Cisco on Friday announced advancements to its IoT portfolio that enable service provider partners to offer optimized management of cellular IoT environments and new 5G use-cases.

Cisco IoT Control Center(formerly Jasper Control Center) is introducing new innovations to improve management and reduce deployment complexity. These include:

Using Machine Learning (ML) to improve management: With visibility into 3 billion events every day, Cisco IoT Control Center uses the industry's broadest visibility to enable machine learning models to quickly identify anomalies and address issues before they impact a customer. Service providers can also identify and alert customers of errant devices, allowing for greater endpoint security and control.

Smart billing to optimize rate plans:Service providers can improve customer satisfaction by enabling Smart billing to automatically optimize rate plans. Policies can also be created to proactively send customer notifications should usage changes or rate plans need to be updated to help save enterprises money.

Support for global supply chains: SIM portability is an enterprise requirement to support complex supply chains spanning multiple service providers and geographies. It is time-consuming and requires integrations between many different service providers and vendors, driving up costs for both. Cisco IoT Control Center now provides eSIM as a service, enabling a true turnkey SIM portability solution to deliver fast, reliable, cost-effective SIM handoffs between service providers.

Cisco IoT Control Center has taken steps towards 5G readiness to incubate and promote high value 5G business use cases that customers can easily adopt.

Vikas Butaney, VP Product Management IoT, Cisco Cellular IoT deployments are accelerating across connected cars, utilities and transportation industries and with 5G and Wi-Fi 6 on the horizon IoT adoption will grow even faster. Cisco is investing in connectivity management, IoT networking, IoT security, and edge computing to accelerate the adoption of IoT use-cases.

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Cisco Enhances IoT Platform with 5G Readiness and Machine Learning - The Fast Mode

Alexa, Im depressed. The idea that a tabletop virtual assistant such as Alexa or Siri knows or cares how youre feeling sounds straight out of some neurotic comedy. Today, at least.

Mental health is a brave new frontier for artificial-intelligence and machine-learning algorithms driven by big data. Before long, if some forward-looking psychologists, doctors and venture-capital investors have their way, your therapist could be a virtual human able to listen, counsel and even bill for that 50-minute hour.

AI will be a game-changer, says James Lake, a California psychiatrist and author of a series of self-help e-books showing individuals how to integrate a broad-based plan for their mental health. AI tools, he adds, will allow mental-health providers to optimize patient care on the basis of each individuals unique history, symptoms, needs, financial constraints and preferences.

What if you need an anti-depressant or another psychiatric medication? AI can help a psychiatrist pinpoint the exact drug or drug class that your body will respond to, shortening or even eliminating the trial and error and its side-effects that frustrates both patients and doctors. Algorithms also can tell, based on someones age, gender, responses to questions and other factors, if that person is about to attempt suicide; Facebook FB, -2.05%, for example, uses an algorithm that flags a post if it contains words that suggest suicidal thoughts or self-harm.

As mental disorders rise the cost to the global economy is projected to be $16 trillion over the next decade, according to the Lancet Commission caring for patients with precision is a Holy Grail for mental-health professionals. Current diagnosis and treatment methods, while skilled and insightful, cannot fully capture the unique needs and complexity of every patient not without time, money and a willingness that many people simply do not have. AI-based therapies have the potential to be faster and cheaper, and therefore more effective, which in turn can encourage patients to continue their counseling.

Data-based precision mental health also appeals to cost-conscious employers and insurance plans. Startups with traction in this area include Quartet Health, whose backers include GV (formerly Google Ventures), a unit of Alphabet GOOG, -2.18% GOOGL, -2.21%, which has partnered with health-care systems and health plans in several U.S. states, with a particular focus on underserved Medicaid patients. Another startup, Lyra Health, matches employees to health professionals using big data to diagnose mental conditions, and counts eBay EBAY, +1.35% and Amgen AMGN, +0.29% among its customers.

We can predict whether someone would recover if they took a specific treatment, says Adam Chekroud, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Spring Health, a startup whose predictive models detect mental states and recommend appropriate treatment.

Some large companies including Gap GPS, -2.35% and Amazons AMZN, -2.65% Whole Foods use Spring Healths technology for their employees. After answering questions about personal problems and behaviors, employees are directed to an in-network provider who is given specific treatments that Spring Health determines are most likely to help that patient. Adds Chekroud: When people did what was predicted [for them], they were twice as likely to recover.

Encouraging outcomes are also apparent from smartphone-based chatbots that use AI to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which can help emotionally troubled people build life skills and self-compassion. CBT is a proven way to treat depression, and CBT-based chatbots, or conversational agents which simulate human conversation through voice and text have been shown to reduce depressive episodes in users after just two weeks of daily interaction.

For example, Woebot, a chatbot that Stanford University clinicians originally developed for college students, is now a downloadable app with venture funding. Woebot introduces itself as an emotional assistant that is like a wise little person you can consult with during difficult times, and not-so-difficult times. Its chatty interface is friendly and colloquial, gently probing about feelings and habits. This allows me to find patterns that are sometimes hard for humans to see, Woebot explains.

Chatbots like Woebot aim to tap into the root of psychotherapy a therapeutic relationship of trust, connection, and a patients belief that a provider understands and cares about their feelings, thoughts and experiences. Chatbots arent yet so sophisticated, but Woebot reminds you that it will check in every day, and a session ends with the app offering an element of positive psychology, such as practicing gratitude.

Clearly, AI has the potential to reshape mental-health care in powerful and meaningful ways if people choose to get help, or are able to find it. One of every five adults in the U.S. experienced mental illness in 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, but less than half received treatment. One reason is that psychiatrists and psychologists in the U.S. are concentrated in urban areas, mostly in the Northeast and on the West Coast. More than three times as many psychologists practice in New England, for example, than in the Gulf states. Many rural counties have no mental-health professionals.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to treatment is an age-old cultural stigma about mental illness and therapy. The irony is that while mental disorders now are more out in the open, privately many patients and their families carry shame and embarrassment about it. Add financial constraints and lack of health insurance for some, and its clear why many people who need psychological counseling go untreated. The gap in care is global: the World Health Organization reports that one in four people globally will suffer from psychological distress at some point in life, but two-thirds will never seek help.

Stigma is something we can do a great deal about, says Bandy Lee, a psychiatrist on the faculty of the Yale School of Medicines Law and Psychiatry Division. It takes very little to acquire an attitude of openness and educate the public in ways that could change the way we view mental illness. This has happened with cancer and AIDS we dont immediately prejudge the person because of the illness and we dont consider the illness to define the person.

Using AI-based tools to destigmatize mental illness, lower treatment costs, and promise care for people who have limited access to it would be a giant leap toward mainstreaming mental health. Moreover, for therapy-resistant people, virtual therapists present a unique solution. Just as patients are more likely to open up to a chatbot, studies show that people reveal more personal, intimate information face-to-face with a humanoid-like machine than to a live human. The AI in the virtual human, in turn, is designed to sense a persons intonation, movements and gestures for clues to their mental state.

Could machines that look, act and sound human replace psychologists and psychiatrists? Probably not that possibility is limited so far by a lack of technological understanding and infrastructure but many clinicians fear this future nonetheless. Virtual therapists are available anytime, anywhere. Theyre never tired, never fatigued; they can build a giant database of what you say and how you say it, says Skip Rizzo, director for medical virtual reality at the University of Southern Californias Institute for Creative Technologies.

Rizzo and his colleagues are leaders in the research and development of virtual humans for mental health treatment, but he insists that the technology exists solely to alleviate the shortage of providers. Were not making a doc in a box, Rizzo says. Were helping a person to put a toe in the water in a safe, anonymous place where they can explore their issues.

