A CNN reporter immediately tried out a new service that would allow you to talk to Chat GPT over the phone

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

電話でチャットＧＰＴと会話できる新サービス、ＣＮＮ記者が早速試してみた

2024.12.20 Fri posted at 15:47 JST

ニューヨーク（ＣＮＮ） 米オープンＡＩの生成ＡＩ「チャットＧＰＴ」を電話で利用できるサービスが米国で始まった。フリーダイヤルの１－８００－ＣＨＡＴＧＰＴ（１－８００－２４２－８４７８）に電話すると、音声でチャットＧＰＴと会話ができる。

ＣＮＮ記者は１８日、早速この番号に電話して会話を試した。

電話の相手は女性の声。チョコチップクッキーのレシピを紹介し、南北戦争について教えてくれた。ただし個人的な会話には応じたがらない様子だった。

「私に感情はありません。でも自分の仕事はとても面白いと思っています」

このサービスは、米国外からでもメッセージアプリの「ＷｈａｔｓＡｐｐ」経由で同じ番号をダイヤルすれば利用できる。

利用できる時間は月に１５分まで。ユーザーは会話を始める前に、利用規約やプライバシーポリシーに同意する必要がある。安全目的で同社がデータを検証することもあるという免責条項もある。

チャットＧＰＴの音声機能をめぐっては疑問も浮上している。オープンＡＩは８月、まるで人間のような音声にユーザーが過度に依存してしまう可能性があるとして懸念を表明していた。

グーグルやイーロン・マスク氏のｘＡＩ、メタ、マイクロソフトなど大手が参入して競争が熾烈化する中で、オープンＡＩに対する黒字化の圧力も強まっている。

チャットＧＰＴは黒字化を果たせるのかと記者が尋ねたところ、電話の相手は明るい声で、オープンＡＩはいずれそうするでしょうと答えた。ただし「私自身はお金は一切扱いません」とチャットＧＰＴは付け加えた。

Translation

A CNN reporter immediately tried out a new service that would allow you to talk to Chat GPT over the phone

New York (CNN) A service that would allow you to use the US Open AI's generation AI "Chat GPT" over the phone had started in the US. By calling the toll-free number 1-800-CHATGPT (1-800-242-8478), you could talk to Chat GPT by voice.

A CNN reporter immediately called this number on the 18th and tried to talk to Chat GPT.

The voice on the other end of the phone was a female. She introduced a chocolate chip cookie recipe and told me about the Civil War. However, she didn't seem to want to have a personal conversation.

"I don't have feelings, but I think my work is very interesting."

This service could be used from outside the US by dialing the same number via the messaging app "WhatsApp".

The service could be used for up to 15 minutes per month. Users must agree to terms of service and privacy policy before starting a conversation. There was also a disclaimer that the company might verify data for safety purposes.

Questions had also been raised over ChatGPT's voice features. OpenAI expressed concerns in August that users might become completely dependent on the human-like voice.

As competition was intensifying with the entry of major players such as Google, Elon Musk's XAI, Meta and Microsoft, OpenAI was also under increasing pressure to make a profit.

When asked by the reporter whether ChatGPT would be able to turn a profit, the person on the phone replied in an upbeat voice that OpenAI would eventually do so. But ChatGPT added, " I don't deal with money at all."

So, a service that allows someone to use the US Open AI’s “Chat GPT" over the phone has started. It is competing with other major players such as Google, Elon Musk's xAI, Meta and Microsoft. Let’s wait and see who will eventually become the winner.

越南舉辦軍火展尋求促進國內國防工業

Recent Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

Vietnam seeks to boost domestic defence industry as it hosts arms fair

Tue, December 17, 2024 at 6:58 p.m. PST·2 min read

By Francesco Guarascio and Khanh Vu

HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam will showcase locally made weapons at an international arms fair in Hanoi on Thursday, as it seeks to boost its domestic industry and possibly export military equipment.

Among the nearly 250 exhibitors will be top defence companies, including from the United States, Europe, Turkey and countries at war with each other, such as Israel, Iran, Russia and Ukraine.

The Southeast Asian nation is a major importer of weapons, especially from Russia, having invested for years in its defence capabilities in an unstable region where it has clashed with China over boundaries in the South China Sea.

But recently it has also bolstered its domestic defence industry and promoting exports of military products is now a priority, defence ministry officials have repeatedly said.

State-owned defence firm Viettel and other local companies will showcase missile defence systems, drones, air defence radars, armoured vehicles and artillery, according to defence ministry media.

Some of these weapons will be displayed for the first time, said Nguyen The Phuong, an expert on Vietnam security at Australia's University of New South Wales.

He noted a key strategy to strengthen the local industry had been the signing of deals with foreign arms exporters to have some of their components produced in Vietnam.

Talks with South Korean companies were underway for possible new deals under those conditions, especially for artillery and aviation, he said.

Similar talks had also been held with companies from other countries, including the Czech Republic, officials said.

RIVALS' GEAR ON DISPLAY

At the expo, Iran's defence ministry will have an entire pavilion, not far from the booths of Israel's defence firms Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

The fair will also host a dozen booths of Russian firms and one for Ukraine's Motor Sich, an aircraft engine manufacturer.

