DARPA February 19, 2019 DARPA has selected five teams of researchers to support PREventing EMerging Pathogenic Threats (PREEMPT), a 3.5-year program first announced in January 2018 to reinforce traditional medical preparedness by containing viral infectious diseases in animal reservoirs and insect vectors before they can threaten humans. The PREEMPT researchers will model how viruses might evolve within animal populations and assess the safety and efficacy of potential interventions. According to the World Health Organization approximately 60 percent of emerging infectious diseases reported globally are zoonoses…read more.
Category Archives: National security
Protecting the Nation from Emerging and Pandemic Infectious Diseases and CBRN Threats
ASPR Blog February 13, 2019 To help protect the nation from emerging and pandemic infectious diseases and CBRN threats, HHS published the 2019-2022 National Health Security Strategy (NHSS) , its quadrennial strategy to prepare and safeguard the nation’s health in times of crisis. A premise behind the report is that all levels of government and private sector partners have important roles to play to improve the nation’s ability to respond to and recover from 21st century threats. To protect the nation more effectively from these emerging threats, HHS will use this whole of government/nation approach to, Deepen interoperability, Support and sustain […]
In the fight against human trafficking, industrial engineers can help
Phys.org February 8, 2019 An estimated 24.9 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking. Although it is notoriously difficult to track, the industry is thought to be worth $150 billion. Researchers at Northeastern University suggest that the same techniques used to model supply chains or plan media campaigns can be adapted to find ways to disrupt trafficking networks or organize support services for survivors different industrial engineering or operations research techniques can be expanded to address human trafficking issues. They are examining factors contributing to potential trafficking across countries and working with U.S. organizations to model the underground networks […]
The giant Chinese companies shaping the world’s industries
Phys.org February 10,019 The merger by Alstom and Siemens was vetoed by the EU on Thursday, but concerns about the overwhelming power of vast, often state-backed Chinese companies is not limited to the rail industry. Here are some of areas in which Chinese companies control a large piece of the global market – Agrichemicals, Energy, Aviation, Food, Drones, Smartphones, Home appliances, Batteries, Freight…read more.
China and Russia could disrupt critical national infrastructure in the US, says intelligence report
MIT Technology Review January 30. 2019 The 42-page report compiled by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence identifies China and Russia as the biggest sources of potential attacks on US infrastructure with the ability to cause disruption for days or even weeks. The review said Russia could carry out cyber-espionage and launch influence campaigns and that is “becoming more adept at using social media to alter how we think, behave, and decide”. It believes Chinese IT firms are being used to spy on the US. It warns that the US’s overall lead in science and technology will continue to shrink. […]
Defenses Against the Biggest Risk We Face
Next Big Future December 9, 2018 One [Open Access] study found the worldwide spread of a serious infectious disease could result in pandemic-related deaths of 700,000 and annual economic losses of $500 billion. The World Health Organization had a scientific report that modeled the impact of a 1918 style flu pandemic in 2018. They estimated that there would still be 20 to 33 million deaths. This took into account modern vaccination, drugs and public health procedures…read more.
Staggering extent of human impact on planet revealed in new report
Science Daily October 31, 2018 The Living Planet Report 2018 , presents a comprehensive overview of the state of our natural world through multiple indicators including the Living Planet Index, which examines trends in global wildlife abundance. It also focuses on the value of nature to people’s health and that of our societies and economies. The top threats to species identified in the report are directly linked to human activities, including habitat loss and degradation and overexploitation of wildlife. WWF is calling on people, businesses and governments to mobilize and deliver on a comprehensive framework agreement for nature and people […]
Research forecasts US among top nations to suffer economic damage from climate change
Science Daily September 24, 2018 An international team of researchers (USA – UC San Diego, Carnegie Institution, Italy) used an innovative approach by combining results from several climate and carbon cycle modeling experiments to capture the magnitude and geographic pattern of warming under different greenhouse gas emission trajectories, and the carbon-cycle and climate system response to carbon emissions. They have developed a data set quantifying what the social cost of carbon — the measure of the economic harm from carbon dioxide emissions — will be for the globe’s nearly 200 countries. The top three counties with the most to lose […]
Earth at risk of heading towards ‘hothouse Earth’ state
Science Daily July 6, 2018 According to a study by an international team of researchers (Sweden, Australia, Denmark, UK, USA – University of Arizona, Stanford, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany) “Hothouse Earth” climate will in the long-term stabilize at a global average of 4-5°C higher than pre-industrial temperatures with sea level 10-60 m higher than today, even if the carbon emission reductions called for in the Paris Agreement are met. Maximizing the chances of avoiding a “Hothouse Earth” requires not only reduction of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions but also enhancement and/or creation of new biological carbon stores, through […]
Flooded internet is possible by 2035
Physics World July 27, 2018 In a study, a team of researchers in the US (University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Oregon) has identified the approach of the flooded internet, caused by worldwide sea level rise. Within 15 years sea water could be lapping over buried fibre-optic cables in New York, Seattle, Miami and other US coastal cities, according to the study. They looked only at the challenges for the US. They calculated that by 2033 an estimated 4000 miles of buried fibre-optic conduit will be under water. More than 1100 traffic hubs – internet exchange points that handle massive quantities […]