Author Archives: Danzig

Astronomers Find the Biggest Structure in the Milky Way: Filament of Hydrogen 3,900 Light-Years Long – SciTechDaily

Posted on by

Artists conception of the Milky Way galaxy. Credit: Pablo Carlos Budassi

Roughly 13.8 billion years ago, our Universe was born in a massive explosion that gave rise to the first subatomic particles and the laws of physics as we know them. About 370,000 years later, hydrogen had formed, the building block of stars, which fuse hydrogen and helium in their interiors to create all the heavier elements. While hydrogen remains the most pervasive element in the Universe, it can be difficult to detect individual clouds of hydrogen gas in the interstellar medium (ISM).

This makes it difficult to research the early phases of star formation, which would offer clues about the evolution of galaxies and the cosmos. An international team led by astronomers from the Max Planck Institute of Astronomy (MPIA) recently noticed a massive filament of atomic hydrogen gas in our galaxy. This structure, named Maggie, is located about 55,000 light-years away (on the other side of the Milky Way) and is one of the longest structures ever observed in our galaxy.

The study that describes their findings, which recently appeared in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics, was led by Jonas Syed, a Ph.D. student at the MPIA. He was joined by researchers from the University of Vienna, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (MPIFR), the University of Calgary, the Universitt Heidelberg, the Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, the Argelander-Institute for Astronomy, the Indian Institute of Science, and NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).

The research is based on data obtained by the HI/OH/Recombination line survey of the Milky Way (THOR), an observation program that relies on the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico. Using the VLAs centimeter-wave radio dishes, this project studies molecular cloud formation, the conversion of atomic to molecular hydrogen, the galaxys magnetic field, and other questions related to the ISM and star formation.

The ultimate purpose is to determine how the two most-common hydrogen isotopes converge to create dense clouds that rise to new stars. The isotopes include atomic hydrogen (H), composed of one proton, one electron, and no neutrons, and molecular hydrogen (H2) is composed of two hydrogen atoms held together by a covalent bond. Only the latter condenses into relatively compact clouds that will develop frosty regions where new stars eventually emerge.

This image shows a section of the side view of the Milky Way as measured by ESAs Gaia satellite. The dark band consists of gas and dust, which dims the light from the embedded stars. The Galactic Centre of the Milky Way is indicated on the right of the image, shining brightly below the dark zone. The box to the left of the middle marks the location of the Maggie filament. It shows the distribution of atomic hydrogen. The colors indicate different velocities of the gas. Credit: ESA/Gaia/DPAC, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO & T. Mller/J. Syed/MPIA

The process of how atomic hydrogen transitions to molecular hydrogen is still largely unknown, which made this extraordinarily long filament an especially exciting find. Whereas the largest known clouds of molecular gas typically measure around 800 light-years in length, Maggie measures 3,900 light-years long and 130 light-years wide. As Syed explained in a recent MPIA press release:

The location of this filament has contributed to this success. We dont yet know exactly how it got there. But the filament extends about 1600 light-years below the Milky Way plane. The observations also allowed us to determine the velocity of the hydrogen gas. This allowed us to show that the velocities along the filament barely differ.

The teams analysis showed that matter in the filament had a mean velocity of 54 km/s-1, which they determined mainly by measuring it against the rotation of the Milky Way disk. This meant that radiation at a wavelength of 21 cm (aka. the hydrogen line) was visible against the cosmic background, making the structure discernible. The observations also allowed us to determine the velocity of the hydrogen gas, said Henrik Beuther, the head of THOR and a co-author on the study. This allowed us to show that the velocities along the filament barely differ.

This false-color image shows the distribution of atomic hydrogen measured at a wavelength of 21 cm. The red dashed line traces the Maggie filament. Credit: J. Syed/MPIA

From this, the researchers concluded that Maggie is a coherent structure. These findings confirmed observations made a year before by Juan D. Soler, an astrophysicist with the University of Vienna and co-author on the paper. When he observed the filament, he named it after the longest river in his native Colombia: the Ro Magdalena (Anglicized: Margaret, or Maggie). While Maggie was recognizable in Solers earlier evaluation of the THOR data, only the current study proves beyond a doubt that it is a coherent structure.

Based on previously published data, the team also estimated that Maggie contains 8% molecular hydrogen by a mass fraction. On closer inspection, the team noticed that the gas converges at various points along the filament, which led them to conclude that the hydrogen gas accumulates into large clouds at those locations. They further speculate that atomic gas will gradually condense into a molecular form in those environments.

However, many questions remain unanswered, Syed added. Additional data, which we hope will give us more clues about the fraction of molecular gas, are already waiting to be analyzed. Fortunately, several space-based and ground-based observatories will become operational soon, telescopes that will be equipped to study these filaments in the future. These include the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and radio surveys like the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), which will allow us to view the very earliest period of the Universe (Cosmic Dawn) and the first stars in our Universe.

Originally published on Universe Today.

For more on this research, see Massive Filament Structure 3900 Light-Years Long Discovered in the Milky Way.

Reference: The Maggie filament: Physical properties of a giant atomic cloud by J. Syed, J. D. Soler, H. Beuther, Y. Wang, S. Suri, J. D. Henshaw, M. Riener, S. Bialy, S. Rezaei Kh., J. M. Stil, P. F. Goldsmith, M. R. Rugel, S. C. O. Glover, R. S. Klessen, J. Kerp, J. S. Urquhart, J. Ott, N. Roy, N. Schneider, R. J. Smith, S. N. Longmore and H. Linz, 20 December 2021, Astronomy & Astrophysics.DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202141265

Here is the original post:

Astronomers Find the Biggest Structure in the Milky Way: Filament of Hydrogen 3,900 Light-Years Long - SciTechDaily

Going beyond the exascale | symmetry magazine – Symmetry magazine

Posted on by

After years of speculation, quantum computing is heresort of.

Physicists are beginning to consider how quantum computing could provide answers to the deepest questions in the field. But most arent getting caught up in the hype. Instead, they are taking what for them is a familiar tackplanning for a future that is still decades out, while making room for pivots, turns and potential breakthroughs along the way.

When were working on building a new particle collider, that sort of project can take 40 years, says Hank Lamm, an associate scientist at the US Department of Energys Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. This is on the same timeline. I hope to start seeing quantum computing provide big answers for particle physics before I die. But that doesnt mean there isnt interesting physics to do along the way.

Classical computers have been central to physics research for decades, and simulations that run on classical computers have guided many breakthroughs. Fermilab, for example, has used classical computing to simulate lattice quantum chromodynamics. Lattice QCD is a set of equations that describe the interactions of quarks and gluons via the strong force.

Theorists developed lattice QCD in the 1970s. But applying its equations provedextremely difficult. Even back in the 1980s, many people said that even if they had an exascale computer [a computer that can perform a billion billion calculations per second], they still couldnt calculate lattice QCD, Lamm says.

But that turned out not to be true.

Within the past 10 to 15 years, researchers have discovered the algorithms needed to make their calculations more manageable, while learning to understand theoretical errors and how to ameliorate them. These advances have allowed them to use a lattice simulation, a simulation that uses a volume of a specified grid of points in space and time as a substitute for the continuous vastness of reality.

Lattice simulations have allowed physicists to calculate the mass of the protona particle made up of quarks and gluons all interacting via the strong forceand find that the theoretical prediction lines up well with the experimental result. The simulations have also allowed them to accurately predict the temperature at which quarks should detach from one another in a quark-gluon plasma.

The limit of these calculations? Along with being approximate, or based on a confined, hypothetical area of space, only certain properties can be computed efficiently. Try to look at more than that, and even the biggest high-performance computer cannot handle all of the possibilities.

Enter quantum computers.

Quantum computers are all about possibilities. Classical computers dont have the memory to compute the many possible outcomes of lattice QCD problems, but quantum computers take advantage of quantum mechanics to calculate differently.

Quantum computing isnt an easy answer, though. Solving equations on a quantum computer requires completely new ways of thinking about programming and algorithms.

Using a classical computer, when you program code, you can look at its state at all times. You can check a classical computers work before its done and trouble-shoot if things go wrong. But under the laws of quantum mechanics, you cannot observe any intermediate step of a quantum computation without corrupting the computation; you can observe only the final state.

That means you cant store any information in an intermediate state and bring it back later, and you cannot clone information from one set of qubits into another, making error correction difficult.

It can be a nightmare designing an algorithm for quantum computation, says Lamm, who spends his days trying to figure out how to do quantum simulations for high-energy physics. Everything has to be redesigned from the ground up. We are right at the beginning of understanding how to do this.

Quantum computers have already proved useful in basic research. Condensed matter physicistswhose research relates to phases of matterhave spent much more time than particle physicists thinking about how quantum computers and simulators can help them. They have used quantum simulators to explore quantum spin liquid states and to observe a previously unobserved phase of matter called aprethermal time crystal.

The biggest place where quantum simulators will have an impact is in discovery science, in discovering new phenomena like this that exist in nature, says Norman Yao, an assistant professor at University of California Berkeley and co-author on the time crystal paper.

Quantum computers are showing promise in particle physics and astrophysics. Many physics and astrophysics researchers are using quantum computers to simulate toy problemssmall, simple versions of much more complicated problems. They have, for example, used quantum computing to test parts of theories of quantum gravity or create proof-of-principle models, like models of theparton showers that emit from particle colliderssuch as the Large Hadron Collider.

"Physicists are taking on the small problems, ones that they can solve with other ways, to try to understand how quantum computing can have an advantage, says Roni Harnik, a scientist at Fermilab. Learning from this, they can build a ladder of simulations, through trial and error, to more difficult problems.

But just which approaches will succeed, and which will lead to dead ends, remains to be seen. Estimates of how many qubits will be needed to simulate big enough problems in physics to get breakthroughs range from thousands to (more likely) millions. Many in the field expect this to be possible in the 2030s or 2040s.

In high-energy physics, problems like these are clearly a regime in which quantum computers will have an advantage, says Ning Bao, associate computational scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The problem is that quantum computers are still too limited in what they can do.

Some physicists are coming at things from a different perspective: Theyre looking to physics to better understand quantum computing.

John Preskill is a physics professor at Caltech and an early leader in the field of quantum computing. A few years ago, he and Patrick Hayden, professor of physics at Stanford University, showed that if you entangled two photons and threw one into a black hole, decoding the information that eventually came back out via Hawking radiation would be significantly easier than if you had used non-entangled particles. Physicists Beni Yoshida and Alexei Kitaev then came up with an explicit protocol for such decoding, and Yao went a step further, showing that protocol could also be a powerful tool in characterizing quantum computers.

We took something that was thought about in terms of high-energy physics and quantum information science, then thought of it as a tool that could be used in quantum computing, Yao says.

That sort of cross-disciplinary thinking will be key to moving the field forward, physicists say.

Everyone is coming into this field with different expertise, Bao says. From computing, or physics, or quantum information theoryeveryone gets together to bring different perspectives and figure out problems. There are probably many ways of using quantum computing to study physics that we cant predict right now, and it will just be a matter of getting the right two people in a room together.

See the original post:

Going beyond the exascale | symmetry magazine - Symmetry magazine

‘Hear the Stars’: Nathan Randall Green’s abstractions of astrophysical concepts – The Stanford Daily

Posted on by

I stepped into Qualia Contemporary Art Gallery by chance in early January; the gallery was crowded and, as the nosy art student that I am, I had to peek in to see what the hype was about.

I was struck by the brightness in the room when I came upon abstract painter Nathan Randall Greens solo show, Hear the Stars, available on view at Qualia Art Gallery until Friday. The walls were not the familiar, pristine white of an average showroom. Each canvas was painted in pastel colors, its rough edges revealing the white wall beneath. The flamboyance of the paintings drew my attention, but Green tastefully instrumentalized what could easily have been a disaster of oversaturation to create dynamic compositions for his series.

On Jan. 9, a few days after I first encountered Hear the Stars, Qualia Art Gallery hosted Green for a panel discussion, Hear the Stars: A Conversation Between Art and Cosmos. In addition to Green, the panel included Berkeley physics professor Daniel Kasen Ph.D., whose work focuses on theoretical and computational astrophysics and nuclear physics, and gallery founders Dacia Xu and her business partner, who wished to remain anonymous. The panel discussion was centered on the intersections of science and art, presenting novel perspectives through which to view Greens painting series.

