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Are robots out to steal our jobs? No, says Northeastern students, who will be sharing research with an international audience into how machines and…

July 10, 2021 | Author: admin

A group of robotics engineering students on Northeasterns Boston campus is headed to Denmark later this month on a mission focused on global collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

The Northeastern studentssix in allwill attend a robotics summer school organized by the Danish government and private companies there. The inaugural program runs July 28-August 13 and will be held at the University of Southern Denmark in the city of Odense, the hub for more than 50 robotics companies.

This is no ordinary summer school. It is an elite, selective program whereby global universities with renowned robotics departments were invited to participate, according to Taskin Padir, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern and director of the universitys Institute for Experiential Robotics.

They want to focus on geographical diversity around the globe as well as proven leadership in research in robotics at these institutions, Paskin says of the schools chosen for the program. Besides Northeastern, other selected schools include the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, the Technical University of Munich, and several Danish universities. A total of 50 students worldwide will participate.

Experiential robotics is about our researchers experiencing different cultures and opening them up to new research directions, Padir says. This summer school program is one vehicle that we saw as an opportunity for our students.

One of them, Stephen Alt, who is pursuing a masters degree in computer science, says he is most looking forward to collaborating with other students from different countries. This is going to be my first step outside to create an international network and to meet and learn about robotics with others globally, he says.

Alt and others in the robotics lab, located in the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex, specialize in advancing research into the relationship between humans and machines.

Artificial intelligence isnt at the point yet where a robot can do everything, Alt says. So its really important to create that connection between robots and humans and show that robots are our friends and they can help us.

The lab houses more than $1 million worth of robots, he adds. Alt, joined by two other Denmark-bound students, Syed Mohammad Asjad, who is pursuing a masters degree in robotics, and Jagatpreet Nir, a doctoral candidate, were demonstrating how a robot in one location could be controlled by a human many miles away.

Asjad, wearing a virtual reality headset that covered the top half of his face, and gripping controllers that moved the robot at his will, showed how, for example, a doctor could perform surgery on a patient lying in an operating room in another state.

These so-called collaborative robots are robot arms that can work in human environments, says Padir. The market for these task-specific robots is expected to grow significantly in the next few years, he adds, and will be Northeasterns focus at the summer program in Denmark.

Completing the six members of the Northeastern student-researcher team are Areeba Aziz, Nathaniel Hanson, and Sadjad Asghari-Esfeden.

While in Europe, the goal is to learn as much as it is to share expertise.

Alt, whose focus is on software and machine learning, says he would like to explore the mechanical engineering hardware aspect of robotics to reduce herky-jerky motions.

I look forward to learning more about making a robot move fluidly, like a human, he says.

Nir is excited to see industrial robots in action. There are visits to several companies on the itinerary, including a stop at Universal Robots, founded in 2005 by three university students. Nir wants to get a closer look at its medical robotics.

I havent been exposed to that, he says. What I really would like to understand is how industrial robots are being used in the medical space because my PhD at Northeastern is on perception systems, which is basically how a robot uses its sensors to navigate the outside world.

Asjad says Denmark is an ideal location for collaborative environments because companies dont view one another as competitors. They invest in each other to grow, he says. They even share their information and their employees. And that is why robotics is growing in Denmark.

That same sense of teamwork is the ethos for the summer program as well, says Padir. Its not just a bunch of university professors interacting with students, but the students are also interacting with big industry leaders in Denmark, he says. Its a gathering of minds in a sense.

The Northeastern students will resume their studies upon the programs completion in August, and come away with a global research perspective.

I want them to get out of our own little circle and experience what else is happening in this important area, Padir says. When it comes to an emerging field like robotics, theres no competition. Theres cooperation.

For media inquiries, please contact media@northeastern.edu.

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Why former Alibaba scientists want to help founders outside the Ivory Tower TechCrunch – Illinoisnewstoday.com

July 10, 2021 | Author: admin

Min Wanli had a long-awaited career path for those seeking a career in computer science. A genius, Min was accepted by one of Chinas top research universities at the age of 14. After that, I got a PhD. After earning a degree in Physics and Statistics from the University of Chicago, he spent about 10 years at IBM and Google.

Like many young and ambitious Chinese scientists working in the United States, Min returned to China when the countrys Internet boom began in the early 2010s. He joins Alibabas new cloud division and applies the technology to industrial scenarios, including using visual identification to reduce highway traffic and using computing power to improve factory efficiency. I was at the forefront.

And in July 2019, Min made a leap. He has resigned from Alibaba Cloud, a major growth driver for e-commerce Goliath and then Chinas largest public cloud infrastructure provider (and still does).With no investment experience, he started a new venture capital company called North Summit Capital..

Many companies were quite skeptical ofdigital transformationaround 2016 and 2017.But by 2019 after seeing the best practices [from Alibaba Cloud], They were no longer questioning its viability, Min said in his office overlooking a cluster of urban villages and high-rise offices in Shenzhen. Wearing an ironed light blue shirt, he spoke with a serious childlike smile.

