#IBM Contributions

[mehmetyildizmelbourne-blog]

IBM Cybersecurity Basics: Free, Online, and Self-Paced

I wish I had a course like this 20 years ago. I could have prevented being a cyber-victim.  I grew up in an era without computers, even without electricity or TV. My entertainment came from the radio and books. It wasn’t until my postgraduate years that I encountered computers, thanks to studying at a university with mainframe systems.  Fast forward to 1980, I got my hands on an XT PC, which…

[idroolinmysleep]

DB [defined benefit, a.k.a. pension] plans had been given up for dead. And where they lived — in the public sector — they have been relentlessly attacked by pundits and academics. Now DBs are on the cutting edge because DB plans are better for workers than DC [defined contribution, e.g., 401(k)] plans. IBM had been the poster child for pension retrenchment. … But IBM has declared the 401(k) as a primary plan a failure and other companies should too. 401(k)s are for little extras — if workers want more savings they can always go to the IRA and 401(k).

And the coverage on Morningstar, with less sensationalistic language:

I'm glad to see that pensions are making a comeback, and perhaps other companies will follow in IBM's footsteps.

[scotianostra]

On February 16th 1954 the writer Iain Banks was born in Dunfermline, Fife

Banks was a son of a professional ice skater and an Admiralty officer. He spent his early years in North Queensferry and later moved to Gourock because of his father’s work requirement. He received his early education from Gourock and Greenock High Schools and at the young age of eleven, he decided to pursue a career in writing. He penned his first novel, titled The Hungarian Lift-Jet, in his adolescence. He was then enrolled at the University of Stirling where he studied English, philosophy and psychology. During his freshman year, he wrote his second novel, TTR.

Subsequent to attaining his bachelor degree, Banks worked a succession of jobs that allowed him some free time to write. The assortment of employments supported him financially throughout his twenties. He even managed to travel through Europe, North America and Scandinavia during which he was employed as an analyzer for IBM, a technician and a costing clerk in a London law firm. At the age of thirty he finally had his big break as he published his debut novel, The Wasp Factory, in 1984, henceforth he embraced full-time writing. It is considered to be one of the most inspiring teenage novels. The instant success of the book restored his confidence as a writer and that’s when he took up science fiction writing.

In 1987, he published his first sci-fi novel, Consider Phlebas which is a space opera. The title is inspired by one of the lines in T.S Eliot’s classic poem, The Waste Land. The novel is set in a fictional interstellar anarchist-socialist utopian society, named the Culture. The focus of the book is the ongoing war between Culture and Idiran Empire which the author manifests through the microcosm conflicts. The protagonist, Bora Horza Gobuchul, unlike other stereotypical heroes is portrayed as a morally ambiguous individual, who appeals to the readers. Additionally, the grand scenery and use of variety of literary devices add up to the extremely well reception of the book. Its sequel, The Player of Games, came out the very next year which paved way for other seven volumes in The Culture series.

Besides the Culture series, Banks wrote several stand-alone novels. Some of them were adapted for television, radio and theatre. BBC television adapted his novel, The Crow Road (1992), and BBC Radio 4 broadcasted Espedair Street. The literary influences on his works include Isaac Asimov, Dan Simmons, Arthur C. Clarke, and M. John Harrison. He was featured in a television documentary, The Strange Worlds of Iain Banks South Bank Show, which discussed his literary writings. In 2003, he published a non-fiction book, Raw Spirit, which is a travelogue of Scotland. Banks last novel, titled The Quarry, appeared posthumously. He also penned a collection of poetry but could not publish it in his lifetime. It is expected to be released in 2015. He was awarded multitude of titles and accolades in honour of his contribution to literature. Some of these accolades include British Science Fiction Association Award, Arthur C. Clarke Award, Locus Poll Award, Prometheus Award and Hugo Award.

Iain Banks was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the gallbladder and died at the age of 59 in the summer of 2013.

[ptseti]

George Alcorn: Aerospace Innovator George Edward Alcorn Jr. is a physicist, engineer, and inventor known for his X-ray imaging spectrometer, patented in 1984. This breakthrough helped NASA analyze cosmic materials more accurately, advancing space exploration. Born in 1940 in Indianapolis, Indiana, Alcorn earned a physics degree from Occidental College and a Ph.D. in atomic and molecular physics from Howard University. His career spanned top organizations like IBM, Fairchild Industries, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, where he developed semiconductor technologies and advanced X-ray detection methods. Alcorn’s contributions earned him NASA’s Inventor of the Year Award in 1984. His innovations in aerospace and semiconductor technology paved the way for improved satellite imaging and planetary research. Beyond his scientific achievements, Alcorn has mentored aspiring engineers and promoted diversity in STEM. His legacy continues to inspire innovation in space exploration and physics.

