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Scientists Find a Wild Salamander That Hasn’t Moved From Its Spot For 7 Years – ScienceAlert

Posted on February 22, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

In the depths of a European cave, dwells what must be the laziest and most underwhelming of all creatures to have ever been called a dragon.With disturbingly fleshy-coloured skin, it has also earned the label of "human fish".

But the olm (Proteus anguinus), with its cute stubby limbs, is actually an amphibian - a type of salamander that has adapted to life in the eternal darkness of a skyless existence. This troglobitelifestyle has resulted in under-developed eyes covered by layers of skin, which led Charles Darwin torefer tothe speciesas "wrecks of ancient life".

Olm eyes can only detect the presence of light, but not much else. Thus, these little gill-adorned weirdos are essentially blind, but they make up for this with a keen sense of smell, underwater hearing, and the ability to detect movements in their watery home.

Between 2010 and 2018, researchers captured, tagged, and recaptured a number of olms in the caves of eastern Bosnia-Herzegovina.Based on the frequency of their encounters, they estimated there were 26 adult olms making themselves at home there; across these eight years, checking in on their research subjects revealed the animals had a rather limited movement range.

"The majority of recaptured individuals moved less than 10 metres (33 feet) during several years," wrote zoologist Gergely Balzs from Etvs Lornd University and colleaguesin their paper.

One of these individuals was even lazier than the rest. It was found in the exact same spot a crazy 2,569 days after it was first recorded. That's over seven years! But there are clues in olm biology that might explain this seemingly unbelievable feat.

(Javier balos Alvarez/Flickr/CC BY SA 2.0)

These little slackers have a lifespan of up to a century. For such slight creatures, up to 20 grams (0.7 ounces) and 30 centimetres long (12 inches), that's an impressive feat, so clearly they're doing something right.

"They are hanging around, doing almost nothing," Balzs told New Scientist.

This may be key to their longevity - the olms' strategy of primarily doing diddly-squat has been working well for them since they colonised caves around 20 million years ago.

Olms are able to achieve these epic heights of laziness thanks to a very low metabolism. They eat snails and crustaceans (which aren't exactly plentiful in the caves), but can survive for years without food.

The lack of predators within their cave systems would also encourage their couch potato ways, allowing olms to be perfectly safe just plonking themselves wherever.

Additionally, they only bother to breed about every 12 years. But when they do, they produce a clutch of around 35 of these spectacular looking eggs.

And it's not like they can't move - some olms have easily fled from nosy scientists, by wiggling their way through tens of metres of water. Nor can the scientists say for sure that their tagged subjects didn't go for a wonder while they weren't looking, before sneaking back to their favourite position.

(Arne Hodali/Wikimedia Commons/CC BY-SA 3.0)

But Balzs and colleagues found this group of olms has very low genetic diversity, suggesting the population recently shrunk, or has a high level of inbreeding, which again hints at a very sedentary life. A previous study suggested only their young might be dispersing.

This lack of genetic diversity was not found in Slovenian olm populations, so further research is required to see if the incredibly slow-paced lifestyle of the recently studied population is shared by the rest of the species.

"We can only speculate that animals feeding on a very low food supply, reproducing sporadically and living for a century are very energy cautious and limit their movements to the minimum," the researchers wrote.

Biologist Matthew Niemiller of the University of Alabama, who was not involved in the study, agrees. He told Science News:

"If you're a salamander trying to survive in this food-poor environment and you find a nice area to establish a home or territory - why would you leave?"

In this fast-paced, stressed-out world, perhaps we should all aspire to be a bit more like these olms.

This research was published in the Journal of Zoology.

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Scientists Find a Wild Salamander That Hasn't Moved From Its Spot For 7 Years - ScienceAlert

This Legend of a Volcano Erupting 37,000 Years Ago May Be The Oldest Story on Earth – ScienceAlert

Posted on February 22, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

A long, long time ago, the Indigenous Gunditjmara people the traditional owners of lands in southwest Victoria, Australia are said to have witnessed something truly remarkable.

An ancient oral tradition, passed down for countless generations, tells of how an ancestral creator-being transformed into the fiery volcano, Budj Bim. Almost 40,000 years later, new scientific evidence suggests this long-shared legend of the Dreaming could be much more than a myth.

New mineral-dating measurements conducted by Australian scientists highlight the possibility that the traditional telling of Budj Bim's origins may be an actual account of two historic volcanic eruptions that took place in the region about 37,000 years ago which, if true, might make this the oldest story ever told on Earth.

"If aspects of oral traditions pertaining to Budj Bim or its surrounding lava landforms reflect volcanic activity, this could be interpreted as evidence for these being some of the oldest oral traditions in existence," the researchers, led by geologist Erin Matchan from the University of Melbourne, write in their study.

Up until now, most evidence for the oldest known human habitation in Australia comes from radiocarbon dating or optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, using samples of ancient charcoal, or sediments from rock shelters.

Unfortunately, a lack of both ceramic artefacts and permanent structures in the Indigenous Australian context makes finding archaeological samples a challenge. Only six sites in southeast Australia have been definitively dated to older than 30,000 years, the researchers say despite evidence from elsewhere in the country suggesting it could have been inhabited as far back as 65,000 years ago, or even older.

Luckily, recent technological advancements in an alternative technique called argonargon dating could provide new ways of dating volcanic rock in the southeast landscape, especially when coupled with interpretations of cultural knowledge, the authors suggest.

"The oral traditions of Australian Aboriginal peoples have enabled perpetuation of ecological knowledge across many generations, providing a valuable resource of archaeological information," Matchan and study co-author David Phillips explain in an article summarising their findings.

"Some surviving traditions appear to reference geological events such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and meteorite impacts, and it has been proposed that some of these traditions may have been transmitted for thousands of years."

In the case of the now-extinct Budj Bim volcano, and another nearby inactive volcano located 40 kilometres (25 mils) away, called Tower Hill, we now have a better estimate of just how many thousands of years ago their ancient eruptions happened, thanks to the argonargon technique.

In the new research, the team dated a sample from a lava bomb hurled from the historic Tower Hill eruption, along with a sample of lava flow from Budj Bim's eruption.

The results suggest the eruptions may have been contemporaneous, with lava dated to 36,800 years ago ( 3,800 years) for Tower Hill, and 36,900 years ago ( 3,100 years) for Budj Bim.

Given Tower Hill's eruption was the most recent comparatively, the researchers suggest its eruption age "directly constrains a minimum age for human presence in Victoria".

That conclusion is based on the existence of a lone stone axe called the 'Bushfield axe' which was previously discovered buried beneatha layer of volcanic rock and ash from the eruption, and is therefore considered to be evidence of contemporaneous human occupation in the area.

As for whether the long-told oral tradition of Budj Bim truly chronicles these awesome, ancient volcanic outbursts, it's impossible to be sure. Some researchers say we need to be cautiousabout how we interpret stories from so long ago.

But we should also be curious.

"We in the West have only scratched the surface of understanding the longevity of Australian Indigenous oral histories," archaeologist Ian McNiven from Monash University told Science.

The findings are reported in Geology.

What Happened to Homo Erectus? | Science – Smithsonian

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

Homo erectus was a very successful early human, spreading across the ancient world and surviving Earths changing environments for nearly two million yearsat least five times longer than our own species has been around.

Now scientists may have pinpointed where and when Homo erectus made a final stand. The youngest known fossils of the long-lived species were identified on the Indonesian island of Java, where a dozen skulls found before World War II have finally been definitively dated to between 108,000 and 117,000 years ago.

Those dates mark the end of a long run. Homo erectus was the first known human species to evolve modern body proportionsincluding shorter arms and longer legs that indicate an upright walking lifestyle that permanently traded the trees for the ground. The close relative to Homo sapiens was also the first hominin known to leave Africa, and Homo erectus spread more widely than any other human species except our own. The fossils of H. erectus have been found in Western Asia (Georgia), Eastern Asia (China), and, thanks to a land bridge during a glaciated era of low sea levels, the islands of Indonesia, where the species persisted longest.

The new dates from Ngandong, Java, place the species end days in context. When Homo erectus was living at Ngandong, Homo sapiens had already evolved in Africa, Neanderthals were evolving in Europe, and Homo heidelbergensis was evolving in Africa, said co-author Russell Ciochon, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Iowa. Basically, Homo erectus sits back there as the ancestor of all these later hominins.

In a new study in Nature, Ciochon and colleagues have written what, at least for now, appears to be the hominins final chapter. Of course it would be presumptuous for us to say weve dated the very last Homo erectus, he says. Weve dated the very last evidence that we have, the last appearance of Homo erectus. We dont know if on some neighboring island Homo erectus existed for a little longer after our date.

The fossils in question have their own long and complex history. They were unearthed near the muddy banks of the Solo River in the early 1930s by a Dutch team that spotted an ancient rhino skull sticking out of the eroding sediments of a riverside terrace.

The bones puzzled scientists over the succeeding years. Along with thousands of animal remains, a dozen human skull caps were found, but just two lower bones, which made experts wonder how the skulls came to be isolated without their attending skeletons.

Because the bones were excavated nearly a century ago, it has been difficult to date them. The team tackled the problem by dating the wider geological context of the river system and the bone bed where the skulls were found, which sits some 20 meters above the current river thanks to thousands of years of erosion.

Ciochon and colleagues began excavations in 2008, launching the comprehensive study more than a decade in the making. Weve dated everything that was there, the river terraces, the fossils themselves, the bone bed, and the stalagmites that formed in the karst caves, he says.

The geological work suggests that the dozen Homo erectus individuals died upriver and were washed downstream by monsoon flooding, then were caught in debris jams where the ancient river narrowed at Ngandong. At that spot, they were further buried by channels of flowing mud.

At least their skulls were. The research team also offers an explanation for why the rest of the Homo erectus skeletons went missing

Where burials were in terraced deposits, once water eroded them out the skulls seemed to separate from the limb bones, Ciochon says. Limb bones are heavy and they dropped to the bottom of whatever water was moving them, but the skulls float. That may be why the skulls at Ngandong ended up separated from all but two of the long bones.

Although most of the ancient skeletons were lost to the river, the skulls strange journey and fortunate discovery provided plenty of evidence for the team to examine.

Theyve done some extensive excavations and geological studies, and theyve done a tremendous job integrating a variety of dating techniques to show very tight age constraints for that fossil bed and by inference the last appearance of Homo erectus, says Rick Potts, a paleoanthropologist and head of the Smithsonians Human Origins Program. We have evidence for terrace formation, we have evidence for these flood deposits and rapid deposition, all the fauna is coming from that bed, and so its most likely that Homo erectus did, too.

Homo erectus survived so long in present-day Indonesia that the species ended up sharing the planet with new groups of humans. Our own species is among these, but the new dates suggest that that we never lived side by side. Homo sapiens lived in Africa 117,000 years ago, but theres no evidence they reached Java before about 73,000 years agoat least 35,000 years after the last known Homo erectus died out. (African H. erectus are thought to have vanished some 500,000 years ago.)

What finally finished Homo erectus off after nearly two million years of survival? Ciochon and colleagues theorize that climate change played a role. The bone bed at Ngandong was also filled with animal remains, especially deer and the large bovid ancestors of water buffalo and Javas banteng wild cattle. These large mammals thrived in open woodland ecosystems like the African homeland of Homo erectus.

Ngandong was an open country habitat, with a little woodland, somewhat like the savannas of East Africa, Ciochon said. Then around 120,000 or 130,000 years ago, we know that there was a change in the climate, and this rainforest flora spread across Java. Homo erectus was not able to adapt. Other than Homo sapiens, no other early human was adapted to living in a rainforest.

