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DOGE Likely Can’t Evade Freedom of Information Law, Court Rules
Tue, 11 Mar 2025 16:33:53 +0000
“The rapid pace of [DOGE’s] actions requires the quick release of information about its structure and activities,” a judge ruled.
The post DOGE Likely Can’t Evade Freedom of Information Law, Court Rules appeared first on The Intercept.
Using lessons learned defending abortion, some providers are digging in to serve their trans patients despite legal attacks.
The post How to Keep Providing Gender-Affirming Care Despite Anti-Trans Attacks appeared first on The Intercept.
A federal judge blocked Donald Trump’s executive order banning trans youth healthcare, but access remains uncertain
Aryn Kavanaugh was sitting in her living room in South Carolina when her 17-year-old daughter came into the room and said: “I’m really scared. I think people are gonna die.” Katherine, who is using her middle name for her protection, told Kavanaugh that she thought transgender youth may be the target of violence due to the hate generated by Donald Trump’s recent action.
On 28 January, Trump issued an executive order to ban access to gender-affirming care for youth under 19 years old. It directed federal agencies to deny funding to institutions that offer gender-affirming medical care including hormones and puberty blockers.
Continue reading...The sentencing of Ruben Oseguera-Gonzalez, co-leader of Jalisco New Generation Cartel, will do little to stem the flow of drugs.
The post “Narco Prince” Sentenced to Life as Trump Ramps Up U.S.–Mexico Drug War appeared first on The Intercept.
Court document claims ‘potentially serious foreign policy consequences’ amid outcry over Palestinian activist’s arrest
The US government is relying on a rarely used provision of the law to try to deport a prominent Palestinian activist who recently completed his graduate studies at Columbia University, where he was a leader in last year’s campus protests.
A government charging document addressed to Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent US resident and green card holder who is currently being held in a Louisiana detention center, said that secretary of state Marco Rubio “has reasonable ground to believe that your presence or activities in the United States would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States”.
Continue reading...The Palestinian student’s arrest at Columbia University is a harbinger of what’s to come on college campuses
On 8 March, Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia University, was apprehended from university housing by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents. Khalil, a Palestinian and student leader at the Columbia encampments last year, was told by the arresting officers that his green card had been “revoked”, an action that only an immigration judge can decide. It has since been revealed that he is in Ice custody in La Salle, Louisiana, a detention site notorious for abuse.
On Truth Social, Donald Trump celebrated the apprehension of Khalil, whom he called “a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student” and bragged of more arrests to come.
Continue reading...Psychiatrist describes the detained woman at Thomas Embling hospital as one of the most unwell patients in the state
One of the most mentally unwell patients in Victoria will deteriorate further if she continues to be held in solitary confinement, where she has been detained for almost a decade, a court has heard.
Victorian county court judge Nola Karapanagiotidis heard a major review on Wednesday of the detention of the woman under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act.
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Continue reading...By moving the campus activist to a new jurisdiction, ICE disrupted court proceedings and limited his legal access, his attorneys say.
The post ICE Secretly Hauled Mahmoud Khalil to Louisiana as Retaliation, Lawyers Allege appeared first on The Intercept.
A judge said Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia graduate whose arrest by ICE sparked outrage, couldn’t be deported without a court order.
The post Court Temporarily Halts Columbia Activist’s Deportation appeared first on The Intercept.
A list of DOGE staffers reviewed by The Intercept shows Elon Musk’s quasi-agency has brought in at least four more attorneys.
The post Leaked List Shows DOGE Is Lawyering Up appeared first on The Intercept.
Republicans only have 52 yes votes and senator says Democrats won’t help get to the 60 votes needed for the bill to pass
Congressional brinkmanship, including repeated near-misses with shutdowns and over the nation’s $36 trillion in debt, has contributed to global ratings agencies’ moves to downgrade the US federal government’s once-pristine credit rating, reports Reuters.
Democrats have long chided Republicans for threatening or voting for government shutdowns, and Republicans were quick to call them out for considering votes that could risk one.
Continue reading...“I expect the Department of Justice to work within the confines of the law,” one House Democrat said.
The post Dems for Some Reason Expect Trump to Follow the Law on Detention of Mahmoud Khalil appeared first on The Intercept.