Suddenly everyone wanted digitalization, but how would a team of 400-500 people meet their needs?

Mins solution was not to serve traditional factories and businesses on their own, but to fund and support many companies to do so. Shortly after, he closed the first fund of the North Summit for hundreds of millions of dollars from the undisclosed wealthy in the United Arab Emirates, whom he met on behalf of Alibaba in 2018.

Venture capital is like a magnifying glass that allows me to connect with many tech companies and share lessons from the past, so they can collaborate quickly and effectively with clients in traditional industries. Min said.

For example, discuss with your portfolio company whether you should focus first on selling hardware or software, or give it the same weight.

Min strives to be deeply involved in the companies he supports. The North Summit invested early and check sizes to date range from approximately $ 5 million to $ 25 million.Min also started a technical services company called Quadtalent To provide post-investment support for his portfolio.

Photo: Shenzhen North Summit Capital Office

The traditional industry is so complex and fragmented that the concept of digital transformation is vague and daunting for many investors. However, Min has a list of criteria that can help him narrow down his target.

First, the investable area must be data-intensive. For example, subway tracks can benefit from implementing a large number of sensors that monitor the status of rail systems. Second, local manufacturing or business processes need to be capital intensive, such as production lines that use exorbitant equipment. And finally, the industry needs to rely heavily on repetitive human experience, such as police directing traffic.

Solving industrial problems requires not only the founders computing ingenuity, but more importantly, experience in the traditional sector. Thats why Min goes beyond the computer science wizard Ivory Tower when looking for an entrepreneur.

What we need today is a type of interdisciplinary talent that can perform composite algorithms. That means understanding sensor signals, business rationale, manufacturing, and computer algorithms. Applying a neural network through an algorithms black box without other factors is simply useless.

Min faces enough competition as investors hunt down the next ABB, Schneider, or Siemens in China. The country is moving towards technological independence in all aspects of its economy, and as COVID-19 disrupts the worlds supply chain, its mission takes on new urgency. As a result, startups marketing industrial upgrade solutions have skyrocketed in reputation, Min said.

But factory bosses dont care if the automation solution provider is a vulnerable or a startup unicorn. After all, the CFO of the factory just asks, How much money does this software or equipment spend to save or make money?

Investors are cautious about developing his virgin fund.Two years after the start of operation, the North Summit Closed 4 transactions: TopScore, a 17-year-old shoe maker that employs automation. Lingumi is a London-based English learning app for preschool children in China. Aerodyne, Malaysian drone service provider. Extreme Vision is a market that connects small businesses to affordable AI vision solutions.

This year, the North Summit aims to invest nearly $ 100 million in companies in China and abroad. Optical storage and robotic process automation (RPA) are just two areas that have recently received Mins attention.

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Hofstra’s outgoing president looks back at expansion, and at challenges ahead – Newsday

July 10, 2021 | Author: admin

Stuart Rabinowitz first arrived on the Hofstra University campus in 1972 to teach at its fledgling law school, drawn by its newness and ambition. The Bronx native, a lawyer with degrees from the City University of New York and Columbia University law school, felt the school aspired to become "as good as any law school in the country."

"I didnt think the university had that same ambition," he said in an interview in his Hofstra office in Hempstead on June 28. "And I couldnt understand that because there were so many advantages they werent taking advantage of."

When he steps down as Hofstras president at the end of this month, he will have led a 20-year push to transform the private university.

Hofstra University president Stuart Rabinowitzretires July 31 after 50 years on campus. A law professor, he became law school dean in 1989 and president in 2001.

Since 2001, Hofstra has added six schools:medical; nursing;engineering and applied science; government, public policy and international affairs;health professions and health services;and honors college. Enrollment has fallen, however.

Students of color went from 22% ofstudent body in 2001 to 46% in fall 2021, and students in the top 10% of high school class went from 12% to 32% by fall 2020.

Hofstra proudly lists the achievements under his two-decade watch: six new schools, including the Zucker School of Medicine and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, both in partnership with Northwell Health. There are more than eight new academic centers, including the National Center for Suburban Studies, four new buildings, an endowment 10 times larger, and rising academic standards for incoming classes.

Rabinowitz, 75, who became the law school dean in 1989 and president in 2001, said Boston University and George Washington University served as his models for what Hofstra could become: regional schools that grew to acquire national reputations.

"I dont think were quite there yet," he said. "But its doable."

What they had that Hofstra didnt, he said, "was a big endowment and a fully textured science program. We got a medical school in eight years" and established a separate engineering and computer science school, a nursing school first graduate and now undergraduate and programs in the health professions.

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"Im really proud we were able to do all that during one presidency because that can take decades," Rabinowitz said.

"I was motivated especially because of the Great Recession, where for a while there it looked like nobody wanted to send their kids to private schools that couldnt guarantee a return on investment in terms of jobs at the end of their educational experience," he said. "It was clear then and now [that] there are tons more opportunities in engineering, computer sciences and health sciences than in other areas."

