Lockdown challenges what evolution tells us about our need for personal space – The Conversation UK

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Humans are intensely social creatures. We all need company and social contact. But for many of us, being at home for long periods with a small group of people even those we love best can become frustrating.

One key to understanding why constant contact with our family feels so unusual comes from looking at how social groups work in other primate species.

Normally, a primates interaction with others is very well balanced. Neither our ancestors before Homo sapiens nor our close relatives like chimpanzees and bonobos would usually live in fixed, unchanging social settings. Instead, their natural social groups are flexible, which gives them the space and time to change their interactions over short time periods.

These kinds of group, which are more complex than those of many mammals, are called multi-level or fission-fusion societies. They consist of an overarching group that splits up and then comes back together on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis.

Subgroups can vary in composition, with individuals coming and going. The distance that they travel away from one another can vary, as does the length of time subgroups stay together. Some, like mother-offspring groups, can last for years. Others are much shorter lived and reflect rapidly shifting alliances, fallings out and friendships.

This is similar to human friendship groups, some of which last for lifetimes and others for only the brief duration of a holiday.

Zoos need to understand the importance of providing animals in captivity with appropriate social environments for them to thrive in. In monkeys and apes, disturbed behaviour patterns resulting in psychotic behaviour have been a topic of research for over 30 years. From this, it seems clear that the need for personal space and a desire to have control over the intensity and frequency of our contact with our families is not exclusive to humans.

Living in social groups is a fundamental survival strategy for primates and is one of the reasons why its so difficult to provide great apes with good homes in captivity.

Modern humans, meanwhile, often have the freedom to split their homes into multiple rooms and use other spaces for work and leisure. This helps us (under normal circumstances) to have a mixture of privacy, companionship and family time. In lockdown of course, we have much less freedom. Social relationships that are normally maintained through a combination of intense interaction and periods of separation while children attend school and adults go to work now exist in close, long-term proximity.

Humans also have the most flexible and variable social networks of any primate species. Our social groups of roughly 150 individuals include circles of predictable sizes of successively closer people. And unlike chimpanzees, we have no firm boundaries to our groups.

A human social network is not a clear cut unit where any individual is either in or out. Instead, the boundaries are fluid, and at the edges new people come in as others leave. Bonobos have a similar approach.

Each of our social networks also overlaps to differing degrees with others. A friend who is definitely part of my network will have their own network that overlaps with mine to a greater degree than a distant acquaintance.

For human hunter-gatherers, this sort of network structure with close ties and distant ones, and non-overlapping connections among members of the same tribe is vital to survival. At times of extreme stress, like a serious drought, having one or two contacts a long way away gives you somewhere to go if you cant stay at home.

A home group may fission (split) for a season, with each family heading off to their distant friends, and come back together when conditions improve. The group can do this without losing their overall identity. This can also help at times of social conflict, allowing much needed time to cool off.

In essence, while we have evolved to be very sociable, we are nevertheless accustomed (culturally and evolutionarily) to flexible social networks that give us personal space to manage our lives and relationships. Both isolation and too much enforced proximity to the same people can be detrimental to our mental health.

Read more: Coronavirus: experts in evolution explain why social distancing feels so unnatural

There is hope, however. Humans are resilient creatures who will find strategies to achieve some sense of personal space during lockdown, whether its through modern technology or a simple solitary stroll.

Negotiating ways for each individual in a household to control their natural need for personal space, at least some of the time, is key. Knowing that your personal time will be respected can help to ease the strain of enforced sociability.

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Lockdown challenges what evolution tells us about our need for personal space - The Conversation UK

This is the evolutionary theory of punctuated equilibrium in real time – Campaign US

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We are going through a very large jerk.

There are roughly two theories about how evolution works. Charles Darwin, who wrote the book on evolution, was a believer in gradualism slow change over millennia. For many years, this was regarded as scientific fact. But if this was the case, you would expect to seearecord in fossils of small incremental change within a species. But fossil records dont always back this theory. Darwin explained this by saying that there were gaps in the records.

One hundred or so years later, in1972, evolutionary scientists Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge suggested that Darwin had got this wrong. They considered that the "gaps in the records" werent gaps. That not everything evolves gradually, but that long periods of little change are disrupted by sudden, huge change. They termed this mode of evolution"punctuated equilibrium". This suggests that species are generally stable, changing little for millions of years; this leisurely pace is "punctuated" by a rapid burst of change that results in a new species.

After a huge scientific row, this was resolved by most experts into an understanding that both gradualism and punctuated equilibrium were true. This became known as the theory of creeps and jerks.

We are going through a big jerk now in business. Many business practices that might have changed over a period of months or even years have changed suddenly. Change that might have taken five years to bed in is happening over a period of weeks.

One obvious example of this is the way we are all now conducting meetings. Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Hangouts have all been available for meetings for years. Conducting a global meeting used to mean jumping on a plane. Now, any of us could be in a meeting with colleagues anywhere in the world in the next half-an-hour. We are all working globally. One senior executive has said that he is having more meetings now than he ever has because the team are usually at airports, out to dinner or on a plane. Now, with everyone working from home, it's easier to arrange meetings and in some ways it's easier to get closer to colleagues than before.

It is now well-recorded that, in some respects, media behaviours and attitudes are changing at a widespread and unanticipated scale and speed. Somecommentatorsare saying this is human evolution turbocharged.

Darwin also saidthat its not the strongest or the most intelligent that survives, but those most responsive to change. The ability to pivot, to react and to take advantage of the opportunities of this crisis is crucial. This is easy to say; no-one knows when or how we are going to come out of this. It isnt going to be easy or quick for economies to recover or for new business models to stabilise.

This isnt like previous crises. We are living through history being made. What happens next isnt about returning to normal any time soon. A new normal will emerge, but for now we are operating in the new abnormal.

Now is the time to begin to reimagine what the new abnormal means for your business.

As industry expert and WPP global president of business intelligence Brian Wieser says: "Now is a time to reinvent, to rethink, to optimise the forest, not just the trees a moment of resetting the growth agenda to come out stronger than ever."

The goal, tough as it might seem right now, must be to frame the new developments and tech and digital adoption as an opportunity for the business and to get closer to customers. This is what leaders need to focus on what we can do to reframe and reimagine. and not just what we must cut.

Jerks are painful more painful than creeps but teams that are resilient enough to navigate them will get through these difficult times best.

Sue Unerman is chief transformation officer at MediaCom@SueUPicture: Getty Images

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This is the evolutionary theory of punctuated equilibrium in real time - Campaign US

How to Teach Evolution in a Public School My Experience – Discovery Institute

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A reader, Julie, emailed me with a question that I often hear from teachers and home educators. For every teacher who asks, I infer that many other teachers have wondered the same thing but hadnt thought to reach out. Julie writes:

I teach high school biology. Would you advise me on a good high school biology textbook? I own a number of your publications, and love your products, in addition to attending your ID Education Day in March with my students.

I have successfully used Discovering Intelligent Design at the 9th grade level. However, I am looking for an actual complete textbook for the year. Thank you for your time!

I assume Julie teaches in a private or Christian school setting, in which case there are various options, the best of which may be a piece-meal approach using a variety of supplemental resources alongside a standard core textbook.

Many of these, of course, would not work in a public school. But the public school context is the one where my own experience lies.

I had an opportunity to teach high school biology for a year, a few years ago, and I ended up doing quite a bit of research the summer beforehand on the best textbooks available. Since this was a public school, I had to stick to purely orthodox choices. For my purposes in preparing lessons, I found the college text CampbellsBiologyto be of the highest caliber. That said, it was saturated with Darwinian assumptions.

What did I do? Well, I introduced the course by holding a lengthy discussion about the difference between science and philosophy. I warned the students that I was prepared to teach the former but ill-equipped to teach the latter. Anytime we encountered a section stating Darwinian assumptions as fact, I would ask my class whether it fell under the heading of science or philosophy. If the latter, we would either leave it for extra reading or (more frequently) we would agree to depart from the study of proper science for a few minutes to discuss the merits or weaknesses of the claims being made.

While I never used Explore Evolution(from Discovery Institute) in the classroom, I used it extensively at home to prepare for these discussions regarding evolution, and the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence for it.

As long as universities insist on teaching Darwinian evolution as unquestionable truth, I believe its critical to (a) expose high school students to the arguments so that they arent blindsided or embarrassed when they get to college, (b) help them to recognize the difference between fact and theory, and (c) train them to have intelligent and civil debates about the evidence, for the sake of the subject matter itself and to sharpen their argumentative skills.

