Starbucks Gives Up On Its Evolution Fresh Concept – Forbes


Forbes
Starbucks Gives Up On Its Evolution Fresh Concept
Forbes
Kevin Johnson isn't even CEO of Starbucks yet (officially) but the outfit he's inheriting from Howard Schultz is shedding brands and stores that aren't part of its coffee-centric mission. The latest casualty is Evolution Fresh, a five-year-old juice ...

Read the rest here:

Starbucks Gives Up On Its Evolution Fresh Concept - Forbes

Already baseball’s best, Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw continues to … – ESPN (blog)

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- High atop the Washington, D.C.-area Gaylord National Harbor Hotel, where all of baseball aroused itself from its brief winter slumber below, the games best pitcher gave a nod to his newest subtle change.

Nothing major, Clayton Kershaw admitted. Just an adjustment to his between-seasons routine, the Los Angeles Dodgers ace said at baseballs winter meetings. Nobody would have known the difference had the question not been asked.

Kershaw denied it was related to the back injury that interrupted his 2016 season. More than anything, he revealed, the alterations were done as an acknowledgement of his nine major league seasons, his 1,760 innings pitched and his approaching 29th birthday on March 19.

The routine has been a little different, but its not drastic changes, which is great, Kershaw said upon reporting to spring training last week. I feel like I am able to still get in the work I need to get in. I just am a little more aware of just pushing through stuff, and things like that, just a little more aware. But I would say, for the most part, not a lot has changed. I feel good.

Locked into every season, every game, every inning and every pitch, Kershaw has worked himself into a baseball giant. He has elevated the art of pitching, and his place at Cooperstown already seems secure. He might be one of the best to ever kick the clay atop the mound, but even he is always tinkering with his formula for greatness.

During his first full season as a major leaguer in 2009, 71 percent of Kershaws pitches were fastballs. Nearly every year since, he has relied on his fastball less, which means his breaking ball usage has gone up. In 2016, his fastball/breaking ball usage was nearly identical at 51 percent to 49 percent.

If people get hits on stuff, you have to change stuff, Kershaw said. Ill stay the same until I start getting hit hard, and then Ill have to make adjustments.

While hitters continuously try to catch up to Kershaw, he always has been able to stay a step ahead to maintain his elite level.

He essentially developed his slider at the major league level after arriving in L.A. as more of a fastball/curveball pitcher. In 2012, Kershaws slider truly arrived and from 2012-13, while throwing it in the 85 mph range, opponents batted .195 against it, with a .334 slugging percentage.

At the start of the 2014 season, though, Kershaw threw his slider harder, at an average of 87.5 mph, according to ESPN Stats & Information. In 2015, he was throwing his slider at 88 mph, and last season he threw it 87.8 mph.

What kind of difference did a harder slider make? In those three seasons (2014-16), opponents hit .157 against the Kershaw slider, with a .232 slugging percentage.

If Kershaw has his slider complementing the rest of his arsenal in 2017, Cy Young consideration figures to be a foregone conclusion.

I think we can all say we have never seen a player like Clayton both physically and mentally, manager Dave Roberts said. But I think there is something to staying ahead of things. But also he just has a way to execute -- and consistently.

Another spontaneous evolution he integrated into his repertoire last season -- refusing to stand still even upon returning from the disabled list -- was a three-quarter sidearm delivery that he had not used since high school. He was inspired to do it after watching new teammate Rich Hill.

I think when we talk about success, you talk about the creativity that guys have and the passion they have for whatever it is they do. It doesnt matter what they do in life, but if you have the creativity and the passion to go out there and do what youre doing, then youre going to be successful, Hill said. And I think that is the perfect example of a guy like Clayton, who is creative out there on the mound and loves what he does.

So what changes could be in store this year?

Every offseason I say my changeup is getting better, so maybe Ill throw one this year, Kershaw said. It looks great in the bullpen, and then I dont throw it in the game.

Will he really use it?

I dont know. Who knows? Well find out.

The rest is here:

Already baseball's best, Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw continues to ... - ESPN (blog)

Munchausen Syndrome: Perry Marshall Debates Stephen Meyer on the "Third Way" of Evolution – Discovery Institute

Justin Brierly of the radio program Unbelievable? out of the U.K. is a gem of an interviewer, regularly bringing together advocates of competing views on biological origins for startlingly rich, serious, and civil discussion.

He's done that again now with a program featuring our colleague Stephen Meyer and Perry Marshall, author of the book Evolution 2.0. Meyer and Marshall were both present for November's Royal Society meeting and they debate whether the Third Way of Evolution folks, who organized the meeting, are hot on the trail of a replacement theory for failed neo-Darwinism.

Dr. Meyer, while respecting Third Way critiques of orthodox evolutionary thinking, argues that a more fundamental paradigm shift is called for by the scientific evidence -- namely an inference to intelligent design. Marshall promotes the Third Way view, and his slogan is "Darwinists underestimate nature, and Creationists underestimate God." (He puts ID "in that same camp," the "creationist" one, but we're not going to argue with him about that right now.) An electrical engineer with a background in marketing and sales, he explains his approach in terms of "market share."

If I take the creationist or Intelligent Design/Discovery Institute position, I will lose ground every year as they explain more and more evolutionary steps with observable processes.

But if I take the Third Way view, my market share will grow and grow because the explanatory power of an integrationist, non-reductionist paradigm which also considers consciousness.

That may sound a bit crass. Meyer counters that science is about getting at the truth, not pursuing a "market."

I think at the end of the day you have to set those things aside and say what is nature telling us, and then develop an understanding of both the origin and development of life that is consistent with the evidence.

The issue comes down to whether the information at the heart of biology can be accounted for without reference to a designing agent operating in the course of life's long history. As Marshal prefers to say, was this information required for biological innovation front-loaded in the first bacterial cells so that it comes from within the animal, not from a source without? Talking about the research of leading Third Way figure James Shapiro at the University of Chicago, Meyer identifies two key issues:

What I show there is invariably what is going on is these new mechanisms either presuppose unexplained sources of information, or they simply don't explain the origin of necessary information to get real anatomical novelty. In other words, there are limits on what these mechanisms can produce.

Take Shapiro's work. He's describing ways in which organisms respond in real time to environmental stresses. Then they produce a response in the way that either they express pre-existing genetic information, or the way they ramp up the mutation rate in very specific parts of the genome to explore possibilities that are already latent in the genetic information.

So what he's talking about is a kind of pre-programmed adaptive capacity which he says is under "algorithmic control."

That's all extremely cool. It is very elegant the way organisms can do that, but the question that Shapiro doesn't address is: where does the pre-programming come from? Where does that algorithm come from? There's a higher level of informational programming at work that's presupposed in this whole process that he doesn't attempt to explain.

My concern about using this as an explanation for the whole of what we see in biological evolution is two-fold. First, you can't really propose that all this information is already in all these different organisms, and every organism has its own preprogramming to respond in different ways according to its organismal needs.

I don't think it's plausible to say that all this information could have been front-loaded in the circular chromosome of the bacterial cell at the point of the origin of life. Clearly you're going to need additional information at discrete points along the biological timeline.

Just getting from prokaryotes to eukaryotes requires an extensive reworking of the whole system of storage of genetic information. But secondly, and I think this is really a key thing, this is one of the key problems, it is the problem of epigenetic information.

Not all the information to build a body plan is in DNA. DNA codes for building proteins, but proteins have to be organized into bio-synthetic pathways that would characterize different kinds of cells and cell types.