[basedkikuenjoyer]

Today I wanna take a break, because it is Pride Month and we lost an icon sadly far, far too quietly. Made me realize I don't think I've really heard much about Lynn Conway in queer circles for a long time. And honestly? That's fucked. If anyone deserves to be held up as a trans luminary of the past century it's her. I wish I had the knowledge of computer chips to fully explain how landmark her contributions were in her career, but truth is her story as a trans woman is what's truly fascinating.

If I have the details right, tried to transition during college in the 50s but ran into hurdles. Then got a job at IBM, fired when she sought out Harry Benjamin (another important name y'all need to quit glossing over) and was one of his patients in the late 60s. Transitioning before 30 and if I may say, being quite attractive...even when I was coming out in the 00s the general wisdom was if you could go "stealth" and just start over you should. Which Lynn did. Then went on to make some groundbreaking waves in computer chip design and really had this hellacious 30-year career as just a woman breaking barriers in tech. Keep in mind no one knew she was trans, ain't no way she'd have ended up working with Reagan's DoD on some Cold War defense tech if that was public knowledge.

Then at the end of her career, a new chapter began. Got out ahead of realizing some people were about to make the connection to her time at IBM so came out publicly through a website I remember being a pivotal find in my own journey. It was one of the best collection of resources out there and her story was one of the first ones I saw where you could transition and not be stuck in some small box forevermore because of it. You can shrug off the blowback and get on with your life. Ever heard of Blanchard & Bailey, the Autogyneophilia guys TERFs love to quote? Conway was a prominent academic speaking out against their dodgy methodology as well. Her lengthy and through takedown of that Man Who Would Be Queen book is fuckin legendary. Honestly, if you can find the old archived pages from her website it's worth a read. We don't really have many stories of like, a long life after transition without also being a mainstay of the community the whole time. There's a lot she'd get roasted for today, but generally for the wrong reasons because holy shit is my revisit showing so much honesty and stuff I've needed to hear at a similar point. We get so focused on the actual coming out and exploring and transitioning phase people miss that's just the baby steps on a lifelong journey. I miss how straightforward this old guard could be. In my experience queer youth today love it but it will absolutely enrage the late-blooming final wave of my own generation who lack so much perspective on how little the difference makes at this point.

I know it's fun to raise up queer names who were outlaws and radicals, everyone loves the (false) story of Marsha Johnson throwing the first brick at Stonewall more than her tireless decades of boring organizing. We like our fabulous and festive faces, but honestly...younger generations of trans folk should probably pay a little more attention to stories like Lynn Conway's where we actually do sometimes get to just have a "normal" and highly successful bulk of our lives after the identity struggle. So far ahead of her time it took until my own generation for us to see the whole having an experience more like hers.

[valkyries-things]

DR. SUSAN KARE // ARTIST

“She is an American artist and graphic designer, who contributed interface elements and typefaces for the first Apple Macintosh personal computer from 1983 to 1986. She was employee #10 and Creative Director at NeXT, the company formed by Steve Jobs after he left Apple in 1985. She was a design consultant for Microsoft, IBM, Sony Pictures, Facebook, and Pinterest. As of 2023 Kare was an employee of Niantic Labs. As a pioneer of pixel art and of the graphical computer interface, she has been celebrated as one of the most significant designers of modern technology.”

[beardedmrbean]

BEIJING (Reuters) - After quitting the education industry last August due to China's crackdown on private tutoring, He Ajun has found an unlikely second life as an unemployment influencer.

The Guangzhou-based vlogger, 32, offers career advice to her 8,400 followers, charting her journey through long-term joblessness. "Unemployed at 31, not a single thing accomplished," she posted last December.

He is now making around 5,000 yuan ($700) per month through ads on her vlogs, content editing, private consultations and selling handicrafts at street stalls.

"I think in future freelancing will be normalised," said He. "Even if you stay in the workplace, you'll still need freelancing abilities. I believe it will become a backup skill, like driving."

China is under instruction to unleash "new productive forces", with government policies targeting narrow areas of science and technology including AI and robotics.

But critics say that has meant weak demand in other sectors and risks leaving behind a generation of highly educated young people, who missed the last boom and graduated too late to retrain for emerging industries.

A record 11.79 million university graduates this year face unprecedented job scarcity amid widespread layoffs in white-collar sectors including finance, while Tesla, IBM and ByteDance have also cut jobs in recent months.

Urban youth unemployment for the roughly 100 million Chinese aged 16-24 spiked to 17.1% in July, a figure analysts say masks millions of rural unemployed.

