(綜合報道)(星島日報報道)前世界首富、微軟公司原董事長比爾．蓋茲前天在北京親自證實，正在與中國核電部門討論聯合開發一種更安全更高效的新型核反應堆，他未來五年投入的研發費用最高可達十億美元。消息傳出，立即引發外界廣泛關注。有專家表示，蓋茲選定的這種反應堆難度極大，目前仍在研究中，何時能建成尚難預料。
「比爾．蓋茲最近在幹甚麼？在幹核能，而且他幹得很深了，他跟我們一起研究一個新型核反應堆，和中核集團（中國核工業集團公司）聯合開發。」中核集團總經理孫勤本月二日在中國年度核管大會上透露，「過幾天他還會來（華），我們繼續談合作。」
成本低 安全性高
《京華時報》報道，孫勤公開這條消息時，令很多在場的人都驚訝得合不上嘴。不過，國家核電技術公司等多位核電領域專家前天表示，蓋茲與中國商討核電合作已不是秘密，他已先後接觸過多個國內機構。
本周三下午，蓋茲偕同梅琳達．蓋茲基金會的中方工作人員，來到中國科技部，與科技部副部長張來武等官員舉行會談，介紹他的設想：要開發出一種成本很低、安全性很高、產生的廢料很少的核反應堆。這一技術被稱為「行波（核反應）堆」技術（Traveling Wave Reactor）。
核廢料可當燃料用
「正在與中國討論聯合開發這種更安全的新型核反應堆，未來五年投入研發費用最高可達十億美元。」蓋茲在接受內地媒體採訪時親自證實。
蓋茲涉足核電業，具體由總部位於華盛頓州的泰拉能源公司（TerraPower）實施，這是一家專業研發第四代核反應堆的公司，網羅了一批美國頂尖科學家。「行波堆」技術可以把現在的核廢料當燃料用，且通過對地震和海嘯等的模擬試驗，新反應堆安全性也大幅提高。
蓋茲近年多次訪問中國的核電企業和研究機構，中方官員和專家也應蓋茲邀請回訪泰拉能源公司，雙方就核電合作已進行多次洽談。
「新核電技術的研發是一項投資巨大、研發時間漫長的事業，蓋茲與中方具體將如何合作，目前還是未知數。」廈門大學能源中心主任林伯強透露。蓋茲也承認，與中方的合作還處於初步階段。
http://hk.news.yahoo.com/技術難度高-五年內投入十億美元-蓋茲與中國研建新核能-220830356.html
12.12.11
“Matrix廿二世紀殺人網絡”將成真 人類大腦可下載“技能”
優訊-中國網 china.com.cn/info 時間： 2011-12-12 責任編輯: 健兒
未來人們學習掌握一門新的技能將非常簡單，僅需要坐在電腦螢幕前，等待從大腦下載資料即可
未來人類可以像科幻電影《駭客帝國》中的故事情節一樣，甚至無須清醒狀態下也能讓大腦下載一些“知識技能”，學會武術、駕駛飛機、掌握一門新外語等。
騰訊科技訊（悠悠/編譯） 據英國每日郵報報道，日前，科學家宣稱，未來人類可以像科幻電影《駭客帝國》中的故事情節一樣，甚至無須清醒狀態下也能讓大腦下載一些“知識技能”，學會武術、駕駛飛機、掌握一門新外語等。
美國波士頓大學和日本京都ATR計算神經學研究室的科學家認為，未來人們學習掌握一門新的技能將非常簡單，僅需要坐在電腦螢幕前，等待從大腦下載資料即可。
科學家們正在研究如何使功能性磁共振儀(FMRI)通過大腦視覺皮層將學術資料下載至某人大腦中，這種發送的磁共振資訊可以改變他們的大腦活躍模式。該過程被稱為“解碼神經反饋(DecNef)”。
在解碼神經反饋傳輸過程中，接收者無需藥物輔助，甚至不必在清醒的狀態下亦能完成。接收者只要處於大腦活躍度中，經磁共振傳輸便能改變大腦目標模式，這些輸入資訊模式可能來自足球運動員或者是象棋大師。
美國波士頓大學的Takeo Watanabe是該研究報告作者，他説：“成年人的早期視覺皮層區域具有充分的可塑性，對視覺感知學習十分敏感。”
科學家之所以知道解碼神經反饋傳輸技術的有效性，是由於現已通過了志願者測試，結果表明比未接收該項治療的群體更具技能優勢。
在科幻電影《駭客帝國三部曲》劇情角色通過電腦物理性連接大腦，下載新的知識技能便能學習到新的知識技術。科學家表示，未來這種科幻劇情或將成為現實。這項研究結果將發表在近期出版的《科學》雜誌上。
http://big5.china.com.cn/info/2011-12/12/content_24126556.htm
Friday, December 9, 2011
科學家展示有如Matrix一樣的被動學習/Scientists demonstrate Matrix-like learning with no conscious effort
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New research published today in the journal Science suggests it may be possible to use brain technology to learn to play a piano, reduce mental stress or hit a curve ball with little or no conscious effort. It's the kind of thing seen in Hollywood's "Matrix" franchise.
