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Weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested that his country develop an alternative to the massively popular Wikipedia free online encyclopedia one prominent editor has revealed he was working to do just that.

Speaking Thursday to the state-run Tass Russian News Agency, Great Russian Encyclopedia executive editor Sergei Kravets said that he was developing a digital version of the famed 21st-century Great Soviet Encyclopedia commissioned by Putin. "The project, which began in July, is anticipated to take 33 months," he said. "It will be completed by the spring or summer of 2022."

The name has not been selected, but Kravets said he sought a title that both evoked the prestige of the Great Russian Encyclopedia and could bring such a work to a contemporary, young audience.

"As many as 35 percent of students are aware of its existence, they consider it to be reliable but a bit outdated. As for professors, nearly 100 percent are acquainted with the encyclopedia and believe it to be fundamental and reliable," he said. "If we create something new, we need to maintain continuity, credibility, depth and reliability, but at the same time, we should eliminate its antiquatedness and reach out to new areas."

Establishing a Russian Wikipedia-style database has been a source of debate in Russia for years. The idea was brought up by lawmaker Yelena Yampolskaya, a member of Putin's ruling United Russia Party and an outspoken supporter of the Soviet Union, at a December 2016 a joint meeting of the Council for Culture and Art and the Council on the Russian Language during which she appealed to Putin for more indigenous forms of sports, culture and entertainment.

"We need a national reference system so that people have resources other than Wikipedia at their disposal," Yampolskaya, who last year went on to become head of the Russian lower house of parliament's culture committee, said, berating mobile game Pokmon GO as "the devil's work and the product of a global conspiracy."

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A year later, in 2017, Kravets met with Putin alongside Russian Academy of Sciences member Yury Osipov to present the Russian leader the final, 35th volume of the Great Russian Encylopedia. The two men thanked Putin for his guidance but called for more support in bringing the vast work online, an endeavor he immediately praised.

"You are right, when they read Wikipedia online, people get a lot of varied and important information. However, when it is not entirely accurate, it does more harm than good," Putin said at the time. "This is why this information touchstone is so valuable."

Two years later, the Kremlin announced in a draft law that it would spend up to $27 million in establishing a Russian-language Wikipedia alternative during 2020-2022, but at a meeting earlier this month Putin elicited some controversy at home and abroad with comments that some took to mean he may move to block access to the original site, which has more than one and half a million articles in Russian.

Putin held a meeting of the Presidential Council on the Russian Language on November 2. During the session, before the president weighed in, two other participants brought up the subject of Wikipedia, both questioning its accuracy and warning of its effect on society and the proliferation of Russian-language knowledge.

"Regarding Wikipedia, this has already been mentioned here: It is better to replace it with the new Great Russian Encyclopedia in electronic form, we are now talking about this with our colleagues," Putin said. "This will be, in any case, reliable information in a good, modern, by the way, form."

Days later, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov issued a clarification on the Russian leader's comments, saying "Wikipedia is a popular and respected self-updated resource," according to Tass.

"What the president and some of the speakers [at the Council's meeting] meant was that with all due respect, no one guarantees the credibility of information available on Wikipedia," Peskov said. "The president highlighted the need to create an encyclopedia-style source of knowledge and make it accessible."

"That's what the Great Soviet Encyclopedia is," he added, emphasizing that "there cannot be, nor have there been any bans or restrictions on access to Wikipedia."

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Russia Is Building Its Own Wikipedia After Putin Says The Country Needs One - Newsweek

He was born in Poland in 1881 and died there in 1948. In his lifetime, Poland no longer had a king. But he was the closest person to being a king. The most prominent man in all of Poland. And he hated Jews.

Wanting to rid Poland of its 3,500,000 millions of Jews, he proclaimed to the Polish nation in the late 20s and early 1930s zydzie do Palestyna. We dont want Jews in Poland. Let them go to Palestine.