A dozen Turkish defence companies, including Aselsan, Turkish Aerospace Industries and Roketsan, are among listed participants, making Turkey's one of the largest delegations.

China's Norinco will be one of two Chinese exhibitors, in a first for a Vietnamese defence fair.

U.S. defence giants Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Textron Aviation Defense will also have their booths at the fair.

They have all been involved in talks with Vietnamese authorities for the sale of helicopters. Lockheed is also discussing a possible deal on C-130 Hercules military transport planes, sources had told Reuters.

Brazil's Embraer said it will exhibit its C-390 Millennium plane - a rival to the C-130.

Top European defence firms will also attend, including aerospace giant Airbus, Britain's BAE Systems, Germany's Rheinmetall, Italy's Leonardo and France's Thales Group.

Translation:

越南舉辦軍火展尋求促進國內國防工業

河內（路透社） - 越南將於週四在河內舉行的國際軍火博覽會上展示本地製造的武器，以促進其國內工業並可能出口軍事裝備。

近250家參展商包括來自美國、歐洲、土耳其以及以色列、伊朗、俄羅斯和烏克蘭等交戰國家的頂級防務公司。

這個東南亞國家是武器進口國，尤其是來自俄羅斯的武器進口國，多年來一直在一個不穩定地區投資建立其防禦能力，它曾在該地區與中國因南海邊界問題發生衝突。

但國防部官員一再表示，最近它也加強了國內國防工業，促進軍品出口已成為當務之急。

根據國防部媒體報道，國有防務公司 Viettel 和其他當地公司將展示飛彈防禦系統、無人機、防空雷達、裝甲車和火砲。

澳洲新南威爾斯大學越南安全專家 Nguyen The Phuong 表示，其中一些武器將是首次展出。

他指出，加強當地工業的一項關鍵策略是與外國武器出口商簽署協議，讓其部分零件在越南生產。

他說，正在與韓國公司進行談判，以探討在這種情況下可能達成的新交易，特別是在火砲和航空領域。

官員表示，也與包括捷克共和國在內的其他國家的公司進行了類似的會談。

競爭的對手展示裝備

在博覽會上，伊朗國防部將擁有整個展館，距離以色列國防公司以色列航空航太工業公司和拉斐爾先進防禦系統公司的展位不遠。

展會還將設立十幾個俄羅斯公司的展位和烏克蘭飛機發動機製造商Motor Sich的一個展位。

包括 Aselsan、土耳其航空航太工業公司和 Roketsan 在內的十幾家土耳其國防公司均在參與者名單之列，這使得土耳其成為最大的代表團之一。

中國北方工業公司將成為兩家中國參展商之一，這是首次參加越南防務展。

美國國防巨頭洛克希德·馬丁公司、波音公司和德事隆航空防務公司也將在展會上設立展位。

他們都參與了與越南當局就出售直升機事宜進行的談判。消息人士告訴路透社，洛克希德馬丁公司還有一個有關可能交易 C-130 Hercules 軍用運輸機的討論。

巴西的Embraer表示將展出其 C-390 Millennium 飛機 - 是C-130 的競爭對手。

歐洲頂級防務公司也將参與，包括航空航太巨頭空中巴士公司、英國BAE系統公司、德國的Rheinmetall、義大利的Leonardo和法國的Thales Group。

So, Vietnam will showcase locally made weapons at an international arms fair as it seeks to boost its domestic industry and possibly export military equipment. It admits that promoting exports of military products is now its priority. The recent conflicts in the middle east and in Ukraine show that military equipment is in high demand and has a good market globally.

華為手機內部結構揭示中國晶片進步如何陷入停滯

Recently The New York Times reported the following:

A Look Inside Huawei’s Phone Shows How China’s Chip Advance Has Stalled

An analysis of Huawei’s latest series of smartphones, the Mate 70, found chips that showed little progress from those used in last year’s devices.

By Meaghan Tobin

Reporting from Taipei, Taiwan

Dec. 17, 2024, 11:03 a.m. ET

In the tense geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States for control of advanced technology, Huawei is often in the middle.

The Chinese telecommunications giant is a main target of a U.S. trade blacklist and other controls intended to keep Chinese companies from buying or making advanced computer chips. Officials in Washington say these tiny chips, used to power chatbots and smartphones, are also essential for China’s efforts to build its military might.

Huawei is determined to prove that Washington’s trade barriers cannot hold it back. Last year, the company released a line of smartphones, the Mate 60, with chips more advanced than any previously made in China.

But Huawei’s new series of phones, the Mate 70, released last month, indicates that the company has made little progress toward more advanced chips in the past year, according to a new analysis. The chips inside Huawei’s latest devices appear to have been made using the same manufacturing processes as the ones in last year’s phones, said Alexandra Noguera, an analyst at TechInsights, a Canadian research firm.

Ms. Noguera and her colleagues examined the chips inside two models of the Mate 70 series and concluded that they were made by China’s top chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, known as SMIC.

The analysts compared the chips with others made by SMIC, including those in Huawei’s breakthrough Mate 60 phone. “Every dimension fits exactly what we have seen for the past two years,” Ms. Noguera said.

That is not a surprise: SMIC is the only company in China that can make such chips. The finding is notable, however, because it suggests that U.S. restrictions are at least stalling the country’s advances in chip technology.