Experiments conducted at Boston University (BU) and ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories in Kyoto, Japan, recently demonstrated that through a person's visual cortex, researchers could use decoded functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to induce brain activity patterns to match a previously known target state and thereby improve performance on visual tasks.
Think of a person watching a computer screen and having his or her brain patterns modified to match those of a high-performing athlete or modified to recuperate from an accident or disease. Though preliminary, researchers say such possibilities may exist in the future.
"Adult early visual areas are sufficiently plastic to cause visual perceptual learning," said lead author and BU neuroscientist Takeo Watanabe of the part of the brain analyzed in the study.
Neuroscientists have found that pictures gradually build up inside a person's brain, appearing first as lines, edges, shapes, colors and motion in early visual areas. The brain then fills in greater detail to make a red ball appear as a red ball, for example.
Researchers studied the early visual areas for their ability to cause improvements in visual performance and learning.
"Some previous research confirmed a correlation between improving visual performance and changes in early visual areas, while other researchers found correlations in higher visual and decision areas," said Watanabe, director of BU's Visual Science Laboratory. "However, none of these studies directly addressed the question of whether early visual areas are sufficiently plastic to cause visual perceptual learning." Until now.
Boston University post-doctoral fellow Kazuhisa Shibata designed and implemented a method using decoded fMRI neurofeedback to induce a particular activation pattern in targeted early visual areas that corresponded to a pattern evoked by a specific visual feature in a brain region of interest. The researchers then tested whether repetitions of the activation pattern caused visual performance improvement on that visual feature.
The result, say researchers, is a novel learning approach sufficient to cause long-lasting improvement in tasks that require visual performance.
What's more, the approach worked even when test subjects were not aware of what they were learning.
"The most surprising thing in this study is that mere inductions of neural activation patterns corresponding to a specific visual feature led to visual performance improvement on the visual feature, without presenting the feature or subjects' awareness of what was to be learned," said Watanabe, who developed the idea for the research project along with Mitsuo Kawato, director of ATR lab and Yuka Sasaki, an assistant in neuroscience at Massachusetts General Hospital.
"We found that subjects were not aware of what was to be learned while behavioral data obtained before and after the neurofeedback training showed that subjects' visual performance improved specifically for the target orientation, which was used in the neurofeedback training," he said.
The finding brings up an inevitable question. Is hypnosis or a type of automated learning a potential outcome of the research?
"In theory, hypnosis or a type of automated learning is a potential outcome," said Kawato. "However, in this study we confirmed the validity of our method only in visual perceptual learning. So we have to test if the method works in other types of learning in the future. At the same time, we have to be careful so that this method is not used in an unethical way."
At present, the decoded neurofeedback method might be used for various types of learning, including memory, motor and rehabilitation.
人權組織在瑞士日內瓦討論“禁止生物武器公約”
Friday, December 9, 2011
Human Rights Agency Addresses Biological Weapons Convention in Geneva, Switzerland
Activist Post
Mr. President, Distinguished Representatives,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
My name is Janet Phelan and I sit on the board of ITHACA, which is a human rights agency. I am grateful for the opportunity to submit these concerns to the Seventh Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention.
I am here today to submit concerns to this Convention that the United States of America is engaged in an offensive biological weapons program. My research indicates that these weapons may be stockpiled at Sierra Army Depot, which is a military base in Northern California, as well as possibly at other locations.
In 2001, in the wake of the attacks of September 11, the United States passed a piece of legislation which in itself constitutes a violation of Articles I, II and IV of the BWC. This piece of legislation, Section 817 of the US PATRIOT Act, The Expansion of the Biological Weapons Statute, gives the United States a “blank check” to stockpile biological weapons and toxins and de facto removes the U.S. from the stipulations contained in the BWC. This is accomplished by the addition of a final caveat to 817, stating that “the prohibition contained in this section shall not apply to any duly authorized United States governmental activity.”
Other NGO's, including the Sunshine Project, have raised concerns as to what kind of research is going on in the proliferation of BSL-3's and 4's—now numbering over 1350 BSL-3's in the United States. Other than the reports of stockpiles at Sierra Army Depot and the violations of the BWC contained in Section 817, concerns also extend to evidence that the U.S. has covertly set up two separate delivery systems -- one involving extensive reconfigurations of city water systems, and the other involving what we call “imposter pharmaceuticals” -- the putative “poison pill” which, rather than treating a disease, will cause imminent death to the unsuspecting victim.
