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Mosaic Angelman Should Be in Differential Diagnosis of AS, Study Says – Angelman Syndrome News

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

Clinicians should consider mosaic Angelman syndrome in the differential diagnosis of people who show milder symptoms of the disorder, a study suggests.

The study, Preserved expressive language as a phenotypic determinant of Mosaic Angelman Syndrome, was published in Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine.

Angelman syndrome (AS) is a genetic neurodevelopmental disorder usually associated with severe intellectual disability, difficulty speaking, loss of movement control (ataxia), and epileptic seizures. It is normally caused by the loss or malfunction of the maternal copy of the ubiquitin protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) gene in neurons from specific regions of the brain.

However, in some people, these genetic defects that affect the normal function of the UBE3A gene are only present in a handful of their cells. This phenomenon, known as mosaicism, can happen if one of the first cells of an embryo acquires a mutation in the UBE3A gene which is then passed on to their daughter cells as the embryo grows.

People with mosaic Angelman syndrome (mAS) typically have milder symptoms than those with Angelman syndrome. For instance, they experience milder expressive language delay with greater ability to attain meaningful words than typical Angelman patients.

In this study, researchers from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and their collaborators set out to describe the clinical symptoms of mAS in a larger group of individuals to help clinicians with the differential diagnosis of Angelman syndrome.

The study included data from 22 people with mAS, whose caregivers filled out surveys at the medical center. Data from four additional patients was obtained from the Angelman Natural History Study, an observational study that followed the course of the disease in 302 Angelman patients over more than eight years. Clinical data from people with mAS was then compared to historical data from individuals with Angelman.

Findings revealed that nearly all mAS patients (90%) had some form of developmental delay. However, unlike those with Angelman, less than 15% of survey respondents said that mAS children showed signs of severe developmental delays before reaching the age of 1.

Compared with the significant language impairments seen in children with Angelman, 59% of the children with mAS retained the ability to articulate more than 20 words, with a fifth (20%) of them able to speak more than 1,000 words.

Other core features of Angelman, including ataxia, gait abnormalities, and limb tremulousness, were found in less than 33% of mAS children.

Additional clinical features of Angelman syndrome were also evident in patients with mAS: The three most prominent findings included abnormal sleep/wake cycles and decreased sleep in 73% of patients, followed by obesity in 64% of patients and heat sensitivity in 45% of patients, the researchers wrote. Constipation, a common problem in [Angelman syndrome] patients was also noted in the mAS cohort, with 72% of patients endorsing constipation.

Although children with mAS had milder speech impairments and were better able to engage in daily activities, they still faced many behavioral challenges that were typical in Angelman syndrome.

Anxiety was the most frequently endorsed behavior reported in our cohort, present to some degree in 95% of mAS patients and rated as severe in 43% of patients. Hyperactivity was commonly endorsed, reported in 59% of patients, the researchers wrote.

Overall these data encourage specialists to broaden the clinical features of [Angelman syndrome], said the researchers, who added that clinicians should consider tests to rule out mAS in individuals with developmental delay, hyperactivity, anxiety, and an uncharacteristically happy demeanor.

Joana is currently completing her PhD in Biomedicine and Clinical Research at Universidade de Lisboa. She also holds a BSc in Biology and an MSc in Evolutionary and Developmental Biology from Universidade de Lisboa. Her work has been focused on the impact of non-canonical Wnt signaling in the collective behavior of endothelial cells cells that make up the lining of blood vessels found in the umbilical cord of newborns.

Total Posts: 11

Ana holds a PhD in Immunology from the University of Lisbon and worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Instituto de Medicina Molecular (iMM) in Lisbon, Portugal. She graduated with a BSc in Genetics from the University of Newcastle and received a Masters in Biomolecular Archaeology from the University of Manchester, England. After leaving the lab to pursue a career in Science Communication, she served as the Director of Science Communication at iMM.

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Mosaic Angelman Should Be in Differential Diagnosis of AS, Study Says - Angelman Syndrome News

10 Years Ago, DNA Tests Were The Future Of Medicine. Now Theyre A Social Network And A Data Privacy Mess. – BuzzFeed News

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

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Genetics just got personal. So boasted the website of 23andMe in 2008, just after launching its DNA testing service.

As we entered this decade, a small cohort of companies 23andMe, its Silicon Valley neighbor Navigenics, and Icelandic competitor deCODE Genetics were selling a future of personalized medicine: Patients would hold the keys to longer and healthier lives by understanding the risks written into their DNA and working with their doctors to reduce them.

We all carry this information, and if we bring it together and democratize it, we could really change health care, 23andMe cofounder Anne Wojcicki told Time magazine when it dubbed the companys DNA test 2008s invention of the year, beating out Elon Musks Tesla Roadster.

But in reality, the 2010s would be when genetics got social. As the decade comes to a close, few of us have discussed our genes with our doctors, but millions of us have uploaded our DNA profiles to online databases to fill in the details of our family trees, explore our ethnic roots, and find people who share overlapping sequences of DNA.

Its become like Facebook for genes, driven by the same fundamental human desire to connect. And, as with Mark Zuckerbergs social media behemoth, this is the decade we reckoned with what it really means to hand over some of our most personal data in the process.

A 23andMe saliva collection kit for DNA testing.

It all panned out differently from the way I imagined in 2009, when I paid $985 to deCODE and $399 to 23andMe to put my DNA into the service of science journalism. (I spared my then-employer, New Scientist magazine, the $2,500 charge for the boutique service offered by Navigenics.)

I was intrigued by the potential of DNA testing for personalized medicine, but from the beginning, I was also concerned about privacy. I imagined a future in which people could steal our medical secrets by testing the DNA we leave lying around on discarded tissues and coffee cups. In 2009, a colleague and I showed that all it took to hack my genome in this way was a credit card, a private email account, a mailing address, and DNA testing companies willing to do business without asking questions.

Much of the rest of what I wrote about DNA testing back then reflected pushback from leading geneticists who argued that the companies visions of personalized medicine werent ready for primetime.

As I explored the reports offered by 23andMe and deCODE, I couldnt help but agree especially when deCODE wrongly concluded that I carry two copies of a variant of a gene that would give me a 40% lifetime chance of developing Alzheimers. (Luckily, it wasnt cause for panic. Id pored over my DNA in enough detail by then to know that I carry only one copy, giving me a still-elevated but much less scary lifetime risk of about 13%.)

Despite such glitches, it still seemed that medicine was where the payoffs of mainstream genetic testing were going to be. As costs to sequence the entire genome plummeted, I expected gene-testing firms to switch from using gene chips that scan hundreds of thousands of genetic markers to new sequencing technology that would allow them to record all 3 billion letters of our DNA.

So in 2012, eager to provide our readers with a preview of what was to come, New Scientist paid $999 for me to have my exome sequenced in a pilot project offered by 23andMe. This is the 1.5% of the genome that is read to make proteins and is where the variants that affect our health are most likely to lurk.

Experts at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee analyzed my exome. While they werent at that point able to tell me much of medical significance that I didnt already know, the article I wrote from the experience in 2013 predicted a future in which doctors would routinely scour their patients genomes for potential health problems and prescribe drugs that have been specifically designed to correct the biochemical pathways concerned.

Im glad I included an important caveat: This may take several decades.

By then, the revolution promised by 23andMe and its competitors was faltering. Navigenics and deCODE had both been acquired by bigger companies and stopped selling DNA tests directly to the public.

23andMe, backed by the deep pockets of Google and other Silicon Valley investors, had enough cash to continue. But it fell foul of the FDA, which had decided that the company was selling medical devices that needed official approval to be put on the market. In a 2013 warning letter, the FDA said that 23andMe had failed to provide adequate evidence that its tests produced accurate results. By the end of 2013, 23andMe had stopped offering assessments of health risks to new customers.

Since then, the company has slowly clawed its way back into the business of health. In 2015, it was given FDA approval to tell customers whether they were carriers for a number of inherited diseases; in 2017, it started providing new customers with assessments of health risks once more.

I recently updated my 23andMe account, getting tested on the latest version of its chip. My results included reports on my genetic risk of experiencing 13 medical conditions. Back in 2013, there were more than 100 such reports, plus assessments of my likely responses to a couple dozen drugs.

In the lab, discovery has continued at a pace, but relatively few findings have found their way into the clinic.

If youve recently been pregnant, you were probably offered blood tests to tell whether your fetus had a serious genetic abnormality. And if youve been diagnosed with cancer, a biopsy may have been sequenced to look for mutations that make some drugs a good bet and other ones a bust. Neither would have been common a decade ago.

But the wider health care revolution envisaged by Wojcicki remains far off.

A few weeks ago, I saw my doctor to discuss my moderately high blood cholesterol and had a conversation that Id once predicted would be common by now. I had signed up for a project called MyGeneRank, which took my 23andMe data and calculated my genetic risk of experiencing coronary artery disease based on 57 genetic markers, identified in a 2015 study involving more than 180,000 people.

My genetic risk turns out to be fairly low. After I pulled out my phone and showed my doctor the app detailing my results, we decided to hold off on taking a statin for now, while I make an effort to improve my diet and exercise more. But it was clear from her reaction that patients dont usually show up wanting to talk about their DNA.

We have all these naysayers and an immense body of research that is not being used to help patients, said Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, California, which runs the MyGeneRank project.

Joseph James DeAngelo, the suspected "Golden State Killer," appears in court for his arraignment in Sacramento, April 27, 2018.

23andMes collision with the FDA wound up being a turning point in ways I didnt anticipate at the time. From the start, the company included an assessment of customers ancestries as part of the package. But after the FDA cracked down, it pivoted to make ancestry and finding genetic relatives its main focus. Offering the test at just $99, 23andMe went on a marketing blitz to expand its customer base competing with a new rival.

Ancestry.com launched its genome-scanning service in May 2012 and has since gone head-to-head with 23andMe through dueling TV ads and Black Friday discount deals.

DNA tests became an affordable stocking filler, as millions of customers were sold a journey of self-discovery and human connection. We were introduced to new genetic relatives. And we were told that the results might make us want to trade in our lederhosen for a kilt or connect us to distant African ancestors.

Today, Ancestrys database contains some 15 million DNA profiles; 23andMes more than 10 million. Family Tree DNA and MyHeritage, the two other main players, have about 3.5 million DNA profiles between them. And for the most dedicated family history enthusiasts, there is GEDmatch, where customers can upload DNA profiles from any of the main testing companies and look for potential relatives. It contains about 1.2 million DNA profiles.

So far, so much fun. But DNA testing can reveal uncomfortable truths, too. Families have been torn apart by the discovery that the man they call Dad is not the biological father of his children. Home DNA tests can also be used to show that a relative is a rapist or a killer.

That possibility burst into the public consciousness in April 2018, with the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo, alleged to be the Golden State Killer responsible for at least 13 killings and more than 50 rapes in the 1970s and 1980s. DeAngelo was finally tracked down after DNA left at the scene of a 1980 double murder was matched to people in GEDmatch who were the killer's third or fourth cousins. Through months of painstaking work, investigators working with the genealogist Barbara Rae-Venter built family trees that converged on DeAngelo.

Genealogists had long realized that databases like GEDmatch could be used in this way, but had been wary of working with law enforcement fearing that DNA test customers would object to the idea of cops searching their DNA profiles and rummaging around in their family trees.

But the Golden State Killers crimes were so heinous that the anticipated backlash initially failed to materialize. Indeed, a May 2018 survey of more than 1,500 US adults found that 80% backed police using public genealogy databases to solve violent crimes.