That is my best advice for now, offered here with the caveat that I have yet to find a fully satisfying solution. I hope this helps!

Photo credit: SchoolPRPro, via Pixabay.

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How to Teach Evolution in a Public School My Experience - Discovery Institute

Geologists refine the timing of the Cambrian explosion and trilobite evolution in Grand Canyon – UNM Newsroom

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The history of the Earth and of life on Earth is written in sedimentary rock layers. To understand the history, you must understand the rocks. Sedimentary rock layers of 541- 485 million years old, from the Cambrian Period, provide a record of incredible mysterywhat caused the fairly abrupt, in geologic terms, appearance on Earth of a great diversity of early animal forms and their preservation as fossils?

This question is tied to several other questions about the environments the animals lived in: how much oxygen was there in the atmosphere and oceans, how was carbon cycled between organisms and the oceans, and how were the continents arranged in terms of the plate tectonic assembly and break up of supercontinents?

A new research project, with investigators from Boise State University, The University of New Mexico, Utah State University, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and Museum of Northern Arizona, has been funded with a three-year, $815,000 grant by the National Science Foundations Sedimentary Geology and Paleobiology program.

Researchers studied the traditional lower to middle Cambrian boundary across where two major groups of trilobites were thought to go extinct at the same time as a third group appeared.Fred Sundbergwith white hat and hand lens identifies atrilobite find.

This team of scientists, including Professors Karl Karlstrom and Laura Crossey from UNMs Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, is undertaking a detailed study to find new occurrences of fossils such as trilobites, brachiopods, and microfossils, to measure meter-by-meter how carbon-isotope values changed through time, and to apply new technologies for precise dating of rock layers.

The Earth is 4.56 billion years old, and life appeared on our planet very early, at least by 3.8 billion years ago, said University of New Mexico Earth and Planetary Sciences Professor Karl Karlstrom. Life during the first 85 percent of life's history on Earth (from 3.8 billion to 0.63 billion years ago) consisted of single celled organisms.

James Hagadorn from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science is coordinating a team of paleontologist to study the fossils. The timing, causes, and impacts of the debut of animal life, known as the Cambrian Explosion, are poorly understood, said Hagadorn. Yet fossil clues to understanding this event are entombed in Cambrian strata that formed as oceans flooded the worlds continents, and as coastal environments blanketed the landscape with vast swaths of sand, mud, and fossils.

This explosion in the diversity of complex multicellular animal life happened very rapidly during the Cambrian Period between 539 and 485 million years ago and the reasons for this giant jump start towards modern animal diversity are still being debated, as well as why some of the early animals, including the trilobites, began to develop hard shells that allowed them to be preserved better in the rock record.

Boise State University Professor Mark Schmitz is the project lead and person responsible for the U-Pb dating. The pace and tempo of the evolution of life on Earth, even after centuries of advances, remains a major detective story for geologists, said Schmitz. The Cambrian explosion was an extroardinary event and rocks from this time period are well exposed in Grand Canyon. These strata and their fossils contain the clues for why life developed so fast and so far towards what we know to be modern animal diversity. As in many detective stories, knowing the when and where provides essential clues for figuring out the how and why.

Utah State University Professor Carol Dehler will coordinate the geochemical analyses of the rock strata. The carbon encased in these amazingly well exposed strata will provide scientists with a barcode of changes in the carbon cycle alongside the changes in biota. These records, when calibrated by U-Pb dating, will provide a window into the causes, styles, and rates of evolutionary change in the Grand Canyon area and will also be compared to other records around the world. One of the best parts, though, is collecting the samples, bed by bed, and documenting the promising information that is recorded through these thousands of feet of strata.

Major results of this study were published (May issue, 2020) in a pair of articles in the peer-reviewed journal Geology.

The Karlstrom paper, Redefining the Tonto Group of Grand Canyon and recalibrating the Cambrian time scale, now redefines the Tonto Group to include layers above and below that were previously poorly understood by scientists; the Sixtymile Formation is added to the bottom and the Frenchman Mountain Dolostone to the top based on new radiometric dating.

Cambrian Tonto Group exposed near Palisades Canyon in eastern Grand Canyon, USA. Thumbnail image here shows units exposed: PCd-lower Dox Formation of the Mesoproterozoic Unkar Group; Cambrian Tonto Group consists of: Ct-Tapeats Sandstone, Cb-Bright Angel Formation, Cm-Muav Formation, and Cfm-Frenchman Mountain Dolostone (Sixtymile Formation is missing here); DTb-Devonian Temple Butte Formation, Mr-Mississippian Redwall Limestone. Next red cliffs are the Pennsylvanian/Permian Supai Group; the rim of Grand Canyon is the Permian Aubrey Group. Photo by Laura J. Crossey

This change has global ramifications because the new age of 508 to 497 million years old for most of the Tonto Group is much younger than was previously thought. This indicates that seas flooded North America very quickly and that other continents experienced the same event. The Tonto Group dating has also recalibrated the international Cambrian timescale by adding a new location where the time of key extinctions and appearances of fossil groups is precisely and accurately dated.

One of the best-preserved records of these events is in the bottom of the Grand Canyonin a package of sedimentary strata known as the Tonto Group. The Tonto Group is spectacularly exposed in 3 dimensions (4 counting the time dimension) through much of the 270-mile-length of Grand Canyon and its tributaries. The last time these layers and their fossils were studied in detail was about 75 years ago, by Grand Canyon geologist Edwin McKee.

The second paper, Asynchronous trilobite extinctions at the early to middle Cambrian transition, led by F.A. Sundberg from the Museum of Northern Arizona, also includes other team members as coauthors. This paper addresses the question of whether trilobite radiations and extinctions were globally synchronous, versus geographically restricted and diachronous.

They studied the traditional lower to middle Cambrian boundary across where two major groups of trilobites were thought to go extinct at the same time as a third group appeared. Instead, based on the new U-Pb dating these three trilobite groups, paradoxidids, olenellids and redlichiids, and their associated biotas overlapped for about 3 million years, indicating that trilobite transitions were progressive and occurred in different places at different times rather than being globally synchronous.

It was once thought to be a global turnover, where extinctions of two trilobite groups were synchronous with appearance of a third group of trilobites at 509 million years ago, explained Sundberg. Instead, the new calibration of the Cambrian timescale shows that they coexisted in time (in different parts of the globe) from 509 to after 506 million years ago, a significant percentage of the time of early trilobite evolution during the Cambrian explosion.

Edwin Eddie McKee, a geologist who became Chief Naturalist at Grand Canyon Natural Park, wrote many articles and books on Grand Canyon geology. Here he is studying trilobite fossils in the park in 1936.

Sedimentary rocks are hard to date, so even where fossil transitions are well-studied in the rock record around the globe, it has not been possible to assign an accurate numeric age in millions of years. The key to unlocking this problem was to find and date the youngest sand grains in the form of the mineral zircon, which is amenable to U-Pb geochronology.

In Grand Canyon, the strata that were thought to span tens of millions of years are now known to have been deposited in just a few million years. This change has been made possible by precise U-Pb radioisotopic dating of detrital zircons, added Schmitz. It reveals surprisingly fast changes at a time when trilobite groups were appearing and going extinct very rapidly. Because of this new dating, Grand Canyon has, again, become a globally significant field laboratory for studying globally important debates.

The NSF grant titled, Collaborative Research: Constraining the tempo and dynamics of Cambrian Earth systems in western Laurentia, will further investigate this important time in Earth history with a study that will characterize and date layers above and below key fossil layers throughout the succession in Grand Canyon and all across the western U.S. First steps involve measuring and characterizing, in teams, where the key fossil horizons exist in the cliffs of Grand Canyon. Samples are collected for later laboratory analysis, then sent to the different universities to determine theage, chemistry and paleontology of the layers.

This promises to further refine the precise timing of unconformities and depositional episodes to test hypotheses about how marine flooding episodes relate to global biologic, tectonic, and ocean/atmosphere changes, said Crossey.

The broader impacts of this research are far-reaching and include mentoring a suite of post- doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate scholars, recruiting and training Hispanic and Native American students, and outreach and distance learning to help this science inspire younger audiences, including 4th-12th graders in rural, first-generation, first-nation, inner-city and culturally diverse settings.

