Agnes Guillot dreams of one day seeing a giant 50-centimetre (20-inch) -long white rat called Psikharpax scuttling fearlessly around her lab. If so, it will be time to scream... but out of joy, rather than fear, for it could be a turning point in the history of robotics. Psikharpax -- named after a cunning king of the rats, according to a tale attributed to Homer -- is the brainchild of European researchers who believe it may push back a frontier in artificial intelligence. Scientists have strived for decades to make a robot that can do some more than make repetitive, programmed gestures. These are fine for making cars or amusing small children, but are of little help in the real world. One of the biggest obstacles is learning ability. Without the smarts to figure out dangers and opportunities, a robot is helpless without human intervention. "The autonomy of robots today is similar to that of an insect," snorts Guillot, a researcher at France's Institute for Intelligent Systems and Robotics (ISIR), one of the "Psikharpax" team.
If so, it will be time to scream... but out of joy, rather than fear, for it could be a turning point in the history of robotics.
Psikharpax -- named after a cunning king of the rats, according to a tale attributed to Homer -- is the brainchild of European researchers who believe it may push back a frontier in artificial intelligence.
Scientists have strived for decades to make a robot that can do some more than make repetitive, programmed gestures. These are fine for making cars or amusing small children, but are of little help in the real world.
One of the biggest obstacles is learning ability. Without the smarts to figure out dangers and opportunities, a robot is helpless without human intervention.
"The autonomy of robots today is similar to that of an insect," snorts Guillot, a researcher at France's Institute for Intelligent Systems and Robotics (ISIR), one of the "Psikharpax" team.
The government's equality watchdog, set up to combat all forms of prejudice at work, faces a sex discrimination lawsuit this week from a female member of its own staff.The case is a fresh embarrassment for Trevor Phillips, the chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, who is widely expected to be forced to step down when his contract ends in autumn following a string of internal disputes and allegations of financial irregularities. Several of his fellow commissioners have indicated they are likely to stand down if Phillips, who is close to several senior Labour politicians, including Lord Mandelson, is reappointed for another term.The sex discrimination case brought by Brid Johal, an aide to Phillips's political adviser Faz Hakim, is scheduled to be heard at an employment tribunal in south London this week. It is understood her case centres on allegations that she was not told of a promotion that came up while she was on maternity leave and was therefore unfairly treated compared to other staff.
The government's equality watchdog, set up to combat all forms of prejudice at work, faces a sex discrimination lawsuit this week from a female member of its own staff.
The case is a fresh embarrassment for Trevor Phillips, the chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, who is widely expected to be forced to step down when his contract ends in autumn following a string of internal disputes and allegations of financial irregularities. Several of his fellow commissioners have indicated they are likely to stand down if Phillips, who is close to several senior Labour politicians, including Lord Mandelson, is reappointed for another term.
The sex discrimination case brought by Brid Johal, an aide to Phillips's political adviser Faz Hakim, is scheduled to be heard at an employment tribunal in south London this week. It is understood her case centres on allegations that she was not told of a promotion that came up while she was on maternity leave and was therefore unfairly treated compared to other staff.
LGBT issues particularly have suffered from oversight by people with a known antipathy towards gay people.
Phillips is very good on race, but has long been considered suspect on other issues. that this has happened doesn't suprise me in the slightest, but the damage is done. keep to the Fen Causeway
The Foreign Office is to risk the wrath of homophobic regimes worldwide by encouraging British ambassadors to do more to support gay communities.Chris Bryant, the new Foreign Office minister, who is gay, has started writing personal letters of congratulations to British diplomats who show public support for gay rights. He is praising them for such support even if it draws anger from national governments or local homophobic groups.On the eve of today's Gay Pride March in London, Bryant sent handwritten letters of personal congratulations to three British ambassadors in eastern Europe after they were angrily accused by national governments of promoting gay rights.
The Foreign Office is to risk the wrath of homophobic regimes worldwide by encouraging British ambassadors to do more to support gay communities.
Chris Bryant, the new Foreign Office minister, who is gay, has started writing personal letters of congratulations to British diplomats who show public support for gay rights. He is praising them for such support even if it draws anger from national governments or local homophobic groups.
On the eve of today's Gay Pride March in London, Bryant sent handwritten letters of personal congratulations to three British ambassadors in eastern Europe after they were angrily accused by national governments of promoting gay rights.
