Long before Apple watches, grandfather clocks or even sundials, nature provided living things with a way to tell time.

Life evolved on a rotating world that delivered alternating light and darkness on a 24-hour cycle. Over time, cellular chemistry tuned itself to that rhythm. Today, circadian rhythms governed by a master timekeeper in the brain guide sleeping schedules and mealtimes and influence everything from diet to depression to the risk of cancer. While an Apple watch can monitor a few vital functions such as your heart rate, your bodys natural clock controls or affects nearly all of them.

Circadian rhythms impact almost every aspect of biology, says neuroscientist Joseph Takahashi of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Lately, research by Takahashi and others has suggested strategies for manipulating the bodys clock to correct circadian-controlled chemistry when it goes awry. Such circadian interventions could lead to relief for shift workers, antidotes for jet lag, and novel treatments for mood disorders and obesity, not to mention the prospect of counteracting aging.

Prime weapons for the assault on clock-related maladies, Takahashi believes, can be recruited from an arsenal of small molecules, including some existing medical drugs.

Researchers are increasingly interested in developing small molecules to target the circadian system directly for therapeutic gains, Takahashi and coauthors Zheng Chen and Seung-Hee Yoo wrote in the 2018 Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

In sophisticated life-forms (such as mammals), central control of the bodys clock resides in a small cluster of nerve cells within the brains hypothalamus. That cluster, called the suprachiasmatic nucleus SCN for short is tuned to the day-night signal by light transmitted via the eyes and the optic nerve.

But the SCN does not do the job alone. Its the master clock, for sure, but satellite timekeepers operate in all kinds of cells and body tissues.

There isnt just an SCN clock in the brain, Takahashi said at a recent meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. There are clocks throughout the entire body. Every major organ system has its own intrinsic clock.

The proliferation of clocks throughout the body makes circadian chemistry relevant to various behaviors and physiological processes, such as metabolism and blood flow. Maintaining healthy physiology requires all the bodys various clocks to be synchronized by signals (in the form of hormones and nerve impulses) from the SCN. SCN signals govern the timing of genetic activity responsible for the production of numerous clock-related proteins. Studies mainly in mice have shown how those proteins participate in complex chemical feedback loops, perpetuating rhythmic genetic activity in which proteins are first produced and then degraded to drive circadian cycles. Similar chemistry operates in humans.

Key molecular players in keeping the bodys clocks ticking are the proteins known as CLOCK and BMAL1. Studies of liver cells in mice show that CLOCK partners with BMAL1 to regulate gene activity, driving all the important circadian chemical reactions. Generally in many cells you see a similar kind of picture, in the brain or other tissues, Takahashi said.

The CLOCK-BMAL1 tandem activates genes that produce several forms of the circadian proteins period and cryptochrome. In mice, that process starts work in daytime, leading to a substantial buildup of period (PER) and cryptochrome (CRY) by evening. At night, PER and CRY migrate into the cells nucleus and block the action of CLOCK-BMAL1, thereby halting production of PER and CRY themselves. PER and CRY amounts then diminish as other molecules degrade them. By morning, PER and CRY levels drop so low that CLOCK and BMAL1 are no longer disabled and can begin producing PER and CRY anew.

Many other molecules participate in circadian chemistry; the exact molecular participants differ from tissue type to tissue type. In the (mouse) liver alone, the activity of thousands of genes fluctuates on a circadian schedule.

An hourglass uses the flow of sand to mark time. The body uses the build-up and flow of proteins to keep its rhythms. Although there are numerous different players in the bodys many clocks, the workings of the circadian proteins period (PER) and cryptochrome (CRY) (and their counterparts CLOCK and BMAL1) exemplify the kind of feedback loop that keeps the body in sync with the day-night cycle.

While signals from the SCN set the daily schedule for circadian chemistry, various small molecules, such as many medicinal drugs, can disrupt cellular timing. (Thats one reason certain drugs such as blood thinners and chemotherapy treatments are more or less effective depending on the time of day that they are administered.) Researchers have identified dozens of small molecules that can influence circadian processes.

Some such molecules change the length of the circadian period. Some alter the precise timing of specific processes during the cycle. Others help maintain robust signals for synchronizing the bodys clocks. Circadian signaling weakens with age, possibly contributing to many age-related disorders such as impaired metabolism or sleep problems.

Among the common drugs that exert effects on the circadian system are opsinamides, sulfur-containing compounds that suppress the amount of light input into the SCN. Nobiletin, found in the peels of citrus fruits, manipulates circadian rhythms to improve metabolism in obese mice. (Nobiletin also counters tumors and inflammation.) Resveratrol is a well-known compound that alters the activity of certain clock genes, with some possible human health benefits.

Scientists have discovered a long list of existing medicines and small molecules now under investigation that act on or influence the bodys circadian system.

Todays challenge, Takahashi and coauthors say, is to identify the precise targets where small molecules exert their influence. Knowing the targets should help researchers find ways to repair defects in the circadian system or alleviate temporary inconveniences such as jet lag.

Jet lag occurs when sudden changes in time zone generate a mismatch between the body clocks expectations and the actual day-night cycle (not to mention timing of meals and social activities). While it is usually just an annoyance for travelers, shift workers face long-term consequences for working when the body clock advises sleep. Shift workers, Chen, Yoo and Takahashi point out, are at risk for sleep problems, gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancer and mood disorders. Molecules tested in mice have shown promise for reconciling expectations with reality, getting the clock back in phase with the bodys environment.

Clock malfunction also affects the bodys disease-fighting immune system, and certain clock components have been identified as potential targets for alleviating autoimmune disease and excessive inflammation. Other recent studies have shown that molecular intervention with clock components can aid proper functioning of mitochondria, the cellular structures responsible for energy production.

While most of the details about circadian chemistry come from studies in mice, studies of human sleep disorders indicate that the basic circadian story is similar in people. A mutation in the human gene responsible for making one of the period proteins has been linked, for example, to familial advanced sleep phase disorder. (In people with that mutation, the normal sleep-wake cycles shift by several hours.) Other research has shown that a variant version of the human gene for cryptochrome protein increases the risk of diabetes.

