Newsworthy but not its own thread worthy

[alexora]

And it's not some mickey mouse degree: it's electrical engineering!

Nine-year-old set to become youngest ever university graduate

A nine-year-old boy is about to become the youngest ever university graduate if he completes his electrical engineering degree next month.

Laurent Simons, from Amsterdam, who has an IQ of at least 145 and a photographic memory, is close to finishing his studies at the Eindhoven University of Technology, which he started in March.

His tutor, said Laurent, who finished secondary school aged eight, was three times more intelligent than his next cleverest student.

This will smash the world record held since 1994 by Michael Kearney, who graduated from the University of Alabama aged ten.

Laurent wants to continue his studies in California because of the weather, but his father Alexander is keen to consider moving to the UK at the University of Oxford or Cambridge.

His father, a 37-year-old dentist, told the Telegraph:"Oxford and Cambridge are also in the major league and it would be very much more convenient for us."

Laurent, who enjoys science and mathematics, hopes to become a heart surgeon or an astronaut when he's older.

Sjoerd Hulshof, education director of the TUE bachelor's degree, told CNN: "Special students that have good reasons for doing so can arrange an adjusted schedule. In much the same way we help students who participate in top sport."

"Laurent is the fastest student we have ever had here. Not only is he hyper intelligent but also a very sympathetic boy."

Source:

http://standard.co.uk/news/world/nineyearold-set-to-become-youngest-ever-university-graduate-a4288391.html

[JustKelli]

Uber loses licence to operate in London

1 hour ago

Uber will not be granted a new licence to operate in London after repeated safety failures, Transport for London has said.

The regulator said the taxi app was not "fit and proper" as a licence holder, despite having made a number of positive changes to its operations.

Uber initially lost its licence in 2017 but was granted two extensions, the most recent of which expired on Sunday.

The firm will appeal and can continue to operate during that process.

About 45,000 drivers work for Uber in London, which is one of its top five markets globally.

Why won't Uber get a new licence?

TfL said it had identified a "pattern of failures" that placed passenger safety and security at risk.

These included a change to Uber's systems which allowed unauthorised drivers to upload their photos to other Uber driver accounts.

It meant there were at least 14,000 fraudulent trips in London in late 2018 and early 2019, TfL said.

The regulator also found dismissed or suspended drivers had been able to create Uber accounts and carry passengers.

Uber's paradox: Gig work app traps and frees its driversWhat do drivers think of Uber?

Helen Chapman, Director of Licensing, Regulation and Charging at TfL, said: "While we recognise Uber has made improvements, it is unacceptable that Uber has allowed passengers to get into minicabs with drivers who are potentially unlicensed and uninsured."

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "I know this decision may be unpopular with Uber users, but their safety is the paramount concern. Regulations are there to keep Londoners safe."

Is this the end of Uber in London?

Uber lovers in London, fear not! The company's cars will not suddenly disappear from the capital's streets.

Uber is going to appeal this decision so a magistrate will have to decide whether Uber is fit to hold a licence in London, or not.

A decision from a magistrates court could take weeks or months and unless the court decides otherwise, Uber will retain its licence during this period too.

When TfL decided not to renew Uber's licence back in 2017, the company addressed some of the issues raised by TfL back then and then a magistrate later granted Uber a new licence.

On the face of it TfL is standing tough against perceived failings by Uber. But in effect it is letting the courts decide, at a later date, whether Uber should have a licence, or not.

What does Uber say?

Uber said the decision was "extraordinary and wrong". It said it had audited every driver in London over the last two months and further strengthened its processes.

Boss Dara Khosrowshahi tweeted: "We understand we're held to a high bar, as we should be. But this TfL decision is just wrong. Over the last 2 years we have fundamentally changed how we operate in London."

If Uber's appeal is unsuccessful some think it would leave a huge gap in the London ride-hailing market.

However, Fiona Cincotta, market analyst at City Index, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "Here in London, there would be competition that would fill that void quite quickly."

According to Uber, 24% of its sales come from just five cities, including London. The others are Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and São Paulo in Brazil.

In a public filing, it said: "Any inability to operate in London, as well as the publicity concerning any such termination or non-renewal, would adversely affect our business, revenue, and operating results.

"We cannot predict whether the TfL decision, or future regulatory decisions or legislation in other jurisdictions, may embolden or encourage other authorities to take similar actions even where we are operating according to the terms of an existing license or permit."

Business lobby group the CBI said Uber's popularity showed customers valued the service.

"We'd encourage both sides to continue the dialogue to determine what changes are required in order that Uber's customers can continue to enjoy the service in the long term," said chief UK policy director Matthew Fell.

But the Unite union - which believes Uber has unfairly taken business from black cab drivers - welcomed the news.

"Uber's DNA is about driving down standards and creating a race to the bottom which is not in the best interests of professional drivers or customers," said Jim Kelly, chair of Unite's London and Eastern cab section.

Where else has banned Uber?

Uber has faced pressure from regulators around the world over the way it treats its drivers, competition concerns, and fears about passenger safety.

