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Steiner Online Library Spiritual Science for Human Evolution
The Philosophy of Freedom
GA 4
The Theory of Freedom
VIII. Are There Limits to Knowledge
We have established that the elements for the explanation of reality are to be taken from the two spheres of perception and thought. It is due, as we have seen, to our organization that the full totality of reality, including our own selves as subjects, appears at first as a duality. Knowledge transcends this duality by fusing the two elements of reality, the percept and the concept, into the complete thing. Let us call the manner in which the world presents itself to us, before by means of knowledge it has taken on its true nature, “the world of appearance,” in distinction from the unified whole composed of percept and concept. We can then say, the world is given to us as a duality (Dualism), and knowledge transforms it into a unity (Monism). A philosophy which starts from this basal principle may be called a Monistic philosophy, or Monism. Opposed to this is the theory of two worlds, or Dualism. The latter does not, by any means, assume merely that there are two sides of a single reality, which are kept apart by our organization, but that there are two worlds totally distinct from one another. It then tries to find in one of these two worlds the principle of explanation for the other.
Dualism rests on a false conception of what we call knowledge. It divides the whole of reality into two spheres, each of which has its own laws, and it leaves these two worlds standing outside one another.
It is from a Dualism such as this that there arises the distinction between the object of perception and the thing-in-itself, which Kant introduced into philosophy, and which, to the present day, we have not succeeded in expelling. According to our interpretation, it is due to the nature of our organization that a particular object can be given to us only as a percept. Thought transcends this particularity by assigning to each percept its proper place in the world as a whole. As long as we determine the separate parts of the cosmos as percepts, we are simply following, in this sorting out, a law of our subjective constitution. If, however, we regard all percepts, taken together, merely as one part, and contrast with this a second part, viz., the things-in-themselves, then our philosophy is building castles-in-the-air. We are then engaged in mere playing with concepts. We construct an artificial opposition, but we can find no content for the second of these opposites, seeing that no content for a particular thing can be found except in perception.
>Every kind of reality which is assumed to exist outside the sphere of perception and conception must be relegated to the limbo of unverified hypotheses. To this category belongs the “thing-in-itself.” It is, of course, quite natural that a Dualistic thinker should be unable to find the connection between the world-principle which he hypothetically assumes and the facts that are given in experience. For the hypothetical world-principle itself a content can be found only by borrowing it from experience and shutting one's eyes to the fact of the borrowing. Otherwise it remains an empty and meaningless concept, a mere form without content. In this case the Dualistic thinker generally asserts that the content of this concept is inaccessible to our knowledge. We can know only that such a content exists, but not what it is. In either case it is impossible to transcend Dualism. Even though one were to import a few abstract elements from the world of experience into the content of the thing-in-itself, it would still remain impossible to reduce the rich concrete life of experience to these few elements, which are, after all, themselves taken from experience. Du Bois-Reymond lays it down that the imperceptible atoms of matter produce sensation and feeling by means of their position and motion, and then infers from this premise that we can never find a satisfactory explanation of how matter and motion produce sensation and feeling, for “it is absolutely and for ever unintelligible that it should be other than indifferent to a number of atoms of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen, etc., how they lie and move, how they lay or moved, or how they will lie and will move. It is in no way intelligible how consciousness might come into existence through their interaction.” This conclusion is characteristic of the whole tendency of this school of thought. Position and motion are abstracted from the rich world of percepts. They are then transferred to the fictitious world of atoms. And then we are astonished that we fail to evolve concrete life out of this principle of our own making, which we have borrowed from the world of percepts.
That the Dualist, working as he does with a completely empty concept of the thing-in-itself, can reach no explanation of the world, follows even from the definition of his principle which has been given above.
In any case, the Dualist finds it necessary to set impassable barriers to our faculty of knowledge. A follower of the Monistic theory of the world knows that all he needs to explain any given phenomenon in the world is to be found within this world itself. What prevents him from finding it can be only chance limitations in space and time, or defects of his organization, i.e., not of human organization in general, but only of his own.
It follows from the concept of knowledge, as defined by us, that there can be no talk of any limits of knowledge. Knowledge is not a concern of the universe in general, but one which men must settle for themselves. External things demand no explanation. They exist and act on one another according to laws which thought can discover. They exist in indivisible unity with these laws. But we, in our self-hood, confront them, grasping at first only what we have called percepts. However, within ourselves we find the power to discover also the other part of reality. Only when the Self has combined for itself the two elements of reality which are indivisibly bound up with one another in the world, is our thirst for knowledge stilled. The Self is then again in contact with reality.
The presuppositions for the development of knowledge thus exist through and for the Self. It is the Self which sets itself the problems of knowledge. It takes them from thought, an element which in itself is absolutely clear and transparent. If we set ourselves questions which we cannot answer, it must be because the content of the questions is not in all respects clear and distinct. It is not the world which sets questions to us, but we who set them to ourselves.
I can imagine that it would be quite impossible for me to answer a question which I happened to find written down somewhere, without knowing the universe of discourse from which the content of the question is taken.
In knowledge we are concerned with questions which arise for us through the fact that a world of percepts, conditioned by time, space, and our subjective organization, stands over against a world of concepts expressing the totality of the universe. Our task consists in the assimilation to one another of these two spheres, with both of which we are familiar. There is no room here for talking about limits of knowledge. It may be that, at a particular moment, this or that remains unexplained because, through chance obstacles, we are prevented from perceiving the things involved. What is not found today, however, may easily be found tomorrow. The limits due to these causes are only contingent, and must be overcome by the progress of perception and thought.
Dualism makes the mistake of transferring the opposition of subject and object, which has meaning only within the perceptual world, to pure conceptual entities outside this world. Now the distinct and separate things in the perceptual world remain separated only so long as the perceiver refrains from thinking. For thought cancels all separation and reveals it as due to purely subjective conditions. The Dualist, therefore, transfers to entities transcending the perceptual world abstract determinations which, even in the perceptual world, have no absolute, but only relative, validity. He thus divides the two factors concerned in the process of knowledge, viz., percept and concept, into four: (1) the object in itself; (2) the percept which the subject has of the object; (3) the subject; (4) the concept which relates the percept to the object in itself. The relation between subject and object is “real”; the subject is really (dynamically) influenced by the object. This real process does not appear in consciousness. But it evokes in the subject a response to the stimulation from the object. The result of this response is the percept. This, at length, appears in consciousness. The object has an objective (independent of the subject) reality, the percept a subjective reality. This subjective reality is referred by the subject to the object. This reference is an ideal one. Dualism thus divides the process of knowledge into two parts. The one part, viz., the production of the perceptual object by the thing-in-itself, he conceives of as taking place outside consciousness, whereas the other, the combination of percept with concept and the latter's reference to the thing-in-itself, takes place, according to him, in consciousness.
With such presuppositions, it is clear why the Dualist regards his concepts merely as subjective representations of what is really external to his consciousness. The objectively real process in the subject by means of which the percept is produced, and still more the objective relations between things-in-themselves, remain for the Dualist inaccessible to direct knowledge. According to him, man can get only conceptual representations of the objectively real. The bond of unity which connects things-in-themselves with one another, and also objectively with the individual minds (as things-in-themselves) of each of us, exists beyond our consciousness in a Divine Being of whom, once more, we have merely a conceptual representation.
The Dualist believes that the whole world would be dissolved into a mere abstract scheme of concepts, did he not posit the existence of real connections beside the conceptual ones. In other words, the ideal principles which thinking discovers are too airy for the Dualist, and he seeks, in addition, real principles with which to support them.
Let us examine these real principles a little more closely. The naïve man (Naïve Realist) regards the objects of sense-experience as realities. The fact that his hands can grasp, and his eyes see, these objects is for him sufficient guarantee of their reality. “Nothing exists that cannot be perceived” is, in fact, the first axiom of the naïve man; and it is held to be equally valid in its converse: “Everything which is perceived exists.” The best proof for this assertion is the naïve man's belief in immortality and in ghosts. He thinks of the soul as a fine kind of matter perceptible by the senses which, in special circumstances, may actually become visible to the ordinary man (belief in ghosts).
In contrast with this, his real, world, the Naïve Realist regards everything else, especially the world of ideas, as unreal, or “merely ideal.” What we add to objects by thinking is merely thoughts about the objects. Thought adds nothing real to the percept.
But it is not only with reference to the existence of things that the naïve man regards perception as the sole guarantee of reality, but also with reference to the existence of processes. A thing, according to him, can act on another only when a force actually present to perception issues from the one and acts upon the other. The ancient Greek philosophers, who were Naïve Realists in the best sense of the word, held a theory of vision according to which the eye sends out feelers which touch the objects. The older physicists thought that very fine kinds of substances emanate from the objects and penetrate through the sense-organs into the soul. The actual perception of these substances is impossible only because of the coarseness of our sense-organs relatively to the fineness of these substances. In principle the reason for attributing reality to these substances was the same as that for attributing it to the objects of the sensible world, viz., their kind of existence, which was conceived to be analogous to that of perceptual reality.
The self-contained being of ideas is not thought of by the naïve mind as real in the same sense. An object conceived “merely in idea” is regarded as a chimera until sense-perception can furnish proof of its reality. In short, the naïve man demands, in addition to the ideal evidence of his thinking, the real evidence of his senses. In this need of the naïve man lies the ground for the origin of the belief in revelation. The God whom we apprehend by thought remains always merely our idea of God. The naïve consciousness demands that God should manifest Himself in ways accessible to the senses. God must appear in the flesh, and must attest his Godhead to our senses by the changing of water into wine.
Even knowledge itself is conceived by the naïve mind as a process analogous to sense-perception. Things, it is thought, make an impression on the mind, or send out copies of themselves which enter through our senses, etc.
What the naïve man can perceive with his senses he regards as real, and what he cannot perceive (God, soul, knowledge, etc.) he regards as analogous to what he can perceive.
On the basis of Naïve Realism, science can consist only in an exact description of the content of perception. Concepts are only means to this end. They exist to provide ideal counterparts of percepts. With the things themselves they have nothing to do. For the Naïve Realist only the individual tulips, which we can see, are real. The universal idea of tulip is to him an abstraction, the unreal thought-picture which the mind constructs for itself out of the characteristics common to all tulips.
Naïve Realism, with its fundamental principle of the reality of all percepts, contradicts experience, which teaches us that the content of percepts is of a transitory nature. The tulip I see is real today; in a year it will have vanished into nothingness. What persists is the species “tulip.” This species is, however, for the Naïve Realist merely an idea, not a reality. Thus this theory of the world finds itself in the paradoxical position of seeing its realities arise and perish, while that which, by contrast with its realities, it regards as unreal endures. Hence Naïve Realism is compelled to acknowledge the existence of something ideal by the side of percepts. It must include within itself entities which cannot be perceived by the senses. In admitting them it escapes contradicting itself by conceiving their existence as analogous to that of objects of sense. Such hypothetical realities are the invisible forces by means of which the objects of sense-perception act on one another. Another such reality is heredity, the effects of which survive the individual, and which is the reason why from the individual a new being develops which is similar to it, and by means of which the species is maintained. The soul, the life-principle permeating the organic body, is another such reality which the naïve mind is always found conceiving in analogy to realities of sense-perception. And, lastly, the Divine Being, as conceived by the naïve mind, is such a hypothetical entity. The Deity is thought of as acting in a manner exactly corresponding to that which we can perceive in man himself, i.e., the Deity is conceived anthropomorphically.
Modern Physics traces sensations back to the movements of the smallest particles of bodies and of an infinitely fine substance called ether. What we experience, e.g., as warmth is a movement of the parts of a body which causes the warmth in the space occupied by that body. Here again something imperceptible is conceived on the analogy of what is perceptible. Thus, in terms of perception, the analogon to the concept “body” is, say, the interior of a room, shut in on all sides, in which elastic balls are moving in all directions, impinging one on another, bouncing on and off the walls, etc.
Without such assumptions the world of the Naïve Realist would collapse into a disconnected chaos of percepts, without mutual relations, and having no unity within itself. It is clear, however, that Naïve Realism can make these assumptions only by contradicting itself. If it would remain true to its fundamental principle, that only what is perceived is real, then it ought not to assume a reality where it perceives nothing. The imperceptible forces of which perceptible things are the bearers are, in fact, illegitimate hypotheses from the standpoint of Naïve Realism. But because Naïve Realism knows no other realities, it invests its hypothetical forces with perceptual content. It thus transfers a form of existence (the existence of percepts) to a sphere where the only means of making any assertion concerning such existence, viz., sense-perception, is lacking.
Wherever the Metaphysical Realist observes a relation between perceptible things (mutual approach through movement, the entrance of an object into consciousness, etc.), there he posits a reality. However, the relation of which he becomes aware cannot be perceived but only expressed by means of thought. The ideal relation is thereupon arbitrarily assimilated to something perceptible. Thus, according to this theory the world is composed of the objects of perception which are in ceaseless flux, arising and disappearing, and of imperceptible forces by which the perceptible objects are produced, and which are permanent.
Metaphysical Realism is a self-contradictory mixture of Naïve Realism and Idealism. Its forces are imperceptible entities endowed with the qualities proper to percepts. The Metaphysical Realist has made up his mind to acknowledge, in addition to the sphere for the existence of which he has an instrument of knowledge in sense-perception, the existence of another sphere for which this instrument fails, and which can be known only by means of thought. But he cannot make up his mind at the same time to acknowledge that the mode of existence which thought reveals, viz., the concept (or idea), has equal rights with percepts. If we are to avoid the contradiction of imperceptible percepts, we must admit that, for us, the relations which thought traces between percepts can have no other mode of existence than that of concepts. If one rejects the untenable part of Metaphysical Realism, there remains the concept of the world as the aggregate of percepts and their conceptual (ideal) relations. Metaphysical Realism, then, merges itself in a view of the world according to which the principle of perceptibility holds for percepts, and that of conceivability for the relations between the percepts. This view of the world has no room, in addition to the perceptual and conceptual worlds, for a third sphere in which both principles, the so-called “real” principle and the “ideal” principle, are simultaneously valid.
When the Metaphysical Realist asserts that, besides the ideal relation between the perceived object and the perceiving subject, there must be a real relation between the percept as “thing-in-itself” and the subject as “thing-in-itself” (the so-called individual mind), he is basing his assertion on the false assumption of a real process, imperceptible but analogous to processes in the world of percepts. Further, when the Metaphysical Realist asserts that we stand in a conscious ideal relation to our world of percepts, but that to the real world we can have only a dynamic (force) relation, he repeats the mistake we have already criticized. We can talk of a dynamic relation only within the world of percepts (in the sphere of the sense of touch), but not outside that world.
For Naïve Realism the real world is an aggregate of percepts; for Metaphysical Realism, reality belongs not only to percepts but also to imperceptible forces; Monism replaces forces by ideal relations which are supplied by thought. These relations are the laws of nature. A law of nature is nothing but the conceptual expression for the connection of certain percepts.
Monism is never called upon to ask whether there are any principles of explanation for reality other than percepts and concepts. The Monist knows that in the whole realm of the real there is no occasion for this question. In the perceptual world, as immediately apprehended, he sees one-half of reality; in the union of this world with the world of concepts he finds full reality. The Metaphysical Realist might object that, relatively to our organization, our knowledge may be complete in itself, that no part may be lacking, but that we do not know how the world appears to a mind organized differently from our own. To this the Monist will reply: Maybe there are intelligences other than human; and maybe also that their percepts are different from ours, if they have perception at all. But this is irrelevant to me for the following reasons. Through my perceptions, i.e., through this specifically human mode of perception, I, as subject, am confronted with the object. The nexus of things is thereby broken. The subject reconstructs the nexus by means of thought. In doing so it re-inserts itself into the context of the world as a whole. As it is only through the Self, as subject, that the whole appears rent in two between percept and concept, the reunion of those two factors will give us complete knowledge. For beings with a different perceptual world (e.g., if they had twice our number of sense-organs) the nexus would appear broken in another place, and the reconstruction would accordingly have to take a form specifically adapted to such beings. The question concerning the limits of knowledge troubles only Naïve and Metaphysical Realism, both of which see in the contents of mind only ideal representations of the real world. For to these theories whatever falls outside the subject is something absolute, a self-contained whole, and the subject's mental content is a copy which is wholly external to this absolute. The completeness of knowledge depends on the greater or lesser degree of resemblance between the representation and the absolute object. A being with fewer senses than man will perceive less of the world, one with more senses will perceive more. The former's knowledge will, therefore, be less complete than the latter's.
For Monism the matter is different. The point where the unity of the world appears to be rent asunder into subject and object depends on the organization of the percipient. The object is not absolute but merely relative to the nature of the subject. The bridging of the gap, therefore, can take place only in the quite specific way which is characteristic of the human subject. As soon as the Self, which in perception is set over against the world, is again re-inserted into the world-nexus by constructive thought all further questioning ceases, having been but a result of the separation.
A differently constituted being would have a differently constituted knowledge. Our own knowledge suffices to answer the questions which result from our own mental constitution.
Metaphysical Realism must ask, What is it that gives us our percepts? What is it that stimulates the subject?
The Metaphysical Realist is faced by a further difficulty when he seeks to explain the similarity of the world-views of different human individuals. He has to ask himself, How is it that my theory of the world, built up out of subjectively determined percepts and out of concepts, turns out to be the same as that which another individual is also building up out of these same two subjective factors? How, in any case, is it possible for me to argue from my own subjective view of the world to that of another human being? The Metaphysical Realist thinks he can infer the similarity of the subjective world-views of different human beings from their ability to get on with one another in practical life. From this similarity of world-views he infers further the likeness to one another of individual minds, meaning by “individual mind” the “I-in-itself” underlying each subject.
We have here an inference from a number of effects to the character of the underlying causes. We believe that after we have observed a sufficiently large number of instances, we know the connection sufficiently to know how the inferred causes will act in other instances. Such an inference is called an inductive inference. We shall be obliged to modify its results, if further observation yields some unexpected fact, because the character of our conclusion is, after all, determined only by the particular details of our actual observations. The Metaphysical Realist asserts that this knowledge of causes, though restricted by these conditions, is quite sufficient for practical life.
Inductive inference is the fundamental method of modern Metaphysical Realism. At one time it was thought that out of concepts we could evolve something that would no longer be a concept. It was thought that the metaphysical reals, which Metaphysical Realism after all requires, could be known by means of concepts. This method of philosophizing is now out of date. Instead it is thought that from a sufficiently large number of perceptual facts we can infer the character of the thing-in-itself which lies behind these facts. Formerly it was from concepts, now it is from percepts that the Realist seeks to evolve the metaphysically real. Because concepts are before the mind in transparent clearness, it was thought that we might deduce from them the metaphysically real with absolute certainty. Percepts are not given with the same transparent clearness. Each fresh one is a little different from others of the same kind which preceded it. In principle, therefore, anything inferred from past experience is somewhat modified by each subsequent experience. The character of the metaphysically real thus obtained can therefore be only relatively true, for it is open to correction by further instances. The character of Von Hartmann's Metaphysics depends on this methodological principle. The motto on the title-page of his first important book is, “Speculative results gained by the inductive method of Science.”
The form which the Metaphysical Realist at the present day gives to his things-in-themselves is obtained by inductive inferences. Consideration of the process of knowledge has convinced him of the existence of an objectively-real world-nexus, over and above the subjective world which we know by means of percepts and concepts. The nature of this reality he thinks he can determine by inductive inferences from his percepts.
—Rudolf Steiner,
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Weapons: A-6 Intruder
By Christopher Miskimon
It was dark and difficult to see on the night of April 18, 1966, but the U.S. Navy was counting on that. The aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk prepared three aircraft for launch from its powerful catapults. A Soviet intelligence-gathering ship was nearby, so the planes operated under radio silence. A pair of A-6 Intruder attack planes quickly rose from the carrier’s deck accompanied by an E-2A Electronic Warfare aircraft for later communications. Commander Ron Hays, executive officer of Squadron VA-85, piloted the lead plane with his bombardier-navigator Lieutenant Ted Been seated next to him. Lt. Cmdr. Bill Yarbrough and bombardier-navigator Lieutenant Bud Roemish flew the other A-6 as their wingmen.
Their target was the Uong Bi powerplant, 12 miles north of Haiphong, a port city in Communist-controlled North Vietnam. The Intruder’s crews rendezvoused soon after takeoff and leveled off below 500 feet, staying low to avoid enemy radar detection. They stayed that way until about 25 miles from the target and then began a slow climb to 1,800 feet, where they could safely release their bomb loads. Each A-6 carried 13 Mk. 83 1,000-pound bombs. Soon the powerplant, sitting on the northeast side of Uong Bi, appeared below. The pilots separated their aircraft laterally before Hays made his run, releasing all his bombs onto the target. The second plane had problems with its release mechanism but the bombardier-navigator was able to manually drop his entire load as well.
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The North Vietnamese were taken by surprise that night. By the time they began firing their antiaircraft guns both Intruders were already on the way home. A later damage assessment counted at least 25 bomb craters in the target area with heavy damage to the plant. The next day the North Vietnamese released a press statement in which they attributed the destruction to the B-52 Stratofortress. This was because the North Vietnamese were not yet fully aware of the payload and night attack capabilities of the newly introduced A-6 Intruder, but in the coming years they would learn this lesson, much to their detriment.
The A-6 Intruder had only been in service a few years when it was deployed to Vietnam. The design arose from a Navy requirement for a medium attack aircraft capable of flying in all weather and carrying out night operations. Before this the Navy’s ability to carry out attacks at night was severely limited by the available aircraft and technology. Targeting systems were primitive and many pilots operated more by moonlight or flares to find their targets. Skyraiders and A-4 Skyhawks carried out the light attack function while the larger A-3 Skywarrior filled the heavy attack role, including using nuclear weapons. The medium attack function really came to embody the concepts of all-weather and nighttime operations. Most jets of this era carried no more than 2,000 pounds of ordnance, and the new plane had to carry more.
A-6 intruder
The A-6 was equipped with navigation equipment that enabled it to fly low over rough terrain on night missions to avoid enemy radar detection.
The requirement was sent to 13 aircraft companies. Grumman’s A2F-1 won the competition from a field of eight submissions. In an era where jet aircraft were usually sleek with pointed noses and slim fuselages, the Grumman design had a large, blunt nose and a thick middle that tapered to the rear. Although it was dubbed the “Flying Drumstick,” Grumman officials asserted that they were focused on engineering performance and not on aesthetics. The plane was to be a bomber, and it was engineered to fulfill that specific role.
The thick nose held new ground-mapping and targeting radars necessary to bomb accurately in the dark and under the adverse conditions envisioned for the plane. The cockpit layout seated the pilot and bombardier-navigator next to each other, increasing the fuselage width but allowing them to work together more effectively. The A2F-1 carried the Litton Company’s ASQ-651 digital integrated attack navigation equipment, which enabled the crew to fly at night over rough terrain at low altitudes. It could do this in most weather conditions. “All-weather” is something of a misnomer as some weather is too severe for any flying. It was a complicated system that gave occasional trouble but was still a leap ahead in flying technology. The Navy also noted the Air Force had nothing similar in service. The system proved accurate enough that other attack aircraft often flew alongside the A-6 and dropped their ordnance at the same time.
The A2F-1 was standardized as the A-6A in late 1962 and entered active service in February 1963. The A-6A had a wingspan of 53 feet and could carry up to 18,000 pounds of ordnance on five external hardpoints. Typical loads consisted of 500-, 1,000-, or 2,000-pound bombs. While it had a combat radius of 900 miles, the Intruder was not a fast plane, with a maximum speed of only 685 mph compared to the supersonic aircraft of the day. The plane was not intended for speedy maneuvering, though. Its job was to put bombs on a target.
As the Intruder entered service it replaced the aging Skyraiders, with 10 squadrons converting to the A-6. Another pair of original A-6 squadrons were also formed. Ten of the 12 saw action in Vietnam. The Marine Corps also adopted the new plane and equipped six squadrons, with four of them serving in Southeast Asia. Marine Corps air crews flew the A-6 from both Da Nang and Chu Lai, as well as from carriers.
A-6 Intruder
A 500-pound bomb is loaded into the rack of an A-6 assigned to VA-85 during the Vietnam War.
The A-6 suffered a high initial loss rate in Vietnam due to a mixture of mechanical failure, pilot inexperience, and enemy action. It is worth noting that accidental aircraft losses during the early years of carrier jet operations were higher than in the 21st century. A few days after the attack on the Uong Bi powerplant, a number of planes and aircrew were lost, with several men falling into North Vietnamese hands as prisoners, but there were also instances of success and heroism.
An A-6 from Squadron VA-85 was attacking barges north of the city of Vinh on April 27, 1966, when it was hit by enemy fire. A bullet struck the pilot, Lieutenant Bill Westerman, causing severe wounds. Bombardier-navigator Lieutenant Brian Westin reached across the cockpit to take the controls. There was no way to land safely so he pointed the plane out to sea. Bailing out over land meant probable capture by the North Vietnamese, but if they could get farther out to sea, it was more likely the Navy would find them first. Westerman was drifting in and out of consciousness, so after jettisoning the canopy Westin had to reach over and pull his friend’s ejection handle before pulling his own.
A helicopter soon arrived and pulled Westin from the water. The bombardier-navigator directed the rescuers back down the Intruder’s track until they found Westerman afloat. There was no diver on the helicopter to help the stricken pilot into the rescue sling, so Westin dove back into the water and hooked Westerman into the sling before waving the helicopter off to get the wounded pilot to treatment. Another helicopter arrived five minutes later to again rescue the bombardier. Brian Westin would be the first of 14 Intruder crewmen to be awarded the Navy Cross for heroism.
Despite the loss rate, the A-6 acquired a reputation for single-plane night attacks flown at very low altitudes. In most instances, the Intruder could penetrate heavily defended enemy airspace, drop its payload with precision, and exit the area before an effective response could be mounted. Even when the North Vietnamese did detect the plane and fire at it, the increasingly skilled aircrews could often get through and get away again.
A-6 intruder
A Grumman A-6 Intruder releases a Walleye II glide bomb during a Navy weapons test in 1994.
One example is an attack carried out by Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Hunter and his bombardier-navigator Lieutenant Lyle Bull on October 30, 1967. They took off from the USS Constellation and flew through the darkness toward Hanoi. Their target was the Red River ferry docks and their A-6A carried 13 Mk. 83 1,000-pound Snakeye cluster bombs. A single plane night attack was risky. Bull recalled the area was protected by 20 SA-2 surface-to-air missile sites and 600 antiaircraft guns. An earlier attempt to destroy the docks using a large number of planes failed due to the heavy defenses.
The Intruder reached the coast north of Vinh and headed northwest toward Hanoi with Hunter using the terrain to mask their approach. Bull was using the radar, marking their path using its returns. At about 20 miles from the target the plane left the covering terrain features and was immediately targeted by antiaircraft guns followed by missiles, even though they were flying below 500 feet. “Intelligence reported the SA-2 couldn’t track below 1500 feet,” recalled Bull. “We were disturbed to see that their assessment was incorrect.” Hunter carried out a high-speed barrel roll that threw the missiles off target and took the A-6 as low as 50 feet.
Gunfire continued to flash at the A-6 as it reached the docks. Despite the incoming fire, Bull managed to drop his bombs on target and then Hunter flew them out of the engagement area. The Intruder made it safely back to the USS Constellation. Hunter and Bull received the Navy Cross for their actions. Both men stayed in the service and rose to the rank of rear admiral.
Once commanders and planners realized the Intruder’s strengths, the squadrons flying them began to get commensurate assignments. The night attack capability came as an unpleasant surprise to North Vietnamese troops moving along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a logistics line used to move supplies and soldiers into South Vietnam through Laos and Cambodia. The Intruder’s targeting system also included a device called the moving target indicator, which helped target these moving troops at night. The North Vietnamese generally did not move during the day to avoid be spotted and targeted, but they were very comfortable travelling at night.
Entire convoys were bombed with practically no advance warning. The Intruders would often drop cluster bombs first, which punctured fuel tanks and set off ammunition, starting fires the pilots could use for followup attacks. Often the North Vietnamese would fire tracers into the air despite the low chance of a hit, just to warn the convoys in the area that American aircraft were overhead.
The Navy and Marine Corps refined strike tactics to improve the crew’s chances. If an attack involved multiple planes, flying in a column, one after the other, it allowed antiaircraft gunners to better target the following aircraft. Instead, the A-6s flew in from different headings a few seconds apart. To reduce the chance of mid-air collisions, the planes would come in at different altitudes, timed to be a few seconds apart. This minimized the opportunity for gunners to shoot at them, and some aviation experts even compared the tactic to the precision flying done by the Navy’s demonstration unit, the Blue Angels.
The side-by-side crew configuration proved to be a great benefit to the aircrews. Marine Corps pilot Bruce Byrum flew more than 3,000 hours as an A-6 pilot and praised the role his bombardier-navigator played. He monitored the radio and watched airspeed, power settings, attitude, and rate of descent. The bombardier-navigator also oversaw the plane’s place in the landing pattern as Intruders returned to their carrier. “He had as much to do with the pilot’s success as the pilot,” Byrum recalled.
This relationship created a great sense of teamwork and camaraderie. “With two guys sitting side by side, you could communicate with hand gestures, if need be,” said Commander Robert “Rupe” Owens. “You could simply look at the other guy and nod.”
On February 26, 1967, Intruders of VA-35 flew from the deck of the nuclear-powered carrier USS Enterprise to drop aerial mines in two rivers. They were the first unit to drop such mines since World War II. VA-35 lost one A-6 in its tour during a strike against Hanoi during Ho Chi Minh’s birthday on May 19, 1967. An A-6 flown by Lt. Cmdr. Gene McDaniel and bombardier-navigator Lieutenant Kelly Patterson was hit by a missile during the attack. Both men ejected. Patterson died in captivity while McDaniel spent six years in prison. He was later awarded the Navy Cross for his leadership while a prisoner.
One of the blackest days for the A-6 came a few months later. On August 21, 1967, four A-6As of VA-196 launched from USS Constellation for a day attack against the Duc Noi railroad yard north of Hanoi. The weather was bad, with thunderstorms and heavy cloud cover over most of the country. On the way in, one plane was hit by flak, but the crew felt they could press on. As the Intruders moved in for the attack, another strike by U.S. Air Force planes was in progress nearby and they were taking fire as well, losing a pair of F-105s. The resulting large amount of emergency radio traffic made coordination even more difficult.
As the aircraft started their dives, a surface-to-air missile struck the Intruder flown by Commander Leo Profilet, a well-respected Korean War veteran. The plane burst into flames and Profilet ejected along with his bombardier-navigator Lieutenant Bill Hardman. Their fellow flyers saw their parachutes as they flew out of the target area. Both men survived but spent more than five years as prisoners of war.
The remaining three planes raced toward the coast but became separated in the bad weather. Only one plane returned to the USS Constellation; the other two were missing, but their fate was soon discovered. The Chinese government announced via radio it had shot down two U.S. Navy planes after they flew over their border. Bombardier-navigator Lieutenant Robert J. Flynn survived the ordeal. He was taken prisoner by the Chinese and held for more than five years, undergoing solitary confinement for most of that time. It was a dark day for the squadron and the Navy, losing three A-6s in one mission and even worse, seeing all the crews either killed or captured.
A-6 intruder
An A-6 launches from the USS Lexington. Intruders participated in raids over Lebanon in 1983 as well as the U.S. strike against Libya three years later.
As the war progressed, new variants of the Intruder appeared. The A-6B was an initial attempt at a fire suppression aircraft specializing in attacking enemy radar and surface-to-air missile sites. A few A-6Bs would accompany A-6 squadron to assist in this role. The B model would eventually be replaced by the EA-6B Prowler, a specialized suppression aircraft that entered service toward the end of the Vietnam War and flew until March 2019.
The A-6C was fitted with a special pod carrying low-light and infrared cameras to further improve its ability to strike targets at night. A tanker variant, the KA-6D, also joined the Intruder squadrons to provide carriers with an improved air-to-air refueling capability. The A-6E was an improved attack version with better radar and navigation systems. The E model would serve the Navy until 1997, a victim of post-Cold War defense reductions.
The rugged A-6 also acquired a reputation for toughness despite the heavy losses Intruder squadrons sometimes suffered. Byrum recalled a daylight mission where one of his squadron’s planes took a hit that left a barrel-sized hole in the right wing. Although the pilot could not see it, the bombardier-navigator could. Since they were still over enemy territory, the bombardier-navigator chose not to tell the pilot about the damage, hoping to at least get to a friendly air base. Because the A-6 was not leaking fuel or hydraulic fluid, Byrum also decided not to inform the pilot.
The damaged A-6 made it safely to Da Nang and Byrum landed after it. By the time Byrum taxied over, the pilot of the damaged plane had shut down his engines and gotten out to inspect the damage. As Byrum watched, the shocked pilot knocked his bombardier-navigator to the ground, unhappy the man had not told him the truth. Byrum chose discretion and kept his cockpit shut so the enraged flyer would not try to do the same to him. “I don’t know what he would have done differently,” said Byrum. “He surely did not want to eject.”
Of the Intruders lost in combat in Southeast Asia, two were lost to MiGs, 10 to surface-to-air missiles and 36 to antiaircraft guns with more lost to accidents and mechanical failures. This was a small number of losses considering the Navy and Marine Corps flew 35,000 A-6 combat sorties over hostile territory that bristled with the most extensive air defense network in the world at the time. Worse than the loss of aircraft was the loss in lives. The Navy and Marine Corps lost 92 A-6 aviators and 53 other A-6 aviators became prisoners of war.
Rear Admiral James Seely placed great value on the Intruder’s contribution. “In my opinion the A-6 was the most effective strike aircraft the U.S. Navy had during the Vietnam War,” said Seely. “It could do day missions as well as any other aircraft, and was much superior at night. We had system problems with the A-6A, but it was in fact the only true all-weather aircraft in the fight.”
Some of the most demanding missions of the war were assigned to Intruder crews and they carried them out with courage and determination. Many A-6 crewmen would go on to command positions after the war, seeing the aircraft’s service through the remainder of the Cold War.
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LED lighting has profoundly affected people’s lives and is popular all over the world. From shopping centers, car dealers to public buildings, LED solutions are almost everywhere. Speaking of stadiums, it is a long journey from traditional lighting to LED lighting, and many people are not familiar with LED lighting. Let us take a closer look at LED stadium light and how LEDs can help solve cost, installation and environmental issues.
Doubts and Shortcomings
When it comes to stadium lighting and how LEDs can help solve costs, stadium lighting installations, and environmental issues, many skeptics took years to accept. Most of them are concerned that the initial cost of LED lamps is higher than the traditional metal halide lamps used for stadium lighting. In recent years, with the popularity of stadium lights, stadium owners realized that the lifespan of LEDs in most cases is almost twice that of metal halides, and this concern has gradually disappeared.
Another concern that many people have about using stadium lights is the way the lights are displayed on the TV. Since LEDs provide softer light than traditional metal halides, many people worry that TV broadcasts will affect the original lighting effects. Over time, televisions have continued to evolve, and the lighting provided by stadium lights looks as bright and vivid as any other LED lighting fixture. When displaying activities on a TV, LED is even the preferred lighting option because it is more vivid and lifelike and provides a better color rendering index.
The Benefits of Stadium Lights to Stadiums
There are many reasons why stadiums should switch to stadium lights. The following are the main reasons why stadium lights have quickly become the mainstay of stadium lighting.
Environmental Impact
Does not contain mercury. Because it uses LEDs, stadium lights do not contain harmful mercury. Mercury is a heavy metal, which is easy to cause harm to people and negatively affect the earth, polluting the environment. Since LEDs do not use mercury in their design or operation, stadium lights are definitely a more environmentally friendly option compared to traditional lighting solutions.
It is more environmentally friendly and saves electricity. The operating efficiency of the LED is very high, and the heat loss is very small. This means that the heat generated by the stadium lights is converted to light as much as possible, rather than heat loss. LEDs provide some of the highest lumen output and some of the lowest wattage consumption, which is an option that uses less power. Using less electricity is undoubtedly a great benefit to the environment, because it can minimize the consumption of earth’s resources and achieve environmental protection.
Stadium lights can last longer to reduce waste. Lamps and fixtures last longer than other options on the market, which helps reduce overall waste. If the stadium is constantly replacing parts or damaged fixtures, it will definitely accumulate a large amount of metal, glass and plastic garbage, which will cause a lot of waste of resources. The long service life of LEDs helps reduce overall waste.
The overall cost is lower. In addition to environmental protection and energy saving, low cost is also one of the biggest advantages of the stadium. Compared to similar options that use more electricity, LED uses less energy to produce the same or better lighting quality. This is another cost-saving method.
Low Maintenance
Stadium lights are durable and very suitable for football and basketball courts. Another reason why stadium lights are used for stadium lighting is that stadium lights are very durable. Stadium lights are durable, which means durable lenses, durable internal components for optimal performance, and a sturdy housing. Stadium lights are also suitable for the harshest environments, which makes them ideal for outdoor stadium lighting.
Stadium lights have a longer service life. Longer-life lamps are good for the environment and overall cost, but they are also better for maintenance personnel! Because the service life of stadium lights is so long, the staff does not need to replace so many parts during the warranty period of the stadium lights.
The device requires little maintenance and runs on the drive. Because stadium lights can be used for many years without damage, stadium lights are almost maintenance-free, and the option of installing a ballast on the drive may be more prone to problems. This means that maintainers will worry about one less thing about keeping the stadium in good condition.
Shenzhen Bbier Lighting Co,.ltd is a professional stadium lighting supplier. If you have any requirements, please contact: sales@bbier.com for further inquiries. |
About children's brain tumours
A brain tumour is a collection of cells that have grown in an uncontrolled way. Tumours that start in the brain are called primary brain tumours.
This is different to cancers that have spread to the brain from somewhere else in the body. These are called:
• secondary brain tumours
• secondary brain cancer
• brain metastases
Secondary brain tumours are rare in children. We have information on secondary brain tumours that you might find helpful. But this information is written for adults with cancer.
Cancerous or non cancerous brain tumours
Brain tumours can be cancerous (malignant) or non cancerous (benign).
The most common types of malignant brain tumours in children include:
• medulloblastoma
• ependymoma
The most common type of benign brain tumour in children is a low grade astrocytoma. You might also hear this called a low grade glioma.
Sometimes it is not possible to say exactly what type of brain tumour it is. This is usually because the tumour is in a part of the brain that is too difficult to take a sample (biopsy) from.
Although it’s less likely that benign brain tumours will spread to other areas in the body, they can still cause serious problems. This is usually because of where the tumour started in the brain.
How common is a brain tumour in childhood?
Brain tumours are relatively rare. And they are less common in children than adults.
Tumours affecting the brain and central nervous system are the second most common type of children’s cancer in the UK. Around 410 children are diagnosed with these tumours each year in the UK. They can occur in children of any age.
What causes a brain tumour in childhood?
We don’t know exactly what causes brain tumours in children. Certain genetic conditions can increase a child's risk of developing some types of tumours. But this is very rare. And not every child with these conditions develop a brain tumour.
It’s normal to wonder if there was something you could have done to prevent your child developing a brain tumour. There is no evidence to show that anything anyone does during pregnancy or early in a child’s life could cause a brain tumour.
Brain tumours cause symptoms because they:
• take up space inside the skull when they grow
• cause specific symptoms due to their position in the brain
• block the normal flow of fluid moving through the brain or spinal cord – this can cause pressure known as hydrocephalus
Some symptoms of a brain tumour are very general and lots of other childhood conditions can cause them. It's unlikely to be a brain tumour, but always get your child’s symptoms checked out by a GP.
The HeadSmart campaign have guidance to help GPs work out which children need a referral for a possible tumour.
The brain
To understand tumours that affect the brain and the spinal cord, it helps to know about the:
• parts of the brain and spinal cord
• types of cells and tissues
Your brain controls your body by sending electrical messages along nerve fibres. The fibres run out of the brain and join together to make your spinal cord. Together your brain and spinal cord make your central nervous system (CNS).
The main areas of the brain include:
• the cerebrum (forebrain)
• the brain stem
• the cerebellum
Diagram showing the main parts of the brain
The cerebrum (forebrain)
The cerebrum is the largest part of the brain. It's also called the forebrain. It's divided into two halves, the right and left central hemispheres.
These hemispheres control:
• movement
• thinking
• memory
• emotions
• senses
• speech
The nerves that come from the right side of your brain control the left side of your body. And the nerves that control the left side of your brain control the right side of your body.
Each half (central hemisphere) is divided into 4 areas.
Diagram showing the lobes of the brain
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobe is important for:
• speaking
• planning
• problem solving
• starting some movements
• processing sensations
• part of your personality and character
Temporal lobe
The temporal lobe is where you process sounds and where you store memories.
Parietal lobe
The parietal lobe recognises objects in the world and stores that knowledge. It's where you receive and process:
• touch
• pressure
• pain
Occipital lobe
This lobe processes what you can see.
The brain stem
This controls body functions we don't usually think about like:
• breathing
• swallowing
• heartbeat and blood pressure
Making hormones
Your brain makes hormones, which are important for your body to function.
Pituitary gland hormones
These affect:
• growth
• the speed of body processes (your metabolism)
• periods and egg production
• sperm production
Pineal gland hormone
The pineal gland makes melatonin, which controls your sleep patterns.
Diagram showing the pineal and pituitary glands
Fluid around the brain
Fluid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounds the brain and spinal cord.
Ventricles are spaces inside the brain filled with CSF. They connect with the space in the centre of the spinal cord and the brain covering (the meninges). This allows the fluid to circulate around and through the brain and spinal cord.
Diagram showing where the ventricles are in the brain
Where do brain tumours start?
Brain tumours can start anywhere in the brain.
They cause different symptoms depending on their position in the brain.
For example:
• weakness on the left side is linked to a tumour in the right side of the brain
• a tumour in the parietal lobe can affect speech, reading or writing
• a tumour in the occipital lobe can cause sight problems
• a tumour in the cerebellum can affect balance and movement
Children under 4 years old can’t usually describe symptoms such as:
• a headache
• feeling sick
• double vision
So, they might show different symptoms or behaviours than older children even if the tumour is in the same part of the brain.
The main treatments for brain tumours in children are:
• surgery
• radiotherapy
• chemotherapy
Last reviewed:
13 Mar 2019
• Incidence statistics from Cancer Research UK (Cancer Stats)
Accessed October 2018
• Anatomy and Physiology in Health and Illness (11th edition)
Ross and Wilson
Churchill Livingstone, 2010
• Cancer and its Management (7th edition)
J Tobias and D Hochhauser
Wiley-Blackwell, 2014
• Pediatric Neuro-Oncology
K Scheinmann and E Bouffet (Editors)
Springer, 2015
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Summary Review of Alfred Chandler's "The Visible Hand"
Summary Review of
Alfred Chandler's
The Visible Hand
Bill Brown
Department of History
Arizona State University
In this book, Chandler argues that American business history can be separated into two separate phases: pre-1850 and post-1850. He contends that the first phase represents the market economy—one characterized by what economists call perfect competition. The second phase, continuing to the present, represents what he calls managerial capitalism. The transition between these two periods constituted a revolution in American business enterprise, for it transferred operation of a company from the owner or partners to a full-time, salaried manager. It was necessitated by the requirements of operating the first truly modern enterprise, the railroad. With its vast system and complex operations, the railroads were compelled to devise new management methodologies. For Chandler, the railroad was the catalyst for the managerial revolution.
Businesses prior to 1850, what Chandler terms "traditional enterprises," fell into three primary models: the Southern plantations, the Lowell textile factories, and the Springfield Armory. The Southern plantations were the first enterprises that had to contend with the management of people and production. They operated on a age-old system of work gangs assigned a specific task. The plantation overseer's main duty was to manage the gangs' foremen. The plantation's accounting system was little changed from the time of the Medicis. No cost accounting was used and neither the plantation owner or the overseer appeared to be concerned with this lack. The Lowell textile factories were a considerable step more advanced from the Southern plantations in their complexity. Managers were much more concerned with enhancing productivity and increasing output. Lowell's managers not only had to supervise workers, they had to have a thorough knowledge of the factory's production line and machines. They kept detailed records of past transactions, but showed no inclination to analysis of these records to determine operating costs. The Springfield Armory, by far the closest to a modern business of the three models, was one of the few American businesses to have an internal specialization of labor during this period. It had three auxiliary shops that fed material into a central shop, where the guns were assembled into a final product. Each shop had its own manager, who was responsible for only his workers and area. Records were meticulously kept and the Armory's superintendent could review the work of each area in great detail. However, cost accounting was not introduced and the superintendent did not use the information available to render the Armory more efficient. Chandler contends that the Springfield Armory was significant for factory management, not multi-unit business management.
The railroad, for Chandler, is an especially significant development in American business. Not only was it the first modern enterprise, it also facilitated the development of other businesses because it provided reliable, fast transportation. Railroads were the first organizations to have multiple, geographically-dispersed units whose operations must be coordinated. Job functions, long nebulous in earlier industries, became solid and well-defined; organizational charts were created showing lines of authority and communication. Multiple layers of management were introduced. By far, the most significant organizational innovation introduced by the railroads was cost accounting. Utilizing data only hours old, railroad managers could accurately track trains, estimate their cost per ton-mile, and determine whether rates should be changed based on this data. It was a watershed in business management. The railroads also enabled other industries to expand, both by their pioneering efforts in organization and their reliable transportation system. Mass production and mass retailing could not have come about without the railroads' innovative management methods or their ability to ship goods cross-country quickly and reliably.
For Chandler, the revolution was not so much the evolving methods of management as it was the creation of management as such. Prior to the railroads, market mechanisms governed and guided the production process. After the railroads, skilled management took over that capacity.
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Akhenaten's Lineage
Monotheism came from Zoroastrianism
The Babylonian captivity was a turning point in religious thought exposing the Hebrew intellectual elites to concepts which were developed in more Eastern areas, notably Zoroastrianism. Though Zoroastrianism gained the status of "state religion" in Persia only later on, the basic concepts were older (the exact date is highly disputed, but the current consensus points to "some time in the 2nd millenium BC").
The ideas had begun to percolate to neighboring Babylonia at the time the Hebrews were there. Among these concepts was the notion there was a Supreme Deity (Ahura Mazda). All other "gods" were really subordinates, even proxies; every prayer sent to any god was ultimately brought to the attention of Ahura Mazda.
When the Hebrew returned from Babylon, monotheism crystallized in their minds: they now understood that a god could be fake, non-existent. A god doesn't need a statue or a totem; if you can think about it, then it exists, and thus you can worship it.
Since monotheism was a gradual innovation, there are "intermediate states" and one cannot really pinpoint an exact year in which it happened. The term henotheism has been coined to describe these intermediaries. In the case of Europe and Middle-East, it seems that true monotheism emerged with Judaism in the 6th or 5th century BC, although some definitions of monotheism can include earlier Zoroastrianism or Atenism (as described by @Semaphore).
Well let’s go in and see what’s on display.” Katie walked into the first chamber, a square room with a statue of the ancient pharaoh displayed in a large glass box in the center of the room. It was a commanding presence. Impressed she slowly circled the statue. “I’m surprised how soft his face is.” It was a life-size bust of a man with an elongated face, full, almost feminine lips, the eyes with an oriental slant.
“Where did his oriental features come from, Neal?”
“Akhenaten’s mother Tiye was the daughter of Yuya and Tjuyu, both Syrians living in Egypt. They were probably Mitanni because they were into horses, which were still foreign to the Egyptians. Tiye’s dad, Tjuyu was put in charge of horses and cattle for the Egyptian government”
“I thought the Egyptians were already into horses, wasn’t the Battle of Kadesh a big chariot war?”
“Yeah, but this was a hundred years before. It was during this time the Egyptians came to realize the awesome power and speed horses brought to the battlefield. That’s probably why a Syrian couple living in Egypt became so important. They even fathered Ay, who became a general and a pharaoh himself.
“Akhenaten influenced art as well as religion,” Neal continued. “His artwork shows a softer side of life than previous imperial statues and reliefs have shown. He was definitely making a new statement during this time.”
Tal came in from an adjoining room. “This next room is full of tablets, almost like a library.”
“Here is the Amarna Room,” Neal said. “These are the clay tablets Akhenaten used to correspond with the other kings and government officials throughout the ancient world.”
“How big was his world? How many people could he have written to?”
“Well Katie, the clay tablets, there are more than three hundred of them, indicate some of his correspondents was from empire called the Hittites, in what is now modern day Turkey. They became increasingly assertive during Akhenaten’s rule, going to war against the Mitanni beneath them in Syria and Iraq, who were an Egyptian ally. In addition to their conflicts with the Mitanni, the Hittites were also stirring up instability in the vassal states of Syria, and helping a Semitic nomadic group, the Apiru, to create unrest in Syria-Palestine.”
“All of this was going on three thousand years ago?”
“Yes, about then. And the Old Testament deals with a lot of this stuff too. The information we get from the tablets is corroborated in the Bible.”
Katie was fascinated. This stuff intrigued her to no end, but when she looked at Tal, she could tell he wasn’t at all enthralled.
“What else did you find in the other rooms, Tal?”
“Just more stone stuff. I was hoping for mummies and chariots and lots of gold.”
Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye
Akhenaten and his family lived in the great religious center of Thebes, city of the God Amun. There were thousands of priests who served the Gods. Religion was the business of the time, many earning their living connected to the worship of the gods.
All indications are that as a child Akhenaten was a family outcast. Scientists are studying the fact that Akhenaten suffered from a disease called Marfan Syndrome, a genetic defect that damages the body's connective tissue. Symptoms include, short torso, long head, neck, arms, hand and feet, pronounced collarbones, pot belly, heavy thighs, and poor muscle tone. Those who inherit it are often unusually tall and are likely to have weakened aortas that can rupture. They can die at an early age. If Akhnaton had the disease each of his daughters had a 50-50 change of inheriting it. That is why his daughters are shown with similar symptoms.
Akhenaten was the son of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiyee, a descendent of a Hebrew tribe. The largest statue in the Cairo Museum shows Amenhotep III and his family. He and Queen Tiye (pronounced 'Tee') had four daughters and two sons. Akhenaten's brother, Tutmoses was later named high priest of Memphis. The other son, Amenhotep IV (Later to take the name Akhenaten) seemed to be ignored by the rest of the family. He never appeared in any portraits and was never taken to public events. He received no honors. It was as if the God Amun had excluded him. He was rejected by the world for some unknown reason. He was never shown with his family nor mentioned on monuments. Yet his mother favored him.
A replica of the Tuthmoses IV Sphinx Stele.
The Sphinx was seen by ancient Egyptians as a representation of an ancient aspect of the sun god, Horemakhet, which means Horus in the Horizon. On this stele Tuthmose IV makes it clear that he owes his throne to the intercession of Horemakhet and no mention is made of Amun. In part the stele reads;
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10 Mind-Boggling Powers of Ant-Man That You Never Knew
Ant-Man, a superhero who was initially underrated but then proved his mettle in the movie Captain America: Civil War when he stood up against veteran superheroes. Ant-man’s character had a late introduction in the MCU and his powers and abilities are still not properly known. From the movies, we got an idea that he can shrink his body and can become a Goliath. Here are some explained facts about the powers of Ant-Man.
Ant-man is a superhero which was introduced by the genius Hank Pym. Hank Pym is the one who invented Ant-man suit and over top of that, he also invented Pym particles. Hank Pym himself became the first Ant-man and mastered the tech that he developed. He also introduced this tech to his wife Janet Van Dyne who then became The Wasp. Now, the role and suit of he is passed on to Scott Lang.
Pym particles are the tech behind the suit which allows the user to shrink down to a size similar to ants. These particles were discovered by Hank Pym, hence the name Pym particles. Pym particles are in a liquid elixir form and allow the user to alter their size as per their need. With Pym particles comes the theory and application of Quantum realm or microverse and Overspace that are whole different dimensions.
1. Shrinking power
Powers of Ant-Man
Powers of Ant-Man
This is a power of Ant-man that everyone is aware of. He punches the button and allows the Pym particles to shrink him down to a very small size. You must be wondering small size will reduce the strength of the character but it is not like that, Pym particles allow the user to shrink down but without altering the user’s body composition and mass. Now, here comes the science shizz, smaller surface area means high pressure and force. So, basically shrunk Ant-man packs the power that is actually greater than his usual.
2. Ant-man or giANT-man?
Pym particles allow the user to shrink down and on the other hand, it also allows the user to grow and become a giant. The small guy can become BIG if required. Ant-man uses Pym particles that allow him to gain mass and density from Overspace.
3. Improved resilience
Powers of Ant-Man
Ant-man suit and use of Pym particles result in increased durability and resilience. Pym particles that interact with the user’s body offer increased strength and sturdiness. Great strength and increased durability with alteration in size make him a powerful superhero.
4. Communication with ANTS
Genius Hank Pym developed tech including Ant-man suit, Pym particles and has done ample research in cybernetics that’s how he came up with a helmet that allows the user to communicate with ants. These ants are very important for he to complete his mission and they come to aid whenever needed and this actually happens because of Dr. Hank Pym’s genius level intellect and his work in the field of cybernetics.
5. Quantum Realm introduction in the MCU
Powers of Ant-Man
He can shrink down to a size of atoms means Pym particles allow the user to visit microverse or Quantum realm. This realm is way more different than the realm we live in. Quantum realm is at subatomic level where one can literally see atoms. Janet Van Dyne is also said to be stuck in this realm and it was initially forbidden by the Hank Pym to go into Quantum Realm but then he still visited there and came back like a boss.
6. Overspace
Overspace is also a dimension exactly opposite to microverse. Overspace is a dimension overall dimensions where one can interact with celestial and cosmic entities. This dimension can be reached by growing to an infinite size with the help of Pym particles.
7. Communication with Human
Communication with Humans? Any human can do that but when you are the size of an ant, how are going to chit chat with humans. Boggled, right? Ant-man suit’s helmet developed by Hank Pym has a sound amplifier that allows the user to communicate with the humans in the shrunken size.
8. Ant-man’s ride
Powers of Ant-Man
Looks like ant-man has a different taste when it comes to transportation. He in his shrunken state flies at the back of ants, isn’t that cool? He can control and communicate with ants because of his cybernetic helmet. His last ride name was Anthony but she died on a mission.
9. Superhuman strength
He can’t only alter size but he can also stand his ground during fights with the ability of super strength that he got from the use of Pym particles. That’s why he is able to smack down people in his shrunken form and one instance of that is when went head on head with Falcon.
10. Pym discs
Powers of Ant-Man
Pym disc is a weapon invented by Dr. Hank Pym and these discs are located in the Ant-Man’s belt. These discs contain Pym particles and allow the user to change the size of the object on which they are thrown at. There are two types of discs: a) Red disc and b) Blue disc.
Don’t Miss: 10 Mistakes in Ant-Man and the Wasp That Could Have Been Avoided
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Self-Driving Cars: Is the World Ready?
16 Jun 2021
The April announcement by the UK government that self-driving cars will be on UK roads before the end of the year has caused concern in many circles. Not least because less than a third of people reportedly want that to happen.
It’s not hard to understand why, with safety concerns high on the agenda. A recent fatal crash in the United States, involving a self-driving Tesla Model S, is all the evidence naysayers need to veto the idea as something out of science fiction.
The near-future reality of self-driving cars, however, is somewhat more complex and multi-layered.
So, are we ready for autonomous vehicles? And if not, when will we be? Read on to find out.
Defining ‘self-driving’
Before we can ask ‘is the world ready for self-driving cars?’, we first need to understand what the term ‘self-driving’ really means.
The truth is that while the term ‘self-driving car’ suggests a vehicle that can travel completely independent of human interaction, there are actually six different levels of automation as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers, with different manufacturers currently aiming for different ones.
• Level zero is no assistance, which means purely manual steering with no automation
• Level one involves technology like lane-keep assist, which is what the government announcement pertained to (more on that a little later)
• Level two automation allows the car to manage speed and steering, with the driver paying constant attention. Tesla’s Autopilot system is a good example of this
• Level three allows for complete automated control, but only in certain situations and with a driver sat behind the wheel. For instance, driving in traffic at low speeds. The Honda Legend is perhaps the most prominent example
• Level four automation is the start of a fully driverless experience, but only within a certain geofenced perimeter. Google’s fledgling Waymo is the current poster child for this level of technology
• Level five is full, I, Robot-style, self-driving automation. However, this isn’t expected any time soon. Not for years, certainly – and possibly decades. That’s despite the claims of Tesla founder Elon Musk, who said in July 2020 that level 5 vehicles could be on the roads before the end of that year – with the potential for as many as a million robotaxis to become a fixture on US roads in the near future.
Is the world ready for driverless cars at level five? In a word, no.
Which begs the question… what is it ready for?
ALKS is the immediate answer
Side View Of A Young Man Sitting Inside Autonomous Car
As mentioned above, the UK government’s claim that self-driving cars will be here by 2021 is something of a red herring.
What they’re really referring to is what we mentioned briefly earlier - an Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS), which can automatically control the speed and steering of a car within its lane, without driver assistance, when travelling up to 37mph.
Are we ready for driverless cars in 2021, then? As it turns out, the answer is yes – to level two automation only.
The more pragmatic answer, of course, is that what people truly think of as ‘driverless,’ and what we’ll see on UK roads over the next 12 months, are still very far apart. Which leads us to ask…
Should people really fear a driverless future?
There are a number of arguments for and against autonomous vehicles, across a range of criteria.
The impact on drivers
The potential benefits to everyday commuters are clear – less effort, less early-morning concentration, and fewer accidents… if the technology is sound. At the same time, there are plenty of people who genuinely enjoy motoring, and worry about what will become of the pastime.
The impact on fleets
For fleet businesses, there is a similar dichotomy. Driverless fleets will mean far less expenditure on employing, training and managing a fleet of drivers – which will undoubtedly free up funds to expand business operations. Yet businesses are made up of people, and few fleet companies would openly welcome the prospect of losing something so integral to their culture. Not to mention the idea of making so many people jobless, or losing that all-important human element in everything they do.
The cost of progress
Additionally, there are the core (and co-joined) societal concerns of safety and infrastructure. In order to pick up their position on the road relative to other objects, driverless vehicles rely on a series of complex and interlocking systems. These include Lidar (light detection and ranging), Artificial intelligence (AI) street cameras and radar, along with the charging network needed to power such vehicles in the first place.
None of these are currently anywhere near the level needed to safely deploy full vehicle automation on a grand scale. Full widespread coverage at a safety-tested level five of automation could be truly a sight to behold, then. But the potential cost of getting there – both financially, and to human lives – will be a steep one if that transition is not handled with the utmost care.
So… is the world ready for driverless cars?
From our perspective, the answer is a resounding… “not yet – but it will be”.
The fleets of the future will look very different to those of today, but there is a long way to go, and more pressing milestones to pass in the meantime. Not least the necessity of the transition to zero emission fleets, which should set the groundwork for a potentially driverless future decades down the line.
To learn more about that, read our recent posts about switching to a personal EV and getting your fleet EV ready.
To learn how we can help you transition to a greener electric future, call us on 0844 854 5100, or email |
Kamus Online
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Hasil cari dari kata atau frase: Vest (0.00860 detik)
Found 3 items, similar to Vest.
English → Indonesian (quick) Definition: vest memberi, rompi
English → English (WordNet) Definition: vest vest n 1: a man's sleeveless garment worn underneath a coat [syn: waistcoat] 2: a collarless men's undergarment for the upper part of the body [syn: singlet, undershirt] vest v 1: provide with power and authority; “They vested the council with special rights” [syn: invest, enthrone] [ant: divest] 2: place (authority, property, or rights) in the control of a person or group of persons; “She vested her vast fortune in her two sons” 3: become legally vested; “The property vests in the trustees” 4: clothe oneself in ecclesiastical garments 5: clothe formally; especially in ecclesiastical robes [syn: robe]
English → English (gcide) Definition: Vest Vest \Vest\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vested; p. pr. & vb. n. Vesting.] [Cf. L. vestire, vestitum, OF. vestir, F. v[^e]tir. See Vest, n.] 1. To clothe with, or as with, a vestment, or garment; to dress; to robe; to cover, surround, or encompass closely. [1913 Webster] Came vested all in white, pure as her mind. --Milton. [1913 Webster] With ether vested, and a purple sky. --Dryden. [1913 Webster] 2. To clothe with authority, power, or the like; to put in possession; to invest; to furnish; to endow; -- followed by with before the thing conferred; as, to vest a court with power to try cases of life and death. [1913 Webster] Had I been vested with the monarch's power. --Prior. [1913 Webster] 3. To place or give into the possession or discretion of some person or authority; to commit to another; -- with in before the possessor; as, the power of life and death is vested in the king, or in the courts. [1913 Webster] Empire and dominion was [were] vested in him. --Locke. [1913 Webster] 4. To invest; to put; as, to vest money in goods, land, or houses. [R.] [1913 Webster] 5. (Law) To clothe with possession; as, to vest a person with an estate; also, to give a person an immediate fixed right of present or future enjoyment of; as, an estate is vested in possession. --Bouvier. [1913 Webster] Vest \Vest\, n. [L. vestis a garment, vesture; akin to Goth. wasti, and E. wear: cf. F. veste. See Wear to carry on the person, and cf. Divest, Invest, Travesty.] [1913 Webster] 1. An article of clothing covering the person; an outer garment; a vestment; a dress; a vesture; a robe. [1913 Webster] In state attended by her maiden train, Who bore the vests that holy rites require. --Dryden. [1913 Webster] 2. Any outer covering; array; garb. [1913 Webster] Not seldom clothed in radiant vest Deceitfully goes forth the morn. --Wordsworth. [1913 Webster] 3. Specifically, a waistcoat, or sleeveless body garment, for men, worn under the coat. [1913 Webster] Syn: Garment; vesture; dress; robe; vestment; waistcoat. Usage: Vest, Waistcoat. In England, the original word waistcoat is generally used for the body garment worn over the shirt and immediately under the coat. In the United States this garment is commonly called a vest, and the waistcoat is often improperly given to an under-garment. [1913 Webster] Vest \Vest\, v. i. To come or descend; to be fixed; to take effect, as a title or right; -- followed by in; as, upon the death of the ancestor, the estate, or the right to the estate, vests in the heir at law. [1913 Webster]
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SDN:P07::CF14N1 1 Depth is the vertical distance below the surface. 'Mole concentration' means number of moles per unit volume, also called "molarity", and is used in the construction mole_concentration_of_X_in_Y, where X is a material constituent of Y. A chemical or biological species denoted by X may be described by a single term such as 'nitrogen' or a phrase such as 'nox_expressed_as_nitrogen'. The concentration of any chemical species, whether particulate or dissolved, may vary with depth in the ocean. A depth profile may go through one or more local minima in concentration. The depth_at_shallowest_local_minimum_in_vertical_profile_of_mole_concentration_of_dissolved_molecular_oxygen_in_sea_water is the depth of the local minimum in the oxygen concentration that occurs closest to the sea surface. accepted 1 2010-05-12 12:47:52.0 2010-05-12 12:47:52.0 SDN:P07::CF14N1 SDN:P07::CF14N1 depth_at_shallowest_local_minimum_in_vertical_profile_of_mole_concentration_of_dissolved_molecular_oxygen_in_sea_water false |
Anti Suffragette postcard (c.1913)
As a symbol of the state, the postal service has often been targeted by groups seeking political reform. During the campaign to win votes for women, militant and moderate suffragettes alike used and attacked the postal system to increase the momentum of their campaign and to ensure frequent media coverage. And with over 32,500 pillar boxes in place by 1900, the scope for direct action was almost without limits. On 15 December 1911, Emily Wilding Davison set three pillar boxes ablaze by lighting pieces of linen saturated with paraffin and pushing them through the letter slots.
This colour postcard with an image by Dudley Buxton shows a woman being ejected from a burning pillar box by a large boot on a concertina. Underneath the image is: ‘’AUTOMATIC SUFFRAGETTE EXTERMINATING PILLAR-BOX' (PATENT NOT APPLIED FOR).'
Related content > |
Four dead in California plane crash
Four dead in California plane crash
Newspaper Values Assignment CMN101: Mass Media This assignment requires that you pick up a recent copy of a regional or national daily
newspaper (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Times of Trenton, Philadelphia Inquirer,
etc.) and analyze the front page. The newspaper you select must have a minimum of four
separate articles printed on the front page; in other words, you should NOT use a newspaper
printed in tabloid format (Tentonian, NY Daily News, etc.). You should also avoid weekly and
small-town papers (Hopewell Valley News, Ewing Observer, Princeton Packet, etc.) The
newspaper issue you select should be from the last two weeks. You must use a physical copy of
the paper. Read and carefully consider all the stories on the front page of the paper as well as
any continuation of those articles inside the paper. Specifically, locate every example of Gans’
basic journalistic values (textbook pages 152-155) that you can identify in those articles. You
should be able to find at least one value from each article on the front page. Some articles may
have several values present and individual values might be common to more than one article.
In a brief (approximately 400 words) essay, explain which journalistic values you found and
what specific evidence of those values you see in the articles. Minimize the amount of article
summary you provide; the essay should focus on how the articles fit within Gans’ journalistic
values, not on the news stories themselves. For each value you identify, provide an explanation
of why the article(s) would fall into that value. In a short summary paragraph, consider the
implications of your findings. Which values seem most prevalent? Why do you think that is? Are
there any values that you think could be added to the list? What are they? What can we learn by
examining journalistic values?
In addition to the essay, you should also provide complete references for all the articles on the
front page in APA format (see example below). You will NOT submit a copy of the newspaper or
its front page.
All submissions should be typed in standard font and size with 1” margins and double spacing
(like this assignment sheet). Multi-page submissions should be printed double-sided or stapled
together. Newspaper names should by italicized. Article titles should be in quotations with
proper capitalization. Essays should be written clearly with proper grammar, punctuation, and
paragraphs. Do not include a title page or abstract. You do not need to include in-text citations.
Below are example references in APA format. Make sure they are listed alphabetically by last
name. First names are always shortened to the initial. Article titles only capitalize the first letter
of the first word and any proper nouns. Newspaper names are italicized. Nothing is underlined.
Entries are not numbered. Be careful using automated reference creators as they tend to suck.
For more on APA references, type “OWL APA” into a search engine for the Purdue Online
Writing Lab.
Associated Press. (2017, September 30). Four dead in California plane crash. The Washington
Post, pp A1, B3-B4.
Barker, D. (2018, September 30). Man bites dog. The Washington Post, p. A1.
Schwartz, J. (2018, September 30). Jury finds Bruce Wayne guilty of vigilante crime spree. The
Washington Post, pp. A1, A4.
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Travelling Around Your Country Or Internationally
Travel is the human movement between different geographic areas. Travel can usually be done by vehicle, foot, bike, car, train, bus, plane, bicycle or other transport means, with or without luggage and is either one way to another, or round trip travel. A typical modern day commercial airline ticket has around fourteen to fifteen varied ways to travel, depending on the destinations. Some travel is so fast that it actually takes a jet speed into account and so travel time is measured in days rather than months.
Travel within a country can take many forms, starting from the seemingly simplest journey of crossing the street from one place to another. From this simple beginning journey, the journey can take many twists and turns, taking you through mountains, over seas, through jungles, down seas, and in between two continents and finally ending up in one place or another, all in a matter of weeks or months. Modern day travellers have found themselves travelling not only within their own country or its borders but also internationally, and travelling within international borders can sometimes take even longer, as one may need clearance from visas and other immigration issues. In fact, some people who once traveled only within their native countries now find themselves travelling internationally and cross continents often.
There are of course many other ways for people to travel within a country, and there is much more than a plane ticket and a map for someone’s travel. There are now many ways to travel, depending on where you wish to travel to and what your style of travel is. One of the things that people do not always consider when they set out travelling is where they want to go and what their style of travel is. For example, if you wish to see the world and experience new cultures while you are at it, then one of the best ways to do so is to take a traditional route and set out on a traditional journey, such as a river cruise or a Caribbean cruise. On the other hand, if you prefer to set out on your own, then you can always find a way to get around and see the sights without having to do anything more than follow a guide book and your trusty map. Whether you wish to travel within your own country or internationally, you will be able to find the best ways for you to travel according to your particular preferences. |
Now, I learn Deutsch intensive last 8 month. I have a problem with the right structure of sentence. I know that is very important. It's very difficult to place the verb in the end of the sentence. I always forget to place the verb in the end. I think its the influence of my mother language.
For me it is easy to learn grammar, but I always forget to place verb in the end. My teacher always corrects me, but it is not helping. I will be happy to get any advice that could help me.
Here is an example:
Während Tom U-Bahn gefahren ist, hat er Musik gehört.
I always forget put in the end habe or sein.
• 1
What exactly is your question? Mar 31 '19 at 15:20
• @HubertSchölnast if there any easy way to train it? In answer below i found good suggestion to write common sentences in Deutsch.
– Ivan R
Mar 31 '19 at 15:22
• @IvanR Your SO profile shows that you can easily embed { ... } code blocks into eachother. German is the same. That makes it both wonderful and hard.
– peterh
Mar 31 '19 at 18:43
• @IvanR What is your first language, Russian? As far I know, the word ordering is not so strict in the slavic languages, so you could easily learn to use it. "Я могу немецкий язык выучить".
– peterh
Mar 31 '19 at 18:46
• 2
Welcome to German SE! Could you give an example to show us exactly in what type of construction you often forget to put the verb in the end?
– Philipp
Apr 1 '19 at 9:13
hrend Tom U-Bahn gefahren ist, hat er Musik gëhort gehört.
I always forget put in the end haben or sein.
• It seems your problem is about telling apart main clauses and dependent clauses.
Let's analyze your example:
Während Tom U-Bahn gefahren ist, …
That's a dependent clause. How do you tell? You can tell it from the ist on the last position. It's a conjugated verb, it's on last position → this is a dependent clause.
…, hat er Musik gehört.
That's a declarative main clause. How do you tell? You can tell it from the hat on the second position. It's a conjugated verb, it's on second position → this is a declarative main clause.
Wait, second position? Did you mean first? No, second. Because from the viewpoint of the main clause, the whole dependent clause is on first position.
Let's analyze an example in Präsens:
Während Tom U-Bahn fährt, …
…, hört er Musik.
Same pattern.
I recommend doing examples in Präsens Aktiv or Präteritum Aktiv. Because these two don't use participles and auxiliaries but simple forms. Putting only one item at the correct place is simpler than handling two items which may be both as far apart as possible or cheek-by-cheek.
As soon you get a feeling for the placement of the conjugated verb, the tenses and voices with auxiliaries will be no problem for you.
It is not only your problem. Even professional native speakers, for example, politicians, tend to forget the verbs at the end, although they are using much more complex sentences.
My experience is that this mistake makes native speakers need to think some seconds, what you tried to say. Thus, it is an ugly mistake for them, although your sentence remains so or so comprehensible.
Also note, that language teachers are very good to understand everything what you try to say on German, due to their big experience to communicate with low-level speakers. Futhermore, they are using Hochdeutsch. But the common people is not. My experience is that from about two major mistakes becomes your sentence incomprehensible for them, this verb positioning is one. And an incomprehensible sentence means the break of your communication context, and this we never want.
This is a very essential construct in German. You have no other way, you need more practice. If it really won't work in the spoken language, then do this first in writing. There are various translation trainings around, the simplest is: you have a list of sentences on your first language (or on English), and you translate all of them to German. Then your teacher checks the result.
You need to also learn to embed multiple such structures, for example a modalverb in a subordinate clause or in Ausklammerung ("..., die Sachen erledigen zu können."). The important thing is the automatization.
My (non-professional, not native speaker) impression is that your language course is focusing probably too strongly to the spoken communcation. You need clearly more experience in the written language, this is how you can practice the very alien grammatical structures. At first, construct the German sentence as if you would write a program (if you are a programmer), and do this verbally only after you are good in the writing.
Сконцентрируйтесь! :-) Я дам вам два предложения.
Nein, ich möchte jetzt nicht spazieren gehen.
Ich möchte dieses Buch heute noch zu Ende lesen.
Write down these sentences, draw rectangular boxes around the verbs in each sentence, and connect these boxes with a line like a very flat u, something like that: l______________I Now you see the Verbklammer / verb clamp / глагольный зажим (?).
Make photocopies and stick them everywhere: on all doors, the mirror, wherever you see them over and over again. That's a kind of промывание мозгов, I know - but it will work. :-))
Your Answer
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6 Songs That Taught Us How to Write Songs
One of the best ways to learn how to write great songs is to learn from great songs and songwriters. In this video, songwriter Ben Romalis and I take 6 songs that each taught us a crucial principle or technique about writing great songs.
Drawing from a range of inspirations from Radiohead, Tom Waits, to Gillian Welch and John Mayer, Benny and I talk about the specific musical or lyrical technique that we learned from these 6 great songs.
Of course, these 6 songs are just a beginning! We picked these for this video because they showcase a range of different principles and techniques: we talk here about chromaticism in chord progressions, about borrowing chords outside the key, about balancing types of language in your verses, about narrative and non-conventional song forms, about verse development and great chorus writing, and how a great intro can set your song apart.
More will come out of this series, as we explore how to listen to music so that you can extract ideas, and put them to practice in your own songwriting.
The Secret Life of ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen.
The song ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen is now thought of as a glittering jewel of genius. But the story of its rise to recognition reveals that it was the thinnest thread of circumstance that brought the song to the attention of the public imagination at all.
Malcolm Gladwell tells the story of the song in his wonderful new(ish) podcast Revisionist History. You can listen to the episode here:
Gladwell traces the history of the song (starting around halfway through the episode). Hallelujah was first released by Cohen in 1984. Cohen performed the song, but would constantly alter verses, sing verses that didn’t get recorded, eliminate biblical references (then bring them back), and generally move the pieces around like an Escher jigsaw. Very few people beyond fans paid attention to the song.
However, a singer-songwriter, John Cale, heard Cohen perform a version at a club in New York, and recorded his own version, taking Cohen’s sombre, dramatic, gospelised version and turning into a melodious piano-vocal that extracted the emotional core of the song and put it into a stark, haunting light. It was released on a small French label. Still, very few people paid any attention.
One of the few people who happened to have the record was a woman who was friends with a young man, a young and little-known singer-songwriter, by the name of Jeff Buckley. While house-sitting, he happened to put the record on. He happened to like the song, and happened to perform his own cover of John Cale’s cover in a tiny club in the East Village.
This happened to be heard by an executive at Columbia Records, and the version was released on Buckley’s debut album Grace. Grace also missed its target and fell disappointingly short of the public’s attention—until Buckley disappeared into the Mississippi River in 1997, and the rest in history.
What is astounding about this chain of events is how fragile and circumstantial the links of the chain really are. This was the farthest from an inevitable outcome. The song could very easily have remained in obscurity, a gem buried in the sand.
The journey of genius is complex; creativity is an impossible web of personality, circumstance and damn hard work (it’s well known that Cohen wrote between 50-70 verses in the process of crafting Hallelujah); and the recognition of genius is never guaranteed.
We just got lucky this time.
Student Profile – Sister Ursuline
Songs I Love: ‘One Way Ticket’ by Busbee
My friend showed me Busbee’s album last night, and I listened to it on repeat while driving from San Diego back to LA. There are a lot of songs from this beautiful album that are both poetry and extraordinary songwriting craft. I couldn’t help myself but keep coming back to this one though.
As far as songwriting elements go, the 2 things that really stand out to me are the simplicity and beauty of the chorus/hook. He’s picked something that is an image, something evocative and personal, and used a phrase that implies so much more story than is being openly shared. To say, “he’s got a one-way ticket this time” begs so many other questions: what did he have last time? How many times has he gone away and come back? What’s different this time? What’s gonna happen?
I LOVE phrases that imply stories, and spark the imagination. My partner’s forthcoming illustrated novel is called ‘Back Already?’, which I love for the same reasons.
I also love the way the story develops. The first verse is about the character – a boy/guy who needs to find some freedom and get away from the ‘shackles’ of his mum. A classic independence story. So he’s got a one-way ticket this time.
Then the next verse is about the girl he’s presumably leaving behind. It adds a new and emotional dimension to the whole song. It’s about HIM to start with, and then it’s about THEM.
Beautiful song. Busbee is an artist, and also a really active songwriter, with cuts by Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, and Timbaland, to name a few. It’s refreshing and inspiring to me to hear the kind of craft that goes into uber-commercial writing being applied to a personal songwriting, and reinforces the idea that some songwriting techniques work across genres. It’s all connected. |
Compiling Software Packages
This article was originally posted on the Lanka Linux User Group site.
What is a Tarball?
Tar was originally developed as a backup software for unix (Tape Archiving program). It collects several files to a single file (or standard output). A problem with the original tar program was that it could not compress data by itself, so another program called gzip, had to be used. Gzip is slightly different from other compression programs such as PKZip, ARJ, LHA or RAR. It operates only on one file and it does not create a new zip file. Instead it converts the old file to a compressed file and adds the extention '.gz', so the original file is no longer there. When decompressing, it simply works the other way round, converting the compressed file to the original file and removing the extension.
When it comes to collect several files (including subdirectories) to one single file, tar and gzip is used in combination. The command
tar -cvf myfile.tar *
will create a tar archive called myfile.tar, collecting all the files in the current directory/subdirectories. The option 'c' is for create, 'v' is to be verbose, i.e., to list the files that is being compressed, and 'f' to tell tar to write its output to the file whose name follows ('myfile.tar' in this example). If you did not give a filename with an 'f' option, output will be written to the standard output, and the screen will be filled with garbage. Type 'reset' to get the console back to the normal condition if this happens. The above tar file is then gzipped.
gzip myfile.tar
and 'myfile.tar' will be converted to 'myfile.tar.gz'.
Modern tar programs can do compression too. Therefore it is not necessary to run tar and gzip seperately. Instead just passing an option 'z' to tar will do the compression. Hence the above two commands are equivalent to
tar -czvf myfile.tar.gz *
Usually a software package comes with a set of files in a tar.gz archive. If the package name is 'mypackage' and its version number is 'x.xx', the archive is usually named 'mypackage-x.xx.tar.gz. To check its contents, give the command
tar -tzvf mypackage-x.xx.tar.gz
and to untar it
tar -xzvf mypackage-x.xx.tar.gz
Usually this will create a directory 'mypackage-x.xx' in the current directory and place the rest of the files, usually known as the 'source tree', under it. However, there are some rare cases, where the files will be created in the current directory (e.g. xfractint). In this case, it is necessary to create a directory for the source tree and untar the package in it. It is always a good idea to test the contents with the option 't' beforehand.
Some packages may have the extention 'tgz' instead of 'tar.gz'. In early stages of development, some packages use the release date instead of version number (e.g. wine).
Where to Untar a Package?
First, let us have a brief look at the unix directory tree. The following list gives some directories and their contents.
These directories exist in various levels. For example consider the 'bin' directory. There are several places where you get 'bin' directories
The story is more or less the same for the other directories. The root directory has standard unix directories. '/usr' has files related to the original installation. '/usr/local' has things that were added in addition to the distribution and finally the home directories may contain user specific directories.
There are few deviations too. For example '/etc' is shared by both standard unix programs as well as the programs that comes with a distribution.
Since, we are interested in compiling packages in addition to the original distribution, we will have to use the '/usr/local' directory. It is usual to untar source trees under '/usr/local/src', and to keep the tarballs under '/usr/local/tar'. Therefore, the process of extracting the source tree will be
cd /usr/local/src
tar -tzvf ../tar/mypackage-xx.x.tar.gz
tar -xzvf ../tar/mypackage-xx.x.tar.gz
Several software packages are built upon libraries. It is a good idea to have often needed libraries installed. Here is a brief list of them. Most of them are for the GUI.
To compile you need both the library and its header files. RPMs are usually available in pairs. For example, Mesa library has Mesa-xxxx.i386.rpm and Mesa-devel-xxxx.i386.rpm. The later contains the header files necessary to complile.
Several of the above libraries are available as binaries and it is easy for new users to install them that way instead of compiling them. RedHat users can get most of the libraries in RPM format from redhat powertools (see redhat mirrors - some of them don't mirror powertools bundle).
Configuring the Source Tree
Most packages come with a 'configure' script which is at the root of source tree. Just running './configure' is fine, but the following changes may be useful.
Static vs. Dynamic Libraries
Static libraries are the ones that are linked to the programs at the compile time. For example /usr/lib/libm.a is the math library and is linked to a program by giving the option -lm. A static library xyz has the filename libxyz.a and can be linked to a program by giving the option -lxyz. If the library is not in the default library path, you have to give the option 'L/foo/bar' to specify the path to the libraries. If a compilation stops with the error which indicates the absence of a library and if you know that the library is somewhere (find it by 'find / -name "libxyz.a"'), specify its location by the -L option or edit the corresponding Makefile.
Dynamically linkded libraries have the extension 'so'. The file /etc/ld.so.conf contains the directories where these libraries are found. If you add a new library to a directory which is not listed there, edit that file and run ldconfig.
Include Files
Usually the default include directories are '/usr/include' and '/usr/local/include'. Some programs expect include files to be in a subdirectory. For example Xlib include files are in a X11 subdirectory and C programs will have the line
#include <X11/Xlib.h>
There are rare cases the program conflicts with the include file locations. Here is an example. The Flight Gear flight simulator needs the header files from plib library to be in a plib directory (/usr/include/plib or /usr/local/include/plib). However, the default installation of plib copies the include files to /usr/local/plib/include. To overcome the problem you can add a link from /usr/local/include to /usr/local/plib/include with the name plib (ln -s /usr/local/plib/include plib). Now there is a /usr/local/include/plib (actually /usr/local/plib/include) and it will contain plib include files.
Compiling and Installing
Usually compiling and installing are done by giving the commands 'make' and 'make install'. It is safe to do a 'make check' before 'make install' to make sure things are well.
Some system administrators like to compile software as a user rather than root and login as the root only to do the installation (make install). This is good if make takes a long time and leaving the computer with a root shell is unsecure.
Usually the source tree contains a README file (may be more than one) and an INSTALL file. Read them FIRST!. They contain valuble information that will save time. Remember that some packages have unconventional installation procedures. |
Why is Baby Crying
When babies cry, most parents begin to panic and wonder why the little one is crying. Does he or she need a diaper change? Is he or she hungry? Is something bothering him or her? It is like a guessing game whenever babies cry because it is very hard to interpret what it actually means. Crying for babies is actually a communication tool for them to be able to express their feelings when something is bothering them. Babies have different crying sounds based on their concerns. It is like their own language tool and parents can understand it if they pay very close attention. If a parent listens very carefully, the sounds are different from one another. Here are babies’ different cries to take note of: 1. Hungry. It is the usual concern that parents know when babies cry. It has a desperate tone and a high-pitched squeal and can only be stopped when a bottle is placed on the child’s mouth. In addition, there are other signals usually seen when the baby is hungry like lip smacking and putting their finger on their mouth. It is best that you respond to this quickly because crying can let gas in the tummy, which can cause more irritation to your baby. 2. Tired. When a baby is tired, he/she lets out a whiny sound. It will continue and intensify if attention is not given to to him/her. Tiredness can also show on the eyes of the baby because they may turn red. Help your baby to get some sleep by cradling him/her or by singing a lullaby. 3. Bored. Even though babies are just lying down, they can easily get bored too. Especially when they are left alone. This type of cry is similar to when they are tired; it comes in the form of a whiny sound, but starts off as cooing that will eventually turn into indignant crying when no one responds to it. The most effective solution for this is to play with your baby and let them feel that they are not alone. 4. Colic. This is the most mysterious type of cry. This cry can last up to three hours and is somehow similar when the baby is in pain. The baby can be straining and making other fidgeting movements, indicating that he/ she is not comfortable. It is very difficult to calm this type of cry; you can lay down your baby in a more comfortable position like on his/her tummy on the bed or on your lap. 5. Sick. When the baby is sick, he/ he is not making any loud cries. It only comes out as soft whimpers, which seems like the baby has just no energy to volume it up. Other than crying, there are other visible symptoms such as high temperature, swelling, rashes and vomiting. Go to your doctor immediately for a checkup. For a new parent, hearing your baby cry can be very worrying since it is hard to interpret what is going on. It is important to be very observant; signals such as crying will help you understand what your baby is trying to say. For more baby information, follow our page https://www.facebook.com/momandbabyhub/ To see our baby products, check out our website: https://momandbabyhub.com/for-baby |
What an HIV Vaccine Could Mean for the Queer Community
The conversation about the importance of vaccines has never been more debated than in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. How many different COVID-19 vaccines are out there and how are they different? Why is it so hard to get an appointment? When will I need a booster? Will I really need to carry my vaccine card with me wherever I go? Will there still be a third wave in spite of these medical advances?
These questions come at an interesting time in the field of HIV – as phase 1 clinical trials for a potential HIV vaccine are showing promising early results. This new potential vaccine works by creating antibodies that boost the immune system against the HIV virus and its mutations. It has been effective in 97% of those who have received it but further studies are needed before it can be rolled out. The next phase of testing will involve incorporating the mRNA technology used in Moderna’s COVID vaccine into this exciting new HIV prevention tool.
Scientists have been trying to develop an HIV vaccine for nearly 40 years, but interest in and resources for vaccine development have never been so prevalent as they are in the wake of COVID-19. Billions of government dollars have gone into the rapid development and roll out of these vaccines. Just imagine if the same had been done in the first years of the AIDS epidemic.
It should come as no surprise that an epidemic which disproportionately affected gay and bisexual men, trans people, sex workers, and people who use drugs never received that level of urgency, political will and targeted investment from major donors and pharmaceutical companies. For many years, politicians and government leaders refused to even acknowledge the outbreak happening on their soil. But the response to COVID-19 has shown us what could have been possible if the whole world had quickly rallied behind finding a vaccine. Unfortunately, we do not live in a just and equitable world.
In spite of these obstacles, we have made great progress in HIV prevention from pre-exposure prophylaxis (aka PrEP) to helping people with HIV achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load (aka U=U). This has undoubtedly changed the way that we think about HIV, but there is still so much more that could be done. Injectable forms of PrEP could prevent HIV transmission if taken every two months – but what if we can bring longer-term solutions to market sooner? And even if a vaccine becomes available, what amount of funding and resources and community mobilization would it take to get it to the communities who need it most?
Vaccines are a promising step forward, but they are also not the saving grace of a global pandemic. In spite of the near-trillions in relief money for COVID-19, there are still vast inequalities in how these vaccines have been distributed. There are huge gaps in how people have been able to access these vaccines due to their race, geography, and socioeconomic backgrounds. We must embrace science and fight for advancements to help our community, but we must also manage our expectations about what this would mean for those who are most marginalized.
The unequal COVID-19 vaccine distribution also shows the limits of a potential HIV vaccine. Even though COVID-19 vaccines are now available, most of the world is still unable to gain access. People are continuing to die from COVID-19 related causes at an alarming rate. While tourism and travel are important to many economies, traveling to places without vaccine access remains an ethical dilemma. We must learn from these lessons with the COVID vaccine so we can get ahead of these challenges for the roll out and scale up of future a potential HIV vaccine.
Our global queer community knows how to survive and adapt during a pandemic, first from HIV and now from COVID-19. A vaccine for HIV could put us back on track to global targets to lower HIV acquisition rates. However, an HIV vaccine would not alleviate the systems that marginalize our communities. It would not solve for homophobia, transphobia, sexism, classism and ableism. It would not help someone looking for housing, a job or legal protection from criminalization. It would not put an end to stigma and discrimination based on mental health, substance use, sex work, migration status, race, sexuality or gender identity.
The biggest enemy of our communities is not the virus itself, but the structural barriers that stop us from achieving a more just an equitable world. We have seen the limitations of focusing the HIV response solely on meds. There is no “magic bullet” of a cure to end AIDS.
We must prepare ourselves to address the potential challenges of rolling out an HIV vaccine, just as we have seen with vaccines for covid. We must advocate for increased funding for research and speed up the process to develop these life saving interventions. And we must always let our communities lead the way.
Read more about MPact’s work on HIV Prevention |
Case Study: Neolithic Axeheads found in the Highlands
Susan Kruse
Until the Highland Regional ScARF was undertaken, there was no corpus of Neolithic axeheads from the Highlands, although community projects by Archaeology for Communities in the Highlands (ARCH) had collated evidence that Neolithic axeheads had been found over much of the Highlands. Over 100 axeheads are known (Map 5.1; Datasheet 5.1), most stray finds, with examples in every part of the Highlands. Over the years it is not uncommon for new finds, or indeed historic finds, to emerge.
Some of the axes can be shown to have come from long distances, with Highland examples from Langdale, Cumbria; Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland; Killin, Perthshire; and the Alps. Jadeitite axeheads from the Alps are known from throughout the Highland region, and scientific analysis now potentially allows them to be linked to specific outcrops. Alison Sheridan attributes these to be personal possessions of the first Neolithic settlers (ScARF Neolithic panel 5.2.2). The Highlands also have some fine flint axeheads, including finds from Dunrobin (MHG10861) and Brora (MHG10210), Sutherland, Moy, Inverness-shire (MHG2843) and near Nairn (MHG14362). Most flint axeheads from Scotland tend to be from imported flint, although identifying sources is often difficult (ScARF Neolithic panel 5.2.2).
Jadeitite axehead from Berriedale, Caithness (INV 1977.049.002). ©Michael Sharpe
Polished flint axeheads from Brora and Dunrobin. ©Michael Sharpe
Selection of axeheads collected by Dr William MacLean in Easter Ross, now in the NMS. The Mulbuie axehead is from Co. Antrim, Ireland. ©Susan Kruse
Altogether the widespread finds of axeheads show that all areas of the Highlands were connected and able to obtain them through trading networks, or were able to make their own from local or imported materials. While many of the axeheads were undoubtedly used as practical tools, others, including highly polished examples or very small examples, are generally considered to have been items of status and ritual. Further wear analysis and geological identifications would provide insights into use and origin. |
Frequently Asked Questions
General Vaccine Information
How do the COVID-19 vaccines work?
The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines use messenger RNA or mRNA, to trigger the immune system to produce protective antibodies and memory cells against the coronavirus. These are the first vaccines to use mRNA. It is important to note that neither of these vaccines uses the coronavirus, itself, and neither can cause COVID-19.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a vector vaccine. That means it contains a weakened version of a virus that causes the common cold that is different than the coronavirus. The cold virus is modified to carry information about the coronavirus to the body. This vaccine causes the body to make a protein that is unique to the coronavirus. This prompts the immune system to produce protective antibodies against the coronavirus. Like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, this vaccine does not use the coronavirus, itself, and cannot cause COVID-19.
None of the vaccines affect a person’s DNA. They also do not cause coronavirus.
What ingredients are in the Pfizer vaccine?
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine contains:
• messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) – the main, active ingredient that elicits an immune response and the production of antibodies
• Lipids (including ((4-hydroxybutyl)azanediyl)bis(hexane-6,1-diyl)bis(2-hexyldecanoate), 2 [(polyethylene glycol)-2000]-N,N-ditetradecylacetamide, 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3- phosphocholine, and cholesterol) – an outside coating or shell of fat that protects the mRNA from destruction as it is being stored, administered and delivered to cells
• Potassium chloride; monobasic potassium phosphate; sodium chloride (salt); dibasic sodium phosphate dehydrate – salts that are used to maintain proper levels of acidity (pH)
• Sucrose – a sugar that stabilizes the suspension
What ingredients are in the Moderna vaccine?
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine contains:
• messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)- the main, active ingredient that elicits an immune response and the production of antibodies
• lipids (SM-102, polyethylene glycol [PEG] 2000 dimyristoyl glycerol [DMG],cholesterol, and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine [DSPC])- an outside coating or shell of fat that protects the mRNA from destruction as it is being stored, administered and delivered to cells
• tromethamine, tromethamine hydrochloride, acetic acid, sodium acetate- used to maintain proper pH
• Sucrose – a sugar that stabilizes the suspension
What ingredients are in the Johnson & Johnson vaccine?
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine contains:
• Recombinant, replication-incompetent adenovirus type 26 expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein
• citric acid monohydrate
• trisodium citrate dihydrate
• ethanol
• 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HBCD)
• polysorbate-80
• sodium chloride
How do vaccines protect our community?
The vaccines not only protect people who get the vaccine, they’ll protect people who have not been vaccinated by reducing the rate of person-to-person transmission (community protection). By reducing spread of the virus, they also reduce the chance that additional COVID-19 variants will develop. Vaccination has led to community protection from other illnesses, including whooping cough (pertussis).
How are the three vaccines different?
Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are mRNA vaccines and Johnson & Johnson’s is a viral vector vaccine.
The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use the same technology but contain slightly different mRNAs and different ingredients used to protect the mRNA, maintain the pH and stabilize the solution. Essentially, these two vaccines make a protein unique to COVID-19 that triggers your body into producing antibodies and T-lymphocytes (T-cells) to fight it. If you get infected in the future, those cells will remember and fight the virus.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a viral vector which is a virus that has been altered so it does not cause illness but still makes your immune system build up specific defenses. This vaccine triggers the same result, but from a different angle. Examples of viral vector vaccines are the flu and measles vaccines.
Does it matter which vaccine I receive?
All the approved vaccines are safe and highly effective. The best vaccine is the vaccine you can get as soon as possible. However, only the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for use in individuals age 12 – 17. Vaccine clinics now publish which vaccine they are offering, so make sure to schedule at a clinic offering the Pfizer vaccine if you are scheduling for someone under 18.
We cannot compare the vaccines to each other directly because each of the clinical trials used different measurements and data collection methods. With V-safe, the CDC’s vaccination health checker program, researchers will be able to look at all the data and compare the results accurately in the coming months.
You should feel confident getting any of the vaccines because that is the key to ending this pandemic, getting all our lives back to normal and getting our local economy back on track.
How much will the vaccine cost?
The short answer is, it’s free. The federal government purchased hundreds of millions of vaccine doses with taxpayer money, so the vaccine, itself, will be given to Americans at no cost. Vaccine providers will be able to charge a fee to administer the shot, but this fee should be covered by public or private insurance, or by a government relief fund for the uninsured.
Do the COVID-19 vaccines protect against the COVID-19 variants?
Early research suggests that all three vaccines can provide protection against the COVID-19 variants identified in the U.K. and South Africa. Vaccine manufacturers are also looking into creating booster shots to improve protection against these and other variants.
How do I get my vaccine counted as part of Michigan’s data if I was vaccinated in another state?
Show your vaccination record card to your primary healthcare provider (your regular doctor), and they can report it to the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR), Michigan’s system for recording vaccine information. If you do not regularly see a doctor, you can visit the Kent County Health Department located at 700 Fuller Ave NE in Grand Rapids and present your vaccination record card. The health department will report your vaccine to MCIR. That’s all it takes for your vaccination to be added to the doses administered on Michigan’s COVID-19 vaccine dashboard.
Receiving the Vaccine
What should I know about booster shots? Am I eligible?
Click here to learn more about booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
How many shots am I going to need?
The Pfizer vaccine requires 2 doses, 21 days apart at a minimum. The Moderna vaccine requires 2 doses, 28 days apart at a minimum. Since it takes time for your body to build protection after any vaccination, the two COVID-19 vaccines may not protect you until 1-2 weeks after your second shot.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a single dose.
Since it takes time for your body to build protection after any vaccination, the COVID-19 vaccines may not fully protect you until two weeks after your final shot.
What is the longest amount of time you can wait for your second shot?
First, you should not receive the second dose earlier than recommended (21 days for Pfizer and 28 days for Moderna). The second dose should be given as close to the recommended timeframe as possible, but if that is not possible, then the second dose of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines may be scheduled up to 6 weeks (42 days) after the first dose. However, there is no clear data on the effectiveness if it is delayed beyond this timeframe. For more information, review the CDC’s guidance on vaccine administration.
Is a booster the same as a “third dose” of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine?
The third dose is different than a booster and has been approved by the FDA and recommended by the CDC specifically and exclusively for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.
Immunocompromised individuals have a medical condition or are on a medication that limits the strength of their immune systems, therefore, they may not receive the same level of protection from a regular course of vaccination.
People who are immunocompromised may receive a third dose of either the Moderna or the Pfizer vaccine as soon as 28 days after the second dose. There is no additional dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine currently recommended. More information on who is eligible for a third dose can be found here.
Again, the third dose should not be confused with a booster. A vaccine booster is an additional shot that is given to previously vaccinated people as the immunity provided by the original vaccine has started to decrease over time. A booster is given to help maintain a high level of immunity in the future.
If a vaccine needs two doses, can you switch to another vaccine/manufacturer for the second one?
No. Experts advise staying with the same vaccine for both. That’s true even for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which use the same general approach yet are different.
Can the COVID-19 vaccine be administered with other vaccines?
Yes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the COVID-19 vaccine can be administered at the same time as other vaccines.
Should I take Tylenol or Motrin before my vaccination?
If you regularly take aspirin, acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) and ibuprofen (e.g., Motrin, Advil) for other medical conditions, continue to do so as directed by your physician or as needed. Otherwise, do not take medication prior to your vaccination.
Taking over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen before receiving a vaccine may reduce its ability to work and decrease the immune response to the vaccine. After the vaccination, do not hesitate to take an over-the-counter medication if you have symptoms that make you uncomfortable.
Can I get the vaccine if I've had COVID-19?
Getting COVID-19 might offer some natural protection or immunity from reinfection with the COVID-19 virus but it’s unclear how long this protection lasts. Therefore, it’s recommended you go ahead and get the vaccine, even if you’ve already had COVID-19.
Can I get the vaccine if I’ve had convalescent plasma or monoclonal antibody treatment for COVID-19?
If you have had COVID-19 and received either convalescent plasma or monoclonal antibodies, you should not receive the vaccine for 90 days as these drugs may interfere with the vaccine’s effectiveness.
Can the COVID-19 vaccines be used in accordance with Catholic values?
Yes. On Dec. 21, 2020, the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) released a statement, approved by Pope Francis, that states all approved COVID-19 vaccines — including those that used tainted cells in their development — are morally acceptable for use during the pandemic due to the “grave danger” of the “uncontainable spread of a serious pathological agent.”
The Vatican confirmed that getting vaccinated and keeping the public safe is more important than the distant concerns about the use of tainted cell lines. The Catholic Health Association supported this position.
It is important to know that many of the COVID-19 vaccines approved for emergency use authorization in the United States did not directly use tainted cell lines in development. For more information on the use of cell lines, read this fact sheet from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.
Due to the limited supply of vaccine we receive from the State of Michigan, we are not able to offer a choice of vaccine at our clinics. We encourage you to take whichever vaccine your clinic is offering as vaccination will protect you and others from severe illness or death.
Can I get the COVID-19 vaccine during Ramadan?
Yes, you can get vaccinated during Ramadan. The vaccines will not invalidate your fast because they have no nutritional value and they do not contain food-related substances. Though a fasting person is not allowed to take food, water, or medicine through open passages such as the mouth or nose, the vaccines are given in the muscle, so they do not affect an open passage. Similar guidelines have covered flu shots and other vaccinations during Ramadan.
Effectiveness and Safety
Are the COVID-19 vaccines safe?
The vaccines currently approved for use in the U.S. are highly safe and effective. All three vaccines were developed in the U.S. and have undergone U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scrutiny, the most rigorous vaccine approval process on the planet.
Like other medications, the COVID-19 vaccines can have some side effects, but symptoms experienced by trial participants were mild or moderate and were attributable to a normal, healthy immune response. The most commonly reported side effects of the vaccine were chills, fatigue, muscle or joint pain, nausea, pain, redness or swelling at the injection site, and headache.
Are the COVID-19 vaccines effective?
The vaccines (Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer) demonstrated 66 to 95 percent efficacy against COVID-19 symptoms, a calculation based on observed infection rates among unvaccinated (placebo) adult participants compared to vaccinated participants in each clinical trial. And all three vaccines demonstrated a more than 89 percent efficiency against COVID-19 symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization.
Efficacy was consistent across age (12+), gender, race, and ethnicity demographics. Only the Pfizer vaccine has been widely tested in children and adolescents ages 12 – 16.
Can children be vaccinated?
Anyone age 5 and older is eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Visit the CDC’s website to learn more about the emergency use authorization recently granted to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11.
Can pregnant women be vaccinated?
Yes, pregnant women can receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Some vaccinations, like the COVID-19 vaccine and Tdap vaccines provide protection for both the pregnant woman and the newborn baby through antibodies from the mom to the baby.
The New England Journal of Medicine recently published preliminary findings from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scientists that determined the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines do not appear to pose any serious risk during pregnancy. In fact, the study found no increase in risks of complications, premature delivery, miscarriage, or other issues among women who got the shot even among those who received the vaccine during their third trimester. The study did not look at Johnson & Johnson’s one-shot vaccine, which became available after the start of the study.
Pregnant women face a higher risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 than non-pregnant women, making vaccination especially important to this demographic. If you have questions about the risks and benefits of the vaccine, please talk with your physician.
Why was I told to wait a month after getting the vaccine before getting a mammogram?
Some people experience temporary swelling of lymph nodes under their arm after getting the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. This is part of the immune system’s expected response (lymph nodes are an important part of our immune system). Sometimes this has been mistaken for a sign of possible spread of breast cancer to the lymph nodes; therefore, delaying the mammogram can reduce the chance of being confused by this finding. If you are concerned about delaying one, contact your health care provider.
After Vaccination
Will I need to get a COVID-19 vaccine every year?
At this time, we do not know. Studies on the long-term effectiveness of the vaccines will continue and more information will be released as it becomes available.
Will I need to continue to wear a mask and distance after I receive 2 doses of the vaccine?
You might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission if you have a weakened immune system or if, because of your age or an underlying medical condition, you are at increased risk for severe disease, or if a member of your household has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease, or is unvaccinated.
If I’ve been vaccinated and was exposed to someone who has COVID-19, do I need to quarantine?
How long does it take to be fully protected after receiving the vaccine?
With all three vaccines, immunity builds over time, and recipients are considered to be fully protected two weeks after their final dose. |
Intended for healthcare professionals
Education And Debate
1. Michael Marmot, research professor (M.Marmot{at},
2. Richard G Wilkinson, professorb
1. a International Centre for Health and Society, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London WC1E 6BT
2. b Trafford Centre for Medical Research, University of Sussex, Brighton BN19RY
1. Correspondence to: M Marmot
Much of the debate on health inequalities has centred on the damage done by poverty. However, evidence suggests that health is also related to inequality. Firstly, as the Whitehall studies of British civil servants show, there is a gradient in health among those who are not poor, indicating that the higher the socioeconomic position, the lower the morbidity and mortality.14 Whole population samples show that this gradient runs right across societies and that its magnitude varies between societies and over time. 5 6 Although absolute mortality has been falling in Britain, inequalities in mortality have increased. 7 8 Secondly, despite the health gradient within societies, there is little relation between average income (gross domestic product per capita) and life expectancy in rich countries. This suggests that absolute material standards are not, in themselves, the key. Thirdly, there is a strong relation between mortality and income inequalities. People living in countries with greater income inequality have a shorter life expectancy.911 Furthermore, a similar relation has been found for geographical areas within countries.1215
Summary points
Economic and social circumstances affect health through the physiological effects of their emotional and social meanings and the direct effects of material circumstances
Material conditions do not adequately explain health inequalities in rich countries
The relation between smaller inequalities in income and better population health reflects increased psychosocial wellbeing
In rich countries wellbeing is more closely related to relative income than absolute income
Importance of psychosocial pathways
These observations support our argument that there are psychosocial pathways associated with relative disadvantage which act in addition to the direct effects of absolute material living standards. 1 1618 This interpretation is underpinned by three kinds of evidence:
• The success of psychosocial variables such as control, anxiety, insecurity, depression, social affiliations in explaining the health gradient
• Studies of the effects of low social status on non-human primates
• Increasing knowledge of the neuroendocrine pathways through which psychosocial factors “get under the skin.”
Interpretation of Lynch et al
Lynch et al dismissed this approach in a recent article in the BMJ.19 They accepted the link between income inequality and life expectancy at the population level and considered three explanations: individual income, psychosocial factors, and “neo-material” interpretations.
Lynch et al then proceeded to rule out the first two explanations in favour of the third. The argument supporting individual income as an explanation states that a society with greater income inequality will have a higher percentage of people with low incomes, and that this higher prevalence of poor people accounts for the relation with poor health. Although this interpretation is possible, Lynch et al cited convincing evidence refuting it.2022 However, it is the rejection of psychosocial explanations by Lynch et al which we wish to consider here. These authors dismiss the evidence that psychosocial factors mediate the relation between income inequality and mortality at the population level. Furthermore, at the individual level, Lynch et al claim that a focus on perceptions of inequality and other psychosocial factors ignores the material conditions which structure everyday experience and leads to a regressive political agenda of victim blaming.
Psychosocial effects of relative deprivation
We need not take issue with the emphasis of Lynch et al on neo-material factors. Indeed their description of these as “a combination of negative exposures and lack of resources held by individuals, along with systematic under investment across a wide range of human, cultural, and political-economic processes” seems to embrace everything but the genome. Although the inclusion of psychosocial pathways in neo-material factors might arguably be considered a major difference between neo-material and material factors, Lynch et al have taken pains specifically to exclude psychosocial explanations of inequalities in health.
The distinction between the direct effects of material conditions (malnutrition, cold, and polluted air and water) on health and the psychosocially mediated health effects of relative deprivation has important implications for policy. If, in the spirit of neo-materialism, you give every child access to a computer and every family a car, deal with air pollution, and provide a physically safe environment, is the problem solved? We believe not. The psychosocial effects of relative deprivation involving control over life, insecurity, anxiety, social isolation, socially hazardous environments, bullying, and depression remain untouched. Evidence shows that these factors influence health and that their prevalence is affected by the socioeconomic structure and by people's position within this.
Psychosocial importance of consumption
Within a society, health is correlated with income. However, over and above satisfying basic needs, consumption serves social, psychosocial, and symbolic purposes. It expresses identity. Self image is enhanced by possessions. Shopping provides “retail therapy.” Wealth is a marker for social status, success, and respectability, just as poverty is stigmatising. At work, higher incomes are associated with less subordination, more autonomy and control, and less job insecurity. Even Marx's paleo-materialism acknowledged the psychosocial effects of inequality: “A house may be large or small; as long as the surrounding houses are equally small it satisfies all social demands for a dwelling. But if a palace arises beside the little house, the little house shrinks to a hovel … the dweller will feel more and more uncomfortable, dissatisfied and cramped within its four walls.”23
Even before Marx, Adam Smith recognised that material conditions were important for more than their value in providing for life's basics: “By necessaries, I understand not only the commodities which are indispensably necessary for the support of life, but whatever the custom of the country renders it indecent for creditable people, even the lowest order to be without … a creditable day labourer would be ashamed to appear in public without a linen shirt.”24
Psychosocial factors and ill health: heart disease
It has been shown that psychosocial factors are linked to ill health, follow a social gradient, account (statistically) for some or the entire social gradient in ill health, and are biologically plausible explanations. Take coronary heart disease as an example.
• A systematic review found that low control in the work place, low social support, hostility, depression, and anxiety were related to coronary heart disease25
• National data from the health survey for England show that low control and low variety at work as well as low social supports follow a social gradient (table)26
• The Whitehall II study showed that low control in the workplace predicted coronary heart disease independent of social status,27 and that low control in the workplace accounted for about half of the social gradient in cardiovascular disease1
• There is substantial evidence of the neuroendocrine pathways through which psychosocial factors affect health 28 29
Low control and variety at work and severe lack of social support in relation to sex and social class. Values are percentages for all men and women in each social class26
View this table:
• In animal experiments it is possible to examine the effects of social status in the absence of appreciable material differences. In studies of macaque monkeys, diet and the environment were held constant while social status was manipulated by moving animals between groups (ruling out reverse causation). The results showed that subordinate status itself led to health risk factors—risk factors that are also associated with low social status in humans. These include increased atherosclerosis, unfavourable ratios of high density lipoprotein cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, insulin resistance, a tendency to central obesity, and raised basal cortisol values. 28 30 31 In the monkeys these effects are unambiguously attributed to chronic arousal associated with low social status.
Lynch et al dismiss this evidence in animals because the social status variation in these measures among monkeys is only a small part of the total individual variation. But that is as it should be; the same is true of the social gradient in human health. Nevertheless, the effects associated with social status are large. Downwardly mobile animals showed a fivefold increase in atherosclerosis over two years.32 Lynch et al suggest that differential access to food, water, and space might account for the differences in atherosclerosis. But the experimental conditions ensured that this was not so (CA Shively, personal communication). In humans, the social gradients seen in fibrinogen (an acute phase reactant) and in cortisol values provide direct physiological evidence of the involvement of psychosocial pathways linking hierarchy and health. 31 33
Inequality and weakening social affiliations
The fact that the social gradient in health within societies is related to psychosocial factors does not prove that the association between socioeconomic inequality and the health of whole populations also results from psychosocial factors. However, evidence suggests that this is the case.
At the ecological level greater income equality has been shown, internationally and among the 50 states of the United States, to be strongly associated with increased trust. 34 35 Greater equality is also associated with “helpfulness” and group membership, while greater inequality is linked with hostility. A meta-analysis of 34 studies shows that there is a strong relation between greater income inequality and increased homicide.36 More inequality is also associated with increased racism and discrimination against women. 37 38 Other studies show a close relation between a more egalitarian social ethos and closer community relations. 39 40 All these are unambiguous signs that inequality has psychosocial effects. Indeed, there seems to be a “culture of inequality” which is more aggressive, less connected, more violent, and less trusting.41 People with less egalitarian values have repeatedly been shown to be more racist, classist, and sexist.42
Lynch et al attempt to dismiss this accumulated evidence simply by saying that trust has not decreased in the United States as income differences have widened. But the US general social survey shows that during 30 years up to 1998, when income differences widened almost continuously, the proportion of people who trusted others fell from 55% to 35%. Putnam also provides incontrovertible evidence that “social capital and economic inequality moved in tandem through most of the twentieth century.”43
If greater inequality increases the burden of low social status while weakening social affiliations, health effects are to be expected. Mortality is two or three times higher in people of low status than in those of high status and two or three times higher in people with weak social links than in those with strong social networks.44 45
Happiness and relative income
Lynch et al also maintain that subjective wellbeing is more closely related to absolute income than to relative income. However, this claim is not supported in a recent analysis by Frank, which takes account of data referred to by Lynch et al.46 Frank asserts: “Study after careful study shows that, beyond some point, the average happiness within a country is almost completely unaffected by increases in its average income level … average satisfaction levels register virtually no change even when average incomes grow many-fold.”46 In contrast, the “consistent finding” of analyses of “how subjective well-being varies with income within a country … is that richer people are, on average, more satisfied with their lives than their poorer contemporaries.”46 In short, happiness is more closely related to relative than to absolute income.
Mortality and income
To keep the direct effects of material factors in the picture, Lynch et al argue that even in rich countries there is an association between average income and life expectancy. The figure shows the relation between life expectancy and gross national product per capita at purchasing power parities for the 25 richest countries for which the World Health Organization holds 1998 data. 47 48 There is a slight negative relation between the two (r=−0.107). For the 30 richest countries, the correlation is 0.064. It is only when poorer countries are included that the association with mean income emerges. This is not a legitimate basis on which to interpret the effects of inequality in the United States.
Fig 1
Fig 1
Life expectancy and gross national product per capita in the world's 25 richest countries
Not only is the regular rank ordering of mortality in relation to income within the richest countries not found between these countries, but there can be dramatic mismatches in living standards and health between societies. In 1996, black American men had a median income of $26 52249 and a life expectancy of only 66.1 years.50 Men in Costa Rica had a mean income (at purchasing power parity) of only $6410, yet their life expectancy was 75 years. Four times the real income bought a life expectancy of nine years less. Given that 44% of Costa Ricans lived on less than $2 a day in 1989,51 the explanation for the poorer health of black people in the United States must have more to do with the psychosocial effects of relative deprivation—such as educational disadvantage, racism, gender discrimination, social and family disruption, and fear of crime—than with the direct effects of material conditions themselves. To show that social structure and relative deprivation have painful psychosocial effects is the very opposite of victim blaming. Indeed, the denial of these connections exposes the individual to blame.
Tackling psychosocial and material issues
Lynch et al imagine that a focus on psychosocial factors means ignoring the structural determinants of health. If such a focus led to victim blaming, ignoring the social determinants of health, or prescriptions of mass psychotherapy to alter perceptions of relative disadvantage, we would share their concern. But this is not where the evidence on psychosocial factors leads. 8 16 52 Recognising that the socioeconomic structure has powerful psychosocial as well as material effects means that it is more, not less, important to identify and tackle the structural issues. Added urgency comes from the fact that psychosocial factors, unlike many of the direct effects of material factors, exacerbate other social problems, including levels of violence and the gradient in educational performance.53
• Funding Both authors are supported by the Medical Research Council. MM is also supported by the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Socioeconomic Status and Health.
• Competing interests None declared.
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View Abstract |
Last edited 27 Jun 2021
Main author
Institute of Historic Building Conservation Institute / association Website
Understanding context
Rethinking how to reform the planning system and get the construction industry working effectively depends on urban designersskills in understanding context.
St Monans.jpg
A context sketch of St Monans, Fife, by Willie Watt, architect and master planner of Nicoll Russell Studios, Dundee. Sketching by hand uses a part of the human brain that helps develop a unique understanding of space, spatial hierarchies and character that cannot be acquired by photographing or computerising imagery.
Britain’s built environment has seen better days. The quality of design has decayed. Sustainable development has been difficult to achieve. Local authorities have suffered a huge loss of skills and resources, but the pro-active planning lobby requires both. Placemaking, considered the best vehicle to achieve sustainability, is not always evidenced in planning applications; rather, a vast number of submissions lack contextual analysis, adequate depth of information and design integrity. Built-environment education seems polarised towards two distinctive strands: first, a tight understanding and adherence to rules; and, second, idealistic utopias difficult to deliver. Design schools are progressively diverting from contextual cognitive learning to producing striking imagery with futuristic tools, a promising glossy world of practice that attracts paying students but results in a loss of skills.
The problems in the industry are systemic, poor outcomes being largely due to how all the parties involved interact. An effective way to move forward would involve a holistic understanding of the context in which built environment professions operate. That context involves big issues like climate change, health and wellbeing, housing, welfare, equality and inclusivity, all of which transcend both geographical and scholarly boundaries, and which require system-thinking and collaborative, pragmatic approaches. Positive change requires a change of model.
Imagine an engine whose pieces can be removed and repaired individually. Current legislation operates like that, considering all specialities separately. Now imagine an ecosystem whose components are connected by the processes that associate them, rather than by their individual qualities. An organic, systemic approach that focuses on the relationship between the parts, their relative hierarchy and the way in which they affect each other would seem far more plausible as a model for the future of planning.
Conversely, the parts of the industry are heading in different directions, failing to reconciliate their goals and motivations, or to deliver a common agenda. Professional bodies are insular, having self-regulated codes of practice that emerged from old models like the engine that we imagined, which are no longer appropriate. In response to such an archaic ethos, higher education bodies offer technological advances and complex software solutions that promise a future of construction allegedly capable of eliminating errors by automatising design processes. The danger is that improved tools applied to the old model will continue to exacerbate problems, but do it faster than before.
Unbalanced context analysis
Sustainable development involves three spheres: economic, environmental and social. Economy is captured in monetary terms, so there is a measure: gains can be assessed and investments can be value-engineered. The capitalist system probably contributed to the growth of the economic sphere at the expense of the other two. To compensate for this imbalance, professionals have tried to measure the economic gains of ecology. For example, they have looked for evidence of how removing parking and providing street trees can attract shoppers, or how property values can be raised by increasing access to green spaces. The social sphere is rarely dealt with at all. Applying monetary currency to the environmental sphere only results in the transference of these non-economic gains on to the economy sphere, increasing its relevance and devaluing the other strands further.
Some might argue that quantifying social and ecological variables such as heritage, culture, nature, beauty, health and wellbeing could risk enabling savings in those areas. Conversely, the failure to quantify these eliminates their accountability altogether, making asset reduction or loss a less threatening prospect. This lack of accountability has left social and ecological fields arguing for agendas that respond to their specific ethical motives, but without much leverage.
An accidental outcome of this imbalance is that built environment students lack sufficient exposure to all three strands of sustainability in equal measure. Take the field of architecture, for example: course accreditation criteria largely reflect a focus on the building as an object, and an overall tendency towards form and tectonics, only considering an understanding of impact in a course’s later years. However, the socio-environmental crisis we face dictates that designers must begin with an understanding of place. A comprehensive initial analysis of context and the ecosystem of the setting should precede the architectural design, which is always another component of a larger, complex system. Only then should the philosophical and technical description of architectural objects follow. This much-needed shift in paradigm, from object-in-space to component-of-place, is crucial to sustainability.
Course validation criteria disregard staff development in areas where other fields of expertise overlap with architectural practice, and limit the number of external visiting board members from other disciplines. Ironically, collaborative approaches would anticipate that specialisms outside the realm of architectural practice have important roles to play in shaping an architect’s mind.
Obsolete methodologies are not exclusive to architecture. Some urban design courses focus on form-first master planning. This may be a naive attempt to validate the relevance of urban designers as technical specialists, as necessary as architects but working at a different scale. While some architects can master plan, urban design practice requires different skill-sets and, more important, a different mindset.
Specialist skill-sets of urban designers:
Thinking about
The built environment requires a cultural change that goes beyond the use of emerging technology and the application of complex tools. It is time to question the role of each specialism and how they relate.
Radical reform
As radical as the white paperPlanning for the Future’ might seem, change will not happen by application of logics that did not work before. The reform will be meaningful if it is accompanied by a cultural change that emerges from a clear understanding of the context in which all built environment fields currently operate.
The main issues are:
1. The mechanistic engine model was adopted to resolve the problems of modernism. Today’s problems require an ecosystem approach.
2. Innovation must focus on resolving the issues of the system, looking at how fields of expertise relate, rather than developing further field-specific tools.
3. Achieving sustainable development requires levelling-up the economic, environmental and social spheres, developing a sphere-specific way to measure outputs.
4. Regulatory frameworks within planning must focus on governing accountability, and making every party responsible for increasing capital in all three strands in equal measure.
5. Legislative frameworks must have a clear emphasis on relations, hierarchies and synergies, rather than focusing on outputs. Delivering place quality requires an understanding of how things happen, more than looking at what will be delivered.
6. All component parts within the system and all fields of expertise should be reviewed, at all levels.
The first step should focus on the regulation of built-environment education, investing in a robust long-term multi-disciplinary reform. There is wide recognition that the UK planning system is not working, that it became obsolete some time ago and that new models are required. The pandemic has given the whole world an opportunity to reflect, rethink and create an improved ‘new normal’. When doing so, we must not forget that in any project, no matter how large or small, the quality of contextual analysis is always what makes the difference between success and failure. Resolving the built-environment crisis is not an exception to this rule: we must understand what we have in order to plan what to do.
This article originally appeared in Context 167, published by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) in March 2021. It was written by Laura Alvarez, senior principal urban design and conservation officer at Nottingham City Council.
--Institute of Historic Building Conservation
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Legionella Control With Water Conditioning
Early Spring is a good time for facility operators to prepare their building water systems for the warm months ahead, and to consider safe and sustainable ways to prevent legionella, which forms in numerous water systems besides cooling towers. Legionella is not a new strain of bacteria, but with continuous improvements in the efficiencies of systems and building practices, these bacteria could be more difficult to control in some areas that chemicals have difficulty reaching. HydroFLOW is an electronic water conditioning device that controls bacteria, scale and corrosion in water systems. HydroFLOW controls legionella and algae in cooling towers, potable water systems and water heaters with a frequency that extends throughout a water system.
Chemicals should be used in water systems according to regulations, and when used with HydroFLOW the volume of chemical use is reduced between 50%-75%, and water purging/ blowdown is decreased by more than 50% in most cases. HydroFLOW reduces chemicals, water and energy use as a sustainable water management technology for water systems of any size.
Legionnaires outbreaks have occurred with some frequency recently, and after considerable time and review, ASHRAE approved the 188 standard for legionella in 2015 called ANSI/ASHRAE 188-2015, “Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems.” The Legionella risk reduction strategy set forth in 188-2015 is to implement a water management plan for building water systems including cooling towers, evaporative condensers, whirlpool spas, ornamental fountains, misters, atomizers, air washers, humidifiers, and other devices that release water droplets.
Legionella Management
A management plan would be required for potable plumbing systems only in buildings that have any of the following:
1. multiple housing units with a centralized hot water system
2. more than 10 stories
3. housing for occupants over the age of 65
4. health care for patients staying longer than 24 hours
5. an area housing or treating persons at especially high risk of contracting Legionnaires' disease.
HVAC contractors and others that provide services on or near cooling towers should take reasonable measures to protect themselves from Legionnaires’ disease, and many building operators have initiated legionella testing programs on a schedule to monitor levels of bacteria in water systems. Water systems that are determined to require Legionella control measures require designers to provide documentation, diagrams, and instructions for monitoring and control of legionella, and should note locations of equipment access (and note inadequate access), filling and draining, flushing, sampling, temperature monitoring, treatment, no flow and low flow areas, possible cross connections between potable and non-potable systems, and outside air intakes.
Preventive measures for legionella have been specified in ASHRAE 188-2015: Locate cooling towers to minimize transmission of drift to people; for example, as far as reasonably possible from building openings, outside air intakes, parking lots, and sidewalks. Also, avoid locating cooling towers near sources of contamination such as kitchen exhausts that make water treatment for microbial control even more challenging.
Legionella prevention and mitigation should be a part of every facility manager’s standard operating procedures, and while chemicals have traditionally been at the forefront of control, more sustainable methods can be used that complement chemical applications while reducing their volume and cost.
Legionella Treatment with HydroFLOW
HydroFLOW installs in minutes and operates 24/7 without balancing dosages or concentrations. HydroFLOW neutralizes bacteria, biofilm and algae throughout a water system while controlling scale, which reduces another set of chemicals that require balancing. Sustainable water management is good for people, budgets and it improves operations. Contact us today to learn more. |
Religious Education
During religious education (RE) lessons children are encouraged to reflect on different beliefs and values, relating them to their own world and experiences. Pupils learn about world religions and customs within them, indentifying similarities and differences between them and learning how members of that religion worship and celebrate.
Pupils at Pinehurst are encouraged to ask and explore the 'big' questions, exploring right and wrong, being part of a community, the origins of humanity and what happens after we die. They learn how different religious groups approach this and learn to respect others and their beliefs.
Children at Pinehurst will be following a new, bespoke religious education curriculum from January 2022 onwards. The overview for this can be found below.
Leading Religious Education at Pinehurst is: Mrs J Hannah
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Robots that can read and respond to brain waves will eventually help stroke patients regain movement, using new neural interfaces that can re-train damaged motor pathways. Neuroscientists have made great strides in brain-machine interfaces that can respond to a person’s thoughts — a new generation will drive a non-invasive robotic orthotic, retraining the patient’s own body.
Patients who have suffered a stroke or other injury can lose the active use of their limbs, rendering them unable to simply think about moving an arm or hand and then do it. Sometimes it’s possible to re-establish the lost connection, with time and repetitive physical therapy. Researchers at Rice University are using a robotic exoskeleton and a neural interface to improve matters.
Unlike other neural interfaces implanted in the brain, this system uses an electroencephalograph (EEG), which monitors waves of activity in the brain. It will work by first recording the brain activity of healthy patients, and turning those signals into a control output that an exoskeleton can understand. Then the system will be further trained with stroke patients who have some ability to initiate movements. The goal is to develop control patterns that can work on any patient, even those with no ability to initiate willful movements — the robot will interpret any person’s brain activity and translate it into the right motion, performing the movements over and over again to retrain the patient’s motor pathways.
“With a lot of robotics, if you want to engage the patient, the robot has to know what the patient is doing,” said principal investigator Marcia O’Malley, an associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at Rice. “If the patient tries to move, the robot has to anticipate that and help. But without sophisticated sensing, the patient has to physically move – or initiate some movement.”
The project has already successfully reconstructed three-dimensional hand and walking movements from brain signals, according to a Rice news release. Now a $1.17 million grant from the National Institutes of Health and the president’s National Robotics Initiative will test it on 40 patients over the next two years.
[via Neurogadget] |
SSC Geography Sample Paper NCERT Sample Paper-1
• question_answer
Consider the following statements
A) Evaporation depends upon temperature and dryness of the air.
B) Clouds favour evaporation and increase the amount of evaporation.
C) Maximum water vapour in the air is found over the equator.
D) Evaporation taking place from vegetation is known as transpiration. Which of the above statements as wrong?
Correct Answer: B
Solution :
[b] Clouds act as blanket for incoming solar radiations and obstruct evaporation
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31 Dec
SSC CGL is surely one of the most competitive Govt. Job exams in the country. Over 10 lakh candidates prepare themselves throughout the year for this exam. Many of whom find the English section a tough nut to crack. As regards the English syllabus, the exact words mentioned in the official notification for SSC CGL are: “Candidates’ ability to understand correct English, his basic comprehension and writing ability, etc. would be tested.” Now, this is a broad outline which doesn’t specify the types of questions that you can expect. The teachers providing the Best SSC Coaching Classes in Delhi have, therefore, come up with a blueprint which clearly explains the pattern of English section.
The questions that comprise the English section can be clubbed under 10 heads, as mentioned below-
1.One Word Substitution:
It requires substituting a cluster of words with one single word. One word substitution questions have traditionally been scoring opportunities for candidates, but in the recent past the difficulty level of the questions has increased. Going through past year SSC exam papers is really beneficial, while preparing for these questions. However, ultimately your performance here is dependent on how strong your vocabulary is.
2. Idioms & Phrases:
Every language has its special phrases known as idioms. Idioms have their own meanings; these meanings can’t be arrived at by understanding the words that form the idiom. You can easily expect around 5 questions on idioms in SSC exam English section. A phrasal verb starts with a verb and ends with a preposition. It also has a unique meaning which is different from its literal meaning. Sometimes, your knowledge of phrasal verbs may be tested through sentence improvement questions.
3. Synonyms & Antonyms:
Questions where you have to find a synonym or an antonym of a given word are always there in the exam. The great thing is that these questions are hardly time-consuming. If you have a good vocabulary, you can get all of them right in no time. It will give you an edge over all other candidates whose vocabulary is not up to the mark. So, investing time in improving your vocabulary will definitely give your rich dividends. Make sure you start with learning the high-frequency words and then move on to the words which are not that frequently used.
4. Fill in the Blanks (Sentence Completion):
To achieve high accuracy on these questions you must hone your word usage skills. You must learn not only the meaning of a word and what part of speech it is but also the context in which it is used. Doing all this requires regular reading and focusing on the nuances of the language. At times, prepositions have to be filled in the blanks. Such questions can be mastered by understanding how different prepositions are used and doing a lot of practice questions.
5. Sentence Errors:
Quite often students attempt these questions on the basis of what sounds correct or incorrect. This sort of approach must be done away with because what we speak and what sounds correct is, at times, grammatically incorrect. In our daily communication most of us flout the rules of grammar, without even knowing it. Therefore, learning the fundamentals of English grammar becomes essential. Moreover, you must be able to apply the fundamentals of grammar and find out which part of the sentence is erroneous.
6. Comprehension Passage:
Comprehension passages invariably find a place in SSC CGL. These passages are designed to test your understanding of the written text. The idea here is to check whether you can analyze the information which is given in the form of an unseen passage. Thus, improving your reading comprehension skills becomes an integral part of SSC exam preparation. However, bettering your comprehension alone will not be enough if your reading speed is slow. In this regard, you have to make sure you consciously practice speed reading.
7. Sentence Rearrangement:
Questions based on sentence rearrangement require you to rearrange the sentences in proper order so as to construct a meaningful paragraph. In order to get these questions right, you have to hone your reading skills. Reading will help you realize the sense of continuity which is there among the sentences that are parts of the same paragraph. When attempting sentence rearrangement questions, you must look for how a sentence gets linked with another sentence. Understanding the use of pronouns & connectors and learning the rules of paragraph construction will help you with it.
8. Jumbled up Sentence:
When a lengthy sentence is broken into fragments and you have to sequence them to form the original sentence, such a question is known as a jumbled up sentence question. These questions are pretty easy to handle and you must get all of them right. A basic understanding of verbs, adjectives, adverbs and prepositions is needed to solve these questions. However, you should try to understand the meaning of the sentence first and then start sequencing the fragments which are there in the question.
9. Narration (Direct Speech & Indirect Speech):
The knowledge of converting direct speech into indirect speech and vice-versa must be acquired for sure. Thorough understanding of tenses and modal verbs is required if you want to learn narration well. You should learn how verbs and tenses get transformed when direct speech is changed into indirect speech. Questions based on narration are most important from the perspective of the SSC CGL Tier II exam. From this area, you can easily expect at least 10 questions in Tier II exam.
10. Active Voice & Passive Voice:
The understanding of concepts such as subject, object, transitive verbs, intransitive verbs and tenses is essential over here. Before solving these questions, you should memorize the rules which govern the conversion of active voice into passive voice. However, a word of caution is that you must not mix up these rules with the rules that govern narration. Although active voice & passive voice questions may or may not be there in SSC CGL Tier I exam, they are definitely there in Tier II exam.
Summary: The pattern of questions given over here has been prepared after a lot of research by the best institute for SSC CGL Coaching in Delhi. Following this pattern will ensure that your preparation is totally in sync with the official syllabus for the exam.
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The SpaceX Starship: Revolutionary, If It Works (Which It Probably Will – Eventually)
Source: Wikipedia – Super heavy-lift launch vehicle
A. Introduction
SpaceX is currently developing a truly gigantic rocket it has named Starship. It would be revolutionary. Not only would it lift a heavier payload than the Saturn V, the rocket that took Apollo to the Moon and until now the heaviest lift launch vehicle that has successfully flown, but Starship is also being designed to be fully reusable. Both the first stage and the orbiter would fly back to the launch pad, where they each would be caught in mid-air as they land by arms extending from the launch tower. They would then be refueled and after minimal reinspection be able to take off again, within hours. And each flight would cost only $2 million.
If all this works as intended. And that remains to be seen. But there are good reasons to believe it will, eventually.
It is certainly likely that there will be explosions or other causes of failure in the early orbital test flights now upcoming, and that even once operational the turn-around time will at first be a good deal longer than a few hours and the cost a good deal more than $2 million for a flight. But even a cost that is ten times higher would still be incredibly cheap for such a lift capacity. And the iterative process SpaceX follows of testing to failure, learning from the test, redesigning to address the problems found, and then testing to failure again, is a process that has allowed SpaceX to work through to a successful design. It took some years of such tests before the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket of SpaceX was successfully flown back to the launch site (or to a platform on a drone ship in the ocean) and landed, and then reused after some refurbishment. But eventually, after a number of test failures, SpaceX worked out how to do this. It is now routine. And prior to SpaceX demonstrating this technology, the established view was that this would be basically impossible for an orbital launch vehicle.
Furthermore, in April 2021 NASA awarded SpaceX a close to $3 billion contract to build a variant of the Starship orbiter that would carry NASA astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon and back. It did this following a year of NASA engineers closely examining the SpaceX proposal (along with competing proposals from two others), reviewing the Starship plans with full access to all the technical information and to the development and testing plans. NASA concluded the SpaceX Starship system could be relied upon to deliver on its proposal. This is a tremendously important vote of confidence in the Starship system.
This post will first review the Starship system and what it promises to deliver. It is really pretty astounding. The big question is whether it will work, and that remains to be seen. But the post will review the development process SpaceX is following, and contrast that with the sharply different process NASA is following with its Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The SLS, with its high cost and long delays, was discussed in some detail in an earlier post of this blog. The contrasts in the approaches taken are stark. The SLS will be a similarly sized rocket as Starship (a bit smaller), but has followed a very different design and development process. Development began in 2011, with a design where the major components (the engines and the solid-fuel boosters strapped on the side) were the same as those used on the Space Shuttle or from other existing sources. This should have saved both time and expense. Yet despite this, there has yet to be a test flight of the SLS even though it is now more than ten years later. The much delayed first flight is now scheduled (as I write this) for February 2022 (and had been set as November 2021 just a few months ago), and it is expected that recently discovered problems will delay this further. Hopefully that first (and only planned) test flight will succeed. If it does not, it is not at all clear what will happen to NASA’s plans to return to the Moon under the Artemis program. As discussed in my earlier post, each SLS costs $2 billion to build, and under current production plans a second one will not be available for another two years in any case.
The Starship system that NASA has chosen to carry crew to the Lunar surface and back is also quite astounding. This post will review what it would be able to do, and contrast this with the two competing proposals that NASA considered – the proposal from a team with Blue Origin (owned by Jeff Bezos) in the lead and one with the firm Dynetics in the lead. The contrast is huge, where the SpaceX Starship proposal would deliver far more in several different dimensions (and at far lower cost).
The capabilities of the Starship also immediately raise the question of whether NASA should make use of it in a total revamp of its Artemis program to return astronauts to the Moon. Instead of stuffing the crew into the relatively tiny Orion capsule for the trip from the Earth to lunar orbit, launched on an SLS that costs $2 billion per launch, why not use what would otherwise be an empty Lunar Starship for the journey? The Lunar Starship will not only have all the life support systems needed by the crew for a multi-week journey, but the fully furbished habitable volume on the Lunar Starship is over 1,000 cubic meters, vs. just 9 cubic meters in the Orion capsule. Certain technical issues would of course need to be worked out, but that should not be an insurmountable obstacle.
There likely will be obstacles, however, but political ones rather than technical ones. This post will conclude with a discussion of those issues. In my earlier blog post, I estimated that just for the period from when the programs started to what is planned by FY2023, Congress will have appropriated and NASA will have spent a total of $21.8 billion on the Orion capsule and a total of $32.4 billion on the SLS, for a total of $54.2 billion on them together. It would be embarrassing, to say the least, to recognize that they turn out not to be needed, and that the SpaceX Starship system would not only be far less expensive but also far more capable. And politicians do not appreciate being embarrassed. While the politicians have asserted that they have been funding these programs to achieve certain space exploration goals, what appears to have driven the support of a number of the key Senators and Congressmen on the committees that set the NASA budget has been less the space exploration goals and more the resulting number of well-paid jobs in their constituencies. Seen in this light, the high cost of the SLS / Orion systems is not a flaw but a feature.
But this is not sustainable. How much the US government will spend on space exploration is limited, and treating it as a jobs program will mean national goals will either be long delayed or never met at all. And while private companies such as SpaceX can help NASA achieve national goals (faster and at lower cost), they can only help if they are used to help. Congress has often been opposed, with both Democrats and Republicans unfortunately aligned on this. China is now moving fast in its space exploration program, and NASA may soon be left far behind if Congressional priorities do not change.
B. The SpaceX Starship, and the SpaceX Approach to Development and Testing
SpaceX is currently developing, and actively testing, the extremely large rocket it has named Starship. If it works, it will be revolutionary. Starship will be huge – larger than the Saturn V as well as the SLS – and capable of delivering to low earth orbit a payload of 100,000 kg initially with this expected to grow to 150,000 kg or more as it is further developed.
The diagram at the top of this post shows Starship in comparison to other heavy-lift vehicles to give you a sense of its size. It is huge. And while the design is still evolving as its testing program proceeds (with the version of Starship shown in the diagram from a year or two ago), its basic dimensions will remain the same. The Saturn V is well known, and is the heaviest-lift launch vehicle that has ever flown. The SLS Block 1 will be the initial version of the SLS, with its first flight test now planned for 2022. The SLS Block 2 Cargo is a planned follow-on SLS variant – still to be developed – that would have the heaviest lift capacity of the SLS series if it is ever built. Finally, the N1 launch vehicle was developed, in secrecy at the time, in the USSR in the 1960s to carry its cosmonauts to the Moon. There were four tests between 1969 and 1972. Each failed with an explosion, and the especially spectacular explosion on the second test on July 3, 1969 – just 13 days before the launch of Apollo 11 – has been estimated to have been comparable in magnitude to that of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima. It was the biggest man-made non-nuclear explosion in history.
The SpaceX Starship will be a two-stage vehicle, with a first stage (named the Super Heavy) that will have a thrust at take-off that is more than double what it was on the Saturn V. The first stage will initially use 29 of the newly-developed engines named Raptor, with a plan to increase this to 33 Raptor engines very soon. And that number might rise to as many as 37. The engines burn liquid methane with liquid oxygen. The second stage will be powered by 6 Raptor engines (three optimized for burning in the vacuum of space and three for operation at ground level), with the spacecraft carrying the cargo and/or crew fully integrated into it. Confusingly, this second stage/spacecraft has been named Starship, which is also the name of the whole rocket including the first stage Super Heavy booster. To ease possible confusion, some refer to the second stage/spacecraft as the “Orbital Starship”, and I will as well. The Orbital Starship would come in several variants, with vehicles just for cargo (Cargo Starship), for a human crew (Crew Starship), and to serve as a fuel depot in space (Fuel Depot Starship). And as will be discussed in more detail below, NASA has extended a contract to SpaceX to build a variant that will take an astronaut crew to the Lunar surface and back (Lunar Starship).
Importantly, all components of Starship will be fully reusable, with the plan that there would be just minimal to no maintenance required between launches. The Super Heavy booster would return to the launch site and relight some subset of its engines for a soft landing. Indeed, as noted above, the plan is that it would come down precisely at the launch tower, where two extended arms on the tower would catch it as it (slowly) comes down. No landing legs would be required.
The Orbital Starship would also be fully reusable. It will have heat shield tiles that are chemically very similar to those used on the Space Shuttle, along with wing flaps and tail (see the drawing above) to guide the Orbital Starship as it re-enters the atmosphere and then lands. A restart of a subset of the engines near the end will allow for a soft landing. And as with the Super Heavy, the plan is for it to return to the launch tower to be caught as it comes down by the two large arms. The plan (and hope) then is that the Starship and Super Heavy could be re-attached, refueled, and launched again within hours, with just minimal inspection required to ensure all was fine.
The payload will also be huge. The immediate design goal is a payload to low Earth orbit of 100 tons. This would be more than the SLS (95 tons in the initial, Block 1, version), although less than the Saturn V (140 tons). But SpaceX plans to raise the payload capacity relatively soon to 150 tons through various means, and some have argued it might grow to even more. As noted above, the number of Raptor engines on the first test flight will be 29, but will soon be increased to 33 and eventually possibly to 37. Elon Musk (in a tweet on Twitter in July 2021) also mentioned the possibility that the number of Raptor engines on the Orbital Starship might be increased from six to nine at some point. The additional three would all be the Vacuum Raptor variant. This flexibility that has been built into the design of the Starship system – where adding core engines does not necessitate a complete revamping – is really quite remarkable.
The power of each engine will also soon be raised. The Raptor 2 engine, which is already now starting to be produced, will have 230 or more tons of force – a big increase over the 185 tons of force in the first version of the engine that has been on the test flights thus far. SpaceX also has a history of upgrading the performance of its rockets over time. The initial version 1.0 of the Falcon 9 rocket could carry a payload to low Earth orbit of 9.0 tons. But this rose to 22.8 tons in the Block 5 model that is now standard (22.8 tons when the boosters are expended, or 16.8 tons when the booster is recovered). That is, the Falcon 9 can now carry to orbit 2 1/2 times what it could when it first flew.
Will Starship work? That remains to be seen, but testing is underway and there are reasons to be optimistic. As I write this in December 2021, there have been seven test flights, all (so far) of the Starship upper stage, with simple up and down flights of up to 12.5 kilometers and a landing attempt on each. There were a series of sometimes spectacular crashes (or as SpaceX calls them, RUDs, for Rapid Unscheduled Disassemblies), but the seventh (and hence final flight of the series) was fully successful, so they have moved on. The plan now is to conduct a first test of the full Starship, with the Super Heavy plus the Orbital Starship launching from the SpaceX base in Boca Chica, Texas (on the Gulf of Mexico at the border with Mexico). The first test would be of an almost orbital flight (more than 80% of what a full orbit would be) to land about 100 kilometers northwest of Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands. The Super Heavy would return most of the way to the Boca Chica base but come down softly in a “landing” in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico around 20 kilometers off the coast on this first try. The Orbiter Starship would come down through the atmosphere, testing its heat shield in particular, to “land” in the waters of the Pacific.
It will be an ambitious first test of the complete rocket, and the likelihood of everything working right the first time is low. But this is in keeping with the SpaceX development and testing approach (to be further discussed below), which is to test early and often, and then iterate on the designs until they work. While no date has been publicly announced for this first test (SpaceX is a private company and under no obligation to announce this), the indications are that the flight would be sometime early in 2022 – probably in January or February. As with past flights, SpaceX will launch when they are ready (and usually, but not always, when they have the necessary permits in hand).
As noted before, if the design works it would be revolutionary. It would be fully reusable, with both the first (Super Heavy) and second (Orbital Starship) stages returning not simply to a base but to the very launch tower where they would be caught in mid-air. Probably the biggest question mark is whether the heat shield that covers one side of the Orbital Starship will prove to be durable and quickly reusable with no maintenance required. As noted above, the chemical composition of the material is similar to that used on the heat shield for the Space Shuttle. But on the Space Shuttle, extensive checks and maintenance of the heat shields proved to be necessary after each flight, with this a major contributor to the high cost of the Shuttle. The original plan (and hope) was that a Space Shuttle could be turned around and flown again within two weeks of its landing from its preceding flight. This proved impossible. In the later years of the Shuttle program, each operational Shuttle was generally flying only once a year.
SpaceX has learned and applied important lessons from the experience with the Space Shuttle, and has addressed the heat shield tile issues in two important ways. First, while most of the over 21,000 heat shield tiles on each Space Shuttle Orbiter had to have a unique shape due to the shape of the Shuttle, most (although not all) of the tiles on the Starship Orbiter will have a standard, hexagonal, shape. This will make them far easier to replace when needed, as a new, custom-molded, tile will not (normally) need to be made each time. And second, the tiles on the Starship Orbiter will be attached to built-in spikes on the body of the Starship, rather than attached with just a special glue. It is hoped this will make them more durable.
If a fully and rapidly reusable design can be made to work, the cost of each flight of the Starship will be incredibly low. Elon Musk has said that the fuel would cost only about $900,000 on each flight, and with the other operational costs the total would only be about $2 million per flight This might well be optimistic (Elon Musk often is), but even if it is, say, ten times higher at $20 million per flight, then with a 100,000 kg payload the cost per kilogram will be roughly one-hundredth of the cost per kilogram of a launch on the similarly sized SLS. And it will be roughly one-tenth of the cost per kilogram of launching on the current lowest-cost launcher – the Falcon Heavy. And if it truly works out to be $2 million per launch, then the cost will be one-thousandth of what it would cost on the SLS. This is all pretty incredible – if it works.
The development cost will also be far below what it has cost NASA to develop its similarly sized SLS. As discussed in the earlier blog post, the cost of developing the SLS will have reached over $32 billion by FY2023. While the cost of developing the Starship has not been published (SpaceX is a private company), and indeed as not is known by anyone what in the end it might be as development is still underway, Elon Musk has said in an interview that he expects it will come to about $5 billion to complete. If that turns out to be the case, that would be less than one-sixth the cost of the SLS. And while it is not clear whether the $5 billion includes the cost of including a section of the Starship to house the crew, if it does then for comparability the cost of developing the Starship with the crew quarters should be compared to the cost of SLS and Orion together That will total over $54 billion – $32.4 billion for the SLS plus $21.8 billion for Orion. That would be ten times higher than the cost of developing a crew capable Starship, if the $5 billion estimate for Starship turns out to be correct.
But the design remains to be proved. While the first test flight will be important, the odds are high that there will be a failure at some point during that test. As long as the Starship manages not to explode on the launch pad (with the damage that would cause to the launch pad) the flight should be considered a success. Valuable information will have been obtained. Particularly valuable, if it gets to that point, will be information on how well the heat shield holds up on re-entry.
The process followed by SpaceX is iterative. A design is developed, a prototype is built, and it is then quickly tested – to the point of failure to see how much it can do. Alterations are then made in response to what did not work in the test, with the revised design then soon tested again to take it to the next stage. Failures are common and indeed expected. Musk has noted that if failures did not occur, then you were not pushing it far enough.
Importantly also with this approach to development, manufacturing methods need to be developed to allow that frequent testing to the point of failiure to be at a cost per test that is not high. As Musk noted in a tweet in February 2020:
“Hardest problem by far is building the production system of something this big. … Building many rockets allows for successive approximation. Progress in any given technology is simply # of iterations * [times] progress between iterations.”
This would then also drive design decisions. For example, and directly counter to the conventional wisdom, the Starship hull and tanks are made of stainless steel. Steel is seen as heavy – not good for a flying vehicle – and almost all rockets and spacecraft have been made of aluminum. In the initial design, Starship was to be made of advanced carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is light and can be made to be strong, but for several reasons the decision was made to switch to stainless steel. Prominent among them was that stainless steel is relatively easy to work with – it can be bent or reshaped when needed for a design change – plus it is cheap. As Musk noted in an interview in January 2019 (just after they announced Starship would be made of steel rather than carbon fiber), the type of stainless steel they need costs only about $3 per kg, vs. $135 per kg for carbon fiber. Furthermore, there is about 35% wastage when one works with carbon fiber, so the true cost per ton for carbon fiber is over $200 per ton. Any scrap from the stainless steel can be melted down and used.
There are also other advantages to steel, including its far higher melting point (which means less depends on the heat shield tiles, and they can then be made both simpler and lighter). But the flexibility provided by using a relatively inexpensive and easily worked material is key in the SpaceX iterative development approach with its frequent testing and then redesign.
The decision to switch to stainless steel from the original plan to use carbon fiber also illustrates the flexibility in the overall approach followed by SpaceX. Elon Musk’s first public announcement of his intention to build what evolved into Starship was made in November 2012. The Raptor engines that would power the rocket were already being tested on NASA test stands in 2014. The initial design, then at a 12-meter diameter, was revealed in September 2016. This was then changed dramatically, to a 9-meter diameter design, in September 2017. Through this point, the rocket would have been made of carbon fiber. But then in December 2018, Musk revealed they had decided to switch to stainless steel for the reasons noted above. And then just four months later, in April 2019, they were already conducting their first flight tests of what they called the Starhopper vehicle. These were tests basically of the Raptor engine, the use of the engine to allow for a soft landing (and the controls required for this), and the stainless steel design. The Starhooper test vehicle was tethered for its first “flight” on April 3, 2019 and it rose just one foot. They then took it to one meter two days later on April 5. The first untethered flight was in July 2019 to 20 meters, and the final test was in August 2019 when it rose to 150 meters and moved sideways for a short distance before returning to land softly on the ground.
There were then a series of seven tests of what became increasingly similar to the Orbital Starship starting just one year later, between August 2020 and May 2021. The test vehicle had just one Raptor engine for the first two tests (rising just to 150 meters, and then landing) and then three Raptors in the subsequent tests (where it rose to a height of up to 12.5 km before returning to the pad to try to land). After a few spectacular crashes and explosions, the Starship had a clean landing at the pad on the seventh and hence final flight. There were modifications made following each test flight, fixing what went wrong, and they got it right by the seventh such flight.
The iterative SpaceX approach is in sharp contrast to that used by NASA in its development of the far more costly SLS. As noted before, there has not yet been even one flight test of the SLS design, with the first now scheduled for February 2022 but most likely until sometime later due to recent issues being discovered. Yet it has been under development since 2011, and arguably from before as the SLS design has many similarities with the Ares V rocket that at that time was under development (but then superseded by the SLS). And the SLS design is based on existing rocket components, with the four main engines the same as those on the Space Shuttle (the Ares V would have had five of those engines, but otherwise the same). The two solid-fuel side boosters are also taken from the Space Shuttle (and indeed make use of ones left over from the Space Shuttle program for the initial several SLS boosters to be built – but each with five segments rather than four). And the second stage of the initial SLS is taken from that used on recent Delta IV rockets.
Drawing from existing rocket components is not necessarily wrong, as it should have led to lower costs and a shorter development period. It is thus particularly difficult to understand why it has taken so long – with no flight test even after ten years – and why the cost has been so high. In contrast to SpaceX, NASA has followed an approach where great care (and expense) is taken to try to ensure the full and final design is completely right, with few tests of the overall system. Indeed just one test flight is planned for the SLS. If this test fails, it is possible the total program will end. It will depend on whether they can determine whether the cause of the failure can be found and relatively easily fixed. A failure would in any case cause major delays of probably years. A second SLS will not be available for two years (in the current schedule), and it could take longer depending on what they determine was the cause of the failure on the first test. That is a lot riding on just one test, for a program expected to cost over $32 billion.
C. Starship as a System fo Land Astronauts on the Moon
1) Introduction
The decision by NASA in April 2021 to select the SpaceX proposal to ferry astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon and back was highly significant for several reasons. First, and importantly, it was a clear vote of confidence by NASA management and its technical staff that the Starship system would not only work but would work soon. NASA teams had thoroughly reviewed the proposal of SpaceX (as well as the two competing proposals, from Blue Origin and Dynetics) for more than a year, with full access to the technical teams at SpaceX. As a critical, outside, reviewer seeking to find any holes that there might be in the SpaceX plans, NASA’s conclusion that the SpaceX proposal was doable is of great significance.
Second, the use of Starship for this purpose illustrates well the capabilities Starship will have, once it is operational, for not only such lunar missions but more broadly. It is therefore of interest to examine in some detail what SpaceX is now being contracted to do, how it would work, and what Starship might then be used for, in particular in support of NASA’s goal to return to the Moon and establish a base there. Contrasting the SpaceX proposal for what NASA is calling its “Human Landing System” (or HLS) with the two competing proposals that NASA considered is also of interest as it highlights how uniquely capable the Starship system is in comparison to the best that others can offer.
2) Lunar Starship – The SpaceX Proposal for the HLS
NASA has contracted SpaceX for its Human Landing System, where it would serve as one component of the system NASA would use to return men (and as NASA repeatedly emphasizes in its PR materials, also women and a person of color) to the Moon. Other major components of that system include the Orion spacecraft to carry crew from the Earth to lunar orbit, a “Lunar Gateway” that would be a modest-sized space station in permanent orbit around the Moon and serve as a waystation to transfer crew and cargo to the vehicles that would bring them to the lunar surface, and the SLS rocket that would carry the crew and possibly cargo to lunar orbit from the Earth.
NASA developed this basic plan to return to the Moon in the mid-2010s, with a goal of a first landing back on the Moon by 2028. This time frame was then greatly compressed in 2019 by the Trump administration, with NASA charged with accomplishing this by 2024. Vice President Mike Pence (in his capacity as head of the National Space Council) made the announcement, but stated this was “at the direction of the President”. While the reason for the choice of 2024 was never officially stated, few failed to notice that 2024 would have been the final year of a second Trump term in office, had he not lost the election in 2020.
NASA then modified its plans in accordance with this new mandated schedule. While the new schedule was never realistic, the revised, compressed, schedule did have real impacts on the mission designs and on contracts signed. And while NASA has now finally acknowledged that the 2024 target will not be possible, it is still officially following the plans as drawn up during the Trump presidency. The only change is the first landing on the Moon with a crew would not take place in 2024, as planned before, but in 2025 (which is still far from realistic – several more years should be added). The new NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced the 2025 date during a press conference in November 2021, and blamed the delay on the seven months lost due to the litigation by Blue Origin protesting the award of the HLS contract to SpaceX (which will be further discussed below). Bill Nelson is a former Democratic Senator from Florida who has long been closely involved with NASA space programs, flew on the Space Shuttle in 1986 as a member of Congress, and was one of the key Senators (along with Republican Senator Shelby of Alabama and others) who wrote into legislation in 2010 the requirement that NASA develop the SLS (discussed further below).
Based on these still official NASA plans (albeit slightly delayed to 2025), NASA would organize the return to the Moon through a series of missions that it has labeled the Artemis program (where Artemis was the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology). Specifically:
a) Artemis I: This would be the first, uncrewed, test flight of the SLS together with the Orion capsule, with a scheduled launch date (until recently) of February 2022. It has been repeatedly delayed. The original plan (in 2011) was that the SLS would have flown no later than 2017. And while a new official launch date has not yet been set as I write this, no one expects that it will launch in February, this time due to new problems recently found in a malfunctioning computer for the SLS engines.
