Are Computers Getting Smarter Than Us?

Modern living relies on a lot of technology. From household appliances to entertainment gadgets, we depend on it in everything we do. Who would’ve thought a couple of decades ago that we will be using smartphones and smart televisions when we used to watch from bulky television boxes with no other special features? Social media is a far bigger platform with people’s lives and businesses revolving around it.

Technology is definitely more superior now. But we should acknowledge the people and their brilliant minds behind all these advancements. It has even confused come and made them think that computers have become smarter than us. And actually, it might just be a possibility sooner than we expected.

Your smartphone is about to get a brain in the form of a neurally inspired computer chip, and it will be based on the first truly new sort of computing hardware since the invention of computers themselves. These chips are already beginning to change the industry, but now they’re making their way into consumer tech — and analysts are seriously under-predicting the impact these neural computers could have on digital economies, and the shape of the digital generation.

Neural network code underlies many of our interactions with technology these days, whether it’s voice commands or predictive keyboards, personal fitness tracking or just efficient Amazon shipping schedules. Machine learning experts have already created neural networks for a huge variety of tasks. The most useful applications, though, require access to a remote server to do the heavy computational lifting of neural network code, and that severely limits the ways in which that code can be used. A smartphone with a physical brain, on the other hand, could let developers fully realize the potential of these revolutionary software tools.

Indeed, the human race has achieved so much over a short period of time. For a species that is said to have evolved from monkeys, we have transformed the world that we know now making everything digital whenever possible.

But let’s go back to the beginning: The first computers were human beings, sitting in rooms, pushing beads on abacuses to calculate trajectories for mortar shells during World War II. These were biological neural networks (brains) doing calculations they were horribly suited to perform, and to get through the work more efficiently, scientists had to create machines designed from the ground-up to do that type of calculation. The result was the first digital computer, and it has become as essential a tool for mathematics today as the human brain was in the 1940s.

Now, in the era of machine learning, mankind faces a similar problem: circumstances again demand that we do a whole lot of a particular type of computation, and once again, the only computers we have on hand to do that computation are poorly suited to the job. Digital computers are simply very bad at running neural network code, and once again scientists have been forced to go back to the drawing board and create a more tailored computing machine: brain-inspired, neuromorphic computers. Led by IBM’s flagship TrueNorth chip, they represent the first real step forward for computing since the time of Alan Turing.

(Via: https://www.inverse.com/article/27902-neuromorphic-computers-ibm-truenorth-true-north-machine-learning-neural-network)

As if we haven’t created enough robots already, computer experts are now aiming to implant computer chips in the human brain.

Humans will soon be implanting tiny computers in their brains to make themselves smarter, funnier and sexier, a prominent futurist has predicted.

Ray Kurzweil, director of engineering at Google, has made a name for himself through his predictions. Since the 1990s, he has made 147 predictions, 86% of which have come true.

Speaking at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas, this week, Kurzweil predicted that "the singularity" - the moment when artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence - will occur in 2029.

"By 2029, computers will have human-level intelligence," said Kurzweil.

"That leads to computers having human intelligence, our putting them inside our brains, connecting them to the cloud, expanding who we are.

"Today, that's not just a future scenario. It's here, in part, and it's going to accelerate."

(Via: http://www.mirror.co.uk/tech/computers-embedded-brains-make-smarter-10045979)

Having computers that can think like a human may be a good or bad thing. Perhaps, artificial intelligence can be the ultimate cyber security tool we can use against hackers.

U.S. government computer systems remain unsecured and vulnerable to cyber attacks from a host of bad actors, according to a new government report that identifies a range of weaknesses in U.S. cyber defenses that could lead to a devastating attack on the American government.

Those in charge of the federal computer networks have failed to address major vulnerabilities for at least the past decade, according to the Government Accountability Office, which disclosed in a recent report that critical networks are "riddled with security vulnerabilities" and open to attack.

(Via: http://freebeacon.com/national-security/u-s-government-computers-still-not-safe-cyber-attacks/)

It is too early to tell, though, what our world will be like when computers are at par with humans intelligence-wise. We may benefit from better computing processes and quality but it can pose a major risk to our safety and security. Data security and data loss will be a thing of the past too. No need to worry about common issues like data recovery when all data is now stored in the cloud. Technology will no longer be just an aspect of our lives but may very well be the ultimate one that rules us all.