If all this sounds like science-fiction, it isnt. Consequently, like a dystopian science-fiction story, the known rewards of AI carry unknowable risks. AI poses sobering ethical issues that psychologists and psychiatrists, along with the data scientists and companies creating the technology, are just beginning to confront. Who owns your mental health? Who has access to the data? What happens if the data is hacked? Might your record be used against you by employers, by governments?

David Luxton, a clinical psychologist and an authority on the ethics of artificial intelligence in behavioral- and mental-health care, is concerned about these questions and more. Who is controlling the technology? he says. I would be reluctant to provide private information about my mental state on a mobile app or the internet. How do you know what the company is going to be doing with that information?

More chillingly, machine-learning algorithms can be biased. Algorithms look for patterns thats how Amazon and other retailers can tell you what to buy, given what youve purchased or shown interest in. But algorithmic patterns can be harmful, making systematic errors that, for instance, favor one ethnic or cultural group over another or define your emotional state based on incomplete data and inaccurate assumptions. Before long the pattern becomes self-reinforcing in its confirmation bias, leading to unfair and unfortunate results.

Given these dangers, the time is now, Luxton says, to revise and update codes and practices to ensure that AI-based mental health tools are used ethically, with particular attention to privacy and transparency rules and laws. Weve got this stuff in our hands, Luxton adds. Where are we going to be in the next 10 years?

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental-health crisis, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at any time at this toll-free telephone number: 1-800-273-8255.

Jonathan Burton is an editor and reporter at MarketWatch.

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Would you tell your innermost secrets to Alexa? How AI therapists could save you time and money on mental health care - MarketWatch

If it wasnt bad enough that Moores Law improvements in the density and cost of transistors is slowing. At the same time, the cost of designing chips and of the factories that are used to etch them is also on the rise. Any savings on any of these fronts will be most welcome to keep IT innovation leaping ahead.

One of the promising frontiers of research right now in chip design is using machine learning techniques to actually help with some of the tasks in the design process. We will be discussing this at our upcoming The Next AI Platform event in San Jose on March 10 with Elias Fallon, engineering director at Cadence Design Systems. (You can see the full agenda and register to attend at this link; we hope to see you there.) The use of machine learning in chip design was also one of the topics that Jeff Dean, a senior fellow in the Research Group at Google who has helped invent many of the hyperscalers key technologies, talked about in his keynote address at this weeks 2020 International Solid State Circuits Conference in San Francisco.

Google, as it turns out, has more than a passing interest in compute engines, being one of the large consumers of CPUs and GPUs in the world and also the designer of TPUs spanning from the edge to the datacenter for doing both machine learning inference and training. So this is not just an academic exercise for the search engine giant and public cloud contender particularly if it intends to keep advancing its TPU roadmap and if it decides, like rival Amazon Web Services, to start designing its own custom Arm server chips or decides to do custom Arm chips for its phones and other consumer devices.

With a certain amount of serendipity, some of the work that Google has been doing to run machine learning models across large numbers of different types of compute engines is feeding back into the work that it is doing to automate some of the placement and routing of IP blocks on an ASIC. (It is wonderful when an idea is fractal like that. . . .)

While the pod of TPUv3 systems that Google showed off back in May 2018 can mesh together 1,024 of the tensor processors (which had twice as many cores and about a 15 percent clock speed boost as far as we can tell) to deliver 106 petaflops of aggregate 16-bit half precision multiplication performance (with 32-bit accumulation) using Googles own and very clever bfloat16 data format. Those TPUv3 chips are all cross-coupled using a 3232 toroidal mesh so they can share data, and each TPUv3 core has its own bank of HBM2 memory. This TPUv3 pod is a huge aggregation of compute, which can do either machine learning training or inference, but it is not necessarily as large as Google needs to build. (We will be talking about Deans comments on the future of AI hardware and models in a separate story.)

Suffice it to say, Google is hedging with hybrid architectures that mix CPUs and GPUs and perhaps someday other accelerators for reinforcement learning workloads, and hence the research that Dean and his peers at Google have been involved in that are also being brought to bear on ASIC design.

One of the trends is that models are getting bigger, explains Dean. So the entire model doesnt necessarily fit on a single chip. If you have essentially large models, then model parallelism dividing the model up across multiple chips is important, and getting good performance by giving it a bunch of compute devices is non-trivial and it is not obvious how to do that effectively.

It is not as simple as taking the Message Passing Interface (MPI) that is used to dispatch work on massively parallel supercomputers and hacking it onto a machine learning framework like TensorFlow because of the heterogeneous nature of AI iron. But that might have been an interesting way to spread machine learning training workloads over a lot of compute elements, and some have done this. Google, like other hyperscalers, tends to build its own frameworks and protocols and datastores, informed by other technologies, of course.

Device placement meaning, putting the right neural network (or portion of the code that embodies it) on the right device at the right time for maximum throughput in the overall application is particularly important as neural network models get bigger than the memory space and the compute oomph of a single CPU, GPU, or TPU. And the problem is getting worse faster than the frameworks and hardware can keep up. Take a look:

The number of parameters just keeps growing and the number of devices being used in parallel also keeps growing. In fact, getting 128 GPUs or 128 TPUv3 processors (which is how you get the 512 cores in the chart above) to work in concert is quite an accomplishment, and is on par with the best that supercomputers could do back in the era before loosely coupled, massively parallel supercomputers using MPI took over and federated NUMA servers with actual shared memory were the norm in HPC more than two decades ago. As more and more devices are going to be lashed together in some fashion to handle these models, Google has been experimenting with using reinforcement learning (RL), a special subset of machine learning, to figure out where to best run neural network models at any given time as model ensembles are running on a collection of CPUs and GPUs. In this case, an initial policy is set for dispatching neural network models for processing, and the results are then fed back into the model for further adaptation, moving it toward more and more efficient running of those models.

In 2017, Google trained an RL model to do this work (you can see the paper here) and here is what the resulting placement looked like for the encoder and decoder, and the RL model to place the work on the two CPUs and four GPUs in the system under test ended up with 19.3 percent lower runtime for the training runs compared to the manually placed neural networks done by a human expert. Dean added that this RL-based placement of neural network work on the compute engines does kind of non-intuitive things to achieve that result, which is what seems to be the case with a lot of machine learning applications that, nonetheless, work as well or better than humans doing the same tasks. The issue is that it cant take a lot of RL compute oomph to place the work on the devices to run the neural networks that are being trained themselves. In 2018, Google did research to show how to scale computational graphs to over 80,000 operations (nodes), and last year, Google created what it calls a generalized device placement scheme for dataflow graphs with over 50,000 operations (nodes).

Then we start to think about using this instead of using it to place software computation on different computational devices, we started to think about it for could we use this to do placement and routing in ASIC chip design because the problems, if you squint at them, sort of look similar, says Dean. Reinforcement learning works really well for hard problems with clear rules like Chess or Go, and essentially we started asking ourselves: Can we get a reinforcement learning model to successfully play the game of ASIC chip layout?

There are a couple of challenges to doing this, according to Dean. For one thing, chess and Go both have a single objective, which is to win the game and not lose the game. (They are two sides of the same coin.) With the placement of IP blocks on an ASIC and the routing between them, there is not a simple win or lose and there are many objectives that you care about, such as area, timing, congestion, design rules, and so on. Even more daunting is the fact that the number of potential states that have to be managed by the neural network model for IP block placement is enormous, as this chart below shows:

Finally, the true reward function that drives the placement of IP blocks, which runs in EDA tools, takes many hours to run.