Introducing the event, Xu emphasized the gallerys mission to create an interdisciplinary dialogue since its founding in 2020.

We want to act as a little bridge to provide and enhance multidisciplinary communication with interdisciplinary education, Xu said.

Xu and her co-founder both came from scientific backgrounds and wanted to create an experiential space for people to immerse themselves in their emotions and perceptions rather than rely on their cognition. Their philosophy counters modern-day pedagogy, which does not provide room for students to appreciate art or science authentically. You dont get to sit with yourself and appreciate the world. People think [experiential art is] useless because it [wont] get [them] into Facebook or Google, but I think it relates you to your humanity, Xu said.

This mission to provide experiential art for viewers resonates with Greens series title Hear The Stars. The Bronx-based, Texas-born artist told me more about the origin of this title in a separate interview:

I heard that phrase in a country-western song about a man who lived in several big cities and then moved back to his hometown. And he said, It was so quiet, you could hear the stars. I love the idea of being sensitive enough to hear stars, Greenexplained.

During the panel discussion, I learned more about Greens motives behind his paintings, which are driven by his interest in the cosmos and based on the astrophysical principles that allow us to understand them.

In Greens words, he develops his own understanding of astrophysicsthrough making pictures that roughly describe a phenomenon that Im fascinated by and humbled by and scared by and inspired by.

Aesthetically, I found Greens paintings most interesting because of their irregularly-shaped canvases that are rounded on the edges and further customized by layers of paper pulp and gesso. The work communicates in graphical vocabulary with striking, almost straight-from-the-tube colors. Green told me later in an interview that he [places] that language on top of a rough-textured surface [to see] where the paint drips and slips and slides and reacts to the surface of the picture. This element of unpredictability and textural contrast within each block of color gives each painting a distinct charm. I am generally not a fan of abstraction, but I agree that in attempting to visualize abstract physical concepts, realist techniques would have been insufficient for Greens purposes.

The compositions of the paintings in Hear the Stars feature distinct iterations of geometric rays that occupy boxes of varying dimensions. They attempt to depict occurrences ranging in a wide time-scale, entrapping the fourth dimension within the constraints of a two-dimensional plane.

[It is] roughly about following one beam of light through time and space, where the pinprick moment is the present, Green explained. I really want them not to be a picture or window into another reality, but to be an object that is imbued with ideas. This sense of tactility is clear in the visible traces of Greens arduous process, which involved both sanding and painting.

From a viewers perspective, the division of the canvas into quadrants is particularly effective at suggesting chronological order, although Greens abstraction allows for multiple interpretations. Each installment in his series is beautiful in its own way depending on the order in which the individual reads it.

When asked about what astrophysical concepts inspired his work, Green replied, Some are trying to think about the Inflationary Epoch, the millisecond when the universe was created out of nothing. However, his work also touches on other astrophysical objects like supernovae, multiverse theory and its implications on spacetime inflation, Endless Cyclic Universe theory and more.

In response to Greens artist philosophy, Kasen affirmed that we as human beings have made a larger separation between science and art in our lives, maybe because were not out in the dark sky often, seeing the stars and being connected to the natural world.

He also argued that astronomy as a discipline is generating tools for the storytelling of where we came from, pointing out Peasco Blancos Supernova pictograph and Celestial Atlas (1822) by Alexander Jamieson as human attempts to capture scientific phenomena through the vocabulary of visual arts.

Kasen sees science as a kind of opportunity to be an artist, asserting that it may be a technical artistic medium, but all art mediums [require] a lot of techniques and take many years to perfect. He explains that the beauty of artistry lies in not just seeing the universe but trying to actively understand it by creating it. These visualizations enable a better public understanding of the universe as we scientifically speculate about our own origins amidst a lonely, lonely cosmos.

I think this is an important distinction to make between Greens paintings, which depict his philosophical meditations on astronomical concepts, and other pictorial representations of space. Standardized visualizations of space like those created at Caltechs IPAC center, or this incredible Voyager 1 illustration by Rhode Island School of Design MFA student Jack Madden who also completed a Ph.D. in astrophysics at Cornell attempt to give an accurate and comprehensible form to abstract phenomena. Conversely, Greens paintings should be viewed as a love letter to the grand scale of astronomy that is beyond our current comprehension. I think there is space for both art that explores science and art that improves the rhetoric of science, and Greens ruminations on the awe of scientific phenomena excel at the former.

No single artist works alone. Yes, one may be a solo artist, working alone in a studio, but I believe that artworks come about as a result of the intellectual and emotional support given by the people who surround an artist. I asked Green about the powerhouses who inspire his work, and he grinned while talking about his loved ones who have always cheered him on.

Two things inspired me with this body of work. One was watching my wife become pregnant [and] give birth to my daughter, which I just I couldnt believe, you know. Its the most normal thing in the history of humanity, but its the most powerful thing when it happens to you, Green said.

He also recounted a visit with his mother to an observatory in Fort Davis. We got to gaze at the heavens through this amazing telescope, where you just feel kind of humbled and infinitely small, Green said. He was struck by this feeling, but also reflected, Its powerful to know that we have the technology to have these views of ourselves [] both of those things are humbling and exciting and inspiring.

Go here to read the rest:

'Hear the Stars': Nathan Randall Green's abstractions of astrophysical concepts - The Stanford Daily

11 Trailblazing Female Scientists That You Need to Know – My Modern Met

Posted on by

From left to right: Chien-Shiung Wu, Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin

Whether advancing cancer treatment techniques or helping us land on the Moon, women in science have helped change the course of history. While there is still work to be done in getting more women involved in STEM careers, there are countless examples of incredible female scientists who have worked tirelessly to advance our knowledge of the scientific world. In fact, we can easily name famous female scientists who can truly say that they've made a lasting impact on society.

From well-known legends like Marie Curie to scientists like Alice Ball (whose premature death cut her career short), there are countless women who have contributed to science. Physics, chemistry, astronomy, and mathematics are just some of the fields where these women have made an impact. Some, like Caroline Herschel struggled to get recognition in a time when earning a wage as a female scientist was unheard of. Others, like Jennifer Doudna, are leading the way into the future by developing new technologies.

Get inspired by some of the incredible women on our list, which includes four Nobel Prize winners.

Caroline Herschels path to astronomy began when she left her native Germany to live with her brother William in England. Though her mother had attempted to stifle her education, Herschel was naturally curious and began to cultivate an interest in astronomy alongside her brother. Though she began by helping him mount telescopes and record his observations, she began her own career in earnest. She discovered many comets and was one of the first women to do so. After sending her findings to the Astronomer Royal, she was asked to correct the official star catalog. Eventually, the Royal Family began paying her a salary for her work as her brother's assistantsomething unheard of for a woman at the time.

In 1835, shealong with Mary Somervillewas named an honorary member of the Royal Astronomical Society. They were the first two women to become members.

Any list of incredible female scientists would be severely lacking without the inclusion of the iconic Marie Curie. Her achievements as a physicist go well beyond her gender, though she continues to inspire generations of female scientists. Not only did Curie discover two elementsradium and poloniumbut she also coined the word radioactivity. She was the first person to attempt radiation therapy for cancer and championed its use in medicine. Curie also developed mobile X-ray units that were used in World War I to help wounded soldiers get the care that they needed.

In 1903, Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physicsor any Nobel Prize for that matterfor her work on the radiation phenomenon. In 1911, she added another Nobel Prize to her list of honors. This time she won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work in isolating radium. To this day, she is the only person to be awarded Nobel Prizes in different scientific categories.

Though Alice Ball only lived to the age of 24, her legacy is enduring. As an undergraduate studying pharmaceutical chemistry, she was already breaking barriers. During that time, she published an article alongside her male professor in a respected scientific journal, which was a rare feat for a woman and an even rarer feat for an African American woman at the time.

Ball would go on to become the first womanand first African Americanto earn a master's degree at the University of Hawaii. She would also become the university's first female and African American chemistry professor. She also did critical work in the fight again leprosy by developing a treatment called the Ball Method, which was the most effective available in the early 20th century.

There was a time when the world wasn't sure what stars were made of. But thanks to the work of Cecilia Payne-Gaposckin, we all know that they are composed of helium and hydrogen. Even more impressive than this discovery is the fact that the British American astrophysicist made the statement when she was just a doctoral student in 1925. Though the claim in her thesis was rejected by the scientific community initially, it was later proved correct through observation.

As if that contribution wasn't enough, her work on variable stars was also groundbreaking. She and her team made over three million observations that helped determine the evolution of stars and laid the foundation for modern astrophysics. She also marks an important milestone for Harvard University, as she was the first person to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy from Radcliffe College.

From cancer research to genetic engineering, the discoveries of American geneticist Barbara McClintock have had far-reaching effects. McClintock studied botany and was fascinated by new discoveries in DNA. She did a deep dive into the genetics of maize and realized that chromosomes were responsible for passing down hereditary traits. She also discovered jumping genes, or the fact that genes can sometimes transpose, causing certain characteristics to turn on and off.

McClintock won the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her work on transpositions. As of 2021, she is the only woman to win that category on her own.

German American physicist Maria Goeppert Mayer was only the second woman after Marie Curie to win the Nobel Prize in Physics. She took home the award in 1963, along with two male colleagues, for her work on the structure of nuclear shells. For all her talent, Goeppert Mayer often worked unpaid or voluntary positions at universities following her move to the United States in the 1930s. This was partially due to her gender, but also because there was anti-German sentiment throughout World War II. Not until 1941 did she receive her first paid position as a professor when she worked part-time at Sarah Lawrence College.

However, this did not hold her back. Not only did she work on the Manhattan Project, but she also collaborated with Edward Teller on his super bomb. Highly active in the scientific community, the Maria Goeppert-Mayer Award for early-career women physicists was established in her honor in 1986.

In 1953, mathematician Katherine Johnson began her legendary career at NASA as a human computer. As one of the first African American women to work at NASA, she broke barriers while helping the space agency achieve its goals. One of her finest achievements was calculating the flight path of Apollo 11, which allowed it to successfully land on the Moon and make its way back to Earth.

During her 33-year career, she moved from manually calculating complex trajectories to guiding NASA toward the use of computers. In 2016, her work was celebrated in the filmHidden Figures, in which she was portrayed by Taraji P. Henson.

Though today Rosalind Franklin is heralded for her work in understanding the structure of DNA, her work was only fully appreciated after her untimely death. The English chemist worked on X-ray diffraction images of DNA that led to the correct identification of its double helix structure. Unfortunately, Franklin's life was cut short after a battle with ovarian cancer. She died in 1958 at the age of 37. Many felt that she should have been awarded a posthumous Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work, but this was not common practice at the time.

Since her death, her work has been widely recognized and her colleague Aaron Clug continued her research, winning a Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1982. Many feel that, had she been alive, Franklin would have shared in that honor.

Sometimes called the first lady of physics, Chinese American physicist Chien-Shiung Wu made significant contributions to the fields of nuclear and particle physics. Wu came to the United States in 1936 to earn her Ph.D. at the University of Michigan with the encouragement of her advisor in China. Though she wished to return to China after her studies, World War II changed her plans. She eventually made contributions to the Manhattan Project, but is perhaps best known for the Wu experiment. This 1956 particle and nuclear physics experiment proved that parity is not conserved. The work earned her two male colleagues who proposed the experiment the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics. Wu was eventually acknowledged in 1978 for her work when she was awarded the Wolf Prize in Physics.

Wu greatly admired the work of Marie Curie and, interestingly, they are often compared for their work in experimental physics.

Photo: ASCO

Oncologist Jane Cooke Wright was a pioneer in cancer research. Born into a family of doctors, Dr. Wright followed this legacy and forged a name for herself thanks to her innovations in chemotherapy and in finding new drugs to treat breast cancer. She helped make chemotherapy more widely available to the public during her time at the Cancer Research Foundation at Harlem Hospital in the 1950s. Dr. Wright was also the first to identify methotrexate, a drug that is the basis for all modern chemotherapy and is still widely used today.

She also helped found the American Society of Clinical Oncology and was the first female president of the New York Cancer Society. Her interests also carried her abroad, as she traveled to Kenya, Ghana, China, and Eastern Europe to work with other oncologists and treat patients.

