https://youtu.be/DKjDdf3O1EE
Singapore: Driverless Road Sweepers On Trial
Driverless road sweepers have been deployed1 to three places in Singapore on a trial basis. The trials started this month and are expected to run until July. If successful, the autonomous2 vehicles will be deployed on the roads in the next few years. The trials will start off at off-peak hours such as on weekends and evenings in designated small-scale areas. There will also be a safety driver on board at all times who can take immediate control of the vehicle if required. Operation of the vehicles is also monitored in real time from a command center by an operator. Decals and markings on the vehicles also make them easily identifiable to other road users. The implementation3 of the autonomous vehicles will lessen the manual workload of cleaners, as well as make it easier and safer for them. It is also hoped that such projects will be able to jump start the local robotics industry.
1deployed – to move equipment to a place where they can be used when needed
2autonomous – carried on without outside control
3implementation – the process of putting a plan into effect
Think about it: Will robots be able to completely replace some human jobs?
Thailand: Dozens Of Officers Implicated In Labor Smuggling
The Royal Thai Police will investigate 33 police officers and state officials who are suspected of negligence4 and aiding and abetting5 illegal labor smuggling. Among the 33 being investigated are more than 20 police officers, with the rest being officials from other state agencies. The national police chief will be setting up an inquiry panel to consider criminal prosecution and disciplinary action against those who are implicated. Arrest warrants will also be issued for eight other Thai civilians who are part of the smuggling gang. The gang had sneaked migrants into Thailand and sent them to work in Samut Sakhon, which is the origin of the recent Covid-19 outbreak. The authorities are registering illegal foreign workers in a bid to monitor them and help fight the spread of Covid-19. These foreign workers will be allowed to stay for two years and encouraged to test for Covid-19.
4negligence – failure to take proper care of something
5abetting – assist someone to commit a crime
Think about it: If illegal foreign workers are allowed to stay in Thailand for two years, wouldn’t that cause a surge in their numbers, and possibly worsen the outbreaks as they are not screened upon entering Thailand?
China: First Virus Death Logged In 8 Months
China has recorded its first Covid-19 death in eight months. Experts are also concerned about the new strains of coronavirus that are spreading rapidly around the world. China has already locked down millions of people in order to control this fresh outbreak which has resulted in this death. Many countries are encountering either a second or third wave of outbreaks, which has resulted in them placing their populations under economically damaging restrictions. The death in China comes at a time when a team from the World Health Organization is in China to investigate the origins of the novel coronavirus. Beijing has argued that Wuhan is not where the virus originated, but where it was first identified. Scientists feel that large-scale vaccinations are the only way out of the pandemic, but the progress of many vaccination programs has been slower than hoped. There is some good news with one British study suggesting that recovery from Covid-19 infection gives most people at least five months of immunity6.
6immunity – an organism’s ability to resist a particular infection
Think about it: What are the implications for the country where the virus originated? Do you think that country’s enemies will use this information as a political tool against it?
Science: J&J Vaccine Offers Long-Lasting Immune Response
Johnson & Johnson’s experimental one-shot Covid-19 vaccine generated a long-lasting immune response in an early safety study. The progress of this vaccine is being closely monitored as it would offer ease of distribution and mass inoculation. More than 90% of participants made neutralizing7 antibodies within 29 days of receiving the shot, and all participants made antibodies within 57 days of taking the shot. The one-shot vaccine generates more antibodies than a single shot from the other Covid-19 vaccines, and its effectiveness is comparable to those taking the full two shots of the other vaccines. The company expects to get definitive8 efficacy data from a final stage study of 45,000 volunteers by next month. The chief scientific officer at Johnson & Johnson estimates that the vaccine will be more than 70% effective. Not only is the single shot vaccine easier to administer as there is no need for repeat clinical visits, but it can be stored at refrigerator temperatures for three months.
7neutralizing – make something ineffective by applying an opposite effect
8definitive – reached decisively and with authority
Think about it: Would you prefer a more effective vaccine that requires two shots, or a less effective one that only requires one shot?
Health: WHO Dampens Hope Of Herd Immunity
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that herd immunity from the novel coronavirus is unlikely this year even as countries start mass vaccination programs. This is due to coverage not being wide enough to provide population-level immunity. The European Union has been criticized9 for its lengthy approval process and slow rollout of drugs. The European Union has just started the approval process for its third vaccine, which was developed by drug company AstraZeneca together with Oxford University. Even though the AstraZeneca vaccine is already being used in Britain, it is expected that a decision would not be reached before Jan 29. Further compounding10 the problem are European hospitals being stretched to their limits and several Asian countries facing surges in infection cases. Malaysia has been forced to declare a state of emergency, and Japan has also done likewise for 11 prefectures. In China, a city of five million has been added to a growing lockdown area near the capital of Beijing.
9criticized – indicate the faults of someone in a disapproving way
10compounding – make something worse
Think about it: How important is it for people to continue with earlier health protocols such as safe distancing, wearing of masks, etc while their government administers the vaccine?
At the end of every news segment, we like to take some time to provide our own inputs on one of the discussion topics raised. Today, we are going to talk about whether robots can replace some human jobs.
I think the key thing to note here is the word “some”. Where the technology is right now, only very rudimentary tasks can be replaced by robots, much like how robots already replaced humans in doing very repetitive jobs in factories during the industrial revolution. With the increasing use of machine learning, robots will be able to replace humans for increasingly challenging and difficult jobs. Already, some systems are better than doctors at diagnosing various diseases. So, in short, yes, robots will be able to completely replace humans in some jobs, but for some other complicated tasks, they won’t replace humans (yet) but can assist them greatly. However, we should remember that ultimately, it is still a human who programs the robot to perform a task.