Though Homo erectus did finally fade away, it will always retain a prominent place on the family tree of human ancestors.

Homo erectus is one of the iconic species in human evolutionary history, Potts says. Its perhaps the most important species that indicates how branchy the human family tree is, because Homo erectus persisted through all of those other species, including eventually Homo sapiens, coming into being from earlier populations of Homo erectus.

Though this branch of our ancestral tree survives only in the distant past, the dates of Homo erectus last stand show the species enjoyed a longevity that only we might matchif we can survive another 1.5 million years.

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What Happened to Homo Erectus? | Science - Smithsonian

200 Years of Experience, and Still Learning Onstage – The New York Times

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

I am rarely cast as an ingnue anymore, Lois Smith was saying on Monday afternoon. It was a joke, obviously, and her fellow actresses Estelle Parsons, 92, and Vinie Burrows, who recently turned 95 but rounds that up to 96 burst into laughter.

At 89, Smith was the baby of this bunch. Between them, they have more than 200 years of performance experience, including the film Lady Bird and the title role in Marjorie Prime (Smith), the movie Bonnie and Clyde and the sitcom Roseanne (Parsons), the American premiere of Jean Genets The Blacks and experimental work with the director Rachel Chavkin (Burrows).

Theyre still busy adding to their rsums: Parsons currently at the Public Theater in Tony Kushners A Bright Room Called Day, as a character whose name translates to The Old One; Smith on Broadway, with a talky role in Matthew Lopezs The Inheritance; Burrows back Off Broadway next month in Chekhov/Tolstoy: Love Stories, at the Mint Theater Company.

In the room with them, youd never guess their ages from their appearance, only from the discussions vintage details as when Burrows and Smith tried to figure out what they might have worked on together, and the closest they got was a play each of them did on Broadway with Helen Hayes. (Burrows was in the original 1950 production of The Wisteria Trees, Smith in the 1955 revival.)

The shyest of the group was Burrows, while Parsons and Smith had the comfort of old acquaintance. Gathered around a table in a Midtown restaurant, they spoke about perseverance, longevity and improving with age. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

So many people count down to retirement. Was that ever a goal for any of you?

LOIS SMITH Not me!

ESTELLE PARSONS I dont think people in the theater are like that. Edward Albee said the reason we live so long is because we never retire.

VINIE BURROWS The work satisfies us, recharges our batteries.

PARSONS Also, when youre an actor, youre like retired a lot of the time because youre waiting for the jobs to come along. Theyre always talking about women have jobs when theyre young and then theres this trough.

BURROWS It was slightly different with me because as a young black actress, I didnt have the quality or the quantity of roles that I wanted, so I created my own one-woman show, had a New York Times review that said I was a magnificent performer. It was in the 60s. I went on the college market. More than 6,000 performances, booking them myself.

And you started as a child actor?

BURROWS On radio.

PARSONS Were they parts for black people on radio?

BURROWS No, no.

PARSONS Nobody could see you, so

BURROWS Nobody could see, so.

PARSONS I didnt start acting till I was 32. Well, I was one of eight people who started the Today show. Back in the 50s.

But you were also on Broadway in the 50s. You all were.

PARSONS My first thing with Ethel Merman, yeah, after I left the Today show because I didnt want to go to the Grace Kelly wedding. I hated interviewing people. (laughter)

SMITH My first professional job was in a Broadway play that ran all season, in 1952. Time Out for Ginger. And Melvyn Douglas was my father. It was a nice way to begin.

Whats gotten easier and whats gotten harder about acting?

PARSONS What has gotten easier for me is that when you start out, your work is kind of erratic. Now my work is of a standard. Its not wonderful one night and terrible the next night. Listen, Im 92, but I feel (laughs) that Im finally in command of my work.

BURROWS Im 96, and I feel as if Im better now than I ever was.

SMITH Whats harder is my body is not as agile as it used to be. Im very grateful that Im mobile and can do it. Its true I get bed parts sometimes, or wheelchair parts oh, boy! but I also get standing-up-all-the-time parts, like I have right now.

PARSONS I dont like parts where people are self-pitying old. I dont take those.

SMITH (laughs) I know what you mean. Probably 15, 20 years ago, I began to find I was getting all these offers to do play readings where the memory was gone. And I thought, Not yet!

PARSONS I dont really get a lot of offers, though, do I? Do you get as many offers as you did when you were younger?

SMITH At least. Maybe more.

BURROWS I dont have an agent, so when I hear of something, I go, but then they dont want to see you. I dont belabor what is; I go out and find.

How is it learning lines?

SMITH Its about the same. Ive changed methods along the way. I grew up learning my lines in rehearsal, on my feet. And I began to think I wanted to learn it ahead of time. Ive really enjoyed it, the time with myself and the script alone.

PARSONS In my late 70s and 80s I began to worry about whether I could really do it anymore. I was doing this play down at La MaMa. Id gone offstage at the wrong time. Id have an experience like that, or where Id forget a line, and I would blow it up into a very big thing. As I got toward my 90s (laughs), I got my confidence back. People say, Oh, I want to be just like you, and I think, Ive never been different from anybody else. I just keep on going. Thats just luck.

Luck plays a part, but so does perseverance.

SMITH Theres another thing, I think: that we get to do it together. That means a lot to me. It seems to me thats a good part of the production of longevity.

BURROWS Community.

SMITH And a constant exchange. Its growthful.

What difference might a level playing field have made in your careers?

BURROWS Oh-ho-ho. Its not level.

PARSONS Its never level for women. I dont think men and critics think of women as artists. I mean, everybody thinks of men as artists, men actors. And look at the jobs men actors have. I dont even want to think about that.

BURROWS Well, they are definitely privileged. I should be able to use my talents more. And I can say that at 96 I should have been able to use them more when I was 20 or 25 or 35 or 45 or 65 or 75. There were limitations. There are still limitations. But I do my work. When I can. And I support every baby born having the opportunity to develop to his or her potential.

When you think about having a long career, whats your greatest wisdom to offer?

BURROWS Gratitude. Gratitude for the chance to work and develop.

PARSONS Im amazed that more people arent interested in our wisdom. Its a funny thing, because we are wise in so many ways. Even solace that we could give to some people on the long journey. There are some, like probably us, who persevere. And there are some who dont.

SMITH Maybe some of these people say, I dont want to do that anymore.

BURROWS I cannot imagine myself saying that. Give me the chance, Ill leap at it!

PARSONS Im worried about staying on longer than I should. I had a time in our rehearsal period here where I thought, Maybe I should get out, maybe I should understand when is my time to get out. You know what I mean?

SMITH I guess I do. I also feel that in just about every rehearsal process there are times where you think, Well, this is impossible. It isnt going to work.

Is there anything you want to know from one another?

BURROWS (to Parsons and Smith) Where do you get your strength from?

SMITH I do get it from working, partly. Im stronger if Im working.

PARSONS I just said to my husband yesterday, when I do a really good performance, or (laughs) what I think is a really good performance, I feel so fulfilled and confident and all those good things, the way you want to feel.

Vinie, whats your answer to that question?

BURROWS My strength comes from those who came before me, as a black person. Those who survived that Middle Passage, across the Atlantic, some who died in the holds of the ship. It definitely comes from that human experience that belonged to my great-grandparents, men and women, kidnapped from their home. Their struggle gives me my strength.

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200 Years of Experience, and Still Learning Onstage - The New York Times

DNA reveals lifespan of mammoth and other extinct animals – ZME Science

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

During the last ice age some 100,000 to 15,000 years ago mammoths were widespread in the northern hemisphere from Spain to Alaska.Although some endured on a tiny island in the Arctic until 1650 BCE, most mammoths perished about 10,000 years ago during a time when they still interacted with humans. A new study that estimated a species lifespan from DNA suggests that these mammoths were most likely much older than the human hunters on their prowl, reaching up to 60 years of age.

The team of researchers at CSIRO and the University of Western Australia estimated a species lifespan based on its genome sequence. In order to unravel the lifespan clock, the researchers screened 42 genes from the DNA of 252 vertebrate species, both living and extinct. The higher the density of these genes, the higher the predicted lifespan.

When studying extinct animals, the researchers had to also use their living relatives and descendants for reference. In the case of the wooly mammoth and straight-tusked elephant, the Australian researchers performed estimations based on the genome of the modern African elephant, whose lifespan is of about 65 years.

So how long did mammoths live? The researchers estimate that they were able to live up to 60, and the same applied for straight-tusked elephants. Meanwhile, the maximum lifespan of Homo sapiens was deemed to be 38 years, according to this method. This may seem to invalidate the method seeing how the average lifespan in the United States currently is 78, but this figure actually matches other estimates of early modern human lifespans before the advent of medicine, agriculture, and sanitation.

Neanderthals and Denisovans, our close extinct relatives from the genus Homo, had a maximum lifespan of 37.8, very similar to modern humans living around the same time.

We estimated that Denisovans and Neanderthals both had a lifespan of 37.8 years. This suggests that these extinct Hominidae species had similar lifespans to their early human counterparts, the researchers wrote.

The famous Lonesome George was the last remaining Pinta tortoise (C. abingdoni) when he died in 2012. He had been living in captivity at the Charles Darwin Research Station on the Galapagos Islands since 1972 and died at age 100. Thats relatively close to the maximum lifespan estimate of 120 years found by the study.

Other extinct animals whose lifespan were calculated by the study include the little bush moa (23 years) and the passenger pigeon (28 years). The animal with the largest lifespan is the bowhead whale (268 years). However, the longest-living vertebrate may be the Greenland shark, which could live to see 512 years of age, according to a 2017 study.

The estimates for invertebrates werent nearly as accurate, possibly because they do not exhibit the targetted genes to the same extent as vertebrates.

In the future, these genes could be used to further studying aging. For instance, theres a debate among researchers as to what is the absolute limit of human longevity. The method elaborated by this study, however, cannot be used on individuals.

It cannot be used to determine the lifespan of any individual human and the purpose of this study was to determine an important parameter of ecological significance which may assist in wildlife management, said Benjamin Mayne, a scientist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Western Australia.

The findings appeared in the journal Scientific Reports.

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DNA reveals lifespan of mammoth and other extinct animals - ZME Science

Mailbag: Looking Back on the 2010s Decade in Tennis and Ahead to the Future – Sports Illustrated

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Hey everyone, its our final Mailbag of 2019. A rare departure into sentimentality but here comes the cut and paste from years past: If you get half as much pleasure (guilty, to be sure) from reading this column as I get from writing it, we're all doing pretty well. Your questions and observations are, reliably, thoughtful and informed and passionate, and please know that every last oneeven the ones wishing me incurable cold soresare read. Think of this as a sincere invitation to belly up to the bar in 2020 and we can resume the conversations. Happy holidays, Happy New Year.

I am flattered and humbled by how many of you have requested to receive the column via email each week, newsletter style. Offer still holds.

A few of you asked about Sundays 60 Minutes piece. Heres a link.

If youre interested in a holiday-time contribution, consider:

a) Andrea Jaeger Little Star Foundation b) the MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation c) NYJTL

Onward

Have a question or comment for Jon? Email him at jon_wertheim@yahoo.com or tweet him @jon_wertheim.

Jon, I heard you mention on the podcast that this was the end of the decade, the 2010s. Maybe because weve all been distracted with so many world events, I hadnt really thought of that. Overall, do you think it was a good decade for tennis?Charles, London

Imagine its December of 2009 and, after putting on your Carnac hat, you said, Behold! I can see into the future. In ten years from now.