The research will also reach many of the six million annual visitors to Grand Canyon National Park through Park programs, the Trail of Time exhibit, media, and NSF-sponsored field forums on Grand Canyon geology.

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Geologists refine the timing of the Cambrian explosion and trilobite evolution in Grand Canyon - UNM Newsroom

The Evolution of the Autograph (And You Can Forget Selfies Too) – SportTechie

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The camera phone transformed sports fans desired memento from collecting athlete signatures to snagging selfies with players. More recently, fans have sought a scripted recording, such as a greeting via Egraphs or Cameos. Now, a new company, Powr, aims to create a truly interactive experience by connecting fans with athletes to compete in esports.

We explain our company as the evolution of the autograph, says Powr co-founder Samantha Newman, who is also an MLBPA-certified agent at Double Diamond Sports Management. Why pay for a one-sided video where you tell the person what to say when you can actually interact with them, speak to them, see their face if theyre streaming, and actually get to know the people? It takes Twitter and brings it to life.

Powr co-founder Samantha Newman.

Bigger stars or celebrities can also use the platform to raise money for charity. The first such arrangement is for baseball reporter Ken Rosenthal, who writes for The Athletic and appears on Fox and MLB Network, to play others in Rocket League on behalf of the Center for Disaster Philanthropys COVID-19 Response Fund. I am terrible at Rocket League, barely functional, but my son introduced the game to me and I enjoy it, Rosenthal wrote SportTechie in an email, referring to his son, Sam, who was the lead developer of the Apple Arcade game, Where Cards Fall. So what the heck. People will have fun at my expense!

The idea for Powr originated in October 2018 when Double Diamond Sports Management founder Joshua Kusnick accompanied his client, infielder Carlos Asuaje, to the TwitchCon gaming conference in California. Kusnick was a novice in the space, but Asuaje is the founder of his own esports team, Motiv8 Gaming. While walking around the San Jose Convention Center, Kusnick was amazed by the events similarities to baseballs annual winter meetings in scope and setup. I don't think someone outside of esports understands the scale of something until they actually see an event like this, says Asuaje, who played three big league seasons with the San Diego Padres and is now in the Chicago Cubs organization.

MLBS CARLOS ASUAJE: With Esports and Gaming, It's Kind of the Wild Wild West

As TwitchCon wound down, Kusnick and Asuaje were chatting in their hotel lobby when Kusnick, ever the agent, wanted to brainstorm new sources of income for his player. He wondered whether there was a way to land Asuaje an endorsement or set him up to make money playing video games with fans. No such platform existed, he discovered, so Kusnick sought to start one.

I just thought this was an opportunity to solve both ends: improve the fan experience and create another way of making revenue for the player side, Kusnick says, adding: You're buying that time. If a high school kid wants to talk to a minor leaguer about what the draft processes are, or what minor league life is like, or about hitting instructionnot in depth, but just asking any kind of questions. They get a block of time that you normally would never get to get to have, and I don't think there's any other experience like it.

Creating a new channel of revenue to help minor leaguers has become especially important this spring as typical off-field endorsements have dried up during the pandemic-induced shutdown of sports. Its a way for young athletes to monetize what they were already doing in their downtime anyway, just without the usual anonymity. Fans dont realize how often theyre playing video games with an athlete or a celebrity because theyre playing with their game handle, Newman says. Were just lifting that curtain on something thats already been happening.

The hope is to foster connections between fans and players. You don't realize sometimes what just sharing a couple hours with fans can do for them as well as yourself, says Asuaje, who is a company spokesman and has begun playing fans via Powr. I enjoy it, I met a couple of new people and shared a couple experiences that I otherwise couldn't have. Most of the time, our fan experience is that we go to the side of the stadium and we sign autographs for two or five minutes, and then that's it. People don't really get to know athletes on a personal level. (Asked whether he beat the fans in the game, Asuaje laughs, No, I'm terrible, but I like playing.)

Powr co-founder Joshua Kusnick.

If I had watched Shark Tank for about a month, I would have saved myself the aggravation of that meeting, Kusnick says. I didn't have answers to anything, and we didn't even know we didn't know.

They soon found their momentum. Kusnick brokered meetings, Newman managed logistics, and Asuaje offered his acquired knowledge. He introduced Kusnick and Newman to a web developer and had a unique vantage point with experience in esports as a team owner, amateur gamer and pro athlete. Without Carlos, none of this could have happened, Newman says. Carlos knows what athletes are looking for and what gamers are looking for.

While the business plan for Powr predates the coronavirus crisis by a year, the timing of its launch is especially relevant in the absence of traditional sports.

That one-on-one experiencegoing and getting an autograph, taking a selfiedoesn't exist right now, Kusnick says. And this kind of fills that niche a little bit given the circumstances where anyone can go online, go play video games with a minor leaguer, a big leaguer, an influencer or celebrity. Ultimately, that's where wed like this to go.

Question? Comment? Story idea? Let us know at [emailprotected]

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The Evolution of the Autograph (And You Can Forget Selfies Too) - SportTechie

The making of an icon: Tracing the evolution of the famous Triumph logo – Mirror Online

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Think of the most iconic names and brands in motorcycling and Triumph must surely be near the top of that list.

The instant recognisable logo, with the swoop of the R running through to the H known as the smile line is familiar to all bikers.

What may not be so well known is that the branding has had numerous guises, reincarnations, redesigns and tweaks over the years, all reflecting the mood and culture of the time.

Mirror Motorcycling spoke to Miles Perkins, Triumphs head of brand management and previously part of the design team at global brand consultant Wolff Olins, which created the recent triangular iteration of the logo.

Miles says: For me, the Triumph logo represents an incredible history and attitude.

It generates a great deal of reverence and passion from fans all over the world, something the team took very seriously when carefully developing the latest version of this iconic mark.

The creation of the new badge with its Union Flag detailing and Triumph logo was inspired by the original makers mark engine-badge triangles from the 1930s, and was first sketched out at the factory with the Triumph engineering team.

Miles confesses he doesnt have that original hand-drawn sketch any more.

Im kicking myself, he admits, as this would have been a wonderful memento.

But he does have an intimate knowledge of the famous branding.

The logo is synonymous with the passion and independent attitude that the bearer shares, Miles says.

The likes of Steve McQueen, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, who all wore T-shirts bearing the logo, helped make it a metaphor for style, individuality and fashion.

The first Triumph motorcycles were produced in 1902 at a factory in Coventry, owned and run by Siegfried Bettmann.

Miles says: One of the very first logos had a slightly religious leaning about it, the trumpet possibly signifying the triumphant fanfare at the gates of heaven.

Those early bikes gained the nickname Trumpets from their owners.

From 1902 to 1906, the firm used a somewhat imperialist-looking crest badge, featuring flags and the Coventry name.

The first script design appeared in 1907 and was used until 1922.

Miles says it sought to make Triumph appear less of a faceless manufacturer and more approachable, by making the firms voice more personal, stressing the emphasis that was put on human craft, care and engineering.

But in 1922, the company reverted to a badge.

Miles explains: After the First World War, faith and trust in British products was a major selling point for firms based in the UK, and Siegfried Bettmann strengthened that message with an evolution of the old crest design.

He recognised that Coventry was the then silicon valley of the bike world and added red, white and blue to the patriotic mix as well as emphasising the links with the city.

A page featuring a map of the world was briefly used in 1932/33, before a return to a script.

Miles says: Advertising was becoming an altogether more sophisticated art and the idea that branding was about delivering a clearer message on quality and personal choice came increasingly to the fore.

This was the start of the age of the science of brand with the advent of television so the logo, with its distinctive smile line, was born.

The T in Triumph was drawn to symbolise the piston in an engines cylinder head while the serif font and sweeping line from the R to the left of the H were very much the design flavour of the day, bringing a more instantly recognisable human touch taking the lead from Victoriana and Art Deco.

The design was used from 1934 all the way to 1990.

At that point, the firm went into receivership and was then reborn under John Bloor.

The logo needed another evolution that reflected the amazing renaissance of the business and the energy of the motorcycle boom of the 90s, says Miles.

Every element of the logo was sharpened up a little and the smile line brought to the front of the H to give it more balance, reflecting the new-found strength and stability of the brand.

In line with the design style of the day, it became a more solid, modern and symmetrical logo to be trusted.

That version was updated slightly in 2005, before a redesign and the introduction of the triangle in 2015.