The wife of Prime Minister Gordon Brown took part Saturday in London's latest gay pride march through the streets of the capital's main shopping district.Sarah Brown carried a pink, red and white version of the British national flag as she marched down Regent Street, joined by a colourful procession of people.
The wife of Prime Minister Gordon Brown took part Saturday in London's latest gay pride march through the streets of the capital's main shopping district.
Sarah Brown carried a pink, red and white version of the British national flag as she marched down Regent Street, joined by a colourful procession of people.
Given how he campaigned in 2001 in favour of the anti-gay clause 28 I ain't convinced
Cameron, who succeeded Woodward as MP for Witney at the 2001 general election, mocked his opposition to section 28. "Did Mr Woodward order a survey of local opinion about the issue that triggered his resignation - clause 28 and the promotion of homosexuality in schools?" Cameron wrote in a letter to the Daily Telegraph in September 2000. The future Tory leader voted to retain Section 28 in the 2003 Commons vote which led to its abolition.
The future Tory leader voted to retain Section 28 in the 2003 Commons vote which led to its abolition.
A politician with a track record of being a homophobic bigot doesn't convince his mind has changed just because it's politically expedient. He has to do more than this. Standing on stage at Gay Pride is easy, it's what he does the other 364 days that matters. keep to the Fen Causeway
Martin Jones, 42, a builder, had been blind for 12 years after a tub of white hot aluminium exploded in his face as he worked at a scrapyard. He married his wife Gill, 50, four years ago but had not seen her until after the delicate eight-hour operation to return the gift of sight. The rare procedure meant that one of Mr Jones' front teeth was removed and used as a lens holder in his right eye. "I met my wife when I was blind and when I found out there was a chance I would get my sight back the first person I wanted to see was her," said Mr Jones, from Broom, Rotherham. "The doctors took the bandages off and it was like looking through water and then I saw this figure and it was her. She's wonderful and lovely. It was unbelievable to see her for the first time. "I feel fantastic getting my sight back. I can't really describe it - it's beyond words. I was blind for 12 years and when my sight came back everything had changed. "The first car I saw when my sight was restored was a Smart car and I couldn't stop laughing - I'd never seen one before and I thought it had been chopped in half.
Martin Jones, 42, a builder, had been blind for 12 years after a tub of white hot aluminium exploded in his face as he worked at a scrapyard.
He married his wife Gill, 50, four years ago but had not seen her until after the delicate eight-hour operation to return the gift of sight.
The rare procedure meant that one of Mr Jones' front teeth was removed and used as a lens holder in his right eye.
"I met my wife when I was blind and when I found out there was a chance I would get my sight back the first person I wanted to see was her," said Mr Jones, from Broom, Rotherham.
"The doctors took the bandages off and it was like looking through water and then I saw this figure and it was her. She's wonderful and lovely. It was unbelievable to see her for the first time.
"I feel fantastic getting my sight back. I can't really describe it - it's beyond words. I was blind for 12 years and when my sight came back everything had changed.
"The first car I saw when my sight was restored was a Smart car and I couldn't stop laughing - I'd never seen one before and I thought it had been chopped in half.
American nuns could be said to have their habits in a twist in the face of two investigations by the Vatican into whether they have come to espouse lifestyles and views on the Church that may just be a tad too modern. Except that many don't wear habits any more. They wear regular clothes, even jeans. Many nuns have stretched beyond the cloistered life to enter professions like teaching, the law and social work, and often eschew convents in favour of living alone. But, for the Vatican, it seems that American nuns may have strayed a bit too far from the traditional path. There was a warning shot in March when the US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a decree telling Catholics that they should desist from practising Reiki, an ancient Japanese healing technique increasingly favoured by nuns involving the laying-on of hands, and very far from the traditional approach that Rome seems to prefer.
Many nuns have stretched beyond the cloistered life to enter professions like teaching, the law and social work, and often eschew convents in favour of living alone. But, for the Vatican, it seems that American nuns may have strayed a bit too far from the traditional path.
There was a warning shot in March when the US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a decree telling Catholics that they should desist from practising Reiki, an ancient Japanese healing technique increasingly favoured by nuns involving the laying-on of hands, and very far from the traditional approach that Rome seems to prefer.
Catholics that they should desist from practising Reiki,
if they could DRM laying on of hands, they would!
cheesus wept ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
