Today’s Bwoglines brings you the three-C’s: computer science, cruise ships, and vitamin C for that nasty cold.
Happening in the World: Since Monday last week, almost a third of Ukraine’s power plants and other energy-generating facilities have been destroyed following Russian air strikes that left nearly 1.5 million households without electricity. Among the 36 rockets launched on Saturday, most were downed, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has since stated that the strikes will not stop a Ukrainian military advance. (BBC)
Happening in the US: With freeze watches and warnings in effect as far west and south as Colorado and Florida, respectively, an impending cold blast could bring record freezing temperatures to more than 60 million people across the country, the National Weather Service reports. Following the 50 record lows that stand to be broken by the end of the week, meteorologists report the cold blast will eventually subside by next Friday. (NBC)
Happening in NYC: A proposal to house asylum seekers on a cruise ship on Staten Island’s North Shore is under consideration by local city officials as an alternative to building tent shelters. However, the plan has raised controversy, as past emergency uses of cruise ships have proven not only monetarily but environmentally costly. A single cruise ship emits as much exhaust as 34,400 idling tractor trailers, and uses diesel fuel which has been linked to serious health conditions like asthma and cancer. Norwegian Cruise Line has since been approached by the city mayor about the prospect of renting a ship, but “no agreement has been reached,” according to their spokesperson. (Gothamist)
Happening in Our Community: This Monday from 11:40 am to 1 pm, there will be a lecture entitled “A Geometrical Connection Between Sparse and Low-rank Matrices and Its Uses for Machine Learning,” hosted as part of the Computer Science Distinguished Lecture Series. Flatiron Institute Senior Research Scientist Lawrence Saul will discuss matrices, manifold learning, and more as part of a larger discussion on machine learning. The event will take place in CSB 451 Computer Science Auditorium in the Mudd Building, registration not required.
Cruising through the waters via Wikipedia