Different cell types have to be organized into different tissues. Different tissues have to reorganize into different organs.

And organs and tissues have to be organized into whole body plans. The information for doing that is not solely in the DNA. Higher levels of information stored elsewhere are required to organize all those different levels of the biological hierarchy.

Shapiro is focusing on Natural Genetic Engineering, and has said he might get novel proteins out of this, but he's not going to explain the origin of a body plan. And that's the really crucial question biologically. Where did that higher-level innovation come from?

Both the Third Way crowd and their advocate Mr. Marshall position themselves as offering an alternative to Darwinism and ID. Marshall thinks Darwinists and ID theorists alike are missing what he plainly can see -- that evolution is real and a beautiful thing because it comes from within the organism, within the universe, itself.

On his website, Marshall has helpfully transcribed the whole program, adding annotations of his own. He writes:

Neo-Darwinism is about miracles of randomness which can never be quantified or demonstrated. It's the biggest mistake in the history of science. And despite Meyer's insistence to the contrary, Intelligent Design is still God of the gaps. The two are symmetrical. Neither offers you a mechanism that qualifies as empirical science. Neither helps the scientist do his real job, which is to explain every evolutionary step in reproducible detail.

And neither is telling you the REAL story -- that organisms possess tools of Natural Genetic Engineering and freedom to evolve on their own. It's the purpose of my book Evolution 2.0 to tell that story.

He refers to symbiogenesis and hybridization. But how much of those processes are an organism simply activating pre-programmed information? This is not macroevolution in action. Where does that pre-programmed information come from? It cannot be from the organism itself, as Marshall suggests.

Why? On the issue of pre-programming or front-loading information, our new colleague, the paleontologist and now Center for Science & Culture Senior Fellow Gnter Bechly, notes three problems. He writes:

This is clearly documented by Marshall's explicit endorsement of Robert Lanza's "Biocentrism," which is one of the many popular varieties of "monistic idealism meets quantum mysticism." However, if even bacteria can achieve incredible intelligence and information processing abilities without a material brain, why is intelligent behavior in animals positively correlated with the complexity of their neural system? Why do we need brains at all?

A second problem is that it is not the organism that is said to evolve but populations, which would even imply a kind of hive mind to make sense of Marshall's approach.

Finally, there is the Munchausen problem that intelligent agents cannot be their own designers, because they have to come into existence before they can design anything.

In the end the crucial question is: What makes more sense when you already have come to the conclusion that biological design is caused by immaterial intelligent agency: that bacteria and worms are intelligent minds and brilliant genetic engineers, or that the intelligent designer is the omniscient and omnipotent immaterial mind (God), in which Marshall believes anyway for different reasons?

That Munchausen reference is to the satirical story of Baron Munchausen lifting and thus rescuing himself and his horse, stuck in a mire, by pulling upward on his own hair. That's not going to work. It's an apt image for what's wrong not only with Marshall's argument but with the Third Way approach in general.

Image: Baron Munchausen rescues himself and his horse from a mire, by Oskar Herrfurth [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

Read the original post:

Munchausen Syndrome: Perry Marshall Debates Stephen Meyer on the "Third Way" of Evolution - Discovery Institute

Prada’s Latest Runway Clocked the Evolution of the Boarding School Girl – Jezebel

Miuccia Prada always tells a story with her extravagant looks, and tonight in Milan the set gave away the plot: a runway organized into individual cubicles furnished by neatly made single beds and decorated with posters and collages, just like the shared rooms at some finely appointed boarding school.

Of course, the archetype for what happens to young ladies when they go to boarding school is that they transform into little hellions, introduced to all sorts of societal ills like shagging and reefer. Then the models began walking, first garbed up in 70s leather trenches, oversized velvet trousers and crocheted bra tops before slowly transitioning into beaded flapper gowns with elaborate ostrich headpieces that were both muppetlike and symbolic of letting ones hair down; it was like a time-lapse of the young intellectual transforming into a malcontent. You could see Sally Draper in her bedroom in Connecticut (or wherever), learning chokily to smoke bogies and spliffs.

Fashion month thus far has had a rocky time dealing with politics slow but seemingly tectonic shift rightward, with many designers seemingly feeling around on the dark (and landing, mostly, on slogan tees as an unsatisfactory answer). Prada has never had that problem, having always been informed by her own political science background and adept at interweaving the cultural tenor into her creations.

Here, the looks evoke American protest culture in the aftermath of Paris 68; by imagining the weary mood felt in the early 70s after years of dogged resistance, she both mirrors our current consternation and reminds us that it was then and always will be youth culture that guides us forward. (Picture Hillary Clinton in a Wellesley dorm, learning from her classmates how to smoke grass. Sure, that never happenedas far as we knowbut imagine it anyway. You know Sally Draper would be in Congress by now.) Soundtracked by elaborate pipe organ music and, in a weird mix, Missy Elliotts The Rain, it was Dark Shadows via finishing school, all lush ostrich feathers on sensible coats. Only Miuccia can make moodiness this luxe.

See the original post here:

Prada's Latest Runway Clocked the Evolution of the Boarding School Girl - Jezebel

Reddit Permanently Deleted Our Account When We Asked NASA About Alien Life During AMA – Collective Evolution

We're creating a positive news network. We need your help.

On February 22nd, 2017 NASA held a press conference to reveal they had found 7 exoplanets around a cool star, and that some of those planets could be habitable. Following this announcement, NASA held an AMA on Redditforthe public to ask questions.

When we heard of this announcement we were excited about the opportunity to not only hear what NASAwas going to share, but also aboutthe chance to ask an important question during the AMA. We felt our question, at the very least, would tell us what the public was thinking about the subject, and hopefully perhaps get a response back from NASA.

We got our cameras ready, went live on Facebook during the press conference and then joined in the AMA when it came time. Up to this point NASA madeno mention of alien life but they were mentioning that looking for signs of organic life was a priorityon these new exoplanets.

Now to be clear, doing the work we do here at CE, we know through years of researching and speaking with insiders that NASA has been upholding a veil of secrecy around the subjectof alien life for quite some time and that it wasnt likely they would say anything beyond the very public safe statements they made. In fact, NASA isnt even atthe top of the food chain when it comes to security clearance and whats known about ET happenings in our solar system. Its very likely that the people on the exoplanet panel didnt know much, if anything, about ET life at all. However we thought wed respectfully try to push the envelope.

So we asked:

Collective Evolution Media asks: When is NASA going to reveal what is known about ET life? Former defence minister of Canada Hon. Paul Hellyer has said there are at least 4 known ET species communicating with humans. He is certainly not the only high ranking whistleblower on this topic. When is NASA going to address this? Thanks!

Now you might be thinking Well of course they didnt answer! This has nothing to do with the exoplanets! To which I say, It has everything to do with it.

Here we are talking about potentially habitable planets that could already contain life, or could end up being planets we move to if ours is destroyed. The obvious question on everyones mind is What about alien life there?!

Given what is known about the entire subject of ET life, for those that keep up with it, you can draw a very simple conclusion: we are not being told the truth, and events like this are only a drip release of small amounts of information controlled by a number of agencies and organizations that are keeping very important information from the general public.

Now let me know, if this were true, does itfeel right to you that we would be kept in the dark?

Something to ponder, but lets move on.

We asked people in our private community to get involved in the AMA and support the questionif they felt they wanted an answer to it as well. Over the course of half an hour, the up vote count on our question reached about 20. This was an up and down swing between people up voting and down voting.

