Articles
12 Exciting Engineering Milestones to Look for in 2022
An electric aircraft race, a new dark-matter detector, and a permanent Chinese space station await
Emerging Technologies and Trends Impact Radar: 2022
The Emerging Technologies and Trends Impact Radar highlights the technologies and trends that have the most potential to disrupt a broad cross section of markets. In this document, we have identified 20 of the highest-impact emerging technologies and trends (see Figure 1) that are critical for product leaders to evaluate as part of their competitive strategy, summarized by four key themes: the smart world, the productivity revolution, ubiquitous and transparent security, and critical enablers. Product leaders must explore these technologies now to capitalize on market opportunities.
https://www.gartner.com/doc/reprints?id=1-287UWFFC&ct=211122&st=sb
Your Guide to Masks
How to select, properly wear, clean, and store masks
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html
Geniality: Enabling Social Discoverability
Professionals in all walks of life can hugely benefit from the social media platform LinkedIn. An important first step to get the most out of LinkedIn is to have an effective LinkedIn profile. An effective LinkedIn profile articulates the identity of the person. The benefits of LinkedIn are best experienced when the identity is resonant with the strategy to network and engage. Mr Raghunath Ramaswamy, the author of the book, FAIL SAFE HIRING: Assuring Talent Acquisition, shares Geniality, an application developed at Fail-Safe Hiring which helps you assess your LinkedIn profile and arrive at a quantitative score. It also provides additional references to improve the profile. A worthy application to try and improve your LinkedIn profile.
The application can be accessed at https://www.failsafehiring.com/geniality
15+ Futuristic Technologies Showcased at CES 2021
Some of the technologies presented at this year's CES felt like something out of science-fiction.
CES 2021 is jam-packed with exciting new technology. This week's completely digital event saw presentations from leading tech industry experts, thought leaders, influencers, and entrepreneurs. Things were obviously different this year, as the world continues to battle the current pandemic.
For the uninitiated, CES is a launching pad for breakthrough technologies and global innovators. As described by the CES team, "This is where the world's biggest brands do business and meet new partners, and the sharpest innovators hit the stage."
https://interestingengineering.com/15-futuristic-technologies-showcased-at-ces-2021
TOP TECH 2022: A SPECIAL REPORT
THE START of each year, IEEE Spectrum attempts to predict the future. It can be tricky, but we do our best, filling the January issue with a couple of dozen reports, short and long, about developments the editors expect to make news in the coming year.
This isn’t hard to do when the project has been in the works for a long time and is progressing on schedule—the coming first flight of NASA’s Space Launch System, for example. For other stories, we must go farther out on a limb. A case in point: the description of a hardware wallet for Bitcoin that the company formerly known as Square (which recently changed its name to Block) is developing but won’t officially comment on. One thing we can predict with confidence, though, is that Spectrum readers, familiar with the vicissitudes of technical development work, will understand if some of these projects don’t, in fact, pan out. That’s still okay.
Engineering, like life, is as much about the journey as the destination.
Preview two dozen exciting technical developments that are in the pipeline for the coming year
https://spectrum.ieee.org/top-tech-2022
Predictive Programming: How Movies, Books, and TV Shows Predict the Future?
Predictive programming is a theory devised by conspiracy theorists, it claims that the government or groups of elites are using fictional movies or books as a mass mind control tool to make the population more accepting of planned future events. So, how plausible is this theory? Does the media we consume make us more likely to calmly tolerate any changes that those in charge wish to make, or to accept things that appear bizarre?
https://interestingengineering.com/predictive-programming-how-books-and-tv-predict-the-future
The Chip Shortage, Giant Chips, and the Future of Moore’s Law
IEEE Spectrum’s biggest semiconductor headlines of 2021
With COVID-19 shaking the global supply chain like an angry toddler with a box of jelly beans, the average person had to take a crash course in the semiconductor industry. And many of them didn't like what they learned. Want a new car? Tough luck, not enough chips. A new gaming system? Same. But you are not the average person, dear reader. So, in addition to learning why there was a chip shortage in the first place, you also discovered that you can—with considerable effort—fit more than 2 trillion transistors on a single chip. You also found that the future of Moore's Law depends as much on where you put the wires as how small you make the transistors, among many other things.
So to recap the semiconductor stories you read most this year, we've put together this set of highlights:
How the Chips Found in All Our Electronics Are Manufactured
Under normal circumstances, microchips can take up to 26 weeks to make as they pack as many as 100 layers of billions of transistors in an area the size of a fingernail. Making them begins with silicon-rich sand. Why silicon? Silicon is a semiconductor whose properties can be altered by adding impurities, or ‘doping,’ to meet the needs of different electronic devices.