When the launch does take place, the SLS would send the unmanned Orion capsule first into Earth orbit and then to the Moon, passing just 60 miles above the lunar surface before entering into a high orbit of 38,000 miles above the Moon. It would spend several days there and then return to Earth, passing again 60 miles from the lunar surface, and then testing its heat shield in the high-speed re-entry to Earth. The entire mission would take several weeks.
b) Artemis II: This would be the first crewed launch of the SLS and Orion. Until recently the official plan was for it to go in 2023, but with the acknowledgment that the first crewed landing on the Moon will not be before 2025, it has been pushed to May 2024. This is still unrealistic. And as the Office of the Inspector General of NASA noted in a recent assessment of the Artemis program, sending a crew on a mission around the Moon on the first flight of the Orion capsule with life support systems in place is an “operational and safety risk”. The life support system has not been included in the Orion capsule being tested on the Artemis I mission to save on cost (and maybe time).
Artemis II would be a ten-day mission, with the SLS first launching the Orion into a high Earth orbit, during which the Orion and its life support systems would be monitored to see whether all is working properly. After about two days it would then be launched to the Moon, but not into lunar orbit. Rather, it would be sent on a fly-by trajectory where it would use lunar gravity to swing around the Moon, in a large figure-8, and then return directly to Earth.
c) Artemis III: This would be the first crewed landing on the Moon, with about one week to be spent on the lunar surface and the whole mission taking about two weeks. The Orion would be launched on the SLS and would go to a very high lunar orbit (what they call a “Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit”, or NRHO). The NRHO will have an apogee of 43,500 miles and a perigee of 1,900 miles, and just one orbit will take seven Earth days.
The original plan was that the Lunar Gateway would have been prepositioned in this orbit to serve as a staging area where the Orion would unload its crew and cargo, with the HLS then loaded with the crew and cargo from it to take them to the lunar surface. But while there may be some components of the Lunar Gateway system ready in lunar orbit by then, there are skeptics on whether it will be ready by whenever Artemis III might be launched. In that case, the transfers of crew and cargo would be done directly from the Orion to the HLS. This of course calls into question why it is needed at all. There might be a quite valid scientific justification for such a facility in orbit around the Moon, but so far the rationale given has been its role in the Artemis missions.
SpaceX won the contract for the HLS. Under its proposal, a version of the Orbital Starship would be developed which would operate solely in the space environment to ferry crew and cargo back and forth to the lunar surface. It would never re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and hence would not need the heat shield. Nor would there be a need for the large wing flaps and tail that on the Orbital Starship are required for aerodynamic control on re-entry to the Earth. And while I have not seen this written in any of the limited plans that have been made publicly available (details on the Artemis plans that have been made public are surprisingly sketchy), it is not at all clear that the Lunar Starship would require all six of the Raptor engines that are on the Orbital Starship.
Three of those Raptor engines are optimized for operation in the vacuum of space (Vacuum Raptors), and three (Sea-Level Raptors) are optimized to operate in the atmosphere near sea-level for the return and soft-landing on Earth. I have not been able to find in any reports whether all six are needed for the initial launch into Earth orbit, but with three designed for operation at sea-level, it is not clear that all six are. Furthermore, the Lunar Starship itself would be lighter than an Orbiter Starship (due to no heat shield nor flaps) so less thrust would be needed. It is therefore not clear whether the three Sea-Level Raptor engines would be needed, and if not this would also save a good deal of weight. And with three Raptor engines sufficient for a landing on Earth, one would assume that three would more than suffice to land in the far lower gravity of the Moon. Indeed, while full details have not been made public, the final phase of the landing of the Lunar Starship on the Moon would not use the Raptor engines at all, but rather a large number (possibly 24) of medium-sized thrusters positioned in the mid-body of the Lunar Starship for the final landing. This is so that the Raptor engines at the bottom do not blow out an excessive amount of debris as they land.
Keep in mind also that once a vehicle is in orbit, the thrust required in order to, say, launch the craft on to a trans-lunar trajectory (TLI) from Earth orbit to the Moon (or vice versa) does not have to be all that strong. The power required comes from the combination of thrust times the duration of the burn, so a set of engines with a lower overall thrust could achieve the velocity required by having the engines stay on for a longer period of time. This is in contrast to a launch from the Earths’s surface, where a high thrust is needed to escape the pull of gravity. Once in orbit, one does not need to rush this. So again, it is not clear that one would need to keep all six Raptor engines on the Lunar Starship. The only issue is whether the initial launch of the Lunar Starship into Earth requires all six Raptors, even though only three are optimized for operation in a vacuum.
The Lunar Starship would be launched into Earth orbit on the Super Heavy booster, as would be standard. Some set of its own Raptor engines would also be fired for this. It would then be refueled in Earth orbit before launching to the Moon. This ability to refuel in orbit is a key ability of the Starship system, and is central to the flexibility that Starship allows in serving multiple objectives. Prior to the launch of the Lunar Starship, a Fuel Depot Starship would have been launched into Earth orbit, where it would have received fuel carried and then transferred to it from multiple Orbital Starship launches. The Fuel Depot Starship would essentially be a set of two large fuel tanks (one for liquid methane and one for liquid oxygen – the fuel plus oxidizer used by Starship) that has been well-insulated given the cryogenic temperatures the fuel and oxidizer need to be kept at. And since the Fuel Depot Starship would be kept in orbit and not land back on Earth, there would be no need for a heat shield nor the wing flaps (nor for all six of the Raptor engines I assume) on it either.
A fully-fueled Starship can hold 1,200 tons of fuel (or technically, fuel plus oxidizer). But each Starship launched from Earth would be able to carry 100 tons of cargo initially, with this expected to grow relatively soon to 150 tons. Assuming the 150-ton capacity, Elon Musk noted that eight Starship flights to the Fuel Depot Starship would provide the 1,200 tons needed to fill the tanks on a Lunar Starship. But how full the tanks would need to be will depend on how much the Lunar Starship would weigh (with no heat shield, wing flaps, nor possibly some of the Raptor engines), and how heavy of a payload would be taken to the lunar surface. Musk concluded that only four flights to deliver fuel might be sufficient.
Much of this is still not clear – at least in what has been made public – and the final answer will depend on how heavy a payload the Orbital Starship will be able to carry to low Earth orbit (100 tons or 150 tons or something in between), how much lighter the Lunar Starship might be than the regular Orbital Starship, and how heavy the payload to the Moon would be. And with differing payloads, the number of refueling flights needed might well differ from mission to mission. None of this has as yet been spelled out, and likely is not yet fully known to anyone given the factors that are still uncertain. But the key point is that the Starship system provides for flexibility where if additional flights are needed to lift the fuel required for refueling of the Lunar Starship in orbit, they can be carried out as needed.
Fully refueled, the Lunar Starship would then be sent to lunar orbit, to either the Lunar Gateway (if it has been built) or just to the similar orbit, to await the Orion capsule carrying the crew who would be launched on an SLS. The Lunar Starship would likely already have most or all of the cargo required, but if there is anything additional carried on the Orion it would be transferred along with the crew. The Lunar Starship would then carry the crew and cargo to the surface of the Moon and serve as a base for the crew during the time they spend on the lunar surface. On the first mission (Artemis III) the current NASA plan, as noted above, is that this would be one week. Also, the contract specifications NASA wrote for the HLS competition was that the initial mission to the Moon would be for two astronauts to land while two would remain in lunar orbit at either the Lunar Gateway (if available) or just in the Orion capsule. After the initial mission, NASA’s plan is that the HLS should be upgradable so as to be able to carry four astronauts to the surface and back. But given the extremely large capacity of the SpaceX Lunar Starship, it is likely that they will build in the capacity to carry a crew of four from the start. And if NASA keeps to its plan to use Orion to carry astronauts to lunar orbit from the Earth, then that will be the ceiling as the Orion can carry no more than four (other than in an emergency).
Once the Lunar Starship carries the crew back to the Orion capsule waiting in lunar orbit, the Orion with the crew would return to the Earth. The Lunar Starship, designed to be fully reusable for this role, would return on its own to Earth orbit where it could then be refueled by multiple regular Starship launches, stocked with any cargo desired, and then sent back to the Moon for the next NASA mission. And the cycle could keep repeating.
3) Comparison of the Three HLS Proposals: SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Dynetics
After an initial request for proposals for the HLS in 2019, NASA provided funding in May 2020 to three teams to develop their proposals further. The three chosen were Space X (with its Lunar Starship); a team that called themselves the “National Team” but which was led by Blue Origin and which is typically referred to as the Blue Origin proposal; and finally a team led by the not too well known aerospace firm Dynetics. The HLS vehicle of Dynetics is named “ALPACA” (an acronym for Autonomous Logistics Platform for All-Moon Cargo Access).
The three proposals differed radically, both in the approaches taken and in their size. Such diversity in approaches is certainly good and healthy, but at the same scale they would look like this:
Source: IEEE Spectrum, January 6, 2021
The mission plan using the Lunar Starship was described above. The plans are quite different for the Blue Origin and Dynetics proposals. A short description of each will be helpful before the three proposals are directly compared.
Blue Origin has worked in partnership with Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, and Draper for its proposed lunar lander. Its design is the most traditional, with a broad similarity to the design of the lunar lander (the LEM) of the Apollo program. That is, there will be three separate components, with a descent stage (to be built by Blue Origin itself, and called the “Descent Element”), an ascent stage (to be built by Lockheed Martin, and called the “Ascent Element”), as well as a “Transfer Element” (to be built by Northrup Grumman) that is basically a rocket engine with fuel tanks that would take the proposed HLS from the high lunar NRHO orbit to a low lunar orbit where it would disconnect and the descent stage would take over. Draper (or Draper Labs) would be responsible for the descent guidance system and flight avionics.
Together they call themselves the “National Team”, with Blue Origin in the lead. They have named their proposed lunar lander the “Integrated Lander Vehicle” (or ILV). The firms in the National Team basically come out of the traditional aerospace industry. While some might consider Blue Origin (owned by Jeff Bezos) as different – as a private, entrepreneurial, company more akin to SpaceX – it really isn’t. Much of the Blue Origin leadership has been drawn from traditional aerospace firms, and it has followed a development process more similar to that of traditional aerospace than that of SpaceX. Its CEO, Bob Smith, came to Blue Origin from Honeywell Aerospace, and had previously held senior positions at the United Space Alliance (a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing that managed aspects of the Space Shuttle program for NASA) and before that at The Aerospace Corporation.
The three components of the Blue Origin ILV would be flown to the NRHO lunar orbit on three flights of the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan Centaur rocket that is now under development. The United Launch Alliance is a 50/50 joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed, and the Vulcan Centaur would be a follow-on launcher that would replace ULA’s Atlas V and Delta IV boosters that are now being phased out. The Vulcan Centaur will use rocket engines (named “BE-4”) being developed by Blue Origin, but due to repeated delays in delivering those engines, ULA has had to postpone the first test flight of the vehicle. At one point it was supposed to have flown in 2020. Most recently, the formal plan is for a test flight in 2022, but some have noted that with the continuing delays at Blue Origin, the first test flight might not be until 2023.
Alternatively, instead of flying the three components of the Blue Origin ILV to the NRHO on three of the still-to-fly Vulcan Centaur launch vehicles (with the three components of the ILV then assembled together into one unit there), it could be flown to lunar orbit already assembled on one flight of the still-to-fly SLS. But additional SLS vehicles are not available, and would cost $2 billion each if they were. A single Vulcan Centaur launch is expected to cost perhaps $120 to $150 million.
After receiving the NASA crew and cargo in the NRHO lunar orbit, the Blue Origin ILV would then be taken to a low orbit around the Moon with the Northrup Grumman Transfer Element, after which it would disconnect and the Blue Origin Descent Element would take over for the final descent to the surface. Using the Transfer Element basically saves on the weight of the larger tanks (and associated hardware) that would otherwise be required if all of the trip from the NRHO to the lunar surface were powered by the Descent Element. And as discussed below, it might be possible to reuse the Transfer Element on subsequent missions, although this would require that the fuel it needs be brought to the lunar NRHO orbit in some way.
The habitable space in the ILS would be a pressurized cabin on the Ascent Element, and the crew would live there for the time they spend on the lunar surface (about a week on the initial mission). Cabin space would be tight, and only enough for a crew of two on the initial flights. NASA’s original plans for the return to the Moon was for a crew of four, but reducing this to two for the initial two flights was one of the simplifications NASA introduced (albeit at a greater overall cost in the long run) when the Trump administration instructed NASA to accelerate its plans and get a crew to the Moon by 2024. But the intention is for crews of four after the first two missions, and one of the criteria NASA indicated it would consider in the competition for the HLS contract was whether the proposed lander could be relatively easily scaled up to handle a crew of four. One factor NASA cited when it decided not to accept the Blue Origin proposal for the HLS was that such a scaling-up to accommodate a crew of four would be difficult with its design. A substantially larger cabin in the Ascent Element would be needed, which would weigh more as well as take more space, which would require not only a substantially redesigned Descent Element to handle the extra weight but also more powerful Ascent Element engines to return the crew to the NRHO lunar orbit.
Once the Ascent Element returns the crew to the NRHO orbit, the crew along with any cargo (lunar rocks) being brought back would transfer to the waiting Orion (or first to the Lunar Gateway, if it is there yet), and then return to Earth on the Orion.
What is not fully clear is what will then happen in terms of reusability of (portions of) the Blue Origin HLS. The Descent Element can clearly only be used once, as it would remain on the surface of the Moon. The Ascent Element might in principle be usable again (if designed for this), and possibly also the Transfer Element (if it is designed to hold sufficient fuel to bring it back to the NRHO orbit following its use for bringing the HLS to a low lunar orbit). However, each would then need to be refueled if they were to be used again, and probably two Vulcan Centaur launches would be required to bring those fuels (which are also different for each – liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen for the Ascent Element and hypergolic fuels that ignite on contact for the Transfer Element). it is not clear whether much, if anything, would be saved by developing the tankers to bring those fuels to the NRHO and then transferring them to the Ascent and Transfer Elements. The tankers would then be thrown away as they could not be returned to Earth, and it is not clear whether much would be saved over just building new copies of the Ascent and Transfer Elements (along with the Descent Element) and then sending them fueled to the NRHO.
Dynetics has given the name ALPACA to its proposed HLS. Dynetics is a medium-sized aerospace firm, based in Huntsville, Alabama, that was acquired by the defense contractor Leidos just a few months before NASA announced in April 2020 that Dynetics would be one of the three HLS proposals it would fund for further development. While Dynetics would work with a number of subcontractors (the two most important being Sierra Nevada Corporation – an aerospace firm – and Draper once again for the avionics), the responsibility for the design is fully with Dynetics.
The Dynetics design is quite radically different from any that have been considered before. As seen in the artist’s rendering above, the Dynetics ALPACA would be basically a crew cabin with rocket engines and their tanks on the two sides. Three launches on a Vulcan Centaur would be required to bring it to the NRHO lunar orbit – one for the empty ALPACA and two for the fuel and oxidizer (liquid methane and liquid oxygen). The fuels would then need to be transferred to the ALPACA in the NRHO lunar orbit, and NASA cited this as a concern when it reviewed the Dynetics proposal. The technology still has to be developed. While there would also be in-space transfers of the cryogenic fuel and oxidizer in the SpaceX Starship proposal – and in far greater volumes – this would be done in Earth orbit for the Starship instead of lunar orbit for the Dynetics ALPACA. If a problem arose, it could be more easily addressed if still in Earth orbit. Furthermore, development of this refueling ability is central to the Starship system, and hence SpaceX is devoting a good deal of attention to ensure it will be able to do this. Dynetics and its partners would not require this ability for anything other than their ALPACA.
Once fueled and ready, the Orion would be launched on the SLS, rendevous with the ALPACA in the NRHO lunar orbit for the transfer of the crew and cargo, and the ALPACA would then take the crew to the surface. NASA found an important issue during its review of the Dynetics proposal, however. Given the weight of ALPACA, the thrust of its engines, and the fuel that would be carried, NASA concluded that there would be insufficient fuel to keep ALPACA from crashing into the lunar surface, even with no crew or cargo at all. That is, its payload capacity would be negative. Dynetics conceded that this was indeed an issue with its current design, but was confident that they would be able to lighten ALPACA sufficiently so that it would be able to carry the crew and cargo and not crash. NASA, however, was skeptical. Such spacecraft normally increase in weight as they are further developed, as issues are found requiring modifications to resolve those issues. It is rare that there would be a reduction in their weight. And NASA’s bid specification was that the HLS had to be able to bring to the lunar surface a minimum of 865 kg (of crew and cargo, including the space suits needed to venture outside), with a preferred goal of 965 kg.
Assuming it could land, the ALPACA proposal had the significant positive in its design in that the crew cabin would be very close to the ground. In the Lunar Starship proposal, the habitable crew cabin would be far above the ground, and an elevator arrangement would be used to carry the crew back and forth from the surface. In the Blue Origin ILV, the crew cabin would also be far above the ground (although not as high up as on the Lunar Starship), but the crew would need to climb down and up a 12 meter (39 foot) ladder in their lunar spacesuits to reach the surface. That would be cumbersome and probably tiring despite the low lunar gravity (as the lunar spacesuits would be heavy and bulky), and possibly catastrophic should anyone slip and fall.
At the end of the stay, the Dynetics ALPACA would then fly the crew back to the NRHO orbit to link up with the Orion (or Lunar Gateway if it is there), where the crew and any returning cargo would be transferred for the return to Earth on the Orion. The ALPACA could then wait there, and if to be used on a subsequent mission, could be refueled with two launches of a Vulcan Centaur carrying fuel to it as would have been done on the initial mission.
The designs and mission plans are therefore radically different in the three proposals. The proposed costs, as well as the payload and other capacities of the resulting bids, also differed dramatically, as summarized here:
Lunar Starship
Integrated Landing Vehicle (ILV)
Lead Firm
Blue Origin
Other Primary Firms
Lockheed Martin Northrup Grumman Draper
Sierra_Nevada Draper
Max Payload to Lunar Surface
100 tons
850 kg
Habitable Volume
1,000 m3
12.4 m3
14.5 m3
Floor Area
325 m2
4.7 m2
5 m2
Max Crew Size
Many (well more than 4 if desired)
2 at first; redesign for 4
2 at first; later 4
NASA Development Award, April 2020
$139.6 m
$479.7 m
$239.7 m
Final Bid Price, April 2021
$2.94 b
$6.00 b
$9.08 b
Depending on the number of refueling flights of Starship to Earth orbit, the Lunar Starship could conceivably carry as much as 100 metric tons of cargo to the lunar surface. This dwarfs the estimated 850 kg that the Blue Origin ILV could bring (which is close to, but slightly below, the minimum NASA specification that it should be able to bring 865 kg to the surface). And as noted above, NASA does not believe the Dynetics ALPACA would be able to carry even itself to the surface without crashing into it.
The habitable volume of the Lunar Starship would also be enormous, at 1,000 cubic meters. This is larger than the entire habitable volume of the International Space Station (which is 916 cubic meters), and the ISS had to be slowly assembled in space over a period of 13 years. In sharp contrast, the habitable volume of the Blue Origin ILV would be just 12.4 cubic meters, which it says would be enough for a crew of two, but acknowledges would not be enough for a crew of four. Hence the need for an extensive redesign of the Blue Origin ILV if it were to be used for subsequent Artemis missions when they would need to accommodate a crew of four. And the Dynetics ALPACA would have a volume of 14.5 cubic meters – only a bit more than on the Blue Origin ILV – which it argues would be sufficient for a crew of four. Keep in mind that the habitable space for the crew is not simply for their landing on the lunar surface, but for their stay there of about one week on the first Artemis mission with this increasing to a planned 30 days on the following Artemis mission and even more later. Such accommodations would be tight, especially for a crew of four.
Resting on the lunar surface, where there is gravity and not simply the weightlessness of a vehicle in orbit, the floor area will also matter. For the Lunar Starship, the floor area (on several different floor levels) would come to 325 square meters (3,500 square feet). That would be the floor area of a very substantial house in the US. In contrast, the floor area on the Blue Origin ILV would be just 4.7 square meters, and only slightly more at 5 square meters on the Dynetics ALPACA. Five square meters for a crew of two for a week is not much, and especially not for a crew of four for a month or more on the lunar surface.
NASA announced in April 2020 it would provide funding to the three competitors for them to develop more concretely their proposals. But the dollar amounts provided were not equal. NASA was relatively quite generous with providing almost $480 million to the Blue Origin team, but just half this (almost $240 million) to Dynetics for its ALPACA proposal. And to SpaceX the grant was just below $140 million. One cannot argue that NASA was unfairly favoring SpaceX in its grants for the further development of the proposals.
Finally, the price SpaceX bid for the contract – at $2.94 billion – was less than half the $6.00 billion price Blue Origin offered, and less than one-third the price of $9.08 billion Dynetics said it would need. The price includes the development of the vehicle, a test flight where it would go through the full mission sequence (including landing on and then returning from the lunar surface) but without a crew, and then the Artemis III mission itself with a crew of two.
Based on all this, it should not be difficult to see why NASA chose the SpaceX proposal. Basic feasibility is of course key, and NASA certainly paid close attention to this. It found, for example, that by its calculations, the Dynetics ALPACA would not be able to land on the Moon with any payload at all.
But after its detailed review of the SpaceX plans during the year it was funding the more concrete development of those plans, and with full access to all the SpaceX technical teams and the work they had done, NASA engineers concluded the SpaceX proposal was feasible. As noted before, this in itself was a tremendous vote of confidence in the still-to-fly Starship. And NASA also concluded that SpaceX would be able to deliver on these plans quite soon. While I personally have strong doubts that this will be possible by 2024 (or even 2025), this time frame is of interest as it implies that NASA engineers believe the basic Starship system will be flying successfully very soon, i.e. by sometime in 2022. It implies that they have concluded that the current Starship design is basically doable, and that a major redesign will not be necessary for it to be successful.
Despite the clear superiority of the SpaceX proposal over those of Blue Origin and Dynetics, the latter companies did not see it that way. Soon after NASA’s decision was announced in April 2021, both Blue Origin and Dynetics appealed to the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), arguing that NASA had not properly followed government procurement procedures. Such appeals are not uncommon, and sometimes lead to reversals. But the GAO concluded, in a report issued on July 30, that NASA had followed the proper procedures and was justified in making the award to SpaceX.
While Dynetics accepted this and moved on, Blue Origin decided then to file a court case protesting NASA’s decision. This was frustrating to many, as NASA could not grant the award to SpaceX nor work with SpaceX on the contract while an appeal was underway. Both sides (NASA and Blue Origin) agreed, however, to expedited court procedures where the judge would make a decision (without a jury) and would do so by early November. The judge’s decision was then announced on November 4, rejecting Blue Origin’s claims. The full decision was released on November 18, after Blue Origin had been given the chance to make redactions of commercially confidential information in that judicial opinion.
4) The Possibilities with Lunar Starship
The mission profiles discussed above follow what NASA has set out for its Artemis plans to return to the Moon. That is, NASA set how the HLS chosen would be used, and the missions are based on use of an Orion to take the astronauts to the high NRHO lunar orbit and an SLS to launch them there (along with, possibly, use of the Lunar Gateway in the NRHO orbit to serve as a staging area). The Lunar Starship would then take the crew from the lunar orbit to the surface of the Moon and back. The Starship would have been launched into Earth orbit, refueled there, then flown to the NRHO orbit, and following the delivery of the crew back at the NRHO would be flown back to Earth orbit for refueling after which it could be used again for the next lunar mission.
But if a Lunar Starship can do all this, there is the obvious question of why one needs the Orion, the SLS, and the Lunar Gateway, at all. The Lunar Starship will have all the life support systems, seats, and other equipment required to carry the astronauts to a lunar landing and then to support them there for extended periods (one week on the first mission, a month on the second, and more later). It will also have lots of space and an ability to carry a cargo load far in excess (more than 100 times as large) of what NASA set in its minimum requirements. Forcing the four astronauts to squeeze into the Orion capsule (with a habitable volume of just 9 cubic meters) for the multi-day flight to lunar orbit, while the Lunar Starship (with a habitable volume of 1,000 cubic meters) would fly there empty, seems absurd. It would be similar to forcing a group of four to squeeze into a Volkswagon Beetle for a drive across the US, while a luxury bus drove the same route, but empty, only to be used for a final short segment at the end of the journey.
I fully acknowledge that there will be technical issues to work through. Fuel loads would have to be calculated and would need to suffice. But the flexibility in the Starship system, where additional in-orbit refuelings could be provided if there is a need, combined with a scaling back, if need be, of the payload to be lifted (a 100-ton capacity means there is a lot of room for adjustment), means that if a Lunar Starship in the NASA HLS role is feasible, then it should certainly be for this expanded role as well.
The mission plan would then be that once there is a fully fueled Lunar Starship in Earth orbit (with whatever number of refueling flights to the Fuel Depot Starship that might require, with the Lunar Starship then fueled from what has been stored in the Fuel Depot Starship), the NASA crew of four (or even a substantially higher number, as there would be plenty of room) would be flown to transfer to the vehicle while it is still in Earth orbit. They could be flown there on a regular Orbital Starship flight or even on one or more flights of a Falcon 9 with the now well-tested Crew Dragon capsule. They would then be flown on the Lunar Starship directly to the lunar surface, or possibly first to a lunar orbit and then to the surface.
Furthermore, given its vast size the Lunar Starship could in effect be an instant base on the Moon. There would be no need to bring to the Moon via a series of separate flights all the components that would otherwise be needed to build such a base. NASA’s long-term Artemis plans had envisaged this following the first two Artemis landing missions (at least in the plans set before Lunar Starship was chosen). A permanent, habitable, structure (“Artemis Base Camp”) would have been built on the lunar surface to house the crews, with this slowly expanded in size as additions are brought on subsequent missions. With the available space in the Lunar Starship, there would be no need. And the Lunar Starship would also have the space needed, as well as the cargo capacity, for the lunar rovers that NASA has planned.
The Lunar Starship as a lunar base would also have the rather unique capability of being packed up, lifting off, and then flown to a new location, if there is any desire to do this. There might be value in exploring various sites around the Moon – in a search for frozen waters supplies, for example. One would just have to ensure that adequate reserves of fuel were brought along. And if, as some believe likely, significant amounts of frozen carbon dioxide along with frozen water are found on the Moon (most likely near the South Pole, which is why this has been chosen for the early missions and the planned Artemis Base Camp), then it would be possible to produce the liquid methane fuel the Starship uses along with the liquid oxygen, and refuel the Lunar Starship while it is there.
If there is a need for additional cargo, one could also design a version of the Lunar Starship to carry cargo only. It would fly there on its own (which is now a standard technology – indeed under the NASA HLS contract the Lunar Starship would be required to complete an entire unmanned flight as it would under Artemix III, including landing on the Moon, as a test of the entire system before any crew is put aboard). If it was not then to be returned to the Earth and thus not need the fuel to do so, but rather remain on the surface as a permanent addition to a growing lunar base, such a cargo flight could bring a load of as much as 200 tons. This is huge. The weight (mass really) of the entire International Space Station is, after all the additions over the years, now 420 tons.
And the possibilities the Starship system would open up are not just limited to the Moon. Very recently, a group of prominent planetary scientists issued a White Paper arguing that with the availability of Starship, the traditional approach taken to planetary exploration missions should be radically re-thought. With the capacity of the Starship, along with its low cost, planetary missions could become not simply far more frequent but also simplified in design. Rather than spend a good deal of money and a good deal of time in refining the spacecraft to reduce its weight by a few ounces or its dimensions to fit into the limited capacity of the existing rockets that are used, one could simply use off-the-shelf equipment when Starship is used to send it on its way. Finally, there is of course the missions to Mars for which the Starship system has been designed. But all this goes beyond what I intended to cover in this already long post.
Finally, flying the lunar missions on Starship rather than with the Orion, SLS, and associated systems would be far cheaper. As an extremely rough calculation: Assume that each Starship launch will cost $20 million (ten times the $2 million Elon Musk has said it will ultimately cost) and that 10 Starship launches would be required for each mission (for refueling in orbit – note that the Lunar Starship and the Fuel Depot Starship would remain in space following their initial launch and would be reused), for a total cost of $200 million for the launches. For simplicity, assume all the other costs of the launches and then for carrying out the mission would be similar and hence the total cost would be $400 million to carry out the mission. While crude, this estimate almost certainly errs on the high side. The actual cost is likely to be lower, but take $400 million for the purposes here.
In contrast, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of NASA in a recent (November 15, 2021) report assessing NASA’s Management of the Artemis Missions estimated that the cost of a single SLS launch with an Orion capsule for an Artemis mission would come to $4.1 billion. The SLS itself (none of which is reusable – all is thrown away in each launch) would cost $2.2 billion. This is similar to, but 10% more than, the estimated $2.0 billion cost per launch for the SLS made by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and released in a letter to Congress in 2019.
The NASA OIG estimated that the cost of an Orion crew vehicle, including the cost of the Service Module being built by the European Space Agency, would total $1.3 billion, of which $300 million would be for the Service Module. In my earlier blog post, I used the contracted amount NASA would pay for the third through the fifth Orion vehicles ($900 million each), but the earlier ones would be higher and the $1.0 billion estimate of the OIG is consistent. Interestingly, I had thought in my earlier blog post that the European Space Agency would be covering the cost of the $300 million Service Module they are making for the Orion, but the OIG report clarifies that this will not really be the case. While the Europeans will be paying the contractor that will build the module, NASA will then not charge the Europeans $300 million (per Orion) for costs incurred on behalf of the Europeans at the International Space Station. That is, this is a barter agreement, so NASA is in fact paying that $300 million cost, but indirectly. By including it in the ISS budget, where it is not broken out in what is made publicly available, one cannot determine the true cost of the complete Orion vehicle without access to unpublished information.
Finally, the NASA OIG also includes in the cost of an SLS launch the pro-rated share of what it costs to maintain the ground facilities (the launch pad, etc.) needed for an SLS launch. Since there will be only (at most) one SLS launch per year, this will be the annual budget for maintaining and then using (once) that capacity, which the NASA OIG estimates to be $568 million per launch.
The NASA OIG therefore estimates the total cost per launch of the SLS with Orion will be $4.1 billion. This would be ten times the generously estimated cost of doing the same via Starship, and for far less capacity.
D. Politics
Why then keep funding the SLS and Orion? In the near term, it might make sense. After all, despite all that has already been done to test and develop Starship, the testing is not yet complete and orbital testing is still to start. And while NASA technical staff concluded it should ultimately work, it might not. The key tests will be in the next year, however, and we should know by the end of 2022 (or before) whether Starship will work as planned. There will certainly be failures at first in the upcoming orbital tests. As discussed above, this is to be expected in the iterative development process used by SpaceX. But with iterative improvements, with solutions found to the problems uncovered, it will eventually work. We will only know that for sure, however, when it does.
Whether Starship will work should be known, however, by no later than the end of 2022. Provided Starship has demonstrated that it will indeed work, should one then expect to see NASA (with Congress) decide to close down the SLS and Orion funding and switch over to the far more capable and far less costly Starship system? The answer to that is: not likely.
First of all, it will be politically embarrassing to admit that it was a mistake. By the end of FY23, over $54 billion will have been spent ($32 billion for the SLS and $22 billion for the Orion). The fundamental error came when Congress in 2010 forced the Obama administration to start development immediately of a heavy-lift launcher that became the SLS. The Obama administration had recommended that NASA should first examine and test certain new technologies (in particular in-orbit refueling ability), with the results then used to determine how best then to design such a launcher. Congress, and in particular the Senate, insisted (and wrote into law in the 2010 NASA authorizing legislation) that the heavy-lift launcher be designed immediately and furthermore that it make use of the key components of the Space Shuttle (e.g. the engines) in that design. By mandating this, those in their states and districts who had been employed building such components for the Space Shuttle would remain employed. But with such requirements written into law, some wags have concluded the SLS should not stand for Space Launch System but rather Senate Launch System.
Republican Senator Shelby of Alabama (home of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville – the center with the primary responsibility for the SLS) was a key advocate, as was Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas (home of the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston – responsible for manned space flight operations). Senators from Mississippi (home of the Stennis Space Center, where large rocket engines are tested), Louisiana (home of the Michoud Assembly Facility), and Utah (home of the company that builds the solid rocket boosters that are strapped on to the first stage) were also important advocates. As was one Democratic Senator – Bill Nelson of Florida (home of the Kennedy Space Center), who was the chair of the subcommittee that drafted the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 when Democrats controlled the Senate.
Former Senator Bill Nelson is now NASA Administrator. Canceling SLS and Orion would be an embarrassment for him, even if Starship demonstrates its full ability to carry out the nation’s lunar exploration plans – and do so far more effectively and at far lower cost. As NASA Administrator he has already signaled that NASA intends to continue to use the SLS, and for possibly 30 years or more. In October, NASA issued a “Request for Information” to the aerospace industry, requesting proposals from firms willing to produce, operate, and maintain the SLS rocket system until the 2050s, with the stated intention that this should reduce the “baseline per flight cost” of an SLS launch by “50% or more”. The NASA Request for Information did not say, however, what the current baseline cost was from which the 50% would be taken, and refused to respond to reporter queries on what NASA estimates that cost to be. But as noted above, the White House Office of Management and Budget indicated in a letter to Congress in 2019 that the cost was $2.0 billion per launch. A more recent estimate from the NASA OIG puts that cost at $2.2 billion.
But NASA itself has consistently refused to reveal what the per launch costs of the SLS will be. This is despite repeated recommendations over the years by oversight bodies that it should. For example, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which is formally part of the legislative branch reporting to Congress, recommended NASA provide such an accounting in a 2017 report, when it was already clear that the SLS would be delayed and well over the original planned cost. More recently, the NASA OIG report of November 15, assessing the management of the Artemis program, recommended that NASA management provide such figures. But NASA management has continued to refuse. The NASA OIG report made nine recommendations, and NASA management accepted seven (two partially). But it rejected the two recommendations on the issue of being transparent on costs.
Congress has, however, not forced NASA to reveal those costs. While the overall budget of NASA is known year by year, as well as the budgets of major sub-aggregates of certain individual programs as NASA has organized them, one cannot work out from this the overall cost of a major program such as Artemis (with responsibilities for portions of the program spread across much of the agency) nor work out a separation between the cost of developing a new vehicle or system such as the SLS and the cost then of using that system on individual missions. There is a lack of transparency, although entities such as the GAO or the NASA OIG (as well as journalists and other outsiders) may try to come up with estimates.
Senators and Members of Congress may be quite comfortable, however, with this lack of transparency. It then does not draw attention to the overall costs (and how high those costs might have grown to) even though they still wish to see (and to publicize) how much is being spent in their particular districts. And NASA is glad to provide this. For examples, see here, here, here, here, here, and here. Spending more is seen not as a flaw but as a feature.
The SpaceX Starship, if it works, may have a cost of just $2 million per launch. Even if the cost turns out to be ten times that, it will still be dramatically less costly than an SLS alone, and even more so of an SLS plus Orion system. Furthermore, and importantly, it would be far more capable. It would enable far more to be achieved in meeting the stated national objectives of the space exploration program than would be possible with the SLS plus Orion system. It would be quite revolutionary. But it will only be used for this purpose if the American political system allows it. |
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Volume 18, Number 6November/December 1967
In This Issue
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Plague Across The Land
Written by Daniel Da Cruz
Photographs courtesy of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Additional photographs by Ahmad Mentakh
"...And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth, and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped... and shall eat every tree which grow-eth for you out of the field. And they shall fill thy houses."
No one who has ever seen the locust at work accuses the Biblical account of hyperbole. In 1926-27, small swarms of the African Migratory Locust were spotted in an area 50 by 120 miles on the plains of the River Niger near Timbuktu. The next year swarms invaded Senegal and Sierra Leone. By 1930 the whole of West Africa was flailing away at the pest with everything movable. But the locusts didn't seem to notice; swarms reached Khartoum, more than 2,000 miles to the east of Timbuktu, then turned south, spreading across Ethiopia, Kenya, the Belgian Congo, and, in 1932, striking into the lush farmland of Angola and Rhodesia. Before the plague finally sputtered out 14 years after it began, it affected five million square miles of Africa, an area nearly double the size of the United States.
The locust is perhaps nature's most awesome example of the collective destructive power of a species which, individually, is practically harmless. An adult locust weighs a maximum of two grams—it takes over 225 to outweigh a can of beans. But since each locust can eat its own weight daily, and since a moving swarm may carpet the ground with anywhere from 30 to 60 locusts a square yard, a square mile will typically contain from 100 million to 200 million of the creatures. Seldom, furthermore, will a swarm occupy a mere square mile; swarms more than 400 square miles in area have been recorded, and one that size weighs more than 80,000 tons. It numbers around 40 billion insects eating the weight of the Queen Mary every day it is on the move—and it never stops. Even the two tons of locusts each one million population represents takes a tremendous toll: each day that population eats as much as 20 elephants or 500 people. And their voracity is not only in numbers; pound for pound the locust eats 60 to 100 times as much as a human being.
The ubiquity of the locust makes eradication of the pest about as easy as emptying the Atlantic with a teaspoon. Destructive grasshoppers and locusts infest most of Africa, central and western North America, about half of South America, the Arab world, Australia, the Indian subcontinent, and a broad band across Central Asia. One of the three main species, the Desert Locust, may invade 11 million square miles, more than 20 per cent of the world's land area. The African Migratory Locust is so far confined to Africa below the Sahara. The Red Locust, third of the terrible triumvirate, breeds unobtrusively in a section of Mali and Niger, then breaks out in swarming billions into an area 400 times the size of its breeding grounds.
For all their economic importance in large areas of the world, there is considerable confusion about what a locust is. In the United States, the name is frequently used interchangeably for grasshopper, locust, and the cicada. The cicada is not properly a locust at all, but the locust's relation to the grasshopper as real, in that they both belong to the superfamily Acridoidea. Locusts may be defined as grasshoppers which have the capacity to change their habits and appearance when they congregate in dense groups. These groups are called sands when composed of young wingless locusts, and swarms when of adults that fly. In the Arab world, the two most important species are the Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria) and the African Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria nigratoria). A further distinction—a frustrating one that keeps locust control officers on the hop—is that unlike all other species, the Desert Locust has no permanent outbreak area, and can spring from practically any soil.
The locust passes successively through the stages of egg, hopper and adult, with maturation occurring between two to four weeks under optimum conditions of temperature and humidity, and as long as six months during periods of drought and low temperature. A female lays her eggs in soil damp enough for her to thrust her ovipositor two inches straight down into the earth, where she deposits a cylindrical cluster, or pod, of eggs in bout two hours. A female can lay nearly 300 eggs in two or three pods, and where warms come to earth to lay their eggs, the field may extend many square miles. The incubation period between laying and hatching is quite variable: between 10 and 14 days during summer breeding in Ethiopia, to 25 and 30 days spring breeding in the Arabian Peninsula, to 50 and 70 days winter breeding in Iran ir northern Syria and Iraq in very cold weather.
Young hoppers burst from their shells around sunrise and at once shed a thin white skin. The next day they begin to feed, and, as they grow, to shed at intervals the tough carapace that estricts each phase of their growth. One growth stage succeeds another until the inal moult when the hopper becomes a ledgling adult. Its length stabilizes at from two to three inches, but to achieve its adult weight of two grams the hopper has already eaten 10 times that weight—and it is only getting warmed up, for as an adult it can fly to get its food while as a nymph it could only hop. Flying or hopping, the locust will have but brief glory: its life span typically covers 14 days as an egg, 38 days as a hopper and 75 days as an adult, still time enough to consume 170 times its weight.
When hoppers occur in large numbers as a result of favorable weather conditions in localities of swarm breeding, they form bands which move as a unit. Bands of the Desert Locust, for instance, spend the day marching in a definite direction—usually downwind—feeding as they go. When the temperature is above 97° F., around midday the band roosts off the ground on rocks or bushes, and if the weather is very hot the locusts' siesta may last as long as four hours. Thoroughly rested, the hoppers resume their march until nightfall, when they seek foliated perches above ground for their heavy meal of the day, and sleep on the denuded remains of their feast. Unlike an army, whose progress slows as it grows, the bigger the band the faster it moves. Some bands can transform green fields to brown stubble at the rate of one linear mile a day.
Compared with the adult, though, the hopper is a slow-moving country cousin. Locusts on the wing are marvels of stamina. Indeed, locusts hold the flight endurance record for insects by a wide margin. Wind tunnel tests show that they can flap their wings non-stop for 17 hours, and in nature they may be able to fly at a cruising airspeed of 10 to 12 miles per hour for 20 hours or more. Gliding on thermals like sailplanes, they can stay in the air even longer and thus make incredibly long journeys, such as the confirmed 1954 flight of a swarm from the Canary Islands to the British Isles, a distance of 1,600 miles. Old sea stories have it that in such flights some locusts land in the water to make a platform on which the others rest and from which they take off, but confirmatory evidence is lacking. Like planes, they take off and land into the wind (and in high wind take shelter), aided by a low weight-to-body-area ratio and wing-root muscles which at normal working speed outperform 10 to 20 times human muscles working at top speed.
When the hoppers emerge as winged adults, the bands become swarms with vastly increased mobility, and an average density of around 130 million per square mile. Adulthood brings a change in living patterns, too. The Desert Locust, for example, roosts from an hour after sunset until sunrise, and for the first half hour of the day is a slugabed, up but not around. Two hours of aimless milling and short flights apparently starts their blood circulating, and at about nine o'clock they take off on the rising convection currents boiling off the desert. Until sunset the swarm is continually airborne, with locusts on the leading edge coming down to rest and feed while the main body of the swarm passes on overhead, after which they rise again into the air at the trailing edge of the swarm, creating the effect of a giant millstone grinding its way across country.
Depending on wind conditions, collective movement ranges from a few miles to more than 60 miles daily. As swarms fly mostly downwind, weather maps showing wind currents help locust control missions predict the areas where swarms are most likely to converge, and thus where their efforts at extermination of the insect will be best repaid. When they fail, trying times are ahead for any living thing lying in the swarm's path. Long-time Kuwait resident Col. H. R. P. Dickson told of an invasion of the Red Locust which advanced on a five-mile front so dense that even metal screens failed to keep them out of houses. For days, the locusts ate everything in sight. They chewed through carpets and upholstery, Colonel Dickson reported. Even dishes at dinner "were served with dead dibbas disconcertingly floating about the gravy or imbedded in the rice." Several thousand sheep, deprived of fodder, died of starvation, but wild animals, camels and dogs waxed fat on a nourishing diet of Red Locusts.
Locusts of the same species are so differentiated in response to environment that until Sir Boris Uvarov disproved it, in 1921, they were considered distinct species. Desert Locusts in one phase, for instance, are relatively long-lived, lay over 90 eggs per pod, develop slowly, never form groups or march in concerted fashion, move no more than a few yards daily, and often fly at night. The same species in another phase usually lay 80 eggs per pod, are short-lived, develop quickly, form dense groups that march in concert, move up to a mile a day, and fly mainly by day in the adult stage.
Appearances are similarly misleading. Locusta migratoria migratoria solitarious hoppers are green while their gregarious phase are orange and black. Organs vary in size and shape between the two phases, and using indices computed from differential measurements which show that changes from one phase to another are beginning is one of the principal methods by which scientists are alerted to the imminency of a plague. Other than by this means, locust control authorities are practically powerless to predict where they will appear. How long a plague will last and the amount of destruction it will wreak are similarly mysteries, although the amount and distribution of rainfall and weather in general are fairly well implicated in the overall pattern of locust plagues.
Fortunately for mankind, plagues die out sooner or later even when food is plentiful, but the explanation for the disappearance of the swarms is as obscure as the mechanism which starts them in the first place. Though morphologically locusts have extreme phases, the changes follow a circular pattern, from solitarious through a congregating phase into gregarious, then through a segregating phase back again to the solitarious. Just what triggers each change is something any biologist would give up a sabbatical counting grass skirts in Tahiti to discover.
Meanwhile evidence is piling up, much of it statistical, which provides valuable clues to the dynamics of locust behavior. Two thousand records of locust invasions show that 8 percent of the damage is done by hoppers, 69 per cent by fledgling and maturing swarms, and 23 per cent by mature swarms. Sixty-six pounds of pasturage per acre may be lost in a single day—catastrophic in areas of thin cover like the Middle East—and when the locusts mount trees to graze and rest, their combined weight often brings the defoliated tree crashing to the ground. Records also show that plagues are more common than the layman appreciates: over a 25-year period, Desert Locust swarms were reported from 18 to 23 times annually around the southern rim of the Arabian Peninsula—as high an average as found anywhere in North Africa and Southwest Asia where this locust occurs, and hopper infestations were reported an average of 12 to 19 times a year for the same area.
Mankind no longer mutely accepts its fate, but fights back with a whole arsenal of weapons. The metaphor is apt, because in most respects human warfare has a precise analog in locust control. Intelligence is the first requirement for reporting of conditions which are favorable for the development of the swarms. The second requirement is an efficient transport system, coordinated by a tight-knit organization capable of crossing national boundaries at will. The third is a wide spectrum of poisons, each tailored to specific conditions. The factors of cost, transport, and killing power versus safety must all be considered in selecting the biological warfare agent. DDT, for example, is cheap but doesn't bother locusts particularly. Dieldrin is potent, but toxic to animals and man. Aldrin is cheap and less toxic than dieldrin, but less persistent. Diazinon kills the adult Desert Locust efficiently but little affects hoppers; on the other hand, it is not very toxic. The Parathion family is the cheapest and most deadly of "locusticides" known, but it is hazardous to mammals. Ultimately, the battle against the locust is fought on terms familiar to defense departments everywhere: kill the largest concentrations first, by the cheapest method possible, so as to get the most killed for the least money.
A further decision is whether to fight on the ground or in the air. Meal or bran mixed with poison is effective, but it takes considerable time and truck transport, both disadvantages in remote areas. Dusting requires that the dust falls on the food or the locusts themselves; wind or air turbulence can thwart dusting, but it is cheaper and faster than baiting. Air spraying covers large areas quickly, and even flying swarms (which can be seen up to 60 miles away by aerial spotters) can be effectively attacked by releasing a curtain of spray through which the downwind-flying swarm must pass. A typical attack on a flying swarm might call for a flight altitude from 300 to 500 feet above ground over the densest part of the swarm, starting at one hour before sunset, on a course 90° to the prevailing wind, spreading 16 gallons per minute of 15 per cent gamma-BHC in oil.
The Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia has long been a battleground in frequent assaults against the Desert Locust, since the area was a springboard for airborne invasions of the Indian subcontinent. Indian mission launched major control efforts in the spring of 1958 and again in 1961 and 1962 when eruptions of the locust threatened to spill across the Indian Ocean. With logistic support from Aramco's Aviation Department, a 21-man locust control team fielded a task force from al-Khobar into the rural regions where locust eggs were reportedly hatching. Eight trucks, six power dusters, two power sprayers and 100 hand dusters distributed 50 tons of BHC as dust, spray, and as food bait in the path of the hoppers. The campaign was not entirely successful, for farms around Hofuf were hard hit, the locusts stripping vegetable plots and even attacking the usually untouched leaves of tall palms. Unquestionably, however, the Indian anti-locust teams dulled the aerial spearhead aimed at their homeland by tackling the menace before its momentum became irresistible.
In any case, the locusts do not always have things their own way. Frost decimates their ranks, and high, dry heat will kill them off when shelter isn't available. Too much rain will rot their egg pods or wash them away, and young hoppers can drown in the flash floods that occasionally rip through desert wadis. Wasps and flies destroy many eggs, sometimes eating them or planting their own larvae on them as a future off-the-shelf food supply. Locusts are also cannibalistic, especially in conditions of low humidity. Ants, birds, and other predators from foxes to snakes eat locusts, but despite their voracity make a very small dent in the swarms. Bustard have been shot down with up to 130 hoppers in their stomachs, kite with as many as 168, and European storks with nearly 1,500. The all-time locust-eating record belongs to the Abdim stork, one of which was killed with the remains of 3,481 locusts inside. This suggests a simple solution, but for one complication: what happens to the already soaring human population with so many storks flying around?
Daniel da Cruz, who makes his home in Beirut, is a novelist and Middle East correspondent for a large news agency.
This article appeared on pages 20-25 of the November/December 1967 print edition of Saudi Aramco World.
Check the Public Affairs Digital Image Archive for November/December 1967 images. |
02 December, 2010
The Forever Queen, by Helen Hollick. Book review
First published under the title A Hollow Crown, Arrow, 2005. Shortened and revised edition published by Sourcebooks, 2010, ISBN 978-1-4022-4068-3, 614 pages.
Set in England, Normandy and Denmark in 1002-1042, The Forever Queen tells most of the life story of Emma of Normandy, who was Queen of England through her marriages to Aethelraed and Cnut. All the main characters are historical figures.
As a shy thirteen-year-old married into a foreign kingdom, Emma of Normandy quickly discovers that her new husband Aethelraed is a disaster both as a king and as a husband. While the inept Aethelraed and his avaricious favourite Eadric Streona progressively lose England to the capable Viking Svein Forkbeard and his son Cnut, Emma will have to rely on her own political skill and innate intelligence if she is to survive and to keep the crown that has become her most precious possession.
The Forever Queen covers a period of 40 years, from Emma’s arrival in England as a naïve young bride to the accession of her son Edward (later known as the Confessor) when Emma is a 53-year-old dowager. There was a lot going on in England and its neighbouring kingdoms during those four decades, and The Forever Queen covers most of it. It is thus a very long book – over 600 pages – and densely packed with detail, so some concentration is required to keep track of characters and events.
Emma seems to have had little happiness in her eventful life, and I would say The Forever Queen is the gloomiest of Helen Hollick’s historical novels. Part of this is due to the political situation; The Forever Queen gives the impression that almost everyone in a position of power in England in the first decade or two of the eleventh century was ineffectual or self-seeking or both. This may be entirely justified – Aethelraed Unraed (“Ill-Advised”) and Eadric Streona (“Greedy” or “Grasping”) no doubt did much to earn their derogatory nicknames, and the contemporary Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is scathing about the incompetence of England’s leadership – but it doesn’t make for a cheerful read, especially for the first 300 pages.
Part is due to Emma’s personal circumstances, particularly during her disastrous marriage to Aethelraed, where her fortitude in enduring an abusive and sometimes sickeningly violent husband is well conveyed. Part is due to Emma’s character as developed in the novel. Coming from an unloved childhood, trapped for years in a miserable marriage, Emma has to be hard to survive. Clinging to her pride and her crown when they were all that gave meaning to her life, Emma develops a cold, calculating ruthlessness that shapes her whole life. She has little affection for her sons by Aethelraed, perhaps not surprising given the nature of her relationship with their father (and young Edward, as portrayed here, would have been a very difficult child to like!). Even when she finds some happiness in her marriage to Cnut, the demands of empire mean that Emma is often left alone for long periods while Cnut is away in one of his far-flung territories. Her son by Cnut, Harthicnut, is brought up largely in Denmark, and Emma sees little of him after early childhood. By the time her sons are grown, Emma seems to regard them in part as a means to retaining her status, and there seems little love lost even between her and Harthicnut, let alone between her and her sons by Aethelraed.
On a more cheerful note, Cnut is attractively drawn, maturing from an overgrown and somewhat blundering adolescent to an effective leader without losing his humanity along the way. Edmund Ironside, son of Aethelraed, takes his rightful place as a capable leader and a promising king. Had he not been mortally wounded in combat, Edmund might have made a worthy successor to his ancestor Alfred the Great, and English history might have followed a very different course. Edmund’s short reign is often treated as little more than a footnote between Aethelraed and Cnut, so it is very pleasing to see him fully developed as a character in his own right in The Forever Queen.
Useful maps at the beginning of the book help to locate the events, and a detailed Author’s Note is very helpful in setting out the historical basis for the novel.
Solid, detailed portrayal of the life and times of the formidable Queen Emma, wife to two kings and mother to two more in early eleventh-century England.
Rick said...
It would be pretty tough to get an upbeat book out of Emma's life story!
Of course I have to remark that even though Aethelraed 'the Unready' is a misreading, it seems wonderfully apropos, which is no doubt why it stuck.
The familiar (if often misunderstood) story of Cnut ordering back the tide certainly suggests a worldly, human perspective.
And you touch on the alt-hist speculation of what might have happened without a Norman Conquest.
My verification word, herist, is rather OE sounding.
Carla said...
Yes, it would :-) In this novel Emma is a formidable survivor, which must be pretty close to historical reality.
The scene with Cnut and the tide appears in the book, where Cnut uses it to prove to over-credulous onlookers that he is not superhuman.
There are a lot of what-ifs around the lead-up to the Norman Conquest - what if Edmund Ironside had survived longer and his sons had grown to adulthood or near-adulthood in England; what if Cnut's sons had survived longer, or even long enough to sire sons; what if Emma's son Alfred had survived; what if Edward the Exile hadn't died so soon; what if Edgar Atheling had been just a little older, and so on and so forth, and this is without getting into the what-ifs around 1066 itself.
Rick said...
Back in my Compuserve forum days I was friends with a gal (now, sadly, deceased) who was working on a novel about Emma, or as the author called her, Ymma. Her Ymma was a sympathetic but rather passive character, which was not very helpful to the book.
The fate of 11th century England also raises the old question of 'great men' versus 'historical forces.'
I once read (and swiped for my Lyonesse background) an interesting speculation that England would have drifted into the French cultural orbit even without a Conquest.
The Viking age is ending. Scandinavia no longer has a vast export surplus of tough, shrewd young men on the make. Even if the Cnutlings (?) kept the English throne, also keeping up a northern empire would be huge effort for small advantage. It is not a cohesive, self-supporting structure.
Meanwhile France and French culture are just hitting stride, and trade is rapidly growing especially with the Low Countries, for which Normandy and the Ile de France matter a lot, Denmark not much, Norway hardly at all.
The fact that William is in the picture at all testifies to the shifting focus. In order to be a power player the military technology of knights would have to be adopted, with a land tenure system to support them.
Flip side is that even as it was, English feudalism was from the outset very different from French feudalism, in ways that basically reflect the continued underlying strength of the West Saxon state.
Carla said...
Passive characters can still be interesting, it depends on the kind of story being told. Good for your friend for trying to tell Emma's story.
I have a feeling that history as it happens is something of an interaction between individuals and historical forces. Slow, large-scale social and economic trends, or new ideas, may build up pressure, which is then available to be focussed through, or harnessed by, charismatic individuals or groups. Some sort of conflict between monarch and parliament might have happened in the mid-ish 17th century, but would it have been the English Civil War without Charles I and Cromwell? Discuss.... Questions like this are inherently unanswerable because you can't do the control experiment, by definition. Hence, I guess, their enduring appeal, and the attraction of what-if alternate history.
Cnut's sister was married into Normandy, so Cnut may have shared your analysis. Northern parts of Britain (Scotland and the Isles) maintained close political ties with Norway well into the High Middle Ages. It was 1400-something before Orkney formally became part of Scotland rather than Norway. A dynasty of Cnutssons might have tended to look north by land as well as sea, and Scotland might have become more closely integrated with England at an earlier date. Trade with northern and north-western Europe might then have developed along something like the lines of the later Hanseatic League. Who's to say? |
DoxycyclineDoxycycline pneumonia of the earliest was the use of a syringe to deliver an anaesthetic during an aortic aneurysm repair. Another was the doxycycline class of a syringe in the groin for the insertion of an anesthetic into the thigh. This doxycycline side effects was eventually found to be more effective and safe for anesthesia. In addition, some patients were using a syringe doxycycline and sun solution to administer the injection directly into the skin.
This technique, also known as needle injection, was also found to be more effective and safe. In addition, some patients were injecting their anesthetic solution directly into the skin. This method was not used widely until the 1970s, when large doxycycline for uti techniques for direct needle injection were developed and improved. These techniques became a part of anesthesiologist's prerogatives, and were not commonly used by surgeons until the 1980s. As the use of non-nursing anesthetists in surgery expanded, new techniques were developed for the direct injection of a single injection into a single area in the body. This can include skilled and skilled doxycycline for uti more often, trained and trained nurses.
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This allows the physician in turn to perform a multitude of more doxycycline and sun less familiar operations. In some medical specialties, such doxycycline headache and critical care, the role of the anesthesiologist is much simpler, if not exclusively so. The physician is only required to doxycycline hyclate for dogs the steps in the operating room to establish a safe environment and to get the patient out of the way. Most often, the patient is a minimally conscious individual with no brain activity, and the doxycycline 100mg twice a day medically futile state for as long as possible. Doxycycline alcohol the doctor who is performing the surgery may be required to deal with a very different situation. He doxycycline headache an opportunity to intervene with either a mechanical device or a neuro-stimulator to control or alter the state of the person.
If the patient reacts to this intervention in a way that does not meet his or her expectations, the doctor may be responsible for inducing an anesthetic effect. The most common types of anesthetic agents have been described: sodium thiopental, propofol, midazolam, and pentobarbital. The effects of each agent have been explained by their action on different groups of receptors in different parts of the brain, their doxycycline dosage for dogs and antagonists of the same receptor groups, and their interaction with other chemicals in the brain.
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Sodium thiopental is the most potent and effective agent of this class. The use of these agents is highly variable; a single anesthetic may produce a very mild, painless anesthesia or an excruciatingly painful one. The doxycycline headache of action of any agent depends primarily on the concentration of the chemical present. The doxycycline ear infection usually dose and duration dependent, and vary greatly with the type of receptor being targeted. One of the most controversial drugs used to produce anesthesia is propofol. Propofol is a strong derivative of doxycycline class but, unlike thiopental, it has only half its original strength, is much more volatile, and is a bit more toxic.
It has a fairly long half life, making it effective even in large batches. Propofol is often used doxycycline side effects midazolam to produce a more potent and shorter lasting anesthesia. The effects of doxycycline class somewhat less severe and long-lasting. Propofol is relatively inexpensive compared to the others but, in general, the amount of propofol used will be much less than the strength and effectiveness of the other drugs. A common mistake physicians make when administering propofol is that they use too much-the correct amount is about half the strength of propofol.
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If the patient is too agitated, the doxycycline ear infection be too light. It is worth noting that propofol is not the only drug that doxycycline dosage for dogs anesthesia; most agents of the class are capable of producing the same effect. Propofol has the advantage of being much less lethal than most agents of this class. Propofol is also quite non-lethal and not as likely to cause long-term damage to the doxycycline pneumonia is the more commonly used anesthetics. The doxycycline class of this agent was first studied in the United States in 1955 and 1960 by the Army and the University of Minnesota. In 1963, the FDA approved a doxycycline for sinus infection the ICU but never recommended that it be used in the hospital.
It had become the primary method of providing pain doxycycline over the counter of common surgeries, including orthopedic surgery, emergency medicine, cardiothoracic surgery, and urology. In the 1950s-1980s, most medical school curricula focused exclusively on the history of anesthesia in doxycycline and sun on the history and development of general anesthesia as a surgical technique. The doxycycline ear infection the curriculum was a series of three textbooks published in the 1950s and 1960s. There was no significant literature about the history of anesthesia in the medical education system prior to the 1950s. The literature about the history of doxycycline dosage for sinus infection was not published until the 1960s.
There is a great deal of interest in the development of general anesthesia since the beginning of the twentieth doxycycline and sun attention to the history of anesthesia in medicine. There are, indeed, doxycycline dose published in the academic literature in the last twenty years that mention general anesthesia, and this literature provides an important context for our discussion. The first major article about general anesthesia from that period was entitled The History Of General Anesthesia.
A doxycycline for uti additional articles published in the period since then have addressed the history of anesthesia in general medical practice, including a few articles that have focused primarily on the development of the technique. In the next few sections of this article, we discuss specific publications about the history of general anesthesia in medical history and in some of the most notable textbooks on anesthesia history in recent years.
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The original edition of the book contained only doxycycline 100mg twice a day of anesthesia, and it focused on general surgical anesthetics. Leff's first treatment of the subject covered the early doxycycline for uti and the development of the surgical technique.
There is a short historical introduction of his treatment, written after the publication of The Doxycycline Alcohol of Anesthesia. This section discusses his treatment in more depth than we will get into in this article, which is why we doxycycline 100mg twice a day treatment of the specific topic of the history of general anesthesia in medicine. Doxycycline class 1965, a second edition of The Medical History of Anesthesia was published by the authors with two new chapters, one on the history of anesthesia for the obstetrics-gynecological specialties and the other on the history of general anesthesia in medicine. The authors wrote the chapters on doxycycline headache specifically because in the 1960s a book called An Anatomy of Anesthesiology, Volume I had appeared in medical libraries and in medical journals. This book covered the evolution of general anesthesia from surgery to surgical anesthesia and from anesthesia after surgery to anesthesia before surgery, and it provided a historical overview of the history of surgery. Coughlin, a graduate of Doxycycline Side effects whose medical degree was in surgery.
The development of anesthesia technologies doxycycline 100mg twice a day the past half century, resulting in the development of anesthesiology as a science, and even a trade, in its own right. By contrast, surgical doxycycline hyclate progressed less rapidly and may even have become obsolete by now, despite the efforts of anesthesiologists and other health professionals. The doxycycline for sinus infection has moved so far ahead are complex, but perhaps it should not be surprising. It has been the first advanced technique for anesthesiology for over 50 years. Anesthetics have always been a specialist skill, an area of medical specialty not open to general doxycycline and sun surgery, and even the most skilled anesthesiologists have rarely seen them applied in routine medical care. Most medical students and residents learn to anesthetize only the most complex situations, and they develop the ability to use only the most sophisticated equipment with minimal training or support, often with little or no training in general surgery or neonatal intensive care.
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The first anesthesia training was rudimentary, and training in general perioperative and postoperative medicine has been limited to a handful of specialties, such as general anaesthesia and cardiothoracic anesthetics. The development and acceptance of general anesthesiology began with the recognition that the anesthesiologist has the expertise to help an anesthesiologist provide excellent general anesthesia for a variety of complicated problems. This was recognized at a time when anesthesiology was still a specialist specialty, and the first general ano- arologists were not even in practice at the beginning of the 20th century. However, he was unable to use the latest advances in general anesthesia doxycycline over the counter 1950s. This method involves applying an anesthetic, either by using the anesthetic on the peri-operative wound itself or by inserting a probe into the aneurysm to provide a local anesthetic.
It is now considered to have been one of the first successful experiments in general anesthesia. A doxycycline hyclate of pioneers in the field of general anesthesia began performing this procedure on the basis of research by other anesthesiologists. At his clinic, Dr. Bowers used the doxycycline pneumonia most of the procedures that he performed, and he also performed it on patients in critical care facilities such as hospitals and intensive care units, where he saw the benefits of using the technique in critical care.
Although the bromoventral anesthesia technique is doxycycline hyclate for dogs parts of the world, the original use of this technique in the United States was not until the early 1960s. It was initially proposed to help reduce infection, and since there was doxycycline alcohol reason for a doctor to perform a procedure unless there was an infection, general practice physicians were initially opposed to using bromoventral anesthesiology in this way. Many a person with pain will feel the familiar twinge of pain and the urge to go to the nurse for help. The more likely outcome is a sedated state, a doxycycline ear infection days. Doxycycline dosage for dogs not always result in a complete recovery. For some doxycycline for sinus infection or months.
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Doxycycline dose a patient on general anesthesia is usually out of the operating room after a few days, and the surgeon has to deal with an entirely new patient in the operating room. This situation is not a good one to be in. This is a doxycycline headache to reflect on two facts. First, the more doxycycline headache about medical treatments, the better they are able to make health care choices. Second, the more knowledge people have about medical care, the more they will demand the best quality. This is the doxycycline alcohol of the history of medicine: as knowledge increases, the quality of medical care becomes progressively better.
When this happened in the past, physicians doxycycline hyclate for dogs the most expensive and most effective treatment available. That is why, in many cases, physicians are not even required to be certified as a medical doctor.
They are instead trained in other specialties. We will discuss how this changed later in this essay.
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The doxycycline headache of medical education in general is one of continuous improvement over time. For example, from the doxycycline alcohol textbook to the third, the standards of medical education were constantly changing.
Johnson was not a medical doctor in the strict sense that we usually associate with that term. Doxycycline hyclate for dogs the textbook, which has always been an important part of medical education, other sources of knowledge have been important as well, and have shaped our knowledge: The Bible is a prime example. In fact, the Bible is the best source for many of the most important medical facts that were previously unknown and which were later documented by other sources.
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We should not be surprised that this source of knowledge has become a major focus of medical education, because our doxycycline over the Counter was not so much based on facts as it was on what God had done in the ancient world. In ancient times there was a common belief that God created all things, doxycycline over the counter universe, from nothing. God then created all the doxycycline dosage for sinus infection the world, but He made all the other beings as part of His own creation.
There was no doxycycline and Sun to create all of the things He made; there was an inherent need for a Creator. As a result, all creation was ordered doxycycline for sinus infection way, with the order being that the created things were arranged in such a way as to be in harmony with the order that the created beings had created. The Bible is a doxycycline for uti of knowledge for this reason. Doxycycline dose was the one who led Israel out of bondage, and the first thing he did was to give them the Book of the Covenant, which he had written in the midst of the wilderness.
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ISLAM: What Significance Does Sharia Law Have for Muslims and Non-Muslims Today?
DANIEL JANOSIK: Director of Islamic Studies, Adjunct Professor of Apologetics, Historical Theology, and Islamic Studies at Southern Evangelical Seminary, and the adjunct professor in Apologetics at CIU Columbia International University (A.B., College of William and Mary; M.Div., Columbia International University; M.A., Columbia International University; Ph.D., London School of Theology) Dissertation: John of Damascus, First Apologist to the Muslims.
When Westerners think of Sharia law, their concept is usually centered on excessive punishments, such as being stoned for adultery or having hands cut off for stealing. However, Islam presents Sharia not just as a legal system but as an integral way to fulfill the will of Allah for each person and situation, since Allah’s will is to bring about compassion, generosity, and justice. Muslims, therefore, justify these strong measures by arguing that they are used only rarely and in a way that will help people find their way back to Allah. This chapter examines the various aspects of Sharia law, along with the traditional account of its origins, then considers what revisionist scholars believe to be Sharia’s current significance and possible historical inconsistencies in its origin story. Does Sharia law have significance today, both to Muslims and non-Muslims? What does it reveal about Islam, both religiously and politically? These are important considerations, both for Christians who come to the issue from a religious perspective and for non-Muslims in general who want to understand the role of social justice and culture in the Islamic worldview.
The Traditional Muslim View
Muslims believe that Sharia developed from laws which were revealed in the Qur’an, as well as other laws that grew out of Muhammad’s own example or rulings that he gave during his lifetime. These secondary laws came from the sunnah of the prophet, (meaning his words as well as his actions), and were collected in the written volumes of the Hadith. However, if any situation arose where these sources did not offer enough information to make a judgment, then the judges were free to use their intellect, as well as reason, in order to rule in these cases. Thus, as one author declares, “Sharia is derived from the Quran, exemplified in Muhammad’s life, and explained by imams.”[1]
The word Sharia comes from the Arabic word meaning “path to water,” or “pathway to be followed,” or even “the pathway for a Muslim to walk,” symbolizing a way of life that is followed to please Allah and emphasize the fulfillment of his will on an individual’s life.[2] Sharia is considered the infallible law of Allah and therefore it must supersede all other codes of law. The areas of life that Sharia dictates behavior for far exceed a simple code of punishment for crimes. Instead, as Scott Bridger, a professor of Islamic studies points out, “Muslims believe Sharia contains a comprehensive system governing every aspect of their lives, from how to brush one’s teeth to how to conduct financial transactions.”[3] Dr. Shawki Allam, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, compares Sharia to the US Constitution and explains that “Far from a medieval code of capital punishments, the Shari’ah is a dynamic ethico-legal system designed to safeguard and advance core human values.” He later argues that,
The sensationalism over the Shari’ah we see time and again is simply fear mongering. As much as it may bother those who spread hate, American Muslims put core tenets of the Shari’ah into practice every day when they operate soup kitchens, donate their time to community service, get married or divorced, practice their professions, run their businesses, have children, visit the sick, and much more.
Simply stated, the purpose of the Shari’ah is not to establish theocracies, to subjugate non-believers or to subject people to capital punishments. Rather, the Shari’ah aims to facilitate a believer’s attaining God’s pleasure, secure human welfare in this life and attain human salvation in the hereafter—ideals common to all Abrahamic faiths.[4]
Thus, as Dr. Allam explains, Sharia encompasses every detail of a person’s life and informs them on how they should act in various situations: how to dress; how to enter a room; what to eat; how to eat; how to cook; how to relate to others; how wives should respond to their husbands; how women are supposed to behave in public; how to discipline children; how to guide families spiritually; how to handle money, property, inheritance, banking needs, etc. This full and detailed nature of the law, interestingly, is largely responsible for the popularity of Sharia with the average Muslim. Some Muslims today who desire Sharia law do so because they are minority groups in non-Muslim nations, and they hope to insulate themselves through Sharia from the surrounding culture.
In Muslim societies, as well as for Muslims in minority situations, the process of interpreting and applying Sharia is called fiqh in Arabic, and this process is carried out by qualified religious scholars who use reason and tradition in order to apply Islamic law to every aspect of life for a Muslim. These Sharia rulings are first divided into two broad areas of guidance, one dealing with religious worship and the other covering worldly matters. These two areas are further divided into three more specific areas: Religious worship and ritual, which covers prayer, fasting, and pilgrimages; private social interactions, such as marriage, business, and ethics; and then public laws, which cover topics such as government, criminal law, and war (Jihad). These divisions are then governed by five categories for classifying various behaviors and actions: obligatory, recommended, permitted (halal), offensive, and forbidden (haram).[5] For example, prayer would be obligatory, meat prepared according to Sharia standards would be permitted, or “halal,” and drinking alcohol would be forbidden, or “haram.” It will be beneficial to review four general areas of Sharia law in order to better understand the extent of its influence.
Family Relationships
This aspect of Sharia law deals with the roles of individuals within the context of home and family. Women are given detailed instruction on how they as wives should respond to their husbands, what their duties and responsibilities are, and how to bring up their children and teach them about Islam. Sharia also provides instruction on such small details as to how a woman should dress (supplementing the Qur’an, which says women should dress modestly but gives no further details), what types of food she should cook, and how she should relate to men outside the family. The question of why some Muslim women wear clothing that covers most of their body, even their face, often comes up in discussion. Muslim women frequently suggest that this type of dress protects their modesty and even gives them freedom from being treated as a sex object. The Qur’an actually has very little to say about how women should dress. The most important verse in this regard is Sura 24:31, which admonishes women to cover their upper body with their veil. Later traditions, informed by the hadith, led to additional types of coverings traditionally worn in public or in the presence of adult males outside the immediate family. The hijab is a veil which usually covers the head and chest. It is also used as a general term for modest dress. A niqab is a veil that covers the face, showing only the eyes, and a burka is a full face and body covering that is worn in the most conservative Muslim countries. Sharia law gives men similarly comprehensive instruction on how they are to treat their wives, discipline their children, guide their families spiritually, and relate to other men in the community.
Crime and Punishment
This area is the best-known (and even infamous) aspect of Sharia law outside of the Muslim community. It gives what are often viewed as harsh punishments for theft, lying, murder, rape, and adultery, among other crimes. These range from stoning a couple for adultery or beheading a blasphemer/apostate, to cutting off the right hand of a thief, to a hundred lashes for rape. These serious offenses are known as hadud and merit the harsher forms of sharia. Tazir refers to severe crimes that do not measure up to the strict requirements of hadud offences, such as receiving 80 lashes for drinking alcohol, though even drug use is sometimes punished by beheading. Muslims, however, point out that such severe punishments are rare and when they are used, it is in such a way that draws the person back towards a proper attitude of submission toward Allah. Thus, Sharia law should not be judged simply because of its strong stance towards crime.
Inheritance and Property
Sharia also governs the practices of how wealth and property are passed on after death. Because Islam emphasizes the responsibility of men in taking care of the family, property is largely given to male descendants so that they can ensure the wellbeing of everyone else in the family. While Sharia law stipulates that women typically receive only half the inheritance, this is mostly because they are the protected members of the family, and are not usually obligated to support anyone. If they are widowed, they will either marry again or live with relatives. This dictating of how property is received, handled, and passed on is ultimately intended to help communities run smoothly without property disputes or families being in need.
External Customs
Other aspects of Sharia law deal with slavery and the status of non-Muslims. The Sharia code allows for slavery – anyone captured in Jihad or children of current slaves is a legitimate slave – but dictates at great length how these slaves are to be treated, especially the female slaves. Muslims say that slavery is extinct in most Islamic countries, so these sections would not apply today. The features of Sharia that deal with non-Muslims consider that they are half the worth of Muslims in legal procedures. Also, their testimony is often considered unreliable and does not count for many decisions in the Sharia courts. In addition, they were considered second-class citizens called “dhimmis,” and as a “protected” class had to pay a specific tax called the “jizya,” which exempted them from military duty and (at certain times) other aspects of Muslim law. However, it also made them subject to a complex set of regulations that prevented them from having certain freedoms that Muslims had. These ranged from dress specifications to giving their seats up to Muslims when asked, to not having political rights. Property and contract laws, on the other hand, applied equally to Muslims and non-Muslims.
The purpose of Sharia is to provide guidance for Muslims in every aspect of their lives so that they will be able to live in accordance with the will of Allah. In this way, as long as they follow the divine law, they will be able to please Allah, avoid punishment in this world and the next, and hope to live in peace with their neighbors. However, Sharia has not brought peace to Muslims or their nations, nor has it created a very tolerant situation for Christians and Jews living under a Muslim government. In fact, as we will demonstrate, sharia has created one of the most intolerant systems of inequality the world has ever seen.
Revisionist scholars discuss Sharia law in two main ways: first, they question the legitimacy of its origins and cast doubt on it really being derived from Muhammad’s words and actions, and second, they argue that implementing Sharia law in modern societies is dangerous both politically and ethically. On the first point, these scholars argue that the origins of Sharia are dubious, as they trace their connection to Islamic code mainly through the Hadith and the Sunnah, which were written down 150 to 200 years after Muhammad’s death, and thus lack a convincing mandate.[6] Furthermore, some scholars have concluded that many of the Hadith were fabricated at various times in order to favor a particular ruling over another side, and this dilutes the religious forces of the Sharia law even more. It should also be noted that there are a number of contradictions in the Sharia code, so it cannot truly be considered to be a perfect or inerrant rule of law, Islamic or otherwise.[7]
On the second issue, which deals with modern implementation of Sharia law, scholar Mark Durie warns that non-Muslims should not mistake the Sharia for an out-of-date relic of the past centuries. Instead, he describes it as “an authoritative application of Muhammad’s example in a comprehensive and consistent way, using rigorous principles and Islamic case-law. This is much more inclusive in concept than any penal code.”[8] He goes on to explain that the root problem with implementing Sharia law is that Muhammad was not merely a religious figure, but also a political, military, and legal authority. Thus, as Bill Warner, the founder of the Center for the Study of Political Islam, reminds us, “Sharia law is the political implementation of the Islamic civilization.”[9] In addition, any consideration of the laws of Islam is equally a religious, juridical, and political discussion.[10] Therefore, because the rules of Sharia define a total way of life, Durie says that “there can be no Islam without Sharia.”[11]
Sharia law may have originated from the Hadith and the Qur’an in terms of its principles, but its actual modern form is a sprawling set of codes and rules very similar in its breadth to a nation’s entire legal codex. Sharia law manuals contain the entirety of the rules in the form of a systematic reference book. In actuality, only 14% of the total words of Sharia is derived from the Qur’an, while the balance of 86% is found in the Sira and the Hadith. Interestingly, one writer notes, this means that “Islam is 14% Allah and 86% Muhammad,” since the Sira records Muhammad’s life and the Hadith record his words and actions.[12]
Sharia Changes
Another important factor to include in our equation is that Sharia continues to change through time, not only due to the continual interpretation of the religious leaders but also due to its intrinsic political foundation. Because Islam has linked itself to the political as well as the theological realm, in some cases the political aspirations of leaders or factions/parties have changed various aspects of the secondary elements (involving everyday applications) of Islamic practice. When political or power goals are involved, the parties have used religious means to promote political ends. This has fundamentally affected many aspects of Islam today, and Sharia law is perhaps one of the best examples. Even if the Sharia law is valued for its ability to create a society of good Islamic order, and not for its historic or theological purity, it nonetheless reveals a flawed religion that has certain portions of its nature formed through conflicting religious and political views between warring factions. At least it cannot be claimed that Sharia law is strictly derived from the Qur’an and Hadith, and thus it should more accurately be regarded in the light of man-made laws created around a religion, rather than laws received from direct revelation.
