Thousands of Penguins Die Due To Ice Break Up in Summer
Around 10,000 young birds are said to have perished in the Antarctic due to a catastrophic die-off of emperor penguin chicks. By this point, it is December, and Antarctica is entering its summer season. The season’s ice soon breaks up, allowing the colony’s newest members to accompany the adults into the ocean in safety to hunt. Before the chicks could grow the water-resistant feathers required to swim in the ocean, the sea-ice beneath them melted and disintegrated. The birds most likely perished by freezing or drowning. The incident took place in the west of the continent, close to the Bellingshausen Sea, in late 2022. Satellites captured it for analysis. The wipeout, according to Dr. Peter Fretwell of the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), was a sign of things to come. The existence of ice beneath those little feet is essential to the survival of every new generation of emperor penguins. The uncharacteristically early melting of Antarctica’s winter sea ice last year was terrible for the species, as many biologists had anticipated. The Penguins After finishing that investigation, the British Antarctic Survey’s Peter Fretwell, the study’s primary author, claimed he looked at satellite photographs of the remaining 66 colonies of emperor penguins on the continent. He claimed that in 19 of them, or over 30%, it is thought that the majority, if not all, of the chicks perished by freezing to death or drowning as the ice that had supported them melted into the sea. Although isolated seasons of unsuccessful breeding can occasionally occur in particular colonies, “this is the first time we’ve really seen a whole area be lost because of the sea ice,” said Fretwell, a mapping specialist. As the Southern Hemisphere winter nears in March, adult birds leap onto the sea ice. They engage in courtship, copulate, lay eggs, and raise the young from those eggs for several months until it is time for them to venture out into the world on their own. Research Team Before thousands of chicks had a chance to fledge the slick feathers needed for swimming, the sea ice beneath emperor rookeries began to disintegrate in November, as seen by the research team. As a result, four of the colonies completely failed to reproduce. Only the site at Rothschild Island, which is the farthest north, had some success. Moreover, since 2016, the amount of sea ice that forms during the summer months in Antarctica has been rapidly declining, reaching new lows. The Bellingshausen had essentially no ice cover in either of the two most recent summer seasons, 2021/22 and 2022/23, which were the two lowest years ever recorded.
Mosquito-Borne Virus Detected in New York and Alabama
Officials said that one fatality and two instances of a rare mosquito-borne virus have been documented in Alabama. Spanish Fort, Alabama, which is nine miles east of Mobile, reported cases of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) on Facebook. The names, ages, and sexes of the patients were not disclosed by the Alabama Department of Public Health. The cases are the first to be recorded in the state this year, according to Dr. Wes Stubblefield, a district medical officer with the ADPH, who spoke to ABC News. Only eight cases were reported in Alabama between 2003 and 2022, he claimed. Symptoms of Eastern Equine Encephalitis It can proceed from a high temperature, headache, chills, and nausea to seizures, confusion, and coma. The survivors could experience neurological problems. According to some, those under 15 and over 50 are more in danger. Not everyone who contracts the virus experiences symptoms, and many eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus infections result in silent infection. For individuals who experience symptoms, the incubation period lasts between 4 and 10 days. Alabama Cases The instances in Alabama were recorded in Baldwin County “in the past few weeks,” the state’s Department of Public Health stated in a news release on Monday. The virus has been identified in New York in horses in the counties of St. Lawrence and Franklin as well as in mosquitoes in the county of Onondaga, according to an announcement from the State Department of Health on Tuesday. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only a small number of human cases of Eastern equine encephalitis are documented in the US each year, mostly in Eastern or Gulf Coast states. It can, however, result in very serious illness. According to the CDC, “about 30% of people with EEE die, and many survivors have ongoing neurologic problems.” “People of all ages are susceptible to infection, but people over 50 and younger than 15 are at greatest risk of acquiring the virus,” the New York Health Department says. “While most people bitten by an infected mosquito will not develop any symptoms, severe cases begin with the sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills, and vomiting. The illness may then progress into disorientation, seizures, encephalitis, and coma.” Avoiding mosquito bites is the most effective strategy to prevent infection. The CDC advises using insect repellents that contain DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus, among other substances. Wear long sleeves and long pants when outside. To kill or deter mosquitoes, clothing may also be coated with 0.5% permethrin. Look for any standing water in your yard where mosquitoes might lay their eggs.
