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Digital Planet: 13/10/2009

Factual: Science & Nature

13/10/2009

BBC World Service - Digital Planet, 13/10/2009

International Cyber-laws; African Broadband; insect blogging in Kenya; crowd simulation

International regulation to prevent cyber-crime; the limits of IT outsourcing in Africa; tracking with the insect blogger in Kenya; computer simulations of crowd behaviour.

INTERNATIONAL CYBER-LAWS
Could the next world war be a cyber-war? Forget attacks from the air or ground, the next world conflict might be online, according to the secretary general of ITU, the International Communication Union. Hamadoun Touré talks to Digital Planet about the serious threat of cyber-crime.


AFRICAN BROADBAND
Africa is beginning to enjoy better connectivity thanks to a number of newly installed undersea fibre-optic links. But as well as bringing all kinds of commercial benefits, perhaps it means that Africa is now also connected to the very worst that the web has to offer.  Frederick Wamala an IT security consultant talks to Gareth Mitchell about the dangers of criminals exploiting Africa’s new connectivity.


INSECT BLOGGING IN KENYA
Dino Martins is an entomologist in Kenya who as well as making a study of insects in Kenya, keeps an up-to-date blog of his activities.  Dino Martins takes the listener on a field trip through insect habitat in Kenya.


CROWD SIMULATION
Computer simulation of crowd behaviour could help make the spaces more conducive to large groups of people and can help when it comes to planning emergency exits and other safety features. Computer simulation isn’t new but a team at the University of Milano Bicocca is using an artificially intelligent approach to refine simulations. Crucially, the team is modelling how individuals interact with each other. The computer science researcher Sara Manzoni explains the new approach.

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13/10/2009

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