Police Futurists International (PFI)

Researchers in South Korea have developed transparent solar panels that can be integrated into ordinary windows, allowing homes and skyscrapers to generate electricity without altering their appearance. The panels harvest energy from sunlight while maintaining visibility, opening the door to buildings that power themselves through their own glass. #science #technology #solarenergy #renewables #sustainability

"if AI doesn’t scare you, you’re not paying attention" Tyler Cowen says AI isn’t a far-off idea; it’s coming fast and will reshape many careers for those in law, medicine, or economics, the choice is simple: - work with it and adapt - compete against it and likely lose

Our EBP special issue is now out in print

Do you remember when you joined Twitter? I do! #MyTwitterAnniversary

Stanford Emerging Technology Review Offers Policymakers New Insights Into Implications Of Cutting-Edge Tech | Hoover Institution hoover.org/news/stanford-…

Interesting to think about what local PDs might be able to do with a $3,000 supercomputer analyzing all of their data and running it through AI tools. theverge.com/2025/1/6/24337… @MACrimeAnalysts @PoliceFutures @crimeanalysts

Transparent bamboo: A fireproof and waterproof alternative to glass newatlas.com/materials/tran…

Inspired by microscopic worms, Liquid AI’s founders developed a more adaptive, less energy-hungry kind of neural network. Now the MIT spin-off is revealing several new ultraefficient models. wired.trib.al/vd37Xdn

Have you signed up for the conference yet? The complete schedule will be released very soon! In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek at some of the featured presenters… Tools and Techniques Used in Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) – Ritu Gill

A.I. Robots Will Be Everywhere. Download the Future Today! $KSCP

Innovating de-escalation training with community engagement and advanced technology - goo.gl/alerts/cvA3qU #GoogleAlerts

Maps show how "Tornado Alley" has shifted in the U.S. ow.ly/KizU50SeZSU @IsamarGarcia_EM @CarrieSperanza @McIlreavyP @JBEOC @seeleysue @kellymnyc @WCraigFugate @SKuhrEM @Leaders_Link @Neptanow @SECMatASPA @HAZCENTER @npsCHDS @IAEM @NEMA_WEB

One small flight for electric planes, one big step for the future of air travel. ✈️

Another fake murder is reported. This one was generated by AI dankennedy.net/2024/01/04/ano… @PoliceFutures

The Placebo Effect Has Been Rising And No One Knows Why. Some drugs or surgeries have better outcomes when there was just a placebo. - The placebo effect, a phenomenon where patients experience real changes in their health after receiving a treatment that has seems to have no therapeutic effect, has increasingly become a focal point in medical research. Defined simply, a placebo is a substance or treatment with no active therapeutic effect. It can be a pill, a shot, or even a surgical procedure mimicking the actual treatment. Placebos are used in clinical trials to objectively test the efficacy of new treatments. Recent studies have highlighted a remarkable trend: the placebo effect is becoming stronger, especially in certain types of clinical trials, like those involving painkillers in the United States. For instance, the gap in pain relief between actual drugs and placebos, which was 27% in 1996, narrowed to just 9% by 2013. This increasing strength of the placebo response is reshaping how we understand medical treatments and their effectiveness. It underscores the significant role of psychological and physiological factors in how patients respond to both actual and simulated treatments. This trend has profound implications for the development and approval of new medical treatments, challenging researchers and pharmaceutical companies to reconsider the design and evaluation of clinical trials. It also raises critical questions about patient care and the ethical use of placebos, especially in cases where effective treatments are already available. Examples Where Placebo Outperformed Drugs or Surgery Depression Treatment Study: A study involving people with major depression who weren't on any medications found that participants reported significant decreases in depression symptoms when they took an "active" placebo, compared to an "inactive" placebo. This improvement was linked to increased brain activity in areas associated with emotion and stress regulation. The active placebo also led to better responses to subsequent antidepressant treatment. NIH: nih.gov/news-events/ni…. NIH: nih.gov/news-events/ni…. NIH: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26421634 Painkiller Clinical Trials: In a major analysis of trial data, it was found that placebo responses in pain treatment have become stronger over time in the US. In 1996, drugs relieved pain by 27% more than a placebo, but by 2013, this gap had reduced to just 9%. Nature: nature.com/articles/nature. Nature: nature.com/articles/natur…. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: In a review of 115 trials with continuous outcomes, no significant difference was found between treatment and placebo effects. In cases where bias reduction criteria were strictly applied, placebos were more effective than treatments. PubMed: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23690944/. PLOS ONE: journals.plos.org/plosone/articl…. Surgery's Placebo Effect: A systematic review of surgical interventions revealed that in 72% of trials, improvements were noted in both surgical and placebo arms. Notably, 45% of the studies showed no significant benefit of active surgical intervention over placebo. American Council on Science and Health: acsh.org/news/2017/07/2…. Implications These findings underscore a crucial aspect of clinical research: the power of the human mind and expectation in healing and symptom management. The increasing efficacy of placebos in clinical trials, especially in the United States, suggests that patient expectations, trial design, and psychological factors play a significant role in treatment outcomes. The phenomenon raises critical questions about the methodology of clinical trials and the ethical implications of using placebos, especially when effective treatments are available. It challenges the pharmaceutical industry to reconsider how they demonstrate drug efficacy.

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are revolutionizing CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing for microbes! They're using quantum biology, AI, and bioengineering to enhance its functionality in bacteria and unlock a world of possibilities. 🚀 interestingengineering.com/innovation/ai-…

AI could consume as much energy as Argentina annually by 2027 trib.al/SnAESdg

For those at #IACP2023, please join us tomorrow (Sunday) at the Research Advisory Group/Police Research Advancement Symposium where I’ll highlight new policing research findings from NIJ-sponsored projects. Open to all! @BJSgov

@Jerry_Ratcliffe Generation U Unqualified

This was, I guess, inevitable, and other departments may follow this course. But filling short term needs like this will create a 25-30 year headache. Philly police officials want to change reading and fitness requirements for recruits. inquirer.com/news/philly-po…

Russia's 2016 U.S. election interference targeted key demographics and swing states. Experts say that generative AI, including tools such as ChatGPT, introduces the possibility that bad actors could target the entire country with tailored content by 2024. bit.ly/3Euw6Oc