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‘Cosmos’ Host Neil deGrasse Tyson to Bring Educational Entertainment to Atlanta’s Fox Theatre

Neil deGrasse Tyson, the host of Fox’s Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, will be coming to the Fox Theatre in Atlanta in March.

The evening is promised to be family-friendly, entertaining and also educational.

As viewers of Cosmos witnessed, Tyson has an undeniable talent to discussions science and the mysteries of the universe in a way that truly leaves audience members mesmerized.

Now, he’ll be bringing that talent to the Fox Theatre for a multi-media presentation about modern science.

With the famous astrophysicist clearly having a vast amount of knowledge, there is no telling what aspects of modern science the presentation will actually focus on the most.

In addition to hosting his own presentation, he is also expected to open up the floor to take questions from the audience with a particular focus on the children.

While many people were first introduced to Tyson through his captivating science special, it certainly isn’t the most impressive item on the New York native’s resume.

He is the host of StarTalk Radio and was deemed The New York Times best-selling author 10 times with 10 different books.

In 2001 and 2004, former President George W. Bush appointed Tyson to serve on commissions studying the future of the U.S. aerospace industry and the implementation of the U.S. space exploration policy.

Tyson also holds far more doctorates than the average person.

Throughout his career he has been awarded 18 honorary doctorates.

He has also been awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, which is the highest NASA can give to any nongovernmental citizen.

 

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World’s Fastest Laser Could Change the Internet Forever

Researchers in Germany may have revolutionized the Web forever by creating what is possibly the world’s fastest laser.

The laser is able to turn on and off at record-breaking speeds, which would be used to speed up how quickly data can be sent through the Internet.

“If one can now switch the laser on and off very fast, then more information is transported for a given time frame,” said Carsten Ronning, a scientist at Germany’s Friedrich Schiller University Jena, according to Mashable.

A group of scientists from the university are responsible for the record-breaking laser as well as scientists from Imperial College London.

Two main factors set the laser apart from past lasers – material and size.

Most lasers place the zinc oxide nanowire material on glass. This new laser, on the other hand, places it on silver, the Imperial College London explained in a recent press release.

The next big factor is size.

Scientists were able to shrink down the diameter of the laser, allowing it to function faster than any other laser created before it.

According to the press release, the laser is a thousandth the size of a human hair.

This means researchers were able to pack even more light into a smaller space.

So just how much faster is this laser?

The thin laser produces as many as 1 trillion pulses per second, the press release claims.

If that’s true, the researchers’ new laser is indeed the fastest laser ever created.

While other uses for the laser have not been thoroughly explored, researchers are absolutely positive that the laser could be used to increase Internet speeds.

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Apple and Google Face Off in a Battle of the Smart Watches

Apple and Google are at the forefront of discussions about technology’s latest craze – smart watches.

While both competitors prepared to duke it out to produce the preferred go-to smart watch, it seems many tech experts are having a hard time finding substantial differences between the two products.

In other words, Google may have closed the technology gap that used to exist between Android-operated and iOS-operated devices.

Quite frankly, the gap may have already been closed for quite some time.

Digital Trends took a close look at Android Wear and Apple’s soon-to-be released Apple Watch, but their stats reveal that the competitors may have more in common than they would like to admit.

Both watches will come packed full of useful features.

Android Wear will provide users with useful voice commands powered by Google Now while the Apple Watch will provide voice commands through Siri.

Both products will feature multiscreen functionality and fitness and health monitoring, according to Digital Trends.

Android Wear devices boast Google Fit while the Apple Watch will likely utilize the Healthbook app for its product.

One thing Android Wear has already provided that may not be available on the Apple Watch is location specific information.

According to Digital Trends, “Android Wear takes note of your exact location to give you issue relevant notifications and contextual reminders.”

With Apple’s smart watch not scheduled to be released until early 2015, these specifics have not been released just yet.

Tech experts believe, however, that Apple will likely take notes from Google’s device and include similar features.

While the watches seem relatively similar for the most part, outside of design aspects, the Apple Watch does boast some useful features that Google’s device doesn’t.

The Apple Watch will feature a “Digital Crown” dial that will allow users to interact with the watch without having to block the screen with their finger.

Also, the Apple Watch is promised to feature a heart rate sensor while the Android Wear’s heart rate sensor will depend on the manufacturer.

