreme heat, increased food and water scarcity, more disease, and economic loss. Human migration and conflict can also be a result. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls climate change the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century. Societies and ecosystems will experience more severe risks without action to limit warming. Adapting to climate change through efforts like flood control measures or drought-resistant crops partially reduces climate change risks, although some limits to adaptation have already been reached. Poorer communities are responsible for a small share of global emissions, yet have the least ability to adapt and are most vulnerable to climate change. (Full article...)
    economic loss. Human migration and conflict can also be a result. The World Health Organization (WHO) calls climate change the greatest threat to global health in the 21st century. Societies and ecosystems will experience more severe risks without action to limit warming. Adapting to climate change through efforts like flood control measures or drought-resistant crops partially reduces climate change risks, although some limits to adaptation have already been reached. Poorer communities are responsible for a small share of global emissions, yet have the least ability to adapt and are most vulnerable to climate change. (Full article...
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  • Image 7 Solid waste after being shredded to a uniform size Waste (or wastes) are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. A by-product, by contrast is a joint product of relatively minor economic value. A waste product may become a by-product, joint product or resource through an invention that raises a waste product's value above zero. Examples include municipal solid waste (household trash/refuse), hazardous waste, wastewater (such as sewage, which contains bodily wastes (feces and urine) and surface runoff), radioactive waste, and others. (Full article...)

    Solid waste after being shredded to a uniform size

    Waste (or wastes) are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. A by-product, by contrast is a joint product of relatively minor economic value. A waste product may become a by-product, joint product or resource through an invention that raises a waste product's value above zero.

    Examples include municipal solid waste (household trash/refuse), hazardous waste, wastewater (such as sewage, which contains bodily wastes (feces and urine) and surface runoff), radioactive waste, and others. (Full article...
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  • Image 8 Raw sewage and industrial waste in the New River as it passes from Mexicali (Mexico) to Calexico, California Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, with a negative impact on their uses. It is usually a result of human activities. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. Water pollution results when contaminants mix with these water bodies. Contaminants can come from one of four main sources. These are sewage discharges, industrial activities, agricultural activities, and urban runoff including stormwater. Water pollution may affect either surface water or groundwater. This form of pollution can lead to many problems. One is the degradation of aquatic ecosystems. Another is spreading water-borne diseases when people use polluted water for drinking or irrigation. Water pollution also reduces the ecosystem services such as drinking water provided by the water resource. Sources of water pollution are either point sources or non-point sources. Point sources have one identifiable cause, such as a storm drain, a wastewater treatment plant or an oil spill. Non-point sources are more diffuse. An example is agricultural runoff. Pollution is the result of the cumulative effect over time. Pollution may take many forms. One would is toxic substances such as oil, metals, plastics, pesticides, persistent organic pollutants, and industrial waste products. Another is stressful conditions such as changes of pH, hypoxia or anoxia, increased temperatures, excessive turbidity, or changes of salinity). The introduction of pathogenic organisms is another. Contaminants may include organic and inorganic substances. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. Control of water pollution requires appropriate infrastructure and management plans as well as legislation. Technology solutions can include improving sanitation, sewage treatment, industrial wastewater treatment, agricultural wastewater treatment, erosion control, sediment control and control of urban runoff (including stormwater management). (Full article...)

    power plants and industrial manufacturers.

    Control of water pollution requires appropriate infrastructure and management plans as well as legislation. Technology solutions can include improving sanitation, sewage treatment, industrial wastewater treatment, agricultural wastewater treatment, erosion control, sediment control and control of urban runoff (including stormwater management). (Full article...
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  • Image 9 Litter on the coast of Guyana Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign substances/energies or naturally occurring contaminants. Although environmental pollution can be caused by natural events, the word pollution generally implies that the contaminants have an anthropogenic source – that is, a source created by human activities, such as manufacturing, extractive industries, poor waste management, transportation or agriculture. Pollution is often classed as point source (coming from a highly concentrated specific site, such as a factory, mine, construction site), or nonpoint source pollution (coming from a widespread distributed sources, such as microplastics or agricultural runoff). Many sources of pollution were unregulated parts of industrialization during the 19th and 20th centuries until the emergence of environmental regulation and pollution policy in the later half of the 20th century. Sites where historically polluting industries released persistent pollutants may have legacy pollution long after the source of the pollution is stopped. Major forms of pollution include air pollution, water pollution, litter, noise pollution, plastic pollution, soil contamination, radioactive contamination, thermal pollution, light pollution, and visual pollution. (Full article...)
    agricultural runoff).

    Many sources of pollution were unregulated parts of industrialization during the 19th and 20th centuries until the emergence of environmental regulation and pollution policy in the later half of the 20th century. Sites where historically polluting industries released persistent pollutants may have legacy pollution long after the source of the pollution is stopped. Major forms of pollution include air pollution, water pollution, litter, noise pollution, plastic pollution, soil contamination, radioactive contamination, thermal pollution, light pollution, and visual pollution. (Full article...
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  • Image 10 Summary of major environmental-change categories that cause biodiversity loss. The data is expressed as a percentage of human-driven change (in red) relative to baseline (blue). Red indicates the percentage of the category that is damaged, lost, or otherwise affected, whereas blue indicates the percentage that is intact, remaining, or otherwise unaffected. Biodiversity loss happens when plant or animal species disappear completely from Earth (extinction) or when there is a decrease or disappearance of species in a specific area. Biodiversity loss means that there is a reduction in biological diversity in a given area. The decrease can be temporary or permanent. It is temporary if the damage that led to the loss is reversible in time, for example through ecological restoration. If this is not possible, then the decrease is permanent. The cause of most of the biodiversity loss is, generally speaking, human activities that push the planetary boundaries too far. These activities include habitat destruction (for example deforestation) and land use intensification (for example monoculture farming). Further problem areas are air and water pollution (including nutrient pollution), over-exploitation, invasive species and climate change. Many scientists, along with the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, say that the main reason for biodiversity loss is a growing human population because this leads to human overpopulation and excessive consumption. Others disagree, saying that loss of habitat is caused mainly by "the growth of commodities for export" and that population has very little to do with overall consumption. More important are wealth disparities between or within countries. Climate change is another threat to global biodiversity. For example, coral reefs—which are biodiversity hotspots—will be lost by the year 2100 if global warming continues at the current rate. Still, it is the general habitat destruction (often for expansion of agriculture), not climate change, that is currently the bigger driver of biodiversity loss. Invasive species and other disturbances have become more common in forests in the last several decades. These tend to be directly or indirectly connected to climate change and can cause a deterioration of forest ecosystems. (Full article...)
    growing human population because this leads to human overpopulation and excessive consumption. Others disagree, saying that loss of habitat is caused mainly by "the growth of commodities for export" and that population has very little to do with overall consumption. More important are wealth disparities between or within countries.

    Climate change is another threat to global biodiversity. For example, coral reefs—which are biodiversity hotspots—will be lost by the year 2100 if global warming continues at the current rate. Still, it is the general habitat destruction (often for expansion of agriculture), not climate change, that is currently the bigger driver of biodiversity loss. Invasive species and other disturbances have become more common in forests in the last several decades. These tend to be directly or indirectly connected to climate change and can cause a deterioration of forest ecosystems. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 11 A continuous buildup of toxic assets in the form of subprime mortgages purchased by Lehman Brothers ultimately led to the firm's bankruptcy in September 2008. The collapse of Lehman Brothers is often cited as both the culmination of the subprime mortgage crisis, and the catalyst for the Great Recession in the United States. The 2007–2008 financial crisis, or the global financial crisis (GFC), was the most severe worldwide economic crisis since the Great Depression. Predatory lending in the form of subprime mortgages targeting low-income homebuyers, excessive risk-taking by global financial institutions, a continuous buildup of toxic assets within banks, and the bursting of the United States housing bubble culminated in a "perfect storm", which led to the Great Recession. Mortgage-backed securities (MBS) tied to American real estate, as well as a vast web of derivatives linked to those MBS, collapsed in value. Financial institutions worldwide suffered severe damage, reaching a climax with the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers on September 15, 2008, and a subsequent international banking crisis. The preconditioning for the financial crisis was complex and multi-causal. Almost two decades prior, the U.S. Congress had passed legislation encouraging financing for affordable housing. However, in 1999, parts of the Glass-Steagall legislation, which had been adopted in 1933, were repealed, permitting financial institutions to commingle their commercial (risk-averse) and proprietary trading (risk-taking) operations. Arguably the largest contributor to the conditions necessary for financial collapse was the rapid development in predatory financial products which targeted low-income, low-information homebuyers who largely belonged to racial minorities. This market development went unattended by regulators and thus caught the U.S. government by surprise. (Full article...)
    Full article...
    )
  • Image 12 Biotechnology risk is a form of existential risk from biological sources, such as genetically engineered biological agents. The release of such high-consequence pathogens could be deliberate (in the form of bioterrorism or biological weapons) accidental, or a naturally occurring event. A chapter on biotechnology and biosecurity was included in Nick Bostrom's 2008 anthology Global Catastrophic Risks, which covered risks including viral agents. Since then, new technologies like CRISPR and gene drives have been introduced. While the ability to deliberately engineer pathogens has been constrained to high-end labs run by top researchers, the technology to achieve this is rapidly becoming cheaper and more widespread. For example, the diminishing cost of sequencing the human genome (from $10 million to $1,000), the accumulation of large datasets of genetic information, the discovery of gene drives, and the discovery of CRISPR. Biotechnology risk is therefore a credible explanation for the Fermi paradox. (Full article...)
    gene drives, and the discovery of CRISPR. Biotechnology risk is therefore a credible explanation for the Fermi paradox. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 13 Existential risk from artificial general intelligence refers to the idea that substantial progress in artificial general intelligence (AGI) could lead to human extinction or an irreversible global catastrophe. One argument supporting this risk suggests that human beings dominate other species because the human brain possesses distinctive capabilities other animals lack. If AI were to surpass human intelligence and become superintelligent, it might become uncontrollable. Just as the fate of the mountain gorilla depends on human goodwill, the fate of humanity could depend on the actions of a future machine superintelligence. The plausibility of existential catastrophe due to AI is widely debated. It hinges in part on whether AGI or superintelligence are achievable, the speed at which dangerous capabilities and behaviors emerge, and whether practical scenarios for AI takeovers exist. Concerns about superintelligence have been voiced by leading computer scientists and tech CEOs such as Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio, Alan Turing, Elon Musk, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. In 2022, a survey of AI researchers with a 17% response rate found that the majority believed there is a 10 percent or greater chance that our inability to control AI will cause an existential catastrophe. In 2023, hundreds of AI experts and other notable figures signed a statement declaring that "Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war". Following increased concern over AI risks, government leaders such as United Kingdom prime minister Rishi Sunak and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for an increased focus on global AI regulation. (Full article...)
    human beings dominate other species because the human brain possesses distinctive capabilities other animals lack. If AI were to surpass human intelligence and become superintelligent, it might become uncontrollable. Just as the fate of the mountain gorilla depends on human goodwill, the fate of humanity could depend on the actions of a future machine superintelligence.