And so we have an architecture Im not going to get a lot of detail but essentially it tries to take a bunch of things that make up a chip design and then try to place them on the wafer, explains Dean, and he showed off some results of placing IP blocks on a low-powered machine learning accelerator chip (we presume this is the edge TPU that Google has created for its smartphones), with some areas intentionally blurred to keep us from learning the details of that chip. We have had a team of human experts places this IP block and they had a couple of proxy reward functions that are very cheap for us to evaluate; we evaluated them in two seconds instead of hours, which is really important because reinforcement learning is one where you iterate many times. So we have a machine learning-based placement system, and what you can see is that it sort of spreads out the logic a bit more rather than having it in quite such a rectangular area, and that has enabled it to get improvements in both congestion and wire length. And we have got comparable or superhuman results on all the different IP blocks that we have tried so far.

Note: I am not sure we want to call AI algorithms superhuman. At least if you dont want to have it banned.

Anyway, here is how that low-powered machine learning accelerator for the RL network versus people doing the IP block placement:

And here is a table that shows the difference between doing the placing and routing by hand and automating it with machine learning:

And finally, here is how the IP block on the TPU chip was handled by the RL network compared to the humans:

Look at how organic these AI-created IP blocks look compared to the Cartesian ones designed by humans. Fascinating.

Now having done this, Google then asked this question: Can we train a general agent that is quickly effective at placing a new design that it has never seen before? Which is precisely the point when you are making a new chip. So Google tested this generalized model against four different IP blocks from the TPU architecture and then also on the Ariane RISC-V processor architecture. This data pits people working with commercial tools and various levels tuning on the model:

And here is some more data on the placement and routing done on the Ariane RISC-V chips:

You can see that experience on other designs actually improves the results significantly, so essentially in twelve hours you can get the darkest blue bar, Dean says, referring to the first chart above, and then continues with the second chart above. And this graph showing the wireline costs where we see if you train from scratch, it actually takes the system a little while before it sort of makes some breakthrough insight and was able to significantly drop the wiring cost, where the pretrained policy has some general intuitions about chip design from seeing other designs and people that get to that level very quickly.

Just like we do ensembles of simulations to do better weather forecasting, Dean says that this kind of AI-juiced placement and routing of IP block sin chip design could be used to quickly generate many different layouts, with different tradeoffs. And in the event that some feature needs to be added, the AI-juiced chip design game could re-do a layout quickly, not taking months to do it.

And most importantly, this automated design assistance could radically drop the cost of creating new chips. These costs are going up exponentially, and data we have seen (thanks to IT industry luminary and Arista Networks chairman and chief technology officer Andy Bechtolsheim), an advanced chip design using 16 nanometer processes cost an average of $106.3 million, shifting to 10 nanometers pushed that up to $174.4 million, and the move to 7 nanometers costs $297.8 million, with projections for 5 nanometer chips to be on the order of $542.2 million. Nearly half of that cost has been and continues to be for software. So we know where to target some of those costs, and machine learning can help.

The question is will the chip design software makers embed AI and foster an explosion in chip designs that can be truly called Cambrian, and then make it up in volume like the rest of us have to do in our work? It will be interesting to see what happens here, and how research like that being done by Google will help.

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Google Teaches AI To Play The Game Of Chip Design - The Next Platform

Editors Note: This article was submitted in response to thecall for ideas issued by the co-chairs of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, Eric Schmidt and Robert Work. It addresses the third question (part a.), which asks how institutions, organizational structures, and infrastructure will affect AI development, and will artificial intelligence require the development of new institutions or changes to existing institutions.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is often portrayed as a single omnipotent force the computer as God. Often the AI is evil, or at least misguided. According to Hollywood, humans can outwit the computer (2001: A Space Odyssey), reason with it (Wargames), blow it up (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace), or be defeated by it (Dr. Strangelove). Sometimes the AI is an automated version of a human, perhaps a human fighters faithful companion (the robot R2-D2 in Star Wars).

These science fiction tropes are legitimate models for military discussion and many are being discussed. But there are other possibilities. In particular, machine learning may give rise to new forms of intelligence; not natural, but not really artificial if the term implies having been designed in detail by a person. Such new forms of intelligence may resemble that of humans or other animals, and we will discuss them using language associated with humans, but we are not discussing robots that have been deliberately programmed to emulate human intelligence. Through machine learning they have been programmed by their own experiences. We speculate that some of the characteristics that humans have evolved over millennia will also evolve in future AI, characteristics that have evolved purely for their success in a wide range of situations that are real, for humans, or simulated, for robots.

As the capabilities of AI-enabled robots increase, and in particular as behaviors emerge that are both complex and outside past human experience, how will we organize, train, and command them and the humans who will supervise and maintain them? Existing methods and structures, such as military ranks and doctrine, that have evolved over millennia to manage the complexity of human behavior will likely be necessary. But because robots will evolve new behaviors we cannot yet imagine, they are unlikely to be sufficient. Instead, the military and its partners will need to learn new types of organization and new approaches to training. It is impossible to predict what these will be but very possible they will differ greatly from approaches that have worked in the past. Ongoing experimentation will be essential.

How to Respond to AI Advances

The development of AI, especially machine learning, will lead to unpredictable new types of robots. Advances in AI suggest that humans will have the ability to create many types of robots, of different shapes, sizes, or degrees of independence or autonomy. It is conceivable that humans may one day be able to design tiny AI bullets to pierce only designated targets, automated aircraft to fly as loyal wingmen alongside human pilots, or thousands of AI fish to swim up an enemys river. Or we could design AI not as a device but as a global grid that analyzes vast amounts of diverse data. Multiple programs funded by the Department of Defense are on their way to developing robots with varying degrees of autonomy.

In science fiction, robots are often depicted as behaving in groups (like the robot dogs in Metalhead). Researchers inspired by animal behaviors have developed AI concepts such as swarms, in which relatively simple rules for each robot can result in complex emergent phenomena on a larger scale. This is a legitimate and important area of investigation. Nevertheless, simply imitating the known behaviors of animals has its limits. After observing the genocidal nature of military operations among ants, biologists Bert Holldobler and E. O. Wilson wrote, If ants had nuclear weapons, they would probably end the world in a week. Nor would we want to limit AI to imitating human behavior. In any case, a major point of machine learning is the possibility of uncovering new behaviors or strategies. Some of these will be very different from all past experience; human, animal, and automated. We will likely encounter behaviors that, although not human, are so complex that some human language, such as personality, may seem appropriately descriptive. Robots with new, sophisticated patterns of behavior may require new forms of organization.

Military structure and scheme of maneuver is key to victory. Groups often fight best when they dont simply swarm but execute sophisticated maneuvers in hierarchical structures. Modern military tactics were honed over centuries of experimentation and testing. This was a lengthy, expensive, and bloody process.

The development of appropriate organizations and tactics for AI systems will also likely be expensive, although one can hope that through the use of simulation it will not be bloody. But it may happen quickly. The competitive international environment creates pressure to use machine learning to develop AI organizational structure and tactics, techniques, and procedures as fast as possible.

Despite our considerable experience organizing humans, when dealing with robots with new, unfamiliar, and likely rapidly-evolving personalities we confront something of a blank slate. But we must think beyond established paradigms, beyond the computer as all-powerful or the computer as loyal sidekick.

Humans fight in a hierarchy of groups, each soldier in a squad or each battalion in a brigade exercising a combination of obedience and autonomy. Decisions are constantly made at all levels of the organization. Deciding what decisions can be made at what levels is itself an important decision. In an effective organization, decision-makers at all levels have a good idea of how others will act, even when direct communication is not possible.

Imagine an operation in which several hundred underwater robots are swimming up a river to accomplish a mission. They are spotted and attacked. A decision must be made: Should they retreat? Who decides? Communications will likely be imperfect. Some mid-level commander, likely one of the robot swimmers, will decide based on limited information. The decision will likely be difficult and depend on the intelligence, experience, and judgment of the robot commander. It is essential that the swimmers know who or what is issuing legitimate orders. That is, there will have to be some structure, some hierarchy.

The optimal unit structure will be worked out through experience. Achieving as much experience as possible in peacetime is essential. That means training.

