Monthly Archives: April 2020

Maury, the Maverick: Why one San Antonio mayor captured Trinity researchers’ attention – The Trinitonian

Posted on by

Illustration by Andrea Nebhut

Maury Maverick was the mayor of San Antonio from 19391941. Before that, he was a congressman for two terms. He practiced law in San Antonio, he formed and served as vice president of a lumber company, and he restored La Villita in downtown San Antonio.

But thats not why Jennifer Henderson, chair of the Department of Communication, finds him interesting.

I got interested in that topic when I was doing other research about the Jehovahs Witnesses and their free speech claims, which is research Ive been doing for a really long time, since graduate school, Henderson said. And I kept running across this incident that happened in San Antonio, where they were denied access to use the Municipal Auditorium.

While Henderson looked into this incident with the San Antonio Jehovahs Witness community and the auditorium, she found one mans name kept popping up: Maury Maverick.

HOW IT BEGAN

Henderson is a First Amendment Scholar, and as she described, much of her research has focused on Jehovahs Witnesses and their free speech claims.

However, she found that the incident concerning the Municipal Auditorium was about more than the Jehovahs Witness community in San Antonio.

The Communist Party requested to hold a rally at the Municipal Auditorium. And I think it was surprising to a lot of people that Maury Maverick said yes, that they could do this. And it didnt turn out so well. And so there were mobs of people who attacked the auditorium, Henderson said. So then, the Jehovahs Witnesses asked to use the Municipal Auditorium after that, and he was just like, no, were not going to go through this again.

Henderson saw four primary groups in San Antonio that Maverick interacted with: the Communist Party, the Jehovahs Witnesses (and other religious groups), women specifically Latina women and black people.

In the past three years, she has enlisted three students through the Mellon Initiative to write chapters about each group. Their research would be compiled into a book Maverick Rights: Mayor Maury Maverick and Free Speech in Wartime San Antonio which is now nearing its publication date.

THE RESEARCH

According to Henderson, Mavericks mayoral term was marked by his progressives values; though, today, his policies and interactions with his constituents may not be considered so progressive.

Maverick ultimately was not reelected because he was labeled a communist after he allowed that communist group access to the Municipal Auditorium.

But Hendersons book is not a biography of Maverick. Rather, it focuses on his interactions with minority communities in San Antonio: people with different political alignments, religious groups, non-white constituents and women.

Hendersons chapter focuses on Jehovahs Witnesses and other religious communities in San Antonio; Hunter Sosby, class of 2019, researched Mavericks interactions with the Communist Party; senior Simone Washingtons chapter is about the Black community in San Antonio; and senior Connie Laings chapter covers Mavericks reactions to his Latina constituents.

Each student who has worked with Henderson did so through the Mellon Initiative in consecutive summers: Sosby in 2017, Washington in 2018 and Laing in 2019.

For the most part, their research was archive-based. For Washington, that meant traveling between the archives in Coates Library on campus and the library at St. Phillips College.

Initially I started off doing a lot of in-house research at Trinity, but then I branched off, at Dr. Hendersons suggestion, to St. Phillips library on their campus on the East Side of San Antonio. She said something very important: If I was writing about Blackness, then I should definitely be reading it from Black authors, Washington said.

Over this past summer, Laing and Henderson made a trip to Austin to see the full collection of Mavericks archives that is housed at the University of Texas.

It was great because he had saved everything from that time period. And so whether or not it was like a banner or a poster from his election, or whether it was a speech where he had, like, crossed out all the things he was going to say like seeing those original documents, Henderson said.

MAVERICK, HIMSELF

In her research about Mavericks connection to San Antonios Chili Queens, Laing found the former mayor to be a divisive character.

He spoke out about poll tax politically. He did not think it was good I mean, the poll tax was created to basically disenfranchise poor people, mainly, though it targeted poor minority racial groups, such as black people, Hispanic people, Laing said. The question becomes, did he do it for selfish reasons, which was to get the poor white voting base, or was it that he believed the poll tax was this disenfranchisement tool? And that becomes a really complex question.

Washington agreed that Mavericks character isnt as easy as saying, yes, hes racist, or no, hes not.

There was no conclusive answer. Like most things, it was kind of complex. A lot of people see him as a racist because of the language he used to describe Black people, but in other ways, he kind of opened the spaces to enter in the political arena, Washington said.

Washington described Maverick as benevolently racist, taking a more paternal role as a politician, though he did speak out against some things that were widely supported at the time, like lynching.

When Maverick was a U.S. representative, the illegality of lynching hadnt been made official at the federal level, and Maverick was one of few to advocate for anti-lynching legislation.

He, in really strong words, was putting down this hateful practice, which was rare of a white Southern congressman at the time, Washington said.

Though Maverick was progressive, not all of his actions as a politician would ring as progressive by todays standards, including what Laing described as egregious speech towards Latina women.

He was a new leader, a progressive, definitely one of the most progressive Southerners at the time. This is the late 1930s, Henderson said. And so, in many ways, hes a, you know, a strange bird when it comes to like Southern politics at the time, but hes very much of his time.

And thats whats important for this research group. Maverick extended his political platform to disenfranchised communities:

Theres really this political machine in San Antonio that he challenges, Henderson said. And there are alliances in ways that we really dont think about today in terms of democratic politics. Its all of that together. Hes not always making choices that are in a progressive sense the way we would consider them today. But at the time, he was definitely seen as a progressive.

PLANS FOR PUBLICATION

The book, which Henderson hopes to have ready to publish in the fall, is nearly done, though she said she may add a chapter depending on extra research done this summer.

This summer, Im doing a separate project with a first-year student on Emma Tenayuca who was a communist leader and labor rights activist in San Antonio. And that may end up being an additional chapter related to this, Henderson said. What that is really based on is what kind of language shes using in protests and how people are pushing back against both the language and assembly rights.

Henderson has worked with students before, but this is her first book in which shes collaborated with students.

Ive done a lot of collaborative projects with academics over my years. And the students who are working on these projects are academics, right? And they are professionals that are excellent writers and great researchers, Henderson said. And one of the most important things is that we recognize it doesnt really matter that theyre new scholars, but that they are scholars as well.

For Washington, the research has helped her better contextualize the city shes lived in for the past four years.

I think investigating what the early 20th century looked like for San Antonio gave me kind of the backdrop by which I can understand San Antonio currently, Washington said. And thats that it is highly, highly segregated, and not by coincidence or by chance by systemic forces playing out decade after decade.

Henderson agreed.

What weve realized, as weve done more and more with this research, is how many of the issues and concerns of the time still remain in relationship to speech and press, Henderson said.

With additional reporting by Marielle Sambilay

Post Views: 627

The rest is here:

Maury, the Maverick: Why one San Antonio mayor captured Trinity researchers' attention - The Trinitonian

Hundreds of Workers in Meat & Poultry Plants Test Positive for COVID-19 – Free Speech TV

Posted on by

Democracy Now! looks at the spike in coronavirus infections at meatpacking plants. In just one case, Smithfield Foods shut down a plant responsible for 5% of U.S. pork production after more than 350 workers at the facility tested positive for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, deaths of slaughterhouse workers have been reported in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Colorado. Many poultry/meat processing facilities employ large numbers of immigrants, including undocumented workers.

DN also speaks with Wenonah Hauter, executive director and founder of Food & Water Watch, and with Magaly Licolli, executive director of Venceremos, an advocacy group for poultry plant workers, based in Springdale, Arkansas, home to Tyson Foods headquarters.

Democracy Now! produces a daily, global, independent news hour hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzlez.

Our reporting includes breaking daily news headlines and in-depth interviews with people on the front lines of the worlds most pressing issues.

On DN!, youll hear a diversity of voices speaking for themselves, providing a unique and sometimes provocative perspective on global events.

Missed an episode? Check out DN on FSTV VOD anytime or visit the show page for the latest clips.

#FreeSpeechTV is one of the last standing national, independent news networks committed to advancing progressive social change.

#FSTV is available on Dish, DirectTV, AppleTV, Roku, Sling and online at freespeech.org.

Amy Goodman Coronavirus COVID-19 Democracy Now! Free Speech TV Meat Poultry Slaughterhouse Wenonah Hauter Workers' Rights

See the original post:

Hundreds of Workers in Meat & Poultry Plants Test Positive for COVID-19 - Free Speech TV

Lansing cops brace for another ‘Operation Gridlock’ – City Pulse

Posted on by

Kyle Kaminski

FRIDAY, April 17 The Lansing Police Department plans to ramp up enforcement efforts should protests continue to involve social distancing violations and gridlock in the capital city.

Some officials in Lansing were roundly disappointed by a lack of meaningful enforcement of social distancing mandates on Wednesday during Operation Gridlock. Hundreds of demonstrators left their cars, refused to socially distance and clearly violated state orders.

And none of the blatant violations this week resulted in any actual legal consequences in Lansing. The Michigan State Police took a largely hands-off approach; LPD didnt issue a single citation.

In response, Lansing Mayor Andy Schor announced today that additional precautions will be taken for future demonstrations after many of those who participated in the rally put the safety of residents, first responders and their respective communities at risk, Schor said.

The hands-off approach didnt seem to curb dangerous behavior, explained City Council President Peter Spadafore. While I hope there arent future events like this, we really do need to have a more thorough plan in place to enforce the law and protect our citizens out there.

Were Lansing. Were used to protests. We know how to handle traffic problems. We know how to handle large crowds. It seems that all of that historical knowledge just went out the window this week, Spadafore added. There just wasnt a coordinated plan to ensure safety.

The Michigan State Police handled the State Capitol lawn, the epicenter of Wednesdays protest. The Lansing Police Department, with some assistance from MSP, was responsible for monitoring the rest of the city, controlling traffic and ensuring the crowds played by the rules.

However, officers at either agency didnt issue citations to anyone, even if they were in clear violation of the social distancing guidelines. Instead, the order of the day was about warnings.

MSP officials told MLive that the extreme discretion approach was based on a handful of factors, including protecting the right to gather and protest while balancing the potential arrest of dozens of protestors with an angry, cooped-up crowd that could've quickly become violent.

Police Chief Daryl Green insists that his officers did not follow the same protocol, noting that tickets could have been issued for distancing violations. His officers simply decided against it. But next time around, hell consider issuing a directive to ramp up enforcement against violators.

