From SIRI to self-driving cars, artificial intelligence (AI) is progressing rapidly. While science fiction often portrays AI as robots with human-like characteristics, AI can encompass anything from Google’s search algorithms to IBM’s Watson to autonomous weapons. Artificial intelligence today is properly known as narrow AI (or weak AI), in that it is designed to perform a narrow task (e.g. only facial recognition or only internet searches or only driving a car). However, the long-term goal of many researchers is to create general AI (AGI or strong AI). While narrow AI may outperform humans at whatever its specific task is, like playing chess or solving equations, AGI would outperform humans at nearly every cognitive task.
Rising from the Hudson River, Little Island preens atop a bouquet of tulip-shaped columns. Outside, it’s eye candy. Inside, a charmer, with killer views. Near 13th Street in Hudson River Park, is the architectural equivalent of a kitchen sink sundae, with a little bit of everything. The park-within-the-park was conceived nearly a decade ago to replace Pier 54 on Manhattan’s West Side. In 1912, the R.M.S. Carpathia brought survivors of the Titanic to Pier 54. It had become a venue for outdoor concerts in recent years but started to crumble and had to be closed. Park officials approached Diller — his headquarters are in the neighborhood — and in turn Diller enlisted Thomas Heatherwick, the English designer and billionaire whisperer. New Yorkers may recall Heatherwick devised the Vessel at Hudson Yards.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2021 will take place in Rotterdam. The Dutch city was due to host the Contest in 2020 before the event was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Semi-Finals will take place on 18 and 20 May 2021. The Grand Final takes place on 22 May 2021. The slogan ‘Open Up’ was intentionally incomplete when it was chosen for Eurovision 2020. “Feel the freedom to complete the slogan in your own way. We found it was important to choose a theme that reflects the spirit of our times. With the slogan we warmly invite people to open up to others, to different opinions, each other’s stories and of course to each other’s music." The logo of Eurovision 2021 was inspired by the world map with Rotterdam as the beating heart of Europe in May 2021. “The logo connects Rotterdam with the capitals of the participating countries and symbolises coming together, regardless of the form,” says Sietse Bakker, the Executive Producer of the event.
Madonna got a little provocative and used her performance at the roving Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel, to share some politically charged perspectives. While her performance did close out with two dancers—one with the Israeli flag on their back, the other with the Palestinian flag—embracing, it wasn't like Madge made any screaming proclamations against injustice. She was more focused on the prospect of peace.