When biochemist Jennifer Doudna took home the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistrya prize she shared with Emmanuelle Charpentiershe made history as the first woman to win jointly with another woman. Professor Doudna's work on the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors has revolutionized genetic research by allowing scientists to modify a cell's genes in record time.

Professor Doudna is currently the Chair Professor of the chemistry department at the University of Berkely, California. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Doudna and a group of fellow researchers opened a testing center at the Innovative Genomics Institute and used CRISPR-based technologies to help diagnose the illness.

8 Groundbreaking African American Artists to Celebrate This Black History Month

Alan Turing, the Father of Computer Science, Will Appear on the UKs Next 50 Note

20 Famous Artists Everyone Should Know, From Leonardo da Vinci to Frida Kahlo

Originally posted here:

11 Trailblazing Female Scientists That You Need to Know - My Modern Met

Global Air Cargo Security Control System Market 2021 Trending Technologies and Major Players: 3DX-RAY, American Science and Engineering, Astrophysics,…

Posted on by

MarketQuest.biz issued an updated Global Air Cargo Security Control System Market from 2021 to 2027 research, which provides vital, up-to-date information on developing drivers, establishing patterns, and prospects. With the benefit of extensive professional study, the Air Cargo Security Control System offers substantial bits of information for the years 2021-2027. This investigation provides data on market size, as far as feasible, difficulties, and significant dynamic players during the forecast period.

The assessment assists executives in making wise, long-term manageability process decisions. This research report also provides a reliable and comprehensive evaluation of the primary market factor, division investigation, province investigation, high-development areas arrangement, and other market-related data, which helps customers in expanding on Air Cargo Security Control System strategies.

DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORT: https://www.marketquest.biz/sample-request/47474

The following essential item classes were evaluated in this study:

The research looked at the most common types of applications:

The following regions have been identified for the market report:

Provincial development examination is one of the prominent components for general market research, and each of the fundamentals is studied for the itemized assessment of the local market.

The top competitors in the worldwide portfolio are:

The investigation recalls facts for the worlds driving business sector drivers, precisely as the SWOT analysis and Porters five forces analysis do to understand this investigation.

ACCESS FULL REPORT: https://www.marketquest.biz/report/47474/global-air-cargo-security-control-system-market-2021-by-company-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2026

The research looked into the following market components:

Customization of the Report:

This report can be customized to meet the clients requirements. Please connect with our sales team (sales@marketquest.biz), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on +1-201-465-4211 to share your research requirements.

Contact UsMark StoneHead of Business DevelopmentPhone: +1-201-465-4211Email: sales@marketquest.biz

Read the original post:

Global Air Cargo Security Control System Market 2021 Trending Technologies and Major Players: 3DX-RAY, American Science and Engineering, Astrophysics,...

A New Map of the Suns Local Bubble – The New York Times

Posted on by

Just a bit too late for New Year celebrations, astronomers have discovered that the Milky Way galaxy, our home, is, like champagne, full of bubbles.

As it happens, our solar system is passing through the center of one of these bubbles. Fourteen million years ago, according to the astronomers, a firecracker chain of supernova explosions drove off all the gas and dust from a region roughly 1,000 light-years wide, leaving it bereft of the material needed to produce new generations of stars.

As a result, all the baby stars in our neighborhood can be found stuck on the edges of this bubble. There, the staccato force of a previous generation of exploding stars has pushed gas clouds together into forms dense enough to collapse under their own ponderous if diffuse gravity and condense enough to ignite, as baby stars. Our sun, 4.5 billion years old, drifts through the middle of this space in a coterie of aged stars.

This is really an origin story, Catherine Zucker said in a news release from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. For the first time, we can explain how all nearby star formation began.

Dr. Zucker, now at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, led a team that mapped what they call the Local Bubble in remarkable detail. They used data from a number of sources, particularly Gaia, a European spacecraft, that has mapped and measured more than a billion stars, to pinpoint the locations of gas and dust clouds.

Last year, a group of scientists led by Joo Alves, an astrophysicist at the University of Vienna announced the discovery of the Radcliffe Wave, an undulating string of dust and gas clouds 9,000 light-years long that might be the spine of our local arm of the galaxy. One section of the wave now appears to be part of our Local Bubble.

The same group of scientists published their latest findings in Nature, along with an elaborate animated map of the Local Bubble and its highlights.

The results, the astronomers write, provide robust observational support for a long-held theory that supernova explosions are important in triggering star formation, perhaps by jostling gas and dust clouds into collapsing and starting on the long road to thermonuclear luminosity.

Astronomers have long recognized the Local Bubble. What is new, said Alyssa Goodman, a member of the team also from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, is the observation that all local star forming-regions lie on the Local Bubbles surface. Researchers previously lacked the tools to map gas and dust clouds in three dimensions. Thanks to 3-D dust-mapping, now we do, Dr. Goodman said.

According to the teams calculations the Local Bubble began 14 million years ago with a massive supernova, the first of about 15; massive stars died and blew up. Their blast waves cleared out the region. As a result there are now no stars younger than 14 million years in the bubble, Dr. Goodman said.

The bubble continues to grow at about 4 miles a second. Still, more supernovae are expected to take place in the near future, like Antares, a red supergiant star near the edge of the bubble that could go any century now, Dr. Alves said. So the Local Bubble is not done.

With a score of well-known star-forming regions sitting on the surface of the bubble, the next generation of stars is securely on tap.

The team plans to go on and map more bubbles in the our Milky Way flute of champagne. There must be more, Dr. Goodman said, because it would be too much of a coincidence for the sun to be smack in the middle of the only one.

The suns presence in this one is nonetheless coincidental, Dr. Alves said. Our star wandered into the region only 5 million years ago, long after most of the action, and will exit about 5 million years from now.

The motions of the stars are more irregular than commonly portrayed, as they are bumped gravitationally by other stars, clouds and the like, Dr. Alves said.

The sun is moving at a significantly different velocity than the average of the stars and gas in the solar neighborhood, he noted. This would enable it to catch up and pass or be passed by the bubble.

It was a revelation, Dr. Goodman said, how kooky the suns path really is compared with a simple circle.

Here is the original post:

A New Map of the Suns Local Bubble - The New York Times

meteor? No, the phenomenon in the sky of Tras-os-Montes was a SpaceX satellite – brytfmonline.com

Posted on by

The return of SpaceXs Starlink-2200 satellite to Earth was the phenomenon seen Sunday night in the sky of Trs-os-Montes, a researcher from the Astrophysical Institute revealed this Monday, adding that the phenomenon does not represent a danger to the planet.

In Lusas remarks, researcher Nuno Peixinho, of the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (IA), explained that the phenomenon, shared by people on social media, led to believe it wasnt a meteor, but a re-entry into the atmosphere for some space junk. .

Subscribe to newsletters News Diary and receive information directly.

And so it was. Indeed, it was SpaceXs Starlink-2200 satellite and it was expected to fall. Almost every day, one or more satellites enter low-atmospheric orbit. This time, we were lucky to see it, .

According to Nuno Bixenio, re-entry of space waste to Earth has no danger, even if it is done quickly to scrape the atmosphere.

He explained that a satellite orbiting the Earth returns at a speed of about 10 kilometers per second.

Besides the phenomenon seen at 22:00 from several locations in the Os Montes Terrace, two other space objects returned at dawn on Sunday, one in the equator region and the other north.

Everything is programmed so that these satellites evaporate on return, that is, nothing reaches the Earth. Aerodynamic pressure so that compressed air rises to more than 20 thousand degrees of temperature. At this temperature, the body heats up and evaporates, This also happens with shooting stars and space junk, he said, explaining.

Although this small space junk is not a danger to Earth, it is to space itself, that is, to astronauts, to the International Space Station, but also to Earth-orbiting equipment.

In 2020 alone, the International Space Station had to do three maneuvers to avoid space junk that it knew was going to pass by, he said.

in Lusa, Space debris is one of the challenges for astrophysics, Nuno Bixinho said, noting that several countries, such as Portugal, are investing and making increasing efforts to detect it.

Besides space junk, the researcher stressed that low-orbit satellites also pose a challenge to the study of space, arguing that it is necessary to find a balance.

The head of the Portuguese Space Agency (AEP), Ricardo Conde, was contacted by Lusa, he said so This space phenomenon was not an isolated case as two other satellites disintegrated several thousand kilometers above the Arabian Sea and the Sea of Korea.

All of this is something we will see more often because there is a new race into space looking for new services and because many constellations with thousands of satellites are being launched into space. [visualizaes] It was re-entered into the atmosphere of the SpaceX satellites, the AEP expert said.

According to Ricardo Conde, the satellites of SpaceXs Starlink network orbit at an altitude of between 500 and 550 kilometers and travel around the Earth in less than 80 minutes.

Theres a generation of satellites that I think were launched in 2019, some are re-entering the atmosphere. These re-entry are tests and theyre purposeful. Id even say theyre controlled. Theyre in the atmosphere so were not doing that, he stressed, stressing the continued increase space junk.

Ricardo Conde also explains that when a satellite begins to enter a low orbit, about 200 kilometers away, it reaches a very high speed, with atmospheric friction causing it to ignite and disintegrate.

He stressed that all this is good news because garbage is being removed from space.

Excerpt from:

meteor? No, the phenomenon in the sky of Tras-os-Montes was a SpaceX satellite - brytfmonline.com

Supreme Court to revisit part of Native American land decision in Oklahoma | TheHill – The Hill

Posted on by

The Supreme Court said on Friday that it would revisit part of a decision it made in 2020 on a case, which focused on Oklahomas ability to prosecute on Native American land.

The original decision, McGirt v. Oklahoma, sided with tribal leaders finding that a large part of land in the eastern part of the state qualified as Indian reservation, according to The Washington Post.

In the 5-4 decision, Justice Neil GorsuchNeil GorsuchSupreme Court to revisit part of Native American land decision in Oklahoma The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Biden talks, Senate balks Sotomayor, Gorsuch issue statement denying tensions over masks MORE sided with the more liberal justices for the majority.

The justices will revisit a more narrow part of their decision, about whether non-Native Americans who commit crimes againstthe native communityin areas of Oklahoma that are considered Native American land can be prosecuted by the state, The Associated Press reported.

The AP noted that since Native American-recognized land was expanded during that 2020 case to include most of Tulsa, it meant that criminal prosecution against Native Americans in those areas also could not be conducted by the state.

The state had urged the Supreme Court to have the 2020 McGirt v. Oklahoma decision overturned, but that request was denied by the justices, The Post noted.

Instead, part of that decision, issued one year ago, will be revisited by the high court in April.

Oklahoma officials, including Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) applauded the Supreme Courts decision on Friday.

The fallout of the McGirt decision has been destructive. Criminals have used this decision to commit crimes without punishment. Victims of crime, especially Native victims, have suffered by being forced to relive their worst nightmare in a second trial or having justice elude them completely, Stitt said in a statement.

The Republican governor said the 2020 decision has hamstrung law enforcement in half of the state.

Now that Governor Stitts fight against tribal sovereignty has once again come up short, we hope he will consider joining tribes, rather than undermining our efforts, so we can focus on what is best for our tribal nations and all Oklahomans, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said, according to The Post.

The rest is here:

Supreme Court to revisit part of Native American land decision in Oklahoma | TheHill - The Hill

‘Public service Beeb saves us all from a Land of Dope and Tory’ – Mirror.co.uk

Posted on by

Brian Reade says scrapping the TV licence will leave the BBC at the mercy of the Tory party. He adds that when Tory politicians need to woo the populist vote they threaten to make the BBC pay for itself

As far as the right is concerned the BBC has always been the Great Distractor.

When foreign-based newspaper barons want to rail against the evils of liberal elites they home in on the leftie BBC. When Tory politicians need to woo the populist vote they threaten to make the Bloated Beeb pay for itself.

The last time Boris Johnson played this hand was during the 2019 General Election when he was attacked for refusing, while on-screen, to look at a Daily Mirror front page showing a sick four-year-old on an A&E floor.

Within hours he was threatening to scrap the TV licence.

And now, as he sups in the Last Chance Saloon, hes sent out his pom-pom swinging fangirl Nadine Dorries to tell BBC bosses she has their testicles in a vice. Thats the laughably titled culture secretary who believes taxpayers fund Channel 4 and probably thinks Lord Reith is something a peer lays at the Cenotaph.