    The plausibility of existential catastrophe due to AI is widely debated. It hinges in part on whether AGI or superintelligence are achievable, the speed at which dangerous capabilities and behaviors emerge, and whether practical scenarios for AI takeovers exist. Concerns about superintelligence have been voiced by leading computer scientists and tech CEOs such as Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio, Alan Turing, Elon Musk, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. In 2022, a survey of AI researchers with a 17% response rate found that the majority believed there is a 10 percent or greater chance that our inability to control AI will cause an existential catastrophe. In 2023, hundreds of AI experts and other notable figures signed a statement declaring that "Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war". Following increased concern over AI risks, government leaders such as United Kingdom prime minister Rishi Sunak and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called for an increased focus on global AI regulation. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 14 Tar sands in Alberta, 2008. Oil is one of the most used resources by humans. Resource depletion is the consumption of a resource faster than it can be replenished. Natural resources are commonly divided between renewable resources and non-renewable resources. The use of either of these forms of resources beyond their rate of replacement is considered to be resource depletion. The value of a resource is a direct result of its availability in nature and the cost of extracting the resource. The more a resource is depleted the more the value of the resource increases. There are several types of resource depletion, including but not limited to: mining for fossil fuels and minerals, deforestation, pollution or contamination of resources, wetland and ecosystem degradation, soil erosion, overconsumption, aquifer depletion, and the excessive or unnecessary use of resources. Resource depletion is most commonly used in reference to farming, fishing, mining, water usage, and the consumption of fossil fuels. Depletion of wildlife populations is called defaunation. Resource depletion also brings up topics regarding its history, specifically its roots in colonialism and the Industrial Revolution, depletion accounting, and the socioeconomic impacts of resource depletion, as well as the morality of resource consumption, how humanity will be impacted and what the future will look like if resource depletion continues at the current rate, Earth Overshoot Day, and when specific resources will be completely exhausted. (Full article...)
    aquifer depletion, and the excessive or unnecessary use of resources. Resource depletion is most commonly used in reference to farming, fishing, mining, water usage, and the consumption of fossil fuels. Depletion of wildlife populations is called defaunation.

    Resource depletion also brings up topics regarding its history, specifically its roots in colonialism and the Industrial Revolution, depletion accounting, and the socioeconomic impacts of resource depletion, as well as the morality of resource consumption, how humanity will be impacted and what the future will look like if resource depletion continues at the current rate, Earth Overshoot Day, and when specific resources will be completely exhausted. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 15 Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing different behaviors, aspirations, and needs equally, regardless of gender. UNICEF defined gender equality as "women and men, and girls and boys, enjoy the same rights, resources, opportunities and protections. It does not require that girls and boys, or women and men, be the same, or that they be treated exactly alike." gender equality is the fifth of seventeen sustainable development goals (SDG 5) of the United Nations; gender equality has not incorporated the proposition of genders besides women and men, or gender identities outside of the gender binary. Gender inequality is measured annually by the United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Reports. (Full article...)
    Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing different behaviors, aspirations, and needs equally, regardless of gender.

    UNICEF defined gender equality as "women and men, and girls and boys, enjoy the same rights, resources, opportunities and protections. It does not require that girls and boys, or women and men, be the same, or that they be treated exactly alike."

    gender equality is the fifth of seventeen sustainable development goals (SDG 5) of the United Nations; gender equality has not incorporated the proposition of genders besides women and men, or gender identities outside of the gender binary. Gender inequality is measured annually by the United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Reports. (Full article...)
  • Image 16 Inclusive growth is economic growth that raises standards of livings for broad swaths of a population. Proponents for inclusive growth warn that inequitable growth may have adverse political outcomes. The definition of inclusive growth implies direct links between the macroeconomic and microeconomic determinants of the economy and economic growth. The microeconomic dimension captures the importance of structural transformation for economic diversification and competition, while the macro dimension refers to changes in economic aggregates such as the country’s gross national product (GNP) or gross domestic product (GDP), total factor productivity, and aggregate factor inputs. Sustainable economic growth requires inclusive growth. Maintaining this is sometimes difficult because economic growth may give rise to negative externalities, such as a rise in corruption, which is a major problem in developing countries. Nonetheless, an emphasis on inclusiveness—especially on equality of opportunity in terms of access to markets, resources, and an unbiased regulatory environment—is an essential ingredient of successful growth. The inclusive growth approach takes a longer-term perspective, as the focus is on productive employment as a means of increasing the incomes of poor and excluded groups and raising their standards of living. (Full article...)
    standards of living. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 17 Unemployment rate, 2021 Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the reference period. Unemployment is measured by the unemployment rate, which is the number of people who are unemployed as a percentage of the labour force (the total number of people employed added to those unemployed). Unemployment can have many sources, such as the following: (Full article...)
    labour force (the total number of people employed added to those unemployed).

    Unemployment can have many sources, such as the following: (Full article...
    )
  • Image 18 Gray goo (also spelled as grey goo) is a hypothetical global catastrophic scenario involving molecular nanotechnology in which out-of-control self-replicating machines consume all biomass (and perhaps also everything else) on Earth while building many more of themselves, a scenario that has been called ecophagy (the literal consumption of the ecosystem). The original idea assumed machines were designed to have this capability, while popularizations have assumed that machines might somehow gain this capability by accident. Self-replicating machines of the macroscopic variety were originally described by mathematician John von Neumann, and are sometimes referred to as von Neumann machines or clanking replicators. The term gray goo was coined by nanotechnology pioneer K. Eric Drexler in his 1986 book Engines of Creation. In 2004, he stated "I wish I had never used the term 'gray goo'." Engines of Creation mentions "gray goo" as a thought experiment in two paragraphs and a note, while the popularized idea of gray goo was first publicized in a mass-circulation magazine, Omni, in November 1986. (Full article...)
    clanking replicators.
    The term gray goo was coined by nanotechnology pioneer K. Eric Drexler in his 1986 book Engines of Creation. In 2004, he stated "I wish I had never used the term 'gray goo'." Engines of Creation mentions "gray goo" as a thought experiment in two paragraphs and a note, while the popularized idea of gray goo was first publicized in a mass-circulation magazine, Omni, in November 1986. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 19 Map of the world's biodiversity hot spots, all of which are heavily threatened by habitat loss and degradation Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved to elsewhere or are dead, leading to a decrease in biodiversity and species numbers. Habitat destruction is in fact the leading cause of biodiversity loss and species extinction worldwide. Humans contribute to habitat destruction through the use of natural resources, agriculture, industrial production and urbanization (urban sprawl). Other activities include mining, logging and trawling. Environmental factors can contribute to habitat destruction more indirectly. Geological processes, climate change, introduction of invasive species, ecosystem nutrient depletion, water and noise pollution are some examples. Loss of habitat can be preceded by an initial habitat fragmentation. Fragmentation and loss of habitat have become one of the most important topics of research in ecology as they are major threats to the survival of endangered species. (Full article...)
    Map of the world's biodiversity hot spots, all of which are heavily threatened by habitat loss and degradation


    Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved to elsewhere or are dead, leading to a decrease in biodiversity and species numbers. Habitat destruction is in fact the leading cause of biodiversity loss and species extinction worldwide.

    Humans contribute to habitat destruction through the use of natural resources, agriculture, industrial production and urbanization (urban sprawl). Other activities include mining, logging and trawling. Environmental factors can contribute to habitat destruction more indirectly. Geological processes, climate change, introduction of invasive species, ecosystem nutrient depletion, water and noise pollution are some examples. Loss of habitat can be preceded by an initial habitat fragmentation. Fragmentation and loss of habitat have become one of the most important topics of research in ecology as they are major threats to the survival of endangered species. (Full article...)
  • Image 20 Human overpopulation (or human population overshoot) describes a concern that human populations may become too large to be sustained by their environment or resources in the long term. The topic is usually discussed in the context of world population, though it may concern individual nations, regions, and cities. Since 1804, the global human population has increased from 1 billion to 8 billion due to medical advancements and improved agricultural productivity. Annual world population growth peaked at 2.1% in 1968, and has since dropped to 1.1%. According to the most recent United Nations' projections, "[t]he global population is expected to reach 9.7 billion in 2050 and 10.4 billion in 2100." The UN's 2022 projections report predicted that the human population would peak at around 10.4 billion people in the 2080s, before decreasing, noting that fertility rates are falling worldwide. Other models agree that the population will stabilize before or after 2100. Conversely, other researchers have found that national birth registries data from 2022 and 2023 that cover half the world's population indicate that the 2022 UN projections overestimated fertility rates by 10 to 20% and are already outdated, that the global fertility rate has possibly already fallen below the sub-replacement fertility level for the first time in human history, and that the global population will peak at approximately 9.5 billion by 2061. Early discussions of overpopulation in English were spurred by the work of Thomas Malthus. Discussions of overpopulation follow a similar line of inquiry as Malthusianism and its Malthusian catastrophe, a hypothetical event where population exceeds agricultural capacity, causing famine or war over resources, resulting in poverty and depopulation. More recent discussion of overpopulation was popularized by Paul Ehrlich in his 1968 book The Population Bomb and subsequent writings. Ehrlich described overpopulation as a function of overconsumption, arguing that overpopulation should be defined by a population being unable to sustain itself without depleting non-renewable resources. (Full article...)
    fertility rates are falling worldwide. Other models agree that the population will stabilize before or after 2100. Conversely, other researchers have found that national birth registries data from 2022 and 2023 that cover half the world's population indicate that the 2022 UN projections overestimated fertility rates by 10 to 20% and are already outdated, that the global fertility rate has possibly already fallen below the sub-replacement fertility level for the first time in human history, and that the global population will peak at approximately 9.5 billion by 2061.