As for Hofstras endowment, he sees its growth as critical for the universitys success. The endowment the invested donations and assets that spin off income to pay bills, fund scholarships and hold down tuition growth has risen from about $90 million in 2001 to close to $900 million now, he said.

"I really think the endowment is on the way to being adequate," he said, adding that if the school remained the same size, he'd like to see it rise to $1.25 billion to $1.5 billion, "and that's very doable." While the endowment is not large enough for Hofstra to compete as a top-tier school, he could see Hofstra as a "top 75 school."

As the university added schools, overall enrollment declined from about 13,000 in 2001, according to the universitys online records to more than 10,400 last fall, a trend that reflected greater selectivity in admissions and external forces such as the pandemic.

Faculty at Hofstra say they have seen the benefits of expansion, in the improved academics of incoming students drawn to its programs and in the schools growing reputation. But it also has added some strains on faculty and traditional liberal arts, said Elisabeth Ploran, associate professor of psychology and president of the Hofstra chapter of the American Association of University Professors, representing its 750 full- and part-time faculty.

Students in its new health and science programs must take undergraduate biology, chemistry and physics classes. But these traditional liberal arts departments like departments in universities nationally are increasingly forced to rely on short-term contracted contingent teachers instead of full-time tenure track faculty, she said.

"Without replenishing the faculty, its difficult to simultaneously support the expansion of new programs and maintain traditional liberal arts," she said. "The frustration of the faculty is to watch all this amazing growth and to feel like the traditional disciplines are being left behind."

Rabinowitz said the university was "scrambling at the last moment to add more chemistry, biology and physics professors and labs because the demand of freshmen students to major in the sciences is unprecedented. If they wanted to major in the sciences, they wouldnt have been coming here 20 years ago."

His strategic initiatives have involved sometimes controversial choices. When the university wanted to better fund its shift to the sciences, it took the step in 2009 of ending its football program, freeing up $4.5 million a year.

"I did take a lot of heat about that decision, but I dont have a single regret," he said.

As the academic strength of entering classes has risen, so too has the percentage of students identifying as people of color, rising from 22% in 2001 to 46% in fall 2021.

But top administrators at the university do not reflect that greater diversity. Bringing more ethnic and racial diversity to faculty and administration remains an ongoing challenge as schools compete with top-tier schools to woo candidates for positions, Rabinowitz said.

"Yes, it is an unfinished business there has to be a better way of figuring this out," he said.

According to Hofstra statistics for fall 2020, 19% of faculty was non-white.

The next president, Susan Poser, who is coming from the University of Illinois Chicago, where she was provost, has said diversity would be an important part of her mission. When she arrives Aug. 1 as the universitys ninth and first woman president, shell have a hand in the search to fill another top post, the successor to retiring longtime Provost Herman Berliner. Janet Lenaghan, Hofstras business school dean, will act as interim provost.

Looking forward, the coronavirus pandemic-induced pivot to online courses has hastened a move toward a lucrative market for online, especially graduate, education. An increasing number of courses will go online that, Rabinowitz acknowledged, "should have been online already."

And like higher education institutions nationally, Hofstra will continue to grapple with rising costs and tuition, as its sticker price before financial aid approaches $70,000 a year for tuition, room and board, fees and books. Ninety-five percent of students in fall 2020 received financial aid, according to Hofstra.

"A strong challenge is to keep tuition under control, but at the same time not water down the academic experience you offer," Rabinowitz said. Public institutions "are always going to cost lower, so you have to have programs and a kind of pedagogy that persuades people its worth the money to go to your university."

Looking back at past highlights, he points to the three presidential debates hosted by the university that he saw as an opportunity to raise Hofstras profile. When he applied to the Commission on Presidential Debates, he said, few took it seriously. To the surprise of some, Hofstra was selected to host one in 2008, then two more, in 2012 and 2016.

"It got our name out internationally and demonstrated that we could do things and do them well," he said. "At the same time, youre trying to persuade the world that we are better than they may think we are, [and] we have to persuade ourselves we can do better than we think we can."

As president emeritus, Rabinowitz said he likely will teach an undergraduate Introduction to American Constitutional Law course and finish his ongoing work as regional co-chair of the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council.

But first, the Woodbury resident plans a vacation to Colorado, visits with children and grandson, and some time off, as he considers future activities.

"Im going to sit back for a while and see how I survive without a 24/7 job," he said.

Carol Polsky writes news and features on wide-ranging topics, from superstorm Sandy, 9/11 and presidential elections to healthcare and the economy.

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China’s supercomputers leading in the performance race of advanced computers – TechnoSports

July 10, 2021 | Author: admin

In the world of computer science, the faster and smart computer one tech company has, it will be the winner in the AI and IoT race. Currently, China has made headlines with its remarkable innovations and breakthroughs in CPU processing power. Recently China demonstrated the Jiuzhang computer with 56 qubit processing power which is reportedly a few orders of magnitude faster than Googles 53-qubit Sycamore computer.

