Chuck Avery| Special to The Palladium-Item

I see in the news that since the Taliban has regained power in Afghanistan, it has eased its ban on music. I dont pretend to understand the prohibitions of any religion, but forbidding music seems a bit harsh. Of course, the Taliban intends to establish a theocracy,a type of government where there is no separation between religious law and civil law. Our founding fathers felt so strongly that the two should be kept separate that they stated so in the Constitution. A theocracy would be tough for the average American to accept. He prefers suggestions rather than rigidly-enforced commandments. That way he can decide for himself how devout he wants to be.

In conjunction with the Talibans change of heart concerning music was another news story stating that the Indiana state legislature is talking about legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. If the Hoosier state follows the trend set by several of its neighbors, recreational use will not be far behind.

More from Chuck Avery: An uneventful trip to Indy

Throughout history the pattern seems to be consistent:young, developing cultures pass strict, no-nonsense laws. Then, there is a gradual easing of enforcement and, eventually, revocation. For example, all amendments to our Constitution, except one, could be considered mitigations or corrections. (The exception was the 18th or Prohibition Amendment, and it was soon repealed.) Strict rules are sometimes enacted by established governments in times of stress, fear or danger. They are usually followed by repeal, regret and apologies(e.g.Japanese internment during WWII).

When I was a kid, I watched the police arrest our next-door neighbor, Bill, for public profanity. In those days, bread was in short supply. He had seen several loaves behind the counter at the neighborhood grocery and asked to buy one. The owner refused, saying he was holding those for his special customers. Bill told him where he could stick his bread and walked out. The police were waiting when he got home. Decades later, the Supreme Court found that only language that constitutes a threat is illegal. (Watts vs United States, 1969)

The public use of language is one area where our former lawmakers were perhaps too much influenced by religious rules. Some Islamic societies still execute people for blasphemy. Theologians and sociologists contend that those cultures resemble Christian cultures of 400 years ago, when Christians burned witches and tortured Jews.

I also remember the panic in the family when my Uncle Charley was arrested and jailed for gambling. During the day, Charley worked for the county highway department, but at night he was the houseman for a local service club. In the years since, Indiana and other states saw the money Nevada was raking in by legalizing and taxing gambling, and one by one, each state followed suit. Today gaming, including betting on sports, is advertised on national television. Likewise, our attitude toward the sin of unwed motherhood has turned 180 degrees, along with societys view of homosexuality.

Most tragic were and often still are harsh laws and mandatory sentences for drug use or possession. Fortunately, legislatures and law enforcement agents are realizing that we have packed the prisons nearly 50% of prisoners were sentenced for violating drug laws and saddled thousands with felony records for what is, in most cases, a tragic dependency. Overall, drug laws may have ruined more lives and done more harm to the social structure than the drugs themselves.

With time, fear subsides, rationality prevails and we try to correct our mistakes, but its a never-ending process.

Email Chuck Avery at charlesravery@gmail.com.

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Chuck Avery: The evolution of sin and crime - Palladium-Item

Image source: Discovery Institute.

If there were no God, and no purpose to existence, could we rationally expect a cosmic home like ours a universe with a beginning, ultra-finely tuned for life, with living beings far surpassing in sophistication the most advanced human technology? Not a chance. In a brand new video for PragerU, philosopher of science Stephen Meyer asks, Whats Wrong with Atheism?

Dr. Meyers first video for PragerU, Evolution: Bacteria to Beethoven, has been watched so far by more than a million viewers on YouTube alone, and a total of more than 2.4 million across the Internet. Now we are expanding out with the release ofFIVE NEW VIDEOSwith Meyer, on themes fromReturn of the God Hypothesis.See them all now at IntelligentDesign.org, where you can also take advantage of a free offer a mini-book by Dr. Meyer,Scientific Evidence for a Creator.To join us as the Center for Science & Culture moves into 2022, and maximize your own impact, please go here now to give whatever you can!

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Meyer: What's Wrong with Atheism? - Discovery Institute

Although Santa Fes historic Plaza might have lost its centerpiece the fate of the damaged Soldiers Monument remains uncertain as the city awaits completion of a mediated community reconciliation process the four-century-old adobe Palace of the Governors still anchors the downtown historic district. But inside the national landmark is undergoing the latest in a long series of transformations since its construction as the seat of colonial government for New Spains northern frontier.

Thick-walled white rooms and hallways stand almost empty as various electrical and structural improvements are completed, finishing work for a major project that closed the ancient palacio to the public from August 2018 to June of this year while crews installed a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system and fire safety equipment. The work was prompted in part by a desire to avoid the kind of tragic fires that in recent years befell Brazils Museu Nacional or the Cathdrale Notre-Dame de Paris.

Now the state Department of Cultural Affairs is preparing to ask the Legislature to fund the next phase of an overhaul that is changing how the countrys oldest continuously used public building is presented to some 100,000 visitors in a normal year.

The temporary closure for the equipment installation required the complete removal of exhibits and allowed curators of the History Museum complex, including the 3 1/2 story space opened next door in 2009, to begin rethinking how to interpret the Palace itself as an artifact.

What began in 1610 as earth-and-wood casas reales, or royal buildings, for administering a vast region from the Spanish outpost of Santa Fe, surrounded by Indian tribes, was connected to a military presidio and apparently had two stories until some point in the last half of the 18th century.

The structure has seen various states of ruin and repair under governors who resided there during the Spanish, Mexican and American periods. Historians say Juan Bautista de Anza, the provinces governor from 1778-87, even proposed demolition of the Palace and construction of government buildings on the more defensible south side of the Santa Fe River, in the area known as the Barrio de Analco.

Lew Wallace, who took up residence a century later and completed his novel Ben Hur while serving as territorial governor, pleaded with Congress for money to renovate the old Palace, which about that time was Americanized with Victorian touches that included addition of a balustrade along the roof of the portal facing the Plaza. A post office and a bank occupied rooms in the buildings west end.

In addition to its changing appearances, the building has had a variety of uses over the centuries, including executive, legislative, diplomatic, commercial, archival and penal, among others. It even was part of a multistory pueblo that Native New Mexicans constructed after they sacked the building while forcing Spaniards out of Northern New Mexico for 12 years in the late 17th century.

But beginning in 1909, it began functioning as a museum. Thats when the territorial legislature was convinced it should become the home of the nascent Museum of New Mexico to promote pride in the territorys colorful past.

Archaeologist and photographer Jesse Nusbaum oversaw substantial renovations to the Palace, including fashioning the existing portal in what he decided is a Spanish Colonial look, one that became the model for Santa Fe Style. Historical archaeologist Emily Abbink later wrote that Nusbaums vision was based more on nostalgia for the past than on careful historical research.

Current History Museum Director Buddy Garrett said recently close to $500,000 will be requested from the New Mexico Legislature for fiscal year 2023 to finish rooms, repair exterior plaster and such items as wood work on windows and doors.

As for the following phase, deciding how the rooms will eventually be used, he said, We are still in the process of exploring different types of approaches.

He said now-dismantled period rooms, which were intended to represent how spaces in the Palace might have been furnished at certain documented points in its history, wont be part of the plan. One of the problems that we have when we are doing interpretive work on a building more than 400 years old, he said, is what period do you pick?

The only long-term exhibit put in place when the Palace reopened in June is called Palace Seen and Unseen, a series of wall panels in some rooms that feature items found during archaeological digs and references to documentary records intended to guide visitors through the numerous changes that occurred at the Palace through the centuries.

Former museum director Frances Levine has noted that, As a National Historic Landmark, the Palace stands beside other great symbols of U.S. history Paul Reveres home, Mount Vernon, and Monticello. Each U.S. landmark reminds visitors of the events and people who played a role in developing this nation.

As for what happens with the 152-year-old monument to Civil War soldiers across the street on the Plaza, itself also a designated National Historic Landmark, its unclear whether the obelisk will be restored or what happens now that its top was pulled over by vandals apparently protesting the fact that an inscription on one side of its base once included a reference to savage Indians.

If it cant be fixed (historian Marc Simmons speculated the stone came from the same quarry used to build Santa Fes cathedral), it wouldnt be the first centerpiece to disappear from our town square. Historians Janet Lecompte and Joseph P. Sanchez wrote an 1820s resident of the Palace, Gov. Antonio Narbona, built a rock sundial on an adobe base about 8 feet high in the center of the Plaza as trade on the Santa Fe Trail was starting to bring major changes to the city.

They wrote: The sundial bore a Latin inscription, Vita fugit sicut umbra (Life flees like a shadow), and like a shadow, it disappeared before 1832, probably knocked down by traders wagons.

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Transformation at Palace of the Governors marks an evolution - Santa Fe New Mexican

Robotics has come a long way, from being a story to a reality

Karel Capek, a Czech writer, was the first individual to mention the word robot in his fictional play. The story revolved around a company, which was depicted to have gained immense popularity after starting the manufacture of workers, i.e., robots in large numbers. These so-called workers performed every activity that the humans could not, while all they lacked was emotions. Since then, the imagination has come a long way where we are now witnessing AI-driven autonomous machines receiving citizenships as digital humans.

Over the years, robots have turned into more than just science fiction portrayals and elements of entertainment in action movies. It is safe to say that we would not be able to enjoy many of our modern-day conveniences without robotics and automation. The advancements in robotics have simplified several labor-intensive industrial procedures while maintaining efficiency and authenticity in the products and services.

The use of robots was initially implemented in 1961 in the industrial sector to unload parts in a die-casting facility. After 20 years, the Japanese manufacturers built new designs to introduce robotic production lines. Over the years, robotics and artificial intelligence have made a quantum jump. Industrial evolution has made new advances in the area of science and technology. This was also the time when the study of robotics was introduced to understand its usage and applications. The industry also carved out laws of robotics to prevent the misuse of this technology.

Nowadays, automated machines are made to perform repetitive tasks and are extensively used in manufacturing, maritime exploration, space exploration, military, and commercialized agriculture. Recent developments in this field have led to the invention of software that is capable of preventing identity theft, producing relevant content for the different search queries in search engines, and cracking ciphers for the FBI.

Businesses are prone to use sentiment analysis software to get a detailed look into the public opinions on products and services. This helps businesses market better to consumers. It also keeps the business leaders in the know regarding negative feedback so that they can respond swiftly to minimize damage.

Automated robots are expected to become more commonplace outside of their use in industries and businesses. Innovations in technologies like self-driven cars will also become a big stake in the future.

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The Evolution of Robotics- The Story Behind and it's Future - Analytics Insight

A year ago, many were hoping the pandemic would soon be over but then came alpha, delta and omicron

By Michael Le Page

A sign in Hounslow, London, in June 2021

James Veysey/Shutterstock

What a year it has been. In December 2020, the first vaccination campaigns were just getting under way in high-income countries, leading many to hope that life would soon get back to normal. Now a growing number of countries are reimposing restrictions as cases soar to the highest levels since the pandemic began.

The reason for this is, in a word, evolution. The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has been spreading largely unchecked through most of the 7 billion people on this planet, giving it countless opportunities to evolve.

The virus has been changing right from the beginning. All but one of the variants that caused us the most grief during 2021 actually appeared in 2020. They were waiting in the wings months before the vaccines began to roll out.

The first of these was beta, which gradually evolved in the Eastern Cape in South Africa in the second half of 2020. Beta could dodge prior immunity to some extent, and it caused a second wave of cases in the region that peaked in January 2021. Beta spread worldwide but didnt cause major waves in most other countries, probably because other variants had got there first.

In December 2020, the UK sounded the alarm about alpha, first spotted in Kent in September 2020. It had a bunch of new mutations, and was highly transmissible. We still dont know how it originated but it may have evolved over months in an immunocompromised person.