This incorporated the Union Flag, the logo and the timeless shape of the original engine makers mark that first appeared with patent details on the engine casing of 1939 Speed Twins.

Miles adds: Most motorcyclists who ride big bikes would certainly know the Triumph logo and continue to associate it with an incredibly rich history, technical excellence, and of course British engineering.

Our challenge, as those who came before us who have shared custodianship of this incredible brand, is to make sure that as times change, the brand continues to evolve to reflect todays riders and their passion.

MotorcycleDirect.co.uk

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The making of an icon: Tracing the evolution of the famous Triumph logo - Mirror Online

Virtual NFL Draft success might result in evolution to the process – ClutchPoints

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There were concerns heading into the 2020 NFL Draft about how a virtual event might work, but it appears now that it might change the way the NFL does draft weekend.

There was an overwhelmingly positive response with the way the event went, according to ESPNs Jeremy Fowler, who spoke with a number of general managers around the league.

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman thinks travel around the draft might be cut down with more things happening virtually, saying,

The interesting thing is it sparked some ideas about how we move forward, the amount of travel the scouts have.

Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead thinks they will be able to eliminate the middleman by just typing the name they are selecting into the computer:

It does seem like we should probably eliminate [the middle man] and just type the name into your computer and hit send.

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn also liked how his family could be involved in the process. Working for an NFL team can be a grind so being able to spend the time with his family was extra special. Said Quinn,

Jumping on flights and getting home late and sleeping for six hours and going to the office the next morning is hard, especially losing all the time we do during the season So I thought it was cool for [family to be involved].

For as much concern as there was leading into the draft, its a positive sign that everything worked out so well for everyone involved. And it could mean an evolution of how the event is conducted moving forward.

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Virtual NFL Draft success might result in evolution to the process - ClutchPoints

Evolution and Alcoholics Anonymous – TheFix.com

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I was an AA member for decades. While I no longer consider myself a member, I can still distinctly recall being comforted by sitting betwixt all my AA brethren, yet simultaneously squirming uncomfortably in my seat when pretty much everybody seemed to agree with the speaker as he shared about how all the good stuff comes from god, while all the bad stuff comes from us, from human nature, from the human will. This is misanthropic, entirely false, yet still an integral component in the conservative, anti-progress, anti-knowledge, and anti-science mind set of Christianity, as well as the branch or sect that is Alcoholics Anonymous.

Ultimately, this inability to recognize that all kinds of good stuff is quite natural and quite human cannot be reconciled with AA and the original sin, anti-nature doctrine which sits at AAs roots. Homo sapiens is itself the source of all the good stuff which we credit God with: the psychic change we recovering alcoholics and addicts undergo, the personality transformations, the will to grow, to become a better person, the joy we get from teamwork and helping others, the enjoyment and enthusiastic embrace of sobriety itself, and of the more fulfilling life which it allows us to experience. 100% all-natural stuff. No higher power required. All human.

To me it is far more plausible that this is all the result of the species Homo sapiens evolving a brain which thrives on both working with, and helping, others. Team-work and altruism were evolutionarily advantageous to those individuals who engaged in them. We evolved to be a eusocial, team-working organism. Like ants, but with thoughts and emotions.

The individual human did not survive long going it alone, all by themselves, on the African savannah of 100,000, 1 million, 2 million years ago. Those who enjoyed working with others were more fit than those who did not. Over the course of several millions of years, as we became Homo habilis, Homo erectus, then Homo sapiens, we survived and reproduced successfully, increasing our propensity to enjoy teamwork and helping others throughout subsequent generations. Thats how evolution works.

Those of us who got pleasure from working together and helping others were more likely to survive and reproduce successfully than those who were more inclined to go it alone. Being a part of a larger whole can have numerous benefits, and some species evolve to emphasize this aspect. Think termites versus tigers, for example. This is so especially when there are definite respects in which, when we Homo sapiens combine ourselves, we are indeed, quite literally, scientifically, greater than the sum of our parts.

Think Hegelian dialectic, that whole Thesis + anti-thesis = synthesis thing we learned in Intro to Philosophy, or maybe in History 101? Or think about that aphorism: two minds are better than one. Maybe even exponentially so. This is because of the nature of human intelligence. Now, this might get a tad academic, but only for a brief paragraph or two. Hang in. Its worth it.

Human intelligence is different from that of the other animals because it is both accretive and mutualistic, significantly more so than even our closest relations on the evolutionary pathway. That is, our knowledge accumulates, piling one layer upon the last, and qualitatively transforming with each new addition. Plus, our knowledge can be shared between humans. In peacetime or in war, between family, friend or foe, we exchange knowledge, and with each inter-change, again, our knowledge can be qualitatively transformed.

It is this unique combination which allows human beings to have a kind of intelligence which is transformational. These characteristics are why we have culture, why we have the capacity to create things which are new or original, and why we have the capacity to progress, to change ourselves when we recognize a need to do so. We can be transformed qualitatively through the progressive accumulation and sharing of knowledge.

Or, we can not. Homo sapiens also has the capacity to stick our head in the sand, dig in our heels, turn a blind eye, or whatever metaphor you choose to describe the more conservative, reticent, entrenched mind-set which Homo sapiens is also capable of. Both are natural to human beings. The question is, which one do we wish to nurture, embrace, and encourage.

AAs Big Book has not changed a single word of its primary text since its antediluvian author/s put pen to paper nearly a century ago. For those AA members who fear for AAs longevity, this simple historical fact should be recognized as pinpointing the one single factor which, above all else, threatens to render Alcoholics Anonymous moot, to make it fade from relevance, make it a thing of the past.

I know, I know: this is why I never get published. Too academic, too scholarly, too intellectual. But there are two conclusions which are vitally important. If youve stayed with me thus far, kudos. Heres the big reward, the pay-off

1. Christianity, and by extension AA, is deeply rooted in misanthropy, the belief in original sin and the need for assistance from a higher power of some super-natural or ineffable kind. We humans are supposedly so fucked up that we are merely the source of all our own problems, and never the source of any of the solutions. The best we can do is surrender, give up, let go of our will. We are all bad. Only something other than us can solve our problems. I refuse to buy such a negative, anti-nature, anti-human message.

Contrary to this traditional mode of thought, nature and human beings are not all bad and evil. So far as all worldly evidence suggests, in fact, nature, and specifically human nature, is the true source of much that we hold quite dear, including justice, morality, altruism, compassion, kindness, teamwork and love.

Human beings have an essential need to progress in light of facts, of truth, and of science, to change and transform as we acquire more and different knowledge. This is definitive of the animal Homo sapiens, both on the individual, micro level, and on the group, macro level as well. Now, not all that is natural is necessarily good, right? We are also naturally inclined to all sorts of negative things as well, I readily admit. The question is, which do we choose to embrace, to encourage, to nurture?

As with Christianitys Bible and Islams Quran, the Big Book remains the accepted instruction manual, old and outdated though it may be. Such conservative forces could be standing in the way of essential progress.

Acknowledging the cumulative and shared nature of human intelligence means recognizing the importance of change, progress, science, and perpetually learning anew. This is about the fundamental importance of trying to better understand how it really works, what are the true factors which make for successful recovery, the true operative principles.

Look, even if youve got yours, not everyone else does. We are only reaching a small percentage of those in need. By whatever metric you choose to acknowledge, AA and its various offshoots help only a small percentage of the worlds millions, perhaps billions, of suffering alcoholics and addicts. What is AA doing about the need for progress in improving our evidence-based understanding of the fundamental principles of recovery, so that we can bottle them up, so to speak, and get them to those still in need?

Christianity and AA are inherently conservative forces, opposed to science and human progress at a fundamental level. The first 164 pages strongly intimate weve already figured it all out. But we know thats not true. We could start to figure it out, for real. But the old answers genuinely hinder any efforts to do so. They point us in the wrong direction, impede our progress by presenting the problem and solution inaccurately, by reinforcing the belief that the problem is spiritual, the belief that the solution to the problem is already in hand.

2. Our evolved penchant for teamwork may be the true power behind the throne, the primary force at work in Alcoholics Anonymous: the psychological/emotional uplift which we feel within us, which evolved to reward us for teamwork, working with others, inter-connection, and helping those in need.

Your gut sense that what does most of the heavy lifting in AA is essentially community, immersing ones self in supportive team-human: I think thats spot on, as they say across the pond. Teamwork and community is what its all about, and what keeps AA viable despite all of the detritus and baggage, because we evolved to be the tribal, community-oriented, team-working animals which we are today.

