The Internet of Things, or IoT, is a system of interconnected objects-"things," digital and physical machines, animals, humans, software, sensors, and other technologies to exchange data with each other and with other systems over the Internet. Each object-"thing" has unique identifiers (UIDs) and can transfer data to the internet network with minimal human-to-human or human-to-computer intervention. A thing can be a human heart monitor implant, a self-driving vehicle, a smart house roof that can tell the weather conditions, a drone that flies over a farm and gives the farmer feedback about the farm, etc.

Over the past few years, IoT has become one of the very important technologies in the 21st century- According to the latest available data, there are approximately 13.15 billion connected IoT devices worldwide. In residential and industrial sectors, the IoT is increasingly growing by adapting linked devices such as smart thermostats, Bluetooth speakers, ring bells, lighting, etc. The global Internet of Things (IoT) market size was valued at USD 813.29 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 2,483.25 billion by 2023.

How IoT works

IoT works by connecting physical devices and objects to the Internet and enabling them to communicate with each other and other systems. In other words, IoT is to make everyday objects "smart" by embedding sensors, processors, and internet connectivity, so that they can receive data from their environment and exchange it.

Applications of IoT

IoT plays an essential role in many applications in our daily life, such as healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, smart homes, transportation, energy management, etc. For instance, IoT has much potential to revolutionize agriculture through precision farming. Farmers can make a more informed decision based on real-time data about all environmental conditions from sensors installed on the farm; This data can help farmers to optimize their irrigation, fertilization, and other practices to improve crop yields and reduce waste.

Security risks associated with IoT

Despite the many advantages of IoT applications, there is a massive risk of IoT botnets through IoT devices and networks. IoT botnet is when a collection of internet-connected devices fall under the control of cybercrime and is used for malicious purposes. For example, the car manufacturer Toyota temporarily shut down production at 14 plants in Japan at the beginning of 2022 due to cyber-attacks. Moreover, In April of the same year, Ukriane's power grid was targeted.

Soon, IoT will become more pervasive and transform many areas of our lives. However, it is crucial to address its security and privacy issues and protect our data from malicious purposes of cyber criminals. Overall, It is exciting to see how technology develops in the upcoming years.

According to two sources involved in the negotiations of Yemen, representatives from Saudi Arabia and Oman are arranging a visit to Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, next week. The purpose of the visit is to negotiate a lasting ceasefire agreement with Houthi officials who are aligned with Iran, in order to bring an end to the long-standing conflict in Yemen. This development suggests that tensions between regional powers are diminishing after the recent Saudi Arabia and Iran agreement to normalize their relations, ending years of hostility and supporting opposing sides in various Middle Eastern conflicts, including the one in Yemen.

Grassroot steps were taken earlier when The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, stated during a UN Security Council briefing in January  that there was an increasing possibility of a renewed ceasefire in Yemen. This was due to the intensified diplomatic efforts at the regional and international level to bring an end to the country's eight-year conflict. Grundberg added that while there was a potential for significant progress in the conflict's trajectory, the situation was still complicated and ever-changing. Last year, a UN-supported truce was implemented, which allowed some fuel shipments into Hodeidah port, and commercial flights from Sanaa, but it did not lift the Houthi blockade on the city of Taiz, which was a crucial demand for the government. The truce ended in October 2022 after the Houthi rebels refused to agree to a further extension. However, despite the absence of an extension, the fighting has not escalated.

This civil war, however, broke out eight years ago when In 2014, Houthi insurgents, linked to Iran and known for rebelling against the Sunni government, seized control of Sana'a, demanding lowering of  fuel prices and a new government. After unsuccessful negotiations, the rebels seized the presidential palace in 2015, causing President Hadi to resign. A coalition of Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia and supported by the US began air strikes against the Houthi insurgents in 2015. Fighting has continued since then, with a UN effort to broker peace talks between the Yemeni government and the Houthis stalling in 2016. Regional powers, including Iran and Saudi Arabia, were intervening in the conflict, threatening to exacerbate the Sunni-Shia divide. The conflict has been taking a severe toll on Yemeni civilians, resulting in the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with millions in need of assistance, at risk of famine, and affected by a cholera outbreak. The United States, also, continued counterterrorism operations in Yemen, targeting al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Islamic State militants through airstrikes.

By: Rozhina S.

What do artists and politicians have in common? Beyond the former’s passion for colors and the latter’s love for making promises, they - not all - tend to be hard workers who accumulate experience through life.

And that’s what the 20th century German philosopher Martin Heidigger suggested when he claimed the three distinct qualities of a work of art:

- The artist 

- The work 

- The art itself

Naming artists is not a common challenge, nor their works of art, but the philosopher also points out another quality, work.

According to Heidigger, art arises from the work of an artist. Through his life, pushing through the negative and the positive, he is able to find inspiration and convert it into a work of art or written fiction.

