AI regulation around the world

Countries and economic blocs around the world are at different stages of regulating artificial intelligence, from a relative "Wild West" in the United States to highly complex rules in the European Union.

Here are some key points about regulation in major jurisdictions, ahead of the Paris AI summit on February 10-11:

- United States -

Returning President Donald Trump last month rescinded Joe Biden's October 2023 executive order on AI oversight.

Largely voluntary, it required major AI developers like OpenAI to share safety assessments and vital information with the federal government.

Backed by major tech companies, it was aimed at protecting privacy and preventing civil rights violations, and called for safeguards on national security.

Home to top developers, the United States now has no formal AI guidelines -- although some existing privacy protections do still apply.

Under Trump, the United States has "picked up their cowboy hat again, it's a complete Wild West", said Yael Cohen-Hadria, a digital lawyer at consultancy EY.

The administration has effectively said that "we're not doing this law anymore... we're setting all our algorithms running and going for it", she added.

- China -

China's government is still developing a formal law on generative AI.

A set of "Interim Measures" requires that AI respects personal and business interests, does not use personal information without consent, signposts AI-generated images and videos, and protects users' physical and mental health.

AI must also "adhere to core socialist values" -- effectively banning AI language models from criticising the ruling Communist Party or undermining China's national security.

DeepSeek, whose frugal yet powerful R1 model shocked the world last month, is an example, resisting questions about President Xi Jinping or the 1989 crushing of pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square.

While regulating businesses closely, especially foreign-owned ones, China's government will grant itself "strong exceptions" to its own rules, Cohen-Hadria predicted.

- European Union -

In contrast to both the United States and China, "the ethical philosophy of respecting citizens is at the heart of European regulation", Cohen-Hadria said.

"Everyone has their share of responsibility: the provider, whoever deploys (AI), even the final consumer."

The "AI Act" passed in March 2024 -- some of whose provisions apply from this week -- is the most comprehensive regulation in the world.

Using AI for predictive policing based on profiling and systems that use biometric information to infer an individual's race, religion or sexual orientation are banned.

The law takes a risk-based approach: if a system is high-risk, a company has a stricter set of obligations to fulfil.

EU leaders have argued that clear, comprehensive rules will make life easier for businesses.

Cohen-Hadria pointed to strong protections for intellectual property and efforts to allow data to circulate more freely while granting citizens control.

"If I can access a lot of data easily, I can create better things faster," she said.

- India -

Like China, India -- co-host of next week's summit -- has a law on personal data but no specific text governing AI.

Cases of harm originating from generative AI have been tackled with existing legislation on defamation, privacy, copyright infringement and cybercrime.

New Delhi knows the value of its high-tech sector and "if they make a law, it will be because it has some economic return", Cohen-Hadria said.

Occasional media reports and government statements about AI regulation have yet to be followed up with concrete action.

Top AI firms including Perplexity blasted the government in March 2024 when the IT ministry issued an "advisory" saying firms would require government permission before deploying "unreliable" or "under-testing" AI models.

It came days after Google's Gemini in some responses accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of implementing fascist policies.

Hastily-updated rules called only for disclaimers on AI-generated content.

- Britain -

Britain's centre-left Labour government has included AI in its agenda to boost economic growth.

The island nation boasts the world's third-largest AI sector after the United States and China.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer in January unveiled an "AI opportunities action plan" that called for London to chart its own path.

AI should be "tested" before it is regulated, Starmer said.

"Well-designed and implemented regulation... can fuel fast, wide and safe development and adoption of AI," the action plan document read.

By contrast, "ineffective regulation could hold back adoption in crucial sectors", it added.

A consultation is under way to clarify copyright law's application to AI, aiming to protect the creative industry.

- International efforts -

The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) brings together more than 40 countries, aiming to encourage responsible use of the technology.

Members will meet on Sunday "in a broader format" to lay out an "action plan for 2025", the French presidency has said.

The Council of Europe in May last year adopted the first-ever binding international treaty governing the use of AI, with the US, Britain and European Union joining the signatories.

Of 193 UN member countries, just seven belong to seven major AI governance initiatives, while 119 belong to none -- mostly in the Global South.By Tom Barfield With Afp Bureaus AI regulation around the world

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AI can add $4.4 trillion to global economy, but digital divide must be removed: WEF report

Davos, (IANS): While Artificial Intelligence (AI ) could add $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion to the global economy annually, there is also a need to pay attention to the careers, lives and communities it will disrupt -- including those who have already been left out of the global digital economy, according to a presentation at the WEF annual meeting on Tuesday.

“At a minimum, we must eliminate the existing digital divide. Despite the rapid proliferation of the Internet across the globe, over 2.5 billion people still lack access to it. Nearly a third of the world’s population cannot take advantage of online services that are essential in today’s digital world such as finance and banking, education and healthcare,” Robert F. Smith founder CEO of Vista Equity Partners, a prominent US private equity firm, stated in his presentation.

Divides exist within developed countries, too. In the US nearly 24 million people still lack access to high-speed internet. This prevents millions of Americans from accessing the services only broadband can provide and from fully participating in the economy, the report states.

Instead of becoming a new economic wedge, AI could become a prolific source of generational wealth. So long as we take appropriate steps to prevent these tools from mimicking and reinforcing racial and gender biases, the innovation and economic growth AI would spur have the potential to generate prosperity for all.

With AI’s current trajectory, there will be three distinct waves of opportunity through which value will be captured. We are already seeing the first wave of value creation benefiting hardware vendors. The second wave will go to super scalers like Microsoft, Google, Oracle and other large companies that have the ability to broadly offer connectivity to compute. The third wave will benefit enterprise software vendors who provide AI and GenAI solution sets on top of their existing products, according to Smith.

These are the three distinct verticals on which we must focus efforts to enable equitable development and deployment of GenAI."The good news is, unlike the digital revolution, we have the luxury of foresight. As AI evolves and established companies and new startups scale products, develop features and capture value at each stage, we must commit ourselves to ensuring everyone in every nation has access to the Internet, AI education and tools, and processing power. As we stand at this crossroads, we must think expansively and act decisively to ensure we unlock GenAI’s full potential," Smith added. AI can add $4.4 trillion to global economy, but digital divide must be removed: WEF report | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

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New drone for mapping radiation in nuclear plants

The Elios 2 RAD drone (Image: Flyability)

Swiss drone developer Flyability has launched an indoor drone equipped with a radiation sensor specifically for conducting inspections at nuclear facilities. The Elios 2 RAD is designed to help maintain low radiation exposure levels to nuclear facility workers. It does this both by taking the place of personnel where possible for visual and radiation data collection, and by providing high-quality data for planning interventions that do require exposure, so that it can be kept to a minimum.