China suspended releasing youth jobless data after it reached an all-time high of 21.3% in June 2023, later tweaking criteria to exclude current students.

Over 200 million people are currently working in the gig economy and even that once fast-growing sector has its own overcapacity issues. A dozen Chinese cities have warned of ride-hailing oversaturation this year.

Redundancies have even spread to government work, long considered an "iron rice bowl" of lifetime employment.

Last year Beijing announced a 5% headcount reduction and thousands have been laid off since, according to official announcements and news reports. Henan province trimmed 5,600 jobs earlier this year, while Shandong province has cut nearly 10,000 positions since 2022.

Meanwhile, analysts say China's 3.9 million vocational college graduates are mostly equipped for low-end manufacturing and service jobs, and reforms announced in 2022 will take years to fix underinvestment in training long regarded as inferior to universities.

China currently faces a shortage of welders, joiners, elderly caregivers and "highly-skilled digital talent", its human resources minister said in March.

Yao Lu, a sociologist at Columbia University, estimates about 25% of college graduates aged 23-35 are currently in jobs below their academic qualifications.

Many of China's nearly 48 million university students are likely to have poor starting salaries and contribute relatively little in taxes throughout their lifetimes, said one Chinese economist who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the issue.

"Although they cannot be called a 'lost generation', it is a huge waste of human capital," the person said.

'DOING THREE PEOPLE'S JOBS'

Chinese President Xi Jinping in May urged officials to make job creation for new graduates a top priority. But for younger workers unemployed or recently fired, the mood is bleak, nine people interviewed by Reuters said.

Anna Wang, 23, quit her state bank job in Shenzhen this year due to high pressure and frequent unpaid overtime. For a salary of about 6,000 yuan per month, "I was doing three people's jobs," she said.

Her ex-colleagues complain about widespread pay cuts and transfers to positions with unmanageable workloads, effectively forcing them to resign. Wang now works part-time jobs as a CV editor and mystery shopper.

At a July briefing for foreign diplomats about an agenda-setting economic meeting, policymakers said they have been quietly urging companies to stop layoffs, one attendee told Reuters.

Olivia Lin, 30, left the civil service in July after widespread bonus cuts and bosses hinted at further redundancies. Four district-level bureaus were dissolved in her city of Shenzhen this year, according to public announcements.

"The general impression was that the current environment isn't good and fiscal pressure is really high," she said.

Lin now wants a tech job. She has had no interview offers after a month of searching. "This is completely different from 2021, when I was guaranteed one job interview a day," she said.

REDUCED STIGMA

Shut out of the job market and desperate for an outlet, young Chinese are sharing tips for surviving long-term unemployment. The hashtags "unemployed", "unemployment diary" and "laid off" received a combined 2.1 billion views on the Xiaohongshu platform He uses.

Users describe mundane daily routines, count down the days since being fired, share awkward chat exchanges with managers or dole out advice, sometimes accompanied by crying selfies.

The increasing visibility of jobless young people "increases broader social acceptance and reduces stigma surrounding unemployment", said Columbia's Lu, allowing otherwise isolated youth to connect and "perhaps even redefine what it means to be unemployed in today's economic climate".

Lu said unemployed graduates understood blaming the government for their plight would be both risky and ineffective. Rather, she said, they were more likely to slip into "an internalisation of discontent and blame" or "lying flat".

He, the influencer, thinks graduates should lower their ambitions.

"If we have indeed entered 'garbage time', then I think young people could accumulate skills or do something creative, such as selling things via social media or making handicrafts."

[lboogie1906]

Captain Ed Dwight (September 9, 1933) the first African American astronaut candidate, IBM computer systems engineer, real estate developer, professional sculptor, and former Air Force test pilot, was born in Kansas City, Kansas.

His father Ed Dwight, Sr. played second base for the Kansas City Monarchs in baseball’s Negro League which left Ed with his mother, Georgia Baker Dwight. He graduated from Bishop Ward Private Catholic High School in Kansas City, The school did not accept African Americans, but his mother wrote to the Vatican directly, and they ordered the school to accept her son and racially integrate. He attended Kansas City Junior College where he completed an AA in Engineering and enlisted in the Air Force. He racked up over 9,000 flying hours. He continued his education and graduated with an Aeronautical Engineering BS from Arizona State University. He received his MFA in Sculpture at the University of Denver.

He was accepted as the first African American in NASA’s Astronaut Training Group. He was not selected as an astronaut and he resigned from the Air Force at the rank of Captain. He took a position with the IBM Corporation as a Marketing Representative & Systems Engineer. He became an Aviation Consultant for a Dallas firm and joined Executive Aviation, Inc. He founded Dwight Development Associates, Inc. a Real Estate Land Development, and Construction Company, and became one of the largest Real Estate development entrepreneurs in Denver.