During the first few months of 2021, alpha caused a big wave of cases in Europe and North America and much of the rest of the world. The main exception was South America, which was instead grappling with gamma, a variant that is thought to have evolved in Brazil in late 2020.

In April 2021, India was hit hard by delta, first detected there in October 2020. For a while, hospitals were overwhelmed.

It soon became clear that delta was even more transmissible than alpha, in addition to having some immune evasion. It spread worldwide, causing another big wave of cases in North America and Europe, and to a lesser extent in the rest of the world. That wave subsided in some regions, but as the northern winter began, case numbers began to climb again.

As delta spread, it outcompeted all other variants. For instance, zeta was a variant of interest that caused quite a few cases in South America and spread to at least 44 countries, but it hasnt been detected since October 2021.

For a while, it seemed that delta would drive all other variants to extinction, and that all future variants would be variants of delta. But then, seemingly out of nowhere, came omicron. It was first detected early in November and has spread with astonishing speed.

We now effectively have two pandemics happening in parallel, with levels of delta remaining high even as omicron spreads. It isnt clear yet whether omicron will replace delta or if both viruses will continue to circulate, giving rise to yet more variants.

What appears clear is that 2022 is going to begin with a massive global wave of covid-19, and there is every reason to think there will be yet more dangerous variants after omicron.

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The year of coronavirus variants: How evolution tormented us in 2021 - New Scientist

Abstract

Iron is an irreplaceable component of proteins and enzyme systems required for life. This need for iron is a well-characterized evolutionary mechanism for genetic selection. However, there is limited consideration of how iron bioavailability, initially determined by planetary accretion but fluctuating considerably at global scale over geological time frames, has shaped the biosphere. We describe influences of iron on planetary habitability from formation events >4 Gya and initiation of biochemistry from geochemistry through oxygenation of the atmosphere to current hostpathogen dynamics. By determining the iron and transition element distribution within the terrestrial planets, planetary core formation is a constraint on both the crustal composition and the longevity of surface water, hence a planets habitability. As such, stellar compositions, combined with metallic core-mass fraction, may be an observable characteristic of exoplanets that relates to their ability to support life. On Earth, the stepwise rise of atmospheric oxygen effectively removed gigatons of soluble ferrous iron from habitats, generating evolutionary pressures. Phagocytic, infectious, and symbiotic behaviors, dating from around the Great Oxygenation Event, refocused iron acquisition onto biotic sources, while eukaryotic multicellularity allows iron recycling within an organism. These developments allow life to more efficiently utilize a scarce but vital nutrient. Initiation of terrestrial life benefitted from the biochemical properties of abundant mantle/crustal iron, but the subsequent loss of iron bioavailability may have been an equally important driver of compensatory diversity. This latter concept may have relevance for the predicted future increase in iron deficiency across the food chain caused by elevated atmospheric CO2.

A planets suitability to sustain life is the combination of a number of chemical and physical characteristics, including planetary size and stellar metallicity. Among these is the requirement for the presence of liquid water and hence, the planets position in the circumstellar habitable zone. The initial development of life on Earth is also linked to iron. Cells utilize iron in numerous and highly conserved processes, including DNA replication, intermediate metabolism, and gene expression, exploiting the chemical properties of iron that facilitate redox reactions and bond formation in multiple orientations (13). That iron plays such a fundamental role across the gamut of biology suggests that its utilization is ancestral and hence, may reflect environmental conditions at the initiation of life (4).

The composition of the terrestrial planets reflects that of their undifferentiated meteorite building blocks, with their rocky mantles all exhibiting broadly similar ratios of the refractory rock-forming elements. Of these, it is iron that exhibits the greatest range in mantle abundance across the terrestrial bodies, ranging from below 3 wt % FeO in the mantle of Mercury to greater than 18 wt % in that of Mars (5). Furthermore, of the major rock-forming elements (Mg, Al, Ti, Ca, Si, and Fe), it is only iron that exhibits multiple valence states on the terrestrial surface.

The diverse mantle iron contents of the terrestrial planets arise from the processes accompanying planetary accretion and are set by the prevailing physical and chemical conditions of planetary core formation. Coremantle differentiation initiates after the asteroidal bodies grow to around 10 km in diameter and attain enough mass to retain a significant proportion of the heat derived from short-lived radionuclides, primarily 26Al (with a half-life 700,000 y) and to a lesser extent, 60Fe (6). As accretion progresses, liquid metal segregates from the initially intermixed silicate, aided by the conversion of gravitational energy to heat as the metal percolates to the center of the body. The iron content of the silicate is then determined by the chemical equilibria:Fe(core)+12O2=FeO(mantle).

With core segregation occurring at upper mantle pressures, the majority of the terrestrial mantles iron content is present in the reduced form (Fe2+) (7); the concentration of the more oxidized Fe3+ in silicates is negligible. A planets silicate iron content is, therefore, determined by the prevailing redox conditions of coremantle segregation, which in turn, is primarily inherited from the planets precursor building blocks. As a rule, material that forms in the outer solar system and beyond the distance from the sun at which water ice will sublime (the snow line or frost line) is more oxidized in nature. Addition of water to planetesimal bodies undergoing internal heating and differentiation will inevitably result in the oxidation of iron by both reaction of metallic iron with water and hydrothermal silicate weathering. Indeed, the primitive phyllosilicate-bearing carbonaceous-Ivuna (CI)class of carbonaceous chondrite meteorites contains very little metallic iron, with the majority in the more oxidized Fe3+ form, representing formation in oxidizing, water-rich conditions (8). Recent isotopic evidence from Ru and Mo stable isotopes (9, 10) together with solar system dynamical simulations (11) suggests that the solar system initially possessed solids composed of two distinct compositional and isotopic reservoirs. These comprised a reduced and volatile depleted inner reservoir from which the terrestrial bodies initially formed and a volatile, water-rich outer reservoir formed beyond the snow line and likely physically separated by the early formation of Jupiter. Although the terrestrial bodies initially accreted from locally sourced volatile depleted material, bodies nearer the solar systems snow line, the heliocentric distance at which water vapor condenses to ice, would have received an increased contribution of oxidized material as accretion progressed. For example, the elevated FeO content of the Martian mantle (18 wt % FeO) indicates the planet formed under conditions 10 more oxidizing than those of the Earth (8 wt % FeO) (12), reflecting its proximity to the solar systems paleosnow line. In contrast, Mercury, the closest planet to the sun, possesses mantle iron contents of less than 3 wt % FeO and hence, formed under conditions over 100 more reducing than that of the Earth, reflecting the minimal contribution made by outer solar system material. From the perspective of extrasolar planets, however, these observations imply that beyond a broad observation of planetary bodies becoming increasingly oxidized and volatile rich with distance from their home star, the final iron content of rocky mantles is dependent on the stochastic addition of material at the tail end of a planets accretionary history.

The conditions of coremantle differentiation determine not only the mantle iron abundance but also, the abundance of other redox-sensitive transition elements frequently utilized by life (e.g., V, Cr, Ni, Mo) (13). These alloy-forming elements generally mirror the behavior of iron, such that when compared with Earth, the rocky portions of reduced planets, like Mercury (14), exhibit significant depletions in transition elements (Fig. 1). The surface availability of elements that express redox-sensitive changes in speciation is, therefore, greatly diminished, with S being the only likely abundant candidate. This reduction in transition element abundance potentially contributes to unfavorable conditions for the development of life, as incorporation of such elements in metalloproteins is critical for cellular biochemistry.

The iron content of terrestrial bodies of approximate Mars size reflects the mean redox conditions of core formation (oxygen fugacity, fO2, shown relative to the iron-wstite [FeO] buffer). A Mars-like planet forming under conditions around 10 more oxidizing than the Earth possesses a mantle in excess of double the FeO content. In contrast, a Mercury-like planet forming under conditions 100 more reducing leaves its mantle denuded in FeO (<0.5 Earth) and also, a host of other transition elements (Cr < 0.5 Earth, Ni 0.1 Earth, Mo 0.01 Earth). The arrow represents the upper limit of Mercurys mantle FeO content (14). The model follows ref. 75 and assumes all planets are of Mars mass, with metallic cores fully equilibrating with the mantle at depths of 1/3 of the growing mantle; further details are given in SI Appendix.

The development and/or sustained presence of life on more oxidized planets, such as Mars, may also be problematic despite possessing an abundance of Fe and transition elements. The higher mantle iron content lowers the temperature at which it undergoes melting, leading to both higher melt productivities and magmas that become increasingly iron and aluminum rich. These evolved, iron-bearing magmas, erupted (15) or emplaced (16) onto a wet planetary surface may be assumed to efficiently hydrate, consuming water in the process (17). Assuming efficient loss of hydrogen to space, this process will lead to oxidation of the planetary surface. On Mars, this process very likely led to the rapid sequestration of surface water, away from a potential biosphere, within the first billion years (18). Indeed, observations of xenon isotope fractionation in the Earths Archaean atmosphere suggest that significant hydrogen escape occurred up until the Great Oxygenation Event (GOE) 2.3 Gya (19), which may account for up to an oceans worth of hydrogen being lost to space (20). Importantly, given the young suns lower solar flux (21), the liberation of hydrogen by such hydration reactions appears to be key to generating terrestrial and Martian surface temperatures high enough to sustain liquid water (22). On Earth, metamorphic reactions also play a crucial role in the lubrication of present-day plate tectonics, and it is tempting to speculate that, prior to plate tectonics, the lower iron content of terrestrial rocks may have assisted the retention of water on the Earths surface. Unlike their iron-rich Martian cousins, primitive terrestrial rocks are buoyant once hydrated, with the result that any water contained within is retained close to the Earths surface. When hydrated, Martian basalts are denser than their anhydrous counterparts, such that water may be transferred and sequestered into the Martian interior and irretrievably lost from the surface (18).

The high availability of iron on the very early Earth was likely a key component in the synthesis of biological precursor molecules (23). It has been recently demonstrated that the close proximity of all three (ferric, ferrous, and native) iron species may be key in the abiologic synthesis of a number of biological precursor molecules (24). However, the terrestrial environments where all Fe species coexist are extremely uncommon since at least one end member species must be, at best, metastable at the prevailing redox conditions. One possibility is the oxidation of iron via aqueous alteration at hydrothermal vents. Serpentinization of olivine results in the oxidation of ferrous iron (Fe2+) to ferric (Fe3+) such that, simplistically,2(Fe2+O)(olivine)+H2O(Fe3+2O3)(magnetite)+H2.

Given a sufficient production of hydrogen, reduction of (Fe, Ni)2+ to native metals occurs:(Fe2+O)+3(Ni2+O)+4H2Ni3Fe(awaruite)+4H2O.

Although hydrothermal vents provide potential localities where all three valence states of iron were colocated, the hydrothermal origin for life has been criticized on the grounds of the elevated temperatures and the adverse kinetics of peptide bond formation in dilute aqueous environments (25). Alternatively, the antiquity of the last universal common ancestor) suggests lifes appearance may have coincided with the cessation of the last terrestrial sterilizing event (26), the result of the final significant addition of mass to the Earth around 4 Ga (27). These events potentially seeded the terrestrial surface with meteoritic Fe and phosphides (24) and would have colocated these with atmospheric CO2. By concentrating biological precursors in temperate, ephemeral surface pools (28), a subaerial origin (29) for life potentially overcomes many of the limitations presented by a hydrothermal origin. Such an origin scenario is not, however, without its detractors, not least because the presence of significant subaerial land masses at this point in Earth history is contested. The elevated mantle potential temperature of the Archean Earth and the resultant low lithospheric strength point to subaerial land being rare, or perhaps even absent, prior to 2.5 Ga (30); however, such assumptions are dependent upon the timing and origin of surface water and its volumetric quantity. Unfortunately, evidence is scantthe geological rock record is, unsurprisingly, increasingly patchy with age and contains no Early Archean subaerial rocks. However, it is possible that the chemistry of life and the ubiquity of iron utilization record conditions that have been eroded from the rock record.