Equipped with an energy compensated Geiger-Muller detector, the Elios 2 RAD can detect radiation while in flight through Flyability's piloting app. The drone is supplied with three sensors capable of measuring dose rates within a range of 3 microsieverts per hour to 10 sieverts per hour. After the inspection flight, nuclear engineers can use Flyability's Inspector 3.0 software to map the radiation along the flight path of the drone, showing the exact location of dangerous dose levels within a nuclear facility. They can also play back the inspection flight within Inspector 3.0, using it to see dose rate measurements displayed synchronously on top of the video footage.

According to Flyability, the Elios 2 RAD can be quickly deployed from a non-contaminated area to evaluate risks and dangers in case of a leakage or incident. When planning interventions, the drone can be used to estimate the total dose workers would be exposed to and identify hot-spots to minimise human exposure. It can also be used to evaluate how much exposure was avoided after an intervention and over time by leveraging Elios 2 RAD's cumulative radiation measurement.

"The Elios 2 RAD represents the first chapter in our efforts to create indoor drones targeted specifically for each of our key verticals, accelerating our mission to use robots instead of people for dangerous indoor inspection jobs," said Flyability CEO Patrick Thévoz. "The Elios 2 RAD has the potential to significantly reduce the need for inspectors to be exposed to harmful radiation or to the hazards of confined space entry for the purposes of conducting routine inspections."

The Elios 1 was Flyability's the first collision-tolerant drone, designed for the inspection and exploration of the most inaccessible places. This was followed by the Elios 2 model, which featured additional capabilities, from which the Elios 2 RAD has evolved.

Last year, Flyability released footage of a flight taken with its Elios 2 drone being used at the incomplete unit 5 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. The drone was used to investigate whether any nuclear fuel rods had been placed within the unit's storage pool.

"Now, with the Elios 2 RAD, it would be possible to return and not just see whether any rods remained, but also record the amount of radiation present throughout the entire site," Flyability said.

The company's Elios 1 and Elios 2 drones are already in wide use at nuclear power plants around the world, particularly in the USA. Their use, it says, has reduced the length of outages and avoided the need for scaffolding and other costly temporary structures required for manual inspections to be carried out."Over 80% of US nuclear operators already use Flyability's indoor drones for their visual inspections," said Alexandre Meldem, VP of Sales at Flyability Inc. "Now [with Elios 2 RAD] we can expand that support by allowing engineers to collect actionable, high quality dose data. Helping nuclear inspectors collect this data remotely means that less people will be exposed to the potential harm of radiation." New drone for mapping radiation in nuclear plants

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India moving in right direction to become global chip hub: Industry players

Greater Noida, (IANS): Semiconductor industry leaders on Wednesday hailed India's chip vision, saying the country can become a global hub with a long-term vision and PM Narendra Modi's government is moving in the right direction.

Rutger Wijburg, COO and Member of the management board at Infineon Technologies AG, told IANS that India offers a fantastic opportunity for chip companies.

"The discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has enlightened me about the work the country is doing in the field of semiconductors. There is an enormous need for semiconductors in India and companies like us can help build the local supply chain," Wijburg said on the sidelines of the ‘Semicon India 2024’ event here which was inaugurated by PM Modi in the presence of industry stakeholders.

The country aims to become a $110 billion semiconductor industry by 2030, targeting 10 per cent of global demand.

Wijburg said there is enormous potential for chips not only to be used in the country but also for the global markets.

"India can become a global semiconductor hub with a long-term vision and I am convinced that the Indian government is taking this goal very seriously," he added.

According to Koji Wada, Managing Director of FUJIFILM India, the government policy around semiconductors is very amicable and with the right kind of support, the chip industry in the country can flourish.

"We wish to work and grow together in India," he said.

Win Chan from AGM Group says the Semicon India event is very impressive, with so many companies participating and a lot of customers visiting. "This event truly brings great value to the companies involved," he mentioned.

The three-day ‘Semicon India 2024’ is being attended by over 600 exhibitors and more than 100 global companies. Organised by SEMI in partnership with Messe Munchen India, MeitY, India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) and Digital India, the event underscores India’s emergence as a global semiconductor powerhouse, India moving in right direction to become global chip hub: Industry players | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

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5 game-changing photography trends

New Delhi, (IANSlife) Today, the art of photography in India transcends beyond the professional photographers and has reached common people. Both Gen-Zs and millennials use cameras with cutting-edge technology, to fuel their passion for framing memories.

If you’re someone who loves to photograph, you can’t miss these trends to ensure your pictures are timeless yet trendy:

AI-Driven capture and enhancement

The fusion of AI with visual photography is revolutionising the photography culture by offering effortless background removal and natural retouching. Especially for on-the-go travel content creators and vloggers with limited editing time, AI is the savior.

Nikon Z 9 has a very unique feature called “Auto Capture “. It works with AI and helps the camera to understand subject, motion and distance, enabling the camera to capture images and video automatically.

Highly advanced cameras like the Nikon Z 8, features high-performance AI-driven autofocus helping to seize the moments seamlessly.

Return of Cinematography

In filmmaking, videographers are reviving cinematic aesthetics with crystal-clear formats like 4K and 8K. This resolution along with HDR (High Dynamic Range), elevates visuals adding intense colors and remarkable contrast. This resolution along with high frame rate, elevates visuals by bringing that intricate detail to life and adding smooth cinematic slow motion.

Cherish Moments by capturing decisive photos

While it's all about photos, when it comes to pre-release capture, its real magic lies in capturing those critical moments that define a scene. A captured image, let you to re-live the moment, time and time, providing a sneak peek into the scene’s vibe. Likewise, Nikon Z8 preserves ambience by capturing pre- and post-shutter video snippets, adding emotion to shots. This pre-release feature has more to do with capturing those decisive moments.

The Nikon Z 8 promises to be a game-changer while capturing those decisive moments, offering wildlife and sports photographers innovative tools to explore new creative horizons, ensures capturing those action shots and ensures every frame is captured and nothing is missed.

Perfecting Portraits with Skin Softening

If you're all about those smooth and flawless portraits, then guess what?

Skin-softening feature has got your back with the magic touch giving perfect tones to the pictures designed especially for photographers who do fancy model shoots to make their pics pop and look elegant. The latest Nikon Cameras have AI driven Skin Softening feature which lets photographers capture soft and glowing portraits. The best part about this feature is that it only affects the skin and doesn’t affect the facial hair etc. Skin Softening feature greatly reduces turnaround time therefore enabling photographers/content creators to immediately post to their social media without spending too much time on post-production.

Shooting At Unstoppable Frames

Unleash the power of unstoppable shooting with Nikon Z 8 and Z 9, capturing moments at an astonishing 20 frames per second. Freeze time and capture every moment with over 1000 RAW images in a single, relentless burst. Paint stories through each shot, ensuring not a single detail escapes your lens.