I was very surprised with the Golden State Killer case how positive the reaction was across the board, CeCe Moore, a genealogist known for her appearances on TV, told BuzzFeed News a couple of months after DeAngelos arrest.

The new science of forensic genetic genealogy quickly became a burgeoning business, as a company in Virginia called Parabon NanoLabs, which already had access to more than 100 crime scene samples through its efforts to produce facial reconstructions from DNA, teamed up with Moore to work cold cases through genealogy.

Before long, Parabon and Moore were identifying suspected killers and rapists at the rate of about one a week. Intrigued, my editor and I decided to see how easy it would be to identify 10 BuzzFeed employees from their DNA profiles, mimicking Parabons methods. In the end, I found four through matches to their relatives DNA profiles and another two thanks to their distinctive ancestry. It was clear that genetic genealogy was already a powerful investigative tool and would only get more so as DNA databases continued to grow.

A backlash did come, however, after two developments revealed by BuzzFeed News in 2019. In January, Family Tree DNA disclosed that it had allowed the FBI to search its database for partial matches to crime-scene samples since the previous fall without telling its customers. I feel they have violated my trust, Leah Larkin, a genetic genealogist based in Livermore, California, told BuzzFeed News at the time.

Then, in May, BuzzFeed News reported that police in Centerville, Utah, had convinced Curtis Rogers, a retired Florida businessperson who cofounded GEDmatch, to breach the sites own terms and conditions, which were supposed to restrict law enforcement use to investigations of homicides or sexual assaults. That allowed Parabon to use matches in the database to identify the perpetrator of a violent assault.

Larkin and other genealogists condemned the move, calling it the start of a slippery slope that would see the method being used to investigate more trivial crimes.

As barbs flew between genealogists working with law enforcement and those who advocate for genetic privacy, GEDmatch responded with new terms of service that extended the definition of violent crime, but also required users to explicitly opt in for their DNA profiles to be included in law enforcement searches.

Overnight, GEDmatch became useless for criminal investigations. Since then, the number of users opting in for matching to crime-scene samples has slowly increased, and now stands at more than 200,000. But progress in cracking criminal cases has remained slow.

Now that cops have seen the power of forensic genetic genealogy, however, they dont want to let it go. In November, the New York Times revealed that a detective in Florida had obtained a warrant to search the entirety of GEDmatch, regardless of opt-ins. It seems only a matter of time before someone tries to serve a warrant to search the huge databases of 23andMe or Ancestry, which dont give cops access sparking legal battles that could go all the way to the Supreme Court.

Genetic privacy, barely mentioned as millions of us signed up to connect with family across the world and dig into our ancestral roots, is suddenly front and center.

This week, Rogers and the other cofounder of GEDmatch, John Olson, removed themselves from the heat when they sold GEDmatch to Verogen, a company in San Diego that makes equipment to sequence crime-scene DNA. Verogen CEO Brett Williams told BuzzFeed News that he sees a business opportunity in charging police for access to the database but promised to respect users privacy. Were not going to force people to opt in, he said.

But it isnt just whether cops can run searches against your DNA. 23andMe may not share your information with law enforcement, but customers are asked when they signed up whether if they are OK with their de-identified DNA being used for genetic research.

It might not be obvious when you fill in the consent form, but this lies at the heart of 23andMes business model. The reason the company pushed so hard to expand its database of DNA profiles is to use this data in research to develop new drugs, either by itself or by striking deals with pharmaceutical companies.

Ancestry has also asked its users to consent to participate in research, teaming up with partners that have included Calico, a Google spinoff researching ways to extend human lifespan.

You might be comfortable with all of this. You might not. You should definitely think about it because when the information is your own DNA, there really is no such thing as de-identified data.

That DNA profile is inextricably tied to your identity. It might be stripped of your name and decoupled from the credit card you used to pay for the test. But as 23andMe warns in its privacy policy: In the event of a data breach it is possible that your data could be associated with your identity, which could be used against your interests.

And because you share a large part of your genome with close relatives, when you put your DNA profile into a companys database, you arent only making a decision for yourself: Their privacy is on the line, too.

Whether its due to concerns about privacy, a saturated market, or just that the novelty has worn off, sales of DNA ancestry tests are slowing. Ancestry has responded by offering a new product focused on health risks. Unlike 23andMe, it requires that tests are ordered through PWNHealth, a national network of doctors and genetic counselors.

Will this be the development that takes us back to the future I once imagined? Maybe so, but if the roller coaster of the past decade has taught me anything, its to be wary about making any predictions about our genetic future.

Peter Aldhous is a Science Reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in San Francisco.

Contact Peter Aldhous at peter.aldhous@buzzfeed.com.

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10 Years Ago, DNA Tests Were The Future Of Medicine. Now Theyre A Social Network And A Data Privacy Mess. - BuzzFeed News

Genetic clues of TB spread between cows and badgers revealed – Irish Times

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

The first direct evidence of how bovine tuberculosis (TB) transmits infection between badgers and cattle has been revealed.

The research by scientists at UCD and the University of Edinburgh shows TB in cattle can be spread by badgers, but cow-to-cow transmission is much more significant than badger-to-cow.

TB in cattle and badgers passes between members of the same species at least twice as often than between cow and badger, the study finds.

Bovine TB is a chronic, highly infectious disease causing huge losses in affected farms in Ireland and the United Kingdom. The Irish control programme for bovine TB cost farmers, the exchequer and European Union 84 million in 2017.

The researchers examined genetic data from the bacteria that causes the disease also found cattle are approximately 10 times more likely to catch TB from badgers than badgers are to catch it from cattle.

The breakthrough should enable more focused management of badger populations, according to Dr Joseph Crispell of UCD School of Veterinary Medicine, a lead researcher in a study published on Tuesday in the journal eLife.

Culling of badgers to curb bovine TB is a contentious issue among veterinary and wildlife experts and animal welfare campaigners though the scientific and farming consensus is a wildlife reservoir of infected badgers sustains the disease, which originally began in cattle.

The research, which was conducted in Gloucestershire over a 15-year period, could improve control strategies, reduce disease transmission and cut associated costs, said Dr Crispell though further analysis needs to be conducted in different regions.

Their study was conducted in an area where there was known to be high badger populations while the same genetic and data collecting techniques were now being applied in Co Wicklow.

Bovine TB is an infectious respiratory disease of cattle mainly spread through inhaling infectious particles in the air. It is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis, which can also infect and cause disease in other mammals, including humans, deer, goats, pigs, cats and dogs.

Using data from an undisturbed population of badgers in Woodchester Park in Gloucestershire and nearby cattle farms, this study provides the first direct evidence of transmission between badgers and cattle. It is an area where tuberculosis is known to occur frequently in both cattle and badgers, he explained.

The researchers analysed the entire genetic make-up of the bacteria from 230 badgers and 189 cattle, a process known as whole genome sequencing. They combined this with detailed information on where the cattle and badgers lived, when they were infected, and whether they could have had contact with one another.

Scientists were then able to estimate how often the two species spread TB. They confirmed badgers play an important role in the maintenance of the disease in this area.

Prof Rowland Kao of the University of Edinburgh said the study provided not mere observation and inference but direct evidence that changes the nature of the game.

Current approaches to controlling bovine TB only discriminate at a very coarse, regional level between areas where badgers are more likely to be involved in infecting cattle from areas where they are not. This work identifies genetic signatures that could guide the interpretation of similar data if collected in other, less-intensively studied areas, he added.

This would allow for a more targeted control of tuberculosis in cattle and badgers, aiding efforts to control the disease and reduce the impact on the badger population Additional reporting Guardian

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Genetic clues of TB spread between cows and badgers revealed - Irish Times

Triplet Therapeutics Launches with $59 Million in Financing to Further its Development of Transformative Treatments for Triplet Repeat Disorders -…

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Triplet Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company harnessing human genetics to develop treatments for repeat expansion disorders at their source, launched today with $59 million in financing including a $49 million Series A financing led by MPM Capital and Pfizer Ventures U.S. LLC, the venture capital arm of Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE). Atlas Venture, which co-founded and seeded Triplet with a $10 million investment, also participated in the Series A alongside Invus, Partners Innovation Fund and Alexandria Venture Investments.

Triplet was founded in 2018 by Nessan Bermingham, Ph.D., a serial biotech entrepreneur and venture partner at Atlas Venture, along with Atlas Venture and Andrew Fraley, Ph.D., to pursue a transformative approach to developing treatments for repeat expansion disorders, a group of more than 40 known genetic diseases associated with expanded DNA nucleotide repeats. A significant body of human genetic evidence has identified that one central pathway, known as the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway, drives onset and progression of this group of disorders, which include Huntingtons disease, myotonic dystrophy and various spinocerebellar ataxias.

Triplet is developing antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) and small interfering RNA (siRNA) development candidates to precisely knock down key components of the DDR pathway that drive repeat expansion. This approach operates upstream of current approaches in development, targeting the fundamental driver of these diseases. By precisely reducing activity of select DDR targets, Triplets approach is designed to halt onset and progression across a wide range of repeat expansion disorders.

The company has a fully assembled senior management team of industry veterans. Nessan Bermingham, Ph.D., co-founder, president and chief executive officer, has nearly two decades of experience leading life science startups and is a co-founder of Intellia Therapeutics and Korro Bio. Irina Antonijevic, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president of development, previously led translational medicine and early development at Wave Life Sciences. Brian Bettencourt, Ph.D., senior vice president of computational biology & statistics, comes to Triplet from Translate Bio, where he led modeling and design of oligonucleotide and mRNA therapeutics. David Morrissey, Ph.D., senior vice president of technology, formerly led technology development and delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing candidates at Intellia Therapeutics. Eric Sullivan, CPA, chief financial officer, brings experience leading financial operations at Gemini Therapeutics and bluebird bio. Jeffrey M. Cerio, Pharm.D., J.D., senior vice president & general counsel, served as senior corporate counsel at Moderna, Inc. before joining the Triplet team.

Were excited to launch Triplet today to transform the treatment of repeat expansion disorders, Dr. Bermingham said. This milestone would not have been possible without the contributions of thousands of patients, whose participation in genetic research has enabled us to build a fundamentally new understanding of the cause of these diseases. With this financing we are positioned to rapidly advance our initial development candidates toward the clinic for patients.

The company will use the Series A funds to progress its first development candidates into IND-enabling studies, as well as to advance natural history studies to inform its clinical development plan and contribute to the scientific understanding of repeat expansion disorders.

More than 40 repeat expansion disorders have been identified, and most of these diseases are severe with limited to no treatment options, said Jean-Franois Formela, M.D., partner at Atlas Venture and Board Chair of Triplet. We have built Triplet to fundamentally transform what has been the treatment strategy for these diseases up to now.

The companys founding Board of Directors is comprised of:

Triplets launch today represents a turning point for the treatment of repeat expansion disorders. I look forward to working with this expert team to develop novel treatments for patients, said Shinichiro Fuse, Ph.D., partner at MPM Capital and member of Triplets Board of Directors.

This group of severe genetic disorders represents an area of high unmet medical need, and we look forward to working with Triplets leadership team as they reimagine the potential treatment paradigm for patients with rare diseases, said Laszlo Kiss, Ph.D., Pfizer Ventures principal and member of Triplets Board of Directors.