    Early discussions of overpopulation in English were spurred by the work of Thomas Malthus. Discussions of overpopulation follow a similar line of inquiry as Malthusianism and its Malthusian catastrophe, a hypothetical event where population exceeds agricultural capacity, causing famine or war over resources, resulting in poverty and depopulation. More recent discussion of overpopulation was popularized by Paul Ehrlich in his 1968 book The Population Bomb and subsequent writings. Ehrlich described overpopulation as a function of overconsumption, arguing that overpopulation should be defined by a population being unable to sustain itself without depleting non-renewable resources. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 21 International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (see: World economy) In most countries, such trade represents a significant share of gross domestic product (GDP). While international trade has existed throughout history (for example Uttarapatha, Silk Road, Amber Road, salt roads), its economic, social, and political importance has been on the rise in recent centuries. Carrying out trade at an international level is a complex process when compared to domestic trade. When trade takes place between two or more states, factors like currency, government policies, economy, judicial system, laws, and markets influence trade. (Full article...)
    Full article...
    )
  • Image 22 Seabirds killed by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound. The spill in March 1989 dumped approximately 10.8 million US gallons of crude oil into the sound, killing over 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, and numerous other wildlife. The Alaskan fishing industry also suffered tremendously as a result of the spill. An environmental disaster or ecological disaster is defined as a catastrophic event regarding the natural environment that is due to human activity. This point distinguishes environmental disasters from other disturbances such as natural disasters and intentional acts of war such as nuclear bombings. Environmental disasters show how the impact of humans' alteration of the land has led to widespread and/or long-lasting consequences. These disasters have included deaths of wildlife, humans and plants, or severe disruption of human life or health, possibly requiring migration. Some environmental disasters are the trigger source of more expansive environmental conflicts, where effected groups try to socially confront the actors responsible for the disaster. (Full article...)
    crude oil into the sound, killing over 250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, and numerous other wildlife. The Alaskan fishing industry also suffered tremendously as a result of the spill.

    An environmental disaster or ecological disaster is defined as a catastrophic event regarding the natural environment that is due to human activity. This point distinguishes environmental disasters from other disturbances such as natural disasters and intentional acts of war such as nuclear bombings.

    Environmental disasters show how the impact of humans' alteration of the land has led to widespread and/or long-lasting consequences. These disasters have included deaths of wildlife, humans and plants, or severe disruption of human life or health, possibly requiring migration. Some environmental disasters are the trigger source of more expansive environmental conflicts, where effected groups try to socially confront the actors responsible for the disaster. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 23 Deforestation of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil's Maranhão state, 2016 Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. About 31% of Earth's land surface is covered by forests at present. This is one-third less than the forest cover before the expansion of agriculture, with half of that loss occurring in the last century. Between 15 million to 18 million hectares of forest, an area the size of Bangladesh, are destroyed every year. On average 2,400 trees are cut down each minute. Estimates vary widely as to the extent of deforestation in the tropics. In 2019, nearly a third of the overall tree cover loss, or 3.8 million hectares, occurred within humid tropical primary forests. These are areas of mature rainforest that are especially important for biodiversity and carbon storage. The direct cause of most deforestation is agriculture by far. More than 80% of deforestation was attributed to agriculture in 2018. Forests are being converted to plantations for coffee, palm oil, rubber and various other popular products. Livestock grazing also drives deforestation. Further drivers are the wood industry (logging), urbanization and mining. The effects of climate change are another cause via the increased risk of wildfires (see deforestation and climate change). Deforestation results in habitat destruction which in turn leads to biodiversity loss. Deforestation also leads to extinction of animals and plants, changes to the local climate, and displacement of indigenous people who live in forests. Deforested regions often also suffer from other environmental problems such as desertification and soil erosion. (Full article...)
    rubber and various other popular products. Livestock grazing also drives deforestation. Further drivers are the wood industry (logging), urbanization and mining. The effects of climate change are another cause via the increased risk of wildfires (see deforestation and climate change).


    Deforestation results in habitat destruction which in turn leads to biodiversity loss. Deforestation also leads to extinction of animals and plants, changes to the local climate, and displacement of indigenous people who live in forests. Deforested regions often also suffer from other environmental problems such as desertification and soil erosion. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 24 Global distribution of dryland subtypes based on the aridity index computed over a 30-year average during 1981 to 2010. Typical deserts are indicated by the hyper-arid category (light yellow) Desertification is a type of gradual land degradation of fertile land into arid desert due to a combination of natural processes and human activities. This spread of arid areas is caused by a variety of factors, such as overexploitation of soil as a result of human activity and the effects of climate change. Geographic areas most affected are located in Africa (Sahel region), Asia (Gobi Desert and Mongolia) and parts of South America. Drylands occupy approximately 40–41% of Earth's land area and are home to more than 2 billion people. Effects of desertification include sand and dust storms, food insecurity, and poverty. Humans can fight desertification in various ways. For instance, improving soil quality, greening deserts, managing grazing better, and planting trees (reforestation and afforestation) can all help reverse desertification. Throughout geological history, the development of deserts has occurred naturally over long intervals of time. The modern study of desertification emerged from the study of the 1980s drought in the Sahel. (Full article...)
    1980s drought in the Sahel. (Full article...
    )
  • Image 25 Mushroom cloud from the 1954 explosion of Castle Bravo, the largest nuclear weapon detonated by the U.S. A nuclear holocaust, also known as a nuclear apocalypse, nuclear annihilation, nuclear armageddon, or atomic holocaust, is a theoretical scenario where the mass detonation of nuclear weapons causes widespread destruction and radioactive fallout. Such a scenario envisages large parts of the Earth becoming uninhabitable due to the effects of nuclear warfare, potentially causing the collapse of civilization, the extinction of humanity, and/or the termination of most biological life on Earth. Besides the immediate destruction of cities by nuclear blasts, the potential aftermath of a nuclear war could involve firestorms, a nuclear winter, widespread radiation sickness from fallout, and/or the temporary (if not permanent) loss of much modern technology due to electromagnetic pulses. Some scientists, such as Alan Robock, have speculated that a thermonuclear war could result in the end of modern civilization on Earth, in part due to a long-lasting nuclear winter. In one model, the average temperature of Earth following a full thermonuclear war falls for several years by 7 – 8 °C (13 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit) on average. Early Cold War-era studies suggested that billions of humans would survive the immediate effects of nuclear blasts and radiation following a global thermonuclear war. The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War believe that nuclear war could indirectly contribute to human extinction via secondary effects, including environmental consequences, societal breakdown, and economic collapse. (Full article...)
    extinction of humanity, and/or the termination of most biological life on Earth.

    Besides the immediate destruction of cities by nuclear blasts, the potential aftermath of a nuclear war could involve firestorms, a nuclear winter, widespread radiation sickness from fallout, and/or the temporary (if not permanent) loss of much modern technology due to electromagnetic pulses. Some scientists, such as Alan Robock, have speculated that a thermonuclear war could result in the end of modern civilization on Earth, in part due to a long-lasting nuclear winter. In one model, the average temperature of Earth following a full thermonuclear war falls for several years by 7 – 8 °C (13 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit) on average.

    Early Cold War-era studies suggested that billions of humans would survive the immediate effects of nuclear blasts and radiation following a global thermonuclear war. The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War believe that nuclear war could indirectly contribute to human extinction via secondary effects, including environmental consequences, societal breakdown, and economic collapse. (Full article...
    )
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    Trump news tracker

    30 May 2024 – Prosecution of Donald Trump in New York
    Former President of the United States Donald Trump is found guilty by a jury on all 34 felony counts relating to falsifying business records, becoming the first U.S. president to be convicted of a crime. (CNN)
    15 May 2024 – 2024 United States presidential election
    U.S. President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump agree to hold a presidential debate on June 27, hosted by CNN, which will be the earliest general election debate in modern history in the United States. A second debate will be held in September. (The New York Times)

