Latest news with #Enterprise
Daily Maverick
12 hours ago
- Science
- Daily Maverick
Breakthrough SA research promises quantum leap into our global future
This will be an entirely novel way of managing quantum information and will have revolutionary implications – we will be able to quickly solve very hard problems in fields such as chemistry, pharmacology, logistics, finance and many more. 'Beam me up, Scotty!' A brave new South African-led study aims to solve exactly the quantum physics challenge that the fictional starship Enterprise's transporter system is designed to overcome. Unfortunately, we're not looking to dematerialise people and put them together again somewhere else, which certainly would be very exciting. What we envisage, however, is far more fundamental: we're going to show people the future – and unlock South Africa's development potential. To make the nascent field of harnessing quantum entanglement viable, we – myself, a vibrant, young team of South African researchers and select international partners, including leading scientists from China's Huzhou University, France's Sorbonne University and Australia's Monash University – aim to practically demonstrate an entirely novel way for managing quantum information. This will have revolutionary implications: with quantum computing, which will be exponentially more powerful than current technology, we will be able to quickly solve very hard problems in fields such as chemistry, pharmacology, logistics, finance and many more. We will also be able to truly harness artificial intelligence – without the unsustainably huge energy price (environmentally speaking) that we currently pay for it. In quantum communications, it will enable long-distance links, essential for a global quantum network that is fundamentally secure. Our quantum physics research, which stands to offer manifest benefits for humanity, is generously funded to the tune of R2.5-million by the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust through its annual Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award, for which I am the 2024 co-recipient. SA a potential global leader I envisage South Africa, which has no Silicon Valley of its own, becoming a leader in quantum software – much like apps on cellphones, but harnessing quantum technology. I see us creating a quantum-literate workforce that will realise our country's immense human potential and create human and economic opportunities that we cannot yet imagine. Allow me to explain. The big picture to consider is quantum as a new paradigm for future technologies. In the past decade or two, humanity has begun to harness the spooky property of quantum theory that had hitherto remained elusive: entanglement – a form of connecting particles no matter how far apart they are, enabling faster computing, more secure communications and measuring with higher precision. This is an extremely valuable resource, and I (and others around the world) believe that this promises an entirely new economy for our planet, one based on quantum technologies. South Africa has a national quantum strategy – into which significant resources are being poured – to not only move us into the quantum economy we believe is coming, but also position our country as a major global player. It's a very exciting time to be involved in this field; indeed, 2025 is Unesco's International Year of Quantum Science and Technology to celebrate the progress made so far, but also to highlight how quantum can be used to address grand societal challenges. Entanglement At the heart of this promise is an aspect of quantum called entanglement that physicist Albert Einstein himself deplored; in fact, he called it 'spooky'. Entanglement is the unusual, but proven idea that two particles can be connected and if you do something to one of them, this will be replicated in the other, regardless of the distance between them (in theory, they can be infinitely far apart). Entanglement holds enormous potential for the nascent field of quantum computing. Unlike in classical computing in which particles have only the binary, one-bit value of 1 or 0, in quantum computing, entanglement will allow particles to be 1 and 0 at the same time. This means that you can do multiple things with one bit (in quantum computing, called a qubit). Imagine going through a maze using classical computing: every time you arrive at a junction, you have to turn left or right, 1 or 0, and then choose again at the next junction and so on. With quantum computing, you can turn left and right, 1 and 0, and map out the maze's pathways many times faster. Entanglement is also fantastic for communications. Modern cryptography works on the principle of mathematical complexity – that a code is sufficiently complex that it cannot quickly be cracked – but it doesn't guarantee security. The Enigma machine of World War 2 proved that if your adversary has a machine you're unaware of, they can break your code. Quantum computers will be able to decipher mathematical codes with ease. However, entanglement offers an exciting solution, too: if I send you a particle and retain its entangled partner particle, and I change something about my particle, it will similarly change your particle. But if someone tries to intercept that message, according to the laws of physics, it will be destroyed; this