Given the abundance of both water-rich planetary bodies and lifes elemental building blocks, it is likely that simple life is common in the universe. However, the Earths transition to complex, multicellular life required it to clear multiple environmental hurdles, not least those presented by temporal changes in elemental abundance. One difficult challenge life faced arose from its initial success exploiting the utilization of abundant soluble Fe and the consequential eventual rise in atmospheric oxygen that caused loss of soluble iron. The GOE marked the initial notable rise of atmospheric oxygen within the rock record, resulting in a marked decrease in surface water iron content. However, the Proterozoic oceans were also likely redox stratified, with deeper waters retaining the broadly ferruginous conditions of the Archaean (31) and the appearance of transient euxinic and sulfur-rich but relatively soluble ironpoor waters (32). The redox stratification and the transient euxinic conditions of deeper waters suggest that the dramatic fall in bioavailable iron in the photic zone, which arose from the GOE (see below), gave impetus to the emergence of biological and metabolic coping strategies that facilitated evolution of complex life.

Fe is a primary cofactor in many of the oxidoreductase enzymes associated with Earths most ancient metabolisms (nitrogenases, hydrogenases, sulfate reduction, methanogenesis, anoxygenic photosynthesis) (33, 34). This is potentially a consequence of the evolution of these metabolisms in an Archaean ocean in which iron was both abundant and soluble, and so, it was relatively bioavailable. Indeed, the Archaean gene expansion was relatively enriched in encoded proteins that bound Fe or Fe-S, which were likely involved in electron transport and energy-generating pathways (35). The more primitive domains of Bacteria and Archaea have a higher incidence of Fe usage in their proteomes when compared with the younger Eukarya (36), which likely reflects the evolution of the latter in a more recent environment in which Fe is poorly bioavailable due to lower solubility in the presence of oxygen (37).

Although the GOE occurred over the interval 2.43 to 2.22 Ga (38) and led to a drop in the solubility of iron in surface ocean water, the more recent Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event (NOE) exacerbated the decrease in soluble iron (Fig. 2). Moreover, the oxidizing conditions of the GOE may have caused a mass extinction event (39), in part because oxygen is harmful to life unless biochemical processes are available to safely detoxify and utilize it. The abundance of many other bioessential elements was also altered by the GOE (40): for example, levels of oxidized arsenic increased, likely selecting specific defensive genetic innovations (41). Despite the depletion of bioavailable iron, throughout the rebound of life post-GOE and its subsequent diversification (and passage through other successive mass extinction events), iron has retained its preeminence in biological systems. In fact, there may have been a small increase over time in the number of genes that utilize iron (35). Presumably, this is because iron has unique electrochemical properties that make possible, or make efficient, a range of biochemical processes such that other elements cannot be broadly substituted for iron within proteins without causing a significant disadvantage. Life-forms that do not require iron are exceedingly rare; indeed, only two are known (Borrelia burgdorferi and Lactobacilli) (42).

Concentration and speciation of iron in surface seawater through time. Putative Fe concentrations were taken from the literature (SI Appendix has details). The redox state of the oceans in the Early Archean is not precisely constrained but was certainly many orders of magnitude more reducing than the present day (uncertainty of prevailing oxygen fugacity, fO2, represented by light blue bands). Assuming the Archean oceans were broadly in equilibrium with an atmosphere derived primarily from gases emanating from the mantle implies that the oceanic near-surface waters were significantly more reducing and lower in pH than present (76) and importantly, Fe(II) enriched (77). Local oxidation of Fe by either biological or abiogenic actions would have led to significant temporal iron limitation. Additionally, significantly higher Fe concentration also implies a possible Fe(III) component in the reduced oceans of similar magnitude to present. The evolution of Fe(III) selecting siderophores may then be a response to both temporal Fe limitations and also, a mechanism to both select and control cellular Fe acquisition.

Cells need to assimilate iron and post-GOE, increasingly would need to do so in oxidative conditions where iron is insoluble. Siderophores are small organic molecules synthesized and secreted by almost all known bacterial species (and by plants and fungi) that chelate Fe3+ with very high affinity (43). After locked onto iron in the extracellular milieu, siderophores are (re-)captured by specific transporter systems at the surface of bacteria and internalized, and the iron is assimilated (44, 45). Mathematical modeling suggests that siderophores are most effective when extracellular iron is in the form of solid-phase mineral (increasingly prevalent after the GOE), as solubilized chelated iron leads to a local increase in concentration of bioavailable iron (46). Gathering of bacterial cells in spatial structures near to the iron source assists in iron capture and inevitably leads to increasingly complex cellcell interactions (47).

The origin of siderophores may have predated the GOE, as siderophore-synthesizing systems are present across cyanobacteria (48). This raises the obvious question of why, in an ancient anoxic environment awash with soluble Fe2+, life would develop the capability to acquire Fe3+. Arising from the oxidation of ferrous iron in shallow environments by anoxygenic photoferrotrophic precipitation or abiogenic photooxidation, banded iron formations (BIFs) are not restricted to the GOE interval but occur intermittently during the Archaean and Neoproterozoic. BIFs also occurred during the Mesoproterozoic (49) and Paleozoic, where they may have derived from ferruginous bottom waters (50). Within the surface photic zone, early life may have been exposed to regular periods of highly fluctuating iron solubilities, including in localities where iron was concentrated in solid phase. The early evolution of siderophores may have been an adaptation to these spatial and temporal resource restrictions. It is also noteworthy that cyanobacteria are among the most ancient producers of siderophores (51) (e.g., anachelin) and may have been particularly immersed in local increases of Fe3+ after they had developed the oxygenic photosynthesis capability that contributed to the GOE.

Post-GOE and post-NOE, the relative abundance of Fe2+ and Fe3+ in surface water flipped markedly by many orders of magnitude (Fig. 2). There would be considerable variability in the solubility of iron as a function of depth, and particulate iron can be a nutritional source of iron. Nevertheless and despite this variation, overall the relative decrease in easily bioavailable soluble Fe2+ in surface waters in the photic zone would have been enormous, as is evident in the geological record of BIFs. Indeed, low iron in surface waters results in iron currently being a limiting nutrient for primary marine biological productivity. We propose that in toto and at planetary scale over millions of years, the loss of ferrous iron as a consequence of oxygenation events would act as a major selection pressure favoring survival and development of organisms possessing siderophore-based (or other) mechanisms to efficiently acquire ferric iron.

The use of siderophores to acquire iron shapes behavior. Variants of a bacterial species that lose the capacity to synthesize siderophores but retain transporter systems to capture and internalize them may have a relative advantagealthough the benefits of such cheating can be short lived. Cooperating bacteria that produce and acquire the same siderophores as public goods survive the influence of cheaters by adopting spatial structures to maximize mutual benefit and by fine regulation of siderophore production and recycling. Bacterial species may also acquire the ability to capture siderophores produced by a different species, and different species produce different types of siderophores that confer advantages in the context of particular forms of iron sources. Thus, social interactions of competition, cheating, and cooperativity, focused on iron acquisition, have evolved among and between bacterial species and are in a permanent state of flux (52) (Fig. 3A). Iron-oriented behavioral complexity and evolutionary development are even more evident when the source of iron is able to defend itself against capture: in hostpathogen relationships.

Adaptation to low iron availability. (A) Competitive, cheating, and cooperative behaviors among single-cell organisms. Siderophore secretion allows iron acquisition from mineralized sources but also leads to complex interactions between bacterial cells and species, which may drive genetic variation. (B) Trafficking of iron in development of eukaryotes (mitochondria), phagocytosis (predation), intracellular infection, and multicellularity. In these processes, biotic sources of iron are utilized in behaviors that can be mutually beneficial, piratical, or more efficiently self-sufficient.

One view of infection is that it is the theft of one organisms nutritional resources by another. Clinical trials finding that iron supplementation in human populations exacerbates malaria (53), experimental studies of many different infectious pathogens in animals (54), and several independent lines of genetic evidence together show that iron assimilation is a critical player influencing the outcome of infection, exerting selection pressure on both the host and the pathogen. In many bacteria, virulence is determined by clusters of genes colocated in the genome in high pathogenicity islandsgenes in these islands work together to enable high-affinity iron capture from hosts (55), and in their absence, normally lethal bacteria are rendered relatively harmlessunless the host harbors a particularly rich source of iron (56). Mammalian hosts utilize a protein lipocalin-2 that captures siderophores in order to prevent iron scavenging by invading bacteria (57); however, virulent bacteria encode genes that synthesize variant siderophores, which evade this host defense mechanism (58). Some bacteria (Neisseria and Haemophilus) capture transferrin, the mammalian protein that carries iron in the circulation, in order to assimilate iron. Selection of DNA sequences encoding transferrin variants is driven by evading capture by bacteria. However, counterselection of Neisseria and Haemophilus strains occurs, with variant bacterial transferrin binding proteins able to reacquire the new hominid transferrin variant (59). These iterations of evasion, adaptation, and recapture over relatively short evolutionary timescales indicate that the battle for iron is important enough to alter and fix hominid genomes, as well as driving variation in bacteria. Over much longer timescales and against a background of widely fluctuating environmental availability of iron (in particular, during the GOE and the NOE), we propose that more extreme adaptations in genomes and cellular behavior may be expected.

The first eukaryotes and eukaryotic multicellular organisms arose after the GOE, and eukaryotic diversity substantially increased around the time of the NOE (60). The GOE and NOE time frames are characterized by multiple redox changes and alterations in geochemical balance. Iron speciation measurements are among the proxies used to estimate timing of oxygenation events (60, 61); however, given the fundamental requirement of iron for life, we propose that declining iron availability should be considered as a specific actor influencing diversification of life. The endosymbiotic event that led to mitochondria is believed to have occurred 1.85 Gya (62). The entrance of mitochondria into biology eventually facilitated the generation of energy via oxidative phosphorylation, detoxifying potentially dangerous oxygen in the process. The respiratory chain protein complexes I to IV are particularly rich in iron, using heme and Fe-S clusters to shuttle electrons and generate intermediates upstream of adenosine triphosphate (ATP)synthesis. The energy produced by the iron-dependent mitochondrial processes is used by the host cell for its benefit, while mitochondrial nutritional needs are partially handed over to the host cell, which routes iron to mitochondria. Thus, at a single-cell level, mitochondria allow a division of labor with respect to iron accumulation from the external environment and its use to generate energy. Eukaryotic cells also evolved phagocytosis, a form of predation (ingestion of whole bacteria) that allows for nutrient capture on a macroscale in comparison with siderophores (63). Infection, predation, and endosymbiosis are all behaviors that switch the focus of iron acquisition from mineral sources to other life-forms (Fig. 3B), and each of the three behaviors may evolve into the others over timefor example, initially exploitative infections may become mutually symbiotic (64).

Development of multicellularity, which in eukaryotes occurred between the GOE and the NOE (60), allows for a degree of recycling of nutrients over the lifetime of the organism, which is particularly important for nutrients such as iron that are poorly bioavailable. In humans, around 25 times as much iron is recycled per day as is acquired from the diet (1). Multicellular organisms derive benefit from increased oxygen pressures as a source of energy, and although multicellular animals likely arose during the NOE, it appears that oxygen itself does not drive the development of multicellularity (65). However, it is noteworthy that iron is required for key conserved mechanisms of oxygen sensing that may have allowed complex tissues to evolve in the presence of fluctuating oxygen concentrations (66). Efficient use of more limited nutritional resources such as iron, via its recycling from dying cells in order to provide for new cells, may serve as one important selective advantage favoring multicellular organisms (Fig. 3B). Interestingly, sulfur limitation, impairing key iron-and sulfur-dependent processes, can drive Dictyostelium discoideum toward adoption of multicellular development (67).