Serena Williams will be the womens tennis center of gravity.Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer will be 1-2-3.The field will be getting increasingly older....More and more minorities, especially on the womens side, will follow the lead of the Williams sisters and break through.Tennis will be subject to relentless global forces, a net positive, but it will mean power will not be concentrated in one place. The U.S., for instance, will go 0-40 on the mens side.Rampant conflicts of interests and self-interested turf wars will stunt the sports growth. Your audience would doubtlessly have heard these pronouncements and responded, So, in other words, nothing changed.

Now imagine another soothsayer. Wait, I can see tennis in December 2019! Canada will be a superior tennis power to the U.S.! Top players will compete into their late 30s without an appreciable dropoff.Pete Sampras will be ranked fourth on the all-time Slam list. There will be a doping scandal involving a top player, and though more about sloppiness than ill-intent, it will still be damaging to the brand. And that player will be: Maria Sharapova.Spain will have won the Davis Cup in Madrid: and what a spirited weeklong, single-site competition it will have been. All of which is to say: plenty changed in ten years.

Overall, Id contend that it was a terrific decade for the sport. It took advantage of globalization, of the great virtue of both genders, and of star power. The four thoroughbredsthe Big Three and Serena, of coursewere still high in the saddle as the decade drew to a close. And everyone benefitted from the longevity.

In many ways, tennis is so well-poised for the future. Its already penetrated markets other industries arent even sniffing. (An Australian just beat a Ukrainian to earn $4.5 million by winning a tournament...in China.) The sport benefits from changes to media and technology and communications. The sport benefits from two genders playing simultaneously. But in this star-driven world, tennis also needs to consider a future without the four mainstays in the workforce. In a mobile world it needs to consider how to compete not just with other sports but with other entertainment. In a world where inefficiency gets punished, it will pay a bigger price than ever for conflicts and sloppy governance and dinosaurs in the executive offices.

All of which is to say.tennis breezed though the 2010s without much sweating. Now it needs to come back strong for the 2020s, prepared to get its serve broken a few times and take some setbacks but still prevail.

Whats your favorite Wozniacki memory?! Australian Open in 2018 comes to mind, but Im also tempted to go with her 2014 U.S. Open win against Sharapovaa year in which Sharapova was playing very well (won French) and Wozniacki was back on the uptick. That win underscored Wozniackis grit and ability to run forever. Her performances in the 2017 (won) and 2014 (finals) year-end championships were also pretty epic. I really like her. She has a great vibe about her from a fans perspectiveboth on and off the court. Would love to hear your thoughts!Damian, Melbourne, Australia

Obviously the 2018 Australian Open, a career highlight that enabled her to shed dreaded the Best player never to have won a Major costume. But you know what story was underrated? Her running of the New York City Marathon. She was in the middle of her career25 years old and ranked in the top tenand trained to run a marathon that she completed in 3:26:33! A) what a strong message this sends about the athleticism and durability and conditioning of WTA players; B) what a strong message this sends about independence and autonomy. Sometimes we can do things because we want to; even if they fly in the face of conventional professional wisdom.

A personal story, that I fear is going to sound unseemly and humblebraggy, but here goes. Wozniacki and I are not friends, but friendly. I think I mentioned that her apartment in New York is a few blocks away from mine. We run into each other in the neighborhood and, of course, at events. Last year, she popped into my office at CBS and I showed her around. After she left, a colleague asked nervously, Are we going to hire that woman?

What woman?

The woman you were interviewing.

Interviewing?

That blond woman.

Oh, no. Shes a tennis player. She already has a job.

Tennis player? Shes came across so professional and was so friendly, I figured she was gunning for a job here.

Nope, shes a tennis player.

Is she any good?

Jon: A few weeks ago, you wrote, "Sports are predicated on the idea that the competition is honest. If not, if the integrity is being undermined, the whole Jenga tower collapses. Mostly this means doping and paying college athletes and stealing signs and, generally, being the Houston Astros."

After I stopped cracking up at the Houston Astros, I noticed the college athlete comment. I guess this means you're against paying college athletes? Care to share your reasoning? I'm still trying to make up my mind about the issue. Paul

No, no, noI am fully, squarely, unambiguously in favor of paying college athletes. College sports have become morally indefensible. You have assistant coaches in college football making seven-figure salaries. Yet the athleteswho are the ones generating the revenue, putting themselves at risk and often the least likely students on campus to graduateare not being compensated? One day, we will be telling our grandkids about this economic injustice and shrugging when asked how this was allowed to persist.

My point was this: if one athlete is doping and the other is not, the tower collapses. If one team is paying its athletes and the other is not, the tower collapses. If the Patriots are secretly video-taping and the other teams arent, the tower collapses. We can debate which rules are fair and unfair and should be changed. But if one side complies with the rules and the other doesnt, the integrity of fair competition is undermined.

I happened to run across a video on YouTube of Gabriella Sabatini and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario. Looking back, it seemed like Sabatini came out of the gates faster and should have had the more successful career of the twowasnt she the only player to defeat Graf three times in 198889? Sabatini didnt have a slouch of a careerone Slam and some Slam finals. But no No. 1 ranking or multiple slams like ASV, who seemed to have a more limited game. What do you attribute to the difference in their careers? The power of hyphenated last names? Do you see any parallels to a couple of players today?PN

If it were about the power of the hyphenated name, a junior player named Rafael Nadal-Parera would have made a splash. As for your question, its an interesting comparison of contemporaries who came with very different skill sets and governing principles. As is the case in most contexts, style versus substance is too crass. But ASV played at an uncommon level of competitive resolve, which enabled her to have the superior career, both to Sabatini and to everyone else in her era, save Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.

I just read an extraordinary article on Federer. Extraordinary to me, because I had no idea of all these hidden machinations and power brokering by my favorite current player. So, my question is this: is this article being fair? Is it correct? Can Federer really not "even drink tea without a stratagem?"

Or, are the arguments just correlations leading to causation? "2 + 2 = 11" types?!! In other words, is Federer's goody-goody persona a mere smokescreen, or, is the article just smoke without a fire? Insider perspective needed! Arun Narayanan, Lappeenranta, Finland

Is none of the above an option?

Know that Im in the tank for Simon Briggsa journalist who does rigorous and unimpeachable workand think the story is completely legitimate and fair. I also think Federer is well within his rights to take a stake in the sport. In fact, I would almost take the opposite angle: if Federerage 38 and armed with moral authorityDID NOT wield his moral authority, it would be deeply disappointing.

Tennis is in desperate need of conflicts disclosure. It would be great if everyone in the sport revealed where their proverbial bread was buttered and simply spoke the truth. (In Federers case: The Davis Cup and even, to some extent, this cockamamie ATP Cup are both trying to take my market share; so the idea that I would play either is as preposterous as my wearing jorts to the Met Gala.)

But I dont read that story and see anything inconsistent, much less unethical. Just a guy, nearing the end of his career, exerting some well-earned authority, and taking the equivalent of equity stakes in some ventures.

My first time writing to you. I am intrigued. There is a tennis lineswoman, she looks Asian and is short, whom I see at many big matches. She is the only tennis linesman or woman I recognize from year to year. I first noticed her when she called the footfault on Serena Williams in the semifinal of the U.S. Open in 2009, was threatened by Serena, and reported it to the chair umpire. Serena lost the match to Kim Clijsters as a result. I have seen this lineswoman on TV many times since, at big matches (I guess because those are televised), including matches in 2019.Marika in Maryland

Here comes Gayle Bradshaw of the ATP, one of tennis good guys, to explain:

Officials, including line umpires, are not allowed to speak to the press unless permission is granted by the governing authority for that event. This would rarely be authorized, but when it is the subject matter would be limited to how they got into officiating or a human interest angle. Nothing about players, matches, controversial calls, other officials is allowed even if an interview was authorized. They can have social media presence but the same prohibitions would apply to anything they post. Speaking about these prohibited subjects would place the official in violation of the Code for Officials and could face sanction ranging from a warning to a loss of their certification. They could also fall afoul of the Tennis Integrity Program if they were to post anything that could be interpreted as inside information.

Who hires them? It is the responsibility of the tournament organizers. They hire a chief of officials who in turn hires the line umpires and additional chair umpires needed for the event. In the US for ATP events, the tournaments contract for their officials through the ATP and we have a Chief we keep on retainer who manages this program. Line umpires are selected on a rating system where they are graded on their performance at every match and then are given an overall grade. Acceptance to events is based similar to the way players are accepted to events based upon their ranking. We also give the USTA a few spots (wild cards) to place up-and-coming officials who would not have an established rating yet.

Once retired from officiating, an official would be free to write a book and several officials have done so. Charlie Beck, former MTC Supervisor; Alan Mills, fmr Wimbledon Referee are some of the more well-known but there are others also. Both of these books were released after the officials retired from officiating.

Robin Montgomerya 15-year old from D.C.and Argentinas Thiago Tirante triumph at the Orange Bowl. Colette Lewis has you covered. Of course she does.

Hold your nose, here comes a match-fixing scandal.

Thanks,reader Cesar Torres.Heres an interesting academic read on the WTAs family leave policy.

Who double-bageled Roger Federer?

From Chris Jordan: I noticed you posted about a book about pro tennis by Peter Underwood. A few months ago, I released a book on pro tennis, which contains the largest collection of pre-open era pro tennis results ever assembled (it contains over 420 pages of results, plus a narrative section of over 110 pages). It took me many months of detailed research. It is called The Professional Tennis Archive and is available from amazon worldwide. The Tennis Hall of Fame library and Wimbledon library have copies of it. I would be grateful if you could post a link to it.

International Tennis Federation (ITF) President, David Haggerty, has been nominated as a candidate by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to become an IOC member as an International Federation representative. The elections are due to take place on 10 January 2020 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

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Mailbag: Looking Back on the 2010s Decade in Tennis and Ahead to the Future - Sports Illustrated

Most Innovative People to Watch in 2020 – Technowize

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

Starting a truly innovative tech company is tough in todays world. With so many brilliant ideas available via open sourcing, it seems like every idea has been tried and tested a thousand times already.

But then you meet entrepreneurs such as Sergey Young and Jessica Maslin, whove been successful at creating something that will change our lives in the years to come. These tech luminaries have founded companies, beaten the odds and have been beyond successful in ways one can only dream of.

These men and women are obviously doing something right. Here at Technowize, we take a look at their work which has now made them household names.

A highly acclaimed technologist and investor, Sergey Young, is making longevity his lifelong mission. Young is the founder of the $100 million Longevity Vision Fund, whose goal is to accelerate the most promising longevity breakthroughs and make them accessible and affordable for all. His investment in human longevity, online education, digital healthcare, and real estate technologies spans over 20 years, making him one of the most qualified experts in this field.

Longevity Vision Fund was launched in February 2019, and in those eight months has come a long way. LVF has assembled am impressive Advisory Board of five leading longevity scientists: Vadim Gladyshev, Aubrey De Gray, Richard Faragher, Joao de Magalhaes, and Morten Scheibye-Knudsen.

Sergey Young is on the Innovation Board of XPRIZE Foundation and a Development Sponsor of Longevity XPRIZE. He is also on the Financial Advisory Board for the UKs All Party Parliamentary Group on Longevity.

Alex is Vice President and Head of the North America Strategy Office at Fujitsu, one of the world's leading information and communication technology (ICT) companies, with over $46 billion in annual revenue across more than 100 countries and 162,000 employees.

At Fujitsu, Alex Lam leads the Global Product Business strategy organization for the North American market and oversees strategic planning and business development for Fujitsu's global solutions (Enterprise, AI, SDx) with key Silicon Valley and US-based technology companies. In his role, Lam spearheaded the launch of the Fujitsu Solutions Lab, a technology partner incubator and customer POC showcase for Fujitsu's Enterprise data center solutions with innovative IT technology partners.

