MCU Phase 4 Theory: Character Who Connects WandaVision To Doctor Strange 2 – Screen Rant

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Kathryn Hahn is playing a "nosy neighbor" in WandaVision - could she be Agatha Harkness, a link to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness?

Kathryn Hahnwill play an important role inWandaVision - and she could help link the upcoming Disney+ series toDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The future has never looked brighter for Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch; not only is she co-star of her own Disney+ limited series, but this will set her up for a major role inDoctor Strange 2 as well.

Ever secretive, Marvel is keeping their plans for Scarlet Witch under wraps. It's safe to assume the studio is imitating the comics by retconning Wanda as a sorceress, as hinted by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige himself. But will Wanda be an ally of the future Sorcerer Supreme, or will she be the cause of the "Multiverse of Madness," her powers wreaking havoc as they did in the comics? Whatever Scarlet Witch's arc may be,WandaVision will set it up, so all attention is focused on the Disney+ show.

Related:The MCU's Doctor Strange Totally Wasted The Time Stone

Particular attention has focused onKathryn Hahn, who joined the cast ofWandaVision in an undisclosed role. She's confirmed to be playing a "nosy neighbor," which sounds tame until you remember the kind of seriesWandaVision appears to be riffing on. Nosy neighbors are a crucial, frequently antagonistic force in sitcoms and soap operas. That's led to intense speculationHahn could actually be playing Agatha Harkness, a key ally of Scarlet Witch in the comics, who is frequently at odds with Wanda but ultimately became her mentor.

In the comics, Agatha Harkness was one of Marvel's most powerful witches. She claimed to be old enough to remember the fall of Atlantis over 10,000 years ago, and gained immortality through forbidden magic. In more modern times, the ruthless witch moved to America, and was involved in the slaughter of witches in New Salem. In fact, she turned several of her sisters over to the authorities, currying their favor and claiming she was culling the weak. Agatha Harkness became a governess after the Second World War, and was introduced when she was hired to look after Franklin Richards, the son of Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman. Since then, she's played a key role as a mentor for some of Marvel's most powerful young heroes, or for nascent witches like Wanda Maximoff. Her relationship with Wanda was frequently antagonistic, and in the end Scarlet Witch killed her. In a perfectly comic-book twist, Agatha's ghost currently haunts Wanda, serving as her advisor.

While her exact role is unconfirmed, set photos suggestHahn is indeed playing the MCU's Agatha Harkness, but if so she'll probably be switched up a little; Marvel is unlikely to make her a near-immortal, for example, having already explored that trope with the Ancient One inDoctor Strange. More to the point, it's reasonable to assume Agatha wouldn't just be some random mystic, but rather would have strong ties to the magical community - perhaps meaning she had been trained by the Ancient One at Kamar-Taj. This means she could potentially serve as the bridge betweenWandaVision andDoctor Strange 2; the series could end with Wanda's magical potential revealed, and Agatha deciding to take her to Kamar-Taj for training. That plot would be a simple, organic one, and it would explain why Marvel hired such a notable actress to play a "nosy neighbor."

More:Doctor Strange 2: Every Theory About What Starts The Multiverse of Madness

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The Mandalorian: Where Han Solo Is During The Events Of The Show

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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MCU Phase 4 Theory: Character Who Connects WandaVision To Doctor Strange 2 - Screen Rant

From Camus’ ‘The Plague’ To Dylan’s ‘Rough And Rowdy Days,’ Sad Is The New Happy – WBUR

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You know the old curse: May you live in interesting times.

As the pandemic rages, there seems to be an all-pervasive sense of sadness in the air. Americans are less happy than theyve been since happiness started to be measured, says New York Times columnistDavid Brooks.

It isnt just the one plague. Theres also a sense of dread about the political scene and the disorientation about how Americas overdue reckoning with racism and the legacy of slavery will play out. It seems almost impossible to live ones life outside of that troika of troubles these days.

Its not a cloud of doom, certainly, more a feeling of fraughtness. Is the trip to the grocery store a journey to COVID country? Will the 2020 election be a repeat of 2016 despite the polls? What is our proper response to the killing of George Floyd and the rise of Black Lives Matter?

But those are only the obvious sources of where we stand this summer. The existential grip on our senses and our place in the world is more pervasive and melancholy. On a personal level I feel it listening to Bob Dylans great new album, Rough and Rowdy Ways; reacting to deaths in my old Boston Globe family; reading the books on my nightstand, from Albert Camus The Plague to Ford Madox Fords The Good Soldier (which he wanted to call The Saddest Story); and, more obviously, watching the nightly news.

Yet none of this is crushing. In some way, its even inspiriting. Take "The Plague," speaking of existentialism and the pandemic. Although written in part as a post-war metaphor for the Nazis and their enablers in Vichy France, Camus always meant for it to speak to future generations.

Seems like he got his wish. There are the obvious parallels between the shutdown of the Algeriantown of Oran because of a rat-born virus and todays pandemic. Such as the line Stupidity has a knack of getting its way. Or the way Camus describes the war between the individualists and those who argue that the only way of defeating the plague is to realize that were all in this together, which President Trump acknowledgedafter months of denial.

Then theres Camus life-long rebellion against the silence of God. Just as prayer is useless in The Plague, religion is downright lethal against the amoral randomness of the pandemic. Gatherings for prayer, in fact, are among the most hard-hit in America and the world, regardless of religion.

The ineffectiveness of prayer could drive one to despair, particularly if one is a true believer, but the lessons for Camus are different. We have to forge our own meaning and morality rather than rely on puritanical religious bodies. Another lesson is that we need to recognize the front-line workers and scientists. Dr. Rieux in The Plague and Ed, a paramedic in the wrenching play "The Line" from the Public Theater, eschew the idea of heroism, but its Dr. Fauci, I mean Dr. Rieux, who proves to be the shaman of Oran. For all the sadness in the world, there is a resistance to plagues and self-aggrandizing politicians that is inspiring. You can say the same thing about how Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements have turned tragedy into galvanized political action today.

The pandemic also has those of us of a certain age thinking about our own mortality. Three friends from the Boston Globe died during the pandemic, though none from the plague. (A great guy, Ron Hutson, did die of COVID-19, but I unfortunately didnt know him well.) I worked at the paper from 1971 to 2006 and copy editorsLouis Bell, Al Rossi and writerBob Levey defined what a fun, extended family the paper was when it operated on Morrissey Boulevard. Normally, a Globe funeral or memorial celebration turns into a kind of alumni/alumnae party with remembrances galore, often fueled by adult beverages.

I can imagine the gales of laughter about Bell sending a smoke bomb down on what was called the bunwarmer to his antagonists in the composing room; Rossi thinking he was sending an email about a coworker farting to a friend only to discover he had sent it to the wind-passer; and Levey telling jokes with the panache of Mort Sahl.

Still, theres something almost holy about remembering them by myself. They kind of encapsulate my 35 years at the Globe Bell driving me and my roommates home in the 70s where hed get stoned and often pass out on the couch; Rossi and me having a wild weekend in Las Vegas in the 80s; telling Levey a joke that made him roar in the 90s when we both made career changes and became critics in the Living Arts section, he with food and me with television. These memories are somehow dearer to me for thinking about them in confinement they define me as well as them. Obviously Im sad that theyre gone, but the smile on my face when I think of them is different than those gales of laughter at the memorial services that weren't to be.

And, of course, their deaths presage my mortality as well. Its hard not to think about that while readingJohn Williams "Stoner" or Joseph O'Connors "Shadowplay" as protagonists (including Bram Stoker in "Shadowplay") reflect on what their lives have amounted to or come down to. (Talk about sad, Stoker was not a literary success. "Dracula" rose from the dead 10 years after he died.)

Bob Dylans Rough and Rowdy Ways has mortality writ large from the opening lines Today and tomorrow, and yesterday, too/ The flowers are dyin like all things do to the final 17-minute "Murder Most Foul," ostensibly about the assassination of John Kennedy.

Almost every song speaks in stoical terms of loneliness, bitterness, sad guitars, dark days, killing frost, the age of the Antichrist and approaching death. Yet the whole album is both consolation and celebration. It is, among other things, a celebration of the Anglo-American 20th-century songbook, with Beethoven, Chopin and Liberace thrown in for good measure. Name a musical strain worth celebrating and its in Rough and Rowdy Ways, the title nodding Dylans head to Jimmie Rodgers and continuing through Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, Etta James, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Oscar Peterson and countless great jazz pianists, Sun Records, gospel, Leonard Cohen, Rick Nelson, the Everly Brothers, Rodgers & Hammerstein, the Beatles and the Stones and countless others. (The 21st-century songbook is for others to write, Dylan implied in a recent New York Times interview with Douglas Brinkley.)

Are Dylans references just name-dropping? No. Its a look back at his life, his life in song, the life of America in the 20th and 21st centuries and what lives they were and are. Hes a man of many muses and many moods, as he says in I Contain Multitudes. The influence of Walt Whitmans Leaves of Grass is everywhere in Rough and Rowdy Ways.

And like Whitman hes also a man of contradictions. Some observers have said that the album sounds like a farewell, but as one critic observed in the 1970s, many of his songs are suitable for both funerals and weddings. Like Camus and his Dr. Rieux, Dylan has to embrace the sadness of his days in order to come out the other side in a search for meaning and a kind of immortality.

As he sings in I Contain Multitudes:

I go right to the edge, I go right to the endI go right to where all things lost are made good again.

So for all the sadness and intimations of mortality that he faces in Rough and Rowdy Ways, there is a full embrace of life in all its melancholy and all its merriment.

Robert F. Kennedy makes a cameo in Murder Most Foul. RFK has been cited as the person who popularized the "interesting times" quote, in a 1966 address in South Africa: There is a Chinese curse which says 'May he live in interesting times.' Like it or not, we live in interesting times. They are times of danger and uncertainty; but they are also more open to the creative energy of men than any other time in history.

Though South Africa was still in the grip of apartheid, Kennedy delivered the plea to end discrimination on what he called a Day of Affirmation. We, too, live in interesting times and its up to us, like Kennedy and Camus, to see it not as a curse but as a personal and political affirmation.

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From Camus' 'The Plague' To Dylan's 'Rough And Rowdy Days,' Sad Is The New Happy - WBUR

New guidelines aim to support mangrove restoration in the Western Indian Ocean – UN Environment

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Nairobi, 24 July 2020 - For many coastal communities, including those in the Western Indian Ocean region, mangroves are critical to economic and food security. A new set of guidelines on mangrove restoration for the region aims to support the restoration of its degraded mangrove ecosystems and support recovery from the economic impacts of COVID-19.

Mangrove forests are among the most powerful nature-based solutions to climate change, but with 67 percent of mangroves lost or degraded to date, and an additional 1.0 percent being lost each year, they are at a risk of being destroyed altogether. Without mangroves, 39 percent more people would be flooded annually and flood damage would increase by more than 16 percent and US $82 billion. They protect shorelines from eroding and shield communities from floods,hurricanes, andstorms, a more important service than ever as sea levels continue to rise. Mangroves also providenursery areas for marine life and support many threatened and endangered species. Restoring mangroves can make communities more resilient to environmental changes and the economic shocks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

While governments acknowledge the importance of mangroves, the success of restoration efforts has been limited. The new Guidelines on Mangrove Ecosystem Restoration for the Western Indian Ocean Region analyze risks and challenges to restoration projects and point to potential solutions.

Coastal residents in the Western Indian Ocean region which includes Comoros, Kenya, France (Reunion), Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, and Tanzania eat or sell the fish that live around the mangroves; harvest honey from the bees that the forests support, and use their wood as building material and fuel forsubsistence orsell it for income. Because the livelihoods of coastal communities depend on mangroves, restoring them can contribute to building back better through green recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mangrove forests can also drive eco-tourism and create jobs.

Mangroves really are essential life support system for coastal communities in the Western Indian Ocean region, said James Kairo, Chief Scientist at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute and lead author of the guidelines. If degradation continues, communities will be without resources for shelter or fuel, food, or a means to make a living.

The guidelines were developed by the member states of Nairobi Convention with support from UNEPNairobi Convention, the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association and the Western Indian Ocean Mangrove Network. They can be used by governments; resource managers; scientists; civil society, and communities at large as they embark on mangrove conservation and management initiatives.