Triplet has also formed a Scientific Advisory Board comprised of leading investigators for repeat expansion disorders, including Sarah Tabrizi, Ph.D., professor of clinical neurology at University College London; Jim Gusella, Ph.D., Bullard Professor of Neurogenetics at Harvard Medical School; and Vanessa Wheeler, Ph.D., associate professor of neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

About Triplet Therapeutics

Triplet Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing transformational treatments for patients with unmet medical needs by leveraging insights of human genetics to target the underlying cause of repeat expansion disorders, a group of more than 40 known genetic diseases including Huntingtons disease, myotonic dystrophy and spinocerebellar ataxias. Triplet was founded by Nessan Bermingham, Ph.D., Atlas Venture and Andrew Fraley, Ph.D. Triplet has raised $59 million in funding to date, including its Series A funding in 2019 led by MPM Capital and Pfizer Ventures, with Atlas Venture, Invus, Partners Innovation Fund and Alexandria Venture Investments participating. Triplet is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, please visit http://www.triplettx.com.

About Atlas Venture

Atlas Venture is a leading biotech venture capital firm. With the goal of doing well by doing good, we have been building breakthrough biotech startups for over 25 years. We work side by side with exceptional scientists and entrepreneurs to translate high impact science into medicines for patients. Our seed-led venture creation strategy rigorously selects and focuses investment on the most compelling opportunities to build scalable businesses and realize value. For more information, please visit http://www.atlasventure.com.

About MPM Capital

MPM Capital is a healthcare investment firm founding and investing in life sciences companies that seek to cure major diseases by translating scientific innovations into positive clinical outcomes. MPM invests in breakthrough therapeutics, with a focus on oncology. With its experienced and dedicated team of investment professionals, executive partners, entrepreneurs and scientific advisory board members, MPM is powering novel medical breakthroughs that transform patients lives. http://www.mpmcapital.com

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Triplet Therapeutics Launches with $59 Million in Financing to Further its Development of Transformative Treatments for Triplet Repeat Disorders -...

The first U.S. trials in people put CRISPR to the test in 2019 – Science News

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

When itwas unveiled in 2012, people had great hopes that the gene editor CRISPR/Cas9could treat or even cure hundreds to thousands of genetic diseases. This year,researchers in the United States began testing the gene editor in people, acrucial first step in determining whether the technology can fulfill itsmedical promise.

These first clinical trials are testing CRISPR/Cas9s safety and efficacy against cancer, blood disorders and one form of inherited blindness in people who already have the disease (SN: 8/31/19, p. 6). Many more such trials are expected to begin soon. Unlike the editing of human embryos that stirred up controversy in 2018 (SN: 12/22/18 & 1/5/19, p. 20), the genetic changes introduced in these trials would not be inherited by future generations.

CRISPRs rise as a potential medical tool happened inremarkably short time, says Janelle Waack, an intellectual property attorney atthe law firm Bass, Berry & Sims in Washington, D.C. She has been trackingthe dramatic growth of CRISPR patent filings, including for health care,medical research, agriculture and chemical processing. People are investing inthe technology and think it has great commercial value, she says.

These first tests in people are bellwethers of CRISPRsfuture, Waack says. Patients will benefit only if companies continue to investin the technology, and that investment may depend on whether these earlyclinical trials succeed.

CRISPR/Cas9 is a bacterial defense system against virusesthat scientists have repurposed to make precise changes to DNA in the cells ofhumans and other animals. A guide RNA tows the DNA-cutting enzyme Cas9 tospecific genes, where it slices through the DNA. In three clinical trials nowunder way in the United States, and one just completed, those cuts aredisabling genes or snipping out problem bits of DNA.

Results reported from the completed trial, led by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, suggest that a CRISPR treatment designed to boost the cancer-fighting power of immune cells called T cells is safe. The results are from three patients two with multiple myeloma and one with sarcoma whose T cells were removed and edited in the lab. CRISPR disabled three genes in the T cells. Researchers then outfitted the cells with a warhead a gene that directs the cells to tumor cells that have a specific protein on their surfaces. While immune cells engineered to fight cancer, called CAR-Tcells, have been used in patients for years, souping up T cells with the help of CRISPR is a new innovation.

The findings, presented December 7 at the American Society of Hematology meeting in Orlando, Fla., showed that CRISPR-edited T cells took hold and reproduced in the cancer patients. None of the three people had any side effects associated with the cells. Thats good news since other revved-up T cells have caused high fevers, low blood pressure, seizures and other side effects (SN: 7/7/18, p. 22). However, the experimental treatment didnt slow the growth of the peoples cancers. Now that weve demonstrated safety and feasibility, well be much more focused on the effectiveness of the therapy, says Edward Stadtmauer, a hematologist and oncologist who led the trial.

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Similar tests of CRISPR-edited T cells are under way inChina. And CRISPR Therapeutics, a Cambridge, Mass.based company, expects tobegin three trials next year in which edited T cells target blood and kidneycancers, says Samarth Kulkarni, the companys chief executive officer.

CRISPR Therapeutics has already started trials with VertexPharmaceuticals, based in Boston and London, to remove and edit cells frompeople with the blood disorders sickle cell disease or beta-thalassemia. Theedits turn on production of fetal hemoglobin, usually made only until shortlyafter birth. Early results from one woman with beta-thalassemia and anotherwoman with sickle cell disease suggest that the edited cells are safe and makeenough fetal hemoglobin to relieve disease symptoms. While these data areearly, they show that this could be a onetime curative therapy for patients,Kulkarni said November 19 during a news briefing describing the results.

In another trial, researchers are snipping a small piece ofDNA out of cells in the eyes of people with an inherited form of blindnesscalled Leber congenital amaurosis 10. That DNA contains a mutation that causesthe blindness. The trial, conducted by Editas Medicine, also based inCambridge, Mass., and the global pharmaceutical company Allergan, is the first and for now, only trial using CRISPR to edit DNA directly in cells in thehuman body.

With direct editing, getting CRISPR to exactly the rightplace is the first challenge, Kulkarni says. From there, its impossible toknow whether the gene editor has made unwanted off-target edits as well.External editing allows researchers to check if the correct edits have beenmade, but the approach isnt feasible for many diseases.

Whether and how soon CRISPR becomes an accepted therapy, and how the U.S. government regulates the technology, may all depend in part on these initial trials. Everybody is paying careful attention, Waack says.

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The first U.S. trials in people put CRISPR to the test in 2019 - Science News

How quantum computing could beat climate change – World Economic Forum

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

Imagine being able to cheaply and easily suck carbon directly out of our atmosphere. Such a capability would be hugely powerful in the fight against climate change and advance us towards the ambitious global climate goals set.

Surely thats science fiction? Well, maybe not. Quantum computing may be just the tool we need to design such a clean, safe and easy-to-deploy innovation.

In 1995 I first learned that quantum computing might bring about a revolution akin to the agricultural, industrial and digital ones weve already had. Back then it seemed far-fetched that quantum mechanics could be harnessed to such momentous effect; given recent events, it seems much, much more likely.

Much excitement followed Googles recent announcement of quantum supremacy: [T]he point where quantum computers can do things that classical computers cant, regardless of whether those tasks are useful.

The question now is whether we can develop the large-scale, error-corrected quantum computers that are required to realize profoundly useful applications.

The good news is we already concretely know how to use such fully-fledged quantum computers for many important tasks across science and technology. One such task is the simulation of molecules to determine their properties, interactions, and reactions with other molecules a.k.a. chemistry the very essence of the material world we live in.

While simulating molecules may seem like an esoteric pastime for scientists, it does, in fact, underpin almost every aspect of the world and our activity in it. Understanding their properties unlocks powerful new pharmaceuticals, batteries, clean-energy devices and even innovations for carbon capture.

To date, we havent found a way to simulate large complex molecules with conventional computers, we never will, because the problem is one that grows exponentially with the size or complexity of the molecules being simulated. Crudely speaking, if simulating a molecule with 10 atoms takes a minute, a molecule with 11 takes two minutes, one with 12 atoms takes four minutes and so on. This exponential scaling quickly renders a traditional computer useless: simulating a molecule with just 70 atoms would take longer than the lifetime of the universe (13 billion years).

This is infuriating, not just because we cant simulate existing important molecules that we find (and use) in nature including within our own body and thereby understand their behaviour; but also because there is an infinite number of new molecules that we could design for new applications.

Thats where quantum computers could come to our rescue, thanks to the late, great physicist Richard Feynman. Back in 1981, he recognized that quantum computers could do that which would be impossible for classical computers when it comes to simulating molecules. Thanks to recent work by Microsoft and others we now have concrete recipes for performing these simulations.

One area of urgent practical importance where quantum simulation could be hugely valuable is in meeting the SDGs not only in health, energy, industry, innovation and infrastructure but also in climate action. Examples include room-temperature superconductors (that could reduce the 10% of energy production lost in transmission), more efficient processes to produce nitrogen-based fertilizers that feed the worlds population and new, far more efficient batteries.

One very powerful application of molecular simulation is in the design of new catalysts that speed up chemical reactions. It is estimated that 90% of all commercially produced chemical products involve catalysts (in living systems, theyre called enzymes).

Annual CO2 emissions globally in 2017

A catalyst for scrubbing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere could be a powerful tool in tackling climate change. Although CO2 is captured naturally, by oceans and trees, CO2 production has exceeded these natural capture rates for many decades.

The best way to tackle CO2 is not releasing more CO2; the next best thing is capturing it. While we cant literally turn back time, [it] is a bit like rewinding the emissions clock, according to Torben Daeneke at RMIT University.

There are known catalysts for carbon capture but most contain expensive precious metals or are difficult or expensive to produce and/or deploy. We currently dont know many cheap and readily available catalysts for CO2 reduction, says Ulf-Peter Apfel of Ruhr-University Bochum.

Given the infinite number of candidate molecules that are available, we are right to be optimistic that there is a catalyst (or indeed many) to be found that will do the job cheaply and easily. Finding such a catalyst, however, is a daunting task without the ability to simulate the properties of candidate molecules.

And thats where quantum computing could help.

We might even find a cheap catalyst that enables efficient carbon dioxide recycling and produces useful by-products like hydrogen (a fuel) or carbon monoxide (a common source material in the chemical industry).

We can currently simulate small molecules on prototype quantum computers with up to a few dozen qubits (the quantum equivalent of classical computer bits). But scaling this to useful tasks, like discovering new CO2 catalysts, will require error correction and simulation to the order of 1 million qubits.

Its a challenge I have long believed will only be met on any human timescale certainly by the 2030 target for the SDGs if we use the existing manufacturing capability of the silicon chip industry.

At a meeting of the World Economic Forums Global Future Councils last month a team of experts from across industry, academia and beyond assembled to discuss how quantum computing can help address global challenges, as highlighted by the SDGs, and climate in particular.

As co-chair of the Global Future Council on Quantum Computing, I was excited that we were unanimous in agreeing that the world should devote more resources, including in education, to developing the powerful quantum computing capability that could help tackle climate change, meet the SDGs more widely and much more. We enthusiastically called for more international cooperation to develop this important technology on the 2030 timescale to have an impact on delivering the SDGs, in particular climate.

So the real question for me is: can we do it in time? Will we make sufficiently powerful quantum computers on that timeframe? I believe so. There are, of course, many other things we can and should do to tackle climate change, but developing large-scale, error-corrected quantum computers is a hedge we cannot afford to go without.

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Could quantum computing be the key to cracking congestion? – SmartCitiesWorld

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

The technology has helped to improve congestion by 73 per cent in scenario-testing

Ford and Microsoft are using quantum-inspired computing technology to reduce traffic congestion. Through a joint research pilot, scientists have used the technology to simulate thousands of vehicles and their impact on congestion in the US city of Seattle.