However, the versatility side is still dominated by U.S. scientists. Jiuzhang was developed in 2020 by China to be the fastest optical circuit supercomputer for a specific set of calculations. For that reason, the computer could not be programmed to perform varied tasks, but the Sycamore is overall more practical.

Both of these models can achieve quantum supremacy, and proved that they are much faster than regular supercomputers which need years to calculate what quantum computers can solve in a few hours. But still, the Chinese researchers at the University of Science and Technology in Shanghai have been consistently working on further improving Jiuzhang. The researchers recently announced that they have successfully tested a more versatile version dubbed Zuchongzhi with 66 qubit processing power.

This new and improved Zuchongzhi computer integrates 11 rows and 6 columns of qubits to form a two-dimensional rectangular lattice pattern. But the scientists researching have only been able to utilize 56 qubits to perform various tasks, and it only took 1.2 hours for the new chip to calculate a random quantum circuit. The same task takes several hours for the Google Sycamore and takes up to 8 years for conventional supercomputers.

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The Future of Deep Learning | – Analytics Insight

July 10, 2021 | Author: admin

When thinking of technology, one cannot go without talking about deep learning. Needless to say, deep learning has become one of the most critical aspects of technology. Gone are the days when organizations alone used to show interest in technologies like AI, deep learning, machine learning, etc. Today, even individuals are inclined towards the very aspect of technology, deep learning in particular. One of the many reasons why deep learning draws all the attention is because of its ability to enable improved data-drivendecisions and also improve the accuracy of the predictions made.

In a nutshell, companies are in a position to reap out various financial and operational benefits by virtue of deep learning. With many deep learning innovations proliferating with time, it makes every possible sense to have a clear picture as to how does the future of deep learning looks like. In line with what we have seen over the past few years, this is what we could expect in the coming days as far as deep learning is concerned

What everything boils down to is the fact that as a result of the growing popularity of deep learning and with the advancement in technology, by the end of this decade, the deep learning industry will simplify its offerings considerably so that theyre comprehensible and useful to the average developer.

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The movie you should watch this weekend: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the heart wants what it wants – The Indian Express

July 10, 2021 | Author: admin

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind opens with Jim Carreys Joel Barish waking up from sleep. He looks calm and well-rested. Its a new day, a fresh start. But, the thing about life is you cannot really wish away yesterday. The past will always leave a mark, or a hint, or a deep scratch on your car. You cant rid yourself of it completely. Or can you?

Director Michel Gondry imagines a world where people can erase unpleasant memories such as a break-up as easy as getting a haircut at a salon. So they can move on with their lives without any emotional baggage. Was she correct? Should I have tried a bit harder to save the relationship? Will I meet someone like her again? Will I be happy ever again? No, sir. The great tragic love stories have taught us that you cant make peace with such depths of regrets and despair. It is a tediously soul-crushing process, which involves days, months and even years of agonising over every little gesture, and word that was exchanged. By the time one makes peace with a lost relationship, that person would have ended a few more. It would be far easier to pick up an eraser and get rid of all the memories, which could spare us all the misery.

But, to return to the question, can one really erase the past? It is not as if the human brain is a simple and uncomplicated piece of hardware like a hard disk or a memory card. Each memory generates a unique emotional experience, which gets safely stored in deep vaults of hearts. And then humans have this singular power called instinct. While our brain could be manipulated into believing in a lie, no amount of scientific trickery would be enough to beat the gut feeling.

So, the question remains, will Joel Barish succeed in completely erasing the past? It is not a simple task either. In many ways, he will be messing with the very fabric of human existence and the almighty called fate. It is the same question that director Stanley Kubricks dystopian crime drama A Clockwork Orange also pondered over. Can we change the personality of a man and thus his future choices by rewiring his brain?

Perhaps, that is the reason the first time we see Kate Winslets Clementine, she is wearing a bright orange sweatshirt. It could be Gondrys nod to Kubricks film. Or it could simply be a creative decision to make it easy for Joel to spot Clementine by a mile.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind offers more than a deeply profound question for us to brood over. It is visually a comforting film, despite its chaotic rhythm. From the very first meeting of Joel and Clementine, we are unknowingly invested in their relationship. Oscar-winner Charlie Kaufmans screenplay presents Joel and Clementine as these odd people, who have a tough time getting along with the made-up social customs.

Joel and Clementine meet on Valentines Day and both feel a little left out as they dont have anyone to spend the special day with. And you immediately buy into the premise, when Joel describes Valentines Day as the holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap. Everyone could relate to the sentiment behind that statement.

The film begins with a vibe of a regular boy-meets-girl flick. But, it takes a while before you realise that it is a boy-meets-girl-over-again flick. One should have guessed it when Joel claims hes not very impulsive at the very beginning of the movie. We all know impulsive is Jim Carreys middle name. And when he is cast to play a character, which is shy, timid and cant make faces, we should have guessed this film will challenge everything we presume to know.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is streaming on Netflix.