    Interests

    Wikipedia newsfeed

    26 June 2024 – Israel–Hamas war
    Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, Bombing of the Gaza Strip
    An
    Beit Lahiya in North Gaza kills at least 15 Palestinians. (Al Jazeera)
    26 June 2024 – Jihadist insurgency in Niger
    The ministry of defence in Niger announces three days of national mourning following the previous day’s ambush of security forces near the village of Tassia in the Tillabéri Region, during which at least 20 soldiers and a civilian were killed and several others wounded. (Al Jazeera)
    26 June 2024 – Kivu conflict
    Two South African soldiers are killed and twenty others are injured in a mortar attack on their logistics base. (SABC News)
    26 June 2024 –
    Unidentified attackers opened fire on a Tunisian military patrol near the Libyan border killing a soldier according to the Tunisian Ministry of Defense. (Al Arabiya)
    Three fishermen are found dead following heavy rainfall and winds that caused coastal inundation along New Zealand's Eastern coast. (1 News)
    Two days of heavy rains in Nepal kills 20 people. (Reuters)
    26 June 2024 – International Criminal Court investigation in Mali
    The
    Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz of Ansar Dine on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. (Reuters)
    26 June 2024 –
    Outgoing
    26 June 2024 – Kenya Finance Bill protests
    Kenyan President William Ruto withdraws the controversial Kenya Finance Bill 2024 following an attack on the Parliament of Kenya that killed multiple people. (Reuters)
    26 June 2024 – 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in New York#District 16
    Jamaal Bowman, a member of the Squad, loses a primary challenge against George Latimer. Overall, $24.8m was spent by various groups in the race, making it the most expensive House of Representatives primary in history. (BBC) (New York Times)
    25 June 2024 – Israel–Hamas war
    Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, Bombing of the Gaza Strip
    Israeli airstrikes kill at least 24 people in Gaza City, including ten family members of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh. (Reuters) (Al Jazeera)
    25 June 2024 –
    Russo–Ukrainian War
    The
    Crimean peninsula. (Al Jazeera)
    Russia and Ukraine each return 90 prisoners of war in a prisoner exchange mediated by the United Arab Emirates. (Reuters)
    25 June 2024 – Haitian crisis
    Kenyan police units arrive in Haiti for a United Nations-backed security mission to restore order. (France 24) (The Washington Post)
    25 June 2024 –
    The
    antitrust fine against Microsoft, charging it with violating European Union competition law by illegally linking its Microsoft Teams app with Microsoft Office, giving the former an unfair advantage over Slack. (Reuters)
    25 June 2024 – 2024 North America heat waves
    Puerto Rico announces its first island-wide heat advisory to all 78 municipalities due to predicted highs of 114°F (46°C) and widespread power outages. (AP)
    25 June 2024 – Enlargement of the European Union
    Accession of Ukraine to the European Union, Accession of Moldova to the European Union
    The European Union formally launches accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. (Barron's)
    25 June 2024 – Iran–United States relations
    The
    Iran's military gain access to the international financial system. (Al Jazeera)
    25 June 2024 –
    The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe elects former Swiss president Alain Berset as the Council's new Secretary General, succeeding Marija Pejčinović Burić. (Politico)
    Russia bans 81 media outlets from access inside the country, including Agence France-Presse and Politico, in retaliation for a European Union ban on Russian media outlets. (Reuters)
    25 June 2024 – Conscription of yeshiva students
    The
    government are legally bound to conscript Haredi yeshiva students, overturning their prior exemption from mandatory military service. (The Jerusalem Post) (NPR)
    25 June 2024 – Gun violence in the United States
    U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declares gun violence a public health emergency. (AP)
    A gunman kills five people, critically injures a girl in
    the police the following day. (Reuters)
    25 June 2024 – Indictment and arrest of Julian Assange
    WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is freed following a plea deal with the United States, which results in Assange pleading guilty to espionage-related charges. (Reuters)
    25 June 2024 – International Criminal Court investigation in Ukraine
    The International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Russia's Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and former defence minister Sergei Shoigu. (Barron's) (The Guardian)
    25 June 2024 – Kenya Finance Bill protests
    2024 Parliament of Kenya attack
    Thousands of anti-tax protestors assault and set the Parliament of Kenya building in Nairobi on fire, as riots begin following the approval of a finance bill. The ceremonial mace is also stolen by protesters. Ten people are killed and more than 50 others are injured as police open fire on protestors. (Al Jazeera) (BBC News)
    President William Ruto deploys the military to stop the protests. (Bloomberg)
    25 June 2024 –
    2024 United Kingdom general election date betting controversy
    A fifth Conservative Party member is investigated for involvement in the ongoing election betting scandal. (The Guardian)
    25 June 2024 – LGBT rights in Peru
    The Peruvian Ministry of Health announces that it will stop labeling transgender individuals as suffering from mental disorders, but will instead use the term "gender discordance". (Reuters)
    25 June 2024 – Chinese space program
    The
    far side of the moon. (AP)
    24 June 2024 – Israel–Hamas war
    Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
    Gaza humanitarian crisis
    Eleven
    Bani Suhaila, and Gaza City. (Reuters)
    Three-phase Israel–Hamas war ceasefire proposal
    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal for the war in Gaza, instead committing to continuing the war and "the goal of eliminating Hamas." (TIME)
    24 June 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
    Eastern Ukraine campaign
    At least four people are killed and 40 others are injured when Russian Iskander-M ballistic missiles hit Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (The Kyiv Independent) (Reuters)
    24 June 2024 – 2024 Dagestan attack
    The death toll from the attack on a synagogue and Orthodox church in Derbent and Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia, yesterday, increases to 20, with 46 others injured. (Reuters)
    24 June 2024 – Aricell battery factory fire
    Twenty-two people are killed and two others are injured in a fire at a
    24 June 2024 –
    Eight people are killed in a fire in an office building in Fryazino, Moscow Oblast, Russia. (BBC News)
    Officials in
    railroad bridge connecting South Dakota and Iowa and kills two people. (WCCO-TV) (AP)
    The
    24 June 2024 – Philippine drug war
    Trial courts in Metro Manila, Philippines, dismiss the remaining charges filed against former senator Leila de Lima during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, including the last of the three involving her alleged conspiracy in the illegal drug trade, as well as another on her disobedience to a summons for a House hearing. (BBC News)
    24 June 2024 –
    WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange enters a plea deal with the U.S. Justice Department, in which he will be found guilty on one federal charge in exchange for his release back to Australia. (ABC News)
    24 June 2024 – 2024 New Caledonia unrest
    Violence and riots resume in New Caledonia after eight pro-independence activists were flown to France for pre-trial detention yesterday. Protesters burn police vehicles, block roads, and set fire to the town hall in Koumac. (Al Jazeera)
    24 June 2024 – 2023–24 NHL season
    In ice hockey, the Florida Panthers defeat the Edmonton Oilers in seven games to win the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals, marking their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. The Panthers also avoid becoming the fifth team in National Hockey League history to lose a series despite having a 3–0 series lead. (The Washington Post)
    23 June 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
    Crimea attacks
    June 2024 Sevastopol missile attack
    ministry of defense says that it holds the United States responsible for the attack and vows that there will be a response. (Reuters)
    Kharkiv strikes
    One person is killed and ten others are injured in Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (Reuters)
    23 June 2024 – Israel–Hamas war
    Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
    Eight
    IDF airstrikes that hit a UNRWA-run vocational college in Gaza City that was being used to distribute aid. (Reuters)
    23 June 2024 – 2024 Dagestan attack
    At least 16 people are killed and 13 others are injured in Dagestan, Russia, when gunmen open fire on a synagogue and an Orthodox church in Derbent and on a traffic police post in Makhachkala. (Al Arabiya) (RBK)
    23 June 2024 – Israel–Hezbollah conflict
    North Macedonia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs urges all its citizens in Lebanon to leave as soon as possible due to "deteriorating security" in the region from escalating conflicts. (Sloboden Pečat)
    23 June 2024 – Red Sea crisis
    The
    Houthis claim to have carried out a joint military operation with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq to target four vessels in the Port of Haifa, Israel. (Al Jazeera)
    23 June 2024 – 2024 Hajj disaster
    The Saudi health minister announces that 1,301 people are now confirmed to have died during this year's Hajj pilgrimage. (Al Arabiya)
    23 June 2024 –
    One person is found dead after floods in southern Switzerland. (Reuters)
    23 June 2024 – Israel–Hamas war
    Israel–Hamas war protests in Israel
    More than 150,000 Israelis rally and march in Tel Aviv to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, calling for new elections, the return of hostages, and a ceasefire. (Al Jazeera)
    23 June 2024 – 2024 New Caledonia unrest
    Independence leader Christian Tein and seven other activists are flown to France for pre-trial detention after being arrested for inciting violence and riots in New Caledonia. (Al Jazeera)
    23 June 2024 –
    On the Grand Duke's Official Birthday, Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg announces that his son and heir Guillaume will assume royal duties beginning in October, in preparation for Henri's eventual abdication. (Luxembourg Times)
    22 June 2024 – Israel–Hamas war
    Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip
    June 2024 northern Gaza City airstrikes
    At least 42
    Palestinians are killed by Israeli airstrikes in northern Gaza. (AP) (Reuters)
    22 June 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
    Kharkiv strikes
    At least three people are killed and 38 others are injured when Russian guided bombs hit civilian infrastructure in Kharkiv, Ukraine. (The Washington Post)
    Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
    Russia launches missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, injuring two people and damaging energy infrastructure. Ukraine says that it shot down 12 of 16 missiles and all 13 drones. (Reuters)
    22 June 2024 – 2021–2024 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks
    At least 23 people are killed by CODECO militia groups in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Reuters)
    22 June 2024 –
    At least seven people are killed and 100 are kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Katsina State, Nigeria. (Al Jazeera)
    22 June 2024 – 2024 Tamil Nadu alcohol poisoning
    The death toll from the tainted liquor incident in Kallakurichi district, Tamil Nadu, India, increases to 54. (Al Jazeera)
    22 June 2024 –
    The death toll from the storms and heavy rains in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras increases to 30 people, including at least six children. (Reuters)
    Three people are missing following thunderstorms and landslides in southeastern Switzerland. (Al Jazeera)
    A severe water crisis on the island of Capri, Italy, due to Italian mainland water system failures causes several areas in Anacapri to run dry, and forces the mayor of Capri to suspend tourist arrivals on the island. (AP)
    22 June 2024 – Antisemitism in 21st-century France
    French prosecutors charge a 19-year-old and a minor with planning and collecting arms for a violent "terrorist conspiracy" against Jewish targets. (France 24)
    22 June 2024 – LGBT rights in Hungary
    Thousands of people march in a pride parade in Budapest, Hungary, to protest against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's anti-LGBTQ+ policies. (Reuters)
    22 June 2024 –
    A
    University of Illinois team lead by Joshua Wurman and Karen Kosiba confirms mobile radar measurements of between 309 mph (497 km/h) and 318 mph (512 km/h) in the tornado that struck Greenfield, Iowa, United States, on May 21. This is the first unambiguous radar confirmation of tornado winds over 300 mph (480 km/h). (NBC News) (University of Illinois)
    21 June 2024 – Israel–Hamas war
    Rafah offensive
    June 2024 Al-Mawasi refugee camp attack
    Twenty-five people are killed and 50 others are injured in Israeli shelling near Muwasi, Rafah. Gaza Strip. (AP)
    21 June 2024 – Insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
    An IED kills five Pakistan Army personnel in Kurram District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. (Arab News)
    21 June 2024 – France–Niger relations
    Niger's military junta revokes the operating license of French nuclear fuel producer Orano at the Imouraren uranium mine amid tensions between the two countries. (BBC News)
    21 June 2024 – 2024 Hajj disaster
    At least 1,119 pilgrims, more than half of whom are from Egypt, are now confirmed to have died from heat-related causes during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia. (Barron's)
    President of Tunisia Kais Saied dismisses the Minister of Religious Affairs after 49 Tunisians are reported to have died in this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. (Al Arabiya)
    21 June 2024 – 2024 Guangdong floods
    The death toll from the floods and landslides in Meizhou, Guangdong, China, increases to 47 people. (Al Jazeera)
    21 June 2024 – 2024 North America heat waves
    At least six people die due to heat-related illness in the Phoenix metropolitan area in Arizona, United States, as temperatures reach 115 °F (46 °C). (AP)
    21 June 2024 – 2024 West African floods
    At least 21 people are killed by floods in Niger's
    Maradi region and the suburbs of Niamey after unusually heavy rainfall in the region. (AP)
    21 June 2024 –
    At least 11 people are killed in wildfires in southeast Turkey. (ABC News)
    A worker is killed and five others are critically injured in an explosion at an aluminium processing plant in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy. (ANSA)
    France reports nearly 200 cases of cholera in Mayotte. (Le Monde)
    Most of Montenegro and parts of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Croatia experience blackouts as a result of a heavy load on the electrical grid caused by an unexpected increase in power consumption due to high temperatures. (DW)
    The death toll from torrential rains in El Salvador increases to 19 people, including at least two children. (AP)
    21 June 2024 – Enlargement of the European Union
    Accession of Moldova to the European Union, Accession of Ukraine to the European Union
    European Union member states agree to begin negotiations on the accession of Moldova and Ukraine to the EU next week. (The Independent)
    Moldovan president Maia Sandu signs the decree that begins negotiations on Moldova's accession to the European Union. Sandu also announces that the first Moldova–EU intergovernmental conference will take place on 25 June. (Anadolu Agency)
    21 June 2024 – Armenia–Palestine relations, International recognition of the State of Palestine
    Armenia officially recognises the State of Palestine. (Reuters)
    21 June 2024 – Israel–Ukraine relations
    Israel and Ukraine mutually impose travel restrictions to each others' citizens, preventing reciprocal visa-free travel without an authorization permit. (The Kyiv Independent)
    21 June 2024 – 2024 Fordyce shooting