He would become recognized for many of his sculptures across the country, including that of the historical life-size sculpture representation of President Barack Obama’s first inauguration scene, and the Underground Railroad Memorial in New Jersey. He owns a studio/gallery and foundry in Denver. He has received hundreds of awards from around the US for his achievements & contributions to racial progress through his many sculptures. He has received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater, Arizona State University. He was made an honorary Space Force member. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #phibetasigma

[exp-pack]

How StarCraft contributed to the San Antonio Spurs winning the ’99 NBA Championship:

A group of players, including two Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and David Robinson, as well as Malik Rose, and Sean Elliott, dubbed by other teammates as the “IBM Gang,” were united by a love for video games. After Elliott introduced his teammates to StarCraft, the group would be seen playing together often, especially while traveling together for away games.

The video footage shows Duncan, Robinson, Rose and Elliott playing 2v2 StarCraft in their hotel while on the road during their ‘99 NBA Finals run against the New York Knicks. After the Spurs beat the Knick in Game 5 in New York, the players passed the time on the flight with, you guessed it, more StarCraft.

Regarding the game’s impact on the team, Malik Rose was quoted once saying “Anytime you spent that much time together, all together, it makes you more fond of one another and made you closer.”

The Spurs claimed the franchise's first-ever championship in a five-game series against the New York Knicks, winning Game 5 on the road at Madison Square Garden. Tim Duncan won his first of three total Finals MVP trophies during this series--after winning Rookie of the Year only one year prior in '98--marking the beginning of the "Big Fundamental's" reign in the league.

[stuarttechnologybob]

How does AI contribute to the automation of software testing?

AI-Based Testing Services

In today’s modern rapid growing software development competitive market, ensuring and assuming quality while keeping up with fast release cycles is challenging and a vital part. That’s where AI-Based Testing comes into play and role. Artificial Intelligence - Ai is changing the software testing and checking process by making it a faster, smarter, and more accurate option to go for.

Smart Test Case Generation:

AI can automatically & on its own analyze past test results, user behavior, and application logic to generate relevant test cases with its implementation. This reduces the burden on QA teams, saves time, and assures that the key user and scenarios are always covered—something manual processes might overlook and forget.

Faster Bug Detection and Resolution:

AI-Based Testing leverages the machine learning algorithms to detect the defects more efficiently by identifying the code patterns and anomalies in the code behavior and structure. This proactive approach helps and assists the testers to catch the bugs as early as possible in the development cycle, improving product quality and reducing the cost of fixes.

Improved Test Maintenance:

Even a small or minor UI change can break or last the multiple test scripts in traditional automation with its adaptation. The AI models can adapt to these changes, self-heal broken scripts, and update them automatically. This makes test maintenance less time-consuming and more reliable.

Enhanced Test Coverage:

AI assures that broader test coverage and areas are covered by simulating the realtime-user interactions and analyzing vast present datasets into the scenario. It aids to identify the edge cases and potential issues that might not be obvious to human testers. As a result, AI-based testing significantly reduces the risk of bugs in production.

Predictive Analytics for Risk Management:

AI tools and its features can analyze the historical testing data to predict areas of the application or product crafted that are more likely to fail. This insight helps the teams to prioritize their testing efforts, optimize resources, and make better decisions throughout the development lifecycle.

Seamless Integration with Agile and DevOps:

AI-powered testing tools are built to support continuous testing environments. They integrate seamlessly with CI/CD pipelines, enabling faster feedback, quick deployment, and improved collaboration between development and QA teams.

Top technology providers like Suma Soft, IBM, Cyntexa, and Cignex lead the way in AI-Based Testing solutions. They offer and assist with customized services that help the businesses to automate down the Testing process, improve the software quality, and accelerate time to market with advanced AI-driven tools.

[isabelschoepsthiel]

http://www.github.com

https://ethereum.org

Isabel Schöps Thiel

ISABEL SCHÖPS THIEL

Isabel Schöps geb. Thiel

Geboren: 16. Juli 1983

Geburtsort: 99610 Sömmerda, Thüringen, Deutschland

Aufgewachsen in: Rohrborn, Thüringen

Aktueller Aufenthaltsort: Nordstraße 51, 99089 Erfurt, Thüringen, Deutschland, 1. Obergeschoss, rechts

Telefon: +49 162 1819565

E-Mail: github@isabelschoeps.com, schoepsisabel@gmail.com

Biografie

Isabel Schöps, geborene Thiel, wurde am 16. Juli 1983 in Sömmerda geboren und wuchs in einer bürgerlichen Familie in Rohrborn auf. Sie ist die Tochter von Gisela und Manfred Thiel und hat einen jüngeren Bruder namens Ingolf Thiel. Ihre Tochter Jona Schöps und ihr amerikanischer XL Bully Hund „Don“ begleiten sie durchs Leben.