With the technical trends, the Imaging industry is also witnessing yet another interesting shift. Gen Z’s, especially women are pursuing photography as a profession and form of artistic expression. This trend has emerged with increased access to photography equipment, workshops, and educational resources. Their influence spans Metaverse, NFTs, and unique palettes, injecting freshness into the industry. They redefine photography with their distinct twist and creative vision. Nikon’s unique campaigns like "Through Her Lens," and “Shutterbug” are initiatives to empower professional and amateur women and student photographers in India.As technology advanced rapidly in the photography arena, the future potential seems massive. This year promises excitement and dynamism for photographers and the field of photography. 5 game-changing photography trends | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

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Man Injured in Work Accident Gets 3D-Printed Fingers – A Glove That Gives His Life Back

Michael Altheim enjoying a beer with his new Hero glove prosthetic – Open Bionics

An amputee who lost his fingers in a work accident is thrilled to be doing everyday tasks again, after being being the first person to receive new 3D-printed fingers.

Michael Altheim who had four fingers on his right hand amputated finally had his independence restored after British company Open Bionics fitted him with their state-of-the-art ‘Hero Gauntlet’.

The 52-year-old is now returning to his beloved hobbies of fishing and cycling, and can grip everyday objects.

“I previously had partial finger solutions, but the weight was really heavy, operation minimal and it wasn’t waterproof,” said the former truck driver. “I could maybe fold a towel but that was it. I’ve never been able to properly hold a screwdriver or hammer, or use it for fishing.”

“When I slipped the Hero Gauntlet on and moved my joint and my fingers, I thought in amazement, ‘Oh yes, look there!’.

“They got a ball, then a screwdriver… I could finally control the hardness of my grip.”

After ten years of living without his fingers, the German from Frankfurt was particularly impressed by the speed at which he was able to grasp objects with the glove.

Michael Altheim’s Hero Gauntlet – by Open Bionics

“The new hand works perfectly without any delay,” he said, adding that he was once again able to hold a shopping basket with one hand whilst using his free hand to select and pick up items.

The partial prosthetic hand is lightweight and works by flexing the wrist to control finger movement. Each Hero Gauntlet is custom-made for each wearer using 3D scanning, printing and modeling technology.

The waterproof device enables those born without fingers or those who’ve undergone partial hand amputation to regain the hand functionality needed to be able to hold cutlery and cut their own food.

Samantha Payne, co-founder of Open Bionics, said the company was deluged with requests to design and develop a partial hand solution that was comfortable enough to wear all day.

“It’s pure joy to see this piece of engineering have an instant positive impact on activities Michael loves doing.”

Cycling with the Hero Gauntlet hand prosthetic- by Open Bionics

Award-winning company Open Bionics is currently working with insurance groups across Germany to offer their technology to partial hand amputees.

Michael was the first patient to undergo a successful trial of the new technology, but the company is also working with other German citizens who are being fitted for the prototype., Man Injured in Work Accident Gets 3D-Printed Fingers – A Glove That Gives His Life Back

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Teens and screens

New Delhi, Technology has become ubiquitous over time, keeping us informed and connected to the world like never before. But for parents, this new digital world can be a bit of a mystery, especially when it comes to managing their kids’ screen time and content consumption.

With 95% of teens now owning a smartphone and 45% stating they are online 'almost constantly', understanding healthy screen time habits could not be more imperative. Excessive technology usage can lead to issues like shorter attention spans, disrupted sleep cycles, and reduced academic performance. However, at the same time, the internet is also full of useful information if leveraged wisely.

Let’s explore how parents and kids can make the most of technology, without letting it take over their lives.

Crafting Responsible Digital Lifestyles

Kids today are the first generation growing up surrounded by technology. As they grow and develop, digital media becomes a big part of their lives. This puts a lot of pressure on parents to show them how to use technology healthily, and it’s completely up to them how they can teach their kids to thrive, not just online, but in the real world as well.

How much screen time is too much?

According to the guidelines issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2016, it’s crucial for children, between the ages of 2 and 5, to have no more than an hour of screen time each day. This helps their brains grow healthy and strong. Plus, it leaves plenty of time for important stuff like sleep, playing outside, and spending quality time with the people taking care of them.

The organization recommends setting clear boundaries and focusing on high-quality content instead of just letting kids passively consume entertainment media. They also emphasize that playtime isn’t just for little ones. Even for teenagers, having time to play freely is essential to boost their brain power, keep them physically active, socialize, and even support their emotional health.

While the 2016 recommendations focused predominantly on traditional devices like TV, computers, and video games, today's reality of smartphones warrants even greater vigilance on the back of its constant access.

Potential Risks

Excessive immersion in screens correlates strongly with health issues like obesity, sleep deprivation, symptoms of depression, and reduced academic achievement.

Entertainment content and social media platforms give us instant rewards - a like here, a comment there, and we feel good. But here’s the catch. When we’re scrolling and swiping, we’re not doing much else.

We might be missing out on things that help us grow as individuals - like playing sports, pursuing hobbies, hanging out with friends, getting creative, or even spending quality time with family. And because everything online happens so fast, we might find it harder to be patient in the real world. So, while it’s fun to get lost in the online world, let’s not forget to balance it with the real one

Additionally, studies reveal that over 50% of adolescents report being bullied online. Screen time necessitates constant parental guidance regarding cyberbullying, privacy protection, avoiding predators, and reporting abuse.

Benefits

While there are valid concerns about the use of technology, it’s not entirely fair to demonize it, especially given how it’s woven into every aspect of our lives. When used mindfully, the internet can be a treasure trove of resources for young people, offering endless opportunities for learning, creativity, and personal growth.

Think about it. There’s a wealth of educational content on a wide range of topics, allowing kids to learn at their own pace and in line with their interests. Digital tools spark creativity and let them experiment with things like photo editing, coding, game design, and animation. Staying tech-savvy is key to success and satisfaction in the future.

And let’s not forget about social media. It can provide a sense of connection and community support. Young people facing common challenges, like exam stress or college applications, can find solace in shared experiences, especially when these discussions are held openly and under parental guidance. For those who don’t have local access to certain hobbies, online groups can be a lifeline, helping them pursue their passions and develop new skills. Even esports and some online games can sharpen strategic thinking and leadership skills. So, outright banning technology seems like a missed opportunity to tap into its potential in a meaningful way.

Strategies for Finding Balance

Establish Trust Through Open Dialogue: Instead of laying down the law arbitrarily, have an open conversation with your kids about online behavior and boundaries. Make sure they understand the possible consequences of overuse and risky actions but also point out the positive ways they can use the internet. This approach not only shows respect for their perspective but also helps them understand the importance of being responsible online. They’ll be more likely to make smart choices and view any restrictions you set (like using parent-controlled apps) as helpful guidelines, rather than oppressive rules. Set Reasonable Time Limits It’s a good idea to check out pediatric guidelines and recommendations for screen time, keeping in mind that kids with special needs might have different requirements. Using the built-in controls on devices, you can set daily limits and schedules, with some extra time for wrapping up tasks. This approach helps kids learn to manage their time and prevents the shock of sudden restrictions.