Both watches will have different versions that will also be waterproof.

As for those design features, the watches look just as you would expect an Apple and Google product to look.

Keeping in line with the sleek designs its brand has become known for, Apple’s smart watch looks like something out of a new science fiction flick.

The white watch features a black screen with sleek rounded corners on the rectangular face.

Designs for Android Wear, on the other hand, will vary based on which device you decide to go with.

Android Wear will give users the option of getting a square face or a round face.

If you’re looking for a larger variety in designs, however, Apple may still have its competitor beat.

While no rumors of a round-faced Apple Watch have surfaced, the tech giant will feature several different designs that are likely to appeal to a fashionable tech-savvy crowd.

One model will boast 18-karat gold while the Apple Watch Sport focuses on functionality and comfort over design aesthetics.

When it comes down to it, both watches seem to promise a good experience for users.

Some Android Wear models are available for as low as $250 while the Apple Watch prices will start at $350.

Either way, it seems like this tech battle will be determined by what phone consumers already have.

Neither of the devices seems to promise enough to have an iPhone user rushing to buy an Android device or vice versa.

 

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Microsoft Gets Behind African Startups as Demo Africa Gains Momentum

Microsoft is keeping a close eye on the innovation and tech-generated startups coming out of Africa lately and the IT giant is hinting at some major opportunities for the company and the emerging entrepreneurs.

Demo Africa aims to connect African startups to the global ecosystem by giving them a substantial platform with financial backing to launch and grow their businesses.

Apparently, Microsoft is on board with the plan and is ready to create serious opportunities for the young software innovators in Africa.

“For African investment it is an event that touches one of the core pillars of our drive around inspiring local economic development in the continent,” said Kabelo Makwane, the managing director of Microsoft SA, according to CNBC Africa.

Demo Africa is an affair that is sweeping the entire continent, but Makwane stressed the importance of seeing so much local participation in Nigeria.

“It is really encouraging because the same could not be said for the past where the momentum was a bit slow,” he said. “We have seen significant growth through public and private sector participation and also international donors and funders that have really risen to the occasion in helping to support these businesses to set up.”

He went on to say that Microsoft is always looking for opportunities in invest in something that will “contribute to real local economic development.”

Needless to say, the startups being launched through Demo Africa are exactly what they’re looking for.

“The first major reason is a very firm statement that Microsoft globally is very serious about Africa and is also very serious about Nigeria in terms of what this country represents in the broader context of the continent,” Makwane added.

Nigeria holds one of the continent’s largest markets, and, to Microsoft, that screams of opportunity.

“There is a nice catchphrase that says ‘Glocal,’ ” Makwane said. “We want to be more Glocal now as opposed to where we were in the past. So this means coming up with solutions and initiatives that are most relevant in a real way that can make a meaningful impact to the Nigerian context.”

 

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Paid Less and Paying More: Black College Graduates Drowning in Student Loan Debt

University researchers revealed that Black college graduates are typically forced to take on much more student loan debt than their white counterparts.

At the end of what seems like an endless journey for a diploma, many Black college graduates are finding that their diploma was much more expensive than they could have even imagined.

Half of all Black graduates said they had to take on at least $25,000 in student loans before they completed their undergraduate degrees between 2000 and 2014.

Less than 35 percent of white graduates had to take on that same amount.

According to Cecilia Rouse, dean of the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, the difference is all about income.

“It’s about the fact that there is a black-white gap in income and wealth, and that’s what underlies this gap in borrowing as well,” Rouse told The Atlantic.

With Black households typically having less income than white households, there is less money to invest in a child’s education.

The Atlantic reports that the average Black household in the U.S. makes less than one-tenth of the accumulated wealth of the average white household and that income gap has only grown over time.

According to researchers at Brandeis University, the wealth gap between Black and white households has tripled over the past 25 years.

With Black graduates drowning in debt after they graduate, it becomes nearly impossible for many of them to fully reap the benefits of the diploma they just borrowed thousands of dollars for.

“If the debt burden is too high, students from low- and moderate-income families will have trouble making the economic gains that we all know a college degree offers,” said Elizabeth Baylor, associate director for postsecondary education at the Center for American Progress.

To make matters worse, those same Black graduates are struggling to find well-paying jobs.