“The primary impact of the export controls has not been reversing China’s progress, it has been making it very difficult for SMIC to increase production capacity,” said Gregory C. Allen, a technology expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.

SMIC did not respond to a request for comment. Huawei declined to comment.

The Chinese government has made the manufacturing of computer chips and other advanced technology a major policy priority. China has poured billions of dollars into its chip industry, helping to fund a major expansion of factories.

SMIC, which has close ties to the government, has built factories at a blistering pace. It has grown into one of the largest contract chipmakers in the world, making products that are designed by its clients, including Huawei.

U.S. officials have progressively tightened restrictions to slow SMIC’s progress by limiting the kinds of chip-making tools it can buy from other countries. They have pushed Dutch and Japanese officials to stop their companies from supplying crucial machinery and equipment to SMIC’s most advanced factories.

That means SMIC depends on dated machinery. It is making even its most advanced chips using a manufacturing process that the world’s leading chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, had perfected by 2018.

The latest Huawei devices do not contain more advanced chips because SMIC is probably unable to make them at a large enough scale, Ms. Noguera said.

“If they could, they would have,” she said.

Huawei’s devices are hugely popular in China. Its sales have grown faster than any other brand in China during the past year, according to Counterpoint Research, which analyzes the smartphone market.

But widespread commercial success for Huawei’s latest devices will depend in part on its ability to secure a steady supply of chips from SMIC.

And experts say SMIC is already pushing the limits of its outdated tools and factory processes to make enough chips for Huawei’s existing phones — a costly strategy that results in a high number of faulty chips.

In part to further slow SMIC’s advances, the Biden administration this month announced broader restrictions on advanced technology that can be sent to China. The updated rules add more than 100 Chinese companies, many of which make the tools and machinery needed to manufacture chips, to a restricted trade list.

Since the Mate 60 Pro was launched last year, Huawei has been eating into Apple’s yearslong dominance in China. In 2022, three-quarters of high-end smartphones sold in China were iPhones. This year, the portion was about half, as Huawei’s share more than doubled, according to Canalys, a market research firm.

“SMIC, like Huawei, has obviously suffered from U.S. restrictions,” said Dan Wang, a fellow at the Paul Tsai China Center at Yale Law School. “But what matters for Beijing is not its yield rate or profitability as much as whether it is able to deliver the technology that China needs.”

Translation

華為手機內部結構揭示中國晶片進步如何陷入停滯

對華為最新系列智慧型手機 Mate 70 的分析發現，與去年設備中使用的晶片相比，進步不大。

在中美爭奪先進技術控制權的緊張地緣政治競爭中，華為常常處於两者隙縫之間。

在旨在阻止中國公司購買或製造先進電腦晶片的美國貿易黑名單和其他控制措施中, 這家中國電信巨頭是主要目標。華盛頓官員表示，那些用於為聊天機械人, 和智慧型手機提供動力的微型晶片對於中國增強軍事實力的努力也至關重要。

華為決心證明華盛頓的貿易壁壘無法阻止它。去年，該公司發布了一系列智慧型手機 Mate 60，其晶片比之前中國製造的任何產品都更先進。

但根據一項新的分析，華為上個月發布的新系列手機 Mate 70 表明，該公司過去一年在更先進晶片方面幾乎沒有任何進展。加拿大研究公司 TechInsights 的分析師 Alexandra Noguera 表示，華為最新設備中的晶片似乎是採用與去年手機相同的製造流程製造的。

Noguera女士和她的同事檢查了 Mate 70 系列兩款機型中的晶片，得出的結論是它們是由中國頂級晶片製造商中芯國際 (SMIC)製造的。

分析師將這些晶片與中芯國際生產的其他晶片進行了比較，包括華為突破性的 Mate 60 手機中的晶片。Noguera女士說 :「在每個方面都完全吻合我們過去兩年所看到的」。

這並不奇怪：中芯國際是中國唯一一家能夠製造此類晶片的公司。然而，這項發現值得注意，因為它表明美國的限制至少阻礙了該國晶片技術的進步。

華盛頓智庫戰略與國際研究中心的技術專家Gregory C. Allen表示： “出口管制的主要影響並不是逆轉中國的進步，而是讓中芯國際很難提高產能。”

中芯國際沒有回應置評請求。華為拒絕置評。

中國政府已將電腦晶片和其他先進技術的製造作為主要政策重點。中國已向其晶片產業投入數十億美元，為工廠的大規模擴建提供資金。

與政府關係密切的中芯國際以驚人的速度建廠。它已發展成為全球最大的合約晶片製造商之一，生產包括華為在內, 由客戶所設計的產品。

美國官員逐步收緊限制，限制中芯國際可以從其他國家購買晶片製造工具的種類，減緩中芯國際的進展。美國敦促荷蘭和日本官員阻止其公司向中芯國際最先進的工廠供應關鍵機械和設備。