The US firm*pulled out of Denmark*in 2017 because of new taxi laws that required drivers to have fare meters and seat sensors.

Bulgaria and Hungary both stripped Uber's right to operate following pressure from local taxi unions.

And in May, the ride-hailing firm pulled its UberXL service in Turkey without saying why.

What happened in London in 2017?

TfL first declined to renew Uber's licence in September 2017, again over safety concerns. Back then it cited Uber's approach to carrying out background checks on drivers and reporting serious criminal offences.

Uber's use of secret software, called "Greyball", which could be used to block regulators from monitoring the app, was another factor, although Uber said it had never been used in the UK.

However, TfL granted Uber a 15-month licence extension - later extended by two months - conditional on it making improvements to its business.

TfL can offer licences of up to five years, but it has been more stringent of late.

In July, Indian ride-hailing company Ola got a 15-month agreement for its entry into the London market, while ViaVan got a three-year licence renewal.

[JustKelli]

Canada's first 'body farm' set to open in the spring

TORONTO -- Some of the bodies will be buried in shallow graves. Some will be left in vehicles. Others, still, will be placed on the ground outside, exposed to the elements.

In all of the scenarios, the human bodies will be meticulously studied by forensic scientists on a daily basis to see how they decompose in their various states.

“Our team goes out there every single day to understand how decomposition is occurring in those different environments and that’s how we get a better understanding of time since death by studying these over weeks, months, and even years,” Shari Forbes, the director of the Secure Site for Research in Thanatology, or the “body farm,” told CTV’s Your Morning on Friday.

Investigators say DNA database can be goldmine for old cases

The body farm is located in Becancour, near Trois-Rivieres, Que., and is an outdoor facility where donated dead bodies are left outside to decay so forensic scientists can learn about decomposition.

The scientists will monitor how the bodies decompose in different temperatures, how cadaver dogs pick up the scent of human remains, how long fingerprints, DNA, and teeth can be recovered, and how the life stages of the insects that eat and lay eggs on the bodies can help to determine the time of death. That knowledge is then passed on to police.

“We intend that it will be used by police in forensic services so we want to make sure our research improves the way we search for victims, how we recover and identify them, and estimating time since death,” Forbes explained.

The facility is expected to open in the spring and will be Canada’s first body farm.

While there are other body farms located in other countries, such as the U.S., Australia, and the Netherlands, Forbes said the new one in Quebec will be unique because of the country’s climate.

“Most facilities are located in very warm climates and in Canada, in particular Quebec, for six months of the year that simply doesn’t apply to us,” she said. “We’re particularly interested in understanding what happens when a body is in sub-zero temperatures, when there’s a lot of snow on the ground, and how that freeze and then the thaw process might actually change the rate of decomposition compared to what we’d see in these other facilities.”

In order to ensure their research is useful for investigations, Forbes said they work closely with police and forensic services to understand what they need for certain cases. She said they ask what scenarios are most common and they’ll recreate those scenes. Sometimes, she said police will ask them to recreate a very specific scene for a case they’re working on.

“All of our research is dictated by what the police and forensic services need,” she said.

As for where the bodies come from, Forbes said they’re all donated to the facility.

“People donate for a variety of reasons, whether that’s altruism, for an environmental focus, or simply because they love watching ‘CSI,’ but all of our donors know exactly what they’re contributing to,” she said.

Anyone interested in donating their bodies to the facility*can visit this website.

[Zytin]

Originally Posted by alexora

And it's not some mickey mouse degree: it's electrical engineering!

Nine-year-old set to become youngest ever university graduate

A nine-year-old boy is about to become the youngest ever university graduate if he completes his electrical engineering degree next month.

Laurent Simons, 9-year-old prodigy, leaves university without graduating

Child prodigy Laurent Simons has left his university course, following a dispute over his graduation date.

TUE said it had recommended Laurent finish his studies by mid-2020, rather than at the end of December, because of the number of exams he still has to pass.

TUE said Laurent's father, Alexander Simons, had "repeated his explicit wish that his son should obtain his bachelor degree at the age of 9, which means that Laurent must successfully complete his bachelor within ten months for a study that normally lasts three years."

Ultimately, he said, the family decided Laurent would leave TUE as he had received an offer to study for a doctorate at a university in the United States, and wouldn't be able to split his time between the two institutions.

http://cnn.com/2019/12/10/europe/laurent-simons-university-scli-intl/index.html

[JustKelli]

So that whole thing is turning into a cash grab and typical of an American university to exploit this kid for their own gain.

That youngster is going to snap before ever getting to be a kid. Well done parents, good life lesson.

[Zytin]

Olivia Newton-John's Grease Jacket Is Gifted to Her Cancer Foundation After Selling for $243,000

A media tech entrepreneur (who wishes to remain anonymous) purchased the costume piece in an auction to raise money for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Center in November, but recently gifted it back to the 71-year-old actress to put on permanent display at the Melbourne, Australia-based research institute.