This also allows engineers to control the electrical signals that pass through. Silicon is also one of the 10 most common elements found on Earth meaning it is abundant enough to meet the many production needs of chip manufacturers.
What happens to this silicon? How does it need to be transformed to be used in chip manufacturing? What other elements are present in chips? How are they all brought together to build these near-ubiquitous components? These questions are answered in this video.
https://interestingengineering.com/video/how-the-chips-found-in-all-our-electronics-are-manufactured
How Claude Shannon Invented the Future
Today’s information age is only possible thanks to the groundbreaking work of a lone genius.
https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-claude-shannons-information-theory-invented-the-future-20201222/
From vaccines to hands-free shoes: These were the top inventions and innovations of 2021
While vaccines steal the limelight for 2021’s top innovations, we have seen many exciting developments in technology and science outside of the context of the pandemic. Here’s a look at the top innovations and inventions 2021 has brought us.
How Digital Twins Are Transforming Manufacturing, Medicine and More
There are two versions of a BMW factory in the medieval town of Regensburg, Germany. One is a physical plant that cranks out hundreds of thousands of cars a year. The other is a virtual 3-D replica, accessed by screen or VR headset, in which every surface and every bit of machinery looks exactly the same as in real life. Soon, whatever is happening in the physical factory will be reflected inside the virtual one in real time: frames being dipped in paint; doors being sealed onto hinges; avatars of workers carrying machinery to its next destination.
The latter factory is an example of a “digital twin”: an exact digital re-creation of an object or environment.
https://time.com/6131320/digital-twins-uses/
How social media can crush your self-esteem
We all have a natural tendency to compare ourselves to others, whether intentionally or not, online or offline. Such comparisons help us evaluate our own achievements, skills, personality and our emotions. This, in turn, influences how we see ourselves.
But what impact do these comparisons have on our well-being? It depends on how much comparing we do.
Comparing ourselves on social media to people who are worse off than we are makes us feel better. Comparing ourselves to people who are doing better than us, however, makes us feel inferior or inadequate instead. The social media platform we choose also affects our morale, as do crisis situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.
https://theconversation.com/how-social-media-can-crush-your-self-esteem-174009
Understanding Values, Morals and Ethics
Values, morals, ethics are the greatest tools to navigate life. However, they are often interchangeably used. In this post, author first discerns one from another before sharing his values.
https://vandana.guru/2020/11/26/values-morals-and-ethics/
AI-powered chatbots, designed ethically, can support high-quality university teaching
While COVID-19 forced an emergency transformation to online learning at universities, learning how to teach efficiently and effectively online using different platforms and tools is a positive addition to education and is here to stay.
Used strategically, chatbots could take over repetitive low-level guidance tasks that teaching and learning centres field and help avoid overload. A chatbot, also called a conversational or virtual agent, is a software or computer system designed to communicate with humans using natural language processing.
Terra takes ‘omics’ computing into the cloud
Terra, a web-based tool, takes the pain out of sharing huge biomedical research data sets by allowing researchers to integrate and analyse them on the Google Cloud Platform. Terra provides access to the Cancer Genome Atlas, the Genome Aggregation Database and the All of Us Research Program, the last of which comprises some 3.7 petabytes alone. “It’s really about increasing access and breaking down silos so that you can do more interesting science with the data that’s being generated,” says Geraldine Van der Auwera, communications director for a group that co-developed the tool at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-03822-7
Blockchain, Bitcoin and NFTs: Why the wealth portfolios of the rich and famous are changing
There are countless ways people can use money to build wealth including savings, property and income-generating assets, to name a few. But as technology advances, the means of building wealth continuously improves and expands.
This is especially true in our society that demands instant gratification and a seamless experience with everything they do, especially when it involves money.
The recent rise in popularity of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) - which are digitally verifiable, unique assets secured by blockchains - has reignited excitement around money and its surrounding innovations.
At last a technological advancement that enables open, frictionless value transfers, while also providing an additional layer of utility to the owner that is tied to culture. The continued technological improvements of NFTs will lead to a future where wealth is preserved in culturally relevant items, while also building upon those items’ utility.
What Analytics Trends Should Marketers Expect in 2022?
In 2022, marketers may well feel like short-order cooks slammed with customer orders. Except in the case of marketers, the orders will be customer needs spread across a variety of domains. A confluence of various tech and environment trends — privacy, elimination of cookies, changing customer journeys and uncertainty around long-time measurement standards — will only add to the frenzy.