These Guidelines are really the first for the Western Indian Ocean region to address past mangrove restoration failures head-on and assess the reasons why, said Jared Bosire, UNEPNairobi Convention Project Manager. Of critical importance is that they provide a step-by-step guide on how to build successful restoration projects which avoid several of the pitfalls that we have kept witnessing.

The Guidelines also feature case studies from around the Western Indian Ocean region, highlighting best practices and lessons learned. They can be used to guide action on mangroves as part of the upcoming UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030) and support progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14.2 on protecting and restoring marine and coastal ecosystems. Mangroves also capture and store significantly higher rates of carbon dioxide per unit area than terrestrial forests, so mangrove restoration can be incorporated into countries Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement.

Its hard to overstate just how important mangroves can be to both the environment and economy, said Kerstin Stendahl, Head of UNEPs Ecosystems Integration Branch. They are truly a super solution without them, wed have more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, fewer fish and less food, and more damage from cyclones and other storms.

NOTES TO EDITORS

These Guidelines were developed under the Implementation of the Strategic Action Programme for the Protection of the Western Indian Ocean from Land-Based Sources and Activities project of the Nairobi Convention, funded by the Global Environment Facility.

About the Nairobi ConventionThe Nairobi Convention, signed by Comoros, France, Kenya,Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, and Tanzania, aims to promote a prosperous Western Indian Ocean region with healthy rivers, coasts, and oceans. It provides a platform for governments, civil society, and the private sector to work together for the sustainable management and use of the marine and coastal environment.

About the UN Environment ProgrammeThe UN Environment Programme is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

For more information please contact:

Keishamaza Rukikaire, Head of News and Media, UNEP

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New guidelines aim to support mangrove restoration in the Western Indian Ocean - UN Environment

Using artificial intelligence to smell the roses – UC Riverside

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A pair of researchers at the University of California, Riverside, has used machine learning to understand what a chemical smells like a research breakthrough with potential applications in the food flavor and fragrance industries.

We now can use artificial intelligence to predict how any chemical is going to smell to humans, said Anandasankar Ray, a professor of molecular, cell and systems biology, and the senior author of the study that appears in iScience. Chemicals that are toxic or harsh in, say, flavors, cosmetics, or household products can be replaced with natural, softer, and safer chemicals.

Humans sense odors when some of their nearly 400 odorant receptors, or ORs, are activated in the nose. Each OR is activated by a unique set of chemicals; together, the large OR family can detect a vast chemical space. A key question in olfaction is how the receptors contribute to different perceptual qualities or percepts.

We tried to model human olfactory percepts using chemical informatics and machine learning, Ray said. The power of machine learning is that it is able to evaluate a large number of chemical features and learn what makes a chemical smell like, say, a lemon or a rose or something else. The machine learning algorithm can eventually predict how a new chemical will smell even though we may initially not know if it smells like a lemon or a rose.

According to Ray, digitizing predictions of how chemicals smell creates a new way of scientifically prioritizing what chemicals can be used in the food, flavor, and fragrance industries.

It allows us to rapidly find chemicals that have a novel combination of smells, he said. The technology can help us discover new chemicals that could replace existing ones that are becoming rare, for example, or which are very expensive. It gives us a vast palette of compounds that we can mix and match for any olfactory application. For example, you can now make a mosquito repellent that works on mosquitoes but is pleasant smelling to humans.

The researchers first developed a method for a computer to learn chemical features that activate known human odorant receptors. They then screened roughly half a million compounds for new ligands molecules that bind to receptors for 34 odorant receptors. Next, they focused on whether the algorithm that could estimate odorant receptor activity could also predict diverse perceptual qualities of odorants.

Computers might help us better understand human perceptual coding, which appears, in part, to be based on combinations of differently activated ORs, said Joel Kowalewski, a student in the Neuroscience Graduate Program working with Ray and the first author of the research paper. We used hundreds of chemicals that human volunteers previously evaluated, selected ORs that best predicted percepts on a portion of chemicals, and tested that these ORs were also predictive of new chemicals.

Ray and Kowalewski showed the activity of ORs successfully predicted 146 different percepts of chemicals. To their surprise, few rather than all ORs were needed to predict some of these percepts. Since they could not record activity from sensory neurons in humans, they tested this further in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and observed a similar result when predicting the flys attraction or aversion to different odorants.

If predictions are successful with less information, the task of decoding odor perception would then become easier for a computer, Kowalewski said.

Ray explained that many items available to consumers use volatile chemicals to make themselves appealing. About 80% of what is considered flavor in food actually stems from the odors that affect smell. Fragrances for perfuming cosmetics, cleaning products, and other household goods play an important role in consumer behavior.

Our digital approach using machine learning could open up many opportunities in the food, flavor, and fragrance industries, he said. We now have an unprecedented ability to find ligands and new flavors and fragrances. Using our computational approach, we can intelligently design volatile chemicals that smell desirable for use and also predict ligands for the 34 human ORs.

The study was partially funded by UCR and the National Science Foundation.

The technology has been disclosed to the UCR Office of Technology Partnerships, assigned UC case number 2019-131, is patent pending, titled Methods for identifying, compounds identified and compositions thereof, and licensed to the startup company Sensorygen Inc. Founded by Ray in 2015, Sensorygen utilizes computational biology and artificial intelligence to discover natural replacements for toxic and harsh chemicals in everyday products, including finding new flavors and insect repellents.

The research paper is titled Predicting human olfactory perception from activities of odorant receptors.

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Using artificial intelligence to smell the roses - UC Riverside

Shield AI Recognized As One of the Most Promising Artificial Intelligence Companies – PR Web

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Ryan Tseng and Brandon Tseng at Shield AI's San Diego office.

SAN DIEGO (PRWEB) July 29, 2020

Shield AI, the technology company focused on developing innovative AI technology to safeguard the lives of military service members and first responders, today expressed its gratitude to Forbes for naming the company as one of the AI 50: Americas Most Promising Artificial Intelligence Companies for 2020. The five-year-old company has developed AI technology that enables unmanned systems to interpret signals and react autonomously in dynamic environments, including on the battlefield. Shield AIs products are already being utilized by the US Department of Defense to augment and extend service members ability to execute complex missions.

Shield AI co-founder Brandon Tseng, who served in the U.S. Navy for seven years, including as a SEAL, said Following my last deployment, I came home with the strong conviction that artificial intelligence could make a profound positive impact for our service members. This was the idea that Shield AI was founded upon, and a half-decade later, we are elated to have Forbes recognize our innovation of AI technology as both promising and meaningful.

Shield AI has grown from fewer than 30 employees at the end of 2017 to nearly 150 today, while producing revenue metrics on pace with the growth trajectory of the most promising venture-backed start-ups, including doubling its revenue between 2018 and 2019. In an adjoining profile Forbes noted that Shield AI is is in prime position to capitalize on the nascent market consisting of autonomous technology linked to national security issues.

Shield AI has developed three cutting-edge products for its range of customers, spanning both software and systems. Its Nova quadcopter is an unmanned artificially intelligent robotic system which can autonomously explore and map complex real-world environments without reliance on GPS or a human operator. Nova is powered by Hivemind Edge, the companys intelligent software stack that enables machines to execute complex, unscripted tasks in denied and dynamic environments without direct operator inputs. The application is edge-deployed, with all processing and computation occurring without relying on a central intelligence hub, a critical need in environments lacking stable communications. The second software product, Hivemind Core, integrates data management and analysis, scalable simulation, and self-directed learning in order to radically accelerate product development workflows.

In the coming months, Shield AI will unveil a second generation Nova quadcopter aimed at bringing the power of resilient AI systems to an even wider array of mission sets, coupled with the ability to partner in real-time with operators to navigate tunnels beneath the earth and multi-level structures.

About Shield AIShield AI was founded in 2015 by Brandon Tseng, a former Navy SEAL, Ryan Tseng, a successful tech entrepreneur, and autonomy expert Andrew Reiter. Today the team is more than 140-strong, with Chief Technology Officer Prof. Nathan Michael of Carnegie Mellon Universitys Resilient Intelligent Systems Lab leading the companys development of AI systems that operate on the edge in challenging, previously unknown, real-world environments.

Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn

For Media Inquiries:Jessica Smythmedia@shield.ai

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Artificial intelligence needs an update on ethics to be able to help humanity in times of crisis – Economic Times

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Currently ethics for AI focuses too much on high-level principles. Using AI to deal with crises would mean anticipating problems before they happen and building safety and reliability into it. Plus, ethics should be part of how AI is built and used, not an add-on or afterthought. Researchers and engineers need to think through the implications of what they build.

By Will HeavenJess Whittlestone at the Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge and her colleagues published a comment piece in Nature Machine Intelligence this week arguing that if artificial intelligence is going to help in a crisis, we need a new, faster way of doing AI ethics, which they call ethics for urgency. For Whittlestone, this means anticipating problems before they happen, finding better ways

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Artificial intelligence needs an update on ethics to be able to help humanity in times of crisis - Economic Times

More than 800 hospitalised in Jordan food poisoning outbreak – The Guardian

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A food poisoning outbreak in Jordan has hit more than 800 people and killed a child, all of whom ate cut-price shawarma from a restaurant outside Amman, the health ministry has said.

The owner of the restaurant selling the popular rotisserie meat and bread snacks in the Baqaa district north-west of the capital was arrested, local media reported.

A five-year-old boy died of massive poisoning, the ministry said in a statement.

Health minister Saad Jaber later said 826 people had been hospitalised with poisoning since the first cases were detected on Monday evening.

So far, 321 people are still in hospitals, all in a stable condition apart from four cases who are in intensive care, he told journalists. All those affected said they had eaten meals from the same restaurant.

He said hundreds of extra doctors and nurses had been drafted to various hospitals to treat those affected.

Earlier, the ministry said laboratory tests had revealed bacteria in the meat and poultry.

A special offer of a shawarma meal for one Jordanian dinar (about $1.40), or about half the usual price, had sparked an influx to the restaurant, said local news sites.

Health ministry official Adnan Ishaq told state television that the meat had become infected because it was not refrigerated.

A heatwave has hit Jordan in recent days, with temperatures in Amman exceeding 40C.

The district prosecution said three people from the restaurant, including the owner, had been detained.

Jaber said an investigation was underway. Any offender will be held accountable, regardless of who they are, he said.

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More than 800 hospitalised in Jordan food poisoning outbreak - The Guardian

Ronaldo is the Michael Jordan of football Lingard likens Man Utd legend to Chicago Bulls icon – Goal.com

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The current Red Devils star considers a player he once worked alongside at Old Trafford to be a real icon on the back of his countless successes

Cristiano Ronaldo is the Michael Jordan of football, says Jesse Lingard, with the former Manchester United star and current Juventus talisman held up as a real icon in the sporting world.

Comparisons across sporting fields are difficult to make, with different skill sets required in order to reach the very top of contrasting games.

In NBA circles, Jordan reached the summit over the course of two iconic spells with the Chicago Bulls.

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He is rightly considered to be one of the finest sportsmen of all time, not just one of the greatest basketball players.

Few can claim to have scaled such heights in their chosen field, but five-time Ballon dOr winner Ronaldo does form part of that elite group.

Lingard, who once worked alongside the Portuguese at Old Trafford, admits as much, with a big basketball fan placing a Portuguese legend alongside Jordan on any roll of honour.

"I have to say Cristiano Ronaldo," the United and England midfielder told Sky Sports when asked if there are any footballers that can be likened to Jordan.

"Everything he has achieved in his career. He has been at plenty of clubs and won many trophies. I believe he is a real icon of football, the Michael Jordan of football.

"When [Ronaldo] first came to Manchester United, I was 11 or 12. We did a skills DVD and it was him teaching us skills which was good. That was the first time I had seen him. He was young and skinny when he came [to the club].

"I have played against him a few times. Did he give me trouble? No, he wasn't too bad, to be fair! There was one game in pre-season where he came on and you could see the skills and the qualities that he brought."

Basketball is preparing to return after a coronavirus-enforced break, with football having already led the way there.

Lingard will be an interested spectator when the likes of LeBron James and Zion Williamson return to the court, with the 27-year-old one of several avid NBA followers in the world of football.