will enable all communications to be fundamentally secure. Decay But, of course, all of this is easier said than done. This is because entanglement is very fragile and it begins to decay because of 'noise' – essentially, various kinds of disturbance – for example, temperature or atmospheric disturbances. To date, our efforts have been expended on trying to preserve entanglement from decay, and we have had very limited success in this regard. Think about Scotty in Star Trek, trying desperately to lock on to Captain Kirk and beam him safely back to the Enterprise; sometimes his transporter's capabilities have been tested by energy fluctuations, gravitational anomalies and other kinds of external forces. But this is where the Star Trek analogy ends. We need an alternative strategy, one that abandons the notion of preserving entanglement and asks: can we exchange information even though the link is decaying? Let's rather think of entanglement like a cellphone battery. Even though the battery is losing charge, the phone's apps will continue to work fully while there is power; the apps' functionality won't deteriorate along with the loss of charge. We have an idea on how to make this metaphor a reality: quantum topology. Essentially, topology allows us to ignore how something looks and instead focus on a feature of that 'something' that does not change. A famous example of topology is that of a coffee mug and a doughnut, which both feature one hole. Physically, they are very different, but topologically, they are the same. With the traditional alphabet (albeit including numbers), I would send you a 1 for the mug or a 0 for the doughnut, and you would receive the communication accordingly. Topologically, however, it doesn't matter how noisy the channel is, and if what I sent you has been deformed in any way, you would just count the number of holes in the information you receive: 0 for no holes, 1 for one hole, 2 for two holes, and so on. This represents a topological alphabet formed out of the topology of things rather than how they look. It has two fantastic features: it is an infinitely large alphabet, not just 0 and 1, and most importantly, it is intrinsically invariant to noise: it doesn't care how much the communication is distorted. In the quantum world, this would mean that the communication would be preserved, even though the entanglement is weakening. In our seminal academic paper in 2024, we showed that entanglement is inherently topological. What my team and I must now do is create a topological toolkit, with tools showing that topology can be used to communicate, regardless of entanglement decaying. What Einstein really disliked about entanglement is that, without measurement, objects are not real. The Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award will allow us to dispel his doubt and unlock myriad possibilities that will largely only be revealed as we go. Spooky, indeed. DM Professor Andrew Forbes is a Distinguished Professor in the Structured Light Laboratory at the University of the Witwatersrand's School of Physics, and a co-recipient of the 2024 Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award, presented on 15 July 2025. Established in 1958 by Harry Oppenheimer as an endowment trust to honour the memory of his father, Sir Ernest Oppenheimer, the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust (OMT) has recently undergone a strategic shift to better serve the sectors it supports, namely education, social justice and arts and culture.
Business Upturn
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Business Upturn
5 things to remember before watching Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3
By Aman Shukla Published on July 15, 2025, 18:30 IST Last updated July 15, 2025, 11:52 IST Get ready to beam aboard the USS Enterprise as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns for its highly anticipated third season on July 17, 2025! After a two-year wait, Captain Christopher Pike and his crew are back to explore the galaxy, tackle new challenges, and deliver the episodic adventures fans love. To help you dive into Season 3, here's a refresher on five key moments and details from Season 2 to keep in mind before the premiere. Whether you're a longtime Trekkie or new to the series, these points will get you ready for the next chapter of this stellar show! 1. The Gorn Cliffhanger: A Dire Situation Season 2 ended on a nail-biting cliffhanger with the Gorn, a reptilian species, attacking the independent colony of Parnassus Beta. The Gorn destroyed the USS Caguya, leaving its surviving crew and civilians vulnerable on the planet's surface. The Enterprise launched a desperate rescue mission, but things didn't go smoothly. Spock and Nurse Chapel encountered an adult Gorn aboard the Caguya's wreckage, and their interaction hinted at a more nuanced portrayal of the species, moving beyond their usual depiction as aggressive predators. Season 3's premiere, titled 'Hegemony, Part II,' picks up right where this tense standoff left off, promising answers to the crew's fate. 2. Una Chin-Riley's Illyrian Secret Number One, Una Chin-Riley, faced a major personal crisis in Season 2 when her Illyrian heritage was exposed. As a genetically modified human, her existence violates Starfleet's ban on genetic engineering, leading to her arrest in the season finale. This revelation sets up a significant arc for Una in Season 3, as Captain Pike and the crew may work to resolve her situation. Her struggle highlights themes of identity and acceptance, which are likely to carry forward into the new season. 