On Thursday, the Kermadec Islands region in New Zealand was hit by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The earthquake occurred in the early hours of the morning and was recorded at a depth of 10 km (6.21 miles).
While the US Tsunami Warning System issued a warning for uninhabited islands within a 300-km radius, the National Emergency Management Agency confirmed that there was no danger of a tsunami for New Zealand.
This earthquake comes just two weeks after a 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck the same region. New Zealand sits on the “Ring of Fire,” a belt of volcanoes and tectonic plates circling the Pacific Ocean.
Although there were no reports of any damage or casualties from this latest earthquake, it is a reminder of the constant threat of seismic activity in the region.
In the inaugural joint operation of its kind, Russian aircraft near Estonian airspace were intercepted by RAF and German fighter jets.
On Tuesday, two Typhoons were scrambled to intercept an Il-78 Midas refuelling plane en route from St. Petersburg to Kaliningrad, which had failed to communicate with Estonian air traffic control.
The British and German air forces are currently conducting planned joint NATO air policing in the region. Although the interception itself was routine, it marks the first time the two countries have collaborated on such an operation.
The incident occurred amidst heightened tensions between NATO and Russia following the latter’s invasion of Ukraine, but there is no apparent connection to the reported collision between a Russian fighter jet and a US drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday.
Following the escort of the Midas, the two jets were redirected to intercept an An-148 airliner that was also in close proximity to Estonian airspace. The jets are part of the RAF’s 140 Expeditionary Air Wing and the German 71 Tactical Air Wing Richthofen.
In April, the RAF is slated to take over the Baltic air policing mission from the German air force, a long-established NATO initiative.
The British air force will lead the mission for four months, alongside continued joint operations with Germany until the end of April. The mission currently has four RAF Typhoon jets stationed at Estonia’s Ämari air base.
James Heappey, Minister for the Armed Forces, emphasized the significance of Nato in our collective security, and the UK and German deployment in the Baltics as evidence of our combined strength in deterring potential threats to Nato’s borders.
On Tuesday, OpenAI unveiled a new and more potent version of its artificial intelligence-based chatbot, ChatGPT. According to the company’s co-founder, Sam Altman, the latest iteration of the technology is the “most capable and aligned model yet,” with the added ability to process images in addition to text.
However, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk was unimpressed by the announcement, expressing worries about the potential impact of AI on the labor market in the future. Mr. Musk’s comments were made in response to a tweet about ChatGPT-4 performing well on various exams.
“What will be left for us humans to do? We better get a move on with Neuralink,” Mr Musk said in his tweet.
What will be left for us humans to do? We better get a move on with Neuralink!
Neuralink is a company founded by Mr Musk in 2016 which develops chips that can be implanted into human being’s brains. According to its website, its initial goal is to help people with paralysis regain independence through the control of computers and mobile devices. Neuralink has also claimed that the technology could cure brain diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
Mr Musk has been a vocal critic of AI, warning about the potential dangers of creating artificial intelligence that is more intelligent than humans. He has also called for greater regulation and oversight of AI development.
One Twitter user posted an optimistic view, stating that “fewer than 2% of the jobs that ever existed still exist. Remember when ‘computer’ was a job title? Humans will always find something to do.”
Others offered a spiritual answer, suggesting that we focus on enjoying life, expressing creativity, and expanding consciousness. Despite these perspectives, Elon Musk has been actively involved in his own AI-related projects.
In recent weeks, the Tesla CEO appeared to confirm via Twitter that he is recruiting a team of AI technologists to develop a competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, as well as similar systems being developed by Microsoft, Google’s Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and other major technology companies.
Microsoft is dissolving its AI ethics and social responsibility team as part of its job-cutting program that aims to reduce 10,000 employees across all divisions by the end of March. Nonetheless, the company affirms that it will persist in investing in responsible AI, according to an exclusive report by Casey Newton in The Platformer newsletter.
Microsoft says it will continue to invest in responsible AI
Despite layoffs, Microsoft vows to uphold its commitment to responsible AI by maintaining its Office of Responsible AI and investing in ethical and social issues on relevant product teams. The company reports that it has increased the number of individuals responsible for these issues over the past six years, and that all Microsoft employees are expected to uphold the company’s AI principles.