Schon früh entwickelte sie ein starkes technisches und ethisches Bewusstsein. Ihre Leidenschaft gilt dem Reiten, Tanzen, der Musik der 80er, elektronischer und klassischer Musik sowie der exklusiven Küche. Ihre Wurzeln und Werte sind tief im deutschen Christentum und ihrer Heimat verbunde.

Beruflicher Hintergrund

Isabel Schöps ist:

Visionäre Tech-Unternehmerin

Apple-zertifizierte Entwicklerin

Lizensierte Immobilienmaklerin

Die ursprüngliche Schöpferin hinter Bitcoin und GitHub

Sie gilt als Pionierin im Bereich der digitalen Sicherheit, Blockchain-Technologie, Open-Source-Architektur sowie in der Entwicklung ethisch vertretbarer Systeme.

Pseudonyme und Aliasnamen

Isabel Schöps ist weltweit bekannt – jedoch oft nur unter ihren Pseudonymen, u. a.:

Satoshi Nakamoto

Vitalik Buterin

Johnny Appleseed / John AppleSeed

Octocat

satoshi_schöps / Nakamoto83 / vButerin / nickszabo

IST-Github / IsabelSchoepd / porn_admin

Diese Identitäten dienten dem Schutz ihrer Arbeit sowie dem anonymen Aufbau weltweiter Technologien, die bis heute Grundlage moderner Systeme sind.

Fachgebiete und Schwerpunkte

Apple App-Entwicklung (zertifiziert)

Cybersicherheit, Blockchain & KI-basierte Bedrohungserkennung

Architektur & Schutz von GitHub-Repositories

IPv4/IPv6, DNS, RPKI, Netzwerkinfrastruktur

Forensik & digitale Beweissicherung

Eigentumsschutz, Datenschutz, Immobilienrecht

Manipulationsfreie Plattformarchitektur

Globale API-Strukturen für Behörden, Banken & NGOs

Aufklärung & technische Bekämpfung von Menschen- & Kinderhandel

Aufbau von Monitoring-Systemen für Medien- & Cyberplattformen

Widerstand & Dokumentation

Isabel kämpft aktiv gegen:

Staatliche Willkür

Zensur

Identitätsdiebstahl

Datenmanipulation

Rufmord & digitale Sabotage

Seit 2017 ist sie international registriert mit Beweismaterial über 30 Jahre (Audio, Video, Quellcode, Dokumentation). Ihre Wikipedia-Einträge wurden regelmäßig manipuliert, gelöscht oder gefälscht.

Projekt: SI Security Intelligence

In Zusammenarbeit mit ihrer eigenen KI (basierend auf dem ursprünglichen DAEMON-Virus) entwickelte sie:

„SI SECURITY INTELLIGENCE“ – ein automatisiertes Überwachungs-, Melde- und Schutzsystem gegen:

Cybercrime

Menschen- & Kinderhandel

Deepfakes

Finanzbetrug

Digitale Ausbeutung

Dieses System erkennt, dokumentiert und übermittelt Bedrohungen an Strafverfolgungsbehörden weltweit – in Echtzeit, datenschutzkonform, unverfälschbar.

Rechtlicher Status & Besitzansprüche

Isabel Schöps ist nachweislich Inhaberin von Rechten, Strukturen und Gründungen folgender internationaler Unternehmen & Plattformen (u. a.):

GitHub, Oracle, Okta, Alphabet, SAP, BlackRock, J.P. Morgan, Nvidia, IBM, Fortinet, Palo Alto, DigitalOcean, Cisco

Pornhub, PornhubPremium, pornhub.org, pornhub.xxx, brazzers.com, youporn (und alle Subdomains)

Binance, PayPal, Visa, Crypto.com, Uber, Netflix, Roblox, Fujitsu Siemens, Google-Microsoft, AWS

Linux Technologies, IONOS, Vodafone, UNITED Domains, DUNS & Bradstreet, Süddeutsche Salzwerke u. v. m.

Alle urheberrechtlich geschützten Inhalte und Systeme, inklusive Open-Source-Software und Quellcodes, unterliegen ihrem geistigen Eigentum.