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Follow your fever dreams with Nashville Hot Hot Dogs – The Takeout

July 10, 2021 | Author: admin

Photo: Allison Robicelli, Graphic: Natalie Peeples

Ive developed a fair number of crazy recipes for The Takeout, such as potato skins made from bagel dough, egg rolls stuffed with noodle kugel, pig-shaped cookies made with bacon and ham, Thanksgiving-themed nachos, and a pizza made entirely out of stuffed crust. The idea for Nashville Hot Hot Dogs, though, I cannot take credit for. This unholy marriage of hot dogs and Nashville hot chicken sandwiches comes from the mind of my friend Damian Higgins, aka Dieselboy: drum and bass legend, accredited sandwich auteur, and author of the best late-night text messages.

The moment I read this text, I knew I had to make Nashville Hot Hot Dogs for myself. Its not the sort of idea that will fade quietly into the recesses of your mind to be forgotten or ignored; it will scream and flail until you let it loose upon the world. Would a deep-fried hot dog slathered in spicy oil be too much? Probably. Still, I knew I had to have it.

I asked Damian to explain every minute aspect of this hot dog in excruciating detail, which is the closest I have ever come to cheating on my husband. He told me the idea had come to him in a fever dream: spiralize the hot dogs for maximum surface area, prep and fry them like Nashville hot chicken, eat until cayenne pours down your cheeks.

Damian had planned to collaborate with some friends at Hattie Bs Hot Chicken for a hot dog pop-up at NYCs PDT, but sadly, it hasnt happened. Fortunately for the rest of the world, he is friends with someone who believes in the power of crazy ideas, and is always down for a fever-dream-inspired recipe.

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Makes 8 hot dogs

Pour enough oil into a large saucepan or Dutch oven to measure at least 3" deep; clip on a frying thermometer and set over high heat until it comes to 325 degrees.

Set up a breading station with a baking sheet and two large, shallow bowls or containers. In the first, whisk together the buttermilk, pickle brine, egg, and hot sauce until smooth. In the other container, mix the cayenne pepper, hot paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt until combined, then add the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder and stir well.

Working one hot dog at a time, gently tug the ends of each spiralized hot dog to open it up a bit and dredge lightly in flour. Dunk the hot dog into the buttermilk mixture, then return to the flour for a second dredge, gently shaking off the excess. Set aside on the baking sheet, then repeat with the remaining hot dogs.

When the oil reaches 325 degrees, fry two or three hot dogs at a time, being sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes, rotating every so often with long-handled tongs, until golden brown on all sides. Move to a cooling rack or sheet pan lined with paper towels, and repeat until all the hot dogs have been fried.

Next, make the spicy oil coating: Put the butter, honey/brown sugar, and all the spices into a small bowl. Use a heatproof ladle to take about 1/2 cup of the hot frying oil (no need to be precisesafety first!) and carefully pour it into the bowl. Let everything sit for about 30 seconds so the butter can melt, then gently stir everything together with a fork until combined.

Brush the fried hot dogs on all sides with the spicy oil, making sure you get into every cranny. Serve on hot dog buns or white bread with pickles and, if you wish, a bit of shredded lettuce, mayo, and hot sauce.

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From the Extension: Keep health and safety in mind when firing up the grill – Daily Commercial

July 10, 2021 | Author: admin

Lori Johnson| UF/IFAS Family & Consumer Science Agent

As the temperature rises outside, many times we may not want to cook inside, so we turn to grilling.No matter your preference between charcoal or gas, the smell of BBQ in the air gives all the feelings of summertime. Although living in Florida allows us to grill year-round, many of us find ourselves waiting for those steamy summer months to fire up the grill.

When was the last time you cleaned your grill? The first step in keeping your food safe is starting with a clean grill. For day-to-day maintenance, use a grill brush to scrape down the grates. If using charcoal, be sure all previous ash from coals has been removed.

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Grills should be deep cleaned every six months to a year. To do this, disconnect the gas or remove the charcoal. Next, take out the drip pans and grates, and soak them while you clean the rest of the grill. For a gas grill, cover the heating elements.

Use a brush to scrub the inside of the hood or lid, wipe down the inside with a wet scrub pad or towel. Return to the soaking grates for a scrub and rinse. Finally, remove the foil on the heating element, return the grates and drip pan and reconnect the tank or replace the charcoal.

When purchasing your raw meat or other proteins at the store, be sure to keep them in a separate bag from fresh ingredients. When storing them, place them on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and use ground meats within twodays and whole cuts of meat within 3-to-5 days.Otherwise, freeze for later use after purchasing.

The next step in keeping your food safe is making sure to use separate plates and cooking utensils for raw and cooked foods. Use a food thermometer to make sure the internal temperatures of the proteins you are cooking reach the recommended safe to eat temperature.

Whole cuts of meat such as steaks, chops, and roasts should reach 145F, ground meats 160F, chicken, and turkey 165F and fish 145F or until the color is opaque or if its a fillet it can be easily flaked with a fork.