Image:

Tories like to pretend they are in favour of public service broadcasting, so long as it can be bent to their will. But what would it look like if they ran the stripped-down BBC today.

Here, Im guessing, would be the highlights: the day opens with a recording of Vera Lynn singing God Save The Queen and is followed by Wake-Up Dont Woke-Up presented by Esther McVey in the Downing Street TV studio with Julia Hartley-Brewer reviewing all papers except the Mirror and Guardian.

CBeebies flagship show is Watch With Nanny in which Jacob Rees-Moggs nanny plays the penny whistle as his children, dressed in naval uniform, recite important dates from the Napoleonic Wars.

Antiques Roadshow is revamped, with Bernard Ingham catching up with the latest views from local Conservative associations. As is Upstairs, Downstairs in which Rishi Sunak tells us what its like to live in a stately home during an energy crisis and how to cut off the heating in the servants quarters.

On The Travel Show, Mark Francois lists things to do when stuck in three-hour passport queues in Europe due to Brexit, and Dominic Raab gives tips on how to ignore your mobile while relaxing on a Corfu sunbed as Kabul falls.

In Flog It! think-tanks update us on ways to privatise the NHS and EastEnders becomes WestEnders, a story of First World problems in Fulham and Chelsea.

On Jobsearch, Nadine Dorries herself explains how you can get your daughters on the public payroll and Matt Hancock shows how to give multi-million pound contracts to the bloke down the pub.

Grandstand returns with polo, croquet and fox-hunting with a shower of Berkeley Hunts, and foodies are served Trusss Kitchen Nightmares, where the foreign secretary advises on how to cope when you run out of British cheese.

Theres Dragons Den Does Dover in which Priti Patel hears contestants pitch new ways to repel migrants and Hospital will show the NHS in a fresh light, with no A&E queues and staff delighted with their workload.

Comedy-wise theres Mock The Weak in which Jim Davidson and Roy Chubby Brown openly humiliate minorities, and Would I Lie To You? sees Boris Johnson do a weekly press conference.

And each day closes at midnight with Land of Dope and Tory played from a model of the new royal yacht.

Unless youve put your foot through your telly hours before and gone to bed, that is.

Read More

Read More

Visit link:

'Public service Beeb saves us all from a Land of Dope and Tory' - Mirror.co.uk

Editorial: Gov’t-endorsed mayor’s win in Okinawa no green light for base construction – The Mainichi – The Mainichi

Posted on by

In a mayoral election in the northern Okinawa Prefecture city of Nago, incumbent Taketoyo Toguchi, endorsed by the national government, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito, was reelected.

The national government is pushing forward with its plan to build a U.S. military base in the Henoko district of Nago to replace the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in the Okinawa Prefecture city of Ginowan.

Yohei Kishimoto, the candidate endorsed by the "All Okinawa" bloc, including Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki, who has opposed the construction of the base in Henoko, lost.

In response to the election results, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said that the government would "continue steadily with the base relocation construction work in Henoko."

But Toguchi, like the first time he was elected mayor, has not made clear whether he is for or against the relocation of the Futenma base, saying he would "closely watch the trial between the prefectural and national governments." After he was reelected, he recognized that "there are many Nago residents who are against the base."

It is not possible to point to the election results as evidence that local residents have approved the base relocation plans. Plowing through with construction is unacceptable.

It was the seventh Nago mayoral election since the Japanese government's base relocation plan surfaced. Candidates who agreed with the plan won in the first three elections, and the opposite occurred in the next two.

Toguchi emphasized his success in making day care services and children's health care free -- the funds for which came from a portion of the approximately 1.5 billion yen (around $13 million) in U.S. forces realignment grants that the city received from the national government. The government did not provide such grants to the city when the then mayor was opposed to the Futenma relocation plan.

Voter turnout for the latest election was the lowest on record. Just before the start of the campaign period was announced, a quasi-state of emergency was declared in the prefecture due to the spread of the coronavirus, limiting what both camps could do.

At the same time, some point out that low voter turnout may have partly been the result of a spreading sense of helplessness among residents, as the government created a fait accompli by starting to reclaim land off the coast of Henoko.

The Japanese government has ultimately forced the residents of Nago to make an unreasonable choice in the election between opposing a military base and enjoying improvements in everyday life through grants.

There will be an Okinawa gubernatorial election in the fall. The administration of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is shaking down Gov. Tamaki by threatening to reduce the Okinawa Prefecture development budget, and is trying to give rise to a pro-base relocation governor.

But soft soil on the seafloor was found in an area planned for reclamation, and the situation changed drastically. To make improvements, the time span needed for construction has been significantly extended, and it will not be possible for the Futenma air base to be returned to Japan until the 2030s at the earliest. The prospects of "eliminating the dangers of the Futenma air base at the earliest date possible," which the Japanese government has claimed as its basis for forcing through construction, are unclear.

In May, it will have been 50 years since Okinawa was returned to Japan from U.S. military rule. The Japanese government, however, has continued to foist excessive burdens of military bases on Okinawa, and divide prefectural residents. The Kishida administration must confront its responsibility for that.

Read more here:

Editorial: Gov't-endorsed mayor's win in Okinawa no green light for base construction - The Mainichi - The Mainichi

Why a 4-storey apartment could be coming to a residential street near you – CBC.ca

Posted on by

The task force askedto findways to make Ontario housingmore affordable wants to do away with rules that entrench single-family homes as the main option in manyresidential neighbourhoods, according to a draft report.

The nine-member Housing Affordability Task Force, chaired by Scotiabank CEO Jake Lawrence, wants to "create a more permissive land use, planning, and approvals systems" and throw out rules that stifle change or growth including ones that protect the "character" of neighbourhoods across the province.

The wide-ranging 31-page draft report, which is making the rounds in municipal planning circles and could look muchdifferentwhen it's officially released Jan. 31, makes 58 recommendations.

It includes discussions on speeding up approval processes, waiving development charges for infill projects, allowing vacant commercial property owners to transition to residential units,and letting urban boundariesexpand "efficiently and effectively."

It also calls for all municipalities and building code regulations not to make it just easier for homeowners to add secondary suites, garden homes, and laneway houses to their properties, but also to increase height, size and density along "all majorand minor arterials and transit corridors" in the form of condo and apartment towers.

But perhaps the most controversial recommendationis the one to virtually do away with so-called exclusionary zoning, which allows only a single-family detached home to be built on a property.

Instead, the task force recommends that in municipalities with a population of more than 100,000, the province should "allow any type of residential housing up to four storeys and four units on a single residential lot," subject to urban design guidance that'syet to be defined.

According to the report, Ontario lags behind many other G7 countries when it comes to the number of dwellings per capita. And housing advocates have long argued that more modest-projects duplexes, triplexes, tiny homes and townhouses are needed in established neighbourhoods, especially if the environmental and infrastructure costs of sprawl are to be avoided.

But neighbourhood infill and intensification is often a hard political sell.

"While everyone might agree that we have a housing crisis, that we have a climate emergency, nobody wants to see their neighbourhoods change," said Coun. Glen Gower, who co-chairs Ottawa's planning committee. "So that's really the challenge that we're dealing with in Ottawa and in Ontario."

After last week's housing summit with Ontario's big city mayors, reporters repeatedly asked Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark if he supported doing away with zoning for single-detached homes, as other jurisdictions like Edmonton and major New Zealand cities have done.

Clark said he'd heard the idea but did not give a direct answer one way or the other.

Many of the recommendations revolve around making it easierand fasterfor builders to construct homes.

According to the draft report, not only would a streamlined process allow dwellings to get on the market faster, but reducing approval times would also save developers money which, in theory, could be passed onto residents.

The report cites an Ontario Association of Architectsstudy from 2018 showing thatcosts for a 100-unit condo building increase by $193,000 for every month the project is delayed.

That's why, for example, the task force is recommending that any "underutilized or redundant commercial properties" be allowed to be converted to residential units without municipal approvals.

The draft report also calls for quasi-automatic approval for projects up to 10 units that conform to existing official plans and zoning, and goes so far to recommend that municipalities "disallow public consultations" for these applications.

The report speaks to reducing what the task force characterizes as"NIMBY" factors in planning decisions, recommending the province set Ontario-wide standards for specifics like setbacks, shadow rules and front doors, while excluding details like exterior colour and building materials from the approval process.

The task force would even eliminate minimum parking requirements for new projects.

The report touches on a number of subjects it believes unnecessarily delay the building of new homes, including how plans approved by city councils can be appealed.

It recommends the province restore the right of developers to appeal official plans a power that was removed by the previous Liberal government.

And in an effort to eliminate what it calls "nuisance" appeals, the task forcerecommends that the fee a third party such as a community group pays to appealprojects to the Ontario Land Tribunal should be increased from the current $400 to$10,000.

That doesn't sit well with NDP MPP Jessica Bell, the party's housing critic.

"My initial take is that any attempt to make the landtribunal even more difficult for residents to access is concerning," said Bell, adding theNDP is askingstakeholders and community members for feedback.

The tribunal can overturn a municipal council's "democratically decided law," she said, "and I would be pretty concerned if it costs $10,000 for a third party to go to the land tribunal and bring up some valid evidence."

While she was pleased to see the task force address zoning reform to encourage the construction of townhomes, duplexes and triplexes in existing neighbourhoods the so-called "missing middle" between single-family homes and condo towers Bell said increasing supply is not enough to improve housing for all Ontarians.

"We need government investment in affordable housing," she said.

"We need better protections for renters, and we need measures to clamp down on speculation in the housing market We need a more holistic and comprehensive approach than what we are seeing in this draft report right now."

(While the task force was directed by the province to focus on increasing the housing supply through private builders, it acknowledges in the report that "Ontario's affordable housing shortfall was raised in almost every conversation"with stakeholders.)

From his first reading of the report,Ontario Green Party leader Mike Schreineragreed with thezoning recommendationsbut said streamlined processes need to be balanced with maintaining public consultations and heritage designations.

"One of my concerns with my very quick read of the draft report is that it talks about expanding urban boundaries and I'm opposed to that," he told CBC.

"We simply can't keep paving over the farmland that feeds us, the wetlands that clean our drinking water [and] protect us from flooding, especially when we already have about 88,000 acres within existing urban boundaries in southern Ontario available for development," he said.

Schreinersaid he's also "deeply concerned" that the report discussesaligning housing development with the province's plan for Highway 413in the GTA.

"I simply don't think we can spend over $10 billion to build a highway that will supercharge climate pollution, supercharge sprawl, making life less affordable for people and paving over 2,000 acres of farmland, 400 acres of the Greenbelt and crossing over 85 waterways," he said.

According to the draft, the task force consulted with builders, planners, architects, realtors, labour unions, social justice advocates, municipal politicians, academics, researchers and planners.

Read the original here:

Why a 4-storey apartment could be coming to a residential street near you - CBC.ca

UAS endorses the Reach Higher 2025 plan Grand Valley Lanthorn – Grand Valley Lanthorn

Posted on by

Grand Valley State Universitys University Academic Senate (UAS) voted to endorse the revised Reach Higher 2025 (RH2025) strategic plan. After the original document failed to secure approval in October 2021, UAS members came together once again to vote on President Mantellas strategic academic plan.

RH2025 is a guide constructed by the university and its administrators. Academic plans exist to provide information about the direction of a university, including their goals in academia and what their students can expect from them.

For most colleges, these plans last roughly five years before another one is drafted. This gives universities time to implement the document fully and see short and long-term results.

The Reach Higher 2025 website provides a snapshot of thecurrentdraft.This overview of the RH2025 plan includes a statement of five values: inquiry, inclusive and equitable community, innovation, integrity and international perspectives. Next, the plan details GVSUs vision and aspirations, mission and strategies, which include empowered educational experience, lifelong learning and educational equity.

During the vote on Oct. 1, 2021, the RH2025 plan didnt receive approval from the UAS.

This time, 87% of senate members voted to endorse the plan, according to a poll held during the UAS on the Jan. 21 meeting. 7% of members voted not to endorse the plan and another 7% voted to abstain.

After opening reports from Interim Provost Chris Plouff, and Student Senate President Autumn Muller, the Dean of Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies and RH2025 Steering Committee Co-lead, Mark Schaub, began the meeting with a presentation that highlighted the differences between the first iteration of the plan and the updated version.