An especially intriguing possibility is that body clock management could provide strategies for slowing down aging.

Many studies have shown that aging in some animal can be slowed by restricting food intake. Fewer calories can lead to longer lives. But work by Takahashi and others has found that (in mice, at least) timing of ingesting the calories can be almost as important as the quantity.

Mice allowed to eat a normal amount of calories, but only within restricted hours, have lived about 15 percent longer than usual, Takahashi reported at the neuroscience meeting. In humans, that would correspond to a life span increase from 80 years to 92.

Were super excited about these results, because these are the first experiments to show that you can extend life span by restriction of time of nutrient intake only without a reduction of calories, Takahashi said.

For us its much easier to restrict the time that we eat than the amount that we eat. Now if you can do both, thats even better. I think that this, I hope, could have benefit for human health and longevity in the future.

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Winding the body's clock - Knowable Magazine

The investment company is currently trading at a 50% discount to the value of its net assets. Director Ed McDermott sees this as a bit of an anomaly, particularly given the performances of some of the portfolio companies. Will 2020 herald a change of fortunes?

The glossy magazines that chronicle the lifestyles of the rich and famous might show the glitterati at the opening of a new ultra-chic Mayfair nightclub.

Rock up to the same spot a week later with your mates after a sesh down the Dog and Truck and a couple of burly shaven-headed six-footers will likely show you and your friends (physically if need be) where to go.

In other words, these exclusive haunts arent for the rank and file plebs; they are for the handpicked few.

The analogy works in the world of investing, specifically when it comes to getting in on the early rounds of promising start-ups. Its an exclusive, paid-up members-only club.

In Silicon Valley, for example, you must be a fund of significant size and reputation (or a billionaire) to gain access to the Series A rounds of the next Uber, Palantir, or . Single-digit millionaires need not apply. Riches beget riches.

Here in the UK, the story is a similar one: only a small cadre of venture capitalists and well-heeled individuals tend to see the pitch decks of the best new, innovative growth businesses.

So, its a bit of a head-scratcher that shares of Ltd ()findthemself friendless at this point.

The AIM-listed investment firm is chaired by Lorne Abony, the Canadian serial entrepreneur, while his predecessor was Jim Mellon, the UK mining magnate.

FastForward has been given all-areas access to some exciting early-stage innovators and has holdings in nine businesses in the fintech, ed-tech, life sciences and cannabis sectors.

The net asset value (NAV) of these stakes has grown to 20mln, or 12.63p a share, in the last six months yet FastForwards share price has slipped to just 6.05p.

A 50% discount to NAV is an unaccustomed position for the company, which has tended to trade at a premium to its portfolios value.

In January 2018, for instance, the shares were changing hands for 24p, and less than a year ago they were marking time at 12p.

Its quite an unusual thing to be trading so far below NAV, especially with the assets we have, which tend to increase year on year [in value], said director Ed McDermott.

Two investments that have done particularly well are EMMAC, a cannabis company co-founded by former investment banker McDermott, and Juvenescence, a biotech incubator focused on human longevity.

The most recent fundraising for the latter provided a 58% valuation uplift.

EMMAC, meanwhile, has issued a loan note that could convert into equity at 62.5p a share more than double the 30p FastForward bought in at.

None of this seems to have been recognised by the market, though it should be noted it has been a rough year for companies listed on Londons junior market with Brexit and the recent general election exerting a huge drag.

Wed like to see a little more liquidity within the portfolio of assets, said McDermott, setting the scene for 2020.

2019 was a period of building up towards that. We could see three IPOs [initial public offerings] next year, maybe more.

Listing a business on the stock market via an IPO provides an opportunity for FastForward to realise value.

The cash it then receives can be reinvested in new opportunities, though there may even be scope for a pay-out, according to McDermott. Should we get a liquidity event then we are of the mind we would look potentially towards dividends.

Hopefully, the thumping victory at the polls of pro-business candidate Boris Johnson will settle nerves. Next year should be about value realisation.

We dont know what 2020 holds in terms of the market, but whatever your view, the Conservatives are much more business-friendly. That provides more confidence for anything that might float on this side of the pond, McDermott. We are quietly confident.

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FastForward Innovations heading into 2020 with confidence - Proactive Investors UK

Chinas farside moon rover Yutu 2, part of the nations Change 4 mission, broke the longevity record for staying on the moons surface.

China Global Television Network (CGTN) previously said that the human-machine rolled by the recent record set by Lunokhod 1 rover of the Soviet Union.

Lunokhod 1 was the remote-controlled pioneer moving the robot to make a landing on another planet, operating in the sea of rains starting on November 17, 1970. Lunokhod 1 missions stopped officially about 10.5 months after on October 4, 1971. It was the 14th Sputnik 1 launch anniversary, which was the first ever-manmade satellite.

Lunokhod 1 went for 6.5 miles, which is equivalent to 10.5 kilometers on the moon surface and returned to Earth more than 20,000TV pictures and not less than 200 TV panoramas.

Yutu 2 has been on the lunar surface for a period of more than 11 months since January 3, 2019.

The rover is among Chinas Change 4 mission that includes a stationary lander. The two touched down on the surface of the 110-mile wide Von Karman Crater that lies within the Aitken Basin South pole.

CGTN reported that Yutu -2 would keep on working on the lunar surface.

Early this month, Yutu-2 and the Change 4 landers completed their work for the 12th lunar day, resetting to the dormant mode for the moon night, said the Moon Exploration and Space Program Center of the China National Space Administration (CNSA). It would take the moon about 29 days to finish one rotation on its own axis, so it is safe to say the one lunar day is equivalent to one month here on earth.

CNSA officials noted that meanwhile, the rover had traveled over 1,132 feet equivalent to 345 meters of traveling.

The record of Yutu 2 applies to surface craft only; many lunar orbiters have worked for longer. For instance, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter of NASA launched in June 2009 is still moving on strong.

The center said that the controllers on the ground built a driving route for the wheeled rover to enable it to conduct a scientific detection of the depth of the effect cater and the supply of the ejecta. The center added that the Yutu 2rover was required to bring them more surprises and scientific discoveries.

