A contract is an agreement between two or more parties. It can be a verbal agreement that is based on trust or a legally binding written agreement.

Contract

<ul><li>Licensing deals: one company sells another's product</li><li>Loans: promise that borrower will pay back money</li><li>Employee-employer contract</li><li>Product aggregator: amazon can sell my product and charge me 20-30% commission</li><li>Delivery aggregator: uber connects consumers with riders and charges a commission</li><li>Personal relationships: (non-binding) contract of trust</li></ul>

Contract Applications

A smart contract is a piece of digital code that can execute predefined agreements between parties.Can it be used for all types of agreements? No. It can only be used when the agreement can be configured, conditions can be verfied and actions can be executed digitally.

Smart Contract

The biggest advantage is you do NOT need to trust the party you are getting into the agreement with. As long as the agreement can be configured in a smart contract the parties themself can not alter it.This can be particularly useful where middle-men are paid to facilitate trust between 2 parties.

Smart Contract Advantages

Farmers heavily depend on their yield for income. Claiming crop insurance is a slow and burdensome process.Smart contracts enable a simple and quick process for farmers and insurance companies. Since weather conditions can be fed into the system, this makes verification easy.

Application 1

Taxes. We hate 'em. Not because we pay a lot, but because we do not observe the same gain in value for us.The lack of transparency and accountability in the process can make it easier for self-interest and corruption to creep in at various stages.Smart contracts and decentralized ledgers can help in accounting for every tax dollar spent and make information easy to access for common people.

Application 2

In many cases middle-men exist to ensure trust between parties. Smart contracts can be used to cut out middle-men to save cost. This is already being used in various trading activies.

Application 3

In the years to come we'll see more and more adoption of this wonderful technology. It has the potential to increase efficiencies in various systems across sectors and help create more robust, secure and fair platforms.

Conclusion

"Smart Contracts". Heard this term many times but what is it exactly and how can it make the world a better place?

crypto

Cryptocurrency

technologyandthefuture

Technology & The Future

How can smart contracts help us?

Despite of absorbing the poisons of <ul><li>9/11 Tragedy</li><li>2008 Economic Crisis</li><li>Several other oil Crisis </li></ul>The airline has proven to be the most influential commercial airline, with some of the technical and social reasons.

Introduction

Use of Point to Point Model <ul><li>Reducing the distance required to for the flight</li><li>Lowering the distance, also cuts down the cost of fuel, hence cheaper flight ticket.</li><li>Saves the time necessary for placing out the luggage for another destination flight.</li></ul>

Reason #1

According to the cost of a fare ticket, we don't want to compete with commercial airlines market, but with the on ground transportation market.

Activation of the 20 min Turnover Rule, which allowed them to turn over the arrived flight within just 20 min including placing and removal the luggage, changing the in-flight refreshments and sanitary belongings trained by the COO Micheal Van den Ven

Reason #2⁶

Even during the 2008 Economic Crisis, this traditional low-cost airline was the alone to not fire even a single employee and also the organisation made a announcement about giving the customers a 100% refund policy.And the rest is the history!!!!

Reason #3

"We tried to built a customer oriented company who interprets the moves to be taken for the wellness of customers, but fortunately we also happen to be an airline."

Legacy of the Customer-Driven Airline Company

Reveals the secrets of Southwest Airlines' success and describes the unusual and unexpected inner workings of one of America's biggest success stories

marketingandsales

Marketing & Sales

strategy

Strategy

books

Books

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

Twenty-five years ago, Herb Kelleher reinvented air travel when he founded Southwest Airlines, where the planes are painted like killer whales, a typical company maxim is "Hire people with a sense of humor," and in-flight meals are never served--just sixty million bags of peanuts a year. By sidestepping "reengineering," "total quality management," and other management philosophies and employing its own brand of business success, Kelleher's airline has turned a profit for twenty-four consecutive years and seen its stock soar 300 percent since 1990. Today, Southwest is the safest airline in the world and ranks number one in the industry for service, on-time performance, and lowest employee turnover rate; and Fortune magazine has twice ranked Southwest one of the ten best companies to work for in America. How do they do it? With unlimited access to the people and inside documents of Southwest Airlines, authors Kevin and Jackie Freiberg share the secrets behind the greatest success story in commercial aviation. Read it and discover how to transfer the Southwest inspiration to your own business and personal life.

