The current inflation run is similar to other episodes in history, but with important differences – CNBC

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A customer's groceries are rung up at a store in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021.

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Critical supply chains are choked off. Demand soars. Prices surge and everyone starts freaking out about inflation and wonder how long it will last.

Is it 1945? 1916? 1974?

The answer, of course, is all of the above, and you can throw 2021 in there as well.

Inflation is not something new for the U.S. as the nation has weathered seven such episodes of lasting price surges since World War II including the current run, which is the strongest in 30 years. Getting out of the pandemic shock has been a difficult exercise for the world's largest economy, and inflation has been a painful side effect.

But trying to find a historical parallel and, thus, perhaps a way out isn't easy. Virtually every cycle bears at least some similarities to others, but each is unique in its own way.

The most common comparison to these days is the stagflation low growth, high prices environment of the 1970s and early '80s. And while there's probably at least some validity to that, the reality is more complicated.

"In terms of how widespread inflation is, it's pretty much touching everything. It's widespread, or more than what we saw in the 1970s," said Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group. "The question is, how long it remains elevated and when it backs off and at what rate does it settle out?"

Most U.S. policymakers reject the 1970s connection.

Leaders such as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Biden administration officials view inflation as temporary and almost wholly driven by factors unique to the pandemic. Once those factors subside, they see inflation drifting lower, eventually getting around the 2% level the Fed considers emblematic of a healthy and growing economy.

Some White House economists have asserted that the current stretch looks not like the stagflation era, but more like the immediate post-World War II climate, when price controls, supply problems and extraordinary demand fueled double-digit inflation gains that didn't subside until the late 1940s.

Episodes of U.S. inflation

Consumer price index, percent change from a year ago

Note: Periods of heightened inflation are shaded.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI), White House (inflationary periods through 08). Data is

seasonally adjusted and as of Oct. 21.

Episodes of U.S. inflation

Consumer price index, percent change from

a year ago

Late 1960's economic expansion

Note: Periods of heightened inflation are shaded.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI), White

House (inflationary periods through 08).

Data is seasonally adjusted and as of Oct. 21.

Episodes of U.S. inflation

Consumer price index, percent change from a year ago

Note: Periods of heightened inflation are shaded.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics (CPI), White House (inflationary periods through

08). Data is seasonally adjusted and as of Oct. 21.

"Today's shortage of durable goods is similar a national crisis necessitated disrupting normal production processes," a team of White House economists wrote in a July 2021 paper. "Instead of redirecting resources to support a war effort, however, manufacturing capabilities were temporarily shut down or reduced to avoid COVID contagion."

Once the supply chain disruptions are remedied and there are signs that at least the major ports are becoming less crowded in recent days "inflation could quickly decline once supply chains are fully online and pent-up demand levels off," the paper stated.

The idea that inflation is "transitory" a well-worn term that is transitioning out of vogue is central to the insistence from fiscal and monetary authorities that excessively easy policy is not to blame for the inflation surge.

However, easy policy has been at the core of many previous cycles, and trying to blame everything on the pandemic hasn't gone over especially well with consumers, whose confidence is running at decade lows, and on Wall Street, where investors are getting antsy over how long inflation will last.

Whether inflation is temporary, in fact, is probably the biggest debate happening in investing circles these days.

A customer pumps gas into her vehicle at a gas station on November 22, 2021 in Miami, Florida.

Joe Raedle | Getty Images

"The debate is always couched in black and white. The reality is, it's probably in between there," said Jim Paulsen, chief investment strategist at the Leuthold Group.

In fact, Paulsen has studied inflation over the past century or so and found that while there may been many periods where it has become problematic, there are only two where it proved lasting: after World War I and in the aforementioned 1970s-early '80s.

He's largely in the camp that this run, too, will pass as it has been fueled largely by supply chain problems that ultimately will resolve.

Still, he's wary of being wrong.

"It's not as temporary as we first thought, but I still think that's the best odds" that it will pass in the coming months, Paulsen said. "But I'd also say that it is undoubtedly the biggest risk that it's not. If it's not, then it's a disastrous outcome not only for stocks but also for the economy if it's truly runaway."

The inflation danger comes because this cycle is unlike any other in one important way: Policymakers have never thrown anything close to this amount of money at the economy.

What if sometime next year we not only declare pseudo-victory over Covid, but we declare it over inflation, too?

Jim Paulsen

chief investment strategist, the Leuthold Group

While President Joe Biden and Yellen have insisted that all the fiscal and monetary stimulus is not the underlying cause of inflation, the argument that nearly $10 trillion between Congress and the Fed hasn't pushed prices higher is hard to swallow for some.

Even though Paulsen believes the present conditions will fade in 2022, he worries about what he calls "global synchronized abuse of policy." In essence, the meaning is that policymakers remain in emergency posture for an economic picture that seems long past crisis stage, with the potential for boiling over should officials continue to turn up the heat.

Still, he also sees declining commodity prices with oil at the center as well as falling shipping costs and the lessening of clogs at the ports as hopeful signs that inflation will, at least in historical terms, prove temporary.

"What if sometime next year we not only declare pseudo-victory over Covid, but we declare it over inflation, too?" Paulsen said.

The emergence of a new Covid variant in South Africa complicates both questions. Even Powell, Bush and others in the inflation-is-transitory camp say that the pandemic has been the root cause of price pressures, so if the new variant turns into a larger threat, that means inflation stays higher for longer.

Beside that, though, most mainstream economists are sticking to the belief that 2022 will say a significant drop in inflation.

Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody's Analytics, feels that way even though he says there are close parallels between the current predicament and the runaway inflation of the 1970s.

For one, he said the waves in that inflation shock were both demand-driven and the product of supply issues because of the oil embargoes back then. Unions that were able to negotiate cost of living increases in contracts also boosted the wage-price spiral.

A sentient Fed also contributed to the problems by taking inflation too lightly and resisting the interest rate hikes that could have slowed the economy.

While Fed policymakers have been slow to tighten in the present day, they have vowed that if inflation expectations become unhinged, they'll act. The worry, though, is that the Fed is already too late.

"The wage spiral that we suffered back then was because of the COLAs and the explosion if inflation expectations. They did rise and the Fed did not recognize that and did not respond to it," Zandi said. "Assuming each future wave of the virus is less disruptive, then, yeah, I think we would see signs of moderation."

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The current inflation run is similar to other episodes in history, but with important differences - CNBC

Here’s what happened this week in Arizona history: Nov. 28-Dec. 4 – KJZZ

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A collection of the interesting and sometimes unusual events that happened this week in Arizona history.

On this date in 1905, floods caused bridges to be washed out and other extensive damage at San Carlos, Florence, Maricopa, Phoenix, Globe and Dudleyville.

On this date in 1927, Tucson became the terminal of the first daily air passenger service from Los Angeles to southern Arizona.

On this date in 2012, one of two winning tickets for the Powerball jackpot of $587.5 million is sold at a convenience store in Fountain Hills.

Sky Schaudt/KJZZ

On this date in 1877, the first Mormon settlers arrived on the San Pedro River to found what is now the town of St. David.

On this date in 1919, heavy floods swept down the Hassayampa and Verde Rivers. A 14-foot head of water passed Jerome.

On this date in 1927, the Colorado River changed course below Yuma and the United States gained 600 acres of Mexican land.

On this date in 1933, the first commencement of nurses from the Sage Memorial School of Nursing on the Navajo Reservation took place.

On this date in 1872, it was announced that water would only be delivered on Sunday in Tucson.

On this date in 1915, Walnut Canyon was made a national monument by Presidential Proclamation.

NPS

Neil Erickson worked as a United States Forest Service Forest Ranger at Walnut Canyon National Monument, before it became a National Park Service site.

On this date in 1927, the Apache Trail between Phoenix and Roosevelt Lake was opened to tourists.

On this date in 1929, the citizens and police department of Douglas threatened to raise an army of 600 armed Mexican and U.S. citizens to hunt down a lawless band of Apaches who raided along the border before taking refuge in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. The Mexican Cavalry offered to cooperate.

On this date in 1979, the first cable TV line in Phoenix was connected to the home of the William Ritchie family by American Cable TV Inc.

On this date in 1883, a fight broke out in District Court in Prescott over water rights litigation. The attorney general and district attorney engaged in a fist-fight, and the defendant drew a knife, stabbed two litigants and was finally fatally wounded.

On this date in 1920, the Nogales Chamber of Commerce presented lvaro Obregn, newly inaugurated President of Mexico, with a solid-gold paperweight which was a replica of the Sonora border between the United States and Mexico.

Library of Congress

Gen. lvaro Obregn of Mexico (left) meets with Sonora Gov. Flavio Brquez (center) and Arizona Gov. Thomas Campbell (right) in Nogales, Ariz., July 11, 1920.

On this date in 1924, the town of Benson was incorporated.

On this date in 1929, the formal dedication of the Globe airport, with an elaborate program scheduled, including exhibition flights by Army and Navy planes, a speech by the governor and entertainment, took place.

On this date in 1852, the first steamer on the Colorado River reached Yuma. Uncle Sam was brought to the mouth of the river in sections on a schooner and assembled in Yuma.

On this date in 1861, Mormon settlers established the community of Beaver Dams, now known as Littlefield.

On this date in 1920, Arizona raised the salaries of teachers in one-room schools from $80 to $100 per month and paid them in state warrants.

On this date in 1927, Arizona became the first state to regulate and control airplanes engaged in the commercial transportation of passengers and freight.

On this date in 1929, an American Indian of a huge build, armed with a knife and a big appetite for liquor, took over as mayor, sheriff, prosecutor and executioner of the town of Twin Buttes. When county deputies arrived, they found most of the rest of the population hiding in the brush outside of town.