YouTube Pulls Down Fake Cancer Treatment Videos
The world’s most popular video-sharing website, YouTube, has stated that it would be strictly implementing its revised medical misinformation policy, which will include a crackdown on misleading claims regarding cancer treatments. This is a significant step in the fight against the spread of medical misinformation. This decision is a result of the platform’s ongoing efforts to guarantee the accuracy and authenticity of health and wellbeing-related material. Strengthened Medical Misinformation Policy YouTube will be more aggressive in finding and eliminating content that supports false or unproven claims about cancer treatments under the recently updated policy. In response to the rising worry about the spread of false information that can threaten people’s lives, this has been done. The platform seeks to give consumers access to reliable and trustworthy material by outlining precise principles and criteria to discern between genuine information and unfounded claims. Crackdown on False Cancer Treatment Claims As part of a larger effort to fight medical misinformation, YouTube is taking action against incorrect claims made about cancer treatments. This dedication is demonstrated by the platform’s use of cutting-edge algorithms and user input to find and eliminate content that breaks its guidelines. YouTube is protecting its viewers and advancing the worldwide effort to ensure correct health information spread by exposing false claims relating to cancer treatments. YouTube is going to use strong keyword-monitoring algorithms to find and filter videos that could be promoting fake cancer treatments. Identify false content, this requires an in-depth review of the tags, descriptions, and titles of videos. Additionally, the platform will be improving its algorithms to identify patterns linked to medical misinformation with greater efficiency, allowing for the quicker identification and removal of offensive films. Collaboration with Medical Experts YouTube has made it clear that it plans to work with medical organizations and specialists in recognition of the complexity of medical knowledge. The purpose of this collaboration is to give consumers trustworthy information and validate the accuracy of health-related content. In order to ensure that users can make knowledgeable decisions about their health, the platform aims to close the knowledge gap between user-generated material and expert-approved knowledge by including specialists. User Reporting Mechanism YouTube honours the community’s contribution to maintaining the integrity of the platform’s content. In order to accomplish this, it invites viewers to submit films that spread false information about cancer treatments or other types of medical rumours. User reports are a vital part of the platform’s automatic detection systems, giving an in-depth review of potentially dangerous information. The move by YouTube to forbid misleading statements on treatments for cancer under its policy against medical misinformation is a big step in the right direction for guaranteeing the accuracy of health-related material on the site. Through tightening its policies, working with medical professionals, and utilizing modern algorithms, YouTube hopes to make it a safer place for those looking for accurate data on cancer therapies. With the growing fight against false information about medicine, this action is a great model for other websites to copy.
OKIE Sustains Impressive Surge in Indian Consumer Electronics Market, Aims for 100 Crore Sales and 100,000 Unit Sales Target
Mumbai, 24 th August 2023: OKIE, India’s leading homegrown home entertainment brand, has reaffirmed its position as a prominent player in the ever-evolving consumer electronics landscape. With a strong offline presence of 2500 retailers across 45 locations in 8 states, Its flagship Smart LED TVs sold almost 30000 units across seven states by the end of the fiscal year 2022-2023, with over 25,000 units sold during the pandemic itself. And in the last three years, the brand has expanded extensively and now aims for INR 100 crore in sales with a target of selling 100,000 units in CY 2023. In India, most consumers still prioritise affordability in their electronics purchases. Despite this high price sensitivity, the consumer electronics market is on track to reach INR 12,898.89 Bn by 2027. From the very beginning, OKIE has embraced and understood this reality and leveraged it to its advantage by focusing on competitively priced, top-quality products. This commitment is evident in its flagship Smart LED TVs, available in sizes from 24″ to 86″. These cutting-edge TVs feature Google TV, WebOS Powered by LG, and Cloud OS, catering to a wide range of preferences. There is also OKIE’s upcoming Sports Series Smart TVs, with prices starting at just Rs. 9,990/- for the 32-inch model, Rs. 17,999/- for the 40-inch model, and Rs. 19,999/- for the 43-inch model, offering advanced features such as full HD display, 4K Ultra HD resolution, in-built voice control, and a powerful 10+10 watt sound output. With a diverse range of such Smart TVs and other home entertainment electronic products, OKIE has firmly