UNSW criticised for letter in Chinese with no mention of freedom of speech – The Guardian

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The University of New South Wales has been criticised for issuing a letter in Chinese that differs from a letter in English explaining its deletion of a tweet that was critical of Chinas human rights abuses.

On Wednesday, the vice-chancellor of the university, Prof Ian Jacobs, apologised for the universitys deletion of a tweet that quoted Elaine Pearson, the Australian director of Human Rights Watch and an adjunct academic at the university.

Jacobs wrote that the university had an unequivocal commitment to freedom of expression and academic freedom and the tweet should not have been removed.

But an earlier letter, written in Chinese, released on Monday and signed by Laurie Pearcey, the executive officer of UNSW Global, contained no apology for deleting the tweet, and no mention of freedom of speech or academic freedom.

Last Friday, the university published an online news story in which Pearson said the international community should put pressure on China to wind back infringements on human rights and the United Nations should establish a special envoy to monitor the decline of human rights in Hong Kong.

After protests from Chinese students, a tweet from the universitys official account that linked to the news article was deleted.

In an email to staff on Wednesday, Jacobs wrote that the deletion was a mistake, but said it had been removed because the social media post appeared to represent a UNSW view, rather than the view of an individual.

The tweet should not have been removed, he wrote. I apologise for this mistake There is no excuse for our failure in this instance but an explanation is warranted.

In order to protect our role as a place where all views can be expressed, UNSW as an institution does not take a position on political issues. On this occasion the tweet was removed as it appeared to represent a UNSW view, rather than the view of an individual.

At UNSW, we will continue to acknowledge and learn from our mistakes, he wrote. Members of our community can be assured that their right to freedom of expression is no different at UNSW to anywhere else in Australia.

However, the letter from Pearcey was shorter and made no mention of freedom of speech, academic freedom or an admission that the tweet should not have been removed.

The article expressed the views of a part-time lecturer and was forwarded to the schools official social media platform, Pearcey wrote, according to a translation by the Guardian. Therefore the tweet was mistaken as representing the views of the University of New South Wales.

UNSW does not take any political stance, so any political views expressed by its staff or relevant personnel of the school cannot represent the position of the school. Because its content was misleading, the tweet has been deleted by the school.

We are deeply disturbed by the trouble this incident has caused to you. Thank you for your understanding.

Chinese-Australian artist Badiucao wrote that the letter from Pearcey in Chinese was totally opposite to Jacobss letter in English.

UNSW has been contacted for comment.

Additional reporting by Pei Lin Wu

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UNSW criticised for letter in Chinese with no mention of freedom of speech - The Guardian

LogicBio Therapeutics Reports Second Quarter 2020 Financial Results and Provides Business Updates – GlobeNewswire

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LEXINGTON, Mass., Aug. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LogicBio Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq:LOGC) (LogicBio or the Company), a company dedicated to extending the reach of genetic medicine with pioneering targeted delivery platforms, today reported financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, provided a business update and announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Companys Investigational New Drug (IND) application for LB-001 for the treatment of methylmalonic acidemia in pediatric patients. LogicBio released a separate press release this morning providing further details on the planned Phase 1/2 clinical design for LB-001.

We are thrilled to have received clearance to move forward with this first-in-human clinical trial with our lead product candidate, LB-001, for the treatment of methylmalonic acidemia, a life-threatening congenital genetic disease with no current therapeutic treatment options. This represents a significant milestone in our goal of bringing a treatment to MMA patients as well as for our GeneRide platform. We have maintained continuous dialogue with the centers of excellence that are planned to participate in the Phase 1/2 clinical trial, and we look forward to activating these sites as quickly as possible, said Fred Chereau, CEO of LogicBio. We have instituted systems attempting to mitigate COVID-19 dynamics on our study start-up process and, based on our best estimates, we plan to enroll our first patient in early 2021.

Commenting on the Next Generation Capsid Program, Mr. Chereau said, We are very excited about the recent advances in our novel capsid program, which has generated liver-tropic capsids intended for use in gene editing technologies such as GeneRide and other gene therapy approaches. We are focused on executing across all of our programs and look forward to sharing further details on our novel capsids in early 2021.

Appointment of Daniel Gruskin, M.D. to SVP, Head of Clinical Development

Daniel Gruskin, M.D. was appointed as SVP, head of clinical development in August 2020. Dr. Gruskin has served as interim head of clinical development of LogicBio since June 2020. In April 2020, Dr. Gruskin started consulting with the Company as a special advisor. Previously, Dr. Gruskin served in roles of increasing responsibility at Sanofi Genzyme, most recently as vice president, head of global medical affairs, rare disease, in which capacity he oversaw medical affairs, life cycle management, scientific affairs and other medical and development activities related to metabolic, rare and/or genetic diseases. Prior to his role at Sanofi Genzyme, Dr. Gruskin served as assistant professor, human genetics and pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine, where he was also the chief of the genetics section at Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta.

Daniel has been instrumental in leading LB-001 clinical development efforts including getting the IND cleared. His deep experience in genetic medicines and metabolic diseases will serve LogicBio well as we look to execute on our goals for both the GeneRide and Next Generation Capsid platforms in search of transformative medicines, said Mr. Chereau.

Anticipated Milestones for 2020 and 2021:

Second Quarter 2020 Financial Results

Three Months Ended June 30, 2020 and 2019

About LogicBio Therapeutics

LogicBio Therapeuticsis dedicated to extending the reach of genetic medicine with pioneering targeted delivery platforms.

LogicBios proprietary genome editing technology platform, GeneRide, enables the site-specific integration of a therapeutic transgene without nucleases or exogenous promoters by harnessing the native process of homologous recombination. LogicBio has received FDA clearance for the first-in-human clinical trial of LB-001, a wholly owned genome editing program leveraging GeneRide for the treatment of methylmalonic acidemia. Patient enrollment is expected to begin in early 2021. In addition, LogicBio has a collaboration with Takeda to research and develop LB-301, an investigational therapy leveraging GeneRide for the treatment of the rare pediatric disease Crigler-Najjar syndrome.

LogicBio is also developing a Next Generation Capsid platform for use in gene editing and gene therapies. Data presented have shown that the capsids deliver highly efficient functional transduction of human hepatocytes with improved manufacturability with low levels of pre-existing neutralizing antibodies in human samples. Top-tier capsid candidates from this effort demonstrated significant improvements over benchmark AAVs currently in clinical development. LogicBio is developing these highly potent vectors for internal development candidates and potentially for business development collaborations.

LogicBio is headquartered inLexington, Mass. For more information, please visitwww.logicbio.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including those related to the Companys plans to initiate, advance and complete its planned SUNRISE Phase 1/2 clinical trial of LB-001 in MMA; the timing, progress and results of the Companys research and development activities, including those related to the GeneRide technology platform and Next Generation Capsid Program; its plans for LB-301 in Crigler-Najjar; and the sufficiency of its cash and cash equivalents to fund operating expenses and capital expenditure requirements. These are not statements of historical facts and are based on managements beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available. They are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results and the implementation of the Companys plans to vary materially, including the risks associated with the initiation, cost, timing, progress and results of the Companys current and future research and development activities and preclinical studies and potential future clinical trials. In particular, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Companys ability to progress with its research, development, manufacturing and regulatory efforts, including the Companys plans to initiate, advance and complete its Phase 1/2 clinical trial for LB-001 in MMA, and the value of and market for the Companys common stock, will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence at this time, such as the ultimate duration of the pandemic, travel restrictions, quarantines, social distancing and business closure requirements in the United States and in other countries, and the effectiveness of actions taken globally to contain and treat the disease. These risks are discussed in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including, without limitation, the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on March 16, 2020 with the SEC, the Companys Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed on May 11, 2020, and the Companys subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Contacts:

Investors:Brian LuqueAssociate Director, Investor Relationsbluque@logicbio.com951-206-1200

Media:Stephanie SimonTen Bridge CommunicationsStephanie@tenbridgecommunications.com617-581-9333

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The Secret to Healthy Longevity Is in the Genes of the Oldest Humans Alive – Singularity Hub

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The first time I heard nematode worms can teach us something about human longevity, I balked at the idea. How the hell can a worm with an average lifespan of only 15 days have much in common with a human who lives decades?