On this date in 1936, the Yuma Morning Sun and Arizona Sentinel newspapers merged to become the Yuma Daily Sun.

On this date in 1933, Arizonans passed the $1 million mark in income taxes paid the total was $1,164,000.

On this date in 1933, 15,000 people attended an enormous barbecue in Paradise Valley to celebrate the receipt of a federal grant for the Verde River Project.

On this date in 1856, the first post office to be opened in Arizona Territory was established at Fort Buchanan in the Sonoita Valley.

On this date in 1871, it rained continuously in Clifton for 30 hours. The resulting floods killed 18 people.

On this date in 1871, the Silver Queen Mine was recorded.

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Here's what happened this week in Arizona history: Nov. 28-Dec. 4 - KJZZ

Canaan reenactor seeks to preserve history; keep legacy of ‘good part of Hollywood alive’ – Torrington Register Citizen

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CANAAN Its really not about the title.

I like to call myself a historical actor, but my manager gave me the name The Great Historical Interpreter, said actor Kevin Titus.

But whatever title he gets or gives, Titus said he loves what he does presenting himself as famous people from the past in full costume and character, and traveling around the country to share their history.

And Titus, a lifelong Canaan resident, is always looking for his next role, in person or on the radio. On WSBS, he is host of The Man of Steel show, named after his appearances as actor George Reeves as Superman, and on Facebook with TOWK Radio, his own broadcast.

Canaan resident Kevin Titus performs a variety of historic characters. One of his favorites is Superman George Reeves.

I dress up for those, too, Titus said, referring to the WSBS broadcast.

I dress like a greaser, play 50s- 60s doo wop music, and talk about that time period. People really seem to enjoy that, he said.

Hes also listed on IMDB, a site hes constantly updating, and has appeared in documentaries, historic dramas like Turn and gangster films such as Bonnie and Clyde: The Real Story. Most recently, he had a role of an annoying fan in Being Robin, an upcoming movie about Robin Williams.

Phyllis Havers grave

Titus also has written a number of books, many about the characters hes portrayed, and if he comes across a person with an interesting story in history, he will add them to his repertoire, he said.

Most recently, that person was Phyllis Haver, a silent screen star who is buried in Canaan. One of her notable films was Chicago in 1929, in the role of Roxie Hart.

On Nov. 19, Titus, dressed in a vintage movie directors costume with his own monogrammed chair, held a tribute ceremony for Haver at Grassy Hill Cemetery, also known as the Hunts Family Cemetery.

Canaan resident Kevin Titus performs a variety of historic characters. He is dressed as a 1920s movie director for a tribute to the late actress Phyllis Haver.

My grandmother knew Phyllis, Titus said. She lived right down the road from the cemetery. Phyllis Haver died when she was 61 years old. In her original death records, according to Titus, her ashes were scattered in the Hudson River.

But I didnt believe that, because there were people in Canaan who said she was buried up here, with her mother, he said.

So I started looking into her history, her movies, her family. And shes buried right here ... I tripped over her gravestone when I finally found it. It took me two years, but I found her grave. It was a big find. This is a big deal.

Actor Kevin Titus recently held a ceremony at the grave of Phyllis Haver, a silent film star, who is buried with her mother in Canaan.

Since the tribute ceremony on Nov. 19, his phone has been ringing more than usual, with requests for interviews and more information on Haver.

The Hollywood things Ive done are the most fun because you never know what youll find, or what will happen, Titus said.

Sometimes, I go into an area or a town I like, and Ill ask, whos famous from this town? If I find someone, I might research them and see where theyre buried ... I try to find out more about them, he said. In Phyllis Havers case, her obituary was wrong, and she deserved to be found, and remembered.

Its keeping the legacy of the good part of Hollywood alive, he said.

Canaan resident Kevin Titus is pictured with his 1902 motorbike at a recent event at the Connecticut Space and Air Museum.

Favorite people

Along with Superman, Titus has performed as abolitionist John Brown, an 18th century whaler, a WWII Army officer and a Revolutionary War soldier. Hes portrayed Gustave Whitehead, an airplane bulder, and President Warren G. Harding.

On of his favorite characters, and one of the most demanding, is Benedict Arnold, a longtime Connecticut resident and Revolutionary War traitor.

Kevin Titus as President Warren G. Harding.

Im one of those guys who will play that role, because a lot of people just wont do it, Titus said.

Hes not a villain, hes a human being. So every year, this year on Dec. 5, I play Benedict Arnold at the Leffingwell House Museum in Norwich, the town where he was born and raised, he said.

He believes that like any historic figure, Benedict Arnold is worth remembering.

For so long, nobody wanted to talk about him, but hes part of our history, he said.

Around 2015, I started working on getting the Benedict Arnold Trail set up near his house, and his grave, he said. I portray him every year at the estate, and its one of my favorite events. The museum just dedicated a brick on the walkway to me: Kevin Titus, aka Benedict Arnold. I thought that was pretty great.

Canaan resident Kevin Titus performs a variety of historic characters. One of his favorites is Benedict Arnold.

Another exciting character he enjoys is Gustav Whitehead, Titus said. The Connecticut resident claims he was the first to fly a plane. In August, I got to fly in a 1902 Condor, like the one Whitehead built, Titus said.

We were at the new Connecticut Air and Space Museum, and I brought my 1902 motorbike with me, Titus said. That was a great day.

This year, he also traveled to New Jersey to portray President Harding for the 100th anniversary of the signing of the armistice ending WWI.

I played a special role, signing the armistice, he said. It was packed, more than 1,000 people, and that was the biggest events Ive ever done, at the (General John) Frelinghuysen House.

Canaan resident Kevin Titus performs a variety of historic characters. Some of his favorites are Benedict Arnold, George Reeves and past presidents such as William G. Harding.

The event recognized the Knox-Porter Resolution, a joint resolution of Congress and signed by Harding, officially ending the U.S. involvement in WW I. The original documents were signed on the estate of Joseph Frelinghuysen, Sr., a famous New Jersey family.

There were senators and congressmen there from all over the country, Titus said. One senator asked to have his picture taken with me, and the next thing you know, everyone wanted to do it. I guess I really looked like President Harding ... because I stayed in the character the whole time I was there. I always do that; I stay in character until I leave.

Titus lives in Canaan with his wife Deanna, daughter Kimberly and son Austin. He also has three stepchildren, Gina, Selina and Reuben. His wife, he said, is planning to open a museum to display his vast collection of costumes, memorabilia and artifacts hes collected over the years.

He was also involved for a time with Civil War and Revolutionary War reenactor groups, where he gained more interest and costumes to play those characters.

Canaan resident Kevin Titus performs a variety of historic characters, including an 18th century whaler.

He said he will keep doing his work as long as he can have a good time doing it.

I do it for fun thats key, Titus said. Its also to keep history alive, and to help people feel good about where they live and who they are. Its a way to help people be proud of their history, and keep legacies alive.

Canaan resident Kevin Titus performs a variety of historic characters, such as a WWII Army officer.

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Canaan reenactor seeks to preserve history; keep legacy of 'good part of Hollywood alive' - Torrington Register Citizen

A History of Unusual Thanksgivings – The New York Times

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Happy Thanksgiving.

This years holiday is more normal than last years, before the Covid vaccines had arrived. But it still is unusual for many families, involving some combination of antigen tests, outdoor meals (where the weather allows) and underlying anxiety.

With that mind, my colleagues and I put together a brief history of Thanksgiving celebrations since the 1850s, focusing on unusual years like this one. Farther down in todays newsletter, youll also find last-minute cooking tips, suggestions for holiday television and more.

However you spend the day, we hope its a good one. We want to say thanks specifically to two groups of people: first, to everybody whos working today (including our colleagues putting out The Times and delivering the print edition); and, second, to all of you the readers of The Morning. We are grateful that you make time in your day for this newsletter.

The first appearance of the word thanksgiving in The Times digital archives which go back to 1851 did not refer to the holiday. It instead was a reference on Oct. 4, 1851, to an appropriate prayer and thanksgiving from a reverend at the opening of the Queens Countys annual agricultural exhibition.

Thursday was quite a jubilee in the pleasant village of Jamaica, Long Island, an unnamed reporter for The New York Daily Times wrote. The ruddy, manly appearance of the farmers, and the freshness, delicacy, and real natural loveliness of their wives and daughters, (for which the county is justly renowned,) were sights to cheer and amaze the citizen, and many were there to witness and enjoy them.

The first mention of the holiday occurred less than a week later, in a brief news item reporting that the governor of Massachusetts had declared Thursday, Nov. 27, 1851, as a day of public thanksgiving and praise. There was no national Thanksgiving holiday at the time.

As other states announced when they would also be observing the holiday that year, The Times printed an infographic of questionable value on Oct. 31, 1851:

The origin story of Thanksgiving thats often told in school of a friendly meal between pilgrims and Native Americans is inaccurate. (As far back as 1974, The Times ran an article describing the holiday as a national day of mourning for many Native people.)

The real origin of the national holiday dates to Abraham Lincoln. On Oct. 3, 1863, he called for the country, in the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, to set aside the last Thursday in November as a day of Thanksgiving. The Times published his Thanksgiving proclamation on the front page, and several times subsequently.

While reciting the countrys many blessings a productive economy, bountiful harvests and a growing economy Lincoln also recommended that Americans give thanks with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience.

Lincolns proclamation was in part a response to Sarah Josepha Hale, an editor who had spent decades campaigning for a national day of gratitude.