Training Robot Warriors

Robots with AI-enabled technologies will have to be exercised regularly, partly to test them and understand their capabilities and partly to provide them with the opportunity to learn from recreating combat. This doesnt mean that each individual hardware item has to be trained, but that the software has to develop by learning from its mistakes in virtual testbeds and, to the extent that they are feasible, realistic field tests. People learn best from the most realistic training possible. There is no reason to expect machines to be any different in that regard. Furthermore, as capabilities, threats, and missions evolve, robots will need to be continuously trained and tested to maintain effectiveness.

Training may seem a strange word for machine learning in a simulated operational environment. But then, conventional training is human learning in a controlled environment. Robots, like humans, will need to learn what to expect from their comrades. And as they train and learn highly complex patterns, it may make sense to think of such patterns as personalities and memories. At least, the patterns may appear that way to the humans interacting with them. The point of such anthropomorphic language is not that the machines have become human, but that their complexity is such that it is helpful to think in these terms.

One big difference between people and machines is that, in theory at least, the products of machine learning, the code for these memories or personalities, can be uploaded directly from one very experienced robot to any number of others. If all robots are given identical training and the same coded memories, we might end up with a uniformity among a units members that, in the aggregate, is less than optimal for the unit as a whole.

Diversity of perspective is accepted as a valuable aid to human teamwork. Groupthink is widely understood to be a threat. Its reasonable to assume that diversity will also be beneficial to teams of robots. It may be desirable to create a library of many different personalities or memories that could be assigned to different robots for particular missions. Different personalities could be deliberately created by using somewhat different sets of training testbeds to develop software for the same mission.

If AI can create autonomous robots with human-like characteristics, what is the ideal personality mix for each mission? Again, we are using the anthropomorphic term personality for the details of the robots behavior patterns. One could call it a robots programming if that did not suggest the existence of an intentional programmer. The robots personalities have evolved from the robots participation in a very large number of simulations. It is unlikely that any human will fully understand a given personality or be able to fully predict all aspects of a robots behavior.

In a simple case, there may be one optimum personality for all the robots of one type. In more complicated situations, where robots will interact with each other, having robots that respond differently to the same stimuli could make a unit more robust. These are things that military planners can hope to learn through testing and training. Of course, attributes of personality that may have evolved for one set of situations may be less than optimal, or positively dangerous, in another. We talk a lot about artificial intelligence. We dont discuss artificial mental illness. But there is no reason to rule it out.

Of course, humans will need to be trained to interact with the machines. Machine learning systems already often exhibit sophisticated behaviors that are difficult to describe. Its unclear how future AI-enabled robots will behave in combat. Humans, and other robots, will need experience to know what to expect and to deal with any unexpected behaviors that may emerge. Planners need experience to know which plans might work.

But the human-robot relationship might turn out to be something completely different. For all of human history, generals have had to learn their soldiers capabilities. They knew best exactly what their troops could do. They could judge the psychological state of their subordinates. They might even know when they were being lied to. But todays commanders do not know, yet, what their AI might prove capable of. In a sense, it is the AI troops that will have to train their commanders.

In traditional military services, the primary peacetime occupation of the combat unit is training. Every single servicemember has to be trained up to the standard necessary for wartime proficiency. This is a huge task. In a robot unit, planners, maintainers, and logisticians will have to be trained to train and maintain the machines but may spend little time working on their hardware except during deployment.

What would the units look like? What is the optimal unit rank structure? How does the human rank structure relate to the robot rank structure? There are a million questions as we enter uncharted territory. The way to find out is to put robot units out onto test ranges where they can operate continuously, test software, and improve machine learning. AI units working together can learn and teach each other and humans.

Conclusion

AI-enabled robots will need to be organized, trained, and maintained. While these systems will have human-like characteristics, they will likely develop distinct personalities. The military will need an extensive training program to inform new doctrines and concepts to manage this powerful, but unprecedented, capability.

Its unclear what structures will prove effective to manage AI robots. Only by continuous experimentation can people, including computer scientists and military operators, understand the developing world of multi-unit human and robot forces. We must hope that experiments lead to correct solutions. There is no guarantee that we will get it right. But there is every reason to believe that as technology enables the development of new and more complex patterns of robot behavior, new types of military organizations will emerge.

Thomas Hamilton is a Senior Physical Scientist at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. He has a Ph.D. in physics from Columbia University and was a research astrophysicist at Harvard, Columbia, and Caltech before joining RAND. At RAND he has worked extensively on the employment of unmanned air vehicles and other technology issues for the Defense Department.

Image: Wikicommons (U.S. Air Force photo by Kevin L. Moses Sr.)

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How to Train Your AI Soldier Robots (and the Humans Who Command Them) - War on the Rocks

Staff at the Brander Library in Huntly want members of the public to find out more about what services they offer and to input into how services could be expanded.

HUNTLY'S Brander Library hosts an informal drop-in session next Saturday.

Local people are urged to go along to input into Live Life Aberdeenshires plans for developing libraries - sharing their opinions and ideas about future services.

Live Life Aberdeenshire wants to hear what people think about the current opening hours, the facilities and services provided by the library team and what additional services they would like to see.

It will also be a chance for people to discover more about the wide range of services available including digital support, press reader and e books.

An online survey on future library provision runs until the end of the month and has already attracted more than 5000 responses.

The Huntly session is one of 17 being held across Aberdeenshire which are intended to complement the survey, which seeks the opinions of those who use or dont yet use their local library.

A spokesman said: "Knowledgeable staff will be on hand to talk through planned changes and improvements, with a wealth of information about the ways in which libraries fit into community life at the moment.

"Modern libraries aim to be at the heart of their community - a safe and neutral space to browse, learn and meet people."

The open session is from 10am until 3.30pm on Saturday, February 29.

The online survey closes the same day and can be found at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ABSLIBRARIES

Excerpt from:
Open session for people to have their say on Huntly Library - Grampian Online

Arlington Central Library(1015 N. Quincy Street) next month will host an exhibition that pays tribute to women who have helped to shape Arlington.

The exhibit, open from March 5 to April 2, will display stories, photographs, letters and memorabilia, which spotlight individuals and groups of Arlington women who dedicate their work to improve their community and the lives of others, according to the library website.

Dubbed Womens Work: Then & Now, the exhibit coincides with both Arlington Countys centennial and the centennial of the 19th Amendment, whichgave women the right to vote and was passed in 1920.

Liza Mundy, the author ofCode Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II, will participate in an author talk after the opening reception, which is being held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 5. Attendees are asked to RSVP for the event.

More from the library website:

Discover and learn about the work of Anna Barber, Charlene Bickford, Ellen Bozman, Judith Brewer, Elizabeth Campbell, Gertrude Crocker, Pauline Haislip Duncan, Alice Fleet, Alice Foster, Saundra Green, Critchett Hodukavich, Seema Jain, Carolyn (Carrie) Johnson, Cintia Johnson, Dr. Phoebe Hall Knipling, Puwen Lee, Marguerete Luter, Mary A. R. Marshall, Sushmita Mazumdar, Ruby Lee Minar, Constance (Connie) Ramirez, Caroline Gary Romano, Cornelia Bruere Rose, Jr., Virginia Lillis Smith, Florence Starzynski, Margarite Syphax, Nancy Tate, Marjorie Varner, and Dr. Emma Violand-Sanchez.

The nominees, selected by the 16 exhibition partners, were based on their groundbreaking, visionary and ongoing contributions to the communities they serve. Also included in this exhibition, are women who were curated from the Center for Local Historys online exhibition, Womens Work: Stories of Persistence and Influence.

Original post:
Library to Host Exhibition Paying Tribute to Notable Arlington Women - ARLnow

LANCASTER

Early Voting: for the presidential primary Monday, Feb. 24, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Tuesday to Thursday, Feb. 25 to 27, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., town clerk's office.