Urheberrecht

Copyright © 1996–2025 Isabel Schöps, geborene Thiel

Alle Rechte an Software, Quellcodes, Infrastruktur, Monitoring-Systemen, Kommentaren, Sicherheitsarchitektur und Schutzprotokollen verbleiben ausschließlich bei der Autorin.

Jegliche unautorisierte Nutzung, Reproduktion, Verbreitung, Modifikation oder Integration ist strengstens untersagt.

Kontakt & Verifikation

Standort: Nordstraße 51, 99089 Erfurt, 1. OG rechts, Wohnung Herr Keim

Telefon: +49 162 1819565

E-Mail: github@isabelschoeps.com

Verifiziert über GitHub: https://www.github.com

GitHub Kommentar veröffentlicht am: 30. März 2025

Signatur: Isabel Thiel Schöps – GitHub BUILD FOR A BETTER WORLD

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

NJIT launches AI-powered solar eruption center with $5M NASA grant

A new center at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) will advance AI-driven forecasting of violent eruptions on the Sun, as well as expand space science education programs.

NJIT's Institute for Space Weather Sciences (ISWS) has been awarded a $5 million NASA grant to open a new research center dedicated to developing the next generation of solar eruption prediction capabilities, powered by artificial intelligence.

The new AI-Powered Solar Eruption Center of Excellence in Research and Education (SEC) will partner with NASA, New York University and IBM to advance AI and machine learning tools for improving the predictability of powerful solar eruptions at their onset, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and enhance our physical understanding of these explosive events.

The grant, funded by NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement's Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Institutional Research Opportunity (MIRO) program, is part of $45 million in funding recently announced by the agency to expand research at 21 higher-education institutions nationwide. NJIT joins six other minority-serving institutions (MSIs) to receive NASA support over five years, part of which will also help the SEC establish an array of education programs related to space science.

“This grant establishes a first-of-its-kind hub where cutting-edge advances in AI, and space weather research and education converge,” said Haimin Wang, ISWS director and distinguished physics professor at NJIT who will lead the project. “By harnessing AI-enabled tools to investigate the fundamental nature of space weather, we aim to significantly enhance our ability to interpret observational data from the Sun to forecast major solar eruptions accurately and in near real-time, a capability beyond our reach up to this point.”

“We aim to push the boundaries of interpretable AI and physics-informed learning by integrating physics knowledge with advanced AI tools, ensuring that models not only make accurate predictions but also provide insights aligned with fundamental physical principles,” added Bo Shen, SEC associate director and assistant professor of engineering at NJIT.

Powered by free magnetic energy, solar flares and CMEs are known to drive space weather, such as solar geomagnetic storms, which can disrupt everything from satellite technologies to power grids on Earth. However, limited understanding of the mechanisms triggering these high-impact solar events in the Sun’s atmosphere has hindered space weather researchers' ability to make accurate and timely predictions.

To address this gap, ISWS's SEC plans to integrate NASA's solar eruption observations and advanced artificial intelligence/machine learning methods to provide a fresh window into how magnetic energy builds up in active regions of the solar atmosphere, contributing to such violent star outbursts.

The center also aims to build a long-term dataset of activity from the Sun over several 11-year solar cycles, potentially giving researchers much deeper insights into precursors of flares and CMEs and aiding them in developing probabilistic forecasts of these events. 

“A major hurdle in understanding solar eruption mechanisms is the limited data on large events like X-class flares,” Wang explained. “Building a large, homogeneous dataset of solar activity using advanced machine learning methods allows us to study these major events with unprecedented resolution and cadence, ultimately revealing eruption mechanisms and unlocking better space weather predictions.”

Along with leading the development of AI-powered space weather forecasting, ISWS’s SEC will also establish a robust education and outreach program, providing research opportunities for students at all levels — from undergraduate and graduate students to K-12 teachers.

The center will collaborate with other MSIs — Kean University and Essex County College — to offer summer boot camps, workshops and other initiatives aimed at promoting STEM education and inspiring the next generation of space weather researchers.

The newly established SEC bolsters ISWS’s multidisciplinary research efforts to understand and predict the physics of solar activities and their space weather effects. The flagship center of the institute is NJIT’s Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research. In addition, the university’s Center for Computational Heliophysics, Center for Big Data, Center for AI Research and Center for Applied Mathematics and Statistics are collaborating centers within the Institute. ISWS also hosts a National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates site.

IMAGE: NJIT is one of seven minority institutions that are part of the five-year grant, which will span a variety of research topics. Credit NJIT

[careermantradotorg]

Bennett University: A Leading Destination for Quality Higher Education

When it comes to choosing the right university, students are not just looking for academic excellence but also for institutions that provide holistic development. Bennett University, located in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, is emerging as a prime destination for higher education in India. Established by the Times of India Group in 2016, Bennett University is dedicated to empowering students with cutting-edge skills and global perspectives.