"Basketball has different tactics and ways of playing and they set up a lot different [to football teams] but [as a player] you can relate. Certain players are small and agile and can bring their teams into games. That's similar to football," added the Red Devils academy graduate.

"When Romelu Lukaku was at Manchester United, he was very keen on basketball. He was in Miami with Paul Pogba playing basketball. I think those two would be up there, for me."

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Ronaldo is the Michael Jordan of football Lingard likens Man Utd legend to Chicago Bulls icon - Goal.com

Jordan’s Prime Minister Says His Country Contained COVID-19 By ‘Helping The Weakest’ – NPR

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"From day one, any discussion of herd immunity or survival of the fittest or, you know, 'Say farewell to the elderly,' are the things that just did not sound right for us," Jordan's Prime Minister Omar Razzaz tells NPR. "So we went for a very different model in Jordan, based on social solidarity." Jane Arraf/NPR hide caption

"From day one, any discussion of herd immunity or survival of the fittest or, you know, 'Say farewell to the elderly,' are the things that just did not sound right for us," Jordan's Prime Minister Omar Razzaz tells NPR. "So we went for a very different model in Jordan, based on social solidarity."

Jordanian Prime Minister Omar Razzaz sits in the front room of his family home in a middle-class Amman neighborhood of traditional white stone houses with small gardens and low walls. Unusually, in a region where senior officials typically live in gated compounds far from public view, the residential street has been kept open to traffic to minimize disruption to Razzaz's neighbors.

Razzaz, an MIT and Harvard-educated economist, was appointed by Jordan's King Abdullah II to head a new government two years ago, following anti-government protests that were sparked by IMF-mandated tax increases seen as bypassing the rich. Although he'd served previously as education minister, Razzaz was seen as a relative outsider.

The small, resource-poor kingdom is surrounded by dangers from neighboring countries: a war in Syria, conflict between the U.S. and Iran in Iraq, and Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank it occupies something Jordan says poses a danger to the entire region.

But those issues have taken a back seat to controlling the coronavirus a feat Jordan has accomplished with an early and severe lockdown. The country of roughly 10 million has registered 1,131 coronavirus cases, with 11 deaths.

Razzaz sees vulnerable groups in other countries paying a disproportionate price for policies that don't prioritize them, and says Jordan's approach from the start was to protect the most vulnerable.

"From day one, any discussion of herd immunity or survival of the fittest or, you know, 'Say farewell to the elderly,' are the things that just did not sound right for us," Razzaz tells NPR. "So we went for a very different model in Jordan, based on social solidarity, in fact, helping the weakest. We did everything we can to make sure our children, our elderly, our refugees you know, the haves and the have-nots are protected."

In mid-March, Jordan was one of the first countries in the region to shut its airports and borders for all but essential goods. Arriving passengers were sent into compulsory quarantine. All but emergency workers and security forces were confined to their homes, with even grocery stores shut and the army distributing bread to poor neighborhoods.

The government cut public sector salaries and allowed businesses to reduce workers' wages, but banned them from laying off employees.

Razzaz says in the last four months, almost half of Jordan's population received some form of government assistance.

This week, the country announced it would reopen its airport to flights from a dozen countries where coronavirus rates are also low. With no cases of local transmission on most days, Jordan has stopped enforcing mask wearing and reopened restaurants and shopping malls.

Razzaz says industry production is now back to pre-coronavirus standards, and Jordan is exporting pharmaceuticals and food to other countries.

Jordan took a chance with the lockdown, he says, but felt it had little choice, given the prospect of its health care system being overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases.

"When we took the steps that we took, we did that not because we were certain about the outcomes. So there's always hindsight ... But we're very, very glad we did what we did. And a lot of countries that waited longer, including the U.S., ... are having a harder time containing the coronavirus," he says.

Razzaz and health officials note Jordan remains on guard for a possible resurgence of the virus as its airport reopens.

The longer-term challenge is an already fragile economy in which unemployment is rising sharply. Tens of thousands of Jordanians have lost their jobs in the Arab Gulf states, as those economies decline due to the pandemic and a plunge in oil prices.

The official unemployment rate for the first quarter of the year had already topped 19%. Some economists expect the real rate could reach 30% by the end of the year, with many of the unemployed young people.

Razzaz says, though, he is not worried by the prospect of renewed demonstrations that could be sparked by the economic crisis.

"While some countries worry a lot about social unrest, we see it as people expressing views about that hardship," he says. "We're going to be proactive with employment and job creation. And if you get frustrated and want to shout, we have a constitution and set of laws and institutions that allow that to happen in democratic ways."

The other wild card facing the kingdom is Israel's annexation threat. Jordan, along with Egypt, is one of only two Arab countries in the region to have signed a peace treaty with Israel. Jordan's king says he might suspend the 26-year-old treaty if Israel takes unilateral steps to claim sovereignty over parts of the West Bank.

Israel cites Jewish ties and a strategic need for it, but most of the international community opposes such a move, which could doom Palestinian hopes for an independent state.

Jordan, where a majority of citizens are of Palestinian origin, would be the country most affected by Israel's move, and instability could ripple across the region.

Razzaz says Jordan has not changed its insistence on the need for an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

"If you don't provide a just solution for the Palestinian people and sovereignty, you are pushing them and the region towards despair and extremism. So will there be conflict under such conditions? Yes, there will be, definitely," he says. "I think what His Majesty and Jordan have been doing is sounding the alarm bells."

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Jordan's Prime Minister Says His Country Contained COVID-19 By 'Helping The Weakest' - NPR

A New Womens-Exclusive Air Jordan 6 Colorway Set to Release in the Fall – Yahoo Lifestyle

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A new colorway of the Air Jordan 6 is hitting shelves soon and will be available exclusively in womens sizing.

According to social media leaker account @zSneakerheadz, the latest iteration of NBA icon Michael Jordans signature sneaker is releasing on Sept. 24. Jordan Brand revealed in June that this womens-exclusive style is launching as part of the Air Jordan fall 20 collection.

More from Footwear News

Unlike many of the previous releases, the shoe features a mixture of materials starting with a premium suede upper thats elevated with transparent panels on the side. Additional details include inspirational messages including Be Kind, Embrace Uniqueness and Spread Love are printed on the sock liner, while a metallic Jumpman hangtag is attached. The look is completed with a black and white midsole and a translucent outsole.

The Air Jordan 6 made its retail debut in 1991 and was the sneaker that MJ wore when he won his first NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls against the Los Angeles Lakers. The shoe is famously inspired by one of his German sports cars, evident with the spoiler-inspired heel tab.

The aforementioned account is suggesting that the shoe will come with a $190 price tag when it releases on Sept. 24 and it will reportedly be available on the SNKRS app and at select Jordan Brand retailers.

In related Jordan Brand news, the anticipated Off-White x Air Jordan 4 Retro is releasing in the Sail colorway this Saturday on the SNKRS app and at select retailers for $225.

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A New Womens-Exclusive Air Jordan 6 Colorway Set to Release in the Fall - Yahoo Lifestyle

The emergence of virtual reality as a teaching tool in health care – DentistryIQ

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In the course of history, dental education has progressed tremendously. Advanced teaching and learning methods have been developed and refined. Today, they aid greatly in the understanding of the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases and conditions. But in dentistry, there is still a lack of an efficient and comprehensive methodology for proper patient carei.e., having a way to understand human anatomy in depth before treating live patients in a dental or dental hygiene program.

Enhancing tactile perception and assessment in education could greatly improve existing learning methods that complement a variety of teaching and learning methods. Virtual reality (VR), which is broadly used and is fundamental in fields such as aviation and telecommunication, is now emerging as a viable training tool in the health-care professionand dentistry stands to benefit.While providing an overview of the use of VR in dental education, this article will also explore the interrelationship between VR simulation and current pedagogical knowledge.

Traditional teaching and learning methods may not be as efficient or suitable for today's technologically advanced educational world, as students today most often rely solely on their tablets and laptops for their educational resources and academic success. Today, the internet has become a valuable supplement to education, forcing traditional lectures to become interactive, visual, and collaborative. The advantages of VR within dental education are continuously evaluated as a method to improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination within the clinical setting to surmount the financial and creative challenges that may be involved with such complex training.

Virtual technology in the medical profession is anticipated to flourish to $3.8 billion by 2020, according to a report by Global Industry Analysts.2 An additional report by Grand View Research concludes that the virtual industry will grow to $5.1 billion by 2025.2 This technology will further transform the health-care industry, with applications from training future and current health-care professionals to diagnosing and treating various conditions. Possessing the capability to lend complete, immersive 3-D virtual simulation for clinicians, VR technology continues to be perceived as an effective diagnostic and salutary tool for diseases and conditions such as fear and anxiety, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, desolation, and pain managementparticularly severe pain in burn casualties.2

The implementation of virtual technology into training health professionals is changing the future of education and how students learn. VR provides virtual hands-on experiences for clinicians as they seek to reduce harm on live patients and offers opportunities to learn efficiently with long-term memory. By connecting an array of distinctive technologiesalong with an oculus headset containing a head-tracking system, headphones, and guidance with exploration devicesvirtual reality technology provides a multisensory and three-dimensional environment that helps users become completely immersed in an artificial environment.5

Virtual simulators have now become the norm in the fields of aerospace, aviation, and a few medical fields for neurosurgery, cardiovascular procedures, laparoscopy, vascular procedures, and certain biopsies to offer realistic, safe practices while providing feedback to the practitioner.1 Aside from creating realistic graphical feedback, illustrations, analysis, and renditions of the anatomical structures, simulators re-create all of the tactile sensations experienced during procedures and provide accessories to supplement instruments for grasping6 and palpating tissues so that clinicians can truly feel while performing the procedures.

In a best-evidence medical education (BEME) systematic review, researchers studied the capability of simulation technology in educational science. The study revealed that high-fidelity medical simulations are academically sufficient, simulation-based discipline complements to medical academics in a patient care setting and facilitate trainee learning.4 The study emphasized the importance of emulating real-life, regulated educational experiences in which learners are active participants in the process. Curriculum amendments are being directed by worldwide integration and global standardization, including new and advanced technologies such as oculus virtual simulation systems that provide unique capabilities for clinical training in medical academia.7

A current study by Johns Hopkins University claims that more than 250,000 people in the US perish yearly from medical failures, making it the third-leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer.3 The study outlined deaths due to medical error that were caused by an insufficiently trained staff, errors in judgment or care, and system defects. This includes computer malfunctions, botched medication types or doses administered to patients, and possible surgical complications that may go undiagnosed.3 The US patient-care study, released in 2016, investigated eight consecutive years of data for death rates. Analysts found that based on a total of 35,416,020 hospitalizations, there was a combined occurrence rate of 251,454 deaths annually derived from medical flaws. In 2018, two years later, the numbers remained the same.3

These virtual instructional programs will personalize learning to the individual needs and requirements of each student and provide prompt feedback and support once the problem area is identified. These technology-based simulation software programs can improve education and clinical skills, as well as minimize potential harm to living patients while simultaneously providing individualized virtual learning. Herbert Spencer, an English philosopher in the 1800s, stated, The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.8 The action Spencer argues is that students, the academic environment, and the instructors clout will devise change. Education involves the actions taken to utilize these educational resources. The fundamental objective of adept education is for students to become life-learners.

References

Staci Violante, DHSc, RDH, graduated from the New York University College of Dentistry Dental Hygiene Program in 1997. She went on to complete her masters degree at the Fones School of Dental Hygiene at the University of Bridgeport. She has been a practicing clinical dental hygienist for the past 20 years, as well as serving as clinical professor in the dental hygiene department at New York University College of Dentistry.

Related reading

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The emergence of virtual reality as a teaching tool in health care - DentistryIQ

EON Reality unveils addition of Virtual Reality World Heritage Sites to its AR and VR library – Auganix

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In Virtual Reality News

July 23, 2020 EON Reality, a provider of augmented, virtual and mixed reality-based (AR/VR/MR) knowledge and skills transfer solutions for industry and education, has recently announced that for its latest addition to its AR and VR library, it has released a brand new update containing over 1,000 world heritage sites using immersive and interactive 360 images and 3D models.