The answer is in their genesespecially those that encode for basic life functions, such as metabolism. Thanks to the lowly C. elegans worm, weve uncovered genes and molecular pathways, such as insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling that extends healthy longevity in yeast, flies, and mice (and maybe us). Too nerdy? Those pathways also inspired massive scientific and popular interest in metformin, hormones, intermittent fasting, and even the ketogenic diet. To restate: worms have inspired the search for our own fountain of youth.

Still, thats just one success story. How relevant, exactly, are those genes for humans? Were rather a freak of nature. Our aging process extends for years, during which we experience a slew of age-related disorders. Diabetes. Heart disease. Dementia. Surprisingly, many of these dont ever occur in worms and other animals. Something is obviously amiss.

In this months Nature Metabolism, a global team of scientists argued that its high time we turn from worm to human. The key to human longevity, they say, lies in the genes of centenarians. These individuals not only live over 100 years, they also rarely suffer from common age-related diseases. That is, theyre healthy up to their last minute. If evolution was a scientist, then centenarians, and the rest of us, are two experimental groups in action.

Nature has already given us a genetic blueprint for healthy longevity. We just need to decode it.

Long-lived individuals, through their very existence, have established the physiological feasibility of living beyond the ninth decade in relatively good health and ending life without a period of protracted illness, the authors wrote. From this rare but valuable population, we can gain insight into the physiology of healthy aging and the development of new therapies to extend the human healthspan.

While it may seem obvious now, whether genes played a role in longevity was disputed for over a century. After all, rather than genes, wouldnt access to health care, socioeconomic status, diet, smoking, drinking, exercise, or many other environmental and lifestyle factors play a much larger role? Similar to height or intelligence (however the latter is assessed), the genetics of longevity is an enormously complicated and sensitive issue for unbiased studying.

Yet after only a few genetic studies of longevity, a trend quickly emerged.

The natural lifespan in humans, even under optimal conditions in modern societies, varies considerably, the authors said. One study, for example, found that centenarians lived much longer than people born around the same time in the same environment. The offspring of centenarians also have lower chances of age-related diseases and exhibit a more youthful profile of metabolism and age-related inflammation than others of the same age and gender.

Together, about 25 to 35 percent of the variability in how long people live is determined by their genesregardless of environment. In other words, rather than looking at nematode worm genes, we have a discrete population of humans whove already won the genetic lottery when it comes to aging. We just need to parse what winning means in terms of biology. Genes in hand, we could perhaps tap those biological phonelines and cut the wires leading to aging.

Identification of the genetic factors that underlie extreme human lifespan should provide insights into the mechanisms of human longevity and disease resistance, the authors said.

Once scientists discovered that genes play a large role in aging, the next question was which ones are they?

They turned to genome-wide association studies, or GWAS. This big data approach scans existing genomic databases for variations in DNA coding that could lead to differences in some outcomefor example, long versus short life. The differences dont even have to be in so-called coding genes (that is, genes that make proteins). They can be anywhere in the genome.

Its a powerful approach, but not that specific. Think of GWAS as rudimentary debugging software for biological code: it only looks for differences between different DNA letter variants, but doesnt care which specific DNA letter swap most likely impacts the final biological program (aging, in this case).

Thats a huge problem. For one, GWAS often finds dozens of single DNA letter changes, none powerful enough to change the trajectory of aging by itself. The technique highlights a village of DNA variants, that together may have an effect on aging by controlling the cells course over a lifetime, without indicating which are most important. Its also hard to say that a DNA letter change causally leads to (or protects against) aging. Finally, GWAS studies are generally performed on populations of European ancestry, which leaves out a huge chunk of humansfor example, the Japanese, who tend to produce an outsized percentage of centenarians.

So what needs to change?

Rather than focusing on the general population, the key is to home in on centenarians of different cultures, socioeconomic status, and upbringing. If GWAS are like fishing for a rare species in several large oceans, then the authors point is to focus on pondsdistributed across the worldwhich are small, but packed with those rare species.

Extremely long-lived individuals, such as centenarians, compose only a tiny proportion (~0.01 percent to 0.02 percent) of the United States population, but their genes contain a biological blueprint for healthy aging and longevity, the authors said. Theyre spared from usual age-related diseases, and this extreme and extremely rare phenotype is ideal for the study of genetic variants that regulate healthspan and lifespan.

Its an idea that would usually make geneticists flinch. Its generally thought that the larger the study population, the better the result. Here, the recommendation is to narrow our focus.

And thats the point, the authors argue.

Whatever comes out of these studies will likely have a much larger impact on aging than a GWAS fishing experiment. Smaller (genomic) pond; larger (pro-youth) fish. Whats more, a pro-youth gene identified in one European-based long-living population can be verified in another group of centenarianssay, Japaneseensuring that the gene candidates reflect something fundamental about human aging, regardless of race, culture, upbringing, and wealth.

A genomic screen of centenarians can easily be done these days on the cheap. But thats only the first step.

The next step is to validate promising anti-aging genetic differences, similar to how scientists validated such differences in nematode worms during classic longevity studies. For example, a promising pro-youth gene variant can be genetically edited into mice using CRISPR or some other tool. Scientists can then examine how the mice grow up and grow old, compared to their non-edited peers. Does the gene make these mice more resilient to dementia? What about muscle wasting? Or heart troubles? Or hair greying and obesity?

From these observations, scientists can then use an enormous selection of molecular tools to further dissect the molecular pathways underlying these pro-youth genetic changes.

The final step? Guided by centenarian genes and validated by animal models of aging, we can design powerful drugs that sever the connection between the genes and proteins that drive aging and its associated diseases. Metformin is an experimental pill that came out of aging studies in nematode wormsimagine what studies in human centenarians will yield.

Despite enormous improvements in human health over the past century, we remain far from a situation in which living to 100 years of age in fairly good health is the norm, the authors said.

But as centenarians obviously prove, this is possible. By digging into their genes, scientists may find a path towards healthy longevitynot just for the genetically fortunate, but for all of us.

Image credit:Cristian Newman / Unsplash

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BU’s COVID-19 Testing Passes Its First Test | BU Today – BU Today

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A four-day pilot test of Boston Universitys COVID-19 testing program on the Medical Campus last week found no positive cases of the virus among 287 graduate students tested. The success of the trial gives confidence to administrators and test system operators that the complex project can handle the challenges ahead, starting with the arrival of undergraduate students in mid-August, says Gloria Waters, vice president and associate provost for research.

This has been a huge undertaking, says Waters. There will be more than 150 people working on this at five different sites. The goal of the pilot was to try out our testing collection stations and the lab. It was about things like gathering samples and delivering them to the lab, and all of those things have gone very well.

Test results for 283 of the 287 students, all enrolled in the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine or the School of Medicine, were negative, and test results were inconclusive for 4 students, who have been called back for retesting.

Kilachand CenterHours: 7 am8 pmHourly capacity: 80

808 GalleryHours: 8 am9 pmHourly capacity: 240

Agganis Arena Lobby8 am9 pmHourly capacity: 180

Medical CampusHours: 7 am8 pmHourly capacity: 50

Agganis Arena Rear (Symptomatic)Hours: 8 am9 pmHourly capacity: TBD

Waters says the pilot testing is continuing this week with increasing numbers of tests on the Medical Campus, and also with testing at the Rajen Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering, which houses both a testing collection station and the BU Clinical Testing Lab, which will process the tests from BUs five collection stations. As of Wednesday evening, more than 1,000 students on the Medical Campus had been tested, which she called an incredibly robust response by the students.

Last week we never had more than 96 tests in one day, Waters says. On Monday of this week we had 350 on the Medical Campus and another 220 or so graduate students who were invited to be tested at the Kilachand Center. Each week between now and August 15 we will be adding people to be tested.

Once people are tested they will know what to do. They will know how to unwrap the swab and know what to do with it, so future tests should go more quickly. Those are the kinds of things that the pilot is about, and we need to test all of them. We need to be sure that people waiting for tests can stand six feet apart. This is a system with lots of processes, and we are troubleshooting the whole thing.

Kelly Lockard, Advisory Services associate director, says the pilot gave her confidence that BUs system could handle testing on a large scale. We are now focusing on refining a collection process that can accommodate over 6,000 students, faculty, and staff per day, Lockard says, and that feedback from test participants will help guide operational decisions going forward.

Drew Duckett, director of collection site operations for the Back2BU Health and Safety Initiative, says the pilot convinced him that the University has designed and built a safe and efficient collection process. We still have work ahead, says Duckett, who is also Student Health Services associate head athletic trainer. We still must see this operate as smoothly at scale, but I am pleased with the process.