45 minutes later, a series of negative comments began to come through, calling out our question as silly and not serious. According to other reddit users, NASA was here to answer serious questions only, and not conspiracy theories.

We thought this was odd as we had not only asked a very valid question but also backed it up with credible information and links, including that of the testimony from the Hon. Paul Hellyer who is a former defence minister of Canada. He is the only cabinet member of G8 countries who has come out blowing the whistle on what government and defence knows about extraterrestrial life. And its fascinating. Something the public should know and Im sure would love to know.

Back in 2013, Hellyer, along with a number of ranking officials, UFOlogists and lawyers got together at the Citizens Hearing On Disclosure to testify as to what their knowledgeabout ETs and UFOs was. Among them was Daniel Sheehan who also testified. Sheehan is a decoratedlawyer who worked on the Pentagon Papers case, Watergate, the Silkwood case and the Iran Contra Scandal.

As Hellyer stated at the hearing: The American people and the people of the world have the right to know whats going on, because they are part of it () An investigation was launched into this whole subject and a document was prepared which concluded that at least four species have been visiting earth for thousands of years.

You can listen to his full testimony below.

Hellyer is part of a list of hundreds of high ranking and distinguished individuals who have come forward to blow the whistle on what they know about the subject. The point here is, this is not a topic that does not come with evidence, credibility, and highly decorated and credible people behind it. It is simply our own ignorance on the subject and cognitive dissonance that keeps us in the dark about it.

That said, during the NASA AMA today it only made sense to ask the question we did, and it wasnt just asked by us. Many other comments surfaced where people asked about NASAs knowledge of ET life. Obviously humanity is high engaged in this topic and would love to know more.

So what response did we receivefrom NASA? Nothing, which was fine, but sure enough, Reddit suspended our account permanently. We did not spam, abuse, nor ask anything more than 1 simple question.

I cant tell you why this happened,for all we know it is simply the action of a Reddit moderator wanting to control conversation in their own way. Perhaps they were told to keep questions safe and simple, about the subject only. But its curious that our account would be permanently suspended in the process.

The point of this story comes down to what Ive mentioned above. This subject is what I believe to be one of the most important subjects facing us today. It has the ability to change life as we know it entirely. And not in a way that would cause chaos but one that would create amazing beauty.

The technological implications of disclosing the truth about ETs and UFOs is astronomical. The question how are they getting here? on its own would reveal technological possibilities that would challenge our biggest industries. The admission of what is truly known about ETs and the technology that comes with them would make it so that our pharmaceutical industries would be no more, our economy would not be the same, we could thrive and live in a world where we all could explore our gifts and do what we came here to do. This sounds like a utopia, a world that is impossible on our planet given humanitys current state of consciousness, and this is exactly why there is secrecy. Mass control would be no more.

So my ask is this, truly take the time to learn about whats truly out there in terms of information on the subject. Watch the videos linked throughout the article and hear the testimony from hundreds of ranking individuals who share all they know about UFOs and ETs. Once you allow that information through your mind and heart, then make a decision as to what you believe, but do challenge yourself to not shut down at the very thought of the idea.

The realization of this idea has the power to truly change our world in an incredible way. Its up to us. There is a mass shift happening in our world and you are part of it. Be diligent with information out there and dont bow down to the perceived authority of institutions like NASA, they are not keeping you well informed.

Your life path number can tell you A LOT about you.

With the ancient science of Numerology you can find out accurate and revealing information just from your name and birth date.

Get your free numerology reading and learn more about how you can use numerology in your life to find out more about your path and journey. Get Your free reading.

Read the original:

Reddit Permanently Deleted Our Account When We Asked NASA About Alien Life During AMA - Collective Evolution

‘Diana: Her Fashion Story’ Exhibit Celebrates Princess Di’s Style Evolution – Biography

The 'Diana: Her Fashion Story' exhibit takes us through some of Princess Diana's most famous outfits during some of the most important moments in her life.

Diana dances with Hollywood actor John Travolta during a White House party in 1985 hosted by President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy. (Photo: Courtesy of Ronald Reagan Library/epa/Corbis)

Today Kensington Palace celebrates the life of Princess Diana with a curated fashion exhibition. Diana: Her Fashion Story takes us through the Princess' style evolution and displays some of her most famous outfits such as: her light pink Emanuel blouse she wore at her engagement portrait in 1981, her iconic Victor Edelstein ink-blue velvet dress she wore while dancing with John Travolta at the White House in 1985, and her Catherine Walker power suits of the '90s.

Like most prominent figures in the public eye, Princess Diana used fashion to communicate and express herself, and as she grew into her own, she was quite keen on social expectations and balancing them with her own personal style. But considering Princess Di lived through the decadent '80s, she would undoubtedly fall victim to fashion mishaps. As a young woman, we first see her drowning in frills and ruffles and later, sporting unusually large shoulder pads and oversized tartan suits. But soon, her image would evolve into more form-fitting, sleek apparel that symbolized her growth and confidence.

Somehow women all over the world saw a piece of themselves in the princess, Deirdre Murphy, senior curator at the Historic Royal Palaces said. She got her image across and her ideas across using clothing in a really sophisticated, really smart, really thoughtful way.

Princess Diana arrives for The Christie's Party in New York wearing a champagne-colored dress designed by fashion designer Catherine Walker, 1997.

Tim Graham/Getty Images

For instance, Princess Diana knew how to use fashion as a diplomatic tool. On an overseas trip to Saudi Arabia, she wore a dress covered with golden falcons, which were emblems of the country. She also used fashion for philanthropy. Referring to her carefully selected outfits for humanitarian events as her "caring wardrobe," the Princess would wear bright colors to exude warmth and approachability. She wore chunky accessories so that children could play with them, and she also made a point of not wearing gloves so that she could easily hold people's hands. When she visited the blind, she made sure to wear tactile material, often times velvet, and she famously wore a red suit when visiting an AIDS charity in 1996.

But truth be told, as much as Princess Diana was conscious of her public image, she was not vain about her appearance. Hairstylist Sam McKnight recalled she admitted as much. "Its not for me, Sam. It is for the people I visit or who come to see me," she told him. "They dont want me in off-duty mode, they want a princess. Lets give them what they want."

Twenty years after Princess Diana's death, it appears that she did and still, the public remains fascinated.

Go here to read the rest:

'Diana: Her Fashion Story' Exhibit Celebrates Princess Di's Style Evolution - Biography

Analysis: The evolution of Xavier’s starting lineup – Cincinnati.com

Xavier Musketeers head coach Chris Mack strolls out to a huddle during a timeout in the second half.(Photo: Sam Greene)

NEWARK, New Jersey In returning to the lineup against Seton Hall after missing two games, junior Xavier guard Trevon Bluiett rejoined arguably the most successful starting lineup the Musketeers have fielded this season.

Bluiett took the court with Quentin Goodin, J.P. Macura, Malcolm Bernard and Tyrique Jones, a quintet that on Wednesday played its fifth overall game together and was responsible for a 3-1 record in Xavier's first four games without Edmond Sumner.

That quintet was one of at least eight different starting lineups Xavier head coach Chris Mack has fielded during a 2016-17 season in which the only certainty personnel-wise has been uncertainty.

Injuries, Myles Davis' departure from the program and inconsistency from the team's bigs forced Mack to mix and match throughout the season.

With change as the norm for the Musketeers, Mack's started nine different players through 28 games this season.