這意味著中芯國際依賴過時的機器。它甚至正在使用世界領先晶片製造商台積電於 2018 年完善的製造流程來製造最先進的晶片。

Noguera女士表示，最新的華為設備不包含更先進的晶片，因為中芯國際可能無法大規模生產這些晶片。

她說:「如果可以生產更先進的晶片的話，他們已會這麼做」。

華為的出品在中國非常受歡迎。根據分析智慧型手機市場的 Counterpoint Research 的數據，在過去一年裡，其銷售成長速度超過中國其他品牌。

但華為最新手機的廣泛商業成功, 將部分取決於其能否獲得中芯國際穩定的晶片供應。

專家表示，中芯國際已經突破其過時工具和工廠流程的極限，為華為現有手機生產足夠的晶片 - 這是一種成本高昂的策略，會導致大量有缺陷的晶片。

拜登政府本月宣佈對可輸往中國的先進技術實施更廣泛的限制，部分原因是為了進一步減緩中芯國際的進步。更新後的規則將 100 多家中國公司列入限制貿易名單，其中許多公司是生產製造晶片所需的工具和機械。

自去年Mate 60 Pro推出以來，華為一直在蠶食蘋果在中國多年的主導地位。 2022年，中國銷售的高階智慧型手機中有四分之三是iPhone。市場研究公司 Canalys 的數據顯示，今年這一比例約為一半，華為的份額增加了一倍以上。

耶魯大學法學院 Paul Tsai中國中心研的究員Dan Wang表示：“中芯國際, 和華為一樣，顯然也受到了美國的限制” ; “但對北京來說，重要的不是它的成品率或獲利能力，而是它否能夠提供中國所需的技術。”

So, in the tense geopolitical rivalry between China and the United States for control of advanced technology, Huawei is often in the middle. This Chinese telecommunications giant is a main target of a U.S. trade blacklist and other controls intended to slow down Chinese companies from making advanced computer chips. My observation is that after China has showed its ability to produce solar panels and electric cars that can overwhelm the global market, computer chip making will be the next production battle ground for China to knock down its competitors.

University of Tokyo research group discovers "alternating magnetic material" that improves memory performance

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

メモリーの性能高める「交代磁性体」発見 東大の研究グループ

2024年12月13日 22時24分

コンピューターのメモリーの性能を飛躍的に高める「交代磁性体」と呼ばれる特殊な性質を持った物質を見つけたと、東京大学の研究グループが発表しました。コンピューターの消費電力の低下にもつながる成果だとしています。

これは、東京大学大学院工学系研究科の関真一郎教授らの研究グループが発表しました。

グループは、磁気の性質を使って情報を記憶させるメモリーの性能を飛躍的に高める「交代磁性体」と呼ばれる特殊な性質を持った物質を探しました。

その結果、化合物の「硫化鉄」がこの特殊な性質を持っていることを突き止め、従来のメモリーと同じように情報を読み込んだり書き出したりできることを実験で確かめたということです。

研究グループによりますと、今回見つかった交代磁性体は室温で使えるのが特徴で、理論的には、従来の磁気を使ったメモリーより小型化が可能で、処理速度が100倍以上速くなるということです。

また、交代磁性体を使ったメモリーは待機時に電力を消費しないため、関教授は「情報処理に必要な消費電力の低減が課題となる中、コンピューターの消費電力を劇的に下げるはずだ」と話しています。

Translation

University of Tokyo research group discovers "alternating magnetic material" that improves memory performance

A research group at the University of Tokyo announced that they had found a material with special properties called "alternating magnetic substance" that dramatically could improve the performance of computer memory. They said that this result could also lead to a reduction in computer power consumption.

This was announced by a research group led by Professor Shinichiro Seki (関真一郎) of the Graduate School of Engineering at the University of Tokyo.

The group searched for a material with special properties called "alternating magnetic substance" that used magnetic nature to store information that could dramatically improve the performance of memory.

As a result, they found that the compound "iron sulfide" had this special property, and confirmed through experiments that it could read and write information in the same way as conventional memory.

According to the research group, the alternating magnetic material discovered this time was characterized by the fact that it could be used at room temperature, and theoretically, it could be made smaller than conventional magnetic memory and its processing speed would be more than 100 times faster.

Also, because the memory using alternating magnetic materials did not consume power when in standby mode, Professor Seki said, "At a time when reducing the power consumption needed for information processing is an issue, this should dramatically reduce the power consumption of computers."

              So, research in Japan has found a material called "alternating magnetic substance" that has a special property that can dramatically improve the performance of computer memory. They say that this will also lead to, among other things, a reduction in computer power consumption. Apparently, we will see a computer memory revolution soon.

The secret of the bacteria's ability to withstand radiation that exceeds the lethal dose for humans is revealed

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

人間の致死量超える放射線に耐えられる細菌、能力の秘密が明らかに

2024.12.12 Thu posted at 18:28 JST

（ＣＮＮ） 「デイノコッカス・ラジオデュランス」と呼ばれる細菌の一種は最も過酷な環境でも生き延びる能力を持つ。「英雄コナン」にちなみ「コナン・ザ・バクテリア」というニックネームが付けられており、人間の致死量の２万８０００倍もの放射線に耐えられる。今回、その能力の秘密が抗酸化物質にあることが分かった。

科学者は抗酸化物質の働きを解明し、地球上の人間と将来地球外を探索する人々の健康を守るために抗酸化物質を利用できる可能性を解き明かした。

抗酸化物質はマンガン、リン酸塩、アミノ酸のペプチド（分子）を含む代謝産物と呼ばれる小さな分子の単純な集合体で構成されている。

米国科学アカデミー紀要に９日に発表された研究で、この強力な三つの成分を組み合わせると、マンガンと他の成分の一つのみを組み合わせた場合よりも放射線に対する防御効果が高いことが明らかになった。