Schaub also highlighted what steps the university took to allow GVSU community members to voice their concerns and ideas.

Changes to the document include improvements to syntax and clarity, as well as literary fixes regarding parallelism.

Parallelism refers to other plans that work in tandem with RH2025, such as the Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, the Digital Transformation Roadmap and the Division of Inclusion and Equity. All three programs will work alongside the RH2025 plan and help fulfill some of the goals identified in the strategic plan.

Other changes include the removal of certain bullet points that were deemed redundant in regard to the idea of an empowered education experience that the plan presents.

A land acknowledgment was also added to recognize GVSUs existence on the land of the Anishinaabe people, an addition that aligns with the principle of educational equity that is also key to the RH2025 plan.

There was a general consensus among UAS members who spoke during the meeting that the RH2025 plan was improved since October and that many of the concerns had been properly addressed.

When the RH2025 plan was presented to UAS on Oct. 1, 2021, members responded with concerns about vague language used in the document, calling it jargon-laden, unclear or open to multiple conflicting interpretations.

In a memo to GVSU President Philomena Mantella in October, UAS pointed to the lack of language regarding GVSU as a liberally-educated institution, as well as facultys unclear role in the implementation of the plan.

There was positive feedback regarding changes to the specificity of certain intentions, a deeper explanation of the role of faculty in implementing the plan and more.

Professor of Sociology and President of GVSUs American Association of University Professors (AAUP) chapter, Joel Stillerman, said the revised plan also highlights GVSUs identity as a liberal arts institution, which was a concern voiced by faculty when the first iteration of the plan was proposed in October.

It more forcefully articulates our liberal arts tradition, the essential role of faculty expertise and research in our mission and clarifies some of the language regarding new university initiatives, Stillerman said.

Stillerman said the RH2025 Steering Committee responded to faculty concerns by expanding the RH2025 committee, which he believes contributed to its endorsement.

I suspect this was largely due to the addition of more faculty members on the RH2025 committee who effectively articulated faculty concerns as well as feedback the committee received, Stillerman said.

One of those additions included Janet Winter as a third Steering Committee Co-lead.

Alongside Mark Schuab and Tara Bivens, the Steering Committee was able to continue hosting virtual events to gather feedback and concerns from the GVSU community. This included a faculty leadership series and a staff leadership series.

These events, dubbed Leadership Conversations, encourage open dialogues between community members, forgoing formal presentations in favor of an open forum where anyone with questions, concerns, feedback or suggestions was welcome to share and be heard.

These events will continue to be held throughout the winter semester.

The addition of more events to gather feedback was planned by the Steering Committee after the rejection of the original proposal.

All voices are important in this process, and therefore, the timeframe for working on the plan has been expanded and new opportunities have been developed to provide community members additional means for providing input before finalizing the plan, Provost Chris Plouff said in a prior interview.

Multiple UAS members also acknowledged the commitment they put forth to ultimately endorse the RH2025 plan.

Professor of English, Brian Deyo, said he is proud of the groups determination to improve the plan.

I think it says a lot about us as a community that were coming together and we did our best to be able to improve this document and improve what we do at this university, Deyo said.

With the plan now endorsed, GVSU will move on from the previous academic plan constructed in 2016, when former president Thomas J. Haas was still in office.

However, the endorsement does not signal the end of work on the RH2025 plan. UAS president Felix Ngassa said that minor changes may still be made to the document as it is implemented into life at GVSU.

It doesnt stop today, it doesnt mean thats it,Ngassa said. This is a living document.

Read the original post:

UAS endorses the Reach Higher 2025 plan Grand Valley Lanthorn - Grand Valley Lanthorn

Plans allocating thousands of new Mid Sussex homes set to be paused – Mid Sussex Times

Posted on by

It proposed allocating new strategic sites for 1,600 homes at Ansty, 1,400 homes west of Burgess Hill and 1,850 homes at Sayers Common.

A total of 21 other smaller sites were also proposed totalling 1,562 homes.

This is on top of the 11,519 dwellings already allocated or committed.

However amidst uproar at the plan, the Conservatives, who control the district council, are calling for the process to be paused.

Jonathan Ash-Edwards, leader of the Conservatives at Mid Sussex District Council, said: The council is mandated by national policy and by the planning inspector who examined the current District Plan to undertake a five year review which is now due. The results of this review have now been published so the community can understand the scale of the challenge we face in Mid Sussex.

It is now sensible to press the pause button given the significant issues which impact the Councils planning. I am writing to the Secretary of State, Michael Gove, calling for our housing targets to be reset to a level more consistent with our environmental and infrastructure constraints and liaising with our local MPs to make our case in Westminster. The Levelling Up White Paper will be published shortly and I hope the Government uses this as an opportunity to review the housing numbers currently set for parts of the South East such as ours.

It is essential that the plan maximises the amount of brownfield and windfall development that can be counted, although brownfield sites are limited in Mid Sussex. The amount of unmet need from neighbouring Councils that we are expected to take needs to be thoroughly scrutinised. The rapidly emerging issues raised by Natural England about water neutrality in West Sussex also need much greater clarity and resolution.

Mid Sussex is a great place to live and we must keep it that way by balancing the need for new homes for local people needing to get on the housing ladder with protections for our environment and the critical improvements to our infrastructure that must always come alongside new development.

Robert Salisbury, Conservative spokesman for housing and planning, added: Nationally, the Liberal Democrats have proposed that 380,000 new houses are built every year, a 26% uplift on the numbers currently set by the Conservative Government. This would require over 4,500 more houses to be built over and above the already increased numbers in the draft District Plan review. The Liberal Democrats must now explain to Mid Sussex communities where these additional houses would be built in our district.

Just las week, Mr Salisbury, who is the councils cabinet member for housing and planning, had said: The new plan must identify sites to meet at least 7,000 new homes. The method for selecting sites to be allocated has been via a transparent and robust site selection process.

Reacting to the news, Green district and town councillor Anne Eves said: Had the Conservative councillors taken a more collegiate approach to this whole exercise, they wouldnt have to be back-pedalling quite so furiously now. It is completely unreasonable to expect opposition councillors (many of whom have day jobs) to react to this 250-page dossier with only seven days notice.

The inflated figure of 18,000 new houses is based on the outdated dodgy algorithm, which penalises the South East, is utterly unsustainable and will lead to a haemorrhage in votes from the Tory Party.

Alison Bennett, leader of the Lib Dem group, added: We are delighted that local Conservatives have seen sense and joined us in calling to fix the broken planning system rather than progressing with a review of the District Plan that was clearly flawed and has angered residents across Mid Sussex since the proposals were abruptly published last week.

We are happy to help with the letter to Michael Gove, and welcome their interest in Liberal Democrat policy on this subject.

Liberal Democrats would give the power to build houses back to local authorities and social housing providers, rather than large private developers. That would provide more of the kind of housing that local people need, deliver homes that are genuinely affordable, ensure high sustainability standards are baked in, and give communities more control over where they are built.

We hope that Cllr Ash-Edwards will raise these policies in his letter to Michael Gove.

The District Plan review allocations have been widely condemned since they were publicly revealed last week.

Parish councillor Jon Gilley said: Ansty and Staplefield Parish Council are totally opposed to the draft District Plan proposal of a 1,600-home new town merging Ansty and Cuckfield.

Our parish has always adopted a pragmatic approach and has already agreed to 3,500 houses at the Northern Arc development a short distance down the road.

Mid Sussex District Council has also totally ignored our neighbourhood plan, which took years to compile and was supported by the electorate.

It seems district councillors are happy to put their heads in the sand and accept arbitrary housing numbers based on a central government algorithm.

In the process they are totally ignoring the views of the vast majority of local residents who will not accept this developer-led Cuck-Sty proposal.

The Green Party group on the district council said it deplores MSDCs District Plan which would concrete over large swathes of our Mid Sussex countryside.

They believe the draft plan is full of meaningless words such as where possible and should, pointing to the Northern Arc developers as an example where housebuilders are very rarely prepared to go the extra mile and provide renewable energy sources.

The Greens wanted to see photovoltaic panels planned in at the start, with homes built on the north-south axis to benefit from them.

They also do not want to see developments built with unsustainable gas boilers and suggest statements of intent such as to create and maintain town centres that are vibrant, attractive and successful would read like a sick joke to the people of Burgess Hill.

Meanwhile references to the creation of first-class cultural facilities will ring hollow with the people of both Burgess Hill and Haywards Heath when we have lost the Martlets Hall and are fighting to keep Clair Hall.

They believe the West of Burgess Hill allocation would wreck the rural charm of the Green circle, one of the greatest assets of the town.

On the subject of housing targets, the Greens suggest these are unfairly biased towards building in the South East and take no account of increased likelihood of flooding, water shortages, sewage discharges into rivers, and the release of carbon through the destruction of soil, trees and hedges and the use of concrete.

The revised plan would also cause yet more loss of biodiversity and fragmentation of habitats. They are unconvinced by the promise of 20 per cent biodiversity net gain and believe nature needs to be looked after to improve peoples wellbeing, catch carbon, reduce flood risk and attract tourism all of which are good for the economy too, but dont count for a bean in the planning laws.

The Greens also question where the new doctors will come from to man the GP surgeries and how hospitals and roads will cope with 50,000 extra people.

Their statement concluded: How would Greens do things differently? We would: focus on brownfield sites, and occupying empty homes; introduce checklists for housing developers to identify those who would go above the statutory requirements: are they prepared to install PV or heat pumps, offer water-saving appliances, rainwater collection, use of greywater, and use of local recycled materials; prioritise ancient woodland, green spaces, wellbeing and wildlife protection.

Last week Lib Dems in Hurstpierpoint and Sayers Common made their opposition to the proposals clearly known.

This week, Robert Eggleston (LDem, Burgess Hill - Meeds) pointed out that of the extra new homes proposed the south of the district is taking more than 70 per cent.

He said: This is on top of the substantial house building target for the area. Looking at the plans overall it is clear the Albourne and Sayers Common effectively becomes one settlement and similarly Cuckfield and Ansty merge.

In his view salami slicing the greenfields of south Mid Sussex is proof the national planning system is broken and not working in favour of the district.

Although some new homes will need to be built, Mr Eggleston suggest the balance of power and rights between communities and giant developers is completely unbalanced.

He thought it was wrong for the district council to entertain proposals from developers without at the same time giving councillors and communities they represent equal time to make their views known before being in the middle of a planning inquiry.

He added: I am very concerned by the amount of greenfield land that is being surrendered in the south of the district and around Burgess Hill and our village neighbours.

I have strongly argued in favour of each community having its own separate identity (see, for example, my views on development south of Folders Lane) but the proposals coming out of Mid Sussex District Council are creating an urban sprawl by stealth.

As a district councillor I am being asked to consider and recommend substantial policy changes which will set the tone for further development in the district forever. I am expected to do this with barely a weeks notice. This is totally unacceptable, and it risks making bad decisions if all of us are not given sufficient time to scrutinise the proposals. A week is clearly not enough time.

Burgess Hill has, in the past, stepped up to the plate and done all the right things when it comes to supporting the housing needs of the district. We have done this, even though, there has been limited investment in the town centre over the years. But yet again these latest proposals do not address the town centre infrastructure gap and effectively leaves Burgess Hill short-changed again.

Although the proposed strategic site allocations have garnered the most attention, a number of smaller sites have also been put forward.

These are: Batchelors Farm, Keymer Road, Burgess Hill (33 homes), land off West Hoathly Road, East Grinstead (45 homes), land at Hurstwood Lane, Haywards Heath (55 homes), land at Junction of Hurstwood Lane and Colwell Lane, Haywards Heath (30 homes), land east of Borde Hill Lane, Haywards Heath (60 homes), land to west of Turners Hill Road Crawley Down (350 homes), Hurst Farm, Turners Hill Road, Crawley Down (37 homes), land west of Kemps Hurstpierpoint (90 homes), The Paddocks Lewes Road, Ashurst Wood (8 homes), land at Foxhole Farm, Bolney (100 homes), land West of London Road, Bolney (north) (81 homes), land rear of Daltons Farm and The Byre, The Street, Bolney (50 homes), land east of Paynesfield, Bolney (30 homes), land at Chesapeke and Meadow View, Reeds Lane, Sayers Common (33 homes), land at Coombe Farm, London Road, Sayers Common (210 homes), land to the west of Kings Business Centre, Reeds Lane, Sayers Common (100 homes), land to South of LVS Hassocks, London Road, Sayers Common (120 homes), Ham Lane Farm House, Ham Lane, Scaynes Hill (30 homes), land at Hoathly Hill West Hoathly (18 homes), Challoners, Cuckfield Road Ansty (37 homes) and land to west of Marwick Close, Bolney Road, Ansty (45 homes).