To head up operations at the BU Clinical Testing Lab, Waters brought in experts in healthcare technology and operations. New lab supervisor Lynn Doucette-Stamm, a former vice president of technology at Sitokine, Inc., who has more than 30 years of management and leadership experience in the human genetics and genomics field, describes the Clinical Testing Lab as a state-of-the art facility that will provide the BU community with accurate and timely COVID-19 testing.

Candice Miller, who initially served as a consultant on the COVID-19 testing project, has been appointed managing director of lab operations and is responsible for setting up all of the collection sites. Formerly a vice president at Quest Diagnostics Molecular Biology Laboratory, Miller says the lab will deliver timely results with the highest possible accuracy. We are ready for students and faculty to return to campus with frequent testing in our new high throughput clinical lab, she says

The testing station on the Medical Campus is at 72 East Concord Street. Charles River Campus testing stations are at the Kilachand Center for Integrated Life Sciences & Engineering, the 808 Gallery, the Agganis Arena lobby, and for those who report feeling symptoms of the coronavirus, 925 Commonwealth Avenue Rear, in the back of Agganis Arena. The sites, which are scheduled to begin operations on August 15, will be open for collection from 7 am to 8 pm or 8 am to 9 pm, depending on the site (see the hours of operation sidebar above) and will collect an average of about 500 tests per hour across all sites.

Arriving students, whose numbers are limited to about 750 per day, will go into surveillance collection testing after completing their entrance test. Undergraduates will be tested every three days at one of four collection sites on the Charles River Campus. Graduate students will initially be tested weekly. (The University is covering the cost of all tests for faculty, staff, and students.)

Judy Platt, director of Student Health Services and chair of BUs Medical Advisory Group, says certain groups of students will be prioritized for higher testing frequencies based on a variety of factors, including their living arrangements on campus and their interactions with the campus community. Faculty and staff who test positive will be asked to stay at home and reach out to their primary care physician for further instructions. Student Health Services has quarantine and isolation protocols for all students who have been exposed to the virus or who have COVID-19 symptoms or who have tested positive. In all cases, faculty, staff, and students will receive test results and further instructions, as needed.

Waters says the University will closely monitor test results, as well as a variety of other metrics, and will respond appropriately. She says there is no designated positive test rate that will trigger a specific action.

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Introduction to Quantum Electronics and Nonlinear Optics – Optics & Photonics News

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This book is based on an introductory course of quantum electronics taught at Moscow Power Engineering Institute, National Research University, Russia. The book has seven chapters presenting the physics of modern quantum electronics devices such as lasers, masersand photodetectors. At the end of each chapter are problems, as in any textbook.

The first chapter explains the properties of atoms and molecules using quantum mechanics. The next two chapters are dedicated to electric and magnetic dipole interactions. The rest of the book focuses on the field interactions with charges and matter, quantum amplifiers and generators, and the physics of lasers and masers.

The book has a crystal-clear style and can be understood by any student with a basic physics and mathematical background.

Review by Mircea Dragoman, National Research and Development Institute in Microtechnology, Romania.

The opinions expressed in the book review section are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or OSA.

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Ice Sheets Covered Southern Highlands of Early Mars | Planetary Science, Space Exploration – Sci-News.com

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The southern highlands of Mars are dissected by hundreds of ancient valley networks (3.9-3.5 billion years old), which are evidence that water once sculpted the Martian surface. According to new research, these valley networks were carved by water melting beneath glacial ice, not by free-flowing rivers as previously thought.

A view of Mars showing the planets northern polar ice cap. Image credit: ISRO / ISSDC / Emily Lakdawalla.

For the last four decades, since Martian valleys were first discovered, the assumption was that rivers once flowed on Mars, eroding and originating all of these valleys, said lead author Dr. Anna Grau Galofre, a researcher in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of British Columbia and the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University.

But there are hundreds of valleys on Mars, and they look very different from each other.

If you look at Earth from a satellite you see a lot of valleys: some of them made by rivers, some made by glaciers, some made by other processes, and each type has a distinctive shape. Mars is similar, in that valleys look very different from each other, suggesting that many processes were at play to carve them.

The similarity between many Martian valleys and the subglacial channels on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic motivated Dr. Grau Galofre and colleagues to conduct this new study.

Devon Island is one of the best analogs we have for Mars here on Earth it is a cold, dry, polar desert, and the glaciation is largely cold-based, said co-author Professor Gordon Osinski, a researcher in the Department of Earth Sciences and the Institute for Earth and Space Exploration at the University of Western Ontario.

A glacial valley network on Mars. Image credit: Grau Galofre et al, doi: 10.1038/s41561-020-0618-x.

In the study, the scientists analyzed 10,276 Martian valley segments, using a novel algorithm to infer their underlying erosion processes.

They used data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) instrument on NASAs Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft and the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) on ESAs Mars Express orbiter.

These results are the first evidence for extensive subglacial erosion driven by channelized meltwater drainage beneath an ancient ice sheet on Mars, said co-author Professor Mark Jellinek, a researcher in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Western Ontario.

The findings demonstrate that only a fraction of valley networks match patterns typical of surface water erosion, which is in marked contrast to the conventional view.

Using the geomorphology of the Martian surface to rigorously reconstruct the character and evolution of the planet in a statistically meaningful way is, frankly, revolutionary.

Distribution of Martian valley networks (purple) and those analyzed (white) by Grau Galofre et al. Image credit: Grau Galofre et al, doi: 10.1038/s41561-020-0618-x.

The teams theory also helps explain how the Martian valleys would have formed 3.8 billion years ago on a planet that is further away from the Sun than Earth, during a time when the Sun was less intense.

Climate modeling predicts that Mars ancient climate was much cooler during the time of valley network formation, Dr. Grau Galofre said.

We tried to put everything together and bring up a hypothesis that hadnt really been considered: that channels and valleys networks can form under ice sheets, as part of the drainage system that forms naturally under an ice sheet when theres water accumulated at the base.

These environments would also support better survival conditions for possible ancient life on Mars.

A sheet of ice would lend more protection and stability of underlying water, as well as providing shelter from solar radiation in the absence of a magnetic field something Mars once had, but which disappeared billions of years ago.

The research was published online today in the journal Nature Geoscience.

_____

A. Grau Galofre et al. Valley formation on early Mars by subglacial and fluvial erosion. Nat. Geosci, published online August 3, 2020; doi: 10.1038/s41561-020-0618-x

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Stunning Illustrated Guide To The Universe And Space Exploration Reaches New Zealand – Scoop.co.nz

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Wednesday, 5 August 2020, 5:30 pmPress Release: Oratia Books

Thereis no better way to fathom the immensity and mysteries ofthe universe than by following a map and few space mapscan compete in simplicity, colour and lucidity with thoseput together in Space Maps: Your Tour of theUniverse, a beautifully illustrated large-size book foryoung readers released in New Zealand this week by OratiaBooks.

Originated in Italy with a true world outlook(the maps display views from the Southern Hemisphere as wellas North), Space Maps is an irresistible invitationto outer space. This gorgeous English-language edition drawson the latest discoveries of astronomy to take children tothe farthest reaches of the universe. It balances a mixtureof circular maps and flat maps of the Solar System and thegalaxies beyond.

The book is organised into fiveparts, answering key questions:

What do we seewith our naked eye?

Where are we in theuniverse?

What are the other planetslike?

What do modern telescopes see?

Where is the sky studied from?

From ancient views ofthe sky to the International Space Station, Earth to Plutoand Crab Nebulae to space suits, Space Maps has theuniverse covered. The book is part of a very popularinternational series originated by Italian publisher DalcEdizioni that includes Food Atlas, also published inNew Zealand by Oratia Books.

Lara Albanese is an award-winning author ofover 20 books about science for children. She is professorof physics at the Universit degli Studi di Parma, Italy.Tommaso Vidus Rosin is the illustrator of numerous books forchildren and adults. He also lives inParma.

Space Maps: Your Tour of theUniverse by Lara Albanese, illustrated byTommaso Vidus Rosin.

Published in New Zealand byOratia Books

ISBN: 978-0-947506-68-1 | RRP $39.99HB

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Mark Zuckerberg Got $5.3 Billion Richer This Week Following Instagrams Launch Of TikTok Competitor – Forbes

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THE CHANGING FORTUNES OF THE WORLDS RICHEST

F

acebook cofounder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, 36, briefly became the youngest centibillionaire in the world on Friday. His net worth crossed the $100 billion threshold two days after Instagram launched Reels, a feature almost identical to TikToks scrolling video platform, sending Facebooks stock soaring 12% on Thursday and Friday.

