The Unintended Consequences of Iran’s Asymmetric Strategy and America’s AI War

The Iran war is unique in the scope and scale of asymmetric warfare and AI-enabled conflict. These will test the limits of protecting civilians.

25-Country Bitcoin Study

The Technology Behind Financial Freedom: Evidence from a 25-Country Bitcoin Study  - The National Interest

The Geopolitics of Code: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of American Soft Power

A US-centric essay on AI and Geopolitics

The Geopolitics of Code: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of American Soft Power - The National Interest

Catalyzing Crisis

From the Center for a New American Security

https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/catalyzing-crisis

Ten EV Facts

1.  On average, in a crash, EVs suffer 50% more damage than typical gas-powered cars.
2. New EV owners are three times more likely to be in a crash partly because drivers aren’t used to instant torque associated with EVs.
3. One-third of EV accidents involve cyclists and pedestrians, about 1.5 times more than ICE crashes.
4. 47% of EVs involved in high-speed accidents end up being totaled.
5. EVs, on average, are 35% heavier than their ICE counterparts. The added weight puts other road users at risk during an accident.
6. On average, the cost of EV insurance is 27% higher than that of an ICE vehicle.
7. The U.S. has one of the highest rates of motor-vehicle deaths (ICE + EV) in the developed world, with an estimated 46,270 fatalities in 2022. That's 15 911's each year.
8. As of January 2024, there were more than 3.14 million electric cars on the road in the U.S., representing roughly 1.2% of all cars in circulation.
9. Studies show that if you’re involved in a crash with a heavier vehicle, your chance of fatality increases by 47% with every 1,000 pounds of added weight.
10. Electric vehicles run through tires faster than ICE cars. Rivian R1Ts need new tires after as few as 6,000 miles. EV tires are special and cost over $1000 for one set of them.

More details below:

https://www.lookupaplate.com/blog/electric-car-accident-statistics/

State of Software Engineering Market

https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p/state-of-eng-market-2024

Generative AI, the American worker, and the future of work

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/generative-ai-the-american-worker-and-the-future-of-work/

The Future of International Scientific Assessments of AI’s Risks

https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2024/08/the-future-of-international-scientific-assessments-of-ais-risks?lang=en

AI @ Work Reports

The-State-of-AI-at-Work.pdf (asana.com) (2023)

and

The State of AI at Work 2024 - The Work Innovation Lab • Asana (requires registration)

and

The state of AI in early 2024: Gen AI adoption spikes and starts to generate value | McKinsey

COVID-19: Projecting Transmission Post Pandemic

Projecting COVID-19 Transmission Post Pandemic
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/early/2020/04/14/science.abb5793.full.pdf

COVID-19: Reports from Iceland and Italy

Reports on COVID-19 from Iceland and from Italy:
Iceland's statistically valid study of the incidence and severity of the CoVID-19 disease.
Here is the Iceland government report summary:
https://www.government.is/news/article/2020/03/15/Large-scale-testing-of-general-population-in-Iceland-underway/
The company analyzing the tests is well respected and is most likely using the RT-PCR test
https://www.decode.com/research/
https://www.questdiagnostics.com/dms/Documents/covid-19/SARSCoV-2_HCP_Fact_Sheet.pdf
Report from Italy on "Characteristics of COVID-19 patients dying in Italy Report based on available data on March 20th, 2020"
https://www.epicentro.iss.it/coronavirus/bollettino/Report-COVID-2019_20_marzo_eng.pdf

COVID-19 and the US Economy

From Brookings Institution

(Yes, I know, a Liberal Think-Tank...)

FAQ on the economic impact & policy response

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/03/23/covid-19-and-the-u-s-economy-faq-on-the-economic-impact-policy-response/

Bashe Attack

This report is a new publication from the Cyber Risk Management (CyRiM) project, the Singapore-based public-private initiative that assesses cyber risks, of which Lloyd’s is one of the founding members. 

At its worst, it could cause $193 billion worth of damages, at very least - $85 billion.

Read the report to find out how a ransomware attack could affect your organisation, sector or country.

https://www.lloyds.com/news-and-risk-insight/risk-reports/library/technology/bashe-attack

Computers, AI, and Place Disparities

From the Brookings Institution

Countering the geographical impacts of automation: Computers, AI, and place disparities

https://www.brookings.edu/research/countering-the-geographical-impacts-of-automation-computers-ai-and-place-disparities/

Dev vs. Ops: The State of Accountability

The long, windy road:

Dev vs. Ops: The State of Accountability – “The road to DevOps is paved with chaos”

https://jaxenter.com/devops-accountability-report-153354.html 

Report requires registration.