You read all that correctly: Eight different starting lineups and nine different starters.

Every team sees slight variations to its lineup throughout a 30-40 game season, but this Xavier team, ranked a top-10 program in thepreseason, wasn't expecting this kind of change.

Despite losing its top three guards for at least parts of this season, and considering the early struggles of the bigs, that Xavier is still 18-10 overall and 8-7 in the Big East is something of an achievement.

They're in the midst of a four-game losing streak but have likely sewn up at least an at-large NCAA Tournament bid, according to most industry experts.

Mack's lineup tinkering hasn't always worked out, but mostly it's helped keep the team on track for its NCAA Tournament berth.

Here's a break down of Xavier's eight different starting lineups starting with the first game up to present day. :

Bluiett-Sumner-Macura-Bernard-O'Mara 7-1 (lostatBaylor):The opening gamestarting lineup, and the lineup Mack won the Tire Pros Invitational with. But when this group of players, along with their teammates off the bench,faced its first real test of the year at Baylor Dec. 3, they wobbled mightily. And to that point, starting forward Sean O'Mara struggled with his offensive production. A change was in order, and the first lineup switch of the season finally arrived for the game immediately following the loss at Baylor.

Bluiett-Sumner-Macura-Bernard-Gaston 7-3 (lost at Colorado, at Villanova, and at Butler):RaShid Gaston was the first change to Xavier's starting lineup in 2016-17, replacing the then-struggling O'Mara. Xavier led by this group of five lost its first game together at Colorado (a game played more than a mile above sea level), closed out thenon-conference schedule with wins to right the ship and opened Big East Conference play with two wins. Then the Musketeers set off on the infamous stretch of three games against conference elites. That stretch began with losses at Villanova and at Butler.

*This same groupof starters was alsoselected for Xavier's Jan. 22 home win versus Georgetown.

Bluiett-Goodin-Macura-Bernard-Gaston - 0-1 (lost to Creighton):Sumner was forced from the starting lineup after battling a shoulder issue that came about when he dove for a loose ball against Villanova. The nagging injury finally caught up with him and freshman Quentin Goodin took his place in the starting lineup. The start was the first of Goodin's career, although he ended up playing just five minutes to Sumner's 35. Xavier lost the game, 72-67.

Bluiett-Sumner-Macura-Gates-Gaston 0-1 (lost at UC): For the Crosstown Shootout, Mack went with a new look and left the best defender on his team graduate transfer Malcolm Bernard on the bench. That adjustment was never fully explained. The University of Cincinnati ended up doing a good job with sophomore Kaiser Gates in his first start of the year, although Bluiett more than made up for Gates' and Bernard' share of the offensive as he exploded offensively. The Bearcats won a thriller.

Bluiett-Sumner-Macura-Bernard-Jones 1-0: The win at St. John's. This lineup was a one-off as Sumner tore an anterior crucial ligament (ACL) andwas downed for the season.

Bluiett-Goodin-Macura-Bernard-Jones 3-2 (lost to Villanova, lost at Seton Hall):In defiance of outside expectations, Xavier went on a four-game winning streak in the conference after Sumner went down for the year. They did it with this starting five, and they made a compelling case for the best starting lineup Xavier's fielded this year.

To be clear, Xavier isn't 'better" without Sumner. When Sumner's on the court, Xavier immediately becomes more explosive, long and generally threatening.

So while this starting lineup wasn't comprised of the five best players in the program, necessarily, the group did manage to pull it together in a way lineups with Sumner hadn't: The bigs started to play their best ball of the year, Goodin was playing well on both ends of the court and, of course, they notched the win at No. 22 Creighton that likely synched Xavier's NCAA Tournament berth, should they require an at-large bid.

The Musketeers dispatched DePaul with this group of starters and enjoyed a frenzied home crowd for a visit from No. 2-ranked Villanova, but that's whenBluiett succumbed to the ankle injury.

Bluiett was playing the best basketball of his Xavier career to that point.

This group of players finally reunited Wednesday at Seton Hall.

Macura-Goodin-Gates-Bernard-Jones 0-1 (lost at Providence):The "Next Man Up" mentality was never more apparent for Xavier as the team's three bigs continued to show improvement. The Musketeers controlled much of the first half at Providence but ceded momentum and, in the absence of Bluiett, faltered down the stretch in a loss to the Friars.

Macura-Goodin-Bernard-Jones-Gaston 0-1 (lost at Marquette):Xavier went big, starting Jones and Gaston alongside each other. It paid off, if only for the bigs. Gaston logged his third consecutive double-double but Bluiett's presence was sorely missed.

The team at-large was routed on National Marquette Day.

Excerpt from:

Analysis: The evolution of Xavier's starting lineup - Cincinnati.com

How does evolution happen? – Hampshire Review

It has long been believed that evolution from one kind of creature to another takes place very slowly over millions, if not billions, of years. Each creature mutates into another type of creature; like monkey to man. Each step of this mutating experience is supposed to happen so slowly that it is not discernable for many generations. All the steps needed to progress upwards into a better creature, according to evolutionists, all are directed by accidental duplications or mutations in the genes. There is no guided direction in any of this. It is all pure chance. Mutations in the genes was supposed to be the reason all things evolve. It has long been held by those who believe in evolution that habitat change, food supplies, and other outside forces are the only guide to change.

Nature indiscriminately selects the healthier of the species to survive and allows all others to die off. If you have followed my articles in the past, you know that genetics is now proving all the above to be wrong. I have long believed that the discovery of DNA would one day be the nail-in-the-coffin for the Theory of Evolution. One of the things that science has discovered is that mutations in the genes are almost always detrimental to all creatures, including man. Genetics has now proven that there seems to be a time when all things were genetically pure ... no mutations at all. In other words, we started out perfect in our genes and have slowly gained one hundred or more mutations in each generation.

kA 4=2DDlQq@5JC28865QmtG@=FE:@? 92D 2=H2JD 925 FD 36=:6G6 E92E H6 2C6 4@?DE2?E=J 86EE:?8 36EE6C 2?5 36EE6C] w@H6G6C[ D4:6?46 92D ?@H AC@G6? E92E H6 2C6 86EE:?8 H@CD6 2?5 H@CD6] %96 6G@=FE:@?2CJ 5@4EC:?6 @7 V?2EFC2= D6=64E:@?V 4C62E:?8 2== E9:?8D E@ 86E 36EE6C 92D 72==6? 2A2CE] $4:6?46 ?@H 6DE:>2E6D E92E >2?<:?5 H:== 82:? D@ >2?J >FE2E:@?D 😕 E96 ?6IE `_[___ J62CD E92E H6 H:== 364@>6 6IE:?4E] tG@=FE:@? 92D =@?8 96=5 E92E >FE2E:@?D 😕 E96 86?6D 2C6 H92E 4C62E6 ?6H 762EFC6D 😕 4C62EFC6D] (92E D4:6?46 92D 5:D4@G6C65 😀 E92E >FE2E:@?D 42? @?=J >@5:7J 6I:DE:?8 762EFC6D 2?5 E92E >FE2E:@?D 42??@E 4C62E6 ?6H 762EFC6D 2E 2==] x? @E96C H@C5D[ H6 42? 86E 5:776C6?E 762EFC6D 😕 2 5@8[ 3FE :E H:== 2=H2JD C6>2:? 2 5@8[ 6G6? H:E9 >@5:7:65 762EFC6D] %96 D2>6 😀 ECF6 7@C >2?] w6 ?6G6C 6G@=G65 7C@> 2 >@?<6J E@ 2 >2?] |@?<6JD 2C6 2 H9@=6 5:776C6?E <:?5 @7 4C62EFC6] %9:D >62?D :7 >FE2E:@?D 5@ ?@E H@C< 2D @?46 DFAA@D65[ E96? ?@ ?6H 4C62EFC6 42? 36 4C62E65 7C@> >FE2E:@?D] %9:D CF?D 4@>A=6E6=J 4@?EC2CJ E@ H92E 6G@=FE:@?2CJ D4:6?E:DED 92G6 36=:6G65 D:?46 E96 52J @7 s2CH:?]k^Am