Facebook shares came back to earth a bit Friday afternoon, but still ended the week 8% higher than the prior Friday, far outpacing the S&P 500 (2.5%) and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (3.8%). Zuckerberg, who owns about 15% of the company, added $5.3 billion to his net worth between July 31 and August 7making him the weeks biggest gainer Forbes estimates his net worth to be $98.6 billion.

Reels could not have come at a better time for Facebook. TikTok, the Gen Z-beloved app that is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, has become a target of President Donald Trumps ire. Trump said on July 31 he would ban the app, deeming it a threat to national security (though some speculate his efforts are, above all else, retribution for the TikTok-enabled prank pulled on his Tulsa, Oklahoma rally in June). Late Thursday night, he made good on that threat, issuing an executive order that will prohibit Americans from doing business with ByteDance starting September 20. ByteDance has reportedly threatened to sue the U.S. government in response.

Zuckerberg may not be the only billionaire to profit from the TikTok drama. Microsoft, in which cofounder and former CEO Bill Gates still owns an estimated 1.4% stake, is in negotiations to buy the embattled app from ByteDance. On Sunday, the company said in a statement that it would seek to acquire TikTok service in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, in addition to the U.S., but the Financial Times reported Thursday that Microsoft is planning to take over the entire global business of TikTok. Gates, 64, has not yet seen a windfall in the market from the potential deal Microsoft only rose 3.6% this week, leaving Gates worth $113.6 billion.

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 19: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announces the co-founding of The Climate Pledge at the National Press Club on September 19, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for Amazon)

The worlds two remaining centibillionaires saw gains this week as well. Jeff Bezos (net worth: $189.8 billion), whose fortune rose $2.6 billion in the past week, sold off $3.1 billion worth of Amazon stock on Monday and Tuesday. It remains unclear why he sold the stock, but he has promised to sell shares annually to fund his space exploration company, Blue Origin, and Recode has reported that Bezos recently established a new corporation, Fellowship Ventures LLC, to be the vehicle for his $10 billion pledge to fight climate change. Meanwhile, LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault (net worth: $107.1 billion) regained some ground after a rough earnings report for the luxury conglomerate last week led to a $6 billion drop in his fortune. This week, his net worth rose by $2.2 billion as the stock partly recovered.

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A Furry Utopia is Overrun with Delicately Rendered Cats in Kamwei Fong’s New Illustration – Colossal

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Illustration#animals#cats#drawing

Wonderfurryland (2020), 25 x 37 inches. All images Kamwei Fong, shared with permission

According to long-held superstitions, a horde of black cats certainly indicates impending misfortune, but for Kamwei Fong, a mass of the furry creatures is actually a fluffy utopia. Containing felines in various emotional and physical statesdrowsy, peeved, and deep in slumber Wonderfurryland features a diverse kitty population defined by their rotund bodies, splayed limbs, and puffed tails. Fong even inked cat-shaped environmental fixtures, like a moon, sun, and mountain, into the black-and-white landscape.

Having an idea for the delicately rendered illustration for years, the Malaysian artist (previously) tells Colossal that it took him more than a month to detail the proper density for each animal. Despite the long hours of effort and exhaust(ing) tons of micro-pigment ink pens, Kamwei finds the working process therapeutic and enjoyable, to see every bit of his creations being added day by day to complete the whole painting, a statement about the project says.

To follow Fongs upcoming kitty-centered illustrations, follow him on Instagram.

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A Furry Utopia is Overrun with Delicately Rendered Cats in Kamwei Fong's New Illustration - Colossal

Recharge Mind, Body, and Spirit with Utopia this August – Patch.com

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The month of August is here, and Utopia Foot & Shoulder Massage is bringing Atlanta the most irresistible specials yet. Head over to Utopia and get ready for a month full of well-deserved relaxation, rejuvenating add-on massage specials and discount deals.

Refresh and reflect on the summer with Utopia Foot & Shoulder Massage. As a new business, Utopia is celebrating the month of August with a variety of different promotions, accommodating all different schedules. Visit Utopia on Mondays and get two massages for two guests for $60. If its another manic Monday, dont fret. Utopia customers that book a 60-minute massage for either Tuesday or Wednesday can receive a ten-minute foot or leg massage using Utopias Peppermint Rosemary Exfoliating Salt Scrub, free of charge.

Utopia is also offering discounts for all Grady Health System, Atlanta Police, Fire, and EMS employees, pricing a one-hour foot and shoulder massage at $35. All other Utopia pricing and services are still available, and Utopia invites guests to take advantage of all their August offerings. Schedule a 30-minute massage for $30, a 60-minute massage for $45 and a 90-minute massage for $60. Unwind, take a break, and give relaxation a whole new meaning with Utopias add-ons like a 15-minute scalp massage, a 10-minute Peppermint Rosemary Exfoliating Scrub foot/leg massage, or add CBD for just $10. First-timers can also get their first one-hour massage visit for just $40. Utopia strives for all of its clients to leave with a refreshed mentality and a rejuvenated spirit after a visit full of pampering.

Located at 465 Boulevard SE Suite 106A, Utopia Foot & Shoulder Massage is the first business of its kind in the Grant Park community and is easily accessible for residents of Grant Park, Ormewood Park, Cabbagetown, Reynoldstown, Glenwood Park, East Atlanta and more. For more information, visit https://utopiaatlanta.com and stay connected on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/utopiaatl and Instagram at @utopiaatl.

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ASX Small Cap Lunch Wrap: Who’s beating expectations today? – Stockhead

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Global investors were bracing for a rough earnings season, but most companies have so far surpassed much-lowered analyst expectations.

Refinitiv data showed that about 60 per cent of the biggest European listed companies have, so far, beaten dramatically lowered estimates.

On Wall Street, about 82 per cent of S&P 500 companies reporting so far have beaten estimates.

Meanwhile, the Australian reporting season continues today with large cap rail company Aurizon Holdings and real estate giant GPT Group both of which nudged higher in early trade.

The ASX more generally is in positive territory, with the benchmark ASX 200 Index up 0.85 per cent to 6,055 points by 11:30am AEST.

Here are the best performing ASX small cap stocks at 12pm Monday August 10:

Swipe or scroll to reveal the full table. Click headings to sort.

Biotech Emerald Clinics (ASX:EMD) jumped +70 per cent after signing a contract with the UK arm of pot giant Canopy Growth.

Secos Group (ASX:SES) locked in a significant supply contract for its compostable pet waste bags with a leading US pet supply company.

The stock was up +25 per cent in morning trade.

And quantum computing stock Archer Materials (ASX:AXE) is progressing through milestones as it aims to build a room-temperature quantum computing qubit processor.

Here are the worst performing ASX small cap stocks at 12pm Monday August 10:

Swipe or scroll to reveal the full table. Click headings to sort.

Farm Pride Foods (ASX:FRM) fell after confirming that the Lethbridge facility in Victoria has tested positive for H7N7 avian influenza virus.

The approximate number of hens lost represents about 30 per cent of the companys productive hen flock, it says.

The full financial impact of this event is still being determined but is considered material.

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Not Everyone Needs 8 Hours of Sleep, New Research Reveals | Time – TIME

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For as long as Seemay Chou can remember, she has gone to bed at midnight and woken around 4:30 a.m. Chou long assumed that meant she was a bad sleeper. Not that she felt bad. In fact, sleeping just four hours a night left her feeling full of energy and with free time to get more done at her job leading a research lab that studies bacteria. It feels really good for me to sleep four hours, she says. When Im in that rhythm, thats when I feel my best.

Still, in an effort to match the slumber schedules of the rest of the world, she would sometimes drug herselfwith melatonin, alcohol or marijuana ediblesinto getting more sleep. It backfired. If I sleep seven or eight hours, I feel way worse, she says. Hung over, almost.

Although the federal government recommends that Americans sleep seven or more hours per night for optimal health and functioning, new research is challenging the assumption that sleep is a one-size-fits-all phenomenon. Scientists have found that our internal body clocks vary so greatly that they could form the next frontiers of personalized medicine. By listening more closely to the ticking of our internal clocks, researchers expect to uncover novel ways to help everybody get more out of their sleeping and waking lives.