3. Nurse Chapel's Departure and Roger Korby Nurse Christine Chapel, played by Jess Bush, left the Enterprise in Season 2 to pursue a research fellowship with Dr. Roger Korby, a scientist who will be portrayed by Cillian O'Sullivan in Season 3. This move followed her emotional encounter with the Gorn and her complex relationship with Spock. Trailers suggest Chapel's engagement to Korby will be a focus, with episode titles like 'Wedding Bell Blues' hinting at romantic developments. Fans of The Original Series may recognize Korby from the episode 'What Are Little Girls Made Of?'—expect Season 3 to explore this connection further. 4. Spock's Emotional Journey Spock, portrayed by Ethan Peck, continues to grapple with his half-human, half-Vulcan nature. Season 2 delved into his personal growth, including his relationship with T'Pring and his struggle to balance logic with emotion. The finale showed him displaying sympathy toward a wounded Gorn, a small but significant step in his evolution toward the iconic Spock of The Original Series . Season 3 promises more Spock-centric stories, with episodes like 'The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail' and 'Four-And-A-Half Vulcans' teasing Vulcan-themed adventures, including a comedic take where crew members transform into Vulcans. 5. Kirk's Growing Presence Lieutenant James T. Kirk, played by Paul Wesley, appeared in Season 2 and is set to return in Season 3, slowly building connections with the Enterprise crew he'll one day lead. Trailers show him in episodes like 'A Space Adventure Hour,' which has a retro '60s sci-fi vibe, and sharing a drink with Scotty in the Enterprise lounge. With the show confirmed to end after a shortened fifth season, Season 3 may start laying the groundwork for Kirk's eventual captaincy and Pike's tragic fate, as foreshadowed in Star Trek: Discovery . Ahmedabad Plane Crash Aman Shukla is a post-graduate in mass communication . A media enthusiast who has a strong hold on communication ,content writing and copy writing. Aman is currently working as journalist at
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
I came face-to-face with Bullseye Killer John Cooper hours after he brutally murdered couple… my blood ran cold
A villager told The Sun of her encounter with the Bullseye Killer the day after he'd brutally murdered a married couple QUIZ SHOW KILLER I came face-to-face with Bullseye Killer John Cooper hours after he brutally murdered couple… my blood ran cold CHILDREN chortle as they splash around in the cool, blue waters on the Pembrokeshire coastline - blissfully unaware of the horrors that took place on the cliff path above. It is 36 years since John Cooper murdered holidaymakers Peter and Gwenda Dixon as they walked along a coastal footpath that runs through Little Haven. Advertisement 14 Little Haven in Pembrokeshire, West Wales, where evil John Cooper murdered husband and wife Peter and Gwenda Dixon Credit: WNS 14 Peter and Gwenda, from Oxfordshire, were murdered while walking the coastal path near Little Haven in 1989 Credit: Enterprise 14 Notorious serial killer John Cooper was finally jailed in 2011 Credit: WNS The 1989 incident became known as the Pembrokeshire Murders or the Coastal Murders, and Cooper himself the Bullseye Killer because he'd appeared on the TV show weeks before. Four years earlier, at a farmhouse just six miles away in Milford Haven, he had also murdered siblings Richard and Helen Thomas. Advertisement He infamously evaded justice for around two decades but was finally convicted of all four murders thanks to advancements in forensic techniques - and given a whole life order in 2011. Cooper was arrested in 2009, just weeks after being released early from prison for other crimes. He had previously been jailed for 16 years in 1998 for the rape of a 16-year-old girl and sexual assault of another girl, aged 14, in 1996, as well as a spate of robberies and burglaries, before being released in January 2009. That April, however, cops would begin carrying out a cold case review of his murders, and the following month he was finally detained on his way to the shops. 'How wrong can you be sometimes?' At Little Haven pub, The Castle, a bar worker told The Sun how she came face to face with the evil killer the day after he murdered the Dixons in 1989. Advertisement The woman, who did not wish to be named, said: 'I was walking through a village near here, Martletwy, a couple of days after the murders and he came cycling slowly towards me on his bike. 'I remember looking at him and thinking this was a man out enjoying a bike ride and he looks like he doesn't have a care in the world. How wrong can you be sometimes? 