Relying on Bad Schedule Estimates to Promote Agile Programs

From the Center for Strategic and International Studies
Bad Idea: Relying on Bad Schedule Estimates to Promote Agile Programs
https://defense360.csis.org/bad-idea-relying-on-bad-schedule-estimates-to-promote-agile-programs/
We read:
"Congress has taken explicit inspiration from the agile development approach employed by many commercial software producers. Rather than incrementally produce complex pieces of software over multiple years, this approach emphasizes creating the minimum viable product to get feedback from users and iterate designs over a series of sprints."

AI Index Report

AI Index Report - this survey of AI trends finds advances in working with human languages, global reach

http://cdn.aiindex.org/2018/AI%20Index%202018%20Annual%20Report.pdf

Risks of the Internte-of-Things

Managing the risk of the Internet-of-Things:

http://csis.org/publication/managing-risk-internet-things

Praising in a Foreign Language

New research has found English is lacking in the language of positivity: in short, we don't have all the right words to describe & express subtle joys as in some other languages.

The paper, published in the Journal of Positive Psychology by Tim Lomas, lists 216 "untranslatable" words, with the aim of "providing a window onto cultural differences" and "expanding the emotional vocabulary of English speakers.

The report also includes a section of words describing resourcefulness, grit and determination. Need a better way to describe your team's performance during a difficult project last week? Here's what Lomas recommends (or check out his full paper @ http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/17439760.2015.1127993  ):

 

 1. Sumud (Arabic) - Steadfastness, a determined struggle to persist

 2. Sisu (Finnish) - Extraordinary determination in the face of adversity [A.K.A. life]

 3. Að jenna (Icelandic)

 4. Sitzfleish (German) - The ability or willingness to persevere through tasks that are hard or even just boring [A.K.A. work]

 5. Ganbaru (Japanese) - To do one's best

 6. Jaksaa (Finnish), Orka (Swedish) - The importance of being energized

 7. Kefi (Greek) - A spirit of joy, passion, enthusiasm, high spirits, frenzy

 8. Baraka (Arabic) - Gift of spiritual energy or "sanctifying power" that can be transferred from one person to another

 9. Orenda (Huron) - The power of the human will to change the world in the face of powerful forces such as fate

 10. Jugaad (Hindi), and 11. Arrangiarsi (Italian) - The ability to "make do" or "get by"

 12. Desenrascanço (Portuguese) - To artfully disentangle oneself from a troublesome situation

 13. Fingerspitzengefuehl (German) - The ability to think clearly about numerous phenomena and to understand how they relate on multiple levels

 14. Sprezzatura (Italian) - A certain nonchalance, "studied carelessness"

 15. Saper vivere (Italian) - The ability to handle people and situations with charm, diplomacy and verve

 16. Pihentagyú (Hungarian) - Quick-witted people who can come up with sophisticated jokes or solutions

 17. Kombinować (Polish) - Working out an unusual solution to a complicated problem, and acquiring coveted skills or qualities in the process

 18. Meraki (Greek) - A sense of ardor, specifically in relation to one's own actions and creations

 19. Yuán bèi (Chinese) - A sense of complete and perfect accomplishment

 20. Brav (German) - An adjective used to commend children, encompassing qualities including being pleasant, earnest and well-behaved

 21. Majime (Japanese) - Someone who is reliable, responsible and able to get things done without causing problems for others

 22. Sunao (Japanese) - Meek, docile, submissive - but in a positive way, exemplified in the respect given by a student towards a teacher

 23. Szimpatikus (Hungarian) - A decent human being

 24. Fēng yùn (Chinese) - Personal charm and graceful bearing

 25. Lagom (Swedish) - A sense of moderation, doing anything by just the right degree

 26. Ilunga (Tshiluba) - A person who is ready to forgive abuse the first time, and tolerate it a second time -  but never a third time (incidentally, rated by linguists as the world's most difficult word to translate)

 27. Ikigai (Japanese) - A reason for being, the feeling that life is good and meaningful

 28. Genki (Japanese) - Being healthy, energetic and full of life

 29. Joie de vivre (French) - A zest for life, a knack of knowing how to live

U.S.-Japan Cooperation in Cybersecurity

U.S.-Japan Cooperation in Cybe-rsecurity from the Centre for International and Strategic Studies:


http://csis.org/publication/us-japan-cooperation-cybersecurity