The sites include famous locales past and present, including natural marvels like Americas National Parks and the Swiss Alps, man-made wonders such as the Golden Gate Bridge and the Great Wall of China, and historic locations such as Ancient Babylonia and the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Designed to provide educators and travelers with the ability to virtually visit and experience new places within the AR and VR library from the safety of their own homes, EON Reality states that each of the locations can have information added to them granting organizations the ability to build pre-made lessons, as well as a blank canvas to create a learning session about a specific topic. The company added that, particularly in a time when international travel is heavily prohibited for much of the world, giving users the opportunity to take field trips and vacations to a new environment in a matter of minutes can offer a valuable experience.

EON Reality stated that bringing these world heritage sites to its VR library lines up with the companys goals of providing accessible AR and VR education to as many people as possible, as well the companys own Global Emergency Initiative, which is aimed at helping solve remote education shortages. With many students unable to attend physical classes again until the COVID-19 pandemic is resolved, maintaining engaging and worthwhile educational materials has been a major undertaking for EON Reality in 2020.

EON Reality added that to date, much of its focus has been on replacing the hands-on training and education that it claims can only be replicated through VR. However, adding these new world heritage sites to its offering will give educators the opportunity to take students on virtual field trips that otherwise may not have been possible. For example, rather than teaching ancient history or foreign civilizations from a textbook, students can now experience it firsthand through the immersive platform.

The company closed its announcement by stating that: The addition also goes hand-in-hand with EON Realitys recent focus on self-directed learning as a means to teach both students and instructors to create their own immersive and interactive lessons through the Resource Center and other self-help tools.

Image credit: EON Reality

About the author

Sam Sprigg

Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he covers news articles on both the AR and VR industries. He also has an interest in human augmentation technology as a whole, and does not just limit his learning specifically to the visual experience side of things.

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EON Reality unveils addition of Virtual Reality World Heritage Sites to its AR and VR library - Auganix

Polyarc closes USD $9 million in Series B funding to add Augmented Reality to its business offering – Auganix

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In Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality News

July 29, 2020 Polyarc, the studio behind the popular single player virtual reality (VR) puzzle game Moss, has today announced the close of USD $9 million in Series B funding, led by Hiro Capital, followed by Vulcan Capital, an existing investor, and Galaxy Interactive via its Galaxy EOS VC Fund, a partnership with EOSIO blockchain software publisher Block.one.

Leveraging its teams experience of creating immersive VR games such as Moss, Polyarc has stated that it will now add augmented reality (AR) to its core business competencies. Furthermore, Ian Livingstone, a founding partner of Hiro Capital, will join the Polyarc Board of Directors.

The thing we want people to remember about Polyarc in 40 years is our characters. Our means to make our characters the most memorable is to build a company oriented around introducing them directly to our players in person. VR, AR, and the spectrum in between, offer an opportunity to connect our players with our characters through physical interaction and emotional feedback in a way that no other medium can match, said Tam Armstrong, CEO and co-founder, Polyarc. This round of funding was essential for us to expand our development focus to further embrace VR and AR games.

This is the second round of funding that the company has received, as Polyarc raised USD $3.5 million in 2016 to fund the development of Moss, which now ranks as one of the top-rated VR games of all time and has received several industry awards and nominations from organizations such as BAFTA, The Game Awards, E3 Game Critics, D.I.C.E., GDC, Golden Joystick, and the Annie Awards, according to the company.

Ian Livingstone, founding Partner at Hiro Capital, said: Polyarc is a proven leader in developing innovative VR interactive entertainment, and Moss is their amazing game which showcases the beauty and possibilities of what the VR platform can deliver. Hiro Capital is delighted to invest in Polyarc to help accelerate the studios future development of mixed reality experiences.

Hiro Capital launched a EUR 100 million Fund in 2019 to back deep technology entrepreneurs and creative studios in games, esports, and digital sports, as well as sector-specific applications of Cloud, Mobile, Streaming, Big Data, AI, Wearables, and AR and VR technologies. Hiro Capitals investment in Polyarc adds to its growing portfolio.

We are excited to be partnering with Polyarc to push Mixed Reality to the next level. They are a super-smart, passionate team who combine creative brilliance with business vision. Hiro invests in strong character-led IP on next-generation cross-platform tech: we believe that Polyarc will be a leader in the next generation of Immersive entertainment. said Luke Alvarez, Managing Partner of Hiro.

For information on Polyarc, please visit the companys website. The company is also currently hiring for several positions.

Image credit: Polyarc / Hiro Capital

About the author

Sam Sprigg

Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he covers news articles on both the AR and VR industries. He also has an interest in human augmentation technology as a whole, and does not just limit his learning specifically to the visual experience side of things.

See original here:

Polyarc closes USD $9 million in Series B funding to add Augmented Reality to its business offering - Auganix

Automotive Augmented Reality (AR) And Virtual Reality (VR) Market Forecasts to 2027: Global Industry Growth, Share, Size, Trends and Segmentation…

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New Jersey, United States,- The research report on Automotive Augmented Reality (AR) And Virtual Reality (VR) market comprises of insights in terms of pivotal parameters such as production as well as the consumption patterns alongside revenue estimations for the projected timeframe. Speaking of production aspects, the study offers an in-depth analysis regarding the manufacturing processes along with the gross revenue amassed by the leading producers operating in this business arena. The unit cost deployed by these producers in various regions during the estimated timeframe is also mentioned in the report.

Significant information pertaining to the product volume and consumption value is enlisted in the document. Additionally, the report contains details regarding the consumption graphs, Individual sale prices, and import & export activities. Additional information concerning the production and consumption patterns are presented in the report.

In a word, the Automotive Augmented Reality (AR) And Virtual Reality (VR) Market report provides major statistics on the state of the Automotive Augmented Reality (AR) And Virtual Reality (VR) industry with a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market. In the end, Automotive Augmented Reality (AR) And Virtual Reality (VR) Market report delivers a conclusion which includes Research Findings, Market Size Evaluation, Global Market Share, Consumer Needs along with Customer Preference Change, Data Source. These factors will raise the growth of the business overall.

Regions Covered in the Global Automotive Augmented Reality (AR) And Virtual Reality (VR) Market:

The Middle East and Africa (GCC Countries and Egypt)

North America (the United States, Mexico, and Canada)

South America (Brazil etc.)

Europe (Turkey, Germany, Russia UK, Italy, France, etc.)

Asia-Pacific (Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Thailand, India, Indonesia, and Australia)

Highlights of the Report:

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Identification and in-depth assessment of growth opportunities in key segments and regions

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Comprehensive analysis of important growth drivers, restraints, challenges, and growth prospects

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The report offers a complete company profiling of leading players competing in the global Automotive Augmented Reality (AR) And Virtual Reality (VR) marketwith a high focus on the share, gross margin, net profit, sales, product portfolio, new applications, recent developments, and several other factors. It also throws light on the vendor landscape to help players become aware of future competitive changes in the global Automotive Augmented Reality (AR) And Virtual Reality (VR) market.

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Market Research Intellect provides syndicated and customized research reports to clients from various industries and organizations with the aim of delivering functional expertise. We provide reports for all industries including Energy, Technology, Manufacturing and Construction, Chemicals and Materials, Food and Beverage, and more. These reports deliver an in-depth study of the market with industry analysis, the market value for regions and countries, and trends that are pertinent to the industry.

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Automotive Augmented Reality (AR) And Virtual Reality (VR) Market Forecasts to 2027: Global Industry Growth, Share, Size, Trends and Segmentation...

If our reality is a video game, does that solve the problem of evil? – The Conversation UK

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Pandemics and natural disasters cause pain and suffering to millions worldwide and can challenge the very foundations of human belief systems. They can be particularly challenging for those who believe in an all-knowing and righteous God. The Lisbon earthquake of 1755, for example, shook the previously unquestioned faith of many and led Voltaire to question whether this really could be the best of all possible worlds.

When the Spanish flu struck in 1918, some chose to see it as divine punishment for the sins of mankind and looked to prayer, rather than science, for salvation. Notoriously, the Bishop of Zamora resisted calls from the Spanish authorities to close his churches and instead insisted on holding additional masses and processions.

From a theological standpoint, natural disasters and pandemics inevitably raise the profile of the long-standing and much-debated problem of evil. Here is philosopher Galen Strawsons take on the problem:

We can, for example, know with certainty that the Christian God does not exist as standardly defined: a being who is omniscient, omnipotent and wholly benevolent. The proof lies in the world, which is full of extraordinary sufferingbelief in such a God, however rare, is profoundly immoral. It shows contempt for the reality of human suffering, or indeed any intense suffering.

But suppose the person who was directly responsible for creating the world wasnt God but some far lesser, far more fallible being. Someone more akin to an ordinary human engineer or scientist or even a movie director or video-game designer. Let us further suppose that the diseases and disasters that can be found in the world are all the result of design choices, freely made by this non-divine designer of worlds.

This may seem fantastically far fetched. But in the realm of physics just these kinds of scenarios are being played out as scientists work on the complex mathematics behind lab-created pocket universes and tech leaders, such as Elon Musk, explore the potential of brain-machine interfaces.

Its also important to appreciate that if this were the case then for many theists God could no longer be blamed for much of the suffering that exists in our world and the problem of evil would be very largely solved.

This article is part of Conversation InsightsThe Insights team generates long-form journalism derived from interdisciplinary research. The team is working with academics from different backgrounds who have been engaged in projects aimed at tackling societal and scientific challenges.

Why? Because for theists human beings are creatures of a very special sort: thanks to our God-given free will we have the ability to choose whether we act well or badly. And, generally speaking, God does not interfere with these choices or their consequences. If a free agent acts appallingly (committing murder, rape or genocide) the resulting moral evil is to be greatly regretted, but God should not be blamed. The fault lies entirely with the person who freely chose to act in this way.

Morality and free will are deeply intertwined. If someone does something very wrong, they arent morally at fault if they only acted in that way because they were hypnotised or brainwashed. Similarly, if someone performs a good act (giving food to a starving child, say) but only did so because a gun was pointed at their heads, they are not morally praiseworthy.

Most religious believers hold that humans have the capacity to make free choices. They also believe that anyone who chooses to do the right things can expect to be rewarded by God, whereas those who act wrongly can expect to be punished. For this to be possible God has to not only provide us with free will, he also has to allow us to carry out those actions we freely choose to perform the bad ones included.

This free will solution to the problem of evil has been a mainstay of theology since it was elaborated by St Augustine more than 1,500 years ago. From the theological perspective, the so-called natural evils pose a far more intractable problem. These include all the vast amounts of suffering caused by diseases, earthquakes and floods along with the agonies suffered by animals. As normally construed, these sources of suffering are not moral evils, since they are not the result of freely chosen human actions.

Hence the problem posed by such evils for anyone who believes that God created our world. Couldnt a creator that is truly all-powerful, all-knowing and good have made a much better job of it? In fact, wouldnt it have been quite easy for God to ensure that the world contains far fewer natural evils? A few tweaks to human DNA would provide immunity to cancer. A slightly different tweak would provide immunity to viruses. When designing the animals an all-powerful God would not need to rely on the incredibly slow and imperfect method of evolution by natural selection a process which inevitably results in vast amounts of pain and suffering.

On the other hand, if the maker of our world was not all-powerful, or all-knowing, or as good as its possible to be, then its not surprising to find ourselves living in the sort of world we do.

As for why we should take seriously the idea that there can be makers of worlds who are less than divine, there is no shortage of relevant scenarios to be found in science, science fiction and philosophy.

Among the obstacles that Cern had to overcome when constructing the Large Hadron Collider (the very large and powerful machine which discovered the Higgs boson in 2012) was persuading a worried public that running the collider would not create a mini-black hole that would escape the confines of the lab and go on to consume the entire planet. Although there was no real danger of this happening, such worries were by no means entirely groundless.

As long ago as the 1980s and 1990s, Alan Guth and Andrei Linde (respected physicists and pioneers of the now widely accepted inflationary cosmology) raised the possibility that scientists might soon be able to create bubble or pocket universes in a laboratory. Initially sub-microscopic, the newly created bubble universe rapidly expands and soon constitutes a full-scale cosmos in its own right. These new universes create their own space and time as they grow, so they take up no room at all in our world and pose no threat to us.