Alex Lam is also spearheading a team at the Fujitsu Solutions Lab that promises to revolutionize the CPU/GPU for enterprises. Fujitsu's groundbreaking technology innovation optimizes business processes and leverages the benefits of AI. Fujitsu is developing an AI-specific microprocessor called the Deep Learning Unit (DLU). The companys goal is to produce a chip that delivers 10 times better performance per watt than the competition. This is a progressive goal.

Jessica Maslin and Josh Dubon are the co-founders of Mieron, the Worlds First Virtual Reality NeuroTherapy system that helping to rehabilitate patients all over the world. MieronVR, the companys brand new virtual reality technology is being used by doctors and medical practitioners help patients rehabilitate from spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries.

The Mieron library is full of locomotive training exercises, trunk stability, strength and conditioning, upper body mobility, lower body mobility, balance and stability exercises that complement physical therapy and occupational therapy practices. The goal is to improve range of motion, execution of tasks, independence by improved mobility, and mental wellness.

There are two versions of the device currently in production, the Mieron Pro, which is used in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities, and the newly-created Mieron Go, which is a consumer version that patients can use at home.

In 2004, Brian Gill co-founded one of the worlds most successful data recovery labs with his brother Tyler and PhD Greg Piefer. The trio, along with their business partners and Gregs family, then founded Phoenix Nuclear Labs, which currently manufactures the strongest compact neutron generators in the world.

Brian Gill was on the board of PNL when it was decided to spin off medical isotope startup SHINE Medical Technologies to tackle the Mo-99 crisis. Over 56,000 American patients are imaged every day and over 30 medical procedures require Mo-99, and as of 2018 0% of the worlds supply of Mo-99 is produced in the US.

Most recently, he has teamed up with worldwide forensics thought leader Cindy Murphy to found Gillware Digital Forensics. Past successes have allowed him to make over a dozen angel investments, most recently in Medaware Systems, Pacifica Labs and Allergy Amulet.

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Most Innovative People to Watch in 2020 - Technowize

Even Hermit Crabs Have Wealth Inequality – The New York Times

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

Hermit crabs face a uniquely competitive real estate market. They need bigger and bigger shells throughout their lives, but cant grow these homes themselves. So they rely on castoff snail shells, and are constantly on the lookout for better properties entering the market.

A study that will be published next month in the journal Physica A found that the distribution of these shells in one hermit crab population was surprisingly similar to the distribution of wealth in human societies.

That may make hermit crabs one of the first animals known to experience wealth inequality.

Ivan Chase, an emeritus professor at Stony Brook University in New York and the studys lead author, researches social systems in animals and described a phenomenon called the vacancy chain in hermit crabs in the 1980s.

When a snail dies on the beach, a crab that comes across the empty shell will inspect it closely, turning the shell over in its claws. If the crab decides this home is better than its current shell, it trades up. Another, usually smaller crab may soon find that crabs castoff and move in. Each vacancy lets about three crabs upgrade their shells, Dr. Chase said.

Dr. Chase had always wondered whether this system led to a kind of inequality among hermit crabs, with a few crustaceans hoarding the biggest homes. So in 2017, he and his co-authors started testing the idea. They gathered almost 300 hermit crabs from a Long Island beach and briefly removed the crabs from their shells. They weighed and measured each crab and its residence. Then they looked at how shells of different weights were distributed among the population.

The distribution curve they found peaked around medium-sized shells, then dropped as the shells got larger, before tapering off very gradually through the largest shells of all. This matches the shape of wealth distribution curves in many human societies.

The team used a number called the Gini coefficient to measure overall inequality among the crabs. It found a value similar to that in small human populations, though not as great as in todays large countries. The top 1 percent of hermit crabs owned only about 3 percent of the total shell weight, Dr. Chase and his co-authors noted: There are no Warren Buffetts or Jeff Bezoses. There is also no transfer of shells between crabs and their offspring.

What they discovered suggested that the distribution of shell sizes did not simply depend on crab biology. They did not find similar numbers of crabs in every size of shell, which would be expected if most crabs survive to old age (and if longevity determines shell distribution). Nor did they find that the smallest shells were most abundant, which might occur if crabs most often die young, or are preyed on at a steady rate throughout their life span.

Dr. Chase thinks the resemblance between crab and human inequality might come from similarities between crab vacancy chains and the ways people pass on wealth. While smaller crabs dont exactly inherit their wealth from bigger crabs, the largest shells are a scarce resource that only a few crabs are privileged enough to get their claws on.

Vacancy chains are just another way of transferring property, he said.

Although hes hesitant to draw any societal lessons from the crustaceans, he hopes hermit crabs can one day become a kind of model organism, like lab rats, for scientists studying wealth inequality.

The authors have nicely shown that the wealth distribution in crabs is humanlike, said Monique Borgerhoff Mulder, an anthropologist who studies human wealth inequality at the University of California, Davis. The pattern is very much like what researchers have found in small-scale human societies, both historic and contemporary, she said.

Although the transfer of wealth and property between people is an important contributor to inequality, Dr. Borgerhoff Mulder said many other factors matter too, such as social connections and individual differences in skills and education. She doubts vacancy chains are the whole story in crab society, either.

The notion that crabs can teach us about human wealth distribution may be a little preposterous, Dr. Borgerhoff Mulder added. But she said this kind of idea sharing between studies of humans and other animals is making social science, as a whole, richer.

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Even Hermit Crabs Have Wealth Inequality - The New York Times

Managing forests with community participation in Kenya – UN Environment

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

Its always better to involve us, says Kibarisho Leintoi, a 36-year-old Masai mother of eight children. Even though I cannot read or write, I know what I need for my family to live: we need healthcare and water. Water for the irrigation of her tomato farm and for her 5 goats and 5 cows. Without water, her income shrinks. She used to have the means to send two of her children to school; the others had to help with chores and guarding the cattle. But after a crop failed due to drought, one of those two children had to drop out when she couldnt afford the fees.

Kibarisho in maize field. Photo by UN-REDD Programme

In the past, a little spring of water would have sufficed for the community, but due to the increasing population and livestock pressure, that is no longer sufficient. The people of the Maji Moto community, near Narok county in Kenya, understood that a dam would help them collect the water so they could use it for irrigation and livestock.

The community selected a committee of seven people, among them Kibarisho Leintoi. The committee met with Indigenous Livelihood Enhancement Partners, an indigenous peoples organization that has been working to help establish communities identify and prioritize their needs. When the Maji Moto community told Indigenous Livelihood Enhancement Partners that they needed a dam, they trained the community in proposal writing and helped them find a sponsor. The funds were then overseen by the community after receiving training from Indigenous Livelihood Enhancement Partners on how to monitor and handle funds.

Kibarisho and Noormejooli at the dam. Photo by UN-REDD Programme

Indigenous Livelihood Enhancement Partners showcased that indigenous peoples have the capacity to implement projects and take ownership, with just the right training. After working with communities for many years, Indigenous Livelihood Enhancement Partners won the United Nations Development Programmes tender to develop stakeholder engagement and free prior and informed consent guidelines and toolkits. These will help donors and government to involve communities when setting up projects that affect their livelihoods.

It is important to know who to talk to in the community because in the Masai community, for example, you have a cultural leadership as well as an administrative leadership, says James Twala, programme officer on climate change for Indigenous Livelihood Enhancement Partners. The constitution spells out that in projects affecting their livelihoods, citizens should be involved.

Indeed, in 2010 Kenya adopted a constitution which has had profound consequences on how natural resources, including forests, are managed. Governance over natural resources is shared between the national and county level governments. The constitution requires public participation in the management, protection and conservation of forests. Consequently, various legislations such as the Forest Management and Conservation Act 2016 and the Climate Change Act 2016 target the process and engagement of local communities and minorities in environmental protection and monitoring, as well as benefit sharing. We are not making new laws but making sure that free prior informed consent is respected, continues Twala. Because when projects are community-driven, they feel ownership and the project has a better chance for longevity since the community feels personally and collectively responsible for taking good care of it and maintaining it long after the donor has gone.

James Twala discussing with Massai village elder. Photo by UN-REDD Programme

The guidelines developed by Indigenous Livelihood Enhancement Partners include consultative meetings where people express their needs and the community is informed of the details of the project, including costs. Then the community decides if they give their consent or not, and if they do, community leaders have the option of giving consent verbally or signing the agreement. This consent articulates what exactly will happen, the timeline and the outcome. And lastly, the community and the implementing entity is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the project.

The UN-REDD Programme has been a pioneer of innovative policies that value and protect forests and their social and ecosystem services. Commitments to human rights-based approaches, social inclusion and stakeholder engagement are vital to its mandate and work.

Since 2017, the United Nations Development Programme is the delivery partner for the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, and together with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry applied these guidelines in the development of the project document. During this process, stakeholders recommended a review of forest policy and legislation in Kenya to include the application of these guidelines as part of the REDD+ readiness process. This forest policy review has been initiated and is still ongoing to ensure that free prior informed consent is part of Kenyas forest policies. It gives the opportunity for communities to participate in the decision-making process on projects regarding the forests their livelihoods depend on, says Judy Ndichu, Technical Coordinator for the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility in Kenya.

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Managing forests with community participation in Kenya - UN Environment

Can Air Protein help feed and save the world at the same time? – Food Dive

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

In the 1960s, NASA scientists were researching many aspects of space travel for humans.

Some of the products of that research were seen by the world, such as the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969. Others, like how to make food for astronauts out of carbon dioxide, were shelved.

But decades later, Lisa Dyson picked up where those scientists left off. A former strategy consultant with a doctorate in physics, she became interested in how to create protein in a more sustainable way and came upon the old research. She worked on the concept through Kiverdi, a company she founded, which came up with technology to develop protein from air.

Last month, Dyson announced the spinoff of a food company utilizing this technology, Air Protein. The firm, which is working on meat alternative products,expects to make an announcement about when and how they will come to market next year, she told Food Dive.

Dyson said people are becoming more aware of both the ecological impact meat production has on the planet, as well as the pressing need to better produce proteins to feed a growing population.

"This is a great opportunity to introduce an alternative that is super sustainable, significantly more sustainable than any land-based production," Dyson said."You don't need any arable land. You can keep your habitat untouched. You could scale vertically, you know, [producing food] rain or shine, day or night. In the production itself, you can produce the same amount of protein from a soy farm the size of Texas by just having an Air Protein farm the size of Walt Disney World."

Dyson hopes the new technology another way to make sustainable protein will revolutionize both the food business and the longevity of the environment.

While there is no way to get away from the deep science behind this concept, making edible protein from air sounds like science fiction.

NASA's report detailing how the technology works was published in 1967 as part of a more comprehensive study about how to support human life during a space mission longer than a year. Basically, they looked at hydrogenotrophs common microbes, some of which actually live in the human gut that can be used to turn carbon dioxide into a physical protein. NASA looked at harnessing these microbes to convert the carbon dioxide that astronauts would exhale into something they could eat.

Air Protein

Dyson, who gave a TED talk in 2016 about how this technology could work, has taken this research to the next level at her companies.They have developed fermentation vessels that can rapidly and efficiently convert gases to what looks like a protein-rich flour. She said facilities to do this are similar to breweries.

She didn't say where Air Protein's labs are located or how much equipment it has, but Kiverdi's main lab is in Pleasanton, California. Kiverdi has partnerships with other labs, and Dyson said there are several locations that will make Air Protein in the future.

The product made by these fermentation vessels is fairly versatile and has a neutral flavor, Dyson said. While it contains good nutritional credentials it has twice the protein of soy, all essential amino acids and B vitamins it can be used in many different ways. The process can help make meat analogs, pasta, cereals, shakes and protein bars, she told Food Dive.