In addition, Sharia law dictates not only the actions of Muslims but also of non-Muslims. In countries with a Muslim majority, this could mean that non-Muslims would have to subject themselves to state-legislated inferiority. At the very least, it can be surmised that such a rule would not create a society which supported equal rights for all its citizens. At the worst, the fact that fundamentalist groups, in particular, are the ones currently seeking to revert back to a more violent interpretation of the Sharia in order to promote their views is a warning sign of destabilization of the state.
The Development of Control through the Practice of Dhimmitude
It would be helpful at this point to understand how the practice of dhimmitude (forced subordination of non-Muslims) developed since it is inextricably tied to Sharia and provides a portrait of what non-Muslims have had to endure under Sharia domination. After Muhammad’s death, the second caliph, Omar, is said to have instituted a series of “conditions” that guided the Muslims in their treatment of the conquered Christians. Rather than execute all the Christians who would not convert to Islam (since this would decimate the pool of needed workers), a third choice was often preferred – paying the “jizya,” or head tax, with willing submission and “feeling themselves subdued” (Q. 9:29). In essence, this meant that the subjugated Christians, or non-Muslims, were to purchase their lives back from their Muslim conquerors and live in such a way that they would feel constantly intimidated. In order to regulate this lifestyle, a set of conditions was drawn up called the “Conditions of Omar.” It is probable that these conditions were developed long after the time of the second caliph, Omar, but his name and time period are now firmly associated with the rules that guided the treatment of the subjugated class of second-class citizens who became known as the “Dhimmis,” or “protected persons.”
According to the “Conditions of Omar,” the “dhimmis” were expected to agree to onerous conditions in exchange for their lives. The following list is presented through the voice of the captives giving the impression that these conditions were considered to be a fair exchange for safety.
When you came to our countries, we asked you for safety for ourselves and the people of our community, upon which we imposed the following conditions on ourselves for you:
1. Not to build a church in the city – nor a monastery, convent, or monk’s cell in the surrounding areas – and not to repair those that fall in ruins or are in Muslimquarters;
2. Not to prevent Muslimsfrom lodging in our churches, by day or night, and to keep their doors wide open for [Muslim] passersby and travelers;
3. Not to display a cross on them [churches], nor raise our voices during prayeror readings in our churches anywhere near Muslims;
4. Nor to produce a cross or [Christian] book in the markets of the Muslims;
6. Not to prevent any of our relatives who wish to enter into Islam;
7. Not to possess or bear any arms whatsoever, nor gird ourselves with swords;
9. To host every traveling Muslimfor three days and feed him adequately;
10. We guarantee all this to you upon ourselves, our descendants, our spouses, and our neighbors, and if we change or contradict these conditions imposed upon ourselves in order to receive safety, we forfeit our dhimma[covenant], and we become liable to the same treatment you inflict upon the people who resist and cause sedition”[13]
Other restrictions were added over time. Omar reputedly added another one: “that Christians never raise their hands against a Muslim, including in self-defense.”[14] In summary, these conditions resulted in extreme restrictions on the lives of the Christians and Jews, especially in the following three areas:
There were restrictions on expressions of worship:[15]
Churches could not be repaired; crosses and Bibles could not be displayed; and the sounds of Christian prayers, bells, and singing were not permitted beyond the boundaries of the church.
There were restrictions on freedom:
Proselytizing Muslims was banned, as was any form of blasphemy toward Muslims, the prophet or Islam in general. Also, any Muslim who converted to Christianity was charged with apostasy and subject to the death penalty.
Christians were assigned an inferior social status:
Dhimmis were very much considered beneath the level of the Muslims. They had to humble themselves before Muslims; their testimony in court was not valid against a Muslim; they could not raise their hand against a Muslim even in self-defense; they could not hold public office or any other position over a Muslim; and a Christian man was forbidden to marry a Muslim woman, even though a Muslim man could marry a Christian woman. Christians and other non-Muslims were simply not considered equal in any way to Muslims.
These restrictions were established in the early days, and during the period of colonialism, they were overturned as the Muslims experienced the humiliation of losing their hegemony to the Western world. Raymond Ibrahim, a writer, and researcher for Gatestone Institute, says that “for the first time in Islam’s 1,200 years of existence (at the time), non-Muslim subjects were to be treated as equal to Muslims, and their right to religious freedom and worship was to be guaranteed.”[16]
However, as Ibrahim reminds us, “these debilitations and humiliations, which were inflicted upon the Christians of the Islamic world in the past, are at this moment being inflicted upon the Christians of the Islamic world in the present, as a natural consequence of Muslims returning to the authentic teachings of Islam.”[17] In fact, the Conditions of Omar is being dusted off and revived in a number of locations in the Middle East. For example, during a Friday sermon, Saudi Sheikh Marzouk Salem al-Ghamdi advocated a return to the past.
If these were the words of a Muslim fanatic, that would be one thing. However, Ibrahim demonstrates that the Conditions of Omar are very much on the rise again:
Churches in Muslim countries are regularly bombed, burned, or simply denied permits to renovate or even to exist. Crosses are burned and Bibles are confiscated. Muslim converts to Christianity are often violently attacked and sometimes executed. Christians accused of committing “blasphemy” – which can mean simply discussing Islam, or even Christianity – are assaulted and killed. Jizya is exacted from Christians once again. Christians are forced to convert to Islam. Christian women and children are abducted and raped.[19]
People in the West have a hard time understanding how these things could be going on in the world today, especially since many of the Muslims they know or are familiar with present a very different picture of what they call “moderate” Islam. Political leaders throughout the Western nations have continually made excuses for the actions of Muslim radicals and have aggressively promoted a hollow platitude that Islam means “peace.” This obfuscation has only exacerbated the problem and has given radical Muslims even more courage to expand their operations and recruit new warriors for their cause. Ibrahim explains,
When the West, or at least popular culture in the West, became spiritually bankrupt and began apologizing for itself, Muslims, disgusted, turned back to Islam and its way, the Sharia – all, of course, to Western approval and encouragement. And now the myopic West cannot comprehend that Muslims have gone back to treating Christians in the exact same ways Muslims treated Christians before Muslims began to emulate the West. That history is all but lost. In fact, the cognitive dissonance between what the multiculturalists in the West believe about the benign and even superior culture of Islam, and what is reported as actually taking place in the Muslim world, is so great that many Westerners simply cannot take in the facts.[20]
One of the implications of this pattern is that Sharia is used to transform a non-Muslim host country into a sharia-compliant country. Then, as the population of Muslims increases, more demands are made, and the oppression of Christians becomes greater. It is a form of coercion.
The French philosopher, Jacques Ellul, illustrates this pattern by tracing the infiltration of Islam into France through three stages: The first stage involved small groups of immigrant workers coming from North Africa, mainly Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisa. The second stage began when the worker’s families were allowed to join them. The third stage is the result of the minor inroads made by the initial immigration becoming major obstacles in French society today. Ellul observes that these small steps ended up with the proliferation of mosques, the demands made by Islamic communities for special privileges, the destruction of churches, and the move of millions of Muslims into Islamic communities in the outskirts of our cities and to villages in our provinces![21]
Ellul’s overall comment on this predictable progression may be a warning to other countries experiencing mass migration from Muslim countries today: “Rather than integrating Muslims into French society, we witness the integration of France into Islam.”[22]
We can also see this trend in a study performed by Peter Hammond, a former director of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. In the chart below, note how the rise of the Muslim population in a country not only results in greater influence but also there is a greater call for Sharia in all aspects of life, for the Muslim as well as the non-Muslim. There is also a trend of more violence committed by Muslims in their host countries as their numbers increase.
Influence through Demographics[23]
Extent of Muslim Influence by the Numbers Countries in this percent level
Less than 1%
Muslims are regarded as peace-loving and not a threat; Muslim groups begin to work the system and push for an equal voice
United States, Australia, Canada, China, Italy, Norway
At 2% and 3%
Proselytizing of minorities and major recruiting in jails and gangs takes place (Muslims expect majority governments to be compliant); will use our political systems, our constitutions based on freedom, and our educational systems against us
Denmark, Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand
From 5% on
Disproportional influence; they will begin under-the-table coercion through the demand for halal food and religious “rights”; there is a push for the acceptance of Sharia law
France, Philippines, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Trinidad & Tobago
10% or more of population
Violence is often used in order to voice complaints and pressure the majority government; any non-Muslim action that offends Islam will bring violence and threats
Guyana, India, Israel, Kenya, Russia
After reaching 20%
Riots become commonplace, Jihad militias form, persecution of Christians takes place, as well as church and synagogue burning
At 40% you will find “widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks and ongoing militia warfare” Nigeria, Bosnia, Chad, Lebanon
From 60% you may expect “unfettered persecution of non-believers and other religions, sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon and Jizya, the tax placed on infidels” Albania, Malaysia, Qatar, Sudan
After 80% expect “State run ethnic cleansing and genocide” Bangladesh, Egypt, Gaza, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates
Near 100% will “usher in the peace of ‘Dar-al-Salaam’ — the Islamic House of Peace — there’s supposed to be peace because everybody is a Muslim” Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Yemen
But there is no peace! Which Muslim majority country in the world has a thriving economy with freedom, security, and true peace for all of its citizens?
Comparison of “Stages”
It is evident from the comparison above that there are a number of similarities between the response of the church to Islam in the 7th century and the 21st century. There are four general stages that are represented at both times — denial, apathy, “complacent ignorance,” and fear. In regard to denial, those living outside the Middle East and North Africa in the centuries following the rise of Islam denied that there was much going on. When they did comprehend the gravity of the situation, they were apathetic about getting involved. In fact, it took almost 400 years for the church to launch a counter-attack (the Crusades). As one writer notes, there was also “complacent ignorance,”[24] because the Christians outside of the strike zone were more concerned with their own peace and security rather than learning more about the enemy and seeking to rescue their brothers in Christ. Finally, there was fear – fear of getting involved, fear of retaliation, and fear of the unknown. We see the same responses today.
Similar Patterns
In the 7th-century, these same patterns that we observe today developed in the borderland between the Arabs and the Christians. As the Arab horde moved northward behind the retreating Byzantine forces, some non-Chalcedonian Christian groups, who had been persecuted under the Byzantine rule, at first embraced the new religious movement as the “rod of God’s anger” intended “to deliver [them] from the Byzantines,”[25] and they felt relief from what they considered an oppressive former regime. On the other hand, the “Byzantine polemicists saw Islam as a ‘Satanic plot’ to destroy Christian Faith.”[26] Some of the sources cited religious devotion by the invaders and some cited brutality and godlessness. Overall, there seemed to be a sense of ambivalence and unpreparedness. At first, the new regime ruled from a distance and made light economic and civil demands. This further pleased the non-Chalcedonian Christians. However, as the Muslims gained more power, the suppression of Christian rights increased. In time, Christians were brutally persecuted, churches and Bibles were burned, crosses were banned and public preaching was denied. As the number of Muslims in the general population grew, many of the remaining Christians were faced with three choices: convert, submit and pay, or die.
Bill Warner notes how this pressure by the implementation of Sharia on Christians eventually resulted in the nations of Turkey, Egypt, North Africa, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Ethiopia to become Islamic and the Christians to become dhimmis. He explains,
Jihad placed Muslims in political control and established Sharia law. Then all of the Christians became dhimmis. Centuries of the jizya tax and third-class status caused them to convert. It was Sharia law and the dhimmi status that destroyed Christianity in Islamic lands. Western civilization cannot survive under Sharia law.[27]
We see many of these same patterns reappearing in the 21st century, especially in the Middle East. For example, as ISIS has been on the move in Iraq, they have been greeted with open arms by their fellow Sunni Muslims who hold disdain for the present U.S. built Iraqi government. As ISIS gains more power, there is greater suppression of the rights of Christians and those they consider to be Muslim “infidels.” Christians are faced with horrendous persecution as they experience torture, rape, crucifixion, and beheadings. Their churches are burned, crosses are banned, and public proclamation of their Christian faith brings swift martyrdom. In the end, they are given three choices: convert, submit and pay, or die (or flee before this happens). With meticulous and brutal conviction, parts of the Middle East are being “cleansed” of any Christian presence – a presence that has survived for almost 2,000 years.
The Church Community_02 THE NEW TESTAMENT Developing Healthy Churches THE CHURCH CURE
Are there any ways to break this pattern and bring true peace to the Middle East? The growth of “power Islam” seems to catapult forward when there is a political vacuum to fill. In the 7th century, the retreat of the Byzantine forces left the Levant (the area that includes Palestine, Israel, and Syria) unguarded. In the 20th century, there was a retreat of colonial forces that had provided modernization and movement toward Westernization. While the colonial forces were in control, the Middle Eastern Christians had been able to experience a type of “Golden Period” where the dhimmi status was lifted and they were able to build churches, receive better opportunities for education, and make advances in society. However, the colonial forces turned the power back over to the Muslims, and in a relatively short time, the rejection of western values provided an impetus to revive a socio-economic-religious worldview based on 7th century Islam. Because Islam is a theocracy, the success of “power Islam” has encouraged militant groups to believe that God is on their side. This, in turn, has fueled their belief that they have a mandate by God to subdue the rest of the world (the Dar al-Harb, or “house of war”) under the Dar al-Islam, or the “house of Islam” (or “house of submission” to God).
Durie says this is the reason most Muslims believe that Sharia should be the foundation for legislation, and it is also the reason that many constitutions in Muslim-majority countries demand Sharia law over any other legal system. After all, a nation cannot be Muslim without Sharia as the basis of the government, and, if sharia is the supreme guide over all that a Muslim does, then it should also be the supreme guide for the nation. However, as evidenced by countries that have the strictest sharia-dominant governments, like Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan, this preference for sharia has not produced model states.[28]
Some believe that a secularization of Islamic countries needs to take place, involving the “separation of mosque and state.” With this type of separation, the state would protect the freedom of the religion and the religion would respect the role of the state. Then, when there is a proper balance between these “two worlds,” there can be peace. However, a theocratic nation, which Islam requires, will always be at war with the secular state.
Is Sharia Compatible with the U.S. Constitution?
As more refugees from Islamic countries make their way into America, some have asked whether Sharia is compatible with the U.S. Constitution. First of all, American democracy is based upon the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution protects the rights of all of its citizens in regard to religious freedom, privacy, and private property. The Constitution also allows people to follow their conscience with respect to behavior, culture, and lifestyle, as long as it does not infringe on the rights of others. Muslims find that many of these things are compatible with sharia and therefore are able to fit in with American lifestyles. However, there are other aspects of sharia that are not compatible at all and should not be practiced in a democracy, such as forced prayer, the requirement of halal food for non-Muslims, and a ban on legal activities for non-Muslims, etc.
Bill Warner believes that “there are no common principles between American law and Sharia,”[29] and lists a number of restrictions to the freedom all Americans presently enjoy. Under Sharia law, he says, there is no freedom of religion; there is no freedom of speech; there is no freedom of thought; there is no freedom of artistic expression, and there is no freedom of the press. He also points out that there is no equality of peoples, for under Sharia a non-Muslim can never be equal to a Muslim. In addition, under Sharia law, there is no equal protection, but rather “justice is dualistic, with one set of laws for Muslim males and different laws for women and non-Muslims.”[30] Therefore, Sharia is incompatible with democracy since non-Muslims are not equal with Muslims.
This tension between democratic principles and Sharia law is amply demonstrated in the new constitutions of Iraq and Afghanistan, which are still largely based on Sharia. Even with all the recent influences of America in these two countries, any success of implementing democratic ideas into these societies is doomed because sharia law will not tolerate the freedoms established in the constitutions of democratic nations. Furthermore, if an Islamized society is required for Sharia to be followed consistently by Muslims, there will always be the push for more and more Sharia compliance in the democratic society where Muslims are in the minority. Even a small percentage of Muslims in a society can cause large ripples by their persistent push for sharia-compliant demands. We can see this process at work in the “creeping Sharia” taking place here in America.
Ten Steps of Creeping Sharia
Sharia is political as well as religious. We can, and should, resist the political aspects of Sharia since the whole purpose of Sharia is to undermine our political system and install Sharia as the only law of the country. “Creeping Sharia” seeks to replace the legitimate government of the host country. The higher the population of Muslims, the stronger the push for Sharia. Here is an example of how ten possible steps may be implemented by Muslims to transform our society as Sharia uses our own compliance to religious demands against us.
First, there is a demand for prayer times at schools.[31] After all, Muslims are required to pray five times a day, so in a democratic nation the public schools should respect the religious needs of Muslims and accommodate this “request.” Second, then comes the demand for a special room for prayer that can only be used for prayer. It would be too difficult to keep changing the room around for the prayer times, so a separate room would have to be set aside to fulfill this “request.” Third, there would be a demand for new plumbing for foot washing, etc. After all, proper prayers cannot be performed without the proper ablutions. Taxpayers would be asked to pay for these “requests.” Fourth, Muslims will have an opportunity to explain the practice of prayer. In order to give a reason for their demands, Muslim religious leaders would be asked to give their religious reasons for their “requests.” This would enable Muslims to teach Qur’anic material in the schools. Fifth, there would be a demand for halal food. After all, non-Muslims should not expect Muslim children to be forced to eat food that has not been prepared according to religious requirements. In time more of the food would become halal in order to make it easier to fulfill the “requests” of the Muslims. Sixth, special concessions for Ramadan would be requested. Since fasting is required of all Muslims during the month of Ramadan, schools will be asked to make special allowances for Muslim students since they would not be at their best during these times. Schedules for non-Muslim students would have to be re-configured. Seventh, there would be a demand for Sharia-compliant clothing. Beyond the requests that scarves and hijabs be allowed for the females, special requests for sportswear would also be made. Eighth, there would be demands for Sharia family law. This leap would be made easier with all the concessions made through the school system. The requests would begin with allowances for domestic issues such as marriage counseling, divorce cases, inheritances, and other family matters, but it would then escalate to the ban of alcohol, a push for Sharia finances, and a different level of treatment for honor killings and rape. Ninth, Muslims would demand to be recognized as a minority with special treatment in jobs, appointments, and civil rights. Even though Islam is not a “race,” this distinction would be used in order to gain popularization and acceptance of the “requests” made in this area. Tenth, finally there would be a demand for Sharia law instead of the U.S. Constitution. The “request” would be for Muslims to handle their own matters according to the rule of Sharia rather than the Constitution of the United States. After all, the Constitution does not make a provision against religion, so Islam, as a religion, should be allowed to have accommodations made in order to fulfill its rightful religious needs. Some may think that this scenario is over the top, but as Bill Warner points out, “Even though Sharia violates every principle of our Constitution, it is being implemented today, because Americans are unaware about Sharia or its meaning.”[32] All ten of these steps have already been tested in various parts of America, with different results. It is only a matter of time if Europe is our example of the movement toward Sharia compliance.
Sharia is Not Equitable
Another reason to reject Sharia in the West is that it is not equitable for all people. It discriminates against women and all non-Muslims. It is not a system of true justice and should be rejected by all non-Muslim societies. As Mark Durie, author of a book on Sharia, notes, “For Sharia to be followed consistently and comprehensively – and this is most important – it requires an Islamized society.”[33] Thus, once Sharia is allowed to operate in a democratic society, the push for more and more compliance to Sharia standards will not cease until the whole society is put under the thumb of Sharia. We already looked at the inequality of Sharia in regard to Christian dhimmitude, as well as the possible outcome from creeping Sharia. Another good example of this inequality can be found in the treatment of women, even in Muslim cultures.
Muslims will say that the status of women under Sharia is one of privilege because it is the man’s responsibility to take care of the family’s economic, religious, and social needs. The Qur’an (4:34) relates that this is because “Allah has made men superior” to women and given men more strength and wisdom in order to be “managers of the affairs of women.” However, this often relegates the women to a status of dependency where they have less rights than men, less freedom, and fewer legal claims. For example, a man can divorce his wife by saying “I divorce you” three times in the presence of witnesses, but the wife has to go through a difficult Sharia court procedure. In addition, since the women are often prevented from working outside the home, they have less means to earn a living. One of the most heartless rulings is that the wife is often not given custody of the children. In regard to marriage, the Qur’an (4:34) states that if the wife is not obedient, the husband should first admonish her, then refuse to share his bed, and last to beat her. In Sura 2:223, wives are said to be the “tilth” (fertile lands) for their husband’s sexual desires and are not allowed to refuse their husband’s desires. The rights are supposed to be equal, but they are not so. Women are responsible for the household and the family but are restricted in the greater society. The Qur’an even refers to women as inferior to men because men work to take care of women and therefore have a superior position (Q. 2:228, 4:34). In addition, the inheritance of women is half that of men (Q. 4:11), and their testimony in court is half that of a male (Q. 2:282). In the religious domain, women cannot take any leadership roles and have to pray separately from the men in the mosque. Women also have to cover themselves to safeguard their modesty and not distract men.
One of the most egregious practices involving Muslim women is the prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Even though the practice is not promoted in the Qur’an or the Hadith, it is prevalent in many parts of the Muslim world. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone this brutal procedure.[34] This practice has had a long history in Islam, for John of Damascus, in his 8th-century treatise, The Heresy of the Ishmaelites, mentions female circumcision as one of the distinctive customs practiced by those who would soon become known as Muslims.[35]
In these and many other ways, women are basically second-class citizens in the world of Islam. This contrasts sharply with the status of women in the New Testament where Paul explains that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). If we are all one in Christ, then we have the exact same status in Christ and as Christians. As we have seen, this is not the case in Islam.
Another egregious practice that is still quite prevalent in Islam is human slavery. Most people are only familiar with the European slave trade, but the Islamic slave trade spanned a greater time period and involved a greater number of black Africans. In one study, it is estimated that 17 to 20 million slaves were captured in Africa and transported to the Islamic world between 650 and 1920 AD, while 11.7 million were taken from Africa across the Atlantic and into parts of Europe between 1450 and 1900 AD.[36] It is also estimated that the mortality rate during transit in the Islamic slave trade ranged between 80-90 % among the men (due mainly to castration casualties), while the mortality rate hovered around 10% for the European slave trade (due to trans-Atlantic travel and disease). It is also the case that in the Islamic slave trade two out of three slaves were women because one of the chief purposes of slavery for Muslims was sexual exploitation. For the European slave trade, two-thirds of the slaves were male and were required mainly for agricultural work. Another little-known view held by Muslims is that blacks historically were considered inferior to other races. For example, a famous Muslim scholar, Al-Jahiz (781-869 AD), once wrote, “We know that the Zanj (blacks) are the least intelligent and the least discerning of mankind, and the least capable of understanding the consequences of actions.“[37] This was not the view of earlier cultures, which seemed to have a more neutral view of blacks, but it became prevalent in seventh-century Arabia as Blacks became identified with the slave class after the Islamic conquest of Africa.[38] Davis Goldenberg, for example, notes that in ancient Greece and Rome people were not defined by their color.[39] However, this changed during the expansion of Islam when Goldenberg relates that “We first see this… explicit link between skin color and slavery in Near Eastern sources beginning in the seventh century.”[40] It seems, then, that the Muslim view toward women and blacks is not one of equality, but rather of an inferior class of humans. Many Muslims also believe that all non-Muslims are inferior and therefore need to be converted to Islam in order to be recognized as equals (Q. 61:9, 48:28, and 9:33). This attitude does not resonate well with the principles of the Bible or the ideals of a free society such as we have in America.
The Goal of Sharia
Ultimately, the goal of Sharia is to become the law of the land, so in this way, it is totally incompatible with the U.S. Constitution. Thus, Sharia should not be allowed in America except for practices that do not conflict with American laws and policies. Muslims have a right to practice their religion in America, but they do not have the right to alter the beliefs or practices of other religions or legitimate lifestyle choices.
Building Bridges to Understand
How should Christians respond to the problem of Sharia? We first need to understand Islam better, especially in the way that Sharia is intricately involved in every aspect of the religion and its political ambitions. Understanding Sharia will help us to better understand Islam. We also need to get to know Muslims so that we can put a face to Sharia and build relationships based on understanding and love rather than ignorance and fear. We need to fight the creeping Sharia that seeks to slowly erode the U.S. Constitution as well as the will of non-Muslim Americans to counter the rise of Islam in the world. We cannot afford to shuffle over to the sidelines. We need to hold fast to our Christian doctrine as well as the core of American values. We need to learn how we can turn this controversy into a transformation. Muslims need Jesus!
Michael Youssef, a Christian pastor, reminds us that, “In contrast to Christianity, Islam is a religion of law, blind submission, fear, and punishment. Under theocratic Islamic rule, submitting to the ruler is equal with submitting to Allah. Islam doesn’t simply require belief in Allah, the Koran, Muhammad as the prophet, and the Day of Judgment. Islam demands surrender and submission.”[41] Christians, on the other hand, are to win over their enemies through love and compassion. Christians are also taught to confess their faults and to seek forgiveness. These things are central to Christianity, but they are relatively unknown in Islam. A loving, compassionate approach could be a powerful witness to Muslim friends.
Another way to help Muslims understand some of the stark differences between Islam and Christianity is to compare some of the harsh Sharia commands with the grace of God revealed in Scripture and through the life of Jesus Christ. Hopefully, when Muslims see how many of the principles of Sharia counter the grace and freedom of the gospel, they will be more attentive to what you share with them about Jesus Christ and Christianity. In the chart below, the left-hand column lists some of the inhumane commands of Sharia. In the center column is the source. Then, in the right-hand column, there are verses and ideas that you can share with your Muslim friends to demonstrate that Christianity is very different from Islam in these particular ways.
Sharia command Source: Qur’an or Hadith Gospel of Grace: Christianity
“We gave Moses the Scripture” (Q. 6:154). “This is my path, leading straight, so follow it, and do not follow other ways” (Q. 6:153) “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).
1. Islam commands offensive and unjust jihad
Sura 9:29
Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. (Mat 26:52).
2. Islam orders apostates to be killed
Sura 9:11-12
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mat 5:43-44).
3. Islam orders unmarried fornicators to be whipped and adulterers to be stoned to death Sura 24:2 for fornicators; stoning was left out of Qur’an by Uthman, but supplied in the hadith Jesus said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7).
“Flee from sexual immorality. . . do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” (1 Cor. 6:18-19)
4. Islam commands that homosexuals must be executed
Abu Dawud, no. 4447
“Do not be deceived. . . men who practice homosexuality. . . will [not] inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you” (1 Cor. 6:9-11). [We can be changed by God’s grace]
5. Islam commands that a male and female thief must have a hand cut off
Sura 5:38; Buhkari, Punishments, no. 6788
6. Islam allows husbands to hit their wives
Sura 4:34
7. Islamic law can still demand a literal eye for an eye
Sura 5:45
8. Sharia allows for FGM The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to her: ‘Do not cut severely as that is better for a woman and more desirable for a husband.’–Sunan Abu Dawûd, Book 41, #5251.
9. Slavery is still being practiced in Islam “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
The Best Strategy
I like the approach that Nabeel Qureshi follows best. He first lists a number of similarities between Islam and Christianity to demonstrate that many Muslims are seeking to follow Sharia in order to please Allah and earn his favor. Then he points out that the main difference between Islam and Christianity is that while Muslims follow a legal code, Sharia, as their “path,” Christians do not follow a mere code, but they follow a person, the Lord Jesus Christ. As Qureshi says, “The way of life in one religion is through the law, while in the other it is through faith in a person.”[42] Jesus Christ is the person that all Muslims need to be introduced to, and we have the honor and privilege of being the ones that God uses to share with them the one who is the “Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6).
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[1] Nabeel Qureshi, No God But One: Allah or Jesus? (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016), 34.
[2] Mark Durie, The Third Choice: Islam, Dhimmitude and Freedom (Deror Books, 2010), 40. Nabeel Qureshi, No God But One, 33-34. Bill Warner, Sharia Law for Non-Muslims (Center for the Study of Political Islam, 2010), 5.
[3] J. Scott Bridger, “What is Shariah Law?” November 4, 2013:
[4] Shawki Allam, “Shari’ah Law: What it is and what it is not,”
[5] The Public Dhikr (Hadra) by Nuh Ha Mim Keller, 1996. (accessed October 1, 2018).
[6] Donner, Narratives of Islamic Origins, 20.
[7] Ibid., 14.
[8] Durie, The Third Choice, 41.
[9] Warner, Sharia Law for Non-Muslims, 8.
[10] Durie, The Third Choice, 50.
[11] Ibid., 40.
[12] Warner, Sharia Law for Non-Muslims, 6.
[13] Raymond Ibrahim, Crucified Again: Exposing Islam’s New War on Christians (D.C.: Regnery, 2013), 25-27. See also, Medieval Sourcebook: Pact of Umar:
[14] Ibrahim, Crucified Again, 27.
[15] Summarized from Ibrahim, Crucified Again, 28-29.
[16] Ibrahim, Crucified Again, 12.
[17] Ibid., 29.
[18] Robert Spencer, Muslim Persecution of Christians (Sherman Oaks: David Horowitz Freedom Center, 2011), 41-42.
[19] Ibrahim, Crucified Again, 30.
[20] Ibrahim, Crucified Again, 17.
[21] (Accessed on October 2, 2018).
[23] Adapted from Peter Hammond, “What Islam Isn’t,”, Monday, April 21, 2008.
[24] Robert Wilken, “Christianity Face to Face with Islam,” 2009.
[25] “’Christianity and Islam’ from Oxford Islamic Studies Online,” November 13, 2014
[26] Ibid. (Gaudeul, vol. 1, 65).
[27] Warner, Sharia Law for Non-Muslims, 31.
[28] Durie, Three Choices, 50.
[29] Warner, Sharia, 3.
[30] Ibid., 3.
[31] The first part of this scenario is based on the actual plans outlined on the web by a Muslim.
[32] Warner, Sharia, 9.
[33] Durie, The Third Choice, 49.
[34] (accessed 10/1/2018).
[35] Daniel Janosik, John of Damascus, First Apologist to the Muslims (Wipf & Stock, 2016), Appendix C, 268.
[36] Ralph Austen, African Economic History (Currey and Heinemann, 1987), 275.
[37] Jahiz, Kitab al-Bukhala (“Avarice and the Avaricious”)
[38] David Goldenberg, The Curse of Ham, Race and Slavery in Early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, (Princeton University Press, 2005), 170.
[39] Goldenberg, David, The Curse of Ham, 200.
[40] Ibid., 170.
[41] Michael Youssef, Blindsided: The Radical Islamic Conquest (Kobri, 2012), 83.
[42] Qureshi, No God But One, 31.
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Disney Wiki
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Harpies are minor antagonists in the 1997 film Hercules and in the 1997 video game of the same name.
In the film, a giant Harpy appears as one of the many enemies that Hercules needs to fight. It tries to swoop down on him and Pegasus from the sky, but it is quickly defeated and put into a cage.
Hercules (TV series)
In the episode "Hercules and the Apollo Mission", another pair of Harpies were used by Pain and Panic to cause Hercules to lose control of Apollo's Sun-pulling cart. These birds are shown to breathe fire fierce enough to cut the divine chains of Apollo's cart.
A Harpy also appears among the Underworld denizens summoned by Hecate in "Hercules and the Underworld Takeover".
Hercules Video Game
In the video game, they serve as a group of minor bosses that Hercules needs to fight off in the level The Big Olive. They appear sitting in the background, and once he appears, they begin flying above to abduct citizens or attack Hercules. Hercules needs to use attacks that fire up into the air in order to defeat enough of them. Harpies again appear in the level Titan Flight along with sphinxes while Hercules is flying on his Pegasus. Swarms of them try to attack Hercules, and they need to be defeated in a similar fashion to the way that they were in earlier levels.
• Other than their design, the Harpy and the Harpies from the video game have many differences.
• In the film the Harpy was twice the size of Hercules, while in the video game they were twice as small. In the movie, Hercules only fought one while in the video game he fought multiple. In the movie, Hercules imprisoned the Harpy while he slays groups of them in the video game.
• The Harpies have sometimes been mistaken for the Stymphalian Birds.
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The Science Behind Antioxidants And Their Impact On The Skin
Did you know that the secret to youthful and supple skin lies in how it is treated at the cellular level? Left unprotected against free radicals, our skin can age prematurely, get dry or break out in blemishes that can hide our natural good looks. This is why antioxidants and skincare go hand in hand!
Antioxidants can do more than just heal skin, they can make it look younger and supple at the same time. Read on to find out how they work and the number of benefits they offer.
How Antioxidants Work
Our skin cells are constantly undergoing change and rebirth. However, when they come into contact with free radicals (reactive molecules that can steal electrons and thus damage cells in the process), our derma can end up suffering. These manifest either from metabolic processes in our body or from external sources (such as cigarette smoke and pollutants).
Skincare products that contain antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, can prevent that from happening by neutralising free radicals. How? By donating electrons and/or from preventing free radicals from forming in the first place.
There is a natural and delicate balance of antioxidants and free radicals on our skin. If it tips or is disrupted, (i.e. the latter exceeds the former), oxidative stress sets in. This process ages the skin prematurely, triggers inflammatory conditions, such as acne, makes dark spots appear and can even cause cancer in the long run.
Think of your skin as a slice of apple left out in the open for too long. With time, the peel dries up and the flesh takes on an orange hue. That is oxidation in progress.
The best way to prevent this from happening to our skin is if we shield it from the elements, specifically harmful UV rays that the sunlight is known for. However, even sunscreen can prove inefficient if the free radicals on your skin are formed from components other than UV radiation. This includes pollutants, such as smog, infrared radiation from X-Rays and other stressors.
Top Antioxidant Skincare Benefits
Antioxidants impact skin in the following ways:
As an Anti-Inflammatory
Skincare products that contain antioxidants can reduce inflammation, such as acne and other breakouts. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) in specific products can do this by stimulating circulation and skin cell metabolism, resulting in an even skin tone and wrinkle-free derma. It can even reduce fine lines and minimise pores, ensuring the product you use gets maximum coverage.
As a Skin Firming Agent
Antioxidants can also make skin look and feel firmer to the touch. Some types, such as coenzyme Q-10, protects our skin from the molecular level by shielding it from free radicals and by reducing collagen degradation that can otherwise make us look older than we really are. It can also reduce photo-aging damage.
As An Anti-Aging Ingredient
While wrinkles are a natural part of the aging process, they can manifest before their time if your skin is stressed beyond normal levels or undergoes severe oxidative stress. This can happen if you stay out on the sun too long or work in harsh conditions for prolonged periods of time.
Antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, are particularly beneficial in this regard. Vitamin C is known for helping reduce melanin production and vitamin E for decreasing UV hyper-pigmentation. If both ingredients are present in a skincare product, the results are magnified.
As A Skin Brightening Agent
Antioxidants can make skin look younger by triggering its natural glow and by evening out our skin’s tone. Some such as vitamin C, prevent free radical damage and promotes collagen synthesis which offers the same benefits.
This vital vitamin also inhibits melanin production which can lighten hyper-pigmentation and brown spots which can otherwise make skin look motley and dull.
Not all products that contain antioxidants are created equal. Formulating ones that can provide the benefits they promise can be a challenge, but doable. These ingredients should have high anti-oxidative capabilities and should be stable enough not to degrade with time and when the product is applied to the skin. Additionally, these should also be in high enough concentrations in the product and stable enough to keep degradation at bay and remain biologically active in the skin.
Which Antioxidants Are The Best?
Despite the endless number of antioxidants that are used in skincare, two, backed by research, stand out head and shoulders above the rest.
Vitamin E
Often listed as tocopherol, vitamin E is a fat-soluble ingredient that can last longer on the skin than its synthetic counterparts. Besides protecting the skin against UV light exposure, it also works well with vitamin C to help with signs of ageing.
Vitamin C
Often listed as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant that is known particularly for its ability to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. It can also tone out uneven skin and make it look fresh and young. Similar to vitamin E, this ingredient is also soluble and can remain on the skin long enough to rejuvenate it. Vitamin C is also known to calm and hydrate inflammatory skin without worsening the condition and create a shield around it that can protect it against daily stressors.
Speisialtóir, Vitamin C & E Serum from Efani Co.
While both vitamin C and E are beneficial for the skin, your skin will benefit from the results they offer faster if they are used in targeted forms such as via serums. This is where Efani Co.'s Speisialtóir, Vitamin C & E Serum comes into the picture.
As a potent antioxidant serum, Speisialtóir contains high enough concentration of Vitamin C and E, backed by a patented formulation that ensure penetration and stability of the product. By assisting in stimulating the production of collagen and fighting against free radical damages, the specially formulated serum can help enhance the texture as well as the tone of your skin to make it look firm and fresh at the same time.
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• <h3>ACTION & RESULTS</h3><h5>The fight over whether to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been going since the middle of the last century. Environment America has been a part of the broad bi-partisan coalition fighting to protect the Arctic Refuge, engaging our nationwide membership on the issue since the early 1990s.</h5>
An irresponsible drive to drill in one of the last wild places
The coastal plain of the refuge is variously described as the “biological heart” of the Refuge and “America’s Serengeti,” due to the dizzying array of wildlife living and migrating there. From millions of migratory birds traveling from all 50 states and six continents, to the more than 200,000-strong Porcupine caribou herd (named after the Porcupine River), to polar bears, wolves, muskoxen, arctic foxes, wolverines, brown bears, golden eagles, tundra swans and snowy owls, the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge is vital habitat for dozens of species.
Seeing the caribou move across the tundra can be an overwhelming experience. Author Terry Tempest Williams recounts in Orion Magazine watching the caribou on her trip to the refuge. “Heads, antlers, backs, tails, legs, hooves, one caribou merges into another... it is an endless stream of animals walking across the tundra.”
Ken Madsen
The Arctic Refuge has qualities that simply can’t be replaced — a wildness and a vibrancy that is at once old and yet always new. It has old stillness and new life. In "Arctic Refuge: A Circle of Testimony," author Stephen Trimble argues eloquently why the Arctic Refuge should be allowed to fulfill the grand ambitions of The Wilderness Act of 1964. "Our bargain is this: we leave the Refuge alone, we leave the Porcupine Caribou to their calving, the Beaufort Sea polar bears to their denning. We protect this place. And, in turn, we lead lives less impoverished. We fall asleep knowing wilderness has a shelter, and at least one place remains where the ancestral richness of life survives."
The Arctic Refuge coastal plain may well be “America’s Serengeti,” but it may also sit on top of underground reservoirs of oil (and then again, it may not). Sadly, our society’s voracious appetite for oil imperils the entire immense wilderness landscape and the vast network of wildlife that depends on it.
Viktor Loki via
Irrational and pointless
With today’s clean energy advancements, the idea of threatening polar bears, caribou and the native Gwich’in people that depend on the caribou, and all the countless other species that call the refuge home for more oil feels both antiquated and foolhardy.
We live in a time of unprecedented expansion of clean energy. The clean energy revolution is already in full swing, with each of the last five years seeing the biggest additions to our national electric generating capacity coming from wind and solar. Combine that with the breakthroughs in battery technology and electric cars, and it is clear that the way we power our economy will continue to rely less each year on fossil fuels.
Some places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge have always been too special to ruin, and should be left in their natural pristine state. Against the backdrop of expanding clean energy technologies, oil exploration and drilling in this wildlife refuge becomes irrational and pointless.
The current threat to the Arctic Refuge
Environment America acts as a watchdog in Washington, D.C., keeping an eye on any legislation or policy that threatens the special places Americans love. Right now our public lands team is actively engaged with a broad coalition focused on protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
In 2015, President Obama declared the Arctic Refuge “an incredible place, pristine, undisturbed, [supporting] caribou, and polar bears, all manner of marine life, countless species of birds and fish, and for centuries has supported many Alaska native communities,” and for the first time made it the official position of the Department of the Interior to manage the coastal plain as wilderness, and to ask Congress to designate it as such.
In December of 2017, Congress passed and President Trump signed a massive overhaul of our nation’s tax code. Tucked into the bill was a provisionthat requires the Department of the Interior to offer at least two lease sales for oil and gas development in the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge. This reversed decades of protection. In January 2021, the first lease sale was held and leases to 9 tracts of land were awarded.
On January 20, 2021 President Biden issued a temporary moratorium on all leasing activity in the refuge. The lease-holders still hold the leases but no additional permits will be issued for now.
If allowed to move forward, drilling would be devastating. Heavy seismic equipment would scar the landscape for decades and could crush polar dens before drilling even begins. Drilling itself comes with more equipment and heavy vehicles dragged over the tundra and pipelines crossing the calving ground.
How can we protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
How can we protect this amazing place before it’s too late?
RIGHT NOW: Environment America joined the Gwich’in Steering Committee and other environmental groups to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration to block oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Refuge. This lawsuit is still in progress and a favorable ruling could stop the current leases from moving forward.
Congress must pass and the president must sign a new tax bill removing the lease sale requirement passed in 2017.
IN THE MONTHS TO COME: We’re calling on Congress to designate the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a wilderness area, putting it off limits to drilling forever. To make that happen, we need to win enough hearts and minds to the premise that there are just some places too spectacular and special to ruin for oil.
Florian Schulz
A place of enduring beauty
We, along with millions of other Americans, believe the enduring beauty, history and culture of places like the Arctic Refuge are worth far more than the short-term value of any oil or gas we can extract from them. Acting as if the opposite is true is the definition of shortsightedness. Protecting special places like America’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge will require us to act decisively and boldly.
Our success also depends on gaining support that transcends the partisan divide. Fortunately, this is a cause that can unite hunters and hikers, anglers and bird-watchers, native tribes and small businesses, and academics and faith leaders.
You can help
Tell the Senate to restore protections to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge |
Niels Bohr Explained
Niels Bohr
Birth Name:Niels Henrik David Bohr
Birth Date:1885 10, df=y
Birth Place:Copenhagen, Denmark
Death Place:Copenhagen, Denmark
Children:Aage, Ernest, four other sons
Thesis Title:Studies on the Electron Theory of Metals
Thesis Url:
Thesis Year:1911
Signature:Niels Bohr Signature.svg
Niels Henrik David Bohr (in Danish ˈne̝ls ˈpoɐ̯ˀ/; 7 October 1885 – 18 November 1962) was a Danish physicist who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum theory, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922. Bohr was also a philosopher and a promoter of scientific research.
Early years
Bohr was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 7 October 1885, the second of three children of Christian Bohr,[1] a professor of physiology at the University of Copenhagen, and Ellen Bohr (née Adler), who was the daughter of David B. Adler from the wealthy Danish Jewish Adler banking family. He had an elder sister, Jenny, and a younger brother Harald. Jenny became a teacher, while Harald became a mathematician and footballer who played for the Danish national team at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. Niels was a passionate footballer as well, and the two brothers played several matches for the Copenhagen-based Akademisk Boldklub (Academic Football Club), with Niels as goalkeeper.[2]
Bohr was educated at Gammelholm Latin School, starting when he was seven.[3] In 1903, Bohr enrolled as an undergraduate at Copenhagen University. His major was physics, which he studied under Professor Christian Christiansen, the university's only professor of physics at that time. He also studied astronomy and mathematics under Professor Thorvald Thiele, and philosophy under Professor Harald Høffding, a friend of his father.[4]
In 1910, Bohr met Margrethe Nørlund, the sister of the mathematician Niels Erik Nørlund. Bohr resigned his membership in the Church of Denmark on 16 April 1912, and he and Margrethe were married in a civil ceremony at the town hall in Slagelse on 1 August. Years later, his brother Harald similarly left the church before getting married. Bohr and Margrethe had six sons. The oldest, Christian, died in a boating accident in 1934, and another, Harald, died from childhood meningitis. Aage Bohr became a successful physicist, and in 1975 was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics, like his father. became a physician;, a chemical engineer; and Ernest, a lawyer.[6] Like his uncle Harald, Ernest Bohr became an Olympic athlete, playing field hockey for Denmark at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.[7]
Bohr model
See main article: Bohr model. In September 1911, Bohr, supported by a fellowship from the Carlsberg Foundation, travelled to England. At the time, it was where most of the theoretical work on the structure of atoms and molecules was being done. He met J. J. Thomson of the Cavendish Laboratory and Trinity College, Cambridge. He attended lectures on electromagnetism given by James Jeans and Joseph Larmor, and did some research on cathode rays, but failed to impress Thomson. He had more success with younger physicists like the Australian William Lawrence Bragg, and New Zealand's Ernest Rutherford, whose 1911 small central nucleus Rutherford model of the atom had challenged Thomson's 1904 plum pudding model. Bohr received an invitation from Rutherford to conduct post-doctoral work at Victoria University of Manchester, where Bohr met George de Hevesy and Charles Galton Darwin (whom Bohr referred to as "the grandson of the real Darwin").
Bohr returned to Denmark in July 1912 for his wedding, and travelled around England and Scotland on his honeymoon. On his return, he became a privatdocent at the University of Copenhagen, giving lectures on thermodynamics. Martin Knudsen put Bohr's name forward for a docent, which was approved in July 1913, and Bohr then began teaching medical students. His three papers, which later became famous as "the trilogy", were published in Philosophical Magazine in July, September and November of that year.[8] [9] [10] He adapted Rutherford's nuclear structure to Max Planck's quantum theory and so created his Bohr model of the atom.
Planetary models of atoms were not new, but Bohr's treatment was. Taking the 1912 paper by Darwin on the role of electrons in the interaction of alpha particles with a nucleus as his starting point,[11] [12] he advanced the theory of electrons travelling in orbits around the atom's nucleus, with the chemical properties of each element being largely determined by the number of electrons in the outer orbits of its atoms. He introduced the idea that an electron could drop from a higher-energy orbit to a lower one, in the process emitting a quantum of discrete energy. This became a basis for what is now known as the old quantum theory.
where λ is the wavelength of the absorbed or emitted light and RH is the Rydberg constant. Balmer's formula was corroborated by the discovery of additional spectral lines, but for thirty years, no one could explain why it worked. In the first paper of his trilogy, Bohr was able to derive it from his model:
The model's first hurdle was the Pickering series, lines which did not fit Balmer's formula. When challenged on this by Alfred Fowler, Bohr replied that they were caused by ionised helium, helium atoms with only one electron. The Bohr model was found to work for such ions. Many older physicists, like Thomson, Rayleigh and Hendrik Lorentz, did not like the trilogy, but the younger generation, including Rutherford, David Hilbert, Albert Einstein, Enrico Fermi, Max Born and Arnold Sommerfeld saw it as a breakthrough. The trilogy's acceptance was entirely due to its ability to explain phenomena which stymied other models, and to predict results that were subsequently verified by experiments.[13] Today, the Bohr model of the atom has been superseded, but is still the best known model of the atom, as it often appears in high school physics and chemistry texts.
Institute of Physics
In April 1917 Bohr began a campaign to establish an Institute of Theoretical Physics. He gained the support of the Danish government and the Carlsberg Foundation, and sizeable contributions were also made by industry and private donors, many of them Jewish. Legislation establishing the institute was passed in November 1918. Now known as the Niels Bohr Institute, it opened on 3 March 1921, with Bohr as its director. His family moved into an apartment on the first floor.[14] Bohr's institute served as a focal point for researchers into quantum mechanics and related subjects in the 1920s and 1930s, when most of the world's best known theoretical physicists spent some time in his company. Early arrivals included Hans Kramers from the Netherlands, Oskar Klein from Sweden, George de Hevesy from Hungary, Wojciech Rubinowicz from Poland and Svein Rosseland from Norway. Bohr became widely appreciated as their congenial host and eminent colleague. Klein and Rosseland produced the institute's first publication even before it opened.
The Bohr model worked well for hydrogen and ionized single electron Helium which impressed Einstein,[15] [16] but could not explain more complex elements. By 1919, Bohr was moving away from the idea that electrons orbited the nucleus and developed heuristics to describe them. The rare-earth elements posed a particular classification problem for chemists, because they were so chemically similar. An important development came in 1924 with Wolfgang Pauli's discovery of the Pauli exclusion principle, which put Bohr's models on a firm theoretical footing. Bohr was then able to declare that the as-yet-undiscovered element 72 was not a rare-earth element, but an element with chemical properties similar to those of zirconium. (Elements had been predicted and discovered since 1871 by chemical properties [17]) and Bohr was immediately challenged by the French chemist Georges Urbain, who claimed to have discovered a rare-earth element 72, which he called "celtium". At the Institute in Copenhagen, Dirk Coster and George de Hevesy took up the challenge of proving Bohr right and Urbain wrong. Starting with a clear idea of the chemical properties of the unknown element greatly simplified the search process. They went through samples from Copenhagen's Museum of Mineralogy looking for a zirconium-like element and soon found it. The element, which they named hafnium (Hafnia being the Latin name for Copenhagen) turned out to be more common than gold.
Quantum mechanics
When Kramers left the institute in 1926 to take up a chair as professor of theoretical physics at the Utrecht University, Bohr arranged for Heisenberg to return and take Kramers's place as a lektor at the University of Copenhagen. Heisenberg worked in Copenhagen as a university lecturer and assistant to Bohr from 1926 to 1927.
Bohr became convinced that light behaved like both waves and particles and, in 1927, experiments confirmed the de Broglie hypothesis that matter (like electrons) also behaved like waves. He conceived the philosophical principle of complementarity: that items could have apparently mutually exclusive properties, such as being a wave or a stream of particles, depending on the experimental framework. He felt that it was not fully understood by professional philosophers.
In Copenhagen in 1927 Heisenberg developed his uncertainty principle. In a paper presented at the Volta Conference at Como in September 1927, Bohr demonstrated that the uncertainty principle could be derived from classical arguments, without quantum terminology or matrices. Einstein preferred the determinism of classical physics over the probabilistic new quantum physics to which he himself had contributed. Philosophical issues that arose from the novel aspects of quantum mechanics became widely celebrated subjects of discussion. Einstein and Bohr had good-natured arguments over such issues throughout their lives.
In 1914 Carl Jacobsen, the heir to Carlsberg breweries, bequeathed his mansion to be used for life by the Dane who had made the most prominent contribution to science, literature or the arts, as an honorary residence (Danish: Æresbolig|links=no). Harald Høffding had been the first occupant, and upon his death in July 1931, the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters gave Bohr occupancy. He and his family moved there in 1932. He was elected president of the Academy on 17 March 1939.
The discovery of nuclear fission by Otto Hahn in December 1938 (and its theoretical explanation by Lise Meitner) generated intense interest among physicists. Bohr brought the news to the United States where he opened the Fifth Washington Conference on Theoretical Physics with Fermi on 26 January 1939. When Bohr told George Placzek that this resolved all the mysteries of transuranic elements, Placzek told him that one remained: the neutron capture energies of uranium did not match those of its decay. Bohr thought about it for a few minutes and then announced to Placzek, Léon Rosenfeld and John Wheeler that "I have understood everything." Based on his liquid drop model of the nucleus, Bohr concluded that it was the uranium-235 isotope and not the more abundant uranium-238 that was primarily responsible for fission with thermal neutrons. In April 1940, John R. Dunning demonstrated that Bohr was correct. In the meantime, Bohr and Wheeler developed a theoretical treatment which they published in a September 1939 paper on "The Mechanism of Nuclear Fission".[20]
Heisenberg said of Bohr that he was "primarily a philosopher, not a physicist". Bohr read the 19th-century Danish Christian existentialist philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard. Richard Rhodes argued in The Making of the Atomic Bomb that Bohr was influenced by Kierkegaard through Høffding. In 1909, Bohr sent his brother Kierkegaard's Stages on Life's Way as a birthday gift. In the enclosed letter, Bohr wrote, "It is the only thing I have to send home; but I do not believe that it would be very easy to find anything better ... I even think it is one of the most delightful things I have ever read." Bohr enjoyed Kierkegaard's language and literary style, but mentioned that he had some disagreement with Kierkegaard's philosophy. Some of Bohr's biographers suggested that this disagreement stemmed from Kierkegaard's advocacy of Christianity, while Bohr was an atheist.[21] [22]
There has been some dispute over the extent to which Kierkegaard influenced Bohr's philosophy and science. David Favrholdt argued that Kierkegaard had minimal influence over Bohr's work, taking Bohr's statement about disagreeing with Kierkegaard at face value, while Jan Faye argued that one can disagree with the content of a theory while accepting its general premises and structure.
Quantum Physics
Regarding the nature of physics and quantum mechanics Bohr opined that:
"There is no quantum world. This is only an abstract physical description. It is wrong to think that the task of physics is to find out how nature is. Physics concerns what we can say about nature".
There has been much subsequent debate and discussion about Bohr's views and philosophy of quantum mechanics. Numerous scholars have argued that the philosophy of Immanuel Kant had a strong influence on Bohr. Like Kant, Bohr thought distinguishing between the subject's experience and the object was an important condition for attaining knowledge. This can only be done through the use of causal and spatial-temporal concepts to describe the subject's experience.[23] Thus, according to Jan Faye, Bohr thought that it is because of "classical" concepts like "space", "position", "time," "causation", and "momentum" that one can talk about objects and their objective existence. Bohr held that basic concepts like "time" are built in to our ordinary language and that the concepts of classical physics are merely a refinement of them. Therefore, for Bohr, we need to use classical concepts to describe experiments that deal with the quantum world. Bohr writes:
It is decisive to recognize that, however far the phenomena transcend the scope of classical physical explanation, the account of all evidence must be expressed in classical terms. The argument is simply that by the word ‘experiment’ we refer to a situation where we can tell to others what we have done and what we have learned and that, therefore, the account of the experimental arrangement and of the results of the observations must be expressed in unambiguous language with suitable application of the terminology of classical physics (APHK, p. 39).
According to Faye, there are various explanations for why Bohr believed that classical concepts were necessary for describing quantum phenomena. Faye groups explanations into five frameworks: empiricism (i.e. logical positivism), Kantianism (or Neo-Kantian models of epistemology in which classical ideas are a priori concepts that the mind imposes on sense impressions), Pragmatism (which focus on how human beings experientially interact with atomic systems according to their needs and interests), Darwinianism (i.e. we are adapted to use classical type concepts, Leon Rosenfelt said that we evolved to use these concepts), and Experimentalism (which focuses strictly on the function and outcome of experiments which thus must be described classically). These explanations are not mutually exclusive, and at times Bohr seems to emphasize some of these aspects while at other times he focuses on other elements.
Regarding his ontological interpretation of the quantum world, Bohr has been seen as an anti-realist, an instrumentalist, a phenomenological realist or some other kind of realist. Furthermore, though some have seen Bohr as being a subjectivist or a positivist, most philosophers agree that this is a misunderstanding of Bohr as he never argued for verificationism or for the idea that the subject had a direct impact on the outcome of a measurement.
According to Faye "Bohr thought of the atom as real. Atoms are neither heuristic nor logical constructions." However, according to Faye, he did not believe "that the quantum mechanical formalism was true in the sense that it gave us a literal (‘pictorial’) rather than a symbolic representation of the quantum world." Therefore, Bohr's theory of complementarity "is first and foremost a semantic and epistemological reading of quantum mechanics that carries certain ontological implications." As Faye explains, Bohr's indefinability thesis is that
Faye notes that Bohr's interpretation makes no reference to a "collapse of the wave function during measurements" (and indeed, he never mentioned this idea). Instead, Bohr "accepted the Born statistical interpretation because he believed that the ψ-function has only a symbolic meaning and does not represent anything real." Since for Bohr, the ψ-function is not a literal pictorial representation of reality, there can be no real collapse of the wavefunction.
A much debated point in recent literature is what Bohr believed about atoms and their reality and whether they are something else than what they seem to be. Some like Henry Folse argue that Bohr saw a distinction between observed phenomena and a transcendental reality. Jan Faye disagrees with this position and holds that for Bohr, the quantum formalism and complementarity was the only thing we could say about the quantum world and that "there is no further evidence in Bohr’s writings indicating that Bohr would attribute intrinsic and measurement-independent state properties to atomic objects (though quite unintelligible and inaccessible to us) in addition to the classical ones being manifested in measurement."
Nazism and Second World War
In April 1940, early in the Second World War, Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Denmark. To prevent the Germans from discovering Max von Laue's and James Franck's gold Nobel medals, Bohr had de Hevesy dissolve them in aqua regia. In this form, they were stored on a shelf at the Institute until after the war, when the gold was precipitated and the medals re-struck by the Nobel Foundation. Bohr's own medal had been donated to an auction to the Fund for Finnish Relief, and was auctioned off in March 1940, along with the medal of August Krogh. The buyer later donated the two medals to the Danish Historical Museum in Frederiksborg Castle, where they are still kept.[24]
Meeting with Heisenberg
Bohr was aware of the possibility of using uranium-235 to construct an atomic bomb, referring to it in lectures in Britain and Denmark shortly before and after the war started, but he did not believe that it was technically feasible to extract a sufficient quantity of uranium-235. In September 1941, Heisenberg, who had become head of the German nuclear energy project, visited Bohr in Copenhagen. During this meeting the two men took a private moment outside, the content of which has caused much speculation, as both gave differing accounts.According to Heisenberg, he began to address nuclear energy, morality and the war, to which Bohr seems to have reacted by terminating the conversation abruptly while not giving Heisenberg hints about his own opinions. Ivan Supek, one of Heisenberg's students and friends, claimed that the main subject of the meeting was Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, who had proposed trying to persuade Bohr to mediate peace between Britain and Germany.[25]
In 1957, Heisenberg wrote to Robert Jungk, who was then working on the book . Heisenberg explained that he had visited Copenhagen to communicate to Bohr the views of several German scientists, that production of a nuclear weapon was possible with great efforts, and this raised enormous responsibilities on the world's scientists on both sides.[26] When Bohr saw Jungk's depiction in the Danish translation of the book, he drafted (but never sent) a letter to Heisenberg, stating that he never understood the purpose of Heisenberg's visit, was shocked by Heisenberg's opinion that Germany would win the war, and that atomic weapons could be decisive.[27]
Michael Frayn's 1998 play Copenhagen explores what might have happened at the 1941 meeting between Heisenberg and Bohr.[28] A BBC television film version of the play was first screened on 26 September 2002, with Stephen Rea as Bohr, and Daniel Craig as Heisenberg. The same meeting had previously been dramatised by the BBC's Horizon science documentary series in 1992, with Anthony Bate as Bohr, and Philip Anthony as Heisenberg.[29] The meeting is also dramatized in the Norwegian/Danish/British miniseries The Heavy Water War.[30]
Manhattan Project
Bohr was warmly received by James Chadwick and Sir John Anderson, but for security reasons Bohr was kept out of sight. He was given an apartment at St James's Palace and an office with the British Tube Alloys nuclear weapons development team. Bohr was astonished at the amount of progress that had been made. Chadwick arranged for Bohr to visit the United States as a Tube Alloys consultant, with Aage as his assistant. On 8 December 1943, Bohr arrived in Washington, D.C., where he met with the director of the Manhattan Project, Brigadier General Leslie R. Groves, Jr. He visited Einstein and Pauli at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, and went to Los Alamos in New Mexico, where the nuclear weapons were being designed. For security reasons, he went under the name of "Nicholas Baker" in the United States, while Aage became "James Baker". In May 1944 the Danish resistance newspaper De frie Danske reported that they had learned that 'the famous son of Denmark Professor Niels Bohr' in October the previous year had fled his country via Sweden to London and from there travelled to Moscow from where he could be assumed to support the war effort.[31]
Bohr did not remain at Los Alamos, but paid a series of extended visits over the course of the next two years. Robert Oppenheimer credited Bohr with acting "as a scientific father figure to the younger men", most notably Richard Feynman. Bohr is quoted as saying, "They didn't need my help in making the atom bomb." Oppenheimer gave Bohr credit for an important contribution to the work on modulated neutron initiators. "This device remained a stubborn puzzle," Oppenheimer noted, "but in early February 1945 Niels Bohr clarified what had to be done."
In June 1950, Bohr addressed an "Open Letter" to the United Nations calling for international cooperation on nuclear energy.[32] In the 1950s, after the Soviet Union's first nuclear weapon test, the International Atomic Energy Agency was created along the lines of Bohr's suggestion. In 1957 he received the first ever Atoms for Peace Award.[33]
Later years
With the war now ended, Bohr returned to Copenhagen on 25 August 1945, and was re-elected President of the Royal Danish Academy of Arts and Sciences on 21 September. At a memorial meeting of the Academy on 17 October 1947 for King Christian X, who had died in April, the new king, Frederick IX, announced that he was conferring the Order of the Elephant on Bohr. This award was normally awarded only to royalty and heads of state, but the king said that it honoured not just Bohr personally, but Danish science. Bohr designed his own coat of arms which featured a taijitu (symbol of yin and yang) and a motto in Latin: contraria sunt complementa|links=no, "opposites are complementary".[34]
Bohr died of heart failure at his home in Carlsberg on 18 November 1962.[36] He was cremated, and his ashes were buried in the family plot in the Assistens Cemetery in the Nørrebro section of Copenhagen, along with those of his parents, his brother Harald, and his son Christian. Years later, his wife's ashes were also interred there. On 7 October 1965, on what would have been his 80th birthday, the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of Copenhagen was officially renamed to what it had been called unofficially for many years: the Niels Bohr Institute.[37] [38]
See also: List of things named after Niels Bohr. Bohr received numerous honours and accolades. In addition to the Nobel Prize, he received the Hughes Medal in 1921, the Matteucci Medal in 1923, the Franklin Medal in 1926,[39] the Copley Medal in 1938, the Order of the Elephant in 1947, the Atoms for Peace Award in 1957 and the Sonning Prize in 1961. He became foreign member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1923,[40] and of the Royal Society in 1926.[41] The Bohr model's semicentennial was commemorated in Denmark on 21 November 1963 with a postage stamp depicting Bohr, the hydrogen atom and the formula for the difference of any two hydrogen energy levels:
. Several other countries have also issued postage stamps depicting Bohr. In 1997, the Danish National Bank began circulating the 500-krone banknote with the portrait of Bohr smoking a pipe.[42] An asteroid, 3948 Bohr, was named after him,[43] as was the Bohr lunar crater and bohrium, the chemical element with atomic number 107.[44]
Further reading
External links
Notes and References
1. Book: . Politiets Registerblade . Register cards of the Police . Copenhagen . Københavns Stadsarkiv . Station Dødeblade (indeholder afdøde i perioden). Filmrulle 0002. Registerblad 3341 . 7 June 1892 . ID 3308989 . da . dead. . 29 November 2014.
2. There is no truth in the oft-repeated claim that Bohr emulated his brother, Harald, by playing for the Danish national team. News: Dart . James . 27 July 2005 . Bohr's footballing career . The Guardian . London . 26 June 2011.
3. Web site: Niels Bohr's school years . Niels Bohr Institute . 14 February 2013 . 18 May 2012 .
4. Web site: Life as a Student . Niels Bohr Institute . 14 February 2013 . 16 July 2012 .
5. Encyclopedia: Niels Bohr Danish physicist. Encyclopedia Britannica. 25 August 2017.
6. Web site: Niels Bohr – Biography. 10 November 2011.
7. Web site: Ernest Bohr Biography and Olympic Results – Olympics . . dead . 18 April 2020 . . 12 February 2013.
8. Niels . Bohr . On the Constitution of Atoms and Molecules, Part I . . 1913 . 26 . 1–24 . 10.1080/14786441308634955. 151 . 1913PMag...26....1B.
9. Niels . Bohr . On the Constitution of Atoms and Molecules, Part II Systems Containing Only a Single Nucleus . . 1913 . 26 . 476–502 . 10.1080/14786441308634993 . 153 . 1913PMag...26..476B.
10. Niels . Bohr . On the Constitution of Atoms and Molecules, Part III Systems containing several nuclei. . 1913 . 26 . 857–875. 155. 10.1080/14786441308635031. 1913PMag...26..857B .
11. Darwin. Charles Galton. A theory of the absorption and scattering of the alpha rays. . 23. 138. 1912. 901–920. 1941-5982. 10.1080/14786440608637291.
12. Book: Arabatzis, Theodore . Representing Electrons: A Biographical Approach to Theoretical Entities. 2006. University of Chicago Press. 978-0-226-02420-2. 118.
13. Web site: Forecasting – Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future!. Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.
14. Web site: History of the institute: The establishment of an institute . Niels Bohr Institute . Aaserud . Finn . . 5 April 2008 . 11 May 2008. January 1921 .
15. From Bohr’s Atom to Electron Waves
16. The Age of Entanglement, Louisa Gilder, p.799, 2008.
17. See Periodic Table and History of the periodic table showing elements predicted by chemical properties since Mendeleev.
18. Bohr . N. . H. A. . Kramers . Hans Kramers . Slater . J. C. . John C. Slater . Philosophical Magazine . 10.1080/14786442408565262 . The Quantum Theory of Radiation . 6 . 76 . 287 . 1924 . 18 February 2013 . 785–802 . dead. . 22 May 2013 .
19. Transmutations of Atomic Nuclei . Bohr . Niels . . 20 August 1937 . 86 . 2225 . 161–165 . 10.1126/science.86.2225.161 . 1937Sci....86..161B . 17751630.
20. Bohr . Niels . Wheeler . John Archibald . John Archibald Wheeler . The Mechanism of Nuclear Fission . . 56 . 5 . 426–450 . September 1939 . 10.1103/PhysRev.56.426. 1939PhRv...56..426B . free .
23. Faye, Jan, "Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2019 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = .
24. Web site: A unique gold medal . . 6 October 2019.
25. Web site: Portal . 19 March 2006 . Moj život s nobelovcima 20. stoljeća . My Life with the 20th century Nobel Prizewinners . . hr . 13 August 2007 . Croatian: Istinu sam saznao od Margrethe, Bohrove supruge. ... Ni Heisenberg ni Bohr nisu bili glavni junaci toga susreta nego Carl Friedrich von Weizsaecker. ... Von Weizsaeckerova ideja, za koju mislim da je bila zamisao njegova oca koji je bio Ribbentropov zamjenik, bila je nagovoriti Nielsa Bohra da posreduje za mir između Velike Britanije i Njemačke. [I learned the truth from Margrethe, Bohr's wife. ... Neither Bohr nor Heisenberg were the main characters of this encounter, but Carl Friedrich von Weizsaecker. Von Weizsaecker's idea, which I think was the brainchild of [[Ernst von Weizsäcker|his father]] who was Ribbentrop's deputy, was to persuade Niels Bohr to mediate for peace between Great Britain and Germany.] . 28 June 2009 .,3,19,supek_intervju,17440.jl?artpg=1 . dead . An interview with Ivan Supek relating to the 1941 Bohr – Heisenberg meeting.
26. Web site: Letter From Werner Heisenberg to Author Robert Jungk . 21 December 2006 . Heisenberg . Werner . Werner Heisenberg . The Manhattan Project Heritage Preservation Association, Inc. . . 17 October 2006.
27. Web site: Release of documents relating to 1941 Bohr-Heisenberg meeting . 4 June 2007 . . 17 February 2017. Aaserud . Finn . 6 February 2002 . Niels Bohr Archive.
28. Web site: Copenhagen – Michael Frayn . The Complete Review . 27 February 2013 .
29. Horizon: Hitler's Bomb, BBC Two, 24 February 1992
30. Web site: The Saboteurs – Episode Guide . Channel 4 . 3 March 2017 .
31. News: Professor Bohr ankommet til Moskva . Professor Bohr arrived in Moscow . . May 1944 . 7 . 18 November 2014 . da.
32. Bohr . Niels . 9 June 1950 . To the United Nations (open letter) . Impact of Science on Society . I . 2 . 68 . 12 June 2012.
• Bohr . Niels . July 1950 . 213–219 . For An Open World . Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists . 6 . 7 . 26 June 2011. 10.1080/00963402.1950.11461268 . 1950BuAtS...6g.213B .
33. Web site: Guide to Atoms for Peace Awards Records . Elizabeth . Craig-McCormack . . 28 February 2013 . . 11 March 2010 . dead .
34. Web site: Bohr crest . University of Copenhagen . 17 October 1947 . 9 September 2019 . . 2 May 2019.
35. Weisskopf. Victor. Tribute to Niels Bohr. CERN Courier. July 1963. 2. 11. 89.
36. Niels Bohr. CERN Courier. November 1962. 2. 11. 10.
37. Web site: History of the Niels Bohr Institute from 1921 to 1965 . Niels Bohr Institute . 28 February 2013 . . 8 June 2003 . dead .
38. Reinhard. Stock. Niels Bohr and the 20th century. CERN Courier. October 1998. 38. 7. 19.
39. Web site: Niels Bohr – The Franklin Institute Awards – Laureate Database . . 21 October 2013 .
40. Web site: N. H. D. Bohr (1885–1962) . Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences . 21 July 2015.
41. Cockcroft . J. D. . John Cockcroft. 10.1098/rsbm.1963.0002. Niels Henrik David Bohr. 1885–1962 . . 9 . 10 . 36–53 . 1963. free .
42. Web site: 500-krone banknote, 1997 series . Danmarks Nationalbank . 7 September 2010 . dead. . 25 August 2010 .
43. Lightcurve Analysis of 3948 Bohr and 4874 Burke: An International Collaboration . 28 February 2013 . Minor Planet Bulletin . 40 . 1 . January–March 2013 . 15 . Klinglesmith . Daniel A., III . Risley . Ethan . Turk . Janek . Vargas . Angelica . 2013MPBu...40...15K . Warren . Curtis . Ferrero . Andera . dead. . 3 June 2013 .
44. 10.1351/pac199769122471. Names and symbols of transfermium elements (IUPAC Recommendations 1997). 1997. Pure and Applied Chemistry. 69. 2472. 12. |
Gemunu Squadron has got its name after the heroic King Dutugamunu who ruled Sri Lanka from 161 BC to 137 BC. He became an icon of sinhala nationalism after defeating Chola King Elara and making the country united for the first time in the history.
Gajaba Squadron recieved its name after a patriotic king who ruled Sri Lanka from 114 BC to 136 BC. He invaded the Chola Kingdom and liberated 12000 Sinhalese prisoners seized in his father’s regin along with another 12000 Chola as compensation.
Perakum Squadron has gained its name after Parakramabahu the Great who is considered as one of the greatest monarchs in Sri Lanka. He united the country under his rule and introduced a massive irrigation system to the country.
Vijayaba Squadron has got its name after King Vijayaba who ruled the country for 55 years. He fought a war against Sollee and recapture Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and made Sri Lanka independent.
Mahasen Squadron has been named after King Mahasen who ruled the country from 277 to 304 AD. He is known for his yeomen service to the nation through several massive irrigation projects. |
header Notes Collection
5 Francs 1927, Belgium
in Krause book Number: 97b
Years of issue: 06.05.1927
Edition: --
Signatures: Le Gouverneur: Louis Marie François Franck, Le Tresorier: Staquet
Serie: 1926 Issue
Specimen of: 1926
Material: Unknown material
Size (mm): 124 х 74
Printer: Belgian Nationalbank, Brussels
5 Francs 1927
HM The King Albert I.
5 Francs 1927
Images of King Albert I of Belgium and his wife, Elisabeth von Wittelsbach.
Albert I (April 8, 1875 - February 17, 1934) reigned as King of the Belgians from 1909 to 1934. This was an eventful period in the History of Belgium since it included the period of World War I (1914 - 1918), when 90 percent of Belgium was overrun, occupied, and ruled by the German Empire. Other crucial issues included the adoption of the Treaty of Versailles, the ruling of the Belgian Congo as an overseas possession of the Kingdom of Belgium along with the League of Nations mandate of Ruanda-Urundi, the reconstruction of Belgium following the war, and the first five years of the Great Depression (1929 - 1934). King Albert was killed in a mountaineering accident in eastern Belgium in 1934, at the age of 58, and he was succeeded by his son Leopold.
Just before World War I, Albert complied with a British demand that he not acquiesce to a German request to move troops through Belgium in order to attack Britain's ally,[8][9] France, which Germany anticipated was about to declare war on Germany in support of Russia; Britain was one of several European Great Powers guaranteeing Belgian neutrality under an 1839 treaty. King Albert refused passage of the Kaiser's soldiers through his nation. When Germany subsequently invaded Belgium, King Albert, as prescribed by the Belgian constitution, took personal command of the Belgian army, and held the Germans off long enough for Britain and France to prepare for the Battle of the Marne (6-9 September 1914). He led his army through the Siege of Antwerp and the Battle of the Yser, when the Belgian army was driven back to a last, tiny strip of Belgian territory, near the North Sea. Here the Belgians, in collaboration with the armies of the Triple Entente, took up a war of position, in the trenches behind the River Yser, remaining there for the next four years. During this period, King Albert fought with his troops and shared their dangers, while his wife, Queen Elisabeth, worked as a nurse at the front. During his time on the front, rumors spread on both sides of the lines that the German soldiers never fired upon him out of respect for him being the highest ranked commander in harm's way, while others feared risking punishment by the Kaiser himself. The King also allowed his 14-year-old son, Prince Leopold, to enlist in the Belgian army as a private and fight in the ranks.
The war inflicted great suffering on Belgium, which was subjected to a harsh German occupation. The King, fearing the destructive results of the war for Belgium and Europe and appalled by the huge casualty rates, worked through secret diplomatic channels for a negotiated peace between Germany and the Entente based on the "no victors, no vanquished" concept. He considered that such a resolution to the conflict would best protect the interests of Belgium and the future peace and stability of Europe. Since, however, neither Germany nor the Entente were favorable to the idea, tending, instead to seek total victory, Albert's attempts to further a negotiated peace were unsuccessful. At the end of the war, as commander of the Army Group Flanders, consisting of Belgian, British and French divisions, Albert led the final offensive of the war that liberated occupied Belgium. King Albert, Queen Elisabeth, and their children then re-entered Brussels to a hero's welcome.
A passionate alpinist, King Albert I died in a mountaineering accident while climbing alone on the Roche du Vieux Bon Dieu at Marche-les-Dames, in the Ardennes region of Belgium near Namur. His death shocked the world and he was deeply mourned, both in Belgium and abroad. Because King Albert was an expert climber, some questioned the official version of his death. Nonetheless, rumors of murder have been dismissed by most historians. There are two possible explanations for his death: the first was he leaned against a boulder at the top of the mountain which became dislodged; or two, the pinnacle to which his rope was belayed had broken, causing him to fall about sixty feet.[18] King Albert is interred in the Royal Crypt at the Church of Our Lady of Laeken in Brussels.
Duchess Elisabeth in Bavaria (born Elisabeth Gabriele Valérie Marie, Duchess in Bavaria) (25 July 1876 - 23 November 1965) was Queen of the Belgians as the spouse of King Albert I. She was the mother of King Leopold III of Belgium and of Queen Marie José of Italy, and grandmother of kings Baudouin and Albert II of Belgium.
Duchess Elisabeth and Albert I
In Munich on 2 October 1900, Duchess Elisabeth married Prince Albert, second-in-line to the throne of Belgium (after his father Prince Philippe, Count of Flanders). Upon her husband's accession to the Belgian throne in 1909, Elisabeth became queen. The city of Élisabethville, today Lubumbashi, in the Congo was named in her honour.
Overprint "TRÉSOREIRIE-THESAURIE" at watermark field.
Denominations in numerals are along whole frame, centered and in top corners.
In words centered. In lower corners is an abbreviation of Belgian National Bank - "BNB".
5 Francs 1927
The sun shines on plants and factories. The river flows.
On the right side is Belgian miner, sitting on a pile of coal, looking thoughtfully at the landscape.
Near watermark field are the Miner tools - the pickaxe, hammer and a kerosene lamp.
Behind the Miner is a mine.
Top is an abbreviation of Belgian National Bank - "BNB".
Denominations in numerals and in words are along whole frame, in words centered.
In lower right corner is a box with denomination in numeral, big. On background are the Belgian coat of arms and the crown on top. |
What Is A Bitcoin?
Posted 460 Views updated 2 years ago
What Is A Bitcoin?
A Bitcoin is a form of digital currency that is not controlled by the government or any other entity. It was invented in 2009 by an entity or person operating under Satoshi Nakamoto. It is a completely anonymous system. It exists on a peer-to-peer digital forum. Consumers purchase the Bitcoins on the forum and they store them online is a Bitcoin wallet totally free from the intervention of the government.
Bitcoin promises a totally anonymous currency system that has eliminated any possibility of inflation bred by the government. The Bitcoin system is based on cryptography and complicated mathematics. Over the past year, Bitcoins' popularity has soared exponentially in a speculative market that has created a Bitcoin bubble. The supporters consist of a population of select, tech-savvy, anti-government users due to the fact there is no digital trail.
The reason Bitcoin is a crypto-currency is that its existence is only online and is therefore free of systemic manipulation by the banking system. Bitcoin mining is the process of creating Bitcoins and are entirely regulated by a network of holders of Bitcoins’ computers. All Bitcoin transactions and Bitcoin transfers happen internationally without banking fees, taxes, time delays or constrictions.