Heidigger’s argument for analyzing an artwork makes more sense when authors such as J.D Salinger are able to capture the voice of an alienated adolescent in his novel The Catcher of the Rye, it is a product of his own life and experience. This can also be applied to the famed Soviet filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky, bringing his father’s poetry through nonlinear experimental films such as The Mirror (1975, USSR)  But the recent monitoring of the popular A.I module, ChatGPT, brings forth these questions through a very intriguing perspective, can art be initiated by senseless machines? For instance, if you were to ask this intelligent chat bot to write a screenplay using Tarkovsky’s style, will he pretend or be creative? And if so, what are the controversial aspects of this argument?

The fact of the matter is, ChatGPT has been a success story. Bringing new ways to artistic creativity and inspiration, but will it affect our exposure to life’s experiences which influenced so many artists and writers?

Whatever it may bring, sometimes a close inspection of earlier written work on the nature of art prior to any development in technology, can make it very clear that we humans decreed our expression through art.

Several massive oil exporters cut their production and interpreted the cut as a necessary step now. This decision was made by Saudi Arabia and several Gulf countries to cut their production by more than a million barrels per day, consequently the crude oil price went up to $85 a barrel. However, Russia announced that its oil production will cut by half a million barrels per day until the end of the year. The Russian invasion of Ukraine resulted in a rise in the oil price though it has normalised to the pre-invasion era.

On the other hand, the US seems unhappy and reads the Gulf countries’ decision regarding the oil production cut as inadvisable since they have asked exporters to increase their production in order to calm down the energy prices. Recent ups in energy prices have caused inflation in some countries, and the US apparently asks for further oil exportation that could lower the energy prices and the inflation rate.

OPEC+ members have chosen the oil reduction choice and have avoided the US opinion in this regard. Some economists believe that this oil reduction decision for a country like Saudi Arabia benefits it by making it more independent in producing and exporting oil and becoming less independent of the US from now on.

Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking for a specific period. It has been practiced in many religions and philosophies including, Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and more. Fasting can last for a few hours or a few weeks depending on the form of practice. Fasting has a lot of effects on our bodies depending on the period of fasting. Studies have shown that it can decrease LDL which leads to lower risks of heart disease and stroke. It also reduces the total cholesterol by 10% to 21%. Fasting glucose in adults with obesity has decreased significantly during fasting and in patients who have type 2 diabetes their HbA1c has decreased which means fasting can control blood glucose very well, furthermore insulin sensitivity improves during fasting as well.

Studies show  that fasting results in substantial weight loss in obese individuals. In addition, prolonged fasting leads to an increase in the growth hormone and during the prolonged fasting period, the happiness and optimism hormone serotonin was also increased.

In short, fasting effects on the body may include, blood sugar control, enhancing heart health, aiding in weight loss, increasing growth hormone which is vital for growth, muscle strength, metabolism, and weight loss. Fasting can also affect psychological and emotional health depending on the fasting period and beliefs. Some studies found that fasting can cause mood enhancement, which is reflected by increased positive mood and vitality and decreased negative mood, it can promote a sense of achievement, reward, and self-control. In addition, strong religious beliefs can lead to positive effects on humans' physical and psychological health it makes fasting a more pleasant and tolerant experience, for example, a study has shown that during Ramadan when Muslims fast there was a decrease in depression, anxiety, and stress at the end of Ramadan. Moreover, fasting stimulates neurogenesis, which regulates pain sensation and enhances cognitive function and the antiaging ability of the brain. During prolonged fasting serotonin is released and increased which elevates mood and reduces pain sensitivity. In short, fasting effects on mental health including, a positive mood, lowering depression, anxiety, and stress. Increasing the feeling of self-control. However, as much as fasting is highly beneficial for our physical and mental health, it can also have a negative effect if the wrong fasting techniques were used or if a sick person who isn't allowed to fast does it anyway.

Artificial intelligence (AI), which encompasses everything from movie recommender algorithms to self-driving cars, has been advancing rapidly in recent years. Its potential impact is starting to cause a concern and excitement at the same time.

Following the release of ChatGPT 4, a large language model trained by OpenAI that uses deep learning algorithms to generate human-like responses to text-based prompts, tech leaders called for a pause on AI more powerful than OpenAI's ChatGPT 4. Tech leaders such as Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak have signed a letter published by the Future of Life Institute. The letter has already gathered over 4,451 signatures and continues to gain support.

The signatories warn that "advanced AI could represent a profound change in the history of life on Earth and should be planned for and managed with commensurate care and resources." They are concerned that developing such robust AI systems without ensuring their potential risk, positive effects, and manageability could have devastating consequences. Therefore they call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least six months the training and developing of AI systems that are more powerful than GPT-4 so that society can get a chance to adapt.