Green focused first on actual physical public safety essentially ensuring crowds kept calm. And while hundreds were still warned about standing too close together, none were ticketed. The takeaway: Police could have been done more to protect residents. And next time, they will.

This was unprecedented, Green told City Pulse. Moving forward, well monitor these situations and take appropriate action as necessary. I cant guarantee well have 100 citations next time, but if we have an opportunity to take enforcement action, well do it.

Under new guidance from the mayors office, the Police Department has been directed to seek out additional assistance from other law enforcement agencies in the region for future protests. Officers will also watch for social distancing violations with a closer eye, Schor explained today.

Knowing that this is going to happen again, that there are plans for more protests, we always review what we can do and what works and what doesnt work, Schor added. We can always make adjustments, especially for these new styles of precautions that must be taken.

Schor said Lansing was only prepared for a normal protest not a gathering of thousands with gridlocked streets during an unprecedented lockdown order and a worldwide health crisis. In the future, traffic could also be restricted from some residential neighborhoods, Schor said.

At a press conference this afternoon, Schor said the city will also consider closing lanes near major hospitals to ensure access and working with the Michigan Department of Transportation to restrict highway access into Lansing.

It was a different rally and a different protest than weve ever seen before, Schor added. Protesters had said they were going to be circling the Capitol. We really didnt know the effects that would have on the rest of the city. Were going to be ready for this new reality.

Green knows that actual tickets and fines can serve as an important deterrent for those who choose to ignore the governors order on social distancing. A police presence with real enforcement also adds some teeth to the mandate, showing violations carry consequences.

But he also knows he needs to strike a delicate balance between protecting the public and his own staff. Every officer that comes into contact with someone to write a misdemeanor ticket risks further exposure to the virus, and the potential for at least 14 days off duty in quarantine.

I understand that people want more tickets and they want more arrests, but every time we pull those officers, those resources, away for something like writing a ticket, our state of readiness goes down. Were less prepared for something else that could take place, Green said.

Hospital staff at both McLaren and Sparrow in Lansing also took to social media this week to complain about the gridlocked streets. Some emergency personnel were late to their shifts. A few ambulances were briefly delayed in traffic, but no other significant delays were reported.

Local streets were noisy and filled with racist imagery Wednesday. Noise ordinances might have been violated. Hundreds more had clearly crossed the governors social distancing mandates, endangering countless thousands across the state as they converged on Lansing.

Ingham County Health Officer Linda Vail said officials are learning as they go, but she was pleased to see plans in the works for heavier handed enforcement for future demonstrations.

Have we ever dealt with something like this before? Probably not, Vail said. This was new. We know how to handle protests. We know how to handle epidemics. We supposedly know how to handle pandemics. All of these conflating at one time? Its just unprecedented.

I get allowing free speech. But people from all over the state traveled into Ingham County and interacted with all sorts of people here, Vail added. We have to have some sort of balance to the right of free speech and the right to protect our community under this executive order.

Excerpt from:

Lansing cops brace for another 'Operation Gridlock' - City Pulse

Recent books with Harvard connections – Harvard Magazine

Posted on by

Inside the Hot Zone, by Mark G. Kortepeter 83, M.P.H. 95 (Potomac Books/University of Nebraska, $34.95). Now a public-health professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, the author is a retired army colonel with long experience in defense against biological agents. His thriller-like account, subtitled a soldier on the front lines of biological warfare, is a timely reminder that alongside natural threats (Ebola, coronavirus), life sciences can be weaponized in stealthy, alarming ways.

Traces of J.B. Jackson, by Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, Ph.D. 69, RF 01 (University of Virginia, $39.50). John Brinckerhoff Jackson 32 had an engaging, diverse, creative three-year undergraduate career at Harvard, following which his life experiences in Europe, New Mexico, and the military led him to create Landscape magazine and to shape, profoundly, landscape studies at Berkeley, the Graduate School of Design, and elsewhere. Horowitz, now emerita from Smith College, provides an accessible, handsomely illustrated guide to the life and work of the man who taught us to see everyday America.

Baby Jails: The Fight to End the Incarceration of Refugee Children in America, by Philip G. Schrag 64 (University of California, $29.95 paper). A Georgetown Law professor details the too-long history of locking up minors (he worked in a jail full of toddlers) brought into this country, often for basic reasons of safety, and political leaders refusal to address their needs for minimally humane care. An issue that lingers because the people who would have to caredont.

Nothing Is Wrong and Here Is Why, by Alexandra Petri 10 (W.W. Norton, $25.95). A collection from the work of The Washington Post columnist, whose zany satiresfar more carefully and wickedly crafted than they at first seemgo far beyond her role as dedicated humorist in the nations capital. It seems almost unfair for her to get to practice in an era so rich in possibilities. A Good Time to Talk About Gun Laws (President Donald Trump said he would do so as time goes by) notes that Not now is not the same as never. It must be on a day when there has been not recent gun violence. So not today, and not tomorrow, and not the day after that. But someday. That was in 2017.

The Last Negroes at Harvard: The Class of 1963 and the 18 Young Men Who Changed Harvard Forever, by Kent Garrett 83 and Jeanne Ellsworth (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $27). A retired television journalist (see Reel Revolution, March-April 2017, page 55) tells the stories of 18 youngsters who grew up when Brown vs. Board of Education was decided; entered Harvard as the largest group of Negroes admitted to a freshman class to date; and graduated as the civil-rights confrontation campaign in Birmingham, Alabama, began to break segregation: the era when Negro gave way to black (hence the title). He recalls the special sting of dorm crew: I was a Negro doing Negro workI was in my place. In recording what it meant to be pulledinto an unknown world, Garrett and Ellsworth have captured the nascent movement toward a broadened institutiona change well worth remembering.

Why We Swim, by Bonnie Tsui 99 (Algonquin Books, $26.95). The writer/swimmer/surfer reports on the enigma of land-adapted Homo sapiens loving to live by and plunge into the water. Journalism cum poetry: We submerge ourselves in the natural world because the natural world has a way of eliciting awe.

The Long Fix, by Vivian S. Lee 87, M.D. 92 (W.W. Norton, $26.95). The president of health platforms at Verily Life Sciences, an Alphabet/Google analytics enterprisea Rhodes Scholar, and former dean of the University of Utah School of Medicineseeks solutions to Americas health care crisis with strategies that work for everyone. In a system marked by waste, overtreatment, deadly mistakes, inconsistent care, excessive bureaucracy, and other serious ailments, she attacks the bias of paying for action (the pervasive fee-for-service paradigm) rather than demanding results.

Healthy Buildings, by Joseph G. Allen, assistant professor of exposure and assessment science, and John D. Macomber, senior lecturer in finance (Harvard, $35). A public-health scientist and a Business School teacher join forces to explain why the indoorswhere humans in developed societies spend 90 percent of their timedrive performance and productivity, as the subtitle puts it. A useful complement to the energy- and climate-focused concerns of the green-building movement.

A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth, by Daniel Mason 98 (Little, Brown, $27). The physician-novelist (The Winter Soldier, The Piano Tuner) presents a series of precisely crafted, often historically informed, stories about mystery and the unexpected turns of diverse lives.

The Caregivers Encyclopedia, by Muriel R. Gillick, professor of population medicine (Johns Hopkins, $22.95 paper). Given the burgeoning obligation to assist increasingly dependent elders, many of their grown children, and others, will gratefully receive this compassionate guide to caring for older adults. It is admirably forthright, clearly organized, and helpfully illustrated, proceeding from an initial focus on understanding someones underlying health state through visiting doctors, entering the hospital, and proceeding from acute to long-term care, at home and in specialized facilities.

The Fairest of Them All, by Maria Tatar, Loeb research professor of Germanic languages and literatures and of folklore and mythology (Harvard, $27.95). The preeminent scholar of folklore (profiled in The Horror and the Beauty,November-December 2007, page 36) here examines the cruel, jolting tale of Snow White in the global context of 21 tales of mothers and daughters. A creepy, revealing collection.

Cook, Taste, Learn, by Guy Crosby, adjunct associate professor of nutrition (Columbia University Press, $26.95). A brisk, attractively formatted history of the science of cookingwith color-coded inserts on the learning (emulsions, the chemical structure of fats, etc.) and for recipes.

Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All, by Suzanne Nossel 91, J.D. 96 (Dey Street, $28.99). The CEO of PEN Americaformerly COO of Human Rights Watchadvances a common set of rules for speech in an era when our global conversation is now a mosh pit of expression and [h]ateful speech is on the rise.

The Obama Portraits, by Tana Caragol, Dorothy Moss, Richard. J. Powell, and Kim Sajet (Princeton, $24.95). Three National Portrait Gallery colleagues and a Duke art historian (Powell) document the making of and extraordinary public response to the official portraits of President Barack Obama, J.D. 91, and First Lady Michelle Obama, J.D. 88.

The first post-nomination portrait of Abraham Lincoln, by William Marsh, May 20, 1860, taken in Springfield, IllinoisPhotograph by William Marsh/ The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Public Domain

Lincoln on the Verge, by Ted Widmer 84, Ph.D. 93 (Simon & Schuster, $35). A gripping, minutely detailed account of Abraham Lincolns 13-day progress from Springfield to Washington, to take possession of the presidency at the then-United States moment of greatest challenge. Evocatively illustrated, and resonant with the kind of leaderly rhetoric and character that sustained the nationand made it great.

When Truth Mattered, by Robert Giles, curator emeritus, Nieman Foundation for Journalism (Mission Point Press, $16.95 paper). The then-managing editor of the Akron Beacon Journal, Giles now has written a fiftieth-anniversary account of the Kent State shootingswhen protest was cut down by state power gone horribly wrongand of the role of a free press in getting the news right. In an uncomfortable number of ways, his story resonates with current circumstances.

Originally posted here:

Recent books with Harvard connections - Harvard Magazine

Ad industry bodies urge Michigan governor to recant ban on advertising nonessential items – AdAge.com

Posted on by

On Thursday, five ad industrytrade associations released a joint statement urging Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to retract a portion of a new executive order that prohibits large retailers from advertising nonessential items and property owners from advertising short-term rentals.

The Association of Advertising Agencies (4As), the American Advertising Federation (AAF), Association of National Advertisers (ANA), Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) say the ad ban violates free speech, does nothing to help public health and could further hurt the economy.