研究の著者らによると、この発見は、将来太陽系を横断する深宇宙ミッションで宇宙飛行士を高線量の宇宙放射線から守るために活用できる可能性がある。

 

抗酸化物質の秘密を解明

デイノコッカスは最も放射線耐性が高い生物としてギネス世界記録に登録されている。これまでの研究で、この細菌は国際宇宙ステーション（ＩＳＳ）の外で３年生存できることがわかっている。酸や寒さ、脱水状態にも耐えられる。

２０２２年１０月の報告によれば、デイノコッカスが火星に存在していた場合、凍結した状態で何百万年も生き延びていた可能性があるという。

以前、細菌の細胞内のマンガン抗酸化物質の量を測定したところ、微生物が生き延びることができる放射線の量はマンガン抗酸化物質の量に直接関係していることがわかった。つまり、マンガン抗酸化物質が多いほど、放射線への耐性が増す。

乾燥して凍結すると、デイノコッカスは１４万グレイに耐えられる。これは人間の致死量にあたる放射線量の２万８０００倍だ。

今回の研究では、デイノコッカスにヒントを得て設計された合成抗酸化物質、ＭＤＰ（メラトニン由来の保護物質）を使用した。

研究チームは、マンガン、リン酸塩、ＤＰ１と呼ばれるペプチドを含むＭＤＰの活性成分が、細胞やたんぱく質を放射線被ばくからどのように保護するかを分析。ペプチドとリン酸塩がマンガンに結合すると、放射線に対する保護にきわめて効果的な三元複合体が形成される。

ユニフォームド・サービス大学の病理学教授であるマイケル・デイリー氏は「ＭＤＰに関する今回の新たな理解はさらに強力なマンガンベースの抗酸化剤の開発につながる可能性がある。これは医療や製造業のほか防衛、宇宙探査に応用しうる」と述べた。

また、「ＭＤＰは単純で費用対効果が高いうえ、無毒で非常に効果的な放射線防護剤であるため、経口投与することで宇宙放射線のリスクを軽減できる可能性がある」とも指摘する。

地球上では、放射線の漏えい事故に対する保護に使用することも考えられる。

Translation

The secret of the bacteria's ability to withstand radiation that exceeds the lethal dose for humans is revealed

 (CNN) A type of bacteria called "Deinococcus radiodurans" had the ability to survive even in the harshest environments. It was nicknamed "Conan the Bacteria" after the "Hero Conan" series, it could withstand radiation that was 28,000 times the lethal dose for humans. Now, it had been discovered that the secret of its ability lay in antioxidants.

Scientists had uncovered how antioxidants work and revealed the possibility of using them to protect the health of humans on Earth and those who might explore extraterrestrials in the future.

Antioxidants were made up of simple aggregates of small molecules called metabolites that contained manganese, phosphate, and peptides (molecules) of amino acids.

A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on the 9th revealed that the combination of this powerful trio of ingredients provided more protection against radiation than manganese combined with one of the other ingredients alone.

According to the study authors, this discovery could be used to protect astronauts from high doses of space radiation on future deep space missions across the solar system.

Unlocking the secrets of antioxidants

Deinococcus is listed in the Guinness World Records as the most radiation-resistant organism. Studies so far had shown that the bacterium could survive for three years outside the International Space Station (ISS). It could also withstand acid, cold, and dehydration.

According to a report in October 2022, if Deinococcus existed on Mars, it could have survived for millions of years in a frozen state.

Previously, when the amount of manganese antioxidants in the bacterial cells was measured, it was found that the amount of radiation that the microorganism could survive is directly related to the amount of manganese antioxidants. In other words, the more manganese antioxidants there were, the more resistant it was to radiation.

When dried and frozen, Deinococcus could withstand 140,000 grays, which was 28,000 times the amount of radiation that would be lethal to human.

In this study, a synthetic antioxidant, MDP (Melatonin-derived Protective Protein) was used, it was designed with Deinococcus as inspiration.

The research team analyzed how the active components of MDP, which contained manganese, phosphate, and a peptide called DP1, had protected cells and proteins from radiation exposure. When the peptide and phosphate bound to manganese, they formed a ternary complex that was highly effective at protecting against radiation.

Michael Daly, professor of pathology at the Uniformed Services University said that "This new understanding of MDP could lead to the development of even more powerful manganese-based antioxidants, it could have applications in medicine, manufacturing, defense, and space exploration."

He also noted that "MDP is a simple, cost-effective, non-toxic, and highly effective radioprotector, which could potentially reduce the risks of space radiation when administered orally."

On Earth, it could also be used to protect against accidental radiation leaks.

              So, a type of bacteria called "Deinococcus radiodurans" has the ability to survive even in the harshest environments. A research team analyzed how the active components of MDP, which contain manganese, phosphate, and a peptide can protected cells and proteins from radiation exposure. It is also noted that MDP is a simple, cost-effective, non-toxic, and highly effective radioprotector. On Earth, it could also be used to protect against accidental radiation leaks. Apparently, MDP will help us in our space exploration projects.