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source https://www.soulvisual.com/blog/are-computers-getting-smarter-than-us/

Say Goodbye To Snoring And Say Hello To A Good Night’s Sleep

Gone were the days when we hated being told to go to sleep as kids. Our curious and active spirits enjoy the wild outdoors and the many discoveries and learning we make in our daily adventures. But as we grow up and take on more adult responsibilities, rest and relaxation is a welcome reprieve.

But sleep has become more of a luxury for many nowadays. Work is more demanding. When in the past your time after work is just for you and your family, your boss and clients can still reach you now through texts, calls or emails. Technology has become a distraction too. #FOMO or our crazy fear of missing out keeps us glued to our smart gadgets and logged in to our various social media accounts.

It is one of the reasons why we are still wide awake in the wee hours of the morning and it exacerbates a medical condition known as sleep apnea, which has a big impact on sleep quantity and quality. Most snorers suffer from this condition. It requires medical attention because it puts you at risk to certain debilitating conditions.

A 64-year-old Kamal (name changed) suffered stroke recently and hospitalised for the treatment. Later, when the tests were conducted, he was found suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is one of the major causes of stroke.

With obesity, the cases of OSA are constantly being reported in the city. Over the past few years, private hospitals in the city have introduced the polysomnography (PSG) test, which requires a night stay at a hospital. In the test, a machine monitors breathing, heart rate and brain waves. Now, in city also, the test can be done in the comfort of your bedroom.

"Obstructive sleep apnea is a silent killer. People think that snoring is ordinary and ignore it. They take it in lighter mode. But, in reality, it is life-threatening too," Dr Virendra Singh, former superintendent of Sawai Man Singh Hospital and respiratory diseases expert said.

(Via: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/world-sleep-day-snoring-can-be-life-threatening/articleshow/57678173.cms)

The best defense against sleep apnea is to educate yourself about it and ways on how to beat it, so snoring is no longer an issue in your life. Couples can better relate to this scenario since wives often have to put up with their husband’s snoring. Many men sleep with a mouthgard on, just so they no longer have to deal with a cranky wife who is lacking in sleep because of their loud snoring.

When air can’t move freely through your nose and throat during sleep, the surrounding tissues will vibrate.

This produces the sound we know as snoring.

People who are prone to snoring will often have excess throat and nasal tissue – or ‘floppy’ tissue that is more likely to vibrate.

If your tongue is in a position obstructing smooth breathing, this will also cause snoring.

What can you do to minimize snoring and hopefully get rid of it for good?

Change your sleeping position

Elevating your head by four inches can help with breathing, and encourage your tongue and jaw to move forward.

Sleep on your side, not your back

One method to try is attaching a tennis ball to the back of your nightwear (this can be done by sewing a sock to the back of a top, then putting the ball inside).

If you roll onto your back in the night, the discomfort of the ball will cause you to go back to sleeping on your side.

Anti-snoring mouth guards can also help. These appliances work by bringing your lower jaw and/or tongue forwards during sleep, which helps to open your airway.

Clear nasal passages

If your nose is causing issues with snoring, rinse your sinuses with saline before bed.

Other ways to clear your nose include nasal decongestant or nasal strips, which can help you breathe more easily at night.

Dry air can irritate the nose and throat, and cause nasal tissues to swell, which can lead to snoring.

Keeping bedroom air moist, with devices such as a humidifier, can help to remedy the situation.

Some people who snore are overweight. Losing weight may help to reduce fatty tissue in the back of the throat. This can lead to less, or even no snoring.

(Via: http://metro.co.uk/2017/02/24/how-to-stop-snoring-tips-tricks-and-exercises-to-stop-the-habit-6470286/)

Making some lifestyle changes and  consulting a medical expert for help can help people overcome snoring and improve their health. Snoring is often a symptom of sleep apnea, so do not take it lightly. People sleep and no longer wake up because of it. So, get yourself checked and undergo a sleep assessment or even download an app that analyzes your snoring pattern, frequency, and amplitude during sleep. Get back the sleep you have lost and sleep more peacefully from now on.