Analytics planning, which has long been based on customers sitting in front of a browser, will grow complicated as a result. Measurement planning must evolve in step with the evolving customer journey.
Marketers should consider the impact of the following trends on their teams and client deliverables when planning their analytics.
https://www.cmswire.com/digital-marketing/what-analytics-trends-should-marketers-expect-in-2022/
CIOs Warm to the Chief Data Officer
It's taken some time, but CIOs and CDOs (chief data officers) now understand the need for a strong working relationship. Data has become the driver behind digital transformation and better business decision-making. For CDOs and CIOs to succeed, they must succeed together. To get this partnership right will in part require CDO reporting and chartering and the creation of shared goals, objectives and key results (OKRs) and key performance indicators (KPIs).
https://www.cmswire.com/information-management/cios-warm-to-the-chief-data-officer
The Internet Is Running Out of Water. Here's What That Means
These few decades heralded a new era in digital information processing, with microchips doubling in speed every two years and miniaturizing equipment that once took up entire rooms. Today, the smartphone you're reading this article on probably outperforms the best technologies of the past, as massive data centers filled with computers holding all kinds of information keep our world turning. These computers, known as servers, provide support for the software, apps, and websites that we use every day.
However, making sure the rows of powerful computers within these data centers don't overheat necessitates millions of gallons of water to be used per day. And the increased usage of data-intensive cloud services (such as Zoom, Netflix, YouTube, and online gaming) has boosted demand for the computing capacity provided by data centers throughout the world.
As a result, additional data centers are being created on a daily basis by Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and others. However, do we have enough water to keep the internet's wheels turning? This video by the YouTube channel The Hated One provides an in-depth look at the problem.
https://interestingengineering.com/video/why-internet-is-running-out-of-water
Recruiters offer their best tips for interviewing at Amazon
Prepare for Amazon’s interview questions, learn more about the process, and find out how we hire and develop the best.
Quick—how many sides does a circle have? How do you lift an elephant with one hand? And what was the president's name in 1992? If you're gearing up for an interview, you might think you need to prepare for trick questions like these. At Amazon, that's not the case. Though tech companies have a reputation for throwing out brain teasers during the interview process, we do things a bit differently here.
"We want to help candidates put their best foot forward," said Stacy Milgate, Senior Client Lead, Amazon Web Services. "Our interview process is geared toward finding true examples of the work you've performed."
Our candidate-first approach to interviewing means we'll do our best to ask fair questions and provide tools and resources to help you. However, it's still important to do your research and prep work.
If you're ready to get started, here are 11 tips to prepare for your upcoming interview with Amazon.
Sugar substitutes: Is one better or worse for diabetes? For weight loss? An expert explains
Wandering through the grocery store, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the numerous brands and health claims on the dozens of sugar substitutes. It can be particularly confusing for those with diabetes or pre-diabetes who must keep their blood sugar in check and control their weight.
With the growing diabetes and obesity epidemic, there has been increasing awareness around the use of added sugars in foods. The most recent edition of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that added sugars should be kept to less than 10% of the calories consumed, which turns out to be roughly 270 calories per day.
This is because “added sugars” add sweetness or flavor but add very little nutritional value. Because of this trend, the food industry has embarked on a quest to find or develop the perfect substitute to replace sugar – with the same taste and none of the calories that lead to weight gain.
As a pharmacist who is also board certified in advanced diabetes management, I talk to patients every day about blood sugars and ways to help them take control of their diabetes. They often ask me whether the perfect substitute to sugar has been found. The short answer is no. Here is the long answer.
Got pre-diabetes? Here’s five things to eat or avoid to prevent type 2 diabetes
Pre-diabetes is diagnosed when your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as having type 2 diabetes. Pre-diabetes is an early alert that your diabetes risk is now very high. It is ten to 20 times greater compared to the risk for those with normal blood sugars. What you choose to eat, or avoid, influences this risk.
What is aquamation, the green alternative to cremation chosen by Desmond Tutu?
Aquamation, or alkaline hydrolysis, is a process in which the body of the deceased is immersed for a few hours in a mixture of water and a strong alkali in a pressurized metal cylinder and heated to around 150 degree centigrade.
The combination of gentle water flow, temperature and alkalinity accentuate the breakdown of the organic materials.
The Cremation Association of North America (CANA), an international non-profit organisation, defines alkaline hydrolysis as “flameless cremation”. Considered to be an environmentally friendly way to dispose of a body, the process is also known as water cremation, green cremation or chemical cremation.
The process is a greener alternative as it uses significantly less fuel and has an overall lower carbon footprint than cremation.