Both of these delivery systems have the ability to selectively attack predesignated targets and leave surrounding populations unaffected.
I do not need to remind the Convention that Saddam Hussein was executed for charges including a purported attack on his own people -- the gassing of the Kurds. There is a dark red thread running through recorded history of governments initiating pogroms against their own citizens. One needs only to look at the last decade and the dramatic movement away from the democratic ideals upon which the United States was based to realize that the U.S. government has already traveled a long ways from an open, free and democratic society towards the secret and restrictive regimes that have historically initiated attacks upon their own people.
On behalf of all U.S. citizens, and all others residing within her borders, we are seeking your help. The situation is dire and the international community must be alerted to the fact that all of these signals -- stockpiles, changes in legislation, and multiple secret delivery systems -- point to a future attack within the borders of the U.S. facilitated by the United States government.
We have been limited by time constraints today. I would like to advise the Convention that we have accumulated a considerable amount of evidence, including correspondence with government agencies about Section 817 and other pertinent legislative changes -- agencies including the Department of Justice, State Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, to name a few. We have also amassed details and documentation concerning delivery systems. We would be happy to supply this documentation to the Convention, if requested.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Submitted December 6, 2011
Geneva, Switzerland
RELATED ARTICLES BY JANET PHELAN:
http://www.activistpost.com/2011/12/human-rights-agency-addresses.html
孟山都公關公司據說已由匿名“終結”
Friday, December 9, 2011
Monsanto PR Firm Reportedly ‘Ended’ by Anonymous
Activist Post
It seems that Monsanto may be having a rough week.
Not only was the company hit by a press release declaring them the worst company of 2011, but a group of Anonymous hackers claim to have actually completely disrupted the operations of a PR firm which manages Monsanto’s own PR.
The hackers infiltrated the PR firm, known as The Bivings Group, citing “15+years of running marketing campaigns and helping some of the most corrupt corporations on the planet, as well as several governmental agencies, cover up their dirt.”
The hackers claimed to have succeeded in bringing down The Bivings Group on December 5th.
Going by information released by Anonymous, Bivings Group shut down all of their servers and liquidated their assets after the infiltration, while former employees moved on to start ‘The Brick Factory’, a new PR firm. The hackers actions are obviously driven by the PR firm’s decision to help run marketing campaigns for corrupt corporations like Monsanto.
One week after the hackers infiltrated their system, The Bivings Group reportedly stated:
Our Cyber Infrastructure has recently been put under attack. We are evaluating the extent of the intrusion, and apologise for any downtime and issues this may cause you. It is not yet determined what the motives behind the attack are, or what, if any data has been compromised. We will continue to keep you up to date, and sicerely apologise for any inconvenience.Are the hackers in the right to take down a firm which helps corrupt corporations, even though done illegally and mischievously?
Sometimes it is hard to see what is wrong and what is right, though it is quite apparent that Monsanto is a corporation with no regard for human health or the planet. This isn’t the only example of resistance against corrupt companies like Monsanto, and it certainly won’t be the last.
Regardless of whether or not the attack will be considered to be in the right by some anti-Monsanto activists, one thing is clear: Monsanto’s own crimes against public health and the environment trump any form of cyber attack in terms of wrongdoing.
RELATED ACTIVIST POST ARTICLE:
Poland Joins Ranks of Grassroots Anti-Monsanto Activism
http://www.activistpost.com/2011/12/monsanto-pr-firm-reportedly-ended-by.html
Monsanto Declared Worst Company of 2011
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NaturalSociety
December 6, 2011
Biotech giant Monsanto has been declared the Worst Company of 2011 by NaturalSociety for threatening both human health and the environment. The leader in genetically modified seeds and crops, Monsanto is currently responsible for 90 percent of the genetically engineered seed on the United States market. Outside of GM seeds, Monsanto is also the creator of the best-selling herbicide Roundup, which has spawned over 120 million hectacres of herbicide-resistant superweeds while damaging much of the soil. Despite hard evidence warning against the amplified usage of genetically modified crops, biopesticides, and herbicides, Monsanto continues to disregard all warning signs.In a powerful review of 19 studies analyzing the dangers of GMO crops such as corn and soybeans, researchers revealed some shocking information regarding the safety of these popular food staples. Researchers found that consumption of GMO corn or soybeans may lead to significant organ disruptions in rats and mice – particularly in the liver and kidneys. This is particularly concerning due to the fact that 93 percent of U.S. soybeans are known to be genetically modified. Ignoring this evidence, Monsanto continues to expand their genetic manipulation.