According to the historical facts revealed in Wikipedia, in 1936 he published a 5,600 word document called Problem Zydowski (the Jewish Problem) in which he wrote:

So long as Jews remain Jews, a Jewish problem exists and will continue to exist. It is a fact that Jews are waging war against the Catholic church, that they are steeped in free-thinking, and constitute the vanguard of atheism, the Bolshevik movement, and revolutionary activity. It is a fact that Jews have a corruptive influence on morals and that their publishing houses are spreading pornography. It is true that Jews are perpetrating fraud, practicing usury, and dealing in prostitution. It is true, from a religious and ethical point of view, Jewish youth are having a negative influence on the Catholic youth in our schools.

He then goes on to find some redeeming features about Jews. Very strange and unusual, as he continues to write in the very same document: There are very many Jews who are believers, honest, just, kind and philanthropic. There is a healthy, edifying sense of family in very many Jewish homes. We know Jews who are ethically outstanding, noble and upright. One may love ones own nation more, but one may not hate anyone. Not even Jews it is forbidden to demolish a Jewish store, damage their merchandise, break windows, or throw things at their homes it is forbidden to assault, beat up, maim, or slander Jews. One should honor and love Jews as human beings and neighbors.

However, these kind words about some Jews referred only to those Jews who were converted to Christianity.

He continues his anti-Jewish stance with an explicit condemnation of Jewish culture and also for Judaisms rejection of Jesus. Contrary to his kinder words, he wrote: It is good to prefer your own kind when shopping, to avoid buying in Jewish stores and Jewish stalls in the marketplace one should stay away from the harmful moral influence of Jews, keep away from their anti-Christian culture, and especially boycott the Jewish press and demoralizing Jewish publications. We do not honor the indescribable tragedy of that nation, which was the guardian of the idea of the Messiah and from which was born the Savior.When divine mercy enlightens a Jew to sincerely accept his and our Messiah, Jesus Christ, let us greet him into our Christian ranks with joy.

He suggested that Christian Poles should avoid using the services of Jewish doctors and Jewish lawyers. He urged boycotts of all Jewish businesses.

One must remember that these words were written in 1936, three years before the outbreak of war.

Although he had always condemned the Nazi persecution of the Jews, he created a great controversy after the war in 1946 when surviving Jews returned to their former homes and property in the large city of Kielce.

His remarks to the Kielce pogrom of 4 July 1946 in which dozens of Jews returned to their homes in Poland after their survival from Auschwitz and other death-camps in Poland and were brutally beaten and murdered by Polish neighbors who did not want to return the Jewish property, was his denial of an anti-Semitic act. He described it only as a reaction against Jews who were serving the communist regime.

His 1936 negative statement urging all Jews to get out of Poland and go to Palestine tragically saw three million Polish Jews only going to their deaths. Many survivors went to Israel in 1948. And the remnants of the Jews who remained in Poland were driven out in 1967-68.

Miraculously, there has been a rebirth of Jewish life in Poland today. Jewish culture is thriving. But knowing past history in Poland, for how long?

Polish readers will be upset with these words. But Wikipedia does not lie. And these very words are still preserved in documents now in Polish possession.

The writer was not a king of Poland. He was, however, the Catholic Cardinal and Primate of all Catholic churches, monasteries and convents throughout Poland.

His name was Augustus Cardinal Hlond.

Esor Ben-Sorek is a retired professor of Hebrew, Biblical literature & history of Israel. Conversant in 8 languages: Hebrew, Yiddish, English, French, German, Spanish, Polish & Dutch. Very proud of being an Israeli citizen.A follower of Trumpeldor & Jabotinsky & Begin.

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If Wikipedia Says So-- It's True | Esor Ben-Sorek - The Times of Israel

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

As MLB continues its investigation into allegations of sign-stealing by the Houston Astros during the 2017 season, the Wikipedia page for the 2017 World Series received a wild edit that reflects the controversy quite well.

While the Houston Astros are still listed as World Series champions, the World Series MVP is now listed as the Centerfield cameraman (Houston).

Astros outfielder George Springer was awarded MVP honors after the Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games. However, reports of Houston using cameras to steal signs and using signals to alert hitters are bringing the teams success into question.

This all reportedly began when an executive for the Astros allegedly asked scouts for help stealing signs. MLB teams, including the Dodgers, were aware of the Astros actions and tried to alert MLB.