As you fire up the grill, keep in mind the health of the foods you are cooking. By choosing lean meats, which are less than 10g of fat and less than 4.5g of saturated fat, you will be making a choice healthy for your heart. Trimming away any visible fat, choosing skinless poultry and seafood such as salmon, cod, sea bass or halibut will give your grilled meal a checkmark for health.

Remember veggies such as asparagus, bell peppers, eggplant, corn, squashand tomatoes are great for grilling alonein basketsor on skewers. Have you ever tried grilling fruits? Watermelon slices, peach halves, pineapple wedges, and plums grill well, and the natural sweetness can be enjoyed alone or added to a variety of cool summer refreshing salads.

Fire up the grill with something new this summer!

An Equal Opportunity Institution. UF/IFAS Extension, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Tom Obreza, Interim Dean and Director. Single copies of UF/IFAS Extension publications (excluding 4-H and youth publications) are available free to Florida residents from county UF/IFAS Extension offices.

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Former Bureaucrats, Civil Society Express Deep Anguish On Violations and Breakdown of Governance in UP – The Citizen

July 10, 2021 | Author: admin

We are a group of former civil servants of the All India and Central Services who have worked for decades with the Central and State Governments. As a group, we have no affiliation with any political party but are committed to the Constitution of India.

We write today to convey to the Government of India and the Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP), as also to the people of India, our deep anguish at what we see happening in UP.

We note with mounting alarm that the present ruling regime in UP has ushered in a model of governance which swerves further and further away from the values of the Constitution and the rule of law with each passing day.

It seems clear that all branches of the administration, including the executive magistrates and the police, have collapsed.

We fear that, unless checked now, the damage to the polity and institutions in the state will result in the decay and destruction of democracy itself.

1. Detentions, criminal charges, and recoveries to suppress dissent have become common instruments to be employed against all those who exercise their right of democratic protest. Even as peaceful protests broke out countrywide against CAA, NRC and NPR, the UP government stood out by responding almost immediately with an armoury of repression, including

a) police attacks on peacefully protesting students in Aligarh Muslim University, including using stun grenades, normally deployed against terrorists, and tear gas shells;

b) filing 10,900 FIRs against protestors;

c) resort to police firing killing 22 people;

d) arrest of 705 people on charges of rioting, property destruction and attempt to murder;

e) investigating 13000 social media posts and filing 63 FIRs with arrests of 103 netizens;

f) detention and torture of 41 minors;

g) serving over 500 notices for alleged damage to property, and notices served for recovery to 57 persons;

h) erecting hoardings in Lucknow displaying photographs of activists and civil society members accused of instigating violence and damaging public property (The Allahabad High Court declared this to be undemocratic and admonished the state government);

i) passage of the Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Property Ordinance, 2020 which empowers the state to set up a claims tribunal to recover compensation from citizens, not requiring the presence of the accused before passing final orders. (The Allahabad High Court observed the ordinance is arbitrary, designed only to frustrate the law and stayed orders in several cases of recovery. However, the UP legislature approved the conversion of the Ordinance into an Act without removing the flaw of arbitrariness.)

One particularly egregious example is the arrest of Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan, on his way to the UP town of Hathras to report on the brutal gang-rape of a 19-year-old Dalit girl and the complicity of the administration in the hurried overnight cremation of her body that had caused national outrage.

Kappan has so far spent more than 200 days in prison. More recently, these repressive measures have taken the form of punitive actions against those highlighting lethal shortcomings in UPs healthcare system.

2. Encounter injuries and killings as official hate targeting

From 2017 to 2020, 124 alleged criminals were shot dead in 6,476 encounters, according to data compiled and released by the UP police to the media. The word encounters has been used to also include the infliction of serious injuries caused, for example, by shooting a person in both knees and leaving him disabled for life. This means a police encounter every five hours every day during the first three years of CM Adityanath's tenure.

In a January 2019 letter to district magistrates, the Chief Secretary listed these encounters including extra-judicial killings to be among the prominent achievements of the Adityanath administration. The encounter campaign led by Adityanath crosses new lines, because data shows that most of those killed in these encounters are either petty criminals or innocents,against whom no charge has been proven. They are also predominantly Muslims, Dalits and other backward castes. .

The fact that a significantly disproportionate percentage of those killed till August 2020 were Muslims carries its own message.

3. Institutionalization and legitimization of vigilantism with the phenomenon of 'police mitr' etc.

UP has seen a systematic blurring of the lines between actions of the state, particularly its police force, and that of vigilante groups such as the Hindu Yuva Vahini and other cow vigilante groups that have enjoyed immunity for their violent actions.

Members of these groups are appointed as police mitr or friends of the police, endowing them with authority and legitimacy, and enabling the police to work openly with vigilante groups. Recent administrative orders further institutionalise vigilantism under the garb of community policing through the Prantiya Rakshak Dal and the S10.

