Casamance, Brain and Love and the Chinese "Ark of Peace"

Outriders Magazine #329

Internal Conflicts and Autonomy Struggles in Pakistan, Myanmar, and Senegal

Balochistan is the home of the Baloch ethnic minority, who claim to be discriminated against and exploited by the central government. The province has seen several recent deadly attacks by separatists, and there is a growing movement calling for independence. Additionally, Islamist militants are active in the area. The most prominent group in Balochistan is the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army, which both Pakistan and the United States have designated as a terrorist organization. It is opposed to the Pakistani government and seeks a sovereign state encompassing territories in Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.

In Myanmar's Rakhine State, the Arakan Defense Army has made military advances and won battles, positioning it to potentially control the largest territory held by an ethnic armed group since the February 2021 coup. Its successes are rallying other ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy fighters to overthrow the military regime led by coup leader and then-President Min Aung Hlaing.

In Senegal's Casamance region, there is hope for improved relations with the new government in Dakar, as their fellow countryman Ousmane Sonko has become prime minister. Casamance has been the site of one of Africa's longest-standing conflicts since 1982, initiated by the separatist Casamance Democratic Forces Movement in response to frustration over marginalization and exploitation by the central government. The conflict persists, though at a lower intensity.

Exploring Sustainable Nutrition: New Developments in Chocolate and the Neurospora Intermedia Mushroom

The Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich has developed a method to produce chocolate without refined sugar using the entire cocoa fruit, including the pulp, juice, and shell. This innovative Swiss chocolate utilizes the fruit's pulp and juice, which contains 14% natural sugar, combined with the dried shell to create a cocoa gel added to the cocoa beans. The result is a rich, dark, sweet chocolate with a hint of cocoa bitterness, providing a balanced taste.

Additionally, the fungus Neurospora intermedia has been found to turn food scraps into tasty and nutritious food by fermenting by-products that would otherwise go to waste. For example, the fungus can grow on soy pulp, coffee grounds, or corn cobs and is currently used to turn bland rice cream into a fruity treat at a top restaurant in Copenhagen.

A study by the Food Foundation revealed that meat-like products are often nutritionally superior to real meat, containing fewer calories, less saturated fat, and more fibre. However, some alternative protein products are not as nutritionally balanced, with many alternative meat products found to contain more salt and lack essential nutrients like iron and vitamin B12.

AI's Role in Concealing Racism and the Use of Avatar Journalists in Opposition to Maduro

Venezuelan journalists are using AI-created avatars to combat President Nicolás Maduro's media repression following his disputed election. Narrator La Chama (“The Bestie”) and narrator El Pana (“The Buddy”) provide daily updates on the president’s harassment of his opponents, activists, and media outlets without putting reporters at risk. This initiative involves around 20 Venezuelan news and fact-checking outlets and nearly 100 journalists who contribute information.

A study in the US found that large language models, including those powering chatbots like ChatGPT, make racist judgments based on the dialect of their users. When asked to describe a person based on text written in African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), many AI systems responded with racist stereotypes, as opposed to descriptions based on text written in standard American English. These models conceal their biases, and traditional methods to remove them have not been effective so far.

The Californian company Alorica has introduced an AI-powered translation tool that enables its representatives to communicate with customers in 200 languages and 75 dialects. However, Alorica has stated that it will not reduce jobs; instead, it will create new ones. The company believes that the new technology will eliminate some positions while creating new ones. Moreover, it is expected to enhance employee productivity, benefiting both the employees and the economy.

Exploring the Science of Love: Understanding Its Origins in the Brain and Its Resilience Against Threats

Researchers from Aalto University used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity while participants focused on short stories about different types of love. They found that parental love generated the most intense brain activity, particularly in the reward system of the striatum. Romantic love came in a close second. Additionally, the love of nature activated the reward system and visual areas of the brain but not the areas responsible for social relationships. The researchers believe that their work could potentially help in treating conditions such as attachment disorders, depression, and relationship problems.

Furthermore, scientists from centres in Birmingham and Oxford studied how neural networks balance the risk-reward trade-off in male fruit flies. They found that during the early stages of courtship, visual neurons activated by threats inhibited courtship and prompted the flies to break off. However, as courtship progressed, the dopamine-filtering system reduced responses to visual threats, suggesting that mating became more important than avoiding danger. This "love blindness" reflects a common behavioural principle among organisms—the pursuit of a desired reward with a willingness to take risks.

Challenges Posed by Drug Cartels and Construction Mafias: Mexico, Colombia, and South Africa

In Mexico, cartel turf wars have led residents of many towns to turn to "local police" composed of relatively untrained members who work as volunteers or receive little pay. Both traditional Mexican police forces and those composed of indigenous people have come under increasing attack by drug cartels. Fighting has taken place in the states of Michoacán and Chiapas, with the latter falling under the control of warring drug gangs, leading some residents to flee to neighbouring Guatemala.