Kevin Freiberg

Jackie Freiberg

Nuts!

“Abundance is not about providing everyone on this planet with a life of luxury—rather it's about providing all with a life of possibility.”

We live in turbulent times. When we glance at the headlines, it is enough to put anybody on edge. However, a quick look at history shows that progress continues through the good and the bad times. Global living standards will continue to improve regardless of the horrors in the headlines. For example, the 20th century saw advancement and tragedy. The 1918 influenza epidemic killed fifty million people, and World War II killed another sixty million. Yet, this period also saw infant mortality decrease by 90 per cent and maternal mortality decrease by 99 per cent.

The future is brighter than the media portrays

Underlying influences tend to push us towards a pessimistic view of the future. <ul><li>The amygdala is always looking for threats in our environment. When triggered, it starts the fight or flight response. But modern society threats are probabilistic. For example, the economy could crash, or there could be a terrorist attack.</li><li>Information we receive. Media outlets know that good news doesn’t sell as well as threatening news, so we are constantly bombarded with fearful images and possible situations that feed the amygdala and prevent us from seeing the future objectively.</li></ul>

Why we have an overly pessimistic view of the future

The world consists of complex systems where changes in one area can impact another area. For example, population changes in one species affect living and survival conditions for others.  While some systems may seem to exacerbate current problems, they also present great opportunities because they create momentum and positive benefits in others.

Solving complex problems together

Contrary to what many believe, big businesses contribute more to alleviating global poverty. <ul><li>They develop cheaper products for people at the bottom of the income pyramid - around four billion people. This is a huge potential market and the opportunity to make a profit while raising the standard of living for the poorest citizens.</li><li>Technophilanthropists have a global vision and business and political connections to get things moving forward, such as Bill Gates, founder of the Gates Foundation.</li></ul>

Big business can raise standards of living among the world's poorest people

Access to education is a major global problem. Those students with access to education follow an outdated framework that does not provide students with the skills needed to handle the problems of the twenty-first century. ICT could offer a solution to address both issues of quality and delivery. For example, Sugata Mitra ran experiments on self-directed learning in Indian slums. He found that by just providing a computer terminal and internet access, groups of young children could teach themselves.

Traditional methods of education are outdated and in need of a re-think

A stigma is attached to failure, and many people will do anything to avoid it. This can prevent innovation.  Failure should be viewed as part of a longer learning curve and an important stepping stone toward innovation.

A successful future depends on overcoming the fear of failure

Nanotechnology allows us to create new materials leading to major advances in many areas. Nanotechnology involves building things on an atomic scale and create anocomposites, even tiny programmable assemblers, called nanomachines. These nanomachines can build other nanomaterials and create greater efficiency in the technology. Examples include nanocomposites much stronger than steel produced at a fraction of the cost. Lifesaver is a water filter that can make water safe to drink without chemical or energy-intensive methods.

Technological advances

Access to biotechnology is multiplying the potential to find innovative solutions to food, energy and other global problems. <ul><li>Advances in genetic engineering provide solutions that can feed an ever-increasing population. </li><li>Biotechnology is also used for other applications such as developing strains of algae as a biofuel source.</li></ul>

Biotechnology provides solutions to global problems

The internet and social media spread has helped people share and discuss societal problems and provide tools to find solutions.  Access to information is a significant catalyst in this process, for example, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Global connectivity is accelerating the sharing of information

<ul><li>Advances in solar energy technology can further innovation and lower production prices. New Energy Technologies has recently found a way to turn an ordinary window into a solar panel by using the world’s smallest organic solar cell that performs ten times better than current commercial models.</li><li>More efficient methods of growing food, like urban farming, hydroponics and vertical farming, can reduce the need for arable land.</li></ul>

Other advances that point to an abundance

Abundance shows practical solutions to humanity’s most significant concerns such as lack of quality food, water, education, healthcare, and freedom. The author shows us how exponential technologies can help us improve our quality of life to achieve abundance.