A large number of Black college graduates between the ages of 22 and 27 are being forced to settle for jobs that don’t require college degrees or severely underpay them.

Black graduates are paying more for their diplomas and getting paid less for their work despite earning degrees in their perspective fields.

With that troubling fact in mind, Rouse still hopes to encourage minorities to pursue higher education.

“Education remains a very solid investment for students in terms of increasing their earning capacity and future labor-market outcomes,” she said.

Rouse believes students should become more aware of the different repayment options they have available to them instead of refusing to pay for college at all.

State governments should also find ways to invest in education, according to Baylor.

“Students of color are increasingly a larger part of our higher education system,” Baylor said. “So as state investment in public colleges has retreated in the past decade, it’s important to make sure that those schools remain affordable to students of color who are a big share of public colleges.”

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From Rapper to Superhero: Run-DMC’s Darryl McDaniels Launches Comic Book Line

From Beats to the Rhyme to beating up crime, Run-DMC rapper Darryl McDaniels is gearing up to take down bad guys in his new line of comics.

The new comic will hit stores Oct. 29 and will feature McDaniels himself as a crime-fighting superhero, complete with DMC brass knuckles, his classic Fedora and a pair of Adidas sneakers.

The new comic company, Darryl Makes Comics, hopes to create an entire ’80s universe of superheroes over time.

“It’s not going to be 2,000 issues of my boring ass,” McDaniels joked with the Daily News. “We wanted to build a foundation for a whole universe from [this first book.]”

He also explained that the comic will tackle some serious issues that don’t usually make debuts in the comic world.

“We’ll be introducing other superheroes and supervillains and deal with a lot of issues: racism, homophobia, AIDS – subjects other comics really don’t talk about,” he added.

One panel of the comic that’s already been released revealed that fans can also expect some clever Run-DMC references as well.

The panels show the masked superhero asking what durable material his suit is made out of.

When he asks if it’s leather, another man cleverly responds, “Nah man. Tougher than leather.”

Tougher Than Leather is the name of Run-DMC’s 1988 album.

It’s only natural that McDaniels would incorporate his hip-hop history in the comic considering his love of comics is part of what fueled many of his legendary lyrics.

“I was a shy kid, so when DJ Run (aka Joseph Simmons) was first putting me on these records, I went back to my comic books for confidence,” he told the Daily News. “I would hear a beat and go ‘OK, what would the Hulk do to this?’ It was all imagination to me.”

Another look at some of the hip-hop icon’s verses confirms that superheroes inspired many of his lyrics.

“That’s why, if you hear my delivery, ‘Crash through walls/Come through floors/ Bust through ceilings’ – all the dominant punching lines came from [channeling] the Hulk,” he added.

Now McDaniels can continue smashing through walls, floors and ceilings in the name of justice.

As he prepares to embark on a new business endeavor, McDaniels admitted that it will be challenging to really enter a market that is being dominated by DC and Marvel.

“We’ve been hitting the Comic Cons for a year and a half, and there are times when we’ve been swarmed by fans, and there are other times we’re sitting at a table and there are crickets,” said Darryl Makes Comics editor in chief Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez. “But one of the things we have that other small publications don’t have is that we’re literally walking around the floor with the actual superhero, the actual icon.”

DMC will make its official debut next month during the New York Comic Con.

 

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Nigerian Government Invests N1.5 Billion in African Tech Startups

Nigeria’s minister of communication technology, Omobola Johnson, revealed Thursday that the federal government will be investing N1.5 billion on software development and African startups.

The staggering amount is equivalent to roughly U.S.$9 million and will give Nigerian startups the backing they need to grow their businesses and fuel economic growth in the country.

According to Johnson’s address at the third edition of Demo Africa, the government will be conducting the first case of the Information and Technology Innovation Fund in a few days.

This means the first large investment into the African technology startups could be just a few short weeks away.

Johnson said that in the next few days, 40 startups will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas and solutions in order to secure the funding they need to move forward with their businesses.

“I understand that in the two years of Demo Africa, alumni has generated over $8 million worth of investments, businesses and partnership,” Johnson said according to Sun News Online. “This is how you create jobs, new business opportunities, expand economics, improve social well-being of citizens.”