established itself in the Western and Southern regions of India, majorly in pivotal states such as Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Planning to enter in North India States Like Punjab, Haryana, J&K. “OKIE’s growth thrives on unwavering dedication to innovation and quality, essential to our mission of offering exceptional value. Despite challenges, we deliver innovative, high-quality products at fair prices. Our versatile marketing approach merges traditional and digital channels with state-of-the-art tech, enabling us to expand beyond urban areas into tier 2 and 3 markets aggressively. We believe in making the latest tech accessible across diverse geographies, even in smaller cities, swiftly and affordably. Our distinct products and services set us apart,” said Jitin Masand, Founder and Managing Director of OKIE. “We have an upcoming line of investment in expansion, a significant portion of which will be used to expand our capacity from the current 5000 TVs per month to 15,000 TVs. We will also extend our reach by establishing a presence in 10,000 stores across 100 locations by year-end,” added Masand. About OKIE Headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, Okie is a leading home entertainment brand in India. Founded in 2011 by Jitin Masand, who also serves as the Managing Director, the company is committed to providing innovative and high-quality entertainment products with a strong focus on tier 2 and tier 3 markets. With a wide network of 7500+ retailers and 100+ distributors. Okie is present in the Western and Southern regions of India, with a reach in over 8 states, majorly in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana & Kerala. Okie is planning to sell over 10,00,00 LED TVs in the current year. Looking ahead, OKIE is set to introduce the transformative “Okie Experience Zone,” an immersive platform that elevates the customer buying journey by offering a comprehensive range of brand products. With a steadfast commitment to being the preferred destination for cutting-edge entertainment solutions, OKIE is poised to shape the future of home entertainment. For more details, please visit https://www.okietv.in/.
Future of Education: Khan Academy’s Khanmigo AI!
There have been countless discussions about incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into the classroom among educators and subject matter specialists. While others are suspicious of how it can encourage cheating and produce false results, Khan Academy sees the benefits. Khan Academy introduces Khanmigo, an AI instructor. The AI will be tested by more than 8,000 teachers and students. This AI-powered tool attempts to provide kids with tailored coaching and keep them interested with interactive elements. Khanmigo, which was first introduced in March to just 800 educators and students. Khanmigo enables students to chat with a growing number of AI-powered historical figures, including Martin Luther King Jr., and Cleopatra, as well as fictional characters like Hamlet and Winnie the Pooh. The Technical Benefits According to Kristen DiCerbo, chief learning officer at Khan Academy, who spoke to CNN, Khanmigo helps with a problem she has personally observed while observing a classroom in Arizona: when children learn something new, they frequently need specialized attention —more aid than one teacher can offer all at once. During a Khanmigo technology presentation for CNN, DiCerbo spoke with an AI-powered Dorothy from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and described how users can assess Khanmigo’s responses in real-time and provide feedback if and when Khanmigo makes mistakes. Students can message the chatbot with questions or prompts like “I’d love to meet Christopher Columbus and the Khanmigo will talk as the personality, in turn giving history lessons. More on Khanmigo Khanmigo is equipped with knowledge going from history to current affairs. Khan Academy used OpenAI’s GPT-4 to create Khanmigo. In order to maintain Khanmigo’s positive tone and avoid providing students with the solution to their problems, the firm also put in place guardrails. A writing coach to help students build narratives is one of Khanmigo’s features, along with individualized assistance for resolving math, science, and humanities difficulties, a debate tool covering subjects like student debt cancellation and AI’s effect on the job market, and a tool for generating arguments. Additionally, it gives pupils the extraordinary chance to communicate with AI-powered historical and literary personalities. Concerns However, worries have been expressed over the potential for the chatbot tutor to be used as a means of cheating in the classroom. According to detractors, the AI’s speedy production of original replies can encourage pupils to plagiarize or provide false information. Additionally, despite the chatbot tutor’s occasionally comically erroneous responses, it offers students the chance to examine information critically and distinguish between correct and incorrect answers. To enhance analytical abilities and build a deeper comprehension of the subject matter, critical thinking is crucial.
Indian Prodigy R. Praggnanandhaa To Play For World Title.
Chess lovers in India are thrilled that R Praggnanandhaa will compete against world number one Magnus Carlsen in the World Cup final. Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, 18, will face the five-time world champion after beating Fabiano Caruana in a difficult match to advance to the Baku, Azerbaijan final. It comes more than a year after Praggnanandhaa stunned the chess community by defeating Carlsen in an online elite rapid chess competition. He did so by outplaying the Norwegian, who had held the title of world champion since 2013 and was the youngest player to do so. The Chess Prodigy The teen is now the third-youngest participant in the Candidates Tournament, which will be held the following year to select a contender for the title of world champion. When they were both 16 years old, Carlsen and American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer had already qualified for the competition. When he achieved the youngest International Master in the game’s history, he was only 10 years old. Two years later, in 2018, he achieved the second-youngest grandmaster title in chess history. He became just the third Indian to overcome the Norwegian grandmaster when he overcame Carlsen at the Airthings Masters, an online quick tournament, last year. “I think maybe some people see me (as a role model),” he said. “I don’t know, because I think for me, all the top players are role models because each one has different qualities to learn from. And if someone can learn something from me, that’s good.” Making of The Prodigy Hailing from Chennai, known as India’s ” chess capital, ” R Praggnanandhaa started the game at just 2 years old. His interest peaked as his older sister, Vaishali, played the game, as a 6-year-old. Vaishali also became a grandmaster and an international master in 2021. He finished second in the Indian championships for under-7s at the age of 6, took home the gold at the Asian Championships, and then won the under-8 and under-10 World Youth Chess Championships.After winning his ninth-round match at the KIIT International Chess Festival in Bhubaneswar, India, in 2016, he then made chess history. Praggnanandhaa received his third international master norm, a recognition for excellence in performance at a competition. He achieved the youngest-ever status of international chess master at the age of 10 years, 10 months, and 19 days after having already acquired two previous norms.
Luna-25 Moon Lander: A Bittersweet Conclusion to a Bold Mission
Mission Overview and Expectations In a momentous but sobering event, the Luna-25 lunar moon lander, a project of major importance to the global space community, came to an unexpected and dramatic end when it crashed onto the lunar surface. The mission lived up to high expectations as it was to be the last in a series of Russian lunar exploration attempts and Luna-25 was tasked with exploring the Moon’s polar regions like never before. Luna-25, also known as “Luna-Glob”, was designed for detailed reconnaissance and analysis of the moon’s south polar region. The choice of lunar noon was deliberate as it provides valuable information about the history of our solar system and could potentially provide clues to the presence of water ice on the moon. The Unforeseen Crash and Mission Implications The lunar exploration community was impatient as Luna-25 began descending onto the lunar surface. However, hopes turned to disappointment when the mission ended with an unexpected and dramatic impact on the lunar surface. While the technical details of the crash are not yet known, experts believe a combination of factors ranging from propulsion system failures to propulsion problems may have contributed to the unfortunate outcome. The Luna 25 incident, while depressing, provides important information and lessons for future lunar missions. The complexity of space travel, particularly the challenges of landing on distant celestial bodies, underscores the need for careful planning, rigorous testing, and redundancy in critical systems. The Way Forward: Learning from Luna-25’s Experience The failure of Luna-25, while disappointing, does not mean the end of lunar exploration. The global space community is continuing with ambitious lunar exploration plans, building on the experience and lessons learned from missions like Luna-25. Future missions will no doubt involve better security measures, better technologies, and closer cooperation between international partners. After the Luna 25 disaster, the Russian space agency Roscosmos expressed its commitment to analyse mission data to determine the exact cause of the failure. This commitment to transparency and learning from mistakes is essential to advance space exploration and prevent similar accidents in the future.
UK Inflation Slows to 6.8% but Services See Escalating Costs
In a new turn of events, the Unified Realm’s expansion rate has shown a slight deceleration, retreating to 6.8% from its past pinnacle. Nonetheless, this evident reprieve in the general expansion figures veils a disturbing pattern – the expense of administrations keeps on flooding, overwhelming shoppers’ wallets. Inflation Moderation Signals Economic Shift The latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that UK inflation has eased slightly from a peak of 7.2%, offering a glimmer of hope for consumers and policymakers. Factors such as stabilizing energy prices and lower global commodity costs have helped ease inflationary pressures. While this moderation may bring temporary relief to families struggling with the high cost of living, experts warn against celebrating too soon. Headline inflation remains well above the Bank of England’s target, requiring continued monitoring and possible intervention. Service Sector Costs Skyrocket Despite the apparent slowdown in headline inflation, the service sector has taken a different tack. A closer look at the data reveals that the cost of services is steadily increasing, hitting consumers where it hurts most: in their everyday shopping. The cost of services, from health and education to leisure and hospitality, is trending upward and exceeding the overall rate of inflation. This discrepancy is attributed to a variety of factors, including labour shortages, supply chain disruptions, and increased demand due to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions. Consumers Grapple with Rising Expenses For ordinary consumers, the ever-increasing costs of the service sector are a growing problem. Households are feeling the effects of the crisis as spending on essential services and discretionary spending continues to rise. Experts warn that this trend could hamper the economic recovery from the pandemic and weaken consumer spending and confidence. The increase in the cost of services is particularly evident in sectors where interaction between people and skilled workers plays an important role. In industries like healthcare, education, and hospitality, costs have skyrocketed, which is a drain on both consumers and businesses. Policy Implications and Future Outlook As the UK economy grapples with a complex web of inflationary factors, policymakers face a tricky task of balancing them out. While subdued headline inflation is a positive sign, rising service sector costs deserve attention. The Bank of England needs to carefully adjust monetary policy to reflect these different trends. The coming months will be decisive in determining whether headline inflation can be kept low and whether spiraling costs in the service sector can be contained. As the country yearns for stability and growth, addressing the challenges of rising basic service costs remains a top priority for policymakers and economists.