But considering the vast environmental impact of meat and the protein needs of the human race, Dyson said meat analogs are the place to start even though the field is somewhat crowded. The company sent out pictures of a chicken substitute made from Air Protein with its press release. Dyson said they are still working on perfecting it. Air Protein is the only companywith this technology.

"These are using spices and different types and ways of techniques of taking the flour, and enriching it, and doing different things so that you can get the right texture and flavor," She said.

Air Protein is in development on many different plains, Dyson said.

She said there will be products in development under the Air Protein brand name, and she hopes to make an announcement about them next year. Meanwhile, Dyson said she is in discussion with some companies to form product partnerships, perhaps using Air Protein as an ingredient.She did not say what kinds of products those might be, but hoped to have announcements about those next year as well.

"We'll make many different types of products, and those products will have different groups of consumers that are excited about them," Dyson said. "And that's the benefit of what we're doing, is that we're not limited by one category."

"This is a great opportunity to introduce an alternative that is super sustainable, significantly more sustainable than any land-based production. You don't need any arable land. You can keep your habitat untouched. You could scale vertically, you know, [producing food] rain or shine, day or night."

Lisa Dyson

CEO, Air Protein

Dyson said she expects consumers to get excited and intrigued by Air Protein. Its target audience is any consumer, she said. The prospect of an ultra-sustainable and nutritious ingredient will make consumers want to try it, especially at a time when substitutes for animal-based products are the biggest trend in food.

Some of the NASA scientists who started the research that became both Kiverdi and Air Protein have been excited by Dyson's work, she said. Dyson has been able to blend her knowledge with their work and make air-based food a reality. And Dyson said she thinks this coupled with other sustainable practices like regenerative agriculture can be part of the solution to problems the world faces today.

"There's a range of things that need to come into play with our current food production processes becoming more efficient, becoming more sustainable," she said. "There's so many different things that we need to implement to create a more nutritious soil, healthy soil that can continue to produce crops over the ages. And produce food without the need for soil, without the need for arable land. ... I think that we need to see a plethora of ideas becoming reality."

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Can Air Protein help feed and save the world at the same time? - Food Dive

Master the necessary, do whats possible to build resiliency into your farm – RealAgriculture

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

The longevity of a business is less about how well it does in the good times, and more about how it fares through the rough patches. A farm being resilient can come in many forms, but usually comes down to the strength of the management team running it and the financial nimbleness of the overall operation.

Amy Cronin is a hog farmer, Nuffield scholar and leader of an expanding farm business in Ontario, Missouri, and Iowa. Along with her husband and business partner Mike, Cronin Family Farms has a goal of striving to be the best. They may not always get there, Cronin says, but thats the goal.

Our vision at Cronin Family Farms is Progressive. Prosperous. Best in class, she says.

Having navigated through low hog prices, a major business expansion, a barn fire and now taking on a farm diversification project, Cronin says that communicating ahead of these challenges and decisions is key. We needed to have a serious conversation about how we deal with problems. How we dealt with problems was the determining factor on whether we would or would not expand, she says. We decided to look at our problems and an opportunity. When I look back on it, that is building resiliency.

Its this mindset on viewing challenges differently and using them to better themselves and their business that has allowed their farm to navigate hardship. Moving on is important, says Cronin. They choose to face their problems head-on, put them to bed, and move on. And thats part of resiliency, too dealing with things thoroughly and right away. Its important, she says, to deal with what keeps you up at night.

Innovation and diversification also play a key role in the numbers side of the business. But thats not all about technology, its about management and people. Cronin says theyre always looking at ways to do things differently and better, and that could mean adopting a new management style or creating their own way to do something and incorporating that into the business.

Diversification is key to risk management, yes, but Cronin says they also balance business needs with human needs. Labour is a huge part of making everything work, and Cronin recognizes the need to care for themselves so they can lead a dynamic and fantastic team and take care of them, too.

Cronin uses the quote by Francis of Assisi to guide much of what they do. We start by doing whats necessary, then we do whats possible, and soon we can do the impossible, she says. That impossible right now is making pans for their older children coming back to the farm. Whats necessary and now possible is diversifying into the chicken business. Starting with whats necessary and mastering that, means they can then move on to expanding what is possible for their farm.

Hear more from Amy Cronin in conversation with Bern Tobin at the Agricultural Excellence Conference:

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Master the necessary, do whats possible to build resiliency into your farm - RealAgriculture

Benny and Josh Safdie on the Alternate History of Uncut Gems – Vulture

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

The Safdies brothers explain their new movies title: Am I non-judgemental? Yes, that means my gems are uncut. Am I on edge? Yes, my gems are uncut. Do I have depth underneath the surface? Yes, my gems are uncut. Photo: Julia Cervantes/A24

Theres a certain rhythm to Uncut Gems and the way it reaches for things for basketball, for jewels, for wins and losses, for takeout from Smith & Wollensky. It revels in its own excess: every single character is talking at once, trying to buy or sell or cut a deal. Its the Diamond District in 2012 when our hero, Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), is trying to play the part of 47th Streets slickest salesman. A pack of debt collectors are on his trail, but he compulsively romantically, maniacally keeps placing bets. When a middleman walks NBA power forward Kevin Garnett into Howards jewelry store, every moment after feels like a miracle and a curse all at once. Will Kevin come back with the black opal Howard loaned him as a token of good luck? If Howard can auction it off, is it worth as much as he says? Whats the Weeknd doing here?

Gems directors, the Safdie brothers Benny, 33, and Josh, 35 talk like the movies they make: theyll jump up to act out a story or pull out a cell phone to show a photo, speaking fast and a lot as they try to keep up with their next thought. A question about a set can easily prompt an erratic anecdote about the time they walked in on some guy curing meat in a random building in midtown Manhattan. I believe them when they tell me that they rewrote their movie several times, first basing Howards saga around Amare Stoudemire, then Kobe Bryant, and then Joel Embiid, before finally landing on Garnett. Each time, the story of an impossibly lucky gem was reimagined to fit the particulars of each NBA stars career. All of this is a box we put ourselves into, Benny says. We say, Oh we had to do this, we had to do that. We didnt actually have to shoot with a real basketball player and use real games, we chose to. Throughout the course of a conversation with Vulture, the brothers discuss their alternate Uncut Gems plots, the real-life Diamond District figures they befriended, and, of course, what the name of their movie even means.

Josh Safdie: I was trying to explain the whole gems uncut, cut my gems thing to someone. They were like, I dont get it. I was like, Well, this is my take on it. You want to know my take on it?

Hunter Harris: Yes.JS: I want to know your take on it first.

No, no, no. Im interviewing you, I want to hear what you guys have to say.JS: Heres my take on it Am I non-judgmental? Yes, that means my gems are uncut. Am I on edge? Yes, my gems are uncut. Do I have depth underneath the surface? Yes, my gems are uncut. If my gems are cut, Im like naked, ready to be seen. Im potentially dangerous. Uncut is very dangerous, but cut is extra dangerous, because it can have a sharp point. My value is hidden if my gems are uncut, so I have a deeper, bigger value. I might be a little flawed, but Im worth it. Thats gems uncut.

Ah, I see.JS: Ultimately I think its just a very fun play on words, but also, I think its deep. And yes, my gems are uncut.

Benny Safdie: Its also, like, Who are you to cut my gems?

Sort of, Have you no decency? Benny, the last time we spoke, you said that you thought of Howard as literally an uncut gem.BS: The idea is that hes rough on the outside, but if you scratched below the surface, you see the beauty, and you see these things that you didnt quite know were there at first glance. You need to understand him to really love and know who he is.

JS: To me, Howard being an uncut gem is like a corollary to the movie being a radical humanist film, which is kind of in a weird way, all of our movies. Our entire life weve grown up with very flawed people around us, and weve had to see past those flaws, or excuse them, to get at something that makes them relatable, or human, or worthy of value. In the jewelry trade, uncut gems are major gambles. You have to be a genius with your eye to find one [that is actually valuable].

BS: Its not easy to do. If you look at a flawed person and try to see who and what it is that makes them interesting, you learn more about people in general. If you see a stand-up person, sometimes that can make you feel a little bit uncomfortable. Its like, Oh, Im not that good. So if you see somebody who has flaws or issues, it reflects back on humanity in a bigger way.

Theres something else that just popped in my head: if you take a diamond, and its like a rough

JS: I hate diamonds.

Josh, why do you hate diamonds?JS: I mean, look, when you see an IF diamond an internally flawless diamond the purity of it is remarkable: Wow, that actually exists. Its beautiful to see a solid take the form of a liquid with a diamond. That is beautiful. But its the general PR huckster-ism of the diamond industry. Diamonds arent rare. Ultimately, theyre kind of boring Ill take an Indian Star sapphire any day over a diamond. Ill even take like, a cats eye. But like opals in general I mean, a pigeons blood ruby, whoa.

Why opals, specifically, for this movie?JS: Very early on, when we were deciding on which stone should be in the film, it happened to have been right when Ethiopia started to publicize their black opals. It was a big moment in the geological world. The Australians, who are known for their black opals, were actually really pissed about it. Theyre like, Uh-oh, we cant corner the market anymore, so they started an anti-Ethiopia PR campaign. And, sadly, the Ethiopian opals didnt have longevity to them. They started to craze and crack, they were less valuable, which was unfortunate.

JS: White opals are very unlucky, but the black opals are very lucky. And theyre brilliant. You can see the color in them. And they dont have the superstition against them that white opals have.

BS: Some people are afraid of them.

JS: Not black opals, no.

BS: Really?

JS: Well theres a stigma against opals in general, but people who know gems and energies and things, the black opal is an exceptional gem.

BS: But there is something to this idea that people can be afraid of a gem, afraid of an opal.

JS: White opals are predominantly very unlucky, yes. Particularly the Italians, they fucking hate them. They wont go near them. But, the black opal was considered the antithesis of the white opal. Theres a specific color pattern to a black opal its called the harlequin pattern, which is like the most valuable color pattern. Anyway, thats why I prefer a black opal to a diamond.

I want to talk about basketball. Were there other NBA players you reached out to, before Kevin?JS: It started with Amare Stoudemire, who was a Knicks player in 2010. Thats when we started the project. Hes famously a Black Jewish person, so the themes of the movie presented themselves in that way: Ethiopian Jewish tribe. Beta Israelites. Black opals, which were found by a Jewish tribe in the Beta Israelites in Welo mines. Amare is a very spiritual person. He calls himself the spiritual gangster.

But about 20152016, we were having trouble getting financing, finding the right person to star as Howard, and our agency suggested casting up and going with Kobe Bryant. But Kobe they didnt understand the themes of the movie. Hes a West Coast person, we needed East Coast games. Because we had to write around the reality of the games.

Sure.JS: But then I was like, You know what? Theres this one game at the Garden that Kobe dropped 60 points. Lets make that the gem game. And the gem will become a youth elixir, and [the movie will] be about reminding everybody whos the man. In that version, Howards like trying to reclaim his initial win. And, so then we spent two weeks rewriting the whole script, changing the vibe and the themes of the film.

Around Kobe?JS: Around Kobe. And then our agents are like, No, no, no. He doesnt want to act anymore. He wants to direct. And Id just spent two weeks fucking writing this thing! Hes like, Yeah, were not going to send it to him. I was like, What the fuck?!

So then we ended up with Joel Embiid. Because we were like, You know what, were going to update the movie. Its going to be a contemporary film. You want to use a contemporary player. And Joel Embiid presented himself. Before he was even playing in the NBA, he was a legendary Twitter user. He trolled Rihanna. Hes amazing. Hilarious, you know what I mean? And, so I was like, He could be interesting. He could play into the comedy of the film, because his humor is dry and droll. We ended up meeting him through his manager, and his manager ends up in the film.