Note:

1. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) is a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal. It is the official journal of the National Academy of Sciences, published since 1915, publishing original research, scientific reviews, commentaries, and letters. (Wikipedia)

2. A gray (Gy) is the SI-derived unit of absorbed dose and specific energy (energy per unit mass). Such energies are usually associated with ionizing radiation such as gamma particles or X-rays. It is defined as the absorption of one joule of energy in the form of ionizing radiation by one kilogram of tissue. In the SI basic units, a gray is expressed as m²⋅s⁻².(https://www.translatorscafe.com/unit-converter/en-US/radiation-absorbed-dose/7-1/gray-rad/)

中國一位頂級經濟學家剛剛說了很多人已懷疑的事：中國官方GDP數據可能不準確

 Recently Yahoo News on-line picked up the following:

A top Chinese economist just said what many people suspected: China's official GDP numbers may not be accurate

Business Insider - Huileng Tan

Thu, December 12, 2024 at 11:16 p.m. PST·3 min read

A Chinese economist said China's official GDP figures may be higher than actual numbers.

He said China's GDP is likely to grow between 3% and 4% in the next three to five years, but the official number is likely to remain at around 5%.

China faces economic challenges including a real-estate crisis and high youth unemployment.

A prominent Chinese economist just said what many people suspected: China's official GDP numbers may not be accurate.

"We do not know the true number of China's real growth figure and maybe some other numbers," Gao Shanwen, the chief economist at SDIC Securities, said on Thursday.

Many people speculate that "after the pandemic, those numbers may not be so accurate," he said at an event hosted by the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, DC. Gao previously advised the country's policymakers.

Gao said China's GDP probably averaged around 2% in the last two to three years even though the official number is "close to 5%," Gao said.

"If my speculation is correct, I think it might be more reasonable to expect a growth rate between 3% to 4% in the years to come, for the next three to five years," Gao said. "But we know, and I think, the official number will always be around 5%."

China reported 5.2% GDP growth last year and has a growth target of "around 5%" this year — which economists said is ambitious.

While there have been longstanding doubts over the veracity of China's GDP data, one economist explained to Business Insider in 2022 that the headline GDP figure is "systematically inflated" due to how it's calculated and that it's unlikely the central government in Beijing manipulates numbers.

Chinese youth are 'tightening their belts and eating noodles with the lights off'

Gao came under the spotlight recently for making comments at an investor conference about "lifeless" Chinese youths. Chinese censors have since taken the speech off the internet.

In the speech, Gao said his analysis of regional data showed that the younger the population of a province is, the slower its consumption growth.

China is now "full of vibrant old people, lifeless young people and middle-aged people in despair," Gao added.

"Young people are tightening their belts and eating noodles with the lights off," Gao said.

Gao's assessments of China's economy come as the country struggles to recover from pandemic lockdowns.

The world's second-largest economy is facing multiple issues, including a real-estate crisis, high youth unemployment, and deflation.

China's economy has been holding up this year thanks to robust exports — but the country's consumer demand has been dismal due to poor consumer confidence. Many people are trading down for cheaper purchases.

China's economy is still struggling to recover from the pandemic

On Thursday, Xinhua state news agency reported that top Chinese officials pledged to loosen monetary policy, increase the budget deficit, and issue more debt to boost consumption and maintain stable economic growth.

China's top leaders also pledged to "vigorously boost consumption" and domestic demand "on all fronts," per Xinhua, citing the two-day Central Economic Work Conference led by Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week.

China's new pledges and measures to shore up its flagging economy did not excite investors, especially since they were short on details, analysts said.

China's benchmark CSI300 Index was 1.8% lower at midday while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 1.7%.

"Due to the property meltdown, the fiscal crisis and worsening tensions with the US, China's economy is not in a normal downcycle, so it may take much more than a 'bazooka' stimulus package to truly reboot the economy," Nomura economists wrote in a note on Friday.

Translation

中國一位頂級經濟學家剛剛說了很多人已懷疑的事：中國官方GDP數據可能不準確

一位中國經濟學家表示，中國官方GDP數據可能高於實際數據。

他表示，未來三到五年，中國GDP可能成長3%至4%，但官方數字可能維持在5%左右。

中國面臨房地產危機和青年失業率高等經濟挑戰。

一位中國著名經濟學家剛剛說出了許多人有所的懷疑：中國的官方GDP數據可能不準確。

國投證券首席經濟學家高善文週四表示，“我們不知道中國實際增長的真實數字，及其他一些數字。”

他在華盛頓特區彼得森國際經濟研究所主辦的活動上表示，許多人猜測「疫情大流行之後，這些數字可能不會那麼準確」。高先生先前曾為中國的政策制定者提供建議。

高說，儘管官方數字“接近5%”，但過去兩三年中國GDP的平均成長率可能約為2%。

高說：“如果我的猜測是正確的，我認為未來三到五年的成長率預計在3%到4%之間可能更合理”; “但我們知道，而且我認為官方數字將始終會在 5% 左右。”

中國去年的GDP成長率為5.2%，今年的成長目標為「5%左右」- 經濟學家稱這個目標雄心勃勃。

儘管長期以來人們對中國GDP 數據的準確性存在懷疑，但一位經濟學家在2022 年向《商業內幕》解釋說，由於計算方式的原因，總體GDP 數據“系統性地被誇大了”，且北京中央政府不太可能操縱數據。

