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mostlysignssomeportents · 11 months ago

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What kind of bubble is AI?

My latest column for Locus Magazine is "What Kind of Bubble is AI?" All economic bubbles are hugely destructive, but some of them leave behind wreckage that can be salvaged for useful purposes, while others leave nothing behind but ashes:

https://locusmag.com/2023/12/commentary-cory-doctorow-what-kind-of-bubble-is-ai/

Think about some 21st century bubbles. The dotcom bubble was a terrible tragedy, one that drained the coffers of pension funds and other institutional investors and wiped out retail investors who were gulled by Superbowl Ads. But there was a lot left behind after the dotcoms were wiped out: cheap servers, office furniture and space, but far more importantly, a generation of young people who'd been trained as web makers, leaving nontechnical degree programs to learn HTML, perl and python. This created a whole cohort of technologists from non-technical backgrounds, a first in technological history. Many of these people became the vanguard of a more inclusive and humane tech development movement, and they were able to make interesting and useful services and products in an environment where raw materials – compute, bandwidth, space and talent – were available at firesale prices.

Contrast this with the crypto bubble. It, too, destroyed the fortunes of institutional and individual investors through fraud and Superbowl Ads. It, too, lured in nontechnical people to learn esoteric disciplines at investor expense. But apart from a smattering of Rust programmers, the main residue of crypto is bad digital art and worse Austrian economics.

Or think of Worldcom vs Enron. Both bubbles were built on pure fraud, but Enron's fraud left nothing behind but a string of suspicious deaths. By contrast, Worldcom's fraud was a Big Store con that required laying a ton of fiber that is still in the ground to this day, and is being bought and used at pennies on the dollar.

AI is definitely a bubble. As I write in the column, if you fly into SFO and rent a car and drive north to San Francisco or south to Silicon Valley, every single billboard is advertising an "AI" startup, many of which are not even using anything that can be remotely characterized as AI. That's amazing, considering what a meaningless buzzword AI already is.

So which kind of bubble is AI? When it pops, will something useful be left behind, or will it go away altogether? To be sure, there's a legion of technologists who are learning Tensorflow and Pytorch. These nominally open source tools are bound, respectively, to Google and Facebook's AI environments:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/18/openwashing/#you-keep-using-that-word-i-do-not-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means

But if those environments go away, those programming skills become a lot less useful. Live, large-scale Big Tech AI projects are shockingly expensive to run. Some of their costs are fixed – collecting, labeling and processing training data – but the running costs for each query are prodigious. There's a massive primary energy bill for the servers, a nearly as large energy bill for the chillers, and a titanic wage bill for the specialized technical staff involved.

Once investor subsidies dry up, will the real-world, non-hyperbolic applications for AI be enough to cover these running costs? AI applications can be plotted on a 2X2 grid whose axes are "value" (how much customers will pay for them) and "risk tolerance" (how perfect the product needs to be).

Charging teenaged D&D players $10 month for an image generator that creates epic illustrations of their characters fighting monsters is low value and very risk tolerant (teenagers aren't overly worried about six-fingered swordspeople with three pupils in each eye). Charging scammy spamfarms $500/month for a text generator that spits out dull, search-algorithm-pleasing narratives to appear over recipes is likewise low-value and highly risk tolerant (your customer doesn't care if the text is nonsense). Charging visually impaired people $100 month for an app that plays a text-to-speech description of anything they point their cameras at is low-value and moderately risk tolerant ("that's your blue shirt" when it's green is not a big deal, while "the street is safe to cross" when it's not is a much bigger one).

Morganstanley doesn't talk about the trillions the AI industry will be worth some day because of these applications. These are just spinoffs from the main event, a collection of extremely high-value applications. Think of self-driving cars or radiology bots that analyze chest x-rays and characterize masses as cancerous or noncancerous.

These are high value – but only if they are also risk-tolerant. The pitch for self-driving cars is "fire most drivers and replace them with 'humans in the loop' who intervene at critical junctures." That's the risk-tolerant version of self-driving cars, and it's a failure. More than $100b has been incinerated chasing self-driving cars, and cars are nowhere near driving themselves:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/09/herbies-revenge/#100-billion-here-100-billion-there-pretty-soon-youre-talking-real-money

Quite the reverse, in fact. Cruise was just forced to quit the field after one of their cars maimed a woman – a pedestrian who had not opted into being part of a high-risk AI experiment – and dragged her body 20 feet through the streets of San Francisco. Afterwards, it emerged that Cruise had replaced the single low-waged driver who would normally be paid to operate a taxi with 1.5 high-waged skilled technicians who remotely oversaw each of its vehicles:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/03/technology/cruise-general-motors-self-driving-cars.html

The self-driving pitch isn't that your car will correct your own human errors (like an alarm that sounds when you activate your turn signal while someone is in your blind-spot). Self-driving isn't about using automation to augment human skill – it's about replacing humans. There's no business case for spending hundreds of billions on better safety systems for cars (there's a human case for it, though!). The only way the price-tag justifies itself is if paid drivers can be fired and replaced with software that costs less than their wages.

What about radiologists? Radiologists certainly make mistakes from time to time, and if there's a computer vision system that makes different mistakes than the sort that humans make, they could be a cheap way of generating second opinions that trigger re-examination by a human radiologist. But no AI investor thinks their return will come from selling hospitals that reduce the number of X-rays each radiologist processes every day, as a second-opinion-generating system would. Rather, the value of AI radiologists comes from firing most of your human radiologists and replacing them with software whose judgments are cursorily double-checked by a human whose "automation blindness" will turn them into an OK-button-mashing automaton:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/23/automation-blindness/#humans-in-the-loop

The profit-generating pitch for high-value AI applications lies in creating "reverse centaurs": humans who serve as appendages for automation that operates at a speed and scale that is unrelated to the capacity or needs of the worker:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/04/17/revenge-of-the-chickenized-reverse-centaurs/

But unless these high-value applications are intrinsically risk-tolerant, they are poor candidates for automation. Cruise was able to nonconsensually enlist the population of San Francisco in an experimental murderbot development program thanks to the vast sums of money sloshing around the industry. Some of this money funds the inevitabilist narrative that self-driving cars are coming, it's only a matter of when, not if, and so SF had better get in the autonomous vehicle or get run over by the forces of history.

Once the bubble pops (all bubbles pop), AI applications will have to rise or fall on their actual merits, not their promise. The odds are stacked against the long-term survival of high-value, risk-intolerant AI applications.

The problem for AI is that while there are a lot of risk-tolerant applications, they're almost all low-value; while nearly all the high-value applications are risk-intolerant. Once AI has to be profitable – once investors withdraw their subsidies from money-losing ventures – the risk-tolerant applications need to be sufficient to run those tremendously expensive servers in those brutally expensive data-centers tended by exceptionally expensive technical workers.

If they aren't, then the business case for running those servers goes away, and so do the servers – and so do all those risk-tolerant, low-value applications. It doesn't matter if helping blind people make sense of their surroundings is socially beneficial. It doesn't matter if teenaged gamers love their epic character art. It doesn't even matter how horny scammers are for generating AI nonsense SEO websites:

https://twitter.com/jakezward/status/1728032634037567509

These applications are all riding on the coattails of the big AI models that are being built and operated at a loss in order to be profitable. If they remain unprofitable long enough, the private sector will no longer pay to operate them.

Now, there are smaller models, models that stand alone and run on commodity hardware. These would persist even after the AI bubble bursts, because most of their costs are setup costs that have already been borne by the well-funded companies who created them. These models are limited, of course, though the communities that have formed around them have pushed those limits in surprising ways, far beyond their original manufacturers' beliefs about their capacity. These communities will continue to push those limits for as long as they find the models useful.

These standalone, "toy" models are derived from the big models, though. When the AI bubble bursts and the private sector no longer subsidizes mass-scale model creation, it will cease to spin out more sophisticated models that run on commodity hardware (it's possible that Federated learning and other techniques for spreading out the work of making large-scale models will fill the gap).

