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Sunday, 30 August 2026 Reading Room

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Protecting Sri Lanka’s natural heritage: The leadership we need for next 75 years

After nearly 77 years of wildlife conservation, Sri Lanka must strengthen the institutions, professional leadership and political will needed to safeguard its natural heritage for generations to come. By Dilum Alagiyawanna Sri Lanka has a long and proud history of protecting its natural heritage. Generations of wildlife officers, forest officers, scientists, researchers, field staff and […]

island.lk ·

Sri Lanka has a rich history of wildlife conservation, with dedicated officers, scientists, researchers, and field staff working to protect forests, wildlife, and ecosystems. The Wildlife Department was established in 1949 following the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance of 1937 and the expansion of wildlife reserves. As the nation moves forward, it must consider what kind of leadership is needed for the next 75 years to safeguard its natural heritage.

The conservation landscape has changed significantly since the early days of protection efforts. Issues such as habitat fragmentation, climate change, human-elephant conflict, and invasive species now pose significant challenges. These problems are interconnected with various sectors like agriculture, energy, transportation, and tourism, making conservation a multidisciplinary national policy challenge.

Effective conservation leadership should combine administrative competence with scientific and technical understanding, field experience, strategic thinking, integrity, and a strong commitment to conservation outcomes. It should go beyond just administering conservation programs and become knowledge-driven institutions that generate, interpret, and apply scientific evidence to inform management decisions.

Dr. P. E. P. Deraniyagala serves as a prime example of scientific leadership in Sri Lanka's conservation history. As the first Director of the Department of National Museums, Dr. Deraniyagala combined scientific curiosity, intellectual independence, research capabilities, and a lifelong commitment to understanding Sri Lanka's natural heritage. He did not merely administer an institution but contributed to the body of knowledge that underpins our understanding of the country's natural heritage.

Rather than criticizing or dismantling existing institutions, Sri Lanka should focus on making them stronger and more scientifically capable. This means developing and appointing leaders with a diverse skill set, capable of navigating the complex challenges facing the country's natural resources in the 21st century.

Written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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Gardening the Moon's Cosmic Archives

When a meteoroid hits the Moon's surface, it does more than just dig up a little dirt. It actually excavates a little bit of cosmic history that recorded a long-ago supernova explosion. Scientists at the University of Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology have come up with a way to decode that history and learn something about…

·universetoday.com

[Video] Movie 'The Martian' Actual Background...A Crater on Mars With a Diameter Equivalent to the Distance Between Seoul and Busan 화성의 충돌구 '아레스 밸리스'가 실제 영화 '마션'의 배경이다. The Martian impact crater, Ares Vallis, is the actual background of the movie 'The Martian'. 최근 온라인 커뮤니티에는 영화 '마션'의 실제 배경인 아레스 밸리스에 대한 정보가 올라왔다. Recently, information about Ares Vallis, the actual background of the movie 'The Martian', has been shared on an online community. 공개된 사진에는 영화 '마션'에서 주인공이 거주했던 거처가 실제 아레스 밸리스의 모습과 비슷하다는 주장이 나왔다. In the released photos, it is claimed that the residence where the main character lived in the movie 'The Martian' resembles the actual appearance of Ares Vallis. 아레스 밸리스는 미국 항공우주국(NASA)이 1997년 7월 발사한 무인 우주탐사선 '마스 패스파인더'가 처음 발견했다. Ares Vallis was first discovered by NASA's Mars Pathfinder, an unmanned space probe launched in July 1997. 아레스 밸리스는 화성의 북반구에 위치한 거대한 충돌구로 지름이 1700km에 달한다. Ares Vallis is a massive impact crater located in the northern hemisphere of Mars, with a diameter of 1700km. 우리나라 서울에서 부산까지의 거리인 500km를 훌쩍 넘는 크기다. It is much larger than the distance from Seoul to Busan, which is 500km. 특히 아레스 밸리스는 과거 화성에 물이 있었다는 증거 중 하나다. In particular, Ares Vallis is one of the pieces of evidence that there was once water on Mars. 전문가들은 아레스 밸리스가 침식된 지층을 가지고 있어, 예전에 화성에서 물이 흘렀다고 보고 있다. Experts believe that Ares Vallis has eroded strata, indicating that water once flowed on Mars. 한편 영화 '마션'은 2035년 화성에서 우주비행사가 실종되어 지구로 귀환한다는 가정을 바탕으로 한다. Meanwhile, the movie 'The Martian' is based on the assumption that an astronaut goes missing on Mars in 2035 and returns to Earth. 영화는 리들리 스콧 감독이 메가폰을 잡고, 배우 맷 데이먼이 주인공을 맡았다. The film was directed by Ridley Scott and starred Matt Damon as the main character. 2015년 10월 개봉해 전 세계에서 6300만 달러의 수익을 올렸다. It was released in October 2015 and grossed $63 million worldwide.