'I knew him vaguely, and by name, because we lived in the same area and I sometimes saw him out and about, but never really talked to him.' Mum-of-two 'raped & murdered by coercive ex-fiance' at hotel after agreeing to celebrate his 60th birthday She also saw Cooper years later at his brother Edgy's pub, The Avondale in nearby Hakin, after he had been released from jail in 2009. She said: 'I was with my husband and it was the first time I'd been inside this particular pub. Advertisement 'We walked in and Cooper was sitting on a barstool at the bar with a pint in his hand. I saw him immediately and my blood just ran cold. The sad thing is that his brother and the rest of his family still believe Cooper is completely innocent and did not carry out the killings. His family are in denial Staff member at The Castle pub "He had that effect on me. It was just something evil about him and all I wanted to do was leave. I think we stayed for one quick drink and then I couldn't get out of the door fast enough. 'The sad thing is that his brother and the rest of his family still believe Cooper is completely innocent and did not carry out the killings. His family are in denial.' 'Winnings went to his head' The killer, now 80, was born on September 3 1944 and - aside from the four murders, rape and sexual assault, he was also convicted of 30 burglaries, as well as a string of other crimes in his life. Between the ages of 17 and 21, Cooper was charged with theft of a vehicle, assaulting a police officer, being drunk and disorderly, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Advertisement In 1978, aged 34 and while working as a farm labourer, he scooped £90,000 and a £4,000 car in a newspaper competition. A pal previously described how the windfall saw Cooper develop a drink problem and gambling habit, as the "winnings went to his head". Where is 'Bullseye Killer' John Cooper now? WELSH serial killer John William Cooper was given four life sentences for a series of grisly murders in Pembrokeshire in the 1980s. Cooper, a diagnosed psychopath, was eventually convicted in 2011 for the double murders of Richard and Helen Thomas, and Peter and Gwenda Dixon, following a cold-case review that started in 2005. Who is John Cooper and where is he now? John Cooper, 76, is a serial killer with a long history of crimes which include 30 robberies and violent assault. He was sentenced to 14 years in 1998 for burglary and robbery but was released in 2009. Through a cold case review, he was arrested and convicted of two double murders dating back to the 1980s. Cooper, who unsuccessfully tried to appeal his convictions in September 2011, is still behind bars in an undisclosed prison. When did Cooper murder four people in Pembrokeshire? Cooper was referred to as the Bullseye Killer because he appeared on the popular game show four years after killing two siblings in Scoveston Park. He murdered brother and sister Richard and Helen Thomas then burned down their house on December 22, 1985. On 28 May 1989, Cooper participated in a recording of the ITV game show Bullseye. Just one month later, he robbed Peter Dixon of £300 and shot him and his wife Gwenda in the face at point blank range. The murders became known as the Pembrokeshire murders. How long was the investigation into the deaths? Cooper infamously evaded justice for around two decades but was finally convicted using the most advanced forensic techniques of the time. On May 26, 2011, Cooper was given a whole life order for the 1985 double murder of siblings Richard and Helen Thomas, and the 1989 double murder of Peter and Gwenda Dixon, following an eight-week trial. His first prison sentence allowed cops to collect further evidence against him to convict. The unnamed friend told The Mirror in 2011, following his life sentence: "It was a life-changing amount of money and I saw a real change in him. "He spent most of it in pubs and bookies... People were scared of him and he got into a lot of fights. As his money dried up he started the robberies." They added: 'I dread to think how many people he attacked. I expect the court case was just the tip of the iceberg. The murders do not surprise me. He is evil.' Advertisement All four of his murder victims were blasted to death with a shotgun at point blank range. On December 22 1985, Cooper targeted a three-storey farmhouse at Scoveston Park, near Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, intending to burgle it, but killed millionaire farmer Richard Thomas, 58, and his sister Helen Thomas, 56, and then burned down the home. On June 29 1989, Peter, 51, and Gwenda Dixon, 52, were on holiday in the county and set off for a walk along the coastal path but never returned. Their bodies were later found - the couple had been tied up. Cooper had held them at gunpoint and forced them to disclose their PIN numbers, after snatching their bank cards. He robbed Peter of £300 and shot both him and his wife in the face. Advertisement In March 1996 Cooper attacked five youths, threatening them at gunpoint before sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and raping another, aged 16, in a wooded area behind the Mount Estate in his hometown of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. Cooper was arrested in 1998 after a bungled armed raid and was jailed for 16 years. Detectives suspected him of the four killings at the time but had no evidence. But it was not until 2006, after significant advances in technology and forensics, that Dyfed-Powys Police were able to link microscopic DNA and fibres from the murders to other serious crimes. Those included the rape and robberies that Cooper was already serving time for. DNA evidence revealed a drop of Peter Dixon's blood on a