Library Programs for Adults: Thayer Memorial Library, 717 Main St. Evening Adult Book Group discuses "The Fifth Ris," by Michael Lewis, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m.; the library will order the book. "Short Skirts, Oh My! A Women's History Lecture" with historian/storyteller Anne Barrett, Tuesday, March 17, 6:30 p.m., celebrating Women's History Month. "From Freedom to Flight - Changing Women's Roles During King Philip's War in New England," with author Christine Duffy Zerillo, Monday, March 23, 6:30 p.m.; Zerillo's book, "Still Here," compares Mary Rowlandson and native sachem, Weetamoo.

Library Programs for Children: Thayer Memorial Library, 717 Main St. Tween Book Group, Wednesday, Feb. 26, "Golden Boy," 6 p.m. Story Hour: Polar bears, Thursday, Feb. 27, 10:30 a.m. Story Hour, Friday, Feb. 28, 10:30 a.m. Leaping Lizards with Rainforet Reptile Shows, Wednesday, March 25, 1 p.m., early release day in Lancaster; program paid for by the Rosemary Davis Memorial Fund grant. To register, or for more information, call (978) 368-8928, ext. 5, or email caulfieldm@cwmars.org. Mommy & Me Bootcamp, led by Tiffany Normandin, Tuesdays, 4:15-5 p.m.

The Life and Times of Clara Endicott Sears: Sunday, March 8, 2 p.m.; Fellowship Hall, First Church of Christ, 725 Main St. Hosted by the Lancaster Historical Society and featuring a presenter from Fruitlands Museum. Free and open to the public; for information call (978) 733-6907.

Lancaster Garden Club Meeting: Sunday, March 15, 7 p.m.; Lancaster Community Center. Learning pruning basics. Presenter is Gretel Anspach. Members free, non-members $5. For details, visit lancastergardenclub.net.

Perkins Speakers Series: Janeway Education Center, 975 Main St. Marjatta Moimas presents Gentle Mindfulness for Wellbeing, 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, March 19.

Bread of Life Brunch Fundraiser: Sunday, March 22, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; SDA Village Church, 75 Sawyer St. Adults, $10, children $7 for a breakfast buffet to benefit the Bread of Life Ministry, helping to feed those in need. For information, call Becky, (978) 870-0266, or Sandra, (508) 304-4324.

Rabies immunizations: Saturday, March 28, 10:30 a.m.-noon; Town Hall parking lot, 701 Main St. The Nashoba Associated Boards of Health, in cooperation with local veterinarians, will provide rabies immunizations for dogs and cats. Cash only. Rabies immunization for dogs and cats over 6 months old, not previously immunized, and those with a (2017) rabies tag must be immunized. The vaccine provided at Nashoba Clinics is effective for three years for dogs and cats over one (1) year of age and currently immunized. Dogs and cats between the ages of 6 and 12 months and those who have let their immunization lapse must receive a booster within one year of the initial inoculation. They are then protected for three years. The charge per immunization is $15. All pet owners must present, to participating veterinarian, proof of current vaccination to receive a three-year rabies vaccination. Cats must be brought in cages or closed boxes during the last half of any clinic.

Bambino Buddy Ball: registration is open. Formerly Lancaster Challenger Baseball. This program is for physically and mentally challenged children and adults ages 5 and up. Games will be played Saturdays from 10 to 11 a.m. at Thayer Field. Due to growing number of players, the league more buddies/volunteers. No special baseball experience required, just a positive attitude. The Mark Fidrych Foundation has covered registration costs for all players; everyone plays for free. Players must register online at http://www.lancasterlittleleague.com; buddies/volunteers should contact Joe Kennedy at kennedy2004@comcast.net to indicate their interest and for information.

Engraved Brick Fundraiser: to support the Nathaniel Thayer Memorial Park Project, are available to order through the Thayer Field Foundation. Bricks will be used to enhance the playground with an accessible path and also be placed around the splash pad. Bricks start at $50 each and will continue through early spring. For information, visit https://polarengraving.com/thayerfield. Flyers, including an order form, are also available at the Thayer Memorial Library. In addition to purchasing bricks, donations may be made by check to "Thayer Field Foundation, Inc." and mailed to Thayer Field Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 225, Lancaster MA 01523. For questions, contact Sherry Cutler at ThayerParkBricks@gmail.com.

Mothertown Quilters: meets the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m., with social time at 6:30 p.m., from September through June; Fellowship Hall of the Village Church, South Lancaster (park in the fenced lot at the corner of Sawyer and Prescott streets and enter through the back door). Visitors are welcome for a $5 guest fee. Membership is open; dues are $25.

Seven Bridge Writers Collaborative: Thayer Memorial Library, 717 Main St., unless otherwise noted. For information, email 7bridgewriterscollaborative@gmail.com. The group meets weekly, and there is a free writing workshop the third Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m. For information, visit https://sevenbridge.org/seven-bridge-sessions/groups/writing-groups. The Scene Workshop with Richard Marcello, Saturday, Feb. 15, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Lancaster library. Writing People: How Characterization Works in Fiction, with Dave Daniel, Saturday, March 21, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at the Lancaster library; participants are encouraged to bring along a piece of their writing that introduces a character. Open Mic, Thursday, March 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at the Reuben Hoar Library, 41 Shattuck St., Littleton; five-minute limit to readings. Book Publishing and Marketing with Ursula Wong, Wednesdays, April 1 and 8, 6-9 p.m.; class size limited and fee based, at https://sevenbridge.org/seven-bridge-sessions/classes/publishing-and-marketing/. Deadline March 15.

New Recycling Center Procedures: The Lancaster Recycling Center will be open on the first and third weekend of the month from 10 a.m.-noon from January through March. There is a fixed charge of $3 per vehicle to enter the yard. Booklets of five coupons will be available for purchase for $15 at the recycling center during normal hours (Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to noon) and at the town clerk's office in the Prescott Building. Other fees continue as normal.

Ongoing Library Programs: Thayer Memorial Library, 717 Main St. For information, call (978) 368-8928, ext. 2, or visit thayermemoriallibrary.org. Monday movie matinee at 1 p.m., call to get the title. Knitting Group, 6-7:45 p.m. Tuesdays. Learn to knit from the pros or enjoy time together. All levels of experience welcome. Wachusett Toastmasters 7677, 7-8:30 p.m. Thursdays. This organization helps people develop speaking and leadership skills. Arrive 15 minutes early for networking. The Friends of the Thayer Memorial Library is actively seeking donations, CDs, DVDs and audiobooks for their annual book sale. Items can be dropped off in the lower level of the library near the coat rack. No textbooks, magazines, encyclopedias, Reader's Digest condensed books or books is poor condition.

Preschool Screenings: The Nashoba Regional School district is scheduling developmental screenings for all children 3 and 4 years old. This screening is a brief assessment of developmental milestones. Call Amy DeCiero at (978) 368-8482, ext. 1193, to schedule an appointment at Mary Rowlandson, 103 Hollywood Drive.

Veterans Services Department: The veteran services department provides healthcare applications, disability claim applications, widow pension applications, widow/survivor benefit applications, burial benefits applications, veteran cemetery applications, grave markers/symbols, state veterans benefits applications and obtain military discharge. For information, contact Richard Voutour, 1st Sgt. Marine Corps, Ret. veteran services officer, at rvoutour@leominster-ma.gov, or call (978) 706-1758, 8 a.m.-noon Tuesdays; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road.

Volunteer Drivers Needed: to deliver Meals on Wheels on Mondays and Thursdays for the Lancaster Council on Aging. Call (978) 733-4076. Angel drivers are also needed occasionally for those who cant drive for medical appointments, grocery or drug store errands.

Medical Equipment Loan Program: Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. Crutches, canes, commodes, wheelchairs and some first aid/incontinence supplies are available. For more information or questions, call (978) 733-4076 or email aturner@lancasterma.net.

Wellness Clinics: 8-10 a.m. first and fourth Tuesdays; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. VNA Care and Nashoba Nursing Services will assist with blood pressure, blood sugar and weight monitoring, cardiopulmonary assessments, teaching about medication, diet, disease management, etc.

Senior Outreach: for help with transportation, housing, food stamps, fuel assistance, health insurance, budget and taxes, fitness, caregiving and visits. For information, call (978) 733-1249, ext. 1109, or email mlargey@lancasterma.com.

Pickleball: reserved play: 9-11 a.m. Mondays; 9-11 a.m. 1-3 p.m. Wednesdays; 1-3 p.m. Thursdays; 9-11 a.m. Fridays. Open play: 1-3 p.m. Mondays; 6-9 p.m. Wednesdays; 7:15-9:15 p.m. Thursdays; 7-11 a.m. Saturdays, Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. All sessions are $3 per person. Bring clean, dry sneakers. Shawn Parker will coach and instruct beginners. Advanced players sign up for Wednesdays, with Dennis Prinos. For information, contact Marilyn Largey, community service liaison, at call (978) 733-4076 or email mlargey@lancasterma.com.

Insanity Live: 7 p.m. Mondays; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. Cost is $10 per class. To reserve a spot, contact Pam Weir at (978) 430-6753 or pamweirfitness@gmail.com. The class combines cardio, strength, flexibility and core work. Bring water and a towel.

Gentle Hatha Yoga: with Louise, 11 a.m. Monday and Thursday, 9:30 a.m. Saturdays 9:30 a.m.; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. Cost is $5 per class, $25 for six classes, $10 per session. For information, call (978) 733-4076 or email aturner@lancasterma.net. Taught by Louise Dorian. Mats and water provided.

Tai Chi and Quigong: with Jeff, 9:30 a.m. Mondays and 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. First class is free, then $5 per class, six classes for $25. For information, call (978) 733-4076. All ages and abilities welcome. No need to reserve.

Computer Help: with Jon Roper, 8:30 a.m. Tuesdays; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. Drop in for help with your laptop, iPad or phone. For information, call (978) 733-4076.

Pancake Breakfast: 8 a.m. Tuesdays; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. Suggested donation, $3. For information, contact Dave at (978) 263-7962 or drjames@james.net. All-you-can-eat breakfast with pancakes, eggs, sausage, fruit, muffins, choice of beverages and seasonal pancake selections. Sponsored by the Friends of Lancaster Seniors.

The Backstage Gym: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. Free. All are welcome with signed training release. Free for Lancaster residents. Use equipment or attend classes. To sign up or ask questions, call (978) 733-4076, or email coaadmin@lancasterma.net.

Puzzle Swap: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road.

Bingo: 1-3 p.m. Tuesdays; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. For information, call (978) 733-4076 or email aturner@lancasterma.net. Free coffee, treats and prizes.

Keep Moving Walking Club: 9-10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. Free. For information, call (978) 733-4076. Come early for pancakes, then walk it off. There is a striders and a strollers group. Bring a dog, water and your sneakers. Water and companionship are provided for a safe walk.

Chair/Arthritis Yoga: with Julianna, 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. Cost is $5 per person, $25 for six. For information, call (978) 733-4076. This class is designed for all ages and abilities.

Garden Chat: 12:30-2:30 p.m. Thursdays; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. For information, call (978) 733-4076 or email aturner@lancasterma.net. Swap seeds, notes and ideas, and always something to eat.

Mahjong Lessons: 10:45 a.m. Wednesdays; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. For information, call (978) 733-4076

Bridge: 1-4 p.m. Fridays; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. Calling ahead suggested, (978) 273-2418. Area residents are invited for friendly bridge games. Don't play? Watch and learn. Free. Suitable for all levels, novice to pro. Cards, teacher and friends provided.

Ballroom Dancing: 6-7 p.m. Thursdays; Lancaster Community Center, 39 Harvard Road. Drop in for $13, or a three-week session for $30. For information, call (978) 733-4076. A fun, casual class with Jim Cole, for beginners and pros alike. Come alone or bring friends. Bring a pair of dry, clean shoes to change into.

STERLING

Wellness Programs: at the Sterling Senior Center, 36 Muddy Pond Road. For information, call (978) 422-3032. Movement as Medicine, all access PT, Friday, Feb. 21, 12:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24, Caregivers Connect at the Sterling Senior Center, 9:30-11 a.m. MSNME Support Group (usually third Monday of the month), Monday, Feb. 24, 10:30 a.m. Senior Strong returns Fridays, 1 p.m., March 20-May 8; free, but a $25 deposit will be refunded if you meet attendance requirements. Call for more information. Parkinson's Support (usually third Wednesday), Wednesdays, Feb. 26 and March 18, 3:30 p.m. Walking Club, Wednesdays, 10 a.m. Zumba, Thursdays at 8 a.m., $5.

Radio Dramas: presented by Sterling Community Theatre, Friday Feb. 21, and Saturday, Feb. 22, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 23, 2 p.m.; Parish Hall of the First Church in Sterling, 6 Meetinghouse Hill Road. "Treasure Island" and "Around the World in Eighty Days" will be presented as a cabaret style, dessert theater. The radio drama will have actors voicing multiple characters and creating live sound effects. Tickets are $25, including gourmet desserts, and can be purchased online at http://www.sterlingtheatre.com.

AMVETS Post 38 Meeting: Monday, Feb. 24, 7 p.m.; Leominster Veterans Memorial Center, conference room, 100 West St., Leominster. For information, call (978) 537-1541

Adult Library Programs: Conant Public Library, 4 Meetinghouse Hill Road. For information or registration, call (978) 422-6409. Meditation for all ages, Monday, Feb. 24, 4:30 p.m.; Sterling Senior Center, 36 Muddy Pond Road. No registration required. Adult Coloring, Monday, Feb. 24, 6:30 p.m.; coloring books, colored pencils, markers and other supplies are provided, but participants can bring their own. No registration required. Cookbook Club, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 6:30 p.m.; participants will choose a recipe from "Bobby at Home: Fearless Flavors from my Kitchen," by Bobby Flay, and bring it to share. Call to register. Watercolor Painting, Tuesday, March 10, 1 p.m.; participants will learn tips and create their own painting. Free program for adults of all ages; registration required. Contemporary Book Club will be reading "Where the Crawdads Sing," by Delia Owens, on Thursday, March 19, 6:30 p.m. Copies of the book are available at the library; no registration required. Fused Glass Workshop, Tuesday, March 24, 4 p.m., with artist Deenie Pacik at the Sterling Senior Center; each participant will make a fused glass pendant, which the instructor will fire in her kiln. Participants can pick them up at the library at a later time. Adults, as well as children 9 and older, can participate for free; children 9-12 must be accompanied by their caregivers. Registration required. Women's Suffrage Satire: "Someone Must Wash the Dishes: An Anti-Suffrage Satire," Thursday, March 26, 7 p.m.; Chocksett Middle School, 40 Boutelle Road. The show pairs pro-Suffragist Marie Jenney Howes 1913 An Anti-Suffrage Monologue with a lecture explaining why womens voting would lead to anarchy, financial ruin, and make every home a hell on earth. Performed by professional actress Michle LaRue and directed by Warren Kliewer. No registration. Appetizer afternoon, Tuesday, March 31, 1 p.m. Prepare any appetizer at home, bring it and sample others. Registration required; let the staff know what you will bring.