It is believed that the rover has traveled for not less than 285meters on the surface of the moon to carry on scientific exploration on the virgin territory.

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The Farside Moon Rover of China Breaks Moon Longevity Record - Instanews247

Artistic expression aims to do one of three things: normalize, distract or inform.Landscape with the Fall of Icaruspreaches the ubiquity of failure,The Persistence Of Memory arrests its audience with color and distortion, and The Wounded Deer explores the pleasure and poison of theology withpedagogicalstrangeness.

The value of pretty things goes beyond ontology, however. According to new research published Wednesday in the BMJ journal,those who frequent galleries, museums, and operas a few times a month or more decrease their risk of dying early by 31%, compared to those that do not.

While other health behaviors like smoking, alcohol, and exercise are undoubtedly bigger predictors of mortality, these leisure and pleasure activities that people dont think as a health-related activity do support good health and longevity,said Daisy Fancourt, an associate professor at UCLs Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health, and an author of the new study.If this (study) is added to the larger body of evidence, we are getting an increasingly rich picture on how arts can benefit health and its not about one single outcome. It can have wide-ranging benefits and support healthier lives lived longer.

The researchers began stitching their thesis together after reviewing a previously published study on aging comprised of over 6,000 English adults, 50 years of age or older.

Over the course of the first leg of the study, participants were polled on how often they attended artistic institutions. After all of the responses were submitted,the researchers from University College London conducted a follow-up study 14 years later, using The National Health Service of the United Kingdom in order to determine how many participants had died since the completion of the first analysis.Not only did engaging in artistic activities every few months or more yield a 31% risk decrease for early mortality, those that visited a gallery, museum or theater once or twice a year were additionally 14% less likely to die at an early age. From the report:

Part of the association is attributable to differences in socioeconomic status among those who do and do not engage in the arts, which aligns with research that suggests engagement in cultural activities is socially patterned.Receptive arts engagement could have a protective association with longevity in older adults. This association might be partly explained by differences in cognition, mental health, and physical activity among those who do and do not engage in the arts, but remains even when the model is adjusted for these factors.

Ultimately, socioeconomic factors accounted for 9% of the mortality correlation. Although mental health, mobility, and civic engagement had small roles to play in surging statistics, no independent component proved to be quite as material as the culture correlate that inspired the paper.

Art seemed to set off a therapeutic chain reaction. Those that reveled in it with any sort of regularity evidenced lower levels of stress, higher levels of ingenuity, adaptability and tended to report enjoying a robust social life. The authors also observed a greater sense of purpose within this demographic:He who has a why to live for can bear almost anyhow.

Which brings us back to the trinity of expression established in the introduction. I for one am exceedingly grateful for those who bore the minds to preserve bones and antiquities, but I wont try to articulate my gratitude more eloquently than the art historian, Georges Didi-Huberman. He wrote, In each historical object all times encounter one another, bifurcate, or even become entangled with one another.

Whatever the form, things made by human hands cant help but project values and solace. We can all relate to the agony of being, and we can all benefit when its finely expressed.

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Going to museums regularly can have this surprising life benefit - Ladders

Tonight, President Trump is expected to sign the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) at Joint Base Andrews, a defense budget bill totaling a stunning $738 billion. Much attention has been given to the many ways that Democrats lost out on progressive priorities in this bill. The nuclear arms control and disarmament community lost hard-fought battles over issues like the low-yield warhead, and overall spending levels on nuclear weapons systems.

UCSs President Ken Kimmel put out an important statement on these issues, urging members of Congress to vote no on this dangerous bill. But many nuclear weapons-related issues have been flying under the radar, especially those relating to the communities directly impacted by nuclear weapons production and testing. Heres a run-down of the issues nuclear policy wonks might have missed in their analysis of the NDAA.

Runit Dome (Source: US DOD)

The House version of the NDAA included a call for the Secretary of Energy to produce a comprehensive report on the health and environmental impacts of Runit Dome in the Marshall Islands: a massive unlined pit on Runit Island that holds waste and debris from 67 US nuclear tests on the islands, covered by a cracking, leaking concrete dome. The LA Times offers an excellent analysis of this issue.

The required elements of the report largely made it through the conference process intact, but the Senate removed some of the more sweeping provisions. These include a study of the physical health impacts on Pacific Islanders resulting from US nuclear testing activities in the Marshall Islands, and a call for a plan to remove the radioactive contaminants from the dome and relocate them to a more stable location.

For the Marshallese, who for decades have been fighting for proper recognition of the harms to their country and population, as well as adequate compensation, clean-up, and health care access, the call for a comprehensive study as outlined in the original House version would have been a step in the right direction. But the Republic of the Marshall Islands National Nuclear Commission stated: given the Senate-amended version of the bill, its difficult to see how the report would produce any new and useful information beyond what has already been done by the DOE, which has fallen short of satisfying Marshallese concerns.

In addition to working to prevent radiation leaks from the dome, the Marshallese are also fighting for, among other things, adequate studies and clean-up of other islands, proper compensation for health and environmental consequences and tests, and improved access to health care. So the dome itself is really just the tip of the radioactive iceberg. Much more work needs to be done by the US government to address their assault on the Marshallese people with these nuclear tests.

Atomic Veterans are the soldiers that were present at the USs nearly 200 atmospheric tests in the Marshall Islands and Nevada, as well as those that had to clean up the waste left behind from tests. The House version of the NDAA included a provision to create a Medal of Recognition to Atomic Veterans. The provision was taken out in conference and did not make it through to the final bill. This is a terrible shame and, in my opinion, a great sign of disrespect to the thousands of surviving atomic veterans.

In response to this decision, Keith Kiefer, National Commander of the National Association of Atomic Veterans, stated:

The National Association of Atomic Veterans has long said The Atomic Veterans seek no special favor, simply justice.

The most current Atomic Veteran count from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) sits at 550,000 individuals. Until 1996 these individuals were under an oath of secrecy, not being able to talk with their doctor or family members without risking imprisonment and/or civil fines. These individuals were left to suffer in silence. The Atomic Veteran was used in various roles of support, study of the physical, psychological and readiness effect(s) when using nuclear weapons. None of these men were given informed consent while participating in these activities.