You Tube

You Tube

The video clip above captures the moment the man surprised the Grease star — who was diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time in 2017 — with the valuable piece of film memorabilia.

“The odds of beating a recurring cancer using the newest emerging therapies is 1,000 fold greater than someone appearing out of the blue, buying your most famous and cherished icon, and returning it to you, which is what I’m going to do right now,” the man tells Newton-John.

http://people.com/style/olivia-newton-johns-grease-jacket-is-gifted-to-her-cancer-foundation-after-selling-for-405700/

[JustKelli]

Originally Posted by Zytin

Olivia Newton-John's Grease Jacket Is Gifted to Her Cancer Foundation After Selling for $243,000

A media tech entrepreneur (who wishes to remain anonymous) purchased the costume piece in an auction to raise money for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Center in November, but recently gifted it back to the 71-year-old actress to put on permanent display at the Melbourne, Australia-based research institute.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nTwJOlBkDH0

The video clip above captures the moment the man surprised the Grease star — who was diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time in 2017 — with the valuable piece of film memorabilia.

“The odds of beating a recurring cancer using the newest emerging therapies is 1,000 fold greater than someone appearing out of the blue, buying your most famous and cherished icon, and returning it to you, which is what I’m going to do right now,” the man tells Newton-John.

http://people.com/style/olivia-newton-johns-grease-jacket-is-gifted-to-her-cancer-foundation-after-selling-for-405700/

That story gave me chills, they're multiplying...

I hope I look half that good at 71. My thoughts are with her.

Great post dude.

[S.B.]

Mountains of brussels sprouts have spilled all over a roundabout in a tragedy for Christmas lunches in Scotland. Dinners may be in doubt as a huge pile of the festive vegetables built up, turning the concrete green. Police were called to the scene in Admiralty Road in Rosyth, Fife, at around 10.45am today. A trailer being pulled by another vehicle overturned, shedding its load everywhere. There were no reports of any injuries. South West Fife Police tweeted: ‘There’s been a bit of a #BrusselSprouts accident at the roundabout at Admiralty Road, #Rosyth.

‘Please avoid the area if possible. Traffic and #Christmas dinners may be affected. Apologies for any delays…’ The road was closed for several hours as workers used shovels and a mechanical digger to scoop up the sprouts. Responding to police, one person chipped in, asking: ‘Was the lorry sprout of control at the time?’ Another said: ‘Sproutrageous driving’. But others were more concerned for the fate of the veg, suggesting: ‘Just rinse those sprouts off and they’ll be fine.’

http://metro.co.uk/2019/12/16/thousands-brussels-sprouts-spill-road-putting-christmas-dinner-risk-11916100/

[S.B.]

WEST HAM star Michail Antonio refused to apologise after crashing his Lamborghini into a woman's front garden wall while dressed as a snowman, neighbours claim.

Antonio, 29, smashed the £210,000 Huracan into Kia Rosina's bin shed as she was about to eat Christmas dinner with her family in Balham, South London, at 6.30pm.
The Premier League ace had earlier posted an Instagram video of himself in the costume singing “Walking in the Air”, the theme tune from children's classic animation The Snowman.




Kia told The Sun Online: "We were sitting in the front room on the sofa about to have Christmas dinner when we heard this massive crash.
"I looked out the window and saw the car. Me and my brother had only gone out about ten minutes before to put the rubbish out so I don't want to know what would have happened if he crashed then.



“He (Antonio) was on the phone shouting to someone saying he was alright.

"He kept saying, ‘Don’t keep telling me I’m stupid!’ to the person on the phone (and saying), ‘You should be asking me if I’m alright’.

"(It seemed like) the person on the phone kept having a go at him.”

Footage appeared to show Antonio clamber out of the Lamborghini in his snowman costume after the crash.

http://thesun.co.uk/sport/10623469/michail-antonio-car-crash-lamborghini-snowman-christmas/

[alexora]

Originally Posted by Zytin

Olivia Newton-John's Grease Jacket Is Gifted to Her Cancer Foundation After Selling for $243,000

A media tech entrepreneur (who wishes to remain anonymous) purchased the costume piece in an auction to raise money for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Center in November, but recently gifted it back to the 71-year-old actress to put on permanent display at the Melbourne, Australia-based research institute.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nTwJOlBkDH0

The video clip above captures the moment the man surprised the Grease star — who was diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time in 2017 — with the valuable piece of film memorabilia.

“The odds of beating a recurring cancer using the newest emerging therapies is 1,000 fold greater than someone appearing out of the blue, buying your most famous and cherished icon, and returning it to you, which is what I’m going to do right now,” the man tells Newton-John.

http://people.com/style/olivia-newton-johns-grease-jacket-is-gifted-to-her-cancer-foundation-after-selling-for-405700/

As of last Friday, ONJ is no longer Mrs Newton-John: Her Majesty has honoured her by elevating her to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. This means that she is now referred to as Dame Olivia Newton-John or Dame Olivia, but never as Dame Newton-John.