Link:

Plans allocating thousands of new Mid Sussex homes set to be paused - Mid Sussex Times

Coyotes are thriving in Kansas despite competitive hunting events designed to reduce population – The Topeka Capital-Journal

Posted on by

David Condos| Kansas News Service

KISMET As morning light creeps across this pasture, Bryan Garrison all but disappears into the High Plains landscape.

Motionless and covered in camo, he reclines on a cushion next to a sagebrush.

With a shotgun in one hand and the remote to an electronic calling device in the other, he plays the role of DJ, spinning some of the coyote calling worlds greatest hits from cottontail distress to coyote yip duet.

I start most every set with a howl, Garrison said. Im setting a scene.

This is the opening day of the Southwest Kansas Coyote Calling Contest in Kismet. And Garrison, his son and a friendare competing with other teams to see who can call in and shoot the most coyotes from dawn till dusk.

Calling contests mark just the latest chapter in a centuries-long war between humans and coyotes as both species expand their range across the continent.

The coyotes are winning.

More: Kansas wildlife commission OKs use of thermal imaging, lights for coyote hunting at night

State estimates show the number of coyotes in Kansas has nearly tripled since the 1980s. But just because there are more of them around doesnt mean that outwitting this wily canine comes easily.

Garrisons heavy-duty coyote calling boombox sings out from the valley where he stashed it in a bush. Nearby, a motorized decoy waves a piece of fur back and forth.

After about 15 minutes, Garrison spots a flash of gray 40 yards ahead. He steadies his 12-gauge shotgun and fires twice. But the coyote is too quick. It disappears back into the brush.

Its fun because its hard, Garrison said. You dont turn on a call and every coyote in the country come running to you.

Their intelligence, resilience and extraordinary adaptability equip coyotes to thrive in the modern world,even as many other American mammals havedeclinedordisappearedsince European settlement.

Cutting down forests to create farms gave themmore habitat. Exterminating wolves removed theirchief rival.

Now, they are themost abundantlarge predator in the country.

So coyote callers figure that every animal they shoot means one less potential threat to livestock out on the range. Garrison, for example, said he regularly gets calls from neighbors asking him to come shoot unwelcome coyotes on their land.

(Hunting contests help) ranchers and farmers take care of a serious problem, he said. If somebody was breaking into your house and stealing your goods and messing with your well-being, youd do something about it.

While huntings power to actually make a dent in the greater coyote population is questionable, this adaptable animals improbable conquest of America is hard to ignore.

Once limited to high deserts and prairies in the middle of the country, coyotes have colonizednearly allof North America over the past two centuries. Its a feat made even more amazing by the fact that people have been trying to wipe them out just about that whole time.

Organized coyote hunts in Kansas go back more than 100 years, with communities fromLiberaltoMcPhersontoTopekacoming together to round up and kill them. Sometimes the townspeople made a day of it and ate dinner together after.

In the early 1900s, the state of Montanapurposefully infectedcoyotes with mange to see if the mite disease would exterminate them. By the mid-20th century, federal hunters across the West were tossing poison-laced baits fromairplanes and snowmobiles.

More: Kansas coyote-killing competition is so serious you'll need to pass a lie detector test

The USDA shoots downtens of thousandsof coyotes each year from helicopters and kills thousands more with spring-loadedcyanide trapsscented like meat.

Meanwhile, coyote hunting and calling contests remain legal in most states. In Kansas, thecoyote seasonruns year-round with no limit. The state also recentlylegalizedhunting coyotes after sundown with night vision scopes, which makes it easier to spot them during their active nocturnal hours.

Americans kill roughly500,000coyotes each year. But through it all, coyote populations just keep getting stronger.

People always talk about how if theres a nuclear war or whatever, theres going to be cockroaches and rats left. … I always throw coyotes into that, Kansas State University wildlife specialist Drew Ricketts said. Theyve survived as much persecution as any animal on the face of the earth, and theyve just expanded in the face of it.

More: Climate change means Kansas farmers are dealing with hotter nights and rainfall changes

Since the 1950s, coyotes havestretched their territory across North Americaby 40%, making themselves at home everywhere from the Alaskan tundra to the Florida coast to Americas largest urban centers. In his book,Coyote America, Dan Flores describes them as a cosmopolitan species whose adaptability mirrors that of humans.

They have crossed rail lines and bridges to make it to New YorksCentral Park. In downtown Chicago, theyve learned how tonavigate crosswalk signalsand cool off in aQuiznossoda fridge. And because theres no hunting in cities, urban areas have become a sort ofrefugefor coyotes.

Their flexible diet helps too. Unlike other predators like bobcats and cougars which eat strictly meat coyotes will dine on just about anything, from deer, rodents and birds to insects, trash and fruit. Ricketts said they can be a real pest on watermelon farms.

Most people think about them as predators, but really their diet breadth is about as broad as a raccoons, Ricketts said. They are very good at taking advantage of just about any resource that we make available.

More: 'Its got to translate to real climate policy': Kansas farmers could lose millions

Humans have unknowingly given coyotes a helping hand in other ways, too.

Before Europeans settled in America, wolves killed enough coyotes to keep them in check, creating a kind of canine predator equilibrium. But after centuries of government-encouraged extermination, wolves have been nearly wiped out in the lower 48 states. Thatpaved the wayfor coyotes to move up the food chain.

Then theres the biological phenomenon calledcompensatory reproduction. The year after people kill a bunch of coyotes in a given area, the remaining coyotes litters will double in size. And young females will start breeding a year earlier than they otherwise would.

Some studies have even shown that indiscriminate hunting and trapping coulddisrupt coyotes' social orderin a way that may increase the chance of a livestock attack. For example, the territory near a herd might be dominated by resident coyotes who have learned to hunt rodents there instead of livestock. But if those residents are killed, other transient coyotes who are more likely to eat calves could take over that territory.

For every coyote thats removed, Ricketts said, theres another one waiting to take its place.

On the final evening of the calling contest in Kismet, teams line up their coyote carcasses by the dozen on the grass behind city hall.

As coyote populations have grown in recent years, hunting competitions like this one have followed close behind. Just 85 miles up the road in Greensburg, thePasture Poodlescalling contest brought in 150 coyotes during the same weekend as the one in Kismet.

The contests have become more competitive, too.

To curb cheating, contestants need to follow a specific set of rules to get credit for each kill: submit a time-stamped photo of the coyote, zip tie a wooden block marked with the time of death between its teeth.

At the final check-in, volunteers use a small arsenal of kitchen thermometers to make sure the bodies are still warm. Then they check whether the coyotes have the right amount of rigor mortis based on the way their jaws clench those wooden blocks.

Most years, this is also when a scientist draws the dead coyotes blood to test for the bubonic plague. Its a golden opportunity to get a quick scan of how rampant the disease is among the local rodents these coyotes have been eating.

More: Kansas prairie tallgrass is changing with the climate. It's grasshopper-killing junk food.

Finally, theres the lie detector test.

Winning teams draw straws to see which member has to sit down with James Kelly, a retired cop and the contests last line of defense against cheating.

He has strapped thousands of coyote hunting contestants to his polygraph machine over the years. Hes seen teams try to pass off coyotes they didnt hunt themselves. Teams that shot coyotes in nature preserves or with illegal guns or out of moving vehicles.

Kelly said the key to uncovering a cheat is his special recipe of detailed questions that approach the contest like a criminal case and dont leave contestants any wiggle room.

We're not doing polygraph for the heck of it, he said. Were doing it for a specific goal to make sure that people aren't cheating.

On this night, the winners pass the test. Altogether, the teams bring in a total of 83 coyotes. And thats just a drop in the bucket.

Kelly said hell run polygraphs at eight other contests before the end of January.

These competitions draw their share of controversy, too.

A handful of states havebannedcoyote contests. And even where theyre legal, some have chosen to shut down amid pressure from conservation organizations and animal rights groups thatdescribe themas inhumane and detrimental to the natural ecosystem.

But Ricketts, the K-State wildlife specialist, said that, while controlling coyote population numbers through hunting would benext to impossible, the coyotes incredible resilience means that theyre able to bounce back from calling contests, too.

The reasons that broad-scale population control of coyotes doesnt work all that well, he said, those are also the reasons that make the calling competitions and continued intensive harvest of coyotes sustainable.

Meanwhile, predators causeroughly 5%of calf deaths in Kansas, and coyotes are blamed for nearly all of them. For ranchers, it adds up.

Even though that's not a huge percentage of calf losses, Ricketts said, thats still about $4 million annually that Kansas producers are losing.

Nationwide, predators accounted formore than 11%of calf deaths in 2015 up from 3.5% in 1995.

Rancher Bob Davies can hear them howling at night around his pastures in the Cimarron River valley near Kismet. A few years back, they dragged off several of his calves around a watering hole.

It was really bad, Davies said. Thats a big blow when you wait nine months for a baby, and the coyotes get your baby.

The coyotes got so thick that year, he ended up renaming that piece of land Coyote Pasture. He hasnt had as much coyote trouble this season, but hes learned to keep a close eye on his calves.

And ultimately, hes resigned to the fact that everyone who chooses to raise cattle in coyote country has to learn to live with these native predators.

Coyotes have called these plains home for millennia, and they dont plan on leaving any time soon.

They're gonna survive no matter what we do, he said. They're gonna be one of the last critters on earth.

David Condos covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service.

Original post:

Coyotes are thriving in Kansas despite competitive hunting events designed to reduce population - The Topeka Capital-Journal

States with the most highly ranked colleges – WNCT

Posted on by

GREENVILLE, N.C. (Stacker.com) Every state approaches education differently. For some states, investment in K-12 and higher education is paramount. For others, there is simply not enough tax money to both fully fund the states public education system and meet certain requirements for higher educationand how that manifests can speak to a students educational experience in that state.

New York, for example, has experienced ahistoric reshuffling of state-based college funding. Since 2012, the state has been pumping money into its higher education system, with total support for the 2020 fiscal year estimated at $7.6 billion. Beginning in the 20192020 academic year, the Excelsior Scholarship has allowed New York State residents who have a household income of $125,000 or less to enroll in a New York State public university tuition-free.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, California houses some of the best post-secondary schools in the nation. Well-funded up to the 1970s, the University of California and the California State University systems defined international standards.Budget cuts in the last four decades,however, have slowly driven up the cost of tuition, with state funding priorities now directed toward Californias community colleges instead of the states public universities. In recent years, the deficit has forced California to spend more on reinvestments than any other state.

But Californias situation is not unique. As state education budgets ebb and flow, so too do collegiate rankings.Stackerstudied Niches 2022 Best Colleges in America list, released on August 16, 2021, to determine which states have the most highly ranked colleges. For this list, states are ranked by the number of schools they have in the top 250 ofNiches Best Colleges in America rankings. Ties are broken by the highest-ranked school. Nine statesAlaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, and West Virginiaare not included as they didnt have any colleges in the top 250.

Keep reading to find out where your state ranks.

1 / 41Dan Lewis // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 1 Highest ranked schools: Dartmouth College (#10 national rank)

Dartmouth College is New Hampshires Ivy League institution. One of theoldest institutions of higher learningin the United States, the school was founded a full seven years before the United States declared independence. Dartmouth Medical School, in particular, isamong the best in the U.S., according to U.S. News & World Report.

2 / 41Canva

Schools in top 250: 1 Highest ranked schools: University of Delaware (#144 national rank)

The small state ofDelaware has eight colleges and universities, but the University of Delaware, located in Newark, is the states oldest and largest. U.S. News & World Report ranked the schoolsphysical therapy graduate programas the best in the country for 2020, and it wasthe 38th best public university in 2022.

3 / 41Thecoldmidwest // Wikimedia Commons

Schools in top 250: 1 Highest ranked schools: University of Wyoming (#207 national rank)

Wyoming is home tonine institutions of higher learning. Of these, the University of Wyoming is the only one that is a four-year, degree-granting school. TheUniversity of Wyoming has an acceptance rateof 94% and a graduation rate of 33%.