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Has Covid-19 strain evolved since it was first reported in India? ICMR study to find answer – ThePrint

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New Delhi: India plans to study the evolution of novel coronavirus across all states and union territories (UT) to check if the strain has changed since it was first reported in India in January, ThePrint has learnt.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex health research body of India, is planning to study the genetic diversity of the virus after the lockdown is lifted. The plan is to collect the positive samples across the country and understand the evolution of the virus, Nivedita Gupta, a senior scientist with ICMR, told ThePrint.

All states and UTs will be asked to send these positive samples.

We will study if the present strain has evolved or is the same as the initial strain. For this, we need to sequence the whole or partial virus as per the availability of samples, she said.

Also read:June Almeida the woman who discovered first coronavirus but was told she was wrong

The evolution of the virus can be good or bad.

For instance, the change in the virus could mean it is less transmittable and less hostile (virulent) or vice versa. Or it may evolve into a less hostile but more transmittable virus or vice versa.

Evolution can be anything related to its virulence and transmission ability, explained Gupta, adding that the move is important as it will help in better planning and management of the outbreak.

The process will start after the lockdown ends since current travel restrictions will affect the virus samples and therefore, the results. Under lockdown, it is difficult to receive samples on time due to hurdles in transportation. Sample needs to be packed in dry ice and shipped within a limited travel time, she explained.

The tests will be performed by the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, an arm of the ICMR that specialises in viral diseases.

Also read:Indias Covid deaths rise steadily but infection rate fluctuates in states: Data experts

The study on virus evolution by ICMR will help in putting an end to the ongoing debate on the prevalence of different strains.

For instance, Gujarat has attributed the high mortality rate due to Covid-19 to a more virulent strain of the SARS-CoV-2 or novel coronavirus that causes the disease.

Media reports quote officials as saying that the L-type strain, which was widespread in Chinas Wuhan, the initial epicentre of the outbreak, is more prevalent in Gujarat, as opposed to the S-strain, which is claimed to be less virulent.

Gujarats Principal Secretary, Health, Jayanti Ravi had claimed that according to information gathered by scientists a different strain of the virus was behind the states slower recovery rate.

While Gupta refrained from commenting on this and said the NIV will share the results once out, other virologists have repeatedly confirmed that there is just one strain of the novel coronavirus.

Regular mutations appear in the virus as it evolves and transmits, forming different clades or groups based on their genetic sequences, but they offer no extra immunity or virulence, according to experts.

The objective of our study is not triggered by any states claim (about the variety of strains) but in any outbreak, it is important to keep studying the evolution of virus you are dealing with, Gupta said.

Also read: Gujarat is wrong. Theres just 1 strain of coronavirus and all mutations are as dangerous

The Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College (MGMMC) in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday sent samples from three districts including Indore, Bhopal, and Sagar to the NIV.

It is, however, not clear if these samples will be a part of the overall study or states are sending samples independently for testing.

The MGMMC virology lab is among the first in Madhya Pradesh to start testing for the Covid-19 and had till 16 April been conducting tests of samples from across the state.

We were suggested to do this (send samples to NIV Pune) by all the scientific bodies and we asked the opinion of consultants from NCDC (National Centre of Disease Control) and then from NIV Pune. They had all agreed, MGMMCs dean, Dr Jyoti Bindal, told ThePrint. According to her, four to five samples had been sent for testing.

When asked if she thought the strain in Indore was more virulent, Bindal said commenting on it would be mere speculation.

On Sunday, she was quoted by PTI as saying the viral strain in the Indore belt, which has a considerably higher fatality rate, could be more virulent.

However, later, over a call with ThePrint, she said, Samples are sent only for a study to understand the genome type of the virus. It will also help in the development of the vaccine.

Also read: Only 1 in 24 Indians testing positive for Covid, ICMR says this shows our strategys working

ThePrint is now on Telegram. For the best reports & opinion on politics, governance and more, subscribe to ThePrint on Telegram.

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Has Covid-19 strain evolved since it was first reported in India? ICMR study to find answer - ThePrint

QOTD: Do the Evolution? – The Truth About Cars

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Things change. Once upon a time, the greatest concern among Americans was getting home in time to watch that Threes Company episode where Jack wakes up in bed with Mr. Roper. Now, its antibody testing and virus-rocked retirement funds.

Things change in the automotive world, too, and along with it, our perceptions. Preconceptions often become misconceptions as new technology and a focus on quality control (or lack thereof) changes minds en masse via personal experience and word of mouth. Brands and entire countries once known for building the best become the stuff of jokes, and vice versa.

How has your thinking evolved?

Two mindset-shifting eras come to, er, mind. The first being the 1970s and the long, slow decline of Detroit as carbuilder extraordinaire. A flood of affordable, high-MPG, and often reliable imports put the Americans to shame in an era of economic stagnation, rising interest rates, and oil crises. Mercedes-Benz and BMWs status rose among the increasing number of citizens seeking luxury and refinement of the non-overstuffed variety.

A decade later came the Koreans.

Were going to buy you a new car. How does a Hyundai sound? a conciliatory car wash manager asks Al Bundy in a nearly forgotten episode of Married With Children.

Like an old lawnmower, our antihero replies, continuing the hunt for his star-spangled, forever-broken Dodge Dart.

Not anymore does that sentiment hold sway, and no one whos driven a new Hyundai built in the last decade or more would ever think that the company once built the Pony. The automakers Genesis brand tops quality lists. Its products look great both on paper and in the flesh.

Meanwhile, because things always come full circle, theres a full generation of drivers who, when they think of a new American vehicle, they envision their aunts Cutlass Ciera, or their granddads limping-home Dynasty. Since getting their license, theyve only driven a Honda or Toyota and see no reason to change. To them, anything rolling out of Detroit must be a hopelessly outdated, inefficient, badges-falling-off crapmobile.

And then theres eras where quality seems to take a dive across many continents such as the 2000s. The only industry to come out of that era of collective complacency looking good was Koreas.

And who knows maybe you picked up a new British car that turned out to be the most reliable thing youve ever owned.

So tell us, B&B, how has your personal ranking of various automotive ethnic groups changed over the years? Any big movements on the list?

[Image: Murilee Martin/TTAC]

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QOTD: Do the Evolution? - The Truth About Cars

Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. (ARLP) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 1.60 – The InvestChronicle

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Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. (ARLP) is priced at $3.88 after the most recent trading session. At the very opening of the session, the stock price was $3.87 and reached a high price of $4.09, prior to closing the session it reached the value of $3.76. The stock touched a low price of $3.6.

Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. had a pretty Dodgy run when it comes to the market performance. The 1-year high price for the companys stock is recorded $19.68 on 05/03/19, with the lowest value was $2.70 for the same time period, recorded on 04/01/20.

Price records that include history of low and high prices in the period of 52 weeks can tell a lot about the stocks existing status and the future performance. Presently, Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. shares are logging -80.28% during the 52-week period from high price, and 43.70% higher than the lowest price point for the same timeframe. The stocks price range for the 52-week period managed to maintain the performance between $2.70 and $19.68.

The companys shares, operating in the sector of basic materials managed to top a trading volume set approximately around 1.12 million for the day, which was evidently lower, when compared to the average daily volumes of the shares.

When it comes to the year-to-date metrics, the Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. (ARLP) recorded performance in the market was -64.14%, having the revenues showcasing -58.01% on a quarterly basis in comparison with the same period year before. At the time of this writing, the total market value of the company is set at 492.06M, as it employees total of 3602 workers.

During the last month, 1 analysts gave the Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. a BUY rating, 0 of the polled analysts branded the stock as an OVERWEIGHT, 1 analysts were recommending to HOLD this stock, 0 of them gave the stock UNDERWEIGHT rating, and 0 of the polled analysts provided SELL rating.

According to the data provided on Barchart.com, the moving average of the company in the 100-day period was set at 7.29, with a change in the price was noted -6.34. In a similar fashion, Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. posted a movement of -62.04% for the period of last 100 days, recording 910,453 in trading volumes.

Total Debt to Equity Ratio (D/E) can also provide valuable insight into the companys financial health and market status. The debt to equity ratio can be calculated by dividing the present total liabilities of a company by shareholders equity. Debt to Equity thus makes a valuable metrics that describes the debt, company is using in order to support assets, correlating with the value of shareholders equity. The total Debt to Equity ratio for ARLP is recording 0.63 at the time of this writing. In addition, long term Debt to Equity ratio is set at 0.61.