She also said that it’s key that those types of results “speak directly” to the country’s “ ‘companies and not code’ philosophy in the Ministry of Community Technology.”

Johnson believes that fueling new Internet opportunities can create vast economic expansion and create wealth and jobs for many of the country’s citizens.

“It is good to show prowess in software development, but it is even better to develop business and companies that are powered by that software,” she said. “The recent IPOs of Twitter and Ali Baba are testimonies of what is possible. I can’t imagine that it is too often that you get this level of government participation in Demos around the world…But governments, indeed, African governments, have an important role to play in catalyzing the startup industry as evidenced in the U.S. and, of course, Israel.”

If the startups are successful and other African governments follow in these footsteps, the growth of the entire continent’s gross domestic product could be exponential.

“One report highlights this potential and predicts that the Internet can contribute up to $300 billion to Africa’s GDP by 2025 and this is from an estimated $18 billion in 2013,” Johnson added. “While mobile subscriptions in sub-Sahara Africa are forecasted to exceed 635 million by the end of this year and predicted to rise around 930 million by the end of 2019.”

Johnson said Africa is in the “cusp of a mobile Internet revolution” and that itself has the potential to permanently change the playing field for all African startups.

Predictions have already surfaced suggesting that Africa’s mobile Internet use could increase 30-fold in the next five years – roughly double the estimated growth rate for other countries across the globe.

 

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U.S. Could Face Serious Deficit of Computer Scientists by 2020

Too many jobs and not enough people?

It’s not the scenario people are used to hearing in the U.S., but it could become the new reality in the computer science field in a few years.

While the demand for computer scientists continues to rise, the number of efficiently trained computer scientists remains low.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be roughly 1.4 million jobs for computer scientists by 2020.

Unfortunately, the number of current computer professionals combined with the number of university students studying the profession only reaches 400,000.

In other words, there will be a major shortage of computer scientists to fill the roles that are becoming increasingly necessary in the digital age.

To make matters worse, many schools are cutting back on or completely cutting out computer science programs that would allow students to gain experience with computers at an introductory level.

According to the College Board, only 10 percent of high schools offer computer science courses, and the overall number of introductory computer science courses has decreased by almost 20 percent since 2005.

This type of experience is what usually sparks a would-be computer scientist’s interest in the profession.

Without this introduction to the field, the profession continues to seem far too intimidating for the average student.

The number of teachers and professors qualified to train youths in computer skills is also uncomfortably low.

The College Board reported that less than 10 percent of all high schools in the U.S. have enough teachers available to offer the AP computer science course to their students.

Of those who did take the AP test for computer science in 2013, less than 20 percent were female and a mere 3 percent were African-American.

According to Alison Derbenwick Miller, vice president of the Oracle Academy, it’s not too late to turn those troubling statistics around.

The Oracle Academy aims to drive more student interest in computer science and further develop the skills of those who are interested.

Miller says that the key to closing the skills gap is to make sure that computer science is both approachable and accessible.

“Teachers, parents and administrators can help expand interest in computer science by making the subject more appealing to a wide range of students,” Miller wrote on TechCrunch.com. “Help students understand the connection between computer science and their lives – how it helps them register for classes at school, enables cellphones to function and determines the ads they see online.”

In order to do this, Miller says schools will need to team up with businesses as well as focus on success in computer science outside the classroom.

“Schools can bring in parents and professionals from the community who leverage computer science in their jobs to share with students how the skill can translate to a career,” Miller added.

Perhaps the most challenging part is to find a way to get computer science incorporated in core K-12 curriculums.

“It can take 25 years or more to create a computer scientist – from developing a core analysis and problem-solving skills to achieving fluency in programming languages,” Miller explained. “As such, it is essential that computer science education becomes integrated in the K-12 curriculum.”

 

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Mentors Believe Medical Professions Can Help Save ‘Endangered’ Black Men

A recent analysis of Cincinnati homicide data painted a portrait of a grim future for African-American men in the city, but concerned mentors are emerging who believe the key to rescuing “endangered” Black men is to introduce them to a new career path.

According to the analysis published by the Enquirer, young Black men still comprise the highest percentage of homicide victims each year.

Many Black men, especially in urban communities, have dreams of becoming star athletes or hip-hop artists.

If those dreams do not come to fruition, many get involved with selling drugs or other illegal activities.