So what kind of bubble is the AI bubble? What will we salvage from its wreckage? Perhaps the communities who've invested in becoming experts in Pytorch and Tensorflow will wrestle them away from their corporate masters and make them generally useful. Certainly, a lot of people will have gained skills in applying statistical techniques.

But there will also be a lot of unsalvageable wreckage. As big AI models get integrated into the processes of the productive economy, AI becomes a source of systemic risk. The only thing worse than having an automated process that is rendered dangerous or erratic based on AI integration is to have that process fail entirely because the AI suddenly disappeared, a collapse that is too precipitous for former AI customers to engineer a soft landing for their systems.

This is a blind spot in our policymakers debates about AI. The smart policymakers are asking questions about fairness, algorithmic bias, and fraud. The foolish policymakers are ensnared in fantasies about "AI safety," AKA "Will the chatbot become a superintelligence that turns the whole human race into paperclips?"

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/27/10-types-of-people/#taking-up-a-lot-of-space

But no one is asking, "What will we do if" – when – "the AI bubble pops and most of this stuff disappears overnight?"

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/19/bubblenomics/#pop

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

tom_bullock (modified) https://www.flickr.com/photos/tombullock/25173469495/

CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

#pluralistic #ai #economics #business #hype #bubbles #bubblenomics #residue

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croziers-compass · 11 months ago

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George Henry Hodgson of the HMS Terror A Historical Recount, collection, and documentation of Lt. Hodgson's Life

Birth Record

When George Henry Hodgson was born on January 25, 1817, in London, London, England, his father, Robert, was 43 and his mother, Mary, was 39. He had one sister. He died in 1848 at the age of 31.

Henrietta Mildred Hodgson (only Sibling)

George Hodgson's Sister's Life and Death (Lefthand Side) A Portrait of Her here: ⚓

⚓ George Henry Hodgson was an English Royal Navy officer and polar explorer. He fought in the First Opium War (1839-1842) where he distinguished himself in combat. He later served under Captain Francis Crozier as Second Lieutenant aboard HMS Terror on the 1845 Franklin Expedition, which sought to chart unexplored areas of the Canadian Arctic, find the Northwest Passage, and carry out scientific observations.

Found in: A naval biographical dictionary: comprising the life and services of every living officer in Her Majesty's navy, from the rank of admiral of the fleet to that of lieutenant, inclusive. - O'Byrne, William R., 1823-1896

Previous Services Aboard the HMS Excellent

Muster Roll

George Henry Hodgson Lt. Record (links to my google drive)

Arctic Medal 1818-1855

All Officers and men of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines

Digital Memorial

I hope you have all enjoyed this lovely journey through records and materials relating to Lt. George Henry Hodgson. Admittedly there is very little substance here but I am more than happy with what I have procured. I hope it satisfies you as well.

#george hodgson #the terror #naval artifacts #naval history #franklin expedition #polar exploration #arctic exploration

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beardedmrbean · 6 months ago

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A White history teacher accused a California teachers union of discriminating against him on the basis of his skin color and called the move "disgusting."

Isaac Newman, a teacher in the Elk Grove School District, on Friday filed a federal lawsuit against his local National Education Association affiliate for allegedly violating his Title VII civil rights. The suit alleged that the Elk Grove Education Association formed a seat on its executive board that was only available to candidates of color, meaning Newman wasn't eligible.

"It's disgusting, and that's why I'm suing," he told Fox News Digital in an interview.

"My union barred me from a leadership position simply because of the color of my skin," he said, discussing the suit. "I'm prohibited from running for a leadership position simply because of my race. This kind of racial litmus test is illegal, and it's un-American, and that's why I'm taking them to court."

In 2023, Elk Grove Education Association officials voted to create a "BIPOC At-Large" seat on its executive board, a position limited only to people who "self-identify" as "African American (Black), Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawai’ian, Pacific Islander, Latino (including Puerto Rican), Asian, Arab, and Middle Eastern," according to the suit.

"Plaintiff Isaac Newman is a white [EGEA] member who wants to run for union office to address the District’s recent adoption of what he believes to be aggressive and unnecessary Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) policies," reads the lawsuit, filed by The Fairness Center, a legal group focused on representing "those hurt by public-sector union officials."

The suit asked the court to "declare the BIPOC Position unlawful" and prevent the union "from creating any similar positions in the future where candidate eligibility is, in whole or in part, based on race."

Newman said the alleged discrimination was "frightening," as was the prevalence of critical race theory in society's culture.

"I'm actually really frightened for my children," he said, "when we look to a future where people are being taught [critical race theory]."

Newman believes that DEI ideology pushes hostile messages that focus on a person's skin color as opposed to their expertise and knowledge.

"The message there is that as a White teacher in a district that is very diverse, my students can't learn from me," he said. "It's abhorrent, and it's flatly wrong."

Newman told Fox News Digital that after disagreeing with the union pushing "aggressive" DEI agendas in the district, he decided to run for an executive seat to challenge the status quo.

"I'm looking to see my district and union back away from this fantastically toxic ideology, back away from DEI and embrace merit and individuality," he said. "I'm hoping to see that other teachers, other people in similar organizations, will stand up."

Newman said he was not alone in his opposition to DEI in school districts.

"Most people who think like me are unwilling to speak up," he said. "There are a lot of teachers [who are silent], and it's not really a conservative or liberal thing."

"There are a lot of teachers who recognize that meritocracy, colorblindness are at the core of good teaching," Newman added. "What's shocking is in these DEI trainings, they actually call out colorblindness and meritocracy as racist myths. And of course, if you're dedicated to that, well, then you're going to have division, and you're going to have mediocrity."

Fox News Digital reached out to the Elk Grove union for comment.

"Teachers’ unions don’t get a pass from laws that prohibit racial discrimination," said Fairness Center President and general counsel Nathan McGrath. "The Civil Rights Act explicitly forbids unions from discriminating based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin and from segregating members based on these attributes."

#nunyas news #welcome to equality #getting sued for discrimination

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queersilcozine · 1 year ago

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[Image ID: a set of 4 images, all with a black background and golden art deco graphics in the four corners. The first one features an altered screenshot from Arcane - Silco sitting in his office with his profile to the camera. Behind him is the large circular window. An inclusive LGBTQ flag is superimposed behind the window and colourful rays of the rainbow spread over the image in low opacity. Golden text in an art deco font reads: OUR VISION. The rest of the images feature white art deco font text that read the text featured in full below. The last image features the SILCO QUEER ZINE logo in gold and rainbow colours and art deco font on the bottom centre. /end if ID]

FULL TEXT:

OUR VISION

Transgender rights activist Mara Keisling tells us that the most important thing any queer person can do is tell their story.

For decades, zines have acted as vehicles of awareness and engagement within niche subcultures and marginalized communities, amplifying voices spoken over or absent altogether from more mainstream publications. Even today – in a time when many such self-published projects have expanded beyond their printed roots and into the frontiers of the modern, digitized landscape – zines remain an important and accessible form of activism, expression, and self-definition.

To make a zine, therefore, is to take ownership of our own narratives, to seek connection with each other and with our world, and to pay modest homage to those who came before us.

So – let’s make a zine.

This month, we are opening applications for contributors to the maiden voyage of the Queer Silco Zine; and would like to invite the Arcane fan community to join us at the figurative table. Together, we aim to create a feast of unabashed queer existence, using the character of Silco as the lens of our collective thematic focus.

The goal of this project is not to limit or rigidly define the meaning of the term 'queer'; nor will we profess, or even foolishly aim, to document every possible nuance nested beneath the broad umbrella of queer identities and experiences. Rather, the Queer Silco Zine is a passion project by and for queers – as well as by and for the people who love us – simply to share our space, tell our stories, and pay tribute to the vibrance and variety of our queer lives. While we can’t hope to portray every facet of our community’s collective experiences, we hope at least that others will see pieces of themselves reflected in the finished zine’s pages.

We hope too that that will be as valuable to them as it is to us.

Silence is death; and to exist proudly is to resist loudly. We believe that, in sharing community, we persevere and thrive -- brothers and sisters (and siblings) back to back against everything the world throws at us.