pair of khaki shorts taken from Cooper's home and the police managed to recover the shotgun used in both double murders. Advertisement In 2009, just a few months after Cooper was released from prison, he was re-arrested as he walked to the shops in his home town of Letterston, near Fishguard. Alarm raised and six-day manhunt In Little Haven this week, locals recalled the six-day manhunt for the Dixons after the alarm was raised by their son when they did not return to their Oxfordshire home after their holiday in Wales. Among those searching for the pair, who Cooper had robbed before dumping them in bushes alongside the coast path, was Howard Jones, then a young reporter on his local weekly newspaper, the Western Telegraph, Howard, who joined hundreds of locals, police officers and RNLI lifeboat teams scouring the Pembrokeshire coastline, told of the personal struggle he faced, balancing his professional obligations with his responsibilities to the community where he lived. 'It was a very delicate balance because on the one hand the disappearance of two people was a big story for us, but at the same time it was uppermost in my thoughts that I had to be sensitive to the feelings of local people, who were my friends and neighbours," he told The Sun. Advertisement 'We searched for days, with little sleep, until we found the bodies. My role had been to support the lifeboat crews. 'When we found the bodies, it was a horrible moment. Everyone here was absolutely devastated. "None of us could understand how such a beautiful, peaceful part of the world could be a place where a double murder could take place. A second double murder, in fact. 'Little Haven was absolutely swarming with police." Howard, who later abandoned journalism for a career in corporate communications, both in Hong Kong and Dubai before returning to Little Haven several years ago to live and work as a taxi driver, is one of the few residents from that time still living in the coastal village. Advertisement He said: 'I try not to think about those murders now, but sometimes the memories come flooding back and it is still distressing after all these years. 'On a sunny day like this, seeing everybody on the beach and in the sea enjoying themselves, it seems unthinkable that anything so awful could ever have happened here. 'I think most of these holidaymakers here today are oblivious to what happened here, and nearby in Milford Haven, and to be honest I'd be very happy for them to remain oblivious. Let them enjoy their time here." 14 Cooper was seen at The St Brides Inn pub Credit: WNS 14 Howard Jones, a former journalist who covered the murders and still lives in the village Credit: WNS Advertisement 14 Farmer Richard Thomas and his sister Helen Thomas who were bound, gagged and shot dead at their country manor house in 1985 Credit: Enterprise During the lengthy police investigation into the Pembrokeshire murders, Howard's loyalty to his community, desperate to have the killer caught, was tested when he overheard police officers reveal they believed the culprit had been using a credit card stolen from the dead couple at cashpoint machines in the area. Cops, who by now had artist impressions of the murderer, were lying in wait at numerous cashpoint locations and wanted to keep this information secret. He said: 'They asked me to keep it under my hat so I didn't scupper a potentially significant line of enquiry and I reluctantly agreed to keep quiet about it, not least because I felt I owed it to my local community. "I didn't want to write anything that might prevent the police from finding the killer." Advertisement 14 Cooper was given a whole life order in 2011 for the two double killings Credit: Wales News Service 14 A sawn off shotgun used by the killer Credit: Dragon News 14 Local landlord Andy Grey Credit: WNS Reflecting on the impact Cooper had on the community in Pembrokeshire, Howard, now 63, said: 'I think the fact that his poor, long-suffering wife, Patricia, died of a heart attack in the bath the night Cooper was released from jail in 2008 for a string of other hideous crimes says everything about what kind of man he is. "The stress of him returning to live with her literally killed her.' Advertisement Detective Chief Superintendant Steve Wilkins - played by Hollywood actor Luke Evans in miniseries The Pembrokeshire Murders in 2021 - previously spoke to WalesOnline about what happened to Patricia. He said: "She'd had 10 years away from this man who was an absolute beast and suddenly he was back in the house. She had massive heart conditions but I think the poor lady just gave up.' He said there was "nothing" linking her death to her husband, but recalled getting a call at 3am from the control room telling him Cooper had just phoned up to say his wife was dead. Det Ch Supt Wilkins added: "You can imagine what went through my mind. But she had three different heart conditions that would've killed her. There was nothing suspicious in it." She'd had 10 years away from this man who was an absolute beast and suddenly he was back in the house. She had massive heart conditions but I think the poor lady just gave up. Detective Chief Superintendant Steve Wilkins Most of the holidaymakers we spoke to in Little Haven were aware of the Pembrokeshire murders, but many did not know that two of the killings took place in the village. Advertisement One, Jan, now 82, and a retired personal assistant to a former boss of Welsh rugby at the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), said: 'I'm here for two weeks holiday and I went online to read all about the Pembrokeshire murders last night because I met someone earlier in the day who told me that these awful killings happened here. 