This article is part of a series, Bots and Ballots: How artificial intelligence is reshaping elections worldwide. Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT went public in late 2022, artificial intelligence — everything from chatbots and deepfake videos to perceived apocalyptic threats associated with the technology — has taken the world by storm. But the public’s awareness of the …
Real-time payment systems continue to see strong usage worldwide. One of the most significant developments is the European Council’s new rule to enable instant payments across the European Union and European Economic Area. Under this regulation, instant credit transfers must arrive in recipients’ accounts within 10 seconds, regardless of the date or time of day. …
Image Credits: Bold Bold, a financial technology company building an electronic payments infrastructure in Colombia, raised $50 million in Series C funding in a round led by existing investor General Atlantic. International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, joined existing investors InQLab and Amador in the round. In total, Bold has raised …
Bamboo Construction Blue Temple Engineers and architects are now using of bamboo construction know-how from prefabricated housing in Myanmar to build a much large structure in Madagascar. Raphaël Ascoli, founder of Yangon-based architecture design studio Blue Temple explains that he was working in Japan as an architect for a corporate design firm, before quitting and …
Colombian robotics expert Daniela Osorio Payan Daniela Osorio Payan A 19-year-old Colombian mechatronics prodigy has applied her talents to a edible mushroom project that could help future astronauts avoid vitamin D deficiency. Daniela Osorio “Dani” Payán, an analog astronaut and Mechatronics Engeering student at the Universidad Autónoma de Occidente in Cali, Colombia explains that she’s …
From left to right: Dr. Camilo Jaramillo-Correa (holding the capsule with the asteroid Ryugu … [+] particles), Dr. Mike Zolensky (NASA), Dr. Faith Vilas (Planetary Science Institute), Dr. Amanda Hendrix (Planetary Science Institute) on Sept 8 2021 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Amanda Hendrix Not everyone get to hold dust brought from outer …
Colombian mental health researcher Lorena Cudris-Torres Lorena Cudris-Torres The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated Latin America’s mental health crisis —now researchers are using online tools to detect and treat those issues among students there. A Unicef study of the Americas showed 27% of young people reported symptoms of anxiety and 15% reported symptoms of depression, while a …
Lepanthes boyacensis, El Taladro, Boyaca. First time found in the wild. April, 2019 Edicson Parra-Sanchez Perched high in the Colombian Andes, researchers have found orchid species new to science and are working to save them from changing climate and land use. Colombia’s combination of lowland dry forests, wet forests, cloud forests and paramo (high-altitude meadows) …
Mangroves in Cartagena, Colombia getty Cartagena is a buzzing tourist city in northern Colombia, but hiding in plain sight is a rare species of mangrove, providing essential ecosystem services. According to a 2020 study, between 2000 and 2016, human activity was the primary driver of mangrove area loss, with expanding coastal cities (urbanization) being a …
Crab Tree of Life: Exploring the Marvels of Crab Diversity Written by Arthur Anker & Javier Luque Ancient crustaceans have always intrigued scientists, and a recent discovery has shed light on the evolution of crabs. Researchers have unearthed a peculiar fossil known as the “Forbidden Dorito,” which has provided valuable insights into the crab family …