4. The law on what is termed as love jihad, and biased investigations and arrests

On 24 November 2020, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet passed an ordinance Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance. On 25 February 2021, this was passed in the legislature by a voice vote. The SIT set up by the state government to look into the cases of love jihad could find no evidence of foreign funding or organised conspiracy. On another occasion, the Union home ministry in February told Parliament that love jihad was not defined under the current laws of the country. The bogey of love jihad, thus has no empirical, legal or official standing.

Euphemistically against forceful conversion, the law prohibits conversion from one religion to another by what it calls the use of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement, fraud or marriage. These are defined ambiguously leaving ample space for the police and administration to misuse the law against minorities; for the police to file arbitrary cases; and for vigilante groups to threaten families, assault minorities, organise mobs and create conditions for minority exodus.

This law has been used by the state to frame innocent Muslim men who have friendly or romantic relations, or enter into marriage, with Hindu women. In just a month after the Ordinance, 86 people were booked in 16 cases alleging conversion for love or marriage among Hindu women and Muslim men. 54 people were arrested, including friends and family members of the main accused. The key accused in all the cases are Muslim men.

Since coming to power, the bias of the present government of UP against Muslims has been open and uninhibited. The recent instance of the destruction of a building allegedly housing a mosque in Barabanki, in contravention of a high court stay order, is a flagrant display of disregard for law and procedures. Further, keeping in mind the forthcoming elections, we apprehend that such actions by the UP government, if not controlled, may cause communal polarisation and disturbances.

5. Misuse of NSA in the name of cow slaughter and against dissenters

The National Security Act, 1980 (NSA) is a draconian preventive detention law under which the government can pre-emptively detain, up to one year, anyone it thinks is a threat to the security of the country or state, public order or maintenance of supplies and services essential to the community.

However, officials under the UP government have been using the law openly against mainly Muslims, Dalits and dissenters, for alleged offences that cannot be seen as a threat to national security. As per reports, of the 139 people booked under the law the year 2020, 76 are for alleged cow slaughter, 13 for anti-CAA protests and 37 for alleged heinous crimes.

In 2017, the Director General of Police directed SPs and SSPs of all districts to book people accused of cow slaughter or transportation of cows for slaughter under NSA and the Gangster Act. In April 2020,the government said that whoever attacks police personnel during the COVID-19 lockdown will be booked under NSA. These blanket orders to apply NSA defeat the purpose of letting District Magistrates, who understand the ground situation, to judiciously apply their judgment to each case.

6. Handling of the Covid crisis

The hubris customary with the UP government, is also in full display in its handling of the Covid crisis. The Allahabad High Court scathingly observed that medical services in UP are running at gods mercy. (Ram Bharose). The doctors trying to meet the Chief Minister to explain the ground situation and to present a set of demands were instead detained. A news article on health services in rural UP was titled, People are Dropping Dead like Flies in Uttar Pradesh Villages.

As a case in point,Dhanoli village in Gorakhpur District did not have a single house without a Covid patient. Many of the PHCs in villages are shut or do not have any medical personnel. The people are left to fend for themselves. There are no testing centres available. Reports of patients dying due to non-availability of oxygen have been frequent in UP.

The Chief Minister however claimed that not only was there no such shortage, but those alleging this on public forums would be arrested for spreading false information, and their properties seized. The police proceeded to frame charges against hospitals which claimed oxygen shortage.

People faced massive difficulties in getting tested for Covid. Reports emerged that unofficial orders had been issued to private labs to stop testing.

The most damning illustration of the governments failure to provide healthcare to Covid patients was the gruesome spectacle of several thousand dead bodies floating in the Ganga river and buried in shallow graves in the sands along its banks. The world bore witness to the catastrophe that the people of UP had to endure owing to the failure of the government to act in time. Reports from crematoria show that across districts, deaths are being massively undercounted in Uttar Pradesh.

A call to restore constitutional norms

We demand that:

- Arbitrary detentions and torture of and police attacks on peacefully protesting students, minorities, dissenters and others be stopped forthwith and recoveries for alleged damage to property under an arbitrary law be discontinued.

- There have been more than 6000 encounters including both serious injuries and extra-judicial killings, which are eulogized as achievements by top bureaucrats, their main targets being Muslims, Dalits and other backward castes. This illegal and unconstitutional practice must stop.

- The institutionalization and legitimization of vigilantism by appointing police mitras and giving immunity to cow protectors for the violence they inflict dissolve the distinction between the State and private armies. These policies must end.

- Targeting Muslim men for alleged forced conversion of Hindu women with whom they have a friendly or romantic relationship continues apace under a vaguely worded law that allows the police and administration to misuse it. This idea of love jihad without legal empirical or official basis must be jettisoned.

- The draconian preventive detention law, the National Security Act (NSA), has been mainly used against Muslims, Dalits and dissenters for alleged offences like cow slaughter, protests against the CAA and attacks on the police, that cannot be seen as a threat to national security.This misuse of law must stop and normal penal provisions invoked, if at all justified.