#arcane #silco #silco arcane #silco fanart #silco fanfic #silco league of legends #lgbtq #lesbian #gay #bisexual #trans #queer #aromantic #asexual #nonbinary #zine

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usafphantom2 · 4 months ago

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USAF Should Look At China’s Future Multi-Crew Fighter Model For F-15EX

The F-15EX's currently empty rear cockpit needs to be taken advantage of by adding a new kind of second crewmen, an Air Mission Commanding Officer.

Major Joshua “Soup” Campbell Posted on Jul 25, 2024 11:24 AM EDT Edited By Tyler Rogoway

F-15EX and J16, both two seaters, but one uses the second crewman in a different capacity than the traditional weapon system officer role.

PLA/USAF

Amidst strategic shifts in its force posture, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) faces pivotal decisions on the deployment of its next-generation fighter fleet. With plans to retire aging F-15C/D Eagles and scale back F-15E Strike Eagle operations, the USAF is poised to integrate a limited number of F-15EX Eagle IIs into the fleet. Yet, while the F-15EX boasts advancements as an evolution of the F-15E Strike Eagle family of fighters, current strategies overlook the aircraft’s rear cockpit potential.

The first F-15EX Eagle II delivered to the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing, the first operational unit to receive the type, touches down in Portland in June 2024. 142nd Wing/Oregon Air National Guard

Meanwhile, the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) advocates for multi-seat configurations to manage data-rich combat environments effectively. USAF plans, on the other hand, currently exclude utilizing the F-15EX’s rear cockpit, limiting its role to air-to-air missions and possibly limited air-to-ground missions sometime in the future.

In this era of transformative air combat, as the PLAAF pioneers new operational concepts with multi-seat fighters, the USAF stands at a crossroads, balancing legacy strategies with the imperative for adaptive, integrated command and control of unmanned systems and network-centric operations. With the F-15EX, however, the USAF has an opportunity to lead the way regarding future air combat by fully embracing the Eagle II’s two-crew capability.

The Eagle II Opportunity

With the pending divestment of the F-15C/D and reduction of the F-15E inventory, the USAF has committed to purchasing a relatively small number of F-15EXs to replace the F-15C/D in Japan, as well as at three National Guard bases with units tasked with U.S. homeland defense. The Eagle II, however, evolved from the Strike Eagle and subsequent F-15 derivatives, is capable of far more than what the legacy Eagle fleet previously provided to combatant commanders.

Given its modernized sensors, self-protection suite, fiber optics, future integration of an open mission system and digital open architecture backbone, more powerful engines, increased computing capabilities, and the inclusion of a rear fully-missionized cockpit, the F-15EX represents a significant advancement over both the F-15C/D and F-15E. Yet, current operational plans do not involve taking advantage of the rear cockpit, leaving it empty and unused, assigning the F-15EX to perform long-range and medium-range air-to-air only missions with minimal expansions into other missions sets the F-15EX is purpose-built to fulfill.

From left to right, an F-15C, an F-15E, and an F-15EX. USAF

The evolving character of air combat, however, demands that platforms do more amongst the growing complexity of high-end warfare. When considering the future of air combat, which places information at center stage in a high-end conflict, failing to utilize the rear cockpit would be a missed opportunity to expand future roles and responsibilities of the F-15EX, disregarding the investment that already exists in the aircraft’s capabilities.

By contrast, People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) assessments of the anticipated complexities of forthcoming high-end combat environments have led them to identify multi-seat, multi-role configurations as critical to operations.

Available information suggests that the PLAAF believes an additional operator offers the potential for more effective interpretation and utilization of the vast sensory data that could overwhelm the cognitive and processing capacities of a single individual, particularly in the future of contested air combat environments. Having made this assessment, the PLAAF is now moving forward in developing operational concepts for how best to employ multiple operators in a single tactical aircraft, like the J-16 and the two-seat J-20S variant (also referred to variously as the J-20B and J-20AS), beyond their traditional roles. The USAF could benefit from adopting a multi-operator approach like the PLAAF’s with the F-15EX.

A picture of a two-seat J-20 during testing. Chinese internet

Information Saturation

Any future high-end conflict will produce vast amounts of data that need processing. Both the U.S. military and PLA continue to develop robust integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) networks to facilitate combat operations and support long-range kill chains. As such, sensors within the land, sea, air, and space domains will provide more data than can be consumed by human operators to process — and make accurate — real-time tactical and operational decisions. Due to the rapidly changing environments in a future contest, these decisions will need to be made quickly and potentially at the forward edge of the battlespace.

In an anticipated information-saturated environment, the USAF advocates for the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-to-human collaboration to alleviate the workload and cognitive demands on operators. While the incorporation of AI may process and distill information to provide operators with pertinent data, a saturated, complex combat environment full of adversary ships, aircraft, and coastal defenses employing deception and denial tactics will still likely result in an overwhelming influx of information for operators to process, leading to task saturation. Performing a multitude of missions and tasks — including controlling collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) and managing other aircraft in formation — all the while making air-to-air and air-to-ground engagement decisions within a contested, degraded, and operationally limited (CDO-L) environment will challenge and could exacerbate cognitive processes for both humans and their AI agents. The PLAAF, on the other hand, seems to be intent on leveraging AI integration with more human operators, not less.

Public Domain

Moving Beyond Traditional Roles

A recent article published in January 2024 by Chinese state-owned outlet Ta Kung Pao Online in Hong Kong, titled “J-16 Leads the Air Force Aircraft Fleet in Preparations for Future Air Battles,” sheds light on the evolving role of the J-16 back-seater and its implications for the future role of the J-20S back-seater. The article outlines the traditional division of responsibilities between front-seat and back-seat operators in the J-16. It also underscores how, due to evolving characteristics of air warfare, the role of the backseat operator has evolved as combat has evolved, informing future J-20S operations.

A Chinese J-16. Japan Ministry of Defense A stock picture of a Chinese J-16. Japan Ministry of Defense

According to the article, the J-16 stands out as the primary two-seat fighter in the PLAAF’s combat air force. While the two-seat Su-30 Flanker exists in the PLAAF’s inventory, its fleet is smaller in size, whereas the J-16 contains more advanced avionics and is in continued domestic production exceeding 245 aircraft, leaving the PLAAF to rely heavily on the J-16 and its more advanced capabilities.

A Chinese Su-30MKK Flanker. Dmitriy Pichugin A stock picture of a Chinese Su-30MKK Flanker. Dmitriy Pichugin

Equipped with asymmetric, outsized weapons that don’t fit in the J-20’s weapons bay, the J-16 provides a broad array of operational capabilities, making it a versatile asset in various scenarios. Similar to the F-15E, the J-16 conducts long-range air-to-air engagements and attacks on ground and maritime targets where the back-seater serves as a weapons controller responsible for employing different types of weapons. The PLAAF, however, is beginning to adapt the J-16 to the expected information-dominated combat environment and evolving manned-unmanned teaming by developing new roles and responsibilities for the aircraft and its operators.

Information-Dominated Combat Environment

In the context of the evolving landscape of networked and unmanned warfare, contemporary air combat will incorporate a multitude of systems where all combat elements are interconnected with vast amounts of information. Through data transmission and intelligence-sharing platforms, collaborative operations based on interconnected systems have become the predominant operational model, with the J-16 capable of assuming the central command role for entire formations. According to the Ta Kung Pao article, the J-16 back-seater, in this new environment, evolves from simply a “weapon controller” into an “air mission commanding officer.”

A close-up look at the pilot and the back-seater in a Chinese J-16. China Military Online/Liu Chang and Liu Yinghu

With this new evolution, the air mission commanding officer (AMCO) encompasses multiple roles and responsibilities in a high-tech conflict that includes overseeing air-to-surface weaponry, managing and disseminating multi-platform intelligence, and issuing operational directives. While this may seem similar to the USAF’s airborne Forward Air Controller-Airborne (FAC[A]), there appear to be differences in employment concepts between the PLAAF’s AMCO and the USAF’s FAC(A), particularly regarding the operational environments with which they are utilized.