In arbitrarily prohibitingadvertising by large retailers and rental property owners, theorder violates a fundamental tenant of the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of free speech by targeting specific speakers based on what they want to say, reads the letter.

The Michigan executive order was issued on April 9, 2020, and is slated to last for the rest of the month. The order is meant to slow the spread of COVID-19 by requiring residents to stay at home and keep nonessential businesses closed.

The trade associations are specifically addressing sections 11 and 12 of the order which prohibittwo groupslarge retailers and property ownersfrom advertising.

The order instructs that stores of more than 50,000 square feet, refrain from the advertising or promotion of goods that are not groceries, medical supplies, or items that are necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation, and basic operation of residences by April 13, 2020.

The mandate also states: No one shall advertise or rent a short-term vacation property except as necessary to assist in housing a health care professional or volunteer aiding in the response to the COVID-19 crisis.

We dont see a rational basis [for the order], or any basis at all, says Dan Jaffe, group exec VPof government relations at ANA. We agree with the Governor that people need to be protected, but we dont want restrictions on advertising. It might just increase issues were facing economically.

Jaffe says that as far as the industry is aware, the ad ban applies to all formats and distribution channels in the state, but says the order is not specific enough when it comes to these details.

Under the constitution, a state has the power to prohibit advertising, but the Supreme Court has made it so that a state has to prove it has a substantial interest in doing so, says Jaffe. Health is a substantial interest, but we believe this is unconstitutional, he says. The proposal has no effect on public health and violates the first amendment.

A major piece of contention in the order is the difference in freedoms given to small stores and large retailers. Why can a store that is relatively small advertise and not a large store? he says, adding that often social distancing is harder to accomplish in small stores where there are fewer aisles.

Read the original here:

Ad industry bodies urge Michigan governor to recant ban on advertising nonessential items - AdAge.com

Gov. Whitmer responds to drive-by rally at the state capitol – Fox17

Posted on by

The drive-by rallly at the state capitol in Lansing was highly publicized mainly on social media. Gov. Whitmer mentioned earlier in the week that she was all for people excersizing their right to free speech, but has been very vocal about the importance of social distancing.

FOX 17 talked with Gov. Whitmer about the turnout at the rally and why she says it may impact the stay-at-home order in the future.

"Well, i think that yesterday's event was a political rally," said Whitmer. "I know that there were some people there that came to protest the stay at home order, but the vast majority of people there were there, making political statements. Whether it was open carry people that had AR-15s that they were carrying on their bodies or it was people that were flying the confederate flag, people that were using swastikas."

Governor Whitmer also raised concern after some protesters did not stay in their cars.

"I know that this is, this was an event where people will now go back to different parts of the state, and could could actually pass COVID-19 on in a greater number," Whitmer said. " The irony the sad irony is that they were protesting the state home order. and because of their actions might make it necessary to take this posture even longer if COVID-19 continues to spread, because of this irresponsible action."

Read more:

Gov. Whitmer responds to drive-by rally at the state capitol - Fox17

An open letter to Gov. Roy Cooper and local governments across the state – Laurinburg Exchange

Posted on by

Tthe North Carolina Institute for Constitutional Law has offered its assistance to Gov. Cooper and local governments in rescinding or revising orders unconstitutionally restricting the rights of the people to free speech and to assembly.

We understand the seriousness of the situation, not just in terms of COVID-19 itself but also in terms of how government is violating the constitution during the crisis.

The First Amendment and the North Carolina Constitution protect the peoples right to free speech and to assemble to petition the government for a redress of grievances. These rights may be limited if government has a compelling interest and uses narrowly tailored means to achieve that interest. NCICL recently posted an explanation of the test, called strict scrutiny, used by courts to decide whether this tough burden has been satisfied when a government limits fundamental rights like the right to free speech. That explanation and other resources are available at http://www.ncicl.org.

First Amendment rights arent absolute, but neither is government power. If Gov. Cooper or local governments want help, NCICL is more than willing to help them revise or rescind their orders to ensure that constitutional rights are respected.

Jeanette Doran

President/general counsel

NC Institute for Constitutional Law

See the original post:

An open letter to Gov. Roy Cooper and local governments across the state - Laurinburg Exchange

Physicists Successfully Use ‘Hot’ Qubits to Overcome a Huge Quantum Computing Problem – ScienceAlert

Posted on by

As quantum computers continue to grow in size and complexity, engineers are hitting a major obstacle. All of that added machinery means higher temperatures - and if anything can ruin a perfectly good quantum bit, it's heat.

There are a few possible solutions, but any fix needs to be small and compatible with existing silicon technology. Two recently published papers confirm a new device developed by engineers at Australia's University of New South Wales (UNSW) could be the way to go.

Early last year, the researchers tentatively announced tiny semiconducting materials called quantum dots could be isolated and still used to carry out the kinds of quantum operations needed for the next generation of computing, all at a relatively toasty 1.5 degrees Kelvin.

"This is still very cold, but is a temperature that can be achieved using just a few thousand dollars' worth of refrigeration, rather than the millions of dollars needed to cool chips to 0.1 Kelvin," says senior researcher Andrew Dzurak from UNSW.

That research has not only now been given the thumbs-up in a peer review, it's also been validated by a second, completely different study conducted by a team from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

Having confirmation that this proof of concept device works as theorised should give us confidence that this technology, if not something like it, will be one way we'll scale up quantum computers to increasingly useful sizes.

Where conventional computing uses a binary system of 'bits' to perform logical operations, quantum computing uses the probabilistic nature of quantum states to manage particular calculations.

Those states are most easily represented in the features of tiny (preferably subatomic sized) particles. While in an unmeasured form, these particles can be described mathematically as possessing a blend of characteristics in what's known as a superposition.

The mathematics of superposition particles called qubits when used this way can make short work of algorithms that would take conventional computers far too long to solve, at least in theory.

But to really get the most out of them, qubits should work collaboratively with other qubits, entangling their mathematics in ever more complex ways. Ideally, dozens of qubits should work together if we're to make a quantum computer that's more than just an expensive toy.

Some tech companies claim to be at that point already. For them, the next step is to connect hundreds, if not millions together. It's a lofty goal that presents engineers with a growing problem.

"Every qubit pair added to the system increases the total heat generated," says Dzurak.

Heat risks making a mess of the whole superposition thing, which is why current designs rely so much on cooling technology that freezes particles to a virtual stand-still.

Just adding more heat sinks runs into space and efficiency problems. So Dzurak and his team looked for ways to house a qubit that could handle rising temperatures.

The trick, they found, was to isolate electrons from their reservoir on a pair of nanometre-sized islands called quantum dots, made from silicon metal-oxide.

The electron states can then be set and measured using a process called tunnelling, where the quantum uncertainty of each electron's position allows them to teleport between dots.

This tunnelling within an isolated qubit nest gives the delicate states of the electrons a level of protection against the slightly higher temperatures, while still allowing the system to link in with conventional electronic computers.

"Our new results open a path from experimental devices to affordable quantum computers for real world business and government applications," says Dzurak.

As a proof of concept, it's exciting stuff. But plenty of questions need to be answered before we'll see it marry with existing quantum computing technology.

Cooking qubits at temperatures 15 times warmer than usual seems to work just fine so far, but we're yet to see how this translates to entangled groups, and whether methods for correcting errors still work for a 'hot' qubit.

No doubt researchers will be turning their attention to these concerns in future experiments, moving us ever closer to quantum computers capable of cracking some of the hardest problems the Universe can throw at us.

This research was published in Nature here and here.

Read more from the original source:

Physicists Successfully Use 'Hot' Qubits to Overcome a Huge Quantum Computing Problem - ScienceAlert

The future of quantum computing in the cloud – TechTarget

Posted on by

AWS, Microsoft and other IaaS providers have jumped on the quantum computing bandwagon as they try to get ahead of the curve on this emerging technology.

Developers use quantum computing to encode problems as qubits, which compute multiple combinations of variables at once rather than exploring each possibility discretely. In theory, this could allow researchers to quickly solve problems involving different combinations of variables, such as breaking encryption keys, testing the properties of different chemical compounds or simulating different business models. Researchers have begun to demonstrate real-world examples of how these early quantum computers could be put to use.

However, this technology is still being developed, so experts caution that it could take more than a decade for quantum computing to deliver practical value. In the meantime, there are a few cloud services, such as Amazon Bracket and Microsoft Quantum, that aim to get developers up to speed on writing quantum applications.

Quantum computing in the cloud has the potential to disrupt industries in a similar way as other emerging technologies, such as AI and machine learning. But quantum computing is still being established in university classrooms and career paths, said Bob Sutor, vice president of IBM Quantum Ecosystem Development. Similarly, major cloud providers are focusing primarily on education at this early stage.

"The cloud services today are aimed at preparing the industry for the soon-to-arrive day when quantum computers will begin being useful," said Itamar Sivan, co-founder and CEO of Quantum Machines, an orchestration platform for quantum computing.

There's still much to iron out regarding quantum computing and the cloud, but the two technologies appear to be a logical fit, for now.

Cloud-based quantum computing is more difficult to pull off than AI, so the ramp up will be slower and the learning curve steeper, said Martin Reynolds, distinguished vice president of research at Gartner. For starters, quantum computers require highly specialized room conditions that are dramatically different from how cloud providers build and operate their existing data centers.

Reynolds believes practical quantum computers are at least a decade away. The biggest drawback lies in aligning the quantum state of qubits in the computer with a given problem, especially since quantumcomputersstill haven't been proven to solve problems better than traditional computers.

Coders also must learn new math and logic skills to utilize quantum computing. This makes it hard for them since they can't apply traditional digital programming techniques. IT teams need to develop specialized skills to understand how to apply quantum computing in the cloud so they can fine tune the algorithms, as well as the hardware, to make this technology work.

Current limitations aside, the cloud is an ideal way to consume quantum computing, because quantum computing has low I/O but deep computation, Reynolds said. Because cloud vendors have the technological resources and a large pool of users, they will inevitably be some of the first quantum-as-a-service providers and will look for ways to provide the best software development and deployment stacks.

Quantum computing could even supplement general compute and AI services cloud providers currently offer, said Tony Uttley, president of Honeywell Quantum Solutions.In that scenario, the cloud would integrate with classical computing cloud resources in a co-processing environment.