However, a former member of the AI ethics team claims that their job was to establish guidelines in areas where there were none, and that the Office for Responsible AI is insufficient for this purpose. The ethics team, which numbered 30 in 2020, was downsized to seven people in October 2022 as part of a reorganization, and members were reassigned to other positions within the company.
During a meeting following the reorganization, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of AI allegedly reported that CEO Satya Nadella and CTO Kevin Scott were applying “very, very high pressure” to roll out OpenAI’s AI models to consumers quickly.
During a Zoom call on March 6th, John Montgomery, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of AI, informed the remaining seven members of the ethics team that they would not be reconsidering the decision to downsize the team.
A team member had previously requested that Montgomery reconsider the decision so that Microsoft could better fulfill its social responsibility, but Montgomery cited pressure from the executive suite and stated that the goal of the reorganization was to shift responsibilities to the product teams, not to disband the ethics team.
Despite this, the remaining members of the team had little internal support to push through their plans.
ChatGPT in Bing search highlights Microsoft’s approach to responsible AI
Microsoft has been leveraging the buzz surrounding ChatGPT to gain a foothold in the search business and put pressure on Google’s market share. By integrating a ChatGPT variant into Bing search within weeks, Microsoft hoped to gain advantages in other areas like the cloud business.
However, the company faced criticism over the bot’s performance, including false information and quotes, confusing answers, and strange conversations that generated emotional outbursts. Microsoft had to make improvements and limit the number of conversations to curb these issues.
Despite these efforts, the system continues to produce incorrect information. Additionally, the ChatGPT API integration offered by OpenAI has also come under scrutiny. For example, the Snapchat ChatGPT bot recommended that an underage girl go on a tour with a 31-year-old man, and one company received complaints from angry customers because ChatGPT recommended a product it did not carry.
Microsoft was aware of these problems before launching the chatbot search, but decided to launch it regardless.
The deployment of large AI language models presents a tension between the need for iterative practice, scaling, and human feedback to solve problems and the potential for a ruthless market share race that may prioritize profit over individual or societal harm.
Microsoft’s current actions, including the integration of ChatGPT into Bing search, and the recent leak of Meta’s large language model LLaMA, have raised questions about the safe and responsible deployment of commercial AI systems by technology companies.
Companies must balance the potential benefits of these models with the risks they pose, including the potential for bias, discrimination, and misinformation.
It is crucial for companies to prioritize ethical considerations and responsible deployment practices to ensure that these models are used for the betterment of society, rather than for the sole purpose of generating profits.
Below are all the cheap or free ways to lose belly fat that doesn’t involve exercise. Many of these include dieting, as it is another of the most effective ways to lose weight anywhere on the body, as well as other natural lifestyle changes. The more you do at once, the faster you will likely see results.
Perhaps the best and most effective approach is incorporating as many steps into your routine as possible. Turn them into habits. By doing this, you develop a lifestyle that will help you lose belly fat and keep it off.
6. Get Sufficient Sleep
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In a 2016 study, King’s College London researchers found a link between sleep deprivation and eating extra calories. Specifically, they found that sleep-deprived people ate an average of 385 more calories per day than those with enough sleep. Read more about this sleep deprivation study here.
It makes sense when you think about it. The purpose of sleep is to recharge your energy for another day. If you don’t generate enough resting energy to get you through the day, your body will find other ways to meet those energy needs, the simplest of which is to eat more.
Health experts recommend at least eight hours of sleep every night. Turns out it can help you lose belly fat.
5. Stay Hydrated
Drinking water helps avoid extra calories. More water will make you feel fuller, so you won’t feel hungry or have cravings. In addition, when your body is adequately hydrated, the energy and nutrients you put in can be used more effectively and efficiently, requiring less from you. In other words, when you’re well hydrated, your body functions better, so you don’t have to eat as much to operate.
Apart from drinking enough water, start your day with water every day. Do it in warm water, and you’ll clean your digestive system nicely and gently to start the day. It also increases your metabolism first thing in the morning and throughout the day. Drink hot or warm water throughout the day to melt, especially visceral fat. And back to square one, drink more water throughout the day, regardless of temperature, to stay hydrated and reduce cravings.
