Italy Together (October 16, 2023) – A picturesque town on the shore of Lake Maggiore north of Stresa, Baveno faces the romantic Borromean Islands and backs to the green hills surrounding the lake. The town of about 5,000 residents has seen a very long history, starting with prehistoric human existence. The many archeological finds testify to the many millennia that have touched this area.
The Romans left evidence in the way of necropoli, domestic wares, funerary items and coins. The town was along a crossroads between Ossola and the Alps, and later between Genova and Venzia, making it stragetically important with a once-flourishing commercial port.
SeaLegacy Films (October 16, 2023) – At the foot of the iconic mountain peaks of Chilean Patagonia, just below the blue surface of the sea, lies a biodiverse and pristine kelp forest. In this episode of “Sea of Hope,” Mission Blue ocean policy expert Max Bello and Chilean Environment Minister Maisa Rojas join the SeaLegacy team to explore how wonderful and spectacular this unique ecosystem is. in the world.
Abundant and diverse life forms find their home in the world’s longest continuous kelp forest, just off the coast, in a region home to hundreds of fjords and more than 40,000 islands and islets. Join our co-founder Andy Mann as he embarks with the exploration team on an adventure to discover the treasures of Chilean Patagonia and evaluate the health of this productive and wild ecosystem. Discover the natural neon colors, the huge stems of kelp, some of the marine characters that inhabit the area, and the impressive carbon capture abilities of the underwater forests!
World Economic Forum (October 14, 2023) – This week’s top stories of the week include:
0:15Why engagement in the news is in decline – A massive media survey looked at trust and engagement in the news and found both are in steady decline. Just 48% of people say they are very or extremely interested in the news in 2023 down from 63% in 2017. Trust in the news has fallen 2 percentage points in a year. Now, only 40% say they trust the news most of the time and 36% say they actively avoid the news sometimes or often.
1:53This robot can help people with disabilities dress – The robot was designed by a team at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). They used a simulation to teach it how to perform its task. The team used an AI-driven approach called ‘reinforcement learning’. The robot was rewarded each time it correctly placed a shirt further along an arm.
3:25Company captures and stores CO2 with limestone – Heirloom takes crushed limestone and heats it in a kiln powered by renewable energy. The reaction generates two products. These are CO2, which can be permanently stored underground or in materials like concrete and a powder, which is hydrated with water to make calcium hydroxide. When the calcium hydroxide is spread onto trays, it absorbs CO2 from the air to become limestone and the whole process can begin again.
5:24How to use ChatGPT more safely – ChatGPT is an AI tool that gives detailed, natural language answers to prompts based on a database of 300 billion words drawn from books and articles. The AI learns from its interactions with you, so here are 5 ways to ensure you’re using it safely.
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The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.
The Economist (October 13, 2023) – On October 7th Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack on Israel and slaughtered more than 1,300 people, mostly civilians. What is Hamas and how powerful is it?
Video timeline: 00:00 – What is Hamas? 00:55 – Hamas’s control of Gaza 01:18 – Growth of Hamas military capacity 01:32 – The latest attack on Israel
Wall Street Journal (October 13, 2023) – NASA launched a spacecraft on Friday to study the Psyche asteroid, which is believed to be made out of metal.
Video timeline: 0:00 NASA’s mission 0:46 The psyche asteroid 1:45 Why metal matters 3:04 What we can learn from the mission
The rocky inner planets of our solar system are thought to have mostly metallic cores. WSJ breaks down why this mission matters and what it could tell us about Earth’s origins.
The Flying Dutchman (October 13, 2023) – An evening tour of Bruges, the capital of West Flanders in northwest Belgium. It is distinguished by its canals, cobbled streets and medieval buildings.
Its port, Zeebrugge, is an important center for fishing and European trade. In the city center’s Burg square, the 14th-century Stadhuis (City Hall) has an ornate carved ceiling. Nearby, Markt square features a 13th-century belfry with a 47-bell carillon and 83m tower with panoramic views.
New Scientist (October 13, 2023) – From an up-close image of an ancient horseshoe crab to the chilling documentation of predator-killing contests in Texas, these incredible photos are some of the 2023 winners in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.
New Scientist spoke to the winning photographers, alongside broadcaster Chris Packham, about the stories behind the images and how they hope their work will inspire change. Wildlife Photographer of the Year is developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London.
Aeon Video (October 2023) – A hike through a Japanese forest is a love letter to Hayao Miyazaki’s classic film ‘Princess Mononoke.’ The Spirits of Yakushima forms a gentle argument for the transportive, perhaps even spiritual power of film to pull viewers into new worlds.
AirPano VR Films (October 13, 2023) – A 360° aerial tour of Lake Elton, a highly saline lake, in the Volgogradoblast (province), near the Russian border with Kazakhstan. The lake occupies an area of 59 square miles (152 square km) and is only 1–2 feet (0.3–0.6 m) deep. It is 60 feet (18 m) below ocean level. Salt, extracted from the lake since the early 18th century, is used for the production of magnesium chloride. Other minerals are located nearby.
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious