Netizen: Singapore

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Monday, October 06, 2025

6: Singapore

Trump's Plan To invoke the Insurrection Act ..........

The direction we’re going is either martial law or civil war.

......... Americans from so-called “red” states, with the backing of their Republican governors and legislatures, are on the brink of using lethal force against Americans in so-called “blue” states, whose Democratic governors and legislatures strongly oppose the moves. ......... Trump has now ordered the deployment of 400 members of the Texas National Guard to several states, including Oregon and Illinois — ostensibly to protect ICE agents and facilities from protesters. The first group of Texas Guard troops is expected to arrive in Chicago tomorrow. .......... The troops are under the control of the Pentagon, with Trump as commander-in-chief. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that “the orders will be effective immediately for an initial period of 60 days.” ........... Late Sunday night, a federal judge in Oregon (appointed by Trump) temporarily blocked the mobilization of any state national guards to that state. Today, a federal judge in Illinois declined to block the deployment of National Guard units there. .............. What is Trump’s plan? What is the troika behind him (Stephen Miller, JD Vance, Russell Vought) seeking to accomplish, and how? ........... Trump and his enablers have worked this out in advance. At the Pentagon on September 30, 2025, Trump pitched the plan to use American soldiers for the purpose of punishing his political enemies.......... He told hundreds of United States military leaders that they must prioritize “defending the homeland” against the “invasion from within” in American cities run by “radical-left Democrats.” He stated his intention is to use certain cities “as training grounds for our military.” ............. The first step has been for the Department of Homeland Security to deploy ICE agents to use aggressive tactics in targeted cities. .......... ICE has sent masked and armed federal agents into cities with Democratic mayors — arresting and detaining people outside immigration courtrooms, firing tear gas and chemical munitions on city streets without warning, raiding homes and apartments in the middle of the night and arresting their occupants willy-nilly — including Americans and people legally in the country, and children, using racial profiling to stop anyone looking Latino and demand proof of citizenship without warrants, and detaining people they believe are here illegally, and doing so without due process. .............. The second step is for such aggressive tactics to provoke demonstrations, and for Trump to exaggerate the scale and severity of them. .............. Trump has described Portland as a “war-ravaged” city “burning to the ground,” with “insurrectionists all over the place.” In fact, demonstrations there had been muted and rarely expanded beyond a one-block radius of the immigration detention facility in the city. .......... On September 6, 2025, Trump posted on social media an image of the Chicago skyline in flames, stating “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,” including a depiction of himself in the image of the fictitious warmonger character Lt. Col. Kilgore from the 1979 film Apocalypse Now, titling the post “Chipocalypse Now.” ................. Yesterday, he described Chicago as a crime-ridden “war zone.” .............. The third step is for Trump and Hegseth to deploy federalized National Guard troops to control the demonstrators, an act that’s already enflaming the public and provoking some actual violence. .................. Until Trump’s announcement that he was sending troops into Portland, protests rarely numbered more than two dozen people. Since his announcement, clashes have become more violent. .................
The fourth step will be for Trump and Hegseth to invoke the Insurrection Act.
................ All of this is preamble for Trump’s real goal: to invoke the Insurrection Act, which empowers a president to deploy the U.S. military and to federalize the National Guard units of the individual states to suppress civil disorder, insurrection, or armed rebellion against the federal government of the United States. ............. It is a statutory exception to the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits the president’s power to deploy the U.S. military within the United States. ............... you need to be aware of this imminent danger. It’s unfolding very rapidly.

I fully authorized the President to call up 400 members of the Texas National Guard to ensure safety for federal officials.

You can either fully enforce protection for federal employees or get out of the way and let Texas Guard do it.

No Guard can match the training, skill, and… https://t.co/7SUk9XlMBn
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 6, 2025

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Sam Altman Says the GPT-5 Haters Got It All Wrong OpenAI's CEO explains that its large language model has been misunderstood—and that he's changed his attitude to AGI.

How the US got left behind in the global electric car race

नेपालमा भारी वर्षाका कारण भएको जनधनको क्षति पीडादायी छ। हामी यस कठिन समयमा नेपाली जनता र नेपाल सरकारको साथमा छौं। एक मित्रवत् छिमेकी र पहिलो रेस्पोन्डरको रूपमा भारत आवश्यक पर्ने कुनै पनि खाले सहयोग गर्न प्रतिबद्ध छ।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 5, 2025

Monday, July 14, 2025

Singapore’s Vertical Farming: Progress & Pitfalls

Here’s an in-depth analysis, exploring Singapore’s vertical farming, why it works there, why it has stumbled elsewhere, and whether its model can be replicated worldwide.

🌱 1. Singapore’s Vertical Farming: Progress & Pitfalls

Why it's gaining ground:

Strategic public backing – Singapore’s 30 by 30 initiative aims to produce 30 % of its nutritional needs locally by 2030 (ScienceDirect, Wikipedia). The government and agencies like the Singapore Food Agency fund urban agriculture through grants like the Agri‑Food Cluster Transformation Fund (FoodChain Magazine).
Space-minimizing tech – With < 1 % of land for farming, techniques like aeroponics and hydroponics stack vertically, dramatically boosting yield per square meter (FoodChain Magazine).
Climate control & year-round output – Indoor farming makes production resilient to seasonal or weather disruptions, a must in Singapore’s urban landscape (Wikipedia).
Notable successes – Sky Greens has operated aeroponic farms for over a decade. Growy’s automated setups target high yields (~500 t/year leafy greens) (hidropolitikakademi.org).

Still facing tough odds:

High operating costs – Energy for lighting, cooling, and automation remains steep in Singapore, meaning produce is often more expensive than imports (FoodChain Magazine).
Profitability struggles – Studies show local farms contribute only 3.2 % of vegetable consumption — far from the 30 % goal (FoodChain Magazine).
Tech risk points – Dependence on irrigation, HVAC, and automation means any glitch can jeopardize whole crops .

2. Why Vertical Farming Has Collapsed Elsewhere

Key challenges:

Energy intensity – LEDs and HVAC systems drive high electricity use; some farms use more emissions-intensive power than outdoor agriculture (AP News).
Wall‑of‑tech complexity – Sophisticated automation demands heavy maintenance; when systems fail, entire harvests are at risk .
Overhyped valuations – Venture capital rush led to unsustainable business plans focused on scale-over-margin; many firms went bankrupt or restructured (e.g., AeroFarms, Freight Farms, AppHarvest) (The New Yorker).
Crop limitations – Fast-cycling leafy greens and herbs are viable—but staples like grains, potatoes, and fruit are economically unfeasible indoors .
Market mismatch – Some ventures tried to compete on price with field-grown produce, failing to capitalize on premium, freshness or local marketing angles .

3. Can Other Cities Succeed?

Conditions that matter:

✅ Water-scarce or extreme climates – Places like Middle East, Sub‑Saharan Africa, or Arctic settlements benefit greatly from controlled farming (IDTechEx).
✅ Renewable-powered sites – Vertical farms near abundant solar or wind energy can significantly reduce operating costs (The Guardian).
✅ Focused crops & scale – Farms with a clear crop focus (like basil in the UK) and moderate size, aligned with nearby retail contracts, show much better viability .
✅ Policy support – Financial incentives, risk-sharing, and procurement commitments help bridge gaps during growth phases.

4. Can Singapore Be a Global Model?

Yes — but with caveats:

Policy-driven momentum – Singapore’s public‑private investment and centralized planning make its model replicable in similarly equipped city-states or regions.
Adaptability of tech – Grow-in-containers, retrofitted offices, even urban rooftops (as in urban food-desert initiatives) can emulate Singapore’s model (The Washington Post).
Progressive business models – The shift is toward mid-size farms serving local communities (schools, hospitals, food deserts) rather than monolithic high-tech monoliths (The Washington Post).

But scaled replication will depend on:

Access to affordable clean energy
Realistic crop strategies – focus on high-margin, local-demand produce
Robust tech operations with backup systems
Integrated supply chains — reliable buyers, marketing, distribution

5. A Blog-Ready Recap

Title: Can Vertical Farming Take Root Globally? Lessons From Singapore

Introduction:
Many once hailed vertical farming as urban agriculture’s holy grail—but costly setbacks in the UK, US, and Europe have tempered expectations. Yet in Singapore, vertical farms continue to log wins in a land-scarce, import-dependent nation.