4 / 41Canva

Schools in top 250: 1 Highest ranked schools: Middlebury College (#32 national rank)

Middlebury College has deep historical significance for the U.S. One of the best liberal arts schools in America, the college was thefirst in the nation to see a Black graduate,Alexander Twilight, earn a bachelors degree. Twilight would go on to become the nations first Black state legislator.

5 / 41Forge Productions // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 2 Highest ranked schools: Arizona State University (#150 national rank), University of Arizona (#174)

Arizona has a strong public university network, withmore than 75 colleges and universitiesthroughout the state. Arizona State University, for example, isone of the nations largest public universitiesby enrollment, andU.S. News & World Report named ASUthe most innovative school in the nation in 2021.

You may also like:25 oldest colleges in America

6 / 41Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 2 Highest ranked schools: Mississippi State University (#154 national rank), University of Mississippi (#186)

Mississippis schools are steeped in tradition and history, for better or for worse. Reflective of the part of the world they reside in, the states schools have struggled with race issues and coming to terms with their segregationist pasts. In recent years,the University of Mississippiand Mississippi State University have both declared themselves to be welcoming and inclusive.

7 / 41Wirestock Creators // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 2 Highest ranked schools: Kansas State University (#172 national rank), University of Kansas (#204)

Like many of the colleges and universities on this list, the University of Kansas is well known for its athletics along with its educational programs. One of the top Division 1 schools, its mens basketball team regularly participates in March Madness. Success on the court is one thing, but KU also boasts some impressive academics. In 2019,U.S. News & World Report rankedKUs city management and urban policy program the best in the nation.

8 / 41Matthew J Brand // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 2 Highest ranked schools: Creighton University (#180 national rank), University of Nebraska Lincoln (#188)

At 856 acres, theUniversity of Nebraska Lincolnboasts a sprawling campus. The school, which has a strong commitment to research, is also the alma mater of Warren Buffett. Its ranked slightly lower than Creighton University, a private Jesuit university located in downtown Omaha.Creighton has a 97% post-graduation success ratewithin six months and was one of the first schools to offer afinancial technology degree.

9 / 41AlexiusHoratius // Wikimedia Commons

Schools in top 250: 2 Highest ranked schools: Augustana University (#193 national rank), South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (#199)

Augustana University is South Dakotas largest private undergraduate university. The Sioux Falls school was ranked #10 on U.S. News & World Reports list ofBest Regional Universities Midwest 2022. Although Augustana is affiliated with the Lutheran Church, it accepts students of all faiths and promotes academic integrity that is free of religious bias.

10 / 41Fotoluminate LLC // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 2 Highest ranked schools: Tulane University (#73 national rank), Louisiana Tech University (#210)

New Orleans Tulane University is arguably Louisianas most prestigious school. Founded in 1834 as the Medical College of Louisiana,Tulanes medical and law collegesare among the oldest in the nation.

You may also like:Colleges that are richer than some countries

11 / 41Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 2 Highest ranked schools: Brown University (#8 national rank), Rhode Island School of Design (#122)

Rhode Island is the smallest of the nations states, but its also one of the oldest and as such, it holds a significant place in U.S. history. For example, Brown University, one of the oldest colleges in the country, was thefirst to accept students without consideration of religious affiliation.

12 / 41Pastelitodepapa // Wikimedia Commons

Schools in top 250: 2 Highest ranked schools: Brigham Young University (#94 national rank), University of Utah (#146)

Brigham Young University is one of the few religious schools on Nicheslist oftop colleges. Owned and operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, theschool has an honor codethat forbids extramarital sex, alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine and mandates Bible and LDS scripture studies. The schoolsforeign languageand business programs are among the best in the nation.

13 / 41jbdphotography // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 3 Highest ranked schools: University of Tulsa (#118 national rank), Oklahoma State University (#136), University of Oklahoma (#156)

The University of Tulsa manages the Gilcrease Museum, which houses the worlds largest collection of American Western art and indigenous American artifacts. Building on its tradition of conservatorship, the private research universitymade headlines in 2018 for taking over the Bob DylanCenter.

14 / 41Valis55 // Wikimedia Commons

Schools in top 250: 3 Highest ranked schools: Hendrix College (#151 national rank), University of Arkansas (#179), Ouachita Baptist University (#213)

Arkansas is another state whose schools are known for both athletics and academics, like the University of Arkansas and its Razorbacks. The agricultural university has also earned high ratings for its law and architecture programs.

15 / 41Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 3 Highest ranked schools: Johns Hopkins University (#22 national rank), University of Maryland College Park (#109), Loyola University Maryland (#201)

Johns Hopkins University is not only thefirst center for researchin the nation, founded in 1876, but its also regarded as one of the finest to this day. The university is named for its first benefactorabolitionist and philanthropist Johns Hopkinsand its medical university is where thecardiac defibrillator was developed.

You may also like:Most liberal colleges in America

16 / 41Rob Hainer // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 3 Highest ranked schools: Georgia Institute of Technology (#30 national rank), Emory University (#35), University of Georgia (#57)

Georgias capital city of Atlanta is a university-dense metropolitan area. Besides Emory, Georgia Tech, and UGA, the city is home to Morehouse Universitywhich is the alma mater of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.as well Spelman College, Clark Atlanta College, Georgia State University, Oglethorpe University, and many others.

17 / 41Nora Yero // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 4 Highest ranked schools: Clemson University (#100 national rank), Furman University (#129), University of South Carolina (#153)

South Carolinas top college, Clemson University,ranked 30th inU.S. News & World Reports 2022 Top Public Schools rankings. The top-tier public research university has also emerged as a football powerhouse.

18 / 41Rob Hainer // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 4 Highest ranked schools: Auburn University (#140 national rank), University of Alabama Birmingham (#191), The University of Alabama (#192)

Yet another state that houses colleges with strong athletics programs, Alabama is home to Auburn University and the University of Alabama. Typically, both schools have starring roles in the end-of-year bowl games. But their football programs should not overshadow the Alabama schools educational prowessboth Auburn University and the University of Alabama have been recognized as top public universities.https://87813263fe6812e78afeefb4320d44ca.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

19 / 41EQRoy // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 4 Highest ranked schools: Bowdoin College (#27 national rank), Colby College (#58), Bates College (#62)

Maine is known for its liberal arts schools. Bowdoin College, for example, which is technically older than the state itself by 26 years, regularly ranks among the top liberal arts schools in the nation. The college has formed an athletic andlibrary-exchange consortiumwith fellow Maine liberal arts schools Bates and Colby Colleges.

20 / 41SoisudaS // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 4 Highest ranked schools: Princeton University (#5 national rank), Stevens Institute of Technology (#117), Rutgers University New Brunswick (#137)

New Jersey has one of the highest concentrations of colonial-era schools that are still in operation, among them being Princeton University and Rutgers University, which was originally called Queens College.New Jersey has invested a large amount of moneyin its higher education program. While Princeton is a founding member of the Ivy League, Rutgers is considered to be a Public Ivy,meaning its a top school capable of providing students with an education comparable to the Ivy League.

You may also like:Best value big colleges in America

21 / 41Aeypix // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 4 Highest ranked schools: University of Wisconsin (#65 national rank), Milwaukee School of Engineering (#169), Lawrence University (#195)

Like Rutgers, the University of Wisconsin Madisonor the University of Wisconsin for shortis also considered a Public Ivy. The oldest university in Wisconsin, the school scores high points for research, having yieldedrecipients of the coveted Fields Medalin mathematics.

22 / 41Png Studio Photography // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 5 Highest ranked schools: Reed College (#108 national rank), Lewis & Clark College (#155), University of Portland (#184)

If you havent heard of Reed College, its worth taking a look at. The Portland-based school is small yet distinguishedaccording to the National Science Foundation,itranks third in graduates that go on to get doctoratesin physical and social sciences, and fourth in humanities, the arts, and all other disciplines.

23 / 41Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 5 Highest ranked schools: Vanderbilt University (#13 national rank), Rhodes College (#141), Union University (#205)

A legacy school,Nashvilles Vanderbilt Universitywas built from a $1 million endowment from railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, despite the billionaire never visiting the South. The university has emerged as one of the most prestigious private schools in the region, playing a key part in the intellectual heritage of the South.

24 / 41SNEHIT // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 5 Highest ranked schools: University of Michigan Ann Arbor (#25 national rank), Michigan State University (#111), Michigan Technological University (#126)

It is true that the University of Michigan Ann Arbor hasthe largest college football stadiumin the nation. It is also the eighth-best university in the world,per Scimago. One of the best research universities in the U.S., UM is also one of the most well-funded. Ithad a budget of more than $10 billionfor the2021-2022academic year.

25 / 41Chadarat Saibhut // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 5 Highest ranked schools: Duke University (#6 national rank), Wake Forest University (#45), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (#47)

Another legacy school, Duke University was founded from the Duke Endowment, funded by tobacco industrialist James Buchanan Duke. From 1986 to 2015,Duke had the fifth-highest numberof Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, Goldwater, and Udall Scholars in the nation.

You may also like:Best value public colleges in America

26 / 41Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 5 Highest ranked schools: Grinnell College (#60 national rank), Iowa State University (#147), University of Iowa (#149)

Iowa is home tomore than 50 colleges and universities, including Grinnell College, a liberal arts school known for its high endowment,academic rigor, the pursuit of social justice, and diversity.

27 / 41cpaulfell // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 5 Highest ranked schools: University of Washington (#99 national rank), Whitman College (#106), Washington State University (#164)

Sometimes, a university can help a city to develop, like Seattles University of Washington, which played a key role in growing the citys tech industry. Boeing, Amazon, and Microsoft all chose the Seattle area for their main campuses in part due to the proximity to the University of Washington.

28 / 41Evan Meyer // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 6 Highest ranked schools: Washington University in St. Louis (#12 national rank), Saint Louis University (#128), University of Missouri (#166)

One of the best medical schools for research in the nation(ranked by U.S. News & World Report), Washington University in St. Louis is a world-renowned research university. The school has been at the forefront of modern political discussion asthe host of more presidential and vice-presidential debatesthan any other institution.

29 / 41Ken Wolter // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 6 Highest ranked schools: University of Notre Dame (#19 national rank), Purdue University (#77), Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (#97)

Any college football fan is probably familiar with Indianas schools. Whether its the University of Notre Dames Fighting Irish or Purdues Boilermakers, Indianas football prowess helps to highlight the academic excellence of these schools. One example? Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, was a graduate of Purdue, and the tradition holds: At least one person on almost one-third of NASAs space flights has been aPurdue alum.

30 / 41f11photo // Shutterstock

Schools in top 250: 6 Highest ranked schools: Yale University (#4 national rank), Wesleyan University (#53), University of Connecticut (#157)

Connecticut is one of the smaller states in the Union. Its proximity to New York City, however, positions it as a strategic option geographically for students. Take the University of Connecticut, for example. The schools presence in the New York City media market helped its athletics to draw better talent, which is reflected in the success of the schools mens and womens basketball teams. UConns athletic successes highlight the fact that the school has been recognized as a Public Ivy, one of the best public universities in the nation.

Visit link:

States with the most highly ranked colleges - WNCT

‘Yellowstone’: from ‘red state’ to ‘every state’ TV hit – FRANCE 24

Posted on by

Los Angeles (AFP) With its gun-totin' heroes, elegiac shots of rodeo horses and disparaging jokes about Californians, "Yellowstone" might appear to be a television show aimed squarely at America's conservative heartland.

But the Kevin Costner-fronted Western, which blends soapy melodrama with brutal vigilante violence, has become a rare crossover hit, bridging the stark cultural divisions of the United States.

The show follows the wealthy Dutton family, which owns a Montana ranch "the size of Rhode Island" and must protect it by any means necessary from corporate developers, greedy politicians and displaced Native Americans.

In its first seasons, "Yellowstone" cultivated a devoted fanbase in rural and smaller urban markets, benefiting from cross-marketing with NFL broadcasts in regions where live TV still rules over streaming.

But by the fourth season's premiere in November, a whopping 11 million people across the country tuned into cable TV channel Paramount Network -- numbers higher than "Game of Thrones" at the same stage.