Like this years version, Thanksgiving in 1918 occurred in the midst of a global pandemic. But the atmosphere was surprisingly joyous. World War I had ended on Nov. 11, and the country was celebrating, despite a horrific number of influenza deaths in October. During the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, Times articles contained relatively few mentions of the so-called Spanish flu.

Thanksgiving Day this year will evoke a gratitude deeper, a spirit of reverence more devout, than America has felt for many years, a Times editorial on Nov. 19 said.

One factor may have been that the pandemic briefly receded that November, before surging again at the end of the year. As has happened over the past two years, a virus ebbed and flowed in mysterious ways.

By 1930, the countrys mood was much darker. A front-page headline on Thanksgiving Day that year reported: 450 Tons of Food Given to Needy, But Supply Fails. The police turned away elderly men and women to reserve the food for families with young children.

The Times also reported that the Thanksgiving tradition of ragamuffins in which children would dress up and go door to door asking for coins or treats seemed to be fading in Manhattan. Things aint the way they used to be, a police officer said.

In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt tried to spark the economy by moving Thanksgiving one week earlier, to create a longer Christmas shopping season. Critics mocked the policy as Franksgiving, and it failed. Roosevelt announced in 1941 that he was abandoning the experiment for the next year.

Roosevelt ultimately settled on the fourth Thursday of the month a middle ground that made sure the holiday would not occur later than Nov. 28 and that Christmas shopping could always begin in November.

Thanksgiving in 1963 came only six days after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and most public celebrations were canceled. The Macys parade was an exception, The Times reported, because the organizers felt its cancellation would be a disappointment to millions of children.

The Kennedys gathered at the family compound in Hyannis Port, Mass., but they skipped their usual game of touch football. Like millions of other Americans, they will give the day over to the children and mourn together their loss, The Times wrote.

The Covid-19 pandemic arguably caused a bigger break in Thanksgiving traditions than anything that came before. Since Lincolns proclamation, even during war, depression and tragedy, most Americans still found ways to gather with family and friends for a holiday meal.

But the threat from a pandemic better understood in 2020 than it had been in 1918 caused many people to stay home last year.

Today will be different. The pandemic is not over, but the worst of it almost certainly is. Vaccines have allowed most Americans to gather safely.

The country is hardly in a joyous mood. Even as people are happy to be together again, many are mourning the losses of the past two years and deeply worried about the countrys future. Yet mixed feelings are also part of the Thanksgiving tradition, all the way the back to Lincolns proclamation.

More on the holiday: For Rafael Alvarez a writer for The Wire today is a chance to remember his fathers penknife and his parents Baltimore dreams.

Rich: Kanye West created a jacket for Gap. It makes you look famous.

Ranking: Vote for the best book of the past 125 years.

Ethical questions: What should a reader do with a big inheritance?

Lives Lived: Margo Guryan recorded an album in the 1960s, but it didnt find an audience until the late 1990s. People say Ive been rediscovered, she said at the time. Its not true Ive been discovered. Guryan died at 84.

Last years Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade lacked its typical pageantry. Because of the pandemic, there were no spectators, the route spanned only one block and thousands fewer participants marched.

This year, the parade is almost all the way back: About 6,500 people will be working on it, up from 960 last year. The number of giant balloons and floats is back to roughly what it was two years ago. And 10 marching bands, many of which couldnt travel last year, will fill the streets.

There is one caveat: No kids under 12 will participate. Everyone in the parade must be fully vaccinated, but children 5 to 11 were eligible for their first shots only a few weeks ago. (They can still watch; spectators have no vaccination requirement.)

Their absence will be curious in an event whose stars have included Pikachu, SpongeBob SquarePants and Shrek. This year, the young people waving from floats will be vaccinated tweens and teens so viewers can perhaps expect less unadulterated joy and wide-eyed wonder, The Timess Julia Jacobs writes.

The televised parade will feature the Rockettes, Carrie Underwood, Mickey Guyton, Kristin Chenoweth, Jon Batiste and Nelly. It starts at 9 a.m. Eastern, and you can watch it on NBC, Telemundo or the Peacock streaming service. Sanam Yar, a Morning writer

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A History of Unusual Thanksgivings - The New York Times

The worst, unholiest popes in the history of the Vatican – Big Think

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As a religious institution organized not by angels but imperfect human beings, the Roman Catholic Church has rarely if ever been able to live up to the lofty standards set by the omnibenevolent God whose very will it claims to represent and enforce.

Aptly titled books like The Bad Popes, written by the Jamaican-born author and historian E.R. Chamberlin, show us as much as they attempt to map out the saturnalian careers of the most incorrigible popes to have ever ruled over the Vatican. Though each of these popes thought they were as close to the grace of God as one could possibly be, they were in fact further removed from the ethical teachings of the Bible than just about any other members of their institution.

Like the kings and queens of medieval Europe whose loyalty they demanded, Chamberlins clergymen frequently dissolved the separation between church and state, meddling in the temporal world and its disreputable politics as they saw fit. Some popes openly engaged in sexual intercourse despite having vowed to remain celibate. Others were driven by greed and used their influence to hoard unholy amounts of wealth. A few were vindictive to the point of literally persecuting their opponents into the grave.

As a general rule, the regimes of these popes resembled those of the infamous Roman emperors Nero and Caligula. During their divisive and unpredictable reigns, cardinals and clerics alike lived in fear, for they knew history could often turn out stranger than fiction.

Stephen VI, who ruled from 896 until 897, subjected the Roman Catholic Church to what may well be the most bizarre episode in its entire history.

Upon his ascension to the papal throne, Stephen put his predecessor, Formosus, on trial for perjury. This was in spite of the fact that Formosus was already dead, and had been for more than seven months when his jury finally convened. At Stephens orders, Formosus disintegrating corpse was exhumed from his tomb, dressed in papal robes, and placed onto his old throne. As Stephen read out the accusations of perjury, a deacon shook the corpses skull and uttered pre-written responses in its stead.

After his remains plead guilty as charged, Formosus was stripped and redressed in rags. Three fingers the ones he had used to offer blessings were cut off, while the rest of his body was then thrown into the Tiber, the same place Romans once disposed of their criminals.

Though stories of the so-called Cadaver Synod have long been told with an air of Caligulan insanity, many historians believe there actually was a method to Stephens madness. Writing for JSTOR Daily, Amelia Soth suggested he wanted to prevent Formosus from becoming a relic. Through relics, writes Soth, saints continued to be members of the community. They were participants in the daily lives of the people that venerated them. In this sense, they were still alive. It was this continued presence that Stephen VI sought to deny his predecessor.

The sacrilegious nature of the Cadaver Synod was not lost on those whom Stephen had obligated to participate, and many interpreted an earthquake which struck during the procession as both a sign of Gods disapproval and an omen of Stephens eventual downfall. As one participant recalled sometime later, it had seemed as if the world around them would more willingly suffer spontaneous ruin, than that the Roman Church should remain depressed by so great a scandal.

Perhaps the most morally depraved pope of all, John XII hailed from a family of Machiavellian masterminds. His father had previously ruled Rome through puppet popes, while his grandmother married several Italian conquerors to place heirs in the Vatican.

Where his family was known for their cunning, the slow-witted John would go down in history for his sexual appetite. Unable and unwilling to honor the vows of celibacy that accompanied his position, he was said to have turned the Vatican into his own private brothel. Over the course of his tenure as pope, John had intercourse with hundreds of women, including his own sisters. Simon Sebag Montefiore, who devoted a chapter to John in his book, Titans of History, said he personified the papal pornocracy of the 10th century.

Thats not to say lust was the only sin that John was guilty of. According to Montefiore, the pope was also known to employ a spoils systems, offering titles and promotions to individuals who promised to help him with his mounting gambling debts.

As if this wasnt bad enough, John also made allegiances with German rulers to further cement his rule and more than once turned his back to those same rulers when they challenged that rule. Thanks to his rampant disloyalty, John was deposed numerous times. But, willing to stoop lower than any of his opponents, he always found his way back to the Vatican, and his stubborn determination to remain in power until the bitter end ultimately resulted in him dying while still in office.

If the contemporary Italian historian Liuprand of Cremona is to be believed, that death took place in 964, while John was caught committing adultery. Historians still debate whether he died of a stroke or had an unfortunate encounter with an outraged husband or lover.

In life as well as in death, Johns reputation loomed over the Catholic Church like a dark cloud. Bishops called him a monster without one single virtue to atone for his many vices. The Holy Roman Emperor Otto the Great said it would take a whole day to list all of Johns crimes.

The separation between church and state was a founding pillar of early modern democracies, one that many popes on this list sought to dismantle. Of all the incorrigible popes discussed by Chamberlin, however, none was more involved in temporal affairs than Boniface VIII.

Over the course of his nine-year reign, Boniface a former student and practitioner of canon law meddled in innumerable international affairs, leveraging the power of his office to turn the tide of major conflicts like the First War of Scottish Independence. Boniface fancied himself the highest authority under God and went to great lengths to remain independent from Europes empires. When, in 1296, Phillip IV barred members of the clergy from serving in his government, Boniface excommunicated him from the church.

Bonifaces eventful tenure inspired intense criticism. Dante Alighieri saw fit to work the pope into The Inferno. The crime that landed him there, in the eighth circle of hell, was fraud, specifically simony: the buying and selling of ecclesiastical privileges in exchange for money or services. Boniface believed the Holy Roman Emperor should always answer to the pope, whereas Dante whose understanding of Christianity was rooted in the contemplation of ones own sins believed that neither position should hold sway over the other.

The fact that Dante saw fit to condemn Boniface to hell when the pope was still alive (and in power) shows the extent of his unpopularity. At the same time, his cameo in the Divine Comedy was the least of Bonifaces worries.