Human sleep is largely a mystery. We know its important; getting too little is linked to heightened risk for metabolic disorders, Type 2 diabetes, psychiatric disorders, autoimmune disease, neurodegeneration and many types of cancer. Its probably true that bad sleep leads to increased risks of virtually every disorder, says Dr. Louis Ptacek, a neurology professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). But details about whats actually going on during shut-eye are sparse. We know almost nothing about sleep and how its regulated, says Ptacek.

Some people are morning larks, rising early, and others are night owls, who like staying up late. Those patterns are regulated by the bodys circadian rhythm, a 24-hour internal clock. People can manipulate their circadian rhythm through all kinds of external factors, like setting an alarm clock or exposing themselves to light. But the ideal sleep duration has long been thought to be universal. There are many people who think everyone needs eight to eight and a half hours of sleep per night and there will be health consequences if they dont get it, says Ptacek. But thats as crazy as saying everybody has to be 5 ft. 10 in. tall. Its just not true.

Ptacek and his wife Ying-Hui Fu, also a professor of neurology at UCSF, are pioneers in the relatively new field of sleep genetics. About a decade ago, Fu discovered the first human gene linked to natural short sleep; people who had a rare genetic mutation seemed to get the same benefits from six hours of sleep a night as those without the mutation got from eight hours. In 2019, Fu and Ptacek discovered two more genes connected to natural short sleep, and theyll soon submit a paper describing a fourth, providing even more evidence that functioning well on less sleep is a genetic trait.

The researchers are now collecting data on short sleepers in order to figure out just how rare these mutations are. If we can get a better understanding of why their sleep is more efficient, we can then come back and help everybody sleep more efficiently, Fu says. Among the participants is Chou, who also happens to work at UCSF. One day at a faculty meeting, she and Ptacek chatted about his work. She immediately recognized herself when he described short sleepers. I had never heard of this. But once I started reading about it, it was sort of an epiphany.

Chou doesnt know yet if she has the identified genetic variants. But after the researchers interviewed her about her familys sleeping patterns, she realized her mom is also a short sleeper. I have memories of when I was younger, and my dad being frustrated with her for staying up really late, but she always seemed fine, she says. The researchers took blood samples from both women.

Doctors once dismissed short sleepers like Chou as depressed or suffering from insomnia. Yet short sleepers may actually have an edge over everyone else. Research is still early, but Fu has found that besides being more efficient at sleep, they tend to be more energetic and optimistic and have a higher tolerance for pain than people who need to spend more time in bed. They also tend to live longer. Chou says the first three hold true for her; by nature, she is sunny and positive, and though she often finds bruises on her body, she usually doesnt remember getting them. I find it annoying how much people complain about little physical pains, she says.

So far, these are just intriguing observations. But by studying genetic short sleepers, Fu and Ptacek believe theyll eventually learn lessons for the rest of us. As we identify more and more genes and we think about the pathways in which they function, at some point, a picture is going to emerge, and we will begin to have an understanding of how sleep is regulated in greater detail, Ptacek says. This, they hope, will lead to targeted treatments, like pills or vitamins, to improve sleep efficiency in everyone.

Researchers are also looking beyond sleep to other circadian bodily processes that might benefit from a personalized or targeted approach. While a master clock in the brain acts like a conductor, setting time for the whole body, the rest of the body is like orchestra players with clocks of their own. All your organs have rhythms, says Steven Lockley, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who studies circadian rhythms and sleep. Theres a clock in your heart, a clock in the lungs, a clock in the kidneys. Just about everything in the bodymetabolism, hormones, the immune system, reproductive function and the way DNA is translatedis influenced by a circadian rhythm, he says.

And not everybodys is the same. Peoples internal clocks are often hours off from one another, Lockley says. The range of individual differences is much bigger than anyone really understands yet.

The bodys complex clock system has implications for both healthy people and those with medical conditions, and scientists are already seeing glimpses of how they can time certain tests and treatments to get more accurate or potent results. A cholesterol reading, for example, might be affected by what time of day you go to the doctors office, because the liver (which makes cholesterol) has a circadian rhythm. The time of day at which you measure something could make someone look clinically abnormal, even though theyre not, Lockley says.

Medicine might also be more effective if taken at a certain time. Because theyre metabolized in the liver, drugs change their effects throughout the day, Lockley says. Other circadian bodily processes, like cell function, can also affect how medication acts. Early research suggests certain drugsincluding some for colorectal cancer, pain and asthmaperform better or are less toxic when taken at different times of day.

Exercise, which can be as powerful as medicine for some conditions, is good for you whenever you do it. But I do think that the time of day may have an influence, on top of the effects of exercise, on our metabolic health, says Juleen Zierath, professor of physiology at Karolinska Institute in Sweden. In one small study published in 2018 in the journal Diabetologia, Zierath and her team started 11 men with Type 2 diabetes on a high-intensity interval training program. The men exercised either in the morning (around 8 a.m.) or the afternoon (4 p.m.) for two weeks, then switched schedules. The researchers expected that regardless of the time of day, men in both groups would see improvements in blood-sugar levels. But when they exercised in the morning, they actually had slightly higher levels of blood sugar [than baseline], which we didnt expect at all, Zierath says. Its not clear to what extent the type of exercise and other variables matter, but the study provides an intriguing hint that time of day might make a difference for exercise.

Scientific knowledge is nascent when it comes to optimizing testing and treatment by the clock. Our understanding of individual circadian time is even more primitive. But Lockley believes its the key to personalized medicine; he and others are exploring ways to measure a persons internal circadian time through simple clinical tests. Hopefully in the next five to 10 years, youd go to the doctor, give a breath test or a pee sample, and the doctor would know your biological time, he says. Then all your test results and treatments could be based on your real internal time, which is going to be very different between you and me based on our internal clocks.

For now, even the understanding that our bodies often operate according to different clocks is a big scientific advance. Its already changed the way Chou sleeps, lives and works. Ive just become more comfortable with accepting my sleep, she says. She now asks her employees about their sleep schedules to anticipate when each will be at their peak. She also informs everyone about her own abbreviated schedule, so they know she doesnt expect an immediate response to an email she sends at 4:05 a.m. Thats just when my brain is working, she says.

This appears in the August 17, 2020 issue of TIME.

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Write to Mandy Oaklander at mandy.oaklander@time.com.

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Tree-like MOXIE on NASA’s Perseverance rover will turn carbon dioxide into oxygen on Mars – Firstpost

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FP TrendingAug 10, 2020 17:37:45 IST

When the Perseverance rover started on its journey to Mars, it carried with it a number of important instruments to study the soil composition and environmental conditions onthe Red Planet, as well asunderstand its geological features below the surface.

One of these instruments, the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE), will be able to produce oxygen from carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere just like a tree does here on Earth. If MOXIE is able to generate oxygen successfully, it will be a boon for future manned missionsas a resource tohelp build a biosphere that can support life.

The 17.1-kilogram device will be able to churn out up to 10 grams of oxygen every hour, according to NASA. Speakingofthe objectives of the MOXIE experiment,the Principal Investigatorof thedeviceMichael Hecht said that liquid oxygen propellant is something that could be madebyhuman colonies on Mars given the right technology.

The instruments on the Perseverance rover. Image credit: NASA

Whenpeople are sent to Mars,theirsafe return is a priority,which meansthat a fuelled rocket is needed to lift them off the planet. Oxygen happens to be essential ingredient, a propellant, to powerrockets on top of its fundamental role in sustaining human life.

"One idea would be to bring an empty oxygen tank and fill it up on Mars," he said. However, the tiny level of oxygen generation is not a point of worry as it is a test model. Future oxygen generators, which will be supporting human missions on Mars, will be about 100 times larger according to NASA.

The device works like a tree, in terms of taking in CO2 from the Martian atmosphere and generating O2. According to a report published in Science Alert, it will be electrochemically splitting carbon dioxide molecules to generate oxygen and carbon monoxide. MOXIE will be aiming at producing 99.6 per cent pure O2.

Once generated, the device will be releasing both the oxygen and carbon monoxide molecules back into the atmosphere. This is also a test feature as future models are going to store the generated oxygen.

Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.

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Earplugs! NASA heard the loudest sound that ever boomed in the universe, and its screaming a mystery – SYFY WIRE

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You would think a cosmic boom that shook the universe could be heard from everywhere (except maybe the Nostromo)but no one was actually around to hear it when it went off.

