All posts tagged: aim

Tony Blair has taken aim at Keir Starmer – but some of his criticisms apply to New Labour too

Tony Blair has taken aim at Keir Starmer – but some of his criticisms apply to New Labour too

Published by Sam Flores

It is rare for former prime ministers to engage in debates about public policy nearly 20 years after they left office. Other than the most general observations, they tend to avoid interventions. So, when Tony Blair offered 5,700 words of criticism directed at the party he led for 13 years, it was obviously significant. Much – though not all – of his analysis was manifestly aimed at Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Claims in Blair’s essay included Starmer’s apparent lack of vision, his drift over difficult decisions (most obviously welfare reform), his government’s failure to prioritise economic growth, and the absence of a consistent account of what it is actually doing in office. Labour’s time in government has indeed been disappointing for many supporters. And the former prime minister was also critical of the leading contenders to challenge Starmer, Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting. Changing the leadership was, he indicated, a distraction. At the same time, it was hard to know quite what to make of the Blair essay. He covers so much ground and flays …

Erin Brockovich takes aim at data center secrecy

Erin Brockovich takes aim at data center secrecy

Published by skeptic

Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has a new mission: Bringing more transparency to data center construction and the impact those data centers have on nearby communities. Brockovich — who was famously played by Julia Roberts in a film dramatizing her legal case against Pacific Gas & Electric — recently launched a website with a map of data centers across the United States. The website describes the map as “work in progress” that includes data centers reported by members of the surrounding community. In a Substack post, Brockovich said that after putting out a call for reports of data center-related issues in April, she received nearly 4,000 submissions in the first month alone. “The single most common concern — more than noise, more than water usage, more than rising utility bills — is the one word that keeps appearing in submission after submission: transparency,” she wrote. Brockovich added that she’s not making a “making a blanket argument against data centers” or AI, but rather against “the pattern our map documents: projects announced after permits are already secured, …

Aim high but don’t shoot for the moon, mathematicians advise

Aim high but don’t shoot for the moon, mathematicians advise

Published by skeptic

Setting your sights high can lead to bigger rewards – up to a point Buena Vista Images/Getty Images Shoot for the moon and even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars, so the saying goes. But shooting straight for the stars instead might actually be the more effective option, according to mathematicians. In life, people tend to try to be ambitious, yet not overly so, when it comes to pursuing their objectives, such as landing a better job, finding an appropriate partner or achieving political goals. However, quantifying this balance hasn’t been studied in detail, and much research has focused on when people stop looking too soon and aren’t ambitious enough, says Thomas Hills at the University of Warwick, UK. Now, using mathematical models, Matt Burgess at the University of Wyoming and his colleagues have found that the best outcomes for uncertain scenarios typically come from aiming high, but not unrealistically so. “You can prove that the optimal ambition is strictly above average and strictly finite, meaning above average but you don’t shoot for …

Pope Leo XIV takes aim at AI warfare – POLITICO

Pope Leo XIV takes aim at AI warfare – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The encyclical is the pope’s first since his election last year. Emphasizing its significance, the pontiff took the unusual step of presenting it in person, accompanied by Canadian tech billionaire Christopher Olah, a co-founder of AI giant Anthropic. Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his first Encyclical Letter “Magnifica Humanitas” focused on the rise of artificial intelligence, in The Vatican on May 25, 2026. | Alberto Pizzoli/ AFP via Getty Images In his letter to Catholic bishops and faithful around the world, Leo described AI not just as a technological issue, but as a turning point for civilization. The encyclical places particular emphasis on the dangers posed by autonomous weapons systems, algorithmic decision-making and the detachment of human responsibility from acts of war. Leo, who holds a graduate degree in mathematics and once taught physics, does not reject artificial intelligence outright. But his encyclical emphasizes AI must remain subordinate to moral principles and new legal frameworks, ensuring new technologies “truly serve humanity.” “No algorithm can make war morally acceptable,” he wrote, insisting artificial intelligence …

Pope Leo takes aim at big tech in sweeping encyclical on AI : NPR

Pope Leo takes aim at big tech in sweeping encyclical on AI : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his first encyclical, “Magnifica humanitas,” at the the Vatican on May 25, 2026. Alessandra Tarantino/AP hide caption toggle caption Alessandra Tarantino/AP VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Leo XIV took direct aim at the power of Big Tech in his first encyclical on Monday (May 25), warning that artificial intelligence risks widening inequality, weakening democracy and undermining what it means to be human. The document, titled “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), frames AI as the new industrial revolution and makes an appeal to “disarm AI” by removing it from military and economic interests, subjecting AI companies to stricter state and international regulations and inviting the broad participation of individuals and communities in shaping the future of this rapidly developing technology. “Disarming AI means freeing it from the mentality of ‘armed’ competition, which today is not limited simply to the military context, but is also an economic and cognitive phenomenon,” Leo wrote. “Disarming does not mean renouncing technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity,” Pope Leo wrote. “For this reason, merely …

Pupil ‘clustering’ threatens inclusive mainstream aim

Pupil ‘clustering’ threatens inclusive mainstream aim

Published by skeptic

Ministers’ ambition to meet the needs of more pupils in their local mainstream school won’t be met while pupils with SEND continue to be clustered “in a subset of settings”, a report has warned. The National Foundation for Educational Research said the government must monitor the distribution of pupils with SEND across the school system and “prioritise a more even spread across schools” to support the ambition for “local” suitable places. Bridget Phillipson and her team have put making mainstream schools more inclusive at the heart of their SEND reforms. But today’s report casts doubt on that aim, warning pupils with SEND are “unevenly distributed across mainstream schools and that unevenness is growing”. “The white paper’s focus on access to a suitable place in a local school will not be met while pupils with SEND continue to cluster in a subset of settings,” the report said. They said academy trusts and councils “should therefore routinely monitor the distribution of pupils with EHCPs and SEN support across schools within local areas (including in-year movement) and use …

‘People should aim to get a variety’: the pros and cons of popular protein sources | Well actually

‘People should aim to get a variety’: the pros and cons of popular protein sources | Well actually

Published by Sam Flores

Do you think you’re not getting enough protein? Debbie Fetter, an associate professor in nutrition at the University of California, Davis, likes to ask her students this same question. In a lecture hall of more than 500 people, “almost every hand shoots up”, she says. Protein is top of mind for consumers. A 2024 survey of 3,000 Americans suggests most are trying to eat more of it, and research shows that foods labeled “more protein” are especially appealing to consumers. And as consumers become more aware of their intake, they may wonder whether some sources are better than others. “People should aim to get a variety of protein sources in their diet,” says Andrea Glenn, an assistant professor of nutrition at New York University. Here’s how to navigate individual needs and preferences, while getting the nutrients needed for good health. What is protein and why is it important? Protein is essential for building and repairing tissues, and for making enzymes, hormones and disease-fighting antibodies. It is made up of smaller units called amino acids. The …

The Trump admin took aim at _____ this week : NPR

The Trump admin took aim at _____ this week : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

From left: A first lady, a first-place runner and a third King Charles. Chris Jackson/Getty Images; Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images; Chris Jackson/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Chris Jackson/Getty Images; Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images; Chris Jackson/Getty Images This week, the federal government’s been busy. There are paint jobs, fresh indictments, commemorative items and more. If you’ve been paying attention — good job! Source link