Raw Stochastic average of Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. in the period of last 50 days is set at 23.94%. The result represents downgrade in oppose to Raw Stochastic average for the period of the last 20 days, recording 68.71%. In the last 20 days, the companys Stochastic %K was 55.05% and its Stochastic %D was recorded 46.16%.

Bearing in mind the latest performance of Alliance Resource Partners, L.P., several moving trends are noted. Year-to-date Price performance of the companys stock appears to be encouraging, given the fact the metric is recording -64.14%. Additionally, trading for the stock in the period of the last six months notably deteriorated by -66.72%, alongside a downfall of -79.69% for the period of the last 12 months. The shares increased approximately by 2.69% in the 7-day charts and went down by 14.12% in the period of the last 30 days. Common stock shares were lifted by -58.01% during last recorded quarter.

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Alliance Resource Partners, L.P. (ARLP) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 1.60 - The InvestChronicle

Camden Property Trust (CPT) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 0.78 – The InvestChronicle

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Lets start up with the current stock price of Camden Property Trust (CPT), which is $88.07 to be very precise. The Stock rose vividly during the last session to $88.5 after opening rate of $87.65 while the lowest price it went was recorded $85.81 before closing at $88.88.

Camden Property Trust had a pretty Dodgy run when it comes to the market performance. The 1-year high price for the companys stock is recorded $120.73 on 02/24/20, with the lowest value was $62.48 for the same time period, recorded on 03/23/20.

Price records that include history of low and high prices in the period of 52 weeks can tell a lot about the stocks existing status and the future performance. Presently, Camden Property Trust shares are logging -27.05% during the 52-week period from high price, and 40.96% higher than the lowest price point for the same timeframe. The stocks price range for the 52-week period managed to maintain the performance between $62.48 and $120.73.

The companys shares, operating in the sector of financial managed to top a trading volume set approximately around 1.62 million for the day, which was evidently lower, when compared to the average daily volumes of the shares.

When it comes to the year-to-date metrics, the Camden Property Trust (CPT) recorded performance in the market was -16.99%, having the revenues showcasing -20.55% on a quarterly basis in comparison with the same period year before. At the time of this writing, the total market value of the company is set at 8.90B, as it employees total of 1650 workers.

During the last month, 13 analysts gave the Camden Property Trust a BUY rating, 2 of the polled analysts branded the stock as an OVERWEIGHT, 4 analysts were recommending to HOLD this stock, 0 of them gave the stock UNDERWEIGHT rating, and 0 of the polled analysts provided SELL rating.

According to the data provided on Barchart.com, the moving average of the company in the 100-day period was set at 100.07, with a change in the price was noted -22.62. In a similar fashion, Camden Property Trust posted a movement of -20.44% for the period of last 100 days, recording 856,626 in trading volumes.

Total Debt to Equity Ratio (D/E) can also provide valuable insight into the companys financial health and market status. The debt to equity ratio can be calculated by dividing the present total liabilities of a company by shareholders equity. Debt to Equity thus makes a valuable metrics that describes the debt, company is using in order to support assets, correlating with the value of shareholders equity. The total Debt to Equity ratio for CPT is recording 0.70 at the time of this writing. In addition, long term Debt to Equity ratio is set at 0.70.

Raw Stochastic average of Camden Property Trust in the period of last 50 days is set at 43.93%. The result represents downgrade in oppose to Raw Stochastic average for the period of the last 20 days, recording 85.47%. In the last 20 days, the companys Stochastic %K was 84.11% and its Stochastic %D was recorded 79.47%.

Considering, the past performance of Camden Property Trust, multiple moving trends are noted. Year-to-date Price performance of the companys stock appears to be encouraging, given the fact the metric is recording -16.99%. Additionally, trading for the stock in the period of the last six months notably deteriorated by -22.37%, alongside a downfall of -12.27% for the period of the last 12 months. The shares increased approximately by 1.23% in the 7-day charts and went down by 6.06% in the period of the last 30 days. Common stock shares were lifted by -20.55% during last recorded quarter.

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Camden Property Trust (CPT) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 0.78 - The InvestChronicle

Trimble Inc. (TRMB) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 1.69 – The InvestChronicle

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Lets start up with the current stock price of Trimble Inc. (TRMB), which is $34.63 to be very precise. The Stock rose vividly during the last session to $35.47 after opening rate of $35.14 while the lowest price it went was recorded $34.45 before closing at $35.71.

Trimble Inc. had a pretty Dodgy run when it comes to the market performance. The 1-year high price for the companys stock is recorded $46.67 on 02/20/20, with the lowest value was $20.01 for the same time period, recorded on 03/18/20.

Price records that include history of low and high prices in the period of 52 weeks can tell a lot about the stocks existing status and the future performance. Presently, Trimble Inc. shares are logging -25.80% during the 52-week period from high price, and 73.06% higher than the lowest price point for the same timeframe. The stocks price range for the 52-week period managed to maintain the performance between $20.01 and $46.67.

The companys shares, operating in the sector of technology managed to top a trading volume set approximately around 1.3 million for the day, which was evidently lower, when compared to the average daily volumes of the shares.

When it comes to the year-to-date metrics, the Trimble Inc. (TRMB) recorded performance in the market was -16.93%, having the revenues showcasing -20.26% on a quarterly basis in comparison with the same period year before. At the time of this writing, the total market value of the company is set at 8.64B, as it employees total of 11484 workers.

During the last month, 6 analysts gave the Trimble Inc. a BUY rating, 2 of the polled analysts branded the stock as an OVERWEIGHT, 5 analysts were recommending to HOLD this stock, 0 of them gave the stock UNDERWEIGHT rating, and 0 of the polled analysts provided SELL rating.

According to the data provided on Barchart.com, the moving average of the company in the 100-day period was set at 38.01, with a change in the price was noted -5.37. In a similar fashion, Trimble Inc. posted a movement of -13.42% for the period of last 100 days, recording 1,496,151 in trading volumes.

Total Debt to Equity Ratio (D/E) can also provide valuable insight into the companys financial health and market status. The debt to equity ratio can be calculated by dividing the present total liabilities of a company by shareholders equity. Debt to Equity thus makes a valuable metrics that describes the debt, company is using in order to support assets, correlating with the value of shareholders equity. The total Debt to Equity ratio for TRMB is recording 0.59 at the time of this writing. In addition, long term Debt to Equity ratio is set at 0.52.

Raw Stochastic average of Trimble Inc. in the period of last 50 days is set at 54.84%. The result represents downgrade in oppose to Raw Stochastic average for the period of the last 20 days, recording 82.81%. In the last 20 days, the companys Stochastic %K was 86.60% and its Stochastic %D was recorded 86.37%.

Now, considering the stocks previous presentation, multiple moving trends are noted. Year-to-date Price performance of the companys stock appears to be encouraging, given the fact the metric is recording -16.93%. Additionally, trading for the stock in the period of the last six months notably deteriorated by -12.46%, alongside a downfall of -14.41% for the period of the last 12 months. The shares increased approximately by 2.26% in the 7-day charts and went down by 5.23% in the period of the last 30 days. Common stock shares were lifted by -20.26% during last recorded quarter.

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Trimble Inc. (TRMB) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 1.69 - The InvestChronicle

The evolution of PR post COVID-19 Marketing News – Media Update

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However, with the necessity of social distancing becoming the norm rather than the exception for the foreseeable future, PR professionals need to reimagine how they are going to effectively interact with the public and media to ensure that their clients' messaging reaches the intended target audience.What will remain the sameThe PR industry employs several tactics to disseminate their clients' messaging into the marketplace. These include:

"Previously, it was very easy to do so," says Schneider. "All PR firms had to do was to put on an event that would appeal to their audience, introduce them to the brand, give them goodie bags and free food and drinks; the invitees would be all too happy to post on social media about their experiences."

"However, it's tough to generate this same type of interaction between your brand and customers using digital. This means that PR firms will need to think out of the box in terms of creating the same type of buzz around a brand," adds Schneider.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made us all incredibly vulnerable. However, it is from this place of vulnerability that PR professionals will be able to innovate their industry to make it better than it was before.

The Digital School of Marketing is an online provider of accredited digital marketing education, which will allow you to get an edge over your competitors.

