Oddball news

[Shammu]

Egyptian paper: Israel-India nuke test caused tsunami  
Joseph Nasr,
THE JERUSALEM POST    
Jan. 6, 2005

The earthquake that struck the Indian Ocean on December 26, triggering a series of huge waves called tsunami, "was possibly" caused by an Indian nuclear experiment in which "Israeli and American nuclear experts participated," an Egyptian weekly magazine reported Thursday.

According to Al-Osboa', India, in its heated nuclear race with Pakistan, has lately received sophisticated nuclear know-how from the United States and Israel, both of which "showed readiness to cooperate with India in experiments to exterminate humankind."

Since 1992, the magazine argued, leading geological centers in Britain, Turkey and other countries, warned of the need "not to hold nuclear experiments in the region of the Indian Ocean known as 'the Fire Belt,' in which the epicenter of the earthquake lies.

Geologists labeled that region 'The Fire Belt' for being "a dangerous terrain that can move at anytime, without human intervention," Al-Osboa' wrote.

Despite warnings not to carry out nuclear experiments in and around the 'Fire Belt', "Israel and India continue to conduct nuclear tests in the Indian Ocean, and the United States has recently decided to carry out similar tests in the Australian deserts, which is included in the 'Fire Belt', the Egyptian weekly magazine wrote.

"Last year only, Arab and Islamic states have asked the United States to stop its nuclear activities in that region, and to urge Israel and India to follow suite," Al-Osboa' reported.

Although Al-Osboa' does not rule out the possibility that the tsunami could have been caused by a natural earthquake it speculates however that, "while it has not been proved yet, there has been a joint Israeli-Indian secret nuclear experiment [conducted on December 26] that caused the earthquake."

The Egyptian weekly magazine concludes in its report that "the exchange of nuclear experts between Israel and India, and US pressure on Pakistan which is exerted by supplying India with state-of-the-art nuclear technology and preventing Islamabad from cooperating with Asian and Islamic states in the nuclear field, pose a big question mark on the causes behind the violent Asian earthquake."

Incitement against Israel and Jews in Egyptian media is usually limited to the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict yet exceptions are known to occur.

In August 2002, the Paris Supreme Court summoned Ibrahim Naafi', editor of the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram, for having authorized the publication of a controversial article entitled 'Jewish matza is made from Arab blood' in the October 28, 2000 edition of the paper.

Naafi' was charged with incitement to anti-Semitism and racist violence.

Blaming someone. <--- click the link  

[Shammu]

South Korea claims world's smartest robot


Photo: AFP
SEOUL (AFP) - South Korean scientists said they had developed the world's smartest robot able to think and learn like a human.

Unveiling their creation, they said the robot that looks like a small teenager wearing a blue and grey space suit was the first wireless network-based human-like robot.

It can become wiser through learning because unlike other robots, the device is linked with an outside computer through a high-speed wireless telecom network, and is able to exchange information with the server and respond quickly to real-life environments.

"This is the first network-based humanoid in the world," said You Bum-Jae of the state-financed Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), introducing the 150-centimeter (60 inches)-high robot weighing 67 kilogrammes (147 pounds).

"We developed this humanoid focusing on intelligence capability by taking advantage of networking technology in which South Korea is strong," he said.

Unlike already-developed humanoids whose intelligence capabilities are largely fixed with built-in circuits, the network-based humanoid relies on its outside server whose capacity can be expanded easily.

Equipped with visual and force sensors, the new robot detects movements and speech, then sends the data to the server for processing and receives directions allowing it to interact with people and the environment.

At the unveiling here, the robot replied to New Year greetings from a TV commentator and shook hands with him.

It can recognize its master, detect and analyze visual and audio signals, and people's movements.

When showed a 10,000 won (10 dollars) bank note, it said: "That's a 10,000 bank note that people would like to have."

When asked about its name, it said: "I am sorry. I don't have a name yet. Please give me one."

Then it waved its hands, saying: "I will see you again next time when I will have become wiser."

Its creators say the new robot's ability to move and walk lags behind that of the ASIMO developed by Honda of Japan. It can walk to and fro and diagonally at a maximum speed of 0.9 kilometers (0.56 miles) per hour while ASIMO is capable of running at a speed of three kilometers per hour.

The new robot is an amalgam of various technologies including those for real-time data transmission, visual, audio and force sensors as well as high-speed processing.

"Aside from enhancing its intelligence, we will make efforts to develop its capability of recognizing objects and handling them," said You of KIST.

"This robot could be used in the future as an assistant at home and offices who is highly intelligent and always ready to serve you."

http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050106/afp/050106112121top.html

I guess if the robot works, a few folks will be out of work.