After declaring the Vaticans independence from and superiority over the Holy Roman Empire, its emperor the aforementioned Phillip accused Boniface of both simony and sodomy before sending out his henchman to capture him. When his captors demanded his abdication, Boniface said that we would rather die. He was then slapped in the face by the French Chancellor in charge of the troops. Boniface was then held for three days, during which he was severely beaten and almost executed. Though his captors ultimately released him, the encounter left a considerable mark, and he died not long after.

Giovanni Villani said that when Boniface returned to Rome, the grief which had hardened in the heart of Pope Boniface, by reason of the injury which he had received, produced in him () a strange malady so that he gnawed at himself as if he were mad.

The legacies of these popes not only tarnished the reputation of the Roman Catholic Church but also inspired inquiry into the legitimacy of the supposedly eternal truths that its religious teachings claim to contain.

Jeremy Walls, who teaches philosophy at Houston Baptist University, said the fact that a number of popes have been bad in the sense that they did not even meet minimal standards of moral integrity and sincere piety poses a serious problem for Roman Catholicism.

This problem has led theodicists, religious scholars who try to find logical proof for the omnibenevolence of God, to draw a distinction between what they refer to as weak providence and strong providence. Weak providence holds that Gods involvement in the human world which includes the Catholic Church is minimal, and that he is not directly responsible for the election or actions of popes. Strong providence, holds that God is directly responsible for the election and actions of popes, and that our confusion is not a refutation of his benevolence but simply a testament to our inability to understand His ways.

With every incident of corruption or criminal activity amongst the ranks of the church, strong providence becomes a little less convincing. More recently, sex abuse scandals have led people to question their faith. Even if one chooses to believe that Gods involvement with the papacy was always minimal, the legacies of the worst popes were so shocking that they called into question the very essence of the institution they represented.

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The worst, unholiest popes in the history of the Vatican - Big Think

Local author to sign copies of his book ‘Hidden History of Mishawaka’ – South Bend Tribune

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Tribune Staff Report| South Bend Tribune

MISHAWAKA Peter J. De Kever will sign copies of his new book, Hidden History of Mishawaka, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 4 at the downtown branch of the Mishawaka-Penn-Harris Public Library, 209 Lincoln Way E.

Published by Arcadia Publishing and The History Press, the 160-page paperback includes 10 essays on forgotten stories of people and events that shaped the city and even influenced the nation.

They include the life of Mishawakas first mayor, Manuel Fisher; Vice President Charles Fairbankss visit in 1908; the citys July 4 celebration in 1909 that saw the dedication of Hotel Mishawaka, and Ball-Bands vital role in the Doolittle Raid during World War II.

The book is illustrated with more than 50 historic and contemporary photos, many not published in decades.

Hidden History of Mishawaka retails for $21.99 and is available through arcadiapublishing.com and other online book retailers.

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Local author to sign copies of his book 'Hidden History of Mishawaka' - South Bend Tribune

Beyond the Freedom Trail, Boston history rocks – The Boston Globe

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More than 600 million years ago, some of what we now call Boston was part of a chain of volcanoes whose lava flows hardened into a rock called rhyolite. The volcano chain later fused with the North American continent, and the volcanoes eroded over time into more modest landscape features like the Blue Hills and Lynn uplands. Far more recently but still thousands of years ago Massachusett Tribe members in the region began to quarry what remained of that beautiful volcanic rock from an outcropping in present-day Mattapan, harvesting it by hand and carving it into spears and knife tips.

Now the descendants of those Massachusett people want to see the city designate the ancient Mattapan rhyolite quarry, a 2.5-acre parcel across from the Jubilee Christian Church also known as the Babson-Cookson tract, as a city landmark. Its a worthwhile endeavor that would recognize an unsung part of Bostons history, while giving the Massachusett Tribe the chance to share more of their ancestors story with the broader public.

Hundreds of stone tools and weapons found at archaeological sites across the Commonwealth, including nearly all the stone fragments found at a Massachusett site at First Church in Roxbury, have been traced to the quarry in Mattapan including some dating back as far as 7,500 years ago. Known to archaeologists as Mattapan banded rhyolite, the stone varies in color from deep maroon to white or pale green striped with pinks, depending on its stage of weathering. According to oral histories of the Massachusett, rhyolite was considered highly valuable, and its dispersal to many sites suggests it was traded for other goods.

This quarry was active before the construction of Stonehenge or the pyramids of Egypt, said Joseph Bagley, Bostons city archaeologist, in a Nov. 9 city Landmarks Commission hearing where he spoke as a designee of the Massachusett Tribe. If the city makes the landmark designation, the Massachusett descendants of the original quarry-harvesters would seek to help manage the site and to educate the public about its importance.

The city will soon commission a study of the historic significance of the site, after which public comments will open. The landmark designation would elevate the city-owned quarrys status to that of historic sites like Boston Common and the Old State House, which could create more public awareness of the role the Massachusett have played in Bostons history. It could also help Bostonians and tourists learn a little more about the science of the ground beneath their feet. Separately, the city will determine whether to protect the tract as an urban wild, which would prevent it from being developed.

Boston is obsessed with its colonial and revolutionary-era history. A new landmark that surfaces both the deep geological history and the Indigenous history that predates the nations birth gives the city a chance to embrace a wider and no less remarkable view of its past. Thats why the landmarks commission, City Council, and mayor should give this piece of ancient Boston history its due.

Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us on Twitter at @GlobeOpinion.

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Beyond the Freedom Trail, Boston history rocks - The Boston Globe

Four Overtimes Iron Bowl gave us history, heartbreak – al.com

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Weve had shocking Iron Bowls that were instant classics.

Beautiful endings, we have seen. Stunning things. Brilliant chaos, and violent art. Unbelievable mistakes, too, and unforgivable scores.

This 86th edition of Auburn vs. Alabama was none of those things, but it was unlike all the others, too. Never has this game that makes an entire state stop and watch given us an overtime battle until Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium when a most beautiful train wreck finally came to a scratching, grinding, silent stop with Alabama ahead 24-22 after four extra frames.

It was so, so loud, and then it was not.

Then, after it was Bryce Young to John Metchie III in the corner of the end zone for the win, it was Alabama center Chris Owens, a COVID-19 sixth-year super senior, waving good-bye to Auburns fans as they stood stunned and exhausted and spent like jilted lovers at the altar of eternal bliss.

So long, cozy happiness by the raging fire of a burning rivalry. So long love. The long, cold winter is here instead. For Auburn, the chill from this one will linger.

RELATED: Tide wins thrilling 4OT Iron Bowl

RELATED: How Auburn lost 24-22 OT Iron Bowl thriller

Alabama needed a Heisman-esque touchdown drive from its California quarterback in the final minutes of regulation just to send the game into overtime. With Young behind center, and given yet again another chance after so many inexplicable errors, the Crimson Tide went 97 yards to save its season. A lot about this game was difficult to watch for fans of competent offenses, but the catch by Alabama freshman receiver JaCorey Brooks with 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter was an all-time Iron Bowl moment.

The poise. The confidence. The glory. Who the heck cares about stats after an ending like that? It will be a noisy week for Alabama, but none of it will matter when the SEC championship game kicks off with No. 1 Georgia. Win and Alabama is in the College Football Playoff. Win and Young will have a strong case for the Heisman. Its all that simple. During Nick Sabans time at Alabama, it has never felt this difficult.

The ending was crazy just because of the adversity we had to go through, Metchie said.

We knew it was going to be a dogfight, said Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. It was a dogfight.

It was Auburns nightmare in the end after blowing a lead for a third loss in a row. The Tigers led Mississippi State 28-3 before giving it all away. They were up on South Carolina 14-0 before blowing it. This time, Auburn led No. 3 Alabama 10-0, but for most of the game it felt more like 50-0.

The good news for Auburn should be obvious. The Iron Bowl can humble fan bases and players and especially the coaches, but this one showed that maybe Auburn isnt too far behind its in-state rival after all.

The bad news is less clear, but an ever-present concern unlike anything weve seen in sports. How is it that Auburns new coach, Bryan Harsin, still isnt saying whether or not he has complied with the federal directive to vaccinate himself during this ongoing pandemic? Its newsworthy because hes Auburns coach, but he might not be for too much longer.

He was asked after the game if he was committed to staying at Auburn amid rumors of opportunities elsewhere, and I heard a lot of things come out of his mouth, but never heard a definitive yes.

I love it here, Harsin said. I love the orange and blue and we have a lot more work to do.

Hopefully he sticks around because next year he might have an even better shot.

RELATED: Herculean effort by Auburn defense falls short

RELATED: Everything Nick Saban said after the Iron Bowl

Alabama just had a No.1-ranked recruiting class. Auburn had a backup quarterback from LSU playing for the injured Bo Nix, and by the time the fourth quarter and the four overtimes found TJ Finley behind center he was playing with one good leg, too. Auburns defense gave Finley the chance, and he nearly became one of the most unlikely stars in the history of the Iron Bowl.

Entering the game, Alabama was favored by 20.5 points. Entering halftime, Alabama trailed 10-0 and only had 68 yards of total offense. The Crimson Tide was hot and cold at times this regular season, but never like that.

Alabama quarterback Bryce Young set a single-game passing record last week against Arkansas (559 yards and five touchdowns), but he struggled in his first Iron Bowl due to constant pressure from Auburns defenders. For Alabama, it was the first victory in Jordan-Hare Stadium since 2015. For everyone watching the dynasty of dynasties, it was more proof that this might be Georgias year.

Its what you work for all year, Saban said of the ending, and no one can deny that Alabama surviving death like this is something its counterweight in the SEC East hasnt experienced.