If nuclear weapons were like conventional weapons, many of these veterans would have had evidence of physical injury and be eligible for a purple heart medal. Moreover, were it not for the oath of secrecy these veterans would have received service medals while still in the service. Most of these veterans longevity and quality of life have been shortened. Creation of and issuing an Atomic Veteran Service Medal would correct the injustice of not recognizing the sacrifice and contributions these veterans have made on behalf of the country. Of equal importance to the families whose veteran is no longer with us, is the recognition that their loved ones sacrifice and contributions were not in vain.

Though Congress created a certificate of recognition for Atomic Veterans, many feel that this simply does not carry the same weight as a medal. In seeking a medal of recognition, Atomic Veterans are asking for parity with other veterans that they may receive equal recognition for their sacrifices to their country.

Congress established the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) in 1990 and expanded it in 2000 to provide compensation to people harmed by nuclear atmospheric testing (Downwinders and Atomic Veterans) and uranium workers (miners, millers, core drillers, ore transporters, and remediation workers). Though an important program overall, RECA is severely flawed, largely because many communities directly impacted by testing and uranium mining are left out of the program and therefore ineligible for compensation. These include many regions affected by testing, the veterans who cleaned up atomic waste after tests, and uranium industry employees who worked in facilities after 1971. Legislation has been introduced to address this (H.R. 3783 and S. 947), which many activists in these communities are working hard to support.

The NDAA sought to begin addressing these concerns in two ways:

Currently RECA is set to expire in 2022. H.R. 3783 and S. 947 would extend RECA until 2045; that additional time is sorely needed. Tina Cordova shares: Imagine the Downwinders of New Mexico have been denied access to RECA and the much needed health care coverage for 29 years and now we are facing a sunset provision. Bills have been introduced for 9 years to amend RECA to include the New Mexico Downwinders and yet not a single hearing in the House. Nuclear policy groups should pay attention to this upcoming deadline and support the communities advocating for these bills.

This NDAA authorized roughly $5.5 billion for Defense Environmental Cleanup of nuclear weapons waste sites like Hanford, Los Alamos and Oak Ridge Reservation. This is a roughly $100 million reduction from FY19 NDAA authorization levels. Clean-up budgets should be increasing, not decreasing, because the longer it takes to clean-up these sites, the longer workers and nearby residents are being exposed to dangerous nuclear and hazardous material. The good news is that the Energy + Water Appropriations bills allocate $6.255 billion for Defense Environmental cleanup, well above FY2019 levels.

Whats also notable here is that the $5.5 billion for clean-up represents nearly a quarter of the NDAAs whole discretionary budget for Atomic Energy Defense Activities, including all of weapons activities and non-proliferation. As the United States continues to increase spending on nuclear weapons, it should not forget that cleaning up the waste from the long history of producing weapons remains an extremely costly problem with no reasonable solution in sight, while communities and the environment continue to be poisoned by radioactive, toxic and hazardous pollutants.

Don Hancock notes that the NDAA does include new Senate language to require submission to Congress with the annual Budget Request a report on the costs of meeting legal agreement milestones at sites. The Request never includes sufficient funding, but activists have long advocated for DOE to have to admit to the significant shortfalls in the request.

Congress established the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) in 1988 to provide independent oversight for Department of Energy nuclear facilities to ensure their safety, as well as the safety of the public and workers. Watchdog and grassroots activist groups near nuclear sites have been fighting for over a year to ensure that the DNFSB retains its oversight capabilities. In 2018, the Department of Energy issued Order 140.1, which has the potential to severely constrain the Safety Boards access to information, facilities, documents and personnel.

Activists were glad to see a House provision largely remain in the final bill, which ensures the DNFSB has the full access they need. This is an important win for workers and nearby residents, allowing the Board to carry out its responsibilities to monitor nuclear sites and ensure public safety.

The nuclear policy community is also concerned about the requirement for the NNSA to produce 80 new plutonium pits per year starting in 2030, a significant increase over the current production capacity at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in New Mexico. The new production would take place at expanded LANL facilities and at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. In addition to posing an arms control problem by supporting the production of new warheads in addition to refurbishing existing ones, these programs pose potential risks to the workers and nearby communities.

LANLs pit production program has been shut down many times, most recently from 2013 to 2016, over chronic safety concerns. Even after re-opening, an April 2019 report from the DOE and a November 2019 letter from the DNFSB highlight continuing major safety concerns.

Savannah River Site poses novel risks, as the site has never before produced pits, and is now being required to do so on a very expedited schedule, requiring the repurposing of the partially constructed Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility, at which there were many construction problems. The combination of these issues (not even taking into account clean-up currently taking place at SRS) is a recipe for mistakes and accidents that could put people in harms way. A recent Institute for Defense Analyses report states that the current plan to produce 80 pits per year in the given timeline is extremely challenging, if not impossible, and poses many risks. In fact, they state No available option can be expected to provide 80 ppy [pits per year] by 2030. The DOE has not indicated how it will address this.

For more information on Runit Dome, please contact Rhea Moss-Christian, Chair of the Republic of the Marshall Islands National Nuclear Commission (NNC).For more information on the National Association of Atomic Veterans, contactKeith Kiefer, National Commander. For more information on RECA, contact Tina Cordova, Director, Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium or Joni Arends, Director, Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety. For more information on the nuclear waste clean-up budget or the oversight of nuclear facilities, contact Don Hancock at the Southwest Information and Resource Center. For more information on plutonium pit production, contact Jay Coghlan, Executive Director at Nuclear Watch New Mexico.

Posted in: Nuclear Weapons Tags: atomic veterans, fissile material, marshall islands, ndaa, nuclear weapons, pit production, plutonium, waste clearnup budget

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The Human Side of Nuclear Weapons Issues in the FY20 Defense Bill - All Things Nuclear

The most important book of the year, and actually the most important book of the next eighty-one years, is The Future Is Faster Than You Think by Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler. Diamandis is the creator of the XPRIZE, the Abundance 360 conference, and the worlds leading authority on where the world is going. Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the worlds leading expert on ultimate human performance.