The energy driving the expansion of the envisaged pocket universes derives from the same inflationary field that cosmologists believe was responsible for an explosive expansion in our own universe that took place shortly after the big bang. During this brief period the scale of the universes expansion was enormous, it got trillions of times bigger in little more than an instant. But since the negative energy perfectly cancels the positive energy of the matter being created, no energy conservation laws are infringed. As Guth is fond of remarking, the universe is the ultimate free lunch.

Read more: Explainer: how does an experiment at the Large Hadron Collider work?

Various methods for creating universes in labs have since been proposed, including compressing a few grams of ordinary matter into a very small volume to create small black holes and deploying stable magnetic monopoles to create exotic spacetime structures. Precisely controlling the physical laws that govern the worlds created by these methods will not be easy. But physicists have not ruled out the possibility of fine tuning their basic physical constants to render them more capable of sustaining the complex structures needed for life.

Even if creating such universes requires knowledge and technology that we do not currently possess, a scientifically more advanced civilisation could easily possess what is required. Hence Lindes playful quip: Does this mean that our universe was created, not by a divine design, but by a physicist hacker?

This is one potential route to creating an entire world. But there are other possibilities, too. Perhaps in reality humans are all characters living inside something akin to a vast multi-player online video game, running on a super-powerful computer.

By the 1980s and 90s science fiction writers such as Iain M Banks Greg Bear and Greg Egan had started to explore the fictional possibilities of wholly computer-generated virtual realities in impressive depth and detail. The inhabitants of these worlds might seem to have ordinary physical bodies and brains, but like everything else in these worlds, their bodies and brains were virtual rather than physical, existing only as data flowing through a computers innards.

The 1982 Disney production TRON was an early movie depiction of this sort of wholly computer-generated virtual world. The human protagonists are converted into data (or digitised) by a specially adapted laser beam, which allows them to embark on adventures in a digital virtual reality. The movies ground-breaking computer-generated imagery may be unremarkable by contemporary standards, but they are vastly more sophisticated than those found in the early video game PONG, one of the main inspirations for the movie.

In 2003 the philosopher Nick Bostrom published his much-discussed simulation argument, the upshot of which is that not only are TRON-style virtual worlds perfectly possible, there is a significant probability that we are living in one. Bostroms initially surprising conclusion is based on some by no means implausible assumptions regarding the computational capacity that future computers are likely to possess (astonishingly vast, it turns out).

If we do exist inside a computer simulation, then since we are all conscious (at least while were awake) it must be possible for a computer to generate the kinds of experiences we are enjoying right now. If consciousness required a biological brain, Bostroms simulation scenario wouldnt get off the ground. But science fiction writers were not the only people to be impressed by the arrival of computers.

In the 1970s and 80s increasing numbers of philosophers came round to the view that conscious mentality is not essentially biological in character. Slogans such as, mind is related to brain as software is related to hardware seemed very plausible, not only to philosophers but to psychologists and neuroscientists too. If mentality is essentially a matter of information flow (as the computer analogy suggested) then anything could possess a mind provided it processes information in the right sorts of ways. And computers seemed at least as well suited to this task as a biological brain.

Less radical forms of virtual worlds are also possible and the Matrix movies provide a well-known example. In this scenario most humans find themselves living somewhere that seems similar to contemporary Earth. In reality, their entire environment is, in effect, a communal mass hallucination a wholly virtual world produced by a powerful computer hooked into peoples brains via a neural interface. But it doesnt seem like that: the virtual world seems just as real as our world.

Smaller scale variants of this scenario are also possible. Instead of an entire planetary population being simultaneously plugged into the same virtual world, just a few people are. Perhaps you are a 22nd-century schoolchild, enjoying a virtual lesson supplied via a tiny but highly sophisticated neural interface, spending a bit of time learning what it was like to be an early 21st-century person leading a perfectly ordinary life. In an hour or so your lesson will finish and your version of the 21st century will come to an end.

A Matrix-style brain-computer interface is capable of controlling every aspect of a subjects sensory consciousness down to the smallest detail. If it werent, it wouldnt be able to supply a completely lifelike total virtual reality experience, involving vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Society does not possess anything close to this kind of technology at present. But there is every reason to believe it is possible, in principle, and rapid advances are already being made.

The Pentagons Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) made headlines in 2017 when one of its neural interfaces allowed a paralysed woman to control a jet plane in a flight simulator. More recently, Elon Musks Neuralink start-up announced that it had designed a neurosurgical robot capable of inserting 192 electrodes a minute into a rats brain without triggering bleeding and experiments involving humans are expected to begin soon.

Read more: Elon Musk says we're probably living in a computer simulation here's the science

The science and technology needed to undertake this kind of world-making will be more advanced than anything we possess at present, but not by enormous or inconceivable margins. These are technologies we might reasonably expect to develop within a century or so perhaps sooner.

In any event, the capabilities of these world-makers evidently fall far short of the capabilities of the omniscient, omnipotent and wholly benevolent God of traditional theism. Given the worlds many and varied imperfections, if there is a creator at all, doesnt it seem more reasonable to suppose that it is of the non-divine variety? Someone more akin to the physicist hacker envisaged by Linde, or the virtual-reality programmers envisaged by Bostrom?

Adopting this hypothesis does not mean the theistic God is entirely redundant far from it. Theists can still be confident that God is the ultimate creative force in the cosmos. Maybe it was God who brought the primordial cosmos into existence and furnished it with natural laws that allowed its less-than-divine inhabitants to develop the capability of acting as world-makers in their own right, with all the moral responsibilities this brings. Although there is (at present) no way for us to find out what this divinely created world was like, we can be certain of one thing: being far better designed, it contains far fewer natural evils than can be found in this world, and so far less death and suffering.

But would a benevolent God allow less-than-divine people to create their own worlds? There is at least one compelling reason to think they would. As recent history has shown (think of the suffering resulting from the actions of Hitler, Stalin or Mao) God grants people a great deal of leeway when it comes to making choices that have horrendous consequences for untold millions of innocent men, women and children.

The problem of evil has bedevilled monotheistic religions ever since their inception, and the idea of extending the free-will solution to encompass natural evil has always been available. But until very recently, the idea that anything other than a being possessing supernatural powers could create a world such as ours was almost impossible to take seriously. This is no longer the case.

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If our reality is a video game, does that solve the problem of evil? - The Conversation UK

Virtual Reality Content Creation Market By Supply And Consumption Demand Analysis To 2020Virtual Reality Content Creation Market By Supply And…

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The major players in the Virtual Reality Content Creation Market are 360 Labs, Blippar, Koncept VR, Matterport, Panedia Pty Ltd., SubVRsive, Vizor, Voxelus, WeMakeVR, and WevrWe also need a market analysis section solely dedicated to major players such as where analysts give us an insight into the financial statements of all the major players, along with product benchmarking and SWOT analysis. Global Virtual Reality Content Creation market with great emphasis on its market share, recent developments, business overview, market served, and growth strategies.

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Virtual Reality Content Creation Market: Research Methodology

Coherent Market Insights follows a comprehensive research methodology focused on providing the most precise market analysis. The company leverages a data triangulation model which helps company to gauge the market dynamics and provide accurate estimates. Key components of the research methodologies followed for all our market reports include:

As part of Primary research, our analysts interviewed a number of primary sources from the demand and supply sides of the global Virtual Reality Content Creation Market. This helped them to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data and information. On the demand side of the global Virtual Reality Content Creation Market are end-users, whereas on the supply side are distributors, vendors, and manufacturers.

Every Day There Is A Treasure,

You Need To Find The Discount!!!

During our Secondary research, we collect information from different sources such as databases, regulatory bodies, gold and silver-standard websites, articles by recognized authors, certified publications, white papers, investor presentations and press releases of companies, and annual reports.

COVID-19 Impact on Virtual Reality Content Creation Market

This research study also includes the analyses related to the impact of Covid-19 on the Virtual Reality Content Creation Market. The global impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may significantly affect the growth of the Virtual Reality Content Creation Market in near future. As per the experts viewpoints, it affects the global economy in 3 major ways:

Virtual Reality Content Creation Market: Regional Analysis

This part of the report includes detailed information on the market in various regions. Each region offers different scope for markets because every region has different government policies and other factors. The regions included in this report areNorth America, Europe, The Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. Information about the different areas helps the reader to understand better the global market.

Complete SWOT Analysis of the Global Virtual Reality Content Creation Market

SWOT analysisis one technique that is quite that helps to gain an insight into the past and find a solution for the benefit of current or future blemish, useful for existing companies as well as the new plan. SWOT-analysis helps reduce weaknesses while maximizing the strong side of the company. Its can also be used when it comes to achieving certain goals in non-profit organizations or private companies. This tool can be used to make a reconsideration during the study.

Importance of SWOT Analysis in Business :

The mostimportantpart of aSWOT analysisis to improve the viability of your company.Importantthreats coupled with a company weakness typically put at risk your companys future, and theSWOT analysisidentifies these risks. You can eliminate internal weaknesses by assigning company resources to fix the problems.

Factors of SWOT-analysis will help businesses to understand their strengths to the threat that what is the strength of the company and what could be a threat or a risk in the future. With the help of SWOT analysis, companies can increase the chances of success and reduce the possibility of failure.

When the company conducted a SWOT analysis they need to know what are the weak points of the company. Then, managers can provide training to employees who help the company to improve employee performance.

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When managers know each and every aspect of the company from strength to threats. Time strategy formulation becomes easy. It helps companies to formulate a strategy.

It helps the company to motivate employees because when companies must know their weaknesses are trying to remove and send employees. When employees know their weaknesses are also working hard to eliminate the weaknesses

It helps companies to identify potential opportunities. SWOT analysis company because when they come to know about any potential opportunities that can help a business to grow.

Competitor analysis is critical to any marketing plan and SWOT analysis provides a perfect way to do this. Typically, PEST analysis is done before a SWOT analysis to provide details on opportunities and threats sections. Once you have a complete SWOT diagram you and your competitors, you can make better decisions about your marketing plan.

PESTEL Analysis :

APESTEL analysisor more recently named PESTELE is a framework or tool used by marketers to analyse and monitor the macro-environmental (external marketing environment) factors that have an impact on an organisation. The result of which is used to identify threats and weaknesses which are used in a SWOTanalysis.

Opportunities come in various forms, then the value of doing a PESTEL analysis. PESTEL stands for:

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How SWOT Analysis Is Important for Virtual Reality Content Creation Market ?

There are three steps to follow in this analysis.

In this stage, and we collect all the information regarding the first two internal factors, strengths and weaknesses. However, this information collection can be done in a number of different ways. One-to-one interview or a group discussion can be carried to gather information. There will be a number of different views, questions, and issues related to these elements.

Here, we can make a list of all the opportunities that it may encounter in the future. It can make another list of all the future possible threats within the organization.

In this stage, the plan of action will have carried out to meet these opportunities and to secure the company from the threats. In this stage, the organization makes sure that they can maintain the strengths, change or stop the weaknesses, prioritize opportunism and minimize threats.

If you are not doing a SWOT analysis for your business or new start-ups you will face some of these Problems or Issues:

Appendix

Virtual Reality Content Creation Market report gives you details about the market research finding and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain a competitive advantage. Supported by comprehensive primary as well as secondary research, the Virtual Reality Content Creation Market the report is then verified using expert advice, quality check and final review. The market data was analyzed and foretasted using market dynamics and consistent models.

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Virtual Reality Content Creation Market By Supply And Consumption Demand Analysis To 2020Virtual Reality Content Creation Market By Supply And...

How Amika leveraged a chatbot to boost its DTC site – Glossy

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After 13 years in business, hair-care brand Amika, which is primarily found in professional salons and Sephora, was ready to invest in its website.

The brand already had a live chat function on its website, but it mainly served as a way for customers to ask about an order. It lacked a sense of personalization and the capability to offer product recommendations, so Amika added a chatbot feature to the customer shopping experience to gather more data about customers and also boost e-commerce sales. While retail stores either remain closed or have had to re-close (as is the case for stores in Los Angeles), replicating the in-store discovery experience has become key to making the brands direct-to-consumer channel a success.

Live chat was more customer service-based [post-sale] than it was a sales or promotional opportunity, said Robbi Webb, Amika senior director of e-commerce. [For example] when were talking to a customer directly, or even when theyre on our website, we often dont know what their motivation is for shopping with us. Were still a small company and still up-and-coming; [we] dont have hundreds of millions of dollars worth of tech investment.