It’s illegal to deport people for political speech, but that’s exactly what ICE is trying to do to this Palestinian Columbia student.
The post If Trump Can Deport Mahmoud Khalil, Freedom of Speech Is Dead appeared first on The Intercept.
The Pentagon owns 145 golf courses. As Trump cuts key government services, we found it aims to spend on sand traps and clubhouses.
The post Pentagon Keeps Pouring Cash Into Golf Courses — Even As Trump Slashes Government Spending appeared first on The Intercept.
Instead of outrage, the school’s interim president responded to the cuts by vowing to continue its misguided crackdown.
The post Columbia Bent Over Backward to Appease Right-Wing, Pro-Israel Attacks — And Trump Still Cut Federal Funding appeared first on The Intercept.
The list of invitees at the White House crypto summit illustrates the tight link between Trump and new cohort of political donors.
The post Here’s How Much the Guests at Trump’s Crypto Summit Donated to His Inauguration appeared first on The Intercept.
By abandoning trans rights and praising Reagan, Democrats embrace a fangless politics with a track record of electoral failure.
The post Gavin Newsom’s Cynical Embrace of the Anti-Trans Agenda appeared first on The Intercept.
Talia Lavin, journalist and author of “Wild Faith,” on the right-wing Christian ideology and characters guiding Trump.
The post Trump’s Vision for America: I Am God appeared first on The Intercept.
The Intercept is publishing Elon Musk’s government email address to aid those seeking information on DOGE in the public interest.
The post We Found Elon Musk’s DOGE Email Address and We’re Fighting to Reveal His Messages appeared first on The Intercept.
On the same day he floated cutting funding at schools hosting “illegal” protests, Trump took a free speech victory lap.
The post Trump Brags He “Brought Back Free Speech” Hours After Calling to Ban “Illegal” Protests appeared first on The Intercept.
By sending weapons to Israel while halting arms sales to Ukraine, Trump backs nations that are “occupying a less powerful people.”
The post Support the Occupying Force: The Logic Behind Trump’s Foreign Policy appeared first on The Intercept.
In a clash of self-described progressives, GOP donors are pouring money into the race to unseat Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey.
The post Trump Donors Try to Buy Pittsburgh Mayor’s Race appeared first on The Intercept.
Instead of outrage, the school’s interim president responded to the cuts by vowing to continue its misguided crackdown.
The post Columbia Bent Over Backward to Appease Right-Wing, Pro-Israel Attacks — And Trump Still Cut Federal Funding appeared first on The Intercept.
A judge said Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia graduate whose arrest by ICE sparked outrage, couldn’t be deported without a court order.
The post Court Temporarily Halts Columbia Activist’s Deportation appeared first on The Intercept.
It’s illegal to deport people for political speech, but that’s exactly what ICE is trying to do to this Palestinian Columbia student.
The post If Trump Can Deport Mahmoud Khalil, Freedom of Speech Is Dead appeared first on The Intercept.
You learn so much when you’re forced to clop around town in a great big boot. And you make so many friends …
I’ve long had a soft spot for the achilles tendon, my own and everyone else’s. This goes back to middle school where we read a book called Greeks and Trojans by Rex Warner, which I greatly enjoyed, although my engagement with the classics went no further. It related the story of the demise of the hero whose name the tendon bears. Also, my initial and my surname have been known to autocorrect to the name of the great warrior/tendon. We have a connection.
The achilles is the tendon connecting the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles in the calf to an insertion point at the calcaneus. Or, in English, it’s the worryingly cable-like thing running down the back of your ankle to your heel. The Greek Achilles was fatally wounded in the heel while fighting in the Trojan war. My own (non-fatal) achilles wound was sustained a long way from the gates of Troy, at a leisure centre in Stourbridge. I did it playing pickleball. Not especially heroic, I appreciate, but for someone who’d never picked up a pickleball paddle before, I was thought to be half-decent. Given the pain I’ve been in ever since, I doubt I’ll be back for more. And with his vulnerability in the heel area, I can’t imagine pickleball would have much suited the original Achilles either.
Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster, writer and Guardian columnist
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.