The requirement for iron is well characterized as a selection pressure acting on specific genes, gene clusters, and behavior in bacteria and also, on genes in higher organisms in relatively short time frames in specific circumstances such as infection and nutritional stress. High-magnitude alterations in global iron availability over geological eras (the GOE, the boring billion, and the NOE) would have more profound evolutionary effects. We propose that developments in complexity of life, such as phagocytosis, predation, endosymbiosis and evolution of mitochondria, and multicellularity, were substantially influenced by the necessity for acquisition and efficient utilization of iron against the background of temporal variation in its bioavailability. Future genomic, biogeochemical and evolutionary investigations should, in our view, incorporate fluctuating nutrient availability into their thinking.

The role of core formation in the subsequent habitability of the Earth is well known with regard to the subsequent generation of the Earths magnetic field. However, the consequences of these events and their influence on the composition of the Earths mantle are perhaps less obvious. We contend that it is the iron content of the silicate mantlea result of the conditions and mechanisms of core formationthat has a significant, perhaps predominant, role in the Earths habitability and subsequent evolution of life. From the perspective of habitable worlds, two competing factors are at play; first, mantles must contain transition element inventories capable of initiating and supporting simple life, and second, mantles must also be capable of conserving surface water for periods of time relevant to the evolution of complex life. The former would preclude planets that underwent core formation under very reducing, Mercury-like conditions. The latter suggest that planets with Fe-rich Mars-like mantles may sequester surface water on geologically rapid timescales (18). Although the Earth appears to occupy a compositional and positional sweet spot, the sensitivity of planet habitability to mantle Fe content and how this may change with planet mass remain unclear. We propose that the combination of both an Fe-abundant early Earth and the subsequent removal of Fe during surface oxidation provides a unique set of environmental pressures that influenced the evolution of life over Earth history. Simple, unicellular life may, possibly, be relatively common in the universe, but the combined set of conditions and temporal events that have led the Earth to develop more complex life-forms could be significantly rarer. A time line of the different roles that iron has played influencing the habitability of Earth, in the development of the biosphere, and as an irreplaceable but limiting nutrient during evolution is shown in Fig. 4. The implications of this view for the search for exoplanets are that the relative proportion of metallic core to mantle (that is, the core mass fraction) may provide an observable constraint on the iron content of an exoplanets mantle and hence, its suitability for the emergence and evolution of complex life (68).

Time line of an iron-centric view of development and evolution of life on Earth. Mantle iron content and surface water retention are governed by early planetary accretion events, including distance from the sun and prevailing redox conditions. Initiation of foundational biochemical processes may have been facilitated by co-occurrence of native, ferrous, and ferric iron at hydrothermal vents or subaerial wet land. Oxygenic photosynthesis depleted oceanic iron, favoring deployment of Fe3+-capturing siderophores from bacteria. Complex social, endosymbiotic, predatory, infectious, and multicellular behaviors allow more efficient utilization, or appropriation, of relatively scarce iron. Hostpathogen relationships are strongly influenced by iron availability, selecting genetic variants. TCA, tricarboxylic acid cycle.

Lastly, back on Earth, continued anthropogenic escalations in atmospheric CO2 are anticipated to increase the prevalence of iron deficiency via relatively poor iron uptake into plants that are iron sources for humans and livestock (69, 70). Iron deficiency is the most common micronutrient deficiency in humans, affecting well over a billion people (71). Iron deficiency can protect against some bacterial infections and malaria (72); however, it causes anemia and impairs immunity (73), and it can inhibit growth (74). Therefore, looking to the future, modulation of iron availability on a planetary scale brought about, potentially rapidly, by climate change would be expected to generate selection pressures on hosts and pathogens throughout the biosphere, inevitably impacting human health.

All study data are included in the article and/or SI Appendix.

J.W., C.J.B., and H.D. thank Les Fondation des Treilles and the Daphne Jackson Trust for facilitating discussions relevant to this paper. D.J.B. is supported by European Research Council PHOTONIS Project Grant 695618. C.J.B. is supported by the Natural Environment Research Council Mantle Volatile grant and a Canadian Institute for Advanced Research fellowship. H.D. is supported by Medical Research Council Human Immunology Unit Award MC_UU_12010/10.

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Temporal variation of planetary iron as a driver of evolution - pnas.org

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is the largest militant organization fighting against the state in Pakistan. According to the UN, the TTP also boasts several thousand fighters in Afghanistan, with strongholds on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

Although Pakistani military actions, U.S. drone warfare, and factional infighting led to the TTPs decline from 2014 to 2018, the militant group has been experiencing a strong resurgence since the Afghan Taliban and U.S. government signed a peace deal in February 2020. In fact, since July 2020, ten militant groups opposed to the Pakistani state have merged with the TTP, including, among others, three Pakistani affiliates of al-Qaeda and four major factions that had separated from the TTP in 2014. Following these mergers, TTP violence has become more frequent, and this violent streak continues to accelerate as a result of the Afghan Talibans takeover in Kabul in August 2021.

The TTP serves as a crucial case study due to its deep historical roots with the Afghan Taliban, al-Qaeda, and the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP). The group is a by-product of al-Qaedas jihadi politics in Afghanistan and Pakistan after 9/11. The TTP still has covert links with al-Qaeda and has declared that it looks to Afghan Taliban leaders as its own while enjoying safe haven under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. And although the ISKP was born largely from disaffected TTP members, it has always avoided any physical confrontation with the group. Moreover, ISKP public messages continue to reveal a soft spot for TTP fighters. This connection will be particularly important to monitor, as any alliance between the two groups could have severe security implications beyond the region. According to a U.S. intelligence assessment, the ISKP could be capable of mounting an attack in the West, including in the United States, in the near future. Any alliance between the TTP and the ISKP could strengthen the ISKP and worsen the threat it poses beyond the region.

To understand how much of a threat the TTP could pose, it is useful to examine the rise and evolution of the groupits background, the policies and strategies that helped the group achieve legitimacy among jihadists since its establishment in 2007, and its changing efforts to eliminate past liabilities and make its anti-state militant campaign more mainstream in Pakistan. This information provides valuable context for assessing the significance of the TTPs intensified violence and organizational strength after the Afghan Talibans return to power and, more importantly, for gauging its future threat to security and the likelihood of a peace deal with the Pakistani state.

The TTP is a by-product of the intra-jihadi politics that followed the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. The TTP claims that its armed struggle aims to establish an Islamic political system in Pakistan based on the groups interpretation of sharia, a task it says was the main goal for establishing Pakistan in 1947. At the time of the U.S. invasion, many Pakistani jihadists who had fought on behalf of the Pakistani government in Afghanistan and in Indian Kashmir turned against the Pakistani state for its support of the United States so-called global war on terror, among other grievances. TTP members thus began sheltering the Afghan Taliban, al-Qaeda, and other militant allies who were fleeing the Afghanistan conflict. Yielding to U.S. pressure, the Pakistani government eventually cracked down on the safe havens, but its violent response ultimately prompted these Pakistani jihadists to band together and more formally ally with al-Qaeda and the Afghan Taliban. This eventually led to the establishment of the TTP in 2007.

Abdul Sayed is a researcher on jihadism and a specialist on the politics and security of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

At its inception, the TTP claimed to be an extension of the Afghan Taliban. It declared that the then leader of the Taliban, Mullah Mohammed Omar, was its spiritual leader and offered to support the Afghan Talibans war against the United States and its allies. Though the TTP framed its militant campaign as a defensive war against Pakistans military operations, the group hoped to follow in the Afghan Talibans footsteps and establish a sharia system in Pakistan, freeing the country from the American stooges who supposedly governed it.

However, over time, the TTPs focus and strategy changed. For instance, in 2020 the TTP claimed that it no longer had any regional or global agenda beyond Pakistan. This pronouncement may have reflected an attempt to reduce international support for Pakistans battle against the TTP; at times, Pakistan was able to secure sophisticated U.S. drone technology to fight the TTP due to the groups open collaboration with al-Qaeda. In 2018, the TTP formally excluded from its manifesto calls for a greater jihad in Afghanistan and for supporting the global jihadi agenda of al-Qaedacalls that were prevalent in its early narratives.

The group also made another tactical change in its 2018 manifesto: it deprioritized indiscriminate attacks on Pakistani targets, including against civilians. For years, these attacks had aimed to pressure the Pakistani government to meet TTP demands. But the TTPs manifesto redirected its fighters away from attacking civilians and religious minorities, advocating instead targeted violence against Pakistani military personnel and intelligence operatives. Since this redirection, there has been a sharp decline in TTP attacks against civilians. While it is difficult to say what caused the change in tactics, one reason could be that the TTPs early spate of violence against civilians earned the ire of global and local jihadi allies, including Osama bin Laden. Another reason could be that the TTP wanted to focus its war on the Pakistani state and security forces.

Finally, to help establish its legitimacy, the TTP had to align some of its objectives with the political goals of certain Pakistani religio-political and ethnic parties, particularly a subset of Baluch and Pashtun nationalists. In recent decades, these ethnic minorities have protested allegedly discriminative and exploitative state policies. They are located in the Pakistan tribal belt bordering Afghanistan, which serves as the TTPs support base.

The TTP has evolved over the years to maintain its influence among jihadi networks in Pakistan.

The TTP faced two challenges from the outset. First, it had to lay the foundation of the anti-state jihadi war front in Pakistan. The Pakistani military establishments strong ties with indigenous jihadi groups complicated this objective. These groups were actively involved in the jihad in Kashmir and Afghanistan and enjoyed the states support. Thus, the TTP had to turn this long-standing jihadi friendship with the state into an open jihadi war against the state. Second, it needed to gain prominence in Pakistans highly competitive jihadi and religio-political ecosystem, in which many advocated nonmilitant means to achieve the same goals that the TTP was fighting for. These religio-political parties have been working for decades to accomplish the fundamental goal of creating a Pakistani state that upholds their interpretation of sharia.

To work around these challenges, TTP leaders pursued four political objectives. First, the groups leadership strengthened its alliances with the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaeda to increase its local and international legitimacy. Pakistani Pashtun tribesmen as well as Deobandi and Salafist seminaries, Islamist parties, and other jihadi groups all supported the Afghan Talibans insurgency against the United States and its allies, seeing the campaign as a legitimate jihad to expel foreign infidels. Thus, as the TTP supported the Afghan jihad by offering material provisions, the groups legitimacy was enhanced. This strategy helped the TTP recruit a large number of young recruits for its war against the Pakistani state. The TTP provided the Afghan Taliban with bases in the Pashtun tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, eventually earning an official endorsement from its Afghan ally. Its closeness to the Afghan Taliban and al-Qaedaas well as Pakistani jihadists frustrations with pro-state militant groups who were seen as compromising their narratives after 9/11granted the TTP space in the competitive jihadi ecosystem, elevating it above other groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Similarly, the TTP garnered al-Qaedas support by providing it shelter in Pakistan. It also launched attacks either with, or on behalf of, al-Qaeda. For instance, a prominent TTP leader eventually claimed that the group assassinated former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto within weeks of the groups formal launch; she had been considered one of al-Qaedas top enemies since the early 1990s. In addition, the TTP organized attacks to appeal to the global jihadi agenda of al-Qaeda. For example, the TTP attempted to bomb New York City in 2010, a plot that was ultimately foiled. A year earlier, it had played a lead role in the suicide attack on a U.S. Central Intelligence Agency compound in Afghanistans southeastern Khost Provinceanother attack aimed at pleasing its ally. These acts further increased the TTPs local and international legitimacy and its competitiveness with more established jihadi groups in the region.

