Wisdom in fragments

Champions possess a distinct mindset, a relentless drive for excellence that sets them apart. They're not content with just doing okay; they strive for excellence constantly. Being second is not an option for them, they aim for the top.

Tennis coach who famously coached Serena Williams

I believe that making players conform to a rigid system would lead to the loss of many potentially great talents, with only a handful thriving. Out of respect for the players, I opted for a different approach – selecting fewer players but offering highly personalized training.

Tennis coach who famously coached Serena Williams

A crucial aspect of addressing antisemitism involves recognising that we are confronting not only ideological Jew-haters, the overt antisemites, but also the more pervasive cultural phenomenon of antisemitism. While we often think of antisemites as 'the other guys', antisemitism is part of our broader culture.

Applying classic negative Jewish stereotypes to Israel is antisemitic. For instance, portraying Israel as orchestrating global conspiracies is essentially repurposing an antisemitic trope. Another broadly agreed point is that holding Jews outside of Israel accountable for the actions of the Israeli state is also antisemitic.

When examining the persistence of antisemitism, it's not just about understanding how these ideas endure and are transmitted within the culture. It is also crucial to ask why these ideas are being drawn upon and why we sometimes fail to provide more convincing explanations for the economic, social, and political challenges we face.

After the Holocaust, political antisemitism became widely discredited. However, what persisted were the cultural stereotypes – the entrenched narratives and stereotypes about Jews within the culture, ready to be drawn upon whenever they seemed relevant or useful.

Anti-Jewish prejudice can be likened to a reservoir of water, accumulating over time, with some elements diminishing while new ones are added. Three concepts became central: supersessionism, conspiracy theories, and the stereotype of a special, negative affinity Jews had with money.

I should deal with the term 'antisemitism' itself, which gained popular usage in Germany during the 1880s. This was largely due to individuals who considered being an antisemite as something commendable. In the 1880s, to be an antisemite meant to oppose equal rights for Jews.

Under international law, genocide specifically requires the targeting of a group identified by national, ethnic, racial, or religious characteristics, often termed 'ethnicity', and aims at the physical destruction of this group. This is where controversies often arise, particularly when there's insufficient evidence of an intent to physically destroy the group.

International human rights lawyer & UN investigator on war crimes

The concept of 'crimes against humanity,' as initially defined for the Nuremberg trial, emerged to address atrocities committed in Germany, particularly against Jewish and other minority groups, including political factions and the disabled. These acts demanded accountability, which the existing legal frameworks, recognizing state sovereignty, couldn't provide.

International human rights lawyer & UN investigator on war crimes

At one site, a mature man carrying a white flag was shot dead by an Israeli soldier. To those less experienced or with a 'soft' generally compassionate outlook, this might immediately seem a clear case of unlawful killing – a 'war crime'. However, the general offered a different perspective. He considered the terrain and highlighted the dilemma faced by the soldier in high-risk situations: might the soldier be genuinely uncertain over whether the white flag genuinely signified surrender?

Prosecutor of Slobodan Milošević at the International Criminal Tribunal

This principle demands careful consideration of protection that must be given to civilians and civilian property, balancing military objectives against foreseeable collateral damage. This balance cannot be made by a formulaic algorithm – there isn't one – but by human judgment. In recent decades, it has become apparent that that human judgement is assisted by legal advisors who play a crucial role in these decisions, offering guidance on the legality of military actions.

Prosecutor of Slobodan Milošević at the International Criminal Tribunal

Despite romantic notions about laws of war being found in on Cyrus' Cylinder, (circa 539 BC) or in the Bible's Book of Deuteronomy, effective legal frameworks didn't emerge until the latter part of the 19th Century. They began with the American Lieber Code – military law for wartime conduct applied by Abraham Lincoln to the Union side in the American Civil War – and the first Geneva Convention, followed by the Hague Conventions, and now found in the modern iteration of the Geneva Conventions and their protocols.

Prosecutor of Slobodan Milošević at the International Criminal Tribunal

Our nation boasts an exceptional system for treating acute illnesses, leveraging technology in remarkable ways. However, where we fall short is in the areas of prediction and prevention of diseases. This is where our focus needs to shift, and AI offers numerous tools that can enhance our capabilities in these domains.

Dean of Stanford School of Medicine & cardiovascular researcher

I don't believe human radiologists will ever be completely replaced. However, there will be a clear distinction between radiologists who adeptly use AI in their practice and those who don't. Ultimately, those who embrace AI will likely lead the field.

Dean of Stanford School of Medicine & cardiovascular researcher

Engineering life is often less demanding than creating a nuclear weapon, making monitoring more challenging. This complexity underscores the need for the scientific community to actively engage in establishing robust safeguards and developing strategies to prevent bioterrorism.

Dean of Stanford School of Medicine & cardiovascular researcher