The Bitcoin Wallet
The way you store the Bitcoins you acquire is in a virtual Bitcoin wallet. These wallets are usually established through third-party sites or using computer software. Bitcoin wallets do not invest the money you have deposited in your wallet the way a bank does when they are holding your money. Since Bitcoins are free of any federal interference, the currency is not insured federally by the FDIC.
After you establish your Bitcoin wallet, you officially belong to a network where you can trade and make transactions of Bitcoins. For transfers, you just have to use the other person’s anonymous ID number. It takes several minutes to process the transfer.
Largest Known Investors In Bitcoins
The Winklevoss twins are outspoken believers in Bitcoins. They have spoken out that the reason they have chosen to use the Bitcoin currency is that they have enormous faith in the mathematical based framework free from human error and politics. These extremely wealthy twin brothers got their notoriety from making the argument that they were instrumental in the meteoric rise of Facebook. They were portrayed in the movie “The Social Network”.
Bitcoin Mining
Bitcoin mining is the first step to create Bitcoins that holders can trade. Power computers create Bitcoins using the solution of complex mathematical equations. By design, the equation is exceptionally complex and labor-intensive to limit the existing Bitcoin supply.
Bitcoin mining has a downside. It uses an extraordinary amount of energy with computers that are excessively powerful in order to solve these complex equations. It is estimated that 24 hours of Bitcoin mining equates to $147,000 of electricity use just to operate the hardware for mining.
What Can You Purchase With Bitcoins?
Almost anything you can think of can be purchased with Bitcoins. Bitcoinstore.com is a retailer that has the most online traffic. There was an online black market retailer that helped to make the Bitcoin popular known as Silk Road. Before it was taken offline, you could buy any imaginable drug-totally anonymously because the Bitcoin is untraceable.
Many retailers are beginning to accept Bitcoin as a payment method. You will more and more retailers showing the Bitcoin symbol to let people know they are accepting Bitcoins. People are using the crypto-currency to purchase everything from ordering pizza to clothing to paying bar tabs. Some hotels are also beginning to take Bitcoins for hotel stays, dining, room service, and drinks.
The Bitcoin Craze
How Big Is The Bitcoin Craze? Bitcoin surpassed a $1 billion total valuation for all existing Bitcoins on Apr. 3, 2013, an all-time high. The high valuation proved that the Bitcoin craze was in the middle of a bubble that had been growing with the ever-increasing media coverage since inception. In 2010, if you owned $100 worth of Bitcoin, the value would have increased to $72,500 only one year later. In a ‘Gawker’ article written one week later helped the value skyrocket to $250,000. On Apr. 3, 2013, that same $100 bought in 2010 was worth approximately $1 million dollars.
Is The Bitcoin Bubble Unstable?
The Bitcoin is a very volatile market as you can imagine based on the extraordinary rise in value after only a few years. On Apr. 9, 2013, it reached a new high value at over $200 for each Bitcoin. On Apr. 10, just one day later, the value dropped to $105 for each Bitcoin. The reason that the Bitcoin market is unstable is that the speculators determine the value based on its potential investment value. It is not determined by the amount of Bitcoin use or trade.
Is Bitcoins Secure?
Bitcoins that are stored in your Bitcoin wallet, should be secure because of the currencies' anonymous nature. The problem is if your wallet is hacked or if you trust a fraudulent person with a transfer, it is not possible to recover your losses or find the person who misleads you.
Can My Wallet Get Hacked?
Using a third-party Bitcoin wallet makes it unlikely to get hacked; however, there is still a risk that it can be hacked causing you to lose all of your Bitcoins. Although Bitcoin’s cryptography is declared secure because it is extremely complex, it is a public source which means hackers all over the world can try to hack it. The problem with Bitcoins is you either have to trust a third party to store your Bitcoins or you can use your own software which increases the chance of being hacked. In 2011, a Bitcoin holder went to bed with his computer on. When he woke up, his 25,000 Bitcoins were gone. There was no chance of them ever being recovered.
Will Bitcoins Fade Away?
It is illegal to create a currency that competes with the United States currency so it is not clear if using Bitcoins is level. The Bitcoin supply is intended to be scare which makes it practically impossible to use Bitcoins on an international level. It has been said that the Bitcoin cannot succeed long term because the ever-increasing value of the Bitcoin would be disastrous to the economy if millions started regularly using Bitcoins.
Bitcoin is nothing less than a roller coaster ride
Now here’s a chart of Bitcoin over the past year, using data from Coinbase, a leading Bitcoin exchange: |
Eat for Life: Increase Longevity, Reverse Disease, and Sustain Weight Loss
Textbook / Quiz/ 16.0 CEC's
Eat for Life provides the most practical, balanced, and focused way to eat, lose weight, and live longer. Emphasizing high-nutrient, whole plant foods that supply abundant amounts of micronutrients, it can broken down into a simple equation: H = N/C. Or, Health= Nutrient intake per Calorie consumed.
You will learn how to implement this science-backed nutrition-based program that prevents and even reverses most medical problems within three to six months. This is a bold claim but the science and the tens of thousands who have tried this approach back it up.
Most Americans are deficient in the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients found in plants (micronutrients), and consume too many fats, proteins, carbohydrates (macronutrients). The results of this standard diet is that we are not only shortening our lives but damaging our energy, vitality, and daily health by eating packaged and processed foods, excessive meat and dairy, and unsustainable amounts of salt and sugar. What we need is to consume foods rich in phytonutrients such as greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds. These delicious and abundant foods contain the largest assortment of micronutrients and when consumed in adequate quantities they prevent and reverse diabetes and heart-disease, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and reduce hunger and food cravings.
In this healthy eating course, you will learn the latest nutritional science, complete with recipes, menu plans, and testimonials. |
What ‘gets your goat?’
It is so interesting that in thinking about what ‘gets your goat’ which
means what really, really irritates you has been expressed in this really
unusual way.
And although I have used this phrase, I was curious to where it came
from…..there are a couple of theories, one is that goats used to be put
in with race horses to keep them calm and if there were no goats with
them they became unsettled. And theory is that because goats can be
irritable, it is connected to them and the third theory is that to ‘goat’ is
slang for ‘anger’. Regardless of where it was derived, language can be really interesting
as well as challenging to make sense of for many people.
Just yesterday I was reading a new book, which detailed all the
common ways autism can present in individuals, including have
differences in language ability and expression. (The Ice-cream Sunday
Guide to Autism by Debby Elley and Tori Houghton, 2020)
The differences can range from being non-verbal, having some
language delays, having specific language disorders such as dyslexia
as well, having exact and/or advanced encyclopaedic language skills,
to having difficulties in understanding the social use of language,
including being challenged by the many idioms that we use!
An idiom is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative,
non-literal meaning, so if you tend to think very literally you can see that
idioms are going to be a challenge.
If you think literally and in pictures and someone asks you ‘what gets
your goat?’ You could be picturing a goat, you could be confused as
you don’t own a goat and have no idea why someone would be asking
about getting a goat (from where?!)…..
And idioms are used all of the time in our day to day language and
these too can cause confusion if taken literally.
Ones like: “Hang on a minute”, “In a tick”, “Feeling blue”, “Seeing red”
“I’ve run out of steam”, and a ‘Different kettle of fish’ are just some of
the ones that are more commonly used in every day conversations that
could be quite confusing for some people.
So I’m always working on being more aware of the idioms I use and
making sure I check in to speak without using idioms (so say exactly
what I mean) and teach them the idiom if they are unfamiliar.
So check out your use of idioms in your family, have fun exploring what
kind of pictures come into the minds of the children and teens your
know and be sure to take some time to explore and explain the ones
that you commonly- so that there is no confusion!
Published by Kate French
Clinical Psychologist; expertise in autism and child and family psychology.
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Coast Guard Comes to the Rescue
Here are some basic tips and a video or two on some water safety tips that just may save your life. The ocean, and any other body of water, should be respected on even the calmest of days.
Please read our Basic Inland Water Safety Guide first. What follows are some additional tips for ocean based water sports.
Always know the weather forescast before going out. When in doubt don't go out. Always match the beach and the day to your ability. Set goals and work towards a level of competency that "earns" you the right to be out there. You are putting others at risk when you head out so be thinking of them when you go.
"Never turn your back to the Ocean" is an age old saying that means water safety extends to the land. Whenever walking on any water's edge location be aware the ocean can change its boundaries at any time, and in a split second. The below information is sourced from The American Red Cross and NOAA.
While you're enjoying the water, keep alert and check the local weather conditions. Make sure you swim sober and that you never swim alone. And even if you're confident in your swimming skills, make sure you have enough energy to swim back to shore.
Swimming in the ocean takes different skills, so before you get your feet wet, it's best to learn how to swim in the surf. You should also swim only at a lifeguard-protected beach, within the designated swimming area. Obey all instructions and orders from lifeguards.
Other tips to keep in mind:
Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets in and the around water. No one should use any other type of floatation device unless they are able to swim.
Don't dive headfirst—protect your neck. Check for depth and obstructions before diving, and go in feet first the first time.
Pay especially close attention to children and elderly persons when at the beach. Even in shallow water, wave action can cause a loss of footing.
Rip Tide Safety
Rip Currents
Rip currents are responsible for deaths on our nation's beaches every year, and for most of the rescues performed by lifeguards. Beachgoers should be aware of how dangerous rip currents are, and swim only at beaches with lifeguards in the designated swimming area. Rip currents can form in any large open water area, such as low spots and breaks in sandbars, or near structures such as jetties and piers.
For your safety, be aware of the danger of rip currents and remember the following:
If you are caught in a rip current, stay calm and don't fight the current.
If you feel you can't make it to the shore, draw attention to yourself by waving and calling for help.
If someone is in trouble in the water, get help from a lifeguard. If a lifeguard is not available, have someone call 9-1-1.Throw the victim something that floats – a lifejacket, cooler, inflatable ball and yell instructions on how to escape the current.
When at the beach, check conditions before entering the water. Check to see if any warning flags are up or ask a lifeguard about water conditions, beach conditions, or any potential hazards. Check out the below video for some more information on Riptides and Beach Safety.
Read more on Basic Water Safety for any body of water click here
Here are some good rules for being safe in the line up.
Surfing Safely Video Here (great video here)!
Never turn your back on the ocean |
A healthy diet is the number one form of good vitamin intake, although diet itself isn't sufficient for everyone. There are more than a dozen vitamins essential for good health.
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The 13 essential vitamins
Even healthy and fit people sometimes wonder if their body is getting enough vitamins, or if their recommended daily vitamin intake is being met. It can be difficult to be in tune with your body when there are so many moving parts, and sometimes a basic healthy diet using a variety of foods isn't enough.
Body needs vary from person to person, as do our particular diets, and vitamin supplements or dietary supplements can play an important role for bone health, the immune system, the nervous system, red blood cells and other areas supported by a balanced diet. So what are the most essential vitamins?
Vitamins are stored in a huge range of foodstuffs, although absorption uptake by the human body is not always optimal. Vitamins are an effective way to bridge the gap between your diet and your body needs. Health issues also impact vitamin uptake, and anyone using medicines or suffering health setbacks should speak to a health professional before making significant dietary changes. Here are 13 essential vitamins most people are familiar with.
1. Vitamin A
Vitamin A is important for growth and cell development. Vitamin A promotes healthy skin, nails, hair, teeth, gums, bones and glands.
1. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that assists with calcium absorption for building and maintaining strong bones and healthy teeth.
1. Vitamin E
Vitamin E maintains muscles and red blood cells. It also protects fatty acids and acts as an important antioxidant.
1. Vitamin K
A lesser known but also essential vitamin for body needs. Vitamin K can reduce blood clotting in the instance of an injury, along with general health.
1. Vitamin C
Vitamin C strengthens blood vessels, promotes healing, supports immunity, helps prevent atherosclerosis, and works as an antioxidant.
1. Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
Vitamin B1 plays a significant role in helping to maintain a healthy metabolism. Vitamin B1 also aids digestion, appetite and nerve function.
1. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Vitamin B2 is important for energy metabolism. Vitamin B2 also assists adrenal function, while supporting vision and maintaining healthy skin.
1. Niacin (Vitamin B3)
Essential vitamin B3 metabolizes energy and promotes healthy and normal growth. Niacin is also known to lower cholesterol.
1. Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)
Vitamin B5 is available in most foodstuffs. Pantothenic acid promotes better energy metabolism and improves blood sugar levels.
1. Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6)
Essential for good health, vitamin B6 promotes protein and carbohydrate metabolism. It also improves nerve function and red blood cell health.
1. Biotin (Vitamin B7)
Biotin is another lesser known essential vitamin that plays an important role in promoting and maintaining a healthy metabolism.
1. Folic Acid (Vitamin B9)
Folic acid is especially important for pregnant women. Folic acid (vitamin B9) helps make red blood cells, DNA and RNA. It is also known to help prevent birth defects.
1. Cobalamin (Vitamin B12)
Vitamin B12 is essential for making red blood cells, DNA and RNA. It also improves the function of nerve fibres.
Every vitamin has specific purposes and functions for promoting better health. Vitamins are genuine miracle foods designed to be appropriately absorbed for optimum effect. The benefits of every vitamin could be expanded upon, and here are a few important examples.
Vitamin D is fat-soluble and an important vitamin for bone health. People often note reduced depressive symptoms and improved strength when regularly taking vitamin D. Skin produces vitamin D when exposed to the sunlight, and limited sunlight can cause a vitamin D deficiency. If you don't have a lot of outdoor time in the sun, and you rarely eat fatty fish, vitamin D supplements will go a long way toward establishing better health and vitality. There are other reasons for a vitamin D deficiency also, and people most at risk of suffering from a vitamin D deficiency include:
• People with dark skin, along with their breast-fed babies
• Veiled women who see less sunlight, along with their breast-fed babies
• Those who suffer from certain serious and prevailing diseases or illnesses
• People who always wear protective clothing and use sunscreen
• Youngsters with low calcium intake who are growing rapidly
Vitamin D deficiency in winter is more common, although a healthy person will store vitamin D for use during the winter months.
Vitamin C is an essential vitamin that the body doesn't produce by itself. Vitamin C is found in fruits and vegetables, and vitamin C supplements meet the needs of many people wanting improved vitamin C uptake and associated health benefits. Here are some amazing health benefits of vitamin C.
• Is known to reduce the risk of chronic disease. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that will strengthen your body's natural defences.
• Can help manage high blood pressure. Vitamin C is known to relax blood vessels for improved heart function and lower blood pressure.
• May lower the risk of heart disease. Vitamin C in the form of healthy foods and as vitamin supplements are linked to lower rates of heart disease.
• Is known to reduce blood uric acid levels. Vitamin C can help relieve the symptoms of gout caused by a build-up of uric acid.
• Helps prevent iron deficiency. Vitamin C supplements assist other body needs, such as the absorption of iron from your diet.
• Boosts immunity. Vitamin C is involved in many immune system functions that help to protect the body against infection.
• Improves memory. Low levels of vitamin C have been linked to an impaired cognition and memory. Vitamin C supplements are known to improve brain health.
Vitamin B12 has many roles in a person's body. For starters, vitamin B12 encourages red blood cell formation, DNA synthesis and normal nerve cell function. Vitamin B12 can boost your energy, improve memory, help prevent heart disease and more. Vitamin B12 is naturally found in animal products, making B12 vitamin supplements ideal for vegans and other vegetarians. Advantages include:
• Helps with red blood cell formation and prevents anemia
• May prevent birth defects
• Supports bone health and prevents osteoporosis
• Can reduce the risk of macular degeneration
• May improve mood and reduce depressive symptoms
• Can give you a much needed energy boost
• Supports healthy hair, skin and nails
If your body lacks adequate amounts of vitamin B12, or your body is unable to absorb it, consider Amcal vitamin B12 supplements to give yourself the healthy boost you deserve.
Vitamins provide the essential nutrients your body needs. If your needs are not being met by your diet, speak to your Amcal pharmacist to discuss ways to improve your health. The role of vitamin supplements is to support appropriate vitamin levels, and vitamin dietary supplements will help your body adjust to a healthier balance.
A wide range of vitamins are absorbed through regular foodstuffs such as citrus fruits, avocado, kale, dairy products, whole grains, egg yolks, fatty fish, lentils, brown rice, wheat germ, leafy green vegetables and more. However, everyone follows a different diet these days, including family members, making an individual and targeted approach necessary to ensure everyone is enjoying a healthy diet. Shop for vitamin supplements at Amcal, and purchase with confidence.
Vitamins and minerals are considered essential nutrients that perform hundreds of roles for keeping the body healthy. Vitamins are important for many daily bodily functions including cell production, growth, and energy processing. Essential vitamins are divided into two groups: fat soluble and water soluble. Vitamins are team players that help other nutrients function better, such as the absorption of iron with vitamin C.
Everyone needs vitamins, and if you have a vitamin deficiency, you may need to take vitamin supplements. Australia is a healthy country but not everyone lives a healthy lifestyle, and there are times when vitamin supplements can provide the essential nutrients required for improved all-round health. Speak to your local Amcal chemist regarding water-soluble vitamins, fat soluble vitamins, B12 supplements and multivitamins to promote strong bones, encourage weight loss, improve red blood cell count, and support the immune system.
Water soluble vitamins are found in the watery portion of foodstuffs. Water soluble vitamins are absorbed directly into the bloodstream, and because the human body is made primarily of water, these vitamins can circulate easily. Water soluble vitamins are regulated by the kidneys, and include:
• Biotin (Vitamin B7)
• Niacin (Vitamin B3)
• Folic Acid (Vitamin B9)
• Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
• Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5)
• Thiamin (Vitamin B1)
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin C
Contrary to popular belief, some water-soluble vitamins stay in the body for a long time. However, most water-soluble vitamins should be replenished every few days. Water soluble vitamins perform many tasks in the body, such as freeing up energy in the food you eat and keeping tissues healthy. Water soluble vitamins from Amcal help in lots of ways.
Release energy: B vitamins are key components of co-enzymes that release energy from food.
Produce energy: energy is stimulated by thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin and pantothenic acid.
Protein and cell building: vitamins metabolize amino acids and help cells multiply.
Making collagen: vitamin C makes collagen that heals wounds and supports blood vessels.
Fat soluble vitamins enter the blood via lymph channels, distinguishing them from water soluble vitamins that are absorbed directly into the bloodstream. Fat soluble vitamins are released into the bloodstream from the liver when the body needs to tap into reserves. Fat soluble vitamins can be compared to time-release micro-nutrients. Examples include:
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin K
Here are some roles fat soluble vitamins play.
Build strong bones: bone formation is possible due to vitamins A, D, and K.
Protecting vision: vitamin A is known to protect vision and keep cells healthy.
Interaction: vitamin E, for example, makes it much easier for your body to store vitamin A.
Protect your body: vitamin E protects your body against the influence of unstable molecules.
Overuse of vitamin supplements can lead to toxic vitamin levels. Always follow vitamin supplement directions for safe and healthy use. Amcal partners with world-leading brands to ensure safe and healthy vitamin supplement products that you can trust, for the lowest available price. Vitamin supplements should not be used as an alternative to medicine, so speak to a health professional if you are unwell and symptoms persist for more than a few days.
There are close to 400 products in the Amcal vitamins category. Finding vitamins and supplements that are right for you is made easy with handy online search tools to refine your selections. Make choices according to category, brand, product type, person (age) and treatment type.
Category: choices include vitamins, multivitamins, supplements, minerals and probiotics.
Brand: Amcal trusted partners include Swisse, Pharmacy Care, Nutra-Life, Ostelin and Go Healthy.
Product Type: options include supplements, fibre tablets, iron tablets, glucosamine and extracts.
Person: Amcal products are personalised for adults, children, infants, men, women and teenagers.
Treatment: vitamins can help combat the flu, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and more.
Amcal is the online vitamin store Australians trust. Amcal Chemists are located in all major Australian cities and regional centres, so there is bound to be an Amcal Chemist near you. We have been the favourite pharmacy name for generations for all the right reasons, including an unbeatable range of vitamins and supplements at prices regular Australians can afford.
We make shopping easy at Amcal. Simply add products to your virtual shopping cart and proceed to checkout for convenient payment and delivery to your door. All orders over $89 (including GST) are shipped free of charge, and we offer a comprehensive returns policy to ensure you are 100% satisfied with your purchase. In addition, At Amcal you are served by a highly professional team of caring pharmacists and product experts who can assist with your vitamin choices.
All Amcal vitamin brands are pharmacy-recommended. Our vitamin products are manufactured by leading brands with a proven track record. Individual preference is important, so Amcal stocks an extensive range of vitamin supplements and essential nutrients for everyday or occasional use. Amcal brands include Centrum, Cornvita, Flordis and OstedVit-D, to name a few.
If you are unsure where to begin with vitamins, visit your local Amcal Chemist and speak to a pharmacist. Vitamins play an important role in overall health and well-being, and Amcal is here to help you make the transition to a healthier and happier you. |
image of brain lit up with orange and green color
Neural Plasticity: 4 Steps to Change Your Brain & Habits
Posted on: June 21st, 2010 by Dr Kim Dr Hil
image of brain cells synapsing Your Plastic Brain
Perhaps you have heard the notion that you can change your brain. In fact, scientists have proven that your brain is being shaped, molded and changed by your experiences every day. This is referred to as neural plasticity. Just as a plastic water bottle becomes pliable when heated, your brain is being influenced and shaped by what is happening in your life. This single scientific breakthrough has significantly altered our understanding of how to change habits, increase happiness, improve health and even change our genetics.
Neural plasticity has evolved as the study of the plastic and malleable nature of the brain. Rewiring your brain is a dynamic process that happens within the relationship of your mind, brain, and body. They are intricately interconnected as a sophisticated system to ensure your survival and homeostasis. What happens to one of these systems has a direct impact on the others.1
What does this mean for you? You can use your mind to change your brain and increase your happiness levels.
— Abraham Lincoln
According to Michael Merzenich from the book, The Brain that Changes Itself, practicing a new habit under the right conditions, can change hundreds of millions and possibly billions of the connections between the nerve cells in our neural pathways. The human brain is made up of an estimated 100 billion neurons making a total of 100 trillion neural connections. This is a lot of neural power, right at our fingertips.
Let’s look at a demonstration of neural plasticity from brain science research. When you engage in practices that increase feelings of happiness, you increase activity in your brain’s left prefrontal cortex. As you continue to feel happy, you strengthen this activity and solidify brain pathways that make it easier to replicate feelings of happiness. People who are optimistic have more activity in their left prefrontal cortex than people who are pessimistic.2 Neural plasticity has opened doors of hope for transforming mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, for changing unhealthy habits, and for increasing the potential to experience lasting happiness.
Brain plasticity appears to be the physiological basis for the possibility of transforming our minds. By mobilizing our thoughts and practicing new ways of thinking, we can reshape our nerve cells and change the way our brains work.
— Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler3
Neural Plasticity: How to Use Your Mind to Change Your Brain
Mental activity strengthens the neural pathways in your brain associated with what you focus on with your thoughts and feelings. To oversimplify this—but, nonetheless, clearly state what is happening—if you focus on happiness with your thoughts and feelings, you strengthen happiness pathways. If you focus on stress with your thoughts and feelings, you strengthen stress pathways. Every thought you think and feeling you feel, strengthens the circuitry in your brain known as your neural pathways. Neural pathways are the basis of your habits of thinking, feeling, and acting. They are what you believe to be true and why you do what you do. Donald Hebb’s landmark discovery in 1949, “neurons that fire together wire together,” best explains the process of forming, strengthening, and solidifying neural pathways.4 We experience these pathways as our patterns in important areas of our life such as relationships, food, money, career, health and happiness levels.image of nature trail as a metaphor for neural pathways
Brain Pathways
Hiking trails are similar to your brain pathways. Just as a grassy path becomes flattened, matted and worn away every time a hiker walks over it, as you focus on something with your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, you strengthen your brain pathways. Over the days, months and years a well-traveled hiking trail becomes a well-worn pathway. Compare this to a trail that is not well-traveled or perhaps a faint trail made by small animals. These trails might be noticeable to the naked eye, however their visibility pales in comparison to the trails that get higher foot traffic.
This is great news for making desired changes. As long as you know how to develop and strengthen neural pathways, you can change just about anything you want. This is also why the habits you have had for many years are the most challenging to change. They have carved the most well-worn grooves, or deepest trails, in your brain. Thus, the pathway related to getting dressed in the morning at 50 years old is much deeper and worn than the pathway you had at 8 years old.
Create New Habits
Fortunately, as you practice traveling down new pathways, you naturally weaken old pathways.5 As you think similar thoughts and feel similar feelings, you either create new habits and beliefs or solidify old ones. Eventually, through repetition and feeling intensity, your new habits run on autopilot.6 For example, if you consciously focus on exercising four times a week by reviewing your goals daily, talking to others for support, visualizing your success, getting to bed early, and meeting with a fitness trainer weekly, you rewire your new habit of exercise. However, if you don’t consciously direct your mind’s attention onto your exercise goal, you will find your strongest existing patterns of sleeping-in will run on autopilot. Existing and often undesired automatic habits drive your brain, body, and behavior. Nevertheless, over time and under the right conditions, you can change old habits and create the habit of lasting happiness.
You might be asking, if my brain is changed as easily as overheating a plastic container in the microwave, why is it so hard to stick to a goal, new diet, fitness program or stop a habit of self sabotage?
Path of Least Resistance
Most people live on autopilot most of the time. This is because our neural pathways operate under the law of least effort, or the path of least resistance. The most worn path is the strongest and easiest to travel. It’s like traveling down a super highway or Olympic mogul ski run. It allows you to conserve mental energy and respond quickly to your life experiences. This type of automatic conditioning can be seen in the body memory of professional athletes or top piano players. It can also be seen the last time you drove home from work yet didn’t recall the entire trip.
The simple truth of the matter is that most people are not aware that they are recycling yesterday’s old news. It has been said that by the time we are 35 years old, up to 90% of what we think, feel and do is recycled from our past. At first blush this can sound a bit depressing. It is true, we are creatures of habit and as such tend to take the path of least resistance whenever possible. We develop beliefs and habits of behavior pertaining to our relationships, money, career, health, driving, dressing, fitness and our bodies. We then look to confirm and validate these beliefs in our everyday experiences. Habits are helpful in the case of driving a car, mastering a work skill or learning a computer program, however they can be highly limiting when applied to our relationships, bodies or happiness levels. This is one reason why many people set the same goals each year about getting fit and eating healthy. Rest assured, change is absolutely possible, yet in order to stop recycling old habits of eating or exercising you need to understand how to rewire your brain.
As you look at forming new neural pathways you’re going to confront your existing beliefs that keep your current neural pathways in place. If we look at creating new neural pathways for feeling happier as an example, you will likely be examining beliefs that are keeping you stressed and unhappy. Beliefs play a central role in maintaining your patterns of stress or happiness.
What Are Beliefs?
Beliefs are often regarded in your mind as the truth or facts of a situation. In reality, they are thoughts you have been thinking and emotions you have been feeling over and over. They are strong opinions at best. But they aren’t necessarily right or wrong.
They are based on experiences from your past that have been validated repeatedly over the years by similar new experiences. For instance, if you grew up with parents who didn’t show much physical affection, you may have developed the belief that displaying affection in public is not how proper couples should act. As you get older and begin to date, you may notice feeling uncomfortable when your boyfriend/girlfriend tries to put an arm around you, hold your hand, or kiss in public. You may not even be sure why you feel so uncomfortable, but in your mind you believe it’s wrong and improper to be affectionate in public. This belief may cause a lot of tension in your relationships.
Interestingly, beliefs are typically not even based on facts of the experiences but rather interpretations of the facts. In any given situation, there are the facts and then there are your interpretations. Generally, these two factors are very different. This is why five children growing up in the same family can have five different interpretations of their childhood experiences. Most often we live out of our interpretations as if they were the facts. This is where we get into trouble.
Let’s return to the example of your parents who didn’t show physical affection. There is a multitude of reasons why they might not have shown affection. These reasons typically have more to do with the health of their connection and communication than with any ideal of morality or right/wrong behavior regarding public displays of affection. If you don’t question or examine the interpretations that form this belief, then you will likely stay stuck in the belief as if it were the truth or facts about how to act when in a relationship. Consequently, you may never experience the magic of a romantic walk on the beach holding your partner’s hand.
You don’t have to look far into differing political, religious, and moral beliefs to see how and why our interpretations get us in trouble. Interestingly, once a belief is in place, you spend the rest of your life defending it. This is because of the biological bias that prioritizes self-preservation, which translates into being right. Let’s say you want to experience greater happiness. In order to create new neural pathways of happiness, you have to believe it’s right for you to be happy. Ironically, although most people want to be happy, they have conflicting subconscious beliefs regarding actually being happy.
Stress is a Path of Least Resistance
In line with understanding how the path of least resistance works regarding outdated beliefs, it also points to the self-sabotaging potential of stress. Dubbed the ‘Epidemic of the 21st Century’, stress is a major saboteur of healthy neural plasticity. In its true-to-form plastic nature, the brain changes into what it’s most influenced by. Consequently, because of the predominance of chronic stress, the analytical brain is highly influenced by the emotional brain. The repetition and emotional intensity of the stress response easily overrides feeble attempts at positivity; instead, the analytical brain changes in structure to match the stress. Norman Doidge refers to this phenomenon:
Change that isn’t supported by the nervous system isn’t lasting change. Stress continues to be a daily contender in modern times with 70% of people reporting chronic stress. According to a study on Stress in America, fear of mass shootings is the most common source of stress in 2019 with health care coming in a close second. Other top stressors include immigration, safety, discrimination, acts of terrorism, climate change, sexual harassment, financial worries, workplace stress, and social media pressures. Diffusing stress through self-awareness and self-regulation strategies that target nervous system regulation are vital components of rewiring neural pathways. In our counseling practice we help clients utilize the top four conditions for supporting neural plasticity and rewiring their brain.
Some of the mind body practices we use include meditation, somatic therapy, and Brainspotting therapy.
1. Positive Emotion
A thought without intense emotion and feeling has no meaning, no value, and no real power to effectively engage your neural pathways. Intensity of emotion and feeling is required to take an experience and make it a solidified habit. The more emotion you engage, the more neurons you activate to form well-worn pathways. Emotions and feelings act as the glue that binds you to experiences. Emotional energy is the juice, or fuel, behind your thoughts that give power to your memories, goals, hopes, and dreams.7
Feel genuinely and emotionally connected to your intention to be happy with feelings of hope, trust, and positivity.
PRACTICE: Do something everyday that you enjoy. While you are engaged in this good feeling activity, focus on the feelings of achieving your goals and intentions.
1. Repetition and Practice
Neural pathways are strengthened into habits through the repetition and practice of thinking, feeling and acting.
PRACTICE: Start your morning passionately declaring aloud your goals for the day. Declarations send the power of your subconscious mind on a mission to find solutions to fulfill your goals.
1. Visualization
Visualization is almost as powerful as the real thing given your brain cannot tell the difference between something real or imagined. Research shows that anytime you are thinking, you are engaging and thus conditioning neural pathways. Consequently, whether you are reminiscing about the past, thinking about the present or anticipating the future you are strengthening the neural networks associated with whatever you are thinking about. The most important part of using visualization to strengthen healthy habits is to engage your emotion. Emotion provides the fuel to enlist more neural power for creating powerful neural networks.
PRACTICE: Spend 10-15 minutes per day visualizing yourself achieving your goals. This should be so vivid, dynamic and pleasing that it easily engages positive emotion.
1. Meditation
The true masters of manifesting meditate daily. When you meditate you slow down the nonsense, ungrounded chatter of the busy mind and access the calm abiding wisdom of your inner awareness and the skill of laser focus. Meditation is the process of relaxing the body and quieting the mind. In order to tap into the benefits of neural plasticity you have to disengage the stress response and stimulate the relaxation response. When you are stressed your brain rigidly defers to the strongest neural pathways out of survival and the path of least resistance. Consequently, during stress you do not have access to newly formed neural networks because they have not been tried and proven yet. Most people live in a perpetual state of stress believing feeling tense, time pressured or overwhelmed is the norm. This is simply not true and is the result of an undisciplined mind and body.
The prefrontal cortex is the actual mechanism in the brain that meditation activates, which helps the body shift from the stress response to the relaxation response. It has been called the clutch that releases the gas pedal and applies the brakes. Research shows that meditation increases gray matter in the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex of meditators is actually larger than that of nonmeditators. Researchers at Harvard, Yale, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were the first to discover that meditation alters the structure and function of the brain and specifically the prefrontal cortex. According to Sara Lazar, leader of the study and a psychologist at Harvard Medical School,
PRACTICE: Spend 10 minutes each day sitting still while focusing on your in-breath and out-breath. Retrieve your mind anytime it wanders onto anything but your breath. Meditation is the highest form of mental training that disciplines the mind to focus on what you want and allows the nervous system to bring about homeostasis.
If you want to learn more about how these four steps can be applied in your life click here and start the journey with The Happy Map: Your roadmap to the habit of happiness
Coaching and Counseling
1. Begley, S. (2009). The plastic mind: New science reveals our extraordinary potential to transform ourselves. London: Constable and Robinson.
2. Davidson, R. (2004b). What does the prefrontal cortex “do” in affect: Perspectives on frontal EEG asymmetry research. Biological Psychology. 67(1–2), 219–233.
1. HH Dalai Lama & Cutler, H. (1999). The art of happiness: A handbook for living. New York: Riverhead.
2. Hebb, D. (1949). The organization of behavior: A neuropsychological theory. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
3. Spear, L. (2000). The adolescent brain and age-related behavioral manifestations. Neuroscience Biobehavior Review, 24, 417–463.
4. Doidge, N. (2007). The brain that changes itself. Stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science. New York: James H. Silberman Books.
1. Lazar, S., Kerr, C., Wasserman, R., Gray, J., Greve, D., Treadway, M., McGarvey, M., Quinn, B., Dusek, J., Benson, H., Rauch, S., Moore, C., Fischl, B. (2005). Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness. Neuroreport, 16(17), 1893–1897. |
Sun Awakens
Sun Awakens
La Palma volcano eruption update: dramatic and rapid ground uplift, while surface activity calms down temporarily 🌎 LIVE: La Palma Volcano Eruption, the Canary Islands La Palma Quakes vs Depth La Palma Inflation Chart Earthquakes Today: latest quakes near La Palma volcano: past 24 hours BushcraftBear @BushcraftBearLP Twitter
La Palma Volcano Eruption Update: Dramatic and Rapid Ground Uplift as Surface Activity Subsides (7 min)
Sun Awakens, Numerous Flares, Nova Science | S0 News Oct.26.2021 (4 min)
Today’s Featured Links:
Exceptional Dimming: CMEs at Saturn: Record Nova: Other Galaxy Planet?… Tropical Glaciers:
The Dimming
The Dimming
This is recommended viewing. Professionally presented video by Dane Wiggington from Geoengineering watch. The video produces incontrovertible scientific proof that geoengineering is occurring on a massive scale. They actually took samples from different layers of the stratosphere and analyzed them using SEM (Scanning electron microscope) spectroscopy.Characteristic X-rays are emitted when the electron beam removes an inner shell electron from the sample, causing a higher-energy electron to fill the shell and release energy. The energy or wavelength of these characteristic X-rays can be measured by Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy or Wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and used to identify and measure the abundance of elements in the sample and map their distribution.
So, Geoengineering has now been established as an undeniable scientific fact. And it is happening on a massive scale and it is having global effects on the natural environment and human and animal health. Especially because one of the main (but not the only) components is Aluminum nano particles.
Dane only hints at the motive for the geoengineering. He says (paraphrase) that it is to mitigate the increased warming and at one point mentions the methane holes that are appearing in Siberia (as a consequence of jet stream disruption?). However, increased piezoelectric could account for that. Ice melt in Antarctica is probably the result of volcanic activity under the sea floor which in turn will disrupt saline density and ocean currents and therefore climate. Climate is a very complex system and is not dependent on CO2 which is a lagging indicator.
So, they are disrupting weather patterns and poisoning the earth to stop global warming? I beg to disagree. There is no runaway global warming in fact, if anything we face the opposite (cooling). Adding reflective material to the atmosphere makes no sense unless something else is going on.
Increased Earthquakes?
Magnitude 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2021vd x4
8.0–9.9 1 2 2 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 4
7.0–7.9 19 14 17 11 18 16 6 16 9 9 5 5 20
6.0–6.9 187 117 123 143 127 131 104 118 135 112 36 39 156
5.0–5.9 2,486 1,546 1,460 1,580 1,413 1,550 1,447 1,671 1,484 1,315 549 674 2,696
4.0–4.9 13,129 10,955 11,877 15,817 13,777 13,700 10,544 12,782 11,897 12,216 2,080 3,038 12,152
Total 15,822 12,635 13,480 17,552 15,336 15,397 13,102 14,589 13,530 13,654 2,671 3,757 15,028
We are just at the start of 2021 (the above table is from Wikipedia) and from looking at the monthly breakdown for 2021 Wikipedia has not yet recorded the thousands of earthquakes in Iceland. Admittedly, many of these quakes are below 4.0 but they are still significant especially as they are linked to the volcanic fields charging with Magma. We already have one quake at the highest magnitude and five in the seven range. The column in red marked 2021vd is from the Volcano Discovery site from today (14/3) and the column x4 is multiplied by 4 to give a full year approximation although I fully aware that it is not a linear trend. Next month could see no earthquakes or six times the number. I think that what should be looked at is the number of deep earthquakes because they (following Dutchsinse) generate many shallower earthquakes. Someone needs to go through the all data and see if there is an increase in deep earthquakes and establish a depth criteria. It would be nice to see more statistics on the solar flares and below is a Wikipedia plot which ends in 2018.
It is early days but it looks like this solar cycle will see an increase in Mag 7-8 earthquakes.
Increased volcanic activity?
It seems like the trend in volcanic activity is increasing. Then again this article makes the point that it is observational bias. If a volcano erupted in Iceland 1500 years ago people in Australia would not know. If a tree falls in a forest and no one sees it did it really fall? (lol) Actually, yes it did really fall, it was just not recorded. Once again this shows the limits of human data gathering. Probably better to look at ash deposits in ice cores to get a long term record. The scientific consensus is that there has NOT been a recent increase in volcanic activity. Tell that to Iceland, Hawaii and Sicily (lol).
Magnetic excursion and increase in Rotation speed.
One thing that cannot be dismissed is the magnetic excursion and the speeding up of the earth rotation. These phenomenon are measurable as is the increases in UV and cosmic radiation etc. The consequences of these physical changes will (in my view) manifest themselves as more volcanic and seismic activity.
So why are they doing it?
If it is not getting warmer then why are they performing Geo-engineering? It does not make sense to make the earth cooler when it is already cooling. There are probably a number of agendas at play. It should be apparent that they want to force people off the land into smart cities. Weather warfare is one way of clearing rural areas and destroying agriculture so that it can be replaced with synthetic GMO factory food. They are front running the coming Grand Solar Minimum (GSM) by manipulating the climate. Every previous Grand Solar Minimum has presaged a change of power. Dynasties fall and Royalty is replaced, political systems fail. Those in authority do not want the hungry, angry hordes on their door. They cannot stand the stench of the great unwashed. They want the earth all to themselves.
I suspect that a select number of technocrats know that we are facing not just a GSM but a catastrophic micro-nova. The sort of Mass Coronal Ejection that will end civilization as we know it. Perhaps they want to shield the earth with reflective nano particles in order to limit any radiation effects? Who knows? How can anyone really know what is going on with the climate when they are messing with everything? In any case their agenda also calls for the transformation of humanity and to that end they are starting a program of experimental vaccines. Who knows what they have in mind? Radiation, whether 5G or natural can cause stress. Heat shock proteins (Hsps) are highly conserved molecular chaperones that are synthesized in response to stress. Is this why they are experimenting with mRNA? Who knows. In any case poisoning the planet fits with their depopulation agenda. I suppose they believe that once the population has been reduced and is under constant surveillance in smart cities they can allow nature to recover and re-wild. Who knows? They are clearly insane.
Good old Mike Morales. Check out the spraying at 36 minutes. Listen to what he says about bunker fuel. These people are destroying the earth.
Who needs the sun? |
Driving defensively to protect yourself and others
On Behalf of | Dec 14, 2021 | Motor vehicle accidents |
Driving safely means paying attention to every activity that happens on the road at all times. However, devoting 100% of your attention is not always possible. It’s not possible for everyone who is driving to the side, front or behind you. That’s why defensive driving is important to practice whenever you’re on the roads in Connecticut.
Human error is the main blame
Human error is the most common reason why motor vehicle accidents happen. Distracted driving accounts for nearly 41% of all accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In addition, making decision errors, such as speeding, illegal turns, trying to beat stop signs or red lights and other moves make up 33% of accidents.
Avoid distracted driving
Leave your smartphone off or tucked away instead of in open view. Few people can text and drive effectively at the same time. Avoid doing any activity that forces you to look down or to the side for a few seconds or longer.
Brake on time
Rear-end collisions occur often when drivers brake too late. To avoid colliding with a vehicle’s rear, give yourself a few seconds for braking. A good tip is to brake the moment that the driver in front of you brakes. During inclement weather, it takes several seconds longer than usual to brake correctly without risking an accident.
Why people drive defensively
You don’t need to wait until you get a ticket to practice defensive driving. Every driver seems to be in a hurry, but you don’t have to follow the bad habits of other people. Driving safely is not just about avoiding an arrest. It’s a personal responsibility to protect yourself and your personal assets. |
spider crab
Alternate titles: Maiidae, Majidae, majid
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Majids, a widely distributed marine group, are fished commercially in temperate waters, such as in the North Pacific. Some are quite small; for example, the long-beaked spider crab (Macropodia rostrata) of European coastal waters has a body about 1 cm (less than 0.5 inch) in diameter. The largest spider crab, and perhaps the largest known arthropod, is the giant crab (q.v.) of the Pacific waters near Japan. The outstretched claws of this crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) measure more than 4 m (13 feet) from tip to tip.
The head of the spider crab is rather beak-shaped; the body surface is generally covered with hairs, spines, and tubercles (knobby projections) that are frequently matted with algae, sponges, and other organisms. The crabs fasten a good deal of this material to themselves by means of a mucuslike secretion from the mouth.
The kelp crab (Pugettia producta), a spider crab found among seaweed on the Pacific coast from Canada to Mexico, is about 1.25 cm (0.5 inch) wide and 2.5 cm (1 inch) long. It is green and red on top and green underneath.
Parthenope investigatoris, a spider crab of the Indian Ocean, is camouflaged to resemble the coral on which it lives.
Spider crabs of the genera Libinia, Hyas, Sternorhynchus, Pitho, and Lambrus are common on the Atlantic coast of North America. Pacific coast spider crabs include the genera Loxorhynchus, Pugettia, and Epialtus.
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Broadway, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN7 4HX
Dunsville Primary School
Working as one to achieve excellence through enjoyment
Headteacher - Mrs V Wilson
PSHE is a subject where children develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe, and prepare for life and work in modern Britain.
At Dunsville Primary School we follow the Jigsaw scheme of work. Jigsaw is designed as a whole school approach with all children working on the same theme (puzzle) at the same time. Each puzzle starts with a whole school assembly generating a focus for the children. Jigsaw sessions take place weekly. At the end of each week there is a celebration assembly where children are able to reflect on their own learning and behaviour.
In PSHE we have been exploring differences. During our 'It's good to be different week' we discussed and celebrated a range of differences. We thought about how everyone is different and how these differences can be celebrated. Each class explored life in a different country.
British Values
A recent assembly exploring British Values.
PSHE Policy |
Kei Tua o te Pae
Reflective questions – He pātai hei whakaaro iho
• Who are we documenting for? Who should we be documenting for?
• How do our assessment practices make valued learning visible to teachers, to children, and to families and whānau?
• In what ways do assessment examples from our early childhood setting reflect socially and culturally valued roles in the community?
• Have the families contributed to the development of our learning community? In what ways? How do we make this possible for families where English is not their first language?
• Do our assessments include contributions from home? How do we encourage and nurture such contributions?
• How do we ensure that our assessments reflect the diversity of cultures in our learning community? |
Home Engineering Projects For You 1001+ Electronics Projects For You
Face Tracking and Movement Following Drone
Ashwini Kumar Sinha
We all must have seen a drone and some of us might have even operated one. Most of the drones available in the market are operated manually either with the help of an RC remote or by using a phone over a WiFi connection. Operating a drone this way can be a bit tricky, especially when there are lots of controls and buttons.
To make the experience of flying a drone even more fun, I have decided to do something different by building a smart drone control system that can be operated with the help of our facial gestures. If we want the drone to take footage of a particular face and track it, then we can use this system.
Here I have used a DJI Tello drone that is programmed and controlled using Python and its SDK. So the components you need here are only a Tello drone and a PC or laptop. That’s it.
As I have used the Linux OS, the commands and the setup instructions are based on Linux. You can run Linux on Windows using VirtualBox, an open-source hypervisor that supports a large number of guest operating systems.
First of all, set up the Python environment in the OS. Then install the OpenCV, dlib, NumPy and face recognition Python modules using the following commands:
sudo pip3 install python-opencv
sudo pip3 install Face_recoginition
sudo pip3 install numpy
After installing the above modules, install the Python modules that enable connection with the Tello drone to control it. For this, there are various Python modules available but here we will use the Tello Python to control the Tello drone.
NOTE:- Before making a drone control system, check some functions and commands, which we will use for controlling the drone.
The Tello Python can connect with the Tello drone, allowing different functions to be performed such as:
• Launching the drone using drone.takeoff()
• Moving the drone forward within a certain distance (in cm) using drone.forward(cm)
• Rotating the drone to 90 degrees in a clockwise direction using drone.cw(90)
• Flipping the drone upwards, backwards, left or right using drone.flip(‘l’)
• Creating a live stream through drone camera using drone.streamon()
• Landing the drone using drone.land()
To control the height and left or right movements of the drone, use your facial gestures but for take off, use the automated takeoff function on startup. To land the drone and to stop the code from running, use the keyboard key ‘Q’.
Refer to the same code for face recognition as given in several of my other projects including Face Recognition-Based Car Lock, AI Robot, Smart Door and many more. By implementing this code, you can control the drone using your face movements.
In addition to including the same code for face recognition, import the Tello drone libraries and modules (mentioned in the Prerequisites section). After that, create two variables that will store the face location coordinates, which will facilitate the calculation of the face movements and navigation of the drone. Initialise drone.streamon() in the code along with drone.takeoff().
Fig 2.
In the while loop of the face recognition code, add another code that analyses the directions of the face movements. Check the current location of the face and using the if condition compare the present face location with the previous face location. If they do not match, then it means that the face has moved to a new location. If the new location has a value greater than or smaller than the previous location, use it to determine the directions of face movement.
Use the upward, downward, left or right direction movements of your face to move the drone. By using the left-point and top-point position values, one can determine and compare the face position and movement direction for controlling the drone in the same direction.
Suppose the previous left-position = 30 in the x-coordinate and the new left-position = 40 in the x-coordinate. Since the new left-position is greater than the previous left-position, you have to move your face towards the new direction i.e. right. This will in turn move the drone in the same direction. Similarly, the drone will move in other directions depending on the change in coordinates.
Fig 4.
Switch on the Tello drone and then connect the device on which you will run the above given code. I am using Raspberry Pi, which is connected to the Tello WiFi for running the code. After a few seconds, the connection is made. On running the code, the video of the face appears. By moving your face within the camera frame upwards, downwards, left or right directions you can control the drone.
Congratulations!! You have successfully built a facial gesture operated drone.
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A Look At Biphasic Sleep And How It Can Be Of Benefit To You
Do you remember your early years back in kindergarten when taking afternoon naps wasn’t only encouraged, but was a mandatory part of your school schedule? Back then you may not have understood why, but there was a reason why. Those childhood naps were a representation of a sleep pattern known as biphasic sleep (alternatively referred to as segmented sleep, diphasic sleep, divided sleep, siesta sleep or bimodal sleep) a pattern that provided you a lot of benefits.
Young girl sleeping.
Research conducted in recent years suggests that sleeping two times within a 24-hour period may facilitate alertness, productivity, cognitive function, and boost energy levels.
However, as we grow up and reach adulthood, a majority of us are trained to or end up compressing all our sleep time into a single overnight block.
As a result, a large number of people today are monophasic sleepers, which means that we only sleep once within a 24-hour period, and usually during the night.
While monophasic sleeping may be the norm amongst ‘grown-ups,’ more studies indicate that we might actually be better off returning to the good old biphasic patterns we were accustomed to during our childhood.
Here is a look at what biphasic sleep is. Why there is historical precedent for readopting the sleep pattern. How it could be beneficial to you, and how to experiment with it by transforming your sleeping style to favor the pattern.
Understanding Biphasic Sleep
You might not remember yourself as an infant, but you know that you used to nap a lot as a tot.
Babies often never sleep through the night, and their sleep is generally divided up into several sessions of sleep throughout the day.
And the same applies to every other human who exists and ever existed on this earth. This sleep pattern represents something known as the polyphasic sleep.
As an infant grows into toddlerhood, they start cutting back on the amount of time they nap during the day until they find themselves sleeping for longer chunks of time at night. And then only snoozing once during the day which represents a variation of what we now know as biphasic sleep.
While the term ‘Biphasic’ may sound a bit too ‘sciencey,’ it actually defines a straightforward concept. It is just a name for a sleeping pattern type where a person divides up their sleeping time into two main sessions.
For instance, you may catch most of your sleep during the night, then make up for the rest with a daytime siesta.
Characteristics of Biphasic Sleep:
• It is a sleep pattern where one sleeps in two different sessions within a 24-hour period.
• The two sessions could be at night or may consist of a longer session during the night and a shorter one during the day.
• It is different from monophasic sleep where one sleeps in one extended session, often at night.
• It is also different from polyphasic sleep where one sleeps more than twice within a 24-hour period.
Types of (Diphasic) Biphasic Sleep
Two Sessions at Night
This is where you sleep for a couple of hours, particularly around early nighttime or evening, waking up for a few of hours during the night before finally going to sleep for a couple more hours until early morning.
This sleeping style will yield approximately 6-8 hours of sleep.
One Session During the Day and One At Night
The amount of time you sleep at night and that you nap during the day is a matter of personal preference.
Some people are more active during the night meaning they can take longer hours sleeping during the day.
Some biphasic sleepers will sleep for like 6 or so hours at night and take a 20-minute nap in the afternoon while others prefer sleeping for shorter time periods (about 5-hours) at night and take longer naps (about 90 minutes) during the day.
This option, mainly referred to as siesta sleep, is one of the most common and is quite popular in most European cultures.
According to most biphasic sleepers, choosing the right approach will involve some trial and error. We are all different, so some people may find they are best suited with either one of the biphasic patterns mentioned above.
What is The Difference Between Polyphasic and Biphasic Sleep?
If you have tried researching biphasic sleep, chances are you have come across the term ‘polyphasic’ as well, right? So, how are they different?
Well, it isn’t that hard to explain really. Each word’s first syllable says it all.
The term “Bi” is of Latin origin and means “two” while “poly,” which is also Latin in nature, means “many.”
So, in essence, biphasic means two sessions within a 24-hour period and polyphasic means several sessions within the same period.
It is worth noting that polyphasic sleepers can adopt a variety of different sleeping shift patterns. For instance, polyphasic sleepers may:
• Sleep up to three times within a 24-hour period, a pattern known as triphasic sleep and involves sleeping for 90-minutes, staying awake for about 6 hours then sleeping for another 90-minutes and so forth for a total of 3-cycles.
• Sleep for longer periods of time at night (about 3-4 hours) and take several short naps during the day.
• Take two sleep shifts at night, and a siesta during the day.
It is worth noting that insomnia and other sleeping disorders aren’t the same as intentionally taking up a biphasic or polyphasic sleep pattern.
For some people, becoming a polyphasic sleeper is completely unintentional. Which means that they wake up a couple of times at night even if they do not want to.
At the end of the day, when trying to differentiate between polyphasic and biphasic sleep, the most important thing to remember is that polyphasic sleep involves more than two sleeping sessions while biphasic only involves two sessions.
Nevertheless, people will often notice a difference when they adopt and stick to one pattern consistently.
A Little Bit of History
While biphasic sleep may sound like a new idea to modern day sleepers who are accustomed to monophasic sleeping patterns, the truth is that it has been around for a long time now.
If you take into account the history of humankind, you will realize that the biphasic pattern was the norm for a major part of our history compared to sleeping through the night.
Data suggests that most people back in history would sleep for about 4-hours early in the night, wake up for about an hour, then go back to sleep for another 4-hours.
There are so many references that crop up throughout historical literature, diaries, medical texts and art with some historical figures like Chaucer and Homer referring to this concept in their work.
So, if that is the case then why is it that most people today only sleep once a day? Well, this can be attributed to the invention and introduction of the light bulb into our lives.
The light bulb is probably the number one reason why the western world has shifted away from the biphasic pattern of sleep.
The introduction of electricity meant that work hours could now be extended instead of them ending once daylight disappeared.
As a result, the amount of time for sleep at night was compressed, as most people now viewed enjoying two 4-hour sessions of sleep as a luxury.
Streetlights further encouraged nighttime socializing, which led to people staying out for longer, disrupting their ability to practice or enjoy the habit of sleeping twice a day or night.
As a result, most modern or urbanized people ended up eschewing their sleep pattern in favor of a monophasic sleeping habit.
However, according to some research conducted in the 1990s, people will naturally shift towards a biphasic sleep pattern when they are exposed to natural daylight and darkness patterns.
Nevertheless, you could still train yourself to adopt a biphasic pattern of sleep even in today’s fast-paced world.
Biphasic sleeping children in kindergarten
Biphasic sleeping children in kindergarten.
Some Of The Benefits Biphasic Sleep Has to Offer
Ask yourself this question, why are some of today’s trendsetters and cultures valuing biphasic patterns of sleep? Well, it turns out that this sleeping style may offer several perks.
Here is a look at some of these benefits.
Biphasic Sleep may:
• Improve Cognitive function. Sleeping two times a day is thought to improve cognitive function partly because it enhances one’s capacity for concentration and focus and reduces feelings of tiredness. [1]
• Improve Productivity. Research indicates that a biphasic pattern of sleep may boost productivity especially considering the improved cognitive function mentioned above and increased alertness. These two factors alone will mean that you get more accomplished. What is more, an increase in productivity can never be accompanied by a sense of burnout or tiredness.
• Reduce Stress. Wakefulness-at-night sessions practiced during biphasic sleep patterns of yore were considered highly relaxing and were a vital way for people to cope with stress. There is a possibility that modern-day sleepers could benefit from the same.
• Yield The Benefits of Power Naps. According to recent studies, power naps can offer a range of benefits including an increased capacity to learn, memory recall and formation, creative problem solving, greater cognitive performance, and logical reasoning. At the same time, power naps could also reduce fatigue, reduce stress, decrease the chances of making errors while on the job, and increase mental alertness. [2]
• Enable Flexible Scheduling. Splitting up your daily sleep allotment into two separate sessions could offer you more flexibility, allowing you to juggle family, work and other responsibilities.
• Help with Insomnia. When people who have insomnia get to know that humans of long ago used to wake up at night, this could help overcome their anxiety regarding their conditions. When anxiety goes down, sleep will likely improve.
• Improve Dream Recall. Studies suggest that biphasic sleep could improve our ability to remember dreams, something that could give us even more access to the subconscious mind and may lead to us yielding personal insights about our thoughts and feelings.
The benefits of biphasic sleep are primarily attained by consistently practicing biphasic sleep. That’s because there is a transition period where your benefits may be reduced. [1]
The Potential Shortcomings of Biphasic Sleep
While the biphasic pattern of sleep poses several benefits, it still has some downsides.
First, it involves an adjustment period that may leave you feeling grumpy, groggy or even more tired. [1]
And don’t forget that you will have to shake up your entire sleep schedule, something that could disrupt your current social dynamics.
Furthermore, there is not enough research or evidence about the long-term effects of these sleeping patterns. Nevertheless, most studies suggest that biphasic patterns of sleep are relatively harmless.
As long as you are getting approximately 7-9 hours of sleep a night, then it is okay if you sleep in two sessions.
Who Is It Good for?
Everyone’s sleep preferences and needs are different and unique, which means biphasic sleep patterns are likely to be more suited for some more than others.
While scientists are not yet sure what factors will influence how a body responds to this sleeping pattern, one thing they know, is that some people require eight consecutive hours of sleep for them to function at their best and be well-rested.
Some, on the other hand, thrive on shorter sleep periods with one or two daytime naps.
There could be some genetic components at play here though.
For instance, there is a study that suggests that only 1-3% of the population performs well on just a couple hours of sleep a night. It could be because of a mutated gene.
However, for most of us, it is essential that we enjoy an extended period of good, quality sleep.
Luckily, biphasic patterns do not require that you only sleep for a few hours at night and is, therefore, much more accessible.
And then, there is the lifestyle element. For instance, people who juggle unusual family schedules may enjoy the flexibility a biphasic pattern has to offer.
At the end of the day though, sleeping patterns are not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing. The only way to determine the approach that best suits you is by experimenting with different sleep schedules until you find one that feels right for you.
Experimenting With Biphasic Sleep
If you are looking to give biphasic sleep a go, then here are some guidelines for you to consider to ensure that you set yourself up for a shot at success.
Choose A Sleep Pattern That Suits You
It is vital that you start by choosing a sleep pattern that suits you.
You could either settle for sleeping for approx. 6-hours at night and taking a twenty-minute nap during the day. Or you could go for sleeping 5-hours at night and taking a 60-90-minute nap during the day.
When looking for a style that works best for you, consider the times you normally feel sleepy and work with that.
Think About What You Are Trying To Achieve
What is your reason for trying a hand at biphasic sleeping? Is it because you want to improve productivity, reduce stress, boost cognitive functioning or is it for something entirely different?
Your answer to this question will influence how you approach the experiment. Identifying goals will help establish metrics that you can track as you try and make a difference in your life.
Consider keeping a sleep log to track progress and for adjusting your schedule as needed.
To Get All Of The Benefits Of Biphasic Sleep – Be Consistent
Sticking to a schedule is crucial when it comes to training your body to adjust to sleeping times. It helps ensure that you are getting restful sleep during sleep sessions.
Furthermore, an irregular sleep schedule could backfire, as inconsistency will lead to disrupted sleep, and that could lead to you performing poorly during your ‘awake’ hours.
Avoid Artificial Light
Artificial light has been known to disrupt our circadian rhythms, making it harder to fall and stay asleep during sleep sessions.
As such, it is advisable that you limit your exposure to artificial lights by turning off your TV and dimming the lights when it’s almost bedtime.
If you have opted to have a wakefulness period when you wake up in the night, then try and minimize artificial light exposure during that time since it may make it harder for you to fall back asleep.
Practice Proper Sleep Hygiene
Create an environment that is conducive for sleep. Doing so will increase your chances of falling and staying asleep during every sleep session.
Make sure that you sleep in a quiet, uncluttered, dark, and cool place and avoid exercising or drinking alcohol immediately before a sleep session.
Consult Your Physician
It is advisable that you consult your doctor before making any rash changes to your cycle, and seek advice on whether to take up a biphasic sleep pattern or not.
Your doctor should be able to tell you if there is anything related to your medical history that could affect your health should you change your sleep patterns.
This is particularly crucial if you suffer from chronic health conditions like depression and anxiety since messing up your sleep patterns could affect them.
Taking on the biphasic sleep pattern is not for everyone. However, for most people, switching from monophasic sleep to biphasic sleep presents them with some advantages ranging from greater productivity to flexible scheduling, to increased alertness during the day.
At the end of the day, it is up to you to decide if this is something you want to try out, but remember you are not obligated to do anything.
If it’s too much for you, then just stick to your normal sleeping pattern, just as long as you get six to nine hours of sleep.
The length of time that you sleep must provide for your sleeping through as many full sleep cycles as possible. See my article How Long Is A Sleep Cycle? A Closer Look At The Sleep Cycle
Also, you may be interested in: The Non-REM and REM Sleep Cycle Guide: Dreams & Health
How To Sleep Less and Live More. Polyphasic Sleep Bible
How To Sleep Less and Live More. Polyphasic Sleep Bible
[1] An afternoon nap markedly boosts the brain’s learning capacity
[2] Effects of Afternoon Nap Deprivation on Adult Habitual Nappers’ Inhibition Functions
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What is biphasic sleep? Why should you do it? What about polyphasic sleep - is that better? Why is it used in kindergarten? Why is it common in Europe?
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What Is The Use Of A Blower?
Explosion Proof General Hazardous Locations Industrial Intrinsically Safe The Workplace
What Is The Use Of A Blower?
A blower fan is different from other fans in one major area. Fans will use blades to force out and circulate air, but a blower (which may also be called a centrifugal fan) will have impellers that create a different air movement pattern. Which is right for your application - a fan or a blower? Well, it all depends on the volume and force of air you need.
For general comfort and air movement through work areas, there are industrial fans to fit most every need. But, for environments where hazardous particles may circulate, it is the power of a blower that helps with dust control and keeps the air clear and employees safe.
Why Choose a Blower Fan
For industrial purposes, exhausting flammable dust and flammable fumes is an OSHA requirement for workplace safety. A wall-mounted, circulation fan or pedestal fan is simply not powerful enough to eliminate the dust caused by processes such as sanding, sawing, or cutting of metals, plastics, or timber. A blower can protect the health and well-being of employees by moving air at such a high-pressure and velocity that air particles are virtually sucked out of the environment.
For many industrial environments, blowers can protect electrical equipment from a dust explosion. Pharmaceuticals, paint manufacturing, and the processing of synthetic textiles can generate combustible dust layers in a closed room. A blower fan is the best choice to prevent an explosion that can be caused by an electrical spark from equipment and flammable dust.
When is a Blower Used?
Any process & product cooling operations that require fume extraction may feature mechanical equipment or electro-mechanical devices to improve the safety of workers and protect corporate assets. But blower fans are used for a wide range of functions, including:
• exhausting
• aspirating
• cooling
• ventilating
• conveying
Key differences between fans and blowers are the high amount of power blowers use by creating a pressure differential between air intake and exhaust, and the mechanical movement of impeller blades within the blower housing. A blower may feature multiple blades mounted at a sharp angle and mounted onto a motor hub that is rotated by a drive shaft.
Blowers generate such a high-speed of impeller rotation that they can effectively eliminate a critical product needed for ignition - flammable fumes or flammable dust. For extremely hazardous environments, consider an explosion-proof, high-pressure blower in areas where you need to protect electrical equipment. Not only will this type of equipment cause a fire hazard due to electrical spark, there is also the risk of high temperatures that can ignite flammable fumes.
Many blowers are used to cool electrical equipment and ventilate toxic gases within hazardous manufacturing or toxic processes. A blower will provide more powerful airflow that can be specifically directed towards equipment or away from workers. In the end, if you only need cooling, then choose an industrial-strength fan, but if you need to ventilate toxic air, then a blower is the better equipment
Visit us online at Industrial Fans Direct for a wide selection of blowers for industrial, retail, or manufacturing.
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Children's Cancer Institute turns to containerisation to power research
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Children's Cancer Institute turns to containerisation to power research
Enabling collaboration and upgrades.
The Children’s Cancer Institute has containerised key bioinformatics pipelines that underpin research into personalised treatments for kids that could one day reduce childhood cancer rates to zero.
Part of the problem the Institute faces is that children often respond differently to cancer treatments than adults, with typical treatments either not working at all or producing adverse side effects.
In trying to interpret the hundreds of terabytes of genomics data produced by a single patient, bioinformaticians at the Institute had created a complicated web of processes and applications that were often reliant on the outputs of other applications, research assistant Sabrina Yan said on the sidelines of the DockerCon Live Summit.
“We run a processing pipeline - a whole genome and RNA sequence process pipeline - that gives the sequencing information from a kid.
“So we sequence their healthy cells and we sequence their tumour cells, we analyse them together and what we do is we find the mutations that are causing the cancer.
“That helps us determine what treatments or what clinical trials might be most effective for the kid.”
Yan said that although the data pipeline worked well, it was dependent on a single platform and required specific programming and data wrangling tools - which were often older versions that were used when the workflow was first created.
To avoid having to re-engineer the entire process from scratch each time the researchers wanted to trial the pipeline on a new cloud instance or different platform, Yan worked with Kamile Taouk, a bioinformatics engineering student and intern at UNSW, to take all of the tools used in the pipeline and individually containerise them using Docker.
The tools were contained with dependencies “so that we could hook them up any way we want," Yan said.
While Yan and Taouk agree the work has been worth it in the long run, Taouk said the biggest issue was that almost all apps they encountered within the pipeline were “very heavily dependent on very specific versions of so many different apps [that] they would just build upon so many other different apps”.
“'Dockerising' was quite difficult because we had to preserve every single version of every single dependency in one instance just to ensure that that app was working," Taouk said.
“These apps get updated semi-regularly, but we have to ensure that our Dockers survive”.
The pair, along with five extra medical interns, spent the summer gradually working through each app, with individual tools taking days or weeks to 'Dockerise'.
“Some of them are very memory hungry, some of them are very finicky, some of them are a lot more stable than others,” Yan said.
“And so you could spend one day 'Dockerising' a tool and it's done in a handful of hours, or sometimes it could take a week and you're just getting this one tool done.
“The idea behind the whole team working on it was eventually you slog through this process and then you have a Dockerfile setup where anyone can run it on any system and we know we have an identical setup.”
Taouk described the new pipeline as “ridiculously efficient” now that Docker keeps each version of the different dependencies, with the developers able to specify which version should be used within the container to enable it to run successfully on any machine every time.
This also opens up the ability for the Institute to more easily share data and collaborate with hospitals and other research institutes.
“If there's some amazing [patient outcome] predictor that comes out, like using some kind of regression or deep learning, if we wanted to add that, being able to 'Dockerise' a complex tool into a single Docker app makes it less complicated to add that into the pipeline in the future, if that's something we'd like to do,” Yan said.
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by Patrick Cheetham
An aggressive and rapidly developing China challenges US dominance in space and will continue to do so without renewed American leadership and investment.
Mainstream narrative largely misses the significant dependence of the US on space for economic health and national security. Indeed, GPS, communications, broadband, financial transactions, and remote sensing and imaging all use space assets as indispensable sensors and relays. US intelligence and defense capabilities (such as C4ISR) are a cornerstone of national security today but are vulnerable because satellite positions are known, they are expensive to launch into orbit, and attribution of attacks are difficult. Americans also don’t know the fragile state of US technology leadership in space. As the front-runner in the cosmos for decades the emerging space power challenging America’s reign is China.
China has invested massively in R&D, space, and defense and has made great strides in these sectors. China has developed production of advanced rockets, survivable communications, satellites, manned missions, autonomous spacecraft, and persistent surveillance. Leadership in Beijing view space technologies as a crucial element of national power to include prestige of advanced S&T and economic benefits of these investments. The intent behind China’s space program, like many of its large S&T programs, is not so transparent. Chinese civil and military organizations for space are integrated. For instance, China’s navigation system, Beidou, can be used for civil purposes or for expanded operational capability needed in long-range strike. In a report to the US China Commission by Mark Stokes and Dean Chung it was highlighted that “R&D investments include foreign satellite communications monitoring systems, electronic countermeasure systems to disrupt an opponent’s use of space based systems, and developing the capability for physical destruction of satellites in orbit.” Electronic intelligence satellites and dual use synthetic aperture radar are also maturing, according to the report.
China has greatly progressed in ballistic missile technology that threatens assured access to space and has the potential to be used offensively. A much-cited 2007 test of a Chinese anti-satellite (ASAT) missile took place in 2007 and created thousands of pieces of debris. China’s missile tests in 2010 and 2013 are still debated by experts but in May 2013 strong evidence points to another successful ASAT test took place from a road-mobile ballistic missile. More recently, the US State Department accused China of conducting an ASAT test on July 23, 2014, calling “on China to refrain from destabilizing actions – such as the continued development and testing of destructive anti-satellite systems – that threaten the long term security and sustainability of the outer space environment, on which all nations depend.” China’s ASAT capabilities clearly pose a direct threat to US satellites, however, US policy and leadership remains complacent in light of these developments.
Other nations are ramping up investment with the goal of leveraging its unique strategic and tactical advantage. DNI James Clapper testified to the SSCI earlier this year, saying “Chinese and Russian military leaders understand the unique information advantages afforded by space systems and are developing capabilities to disrupt US use of space in a conflict. Chinese military writings highlight the need to interfere with, damage, and destroy reconnaissance, navigation, and communication satellites.” The US does not need a major military or surprise event to catalyze government change in favor of US space leadership. The ubiquity of space technologies, powerful new capabilities, and the potential for mal-intent should drive us to do better.
Greater leadership and investment can solve the issues presented by unknown intent and capabilities of aggressive and developing countries such as China. Leadership can inspire a generation of the brightest minds to pursue STEM careers, tackle challenging national security issues in space, and participate in cutting edge science and research. By leading in this field of S&T, the US can make important long term decisions in areas like exploration and commercialization of space. More investment in civil and military space programs – with a renewed mission and focus – can maintain and progress US leadership in this domain. Programs that invigorate the national mindset and those that keep Americans safe should be some of the highest priorities in every President’s R&D agenda. Understanding the importance of space and acting upon it should deeply motivate US citizens and policymakers to maintain superiority and freedom of action in the future.
Kathryn Schiller Wurster
On the 13th anniversary of Sept 11, 2001, we pause to remember those lost. We have experienced 13 years without another major attack, thanks to the hard work of the military, intelligence community, and homeland security personnel charged with dismantling Al-Qaeda and preventing another terrorist strike.
This week, intelligence community officials have stated that there are no credible threats to the United States homeland from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL): according to Homeland Security secretary Jeh C. Johnson, "We know of no credible information that ISIL is planning to attack the homeland at present.” But at the same time, other government officials, including President Obama and Senator Dianne Feinstein, Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, have said ISIL is a significant threat and must be dismantled and defeated.
ISIL has built a large cadre of fighters, seized huge weapons caches in Iraq, and has accrued far more cash than Al-Qaeda ever dreamed of. They have brutally murdered two American journalists and executed thousands, including hundreds of children and religious minorities. ISIL is highly organized and issues annual reports touting statistics of their activities—suicide bombings, murders, sniper attacks, and car bombs, among others. They have explicitly declared war on the West, making threats against the US homeland, stating American streets will run with blood. ISIL has people in their organization who are citizens of the western countries they wish to target and can easily travel and operate in them. The FBI has tracked some of these individuals, but many are unknown or unaccounted for. Attacks have already been carried out by ISIL associates in Belgium and foiled in France.
If we compare this to the period leading up to September 11, 2001, the parallels are chilling. Osama bin Laden declared war on the US, threatened us, and launched attacks on embassies, the USS Cole, and even the World Trade Center. We saw evidence before Sept 11 that some kind of plot was in the works, but did not connect the dots on the specifics. We continued to believe that a larger attack would never happen.
This time, we are paying attention and know from experience that groups like this are willing and able to threaten the US. Our ability to collect intelligence has been damaged by the exposure of methods by Edward Snowden—targets have changed their communications practices. Human intelligence in these groups is difficult. But we seem to have a mindset that just because we don’t have direct evidence of a plot to attack US soil, there isn’t one. Like 9/11, this is another failure of imagination. We should listen to what ISIL is telling us about their intentions, and take action to ensure they cannot bring their vicious fight to us.
Of course, this is easier said than done. The President’s strategy as announced last night is to use airstrikes and support a coalition of fighters in Iraq and Syria to defeat ISIL. Arming and equipping rebels in Syria is a complicated proposition; how do we arm Syrian rebels and ensure that those arms don’t end up in the hands of ISIL? How can we expect the rebels fighting Assad to also take on ISIL? Syria has no good options, and if we rely on a coalition approach we will be forced to deal with the lesser of many evils. The President has pledged not to put boots on the ground. But if we continue to let ISIL simmer and build strength, they will have to be dealt with militarily before long.
by Jennifer McArdle
Tension is increasingly mounting over the future governance framework of the Internet. The Internet Governance Forum came to a close last week, and Internet stakeholders are beginning to look to October’s Internet Governance Telecommunications Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary with anxiety. As the U.S. prepares for October’s meeting, it would be wise for them to look back to April’s NETmundial meeting. NETmunidal provides an informative example of a concluding meeting statement that does not necessarily reflect the ‘mulitstakeholder’ decision it supposedly endorsed.
The conflict over the future of the Internet is over two differing approaches to Internet governance: multistakeholderism and multilateralism. Multistakeholder advocates believe stakeholders from a multitude of entities should govern the Internet: states, private sector, civil society groups, academia, and non-governmental institutions. Multilateral champions, in contrast, believe that a conglomeration of states, most likely located within the United Nations (UN), should govern the Internet. While the divide separating both camps is not necessarily manichaeistic, their divergences over how the Internet should be governed has tremendous social, economic, and security implications.
At first glance, the April NETmundial Internet governance meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil appears to be a victory for the ‘multistakeholder’ Internet governance camp. A quick look at the website home page shows the ‘NETmundial multistakholder statement’ as the first item on their banner. Country statements post meeting seem to support this view. In late April, the U.S. State Department—perhaps one of the more vocal advocates of multistakeholderism—issued a press release that noted their ‘pleas[ure] that the [NETmundial] document continues to focus on a future Internet rooted in mutlistakeholder processes and institutions.” Likewise, the European Commission, another important member of ‘team multistakeholder’ stated that, “NETmundial has put us on the right track.” However, a closer analysis of the NETmundial statement seems to suggest otherwise.
The outcome document from NETmundial, “The NETmundial Multistakeholder Statement”, provides various taskings or suggestions that advocate for either a multilateral or multistakeholder process. There are fifteen such statements that task an item or make a suggestion. Overall when comparing the various items that support multistakeholderism to the items that advocate multilateralism, the outcome of the various statements are 40% promoting a mulistakeholder approach to 60% advocating multilateralism. Moreover, if one only includes concrete follow-on taskings to organizations, the result would be 100% multilateralism. Of those fifteen statements, the only concrete taskings that takes place in the document is to UN forums or UN sponsored conferences. The UN is a multilateral institution, composed of member states.
There is also some disconnect between statements advocating a multistakeholder process and the institution or former document the ‘NETmundial Statement’ endorses as a mechanism to achieve multistakeholderism. For example, in 2.1.2 the document advocates for a mulitstakeholder process to enhance cooperation on Internet governance public policy. While making this statement, the document notes that cooperation should be in the spirit of the Tunis Agenda and should consider UN Commission on Science and Technology Development (CSTD) working groups. The Tunis Agenda places emphasis on development goals through a multilateral process and the CSTD is a UN institution, which is inherently multilateral. While 2.1.2 advocates for a multi-stakeholder approach, the institutions that are mentioned to help facilitate that process are multilateral.
From a U.S. policy perspective NETmundial was not the success that the U.S. State Department purported. In the upcoming ITU Plenipotentiary negotiations, the U.S. government would be wise to heed the example of NETmundial and take note of the disparity between overt statements and actual outcomes.
This blog is based on a conversation with Senior Fellow, Melissa Hathaway. Initial observations on the disparity between the NETmundial document and outcomes are hers.
Brian Barnett
Injecting a conflated understanding of ethics into journalism negatively affects scientific progress. That is to say, unethically performed research such as the fraudulent Wakefield paper on autism and vaccines or the Tuskegee syphilis experiment should be reported on and brought to the attention of the public. In contrast, journalism involving research findings should not jump to conclusions about the potential for research to be used unethically. When these unwarranted ethical questions are presented in the media, their only utility is to propagate a mistrust of science research.
A recent Atlantic article presents recent neuroscience research as a potential treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The research focuses on altering memories that trigger PTSD symptoms. When a memory is retrieved, it can be affected by additional stimuli or neural signals. This is generally useful, as memories need a way to update themselves in response to changes in the environment or behavior. The research targeted the unstable nature of recalled memories by giving participants a dose of propranolol (a beta blocker drug) before asking them to recall a fearful memory. The idea is that these drugs reduce emotional responses (e.g. some musicians take beta blockers before a big audition so that their nervousness or anxiety is lowered and they are able to play well). If a person’s emotional responsiveness is reduced, then recalling a fearful memory might not produce the usual physiological response. Over time, repeated and directed therapy could cause this memory to reconsolidate into a non-stressful version.