To find out more, visit http://www.digitalschoolofmarketing.co.za. You can also follow the Digital School of Marketing on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.

PR post COVID-19 Predictions for the public relations industry 2020 South African PR industry Public relations after Coronavirus

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Diversified Healthcare Trust (DHC) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 0.98 – The InvestChronicle

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Diversified Healthcare Trust (DHC) is priced at $3.11 after the most recent trading session. At the very opening of the session, the stock price was $3.12 and reached a high price of $3.16, prior to closing the session it reached the value of $3.22. The stock touched a low price of $2.94.

Diversified Healthcare Trust had a pretty Dodgy run when it comes to the market performance. The 1-year high price for the companys stock is recorded $9.85 on 10/23/19, with the lowest value was $2.00 for the same time period, recorded on 03/19/20.

Price records that include history of low and high prices in the period of 52 weeks can tell a lot about the stocks existing status and the future performance. Presently, Diversified Healthcare Trust shares are logging -68.42% during the 52-week period from high price, and 55.50% higher than the lowest price point for the same timeframe. The stocks price range for the 52-week period managed to maintain the performance between $2.00 and $9.85.

The companys shares, operating in the sector of financial managed to top a trading volume set approximately around 2.83 million for the day, which was evidently higher, when compared to the average daily volumes of the shares.

When it comes to the year-to-date metrics, the Diversified Healthcare Trust (DHC) recorded performance in the market was -61.80%, having the revenues showcasing -60.83% on a quarterly basis in comparison with the same period year before. At the time of this writing, the total market value of the company is set at 739.13M, as it employees total of 600 workers.

According to the data provided on Barchart.com, the moving average of the company in the 100-day period was set at 5.98, with a change in the price was noted -4.44. In a similar fashion, Diversified Healthcare Trust posted a movement of -58.81% for the period of last 100 days, recording 2,045,290 in trading volumes.

Total Debt to Equity Ratio (D/E) can also provide valuable insight into the companys financial health and market status. The debt to equity ratio can be calculated by dividing the present total liabilities of a company by shareholders equity. Debt to Equity thus makes a valuable metrics that describes the debt, company is using in order to support assets, correlating with the value of shareholders equity. The total Debt to Equity ratio for DHC is recording 1.28 at the time of this writing. In addition, long term Debt to Equity ratio is set at 1.28.

Raw Stochastic average of Diversified Healthcare Trust in the period of last 50 days is set at 18.35%. The result represents downgrade in oppose to Raw Stochastic average for the period of the last 20 days, recording 63.58%. In the last 20 days, the companys Stochastic %K was 65.33% and its Stochastic %D was recorded 55.79%.

Considering, the past performance of Diversified Healthcare Trust, multiple moving trends are noted. Year-to-date Price performance of the companys stock appears to be encouraging, given the fact the metric is recording -61.80%. Additionally, trading for the stock in the period of the last six months notably deteriorated by -67.10%, alongside a downfall of -59.95% for the period of the last 12 months. The shares increased approximately by 2.04% in the 7-day charts and went up by 18.70% in the period of the last 30 days. Common stock shares were lifted by -60.83% during last recorded quarter.

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Diversified Healthcare Trust (DHC) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 0.98 - The InvestChronicle

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 1.26 – The InvestChronicle

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The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC) is priced at $106.67 after the most recent trading session. At the very opening of the session, the stock price was $107.67 and reached a high price of $108.47, prior to closing the session it reached the value of $110.99. The stock touched a low price of $105.17.

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. had a pretty Dodgy run when it comes to the market performance. The 1-year high price for the companys stock is recorded $161.79 on 12/30/19, with the lowest value was $79.41 for the same time period, recorded on 03/23/20.

Price records that include history of low and high prices in the period of 52 weeks can tell a lot about the stocks existing status and the future performance. Presently, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. shares are logging -34.07% during the 52-week period from high price, and 34.33% higher than the lowest price point for the same timeframe. The stocks price range for the 52-week period managed to maintain the performance between $79.41 and $161.79.

The companys shares, operating in the sector of financial managed to top a trading volume set approximately around 2.1 million for the day, which was evidently lower, when compared to the average daily volumes of the shares.

When it comes to the year-to-date metrics, the The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC) recorded performance in the market was -33.18%, having the revenues showcasing -29.34% on a quarterly basis in comparison with the same period year before. At the time of this writing, the total market value of the company is set at 45.49B, as it employees total of 50017 workers.

During the last month, 10 analysts gave the The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. a BUY rating, 1 of the polled analysts branded the stock as an OVERWEIGHT, 12 analysts were recommending to HOLD this stock, 0 of them gave the stock UNDERWEIGHT rating, and 0 of the polled analysts provided SELL rating.

According to the data provided on Barchart.com, the moving average of the company in the 100-day period was set at 130.98, with a change in the price was noted -45.53. In a similar fashion, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. posted a movement of -29.91% for the period of last 100 days, recording 2,726,800 in trading volumes.

Total Debt to Equity Ratio (D/E) can also provide valuable insight into the companys financial health and market status. The debt to equity ratio can be calculated by dividing the present total liabilities of a company by shareholders equity. Debt to Equity thus makes a valuable metrics that describes the debt, company is using in order to support assets, correlating with the value of shareholders equity. The total Debt to Equity ratio for PNC is recording 0.89 at the time of this writing. In addition, long term Debt to Equity ratio is set at 0.89.

Raw Stochastic average of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. in the period of last 50 days is set at 36.09%. The result represents downgrade in oppose to Raw Stochastic average for the period of the last 20 days, recording 78.43%. In the last 20 days, the companys Stochastic %K was 84.74% and its Stochastic %D was recorded 86.07%.

Considering, the past performance of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., multiple moving trends are noted. Year-to-date Price performance of the companys stock appears to be encouraging, given the fact the metric is recording -33.18%. Additionally, trading for the stock in the period of the last six months notably deteriorated by -28.07%, alongside a downfall of -21.11% for the period of the last 12 months. The shares increased approximately by 1.21% in the 7-day charts and went down by 7.28% in the period of the last 30 days. Common stock shares were lifted by -29.34% during last recorded quarter.

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The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 1.26 - The InvestChronicle

How Companies Should Prepare For The Evolution Of Work – ABCN’s Officing Today

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The coronavirus revealed how many companies were unprepared for a pandemic, and remote working has become more important than ever. How can businesses prepare for another disruption?

First of all, having the infrastructure to support collaborative and video conferencing capabilities will be essential. This is particularly important as in the future, remote working will become a bigger part of the workforce and companies will need to be able to meet the needs of workers who continue to do so. On-site server-based video conferencing is limited to specific conference rooms, so moving towards cloud-based solutions is a good first step in supporting remote workers.

Physical meeting rooms will also need to be rethought as physical distancing requirements will likely be in place for the time being. Including stricter cleaning measures in shared spaces and encouraging workers to keep their distance from each other.

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Managing a secure workplace when remote working is also important. Cloud-based systems are the most convenient tools for these workers, but they can also pose security risks. This means companies will need to use powerful VPN services, encrypting files, using secure communication channels and implementing guidelines for physical computer security.

The impact of our current situation is going to change how we work forever, so it is up to companies to prepare for future pandemics and the changing workforce.

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How Companies Should Prepare For The Evolution Of Work - ABCN's Officing Today

ABM Industries Incorporated (ABM) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 1.11 – The InvestChronicle

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ABM Industries Incorporated (ABM) is priced at $34.49 after the most recent trading session. At the very opening of the session, the stock price was $35 and reached a high price of $35.74, prior to closing the session it reached the value of $35.95. The stock touched a low price of $34.26.

ABM Industries Incorporated had a pretty Dodgy run when it comes to the market performance. The 1-year high price for the companys stock is recorded $42.67 on 08/01/19, with the lowest value was $19.79 for the same time period, recorded on 03/24/20.

Price records that include history of low and high prices in the period of 52 weeks can tell a lot about the stocks existing status and the future performance. Presently, ABM Industries Incorporated shares are logging -19.17% during the 52-week period from high price, and 74.27% higher than the lowest price point for the same timeframe. The stocks price range for the 52-week period managed to maintain the performance between $19.79 and $42.67.

The companys shares, operating in the sector of services managed to top a trading volume set approximately around 1.43 million for the day, which was evidently lower, when compared to the average daily volumes of the shares.