·hani.co.kr

In the AI era, the best parenting is... 'teaching what doesn't change' 세계에서 인공지능(AI) 인재를 가장 많이 배출하는 캐나다의 인공지능 스타트업인 벡터 인사이트(Vector Institute) 최고경영자(CEO)인 유리 프리스트(Yuri Priest)는 20일(현지 시간) 한국경제신문사와 인터뷰에서 이같이 말했다. Yuri Priest, CEO of Vector Institute, a Canadian AI startup that produces the most AI talent in the world, said this in an interview with The Korea Economic Daily on the 20th. 프리스트 CEO는 “앞으로 10년 뒤에는 AI가 사람의 모든 능력을 뛰어넘을 것”이라며 “인간은 창의력·공감 능력·도덕성 같은 AI로 대체할 수 없는 고유의 능력 개발에 집중해야 한다”고 강조했다. Priest emphasized, "In 10 years, AI will surpass human capabilities. Humans should focus on developing unique abilities that cannot be replaced by AI, such as creativity, empathy, and morality." 그러면서 “부모들이 고민할 필요는 없다”며 “AI 시대에도 변하지 않는 가치를 가르치는 것이 최고의 교육”이라고 덧붙였다. He added, "Parents don't need to worry. Teaching values that don't change even in the AI era is the best education." 프리스트 CEO는 AI 인재 양성의 핵심으로 창의력과 상상력을 꼽았다. 그는 “인간은 상상력이 뛰어나고 창의적인 사고를 할 수 있기 때문에 AI로 대체되지 않는다”며 “AI는 주어진 데이터를 기반으로 작동하기 때문에 창의성을 발휘할 수 없다”고 말했다. Priest cited creativity and imagination as the key to nurturing AI talent. He said, "Humans are not replaced by AI because they have excellent imagination and can think creatively. AI cannot be creative because it operates based on given data." 프리스트 CEO는 “벡터 인사이트는 창의력과 상상력을 갖춘 인재를 양성하기 위해 토론토 대학교, 오타와 대학교와 협력하고 있다”며 “다양한 교육 프로그램을 개발하고 있다”고 말했다. Priest said, "Vector Institute is working with the University of Toronto and the University of Ottawa to nurture talent with creativity and imagination. We are developing various educational programs." 그는 “인간은 AI와 협업하고 공존하는 관계를 만들어가야 한다”며 “AI는 인간의 능력을 강화하는 도구로 사용돼야 한다”고 강조했다. He emphasized, "Humans should build a collaborative and coexisting relationship with AI. AI should be used as a tool to enhance human capabilities." 프리스트 CEO는 “인간은 감성, 공감 능력, 윤리, 도덕성 같은 고유의 능력으로 AI와 차별화할 수 있다”며 “인간은 AI로 대체되지 않는 능력을 개발하는 데 집중해야 한다”고 말했다. Priest said, "Humans can be differentiated from AI with unique abilities such as emotion, empathy, ethics, and morality. Humans should focus on developing abilities that cannot be replaced by AI." 그는 “AI는 데이터의 양과 질에 좌지우지된다”며 “AI가 올바른 방향으로 작동하기 위해서는 데이터의 품질 관리가 중요하다”고 덧붙였다. He added, "AI is determined by the quantity and quality of data. Data quality management is important for AI to function in the right direction." 프리스트 CEO는 “벡터 인사이트는 AI가 사회에 긍정적인 영향을 미칠 수 있도록 하는 기술을 개발하고 있다”며 “AI 윤리와 데이터 품질 관리에 중점을 두고 있다”고 말했다. Priest said, "Vector Institute is developing technology that allows AI to have a positive impact on society. We focus on AI ethics and data quality management." 그는 “AI는 인간의 친구가 될 수 있다”며 “인간과 AI가 함께 공존하는 세상을 만들어가야 한다”고 강조했다. He emphasized, "AI can be a friend to humans. We should build a world where humans and AI coexist together." 프리스트 CEO는 캐나다의 대표적인 AI 연구기관인 딥마인드(DeepMind) 출신으로, 2016년 벡터 인사이트를 설립했다. Priest is from DeepMind, a renowned Canadian AI research institution, and founded Vector Institute in 2016.

·hani.co.kr

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