Role Model Healthy Technology Habits: As caregivers, it’s important to show kids how to balance tech use with real-life interactions. Simple actions like putting phones away during conversations, meals, and family time, or excusing yourself to take urgent calls or messages, can make a big difference. By demonstrating responsible tech use, you’re teaching kids valuable digital etiquette.

Use Built-In Monitoring Tools: Consider activating parental controls on devices to block suspicious contacts or apps and keep an eye out for potential issues like bullying or grooming. Location-tracking apps can also provide an extra layer of safety. These tools can help keep kids safe online without resorting to snooping, which can violate their privacy and trust.

Foster Transparent Dialogue About Online Lives: Try having weekly check-ins to talk about your kids’ online experiences. Ask about the apps they’re using, who they’re chatting with, how they feel about their screen time, and whether they’ve encountered any problems like bullying. The goal is to work through any issues together, helping them stay open to discussing problems and learning how to handle challenges on their own.

Encourage Diverse Interests Beyond Technology: Encourage your kids to explore hobbies like sports, music, and arts to fuel their creativity. Make time for offline family activities, like board games or just chatting, especially during device-free weekends. This can help kids develop a well-rounded identity, boost their self-esteem, and find a healthy balance between their online and offline lives.Parenting in the digital age is all about balance. Technology isn’t the enemy, but it’s not the only solution either. When used wisely, it can be a powerful tool for a child’s development. By promoting open communication, setting sensible limits, and encouraging a range of interests, parents can guide their kids to make the most of technology while keeping a healthy balance with the real world., Teens and screens | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

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What is air turbulence?

 

Philip Myrtorp / Unsplash Todd Lane, The University of Melbourne

You probably know the feeling: you’re sitting on a plane, happily cruising through the sky, when suddenly the seat-belt light comes on and things get a little bumpy.

Most of the time, turbulence leads to nothing worse than momentary jitters or perhaps a spilled cup of coffee. In rare cases, passengers or flight attendants might end up with some injuries.

What’s going on here? Why are flights usually so stable, but sometimes get so unsteady?

As a meteorologist and atmospheric scientist who studies air turbulence, let me explain.

What is air turbulence?

Air turbulence is when the air starts to flow in a chaotic or random way.

At high altitudes the wind usually moves in a smooth, horizontal current called “laminar flow”. This provides ideal conditions for steady flight.

In ‘laminar flow’, air moves smoothly in one direction. When turbulence begins, it goes every which way. Shutterstock

Turbulence occurs when something disrupts this smooth flow, and the air starts to move up and down as well as horizontally. When this happens, conditions can change from moment to moment and place to place.

You can think of normal flying conditions as the glassy surface of the ocean on a still day. But when a wind comes up, things get choppy, or waves form and break – that’s turbulence.

What causes air turbulence?

The kind of turbulence that affects commercial passenger flights has three main causes.

The first is thunderstorms. Inside a thunderstorm, there is strong up-and-down air movement, which makes a lot of turbulence that can spread out to the surrounding region. Thunderstorms can also create “atmospheric waves”, which travel through the surrounding air and eventually break, causing turbulence.

Fortunately, pilots can usually see thunderstorms ahead (either with the naked eye or on radar) and will make efforts to go around them.

The other common causes of turbulence create what’s typically called “clear-air turbulence”. It comes out of air that looks perfectly clear, with no clouds, so it’s harder to dodge.

Jet streams and mountains are common causes of clear-air turbulence. Shutterstock

The second cause of turbulence is jet streams. These are high-speed winds in the upper atmosphere, at the kind of altitudes where passenger jets fly.

While air inside the jet stream moves quite smoothly, there is often turbulence near the top and bottom of the stream. That’s because there is a big difference in air speed (called “wind shear”) between the jet stream and the air outside it. High levels of wind shear create turbulence.

The third thing that makes turbulence is mountains. As air flows over a mountain range, it creates another kind of wave – called, of course, a “mountain wave” – that disrupts air flow and can create turbulence.

Can air turbulence be avoided?

Pilots do their best to avoid air turbulence – and they’re pretty good at it!

As mentioned, thunderstorms are the easiest to fly around. For clear-air turbulence, things are a little trickier.

When pilots encounter turbulence, they will change altitude to try to avoid it. They also report the turbulence to air traffic controllers, who pass the information on to other flights in the area so they can try to avoid it.

Weather forecasting centres also provide turbulence forecasts. Based on their models of what’s happening in the atmosphere, they can predict where and when clear-air turbulence is likely to occur.

Will climate change make turbulence worse?

As the globe warms and the climate changes in coming decades, we think air turbulence will also be affected.

One reason is that the jet streams which can cause turbulence are shifting and may become more intense. As Earth’s tropical climate zones spread away from the equator, the jet streams are moving with them.

This is likely to increase turbulence on at least some flight routes. Some studies also suggest the wind shear around jet streams has become more intense.

Another reason is that the most severe thunderstorms are also likely to become more intense, partly because a warmer atmosphere can hold more water vapour. This too is likely to generate more intense turbulence.

These predictions are largely based on climate models, because it is difficult to collect the data needed to identify trends in air turbulence. These data largely come from reports by aircraft, the quality and extent of which are changing over time. These measurements are quite different from the long-term, methodically gathered data usually used to detect trends in the weather and climate.

How dangerous is air turbulence?

Around the globe, air turbulence causes hundreds of injuries each year among passengers and flight attendants on commercial aircraft. But, given the hundreds of millions of people who fly each year, those are pretty good odds.

Turbulence is usually short-lived. What’s more, modern aircraft are engineered to comfortably withstand all but the most extreme air turbulence.

And among people who are injured, the great majority are those who aren’t strapped in. So if you’re concerned, the easiest way to protect yourself is to wear your seat belt.

Todd Lane, Professor, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne, The University of Melbourne

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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China Mobile’s three-pronged strategy to boost the 5G-A ecosystem

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The world’s largest service provider in terms of network scale, number of subscribers and revenues, China Mobile has taken a leadership position in the evolving 5G-A (abbreviation of 5G-Advanced) space. It plans to focus on a three-pronged strategy to accelerate the development of the 5G-A ecosystem.

The first part of the three-pronged strategy is to work on 5G-A innovation to develop cutting-edge technology. Second, to jointly promote a mature 5G-A industry value chain to encourage collaboration. Lastly, to jointly create innovative 5G-A business models to fast-track commercial success. China Mobile’s Executive Vice President, Gao Tongqing, elaborated on the service provider’s strategy during a recent event.

The service provider is all set to emerge as the first service provider to launch commercial 5G-A services and aims to bring the services to 300 cities by the end of this year. By accelerating the development of the 5G-A ecosystem, China Mobile will play a crucial role in the country’s efforts to build a Digital China.