Ford said it is still early in the project but encouraging progress has been made and it is further expanding its partnership with the tech giant.

The companies teamed up in 2018 to develop new quantum approaches running on classical computers already available to help reduce Seattles traffic congestion.

Writing on a blog post on Medium.com, Dr Ken Washington, chief technology officer, Ford Motor Company, explained that during rush hour, numerous drivers request the shortest possible routes at the same time, but current navigation services handle these requests "in a vacuum": They do not take into consideration the number of similar incoming requests, including areas where other drivers are all planning to share the same route segments, when delivering results.

What is required is a more balanced routing system that could manage all the various route requests from drivers and provide optimised route suggestions, reducing the number of vehicles on a particular road.

These and more are all variables well need to test for to ensure balanced routing can truly deliver tangible improvements for cities.

Traditional computers dont have the computational power to do this but, as Washington explained, in a quantum computer, information is processed by a quantum bit (or a qubit) and can simultaneously exist "in two different states" before it gets measured.

This ultimately enables a quantum computer to process information with a faster speed, he wrote. Attempts to simulate some specific features of a quantum computer on non-quantum hardware have led to quantum-inspired technology powerful algorithms that mimic certain quantum behaviours and run on specialised conventional hardware. That enables organisations to start realising some benefits before fully scaled quantum hardware becomes available."

Working with Microsoft, Ford tested several different possibilities, including a scenario involving as many as 5,000 vehicles each with 10 different route choices available to them simultaneously requesting routes across Metro Seattle. It reports that in 20 seconds, balanced routing suggestions were delivered to the vehicles that resulted in a 73 per cent improvement in total congestion when compared to selfish routing.

The average commute time, meanwhile, was also cut by eight per cent representing an annual reduction of more than 55,000 hours across this simulated fleet.

Based on these results, Ford is expanding its partnership with Microsoft to further improve the algorithm and understand its effectiveness in more real-world scenarios.

For example, will this method still deliver similar results when some streets are known to be closed, if route options arent equal for all drivers, or if some drivers decide to not follow suggested routes? wrote Washington. These and more are all variables well need to test for to ensure balanced routing can truly deliver tangible improvements for cities.

ProBeat: AWS and Azure are generating uneasy excitement in quantum computing – VentureBeat

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

Quantum is having a moment. In October, Google claimed to have achieved a quantum supremacy milestone. In November, Microsoft announced Azure Quantum, a cloud service that lets you tap into quantum hardware providers Honeywell, IonQ, or QCI. Last week, AWS announced Amazon Braket, a cloud service that lets you tap into quantum hardware providers D-Wave, IonQ, and Rigetti. At the Q2B 2019 quantum computing conference this week, I got a pulse for how the nascent industry is feeling.

Binary digits (bits) are the basic units of information in classical computing, while quantum bits (qubits) make up quantum computing. Bits are always in a state of 0 or 1, while qubits can be in a state of 0, 1, or a superposition of the two. Quantum computing leverages qubits to perform computations that would be much more difficult for a classical computer. Potential applications are so vast and wide (from basic optimization problems to machine learning to all sorts of modeling) that interested industries span finance, chemistry, aerospace, cryptography, and more. But its still so early that the industry is nowhere close to reaching consensus on what the transistor for qubits should look like.

Currently, your cloud quantum computing options are limited to single hardware providers, such as those from D-Wave and IBM. Amazon and Microsoft want to change that.

Enterprises and researchers interested in testing and experimenting with quantum are excited because they will be able to use different quantum processors via the same service, at least in theory. Theyre uneasy, however, because the quantum processors are so fundamentally different that its not clear how easy it will be to switch between them. D-Wave uses quantum annealing, Honeywell and IonQ use ion trap devices, and Rigetti and QCI use superconducting chips. Even the technologies that are the same have completely different architectures.

Entrepreneurs and enthusiasts are hopeful that Amazon and Microsoft will make it easier to interface with the various quantum hardware technologies. Theyre uneasy, however, because Amazon and Microsoft have not shared pricing and technical details. Plus, some of the quantum providers offer their own cloud services, so it will be difficult to suss out when it makes more sense to work with them directly.

The hardware providers themselves are excited because they get exposure to massive customer bases. Amazon and Microsoft are the worlds biggest and second biggest cloud providers, respectively. Theyre uneasy, however, because the tech giants are really just middlemen, which of course poses its own problems of costs and reliance.

At least right now, it looks like this will be the new normal. Even hardware providers that havent announced they are partnering with Amazon and/or Microsoft, like Xanadu, are in talks to do just that.

Overall at the event, excitement trumped uneasiness. If youre participating in a domain as nascent as quantum, you must be optimistic. The news this quarter all happened very quickly, but there is still a long road ahead. After all, these cloud services have only been announced. They still have to become available, gain exposure, pick up traction, become practical, prove useful, and so on.

The devil is in the details. How much are these cloud services for quantum going to cost? Amazon and Microsoft havent said. When exactly will they be available in preview or in beta? Amazon and Microsoft havent said. How will switching between different quantum processors work in practice? Amazon and Microsoft havent said.

One thing is clear. Everyone at the event was talking about the impact of the two biggest cloud providers offering quantum hardware from different companies. The clear winners? Amazon and Microsoft.

ProBeat is a column in which Emil rants about whatever crosses him that week.

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ProBeat: AWS and Azure are generating uneasy excitement in quantum computing - VentureBeat

Quantum computing will be the smartphone of the 2020s, says Bank of America strategist – MarketWatch

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

When asked what invention will be as revolutionary in the 2020s as smartphones were in the 2010s, Bank of America strategist Haim Isreal said, without hesitation, quantum computing.

At the banks annual year ahead event last week in New York, Israel qualified his prediction, arguing in an interview with MarketWatch that the timing of the smartphones arrival on the scene in the mid-2000s, and its massive impact on the American business landscape in the 2010s, doesnt line up neatly with quantum-computing breakthroughs, which are only now being seen, just a few weeks before the start of the 2020s.

The iPhone already debuted in 2007, enabling its real impact to be felt in the 2010s, he said, while the first business applications for quantum computing won't be seen till toward the end of the coming decade.

But, Israel argued, when all is said and done, quantum computing could be an even more radical technology in terms of its impact on businesses than the smartphone has been. This is going to be a revolution, he said.

Quantum computing is a nascent technology based on quantum theory in physics which explains the behavior of particles at the subatomic level, and states that until observed these particles can exist in different places at the same time. While normal computers store information in ones and zeros, quantum computers are not limited by the binary nature of current data processing and so can provide exponentially more computing power.

Quantum things can be in multiple places at the same time, said Chris Monroe, a University of Maryland physicist and founder of IonQ told the Associated Press . The rules are very simple, theyre just confounding.

In October, Alphabet Inc. GOOG, -0.44% subsidiary Google claimed to have achieved a breakthrough by using a quantum computer to complete a calculation in 200 seconds on a 53-qubit quantum computing chip, a task it calculated would take the fastest current super-computer 10,000 years. Earlier this month, Amazon.com Inc. AMZN, +1.21% announced its intention to collaborate with experts to develop quantum computing technologies that can be used in conjunction with its cloud computing services. International Business Machines Corp. IBM, +0.07% and Microsoft Corp. MSFT, -0.54% are also developing quantum computing technology.

Israel argued these tools will revolutionize several industries, including health care, the internet of things and cyber security. He said that pharmaceutical companies are most likely to be the first commercial users of these devices, given the explosion of data created by health care research.

Pharma companies are right now subject to Moores law in reverse, he said. They are seeing the cost of drug development doubling every nine years, as the amount of data on the human body becomes ever more onerous to process. Data on genomics doubles every 50 days, he added, arguing that only quantum computers will be able to solve the pharmaceutical industrys big-data problem.

Quantum computing will also have a major impact on cybersecurity, an issue that effects nearly every major corporation today. Currently cyber security relies on cryptographic algorithms, but quantum computings ability to solve these equations in the fraction of the time a normal computer does will render current cyber security methods obsolete.

In the future, even robust cryptographic algorithms will be substantially weakened by quantum computing, while others will no longer be secure at all, according to Swaroop Sham, senior product marketing manager at Okta.

For investors, Israel said, it is key to realize that the first one or two companies to develop commercially applicable quantum-computing will be richly rewarded with access to untold amounts of data and that will only make their software services more valuable to potential customers in a virtuous circle.

What weve learned this decade is that whoever controls the data will win big time, he said.

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Quantum computing leaps ahead in 2019 with new power and speed – CNET

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

A close-up view of the IBM Q quantum computer. The processor is in the silver-colored cylinder.

Quantum computers are getting a lot more real. No, you won't be playing Call of Duty on one anytime soon. But Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Rigetti Computing and IBM all made important advances in 2019 that could help bring computers governed by the weird laws of atomic-scale physics into your life in other ways.

Google's declaration of quantum supremacywas the most headline-grabbing moment in the field. The achievement -- more limited than the grand term might suggest -- demonstrated that quantum computers could someday tackle computing problems beyond the reach of conventional "classical" computers.

Proving quantum computing progress is crucial. We're still several breakthroughs away from realizing the full vision of quantum computing. Qubits, the tiny stores of data that quantum computers use, need to be improved. So do the finicky control systems used to program and read quantum computer results. Still, today's results help justify tomorrow's research funding to sustain the technology when the flashes of hype inevitably fizzle.

Now playing: Watch this: Quantum computing is the new super supercomputer

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Quantum computers will live in data centers, not on your desk, when they're commercialized. They'll still be able to improve many aspects of your life, though. Money in your retirement account might grow a little faster and your packages might be delivered a little sooner as quantum computers find new ways to optimize businesses. Your electric-car battery might be a little lighter and new drugs might help you live a little longer after quantum computers unlock new molecular-level designs. Traffic may be a little lighter from better simulations.

But Google's quantum supremacy step was just one of many needed to fulfill quantum computing's promise.

"We're going to get there in cycles. We're going to have a lot of dark ages in which nothing happens for a long time," said Forrester analyst Brian Hopkins. "One day that new thing will really change the world."

Among the developments in 2019:

Classical computers, which include everything from today's smartwatches to supercomputers that occupy entire buildings, store data as bits that represent either a 1 or a 0. Quantum computers use a different approach called qubits that can represent a combination of 1 and 0 through an idea called superposition.

Ford and Microsoft adapted a quantum computing traffic simulation to run on a classical computer. The result: a traffic routing algorithm that could cut Seattle traffic congestion by 73%.

The states of multiple qubits can be linked, letting quantum computers explore lots of possible solutions to a problem at once. With each new qubit added, a quantum computer can explore double the number of possible solutions, an exponential increase not possible with classical machines.

Quantum computers, however, are finicky. It's hard to get qubits to remain stable long enough to return useful results. The act of communicating with qubits can perturb them. Engineers hope to add error correction techniques so quantum computers can tackle a much broader range of problems.

Plenty of people are quantum computing skeptics. Even some fans of the technology acknowledge we're years away from high-powered quantum computers. But already, quantum computing is a real business. Samsung, Daimler, Honda, JP Morgan Chase and Barclays are all quantum computing customers. Spending on quantum computers should reach hundreds of millions of dollars in the 2020s, and tens of billions in the 2030s, according to forecasts by Deloitte, a consultancy. China, Europe, the United States and Japan have sunk billions of dollars into investment plans. Ford and Microsoft say traffic simulation technology for quantum computers, adapted to run on classical machines, already is showing utility.