"Just because it's in Montana and there are ranchers, people say it's a red-state show," Keith Cox, the network's president of development and production, told AFP, referring to states that typically vote Republican.

"Now we're seeing it's just an every state show."

This month, the show was finally even recognized by Hollywood, where it received its first nomination from the Screen Actors Guild.

So, how did a series about land rights, livestock officers and bucking broncos win a foothold among the coastal urban elites?

Costner -- a bona fide if ageing movie star in his first multi-season TV role -- is evidently a key draw.

As the show has gained popularity in liberal circles, it has increasingly been talked up as a frontier version of HBO's critically adored "Succession" -- another drama about a wealthy, warring family, set mainly in New York.

But while both shows center on seemingly omniscient patriarchs with political connections, private helicopters and petulant offspring, they preach very different values.

The nihilistic, amoral and selfish siblings vying to betray their father on "Succession" are off-putting to many Americans, said Mary Murphy, associate professor of journalism at University of Southern California.

Despite its wall-to-wall media coverage, "Succession" drew just 1.7 million to its latest finale.

By comparison, "Yellowstone" is essentially the story of a man "who uses all his simple connections with people to keep the land safe," said Murphy.

"The people who watch it, they feel reassured about a simpler way of life," she added, pointing to the "insecurity" of the pandemic-affected time we live in.

According to Murphy, "Yellowstone" is a "throwback" that evokes American values and reflects on "how America was built" -- themes that resonate across the coasts and middle America.

It also benefits from a sense of authenticity in representing the everyday world of ranchers, rodeos and cowboys, even if the violence and scandal are exaggerated to keep the plot moving.

Creator Taylor Sheridan ("Sicario"), a horse-riding, ranch-owning Texan, wrote every episode himself.

"This is his world and he knows it best," said Cox. "Hollywood can't come in and fake it."

Still, "Yellowstone" has been embraced by some on the right as a celebration of "red state" values, and a rejection of supposedly "woke," politically correct Hollywood dramas.

When yuppie coastal transplants in Montana's rapidly gentrifying cities condemn his vast domain and his cattle herds' massive carbon footprint, Costner's ranch owner John flags their hypocrisy and his family's long stewardship of the land.

But according to Cox, the show never "takes a stance."

"It doesn't like outsiders moving in and raising prices and taking away the tradition of the ranchers," he said.

"But I feel like this show is not waving a flag for either side... Anti-woke? I think it's just real."

Cox, whose family hail from conservative bastion states including Missouri and Kentucky, said he has "never spoken to my cousins so much" since the show first aired.

"They haven't watched a lot of my other shows. This one they're obsessed with, and it's brought us together."

And while it has taken them a little longer, many of the Hollywood executives he meets at industry lunches who previously refused to watch "Yellowstone" are now ardent fans.

"It's very funny. A lot of my peers poo-pooed it or dismissed it," said Cox.

"And suddenly, they're in."

2022 AFP

View post:

'Yellowstone': from 'red state' to 'every state' TV hit - FRANCE 24

BAM Marine – Mercury Marine & Mercruiser engines and parts …

Posted on by

')); var a = function (t) { var n = e(".nivo-caption", s); if (i.currentImage.attr("title") != "" && i.currentImage.attr("title") != undefined) { var r = i.currentImage.attr("title"); if (r.substr(0, 1) == "#") r = e(r).html(); if (n.css("display") == "block") { setTimeout(function () { n.html(r) }, t.animSpeed) } else { n.html(r); n.stop().fadeIn(t.animSpeed) } } else { n.stop().fadeOut(t.animSpeed) } }; a(r); var f = 0; if (!r.manualAdvance && o.length > 1) { f = setInterval(function () { d(s, o, r, false) }, r.pauseTime) } if (r.directionNav) { s.append('"); e(s).on("click", "a.nivo-prevNav", function () { if (i.running) { return false } clearInterval(f); f = ""; i.currentSlide -= 2; d(s, o, r, "prev") }); e(s).on("click", "a.nivo-nextNav", function () { if (i.running) { return false } clearInterval(f); f = ""; d(s, o, r, "next") }) } if (r.controlNav) { i.controlNavEl = e(''); s.after(i.controlNavEl); for (var l = 0; l ') } else { i.controlNavEl.append('' + (l + 1) + "") } } e("a:eq(" + i.currentSlide + ")", i.controlNavEl).addClass("active"); e("a", i.controlNavEl).bind("click", function () { if (i.running) return false; if (e(this).hasClass("active")) return false; clearInterval(f); f = ""; u.attr("src", i.currentImage.attr("src")); i.currentSlide = e(this).attr("rel") - 1; d(s, o, r, "control") }) } if (r.pauseOnHover) { s.hover(function () { i.paused = true; clearInterval(f); f = "" }, function () { i.paused = false; if (f === "" && !r.manualAdvance) { f = setInterval(function () { d(s, o, r, false) }, r.pauseTime) } }) } s.bind("nivo:animFinished", function () { u.attr("src", i.currentImage.attr("src")); i.running = false; e(o).each(function () { if (e(this).is("a")) { e(this).css("display", "none") } }); if (e(o[i.currentSlide]).is("a")) { e(o[i.currentSlide]).css("display", "block") } if (f === "" && !i.paused && !r.manualAdvance) { f = setInterval(function () { d(s, o, r, false) }, r.pauseTime) } r.afterChange.call(this) }); var h = function (t, n, r) { if (e(r.currentImage).parent().is("a")) e(r.currentImage).parent().css("display", "block"); e('img[src="' + r.currentImage.attr("src") + '"]', t).not(".nivo-main-image,.nivo-control img").width(t.width()).css("visibility", "hidden").show(); var i = e('img[src="' + r.currentImage.attr("src") + '"]', t).not(".nivo-main-image,.nivo-control img").parent().is("a") ? e('img[src="' + r.currentImage.attr("src") + '"]', t).not(".nivo-main-image,.nivo-control img").parent().height() : e('img[src="' + r.currentImage.attr("src") + '"]', t).not(".nivo-main-image,.nivo-control img").height(); for (var s = 0; s

').css({ left: o * s + "px", width: t.width() - o * s + "px", height: i + "px", opacity: "0", overflow: "hidden" })) } else { t.append(e('

').css({ left: o * s + "px", width: o + "px", height: i + "px", opacity: "0", overflow: "hidden" })) } } e(".nivo-slice", t).height(i); u.stop().animate({ height: e(r.currentImage).height() }, n.animSpeed) }; var p = function (t, n, r) { if (e(r.currentImage).parent().is("a")) e(r.currentImage).parent().css("display", "block"); e('img[src="' + r.currentImage.attr("src") + '"]', t).not(".nivo-main-image,.nivo-control img").width(t.width()).css("visibility", "hidden").show(); var i = Math.round(t.width() / n.boxCols), s = Math.round(e('img[src="' + r.currentImage.attr("src") + '"]', t).not(".nivo-main-image,.nivo-control img").height() / n.boxRows); for (var o = 0; o

Read the original here:

BAM Marine - Mercury Marine & Mercruiser engines and parts ...

The RoboCop Scene That Had To Be Cut To Avoid An X-Rating – /Film

Posted on by

According to Neumeier, the scene where Murphy is shot to death by Boddicker and his gang saddled the film with an X-rating ... multiple times. After all, it's a scene where the main character is gruesomely blown to pieces:

"The interesting thing about this film is that we got an X-rating eight times and finally we had to cut a scene which I didn't even think looked particularly good. That was when Robocopwhile still fully humangets his arm blown off in the steel mill. It was done with a wire yanking the arm away as the arm gets shot at and I thought it looked terribly corny but it was the scene that scaled it back enough to get an R-rating. That scene actually scared the s*** out of my wife last time we watched it."

As an avid lover of the original film, I definitely see why the scene had to be recut it features the film's hero being brutally murdered by a group of sociopaths. Even knowing that Murphy will be reconstructed as a cyborg doesn't ease the horror I feel seeing him scream in pain and beg for his life. But as depicted in the final cut, it adds even more weight to the scene where Murphy visits his old house and gets hit with a flood of memories from his old life; his wife and child, his humanity all of it was stolen from him by Boddicker and his thugs, making his eventual vengeance all the sweeter.

See the rest here:

The RoboCop Scene That Had To Be Cut To Avoid An X-Rating - /Film

First Look At Teen Titans Go Undead – A Kids Version Of DCeased? – Bleeding Cool News

Posted on by

|

Teen Titans Go Undead? DCeased was a series of comic book series spanning a parallel DC Universe where Cyborg's body is used as a carrier for a technological virus version of the Anti-Life Equation that turns the population of the world into zombie-like creatures. And that includes a lot of superheroes and villains. Created by Tom Taylor with Trevor Hairsine, Lois Lane acts as the series' narrator, detailing how the events took place over the course of a few weeks.

But later this year, DC Comics are publishing a kids version of this sort of thing, by way of Night Of The Living Dead and Dawn Of The Dead. This is a kids comic remember. So the origin of zombieness is a falling comet and they actually go to the shopping mall becaus they know from watching these films that's where zombies all hang out. And Bleeding Cool has a first look inside those pages. The creative team of Teen Titans Go Undead, writer Michael Northrop and artist Erich Owen have been named, but they will be joined by other as-yet-unnamed artists.

TEEN TITANS GO UNDEAD TP(W) Michael Northrop (A) Various (CA) Erich OwenJump City is full of strange, shambling creatures muttering about sales and dead set on brains. The Teen Titans saw a comet fall from the sky and can think of nowhere better to hang out and see what happens than the mall. If their theory is correct and people start turning into zombies, they want to be preparedand we all know zombies love the mall! But as the situation grows ever more dire, Robin and his team take to the streets, trying to save the city from the bargain-hungry undead. But these zombies really bite: the cemetery isn't safe, the H.I.V.E. Five are not alive, and Robin's teammates are about to succumb to shopping fever! Can Robin keep it together long enough to cancel this apocalypse?Retail: $9.99 In-Store Date: 6/28/2022

Go here to read the rest:

First Look At Teen Titans Go Undead - A Kids Version Of DCeased? - Bleeding Cool News

What Happened To Fennec Shand In ‘The Mandalorian’? – We Got This Covered

Posted on by

Ming-Na Wens Fennec Shand is one of the coolest new Star Wars characters to debut in the last few years. The master assassin began her career during the age of the Galactic Empire, with The Bad Batch showing her building a reputation as a ruthless and skilled bounty hunter.

The fall of the Empire didnt slow her down one bit, though, and by the time The Mandalorian arrived, she was still a feared adversary, even to a warrior as skilled as Din Djarin. We saw her tangle with him in Season 1 episode The Gunslinger, in which she demonstrated her sharpshooting skills, as well as giving audiences a crash course in the morality needed to succeed in Star Wars cutthroat underworld.

Shand currently has a starring role in The Book of Boba Fett as his second-in-command and bodyguard, proving her worth on multiple occasions.

However, the most recent episode showed it hasnt been smooth sailing for her. In The Gunslinger we saw her take a blaster bolt to the chest, and by the time of The Mandalorians second season, she was sporting robotic enhancements. Now, courtesy of The Book of Boba Fett episode The Gathering Storm, we know how she got them.

Fett overheard her confrontation, discovering her close to death in the Tatooine sands. Apparently recognizing her, he realized she could be a valuable ally, and carried her to a cybernetic chop shop. Here, she underwent a drastic cybernetic procedure on Bobas dime.

The operation appears to have completely replaced her digestive system with robot parts, as well as strengthening her abdomen with hydraulics, which means she retains flexibility. Subsequent action scenes prove that going under the knife hasnt affected her deadliness, while the way she quickly accepted her new body indicates that its not exactly unexpected for bounty hunters to end up part cyborg. Weve also seen her eating regular food, so it doesnt seem to be a huge inconvenience.

Her only real weakness could be the surgeons vanity. He left her chest cavity open to show off his work, which may allow an opponent to inflict some serious damage. In addition, theyre on a desert planet, and as all Star Wars fans know, sand is coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.

I suspect Shand has a big role to play in the remaining episodes of The Book of Boba Fett, and the wider Star Wars universe, provided she makes it out alive. That being said, perhaps shell be a little more cunning from now on, unless she wants to lose other major internal organs.

'+// ''+// '

Continued here:

What Happened To Fennec Shand In 'The Mandalorian'? - We Got This Covered