According to Wesley Gallaher, who grew up in Cincinnati, he would have followed that same path if it weren’t for the help of great mentors in the community.

Gallaher has traded in dreams of wearing a jersey for the reality of wearing a lab coat.

He has successfully entered the medical field and works in a cancer lab at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center – a goal he says he would have never accomplished without the Hearts and Minds Pipeline Program.

The program provided Gallaher and other minority youths in the area with mentors and other resources to help keep them out of prison.

Part of the way they do this is to expose the young men to professions in the medical field.

“A medical career was never in our scope growing up,” Gallaher said. “It was never about being a doctor or engineer. It was all about being the next LeBron (James).

Hearts and Minds puts a strong focus on building math, science and writing skills to help prepare Black males for a medical career.

In 2011, only about 2 percent of all medical school applications were from Black students, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The group predicts that by the time 2025 hits, the U.S. will have a shortage of roughly 130,000 doctors of all races and backgrounds.

According to Gary Favors, the 46-year-old founder of Hearts and Minds, young Black men need to be encouraged to think beyond a recording studio or a basketball court.

“Our Black boys can do more than play athletics,” Favors said. “We have to stop pigeonholing them and start exposing them to other areas of interest.”

Favors says that young Black men will continue to be an “endangered species” if education is not made a higher priority.

According to The Urgency of Now report released by the Schott Foundation for Public Education, only 10 percent of Black males in the eighth grade can read at a proficient level and only a little more than 50 percent of Black males graduate high school in four years.

In Cincinnati, the graduation rates for Black males fell well below their white counterparts.

Donna Herrmann-Vogel, vice president of programs at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati, says those numbers are proof that communities need to act swiftly to reduce the staggering risk factor that these urban youths face.

“There has always been a huge need, but it is more urgent now,” Herrmann-Vogel said as she stressed the need for positive mentors. “It has to do with gun violence in the city and the risk factor these kids face.”

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E-commerce Site for Black Businesses Wins National Black MBA Innovation Challenge

The creators of an e-commerce site dedicated specifically to African-American-focused businesses and products took home the grand prize of $10,000 at the 2014 National Black MBA Innovation Whiteboard Challenge.

PurchaseBlack.com gives consumers an online source of products and businesses that are geared toward African-American consumers or created by Black business owners.

The innovative new platform was enough to wow judges and allow the e-commerce site to soar above the other nine national semifinalists in a preliminary round.

After three finalists were selected, the business owners presented their company ideas and goals in front of a group of executives, directors and other well-established African-American professionals.

With an outstanding presentation and a groundbreaking concept, PurchaseBlack.com was deemed the winner.

“It’s hard to express my gratitude and joy at the support I received at the National Black MBA conference,” said Brian Williams, the founder and CEO of PurchaseBlack.com according to BlackNews.com. “It’s easy to get nervous before an audience like that, yet, I tried to channel it into enthusiasm for my business.”

The victory in this competition means more to Williams than just a monetary grand prize.

According to BlackNews.com, Williams hopes to use this success to boost the number of products and businesses that consumers have access to via PurchaseBlack.com.

“We have already gone from a few web stores to over 50 businesses and about 1,000 Black-owned or Black-focused products on PurchaseBlack.com today,” he said. “With the connections from the conference, we may be able to get thousands more products soon. We are going in the right direction, and we want to accelerate our growth.”

Due to Williams’ background, expanding the business won’t be too great of a challenge.

The innovative entrepreneur studied African-American business while earning his Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Texas.

Since then he has been on many panels to serve as a voice for African-Americans in the technology industry – an industry where Blacks are still severely underrepresented.

As PurchaseBlack.com continues to grow, Williams is hoping to use crowdsourcing to fund that growth.

He has already launched a GoFundMe Campaign for the company so that financial woes won’t serve as a problem for the e-commerce platform.

Fortunately, there have been pushes made all across the country for Blacks to focus their spending efforts on Black-owned businesses, which has helped garner a lot of support for a platform like PurchaseBlack.com.

“A lot of people believe in what we are trying to do, which is to become the home for African-American online shopping, and create a simple way to support Black-owned or Black-servicing businesses,” he said. “We hope that people will support our campaign to strengthen our cause and community. We are in this together.”

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