Like most phenomena in space that are billions and billions of years old, the signal often referred to as the space roar started out as a mystery. It remains an unsolved mystery 14 years after it was first detected. Scientists have come up with multiple hypotheses on where it might have come from. Did it spawn from the Milky Way? Is it extragalactic? Is there any way to observe the early stars it is obscuring? Now a new radio telescope that will be able to zero in on this noise may finally be able to demystify its origin, because in space, someone may actually hear you scream.

NASAs ARCADE (Absolute Radiometer for Cosmology, Astrophysics, and Diffuse Emission) instrument first heard the roar as it floated on a giant space balloon right above Earth. Its purpose was to get a closer look at the cosmic microwave background, seek out the heat of primordial stars and remnants of the Big Bang and catch a glimpse of the first stars and galaxies coming into being. It had to do the spacecraft equivalent of squinting to see most of these extremely distant phenomena. Something billions of light-years away is seen from our planet as it was billions of years ago, since its light took that long to reach us. ARCADE was looking out for radio waves since light from that far away loses energy and turns into radio waves by the time it gets over here.

Unlike other radio telescopes, ARCADE was able to measure the actual brightness of anything it observed instead of an objects brightness relative to another object. That was when one signal screamed over everything. NASA scientists back on Earth then had to carry out the tedious task of separating that signal from galactic radiation. Where the signal came from eluded them, though they were able to discern what it was.

Evidently, the space roar didnot originatefrom just one source because it was so diffuse. It was found to be made of synchrotron radiation, which is unleashedby charged particles zooming near the speed of light when a magnetic field or other force changes their trajectory. Wavelengths can vary. Jupiter gives off synchrotron radiation at radio wavelengths when electrons in its magnetic field are disrupted. The roar is a radio synchrotron background. This background of synchrotron radiation from various objects, with its multiple sources making it so diffuse, is what has confounded scientists for years. It could originate from pretty much anything. NASA has considered sending ARCADE up there again, but an even more powerful telescope could figure that out.

The Green Bank Observatorys radio telescope in West Virginia will be able to map radio waves in the brightest regions of the sky more precisely than anything else ever has. It will also prioritize measuring the background, as opposed to most telescopes which make the cosmic background a secondary objective. It will also measure how much the radio synchrotron background varies. While it is more likely the roar came from somewhere beyond this galaxy, because gargantuan radio-emitting haloes have never been observed in spiral galaxies like the Milky Way, the telescope at Green Bank might be able to confirm that.

With an investigation like this going on for almost a decade and a half, who says that in space, no one can hear you scream?

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Star Trek: Where Kirk Is During Discovery Season 1 & 2 Revealed – Screen Rant

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The latest Star Trek tie-in novel, Die Standing, reveals just where James T. Kirk was during the events of Star Trek: Discovery season 1 and 2.

The latestStar Trek: Discovery tie-in novel reveals what James T. Kirk was doing during the show's first two seasons. TheStar Trek TV shows have hopped around the timeline with joyous abandon, andStar Trek: Discoveryseason 1kicked off in stardate 2255. That's roughly a decade before the original series.

This actually caused problems for the show, becauseStar Trek: Discovery season 1 introduced technology that seemed far too advanced for its time period; it's since spent quite a bit of time retconning away the continuity issues. The holographic communicators were one particularly thorny issues, but season 2 revealed unexpected technical problems with them that even crippled the USS Enterprise; as a result, the Federation abandoned the technology. Discovery's spore drive had the potential to transform space-travel, but only two vessels ever had it installed;Discovery's sister ship was destroyed after a malfunction, while Discovery itself has now blasted off into the future. The only known expert on spore drive technology, Lt. Stamets, was aboard, meaning the Federation lost access to it after Discovery's departure. The continuity problems have been neatly resolved.

Related:Star Trek: James T. Kirk's Pre-Enterprise Life & Estranged Son Explained

But, of course, that raises the intriguing question of just what the stars of the original series were doing at the time ofStar Trek: Discovery. The latest official tie-in novel,Die Standing by John Jackson Miller, finally reveals what Kirk was up to. It seems he was a freshman out of the Academy at the time ofStar Trek: Discovery season 1, and in 2255 he'd been assigned to serve on the USS Farragut as a phaser operator. Unfortunately, shortly after the end of the Klingon War the Farragut encountered a mysterious anomaly; a quasi-gaseous creature that killed almost all its crew. Kirk was one of the few survivors of the Farragut, and blamed himself for the tragedy because he'd been slow to fire on the creature when he saw it drifting in space. This story is actually detailed in the original series episode "Obsession," butDie Standing reveals it took place just beforeStar Trek: Discovery season 1. Philippa Georgiou, former Empress of the Terran Empire, is actually called in to investigate in one of her first missions for Section 31.

Kirk isn't seen inDie Standing, but his name is mentioned several times, because Georgiou is working with people who'd trained at the Academy with him - and who were appalled at the tragedy he had suffered. It sounds as though Kirk was sent back to Earth to recuperate from potential PTSD after the slaughter at theFarragut, but it didn't take him long to get back on his feet and resume his Starfleet career.

The repeated references to Kirk madeDie Standing an enjoyable read; they serve as a reminder that the events ofStar Trek: Discovery seasons 1 and 2 happen during the formative years of the Enterprise's famous crew. No doubt Kirk was working with countless people who had fought during the Klingon War, and seen their loved ones die, explaining his initial hatred of the Klingons. Meanwhile, the consequences ofDie Standing would be explored years later, when the Enterprise stumbled upon the same gaseous creature and Spock learned his then-Captain had not really processed his grief at all.

More:Star Trek: How Old Kirk Was When He Became Captain (In Both Timelines)

Bruce Wayne's Money Would Help Gotham More Than Batman Ever Will

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant's staff writers, and he's frankly amused that his childhood is back - and this time it's cool. Tom's focus tends to be on the various superhero franchises, as well as Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Star Trek; he's also an avid comic book reader. Over the years, Tom has built a strong relationship with aspects of the various fan communities, and is a Moderator on some of Facebook's largest MCU and X-Men groups. Previously, he's written entertainment news and articles for Movie Pilot.A graduate of Edge Hill University in the United Kingdom, Tom is still strongly connected with his alma mater; in fact, in his spare time he's a voluntary chaplain there. He's heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will quickly learn that he's interested in British politics as well.

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Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively ‘deeply regret’ their plantation wedding – The Loop

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Ryan Reynolds isnt just a beloved Canadian actor with a penchant for humour of the quick-wit and sarcastic variety, hes also been named one of Fast Companys Most Creative People in Business for 2020. The man can act and sell gin, it would seem (to the chagrin of Hugh Jackmans coffee company, we imagine).

But, all jokes aside, he also isnt afraid to participate in the tough conversations around racial equality that are (rightly) taking over the zeitgeist in 2020. A point which became abundantly clear when he sat down with Fast Company to talk about Deadpool, marketing, diversity and, notably, he and Blake Livelys regret over their plantation wedding.

For those who need a refresher, Reynolds and Lively tied the knot in 2012 at Boone Hall, an antebellum-era plantation in South Carolina, which describes itself as one of Americas oldest working plantations. Later, in 2018, Reynolds came under fire on Twitter after praising the movie, Black Panther. The post, which quickly went viral, had fans pointing out the actors perceived hypocrisy, as well as a lack of judgement exercised in the selection of their wedding venue.

Speaking with Fast Company, Reynolds addressed the controversy head on. Its something well always be deeply and unreservedly sorry for. Its impossible to reconcile, he said. What we saw at the time was a wedding venue on Pinterest. What we saw after was a place built upon devastating tragedy.

Reynolds continued on to explain that, years later, he and Lively got married again at home, but it didnt excuse or dismiss their past complicity. Shame works in weird ways. A giant fking mistake like that can either cause you to shut down or it can reframe things and move you into action. It doesnt mean you wont f up again. But re-patterning and challenging lifelong social conditioning is a job that doesnt end.

Reynolds and Lively have been vocal throughout the Black Lives Matter movement, each taking to their respective social media platforms to support the cause. Theyve also acknowledged the shame they feel for, in the past, allowing themselves to be uninformed about how deeply rooted systemic racism is.

Last year, the couple each donated $1 million to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Young Center for Immigrant Childrens Rights. In late May, Reynolds and Lively contributed once again, this time donating another $200,0000 to the Defense Fund.