Continue reading...Psychiatrist describes the detained woman at Thomas Embling hospital as one of the most unwell patients in the state
One of the most mentally unwell patients in Victoria will deteriorate further if she continues to be held in solitary confinement, where she has been detained for almost a decade, a court has heard.
Victorian county court judge Nola Karapanagiotidis heard a major review on Wednesday of the detention of the woman under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act.
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Europe’s human spaceflight ambitions are reaching new heights, and ESA’s Astronaut Reserve is a key part of this journey. Selected in 2022, these talented individuals are undergoing Astronaut Reserve Training (ART) to ensure they are ready for future missions.
Among these remarkable women from across Europe are Meganne Christian, a materials scientist from the UK, Anthea Comellini, an aerospace engineer from Italy, and Carmen Possnig, a medical doctor from Austria, who recently completed their first ART training block at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany.
Their diverse scientific backgrounds reflect the wide-ranging expertise needed for human spaceflight, whether as part of ESA’s astronaut class, mission planners, or scientists shaping the future of space exploration. Beyond their work with ESA, they are also driving innovation, advancing research, and strengthening the broader space sector. Women play key roles across ESA and beyond, contributing as leaders and experts in these areas.
Meganne, Anthea and Carmen recently completed their first ART training block at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne, Germany. In this image, they are pictured inside a mockup of the Columbus module, Europe’s permanent laboratory on the International Space Station.
The training covered key areas such as human behaviour and performance to develop teamwork and decision-making skills in high-pressure environments. They also received physical fitness training, scuba certification in ESA’s Neutral Buoyancy Facility, and media training to effectively communicate the importance of space exploration to the public.
In addition to technical and operational skills, they explored fundamental science, including biology experiments conducted on the International Space Station. Their training also includes insights into space policy, mission operations, and the latest advancements in space technology.
While members of the Astronaut Reserve are not yet assigned to specific missions, their training ensures that they are prepared for potential future opportunities through commercial spaceflight
The journey continues in the second half of 2025, when the members of ESA’s Astronaut Reserve will return to EAC for the next phase of ART, further building on the skills and knowledge they have gained.
By abandoning trans rights and praising Reagan, Democrats embrace a fangless politics with a track record of electoral failure.
The post Gavin Newsom’s Cynical Embrace of the Anti-Trans Agenda appeared first on The Intercept.
Travellers from country now need visas with decision reportedly made in response to rising asylum claims
Trinidad and Tobago has described Britain’s new visa requirement for tourists from the twin island state as a disproportionate and disappointing response to the issue of false asylum applications.
Trinidad and Tobago nationals previously could visit the UK without a visa, only requiring the electronic travel authorisation (ETA), which was introduced in January for all visa-exempt nations.
Continue reading...Authorities are preparing for flooding and debris flows after recent wildfires have stripped vegetation from hillsides
California is bracing for a powerful atmospheric river storm that is expected to drench large swaths of the state with rain and bring several feet of snow to the mountains.
Much of northern California was under a winter storm warning because of the gusty winds and heavy snow in the forecast that the National Weather Service (NWS) said would lead to “difficult to impossible travel conditions”.
Continue reading...Blood tests on migratory chicks fed plastics by their parents show neurodegeneration, as well as cell rupture and stomach lining decay
Ingesting plastic is leaving seabird chicks with brain damage “akin to Alzheimer’s disease”, according to a new study – adding to growing evidence of the devastating impact of plastic pollution on marine wildlife.
Analysis of young sable shearwaters, a migratory bird that travels between Australia’s Lord Howe Island and Japan, has found that plastic waste is causing damage to seabird chicks not apparent to the naked eye, including decay of the stomach lining, cell rupture and neurodegeneration.
Continue reading...Yvonne Williams says that for the Isle of Wight, integration with Hampshire will be a disaster. Plus a letter from Robert Jones
For blinkered politicians in the Westminster bubble, perhaps the country can be easily divided into neat new portions (Voters like councillors more than MPs – so why is Labour wasting time destroying local democracy?, 3 March). Urban centres will benefit because their local representatives can carry on supporting a reasonably homogenous area. But for the Isle of Wight, the prospect of integration with Hampshire is a disaster.