Maverick* Research: 23 Stories From Planet B
How can we explore the future by storytelling?
What happens if we must leave earth for Planet B? - That is the question we posed to the Gartner community.
Gartner has published a science fiction prototyping eBook. The goal is to imagine a future 100 or more years from now in which humans start over on a new planet. Each story includes a Maverick* idea that highlights its value to the executive leaders of today.
Executive leaders should use the stories for their organizations, to overcome conventional thinking about plausible futures.
https://www.gartner.com/en/doc/maverick-research-23-stories-from-planet-b
eBook: Graph Data Science For Dummies
Graph Data Science For Dummies walks you through the foundations of graph data science – from defining graph analytics and algorithms to showing you how to use them for machine learning and solve real-world problems.
https://neo4j.com/graph-data-science-for-dummies/
eBook: Graph Databases For Dummies
This book introduces you to the basics of graph database technology from building a rich graph data model to deploying your first graph-powered application.
https://neo4j.com/graph-databases-for-dummies/
eBook: Graph Algorithms: Practical Examples in Apache Spark and Neo4j
Whether you are building dynamic network models or forecasting real-world behavior, this book illustrates how graph algorithms deliver value: from finding vulnerabilities and bottlenecks to detecting communities and improving machine learning predictions.
We walk you through hands-on examples of how to use graph algorithms in Apache Spark and Neo4j. We include sample code and tips for over 20 practical graph algorithms that cover optimal pathfinding, importance through centrality, and community detection using methods like clustering and partitioning.
https://neo4j.com/graph-algorithms-book/
Free Textbook: Introduction to Classical and Quantum Computing
Thomas Wong is an American physicist who investigates quantum computers at the intersection of physics and computer science, and he is best known for researching how quantum computers search for information in databases and networks. Tom is a tenure-track assistant professor of physics at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, but he is currently a visiting assistant professor of physics at the Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the University of Maryland College Park.
He has written a FREE introductory quantum computing textbook! The only prerequisite is trigonometry. It is not a conceputal overview, however. Rather, it teaches the math (including basic linear algebra) along the way.
The textbook is based on an introductory quantum computing course that he has been teaching at Creighton University since 2018. From the beginning, he had written all his lecture notes and homework problems in a textbook format using LaTeX, and now they're available to everyone
http://www.thomaswong.net/introduction-to-classical-and-quantum-computing.pdf
Top 25 Films With Unrealistic Computer Scenes
It’s time to hack into a computer. So, get ready for spinning 3D graphics and weird beeping sounds that accompany every action. So many academic institutions offer courses that cover computer security, but according to the movies, they must be part of an enormous scam because breaking into a computer is as simple as frantically hitting random keys when “ACCESS DENIED!!!” pops up in the middle of the screen.
Not everything that’s entertaining has to be realistic. There’d be no fiction of any kind if that was the case. However, credibility is an essential part of establishing suspension of disbelief. Some of these scenes are unrealistic as a result of pure laziness on the part of the people who made the film. Either that or the script writers knew about as much about computers as the head of a government IT project.
Not that we’re saying that we’re not fan of ridiculous computer scenes. A lot of these scenes were conceived to make something a bit boring or difficult to follow more entertaining than it really is. Visual metaphor is often key, and it relates to the classic cinematic problem of making visual an internal process.
So, prepare to isolate the subnet node with a firewall worm that reroutes the server as we explore some of the classics, ranked from the best, most enjoyable ones to the ones that, quite frankly, reboot our sub commands.
https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/top-25-films-with-unrealistic-computer-scenes/
IRAI Quiz -- 220111
1. Name the first title of the book by Steven Levy whose sub title is "Heroes of the Computer Revolution"
2. "All these years I have spent in the service of mankind brought me nothing but insults and humiliation" is believed to have been said by a famous inventor. Name him.
3. ------------- is the current owner of the Nokia brand
4. -------------- is a new web3 community initiative (of Time Magazine) that brings together artists, collectors, and fans for increased creativity, collaboration and mutual benefit.
5. World Logic Day is observed on -------------
6. For a brief period on 3rd Jan 2022 ---------- (Microsoft/Apple/Amazon/Tesla) became the first public company to hit a market cap of $ 3 trillion.
7. Name the product from Microsoft, which was a threat to the print version of Encyclopaedia of Britannica but dwarfed by Wikipedia.
8. ---------------- (Analytical Difference) Engine the first mechanical calculator designed by Charles Babbage.
9. The world's first computer science degree program began at --------------- (Cambridge / Purdue) University
10. Flippy: Burgers = Zume : -------------
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