Thereason these books are so important, Kotler explains, is that were going tosee more technological change in the next eighty-one years than weve seen inthe history of mankind. Were looking at a convergence of technologies, whichis going to transform every aspect of our lives, from flying cars to medicineand longevity, from retail to education.

Its comingso quickly that we thought the world needed a roadmap, because this is not atime to be left behind.

Diamandisand Kotler rocked the world with the publishing of their first book, Abundance,in 2012. The message of Abundance is that people with money,technological skills, and a desire to make the world better are using thosegifts to lift the bottom billion out of povertywhile creating new businessmodels that will build new fortunes.

Theirsecond book, Bold, showed readers how to create disruptive,life-transforming companies of their own.

Theirthird book, just launched, demonstrates how the convergence of various newtechnologies is speeding up the rate of change in ways that might have beenunimaginable just a few short years ago.

Each ofthe books, but especially The Future Is Faster Than You Think, presentsa dizzying array of technologies and new companies bringing those newtechnologies to market. The research load for a book like this isenormous.

Kotler isalso the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective, the leadingresearch and training organization decoding the science behind ultimate humanperformance. As a result, he says that he does most of his writing between 4a.m. and 8 a.m. The entire process of writing The Future Is Faster Than YouThink took approximately eighteen months.

One ofthe reasons for the success of the books is the extraordinarily high standardsto which Diamandis and Kotler hold themselves.

I dont consider something a fact, Kotler says, unless I have found three to five independent sources I really trust. Its so easy to go off on tangents or buy into something you see. The bigger challenge is to stick to the facts, which isnt easy when youre writing about things that havent happened yet.

Thebiggest challenge the authors face is the emotional state of the reader.

Peoplefear the future, Kotler says. They are afraid of change. People tend tobelieve that the future is going to be an abundance of bots, and either we get thingsright or human beings will go away.

Writingabout the future in a manner that is both exciting and unthreatening is nosmall undertaking, but the authors pull it off.

One ofthe things people fear most about new technologies is the loss of semi-skilledjobs like long-term truck driving. The authors point out that while these jobswill inevitably go away, it will take more than half a century before all suchpositions are wiped out.

Thefuture they posit isnt just faster than people thinkits also cheaper. Thecost of everything from energy to food to education will drop to near zero,Diamandis and Kotler argue, which means that human beings will be able todevote time and attention to doing things they love instead of simply trying tomeet their daily needs.

Life aswe understand it today, Kotler says, will be all but unrecognizable in a veryshort amount of time. Peter and I wrote The Future Is Faster Than You Think asa manual for understanding the future, diminishing ones fear about it, andhelping people determine how best they want to participate in it.

Werehoping that instead of being afraid of technological change, people willembrace it. A world where you dont have to scrap for a living, withoutdangerous climate change, where the cost of everything important moves towardzerohonestly, whats not to like?

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Steven Kotler: On Writing The Most Important Book Of The Year, And Next Year, And The Year After That - Thrive Global

Pam Sherman, The Suburban Outlaw Published 9:05 a.m. ET Dec. 20, 2019

The Shermans becoming the Shermans, 35 years ago.(Photo: Provided)

Tomorrow we're celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary, though weve been married so long we had todo the math to make sure. My husband is the one who figured it out because Ive lost track.

So many of those years are what I call, the forgotten years. When you are married as long as we've been,the years mostly become a blur, except for the really big milestones like birthing, moving and losing loved ones. But some years arent just fuzzy they draw a total blank.

Like 2006. I have no idea what happened that year. Family-wise, Its as if it doesnt exist at all like the 13th floor in a hotel. Im pretty sure I lived that year, but I couldnt tell you what happened.

Of course, if you think about it, that can help a marriage.All those small, petty fights just disappear as if they never happened. Actually, even the big ones just go away if youve forgotten the whole year.Id like to think those forgotten years were just fine. Those years are likemovie extras: You know they must have a story,but the movie just isnt about them.

Pam Sherman(Photo: Brandon Vick)

They used to designate wedding anniversaries by stones, which I guess you are supposed to give to each other, but my husband never got the anniversary gift memo so basically I get nothing but love.

But thats OK because 35 years is the coral wedding anniversary. While I know that coral is quite beautiful, I think if Ive made it to 35 years I should get something a lot better than coral.

And coral is really just beautiful from afar. Its the trick of the light in the ocean that makes it look that way. Up close, its really just a big chunk of rock that you can cut your feet on if you arent careful. And isnt that a perfect metaphor for a long marriage?

Whenever I tell people we've been married for 35 years (which we like to say really loud and slow, as if pronouncing a criminal sentence), they smile, congratulate us,even applaud us like we are circus animals who have just jumped through a ring of fire.

I think no matter how long your marriage is, there should be applause. Lets start applauding our marriages not for their longevity but for the little things that make up those forgotten years: like making it through a Monday, calendar coordinating, grocery shopping, and falling asleep together actually just sharing a bed at all, given snoring, teeth gnashing, and all sorts of human stuff going on in that bed over time.

In the long run, a marriage is made up of those moments that might have sharp edges and are beautiful both up close and from afar. Moments when you're screaming at each other and moments whenyou're crying in each others arms.And my favorite: the moments when you laugh out loud with each other.

People ask me the secret to our marriage. There is no secret its merely a choice.The choice to stay because you chose to start. The choice to commit to each other, not unconditionally but with generosity, patience and good humor. And most of all, the choice to fall in love over and over again through the course of a lifetime.

Of course, I do tell my husband my job is to keep him on his toes, and his is to sweep me off my feet even if they get cut on the coral of life whilehes doing it.

Happy holidays to all!

Find the Suburban Outlaw at thepamsherman.com and onFacebook,Twitterand Instagram at ThePamSherman.

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Here's how I answer when people ask the secret to a 35-year marriage - Democrat & Chronicle

Last week, Janet Kalczynski stepped down from her job as a payroll specialist at Dearborn Heights City Hall.

Big deal, you say? It is, when you realize that 6045 Fenton became her work address when Melanies Brand New Key topped the charts at legendary Detroit/Windsor radio powerhouse CKLW, and this newspaper was called the Dearborn Heights Leader.