It’s bad enough that successive governments have been indifferent to our unique circumstances, happy to persistently underfund our schools and medical facilities, and overlook the catastrophic effect of excessively expensive ferry travel, while pouring billions into other cities’ transport. We have paid our taxes, yet it seems everyone else benefits from subsidies that we contribute to. Why should we now want to subsidise yet another decision-making machine over the water?
Continue reading...A revived and expanded Muslim ban is stoking fears that U.S. residents with “hostile attitudes” toward the country will be targeted.
The post Trump’s New Muslim Ban Poised to Sweep Up Immigrants Already in the U.S. appeared first on The Intercept.
Guardian analysis reveals opposition leader also claimed for flights on days of a rugby tournament and, like many Labor MPs, a Matildas World Cup game
Peter Dutton billed taxpayers for flights to Sydney on the days of three NRL grand finals, a rugby tournament and a Matildas World Cup game, records show.
Integrity campaigners and crossbenchers, including the former rugby international David Pocock, have repeatedly criticised the use of publicly funded travel to attend major sporting events, saying it fails to reflect community expectations.
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Continue reading...Mangroves are being destroyed and residents displaced to make way for an airport to serve president Nayib Bukele’s vision of a tax-free economic hub
When Nayib Bukele launched his presidential campaign in the eastern department of La Unión in 2018, the new outsider politician stood in a street packed with supporters and promised a new airport. La Unión and the rest of El Salvador’s eastern region have historically been neglected by governments, with few infrastructure projects and widespread poverty.
Just a month later, Bukele travelled to Germany to lobby for his project. “Munich airport is interested in operating our new airport that we will build in La Unión,” he said.
Continue reading...As a new exhibition celebrating the portraits of Edvard Munch opens at London’s National Portrait Gallery, we take a trip to the artist’s home city in Norway
I reach Ekeberg Park at sunset and walk along the muddy paths to find the viewpoint. The late winter sky is like a watercolour: soft blue and grey clouds layer together, with a sweeping gradient of yellow verging from tobacco stain to pale lemon above the distant, bruise-coloured hills. At the viewpoint, I look out over Oslo and listen for a scream.
In 1892, Edvard Munch took a walk in this same park as the sun was setting. Recording the experience in his diary, he wrote that he heard “a great and infinite scream through nature”. The experience became the basis of his most enduring painting.
Continue reading...Baloch Liberation Army claims to have killed 30 military personnel after blowing up tracks in Balochistan region
A separatist militant group in Pakistan’s south-western Balochistan province says it has taken 214 hostages including military personnel after hijacking a train, as the country’s security situation continues to decline sharply.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) blew up the tracks and fired on the Jaffar Express train as it travelled through a tunnel in a remote and mountainous area, bringing the train to a halt.
Continue reading...Athiak Dau Riak was traditionally married for a record bride price last year, despite her mother’s insistence that she was only 14, which led to threats of reprisals
The mother of an alleged child bride has left a safe house in South Sudan to travel to be with her daughter after discovering the teenager is pregnant.
Deborah Kuir Yach made headlines last year when she opposed a competition for her daughter’s hand in marriage, insisting that her child Athiak Dau Riak was only 14. Fear of reprisals from her husband and family forced her to leave her home in the capital, Juba, and go into hiding.
Continue reading...The Pentagon owns 145 golf courses. As Trump cuts key government services, we found it aims to spend on sand traps and clubhouses.
The post Pentagon Keeps Pouring Cash Into Golf Courses — Even As Trump Slashes Government Spending appeared first on The Intercept.
Using lessons learned defending abortion, some providers are digging in to serve their trans patients despite legal attacks.
The post How to Keep Providing Gender-Affirming Care Despite Anti-Trans Attacks appeared first on The Intercept.
The two women were said to have been stargazing with three male travellers when the incident took place
Two men have been arrested in India in connection with the alleged rape of an Israeli and a local woman.
The Israeli woman and her homestay operator were said to be stargazing with three male travellers in Koppal town in southern Karnataka state on Thursday night.
Continue reading...We would like to hear from parents about their children’s experiences of getting NHS dental treatment
According to a government report, nearly 50,000 tooth extractions took place last year in NHS hospitals in England for 0 to 19-year-olds, with 62% of those having a primary diagnosis of tooth decay.