Main Body:

The Singapore edge: A clear 30 by 30 goal, strong financial backing, minimal farmland, and cutting-edge indoor farming technologies.
What still holds them back: High energy bills, fragile tech dependency, and costly labor.
Global failures explained: Oversized ambition, lack of economic discipline, energy cost blindness, and unfit crop lines.
Blueprint for success elsewhere: Thrive where energy is cheap/renewable, crops are carefully picked, operations are mid-scale and resilient, and support is systemic.
Singapore as a model? Absolutely — but only for cities ready to adapt its principles: strong local support, technological smarts, clean energy, and supply-chain frameworks.

Conclusion:
Vertical farming works, but only under the right conditions. Singapore’s story proves the concept—but doesn’t pretend that vertical farms should entirely replace traditional agriculture. Rather, they can supplement local food systems, bolster resilience, and offer a vision worth pursuing — city by city, region by region, as part of a diversified and sustainable food future.

🌱 1. सिंगापुर में वर्टिकल फार्मिंग: सफलता की कहानी

क्यों सफल हो रही है:

सरकारी समर्थन – सिंगापुर की “30 बाय 30” योजना का लक्ष्य है कि 2030 तक देश अपनी 30% पोषणीय ज़रूरतें घरेलू उत्पादन से पूरी करे। इसके लिए सरकार ने अनुदानों और सब्सिडी के माध्यम से शहरी कृषि को बढ़ावा दिया है।
अंतरिक्ष की कुशलता – देश की कुल ज़मीन का 1% से भी कम कृषि योग्य है, इसलिए वर्टिकल फार्मिंग—जहाँ फसलें ऊपर की ओर कई स्तरों में उगाई जाती हैं—ने उत्पादन क्षमता को कई गुना बढ़ाया है।
मौसम-नियंत्रित कृषि – पूरी तरह से नियंत्रित वातावरण में फसलें मौसम से अप्रभावित रहती हैं और सालभर नियमित रूप से उत्पादन होता है।
प्रमुख उदाहरण – स्काय ग्रीन्स और Growy जैसे स्टार्टअप वर्टिकल फार्मिंग को व्यावसायिक स्तर पर सफलतापूर्वक चला रहे हैं।

चुनौतियाँ भी मौजूद हैं:

उच्च ऊर्जा लागत – एसी, लाइटिंग और ऑटोमेशन के लिए भारी बिजली की आवश्यकता होती है, जिससे लागत बढ़ती है।
लाभप्रदता की कमी – फिलहाल, सिंगापुर में वर्टिकल फार्म केवल 3.2% सब्जियों की आपूर्ति कर पा रहे हैं।
तकनीकी जोखिम – यदि किसी एक सिस्टम में खराबी आ जाए (जैसे पानी की आपूर्ति), तो पूरा उत्पादन खतरे में पड़ सकता है।

2. अन्य देशों में वर्टिकल फार्मिंग क्यों विफल रही?

मुख्य कारण:

ऊर्जा-गहन प्रणाली – बिजली पर अत्यधिक निर्भरता इसे आर्थिक रूप से अक्षम बनाती है, खासकर पारंपरिक कृषि के मुकाबले।
तकनीकी जटिलता – अत्यधिक स्वचालन और मशीनरी की मांग से संचालन और मरम्मत महंगे और कठिन हो जाते हैं।
अवास्तविक उम्मीदें – कई स्टार्टअप्स ने बिना लाभप्रदता सुनिश्चित किए बड़े पैमाने पर विस्तार किया और अंततः दिवालिया हो गए (जैसे AeroFarms, AppHarvest)।
फसल सीमाएँ – वर्टिकल फार्म में केवल कुछ विशेष प्रकार की सब्जियाँ और जड़ी-बूटियाँ ही आर्थिक रूप से व्यवहार्य होती हैं। चावल, गेहूं, आलू जैसी प्रमुख फसलें अभी तक अनुकूल नहीं हैं।
बाजार का गलत अनुमान – बहुत सी कंपनियाँ खुले खेतों में उगाई सब्जियों से मूल्य के स्तर पर प्रतिस्पर्धा करने की कोशिश करती हैं, जो असफल हो जाती हैं।

3. क्या अन्य शहरों में यह मॉडल सफल हो सकता है?