Kalczynski was all of 20 years of age when her city career began on Dec. 15, 1971. Her first job, a bookkeeper for then-City Treasurer James Greenlaw, came with an annual salary of $7.687. After a few years, she crossed the hall to the Comptrollers Office, where she spent the bulk of her 48 years of employment.

While its on trend to job jump in todays society, Kalczynski who has worked with all eight Dearborn Heights mayors credits her longevity to her true love of her job and the people with whom shes worked.

My bosses were bosses and you have to answer to them, but everyone has always been so nice here and its always been a team effort, she said. Its hard to go away because of the camaraderie.

Kalczynski daughter of the late city councilman Tom Wayne, and wife of retired firefighter Larry Kalczynski attended Schoolcraft College in a short-lived pursuit of a law enforcement degree something unheard of back then. She had been working for Michigan Bell when she became aware of the job opening at City Hall.

My dad knew about the opening and it interested me, she said. Back then, the job requirements werent that stringent. You didnt need to take a testthings have obviously changed since then, but Ive loved every minute Ive been here.

One of her bosses, now-retired Comptroller Don Barrow, said her infectious laugh and work ethic come immediately to mind when he thinks about Kalczynski.

Janet's bubbly personality always made it a pleasure to come to work. She was dedicated to her job as much as she was to her family, Barrow said. The City of Dearborn Heights will surely miss this gem of an employee.

A Divine Child graduate, the former Janet Wayne began her time with the city using pencils, paper, and typewriters, and left immersed in the digital world, using software technology that dramatically cut task completion times.

Janets career is remarkable, said Human Resources Department Director Elisabeth Sobota-Perry. In 1971, women working full-time wasnt as common as it is now. Janet married an eventual firefighter, raised a family, juggled it all, and is able to retire on her own terms.

Kalczynski is always positive, happy, and very generous, Sobota-Perry added, and is a role model for newer, younger employees.

It should be noted that retirement is a foreign concept to the 68-year-old mother of three and grandmother of five. She will remain a part of the city workforce, this time in a part-time capacity, as she transitions to shelving books at Caroline Kennedy Library.

When you go to work, make it a job you dont mind getting up in the morning for. Get up, get in there, and get to work, Kalczynski said when asked her advice for young people entering the workforce. Yes, youre going to have bad days and chaos, but when all is said and done, youll have a great sense of accomplishment that makes you feel good about yourself.

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Shonen, like many of the most popular genres in manga and anime, is one that can seem overstuffed with copycats.Dragon Ball Z's winning formula for longevity has a lot to answer for: over-powered, wide-eyed heroes who fight for the fun of it; tournament arcs; pointless power levels; reincarnations and a lot of shouting out the names of super-powered martial arts moves. Those that adore all this will put up with the repetition, largely for the sake of comfort viewing, and will argue that any perceived staleness is endemic to most popular genres of any entertainment.

But the sheer dominance of shonen means that its cookie-cutter nature is far more pronounced than others, as the industry behind it prioritizes safe, sure-fire hits than riskier creative ventures. Luckily, one of this year's biggest new anime releases,Dr. Stone, has been immune to this.

RELATED:Dr. Stone Lifts the Lid on Senku's Strange Connection to Ishigami Village

In a year whereBlack Clover,Fire ForceandThe Rising of The Sheild Herofail to add anything particularly new or noteworthy to the medium,Dr. Stoneis in better company amongst more exciting titles, like the historical epic,Vinland Saga and Mob Psycho 100 II, the creator ofOne-Punch Man's arguably superior twist on superheroes. Not to be forgotten in this breath is the second half of the third season ofAttack on Titan, which brought seismic revelations to Hajime Isayama's darkly political fantasy world in 2019. WhileDr. Stonehasn't achieved the breakout success ofAttack on Titan, the two are surprisingly comparable in their fresh feel and ideas they bring to shonen.

On the surface, the standard "teenagers save the world" premise is present in both series, as it is in the YA dystopian niche of storytelling that they could both technically be categorized within. To that point, both hook you in right away with a post-apocalyptic mystery at their core; mysteries that changed the course of human history. InAttack on Titan, that mystery is how humanity came to be trapped within a walled city surrounded by strange, man-eating giants.

InDr. Stone, the mystery is how humanity became trapped within stone husks, unable to reawaken for thousands of years. Their worlds are both futuristic and period-set at once, with antiquated technology and barbaric, kill-or-be-killed societies -- encasing a sci-fi engine within a setting typical of most fantasies. While both of their leading men strive towards great things, as any typical shonen hero does, their aims aren't as simple as just being the "best."

The goal in each is survival in the harshest environments.Attack on Titan's heroes are forced to do battle against the monsters that wander their limited world beyond the walls or defend the world within against the odd breach in their defenses; monsters that won't just kill them, but ingest them whole. Older generations are content to exist in a cramped but comfortable cage -- particularly those higher up in the societal order -- but the younger ones feel stifled by it, so much so that their thirst to explore and push their enemies back becomes an all-consuming one.

For Dr. Stone's newly-awakened characters, the change from 21st-century life to that of a brand new Stone Age is, to put it mildly, as much a shock to the system as seeing a colossal, humanoid head appearing over a hundred-foot wall is. Luckily, Senku, the story's central protagonist, is a scientific prodigy with an insatiable love of learning, making it his mission to bring the world back up to speed with the two million years of human advancement that were lost. This begins with things as rudimentary as clothing for warmth and flint for weapons to hunt for food, and gradually turns into glass-blowing and electricity generation. His quarrel with his rival, Tsukasa, is also a moral rather than a physical one: one wants to resurrect all of humanity indiscriminately while the other favors selecting only the youngest and strongest to rebuild a "better" world.Attack on Titanis riddled with its own tangled racial politics, but the less said about those the better before we head into both ethically and spoilery waters.

This is whereDr. Stonehas the edge onAttack on Titanin terms of the masterful way it localizes its stakes without losing any of their impact -- and why it's such a breath of fresh air in shonen. Fictional global catastrophes often fall flat when it comes to generating tension from audiences because they're simply too unimaginable for us to relate to. InAvengers: Infinity War, the loss of half of all life in the universe at the snap of Thanos' fingers was only relatable through the visible loss of characters we'd come to care about.Attack on Titanemploys a similar tactic to ground its sweeping scope with a gruesomely trigger-happy attitude towards key characters that would make G.R.R. Martin want to take notes.