kA 4=2DDlQq@5JC28865Qm%96 724E E92E H6 42? ?@H 42=4F=2E6 9@H >2?J >FE2E:@?D >2?<:?5 92D 25565 D:?46 H6 H6C6 @C:8:?2==J 86?6E:42==J AFC6[ >62?D H6 42? 4@F?E 3246 H96? >2? H2D 86?6E:42==J AFC6] xE 2AA62CD E92E :E H2D =6DD E92? 6:89E E9@FD2?5 J62CD 28@[ A6C E96 C6D62C49] %9:D H@F=5 >62? E92E[ :7 >2? 92D 6I:DE65 >:==:@?D @7 J62CD @? E9:D 62CE9[ E96? >@C6 E92? ?:?6EJ ?:?6 A6C46?E @7 E92E E:>6 96V5 92G6 366? 86?6E:42==J AFC6[ H9:49 😀 :>A@DD:3=6] %9:D 7:?5:?8 @7 >2? @?46 36:?8 86?6E:42==J AFC6 ;FDE 92AA6?D E@ 4@CC6=2E6 BF:E6 ?:46=J H:E9 H92E E96 q:3=6 D2JD 23@FE H96? E96 962G6?D[ 62CE9[ 2?5 2== E9:?8D H6C6 4C62E65]k^Am

kA 4=2DDlQq@5JC28865Qm%96D6 2C6 52F?E:?8 @3DE24=6D 7@C 6G@=FE:@?:DED E@ @G6C4@>6[ 2?5 92G6 366? 3C@F89E E@ @FC 2EE6?E:@? ?@E 3J q:3=6 36=:6G6CD 3FE 3J D4:6?46[ :ED6=7] %96C6 2C6 ?F>6C@FD 86?6E:4 C6D62C49 AC@8C2>D E2<:?8 A=246 :? =23D 2== @G6C E96 H@C=5[ 2?5 >2?J D66> E@ ?F==:7J 6G@=FE:@?2CJ 36=:67D H9:=6 G6C:7J:?8 E96 q:3=6 4C62E:@? DE@CJ] |J >@?6J 92D 366? @? E96 q:3=6 ?62C=J D:?46 x 232?5@?65 2E96:D> 7@C r9C:DE:2?:EJ[ 2?5 x D66 ?@ C62D@? E@ 492?86 E92E 36=:67 ?@H] {@@< 7@C FD 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^6G:56?467@CE969@A6]@C8Qm6G:56?467@CE969@A6]@C8k^2m]k^Am

See the rest here:

How does evolution happen? - Hampshire Review

How does Montana’s evolution education compare? – Montana Kaimin

Betsy DeVos confirmation to be the head of the U.S. Department of Education has been shrouded in concern for the softening of lines between church and state. Evolution teeters on the edge of the debate, potentially next in line for the chopping block.

In 2013 and 2015, Montana faced anti-evolution bills that sought to emphasize critical thinking about scientific theories and allow teachers to teach alternative theories to evolution. Both were tabled, according to Open States, an independent organization that collects data on state governments.

Content standards are determined at the state level and dictate the content that students must know at different levels of public education. Curricula, which dictate how teachers teach content, are determined by local school boards.

The Montana Office of Public Instruction updated science content standards in Sep. 2016 that will be implemented by July 1, 2017, according to itswebsite. According to the new standards, sixth to eighth grade students are expected to be able to infer evolutionary relationships between living organisms and the fossil record. The previous 2006 standards required a similar understanding of evolution upon the time of graduation.

Education Week reports that Montana falls behind most other states in evolution education, citing a study that measured alignment of schools curricula to 10 of the National Science Education Standards key concepts of evolution. Montana only received credit for adequately teaching two of the 10 concepts.

Nathanael Herrera, a second year doctoral student in evolutionary genetics and a teaching assistant at the University of Montana, defines evolution as the change in the frequency of a trait in a population over time

Herrera said that most students he has taught have come to college with a solid introductory understanding of evolution, but most states, including Montana, could improve. He said location plays a role in the quality of evolution education students receive.

The typical expectation seems to be that in more liberal cities, its emphasized, Herrera said.

Herrera said there is growing acceptance of the theory in the U.S., but it is still much lower than in other countries. He said he has heard of teachers in some schools being afraid to teach evolution because of parent and community backlash. He said that this could affect whether or not a student decides to go into a science-related major at the college level, especially if the field relies heavily on the theory.

I have not had any student be unwilling to approach the subject with an open mind, he said.

UM senior Reina Sherman is studying archaeology and forensic anthropology. Having gone to high school in a small, conservative county in Oregon, she said her background in evolution was lacking by the time she got to college.

She said her high school biology teacher presented beliefs about the origin of life on a spectrum, with evolution on one end and creationism on the other. Students were told that they can fall anywhere on the spectrum. Other than that and a brief mention of Darwins finches, nothing else was said about evolution.

According to Sherman, evolution is integral to her fields of study. Before college, she said she happened upon evolution kind of by accident, through documentaries and books that she enjoyed.Indiana Jonessparked her love for science and history.

Human evolution is a much harder pill to swallow for most people, according to Sherman. She said humans dont want to think theyre monkeys, a common misinterpretation of evolution that could be solved with improved evolution education.

Were not monkeys youre right, Sherman said.

The rest is here:

How does Montana's evolution education compare? - Montana Kaimin

30-Million-Year-Old Species Worried It Doesn’t Have Another Evolution In It – The Onion (satire)

WASATCH RANGE, UTHaving spent thousands of millennia adapting to changes in habitat and climate, the American pika told reporters Wednesday that the 30-million-year-old species is worried it doesnt have another evolution in it. Honestly, I think the cycle where we developed longer, denser fur to live in cold, mountainous regions may have been the last hurrah, said the small herbivorous mammal, adding that differentiating itself from rabbits during the Oligocene epoch took an awful lot out of it. Lets face it, Im not 15 million years old anymore. Maybe I should just be proud of our distinctive high-pitched alarm call and accept that this is as far as natural selection is going to take us. At a certain point, you have to come to terms with the fact that you might be as evolved as youre going to get. The pika went on to say that while it might be evolutionarily advantageous to develop more nocturnal traits to help the species stay cooler during warmer seasons, it was getting exhausted just thinking about it.

Originally posted here:

30-Million-Year-Old Species Worried It Doesn't Have Another Evolution In It - The Onion (satire)

Why Empathy Is So Important in Everyday Life (Video) – Collective Evolution

We're creating a positive news network. We need your help.

Youve surely heard the saying, You cant understand someone until youve walked a mile in their shoes. The person who first offeredthis wisdom is lost to history, but its become so ingrained in ourvernacularbecause of the importance empathy has in life.

