Baltimore May Pay Couples to Have Babies

It's You, Joe. It's All You.

Ah, pi. The most popular of the irrationals. Its expansion goes on forever, in any base, with no way to predict which number will come next; it’s so unknowable that even NASA only bothers learning around 15 digits, and they put people on the Moon.But just because we can’t write pi using numbers – at least not without infinite time and space at our disposal – that doesn't mean we can’t do it at all. There are actually many ways to express the constant exactly – you just need to be a bit tricksy about it.And that’s precisely what a team of physicists at the Indian Institute of Science claim to have done: using an infinite series representation, they appear to have found a way to express pi that has so far gone completely unnoticed by mathematicians and scientists. And the best part? They did it entirely by accident.“Our efforts, initially, were never to find a way to look at π,” said Aninda Sinha, Professor at the Center for High Energy Physics (CHEP) and co-author of a new paper containing the formula, in a statement on the discovery.“All we were doing was studying high-energy physics in quantum theory and trying to develop a model with fewer and more accurate parameters to understand how particles interact,” he continued. “We were excited when we got a new way to look at π.”So what’s the secret? Well, it all comes down to the idea of infinite series. These are – well, they’re exactly what they sound like: a sum, or perhaps product, of the terms of an infinite sequence. That may not sound much easier than “an infinite list of pseudorandom numbers” in terms of usability, but the results are pretty amazing; not only can they be extremely useful for calculating the digits of pi itself, but they’re often also quite beautiful, mathematically speaking.“One of the earliest [infinite series for pi] was that of Wallis,” noted mathematicians John Joseph O'Connor and Edmund Robertson back in 2001, “and one of the best-known is […] seems to have been first discovered by James Gregory.”The formulas from Wallis (top) and Gregory (bottom), with the latter often misattributed to Leibniz.Image credit: IFLScience“These are both dramatic and astonishing formulae, for the expressions on the right are completely arithmetical in character, while π arises in the first instance from geometry,” they wrote. “They show the surprising results that infinite processes can achieve and point the way to the wonderful richness of modern mathematics.”But while they may be pretty to look at, there’s a reason the search for infinite series for pi didn’t stop there. “From the point of view of the calculation of π, however, neither is of any use at all,” O’Connor and Robertson pointed out. “In Gregory's series, for example, to get 4 decimal places correct […] we need about 10000 terms of the series.”The formula that Sinha and his colleague, postdoc Arnab Saha, stumbled onto, however, is comparatively light-speed. It’s actually closely related to Gregory’s series – referred to in the paper as a Madhava series in recognition of its earlier discoverer, the 14th-century Indian mathematician and astronomer Madhava of Sangamagrama – but arrived at through entirely different means. The novel route means that the pair was able to vary a certain constraint in the formula to maximize its efficiency: “While [the Madhava] series takes five billion terms to converge to ten decimal places, the new representation with between 10 and 100 takes 30 terms,” the team boasts in the appendix to their paper.The new formula for pi.Image credit: IFLScience, formula from Saha and Sina, Physical Review Letters 2024Which just leaves one question: why, after 700 years of calculating pi with series, did nobody notice this representation before now? To answer that, Sinha simply points to the rest of the paper. “Physicists (and mathematicians) have missed this so far since they did not have the right tools,” he explained. “[These] were only found through work we have been doing with collaborators over the last three years or so.”The study is published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Japan’s National Institute of Infectious Diseases is reporting an upsurge in cases of a serious bacterial infection called streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). This rare but potentially fatal condition is most often caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes, and while other countries have seen outbreaks in recent years, the unusual case numbers in Japan are causing concern.What is streptococcal toxic shock syndrome?S. pyogenes, sometimes referred to as Group A Strep since it’s the most frequent cause of disease from this group of bacteria, is a microbe that can live quite happily on human skin but can also cause a range of diseases.On the milder end of the spectrum, S. pyogenes is responsible for impetigo, strep throat, and scarlet fever. But it can also cause much more serious disease, such as cellulitis (a deep-tissue skin infection), “flesh-eating disease” aka necrotizing fasciitis, or STSS.Anyone can get STSS, and in around half of cases it’s not clear how the bacteria entered the body in the first place, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Still, there are some factors that can put someone at greater risk, such skin injury, surgical wounds, recent chickenpox infection causing open sores, and use of tampons.What’s the situation in Japan?While rare, small numbers of STSS cases are expected each year. However, Japanese authorities reported back in March that they had been seeing an increase in cases.“There were 409 STSS cases caused by [Group A Strep] for the entire year 2023, and 335 [in the first 11 weeks] in 2024,” the report highlighted. “The number of reported STSS cases caused by [Group A Strep] has increased since July 2023, especially among those under 50 years of age.”Recent data covering the period up to June 2, 2024 show there is no sign of the increase slowing down.