Amika began working with chatbot marketing company Automat in January, which afforded the brand the ability to offer 24/7 personalized shopping opportunities to customers. The bot, called Ace,is accessible in several places on the e-commerce site, including in the lower right corner of the homepage and in a banner photo at the top of all pages. Ace asks customers approximately 15 questions about their hair type, the products theyre looking for and their hair goals, while also offering the opportunity to sign up for Amikas newsletter to receive a 15% off coupon. After customers complete the questionnaire, Ace recommends between two and five products.

This conversational technology has almost always been used for [replacing human] customer service, which most people dont like, said Andy Mauro, Automat CEO and co-founder. But for somebody in their shopping journey, a chatbot is giving them something that they were not expecting.

Within the beauty industry, the onset of coronavirus in March quickly exposed brands who had not invested in their own e-commerce. Brands like Dior quickly added virtual reality to its e-commerce in April, while MAC Cosmetics added augmented reality in May. In many ways, the prioritization of the in-store experiences over the last five years meant any digital e-commerce investments were to supplement stores rather than rival them. But beauty brands with richer digital experiences that can match the in-store experience (or those that are DTC-only, in the case of brands like Glossier and Il Makiage) have faired better. In the long term, industry insiders predict a shift in omnichannel, with e-commerce becoming a more important priority.

Webb said the quiz has a 57% completion rate, and because Amika does not have any other survey tools on its website, it is gaining valuable insight into what current and new customers are looking for and what needs they have. Amika is using this information for ad targeting and email capture, and then personalized email marketing. Over 22,000 people have completed the quiz, accounting for about 15% of Amikas web traffic. The average percentage of web traffic that engages with a brands chatbot was about 3% pre-coronavirus and is 6% amid coronavirus, said Mauro. Webb declined to say what percentage of Amikas revenue is DTC versus retail and salons. Mauro explained that Automat prices its technology based on sales uplift, and that the price is locked-in after a three-month trial period.

Through the chatbot, Amika has seen sales conversion rates increase, on average, by 300%, but the conversion rate spiked to 800% when Amika ran a flash sale in May. Additionally, quiz takers spend at least four times longer on the e-commerce site, and the average basket size of those customers is at least 70% larger than non-quiz takers, though Webb declined to specify further. The chatbot has not had an impact on cart abandonment, she said.

Moving forward, Webb said that Amika is looking to create a custom landing page by the end of August that focuses on the chat specifically for customers who are coming to Amika through search, paid ads and unpaid social posts. This will allow Amika to gather customer information from the get-go rather than wait for them to seek out the Ace chatbot, said Webb.

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How Amika leveraged a chatbot to boost its DTC site - Glossy

The importance of virtual reality in business – Research Snipers

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VR technology has come a long way in quite a short space of time, and unlike the 3D glasses gimmick that seems to have largely run its course, it seems like this technology is here to stay, increasingly being adopted into different mainstream industries and even in the business sphere.

Interested to learn more about the importance of virtual reality in business, and how it might be able to benefit your business/line of work in the future? Heres a little bit more general information about the technology itself, as well as some examples of interesting professional uses that you may not have considered.

Breaking down VR

Examples of current usages

Again, the benefits and usages of virtual reality technology are quite varied, and a lot of different companies are already utilizing the technology in order to help them get the job done more efficiently. For inspiration on how you might be able to use VR to assist in your line of work, here are a few examples: Forward-thinking investment As part of their wide array of digitally-available investment materials, allowing international investors enquiring remotely and those stuck at home due to the current pandemic situation to get involved, RWinvest offers virtual reality viewings on many of their developments throughout Liverpool and Manchester. Providing a 3D visualization of what the property looks like from a first-person perspective, it gives buyers a unique look that they perhaps might not have been able to get from simple floor plans or blueprints.

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Nock and Mencken on Democracy and Equality – The Shepherd of the Hills Gazette

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(Adapted from The Libertarian Legacy of the Old Right: Democracy and Representative Government, Journal of Libertarian Studies23 (2019): 521.)

Albert Jay Nock (18701945) and Henry L. Mencken (18801956) were the two leading libertarian intellectuals of the Old Right,during the thirties of the twentieth century. Both defended laissez-faire but opposed the New Deal, any connections between big government and big business, the First World Warand the American policy of imperialism. They were also very polemical against various movements for cultural and moral elevation of the people, such as Prohibition and the battle for public education.

With Myth of a Guilty Nation, published in 1922, Nock influenced an entire generation of classical liberals, opposing Wilsonian internationalism and arguing for anti-militarism.From 1920 to 1924 he was editor of the weekly journal The Freeman. His writings are mostly elitist, based as they are on the fundamental role of the individual capable of elevating himself over the mass of the people. His thought is anchored in a strong individualism, explicitly critical of any forms of statism. Nock has a disenchanted approach to democracy, mainly based on the idea that the lowering of the level of culture and education is related to the democratic ideology. Enlarging the suffrage would not do any better and its only result would be the destruction of the highest ranks of culture. The policy, decided on by the government, of universal education is based on the theory that everyone is equally educable and that education has to be extended to the largest possible group. But, for Nock, this does not make sense, since we are not all equals in attitudes and capacities. The only true kind of equality is the equality of liberty and before the law. But the education system is based on a perversion of the idea of equality and on democracy. First of all, Nock clarifies, the Founding Fathers chose the republican system as the best way to secure the free expression of the individual in politics. A republic where everybody votes is considered ipso facto a democracy, but considering republican and democratic as synonymous is simply a confusion of terms. Actually, strictly speaking, democracy is simply a matter of counting the ballots, but it became an ideology. RepublicanismNock writesdoes notof itself even imply democracy.Democracy is not a matter of an extension of the suffrage.It is a matter of the diffusion of ownership; a true doctrine of democracy is a doctrine of public property. And this because we are aware that it is not, never was and never will be, those who vote that rule, but those who own. So democracy, being an economic status, is animated by a strong resentment toward the lite, the socially, economically and intellectually superior persons. The democratic ideology rejects the simple reality that some achievements and experiences are open only to some people and not to all. Democracy postulates that everybody has to enjoy the same things.

The whole institutional life organized under the popular idea of democracy, then, must reflect this resentment. It must aim at no ideals above those of the average man, that is to say, it must regulate itself by the lowest common denominator of intelligence, taste and character in the society which it represents.

In a democratic system, therefore, education would be common property and so what is not manageable by everybody must be disregarded. This leads to a low and poor level of education and to the destruction of the higher ranks of culture, art, taste and life itself. Moreover, Nocks theory of the state, as an enemy institution, founded on exploitation and robbery, sheds further light on his ideas about democracy. The doctrine of popular sovereignty was a structural alteration to the state, necessary to make people believe that the state was literally the expression of the popular will. Democratic representation has been an expedient in order to submit the subjects to a state they believed was legitimate. The most important expedient

was that of bringing in the so called representative or parliamentary system, which Puritanism introduced into the modern world, and which has received a great deal of praise as an advance towards democracy. This praise, however, is exaggerated. The change was one of form only, and its bearing on democracy has been inconsiderable.

Henry Louis Mencken was a leading protagonist of the American Old Right. In the weekly journal American Mercury, he and his colleagues bitterly criticized moral crusaders and the entire Wilsonian politics that considered the United States as the guardian of the world. Although he was a literary figure and did not elaborate a systematic system of political thought, he can rightly be considered a libertarian. Both Murray N. Rothbard and (Justin) Raimondo are convinced that there are many good reasons to place Mencken in the libertarian tradition. Rothbard defined him as the joyous libertarian for his witty and satirical prose.Mencken was, in Rothbards words, a serene and confident individualist, dedicated to competence and excellence and deeply devoted to liberty, but convinced that the bulk of his fellows were beyond repair. Mencken had a great influence on the Old Right during the twenties, rejecting the idea of a world war for peace and democracy,and defending laissez-faire in economics and in private life. His liberating force and his writings were not for the masses, but for the intelligent few who could understand and appreciate his message. Mencken believed that

government, in its essence, is a conspiracy against the superior man; its one permanent object is to oppress him and cripple him.One of its primary functions is to regiment men by force, to make them as much alike as possible, to search out and combat originality among them. The most dangerous man, to any government, is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regards to the prevailing superstitions and taboos.

The government is a separate, independent and often hostile power. Mencken perceived the deep sense of antagonism between the government and the people it governs. It isa separate and autonomous corporation mainly devoted to exploiting the population for the benefits of their own members, oppressing the taxpayers to their own gain. The best kind of government, he writes, is one which lets the individual alone, one which barely escapes being no government at all.

Menckens individualist perspective gives great consistency to his views on many topics, among the most important of which is democracy. Notes on Democracy, published in 1926, contains one of the most scathing critiques of the idea that the great masses of the people have an inalienable right to govern themselves and that they are competent to do it. A government is considered a good one if it can satisfy quickly the desires and ideas of the masses, that is to say of the inferior men. A good and democratic government is based on the idea of the omnipotence and omniscience of the masses. But, Mencken states, that there is actually no more evidence for the wisdom of the inferior man, nor for his virtue, than there is for the notion that Friday is an unlucky day.Mencken begins his analysis of democracy examining the psychology of the democratic man and clarifying that in an aristocratic society government is a function of those who have got relatively far up the poles.In a democratic society it is the function of all, and hence mainly of those who have got only a few spans from the ground.The democratic man contemplates with bitterness and admiration those who are above him. Bitterness and admiration form a complex of prejudices that, in a democracy, is called public opinion, which, under democracy, is regarded as something sacred. But, asks Mencken:

What does the mob think? It thinks, obviously, what its individual members think. And what is that? It is, in brief, what somewhat sharp-nosed and unpleasant children think. The mob, being composed, in the overwhelming main, of men and women who have not got beyond the ideas and emotions of childhood, hovers, in mental age, around the time of puberty, and chiefly below it. If we would get at its thoughts and feelings we must look for light to the thoughts and feelings of adolescents.

The main sentiment of humanity is fear and the main sentiment of the democratic man is envy. The democratic man hates the fellow who is having a better time in this world (Mencken 1926, 45), this is why, according to Mencken, envy is the origin of democracy. Politicians are well aware of the psychology of the masses, and those who know how to use the fears of the mob are the most successful. Politics under democracy consists almost wholly of the discovery, chase and scotching of bugaboos. The statesman becomes, in the last analysis, a mere witch-hunter; in fact the plain people, under democracy, never vote for anything, but always against something. Actually politics are not determined by the will of the people, but by small groups with special interests able to use the fears and to excite the envy of the masses. Public policies are determined and laws are made by small minorities playing upon the fears and imbecilities of the mob. Those who succeed in the realm of politics are not the best and most intelligent men, but are the ablest and cunning demagogues. Anticipating Hans-Hermann Hoppe, Mencken states that except for a miracle it would be very difficult for a man of value to be elected to office in a democratic state. The problem is that people believe that the cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy or something closer to direct democracy. The great masses of men, though free in theory, submit to oppression and exploitation. In fact, according to Mencken, the popular will remains purely theoretical in every form of democracy. Moreover, there is no reason for believing that its realization would change the main outlines of the democratic process, considering the low level of intelligence and knowledge of the mob.

Mencken examines the relationship between democracy and liberty and notes that the democratic man does not fight to gain more liberty but for more security and protection. The fact, he writes, is that liberty, in any true sense, is a concept that lies quite beyond the reach of the inferior mans mind.Liberty means self-reliance, it means resolution, it means enterprise, it means the capacity for doing without. But these are not the characteristics of the democratic masses. Actually, the masses longing for material goods can only be satisfied at the expense of liberty and property rights. It cannot be denied that freedom is an indispensable condition for the development of the personality of the individual, but if we look at the propensities of the masses we discover that frequently they prefer to sacrifice freedom in order to enjoy material or psychological advantages. The average man wants to feel protected even from himself. Writes Mencken:

The truth is that the commons man love of libertyis almost wholly imaginary.He is not actually happy when free; he is uncomfortable, a bit alarmed.He longs for the warm, reassuring smell of the herd, and is willing to take the herdsman with it. Liberty is not a thing for such as he.The average man doesnt want to be free. He simply wants to be safe.What the common man longs foris the simplest and most ignominious sort of peacethe peace of a trusty in a well-managed penitentiary. He is willing to sacrifice everything else to it. He puts it above his dignity and he puts it above his pride. Above all, he puts it above his liberty.