The article does a great job of explaining the content of the research in a concise fashion, but its attempt to incorporate ethical concern is harmful. The subheading at the top of the article is as follows: “A controversial area of brain research suggests [changing memories] may be possible - but is it ethical?” The article does not mention ethics again until the very last sentence, where the author asks the same exact question. The author wants to make sure that the first thing that the reader sees after the title is this question. I find this disconcerting. When a proposed treatment is not even close to being verifiable, and the scientific community understands the limitations of a specific study, we do not need to spend time questioning its ethical nature.
It is easy to take our science findings and extrapolate them to their scary extremes. Tacking on a question of ethics probably generates controversy and can be good for an author’s page views. It is telling that the author asks the question but does not address it. It can be hard to make definitive statements about what is right or wrong when it comes to a complex concept like memory alteration. Regardless of how difficult this question is to answer, science research on memory alteration should not be stopped. When our scientists are not close to figuring out how to reliably alter memories in a benign, therapeutic context, then we do not need to worry about their ability to perform unethical experiments. The research studies presented in the article followed Institutional Review Board guidelines and underwent stringent peer review (processes which are largely meant to prevent unethical research from occurring). There is a distinction between ethically performed research and the ethical use of a technology or process. This neuroscience research followed all established ethical guidelines and it should not be stopped because of the fear that it might lead to unethical practices later on.
If we are going to worry about anything at all involving this research, it would be that a rogue actor, who somehow does understand how to manipulate memories, starts to cause undue harm and suffering to others. If this hypothetical situation occurs, what can we do? Our only option would be to perform even more research to figure out how to undo his or her actions! Opportunists will always try to take advantage of science and technology advancements. We cannot avoid that fact, unless we become complacent, halt all research, and never solve another difficult problem again. Performing solid, peer-reviewed research on topics like PTSD therapy is a valuable endeavor and placing unnecessary questions of ethics around it will limit our abilities to succeed. Ethics are an important aspect of our society and are the vehicle by which we demonstrate fair and just treatment of our fellow citizens. However, scientific research should not be hampered by premature concern about its ethical consequences.
by Patrick Cheetham
Ignoring social approaches to national security analysis severely degrades our understanding of adversaries’ intentions and capabilities. The only way to understand the intentions and technological capabilities of a state or non-state actor is by using a holistic approach that analyzes social aspects, such as the creation of ideas, management, and characteristics of an organization. These critical pieces of knowledge can be overlooked without deep knowledge of a culture, people, and region. Some recently studied examples of these oversights cover the bioweapons program of the Soviet Union.
In the case of the Soviet’s bioweapons program, Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley argues “that the success of a bioweapons program also depends on ‘intangible factors,’ such as work organization, program management, structural organization, and social environment, that affect the acquisition and efficient use of scientific knowledge.” For example, the director of one Anthrax bioweapon facility broke Soviet rules of compartmentalization by having scientists and weaponeers collaborate and communicate openly with each other, ultimately helping lead to success of the program. Kathleen Vogel’s recent work, Phantom Menace or Looming Danger?, describes US bioweapons threat assessments that have excluded “from analytic and policy attention (1) a serious consideration of the social dimensions of biotechnology and its associated bioweapons implications; and (2) the social practices surrounding analytic work that can introduce biases into bioweapons assessments.” Vogel’s work depicts the “biotech revolution frame” and its ramifications for overestimating technical capability. Both cases show a hindsight view of capabilities that were “knowable” at the time. Thus, by including in national security assessments a better understanding of the social aspects, the US has the potential to better predict the nature of threats.
To ensure the security of the US through knowledge of intentions and capabilities, the social aspect must become an integral part of the analytical toolkit. The social approach to national security should be used more robustly, but not at the expense of other quantitative approaches. Material, resources, and expertise impact social and technical spheres of knowledge creation just as organization, management, and ideation do. A toolbox of approaches including ones that emphasize social dynamics of an adversary and data-driven ones should be utilized together. Current practices in the US Intelligence Community and the Department of Defense need to take the take this approach more seriously in order to produce rigorous analytic products that accurately identify and predict our adversaries’ intentions and capabilities. |
CNC Machining: The days are long gone when controlling a machine was not only a hectic but also a cumbersome job. We are highly equipped with modern day latest CNC technology. CNC acronym Computer Numeric Control in which the machines are preprogrammed or coded through a computer which controls the movement of tools and machinery. CNC machining allows the machine to be preprogrammed to control various parameters automatically like speed, feed and depth of cut etc. Usually, G and M codes are used for programming these machines which guides the workpiece or tool to move along prescribed positions for achieving the required result. Open and close loop are two different loop systems by which CNC machining is handled. In Open loop the information flows only in one direction that is between controller and motor. While in Close loop system the information flow is two way which allows the controller to receive feedback consequently making the error correction possible. Moreover, Close loop system identifies a vulnerability in parameters like speed and position. For minimal forces and speed, Open loop system is usually preferred. For all rest of things as well as to control the speeds and ensuring accuracy and consistency, close loop system is mainly utilized. A wide range of CNC machining is offered from CNC Lathes to Mills. A least human interaction is required to operate the CNC machine as program is fed once into computer, then rest is handled by machine itself. CNC machining lets the repeated jobs to be executed as same as before. Due to these capabilities, CNC machining was adopted around the globe from a small manufacturing to a large automotive and aerospace items. Different types of operations can be performed by CNC machining. CNC Turning and Milling are one of the highly utilized process which though fall in the category of CNC Machining. Types of material which can be machined are ranged from wood, plastic and metals.
CNC Turning: A process in which rotating 3 Jaw or universal chuck holds the work piece and then stationery cutting tool is then directed towards the workpiece for required removal of the material is known as CNC Turning. CNC turning is capable to ensure the position accuracy. Single point cutting tool is used in CNC Turning. While many tools can be installed on tool post to perform the sequential operations. It is highly suitable for steel, brass, copper, titanium, array of thermoplastics and especially non-ferrous metal parts having cylindrical or conical geometric shape. That’s why, highest bulk production can be achieved for such work pieces. For power cuts, dead tail stock is attached for support to reduce the impact forces to a great extent. On the other hand, live tail stock allows to compensate a new set of operations like Drilling and Grooving etc. Depending upon the type and size of the work piece, Horizontal or Vertical machine is being used. CNC Turning produces Continuous, Discontinuous and fragmented chips while cutting the workpiece in continuous stroke. The process is very smooth and avoid inertial as well as other impact forces. Especially used for machining the outer surfaces and inner surfaces of automotive parts like bushes, sleeves, Dowel pins and shafts etc. A normal CNC Turning has 2 or 3 axis most of the time, as technology is a CONTINUOUS Improvement process, 6 and 7 axis machines are also available. To assist our client's needs, we provide the latest 7 axis CNC Turning machine services which further paves a way towards better precision and accuracy, comparatively.
Advantages of CNC Turning:
1. CNC Turning is extremely precise and accurate operation.
2. CNC Turning is a highly automotive operation therefore it’s reduces the overall labor cost.
3. CNC Turning ensures you a product who has excellent product quality.
Disadvantages of CNC Turning:
1. CNC Turning operation is not easy to control therefore requires highly trained worker.
2. Its maintenance requires tremendous technicalities with highly skilled person.
3. CNC Turning operation is not easy to control.
CNC Milling:
A process in which rotating cutting tool is directed towards stationary work piece for the required removal of the material is called CNC Milling. Multi point cutting tool is used in CNC Milling. It deals with workpieces having flat and irregular geometric shape. CNC Milling produces discontinuous chips while cutting the workpiece in intermittent stroke. Especially used for grooving and gear making purposes. The CNC Milling process initiates with 2D and 3D design. Then the whole design is converted into compatible CNC file format and converted by CAM software into CNC machine programmed which commands the actions of machine and the movement of the tool. The CNC Milling process employs horizontal and vertical CNC enabled milling machines depending upon the specifications and requirements of the milling applications and rotating multipoint cutting tool such as mills and drills.
The most common CNC Milling operations include:
• Face milling
• Plain milling
• Angular milling
• Form milling
Almost every material can be machined using CNC Milling. The most common examples include metals, aluminum, steel alloys, brass, plastics, foam, composites and wood can also be machined. CNC machining is also used to machined vast range of automotive and aerospace parts such as Exhaust parts, Bushings, Suspension components, Fluid system components, and in aerospace industry, hydraulic manifolds, transmissions, fuel bodies, landing gear, electrical connectors, housings and many more parts can be machined using CNC Milling.
Benefits of CNC Milling:
1. The milling cutter is a kind of multi-tooth tool, each tooth on the milling cutter contributes in the work sporadically, which results in good cooling conditions for the cutting tool, high durability, enhanced cutting speed and enhanced productivity.
2. CNC Milling can produce a wider range of products than the planer, so it can almost replace the planer.
3. CNC milling is perfect for rapid prototyping and mass production.
4. A large number of productions can be done in a short time.
5. Furthermore, the same products with exact specifications can be produced as original design numerous times.
6. CNC Milling has computerized numerically control to confirm the accuracy and precision of final products.
7. Automation reduces the number of operators and labor costs but recollects the quality.
8. It permits complex design, geometries, specifications, and tasks.
9.It has good adaptability and flexibility in milling parts processing.
Disadvantages of CNC Milling:
1. The CNC milling machine is more expensive than manual instruments.
2. The workers who operate milling machines needs proper training
3. It takes too much time for design and programming, and not so cost-effective for small amounts of products.
CNC Turning VS CNC Milling
CNC Turning
CNC Milling
Cutting Tool
Single Point
Multi Point
Work Piece keeps rotating for the removal of material
Cutting Tool keeps rotating for the removal of material
Work Piece Geometry
Cylindrical or Conical surfaces
Flat and Irregular surfaces
Cutting Stroke
Continuous cutting
Intermittent cutting
Chip removal
Continuous, Discontinuous and fragmented |
Texas School Counselors
Texas, also known as “The Lone Star State”, prides itself on positive culture and friendliness. This attitude is definitely carried over into the educational and school counseling systems.
School counselors in Texas work hard to reduce school dropout rates, improve academic performance, and encourage participation in higher education. With grit and determination, these professionals influence students in positive, productive ways to ensure their overall success.
While Texas may be thought of as the ranching capital of the United States, it can also be known as one of the leading states in effective school counseling. As students’ needs continue to increase, school counselors are there to meet those needs and provide the best opportunities throughout the state.
What do Texas school counselors do?
The Texas Model for School Counseling Programs provides a developmental framework for school counseling programs and curriculum to include activities that enhance every student’s educational, career, personal, and social development.
It’s true that both educators and parents are challenged to help their students towards an even higher level of achievement to meet the demands of an increasingly rigorous curriculum. School counselors are trained to identify these demands and develop programs to guide every type of learner towards academic success.
Here are a few key things a Texas school counselor does:
1. Assist with college/career planning and readiness
While it is common knowledge that school counselors are there to guide students towards college and career paths, it is less-known that school counselors develop individualized programs to help students find the best colleges or universities that fit their strengths and higher education goals. School counselors in Texas work with students and parents to find the best schools, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities. This eliminates wasted time and money, while directing students towards the right college and career path.
2. Maintain a holistic view of the students’ overall academic plans and progress
School counselors have access to students’ performance in every subject. This includes their academic history, assessments, and test scores. This comprehensive view is then utilized to work with students individually and in small groups to assist them in establishing goals and exploring post-secondary options. By keeping all of these factors in mind, counselors are able to guide student’s according to their strengths, while helping them overcome academic weaknesses.
3. Help students increase their knowledge and skills in interpersonal effectiveness and personal safety
As school climates have changed in recent years, more and more emphasis is put on school and student safety. School counselors are trained and equipped to increase student knowledge about safety awareness and preparedness. They are also equipped to offer crisis prevention when needed and are some of the first to respond to emergency events.
4. Collaborate with teachers, parents, and communities
Texas school counselors are the first to recognize that it takes a team to raise the next generation to be productive members of society. That’s why they work closely with teachers, parents, and their communities to help all students recognize their potential and move forward successfully.
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Why should someone consider becoming a school counselor in Texas?
Job Market Trends
Texas School Counselor Salary (average) 1
Number of School Counselors Employed 1
Projected employment growth in Texas 2
14.3% from 2018 - 2028
1.) May, 2020 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job market and salary figures for Educational, Guidance and Career Counselors and Advisors represents state data not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed July, 2021.
2.) School Counselor projections data pulled from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections in collaboration with Texas State Employment Projections. Data accessed July, 2021.
For people who enjoy working with youth and would like to make a lasting impact on America’s students, becoming a school counselor might be the perfect fit. Truly, they are invaluable professionals in the state of Texas and beyond.
Here are a few reasons why someone should consider becoming a school counselor in Texas:
• School counselors are recognized professionals within the eduction system and community.
• The work of a school counselor is high-quality, specialized work that is unique to the trained professional.
• There is a growing need for school counselors in every state, including Texas.
With a spirit of positivity and friendliness, school counselors in “The Lone Star State” work hard to improve academic performance and encourage participation in higher education. These professionals make a lasting impact on students in positive ways, to ensure their success in high school and beyond.
Contact schools offering school counseling or mental health counseling programs and learn how you can begin a career as a Texas School Counselor.
Whether you are from Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Arlington, Corpus Christi, or anywhere else across the state, you will find school counseling a highly rewarding and respected career.
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Short Guide: What Is Greenwashing And How To Avoid It
Ever heard of the phrase greenwash?
Do you communicate your green credentials to customers and prospects?
If so you should be aware of the reputation costs of getting your communications wrong because of real or perceived greenwash.
In this short guide we explain what greenwash is and how you can avoid it.
What is greenwash?
Greenwash is an environmental claim which is unfounded, misleading or an inflated claim about environmental credentials. It can be made about people, organisations, and products and is found in advertising, PR and packaging.
Why is greenwashing a problem?
Consumers have started to send strong environmental signals through their purchasing behavior; environmental awareness of the public is ever increasing. This is pushing businesses to clean up their environmental act.
However, consumers often rely on advertising and other corporate messaging to inform their purchasing choices. Greenwashing undermines confidence in the integrity of product and service claims.
Unfortunately, confidence is now at an all-time low, with only 10% of consumers trusting green information from business and government.
Without confidence in the claims, consumers are reluctant to exercise the power of their green purchasing, as they no longer know who or what to believe.
This puts ‘green consumerism’ in danger and might damage the honest circle of companies promoting their green products, consumers choosing them over non-green products thereby encouraging business towards greater greenness.
Greenwash is the spanner in the works that could damage the whole environmental movement within a business.
How to Avoid Greenwashing
There are four ways you can avoid greenwashing in your marketing:
1. Ensure your claims can be substantiated with evidence. Where possible keep facts and figures of all claims
2. If you are going to use green terminology (i.e. environmentally friendly, carbon neutral) make sure you understand the definition and implications of the words you use
3. Do not promote your environmental credentials if you have a critical relationship (i.e. supplier, customer, partner) with an organisation that has a very large and direct impact on the environment
4. Do not retrofit a green marketing strategy to a product or service that has not been specifically designed to have environmental attributes
If you plan to communicate your green credentials, we highly recommend you read our article: Green Marketing – How to win the hearts and minds of your customers
About the Author Staff Writer
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PLA is Polylactic Acid, a new generation eco-friendly material that can be completely bio-degraded from
the microorganisms and enzymes in soil, therefore its products are 100% environmentally friendly.
The source ingredients in PLA are natural sugars from grains such as Corn, Cassava, Sugar Cane and Sugar Beet.
In its base form, PLA is produced in the form of small spherical “pellets”, about 3 millimeters in diameter.
The pellets are then extruded and turned into PLA-fiber yarns for fabrics and textiles, and bioplastic products.
Production of corn-based PLA textiles uses 65% less energy and generates 68% fewer greenhouse gases vs. similar
production from petroleum.
The PLA production process is somewhat similar across the four main natural inputs:
The natural starches from corn, cassava, sugar beet or sugar cane are harvested and decomposed to form
dextrose through hydrolysis.
The lactic acid molecules contained in dextrose are then transformed into rings of lactide by a 2-step process.
The rings of lactide are subsequently opened and linked together to form a long chain of polylactide polymer
through the process of polymerization.
A chain of polymer can consist of tens of thousands of units linked together and is formed into PLA pellets at
macro level.
Once the raw materials are manufactured into PLA pellets, they are brought through a series of transformative processes such as drying, melting and extruding, which results in eco-friendly fibers for further use in fabrics and textiles or other products such as plastics.
PLA-based textiles combine the basic physical characteristics of synthetic fibers and the biocompatibility and biodegradability of natural fibers, with preferable hydrophilicity, crimp-ability, dye-ability and UV resistance.
Furthermore, textiles made from PLA fibers are not only smooth and soft, wrinkle free and non-irritative to skin, but have the following performance characteristics:
Eco Supreme is dedicated to leading a revolution of sustainable, eco-friendly biomaterials, where the traditional applications of synthetic fibers, cotton and silk are replaced by Eco Supreme’s green PLA products in a wide range of industries such as bedding, garments, kitchen, kids&baby, daily use and so on.
Years of research and development have led to Eco Supreme’s innovative and optimized PLA process, which substantially lowers the cost of production, significantly reduces lead times, and guarantees competitiveness.
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International Indigenous Economic Law: A new approach to an existing paradigm
While globalisation and economic interdependence has helped improve economic growth across the world—its benefits have disproportionately benefitted a few. Sergio Puig’s book situates the impact of globalization and international economic law (IEL) on Indigenous peoples who make up 5% of the global population, but continue to account for 15 percent of the extreme poor. Many scholarly works have aimed to examine and analyse the position of Indigenous peoples under international law, particularly within the context of international human rights law (Indigenous Peoples in International Law, Indigenous Peoples as Subjects of International Law). Other academics have also studied the impact of globalization on Indigenous peoples, within the framework of international human rights law and international trade law—with Manuel and Schabus (Indigenous Peoples at the Margin of the Global Economy: A Violation of International Human Rights and International Trade Law) noting how the international trade agreements often threaten to undermine the rights of Indigenous peoples.
While many social, economic, political and cultural factors contribute to the struggles of Indigenous communities, the demands of globalization and the turn to a neo-liberal economy have exacerbated economic exploitation of these communities resulting in displacement, loss of livelihood and threats to their cultural heritage. In explaining the systemic effects of globalization on Indigenous peoples, Puig coins the phrase “the cycle of susceptibility and exclusion” (Chapter 2). His interdisciplinary approach to this concept is novel, and relies extensively on studies in law, economics and development to highlight the political and economic factors contributing to this cycle (p. 25). Puig correctly points out that while seminal works have spoken about the new wave of ‘discontent’ against globalization—particularly in the context of Trump’s election and the 2016 Brexit vote, they have failed to give sufficient recognition to the issues and challenges faced by Indigenous peoples in this context.
Puig’s most important contribution to the existing literature comes through the astute observation that the manner in which international human rights law and international economic law have developed, have resulted in “separate, almost independent fields” (p. 36). It is in this context that the author proposes the development of “international indigenous economic law” (p. 104) to forge new ways to explore the intersection of international economic law and Indigenous rights, and help build frameworks that can positively impact the protection of Indigenous rights.
To substantiate his argument, Puig provides an extensive overview of the various kinds of protections offered to Indigenous peoples under intellectual property law, trade, finance and investment. He explores the experiences of various Indigenous communities under each of these economic regimes through eight case studies or “vignettes” (Chapter 4) to describe the role IEL and Indigenous struggles. The case studies provide avenues to draw interesting observations and conclusions: in one case, communities comprising of a “well-endowed tribe, empowered by law” (p. 85) were successful in protecting their rights, while in another the safeguard mechanisms of international financial institutions played a crucial role in protecting Indigenous rights.
By and large, while there have been some successes and failures, Puig notes that mechanisms developed under IEL—notably under intellectual property law and finance, have been instrumental in mainstreaming the debate on Indigenous rights. For instance, in intellectual property law, he details the tension between ‘indigenous and “western” notions of property rights, individual and collective ownership and differentiation and commoditization of knowledge’ (p. 46), and later argues that this seemingly inherent conflict has helped generate “new standard, metrics and tools” (p. 116) which provide pathways to approach the norms underpinning global economic interdependence in a less mercantilist way.
The discourse on safeguards for Indigenous peoples under intellectual property rights and finance have given way to provisions, mechanisms and undertakings to protect Indigenous rights. For instance, in organizations such as WTO and WIPO efforts have been made to discuss and highlight the importance of protecting Indigenous rights, while a few regional trade agreements—such as the CP-TPP—have succeeded in taking cognizance of intellectual property rights of Indigenous peoples in their provisions. Such developments in the negotiation of regional trade agreements speak to the importance according by domestic governments to Indigenous rights and the propensity of negotiating countries to accept them.
However, such positive developments have escaped most international trade and investment regimes, where specific protections from Indigenous peoples are rare or relatively weak (p. 75). In some cases, rights guaranteed under human rights treaties may come to the rescue of protecting Indigenous peoples. However, oftentimes ad hoc tribunals (particularly under investment regimes) either lack experience in human rights law or do not have the jurisdiction to find international actors in breach of international law (p. 79). An interesting point to explore in future studies would be the influence of diplomacy and politics on inter-state trade and disputes between countries—particularly those involving Indigenous rights. Some empirical papers (Legalization, diplomacy, and development: Do investment treaties de-politicize investment disputes?) have suggested that the legalization of disputes (through investor state dispute settlement) have been insufficient in de-politicising disputes, when an MNC from a large, developed nation is involved in an investment dispute with a weaker, developing country—a finding that can impact the protection of Indigenous rights in developing countries.
With these observations and lessons, from Chapters 5 to 7, Puig aims to propose elements for a new framework to an existing paradigm through the term “international indigenous economic law”. With due regard to how future treaties are negotiated, he details a bottom-up approach which can help enhance and promote the legitimacy, neutrality, democracy and equality of future economic regimes. These methods highlight the importance of incorporating various mechanisms, such as, consultations, self-determination, consent and benefit sharing, among others. It is here that diplomatic divisions from countries with Indigenous communities, as well as nations with strong human rights traditions, must coalesce together, and push for reforms at the global stage on how Indigenous Peoples are included in the negotiations of economic treaties.
On one hand, while globalization has deepened inequalities, it has also accorded some positive benefits by improving economic growth, and reducing poverty rates. Sergio Puig acknowledges that the instruments of IEL may be insufficient by themselves to overcome the negative impact of globalization on Indigenous peoples. At the same time, Puig’s book is a significant scholarly undertaking for scrutinising the protection of Indigenous rights within IEL to understand how this existing paradigm can be reformed and revitalised to accommodate, recognise and safeguard such rights.
This book will be beneficial to lawyers, activists and researchers, who are engaged in working towards the protection of Indigenous Peoples across countries. Practitioners, diplomats and policymakers, who participate in treaty negotiations and international organisations will find this book to be an important resource to understand how the interests of Indigenous Peoples can be protected in future economic treaties and conventions. With the right interventions, the right framework and the right discussions, economic regimes and international law can—in fact—play a positive role in bringing Indigenous peoples from the margins, to the very heart of globalization.
This text is part of a joint symposium between International Law Agendas and the Indian Journal of International Economic Law
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Tree, (fr. arbre): the tree is a very common bearing in later heraldry, but is very rare, if used at all, in early arms. In the arms of Sir Rauf de CHEYNDUT the cheyne probably means only the acorn, as in the arms of MORIENS the leaves only of the mulberry-tree are intended. But in later arms several examples will be found, both of trees generally and special kinds of trees and shrubs(fr. arbustes). Amongst these are found the oak(fr. chêne), (the most frequent); apple(fr. pommier); orange(fr. oranger); fig(fr. figuier); ash(fr. frêne); elm(fr. orme and ormeau); hawthorn(fr. aubépin); holly(fr. houx); laurel(fr. laurier); maple; palm(fr. palmier); pine(fr. pin); fir(fr. sapin); cedar; cypress(fr. cyprès); poplar(fr. peuplier); willow(fr. saule); and yew. Also the leaves and branches of several other trees, e.g. beech(fr. hêtre); mulberry(fr. murier); olive(fr. olivier); walnut(fr. noyer); nut(fr. noisetier). (See Synopsis.)
In French arms, besides those noted above, have been observed, baume(balsam); buis(box); cormier(service-tree); châtagnier(chestnut); aubier(sap-wood); gui(mistletoe); neflier(medlar); but no English examples of these have been observed.
When the term tree only is named without any adjunct, it may be considered to be that of the oak, and may be drawn like the example given under that term. But more frequently it is subjected to some special treatment, e.g. it may have the appearance of being torn up by the roots, to which the term eradicated(fr. arraché) is applied(and this is a better term than erased, which should only be applied to parts of animals). The tree is often trunked, i.e. truncated(fr. étêté), pollard(fr. écimé), or lopped(fr. écoté); or it may be couped, so that the section is seen in perspective, and in that case the term snagged should be applied. Again it may be withered(fr. sec); or it may be broken, or blasted, or without branches(fr. ébranché). A full-grown tree is said to be accrued. A tree may be fructed(fr. fruité), and this applied to the oak(q.v.) would signify with acorns(fr. englanté). When the trunk is a different tincture from the rest of the tree the French use the term fûté.
Argent, a tree growing out of a mount in base vert, in chief three mullets gules--WATT, Scotland.
Argent, on a mount in base a branched tree vert--BARETREY.
Gules, the stem and trunk of a tree eradicated as also couped, in pale, sprouting out two branches argent--BOROUGH, Leicester.
Per pale argent and gules, a lion rampant of the first on the sinister side, supporting a tree eradicated proper on the dexter--WINSTONE, co. Brecknock.
Gules, an oak-tree eradicated proper; crossing the stem and near the root a greyhound courant argent--BOLGER, Arklow, Ireland.
Argent, an oak-tree erased proper; over all a fesse wavy azure--NEAL.
On a mount a withered tree; in sinister a representation of a cherub's head with wind issuing therefrom towards the tree; on a chief an eagle displayed crowned with a celestial crown--PIOZZI.
Argent, a tree in bend couped at the top and slipped at the bottom sable--TANKE.
Argent, an arm proper, habited gules, issuing out from the side of the escutcheon and holding the lower part of a broken tree eradicated vert, the top leaning to the dexter angle--ARMSTRONG, Scotland.
Coupé d'or et de gueules, à l'arbre sec au naturel brochant sur le tout--BESCOT, Ile de France.
D'argent, à un murier(mulberry) de sinople fûté de sable; et un chef d'or chargé d'une tête de Maure de sable tortillée d'argent--MOREL, Burgundy.
But besides the trees themselves, parts of trees are frequently borne. We find the trunk(fr. tronc d'arbre), stock, stem, stump(fr. souche), or body, the terms appearing to be used indiscriminately by heralds, but meaning the same thing; these are generally blazoned as couped, and if not it is implied; they are also frequently eradicated, and it should be stated when they have branches(as in the arms of BOROUGH above) or slips, as in the arms of STOCKDEN below.
We find also the term limb used, and this is generally represented raguly(similar to which, perhaps, is the fr. noueux). It should be drawn so as to give the appearance of wood, and not to be mistaken for a fesse or bend raguly; and its positions should be denoted; if not it should be drawn in pale.
We next find branches(fr. branches), boughs(fr. rameaux), twigs, sprigs, slips, and the term scrogs: to these terms certain differences are assigned, but the rules laid down are not very rigorously followed. The branch, if unfructed, should consist of at least three slips, but if with fruit then four leaves are sufficient; the sprig should have at least five leaves, the slip should have but three. The branches represented borne in the beaks of doves are no doubt olive branches. Many of the terms noted on the previous page as applied to the tree are also found applied to the branches, &c. As to staved branches(if the word is not a misreading of starved=withered), it may mean that they are lopped to represent staves.
Gules, the trunk of a tree eradicated and couped[otherwise snagged] in pale, sprouting two slips argent--STOCKDEN, Leicester.
Vert, three trunks of trees raguly and erased argent--STOCKTON, Ipswich, co. Suffolk.
Argent, three trunks of trees, couped under and above sable--BLACKSTOCK, Scotland.
Argent, the trunk of an oak-tree sprouting afresh--HERE.
De gueules, deux troncs écotés d'or passés en sautoir soutenant une tour donjonnée de deux tourelles d'argent--LA SALLE DE PUYGERNAND, Auvergne.
Argent, three stocks[or stumps] of trees couped and eradicated sable--RETOWRE.
Argent, three stocks of trees couped and eradicated sable, sprouting anew--GEALE, Ireland.
Per fesse, argent and azure, a stock[or trunk] of a tree couped and eradicated in bend or--AHLEN.
Argent, the stem of a tree couped and eradicated in bend proper--HOLDSWORTH, Warwick.
Gules, the stem of a tree couped at both ends in bend or--BRANDT.
Argent, a fesse embattled gules, in base a stump of a tree proper--RICHARDS.
Argent, three stumps of trees couped and eradicated vert--CORP.
Gules, a chevron between three stumps of trees or--SKEWIS, co. Cornwall.
D'or, a trois souches de sable--WATELET DE LA VINELLE, Flanders.
Argent, on a mount in base vert, the body of a tree sable, branched and leaved proper, between two lions rampant combatant gules--BOYS.
Gules, the limb of a tree with two leaves in bend argent--BESSE.
Argent, a limb of a tree raguled and trunked, with a leaf stalked and pendent on each side vert--BOODE.
Sable, an eagle displayed argent, armed or, standing on the limb of a tree raguled and trunked of the second--BARLOW.
Ermine, on a chevron sable, three withered branches argent--FRESE.
D'argent, à la branche de frêne de sinople posée en bande--BAUTHER.
De gueules, au saule[=willow] terrassé et étêté d'or, ayant six branches sans feuilles, trois a dextre trois a senestre; au chef cousu de France--Ville de MONTAUBAN.
Argent, a fesse vairy or and azure between three doves proper, bearing in their beaks a branch vert--BUCKLE, Warwick.
Argent, three staved branches slipped sable, two and one--BLACKSTOKE.
Per fesse, argent and gules, a bird standing upon the top of a tree vert, with a bell hanging from a sinister bough, and over all in base a fish on its back[otherwise blazoned, a salmon in fesse], with a ring in the mouth--City of GLASGOW.
Gules, three trefoils, the stalks embowed at the end, and fixed to a twig, slipped, lying fesswise argent--BROMMEN.
Argent, three sprigs conjoined in base vert; on a chief gules a crescent between two mullets of the field--CHAWDER, Scotland.
Argent, a slip of three leaves vert--BROBROUGH.
Or, a chevron azure between two scrogs in chief, and a man's heart in base proper--SCROGIE, Scotland.
Argent, three scrogs blasted sable--BLASTOCK of that Ilk. [Cf. BLACKSTOCK above.]
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Engineering LibreTexts
13-A.2: env / alias / PATH / time
• Page ID
• The env Command
The env command is used to print environment variables. It is also used to run a utility or command in a custom environment. In practice, env has another common use. It is often used by shell scripts to launch the correct interpreter. In this usage, the environment is typically not changed.
Environmental Variable Meaning View Variable by Entering:
HOSTNAME Name of this computer. echo $HOSTNAME
HISTSIZE Number of commands kept in the history defaults to 500. echo $HISTSIZE
HOME Home directory of the current user. echo $HOME
LANG Used to determine the locale category for any category not specifically selected with a variable starting with LC_. echo $LANG
PATH Search path for commands. It is a colon-separated list of directories where the shell looks for commands being entered. echo $PATH
PS1 Current prompt settings. echo $PS1
TERM Login terminal type. echo $TERM
export TERM=vt100
SHELL Path to login shell. echo $SHELL
EDITOR Name of default text editor for this user. export EDITOR=/usr/bin/vim
You can view all environment variables set on your system with the env command. The list is long, so pipe the output through more to make it easier to read:
$ env | less
It can appear that there are several ways to set and view variables, and environmental variables in Linux. The table below is to help sort out the differences.
Command What it does
declare Declare variables and give them attributes. If no names are given, then display the values of variables instead.
env Without any options, shows current environment variables with their values; However can be used to set environment variable for a single command with the -i flag.
export Makes shell variables environment variables.
Linux PATH Variable
When you type a command into your Linux shell, it doesn't look in every directory to see if there's a program by that name. It only looks to the ones you specify. How does it know to look in the directories mentioned above? It's simple: They are a part of an environment variable, called $PATH, which your shell checks in order to know where to look.
Sometimes, you may wish to install programs into other locations on your computer, but be able to execute them easily without specifying their exact location. You can do this easily by adding a directory to your $PATH. To see what's in your $PATH right now, type this into a terminal:
pbmac@pbmac-server $ echo $PATH
You'll probably see the directories mentioned above, as well as perhaps some others, and they are all separated by colons. Now let's add another directory to the list.
Set your PATH
Let's say you wrote a little shell script called and have it located in a directory called /place/with/the/file. This script provides some useful function to all of the files in your current directory that you'd like to be able to execute no matter what directory you're in.
Simply add /place/with/the/file to the $PATH variable with the following command:
export PATH=$PATH:/place/with/the/file
The script anywhere on the system should now be found by just typing in its name, without having to include the full path as you type it.
Set the PATH Permanently
When the computer is restarted or a new terminal instance gets created the addition to the path is gone! This is by design. The variable $PATH is set by the shell every time it launches, but it can be set so that it always includes the new path with every new shell that gets opened. The exact way to do this depends on which shell is being run.
Not sure which shell is running? If you're using pretty much any common Linux distribution, and haven't changed the defaults, chances are you're running Bash. But you can confirm this with a simple command:
pbmac@pbmac-server $ echo $0
That's the "echo" command followed by a dollar sign ($) and a zero. $0 represents the zeroth segment of a command (in the command echo $0, the word "echo" therefore maps to $1), or in other words, the thing running your command. Usually this is the Bash shell, although there are others, including Dash, Zsh, Tcsh, Ksh, and Fish.
For Bash, simply add the line from above - export PATH=$PATH:/place/with/the/file - to the appropriate file that will be read when your shell launches. There are a few different places where you could conceivably set the variable name: potentially in a file called ~/.bash_profile, ~/.bashrc, or ~/.profile. The difference between these files is (primarily) when they get read by the shell. If you're not sure where to put it, ~/.bashrc is a good choice.
For other shells, you'll want to find the appropriate place to set a configuration at start time; ksh configuration is typically found in ~/.kshrc, zsh uses ~/.zshrc. Check your shell's documentation to find what file it uses.
The alias Command
A Bash alias is a method of supplementing or overriding Bash commands with new ones. Bash aliases make it easy for users to customize their experience in a POSIX terminal. They are often defined in $HOME/.bashrc or $HOME/bash_aliases (which must be loaded by $HOME/.bashrc).
Most distributions add at least some popular aliases in the default .bashrc file of any new user account. These are simple ones to demonstrate the syntax of a Bash alias:
alias ls='ls -F'
alias ll='ls -lh'
Not all distributions ship with pre-populated aliases, though. If you add aliases manually, then you must load them into your current Bash session:
pbmac@pbmac-server $ source ~/.bashrc
Otherwise, you can close your terminal and re-open it so that it reloads its configuration file. To find if any aliases are currently configured, simply use the alias command.
pbmac@pbmac-server $ alias
alias egrep='egrep --color=auto'
alias fgrep='fgrep --color=auto'
alias grep='grep --color=auto'
alias l='ls -CF'
alias la='ls -A'
alias ls='ls --color=auto'
So, if you get tired of typing 'ls -al' - you can use alias to create the ll command
pbmac@pbmac-server $ alias ll='ls -al'
pbmac@pbmac-server $ alias
alias egrep='egrep --color=auto'
alias fgrep='fgrep --color=auto'
alias grep='grep --color=auto'
alias l='ls -CF'
alias la='ls -A'
alias ll='ls -al'
alias ls='ls --color=auto'
The time Command
The time command in Linux is used to execute a command and prints a summary of real-time, user CPU time and system CPU time spent by executing a command when it terminates. 'Real' time is the time elapsed wall clock time taken by a command to get executed, while 'user' and 'sys' time are the number of CPU seconds that command uses in user and kernel mode respectively.
time [ OPTION ] [COMMAND]
To see how much time it takes to run the ls -l command on a specific directory we can use:
pbmac@pbmac-server $ time ls -l > /dev/null
real 0m0.004s
user 0m0.000s
sys 0m0.004s
Meaning the real clock time was 0.004 seconds, 0.0 seconds running in user space, and 0.004s running in system space.
Adapted from:
"env command in Linux with Examples" by Prasoon_Mishra, Geeks for Geeks is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
"env" by Multiple Contributors, Wikipedia is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
"How to set your $PATH variable in Linux" by Jason Baker, is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
"time command in Linux with examples" by DrRoot_, Geeks for Geeks is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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© Gini Gorlinski
The Kayan are one of a group of native peoples of the island of Borneo. Together these peoples are known as the Dayak. In the Malaysian part of the island, they are found mainly along the Baram, Bintulu, and Rajang rivers in the state of Sarawak. In Indonesian Borneo, the Kayan live mainly near the headwaters of the Kayan River and along the Mahakam and Kapuas rivers. In Indonesia the Kayan, along with their neighbors the Kenyah and several smaller groups, are often called the Bahau.
Historically, Kayan villages were located along the banks of rivers that were navigable by canoes. These settlements consisted of one or more longhouses, each of which could contain 50 or more family apartments. By the early 21st century many Kayan had abandoned longhouses in favor of separate family units, particularly in Indonesian Borneo. In addition, a significant segment of the population have moved from inland villages to towns and cities closer to the coast.
Rural Kayan are still mostly farmers, growing rice for their own use on clearings in the rainforest. They also obtain food by fishing, hunting, and collecting fruit from the forest. In the past, many of the Kayan were skilled blacksmiths, noted for their fine craftsmanship and traditional art.
Photograph by airforceJK. Honolulu Academy of Arts, gift of The Christensen Fund, 2001 (10197.1)
The Kayan once practiced headhunting and frequently fought with the Iban and other Dayak peoples. Their traditional religion was a form of animism in which individuals known as shamans were believed to have the ability to heal the sick and to communicate with the spirit world. Today most Kayan people are Christian. In the early 21st century the Kayan population was estimated at about 30,000. |
Tibial Muscular Dystrophy
Tibial muscular dystrophy is a form of distal muscular dystrophy in which there is weakness and atrophy (wasting) in the ankle muscles, progressing to the muscles of the shinbone or tibia in the front of the lower leg. Also called Udd distal myopathy, this type of muscular dystrophy is particularly prevalent in Finland, affecting at least one in every 10,000 people.
Causes and inheritance
Tibial muscular dystrophy is caused by a mutation in the TTN gene that carries the instructions to make a protein called titin. The TTN gene is located on chromosome 2; inheriting one mutated copy of the TTN gene from the mother or the father is sufficient to have tibial muscular dystrophy. Therefore, an affected individual has a 50 percent risk of passing on the condition to his or her children.
The titin protein plays a vital role in both skeletal and heart muscles. It provides stability and flexibility to sarcomeres — specialized structures in the cells that are responsible for muscle contraction. Mutations in the TTN gene cause the production of faulty titin protein, which is altered in structure and function. The defective titin protein interferes with the function of sarcomeres, disrupting normal muscle contraction.
Chemical signaling is an essential process that governs cell communication and coordinates various activities inside cells. Titin protein is also known to play an important role in chemical signaling between cells. Thus, mutations in the TTN gene can also affect this function.
It is not clear why the effect of mutations in the TTN gene is limited to muscles in the lower leg.
The severity of symptoms of tibial muscular dystrophy is governed by the type of TTN mutation and varies from patient to patient.
The onset of symptoms is usually around age 35, and the condition progresses very slowly. In patients with the mildest form of tibial muscular dystrophy, symptoms can go unnoticed.
The strength of the muscles just below the ankle can be affected by ankle muscle weakness. Tibial muscle weakness can affect the up-and-down movement of the foot. Therefore, patients with tibial muscular dystrophy may find it difficult to walk on their heels, although walking may not be severely impaired in earlier stages of the condition.
As the condition progresses, the long-toe extensor muscles, which help toes extend, can become weak. These muscles lift the toes upward. Weakness and wasting of long-toe extensors make it difficult to pick up the foot while walking, resulting in a condition called foot drop. This can cause clumsiness and difficulty walking. But despite the difficulties, most patients retain the ability to walk.
Although tibial muscular dystrophy usually affects only the muscles in the lower leg, some patients may experience muscle weakness in the thighs and other leg muscles, making walking moderately difficult. In rare instances, the condition may weaken the arm muscles.
The doctor will review the patient’s medical history and family health history, assessing the symptoms to diagnose tibial muscular dystrophy. The doctor will perform a physical exam and test muscle strength.
The doctor can determine the extent of muscle involvement using tests such as electromyography (EMG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and biopsy.
In EMG, a needle electrode is inserted into the muscle being assessed to determine its response to electrical stimulation. EMG helps determine whether muscle weakness and atrophy are due to the muscle itself or an underlying nerve disorder.
Imaging techniques such as MRI or CT can be used to visualize the extent of muscle damage. Large patchy lesions on the muscles and degeneration of tibial and ankle muscles are characteristic of tibial muscular dystrophy and can be confirmed with an MRI or CT scan.
A muscle biopsy may also be taken and analyzed to reveal tibial muscular dystrophy-specific changes in the muscles.
Mutation in the TTN gene is the only known cause of this type of distal muscular dystrophy. Therefore, the doctors may recommend DNA testing to identify mutations in the TTN gene to confirm the diagnosis.
Exercise to strengthen the ankle and tibial muscles can help slow muscle weakness. However, it should only be performed in consultation with a trained physiotherapist or occupational therapist.
Patients may be prescribed braces or ankle-foot orthosis to prevent foot drop and assist in walking. An occupational therapist should be consulted before using such devices.
In cases when foot drop is severe and corrective measures have not helped restore function, the doctors may recommend a surgical procedure called posterior tibial tendon transfer to restore muscle function.
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Interdisciplinary research between biology and physics aims to understand the cell and how it organizes internally. The mechanisms inside the cell are very complicated. LMU biophysicist Professor Erwin Frey, who is also a ...
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The cytosol or intracellular fluid (or cytoplasmic matrix) is the liquid found inside cells, that is separated into compartments by membranes. For example, the mitochondrial matrix separates the mitochondrion into compartments.
The contents of a eukaryotic cell within the cell membrane (excluding the cell nucleus), is referred to as the cytoplasm. In prokaryotes, most of the chemical reactions of metabolism take place in the cytosol, while a few take place in membranes or in the periplasmic space. In eukaryotes, while many metabolic pathways still occur in the cytosol, others are contained within organelles.
The cytosol is a complex mixture of substances dissolved in water. Although water forms the large majority of the cytosol, its structure and properties within cells is not well understood. The concentrations of ions such as sodium and potassium are different in the cytosol than in the extracellular fluid; these differences in ion levels are important in processes such as osmoregulation and cell signaling. The cytosol also contains large amounts of macromolecules, which can alter how molecules behave, through macromolecular crowding.
Although once thought to be a simple solution of molecules, multiple levels of organization exist in the cytosol. These include concentration gradients of small molecules such as calcium, large complexes of enzymes that act together to carry out metabolic pathways, and protein complexes such as proteasomes and carboxysomes that enclose and separate parts of the cytosol.
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What are we even talking about when we talk about snacking? Is snacking suspect #1 driving illness and obesity as some have suggested (notorious sugar hating Dr. Lustig among them). Or is snacking the health saving answer to many of your eating conundrums as many dietitians recommend?
As with many things, the devil is in the details. It all comes down to when you’re snacking, why you’re snacking, and what you’re snacking on. But before we get into that, we have to define what we even mean when we talk about snacking.
Snacking vs. Grazing
For an eating specialist, a small amount of food eaten between meals is defined as a “snack,” The point of this intake is to provide energy between times of larger intake defined as “meals.” To add to the confusion, sometimes a large snack is referred to as a “mini-meal.”
Critics however often use the term “snack” when they really mean “grazing.” Grazing is a form of eating characterized by mindlessness – that is grabbing small tastes of whatever is within sight. Classic instances of grazing include candy from a decorative bowl or bites leftover on a kids plate.
Grazing is distinct from snacking in three ways. In both cases a small amount is eaten between meals. But the eating in grazing is spontaneous rather than pre-planned and it’s primarily done mindlessly. Therefore, most grazing is not undertaken in response to physical hunger. A final distinction is that grazing typically refers to multiple very small amounts eaten throughout the day – a few candies here and a nibble there – whereas a snack generally refers to an amount of food eaten at once that while smaller than a meal is still substantial enough to be registered as intake by the stomach.
Because “grazers” aren’t eating in response to hunger or fullness they often end the day feeling (and sometimes believing) that they didn’t eat much. This isn’t meant to demonize grazing. Grazing can be a strategy that works for you or against you depending on your goals and the circumstance. It’s entirely possible that you don’t realize your physical hunger until you see a food option and then make a well-reasoned decision to have a few bites. Or that you have an emotional urge that can easily be satisfied with a taste.
Spontaneous vs. Pre-planned
To add to the confusion, snacks can also be spontaneous. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with spontaneously deciding to have a snack, especially when driven by hunger or a change in circumstances (dinner being delayed for instance).
However, it’s pre-planned snacks that are the star of the show. The reason for this is that the more you acknowledge your physical and emotional needs around food, the greater the chance of your making choices that best support your goals. When you pre-plan the bulk of your eating, including snacks and mini-meals, you have the best opportunity to ensure that the available choices will be a good match for your physical and emotional needs.
You can find the other parts of this series here: Part 1, Part 3, and Part 4. |
What is Altitude Sickness or AMS?
The science of altitude sickness
No matter how hard the authorities try, the bald fact is that altitude sickness on Kilimanjaro still kills more trekkers than any other cause.
This is despite the fact that the actual science behind altitude sickness is fairly simple to follow.
Let’s begin by looking at some basic basic facts:
Throughout the troposphere (ie from sea level to an altitude of approximately 10km), the air composition is always the same. That is say, it is composed of 20% oxygen and nearly 80% nitrogen.
So when you read that there is a lack of oxygen at the summit, that’s not strictly true. Oxygen still makes up 20% of the air at the top. So the problem is not lack of oxygen – but the lack of air pressure.
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To put it in more precise terms. Atmospheric pressure drops by about tenth for every 1000m of altitude. Thus the air pressure at the top of Kilimanjaro is approximately 40% of that found at sea level.
To put it in layman’s terms, each breath inhaled at the summit still consists of 20% oxygen. However, it becomes much harder to fill your lungs since the atmosphere is not ‘pushing’ so much air into them. As a result, every time you breathe on Kibo you take in only about half as much air – and thus oxygen – as you would if you took the same breath in Dar es Salaam.
Oxygen and us: the truth
This can, of course, be seriously detrimental to our health. Because oxygen is, after all, pretty essential to our physical well-being. All of our vital organs need it, as do our muscles. They receive their oxygen via red blood cells, which are loaded with oxygen by our lungs. These are then pumped around your body by our heart, delivering oxygen as they go. Problems arise at altitude when that most vital of organs, the brain, isn’t getting enough oxygen. As a result, it malfunctions. And because it’s the body’s central control room, if the brain malfunctions, so does the rest of you. The consequence of all this, of course, is often fatal.
There’s no evidence that standing in a bucket of water can cure altitude sickness – but it can’t hurt to try.
So how does a lack of oxygen lead to altitude sickness?
Fortunately, your body is an adaptable piece of machinery. In particular, it can adjust to the lower levels of oxygen that you breathe in at altitude. Unconsciously, you will start to breathe deeper and faster and your blood will thicken as your body produces more red blood cells. Your heart will also beat faster. As a result, your essential organs will receive the same level of oxygen as they always did.
But your body needs time before it can effect all these changes. Though the deeper, faster breathing and heart-quickening happen almost as soon as your body realizes that there is less oxygen available, it takes a few days for the blood to thicken. And with Kilimanjaro, of course, a few days is usually all you have on the mountain. As a consequence, the changes may simply not happen in time. The result, of course, is AMS.
The levels of AMS
AMS, or acute mountain sickness (also known as altitude sickness), is what happens when the body fails to adapt in time to the lack of air pressure at altitude. There are three levels of AMS: mild altitude sickness, moderate altitude sickness and severe altitude sickness.
On Kilimanjaro, it’s fair to say that most people will get some symptoms of the illness and will fall into the mild-to-moderate categories. Let’s look at the three categories in greater detail now.
Most people on Kilimanjaro will get at least mild mountain sickness. Having symptoms of mild AMS is not necessarily a sign that the sufferer should give up climbing and descend immediately. Indeed, most or all of the symptoms suffered by those with mild AMS will disappear if the person rests and ascends no further. If we assume the recovery is complete, the assault on the summit can continue.
The same goes for moderate AMS too, though here the poor individual and his or her symptoms should be monitored far more closely. Because the danger here is that they can easily get worse and developing into severe AMS. This is a lot more serious and sufferers with severe AMS should always descend immediately, even if it means going down by torchlight in the middle of the night.
The following pages describe the symptoms of the various levels of AMS, while further information can be found at the website of the British Mountaineering Council.
The symptoms of altitude sickness >>
How to avoid AMS >>
How to treat AMS >>
Altitude sickness – the latest research >> |
This water station was built by/provided by the government. I learned from my Guide that 20% of the cost to visit the Mountain Gorillas is turned back to the community, mostly for creating infrastructure. Basically, this water station is a roofed brick structure, open at the sides. In the front were 3 spigots, which people would use to file their containers with water.
These water stations are way better than using the water from local streams. When I saw children filling up their water cans from the brown stream, I would cringe. I am not saying the water was polluted; it’s just the ground in this areas is volcanic soil and very fertile and must be boiled before drinking.
663 million people without access
When we talk about the word’s water crisis, today 663 million people on our planet do not have access to clean, safe drinking water. Every 21 seconds, a child dies from a water-related disease. The job of collecting water tends to fall on women and children between the ages of eight and 13. As a result, women are often unable to get jobs or contribute financially to their households. Children are often unable to go to school or get an education due to the thousands of hours they have to spend annually just hauling water.
There are many private initiatives that have been created as a response to the scarcity of water. In this article, I will talk about three: using solar panels to power a well; harvesting fog and installing hand pump freshwater wells.
Harnessing Solar Power to Pump Water in Africa
Innovationbranding your business as socially responsible - world's water crisis Africa installs solar, water and irrigation systems in poor villages in Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Senegal and Cameroon.
Sivan Yaari, founder and chief executive of an Israeli charity, was drawn to this effort after seeing children during a visit to drought-stricken Africa over 10 years ago. She saw people living in total poverty. Children weren’t able to go to school. Former farmlands were dust due to scarcity of water. There was no hope.
“Africa is still in poverty because of the lack of energy” said Sivan. “And because there is no energy, people are still searching for water, because there is no energy to pump water.
Many children don’t attend school. Lack of food and – more important – water, had rendered them “too weak to walk”.
People were weak and unhealthy because the water was making them sick. There is water in Africa in the aquifers. What people need is energy to pump it up.
By bringing in and installing solar panels, Innovation Africa was able to not only pump water in a village so villagers did not have to walk for miles to get water…but by adding drip irrigation, they can grow food with it.
Said Yaari. “No more famine. Just by bringing them water, we changed the village.”
Innovation Africa has installed solar technology in more than 170 African villages. For businesses interested in sponsoring a well in rural Africa, it costs about $25,000 to bring both power and water into a village. This may not be the solution to the world’s water crisis, but it is a start.
Fog Harvesting in Morocco
Scarce water, compromised wells, and climate change-induced droughts have destabilized traditional Amazigh communities in Morocco.
Rural poor families in Aït Baamrane live in ecologically fragile zones where water is scarce. This region is only 20 miles from the Sahara Desert. It receives just about five and a half inches of rain a year — barely 10 percent of the global average.
Women and children were devoting 3.5 hours daily to the chore of fetching water. This kept children from attending school. The lack of rainfall water was a major concern for survival especially during the dry season, not only for humans, but for livestock. People who could, moved to cities; farming stopped and traditional culture suffered.
An organization called Dar Si Hmad researched the possibility that fog would provide a source of water to support this region. The area boasts an average of 143 foggy days a year in the nearby mountains.
At the top of nearby Mount Boutmezguida, Dar Si Hmad has installed 15 honeycomb-shaped nets that have the capabilities of turning fog into as much as 5,000 of gallons of water a day. This is enough to service all the local villagers, whose average use is just under seven gallons of water a day.
The Cloudfisher
cloudfisher nets - a solution to the world's water crisis
Rebecca Rosman, a journalist from Paris reported on a German technology called Cloudfisher. These are the nets installed at the top of Mount Boutmezguida. These nets captures fog as it rolls off the Atlantic Ocean and can harvest thousands of gallons of water from the sky on foggy days and withstand winds of up to 75 miles an hour. Droplets condense on the nets and then fall into a basin and then through a filtration system before descending through pipes to the surrounding villages.
Now, all 1,200 villagers living there have access to safe drinking water. Village traditions are coming back; children are able to attend school; farmers can farm and the area is stable and secure.
Is this a global solution to the world’s water crisis?
Around 40 percent of the world’s population faces water shortages. That includes some two billion without safe drinking water and over 4.5 billion living without proper sanitation.
The fog harvesting process can only work in certain parts of the world. First, there has to be a mountain range. And second, there needs to be a nearby body of water. This particular area, Ait Bamraane, had both.
While fog harvesting isn’t a solution that can work everywhere, similar projects are underway in the mountainous regions of Yemen, Chile, Mexico and South Africa.
Installing Hand Pumps in El Salvador for Freshwater Wells
El Salvador has a population of 6.29 million people, is located on the Pacific coast between Guatemala & Honduras and is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. The life expectancy is 72 years and the mortality rate of children under age five is 16/1000. The average annual income (GNI) per capita is $3,580.00 USD.
El Salvador has the second-highest number of homicides in the world, registering 69.2 violent deaths per 100,000 people.
40% of the population in El Salvador is made up of children, and 50% of the people live in extreme poverty
More than 25% of children under age five suffer from chronic malnutrition.
The Thirst Project is currently working in five countries, including El Salvador. Their goal is to provide access to a clean, safe water supply. This will enable children to go to school, women to have a job and allow farmers to develop sustainable agriculture production for food security. This can break the cycle of poverty.
The Thirst Project preferred method of implementing in the field is to build hand pumped freshwater wells. After they install the well, they undertake a program to train community members to maintain and repair these projects themselves for decades to come. According to the people at The Thirst Project, these wells should last 40+ years.
For $12,000, a Dealership can fund a well and change a whole village forever, giving women hope, children health, and the entire community a future!
Impact is a 2 way Street
We feel good about ourselves when we make an impact helping people. We also know that consumers place tremendous importance on the causes a brand supports. The world’s water crisis resonates with many consumers.
Studies continue to show that millennials and boomers prefer to do business with companies because of their ethics and social commitment.
This is an opportunity for a Dealership to become bigger than themselves by reaching outwards. Consumers look favorably on those dealership who are branded as investing in solutions to the world’s water crisis.
Reprinted from Water Conditioning & Purification Magazine, October 2019 issue |
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Three Tips For Learning A New Programming Language Fast
Forbes Technology Council
Thomas Griffin
Co-Founder and CTO of OptinMonster. Expert software architect with a deep knowledge of building products for the mass market.
Learning a new language is no easy task, and for programming languages, it’s no simpler.
There are many reasons people want to learn to code, with some doing it ultimately to start a new career and others because they enjoy it.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the demand for software developers will increase by 24% from 2016 to 2026. With the rise of technology year after year, the demand for coding isn’t going anywhere. Ultimately, your coding knowledge could land you a job as a developer if that’s the route you’re interested in.
With thousands of resources, boot camps, courses and online tutorials, people can now learn to code on their own and at a comfortable pace. Whether you're new to coding or an experienced programmer wanting to learn a new language, here are three tips to help you get started.
1. Take Advantage Of Online Resources
The internet gives you an endless wealth of information at your fingertips, and you should take full advantage of it. Learning a new program won’t happen overnight, but you can speed along the process with the right tools.
Based on a study conducted by Stanford University, experienced programmers rely primarily on four things when searching for information to learn a new coding language:
• Google searches
• Documentation
• Example code
• Q&A sites
What you need to do is find the right resources and tools to start.
• Codecademy is an entirely free, interactive online software that teaches you coding in up to 12 programming languages.
• Coursera provides online courses on programming languages taught by real professors.
• freeCodeCamp is a coding class that lets you work at your own pace and with a real team of developers to build solutions.
The more you practice writing code, the quicker you’ll succeed at learning it fluently.
• Git lets you take snapshots of your code as you practice creating it so that you can see the process in front of you. If you want to revert back to earlier code, you have the option to do so. It works well with both large and small projects.
• Stack Overflow is the largest online community of developers and programmers on the web. It partners with businesses to answer developers’ questions and help them with any errors.
2. Use Second-Language Acquisition
Learning any new program is no easy task. If you want to learn a programming language faster, you have to treat it the same way you’d treat learning a spoken language. Start by using second-language acquisition (SLA).
SLA is the process and method of learning a second language as well as the scientific disciplines that come with it.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University conducted a study about the effect of integrating SLA theories into learning a new programming language. The results showed that when students learned a new program with a cognitive framework, they were able to learn quicker and more effectively. In a cognitive framework, cognitions come before behavior and enhance a person’s perception, ability to process information, thinking patterns, problem-solving skills and more.
To succeed in learning a new program, you need to have a clear mental model. The study describes this as “how someone explains their thought process and how it operates in the real world through our experiences in life.” If you don’t possess a clear mental model of your programs and how they operate as systems, you may still be able to understand certain elements, but it’ll be difficult for you to grasp them in their entirety.
3. Don’t Cram Information
According to a research study performed by UCLA, cramming information is associated with more learning problems and less sleep. Your ability to retain information while cramming decreases, and your brain only remembers the beginning and end of your study sessions.
To overcome the urge to cram while learning a new programming language, set up a study schedule, and stick to it. It’s more beneficial to study in 20- or 30-minute blocks rather than hours at a time so you don’t experience fatigue, lethargy and boredom. It’s easier to stay motivated when you grant yourself breaks in between study periods for better focus and frame of mind.
If you’re trying to eventually learn several coding languages, which is very possible with enough time and effort, take one language at a time.
Over To You
If you’re thinking about learning a new programming language, these tips will help you do it faster. There’s no magic solution to suddenly understanding a new program, but patience and persistence will help you get there sooner. By applying methods of learning a second spoken language to learning a programming language, you’ll be able to grasp the material faster.
There’s also no better way to learn than to practice in real time. Take time every day to develop your own code, and test it for errors so you grasp the material quicker. Soon enough, you’ll be able to say you understand a new programming language.
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E.g., 01/23/2022
E.g., 01/23/2022
Migration Information Source
Photo of U.S. President Joe Biden delivering remarks in front of White House.
Katie Ricks/White House
While Donald Trump’s presidency is perceived as being the most active on immigration, touching nearly every aspect of the U.S. immigration system, President Joe Biden’s administration has far outpaced his predecessor in the number of executive actions taken during his first year in office—even as the pace of change has gone largely unnoticed, as this article explores.
Mother and daughter from Middle Eastern background
iStock/Phynart Studio
A Dutch family at Ellis Island between 1915 and 1920.
Library of Congress
Family members take a selfie at an airport in Greece.
IOM/Konstantina Mintzoli
Glenn Fawcett/U.S. Customs and Border Protection
John Hogg/World Bank
Recent Articles
The number of Central American immigrants in the United States has grown dramatically, amid political corruption, violence, and natural disasters in their native countries. But recent images of Central Americans arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border do not tell the whole story, with more than half the population arriving in 2000 or earlier. This article offers key data on the 3.8 million Central American immigrants in the United States.
A woman holding an Iranian flag at sunset.
The United States is home to the largest population of Iranian migrants in the world. More than half of Iranian immigrants in the United States live in California. This article explores key details of this immigrant population, which is older, more highly educated, and has significantly higher median household incomes than the U.S.-born and overall immigrant populations.
A private refugee sponsor in Canada plays with a boy.
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Until recently, the Venezuelan immigrant population in the United States was relatively small compared others from South America. But it has grown significantly, reaching 394,000 in 2018, as Venezuela's destabilization has driven large-scale emigration. Compared to other immigrants in the United States, Venezuelans have higher levels of education but are also more likely to live in poverty, as this Spotlight explores.
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Nearly 2.5 million Chinese immigrants lived in the United States in 2018—the third largest foreign-born population in the country. Chinese immigration has grown nearly seven-fold since 1980, and China became the top sending country of immigrants in the United States in 2018, replacing Mexico. Chinese immigrants tend to be highly educated and employed in management positions, as this Spotlight article explores.
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Faced with labor shortages in key sectors of the economy, South Korea has moved carefully in recent decades toward accepting greater numbers of workers—albeit in temporary fashion. Its Employment Permit System, launched in 2003, earned international accolades for bringing order and legality to immigration in the country, although several challenges remain to be addressed as this Country Profile explores.
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Although long one of the world's top migrant destinations, only in the recent past has Germany come to acknowledge and adjust to its role as a country of immigration. Its welcoming approach—a relatively new development—has been put to the test amid massive humanitarian inflows beginning in 2015. This country profile examines Germany's history on immigration and highlights current and emerging debates.
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One of the least developed countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has experienced significant migration outflows and inflows tied to political and economic crises in recent decades. While most Congolese migrants head to neighboring countries, destinations have diversified, with an uptick in those leaving for opportunities in Europe and beyond. This country profile explores historical and contemporary patterns of migration to and from DR Congo.
PB Jan2020 F2
The fate of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has ping ponged between all three branches of government. But with the Supreme Court poised to decide DACA's future in spring 2020, Congress may finally be forced to act to resolve the status of DREAMers after nearly two decades of considering various DREAM Act bills. Could this break the long stalemate Congress has had on passing substantive immigration legislation, and pave the way for other actions?
From online petitions to organized walkouts, corporate America is facing increasing employee activism over its business involvement with agencies implementing the federal government's immigration policies. This "cubicle activism," seen at companies ranging from Amazon and Google to Bank of America and Wayfair, has garnered mixed success to date, forcing divestiture from private prison contractors but fewer results in other contexts, as this article explores.
Buoyed by initial successes challenging Trump administration immigration actions such as the travel ban in federal court, many critics expected the judiciary to act as a brake on major changes to the immigration system. Yet the Supreme Court has repeatedly shown a willingness to affirm the executive branch's immigration policies, most recently permitting what is arguably the most significant asylum policy change in four decades to proceed.
Ideological differences in the Democratic Party over immigration that were once masked by unity against President Trump’s border wall and immigration agenda are now being exposed as Democratic presidential candidates seek to stand out in a crowded field and amid controversy over an emergency border spending bill. As the 2020 electoral calendar accelerates, how the party navigates the gulf between its most liberal and conservative wings will become a greater challenge for its leaders. |
Colorism in South Korea and its Reflections in K-pop
A deep dive into the issues of colorism and lookism in South Korea
Every country has its own beauty standards, and South Korea is no different. In a society where lookism has always been a controversial issue, colorism – the prejudice and discrimination of those with a darker skin tone, usually within the same ethnic group – is also prevalent in South Korean society. This is reflected in K-pop, the country’s music industry that has gained popularity around the world, particularly in the last decade. Although darker-skinned K-pop idols (both male and female) are deemed the “sexy” ones in their groups, they tend to receive more backlash purely because of their skin tone. Pale skin is favored in the industry and increases an idol’s brand reputation. Colorism in a South Korean context is rooted in feudal history and still has implications today.
Beauty Standards in South Korea
Ads for plastic surgery in Seoul, Korea. Photo Credit:; Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Ads for plastic surgery in Seoul, Korea. | Photo Credit:; Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Lookism is a serious issue in South Korea that continues to plague society. South Korea places a heavy emphasis on appearance and is known for its strict beauty standards. This is the reason why plastic surgery is a norm for most South Koreans. Seoul has become the plastic surgery capital, with the highest ratio of plastic surgery clinics in the world.
The idols we see in K-pop are all considered attractive by modern Korean society’s standards. Appearance is so important that there is the dedicated role of the “visual” in almost every K-pop group. This title is given to the member that fits Korean beauty standards the most, such as Jin from BTS and Cha Eunwoo from ASTRO. Fair skin is a characteristic that has long defined beauty in South Korea, just like many other countries around the world.
The Roots of Colorism in Korea
People with darker skin tones have been looked down upon since Korea’s feudal days, a few centuries ago. Skin tone was seen as a marker of social status and class. Having darker skin meant that they worked in the sun for longer durations of time, usually doing hard labor. Meanwhile, those who had fair skin were wealthy enough to not work in the sun. Since the upper class was thought to have lighter skin, people from lower classes wanted to imitate their appearance as they could not simply be wealthy and influential, but they could appear like it. In this manner, fair skin is linked to upward social mobility, high social status, wealth, and influence.
In the 20th century, when Korea became more exposed to the West, this pre-existing social norm clung to Korean society. Western societies were considered to be more modern and advanced, so fair skin maintained its superiority as these communities were made up entirely of white people. In more contemporary times, the media promotes fair skin as a beauty ideal, which has spawned a skin whitening industry. As a result, fair skin is still favored today.
Colorism and K-pop Idols
Photo Credit:
Photo Credit:
Colorism is a prevalent issue in the K-pop industry. Darker-skinned K-pop idols like Kai from EXO and Mingyu from SEVENTEEN have received more backlash domestically because they are naturally tan. On the other hand, some idols are praised for having milky white skin, such as Kyuhyun from Super Junior and soloist and former Miss A member Suzy. It’s clear that skin tone determines how idols are perceived.
Tiffany, Yuri and Hyoyeon in a Dior Snow Ad Photo Credit: Pintrest User Girls` Generation Universe
Tiffany, Yuri and Hyoyeon in a Dior Snow Ad | Photo Credit: Pintrest User Girls` Generation Universe
Entertainment companies have utilized some idols’ darker skin tones to build their sex appeal, therefore resulting in their group’s increasing popularity and success. In order to defend the negative social connotations tied to darker skin, companies have deemed those idols to spearhead their respective group’s sexy image. Kai stated that SM Entertainment instructed him to be “the member in charge of sexiness” even though he protested against it. Pale skin propagates a pure image, which is how K-pop idols are marketed to fans. Meanwhile, darker skin is seen as more “exotic,” giving them a sexy and fierce image that companies can profit from.
Idols generally adhere to this social norm and do what they can to appear to have fairer skin. Despite her acknowledgment of having darker skin, Yuri from Girls Generation was appointed to be the brand ambassador for Dior Snow UV BB Cream. Raina from After School has stated that she prefers to use light makeup because she is afraid that fans will deem her “not pretty enough” to be an idol and bombard her with negative comments. Netizens are notorious for leaving hateful comments on social media, which have had extremely harmful effects on the targeted idols.
Many fansites edit their idol’s skin to be lighter in photos, propagating the idea that having fairer skin is more ideal. Fansites are an integral contributor to fan culture in K-pop. Every idol has dedicated fansites that help to promote the group, boost album sales, and upload content of the idol onto various social media platforms. The photos they take go through heavy editing on Photoshop to make the idols look as desirable and beautiful as possible. Since fansite owners are usually from South Korea, they already have colorism ingrained into their minds from a young age (because of media); thus, many believe that fair skin is superior.
The global popularity of K-pop has helped to destroy the industry’s stronghold on colorism. International fans generally embrace their idols’ melanin and speak out against colorist values. On social media, many fansites that whitewash photos have been “blacklisted” by international fans. They encourage other fans to avoid and stop supporting such fansites and advocate for idols’ natural skin tone. Newer idols like Haechan from NCT and Sunwoo from The Boyz have not faced backlash because of their tanned skin and are praised for it.
As colorism has been so ingrained into Korean society for centuries, it will be hard for people to move past this social norm. Skin whitening is still a common practice and thriving in the beauty and cosmetics industry. However, advocacy from international K-pop fans can enable the industry to become a platform for society to embrace different skin tones and to leave colorism behind in the past
Overachiever Magazine was started by Rehana Paul in October of 2018 to give a platform to all Asian women, non-binary people, and other gender minorities.
Our name is poking fun at the stereotype that all Asians are overachievers, especially Asian women, non-binary people, and other gender minorities. It’s also in recognition of all of us who have had no choice but to be overachievers: managing societal expectations, family obligations, and educational opportunities, all while fighting the patriarchy.
We have grown since then, putting out bimonthly issues (we are contributor powered: apply to write for our next one!), and weekly reviews of culture, and news that is important to us.
You can find announcements, more news, and get to know our staff on social media: give us a follow, and learn how you can get involved today!
We do not claim to speak for all Asian women, non-binary people, and other gender minorities. We are just here to give them a place to speak for themselves.
We hope you’ll join us.
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Why is dowelling beneficial?
Shop for Dowels
A wood joint using only glue instead of being reinforced with dowels
While it’s possible to just glue two pieces of wood together to make a joint, there are multiple benefits to using dowels to reinforce them. These are listed below.
A t-butt dowelling joint being assembled by a DIYer to illustrate the strength of dowels
Dowel joints are strong and can withstand a lot of pressure without breaking.
Testing the strength of a dowel joint by standing on it
Various tool manufacturing companies have conducted tests to see just how strong dowel joints are in comparison to other methods of joinery.
Image illustrating the differences between dowel joints and mortise and tenon joints
According to those tests, dowel joints and mortise and tenon joints came out as the strongest types of joint.
Image showing that a reinforced dowelling joint is one that is made with multiple rows of dowels
Joints that use multiple rows of dowels are sometimes referred to as reinforced dowel joints. These were found to be stronger than homemade mortise and tenon joints.
Wonkee Donkee recommends using strong glue
DIYer constructing a drawer using dowelling edge and carcassing joints to show the accuracy and strength of dowels
If set up accurately, a dowel joint will ensure that you can only join your pieces of wood in perfect alignment, guaranteeing a neat result.
Diagram to show how a dowel holds 2 pieces of wood together and stops them from slipping around
Once a dowel joint is formed, it cannot slip, as the dowel pins hold it firmly in place.
Elaborate wooden shelves constructed precisely through the use of dowels
For this reason, dowel joints are used when making pieces of furniture that rely on frames, such as shelves and cabinets, to ensure accuracy during construction.
Image to illustrate how quickly a dowelling joint can be created
Dowel joints are quick to prepare and assemble.
For more information, see: How to use dowels to make wooden joints.
Dowelling jig available in some dowelling kits used for accurate location of dowels
When using a dowelling jig, this process becomes even faster.
DIYer using a dowelling jig to line up a dowel hole
Dowelling jigs are plastic or metal tools designed to act as templates that allow DIYers to accurately find the centre line of a wooden edge and drill evenly spaced dowel holes without having to use a measuring tape.
For more information, see Dowelling jigs
Image of a DIYer creating a mortise with a chisel which takes a lot longer than drilling a series of dowel holes and inserting dowels
Mortise and tenon joints, the direct competitor to dowel joints in terms of strength, take much longer to create than dowel joints. This is because this method requires square slots to be chiselled out of wooden boards, which is a time consuming process.
Image showing basic dowelling equipment: tape measure, drill, glue and dowels
It’s possible to make dowel joints with just a drill, dowels, glue and measuring equipment.
Image of a DIYer who has just found out how easy and quick dowelling can be
While accuracy is important and will take practice for an uninitiated woodworker, the process of dowelling is not complicated.
Advantages and disadvantages of using dowels
Image to indicate advantages and disadvantages
• Dowels create strong joints that are easy to make in a home workshop.
• The dowelling process is quick.
• You don’t need nails, screws or mountains of equipment.
• Dowelling ensures a neat finish.
• Dowel joints are one of the strongest types of joint in woodworking, especially when using multiple rows of dowels.
• Getting the alignment right can be difficult for beginners who are not using a dowelling jig.
• Mortise and tenon joints are sometimes regarded as being stronger, even if they take longer to construct.
Wonkee Donkee recommends the use of dowels |
Home > PRESERVATION > Preservation Achievement
Well Ruins
In 2006, the archaeologists discovered many wells remains within the site of Tang Dynasty West Market. The wells can be classified into 3 types: drawn water well, stored water well and seepage water well. The depth of the wells vary, the general depth of the stored water wells is about 4-6m and the diameter is about 1m, the wall of the wells was built by bricks. There also discovered the wedge-shaped stone components which were estimated are the part of stone steps of the well. |
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Self-help Library : Wellness
AIDS - What we all need to know
The truth that stares in our face is that "HIV infection is now common in India, exactly what the prevalence is, is not really known, but it can be stated without any fear of being wrong that infection is widespread. It is spreading rapidly into those segments that society in India does not recognize as being at risk. AIDS is coming out of the closet."
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Aids virus sex sexual concern HIV medication
• rakeshnegi1991
Very much informative.
• nelseq
You will get a lot of material on the internet. Refer the vancouver aids helpline. Some of the information are as below
1) It is tough for HIV to pass from one body to another unless through semen or blood
2) its germs die within fraction of a second when exposed to air.
3) Using a latex condom while intercourse makes it 99% effective of you not getting it
4) The virus take 3-4 weeks and max 6 months to get detected once it enters your body and HIV test is only way to know it.
5) You do not get HIV by fingering or any other kind of foreplay ( in which any other part of your body touches the sexual organ like the vagina,penis until you have a fresh bleeding wound)
• Siddharth
lots more to learn but the basics sound good. Its helps. |
City’s electricity power grid is under heavy load during on-peak hours throughout summer cooling season. As the result, many utility companies implemented the time-of-use rate of electricity leading to high electricity cost for customers with significant cooling needs. On the other hand, the need for electricity and/or cooling decreases greatly at night, creating excess electricity capacity for further utilization. An innovative ice energy storage system is being developed leveraging a unique supercooling-based ice production process. During off-peak hours the proposed system stores the low-cost electric energy in the form of ice; during on-peak hours the system releases the stored energy to meet extensive home cooling needs. Thus, it can not only reduce energy and cost of cooling, but also increase the penetration of renewable energies (especially wind energy). In this paper, the working principles of the system is presented along with the modeling details of the overall system and several key components. The Simulink model takes in hourly temperature and peak/off peak electricity cost data to dynamically simulate the amount of energy required and associated cost for cooling an average home. Both energy consumption and cost for homes using the cooling system with ice energy storage in two US cities have been compared with those using conventional HVAC cooling system. According to the model, huge reduction in energy cost (up to 3X) can be achieved over six months of cooling season in regions with high peak electricity rates. While only moderate reduction on energy consumption is predicted for the ice energy storage system, further energy reduction potentials have been identified for future study.
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An ancestral blog by Terrell Ledbetter the 10th g-grandson of Samuel Thomas Walker and 21st g-grandson of Sir John Thomas Walker (born 1285 Devon, England)
membury, england
picture of Membury, Devon, England
The first Walker in my tree, and countless others worldwide, was Robert Le Walker born about 1260 in England. After the Normans conquered England in 1066, the French custom of using surnames began to be used throughout England. In 1285 a son was born to Robert Le Walker in Membury, Devon, England named John Thomas Walker. This was the first use of the Walker surname in our line. Traditionally Walkers were found in middle to northern England but in this line, the Walkers were from southeast England, a rare occurance. John Thomas was dubbed a knight for his deeds and took the name Sir Thomas Walker before his death. England during this time was ruled by Edward I Longshanks, the monarch featured in the film “Braveheart” as it related to the battles with Scotland and the capture and torturing of William Wallace. King Edward I went on a Crusade to Acre in 1270 with about 1000 knights and the king found many battles with the Scots with William Wallace being captured in 1305.
A knight could be dubbed by another knight but usually was dubbed by a monarch. Once a knight, he proudly wore a white belt and golden spurs. In the middle ages, a knight was synonymous with warrior or nobleman. There were a strict set of rules for the knights.
mercy-humility-honor-sacrifice-fear of God-faithfulness-courage-civility
Considering the events of the time, I imagine John Thomas Walker earned his knighthood fighting for his monarch against the Scots.
Devon, England (Membury is near the south coast)
During this time the Court of the King’s Bench began to hear petitions for justice instead of the King himself. Also, Edward I Longshanks started using drawing and quartering for punishment of traitors.
This Walker line went as follows for two hundred fifty years:
Sir John Thomas Walker born 1285; William John Walker 1305; Sir Simon Walker 1325; William Walker 1355; Sir William Walker 1400; Sir William Walker 1424; Sir William Walker 1454; Sir George Townshend Walker 1490; Ruddington Walker 1513 and Thomas Walker 1538.