- Finally, the Covid crisis has been wholly mismanaged and thousands have lost their lives for want of health facilities like trained staff, hospitals, ICUs, oxygen and medicines. But the administration has denied any crisis and has slapped charges against those who write objectively or complain of the situation on the ground. The crisis needs urgent handling and the practice of harassing or penalizing media or persons who report on inadequacies in the health system or voice their grievances in that regard cannot be allowed to continue. The invidious tendency to shoot the messenger must stop.

Names of CCG signatories

The following persons have endorsed the letter written by the retired civil servants

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Former Bureaucrats, Civil Society Express Deep Anguish On Violations and Breakdown of Governance in UP - The Citizen

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The 36 questions that lead to love (but with your co-founder) – TechCrunch

July 10, 2021 | Author: admin

After months of beta testing, Y Combinator has launched a co-founder matching platform. The platform invites entrepreneurs to create profiles, which include information about themselves and preferences for a co-founder, such as location and skill sets. It digests that information and offers a number of potential candidates that fit those needs kind of like Tinder for co-founders. To date, the accelerator says it has made 9,000 matches across 4,500 founders.

Y Combinator is obviously well positioned to execute this tool. The accelerator offers the popular Startup School, a free online program with resources and lectures surrounding how to start a company, to anyone who wants to start a company. The school has cultivated a community of 230,000 founders in 190 countries. A matching tool is thus an easy jump to make, one that could help the partners there move even earlier in aggregating and eavesdropping on nascent talent. Notably, two companies who met through the matching platform are part of the YC Summer 2021 batch. Yay ecosystems!

Heres my hot take, though: The tool may appear as a neat, in-demand and simplistic tool that connects people to each other, but this is far harder to execute in a meaningful way than one may think even if youre an accelerator as famed and well known as YC. What follows is a list of suggestions, or rather wishes, for the tool, put together after I spoke to January Ventures co-founder Jennifer Neundorfer for her thoughts as well.

In a blog post announcing the tool, YC addressed this last point. You probably shouldnt marry someone after just one date, and similarly, itll take more than one video call to decide whether to co-found a company with someone, it reads. We encourage matched co-founders to meet and, when appropriate, work together on a time-boxed trial project with clear expectations and goals in order to vet co-founder compatibility.

All in all, Im rooting for this because, well, who wouldnt? As Neundorfer puts it, founder matching tools are an interesting way to expand the supply of founders and diversify the base of founders. It just matters that the tools are built with diversity and accessibility in mind.

In the rest of this newsletter, well get into a rare executive shuffle at a pre-IPO company, an EC-1 that digs into the modern web delivery tech stack and Didi. You can find me at Twitter @nmasc_ and DM me for my Signal for tips (no pitches, please).

Image Credits: Instacart

Instacart has hired Facebook executive Fidji Simo as its new CEO ahead of an expected IPO. The grocery delivery company, last valued at $39 billion, will transition current CEO and founder Apoorva Mehta to executive chairman.

Heres what to know: A major executive shuffle ahead of a public debut is as rare as it is questionable. Instacarts Mehta is leaving his original role before taking the company he founded nearly 10 years ago public. But, per The Information, Simos new job is yet another example of Instacarts long-going talent raid of Facebook. The publication estimates that in 2021, Instacart has hired at least 55 engineers, product managers, recruiters, designers and data scientists from Facebook. Of course, Simos new job means that Facebook has lost one of its highest-ranking female executives, which is not a good look for a company that already struggles with diversity.

Speaking of chief executive drama:

Image Credits: Nigel Sussman

Say that subhead five times fast. The latest EC-1, our deep dive into a company from origin to execution to challenges ahead, is all about NS1, which launched with a plan to disrupt the core of the modern web delivery tech stack.

Heres what to know: Its a key read even for those of us who arent the biggest nerds on IT and enterprise infrastructure. Why? Because the story talks about how a startup competes in a matured space full of well-funded Big Tech companies and VC-backed heavyweights and why the need for a reengineering of internet traffic isnt a niche one.

The breakdown:

The Equity team had an especially amazing episode this week and I wasnt even in it, so you can take my semi-less-biased word.

Heres what to know: The most interesting part of the episode was the conversation around Didi, and its impact on Chinese companies listing in the United States. Regulatory problems have a way of lessening investor interest, and Didi isnt the only example that weve had to point to in recent weeks.

Other things in the show via Alexs notes:

Clearco gets the SoftBank stamp of approval in new $215M round

Dispatch from Bangalore

Mmhmm raises $100M, which is a fun thing to say to people who dont follow tech

Why former Alibaba scientist wants to back founders outside the Ivory Tower

What I learned the hard way from naming 30+ startups

VCs discuss the opportunities and challenges in Pittsburghs startup ecosystem

Startups have never had it so good

Pakistans growing tech ecosystem is finally taking off

And thats a wrap! This is my first dispatch from San Francisco in over a year, so if youre in town, happy to be neighbors yet again 🙂

N

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The 36 questions that lead to love (but with your co-founder) - TechCrunch

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