China Mobile’s commitment to 5G-A is sure to inspire other telcos to adopt and promote the technology. The service provider announced plans to develop over 20 million 5G-A device users and more than 20 million phone models this year. China Mobile also plans to create 100 benchmark 5G-A industry applications within a year to speed up the development and deployment of 5G-A.

It will also offer 5G-A users improved speeds, tiered experience assurance, and multi-metric charging models. China Mobile’s commitment to 5G-A will play a critical role in building global momentum for the technology.

Compelling features of 5G-A

China Mobile’s thrust on 5G-A is based on the advanced features of the technology. 5G-A is a critical phase in 5G’s evolution towards 6G, which provides better speeds, more connections, and significantly lower latency than 5G.

By incorporating new-age technologies like integrated communications, computing, and intelligence, and space-air-ground integration, 5G-A expands the boundaries of 5G capabilities to take our digital lives to the next level and enables the intelligent digital transformation of enterprises.

There are some crucial features of 5G-A that make it a compelling technology for the telcos:

• Greater Speeds: 5G-A offers improved peak rates of 10 times more than that of 5G.
• Improved Services: With 5G-A, the end users will have access to tiered key service assurance that meets the communication service requirements of specific forms or customer groups.
• Innovative Products: 5G-A enables accelerated real-time 3D rendering, game loading and cloud collaboration, which is known to improve the performance of 5G New Calling, cloud phones and cloud computers.
• Massive Connections: Passive IoT technology enables a transformation from single-point communications to ultra-long-distance and ultra-large-scale passive connections of things, meeting customers’ requirements for efficient management of modern assets.
• Improved Control: 5G-A’s deterministic networks ensure highly reliable and low-latency transmission of key data, meeting customer needs for superior network performance that supports precision control and collaborative operations.

These capabilities make it imperative for the telcos across all geographies to fast-track their plans to deploy 5G-A so they are able to delight their enterprise and retail customers by bringing innovative use cases.

China Mobile’s strategies to accelerate the 5G-A ecosystem

China Mobile has emerged as a global technology leader and innovator. The operator has taken several initiatives to boost innovation in 5G-A, including leading the formulation of 60 international 5G-A standards.

A crucial component of the development of 5G-A is to collaborate with several partners to build a vibrant ecosystem. To this end, the service provider is partnering with several industry partners. It has established the 5G-A Innovation Industry Alliance and Glasses-free 3D Industry Alliance. These collaborations have led to the development of several glasses-free 3D devices, including mobile phones, tablets, car screens, laptop PCs, and monitors, as well as many more achievements in content applications, technical platforms, and ecosystem capabilities. The service provider plans to focus on many more such collaborations to develop innovative 5G-A applications and services.

To enhance the adoption of 5G-A, China Mobile has created showcase service centers where end users can experience innovative 5G-A applications and use cases. The service provider is also offering exciting value propositions to the users to explore 5G-A. For instance, China Mobile’s customers can apply for commercial 5G-A gift packages free of charge through its app to join the experience program. Around 10,000 users can experience 5G-A as part of this initiative.

In closing

The last two to three years have seen China Mobile transform into a true technology leader. Over the coming years, China Mobile will continue to maintain its momentum and take several significant and crucial steps to advance the development of the 5G-A ecosystem in China and other geographies

Source: https://totaltele.com/china-mobiles-three-pronged-strategy-to-boost-the-5g-a-ecosystem/

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How cleaning product chemicals called ‘quats’ may affect the brain

The pandemic ushered in a cleaning frenzy at home, schools and work as many of us sprayed, wiped and disinfected our way through the crisis.

But widespread use of disinfectants and heavy-duty cleaners has also ushered in new research on “quats” – which stands for quaternary ammonium compounds (sometimes called QACs). Quats are a class of chemicals used in some household cleaners that kill viruses, bacteria and other germs by breaking down cell membranes.

In a 2023 review, more than two dozen researchers called quats “a chemical class of emerging concern.” Exposure to quats has been associated with asthma and an increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in humans, as well as decreased fertility in mice.

Now, scientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland have raised a new concern: They’ve found quaternary ammonium compounds to be potentially toxic to a type of brain cell. These cells, called oligodendrocytes, provide the fatty insulation (called myelin) around nerves, which allows neural signals to travel through the brain faster. The study also found that organophosphate flame retardants used in some household furniture appear to stunt the growth of oligodendrocytes.

“We’re not looking to say that there’s a direct correlation between exposure and human neurodevelopmental issues. We don’t have that data yet,” said Paul Tesar, the director of the Institute for Glial Sciences at Case Western Reserve and the principal investigator of the study. “But we have fundamentally shown, very rigorously, that oligodendrocytes have a specific vulnerability to these chemicals.”

There are hundreds of quaternary ammonium compounds, which can make it hard to identify the chemicals on an ingredient list. Quats often end with “ammonium chloride” or “onium chloride” in the name. One common quaternary ammonium compound in hand soaps, for instance, is benzalkonium chloride. Google can also help you figure out whether a particular ingredient in a cleaning product is a quaternary ammonium compound.

The American Cleaning Institute, a trade association for cleaning product makers, downplayed the findings. Brian Sansoni, senior vice president of communications, wrote in an email that the study “does not establish a causal link to any known or observed human health effect and should not be interpreted by readers to be predictive of possible health effects.”

“Surface disinfecting products, including those with quaternary ammonium compounds, are highly regulated and extensively evaluated for safety according to their approved uses,” Sansoni wrote. “Quats are a critical public health solution across homes, schools, health care settings and communities every single day. ”

The research on quaternary ammonium compounds doesn’t mean we should stop disinfecting our homes, experts say. But it’s good to be aware of the chemicals in your household cleaners, and to make informed decisions about which products you choose.

Erin Cohn, a graduate student in Tesar’s lab and the lead author of the study, said oligodendrocyte dysfunction is linked to various neurological conditions. In cases of multiple sclerosis, for instance, the body’s immune system attacks the insulation created by oligodendrocytes.

To study quats, the researchers used stem cells to grow human brain organoids – petri dishes of tiny, “millimeter-sized brain tissue” – intended to mimic early stages of brain development, Tesar said. And they found the quaternary ammonium compounds specifically killed oligodendrocytes but not the other cell types.

The researchers also fed the chemicals to young mice for 10 days. In autopsies, they found exposure to quats had “caused a selective loss of oligodendrocytes” in the brain, Tesar said.

“The science is clear that these chemicals have harmful effects on oligodendrocytes,” Tesar said. What’s not clear is whether “everyday exposure” to these chemicals affects the human brain.

Francisco Javier Quintana, a professor of neurology at Harvard University, said the brain is influenced “all the time” by the chemicals a person takes in. Although more study is needed, the results of the latest research suggest that exposure to quats could trigger disease in certain populations that are already genetically susceptible, he said.