Second, the TTP killed hundreds of tribal elders who opposed its militancy in the tribal belt. The former Pakistani Pashtun tribal beltcomprised of the semiautonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA)was governed by a tribal system. However, the government had partial control of the FATA and needed the tribal elders support to govern the territories and their people. Thus, in attacking the elders, the TTP essentially superseded and replaced the traditional tribal chieftains system with its militancy, thereby increasing its hold in these areas.

Third, the TTP poached members from highly skilled cadres of anti-Shia sectarian militant groups in Pakistan, such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). Horrific attacks that the TTP carried out against the Shia sect in Pakistan encouraged LeJ members to defect, given the latters exclusive targeting of the Shia sect. As the TTP leveraged the capabilities of anti-Shia groups, this eventually helped to intensify the TTPs war against the Pakistani state.

Fourth, the TTP established a sharia system in northwestern Pakistan in the same style that the Afghan Taliban imposed in Afghanistan before 9/11. This strategy attracted members of Pakistani Islamist groups from the districts of Malakand, Bajaur, and Orakzai, among others, thereby expanding the TTPs political base. The TTP was also able to attract educated Islamists from Pakistans urban areas; many of these people were frustrated about the failed political approaches to sharia implementation in the country. The TTPs efforts helped it win over numerous Islamists who had long been aiming to achieve the Islamization of Pakistan through nonmilitant, religious-political means.

Over time, the TTP evolved into a focused anti-state militant movement in Pakistan. Three factors contributed to this change: al-Qaedas decreasing influence, the Afghan Talibans rising influence, and the TTPs expanding efforts to remain relevant in contemporary Pakistani politics.

Initially, al-Qaeda had a profound influence on the TTPs politics. For example, it compelled TTP leaders to revisit their anti-Shia agenda and largely limit the war to Western interests and the Pakistani state; in 2010, bin Laden asked the TTP to stop attacks against the Shias and the Barelvi subsect of the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam in Pakistan. But after U.S. drone strikes killed TTP leaders Baitullah Mehsud and Hakimullah Mehsud, the group was forced to reconsider its public support for al-Qaeda. Although al-Qaeda played an instrumental role in the TTPs birth, rise, and expansion, the group determined that a close public relationship with al-Qaeda had become a liability. According to recent reports, however, al-Qaeda still plays an important role in mentoring the TTP behind the scenes.

Meanwhile, the Afghan Talibans influence has grown stronger. With some members co-located with the TTP in the tribal area of Waziristan in Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban became a natural political and organizational model for the TTP. As the Afghan Taliban refined its strategy, the TTP followed suit. In 2014, TTP leaders Omar Khalid Khorasani and Qari Shakeel Ahmad wanted to replace the quasi-tribal structure of TTP management with the Afghan Talibans centralized bureaucratic system, arguing that such a structure was best suited for expansion. The TTP finally adopted this change in 2020, appointing shadow governors for different regions of Pakistan and announcing the groups first-ever centralized military training system. That same year, TTP chief Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud announced that the TTP can only be victorious in Pakistan if it follows in the footsteps of the Afghan Taliban.

The TTP has also engaged more with mainstream political issues to remain relevant in Pakistans political discourse. For example, the TTP has called on Pakistans opposition political parties to reconsider their nonviolent approach if they truly seek to end the powerful military establishments political meddling. In this vein, the TTP has endorsed the politics of Pashtun and Baluch nationalists in Pakistan despite harboring deep ideological differences with both groups. (Baluch nationalists, for instance, are largely secular in disposition.) TTP leaders have even issued statements in support of the Pashtun rights movement, known as the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, despite its anti-Taliban positions. The TTP has also recently endorsed the massive countrywide protests of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a far-right religio-political party fighting against so-called enemies of Islam. This is particularly significant because the TLP belongs to the Sunni Barelvi sect, while the TTP originates from the rival Deobandi sect. Each of these endorsements demonstrates the TTPs efforts to remain relevant in contemporary discourse.

Prior to the collapse of former Afghan president Ashraf Ghanis government, the Pakistani government repeatedly accused it of harboring anti-Pakistan militant groups in Afghanistan. As a result, some in Islamabad believed that if the Afghan Taliban (a so-called Pakistan-friendly organization) were to return to power in Kabul, the latter would limit these groups freedom of action. Contrary to these expectations, however, the Afghan Talibans return has so far strengthened the TTP.

Following its takeover, the Afghan Taliban released hundreds of TTP prisoners from prisons in Kabul, including TTP senior leaders like founding deputy emir Maulvi Faqir Mohammad. The TTP celebrated its members releases with large motor rallies and caravans in eastern Afghanistan. Videos released since the Talibans takeover also show the TTP enjoying complete operational freedom in Afghanistan. In addition to congratulating the Afghan Taliban on its return to power, the TTP publicly renewed its pledge of allegiance to its ally. Reinforcing its ongoing narratives, the TTPs leadership presented the Afghan Taliban as a role model to the groups fighters, arguing that perseverance in the war against the Pakistani state will guarantee a similar victory to what the Taliban achieved in Afghanistan. In addition, the TTP claimed responsibility for a large number of attacks in the months following the Afghan governments collapsegenerating the highest monthly average attack rate in the last five to six years.

When the Afghan Talibans spokesman was asked about the future of the TTP in Afghanistan, he was noncommittal and evasive. He argued that the TTP is a Pakistani issue and that his group has nothing to do with it. The spokesman even suggested that Pakistan should try to resolve its problems with the TTP through negotiations.

With the Afghan Taliban back in power in Kabul, Pakistans prime minister, president, and foreign minister offered negotiations and general amnesty to the TTP. Initially, the TTP rejected these offers, arguing that it considers the Pakistani constitution un-Islamic. Yet the group left the door to dialogue open, stating that the TTP is ready for any serious negotiations which can ensure its sharia implementation goal in Pakistan. And in early November, spokespeople of the Pakistani government and the TTP announced that they were negotiating under a short-term ceasefire and would be extending it to enable further dialogue.

Hopes for the negotiations are higher this time around because two major factors that led to past failures no longer exist: first, the former Afghan government and U.S. forces no longer control Afghanistan, and second, hardliners within the TTP no longer oppose dialogue. A TTP peace deal with the Pakistani state represented a direct threat to the former Afghan government and U.S. forces, ultimately resulting in TTP contributions to the Taliban attacks in Afghanistan. Thus, they always objected to such a deal in the past. With the removal of this first factor, TTP hardliners now support negotiations. For example, TTP co-founder and senior commander Khorasani completely supports negotiations this time, unlike in 2014 when he sabotaged both sides dialogues.

Ultimately, a political settlement remains the only option for the Pakistani government. It will not be able to pressure the Afghan Taliban to combat the TTP beyond a certain point for two reasons. First, the TTP played an instrumental role in the post-9/11 resurgence of the Taliban. The TTPs leadership has strong bonds with various Afghan Taliban commanders and groups, who deeply admired the TTPs sacrifices in fighting against U.S. forces and U.S. allies in Afghanistan. This pro-TTP lobby within the Taliban is influential and crosses tribal and regional cleavages. As a result, using force against the TTP would result in serious intra-Taliban rifts. Second, the Afghan Taliban faces a major challenge in countering its rival, the ISKP, which (as noted earlier) includes former influential TTP commanders and hundreds of their fighters.

The TTP also now believes that a settlement is in its best interests, in part because of its ties with the Afghan Taliban once again in power in Kabul. The TTP claims that it agreed to negotiations with the Pakistani state to decrease the political problems of the Taliban. It is aware of the Afghan Talibans problems with the international community and that the threat of foreign fighters in Afghanistan would exacerbate them. The Taliban has promised the United States and wider international community that it will not let any individual or group pose a threat to any state outside Afghanistan. The TTP comprises two-third of these fighters. Thus, if these fighters continue to mount attacks in Pakistan, the Afghan Talibans promises will be considered nullified, further increasing the international communitys political mistrust.

All this said, the TTPs main concern remains the implementation of sharia in Pakistan based on its strict interpretation of Islam. The group says that it will not lay down its arms until this goal is achieved. Thus, the likelihood of a quick peace deal between the state and the TTP remains low; Pakistan cannot afford any political settlement that comes at the cost of replacing a democratic system with strict sharia rules. Yet, because a settlement remains the only option for both sides due to geopolitical realities, there is hope that both parties will compromise to some extent to create a pathway forward.

Abdul Sayed is a researcher on jihadism and a specialist on the politics and security of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Sayed has a masters degree in political science from Lund University in Sweden. He is currently working on projects related to violent extremist organizations and transnational jihadism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. His Twitter handle is @abdsayedd.

This article is part of the Politics of Opposition in South Asia initiative run by Carnegies South Asia Program. The first article in the series examined Bangladeshs digital crackdown.

Correction: Due to an editorial mistake, a previous version of the article incorrectly stated that the TTP established a sharia system in northwestern Pakistan before 9/11. The article has been corrected to note that the TTP established a system later on similar to the one the Afghan Taliban built in Afghanistan before 9/11.

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The Evolution and Future of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Take your New Years resolutions to the next level by making it a New Years Evolution!

True presence is the best present of the season. The busyness of the holiday season is upon us. Unless you decide to head away from the busy and plan your getaway holiday in Costa Rica to enjoy the true gift of any season presence with nature.

The elements in their raw form are the building blocks of life, health, vitality and inspiration. How we connect with the elements is the secret sauce to a long life and healthy nervous system. Studies of the people of the Blue Zones, some of which are in Costa Rica, clearly demonstrate that longevity is related to connection with the earth. Eating simply, growing your own food, being a part of a regenerative system, and living in harmony with all your relations is the key to both quality and quantity of your years.

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Another reason why the Blue Zone inhabitants lived healthy long lives is that they lived in community. They supported each other to meet their social, physical and emotional needs. Living in tribes is our nature.

Well there is a unique solution for something nourishing to our social needs, inspiring deeper self-inquiry and fun for New Years. Emergence Gathering is a 5 day journey through the elements of earth, water, air, fire and ether to create harmony with all our relations. There are live in-person events in the southern zone of Costa Rica between Dominical and Chirripo.

These live events will be alongside a wide range of international presenters focused on life-enhancing workshops, inspiring presentations, ecstatic dance, and engaging community discussion online in an intimate and fun platform.

Emergence Gathering is founded on the vision of uniting at a time of separation. Of holding space for the collective trauma and moving it out of the body through dance and movement practices that will liberate the stuck energy and balance the nervous system. Doing this in small group gatherings or in the comfort of your own home honors our basic need for connection while balancing it with safety and well-being.

These are tricky times to navigate social norms and social needs. How can we as a social species get these needs met when lockdown is happening in parts of the world. Gathering, one of the most primal acts of our shared humanity, is not allowed. Emergence Gathering is a call to action to bring people struggling with isolation, disconnection and despair into a place of hope, health and harmony.

You can find out more about our online and in-person events at http://www.emergencegathering.org Have dinner with your loved ones at home in a fun and unique platform to share in the delights of community, connection and celebration. Learn a few new tools, sing along, cry, write, move your body, shake it out, and dance in the new year more resilient and inspired.

You need it. Its been traumatic for all of us. Start 2022 intentionally with your global community. Clearing away the old and bringing in the new. From resolution to evolution. To our personal and collective Emergence.

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New Year's Evolution! The Costa Rica News - The Costa Rica News

Author Marc Myers describes rock concerts as a generational event and also as "a right of passage."

"You went in as a kid and came out a young adult," Myers said.

It's what led him to investigate the evolution of these productions for his latest book "Rock Concert: An Oral History as Told by the Artists, Backstage Insiders, and Fans Who Were There."

Myers points to Allen Freed as a man who played a big role with the first rock concert in New York at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater.

Freed's concerts lasted for days and gave attendees the opportunity to see the artists they loved from the radio performing live, over and over again.