Cricketer Ajinkya Rahane Mentors Students from Salaam Bombay Foundation’s Fitness Program
Salaam Bombay Foundation’s “Fitness Monitors” had the unique opportunity to interact with Mr. Rahane and receive insights on his fitness journey. Mumbai, August 21st , 2023: Salaam Bombay Foundation’s (SBF) Sports Academy organised a mentoring session with Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane for its ‘Fitness Monitors’ adolescent students studying in municipal or government aided schools, who are trained under the Academy’s Fitness Program and handpicked for their long term interest in fitness. The goal of the event was to inspire adolescents to adopt a lifestyle of fitness while becoming change agents within their communities. As part of the session, the students had the opportunity to interact with Mr. Rahane where they learned about his journey of fitness on his way to becoming one of India’s top cricketers. SBF also organised for Mr. Rahane and the students to engage in fun fitness activities which combined aspects of cricket, fitness and motor skill development. SBF’s 100 hour-2 year Fitness Program has been designed to help underprivileged adolescents maintain fitness levels while increasing their participation in various sports. The program also provides a platform for adolescents to explore career opportunities in fitness and other areas within the sports industry. SBF has gone one step ahead with the “Fitizens Initiative” where enthusiastic students showcasing a motivation to make an impact on their communities with a potential to pursue a career in sports and fitness are selected as ‘Fitness Monitors’. These Fitness Monitors then advocate the importance of fitness by mobilising and conducting sessions in the community while also digitally tracking each community member’s fitness levels throughout the sessions. SBF provides students tablets for the digital tracking of fitness levels where Fitness Monitors review and guide community members on their fitness levels. This also ensures that the adolescents are being updated with technological skills relevant to the sports industry. With the hope of contributing to the Indian Government’s ‘Fit India Movement’ launched in August 2019 by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, SBF expanded the ‘Fitizens Initiative’ from slum lanes to Ganpati Pandals, Community Gardens, MCGM Bus Depots, Old Age Homes and Corporate Offices. SBF and the adolescent Fitness Monitors work together to identify target groups and also customise fitness sessions based on age and fitness levels of the target group. Every community member enrolled is taken through a cycle of 5 fitness sessions including ‘Strengthen Your Everyday Movement’, ‘Fitness Anywhere and Anytime’, and ‘Change Your Mindset to Change Your Lifestyle’ among others. Mr. Ajinkya Rahane said, “Salaam Bombay Foundation’s “Fitness Program” as well as the “Fitizens Initiative” is a great way to promote fitness amongst underprivileged adolescents and their communities. This unique format of appointing these adolescents as ambassadors of good health will definitely have a catalytic impact on their lives. I believe that every child studying in a municipal or government school must have access to fitness programs like the one conducted by SBF, while encouraging them to spread the spirit of good health, both for mind and body amongst their communities. I am happy to have shared my principles of fitness and inspire these bright and motivated students. They have promised to hold up the torch of good health for their communities. I look forward to mentoring more young minds at Salaam Bombay Foundation.” Ms. Padmini Sekhsaria, Founder, Salaam Bombay Foundation said, “We are honoured to have a youth icon such as Ajinkya Rahane mentor our students and inspire them to reach for the stars. We work with underprivileged adolescents from difficult backgrounds, who have little or no access to physical activity and sports. At Salaam Bombay Foundation, we believe that the playground can be an effective tool to achieve a Healthy Body and Healthy Mind. Our vision is to bring about an attitudinal change amongst these adolescents through Sports and Fitness, motivating them towards staying in school and completing their education. His presence on the ground will help galvanise this section of the society, where lack of resources invariably leads to disinterest in health and fitness. We hope Ajinkya will continue to conduct more such inspiring sessions for our students. We commend his efforts and his commitment towards creating a Fit India for future generations.” Till date, the Salaam Bombay Sports Academy has trained 2,200 students (1,050 or approximately 48% are girls) through the “Fitness Program” out of which 100 have been selected as ‘Fitness Monitors’. In the last one year, more than 4,400 community