Primarily employed in close air support (CAS) or strike coordination and reconnaissance (SCAR) missions, the FAC(A) is the airborne version of a joint terminal air controller (JTAC) in which both can nominate and mark targets, deconflict airspace, relay critical ground schemes of maneuver, and authorize airstrikes. The PLAAF’s AMCO, however, seems to focus on roles and responsibilities that leverage the PLA’s sensing network in a contested air interdiction environment.

Utilizing the PLA’s expanding sensing network to build situational awareness in the battlespace, the J-16 back-seater, assuming the AMCO role and plugged into the sensing network, is intended to direct coordinated efforts among various aircraft, in conjunction with ground and naval units, to execute comprehensive aerial attacks. Additionally, the back-seater’s role is to command and coordinate multiple drones acting as ‘loyal wingmen’ with the intent to amplify combat effectiveness through combined manned and unmanned operations.

Whether or not the PLAAF is actually proficient with this type of force package integration in a high-end combat environment remains to be seen. There is a distinct possibility that the PLAAF is overstating its capabilities in such an environment and much of this training is nascent or scripted, or this is the aspirational plan for future operations. However, the article points to recent footage from state-run CCTV that claims to showcase joint exercises involving GJ-2 drones under the command of J-16s enabling swarm attacks. Analysts, however, suggest that the articles and CCTV coverage of these events do not match reality given current PLAAF capabilities and likely reflect a desire for future capability. But while the PLAAF may be unable to conduct the defined roles and responsibilities of the AMCO in the current state, the PLAAF continues to move forward in preparing its endeavors. More importantly, however, the J-16’s implementation of an AMCO also serves as a testbed for future two-seat J-20S operations.

While the J-20S may lack the payload capacity of the J-16, the PLAAF anticipates that “stealth, high-speed, and advanced situational awareness” allow the J-20S to “penetrate enemy territory, gain air superiority,” and subsequently assume command over trailing aircraft like J-16s and J-10Cs. Moreover, the J-20S, like the J-16, will be able to coordinate and control CCAs to compensate for its magazine depth and weapons limitations, a task overseen by the AMCO in the rear cockpit.

Drawing parallels from the expanding roles of J-16 and J-20S back-seaters, incorporating a Weapon System Officer (WSO) into the F-15EX’s rear cockpit would expand its capabilities and enhance the lethality of USAF strike packages. With the advent of large, integrated sensing networks providing a vast amount of data, an F-15EX WSO, assuming a role similar to an AMCO, can coordinate and direct fires, provide mission-critical intelligence in the midst of mission execution to other platforms in a strike package, pass information of evolving situations between pulsed operations, and even coordinate with various naval or ground forces.

As highlighted in this picture, a two-person crew did fly the first F-15EX jet to Portland in June 2024. Oregon National Guard

Additionally, the F-15EX’s weapons array integration, including outsized weapons, allows it to perform an array of missions already being fulfilled by the F-15E, which includes long-range air interdiction. Moreover, it can be deployed to other environments in the event of horizontal escalation or low- to medium-tier conflicts, providing global firepower reach against smaller, maligned nation-states while still providing key capabilities in the high-end fight. Furthermore, the lack of stealth allows the F-15EX the ability to carry highly specialized pods that stealth assets simply can’t, or won’t, carry. Advanced pods can provide many warfighting-enhancing capabilities, from communications to sensing, electronic warfare, network redundancy, and edge computing.

A US Air Force F-15C Eagle carrying an infrared search and track (IRST) pod. This is one of many specialized podded capabilities members of the F-15 family, including the F-15EX, can carry. USAF

Finally, an F-15EX WSO can oversee the employment of groups of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) or swarms of other drones.

CCAs, AI, and Command and Control

Both the USAF and PLAAF view CCAs as a way of generating cost-effective mass. The intent is to augment attack formations with low-cost, AI-infused robotic wingmen to increase capabilities in the realm of firepower, sensing, electronic warfare, communications, and other capabilities that manned aircraft bring to the fight. Though both air forces promote heavy reliance on AI in CCAs, AI currently lacks intuition and the ability to infer information in a complex CDO-L combat environment that it is not accustomed to and lacks the ability to break from its given prescribed parameters to adapt. It is therefore expected that some level of human-to-machine interaction between manned aircraft and CCAs will be required to make decisions in a combat environment for some time. Due to the anticipated human interaction with CCAs, the PLAAF foresees multi-seat fighter platforms as an operational requirement.

In a document titled “Study on the Combined Manned Aircraft/UAV in Air Operations,” published around 2021 by Wang Danjing and Liu Ying of the Department of Combined Tactics Air Force Command College in Beijing, the discussion of command and control of CCAs described the task intensive nature of managing combat operations and CCAs simultaneously. When deciding the optimal manned-to-unmanned mixed formation characteristics, task management and cognitive performance were at the forefront of the author’s conclusion that the ideal formation to employ CCAs consists of pairing a two-seat aircraft with a single-seat aircraft.

Wang and Liu note that “U.S. scientists show that there is a nonlinear relationship between a person’s workload and work performance,” suggesting that adding management of CCAs to a pilot’s tasks could impact performance. The authors conclude that “the manned aircraft formation scope is better as a two-aircraft formation, with one being a two-seat aircraft tasked with tactical control of the UAVs, while the other is a single-seat aircraft tasked with executing the task of standing guard and attacking.”

While USAF tactics will almost definitely differ from the PLAAF’s regarding CCAs, utilizing an extra body in the backseat of the F-15EX can enhance the employment of CCAs, allowing the front-seat pilot to focus on other tasks or coordinate various functions in a combat setting.

Moreover, it is expected that CCAs will not always launch with their manned platforms to conduct missions in an Agile Combat Employment (ACE) scheme of maneuver or disparate basing environment like in the Pacific. Positioned between forward assets and bases, an F-15EX could take command of CCAs and transfer to forward fighter platforms or launch or recovery locations.

Take Aways

Although the U.S. military typically does not examine adversary strategy, operations, and tactics with the intention of replicating them, it is crucial to recognize the strengths of developing adversary capabilities and evaluate how they align with U.S. military operational principles.

Given the information provided above, it is imperative for the USAF to recognize and address the limitations of human cognition in future information-intensive environments and consider deploying additional operators to process the vast data available and manage new cognitive demands and new responsibilities like CCAs in a high-tech warzone. The PLAAF’s ambitious approach to utilizing its two-seat J-16 and J-20S platforms in complex, high-end combat environments may provide insights into how to maximize the F-15EX’s enhanced capabilities by incorporating a back-seater.

Similar to how the PLAAF intends to use the J-16 to cooperate with other fighter platforms, C2ISR platforms, and its kill-web to employ its outsized weapons, the F-15EX provides the range, payload, and sensors to do the same for the USAF. Additionally, with its fully missionized rear cockpit and large-area display, the F-15EX is capable of doing everything the multi-seat F-15E can do, and more.

The F-15EX’s fully missionized rear cockpit allows a WSO to conduct a multitude of mission-related functions, freeing the pilot to focus on other tasks at hand. Incorporating a WSO in the F-15EX would thus harness the intended capabilities the F-15EX is designed for. With no one in the rear cockpit, however, the F-15EX’s potential expansion of roles and responsibilities and overall effectiveness cannot be realized, leaving the Air Force unable to capitalize on the investment that is already paid for with each aircraft rolling off the line.

With every new set of roles, responsibilities, and mission expansion, however, comes new training requirements. For the F-15EX to adopt similar roles and responsibilities of the AMCO, the F-15E training pipeline can leverage existing training plans either by restructuring F-15E training flights that develop these specific tasks or by creating a new AMCO training pipeline in concert with the F-15EX syllabus being constructed to prepare future Eagle II pilots. Taking qualified F-15E WSO instructors into an AMCO pipeline that runs in concert with the F-15EX syllabus, the Air Force can fully realize a cohesive multi-seat aircraft ready for the high-end environment.