Right now quantum computers are used mostly in research. But applications with mainstream results are likely coming. The power of quantum computers is expected to allow for the creation of new materials, chemical processes and medicines by giving insight into the physics of molecules. Quantum computers will also help for greater optimization of financial investments, delivery routes and flights by crunching the numbers in situations with a large number of possible courses of action.

They'll also be used for cracking today's encryption, an idea spy agencies love, even if you might be concerned about losing your privacy or some snoop getting your password. New cryptography adapted for a quantum computing future is already underway.

Another promising application is artificial intelligence, though that may be years in the future.

"Eventually we'll be able to reinvent machine learning," Forrester's Hopkinssaid. But it'll take years of steady work in quantum computing beyond the progress of 2019. "The transformative benefits are real and big, but they are still more sci-fi and theory than they are reality."

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Quantum computing leaps ahead in 2019 with new power and speed - CNET

What WON’T Happen in 2020: 5G Wearables, Quantum Computing, and Self-Driving Trucks to Name a Few – Business Wire

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

OYSTER BAY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As 2019 winds down, predictions abound on the technology advancements and innovations expected in the year ahead. However, there are several anticipated advancements, including 5G wearables, quantum computing, and self-driving trucks, that will NOT happen in the first year of the new decade, states global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research.

In its new whitepaper, 54 Technology Trends to Watch in 2020, ABI Researchs analysts have identified 35 trends that will shape the technology market and 19 others that, although attracting huge amounts of speculation and commentary, look less likely to move the needle over the next twelve months. After a tumultuous 2019 that was beset by many challenges, both integral to technology markets and derived from global market dynamics, 2020 looks set to be equally challenging, says Stuart Carlaw, Chief Research Officer at ABI Research. Knowing what wont happen in technology in the next year is important for end users, implementors, and vendors to properly place their investments or focus their strategies.

What wont happen in 2020?

5G Wearables: While smartphones will dominate the 5G market in 2020, 5G wearables wont arrive in 2020, or anytime soon, says Stephanie Tomsett, 5G Devices, Smartphones & Wearables analyst at ABI Research. To bring 5G to wearables, specific 5G chipsets will need to be designed and components will need to be reconfigured to fit in the small form factor. That wont begin to happen until 2024, at the earliest.

Quantum Computing: Despite claims from Google in achieving quantum supremacy, the tech industry is still far away from the democratization of quantum computing technology, says Lian Jye Su, AI & Machine Learning Principal Analyst at ABI Research. Quantum computing is definitely not even remotely close to the large-scale commercial deployment stage.

Self-Driving Trucks: Despite numerous headlines declaring the arrival of driverless, self-driving, or robot vehicles, very little, if any, driver-free commercial usage is underway beyond closed-course operations in the United States, says Susan Beardslee, Freight Transportation & Logistics Principal Analyst at ABI Research.

A Consolidated IoT Platform Market: For many years, there have been predictions that the IoT platform supplier market will begin to consolidate, and it just wont happen, says Dan Shey, Vice President of Enabling Platforms at ABI Research. The simple reason is that there are more than 100 companies that offer device-to-cloud IoT platform services and for every one that is acquired, there are always new ones that come to market.

Edge Will Not Overtake Cloud: The accelerated growth of the edge technology and intelligent device paradigm created one of the largest industry misconceptions: edge technology will cannibalize cloud technology, says Kateryna Dubrova, M2M, IoT & IoE Analyst at ABI Research. In fact, in the future, we will see a rapid development of edge-cloud-fog continuum, where technology will complement each other, rather than cross-cannibalize.

8K TVs: Announcements of 8K Television (TV) sets by major vendors earlier in 2019 attracted much attention and raised many of questions within the industry, says Khin Sandi Lynn, Video & Cloud Services Analyst at ABI Research. The fact is, 8K content is not available and the price of 8K TV sets are exorbitant. The transition from high definition (HD) to 4K will continue in 2020 with very limited 8K shipments less than 1 million worldwide.

For more trends that wont happen in 2020, and the 35 trends that will, download the 54 Technology Trends to Watch in 2020 whitepaper.

About ABI Research

ABI Research provides strategic guidance to visionaries, delivering actionable intelligence on the transformative technologies that are dramatically reshaping industries, economies, and workforces across the world. ABI Researchs global team of analysts publish groundbreaking studies often years ahead of other technology advisory firms, empowering our clients to stay ahead of their markets and their competitors.

For more information about ABI Researchs services, contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific or visit http://www.abiresearch.com.

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What WON'T Happen in 2020: 5G Wearables, Quantum Computing, and Self-Driving Trucks to Name a Few - Business Wire

Will quantum computing overwhelm existing security tech in the near future? – Help Net Security

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

More than half (54%) of cybersecurity professionals have expressed concerns that quantum computing will outpace the development of other security tech, according to a research from Neustar.

Keeping a watchful eye on developments, 74% of organizations admitted to paying close attention to the technologys evolution, with 21% already experimenting with their own quantum computing strategies.

A further 35% of experts claimed to be in the process of developing a quantum strategy, while just 16% said they were not yet thinking about it. This shift in focus comes as the vast majority (73%) of cyber security professionals expect advances in quantum computing to overcome legacy technologies, such as encryption, within the next five years.

Almost all respondents (93%) believe the next-generation computers will overwhelm existing security technology, with just 7% under the impression that true quantum supremacy will never happen.

Despite expressing concerns that other technologies will be overshadowed, 87% of CISOs, CSOs, CTOs and security directors are excited about the potential positive impact of quantum computing. The remaining 13% were more cautious and under the impression that the technology would create more harm than good.

At the moment, we rely on encryption, which is possible to crack in theory, but impossible to crack in practice, precisely because it would take so long to do so, over timescales of trillions or even quadrillions of years, said Rodney Joffe, Chairman of NISC and Security CTO at Neustar.

Without the protective shield of encryption, a quantum computer in the hands of a malicious actor could launch a cyberattack unlike anything weve ever seen.

For both todays major attacks, and also the small-scale, targeted threats that we are seeing more frequently, it is vital that IT professionals begin responding to quantum immediately.

The security community has already launched a research effort into quantum-proof cryptography, but information professionals at every organization holding sensitive data should have quantum on their radar.

Quantum computings ability to solve our great scientific and technological challenges will also be its ability to disrupt everything we know about computer security. Ultimately, IT experts of every stripe will need to work to rebuild the algorithms, strategies, and systems that form our approach to cybersecurity, added Joffe.

The report also highlighted a steep two-year increase on the International Cyber Benchmarks Index. Calculated based on changes in the cybersecurity landscape including the impact of cyberattacks and changing level of threat November 2019 saw the highest score yet at 28.2. In November 2017, the benchmark sat at just 10.1, demonstrating an 18-point increase over the last couple of years.

During September October 2019, security professionals ranked system compromise as the greatest threat to their organizations (22%), with DDoS attacks and ransomware following very closely behind (21%).

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Will quantum computing overwhelm existing security tech in the near future? - Help Net Security

Quantum expert Robert Sutor explains the basics of Quantum Computing – Packt Hub

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

What if we could do chemistry inside a computer instead of in a test tube or beaker in the laboratory? What if running a new experiment was as simple as running an app and having it completed in a few seconds?

For this to really work, we would want it to happen with complete fidelity. The atoms and molecules as modeled in the computer should behave exactly like they do in the test tube. The chemical reactions that happen in the physical world would have precise computational analogs. We would need a completely accurate simulation.

If we could do this at scale, we might be able to compute the molecules we want and need.

These might be for new materials for shampoos or even alloys for cars and airplanes. Perhaps we could more efficiently discover medicines that are customized to your exact physiology. Maybe we could get a better insight into how proteins fold, thereby understanding their function, and possibly creating custom enzymes to positively change our body chemistry.

Is this plausible? We have massive supercomputers that can run all kinds of simulations. Can we model molecules in the above ways today?

This article is an excerpt from the book Dancing with Qubits written by Robert Sutor. Robert helps you understand how quantum computing works and delves into the math behind it with this quantum computing textbook.

Lets start with C8H10N4O2 1,3,7-Trimethylxanthine.

This is a very fancy name for a molecule that millions of people around the world enjoy every day: caffeine. An 8-ounce cup of coffee contains approximately 95 mg of caffeine, and this translates to roughly 2.95 10^20 molecules. Written out, this is

295, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000 molecules.

A 12 ounce can of a popular cola drink has 32 mg of caffeine, the diet version has 42 mg, and energy drinks often have about 77 mg.

These numbers are large because we are counting physical objects in our universe, which we know is very big. Scientists estimate, for example, that there are between 10^49 and 10^50 atoms in our planet alone.

To put these values in context, one thousand = 10^3, one million = 10^6, one billion = 10^9, and so on. A gigabyte of storage is one billion bytes, and a terabyte is 10^12 bytes.

Getting back to the question I posed at the beginning of this section, can we model caffeine exactly on a computer? We dont have to model the huge number of caffeine molecules in a cup of coffee, but can we fully represent a single molecule at a single instant?

Caffeine is a small molecule and contains protons, neutrons, and electrons. In particular, if we just look at the energy configuration that determines the structure of the molecule and the bonds that hold it all together, the amount of information to describe this is staggering. In particular, the number of bits, the 0s and 1s, needed is approximately 10^48:

10, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000.

And this is just one molecule! Yet somehow nature manages to deal quite effectively with all this information. It handles the single caffeine molecule, to all those in your coffee, tea, or soft drink, to every other molecule that makes up you and the world around you.

How does it do this? We dont know! Of course, there are theories and these live at the intersection of physics and philosophy. However, we do not need to understand it fully to try to harness its capabilities.

We have no hope of providing enough traditional storage to hold this much information. Our dream of exact representation appears to be dashed. This is what Richard Feynman meant in his quote: Nature isnt classical.

However, 160 qubits (quantum bits) could hold 2^160 1.46 10^48 bits while the qubits were involved in a computation. To be clear, Im not saying how we would get all the data into those qubits and Im also not saying how many more we would need to do something interesting with the information. It does give us hope, however.

In the classical case, we will never fully represent the caffeine molecule. In the future, with enough very high-quality qubits in a powerful quantum computing system, we may be able to perform chemistry on a computer.

I can write a little app on a classical computer that can simulate a coin flip. This might be for my phone or laptop.

Instead of heads or tails, lets use 1 and 0. The routine, which I call R, starts with one of those values and randomly returns one or the other. That is, 50% of the time it returns 1 and 50% of the time it returns 0. We have no knowledge whatsoever of how R does what it does.

When you see R, think random. This is called a fair flip. It is not weighted to slightly prefer one result over the other. Whether we can produce a truly random result on a classical computer is another question. Lets assume our app is fair.

If I apply R to 1, half the time I expect 1 and another half 0. The same is true if I apply R to 0. Ill call these applications R(1) and R(0), respectively.

If I look at the result of R(1) or R(0), there is no way to tell if I started with 1 or 0. This is just like a secret coin flip where I cant tell whether I began with heads or tails just by looking at how the coin has landed. By secret coin flip, I mean that someone else has flipped it and I can see the result, but I have no knowledge of the mechanics of the flip itself or the starting state of the coin.

If R(1) and R(0) are randomly 1 and 0, what happens when I apply R twice?

I write this as R(R(1)) and R(R(0)). Its the same answer: random result with an equal split. The same thing happens no matter how many times we apply R. The result is random, and we cant reverse things to learn the initial value.

