COVID originsLab-Leak of Genetically Modified Virus: Lawmakers’ Report Published 6 August 2021 Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) released on Monday a third installment in his investigation into the origins of the virus. The report says that the preponderance of evidence suggests that the pandemic outbreak stemmed from a genetically modified virus which leaked from Wuhan Institute

COVID originsVirus Likely Naturally Occurring: NIH Published 6 August 2021 The NIH says that based on the scientific literature, its view is that “SARS-CoV-2 infection in people most likely resulted from zoonotic transmission from animals to humans.” Current evidence does not support the assertion that the virus was engineered, but the NIH does not rule

COVID originsNatural Origin or Genetic Manipulation? We “Can’t Say for Sure Yet”: David Baltimore Published 6 August 2021 David Baltimore, president emeritus of Caltech and Distinguished Professor of Biology, is a virologist who received the Nobel Prize for his research into viral genetics. He says that “But the fact that evolution might have been able

InfrastructureRobot Dog Helps Infrastructure Maintenance Researchers Published 6 August 2021 A mobile robotic dog named “Spot,” able to climb stairs, navigate rough terrain, and respond to commands, offers researchers an autonomous technology for innovations in infrastructure maintenance and repair. Robots are an emerging force in the infrastructure repair and maintenance industry. From flying drones to smart

EncryptionChip with Secure Encryption to Bolster Fight against Hackers Published 6 August 2021 Researchers have designed a computer chip that implements post-quantum cryptography efficiently. Such chips could provide protection against future hacker attacks using quantum computers. A team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has designed and commissioned the production of a computer chip that

IranU.K. Top General: Western Powers Must Retaliate for Iran’s Drone Strike on Oil Tanker By Jamie Dettmer Published 4 August 2021 General Nick Carter, chief of the British Defense Staff, said Western powers need to retaliate for an Iranian drone strike on an oil tanker, which killed a British security guard and the ship’s Romanian captain.

IranIran “10 Weeks Away” from Weapon-Grade Uranium Published 4 August 2021 Israel’s defense Minister Benny Gantz to foreign diplomats that Iran is now only ten weeks away – if it decided to move forward – from enriching sufficient quantities of uranium to weapon-grade level, so that it would have available the fissile material needed for

IranIran’s Strategic Challenge to Israel Published 4 August 2021 In a report prepared for the newly elected president of Israel, the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) highlights the main strategic challenges facing Israel and policy recommendations for addressing those challenges. A few weeks ago Israel has elected a new president, Isaac Herzog. The Institute for

ARGUMENT: Water systems securityWater Systems Vulnerable to Cyberthreats Published 4 August 2021 In February, a hacker tried to manipulate the water utility’s computers in Oldsmar, Fla. so that the level of lye in the water would be raised. Joel Griffin writes that “had the perpetrator not been caught…. this cyber-attack could have resulted in actual

Supply chain resilienceHybrid Cars Twice as Vulnerable to Supply Chain Disruptions as Gas-Powered Cars Published 4 August 2021 The global computer chip shortage has hit car manufacturers especially hard, indicating the importance of supply chain resilience. But hybrid and electric cars contain many other scarce elements and materials, making them more vulnerable to supply chain