Unfortunately, however, the USAF has chosen to focus the utilization of the F-15EX on a single mission: long-range air-to-air. While capable of conducting close air support (CAS), combat search and rescue (CSAR), long- and medium-range air interdiction, maritime air interdiction, defensive counter-air, suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), and more, leaving the rear cockpit empty in this high-tech piece of machinery and conducting only long-range air-to-air engagements leaves all this potential capability on the table.

USAF

Equipped with outsized, long-range weapons and specialized pods, and the ability to command CCAs and swarms of other drones while directing combat fires and disseminating multi-platform intelligence from a multi-crew platform, the F-15EX offers a broader spectrum of capabilities beyond solely engaging in long-range air-to-air combat. Additionally, much of the necessary technology for these functions is already integrated into the aircraft.

For these reasons, it is imperative that the Air Force not let preconceived notions of traditional roles and responsibilities obstruct decision-making concerning the future of air warfare and the potential evolution of roles and responsibilities.

The character of warfare is evolving, necessitating the utilization of both machinery and personnel in innovative ways that align with the changing environment. The multi-operator platform direction currently pursued by the PLAAF yields operational insights worthy of consideration by USAF planners for the near- and mid-term, even as the USAF continues to develop advanced AI solutions for the long term.

Major Joshua “Soup” Campbell is an F-15E Weapon System Officer (WSO) and graduate of the distinguished USAF Weapon School with 1,500 hours in the F-15E which includes 630 combat hours. He spent the last year as a Fellow at the USAF’s China Aerospace Studies Institute with a strategic and operational focus. He is currently attending Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies through the Department of Defense’s Strategic Thinker’s Program. He has worked in a variety of capacities at both the squadron level and MAJCOM staff positions.

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sonetra-keth · 4 years ago

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SMART CITY

A Smart City is an urban development concept that integrates information and communication technology (ICT) and various Internet of Things (IoT) devices to enhance residents' quality of life, improve urban services, and optimize resource efficiency. It is an urbanization that uses innovative technology to enhance community services and economic opportunities, improve city infrastructure, reduce costs and resource consumption, and increase civic engagement. Smart Cities leverage data and technology to address urban challenges and create sustainable, connected, and efficient urban environments.

A smart city is an urban area that uses digital technologies to improve the quality of life for its citizens, promote economic growth, and foster sustainable development:

Uses technology: Smart cities use technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics to collect and analyze real-time data.

Improves services: Smart cities use technology to improve services like transportation, water supply, waste disposal, and building lighting and heating.

Enhances the urban environment: Smart cities use technology to create safer public spaces and meet the needs of an aging population.

Promotes economic growth: Smart cities use technology to optimize city functions and promote economic development.

Improves quality of life: Smart cities use technology to improve the quality of life for citizens.

Fosters sustainable development: Smart cities use technology to reduce emissions and improve resource use.

IEEE Standards Help Enable Smart City Technologies for Humanity

As cities transform into vibrant centers of technology and creativity, the vertical skyline emerges as an innovative solution to urban issues. This architectural breakthrough changes our perception of space and relationship with the environment. High-rise buildings featuring green terraces and solar panels create a sustainable landscape within concrete jungles. The vertical skyline signifies the blend of nature and technology, with smart structures using sensor-driven systems to enhance energy efficiency and residents' quality of life. Vertical gardens boost air purification and provide peaceful retreats from city life. In this advanced setting, commuting is revolutionized with high-speed elevators and sky bridges, while drones deliver goods, reducing traffic. Community is essential in the vertical skyline, as shared spaces encourage social bonds. Rooftop parks and communal amenities foster relationships and inclusivity in urban planning, ensuring accessibility for all. As we move toward this vision, we must balance innovation with preserving cultural identity and incorporating local art and history into the design. Ultimately, the vertical skyline embodies a forward-thinking approach to building livable, sustainable, and interconnected urban environments, merging the natural world with the urban experience. As we ascend these high-rise structures, we find not only homes and offices but also spaces dedicated to fostering biodiversity. Rooftop gardens and vertical farms contribute to local food production, reducing the carbon footprint associated with transportation while promoting a farm-to-table ethos within the heart of the city.

The integration of smart technologies enhances waste management and resource efficiency, featuring innovations like composting systems and rainwater harvesting that support sustainability initiatives. Additionally, the use of recycled materials in construction reflects a commitment to minimizing environmental impact, allowing cities to evolve without compromising our planet’s future.

Amidst this growth, we recognize the significance of community-driven initiatives that empower residents to participate in urban design. Initiatives that involve local stakeholders ensure that the vertical skyline is not merely a place for habitation but a thriving hub of creativity and collaboration. Public art projects and cultural programming can transform shared spaces into vibrant canvases for expression, reflecting the diverse narratives that shape urban identity.

As we envision this future, we must also address potential challenges, from incorporating affordable housing in these vertical developments to ensuring that technological advancements do not widen the gap between socioeconomic classes. Engagement with diverse voices throughout the planning and implementation processes is vital, resulting in inclusive designs that prioritize equity and accessibility.

This harmonious ecosystem of the vertical skyline fosters resilience against climate change by incorporating nature-based solutions that mitigate urban heat island effects and enhance urban drainage systems. As walls dissolve between urban living and nature, cities can pivot towards models of regeneration rather than mere consumption.

In summary, the vertical skyline represents a holistic vision of urban life—one where innovation, community, sustainability, and culture intersect seamlessly. As we embrace this transformative journey, let us champion a future where vertical living celebrates the past while propelling us forward, crafting cities that are not only habitable but also vibrant and alive.

Key components of a Smart City include:

Smart Infrastructure

Digital Connectivity

Data Analytics

Smart Governance

Sustainable Development

Procedure to Achieve Smart City:

Vision and Strategy

Stakeholder Engagement

Policy and Regulatory Framework

Infrastructure Investment

Pilot Projects

Sonetra KETH (កេត សុនេត្រា) Architectural Manager/Project Manager/BIM Director RMIT University Vietnam + Institute of Technology of Cambodia

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applythaivisa · 5 days ago

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Thailand SMART Visa

Thailand's SMART Visa is a long-term residency visa designed to attract highly skilled professionals, investors, and entrepreneurs to contribute to the country's economic growth. This innovative visa program offers numerous benefits and streamlined processes for foreign talent seeking opportunities in Thailand's thriving industries.

Key Benefits of the SMART Visa

Extended Stay: SMART Visa holders can obtain a maximum of a 4-year stay permit.

Work Permit Exemption: No need for a separate work permit, simplifying the process for foreign professionals.

Family Inclusion: Eligible dependents can also obtain visas to reside in Thailand.

Fast-Track Immigration: Streamlined immigration procedures and expedited visa processing.

Access to Government Support: Opportunities for collaboration with Thai government agencies and institutions.

Tax Incentives: Potential tax benefits and incentives for certain categories of visa holders.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for a SMART Visa, applicants must meet specific criteria, including:

High-Skilled Professionals: Possessing advanced skills and expertise in targeted industries such as technology, healthcare, and engineering.

Investors: Investing a significant amount in Thai businesses or government-approved projects.

Entrepreneurs: Launching innovative startups or businesses in Thailand.

Targeted Industries

The SMART Visa program focuses on industries that align with Thailand's economic development goals, such as:

Technology: Artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital innovation.

Healthcare: Medical technology, biotechnology, and healthcare services.

Automotive: Electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and automotive components.

Aviation and Logistics: Aerospace engineering, logistics, and supply chain management.

Agriculture and Biotechnology: Sustainable agriculture, food technology, and biofuels.

Application Process

The application process for a SMART Visa involves several steps, including:

Endorsement Letter: Obtaining an endorsement letter from a relevant government agency or private sector organization.

Visa Application: Submitting the required documents to the Thai immigration authorities.

Biometric Screening: Undergoing biometric screening at a designated immigration office.

Visa Approval and Issuance: Upon approval, the visa will be issued, allowing the holder to enter and reside in Thailand.