    Three people are killed and ten others are wounded in a shooting at a grocery store in Fordyce, Arkansas, United States. The suspect is shot and arrested by Arkansas State Police. (AP)
    21 June 2024 – Cross-Strait relations
    China officially defines Taiwanese separatist behavior as a criminal act. (Financial Times)
    21 June 2024 – LGBT rights in Namibia
    The
    sex between men are unconstitutional. (DW)
    21 June 2024 –
    A court in Geneva, Switzerland, sentences Indian-born billionaire Prakash Hinduja and three of his family members to four years in prison for exploiting domestic workers at their villa in Cologny. (AP)
    20 June 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
    United States and the Russian invasion of Ukraine
    Ukraine is prioritized first among the countries to receive ordered deliveries of MIM-104 Patriot missile systems from the United States. (CNN)
    United States officials announce that they will allow Ukraine to use US weapons to strike Russian forces within Russia, provided they are located right across the border with Ukraine, removing the prior limit of only allowing strikes across the Kharkiv front. (Politico)
    Eastern Ukraine campaign
    Three people are killed and four others are injured in Russian cluster munitions strikes on the village of Rozkishne, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. (Al Jazeera)
    20 June 2024 – Sudanese civil war
    The Rapid Support Forces captures Al-Fulah, the capital of West Kordofan, Sudan, after the Sudanese Armed Forces withdraw from the city after several hours of fighting. (Al Jazeera)
    20 June 2024 – Orca Shipwreck
    The Israel Antiquities Authority announces the discovery of a 3,300-year-old ship and its cargo, one of the oldest known examples of a ship sailing far from land. The ship was discovered last year by a company drilling for natural gas off the coast of Northern Israel. (NBC News)
    20 June 2024 – 2024 Hajj disaster
    At least 1,081 pilgrims are now confirmed to have died from heat-related causes during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia. (France 24)
    20 June 2024 – 2024 Tamil Nadu alcohol poisoning
    At least 36 people are killed and more than 60 others are hospitalized after consuming tainted liquor in Kallakurichi district, Tamil Nadu, India. (Reuters) (New Indian Express)
    20 June 2024 –
    A cruise ship rescues 68 migrants and finds five bodies in a wooden dinghy that was drifting off the Canary Islands, Spain. (ABC News)
    At least two people are killed and nine others are injured when a passenger train collides with a train on a test run near Santiago, Chile. (AP)
    power cuts in parts of the country during peak consumption hours, saying that the country is struggling to meet increased demand caused by extreme summer heat. (Al Arabiya)
    20 June 2024 – Russia–United States relations
    U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Lindsey Graham move to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism after its defensive pact with North Korea. (The National)
    20 June 2024 –
    Outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is announced as the next Secretary General of NATO, beginning his term on October 2. (Politico)
    20 June 2024 – ChinaAngVirus disinformation campaign
    Congress of the Philippines lawmakers pursue an investigation into a U.S. military social media disinformation operation to discredit Chinese COVID-19 vaccines to Filipinos to determine the damages caused, international law infringements, and possible legal action. (Reuters)
    20 June 2024 – Vandalism of Stonehenge
    The orange powder paint sprayed on
    blower fan, leaving no visible damage. (BBC News)
    20 June 2024 –
    Two
    A tourist accused of desecrating the Quran is removed from a police station in Swat District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, by a mob who beat him to death before setting his corpse on fire. (Al Arabiya)
    The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom rules that the future impact of proposed fossil fuel projects must be assessed, when considering site proposals for drilling. (The Guardian)
    The
    Russo–Ukrainian war. (Al Jazeera)
    One person is killed, at least 200 people are injured, and over 100 are arrested in protests across Kenya against government plans to raise $2.7 billion in additional taxes. Kenya Police fired live rounds, tear gas, and water cannons at protesters. (Reuters)
    20 June 2024 – 2024 in archosaur paleontology
    Researchers announce the discovery the Lokiceratops rangiformis, a dinosaur species named after the Norse god Loki, in North America. The findings are published in the journal PeerJ. (ABC News)
    20 June 2024 –
    The International Union for Conservation of Nature announces that the Iberian lynx has been upgraded from endangered to vulnerable for the first time since 1986, after a 2023 census showed a population of 2,021 animals. (BBC News)
    20 June 2024 – UEFA Euro 2024, Anti-Serb sentiment
    Serbia threatens to withdraw from UEFA Euro 2024 if UEFA does not punish Croatia and Albania after their supporters chant "kill, kill, kill the Serb" during a match in Hamburg, Germany, on Wednesday. (Sky News)
    19 June 2024 – Syrian civil war
    Israel's role in the Syrian civil war
    An
    Syrian army officer in southern Syria. (Arab News)
    19 June 2024 – Israel–Hezbollah conflict
    Hezbollah announces that an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon killed three of its fighters. (AP)
    Hezbollah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah threatens Cyprus if it allows Israel to use its airports and bases for military exercises. (Reuters)
    19 June 2024 –
    The European Commission reprimands Belgium, France, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, and Slovakia for breaking budget rules. (Le Monde)
    19 June 2024 – 2024 Atlantic hurricane season
    Tropical Storm Alberto forms in the Gulf of Mexico, the first storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. (USA Today)
    19 June 2024 – 2024 Hajj disaster
    At least 922 pilgrims are now confirmed to have died from heat-related causes during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia. (France 24)
    19 June 2024 – N'Djamena ammunition depot explosions
    At least nine people are killed and 46 others are injured in a series of explosions at a military ammunition depot in N'Djamena, Chad. (AP)
    19 June 2024 –
    Landslides caused by heavy monsoon rains in Bangladesh and India kill at least 15 people, injure several others, and displace millions of people. (Al Jazeera)
    At least four people are killed and more than a dozen others are missing after record rains impact parts of southern China. (Al Jazeera)
    19 June 2024 – Canada–Iran relations
    Canada adds Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to its list of terrorist entities. (Bloomberg)
    19 June 2024 – North Korea–Russia relations
    Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sign an agreement to grant mutual aid and support in case either nation faces aggression. (AP)
    19 June 2024 – Sudanese civil war
    Sudan accuses the United Arab Emirates of arming the Rapid Support Forces. (Al Jazeera)
    19 June 2024 – 2024 New Caledonia unrest
    New Caledonia police arrest independence leader Christian Tein and seven others on suspicion of being involved in the deadly violence in the territory. (DW)
    19 June 2024 – Antisemitism during the Israel–Hamas war, Antisemitism in 21st-century France
    Two teenagers are charged with the gang rape of a 12-year-old Jewish girl in Courbevoie, France, in an attack suspected to have been motivated by antisemitism. (Al Arabiya)
    19 June 2024 – Vandalism of Stonehenge
    Two
    standing stones of the Stonehenge prehistoric megalithic structure with orange powder paint. (BBC News)
    19 June 2024 –
    The
    19 June 2024 – Aging of South Korea
    declining population. (Yonhap)
    19 June 2024 –
    Human Rights Watch reports that China has changed the names of hundreds of villages inhabited by Uyghurs in order to reflect the ruling Communist Party's ideology. (DW)
    The Italian Parliament passes a law granting more autonomy to the country's regions following a night of debate. The opposition Democratic Party and former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi express opposition to the bill, with the latter launching a campaign to force a referendum. (Reuters)
    19 June 2024 – 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A
    The city of Brussels, Belgium, announces that it will not host a UEFA Nations League match between Belgium and Israel on September 6 due to security concerns. (Euronews)
    18 June 2024 – Red Sea crisis
    Attacks on the MV Tutor
    The
    unmanned surface vessel and missile. (AP)
    18 June 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
    Russian strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure
    Ukraine experiences rolling blackouts due to Russian attacks on power plants across the country. (Al Jazeera)
    18 June 2024 – Korean conflict
    South Korean soldiers fire warning shots at North Korean soldiers who crossed the Demarcation Line, apparently in error. It is the second such incident at the demarcation line in the past month. (AP)
    North Korean troop casualties are reported following landmine explosions in the Korean Demilitarized Zone. (The Guardian)
    18 June 2024 –
    Nvidia surpasses Microsoft as the world's most valuable publicly-traded company after its market cap exceeds US$3.34 trillion. (NBC News)
    The United States Department of Agriculture announces a temporary suspension on imports of mangoes and avocados from Michoacán, Mexico, after an incident that reportedly caused security concerns for safety inspectors. (ABC News)
    18 June 2024 – 2024 Hajj disaster
    More than 577 pilgrims from Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, and Indonesia are confirmed to have died of heat-related illnesses during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia. (The Jordan Times) (CBS News) (Sharjah 24) (Bernama)
    18 June 2024 – 2024 New Mexico wildfires
    At least one person dies, over 500 structures are damaged or destroyed, and several thousand people are forced to evacuate from
    Ruidoso, New Mexico, United States, after the South Fork Fire burns over 15,276 acres of land. (AP)
    18 June 2024 –
    At least nine people are killed and 15 others are missing during landslides caused by floods in Guangdong and Fujian provinces, China. (AP)
    Nine people are killed in a fire caused by an electric short circuit at a hospital in Rasht, Iran. (AP)
    At least four people are killed and more than 120 others are injured by a magnitude 5.0 earthquake in Kashmar, Iran. (Iran International)
    18 June 2024 – China–Ecuador relations
    Ecuador's foreign ministry announces that it is reinstating a visa requirement for travelers from China, citing an increase in irregular migratory flows from China. (Reuters)
    18 June 2024 – Israel–Kosovo relations
    Israel and Kosovo agree to allow their citizens reciprocal visa-free travel. (AP)
    18 June 2024 – Sweden–United States relations
    The Swedish Parliament votes 266–37 to adopt a defense agreement with the United States, giving the U.S. military access to 17 military bases and training areas in Sweden, including for weapon and military equipment storage. (Le Monde)
    18 June 2024 – Lèse-majesté in Thailand
    Former Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra is indicted on a charge of royal defamation. (AP)
    18 June 2024 –
    A court in Iran sentences Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi to one year in prison for propaganda against the state. (Al Arabiya)
    Kazakh opposition activist Aydos Sadykov is shot and injured in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Radio Free Europe)
    18 June 2024 – LGBT rights in Thailand, Recognition of same-sex unions in Thailand
    The Senate of Thailand passes a marriage equality bill that will legalize same-sex marriage in the country, with the bill now awaiting royal assent. (CNN)
    18 June 2024 –
    Regan Smith breaks the 100 metres backstroke world record at the US Olympic Swimming Trials in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. (Olympics)
    17 June 2024 – Israel–Hamas war
    United States support for Israel in the Israel–Hamas war
    Two
    Biden Administration. (Reuters)
    Eight
    Palestinians are killed by Israeli fire while waiting for commercial trucks in Gaza. (Reuters)
    17 June 2024 –
    Israel–Hezbollah conflict
    Hezbollah commander Muhammad Ahmed Ayoub is allegedly killed in an Israeli airstrike in Selaa, Lebanon, with further strikes occurring against Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon. (Jerusalem Post)
    17 June 2024 – 2024 Russian botulism outbreak
    At least 139 people suffer from botulism in Russia believed to be caused by eating ready-made salads, leading to a nationwide recall of the salads. (AP)
    17 June 2024 – 2024 West Bengal train collision
    Fifteen people are killed and several others are injured when a cargo train collides with a Kanchanjungha Express passenger train in Darjeeling district, West Bengal, India. (Al Jazeera)
    17 June 2024 –
    At least ten people are killed after two boats carrying migrants shipwreck off the southern coast of Italy, with 64 additional people reported missing. (AP)
    Egypt's Tourism Hajj Mission announces that at least eight Egyptian pilgrims have died during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia. (Ahram)
    Seven people are killed amid heavy rains across El Salvador. (AP)
    Six people, including three children, are killed in a house fire in Newnan, Georgia, United States, and five others are hospitalized. (ABC News)
    A person is killed and eight others are injured during an ammunition explosion at a military training area in Libavá, Czech Republic. (AP)
    17 June 2024 – Belgium–France relations
    France and Belgium announce they are strengthening their cooperation in land defence. (Reuters)
    17 June 2024 – Germany–Poland relations
    Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk orders Germany to explain a recorded incident where German police appear to desert a migrant family in Osinów Dolny, Poland, just east of the Germany–Poland border. (Barron's)
    17 June 2024 – North Korea–Russia relations
    Russian President Vladimir Putin announces that he will visit North Korea this week, the first state visit by a Russian President in 24 years. (Al Jazeera)
    17 June 2024 – Cannabis in Maryland
    In the United States,
    marijuana convictions. (Reuters)
    17 June 2024 – Israel–Hamas war
    Israeli war cabinet
    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces the dissolution of the war cabinet after Minister Benny Gantz of the Resilience Party left the cabinet. (Reuters)
    17 June 2024 – 2024 NBA Finals
    In basketball, the Boston Celtics defeat the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the NBA Finals, winning their 18th overall NBA championship. The Celtics surpass the Los Angeles Lakers to become the team with the most NBA championships. (NBC News)
    16 June 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
    Humanitarian aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War
    Norway announces that it will give Ukraine 1.1 billion kroner (US$103 million) to help repair its energy infrastructure and secure the country's electricity supply before the winter. (Le Monde)
    Peace negotiations in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
    The two-day Global Peace Summit, dedicated to the discussion of "Ukraine's Peace Formula", ends at the Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland. (CNN)
    Russia claims that it captured the village of Zahirne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine. (Barron's)
    16 June 2024 – Israel–Hamas war
    Gaza humanitarian crisis
    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the pauses "unacceptable". (AP)
    16 June 2024 – Rostov-on-Don pre-trial detention center hostage crisis
    Previously-detained inmates with alleged links to the
    pre-trial detention center in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Russian national guards storm the center, killing all six hostage takers. (The Washington Post) (AP)
    16 June 2024 – 77th Tony Awards
    At the 2024 Tony Awards, Stereophonic wins Best Play and The Outsiders wins Best Musical. (CBS News)
    16 June 2024 – 2024 Baños landslide
    At least six people are killed in a landslide caused by heavy rainfall that struck a highway in Baños in central Ecuador, with 30 other people reported missing. (AP)