RELATED:Dr. Stone's Riichiro Inagaki & Boichi Share Secrets of Shonen Jump Success

Dr. Stonecan create a similar level of tension by simply having Senku and his friends fetch a single, dangerous ingredient for one of his inventions. Though there are human enemies, the first season revolves mainly around the ultimate battle: man vs. nature, particularly, to make anotherGame of Thrones reference, with winter coming. In a way,Dr. Stonecould actually be better classified as a slice of life anime disguising itself as a sci-fi/shonen adventure: the challenges Senku faces are rooted in the everyday, elevated in difficulty by the constraints of his environment.

Though slightly less the case withAttack on Titan, both series' also prize intelligence and curiosity over action to make their storytelling truly scintillating rather than a visceral but throwaway affair. This is particularly true of the earlier parts of Isayama'sAttack on Titanmanga where even he would admit his art was still a bit rough around the edges. (The action sequences in the anime, however, are far from it.) What truly makes themactualsci-fi stories rather than sci-fi-adjacent stories -- as, say,Star Warsis -- is that they're concept-driven, while their world-building is both expansive yet meticulous. This world-building is also adjustably scalable within different phases of the two series' stories: claustrophobically small or tantalizingly big when it needs to be.

Dr. Stoneshould also be separately distinguished for slipping real science into the ears of those who thought they were tuning into a shonen spin onTarzan. LikeCells At WorkandFood Wars!,Dr. Stoneis just the latest in a line of secretly educational programming in anime. And above all else, it's just damn good fun to watch. How many stories set in the aftermath of a worldwide human disaster can you say that about?

New episodes of Dr. Stone air every Saturday night as part of Adult Swim's Toonami block. Season 1 is available to watch on Crunchyroll and Funimation.Attack on Titanwill return for a fourth season in fall 2020, though the show's exact release date is unknown at this time. It remains to be seen whether Season 4 will be split into two halves.

KEEP READING:Attack on Titan Is Secretly the Biggest Mecha Anime of the Decade

Guardians of the Galaxy: [SPOILER] Isn't Dead After All

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As we learn more about the diverse value of AI today, we envision self-driving cars and robots put to use to improve our human lives. Yet animal welfare is another valuable area of application to appreciate. Animal farming is becoming a data-centric business. AI in animal husbandry is used for raising animals for meat, fiber, milk, eggs and other products. With AI, providing day-to-day care and raising livestock has become easier for animal farmers. For example, farmers are making use of wearable AI devices to collect real-time data about them to make necessary decisions. The wearables are helping farmers to get important alerts like when their animals are sick, when they should be vaccinated and when they are ready for insemination. There are numerous ways that AI and machine-learning algorithms are now used to benefit the animal husbandry industry.

How farmers can leverage the use of AI in animal husbandry

The core focus of a farmer in animal husbandry is to improve animal welfare, improve the efficiency of end products and create better production monitoring. Lets explore how AI in animal husbandry helps to achieve these objectives.

Allerin

AI in Dairy Farm Barns

Milk production per cow is a metric that is well tracked in a dairy farm, but there are bigger questions that need to be asked to maintain the production levels. The feed is the most important factor that affects the production level of a cow. AI systems can provide accurate monitoring of the amount of feed that is provided to the cow and help to increase the production level. For example, theres an application that uses a motion-sensing device to transmit the movement of the cow to an AI-driven system. The sensor data, when aligned with real-world behavior, can help the AI system detect when the cow is walking, drinking or eating. Small dairy barns can be easily taken care of, but when it comes to huge barns, it becomes impossible to keep up with every cow on an individual basis. With facial recognition, AI can help identify each cow uniquely. Unique identification of cows helps farmers provide better treatment to the cows.

AI in Meat Farming

Meat is a major source of dietary protein around the world. Cattle, sheep, pigs and goats are the main species involved in consumption as meat. Pigs can produce up to 11 piglets a year. Based on the numbers tattooed on the flanks of the pigs, AI systems can monitor vulnerable piglets for squeals of distress. An AI system is also being used to recognize facial expressions to detect if a sheep is in pain. The seriousness of the pain can also be determined by the system. The AI system detects different parts of a sheeps face and compares them with standardized facial patterns provided by veterinarians to diagnose the pain.

Robots can be used to debone an animal to optimize the amount of meat produced. A robot can analyze the difference between the density of the meat and bone, thereby making the most accurate cut possible.

AI in Poultry Farming

Like humans, even animals suffer from nutritional deficiencies. AI machines can help identify the decreased growth of a chicken. The machines can be trained to differentiate between healthy and infected chickens. AI-enabled robots can help poultry farmers in many ways. Robots can do repetitive work like feeding birds, collecting eggs and removing manure. Tasks like collecting, counting and packing eggs are becoming completely automated, reducing the need for close supervision by humans. Another task that a robot can perform is shifting a hatched chick from a broiler shed to the layer shed. Robots can also keep the birds moving for an added health benefit. Thus, a robot can perform various duties for poultry farming and prove to be a cost-saving attribute to the farmers. AI systems can monitor the environment of a shed and adjust conditions accordingly. AI systems can determine the accuracy of fertility in the early stage of incubation. AI can first learn which eggs are fertile and which are not by scanning the eggs, and then algorithms can be created that can determine the accuracy of fertility.

AI in Insect Farming

Edible insects are becoming a growing part of food production because insect farming can help to meet future demand for protein consumption. Bees have been kept in hives and humans have been harvesting honey for a long time. Sensors can be incorporated in hives to monitor hive weight, temperature and humidity. AI systems have been developed that can track the sound waves made by a swarm of bees and can anticipate future changes to the swarm. With the help of anticipation, a beekeeper can plan for the swarm changes ahead of time. Insects such ascrickets like it hot (90F) and humid (50-90%) and need different temperatures and humidity over their lifetimes. AI systems that allow artificial environmental changes with voice commands can be useful in growing insects like crickets. The AI system can provide features like analytics on smartphones, and alerts for temperature increases. Detecting the perfect breeding time can be achieved through AI monitoring. Companies in China are breeding 6 billion cockroaches a year with the use of 80 different types of big data being collected by AI systems. The cockroaches are then used as an ingredient for medicine that cures stomachaches and other ailments.