Conclusion

Thailand's SMART Visa program is a significant step forward in attracting top global talent and fostering innovation. By offering a range of benefits and streamlined procedures, the program aims to position Thailand as a leading destination for skilled professionals and entrepreneurs.

#thailand #thailandsmartvisa #visainthailand #thailandvisa #immigration in thailand #immigration lawyers in thailand

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detroitography · 1 year ago

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Map: Households with No Internet 2021

The City of Detroit’s Office of Digital Equity and Inclusion has a series of data points and maps that set the baseline for their work on increasing access to high speed internet across the city. They’ve calculated Council District and Current “Neighborhood” rates using an interesting methodology based on occupied housing units per census tract.

View On WordPress

#2021 #access #broadband #City of Detroit #Detroit #geography #high speed #internet #map #Office of Digital Equity and Inclusion

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phydoro · 11 days ago

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KENYA AT A POLITICAL CROSSROADS: NAVIGATING TRIBALISM, GENDER IMBALANCE, AND THE BOLD VOICE OF GEN Z

Kenya stands at a pivotal juncture in its political evolution, as a profound generational shift challenge entrenched power structures, unmasking the deep-seated issues of tribalism, gender inequality, and political hypocrisy. At the core of this transformation lies a younger, reform-driven cohort determined to hold the ruling elite accountable, demand transparency, and dismantle the barriers that have long hindered equitable progress. The future of Kenyan politics hinges on this emerging generation, which brings both a renewed sense of urgency and a commitment to redefining the nation's political norms. This moment, marked by widespread public dissatisfaction and unprecedented activism, signals a watershed in the country’s democratic journey.

Political Hypocrisy and Public Dissatisfaction

The Kenyan political landscape has long been marred by a palpable disconnect between political promises and the lived realities of ordinary citizens. This gulf has been most evident in the cynical disregard for public welfare by the political establishment. The experience of leaders like Morara Kebaso, who was subjected to violence while advocating for accountability and the impeachment of rogue officials, underscores the perils faced by those seeking to challenge the status quo. These incidents illuminate the extent of political repression and the existential challenges of confronting an entrenched elite. For Generation Z, the widespread political hypocrisy has become intolerable. Their frustrations are driven by the growing realization that the political system is rigged in favor of a powerful few. The call for transparency and reform has never been more urgent, as young Kenyans demand an end to the perennial cycle of deceit and broken promises.

Gen Z’s Entry into Politics and the Generational Shift

A seismic shift is underway in Kenya’s political ecosystem, driven by the rising engagement of Generation Z in the political sphere. This cohort, once perceived as apolitical or disengaged, has proven to be an invaluable force for change. Individuals like Kasmuel McOure, an artist turned activist, embody the new wave of political leadership that prioritizes integrity, social justice, and accountability. McOure’s announcement to run for office in 2027 signals a burgeoning political ambition within the youth demographic, one grounded in a vision of a more inclusive, transparent, and accountable government. Recent protests against the Finance Bill of 2024, organized through viral social media campaigns such as #OccupyParliament and #RejectFinanceBill2024, further illustrate Gen Z’s capacity to galvanize large-scale political movements, utilizing the digital realm to bypass traditional media and rally citizens from all corners of the country.

youtube

Digital Activism and Direct Engagement

In an era defined by digital connectivity, Generation Z has leveraged social media as a powerful tool for civic engagement. The ability to organize protests, share grievances, and expose political wrongdoing has empowered youth to bypass the gatekeepers of traditional media and engage directly with both government officials and the public. Campaigns like Tuwasalimie, which published the contact details of public officials to facilitate direct citizen advocacy, represent a radical departure from previous forms of political engagement. This approach reflects a preference for grassroots activism, wherein digital platforms serve not only as organizing tools but as mechanisms for holding the state to account. The protests against the Finance Bill were organized largely through online channels, demonstrating how virtual spaces can transcend geographical divides, amplify marginalized voices, and challenge the political hegemony of those in power.

Tribalism’s Legacy and the Shift Toward Unity

Kenya’s political history has been inextricably linked to ethnic affiliations, with tribalism often dictating the nature of political alliances and national policy. The dominance of the Kalenjin and Kikuyu ethnic groups, embodied in figures such as President William Ruto (Kalenjin) and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua (Kikuyu), has historically shaped the country’s political direction. These power dynamics have contributed to systemic exclusion, with smaller communities finding themselves marginalized within the national discourse. However, the recent youth-led protests signal a dramatic shift away from tribal allegiances towards a more unified, issue-based approach to politics. The growing convergence of diverse ethnic groups around common economic grievances—rather than ethnic identity—marks a transformative moment in Kenyan political culture. Generation Z’s emphasis on shared struggle over tribal loyalty signals a nascent, more inclusive political identity that could redefine the national fabric.

Gender Imbalance and the Struggle for Women’s Representation

While Kenya has made significant strides in addressing gender inequality, the political sphere remains a male-dominated arena, with women continuing to face significant barriers to full participation. The proposed gender-balanced ticket by President Ruto, while an admirable step forward, has yet to translate into tangible change in terms of female leadership representation. The legal mandate of the two-thirds gender rule, enshrined in the Constitution, remains largely unenforced, leaving Kenya's political institutions skewed toward male leadership. This persistent imbalance exacerbates the underrepresentation of women’s perspectives in governance and impedes the advancement of policies that could address the unique challenges faced by women and marginalized communities. The call for structural reforms to guarantee equal representation in political decision-making processes has gained increasing traction, with a growing chorus of activists advocating for genuine gender parity in leadership.

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Institutional Corruption and the Push for Transparency

Corruption within Kenyan institutions remains a formidable obstacle to progress, eroding public trust and exacerbating socioeconomic disparities. The pervasive culture of impunity that has characterized Kenya's political establishment for decades has entrenched a system where public resources are often siphoned off by the political elite. Generation Z’s demand for accountability and transparency has found expression in their vocal opposition to corruption, with activists calling for a paradigm shift in governance. The protests against the Finance Bill, which focused on issues of financial mismanagement and the exploitation of public resources, highlight the growing appetite for reform among young Kenyans. This generational shift places transparency at the forefront of political discourse, signaling a move away from the patronage politics that have long defined Kenya’s governance.

Human Rights, Police Brutality, and Civic Liberties

In recent years, the issue of police brutality has emerged as a focal point for civil rights activists, particularly among Kenya's youth. The excessive use of force during protests, as well as the targeting of marginalized communities by law enforcement, has sparked widespread outrage. Campaigns like #EndPoliceBrutalityKE have gained momentum, with activists calling for comprehensive reforms to Kenya’s police service and a reimagining of law enforcement practices. The viral dissemination of videos documenting police violence has helped amplify the voices of victims and galvanized support for systemic reform. This demand for accountability is not merely about addressing police abuse but is part of a broader push for the protection of civil liberties and the establishment of a more just and equitable society.

As Kenya navigates its current political crossroads, the forces of change, driven by the demands of Generation Z, are shaping a new vision for the country’s future. The legacy of tribalism, gender inequality, and political hypocrisy continues to haunt the political landscape, but the vitality and determination of Kenya's youth offer a promising path forward. Their calls for transparency, accountability, and inclusivity represent a powerful repudiation of the status quo, offering hope for a more equitable and just society. In this decisive moment, Kenya’s political trajectory hangs in the balance, as the nation contemplates whether it will embrace reform or remain mired in the divisions and injustices of the past.