Who is the manager in the movie?JS: She plays Kevins manager, Jenny Sachs. This is the way the cosmos works: shes studied psychiatry, and worked at a needle exchange. She weirdly saw Heaven Knows What [the Safdies 2016 film]. No one in the sports world saw Heaven Knows What, but she did. She was like vouching for us to Joel, and then we became friends with Joel. And I started going to the Sixers games, and working with Joel, and understanding. Then the themes of the movie became even more overt, with an African player. I was just like, Oh, this is about reclamation, this is about being empowered by reclamation. Joel was into that, things were moving. Now this is the Joel Embiid movie.

When I was writing the scenes, I would send them to Joel. Joel would read them, but mostly Jenny would be like, I dont know if he can do that. I dont know if this is too much. This scene might be too much to ask of him. I got a little nervous about that. But in the end, I knew he was such a cocky guy that it would have been fine. And then the schedule pushed into the NBA season, and we couldnt use an active player. So then we had a list of other players who were recently retired. We went back to Amare.

BS: The list wasnt like this [gestures widely] long.

JS: Amare wouldnt shave his head to match the games that we had to cut in between.

BS: But the thing is [laughs] all of this is a box we put ourselves into. We say, Oh we had to do this, we had to do that. We didnt actually have to shoot with a real basketball player and use real games, we chose to because

JS: We did have to.

Because how else do you make this movie?BS: Thats the point! But everybodys, Oh, just cast an actor.

JS: Someone did try to push that on us.

BS: Really, that is an idea that was put out there. Im like, Maybe you dont understand. Having a real player, and having a player act, and then using those real games on the television creates a good alchemy.

JS: Once we saw the new list [of available retired players], Kevin Garnetts name was on it. As a Knicks fan, I was so, like, We cant put Kevin Garnett in the movie. I hate him. But that was when my film intelligence was kind of eclipsed by my insane, schizophrenic, Knicks fandom, where I actually couldnt see past what I normally would have realized, which was that me hating Garnett is actually a testament to his incredible acting ability, and how he plays a great heel in the NBA. He can get people to despise him, based on his performance on a nightly basis of 20,000 people.

BS: And when we were talking to him, just the way that he told stories Id never seen anything like it before. He would set you up in the room, show you where people were sitting, who was behind him, the noises that were happening, the way the door closed.

JS: Put it this way, he sweats when he tells a story You have to remember, hes a superstar. He went from high school to the pros.

BS: He kind of underplays [his performance in Uncut Gems], like, Oh, I was just playing myself. I was just playing myself. Thats a very difficult thing to do, because you have to be comfortable.

JS: Hes playing the self that he created for the NBA.

Adam Sandler as Howard, wet and beaten in New York City, in a scene from Uncut Gems. Photo: Julia Cervantes/A24

So tell me more about the Diamond District, and re-creating this world that feels at once very alive but also hermetically sealed. How did you make that happen, particularly when Howards actual shop was built on a soundstage, right?BS: For us, it was actually hard because we like to shoot on location all the time. To do that on a stage was out of necessity. We couldnt physically shoot in a real jewelers place. We wouldnt have had a lease long enough, and getting up and down in these buildings is insane.

JS: The lease wasnt the problem.

BS: No, it was mainly just getting in and out of [a jewelers shop]. Theres a certain amount of elevators, and theres so many people going up and down all the time. We wouldnt have been able to get all the stuff in there to build it out. We had this whole idea that people would be coming into work on the district, they would kind of breathe this energy. So, once we moved into a stage, its like: How do we re-create that feeling, that vibe? By bringing a bunch of people there who worked in the district that are in the movie. Sometimes they werent even in the scene, but we had them there just to kind of breathe the energy.

JS: To me, the first major compromise of the film was agreeing to shoot the business on a soundstage. And by the business, I mean his showroom, his back room, the hallway, the elevator bays.

BS: But, for [the shoots that did take place on the streets of the Diamond District], we really wanted to capture the district as it was, kind of unfettered from us. Even though we were having a footprint there, we didnt want to disturb it. We kept it open, which you have to. Legally youre not allowed to close the street, because its business. We embraced that fully. Theres people just walking in and out of the frames, all the time.

JS: In 2012, after the first nostalgic draft was finished, I went and started to involve myself deep in the research in the Diamond District. Its a very consumers materialist world me not being able to buy anything there was actually like a major inhibitor of getting deep in with anyone.

So howd you do it?JS: I had to bring press clippings in, and try to prove that I was a real filmmaker. And, over time, those clippings became a little bit more impressive. Two years into my research, we made a documentary about a basketball player

This is Lenny Cooke?JS: Yeah, that reached the Diamond District crowd. They do a lot of business with athletes, and a lot of athletes were talking about the movie. They also stay on WorldStarHipHop, and the trailer blew up on WorldStar. I actually brought Lenny to the diamond district once, because he used to go. He went to Jacob the Jeweler. There was a jewelry shop called Rafael and Co., who were very helpful to us in the beginning, letting us see how the business operates. But there was another guy named Joe Rodeo. I had a friend, and the friend has since passed, but he was a real character. He was from New York. His name was Tuna. He loved going there, and making a big show of buying shit from these guys, like a watch, or what have you. Finally I was in, because I was now with someone who was buying stuff. When I got to go to the back rooms, I took photos. I wasnt sure that I was ever going to get back to this specific upstairs spot, because its pretty private. I took so many pictures the first time I went in there. I probably took like a hundred pictures of the weirdest stuff

BS: How about Joe?

JS: This guy. His name isnt even Joe! We met him and someone called him that, and they just went with it for a while. They were just like, Yeah, Joe. It was so strange. Joe owned a building 20 West 47th. His son Alon married into a very big family on 47th street, the Nektalov family. Theres a great New York Magazine piece about Nektalov. Nektalov was murdered on Sixth Avenue. Its a crazy story.

Oh my God.JS: So the Nektalov family is Leon Diamonds, and they were huge on the block. They were very hard to get in with. Richie Nektalov ended up helping [us]. Thats whose Rolls Royce it is in the movie that Judd Hirsch gets into.

BS: Thats Richie Nektalovs house, too, and hes also in the Passover scene.

JS: So, the tentacles were wide, you know? Eventually I got in with Joe and his son Alon. And Joe was very skeptical of us. Like, Who are these guys? Can we make money off of them? And I was just trying to earn my place. They showed us this huge penthouse. When I went up there for the first time, there was a guy curing meat, living on an air mattress. I have pictures of it. This guy had a bunch of meat hanging up from the ceiling.

BS: This is on Sixth Avenue and 47th Street, in the middle of Manhattan! Its unbelievable.

JS: Hes curing meat! Id told them I knew all these interior designers and architects. So hes like, If you can help me turn this into a lounge he had this big vision for it, with a sauna, and all this stuff Ill help you in exchange. So I ended up hiring an architect. I brought in this legendary interior designer, who weirdly has also since passed, Jim Walrod.

And then what happened?JS: I said, Ill do this for you Joe, in exchange for a six-month lease on a space in your building. It was the perfect size, but as Benny was saying, it became very impractical to actually shoot in it.

BS: Once you accept that okay, were not going to do it on location, well do it on the stage, you get to design. The design of [Howards shop] is just crazy to get into the details. We could design parts of the space to be a certain height, based on Kevin Garnetts height. So when he goes in, he looks much bigger.

JS: We made the ceilings about half a foot shorter, to make him look taller.

BS: Basically we have this whole space outfitted to look so real, and yet its totally fabricated. Every light was on its own color temperature, its own brightness. It was the most complicated lighting setup you could possibly have.

JS: This has nothing to do with 47th Street.

BS: It does. Its about capturing the vibe. You literally go so far to fake it, to make it look real.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Original post:

Benny and Josh Safdie on the Alternate History of Uncut Gems - Vulture

Everyday Heroes who inspire honored by Desert AIDS Project – The Desert Sun

Posted on December 13, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

Dane Koch presented an award to Everyday Hero John Bingle Thompson .(Photo: Lani Garfield, Special to The Desert Sun)

Desert AIDS Project (DAP) held its 6th annual Everyday Heroes event on Dec. 1 at the Palm Springs Cultural Center to shine a spotlight on everyday individuals who inspire others.

CEO David Brinkman said he believes Everyday Heroes connects deeply to the humanitarian work of DAP because each of the honorees, in their own way, helps DAP do the work it does to remove roadblocks to human potential. The work of each of the honorees is heroic and deserves the type of recognition traditionally reserved for major philanthropists in the Coachella Valley.

Steve Kaufer, DAP board chair, opened the program to the standing-room-only auditorium, announcing that Everyday Heroes was born to honor the work of local individuals who, through their kindness and compassion, inspire us all. Kaufer reminded the audience that DAP serves more than 7,000 clients and provides 426 people with housing. And during the 2018-2019 fiscal year, DAPtested more than 2,784 people for HIVand more than 1,349 for Hepatitis C. On-site medical teams provided 5,354 dental visits and 7,160 behavioral health sessions.

Dane Koch, DAPs director of retail, introduced John Bingle Thompson, recipient of the Everyday Heroes award for his commitment to the Revivals retail store as a volunteer since 2015. I choose to volunteer at DAP because I, like most of us here tonight, have lost friends and family to HIV/AIDS, Thompson said as he accepted the award.

Everyday Hero Fiona Foyston seemed genuinely moved by being honored.(Photo: Lani Garfield, Special to The Desert Sun)

Ann Sheffer, co-chair and DAP board member, recognized Fiona Foyston for volunteering at DAP and other local organizations. She quoted Mahatma Gandi who said, The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.Foyston accepted the award by recognizing her grandfather, who instilled in her at an early age to be non-judgmental and to accept everyone as they are. If you want to give your little ones a unique gift, Foyston concluded, introduce them to the worthwhile adventures they can experience by helping others.

Everyday Hero Brett Klein talked about aging with HIV.(Photo: Lani Garfield, Special to The Desert Sun)

Co-chair Tom Truhe introduced Brett Klein, who was recognized for his engagement with and leadership roles in the local LGBT communities and HIV+Aging Research Project. Having lived with HIV for 27 years, he noted how he has become keenly aware of the immense need to understand and explore how aging with HIV can affect your body, mind, soul and healthy longevity.

Molly Bondhus and Wil Stiles were presented the first-ever Barbara Keller Community Action Award.(Photo: Lani Garfield, Special to The Desert Sun)

Co-chair and DAP board member Terri Ketover presented the first-ever Barbara Keller Community Action Award to local retail fashion iconsMolly Bondhus and Wil Stiles.

Molly and Wil are two of the most authentic people I have ever met, Ketover said, and their commitment to justice and humanity is unmatched. Bondhus and Stiles celebrated their boutiques 10th anniversary by donating $500,000 worth of new fashion to Revivals Stores to raise funds for DAP.

Truhe concluded the program by thanking his co-chairs Ketover and Sheffer, and DAPs major and event sponsors Steve Tobin and The Grace Helen Spearman Foundation, GileadSciences, Ann Sheffer and Bill Scheffler, Mike Williams and Canyon Pacific Insurance, Contempo Lending, Lulu California Bistro, News Channel 3 and KESQ, Palm Springs Cultural Center, Gay Desert Guide, The Standard Magazine, Leslie Barclays from Diageo Spirits and Smirnoff, Momentous Events, Promo Homo.TV, CV Independent, Hohn Paschal Photography and The Desert Sun.

At the afterparty, where refreshments weredonated by Jerry Keller and Lulu California Bistro, Willie Rhine, recipient of an Everyday Heroes award in 2018,shared that he appreciates DAP for honoring deserving community members who give back to their community quietly, volunteering their time without fanfare.