When Elvis Presley hit the scene, he combined the artistry of rock and R&B with a performance style and looks that were appealing to women.

"It's really the beginning of true female ecstasy over a male star," Myers said.

The author was purposeful when collecting interviews about Elvis, specifically wanting the perspectives of three women who were close to the star: Barbara Hearn who had dated Elvis in high school and in the early days of his career; Elvis' touring partner for two years, Wanda Jackson who would go on to become the Queen of Rockabilly; and Kay Wheeler who formed the first national Elvis Presley fan club.

"You really get a feel through these three women about how the temperature rises and about how he conducted himself as an artist," the author said.

Prior to 1964, there weren't organized tours and ticket prices were small change, according to Myers

Myers pointed out that it was when concert promoters saw images of performers at the March on Washington in 1963 that a new vision for the rock concert was born, leading to stadium tours.

The Beatles took the stage at Shea Stadium in 1965 and showed how wildly successful the right artist and the right music could be.

Their concerts also showed a need for improvements to enhance the concertgoers experience.

"People who say they went to see The Beatles are accurate. Anybody who says they went to hear The Beatles are lying to you," Myers said.

The screaming of the crowd at Beatles' concerts proved the need for better sound systems, which appeared at Woodstock.

Marc Myers' traces the history of rock concerts through 1985 when he says the industry changed.

"After Live Aid, rock takes a turn," Myers says citing growing corporate involvement and increasing ticket prices.

When it comes to current concerts the big artists are mostly female pop singers and "rock today is almost meaningless," Myers said.

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The rise and evolution of the rock concert in America - KCUR

Another year draws to a close, and 2021 was another great year for genre fiction. Although we loved so many magical novels this year, we had to narrow it down to a top 10 list consisting of the best fantasy novels of 2021.

The fantasy genre is slowly shifting and evolving into something new and more inclusive. Many of the novels that make the list for the top 10 fantasy novels of 2021 include debut novels from women and authors of color. The chosen one trope is still alive and well, along with many heros journeys. However, these new authors are also changing the game by bringing in non-western cultures and mythologies to bring their worlds to life. Lets take a look at the top 10 fantasy novels of 2021, in no particular order.

Image via Tor/Forge

The first book in theRadiant Emperor series, and the debut novel from Shelley Parker-Chan. She Who Became The Sun is ahistorical epic takes place in ancient China, and subverts familiar figures and mythology. A young girl escapes famine and death to become a monk, hiding her identity from her brothers. She struggles with her own identity, as well as the rising tide of war and conflict that looms inevitable. A beautifully written story with complicated protagonists and a touch of the supernatural. This novel also features themes of LGBTQIA identity, and a trans hero whose complicated gender identity makes up much of the internal conflict of the novel.

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The first novel in a new fantasy trilogy by Suyi Davies Okungbowa author of David Mogo Godhunter. This story draws from African culture and folklore to create a vivid world of magic and politics. The unique magical systems are fascinating to study, but this is another highly character-driven story. Every character is unique and deeply realized, with understandable fears and motivations.Son of the Storm is also a fast-paced adventure story that reveals more about the world with every step taken by the characters.

Image via Penguin Random House

Based on Norse mythology,The Witchs Heart tells the story of Angrboda. She is an ancient witch who was burned by Odin for refusing to reveal the darkest secrets of her magic. After her heart is ripped out by the gods, it is returned to her by an unlikely trickster. Angrboda becomes the wife of Loki and mother to his unusual children. But she is a powerful character in her own right, who stands tall amongst the storied gods of legend. An unexpected story that twists and turns every which way to wrench your heart out of your chest and leave you wanting more of this strange magic. Perfect for fans ofCirce orAssassins Creed: Valhalla, this is undeniably one of the best fantasy novels of 2021.

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One of the most highly acclaimed fantasy novels of the year,The Chosen and the Beautiful is a queer fantastical reimagining ofThe Great Gatsby. The glittering opulence of the Jazz Age is tinged with demonic power and the supernatural. Familiar characters are all here. But they are deepened by Vos shimmering prose and sharp eye in regards to human nature. The characters come to life vividly on the page, marked by longing and love while also corrupted by decadence and greed. In many ways, this story transcends the original while also paying homage to a literary classic.

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Brian Stavely is an established voice in the fantasy genre, and withThe Empires Ruin he returns to the world he established in hisChronicles of the Unhewn Throne trilogy. Multiple POV characters show us the state of the world now, and the new conflicts that are arising. This series is full gods, magic, and mystery.The Empires Ruin is a classic epic fantasy novel that deepens the complexity of the world Stavely has built.

Image via Orbit Books

The Mask of Mirrors is a new fantasy novel set in a glittering world of noble houses competing for power, and a dark underbelly of poverty and crime. Nightmares stalk the streets, stealing away children who return unable to sleep and die shortly after. Amidst all of this is a young woman who has returned to the city of her birth, set to con one of the noble houses.

Along the way she discovers mysteries and magic that go far deeper than she imagined. Into the dreams of the city, and into her own heart. This a great action-adventure story, with mysterious vigilantes that fight for justice, prophecies delivered via Tarot, and secret gods waiting underground. The second novel The Liars Knot is also out now, and this series just keeps getting better as it goes along.

Image via Orbit Books

Tasha Suri has already established herself as an excellent fantasy author who draws from Indian culture and mythology in her previous work likeEmpire of Sand. In her newest novel The Jasmine Throne she takes inspiration from Indian epics to create a unique world. The story follows two women of very different backgrounds a princess and a maid who must learn to trust one another and work together to change the world and their own lives.

In a society where impure women are burned alive, these two struggle to survive the powerful forces set against them and empower themselves. A carefully constructed world with a simmering queer romance, and magical bonds. The story also delves into deep philosophy on the nature of Imperialism and the hierarchies we trap ourselves in.The Jasmine Throne is undeniably one of the best fantasy novels of 2021, and establishes Suri as an author in command of her own culture and voice.

Cover Art for A Dead Djinn In Cairo | Image via Tor/Forge

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The debut novel from Namina Forna has been highly anticipated for several years, and it does not disappoint.The Gilded Ones tells the story of Deka, a young woman with uncanny abilities raised in a society that fears them. She must undergo a ritual to prove that she is worthy of joining the village fully. But when the day comes her blood runs gold and reveals the truth of her magical nature. Deka finds a higher calling and a new purpose to fight for the emperor alongside others like her. This is a story about oppression, and how these characters survive and learn to thrive in a system designed to keep them in their place.

Image via Orbit Books

I have a soft spot for fairy-tale retellings and this year Hannah Whitten delivered on that front with her luminous novelFor The Wolf. On the surface this story takes on the familiar story of Red Riding Hood. However, it takes the basic concept and builds a whole world out of it. In a kingdom bordering an ancient forest, second daughters are given up to the Wolf in order to ensure protection.

In the vein of similar fairy-tale retellings like Uprooted andThe Bear and the Nightingale, the Wolf is no creature of darkness but a man who must sacrifice everything to stave off dark terrors. This magical story is full of twisted trees, bloody ritual, and deep magic. But the relationships are what make this story shine. Not only the simmering romance that pays off but also the relationship between the two sisters at the heart of the story. Their bond enriches both characters, and provides motivation and heartbreak for all involved. A beautifully reimagined fairy-tale full of heart and soul.

(Featured imageby Brandi Redd via Unsplash)

Emily O'Donnell is a writer and photographer with roots in some of the earliest online fandoms. She cut her genre teeth on the Wizard of Oz books at the tender age of 6 years old, and was reading epic adult fantasy novels by the age of 10. Decades later, she still consumes genre fiction like there is no tomorrow. She is delighted to be living through the golden age of sci-fi and fantasy popularity. She is unashamed of the amount of fanfiction that still lingers online under her name.

Black AuthorsEpic FantasyFemale AuthorsHistorical FantasyQueer FantasyTop 10 List

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If theres anything better than a killer piece of new music software, its software that can help transport you to another world. Native Instruments extensive Evolution Series libraries do just that - capturing and encapsulating the raw magic and tone of traditional instruments from all over the world, and delivering it straight into your tonal arsenal. As if that didnt sound good enough, from now until January 10th you can save up to 63% on Evolution Series plugin bundles at Native Instruments.

NIs current Evolution Series sale offers some potentially massive discounts on many of their fan-favourite instrument sample libraries, as well as some never-before-released exclusives for those grabbing a bargain with this deal. Its ability to capture the true personality and character of traditional instruments is something that the Evolution Series has become well-known for, with the plugins up for grabs here proving that perfectly. Youll discover some wonderful sounds within these sample libraries - you never know, it might just be what you need to take your tracks to the next level.

Looking to treat the musician in your life this Christmas, or just become their favourite family member? Take a look at the best christmas gifts for musicians guide for some awesome last-minute present ideas.

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Make 2022 your most musical year yet, with up to 63% savings on Native Instruments' Evolution Series plugins - MusicRadar

Knives have been with us for as long as when the first caveman had that eureka moment and thought of sharpening stones and animal bones to kill wild animals. From then on, countless designs and ideas sprung up designed for different purposes. They were no longer just used for killing animals but also for close-combat purposes, whenever needed like during WWI.

Combatting in the trenches was undoubtfully difficult. The attack, counterattack, and defense were all made on foxholes dug into the ground. Whats more, opposing trenches were usually close to one another. Fighting in the trenches of WWI involved a lot of storming the enemys positions brutally close combat. Weapons like long bayonets fixed to rifles proved unwieldy in the narrow trench lines.

What would be the best weapon for close combat in a confined area? Knuckle bar? Knife? How about both? Thats what Henry Disston & Sons, a civilian company making tools and saws, thought when they designed the M1917 trench knife. Inspired by the French Nail knives, it has a long, triangular blade and a knuckle guard on its handle. Henry Disston & Sons were not traditional knife-makers, so the M1917 turned out to be rather flimsy, and since the blade was triangular, it could only stab but not cut.

Shortly after, these deficiencies were addressed with the improved M1918 trench knife. This version has a brass knuckle-duster grip and a double-edged blade. It could be used both for stabbing and slashing.

They still wanted to improve M1918s durability, ease of use, security of grip, and ease of carrying, so the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) officers and the Engineering Division of U.S. Ordnance brought Mark I Trench Knifeto life. It still has the 6.75-inch double-edged steel blade, a cast-bronze knuckle-duster grip that could break a nose and prevent the knife from being taken from the users hand, an oversized steel scabbard, and a nasty addition: skull-cracking nut on the pommel.

During World War II, Mark I was used by army rangers, marine raiders, and airborne troops.

There was also the Hughes Trench Knife that was invented andpatented by a captain in the United States National Army, Rupert Hughes. His idea was a spring-loaded, foldable knife blade attached to a handle and can be secured at the back of the hand by a leather strap, so the wearer could still grasp and hold other things. A button on the handle can be pressed to release the knife into an open and locked position. It was tested and was unfortunately found to be of no value by the board of testers.

The WWI Trench knife was a fearsome weapon of war. There is debate today over whether or not the Hague Convention bans such weapons. The wording of the text does not specifically ban combat knives, but outlaws weapons intended to cause unnecessary suffering, which is pretty broad. A combat knife with a sawtooth edge would qualify since it leaves a jagged open wound that would be hard to close(at least under battlefield conditions). This might apply as well to triangular-shaped blades which leave a puncture wound rather than an incision-type cut that would also be hard to stitch up and close. On the other hand, a triangular-shaped blade is superior at punching through several layers of winter clothing where a blade type knife would not. The most simple way to know which type of blade is approved for warfare is to look at the types issued to service members today by their own governments, which do not include those with brass knuckle grips or serrated blades. This doesnt mean that troops cant buy a weapon like a traditional trench knife to add to their kit, but they might want to get rid of it before getting captured by an enemy.