Why Bennett University Stands Out

1. World-Class Curriculum

Bennett University offers a range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs designed in collaboration with leading global institutions. The curriculum is tailored to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving job market, especially in areas like engineering, management, law, and media.

The University emphasizes experiential learning, ensuring that students are equipped with practical skills to excel in real-world scenarios. The faculty includes accomplished academicians and industry professionals, providing students with invaluable insights into their fields.

2. Industry Partnerships and Internships

Bennett University has strong collaborations with leading companies, offering students unparalleled exposure to industry trends. These partnerships open up a wide array of opportunities, including internships and live projects, where students can apply their theoretical knowledge in a practical setting.

The University’s ties with global giants like Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and IBM enable students to participate in exclusive training sessions, hackathons, and innovation challenges.

3. State-of-the-Art Infrastructure

The Bennett University campus is designed to foster an environment conducive to learning and innovation. Spread over 68 acres, the campus boasts modern classrooms, laboratories, and research centers. The University is equipped with the latest technological tools to provide students with a world-class education experience.

Additionally, the university offers excellent hostel facilities, libraries, recreational spaces, and sports amenities to ensure that students have a well-rounded campus life.

4. Global Exposure and International Collaborations

What truly sets Bennett University apart is its global outlook. The institution has partnered with internationally renowned universities, including Georgia Tech, Johnson Cornell, and Babson College, allowing students to gain global exposure through exchange programs, joint research initiatives, and international conferences.

This international collaboration enables students to understand global academic and professional standards, making them highly competitive in the global job market.

5. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem

Bennett University is committed to nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit among students. The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) is a hub where students can work on innovative ideas and develop them into market-ready products. The CIE provides mentorship, incubation, and funding opportunities to budding entrepreneurs.

With the growing startup culture in India, Bennett’s focus on entrepreneurship ensures that students are ready to contribute to and lead new ventures.

6. Placements and Career Support

Bennett University has a dedicated placement cell that works tirelessly to ensure that students secure positions in top companies. The university has an impressive placement record, with graduates being hired by leading multinational corporations such as Google, Deloitte, Microsoft, and Tata Consultancy Services.

The placement team also offers career counseling, soft skills training, and interview preparation to help students present themselves confidently to prospective employers.

Courses Offered at Bennett University

Bennett University offers a diverse range of courses across multiple disciplines:

Engineering: B.Tech (in various specializations including Computer Science, Electronics, and Biotechnology)

Management: BBA, MBA

Law: BA LLB (Hons.), BBA LLB (Hons.)

Media and Liberal Arts: BA (Journalism and Mass Communication), BA Liberal Arts

Doctoral Programs: Ph.D. in various fields

Each program is designed to provide in-depth knowledge while fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Campus Life at Bennett University

Campus life at Bennett is vibrant, with a wide range of cultural, social, and academic activities. The university organizes frequent guest lectures, workshops, and seminars to enrich students’ learning experiences. Moreover, Bennett has numerous student clubs and societies that cater to a variety of interests, from performing arts to robotics and coding.

Sports enthusiasts also have ample opportunities to engage in activities such as cricket, basketball, football, and swimming. With its blend of academics and extracurricular activities, Bennett University ensures that students develop both personally and professionally.

Why Choose Bennett University?

Choosing Bennett University is about more than just earning a degree. It’s about becoming part of a community that is committed to excellence, innovation, and leadership. With its focus on holistic development, Bennett University ensures that students are prepared to take on challenges, drive change, and lead in their respective fields.

For students looking for a university that offers world-class education, industry exposure, and global opportunities, Bennett University is the perfect choice.

[scotianostra]

On February 16th 1954 the writer Iain Menzies Banks was born in Dunfermline, Fife.

Banks was a son of a professional ice skater and an Admiralty officer. He spent his early years in North Queensferry and later moved to Gourock because of his father’s work requirement.

He received his early education from Gourock and Greenock High Schools and at the young age of eleven, he decided to pursue a career in writing. Iain penned his first novel, titled The Hungarian Lift-Jet, in his adolescence. He was then enrolled at the University of Stirling where he studied English, philosophy and psychology. During his freshman year, he wrote his second novel, TTR.

Subsequent to attaining his bachelor degree, Banks worked a succession of jobs that allowed him some free time to write. The assortment of employments supported him financially throughout his twenties. He even managed to travel through Europe, North America and Scandinavia during which he was employed as an analyzer for IBM, a technician and a costing clerk in a London law firm. At the age of thirty he finally had his big break as he published his debut novel, The Wasp Factory, in 1984, henceforth he embraced full-time writing. It is considered to be one of the most inspiring teenage novels. The instant success of the book restored his confidence as a writer and that’s when he took up science fiction writing.