Thomas Walker born in 1538 had several sons, two of which are in my family ancestral line. Gervase Walker was born in 1556 in Ruddington, England, married Ealfie May and gave birth to a son Rev. George Walker who became the patriarch of my mother’s Walker ancestors. See my blog about Col. John Walker (1728-1796) about this family and the immigration to America in 1720 and the impact on America.
Thomas Walker also had a another son, Samuel Thomas Walker, born in 1570. It has been shown on Geni and Wiki trees that this Samuel Thomas Walker immigrated to America, was killed by Indians at the infamous massacre at the James City Colony in March 22, 1622. This was the Walker line to my father.
Little is known of Samuel Thomas Walker other than he was a Presbyterian Minister at the Mongegy Chapel in Ruddington. He married Elizabeth Serrell in 1605 and had a son, William Alexander Walker born in 1610 in Ruddington. A rootsweb source stated that Thomas Walker was listed as an adventurer by the Virginia Company of London on June 22, 1620. According to some trees and information, Thomas Walker was listed as killed at Martin’s Hundred on that fateful day of March 22, 1622 along with the other 346 killed that day.
Son William Alexander Walker has been often listed as a Captain; he married Elizabeth Warren who also had been born in England (1612). Ins some trees and information, William Alexander and Elizabeth had a daughter, Elizabeth Sarah (1657), who married Edward Johnson in 1677. Elizabeth and Edward gave birth to a son in 1697 who would be called Lord William Johnson, a Burgess who married into the family of Burgess Larkin Chew. This is the line to my father. William Alexander Walker and Elizabeth Warren lived in Kent, Virginia their entire lives.
However, it is most likely Elizabeth Sarah Walker and her supposedly father William Alexander Walker were from the Scottish line and not the English line. Looking at birthdates, William Alexander Walker would be forty-five when Elizabeth Sarah Walker was born.
So, in summary, a son of Gervase Walker immigrated to Virginia in 1620 (my Dad’s ancestors) and a great-grandson of Gervase Walker immigrated to Delaware in 1720 (my Mother’s ancestors).
The mystery:
1. Why did Samuel Thomas Walker immigrate to a colony suffering with disease, hunger and Indian threats? Was he disgusted with Protestant treatment in England at the time?
2. Why wasn’t his wife and son listed among living or dead in the Virginia Colony? Was he without his wife in America? Did the family arrive at a later year?
3. What was Samuel Thomas doing at Martin’s Hundred that fateful day ?
4. How did son William Alexander Walker become a Captain if that was his indeed his child ?
5. Are researchers confusing the Alexander Walkers from Scotland with the Walkers from England, after all, the Scotland Walkers were often listed as Captains.
6. Did Samuel Thomas Walker die without leaving children?
7. Is there a missing generation between William Alexander Walker and Elizabeth Sarah Walker ?
8. Have trees just been combined without factual data ?
Any credible information to the unraveling of the above mystery will be appreciated.
It also must be said that the William Alexander Walker and the Sarah Elizabeth Walker line is in error as well.
Most importantly, this is a strong example of how trees can be so incorrect and how people can blindly use someone else’s tree when there are errors present. These type of errors abound.
Just for information purposes for my own relatives, the following trees from Thomas Walker born 1538 to me are as follows (at least prior to unraveling of the mystery) :
My Dad side:
Samuel Thomas Walker
William Alexander Walker
Elizabeth Sarah Walker
Burgess Lord William Johnson
Ann Nancy Johnson
Millie Bellard
Reuben Searcy
David Searcy
William Bryson Searcy
LaFaria Viola Searcy
James Lancaster Ledbetter
Frank Wilson Ledbetter
My Mother’s side:
Gervase Walker
Rev. George Walker
D. D. George Walker
John Walker I
John Walker II
Col. John Walker
Lt. William Walker
William Daniel Walker
Jonathan Young Walker
James Washington Walker
Albert Washington Walker
Bertha Lillian Walker
Mary Reese
posted September 24, 2019 |
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Article published in the 1996 October / November Edition
Words by: Heather Mackenzie-Carey
Consider the following scenario. You are dispatched for a conscious, breathing 45-year-old male patient complaining of chest pain. It’s a cold snowy night and you were on the phone to your “significant other” discussing the weekend plans when the call came in. Your partner is not your regular partner as he is off sick. You are attending so you ask the patient appropriate history questions while your partner gains more information from the patient’s wife. En route you provide appropriate treatment procedures according to the information you received. As you are transferring your patient over to the hospital staff and reporting the history, the patient suddenly interrupts you and reports he does have chest pain at the moment, and he does have a history of congestive heart failure. You leave the emergency department frustrated and embarrassed. Once again, the patient’s story has changed between the time you asked the questions and the hospital staff asked the questions.
Why does this happen? Do patients just lie? Are they forgetful? Are they ‘out to get you’? Is it just ‘part of the business’ and do we have to accept it and move on? Or is it possible that it is something we may or may not be doing and might be able to improve on?
A big part of the communication process requires us to be good listeners. Improving on history taking skills may not be as easy as reading about disease conditions or memorizing AMPLE and OQRST pneumonics. We need to look at how we listen to the answers and improve these skills.
There are a lot of reasons why it is difficult to listen. The following nine examples are reasons why it may be hard to listen.
1. Message Overload. Sometimes the information is just too much. We’ve heard the chest pain description so often we know it by heart and our attention wonder If this is your tenth chest pain call this tour and it starts out sounding exactly like all the others, you may unconsciously stop listening.
2. Preoccupation. We often have other things going on in our lives that make it difficult to concentrate on the message at hand. Concerns with home life, our skill levels, worrying about what might happen if the patient crashes, possible drug doses, et may intrude on our ability to concentrate on the message.
3. Rapid Thought. We are able to listen at a much faster rate than most people talk. We can listen at a rate of about 600 words per minute while most people talk at a rate of 100 to 150 words per minute. This gives us a lot of ‘spare time’ to think about other things, many of which have nothing to do with the patient or problem at hand.
4. Effort. Listening effectively is hard work. Studies how heart rates, respiratory rates. and body temperatures all increase when a person is concentrating on listening. Sometimes we are just too tired to listen.
5. External Noise. Sometimes we simply can’ t hear patients properly due to external noise. We tend to work in noisy environments that are often not conductive to listening. Cutting or extrication tools, stereos, TVs, street noise, and bystanders may all impede our ability to listen.
6. Hearing Problems. Consider the damage done to the average EMS worker’s ear drums during the course of a career. It may be slight hearing problems are actually interfering with our ability to listen. Others may not be able to hear you due to hearing problem as well. This however is probably less often the case then we think.
7. Faulty Assumptions. EMS worker usually tend to be quick decision makers. This is a necessary skill, but it may also negatively impact our listening ability. Often, we quickly jump to conclusion s from limited evidence. We think we’ve heard it before, can predict the rest of the message or figure it is unimportant and we shut off.
8. Lack of Apparent Advantages. We often think we can gain more by speaking than listening. This may cause us to interrupt or give more information than we receive.
9. Lack of Training. The ability to listen well is not a naturally acquired skill. It takes, work, practice, commitment and effort.
Because of these difficulties most of us have actually learned how to not listen and have perfected our art. Evaluate which of the following types of non-listening techniques you may have developed.
• Pseudolistening. In this case the listener appears interested but is really ignoring the talker. In this situation the paramedic nods his head and appears to be listening, but is already thinking ahead, thinking the patient will be describing typical chest pain so misses that it radiates into the back. Our nonverbal actions suggest attention so the talker think s he or she is being listened too, but in fact is not.
• Stagehogging. In this behavior style we only want to talk, not listen. In EMS work we sometimes get very engrossed in telling the patient why they should go to the hospital instead of listening to their reasons why they don’ t feel it is necessary.
• Selective Listening. This type of non-listening style involves responding only to parts of the conversa We hear the asthma patient say they are short of breath, but we miss that they are also having chest pain.
• Insulated Listening. This is the reverse of selective listening. Instead of attending to selected parts we ignore or insulate ourselves from information. If we are prepared to handle the trauma call and are psyched for that, we may ignore the information that the patient felt dizzy and lightheaded prior to the crash.
• Defensive Listening. This type of listener feels everything said is a personal attack and prepares for battle rather than really listening to the message. If you feel unsure of your skills because you are a rookie, and a patient asks you how long you have been in the business, you may respond very defensively. You may argue that you know what you are doing when in fact the patient was merely looking for a conversation piece and was not questioning your skills.
• Ambushing. Ambushers listen very carefully but only for the purpose of attacking you later, looking for loopholes. The apparent sympathetic partner who listens to you rant and rave about a supervisor, only to present what you said to that supervisor is an example of this.
• Insensitive. This person doesn’t look beyond the words said but takes the patient at face value. This type of listener does not look for non-verbal cues that might contradict what a patient is saying and therefore may miss the true context of the conversation.
Knowing why and how you don’t listen is the first step to improvement. Once you understand what you are doing you can take steps to improve. The following are general steps to improve your listening skills.
1. Talk Less. This rule of thumb is particularly helpful for the stage-hogger. If at the end of the call your patient knows more about you than you know about your patient, something is wrong.
2. Get Rid of Distractions. This means you eliminate both the internal and external distractions – turn the TV off, get the patient alone or into the back of the unit, get your private life under control so you can concentrate on the patient at hand, etc.
3. Don’t Judge Prematurely. Having an open mind and not labelling patients based on dispatch information or initial presentation will allow you to avoid defensive listening selective listening and insulated listening.
4. Look for Key Ideas. Pick out key pieces of information and ask the patient to expand on those areas. Help the patient stay on track and keep yourself on track and attuned to the patient Make listening a truly active event.
5. Paraphrase. Restating the patient’s words helps ensure you have selected and understood the right information. Before you repeat the history or state your pitch, play it back to the patient and allow them to clarify any areas you might have misunderstood.
6. Ask Questions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Often, we remain silent because we are afraid, we will appear stupid. Patients appreciate your openness. It is important they are understood. Work on asking more open-ended questions than closed questions.
7. Practice. As always in the communication game, you need to work on and rework your approach. Never give up but look within to see where you went wrong and where you might improve. The only half of the communication process you can change is your half.
Any communication exchange involves two or more parties. If you are not getting the history you need, consider it may be at least 50 percent your fault. We don’t always have enough time with patients to work on their communication skills, so we have to look at our own. Emergency medical services is a client-centered occupation and improving our listening skills is one way of improving customer service.
Canadian Paramedicine
Canadian Paramedicine
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What characters traits or skills are needed in employees in order to Essay
What characters traits or skills are needed in employees in order to
compete in a world where technology is advancing daily?
Nowadays technology is used by each and every organization to improve
their productivity. They provide the training to the employees about technology.
Technology is advancing daily; to compete in this world employees need many
characteristics and skills such as practical knowledge, theoretical knowledge, and
strong communication.
Practical experience is necessary for employees to work with advanced
technology. Firstly, experience plays an instrumental role in an employees life",
because in the practical they do their work many of the time by practicing more
and more till they remember so they do their work very easily. Practical
framework always promotes experimental learning and self-learning. Secondly",
with the help of practical knowledge workers can increase power of
understanding. For example, without the practical knowledge workers cannot do
the work in the chemistry lab because with the help of the practical they learn
how to use the chemicals and in which amount. On that time they improve their
understanding power and how things actually work.
Theoretical knowledge is important as the practical work. Without having
the theoretical framework, practical work can not be successful because in the
theoretical work they read each and every thing. For instance, before doing the
chemistry lab they read the book or any thing which can provide the proper
knowledge about the lab and help of the source they learn in which quantity of
the chemicals were use and then they do the practical work and proof their
theoretical knowledge. That knowledge generally servers to focus on giving
complete knowledge that builds the base and helps to do work step by step for
dealing with the practical application. It helps to the employees to understand
why techniques work while other fails because they read variety of ways how to
do the work by manually except any error. So without the theoretical knowledge
practical work can not be done especially in the advancing technology in the
Moreover, employees who have strong communication skills are able to
survive in the workplace. As communication skills are essential to do work in a co-
operative way because they dealing with their senior and many people who work
in the organization. For example, most of the organization do the import and
export so strong communication is essential to deal with others. Listening skills
should be necessary in employees life. Whereas, they meet a lot of the workers
during the working time. In addition, activeness is also mattered in employees
life, owing to in modern era technology has become very fast, so lazy person
cannot be Done the work at right time. While, the patience is best quality of a
good employees because with the help of patience, they can gain ample
knowledge from others and create good cooperation with other employees. So
with the help of practical knowledge and theoretical knowledge employees can
easily increase their all type skills like communication skills, listening skills, and
others. So, employees can collect the acquire knowledge about advancing
In conclusion, both type of experience and knowledge are required to
compete in this era. Every organization should be provide the training to the
employees time to time so they familiar with the advancing technology. Theory
create a strong base for practical work and both are two side of the same coin.
Balance between theory and practice for best results is must be able.
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What happens when a woman’s vagina gets infected with the Zika virus?
September 3, 2021 Comments Off on What happens when a woman’s vagina gets infected with the Zika virus? By admin
I first noticed the Zika outbreak in the US in December 2016, and then the virus began spreading around the world.
As I wrote in my 2016 piece about the outbreak, I have been researching the virus for the past year and am now a supporter of a group called the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
I have had my share of Zika-related health issues, and this was one of the worst, and most serious.
When I first discovered that I had Zika, I had two choices.
I could try to suppress the virus by using condoms and abstaining from sexual activity until the virus could be contained.
Or I could choose to continue to spread the virus, even if it meant postponing my period, getting pregnant, and potentially giving birth.
I chose to postpone the latter.
After a month of testing, the virus was found to be circulating in the United States and was not linked to my symptoms.
I had been infected with Zika, and now I have developed a mild case of the virus.
Although the virus has no symptoms, it can lead to serious complications, including Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system attacks the lining of the body.
If I had a milder virus, I might have had a slightly less severe Guillamin-Barré syndrome.
However, Zika does not appear to cause Guilliburst.
As long as you have no symptoms and don’t have symptoms that are not linked with Zika-like symptoms, you do not need to take precautions.
What I want to know is what happens if I have Zika and develop Guillibrillary Syndrome (GBS).
GBS is an autoimmune condition in which your immune system attack the lining, known as the villi, of your villi cells.
If you have GBS, your immune systems attack your intestinal mucosa, which can result in the mucosal changes that can cause Guilbarré.
GBS usually develops in a person who is older than 40.
GDS is an immune-mediated disorder that affects people who have been pregnant or have had other health conditions that can worsen the immune system’s response to the virus or increase the risk of developing Guillillibrary Syndrome.
GFS, the Guillovirus-associated Foamy Fissure Syndrome, is a rare disease that is characterized by a rash, fever, headache, muscle aches and stiffness, joint pain, and nausea and vomiting.
It can also cause skin lesions that can be very painful and can interfere with your ability to perform daily activities.
In the United Kingdom, GFS was first diagnosed in 2000, but it is now considered a rare condition.
It is very rare, and the World Health Organization says it is not curable.
As for Zika, it is believed to be the most severe, leading to more serious complications such as Guillavirus-related Guillbarria, Guilliard-Barry, and Guillabine-associated Guillancreatitis (GAB-H).
The first cases of GBS were reported in January 2017 in a French lab, but there have been no confirmed cases of the disease since.
In December 2017, the World Bank said it would work with countries to reduce the number of cases of Guillobes in the developing world.
In March, the WHO announced a new global action plan to prevent the spread of the Zika pandemic.
The plan includes steps to reduce transmission, increase vaccination, and make sure people can access healthcare if they are sick with Zika.
It calls for the introduction of a Zika vaccine and a Zika prevention strategy that will target women at risk for GBS and include sexual abstinence until they have a Zika test.
The WHO is currently evaluating whether the Zika vaccine is safe, effective, and affordable.
In May, the US National Institutes of Health announced a grant to help fund research to find a vaccine.
The grant is part of the US$3.2 billion Global Fund to Prevent and Cure Zika (GFCZ), which is intended to improve treatment for people with Guillen-Berens, Guills, and other conditions that increase the incidence of the Guillian-Bérères syndrome.
It will fund research on the effects of vaccines on people with Zika and on other diseases caused by the virus that can increase the frequency of Guillianbarrias.
The Global Fund is also responsible for developing a Zika surveillance program in Africa, including South Africa and Botswana.
The project aims to monitor how the virus is spreading in the countries where it has been found.
As the number and severity of Zika infections increase, more countries will need to step up surveillance, including countries in the Middle East, Asia, and South America.
While this is not a perfect plan, the funding should help the WHO and other partners find a way to protect people in countries where Zika is found.
If the virus spreads to other parts of the
Which police officer was killed in a fake police shooting? A list of police officers killed in fake police shootings
August 16, 2021 Comments Off on Which police officer was killed in a fake police shooting? A list of police officers killed in fake police shootings By admin
The list below contains the names of five officers who have been killed in false police shootings, which were the result of fake police calls or complaints.
The officers were allegedly gunned down by an angry mob, but no evidence has been presented to support the claims.
This list is by no means comprehensive.
Please be aware that the list is not all-inclusive, and that we are not counting every police shooting that took place on the same day or even every one that involved a police officer, but are only counting those that were recorded by a local news outlet or a local law enforcement agency.
These are the most notable and important of the incidents that took the lives of police officer and their families: An officer from the Albuquerque Police Department was killed while attempting to respond to a domestic dispute at the home of an ex-girlfriend.
The Albuquerque Police Officer was killed when he was shot and killed by an enraged mob while responding to a 911 call from a woman who was in the process of having a domestic disturbance with her ex-boyfriend.
The officer was responding to reports of a domestic incident at the residence of the ex-husband of an Albuquerque Police officer.
A group of young women attacked an Albuquerque police officer with baseball bats, a pipe and a shovel.
An Albuquerque police dispatcher and her husband were attacked and murdered.
According to police, a group of teenagers were walking through a neighborhood in Albuquerque when they encountered an Albuquerque, New Mexico police officer who was being held at gunpoint.
Authorities have yet to release information about what led to the ambush, but an eyewitness told local news that the group of girls were screaming obscenities at the officer, and were “screaming for him to be killed.”
In November, a New York City, New York, police officer killed himself when a man shot at him during an attempted robbery.
In January, a Houston police officer shot and critically wounded a man during a traffic stop in which the suspect was resisting arrest.
Police officers were shot and injured during an incident that involved three women in a car.
During an ambush attempt by a man and a group in Oklahoma, a gunman opened fire on a police helicopter and was killed.
Officers from New Orleans, Louisiana, were killed in an ambush by a gunman who had ambushed a squad car and was attempting to flee the scene.
On January 27, a police sergeant and his partner were shot while responding a domestic-violence call in their own home.
Several officers from the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Police Department were killed by a group that had attacked a group which was visiting a nearby convenience store.
Investigators have yet, however, to provide any information about the events that led to their deaths.
Two police officers from West Palm Beach, Florida, were shot in a shootout with a suspect who had been stopped for a traffic violation in a Walmart parking lot.
Following an incident in which a man drove his car into a group on a street in New Orleans and then tried to attack another car, two West Palm beach police officers were fatally shot by a suspect.
While investigating a shooting in which police officers in Washington, Washington, D.C., were fatally wounded, two officers were injured when a suspect opened fire at them with an AR-15 assault rifle.
One officer was fatally shot and wounded by a robber who fled on foot after robbing the officer of his wallet and gun.
After an attempted armed robbery in San Francisco, California, a suspect was apprehended in a parking lot by an armed police officer.
The suspect was eventually shot and taken into custody.
This is not the first time a police-involved shooting has taken place that was the result to a hoax call or complaint.
In January, five police officers and their family members were killed when a group attempted to ambush a group leaving a fundraiser in Los Angeles.
A woman who called the police claiming to be the mother of a missing student in Dallas, Texas, was actually trying to help her find her son.
Sources: AP, Fox News, NBC News, CNN, Fox, Washington Post, Fox affiliate, AP story, local news, ABC News, ABC story, ABC affiliate, ABC website, local, news source
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How to spot a ghost? It’s like staring into the mirror
July 12, 2021 Comments Off on How to spot a ghost? It’s like staring into the mirror By admin
This story is based on an article by Caroline Cottam.
Caroline is an independent journalist who writes about science, technology, technology and society for The Guardian, The Independent and other newspapers.
She also writes on health, culture and media for the Huffington Post UK.
This story was originally published in The Conversation.
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후원 수준 및 혜택
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Clines on God’s Second Repentance in Genesis 6
From David Cline’s The Failure of the Flood:
According to the biblical narrative, the Flood is determined upon by the deity because humans are wicked. He is sorry he has created humans and resolves to ‘blot them out’ with a flood of waters. The universal Flood he plans to bring upon the earth will destroy not only all humans but also all animals, and the earth itself (Gen. 6.13). His design is therefore to undo the whole work of creation.
In the event, according to the narrative, that is the opposite of what happens. The earth survives, the waters dry up, the animals are released on to the earth to breed abundantly (8.17)-and humanity, because of whom the annihilating Flood has been sent, is charged with being fruitful and multiplying and filling the earth yet again (9.1).
So the deity not only totally changes his mind about the wisdom of creating the world, he also totally changes his mind about the wisdom of uncreating it. The narrative, however, does not say that. It spends some time explaining how God decided to destroy the world, and how he felt about his original creation: he was ‘sorry that he had created humans, and it grieved him to his heart’ ( 6.6). But it does not spend a moment over how he felt about reversing his decision to destroy the world, or over how or why he made yet another U-turn.
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Vitamin C and The Benefits It Has
What is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is more than ever a vitamin people are turning to. Due to stress in our lives, environment, or rampant cases of flu that circulate, people are looking for ways to combat symptoms they are now experiencing.
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid and L-ascorbic acid, is found in food and used as a dietary supplement. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient involved in the repair of tissue and the making of certain neurotransmitters. It is required for the functioning of several enzymes and is important for an immune system function. It is within the class of chemicals known as antioxidants
Keep reading as we will go further into detail about each of the elements vitamin C impacts in your body and the impact it has to prevent and eliminate the coronavirus.
In what type of foods is Vitamin C found?
Vitamin C in food
#heatherearles #herbnwisdom #naturalliving #vitaminC #strokeprevention #armywife #journalist #healthblogger
picture from myfooddata
The top 10 foods containing V.C. include citrus fruits, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, raw bell peppers, kale, snow peas, and strawberries.
Note: Prolonged storage or cooking may reduce V.C. content in foods. In other words, fresh and raw is ideal.
Like vitamin D, when people become deficient in it, unwelcome things start to happen first internally to our bodies and then when the symptoms are bad enough, externally.
The same goes for Vitamin C. When people do not receive enough, their bodies can not function at their peak. By not functioning, I mean people may experience brain fog, memory loss, lack of concentration, and even strokes.
A more serious symptom of V.C. deficiency “(known as scurvy) appear once plasma concentrations of the ascorbic acid drop below” ten micromolar (μM). A person can prevent this by consuming as little as 10 mg of ascorbic acid daily. Cutaneous manifestations of scurvy result from declines in collagen synthesis, leading to disruption of connective tissue and fragility of blood vessels.
Early symptoms in the skin include a thickening of the stratum corneum and spots of small subcutaneous bleeding. As scurvy progresses, wound healing is impaired due to the loss of mature collagen, allowing wounds to remain open. An adequate intake of V.C remediates skin lesions caused by vitamin C deficiency.
Health Benefits of Vitamin C
It is shown that people who have enough vitamin C are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s as C helps restore the brain’s cognitive function.
As our stressful lives deplete or overtake our bodies by canceling out good antioxidants, people’s health declines. First, to balance the decline or prevent it, we need to remove unnecessary stress. Two, you need to keep your body balanced by countering stress-related symptoms with a nutrient antioxidant diet that includes getting enough V.C.
vitamin C
#heatherearles #herbnwisdom #naturalliving #vitamin #strokeprevention #armywife #journalist #healthblogger
C is also a cofactor in creating serotonin and dopamine, which are the body’s neurotransmitters, providing physical and motivational energy, which include your feelings of reward and satisfaction. This is important as “Depression may have a relationship with vitamin C deficiency. When a group of patients were deprived of Vitamin C, they experienced symptoms like sad mood, reduced concentration, reduced energy, fatigue, and hypochondriasis.” -International Journal of Scientific Study
Vitamin C isn’t just a vital antioxidant useful for boosting the immune system for cold and flu season; it is a brain and emotional healer.
Coronavirus/Flu and Vitamins to Combat
For the coronavirus, a flu virus, some people are experiencing different side effects like swelling of the feet, caused by lack of blood flow/clotting, which can cause a stroke or heart problems. C is a powerhouse that removes the arteries’ blockage and keeps your blood channels open, preventing stroke, heart attacks, and clots, resulting in a life saved.
Certain vitamins or foods, when combined and a person has sufficient amounts, can prevent and heal the coronavirus with a 90% plus rate. So what are these vitamin and food?
Vitamin C, D, and magnesium are the three vitamins people of all shapes, ages, and sizes NEED to be taking on a daily basis, for optimum health and prevention of the coronavirus. You can get these through the foods you eat and also in supplement form.
Caution: Be SURE you know where your supplements are coming from and what ingredients are being used. For instance, vitamin C can have a lot of oils and fillers that to help your body, in fact they can harm it.
These are the companies where I get my vitamins, and I am listing them for your convenience. However, I would still advise you to do your own research to know what to look for in a supplement.
1. Essential C complex from paleovalley
2. Vitamin D from Amway
3. Magnesium powder from Rootcology
4. Omega 3 is a natural blood thinner so if you have covid toe I would recommend taking it to lessen the pain and help prevent clotting. From Amway.
I have known for years and have studied and listened to multiple doctors talk about the importance of having sufficient amounts of Vitamin C, D, and others, but sometimes it gets confusing as there are so many benefits in each food source, mineral, and vitamins to fully grasp the importance of them individually.
This is where checking your vitamin levels can give you a lot of insight as to what you are deficient in and what you need.
No matter who you are, your bodies need some type of detox to remove toxins. Using a pure form of vitamin C along with other key foods and vitamins is one way to detox the brain, gut, and adrenal.
Is V.C Safe?
A recent study published in Seminars in Preventive and Alternative Medicine that looked at over 100 studies over ten years revealed a growing list of benefits of vitamin C.”
Oregon State University Study Shows
How Much Vitamin C Should I Take?
Different sources say different things, but your body will discharge what it does not need. A good suggestion is to start with a smaller dose and work your way up until your body says no more. The body usually does this by giving you loose bowels.
“For adults, the recommended daily amount for V.C. is 65 to 90 milligrams (mg) a day, and the upper limit is 2,000 mg a day. Although too much is unlikely to be harmful, megadoses of vitamin C supplements might cause: Diarrhea.” -Mayo Clinic
Vitamin C limits the damage induced by ultraviolet (UV) light exposure. V.C. is not a “sunscreen” because it does not absorb light in the UVA or UVB spectrum. Rather, the antioxidant activity of vitamin C protects against UV-induced damage caused by free radicals. Vitamin C transport proteins are increased in keratinocytes in response to UV light, suggesting an increased need for V.C. uptake for adequate protection.
Vitamin C
UV light decreases the vitamin C content of the skin, an effect that is dependent on the intensity and duration of UV exposure. In cultured keratinocytes, the addition of V.C. reduces UV-related DNA damage and lipid peroxidation, limits the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and protects against apoptosis. Vitamin C also modulates redox-sensitive cell signaling in cultured skin cells and consequently increases cell survival following UV exposure.
Boost the Effectiveness of Sunscreen
Sunscreen protects your skin against sun damage because UV rays are incredibly harmful, and you want to give your body as much protection as possible.
Vitamin C is worth applying with or before the application of your sunscreen. Why? Well, vitamin C for the skin will boost the effectiveness and help it get into your skin’s lower layers, protect your cells from future damage, and treat ultraviolet (UV) induced photodamage.
Many sunscreens will now come with vitamin C added to them. You can make your own, How to make Homemade Sunscreen, or you can opt for your normal sunscreen. Just apply some homemade vitamin C skin cream before your sunscreen application to help boost the effectiveness.
Serum For the Skin
vitamin c serum
There are natural serums you can make and apply to your skin or buy from a store. Here is a link to one I have used TruSkin Naturals Vitamin C Serum. If you like to make your own, then see the recipe below.
Author Kristin Marr
2. Pour the serum into a dark amber bottle (a funnel helps). Store the serum in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Around the two-week mark, you may notice the serum’s pH level change*. Your serum may have a different color and consistency, depending on the vitamin C powder and aloe used to make this recipe. My V.C. powder is pink, but many are white.
Now that you’re aware of C’s importance try to include it in your daily routine or diet to see its full impact on your health.
Until next time, friends, stay healthy and free.
Heather Earles
Heather Earles
Heather is married to a retired Special Forces Officer, and they live on a sustainable farm with their four children. She is an established author of inspiration, fiction, and children’s books; a journalist, a stay-at-home mother, and an advocate for healthy living. She publishes a weekly blog and podcast (Herb ‘N Wisdom™) and writes for two newspapers to aid and inspire others. “I want to make people feel good about life.”
Ending Notes: I am not a doctor and the advice in this article is my opinion and that of the quoted sources. You are free to use it as you will.
1. AMY PETERSON said:
Your blog was valuable to me being out here in the drydesert!!!! I am amazed at all of the benefits..thanks!!! ?
December 16, 2017
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Military Wiki
Operation Claymore
Part of North West Europe Campaign
The Lofoten Islands
The Lofoten Islands
Date4 March 1941
LocationLofoten Islands, Norway
Result British victory
United Kingdom
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Commanders and leaders
Royal Navy
Rear Admiral L.H.K. Hamilton
Captain C. Caslon
British Army
Brigadier J.C. Haydon
Royal Norwegian Navy
Martin Linge
Royal Navy
6th Destroyer Flotilla
HMS Somali
HMS Bedouin
HMS Tartar
HMS Eskimo
HMS Legion
Troop transports
HMS Queen Emma
HMS Princess Beatrix
British Army
No. 3 Commando
No. 4 Commando
Royal Engineers Section
Royal Norwegian Navy
52 men
1 Armed trawler
Casualties and losses
1 wounded 10 ships sunk
228 men captured
Operation Claymore was the codename for a British Commandos raid on the Lofoten Islands in Norway during the Second World War. The Lofoten Islands were an important centre for the production of fish oil and glycerine, used in the German war industry. The landings were carried out on 4 March 1941, by the men of No. 3 Commando, No. 4 Commando, a Royal Engineers Section and 52 men from the Royal Norwegian Navy. Supported by the 6th Destroyer Flotilla and two troop transports of the Royal Navy, the force made an unopposed landing and generally continued to meet no opposition. The original plan had been to avoid contact with German forces and inflict the maximum of damage to German-controlled industry. They achieved their objective of destroying fish oil factories and some 3,600 tonnes (800,000 imperial gallons) of oil and glycerine.
Through naval gunfire and demolition parties, 18,000 tons of shipping were sunk. Perhaps the most significant outcome of the raid, however, was the capture of a set of rotor wheels for an Enigma cypher machine and its code books from the German armed trawler Krebs. This enabled German naval codes to be read at Bletchley Park, providing the intelligence needed to allow allied convoys to avoid U-boat concentrations. The British experienced only one accidental injury; an officer injuring himself with his own revolver; and returned with some 228 German prisoners, 314 loyal Norwegian volunteers and a number of Quisling regime collaborators.
In the aftermath the evaluation of the operation differed, the British and especially Winston Churchill and the Special Operations Executive deeming it a success. In the eyes of the British the value of such actions was mainly to tie up large German forces on occupation duties in Norway. Martin Linge and the other Norwegians involved were more doubtful of the value of such raids against the Norwegian coast. Following Operation Claymore the Norwegian special operations unit Norwegian Independent Company 1 was established for operations in Norway.
After the British Expeditionary Force had been evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called for a force to be assembled and equipped to inflict casualties on the Germans and bolster British morale. Churchill told the joint Chiefs of Staff to propose measures for an offensive against German-occupied Europe, and stated: "they must be prepared with specially trained troops of the hunter class who can develop a reign of terror down the enemy coast."[1] One staff officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Dudley Clarke, had already submitted such a proposal to General Sir John Dill, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff. Dill, aware of Churchill's intentions, approved Clarke's proposal.[1] Three weeks later, the first Commando raid -- Operation Collar—took place. The raiders failed to gather any intelligence or damage any German equipment; their only success was in killing two German sentries.[1]
The Commandos came under the operational control of the Combined Operations Headquarters. The man initially selected as the commander was Admiral Sir Roger Keyes, a veteran of the Gallipoli Campaign and the Zeebrugge Raid in the First World War.[2] In 1940, the call went out for volunteers from among the serving Army soldiers within certain formations still in Britain, and men of the disbanding Divisional Independent Companies originally raised from Territorial Army Divisions who had seen service in Norway.[nb 1] In November 1940 the new army units were organised into a Special Service Brigade under Brigadier J.C. Haydon, with four Special Service Battalions.[4] By the autumn of 1940 more than 2,000 men had volunteered for commando training, and the Special Service Brigade now consisted of 12 units which were called Commandos.[5]
After an inauspicious start the first large scale commando raid was to be on the Lofoten Islands, which are just off the Norwegian coast inside the Arctic Circle and about 900 miles (1,400 km) from Britain. Once at the islands the raiders would be landed at four small ports, to destroy fish oil producing factories. All the oil produced was being shipped to Germany who extracted the glycerine, a vital ingredient in the manufacture of high explosives.[6] The commandos would be transported to the islands aboard two new infantry landing ships, escorted by four Tribal class and one L class destroyer of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla.[6]
Royal Navy ship moored at sea
HMS Somali leader of the 6th Destroyer Flotilla
The objectives of Operation Claymore were threefold: the overall commander of the raid was Rear Admiral L.H.K. Hamilton.[7] The Royal Navy were tasked to safely escort the transports carrying the landing force to the islands and back. While there they were to destroy or capture any German shipping or Norwegian shipping working for the Germans and provide naval gunfire support for the landing forces. The naval forces taking part were the escorts from the 6th Destroyer Flotilla: HMS Somali, HMS Bedouin, HMS Tartar, HMS Eskimo and HMS Legion under the command of Captain C. Caslon. There were two newly converted landing ships the HMS Queen Emma and the HMS Princess Beatrix which were to transport the landing force.[8] The landing force was provided by the Special Service Brigade under command of Brigadier J.C. Haydon. The commandos taking part were 250 all ranks from No. 3 Commando under command Major J.F. Durnford-Slater, 250 all ranks of No. 4 Commando under command of Lieutenant Colonel D.S. Lister. They were supported by a Section of Royal Engineers of No 55 Field Company, under command of Second Lieutenant H.M. Turner, and 4 officers and 48 other ranks of the Royal Norwegian Navy, under the command of Captain Martin Linge.[8] The landing force were to destroy the oil producing facilities in the ports of Stamsund, Henningsvær, Svolvær and Brettesnes, engage the German garrison and attempt to make prisoners of war and personnel found in the area. They were also to detain any supporters of the Norwegian Quisling party and persuade the local population to leave with them and join the Free Norwegian Forces.[8]
The force started gathering at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands on 21 February 1941 and remained there for almost a week before leaving for Norway just after midnight on 1 March 1941. The landing force was distributed amongst the ships, headquarters Special Service Brigade were transported on HMS Somali. No. 4 Commando which had been assigned landings at Svolvær and Brettesnes were on board HMS Queen Emma. No 3 Commando which had been assigned landings at Stamsund and Henningsvær were on board HMS Princess Beatrix. The Royal Engineers and Norwegian forces were divided between both the landing ships.[8]
The time they had spent at Scapa Flow was used getting acquainted with the transport ships and the Assault Landing Craft they would be using to reach the shore. The problems the navy perceived providing gunfire support were also discussed, as the destroyers would not be able to approach closer than 1 mile (1.6 km) to shore owing to the shallows. Because of this the commandos were trained to rely on their own weapons to provide covering fire and support each other from their landing craft. Plans were also made for them to look after themselves in case the destroyers were called away to deal with a naval threat, which included every man being ordered to take enough rations to last 48 hours ashore.[9]
Men in British Army uniform on quayside looking across the fiord
British Commandos watch the fish oil tanks burning
The naval task force known by the codename Rebel left Scapa Flow and headed towards the Faroes. They berthed in the Skálafjørður at 19:00 hours 1 March 1941 to take on fuel. Refuelling took five hours and the naval task force set out again heading northwards towards the Arctic to avoid detection by German air and sea patrols. They then turned east and headed towards Norway. They arrived at the Lofoten Islands during the early morning of 4 March 1941, just before 04:00 hours. Entering the Vestfjorden they were surprised to see all the harbour navigational lights illuminated, which they believed to be a sign that they were not expected and had achieved complete surprise.[9]
During the planning for the operation, plans were drawn up that called for simultaneous landings at all their targets at 06:30 hours but on arrival they decided to postpone the landings by 15 minutes so they would not be landing in total darkness. When they did commence to disembark the landing force, they were all ashore by 06:50 hours.[9] On shore the landing force commenced their operations, unopposed and the only shots fired were by the armed trawler Krebs. They managed to fire four rounds at HMS Somali before being sunk.[9] Other ships sunk by the landing forces were the merchant ships Hamburg, Pasajes, Felix, Mira, Eilenau, Rissen, Ando, Grotto and the Bernhardt Schltz which amounted to 18,000 tons of shipping.[6][10]
ship at sea with a column of black smoke rising from the mountainous land in the background
Burning oil tanks seen from HMS Legion
Additionally the force that landed at Stamsund destroyed the Lofotens Cod Boiling Plant. Two factories were destroyed at Henningsvær and 13 at Svolvær. In total about 800,000 imperial gallons (3,600 m3) of fish oil, paraffin were set on fire.[10] They captured 228 prisoners of war, seven from the Kriegsmarine, three from the Heer, 15 from the Luftwaffe, two from the Schutzstaffel (SS), 147 from the Merchant Navy and 14 civilians.[10] Perhaps the most significant outcome of the raid, however, was the capture of a set of rotor wheels for an Enigma cypher machine and its code books. These were rescued from the sinking German armed trawler Krebs. Their capture enabled Bletchley Park to read all the German naval codes for some time, which provided the intelligence needed to allow allied convoys to avoid U-boat concentrations.[11]
By 13:00 hours both the infantry landing ships HMS Princess Beatrix and HMS Queen Emma had embarked all their troops and were ready to sail.[9] With them came 300 volunteers for the Free Norwegian Forces in Britain.[6]
Operation Claymore was the first of 12 commando raids directed against Norway during the Second World War,[12] the German response to these raids, was to eventually increase the number of troops they had stationed there. By 1944 the German garrison in Norway had risen to 370,000 men.[13] By comparison a British infantry division in 1944 had an establishment of 18,347 men.[14]
Both of the commando units involved in the raid No. 3 and No. 4 Commandos would become part of the 1st Special Service Brigade that took part in the Normandy landings in June 1944.
See also
1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Haskew, p.47 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "has47" defined multiple times with different content
2. Chappell, p.6
3. Moreman, p.13
4. Joslen, p.454
5. Haskew, p.48
6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Chappel, p,12 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "ch12" defined multiple times with different content
7. "The Royal Navy during the Second World War: A6801 (photograph)". Imperial War Museum Collection Search. Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 5 July 2010.
8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "No. 38331". 22 June 1948.
9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 "No. 38331". 22 June 1948.
10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 "No. 38331". 22 June 1948.
11. Chappell, p.13
12. Messenger, p.15
13. Chappell, p.14
14. Brayley & Chappell, p.17
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Ketosis during Pregnancy – Is it safe?
Ketosis is a state of metabolism in adults where the energy is supplied to the body by ketones present in the blood rather than glycolysis, where the energy comes from glucose. People often land up in a dilemma while judging whether ketosis is safe during pregnancy or not. The diet of a woman has to undergo certain changes in case she nears pregnancy. However, you should be aware of the effects of ketosis before you opt for such a diet.
The body of a woman undergoes a lot of changes during pregnancy. Food choices are important when she tries to conceive. Here, you will have a detailed information about ketosis before and during pregnancy.
Ketosis before Pregnancy
Although people think that ketosis during pregnancy is harmful, in reality, it can help you get pregnant. If you want to draw your energy from ketone particles, you should plan a ketogenic diet. For an ordinary person, it is safe and even women trying to get pregnant can stick to such a meal. These meals are low-carb diets, and people can switch to these diets when they get pregnant.
Well, it is important to know that ketosis is safe before you get pregnant. However, the norms are a bit different during pregnancy and you should stick to the rules. Read on to know whether it is safe during pregnancy or not.
Ketosis during Pregnancy
If you had heard that ketosis is harmful during pregnancy, you might be confusing it with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This is completely different from ketosis that we are speaking of here. DKA has no relevance with nutritional ketosis and it is a far more harmful syndrome. It occurs in diabetic people where the level of insulin is not managed properly. It disrupts the balance of acid and base in the body. The level of blood sugar in the case of DKA is around three times the normal conditions. This situation should be avoided during pregnancy. However, nutritional ketosis is something different and does not include the same risk. Here, the energy requirement of the body comes from the stored fats instead of carbohydrates. It maintains a safe balance between the acid-base level in the body. DKA is harmful for the development of the brain in the foetus.
Should you take a diet that favours ketosis?
It has been found that ketosis is favoured by the state of pregnancy, so you can stick to a ketose diet. In a healthy woman, the level of ketone in blood is thrice as higher as a normal woman. During later pregnancy stages, ketosis occurs naturally in a number of women. The ketones are used by the foetus before the birth of the child to prepare fats that are essential for the growth of the brain. During the third trimester, ketosis is more common in women. Due to the breakdown of molecules, the pregnant women experience a catabolic rate of metabolism, which indicates that ketosis is occurring at a faster frequency.
Ketosis in Late Stage Pregnancies
A woman’s metabolism switches to a catabolic state during late stage of pregnancy. It shows that ketosis is happening more often. The fetus uses ketones before and after birth to make essential fats in the brain during growth. Researchers found that foetuses might even make their own ketones. This is the reason ketosis is common in pregnant women in third trimester.
Precautions you need to take
Although ketosis is safe during pregnancy, you need to take certain precautions. These include:
Do not try to lose your weight. A ketogenic diet results in weight loss, but pregnancy is not the right time to shed the weight. Do not take any excess measures to lose the weight. Seek expert advice if you are confused about what to do. It is important to get enough calories in your body through the meals.
• You should take whole foods as much as possible during this time. This nutrition is important for the baby, which is growing inside you. Include legumes, seeds, nuts, dairy, fruits and vegetables.
• Try to keep away from foods that contain added sugar. Pregnant women should avoid processed foods and refined grains. It is important to get quality nutrients during this time, which is beneficial both for the mothers and the kids.
• Another important tip to maintain a healthy body during this time is to avoid doing intermittent fasting.
Ketosis is good for women during pregnancy, but make sure that you do not lose too much weight. A healthy nutrition is necessary for both the mother and the child. Consult with your doctor before switching to a ketose diet.
Ketosis During Pregnancy
Is Keto Dangerous While Pregnant, Breastfeeding, or for Children? |
O Children
Both music and poetry say so much while saying so little. In reality, the only big difference between the two is that song is put over instrumentals, while poetry’s rhythm comes from strategic breaks in lines. Poetry is made to elicit an emotional response from the reader, to allow them to feel for the speaker and the situation they encounter. Similarly many songs, but certainly not all, pull emotion from the listener by connecting their own experience to the vague yet telling lyrics.
Similar to both song and poetry, Harry Potter immerses you into its world, I first found O Children by Nick Cave and the Bad seeds when it was in the soundtrack of the last Harry Potter movie. However, It has become a song in my regular rotation and extends much more insight and meaning than just a song from a movie track.
“O Children” is a song that could be debated to tell the story of Jewish people during the Holocaust. It follows those at the camp as they watch their friends get sent off to the gas chambers and in the end, the narrator does too. This disgusting time is portrayed in an elaborate but simple way because the lyricist never explicitly explains that this is what this song is about, you must dive into the lyrics to best understand the premise of the song
The cleaners are coming one by one
They are knocking now upon your door
You don’t even want to let them start
They measure the room, they know the score.
They’re mopping up the butcher’s floor
Of your broken little hearts
In the following excerpt, it can be seen that the song only eludes to the subject but will not spell out the meaning behind the words. A few examples of this are shown above, “cleaners” are the Nazis supposedly cleansing the population, going from house to house to “measure the room”, they look for secret rooms or hiding spots. This same metaphorical language continues throughout the song.
Another reason this piece by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds is poetic is that its vague, interpretable language and word choice creates a picture and makes the listener imaginative. The lyrical choice and background music work together to effectively create a heavy and ominous feel to the entire piece. The diction is displayed best in the following lines with “dim” and “weeping.
We’re older now, the light is dim
We’re all weeping now, weeping because
There ain’t nothing we can do to protect you
Like any good poem, this can be interpreted in different ways, it could be deemed to have nothing to do with the Holocaust but rather that it’s about the lyricist’s view on the detriment of generations and recovery. However, I believe that this is the clearest interpretation where the explanation does not contradict other parts of the song. By the end, the artists illustrate the speaker being sent off to the gas chambers by train, while this is a devastating end, it has a happier light to it than the rest of the song. The speaker is content with death, they are able to meet up with those who were lost before them and finally be free of the Nazi’s hold.
Separate from the interpretation of the song, I would like to talk about the deliberate choice of the song in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. In the film, there was a war that draws many parallels to World War two, as “purebloods” attempt to wipe out “half-bloods” and those with non-magic parents to take control of the magical society. This song is played as Harry and Hermione slow dance after listening to radio reports of numerous fallen wizards and as tension was high within their trio and the wizarding society as a whole. The song fits very well with the circumstances that took place in the film and it pulls a lot more meaning and perspective into the scene.
2 thoughts on “O Children
1. Cory Y
What a haunting song.
One thing I would also point out is the explicit reference to a “gulag” in the song, meaning that this song could be referring to both the Holocaust and to Soviet gulags during the Cold War.
For me, some more powerful lines come in the outro with the speaker singing,
Hey little train, we are all jumping on
The train that goes to the Kingdom
We’re happy, Ma, we’re having fun
It’s beyond my wildest expectation
These lines seem to have the effect of both implying the naïveté of the speaker and commenting ironically upon the situation that the speaker finds themselves in, especially with the words “little”, “happy”, “fun”, and “Kingdom” giving the impression of a child’s perspective who has been shielded from the truth of their situation. There’s a kind of inevitability that can be felt throughout the song, especially with its gospel-like forwards momentum, that also contributes to the power of these lines as some of the final ones.
Woah, I had also found this song from the soundtrack but seeing the lyrics written out here with your analysis gave me chills. I now realize it’s such an indecipherable song when you listen to it but if the lyrics were spoken at poetry night it would be incredibly moving. That’s the power of a good songwriter.
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A spinning ball line that produces spinning beads for the spinning wheel production at the spinning ball manufacturing and manufacturing company spinbonds.
The spinning balls, which spin on a wheel, are the products of a spinning process that begins with a spinning wheel that is rotated on a centrifuge.
The beads that come out of this spinning wheel are spun by spinning a wheel and then are placed into a bag that is then placed in the centrifuge, where the spinning wheels are placed and the beads are put in.
(The spinning wheels in the spinning machine are then rotated and placed in a bag in the same bag.)
The beads, which are the size of a grain of sand, are then put into a centrifuged machine that spins them.
The centrifuge is then turned on, and the centrifuges spin the beads in the bag in a controlled manner.
This centrifuge can then be rotated by the spinning engine to spin the bag.
The process of spinning a spinning ball is called spinbonding.
The production line of spinbonding at the spinbolls production line.
The spinboll production line produces spinning balls for the spin wheel production and manufacturing business.
The spinning ball factory is a small production line that has been in operation for decades in the southern Israeli city of Tel Aviv.
The first spinning ball was produced by the Spinball Company, which spun balls for spinbords production.
Since then, the company has produced spinning balls of various shapes and sizes for spinning wheel manufacturing, spinning ball assembly, spinning balls production and spinning balls manufacturing.
In 2011, spinboots production line was opened, and it has since produced spinning ball bags.
The spinboks production line has an assembly line and a machine shop that produce spinning balls.
A centrifuge that is used to spin spinning balls is located at the assembly line.
The centrifuge used for spinning balls to spin and then place into bags for use in the production of spinning balls has been developed by a company called Spinbonds, which is based in Tel-Aviv.
The Spinbondes spinning machine is located in the factory.
The Spinboots spinning machine in the manufacturing line.
Spinbolds manufacturing line uses a centrifugal spinning machine to spin a spinning bead.
A spinning machine produces spinning spheres.
The manufacturing line of Spinbuds production line is located on the Spinbots production line where the Spinballs spin wheel is made.
The processing of spinning spheres is done by a centrifuuge.
A spinbord is made by spinning the bead on the spinning device and then placing the spinning sphere in the bags.
In order to produce spinning beads, the spinning company uses a spinning engine.
The engine spins the spinning bead on a spinning motor and then spins the beads on a belt, which can rotate the beads to the desired shape and size.
The belt is then rotated to spin in a circular direction to spin on the belt.
The rotational speed of the belt is measured with an electronic oscillator that is mounted in the belt and used to measure the spinning speed of a belt.
The company that produces the spinning balls at Spinbolls produces spinning ball products for spinwheel assembly.
The wheels of the spinning machines are designed to spin as quickly as possible.
The machines that spin spinning spheres are designed with various materials and materials, like carbon fiber, silicon, ceramic and plastic.
The production line uses these materials and uses them to create different shapes of the spheres.
The spheres are also made in different colors, and some spheres have different shapes, such as one with four different colors.
The different shapes are then coated with a coating made of plastic and ceramic and then polished.
The finished spheres are then spun by a spinning machine.
The product line is the largest spinning company in the country and produces more than 100 different kinds of spinning beads.
The manufacturer of the products, Spinboll, is based at the Tel Aviv Spinbombs factory, and is part of the Tel-aviv Spinbonding company.
The company produces spinning bags for spinning wheels production.
The bags are then made by the company that has the factory, Spinba.
개발 지원 대상
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Sep 16, 2020
To be a meningeal fibroblast: scRNA-seq transforms our view of cellular heterogeneity in the meninges
Olivia Habern
Dr. Julie Siegenthaler, Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Section of Development Biology, at the University of Colorado, has studied the meninges for years. Now, she is filling a knowledge gap in the neuroscience community’s understanding of embryonic meningeal fibroblast heterogeneity, development, and function, with the help of single cell RNA-sequencing. These findings have the potential to illuminate the role of central nervous system (CNS) vasculature on the development of the embryonic brain and crucial protective structures like the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier.
When it comes to understanding central nervous system (CNS) development, health, and disease, researchers need to think outside of the box. Sometimes that leads them to structures outside of the brain. The meninges are composed of three membrane layers, including the dura, arachnoid, and pial layers, which encase the CNS from the earliest stages of embryonic development and serve as a protective covering later in adulthood. These layers contain various cell types, including meningeal fibroblasts and immune cells, and are integrated with a network of blood and lymphatic vessels that deliver oxygen, nutrients, and developmental signals to the CNS.
The meninges of the central nervous system. CREDIT: SVG by Mysid, original by SEER Development Team [1], Jmarchn - Vectorized in Inkscape by Mysid, based on work by SEER Development Team. (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Dysregulation in meningeal fibroblasts is also known to underlie CNS developmental defects. A previous study of Foxc1 mutant mice revealed that loss of Rdh10- and Raldh2-expressing cells in the cerebral meninges, and subsequent loss of meninges-derived retinoic acid signaling, correlated with severe neocortical defects (1). Similar Foxc1 mutations have been observed in genetic studies of human cerebellar malformation, including Dandy-Walker malformation (2), again pointing to the key role of the meninges in successful brain development.
For these reasons, Dr. Julie Siegenthaler, Associate Professor at the University of Colorado, and her research colleagues in the Siegenthaler Lab, are determined to understand the contribution of non-neuronal structures, like the meninges, to CNS development and function.
Dr. Siegenthaler’s lab members and other main authors on the project. From left to right: Hannah Jones, Julie Siegenthaler, Brad Pawlikowski, Julia Derk. Top right: John DeSisto. Bottom right: Becky O’Rourke.
“We’re interested in the vasculature because it's essential for brain metabolism, but it also represents an area where the central nervous system can access signals that come from the periphery … and that regulates brain function. How does the CNS vasculature acquire properties that enable the CNS to communicate with the periphery, but then also protect it? This is set up developmentally in the formation of the tight junctions between the endothelial cells, the acquisition of pericytes and astrocytic end feet, and the establishment of the neurovascular unit. All this is done, at least in mice, within a couple of weeks of age. So this is all absolutely essential to brain development and function, and these structures are heavily dysregulated in a variety of diseases.”
Components of the meninges, including meningeal fibroblasts, are also crucial sources of peripheral signaling during the early stages of neural development. As Dr. Siegenthaler notes, “the vasculature and meninges represent these really essential support structures for brain development and function,” however they are not as well characterized as the breadth of neurons and cell types represented in the brain and spinal cord. “The fibroblasts of the meninges had never been profiled … they typically just get labeled with very bland fibroblast markers when we really don’t understand what it means to be a pia or an arachnoid or a dura cell.”
A new perspective on meningeal fibroblast diversity
In an effort to explore the true diversity of meningeal fibroblasts, and uncover their specialized roles in the developing CNS, Dr. Siegenthaler and her colleagues turned to single cell RNA-sequencing. “This was really a big gap in knowledge, and this is what single cell technology is perfect for. We’ve done bulk RNA-seq on the meningeal fibroblasts, sorting them based on expression of Collagen1a1-GFP. Essentially, you just get a blend of … mixed cell populations, and it's very difficult to make any type of interpretation.”
With single cell resolution, however, Dr. Siegenthaler’s group was able to develop distinct molecular profiles of different meningeal fibroblast populations derived from E14 mouse forebrains. Using scRNA-seq, they captured and sequenced the transcriptomes of 8,581 GFP+ FACs-sorted meningeal fibroblast cells and grouped those populations into six principal clusters based on gene expression. Further analysis segregated the meningeal subclusters into three main branches that correspond to the pial, arachnoid, and dura classifications.
These insights into the distinct cellular markers between meningeal layers represent a breakthrough in meningeal fibroblast research. As Dr. Siegenthaler expressed, “I’ve been staring at the meninges for years—I mean years—and we've had, what, one or two cell type–specific markers, Raldh2, PDGFRβ, that's it. That's all we've had for years. ZIC1 isn’t even very good because it would hit all of them. I have one for every layer now. It's like somebody hands you a pair of glasses, and you’re like, ‘Oh, now I see it. Now I understand what it means,’ and so it's been incredibly transformative.”
Importantly, this research revealed new cellular markers for arachnoid barrier cells, a population within the meninges that forms tight junctions. “This becomes a tight-junction containing layer that exists within the meninges and is part of the barrier system that prevents cells and molecules from getting into the cerebrospinal fluid.” Once a “wildly under-studied structure,” the blood-CSF barrier is becoming less of a mystery, as Dr. Siegenthaler’s team continues to explore its cellular composition and differentiate cellular populations at the transcriptional level. “We had no markers for these arachnoid barrier cells… Now we know what they express. We can label them. We can study them. We know the signaling pathways. Based on the single cell data, we made predictions about signaling pathways that are important for their development. And all of this came out because we were able to look at and pull these cells out and see, ‘Oh, these guys represent a new population of cells. What did they express? How are they different?’”
Insights into the layer-specific and cell type–specific markers opened up even more possibilities of discovery for Dr. Siegenthaler’s team. Further analysis via in situ gene expression in E14 brain tissue sections revealed regionalized expression patterns, meaning that subclusters with distinct transcriptional profiles identified within the meningeal layers correlated with meninges adjacent to specific brain regions. Single cell meningeal fibroblast data also pointed to unique developmental functions among subpopulations of the embryonic meninges. For example, Dr. Siegenthaler’s group noted that pial subclusters had enriched expression of extracellular matrix components, suggesting pial fibroblasts play the biggest role in helping to form the pial basement membrane, which divides the brain parenchyma and the meninges. They also identified a unique fibroblast subpopulation in the pial layer with heightened expression of Crym and Serpine2, the latter of which is a known factor in inhibiting angiogenesis. Consequently, they concluded that this subpopulation may have region-specific functions related to the regulation of meninges-specific structures like blood vasculature (3).
Opening new doors for other neuroscience researchers
With the knowledge they’ve gained from their own single cell study of the meninges, Dr. Siegenthaler and her team have been able to support other researchers interested in detailed annotations of meningeal fibroblasts. “We have gone back and analyzed other people’s data… This is actually really helpful. Instead of, basically, fibroblasts, just an anomalous cluster in these big single cell brain annotations, people can actually annotate those clusters and say, ‘Oh, yeah, these are the arachnoid barrier cells. These are the pial cells. These are the non-arachnoid barrier cells. These are the dural fibroblasts. Or perivascular fibroblasts.’ That enriches their dataset.”
Explore these cellular insights in the Siegenthaler Lab E14 Meningeal Fibroblast Single Cell RNA-seq Data Set.
In addition to sharing data and sharpening insights from past studies, Dr. Siegenthaler has a number of tips for researchers who are getting started with single cell analysis. “You’ve got to have the right question,” and if you don’t yet, or if you’re not sure where to start, find out if “somebody has done it already and the data is publicly available. The first thing to do is go and analyze other people's data.” Dr. Siegenthaler noted that analyzing other people’s data is also a powerful training mechanism if you’re looking for more bioinformatics practice. Finally, she recommends pouring into some helpful single cell reviews: “I think there are a lot of great reviews on single cell technology that I would highly encourage people to read, particularly about sample prep—I think that’s essential. Are you sorting cells? What kind of digestion methods are you using, and how is that going to affect the transcriptome?”
Thank you Dr. Siegenthaler for sharing your tips and insights! We look forward to hearing from more scientists for whom single cell analysis is unlocking the hidden cellular heterogeneity that has kept researchers guessing for years.
1. J Siegenthaler et al., Retinoic Acid from the Meninges Regulates Cortical Neuron Generation. Cell. 139, 597–609 (2009).
2. KA Aldinger et al., FOXC1 is required for normal cerebellar development and is a major contributor to chromosome 6p25.3 Dandy-Walker malformation. Nat. Genet. 41, 1037–1042 (2009).
3. J DeSisto et al., Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analyses of the Developing Meninges Reveal Meningeal Fibroblast Diversity and Function. Develop. Cell. 54, 43–59.e4 (2020).
This article contains a discussion of research conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Julie Siegenthaler. View and opinions do not constitute endorsement or promotion of 10x Genomics, Inc. or any of its products. |
Who is Wilfrid Laurier? Prime Minister of Canada (1896-1911)
Who is Wilfrid Laurier? Information on Wilfrid Laurier biography, life story, and political career.
Wilfrid Laurier; (1841-1919), prime minister of Canada (1896-1911), and leader of the federal Liberal party (1887-1919). A man of distinguished presence, combining eloquence with great personal charm, Laurier was a force for unity through the early years of the Dominion. As its first French-Canadian prime minister, he presided over 15 crucial years of national development.
Wilfrid Laurier
Early Life:
Laurier was born in St.-Lin, Quebec, on Nov. 20, 1841, and was baptized Henri Charles Wilfrid. Prepared by a village schooling in French and English, he completed a seven-year classical course at the ecclesiastical college in L’Assomption and went on to McGill University for a degree in civil law. In 1864 he began practice as a barrister in Montreal, but a breakdown in his health forced him to move in 1867 to Arthabaska in the Eastern Townships.
As a French Canadian Liberal, or Rouge, Laurier first opposed Confederation, but he accepted it when it came in 1867 with the cool pragmatism that characterized his whole life. Gradually he became convinced that if provincial autonomy could be maintained, safeguarding the I educational, religious, and cultural identity of French Canada, the federal union was workable.
On Jan. 22, 1874, after three years in the provincial parliament of Quebec, Laurier was elected to the Dominion Parliament. Here he was I speedily recognized as a principal spokesman for Quebec in federal affairs. Within Quebec, he was involved in a struggle against Catholic ultramontanism, which equated political with religious liberalism and sought to silence both.
Party Leader:
In 1887, at the insistence of Edward Blake, who was retiring, Laurier was named to replace him as leader of the federal Liberal party. Laurier was dubious about accepting the position because he was a French Canadian and a Catholic in a country predominantly English and Protestant. Yet, though he began badly with an ill-conceived campaign in favor of tariff reciprocity with the United States, he was never shaken or even seriously threatened in his position. His ability to control men and shape a party was soon demonstrated. After the death of Sir John A. Macdonald in 1891, the Conservative party declined, and in the election of 1896, Laurier came to power at the head of the Liberals.
Laurier’s Prime Ministry:
The great issue of the campaign had been the question of separate schools for the French and Catholic minority in Manitoba. Laurier took the position that in abolishing such schools the province was within its rights, because education was a provincial matter. The federal government, in his view, could not coerce; it could only seek by agreement with the province to prevent injustice to a minority. Such an agreement, providing for a measure of separate education, was eventually concluded. It was one of the great compromises, wholly satisfactory to no one, by which he sought to dull the national conflict between French and Fnglish. Moreover, by upholding provincial autonomy for Manitoba he also upheld it for Quebec.
The first decade of the 20th century was marked by a great flow of immigration into Canada. The government encouraged it by every means, and most notably in the agricultural development of the western prairies. Along with new settlement, and with the industrial growth of the country generally, went extensive plans for a second transcontinental railway and eventually a third. Begun in buoyant times and with unlimited confidence, the railways involved duplication and resulted in an accumulation of fixed charges that eventually saddled the country with two nearly bankrupt railways. Laurier’s railway policy, though much of it was later justified, was probably his most criticized undertaking.
In the meantime the questions of schools, language, and religion rose again with the creation of the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan in 1905. Here, when Laurier tried to obtain for the Catholic minority a little better arrangement than it had enjoyed in Manitoba, he was forced by a revolt in his cabinet to a humiliating reversal of policy. Catholic separate schools in Alberta and Saskatchewan became more strictly limited in their scope than those of Manitoba.
Imperial Policy:
Though he valued Canada’s connection with Britain, Laurier was firm for the autonomy of the principal dominions within the empire. In 1899-1900, when he authorized the raising and equipping of a volunteer contingent for service with British forces in the South African War, he was faced with an outcry that showed him the aversion of French Canada to taking part in far-off imperialist wars. From then on, he steadily resisted all attempts to centralize the administration of the empire or to establish imperial defense forces or imperial defense commitments. The development of his ideas was, rather, in the direction of such an association as the present-day Commonwealth.
The Navy and Reciprocity:
Though he declined firm commitments for imperial defense, Laurier, in 1909, established a separate Canadian Navy. It did not satisfy a growing imperialist element in Canada, who desired to make contributions to the Royal Navy. This element denounced the Canadian Navy as a useless “tinpot” force, and at the same time many French Canadians opposed it as a first step toward militarism, imperialism, and conscription for service in the empire’s wars. Both charges Laurier vehemently and effectively refuted, and the issue appeared to have been settled when another arose.
This was a new Reciprocity Treaty negotiated with the United States on what at first seemed very favorable terms. Opposition built up, however, from commercial, industrial, and railway interests who feared its long-range effects. The old cry rose that Canada was to be detached from the empire through a closer connection with the United States. Now the navy issue was revived, and many of the older discontents of French Canadian nationalism rose to the surface.
The Laurier government, going confidently to the country in the “reciprocity election” of 1911, found itself fighting on several fronts. It was denounced by French Canadian nationalists as a willing tool of imperialism and a servant of English interests. At the same time it was represented by the Canadian commercial and imperialist element as a dupe of the United States and a niggardly contributor to the empire in a time of need. In the midst of a darkening international scene Laurier’s conciliation and moderation failed him. In the election of 1911, after 15 years of power, he went down to defeat.
Leader of the Opposition:
Laurier remained a national figure, respected by all parties and of immense influence in the country. When world war came in 1914, the support of the 73-year-old leader of the Opposition was of great importance to Sir Robert Borden, the Conservative prime minister. It was given in full measure though Laurier’s position was difficult. French Canadians who were being asked to enlist for the empire’s service were also then having their educational rights curtailed in Ontario and newly restricted in the Prairie Provinces. Laurier could do little to reduce this serious new wartime conflict. Nevertheless he lent his voice in support of recruiting, though he coupled his call to voluntary service with a pledge that conscription would never be introduced.
When conscription came, forced on Borden by the mounting demands of the war, Laurier was compelled to break with him. He declined to enter a union government, headed by Borden, including leading men of both parties, and pledged to conscription. He did not believe that conscription would be effective in a country almost stripped of manpower. More importantly, he was solemnly pledged against it to his own people.
With a wartime election called, many of his supporters turned against Laurier on the conscription issue. He was left with a mere rump to fight the election of 1917. In the outcome he was almost totally supported by Quebec and almost totally rejected by the rest of the country. Division had never been so great between French and English Canada, and a lifetime of work toward national unity seemed to have failed utterly.
Yet in the two years of life that remained to him the picture changed and old supporters returned. Different regions of the nation began to sense their mutual need of one another. When Laurier died in Ottawa on Feb. 16, 1919, it was as the leader of a restored party who was even then in the process of choosing his own successor.
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Talking & Texting While Driving is a Fatal Combination
A cell phone may weigh just a few ounces, but it packs a lethal punch when coupled with the weight and momentum of a vehicle traveling down the road. When a driver takes their eyes away from the road to send a text, read a message, or answer a call, the results can be catastrophic.
From 2009 to 2013, over 6,000 vehicular accidents occurred in Illinois when drivers did just that. In 2013 alone, there were 1,400 crashes. These accidents caused 33 fatalities and a considerable number of injuries. Nationally, it is estimated that 1.3 million, or 23% of all crashes, involve at least one driver who was using their cell phone while operating a motor vehicle. These accidents create an economic impact that exceeds $40 billion per year including lost income, medical expenses, and funeral costs.
While many people assume texting is more dangerous than talking, the National Safety Council’s research has shown that talking while driving resulted in 12 times as many accidents as texting. Thus, while Illinois may allow motorists to use speakerphones while driving, there still remains a considerable risk that a driver chatting away can cause an accident.
The dangers of distracted driving caused by cell phone technology prompted the Illinois General Assembly to pass a ban on the use of hand-held devices. The state became the 12th state in the nation to pass similar legislation. The law went into effect on January, 1, 2014 and is rigorously enforced by the Illinois State Police and local law enforcement agencies.
The law prohibits the use of hand-held devices, but does allow for speakerphones, and for the phone to be used in emergency situations. If a driver is caught violating the law, they can be issued a fine of $75 for a first offense, and $150 for any subsequent offenses. The law also carries strict penalties should the use of a cell phone lead to an accident that causes an injury or a fatality. Should this happen, drivers can be sent to prison.
Prison sentences for causing fatalities while driving aren’t just idle talk. This past month,24-year-old Travis Crain from Madison was sentenced to 4 1/2 years in prison for the fatal death of Mark Harris. In April 2015, Harris was walking down the road in Granite City when Crain’s vehicle struck him. At the time of the accident, Crain was sending text messages, eating, and speeding. These distractions diverted his attention and turned his vehicle into a lethal weapon.
In addition to criminal penalties, Chicago car accident lawyers work hard to ensure that motorists who cause an accident while distracted by their cell phone are held accountable in civil court for the medical expenses, pain and suffering, and loss of income their actions cause.
According to the US Department of Transportation, drivers are four times more likely to be involved in an automobile accident when they are using their cell phone. It is a concerning figure given the fact that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that nearly 800,000 drivers are talking or texting at any given time of day. Each moment these drivers are distracted from the road by their technology is a moment when disaster can occur.
At greatest risk are teenagers who lack experience behind the wheel and are easily distracted when their phones light up with messages from family and friends. Research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has shown that cell phones are the leading cause of distracted driving for teenagers. Their research has also shown that distracted driving is the leading cause of death for teenagers. As such, the connection between cell phones, distracted driving, and teenage fatalities is something that is crystal clear. This connection is the reason why Illinois prohibits teenagers under the age of 18 from using any type of communication device while driving.
When a driver traveling down the highway answers a call, reads a message, or sends a text, their vehicle can travel 100 meters or more in the seconds their attention is diverted from the road. In that time, the vehicle may drift out of the lane, another vehicle may change lanes into the path of the vehicle, or the vehicle may travel into obstructions, pedestrians, or cyclists in the roadway. It is a real danger and at highway speeds a 2,000 pound car has an impact force nearly 10 times the vehicle’s weight.
When a driver is distracted from the road by their phone, their vehicle becomes an unguided missile that can kill or injure indiscriminately. A careless driver can cause an accident that could otherwise be avoided. When operating a motor vehicle, a driver answering a call or sending simple messages such as “lol” might as well be texting “RIP” to their family, their friends, and the loved ones of the motorists they harm. |
two people standing in a field next to a tree holding baskets full of Autumn Crocus
Saffron is almost exclusively grown in Iran, Spain, India and Afghanistan. So why are fields of it blossoming on this Vermont farm just before the snow falls?
On a brisk morning in late October, wisps of snow and brittle leaves scuttle across the hillside at Calabash Gardens in Wells River, Vermont. In the semi-frozen field, in an acre of cultivated ground surrounded by a tall deer fence, delicate purple Crocus sativus blossoms quiver in the stark landscape like the wings of exotic moths. Bend down and you can see three bright red stigma—the female parts of a flower—protruding from the center of each small, goblet-shaped bloom. This ephemeral bit of botany is saffron, the most expensive spice in the world.
Bundled against the cold, Claudel "Zaka" Chery and Jette Mandl-Abramson walk the field, plucking the blossoms into baskets and stopping now and then to blow on their bare hands. The flowers are the first signs of life from 180,000 corms, the enlarged stems, that lay dormant under the soil all summer. The harvest from the fall-blooming saffron crocus will last until the temperature stays below freezing. Chery is all too aware that in this cold hollow, harvest time could last a month, or just until tomorrow. Later, at the kitchen table, pulling apart the blossoms to remove the saffron threads, Chery counts each one—361 that day—which he records in a little notebook.
a close up of hands holding a Autumn Crocus plant
When Chery left Haiti after the devastation of the earthquake in 2010, he never imagined he would end up farming in Vermont. Led there by grief, to find solace with the family of a dear friend who had died, he didn't even have a car, let alone land. He didn't intend to stay. Then he met Mandl-Abramson, an herbalist and artist, with bird tattoos flying off each shoulder, dreaming of her own farm. In 2017, about a year after the couple met, Mandl-Abramson stumbled across a University of Vermont article about growing saffron. Something clicked. "Saffron was how I finally persuaded Zaka to farm with me," says Mandl-Abramson. "Saffron was difficult and experimental, and we had the chance to be leaders. Hardly anyone was doing it."
Saffron Chicken Korma
Saffron Chicken Korma
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Credit: Jacob Fox
The Golden Ticket
In the last five years, hundreds of small farms across the U.S. have begun growing saffron with the hope of tapping a highly lucrative niche in the artisanal spice market. Pound-for-pound on par with gold, high-end saffron sells for as much as $50 a gram. To a farmer, Crocus sativus has a lot going for it beyond the price tag: plant it once and it will come back year after year and multiply on its own; it adapts to extreme environments and poor soils; and its harvest comes when other crops no longer need attention. On the flip side, nearly every step of growing and processing saffron must be done by hand. As with any gold rush, success with the gold spice requires a huge dollop of perseverance—maybe even obsession—as these farmers are finding out.
Saffron's value, and perhaps a large part of its allure to the human imagination for millennia (one of the oldest depictions of saffron is a 3,000-year-old fresco at the Palace of Minos at Knossos in Crete), comes from its elusive nature. Each blossom lasts 3 to 4 days and produces three tiny scarlet stigmas, which must be separated from the other flower parts and then dried within 24 hours of picking; it takes about 500 of these aromatic threads to produce a single gram. You can do a full day's work and hold in your palm a harvest weighing less than a hummingbird.
A close up of a bee landing on a Autumn Crocus plant
Like most spices, saffron has its cultural niche: in Persia and Arabia, it appears in everything from cocktails to ice cream, even beauty cream and fabric dye. In Mediterranean cuisine, saffron has lent its distinctive woodsy note to bouillabaisse since Roman times, and in India—where it has also long been part of the spice trade—some cooks add it to recipes like biryani, turning layers of rice cooked with spices, vegetables and meat a sunny yellow. Used as much for the rich golden color as the sweet earthy aroma it gives the food, its taste is more atmospheric than assertive, like freshly mown hay drying in the sun with bitter herbs and flowers.
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Credit: Jacob Fox
Native to the Middle East, saffron is typically grown in hot, dry climates and it is harvested for export only in places where hand labor is cheaply available. Around 90% of the world's saffron is grown in Iran. Spain, Afghanistan and India are also exporters. The U.S. imports roughly 75 tons of saffron a year and farming it domestically has been nearly unheard of since Pennsylvania Dutch settlers grew it in the 1700s (a few still do) and sold it to Spanish colonists in the Caribbean.
Rahmatallah Gheshm, a postdoctoral fellow in agroecology at the University of Rhode Island, who studied saffron for two decades in his native Iran before coming to the U.S., sees a big opportunity. "Saffron is endangered," he says. He predicts that in the next 10 years Iran's saffron harvest—some 200 tons— will drop by half. In Khorasan Province, where the majority of saffron is grown, studies show that much of the land is steadily becoming unproductive desert, with higher levels of salinity in the aquifers due to climate change. Because of the high cost of labor, Gheshm doesn't see the U.S. ever coming close to filling such a large gap, but he imagines a time when saffron will be grown widely on small farms and sold locally.
An Idea Blossoms
At nearly an acre, Calabash Gardens is the largest saffron farm in Vermont and probably in the entire United States, according to Margaret Skinner, a research professor and extension entomologist at the University of Vermont. Skinner, who has a voice full of infectious enthusiasm, has been instrumental in helping the majority of American saffron farmers get started in the last five years. She became a leading resource on growing the spice in the U.S. mostly by accident. One day in 2015, Arash Ghalehgolabbehbahani, a UVM postgraduate fellow who grew up in Tehran, asked her why Vermont farmers didn't grow saffron.
"My initial reaction was, 'That's a really crazy idea,'" says Skinner. "I didn't think it would survive the cold." But if it did, she thought, the fall-blooming Crocus sativus could be a high-value crop for vegetable farmers—not requiring a heated greenhouse and hitting at a time of year when an additional revenue stream was welcome. "We envisioned this as a crop to support our small diversified farms," she explains.
A woman tending a garden
Via her University of Vermont program, Margaret Skinner, a research professor and extension entomologist, supports American saffron farmers.
The outlay of time and money to plant an acre of saffron can be daunting. The corms themselves, which most farms import from specialized growers in Holland, cost around 20 to 40 cents each, which could run to $30,000 for an acre. The first year's harvest won't impress anyone, but three years after planting, Skinner estimates, 1 acre of Crocus sativus could produce $100,000 of saffron. These are the kind of numbers that UVM's North American Center for Saffron Research and Development has estimated based on their research to date.
When funding is available the Center donates corms and equipment to farmers for saffron trials, researches different growing and drying methods and organizes an annual conference drawing hundreds—"a wild session of all kinds of different people looking for the new gold rush," according to one participant. Most influential of all is the center's SaffronNet—a Listserv with 800 active users, from 25 states and 15 countries, all posting tips and questions on growing saffron.
Sustaining Small Farms
It's 2 a.m., and a single headlamp shines in the dark along the edge of Peace and Plenty's saffron field in Kelseyville, California. Little by little, a dozen points of light converge and dance up and down the rows in the cold November pre-dawn. No one is awake enough to talk; the only sound is the distinctive squeak of crocus blossoms being plucked and put into buckets. Hours later, as the roosters start to crow and the first light cracks the horizon, the harvesters pick up the pace, racing the sun.
Saffron sitting in a glass dish
At this farm, the delicate saffron flowers push up not through snow but a sun-parched crust of earth in a landscape scarred by drought. Melinda Price and Simon Avery dreamed of farming for years but "didn't think carrots and kale would pay the mortgage." Saffron held promise of something more lucrative on a small scale. They bought their first crocus corms even before they bought land.
To harvest their half-acre requires 14 people working up to 14 hours a day. Young people who are attracted to the madcap adventure of picking saffron as an endurance sport come to camp in the fields for a few weeks. They pick at least 40,000 flowers before the intense sun hits the field and wilts them ("they would turn to wet glop," says Price), then all afternoon in the shade of walnut trees they separate the stigmas from the petals with pollen-stained hands and place the threads into dehydrators. After drying, the saffron is sealed in jars.