Because each and every one of us is an individual, with our own unique outlook on life, it can be incredibly easy to disagree; to misunderstand; to offend. Think of a time you were crying, and someone couldnt seem to wrap their head around how your emotions matched the situation. That alone is enough to make your tears flow harder.

Empathy is truly about trying to understand other peoples experiences and perspectives. If you think about your strengths and weaknessesin this area,you might find its very easy for you, or people you know, to subconsciously practice empathy, like when you see a stranger get hurt. You find yourself truly concerned for their well-being. Our egos can make itdifficult, however, to see someone elses feelings as valid when they differ from our own. But just because someone has, for instance, different sensitivities, doesnt make them any less real, orany less important.

In an overwhelming way, empathy has been devalued in our society in recent years. One example, explainsauthor and child psychologist Michele Borba, is the seismic shift that our culture has undergone. She notes that one of the biggest culprits is technology.Self-promotion, personal branding, and self-interest at the exclusion of others feelings, needs, and concerns, she argues, is permeating our culture and slowly eroding our childrens character, and the outcome is a drop in youth empathy. This only creates peer cruelty, bullying, cheating, the inability to harbour moral reasoning, and a mental health epidemic in young people. And its adouble-edged sword the youth become adults, and the downward spiral continues.

So where does one start to fix the problem? Practice, and lots of it. We must not only teach youth to practice empathy, but also lead by example.

Start by listening intently when people speak to you. Even if you dont agree with what theyre saying, consider the motivation behind it being spoken. Rather than shutting off your brain to the rest of their words and formulating a response, digest all of it.

When you do respond, make sure you take time between the end of their thought and the beginning of yours, so as to respond in a waythat truly acknowledges what they said, and not what you were thinking while they said it.

When in a social setting, embrace it. If youre in the elevator, waiting to board a plane, sitting at a cafe by yourself, try to put your phone down, your book away, and simply absorb the world around you. Empathy is about understanding, and we cannot understand if we never look up and take it all in. Ask yourself how the people around you may be feeling, what they might be thinking. Try to wonder and care about these complete strangers.

Its also valuable to consider a tense situation you are currently in, or have beenin, with someone else. You may associate this situation with feeling hurt and angry, with them having wronged you. You are the victim here. Now, with that knowledge, consider the altercation from that persons point of view. Think about how you might have made them feel. You may realize that the issue stems from mere differences, not ignorance or hatred.

You can even try practicing internally the opposing viewpoint. This will take you away from your own ego, and put you in the shoes of the other person. Such an exercise will force you to open your mind to the issue at hand and to another perspective on it.

The following video by Devin Clark further dives into whyempathy is so important to have in everyday life, and shows how you can improve your own.

Your life path number can tell you A LOT about you.

With the ancient science of Numerology you can find out accurate and revealing information just from your name and birth date.

Get your free numerology reading and learn more about how you can use numerology in your life to find out more about your path and journey. Get Your free reading.

Continue reading here:

Why Empathy Is So Important in Everyday Life (Video) - Collective Evolution

PREVIEW: ALLELE Neurology and Evolution Lecture – The Crimson While

By Jake Howell | 02/21/2017 10:54pm Jake Stevens / Alabama Crimson White

The "Neural reuse in the evolution and development of the Brain lecture will take placeat 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 23.

Cognition, one of the great mysteries of life, is a debate-riddled topic. Many scientists cannot decide whether it belongs to the discipline of psychology, philosophy, biology, or still other fields, or even a combination of these endeavors.

On Feb. 23, The University of Alabamas ALLELE lectures will continue, featuring Dr. Michael Anderson, a professor of cognitive psychology at Franklin & Marshall College. Dr. Andersons research probes questions about cognitive behavior and its evolution over time. His lecture, which will be in North Lawn Hall at 7:30 p.m., is titled Neural reuse in the evolution and development of the Brain.

WHO: Dr. Michael L. Anderson studies cognitive psychology by integrating the disciplines of psychology, philosophy, computer science, and neuroscience to pursue information about the structural foundation of neural networks.

The lecture is open to all students.

WHAT: Dr. Anderson will give a lecture on his theory of neural reuse, discussing how it could explain evolution of the human brain.

WHEN: The lecture will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23.

WHERE: The lecture will be held in the North Lawn Hall auditorium.

WHY: Dr. Anderson has been influential in the field of evolutionary cognition, and his 2014 book, After Phrenology: Neural Reuse and the Interactive Brain, was published by the MIT Press. According to the Evolutionary Studies website, the book has been called hugely significant and the 'best thing written about the brain this century.'

For questions regarding the lecture, e-mail Firat Soylu at fsoylu@ua.edu.

Excerpt from:

PREVIEW: ALLELE Neurology and Evolution Lecture - The Crimson While

Pokmon Go Eevee evolution: How to evolve Eevee into Umbreon … – Eurogamer.net

A hidden reference to the TV show allows you choose the way Eevee evolves, Gen 2 included!

By Matthew Reynolds Published 22/02/2017

How to evolve Eevee has proven to be one of the bigger talking points in Pokmon Go so far.

In the classic Pokmon games, Eevee can evolve into different typing varieties based on the use of special items, its happiness level, moves it has available and even the time of day.

With the addition of Candy in Pokmon Go, the way you evolve Pokmon is much simpler, and as such, you cannot use the tried-and-tested method of using one of three elemental stones to turn Eevee into Flareon, Jolteon and Vaporeon. (Some are better than others depending on the situation - find out which you should get first with our Best Pokmon in Pokmon Go page, and our Pokmon Go Type Chart for their relative strengths and weaknesses.)

Once you have caught enough Eevees to evolve one - our pages on finding Pokemon by location, finding which Pokemon hatch from which eggs and locating Pokmon nests near you can help - a neat trick discovered by fans of the game on Reddit will get you the evolution you need.

Worth checking, too, is our page on the best Pokmon in Pokmon Go, seeing as Umbreon and Espeon in particular are pretty strong new additions with Gen 2!

If you choose to evolve Eevee without any meddling - by feeding it 25 Eevee candy - then it'll turn to one of the above five types at random. However, users have discovered a trick that allows you to target any of Espeon, Umbreon, Flareon, Jolteon or Vaporeon, by renaming it in one of the following ways:

Newcomers Umbreon and Espeon are also believed to have a second evolution method, and that's through the Buddy System, according to Reddit. By walking either one 10km, and then evolving it during night or day respectively, it'll turn into the desired evolution.

Since the naming trick only works once per evolution type, this appears to be a useful way to get a second Espeon or Umbreon with some reliability.

Why Sakura, Tamao, Sparky, Rainer and Pyro? The original three are the names of the Eevee brothers from the Pokmon television show, who meet with Ash and the gang in episode 40 to show off their respective Eevee evolutions, with Sakura and Tamao appearing later on in the series.

Once you have called your Eevee into one of the above names, you should quit and reload the app to double check the name change has taken place, which is important considering the servers can lean to be on the unreliable side.

Once you've double checked the new name is indeed in place, then evolve the Eevee as you would any other Pokmon by feeding it Candy, and it should take the form of your chosen type.

You can see the trick in action below - and once you're done, you might be interested in reading about other secrets and Easter eggs in Pokemon Go too:

Note that while plenty of users have had success with this method - and that it's been confirmed by developer Niantic itself at this year's San Diego Comic Con - there are a handful of cases where it hasn't worked every time. Some say the trick will only work on the first time you evolve the creature, while others might have caught fowl of server issues not renaming their successfully first time, so be sure to check before you try.