The authors document how four forces--exponential technologies, the DIY innovator, the Technophilanthropist, and the Rising Billion--are conspiring to solve our biggest problems. "Abundance" establishes hard targets for change and lays out a strategic roadmap for governments, industry and entrepreneurs, giving us plenty of reason for optimism.

philosophy

Philosophy

creativity

Creativity

artsandculture

Society, Arts & Culture

The New York Times bestselling “manifesto for the future that is grounded in practical solutions addressing the world’s most pressing concerns: overpopulation, food, water, energy, education, health care and freedom” (The Wall Street Journal). Since the dawn of humanity, a privileged few have lived in stark contrast to the hardscrabble majority. Conventional wisdom says this gap cannot be closed. But it is closing—and fast. In Abundance, space entrepreneur turned innovation pioneer Peter H. Diamandis and award-winning science writer Steven Kotler document how progress in artificial intelligence, robotics, digital manufacturing synthetic biology, and other exponentially growing technologies will enable us to make greater gains in the next two decades than we have in the previous 200 years. We will soon have the ability to meet and exceed the basic needs of every person on the planet. Abundance for all is within our grasp. Breaking down human needs by category—water, food, energy, healthcare, education, freedom—Diamandis and Kotler introduce us to innovators and industry captains making tremendous strides in each area. “Not only is Abundance a riveting page-turner…but it’s a book that gives us a future worth fighting for” (The Christian Science Monitor).

Peter H. Diamandis is an accomplished writer whose work has resonated with readers around the world. Peter H. Diamandis has published several books that explore a range of topics, from fiction to nonfiction, and has received critical acclaim for the ability to weave compelling narratives. Peter H. Diamandis's writing style is known for its depth and authenticity, and has earned quite a loyal following of readers.

Peter H. Diamandis

Steven Kotler

Abundance

Phubbing is a term used to describe the act of snubbing someone in favour of the phone. It’s a blend of “phone” and “snubbing.” Phubbing behaviour can also be seen in overhead gazing or looking over someone’s head for an opportunity during a conversation.

Phubbing: Snubbing Others With Your Phone

The most common form of phubbing is when someone is talking to you, looking at their phone instead of making eye contact. Other examples of phubbing someone can do include:• Interrupting a conversation to take a phone call• Scrolling through social media while they’re supposed to be listening to someone• Turning to the phone to escape an argument or disagreement, especially with a partner

The Phone Snub That We All Know About

Phubbing can be due to boredom and a way for someone to find quick entertainment. It could also be due to someone trying to avoid an awkward conversation or feeling socially anxious during social interactions. Other times, snubbing can happen when someone becomes addicted to their phones.

The Reason For Phubbing

Phubbing can be addictive, especially when it becomes normal during social interactions. Some people might over-rely on phones and avoid social interactions, especially during parties, friendly get-togethers, or business conferences. If phubbing starts damaging relationships, it can be dangerously addictive.

The Addictive Habit Of Phubbing

Phubbing can lead to communication problems. When someone is phubbing you, they’re not really listening to what they’re saying. This can make you feel left out in a conversation.Phubbing can damage relationships. Eye contact is super important in bonding and developing oxytocin, the chemical that builds trust and connection. A lack of eye contact due to phubbing can make people feel like you don’t care about them or value their time.