    Me (incomplete), described in userboxes...

    This user created the
    User page design guide.

    Outlines comprise bullets like these
    Outlines comprise bullets like these
    This user started WikiProject Outlines.
    This user started
    Wikipedia's Help Project
    (as User:Go for it!).
    An index finger pointing rightThis user started WikiProject Indexes
    An index finger pointing rightThis user started WikiProject Glossaries
    ListThis user proudly participates in WikiProject Lists

    mesoThis editor is a mesopedian.
    prose nazi
    and sees no problem with a list or a table being on an article.
    A, B, and CThis user prefers the serial comma.
    inclThis user is an inclusionist.
    incrThis editor is an incrementalist.
    evenThis editor is an eventualist.

    This user has been on Wikipedia for 18 years, 8 months and 15 days.
    This user is a Wikipedia tipster.
    This user uses AutoWikiBrowser to quickly make repetitive edits.
    This user has made over
    300,000 edits to Wikipedia.
    Outlines
    in Wikipedia.

    digital revolution
    .
    {{Wiki}}This user is an advanced writer in the MediaWiki language.
    This user develops
    user scripts;
    Perl-2This user is an intermediate Perl programmer.
    js-2This user is an intermediate JavaScript programmer.
    re-3This user writes advanced regular expressions.

    editing an Encyclopedia
    .
    This user is a transhumanist.
    This user advocates humanism.
    This user is a member of the
    Geography WikiProject.
    World citizen
    .
    This user is interested in the
    Planet Earth
    .

    This user is interested in history.
    This user is interested in
    Human Prehistory
    This user is interested in
    ancient civilizations.
    This user is interested in
    ancient Egypt.
    This user is interested in ancient Greece.
    This user is interested in ancient Rome.

    History and contributions...

    Awards and praise I've received over the years...


    Tip of the day April 21, 2006: Thanks for helping a newbie!

    Filmcom 14:36, 23 February 2006 (UTC)
    I award this random acts of kindness Barnstar to Go for It! for being very helpful to a newcomer wikipedian, without being asked to.Filmcom 19:41, 23 February 2006 (UTC)
    I award this random acts of kindness Barnstar to Go for It! for being very helpful to a newcomer wikipedian, without being asked to.Filmcom 19:41, 23 February 2006 (UTC)

    I just want to thank you for building on my tip and making it a true wikipedia tip of the day. I'm still learning a lot about how to do things around here, so your help was greatly appreciated! Keep up the great work, and keep on Going for it!

    Smashing!

    Smashing job on Tip of the day!
    You've done a great job getting the Tip of the Day off the ground. As a result, I think you deserve this! smurrayinchester(User), (Talk) 17:52, 9 March 2006 (UTC)


    Barnstar

    This Working Man's Barnstar is awarded to Go for it! for your tireless and diligent work on the reference desk templates! -- Natalya 19:37, 25 March 2006 (UTC)


    Barnstar

    Esperanza/Admin coaching, I award you this Original Barnstar. Good work! --Fang Aili talk
    18:34, 1 November 2006 (UTC)


    Award

    The Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar
    Your kindess was not random, because you were kind enough to listen to my requests to fix my userpage. Your major kindness will not be ignored, as this BarnStar is my token of appreciation!
    meow!
    01:59, 24 November 2006 (UTC)

    !!!

    <O.o --

    on Cake
    01:45, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

    You're welcome. The Transhumanist 01:55, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

    Barnstar

    The da Vinci Barnstar
    Awarded to User:The Transhumanist. Sometimes those who take on large areas of wikipedia organisation seem to be taken for granted, and this is just to show that your work is appreciated by the community. Khukri (talk . contribs) 09:56, 12 December 2006 (UTC)

    !

    Cool signature

    12:58, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

    Thanks.   The Transhumanist 05:52, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

    Thanks so much!

    Thanks so much for the hints in your userpage tutorial.

    Real96
    06:14, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

    You're welcome. I'm glad you found it useful. If you see any way to improve it, by all means, please feel free to do so.   The Transhumanist 06:36, 23 January 2007 (UTC)

    WC

    How can I sum the above up....? Oh yes:

    The Original Barnstar
    For your revamp of
    T • C
    ] 18:19, 14 February 2007 (UTC)

    WOW!!

    as a near- noob, this is by far the most detailed and useful article on wikipedia for me! Excellent! I really wish I had a user page like this after two years...Snailey! 15:42, 14 March 2007 (UTC)

    Barnstar

    The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
    For all your work with admin coaching, barnstar awarding, Wikipedia-expanding, and various administrative duties (if you can call all that political stuff we Wikipedians must wade through such a name), I, Sharkface217, hereby award you this Tireless Contributor Barnstar. Good job. S h a r k f a c e 2 1 7 19:36, 5 May 2007 (UTC)

    Just a few words...