'I was aware of the Pembrokeshire murders back in the day because I've always kept up with the news, but it hasn't registered two of them happened in Little Haven and the others very nearby. 'It must have been devastating for the village at the time. It seems so completely incongruous that something so awful happened in a place like this, with all its natural beauty and peace and charm." 14 An elderly couple walk on the coastal path very close to where the Dixons were murdered Credit: WNS 14 Jan was visiting the village during our trip Credit: WNS Advertisement 14 A police photofit sketch of John Cooper released by police after the Dixon murders Credit: Rex Cooper was only arrested after Senior Investigating Officer Steve Wilkins was put in charge of a cold case review of the Pembrokeshire murders in 2005. Advances in DNA and forensic evidence meant that when police finally questioned Cooper, they were able to link a gun used in a robbery he had been convicted of to the murder weapon used to kill the Dixons. Just weeks earlier, Cooper had mentioned his love of the Pembrokeshire coast during his appearance on Bullseye. After an eight-week murder trial at Swansea Crown Court, Mr Justice John Griffith Williams said Cooper was 'a very dangerous man, highly predatory who, but for advances in forensic science, may well have continued to evade capture.' Advertisement The whole life order means he will never be released from prison. In September 2011, he launched an appeal against his convictions. His appeal was rejected in November 2012. 14 Cooper appearing on the TV game show Bullseye, hosted by Jim Bowen, just a month before he murdered the Dixons Credit: Enterprise
Gizmodo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
Everything to Remember Before ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Returns for Season 3
It's been a long wait for the return of Strange New Worlds: almost two whole years since the cliffhanger of season two's ending. It all resumes in next week's season three premiere, picking up where we left off with the Enterprise crew. And while it was quite a place to leave them, we'll forgive you if you're hazy on the details. Here are a few things to remember from the finale, and things to know about the next season, as we get ready to return to the world of Star Trek. Season two of Strange New Worlds ended in a dire situation. With the independent colony Parnassus Beta invaded by the Gorn—destroying the Federation starship USS Caguya and leaving its remaining crew, and the civilian population, to be preyed upon by the Gorn on the surface—the Enterprise found itself attempting to mount a rescue mission against all odds. It was a rescue mission that didn't go entirely well. Although the Enterprise managed to successfully get a rescue team down to the surface to locate survivors—and destroy a Gorn jammer blocking transporter signals on the planet—just three crewmembers made it back to Enterprise, leaving several of its own crew (including La'an, Sam Kirk, and Dr. M'Benga), and the survivors of the colony and the Caguya to be beamed aboard the Gorn flagship now orbiting the planet. If that wasn't bad enough, while being pummeled by the newly arrived Gorn fleet, Starfleet gave Enterprise the order to retreat rather than attempt to rescue their captured allies, leaving them to a grim fate. And if that wasn't enough, one of the trio to make it back to the Enterprise, alongside Pike and a familiar young face (more on that in a bit), Marie Batel—Pike's romantic partner and the captain of the Caguya—was discovered to have been infected with Gorn eggs. Which is not only a seemingly fatal condition, it could mean that the Enterprise now has a potential Gorn infestation aboard. We do at least know a little about how some of this is going to play out. Back at New York Comic Con last year, Paramount released a clip that showed the battered Enterprise having its cake and eating it with Starfleet's retreat order. Unable to go toe-to-toe with the Gorn ships, the clip sees the Enterprise tag the Gorn flagship containing their captured crewmates with a dummy torpedo, letting them warp away to recuperate before, presumably, tracking them down at a later time. One other important thing to remember about season two's finale aside from all this is that it also marked the first time that Strange New World had attempted to show the Gorn as anything other than primitive, aggressive monsters. During an encounter aboard the remains of the Caguya, Spock and Nurse Chapel came across an adult Gorn, ultimately killing it—but both feel a pang of sympathy watching the alien being succumb to its wounds. It's a tiny step, but an important one to bring more nuance to Strange New Worlds' visions of the species… and bring us slowly towards the still-hostile, but distanced, relationship between the Federation and the Gorn by the time of the original Star Trek. Before we get to that aforementioned familiar face, let's