“At the current rate of infections, the number of cases in Japan could reach 2,500 this year, with a mortality rate of 30 percent,” said professor of infectious diseases Ken Kikuchi, speaking to the Japan Times.What are the symptoms of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome?According to the CDC, the first symptoms of STSS usually include fever/chills, muscle aches, and nausea/vomiting. The disease can then progress very quickly, so it’s important that anyone suspected of having STSS is seen by doctors as soon as possible.Within 24-48 hours, life-threatening symptoms like low blood pressure, tachycardia, and organ failure begin to develop. Even with treatment, as many as three in 10 cases of STSS are fatal. Survivors may require amputations to remove infected limb tissue. Once someone has had STSS, they are at greater risk of developing the condition again.Is there any way to prevent streptococcal toxic shock syndrome?“Because chickenpox and influenza are risk factors for severe [Group A Strep] infection, vaccination against varicella zoster virus and influenza can reduce the risk of severe [Group A Strep] infection,” Dr Céline Gounder, editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, told CBS News.Alcohol use disorder and injectable drug use also increase a person’s risk, so seeking treatment for addiction can help to mitigate that. However, it remains the case that most of the time, it’s not possible to pin down exactly what caused the infection.One theory as to why we’re seeing more STSS now is a rebound effect after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. “The most likely hypothesis is that decreased circulation of the bacteria during the pandemic years left an immunity debt and the increase is related to that phenomenon,” Johns Hopkins researcher Dr Amesh A. Adalja told Healthline.Whatever the cause of the uptick in cases, it’s important to be mindful of signs of infection and to seek treatment before things become more serious. Wound hygiene is of particular importance – if you get a cut or scrape, ensure the area is kept clean and watch out for redness, swelling, and increased pain, which could indicate an infection. Knowing the signs can help you to spot potential STSS, as well as other serious complications of infection like sepsis. All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current. The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions. 

Voice-replicating technology has improved an impressive amount in the last few years, thanks to new speech generative models.With various products, people are able to generate relatively convincing audio copies of people's voices with surprisingly little input. Voice Engine from OpenAI, for example, claims to use "text input and a single 15-second audio sample to generate natural-sounding speech that closely resembles the original speaker."The results are pretty good, if occasionally straying into the uncanny valley.         But with cool new technology comes people hoping to exploit it for nefarious purposes. The USA, for instance, has already seen one scam involving a robocaller impersonating President Joe Biden, urging Democrats in New Hampshire not to vote in the Presidential primaries. Not all are so ambitious as attempting to affect who is in the White House. Others have had scam phone calls supposedly from loved ones, in attempts to get some good old-fashioned money.It's a problem, but cybersecurity researchers are working on a solution in the form of watermarking audio. Meta – the parent company of Facebook and Instagram – has created a product called AudioSeal, which they call "the first audio watermarking technique designed specifically for localized detection of AI-generated speech".At the moment, detecting synthesized audio generally relies upon training algorithms to distinguish it from normal speech. In a different approach, the team looked at ways that AI-generated speech could be "watermarked" with imperceptible noise."Watermarking emerges as a strong alternative. It embeds a signal in the generated audio, imperceptible to the ear but robustly detectable by specific algorithms," the team behind the technique explains in a paper posted to pre-print server arXiv (meaning it's yet to be peer-reviewed). "It is based on a generator/detector architecture that can generate and extract watermarks at the audio sample level. This removes the dependency on slow brute force algorithms, traditionally used to encode and decode audio watermarks."The team told MIT Technology Review that the system is effective at picking up on the watermarks, correctly identifying watermarks with between 90 and 100 percent accuracy. However, detection via this method would require voice-generating technology companies to place watermarks within their audio files, something which isn't necessarily going to happen any time soon."Watermarking in general can have a set of potential misuses such as government surveillance of dissidents or corporate identification of whistle blowers," the team adds in the paper. "Additionally, the watermarking technology might be misused to enforce copyright on user-generated content, and its ability to detect AI-generated audio could increase skepticism about digital communication authenticity, potentially undermining trust in digital media and AI. "However, despite these risks, ensuring the detectability of AI-generated content is important, along with advocating for robust security measures and legal frameworks to govern the technology’s use."The paper is posted on the pre-print server arXiv, while AudioSeal itself is available on GitHub.