Democratic Caucus: Monday, Feb. 24, 6:30 p.m.; Butterick Building, Room 205, 1 Park St. to elect delegates and alternates to the 2020 Mass. Democratic State Convention on May 30 at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. The caucus is open to all registered and pre-registered Democrats in Sterling. Pre-registered Democrats who will be 16 by Feb. 15 can participate and run as a delegate or alternate. Sterling can elect three delegates and three alternates. Youth, minorities, people with disabilities and LQBTQ individuals who are not elected as a delegate or alternate may apply to be an add-on delegate at the caucus or at http://www.massdems.org. Those interested in getting involved with the Sterling Democratic Town Committee should contact Fionuala Dullea at griffonlula@gmail.com.

Early Voting: for the March 3 Presidential Primary Election, Feb. 24-28, during normal town clerk business hours, Monday through Thursday, Feb. 24-27, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 28, 7:30-11:30 a.m. Voting is in Room 112, Butterick Municipal Building, 1 Park St.

Children's Library Programs: Conant Public Library, 4 Meetinghouse Hill Road. For information or to register, call (978) 422-6409. The library will be collecting donations of new pajamas for babies, toddlers and teens for the Boston Bruins PJ Drive, in partnership with Cradles to Crayons. Third- and fourth-grade book club, reading "Waylon! One Awesome Thing," by Sara Pennypacker, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m.; discussion and themed activity. Registration required. Drop-in sensory playtime for children up to 3 years and their caregivers, Thursday, Feb. 27, 10:30 a.m.-noon; featuring different interactive sensory play station. No registration. The new six-week session of Storytime starts March 22 and ends April 6. The following days and times will be offered: Mondays at 1 p.m., ages 2.5-7 years; Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m., 18 months-3 years; Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m., 2.5-7 years; and Thursdays at 11 a.m., drop in for babies up to 18 months old. Registration opens Monday, Feb. 24, 10 a.m. Older and younger sibling welcome. Call (978) 422-6409.

Sterling Business Forum: Thursday, Feb. 27, 5-7 p.m.; Sterling National Country Club, 33 Albright Road. Business networking forum hosted by the Sterling Economic Development Committee and Sterling Business Association. There will be appetizers and a cash bar.

Senior Center Programs: 36 Muddy Pond Road, call (978) 422-3032 for information and reservations. Pancake breakfast, sponsored by the Friends of the Sterling Seniors, Friday, Feb. 28, 7:30-9 a.m.; celebrity server, Rep. Kim Ferguson. Saturday Night Pitch, Saturday, March 7, 6:30 p.m.; sponsored by the Grange. Dull Men's Club, Tuesday, March 10, 9 a.m., Mass. Wildlife. Art reception for Jon Mack, Tuesday, March 10, 6-8 p.m. March birthday cake, Friday, March 13, noon; sponsored by Sterling Village. History Club, Friday, March 13, 1 p.m., "The Guns of August, Part 2." St. Patrick's Day luncheon (corned beef and cabbage dinner with soda bread and dessert), Wednesday, March 18, 11:30 a.m.; $3 suggested donation, sign-up required. Entertainment will be American-Irish step dancers. A Taste of Sterling, Sunday, March 22, 4-6 p.m.; Sterling Country Club. Tickets $15, available at the senior center. Peer Leaders pickleball tournament, Wednesday, March 25, 8:15 a.m.; Chocksett School. Meet at the senior center, sign up required. St. Patrick's dinner, Wednesday, March 25, 6 p.m., featuring Irish music with Larry; tickets $5 by March 20. Armchair Travel, Russia and Icons with Jim Woovis, Thursday, March 26, 3:30 p.m. Pancake breakfast, Friday, March 27, 7:30-9 a.m.; sponsored by the Friends of the Sterling Seniors. Dull Men's train excursion, Tuesday, March 31, to view Rich Hopkins' collection; van leaves at 1 p.m., returns at 3 p.m. Limited seats, sign-ups required. History Club, discussion led by Pat Fox of "A World Lit Only by Fire," by William Manchester, Friday, April 17, 1 p.m.

Home-cooked lunch served daily, 11:30 a.m., no reservation required; $3 suggested donation. ALFA Modern Italian Literature, Mondays, 2:30-4 p.m. SSC Singers, Mondays, 9:15 a.m. Advanced photography, Mondays at 1 p.m. Computer help sessions with Peter Cummings, Tuesdays, noon-3 p.m.; sign ups required. Bridge, Tuesdays, 1 p.m. Beginners acrylic painting, Wednesday, 9:30 a.m.; $5. Acrylic painting, Thursdays, 12:30 p.m.; $5. Beginners ukulele lessons, Thursdays, 1:30-2:15 p.m. Ukulele Club, Thursdays, 2:30 p.m.; Veterans services office, Fridays, 8 a.m.-noon.

2020 Medical Mission to La Romana: Volunteers from the First Church in Sterling are gearing up for the mission to La Romana, Dominican Republic, Feb. 28-March 8. Volunteers are looking for donations for the medical clinics in the sugarcane villages, Days for Girls feminine hygeiene and construction projects. Monetary donations can be sent to First Church in Sterling, PO Box 40, Sterling, MA 01564, checks made out to "First CHurch in Sterling" with "La Romana Mission" in the memo. Online payments can be made through CentralMALaRomana.org. Supplies can be dropped off at the church office or contact Doug Davis at (978) 265-7547. Needed are pain relievers, vitamins (prenatal, children's chewable, not gummy, adult multi-vitamins with iron), antibiotic and anti-fungal creams (clotrimzole, miconazole, lotrisone) and allergy medicines.

Hiram O. Taylor Post 189: American Legion meeting, Monday, March 2, 7:30 p.m.; post hall, 32 School St. Cheeseburgers, hot dogs and beans at 6:30 p.m. Executive Board at 6 p.m. Sterling Association drawing will be held. All are welcome.

Daughters of American Revolution: Capt. John Joslin, Jr. Chapter award ceremony, Saturday, March 7, at 10:30 a.m.; Leominster Veterans Center, 100 West St., Leominster. Elaine Perreault, DAR Good Citizen chairman, will present pins and certificates to seven area seniors elected DAR Good Citizens from their respective schools. Following the ceremony, a light lunch will be served. Chapter members will remain for the monthly business meeting in the afternoon.For more information contact Regent Brenda Morse at (508) 596-2095.

Meat Raffle: Sunday, March 15, 1 p.m.; Eight Point Sports Club, 147 Beaman Road. Put on by Hiram O. Taylor Post 189.

Sterling Grange Public Dinner: Saturday, March 28, 5:30 p.m.; Sterling Senior Center. Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, green beans, cole slaw and dessert will be served. Following dinner, a local Irish Step Dancing troupe will entertain. Cost for the dinner and entertainment is $15 for adults, $8 for children 6 to 12, and free for children 5 and under. Proceeds will benefit the Grange Hall Renovation Fund and community service projects. Reservations can be made by calling (508) 886-2341 or emailing your name and number of tickets to sterlinggrange53@gmail.com.

Village Green Preschool Scholarship: applications available in the guidance department of local high schools or via email from the preschool. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded each year to a graduating senior who attended VGP and plans to attend a two- or four-year accredited college or university. Completed applications must be postmarked by April 1. For information contact Preschool Director Linda Greene at (978) 422-8256 or sterlingvgp@gmail.com, or Scholarship Committee Chairman Kate Ingano at (774) 364-5835 or k_ingano@verizon.net.

Sterling EMS Scholarships: available for Sterling residents enrolled in a medically-related training program, both general and memorial scholarships. Deadline is April 30. Recipients of the Memorial Scholarship must be Sterling residents who are recent graduates entering an undergraduate post-secondary educational program in a medically-related field. Applicants must be graduates (or soon to be graduates) of an accredited high school, possess a GED, HiSET (or alternative) or have taken the Commonwealth of Massachusetts test of competency for home schooled/alternatively schooled individuals. Interested students can pick up an application form at: Sterling Fire Department, Conant Public Library and Butterick Municipal Building, as well as, guidance offices at several local high schools.