中國年輕人“勒緊褲頭，關燈後吃麵條”

高最近因在一次投資者會議上發表有關「死氣沉沉」的中國年輕人的言論而受到關注。此後，中國審查機構已將這篇演講從網路上刪除。

高在演講中表示，他對地區數據的分析表明，一個省份的人口越年輕，其消費成長就越慢。

高補充說，中國現在「充滿了充滿活力的老年人、毫無生氣的年輕人和絕望的中年人」。

高說:「年輕人開始勒緊褲頭，關燈後吃麵條」。

在高先生對中國經濟作出評估之際，中國正努力從病毒大流行的封鎖中恢復過來。

這個世界第二大經濟體正面臨多重問題，包括房地產危機、青年失業率高和通貨緊縮。

由於出口強勁，中國經濟今年一直維持堅挺，但由於消費者信心不佳，中國的消費需求一直低迷。許多人正在以低價購買更便宜的商品。

中國經濟仍在掙扎從疫情中恢復

週四，新華社報道稱，中國高級官員承諾放鬆貨幣政策，增加預算赤字，發行更多債務刺激消費，維持經濟穩定成長。

據新華社報道，本週由中國領導人習近平主持召開的為期兩天的中央經濟工作會議，中國最高領導人還承諾“全方位”“大力促進消費”和內需。

分析師表示，中國提振疲軟經濟的新承諾和措施並沒有令投資人興奮，特別是因為他們缺乏細節。

中國基準滬深300指數午盤下跌1.8%，香港恆生指數下跌1.7%。

野村證券經濟學家在報告中寫道：「由於房地產崩盤、財政危機以及與美國的緊張關係不斷惡化，中國經濟並未處於一般的下行週期，因此，要真正重新啟動經濟，可能需要的不僅僅是 '火箭筒' 式刺激計劃」。

              So, Dr. Gao Shanwen, a Chinese economist has said that China's official GDP figures may be higher than actual numbers. Gao notes that China is now "full of vibrant old people, lifeless young people and middle-aged people in despair". If his observation is true, it seems that Chinese youth will still face a hard time in the coming years unless China reboots its economy.

 

Note:

1. Dr. Gao Shanwen (高善文博士) is the chief economist of SDIC Securities, an industry mentor at Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance, editor and academic committee member of "Tsinghua Financial Review". He is also a member of the Academic Committee of the China Finance 40 Forum and the China Chief Economist Forum.

敘利亞叛軍領袖的勝利宣言向伊朗傳達了訊息，也向特朗普和以色列傳達了訊息

Recently CNN News on-line reported the following:

Syrian rebel leader’s victory speech holds a message for Iran – and for Trump and Israel too

Analysis by Nic Robertson

Updated Sun, December 8, 2024 at 11:10 p.m. PST·3 min read

Abu Mohammad al-Jolani’s road to Damascus has been long. He has talked openly about his change along the way. From young al Qaeda fighter two decades ago, to rebel commander espousing sectarian tolerance.

It’s a journey along which he has had plenty of time to plan where and how he would mark his arrival, and to fine-tune his narrative – his message for those who put him in power, those who might bring him down, and others who can keep him in power.

It is no surprise that the Islamist rebel chose Damascus’s venerated Umayyad Mosque – not a TV studio, nor newly absented presidential palace, but a place of towering religious significance, which at 1,300 years old is one of the world’s most ancient mosques – to deliver that message.

“This victory, my brothers, is a victory for the entire Islamic nation,” he told his tiny entourage, who stumbled behind him against the backdrop of the mosque’s distinctive black and white stone splendor.

It was a message to all those who had taken him to power, and propelled his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters at startling speed across Syria to oust President Bashir al-Assad.

It was a message too to the newly liberated Syrians. “This victory, my brothers, by the grace of God Almighty (follows) the sacrifices of the martyrs, the widows, and the orphans. This victory, my brothers, has come through the suffering of those who endured imprisonment,” he said.

In a country where the God you chose, and how you pray, can define your class, limit your aspirations and pit you against your neighbor, Jolani sent a very clear signal in the Umayyad Mosque. He is a Sunni Muslim, part of Syria’s majority. Assad was an Alawite. There are Christians, Druze, Shia Muslims, Ismailis and more.

Yet the words he chose appeared intended to break those old bounds. “This new triumph, my brothers, marks a new chapter in the history of the region, a history fraught with dangers (that left) Syria as a playground for Iranian ambitions, spreading sectarianism, stirring corruption,” he said.

Singling Iran out appears to be a message to Tehran’s theocracy – that their meddling is over, their easy land access to their mega proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon is over, their support for Syrian Hezbollah is over, and gone too is the home they once had for Iran’s weapons stockpiles.

But it is a message Jolani will know is being heard in Tel Aviv and Washington, where he is considered to be a member of a proscribed terrorist organisation with a $10 million dollar bounty on his head. A message that says to them, ‘your interests are understood in the new Syria,’ and an understanding on his part that these are the powers capable of bringing him down.