In the interview, Reynolds also spoke candidly about the need for diversity in Hollywood, explaining that representation and diversity need to be completely immersive. Continuing on he noted, It needs to be embedded at the root of storytelling, and thats in both marketing and Hollywood. When you add perspective and insight that isnt your own, you grow. And you grow your company, too.

This inspired the Deadpool actor to create the Group Effort Initiative, which aims to bring people of colour and other marginalized or otherwise underrepresented groups to work alongside experienced professionals on his next movie. In a video shared to social media, Reynolds explained that the film industry has systematically excluded Black, Indigenous, people of colour, and a whole host of other marginalized communities for far too long.

Reynoldss next film, a sci-fi comedy titled Free Guy is set to release in December. In the movie, the actor will star as a minor video-game character who starts to think for himself a role which Reynolds insists shows vulnerability you dont often see from big screen heroes.

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One Case At A Time, Lawyers Fight To Save The Planet – KALW

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Many environmental lawyers around the country have filed lawsuits against corporations and the government for their role in climate change. Many of these cases fail, stall, or are dismissed, but the quest to litigate the climate crisis continues.

Our stories are made to be heard. Please listen if you are able.

This story is part of a series about the emotional toll of climate change. Clickhereto listen to full episodes.

Nathan Baring says in many ways, his environmental activism began on the soccer field when he was 13. He grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, remembers the wood smoke that filled the air.

My mom gave me the ultimatum and said that if we didn't get this under control, I was going to have to stop playing soccer for my respiratory health, Baring says.

He joined a local environmental group and attended conventions where scientists explained the existential threats posed by climate change.Temperatures in Alaska have been rising at twice the global average, and wildfires have become more destructive.

"The Arctic, which my identity is very dependent on, will be permanently changed on this trajectory," Baring says. "And I won't have those experiences, and that lifestyle I guess, that comes with the traditional arctic, to pass on to my children or grandchildren."

He wrote letters and met with state lawmakers, asking them to act before it was too late.

And the response that I got from some of them was basically, Aw, that's cute, but don't be a pawn for adults, he remembers.

Language Of Power

But in 2015, his advocacy did catch the attention of Oregon-based nonprofit Our Childrens Trust. The group was looking for teenagers interested in suing the federal government over climate change. Barring was in. He says this felt like a way to finally be heard.

A lawsuit is the language people in power speak, he says.

So Baring and 21 other young people around the country sued the federal government. The lawsuit argues that the White House has encouraged the production and use of fossil fuels for decades.

The plaintiffs allege that infringes on their fifth amendment right to life, liberty, or property.

Baring says the Covid-19 pandemic has only reminded him why addressing climate change is so urgent.

COVID almost charts a map for our future almost. The same things were facing with COVID, in terms of economic disparities, health disparities, recovery disparities, all of those exact things are going to play into climate change, he says

But Baring is also frustrated by how quickly many people lose focus or fail to see the connections.

The First Major Lawsuit Against Big Plastic

Sumona Majumdar is a lawyer with Earth Island Institute in Berkeley, and shes one person who does. In February of this year, she file alawsuit against several of the worlds biggest soft drink, food, and product manufacturers.

We've picked up the costs that are associated with those products. People are...increasingly feeling like we cant do that anymore, she says.

Until a few years ago, Majumdar enforced environmental laws for the Justice Department. Then Donald Trump was elected president. That same year, she found out she was expecting a child. She ended up deciding to quit her job and find a different way to defend the planet.

I wanted to be able to say I was doing everything I could to ensure that she inherits a world that is healthy, and an enjoyable place to live, she says.

But when she walks along the shoreline park by the Port of Oakland with her daughter, she sees a world thats becoming increasingly uninhabitable. Roughly 7 trillion tiny pieces of plastic flow into the bay every year. Plastic is a form of fossil fuel. It takes a lot of energy to make.

Plastic is a byproduct of oil and gas. From its entire life cycle, from the extraction to the production of plastic, to plastic degrading, you have emissions of greenhouse gases, Majumdar points out.

The Same Playbook

Most plastic we put in recycling bins ends up in landfills. From there, it often blows into the ocean or gets dumped there. The Earth Island Institute lawsuit alleges products from companies like Coca Cola and Clorox are filling the ocean with plastic, and misleading consumers by telling them their products are being recycled.

This is the same playbook that big oil used, the same play book that big tobacco used. Just these very sophisticated narratives that really convince people that this is a problem because of individuals, she says.

More Inescapable

Dave Owen is an environmental law professor at UC Hastings. He says lawyers have been attempting to fight climate change in the courts for a long time, but these efforts accelerated over a decade ago.

Climate change has been a concern for environmental advocates for a long time. But the level of worry increased significantly in the 2000s as the research became more and more inescapable and more and more dire, he says.

In 2006, Al Gores film An Inconvenient Truth brought the issue of global warming to the mainstream.

A year later, the United Nations issued a climate report that unequivocally declared humans were to blame. Dave Owen says it became clear to many lawyers that the White House was not going to address the climate crisis on its own.

And so attorneys started to think, We can't wait. We have to come up with some other creative strategies. And some of those strategies meant turning to the courts, he says.

Now there are dozens of court cases tied to climate change. Cities like Richmond, San Francisco, and Oakland have since filed lawsuits against Chevron.

In 2019, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands ordered the government to cut the nation's greenhouse gas emissions. This was the first time any nation had been required to take action against climate change. Then, just days ago, a group of Irish Citizens won a similar case against their government.

Fossil Fuel Lawsuits

But Owen says lawyers in the United States have never won a lawsuit against fossil fuel companies for their role in climate change. Instead, judges have argued those kinds of cases are too political for a judge to respond, and that the real fix should be sought through the elected branches of government.

But attorneys filing many of these lawsuits do not trust the government to act swiftly enough.

On The Eve Of Destruction

In Juliana v. United States, the plaintiffs argue the federal government has contributed directly to the pending climate catastrophe.

Earlier this year, a federal appeals court issued a ruling in that lawsuit. And the judges were sympathetic to the argument the plaintiffs were making.

One judge wrote in the majority opinion, In the mid-1960s, a popular song warned that we were on the eve of destruction.The plaintiffs in this case have presented compelling evidence that climate change has brought that eve nearer.

The judge adds that failure to change existing policy may hasten an environmental apocalypse, but then declares that, such relief is beyond our constitutional power. Rather, the plaintiffs impressive case for redress must be presented to the political branches of government.

Philip Gregory, an attorney in the case, has filed a petition asking the Full Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to convene a new panel of 11 circuit court judges to review the opinion.

He disagrees with the argument, and he still believes they can win. He says the courts have taken on big issues before. Like Brown v. Board of Education, where the Supreme Court ordered schools to desegregate.

'It Was The Courts'

It wasn't like the president said, in Brown vs. Board of Education, Oh, we need to deal with segregation. It was the courts who were out front, and it was the kids that really forced the courts to address these issues, he says.

Nathan Baring joined this lawsuit when he was fifteen in 2015. It's our generation and it's our future that is being harmed. So it makes sense that we're the ones that are having to show up right now, he says.

But this youth-led movement is also running out of time.

If you ever get involved in litigation, you learn justice moves slowly. Its not like someone files a case, and then there's a court order where they win, the next day. It's more like they win in the next decade. And we dont have a decade, he says.

Gregory believes in the courts. But he also says this issue must be tackled on multiple fronts. The attorneys taking on climate change litigation agree: it will take a movement, plus persuasive grandchildren, to finally push judges to rule in their favor.