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This article previously appeared on Audiomack World.

A hit song with Wizkid is enough to signal a newcomer in Nigerian music, and while many have dreamed of one, L.A.X introduced himself with two. Caro came first in 2013, followed by Ginger the year after. The two fast-paced polyrhythms, released under Wizkids Starboy label, are indicative of the strictly defined form a Nigerian hit song could take at the time.

Not long after his music industry breakout, L.A.X found himself at a crossroads; to either continue with the current wave of music or to create his own. He chose the latter, experimenting with a few singles a year and a debut album RASAKING in 2018, continuously iterating in search of his sound.

I always think that everything is a process, L.A.X tells Audiomack. There was a time when I wasnt really dropping music as much because I was recording more. I was trying to figure out what kind of style I wanted people to identify me with, after my transition from Starboy.

L.A.Xs sound came to fruition in November 2020 with the release of his sophomore album ZaZa Vibes. Sempe is a distinctly sweet standout with melodic guitar riffs able to please a wide range of palettes. Its a song in which he goes against the grain, and emerges with evergreen music. Its this sort of creative liberty that L.A.X has craved for so long.

Now Im not chasing hit songs. Im comfortable with putting out songs that are for the soul, or songs that people will listen to in 10 years and be like, This is sick, L.A.X says. Songs that people will sample in 20-30 years. This is the sound I want people to know about.

From the compulsive pursuit of hit songs to making the kind of music that comes naturally to him, L.A.X is now more concerned about the beauty of the process, and creating a legacy that will stand the test of time: I just want people to know I was all about the music.

Photo Credit: Lateef Salvador

Looking back at your grand entrance into the Nigerian scene with Ginger, you seem to be a much different artist now. Is this a result of experimentation?

I always think that everything is a process. There was a time when I wasnt really dropping music as much because I was recording more. I was trying to figure out what kind of style I wanted people to identify me with, after my transition from Starboy. Nigerians are quite hard to please, so I spent time restrategizing and understanding what I want to stand for.

I thank God people are listening now, and its not even just in Nigeriaits worldwide. People are listening from France, from the Netherlands, from everywhere in the world, so Im happy I sat down to restrategize, and came back and started dropping again.

You had a period personified by the name Rasaki, which has evolved into Zaza. Can you speak a bit about these personas and the evolution that drives them?

I often say that I have alter egos, like three personalities. So Rasaki for me was when Id say I was angry; I just wanted to do my thing, put out music.

Then that transitioned to Zaza, who is now comfortable, found his sound, hes a loverboy, hes cool, and he just wants to drop sweet music.

Thats what Ive always wanted to do from the beginning. Im just all about the music.

After two hits with Wizkid, L.A.X has finally found his sound. He breaks down his process for Audiomack World.

So Zaza is that sweet boy, that genuine music guy, and thats what Im following through on because thats what I want to stand for.

Photo Credit: Lateef Salvador

Youve been on a run since you dropped ZaZa Vibes late last year. How do you feel about the reception to the music youre putting out?

I feel like Im not even comfortable yet. I still feel like I need to do more. I need to put in more work. I need to get more fans worldwide. I need to get more people listening to my music. Cause Afrobeats is in the place where were supposed to be tapping into the ginger, seeing what the likes of Wizkid & Burna [Boy] are doing, and even newer artists like Joeboy, Fireboy [DML], and Rema, theyre already doing it big.

So for me, I feel like I need to do more so that I can be part of that situation. Im excited people are listening to my songs in more places, but I still need to do more.

Do you think theres anything to it that the popular sound has changed or that people are more open to diverse types of music now?

Yeah, thats something I had a conversation with my brother about some days ago, about how Nigerian artists can now put out what they want to put out and listeners will love it for what it is. Nobody even knows what a hit song is anymore, as long as its sweet to the ears. And thats a nod to corona, cause before COVID, we were living a fast lifeyour song had to be like 120 BPM, even higher.

Because of lockdown, everyone was calm at home, and that helped the likes of Omah Lay when they came with sweet music. So to be honest, that really helped me be able to be intentional about my sound.

How would you describe your creative process?

I dont like re-recording. The first thing I record, thats what I leave it as, because that came from my soul. I feel like energy is very important. There are some songs that when you listen to, you just feel like you were in the studio with this person because of the energy in the vocals, the way the vocals sound so genuine, so true.

First of all, I listen to the beat. Im very picky with the beat, so the beat is the first thing I make sure sounds great. My vocals come next. Im just about the vibe; it doesnt have to be crazy lyrics or something very deep, but it just has to be something thats happy. If you check my Instagram Im always happy, dancing, smiling so I just want people to feel that vibe of happiness.

Even my songs that talk about heartbreak, or that would ordinarily make one sad, I still make sure the instrumental gives you a vibe. Like Lose My Mind is a song thats talking about how a girl left me but I still made sure the instrumental is sweet enough for people to dance to. So even as youre singing the heartbreak song youre still dancing to it.

When you think of your artistic legacy, how would you want people to remember the name L.A.X?

I just want people to know I was all about the music. I feel like thats how it is now; youd never hear an L.A.X scandal, Im just trying to be about the music.

And if its not the music, maybe the philanthropy side of myself, helping people. Im trying to sort out the Zaza Foundation. So music and helping people, cause I feel like thats life. Once you can help people you always feel better with yourself knowing what you did and that theyre in a better place because of it. Thats where I get fulfillment from.

By Nasir Ahmed Achile for Audiomack.

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The Evolution of L.A.X - DJBooth

Glaceon is an ice-type Pokemon that is an evolutionary form of Eevee. It has a maximum CP of 3,126 and it freezes any moisture near it, converts it into pellets to shoot at its enemy. Pokemons such as Pidgey, Sandslash, Cubone and Tangela are vulnerable to Glaceon in Pokemon Go. Keep reading to find out more about where to find Glaceon in Pokemon Go, how to catch Glaceon in Pokemon Go and Glaceon evolution guide Pokemon Go.

Glaceon can be captured in Pokemon Go by participating in a three-star raid. A player either has to locate a Glaceon in the local area or be invited by a friend for a raid. In the second case, a player will also need a remote raid pass. To find the Shiny version of Glaceon in Pokemon Go, players might have to battle through several raids. It is only upon defeating a Glaceon that a player has a chance to encounter the Shiny form of the Pokemon.

To catch Glaceoin in Pokemon Go, a player needs to defeat the Pokemon in a three-star raid. To defeat a Pokemon in Pokemon Go, a player must play its weakness. Glaceon is weak against fighting, steel, rock and fire type of Pokemons. In such a scenario, using Pokemons such as Zacian, Reshiram, Lucario, Metagross and Chandelure would be the best option. Using charged and fast moves with these Pokemons, one can defeat and catch Glaceon.

The best offensive moveset for Glaceon include Frost Breath and Avalanche, which deal 13.3 dps and 40 dps respectively. The best defensive moveset of a Flaceon in Pokemon Go is Ice Shard and Avalanche, which deal 12 dps and 40 dps respectively. For using the best moveset, it is important to take care of the weaknesses of Glaceon. The Pokemon is vulnerable to other Pokemon types including fighting, rock, steel and fire.

Glaceon belongs to the family of Eevee, which can be evolved into a total of eight Pokemons, including Glaceon. Evolving from Eevee into Glaceon will cost a player 25 candies. Additionally, Eevee can also be evolved into other Pokemons such as Vaporeon, Jolteon, Flareon, Espeon, Umbreon, Leafeon, Sylveon. However, players must walk 10km with Eevee as their buddy before they can evolve it into Espeon and Umbreon.

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Transforming the current capabilities of telemedicine,MedWandwill demonstrate how clinicians can perform real-time clinically accurate, multi-diagnostic examinations of their patients, using a single handheld device from anywhere in the world.

This groundbreaking technology brings physical exams into the virtual world, and at CES 2022 MedWand will showcase live demonstrations by a physician who will conduct comprehensive video consultations and physical exams over the Internet, including real-time monitoring and recording of key vitals. Collected data can include core temperature, blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate, heart, lung and abdominal auscultations, electrocardiogram, and high definition otoscopic, oropharynx, and dermatoscopic exam images. MedWand will also demonstrate the seamless capture of 3rd party vitals such as blood pressure, blood sugar, spirometry, weight, and body mass data, all integrated with popular EHR and patient management solutions to support scheduling of exams and export of all captured data into the EHR.

MedWand will also announce that it is now able to host FDA-approved AI (Anomaly Indication) algorithms through its cloud-based and scalable VirtualCare software platform. This capability further advances the science of telemedicine by enabling low cost screening for life threatening conditions that might be missed by primary providers unfamiliar with the symptoms.

"CES is the largest and most anticipated event in the tech space, and we are excited to show the expansion of MedWand into a complete ecosystem to comprehensively monitor the health and general wellbeing of individuals from anywhere, at any time," shared MedWand CEO and Co-Founder Robert Rose. "As a company dedicated to advancing the future of healthcare, we are proud to offer solutions that could lead to lowering costs, improving health equity, and saving lives."

The ergonomic MedWand and associated cloud-based software platform were createdby a team ofphysicians and medical device engineers to enhance the quality and accessibility of health care services for clinicians and patients, regardless of physical location. The company offers MedWand and VirtualCare software for applications that include hospitals, field clinics, nursing homes, schools, and workplaces, wherever Internet access is available.

MedWand's executive team will attend CES 2022 and analysts are invited to schedule a meeting with them to learn more about the company and its products at booth 8655 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center from January 5-8, 2022. Demonstrations will be held daily, with special theater presentations at the booth at 11:00am, 1:30pm, and 4:00pm. Please contact[emailprotected] to schedule a meeting.

Owned and produced by CTA, CES 2022, the global stage for innovation, will convene the tech industry in person and digitally, giving global audiences access to major brands and startups, as well as the world's most-influential leaders and industry advocates. Visit CES.tech for all CES 2022 updates, including health protocols and registration.

For more information visit http://www.medwand.com. MedWandhas submitted for 510(k) clearance by the FDA and is expected to be available for sale in multiple countries in early 2022. For more information visitwww.medwand.com.

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About MedWand SolutionsMedWand Solutions, Inc. delivers digital healthcare technologies that enhance the accessibility and quality of healthcare services for clinicians and patients, regardless of location. Created by a team of physicians and medical device engineers, each MedWand includes multiple clinically accurate sensors in an ergonomic handheld package. MedWand lets clinicians conduct video consultations via the Internet with real-time monitoring and recording of key vitals and patient assessments, in order to diagnose and prescribe treatments for numerous medical conditions.

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MedWand Solutions, Inc. to Showcase the Evolution of Telemedicine at CES 2022 in Las Vegas Jan 5-8, 2022 - PRNewswire

Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) goes past Charlotte Hornets defenders during an NBA game at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 20, 2021. (Shafkat Anowar, Deseret News)

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY Donovan Mitchell didn't dance around the question: How much more confident is he seeing Rudy Gobert walk up to the free-throw line compared to four years ago?

"I don't mean this disrespectfully, but a lot," Mitchell said.

Mitchell has good reasons for that answer, too.

After Gobert went 15 of 16 from the free-throw line in Utah's 112-102 win over the Charlotte Hornets Monday, the All-Star center is on pace for his best season at the charity stripe of his career. The 15 free throws made were a career-high.

It's not by accident, either.

About two years ago, Gobert began the process of reworking his shot. He slowly developed a better free throw, and had gone from the days of shooting below 50% to consistently hitting around 60% of his freebies.

But to Gobert, that wasn't good enough. Teams occasionally used a "hack-a-Rudy" strategy to slow down the Jazz and Gobert wanted to be able to be more of a threat down low; if he could make free throws, teams couldn't just simply foul him when he got the ball.