Susan Stein, Dr. Oscar Chamudes and Tom Truhe met up under the tent.(Photo: Lani Garfield, Special to The Desert Sun)

Among the community leaders enjoying the evening: former Senator Barbara Boxer, Donna MacMillan, Dr. Les Zendel, David Zippel and Michael Johnston, David Perez, Tom Oliver and Matthew Stocker, Jeffery Bernstein and Dr. Oscar Chamudes, Jeffrey Norman, Tad Green and Ed McBride, Lynn Hammond, Julie Makinen, Ellen Wolf, Gayle Hodges and Art Wedmore, Paul Clowers and Frank Goldstin, Andy Linsky, Kevin Bass, Stuart Leviton and Herb Schultz, Susan Stein, Jerry Keller, Brian Wanzek, Renee Glickman, Dennis Flaig-Moore, Albert Gonzalez and Rhine.

Khalil Gibran in "The Prophet" said it best: You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.

Al Jones currently serves as chairman of the Palm Springs International Airport Commission, on the Desert AIDS Project Partners for Life Leadership Committee and on the CSU Palm Desert Campus Advancement Board. He is also an Allegro member of the Palm Springs Opera Guild and a former board member of Sanctuary Palm Springs and The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert.

6th annual Everyday Heroes Awards 2019

Sunday, Dec. 1

Palm Springs Cultural Center

Benefiting Desert AIDS Project, 1695 N. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs

How to help: To donate or volunteer, call (760) 323-2118 or email info@desertaidsproject.org

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Everyday Heroes who inspire honored by Desert AIDS Project - The Desert Sun

Purdue is looking for your dog to participate in a national scientific study. Here’s how. – Journal & Courier

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

Purdue is looking for dogs to participate in a national study on the health and wellness of dogs.(Photo: provided by Purdue)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Purdue is looking for dogs. More specifically, your dog to volunteer as a participant in a national study that will be looking at the general health and wellness of dogs.

The Dog Aging Project is a collaboration between more than 40 scientists and researchers across the U.S. and will be looking at dogs of all breeds, mixes and ages. At Purdue, Audrey Ruple, an assistant professor of One Health Epidemiology in the College of Health and Human Sciences, is one the researchers leading the study and is hoping to recruit dogs from across Indiana.

Ruple, who is a veterinary epidemiologist specializing in dogs as a model of human health, said the goal of the study is to examine factors that maximize the health and longevity of dogs, which can be linked to the health and longevity of humans.

Humans and dogs have more in common than we might think sharing 650 million base pairs of genetic information with the canines which Ruple said makes the animals useful to study human disease processes. Dogs also have a sophisticated health care system, comparable to the human health care system.

Dogs are unique because they share our environment, Ruple said. They live in our homes, drink our water and sometimes eat our human food. We both have similarities, and we see a lot of similar diseases and health issues.

The Dog Aging Project will follow participating dogs to watch how different environmental and biological factors can affect longevity for the next 10 years, although the schedule could extend beyond that time. The research hopes to look at specifics that could affect longevity, including an individuals genome, proteome, microbiome, demographics and environmental factors.

Owners who nominate their dogs to participate in the study will complete a 200-question health and lifestyle survey as well as submit electronic medial records, likely through the dogs veterinarian. The study isnt limiting the types of dogs participating eitherdogs of all breeds, mixes and sizes are encouraged to participate.

Neither the dogs nor owners will be compensated for the research, butthere is no cost to participate. Researchers will be working closely with the primary care veterinarians of the dogs, who will be expected to visit for their regular annual examination.

Ruple said the study is a citizen scientist project, meaning the owners of participating dogs are considered to be research partners in the study.

The study is funded by a five-year grant from the National Institute of Aging, which is part of the National Institute of Health, as well as private donations.

The Dog Aging Project hopes to enroll tens of thousands of dogs to research by the end of 2020.

People can take a part in the scientific process, whether its for human health or dog health, Ruple said. Through this study, we can learn to not only be better stewards of their existence, but also for our own.

TO APPLY:For more information on the Dog Aging Project or to nominate your dog, visithttps://dogagingproject.org/

Emily DeLetter is a news reporter for the Journal & Courier. Contact her at (765) 420-5205 or via email at edeletter@jconline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @EmilyDeLetter.

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Purdue is looking for your dog to participate in a national scientific study. Here's how. - Journal & Courier

AI Will Drive The Multi-Trillion Dollar Longevity Economy – Forbes

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

World Longevity Economy Size Projections, current USD

AI for Longevity has more potential to increase healthy Longevity in the short term than any other sector. The application of AI for Longevity will bring the greatest real-world benefits and will be the main driver of progress in the widespread extension of healthy Longevity. The global spending power of people aged 60 and over is anticipated to reach $15 trillion annually by 2020. The Longevity industry will dwarf all other industries in both size and market capitalization, reshape the globalfinancial system, and disrupt the business modelsof pension funds, insurance companies, investment banks, and entire national economies.

Longevity has become a recurring topic in analytical reports from leading financial institutions such as CitiBank, UBS Group, Julius Baer, and Barclays. At the recent AI for Longevity Summit in London, top executives from Prudential, HSBC, AXA Insurance, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Babylon Health, Insilico Medicine, Longevity.Capital, Longevity Vision Fund, Juvenescence, and Deep Knowledge Ventures came together to discuss the Longevity Industry. International policymakers and senior corporate executives shared learnings from Japan, Israel, Switzerland, the US, and the UK, and exchanged ideas on beginning to work together in a new social contract to enhance global prosperity equitably.

The 7th Continent - 1 Billion People in Retirement Globally

Switzerland is one of the most longevity progressive countries in the world with both high investment in biotechnology and the capacity to integrate AI into its economic, financial, and healthcare systems. Switzerland has the potential to be a world leader in both the Global Longevity Industry and the 4th Industrial Revolution. There are currently 100 companies, 80 investors, 50 financial companies, 35 research labs, 20 precision medicine clinics, 15 nonprofits, and 10 governmental organizations in the Swiss Longevity Industry. Switzerland is in an excellent position to retain its leading position by focusing on the optimal assembly of its existing resources to transform the challenge of demographic aging into a national asset.

Switzerland has a large aging population and Swiss investment banks are acutely aware of the oncoming demographic challenge. Switzerland is one of the most efficiently regulated and supervised financial centers in the world and has been leading transformative developments emerging from the digitalization of its banking and financial sector. Longevity-progressive countries typically have large aging populations, and aging populations have two longevity-progressive benefits: voting power and spending power.

Longevity Industry in Switzerland 2019

The digitization of finance, and novel financial systems which treat Longevity as a dividend, will play an integral role in the Longevity economy. According to a recent report by Aging Analytics Agency, Switzerland has the elements necessary to become a leading Longevity financial hub, including factors such as a lean political system that facilitates rapid implementation of integrated government programs, a strong research environment for geroscience, a strong research and business environment for digital health, and most importantly, international financial prowess.

Switzerland has the ability to develop several Longevity specific programs over the next several years. One program is a Longevity progressive pension system and insurance company ecosystem that accounts for both population aging (which threatens to destabilize the current business models of insurance companies and pension funds) and the potential for widespread healthspan extension. Another program is a national strategy for intensively developing Geroscience and FinTech to a state so advanced that it propels Switzerland into a central role in the international Longevity business ecosystem and a global leader in Longevity Finance. Switzerland is leading the digitization of financial markets and establishing itself as a catalyst for financial innovation on a global level. According to Aging Analytics Agency, 10% of all European FinTech enterprises are located in Switzerland.

Switzerland has a strong and productive geroscience community and has gained prominence among investors as a global biotech hub and hotbed of innovation. The Swiss Institute for Bioinformatics has recently identified large numbers of genetic markers directly linked to human life expectancy. Switzerland is also home to the prestigious Vontobel Prize for Aging Research.

The Convergence of 5 Mega Trends

BioValley

Switzerland is situated at one end of the BioValley - one of the leading life science clusters in Europe. This cluster is unique in that it spans across three countries, Switzerland, Germany and France, and includes Basel, a global life science hub. BioValley brings together important ingredients for a successful biotech cluster including a concentration of companies, rich availability of skills, experience within Life Sciences, and a world class research base. The cluster in Switzerland has in excess of 50,000 people working in the life sciences field including 15,000 scientists. There are 600 companies in the cluster developing therapeutic, diagnostic or medical devices to address a wide range of diseases in multiple therapeutic classes. There are 100,000 students enrolled in 10 universities and research institutions including University of Basel, Max Planck Institute, and Freiburg University. The cluster has produced a number of spin-out companies supported by a financial network including both public and private financing initiatives as well as traditional venture capital and private equity. The entire process of drug development is covered in the region, from research through to clinical and drug development, and manufacturing.

Longevity AI Consortium Expands to Switzerland

Longevity AI Consortium King's College London

In November 2019, Europes firstLongevity AI Consortium(LAIC)launched at King's College London. LAIC is currently developing collaborative research projects withDynamics of Healthy Ageing (DynAge)and theDigital Society Initiative (DSI)at the University of Zurich. The research will utilize AI technologies to predict the future cognitive ability of individuals using multimodal neuroimaging and risk factor data. Academics in Zurich will work in collaboration with colleagues at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King's College London. LAIC plans to establish several collaborative projects with the University of Zurich in 2020. The joint R&D between Ageing Research at Kings and University of Zurich forms the first phase of the global Longevity AI Consortium that will eventually be extended to Israel, Singapore, Japan and the US.

The Longevity Industry

AgeTech

FinTech banks are redefining the banking industry by connecting with a new generation of mobile-first consumers. However, FinTech banks are focusing on consumers who are middle-age and younger, not on the 1 billion people in retirement and the $15 trillion dollar market opportunity. As the share of the population over 60 increases, Swiss banks are lagging behind in finding solutions for this age group. Traditional banks, as opposed to challenger banks, are taking their first steps in AgeTech and adapting their infrastructure for people over 60.

WealthTech

The WealthTech Industry refers to a new generation of financial technology companies that create digital solutions to transform the investment and asset management industry. New companies have arrived on the scene offering advice based on AI and big data, micro-investment platforms, and trading solutions based on social networks. A growing aging population is one of the main drivers of innovation in WealthTech. Financial services innovators have an opportunity to enhance the financial lives of individuals over 60 by designing new solutions and adapting existing products and services for them. This is an opportunity to implement innovations that address financial health challenges head on.

Financial Wellness

As a core component of its mission to develop Switzerland into a leading international Longevity Financial Industry hub, Longevity Swiss Foundation plans on roadmapping the development of AI Centers for Financial Wellness. Whereas the proposed AI Centers for Longevity would focus on optimizing health, these centers would focus on the application of AI to the creation of methods and technologies to promote wellness in other areas including financial wellness, continuing education, psychological well being, neuroplasticity, and active social involvement. The planned development of AI Centers for Financial Wellness will enable financial stability over extended periods of healthy Longevity for Swiss citizens.

Switzerland could become the center of the Longevity Financial Industry. Given its geographic size and its reliance on international cooperation, its function in the Longevity Industry will be as a small but important node. Due to its status as an international BioTech epicenter and its reputation as one of the most progressive countries in terms of its financial industry, the prospects for Switzerland to lead the world in the development of its Longevity Financial Industry are strong.