address the big Chapelephant in the room. Christine departed the Enterprise between the events of the finale and its predecessor episode, the musical 'Subspace Rhapsody' after being accepted into a research fellowship with the scientist Roger Korby. This not only pulled Chapel away from Enterprise, it also brought an end to her brief romantic relationship with Spock, which had only just begun to flourish in the wake of the collapse of his betrothal to T'Pring. Or at least, seemingly. Although Christine happened to be reunited with Spock and the Enterprise under unfortunate circumstances—she was aboard the Caguya being transported to her fellowship while it stopped at Parnassus Beta—and will stick around for a bit, we know that she both has to go and complete her fellowship with Korby at some point this season (Cillian O'Sullivan has been cast as the character in a recurring role) and that, eventually, she will fall in love with him and become engaged to be married. Trek nerds up on their lore know that Chapel's return to the Enterprise comes at least a few years after this time period, when she rejoins Starfleet after her fiancé's disappearance, but in the meantime, maybe the sparks between Chapel and Spock aren't fully extinguished. Our first trailer for season three did include an intriguing shot of Spock and Christine sharing a bed together, after all. Back to the Gorn situation. The other successful escapee of the incident on Parnassus Beta alongside Pike and Batel was none other than a young Lieutenant Montgomery Scott (played by Martin Quinn), who had successfully hidden himself on the planet after his own research vessel had been attacked by the Gorn. Now aboard the Enterprise, in season three it looks like Scotty is going to be formally integrated into the Engineering team, setting up his eventual rise through the ranks to become the ship's Chief Engineer. He's not there yet, though, as we know that Carol Kane's Commander Pelia is remaining in charge of the department for at least some of this season. Paul Wesley's young Kirk will return seemingly at least a few times this season, finding more ways to conveniently be aboard the ship he's destined to take over in a few years's time. When we last saw him in the musical episode, he had been brought aboard Enterprise to begin a command training program, preparing the current lieutenant for his future ascent to captaincy. That's a theme that will return this season, if the latest trailer for the show is anything to go by, hinting that there will actually be an emergency at some point this season that will see Kirk, at least temporarily, command the Enterprise. Just why Kirk is going to keep crossing paths with the crew he'll eventually lead remains to be seen, but we know from trailers he's in at least a few episodes: one that puts the crew in its own retro riff on a '60s esque sci-fi show in the vein of the original Trek, and another where there's a retro vibe of a different sort with a murder-mystery twist. But we also know from those same trailers that Kirk will get a drink in the Enterprise lounge with Scotty, so he's slowly but surely meeting a good bunch of his future crew. Although it's hard to say just how much this will impact the narrative of this upcoming season—production on season four has been underway for a while now after it was confirmed in April last year—we're heading into season three knowing that Strange New Worlds now has an end point. It was announced just last month that the show will conclude with a truncated fifth season, meaning a lot of the things we've touched upon here in regard to the Enterprise's future timeline, from the arrival of familiar crew to things like Pike's eventual fate, are now probably going to be set up even more so over the course of this and the remaining two seasons beyond it. Just as we're ready to contemplate one five-year mission coming to an end, the most famous one of all has to begin at some point! Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returns to Paramount+ next week, on July 17. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
AI-Driven Incident Management Needs Human Empathy
Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming woven into the fabric of our lives. In fact, according to a recent Prosper Insights & Analytics survey, across all generations, 27% of respondents indicated that they were already using AI. Further in a business context, research from Deloitte Consulting LLP's 2024 'The State of Gen AI in the Enterprise report: Now decides next' indicates that 78% of organizations surveyed expect to increase AI spending in the next fiscal year. Prosper - Heard of Generative AI For many enterprises, one critical use of AI will be to augment incident response management. Managing the response to critical IT incidents is about detection, speed, and accuracy. It's also about context, communication, and strategy. AI-driven tools can help with the first part. However, it takes keeping humans—and their empathy—in the loop and in the lead to handle the second part and effectively manage the incident response process. AI can accelerate and improve incident detection, but context matters AI-driven tools are revolutionizing the process of incident detection with their ability to rapidly discover system anomalies and other technical issues faster than humans can—in real time in most cases. They can holistically assess system behavior—at scale—and they can also prioritize incidents by criticality. They can even recommend automated remediation steps. Human teams can't perform at this level. However, as good as AI is at spotting incidents, it can't put those incidents in a business context; it can't tell you why they matter. 