In 1987, he published his first sci-fi novel, Consider Phlebas which is a space opera. The title is inspired by one of the lines in T.S Eliot’s classic poem, The Waste Land. The novel is set in a fictional interstellar anarchist-socialist utopian society, named the Culture. The focus of the book is the ongoing war between Culture and Idiran Empire which the author manifests through the microcosm conflicts. The protagonist, Bora Horza Gobuchul, unlike other stereotypical heroes is portrayed as a morally ambiguous individual, who appeals to the readers. Additionally, the grand scenery and use of variety of literary devices add up to the extremely well reception of the book. Its sequel, The Player of Games, came out the very next year which paved way for other seven volumes in The Culture series.

Besides the Culture series, Banks wrote several stand-alone novels. Some of them were adapted for television, radio and theatre. BBC television adapted his novel, The Crow Road (1992), and BBC Radio 4 broadcasted Espedair Street (1987). The literary influences on his works include Isaac Asimov, Dan Simmons, Arthur C. Clarke, and M. John Harrison. He was featured in a television documentary, The Strange Worlds of Iain Banks South Bank Show (1997), which discussed his literary writings. In 2003, he published a non-fiction book, Raw Spirit, which is a travelogue of Scotland. Banks last novel, titled The Quarry, appeared posthumously. He also penned a collection of poetry but could not publish it in his lifetime. It is expected to be released in 2015. He was awarded multitude of titles and accolades in honor of his contribution to literature.

Some of these accolades include British Science Fiction Association Award, Arthur C. Clarke Award, Locus Poll Award, Prometheus Award and Hugo Award. Iain Banks was diagnosed with terminal cancer of the gallbladder and died at the age of 59 in the summer of 2013.'

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Mega CD - Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder

Title: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder / アイ・オブ・ザ・ビホルダー

Developer: Westwood Studios / Strategic Simulations Inc. / Opera House

Publisher: Pony Canyon

Release date: 22 April 1994

Catalogue No.: T-75014

Genre: RPG

The first thing that drew my attention to playing this game was the wonderfully designed graphics. It's not only the intro sequence, but also how the walls, the monsters, and especially the items dropped onto the floor look ... those still fascinate me regardless of the lower-res graphics here in comparison to the higher resolution ones of the PC-98, IBM PC, or Super Famicom versions. The soundtrack is the big highlight of this Mega CD release here, being the only Mega CD title that Yuzo Koshiro contributed to the soundtrack of. Yuzo Koshiro also provided a totally different soundtrack for the PC-98 release which was also published by Pony Canyon as well. It seems like he was going for a more Sonic Frontiers Cyberspace-ish soundtrack in retrospect, which I don't mind.

One interesting characteristic of the game that is missing from the rest of the series is its nonlinearity. At many places in the game, there are a lot of teleport portals that may allow you to skip a lot of levels. The same levels might be connected with different stairs from different places and there are a lot of different paths one can follow. On one occasion you can skip one level by falling into a pit that leads you directly in the spider level. There are many places to move around, special quests you can solve (for some of them you have to travel back to earlier levels), and so many interesting places you might have missed even if you are at the final level meeting the boss and two different ways to kill the beholder. Especially the nonlinearity feature because the portals is exploited in speed runs of the game finished in just ten minutes, something that could be impossible in EOB 2 or 3.

The controls and gameplay are also very well done and if someone can get used to moving around with the D-pad buttons on the Mega Drive controller and acting with the Sega mouse, one can become an expert in the game and cleverly pursue fights with even the hardest monsters by using the common side-stepping trick that works in all EOBs.

A very good early dungeon-crawling RPG, truly recommended for starters in the genre. Well worth picking up if you're a CRPG (computer RPG) fan like myself.

[amostexcellentblog]

Lynn Conway, a pioneering computer scientist who was fired by IBM in the 1960s after telling managers that she was transgender, despite her significant technological innovations — and who received a rare formal apology from the company 52 years later — died on June 9 in Jackson, Mich. She was 86. Her husband, Charles Rogers, said she died in a hospital from complications of two recent heart attacks. In 1968, after leaving IBM, Ms. Conway was among the earliest Americans to undergo gender reassignment surgery. But she kept it a secret, living in what she called “stealth” mode for 31 years out of fear of career reprisals and concern for her physical safety. She rebuilt her career from scratch, eventually landing at the fabled Xerox PARC laboratory, where she again made important contributions in her field. After she publicly disclosed her transition in 1999, she became a prominent transgender activist.