Dangers Of Phubbing

If you encounter someone who phubs during a conversation, follow their gaze. Notice what they look at and make a comment:If they look at their phone, gaze over at their phone screen. “Did you want to show me something interesting?”If they’re eyeballing the person next to you, look over at them. “Oh, do you know them?”Every time they phub, look where they are looking. They may realize 3 things:<ul><li>It’s super distracting</li><li>It’s not nice</li><li>They will become annoyed or self-conscious with you pointing out their phubbing.</li></ul>

Stop Phubbing: Follow Their Gaze

Some people might be guilty of phubbing because they’re super introverted or socially anxious. In this case, you’ll want to help them by rewarding them with eye contact.Here’s how:Flash them a reassuring smile whenever they look up. Smiling will act as a reinforcement and cue them that it’s good to look at you. You can even add a few small nods to the smile.Pause first, continue later. When someone snubbed you during a conversation (especially if you’re talking), immediately employ the pause. You might even be in the middle of a sentence.

Reward Eye Contact

If you notice someone is phubbing you if they are upset about something or avoiding something, you can verbally say, “Is everything OK? I notice you’re looking down a lot,” or, “I notice you haven’t been looking at me.”This is a straightforward approach, but if you think they are going through a personal issue, this might be a way for them to open up and share what’s going on.

Be Direct

Try saying this line when you notice someone buries themselves in their phone. You’ll give them the heads-up that you won’t make conversation with them unless they’re giving you their full attention.This one’s super direct! Save it for those hardcore snubbers.

Say It To Them

You can playfully say, “Say hi for me!” or another fun/humorous/playful one-liner. This will help lighten up the conversation while also pointing out that you notice their snubbing.Other clever one-liners might include:“Don’t worry. You can take my number down later.”“This must be important. Is that the President on the other line?”“Oh, you must be checking out the latest memes, right?”

Be Playful

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

communication

Communication

loveandrelationships

Love & Relationships

Phubbing: How to Deal with People Who Won’t Make Eye Contact

When it comes to cybersecurity, many users don't know about the basic nature of viruses. In a series of lectures in the 1940s, mathematician John von Neumann speculated if it would be possible for a "mechanical" organism such as a computer code to damage machines, copy itself and infect new hosts, just like a biological virus. Over the last 60 years, computer viruses have abounded, yet what was once cyber vandalism has turned into cybercrime.

Users should know about the basic nature of viruses

<ul><li>The Creeper Program is often regarded as the first virus. It was created in 1971 by Bob Thomas of BBN as a security test to see if a self-replicating program was possible.</li><li>The Rabbit (or Wabbit) virus was developed in 1974. It made multiple copies of itself, severely reducing system performance and eventually crashing the machine.</li><li>The First Trojan, called ANIMAL, was a game developed by computer programmer John Walker in 1975. To improve the game, Walker created PERVADE, which installed itself along with ANIMAL, examined all computer directories and copied ANIMAL in directories.</li></ul>

The first computer viruses from the 1970s

Brain was the first PC virus and infected 5.2" floppy disks in 1986. Two brothers, Basit and Amjad Farooq Alvi, were tired of customers making illegal copies of their software, so they developed a virus that replaced the boot sector of a floppy disk. This was the first stealth virus and contained a hidden copyright message. It did not corrupt data.

The Brain Boot Sector Virus

The introduction of reliable, speedy broadband networks allowed malware to spread via email, popular websites or directly over the internet. Malware is an umbrella term for malicious software such as viruses, worms and Trojans. The LoveLetter appeared on May 4, 2000. Unlike the macro viruses that dominated the threat landscape since 1995, it came as a VBS file. The subject line was "I Love You," and the email contained an attachment, "LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU-TXT.vbs." Onel de Guzman designed his worm to overwrite existing files and replace them with copies of itself.

The LoveLetter Virus

The Code Red worm existed only in memory and did not attempt to infect files on the system. It took advantage of a weakness in the Microsoft Internet Information Server and manipulated the protocols that allow computers to communicate. It spread globally in a few hours.