Now for the quantum version, Instead of R, I use H. It too returns 0 or 1 with equal chance, but it has two interesting properties.

There is a catch, though. You are not allowed to look at the result of what H does if you want to reverse its effect. If you apply H to 0 or 1, peek at the result, and apply H again to that, it is the same as if you had used R. If you observe what is going on in the quantum case at the wrong time, you are right back at strictly classical behavior.

To summarize using the coin language: if you flip a quantum coin and then dont look at it, flipping it again will yield heads or tails with which you started. If you do look, you get classical randomness.

A second area where quantum is different is in how we can work with simultaneous values. Your phone or laptop uses bytes as individual units of memory or storage. Thats where we get phrases like megabyte, which means one million bytes of information.

A byte is further broken down into eight bits, which weve seen before. Each bit can be a 0 or 1. Doing the math, each byte can represent 2^8 = 256 different numbers composed of eight 0s or 1s, but it can only hold one value at a time. Eight qubits can represent all 256 values at the same time

This is through superposition, but also through entanglement, the way we can tightly tie together the behavior of two or more qubits. This is what gives us the (literally) exponential growth in the amount of working memory.

Artificial intelligence and one of its subsets, machine learning, are extremely broad collections of data-driven techniques and models. They are used to help find patterns in information, learn from the information, and automatically perform more intelligently. They also give humans help and insight that might have been difficult to get otherwise.

Here is a way to start thinking about how quantum computing might be applicable to large, complicated, computation-intensive systems of processes such as those found in AI and elsewhere. These three cases are in some sense the small, medium, and large ways quantum computing might complement classical techniques:

As I write this, quantum computers are not big data machines. This means you cannot take millions of records of information and provide them as input to a quantum calculation. Instead, quantum may be able to help where the number of inputs is modest but the computations blow up as you start examining relationships or dependencies in the data.

In the future, however, quantum computers may be able to input, output, and process much more data. Even if it is just theoretical now, it makes sense to ask if there are quantum algorithms that can be useful in AI someday.

To summarize, we explored how quantum computing works and different applications of artificial intelligence in quantum computing.

Get this quantum computing book Dancing with Qubits by Robert Sutor today where he has explored the inner workings of quantum computing. The book entails some sophisticated mathematical exposition and is therefore best suited for those with a healthy interest in mathematics, physics, engineering, and computer science.

Intel introduces cryogenic control chip, Horse Ridge for commercially viable quantum computing

Microsoft announces Azure Quantum, an open cloud ecosystem to learn and build scalable quantum solutions

Amazon re:Invent 2019 Day One: AWS launches Braket, its new quantum service and releases

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Quantum expert Robert Sutor explains the basics of Quantum Computing - Packt Hub

What Was The Most Important Physics Of 2019? – Forbes

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

So, Ive been doing a bunch of talking in terms of decades in the last couple of posts, about the physics defining eras in the 20th century and the physics defining the last couple of decades. Ill most likely do another decadal post in the near future, this one looking ahead to the 2020s, but the end of a decade by definition falls at the end of a year, so its worth taking a look at physics stories on a shorter time scale, as well.

New year 2019 change to 2020 concept, hand change wooden cubes

You can, as always, find a good list of important physics stories in Physics Worlds Breakthrough of the Year shortlist, and there are plenty of other top science stories of 2019 lists out there. Speaking for myself, this is kind of an unusual year, and its tough to make a call as to the top story. Most of the time, these end-of-year things are either stupidly obvious because one story towers above all the others, or totally subjective because there are a whole bunch of stories of roughly equal importance, and the choice of a single one comes down to personal taste.

In 2019, though, I think there were two stories that are head-and-shoulders above everything else, but roughly equal to each other. Both are the culmination of many years of work, and both can also claim to be kicking off a new era for their respective subfields. And Im really not sure how to choose between them.

US computer scientist Katherine Bouman speaks during a House Committee on Science, Space and ... [+] Technology hearing on the "Event Horizon Telescope: The Black hole seen Round the World" in the Rayburn House office building in Washington, DC on May 16, 2019. (Photo by Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

The first of these is the more photogenic of the two, namely the release of the first image of a black hole by the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration back in April. This one made major news all over, and was one of the experiments that led me to call the 2010s the decade of black holes.

As I wrote around the time of the release, this was very much of a piece with the preceding hundred years of tests of general relativity: while many stories referred to the image as a shadow of the black hole, really its a ring produced by light bending around the event horizon. This is the same basic phenomenon that Eddington measured in 1919 looking at the shift in the apparent position of stars near the Sun, providing confirmation of Einsteins prediction that gravity bends light. Its just that scaling up the mass a few million times produces a far more dramatic bending of spacetime (and thus light) than the gentle curve produced by our Sun.

This Feb. 27, 2018, photo shows electronics for use in a quantum computer in the quantum computing ... [+] lab at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. Describing the inner workings of a quantum computer isnt easy, even for top scholars. Thats because the machines process information at the scale of elementary particles such as electrons and photons, where different laws of physics apply. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

The other story, in very 2019 fashion, first emerged via a leak: someone at NASA accidentally posted a draft of the paper in which Googles team claimed to have achieved quantum supremacy. They demonstrated reasonably convincingly that their machine took about three and a half minutes to generate a solution to a particular problem that would take vastly longer to solve with a classical computer.

The problem they were working with was very much in the quantum simulation mode that I talked about a year earlier, when I did a high-level overview of quantum computing in general, though a singularly useless version of that. Basically, they took a set of 50-odd qubits and performed a random series of operations on them to put them in a complicated state in which each qubit was in a superposition of multiple states and also entangled with other qubits in the system. Then they measured the probability of finding specific output states.

Qubit, or quantum bit, illustration. The qubit is a unit of quantum information. As a two-state ... [+] system with superposition of both states at the same time, it is fundamental to quantum computing. The illustration shows the Bloch sphere. The north pole is equivalent to one, the south pole to zero. The other locations, anywhere on the surface of the sphere, are quantum superpositions of 0 and 1. When the qubit is measured, the quantum wave function collapses, resulting in an ordinary bit - a one or a zero - which effectively depends on the qubit's 'latitude'. The illustration shows the qubit 'emitting' a stream of wave functions (the Greek letter psi), representing the collapse of the wave function when measured.

Finding the exact distribution of possible outcomes for such a large and entangled system is extremely computationally intensive if youre using a classical computer to do the job, but it happens very naturally in the quantum computer. So they could get a good approximation of the distribution within minutes, while the classical version would take a lot more time, where a lot more time ranges from thousands of years (Googles claim) down to a few days (the claim by a rival group at IBM using a different supercomputer algorithm to run the computation). If youd like a lot more technical detail about what this did and didnt do, see Scott Aaronson.

As with the EHT paper, this is the culmination of years of work by a large team of people. Its also very much of a piece with past work quantum computing as a distinct field is a recent development, but really, the fundamental equations used to do the calculations were pretty well set by 1935.

Glowing new technology in deep space, computer generated abstract background, 3D rendering

Both of these projects also have a solid claim to be at the forefront of something new. The EHT image is the first to be produced, but wont be the last theyre crunching numbers on the Sag A* black hole at the center of the Milky Way, and theres room to improve their imaging in the future. Along with the LIGO discovery from a few years ago, this is the start of a new era of looking directly at black holes, rather than just using them as a playground for theory.

Googles demonstration of quantum supremacy, meanwhile, is the first such result in a highly competitive field: IBM and Microsoft are also invested in similar machines, and there are smaller companies and academic labs exploring other technologies. The random-sampling problem they used is convenient for this sort of demonstration, but not really useful for anything else, but lots of people are hard at work on techniques to make a next generation of machines that will be able to do calculations where people care about the answer. Theres a good long way to go, yet, but a lot of activity in the field driving things forward.

So, in the head-to-head matchup for Top Physics Story of 2019, these two are remarkably evenly matched, and it could really go either way. The EHT result has a slightly deeper history, the Google quantum computer arguably has a brighter future. My inclination would be to split the award between them; if you put a gun to my head and made me pick one, Id go with quantum supremacy, but Id seriously question the life choices that led you to this place, because theyre both awesome accomplishments that deserve to be celebrated.

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What Was The Most Important Physics Of 2019? - Forbes

Shaping the technology transforming our society – Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

Technology and society are intertwined. Self-driving cars and facial recognition technologies are no longer science fiction, and data and efficiency are harbingers of this new world.

But these new technologies are only the beginning. In the coming decades, further advances in artificial intelligence and the dawn of quantum computing are poised to change lives in both discernible and inconspicuous ways.

Even everyday technology, like a smartphone app, affects people in significant ways that they might not realize, said Fermilab scientist Daniel Bowring. If there are concerns about something as familiar as an app, then we need to take more opaque and complicated technology, like AI, very seriously.

A two-day workshop took place from Oct. 31-Nov.1 at the University of Chicago to raise awareness and generate strategies for the ethical development and implementation of AI and quantum computing. The workshop was organized by the Chicago Quantum Exchange, a Chicago-based intellectual hub and community of researchers whose aim is to promote the exploration of quantum information technologies, and funded by the Kavli Foundation and the Center for Data and Computing, a University of Chicago center for research driven by data science and AI approaches.

Members of the Chicago Quantum Exchange engage in conversation at a workshop at the University of Chicago. Photo: Anne Ryan, University of Chicago

At the workshop, industry experts, physicists, sociologists, journalists and more gathered to learn, share insights and identify next steps as AI and quantum computing advance.

AI and quantum computing are developing tools that will affect everyone, said Bowring, a member of the workshop organizing team. It was important to us to get as many stakeholders in the room as possible.

Workshop participants listened to presentations that framed concerns such as power asymmetries, algorithmic bias and privacy before breaking out into small groups to deliberate these topics and develop actionable strategies. Groups reported to all attendees after each breakout session. On the last day of the workshop, participants considered how they would nurture the dialogue.

At one of the breakout sessions, participants discussed the balance between collaborative quantum computing research and national security. Today, the results of quantum computing research are dispersed in a wide variety of academic journals, and a lot of code is accessible and open source. However, because of its potential implications for cybersecurity and encryption, quantum computing is also of interest to national security, so it may be subject to intelligence and export controls. What endeavors, if any, should be open source or private? Are these outcomes realizable? What level of control should be maintained? How should these technologies be regulated?

Were already behind on setting ground rules for these technologies, which, if left to progress on their own, could increase power asymmetries in society, said Brian Nord, Fermilab and University of Chicago scientist and member of the workshop organizing team. Our research programs, for example, need to be crafted in a way that does not reinforce or exacerbate these asymmetries.

Workshop participants will continue the dialogue through online and in-person meetings to address key ethical and societal issues in the quantum and AI space. Potential future activities include writing proposals for joint research projects that consider ethical and societal implications, white papers addressed to academic audiences, and media editorials and developing community action plans.

Organizers are planning to hold a panel next spring to engage the public, as well.

The spring event will help us continue to spread awareness and engage a variety of groups on issues of ethics in AI and quantum computing, Nord said.

The workshop was sponsored by the Kavli Foundation in partnership with the Center for Data and Computing at the University of Chicago. Artificial intelligence and quantum information science are two of six initiatives identified as special priority by the Department of Energy Office of Science.

The Kavli Foundation is dedicated to advancing science for the benefit of humanity, promoting public understanding of scientific research, and supporting scientists and their work. The foundations mission is implemented through an international program of research institutes, initiatives and symposia in the fields of astrophysics, nanoscience, neuroscience, and theoretical physics, as well as the Kavli Prize and a program in public engagement with science. Visitkavlifoundation.org.