4. Limit Sugar
Excess sugar burdens the liver because simple sugars provide only quick energy. They do not provide continuous power. When the body experiences a spike in energy and a subsequent dip from consuming simple sugars, it begins to arm itself with other means to provide more sustainable energy to smooth out the surge. The easiest and most obvious way to do this is to build your own fat stores to fall back on when the energy spike from simple sugars wears off.
Therefore, when you eat simple sugars like desserts, bread, and anything made with refined flour or refined sugar, the liver can cause the body to store more fat than it should. One of the first places the body stores fat is the stomach.
Instead, choose complex carbohydrates, which are broken down more slowly and supply the body with energy more evenly and sustainably. Examples are whole grains, oatmeal, nuts, legumes, and vegetables. And even this should be eaten in moderation so you don’t end up with excess sugar that isn’t needed for your current energy needs and will eventually turn into more fat stores.
3. Eat More Fiber Foods
Make more of the high-fiber vegetables you eat daily and many high-fiber fruits too. High-fiber vegetables such as summer greens and high-fiber fruits such as apples, bananas, oranges, and strawberries can help you feel full more quickly, so eat less. All that natural fiber also helps remove excess waste from your digestive system that can lead to obesity, especially around the midsection.
In addition to high-fiber fruits and vegetables, high-fiber foods to incorporate into your diet include bran, barley and whole grains, beans, chickpeas and legumes, and nuts and seeds.
2. Eat More Protein Foods
Protein is another crucial nutrient you need to get plenty of each day. The body breaks down protein much slower than carbohydrates and fat, so the energy provided is more sustainable. Also, because of the nature of this protein, it causes the body to release a hormone called Peptide YY, whose job is to make you feel full.
Eating leaner, healthier proteins like eggs, nuts, and fish helps regulate your metabolism and allows you to maintain your weight by optimizing energy expenditure. This encourages your body to shed excess weight it doesn’t need to store anymore. It also helps you build muscle instead of fat, making you feel strong and requiring less food.
1. Chew Thoroughly
Whatever you eat, chew it thoroughly before swallowing. Most of the digestive process in terms of nutrient absorption occurs in the mouth before you even consume food. By the time food reaches your stomach, you have digested most of the nutrients you got from it. Most of what goes into your stomach is processed into waste or fat.
By chewing your food thoroughly before swallowing, you ensure you are getting the maximum nutrition you can from that food, eliminating the need to eat more food to get the same energy benefits. In other words, if you chew more, you eat less. And by eating less, your body produces less waste and fat.
Nestled in the heart of the Himalayas, Bhutan is a small country with a big reputation for stunning natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, and a unique approach to measuring its prosperity. Known as the “Land of the Thunder Dragon,” this kingdom is a must-visit destination for those seeking an authentic travel experience.
Despite being a small country, Bhutan offers a vast array of experiences for travelers, from trekking in the mountains to exploring ancient monasteries, and from sampling local cuisine to soaking in the hot springs. Best of all, Bhutan can be surprisingly affordable for travelers on a budget. In this blog post, we’ll highlight some of the top places to visit in Bhutan that won’t break the bank, making it the perfect destination for budget-conscious adventurers.
Here are some top places to visit in Bhutan:
Dochula Pass, Thimphu
Dochula Pass: A Majestic Mountain Pass and Popular Tourist Spot in Bhutan
Nestled in the Himalayas, Bhutan boasts breathtaking landscapes and Dochula Pass is one of the most stunning mountain passes in the country. Situated on the road from Thimphu to Punakha, Dochula Pass is located at an altitude of 3100 meters, around 30 km away from the capital city of Thimphu. One of the main attractions at Dochula Pass are the 108 memorial stupas, built by the eldest Queen Mother, Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk. Additionally, a prominent monastery is also located here, built in memory of the fourth head of the state of Bhutan.
Each year, Dochula Pass hosts the Dochula Druk Wangyel Festival, attracting a large number of tourists and locals alike. Visitors come to Dochula Pass to witness the majestic snow-blanketed mountain peaks of the Himalayas that are visible from here. Due to its popularity, Dochula Pass is considered one of the top tourist destinations in Bhutan.
If you plan to visit Dochula Pass, the best time to go is during the months of March to May or September to November, when the weather is pleasant and the skies are clear. So, don’t miss the chance to experience the beauty of Dochula Pass and add it to your list of places to visit in Bhutan.
