ESMH Media Review – June 2, 2021

Disinformation, climate change & electric cars: check out the ESMH selection of 29 science & tech news published in the last weeks on the web.

In the spotlight

Commission sets the bar for anti-disinformation measures
euractiv-en, 27.05.2021
The freshly published Guidance on Strengthening the Code of Practice on Disinformation illustrates the European Commission’s expectations on the anti-disinformation measures for online platforms. While the Code is non-binding, the measures are likely to become mandatory following the adoption of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
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If we want to put the pandemic behind us, we’ll have to crack down on vaccine disinformation
forbes, 16.05.2021
“Vaccines contain microchips”: a ridiculous idea that withstands no scrutiny, and that typically portrays Bill Gates as the head of a global conspiracy to control us. There is no technology capable of creating these hypothetical microchips…
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EU cites ‘anti-vaccine campaign’ as reason to toughen social media code
guardian, 26.05.2021
Companies such as Facebook, Google and Twitter would need to show why particular material is disseminated and prove that false information is being blocked.
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Influencers say they were urged to criticize Pfizer vaccine
nytimes, 27.05.2021
The mysterious London public relations agency sent its pitch simultaneously to social media influencers in France and Germany: Claim that Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine is deadly and that regulators and the mainstream media are covering it up, the message read, and earn thousands of euros in easy money in exchange.
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Digital transition

Digital transition press review picture

Ready for a world of (AI-powered) superhuman precision? It’s coming
forbes, 18.05.2021
Today most people still think of AI as a mere computer program, solving problems in the digital realm. A formidable application of computer science, it can assist us with once inconceivable tasks, such as detecting cancer and analyzing data far too complex to wrap our minds around.
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Environmental sustainability

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How sustainable is hydrogen production?
deutschewelle-en, 25.05.2021
Hydrogen could play a major role in slowing global warming. But currently its production emits large amounts of climate-harming CO2. Are there more sustainable ways of producing this energy source?
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FAO “walks the talk” on climate
fao-en, 24.05.2021
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations launched a new Corporate Environmental Responsibility Strategy that aims to reduce the Organization’s total Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) by 45 percent by 2030.
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Mobility & Energy

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The costly pursuit of self-driving cars continues on. And on. And on.
nytimes, 24.05.2021
It was seven years ago when Waymo discovered that spring blossoms made its self-driving cars get twitchy on the brakes. So did soap bubbles. And road flares. New tests, in years of tests, revealed more and more distractions for the driverless cars. Their road skills improved, but matching the competence of human drivers was elusive.
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Light is the key to long-range, fully autonomous Electric Vehicles
techcrunch, 25.05.2021
While photonic chips are faster and more energy efficient, fewer chips will be needed to reach SAE Level 3 [level of driving automation]; however, we can expect this increased compute performance to accelerate the development and availability of fully SAE Level 5 autonomous vehicles.
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Agriculture & Food

Agriculture & Food press review picture

Supermarkets will seek soy alternatives if Amazon protections weakened
guardian, 25.05.2021
British supermarkets will look at alternatives to Brazilian soy if president Jair Bolsonaro and congress passes new legislation this week to weaken protections for the Amazon rainforest.
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Health

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Pandemic risk assessments are never truly objective, because one of the variables is you
theatlantic, 25.05.2021
More than six weeks ago , I received my second Moderna shot, so I’ve had time to ease into fully vaccinated life. And yet I still haven’t eaten a meal inside a restaurant. Is that because I’m an overcautious ninny who can’t estimate risk?
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Singapore approves COVID-19 breath test that gives immediate result
japantimes, 24.05.2021
A breath test designed to detect COVID-19 and give accurate results within a minute has been approved for use in Singapore, the National University of Singapore said in a statement. The test, developed by NUS spin-off startup Breathonix, works much like a standard breathalyzer test that police might use to see if an erratic driver is drunk.
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Science policy & Communication

Science policy & Communication press review picture


EU initiatives

Could the ‘Future Europe’ conference actually help fix climate change?
euobserver, 25.05.2021
For the first time, citizens will play a central role in the debate. Citizens’ panels and a dialogue platform will make recommendations on the future course of the EU. Parliament, the Commission and the Council have committed to following up on these recommendations.
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Wojciechowski: CAP reform ‘a new chance’ for small, medium sized farms
euractiv-en, 25.05.2021
As negotiators from the European Parliament, Council and Commission kick off this week’s jumbo trilogue in an attempt to seal a deal on the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform, EURACTIV spoke to Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski about his expectations for the week ahead.
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Curious news

A new dating app, Schmooze, matches people based on their affinity for memes
techcrunch, 27.05.2021
Vidya Madhavan always wanted to be in business. Growing up in India, she thought she might be in the business of running a factory, given the power and influence of outfits like Tata Group, the Indian multinational conglomerate. She certainly had an affinity for school, graduating at the top of her….
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AI: fridges that teach you to cook
shanghaidaily, 25.05.2021
Onlookers in an exhibition area at the fifth World Intelligence Congress, a major artificial intelligence event that concluded on Sunday in north China’s Tianjin city, were treated to a musical performance like no other — from a band of both robots and humans.
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