AI in Aquaculture

Fish are being depleted faster than they can be generated. The use of AI in aquaculture provides actionable insights to optimize the expenses on fish farms. Fish farms provide half of all the fish for human consumption. Free-floating aquapods are used for farming fish. The aquapods can accommodate thousands of fish. However, what happens when the aquapods need repair? To repair the aquapod manually is a time-consuming task. However, robots can complete the task of repairing aquapods in a safer and more cost-effective way. Underwater robots can easily examine and repair the nets of aquapods. Drones can provide applications for aquaculture both above and beneath the water. Monitoring offshore fish farms and inspecting underwater nets for damage and holes can be easily done by drones. Drones can also provide fish stock information and track environmental changes.

Sensors can be used in aquaculture to collect data such as oxygen levels, pH, salinity and pollution level of water. Detection of the hunger level of the fish by sensors can help farmers or even robots to feed them accordingly. Automated recirculation systems can circulate the water according to the information collected by sensors.

The consumption of animals and animal goods is increasing. The increased demand can be fulfilled by increasing the productivity and longevity of the animals. Therefore, the animal healthcare market size is demonstrating tremendous growth. The animal healthcare market size is expected to grow up to $69.44 billion by 2026, with a CAGR of 5%.

AI in animal husbandry can help detect symptoms of any disease in animals by monitoring the daily behavior of the animal. For example, a drone can be used to collect images of the animal throughout the day. The images can then be fed into the AI machine to determine any behavioral changes. AI can help recognize a disease at an early stage and help provide better treatment to the animal. Thus, AI is not only improving the health of humans, its also helping improve the medication and health services provided to animals.

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Moo-ving The Animal Husbandry Industry Forward With AI - Forbes

Of all the national holidays we celebrate, Christmas is the most ancient, pre-dating our American genesis by about 14 centuries as a Christian celebration. Some of the associated lore goes back nearly another millennia as part of the Roman winter solstice festival of Saturnalia.

Longevity adds a distinct weight to Christmas; it's the singular season during which we sing songs, read verse and prose, and carry on customs from hundreds and hundreds of years ago.

The world has changed immensely since America's inception in the 18th century. We can scarcely conceive the true magnitude of its changes delving back five and 10 times further into human history. Life at the time of the Christ-child's birth is essentially beyond our imagination.

Christmas is old and resilient, and also uniquely transcendent in a geopolitical sense. For more than two billion people across 160 countries, it's the signature holiday and/or holy day of the year.

Given the enormity of its proportions, religiously and culturally, it's natural to view Christmas through a grotesquely oversized "big deal" lens. Besides being the consummate event at the core of the world's largest religion, it is master of the annual almanac. No day has more than 24 hours, but December 25 looms largest by every other measure.

With its trappings and gift traditions, it dominates the retail economy; indeed, nearly every shopping and buying experience in the fourth quarter is "Christmatized." It commands even greater regality in Christian denominations, organizations and churches.

Christmas has ubiquitous awareness and near-universal adoption in the U.S.: 90 percent of Americans will celebrate next Wednesday.

Add all the religious pomp and circumstance to the retail circus and chaotic commotion, and there's not a superlative adjective big enough to accurately describe its predominance.

That's our reality today. There is simply so much to do and be done: decorations to be put up, gifts to be bought and wrapped, parties to attend, cards to send, dinners to be made, families to visit. From musical presentations and theatrical productions to parades and lighting displays to work functions and church services, there's hardly a spare moment to give--or think.

But we need a little thought this Christmas, perhaps more this year than in many recently past. We need to remember not only what Christmas was at its start, but how it unfolded.

Whether you believe in the divinity of the Nativity or not doesn't change the details of its story, and the accompanying significance of those particulars.

The notion of God sending a Messiah to Earth via a poor couple in a stable runs counter to every "big deal" instinct of our consumerist consciousness and social hierarchy today. The point that Christmas first came to the "have nots" is a lost fact that desperately needs resurrection.

There were important places and people back at that time. The Jewish temple in Jerusalem was imposing and revered; religious officials were pious and ceremonial and held in high esteem. The Roman Empire erected palaces from whence it ruled and taxed the people, and magistrates and consuls wielded significant power and influence.

Yet it's revelatory and telling that in the story of the first Christmas, the good news of great joy to all wasn't channeled through a high priest or Caesar. On the contrary, it was proclaimed by word of mouth starting with lowly shepherds, who were arguably near the lowest rung of society in those parts.

In the beginning, Christmas circumvented the rich and famous and powerful. It's a story of ordinary people, in less than optimum conditions, dealing with stressful situations but still rising to the occasion. The faithful understand that stripping away of worldly pretense as reflective of our common humanity as creatures of God.

How an event so small and remote and disconnected from the social, religious and political order and structure of the day could wind up eventually eclipsing it does seem, well, miraculous.

There is also an e pluribus unum characteristic of Christmas that endears its spirit to a democratic people. It's one holiday, invitational to all, out of which many can approach, enjoy and share.

Few examples testify to the unifying potential of Christmas more profoundly than the impromptu "truce" among entrenched opposing troops on the western front in the early months of World War I.

Following a Christmas Eve of carol-singing across the lines, some German soldiers rose from their trenches unarmed the next morning, and called out "Merry Christmas" in English. The British, initially wary of trickery, responded in kind and the Great War was put on hold for a few hours while foot-soldiers exchanged gifts and good tidings.

Miracles of the heart can happen anytime, and we never know how far their resulting ripples can reach. Or how deeply they might reverberate across space and time.

Christmas reminds us to pay more attention to them, inspires us to be more open to them. Christmas instructs us to look for them, in keeping with the timeless truth that he who looks will find.

May you seek and find Christmas this year in little places and ways you never expected.

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Dana D. Kelley is a freelance writer from Jonesboro.

Editorial on 12/20/2019

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