Want more help with Pokmon Go's Gen 2 update? Our list of new Gen 2 Johto Pokmon can teach you where to find each one, what you need to know about new Pokmon Go Berries, Special Items to evolve Pokmon such as King's Rock, Sun Stone, Up-Grade, Dragon Scale and Metal Coat, and how to get Eevee evolutions Umbreon, Espeon, and updated Egg distances and best Pokmon charts, as well as other Pokmon Go tips, tricks, cheats and guides.

If you want to get your hands on one of Eevee's many other evolution in Pokmon Go, you can't just yet.

Unfortunately you can't get all of these evolutions in Pokmon Go right now.

Pokmon Go has added 80 new Johto Pokmon, but that's still only Gen 1 and Gen 2 - in other words, the original creatures from Red, Blue, Yellow, Gold, Silver, and Crystal - which means Eevee can only evolve into Umbreon, Espeon, Flareon, Jolteon and Vaporeon for now.

It'll be interesting to see how game expands to cover more creatures in time, and if so, if there are any tricks required to access these other types.

Go here to see the original:

Pokmon Go Eevee evolution: How to evolve Eevee into Umbreon ... - Eurogamer.net

Scientists explore the evolution of a ‘social supergene’ in the red fire ant – Science Daily


Science Daily
Scientists explore the evolution of a 'social supergene' in the red fire ant
Science Daily
This finding can help scientists understand how chromosomes evolve over time. Rodrigo Pracana, a PhD student at QMUL and first author of the study, said: "We know that the Y chromosome in mammals has also been affected by unfavourable mutations.

Continued here:

Scientists explore the evolution of a 'social supergene' in the red fire ant - Science Daily

Water ‘Walls’ Spur Evolution of New Colorful Fish Species – Live Science

Two critically endangered Teleogramma brichardi, cichlids known to exist only in one stretch of rapids in the lower Congo River.

There are more than 300 species of bizarre and beautiful fish living in the lower Congo River. Now, research reveals why: Walls of water keep fish from breeding with one another.

Cut off by rapids and swift currents, fish species end up isolated. Over time, their genes become so different from their neighbors' that they evolve into entirely separate species, researchers reported Feb. 6 in the journal Molecular Ecology.

"What's particularly unique about the lower Congo is that this diversification is happening over extremely small spatial scales, over distances as small as 1.5 kilometers [0.9 miles]," study author Elizabeth Alter, a biologist at the City University of New York's York College, said in a statement. "There is no other river like it." [Photos: The Freakiest-Looking Fish]

The lower Congo is the last 200 miles (321 km) of a 2,920-mile-long (4,700 km) waterway that snakes through the Democratic Republic of the Congo and empties into the Atlantic Ocean.

The lower Congo is no lazy river; according to a 2008 U.S. Geological Survey report on its hydraulics, the first 80 miles (130 km) below Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are so treacherous that they were not navigated until 2008. Other sections, like a 21-mile (34 km) stretch between the cities of Matadi and Kinganga, aren't navigable at all because of rushing rapids and dizzying waterfalls.

It's these rapids that drive the evolution of fish in the lower reaches of the river, Alter and her colleagues found. The researchers focused on cichlids of the genus Teleogramma, a group that includes the large-finned, rainbow-banded Teleogramma brichardi. An analysis of more than 50 fish from different species in the Teleogramma genus revealed that species were geographically defined. The hydrologic forces of the river, such as its impassible rapids and swift currents, limited fish to particular areas.

"The genetic separation between these fishes shows that the rapids are working as strong barriers, keeping them apart," Alter said.

The barriers, formed by the hydrology of the river, explain how so much diversity could arise in the 3 million to 5 million years that the lower stretches of the river have existed, according to study author Melanie Stiassny, who curates ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

A similar phenomenon occurs on "sky islands." In these areas, species can't traverse steep valleys between mountaintops, so peaks right next to each other host species that never mix.

About 80 of the 300 fish found in the lower Congo are endemic, meaning they are found nowhere else in the world. T. brichardi is one of these endemic species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies this fish as critically endangered.

The IUCN cites urbanization near the only rapids where the sleek, colorful cichlids are found as the species' major threat. But proposed hydroelectric projects, such as the Grand Inga Dam, would fundamentally alter the fast-flowing river if they were to be built.

"Activity like that would majorly interrupt the evolutionary potential of this system," Stiassny said in a statement.

Original article on Live Science.

See the rest here:

Water 'Walls' Spur Evolution of New Colorful Fish Species - Live Science

Microbe, virus co-evolution: Model of CRISPR, phage co-evolution explains confusing experimental results – Science Daily

Microbe, virus co-evolution: Model of CRISPR, phage co-evolution explains confusing experimental results
Science Daily
The study documented a strange survival-extinction pattern between bacteria and phages that helps explain seemingly conflicting experimental results that have stymied CRISPR researchers. "There's a co-evolution between the phages and the bacteria," ...

and more »

Read more here:

Microbe, virus co-evolution: Model of CRISPR, phage co-evolution explains confusing experimental results - Science Daily

South Dakota bill leaves evolution skepticism up to teachers – Phys.Org

February 21, 2017 by James Nord And Hannah Weikel

South Dakota legislators are weighing whether to let teachers decide how much skepticism to work into lessons on contentious scientific topics such as evolution and climate change.

A House committee on Wednesday is set to consider the measure, which would give legal protection to teachers who want to discuss "in an objective scientific manner the strengths and weaknesses" of the subjects.

South Dakota is one of at least three states, along with Texas and Oklahoma, considering such a bill. Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee have enacted similar laws, according to Glenn Branch, deputy director of the California-based National Center for Science Education, which opposes the proposal.

Branch said there are concerns that such a bill would embolden some teachers to start presenting creationism in their classrooms.

Critics argue that the measure is bad for students and that allowing teachers to teach any science curriculum they choose could subject school districts to litigation. Federal courts have struck down attempts to present creationism in various forms at public schools, Branch said.

South Dakota Sen. Jeff Monroe, the bill's prime sponsor, said that teachers should be able to talk about weaknesses in scientific theories, but he disputed that it would allow for creationism to seep into school teachings. Rogue teaching of creationism instead of science wouldn't happen because it's not included in South Dakota's science content standards, he said.

The Republican has said that he has heard from concerned teachers, including one who was chastised for discussing how embryos develop and another who was frustrated that she was forced to teach climate change as a fact.

"That's how we got off the theory that man can't fly, that's how we got off the flat earth theory, by analyzing the theories, not by being stuck, told this is true and you're going to believe it and they're going to teach it as true," said Monroe, who added that it could help students learn.

The effort may face a hurdle in GOP Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who said in a recent letter to a group of Augustana University professors that he views the bill as unnecessary.

Deb Wolf, a high school science instructional coach who helps teachers in Sioux Falls schools write science curriculum said the bill is superfluous. She said she's concerned that it would protect educators who teach things that aren't "truly science."

Pam Wells, a Mobridge-Pollock High School science teacher, said some parents have asked her to teach intelligent design during her 35 years in public schools. Wells said she read the textbooks they gave her on the subject, but decided not to include it in her curriculum because the theories weren't based in science.

Wells said one high school senior told her that he wouldn't come to her class if she dropped evolutionary theory and picked up intelligent design. "He said, 'If I wanted to learn about that I'd go to church," said Wells, who plans to testify against the bill.