We would like to hear from parents in England about their experiences of accessing NHS dental services for their children. Were you able to find somewhere locally or do you have to travel further afield? How easy have you found it to access care? We’re also interested in hearing from those whose children have had hospital tooth extractions recently.
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A group of volunteers is spending two months lying in bed—with their feet up and one shoulder always touching the mattress—even while eating, showering, and using the toilet. But why? This extreme bedrest study is helping scientists understand how space travel affects the human body and how to keep astronauts healthy on long missions.
Microgravity causes muscle and bone loss, fluid shifts, and other physiological changes similar to those experienced by bedridden patients on Earth. By studying volunteers here on Earth, researchers can develop better countermeasures for astronauts and even improve treatments for medical conditions like osteoporosis.
In this study, participants are divided into three groups: one stays in bed with no exercise, another cycles in bed to mimic astronaut workouts, and a third cycles while being spun in a centrifuge to simulate artificial gravity. Scientists hope artificial gravity could become a key tool in protecting astronauts during deep-space missions.
From biking adventures to city breaks, get inspiration for your next break – whether in the UK or further afield – with twice-weekly emails from the Guardian’s travel editors. You’ll also receive handpicked offers from Guardian Holidays.
From biking adventures to city breaks, get inspiration for your next break – whether in the UK or further afield – with twice-weekly emails from the Guardian’s travel editors.
You’ll also receive handpicked offers from Guardian Holidays.
Continue reading...Health secretary, under fire for his response to the measles outbreak, attacked seed oils in Sean Hannity interview
Robert F Kennedy Jr, the health secretary, appeared with a cheeseburger and fries in a nationally televised interview on Fox News – a highly unusual move for a federal health official.
The appearance, in which he endorsed the decision of the burger chain Steak ‘n Shake to cook its fries in beef tallow, comes as Kennedy has attacked seed oils and made claims about the measles vaccine that lack context.
Continue reading...As the US ramps up enforcement, scenes of family separation and despair from Trump’s first term are repeated
The United States has resumed placing immigrant families in detention, re-embracing harrowing operations where scenes unfold such as toddlers learning to walk under the supervision of private prison corporations and children marking their birthdays at government facilities they can’t leave.
If the Obama and first Trump administrations are anything to go by, parents will have to watch their little ones go hungry without familiar foods, the kinds families cook if their children aren’t stuck in so-called “baby jails”.
Continue reading...There’s a trick to getting bhajis just the right side of crunchy, as our in-house perfectionist demonstrates in nine simple steps
It’s one of the great tragedies of life that fried foods do not reheat well. Take your average supermarket bhaji: sadly stodgy and soggy, when it ought to be crisp, its continued popularity is a triumph of hope over experience. If you want to enjoy these beloved Indian snacks at their best, you’ll either need to go out to a restaurant … or make them yourself.
Prep 20 min
Cook 8 min
Makes 8
Eating with my family was a source of joy and pleasure until illness ravaged my digestive system. After my stoma was fitted, everything tasted amazing again
Growing up, I always loved food. On Sundays, I’d ask for seconds of my roast dinner. My gran would bake cakes every weekend, which I would drown in custard. I can still remember how the chocolate digestive biscuits I’d eat when I got in from school tasted, how satisfying it was to dip them in my tea as I chatted with my dad about my day. Food brought us together as a family and it was something I always relished.
Then I got sick. I was 12 when I first displayed symptoms of Crohn’s disease. I started getting unbearable pain in my stomach and going to the toilet a bit more. Then a lot more. And I stopped feeling hungry. My weight dropped three stone (19kg), my periods stopped and I had no energy, but it was my sudden lack of appetite that I missed the most. Food had always been a source of joy; I’d watch cookery shows and cry, remembering how much pleasure I used to take from eating. Now, my body rejected everything except supplement drinks that pretended to have flavours like lime and orange but always just tasted like bile. I was fading away and it was terrifying.