The Chicago Quantum Exchange catalyzes research activity across disciplines and member institutions. It is anchored by the University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and includes the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Northwestern University and industry partners. Visit chicagoquantum.org.

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Shaping the technology transforming our society - Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Quantum Technology Expert to Discuss Quantum Sensors for Defense Applications at Office of Naval Research (ONR) – Business Wire

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Michael J. Biercuk, founder and CEO of Q-CTRL, will describe how quantum sensors may provide exceptional new capabilities to the warfighter at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) on Jan. 13, 2020, as part of the ONRs 2020 Distinguished Lecture Series.

Quantum sensing is considered one of the most promising areas in the global research effort to leverage the exotic properties of quantum physics for real-world benefit. In his lecture titled Quantum Control as a Means to Improve Quantum Sensing in Realistic Environments, Biercuk will describe how new concepts in quantum control engineering applied to these sensors could dramatically enhance standoff detection and precision navigation and timing in military settings.

Biercuk is one of the worlds leading experts in the field of quantum technology. In 2017, he founded Q-CTRL based on research he led at the Quantum Control Lab at the University of Sydney, where he is a professor of Quantum Physics and Quantum Technology.

Funded by some of the worlds leading investors, including Silicon Valley-based Sierra Ventures and Sequoia Capital, Q-CTRL is dedicated to helping teams realize the true potential of quantum hardware, from sensing to quantum computing. In quantum computing, the team is known for its efforts in reducing hardware errors caused by environmental noise. Computational errors are considered a major obstacle in the development of useful quantum computers and sought-after breakthroughs in science and industry.

Now in its 11th year, the ONR Distinguished Lecture Series features groundbreaking innovators who have made a major impact on past research or are working on discoveries for the future. It is designed to stimulate discussion and collaboration among scientists and engineers representing Navy research, the Department of Defense, industry and academia.

Past speakers include Michael Posner, recipient of the National Medal of Science; Mark Hersam, MacArthur Genius Award recipient and leading experimentalist in the field of nanotechnology; and Dr. Robert Ballard, the deep-sea explorer best-known for recovering the wreck of the RMS Titanic.

I am honored to be taking part in this renowned lecture series, Biercuk said. Quantum technology, which harnesses quantum physics as a resource, is likely to be as transformational in the 21st century as harnessing electricity was in the 19th. I look forward to sharing insights into how Q-CTRLs efforts can accelerate the development of this new field of technology for defense applications.

About the Office of Naval Research

The Department of the Navys Office of Naval Research provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 55 countries, 634 institutions of higher learning and nonprofit institutions, and more than 960 industry partners.

ABOUT Q-CTRL

Q-CTRL was founded in November 2017 and is a venture-capital-backed company that provides control-engineering software solutions to help customers harness the power of quantum physics in next-generation technologies.

Q-CTRL is built on Professor Michael J. Biercuks research leading the Quantum Control Lab at the University of Sydney, where he is a Professor of Quantum Physics and Quantum Technology.

The teams expertise led Q-CTRL to be selected as an inaugural member of the IBM Q startup network in 2018. Q-CTRL is funded by SquarePeg Capital, Sierra Ventures, Sequoia Capital China, Data Collective, Horizons Ventures and Main Sequence Ventures.

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Quantum Technology Expert to Discuss Quantum Sensors for Defense Applications at Office of Naval Research (ONR) - Business Wire

Got Empowerment? – Thrive Global

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

2020 is here and EVERYONE wants to empower you. By definition, empowerment is the granting of the power, right, or authority to perform various acts or duties (Merriam-Webster). Now, I dont know about you, but for my personal life, there is no other authority figure (except The Most High and He empowered me at birth) that can grant me the rights to my own life. I have been endowed (and so have you) by my Creator with all the power, rights, and authority I need to live my best life. Its essential that we all understand this, because if a person can grant you rights and power to your best life, they can also take it away. That means, if youre waiting for or believing in someone else to give you the keys to your life, you may never pass go, or pass go in a meaningful, sustainable way.

Now, let me be clear. Empowerment and motivation or inspiration are not the same. People, places, and things can certainly inspire and motivate you, but empower youI think not. Take a moment and think about how much control must be given to an individual in order for that individual to give you access and authority and power over your own life. THAT is a lot of power. And dont get me wrong, I certainly understand why someone else empowering you is an attractive proposition. Change and forward progression can be scary things because there is so much uncertainty around the risks, decisions, and outcomes. It only seems natural to hand over the power to someone else especially in those transformative spaces. I get it. But this is 2020, and as scary as change and transformation can be, it can only exist in a state of ownership. So, it is time to take back the power and authority you have given away knowingly or unknowingly.

Alice Walker once said The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they dont have any. Im here to tell you, you have ALL the power. So, heres what were going to do. First, there is work to be done and it is work ONLY you can do:

Second, there is work you can do by yourself or with support and collaboration of other powerful individuals to determine what your great looks like:

So, the next time another human suggests they can empower you to for your life, thank them kindly (if youre Southern, you can bless their hearts) and know that your empowerment comes from within.

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul. Invictus by William Ernest Henley, 1875

Remember no one can give you authority to your life (and all its potential) except you and that which created you. So, in every day and in every way, own your empowerment in all ways and always.

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Got Empowerment? - Thrive Global

Giving and Receiving: Breaking the silence around abuse – Appeal-Democrat

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

Editors Note: The Giving and Receiving series features people involved in humanitarian programs as recipients or providers.

To break the silence about domestic violence, Williams-based nonprofit organization Karens House supporters are speaking out and helping those struggling in abusive situations.

We want to keep everybody safe, said Tootie Hackett, founder of Karens House. Anything we can do to prevent another statistic.

According to Hackett, the nonprofit organization advocates on behalf of victims of domestic violence and their children, by providing a safe space that promotes intervention, prevention, awareness and empowerment.

Hackett established Karens House Colusa Countys first domestic violence program in April 2018 after the disappearance and death of Williams native Karen Garcia to offer resources and help to those stuck in abusive situations as Garcia was prior to her death.

Since being established, Karens House has partnered with Colusa County with the hope of expanding services and Hackett said they have been trying to obtain grant money to open a shelter in the near future.

We have gotten one grant already, but its very expensive to open a shelter from scratch, said Hackett.

According to Hackett, the organization is looking for a three bedroom, two bath house or land within the county they can use to get the shelter up and running.

Hackett said the organization, which has assisted 15 individuals and their families since opening, provides support and assistance to get victims away from their abusers by putting them up in hotels for three days, helping to locate and talk to family for help, as well as providing clothes, food and personal hygiene supplies, referrals to local services and help obtaining restraining orders. Hackett said she is also certified to provide counseling services to victims as well.

I am the only person certified right now but as we grow we would like to get more people certified, said Hackett.

Karens House, which is run solely by volunteers, hosts several fundraiser events throughout the year to continuously provide these services, including a rib cook-off at the Williams Pioneer Day event scheduled each year in June, an annual golf tournament, which Hackett said is scheduled for May 1, 2020, at the Arbuckle Golf Club, as well as several paint nights.

These fundraisers are how we keep everything going, said Hackett. We pay our rent and the few bills we have and then put the rest away.

Karens House will be hosted a human trafficking awareness event in Williams Tuesday that was free and open to the public. According to Hackett, guest speaker Roger Freeman, outreach and training specialist for the International Rescue Committee, lead an informative training outlining the warning signs and things to be aware of regarding human trafficking.

Giving and Receiving: Breaking the silence around abuse - Appeal-Democrat

40% Indian women fear online trolls as they embrace Internet – The Siasat Daily

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

New Delhi While education and career development are top priorities for women Internet users in India, 40 per cent of them fear irrelevant comments, being trolled and followed on smartphones which has become a preferred choice for them to remain online, a new report said on Tuesday.

While 44 per cent of women in Indian metros access online content in English to improve their soft skills and stay job-ready, this focus is sharper among younger women between the 18-23 age group, said the the Verizon Media survey conducted by Nielsen with 1,300 respondents in 12 cities.

Women users spend time online between 3 pm and 9 pm a signal for brands on when to reach and engage with women audiences, according to the survey.

Across locations, younger women were found to access more content related to education, career growth and skill development, while older women between 29-35 years of age accessed more online video content related to personal well-being.

The internet is empowering a new breed of Indian women who are coming online and preparing to take their place in the workforce. The right platform and support as a community will enable greater inclusion, boosting participation of Indian women at the workplace, said Nikhil Rungta, Country Manager, India, Verizon Media.

Smartphones are the device of choice for women users in India, with 60 per cent of women accessing the Internet only on these devices. This number spikes to over 75 per cent of women in Tier 1 cities.

According to the survey, women in India spend an average time of 145 minutes on their smartphones every day. Interestingly, women in Tier 1 cities spend about 25 minutes more on Internet compared to women in metros.

Of the total women surveyed, nearly 80 per cent users access online content in English as well as local languages.

Given the popularity of video and OTT content in the country, there is a clear preference towards watching videos over reading content online among women Internet users.

More than two-third of women surveyed had watched videos related to career development or social causes or personal well-being in the last one month.

Health and fitness are priority areas for them, especially for women in the 35 and over age group.

Environmental conservation and child abuse-related content were rated as high affinity content apart from education, women empowerment and career development, said the survey.

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40% Indian women fear online trolls as they embrace Internet - The Siasat Daily

After Parkland shooting, student fights for mental health resources in schools – UC Berkeley

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Danzig

Subscribe to Fiat Vox.

Feb. 14, 2018, began like any other day for Kai Koerber. He was running late for his early morning AP English class at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. When he got there, he was handed the classs biggest assignment of the year and groaned. At the time, I was like, Man, this is going to be the worst part of my day,' says Koerber, now a first-year student majoring in computer science at UC Berkeley.

After English, he had honors chemistry, followed by pre-calculus, then guitar class in the band room. At 2:18 p.m., he asked to use the restroom, but another classmate was out, so his teacher told Kai to wait. Two minutes later, the fire alarm went off. And what followed was a tragedy that his school would become known for one that Kai would decide to speak out about, changing the narrative about the impact of gun violence on youth in the United States.

At Berkeley, in between classes and studying, Kai works to promote his nonprofit and mental health curriculum something that hes become passionate about since surviving one of the deadliest school shootings in the country.

Kai Koerber is a first-year student majoring in computer science at Berkeley. (UC Berkeley photo by Brittany Hosea-Small)

[Music: Highride by Blue Dot Sessions]

Narration: It was Feb. 14, 2018. Valentines Day. Like most days, Kai Koerber was running late to AP English. To be fair, the class was at 7:30 in the morning, which, to me, seems absurdly early for a high school class.

Kai at 6 months old with his mom, Alana. Before Kai enrolled in high school, his family moved from New Jersey to Florida so that Kai and his two younger sisters could get a better education. (Photo courtesy of Alana Koerber)

But thats how it was at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. It was known for rigorous classes that set students up to attend the best colleges. And Kai, whose family had moved from New Jersey so that he and his two younger sisters could get a better education, was determined to make the most of it.

And it paid off. After he graduated, he got into UC Berkeley, where hes now a first-year student majoring in computer science.

What Kai didnt know that day about his high school was that it would also become known for a national tragedy one that he would decide to speak out about, changing the narrative about the impact of gun violence on youth in the United States.

Youre listening to Fiat Vox, a Berkeley News podcast. Im Anne Brice.