The cloud plays two key roles in quantum computing today, according to Hyoun Park, CEO and principal analyst at Amalgam Insights. The first is to provide an application development and test environment for developers to simulate the use of quantum computers through standard computing resources.

The second is to offer access to the few quantum computers that are currently available, in the way mainframe leasing was common a generation ago. This improves the financial viability of quantum computing, since multiple users can increase machine utilization.

It takes significant computing power to simulate quantum algorithm behavior from a development and testing perspective. For the most part, cloud vendors want to provide an environment to develop quantum algorithms before loading these quantum applications onto dedicated hardware from other providers, which can be quite expensive.

However, classical simulations of quantum algorithms that use large numbers of qubits are not practical. "The issue is that the size of the classical computer needed will grow exponentially with the number of qubits in the machine," said Doug Finke, publisher of the Quantum Computing Report.So, a classical simulation of a 50-qubit quantum computer would require a classical computer with roughly 1 petabyte of memory. This requirement will double with every additional qubit.

Nobody knows which approach is best, or which materials are best. We're at the Edison light bulb filament stage. Martin ReynoldsDistinguished vice president of research at Gartner

But classical simulations for problems using a smaller number of qubits are useful both as a tool to teach quantum algorithms to students and also for quantum software engineers to test and debug algorithms with "toy models" for their problem, Finke said.Once they debug their software, they should be able to scale it up to solve larger problems on a real quantum computer.

In terms of putting quantum computing to use, organizations can currently use it to support last-mile optimization, encryption and other computationally challenging issues, Park said. This technology could also aid teams across logistics, cybersecurity, predictive equipment maintenance, weather predictions and more. Researchers can explore multiple combinations of variables in these kinds of problems simultaneously, whereas a traditional computer needs to compute each combination separately.

However, there are some drawbacks to quantum computing in the cloud. Developers should proceed cautiously when experimenting with applications that involve sensitive data, said Finke. To address this, many organizations prefer to install quantum hardware in their own facilities despite the operational hassles, Finke said.

Also, a machine may not be immediately available when a quantum developer wants to submit a job through quantum services on the public cloud. "The machines will have job queues and sometimes there may be several jobs ahead of you when you want to run your own job," Finke said. Some of the vendors have implemented a reservation capability so a user can book a quantum computer for a set time period to eliminate this problem.

IBM was first to market with its Quantum Experience offering, which launched in 2016 and now has over 15 quantum computers connected to the cloud. Over 210,000 registered users have executed more than 70 billion circuits through the IBM Cloud and published over 200 papers based on the system, according to IBM.

IBM also started the Qiskit open source quantum software development platform and has been building an open community around it. According to GitHub statistics, it is currently the leading quantum development environment.

In late 2019, AWS and Microsoft introduced quantum cloud services offered through partners.

Microsoft Quantum provides a quantum algorithm development environment, and from there users can transfer quantum algorithms to Honeywell, IonQ or Quantum Circuits Inc. hardware. Microsoft's Q# scripting offers a familiar Visual Studio experience for quantum problems, said Michael Morris, CEO of Topcoder, an on-demand digital talent platform.

Currently, this transfer involves the cloud providers installing a high-speed communication link from their data center to the quantum computer facilities, Finke said. This approach has many advantages from a logistics standpoint, because it makes things like maintenance, spare parts, calibration and physical infrastructure a lot easier.

Amazon Braket similarly provides a quantum development environment and, when generally available, will provide time-based pricing to access D-Wave, IonQ and Rigetti hardware. Amazon says it will add more hardware partners as well. Braket offers a variety of different hardware architecture options through a common high-level programming interface, so users can test out the machines from the various partners and determine which one would work best with their application, Finke said.

Google has done considerable core research on quantum computing in the cloud and is expected to launch a cloud computing service later this year. Google has been more focused on developing its in-house quantum computing capabilities and hardware rather than providing access to these tools to its cloud users, Park said. In the meantime, developers can test out quantum algorithms locally using Google's Circ programming environment for writing apps in Python.

In addition to the larger offerings from the major cloud providers, there are several alternative approaches to implementing quantum computers that are being provided through the cloud.

D-Wave is the furthest along, with a quantum annealer well-suited for many optimization problems. Other alternatives include QuTech, which is working on a cloud offering of its small quantum machine utilizing its spin qubits technology. Xanadu is another and is developing a quantum machine based on a photonic technology.

Researchers are pursuing a variety of approaches to quantum computing -- using electrons, ions or photons -- and it's not yet clear which approaches will pan out for practical applications first.

"Nobody knows which approach is best, or which materials are best. We're at the Edison light bulb filament stage, where Edison reportedly tested thousands of ways to make a carbon filament until he got to one that lasted 1,500 hours," Reynolds said. In the meantime, recent cloud offerings promise to enable developers to start experimenting with these different approaches to get a taste of what's to come.

See the article here:

The future of quantum computing in the cloud - TechTarget

Alex Garland on ‘Devs,’ free will and quantum computing – Engadget

Posted on by

Garland views Amaya as a typical Silicon Valley success story. In the world of Devs, it's the first company that manages to mass produce quantum computers, allowing them to corner that market. (Think of what happened to search engines after Google debuted.) Quantum computing has been positioned as a potentially revolutionary technology for things like healthcare and encryption, since it can tackle complex scenarios and data sets more effectively than traditional binary computers. Instead of just processing inputs one at a time, a quantum machine would theoretically be able to tackle an input in multiple states, or superpositions, at once.

By mastering this technology, Amaya unlocks a completely new view of reality: The world is a system that can be decoded and predicted. It proves to them that the world is deterministic. Our choices don't matter; we're all just moving along predetermined paths until the end of time. Garland is quick to point out that you don't need anything high-tech to start asking questions about determinism. Indeed, it's something that's been explored since Plato's allegory of the cave.

"What I did think, though, was that if a quantum computer was as good at modeling quantum reality as it might be, then it would be able to prove in a definitive way whether we lived in a deterministic state," Garland said. "[Proving that] would completely change the way we look at ourselves, the way we look at society, the way society functions, the way relationships unfold and develop. And it would change the world in some ways, but then it would restructure itself quickly."

The sheer difficulty of coming up with something -- anything -- that's truly spontaneous and isn't causally related to something else in the universe is the strongest argument in favor of determinism. And it's something Garland aligns with personally -- though that doesn't change how he perceives the world.

"Whether or not you or I have free will, both of us could identify lots of things that we care about," he said. "There are lots of things that we enjoy or don't enjoy. Or things that we're scared of, or we anticipate. And all of that remains. It's not remotely affected by whether we've got free will or not. What might be affected is, I think, our capacity to be forgiving in some respects. And so, certain kinds of anti-social or criminal behavior, you would start to think about in terms of rehabilitation, rather than punishment. Because then, in a way, there's no point punishing someone for something they didn't decide to do."

View post:

Alex Garland on 'Devs,' free will and quantum computing - Engadget

Science of Star Trek – The UCSB Current

Posted on by

In the most recent episode of his YouTube series Science vs. Cinema, UC Santa Barbara physicist Andy Howell takes on Star Trek: Picard, exploring how the CBS offerings presentation of supernovae and quantum computing stack up against real world science.

For Howell, the series that reviews the scientific accuracy and portrayal of scientists in Hollywoods top sci-fi films is as much an excuse to dive into exciting scientific concepts and cutting edge research.

Science fiction writers are fond of grappling with deep philosophical questions, he said. I was really excited to see that UCSB researchers were thinking about some of the same things in a more grounded way.

For the Star Trek episode, Howell spoke with series creators Alex Kurtzman and Michael Chabon, as well as a number of cast members, including Patrick Stewart. Joining him to discuss quantum science and consciousness were John Martinis a quantum expert at UC Santa Barbara and chief scientist of the Google quantum computing hardware group and fellow UCSB Physics professor Matthew Fisher. Fishers group is studying whether quantum mechanics plays a role in the brain, a topic taken up in the new Star Trek series.

Howell also talked supernovae and viticulture with friend and colleague Brian Schmidt, vice- chancellor of the Australian National University. Schmidt won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for helping to discover that the expansion of the universe is accelerating.

"We started Science vs. Cinema to use movies as a jumping-off point to talk science Howell said. Star Trek Picard seemed like the perfect fit. Star Trek has a huge cultural impact and was even one of the things that made me want to study astronomy.

Previous episodes of Science vs. Cinema have separated fact from fiction in films such as Star Wars, The Current War, Ad Astra, Arrival and The Martian. The success of prior episodes enabled Howell to get early access to the show and interview the cast and crew.

"What most people think about scientific subjects probably isn't what they learned in a university class, but what they saw in a movie, Howell remarked. That makes movies an ideal springboard for introducing scientific concepts. And while I can only reach dozens of students at a time in a classroom, I can reach millions on TV or the internet.

View original post here:

Science of Star Trek - The UCSB Current

CIP partners with ISARA to offer crypto-agile technology to complement innovative Whitethorn platform – Quantaneo, the Quantum Computing Source

Posted on by

The onset of large-scale quantum computing will challenge the security of current public-key cryptography and create widespread vulnerabilities. The rigidity of todays infrastructure makes cryptographic migrations complex and costly. Establishing crypto agility in existing systems is the first step towards seamless migrations.

The strategic partnership allows CIP to offer industry leading quantum-safe, crypto agile and hybrid certificate offerings from ISARA. This ground-breaking technology enables systems to be quantum safe without disruption of operations while maintaining the availability and integrity of existing security systems.

The new agile certificates will be recognisable by CIPs Whitethorn Platform a digital certificate, key discovery, and lifecycle management solution that provides unrivalled discovery, management and automation.

Andy Jenkinson, Group CEO CIP, said: Quantum computing is the next major development within the global technology area. The biggest challenge to cyber security is the lack of understanding of cryptography and PKI in todays classical computing, let alone in a post-quantum world. The partnership with ISARA will enable all our clients to realise full discovery, management and automation of their crypto-agile PKI.

Scott Totzke, CEO & Co-founder of ISARA, said: We are excited to partner with CIP to ensure their clients migration to quantum-safe cryptography starts with integrating crypto-agility, an essential first step towards cryptographic resilience and long-term security. This is some welcome good news in these turbulent times.