Jolani has been at pains on his race to Damascus to make sure US President Joe Biden and even President-elect Donald Trump know his intent. It is no coincidence that he picked a US TV network, CNN, and not an Arab one, for a key interview in the days before he ousted Assad, claiming he had parted company from other jihadists because of their brutal tactics.

Speaking a few hours later, Biden said he had heard Jolani “saying the right things,” but insisted the rebel leader be judged by his actions.

Jolani’s message was also tuned for regional powers he’ll need to keep onside, promising to clean shop. “Syria is being purified,” he said, referring to the country’s regional reputation as a narco-state, saying Assad’s Syria had “become the world’s leading source of Captagon,” an amphetamine-type drug, and criminality through the region.

Jolani’s mosque speech was about arrival and survival. It’s his actions, though, that will secure the latter.

Translation

敘利亞叛軍領袖的勝利宣言向伊朗傳達了訊息，也向特朗普和以色列傳達了訊息

Abu Mohammad al-Jolani (喬拉尼) 通往大馬士革的道路是的漫長是的。他一直公開談論自己的改變。從二十年前的年輕基地組織戰士，到支持宗派寬容的叛軍指揮官。

在這段旅程中，他有充足的時間來計劃他將在哪裡以, 及如何紀念他的到來，並微調他的敘述 - 傳達訊息向那些讓他到來掌權的人、那些可能令他下台的人, 以及可以令他繼續掌權的人。

毫不奇怪的是，這伊斯蘭叛亂者選擇了大馬士革受人尊敬的Umayyad清真寺 - 不是電視演播室，也不是新近被空置的總統府，而是一個具有崇高宗教意義的地方，它擁有1300年的歷史，是世界上最古老的清真寺之一 - 來傳遞這一信息。

他告訴他的小隨從說:「我的兄弟們，這場勝利是整個伊斯蘭國家的勝利」，他們在清真寺獨特的黑白石輝煌背景下跌跌撞撞地跟在他身後。

這是向所有那些讓他上台並推動他的沙姆解放組織 (HTS) 戰士以驚人的速度穿越敘利亞推翻總統阿薩德的人發出的信息。

這也是向新解放的敘利亞人傳遞的訊息。 他說:「兄弟們，這場勝利是全能上帝的恩典，是在殉道者、寡婦和孤兒的犧牲(之後)取得的。兄弟們，這場勝利是透過那些遭受監禁的人們的痛苦而取得的」。

在一個你選擇的上帝以及你的祈禱方式, 就可以被定義你的階層、限制你的願望, 並使你與鄰居對抗的國家裡，Jolani在Umayyad清真寺發出了一個非常明確的信號。他是遜尼派穆斯林，是敘利亞多數派的一部分。阿薩德是阿拉維派。這裡有基督徒、德魯茲派、什葉派穆斯林、伊斯瑪儀派等等。

然而他選擇的字詞彙似乎是為了打破這些舊的界線。他說：“兄弟們，這一新的勝利標誌著該地區歷史的新篇章，這段歷史充滿了危險，(致使)敘利亞成為伊朗野心、傳播宗派主義、煽動腐敗的遊樂場。”

將伊朗單獨挑出來似乎是向德黑蘭神權政治發出的一個信息 - 他們的干預已經結束，他們在黎巴嫩的超級代理人真主黨的便利陸路通道已經完了，他們對敘利亞真主黨的支持也結束了，他們曾經擁有的伊朗的武器庫存基地也消失了。

但Jolani知道，這樣的訊息特拉維夫和華盛頓亦正在聽到，他被認為是屬於受到禁止的恐怖組織的成員，捕拿懸賞金額為 1000 萬美元。向他們傳達的訊息是，“新敘利亞理解你們的利益”，而他也明白，這些力量有能力打倒他。

Jolani在奔向大馬士革的馳逐中一直煞費苦心，以確保美國總統拜登，甚至當選總統特朗普知道他的意圖。在推翻阿薩德之前的幾天裡，他選擇美國電視網 CNN（而非阿拉伯電視網）接受一次重要採訪，這並非巧合，聲稱他因其他聖戰士的殘酷策略而與他們分道揚鑣。

幾個小時後，拜登表示，他聽到Jolani“說出了正確的話”，但堅稱要根據他的行動來評判叛軍領導人。

Jolani的訊息也針對他需要繼續獲得支持的區域大國，承諾重整工作。 他說:“敘利亞正在被淨化”; 他指的是該國在該地區作成為毒品國家的名堂，並稱阿薩德領導下的敘利亞已“成為世界上Captagon 的主要來源” 它是安非他明類藥物，並成為該地區犯罪活動的主要源頭。

Jolani的清真寺演講是關於他的到來和往後生存。不過，他的生存将是取决於他將會做出的事。

              So, Jolani has sent out a message for those who put him in power, those who might bring him down, and others who can keep him in power. Jolani’s mosque speech is about his arrival and survival, apparently it is his next steps that will secure his survival. He has made a calculated and important speech.

Note:

1. Fenethylline (BAN, USAN) or fenetylline (INN) is a codrug of amphetamine and theophylline and so a mutual prodrug of both. The drug is marketed for use as a psychostimulant under the brand names Captagon, Biocapton, and Fitton. The name "Captagon" is often used generically to describe illicitly-produced fenetylline. (Wikipedia)