Showing 1 - 5 of 5
'Mid-Covid world': horror, division, global shifts
News, Peter Apps, Published on 01/05/2021
» As Israel recorded zero daily Covid-19 deaths for the first time in 10 months last week, grave-diggers in next-door Gaza reported rising workloads and hospitals said they were near to collapse.
Who has the lead in the AI race?
News, Peter Apps, Published on 17/01/2019
» In October, 31 Chinese teenagers reported to the Beijing Institute of Technology, one of the country's premier military research establishments. Selected from more than 5,000 applicants, Chinese authorities hope they will design a new generation of artificial intelligent weapons systems that could range from microscopic robots to computer worms, submarines, drones and tanks.
China's plans to reshape the world
News, Peter Apps, Published on 10/08/2018
» Ten years ago on Wednesday, the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics showcased a fast-growing, economically powerful China with unmistakable ambitions to be a major global player. Just a few days ago, the Chinese authorities demolished the studio of artist Ai Weiwei, designer of the Games' iconic "bird's nest" stadium and now an exiled dissident in Germany.
Muslim minority faces modern Orwellian nightmare
News, Peter Apps, Published on 17/05/2018
» In China's northwest Xinjiang province, the predominantly Muslim Uighur minority have nowhere to hide. Facial recognition software reportedly alerts authorities if targeted individuals stray more than 300 metres from their homes and workplaces. Residents face arrest if they fail to download smartphone software that allows them to be tracked, according to social media users. Simply wishing to travel outside China can be cause for arrest, with Beijing detaining family members and using its political clout to force extradition of those abroad.
The next super weapon could be biological
News, Peter Apps, Published on 21/04/2017
» With the threat of chemical weapons in Syria and nuclear arms in North Korea, the risk of biological weapons has largely dropped off the international agenda. But evolving technologies and genetic engineering may open the door to new dangers.