    TT, my friend, my mop would never have been gained without your incredible expertise. My kindest regards to you, and drop by as often as possible! Now, a little token of my appreciation...

    My kindest possible regards,

    Anthony
    21:38, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

    Barnstar

    What a Brilliant Idea Barnstar
    I award you this Brilliant Idea Barnstar for helping others to earn Barnstars and awards through your Award Center! • The Giant Puffin • 13:31, 3 June 2007 (UTC)

    Award

    Hello The Transhumanist, (Hold on, can I say that or is it "Hello Transhumanist")
    I was going to give you an award but there wasn't one good enough, so I made one better than any that has ever been seen before - This message. Yes, yes, I know, you don't think your worthy of it, but I assure you, you are the only one good enough for it -

    Pheonix
    19:34, 12 August 2007 (UTC)

    A Help:Contents Barnstar

    The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
    As the top contributor to Help:Contents, you deserve this barnstar. Thank you! Jreferee (Talk) 05:59, 23 August 2007 (UTC)

    Barnstar

    The Original Barnstar
    For taking up the challenge and improving my command page, I, Sharkface217, hereby award you this Original Barnstar. Another feather in the Transhumanist cap, eh? :-P

    --Sharkface217 21:37, 19 December 2007 (UTC)

    :D

    Hi there Trans Face!

    talk
    ) 01:36, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

    You won an award!

    talk
    ) awards you the unofficial funniness award!

    Fractional-reserve banking

    You deserve a barnstar for your efforts. I can't think of anyone who has contributed more to Wikipedia, except maybe Jimbo. I'm not sure where to put this on your frontpage, so here it is:

    What a Brilliant Idea Barnstar
    For
    WP:FRINGE, and being one of the most helpful editors on Wikipedia, in general. Zenwhat (talk
    ) 03:41, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

    Barnstar

    The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
    I,
    List of basic American Civil War topics article from scratch. Great Job! DiligentTerriertalk |sign here
    22:17, 12 January 2008 (UTC)

    My Userpage

    Hi There First id like to thank you immensly for your pages about creating a decent userpage!! They are great and I would be lost without them!! Just one question, On my userpage i have a small welcome banner up the top. How do I make this text larger and change the font? Sorry if you have already covered this somewhere. Thanks in advanceCstubbies (talk) 12:40, 19 January 2008 (UTC)

    A valuable service

    I think you need recognition for doing the job of ten other editors, and doing it out of altruism and genuine belief in Wikipedia. Not many editors here have the same good attitude and provide the same service as you - I don't have any specific point to put across, but I thought you should just be prodded and reminded that you do a lot of good around here, in the hope you'll keep it up. Kudos! Seegoon (talk) 17:43, 25 January 2008 (UTC)

    :)

    The Excellent Userpage Award
    Nice page. jaytur1 (talk · contribs) 12:13, 10 February 2008 (UTC)


    Welcoming committee

    Just a note, I've made a minor update to your contributions. To reiterate my edit summary, you put in a tonne of effort there, and you deserve to be credited for it :) Feel free to revert, nonetheless. Regards,

    contact
    ) 16:44, 29 February 2008 (UTC)

    List of basic space exploration topics

    Hi there TTH, Just wanted to thank you for your labors on this page, which is a great resource for us. Bill Wwheaton (talk) 17:48, 29 February 2008 (UTC)

    You'd better hope there is a humour barnstar

    ... because you just gave me the biggest laugh in weeks. Good stuff giving that RfA spammer what-for here. αѕєηιηє t/c 22:03, 1 March 2008 (UTC)

    List of basic Canada topics

    Nice work -- I will withdraw the AfD nom. – ukexpat (talk) 00:55, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

    Done
    The Barnstar of Recovery
    For saving
    List of basic Canada topics from being deleted, I - Milk's Favorite Cookie hereby award you this Barnstar! Congrats! - Milk's Favorite Cookie
    01:16, 15 March 2008 (UTC)

    Fictional lists

    The deletion review was approved for recreation: Wikipedia:Deletion review/Log/2008 March 10. Just letting you know, in case you weren't watchlisting it. I'm not sure what you have to do next to get the old version undeleted though (if that's what you wanted :) Nice catch on rescuing that grouping. -- Quiddity (talk) 00:21, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

    'Tis for you

    The Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar
    I've noticed the extra mile you've gone to help a new user, and I wanted you to know it hasn't gone unnoticed. Keep up the good work! Keeper | 76 | Disclaimer 16:40, 5 April 2008 (UTC)

    Barnstar

    The Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar
    I award this barnstar to The Transhumanist, for being patient and taking four rounds of references from me, until they were all valid.
    Fan
    01:21, 17 June 2008 (UTC)


    The Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar
    I award this barnstar to The Transhumanist, for putting funny stuff on his discussion page which led me to copy them and put some of those funny stuff on my website. Thanks. Emir34 01:21, 17 June 2008 (UTC)

    List_of_basic_France_topics

    Hi Transhumanist, I wanted to note that I saw all of your work on the List of Basic France topics, and I appreciate it! Lazulilasher (talk) 02:12, 8 August 2008 (UTC)

    From Zach...

    The da Vinci Barnstar
    For helping me so many times. and for my wonderful userpage. Cheers, Zacharycrimsonwolf 04:08, 30 September 2008 (UTC)

    (next page...)

    Guidance Star

    The Guidance Barnstar
    For helping me to find resources on humanism, which I will hopefully be able to use to improve the articles on it here as well!
    talk
    ) 02:39, 11 November 2008 (UTC)

    Happy Transhumanist's Day!

    The Transhumanist has been identified as an Awesome Wikipedian,
    so I've officially declared today as

    sign
    )

    Beta
    ) 00:26, 1 June 2009 (UTC)

    Happy The Transhumanist's Day!

    The Transhumanist has been identified as an Awesome Wikipedian,
    and therefore, I've officially declared today as The Transhumanist's day!
    For your history of dedicated work to the project,
    enjoy being the Star of the day, The Transhumanist!

    Cheers,
    bibliomaniac15
    22:08, 4 June 2009 (UTC)

    If you'd like to show off your awesomeness, you can use this userbox.

    Congrats. :) –Juliancolton | Talk 23:44, 4 June 2009 (UTC)

    I think...

    ...you need a barnstar for all of the hard work you have put into the

    WP:WPOOK
    !

    The Barnstar Barnstar
    You deserve two! at-210 discovered elementswhat am I? 20:21, 14 June 2009 (UTC)


    Barnstar

    Transhumanist my friend,

    It's about time you deserve a barnstar for all your contributions to outlines on Wikipedia, and also for being the promoter that you are for outlines. If it wasn't for you we might not have outlines as they are, so it is my honor to present to you the Special Barnstar because no other barnstar could merit what you do for outlines on Wikipedia.  :-) Burningview (talk) 03:42, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

    The Special Barnstar
    This barnstar is presented to Transhumanist for all the hard work, contributions, coordination, and promotion he does in advancing the idea, coverage, content, and quality of Outlines on Wikipedia. For this he deserves a Special Barnstar Burningview (talk) 03:42, 8 August 2009 (UTC)

    Well done

    The Special Barnstar
    This award is in appreciation of the excellent work you have done supporting the development of Outlines on Wikipedia Thruxton (talk) 18:59, 5 December 2010 (UTC)

    Made me laugh

    You once said in a AFD: "If you are building a robot, you can start with just the left pinky." I love that. Happy New Year! Jerry delusional ¤ kangaroo 20:34, 31 December 2010 (UTC)

    another thanks

    I appreciate you pointing me in the direction of a formatted signature. For some reason I couldn't find any reference to how it is done in the years I have been here. Cheers. ◦◦derekbd◦my talk◦◦ 12:16, 4 June 2011 (UTC)

    Impressed

    I just wanted to tell you (probably not the 1st ^^ ) that your are an incredible wikipedia member, your userpage is simply amazing and your contribution is...gigantic? huge? Incredible? not for the number edits (still high) but rather over the appropriateness of the things that you have created, especially the outline project. I wont give you another award, you already have billions, but simply a modest "Bravo!". -- Offiikart (Talk) 05:23, 21 June 2011 (UTC)

    Thanks

    Hi, thanks a lot for the barnstar, you are truly a user with whom it is pleasant to interact. I greatly appreciate your help, your tips and you recognition on the work done, even if only very minimal compared to the work you have done.

    I think you, more than everyone else, deserve a special recognition. Here is the first Barnstar I ever awarded :

    The WikiProject Barnstar
    To The Transhumanist who created the outline project and tirelessly continues to improve it. A special thanks for your help and your recognition. OffiikartTalk 13:54, 29 June 2011 (UTC)


    ps. I did put the page alert on my watchlist

    A barnstar for you!

    The Original Barnstar
    Your fine contributions are not overlooked. You are a quality editor, and we are so glad you are here. Thanks to the user:Transhumanist! Pinkstrawberry02 talk 01:49, 13 October 2011 (UTC)

    Note to user getting this message: Please respond on Pinkstrawberry02's talk page. If for some reason you cannot, please send them a {{talkback}} and reply on your own talk page. Thanks for your understanding in this manner. See ya around the wiki!

    barnstar

    The Chess Barnstar
    Awarded for many contributions to chess articles, especially the Outline of chess. Bubba73 You talkin' to me? 16:34, 18 October 2011 (UTC)

    A barnstar for you!

    The Original Barnstar
    Thanks so much for your work on the Outline of domestic violence, it is so much better that it's astounding how far it's come along. Thanks for making my first outline "sing"! CaroleHenson (talk) 11:11, 21 November 2011 (UTC)
    You're first one? Wonderful! I can't wait to see what you come up with next. And I also look forward to seeing what you have in store for this outline. Thank you for the barnstar. It's very nice to feel appreciated. The Transhumanist 22:10, 21 November 2011 (UTC)

    A barnstar for you!

    The Original Barnstar
    Wow! Thanks for your help on the Future studies project. I can't believe all the pages you've contributed to, but glad you found ours!... RealFuturist (talk) 17:09, 3 February 2012 (UTC)

    A barnstar for you!

    The Copyeditor's Barnstar
    Thanks for the ndashes on the Apple outline article. Zach Vega (talk) 00:58, 13 April 2012 (UTC)

    A cookie for you!

