Culture
Humanoid robots, eminent characters in science fiction novels and sci-fi films, are becoming a reality. Sophia, as an example, was first activated on Valentine's Day in 2016. [I] One month later, she had her premiere in Texas, USA and has made multiple public appearances around the world since then. [II] At one such event, Sophia was granted Saudi Arabian citizenship in October 2017 and even became the first Innovation Champion of the United Nations Development Programme later that year. During Sophia's trip to Viet Nam in 2018, she addressed the Industry 4.0 Summit and Expo. [III]
[IV] Sophia the Robot is the latest humanlike robot created by a Hong Kong-based company whose combined efforts in Al research, engineering and design have given birth to robots. Undoubtedly, Sophia together with other Hanson robots represents the rapid advancement in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence. She has been designed to assist humans in healthcare, customer support and education.
Sophia's physical appearance is inspired by both the famous actress Audrey Hepburn and the creator's wife. She has cameras for eyes and microphones for ears, allowing her to see and hear like a human. But what makes her more lifelike than other robots is the patented artificial skin called Frubber, which has the feel and flexibility of human skin.
Sophia amazes the world with her ability to communicate naturally. The Sophia Intelligence Collective, which is a combination of AI and human input, and other sophisticated perception techniques enable Sophia to recognise human faces and identify human emotions and gestures. Equipped with machine learning algorithms, Sophia can understand human speech and interact with people. Questions and jokes are pieces of cake to her whereas sarcasm is intelligible. What distinguishes Sophia from other humanlike robots is her social behaviour, i.e. her facial emotions, hand movements and conversation skills, and most importantly, her learning capability. Sophia is programmed to learn from experiences and adapt to new situations.

Do you feel like your teenager is spending most of the day glued to a phone screen? You’re not too far off. A new survey from the Pew Research Center reveals the surprising ways that technology intersects with teen friendships — and the results show that 57 percent of teens have made at least one new friend online. Even more surprisingly, only 20 percent of those digital friends ever meet in person.
[I] While teens do connect with their friends face-to-face outside of school, they spend 55 percent of their day texting with friends, and only 25 percent of teens are spending actual time with their friends on a daily basis (outside of school hallways). [II] These new forms of communication are key in maintaining friendships day-to-day — 27 percent of teens instant message their friends every day, 23 percent connect through social media every day, and 7 percent even video chat daily. [III] Text messaging remains the main form of communication — almost half of survey respondents say it’s their chosen method of communication with their closest friend. [IV]
While girls are more likely to text with their close friends, boys are meeting new friends (and maintaining friendships) in the gaming world-89 percent play with friends they know, and 54 percent play with online-only friends. Whether they’re close with their teammates or not, online gamers say that playing makes them feel “more connected” to friends they know, or gamers they’ve never met.
When making new friends, social media has also become a major part of the teenage identity- 62 percent of teens are quick to share their social media usernames when connecting with a new friend (although 80 percent still consider their phone number the best method of contact). Despite the negative consequences-21 percent of teenage users feel worse about their lives because of posts they see on social media — teens also have found support and connection through various platforms. In fact, 68 percent of teens received support during a challenging time in their lives via social media platforms.
Just as technology has become a gateway for new friendships, or a channel to stay connected with current friends, it can also make a friendship breakup more public. The study reveals that girls are more likely to block or unfriend former allies, and 68 percent of all teenage users report experiencing “drama among their friends on social media.”
(Source: https://www.realsimple.com)

Employees in many countries change jobs more often than previous generations of workers. They don’t expect to find a job with a company that will take care of them for the rest of their lives. But what is the cause of this trend? Is it a new economy, new ways of doing business, or the employees themselves?
[I] A more globalized economy has had effect on employment. [II] A large number of companies are now international, and one of them may decide that moving in offices from Germany to Poland, for example, is in its best interest. [III] That means employees who live and work in Germany may be asked to relocate their families to a new country or be told that their jobs are simply eliminated. [IV]
Companies have also responded to economic pressures by restructuring for greater efficiency. This short of change within a company usually means that unnecessary jobs are cut, or that fewer employees must do more work. In either case, some employees find themselves looking for new jobs.
New technology has also had an impact on workplaces. The increasing use of personal computers has meant fewer jobs for office secretaries, as their former bosses do their own word processing and letter writing, and for travel agents as, more travelers make their own reservations online. Automation, including the use of robotic devices, has replaced workers in clothing factories, post offices, and telephone companies, to name just a few.
Besides these economic and technological reasons, today’s employees are also responsible for more frequent job changes. Workers in the past were less likely to leave a company because they were dissatisfied with working conditions or because they didn’t get along well with their fellow employees. People today expect to enjoy their work and to get a high degree of personal satisfaction from what they do for a living.
Employees may also leave a job because they have learned all they can learn from their current job. Getting a new job means gaining new skills and making new contacts, and these skills and relationships could bring them a step closer to their “dream job,” the one that is challenging emotionally and financially rewarding, and preferably closer to home or their children’s school.
Finally, companies start up and close down more quickly than they once did. Employees who suspect that their employer is not doing well may decide to start looking for a new position before the company closes its doors.