Four Overtimes we will call this one, and put it right there alongside Kick Six, Punt Bama Punt and Wrong Way Bo. Maybe it was never pretty, but it was ugly only for the self-absorbed.

Self-absorbed Alabama fans are what Saban called supporters of the Crimson Tide who have grown fat with winning. Someone asked him a question during his radio show on Wednesday about the margin of victories, and the greatest college football coach of all time rattled his old gobbler with anger on Thanksgiving-eve.

Lean meat is no longer good enough, they say. The sacrifices must be marbled and juicy.

Wrong. One more grizzled victory is all that matters, and its Georgia with all the pressure now. We all know that when it comes to Alabama, the Dawgs have always lacked the power for the final bite.

Joseph Goodman is a columnist for the Alabama Media Group. Hes on Twitter @JoeGoodmanJr. His first book, We Want Bama: A season of hope and the making of Nick Sabans ultimate team is available wherever books are sold.

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Four Overtimes Iron Bowl gave us history, heartbreak - al.com

Is history repeating itself with Flynns one religion call, Trumps refusal to concede? – cleveland.com

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Donald Trumps former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn insists that we must have one religion. Trump reduced our ties to NATO, just as the original America First movement of the early 1940s would have liked. That movement advocated that we ignore fascism in Europe and only concern ourselves with one country, the United States. Trump claims that he should still be president, never accepting his 2020 election loss. He sent an ambassador to a foreign country as though he were the one leader of the United States.

History repeats itself. One leader, one people, one country. Originally, this slogan was Fr Fhrer, Volk und Vaterland. Had space lasers existed when it was first shouted, Im certain its author would have accused the Rothschilds of using them to set the 1933 Reichstag fire, just as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene recently blamed the Rothschilds and space lasers for California wildfires.

The Fhrer of that slogan was known for his mustache, swastikas like those we saw in Charlottesville, and the straight-armed salute that ignorant people now raise at school board meetings. Those who repeat this are on the wrong side of history, decency, and what truly makes America great.

James Marder,

Shaker Heights

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Is history repeating itself with Flynns one religion call, Trumps refusal to concede? - cleveland.com

‘This is living history’: UA highlights Muscogee artist Mary Smith – The University of Alabama Crimson White

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In 2009, Mary Smith, an award-winning artist and a member of the Muscogee Nation, handwove a traditional feathered cloak for three months for a permanent display at Moundville Archaeological Park.

Now Smiths intricately woven mats and baskets, tiny corn husk dolls, and detailed pottery are featured in the Weaving Muscogee Creek Culture: The Artistry of Mary Smith exhibit at the Transportation Museum.

While teaching museum education and exhibits at The University of Alabama in the spring, Alex Benitez, the director of Moundville Archaeological Park, collaborated with Katherine Edge, the director of the Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum.

They allowed students to create a temporary exhibit at the Transportation Museum instead of a mock exhibit. While creating the exhibit, Benitez and Edge remembered Smiths previous work with the park and showcased her work in the exhibit.

Edge said the goal of this exhibit was to highlight Native Americans in contemporary spaces.

Moundville Archaeological Park is a historic site that primarily displays the early history of the land. The Transportation Museum is a local museum that focuses on the city of Tuscaloosas modern history through the lens of transportation.

We felt like this [exhibit] was a really good way of blending those two worlds together and presenting a contemporary Native American artist in a more contemporary space, Edge said.

Smith is credited with reintroducing the traditional double-false braid rim. The technique had not been practiced in the last 100 years. When Smith received a basket, woven by a Muscogee woman, that had been passed down through generations of a family, she wanted to learn the technique and replicate it.

The Southeastern Tribes had their own rimming method, she said. Most of them were doubled around, so when you look at the rim, you would know it was a Muscogee woman who had woven that basket. I wanted my baskets to be traditional.

Smith studied the basket for two weeks until she learned to weave it herself. Like the basket, many of her projects take hours to make. When she is creating a mat, Smith said she quits tracking her time after 400 hours.

Though this basket and her other creations, such as mats and pottery, are now considered art, Smith said these items have a deeper traditional history.

I would hope my art would tell [students] that what we now consider art was created by our ancestors by necessity out of everyday living, she said. Learn about the Native art, and appreciate the time that it took to make it.

Riva Cullinan, a graduate student in the history department, was one of the students in the museum education and exhibits class. She worked over the summer, communicating with Smith and creating educational material now available at the exhibit.

Both Cullinan and Edge said they hope this exhibit demonstrates to students that Native American culture is not a thing of the past.

Theres this idea in all of America that Native Americans are gone. That is very incorrect, Cullinan said. This is living history, and it is changing and evolving like everything else.

On Nov. 6, Smith visited Tuscaloosa and hosted Weave with Mary: Meet the Artist, a class where she taught attendees how to weave their own baskets and shared stories from her life. She demonstrated her weaving on Nov. 10 at the Intercultural Diversity Center.

I consider it an honor to be recognized by such a prestigious university and that they place an emphasis on Native American culture, Smith said.

Smith has an award-winning mat featured in the Lost Realms of the Moundbuilders exhibition at the Birmingham Museum of Art. The University of Alabama took a field trip to the exhibit on Nov. 23.

Weaving Muscogee Creek Culture: The Artistry of Mary Smith will be at the Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum until March 2022.

Smiths exhibit is just one event students can attend for Native American Heritage Month.

The Intercultural Diversity Center collaborated with Moundville Archaeological Park to produce the Millennia of Movement Exhibit, open through Jan. 4. The exhibit features replicas and artifacts of both ancient and contemporary southeastern Native Americans relating to culture and movement.

Throughout the month, The University of Alabama also hosted events such as stargazing at Moundville, a Native American Film Festival, a Moundville 5K, a TEDTalk Tuesday raising awareness for missing and murdered indigenous women, and a demonstration by artist John Brown.

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'This is living history': UA highlights Muscogee artist Mary Smith - The University of Alabama Crimson White

Brits know more about Game of Thrones than real history and believe Dracula actually existed, survey… – The Sun

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BRITS are getting real-life history muddled up with fiction as more than a third admit they know more about made-up histories like Game of Thrones than parts of their own, such as The Wars of the Roses.

One in 10 mistakenly believe Jon Snow was a real-life historical figure while some believe King Arthur (40 per cent), Robin Hood (29 per cent) and Count Dracula (12 per cent) all existed.

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Another one in 20 people thought it was the Lannisters and Starks (from Game of Thrones) contesting the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century when in reality the houses of York and Lancaster were the two main families in conflict.

The study of 2,000 adults found seven in 10 consider themselves knowledgeable about British history, but only 32 per cent knew the Wars of the Roses took place during the 1400s and just 36 per cent knew that The Black Death occurred in the 1300s.

And nearly half didnt know how many wives Henry VIII had, with a tenth believing he had eight, rather than the six he actually got through and the same proportion believed Joan of Arc was one of them.

Over a third didn't realise Henry VIII created the Church of England, showing how, for many, school history lessons really are history.

A further 54 per cent had no idea William Shakespeare was alive during the Tudor period and one in twenty think Gandalf the Grey, from Lord of the Rings, really existed.

Brits appear to at least be aware of some of historys most famous battles, with just over six in 10 having heard of the Battle of Hastings (67 per cent), Battle of Waterloo (66 per cent), D-Day (63 per cent) and The Somme (62 per cent).

However, other famous historical battles Brits thought they recalled included The Battle of Hogwarts which took place in the Harry Potter universe - and The Clone Wars, from Star Wars.

A spokesperson for Sky HISTORY, which commissioned the research as part of the launch of its new TV series Royal Bastards: Rise of the Tudors on Mondays at 9pm, said: "British history is littered with so many important stories as well as iconic myths and legends, its hardly surprising that peoples memories can be a little foggy.

What is clear is that British people take pride in their history and have a thirst for more information and knowledge about it. Our role is to show them that history is well and truly alive, and that fact is very bit as exciting and dramatic as fiction.

The Battle of Bosworth Hill, at which the future Henry VII defeated and killed Richard III, was recognised by 43 per cent of those surveyed.

But the Battle of Townton, at which Edward of York routed the Lancastrians, was known by just one in 10 - both key battles in the War of the Roses.

More than seven in 10 adults believe many womens achievements throughout history have been overlooked and need to be heard.

Marie Curie was named the most inspiring female figure throughout history, chosen by 51 per cent of respondents to the survey run via OnePoll.

She was followed by Florence Nightingale (48 per cent), Emmeline Pankhurst (38 per cent) and Rosa Parks (30 per cent).

But only 21 per cent of respondents knew Margaret Beaufort was mother to the first Tudor monarch, and instrumental in ending the Wars of the Roses with less than one in 10 believing she was the most inspiring woman in history.

A Sky HISTORY spokesperson added: We wanted to shine a light on the role that Margaret Beaufort played in founding the Tudor dynasty and putting an end to the bloodshed of the Wars of the Roses.

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Brits know more about Game of Thrones than real history and believe Dracula actually existed, survey... - The Sun

Warriors of History and Legend – The New York Times

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Three new books scrutinize the reputations of some legendary warrior groups the Spartans, the Vikings and the Spanish conquistadors.

In THE BRONZE LIE: Shattering the Myth of Spartan Warrior Supremacy (Osprey, $30), Myke Cole pretty much does what the subtitle says. Laconophiles, beware. Cole, a prolific writer of science fiction as well as a previous work on ancient military history, painstakingly examines the evidence from five centuries of Spartan warfare, from 739 B.C. to 207 B.C., and concludes that they were not superwarriors, but reasonably competent war fighters dogged by norms in their military culture that held them back. Overall, he calculates that they posted a battle record of 50 wins, 71 losses and five ties. Not terrible, but hardly dominant, more Chicago Cubs than New York Yankees.