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One Case At A Time, Lawyers Fight To Save The Planet - KALW

FBI takes over investigation of missing Kentucky woman five years after her disappearance – KETV Omaha

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More than 150 state and federal law enforcement were deployed in Bardstown, Kentucky early Thursday morning following an announcement that the FBI is taking over a high-profile disappearance.FBI Louisville said it is now the lead investigative agency on the Crystal Rogers case.Rogers, 35, was reported missing by her mother five years ago; she hasn't been heard from since July 3, 2015. Two days later, her car was found abandoned with a flat tire on the Bluegrass Parkway with her keys, phone and purse still inside.Since the mother of five disappeared, the only suspect ever named has been her boyfriend at the time, Brooks Houck, with whom she shares a child. He has never been charged.Now, federal agents are stepping in to help get answers and are starting by searching Brooks' home and other properties. I have committed publicly and privately that delivering long-sought justice in Nelson County is the highest priority case of the United States Attorneys Office, said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman in a news release. Todays efforts by our stalwart FBI, Internal Revenue Service and Kentucky State Police partners is a major step in honoring that promise. Law enforcement officers began executing nine federal search warrants early Thursday and will be conducting more than 50 interviews in Bardstown."By utilizing federal resources and expertise and by bringing a fresh perspective to the case, those responsible for Crystals disappearance will be brought to justice," the FBI said.So far, we know of three places where officers are searching Thursday: Brook Houck's home, his brother Nick Houck's home and the Houck family farm -- all of which have been searched before. The FBI has also launched a new website to help share information about Rogers' case: http://www.crystalrogerstaskforce.comThere is currently a $25,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts, the FBI said. Since Rogers disappeared, her mother, Sherry Ballard, hasn't given up hope. More background on the investigationAuthorities believe Houck, her boyfriend, was the last person to see her alive. Within the first year of Rogers' disappearance, Brooks' brother, Nick Houck, was fired from the Bardstown Police Department for interfering with the investigation.Officials said Thursday they are conducting searches at both of their homes.Early on, friend and employee of Brooks Houck, Danny Singleton, faced 38 counts of perjury for lying to detectives during the investigation, but pleaded guilty to lesser charges of false swearing. At one point, investigators zeroed in on Houck's grandmother, Anna Whitesides. The state believed her car may have been used to dispose of Rogers' body. Whitesides, who had previously talked to investigators, later invoked her Fifth Amendment right, refusing to testify when called to court.Just about a year ago, a new detective took over the case when Det. Jon Snow left the Nelson County Sheriff's Department. Chief Deputy Joedy Gilliland then became the lead until the feds stepped in.Over a week ago, human remains were discovered near the border of Nelson and Washington County, and FBI in Virginia are investigating that. No word on if there is any connection to the Rogers case.

More than 150 state and federal law enforcement were deployed in Bardstown, Kentucky early Thursday morning following an announcement that the FBI is taking over a high-profile disappearance.

FBI Louisville said it is now the lead investigative agency on the Crystal Rogers case.

Rogers, 35, was reported missing by her mother five years ago; she hasn't been heard from since July 3, 2015. Two days later, her car was found abandoned with a flat tire on the Bluegrass Parkway with her keys, phone and purse still inside.

Since the mother of five disappeared, the only suspect ever named has been her boyfriend at the time, Brooks Houck, with whom she shares a child. He has never been charged.

Now, federal agents are stepping in to help get answers and are starting by searching Brooks' home and other properties.

I have committed publicly and privately that delivering long-sought justice in Nelson County is the highest priority case of the United States Attorneys Office, said U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman in a news release. Todays efforts by our stalwart FBI, Internal Revenue Service and Kentucky State Police partners is a major step in honoring that promise.

Law enforcement officers began executing nine federal search warrants early Thursday and will be conducting more than 50 interviews in Bardstown.

"By utilizing federal resources and expertise and by bringing a fresh perspective to the case, those responsible for Crystals disappearance will be brought to justice," the FBI said.

So far, we know of three places where officers are searching Thursday: Brook Houck's home, his brother Nick Houck's home and the Houck family farm -- all of which have been searched before.

This content is imported from Facebook.You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

The FBI has also launched a new website to help share information about Rogers' case: http://www.crystalrogerstaskforce.com

There is currently a $25,000 reward for information leading to her whereabouts, the FBI said.

Since Rogers disappeared, her mother, Sherry Ballard, hasn't given up hope.

This content is imported from Twitter.You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

More background on the investigation

Authorities believe Houck, her boyfriend, was the last person to see her alive. Within the first year of Rogers' disappearance, Brooks' brother, Nick Houck, was fired from the Bardstown Police Department for interfering with the investigation.

Officials said Thursday they are conducting searches at both of their homes.

Early on, friend and employee of Brooks Houck, Danny Singleton, faced 38 counts of perjury for lying to detectives during the investigation, but pleaded guilty to lesser charges of false swearing.

At one point, investigators zeroed in on Houck's grandmother, Anna Whitesides.

The state believed her car may have been used to dispose of Rogers' body. Whitesides, who had previously talked to investigators, later invoked her Fifth Amendment right, refusing to testify when called to court.

Just about a year ago, a new detective took over the case when Det. Jon Snow left the Nelson County Sheriff's Department. Chief Deputy Joedy Gilliland then became the lead until the feds stepped in.

Over a week ago, human remains were discovered near the border of Nelson and Washington County, and FBI in Virginia are investigating that. No word on if there is any connection to the Rogers case.

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FBI takes over investigation of missing Kentucky woman five years after her disappearance - KETV Omaha

OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR News Release Governor Ige reinstating partial inter-island travel quarantine – David Y. Ige | Newsroom

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HONOLULU Gov. David Ige announced today that the inter-island travel quarantine will be reinstated, in part, on Tuesday, Aug. 11.

During an afternoon news conference, the governor said that he would reinstate the quarantine for all interisland travelers, although details were still being developed. However, after further discussions with Attorney General Clare Connors, Gov. Ige has decided that he will approve the inter-island travel quarantine only for travelers arriving on the counties of Kauai, Hawaii, Maui and Kalawao. The quarantine requirement applies to any person traveling to these islands. The period of self-quarantine will begin immediately upon arrival and last 14 days or the duration of the persons stay on the island, whichever is shorter.

The Attorney Generals Office is finalizing an 11themergency proclamation that Gov. Ige will sign before Tuesday. The proclamation is being issued in response to the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases on Oahu, which is the result of large gatherings in uncontrolled environments.

I have been working closely with all of our county mayors and we agree that reinstating the inter-island travel quarantine is necessary and the right thing to do at this time. We must protect our neighbor island residents in light of the alarming increase in COVID-19 cases on Oahu, said Gov. Ige.

The inter-island quarantine continues through Aug. 31 unless it is terminated or extended by a separate proclamation.

The previous inter-island travel quarantine affecting all inter-island travelers took effect on Apr. 1 and was lifted on June 16.

In addition, Gov. Ige has approved Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwells Act with Care Do Not Gather Order, which allows the city to take targeted measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 on Oahu. The City and County of Honolulus Order takes effect this weekend Aug. 8 at 12 a.m. and continues through 12 a.m. on Sept. 4.

TheAct With Care Do Not Gather Order will be posted atHonolulu.gov.

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Media Contacts:

Jodi LeongDeputy Communications Director/Press SecretaryOffice of the GovernorOffice: 808-586-004[emailprotected]

Cindy McMillanCommunications DirectorOffice of the GovernorOffice: 808-586-0012[emailprotected]

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OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR News Release Governor Ige reinstating partial inter-island travel quarantine - David Y. Ige | Newsroom

4 private islands for rent within driving distance from Atlanta – Atlanta Journal Constitution

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With round-trip boat transportation provided to your vacation house rental on Eagle Island, the 1,500 square foot wrap-around screened porch and hot tub in front of a burning fireplace (perfect for a romantic weekend) are calling your name, the listing on privateislandsofgeorgia.com reads.

The price varies based on the number of people and days of the week, but you can check out packages here.

Private Islands of Old House Cay

This group of Lowcountry islands is just four hours from Atlanta and 10 minutes from Hilton Head, South Carolina. The three bedroom, 2 bath home sleeps six people. Rent is about $450 a night, which comes to $75 per person if you bring five close friends or paying family members.

Accessible only by boat (well take you there and back on our boat), its a truly private and quintessential Lowcountry South Carolina property. Enjoy boating, fishing, kayaking, or lounging around with a book, a cocktail, or your friends, the hosts wrote on Airbnb.

Sands Island

About seven hours from Atlanta and a short distance from historical Swansboro, North Carolina, Sands Island is a private, 32-acre island. It is surrounded by thousands of acres of undeveloped marshes, island beaches and meandering natural water trails. A two-bedroom cottage is the lone structure on the island, its Vrbo listing states.

The cottage has two bedrooms and 1 baths. It sleeps four and rents for $325 a night with a three-night minimum. Thats less than $250 per person for a long weekend getaway.

Island Hunters

Also near Swansboro is Island Hunters, which includes a small cabin that sleeps four. With no water and a generator for power, this $100 a night getaway is more rustic than the other three.

This is definitely not for everyone, the host wrote on Airbnb. It is for those who like privacy and just like the feel of being surrounded by the peace and quite of nature.

Restaurants and bars are within paddle distance, and kayaks and paddleboards are available to rent.

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4 private islands for rent within driving distance from Atlanta - Atlanta Journal Constitution