The average man tends to consider liberty as a weapon used against him in the hands of superior men but, recalling Edmund Burke, Mencken writes that

the heritage of freedom belongs to a small minority of men.It is my contention that such a heritage is necessary in order that the concept of libertymay be so much as graspedthat such ideas cannot be implanted in the mind of man at will, but must be bred in as all other ideas are bred in.It takes quite as long to breed a libertarian as it takes to breed a racehorse.

If one of the main purposes of civilized governments is to preserve and augment liberty of the individual, then surely democracy accomplishes it less efficiently than any other form of government, since the aim of democracy is to break all free spirits. Mencken describes the tyrannical consequences of the cultural levelling tendencies of democracy. Like Alexis de Tocqueville he realizes that the pressure of a mass society of men all alike and equal leads to ostracism of those superior individuals merely thinking unpopular thoughts. Once a man is accused of such heresy, the subsequent proceedings take on the character of a lynching. The democratic, egalitarian society is pledged to common cultural values resulting in a rigorous homogeneity of way of thinking and of life. So a man who stands in contempt of the prevailing ideology has no rights under the law. By the mid-thirties the influence of Nock and Mencken had begun to decline. The Old Right, after playing an important role opposing the New Deal and in the crucible of the First World War, almost disappeared. During the years of World War II, government banned any opposition to war, Roosevelt and the New Deal. The Old Right went underground for the duration of the war and when America emerged from the war a new generation of old style libertarians appeared. They believed in laissez-faire and nonintervention in foreign policy.

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Nock and Mencken on Democracy and Equality - The Shepherd of the Hills Gazette

Read the transcript for episode eight of Stress Test – The Globe and Mail

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You had your best-laid plans and then COVID-19 came along and hammered the entire economy. But youve got this if you have the right information. Join Rob Carrick and Roma Luciw on Stress Test, a podcast guiding you through one of the biggest challenges your finances will ever face.

ROB:You spent your childhood and teenage years under their roof. Should you move back in with your parents if it makes sense financially? Thats our big question today.

Welcome to Stress Test, a Globe and Mail podcast where we look at how the rules of personal finance have changed in the pandemic for Gen Z and millennials. I'm Rob Carrick, personal finance columnist at the Globe and Mail.

ROMA: And I'm Roma Luciw, personal finance editor at the Globe. Well, Rob, this is the last episode of Stress Test that we'll be recording this summer. And I'm feeling a bit nostalgic.

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ROB: Me too. You know, I think when we started this, it was like, there was snow on the ground and now it's like blazing hot summer like, so much has happened. The pandemic is still out there. But in Ottawa, where I live, people are out on patios and I have to confess I had a beer and a hot dog at a really nice patio by the Rideau Falls and things are looking up.

ROMA: Well, we had wine with friends on Friday night outside on their back patio, distanced but together, and I felt like old times. We were all so happy to just spend some time together outside without the children for five minutes. It was a wonderful, wonderful experience.

In terms of the podcast, I think also for me, it's been a journey because I'm more accustomed to being the person that does the assigning and editing. I'm not accustomed to being in front of the microphone and talking about these ideas where people can hear me and I have to say, that over the course of the recordings, I've gotten more comfortable, and I really enjoyed it.

ROB: Talking about all this in a podcast is a bit like rehearsing future columns and also greatest hits from the past. It's just me sort of thinking out loud about what I've learned and making mental notes about things I want to look into further in the next few months.

ROMA: So we knew we wanted moving back home to be our last episode. Why are we talking about this today?

ROB: I think we're talking about moving back home with your parents because it ties together a lot of the themes that we've been discussing in the podcast like the gig economy, student debt, expensive housing. A lot of these trends work against people achieving quick and easy financial independence after they graduate. And it's going to send some of them back home where they can live cheaply and build up their resources to move out later on.

ROMA: So once again, we see the pandemic, emphasizing or exacerbating some of the trends that were already taking place, we'll see another pop in this. And so it makes sense to use this as a launching point for looking ahead in terms of what we'll see in the months and years ahead.

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ROB: Just as occurred after the last recession, I think the pandemic-driven economic downturn, however bad it turns out to be, is going to send a lot of people moving home and that's a good thing. I hope we can draw out in this episode that that's a smart way to handle a problem.

ROMA: Absolutely. If there's one thing I think we should do today, it's make sure that that's not a shameful thing. And we can talk that through as we proceed.

ROB: Today, we're talking about whether or not you should move back home with your parents to save money. I think now is the right time to talk about it.

ROMA: In every episode of Stress Test, we talk to real people and experts to see how the basic rules of personal finance have been stress-tested by COVID-19. Should you move back home? That's up next.

COMMERCIAL: This podcast is brought to you by CPP Investments. Take comfort knowing the Canada Pension Plan Fund will be there for you. We invest to help ensure the CPP Fund remains resilient over the long term, sustainable and secure for millions of Canadians. Learn more at CPPinvestments.com.

ROMA: To find out what it's like when COVID causes you to move back home, we're taking you to Brockville, Ontario, which is halfway between Toronto and Montreal.

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RILEY: Hi, my name is Riley Morrison.

ROMA: Riley is 23 years old. Normally I live in Toronto but currently I am living in Brockville. So I was living in Toronto with my sister. Because I work in the film industry, everything is closed down so I can't work while COVID is happening. So we thought it would be best if both Paige and I came back to live with our parents until this is a little more settled or things open up a little more. So we came back.

ROMA: We spoke to Riley in April, just a month into COVID. In Canada, there was so much uncertainty. How was the new everyday routine going for Riley and her family?

RILEY: Surprisingly well. I mean, I haven't lived with my parents for more than two weeks at a time since I was 17.

ROMA: That's when Riley went away for school. And then she built the start of a pretty good career in Toronto.

RILEY: I'm an Assistant Director for film and television. I'm the fourth assistant director which means I'm one of the first people in in the morning and it's my job to make sure that cast go through hair, makeup and wardrobe. before we're ready to shoot at the beginning of a day. I coordinate with the wardrobe department. People who don't really know my industry when I describe myself job to them, they basically say that I sound like a babysitter. And it's kind of true.

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ROMA: The TV show she works on was shut down just like everything else, Back in the spring, Riley came home to Brockville where life really slowed down. At first, it was nice to have some family time.

RILEY: My dad declared Sunday movie night. So on Sundays, we make popcorn and we choose a movie and we all sit down and watch it together.

ROMA: Riley's family built fun routines for the new COVID life together. But the early days were still pretty stressful.

RILEY: My grandmother, she drove by and like stood outside her car and we stood at the door, and we were having a talk and she was asking me about things and it was what I was like really stressed like right at the beginning, and I ended up like, totally broke down in the yard. Because I was stressed about my rent and my worry come August like I don't want to lose my apartment.

ROMA: Riley still pays for her apartment in Toronto, which is her single biggest expense, while she lives at home, rent-free.

RILEY: So that night, my mom and I, we went over my finances, and we talked about it. And I have a bit of a plan now. So I'm okay

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ROMA: With all the stress of COVID. Being able to move home was a real relief.

RILEY: Financially speaking, it's really nice because the only money I'm spending right now is to pay my rent in Toronto. But I've been worried about my rent as I feel like a lot of people in cities like Toronto are because it's expensive.

ROMA: Because Riley and her sisters still pay for their rent in Toronto, their parents don't ask them to contribute financially to the household in Brockville.

RILEY: Which, you know, we're very lucky enough to have that kind of privilege. So it's nice to be home because I don't have any other expenses except for rent, which I only have to worry about once a month. The thing I've taken away from this is like, I haven't worked in retail in like four years, but maybe starting this year, like during the winter when I don't have a show I should get a retail job. So I have a backup. So I'm not dependent on EI. So I can work a little bit longer. Like it's just unfortunate that this thing I enjoy, my work that I love, I can't do. And I -- no one can give a like straight answer for when things are going to pick up or go back and that's the thing that frustrates me the most

ROMA: Overall, how does Riley feel about living at home during COVID?

RILEY: I don't feel bad about living with my parents right now because it's not like I've made some massive mistake in my career or a relationship and I need like, I mean, obviously, I needed to come home and it's financially better. But like, I feel reassured that it's not my fault. Like, this horrible pandemic happened and I came home, but like, it's not because I failed at anything. So I'm happy to be with my family, knowing I have not failed in anything.

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ROB: Im glad Riley mentioned the word failure because its a word I do not want to hear associated with the idea of moving back home. Its a rational, smart, shrewd thing to do. If you cant afford your rent if you cant afford to be living where you are, use the help available from your family. Its a smart thing to do. And you know, I find quite often parents are quite happy to offer that level of assistance to their adult kids.

ROMA: Certainly seemed like for Riley and her sister, her parents were willing and able and happy to help. I'd like to point out that in the meantime, Riley has moved back to Toronto and is in her apartment. She hasn't been forced to take on debt. And she's in a better financial situation that she would have been had she been living in Toronto, buying her own groceries, paying for all her bills. In the meantime, she got to go home, take a breather, and she's in a better situation overall, why wouldn't you do that?

ROB: We're grateful to Riley for telling us what it's like to move home during a pandemic. But COVID is just the latest reason why you might have to move back home.

ROMA: At this point. It's worth asking ourselves, why is it a big deal that people are moving home after graduation instead of going out on their own? How did we get here?

ROB: The idea of students moving home as a social trend got some traction after the last recession in 08 09 the economy tanked hard. And a lot of millennials started moving back home. And I remember it well, because there was a certain sourness about this as if all these millennials were losers moving back home. Remember failure to launch, the boomerang generation. Its like they went out on the world and just couldnt hack it and had to move home. The ignorance level was just stunning to me, like oblivious to the disappearance of jobs to the fact that millennials were only getting part-time jobs or temporary jobs. They werent able to use all the skills they built up getting their education. And gradually we got used to it because people started to realize especially the parents of millennials, the economy is extremely challenging. The opportunities are not the same as they were for previous generations. And just as we were getting used to it, I think were going to face a big pop and this again, theres going to be more millennials and members of Gen Z, who are not going to be on a traditional career trajectory, which means graduating from school, getting a great job, getting a first apartment and living that great phase of life, when youve just got off your first job and your income is substantial and the worlds in front of you.

ROMA: Let's remember that there are cultures and where it's normal and preferable for young adults to live at home until they marry until they can afford a house. In some cultures, kids and parents live together, grandparents then help adult children raise their kids, but for many other people, there's an expectation of this progression from university or college to a career to financial independence that includes getting your own place and not popping back in and out of mom and dad's house. That wasn't the case for me. I certainly remember moving back in with my parents after university. There were chunks of time in my life where I wasn't working where my life was in flux. It just didn't make sense for me to be renting a place and it was feasible to my parents to help me. I don't know where this shame idea came from, but I think if your parents can help you, it only makes sense to do that.

One of the things I'm seeing in the circles around me is parents of kids who are in school Elementary School in high school are preparing themselves for that kind of future. So we have some friends on our street that are doing a renovation, they're setting up their basement as almost a self-contained apartment with the expectation that one of their sons is at some point going to have to move back home, and they're going to be in a position to help him. I know of other people who were in their late 20s or early 30s and wanted to save a chunk of money for a down payment. What did they do? They move back home. Rob, you know this from personal experience, and we're going to hear from Rob's family. That's next.

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ROMA: So, Rob, this is where we hear from your family. And I looked down a timeline to see what my life is gonna be like in 10 years [laughs].

Rob actually wrote the book on this topic. It's called How Not To Move Back In With Your Parents, The Young Person's Complete Guide to Financial Empowerment. We're going to hear from your family now. You want to tell us who we're hearing from?

ROB: We're gonna hear from my wife, Theresa, and our oldest son Will, he's 26. He spent four years in Toronto, going to university there, then he moved back here. While he was finding his first job. Will works in the gig economy he's currently employed, working in graphic design and art. Our family lives in Ottawa. We recorded our family conversation in early June and started by getting Will to tell us what Theresa is like to live with.

WILL:I know that my mom really loves to keep a clean house. I like my space to feel a little lived in. I've noticed that my mom, you know, she, she really likes to make a good impression on guests, you know, the place has got to be clean for that kind of thing with me, it's like, you know, whatever, I'll do some dishes. And that's good enough.