While we dont know what the potential punishment for the Astros will be if MLBs investigation determines they cheated, this Wikipedia edit is at least a nice troll for the time being.

Related slideshow: Best of the World Series (Provided by imagn)

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2017 World Series Wikipedia page edited to troll Astros over sign-stealing allegations - msnNOW

The landscape of jobs will likely be dramatically transformed by AI in the coming years, and while some jobs will go by the wayside, other jobs will be created. It isnt clear yet how the nature of job automation will impact the economy, whether or not more jobs will be created than displaced, but it is obvious that those who work in the positions created by AI will need training to be effective at them.

Displaced workers are going to need the training to work in the new AI-related job fields, but how can these workers be trained quickly enough to remain competitive in the workplace? The answer could be more AI, which could help personalize education and training.

Bryan Talebi is the founder and CEO of the startup Ahura AI, which aims to use AI to make online education programs more efficient, targeting them at the specific individuals using them. Talebi explained to SingularityHub that Ahura is in the process of creating a product that will take biometric data from people taking online education programs and use this data to adapt the course material to the individuals needs.

While there are security and privacy concerns associated with the recording and analysis of an individuals behavioral data, the trade-off would be that, in theory, people would acquire valuable skills much more quickly. By giving personalized material and instruction to learners, a learners individual needs and means can be accounted for. Talebi explained that Ahura AIs prototype personalized education system is already showing some impressive results. According to Talebi, Ahura AIs system helps people learn between three to five times faster than current education models allow.

The AI-enhanced learning system developed by Ahura works through a series of cameras and microphones. Most modern mobile devices, tablets, and laptops have cameras and microphones, so there is little additional cost of investment for users of the platform. The camera is used to track facial movements of the user, and it captures things like eye movements, fidgeting, and micro-expressions. Meanwhile, the microphone tracks voice sentiment, analyzing the learners word usage and tone. The idea is that these metrics can be used to detect when a learner is getting bored/disinterested or frustrated, and adjust the content to keep the learner engaged.

Talebi explained that Ahura uses the collected information to determine an optimal way to deliver the material to each student of the course. While some people might learn most easily through videos, other people will learn more easily through text, while others will learn best through experience. The primary goal of Ahura is to shift the format of the content in real-time in order to improve the information retention of the learner, which it does by delivering content that improves attention.

Because Ahura can interpret user facial expressions and body language, it can predict when a user is getting bored and about to switch away to social media. According to Talebi, Ahura is capable of predicting when someone will switch to Instagram or Facebook with a 60% confidence interval, ten-seconds out from when they switch over. Talebi acknowledges there is still a lot of work to be done, as Ahura has a goal of getting the metric up to 95% accuracy, However, he believes that the performance of Ahura shows promise.

Talebi also acknowledges a desire to utilize the same algorithms and design principles used by Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms, which may concern some people as these platforms are designed to be addictive. While creating a more compelling education platform is arguably a more noble goal, theres also the issue that the platform itself could be addictive. Moreover, theres a concern about the potential to misuse such sensitive information in general. Talebi said that Ahura is sensitive to these concerns at that they find it incredibly important that the data they collect is never misused, noting that some investors immediately began inquiring about the marketing potential of the platform.

Its important that we dont use this technology in those ways. Were aware that things can go sideways, so were hoping to put up guardrails to ensure our system is helping and not harming society, Talebi said.

Talebi explained that the company wants to create an ethics board that can review the ways the data the company collects is used. Talebi said the board should be diverse in thought, gender, and background, and that it should have teeth, to help ensure that their software is being designed ethically.

Ahura is currently in the process of developing its alpha prototypes, and the company hopes that during beta testing it will available to over 200,000 users in a large scale trial against a control group. The company also hopes to increase the kinds of biometric data they use for their system, planning to log data from things like sleep patterns, heart rate, facial flushing, and pupil dilation.

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Researchers Carry Out Census Of Wikipedia Bots - Unite.ai

Key Point:The MiG-27 had a nasty habbit of exploding.