“The quats could be acting as one little push, or the final push across the finish line,” Quintana said. “In most people, quat exposure probably does nothing. But if you carry the wrong genetic background, that might trigger disease development.”

Quaternary ammonium compounds have been detected in the breast milk of mothers, and they were higher in women who used disinfecting cleaning products. And a study of 43 people found that 80 percent had quats in their blood.

Libin Xu, an associate professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Washington, said exposure to quats is “ubiquitous.” Almost every sample measured so far “has certain amounts of this compound, from very low to, occasionally, pretty high amounts,” he said.

In New York, researchers looked at quat exposure in shelter dogs, who live in caged areas that are frequently cleaned and disinfected. The study found that the feces of shelter dogs contained from two- to 18-fold higher concentrations of certain quats, compared with those of dogs who lived with their owners.

Terry Hrubec, a professor of anatomy and embryology at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Blacksburg, Va., said that, although we know quats can get into the body, “we know almost nothing” about their effects. “We’re just scratching the tip of the iceberg for what we know about quats,” Hrubec said.

Not all household disinfectants use quaternary ammonium compounds, and there are alternatives “that are equally effective,” with ingredients such as citric acid, ethanol and hydrogen peroxide, said Sarah Evans, an assistant professor of environmental medicine and climate science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

If you’re concerned about the active ingredients in a disinfectant you’re using, open a window, and don’t spray or wipe with the product around children or pregnant people, Evans said. “Regular soap and water will kill most bacteria,” Evans said. “You don’t need a soap that has an added antibacterial chemical.”

Martin Wolf, director of sustainability for Seventh Generation, a maker of detergents and other cleaning products, said in an email that the company doesn’t use quats in its disinfecting products. The chemicals “have long been associated with respiratory irritation,” Wolf said.Wolf said that, because the study was conducted on cultured cells in a lab, it’s not clear how it applies to the real-world use of cleaning products that contain quats. “It would be improper to dismiss the study out-of-hand,” Wolf said. “Rather, this should be seen as a caution to avoid use of the substances studied and to seek alternatives.”How cleaning product chemicals called ‘quats’ may affect the brain

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Can animals give birth to twins?

Some animals, including goats, regularly give birth to two babies at once. Image Source via Getty Images

Michael Jaffe, Mississippi State University and Tracy Jaffe, Mississippi State University 

Ask any parent – welcoming a new baby to the family is exciting, but it comes with a lot of work. And when the new addition is a pair of babies – twins – parents really have their work cut out for them.

For many animal species it’s the norm to have multiple babies at once. A litter of piglets can be as many as 11 or more!

Pigs are one species that gives birth to large litters. Arthur Dries/DigitalVision via Getty Images

We are faculty members at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine. We’ve been present for the births of many puppies and kittens over the years – and the animal moms almost always deliver multiples.

But are all those animal siblings who share the same birthday twins?

Twins are two peas in a pod

Twins are defined as two offspring from the same pregnancy.

They can be identical, which means a single sperm fertilized a single egg that divided into two separate cells that went on to develop into two identical babies. They share the same DNA, and that’s why the two twins are essentially indistinguishable from each other.

Twins can also be fraternal. That’s the outcome when two separate eggs are fertilized individually at the same time. Each twin has its own set of genes from the mother and the father. One can be male and one can be female. Fraternal twins are basically as similar as any set of siblings.

Fraternal twins originate in two eggs fertilized separately, while identical twins originate in a single fertilized egg that divides to create two embryos. Veronika Zakharova/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Approximately 3% of human pregnancies in the United States produce twins. Most of those are fraternal – approximately one out of every three pairs of twins is identical.

Multiple babies from one animal mom

Each kind of animal has its own standard number of offspring per birth. People tend to know the most about domesticated species that are kept as pets or farm animals.

One study that surveyed the size of over 10,000 litters among purebred dogs found that the average number of puppies varied by the size of the dog breed. Miniature breed dogs – like chihuahuas and toy poodles, generally weighing less than 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) – averaged 3.5 puppies per litter. Giant breed dogs – like mastiffs and Great Danes, typically over 100 pounds (45 kilograms) – averaged more than seven puppies per litter.

When a litter of dogs, for instance, consists of only two offspring, people tend to refer to the two puppies as twins. Twins are the most common pregnancy outcome in goats, though mom goats can give birth to a single-born kid or larger litters, too. Sheep frequently have twins, but single-born lambs are more common.

Horses, which are pregnant for 11 to 12 months, and cows, which are pregnant for nine to 10 months, tend to have just one foal or calf at a time – but twins may occur. Veterinarians and ranchers have long believed that it would be financially beneficial to encourage the conception of twins in dairy and beef cattle. Basically the farmer would get two calves for the price of one pregnancy.

But twins in cattle may result in birth complications for the cow and undersized calves with reduced survival rates. Similar risks come with twin pregnancies in horses, which tend to lead to both pregnancy complications that may harm the mare and the birth of weak foals.

DNA holds the answer to what kind of twins

So plenty of animals can give birth to twins. A more complicated question is whether two animal babies born together are identical or fraternal twins.

Female dogs and cats ovulate multiple eggs at one time. Fertilization of individual eggs by distinct spermatazoa from a male produces multiple embryos. This process results in puppies or kittens that are fraternal, not identical, even though they may look very much the same.

Though born from the same litter, these kittens all have different sets of genes. bozhdb/iStock via Getty Images

Biologists believe that identical twins in most animals are very rare. The tricky part is that lots of animal siblings look very, very similar and researchers need to do a DNA test to confirm whether two animals do in fact share all their genes. Only one documented report of identical twin dogs was confirmed by DNA testing. But no one knows for sure how frequently fertilized animal eggs split and grow into identical twin animal babies.

And reproduction is different in various animals. For instance, nine-banded armadillos normally give birth to identical quadruplets. After a mother armadillo releases an egg and it becomes fertilized, it splits into four separate identical cells that develop into identical pups. Its relative, the seven-banded armadillo, can give birth to anywhere from seven to nine identical pups at one time.

There’s still a lot that scientists aren’t sure about when it comes to twins in other species. Since DNA testing is not commonly performed in animals, no one really knows how often identical twins are born. It’s possible – maybe even likely – that identical twins may have been born in some species without anyone’s ever knowing.

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Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question you’d like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.

And since curiosity has no age limit – adults, let us know what you’re wondering, too. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.

Michael Jaffe, Associate Professor of Small Animal Surgery, Mississippi State University and Tracy Jaffe, Assistant Clinical Professor of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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A novel look at how stories may change the brain

“We already knew that good stories can put you in someone else’s shoes in a figurative sense. Now we’re seeing that something may also be happening biologically," says neuroscientist Gregory Berns.

By Carol Clark

Many people can recall reading at least one cherished story that they say changed their life. Now researchers at Emory University have detected what may be biological traces related to this feeling: Actual changes in the brain that linger, at least for a few days, after reading a novel.