'For example, AI can flag an API latency spike in real time,' says Faruk Muratovic, principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP and US AI & Engineering Strategy & Services Leader. 'But it can't understand the context of that spike. It can't tell that the unusual spike is happening during a critical, time-sensitive interaction with your highest-value client.' In moments like these, human judgment is crucial. AI might understand the technical issue, but only humans can understand the wider context of the issue—whether that issue has regulatory implications, involves a high-value client, or is interrupting a mission-critical workflow. Without humans in the loop, to apply a value judgment to issues, organizations can fall into the trap of underreacting to major incidents or overreacting to minor ones. The upshot? Contextual appreciation isn't an AI feature. It's a core human domain. Automation should be coupled with human communication In addition to contextual awareness, humans play a critical role in communication 'awareness.' In other words, humans don't do the work of automation, but they control how the messaging around how that work is delivered and perceived. For example, in critical incident management, AI tools can perform an array of tasks, such as traffic control, services management, patch management, or systems isolation that help response teams resolve the incident. Yet even though a solution might technically be correct, things can go sideways quickly if the communication about the incident, and its solution, is delivered without context or nuanced awareness of the audience. 'With incident management, it's not simply about finding and resolving an issue—it's about what and how you communicate about the issue,' Muratovic stresses. 'Stakeholders from clients, to the C-suite, to regulators need clear, honest assurance that humans are aware and in control of the situation.' Only humans can put the incident in perspective to anticipate what's next based on the business context, regulatory environment, and reputational considerations. Only they can ensure that the message is unified across the organization so that everyone is speaking with the same voice. Incident management strategy is a human endeavor With AI, incident triage is undoubtedly faster, so response teams save valuable time in formulating and implementing a solution strategy. But that strategy should be human led. In complex or regulated environments, speed matters, but so does cross-functional orchestration that accounts for the nuances of the situation. According to Deloitte's Muratovic, humans take incident response from a tactical firefighting exercise to strategic resolution. 'AI might tell you where the fire is,' says Muratovic, 'but it takes a human in the loop and in the room to understand and make the call on whether you need a fire extinguisher or an evacuation plan.' For example, the incident might be a disclosure issue for a compliance officer, whereas a product manager may recognize that the incident could affect an ongoing, sensitive client negotiation. Obviously, DevOps, Security, PR and other functions might be involved, depending on the incident. The point is that only humans can orchestrate and contextualize the response and align it with business strategy and continuity goals. Humans will lead the future of incident response As AI's capabilities mushroom, organizations will be tempted to view it as an incident-response panacea. The reality is, however, that for all AI's power, it lacks human contextual awareness, empathy, and strategic intuition. AI might excel at handling intricate tasks like pattern recognition, automated alerting, and even executing more complex, predefined processes. But the critical, intuitive concepts like what matters, why it matters, how to prioritize, when to escalate, and how to position for recovery will remain in human hands—perhaps indefinitely. 'The goal shouldn't be to replace humans with AI,' Muratovic clarifies. 'It should be about giving them tools to augment their work and keeping them where they add irreplaceable value: decision-making, communication, and strategic leadership in the crucible that is incident management.' That augmentation is a powerful partnership. With AI detecting, exposing, and routing incidents, humans can focus on developing, prioritizing, orchestrating, and communicating the response. The takeaway, and the future Successful incident response management requires more than technical help; it's a partnership that pairs human intuition, insight, empathy, and communication with AI's power to automate the process. As AI capabilities and tools continue to improve, the human effort required for context interpretation, oversight and intervention will likely decrease. That doesn't mean that humans won't be in the loop, just that the AI/human partnership will continue to improve incident management in ways that neither could accomplish alone.