Together, with the Jazz coaching staff and his personal coach Fernando Nandes, the work of breaking down and rebuilding his shooting motion began. He spent time after practice putting up reps, and he got extra sessions with Nandes at his home at nights.

The result is a slightly different form, and much more confidence.

"I can feel myself getting more and more comfortable," Gobert said. "I know how important it is for me to take that step."

A glimpse into how important it is for Gobert to improve at the free-throw line was on showcase Monday.

Against the Wizards on Saturday, there were multiple times the Jazz missed Gobert down low with his mismatch; Gobert finished with just four shot attempts and the Jazz settled for isolation plays for much of that game. They apparently worked on some things between games.

Gobert was heavily targeted against the Hornets and it yielded good results: 23 points that included some good kick-outs to boot.

"The biggest thing is that he got to the line 16 times," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "That shows his balance and his patience. He's not just trying to get it up to the rim. He's more conscious of where his defender is. He was making them foul or he was gonna dunk."

Gobert has done a better job and has sealed his defenders in the paint; but it's more than that, he's been keeping his hands high to give guards a target to throw to. If he doesn't bring the ball down, there's not much left for smaller defenders to do but to hack a way.

That's when the free throw improvement is really important. If the Jazz can feed him the ball in the paint against smaller defender, and he can make free throws at a high clip (he's not going to always be 15 of 16), it could act as a deterrent for teams to go small or even give the Jazz an advantage against those lineups.

"We are throwing him the ball, I think, a lot more this year than we have in previous years now he's getting fouled, now he's punishing switches," Mitchell said.

The Jazz are also finding him on the short roll, with the pass often reaching Gobert before the smaller defender can fully switch in order to give him a chance to punish smaller lineups.

Where that could really be beneficial? The playoffs. The Jazz have been knocked out by small-ball lineups in five of the last six years.

"If they want to foul me, I have to punish them at the line," Gobert said. "It changes game."

And he's changed his to get it done.

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Gobert's career-night from the free-throw line highlights his offensive evolution - KSL.com

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Evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman takes the long view of physical activity. His name has been connected to running and human evolution ever since his seminal Nature study Endurance running and the evolution of Homo appeared in 2004, and hes been linked to barefoot running in particular after a 2010 study, also in Nature, explored the impact of modern padded running shoes on our strides.

Liebermans research interests range wider than running, spanning physical activity across the evolutionary history of what moves humans, in the industrialized world and in traditional hunter-gatherer societies. In a new review published Monday in PNAS, Lieberman and his Harvard co-authors grapple with the active grandparent hypothesis, using biomedical research and evolutionary studies to explain how humans evolved to need physical activity, particularly in and after middle age, to increase life span and reduce the risk of disease.

Lieberman spoke with STAT from Copenhagen, where he is pursuing further research, about health span vs. life span, why stress from exercise is good for us, and which animals are couch potatoes. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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When you study physical activity, whats your starting point?

Im interested in how and why humans evolved to be physically active and how changes in our physical activity patterns affect health. My dog hangs out all day on the couch and you know, her health is not as affected by physical activity as humans. So, what is it about us? And furthermore, why?

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Studies by Ralph Paffenbarger shows that as we get older, physical activity actually becomes more, not less, important as we age. The effect is greater. That seems really interesting because humans are unusual in that we evolve to be grandparents. We evolve to live after we stop reproducing. I started thinking about how hunter-gatherers dont retire, they stay really physically active.

Do we know why physical activity keeps us healthy longer?

There are some hypotheses. The first hypothesis is that in humans, physical activity evolved to help extend health span. Prior to medicine, health span equaled life span. Today, when we get sick in our 50s or 60s from diabetes or heart disease or whatever ails us, we go to the doctor, but that didnt exist until recently.

Our general hypothesis is that we evolved all kinds of responses to physical activity that improve health span over the long term, not just when youre young, but when youre old. And that those responses are largely due to energy allocation. Until recently, energy was limited, people couldnt go to the 7-Eleven and grab 200 calories. People had to be very physically active, which takes energy.

Where does that energy go?

One previous idea is that physical activity prevents us from spending extra energy on things that may be good for reproductive success but arent good for our health. And thats fat and hormones. When youre physically inactive, you increase your reproductive output by increasing hormones like estrogen, for example, and progesterone, which increases your risk of cancer. Testosterone as well. Also, you store fat. Fats babies. Until recently it was all about storing energy to improve your reproductive success. Now we live in this weird world where people consume more than enough.

What does exercise do, beyond burning calories?

The other hypothesis is that physical activity is also important for health because its stressful. If I were to go for a run right now, my mitochondria would start pumping out reactive oxygen species, Id be putting a little micro cracks in my bone, Id be glycating proteins. But of course, physical activity isnt bad for us. Its good for us. And the reason its good for us is that our bodies mount a whole series of responses to those stresses that are beneficial.

The analogy I sometimes like to use is, imagine you spill a cup of coffee on the floor. And then you clean up the floor, but you actually end up cleaning the floor a little bit more than it was before. Its like an overshoot.

We know from all kinds of data that physical activity turns on all these repair and maintenance mechanisms. Crucially, we never evolved to turn them on as effectively in the absence of physical activity because we never were physically inactive, right? Nobody ever had machines to do their work for them. So weve never evolved to keep our bodies ticking along and preventing senescence in the absence of physical activity.

How does that play out in diseases more common as we get older?

Therere so many examples: cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimers. In cardiovascular disease, people who are not physically active dont generate stress in their peripheral circulatory system that causes arteries to stay elastic. As a result, people who arent physically active tend to become hypertensive as they get older, and hypertension is arguably the major cause of illness in the world today. People who stay physically active dont become hypertensive. People in subsistence populations who stay physically active dont become hypertensive. Im not discounting the effect of diet, but physical activity plays a very important role in keeping our hearts strong and our cardiovascular systems from becoming hypertensive.

Cancer is another one. Physical activity upregulates all kinds of cells, like natural killer cells, a white blood cell type that actually seek out and eliminate cells that are cancerous. Physical activity decreases blood sugar levels and cancer cells tend to have a sugar addiction.

One of the most important things about physical activity is that it lowers systemic inflammation. It turns out that the major organ that regulates inflammation in your body is muscle.

People today are living longer than our hunter-gatherer ancestors but were living longer with chronic disease.

What differences do you see between life span and health span?

If youre a cynic, you can say people today are living longer than our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Thats true, but were living longer with chronic disease. Looking at life span is a very, I would say, impoverished way of looking at health. When you die is important, but its not the only thing. How long youre healthy and free from disease is also very important.

What can we learn from hunter-gatherers today, like the Hadza people you study?

Exercise is not a magic bullet, but they dont get sick from the kinds of diseases we get. They dont get diabetes. As far as we can tell, cancer rates are much lower. Heart disease doesnt exist or its very, very rare. Remember, cancer and heart disease kill 2 out of 3 Americans.

And for most populations, calories are limited. They have to optimally allocate energy across the life span to grow up, to take care of their bodies, and reproduce. So we evolved to take it easy when possible, but there wasnt that much opportunity to take it easy.

How much activity do we need now to have a good health span?

We have lots of epidemiological evidence that just a little bit of activity, like 10 minutes a day or an hour a week, can lower your relative risk of mortality considerably. You dont need to swim the English Channel or run a marathon. With the commercialization and commodification of exercise, we make people feel like they have to do an Ironman or CrossFit, but you dont need that to get the benefits of physical activity.

You mentioned your sleeping dog. What about other animals?

Apes are very inactive. Theyre couch potatoes. People today are more active than your average wild chimpanzee. That tells us weve been selected in our evolutionary history to be more active than our close relatives. Thats important to our health. It looks like there might be something different about humans, and we dont have conclusive evidence. So in the paper, we called for more data. More studies need to be done.

And does that something different help some of us become grandparents?

Were selected to live after we stop reproducing in order to increase our reproductive success. And we do so by helping our children and our grandchildren. Thats the secret of human longevity. Plenty of other anthropologists have written about this. Were sort of just adding physical activity to the fact that humans evolved to be grandparents.

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New research explores the 'active grandparent hypothesis' and evolution - STAT

The pendant, seen here in slightly different views, would've been about 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) long and 1.5 centimeters (just over half an inch) wide, with a thickness between 0.36 and 0.39 centimeter (1.4 and 1.5 inches).

In 2010, scientists unearthed an ivory pendant from an abandoned Polish cave. Punctured with patterns reminiscent of moon cycles and mathematics, the artifact's origins eluded archaeologists -- until now. An international team of researchers just declared the relic to be 41,500 years old.

That makes it the earliest piece of ornate jewelry ever found in Eurasia, and a wonderful reminder that art is timeless. Images and details of the discovery were published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports.

But beyond its aesthetic value, this ancient pendant also marks the first proof of post-Neanderthal civilization in the Polish region, enriching our textbooks with new data on the movement of early human populations.

"It was not expected to have any evidence of early Homo sapiens in this cave, because it was sort of seen as a Neanderthal cave," said Sahra Talamo, lead author of the study. "This sort of shows the next step in evolution."

The Polish cave where the pendant was excavated.

The pendant's modern story began 11 years ago, when researchers excavated two fragments of it in Poland's Stajnia Cave. Each piece is made of mammoth bone and has unique looping designs etched with a sequence of dots. There are two holes on the adornment, which presumably were used to attach a string of sorts to make a necklace.

"When I saw it, I was shocked," Talamo said of her first encounter with the item.

The confusion came from its location in a stratigraphic layer of the cave attributed to Neanderthals. Tools, and even teeth, of the human ancestors had already been discovered there. But according to Talamo, it was peculiar to connect the jewelry to the early humans, because of the dotted decorations. Such artwork is typical of Homo sapiens, who lived after the Neanderthal era, and are thought to have engaged in more-complicated creative endeavors.

Neanderthals had their own jewelry, but it wasn't nearly as elaborate as what's on the pendant. Armed with a ton of questions, Talamo decided to investigate.

Talamo is an expert in the field of radiocarbon dating, a method that uses an isotope of carbon to determine the age of organic material. Lo and behold, the pendant didn't originate with the Neanderthals. It likely just migrated to a lower layer of the cave even though it was made by later generations from the Early Upper Paleolithic era.

Given its rarity, she also suggests these relics were probably not commonplace items for the Homo sapiens. Perhaps it could've been a status symbol of sorts?

Interestingly, the pendant's remains were found alongside an ancient awl, or small pointed tool used for piercing holes. Coincidence? Well, probably. The team realized the awl dates back 500 years prior to the pendant's creation, and either way, was likely too "soft" to make the dotted markings in bone. That finding is also a result of Talamo's radiocarbon dating technique.

Typically, radiocarbon dating is seen as invasive because it requires breaking off a physical piece of the object being studied. As Talamo puts it, it's a "destroying method."

But for the purpose of this study, she invented a new way to radiocarbon-date. It requires only a tiny piece of the artifact to arrive at an accurate result while preserving nearly all the delicate art, teeth or tools being examined.

"I tried to develop this method because I want to destroy as little as possible," Talamo said, but "start to combine this puzzle of human evolution with a real piece of the puzzle."

Going forward, Talamo's novel technique could be employed for other fossils or artifacts. She hopes to apply it to ancient jewelry found in France and Germany, for example, but thinks it could help decode any valuable objects worth studying.

Sahra Talamo (left) as she hands her 3D representation of the ancient pendant and accompanying awl back to Polish researchers.

A future queue of such objects could include similar decorated ornaments, then move to figurines and weapons. The possibilities are endless, which Talamo hopes will prove radiocarbon dating can be done in a careful way by any team across the globe -- an important consideration, she says, because archaeology requires a grand perspective.

"You have to have a big team with different minds, different opinions, different disciplines that work together for the same goal," she stressed. "This will make it stronger -- the evidence that we're going to bring to the world."

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