Today, change occurs at the intersection of two or more scientific and technological domains. We are at the beginning of a trend where the degree of complexity and the number of convergence points will increase exponentially. The convergence of AI, advanced data science, and Longevity research will accelerate important medical breakthroughs that will benefit all humans. In the next decade, the Longevity Industry will impact many areas of our lives. Longevity policies enacted by governments and changes in the global financial industry will transform society. Achieving small but practical results in Longevity distributed at scale will have enormous and multiplicative effects on society. Extending the functional lifespan of humans by just one year will decrease suffering for tens of millions of people and will improve the quality of life for billions of people.

Click the box below to preview a new book that I co-authored with my colleague Dmitry Kaminskiy entitled Longevity Industry 1.0 - Defining the Biggest and Most Complex Industry in Human History.

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AI Will Drive The Multi-Trillion Dollar Longevity Economy - Forbes

Retirement planning needs to include keeping in touch with your communities – Minneapolis Star Tribune

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

The underlying message from the recent report released by the Senate Joint Economic Committee is clear from its title, An Invisible Tsunami: Aging Alone and Its Effect on Older Americans, Families, and Taxpayers. The report looks at the worrisome trend toward increasing social isolation among older Americans.

The report examines trends of social support among adults ages 61 to 63 from 1994 to 2014 by several measures think children living within 10 miles, married or cohabiting, and good friends in the neighborhood. Each trend line is down over the 20-year period. The report argues that older Americans in the future are unlikely to have the level of support from caregivers that they enjoyed in the past.

There are some countervailing trends that suggest the value of community is being rediscovered by aging Americans in recent years. For example, the number of retirees who say they moved within five years after retirement has fallen from a high of 23% in 1980 to 15% in 2015. When retirees pick up stakes, theyre most likely to move within the same county.

The urbanized retired population is likely choosing to stay near friends, family, and the cultural attractions, like sporting teams and theaters, that they have come to know well, write Matt Fellowes and Lincoln Plews in The State of Retirees.

The reports emphasize different data but agree that human connections are critical. Healthy social connections contribute to meaningful longevity.

One reason I focus so much on staying employed during the traditional retirement years is partly for the money. The other factor is that the workplace is a community.

The strength and depth of connections and social support is also critical when it comes to deciding where you will you live in your later years.

Most people want to stay in their current residence for as long as possible. Aging-in-place is an attractive idea. But you should investigate not only what it could be like to age in your home but also, more importantly, to age in your community. You dont want to be lonely.

Joseph Coughlin, director of the MIT AgeLab, recommends thinking through these three questions in planning for a good quality of life with age: Who will change my light bulbs? How will I get an ice cream cone? Who will I have lunch with? Your answers should help you plan for aging in a home and community with strong connections and community support.

Chris Farrell is a senior economics contributor for Marketplace and a commentator for Minnesota Public Radio.

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Retirement planning needs to include keeping in touch with your communities - Minneapolis Star Tribune

Females Live Longer Than MalesAmong Humans and Other Mammals, Too – Smithsonian.com

Posted on March 26, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Women live longer than men by an average of six to eight years, according to the World Health Organization. This intriguing trend is seen in nearly every country around the world, suggesting that it may be driven by profound biological differences between the sexes. And longevity may not be limited to human females; according to a sweeping new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a range of female mammals live longer than their male counterparts, too.

Scientists have long assumed this to be true, but according to the study authors, the assumption was based on a small number of case studies on wild mammals, or records of mammals housed in captivity, where lifespan and aging patterns are often not representative of conspecifics in the wild. For the new report, the researchers compiled and analyzed demographic data from different types of studies, including mortality estimates that had been obtained from long-term monitoring of wild populations, and mortality rates obtained from dead animals collected in the field. In total, the teams analysis covered 134 populations and 101 species, including lions, orcas, reindeer, and squirrels.

Among 60 percent of the populations studied, females lived longer than males. On average, their lifespans were 18.6 percent longer, which is considerably higher than the advantage for female humans, who live on average 7.8 percent longer than their male counterparts.

But why do such discrepancies exist between the sexes? Scientists have long sought to answer this question as it pertains to humans, and complex behavioral differences likely come into play. Men, for instance, are more likely to smoke, drink excessively and be overweight, Perminder Sachdev, a professor of neuropsychiatry at the University of New South Wales in Australia who has studied human longevity, told Times Markham Heid last year. They are also less likely to seek medical help and to adhere to medical treatments.

Biological factors may also drive the survival gap. Testosterone, for instance, increases levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in men, putting them at greater risk of hypertension, stroke and heart disease.

Womens biology, on the other hand, may give them a boost. One theory posits that having two copies of the same sex chromosome confers protective benefits that govern longevity; women have two copies of the X chromosome, while men have X and Y chromosomes. Earlier this month, a study in Biology Letters gave credence to this hypothesis when it found a link between sex chromosomes and lifespan across more than 200 species. Female mammals, which have two of the same chromosomes, tended to live longer than males. The dual-chromosome trend applied to species that don't have X or Y chromosomes, too, and to species that in which males have two of the same chromosomes. For example, male birds, which have two Z chromosomes, have the survival advantage over females, which have one Z and one W chromosome.

The authors of the new study note that male mammals also devote substantial resources toward the growth and maintenance of secondary sexual traits, like larger body size or antlers. In certain environmental circumstances, these traits might come at a cost. When looking at bighorn sheep, for instance, the researchers found virtually no difference in lifespan between males and females in ranges where resources were consistently available. But in one location where winters are particularly harsh, there were significant sex differences in lifespan.

Male bighorn sheep use lots of resources towards sexual competition, towards the growth of a large body mass, Jean-Francois Lematre, first author of the new study, tells Matt McGrath of the BBC. [T]hey might be more sensitive to environmental conditions.

Both genetic variations and environmental conditions, in other words, likely play a role in sex differences in lifespan. Untangling these intertwined factors wont be easy, the study authors acknowledgebut further research, they write, will undoubtedly provide innovative insights into the evolutionary roots and physiology underlying aging in both sexes.

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Females Live Longer Than MalesAmong Humans and Other Mammals, Too - Smithsonian.com

Dr. Stone Is Reinvigorating Shonen Anime the Way Attack On Titan Did – CBR – Comic Book Resources

Posted on December 21, 2019 by Prof Baldwin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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What Is Skinny Fat? – How to Tell If You’re Metabolically Obese – GoodHousekeeping.com

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

The notion that weight determines your health is seriously disturbed. As a Registered Dietitian, I know firsthand that calculations like body mass index (BMI) are completely outdated and are a poor measure of health since they only look at weight and height. Looking beyond weight is important to understand what is going on inside your body. Just because you have a normal BMI doesn't necessarily mean you are healthy: enter the term "skinny fat."

The term first gained traction after a piece in Time Magazine profiled individuals who had "normal weight" but had some major underlying health issues. Medically described as metabolically obese normal weight, this refers to people who may have a normal weight or BMI but have risks for health problems in the same way as an outwardly obese person would. Although we don't like the term "skinny fat" as it is super shame-y, it is commonly used describe a serious health issue.

Does your diet primarily consist of excessive sugar, salt, and processed foods? Was the last time you visited a gym back in freshman year of college? Poor diet and lack of exercise, as well as a sedentary lifestyle, can lead to metabolic obesity. Most of us have a decent idea of whether or not we eat a balanced diet and stay active on a consistent basis.

Some more clinical indicators of being metabolically obese that you can discuss with your doctor include:

Diet, exercise, and lifestyle factors all play a huge part in maintaining good health and promoting longevity. Even if you have a normal BMI, high cholesterol and elevated blood sugar can put you at increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. Research has shown that poor diet and lack of exercise are also two key factors that can increase a persons risk of developing cancer.

A big danger for individuals who are metabolically obese is excess visceral fat. While subcutaneous fat (also known as "belly fat") is the layer of fat that sits directly under the skin and can be easy to see, visceral fat lies deeper and surrounds the internal organs. Visceral fat has been strongly linked to metabolic disease and insulin resistance, even for individuals with a BMI within the normal range. You may have heard of the apples and pears scenario that mimics body composition: pears tend to store fat in their lower extremities such as the hips and thighs, whereas apples tend to store fat in the belly. Individuals with an apple shape that store fat in the belly tend to have more visceral fat. Your waist circumference can give you a clearer picture: men should have a waist circumference of less than 40 inches and women should have a waist circumference of less than 35 inches. Cortisol, which is the stress hormone, can also increase how much visceral fat your body stores.

Stay hydrated: Did you know that up to 60% of the human adult body is made up of water? If there is one thing you can do for your health, its to start committing to your hydration. Try lining up your water bottles on your desk so you can see how much you need to drink by the end of the day. When you have a goal and can visualize it, meeting your hydration needs may be easier. You can even fill up a pitcher and keep it in your fridge as a reminder that it must be finished by days end.

Focus on fiber: Fibrous foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Plus, fiber can help lower cholesterol levels and also control blood sugar. Fruits and vegetables also are full of water and can help you meet your hydration goal without having to down another water bottle.

Get moving: How are you spending the majority of your day? Are you sitting at a desk or laying on the couch practically 24/7? A study published in 2019 by the European Society of Cardiology found that 20 years of a sedentary lifestyle is associated with a two times risk of premature death. Regular aerobic exercise can also reduce the amount of visceral fat in your body. Consider getting a standing desk at work or just making an effort to get up and move more throughout the day.

Commit to your sleep: Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to increased risk for several chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. Commit to going to bed an hour earlier and avoid skimping on sleep. Plus, the extra rest may give you more energy to workout the next day.

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What Is Skinny Fat? - How to Tell If You're Metabolically Obese - GoodHousekeeping.com

Coronavirus: Can Increase In Temperature Kill COVID-19? Experts Weigh In – NDTV News

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Prof Baldwin

Temperatures Impact on COVID-19: Experts have varying views on whether heat can limit growth of the virus

Coronavirus: COVID-19 virus has now spread across over 110 countries with no known vaccine or cure. There has been a conjecture that increased temperature can kill the virus and that the onset of summer will lead to a breakdown in transmission of the virus. However, scientists do not have a definite answer on the influence of summertime temperatures on COVID-19, says Dr Laxman Jessani, Consultant, Infectious Diseases, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai.

He goes on to add: It has been observed that the virus can stay active for 8-10 days on dry surfaces and while it survives in the human body at 37 degree Celsius, they are heat labile like all viruses and are deactivated or destroyed when subjected to heat. However, the exact threshold temperature to deactivate COVID-19 is still unknown.

Around the world, while different experts have varying views on whether sunlight and heat can limit growth and longevity of the virus, they all agree that observing proper hygiene is more effective in preventing spread. However, the coronavirus is known to be sensitive to three things: Sunlight, High temperature, and Humidity. Sunlight affects the ability of a virus to grow while heat deactivates it.

Also read:Coronavirus Vs Flu: How To Spot The Difference? Know The Exact Symptoms

While experts debate on this matter, summer is still a month away and till then it would be prudent to adopt simple measures to help prevent transmission:

Washing hands regularly is an important prevention step for coronavirusPhoto Credit: iStock

Also read:Coronavirus: Our Expert Shares 7 Tips To Make Your Kids' Time Productive Amidst Shutdown Of Schools

Dr P. Raghu Ram, President of The Association of Surgeons of India, has a contrasting view on this. He says, "If this was the case then incidence of coronavirus in countries like Australia and Singapore should have been low. There is still a lot that we need to know about the novel coronavirus."

He goes on to add that even in the opinion of World Health Organization, we should not be relying on warmer temperatures to come and put an end to coronavirus outbreak.

Also read:Coronavirus: Your Queries Answered By Experts

(Dr Laxman Jessani is Consultant, Infectious Diseases, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai)

(Dr P. Raghu Ram is President of The Association of Surgeons of India)

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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Coronavirus: Can Increase In Temperature Kill COVID-19? Experts Weigh In - NDTV News

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