Cole detects several persistent shortcomings in the Spartan approach to combat. They failed to scout their foes and were notably poor at besieging fortifications. They also were slow to adapt tactically, because, he says, their rigidly conservative social culture made them resistant to change. They compensated for these flaws by being well disciplined and well organized.

Those who think people no longer care about history should consider this: Cole reports that his sharp skepticism about Spartan military prowess has provoked death threats against him.

By contrast, the Vikings were quite as fierce as their reputation, if the account in MEN OF TERROR: A Comprehensive Analysis of Viking Combat (Westholme, $50) is anywhere near accurate. William R. Short and Reynir A. Oskarson, two experts in Viking culture and martial arts, report that Norsemen, if they did not have a weapon in hand, trained to end a fight three ways: strangulation, biting through the neck or trachea and breaking or dislocating the neck. But, they add, Vikings rarely were caught without their weapons, especially their swords, which they revered.

The Vikings were innovative fighters, displaying what the authors term an improvisational nature. They also were fairly high-tech for their time that is, the centuries around A.D. 1000 wielding swords that used advanced metallurgy. Their seagoing ships were able to sail closer to the wind than others and were also of such shallow draft that they could move high up rivers and coves, enabling them to launch surprise attacks in unexpected places.

Fittingly, this book held two surprises for me: First, I had assumed that a battle ax was heavy. In fact it was lighter and sharper than a wood ax, because flesh is easier to cleave than wood, and also because a weighty war ax would fatigue its bearer. A battle ax swung with two hands delivered three times as much destructive energy as a sword, the authors helpfully note. Second, they say that, contrary to the cartoon images, Viking helmets probably did not sport horns. That makes sense: In serious close combat, why give the foe a key point to grab and twist?

The well-named Fernando Cervantes sets out to upgrade the reputation of the 16th-century Spanish conquerors of Mexico and western South America in CONQUISTADORES: A New History of Spanish Discovery and Conquest (Viking, $35). It is a decidedly uphill task. Cervantes, a historian at Englands University of Bristol, concedes that the conquistadors are seen today as brutal, genocidal colonists. But, he argues, that sweeping caricature is partly the result of a powerful sustained propaganda campaign against the Spanish Hapsburgs. He asks us to look beyond the unintended excesses and horrendous brutality. He portrays Hernn Corts, the conqueror of Mexicos Aztecs, as a politically astute and tactically flexible leader. Corts and other conquistadors were able to succeed as well as they did, he notes, because local populations often saw them as liberators who would help overthrow the cruel and exploitative regimes of the Aztecs and, in South America, of the Incas.

I came away unpersuaded. In this work Cervantes engages in a kind of sleight of hand, I believe, by mentioning the enslavement of Indigenous peoples but never really focusing on it. Ultimately, the conquistadors dont really seem to me very different from the Vikings. They were out to raid, to enslave people and to steal whatever they could carry away, usually in the form of gold, silver and precious stones. And they wrangled with one another for those treasures as well as for land and power. Indeed, Francisco Pizarro, the conqueror of the Incas, was killed by other Spaniards in one such dispute. The major difference between the Vikings and the Spaniards seems to be that the Spaniards had a more lasting effect, in part because the Old World diseases they carried with them devastated the people of the New World, who lacked immunities.

Putting these books down, I found myself wondering about how future historians will write in a few centuries about the American mission in Afghanistan over the last 20 years. We went there late in 2001 passionately full of righteous answers just as the conquistadors went to the New World. And, like them, brimming with unequaled military power, we tried to use force to change a culture we did not remotely understand. But then we left. Our recent chaotic exit from Kabul reminded me of a brutal line in Thucydides history of the Peloponnesian War. It was uttered not by a Spartan but by a leader of the Athenians, supposedly the more enlightened people. The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must, he informs the inhabitants of a small, besieged island. That also was, I think, the message that President Biden sent last summer to the people of Afghanistan.

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Warriors of History and Legend - The New York Times

Jets QB Zach Wilson executes the worst shovel pass in football history – Touchdown Wire

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To say that Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson has struggled with the challenges presented by the NFL would be an understatement. The second-overall pick had been out since Week 7 with a PCL injury, but as the rest of the Jets quarterback room is in COVID protocol after Mike White caught it and Joe Flacco remains unvaccinated, Wilson who had thrown four touchdowns to seven interceptions before he was injured was back on the field against the Texans.

It didnt take long for Wilsons gift for randomness to show up all over again. On this play, Wilson tucked the ball down to the point where running back Ty Johnson thought Wilson was a quarterback on the move, and turned upfield to block. Wilson wasnt on the same page here, and he thought hed go Full Brett Favre with the shovel pass despite the fact that his target had his back turned.

The results were predictable this could well be the worst shovel pass in the history of football, and it was intercepted by Texans defensive back Tavierre Thomas as the ball was about to hit the ground.

Wilson has a lot of talent, but he really needs to get going on the whole situational awareness thing. The Jets have a particularly awful history when it comes to shovel passes (of course they do), but this takes the proverbial cake.

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Jets QB Zach Wilson executes the worst shovel pass in football history - Touchdown Wire

5 Famous Tapestries from History That Feature Stories Woven in Thread – My Modern Met

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One of the oldest forms of textile art, tapestry weaving was a prominent craft from the second half of the 14th century to the end of the 18th century. In Europe, the period saw the production of large wall tapestries that were typically owned by royals and the elite. Kings, queens, and aristocrats often used them to decorate both indoor and public spaces in order to display their wealth. Henry VIII, for example, had around 2,000 tapestries hanging in his various palaces.

A tapestry is created by weaving colored weft threads through plain warp threads. Using wool or silk, the weaver builds up blocks of color in a specific order to create patterns and images. The complex technique allows the maker to create tapestries that illustrate colorful scenes. Many famous tapestries from history retold stories from the Bible and mythology while others depicted scenes from significant, real-life events. Read on to discover five tapestries from history that contain fascinating tales, rendered in thread.

The Apocalypse Tapestry was woven in Paris between 1377 and 1382. It was commissioned by Louis I, the Duke of Anjou, and depicts the story of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation by Saint John the Divine. The 140 meters long, six-meter-high tapestry features around 90 scenes woven in colorful thread spread over six panels. A Flemish artist named Jean Bondol came up with the designs that were later interrupted by craftspeople as large, textile weaves.

Although the theme of the apocalypse is somewhat bleak, the tapestry actually displays a positive message. During the 14th century, the apocalypse was a popular story and focused on the heroic aspects of the last confrontation between angels and beasts. Many of the scenes in the Apocalypse Tapestry depict destruction and death, but the design ends with a joyful story of good conquering evil.

It is unclear how Louis I displayed the tapestry, but some historians believe it was exhibited publicly, outdoors. The Apocalypse Tapestry now sits in the castle Chteau d'Angers in west-central France.

The Unicorn Defending Himself from the Unicorn Tapestries series, 14951505 (Photo: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

The Hunt of the Unicorn (also known as the Unicorn Tapestries) is a series of seven tapestries made in Paris during the 16th century. Woven from natural-dyed wool, metallic thread, and silk, the tapestries feature a variety of bright hues and beautiful details.

The elaborate textile design depicts a group of high-born men hunting a unicorn, set in an idealized French landscape. Each tapestry illustrates a different moment from the pursuit, from The Start of the Hunt to The Unicorn in Captivity. There are a number of theories about the symbolism of the series, but some Christian scholars believe the unicorn represents Christ and the hunt represents his crucifixion.

The Unicorn Tapestries are currently housed in The Met Cloisters Museum in New York.

The Lady and the Unicorn 1484-1500 (Photo: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

The mystical unicorn was a common motif in historic tapestries, but unlike the previous Hunt of the Unicorn series, this six-part collection has a more peaceful narrative.

The Lady and the Unicorn series was designed in Paris and woven in Flanders around 1500. Woven from wool and silk in the style of mille-fleurs (meaning thousand flowers), the series is often considered one of the greatest European works of art of the Middle Ages.

Each of the six designs features a noblewoman with the unicorn on her left and a lion on her right (some also include a monkey in the scene). It is commonly accepted that five of the tapestries represent the five sensestouch, taste, smell, hearing, and sight, while the sixth represents love or desire. In Touch, the ladys hand touches the unicorns horn; in Taste, a monkey is eating a sweetmeat; in Smell, the monkey is sniffing a flower; in Hearing, the animals listen to music; and in Sight, the unicorn is looking at itself in a mirror. In the final tapestry, the woman places down (or picks up) a necklace into a box, which is believed by some to represent desire.

Fun fact: All six tapestries covered the walls in the Gryffindor Common Room in the Harry Potter film series. The set is now on display in the Muse de Cluny in Paris.

Bayeux Tapestry (detail), c. 1051-1099 (Photo: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Although its called the Bayeux Tapestry, this iconic piece of textile art wasnt woven (like traditional tapestries)it was embroidered. Measuring 231 feet (70 meters) long and 19.5 inches (49.5 centimeters) wide, it presents a rich representation of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 with 58 different scenes.

It begins with the journey to Normandy in 1064. King Edward the Confessor is talking with Harold, Earl of Wessex, who then departs for his family estate in Sussex with his hunting dogs. Although the end panel of the embroidery is missing and still a mystery, the existing end of the cloth shows the Anglo-Saxons fleeing at the end of the Battle of Hastings in October 1066.