In Colombia, a government initiative—the 2017 National Illicit Crop Substitution Program (PNIS)—aimed at helping communities transition away from coca cultivation has stalled. The program, resulting from a peace treaty between the FARC and the government, was meant to curb drug trafficking in the country. It offers jobs and tools to more than 60,000 former coca plantation owners and workers to move to other sources of income. Still, the state cannot ensure the sale of agricultural products, repair roads or ensure the safety and education of its citizens.

The South African government intends to crack down on "construction mafias" that use new investments to earn money from infrastructure works. These "mafias" pretend to be local business organizations and lobby for hiring local contractors for new construction projects. Interested gangsters have already infiltrated some of the South African authorities. They earn money from the revenues of public investments and delay key infrastructure projects.

Combating Invasive Species: Dealing with Mice on Marion Island and Big-Headed Tilapia in Thailand

Conservationists have planned to eradicate invasive mice from Marion Island, a South African territory more than 2,000 km southeast of Cape Town, to protect one of the world’s most important seabird populations. The mice have started preying on wandering albatrosses and other seabirds, eating their eggs and attacking adults. The mouse population has increased by about 500% in the past 30 years, posing a threat to the seabird population. To address this, helicopters will drop 600 tons of pesticide pellets across the island.

Thailand is taking action against the West African tilapia, which has spread unchecked nationwide. The predatory tilapia preys on smaller fish, shrimp, and snail larvae, impacting Thailand’s aquaculture industry. The country is encouraging citizens to catch fish and has released tilapia’s natural predators—sea bass and Sperata aor—into waters and developing genetically modified big-headed tilapia that will produce sterile offspring.

In Colorado, a U.S. wildlife agency seeks to capture and relocate the Copper Creek wolf pack as part of a wolf reintroduction program. The predators have been attacking livestock, prompting ranching groups to try to kill the pack. Wildlife advocates are calling for additional measures, such as electric fencing, to prevent further attacks on livestock.

Examining Corruption at the Highest Levels of Power in Chile and California

The Swiss Federal Criminal Court has convicted the directors of an oil exploration company of embezzling more than $1.8 billion from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad. The men, who hold Swiss-Saudi and Swiss-British citizenship, have been sentenced to seven and six years in prison, respectively. They have also been ordered to repay most of the embezzled money to the fund. The 1Malaysia Development Berhad was a major government investment project that gained international attention due to a corruption case around 2015.

One of Chile’s most influential lawyers, Luis Hermosilla, has been detained pending trial after being charged with money laundering and tax evasion. The case has scandalized the country's corporate and political elite. Audio recordings last November, in which Hermosilla discussed bribes intended for officials from Chile’s two central financial regulators, brought this to light. The investigation has involved judges, politicians, and businesspeople in a country previously considered one of the least corrupt in the region.

California prosecutors have stated that corruption is rising in cities, driven by a booming housing market. Moreover, single-party rule, less engaged voters, and diminished news media have weakened the traditional checks on government. Over the past decade, 576 California public officials, including prominent members of the Los Angeles City Council, have been convicted of federal corruption charges, as per Justice Department reports.

Advancements in Healthcare: Chinese Doctors in Cape Town, Rehabilitation Robots, and a Groundbreaking COVID-19 Study

In the port of Cape Town, South Africa, on a Chinese ship called the "Ark of Peace," local military medical personnel are examining residents of the city and its surrounding areas. The financial crisis in one of Africa's largest and most developed economies has left public services underfunded, and many citizens cannot afford private healthcare. About 14% of the population currently has private healthcare, while the remaining 86% rely on overburdened clinics and hospitals. The Chinese offer their medical services free of charge, with over 2,000 people using them weekly.

In a groundbreaking study on COVID-19, scientists from the prestigious Gladstone Institutes have made a significant discovery. They found that fibrin, responsible for blood clotting, is a key factor in the extremely strong clotting and inflammation characteristic of COVID-19. At the same time, it suppresses the body's ability to eliminate the virus. The team has also identified a new antibody therapy that combats these harmful effects. This research not only changes our understanding of COVID-19 but also opens up new possibilities for treatment. Therefore, blood clotting in COVID-19 is not just a consequence of the virus-related inflammation but a major effect of the disease itself. It also causes toxic inflammation, impaired viral clearance, and neurological symptoms.

Robots that read a patient's brainwaves using a brain-computer interface device are helping to rehabilitate stroke survivors. They provide support and motivation to return to their pre-illness and post-brain injury levels. The purpose of using robotic assistants is so patients can perform rehabilitation procedures without the presence of a physiotherapist and with feedback from the robots.