Read the original:

CIP partners with ISARA to offer crypto-agile technology to complement innovative Whitethorn platform - Quantaneo, the Quantum Computing Source

Pentagon wants commercial, space-based quantum sensors within 2 years – The Sociable

Posted on by

The Pentagons Defense Innovation Unit is looking to the private sector to develop space-based quantum sensing prototypes within two years the kind of sensors that could contribute to a space-based quantum internet.

Highlights:

Quantum technologies will render all previously existing stealth, encryption, and communications technologies obsolete, so naturally the Pentagon wants to develop quantum technologies as a matter of national security.

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has opened a solicitation to evaluate commercial solutions that utilize demonstrable quantum technology to achieve significant performance improvements for aerospace and other novel applications to include, but not limited to, inertial sensing, timing and gravimetry.

The DIU wants a prototype within 24 months that consists of acompact, high-performance quantum sensor for precision inertial measurement in deep space and other GPS-denied environments.

There are a lot of technical concepts that go into this technology, but for simplicitys sake, the DIU is looking for quantum sensing technology that can perform accurate measurements by overcoming the effects of gravity on time and space.

While the DIU did not go into any specifics about what the quantum sensing technology would actually be used for, we may gleam some ideas from what the military has already been researching specifically improved communications, precision navigation, and precision timing.

For example, the Air Force Research Laboratory has been investigating a variety of quantum-based sensors to create secure, jam-resistant alternatives to GPS, according to National Defense Magazine.

And because quantum sensors can detect radar signatures and beyond, they may be used by the military tobypass just about any stealth technology.

Other potential applications could include Earth defense mechanisms that could detect, prevent, or respond to missile attacks, asteroids, and comets, as well as keeping track of satellites and space debris that whiz around Earths orbit.

Additionally, a network of quantum technologies could offer the military security, sensing and timekeeping capabilities not possible with traditional networking approaches, according to the US Army Research Laboratory.

If we take the idea of quantum sensors a step further and into the realm of quantum sensing networks, then we are looking at one component of a quantum internet, when combined with quantum computing.

A quantum internet will be the platform of a quantum ecosystem, where computers, networks, and sensors exchange information in a fundamentally new manner where sensing, communication, and computing literally work together as one entity, Argonne Laboratory senior scientistDavid Awschalom told How Stuff Works.

The notion of a space-based quantum internet using satellite constellations is becoming even more enticing, as evidenced in the joint research paper, Spooky Action at a Global Distance Resource-Rate Analysis of a Space-Based Entanglement-Distribution Network for the Quantum Internet.

According to the scientists, Recent experimental breakthroughs in satellite quantum communications have opened up the possibility of creating a global quantum internet using satellite links, and, This approach appears to be particularly viable in the near term.

The paper seems to describe quantum technologies that are nearly identical to the ones the DIU is looking to build.

Aquantum internet would allow for the execution of other quantum-information-processing tasks, such as quantum teleportation, quantum clock synchronization, distributed quantum computation, and distributedquantum metrology and sensing, it reads.

SpaceX is already building a space-based internet through its Starlink program. Starlink looks to have 12,000 satellites orbiting the earth in a constellation that will beam high-speed internet to even the most remote parts of the planet.

The company led by Elon Musk has already launched some 360 satellites as part of the Starlink constellation.

All the news reports say that Starlink will provide either high-speed or broadband internet, and there are no mentions of SpaceX building a quantum internet, but the idea is an intriguing one.

SpaceX is already working with the Pentagon, the Air Force, NASA, and other government and defense entities.

In 2018, SpaceX won a $28.7 million fixed-price contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory for experiments in data connectivity involving ground sites, aircraft and space assets a project that could give a boost to the companys Starlink broadband satellite service, according to GeekWire.

Lets recap:

By the looks of it, the DIUs space-based quantum sensing prototypes could very well be components of a space-based quantum internet.

However, there has been no announcement from SpaceX saying that Starlink will be beaming down a quantum internet.

At any rate, well soon be looking at high-speed, broadband internet from above in the near future, quantum or otherwise.

Quantum computing: collaboration with the multiverse?

US Energy Dept lays foundation for quantum internet, funds $625M to establish quantum research centers over 5 years

View post:

Pentagon wants commercial, space-based quantum sensors within 2 years - The Sociable

8 Top Scientific, Medical, and Culture Podcasts to Help You Stay Informed on the Latest Coronavirus Updates – One Green Planet

Posted on by

With most of the country on some form of shelter-in-place, its left millions of minds left to their own devices for entertainment.

This means lots of scrolling through coronavirus headlines.

While its important to stay up-to-date and aware of the pandemic situation, too much opinion mixed with faulty information will increase anxieties, spur depressive spirals, and cause stress, which adversely affects our overall health. Blaring grab me headlines mixed with uneducated and uninformed opinion may make the time go by faster, but its also doing a number to your psyche.

Alright, what is an isolated, bored person to do?

Curate your coronavirus news intake by choosing a podcast.

Not only can you find a trustworthy podcast on any Coronavirus angle whether youre looking for purely scientific facts, a political overview, global journalism, or a medical take but you can plugin for a specific allotted time and then be done with your news intake for the day.

Here are a few Coronavirus-specific podcasts to get you started!

The Drive/peterattiamd.com/podcast/

If youve ever felt annoyed by the watered-down medical and scientific podcasts, then The Drive may be the perfect match for you!

When it comes to this podcast, it starts with the amazingly informed creator and host, Peter Attia, M.D. Attia is a medical doctor who earned his M.D. from Stanford University, holds a B.Sc. in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics, and is the founder of Attia Medical, PC, a medical practice that focuses on the applied science of longevity.

WhileThe Drive normally hosts a variety of guests to talk about everything under the longevity and human health moon, if youre looking for COVID-19 information, this podcast has become a one-stop-shop of accurate, curated, and need-to-know information from mental health specialists to epidemiologists. Recently, Attia hosted Peter Hotez, M.D., Ph.D. the Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine Baylor College of Medicine as well as Sam Harris, Ph.D., a neuroscientist and author and Michael Osterholm, Ph.D. the Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and author ofDeadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs.

Mayo Clinic Talks Podcast COVID-19 Miniseries/ce.mayo.edu/online-education/content/mayo-clinic-talks-podcast-covid-19-miniseries

The Mayo Clinic is one of the top-ranked and most well-respected hospitals and research facilities in the states. In fact, the U.S. News & World Report has again recognized Mayo clinic as the No. 1 hospital overall and top ranked in twelve specialties.

In light of the coronavirus outbreak, the May Clinic has published a free-access COVID-19 miniseries podcast calledMayo Clinic Talks COVID-19 Miniseries. Technically created for physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, this podcast miniseries is a great place to get up-to-date information that isnt sugar-coated.

With that said, having a slight medical background is a bit helpful with terminology!

This podcast has 9 episodes ranging from a download on the virus itself to preparing for a pandemic to the most recent episode talking about the use of ibuprofen.

America Dissected: Coronavirus/crooked.com/podcast-series/america-dissected

Looking for at a more political take on the whole pandemic?

America Dissected: Coronavirus by Crooked Mediahits all the spots. Not only does this podcast take a look at how we got to this point and why, but it also takes a look at the future and what we can do to move forward. Hosted by Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a physician and former city health commissioner America Dissected: Coronavirus by Crooked Mediaaims to keep you updated on what you need to know about COVID-19, what led us to this crisis in the first place, and what policies can lead us out.

Current episodes includeOpen for Business: Toilet Paper and Disaster Capitalism, All the Lonely People, Where Do They Belong?, Pharmageddon,andThe Anti-Anti-Vax-Vaccine with new episodes available every Tuesday and Friday.

Coronavirus Daily: NPR/www.npr.org/podcasts/510355/coronavirusdaily

NPR National Public Radio is one of the most well-loved and trusted news sources in the country. This independent, nonprofit media organization has accumulated 27.4 on-air listeners, has over 1,000 broadcasting stations, and is an international institution with 34 bureaus worldwide.

In order to fully cover the coronavirus outbreak, NPR has created a COVID-19 specific podcast called Coronavirus Daily. As the name implies, this is a daily podcast hosted by NPR journalist Kelly McEvers that covers all dimensions of the story from science to economics and politics as well as society and culture. Available every weekday afternoon, the podcast includes stories and interviews from NPRs Science, International, National, Business, and Washington reporting teams, as well as station reporters, and the crews at Morning Editions and All Things Considered.

What sets this podcast apart from the rest?

Its only 10 minutes in length!

Recent episodes include Ventilator Shortages; 6.6 Million New Unemployment Claims,The Mask Debate; Preventing More New York-Sized Clusters, andSocial Distancing Extended; Grocery Store Tips.

If youre looking for the ultimate, daily, one-stop, quick download of whats happening with the pandemic thenCoronavirus Dailyis a great option.

Coronavirus Global Update by the BBC/www.bbc.co.uk/programmes

Even though experiencing this pandemic may cause our brains to go insular, its important to remember that this is apandemic, which refers to aglobaloutbreak.

If youre looking to stick with the international news then log into theCoronavirus Global Update by the BBC. The BBC prides itself on being an impartial and independent news outlet that creates distinctive, world-class programmes and content which inform, educate and entertain millions of people in the UK and around the world.

Another daily podcast, these episodes provide world-wide coverage of the spread of the coronavirus, with reports from affected areas, details of the latest medical information and the impact on health, business, and travel.

Recent episodes include global coverage including Confirmed Global Cases Pass One Million, Spain Passes Ten Thousand Coronavirus Deaths, Hospitals Say US Running Out of Medical Supplies, and Italys Daily Death Toll at Lowest Level for Six Days.

NewScientist/www.newscientist.com/podcasts

In these times of faux information, sourcing from a scientific outlet is always a great go-to. Created by the New Scientist Magazine, the Coronavirus Special podcast takes you down the pandemic rabbit hole with a keen eye towards the scientific side of things.

Founded in 1956, New Scientist Magazineis the worlds most popular weekly science and technology magazine, which covers international news from a scientific standpoint, and [asks] the biggest-picture questions about life, the universe and what it means to be human.

With multiple coronavirus-related podcast episodes, theCoronavirus Specialseeks to answer some of the most pressing questions about COVID-19 by interviewingNew Scientistjournalists Rowan Hooper, Penny Sarchet, and Graham Lawton. This special covers topics including when you are likely to be at the peak of infection, whether it is possible to be infected twice, and why the coronavirus doesnt seem to be affected much by heat and humidity, as well as tips for maintaining a healthy mental state during lockdown.

