Views: Saving The Maldives From Rising Sea Levels

BBC Earth (January 10, 2023) – The Maldives could be underwater by 2100. Maldivians are working together to look to the very thing that defines them – the ocean – to save its future, and their island homes. Narrated by wildlife filmmaker Laura Pennafort.

Architectural Tours: River North In Chicago

Architectural Digest – Architect Lynda Dossey returns to the streets of Chicago for another walking tour, this time highlighting the hidden details to be found in the stylish River North neighborhood.

River North is a lively neighborhood in the Near North Side. It boasts luxe shops and eateries, plus posh nightclubs and cocktail bars. Opened in 1930 in a former industrial area, the sprawling Merchandise Mart attracts throngs of shoppers to its home and office design showrooms. Surrounding the Mart, artist’s studios in converted warehouses and lofts form a hub that sustains the area’s foremost art galleries. 

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.

Village Walks: Saint Paul De Vence, France (2023)

Tourist Channel (January 2023) – Saint-Paul de Vence (also called simply, Saint Paul) lies near Nice, between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Vence. St-Paul is a medieval village, and today it is a real mecca for artists, who have been coming here since 1920. Among others, Picasso, Dufy, Matisse, and Marc Chagall have stayed here and created their works. Chagall lived in St-Paul for 19 years and is buried in the local cemetery (on the right after entering the cemetery).

The village has also hosted world cinema stars, including Greta Garbo, Sophia Loren, and Catherine Deneuve. The artists usually spent the night in a hotel and restaurant called the Colombe d’Or, which is located in front of the walls of the old town. Apparently, the most famous of them paid for their stay in kind, leaving their works for the owner.

News: New Weapons From West In Ukraine, Congress Attack In Brazil, EU-Japan

London, January 10, 2023Will new Western weapons help to turn the tide of the war in Ukraine? Plus: the latest on the attack on Brazil’s Congress; Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, visits Europe; and find out about Monocle’s latest paperback, ‘The Monocle Companion: Fifty Essays for a Brighter Future’.

Front Page: The New York Times – January 10, 2023

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House Narrowly Approves Rules Amid Concerns About McCarthy’s Concessions

After initially balking at a package of changes to House rules that enshrine concessions the speaker made to ultraconservative members, Republicans united to push them through.

Without Hesitation, Ukraine Goes Toe to Toe With Russia in Bakhmut

Earlier in the war, Ukraine’s leadership was more equivocal about pitched battles with high casualties. There’s no second-guessing this time. Some analysts say it makes sense strategically.

6-Year-Old Brought Gun From Home in Newport News School Shooting, Police Say

The wounded teacher went to the school office and said “call 911” before collapsing, a witness said.

Buffalo’s Unrelenting Tragedy: ‘We Haven’t Really Got a Chance to Heal’

As western New York prepares to bury more than 40 victims of a catastrophic storm, Black residents are reeling from a year of grief.

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

Cinematic Travel: A Road Trip Through Malaysia

Curves Magazin – A roadtrip through northern and southern Malaysia starting in Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia. The city is located in west-central Peninsular (West) Malaysia, midway along the west coast tin and rubber belt and about 25 miles (40 km) east of its ocean port, Port Kelang, on the Strait of Malacca. It is the country’s largest urban area and its cultural, commercial, and transportation centre. In 1972 Kuala Lumpur was designated a municipality, and in 1974 this entity and adjacent portions of surrounding Selangor state became a federal territory.

Kuala Lumpur lies in hilly country astride the confluence of the Kelang and Gombak rivers; its name in Malay means “muddy estuary.” Malaysia’s Main Range rises nearby to the north, east, and southeast. The climate is equatorial, with high temperatures and humidity that vary little throughout the year. The area receives about 95 inches (2,400 mm) of rain annually; June and July are the driest months. Area federal territory, 94 square miles (243 square km). Pop. (2009 est.) city, 1,493,000; (2020) federal territory, 1,982,112.

Top Art Exhibition Tours: ‘Matisse In The 1930s’ (2023)

Philadelphia Museum of Art – Curator Matthew Affron and the artists walked through “Matisse in the 1930s,” discussing which works would inspire their murals.

Matisse in the 1930s features a collection of the legendary artist’s work during a decade of artistic exploration—from experimentation, to failure, to renewal—with Philadelphia as a backdrop.

By 1930, Henri Matisse had achieved significant international renown, yet he found himself in a deep creative slump. The turning point came with a commission to decorate the main gallery of the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. The resulting monumental mural, The Dance (1930–33), turned Matisse’s artistic practice around.

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