The Bayeux Tapestry was likely commissioned by Odon de Conteville, Bishop of Bayeux and half-brother of William,to decorate the new cathedral of Bayeux in the 11th century. However, today it still provides a fascinating and accurate depiction of the Middle Ages. In addition to presenting visual information about military items (such as weapons and armor), it also gives details of everyday life during the time. Luckily, the piece survived both the French Revolution and the Nazi occupation of France. It now stays at the Muse de la Tapisserie de Bayeux in Bayeux, Normandy.

The Devonshire Hunting Tapestries; Swan and Otter Hunt 1430-1450 (Photo: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

The Devonshire Hunting Tapestries are a group of four very large tapestries made between 1430 and 1450 in Arras in Artois, France. Each one measures around 9 feet wide (3 meters) and depicts early 15th century men and women in elaborate court dress hunting forest animals such as boars, bears, swans, otters, deer, and falconry.

The almost 600-year-old works are the only great 15th Century hunting tapestries to survive. They belonged to the Devonshire family and were displayed in their Chatsworth House in England for more than 500 years before they were allocated to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. However, it was recently announced that two of the tapestries are returning to Chatsworth House. The current Duke of Devonshire said it was a great privilege to have them back.

Free Online App Lets You Create Your Own Bayeux Tapestry

Artist Spends 520 Hours Reimagining World Map as a Giant 20-Foot-Wide Tapestry

30-Foot Hand-Stitched Tapestry Tells the Story of Star Wars

Learn to Love the Loom When You Try the Ancient Art of Weaving

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5 Famous Tapestries from History That Feature Stories Woven in Thread - My Modern Met

The 15 Best Odd Couples In Television History – /Film

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The Couple:Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen)

The Show:Hannibal

Why They're Terrible For Each Other:Hannibal is not only a cannibal who murders people and eats the rude, but he also manipulates Will at every turn. Because of Hannibal,Will loses everything he loves multiple times.Well, not everything, because he still has Hannibal, but I digress. Hannibal even keeps Will's encephalitis a secret from him, which I'm pretty sure is the exact opposite of what doctors are supposed to do for their patients. Will really isn't all that bad for Hannibal, except that the cannibal loves him so much that he gets a little sloppy in his work because of it.

Why They're Perfect For Each Other:There's a reason the fandom, or "Fannibals," call Will and Hannibal "murder husbands." The two have a deep connection that goes beyond their cat-and-mouse games. Together they have a murder daughter, Abigail Hobbs (Kacey Rohl), whom they both try to mentor after Will kills her serial killer father to save her life. In Hannibal's dream world, the three of them would travel the planet, turning rude people into fine dining. While that's probably not great for the rest of the world, the three of them would have a strange kind of happiness. Will is an empath, capable of feeling other people's emotions as his own, and Hannibal is very close to being a sociopath, unable to relate to others in any way. Together, they're almost a whole man.

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The 15 Best Odd Couples In Television History - /Film

ISLAND HISTORY: Hula Girl canned tuna and the Nawiliwili Canning Co. – The Garden Island

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From 1950 until 1955, when it ceased operations, the Nawiliwili Canning Co. packed its Hula Girl tuna at its cannery in Nawiliwili Harbor.

Supplying the cannery with fresh-caught tuna were the firms two sampans, the Tradewinds, skippered by Junichi Higashi, and Holokahana, with Ichiro Teramoto as its captain.

Solid-pack tuna in oil, flakes in oil and chunks in oil for the local and mainland markets were prepared in the cannery.

Typical local Hula Girl tuna prices for solid-pack cans were two for 69 cents, flakes at 25 cents a can, and chunks three for 83 cents.

Sam Wilcox was president of the firm, Charles Harker was its vice president, and Arthur Rice served as manager.

Wilcox was then an executive with Bishop National Bank (now First Hawaiian Bank), and in 1968 became the president and chief executive officer of his familys Grove Farm Co.

In 1952, Wilcox appointed Kotake Company of Honolulu as distributor of Hula Girl tuna.

By that time, the company had been in the market since August 1951, and with Kotake it would achieve national distribution throughout the mainland.

During one week in July 1952, Nawiliwili Canning Co., which did most of its canning during the summer, canned 1,000 cases of tuna from 50,000 pounds of fish.

A year later, Henry Haserot of Haserot Co. of Cleveland, Ohio, became the Mainland sales representative for the company, and provided financial backing.

And, in the following year, 1954, the tuna-canning industry of Hawaii, represented by Hawaiian Tuna Packers, Ltd. and Nawiliwili Canning Co., had grown from a $25,000 business in 1922 to one worth more than $1,000,000.

Nawiliwili Canning Co.s prospects for continued financial success seemed good in 1954.

It had a monthly payroll of $9,000 and employed 75 to 85 workers that year.

But, in December 1954, disaster struck unexpectedly when Haserot announced that due to the disrupted condition of the domestic tuna industry, it would be unable to continue pack financing beyond the end of our current fiscal year, May 31, 1955.

Alas, Kauais short-lived venture into tuna canning came to a close.

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ISLAND HISTORY: Hula Girl canned tuna and the Nawiliwili Canning Co. - The Garden Island

Artificial intelligence in oncology: current applications and future perspectives | British Journal of Cancer – Nature.com

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In this paper, a comprehensive overview on current applications of AI in oncology-related areas is provided, specifically describing the AI-based devices that have already obtained the official approval to enter into clinical practice. Starting from its birth, AI demonstrated its cross-cutting importance in all scientific branches, showing an impressive growth potential for the future. As highlighted in this study, this growth has interested also oncology and related specialties.

In general, the application of the FDA-approved devices has not been conceived as a substitute of classical analysis/diagnostic workflow, but is intended as an integrative tool, to be used in selected cases, potentially representing the decisive step for improving the management of cancer patients. Currently, in this field, the branches where AI is gaining a larger impact are represented by the diagnostic areas, which count for the vast majority of the approved devices (>80%), and in particular radiology and pathology.

Cancer diagnostics classically represents the necessary point of start for designing appropriate therapeutic approaches and clinical management, and its AI-based refining represents a very important achievement. Furthermore, this indicates that future developments of AI should also consider unexplored but pivotal horizons in this landscape, including drug discovery, therapy administration and follow-up strategies. In our opinion, for determining a decisive improvement in the management of cancer patients, indeed, the growth of AI should follow comprehensive and multidisciplinary patterns. This represents one of the most important opportunities provided by AI, which will allow the correct interactions and integration of oncology-related areas on a specific patient, rendering possible the challenging purposes of personalised medicine.

The specific cancer types that now are experiencing more advantages from AI-based devices in clinical practice are first of all breast cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer. This should be seen as the direct reflection of their higher incidence compared with other tumour types, but in the future, additional tumour types should be taken into account, including rare tumours that still suffer from the lack of standardised approaches. Since AI is based on the collection and analysis of large datasets of cases, however, the improvement in the treatment of rare neoplasms will likely represent a late achievement. Notably, if together considered, rare tumours are one of the most important category in precision oncology [11]. Thus, in our opinion, ongoing strategies of AI development cannot ignore this tumour group; although the potential benefits seem far away, it is already time to start collecting data on rare neoplasms.

One of the most promising expectancy for AI is the possibility to integrate different and composite data derived from multi-omics approaches to oncologic patients. The promising tools of AI could be the only able to manage the big amount of data from different types of analysis, including information derived from DNA and RNA sequencing. Along this line, the recent release of American College of Medical Genetics standards and guidelines for the interpretation of the sequence variants [12] has fostered a new wave of AI development, with innovative opportunities in precision oncology (https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190401005976/en/Fabric-Genomics-Announces-AI-based-ACMG-Classification-Solution-for-Genetic-Testing-with-Hereditary-Panels; last access 09/21/2021). In our opinion, however, the lack of ground-truth information derived from protected health- data repositories still represents a bottleneck in evaluating the accuracy of AI applications for clinical decision-making.

Overall considered, AI is providing a growing impact to all scientific branches, including oncology and its related fields, as highlighted in this study. For designing new development strategies with concrete impacts, the first steps are representing by knowing its historical background and understanding its current achievements. As here highlighted, AI is already entered into the oncologic clinical practice, but continuous and increasing efforts should be warranted to allow AI expressing its entire potential. In our opinion, the creation of multidisciplinary/integrative developmental views, the immediate comprehension of the importance of all neoplasms, including rare tumours and the continuous support for guaranteeing its growth represent in this time the most important challenges for finalising the AI-revolution in oncology.

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Artificial intelligence in oncology: current applications and future perspectives | British Journal of Cancer - Nature.com

Artificial intelligence may not actually be the solution for stopping the spread of fake news – The Conversation CA

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Disinformation has been used in warfare and military strategy over time. But it is undeniably being intensified by the use of smart technologies and social media. This is because these communication technologies provide a relatively low-cost, low-barrier way to disseminate information basically anywhere.

The million-dollar question then is: Can this technologically produced problem of scale and reach also be solved using technology?

Indeed, the continuous development of new technological solutions, such as artificial intelligence (AI), may provide part of the solution.

Technology companies and social media enterprises are working on the automatic detection of fake news through natural language processing, machine learning and network analysis. The idea is that an algorithm will identify information as fake news, and rank it lower to decrease the probability of users encountering it.

From a psychological perspective, repeated exposure to the same piece of information makes it likelier for someone to believe it. When AI detects disinformation and reduces the frequency of its circulation, this can break the cycle of reinforced information consumption patterns.

However, AI detection still remains unreliable. First, current detection is based on the assessment of text (content) and its social network to determine its credibility. Despite determining the origin of the sources and the dissemination pattern of fake news, the fundamental problem lies within how AI verifies the actual nature of the content.