THERESA: His room was a little bit messier than ours. And I would try to stay out of it. And every once in a while, I just couldn't help myself I would just go in there and with a garbage bags and clean things out, but you cooked amazing dinners.

WILL: That made up for it [laughs]. But honestly, like, I think is there's definitely more of like a give and take. I feel less like I'm just owed anything and more like I need to contribute to the household.

ROB: I think that's a really good observation. And you know, now that you've mentioned it Will, I thought that was exactly what was happening. You know what, you did make a lot of the dinners like it was I felt like we had a chef living in the house and it was I thought that was a huge contribution like, on nights where wasn't making dinner, Theresa and I just sort of looked around and thought we better go out [laughs].

THERESA: Thats right! Will gained life skills, we lost life skills -- the ability to cook dinners.

ROB: You know, kids moving back home after university is something as a subject that I think you really are only aware of if you're a parent with kids in their 20s. And so tell them about your book club. And all the comings and goings of the kids of the members.

THERESA: Right. Every single member of my book club has had their kids come and go and many still have their children living at home now, even well into adulthood. It's just, not only is it financially difficult to have your own place and expensive. The job market is so precarious even our own kids, they're employed right now. And yet it's so hard to find permanent employment, and then layer on that, just the complexities of life and the fact that kids may struggle with physical health issues, mental health issues, changes in relationships that are going to bring kids back home again, sometimes. I've seen all that among my friends, and a little bit of that with ourselves with our own kids.

ROB: The whole point of letting your adult children move back home is to help them get a handle on their finances. When Will did that he got his own place. The key was to land a stable job.

WILL: I knew I wanted to live alone. So that kind of helped me sort of budget what kind of apartment I was looking for, something like a bachelor, you know. And then once I had the first and last month's rent, and then I think money for two or three more months after that, I think it came out, I don't know, like five $6,000 then I was able to kind of comfortably say to myself, okay, I can I can move out and I know that I'm not going to end up on the street and you know, yeah, although I know my parents wouldn't allow that.

ROB: I have taught that boy well [laughs].

Are there any downsides to moving back in with your parents?

WILL: I think there's definitely a loss of freedom. Nonetheless, when you are living with your parents, I guess you feel some sort of obligation to you know, let them know where you're going or you know, all that kind of stuff. And then I guess there's also the element of living with somebody who isn't a college student, which is, you know, two very different standards in terms of, I'd say cleanliness and I guess, home maintenance.

ROB: Also, some recreational activities may have to be moderated or adjusted for communal living [laughs]

WILL:Touch, yeah.

THERESA: Will moved out when he was just 18 and moved back after he graduated. He was really just a high schooler when he left and he was an adult when he came back. So mentally, I found for me, it was a big adjustment. Was I going to be his mom? Or was I his roommate? And if they were to move back in again, at some point, you know, we would have a whole different Will and Jamie that we had to get to know and develop a relationship with.

WILL: I think it was very interesting getting into my own place and realizing I can just go wherever I want and do whatever I want and spend my money on whatever I want. Right? And I think there's definitely a period where I had to kind of, you know, learn the hard lessons about that sort of thing and learn how to, you know, moderate financially, and otherwise. You know, I'm constantly trying to, you know, turn myself into an adult, I'd like to behave more as such.

THERESA: This is where it's great when your dad is a personal finance columnist because I've found that Rob and the boys had this ongoing conversation about how they manage their finances. And Rob sort of had this really nice way of very gently kind of easing back on getting involved with their finances. And I'm really impressed with how financially responsible both of them are.

ROB: My one rule is no credit card debt. And if you ever have it, you come and talk to me and we will kill it off right away, because we're not, there's no way, that's just an endless trap. And far from that being a concern, actually, it's impressed me that both boys really know how to save. They know they're precarious workers because they work on contracts and they have both socked away a good amount of money and that really impresses me. Will, of all the things that you've learned about money at home what sticks with you?

WILL: I think it's a really a package deal of how to moderate your spending. One of the most important things that I learned, especially with the way that you're helping me sort of organize my finances early on, is that I need to make my money last. And I need to kind of be paying a little bit more attention on how I spend that exactly and where.

ROB: You know, I think all parents want to see their kids become financially successful and independent and be able to live the lives that they want to lead. And I think moving back home can be a way to strategically make that happen.

THERESA: For sure. And I guess what I would add is that, at the same time, there are things that our kids only learned once they move out, financial lessons they can only learn by living on their own and maybe feeling a little bit of nervousness and fear about how will I pay the rent and how much money am I spending week to week so it's always a balance between offering that space and enjoying spending time with them, but at the same time letting them grow.

ROB: Yeah, no, you know, I thought having the boys back in as adults was a kick really, you know what, like we had the best discussions ever. And, you know, were there tensions, of course there were but I thought it was a bit relaxing to be the parent of 20-somethings living at home. Like I've trusted them to go and come back when they needed to. And I had no concerns where they were going and what they were doing. I trusted them. And you know, there were moments when I thought it'd be nice to have a place back to ourselves again, but then we used to think we're going to be empty nesters again. So you know what, on the whole, a positive experience.

THERESA: It's nice to get to spend time with your kids that -- it's a little bit of a gift in, you know, in the middle of their adulthood that you get to spend time with them.

ROB: Any advice for someone who's going to make the leap and move back home, Will?

WILL: I suppose I would say adjust your expectations. It's easy to go back home and think that things are going to be just the way they were except now you're an older person and you can do whatever you want. But I think it's important to know that your parents aren't going to be you know, serving your every backing call all the time, you have to be a little bit more self-sufficient. And you know, make sure that the house that you're living in is, you know, everyone's doing their part.

ROB: And the other advice? Well give the last word to Will.

WILL:

Really kind of manage your expenses in a way where you know that you're constantly building towards that, like first and last month's rent that'll let you you know, get out of there as soon as possible.

ROMA: Rob, it was so nice to hear from your family. Will totally sounds like a kid that's got it all together. Sounds like he must have learned some of those money skills from you, either through osmosis or maybe some of those conversations eventually sank in.

ROB: It's osmosis, I think. You know, you never really know what your kids are listening to what they're picking up on. So anyway, however it was I was super-happy to hear that he had picked up a lot of the basic fundamentals and everything that I see it shows me that he's on a really good track for handling money.

ROMA: Rob, you wrote the book on this topic, How Not to Move Back in With Your Parents, The Young Person's Complete Guide to Financial Empowerment. But it was published over 10 years ago in the aftermath of the global economic crisis, when we saw the first wave of adult kids moving back home, what would you say has changed today?

ROB: One of the big differences to me is that back in 08 09, 2010, the gig economy was a novelty. People thought, Oh, interesting. Companies are only hiring millennials for short periods of time. Maybe well get back to normal and we havent got back to normal. That trend is a lot more pronounced now. And I expect it to get even worse. So I think helping millennials flourish in the gig economy would be a theme that I would hammer harder this time around. And I think Id probably want to spend more time helping young people pick a course of study that will develop into a decent-paying career. And I think I would also want to talk to them more about jobs or skills about developing a career how to get your foot in the door so that you get higher-quality contracts and you have a better chance of getting a full-time job.

ROMA: How much has the housing market impacted all this?

ROB: I recall back in 08 09, millennials were very keen to get into housing and I know theyre at least as keen today. I think its a little bit more economically out of reach because the past decade has been all about giant increases in house prices. So I think we might have to work a little harder to make millennials and Gen Z comfortable with the idea of renting for longer, Ive looking at alternatives to homeownership of not rushing into this financial straitjacket, waiting to get yourself more solid in the workforce before buying a house.

ROMA: One thing that stands out to me listening to your story, and with my own, is that it seems like the shame or stigma of living at home in your 20s and into maybe your 30s is sort of dissipating. Is that something you see?

ROB: I think it is you know, I moved back home after I graduated from journalism school back in the 80s. And I felt a little bit of shame but I had a job that was promised to me, it fell through for various reasons, and I ended up going to work for that employer later but I moved back in April. It took until December for me to start working again and then I moved out again in February but I did feel a bit, I didn't feel, I wasn't really proud of having to do that. Although it worked out super well. It was like up to me it was the prototype of an effective smart, moving back home, gathering your resources and then moving right back out again. Today I hear parents talk about it so normally they I hear parents talk about the quote, revolving door on their front door with our kids are moving in, they're moving out, moving in and out multiple times. We've seen that at our house. I think it is quite normal now. And I think it's seeping into the broader population. There's much less judgement about that. And I think that is such a healthy development.

ROMA: To me, one thing that stands out that we haven't really discussed is parents helping kids who can't afford it. I'm a little less worried about that when it comes to this idea of moving back into a house they already have. But when does that become dangerous?

ROB: I think that parental support for adult children becomes financially risky when the parents are digging into their own savings to help the young people. I think that digging into an RRSP to help young people buy a house is not an intelligent use of money. Often it's helping people get into a housing market they can't really afford. And so what value is really occurred from the sacrifice the parents have made? Parents need to keep themselves on a good trajectory for retirement. And I encourage them to help their kids as much as they want, and feel able to, without self-sacrifice. Now, there may be some, you know, day to day, month to month, year to year helping with various expenses, but I'm talking about taking a big chunk of money out of their savings and giving it to an adult child to pay for a house or for something else, that should only be done where it is clearly affordable.

ROMA: And what we're talking about for the purposes of this episode is mostly adult kids moving into their childhood home, and parents helping them out by giving them free rent. There are of course, other ways that kids could contribute that we've discussed. You could help out with some bills or you can help out by helping around the house, making meals doing things like that.

ROB:Absolutely. You know, there's a lot of value to be done in that. When our boys were home, they cut the grass, they shoveled the driveway, they made dinners. They helped with other tasks, they picked up stuff for me, they took the cars to the garage. I mean, the amount of time and money they saved was phenomenal. It was like so useful. So I thought there was huge economic value in that.

ROMA: One thing we're also seeing is parents helping their adult kids by paying for things like cell phone bills, car insurance, car loan payments, what are the ins and outs around that?

ROB: I have no problem with that. You know, I say that from the point of view of knowing that a lot of millennials and Gen Z, people are making minimal salaries, they've got high rents. They don't have a lot of money to do anything other than cover all the basics. So if you can take a little of the pressure off, and it's no problem for your parental finances. Basically, you're keeping the same family cellphone plan going after your kids are graduating, you're used to making the payments. If it's no sweat, why not keep on? As soon as they're able, as their income increases, you can fix that. Same with car insurance. It's just a little extra parental help that if it's affordable, I don't see a problem doing that. As long as it's understood that as soon as their salary moves up to a decent level, you offload that cost to them, pronto.

ROMA: So what we're talking about here is progression. What you want to see is someone who starts off in a more tenuous job position, perhaps in their early 20s. How they move through that, what kinds of steps they're taking, as they move into their mid and late 20s and into their 30s.

ROB: For sure, and if parents, if you see your kids forgetting to take on the cell phone bill after that, so don't hesitate to say, you know what, I see you're making more money now, why don't you pay for your cell phone?

ROMA: Rob, how do you prevent your kids from feeling entitled, like you should be paying their cell phone bill for them? Like it's sort of an easy thing? And why not let mom and dad take care of that? How do you help to make sure that they're progressing into a fully functioning, financially successful adult?

ROB: One thing is to make them realize the cost pressures of everyday life from a young age. So if your kids are going to university and you've saved up money for them through an RESP, you're going to have them contribute to this you're going to have understand this is how much tuition cost you want to go away? Okay, here's how much a dorm room is going to cost for accommodation. What can you kick in? They need to understand the economic value of living as an adult. And you can help them do that, as they take their very first step as an adult, which is going to university giving up high school, going to university taking on this big cost of education, they should have some skin in that game.

ROMA: It's interesting you mentioned that. My son just got his first cell phone, and we are having him pay for the cost of that phone each month. He wanted a cell phone. We didn't think that he needed one yet. We came to an agreement. You want a cell phone, you pay the monthly bill. What we're talking about here, and I think what you and I are both seeing, is that we need to have a higher degree of financial literacy. And that just means talking to your kids about money and how to manage it and how to handle it.

ROB: Right.

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