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peppermint-cardboard · 2 months ago

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i’ve been reading a lot of ppl’s takes on That Character from the new Alien and they’ve started to piss me off so i’m writing about my opinion bc idk

major spoilers under the cut!!!!!

honestly? i liked Rook/Ash. i thought the CGI was actually pretty good and fairly convincing, and the minimal uncanny effect worked for me personally bc he was supposed to be all fucked up. i feel like it worked for the plot very well too!! if you hadn’t seen the original movie, Rook’s betrayal is a twist, but if you HAD seen it, his inclusion is an awesome tension-builder. we all know Ash/Rook and the Company are bad news. we all knew what was up when we saw "CONTACT SCIENCE OFFICER" on the door panel. and i loved it tbh.

and of course Daniel Betts did a great job voicing Rook, and the glitchy modulation added to the effect and believability.

the main concern i had was the ethics of Ian Holm’s digital resurrection. but after reading that his widow and children were all in favor of it, it definitely leaves a better taste in my mouth

#faye screams at a rock #alien romulus #alien romulus spoilers #alien

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321spongebolt · 7 months ago

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On this day, "SpongeBob SquarePants" aired on Nickelodeon 25 years ago on May 1, 1999. 10 years later, "The Fairly OddParents: Wishology!" was released in theaters on the same day Spongebob had his 10th anniversary, with the premiere episode, "Help Wanted" as a featured short that plays before the movie (which is also available on the "Wishology!" DVD, Blu-Ray, and Digital releases).

Like "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie", "The Fairly OddParents: Wishology!" was intended to end the series, but the show continued airing (until 2017) thanks to the movie's box office success, despite mixed-to-positive reviews, unlike "The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie", which received positive reviews.

To celebrate 15 years of the first theatrical "Fairly OddParents" movie, here's a fan recreation of the movie poster, just with the inclusion of "SpongeBob SquarePants: Help Wanted". I left some areas open in case you wanted to put in a good tagline for the movie on the top of the fan poster, along with the URL that promoted this movie on the bottom (even if it was just Nick.com).

FONTS USED

Curlz MT (for the title)

Fairly OddFont (for the bylines)

Arial Narrow (for MPAA rating)

Krabby Patty (for "SpongeBob SquarePants" advertisement)

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ukrfeminism · 2 years ago

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Open Letter to NHS chiefs: The importance of the word “woman” in communication about women’s health

This is an open letter to the NHS chief executives and chief nursing officers of the four UK nations, as well as relevant ministers, calling for the reinstatement of language that uses the word “woman” in NHS communications about women’s health.

Please sign our letter to NHS chiefs – all are welcome to sign:

To: Chief Executives for NHS England, NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care, Northern Ireland: Amanda Pritchard, Caroline Lamb, Judith Paget and Peter May

and, Chief Nursing Officers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: Dame Ruth May, Alex McMahon, Sue Tranka and Maria McIlgorm.

Re: The importance of the word “woman” in communication about women’s health

The Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender is a multidisciplinary group of clinicians concerned about changes to the NHS.UK website which have removed accurate and respectful terminology about women’s health.

The current removal of the language of women in healthcare communication harms women and undermines health outcomes. Removal of sex-based language is discriminatory and could leave the NHS open to legal challenge. Full impact assessments should have been done before any changes to communications.

We call for the reinstatement of sex-based, respectful communication that meets the healthcare needs of women. Specifically, the NHS must use women’s words for women’s bodies and women’s health problems.

We detail our concerns below:

We submitted Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to NHS Digital which is responsible for the health information content on the NHS.UK website.

The responses (found here, and here) confirmed that NHS Digital had taken the decision to remove the words ‘woman’ and ‘women’ from information on women’s health issues, in particular cancers affecting women.

1. Our FOIs indicate that this is an ongoing explicit strategy that has taken place:

a. without public consultation,

b. without an independent legal opinion regarding its acceptability under the Equality Act 2010 (discrimination on the basis of sex),

c. without an equality impact assessment,

d. without any comprehensive analysis of the likely impact on women’s health, awareness, access to treatment, health outcomes or trust in the NHS,

e. without particular attention to the women who are most likely to be disadvantaged and excluded from their own health literature,

f. without consideration of how women feel.

2. In the FOI response, NHS Digital informed us that it had no recorded information which sets out the “guidance/evidence/rationale to support the removal/reduction of reference to woman/women”.

NHS Digital itself therefore acknowledges that there is no documented evidence base for their actions.

3. NHS communication exists to promote and support the health and wellbeing of the UK population, of which over half are women. It is already well known:

a. that there is a health literacy crisis that directly impacts on people’s health. In the UK 7.1 million adults read and write at or below the level of nine-year-olds, and critically, 43% of adults already do not understand written health information.”

b. Clinicians are therefore trained not to use jargon and instead use language that enables complex medical information to be communicated so that women can be best informed and most optimally engage about their own health so they can make proper decisions.

c. This necessitates clear simple messaging to ensure health literature correctly targets the female population it is designed for; women must recognise the information targeted at them.

d. It should be easy to understand (in particular, the NHS guide to inclusive language stipulates to include sex when relevant in health information).

4. If sex is omitted, female patients may not fully understand that the literature relates to them or their own clinical risks.

This then influences whether they will seek further advice or access to necessary clinical care. This jeopardises women’s health.

5. Clear, unambiguous healthcare messaging that targets women is life-saving

e.g. cancer where symptoms can be ambiguous. Early recognition and presentation by women is essential for survival, reduces morbidity, burden of treatment and lowers NHS costs. Using cervical cancer as a worked example, previous research suggests 40% of women do not know they have a cervixand 21% of women over 50 don’t know that screening reduces risk of cervical cancer. Women’s awareness and uptake of cervical screening has been on the wane.

Despite this, NHS.UK has removed clear sex based language to support women’s health for cervical cancer and in other women only conditions, but not for men’s health.

6. Disparity between NHS.UK health information offered to men and women is unjustified discrimination.

It results in lower quality, less effective health information communicated to women.

The only cancer affecting men specifically where the word “men” was removed was the updated section on penile cancer. Of all the forms of cancer affecting men, penile cancer is the least likely to cause confusion about whom or what part of the body it is affecting.

Therefore the risk that men might misunderstand the information is minimal. In the far more common male cancers words for men have not been removed.

7. For instance, the pages on the main male reproductive system cancers prostate and testicular – use the word ‘men’ liberally and support videos to ensure clarity of message and targeting of the correct patient population.

For example the video on prostate cancer says: “Prostate cancer is the commonest cancer in men in the UK“. In contrast, the pages on the three main gynaecological cancers – cervical, uterine, ovarian – have virtually eliminated the words ‘woman’ and ’women’ and there are no corresponding videos. Similarly, many of the pages on pregnancy and miscarriage have replaced the words ‘woman’ and ‘women’, with ‘you’, ‘people’ or ‘person’.

It is important that this high quality healthcare messaging for men remains and is safeguarded. We reference the discrepancies to demonstrate that this is an ideological decision, which has no place in health care communication. This ideological approach seems to have blinkered those responsible from looking at this from an evidence base, or from considering the possible harmful impact on women.

8. This is in direct conflict with the Women’s Health Strategy for England,

which states:

“Language matters. Concern has been raised about removing language around biological sex and women – for example, referring to ‘pregnant people’. Such an approach has the potential for unintended adverse health consequences. The government has been clear that we must not countenance the erasure of women from our public discourse or our legislation.

We will work with NHS bodies to ensure that women are properly represented in communications and guidance, and that there is appropriate use of sex-specific language to communicate matters that relate to women’s and men’s individual health issues, and their different biological needs.”

9. The new language excludes and discriminates against women protected under the Equality Act (2010)

e.g. those with a learning disability and those whose first language is not English, who were previously likely to recognise the word ‘women’ and that the health literature as relating to them, but not the new iteration of ‘anyone with a cervix’.

10. Importantly, this renders women’s health literature inaccurate and confusing

For example, 9 out of 10 of the symptoms listed on the symptoms page for Ovarian Cancer could occur in both men and women. The reframing of language excludes some affected women from the conditions discussed. For example, women who have had oophorectomies due to ovarian cancer remain affected by the disease but are no longer included by a phrase like ‘anyone with ovaries’. This studious avoidance of reference to women, even in relation to getting pregnant, leads to healthcare content that is nonsensical to the public. For example, “If you are under 40 and have regular sex without using contraception, there is an 8 in 10 chance you will get pregnant within 1 year” by definition includes men in the potential for pregnancy.

Further discussion about the adverse consequences of this removal of women’s words in relation to pregnancy and motherhood can be found here.