The Code Red Virus

Heartbleed came out in 2014 and put servers across the Internet at risk. Heartbleed took advantage of a vulnerability in OpenSSL, a general-purpose, open-source cryptographic library used by companies worldwide. It could access data such as user names, passwords and secure encryption keys.

Heartbleed

When it comes to cybersecurity, there are few terms with more name recognition than "computer viruses." Despite the prevalence of these threats and their wide-spread impact, however, many users don't know about the basic nature of viruses.&#160;

cybersecurity

Cybersecurity

A Brief History of Computer Viruses & What the Future Holds

<ol><li>Trusted hardware isn’t so trustworthy</li><li>Security tooling is still too difficult to use : Or “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it run <code>./configure && make && make install </code>.”</li><li>Side channels everywhere : When God closes a door, he opens a side channel.</li><li>LANGSEC in cryptographic contexts : Figuring out which protocol you’re speaking is the third hard problem in computer science.</li></ol>

By William Woodruff Last week, over 500 cryptographers from around the world gathered in Amsterdam for Real World Crypto 2022, meeting in person for the first time in over two years. As in previous years, we dispatched a handful of our researchers and engineers to attend the conference, listen to talks, and schmooze observe the…

moneyandinvestments

Money & Investments

computerscience

Computer Science

Themes from Real World Crypto 2022

UK watchdogs under the banner of the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF) have called for views on the benefits and risks of how sites and apps use algorithms. Whether that's which video to watch next on YouTube, which film you might enjoy on Netflix, who turns up in your Twitter feed, search autosuggestions, and what you might like to buy on Amazon – the algorithm governs them all and much more. While that all sounds pretty benign, regulators are hip to the fact that algorithms don't always work for the benefit of consumers.

The DRCF – comprised of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), and the Office of Communications (Ofcom) – has set out a workplan for the coming year in which it aims to: <ul><li>Better protect children online </li><li>Promote competition and privacy in online advertising </li><li>Support improvements in algorithmic transparency </li><li>Enable innovation in the industries they regulate </li> </ul>

"Just one of those areas is algorithms. Whether you're scrolling on social media, flicking through films or deciding on dinner, algorithms are busy but hidden in the background of our digital lives."That's good news for a lot of us a lot of the time, but there's also a problematic side to algorithms. They can be manipulated to cause harm or misused because firms plugging them into websites and apps simply don't understand them well enough. As regulators, we need to make sure the benefits win out."

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

artificialintelligence

Artificial Intelligence

Brit watchdogs ask how they can better regulate algorithms

Proper flying etiquette begins before you even board the plane. Have your boarding pass and ID ready as you approach airport security. If you’re waiting in line, start thinking ahead; you can speed up the process by removing your watch and belt, pulling out your laptop, and separating your liquids before you reach the conveyor. This will get you—and everyone behind you—to the gates faster.

Don’t Hold up The Security Line

As airlines squeeze in more and more people per flight, passengers fight for the same bin space. To maximize room in the overhead compartment for other travelers, place your bag vertically rather than horizontally on the shelf. And only put one carry-on bag in the bin; the other one can fit in the open space under the seat in front of you.

Board (and Pack) Courteously

While you’re loading your carry-on bags into the overhead compartment, offer to hoist a fellow passenger up there, too. Not only is it kind, but it could make the boarding process more efficient for everyone else.

Help Your Fellow Traveler

Airlines sometimes block out certain seats or charge extra fees for adjacent ones, making it tough for family members to buy seats together. If you’re travelling solo, offer to switch seats so that a family can sit beside each other; it’s a kind gesture that they won’t forget. But be sure to delay swapping until the plane has reached cruising altitude, as switching seats while everyone is boarding can be an inconvenience for those standing in the aisles.