An executive from the Walt Disney Company alleged that the historic brand thoroughly engages in race-based hiring practices but uses coded language to avoid liability.During a series of undercover videos made by investigative journalist James O'Keefe's O'Keefe Media Group, a Disney senior vice president named Michael Giordano appeared to detail a series of questionable hiring practices and beliefs ingrained at the company.Speaking to an undercover reporter, Giordano claimed that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives go right to the top, including through CEO Bob Iger."Do you think Bob has a say in the diversity stuff when they’re casting people?" the journalist asked."100%. He gives the directive ... 'Hey, I want every show to have substantial diversity,'" the executive said.'I think there's certainly a belief that it's just good for society.'Iger had said in April 2024 that the company does not infuse any messaging into its content. He noted that the company is trying to reach a "diverse audience" and said certain viewers can sometimes be "turned off by certain things." He added that Disney has to be more sensitive to the interests of a broad audience.It is perhaps the latter that was coded terminology signaling the DEI beliefs at the company.Giordano said in the undercover videos that diversity is sometimes "so front and center. ... We have so many shows where we're casting and we're like 'yeah, we're not even gonna see certain people for it.'"The journalist then asked if Disney tends to "only look for diverse candidates for certain roles.""At times, yeah," Giordano replied. "I think there's certainly a belief that it's just good for society, but there's also a belief that 'We're gonna make more money if we appeal to a wider variety of people and it's a good thing.' We have shareholders too and diversity helps with that.'"'They're very careful about messaging because they don't want to get sued for discrimination in either direction.'As an example of the company's alleged obsession with skin color and employee appearance, Giordano provided an anecdote where he claimed that an executive was passed on for a role because, while the person was half black, the candidate didn't appear black enough to make a difference."We wanted to hire somebody in a department from a few years ago now, who was half black but didn't appear half black. And there was a creative executive who was like, 'That's not what's wanted.' They wanted somebody in meetings who would appear a certain way and he wasn't gonna bring that to the meeting."Giordano then claimed the company had attitudes toward people who are mixed-race."If you're mixed, you don't look black at all — which sometimes happens — then they're like 'Oh I'm not so sure.' But if they're mixed and you can tell they're part black but not that black, then okay. It's crazy," he claimed.The executive went on to state that the company is very careful with wording as to avoid litigation for discriminatory practices. "They're very careful about messaging because they don't want to get sued for discrimination in either direction, but certainly there have been times where, there's no way we’re hiring a white male for this."He added that the company would be very careful how this messaging was relayed to agents, giving the example that they might tell representatives they are not looking for the "usual suspects."Giordano said that he was about a half-step below being the head of his department, and while he has his own team at the Walt Disney Company, he doesn't oversee the entire department.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Cam Newton may be a rich and famous NFL player, but that’s not stopping him from blaming racism on why he’s not as successful as some of his friends. “I’m always going to tell Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Greg Olson, Troy Aikman, Matt Ryan, to go get the bag,” Cam Newton said, asking, “How in the world are they the only ones that’s getting access to these types of contracts?” “Somebody told me, they said, 'Well, you don’t get these contracts because you’re not polished yet,'” he continued. “What type of media training did Tony Romo have before he just popped up commentating the game?” “Tom Brady, same thing,” Newton added. “How can we get other minorities to skip the line, too?” Newton often wears his dreads sticking through whatever hat he’s wearing like an out of control plant — so, Jason Whitlock isn’t surprised he’s not getting the same contracts as the others. “Cam Newton has a tree sticking out of the top of his head, and he’s wondering why he can’t get a broadcasting job,” Whitlock says, adding, “and he’s taking pot shots at Tony Romo, and you know Tony Romo.” Romo was an NFL quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, and Troy Aikman who was also mentioned in Newton’s rant, won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys himself. And Tom Brady is a story all his own. Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture, faith, sports, and comedy with Jason Whitlock, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