Whats so unique about this podcast?

Its not only centered around the science of the pandemic but each episode also includes non-pandemic-related news in the science world, providing a more balanced download of the world for those looking to not overdo the coronavirus news.

OtherNew Scientistpodcasts episodes includeCoronavirus Questions Answered; Revolution in Human Evolution; Mind-Reading Computers,Coronavirus Lockdown how to flatten the curve, reset the immune system, and the worlds most hardcore mammal, and Coronavirus vaccine; neutrinos in the early universe, and organ transplants.

Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction/vulture.com/article/coronavirus-podcasts.html

Created by the highly acclaimed and well-known news outlet CNN,Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction is a perfect, quick download of the most up-to-date pandemic information.

Hosted by CNNs Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta a practicing neurosurgeon with a Doctorate of Medicine degree from the University of Michigan Medical School this podcast focuses on not only providing updated information on the outbreak, but Gupta also helps to make sense of headlines, [speaks] with the experts and [gives] you all the information you need to stay safe and healthy.

Recent episodes includingAstronaut Scott Kelly on How to Survive Isolation, Checking in with Dr. Fauci, COVID-19 FAQs, andPregnant During a Pandemic.

Nature/www.nature.com

Natureis one of the best places to go if youre looking for hard facts, significant discoveries, studies, reviews, critical comments, news, and analysis. They focus on promoting findings that advance knowledge and address some of the greatest challenges that we face as a society today. With nine million readers,Naturetruly hones and curates its content to communicate the most significant scientific advances.

The special coronavirus podcast calledCoronavirus Science in the Pandemicis hosted by journalist Nick Howe and includes interviews with epidemiologists, genomicists and social scientists about how theyre working to tackle the coronavirus and what theyve learned so far.

We also highly recommend downloading ourFood Monster App, which is available foriPhone, and can also be found onInstagramandFacebook. The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!

For more Vegan Food, Health, Recipe, Animal, and Life content published daily, dont forget to subscribe to theOne Green Planet Newsletter!

Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Pleasesupport us!

Read more:
8 Top Scientific, Medical, and Culture Podcasts to Help You Stay Informed on the Latest Coronavirus Updates - One Green Planet

Researchers’ Analysis Confirms Effects of Cognitive Training for Older Adults – University of Texas at Dallas

Posted on by

As more people live to advanced ages due to health care innovations, more also are dealing with the decline in mental acuity that can come late in life. Cognitive training is often touted as a way of treating or even preempting these issues, but there is significant disagreement on the effectiveness of various methods.

Researchers from The University of Texas at Dallas Center for Vital Longevity (CVL) conducted a large-scale analysis of the benefits of multiple training types for individuals who are aging healthily, as well as those with mild cognitive impairment.

Dr. Chandramallika Basak

Dr. Chandramallika Basak, associate professor of cognition and neuroscience in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, is the corresponding and first author of the study published in February in Psychology and Aging. She said her meta-analysis which assessed the results of 215 previous studies published in 167 journal articles will have a large-scale impact on a controversial field.

Effective cognitive training during late adulthood can help maintain, or even enhance, our cognitive abilities, said Basak, the director of the Lifespan Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratoryat CVL. Credit this cognitive plasticity to our brains ability to recover some core abilities that decline with age with practice, such as processing speed, executive functions and working memory.

Cognitive training in older adults refers broadly to activities designed to maintain or improve cognitive abilities that typically decline in late adulthood, such as short-term memory, attention, problem-solving and executive functions. Although techniques and tests vary widely, they usually involve a professional who administers a standardized test, supervises a training module designed to improve the skill or skills used on that test, and then retests to see if a subject has improved.

Training modules are designed for the subject to relearn an ability that may have declined in a way that is both engaging and scientific, said CVL research associate Shuo (Eva) Qin PhD19, another author of the study.

Basak said that the results from this meta-analysis supported the benefits of cognitive training, albeit limited to specific training modules: Those who were given any type of training outperformed their related control groups on post-training cognitive tests. The results support the idea that even an aging, slightly impaired brain can still make positive changes.

Though healthy participants showed more robust cognitive improvements than those with mild cognitive impairments, there was widespread improvement across all groups, Basak said. One key finding was that cognitive training was found to significantly improve everyday functioning in older adults, which in turn can provide additional years of independence and potentially delay the onset of dementia.

Effective cognitive training during late adulthood can help maintain, or even enhance, our cognitive abilities. Credit this cognitive plasticity to our brains ability to recover some core abilities that decline with age with practice, such as processing speed, executive functions and working memory.

Dr. Chandramallika Basak, associate professor of cognition and neuroscience in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Her analysis compared the effectiveness of two prominent cognitive-training modules and gathered significant data on which techniques accomplish the most in older patients with mild cognitive impairment as well as those aging healthily. It also differentiated between what are called near-transfer and far-transfer effects.

Though the primary goal was to compare single-component training to multicomponent training, this is also an important distinction, Basak said. We want to understand not only the effects cognitive training has on the specific abilities participants are trained on these are near-transfer effects but also on unrelated abilities that are not specifically trained during that specific training, which is far transfer.

Basak explained that one way to describe far-transfer effects is learning a set of cognitive skills that results in improved performance on tasks under different contexts and that are very different from the learned task. For example, someone who is learning to play a computer game may end up improving their driving or someone practicing aerobic exercise may have an improved memory.

The Lifespan Neuroscience and Cognition Laboratory, directed by Dr. Chandramallika Basak, uses both behavioral and brain-imaging techniques to understand the mechanisms of memory and complex skill and how these abilities may change and be enhanced across the lifespan. The research is particularly focused on the interaction between working memory and attentional control, sources of individual differences of enhanced learning and memory, and how these skills are affected by age and memory disorders.

While single-component training studies focus on a single function, such as short-term memory, multicomponent studies either target multiple abilities sequentially or nonspecifically and simultaneously.

The most important finding was that all modules of multicomponent training yielded significant near and far transfer suggesting that, in older adults, multicomponent training is a more effective general tactic than most single-component training modules. However, single-component training that targeted executive functions and working memory showed a very robust near and far transfer.

Specifically, multicomponent training that combines core cognitive abilities, such as executive functions and processing speed, may be most promising, Basak said.

As older adults become physically frail, cognitive training can be conducted without demands on physical abilities from the comfort of ones home, she said.

Whether youre trying to fend off the effects of cognitive aging from the beginning or are hoping to halt an existing deficit, cognitive training helps.

Margaret OConnell MS16, PhD18, now a clinical research associate at Medpace, was also an author of the study.

The research was supported by grant R56AG060052 from the National Institute on Aging, a component of the National Institutes of Health.

Read more:
Researchers' Analysis Confirms Effects of Cognitive Training for Older Adults - University of Texas at Dallas

Dentist celebrates 45 years in the village – Fallbrook / Bonsall Villlage News

Posted on by

Rick Monroe

Special to Village News

Fallbrook's senior practicing dentist, Dr. Philip C. Roberts celebrated his 45th year serving the community April 1. Like so many nonessential businesses, his office was closed but it was still a very special day.

"We had a nice celebration with friends, staff and former staff, plus our family," the dentist said. "We didn't see them face-to-face, but it was a nice alternative with nonstop phone calls, text messages all day long.

"My wife Gail made a special dinner and it was nice to hear from our three daughters, who are spread all across the country," he said.

Philip Roberts recently signed a new lease on his building in south Fallbrook, meaning that God-willing, he plans to reach 50 years or more here.

"I have no plans to retire," he said. "I really enjoy what I do here."

Dentists have a great longevity in Fallbrook. Dr. Ronald Allison retired in January 2019 after a 60-years here. He still lives in town.

"I was honored that my friend Dr. Allison asked me to take over his clients," Philip Roberts said. "I sure can't retire now with these new patients."

He also loves his patients.

"It's a very rewarding profession. Our motto is 'We treat people, not just teeth.' That's why we have so many people coming back," he said. "There may be two people with the same exact symptoms and condition, but that doesn't mean they get the same treatment. Everyone is different and special."

Roberts said he considered medicine as a career, but dentistry is so much more rewarding.

"That's because you can see the positive result of your work immediately. You see the satisfaction and get their feedback," he said.

Growing up in San Diego, the future dentist and his wife-to-be grew up in the same neighborhood, meeting when they were ages 10 and 7. The friends attended the same schools and church, and eventually both attended San Diego State. Philip Roberts decided to attend dental college at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

They married in 1971, two years before he graduated from dental school.

"It was a bad time to start my own business, since the country was in a recession," Philip Roberts said, and in 1973 he began working under Dr. Burton H. Press in the San Francisco Bay area.

"It was a great experience. I learned so much more than the mechanics you learn in school," Philip Roberts said. "He taught me practice management, and the importance of being a people person of serving your patients well."

Press was a cutting-edge professional, Philip Roberts said, and president of the state dental association. He later became national president.

A San Diego dentist told Philip Roberts about a practice in Fallbrook where the dentist had died. Roberts was interviewed by the staff, and they liked him and the rest is history.

"Fallbrook was and still is such a friendly place. It's a place where people look out for one another, a friendly village," Gail Roberts said. "This is the nicest place in Southern California."

Originally located in the north end of town at 304 E. Mission, Philip Roberts relocated the practice after nine years to a larger office in the southern section at 1680 S. Mission Road,

"When we moved here in 1975, there was one stop light," Philip Roberts recalled. "We would see our patents in town in the grocery store, church or other places and so many became our friends."

He also marveled at wide range of interesting clients who live or lived in Fallbrook, from movie actors and producers to World War II fighter pilots as well as the "average Joe" clients he loves to serve.

"We're blessed in Fallbrook to have some really great dentists," Philip Roberts said. "We're all friendly to each other and get together at continuing education meetings."

Philip Roberts' practice includes a hygienist, receptionists and two assistants.

Gail Roberts helps the practice as bookkeeper and other duties but was able to focus on raising three daughters.

"She's been my right arm, helping the most on the business side," Philip Roberts said. "The receptionist does the billing and insurance."

Having a full staff allowed Gail Roberts to focus on raising their three daughters, each who have become professionals. Their oldest daughter is an occupational therapist who works with children with disabilities in Canoga Park. Their middle daughter is a dentist in the Air Force, stationed in Alaska. And their youngest daughter is a speech pathologist in Tennessee.