Theoretically speaking, if the amount of training data is sufficient, the AI-backed classification model would be able to interpret whether an article contains fake news or not. Yet the reality is that making such distinctions requires prior political, cultural and social knowledge, or common sense, which natural language processing algorithms still lack.

Read more: An AI expert explains why it's hard to give computers something you take for granted: Common sense

In addition, fake news can be highly nuanced when it is deliberately altered to appear as real news but containing false or manipulative information, as a pre-print study shows.

Classification analysis is also heavily influenced by the theme AI often differentiates topics, rather than genuinely the content of the issue to determine its authenticity. For example, articles related to COVID-19 are more likely to be labelled as fake news than other topics.

One solution would be to employ people to work alongside AI to verify the authenticity of information. For instance, in 2018, the Lithuanian defence ministry developed an AI program that flags disinformation within two minutes of its publication and sends those reports to human specialists for further analysis.

A similar approach could be taken in Canada by establishing a national special unit or department to combat disinformation, or supporting think tanks, universities and other third parties to research AI solutions for fake news.

Controlling the spread of fake news may, in some instances, be considered censorship and a threat to freedom of speech and expression. Even a human may have a hard time judging whether information is fake or not. And so perhaps the bigger question is: Who and what determine the definition of fake news? How do we ensure that AI filters will not drag us into the false positive trap, and incorrectly label information as fake because of its associated data?

An AI system for identifying fake news may have sinister applications. Authoritarian governments, for example, may use AI as an excuse to justify the removal of any articles or to prosecute individuals not in favour of the authorities. And so, any deployment of AI and any relevant laws or measurements that emerge from its application will require a transparent system with a third party to monitor it.

Future challenges remain as disinformation especially when associated with foreign intervention is an ongoing issue. An algorithm invented today may not be able to detect future fake news.

For example, deep fakes which are highly realistic and difficult-to-detect digital manipulation of audio or video are likely to play a bigger role in future information warfare. And disinformation spread via messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal are becoming more difficult to track and intercept because of end-to-end encryption.

A recent study showed that 50 per cent of the Canadian respondents received fake news through private messaging apps regularly. Regulating this would require striking a balance between privacy, individual security and the clampdown of disinformation.

While it is definitely worth allocating resources to combating disinformation using AI, caution and transparency are necessary given the potential ramifications. New technological solutions, unfortunately, may not be a silver bullet.

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Artificial intelligence may not actually be the solution for stopping the spread of fake news - The Conversation CA

Computer Conservation: Lily Xu Uses Artificial Intelligence To Stop Poaching Around the World – SciTechDaily

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By Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied SciencesNovember 28, 2021

Lily Xu. Credit: Eliza Grinnell/Harvard SEAS

Lily Xu knew from a young age how much the environment and conservation mattered to her.

By 9 years old, shed already decided to eat vegetarian because, as she put it, I didnt want to hurt animals.

Xu grew up believing her passions would always be separate from her professional interest in computer science. Then she became a graduate student in Milind Tambes Teamcore Lab, and everything changed.

Xu is now doing award-winning research into using machine learning and artificial intelligence to help conservation and anti-poaching efforts around the world. Her recent paper, Learning, Optimization, and Planning Under Uncertainty for Wildlife Conservation, won the 2021 INFORMS Doing Good with Good OR Student Paper Competition.

From our earliest conversations, it was crystal clear that Lily was very passionate about sustainability, conservation, and the environment, said Tambe, the Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). This was also the reason our wavelengths matched and I went out of my way to recruit her and ensure she joined my group.

In the Teamcore Lab, Xu helped develop Protection Assistant for Wildlife Security (PAWS), an artificial intelligence system that interfaces with a database used by park rangers to record observations of illegal poaching and predict which areas are likely to be poaching hotspots. The system makes it easier for rangers to choose the best locations to patrol.

Lily Xu poses at the entrance to Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary in Cambodia. Credit: Lily Xu

In 2019, Xu and the Teamcore Lab partnered with the Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary in Cambodia to test the efficacy of PAWS. At the time, the sanctuary only had 72 rangers to patrol an area slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island.

Our work with Cambodia was the most intensive collaboration with a park that weve had, said Xu. We had several months of meetings, and our interactions with them and the feedback they were giving us about the process really shaped the design of our algorithms.

Xu played a lead role in implementing field tests of the PAWS program. Through Tambe, Xu and her lab mates, Srepoks rangers greatly increased the number of poachers snares they removed throughout the sanctuary.

Lily has led and taken PAWS from a small research concept to a globally impactful research effort leading to removal of thousands of lethal animal snares, saving endangered wildlife globally, said Tambe. Lily has led a global effort that has made the PAWS software available worldwide to hundreds of national parks. This is true global impact, aiming to save endangered wildlife around the world.

Lily Xu patrols Srepok Wildlife Sanctuary in Cambodia. Credit: Lily Xu

Xu has always loved nature, but didnt get to experience much of it while growing up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. Once she got to Dartmouth College as an undergraduate in 2014, she finally got to immerse herself in the outdoors.

I went hiking and camping for the first time as part of my freshman orientation trip, just absolutely fell in love with it, and then spent as much time as I could outdoors, she said. That made me even more attuned to how precious the natural environment is, and how much I care about doing my part to preserve it.

She eventually began to help organize Dartmouths first-year trip and took on leadership roles with the schools sophomore trip and canoe club. Xu didnt want to just experience nature, she wanted others to care about it too.

Thats continued at Harvard, where shes mentored four students since the summer of 2020, and been part of several mentorship teams.

I care a lot about mentorship in all capacities, whether thats bringing people out of their comfort zone, encouraging them to explore the outdoors and realize that this is a place for them, Xu said. The outdoors community is traditionally wealthy and traditionally white. Im neither of those things, and I really want to encourage other people and show them that this can be their space too. Similarly, from a computer science standpoint, this is a field that is traditionally male-dominated, and especially in AI research, its traditionally people in the western world.

Xu has published multiple award-winning publications through her work on PAWS. A paper presented at the 35th Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, Dual-Mandate Patrols: Multi-Armed Bandits for Green Security, was named a Best Paper Award Runner-Up as a top-six paper out of nearly 1,700 accepted papers, while another publication, Enhancing Poaching Predictions for Under-Resourced Wildlife Conservation Parks Using Remote Sensing Imagery, won the Best Lightning Paper Award at the Machine Learning for Development Workshop at the 34th Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems in 2020.

Xu is working to address those disparities as a member of Mechanism Design for Social Good (MD4SG), a multi-school, multi-disciplinary research initiative that organizes working groups and colloquium series to address the needs of underserved and marginalized communities all over the world. Xu joined MD4SG in 2020 as co-organizer for the groups environmental working group, and this past March became a co-organizer for the entire organization.

I thought, Oh this sounds like a phenomenal opportunity, because I dont really know of a strong community of computational researchers who are working in environmental challenges, and I would love to help foster a community, Xu said. Our working group, for example, has really been able to bring in people from all around the world.

Shes fantastic to work with in all of these areas, said Bryan Wilder, PhD 21, a former Teamcore lab member and member of the MD4SG leadership team. She has the combination of being incredibly engaged and energetic and really making things happen, while also just being a kind person to work with.

For Xu, research is about more than just publishing its all about building relationships and fostering community engagement.

We are researchers that are not just trying to get your data sets, publish a paper and then just walk away, said Xu. We are here for the long run. We are committed. We want to achieve conservation results as much as we want to achieve academic publication.

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Computer Conservation: Lily Xu Uses Artificial Intelligence To Stop Poaching Around the World - SciTechDaily

193 countries adopt first-ever global agreement on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence – UN News

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Artificial intelligence is present in everyday life, from booking flights and applying for loans to steering driverless cars. It is also used in specialized fields such as cancer screening or to help create inclusive environments for the disabled.

According to UNESCO, AI is also supporting the decision-making of governments and the private sector, as well as helping combat global problems such as climate change and world hunger.

However, the agency warns that the technology is bringing unprecedented challenges.

We see increased gender and ethnic bias, significant threats to privacy, dignity and agency, dangers of mass surveillance, and increased use of unreliable Articificial Intellegence technologies in law enforcement, to name a few. Until now, there were no universal standards to provide an answer to these issues, UNESCO explained in a statement.

Considering this, the adopted text aims to guide the construction of the necessary legal infrastructure to ensure the ethical development of this technology.

The world needs rules for artificial intelligence to benefit humanity. The Recommendation on the ethics of AI is a major answer. It sets the first global normative framework while giving States the responsibility to apply it at their level. UNESCO will support its 193 Member states in its implementation and ask them to report regularly on their progress and practices, said UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay.

Unsplash/Maxime Valcarce

The increase in data is key to advances made in artificial intelligence.

The text aims to highlight the advantages of AI, while reducing the risks it also entails. According to the agency, it provides a guide to ensure that digital transformations promote human rights and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, addressing issues around transparency, accountability and privacy, with action-oriented policy chapters on data governance, education, culture, labour, healthcare and the economy.

One of its main calls is to protect data, going beyond what tech firms and governments are doing to guarantee individuals more protection by ensuring transparency, agency and control over their personal data. The Recommendation also explicitly bans the use of AI systems for social scoring and mass surveillance.

The text also emphasises that AI actors should favour data, energy and resource-efficient methods that will help ensure that AI becomes a more prominent tool in the fight against climate change and in tackling environmental issues.

Decisions impacting millions of people should be fair, transparent and contestable. These new technologies must help us address the major challenges in our world today, such as increased inequalities and the environmental crisis, and not deepening them. said Gabriela Ramos, UNESCOs Assistant Director General for Social and Human Sciences.

You can read the full text of the decisionhere.

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193 countries adopt first-ever global agreement on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence - UN News