Continue reading...British comedian Dave Gorman joins Grace for another scrumptious helping of Comfort Eating. Across the noughties, Dave took the British comedy scene by storm, and is known for taking the mundane, adding some sparkle and creating an Edinburgh festival fringe show, a UK tour and a book. Now he is back with a reboot of Dave Gorman: Modern Life is Goodish. Dave recounts how his hero comedian Frank Skinner gave him his big break; how fish and chips equals celebration; and what he munches on to fuel his frequent all-night writing sessions
New episodes of Comfort Eating with Grace Dent will be released every Tuesday
Continue reading...There’s no shortage of non-dairy milks on the market, but which comes out on top for taste, texture and sustainability? Our expert reveals all
• The best coffee machines for your home: your morning brew made easy
Plant milk is everywhere. Once a niche alternative, it now lines supermarket shelves in endless varieties – oat, almond, soya, hazelnut, coconut, rice, pea – and is often the product of choice in coffee shops. Whether for ethical, environmental or dietary reasons, more and more people are ditching dairy. But not all plant milks are created equal. Some taste fantastic on their own but split in hot coffee or tea, some are ultra-processed, and others still have questionable sustainability credentials. Even so, according to the environmental charity Hubbub, oat, almond and soy milk generate at least 68% fewer planet-warming emissions than conventional dairy milk, require less land and fresh water, and have a lower impact on waterways through chemical run-off and eutrophication.
I tested 10 plant-based milks, judging them on taste, texture, ingredients, sustainability and how they perform in coffee, and I enlisted my local cafe, Oru, in south-east London, to help me assess them for taste, texture and stability once heat is applied. Here’s how they measure up.
Continue reading...Decision made after attempts to raise more funds had been unsuccessful, agency tells authorities
Food rations for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have been slashed in half by the World Food Programme, days after refugees in Kenya protested against a reduction to their rations.
The WFP, which is funded entirely by voluntary contributions and provides assistance to more than 150 million people, said it did not have enough funds to continue to provide the full ration so would be reducing the food voucher to 726 Bangladeshi taka (£4.60) per person, from 1,515 taka.
Continue reading...Plastics are everywhere, but their smallest fragments – nanoplastics – are making their way into the deepest parts of our bodies, including our brains and breast milk.
Scientists have now captured the first visual evidence of these particles inside human cells, raising urgent questions about their impact on our health. From the food we eat to the air we breathe, how are nanoplastics infiltrating our systems?
Neelam Tailor looks into the invisible invasion happening inside us all
Continue reading...A weekly email from Yotam Ottolenghi, Meera Sodha, Felicity Cloake and Rachel Roddy, featuring the latest recipes and seasonal eating ideas
Each week we’ll send you an exclusive newsletter from our star food writers. We’ll also send you the latest recipes from Yotam Ottolenghi, Nigel Slater, Meera Sodha and all our star cooks, stand-out food features and seasonal eating inspiration, plus restaurant reviews from Grace Dent and Jay Rayner.
Sign up below to start receiving the best of our culinary journalism in one mouth-watering weekly email.
Continue reading...By sending weapons to Israel while halting arms sales to Ukraine, Trump backs nations that are “occupying a less powerful people.”
The post Support the Occupying Force: The Logic Behind Trump’s Foreign Policy appeared first on The Intercept.
Each spring since 2003, Jon Aars, senior scientist at the Norwegian Polar Institute, and his team have conducted an annual polar bear monitoring program on Svalbard - collaring, capturing and taking samples from as many bears as they can across several weeks.
By studying polar bears they get a better understanding of what is happening in this part of the Arctic environment. The bears roam over large distances and, being apex predators, provide lots of information about what is happening lower in the food chain and across different Arctic species.
The Guardian accompanied Aars on an expedition to the southern end of Spitsbergen island, the largest in the Svalbard archipelago.
Style, with substance: what’s really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved, direct to your inbox every Thursday
Style, with substance: what’s really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved, delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday
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Imagine a world in which you can do transactions and many other things without having to give your personal information. A world in which you don’t need to rely on banks or governments anymore. Sounds amazing, right? That’s exactly what blockchain technology allows us to do.
It’s like your computer’s hard drive. blockchain is a technology that lets you store data in digital blocks, which are connected together like links in a chain.
Blockchain technology was originally invented in 1991 by two mathematicians, Stuart Haber and W. Scot Stornetta. They first proposed the system to ensure that timestamps could not be tampered with.
A few years later, in 1998, software developer Nick Szabo proposed using a similar kind of technology to secure a digital payments system he called “Bit Gold.” However, this innovation was not adopted until Satoshi Nakamoto claimed to have invented the first Blockchain and Bitcoin.