Monsanto’s Genetic Manipulation of Nature
Outside of genetically modifying crops, Monsanto has also created genetically modified crops containing Bt. Bt is a toxin incorporated in GMO crops that are intended to kill different insects, however Bt usage has subsequently spawned insect populations which are resistant to the biopesticide. After being exposed to Bt, many insect populations actually mutated to resist the biopesticide. So far at least 8 insect populations have developed resistance, with 2 populations resistant to Bt sprays and at least 6 species resistant to Bt crops as a whole. Farmers are therefore forced to use even more pesticides to combat the resistant bugs.
What is the answer to this problem, according to Monsanto? To further genetically modify the Bt crop to make it a super-pesticide, killing the resistant insects.
Tests, however, have concluded that further modified Bt toxin crop provided ‘little or no advantage’ in tackling the insects, despite extensive time and funding put into the research. It seems that Monsanto’s solution to everything is to further modify it into oblivion, even in the face of evidence proving this method to be highly inefficient. The research shows that this will undoubtedly lead to insects that are resistant to the most potent forms of Bt and other modified toxins, resulting in the use of even more excessive amounts of pesticides in order to combat pests.
Superweeds Infesting Over 120 Million Hectacres of Farmland
Thanks to Monsanto’s best-selling herbicide Roundup, farms across the world are experiencing the emergence of herbicide-resistant superweeds. The heavily resistant weeds have an immunity to glyphosate, an herbicide that Roundup contains. These resistant weeds currently cover over 4.5 million hectares in the United States alone, though experts estimate the world-wide land coverage to have reached at least 120 million hectares by 2010. The appearance of these superweeds is being increasingly documented in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Europe and South Africa.Of course, once again, the resistant weeds are so resistant to roundup that they require excessive amounts of herbicides. It is no surprise that the company is refusing to accept responsibility for the escalating cost of combating the weeds, stating that “Roundup agricultural warranties will not cover the failure to control glyphosate resistant weed populations.”
The World Says No to Monsanto
France, Hungary, and Peru are a few of the countries that have decided to take a stand against Monsanto. Hungary actually went as far as to destroy 1000 acres of maize found to have been grown with genetically modified seeds, according to Hungary deputy state secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Lajos Bognar. Peru has also taken a stand for health freedom, passing a monumental 10 year ban on genetically modified foods. Amazingly, Peru’s Plenary Session of the Congress made the decision despite previous governmental pushes for GM legalization. The known and unknown dangers of GMO crops seem to supersede even executive-level governmental directives.Anibal Huerta, President of Peru’s Agrarian Commission, said the ban was needed to prevent the ”danger that can arise from the use of biotechnology.”
France is the latest nation to say no to Monsanto’s GM corn maize, even in light of an overturned ban. It all began when France’s State Council overturned the ban on Monsanto’s GMO maize stating that it was not sufficiently justified. The organization then attempted to justify its decision by saying that the government did not give enough evidence to justify a ban. Under law, an EU country can only unilaterally ban a genetically modified strain if it can scientifically prove it is a risk to the health of humans, animals, or the integrity of the environment.
Even after the ban was overturned, it surfaced that French legislatures were planning to launch new restrictions regarding the use of Monsanto’s 810 maize on French soil. Even Nicolas Sarkozy, the current president of the French Republic, voiced his opposition to Monsanto’s GMO maize:
“The French government keeps and will keep its opposition against the cultivation of the Monsanto 810 maize on our soil,” Sarkozy said.
Worst Company of 2011
In nominating Monsanto the Worst Company of 2011 we are hoping to raise awareness over the threat that Monsanto poses to human health and the environment. Genetically modified organisms will only continue to threaten all living creatures if not stopped. It is through spreading the word that real change will come about, and declaring Monsanto the Worst Company of 2011 is a great way to highlight all of their reckless actions.Explore More:
- Monsanto Worst Company of 2011 Declaration Posted on Reuters, Yahoo, and More
- Monsanto’s Roundup Spawns Superweeds Consuming Over 120 Million Hectares
- Merck vs Monsanto | Fighting for the Worst Company Award
- Flashback: Forbes Magazine Declared Monsanto Company of the Year
- EPA Finds Monsanto’s GMO Corn Ineffective, Creating Resistant Rootworms
(有片)Jesse Ventura: 滅絕人口是一個計劃
I heard of this plan in the late 1970's, then Ronald Reagon was elected president and all of this just went away, Or did it? Anything is possible.
http://beforeitsnews.com/story/1491/769/Jesse_Ventura_:_Depopulation_Is_The_Plan_-_Video.html
http://beforeitsnews.com/story/1491/769/Jesse_Ventura_:_Depopulation_Is_The_Plan_-_Video.html
在月球上的29公里寬的核反應堆：
http://beforeitsnews.com/story/1493/409/ALIEN_BASE_CONFIRMED_INSIDE_MOON_CRATER.html
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