members across India have been trained by our adolescent ‘Fitness Monitors’ through the “Fitizens Program”. About Salaam Bombay Foundation: A CHILD IN SCHOOL HAS A FUTURE Salaam Bombay Foundation started in 2002 to work with 12- to 17-year-old adolescent children growing up in Mumbai’s slums. These children live in extreme poverty and in “at risk” environments. The municipal schools they go to do not have the resources to give them individual attention, career guidance or access to activities that stimulate the mind. Many are undernourished and face the risk of substance abuse. They come from financially challenged homes and are pressured to drop out of secondary school and seek jobs to support their families. Given these ground realities, Salaam Bombay Foundation has harnessed the ability of child-friendly, innovative education tools to develop life skills and coping skills necessary to ensure that these adolescents develop into well rounded personalities, able to meet the challenges they face and take on leadership roles within their communities. The Foundation keeps children in school by empowering them to make the right choices about their health, education and livelihood thereby ensuring that they can thrive with a bright future. In-school leadership and advocacy programmes equip “at-risk” adolescents with the life skills they need to lead change. The Sports, Arts and Media academies encourage them to express themselves and provide performance opportunities that build self-esteem. The skills@school programme broadens their career horizons and empowers them with vocational skills for sustainable careers. Through its DreamLab initiative, SBF, has provided for a continuum of skills training and market-based internships to youngsters in the age group of
FIDE Bans Transgender Women From Women’s Chess Events.
The International Chess Federation, or FIDE, claims that players who have undergone gender transformation have “no right to participate” in women’s competitions until the federation completes “further analysis” and makes a final judgment. The revised policy was adopted by the FIDE council at a meeting earlier this month, and it will take effect on August 21. According to the rule, once a player notifies FIDE that their gender has changed from male to female, they are ineligible to play in recognized women’s competitions. The next step is for the players to present what FIDE characterizes as “sufficient proof or a gender change that complies with their national laws and regulations.” The revised regulation clarifies, however, that “there are no restrictions to play in the open section for a person who has changed [their] gender.” The Women’s World Chess Championship is one of the few chess competitions that is exclusively for women. The great majority of chess competitions are thought of as open categories. The Policy In a statement published on the X platform, the Center for Trans Equality claimed that the new rule “relies on ignorant anti-trans ideas” and is “insulting to cis women, to trans women, and to the game itself.” The regulation was agreed by FIDE during a meeting earlier this month, and it will take effect the following week. Given that the regulation appears to only apply to those who change in the future, it was unclear right away how it would affect transgender players who were already enrolled with the organization. An inquiry seeking comment and clarification was not answered by FIDE. “Change of gender is a change that has a significant impact on a player’s status and future eligibility to tournaments, therefore it can only be made if there is relevant proof of the change provided,” the federation said. “If the gender was changed from a male to a female, the player has no right to participate in official FIDE events for women until [a] further FIDE’s decision is made,” it said. Holders of women’s titles who change their genders to male would see those titles “abolished,” the federation said while holding out the possibility of a reinstatement “if the person changes the gender back to a woman.” Men vs Women Men are still disproportionately represented in the game of chess, even though women are becoming more interested in it (perhaps encouraged by the phenomenal success of the Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit”). According to data from 2019, just 14.6% of U.S. Chess participants were women, which was a record at the time. Of the more than 1,600 worldwide chess grandmasters in 2020, 37 were female. Given that the new rules are focused on people who transition in the future, it is unclear how they will affect transgender women who are currently participating in FIDE competitions. The governing body, FIDE, said in a statement to CNN that the adjustments were made to the guidebook to clearly describe the procedures required when a player switches gender.