Other than the burning parliament and resilient protesters in Libya…

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake rocks New Zealand,

U.S. Democratic-leaning states are now fewer in number,

and will we recognize our own planet in 40 years?

It’s hard to know where to start with the uprising in Libya.

Since the Libyan”day of rage” last week (February 17), tensions have dramatically escalated in the North African nation (which shares its eastern border with Egypt).

After 42 years under the regime of Colonel Gaddafi (or Kadaffi, Quadafi, Gaddaffi, Kaddifi, Qaddafi… see our post on that matter here), the Libyan people have grown restless.

Why? Because of (what else?) government corruption, extremely high unemployment (like, 30%), and Libyan oil money that doesn’t find its way to the nation’s people or  infrastructure.

Libya  also has a very young population, and these guys have lost faith in their government. (I mean, democracy would help with that, but Gaddafi isn’t such a fan.)

The mainstream media was slow to embrace this story. The fact that the Libyan government has blacked out channels of communication didn’t help.

When Gaddafi started using mercenaries and the air force to attack demonstrators, the Internet started bursting at the seams with tweets, blog posts, and video of the massacre. (That word is not an overstatement!)

While Egypt and Tunisia’s uprisings brought about regime change, there is reason to be concerned that Libya’s leadership won’t go down so quickly.

Gaddafi’s son, Seif Gaddafi, took to the airwaves (as reported here by The Atlantic) to give an alarming indication of the relentless assault the government will wage against its protesting people:

“We will not lose one inch of this land,” he warned. “We will flight to the last man and woman and bullet.” His father, he said is “leading the battle” and will hold on to power “by any means necessary.” He echoed the same vague, hollow promises made by Egypt’s Mubarak and Tunisia’s Ben Ali, adding, in the dramatic and menacing flair his father has honed for decades, a threat. “We will tomorrow create a new Libya. We can agree on a new national anthem, new flag, new Libya. Or be prepared for civil war.”

Gaddafi is flaunting his continued presence in the nation’s capital, Tripoli, calling news stations reporting that he has fled “dogs.”

Gaddafi in Tripoli. Courtesy of Libyan state TV.

No word yet on what the U.S. will do in response, except that Secretary Clinton has joined in the international conversation condemning Gaddafi and his treatment of the people.

The Washington Post reports that the U.S. must step carefully here, because it does not have the “leverage” of a strong relationship with Libya to influence the outcome.

The situation in Libya is changing by the hour and you can keep up-to-date on the goings-on at Al Jazeera English’s live blog or with the UN Dispatch’s recommended Twitter accounts for reliable news. This great Mother Jones article has helped keep us in the loop on the background of the conflict and is updating regularly as well.

We will keep you informed.

We are a few weeks into the spring semester now. Are you feeling like you need something new to eat? If you eat on campus a lot, your favorite choices might be getting a little bland. Luckily for you, there are some events where you can have a new dish and try some foods that just might hit the spot.

On February 22^nd, check out the International Food Tasting in the Mosaic Center (2B23 on the second floor of the Commons) between 11:30am and 12:30pm. They will be providing samples of African, Afro-Caribbean, and African American cuisine. Get there on time to make sure you can try everything they are offering.

Later that night in True Grits, the chefs will be serving up some African-American entrees for dinner. Check the Dine on Campus website for the full menu at http://www.dineoncampus.com/UMBC/

On March 2^nd, True Grits will host an Indian Infusion lunch featuring delicious Indian-inspired menu items.

And finally, March 8^th marks the annual Mardi Gras Party in True Grits from 4:30-7:30pm. Be sure to stop by for some Cajun flavor and don’t forget to bring your Mardi Gras beads!

Link to Associated Press article on MSNBC

Between zombies and robots, Hollywood has the apocalypse pretty well covered.

We may have a long way to go before killer robots eradicate all human life, but IBM has taken the first step in that direction.

They have developed a thinking, reasoning, and learning 15 terabyte computer named Watson. Oh ya and it kicks tail at Jeopardy!

Jeopardy! fanatics may be aware of Ken Jennings, one of the all time super geek nerd trivia masters. He and phenom Brad Rutter went head to head with Watson on a special Man vs Machine Jeopardy! match up.

Jennings writes about out-thinking a robot:

“Watson has lots in common with a top-ranked human Jeopardy! player: It’s very smart, very fast, speaks in an uneven monotone, and has never known the touch of a woman. But unlike us, Watson cannot be intimidated. It never gets cocky or discouraged. It plays its game coldly, implacably, always offering a perfectly timed buzz when it’s confident about an answer. Jeopardy! devotees know that buzzer skill is crucial—games between humans are more often won by the fastest thumb than the fastest brain. This advantage is only magnified when one of the “thumbs” is an electromagnetic solenoid trigged by a microsecond-precise jolt of current. I knew it would take some lucky breaks to keep up with the computer, since it couldn’t be beaten on speed.”

Having been soundly beaten by the machine Jennings remarked, with tongue  partly in cheek, how he and Rutter are the first knowledge sector professionals to be put out of a job by a machine.

As people who rely on computers for our job we are not quite sure how to feel about this.

Is Watson the crown jewel of human engineering or is the program a dangerous foray into technology? Benign at first but a stepping stone to someplace darker? Reminiscent of how fusion lead to the atom bomb? Or is that just another bad Hollywood plot?