When it comes to the year-to-date metrics, the ABM Industries Incorporated (ABM) recorded performance in the market was -8.54%, having the revenues showcasing -11.29% on a quarterly basis in comparison with the same period year before. At the time of this writing, the total market value of the company is set at 2.31B, as it employees total of 140000 workers.

During the last month, 4 analysts gave the ABM Industries Incorporated a BUY rating, 0 of the polled analysts branded the stock as an OVERWEIGHT, 2 analysts were recommending to HOLD this stock, 0 of them gave the stock UNDERWEIGHT rating, and 0 of the polled analysts provided SELL rating.

According to the data provided on Barchart.com, the moving average of the company in the 100-day period was set at 34.11, with a change in the price was noted -3.17. In a similar fashion, ABM Industries Incorporated posted a movement of -8.42% for the period of last 100 days, recording 484,330 in trading volumes.

Total Debt to Equity Ratio (D/E) can also provide valuable insight into the companys financial health and market status. The debt to equity ratio can be calculated by dividing the present total liabilities of a company by shareholders equity. Debt to Equity thus makes a valuable metrics that describes the debt, company is using in order to support assets, correlating with the value of shareholders equity. The total Debt to Equity ratio for ABM is recording 0.55 at the time of this writing. In addition, long term Debt to Equity ratio is set at 0.51.

Raw Stochastic average of ABM Industries Incorporated in the period of last 50 days is set at 75.69%. The result represents downgrade in oppose to Raw Stochastic average for the period of the last 20 days, recording 85.86%. In the last 20 days, the companys Stochastic %K was 92.95% and its Stochastic %D was recorded 94.01%.

Lets take a glance in the erstwhile performances of ABM Industries Incorporated, multiple moving trends are noted. Year-to-date Price performance of the companys stock appears to be encouraging, given the fact the metric is recording -8.54%. Additionally, trading for the stock in the period of the last six months notably deteriorated by -7.71%, alongside a downfall of -5.84% for the period of the last 12 months. The shares increased approximately by 4.44% in the 7-day charts and went down by 10.72% in the period of the last 30 days. Common stock shares were lifted by -11.29% during last recorded quarter.

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ABM Industries Incorporated (ABM) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 1.11 - The InvestChronicle

Fastenal Company (FAST) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 1.14 – The InvestChronicle

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Lets start up with the current stock price of Fastenal Company (FAST), which is $36.22 to be very precise. The Stock rose vividly during the last session to $36.64 after opening rate of $36.47 while the lowest price it went was recorded $35.88 before closing at $36.74.

Fastenal Company had a pretty favorable run when it comes to the market performance. The 1-year high price for the companys stock is recorded $39.31 on 02/20/20, with the lowest value was $26.72 for the same time period, recorded on 03/23/20.

Price records that include history of low and high prices in the period of 52 weeks can tell a lot about the stocks existing status and the future performance. Presently, Fastenal Company shares are logging -7.85% during the 52-week period from high price, and 35.58% higher than the lowest price point for the same timeframe. The stocks price range for the 52-week period managed to maintain the performance between $26.72 and $39.31.

The companys shares, operating in the sector of services managed to top a trading volume set approximately around 5.49 million for the day, which was evidently lower, when compared to the average daily volumes of the shares.

When it comes to the year-to-date metrics, the Fastenal Company (FAST) recorded performance in the market was -1.98%, having the revenues showcasing 0.22% on a quarterly basis in comparison with the same period year before. At the time of this writing, the total market value of the company is set at 20.70B, as it employees total of 22131 workers.

During the last month, 2 analysts gave the Fastenal Company a BUY rating, 1 of the polled analysts branded the stock as an OVERWEIGHT, 11 analysts were recommending to HOLD this stock, 0 of them gave the stock UNDERWEIGHT rating, and 1 of the polled analysts provided SELL rating.

According to the data provided on Barchart.com, the moving average of the company in the 100-day period was set at 35.25, with a change in the price was noted +0.94. In a similar fashion, Fastenal Company posted a movement of +2.66% for the period of last 100 days, recording 5,133,671 in trading volumes.

Total Debt to Equity Ratio (D/E) can also provide valuable insight into the companys financial health and market status. The debt to equity ratio can be calculated by dividing the present total liabilities of a company by shareholders equity. Debt to Equity thus makes a valuable metrics that describes the debt, company is using in order to support assets, correlating with the value of shareholders equity. The total Debt to Equity ratio for FAST is recording 0.17 at the time of this writing. In addition, long term Debt to Equity ratio is set at 0.17.

Raw Stochastic average of Fastenal Company in the period of last 50 days is set at 75.50%. The result represents downgrade in oppose to Raw Stochastic average for the period of the last 20 days, recording 78.03%. In the last 20 days, the companys Stochastic %K was 83.40% and its Stochastic %D was recorded 87.85%.

Now, considering the stocks previous presentation, multiple moving trends are noted. Year-to-date Price performance of the companys stock appears to be encouraging, given the fact the metric is recording -1.98%. Additionally, trading for the stock in the period of the last six months notably deteriorated by -1.39%, alongside a boost of 4.58% for the period of the last 12 months. The shares increased approximately by 4.53% in the 7-day charts and went down by 3.72% in the period of the last 30 days. Common stock shares were driven by 0.22% during last recorded quarter.

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Fastenal Company (FAST) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 1.14 - The InvestChronicle

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 0.71 – The InvestChronicle

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Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) is priced at $84.00 after the most recent trading session. At the very opening of the session, the stock price was $85.47 and reached a high price of $85.67, prior to closing the session it reached the value of $83.14. The stock touched a low price of $81.33.

Gilead Sciences, Inc. had a pretty favorable run when it comes to the market performance. The 1-year high price for the companys stock is recorded $85.97 on 03/19/20, with the lowest value was $60.89 for the same time period, recorded on 10/03/19.

Price records that include history of low and high prices in the period of 52 weeks can tell a lot about the stocks existing status and the future performance. Presently, Gilead Sciences, Inc. shares are logging -2.29% during the 52-week period from high price, and 37.95% higher than the lowest price point for the same timeframe. The stocks price range for the 52-week period managed to maintain the performance between $60.89 and $85.97.

The companys shares, operating in the sector of healthcare managed to top a trading volume set approximately around 38.89 million for the day, which was evidently higher, when compared to the average daily volumes of the shares.

When it comes to the year-to-date metrics, the Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) recorded performance in the market was 29.27%, having the revenues showcasing 31.19% on a quarterly basis in comparison with the same period year before. At the time of this writing, the total market value of the company is set at 110.56B, as it employees total of 11800 workers.

During the last month, 11 analysts gave the Gilead Sciences, Inc. a BUY rating, 2 of the polled analysts branded the stock as an OVERWEIGHT, 12 analysts were recommending to HOLD this stock, 0 of them gave the stock UNDERWEIGHT rating, and 3 of the polled analysts provided SELL rating.

According to the data provided on Barchart.com, the moving average of the company in the 100-day period was set at 70.53, with a change in the price was noted +18.07. In a similar fashion, Gilead Sciences, Inc. posted a movement of +27.41% for the period of last 100 days, recording 19,211,229 in trading volumes.

Total Debt to Equity Ratio (D/E) can also provide valuable insight into the companys financial health and market status. The debt to equity ratio can be calculated by dividing the present total liabilities of a company by shareholders equity. Debt to Equity thus makes a valuable metrics that describes the debt, company is using in order to support assets, correlating with the value of shareholders equity. The total Debt to Equity ratio for GILD is recording 1.09 at the time of this writing. In addition, long term Debt to Equity ratio is set at 0.98.

Raw Stochastic average of Gilead Sciences, Inc. in the period of last 50 days is set at 90.86%. The result represents improvement in oppose to Raw Stochastic average for the period of the last 20 days, recording 87.58%. In the last 20 days, the companys Stochastic %K was 73.26% and its Stochastic %D was recorded 64.24%.

If we look into the earlier routines of Gilead Sciences, Inc., multiple moving trends are noted. Year-to-date Price performance of the companys stock appears to be pessimistic, given the fact the metric is recording 29.27%. Additionally, trading for the stock in the period of the last six months notably improved by 32.39%, alongside a boost of 29.49% for the period of the last 12 months. The shares increased approximately by 1.80% in the 7-day charts and went down by 8.00% in the period of the last 30 days. Common stock shares were driven by 31.19% during last recorded quarter.

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Gilead Sciences, Inc. (GILD) is primed for evolution with the beta value of 0.71 - The InvestChronicle