Taktsang Palphug Monastery, Paro
Perched on a cliff 3120 meters above sea level, Taktsang Palphung Monastery, also known as the Tiger’s Nest, is a fascinating place to visit in Bhutan. With its unique location and stunning architecture, the monastery attracts photographers, adventurers, and pilgrims alike. The temple complex was built in 1692 and is considered the cultural icon of Bhutan.
Surrounded by hills covered in lush green forests, the monastery seems to hang precariously to the cliff, adding to its charm and allure. Despite the challenging climb to get there, the experience of visiting this wonder of Bhutan is truly unforgettable. It’s no wonder that the Tiger’s Nest Monastery is one of the most popular places to visit in Bhutan.
Location-wise, the monastery is situated in Paro, about 10 kilometers away from the city. The best time to visit is from March to May and September to November when the weather is pleasant, and the views are breathtaking.
Punakha Dzong, Punakha
Discover the Splendor of Punakha Dzong, the Palace of Great Happiness in Bhutan. Renowned for its stunning architecture and rich history, Punakha Dzong is a must-visit attraction for travelers seeking a glimpse into Bhutan’s cultural heritage. This iconic dzong has served as the coronation site for all Bhutanese kings, and currently serves as the administrative center of Punakha District.
The dzong’s construction began in 1637 and blends the architectural styles of Bhutan and Tibet. Spring is the ideal time to visit when the dzong’s surroundings burst into color with the blooming of jacaranda trees and lush green hills in the backdrop.
Haa Valley
With a sparse population, this valley in Bhutan is abundant in flora and fauna, making it an ideal destination for nature enthusiasts. It is a haven for hiking and biking enthusiasts with its numerous trails spread across the valley. Away from the tourist crowd, the journey to the valley offers a breathtaking view of the Chomolhari mountain. Explore the wilderness and experience the tranquility of this hidden gem in Bhutan.
Soi Yaktsa Trek
If you’re an adventure seeker, then trekking is undoubtedly one of the best activities you can experience in Bhutan. With a plethora of trekking trails and tours to choose from, Soi Yaksa Trek stands out as a must-try adventure. This trek involves climbing up to elevations as high as 4700m, providing unbeatable views of the Jumolhari Peak and Jichu Drake up close.
Starting from Paro, the Soi Yaksa Trek takes you through various destinations like Soi Thangkha, Jangothang Basecamp, where you can witness the stunning beauty of Jichu Drake and Jumolhari mountains. You’ll then continue on to Tshophu Lake, Bhonte La Pass before ending your trek at the historic Drugyal Dzong. Don’t miss out on this exciting and unforgettable experience.
These are just a few of the top places to visit in Bhutan. Whether you’re interested in exploring the country’s rich cultural heritage or trekking through its stunning natural beauty, Bhutan has something for everyone.
The Royal Air Force and German fighter jets intercepted the Russian jet near Estonian airspace in the first joint operation of its kind.
The two Typhoons were used on Tuesday to intercept an Il-78 Midas refueling aircraft flying between St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad.
The plane failed to contact air traffic control in Estonia.
The British and German air forces are currently undertaking a planned joint NATO air policing operation in the region.
The interception itself was routine, but it was the first time such an operation had been carried out jointly by the two sides.
The incident came amid rising tensions between NATO and Russia over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, although it had no bearing on Tuesday’s reports of a collision between a Russian warplane and a US drone in the Black Sea.
After escorting Midas, the two aircraft diverted to intercept the An-148 aircraft which also crossed near Estonian airspace.
The jets are part of the RAF’s 140th Expeditionary Air Wing and Germany’s 71st Richthofen Tactical Air Wing. The Royal Air Force is preparing to take command of NATO’s longstanding air patrol mission in the Baltic region from Germany’s Luftwaffe in April.
He will then command the mission for four months, with joint British and German operations continuing until the end of April.
Four RAF Typhoon aircraft are currently deployed on the mission and are based at Ämari Air Base in Estonia.
Secretary of Defense James Heapy said: “NATO continues to be a cornerstone of our collective security. This joint Anglo-German deployment in the Baltic States clearly demonstrates our shared determination to counter potential threats to NATO’s borders, while demonstrating our collective strength.”
Anyone wanting more public transit options around DFW can look forward to it, as cities will soon start discussing the potential of implementing Google’s high-tech gondolas in congested areas around the Metroplex.