Narration: When Kai got to AP English, his teacher handed him the classs biggest assignment of the year a 20-page rhetorical analysis essay.

Kai Koerber: At the time, I was like, Man, this is going to be the worst part of my day. But, you know, as the day went on, obviously that wasnt the case.

Narration: Next, he had honors chemistry, followed by pre-calculus, then guitar class in the band room his most relaxing class of the day.

At 2:18 p.m., he asked his teacher if he could go to the restroom. But one of his classmates was already out, so the teacher told Kai to wait until the student returned.

Kai Koerber: I feel like thats divine intervention, almost. I cant think of any other way to explain that, really.

Narration: Two minutes later, at 2:20 p.m., the fire alarm went off. Kai and all the other students were evacuated to a grassy field. No one was really worried. They figured it was just another emergency drill, like they had from time to time.

[Music: Zither Sprak by Blue Dot Sessions]

But one student, whom Kai says was known as the class hypochondriac, said he heard gunshots. The other students kind of laughed it off and told him to relax.

Turns out, though, that time he was right.

Within minutes, the teachers had gotten word that there was an active shooter somewhere on campus. Everyone ran back inside to take cover.

Kais teacher locked the band rooms steel doors, covered the windows and turned off the lights. Students did their best to hide in closets and behind tables.

Kai Koerber: Nobody really knew where this person was. Nobody really knew what they were armed with, what they were doing, what they were capable of. At the time, we felt like sitting ducks.

Narration: Huddled in a closet, Kai texted his parents.

Kai Koerber: I remember texting them, like, Dont call me, because I dont want them to hear if theyre in the building. If they hear that someones on the phone, that could be it for all of us. I just kept saying, I love you, and Ill see you again later. Things like that.

When Kais mom, Alana, saw that her son sent her a text on Feb. 14, 2018, she didnt think anything of it at first. But when got a moment to read it, her heart sank. (Photo courtesy of Alana Koerber)

Narration: Kais mom, Alana Koerber, was driving on the freeway when she got his text. At first, she assumed it was just one of her sons everyday texts, asking if she was picking him up from school that day.

But when she got a moment to glance at her phone, she froze.

Alana Koerber: It said, Hey, Mom. Something is happening at my school. Im not sure, but I just want to let you know that if anything happens to me, that I love you. Im like, What does he mean, If anything happens to me, just know that I love you? That just made my heart drop.

Narration: By then, she was driving on the highway. Police cars with sirens blaring began to fly past her.

Alana Koerber: And Im like, Oh, my God! I just started shaking, like panicking, just not understanding. Like, Oh, my God, something is happening! What is happening?

Narration: She called the Coral Springs Police Department. They told her there was an active shooter on the schools campus, and that they didnt have any more information.

Alana headed straight for the school, parked and ran across the street to join a group of parents. The sheriff was there. Helicopters were landing on the baseball field. SWAT teams were rolling in, and huge ambulances were racing to the scene.

Alana Koerber: And Im like, Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! I dont care. I want to go. Why the hell are you guys all out here? All these cops are out here. You need to be in there where the kids are to save our kids. And then, the parents around me start to receive videos of dead bodies, blood. Theyre passing their phones around. Theyre passing these videos around. And its a group of like 30, 40, 50 parents.

The crowd is growing, and were starting to cry and hug each other because our kids are still in that school. And now we have videos of dead bodies. I was praying to God. I was just saying, God, please, please, please, please God. I dont know what I have to do. I dont know what I have to sacrifice. I dont know what I have to give up. But, Lord, please get my son out of there.

[Music: Lunette by Blue Dot Sessions]

Narration: Back in the band room, Kai was doing his best not to panic. Of course, just like most students in the school, he didnt know what was going on who and where the shooter was, if anyone had been hurt, if that day would be his last.

But he did know how to stay calm through stressful situations.

Kai Koerber: I tried my best to not think the worst. When I was really stressed out in certain situations, my family always told me to picture myself being safe at all times, no matter how dangerous the situation actually is. Its really gotten me through some rough times and kept me safe in a lot of different ways.

Alana Koerber: You know, I taught my son how to metaphysically protect himself, surrounding himself with white light, picturing wings of an angel, just soothing him from harm.

After the shooting, Kai wasnt sure he wanted to do interviews with the media. But after talking it over with him mom, he decided it was important that he speak out about the impact of gun violence on youth. (Photo courtesy of Alana Koerber)

Narration: So, Kai sat perfectly still in a corner of a closet, imagining himself surrounded by a bright protective light.

And Kai and his mom say that it worked that day. He was protected. If Kais teacher had let him go to the bathroom at 2:18 p.m., like hed asked, he would have been in the exact hallway at the exact time the gunman began shooting.

After about three hours, the high school was taken off lockdown, and students were allowed to go home.

It wasnt for another day or so that Kai would learn, along with the rest of world, that 17 people had been killed 14 students and three staff members making it one of the deadliest school shootings in the country. The killer was Nikolas Cruz, a former student at the high school.

[Music: Fifteen Street by Blue Dot Sessions]

Kai would go on to become an influential voice in the fight against gun violence. He did dozens of interviews with national news shows, radio programs and magazines. He attended protests and rallies, where he spoke to reporters whenever they had questions.

It was his responsibility, he says, to share his voice and try his hardest to make a difference in the way that mental health is understood and treated in the U.S.

Kai, 16, stands outside Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018, days after the shooting. (Photo courtesy of Alana Koerber)

Narration: After the shooting, Kai wasnt sure he wanted to be in the limelight. Other Parkland students had begun appearing on TV, speaking out against gun violence and pushing for reforms in the country.

But Kai questioned if it was right. He wondered, Should they be putting themselves out there? Was it going to create positive change, or was it sensationalizing the tragedy?

He talked it over with his mom, and decided that he wanted to add his voice to the narrative to take a stand and speak authentically about gun violence and mental health, bringing the perspective of a young black person living in the South.

Kai appeared on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah with four other Stoneman Douglas High School students in March 2018. (Photo courtesy of Alana Koerber)

Here is he on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah with four other Stoneman Douglas High School students:

[Audio from the Daily Show interview:

Trevor Noah: Kai, on your side, giving teachers guns isnt the safe space that you would want to be in. A teacher having a gun doesnt make you feel better. Why?

Kai Koerber: If Im being honest, I dont want to seem like that guy, but me being a minority in the South and having a teacher with a gun does not make me feel comfortable. Even when you have resource officers who are taking matters into their own hands, I dont think lethal weapons should have a place in the school environment. If you need to have a weapon to defend people, I do believe it should be a non-lethal option.]

Narration: Kai soon became committed to promoting mental health curriculum in schools.

In April 2018, he founded Societal Reform Corporation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting mental health programs in schools programs that teach students of all ages to mitigate emotions, relax, learn and grow as human beings.

He teamed up with the Crown Prince of Norway and Berkeley alumnus, Haakon Magnus, who runs a program called Global Dignity. He also partnered with a leading author on mindfulness and personal transformation, Jack Canfield. (Both Magnus and Canfield had seen Kai talk at different events and contacted him about a possible collaboration.)

Kai Koerber: I have found that a lot of people who are tremendously successful or who are in those positions do share a lot of the same beliefs that I do, in terms of how mental health works the power of intention, goal setting and not letting things stand in your way, no matter what they are. It seems to be a universal language to them.

Narration: Using both Magnuss and Canfields curricula, Kai has put together what he calls his Empowerment Curriculum some 400 pages of more than 100 lessons that he says will be a growing library of self-improvement resources.

Kai Koerber: It not only counters the culture of pharmaceutical dependence that America has, in terms of regulating emotional states, but it also teaches people that they dont need to depend on things outside of themselves to live happy and healthy lives.

[Music: Greylock by Blue Dot Sessions]

That was a really big part of my upbringing and I really wanted to share that and create a curriculum that reflected those beliefs.

Narration: A big part of the curriculum teaches mindfulness exercises that help to channel positive energy and mitigate negative emotions.

For one exercise, theres a script, but the idea is that someone might look in the mirror and say something like, I can overcome any obstacle standing in my way. By channeling the power of intention, it becomes a reality.

In Kais Empowerment Curriculum, theres a section that talks about how to use meditation to center yourself in a more positive reality something that Kai tries to do every day. (UC Berkeley photo by Brittany Hosea-Small)

Narration: Kai has already donated his curriculum to several school districts in Florida and to some alternative high school programs that help high-risk youth get their GEDs. Broward County Public Schools the sixth largest public school system in the nation is looking to incorporate some of its teachings into next years lesson plans.

As a student at Berkeley, Kai plans to major in computer science. Hes always loved math and finding solutions to problems, and his family has a long history in the field. His grandfather worked on Wall Street as a mathematical statistician. His uncle worked at NASA as a rocket scientist.

Kai Koerber: Its almost a right of passage to take calculus and all those classes. (laughs)

Narration: And when he has time between classes and studying, hes speaking at events across the country about mental health and the impact of gun violence on youth.

Kai says hes always loved math and solving problems. It runs in the family his grandfather was a mathematical statistician on Wall Street and his uncle worked at NASA as a rocket scientist. (UC Berkeley photo by Brittany Hosea-Small)

In November, Kai was the keynote speaker at the Florida Gulf Coast University, Children and Youth Mental Health Conference, where he received a standing ovation after leading several exercises from his curriculum with the audience.

And earlier this month, Kai spoke at an informational hearing chaired by California Assembly Member Buffy Wicks in Oakland. He was one of more than a dozen witnesses who testified on the impact of gun violence at the California Assembly Select Committee on Youth Mental Health.

[Music: Dirty Wallpaper by Blue Dot Sessions]

Kai says, ideally, he would like to see some of the lessons in his curriculum be used in high schools right away. The lessons on goal-setting and self-improvement, he says, are essential for students as they enter more challenging chapters of their lives. Eventually, he hopes the curriculum will be incorporated into all levels of education, from elementary school to college.

Kai knows its not going to be easy, but thats never been a roadblock before. When people tell him to consider other options or to think about what could happen if something failed, he says he doesnt have the energy or time to waste.

Kai with friends Mohammed Zareef Mustafa (left), Tijaan Issah Henderson (center) and Sundiata Chaka Teooem (right) at Crossroads Dining Hall, where Kai eats most of his meals. (UC Berkeley photo by Brittany Hosea-Small)

Kai Koerber: You just keep moving forward. You know, people, theyre very confused by that belief. But I dont know. Its something that I grew up with and its something thats worked for me as a student, as an entrepreneur and as a person. So I think Ill carry it with me for the rest of my life.

Narration: Kai continues to build new partnerships to grow his curriculum. He recently secured partnerships with two neurotechnology companies that create devices for focus, relaxation and guided meditation. He hopes to install neurotech lounges on campus that use real-time biofeedback to promote relaxation and focus.

At only 18, Kai has already accomplished a lot, but I have a feeling, its just the beginning.

For Berkeley News, Im Anne Brice.

To learn more about Kais nonprofit, Societal Reform Corporation, visit societalreform.org/. If you work at a school or for an after-school program and are interested in using the Empowerment Curriculum, email info@societalreform.org.

Subscribe to this podcast, Fiat Vox, on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen. If you liked this episode, consider sharing it with a friend. And check out our other podcast, Berkeley Talks, that features lectures and conversations at UC Berkeley. You can find all of our podcast episodes on Berkeley News at news.berkeley.edu/podcasts.

(UC Berkeley photo by Brittany Hosea-Small)

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After Parkland shooting, student fights for mental health resources in schools - UC Berkeley

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