11. The obfuscation and erasure of language around women and girls appears to be part of a wider pattern across the NHS.UK website

It affects other women-specific health issues such as menopause and menstruation.

12. Notably, items updated since around the latter half of 2021 usually have little or no mention of ‘woman’ or ‘women’, whereas those from before that time often do

For instance, information such as Period Pain, Stopped or Missed Periods and Premenstrual Syndrome (all last reviewed prior to late 2021) use the words women and girls repeatedly. However, the page Heavy Periods (reviewed November 2021) fails to mention women and girls at all. Similarly, Early Menopause (reviewed February 2021) uses the word ‘women’ several times, whereas Menopause(reviewed May 2022) uses not a single instance of ‘women’ anywhere in the overview or symptoms sections.

13. NHS.UK healthcare messaging shows a lack of concern for women, is disrespectful and insults women

Importantly, it is considered misogynistic by many. It negates the pivotal role of communication in improving women’s health and undermines trust in the NHS. Language such as ‘people with a vagina’ is dehumanising and reduces women and girls to body parts, such as genitalia. Given many women already feel ashamed about their bodies, such messaging perpetuates such negative attitudes.

Inclusivity

14: The FOIs submitted to NHS Digital highlight that the recent changes in language stem from a desire to be “inclusive”

This has taken precedence over integrity, evidence based care and clarity of communication.

16. Historically, women’s health care needs have been neglected by the scientific and medical professions; female anatomy, physiology and health conditions are still under-researched due to a pervasive bias of the male-as-default

This is now recognised and efforts are being made to remedy this historic imbalance to improve medical knowledge relating to the female body and women’s health outcomes. When the NHS obscures the language of women in health care communications this only serves to undo recent attempts to recognise the importance of knowledge and understanding of women’s specific health care needs, in order to improve health outcomes for women.

17. Trusted sources of health information such as the NHS must support health literacy, understanding and patient confidence, not undermine them

The value and purpose of the NHS.UK website is so the public can access useful, scientifically accurate and clear health information. Health care professionals wish to signpost their patients to helpful materials, and need to be confident in the quality of those materials.

Women and men have distinct health care issues and needs. How can women trust a health service that renders women nameless and instead defines women as individual body parts?

In the FOI response, NHS Digital said it planned to make further changes to language about women’s and men’s health care issues as part of its work to improve its content.

We call for a full reinstatement of sex-specific language to communicate to women about their health care issues, across all NHS communications. We’ve invited those who share our concerns to sign this open letter too. The NHS must use women’s words for women’s bodies and women’s health problems, and reverse the well-meaning but obfuscating and insulting changes to NHS.UK over recent years. For any future changes we request you do full equality impact assessments,with proper consideration of consequential harms.

We would appreciate the chance to discuss our concerns with you. To arrange a meeting with representatives of the signatories, please email the Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender.

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xtrablak674 · 6 months ago

Text

1/8/93

Hi, I am the Editor, Producer, and Main writer for Fashion Fag Magazine® I do not want to be the only contributor to this magazine. I want and love your input and support to make this magazine, that you can rely on for good articles, poetry, reviews, fashion tips etc. Use this magazine as an outlet for your feelings and emotions. I will try to have in depth interviews with prominent gay figures and the ordinary fag. Unlike other magazine this magazine will not be, Gay white male oriented.

This magazine will be inclusive of everyone, lesbians, bi-sexuals and supporters. People of all races, colors and socio-economical backgrounds will be represented within these pages. If you see us falling short on any of these promises let us know because we are here to serve your needs. With all of this said enjoy your first issue of Fashion Fag Magazine®

Peace, Love + Hair Grease

Miss Trevor

Nineteen Ninety-Three, thirty-one years ago, three decades, a quarter of a century, seriously a lifetime ago, but one thing is consistent I have used the written word to express my feelings, values, failures and loves for a long damned time. Mind you, this was the furthest thing from a magazine, the first issue basically being double-sided text on colored office paper, it was all about the aspiration!

I would love to say my starting this zine/newsletter was an original idea but that would a fine piece of creative retelling of history. My college friend Matthew Carlin had a newsletter called TMCM, The Matt Carlin Mirror where he talked about his life, love, school and anything else that came to mind. It was his post-college way of keeping in touch with the friends made back in Ithaca, and like him I thought I could do the same and grow the fan-base I thought I had, in my head.

Desktop publishing was a new idea in the early nineties, albeit Quark Xpress was started in 1981, it didn't become more widely used until the early nineties on Macintosh and Windows dominating the market share of the time. I wouldn't start using it myself until '95 somehow coping a bootleg version for my Mac SE. Previously I was using AppleWorks which later became ClarisWorks, this was basically just a word processing application, and I remember to create just one page I would have to create a text box in different positions and put them together when I printed it.

Below is one of the template pages from issue #2, there are three parts of this page, the find-a-word with its description below, Miss Moody Herself and the bits below it, and the three columns on the lower half. I didn't know how to make ClarisWork split up a page into different areas. I could easily make columns, but having something on the upper half of the page that was different than the content on the lower page had to be done by passing the document through the printer multiple times my Apple StyleWriter II.

So in my digital files for one page I would sometimes have three or four ClarisWord docs. It made for a slightly confusing organizing of an issue because one four page issue could easily have twelve to sixteen files. Quark Xpress which I taught myself, would get rid of the need for multiple documents and multiple passes through the printer. It had become the standard for desktop publishing and it was appropriate that I should utilize the industry standard for my own mass-read publication.

Sorry, I went off into a technical rabbit hole, but I think part of understanding who I am is to understand my technical proficiency throughout my adult life, and even now, its one of the things that I seriously think gave me the edge when I went to work in the corporate world, the fact that I had dabbled in so many applications and technology made me hit the ground running faster than a lot of my contemporaries.

I wish I still had that old SE, I gave it back to the friend who I purchased it from as a payment for his ripping out the old red carpet in my new apartment, the same one I am living in today. The reason I would love to have it, is I know there was a special app I used to create the type for Fashion Fag Magazine, my initial logo, which would change by my third issue.

Looking back at this production this was truly the first manifestation of my artistic voice as an adult. As I am learning of my childhood where I attempted to draw, sing, perform and write a little bit, but here I was now taking writing to the forefront as a means of expression. Albeit untrained I was designing a newsletter about my life and my experiences, I was seeking to give a voice to my identities and the struggles faced there within.

For all the wonderful things I learned at college, in this post-college queer world I was attempting to be seen for all the many aspects of my personhood, not just a body part, skin color or general aesthetic appeal. One of the backlashes of attending a primarily white educational institution, no matter had well-intentioned folks were, I was repeatedly othered. Sometimes by the people who looked like like me and had similar social-economic backgrounds, and others who loved the way I did with varying economic backgrounds but also failed to see the entire me.

Just a brief moment about the title, I have alway had a thing for fashion albeit my vision for myself and what was actually executed in the real-world wouldn't align until much later. I still felt I had the potential for a personal style that would surpass that of my peers.

Albeit the whyte queers weren't necessarily always the most fashion-forward of folks, particularly the ones I knew, I envisioned personal style being able to push the envelope and announce something more nuanced about my personality other than just being Black and queer. This voice would come to full fruition later, but Fashion Fag Magazine was precognition of what I knew would come in time.

Through my observations about my world I wanted folks to see the world in the way that I did. And through my nine issues published from nineteen ninety-three through nineteen ninety-six I attempted just that, sometimes successful other-times failing miserable, but still trying to make myself seen and heard in a world that wasn't really checking it for people like me, dark-skinned, femme, gender non-conforming, queer, well-spoken, nerdy, comic book reading, dance the house down folk.

I am going to try to translate this classic text for a new audience, who am I fooling with my twelve followers here, but I look at this mini-blog as a digital obituary for my life, and its important to include all the bits and pieces of a life, so you're are not just broken down to legal document or a one-hundred and fifty word summary. For as long as Tumblr is around which may be less than the span of my life, I at least want to make an attempt to record my thoughts and feelings about the breadth of the experiences of Trevor A. Brown.

[Photos by Brown Estate]

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