Shannon Schlomer is the father of five kids who have attended Mobridge-area schools. He has written letters to the editor of the local paper urging lawmakers to kill the bill, which he said aims to belittle established science and would end up hurting kids in South Dakota who want to go to college to become physicists, geologists or cosmologists.

Steve Matzner, an Augustana professor who signed a letter earlier this month urging House members to vote against the bill, teaches introductory biology classes every year. Some of the students come from small schools where evolutionary theory is breezed over, and they tend to struggle grasping evidence-based teaching, he said.

"The biggest effect of the bill would be that it could underprepare high school students if their science education is being watered down," he said.

Explore further: Texas mulls changing science standards questioning evolution

2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

A new study, looking at the sex-specifically inherited X chromosome of prehistoric human remains, shows that hardly any women took part in the extensive migration from the Pontic-Caspian Steppe approximately 5,000 years ago. ...

Discovering who was a leader, or even if leaders existed, from the ruins of archaeological sites is difficult, but now a team of archaeologists and biological anthropologists, using a powerful combination of radiocarbon dating ...

A longtime Cal Poly Pomona anthropology professor who studies violence among prehistoric people in California has been published in a prestigious journal.

Last year, headlines in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Scientific American and other outlets declared that a decades-old paleontological mystery had been solved. The "Tully monster," an ancient animal that had long defied ...

A project exploring the role of East Africa in the evolution of modern humans has amassed the largest and most diverse collection of prehistoric bone harpoons ever assembled from the area.The collection offers clues about ...

The rise of fake news has dominated the world of politics since the last U.S. election cycle. But fake news is not at all new in the world of science, notes University of Wisconsin-Madison Life Sciences Communication Professor ...

Please sign in to add a comment. Registration is free, and takes less than a minute. Read more

Read more:

South Dakota bill leaves evolution skepticism up to teachers - Phys.Org

Pokemon Go trick: Another way to make Eevee evolve into Espeon … – BGR

One of the first Easter eggs that players discovered when the new update arrived for Pokemon Go last week was the ability to give an Eevee the nickname Sakura to make evolve it into Espeon or Tamao to make it evolve into Umbreon. Unfortunately, this trick only works once, but the sleuths at Pokemon Go Hub have discovered that theres another way to ensure your Eevee evolves into one of the new forms.

After conducting research over the past several days, Pokemon Go Hub has determined that the following criteria must be met in order to ensure that your Eevee evolves into either Espeon or Umbreon:

In order to test the hypothesis that Niantic had added friendship to the game in the latest update, Go Hub put 27 different Eevees through their paces using a variety of variables to determines whether or not it was possible to make sure that Eevee would evolve into either Espeon or Umbreon.

With the Eevees that walked 10km with a trainer as a Buddy, but werent set as the Buddy at the time of evolution, Go Hub got Flareons, Jolteons and Vaporeons. The same was true when they walked 10km with Eevee as their buddy, but didnt receive 2 piece of candy along the way. No Espeon or Umbreon.

At the moment, it seems that the only way to evolve an Eevee into an Espeon or Umbreon is to either use the nickname trick or follow the guidelines that Pokemon Go Hub has laid out above.

Read more:

Pokemon Go trick: Another way to make Eevee evolve into Espeon ... - BGR

Update available for NASCAR Heat Evolution – Nascar

[{provider:'facebook',iconImgUp:'http://static.nascar.com/content/dam/nascar/social-icons/facebook.jpg',iconImgOver:'http://static.nascar.com/content/dam/nascar/social-icons/facebook-over.jpg'},{provider:'twitter',iconImgUp:'http://static.nascar.com/content/dam/nascar/social-icons/twitter.jpg',iconImgOver:'http://static.nascar.com/content/dam/nascar/social-icons/twitter-over.jpg'},{provider:'print',iconImgUp:'http://static.nascar.com/content/dam/nascar/social-icons/print.jpg',iconImgOver:'http://static.nascar.com/content/dam/nascar/social-icons/print-over.jpg'},{provider:'email',iconImgUp:'http://static.nascar.com/content/dam/nascar/social-icons/email.jpg',iconImgOver:'http://static.nascar.com/content/dam/nascar/social-icons/email-over.jpg'}]

BUY TICKETS: See the Daytona 500 live!

Can't get enough NASCAR Heat Evolution? Well, get ready. The game is about to get even more real.

An update to the Dusenberry Martin Racing game launched Feb. 21. It's $9.99 on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Marketplace and Steam. The update includes team and roster updates, new drivers, new 2017 paint schemes, the 2017 schedule, new Toyota Camry model and the video debuts of the No. 41 Monster Energy and No. 77 5-hour Energy cars.

Dusenberry Martin Racing's long-term and deeply rooted relationship with NASCAR has allowed the company to develop a wide range of games across multiple interactive entertainment platforms, giving fans a uniquely NASCAR gaming experience.

NASCAR Heat Evolution features fun and exciting gameplay for all skill levels, up to 40 player online multiplayer races (a console gaming first), more than 40 drivers, all 23 licensed Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series tracks and a variety of thrilling gameplay modes.

In today's world of technology, video games can often take much time and skill to master, leaving a novice or causal gamer frustrated. Finding the balance between realism and fun, NASCAR Heat Evolution features an adaptive artificial intelligence (AI), which adjusts to gamers' competence, keeping them challenged based on their skill level.

Equal to the importance of the game's adaptive AI is the players' ability to relate and understand the connection between racing for hours in a video game and doing the same in real life. NASCAR Heat Evolution features numerous game play modes that allow gamers to run just a few laps or up to an entire race. Along with full-length races, the game includes a career mode that gives users an understanding of acquiring sponsors and how to improve their car race after race.

Brad Keselowski played a sample of the game last year with NASCAR.com and gave his insights. You can re-watch that video here.

See the rest here:

Update available for NASCAR Heat Evolution - Nascar

Evolution Digital, Conax Connect on Content Protection – Multichannel News

Evolution Digital and Conax announced that Conax will provide its multi-DRM solution for Evolution Digitals eVUE-TV platform, which is being made available on the National Cable Television Cooperatives (NCTC) VU-IT!Platform.

eVUE-TV is a managed IP platform for linear and on-demand video, as well as network DVR and catch-up TV features, that Evolution Digital has been pitching to tier 2/3 U.S. cable operators. Last year, Evolution announced that eVUE-TV is the first offering to be introduced as an option for VU-IT!, a platform that includes a solution for backoffice integration, OTT apps and enhanced services that enable IP-based linear and VOD services.

RELATED: Evolution Digital Notches Another NCTC Deal

Support for Conaxs content security system will enable partners to support multi-DRM technologies that utilize PlayReady, Widevine, FairPlay and Nagra PRM, as well as THE next generation Conax Connected Access security client that combines CA/IPTV/DRM functionalities, they said.

They added that the Conax Contego security back-end has been integrated with the eVUE-TV platform in hosted and on-premises models, and that the platform meets the MovieLabs Enhanced Content protection requirements for 4K/UHD.

We have partnered with Conax to offer a best of breed comprehensive content security solution to our NCTC members with eVUE-TV, Brent Smith, president and chief technology officer of Evolution Digital, said in a statement. As cable operators move to IP distribution and begin offering a wide-range of content that can be viewed anywhere, Evolution Digital is committed to delivering content securely and providing operators with a low cost and hassle-free solution that eliminates complexities of technology integration.

Continue reading here:

Evolution Digital, Conax Connect on Content Protection - Multichannel News