A jury in the nation's predominantly Democratic capital convicted former Trump adviser and "War Room" host Stephen K. Bannon in 2022 on a misdemeanor contempt of Congress charge for failing to comply with a subpoena from the partisan House Jan. 6 committee. Earlier this month, a federal judge ordered Bannon to report to jail by July 1. Bannon told reporters outside the courthouse that "all of this is about one thing. This is about shutting down the MAGA movement, shutting down grassroots conservatives, shutting down President Trump." He also made abundantly clear that Attorney General Merrick Garland and the rest of the Biden Department of Justice were "not going to shut up Trump. They're not going to shut up Navarro. They're not going to shut up Bannon. And they're certainly not going to shut up MAGA!" Bannon's attorneys filed an emergency motion to keep him out of prison as he continued to appeal the conviction on the ground that he "reasonably believed — based on the advice of counsel — that he did not have to respond [to the subpoena]" and that for a contempt conviction, it must be demonstrated he willfully acted in bad faith. 'Bannon should not go to prison before the Supreme Court considers his forthcoming petition for certiorari.' The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied the motion Thursday in a 2-1 vote, noting that Bannon's "ground for requesting release does not warrant a departure from the general rule that a defendant 'shall ... be detained' following conviction and imposition of a sentence of imprisonment." The two judges in the majority were Cornelia Pillard, a progressive jurist nominated by former Democratic President Barack Obama in 2013, and Bradley Garcia, nominated to the court by Democratic President Joe Biden in 2022. Trump-nominated Judge Justin Walker, who voted against denying the emergency motion, indicated in his dissenting opinion that the main line of argumentation in Bannon's appeal might succeed before the Supreme Court, which is not bound by the application of the decision in Licavoli v. United States. The Democrat-selected majority indicated that in Licavoli, the proof of a summoned witness' intentional default in response to a congressional subpoena establishes the requisite willfulness. "Because the Supreme Court is not bound by Licavoli, because Licavoli's interpretation of 'willfully' is a close question, and because that question may well be material, Bannon should not go to prison before the Supreme Court considers his forthcoming petition for certiorari," concluded Walker. Bannon's legal team, which has reportedly argued that the Biden DOJ is ostensibly attempting to prevent Bannon from helping with the Trump campaign and speaking out on issues of importance, have filed an emergency stay application in the U.S. Supreme Court. While there is uncertainty over whether Bannon will ultimately spend four months inside a prison cell for a misdemeanor charge, it's clear that Democratic officials similarly convicted suffer no such consequences. House Republicans voted to hold Garland in contempt of Congress earlier this month for defying subpoenas for audio recordings of Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur — an interview from which Hur, whose report indicated Biden "willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice-presidency when he was a private citizen," concluded the Democratic president might be too decrepit for a jury to convict. Unlike in Bannon's case, the Biden Department of Justice revealed on June 14 that it would no longer bother prosecuting Garland. Eric Holder, Obama's attorney general, was held in contempt of Congress in an overwhelming 255-67 vote in 2012 for refusing to turn over documents related to the Fast and Furious scandal. The Obama DOJ quickly rewarded Holder for keeping the Democratic president's documents from the American people's elected representatives by refusing to prosecute. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

2028 Presidential Run? MI Representative Neil Friske Allegedly Chases Stripper While Firing Gun