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preparedness

OpenAI Unveils “Preparedness Framework” to Address Risks of Harmful AI

Too Long; Didn't ReadOpenAI introduces a safety-oriented "Preparedness Framework," empowering the board with veto power. Meanwhile, Apple navigates a potential sales halt for Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches due to a patent dispute with Masimo, prompting the tech giant to work on preemptive measures. Too Long; Didn't ReadOpenAI introduces a safety-oriented "Preparedness Framework," empowering the board with veto power. Meanwhile, Apple navigates a potential sales halt for Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches due to a…

More accurate O’ahu rainfall data supports extreme weather preparedness

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Rainfall estimations on O'ahu can be more accurate by combining Hawai'i's two main types of rainfall observations, radar and rain gauge, according to a study by University of Hawai'i at Mānoa researchers. Current observations are based on one or the other, where specific weather stations are checked (rain gauge), or weather radars are observed to view patterns. The study is an effort to better…

How looking beyond our borders would improve preparedness for extreme floods

Megafloods in Europe. a, Five hydroclimatic regions: Boreal (purple), Continental (blue), Mediterranean (orange), Alpine (green) and Atlantic (red). b–f, Maximum observed specific flood discharges (points) and mean of annual specific flood discharges (squares) over the entire observation period at each stream gauge as a function of catchment area. Regional envelope curves (thick lines) and median regional annual specific flood discharges (thin lines)…

Housing plays key role in disaster preparedness, says study

Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Researchers focus a lot of attention on how disasters such as hurricanes and floods affect people's housing in the United States. But a new national study found that housing is also important before disasters happen: People with homes not meeting federal quality classifications and those who are

Novartis CEO says Covid to become endemic, calls for better pandemic preparedness

Novartis said in August that it plans to spin off its generics unit Sandoz to sharpen its focus on its patented prescription medicines.Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe chief executive of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis on Thursday warned the coronavirus pandemic will likely settle into an endemic phase and renewed calls for policymakers to sufficiently finance pandemic preparedness."If you look over the last two years, we have populations that have built up immunity, you have a virus that's continuing to make…

What Rice-Farming Cultures Can Teach Us about Pandemic Preparedness

Rice farming is hard. It’s complicated. Traditional rice farming takes twice the amount of labor as crops like wheat, corn and potatoes. Paddy rice was built on irrigation networks that forced farmers to cooperate with each other. Rain falls on the fields of both rogue and cooperative wheat farmers, but irrigation networks flood paddy fields only if farmers work together to build them and manage to keep them working. In short, rice required a lot more social coordination compared with crops such as wheat, which the West…

To Survive More Frequent Hurricanes, Puerto Rico Needs to Rethink Preparedness

In the midst of an active hurricane season, Puerto Rico has suffered yet again. Thanks to Fiona, which crashed into the territory a few days before Ian hit Florida, we were without critical services like electricity, water, hospitals and fuel supplies. Fiona’s destruction was a sharp reminder of the life-threatening effects of Hurricane María, which caused $90 billion in damage five years ago. More than 30 people died because of Fiona and as we recover from yet another destructive hurricane, our leaders have ignored the…

How firms can overcome the ‘paradox of preparedness’

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain When major threats are looming, but their timing is uncertain, it's hard for business leaders to make an action plan for dealing with them. Wharton marketing professor emeritus George Day and global management consultant Roger Dennis call it "the paradox of preparedness." In this essay, they offer four steps to help leaders heed the warning signs of disaster before it's too late.…