Their findings, that reading a novel may cause changes in resting-state connectivity of the brain that persist, were published by the journal Brain Connectivity.

“Stories shape our lives and in some cases help define a person,” says neuroscientist Gregory Berns, lead author of the study and the director of Emory’s Center for Neuropolicy. “We want to understand how stories get into your brain, and what they do to it.”

His co-authors included Kristina Blaine and Brandon Pye from the Center for Neuropolicy, and Michael Prietula, professor of information systems and operations management at Emory’s Goizueta Business School.

Neurobiological research using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has begun to identify brain networks associated with reading stories. Most previous studies have focused on the cognitive processes involved in short stories, while subjects are actually reading them as they are in the fMRI scanner.

The Emory study focused on the lingering neural effects of reading a narrative. Twenty-one Emory undergraduates participated in the experiment, which was conducted over 19 consecutive days.

The researchers chose the novel "Pompeii" for the experiment, due to its strong narrative and page-turning plot.

All of the study subjects read the same novel, “Pompeii,” a 2003 thriller by Robert Harris that is based on the real-life eruption of Mount Vesuvius in ancient Italy. “The story follows a protagonist, who is outside the city of Pompeii and notices steam and strange things happening around the volcano,” Berns says. “He tries to get back to Pompeii in time to save the woman he loves. Meanwhile, the volcano continues to bubble and nobody in the city recognizes the signs.”

The researchers chose the book due to its page-turning plot. “It depicts true events in a fictional and dramatic way,” Berns says. “It was important to us that the book had a strong narrative line.”

For the first five days, the participants came in each morning for a base-line fMRI scan of their brains in a resting state. Then they were given nine sections of the novel, about 30 pages each, over a nine-day period. They were asked to read the assigned section in the evening, and come in the following morning. After taking a quiz to ensure they had finished the assigned reading, the participants underwent an fMRI scan of their brain in a non-reading, resting state. After completing all nine sections of the novel, the participants returned for five more mornings to undergo additional scans in a resting state.

The results showed heightened connectivity in the left temporal cortex, an area of the brain associated with receptivity for language, on the mornings following the reading assignments. “Even though the participants were not actually reading the novel while they were in the scanner, they retained this heightened connectivity,” Berns says. “We call that a ‘shadow activity,’ almost like a muscle memory.”

Read any mind-altering books lately? Writer Joyce Carol Oates once cited "Alice in Wonderland" as a big influence on her imaginative life.

Heightened connectivity was also seen in the central sulcus of the brain, the primary sensory motor region of the brain. Neurons of this region have been associated with making representations of sensation for the body, a phenomenon known as grounded cognition. Just thinking about running, for instance, can activate the neurons associated with the physical act of running.

“The neural changes that we found associated with physical sensation and movement systems suggest that reading a novel can transport you into the body of the protagonist,” Berns says. “We already knew that good stories can put you in someone else’s shoes in a figurative sense. Now we’re seeing that something may also be happening biologically.”

The neural changes were not just immediate reactions, Berns says, since they persisted the morning after the readings, and for the five days after the participants completed the novel.

“It remains an open question how long these neural changes might last,” Berns says. “But the fact that we’re detecting them over a few days for a randomly assigned novel suggests that your favorite novels could certainly have a bigger and longer-lasting effect on the biology of your brain.”

Credits: Top image by iStockphoto.com. Middle and bottom photos by Carol Clark. eScienceCommons: A novel look at how stories may change the brain

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Women aren’t failing at science

Female scientists are often more productive than their male colleagues but much less likely to be recognised for their work. Argonne National Laboratory/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA Lorena Rivera León, United Nations University

Female research scientists are more productive than their male colleagues, though they are widely perceived as being less so. Women are also rewarded less for their scientific achievements.

That’s according to my team’s study for United Nations University - Merit on gender inequality in scientific research in Mexico, published as a working paper in December 2016.

The study, part of the project “Science, Technology and Innovation Gender Gaps and their Economic Costs in Latin America and the Caribbean”, was financed by the Gender and Diversity Fund of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The ‘productivity puzzle’

The study, which looked at women’s status in 42 public universities and 18 public research centres, some managed by Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT), focused on a question that has been widely investigated: why are women in science less productive than men, in almost all academic disciplines and regardless of the productivity measure used?

The existence of this “productivity puzzle” is well documented, from South Africa to Italy, but few studies have sought to identify its possible causes.

Our findings demonstrate that, in Mexico at least, the premise of the productivity puzzle is false, when we control for factors such as promotion to senior academic ranks and selectivity.

Using an econometric modelling approach, including several macro simulations to understand the economic costs of gender gaps to the Mexican academic system, our study focused on researchers within Mexico’s National System of Researchers.

We found that women produce higher quality research than men, often publishing in more prestigious scholarly journals with longer term impacts in the field.

A presentation on Mexican government funding for scientific investment. How many women can you count? Government of Aguascalientes/flickr, CC BY-SA

Additionally, despite the common belief that maternity leaves make women less productive in key periods of their careers, female researchers in fact have only between 5% to 6% more non-productive years than males. At senior levels, the difference drops to 1%.

Nonetheless, in the universities and research centres we studied, Mexican women face considerable barriers to success. At public research centres, women are 35% less likely to be promoted, and 89% of senior ranks were filled by men in 2013, though women comprised 24% of research staff and 33% at non-senior levels. Public universities do slightly better (but not well): female researchers there are 22% less likely to be promoted than men.

Overall, 89% of all female academics in our sample never reached senior levels in the period studied (2002 to 2013).

In some ways this data should not be surprising. Mexico ranks 66th out of 144 in the World Economic Forum’s 2016 Global Gender Gap Report and a 2015 report by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) showed that among OECD countries Mexico has the widest overall gender gap in labour participation rates.

Some efforts are being made to improve gender equality in research. In 2013 Mexico amended four articles of its Science and Technology Law to promote gender equality in those fields, adding provisions to promote gender-balanced participation in publicly funded higher education institutions and collect gender-specific data to measure the impact of gender on science and technology policies.

Several CONACYT research centres have launched initiatives to promote gender equality among staff, but many of these internal programmes are limited to anti-discrimination and sexual harassment training.

More aggressive programmes include: the Research Centre on Social Anthopology’s graduate scholarship programme, in collaboration with CONACYT and the National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples, to promote higher education and training among indigenous women; and policies to increase women’s participation in higher academic ranks and management at the CIATEQ technological institute, which also gives childcare subsidies to female staff.

But such examples are rare. Overall, women hoping to succeed in Mexican academia must work harder and produce more than their male colleagues to be even considered for promotion to senior ranks.

This persistent inequality has implications not just for women but for the country’s scientific production: if Mexico were to eliminate gender inequality in promotions, the national academic system would see 17% to 20% more peer-reviewed articles published.