Faith is important with the Philip Roberts, each serving in multiple leadership capacities at Zion Lutheran Church. Gail Roberts was also a teacher at the school.

When the Roberts celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in July 2021, the hope is there will be no coronavirus or other situation to spoil the celebration.

To contact Dr. Philip C. Roberts, call (760) 728-5848. The practice has been closed since March 17 with the exception of caring for emergencies.

Read the rest here:
Dentist celebrates 45 years in the village - Fallbrook / Bonsall Villlage News

Covid-19: SARS-CoV-2, Were Just Getting to Know You – Physician’s Weekly

Posted on by

We know a lot about what we dont know

Five months in, and the shape of the Covid-19 pandemic remains elusive, with the lack of clarity extending to what the disease looks like, who has it, who is infectious, who is immune, and what the future holds.

The initial case definition included fever, a dry cough, and myalgia, but recent reports suggest that other symptoms diarrhea in some cases and loss of the sense of smell in others were also indicative of the disease, according to Jeanne Marrazzo, MD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

We were treating it and viewing it very much like a classic respiratory viral infection, Marrazzo told reporters in a briefing organized by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. A lot of people were refused testing because they didnt fit the diagnostic criteria.

A lack of available test kits required some sort of triage, she noted, but as understanding of the disease has increased, it has become clear that the scope of infection is much wider, with the SARS-CoV-2 virus affecting a lot of body systems not just the respiratory system, although thats how people die.

How Many Covid-19 Cases Are Being Missed?

I wonder how much of [the pandemic] was missed because we werent recognizing a wide range of symptoms, she said. Knowing about the rarer symptoms, Marrazzo added, should lead clinicians to have a lower index of suspicion [for Covid-19] and a much lower threshold for diagnostic testing.

But, of course, diagnostic testing aimed at people with symptoms will miss anyone who is either asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic, according to Carlos del Rio, MD, of Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

During the IDSA briefing, Del Rio noted that it now appears that 6%-12% of people infected with the virus will be infectious during a pre-symptomatic phase that can last from 24 to 48 hours.

One report, from Singapore, found seven Covid-19 clusters with likely pre-symptomatic transmission. At the time, the country had found 157 locally acquired cases; 10 of them, or 6.4%, were thought to arise from contact with a person who had not yet developed symptoms.

Where a date of exposure could be fixed, the investigators reported, the transmission occurred between one and three days before the index patient developed symptoms.

Del Rio said its not clear that anyone with the infection is truly asymptomatic; instead, he said its likely most will eventually develop symptoms.

An analysis of the literature, from Great Britains Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, found that children and young adults can be asymptomatic. But there is not a single reliable study to determine the number of asymptomatic patients, the investigators wrote.

It is likely we will only learn the true extent once population-based antibody testing is undertaken, the agency reported.

Also, it has been recognized from the beginning of the outbreak that most people some 80% is the usual estimate will have symptoms mild enough that they wont need or even seek medical care before recovering.

Those people too will remain essentially unknown until widespread antibody testing looking for the immunological consequences of infection is rolled out.

The diagnostic tests, aimed at viral RNA, cant distinguish between people who have had the disease and recovered and those who have never been infected. In both cases, the test will usually be negative.

Will Antibody Testing Show Who Is Immune?

Blood tests looking for antibodies are now being rolled out, looking for immunoglobulin M (IgM), which is the first sign of a humoral immune response, and immunoglobulin G (IgG), which appears later.

People talk about antibody detection as though its simple, Marrazzo said, but it has not initially been clear what antibodies to look for. The FDA has approved one antibody test under an Emergency Use Authorization and others are expected.

Marrazzo said she hasnt had enough clinical experience with the new test to know how well it performs it was only approved April 1 but she is confident that a very good, reliable test will be widely rolled out within a month.

Then we can screen to see whos immune, she said findings that will help guide decisions on how to deploy exposed health care providers, as well as how to use non-pharmaceutical interventions such as social distancing.

But its important to remember, Del Rio cautioned, that antibodies arent the whole story of immunity. In HIV, for instance, IgG and IgM antibodies occur alongside a chronic and incurable infection, while in chronic hepatitis B and C, antibody responses exist but are not sufficient to clear the virus.

Having antibodies doesnt mean immunity, Del Rio said. We still need to identify the correlates of immunity. That would include both the adaptive antibody response and the innate cell-mediated response.

Researchers might get some guidance from earlier work on immunity to the original SARS coronavirus and its cousin MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).

For instance, an analysis of innate and adaptive immune responses of 40 patients with SARS, published in 2007, suggested that the early disease response included high levels of interferons, interferon-stimulated chemokines, and interferon-stimulated gene expression.

Most patients resolved the interferon crisis and expressed adaptive immune genes, the researchers reported, but those with poor outcomes did not, implying that unregulated interferon might have led to a malfunction of the switch from innate immunity to adaptive immunity.

A later animal experiment by the same authors suggested that immunity, either from infection or vaccination, prevented the interferon response.

Theres no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 establishes a reservoir, as HIV does, that could complicate patient management, commented Rajesh Gandhi, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

This looks like an infection like others in its class of viruses, Gandhi told BreakingMED during a separate IDSA briefing. I think people will recover and not have recurrences.

What About Those Who Test Positive After Infection?

He noted that some patients might be clinically well but temporarily test positive for the virus after recovery. Exactly how long the virus lasts in a person is still being worked out, Gandhi said.

There have been anecdotal reports of both recurrence and reinfection, with the suggestion that leftover virus might still be active; diagnostic tests only report the presence or absence of viral proteins, not whether the complete virus is present and active.

But an animal study by investigators from China (still not peer-reviewed) suggests reinfection is unlikely. The researchers tracked what happened in macaques that had recovered from an experimental SARS-CoV-2 infection.

They challenged half of the recovered animals with the virus and saw no viral replication in any body compartment and no recurrence of symptoms, suggesting that reports of reinfection and/or recurrence in humans might be the result of testing errors.

Importantly, a large fraction of people infected with Covid-19 will recover or already have recovered, and if recovery leads to immunity, how long might that last?

Its too early to tell in the middle of this outbreak, but a 2007 study of 176 Chinese SARS patients suggests a couple of years of protection is possible.

The investigators had serum samples from patients taken initially during March through Aug. 2003, with follow-up samples taken at six months, 12 months, and three years after the onset of symptoms.

Analysis showed that seven days after the start of symptoms, 11.8% of patients were positive for SARS IgG, and that proportion reached 100% at 90 days, remaining largely unchanged up to 200 days. Immune responses were maintained in more than 90% of patients for two years, the researchers found, but then the percentage declined to about 50%.

Similarly, the percentage of patients who were IgM positive within the first seven days was 21.4%, peaked at 76.2% after 21 to 30 days, and then was mostly absent after 60 days.

A smaller study, in 2016, looked at the longevity of antibody responses among nine health care workers who had MERS and found that those who had the most severe disease (pneumonia requiring intubation) had the most long-lived antibody response, with a positive test up to 18 months after recovery.

Patients with milder pneumonia were antibody-positive for only three months, while those who had upper respiratory disease, or no symptoms, had no detectable antibodies.

A 2005 report on 80 Singapore hospital staff exposed to SARS patients without contact precautions during the first days of the 2002-2003 found that 56% were positive by a serology test.

Of those, 82% had radiologic changes characteristic of pneumonia, 4% had subclinical disease, and 13% were asymptomatic. The figures suggest that in that outbreak, exposure led to disease in a majority of cases and subclinical cases were rare, but even so, some people never developed symptoms.

A study in Hong Kong, which was one of the hard-hit regions in the first SARS outbreak, found in 2005 that 386 healthcare workers had acquired SARS, accounting for 22% of the total local patient population, but another 688 did not.

A survey, combined with serological tests of those 688 workers, found that only one nurse was positive for SARS antibodies, again suggesting a very low rate of subclinical disease, the researchers said.

Unprotected exposures such as torn gloves or inappropriate personal protective equipment were commonly reported by study participants. Despite that, disease transmission was low, suggesting that direct exposure to a heavy viral load was required for SARS pathogenesis, they argued.

Its not clear, given the large proportion of mild and asymptomatic cases, if heavy viral load is needed for SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, but it might be important for severe disease.

Will Covid-19 Be Seasonal?

A big question is whether the pandemic will take on a seasonal aspect, as did the H1N1 influenza pandemic of 2009-2010, and here the SARS and MERS outbreaks give little guidance.

SARS was essentially contained through aggressive public health measures and disappeared before it could demonstrate whether or not it had a seasonal aspect. And MERS, an epidemic that is still ticking over, shows occasional spikes in incidence but no marked seasonality.

These are all great questions: Is this virus going to go away, how long will the epidemic last, is it going to keep coming cyclically like influenza during the winter months? commented Adarsh Bhimraj, MD, chair of the IDSA Covid-19 Rapid Guidelines Expert Panel and a staff physician at the Cleveland Clinic.

These are all questions we dont have answers for, he concluded. Right now, we should focus on getting over this pandemic.

This is the third and final part of a special BreakingMED series examining the state of the science regarding SARS-CoV-2 and Covid-19.

Take Aways:

Five months into the Covid-19 pandemic there are still more questions than answers What is the shape of the disease, who has it, who is infectious, what does the future hold?

From accurate diagnostic tests to developing antibody testing, gathering all the elements to see the full picture is ongoing.

Michael Smith, Contributing Writer, BreakingMED

del Rio serves as a consultant and on the advisory board of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, he also has relevant relationships with NIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH/National Institute on Drug Abuse, and serves on the editorial board of the Clinical Infectious Diseases; JAIDS:Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes and on the boards of Directors of the INternational Antiviral Sociaety-USA and the American Conference for the treatment of HIV.

Marrazzo disclosed relevant relationships with BD Diagnostics and Gilead.

Cat ID: 125

Topic ID: 79,125,730,933,125,190,520,926,192,927,151,928

Infectious Diseases Society of America Infectious disease specialists offer their insights on a range of Covid-19-related issues April 10, 2020 briefing.