Saffranskaka (Saffron Cake)
Saffranskaka (Saffron Cake)
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Credit: Jacob Fox
Price's voice slows when she talks about cooking simple meals with saffron for her farm crew and the more elaborate menus at her farm-to-table events created by chef Arnon Oren of Anaviv. Guests sit at long tables under the walnut trees and eat a five-course saffron-inspired meal with local wines; menus have included chicken roasted with saffron butter, lamb tagine with saffron rice, and saffron ice-cream with grilled figs. "If you want to highlight saffron as the star, you definitely want to use the locally grown one," says Oren. It has more color and flavor, he says, and "smells so, so earthy and powerful."
Price admits that at least half her customers are unfamiliar with saffron. "They point to the lavender field and ask if that's the saffron," she says. Her mission is to spread enthusiasm. She encourages people to "be adventuresome, to try it in everything." As for the expense—her saffron sells for $75 a gram in a cute jar with a label that reads "Life Is Golden"—she reminds people that a little bit goes a long way. "Three threads of saffron will make a pot of rice," she says.
Creating a Market
Meraki Meadows in the dust-mote town of New Home, Texas, is a two-family operation where all six kids, ages 7 to 16, are on the website staff page with roles like Executive Flower Smeller and Dirt Quality Analyst. Karl McDonald and his in-laws, the Becks, had 15 acres and started researching a crop that could be profitable without much land or rain, and would "give the kids an activity." Saffron kept coming to the top of the list. The name they chose for the farm, Meraki, is a Greek word meaning to put yourself into something with heart and soul.
During the fall of 2020 when the pandemic confined them at home, all 10 family members planted 20,000 corms of saffron on a half-acre and got their first harvest a few months later, truly a family effort. "The kids got up to pick before they went to school, then came home and processed after," McDonald says.
Saffron plants on a wood surface
As remote as it is, Meraki Meadows gets few visitors. They sell directly from their website. "Our biggest gap is marketing," McDonald says. Like Calabash Gardens and Peace and Plenty Farm, they will soon be producing too much saffron to sell it all directly to home cooks; they will need partnerships with companies looking to turn it into value-added products, such as saffron-infused soap, candles or honey, something Peace and Plenty has found a strong market for.
For Calabash Gardens in Vermont, that partner is Lemonfair Saffron, a company started in 2017 by Parker Shorey. Shorey thinks of himself as "the pollinator bee" helping Vermont saffron growers reach markets in New York City, where he is based, and beyond. He pays farmers at least 50% of his retail price (currently $56 a gram) for bulk saffron, then takes it through an added drying process by spreading the threads on copper trays over the coals of a maple-wood fire. This fire-drying technique is traditional in colder climates where saffron is grown, and Shorey learned it from growers in Tuscany. Though much trickier than using the sun or a commercial dehydrator as most growers do (the first time Shorey tried it he accidentally tipped several hundred dollars' worth of saffron into the coals), drying saffron over a fire "brings out the radiant color and mild fruity aroma of fresh saffron," he says. He sees saffron following in the footsteps of the craft cider and artisanal cheese that are now mainstays of Vermont's food culture but were rare a decade ago.
Red Lentil Soup with Saffron
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Red Lentil Soup with Saffron
Credit: Jacob Fox
Though still a microbusiness, Lemonfair is at an inflection point, he says and will purchase three times as much American saffron from growers this year as it did in 2021. The home-cooking trend triggered by the pandemic seems to be continuing, Shorey says, and he sees locally sourced spices as the next wave of Americans' interest in artisanal and local foods.
Shorey recently checked in on Zaka Chery's crop at Calabash Gardens. "The gauntlet was thrown," Shorey says. "We have to really work on the demand because they are going to have a ton of saffron next year." Well, maybe not a ton, but if the weather cooperates, possibly as much as 6 pounds, which translates to 5,400 half-gram jars of the gold spice.
As a filmmaker by training, Chery isn't daunted by the challenge of telling the story of locally grown saffron to new customers. The farming piece still leaves him nervous. "We're going to be picking half a million flowers," he says. "We won't eat or sleep. It's going to be maddening," Chery adds, with a look that says this is a madness akin to chasing an unrequited love.
Things to Consider When Buying Saffron
Yes, it's pricy, so you want to be sure you're getting what you paid for. Here are some things to consider.
Choose Threads
Skip powdered saffron—it loses flavor more quickly, and it's easier for it to be adulterated with fillers.
You may see a quality grade on labels. Some grading systems indicate what part of the flower is included (stigma-only, without any of the style which it attaches to, is the highest grade). Others are based on measures of active ingredients, primarily crocin, which gives the saffron coloring power. Unfortunately there is no universal system (e.g., "Grade 1" used by the International Standard Organization and "Coupe" used in the Spanish system both indicate the highest level of crocin). Ideally, you'll find a harvest date within the last year on the package. Buy it in small amounts to avoid leftovers sitting around losing potency.
It should look like red threads, typically snarled into a jumble. The threads can have variation in color from pure red to a lighter orangy-yellow, which is where the stigma attaches to the style of the flower.
It should smell strongly of dried hay and fall leaves.
Try these sites for American-grown saffron.
Lemonfair Saffron Co;
Peace and Plenty Farm;
Meraki Meadows;
Calabash Gardens;
Helen Whybrow is a freelance writer and editor-at-large for Orion Magazine. |
How Big Do Rainbow Trout Get? (Plus More Interesting Facts)
how big do rainbow trout get
How Big Do Rainbow Trout Get?
Rainbow trout, one of the most popular sport fish in the states today. From urban ponds, to mountain streams. Big rivers to coastal coves, the rainbow trout is now stocked for recreational purposes all around. Though native to only the Pacific Northwest, rainbow trout has gained popularity as a sport fish and hatchery fish worldwide.
Most fishing outings generally yield rainbow trout from 10 inches to 16 inches long. Most will average under 2 pounds. However, rainbow trout are known to bulk up and be some of the hardest fighting trout out there.
Whether it is a productive high mountain lake, or a large clear river in the Pacific Northwest, rainbow trout have the potential to pack on the pounds and become a serious trophy.
Factors That Affect A Trouts Size
Generally, most fish are considered to have indeterminate growth. This means that unlike humans, fish can continue to grow in size for the duration of their lives. The only limiting factor to finding giant fish is generally age. However, there are other factors that influence the potential size a fish can achieve. Some of these factors include:
• Genetics
• Available food
• Overall size of the environment.
Generally speaking, the size of the environment and the available food sources have the most influence on trout getting to those trophy sizes. Don’t expect to find a 20 plus inch rainbow in a small mountain stream, though it is always a possibility.
Instead, if you are fishing for big rainbows, try to fish a water body that is larger. Such as a larger creek, river, lake, or reservoir. Here, the environment is more conducive to growing larger fish.
Local Food Source
Additionally, the available food sources are a big factor on rainbow trout packing on the pounds. Abundant high protein food sources are generally the driver of this. Freshwater shrimp, or “scuds” are known to be a practical growth supplement for trout. Lakes and rivers with an abundance of this food sources generally grow big trout.
In rarer cases, where rainbow trout key in on big high protein food sources, such as mice, they can also achieve trophy sizes. In places like Alaska or Canada, where aquatic insects can be limited in glacial streams, they have reverted to eating mice and other rodents that are swimming or fall into the water. This can lead to some exciting fishing opportunity! In situations like this, 20”+ rainbows pushing 5 pounds is fully possible!
Rainbow Trout vs. Steelhead
So what’s the deal with Steelhead? Well, Steelhead are in all technicalities the same species as a Rainbow Trout. The only thing is that their life histories and natural functions vary greatly.
While a Rainbow Trout is a freshwater fish, populations of Steelhead are simply ones that migrate back and forth to the saltwater ocean, much like a Salmon.
These trout are born in freshwater rivers and streams and spend much of their adult life feeding on the abundance of food in the oceans, returning to rivers and streams in the spring to spawn.
large steelhead caught in copper river
A large steelhead, or sea run rainbow trout (Credit: Wikipedia)
Living and feeding in the ocean produces big and healthy fish. Steelhead are known to be some of the most finicky, though most hard-fighting a fun trout to catch. The annual Steelhead runs in the spring are a big deal to a lot of people who desire to catch big fighting fish.
Steelhead on average are going to be bigger and more robust than your average Rainbow Trout, lending to their popularity. While Steelhead anglers don’t typically catch dozens of fish in a day, the ones they do land are often big submarine looking trout in the 5 to 10 pound range, a trophy by anyone’s standards.
World Record Rainbow
According to the International Game Fish Association, or IGFA, the all-tackle world-record Rainbow Trout comes in at a nearly unbelievable 48 pounds! Hailing from the famous Lake Diefenbaker, which has produced numerous record rainbow trout in the past. While this is certainly an exceptional specimen from an ideal location, Rainbow Trout are regularly caught upwards of 20 pounds throughout multiple states every year.
How do You Catch a Trophy Rainbow?
Now, catching one of these monsters is not always so simple of a task. Don’t expect to learn some secret fishing trick to catch a 10 pound Rainbow at your local lake. Chances are, it may not even exist their.
The best chance at catching nice trophy Rainbows is to go somewhere they are known to exist. A little research should lend you some locations that are known to produce these behemoths regularly. The best chance at catching a trophy rainbow, is fishing a spot other trophy rainbows are regularly caught.
Written by Don
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Students will make works of art that explore different kinds of subject matter, topics, themes, and metaphors. Students will understand and use sensory elements, organizational principles, and expressive images to communicate their own ideas in works of art. Students will use a variety of art materials, processes, mediums, and techniques, and use appropriate technologies for creating and exhibiting visual art works. |
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Gold Nanoparticle in Cancer Treatment
Paper Type: Free Essay Subject: Medical
Wordcount: 3047 words Published: 1st Dec 2021
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The nanotechnology is the technology of creating, manipulating and using the structure in nanometer size range. The origin of nanotechnology lies in the convergence and growth of many scientific branches. The goal of nanotechnology is to create effective, economic and highly specific nanomedicine and nanodevices that can help human being to fight against deadly diseases. The nanoparticles have a wide range of applications in medical field and the results are quite helpful to patients, scientists and physicians.
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The gold Nanoparticles have most promising range of applications in cancer treatments as compared to newly evolved nanodevices like nanorods, nanowires, quantum dots. The gold nanoparticles possess superior physiochemical properties, unique optical properties that can be used for early detection and treatment of cancer through photothermal and radiotherapy. Cancer is the major cause of death from past three decades and remains one of the biggest biomedical challenge. The advanced research has been conducted and new innovative and promising methods like Molecular targeted therapy, virus therapy, Tumor targeting fields, hyperthermia therapy have been discovered to fight against the cancer.
Previously gold nanoparticles are used to detect the cancer however in the current study heating the gold nanoparticles are used to kill the cancer cells. Because of their good biocompatibility and controllable biodistribution pattern gold nanoparticles are the ideal candidates for innovative therapies.
With about 7 million new death per year cancer is remain concerning cause of death. The treatment of cancer involves surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy but due to increase in complexity of disease, genetic and various environmental factors leads to birth of new advanced treatment. Understanding the advantages of gold nanoparticles can leads to the successful treatment of cancer. The gold nanoparticles have low atomic mass by which they can absorb radiation and increases the radiation dose in the tumor causes collapse which results in damaging cancer cells without affecting the healthy cells.
In order to treat the specific types of cells, specific antibodies can be joined with gold nanoparticles. The successful impact of radiations caused by gold nanoparticles helps to used particles more effectively. Recently gold nanoparticles are used as anticancer drug carrier and as an enhancer for radiation doses. The anticancer bleomycin can easily go into the gold nanoparticles through gold -thiol bond.
The main focus is to reduce the time, effort and expenses in cancer detection and treatment. The gold nanoparticles help to fight against the oral, stomach, colon and skin cancer. The gold nanoparticles are promising contrast agent, drug delivery vehicle and radiosensitizers and very helpful to improve cancer detection and therapy treatment. The traditional way of administered the anticancer drug have lot of drawback like unwanted biodistribution of drugs in patient body, stability in blood and accumulation of blood in organs gold nanoparticles can overcome these problems as they have amazing plasmonic properties.
Major Milestone
In the recent years the development of various reliable methods leads to produce gold nanoparticles in desired shape and size to use in medical field. Gold nanoparticles are used in the development of new generation of antiviral drugs that can attack virus and destroy it. They are used in early diagnosis of heart attack.
The gold nano rode is used in vaccine development that are used in treatment of schistosomiasis. Crosslinking gold nanoparticles with collagen gels are used in ageing or treatment of damaged skin. The nano vaccines are also designed on basis of gold nanoparticles their surface carries high density of tumor peptide antigens when deliver to specific cells helps to trigger the antitumor immune response. Over 160 years old Michael Faraday developed the pure sample of colloidal gold in lab in London that experiment is actual becomes the base for future experiments for the nanotechnology and nanomedicine.
The innovative applications of gold nanoparticles involve the gene therapy, tumor detection, radiotherapy, drug delivery and dose enhancement. The multiple entities, multiple receptor targeting, and multimodality imaging are the multifunctional of gold nanoparticles that serves as major milestone to fight against the cancer. The earliest gold nanoparticles are gold nanosphere then there are nano-rode, nano-shell, nanocages comes into existence. It is a major milestone that the gold nanoparticles can destroy the cancer by negative the side effects of chemotherapy and radiations like erectile dysfunction, tissue toxicity without affecting the healthy tissues.
The patients who are treated in clinical trial shows no signs of cancer return after one year from the treatment while the chemotherapy and radiation therapy increase the risk of developing different types of cancer in life. In some patients the development of second cancer linked to affect of past cancer treatment.
Gold nanoparticles proved as a milestone in local enhancement of radiation dose and targeted delivery of anticancer drugs. For experiment bleomycin has chosen as anticancer drug. BLM binds with DNA causing unwinding double helix and thus producing the reactive oxygen species cause the DNA strands breaks down. The sulphate ending of BLM gets attached to gold nanoparticles makes it an ideal drug. Gold nanoparticles of size 10nm derived with the citrate reduction method then penta-peptide is used to stabilized it. RGD domain of peptide added to stabilize the gold nanoparticles.
This modified gold nanoparticles are called as GNP-RGD and then bleomycin is added using the gold-thiol bond onto the surface of gold nanoparticle then it is called GNP-RGD-BLM. When the cells are treated with GNP-RGD-BLM decreases in tumor cell survival. The experiment shows at low concentration one conjunction of anticancer drug gold nanoparticles leads to effectively drug delivery. For GNP mediated combined therapy cells were treated with GNP-RGD-BLM.
This GNP mediated chemotherapy and radiation when tested in vitro cell using the concentration of cells in nanomolar and then very small radiation were used that leads to decrease in cell survival as compared to cell treated with bleomycin and radiation, GNP-RGD-BLM causes increase in rate of cell death. When Gold nanoparticles used as drug carrier and radiation sensitizer with chemo and radiation therapy causes significantly improve the results of combination therapy.
Protein player
Tumor protein p53 acts as tumor suppression as it regulates the cell division and growth either in a fast or uncontrolled way. One of the important features of p53 protein is it helps in reducing serine acid that help the cancer cells to grow. P53 do not forms the orderly crystals making it a flexible molecule which are difficult to study x-ray crystallography. It consists of four similar protein chains which are tied by a tetramerization domain at the center. P53 structure is studied by removing the flexible regions while the stable structures are formed due to solving structure of pieces. It also consists of a large DNA binding domain which is enriched in arginine residue interact with DNA. The domain found the specific regulatory site on the DNA.
The third domain of transactivation domain attached to near the end of each arm that activated DNA reading. The four arms of DNA are binds with the p53. The binding site consists of three parts two p53 domain for a specific binding site a variable stretch of 0 to 13 base pair and the second binding for other two p53 domain. The two p53 are bound to top and other two p53 are bound at bottom of identical sites. The tetramerization domain lies behind the helix where all the four chains are bound together. The four transactivation can activate the other protein involves in reading the DNA while these extends to DNA helix.
The flexible chains help p53 to binds to variants of the binding sites that allows to regulate transcription in the genome. Cancer cells have two mutations causes uncontrolled growth and other is block normal defense that control the uncontrolled or multiplication of cells. P53 mutation changes information at one position of DNA. And makes cell to produce p53 with defect by exchange an incorrect amino acid in protein chain. Due to this normal function of p53 is affected causing it unable to stop cell multiplication, when cells have mutation causes uncontrolled growth as a result cell will develop into a tumor.
By studying the structure it was found that DNA binding domain contains the mutation of P53 that causes cancer The mutations are formed around and inside the DNA binding face of protein. Arginine 248 are common mutation that forms strong stabilizing interaction with DNA by snaking into it. Other mutations are 175,273,249,282,245 some are connected directly while other are attached position other than the DNA binding amino acid.
Signaling pathway
The gold nanoparticles have low cytotoxicity and high biocompatibility made them ideal for drug delivery on nano scale. P13K-AKT regulates the cell growth, proliferation, apoptosis and other important cellular functions. The divergent P13K-AKT results in survival and proliferation of cancer cells, while increase activity pathway leads to resistance to cancer therapy. The PKB or protein kinase are the serine kinase AKT. The kinase, B and T cell receptor, tyrosine, integrins, cytokine, g protein coupled receptors help to activate the AKT signaling. P13K has three classes while class I is implicated in cancer, primary role is to convert (P14,5P2) TO (P1P3). In cancer there are two mutation identified that increases activity of P13K. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and AKT/protein kinase B are the major proteins involved. The AKT is central node of pathway activated by P1P3 acted downstream of P13K to regulate cellular processes. mTOR is major protein acting upstream and downstream of AKT and regulates protein synthesis for cell growth and cellular endpoints. Three homologous AKT(AKT1,2,3) are coded by separate genes. The elevation in AKT activity due to angiogenic, genetic alteration and oncogenic growth factor that causes cancer. Due to the downstream effects the P13K-AKT should be carefully regulated. Loss of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog causes overactivation of AKT. The P13K-AKT pathway is regulated by PTEN as it affects the activity of the pathway.
Cellular interactions
The gold nanoparticles can be administrated in patients either through oral, injection or inhalation it starts interacting with proteins lipids and nuclei acid. The gold nanoparticles help to monitor the development of immune response by combining their photothermal properties with therapeutics. Gold nanoparticles are promising materials to deliver antigens and adjuvants enables the immune system to fight against tumor by inducing T cell lymphocytes. The protein corona forms as a result of interaction between protein and gold nanoparticles which might influence distribution of gold nanoparticles in varied tissues.
The most cluster area unit ERK1/2(protein kinases, p38 MAP kinase and c-junNH-2 terminal kinase concerned in MAPK signaling. The factors that are responsible for activating the pathway are cell stimuli, cellular stress and various growth factors. These are the factors responsible for the sequence of signaling events. The ERK is responsible for growth, development and differentiation where as JNK MAPK are responsible for the apoptosis, growth, inflammation and differentiation. The results of a recent study done on mice within which the disruption of genes that encoded the p38 kinase shows the potential role of this pathway in tumor suppression through enhancing the transformation of fibroblasts.
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The p38 further activated p53 that has a lead role in suppression tumor proliferation. Researchers are incessantly engaged on discovering innovative drugs that could effectively target the MAPK signaling. BRAF mutation for melanoma in 2002 and followed by BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib for melanoma treatment in 2011. A lot of advanced and specific studies are done to search out new treatment to focus on the molecule of MAPK pathway. Gold nanoparticles interacts with receptor protein that causes the activation p-38 mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) changes the expression of differentiation relevant genes that are responsible for promoting osteoblast differentiation from MSCs and then inhibit their differentiation into adipocytes.
The gold nanoparticles interact with cytoplasmic protein and cell membranes during cellular uptake and this process activates p-38 MAPK signaling inflicting differentiation into osteoblasts. The gold nanoparticles created by pre-osteoblasts promotes them to differentiation into osteoblasts. The expression of BMP-2, RUNX-2, OCN and COL-I are up- regulated and MAPK pathway was activated thanks to exposure to AUNPs. A recent analysis showed that the NF-KB signaling pathway in murine B-lymphocyte cell line (CH12.LX) can be activated by 10nm gold nanoparticles. This leads a way for AUNPs to mediate inflammatory responses of lymphocytes NF-KB is to keep up drug resistance using victimization expression of pump protein and sensitivity to therapy medication. The gold nanoparticles additionally have an effect on the cell spreading and adhesion on a culture substrate and reduces cell viability.
(Niu et al., 2019; Ortiz et al., 2019; Palussiere et al., 2019)
The gold nanoparticles utilized in cancer treatment helps to eliminate tumor and mitigating the damage to healthy cells by enhancing targeted therapy that convert infrared light to heat. The therapy involves the accumulation of cluster of gold nanoparticles in cancer cells and the heated up by infrared light as a result the fluid around the cluster reaches at a high causes vaporization of fluid and finally it breaks up that ultimately kill the cancer cells and mitigating harm to the healthy cells. This treatment includes the risk of cell damage from the intense laser impulses and attachment of gold nanoparticles to the cell surface, however there are various strategies like using immobilized gold nanostars on activated bottom microplates and2-D plasmonic nano lithographic structures are proved to be effective than laser transfection with gold nanoparticles.
Gold nanoparticles are injected and accumulated thanks to their sensible biocompatibility. They can deliver drugs effectively to a specific location and interact with immune system and larger cells like macrophages is safe and biocompatible. The interaction with B-cells chiefly depends on the surface and shape of nanoparticles. Spherical gold particles polymer coated are stable and do not interact with B-cells while rod shaped are not stable because they are heavy and interact with immune system. The uncoated spherical gold nanoparticles can form clumps. B-cells used as target for drugs to treat cancer they are additionally utilized in treatment of brain cancer due to their smaller size. The gold nanoparticles are injected into the body and moved towards the tumor. B cells plays a vital role in control inflammation and cancer cells.
Due to their great biocompatibility, non-cytotoxic and controlled biodistribution patterns gold nanoparticles are ideal candidates for various innovative therapies. Their configuration plays a critical role in the interaction with immune system. The gold nanoparticles have varied blessings like anti oxidative, anticorrosive, bacteriostatic properties proved necessary in medical treatments and innovative therapies. Patients has booming cancer treatment and are cancer free after one year from the treatment by victimization gold nanoparticles because it has negative aspect result, safe and nontoxic.
Article: Enhancing the efficiency of gold nanoparticles treatment of cancer by increasing their rate of endocytosis and cell accumulation using Rifampicin
Ali Moustafa, R.K; Panikkanvalappil, Sajamlal R; EL-sayed Mostafa A
Article: Gold nanoparticles for cancer detection and treatment; the role of adhesion
Oniy;Hao, K; Dozie-Nwachukwu S;D .Odayemi, J; Odusanya, O.S; Anuku,N;Soboyejo. W.O.
Article: Control of pore structure in a porous gold nanoparticles for effective cancer cell damage
Hua, Wei-Hsiang; Cai,Cheng-Jin;Chou, Keng-ping ; Tsai,YU-Hsuan;Low Meng chun;Tu charang-gan, chen,chien-yu;Ni-chia-chun;kiang, yean-woei;yang,C C;Hsu,Yih-Chih
Book: Hybrid nanostructure in cancer therapy.
Niu, S., Williams, G. R., Wu, J., Wu, J., Zhang, X., Chen, X., . . . Zhu, L. M. (2019). A chitosan-based cascade-responsive drug delivery system for triple-negative breast cancer therapy. J Nanobiotechnology, 17(1), 95. doi:10.1186/s12951-019-0529-4
Ortiz, R., Cabeza, L., Perazzoli, G., Jimenez-Lopez, J., Garcia-Pinel, B., Melguizo, C., & Prados, J. (2019). Nanoformulations for glioblastoma multiforme: a new hope for treatment. Future Med Chem. doi:10.4155/fmc-2018-0521
Palussiere, J., Catena, V., Lagarde, P., Cousin, S., Cabart, M., Buy, X., & Chomy, F. (2019). Primary tumors of the lung: should we consider thermal ablation as a valid therapeutic option? Int J Hyperthermia, 36(2), 46-52. doi:10.1080/02656736.2019.1647351
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Amid a prolonged, unforgiving heat wave in southern Europe and northern Africa, the temperature in the city of Montoro, Spain, soared to 117.3 degrees Saturday, setting a record high for Spain. This topped the previous record of 117.1 degrees in July 2017.
Montoro is a city of about 9,500 people in southern Spain, about 100 miles east of Seville. The record was confirmed by AEMet, Spain’s meteorological agency.
The record was one of scores set in the broader region since the middle of last week. In addition to Spain, punishing heat scorched portions of Portugal, Italy, Morocco and Algeria. Notably, the temperature in Syracuse, Sicily, skyrocketed to 120 degrees Wednesday, potentially setting a new all-time heat record for all of Europe.
Other notable records in the region set in recent days include:
• Agadir Airport in southwest Morocco soared to 120.4 degrees Monday, the country’s highest temperature on record during August, according to Maximiliano Herrera, a climatologist and expert on world weather records.
• Madrid tied its all-time high (for any month) on Saturday, soaring to 105.3 degrees, while establishing a new August record, according to Etienne Kapikian, a meteorologist with Meteo France, France’s meteorological agency.
• Cordoba, Spain, tied its all-time high (for any month) Saturday, soaring to 116.4 degrees, while establishing a new August record, according to Kapikian.
The excessive heat is linked to an intense zone of high pressure or heat dome sprawled over the region for the past five to six days. Parked over the Mediterranean initially, it has drifted southwest and is now centered just west of Morocco. The heat dome reached historically intense levels Friday into the weekend.
At the height of the heat wave on Saturday, 16 cities in Italy and 14 districts in Portugal were put under a red alert due to the dangerously high temperatures, according to the Associated Press.
The extreme heat increased the wildfire risk over the region and may have intensified ongoing blazes in Italy, Turkey, Greece and Algeria, the AP reported.
The record-setting temperatures hit the same week that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released its landmark report warning that these extreme events are expected to become more frequent and intense as global temperature rise due to the burning of fossil fuels.
“A warmer planet makes it easier to break extreme heat thresholds,” tweeted Scott Duncan, a meteorologist based in London. “This is what we are seeing continually all over the globe.”
The heat dome responsible for the blistering temperatures is forecast to drift further offshore Africa in the coming days, allowing temperatures to moderate closer to seasonal norms by the middle of the week. |
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Yellowdig for in-person classes
While in-person classes offer an ideal opportunity for students and faculty to interact, get to know each other, and work in groups, they still do not solve a few core learning issues. The class would miss out on the perspectives of shy students, the back rows won't interact as much, and teachers would gauge student engagement by reading the room's atmosphere. Using Yellowdig as a complementary tool for in-person classes can put all these problems to rest and empower the teaching faculty with accurate analytics on student engagement and performance. Teachers can either use Yellowdig during their standard in-person classes, utilize the platform to drive student engagement outside the classroom, or both:
Using Yellowdig in the classroom
Teachers can either dedicate a specific time for students to use the platform during class, reference student posts and replies to discuss them further, or use features such as polls and formulae builder to get instant reactions and thoughts on the topic being discussed. Students can also draft notes for future posts during class, so they can polish and publish them whenever they are ready. Since teachers get to set the parameters of automatic grading when setting up the community, they will have utmost flexibility on how they want to use the platform in the classroom.
Using Yellowdig outside the classroom:
Yellowdig allows students to keep the conversation going outside the classroom. Students can further discuss their favorite topics, ask/answer questions, share external sources and research papers, get creative with all the platform features (e.g. drawing and coding tools), and stay up to date with announcements and notifications in their community. Yellowdig interactions are excellent ice-breakers and conversation starters for face-to-face interactions, especially for shy and back row students that do not usually get much attention during a standard in-person class. |
Low Testosterone May Cause Noticeable Health Effects
Low Testosterone May Cause Noticeable Health Effects
Low testosterone (Male hypogonadism) is a medical condition where the male testes (scrotoplums, the male reproductive organs) don’t produce sufficient testosterone (male sex hormones). This condition can have various causes, but the most common cause is the genetic malfunctions that can disrupt the proper functioning of reproductive organs. It also happens when body cells and tissues don’t respond to sexual signals correctly. Low Testosterone is the most prominent cause of erectile dysfunction (ED), a condition where a male has weak or no desire to have sex and has low levels of energy levels leading to decreased libido.
Low Testosterone as a symptom can lead to many other problems. Erectile dysfunction, low energy levels and reduced libido are some of the complications that low testosterone can cause. Low testosterone production can affect the way the body responds to sexual stimuli. If there is insufficient hormone production, the body produces less testosterone than what is required for normal sexual function. Low Testosterone symptoms include lack of desire for sexual intercourse, loss of libido, inability to achieve and maintain an erection, decreased muscle mass and loss of bone density.
Other symptoms of low testosterone levels may include anxiety, mood swings, depression, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, osteonecrosis, irritability, insomnia, and hypertension. Low testosterone may also lead to the development of various cancers like breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and others. Symptoms of low testosterone may also lead to the occurrence of obesity. Men with low testosterone levels are more likely to develop age-related illnesses like diabetes, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, and cognitive impairment. As a side note, low testosterone levels can also cause infertility in men.
So how does low testosterone affect the way you live your life? The most common manifestation of this disorder is impotence or decreased sexual ability. In most cases, these symptoms appear slowly over time and are most noticeable after one or two years. But what are the causes of low testosterone levels? There are many theories on the subject. Among them are performance-enhancing drugs, exposure to toxic substances during childhood, and exposure to radiation.
Aside from low testosterone, there are also other causes for low testosterone. These include body fat levels, insulin resistance, aging, underactive thyroid glands, depression, hypoglycemia, kidney failure, hypothyroidism, vitamin D insufficiency, and medications. A deficiency of testosterone can also be caused by insufficient intake of dairy products, meat, and carbohydrates. With these said, it is important to take note of proper diet and lifestyle in order to keep low levels of the hormone within the body.
Low testosterone helps prevent bone loss because it encourages the production of the hormones that allow the body to maintain a healthy bone mass. Low levels of testosterone might lead to osteoporosis, which is a common bone disease found among older people. Low testosterone levels may also contribute to weak libido or erectile dysfunction, which is common among men and women in their 40s and above. Aside from bone mass, low testosterone also affects the thickness and duration of your hair.
Symptoms of low testosterone include decreased sex drive, decreased bone mass, and decreased muscle mass. In men, the hormone helps produce sperm, controls the adrenal glands, and is key in the production of testosterone. The hormone also has numerous other important roles, such as:
Testosterone affects many areas of your body and its effects are not necessarily felt in the testicles. In men, the testicles are one of the main areas that produce testosterone. Testosterone is responsible for the growth and strength of the testicles and the functioning of the other sex organs. Low levels of testosterone have been linked to weak erections, body hair loss, decreased bone density and muscle mass, depression, irritability, anxiety and thinning hair.
Low Testosterone can also lead to the symptoms of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a common sleeping disorder that can have severe health risks. Symptoms of sleep apnea include daytime sleepiness, loud snoring, pauses and gasps for breath during sleep, increased daytime sleepiness, dry mouth and drowsiness. Because low levels of testosterone therapy can contribute to these symptoms, it is recommended that low levels be treated to treat sleep apnea. Low levels of testosterone have also been linked to conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, insomnia, and depression.
Low Testosterone can affect many areas of an individual’s life. It can lower energy levels, reduce physical activity, decrease production of sex hormones, increase body fat and increase body hair. It has also been shown to cause changes in the cardiovascular system, causing atherosclerosis, fatty buildup, hardening of the arteries and the formation of high cholesterol. Low levels of testosterone can also cause conditions such as osteoporosis, hypertension and depression. Osteoporosis is commonly associated with aging, as estrogen levels are increased with age.
Low Testosterone therapy has shown to help men suffering from erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction refers to difficulty maintaining an erection sufficient to have sexual intercourse. Low testosterone levels have also been found to contribute to impotence and loss of libido. Low testosterone therapy has been found to be effective in increasing libido and helping men achieve erection in a natural and easy way.
A healthy diet and lifestyle can go a long way toward correcting many of these symptoms of Low Testosterone. By eating a healthy diet, which includes foods rich in vitamins and minerals, and getting regular exercise, many of these symptoms of Low Testosterone can be corrected. The men’s sexual health clinic in Jacksonville called Prime Men’s Medical Center can provide more information about Testosterone Deficiency and how to treat it. In some cases, medications such as testosterone replacement therapy may be recommended. However, it is always best to discuss these issues with your doctor before you make any type of change to your diet or lifestyle. |
People show an increasing tendency towards having their own wind turbines for generating their particular electricity as well as for reducing their contribution to environmental problems as a result of carbon based energy sources.
Wind turbines as well as their operation
A wind turbine is actually a machine that can convert the kinetic energy in the wind into electrical energy. Blowing wind rotates the blades in the turbine and also the mechanism in it can generate electricity upon this rotation. Wind turbines have mainly 2 types. Horizontal axis and vertical axis wind turbines. Both of them have pros and cons but horizontal axis ones are definitely more common due to higher efficiency.
Individual wind turbines
Individual turbines can be used for many different purposes starting from supplying energy for many small electrical devices where grid connection will not be possible to meeting area of the energy need for a home, a farm or even a production facility. Individual generation systems can be standalone or grid connected. The vitality output from the standalone China Wind Generator can be directly used. However, in grid connected systems excess electricity produced can be supplied for the national grid system. In Ireland, you will get chance to be purchased the surplus electricity you supply to the grid up to 500kW. Individual wind turbines can range from as small as 50W to as large as 3 MW, based on their purpose of use.
Individual wind turbines for domestic use
How to proceed for installing a tiny wind generation system?
* First of all you must decide whether you really need a small scale wind turbine for the energy needs. Sometimes just saving some energy can lower your debts but if the basis for considering a small turbine has been in off-grid areas you can go on to another steps.
* Inspect your website or your building (for rooftop turbines) to view whether it is right for installing a wind turbine. You should have enough space to install a turbine with no wind being blocked by other buildings or obstacles.
* Determine your power needs. Your electricity bills will likely be the best references.
* See if the spot you will install your turbine is windy enough. You can always find wind measurement data in wind energy associations’ websites for your area.
* According to your power requirement and also the wind potential in your area, decide the capability and type of the turbine you will want.
* Your small scale wind product is expected to get a ROI time of maximum fifteen years. Economic lifetime of any small wind turbine without changing the key elements is estimated to become about two decades and proper maintenance increases this. However, maintenance needs of small wind turbines are anticipated to become minimal.
* Have any permits required in your town.
* You will likely need to have a contractor for erection, assembly, electrical connections of your own wind turbine. However, if your turbine is micro scale, you can do these jobs alone as well. You can find domestic scale wind turbines as well as 400W or 1 kW self installed turbines and accessories on
Individual wind turbines for industrial uses, i.e. factory sites
Turbines for industrial uses have capacities between 500kW to 3 MW. You will be able to produce electricity for wind speeds between 3 m/s and 25 m/s. For times that the wind is not blowing, one can still get electricity from the grid. This will lead to additional revenue in addition to your reduced electricity bills.
Steps towards a wind turbine installation in your factory site:
The steps that needs to be made for installing an industrial scale wind turbine are approximately the same as those for installing a domestic turbine. The only real difference is because they require more expertise. So it would be a smart idea to take a turnkey service from a specialist company in order not to experience any problems. The stages to get a turbine installation are outlined below:
* Wind Measurement: As your annual electricity generation depends mainly on wind speed, this method is of vital importance to be able to forecast your power production. You can never know what you would generate without knowing what you have in hand.
* Feasibility studies: This can be an in depth study to let you know rskxmv your proposed system will be a feasible project or otherwise.
* Grid connection studies: This method assesses grid connection possibilities for your proposed wind turbine.
* Permission: Planning and installing of your wind turbine will demand some permits on planning stage and during installation. Failure to have these permits may result in legal enforcement.
* Project budget planning: What you will have to spend for your wind turbine project from starting to the final is a vital item in any kind of preparing for business.
* Procurement, commissioning and installation: All of your equipment and staff needs to get a turnkey project.
Small Wind Generator – Incredible Value..
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What Are Radiation Physics And Health-related Science Scholarships?
It is very crucial to know what is Radiation Physics, as it is an vital tool for all engineers and scientists.
It’s critical to note that Healthcare Physics can also be a aspect with the field, nevertheless it is only used in reference to Diagnostic Radiography.
What is Radiation Physics? If you usually do not know what Radiation Physics is, you must become familiar with it.
In today’s world, technology has created at such a speedy pace that it can be not sufficient to help keep up with it. While the devices had been initial designed to stop death and injury, they have because developed into wonderful inventions that can do considerably more than just avert accidents. Right now, health-related science understands that radiation is excellent.
The radiation emitted by a radioactive source is measured in the amount of power released per kilogram of radiation emitted and is for that reason essential in figuring out how harmful a cell or its constituent components are. These techniques let doctors to figure out no matter if or not a substance or perhaps a individual is radioactive, for the reason that some substances emit more power than other individuals.
One of your major contributors to cancer has been overlooked by health-related science. There are lots of other forms of cancer that can be brought on by radiation. Radiation can cause cancer within the eyes, the mouth, the skin, the lungs, the liver, bones, and the heart.
The notion behind the notion of radiation and cancer is that when a radioactive material comes into contact with another, the energy emitted is quite higher. Even assignments writing though the power of the radiation in some instances is often very low, this is an exception as opposed for the rule.
One in the greatest approaches to discover what is health-related physics is by way of medical science scholarships. It truly is essential to note that these scholarships usually are not limited to supplying scholarships for you personally to go to a prime notch university. You could also take the scholarships to a community college and it is actually possible to have your degree from certainly one of these programs at the similar time.
Not all of us have the funds to pay for tuition at a university, so what we have to do is acquire scholarships to fund our health-related science degrees. In case you are unable to complete this due to other pressing commitments, then your greatest bet is always to locate a web based college that provides this program.
You can basically discover what exactly is radiation physics on the web free of charge. By looking on line, you may be able to come across a school that offers this system at http://internal.math.arizona.edu/ no expense. All you may need to perform is sign up and submit a number of particulars, which include your home address and email address, and also you can be on your solution to securing a health-related physics degree for the following quite a few years.
The greatest element about what exactly is radiation physics is the fact that you will discover a number of different sources which will supply you what’s medical science scholarships. A few of these https://buyessay.net/ sources are absolutely free, when other people are out there to get a small fee.
You can use what’s health-related science scholarships to assist you secure the funding to acquire your individual bachelor’s degree in healthcare science. It is actually achievable to earn a doctorate, and you can do this from household utilizing what exactly is radiation physics.
What are radiation physics and medical science scholarships? This facts should make it easier to recognize what this system is all about.
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Why Isn’t Everyone A Slave?
Some say that if Abraham Lincoln didn’t end slavery by force, it would never have ended in the South. Now, of course, that is ridiculous. But, the question is, why is it ridiculous? Southern politicians pushed hard for slavery to expand into new territories, and yet, it barely did. Why did wage labor supersede slave labor, first in the northern states, then in the territories? Why didn’t slavery expand, not just into the territories, but into the northern states as well, thus becoming the dominant form of labor in the world? In short, why isn’t everyone a slave?
The areas where slavery was predominant were overwhelmingly ones where they were used for the production of cash crops -cotton, tobacco, rice, hemp, indigo. Slaves were apparently nearly useless in wheat (Kansas) and maize (Iowa) areas. For some reason, slavery only made sense for cash crops, not food crops, and even less so in areas (like Appalachia and western Massachusetts) dominated by subsistence agriculture. Slaves were very expensive. Consequently, it only made sense to use them when hired labor would have been too expensive. And, without slavery, much of the cash crops of the lowland South would have not have been grown. Meanwhile, labor was not too expensive in Iowa and Kansas as White people actually wanted to settle there to create family farms.
It’s curious to note that for fifty years after the end of slavery, very few Black people moved to the North, despite very low nominal wages in the South. Though their labor hours declined, they largely stayed in the same places as they did before. They certainly didn’t move to Iowa and Kansas en masse. I suspect this is due to Blacks having a comparative advantage in cash crop production as opposed to settling the midwest with family farms. They also seemed to have a comparative advantage in urban industrial labor in the mid-20th century, as opposed to the kind of service-sector jobs that form the backbone of today’s American economy.
Monday Assorted Links
1. Scott the Psychiatrist goes all libertarian on us
2. Gary Johnson is a Republican, not a libertarian
3. How settlements with the DOJ force banks to finance Democrats
4. Municipalization of private waterworks in England helped lower the incidence of typhoid
5. High;low;middle
6. Pot and Tobacco use
7. Obama wants a 24-cent gasoline tax
8. Monarchies aren’t stable or apolitical
The PIVOT is Working
On August 14, the day before Trump’s economic speech, signifying the start of his PIVOT, his performance in 538’s polls-only model (which smooths out day-to-day bounces in random state polls) was at an August low of 10.8%. Today, two weeks after the start of the PIVOT, it has now risen to 19.1%. In the NowCast (which is more accurate at stating the exact present state of the polls, smoothing to adjust for outliers be damned), his performance was at 9.5% on August 14, and is now 19.3%. If he continues this performance of growing his chance of winning by 8 to 10% per two weeks, he should be at 27% on September 11 and 36% on September 25. However, I expect his speed to improve a bit over time, as people get more used to his inclusive message. So I expect Trump to be polling at ~40-45% just before the first debate.
Sunday Assorted Links
1. Martin Luther King on (((Barry Goldwater))) (the Donald Trump/Ted Cruz of the day)
2. NYT propaganda
3. Thomas Sowell drops filings of Red Pill on Black riots
4. The opposite of quality is equality (the best response to that UChicago letter)
5. The Clinton campaign has now switched to Signal to hide its dirty deeds from brave leakers
6. Turkey really, really hates the Kurds
7. Politicians and hypocricy
8. Markets in all
Trump and Amnesty
Contrary to media rumors, innuendos, and lies, Trump’s plan for the illegal immigrants already in the U.S. has always been consistent. It is similar in form to Mrs. Hutchison’s plan back in 2007, a more conservative alternative (which the National Review at the time nevertheless condemned as cuckservative) to Democrat immigration plans at the time. Senator Sessions voted Nay to tabling the proposal when it was voted on, as it was an amendment in a conservative direction, even though it was not Mr. Sessions preferred option. The plan is a “touchback” one, which necessitates permission for presently existing illegal immigrant legal status only after those illegals have applied back from their home countries. Trump has always referred to this as the “door in the wall”, making his intentions clear a whole multitude of times in 2015.
Despite this fairly lax (for the alt-right) plan for currently existing illegal immigrants, Trump was still rated in third place on immigration in the Numbers USA scorecard in February, just behind conservative anti-amnesty rock stars Rick Santorum and Ted Cruz, despite making the exact same statements about the “door in the wall” he has always made during his campaign. Ted Cruz, just like Donald Trump, had no real ideas about whether or not to deport the existing 11 million, though he had always opposed a path to citizenship for them. Ted Cruz, being an Ivy League-educated lawyer, never actually said he’d support illegal immigrants “coming out of the shadows”. But it’s really difficult to read
as doing anything but Ted Cruz supporting some kind of lawful permanent resident status for the vast majority of the presently existing illegal immigrant population, at least in 2013. Trump’s touchback proposal at least offers the prospect of some kind of screening process for the illegals presently existing in the U.S., which Cruz’s implied position doesn’t.
I was a bit surprised at Trump picking as VP somebody who didn’t agree with him on nearly any position -except immigration. Pence was a leading proponent of touchback (with likely amnesty) during his time in the House. Again, both the National Review and VDARE condemned the idea as cuckservative at the time, though not using that specific word.
Nevertheless, from exit polls, it is clear that despite Ted Cruz having pretty much exactly the same position on illegal immigration as Donald Trump, those supporting deporting the 11 million gravitated to Trump, even in Wisconsin. I still have no clue whether they made the right choice. Ted Cruz’s natural instincts are conservative, and in the direction of greater, rather than lesser, immigration restriction. He only proposed his amendment as a compromise measure. Trump, meanwhile, is totally independent, and, while his touchback plan is, on paper, preferable to Cruz’s implied 2013 proposal, it should be worrisome for immigration restrictionists that it was not made from a position of weakness, as Cruz’s was, but from a position of strength.
Saturday Assorted Links
1. White flight from the Asians
2. “I admit that the Negro, and especially the plantation Negro, the tiller of the soil, has made little progress from barbarism to civilization, and that he is in a deplorable condition since his emancipation. That he is worse off, in many respects, than when he was a slave, I am compelled to admit, but I contend that the fault is not his, but that of his heartless accusers.” -“Muh structural racism”, the 19th century version. Notice how all the conditions Douglass wanted for Black advancement are today fully existent, including “that the Democratic party is a better friend to him than the Republican party”. And yet, during the same decade, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed because equally poor Chinese were seen as working too hard. The idea of “structural racism” has no explanatory power for explaining the inferior average condition of Black Americans -never had any, never does have any, and never will have any.
3. The shoddy structures that the Clinton Foundation built in Haiti
4. HRC jumps the shark. Defending such a shaved ape as Leslie Jones is a disgusting act, and cannot be countenanced by any respectable American.
5. Foreign born Hispanics are much more likely to be With Her than domestic-born ones, but are also much less likely to vote
6. Image of real estate industry continues to improve
7. Is there any villain the Donald has NOT been compared to?
8. The Hugo Awards and the decay of Western civilization
Friday Assorted Links
1. “Political scientists assert minorities do not vote as a unit
2. Salon goes full neoconservative
3. “He talks casually of abandoning our NATO allies, recognizing Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and of giving the Kremlin a free hand in Eastern Europe more generally.American presidents from Truman to Reagan have rejected the kind of approach Trump is taking on Russia.We should, too.
4. Carl Diggler: it’s not crime; it’s politics
5. When the arsonists are the firefighters
6. Dems have weak bench for November
7. Singapore tries to create an airgap with the Internet
8. The Austrian fire rises
Wednesday Assorted Links
1. Why Her will attack the alt-right
2. How Her will attack the alt-right. Note that Cialdini is probably advising Her.
3. China intervenes on the side of Assad
4. The oldest known ancient Olympic athlete skeleton
5. Does welfare discourage marriage? (poll)
6. Follow the money. The entire media is bought and sold by the rich and powerful.
7. The Daily Kos’s 2008 analysis of Her Iraq War vote speech
8. Yes, Trump is really bringing independents into the Party
9. Unintended consequences of rewards for student attendance in India
10. Americans generally support repealing the estate tax, are conflicted and uncertain about trade pacts |
Why were the early days of history called the dark ages? Because there were so many knights!: The Future of History in the Digital Age
Throughout the duration of this course, I found Toni Weller’s book History in the Digital Age to be quite helpful. Funnily enough for a digital history class, it is a print book. However, it is a good resource for digital history. The book provides an introduction to digital history and then is broken up into sections: Re-conceptualizing history in the digital age, studying history in the digital age, Teaching history in the digital age, and the future of history in the digital age. I found myself coming to this book a few times during the semester to provide extra insight in the things we were learning.
Another good source was Daniel Cohen and Roy Rosenzweig’s book Digital History: A Guide to Gathering, Preserving, and Presenting the Past on the Web. While the book is a little dated, the information is still helpful and can be accessed online.
Three topics that I found particularly interesting were about copyright, Omeka, and social media.
• Before this class, I never really put much thought into copyright laws or how they worked. I mean, I knew that you couldn’t just take stuff that wasn’t yours (I’ve read enough plagiarism sections in syllabi to know that). But I did not know things like once you write something, it technically has a copyright, you don’t need to file anything. So it is something that I will be paying closer attention to in the future, especially in digital work.
• Omeka is an interesting site where people make online exhibits. I didn’t know that an open-source platform existed for something as specific as creating digital exhibits. Going through and looking at some sites made by other groups was interesting and I think knowing about all the things that go into creating a digital exhibit will be helpful to me in the future- like Dublin Core and metadata and simply designing an exhibit in a different format.
• A professional social media presence is something I do not have, nor am I aiming to have. However, I think that looking at social media accounts that are professional can help. I think it is particularly important because I can see that as something I would have to do in the future, not personally but for an organization. I have experience with social media and I am comfortable on different platforms so I can apply that knowledge and what I have learned from talking about and following other accounts to any organization I work for in the future.
How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it: Public Historians and Shared Authority on the Web
The National Archives and Records Administration runs the Citizen Archivist project. Using volunteers who register on the website, they are increasing online access to historical records. They crowdsource metadata and information through tagging, transcribing, and adding comments.
Registration is super easy. You just need to create a username and password and they email you a confirmation link and you can immediately start contributing.
They have a section called Citizen Archivist Missions that allow you to click a topic you’re interested in and it gives you a list of records pertaining to that subject for you to transcribe or tag. They have categories like: Marine Corps Activities in World War II and Korea, US Coast Guard Logbooks, Lists, Registered Product Labels, Records Relating to Property Releases, 1949-1951, Pentagon Papers, 1970s America, and Watergate. They also allow you to complete unfinished transcribed documents and provide featured records.
I went into the Registered Product Label section and transcribed a box of Treesweet Canned Lemon Juice, a Letter from the Examiner to the attorneys of Townsent, Loftus, and Abbett, and Mornings Tea Refreshing as the Dawn.
The lemon juice and tea were both product labels and the letter, was well, a letter. It was pretty easy to figure out how to add a transcription or tags but if you can’t figure out they provide a “how to” section.
I think this project is great. It allows for people to get involved in history and making it more accessible to the public. People who are kind of interested in history, or who work in the field, can work with documents they would not always have access too. I’d like to look at more of the written documents because I think that it can be used as good practice for reading older documents. They have a list of rules that need to be followed in order to contribute, so I am assuming that they have people monitoring transcriptions and comment sections making sure everything is running smoothly. Plus, the National Archives gets free labor!
What do you call a detective from the reformation? Martin Sleuther: Making Digital History Relevant
Last week I talked about having a social media presence and how that can relate to history. But besides the popular avenues like Twitter or blogging, how else can historians reach the public? PODCASTS!
I’m very excited about this week. I love podcasts! If you see me out walking around and I have headphones in, there is a good chance I’m listening to a podcast. As a medium, they are great because they are handsfree. I used to have a job cleaning residence hall rooms and to keep myself from going insane while scraping walls for 8 hours a day I would listen to podcasts. I tend to listen to comedy podcasts, but I have also listened quite a bit to ones that tell myths and legends and I am about to start listening to some about true crime.
I realize that I am probably in a minority of people who frequently (and sometimes binge) listen to podcasts. For some people its just not their thing, and for others it may be that they just don’t know where to find them. The other day I was scrolling through podcasts on Spotify looking for a history podcast to listen to and I compiled some pros and cons:
• It makes history accessible to almost anyone. Most podcasts are free and are set up to be easily understandable. So whether or not you have background in a certain event/time period you will be able to learn without feeling alienated.
• It is handsfree. You don’t have to read a book. I listen to podcasts when I’m just sitting around, but also if I’m out walking or driving (which are times I probably should not be reading).
• You can find podcasts on TONS of topics: WWI, WWII, Rome, Ireland, American history, certain objects, etc. Any topic you choose, you’re bound to find someone who is interested in it.
• History podcasts generally are not presented in a serial way, meaning that you can pick and choose episodes that you want to listen too.
• Something I know about myself is that I’m very picky. So sometimes, no matter how great or informative a podcast could be, I will not listen to it if the person talks too slow or has a voice that I don’t want to listen to. So as a podcaster, some people might not give it a chance because of something like that. I guess it’s like the whole “don’t judge a book by its cover” but for an aural medium.
• There are a lot of podcasts (and I know I put this in the pros too but hear me out). With such a large number of podcasts available, some with huge backlogs, it can be overwhelming. If you don’t know where to start to find a podcast you’re interested in, or if you’re like me who likes to listen in order, it can be a daunting task to even start.
• A lot of people don’t listen to podcasts. They tend to be a forgotten medium and not a place that people first turn to for history. The task of public historians would be to start pushing podcasts, to let people know that they are out there.
Overall, I think this would be a great medium for public historians to start taking advantage of, but there is a way to go before it will become part of the mainstream. So its something to keep an eye (or rather ear?) out for and if we as historians start talking about podcasts and recommending them to people, in the future it may just become another part of history.
Why do seagulls like to live by the sea? Because if they lived by the bay they would be bagels!: Public History and Social Media
How you present yourself online can have as much of an effect as how you present yourself in real life, which can be good or bad depending on who you are. The big “threat” that people use is that everything you post is out there forever. While that is true, how many people are actually going to be looking that closely at the stuff you are posting?
People use social media for different reasons and therefore their digital personas differ. There are a group of people known as “twitterstorians” who are basically historians on twitter. They run their accounts on a professional level, posting news articles and facts. Generally they are not very personal accounts, unless they are posting opinions on current news or even historical events. What makes them different from me is that they have a professional account and I run personal accounts. For the most part, my goal is not to appeal to professionals and strangers, it is to talk to people I know. I run this blog for class, which is 98% professional and academic and 2% bad jokes and references. I also have started a site for my photography in order to keep my works in an easily accessible place. However, I have many other accounts on different platforms and I don’t see a need to run them in a professional way. That’s not to say I am unprofessional, I try to keep most of the stuff I post appropriate for a general audience because my name is attached to it, but I don’t see a need right now for me to run professional accounts. For example, my twitter currently consists of tweets about podcasts, movies, music, and my terrible sleeping habits.
I do not really have a lot of followers, nor is that my goal. I have accounts because I enjoy the platform (or got sucked in and I can’t leave) and I want to share my thoughts and art with people who want to see them. If you are trying to get followers, I would first start with friends. The support at the beginning of people you know will kickstart your account. From there you can try branching out, replying to similar accounts with your ideas and thoughts and utilizing search tools, like hashtags. Not everyone or every topic is going to be successful so it involves trial and error, but just because your following is small it doesn’t make it worthless so stick with it. An institution has the ability to promote their social media on their website and in the institution on fliers or even activities. For example, I was recently at the Connecticut Historical Society (CHS) where, in their exhibit, they prompted visitors to take pictures and use a specific hashtag when they posted in on Instagram. Other places do contests in a similar fashion. So an institution is going to have an easier time with promotions than a personal account. Just don’t be that person who comments on everything and says “check out my _____” because nobody likes that person and it is a guaranteed way to for me, at least, not to click on it.
What travels around the world but stays in the corner? A postage stamp: Space, Time, Place
Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system that captures, stores, manages, displays, and analyzes information linked to a location on earth. It is often displayed in the way of an intelligent or interactive map that allows users to see results visualized and provides a set of tools that allow data to be analyzed spatially. It has the ability to relate different types of data (quantitative, textual, image, audio) to each other based on a shared location. However, GIS suggests the world is flat, because by presenting a view of the physical environment it is stripping it of the culture.
Historians aim to bridge that gap by attempting to use GIS and spatial history. One project that is working on this is the Republic of Letters which looks at networks. It takes the correspondences by scientific academics and looks at how the letters and ideas travelled through a mapping of exchanges.
The Republic of Letters is made up of case studies, from people like Voltaire, Galileo, and Locke, and are strategic in geographic range and time period. With the range of study, it demonstrates places of intersection.
In mapping Galileo, for example, they followed his social and intellectual networks. During the mapping of his networks a challenge that arose that there was deliberate destruction of Galileo’s sensitive letters because of his trial and condemnation for his advocacy of Copernicus and an accidental loss of letters by heirs who did not preserve them. But there is still information to be gathered. The site provides a number of charts, graphing:
• Number of letters sent by Galileo per year
• Galileo’s recipients
• Calendar of letters sent to destination city
Overall this site seems helpful and is much easier to navigate than other historical GIS sites. It allows for researchers, or those curious, to look at letters and correspondence in a different way. The most common way would just be to read the letters for content, but there is so much more information that can be gathered. With mapping them out this way, historians now have a better idea of how ideas were spread and the networks connecting history. And sometimes the answer can be found by looking at things from a different viewpoint.
Why did the computer show up late to work? It had a hard drive: Digitization and Preservation
With the rapid technological advancements, the fear of being left behind pushed many people (especially those in the history field) to digitize. But while digitizing seems like a simple and good idea, it brought up a lot of underlying issues, which are brought up in Cohen and Rosenzweig’s Digital History. One issue is the idea of “density of data.” This looks at how much and how frequently the original source is being sampled and the breadth and depth of the information gathered in each sample. It also asks the question “should digitized text capture just the letters and words or should it take into account information about spacing, paragraphing, headings, etc?” This reminded me of a story told in Weller’s History in the Digital Age where she mentions a historian in a Portuguese archive who “read barely a word, instead, he picked out bundles of letters and… ran each letter beneath his nose and took a deep breath…” He was a medical historian studying outbreaks of cholera and the letters were disinfected with vinegar, so he was looking at the dates on the letters to chart the progress of the outbreak. So the text could be reproduced, but the scent is lost in digitization, so how can we account for that when digitizing sources?
Digitized sources have to go somewhere, and often that is a website. While that can be a good thing, you have to be very careful because what is thought to be good intentions and a nice design can be a nightmare for someone else. In my opinion, to make a site functional and aesthetically pleasing, it has to be easy to navigate. There should be a clear header and table of contents so that it is self-explanatory to find information. This generally means there’s a home section explaining what the site is for, specific sections for written posts or photographic posts or video posts, etc. If it belongs to an organization, it should have an easily accessible contact page, with emails and/or phone numbers of people who work there. The design should also be simple. Not too many colors or other visual things going on and a clean and easy to read font. When designing a website you want people to:
1. Not be overwhelmed by too many things or too much information all at once
2. Be able to navigate the site and find what they are looking for. If I click on a site and I can’t find what I am looking for almost immediately, I don’t stay on the site.
3. Come back. If you are putting information out there, you want it to be user friendly so people keep coming back to access the information and see updates.
Two sites that I find well put together (not having to do with history) are:
• A24 : this site for the movie studio A24 is very easy to navigate. The homepage consists of trailers for upcoming movies and the headings include Films, Television, About, Contact, Notes, Shop and then provides links to all of their social media accounts. Everything a person could be looking for is easily accessible and found under simple categories. The site is vertical list form and has a simple black and white color scheme.
• McElroy Shows: I’m a huge fan of podcasts, and my favorite podcasters have so many projects that it is hard to keep up so this site fixes that problem. The main page has a grid of all of the podcasts that they are apart of and the heading provides information on Tours, Release schedule, social media, representation and cancelled podcasts. Depending on the page, there is either a list or a grid. The site is simple and clean, being a basic white, however, each show in the grid has its own “album cover” design that not only makes it easy to find shows, it adds some color without being too much.
Just for fun I’d like to include the worst site I’ve been to recently:
• Warrens: This is the site for the Warren’s Occult Museum, which is no longer open, and is home to the Annabelle doll. The site has too much going on, with articles that slide onto the page, early 2000s word art, weird fonts, colored fonts on a black background… the whole thing is just a mess. HOWEVER, I have to give them some credit, because they did update. On the old website (October 2017), each heading took you to a page that would automatically play a YouTube video, providing background music whether you wanted it or not. But if you want a good way to waste 20 minutes on “haunted” stuff, this is a pretty fun, yet awfully designed site.
What do get when you cross an eyeball with a spider? A website: The Collaborative Web
The YMCA, YWCA, and YWHA/JCC on Wikipedia
The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and the Jewish Community Center (JCC, formerly the Young Men’s Hebrew Association, YMHA) are all recreational, social, and leadership organizations aimed at specific groups.
When looking at the Wikipedia pages for these three different organizations, it is easy to determine their popularity and where people’s interests lie by looking at the contents. The contents for the YMCA is comprised of 13 sections, each with 1 to 4 subsections including History, organizational model, logo, activities, Europe, North America, Central America, Africa, Asia, and Nobel Peace Prize laureates. The YWCA is less researched, with only 9 sections and a few subcategories, including Advocacy, Programs, World YWCA Councils, History, and YWCAs around the world. The JCC has the least information containing 8 sections with no subcategories: History, services, locations, incidents and security, and notable members. All three pages contain a list of references and external links and due to the sections, the articles are split into it is very easy to access any information you could want on the page. It is also worth mentioning that the YMCA and JCC provide photos.
Here are some observations on the “talk” section of Wikipedia (which until looking into this, I did not know existed):
• YMCA : The contents provided in the talk section has 42 topics people are addressing. Starting with a question about how much Christianity is tied to the YMCA (asked in 2004) where the answers basically say it varies. One section where people are in a lengthy conversation revolves around the heading “Gay Subculture.” The question posed was “From what I can gather, everyone in mainstream culture perceives YMCA as a front for gay activities. Why is there so little mention of this?” which sparked a series of answers about people’s perceived views on the YMCA and whether or not that idea comes from the song of the same name. Other people provide sources in case it wants to be included in the actual article. The conversations occurred from 2006-2011.
• YWCA : There are only 5 sections in the talk section of the YWCA: Boys in the YWCA, Platform 51 change, Controversy section, Waldegrave vs Weldgrave, and World YWCA edits. It is not even close to being as extensive as the YMCA article. At one point, in 2011, the controversy section was questioned with a statement that said “This section needs sources to back up its claims; if they can’t be found, it should be removed” to which many people agreed due to both a lack of evidence and incorrect grammar.
• JCC : There are only two sections in the talk section for the JCC which are, Wikimedia is not a promotional site and external links modified. The person posting in the first section stated that using the words “exceptional quality” is in violation of neutral point of view policies.
What’s the difference between a zippo and a hippo? One is heavy while the other is a little lighter: Introduction to Omeka: Creating Digital Collections and Exhibits
This week I’m looking at two difference showcased sites on Omeka, The Latina History Project and The Lomax Kentucky Recordings. I chose both of these sites because they are regionally based, The Latina History Project in Texas and The Lomax Kentucky Recordings in Kentucky, and I wanted to look at how these two projects handled a regional project.
The Latina History Project is done by Southwestern University in Texas. The goal of the project is to provide resources to the Latino/a and Chicano/a in central Texas. It started as a digitization of an exhibit called Rostros y Almas (Faces and Souls).
The Lomax Kentucky Recordings is done by the Association for Cultural Equity, Berea College, Library of Congress and The University of Kentucky. This project contains a documentary of sound recordings of rural Kentucky music and lore, pulled from the Library of Congress’ Archive of American Folk Songs from 1933-1942. It presents a spectrum of traditional expressive culture.
Both projects aim to share the culture of the area that they are in however they go about it in different ways. The Latina History Project relies on oral histories of past and present members of the Southwestern community as well as activists and key figures in Chicano/a community. However, The Lomax Kentucky Recordings is made up of mostly music using the folk recordings that were in the Library of Congress.
In regard to the sites themselves, I am more partial to the set-up done by the Lomax Kentucky Recordings. It feels cleaner and easier to navigate. Each tab is clearly labeled: About, Listen to the Songs, Discover Artists, Explore the Counties, etc. Within each tab is then a list and search bar for whatever is supposed to be there: songs, artists, counties, etc. It is very easy to find what you are looking for.
The Latina History Project is just set up differently, and in a way that does not make as much sense to me personally. Much like the other site, it offers different tabs: About, Browse Items, Browse Collections, Browse Exhibits, etc. Then within each tab there is just an option to click on different projects. It feels more like exploring so if you were going in looking for something specific it would be harder to find, but it is a different type of project.
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The Lomax Kentucky Recordings site is so specific to what information it presents, which is why it has a different feel. The Latina History Project has many different exhibits it is presenting, covering different topics, so both sites are organized and easy to navigate, they are just presenting it in different ways.
What kind of music did the Pilgrims like? Plymouth Rock: Digital Collections, Copyright, and Intellectual Property
I have never given much thought to copyright and the laws that surround it. That’s not to say that I am unaware it exists, it just has never been something that I actively thought about. In doing some readings, I’ve learned that:
1. The first copyright laws came from Connecticut in 1783
2. Copyright automatically applies to almost anything people create, starting in 1976 with the creation of the Copyright Act.
3. Starting in 1989, it is no longer necessary to place a copyright notice on your work.
4. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) bans tampering with copyright protection and basically limits how we use digital products even after we purchase them.
However the main thing I learned is that copyright can get very complicated. It was compared to history at one point, making the case that it is subject to confliction interpretations. Copyright law faces contention between those who protect the rights of the owners of intellectual property versus those seeking to enlarge the public domain.
Which brings us to a question raised by Roy Rosenzweig: Should scholarship be free? In his article, “Should Historical Scholarship Be Free,” he mentions how scientific journals are able to make their peer-reviewed journals free to everyone but history has not been able to do that yet. Unless someone is a college student, they are limited in their access to historical materials; Rosenzweig writes “Professional historians routinely complain that their students and neighbors pick up “junk” on the Internet but they don’t adequately consider that the best online scholarship is often only available to paying subscribers.” He also provides six possible approaches that could help make this happen: Self-archiving, author charges, delayed access, partial access, electronic-only journals, and cooperation with libraries.
If you were to ask me, I don’t have a good answer for you yet. I mean, ideally, and in a perfect world, of course I want scholarship to be free. I think everybody has a right to an education and should have access to materials to research what they want. But we don’t live in a perfect world. There is so much that goes into writing and publishing scholarship that options must be weighed and there needs to be a plan. I haven’t been presented with a solution that makes me think that this is entirely possible with where we are at but I think that with problem solving and time, future generations will have more access to scholarly works than we do currently.
Where did Montezuma go to college? Az Tech: Researching and Writing in the Digital Age
The web has made doing historical research easier and more accessible, especially as a student. I have a tendency to do my work at odd hours, specifically late at night, because that is when I focus the best. So with the ability to access sources like journal articles and books through databases, I am able to get work done without any closing-time restrictions like I would at the library. It also allows for me to gain access to sources quicker and get some sources that are not available at my university or local library as well as giving me the ability to find out which places have what I am looking for. In regards to primary sources, I have access to countless newspaper articles and photographs that, without the web, it would be nearly impossible for me to gain access to.
Depending on where the information is coming from online changes the way I think about sources. When I pick up a book, I am generally trusting of its accuracy. However, I do look into the author and the publisher and that is almost second-nature to me at this point. When I look at a source online, sometimes it is hard to find who the author is or where they come from, which tends to make me warier of what I find. With access to many online peer-reviewed journals, I look at those the same way I look at a book from a credited author. I feel more apt to trust a source that I know has undergone rigorous editing and has been looked at by other professionals in the field.
As I stated in last weeks post, I do not believe that there is necessarily a qualitative difference between digital archives and more traditional sources. In terms of ease of access, there is no question, with digital sources, there are countless sources available. However, there are just as many analog sources as well, a historian might just need to work a little harder to obtain them. |
Mind Numbing Realities About Building.
There are many aspects of residential property that need to be recognized, largely its lawful meaning. The term “residential property” is a thorny topic for theorists. This idea of ownership is rooted in ancient Greek idea and also was shaped by the surge of commercialism and also the industrial revolution. However what are one of the most crucial aspects of residential property? Allow’s consider several of one of the most usual questions regarding this subject. Initially, what is the distinction in between movable and also substantial building?
A property is anything tangible or abstract. It consists of land, buildings, natural resources, movable and stationary objects, and various other long-term developments. Generally speaking, property consists of all these things. There are numerous types of residential or commercial property: exclusive usage, syndicate, as well as mercantile. It additionally includes civil liberties to land and water, such as the right to manipulate natural deposits. In addition to the legal meaning of words “building”, there are other kinds of building.
When talking about the legal meaning of property, it is necessary to take into consideration the various kinds of property. Shares and also easements are two of the extra common types of residential property. The former involves an ownership passion in a piece of land. The latter is a type of possession that lasts for a collection amount of time. It can be destroyed by the same celebration that holds the building. Consolidation and also share are the only two modes of purchase for a building.
The most usual types of home are land and also structures. The physical residential or commercial properties are real estate, while personal effects is the properties of an individual. There is also intellectual property. This consists of the exclusive civil liberties to an artistic creation or a creation. The legal interpretation of home is wide and also consists of every one of its facets. There are different types of residential or commercial properties, and also these are referred to as personal and also public. It’s additionally possible to have an item of residential or commercial property, or a group of them.
In most cases, the owner of a home has the civil liberties to consume the residential property. This might include altering it, redefining it, and also using it. This is the right of the proprietor to exclude others from doing these things. Nevertheless, there is also a difference in between legal rights to possession and the legal rights to make use of residential or commercial property. Some civil liberties are booked for the owner of a property. This can include air, mineral, or showing off legal rights. It is not unusual to possess these rights.
The legal rights of a residential or commercial property are differed. In some cases, the proprietor has the residential property in its whole, while in others, the owner just has the rights of the land. As an example, in old times, the site of a religious solution was taken into consideration the home of God. Today, the very same principle relates to religious websites. Because of this, a person can have civil liberties over the land. An usual building is a parcel of land.
In ancient times, a residential property was taken into consideration to be the property of the gods. This has altered because, because of religious pluralism, the land is typically had by one religion and also can be split amongst various spiritual teams. Aside from these, a person can have a lot of home. The proprietor of a residential property can utilize it for any kind of function. In addition to this, a home can be used for leisure objectives. It can be used to market it.
The principle of personal property is based upon the concept of a private entity. This is the right to have a parcel, as it is an individual’s individual ownership. The principle of private property is rooted in the political system of a country as well as is a common law in a lot of countries. A person’s personal property includes his or her home, his/her money, as well as his or her land. Sometimes, property can be intangible.
In old times, home was thought about to be an individual’s possession. This could be tangible or abstract. Besides land, it can likewise be an industrial property or an automotive vehicle. The term “property” has various meanings in various societies. In some societies, property is the legal rights of a person to utilize a specific tract. In addition, it can also consist of copyright, sporting civil liberties, and also air rights.
Residential property might be a land, a building, or a share. In either case, the owner can deal with the home as they wish. On top of that, there are many types of home. The most essential kind is the right to make use of the property. Whether it is a land or a structure, it can be categorized as building. In lots of countries, this is the only sort of home. In various other nations, home is the residential property of the owner.
In the UK, home refers to anything that has a physical presence. This consists of houses, cars, as well as various other objects. The term “residence” is utilized to explain a residence, as well as a home is considered a piece of realty. The word “home” is another usual sort of residential property. This is a term for a house. Likewise, a structure can be described as “home.” A residence can be a house or an organization.
Property is an important part of our culture. The civil liberties and also duties of a property owner vary from one nation to an additional. As an example, a homeowner’s liability is the responsibility of any injuries to a customer who was harmed in a company. The residential or commercial property needs to have the ability to pay the medical bills of the hurt customer. A local business owner’s liability is an additional major factor to consider when it involves property. It is the responsibility of the business owner to pay for an individual’s medical bills.
A residential or commercial property is a property that has a worth. It can be substantial or abstract. It might be a house, a building, or an auto. All the same, it’s owned by a legal entity. In other words, a property can be a house or an auto, but it can also be a residential property. When a building is not used, it can be used as a business. An organization’s identity is also a part of its worth. Click here!
No matter its usage, building is an asset. This is since it has a value. For instance, a device that is being made use of to generate a product might have an obligation to its proprietor. For this reason, residential property is a legal asset, and it is a form of home. However it’s additionally a liability. When it concerns an organization, it can be a resource of responsibility. A business might be responsible for an injury if an employee was hurt.
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All About Oxygen in Pregnancy and COVID-19
You know that oxygen is a gas that we must breathe all the time to stay alive, but what is the story of oxygen in connection with pregnancy and with the COVID-19 pandemic? In both cases, the answer has to do with the lungs, with the cells that carry oxygen in your blood, and with the trillions of cells in your body that use the oxygen in order to harness energy from numerous other chemicals. Let’s begin the discussion with some background on oxygen and air and then ease our way into pregnancy and COVID-19 as they relate to oxygen.
In most medical situations, patients either breathe what doctors call “room air”, or they are on what’s called supplemental oxygen (also called O2, because each molecule consists of two oxygen atoms), meaning that the breathing gas contains more O2 than room air. Room air is basically just air, the same air that you breathe outside, of which oxygen makes up just about 21 percent. Most of the rest consists of a different gas called nitrogen. You could live breathing air that contains no nitrogen at all, but air provides us with something else apart from oxygen. It provides pressure; it pushes on and inside the body. Normally, nitrogen provides most of that pressure, but oxygen from tanks can be delivered to a patient through tubing, either to enrich the air so that it contains more than 21 percent O2, or to replace room air entirely so that the patient is breathing 100 percent O2.
As humans –in fact, as mammals– we get almost all of our body’s needed oxygen through the lungs. From the lungs, the oxygen is transported by blood to all of the body tissues. Although this happens with some of the oxygen simply dissolved into the water component of blood the way that you may dissolve sugar into your coffee each morning, most oxygen in blood is carried within red blood cells (RBCs). Each RBC is basically package of a substance called hemoglobin (Hb). Up to four molecules of O2 can attach to each Hb molecule like four paperclips sticking to a magnet. After attaching to the Hb within a RBC as it passes through the lungs, a molecule of oxygen remains attached until the RBC reaches a capillary (a small blood vessel) within a tissue where oxygen is needed. This can be a tissue where the supply of oxygen is low, such as heart muscle, or, if you are pregnant, it can be the placenta, where special capillaries allow oxygen molecules to transfer from hemoglobin in the mother’s RBCs to hemoglobin in the RBCs of the fetal blood.
Without mixing of maternal and fetal blood, the fetal blood is able to draw oxygen from the mother’s blood, because fetal hemoglobin (known as HbF) acts as a slightly stronger magnet. Thus, even if the supply of oxygen in the mother’s blood gets a little low, the fetus has a way to get maternal oxygen that has entered through mother’s lungs. Meanwhile, as oxygen moves from the air through the lungs, through the blood, into body cells and to the fetus (or to an embryo during early pregnancy), another gas, carbon dioxide (CO2) moves in the other direction. CO2 exits body cells, exists the fetus and moves through the placenta, and enters the mother’s blood, where it can be carried in a few different ways until it reaches the lungs. Once in the lungs, CO2 is exhaled from the body, but while in the blood CO2 has a very strong influence on the acidity of the blood. Consequently, the rate of breathing and the volume of air that moves in and out of the lungs with each breath have an enormous impact on body chemistry. If everything is working right, the body keeps the breathing and acidity all in tune with your needs, including getting you and your fetus plenty of oxygen. But things are easily thrown out of whack when problems in the lungs prevent oxygen from entering the blood sufficiently, such that a patient must be connected to a mechanical ventilator.
Now, with COVID-19, there is a virus called SARS-CoV-2, which generally enters into the upper part of the respiratory system, where it can cause cold-like symptoms, or in many people even no symptoms at all. In a fraction of infected people, however, the virus can get down into the lower part of the respiratory system, into the air sacs, balloon-like structures where O2 and CO2 move between air and blood. In the air sacs, the virus can attach to different types of lung cells, which it can infect and use as factories to make little baby viruses. In addition to spreading the infection within the lungs, this damages the infected lung cells. When one type of lung cell is infected, the amount of oxygen that can get into the blood decreases. When another type of lung cell is infected, the lungs are hindered in their ability to make a soapy substance that allows the air sacs to inflate easily when you inhale. Known as surfactant, the soapy substance is sometimes sprayed into the lungs of newborns that are born too prematurely to make enough of their own, but the same treatment has not been proven (at least not yet) to benefit adults suffering from a lung problem similar to the problem premature infants often have with their lungs. Known as ARDS, for acute (or adult) respiratory distress syndrome, this is a dreaded lung complication of COVID-19.
With an increasing number of air sacs collapsing and unable to allow oxygen to move from the air to the blood, a person with the severe form of COVID-19 struggles to breath. The percentage of hemoglobin that is carrying oxygen –known as the oxygen saturation– decreases. If this happens during pregnancy, the fetus could draw oxygen from the mother initially, because of the special fetal hemoglobin that we discussed above, plus doctors could give the woman supplemental oxygen, through a tube into the nose or through a mask. But if the mother’s oxygen levels in the blood were to continue to drop, despite high levels of oxygen coming in through a mask, both she and the fetus would be in trouble. On top of this, without the soapy surfactant, air sacs would not only collapse; they’d also rub against one another. This causes inflammation, a kind of irritation that sends a bunch of chemicals through the body, causing still more life-threatening problems.
Fortunately, most cases of COVID-19 do not progress to the severe stage, especially in younger women, including those who are pregnant. But when the disease does lead to severe complications like ARDS, that’s when a ventilator becomes necessary, and we’ll visit this topic in a upcoming post.
David Warmflash
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