A blockchain is a distributed database shared between the nodes of a computer network. It saves information in digital format. Many people first heard of blockchain technology when they started to look up information about bitcoin.
Blockchain is used in cryptocurrency systems to ensure secure, decentralized records of transactions.
Blockchain allowed people to guarantee the fidelity and security of a record of data without the need for a third party to ensure accuracy.
To understand how a blockchain works, Consider these basic steps:
Let’s get to know more about the blockchain.
Blockchain records digital information and distributes it across the network without changing it. The information is distributed among many users and stored in an immutable, permanent ledger that can't be changed or destroyed. That's why blockchain is also called "Distributed Ledger Technology" or DLT.
Here’s how it works:
And that’s the beauty of it! The process may seem complicated, but it’s done in minutes with modern technology. And because technology is advancing rapidly, I expect things to move even more quickly than ever.
Even though blockchain is integral to cryptocurrency, it has other applications. For example, blockchain can be used for storing reliable data about transactions. Many people confuse blockchain with cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum.
Blockchain already being adopted by some big-name companies, such as Walmart, AIG, Siemens, Pfizer, and Unilever. For example, IBM's Food Trust uses blockchain to track food's journey before reaching its final destination.
Although some of you may consider this practice excessive, food suppliers and manufacturers adhere to the policy of tracing their products because bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella have been found in packaged foods. In addition, there have been isolated cases where dangerous allergens such as peanuts have accidentally been introduced into certain products.
Tracing and identifying the sources of an outbreak is a challenging task that can take months or years. Thanks to the Blockchain, however, companies now know exactly where their food has been—so they can trace its location and prevent future outbreaks.
Blockchain technology allows systems to react much faster in the event of a hazard. It also has many other uses in the modern world.
Blockchain technology is safe, even if it’s public. People can access the technology using an internet connection.
Have you ever been in a situation where you had all your data stored at one place and that one secure place got compromised? Wouldn't it be great if there was a way to prevent your data from leaking out even when the security of your storage systems is compromised?
Blockchain technology provides a way of avoiding this situation by using multiple computers at different locations to store information about transactions. If one computer experiences problems with a transaction, it will not affect the other nodes.
Instead, other nodes will use the correct information to cross-reference your incorrect node. This is called “Decentralization,” meaning all the information is stored in multiple places.
Blockchain guarantees your data's authenticity—not just its accuracy, but also its irreversibility. It can also be used to store data that are difficult to register, like legal contracts, state identifications, or a company's product inventory.
Blockchain has many advantages and disadvantages.
I’ll answer the most frequently asked questions about blockchain in this section.
Blockchain is not a cryptocurrency but a technology that makes cryptocurrencies possible. It's a digital ledger that records every transaction seamlessly.
Yes, blockchain can be theoretically hacked, but it is a complicated task to be achieved. A network of users constantly reviews it, which makes hacking the blockchain difficult.
Coinbase Global is currently the biggest blockchain company in the world. The company runs a commendable infrastructure, services, and technology for the digital currency economy.
Blockchain is a decentralized technology. It’s a chain of distributed ledgers connected with nodes. Each node can be any electronic device. Thus, one owns blockhain.
Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, which is powered by Blockchain technology while Blockchain is a distributed ledger of cryptocurrency
Generally a database is a collection of data which can be stored and organized using a database management system. The people who have access to the database can view or edit the information stored there. The client-server network architecture is used to implement databases. whereas a blockchain is a growing list of records, called blocks, stored in a distributed system. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, timestamp and transaction information. Modification of data is not allowed due to the design of the blockchain. The technology allows decentralized control and eliminates risks of data modification by other parties.
Blockchain has a wide spectrum of applications and, over the next 5-10 years, we will likely see it being integrated into all sorts of industries. From finance to healthcare, blockchain could revolutionize the way we store and share data. Although there is some hesitation to adopt blockchain systems right now, that won't be the case in 2022-2023 (and even less so in 2026). Once people become more comfortable with the technology and understand how it can work for them, owners, CEOs and entrepreneurs alike will be quick to leverage blockchain technology for their own gain. Hope you like this article if you have any question let me know in the comments section
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