The Indian air force plans in December 2019 finally to retire its last few Soviet-designed MiG-27 Flogger fighter-bombers, bringing to an end 38 years of MiG-27 operations in India and leaving the Kazakh air force as the last operator of the 1970s-vintage, swing-wing warplane.

New Delhis last MiG-27 unit, No. 29 Squadron is based in Jodhpur in Rajasthan. Two other MiG-27 squadrons shuttered in 2016.

Pilots and planners probably wont miss the speedy but volatile MiG-27, a ground-attack derivative of the MiG-23 interceptor. U.S. Air Force test pilots who flew a captured MiG-23 under the auspices of the once-secret Constant Peg program, literally were afraid of the plane owing to its tendency to explode in mid-flight.

"It would accelerate until it blew up," John Manclark, a commander of Constant Peg during the mid-1980s, said of the MiG-23. "The limit was 720 to 710 knots, but guys would look down inside and see they were going 850 to 880."

The Indian air force acquired the first of 165 locally-assembled MiG-27s starting in 1981. The type flew in combat during the Kargil War between India and Pakistan in 1999. In essence, a simpler MiG-23 without that types air-to-air radar, the MiG-27 with its powerful R-29 engine at low altitude could accelerate to a top speed of around Mach one.

But the plane was complex and unsafe compared to Western types. Even other Soviet types were safer to fly than the MiG-27 was. The Indian air force lost at least 10 percent of its MiG-27s in crashes.

Sri Lankas experience was even worse. The Sri Lankan air force in the late 1990s acquired from Ukraine a batch of six MiG-27s plus a MiG-23 trainer. The Sri Lankan government at the time was at war with the Tamil Tigers rebel group. It wanted a fast fighter-bomber that also could operate at low level.

The MiG-27 arguably was a poor choice. Its unsurprising that Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the countrys wartime defense secretary, later was accused of accepting bribes in exchange for approving the MiG buy. A newspaper editor died in an apparent assassination after reporting on the allegedly corrupt fighter deal.

The initial six MiG-27s, plus a follow-on batch of six Floggers and one trainer that the country bought in 2000, performed poorly in Sri Lankan service, even when flown by experienced Ukrainian mercenary pilots.

U.S. advisors in 2001 assessed the Sri Lankan air forces No. 12 Squadron, which flew the MiG-27s and found it wanting. Air force leaders never bothered to procure the required weapons systems/ammunition for them, The Island reported. On the basis of testimony of both army and [air force] personnel, the U.S. pointed out the failure on the part of No 10 [flying Israeli-made Kfirs] and No. 12 squadrons to destroy targets.

No fewer than four of Sri Lankas 14 MiG-27s and MiG trainers crashed. A Tamil Tiger commando raid destroyed another MiG on the ground. As late as 2017, seven MiGs remained in the Sri Lankan air forces inventory, but none were flightworthy.

The air force in early 2019 finally shut down No. 12 Squadron, formally ending the MiG-27s service in the country and reportedly leaving Sri Lanka with just a handful of operational Kfirs and Chinese-made F-7s.

India is struggling to replace its MiG-27s and other old fighters. New Delhi wants to spend around $18 billion acquiring 110 new fighters to replace MiG-21s and MiG-27s. The new planes would fly alongside European-designed Jaguars, French Mirage 2000s and Rafales, Russian MiG-29s and Su-30s and India's own indigenous Tejas fighter in what American plane-maker Lockheed Martin described as "the worlds largest fighter aircraft ecosystem."

Lockheed is pitching to India a new F-21 version of its iconic F-16 fighter. For the purposes of Lockheed's marketing campaign, the F-21 is a new fighter, although it shares many of its major features with the F-16V the company has sold to Bahrain, Greece, Slovakia, South Korea and Taiwan.

David Axe serves as Defense Editor of the National Interest. He is theauthor of the graphic novelsWar Fix,War Is BoringandMachete Squad. This piece was originally featured in November 2019 and is being republished due to reader's interest.

Image: Wikipedia

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India is Eliminating its MiG-27 Fighters (They Were a Disaster) - The National Interest Online