A global glass ceiling

Mexico is not alone. Our previous research in France and South Africa, using the same econometric model, found that gender inequalities there also prevent women scientists from being promoted to higher academic ranks.

Examining French physicists working in the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and in French public universities, we learned that female physicists in CNRS are as productive as their male colleagues or more so. Yet they are 6.3% less likely to be promoted within CNRS and 16.3% within universities. This is notable in a country that ranks 17th in the world in gender equality, according to the World Economic Forum.

In South Africa, race plays an important role in explaining gender inequalities in science. Examining the career paths of researchers from 2002 to 2011, we observed that there are not large differences in the promotion patterns of white researchers by gender: 60.1% of white men were not promoted (even in cases where they applied for promotion), compared to 60.6% of women in the same period. But the gap widens dramatically when you account for ethnicity: 70.4% of non-white men and 69.2% of non-white women are not promoted.

Black women face more barriers to advancement in the sciences than white women. World Bank Photo Collection/flickr, CC BY-NC-SA

In Uruguay the same IDB gender gaps project identified a glass ceiling as well. There women are underrepresented in the highest academic ranks and have a 7.1% less probability than men of being promoted to senior levels.

Moreover, from Mexico and Uruguay to France and South Africa, a vicious cycle between promotion and productivity is at play: difficulties in getting promoted reduce the prestige, influence and resources available to women. In turn, those factors can lead to lower productivity, which decreases their chances of promotion.

This two-way causality creates a source of endogeneity biases when including seniority as a variable to explain productivity in an econometric model. Only when we control for this, as well as for a selectivity bias (that is, publishing occurrence), do we find that female researchers are more productive than their male counterparts. Without these corrections, a gender productivity gap of 10% to 21% appears in favour of men.

The view that women are failing at science is commonly held, but evidence shows that, across the world, it’s science that’s failing women. Action must be taken to ensure that female researchers are treated fairly, recognised for their work, and promoted when they’ve earned it.

Lorena Rivera León, Economist and Research Fellow, United Nations University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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What do people think about when they go to sleep?

Shutterstock Melinda Jackson, Monash University and Hailey Meaklim, The University of Melbourne

You’re lying in bed, trying to fall asleep but the racing thoughts won’t stop. Instead, your brain is busy making detailed plans for the next day, replaying embarrassing moments (“why did I say that?”), or producing seemingly random thoughts (“where is my birth certificate?”).

Many social media users have shared videos on how to fall asleep faster by conjuring up “fake scenarios”, such as a romance storyline where you’re the main character.

But what does the research say? Does what we think about before bed influence how we sleep?

How you think in bed affects how you sleep

It turns out people who sleep well and those who sleep poorly have different kinds of thoughts before bed.

Good sleepers report experiencing mostly visual sensory images as they drift to sleep – seeing people and objects, and having dream-like experiences.

They may have less ordered thoughts and more hallucinatory experiences, such as imagining you’re participating in events in the real world.

For people with insomnia, pre-sleep thoughts tend to be less visual and more focused on planning and problem-solving. These thoughts are also generally more unpleasant and less random than those of good sleepers.

People with insomnia are also more likely to stress about sleep as they’re trying to sleep, leading to a vicious cycle; putting effort into sleep actually wakes you up more.

People with insomnia often report worrying, planning, or thinking about important things at bedtime, or focusing on problems or noises in the environment and having a general preoccupation with not sleeping.

Unfortunately, all this pre-sleep mental activity can prevent you drifting off.

One study found even people who are normally good sleepers can have sleep problems if they’re stressed about something at bedtime (such as the prospect of having to give a speech when they wake up). Even moderate levels of stress at bedtime could affect sleep that night.

Another study of 400 young adults looked at how binge viewing might affect sleep. The researchers found higher levels of binge viewing were associated with poorer sleep quality, more fatigue, and increased insomnia symptoms. “Cognitive arousal”, or mental activation, caused by an interesting narrative and identifying with characters, could play a role.

The good news is there are techniques you can use to change the style and content of your pre-sleep thoughts. They could help reduce nighttime cognitive arousal or to replace unwanted thoughts with more pleasant ones. These techniques are called “cognitive refocusing”.

 

For people with insomnia, pre-sleep thoughts tend to be less visual and more focused on planning. Shutterstock

What is cognitive refocusing?

Cognitive refocusing, developed by US psychology researcher Les Gellis, involves distracting yourself with pleasant thoughts before bed. It’s like the “fake scenarios” social media users post about – but the trick is to think of a scenario that’s not too interesting.

Decide before you go to bed what you’ll focus on as you lie there waiting for sleep to come.

Pick an engaging cognitive task with enough scope and breadth to maintain your interest and attention – without causing emotional or physical arousal. So, nothing too scary, thrilling or stressful.

For example, if you like interior decorating, you might imagine redesigning a room in your house.

If you’re a football fan, you might mentally replay a passage of play or imagine a game plan.

A music fan might mentally recite lyrics from their favourite album. A knitter might imagine knitting a blanket.

Whatever you choose, make sure it’s suited to you and your interests. The task needs to feel pleasant, without being overstimulating.

Cognitive refocusing is not a silver bullet, but it can help.

One study of people with insomnia found those who tried cognitive refocusing had significant improvements in insomnia symptoms compared to a control group.

How ancient wisdom can help us sleep

Another age-old technique is mindfulness meditation.

Meditation practice can increase our self-awareness and make us more aware of our thoughts. This can be useful for helping with rumination; often when we try to block or stop thoughts, it can make matters worse.

Mindfulness training can help us recognise when we’re getting into a rumination spiral and allow us to sit back, almost like a passive observer.

Try just watching the thoughts, without judgement. You might even like to say “hello” to your thoughts and just let them come and go. Allow them to be there and see them for what they are: just thoughts, nothing more.

Research from our group has shown mindfulness-based therapies can help people with insomnia. It may also help people with psychiatric conditions such as bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia get more sleep.

 

Try just watching your thoughts, without judgement, as you lie in bed. Shutterstock

What can help ease your pre-sleep thoughts?

Good sleep starts the moment you wake up. To give yourself your best shot at a good night’s sleep, start by getting up at the same time each day and getting some morning light exposure (regardless of how much sleep you had the night before).

Have a consistent bedtime, reduce technology use in the evening, and do regular exercise during the day.

If your mind is busy at bedtime, try cognitive refocusing. Pick a “fake scenario” that will hold your attention but not be too scary or exciting. Rehearse this scenario in your mind at bedtime and enjoy the experience.

You might also like to try:

• keeping a consistent bedtime routine, so your brain can wind down

• writing down worries earlier in the day (so you don’t think about them at bedtime)

• adopting a more self-compassionate mindset (don’t beat yourself up at bedtime over your imagined shortcomings!).

Melinda Jackson, Associate Professor at Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University and Hailey Meaklim, Sleep Psychologist and Researcher, The University of Melbourne

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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