Placeholder citation

Read more here:
Covid-19: SARS-CoV-2, Were Just Getting to Know You - Physician's Weekly

The Effect of Covid-19 from a Biochemistry Senior’s Perspective – The University News

Posted on by

2020 has been an eventful year as we kick off the new decade. One month ago, I was living on campus and taking classes, participating in extracurriculars and hanging out with my friends. Today, I am sitting at home, trying to comprehend the outbreak of COVID-19. This pandemic affected thousands of students and took a big hit on seniors. For those graduating this spring, the news of school closures was a shock to many. I am glad that the university is concerned for our safety and health, but at the same time, this was my last opportunity to enjoy SLU to the fullest.

Many events unique to seniors have been canceled, such as senior legacy symposium, senior night at the ballpark, department night for seniors and many more. We have worked hard these last three and a half years, and now, when we are about to celebrate our hard work, we are hit with a pandemic and are left with nothing but just sitting in our rooms and wondering if things will ever get better. In addition to the cancellation of events, many seniors didnt get a chance to say goodbye to their friends and their professors. I never imagined that March 6 would be my last day on campus. What makes SLUs education unique is the experiences that come with it, such as volunteerism, leadership, extracurricular involvement and research. It is essentially the whole package. While SLU is taking proper health precautions, the university can do a better job with handling the transition to virtual learning and figure out ways to make events occur virtually rather than being canceled.

While on-campus instruction is terminated, we are still able to attend classes online via Zoom. I personally think it is difficult to learn online because the quality of content transmission decreases. A lot of the meetings are Q and A or discussion-based. My classes are asynchronous, so we watch videos during our own time. It becomes harder to stay organized and on track when everything becomes virtual. In-person contact is the norm and students know what they have to do. When things go virtual, then goals become a little harder to achieve. As a biochemistry major, it is hard to transition online because it is tedious to do mathematical calculations and hard to draw structural and molecular formulas. Professors should give out more interactive exercises that help gauge our understanding of the material. Examples include projects related to the topics studied in class and writing reflections on video lectures. I also think professors should make note sheets that highlight the important takeaways of each chapter. That way, we can understand the main ideas.

Certain classes have been hard to transition to virtual class-settings. While lectures can be done online, how are labs supposed to be done virtually? Professors are giving students the data but, unfortunately, students cannot get the in-lab exposure. Doing the lab is a crucial part of learning and producing data. It becomes difficult to understand why the lab is meaningful and the purpose of doing the lab. In-lab exposure is important because doing the experiment allows us to visualize the theoretical principles. Phase changes and color changes can only be observed by doing the lab. These are changes that can only be observed by the human eye; these changes are fascinating and intriguing. Assessments are also hard to administer virtually. While multiple choice and short answer questions can be assessed on Blackboard, it does not prevent students from using their notes or the internet.

Currently, SLU students can choose for their classes to be pass/fail. There is no point assessing the students mastery of content using the letter grade system if they are going to use resources during examinations. Professors should assign more projects, as these can assess the students knowledge and how to apply it in real-world settings. If there are more critical thinking assignmentsprojects, group presentations, essaysthen there wont be a need to transition to pass/fail. I plan on using the letter grade system because I am confident that I will do well in classes and pass/fail doesnt look as good to professional and graduate schools. When an employer or admissions committee sees pass, they cant tell if the student passed with a C or an A.

Remote learning is also limited, and does not match the expectations of most employers. Remote courses do not assess the soft skills and other skills that are assessed on campus. Online learning should be a piece of the overall learning experience, not the whole picture. If online learning was the whole picture, students wouldnt go to college; they would just watch Khan Academy and YouTube. Clearly, learning content is not sufficient for success. College builds relationships, helps discover new extracurricular and volunteer opportunities and expands students horizons. Online programs provide little opportunity to build skills necessary for promising careers. Learning is only part of the process; one must also apply the skills in the real world.

Currently, we are not getting reimbursed for tuition. I think this is not fair because tuition costs reflect more than learning content. Also, online classes are not as efficient as on-campus instruction. As previously stated, labs and research cannot be done online which is why I believe a portion of students tuition should be reimbursed. Also, the tuition accounts for the resources used on campus like the laboratories, the computers, the study rooms, etc. What makes SLUs education unique is the experiences that happen on campus. Academics, volunteerism, leadership, extracurricular involvement and research are offered on campus, so it is essentially the whole package.

While the cancellation of senior events, the switch to remote learning, debates on refunds and limited post-graduation opportunities affect millions of students, we should be blessed to be staying healthy. SLU cares about us and wants us to stay isolated from others until things get better. Faculty and administrators are trying to make the learning process as smooth as possible, but should realize that there needs to be more strategies and resources to learn and succeed in this alternative setting. Virtual learning provides students with something to learn, but it should not be considered the gold standard of academic and personal development.

Read the original post:
The Effect of Covid-19 from a Biochemistry Senior's Perspective - The University News

Biochemistry student creates and motivates – Famuan

Posted on by

Sherlanda Telusmond is a scientist with an artistic soul. Photo courtesy Telusmond

When Sherlanda Telusmond isnt studying the scientific chemistry of living systems, shes doing hair in her bedroom, completing creative commissions, and hosting painting events for young women in her community.

Telusmond, known by her friends and customers as Dada, is a junior biochemistry student and entrepreneur at Florida A&M University. Currently creating acrylic paintings, clothing customizations and tattoo designs (among other things), she is nothing short of a jack-of-all-trades.

Telusmond was born on Dec. 21, 1999 in Fort Lauderdale. As a child, she often found herself drawn to the arts and everything right-brained, despite having dreams of being a doctor when she got older.

It was evident from a young age that she would be a multifaceted individual due to her love of the pursuit of knowledge.

I was a curious child when I was growing up, Telusmond said. My nose was always stuffed in a book and having the opportunity to read as much as I did really piqued my determination to discover more.

Although Telusmond always knew that attending college would come up somewhere along her life path, she wasnt sure what to expect from the experience.

Being a first generation college student that grew up in a traditionally Haitian household did not set detailed expectations for college for me, Telusmond said. All I knew was that I couldnt fail and I had to graduate on time.

Upon her arrival at FAMU, Telusmond quickly realized the importance of the connections that she could make at the university.

I befriended some amazing and talented people on The Hill, Telusmond said. Seeing how diverse the school is along with the large pool of talent that encompasses it definitely acts as a fuel of inspiration to be great.

On Feb. 8, Telusmond hosted her first Paint and Sip event at her house. Providing paint, canvases, brushes and inspiration, Telusmond brought together a group of young women to relax and create.

This was the first of many art-based events that Telusmond plans to hold for the young people in her community.

Chardine Thervil, a rising junior bio/pre-med student at FAMU who attended Telusmonds event, felt that the occasion was a great opportunity for the attendees to explore their artistic sides.

Sherlanda pulled the artist out of everyone that night, Thervil said. People that I didnt even know could paint were giving me Picasso.

Some attendees saw the event as much more than just an arts and crafts night. It was a chance for self expression.

Zharia White, a third year pre-nursing student at FAMU, felt that the event was a comfortable way for her to interact with and meet new people.

Walking into Sherlandas Paint and Sip party felt like hanging out with a crew you never knew you needed, White said. Im usually very shy but I quickly found things in common with the other girls and having an intimate group of people made it easier to be outgoing.

Although Telusmond finds joy in inspiring others to create, her main source of motivation comes from her personal beliefs.

God definitely has a plan for me, Telusmond said. It pushes me to never give up and to keep going because I know something great is coming later.

Telusmonds work can be viewed on her Instagram pages @HairByDadaaa and @Concepts2Canvases.

Link:
Biochemistry student creates and motivates - Famuan

A video uses lasers to show that you could spit particles full of coronavirus when you talk – The Verge

Posted on by

Even if you dont think you spit when you talk, you definitely do and a new video highlights that spit with lasers. The video, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, showed how the spurts of particles released when someone said stay healthy at various volumes. Then, it showed how the particle volume changed when the same person said stay healthy with their mouth covered by a damp washcloth.

The video, and other visualizations like it, are useful ways to understand that stuff flies out of your mouth all the time, not just when you cough or sneeze. Those respiratory emissions are one of the ways experts think the novel coronavirus spreads. But depending on how theyre made, these types of demonstrations can be misleading and could give people a false sense of security.

Laser light is a common technique to visualize and count droplets in the air, says Alex Huffman, an associate professor who studies aerosols in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Denver. Huffman was not involved in the video, but he says this demonstration with the technique is a useful way to show that just talking can still send spit flying.

Youre visualizing that qualitatively to say, I see stuff coming out of my mouth when I talk, and when I stick something in front of my face, less comes out, he says.

Thats the goal behind the recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that everyone wear makeshift face coverings when theyre out in public. People can spread the novel coronavirus even when they dont feel sick. If they pull something tight over their mouths, they might not emit as much virus when they talk or breathe cutting down, even if just slightly, on the risk theyll pass it to someone else.

Visualizations, though, are only as instructive as the parameters under which theyre made. The NEJM videos laser only captured particles between 20 and 500 micrometers (the width of a human hair is around 75 micrometers). People also produce particles a lot smaller than that when they talk and breathe, and smaller particles can still carry microscopic bugs, including the novel coronavirus.

A visualization thats relatively simplified and looks at only the big stuff or overemphasizes the big stuff implies youre stopping most things, where you might be sending a lot of the small stuff through the material, Huffman says.

In addition, particles below 20 micrometers behave differently than larger particles. These smaller droplets would hang around in the air longer, and they are likely to be far more numerous that the ones shown here, Linsey Marr, a professor of civil and environmental engineering studying transmission of viruses in aerosols at Virginia Tech, said in an email.

The NEJM video was produced by researchers at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, who noted in a statement that it was only an observation, not a traditional experiment. They said that theyre working on new research that would help them characterize the behavior of droplets at a wider range of sizes. This could help us understand how to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and potentially other viruses, the statement said.

Demonstrations that dont include the full range of what someone might spray out when they talk are still useful, Huffman says. He worries, though, that they could offer a false sense of security, and give the impression that covering your mouth stops most of your personal exhaust. In fact, most of the fabrics people might use to make makeshift masks like cotton t-shirt fabric only filters out a small fraction of it. That small amount is better than nothing, and could still disrupt the transmission of something like COVID-19, but its not an impenetrable wall.

Videos like these, then, should only be a starting place. It emphasizes the principle, and then you dig down a layer to get some of the more information, Huffman says. But it doesnt solve everything just like the mask itself.

Follow this link:
A video uses lasers to show that you could spit particles full of coronavirus when you talk - The Verge