    Many years ago, back before I had created my current account, I created a humble little userspace navigation menu based off of two of your menus from the User Page Design Center (initially
    6). Over the years it has grown, but I don't know if I ever would have started it without seeing your menus first. I just want to thank you for putting the effort into creating those menus and then sharing them at the Design Center where they have been helpful for people like me. I hope you don't mind me borrowing from your hard work! Thanks again and take care! Michael Barera (talk
    ) 03:30, 13 January 2013 (UTC)

    Thank you

    The Instructor's Barnstar
    This
    Barnstar is awarded to Wikipedians who have performed stellar work in the area of instruction & help for other editors.
    Just wanted to stop by and say this edit was something I wanted to do but simply did not have the "kahunas" to do so. Thank you for the bold edit :-) Moxy (talk
    ) 07:25, 13 February 2013 (UTC)

    A barnstar for you!

    The Barnstar of Diligence
    For your efforts on updating, improving and organising
    talk
    ) 06:39, 2 January 2014 (UTC)

    A barnstar for you!

    The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
    For your work on "Outline of space science" Tetra quark (don't be shy) 05:55, 18 January 2015 (UTC)

    Thank you. The Transhumanist 07:45, 18 January 2015 (UTC)

    A cup of coffee for you!

    A cup of coffee for you! masum (talk) 06:10, 5 October 2015 (UTC)

    Thank you. The Transhumanist 06:56, 5 October 2015 (UTC)


    At Tip-Of-The-Day: Thank you for your updates & guidance!

    Do have an e-cookie and enjoy!
    Greetings The Transhumanist,

    Want to let you know the value of your insights & feedback!
    Regards, JoeHebda (talk) 21:53, 19 October 2015 (UTC)

    Thank you. Keep up the good work. The Transhumanist 16:50, 21 October 2015 (UTC)

    Pony!

    Pony!
    Congratulations! For all your hard work on redirect repair at Glossary of North American horse racing and general wikignoming along the way of articles such as Easy Goer, you have received a pony! Ponies are cute, intelligent, cuddly, friendly (most of the time, though with notable exceptions), promote good will, encourage patience, and enjoy carrots. Treat your pony with respect and he will be your faithful friend! We need more wikipedia editors like you! Montanabw(talk) 02:22, 1 November 2015 (UTC)

    To send a pony or a treat to other wonderful and responsible editors, click here.

    Thank you for being one of Wikipedia's top medical contributors!

    please help translate this message into the local language
    The Cure Award
    In 2015 you were one of the top 300 medical editors across any language of Wikipedia. Thank you from Wiki Project Med Foundation for helping bring free, complete, accurate, up-to-date health information to the public. We really appreciate you and the vital work you do! Wiki Project Med Foundation is a user group whose mission is to improve our health content. Consider joining here, there are no associated costs, and we would love to collaborate further.

    Thanks again :) -- Doc James along with the rest of the team at Wiki Project Med Foundation 03:59, 29 February 2016 (UTC)

    A barnstar for you!

    The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
    Great work with the Outlines :) Pratyush (talk) 21:07, 26 September 2016 (UTC)

    Thank you. The Transhumanist 15:31, 28 September 2016 (UTC)

    Love the outlines

    Hi there! I just wanted to let you know that I think your planet outlines are really cool. I have long thought it was a shame that only Wikipedians seem to know about Books or Portals, because they are really great tools for structuring knowledge (while everyone loves diving down the Wikipedia rabbit hole, we could really do with some better content organization). The outlines strike me as a great way to bring that sort content organization to mainspace, where it will actually reach a large number of readers. I notice that I am the first one to edit them besides yourself, and I hope you know that I do so with love.

    What a Brilliant Idea Barnstar
    Great idea with the outline articles - a great solution to a need for better mainspace-based content structuring! I see from WP:Outlines that you actually came up with this concept some years ago, but this is the first I've noticed it. A2soup (talk) 02:46, 8 February 2017 (UTC)

    A Barnstar for you!

    The Portal Barnstar
    The Portal Barnstar is awarded to Wikipedians who have made significant contributions to
    topic portals.
    Awarded to Transhumanist for his overly enthusiastic efforts regarding the portal system and WikiProject Portals. – Lionel(talk
    ) 11:02, 30 April 2018 (UTC)
    Transhumanist, thank you for your extraordinary efforts on behalf of portals. It reminds me of the time when a series of attacks on scientific bibliographies led to the formation of WikiProject Bibliographies. I don't understand why your detractors are so passionate about deleting portals, but your actions have been a model for how to deal with an attack constructively. RockMagnetist(talk) 16:10, 5 May 2018 (UTC)

    A Barnstar for you!

    The Article Rescue Barnstar
    May all who see this barnstar know that The Transhumanist made a valiant and commendable effort for defending the
    portal namespace from deletion. It preserved countless hours of work initially invested into creating the content. Moreoever, The Transhumanist, is doing a yeoman's job in attempting to improve the content within with portal namespace. RightCowLeftCoast (talk
    ) 00:24, 26 May 2018 (UTC)

    @

    doing a wonderful job, and I am very proud of them. Thank you.    — The Transhumanist
       17:22, 26 May 2018 (UTC)

    Precious

    thinking-related topics

    Thank you for organising a list of thinking-related topics, for Shift work sleep disorder and the index of oral health and dental articles, for your thoughts and efforts regarding portals, and beginnings such as Portal:Thinking/Selected picture, - you are an awesome Wikipedian!

    --Gerda Arendt (talk) 13:53, 29 May 2018 (UTC)

    Precious

    portals

    Thank you for your thoughts and efforts regarding portals, for the concept of outlines, for sectional redirects, for articles such as

    Life Extension Foundation, for service from 2006, including portal philosophy and user page design center, - repeating (1 & 4 June 2009): you are an awesome Wikipedian
    !

    --Gerda Arendt (talk) 21:54, 31 May 2018 (UTC)

    Thank you. I looked, but couldn't figure out what 1 & 4 June 2009 were referring to. Just curious.    — The Transhumanist   19:26, 4 June 2018 (UTC)

    Follow the link "awesome W." and look for your name: 2 others said it before me! --Gerda Arendt (talk) 09:48, 5 June 2018 (UTC)

    Executive director of portals

    The Portal Barnstar
    Not sure if a simple barnstar can express the communities gratitude to the portal work that you're doing. Your an indispensable member of our community. Moxy (talk) 18:08, 7 June 2018 (UTC)

    Moxy, thank you. I'm honored, and I receive this praise for the team, without whom there would be very little progress on portals. They are literally transforming them into something new. I'm glad to be a part of that.    — The Transhumanist   18:20, 7 June 2018 (UTC)

    A Barnstar for you

    The Portal Barnstar
    The Portal Barnstar is awarded to Wikipedians who have made significant contributions to
    topic portals.
    Thanks for the great work you have been doing in the WikiProject. Dreamy Jazz talk | contribs
    22:15, 4 July 2018 (UTC)

    You are welcome, formerly Wpgbrown. Nice new name. ;)    — The Transhumanist   10:26, 6 July 2018 (UTC)

    A barnstar for you!

    The Technical Barnstar
    Good to see others of the view we have as to the need to know more. Im a research person here just of this week and your views relate to my work here. take care.
    Tleesd (talk) 17:56, 5 September 2018 (UTC)
    

    A barnstar for you!

    The Graphic Designer's Barnstar
    Thank's for updating the Portal:Seventh-day Adventist Church. You deserve this star for your good work. Catfurball (talk) 15:28, 12 October 2018 (UTC)

    A barnstar for you!

    The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
    For your excellent work on Portals. Everyday the portal project improves. Your dedication and willingness to get people involved really pays off. Cannot wait to continue working with you and the Portal team. Thank you for your work. AmericanAir88(talk) 00:30, 30 October 2018 (UTC)

    A barnstar for you!

    The Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar
    Thank you for helping me in my first attempt in creating a portal page ‑‑V.S.(C)(T) 10:51, 23 December 2018 (UTC)

    Some barnstars for you!

    The Graphic Designer's Barnstar
    Thanks for creating Portal:Hummingbirds when I asked for it. Keep doing a good job! Catfurball (talk) 00:01, 4 January 2019 (UTC)
    The Graphic Designer's Barnstar
    Thanks for making Portal:Capsicum. Catfurball (talk) 19:38, 5 February 2019 (UTC)
    The Graphic Designer's Barnstar
    Thanks for making Portal:Peaches. Catfurball (talk) 21:11, 5 February 2019 (UTC)
    The Graphic Designer's Barnstar
    Thanks for creating Portal:Woodpeckers for me. Catfurball (talk) 19:15, 14 February 2019 (UTC)
    The Graphic Designer's Barnstar
    Thanks for creating Portal:Tyrant flycatchers for me. Catfurball (talk) 19:16, 14 February 2019 (UTC)
    The Graphic Designer's Barnstar
    Thanks for creating Portal:Plums, you do a great job creating portals. Catfurball (talk) 18:45, 21 February 2019 (UTC)
    The Graphic Designer's Barnstar
    Thanks for creating Portal:Cotingas for me. Catfurball (talk) 19:07, 22 February 2019 (UTC)

    A barnstar for you!

    The Portal Barnstar
    For your tireless dedication to creating, maintaining, and improving portals, as well as your active involvement in making improvements to the system of portals itself. I'm sorry to hear that you're temporarily unable to create them, but your work is greatly appreciated 🙂 Brendon the Wizard ✉️ 14:17, 23 March 2019 (UTC)

    A Barnstar for you

    The Original Barnstar
    message Ambuj Shukla 19:16, 2 November 2019 (UTC)

    You have made immense contributions to outlines over the years, and have encouraged many more Wikipedians to follow your lead. The impact of your contributions are great. Keep doing the good work! — Preceding unsigned comment added by Ambujshukla2004 (talkcontribs) 19:16, 2 November 2019 (UTC)

    Thank you.    — The Transhumanist   00:06, 19 November 2019 (UTC)

    A barnstar for you!

    The Outline Barnstar
    Hello The Transhumanist, you are receiving this award for the creation and continued dedication to WikiProject Outlines. You deserve this barnstar more than anyone. Jerium (talk) 19:18, 12 November 2023 (UTC)

    Associated Wikimedia

    The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

    • What are
      List of portals

    Purge server cache