Community Lunch: noon, the first Saturday of the month; First Church of Sterling, Parish Hall, 6 Meetinghouse Hill Road. Free. No reservation required. Vegetarian dishes are also offered. The Parish Hall is handicap accessible. For volunteer opportunities, visit Signup.com/go/RRcJmPy or call (978) 422-6657.

Friends of the Library: seeks board members to support programs and resources for children and adults in Sterling. Learn more about the Friends at a board meeting the second Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the library in Sterling center. Or email friendsofconant@gmail.com. Membership forms are available at the library. To join online, visit SterlingLibrary.org, click on "About the Library," then "Friends of the Library."

Wachusett Area MSNME Support Group: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. every third Monday of month; Sterling Senior Center, 36 Muddy Pond Road. This support group is for people with any form of Multiple Sclerosis, for caregivers, family and friends to learn about current information, talking and sharing, snacks, games, etc. A home-cooked meal will be offered at 11:30 a.m. for $3. For information, call (978) 660-4744, or email mdkralc@aol.com.

Art/Photography Opportunity: The Sterling Senior Center Art Committee invites local artists and photographers interested in being considered for a future two-month showing to contact the center. For information, call (978) 422.3032. Candidates should have a minimum of 30 framed pieces suitable for hanging in the lobby and multipurpose room.

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Lancaster and Sterling calendars - The Item - The Gardner News

Necessary repairs of library spur application to HGTVs Hometown Makeover

ALMOND Community leaders in Almond had one big facelift in mind when applying for HGTVs Hometown Makeover.

The historic Almond 20th Century Club Library building, while it looks good from the road, is in urgent need of major renovation.

Years of vibrations from the road and the relentless pull of electric wires have loosened mortar, displaced bricks, and generated cracks that run right down through the ground-level concrete blocks, said Susan Steere, President of the Almond 20th Century Club. Windows need to be replaced with tempered glass. This work must be accomplished soon, as weather and traffic will continue to take their toll. Also, the kitchen last had a major upgrade in 1958, and there are several other planned improvements that would add to the buildings safety, attractiveness, and usability.

For more than two years, members of the Board of Trustees have been meeting with engineers, architects, contractors, and grant-writers. At the same time, the 20th Century Club and Library staff have stepped up their fundraising efforts.

This village hub and after-school haven needs a minimum of $20,000 in matching funds for the contractor to get started on the reconstruction scheduled for this summer, and as much as $125,000 much more than its entire annual tax-supported operating budget in order to continue to serve the public, without completely depleting its savings.

The library leadership got creative with the application for HGTVs offer of a Hometown Makeover, hoping for a shot of funding both for the library and other structures in Almond. The group imagines historic homes restored to their original glorious architecture, the playground rebuilt and perhaps even the old Coslos building given new life as apartments and shops.

Steele said HGTV has received the application. As part of the effort a few dozen Almond residents gathered on the steps of the library to show off their community pride.

Whether or not the Hometown Makeover application is successful, the effort has put the need for structural work on the library in the community spotlight.

A number of community meetings and fundraisers are coming up over the next several weeks.

The next meeting of the trustees is set for Feb. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Library.

The Library will host a Community Dish-to-Pass dinner on Saturday, Feb. 29 at 4:30 p.m. All are welcome. There's a sign-up form on the Library's Facebook page and walk-ins will be accepted.

The next meeting of the 20th Century Club will be Tuesday, March 10, at 7 p.m. Craig Braack will help visitors Learn About Our Backyard Birds of the Almond Area.

Among other fundraising efforts, the library will be hosting sales of Rada Cutlery online or through Club members. Details are still in the works.

The 20th Century Club has applied to receive funding as a charity from the Hot Dog Day Committee.

We would like to start monthly pancake breakfasts at the Library, but this will require the purchase of a new stove, as the current stove does not meet today's safety code, Steere added. The trustees have funds for the purchase of a new stove in the budget and are awaiting 20th Century Club approval.

We have held a quilt raffle with the drawing on Election Day for many, many years. The ladies who have made the quilt for the past several years will not be able to continue, however, due to health issues. We are looking for a new quilter.

To get involved, stop by the library.

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Almond leaders get creative with HGTV application - Hornell Evening Tribune

MIRI: Pustaka Negeri Sarawak Miri will hold the fifth edition of its Hobbies, Collections and Arts Exhibition today and tomorrow (Feb 22-23) at the ground floor foyer from 9am to 5pm on both days.

Open to the public, the highlights will be collectible figurines such as Gundam Mini, Transformer Robots, Warhammer, Star Wars, Hot Wheels, Marvel and Avengers, as well as drone and miniature aircrafts.

There will also be cosplay, Read Aloud Challenge, and singing competitions.

The interactive workshops include crafts workshop, Pinky Corner, Human Library Session, amigurumi, and painting for all ages.

The exhibition aims to promote creativity and thinking skills among the younger generation by showing them how to develop and maintain a special hobby, whether it would be collecting and trading items of value, playing games, or learning a new skill, said a press release yesterday.

For more information, contact Mohd Awis Abu Bakar or Suzanna Abdullah on 085-422525 or email [emailprotected] or [emailprotected]

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Library to hold fifth Hobbies, Collections and Arts Exhibition - The Borneo Post

For some, there is nothing comparable to the joy of cracking open a new book.

Bookworms all over Citrus County will be pleased to know that the Friends of the Citrus County Library System will host a Mega Book Sale Spring Fundraiser Friday, March 6, through Tuesday, March 10, at the Citrus County Auditorium at the Citrus County Fairgrounds, 3600 S. Florida Ave., Inverness.

The Friends of the Citrus County Library System is comprised of four county libraries: Central Ridge, Coastal Region, Lakes Region and Floral City. Each day of the sale will offer different deals and all of the profits made will go back into acquisitions of materials for these libraries.

The book sale kicks off at 5 p.m. Friday, March 6, with the cost of admission being only a $5 donation. As this is the first day of the sale, shoppers will have a large selection of books to choose from.

People are lined up outside on Friday night waiting to get in. Its really a big deal, said Cathy Lindell, Friends of the Citrus County Library System member. We will have thousands of books available of all genres. There will be something there for everyone.

Attendees will have quite the selection of items to choose from, as the book sale will offer more than books.

We will have DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, puzzles and of course, our Treasures section, which will offer special items of all kinds, Lindell said.

Shoppers can save by attending from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, when admission to the sale is free.

The sale will continue from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, where everything is half-price. With books already marked at such reasonable prices, this should be a huge day of savings for shoppers.

Most of our fiction books are $2, Lindell said. "At half-price, this will allow shoppers to bring home double the goods!"

For those who are able to wait it out, the sale will offer "$5 a bag day" from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday.

Well provide you a bag and you fit everything you can fit in it and it will only be $5, Lindell said. The sale will conclude Tuesday, running from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. as "$5 a box day."

Well give everyone a banana box and itll be $5 to fill it, Lindell said.

All are encouraged to come out and see what the sale has to offer.

Ive been involved with this for 3 or 4 years now and Ive never seen anything like it, Lindell said. Thousands of books just fill the auditorium. Its overwhelming.

Some things to know before attending:

Only cash or checks will be accepted as a form of payment. If paying with a check, photo ID is required.

Shoppers are encouraged to take advantage of the book sale holding area, where items may be left temporarily to be picked up when ready to check out. Items not picked up by the close of day will be restocked.

Personnel will be available to transport heavy boxes and/or bags to the parking area and load them into vehicles for patrons requiring assistance.

Pets are not permitted into the sale.

For information about the Mega Book Sale Spring Fundraiser, visit foccls.org or call 352-513-4935.

Excerpt from:
Friends of the Citrus County Library System to host Mega Book Sale - Citrus County Chronicle