Although it was developed by the Google team in 2019, the team abandoned its creation and marketed it under the Swyft Cities company.
The company says its advanced cabin systems offer efficient, comfortable, and sustainable mobility and help reduce costs for locations such as real estate projects, universities, and airports.
The North Texas Regional Transportation Council will invite cities next week to vote for their busiest areas to build autonomous gondolas. These cities and the RTC will then work together to determine where in DFW to build the first Swyft City project.
The vehicle, unlike traditional gondolas, is self-propelled and has an advanced guidance system that the company says results in a faster ride.
The company says its gondolas combine autonomous cabins with a lightweight fixed-cable infrastructure that carries passengers at a lower cost and has fewer carbon emissions than traditional transportation alternatives.
Cable car stations are about the size of a traditional bus stop, says the Swift Cities website, which can be on the ground, elevated, or built on the top floor of a building. The cabin awaits passengers and immediately switches to fixed cable guides.
Taxis can go around bends, service multiple routes, and skip stops.
Swyft Cities says its project is cost-effective, reducing infrastructure costs by up to 20 times, with fewer materials used to reduce carbon emissions and everyday energy use.
It is unknown when or where they will be built if it is finally decided to bring the nacelles to north Texas.
Researchers have found the oldest remains of a giant marine reptile known as an ichthyosaur on a remote Arctic island, providing new evidence for how the creatures evolved.
The fossils were found on Svalbard, an island in Norway, along the coast of the deep fjord, a team of Swedish-Norwegian researchers said in an article published in the journal Current Biology on Monday. Previously, the oldest fossils of this type were specimens 248 million years old found in China.
Ichthyosaurs first appeared about 250 million years ago, the researchers say, but became extinct about 90 million years ago. Scientists used to believe that the first ichthyosaurs were primitive creatures that resembled their land-dwelling ancestors. Instead, the researchers found that the fossil belonged to a more advanced aquatic predator, suggesting that previous theories about the reptile’s origins may be wrong.
The study suggests that reptiles likely evolved before the mass extinction known as the Late Permian Mass Extinction, which occurred about 251 million years ago and killed off about 90 percent of species on Earth. Ichthyosaurs became the dominant predators after this event. Fossils were found about 2 million years after the mass extinction.
“The implications of this discovery are many, but most importantly, it shows that the long-awaited transitional ancestor of ichthyosaurs must have appeared much earlier than previously thought,” said lead researcher Benjamin Kear, curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at the Museum of the Evolution. from Uppsala University in Sweden, Reuters reported.
Fossil features suggest the creature was an “advanced aquatic tetrapod” that “must have adapted quickly as a high-sea predator,” the study said.
The fossil found in Norway was about 10 feet long, the researchers said, with a more developed spine. It has been found among other fossils, including fish, sharks, and amphibians.
OpenAI, which is owned by Microsoft, announced its new sizeable multimodal model, “GPT-4,” which accepts image and text input.
“We have created GPT-4, the latest milestone in OpenAI’s quest to enhance deep learning,” the company said in a blog post on Tuesday.
“We spent 6 months iteratively adapting GPT-4, taking lessons from our competitive testing program as well as ChatGPT, producing our best scores for objectivity, controllability, and resistance to going off-track.”
Compared to GPT-3.5, this new AI model is more reliable, creative, and able to process complex instructions.
GPT-4 outperforms existing Large Language Models (LLMs), including most State-of-the-Art (SOTA) models, which may involve benchmark-specific constructs or additional training methods. “In 24 of the 26 languages tested, GPT-4 outperformed GPT-3.5 and other English LLMs (Chinchilla, PaLM) in English, including resource-poor languages such as Latvian, Welsh, and Swahili,” according to the company.
Companies are also using this new model internally, with major implications for support, sales, content moderation, and programming functions. Unlike text-only settings, this model can accept text and image commands, allowing the user to define any visual or spoken task.
The basic GPT-4 model, like previous GPT models, is trained to predict the next word in a document. It is trained with licensed and publicly available data. ChatGPT Plus subscribers can access GPT-4 at chat.openai.com with limited use, while developers can register on the GPT-4 API waiting list.
“We hope that GPT-4 will become a valuable tool to improve people’s lives by supporting many applications,” the company said.