Be Willing to Swap Seats with A Family

In the cramped quarters of an airplane, maintaining your personal space will go a long way to make a smoother ride for everyone. Let the middle-seat passenger use the armrests (it’s the least you can do), and keep your legs within the width of the chair frame.

Respect Your (limited) Space

It’s as important to be mindful of your personal belongings as it is your personal space. Avoid hitting other passengers with your bag as you walk down the aisles by keeping it in front of you and close to your body. And once you sit down, you should stay there, so make sure you have everything you will need for the flight once you settle in. Reaching over other passengers to access the overhead storage during the flight is uncomfortable for everyone.

Keep Your Personal Items, Well, Personal

Although some people pass the time on an airplane through conversations with strangers, others would prefer to keep to themselves. Be mindful of the cues your fellow passenger is giving; if they avoid eye contact, leave them be. If you do strike up a conversation, speak in soft tones, as loud and disruptive conversation can disturb the rest of the cabin. If you want to win over fellow passengers, clue them into <a href="https://www.rd.com/list/free-things-on-airplane/">these items you can still get for free on planes.</a>

Converse with Caution

Cramped quarters are no place to break out a pungent tuna sandwich. If you bring food to snack on during the trip, opt for less intrusive goodies like nuts or pretzels. Your fellow passengers will thank you.

Avoid Bringing Smelly Food

Sleep with consideration for your surroundings and other travellers. Only lean back in your seat if you absolutely must; reclining your seat may be more comfortable for you, but it makes a tight space even tighter for the person behind you. A travel pillow is a great tool because it helps you sleep without invading other people’s space. And beware of snoring; you could risk getting an unpleasant awakening from a flight attendant or fellow traveller.

Snooze at Your Own Risk

When the plane lands, chaos ensues as everyone tries to be the first through the door. Be courteous of other people’s belongings in the overhead compartment as you reach for your own, and offer to help them get their bags if you can. And as you leave, take the time to thank your flight attendants—they will appreciate your kindness.

Disembark Calmly

Being a polite passenger starts with just a few easy etiquette travel guidelines.

travel

Travel

10 Little Etiquette Rules for Flying on an Airplane

Tech neck is the hunch you develop from staring at your phone too much. The Australian Chiropractors Association claim that bending your head to use a phone stresses the spine. For example, let’s say you hold your phone at an angle that makes you lower your head by 60 degrees. That adds about 27kg (60lbs) of weight through your spine.

Tech neck is only two years old

Phones have harmed us in a few ways: A pain in the neck, phone thumb (where your thumb can become inflamed from prolonged texting), the blue light that can interfere with melatonin production, and eye strain from prolonged use. However, the posture problem is easy to correct.<ul><li>Use a simple stretch, where you interlock your fingers behind your head and hold your elbows against a wall.</li><li>Or you could try holding your phone at eye level to reduce the pressure on your spine.</li><li>You could always try not using your phone as much.</li></ul>

Correcting the posture problem

Bending your head to use a phone stresses the spine, say chiropractors – and that’s not the only way the devices are injuring and changing us

mindfulness

Mindfulness

health

Health

exerciseandfitness

Exercise & Fitness

Tech neck: what are smartphones doing to our bodies?

Dark matter is an invisible type of matter theorised to make up the majority of all matter in the Universe. It has mass, but it can't be seen and doesn't interact with ordinary matter.

What is dark matter In Physics?

According to our standard model of cosmology, dark matter makes up 85 per cent of all the matter in the Universe, and 27 per cent of the Universe's total mass-energy.

How much dark matter is there(In Universe)?

Despite its name it can’t simply be made up of dead stars, gas and dust. Dark matter has to consist of something more exotic than standard atomic particles to ensure the Big Bang produces a universe chemically similar to the one we see.Such observational constraints have forced theorists to focus on a handful of candidates for dark matter.

What is dark matter made of?

How much of our Universe is dark matter, and what evidence is there for its existence?

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

space

Space

What is dark matter? | BBC Science Focus Magazine

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