Say Goodbye To Snoring And Say Hello To A Good Night’s Sleep is available on SoulVisual.com Blog

source https://www.soulvisual.com/blog/say-goodbye-to-snoring-and-say-hello-to-a-good-nights-sleep/

The State Of The U.S. Agriculture

Technology may be the apple of our eyes now but there are other industries that matters just as much but do not get the attention it deserves. And I am talking about the agriculture sector. The American may do farming differently right now with the various technologies in place to make crop planting and food farming easier and done at a larger scale but let us also acknowledge the many small-time farmers who do everything like it was did in the past.

As we all become aware of various agricultural and manufacturing processes and its relation to the state of our health, we understand the value of eating food free of chemicals and pesticides that are a common practice in modern-day farming. The demand for organic produce is increasing and now even has a place on the shelves of some major food retailers and supermarkets. More people are patronizing local farmer’s market in search of the freshest and healthiest fruits and veggies in the land. But despite all these breakthroughs, the number of U.S. farmers has reduced over the years and it may be worsened by budget cuts on the agricultural sector by the new administration.

U.S. farmers are getting grayer, their national numbers are on the decline and fewer young people are moving back to farms and ranches. The average age of a principal operator of a U.S. farm is now over 58 years old.

Absent opportunities for manufacturing, recreation or other industries, many of their surrounding small towns are dying off, too. It’s a vicious depopulation cycle in some areas: Young people move out for job opportunities and don’t ever move back, schools consolidate, basic services start to crumble, and the tax base erodes.

The rural population in 2015 stood at 46.2 million – just 14 percent of the U.S. population on 72 percent of the land mass. That represents a decline of 136,000 people between 2010 and 2014, according to USDA’s Economic Research Service. The number of principal operators on farms has been dropping, too – from 2.2 million in 2007 to 2.1 million in 2012. 

(Via: https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/9062-lesson-6-an-unsung-farm-bill-hero-rural-development-needs-more-champions)

And President Trump is making matters worse when he should be giving back to the population that has helped put him into office. He may have conveniently forgotten that most of his votes came from American rural communities.

Nearly all of Trump's electoral wins were in rural districts, many of which are made up of farming communities. This is where Trump thrived. I have seen it firsthand: I have lived in the city, worked in manufacturing and I'm now a farmer in a small farming town in Central Illinois.

For the progressive movement to make inroads in communities like mine, it needs to put forward a serious plan for how the US government can stop subsidizing corporate farms and instead return the land to small family farmers who work the land. Farmers should not have to farm 20,000 acres of rented land just to make a living.

To move toward a future in which progressives are able to put forward such a plan, it's crucial for everyone in this country -- including city dwellers -- to gain a basic literacy about the agricultural shifts that have taken place in the US and what it would take to move away from corporate agriculture on a mass scale.

(Via: http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/39859-why-progressives-should-care-about-us-agricultural-policy)

Clearly, President Trump does not care about the people who believed in his leadership and it is obvious in the policies he is pushing for in Congress.

Agriculture leaders including lawmakers from President Donald Trump's Republican Party on Thursday criticized his planned 21 percent cut to discretionary spending at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), saying it could take a toll on the rural communities that helped elect him last November.

Trump has proposed slashing the USDA's discretionary budget by $4.7 billion to $17.9 billion by halting funding for rural clean water initiatives and rural business services, reducing some USDA statistical services and cutting county-level staff.

The president has already vowed to alter trade deals that have largely boosted farm incomes and targeted health care policies that have particularly benefited the rural poor.

"America's farmers and ranchers are struggling, and we need to be extremely careful not to exacerbate these conditions," said House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway. Farm incomes are down 50 percent from four years ago, he added.

Opposition is already building in Congress.

(Via: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-budget-agriculture-idUSKBN16N0CS)

A country will starve without farmers to feed everybody. And given how difficult farming now is that the elements are far more unforgiving than in the past, the lack of help from the government can be far detrimental and carry with it more disastrous consequences. President Trump should question his priorities now and determine whether he got everything right before enforcing policies that may be the reason for his own undoing and the suffering of the majority of the American populace.

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