संभावनाएं कहाँ हैं:

✅ जहाँ पानी की कमी है या मौसम चरम है – जैसे मध्य-पूर्व, अफ्रीका के कुछ भाग, आर्कटिक क्षेत्र
✅ जहाँ सस्ती और स्वच्छ ऊर्जा उपलब्ध है – जैसे सौर ऊर्जा वाले रेगिस्तानी क्षेत्र
✅ सही फसल और माप – छोटे या मध्यम आकार के फार्म जो स्थानीय बाजार या संस्थानों को आपूर्ति करते हैं
✅ नीति समर्थन – अनुदान, सार्वजनिक खरीद, और तकनीकी सहायता आवश्यक है

4. क्या सिंगापुर एक वैश्विक मॉडल बन सकता है?

हाँ – लेकिन कुछ शर्तों के साथ:

नीति आधारित मॉडल – सिंगापुर का मॉडल उन शहरों में अपनाया जा सकता है जहाँ मजबूत सरकारी समर्थन और योजना है।
प्रौद्योगिकी की अनुकूलता – कंटेनरों में खेती, छतों पर ग्रीनहाउस, या खाली इमारतों में फार्मिंग – यह मॉडल लचीला है।
स्थानीय खाद्य आपूर्ति केंद्र – स्कूलों, अस्पतालों और समुदायों के लिए उत्पादन करने वाले मध्यम आकार के फार्म अधिक व्यवहार्य होते हैं।

लेकिन इसे सफल बनाने के लिए आवश्यक होगा:

कम लागत में स्वच्छ ऊर्जा
सही फसल चयन
सुदृढ़ तकनीकी संरचना
स्थानीय आपूर्ति श्रृंखला में एकीकरण

5. संक्षेप में: क्या वर्टिकल फार्मिंग वैश्विक समाधान बन सकती है?

शीर्षक: क्या वर्टिकल फार्मिंग वैश्विक स्तर पर सफल हो सकती है? सिंगापुर से सीखें

परिचय:
जहाँ दुनिया के कई हिस्सों में वर्टिकल फार्मिंग विफल रही है, वहीं सिंगापुर में यह पनप रही है। यह इस बात का प्रमाण है कि सही नीति, तकनीक और समर्थन के साथ यह मॉडल काम कर सकता है।

मुख्य बिंदु:

सिंगापुर की सफलता – कम भूमि, तकनीक का उपयोग, और स्पष्ट सरकार लक्ष्य
बाधाएँ – ऊर्जा लागत, तकनीकी निर्भरता, और सीमित फसलें
अन्य जगहों पर विफलता के कारण – अव्यावहारिक योजनाएँ, महंगे संचालन, और मार्केट मिक्स की गलतफहमी
वैश्विक समाधान – अगर शहर ऊर्जा, नीति और समुदाय आधारित कृषि में निवेश करें, तो यह मॉडल दोहराया जा सकता है।

निष्कर्ष:
वर्टिकल फार्मिंग पूरी दुनिया का खाद्य संकट हल नहीं कर सकती, लेकिन यह शहरों में ताज़ी, स्थानीय और टिकाऊ सब्जियाँ उपलब्ध कराने का एक महत्वपूर्ण हिस्सा बन सकती है। सिंगापुर का मॉडल एक बीज है — अब इसे बाकी दुनिया में उगाने की ज़रूरत है।

Tuesday, April 01, 2025

1: Singapore

Saturday, April 27, 2019

City Of The Future: Singapore

Friday, October 03, 2014

Smartphone Lenses That Move Sideways

Deutsch: Prinzip eines Zoom-Objektivs, stark vereinfacht. Die einzelne Linse ganz links stellt das Grundobjektiv dar. Die drei weiteren Linsen bilden gemeinsam ein afokales System. Selbst erstellt mit POVRAY 3.5 unter Verwendung freier Skripte und der frei verfügbaren Version von LINOS Photonics WinLens 4.3, Quellcode beim Uploader wegen eines Festplattenchrashs leider nicht mehr in einer funktionierenden Version vorhanden. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I probably use my phone as a camera more than anything else. Therefore I am all ears when something like this shows up in the news. I am not too hungry for more megapixels. But the lack of meaningful optical zoom has been a major problem from day one. It has been in the "God, give me the wisdom to accept things I can not change" category.

Lenses That Move Sideways Could Improve Smartphone Snaps

To pack a camera-quality optical zoom into a smartphone ...... For now, the DyanOptics lens prototypes can magnify objects up to three times larger than they really are. Chan says the company expects to magnify objects up to five or six times ..... Chan is already thinking beyond the smartphone. She believes the technology could find a home in the cameras strapped to drones or robots. ..... there are cameras everywhere