Category Archives: Reviews

Technology: Will Robots Replace Food Workers?

CNBC (January 10, 2023) – This robot named Flippy runs the fry station at a White Castle outside of Chicago. With a mechanical arm and using computer vision technology Flippy can cook everything from french fries and onion rings to cheese sticks. White Castle said it plans to add 100 Flippy’s to its kitchens’ nationwide.

Chapters: 0:002:23 – Intro 2:245:17 – Chapter 1 Miso Robotics 5:188:36 – Chapter 2 Workers quitting 8:3710:59 – Chapter 3 Importance of Seeds

Up to 82% of restaurant positions could, to some extent, be replaced by robots. Automation could save U.S. fast food restaurants over $12 billion in annual wages. And restaurants are also struggling to find workers.

American restaurants are down more than 560,000 jobs or about 4.6% of its workforce from their pre-pandemic levels. So what impact will robots have on the fast food industry and the livelihood of its workers? CNBC got a behind the scenes look at restaurant robot maker Miso Robotics to find out.

Preview: MIT Technology Review – January/Feb 2023

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MIT Technology Review – January/February 2023:

10 Breakthrough Technologies 2023

Our annual look at 10 Breakthrough Technologies—including CRISPR for high cholesterol, battery recycling, AI that makes images, and the James Webb Space Telescope—that will have a profound effect on our lives. Plus care robots, 3-D printing pioneers, and chasing bugs on the blockchain.

Generative AI is changing everything. But what’s left when the hype is gone?

No one knew how popular OpenAI’s DALL-E would be in 2022, and no one knows where its rise will leave us.

AI is bringing the internet to submerged Roman ruins

The technology is making it easier to monitor underwater archaeological sites.

Preview: The Smithsonian Magazine – Jan/Feb 2023

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Smithsonian Magazine – January/February 2023:

The Misunderstood Roman Empress Who Willed Her Way to the Top

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A fresh view of Galla Placidia, who married a barbarian and ruled when the world power fell into chaos

Mesoamericans Have Been Using a 260-Day Ceremonial Calendar for Millennia

New research has the earliest evidence yet of when the timekeeping guide was used to mark the seasons

A New Discovery Puts Panama as the Site of the First Successful Slave Rebellion

Deep in the archives, a historian rescues the tale of brave maroons

Preview: The New Yorker Magazine- January 16, 2023

A portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. smiling with his four children.

The New Yorker – January 16, 2023 issue:

How Should We Think About Our Different Styles of Thinking?

A person writing their thoughts on paper.

Some people say their thought takes place in images, some in words. But our mental processes are more mysterious than we realize.

The Crisis of Missing Migrants

A shadow of a boat looms over the scene of a pathology lab.

What has become of the tens of thousands of people who have disappeared on their way to Europe?

Can UPS Still Deliver a Middle-Class Life?

Antoine Andrews pushes a collection of packages on wheels, in Bay Ridge.

The company offers steady jobs and is enjoying record profits. So why is a strike looming?

Opinion: China Reopens & Disrupts World, Britain-EU, Indo-Pacific Revived

A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, how China’s reopening will disrupt the world economy, a realistic path to a better relationship between Britain and the EU (8:54) and reinventing the Indo-Pacific (17:35).

VIEWS: DISCOVER GERMANY SWITZERLAND & AUSTRIA MAGAZINE – JANUARY 2023

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Discover Germany, Switzerland & Austria – January 2023 Issue:

GOURMET EXPERIENCES IN THE SNOW

On the slopes of Alta Badia, in the heart of the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site, it was an itinerant journey; one that took participating skiers from one hut to the next in search of new dishes and internationally renowned chefs. 

SPECIAL THEME: BEST OF GERMAN ARCHITECTURE 2023: Meet Germany’s creative creators

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Architecture in Germany has a long and diverse history. After all, visitors to the country can find every major European style – from Roman to Post Modern, Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Modern and many more architectural styles. We take a look at just some of the structures that showcase the vast creativity of German architects.

Review: ‘Science In 2023’

In this episode, reporter Miryam Naddaf joins us to talk about the big science events to look out for in 2023.

We’ll hear about vaccines, multiple Moon missions and new therapeutics, to name but a few.

Books: The New York Times Book Review – Jan 8, 2023

Photograph by Howard Sochurek

The New York Times Book Review (January 8, 2023):

When Freedom Meant the Freedom to Oppress Others

Jefferson Cowie’s powerful and sobering new history, “Freedom’s Dominion,” traces the close association between the rhetoric of liberty in an Alabama county and the politics of white supremacy.

Two Days of Terror in Washington, D.C.

“American Caliph,” by Shahan Mufti, recounts the complex story of a largely forgotten episode from 1977, when an armed Muslim group held dozens of people hostage.

The Power of a Good Narrative, in Your Ear or Otherwise

From Bloomsbury to the Billboard Hot 100, these audiobooks will hook you based on story alone.

Political Views: U.S. House Speaker Vote, Jan. 6 Attack

PBS NewsHour – New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including the political fight in the House unlike any seen since the Civil War and the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

Financial Review: Barron’s Magazine – January 9, 2023

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Barron’s Magazine – January 9, 2023 Issue:

Tech’s Bill Is Coming Due. Investors Aren’t the Only Ones Who Will Pay.

Tech’s Bill Is Coming Due. Investors Aren’t the Only Ones Who Will Pay.

Tech companies went on a spending binge to satisfy new pandemic demand. Then came the reopening and the rate hikes. Now, investors, consumers, and employees are on the hook for the bill.

If You Want Growth, Stick With Quality

A punishing macro climate is making it tougher to find winners. But shares of quality companies may still be rewarded. Here’s what to look for.

Bonds Are Back. Here Are Some Funds to Buy Now.

After a tough 2022, this could be the year that fixed income is a better bet than stocks. Here’s what some of the experts recommend buying now.

Tesla’s Battered Stock Looks Like a Buy Again

The electric-vehicle leader has been hammered by China lockdowns, a possible recession, and CEO Musk’s antics at Twitter. But the company has real strengths and cheap shares.