As World Wide Web turns 30, its inventor urges 2.0 ethics upgrade
Since unleashing his invention on the world at CERN, Tim Berners-Lee has continued to wrestle with the implications.
SciTech Diplomacy
The pandemic showed the need to combine science, technology and diplomacy to reach equitable and global solutions. Advances in quantum computing, advanced AI, and other fast-moving fronts point to a demand for more international cooperation while navigating geopolitical tensions in pursuit of opportunities. Follow SciTech Diplomacy via our list @aretenews.bsky.social.
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U.N. expert group warns of risk to data-carrying underwater cables
Data worth an estimated US$10 trillion — equal to twice Japan's GDP — moves through underwater cables every day.
European Union and 47 nations revive talks on e-commerce rules
WTO's stalled negotiations re-emerged on the last day of the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos.
Davos leaders urger stricter rules for data governance and tech sector
Among the proposals for reining in big tech are the creation of a new system for data oversight and a common digital market.
'Instaplomacy' worth 1,000 missives as leaders turn to social media
Instagram is the fastest-growing social media network among leaders, organizations and governments and the third most popular for global diplomacy after Twitter and Facebook.
Human rights and children's issues take lead in organizations' retweets
The U.N.'s new human rights chief and UNICEF are generating thousands of engagements on Twitter, another sign of how indispensable social media has become for organizations.
Scientists narrow the hunt for non-visible dark matter in the universe
One of the hottest pursuits in particle physics is the search for clues about dark matter, a theoretical material that does not emit light or energy and cannot be directly observed.
Postal union scrambles to address U.S. criticism on mail delivery rates
The action came days after the Trump administration said it intends to withdraw from the 144-year-old organization.
A lab in space has become a platform for science diplomacy
There's mounting evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. But the two nations are brought together through the diplomacy of shared pursuits in space.
Frontier of machine learning raises questions and risks for human rights
International organizations are calling on governments and technology companies to adopt a human rights declaration.
UNDP joins partnership with big tech testing AI for poverty reduction
Artificial intelligence will be examined as a potentially powerful tool for helping to achieve sustainable development by international organizations, tech giants and academics.
International hunt detects ghostly neutrino from a galaxy far away
An international observatory traced a high-energy cosmic neutrino back to its origin about 4 billion light years away.
Twiplomacy study of social media finds 'all the world's atwitter'
The United Nations and UNICEF are the most popular organizations on Twitter, where U.S. President Donald Trump has overtaken Pope Francis in the most-followed ranking.
Behind the scenes at U.N. telecoms agency, 5G edges closer to reality
Before telecoms can revolutionize their equipment, the International Telecommunication Union must develop new technical standards for putting it all to use.
Gaming addiction to be classified by WHO as a mental health disorder
The addition of "gaming disorder" to a global manual of standards is among the notable changes the U.N. health agency unveiled in its first update in nearly three decades.
U.N. emphasizes global cooperation at first 21st century space summit
U.N. agencies convened their first outer space conference in almost two decades, aimed at keeping space weapons-free.